Pretty cupcakes and summer review.

As the summer comes to a close, I am reminded of a post I made in the early moments. In it, I made some summer vows. Now, I knew I was taking a serious risk when posting that - I knew I held a solid chance of not being able to keep most (if any) promises.

The summer proved to be busier than most. In addition to my culinary goals, I made a few household ones as well. Another one of my passions (along with cooking, teaching, and greenification) is scrapbooking. The whole summer, I accomplished just one page. One. I am so far behind at this point, I fear I may never catch up! I was doing a few online courses for my job - one in teaching students of limited English proficiency and the other to boost my knowledge in reading education. Between those courses, chasing my kids around, and you all...well...that was pretty much my entire summer.

My comments in black, the goals in lavender.

(1) I am going to feed my family homemade bread. I am also going to find sustainable, go to recipes that will allow me to feed my family homemade bread all year long.

I mostly managed this one, but not entirely. I never completely mastered the sandwich bread. I realized, after just the first loaf, that my pans weren't big enough. So, I purchased some larger ones. Then I realized my bread knife wasn't sharp enough to really cut the smaller slices suitable for PB&J's, so I bought another one of those too. Then we went on vacation.

Now, on my defense, I almost always have a loaf of this stuff sitting around. Which, incidentally, makes wonderful toasts, sides, and even "grown up" sandwiches. While the kids LOVE it plain, it's not so good for their lunches, which is why I tend to stick to Nature's Own Organic bread for them. At least until I can master the sandwich bread.

(2) I am going to see how cheaply we can eat, while still eating well and organically wherever possible.

I did that this week, but the rest of the summer just seemed like such a drain. I'm not sure if it's because of the rising food prices or what - but we just can't seem to get our grocery budget under control without giving in and eating some processed foods that I just refuse to by. I think "well, maybe ONE week wouldn't hurt.." But then I think about how good we eat, and how good it makes me feel, and I just can't even do it. This week, I spent $56. And that included some water for the hurricane sitting out in the gulf. Now, we have a well stocked pantry, so all I really needed was produce and dairy. Still, I was quite proud of myself for that. And yes, there will be a lot of beans this week.

(3) I am going to learn to make homemade tortillas. Low fat homemade tortillas.

Did this, but I was less than impressed. I should try different recipes, including the full fat ones. I also want to learn how to make pita bread, as the stuff I buy in the store is terrible.

(4) I will master the balsamic reduction. We had that at a restaurant lately, and LOVED it.

I tried it, but was not impressed. The problem was that it tasted burnt, as the balsamic reduction has to be done at a relatively low heat to avoid scorching. It was okay, but I didn't love it. I found precious little information about this process, so I was flying pretty blind. However, while this wasn't great, I found a wonderful way to make a thick balsamic dressing with my mortar and pestle that I will share as soon as I get the proportions down. I think it was about as good as the reduction, with much less work. It made AMAZING bruschetta.

(5) I will master the Panna Cotta recipe.

This was way too easy. It's milk jello. Boring. Now, there were some chocolate Panna Cotta recipes and interesting flavors that I want to try...

(6) We will be making a family trip out to Portland, Oregon - to see more family, and determine the steps necessary to make it our new home. While in Portland, we will be taking a tour that I am VERY excited about. I will be sure to post a review.

Okay, I managed this with gusto...if I do say so myself. If you want to see, click on the "vacation" link above. Or, go to the left where my other tags are, and click on "Oregon."

(7) This is the one that bears most on you, my reader - I will be posting daily. Even if it's a "the kids are sick, I can't think of anything to post, so here is a good article..." I will post daily. I promise! From now until my vacation - I will post daily. So, if you would like to reciprocate my devotion - please feel free to share this blog with friends and family. I hope to have more of what I've already put here, just MORE of it .

I made a pretty good dent in this in June, not so much in July. Although, I'm finding that most of the food blogs I read aren't so good about posting every day, which makes me feel better! I also know that I write about more than just FOOD in here, but how to tend to a kitchen, how to serve your food, product reviews, and even restaurant reviews.

I also managed to do a few unexpected things this summer. Like, I began my quest in cake decorating.

These were my first attempts at decorating cakes. I decided to "start small" - small meaning cupcakes.

The cakes themselves weren't great. The first batch, chocolate, were terrible. These vanilla cakes left much to be desired. Now, I am not a cake fan exactly. I much prefer a good pie or cobbler, or even cheesecake. I'm just really tired of paying someone else to decorate a cake for my kids. I have a lot of mixed emotions over this as well, as I really hate the number of chemicals that go into the decorating bit. Which leaves me with a quandary: to decorate means more chemicals. To get good I need to practice, which means more decorating. What to do? I guess more research to see if there are organic ways to do it. I have a friend who uses fruits to create the butter cream colors, and even homemade marshmallows to create fondant. That might be a direction I have to go as I learn some of the techniques. Oh, and I must mention that this is all self taught - the cake decorating class in my area is from 12-2. Thanks, Michaels.

So, all in all - I think I get a B. I met a good number of my goals, exceeded expectations in other areas, but didn't quite do all that I said I was going to. I did increase my blog readership, which is a huge deal for me - so for all you faithful readers...thanks. I really enjoy knowing that you come here to read about my kitchen adventures.

Portland, Oregon: Odds, ends, and a wrap up.

So, as you can read, our Portland trip was really fantastic. Our family is planning on heading out there permanently as soon as the economy and housing market allows. It's green and luscious, with just the right about of "big city feel" without the "big city hassles." Really, I've not found too many other places with the richness inside of the Portland Metro area.

A few odds and ends:

(1) If you go, make sure to utilize the MAX line. Traffic in Portland and on the surrounding highways can be horrific. We love the MAX.

(2) Do yourself a favor and do not drink at Starbucks if you can all avoid it. There are a multitude of local and privately owned coffee shops that have a better feel and better coffee. One that we didn't try, but I've heard phenomenal things about, is Stumptown coffee.

(3) Seeing that this is a family blog, done by a teacher, I generally try to avoid alcohol references. However, I can't completely ignore the rich culture of fine beers and wines in the area. Do research this if you are headed out there, and feel free to email me if you have any questions or need advice.

(4) Most grocers have responded to the local demand for organic and natural foods. Fred Meyers is probably the best place to go for reasonably priced organics. Safeway and Haggens are also good, but Safeway is smaller and Haggens is more expensive (but it's also more local). If out there, buy as much as you can from farmer's markets, farmers stands, and supplement the rest at a grocery store. One really nice thing at Fred's is the great selection of organic and natural beauty and personal care - it's more of a "superstore".

(5) If you can, please, please, please enjoy the outdoors while in Oregon. We didn't get a chance with our youngins' - but I hope to change that the next time we are out there. There are tons of biking, river, and hiking options out there. Oh - and the MOUNTAINS. The MAJESTIC mountains! (By the way, this picture was taken on a tram just minutes from downtown Portland. See how green everything is?) (6) Ever hear of Bob's Red Mill? They're a distributor for natural grain, wheat, rice, flour, and more. You can find the products in most grocers and on Amazon. The company is located in Oregon, and they have an outlet store right off the highway. I just love their "back to basics" philosophy in stone milling. They have a significant number of gluten free options for those needing that. This is SO worth a visit if you're a foodie.

Yes, the Portland area is quite the place, and I was very sad to leave. A few closing pictures: The "two kids" not so much in a kitchen. This is one of my parent's gardens. I love how easily things grow out there with little to no trouble. I have friends who have dabbled in Organic gardens in Florida, with little success. The sun torches EVERYTHING here - including the herbs I tried to get going. Green grass. This is assisted a little this time of year - but for the bulk of months the grass stays a pretty green with very little maintenance. To keep our grass nice in Florida, it often takes oodles of water and lots of chemicals. We opt for neither, but to try and sell the house we will have to work to get our lawn in shape. I wish it was "vogue" down here to be green and have no lawn, but , c'est la vie. Just a pretty flour.

I'm looking forwards to my next couple of posts, where I will be sharing my new kitchen "tool" finds. The eBay purchase JUST showed up today - and I am excited to get cooking!

Portland, Oregon: THE tour.

I don't know how I found it, or what I was looking for, but MONTHS prior to the trip I ran into this tour. For the price of a fancy dinner for two, it advertised a tour in the Pearl District of Portland, for nearly FOUR HOURS, with samples throughout.

I thought "Well, shoot - sign me up!" And then I did just that.

I was like a kid waiting to go to Disney for this tour. I couldn't fathom anything better that touring around the famed Pearl District sampling foods from the best establishments. That's, like, a foodie paradise.

At the beginning of the tour, our tour guide (Natalie) gave us two pieces of information. The tour was to center around the acronym "FLOSS." That would be fresh, local, organic, seasonable, sustainable. If you are a regular reader of my blog, you know that this satisfied me immensely. Secondly, Natalie asked us to take our time and enjoy the foods that we were about to try. Throughout the tour, she was great about asking us to pick out flavors and tastes. We sampled with purpose, which was wonderful.

The first stop really made me excited for the rest of the tour. We went here:
Then we had this:
Simple tomato soup, right? WRONG!

It's tomato soup with a strong thread of citrus. weird? NO. Delectable. Now, the cook at the deli assured me that the recipe was online. I cannot find it, but I'm assuming it's not that outlandish. I already have a pretty good tomato soup recipe, so I will just look around to see how I might alter it. Also at the deli was this great-looking mozzarella and tomato sandwich. We didn't have time to return and sample it.

The next set of pictures were taken at the Pearl Street Bakery. Which is, quite possibly, my new favorite place.
The sign here is really cool because "Pearl" is filled in with Mother-of-Pearl. A very pretty, simply done, sign. Inside the bakery is equally as simple. Very open and airy, and full of many things to try. We actually got to head into the back to see and sample what the bakery has to offer.
While everyone else was patiently listening to Natalie, I found myself really focused on the bakers. I enjoyed watching them pound and knead at light speed. What I found interesting was that all the men were pretty burly, stocky, and strong. I guess that's what bread making can do for you - who needs a workout regimine?

I can't tell you exactly what we tried - but it was all very good. The first bread was some sort of baguette, and then we sampled sourdough. The bread, was excellent, but French bread. The sourdough was notable as it wasn't the well-known San Francisco variety. It was more subtle and (in my opinion) edible. We sampled croissants, and I dare say that I now know what a true French croissant tastes like. Us Americans and our silly little grocery store bakers are totally missing the boat. It was very flaky, crispy on the outside, and light on the inside. The differences in textures made my mouth happy. Finally we sampled some sweet pastries, one being some sort of chocolate cake that crumbled and melted all at the same time. However the real find, the find that actually took us back to the bakery after the tour, was Le Gibassier. It's classified as a pastry - but not in the croissant or danish sense. It's sort of like a scone, but not as dry. It's sweet but not overly so. It really was it's own animal. The finishing touch was this dusting of sugar that left you licking your fingers at the end. It was heavenly. The saddest part is that it is 3000 miles away. I suppose that is a newfound challenge!

The other notable thing that I learned at the Pearl was about olive oil. The shade of the oil was quite green, and as I learned, that meant the olives were very fresh upon pressing. This was wonderful oil - slightly sweet and very flavorful. I now truly understand why all olive oils are not created equal.
We also stopped at a tea place called the Tea Zone. Neat little place with great ambiance. From what I understand, there is a happening nightlife there with live music. I learned a lot here - mostly about the importance of buying high quality tea. I like tea, and I always thought I was British in the approach - adding sweetener and cream. I recently read that the health benefits are greatly diminished when adding cream. Feeling dejected, I stopped adding cream, but continued with the honey. When I came to the Tea Zone, I drank high quality tea and found something amazing - you do not need sweetener, nor is cream required. In fact, those would mask the deep flavors in the tea, and therefore are undesirable. I highly recommend the Dragon Pearl Jasmine and Organic Wuyi Oolong. Along with the Pearl Bakery, this was the other after-tour revisit. I'll be keeping these teas in-stock as we run out.
The last thing that I have pictures of was from Hot Lips Pizza. The pizza was good, although to be honest I like "my" crust better. BUT, they do have interesting combinations easily re-created at home. Look at their online menu for ideas. I love how they use local ingredients, have a seasonable menu, use an electric car for deliveries, and make their own sodas. Very cool, and worth a visit when in town.

Also on the tour (but alas, no pictures):

Bridgeport Brewery: The highlight was when they explained all their operations, and then showed the single, small dumpster that they empty just twice a week. This brewery recycles and reuses EVERYTHING.

Via Delizia: Gelato. We sampled rum, something tropical, and smores, I think. Good, but it was just gelato. I'm not a huge ice cream or gelato fan, really. If you are one, the flavors here were pretty intense, and the ambiance is very cool.

In Good Taste: Sampled wine, mustards, and cooking utensils (will discuss more of this later). Awesome cooking classes available.

Paley Bar: We sampled these along the way somewhere, and they were very good. I'm getting some for my husband to keep in his desk. My son loved the Peanut Butter flavor!

I feel like I'm missing a place or two, I should have written the places down as we went. Whatever the case, this tour was well worth the money and very enjoyable. The best part is that they just started an afternoon tour that is (nearly) completely different. This means that on our next trip out to Portland, we will be trying the afternoon version. See, we liked it so well that we are doing it again.

As far as I am concerned, even if I didn't have roots in Portland, this tour, Mother's, and the entire Pearl District are reasons enough to visit the area.

Portland, Oregon: Authentic Mexican Food and Farmer's Markets.

One of the best parts of being out in the Northwest is the food. I had forgotten how lucious and fresh everything in the Willamette Valley is. Cherries right off the tree, berries being sold on one roadside stand after the next. The Portland area truly is a celebration of freshness and taste.

Since not everyone can successfully run a garden, farmer's markets are an excellent resource to get fresh fruits and veggies. I read somewhere that the Portland area bosts 31 different farmers markets that run from the spring through the fall. These markets don't just have the fruits and vegetables, but breads, jams, crafts, meats, goodies, and more! Really, go hungry, sample whatever is available, and grab some lunch from a vendor. I promise you, there will be something delectable to try.

We attended two farmers markets while on our extended trip: Hillsboro and Forest Grove. I hear the Portland ones are fairly large, but these were close and easily accessible with two children. The Hillsboro market is in the morning - so we rousted the kids out of bed and took them into town. My main interest is in berries. I had forggotten how wonderful farm fresh berries truly are. Especially Marionberries, a hybrid local to the area. They're a wonderfully, sweet, juicy, large blackberry. Strawberries were on their way out, but I was able to find a pint of the last ones. We also found some raspberries, gooseberries, and currants.
Also notable at the Hillsboro market: the popcorn cart (wonderful, not too sweet, kettle corn), a local soap maker whose soaps looked so good that my daughter tried to take a bite, and a Mexican family whipping up breakfast burritos (more on that in a bit).

Later in the week, in the evening time, we headed over to the Forest Grove farmer's market. This market had a completely different vibe - celebratory and excited. More crafts, and more vegetables from "organic" vendors. There was not "certification" present, so the buyer beware, but in a small town like Forest Grove people would talk if you were spraying your "organic" garden.
Both markets were outstanding, and I am so glad we went. However, I think I liked the Forest Grove market better. Really, the Forest Grove market would have been perfect if that burrito making family had also been there. When we went to the Hillsboro market, there was a very long line in front of a food stand. If you are not local to an area, and want a good place to eat - watch the traffic around meal time. The sheer volume that this place was putting out really impressed my husband and I, and we just had to sample their menu. They made us the most wonderful egg, bean, and rice burrito. $4.00 for a meal that served both myself and my husband. The kids munched on popcorn and berries, while we all enjoyed a coffee treat. The kids had not-so-hot chocolate while I sipped on my latte.

I had forgotten what a significant part of the community is Mexican in descent. Immigration was sparked by local farms having work for interested families. Now, as those families are now in the second and third generations, they have become integrated into part of the Northwest culture. I never noticed it before, but Mexican food has become as "Oregon" as salmon and Tillamook ice cream.

After that burrito, the Mexican craving was still there. Nearing the end of our trip, we went to another local Mexican place and had lunch. This place wasn't nearly as good as the vendor stand - and MUCH more expensive (12 bucks for something 2/3 the size). It managed to fill our tummies, though. The guacamole was tangier than I am used to. They used a bit more lime juice than I would. It was tasty, but the lime totally overpowered the avocado.
This is a picture from the local restaurant, I didn't have my camera the day we went to the Hillsboro market.

Stay tuned...

Okay, I will admit. I am not taking my daily photos.

Bad foodie.

I am however, enjoying the culinary plethora that IS the Pacific Northwest. I've taken LOTS of pictures of much of my food time here. I forgot my camera for the Farmer's Market, but there is another one on Wednesday so we will try for that.

I have pictures of wild salmon, of which I've had cooked many different ways. There's been fresh berries, cherries picked straight from my parent's tree, a fabulous restaurant that I wish I could pack up and take home with me, an amazing tour that I can't wait to try in the evening, cooking classes that I am chomping at the bit to check out...I could go on and on....

What I don't have, is my USB cable to get the pictures onto the computer.

So.

You will have to wait.

What teachers do in the summer...

We go on vacation.

In a very short while, I will be headed to the beautiful Pacific Northwest. My home state of Oregon. I hail from the Portland area, and I'm so excited to be back.

I won't bore you with the details of my family, including extended that I haven't seen for some time. Or my beautiful niece, or my best friend of...gosh...12 years...and her beautiful family. Rest assured, those are some of the highlights of my trip.

What I will be sharing with you is the bounty available in the summer.

Picture it, Willamette Valley, Oregon, 1999 (whooo..Golden Girls flashback there):

It's a beautiful summer day. My Dad just whipped up a batch of sourdough pancakes, and we break out the bounty of fruit in the fridge. We slice peaches, top that with Marionberries, and some strawberries. Just a dash of sugar sprinkled on the top. That would be a typical Saturday morning breakfast in my home growing up. Of course, that was after a fantastic run at a local lake. For dinner, fresh, wild, Pacific Northwest salmon with a soy-ginger glaze. Probably some corn on the side.

Heaven for a foodie. Really, I never appreciated the freshness and quality of the food up there until I moved away. Don't even get me started on the plethora of outstanding restaurants, beautiful sites, and countless other Oregon specialties. Oh, and it is SO easy to be a vegetarian out there.

I could go on and on. But I won't.

What I will do is post a picture of the day. Now, I can't promise that there will be a new picture EVERY day...but, I will have an aggregate for the entire time that I am there. I'm so excited to share this beautiful country that so many miss out on.

I hope you're ready to see it.

Pledge Time.

So this is summer. No assignments to grade, lessons to plan, or students to stress over. All I have are my little children and husband to care for. I am taking a couple of online courses for professional development, but other than that, I am school-free.

So now, I am going to devote my time to this love - cooking, family life, and green living.

I have many projects lined up for the summer:

(1) I am going to feed my family homemade bread. I am also going to find sustainable, go to recipes that will allow me to feed my family homemade bread all year long.

(2) I am going to see how cheaply we can eat, while still eating well and organically wherever possible.

(3) I am going to learn to make homemade tortillas. Low fat homemade tortillas.

(4) I will master the balsamic reduction. We had that at a restaurant lately, and LOVED it.

(5) I will master the Panna Cotta recipe.

(6) We will be making a family trip out to Portland, Oregon - to see more family, and determine the steps necessary to make it our new home. While in Portland, we will be taking a tour that I am VERY excited about. I will be sure to post a review.

(7) This is the one that bears most on you, my reader - I will be posting daily. Even if it's a "the kids are sick, I can't think of anything to post, so here is a good article..." I will post daily. I promise! From now until my vacation - I will post daily. So, if you would like to reciprocate my devotion - please feel free to share this blog with friends and family. I hope to have more of what I've already put here, just MORE of it .

For today, I thought I would change things a bit and put something up about me, but first let me call your attention to the right of the blog. See? I have posted some new links for your referencing pleasure. I have posted many more recipe sites, a link to my Amazon list if my blog gives you a dose of consumerism, and a new food blog. I've updated!

Madam Meow isn't just a food blog - she's another Mommy who dabbles in the culinary, and I just really dig the blog. In her most recent post, she gave me the idea for an "about me" mosaic. LOVE it!

Here's how you do your own.

(1) Do a search in flicker for the answers to the questions I posted (and answered for myself) below.

(2) Pick a picture on the first page of each search (NO cheating!)

(3) Go to the Mosaic Maker - choose your dimensions (come on now - it's just FACTORS!) Input the links, and create your mosaic.

Here are the questions:

1. What is your first name? Hollee

2. What is your favorite food? Caprese Salad

3. What high school did you go to? Forest Grove High School

4. What is your favorite color? RED

5. Who is your celebrity crush? Barack Obama. Oh come on...you didn't see this coming?

6. Favorite drink? Mojito

7. Dream vacation? Wine country, Italy

8. Favorite dessert? Chocolate Martini

9. What you want to be when you grow up? Loved - which I am already, but a little extra love never hurts.

10. What do you love most in life? life

11. One Word to describe you. Organized

12. Your flickr name. "no name" (I don't belong to flicker).

1. Graduation weekend, 2. Insalata Caprese Salad, 3. IMG_2971, 4. Blood-Red Flower, 5. Senator Barack Obama, 6. Mojito, 7. Italy-Wine Bar, 8. Chocolate Martini, 9. Love XOXO, 10. Life, 11. Organized, 12. What? No name?!?