Apparently I'm not quite as committed to this cause as I thought I was going to be... Sorry for the 3-day delay! I've been bless with work again. Mad Science has me scheduled for camps for the next four weeks! My blog posts may be infrequent for a while...
Today, though, I am thankful for another one of my skills: baking! First, a little back story.
When Noah and I came to Portland for his interview with Ziba, they out us up in a nice hotel downtown for the weekend (after paying for both of our flights up here!). I went to check in while Noah was at his interviews. Upon entering, I found a lovely box of chocolates (among other things) sitting on the bed. Of course, I ripped it right open and began devouring these little pieces of heaven. I instantly fell in love, and decided that this was how we needed to break the news to family that we were moving to Portland: with chocolate.
This little local company is called Moonstruck, and they make the most sinfully delicious morsels I've ever tasted. All their chocolate is so creative, in flavor and appearance. Noah's not much of a chocolate fan, and even he appreciates the beauty of Moonstruck! We found the nearest shop, and ran down to stock up on a few boxes. I'm not sure the chocolates made it OK for us to move to Portland, but it perhaps softened the blow.
About a month later, after Noah had already moved here, Erin, Cody, and I came for a visit. In the midst of our citywide coffee tasting, we stopped at Moonstruck for a little chocolately delight and discovered something new: salted caramel hot chocolate! The perfect blend of salty and sweet, it was exactly what we needed on a chilly fall afternoon!
A few days ago, I thought it would be delightful to translate this cup of perfection into a cookie. So I searched for a nice chocolate cookie recipe that could easily be altered, and went on a hunt for caramel chips. I had to settle for toffee chips, so if anyone knows of a place to get caramel chips, I'm open to baking these cookies again. That being said, they are DELICIOUS! It's nights like these that I'm thankful for my love for and ability to bake!
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Saturday, July 9, 2011
Mississippi Ave street fair
Today was the annual Mississippi Ave. street fair. Noah and I headed out to visit a friend's booth and check out the hippies. It turned out to be a lot better than we thought it would be!
The first thing we noticed was the incredible and delicious variety of food. Sweet and savory waffles, deep fried risotto, Indian and Chinese food. Then, of course, all the typical street fair...fair: rotisserie chickens, ribs, burgers and brats.
The next thing was the amount of dogs. I'm used to snooty art and wine festivals of the Bay Area that don't allow dogs. Parrots and snakes, sure, but no dogs. We were, once again, in love with the state that allows doggies everywhere!
The last, and possibly best, thing we were struck by was the sheer talent in our area. I feel like, back home, all the booths at all the festivals are exactly the same... Cheesy paintings, pretty photography, flattened wine bottles to be used as cheeseboards. Everything at this fair seemed to be original. Glass tile jewelry, handmade bags, jams and jellies, hand stitched onesies (Erin, they didn't compare to yours!). The local artists of Portland were truly impressive!
And it wasn't just hippies there!
The first thing we noticed was the incredible and delicious variety of food. Sweet and savory waffles, deep fried risotto, Indian and Chinese food. Then, of course, all the typical street fair...fair: rotisserie chickens, ribs, burgers and brats.
The next thing was the amount of dogs. I'm used to snooty art and wine festivals of the Bay Area that don't allow dogs. Parrots and snakes, sure, but no dogs. We were, once again, in love with the state that allows doggies everywhere!
The last, and possibly best, thing we were struck by was the sheer talent in our area. I feel like, back home, all the booths at all the festivals are exactly the same... Cheesy paintings, pretty photography, flattened wine bottles to be used as cheeseboards. Everything at this fair seemed to be original. Glass tile jewelry, handmade bags, jams and jellies, hand stitched onesies (Erin, they didn't compare to yours!). The local artists of Portland were truly impressive!
And it wasn't just hippies there!
Friday, July 8, 2011
Astoria
A few weeks ago, Noah and I headed out to Astoria with Charlie. We both had a day off of work and decided to explore a new tidbit of Oregon.
On the way, about 4 miles outside of Astoria, we stopped at a beach known for its shipwreck. This sounds really cool, but it was a bit underwhelming. It's only about 1/4 of the ship and it's so washed away you can really only see the frame. However, everyone else seemed to think it was cool, so we were able to run round the rest of the beach undeterred! Charlie got to romp in the waves a bit, and chase after her ball up and down the beach. By the time we left, she was covered in sand from head to toe. Her beautiful vanilla fur was suddenly chocolate!
Then we headed into town to a local brewery in a historic fort. Tasty food and tasty beer consumed, we grabbed Charlie from the car and wandered around town. We checked out little shops and walked around the waterfront. Then we trekked up the hill to the Astoria column. 187 steps later (or something like that...), we made it to the top and enjoyed the view all the way out to Mt. Hood. One last stop at the Goondocks before the short ride home.
Days like that make me thankful to live in such a dog-friendly state. It's nice to be able to take Charlie out and know that she'll be welcome. There are so many restaurants and shops we can take her to. Not to mention the beautiful beaches and dog parks! Noah and I have been really happy here, and we think Charlie is, too!
On the way, about 4 miles outside of Astoria, we stopped at a beach known for its shipwreck. This sounds really cool, but it was a bit underwhelming. It's only about 1/4 of the ship and it's so washed away you can really only see the frame. However, everyone else seemed to think it was cool, so we were able to run round the rest of the beach undeterred! Charlie got to romp in the waves a bit, and chase after her ball up and down the beach. By the time we left, she was covered in sand from head to toe. Her beautiful vanilla fur was suddenly chocolate!
Then we headed into town to a local brewery in a historic fort. Tasty food and tasty beer consumed, we grabbed Charlie from the car and wandered around town. We checked out little shops and walked around the waterfront. Then we trekked up the hill to the Astoria column. 187 steps later (or something like that...), we made it to the top and enjoyed the view all the way out to Mt. Hood. One last stop at the Goondocks before the short ride home.
Days like that make me thankful to live in such a dog-friendly state. It's nice to be able to take Charlie out and know that she'll be welcome. There are so many restaurants and shops we can take her to. Not to mention the beautiful beaches and dog parks! Noah and I have been really happy here, and we think Charlie is, too!
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Schedules continued...
So yesterday, I briefly mentioned I was thankful for schedules. Don't get me wrong, spontaneity has its place. I love a good impromptu date night, or doing things on a whim when traveling. But for the most part, I like when things happen according to a plan.
Like when my rental income is deposited before my rent and mortgage are taken out of our account (which did NOT happen yesterday!). I relly have no one to blame but myself. I could have waited a couple days to send out my mortgage check. But in the 4+ years I've been paying this mortgage, I don't think it's ever been cashed before the 10th of the month. This time, THE 5TH! That was a rude awakening yesterday...
Or like when our new car arrives when it's scheduled to. Now, nothing has gone wrong yet. It's been built and is on a cargo ship somewhere in the Pacific Ocean making its way to P-town. But we've been waiting so long, I really hope it sticks to its schedule!
Or when babies bake as long as their supposed to! Some friends just had a baby on Friday a whopping 30 days early! Everyone's healthy and everyone's home already, but I know, if given the choice, they would have appreciated a little more time to get ready for baby Zoey!
I'm sure sometime this year I'll contradict myself and be thankful for spontaneity (like the next time I get to travel!), but for now I'm grateful for things that happen when they should!
Like when my rental income is deposited before my rent and mortgage are taken out of our account (which did NOT happen yesterday!). I relly have no one to blame but myself. I could have waited a couple days to send out my mortgage check. But in the 4+ years I've been paying this mortgage, I don't think it's ever been cashed before the 10th of the month. This time, THE 5TH! That was a rude awakening yesterday...
Or like when our new car arrives when it's scheduled to. Now, nothing has gone wrong yet. It's been built and is on a cargo ship somewhere in the Pacific Ocean making its way to P-town. But we've been waiting so long, I really hope it sticks to its schedule!
Or when babies bake as long as their supposed to! Some friends just had a baby on Friday a whopping 30 days early! Everyone's healthy and everyone's home already, but I know, if given the choice, they would have appreciated a little more time to get ready for baby Zoey!
I'm sure sometime this year I'll contradict myself and be thankful for spontaneity (like the next time I get to travel!), but for now I'm grateful for things that happen when they should!
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Spumoni
As the warm summer weather sets in, it may be time to bust out the ice cream each night. So for tonight, I start with spumoni, and I'm so glad I did! I may be alone in this (as Darling Husband leads me to believe), but spumoni is the most delightful combination of flavors imaginable! What a fantastic way to kick off summer!
Monday, July 4, 2011
She's crafty!
Today I'm thankful for my many "skills.". I've adopted many hobbies over the years. Some of them stick around for the long haul, and some fall by the wayside pretty quickly. Some make comebacks after I've taken a hiatus.
One of the latter would be knitting. I tried once right after I graduated college, and I think I got the hang of it rather quickly. I knit a small sweater and booties for a friend who was having a baby. It was a fairly simple pattern, just required some counting. I've always thought of myself as a good counter! For some reason, though, in spite of being successful, that was the end of my knitting career until we moved to Oregon 6 years later.
I recently decided I wanted to knit a blanket for my best friend Sheena and her new baby. I dove in head first and attempted a pattern that looked really cute and the directions seemed straightforward. "Seemed" being the operative word... 4 patterns and 7 attempts later, I finally made her a blanket! So then, sticking with the same pattern, I made a blanket for my new nephew, Carson. And now I've started making baby washcloths of all different colors, again with the same pattern.
I've been quite successful and haven't given up yet. But I think eventually I'm going to have to branch out and try new patterns. I'll let you know when that day finally comes, but for now, I think I'll stick with washcloths!
One of the latter would be knitting. I tried once right after I graduated college, and I think I got the hang of it rather quickly. I knit a small sweater and booties for a friend who was having a baby. It was a fairly simple pattern, just required some counting. I've always thought of myself as a good counter! For some reason, though, in spite of being successful, that was the end of my knitting career until we moved to Oregon 6 years later.
I recently decided I wanted to knit a blanket for my best friend Sheena and her new baby. I dove in head first and attempted a pattern that looked really cute and the directions seemed straightforward. "Seemed" being the operative word... 4 patterns and 7 attempts later, I finally made her a blanket! So then, sticking with the same pattern, I made a blanket for my new nephew, Carson. And now I've started making baby washcloths of all different colors, again with the same pattern.
I've been quite successful and haven't given up yet. But I think eventually I'm going to have to branch out and try new patterns. I'll let you know when that day finally comes, but for now, I think I'll stick with washcloths!
Sunday, July 3, 2011
Saturday, July 2, 2011
Children...
On July 2, 2008, a little boy came into the world. His name was Frankie, and there was no way anyone could predict how he would impact our family. We didn't know he existed, we didn't know his family, and we didn't even know to be looking for him. But a little over a year ago, Frankie and his little sister Jasmine joined the Barr family.
My sister and her husband began the process of trying to adopt about a year and a half ago. Once they got their foster license and were officially on the list, it was only a few months before they heard of a 2-year-old boy and his 6-month old sister who needed a home. They jumped at the chance to provide some much-needed love for these two cuties!
Unfortunately, after living with them for almost 2 months, an aunt came into the picture who was willing to take them in. The law states that any blood relatves who can provide for them, are willing to, and can pass a background check have legal custody, and there's no need for a foster family. So we said our goodbyes and shed a LOT of tears. It took quite a while for my sister and brother-in-law to recover (understandably!), but they have since been put back on the list and found a new love of their lives!
While I'm insanely grateful for my new nephew, Carson, Frankie and Jasmine will always hold a special place in our family's hearts. It may have been a short while, but they made a big impact on our lives. They represented hope for our little family, and while it was painful, I, for one, am so grateful to have had that short time with Frankie and Jammin'!
My sister and her husband began the process of trying to adopt about a year and a half ago. Once they got their foster license and were officially on the list, it was only a few months before they heard of a 2-year-old boy and his 6-month old sister who needed a home. They jumped at the chance to provide some much-needed love for these two cuties!
Unfortunately, after living with them for almost 2 months, an aunt came into the picture who was willing to take them in. The law states that any blood relatves who can provide for them, are willing to, and can pass a background check have legal custody, and there's no need for a foster family. So we said our goodbyes and shed a LOT of tears. It took quite a while for my sister and brother-in-law to recover (understandably!), but they have since been put back on the list and found a new love of their lives!
While I'm insanely grateful for my new nephew, Carson, Frankie and Jasmine will always hold a special place in our family's hearts. It may have been a short while, but they made a big impact on our lives. They represented hope for our little family, and while it was painful, I, for one, am so grateful to have had that short time with Frankie and Jammin'!
Friday, July 1, 2011
Noah just came back from a business trip to Burbank today, and fortunately I was able to pick him up early from work. It was a gorgeous 85 degrees with a fantastic little breeze, so we decided to hold off on puppy's walk for a bit, and head down to Apex with it's 50 beers on tap and all the outdoor seating you could ask for! We caught up on our weeks and had fun soaking up the sunshine.
When we got home, Charlie was quite ready for her walk! We headed out for a stroll around the neighborhood and were able to soak up a few more rays with the pup. Then we ditched her again and went to a new restaurant (for us anyway!), Screen Door. It's famous for its traditional southern fried chicken, but neither of us got that! We branched out and neither of us was sorry!
Then we came home to relax on the couch and settle into a night of catching up on our favorite television shows. This, of course, gets constantly interrupted by Charlie needing her ball from under the entertainment center...
All in all, it was a perfect night with my husband. Tonight I am SUPER thankful for date nights with the man I love!
When we got home, Charlie was quite ready for her walk! We headed out for a stroll around the neighborhood and were able to soak up a few more rays with the pup. Then we ditched her again and went to a new restaurant (for us anyway!), Screen Door. It's famous for its traditional southern fried chicken, but neither of us got that! We branched out and neither of us was sorry!
Then we came home to relax on the couch and settle into a night of catching up on our favorite television shows. This, of course, gets constantly interrupted by Charlie needing her ball from under the entertainment center...
All in all, it was a perfect night with my husband. Tonight I am SUPER thankful for date nights with the man I love!
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