Blithe & Bonny

Portland Farmers Market

2010-08-24T07:43:00.000-07:00

This year in North Idaho we had a very long winter. Usually by the 4th of July you can count on nice summer weather, but this year the 4th was still cloudy and cold. The result is a very slow year for vegetable gardens everywhere up North. This made the abundant displays of beautiful produce even more seductive at the Portland Farmers Market. It was an amazing contrast from our local Farmers Markets small ration of fresh veggies compared to what we found just Southwest of here.

The Popsicle Kat is eating is a Spice Mango!

Check out those tomatoes!

From Lake Coeur d Alene to Lake Oswego

2010-08-21T13:16:00.000-07:00

There is something about rich pretentious towns that I just love, and don't give me that look because I know you do too. Last weekend Mom and I headed out to Portland, Oregon meeting up with my good friend Kat and Aunty Margie. Our first night we dined at Manaza Grill in Lake Oswego at the Bridgeport Center. It was an unusually hot night for Oregon and so we joyfully dined al fresco where we could laugh, talk, people watch and enjoy a view of the lake. It was wonderful.

Since we were celebrating my birthday, the waiter brought us an obscenely sized Chocolate Banana Pie to share. I had to ask him if customers actually ate the entire serving themselves which he affirmed that yes they do! Wow.

Getting back to the rich people town. Lake Oswego must have a very strict tree ordinance as well as guidelines for business signage. The community is beautiful, however shops

and restaurants are often difficult to located due to the landscaping. Well, on Sunday Kat and I went to Cannon Beach while Aunty M and mom palled around the city. My mom has a deeply rooted aversion to asking for directions when lost and I unfortunately had the navigational system with me. After driving around for an hour and a half and burning up a 1/4 tank a gas in pursuit of the Olive Garden, the ladies gave up and spent happy hour at John Barleycorns pub. Later that night, after we met up again, it was with immense satisfaction that I showed them the Olive Garden was less than a half mile from their hotel. It just couldn't be seen through all those trees.

There is much more to share about our trip to Portland, but one day at a time. More to come....

Happy Birthday to me!

2010-08-12T12:09:00.000-07:00

My latest dessert addiction....fresh fruit tarts. Do yourself a favor and run out and buy some fresh berries and make this tart. You will not regret it. The recipe is basically the same as Paula Deans Fresh Fruit Tart, but I used real sugar instead of powdered and added vanilla yogurt to the cream cheese mixture. Yummm....so good.

Birthday Biking

2010-08-12T11:49:00.000-07:00

On or around my birthday I like to have a new experience of some sort. This year it was convincing my mom and Mark to bike on the Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes with me. We drove up to Cataldo, Idaho and after some searching for the designated parking lot we pumped up our bike tires and set off on our little adventure. We biked about 12 miles total along the Coeur d Alene river. It was beautiful.

After the bike ride we took our sore saddles to have some lunch at a place called The Mission Inn. When we walked in I instantly wanted to turn around and walk back out again. The waitress told us everything was good on the menu after asking for a recommendation. I ordered onion rings and a western cheeseburger. Much to my surprise, everything was good. In fact, the Mission Inn was much better than it's famed competition The Snake Pit.

The Camper

2010-08-12T11:42:00.000-07:00

Well, here it is! My mid-life crisis project. I guess I could always decide to sell it to some hunter after I have my fun, but hopefully it will become my little project to work on and keep me busy. The inside is in great condition...I will post some pictures of the inside later. I have big plans to redecorate the inside, despite those pleading with me not to paint over all that walnut color paneling. What can I say...I like light and bright spaces. Especially when they are small.

The top picture was taken on the way down to Hazelton, Idaho to pick up the camper.

A day out with the girls

2010-07-16T18:42:00.000-07:00

My brave mother once again hosted a lofty 4th of July celebration. This year was a family affair which was lots of fun and much better than last years reunion on the rainy coast of Oregon. My sister road tripped it from Cali bringing with her 6 kids (although Saesha is 18), 3 dogs and a flurry of activity.

The kids had a great time swimming in the lake. My most memorable moment was setting out at the camp fire relaxing only to behold a congo line of little girls dancing their way out to make samore's while Halia carried the bose "boom box." That was an awesome display of girl power.

During a day trip to Spokane we visited Riverfront Park. Myranda attemped to ride a horse on the carousel but unknowingly choose a goat instead. The day included soft serve ice cream, a bag of mini donuts that tasted like heaven, snow cones and a couple colorful boutiques.

Yes, this really is a Radio Flyer Gigantica.

Accidents happen...even when your kids are dogs!

2010-06-27T16:07:00.000-07:00

To all my friends and family with kids (which is basically everyone), accidents happen even when your kids are dogs! This never before occurrence happened in a split second. One second Coco was squatting to relieve herself and in the next second Dazie charged to rather rudely sniff her bum. This action caused the reaction of the dog leash coming in contact with Coco's poo smearing it all over her bum. Well what could we do other thank walk home awkwardly. Everyone was a bit put off really. Coco kept shaking and trying to get the poo off and Dazie trotted along sniffing at her leash. Once we arrive home we wiped them down and threw them into the tub.

Walking the Dogs

2010-06-13T18:42:00.000-07:00

Moving to Moscow, Idaho (for work) and leaving behind my Coeur d'Alene house with the great backyard was pretty tough. It took 6 months of brooding before I finally got over it. I can't say that living in Moscow is all that, but it's ok and has deepened my appreciation for Coeur d Alene. The best part of living in Moscow is the walking trail right by my house. It is beautiful! I love walking the dogs on this trail and they love it too.

The trail has lots of wildlife. We see muskrats swimming in the creek often. It is also a bird haven, including Pheasants. It's funny to me that in the bird world the male birds are most often the most attractive of the two sexes. Right now it is fun to watch how quickly the baby ducks and geese grow up.

In any case, I thought no longer having a backyard for the dogs to roam around in was going to be the end of the world, but Paradise Creek Trails is a wonderful life saver.

Come On Tomatoes

2010-05-16T18:08:00.000-07:00

These pics are from my garden last year. This year I don't have a garden plot, but I am thinking of trying to grow tomatoes in 5 gallon buckets. I miss having a yard to digg in the dirt....my form of therapy. Last year I ate a gazillion tomatoes. the best were the yellows I grew...wish I could remember what variety I grew.

Back in the day

2010-05-12T13:17:00.000-07:00

Yum! Doesn't this look good. I invented this dessert when I was working at Zoom back in the day. I know it sounds silly, but today I am craving it. It was a Lemon Chiffon Cake filled with Lemon Mouse with Raspberry Sauce and Raspberry Sorbet. Yummy!

Cute Cupcakes

2010-05-12T13:11:00.000-07:00

At the office the Law Student Intern made these farm theme cupcakes for her daughters birthday. I just think they are the cutest things ever! She made a chick, a cow and a pig. The snouts are marshmallows. The pig ears are starbursts cut in half. I just had to share this amazing cuteness.

Where Mark LIves

2010-05-12T11:50:00.000-07:00

Mark lives about 40 mins away in Clarkston, Washington. He found a cute little house that looks like it should be condemned right on the Snake River. It's a nice valley except for a really stinky paper pulp plant. As I was driving home from Clarkston the other day, as I passed the paper mill I was wondering why they couldn't use lawn clipping and yard trimmings to make paper? I mean it's spring and there are literally piles of yard waste everywhere. Well, I would buy it.

Mark's Birthday

2010-05-12T11:42:00.000-07:00

Ok, I am trying to get back on the blog wagon...just for my little sister Andrea as I think she might be the only person that reads my blog. Perhaps she has given up on me by know, as it was last summer she was encouraging me to blog again. Anyway, here are some pics from the Davenport Hotel on Valentines Day, which more importantly is Mark's birthday. We had Sunday brunch at the Dav which was fun. The hotel is amazing, but I was a little disappointed to find out that all the carved wood details in the photos turned out to be only painted plaster. I guess you have to visit Europe to see that kind of detail.

For My Birthday

2009-08-18T12:23:00.000-07:00

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

2009-08-18T12:10:00.000-07:00

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

2009-08-16T23:05:00.000-07:00

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

2009-07-28T11:55:00.000-07:00

Here are some pics of my backyard.

My first vegetables for season.

Simplicity

2009-07-28T11:17:00.000-07:00

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.

2009-06-13T10:25:00.000-07:00

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

2009-03-07T05:37:00.001-08:00

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

AJ King Bread Baker Salem, MA

2009-03-07T05:37:00.000-08:00

I took a little trip to Salem, MA to visit a bread baker who gets lots of attention for his Artisian breads. They were good! It's hard to find bread produced in a traditional way anymore. Somehow I seem to luck out because in SLC there was Crumb Brothers and in MA AJ Kings. The bakery is a small cute little place found on a Salem backstreet. I tried a olive loaf and a small sourdough round. Both were good, but once you've had San Francisco sourdough nothing else can compare...it tasted more like a country round.

Coco

2009-03-07T05:29:00.000-08:00

Coco feel's a bit displaced here. I think she misses Dazie. She spends most of her day perched on the back of the couch looking out the window. Crazy dog!

Snow on the Beach

2009-03-07T05:28:00.000-08:00

Our third day here there was a huge snow storm. It's so strange to see snow at the beach! Our car's were stuck and it felt like I was back in Utah/Idaho for a minute. Of course today is 60 degrees as I sit here typing looking out at the beach...it's hard to remember how snowy and COLD it was just a few short days ago.

Our Shabby little cottage....on Plum Island

2009-03-07T05:24:00.000-08:00

Our cottage may be a little shabby, BUT it comes with an ocean view...oh and a Popsicle eating wolf man jack! It's a small little place, but you can hear the waves crashing and small the salt air. It's interesting being on the Atlantic after growing up on the Pacific. Coco loves the Ocean. She chases the waves and has the best time ever. I only wish she wouldn't run away so I could let her off her leash.

The cottage is on Plum Island, which is the location of a large nature preserve. Lots of bird watching and hiking trails, which is great!

Newburyport, MA

2009-03-07T05:20:00.000-08:00

Newburyport is a cute little New England sea port. It reminds me much of a little English Village and even has a "high" street, although in England High street is where all the shops are. Here High street is just the main drag, however all the cute little shops are found on State Street.

Newburyport or Bust

2009-03-07T05:09:00.000-08:00

So, I've been a blogging slacker for far too long. Time to do some catching up.

Currently I am living in Newburyport, MA for 3 months. Driving across country I had to take a detour to see Devil's Tower...especially since I used to want to climb it. Although the desire to conquer the mountain has subsided, it was fantastic to visit the tower. Not only is it a geological wonder, but it comes with a presence all of it's own.

The windmills in the photo were about the most interesting thing I saw driving across country, other than Devil's Tower. Madison, WI was a cool town and the first Trader Joe's I came across, so of course I had to stop.

Also I had to spend a night at Niagara Falls. Only because when I was a kid it seemed like all the TV show characters would always visit Niagara Falls. I was surprised by how shabby the town was. It was old and run down.

My Tiara

2008-10-20T07:23:00.000-07:00

Here I am at work. Holly had my pose with her tiara...we work very, very hard at Sundance! Look mom...it's my cubicle!

SLC or Bust!

2008-10-11T22:37:00.000-07:00

So this is my new place in SLC. I move the end of this month and am super excited to return to the 9th & 9th area. The puppies will have a yard again...yeah!

Should be fun and I'll forward you my new digits via email.

Winters first snow!

2008-10-11T08:08:00.000-07:00

Here we are at winters first snow! It's lithe and lovely! It always amazes me at the silence the snow brings. Everything seems to slow and quiet. I love it!

However, the dogs are not as happy about it as I am.

Coco did not enjoy her morning walk and kept running full bore until she reached the end of her leash. Perhaps this is more reason to move down to SLC where the dogs have a yard and may come and go as they please.

I love Yeti's

2008-10-08T14:19:00.001-07:00

My co-workers here at Sundance insisted that each of us choose an animal whom we might consider having intimate relations with...I chose a Yeti and coincidentally so did Holly unbeknownst to each other. One of my co-workers made this cartoon for me.

Yup, this is what we do in our spare time with the addition of finding our Vampire names, taking personality tests, reading our chinese horescopes, and having Talk Like a Pirate Day which included spending the afternoon drinking rum & coke. I was sorry to be absent that day!

Autumn in Park City

2008-10-06T18:20:00.000-07:00

These pics are behind my apartment where I walk the dogs. Well, they are behind my current apartment. I have been having this inner dialogue over whether I want to live in Park City or Salt Lake City. Today I looked at this super cute duplex in the 9th & 9th area that has a yard and laundry hook ups...yes, I'm still going to the laundry mat every week. Actually, what really is happening is Holly is taking me to the Laundry Mat because I can't carry more than 10 pounds for 3 weeks...I guess she really does love me after all. I keep teasing her about having a "freakishly strong friend" who is of no use to her. Anyway, the seasons are quickly changing here and it has been cold, cold at night....

Home is where your mom lives!

2008-10-04T12:34:00.000-07:00

On a coffee mug I once read "Home is where your mom lives!" If your a gypsy that is true! Here is where my mom lives in her little lakeside cabin! The skies of Utah are grey today, which is uncommon, however not an uncommon condition in the Pacific Northwest...where my mom lives. Maybe I'm a touch homesick today?? Moi?

Live where you work

2008-10-04T12:10:00.000-07:00

I actually took this pic to show all the autumn color on the mountains behind my apartment, but it didn't come out so well. Instead, I'll show my corner apartment and my work...yup, they really are right next door to each other. Technically I work across the street in the "white building" but regardless my commute is awesome...giving me lots of spare time to work on my thesis...yes, yes that's exactly what I have been doing in my free time!

Work, Smirk

2008-10-03T12:28:00.000-07:00

My boss is in the know! For national Oreo day she brought in every type of Oreo imaginable, including Oreo Klondikes, Oreo Ice Cream Sandwiches and Oreo Yogurt. I had to take a picture because for me it was unimaginable and astonishing! Who knew that Oreo's had such a following.

The Geekster livith!

2008-09-29T11:45:00.000-07:00

A quick pic of my welcome back to work flowers...so sweet!

On Friday September 19th my blog had 60 hits! To use an word made popular by the W administration, that is an unprecedented amount of views. I would LOVE to know who email my blog all around the globe on the very same day I just happened to post a photo of my knickers in a biohazard bag...when it comes to my life the universe definitely has a sense of humour. I guess it's to keep me humble. If you tell me who it was, I'll send you something nice as a reward!

Gargoyle

2008-09-28T21:05:00.000-07:00

I love this bad-o pic of Coco.
As mean as she looks she really is a snuggle bug.
In case you are wondering, Coco is a Staffordshire Bull Terrier and weights about 35 pounds.

The Hodster

2008-09-25T15:08:00.001-07:00

Working hard or hardly working!

Here she is...the catalyst for me coming to Utah. I can't imagine having this experience at Sundance without her, even though she is flipping me off in the pic. Her finger looks like ET!

My Caregiver

2008-09-21T00:20:00.000-07:00

I wanted to post this pic of me and mom. This week she has been diligently taking care of me post surgery. She has hung around through several different kinds of pain meds...trying to find the one that would work without making me throwing up all over the place. She has washed my laundry. Listened to me go on and on in my drug induced state. Prepared my meals and filled my water cup, walked my dogs, entertained my visitors and generally has taken care of my severely pathetic nauseated state of being for the last week. Although she misses her dogs and is ready to go home, still she remains! Thanks mom.

Cabin Fever

2008-09-19T15:35:00.000-07:00

Mom has been less than satisfied with the 1970's decor found in the condo she rented here in Park City to take care of me post surgery. Guess it doesn't compare to her lakeside "cabin."

Since I have been zoned out on pain meds and mom has already rearranged my apartment, she decided to have a go with the condo. So here is the before pic.

Here are the after pics. Notice the furniture is draped in sheets so we don't have to actually touch it, hopefully preventing any cootie contamination. I do believe my mother is bored...I'm too dopey to care!

A Sense of Humor

2008-09-19T15:28:00.000-07:00

When I finally came around after surgery, mom and I had a laugh over finding my underwear in a bio-hazard bag! Hope the surgery staff had fun with that one.

Another Day at Olympic Park

2008-09-14T19:02:00.000-07:00

My parents arrived today to help me out next week. After spending the day in the car I hauled them off to Olympic Park for some fun & frolic.
T.Boyd & I zip lined...my second day in a row...I'm hooked. Then we did the alpine slide which was way more fun than at Park City Mountain Resort.

Mom was too chicken to join in!

Next on my list is skiing off the ski jump and into the pool!

Pure Comic Value

2008-09-14T18:48:00.000-07:00

I am posting this photo for pure comic value...make of it what you will.

Alpine Slide

2008-09-13T21:30:00.000-07:00

Today the gang met up for the Alpine Slide at the Park City Mountain Resort.

Here is what the track looks like...good times, good times!

First we rode the ski lift up the mountain and then we had to drag our little sleds over to the track.
It was pretty fun and didn't go as fast as I had imagined. No one flipped off the track, so that was good. Afterwords, we needed something a bit more Adrenalin pumping, so we drove over to the Olympic Park and went zip lining...now that really was fun.

Now you see them, because next week you won't!

2008-09-13T07:55:00.000-07:00

Now you see them, because next week you won't!

I thought the big reduction was going to happen in February 2009, however due to insurance and my work schedule it's going to happen next Tuesday morning bright and early!

I'm a little scared but excited too. Mostly I am wondering how I will deal with essentially two weeks of down time being the busy body that I am. Also...I won't be able to drive for two weeks.

So, if I'm not answering your email or your phone calls next week, please be patient and know that I am off in a drug induced coma dreaming of better days to come...and I'll call you back as soon as I come around.

Travel Mug

2008-09-13T07:26:00.000-07:00

NO, this isn't a shameless plug for Bella Rose Bakery Cafe & Coffee House...quite possibly the greatest bakery cafe the state of Idaho has EVER seen! Instead this is roast on my mom's idea of a travel mug. Since I was tiny girl my mom has always drank her coffee while driving in the car from a ceramic mug. Many a times I had to hold the mug for her while she reversed or did some other vehicular maneuver which required both hands on the steering wheel. I have bought her travel mug after travel mug but to no avail. Although she has a multi-colored collection, some of which are vacuum sealed and will keep her coffee hot for hours, still she drives with a ceramic mug! Alas, I am at a loss!

Salt Lake City Farmers Market

2008-09-06T15:41:00.000-07:00

This is by far the BIGGEST farmers market I have ever been too.

Even when I lived in Portland, a much larger city than SLC, the farmers markets were distributed to each little neighborhood.

Today was actually a slower day at the market. The last time I was there it was so crowded and overwhelming I had to leave.

Mostly I am posting this for my sister to see how crazy this market is...we have been dedicated farmers market goers for years, but never have we been to one this big!

Coeur d'Alene

2008-09-06T07:57:00.000-07:00

I spent Labor Day weekend in Coeur d'Alene. It was fun to see everyone and even though I had just left two weeks prior it felt like it had been a really long time.

To dispel a rumor, Klaus the grumpy German, is telling the whole town I am dating a 58 year old man here in Utah...not so! Besides anyone who knows me well knows I don't do the old man thing...that's why I left CDA to begin with. Enough said!

My pic was taken from the patio of the Beach House Restaurant while having dinner.

The most awesome horoscope ever!

2008-08-26T21:13:00.000-07:00

This is from Free Will Astrology

Leo Horoscope for week of August 28, 2008
I'm not so interested in predicting the future as I am in creating the future. Why waste even a minute worrying about how things will turn out when you can devote your energy to making things turn out the way you want? It's true that in the horoscopes I offer you, I speculate about what may be coming. But my purpose in doing so is to describe favorable scenarios that you can use your willpower to manifest. Right now, for instance, I won't prophesy, "You may soon be blessed with a valuable new resource." Rather, I'll say, "Get out there, Leo, and acquire a tool or fuel or asset that will help you become more practical about fulfilling one of your dreams."

Guardsman Pass

2008-08-24T10:06:00.000-07:00

Holly and I took the back way to Heber last week. We came across this homestead. We debated if was an actual residence or a movie set??

The plan was to have dinner at Snake Creek Grill and to see Barb who I formerly was a pastry chef for and helped her to open her restaurant. On arrival we found out she sold the restaurant a year and a half ago...guess that's what happens when you don't stay in touch with people. We still had dinner although much to my dismay it was country night. The menu seems to be the same and everything was good.

Sundance has an outdoor film festival here in Park City once a week. The bottom pic is us watching a film with the co-workers. It was so cold that night we had to leave early even though the daytime temperture had been in the 90's. Guess I'm not used to the high deserts temperature swings. Other people brought sleeping bags, so next time I'll know.

My new diggs

2008-08-20T16:56:00.000-07:00

Here are some pics of my new apartment. It is literally 50 steps (if that) from my work. I took the apartment sight unseen and was told it was a 1 bedroom, but really it is a studio. The dogs are enjoying barking at the neighbors from the window, but I imagine they are missing their big backyard.

Overall the apartment is much smaller than I imagined, but really its not a bad place at all. It would have been nice to have a balcony or something for the dogs to pee on...ha ha. Anyway, I am saving lots of money on gas and can walk home for lunch. It's also walking distance to downtown Park City as well as the grocery store and post office.

Welcome to SLC now go home!

2008-08-20T16:50:00.000-07:00

I arrived in Utah on Friday afternoon and then Saturday while I was getting my hair cut in Sugar House...in a "good" part of town, some jackass busted my passenger window and stole my purse, make up, camera, NUVI, my cell phone and Ipod.

This was one of many eventful happenings upon my return to Utah. What's a girl to make of all this?

Barbie Doll Cake

2008-08-11T19:17:00.000-07:00

When I turned four my mom made me a barbie doll cake and this year she did it again. I don't know what possessed her but it sure came out cute! I had to post a pic!

Another year

2008-08-10T07:44:00.000-07:00

We a few exceptions I have always liked my birthday. To me it is more a "New Year" celebration than Jan. 1. This year is no exception. I accepted a job with the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah...so exciting. Although I feel heartbroken to live so far away from my mom, I am super excited for a new adventure. Ironically I moved to Coeur d'Alene on my birthday 4 years ago and now I am leaving just a few days later....could it be a cosmic coincidence?

Look out Utah...here I come!

The Grumpy German Birthday

2008-07-27T21:04:00.000-07:00

Tonight was the grumpy German's birthday. Klaus is 62 or something like that. He told us funny stories about buying beers in Canada for .10 cents about 100 years ago. Also how he just spent $1500 on a series of facials that is supposed to take 20 years off his life.

Anyway, this is the only birthday dinner I have ever attended where the birthday boy brought the food! It was good.

Another nice evening out of the lake. The summers in Coeur d'Alene are the BEST, but you must live through 9 months of hell to enjoy the 3 months of bliss!

My parents the boat captain and first mate.

My ride home

2008-07-24T21:05:00.000-07:00

My ride home was by boat tonight. Nice sunset. Nice evening. Nice company.

Finally some good weather in the soggy Pacific Northwest.

The Fam Dam

2008-07-21T08:07:00.000-07:00

For the Fourth of July my sister Justina & family came for a visit.

Saesha my oldest niece just turned 17! I can't believe it. It seems like just yesterday she was a wee baby. The bowl of cotton candy was from a local restaurant as their signature birthday dessert.

Here Myranda and Halia are my next two nieces down. We were shopping in Sandpoint, Idaho in this picture. Madame class president Myranda is the one in the cowgirl hat...yes, she is the middle child!
Halia is my OCD Virgo niece and has been the baby of the family for the last eight years...until baby Brenden came along...now she is quite the pesky little trickster.

The new little man of the family. He is the biggest baby I have ever seen! I wanted to steal him.

So this picture is just for fun. Yes, it is a candy cigarette that my nieces bought and my mom (grandma) freaked out over. Baby Brenden was asleep and the girls and I were just having a little fun with him. At least we didn't dress him up in pink barbie clothes or put him in a dress. We'll save that for next time.

The Great Chair Rescue

2008-07-20T14:25:00.000-07:00

Spending the day in the sun hanging out and swimming at my parents lake house is aways fun...especially when they are out town! This particular time we forgot to bring the chairs in from the dock and one went over board and started floating away past the neighbors dock. After a great deal of debate over whether the chair was worth rescuing we considered the best recovery method. First we thought about playing the damsel in distress card and waiting for the paddle boards we saw earlier to come back by, but they didn't seem to come. Second I attempted to pull the chair back in with a broom, but it was too far out. Finally after imagining the wrath of my mother I was inspired to float out and recover the chair. Holly stood by
and photographed the adventure. Moral of the story?? Clean up
after yourselves!

Backpacking

2008-07-18T05:58:00.000-07:00

Currently I am geeking out on the teachings of a Buddhist Nun named Thubten Chodron who among many things speaks often of Cultivating Contentment. That happiness is a concept you cultivate through your choices. This idea has me thinking about what makes me happy.

In another life (not a Buddhist pun), when I was younger, I spent a great deal of time camping. Growing up in the Santa Cruz Redwood Forest meant I was close to Yosemite where I camped often and then later living in Utah for 10 years provided many opportunities to explore the great outdoors.

For the last several months I have been obsessing over backpacking and earnestly working to convincing Holly to get into it. Doubious as she was, she agreed to try it out. After a laborious effort to coordinate schedules, plans were made and our maiden excursion was July 5th. It was a great trip other than Holly having blisters on her heels and not a warm enough sleeping bag. We came home a night early.

Ultimately, I have this big idea in my head to do the Grand Staircase in Escalante Utah. In all the years that I lived in Utah I never went to Escalante so it seems strange to be so obsessed by the palce. In the mean time I'll be dragging Holly around North Idaho....look out rednecks - here we come!!

Mother's Day Brunch

2008-06-30T07:03:00.000-07:00

This is way past due. For Mother's Day I made mom brunch...she didn't want to go out! We had Polenta Eggs Benedict with Hollandaise Sauce, Sticky buns and Spinach salad with red onion, dried cherries and sliced almonds.

What I did for the eggs beni was bought a tub of pre-made polenta, sliced it up and then heated it in the over. Then I poached the eggs, topped the heated polenta with avocado, the egg and then covered it with hollandaise sauce. It's easy and OH so good so try it out!

My Sweet Coco Bean!

2008-06-12T08:21:00.000-07:00

I had to post this picture.

It's just too cute....

I promise I found her like this and I DID NOT stage this picture.

Samosa

2008-05-22T20:18:00.000-07:00

Making samosa is a lot of work! Here are the step by step photos. The recipe gave the option of baking them stating they were healthier baked, BUT they tasted WAY better fried, so we fried them. The recipe I use was from the cookbook Whitewater Cooks. I seriously LOVE East Indian food, but it is so labor intensive I have to wonder if Indian women do anything other than cook all day! Perhaps, I'll get faster with practice??

Sauce Box, ,Portland, OR

2008-05-12T21:17:00.001-07:00

This is one of my all time favorite restaurants in Portland, OR. It is super funky and the music is so loud you can hardly talk to the person sitting across the table from you, BUT the food is fresh, innovative and amazing. I hate the term Pan Asian, but there is no better way to describe the menu, other than adding "contemporary." When we visited we had a spicy beef salad and a po po platter of assorted appetizers and Asian dumplings. The restaurant is decorated very modern with candlelit and a Javanese Buddha alter. Also noteworthy, the bathrooms have a co-ed hand washing area. Should you be in Portland, you should call ahead for reservations to Saucebox.

Bread and Ocean Cafe

2008-05-11T20:50:00.000-07:00

Manzanita Oregon is a wonderful, progressive, artsy oceanside hamlet that I love. It's a great place for some quality R&R...just to kick it with a book and time to waste wandering aimlessly along the seashore. New to town are two new day spas and a yoga studio. There is also a handful of shops, a heath food store, grocery store and a wine bar. Of coarse, after all that reading and wandering one needs to eat something fabulous, which is where Bread and Ocean Cafe comes in.

Bread and Ocean is a small bakery cafe/lunch spot. They make everything from scratch and offer a daily rotation of different breads, pastries and sandwiches. Last time I visited for lunch I had a ham sandwich with brie, caramelized onions and honey-dijon on a stout bread with a cup of cream of fingerling potato and roasted garlic soup and a Moroccan cous cous salad. They also make a wonderful granola, which I had to take home to enjoy as I get sick of my own granola now and again.

Stop in next time you're in the area. Or, if you were me, you would buy a plane ticket, rent a car, drive two hours and call it a mini-vacation!

Bruce's Candy Kitchen, Cannon Beach, OR

2008-05-10T07:32:00.000-07:00

Every year in May, at least every year that Mom and I have owned Bella Rose, we take a pre-emptive trip to Portland for some R&R. Somehow without thinking about it, we always end up in Portland for the big Cinco de Mayo Celebration....interesting.

Anyway, this year we spent a day out in Manzanita and Cannon Beach. It was the first weekend that Bruce's Candy Kitchen had re-opened after their big remodel. Every other store we entered with our pink & white striped bags commented that we had candy. Bruce is known for his taffy and best ever Carmel popcorn...we didn't buy either, but we did buy Rocky Road, Cinnamon Red Hots and a Cashew Crab which is essentially the same as a turtle but with a beach theme.

Bushe de Noel

2007-12-17T08:49:00.000-08:00

This is moms birthday cake this year! I spent all day Saturday making it instead of doing my real job at work...fun! Its good to Queen.

It's a Yule Log cake with meringue mushrooms...a Christmas Tradition. The only difference being you eat this Yule log instead of burning it!

Dear mom, Happy 27th Anniversary of your 29th birthday! Make this year count.

The Coolest Pot Ever

2007-12-11T20:26:00.000-08:00

Mom & I found this pot at William Sonoma just after the Thanksgiving holiday. It appealed to my affinity for anything pumpkin...needless to say I loved it at first sight. The irony is I cant say I have ever experience love at first sight, other than by dogs, until I saw this pot!

What I made inside this lovely pot is a black bean and brown rice stew with butternut squash. It was super good and very healthy!

Tillamook Vanilla Yogurt & Fresh Raspberries

2007-12-07T17:59:00.000-08:00

I am soooo bored now that its winter in the Northlands that I decided I would start blogging what I have for dinner. During the day I might be a chef, but when I come home after a long day in the kitchen at the cafe the last thing I want to do is cook. So, tonight I am having Tillamook Vanilla Yogurt and fresh raspberries. Tillamook Oregon is a spectacular coastal cow town on the Northern Oregon Coast. Famous for being home to the Tillamook Cheese Factory , the more impressive cheese maker in Tillamook would be the Blue Heron. The Blue Heron has an amazing collection of hand crafted brie, my personal favorite being the Garlic Herb. My friend Katte is partial to the Black Pepper brie. Do youself a favor and order the sampler pack which includes a small protion of each of the Brie flavors. Another note worthy mention regarding Tillamook is the La Tea Da Tea Room. This place is in my top three for favorite places to have afternoon tea.

Black Forest Delight

2007-12-03T19:43:00.000-08:00

This is Baerbel and her lovely Black Forest Cake...made the hard way. OH MY GOSH IT'S GOOD! Baerbel and her husband Klaus brought it to share at our Thanksgiving dinner. They are from Northern Germany and we met them at the cafe. Its good to have talented friends.

Two dogs in the sun

2007-10-24T11:12:00.000-07:00

Isn't that cute! What can I say? There are no words...only cute doggies!

My broom which I loveth

2007-10-07T12:00:00.000-07:00

These lovely photos were taken by Katte during our trip to Nelson, BC. Let it be know that she berated me about purchasing a broom for an unspeakable amount of money...then after she met the broom maker she bought one herself. What is the draw you may wonder?? Well the brooms are handmade with a special type of Mexican corn which is dried and then woven into the bristles of the broom. After which they are attached to a broom handle which ranges from very simple to deeply extravagant pieces of wood that the broom make collects himself from various parts of the world. Needless to say the brooms are a finely crafted work of art. I have mine on display in my house...it may never touch the floor!

Extreme Makeover

2007-08-20T18:51:00.000-07:00

Ok, this is the before and after on my backyard makeover. It was more work than I ever thought it could be and required lots of help from my family...especially my mom. Thanks mom!

It was kinda sad to cut down the two cherry trees. They were about 40 feet tall which made it impossible to reach the fruit unless you were a bird. They were however very beautiful when in bloom. The first summer I lived here my niece Halia stood on my shoulders so she could pick as many cherries as she could reach. They were good.

A Good Year

2007-08-06T08:06:00.001-07:00

I love, LOVE the movie A Good Year. Last night I was searching online to find out what town in France the film was made in. While I was searching I found these pictures of a market in Provence. They are so beautiful I had to post them. ML you need to take me to this market next summer!

Olympia Washington

2007-08-01T18:28:00.000-07:00

Recently I visited Olympia, Washington the home of our coffee roast Batdorf & Bronson. It is a wonderful little town and if it wasn't of the the horrid weather - gray year round - it wold be on my list of top five cities to live in. Anyway they have a fun outdoor farmers market and is also the home of Evergreen College where they don't give grades and you can make your own college degree...that's right, anything you want.

While in Olympia we visited the Bread Peddler. It was so nice to go to an amazing bakery that want my own. The Bread Peddler is a french bakery, which made it especially fun. We all ordered a couple of things and cut them in fours so we could all taste everything. Good Stuff.

Batdorf was good to us. They wined & dined us and gave us some great espresso training.

My cafe listing for the day!

2007-06-02T15:36:00.000-07:00

Just a few cafe images. Our lovely espresso machine. Our best selling Turkey Pesto Panini Sandwich. Funny because I didn't thing it would sell and it sells more than any other sandwich. And then the infamous Almond Croissant. We used these pictures for a recent advertisement in a local food magazine. Can you find my little Penny in these photos?

People always ask

2007-05-31T17:37:00.000-07:00

People always ask me why I decided to open a cafe. Stupidity! Insanity! I did attend culinary school, however I also have a BS in Poli Sci and a MURP in Urban & Regional Planning. So why have I consigned myself to the lowly job of cook & dishwasher? My first response would be, for my sins! Ya see, there is a Catholic in me somewhere. The honest response would be because I love to cook & create. In grad school I was asked to write a story explaining something that made an impact on my life. I chose to write about my mothers cooking. Here is the story:

Spaghetti for Breakfast

Age has been kind to my mother. Not only does she look fabulous at 52, but she has developed talents appreciated by the entire family…that being cooking skills. Growing up with mom was quite a different story; I think it is safe to say I spent more time “praying to the porcelain god”, before the age of 21 than after.

In my family enjoying the creative art of cooking, would appear to be genetic, although skipping a generation here and there. My Grandma Reme, half Filipino and half Irish, was known for her tasty dishes and even owned a restaurant in San Francisco, Marylin’s Café, named after my mother. Grandpa Charlie was a cook in the Army and was famous for a chicken dish that everyone loved, but my favorite was a classic Army dish called SOS (shit on the shingle). How it got the name is beyond me, however it basically consists of hamburger meat with gravy served over rice or potatoes. As a kid, I loved it. I also loved the time that grandpa lived with us, as that meant we would be eating something good, as opposed to the alternative…my mothers cooking.

I realize humans tend to be repetitive creatures of habit, which may explain our dinner menu growing up. Each week the rotation would begin; shake-n-bake chicken, hamburgers, Kraft Mac & cheese with hot dogs, pizza and an unending, bottomless vat of spaghetti. When I say spaghetti, I mean the combination of marinara sauce and spaghetti pasta mixed together. Perhaps this is where my hatred for marinara sauce began. Mom would make an industrial size batch of spaghetti, using only the cheapest store bought sauce possible, so large that we would revisit it for breakfast, lunch and dinner until it was all eaten up. Sure, she added hamburger, onion and mushrooms to the counterfeit sauce she called “hers”, but we new that Prego was her best friend.

Perhaps spaghetti wouldn’t have been so bad if mom hadn’t mixed the sauce and the noodles together. There always seemed to be too much sauce and never enough noodles. Not only that, but as a kid my obsessive disorder began, which meant none of my food was allowed to touch, resulting in my parents purchasing plastic divider plates like you get in a cafeteria so I wouldn’t cry at the table. But what good was a divider plate if the food was already mixed altogether! It was very perplexing and I am sure the single cause of all my adulthood dysfunctions.

The icing on the cake, so to speak, was the constant stomach ache. I barfed all the time, which I realize isn’t that uncommon for kids, but I like to think it was my mother, still angry I sat in my room all day refusing to clean it, quietly seeking her revenge. I can see her now (only because she still does it) leaving the leftovers on the counter from dinner time until bedtime to cool, allowing all the necessary critters to grow that would make me barf the next day when I had to eat that spaghetti for breakfast!

I learned to cook out of an act of desperation, beginning in my grandmother’s kitchen and later attending culinary school to embellish what until that time had been a hobby, or a survival skill depending on how you look at it. I worked for several years as a pastry chef, until I decided to return to college to finish my undergraduate degree. Although I know how to cook just about anything, sometimes I still crave shake-n-bake chicken. Recently, I surprised myself, when while shopping at the grocery store I decided to buy a bottle of marinara sauce. I opted for Paul Newman’s Own for the sake of charity, but as I looked over the bottles of Prego, I couldn't help but think of mom.

How I spend my time

2007-05-29T21:45:00.000-07:00

Well, this is it!

Located in downtown Coeur d'Alene, Idaho.

Bella Rose Bakery Cafe & Coffee House.
Get it while it's hot! I spent countless hours at this place pouring my little heart into fulfilling a dream! Crazy as it sounds.

This is the service counter. Step right up and order your favorite latte and a Cranberry Orange Scone. Or perhaps you would rather try our house made Chai, my witches brew, along with an Almond Croissant. Yummy.
Yes, the gift shop. Just a little nook where you can find that $10 something you absolutely do not need but simply cannot seem to live without.