February 2013
2 posts
2*19*13
I just returned from a week of sailing in the British Virgin Islands. And I forgot to pack just one thing for my trip: a camera. Boo.
Thankfully, my compadres did a better job. More to come when I get copies from them.
This photo was taken with my phone. Most days were warm and sunny, with just enough wind to keep you cool (well, that and the blended drinks). But on this particular day we...
2*5*13
Now that I’ve made this bread 3 times in the last 3 weeks, I thought it was only appropriate that I share it.
The inspiration: my new dutch oven that my mom gave me for Christmas. I love this recipe because it’s much quicker than the other dutch oven bread recipes I’ve seen. It’s not giant (it serves 4, although Cory and I ate almost the entire thing between the two of us...
January 2013
3 posts
2 tags
1*22*13
I intended to post a couple recipes this weekend, but… they failed. For me at least. Who knows if the recipe I used for this sourdough bread was bad, or if it was my own doing that caused it to fail. And by fail, I mean be way too dense and really hardly rise.
Or this roasted banana pudding, which I had such high hopes for (and invested way too many eggs in). Tell me, pudding, is it me?
4 tags
1*12*13
I was referred to this waffle recipe from a good friend that is an excellent cook. I thought the maple whipped cream seemed like an appropriate topping (especially given that I had extra whipped cream in my fridge), but what would you put on them?
Rice Crispies Waffles with Maple Whipped Cream
adapted from America’s Test Kitchen
1 1/4 cup flour (I used 1/2 c whole wheat - I...
1*2*13
Happy New Year! Cheers to the many wonderful things to come in 2013! Like weddings…
December 2012
3 posts
4 tags
12*18*12
Normally I share the things that I make, but this was too delicious not to share, and I guess technically I picked it out. Oh yeah, and my oven is broken, so you would not have wanted to look at the shit that was coming out of there anyways. **cue the sad music**
It’s was Nutmeg-Infused Eggnog, and Cory made it for my family’s Christmas party. He’s getting pretty great at making...
3 tags
12*13*12
Just doing a little waiting.
1 tag
12*1*12
Lately, I’m hung up on…
This blog.
This website.
This album.
This cocktail.
This dog.
And forever on this guy, who shares my vision of a beautiful and comfortable home:
November 2012
5 posts
6 tags
11*24*12
I hope you had a delicious Thanksgiving. It’s probably my favorite holiday (it is centered around food, after all).
Cory and I spent our Thanksgiving in Florida with his family. I always enjoy our time there so much. Southern food isn’t always the most accommodating to a vegetarian, but his sweet family and their amazing Southern hospitality goes a long way in making me feel at home.
And now...
3 tags
4 tags
11*17*12
French macarons. Light. Sweet. Chewy. Lovely.
I do love macarons, but they are such a rare indulgence for me, as they run about $2.50 apiece. I just had to make them, so that I could enjoy, you know, like 10 at a time. And maybe even share a few with loved ones.
I used kitchen scale to get these exact measurements (necessary with macarons). I think we picked it up at the brewing supply...
5 tags
11*10*12
I’m not sure if I’ve ever expressed here my stance on cookbooks. I’m against them.
Which sounds like an odd thing to say, considering how much I love to cook and bake.
Let me explain my reasoning for taking this stance: there’s a whole lot of fluff out there. I’m the not-so-proud owner of too many cookbooks that really have no content that I couldn’t just...
4 tags
11*4*12
This is it. The very VERY best chocolate chip cookie in the world. I’ve had my share of great chocolate chip cookies, but these cookies really stand out. They have the perfect balance of crisp and chewy, they’re sweet with a touch of chocolate bitter to balance them, the whole wheat gives them a ton of flavor, and my favorite part is that they’re delicious the minute you pull...
October 2012
3 posts
5 tags
10*29*12
There’s some things that just taste best fresh. Super fresh.
With super fresh, seasonal ingredients.
And cheese.
Those things would be scones. Scones don’t taste so good when you get them out of a coffee shop pastry case (unless it’s at Starbucks, those always taste fresh, which makes me VERY skeptical…), but they ALWAYS taste good when you make them at home and...
5 tags
10*25*12
Last weekend we celebrated the birthday of my love with a stay in Carlton, a bike ride around wine country, ending with dinner at Carlton’s finest French restaurant. I should mention that we did this with 22(!) of our friends. I think it goes without saying that it was really fun!
The ride was gorgeous. The best part was doing it with friends.
The second best part was the fact that...
4 tags
10*9*12
Lately…
We’ve wrapped up wedding season. Only 6.5 weddings this year (6 weddings +1 wedding reception), which doesn’t beat last year’s 8, but still…
We’re still obsessed with this big ball of fur.
We’ve gone fishing a couple times now. Though we’ve yet to bring anything home, we’re really enjoying it. Spending a few quiet hours on a...
September 2012
1 post
10 tags
9*9*12
I know. These don’t look fantastic. But they’re delicious and you don’t have to turn your oven on, which means they are the perfect 90 degree weather cookie. And I think they’d be equally delicious after spending a couple hours in the fridge.
No-Bake Oatmeal Peanut Butter Balls
from How Sweet Eats
1 cup oatmeal
1/4 cup ground flaxseed
1/4 cup sliced almonds,...
August 2012
3 posts
3 tags
8*25*12
My wonderful, and even more-of-a-foody-than-me friend, Michaelene sent me this recipe the other day. It’s from the America’s Test Kitchen, and they know they’re shit. I hadn’t thought that biscuits could actually be made easier, and still be delicious, but they are… ridiculously so. My neighbors (I brought it to our block party) raved about them. They’re easy to...
3 tags
8*22*12
Have you ever heard of corn butter? It tastes a bit like butter: creamy and smooth, slightly salty and sweet. And like butter it only has one ingredient: corn!
I stumbled upon this recipe/method on Gilt. They’ve got some really fantastic food stories and recipes.
Basically, you begin with 8 or so ears of corn. Right now is the very best time to get super fresh, beautiful and cheap (this...
4 tags
8*19*12
I rode my bike 100 miles today. Hooray for me!
My friend Cullen came and wore really silly (but actually kind of practical) socks. They were very amusing for me and for many other people. And the matched his bandana. Cullen is always so matchy matchy.
There was only one flat. But we were prepared. We were also prepared for…
Pizza!!! Extra prepared. Shit, the only thing that was...
July 2012
5 posts
4 tags
7*26*12
I. Love. Gnocchi.
The perfect, most magical gnocchi, is crispy on the outside, soft and gooey on the inside.
I thought I’d try to make gnocchi. I’ve only helped make them before, but I’ll admit that even that was more about the socializing and wine drinking than the creation of magical potato dumplings.
One necessary part of making gnocchi was finding a recipe that...
2 tags
7*20*12
From Portugal, with love: new art for the bedroom wall.
3 tags
7*18*12
4 tags
7*5*12
This years 4th of July: sailing on the Columbia with good friends, staining wood for our picnic bench, and baking up this cherry pie with this crust. Happy summer, friends!
2 tags
7*2*12
Last week Cory and I hit up the lumber store and loaded up the Subaru with all this pretty douglas fir. The plan is to make this picnic table/bench. Yesterday we sanded, pre-treated, and sanded some more. It’s a lot of work, and just takes a lot of time, but I’m certain there will be a large reward at the end.
June 2012
6 posts
6 tags
6*19*12
Cheesecake: it’s simple.
Graham crackers, sugar, butter.
Cream cheese, sour cream, eggs, more sugar, vanilla.
Zest and juice of one lemon.
And… voila!
Lemony Cheesecake
For the crust:
1/4 cup melted butter
2 tablespoons sugar
1 1/4 c graham cracker crumbs
For the filling:
36 oz cream cheese, room temperature
1 1/2 cup sour cream, room temperature
4 eggs,...
2 tags
7*11*12
We rode bikes yesterday. Specifically, this ride. 39 miles and 3,334 feet of elevation gain. I’m feeling exhausted and sore, but a bit closer to being ready for this years Portland Century.
6*9*12
Made this. A little obsessed with ombre tones right now, so I’m thrilled that I had the opportunity to use them.
9 tags
6*3*12
This weekend:
I attended a wedding with the reception at Ristretto Roasters in the Schoolhouse Electric building. So beautiful.
I rode my bike 40 miles. This was roughly our route.
I got busy in the kitchen. Homemade pizza, chia pudding, and banana bread. It felt great to get back in there.
I tried to only use the good stuff in this banana bread (because I would actually like to eat it),...
6 tags
6*1*12
Oh hey blog! I almost forgot about you! I didn’t. But almost. I just got so busy. Having so much fun. And I’m going to keep on doing that. In fact, I’ve got some extra fun events on my radar for June, such as:
Pedalpalooza 2012
I’m very much looking forward to some extra fun themed rides! Maybe this year I’ll even take it off for the naked bike ride…
PDX Beer...
April 2012
8 posts
4 tags
4*27*12
Here’s some less-than-conventional wedding invitations, designed by yours truly.
John and Lauren are two of the most Portland-hipster-ish people I know. In a good way. Lauren is covered in tats that I literally want to cover my walls with, and she’s always privy to the newest and coolest bands.
J&L are also planning their wedding in 4 months (!!!) and on a super tight budget. So...
2 tags
4*24*12
If only for a few days, it’s pretending to be summer around here. And we’re taking full advantage.
[Oddly shaped] smoked salmon, pesto, and hazelnut pizza made on the BBQ, and served with a Mourvedre Rose. It’s a warm weather celebration.
3 tags
4*20*12
Hello friends. I’ve got a big favor to ask.
Have you got a green thumb? Can you help make some landscaping choices?
Here we go.
Here’s our house when we moved in:
Notice the nice beautiful full tree in the front. The colorful japanese maples. The two bushes to either side of the maples: we had those torn out.
Now, in the early spring, the house looks more like this:
And...
3 tags
4*10*12
Next up: the dining room.
Before:
Currently:
Here’s what has been done in the dining room:
Refinished the hardwood floors
Painted the walls and ceiling
Replaced and painted trim
Bought new chairs
Bought new curtains and rods
And yet to do:
Install the chandelier
Replace electrical outlets and light switches and their covers
Refinish the table
3 tags
4*9*12
This isn’t a before and after, because this work is certainly far from done, but I thought I would begin to share some of the progress we’re making on the house. This is the reason for my lack of baking photos.
I’ll begin with the living room.
Before:
Current:
Now, we’re obviously missing a wall. Before summer we’d like to install bookshelves around the...
4 tags
4*4*12
My sweet old ‘dale,
You’ve served me so exceptionally well, and I will miss you dearly.
We’ve been through so much together. You got me swiftly and smoothly to work, to the grocery store, to my friends.
You allowed me to quit the gym.
With you, I learned how to change a tire and brake pads.
And miraculously, you were never stolen. In fact, I guess it’s more fitting...
“Community has little to do with proximity.”
– Aaron Starkey via Good Earth Tea
5 tags
4*3*12
It’s always been a dream of mine to stay in a fire lookout tower. Maybe it has something to do with all the Swiss Family Robinson I watched as a child. That dream came true this last weekend when Cory, a couple friends, and I spent the weekend at the Pickett Butte lookout tower on the South Umpqua River in Southern Oregon.
Unfortunately, I forgot my camera, and my phone died. The latter was...
March 2012
3 posts
4 tags
3*27*12
The curtains are hemmed and hung. And the trim is going in, with less trouble after a bit of practice…
4 tags
3*23*12
Hello blog that I’ve ignored for far too long.
I thought for a moment I would apologize, but I’ve been so productive that it doesn’t feel right.
What have I been up to? Crazy (really, truly insane) amounts of house renovation projects. Like installing lights.
With the exception of natural light and a dark lamp that sat in a dark corner, our living room previously hadno...
“Bounce back, you’ll go higher!”
– Iae Hulthage
February 2012
6 posts
6 tags
2*24*12
House renovations. The ever-consuming house renovations.
We live in the basement right now. The painting is nearly finished upstairs, and we are excited for the floors to get refinished. There is a never ending list of to-do’s in the next month.
One of the tasks is finding lighting. Some lighting we’ll buy, but we’re also hoping to make a pendant chandelier for the living...
7 tags
2*14*12
Happy Valentine’s Day!
I’m excited to share something I made recently at the ol’ 9-5. They’re Valentine’s Day cards that we passed out to current and prospective clients.
It started with an illustration of a cupcake, followed by a collection of sweets, followed by a set of patterns to match.
It evolved into a set of Valentines, inspired by Japanese stationary...
5 tags
2*12*12
Life lately:
The rest of the carpet has been ripped out of the bedroom. No more shag!
I spent last weekend tearing down the trim throughout the upstairs.
We also just re-tiled the shower. New shower and new fixtures! At least we have one room that’s finished… for now.
4 tags
2*10*12
Happy Half Birthday to me! I feel like pie.
5 tags
2*6*12
I visited Schoolhouse Electric this weekend, and like every other damn hipster that visits, I snapped a few with (you guessed it) the instagram app on my iPhone.
Cory and I were looking for inspiration for the house, which is undergoing a lot of renovation. It was nice to take a break from a weekend of filing taxes and pulling out trim to grab a latte from the coffee shop in the front of the...
4 tags
2*2*11
Anyone who’s ever made beer before knows that there is a whole lot of leftovers from all the stew. Buckets and buckets of grains and hops. Well, I only just realized that I could take those leftovers and make some tasty tasty bread out of it. It’s spent grain bread, or beer bread, folks.
There are two ways of going about making a spent grain bread: drying out the grains, then...
January 2012
7 posts
3 tags
1*31*12
I noticed this weekend that my alma mater, Southern Oregon University, has rebranded. Here is their old logo:
And the new one, a $14,000 job (the lowest bid) by Sheila Chambers, former Creative Director for Harry & David (a company in Medford):
My first problem with this design is that the creator admits that before being hired for this project, she had never visited the campus in...
5 tags
1*29*12
Have you heard of the Portland Urban Iditarod? It’s only the funnest day of the year in Portland.
The idea is a team of 5 or more people build a cart and create costumes around a theme. Then on ‘race day’ they push it from the starting point to each designated rest stop along a course in Portland, stopping along the way to enjoy beverages with fellow ‘dogs and...
