For My Birthday

This year my birthday fell on our annual family reunion camping trip to Cape Lookout State Park on the Oregon Coast...where it rained for three days. I am so impressed with my family who reside in Oregon and are used to living in the rain. I basically spent the days reading my book in the van while everyone else took walks on the beach, played bingo and sat by the camp fire...dripping wet. I was especially impressed by my cousin, mother of three small children. Her tent leaked soaking all of their sleeping bags and her and her husband stayed and toughed it out. If I had lived an hour away I would have packed up and gone home! My idea of a rainy days is spending it inside reading a book by an open fire...even in August!

Prior to camping we spent a couple of days in the Oregon wine country tasting the fruit of the vine. It is so beautiful there. We visited Sokol Blosser who takes pride in a completely green process. For my birthday we had tea at La Tea Da in Tillamook Oregon...still one of my favorite afternoon tea's of all time!

Summer Tomatoes

I cant stop eating this salad of mozzarella and sliced tomatoes with some sprinkled chopped basil over the top. I like to eat it with some salad greens tossed with balsamic vinaigrette.

These tomatoes are from the local farmers market from a guy who grows them just North of here in Sandpoint, Idaho. The tomatoes I am growing my my backyard are brimming with green fruit, but I keep wondering when they will ripen and turn red.

If you're growing tomatoes in your backyard, try this salad. Otherwise visit you're local farmers market and buy some locally grown veggies.

Try This at Home

The other night we BBQ'd Nathan hot dogs wrapped in bacon. It was so dang good you should try it. Take your Zantac and eat a hot dog wrapped in bacon. At least do it once in your lifetime. Then follow it up with a nice s'mores. We made them with chocolate covered graham crackers topped with a toasted marshmallow.

Fruits of my Labors

Here are some pics of my backyard.

My first vegetables for season.

Simplicity

Sometimes the simple things really are the best things in life.

I bought some luscious blueberries at the farmers market in Sandpoint, Idaho last week. They tasted so refreshing over cottage cheese with pears (yes they were canned pears). This summer I am loving blueberries. At the cafe we are making Lemon Blueberry Scones that would rock your world...they do mine.

So go out to your local farmers market and buy some blueberries. Or buy something else, but support your local farmers!

It's all about Saesha....my niece.

I remember when I graduated from high school 21 years ago and all the adults were mystified at how quickly time passed. Of course it hadn't passed quickly for me! Now I find myself in the same scenario, as my oldest niece, Saesha just graduated from San Lorenzo Valley High School...my Alma Mater.

The graduate ceremony was outside in the baseball field. As we melted in the mid-day sun the talks seemed to go on and on without any sign of repreif. Good golly...just get to the reason we all came! To see our respective family member have their diploma put into their hot little hands. Finally they started reading off the names of 200 graduates.

Saesha will be off to college in the Fall at California State University Monterey.

Salem Mass

Just some pictures to share of downtown Salem....cute town!