One of the best things about having a few days off is that I *really* have time to cook. Throwing little simple meals together is okay during the week, but on the weekend it is so great to put on some music and get serious in the kitchen.
Last night I made Szegedine Goulasch with red cabbage and spaetzle noodles. The recipe calls to layer the goulasch with sauerkraut, but I think that makes the taste too overwhelming so I usually leave it out. For me, this meal is the ultimate in German comfort food. The last few times I’ve made spaetzle it has taken forever and made an unholy disaster in my kitchen, but they turned out really well this time. Having a spaetzle grater makes a lot of difference. I decreased the amount of liquid for the dough and used half and half instead of milk, and they turned out fabulous. Need to put a note in my cookbook for next time.
This morning we hit the Hollywood Farmers’ Market for produce and breakfast. Filled my basket with strawberries, cherries, lettuce, and asparagus for the week’s meals. There is nothing like farm-fresh produce. Aaron picked up a loaf of Delphina’s sourdough and a tub of goat cheese with olive tapenade from Alsea Acre. We camped out on a sidewalk bench near the market, watched the people go by, and feasted on bread and cheese. The cheese was so delectable that I almost wanted to take a spoon to it, and the bread was really fresh. Perfectly misty, the neighborhood was bustling with activity and it made for one of the best breakfasts I’ve had in a long time.
It’s great when you can take the time to relax and watch the world go by.
Came up with a wicked little Asian-influenced salad to take to a BBQ this afternoon… think I’ll definitely be making this again!
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Remember all the fuss the residents made when McDonald’s had the audacity to propose a store on Hawthorne? I don’t hear them complaining nearly as loudly about the new mixed-retail and residential building that looks like it belongs in the Pearl more than it does on Hawthorne. It’s gotten to the point where I really don’t like going to Hawthorne anymore because it has slid too far from reasonable bohemian to overpriced hipster.
McDonald’s was run off with its tail between its legs (apparently not as easy with Star-whores on Division) but what tooks its place? Spendy condos and a Coldstone Creamery. McDonald’s was too obvious, so a simpler box store was slid in. Everybody loves ice cream, so what better way to homogenize a neighborhood of artists, aging hippies, and locally-owned businesses?
Subway, Starbucks, and Hollywood Video are already in. The funky eyesore cookie-cutter apartments on 39th just south of Hawthorne are now renting. I love living here because Portland boasts a unique mix of locally owned businesses and residences with character that I can’t find anywhere else. I’m sure being able to find your favorite box store everywhere can be comforting to some people, but I really don’t want to have my city look like every other place in the States where strip malls of Best Buy, Old Navy, and Bed, Bath and Beyond have taken root.
About a month after my brother utterly failed with his April Fool’s Day prank to convince me that I was about to become an auntie, Rob and Michelle announced (for real this time!) that they will be parents by early 2005.
I have been joking with my family for years that I am going to be “Cool Aunt Jenn” who spoils my nieces and nephews rotten but never has any kids of my own, but I didn’t expect any of them to take me up on it so quickly!
My first project as “Cool Aunt Jenn” is to knit something absolutely stellar for the newborn. I have a really great idea for a new pattern, codename “Not your average fluffy pastel baby booties,” and if I can get it figured out correctly I’d like to submit it to Knitty for publication because it is exactly the type of thing that they would publish. There are way too many cutesy baby bootie patterns on the market, and I have got something in the works that has some real personality to it.
The catch? If I’m going to submit the pattern, it would be helpful to borrow a baby who can try on the booties and model them once they are completed. The only person I know with a newborn lives several states away, and I’d prefer to take the pictures myself. Thinking that I’m either going to need to start making some new friends or dig up the CPKs from my youth. (Yes, I still have them – I’m an archivist and a documentarian, dammit!)
Anyone have any other suggestions?
Greyhound Pets of America Northwest hosted an adoption event today at Cannon Beach City Park, and we found homes for four dogs! When we left Portland this morning all of us had dressed for rainy weather, but we were pleasantly surprised with a beautifully sunny day once we arrived. We set up the X-pens and canopies next to the tennis courts, and people started arriving to meet and greet with our “ambassadogs.” The park was a terrific place to host the event because it made it very easy to have the dogs with us on leashes and not in the X-pens.
I took a few of the dogs into the tennis courts to “toy test” them with a tennis ball. If you close all of the doors to the court, it is like a giant X-pen and a great place to play off-leash with a greyhound. The first two dogs, Troubles and Mack, really loved the ball and chased it all over the court. The other dogs were jealous of the play time, so we tried all of the dogs in the court with the ball to give them some exercise and see how they do with the toy, but the other dogs didn’t seem as interested as the first two did. I was impressed that I was able to get Troubles, a kennel dog*, to play fetch with very little effort. One she brought the ball back to me she wasn’t very keen on dropping it, but she always brought it back so we could play some more.
While we were getting ready to close up shop, I walked the three remaining girls around the park. Walking three greys at once is a bit like walking a three-headed hydra. Bound by a common link, but all the heads wanting to look in different directions at the same time.
Our next Hounds Out and About event will be in Bend at the Bend Pet Express (420 Windy Knolls) on June 5 and 6. Come out and meet the dogs!
*The kennel dogs have the least exposure to “life off the track” while foster dogs are a bit more experienced in the real world.
Some of my volunteer assignments over the years have been interesting, but this is the first time I’ve ever been a character companion. The official job title was handler, but I think companion sounds much nicer.
The gig: A character meet and greet with a group of nursery school kids
The assignment: Get the character in and out of costume, escort the character into the event, assist with photo ops, and so on.
It went really well. The suit was a bit of a challenge at times, because once the costume was on there was padding at the bottom of the leg that looked like it belonged elsewhere. A bit trying to get all of the paws on, too. In the box with the suit came a list of regulations stating that the character must not speak, can not sing or dance, and should refrain from crude gestures like lifting its leg. It can not appear with any other characters, which is a bit of a shame since the kids were asking about the other characters from the show.
The children were very well behaved, although a few of them had difficulty staying quiet during both story books that were read. One of them nearly broke my heart because he is very attached to the character, and when it was time for the character to leave the boy ran after and hugged the character tightly so he couldn’t leave. We found out later that boy had just lost his father and is going through a transitional period where he’s still not sure what happened to his dad.
I had originally volunteered to be the person in the suit, but I am sort of glad I was assigned to be the handler instead. I don’t deal with heat very well and my friend in the costume was sweating bullets by the time the event was over. I did get to try part of it on, and I think it looks pretty good on me. Also got a shot from inside the head. That’s another reason they need a companion – the mask takes away peripheral vision, and they need help knowing where to walk.
The drizzle didn’t seem to scare anyone off for the opening day of Hollywood Farmers’ Market at NE Hancock and 44th. Many local area farms as well as an assortment of butchers, bakers, and candlemakers participate, and it all smells so good!!! Plenty of greens, peas, strawberries, asparagus, cut flowers, local honey (and beeswax candles!), smoked salmon, oysters, fresh bread, and so much more was available. I filled my bamboo beaded bag with romaine, zucchini, sugar snap peas, and an artichoke.
There were also several booths selling landscaping and gardening starter plants. I took a chance that my black thumb may be reversing itself and picked up cilantro, basil, and dill plants to start a tiny container kitchen garden. The plants cost less than the bundles do at the markets, so even if this is a failed experiment I’ll still get some fresh herbs to cook with out of the deal.
I had a great chat with Suzy at the information booth, and they are looking for people to help with the market, which is completely run by volunteers. They are also a member of the Oregon Farmers’ Market Association. I need to look at my calendar, but I think it would be great fun to participate. They are looking for people to help with setup, greeting, the information booth, breakdown, marketing, writing, distributing fliers, photography, repairs, and upkeep of the grounds.
I used to be a big fan of the Vancouver Farmers’ Market, but over the last few years they have shifted to being more craft-oriented, and I never seem to be able to find what I want. Feeling very fortunate that I now have the Hollywood Farmers’ Market right in my backyard!
Next stop? No Saturday morning in my neighborhood would be complete without breakfast at the Hollywood Burger Bar. On my walk home, I noticed that the space previously occupied by The Savory Tart will now house a sushi bar. Definitely need to check that out as soon as they open.
As much as I loved my old neighborhood, I feel a lot closer to the pulse of the community here. What a great place to live.