This week was hectic at work as I was supposed to get Monday and Tuesday nights off. I worked on Monday night because the scheduled B shift person didn't show up and the scheduled C shift person had to work the B shift instead. So then, I was going to get Tuesday and Wednesday off but worked on Wednesday night because the girl who was supposed to work the C shift got into a car accident on her way to work and was taken to emergency. So I got Tuesday and Thursday off instead. This worked out beautifully as Jeff had Friday off so we could go out with Josh and Carolyn on Thursday night without worrying about me getting back for work... more on Thursday evening later.
On Tuesday we went to eat at Burgerville and were excited to discover a cheaper menu that had been hidden from us on previous outings to Burgerville- maybe we just weren't as observant or the more expensive options called out to us louder than the cheaper ones. So instead of the usual $20.00 we spend when we eat there, we spent less than $9.00 and had just as much food. Our budget was glad and our tummies were full!!
We went to McMenamins on Thursday night and saw the movie Inception with Josh and Carolyn. It was fabulous! We got a big pizza to share all really enjoyed watching the movie together.
On Friday I got a new library card and put some books on hold! :0) After going to the Library, we decided to drive through Damascus (a rural gem just outside of Portland) -although we didn't quite know how to get there. So we drove around the rural parts of Gresham first until we miraculously came upon a highway with a sign pointing us towards Damascus. It was so random that we found it. The fields filled with vibrant autumn colors were absolutely indescribable. I attempted to describe parts of what we saw in a poem I wrote which will be posted not this Tuesday but the next (11/30.) We ooo'd and ahhh'd our way through the countryside and have come to the conclusion we want to buy a home on one acre of land. On our way back, we stopped at this little farmer's stand on the side of the road. It was raining slightly which added to its charm. We bought a big bag of lettuce, red potatoes, a jalapeno pepper, an apple (it tasted like cherries!), and a juicy red pear.
Also on Friday, we went out to lunch at Chu's with Carolyn and played Rock Band in the basement.
Jeff and I celebrated our 1 year anniversary this week (Saturday)! We are celebrating by making our favorite meals together this next week. Saturday morning we made pancakes, eggs, bacon, potatoes, pears, and had peach champagne to drink :0) Jeff requested the day off but unfortunately i had to work that night so I slept most of the day away. We opted not to got to our favorite Restaurant (Bread and Ink), which supports both local farms and grass-fed meat, because we had already celebrated in the restaurant category quite a bit already this month and had exceeded our restaurant budget 3 times over! There is really nothing like home-cooked meals where we both participate in the preparations so we were happy to stay home. :0)
First frost of the season came this morning, Sunday, which meant I had to scrape ice off my car for the first time ever which was both exciting and exhausting. Thankfully my coworker, (the one who got in the car accident) offered to help! It would have taken 4 times as long by myself. I'm such a California girl when it comes to stuff like this and have absolutely no clue. The weatherman forecasted the first snow of the season today but I've slept for most of it so thankfully I am unaware of the weather conditions outside. Brrrrr.
Showing posts with label Farmer's Market. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Farmer's Market. Show all posts
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Berries Galore
With dirt crusted jeans, sticky arms, and one almost-brimming-bucket of blueberries in tow, I scoured each plant I came across thoroughly in search of the biggest blueberries I could find.
(a few medium sized Blueberries from Sauvie Island)
I had heard stories from Jeff's childhood about family trips to Sauvie Island so I was excited to see it for myself. When we first arrived at the farm, I was impressed with its serenity. The sun was warm but not roasting, we were ready for hard work so we each grabbed 2 green tubs and started picking. 45 minutes later, we trucked down the hill to the stand to weigh our produce and I was amazed to find we had picked 10 pounds of blueberries between Jeff and myself! (I had picked 7 pounds, Jeff picked 3.) :0)
Susie treated us all to flavored Honey Stix and we drove on until we came to a barn-like building which happened to be Kruger Farmers Market. There we asked if there were strawberries to pick (which I later learned are best for picking in June.)
Kruger Farmer's Market on Sauvie Island with Strawberry fields in the foreground.
The lady working at the counter seemed skeptical but said we could try finding them if we wanted to and gave us directions to the nearest field. From the car it looked like there were plenty of strawberries, but with closer examination we discovered that glimpses of red were just the reddish brown leaves being deceptive. As we walked along the rows, we would each exclaim with childlike excitement when we found a berry. We searched for a while in this field with dismal success and found a total of 7 strawberries between the four of us! Those berries were exceptionally tiny and therefore surprisingly sweet- most of them too sun-dried to keep.
(not the smallest strawberry we picked)
Among the strawberry bushes, I spotted a tiny baby froggy. It was a little bigger than a quarter. It was so cute hopping quickly along the rows of deserted strawberry plants. I've decided I want a pet baby froggy... maybe even more than I want a dog. Jeff tried to take its photo with his phone but it was too quick so the picture didn't turn out so well.
After scanning the field for strawberries, we moved along to another field down the way. To our disappointment, we didn't see many at first. The bright red against the green leaves sounds like it would be hard to miss, though at top glance the plants looked barren. What I didn't realize was how deep I had to search within the plant to find the berries.
All of a sudden I saw one peaking out from under the green leaves like a bright jewel flickering in the sunlight. Then I found another...
and a few more...
and a few more...
Once we got the hang of it, there was no stopping us. An hour and a half later we drove back to the stand to weigh our collective efforts and had picked a total 5.3 pounds of fresh strawberries. Susie said I could have all the strawberries because she still had some in her freezer from last time.
So, what will I do with 15 pounds of berries, you ask?
First I washed and froze all of the strawberries because they don't keep as well as blueberries. I will make blueberry muffins, strawberry jam, blueberry scones, strawberry ice cream, blueberry pancakes, use some for Green Smoothies, eat some plain of course and freeze the rest for later!
Look for future posts on how I end up using all these berries.
(a few medium sized Blueberries from Sauvie Island)I had heard stories from Jeff's childhood about family trips to Sauvie Island so I was excited to see it for myself. When we first arrived at the farm, I was impressed with its serenity. The sun was warm but not roasting, we were ready for hard work so we each grabbed 2 green tubs and started picking. 45 minutes later, we trucked down the hill to the stand to weigh our produce and I was amazed to find we had picked 10 pounds of blueberries between Jeff and myself! (I had picked 7 pounds, Jeff picked 3.) :0)
Susie treated us all to flavored Honey Stix and we drove on until we came to a barn-like building which happened to be Kruger Farmers Market. There we asked if there were strawberries to pick (which I later learned are best for picking in June.)
Kruger Farmer's Market on Sauvie Island with Strawberry fields in the foreground.
The lady working at the counter seemed skeptical but said we could try finding them if we wanted to and gave us directions to the nearest field. From the car it looked like there were plenty of strawberries, but with closer examination we discovered that glimpses of red were just the reddish brown leaves being deceptive. As we walked along the rows, we would each exclaim with childlike excitement when we found a berry. We searched for a while in this field with dismal success and found a total of 7 strawberries between the four of us! Those berries were exceptionally tiny and therefore surprisingly sweet- most of them too sun-dried to keep.
(not the smallest strawberry we picked)Among the strawberry bushes, I spotted a tiny baby froggy. It was a little bigger than a quarter. It was so cute hopping quickly along the rows of deserted strawberry plants. I've decided I want a pet baby froggy... maybe even more than I want a dog. Jeff tried to take its photo with his phone but it was too quick so the picture didn't turn out so well.
After scanning the field for strawberries, we moved along to another field down the way. To our disappointment, we didn't see many at first. The bright red against the green leaves sounds like it would be hard to miss, though at top glance the plants looked barren. What I didn't realize was how deep I had to search within the plant to find the berries.
All of a sudden I saw one peaking out from under the green leaves like a bright jewel flickering in the sunlight. Then I found another...
and a few more...
and a few more...
Once we got the hang of it, there was no stopping us. An hour and a half later we drove back to the stand to weigh our collective efforts and had picked a total 5.3 pounds of fresh strawberries. Susie said I could have all the strawberries because she still had some in her freezer from last time.
So, what will I do with 15 pounds of berries, you ask?
First I washed and froze all of the strawberries because they don't keep as well as blueberries. I will make blueberry muffins, strawberry jam, blueberry scones, strawberry ice cream, blueberry pancakes, use some for Green Smoothies, eat some plain of course and freeze the rest for later!
Look for future posts on how I end up using all these berries.
Friday, April 9, 2010
25 things
1. I married my best friend, Jeff late last year. It was the best decision I've ever made because I can say for the first time in my life I am truly happy.
2. My twin sister and I are nothing alike. But we are really good friends.
3. Having a stroke at the age of ten during heart surgery changed me in many ways. The most difficult years of my life followed. I had trouble communicating (and still do sometimes), lost my personality, suffered from depression, and had to relearn some skills that everyone else takes for granted. I still struggle in social situations and have a general lack of self confidence but am back to 'normal' for the most part, if there is such a thing.
4. My favorite foods are: my oatmeal chocolate chip cookies with pecans and almonds, fishy crackers, vanilla ice cream, home made granola, whipped cream, goat cheese, tomatoes, mashed red potatoes.
5. My parents are some of the most patient and loving people I know.
6. I had a crush on my husband for over a year before we started dating. At 1:00 AM I asked him out. We were on a 5 hour stroll through the snow. The moon that night looked magical. Exhilaration is the word I'd use to describe the feeling of finding out that he liked me too. I am still in awe that he loves me.
7. My parents instilled in me a love for learning. As educators they were always providing teachable moments at home.
8. I'd take sparkling wine or champagne over beer any day. (Except Pomegranate beer).
9. I love playing hand bells.
10. I've traveled to Australia, Canada, England, Jamaica, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand. Some day I'd love to go back to Japan and travel to Africa, France, Holy lands, Ireland, Italy, and Spain.
11. At age 21 I finally got my drivers license. I still don't like driving... so much responsibility.
12. One of the best pieces of advice I've ever gotten was to "take one risk every day". If I actually followed this, my life would be more interesting.
13. My left ear wears a hearing aid.
14. My husband and I had a short 4 month engagement before we got married. He proposed on my Grandparent's anniversary July 20th. We got married on my parents wedding anniversary, November 20th. And Jeff's parents got married on August 20th.
15. Moving to Portland, Oregon was the easiest yet hardest decision I've made. I miss my family who still lives in California.
16. I didn't try drinking alcohol until 2 months after I turned 21.
17. I'm excited that spring is here because all the farmers markets in the Portland area open in April. Using fresh veggies and trying new recipes even though I know I won't stick to them are my favorite types of cooking. I've always loved vegetables and creating ways to make them taste even better.
18. Going to college in Michigan was a challenging experience. I'm proud of myself for getting my bachelors degree. I just wish I had applied myself more.
19. I contracted malaria from Jamaica in 2007 which remained dormant in me for 5 months before the symptoms showed up. I was hospitalized over a weekend so they could monitor its progression.
20. Before we got married, my husband and I felt united in the fact that we wanted to live simply. It wasn't until after the purchase of our 40 inch flat screen T.V. that I learned my husband's definition of simple living is much different than mine. I always imagined that simple living meant living with out some unnecessary modern conveniences. While his was more like its o.k. to have nice things but the less stuff the better. Learning to compromise with each other is something we are working at.
21. I've never been to Las Vegas.
22. When I was younger, I wanted to be an actress, an opera star, a composer, a veterinarian, an author, and a restaurant owner. Now, I don't know what I want to do with my life.
23. My family grew up with out watching T.V. This spurred lots of creative moments for my sister and me.
24. If I were to do college over again I would think about majoring in Philosophy or Religion. My favorite course was Philosophy of Social Science... It altered the way I think about life.
25. Camp Del Corazon (Heart camp) was a life saver... I learned so much about myself especially that I shouldn't let my heart disease hold me back from living.
2. My twin sister and I are nothing alike. But we are really good friends.
3. Having a stroke at the age of ten during heart surgery changed me in many ways. The most difficult years of my life followed. I had trouble communicating (and still do sometimes), lost my personality, suffered from depression, and had to relearn some skills that everyone else takes for granted. I still struggle in social situations and have a general lack of self confidence but am back to 'normal' for the most part, if there is such a thing.
4. My favorite foods are: my oatmeal chocolate chip cookies with pecans and almonds, fishy crackers, vanilla ice cream, home made granola, whipped cream, goat cheese, tomatoes, mashed red potatoes.
5. My parents are some of the most patient and loving people I know.
6. I had a crush on my husband for over a year before we started dating. At 1:00 AM I asked him out. We were on a 5 hour stroll through the snow. The moon that night looked magical. Exhilaration is the word I'd use to describe the feeling of finding out that he liked me too. I am still in awe that he loves me.
7. My parents instilled in me a love for learning. As educators they were always providing teachable moments at home.
8. I'd take sparkling wine or champagne over beer any day. (Except Pomegranate beer).
9. I love playing hand bells.
10. I've traveled to Australia, Canada, England, Jamaica, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand. Some day I'd love to go back to Japan and travel to Africa, France, Holy lands, Ireland, Italy, and Spain.
11. At age 21 I finally got my drivers license. I still don't like driving... so much responsibility.
12. One of the best pieces of advice I've ever gotten was to "take one risk every day". If I actually followed this, my life would be more interesting.
13. My left ear wears a hearing aid.
14. My husband and I had a short 4 month engagement before we got married. He proposed on my Grandparent's anniversary July 20th. We got married on my parents wedding anniversary, November 20th. And Jeff's parents got married on August 20th.
15. Moving to Portland, Oregon was the easiest yet hardest decision I've made. I miss my family who still lives in California.
16. I didn't try drinking alcohol until 2 months after I turned 21.
17. I'm excited that spring is here because all the farmers markets in the Portland area open in April. Using fresh veggies and trying new recipes even though I know I won't stick to them are my favorite types of cooking. I've always loved vegetables and creating ways to make them taste even better.
18. Going to college in Michigan was a challenging experience. I'm proud of myself for getting my bachelors degree. I just wish I had applied myself more.
19. I contracted malaria from Jamaica in 2007 which remained dormant in me for 5 months before the symptoms showed up. I was hospitalized over a weekend so they could monitor its progression.
20. Before we got married, my husband and I felt united in the fact that we wanted to live simply. It wasn't until after the purchase of our 40 inch flat screen T.V. that I learned my husband's definition of simple living is much different than mine. I always imagined that simple living meant living with out some unnecessary modern conveniences. While his was more like its o.k. to have nice things but the less stuff the better. Learning to compromise with each other is something we are working at.
21. I've never been to Las Vegas.
22. When I was younger, I wanted to be an actress, an opera star, a composer, a veterinarian, an author, and a restaurant owner. Now, I don't know what I want to do with my life.
23. My family grew up with out watching T.V. This spurred lots of creative moments for my sister and me.
24. If I were to do college over again I would think about majoring in Philosophy or Religion. My favorite course was Philosophy of Social Science... It altered the way I think about life.
25. Camp Del Corazon (Heart camp) was a life saver... I learned so much about myself especially that I shouldn't let my heart disease hold me back from living.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)