Sunday, December 19, 2010

Leather

Who knew that one of the world's premier motorcycle jacket companies is located in Portland, Oregon?

Langlitz, for handmade leather products.


Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Holiday activity for the kidlets

At the end of last year's holiday season, I looked guiltily at all of the cards we accumulated: Throwing them into the recycling bin only does so much for the environment...

So, I started ripping the front cover off of the more decorative cards and stashed them in a large envelope. I'm not sure exactly what I had in mind but I found a use for them.

One afternoon while I was killing time in Target (I had an appt nearby and had an hour to while away), I was cruising the scrapbooking aisle and it hit me -- a great project for my four year old who loves glue, stickers and all things artsy.

I had construction paper at home and envelopes. I grabbed a decorative punch set of a snowflake and a tree, glue sticks, some holiday stickers and glitter glue. You can also go to a place like Paper Source and buy plain cards and envelopes if you don't have them on hand and don't want to use construction paper for the cards.

After school, I cleared the kitchen table and laid out all of the goods. My job was cutting the cards to fit into the envelopes. At the top of each card, I wrote "Happy Holidays from the ---- family: Husband, My name, Daughter's name. My daughter's job was to decorate and decorate she did. I had to remind her a few times not to use all of the goodies on just one card but overall, I let her just go with it. I did ask her to sign her name to each card before decorating just because it's nice to have the artist's signature on a piece (=

After I stuffed the cards into envelopes, I wrote, "made with love by Daughter" at the bottom, under the mail to address.

The cards don't work for everyone but they make great holiday cards for teachers, babysitters and friends that see your child often (and don't need/care about a card with a picture or require more formal cards for whatever reason) and it's a great activity to fill an afternoon or 3. We had a great time making the cards and my daughter was immensely proud of her work.

I'm still ordering regular cards for the bulk of my list since it would take 10 years for my daughter to make enough cards for my list and a child-made card isn't appropriate for everyone but in a couple of days, I plan to bring out the supplies again and we'll make more. The first batch is in the mail!


Monday, November 29, 2010

Headquartered in Oregon


Oregon, it's not just a state, it's a CHAINSAW
Blount is headquarted in Oregon, because it matters.



To view the 2010 growing list of Oregon products for the holidays and year round, go to:

Sunday, November 28, 2010

The "Oregon For The Holidays" List 2010

FASHION

Ellington Handbag's Bella Hobo bag makes a great travel bag and can be worn cross-body or as a shoulder bag. Follow on Twitter @ms_elli

Souchi, Warm & cozy for winter, Add leggings boots & cashmere turban for a complete look. Follow on Twitter @suzisouchi

Langlitz, for custom-made motorcycle jackets and more.

FOOD & BEVERAGE

Wine, Oregon produces some of the finest Pinot Noirs in the world along with other varietals. There's something for everyone.

Oregon's Choice Tuna & other products: Line caught & BPA-free

Beer, Oregon has a myriad of breweries to choose from. Pick up a few 6-packs from breweries around the state for that beer-lovin' friend this holiday season.

Harry & David, gourmet fruit, chocolate and more. Featured on Oprah's Favorite Things 2010. Follow on Twitter @HarryandDavid

MISC

Oregon Chainsaw, because you never know when you'll need one.

Square Root Industries, artist Todd Loewy, can craft you a beautiful table that's not just functional but art.





Check back, because I'll be adding to the list regularly!





Buy Oregon for the Holidays!


Oregon albacore has a lower content of mercury than other tuna and you can get it in BPA-free cans at Oregon's Choice.

Gourmet tuna and other products from Oregon's Choice make great gifts and BPA-free means they are also smart choices for your home. In addition, unlike many of the large companies, they catch their tuna using a hook and line, which means, Oregon's Choice tuna really is dolphin free.

Saturday, November 13, 2010

There's No Place Like Home

Last week, our family went on a well-deserved and needed vacation. It was wonderful, fabulous and after approximately five years, long-overdue.

We chose the Hawaiian island of Oahu, in part because we could get a direct flight but more importantly, it offered sun. Sun in November. Heaven.

The first half of the trip, we relaxed and played on the North Shore and the second, the touristy, city of Waikiki. The beach, the sun, the warm air and the pools, all perfect.

As the trip drew near its end, I found myself missing home. It seems impossible but it's true. Our four year old missed her toys and best friend. I missed my bed and the luxury of a washer / dryer, as well as not living out of a suitcase. I missed a healthy diet; I'd love to say I have the will to maintain a healthy diet on vacation but I do not. Cocktails (something called a Frozen lemonade caught my attention in Waikiki) and decadent desserts called my name daily and I heeded the call of the calorie siren.

Yesterday, our last day in paradise, I packed our bags, laid by the pool and enjoyed my last cocktail but the thought of home nagged me in those last minutes. I wanted to be home. I wanted that long, 5+ hour flight over and I wanted my little girl in her bed.

Our flight was delayed by a medical issue (we had one on the flight over too) and we landed just before midnight. It was an all right flight. With age, our daughter has lost the enthusiasm of sleeping on flights so it was a bit trying and the food on the flight, well, everyone knows the food on planes these days... I purchased a number of garbage snacks like potato chips and M&M's before the flight. I know myself well enough that eating plane food isn't an option, although eating such toxic waste in addition to a week's worth of indulgence made my head hurt, both literally and figuratively.

I carried our daughter to the car while my husband grabbed the checked luggage (one, single gigantic piece carried luggage for the three of us -- and just barely made the weight restriction). The air was damp and cool, refreshing after a long flight. It felt good to be home and I could hear my bed, calling out to me.

Saturday, October 30, 2010

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Marriage

If the idea of someone else, anyone else, getting married, threatens your own marriage, you need to re-evaluate the foundation on which your own marriage sits. Stat.

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Beliefs

If you need to convince me, in order to believe (something), find another path because your footing is unsure for a reason.

Sunday, October 3, 2010

mmmmm

Earlier today, I noted an article posted by a friend on Facebook, 51 great burger joints. I've wanted to try The Country Cat for a while now and the article gave me incentive. We hopped in the car and headed across the river.

There was about a 1/2 hour wait for a table so they took down my cell number and suggested we head down the block to the Montavilla Farmer's Market. The market was great and had I not been so excited about trying out The Country Cat, we would have eaten there. Among other things, there were fresh tamales, barbeque and one vendor had salted caramel ice cream. It's open from 10-2pm on Sundays and many vendors offer tastes. We tried some amazing peaches, some cheese and PĆ£obread (I purchased a bag because they'll be great additions to my daughter's school lunch on occasion and yum!). We easily could have stayed longer but the market had so many yummy looking desserts, we knew we had to leave before we filled up on treats and had no room for lunch!

The timing was perfect. Just as I was loading my market loot into the car, my cell rang and our table was ready. The Country Cat serves brunch from 9-2pm every day and there were plenty of options on the menu.

I started with a great looking bloody mary called the Proud Mary, garnished with homemade beef jerky, served in a beer mug. My husband ordered the Heritage burger. He's a barbeque fan and they brought him a side of bbq sauce on the side -- delicious, made with homemade ketchup. I stole a bite of the burger and it was divine. Accompanying the burger were fabulous skinny onion rings. Neither my husband nor our daughter are fans of onion rings but the whole family couldn't keep our hands off of them.

Our daughter had pancakes. I didn't try them because I had more than enough food on my plate, in addition to the onion rings I kept stealing off of my husband's plate.

I ordered the skillet fried chicken with pecan spoon bread. It was amazing. The chicken was moist inside and the crunch on the outside was just perfect. And oh, the spoonbread. The combination had to have been 10,000 calories and I just couldn't stop eating.

I can't wait to go back to both The Country Cat AND the Montavilla Farmer's Market!

Thursday, September 30, 2010

For the man/woman/child who has everything...

Unfortunately, PrivateAirDaily.com no longer exists on the Web and I can't get the article large enough to be readable. I'm not sure why I saved it; it's not like I am or will ever be, in the market for a blimp. Nevertheless, I'm cleaning out old files and found this article in my file of misc scans. The important details, I'll regurgitate... it seems there is a personal blimp now available. Yes, because everyone needs a blimp, right?

SkyYacht makes these personal blimps, along with a number of other spaceship-like air vehicles; I encourage you to check out their site.

Above is a picture of what your personal blimp could look like. According to the article, it will cost you anywhere from $100,000 to $200,000. I know, it's quite a spread but I suppose, if you're in the market for a personal blimp, a price spread of $100,000 isn't that much to you. Of course, I could be wrong. I've yet to meet anyone who was in the market for a blimp of any kind.

Besides the price and size (unless you have a garage large enough to house a regular blimp), another benefit of a personal blimp is that the company is working with the FAA to obtain special licensing requirements for personal blimps. Unlike traditional blimps, personal blimps are powered by hot air and that may mean easier licensing requirement.

Traditional blimps require a fair amount of training and there are no schools for blimp flying. A lighter-than-air pilot certification isn't easy to come by and yes, during the practical portion of the exam, you DO need to parallel park your blimp. And you thought the DMV was hard on you at 16.

Monday, September 20, 2010

Dinner!


Before tonight, I'd never made spaghetti squash before. I'd heard that it is easy to make and how great it is but I was afraid a) I wouldn't like it and b) it wouldn't be easy and I'd mess it up.

I bought a spaghetti squash last week and finally got around to making it. Husband loved it and it WAS easy!

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Stab the squash a number of times to prevent any explosive oven mishaps. This is also a great way to get rid of any pent-up aggression.

Place in an oven-proof dish.

Set the timer. Every recipe I found said an hour but I think a bit longer wouldn't hurt.

Using hot pads, carefully cut in half.

After scooping out pulp and seeds, use a fork to scrape out "spaghetti".

I used a jarred sauce but thought it tasted pretty good with just a bit of salt, as well. It has a bit of a crunchy texture that pasta doesn't have. Nutritionally, it's got fiber and vitamin C.

Our daughter liked it well enough to finish her dinner, with a bribe. I toasted the squash seeds and she loved them and if she wanted more, she had to finish her dinner.

Saturday, September 18, 2010

From the Air


Over the Cascades


Everytime I'm above the clouds, I'm struck with how much the surface looks like that of the North Pole. Perhaps a bit rounder, softer but solid, white expanse looks so similar...

Sunday, September 12, 2010

The Emperor's Clothes

It is not the emperor's responsibility to tell you he has no clothes; it is your responsibility not to make blind assumptions.

Sunday, September 5, 2010

Try It, You'll Like It

We have a rule in our house where food is concerned:
You have to try it once before you say you don't like it.

The rule originated in our house, like in many households with children, in order to avoid creating a child who only eats chicken nuggets (which I won't serve and don't offer up as an option in restaurants) or pasta (which I do offer both in and out of house). We tell Daughter she has to try everything at least once, per meal.

Until recently, this has been fabulous. Frequently, she likes what she tries and eats most of what is on our plates. When she doesn't like something, we don't fret because she'll have to try it again when we have it another day. The idea is bolstered by the hypothesis that one needs to "try" a new food anywhere from 10-15 times before he or she will like it. I don't really know where this hypothesis came from but, I read it somewhere and it seems like a good enough reason to continually hoist foods on my child that she claims* not to like. Occasionally she'll try to get out of trying something but generally a somewhat stern, "You know the rule..." works and when it doesn't, we're not above saying, "That's what's on the table and if you want something else, you'll have to try what we've offered." So far, it hasn't failed.

... Except...
Now she's turning it around on us and it's hard, no virtually impossible, to say no when we know we're setting an example or when she's just waiting for one of us to give her an excuse to say no herself.

Example: We arrived home after visiting my parents for a few days and since the fridge was empty and it was already well-past lunchtime, the most expedient and appealing thing to do was go out. We landed at Andina, a favorite. Prior to your order arriving, they offer you bread and three dipping sauces: One a slightly spicy, peanut sauce, the 2nd, a spicier, fruity concoction and the 3rd, something so spicy I don't actually remember what it tastes like. Yes, spicy food is too much for me; I admit it. Anyway, I love the peanut sauce, delicately enjoy the 2nd and steer clear of the green stuff. Not today. Q looked at me and said, "Try it!" with glee in her eyes. I'd made the mistake of telling her not to eat it because it was spicy; that it was too hot for me. I sealed my fate with those words and soon found myself skimming a piece of bread over the spicy sauce trying for only the slightest bit to stick to the bread.

Today isn't the first time and it certainly won't be the last ... now, how to fool her...


* I say claims because frequently she'll like something one day, hate it the next and then want it again the next day. It's genuinely difficult to keep up with her changing preferences. Right now she's decided she no longer likes pasta with red sauce when only a month ago, she wouldn't go near the white sauce. One day she'll eat mussels, raw oysters and clams and the next day, blech. The one thing I can't seem to keep her away from is salsa, lately anyway.

Friday, September 3, 2010

Tripadvisor.com

I love tripadvisor and I use it frequently both for the reviews that others write and to write my own. I'm currently planning a trip and scouring reviews. Some reviews are terrific, even-handed and a fair assessment and others...
Ugh.

There are those who expect the moon if they are paying over $5 for a hotel stay.

There are those who don't bother completing the profile page (I don't need a picture but a little something about the writer helps when I'm trying to figure out how legit the only review you've ever written on the site is).

There are those who never write a positive review, ever (frequently overlapping with those above).

I try to be generous about spelling and grammar but it's not always easy to take a negative review seriously when the third sentence in:
"I had took my SUV to valet parking, took my ticket from the attendant and proceeded upstairs to the ballroom."
...further down, the same person writes:
"Out of a crowd of people, mainly Caucasian and Oriental"
(really, WTH uses the term Oriental for Asians anymore? This reviewer signed up, wrote one review and nothing again.)

My favorite reviews are those that offer pictures of the room reviewed, view from the room (with room # please!) and any particulars important enough to comment on (for instance, if you complain about rusty fixtures, post a pic). I admit, I don't always post pics, although I'm trying to do it more frequently. I'm not interested in pictures of your honey or your cute-as-a-button, wee one but of things the hotel website won't show. ... Speaking of which, the pics on VBRO of various monuments or other fantastic points of interest aren't helpful when you're trying to sell me on your apartment; I know what the Eiffel Tower looks like, thank you; I'm interested in your apartment so I can go see the Eiffel Tower in person.

Reviews that offer good and bad points, neither hysterical over something minor nor overly excited because you've never left your hometown before, those are useful reviews.

Really, if a $49 parking charge in the middle of downtown San Francisco at a luxury hotel destroys your entire stay, don't stay at a luxury hotel in downtown San Francisco. If the view of the ocean overrides a $1600 night's stay in a falling-down-roach motel that makes Motel 6 look like a 5-star resort, something is wrong with your idea of value. And a glowing (in its entirety) review of "I am not sure where to begin....it was heaven on earth....can't wait to go back...a little expenseive but worth it" gives me less information than the hotel website.

Also useless are the reviews by people whose entire stay is ruined because they weren't allowed to smoke in non-smoking rooms, bring their children into 21 and over bars or find a McDonald's while in Tahiti.

I like pros & cons lists. I like reviews that include tidbits the reviewer may not care about but someone else may (like laundry facilities, handicap access, long distances, night life or lack of, is it more kid-friendly or honeymoon-friendly or somewhere in between, dress codes, wireless, etc). If a hotel restaurant is particularly spectacular or awful, make a brief note of it and review it separately and more thoroughly under the restaurant listing, the same can be said of any particular dish at the restaurant (especially if it's really, really good!).

Ok, rant over. Thanks for listening.

Thursday, August 19, 2010

What to do...

The other night I ate wheat products. I hadn't planned to but it happened. I hadn't made it the full 8 weeks without gluten but I was close, ok, at least halfway there.

Yesterday, the day after I ate wheat, I had no symptoms. No puffiness, no dry eye (in fact, I didn't use eyedrops at all that day), nothing. Today I had minimal problems with dry eye but certainly not what I've experienced in the past.

Does this mean wheat is not my problem? Since I stopped eating wheat, I've only had days of relief. I've been told you need to go approx 8 weeks to feel relief of symptoms but wouldn't you feel *some* improvement? And wouldn't consuming gluten cause more symptoms, not the lack of symptoms I had?

Moving forward, I went to a rheumatologist today, had a blood test and spoke with her about my symptoms (dry eye) as well as a number of other things, including my diet. She seemed very convinced that wheat is not my problem. So, how much do I rely on a Vega test result when an M.D. who specializes in auto-immune disorders tells me there is no connection between wheat consumption and dry eye issues?

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

My latest WANT


Body Bling by Scott Barnes and available locally at Fez Beauty.

I tried it out (on the back of my hand) at Fez today and it's just beautiful. I tried it out thinking it was a shimmer lotion and was surprised when it gave the back of my hand subtle color and just a bit of sheen. All I could think of was how sexy and lovely it would look on bare legs, particularly in the winter when most of us Oregonians are a pasty, white color. I tried both the Platinum and the Original, one on each hand, and either would look great, camouflaging those little imperfections without having to rely on hose.

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

If I can't eat bread, I'll shop online...



Here's some cute things from le Train Bleu

Botanical Gardens Bumble Bee ring on sale! I just wish it came in another color since I'm not fond of yellow...

Ilse Jacobsen Buckle Boots. I'm so loving boots lately that I can hardly wait until Fall. I'm particularly fond of these because they are flat -- always a bonus when you're near 40 and chasing after a three-year-old. I still love high heels but after years and years of thinking I'd never go back to wearing flats, I'm starting to feel the value (aka lack of pain) of wearing a more practical shoe.

Monday, August 9, 2010

Depressed and Angry

God, this sucks. I just don't know how I'm going to make it 8 weeks wheat free. Tonight we went to a wine-tasting.

All of the appetizers were wheat-ridden. We sit down at the table and there's a large basket of yummy looking WHEAT crackers. I hold out for dinner. Surely there will be something there for me, right?

It's buffet-style. First up, lamb. Nope, can't do lamb (it's a taste thing not a sensitivity). Next, beef. Can't do that either. After that, something that's either chicken or salmon but looks like it's covered in soy sauce (wheat again). Then salad rolls. I asked a waiter if they are wheat free. He checks and comes back to tell me the chef has gone home and they aren't sure. The desserts -- a nice selection of tarts, again, wheat.

I can't have a glass of wine (or more) on an empty stomach. Bad news for a number of reasons. Yet, here I am at a wine-tasting and I can't eat a thing that's being served. Had I been smart, I would have packed a box of wheat-free crackers or eaten large quantities of food prior to leaving the house but I'm new to this and well, not smart about it -- obviously.

It's hard to have fun in a room full of people drinking and eating when you feel like you can't do either (tiny sips of wine just don't cut it). Husband looks at me, in my misery, and says, "Let's go. You don't look like you're having fun; let's go somewhere you can eat something." I ask him if he's ok with that and yes, he's completely cool with it.

We head out and try to figure out where I can eat something substantial (that isn't chicken, I'm bored to death with chicken). First thought is Jake's. The wait is 35 minutes. Not worth it. Next stop, Andina; 45 minute wait. I could die of starvation before we'd have our food so we head home. Husband offers to stop at the grocery store but at this point, I've resigned myself to a life of lettuce and tell him no.

Yes, I realize some of the problem (ok, probably a lot of the problem) is me in this case but taking wheat out of my diet is akin to taking a limb. And yes, I *kind of* know what that feels like since I lost part of my left & dominant hand in a car accident at 16 and in addition to the mental & physical anguish I suffered as a teen, I currently suffer from bouts of phantom pain (completely bizarre) and have arthritis in some of my joints.

For nearly 40 years, the bulk of my diet has been wheat-based. I don't care for most types of meat and veggies, while heavenly, don't exactly fill you up with any sort of staying power. I live on wheat. Bread, muffins, cookies, crumbs, croutons, cake, you name it; yum.

And now, wheat has been ripped from my arms, leaving me crying and bereft. Empty and alone. STARVING.

...

Arriving home, I ate. Tomatoes with balsamic first and then I dipped into the freezer for some rice-flour "English muffins" (nothing like a real English muffin but at least they are filling). And I poured myself a glass of wine.

...

No longer hungry, I'm less depressed but still missing wheat. Part of me knows I'm strong enough to make it through 8 weeks. Part of me feels weak; is this all worth it?

Saturday, August 7, 2010

Recycle!


Loving this from The Container Store:

We don't have a lot of room in our kitchen for recyclables but a couple of years ago, I found a great two-bin unit that fit in the stairwell to the basement (near the kitchen and on the way to the garage). Ours doesn't look half as nice as this one.

Thursday, August 5, 2010

Test Drive

Today I was given the opportunity to test drive a prototype of the Nissan LEAF. It's the first (or one of the first) 100% electric, no emission vehicle available. I've driven a couple of Toyota Prius (what IS the plural of Prius?) before and while it's a nice car, I'm just not that enthusiastic about it so I was interested to see what I'd think of the LEAF.

Always one to throw people for a curve ball, I brought along my 3 year old daughter. Hey, if they want to sell this car to moms, I'm gonna test drive it that way, carseat and all. The carseat fit well. Since it's a prototype, it didn't have the latch system (I had to explain what that meant) but easy enough, that's what seatbelts are for. In went the carseat, in went the child. The real deal WILL have the latch system, if you're wondering.

I climbed into the front seat with my host, a Nissan rep, in the passenger seat. We didn't take a long drive but long enough that I was able to get the feel of the car, test out the "go" from 0 to slightly above the speed limit (I won't say how much above but I was impressed at how quickly and smoothly it accelerated), ask plenty of questions and give lots of opinions from my mom-perspective.

The LEAF is nice. Supremely quiet. Ever the thinker, I immediately thought of my father-in-law and, increasingly, my dad, who are getting a little hard of hearing. If you know people that are losing their hearing, you know how difficult it is to have a conversation with them in a loud spaces. Well, this car is made for those people. The only sounds you hear are outside the car because there isn't an engine to mask them. Turns out they had to tinker with the windshield wipers because, in this car, you realize exactly how loud regular wiper systems are.

After pondering how great this car would be for people who aren't able to converse in loud settings, I asked my host about sight-impaired people and seeing-eye dogs. I read somewhere that electric cars can be quite dangerous for the sight-impaired because electric cars are too quiet. Turns out Nissan has solved that problem. They've added a noise that you can hear OUTSIDE the car, if the car is going below a certain speed -- basically your toodling around town speed when you're most likely to encounter crosswalks and that sort of thing. There is no added noise above a certain speed because at some point, noise happens. Cool.

The interior. The seats were cushy. I liked that as I have a bony rear and hard seats are the bane of my existence. Well, one of the many banes. Bonus: Turns out they are made of RECYCLED PLASTIC BOTTLES. Yes! So glad to hear there is something being produced out of those insidious things besides more plastic.

The car is fully equipped with GPS and all that good stuff. One of the most exciting (to me) features included the "fuel" gage. It not only tells you how many miles you have left in your charge but also how far you can go. Yup, with a map. The car I drove had a "fuel" radius that would take us past Vernonia (the car was less than half full). Probably further but I was so fascinated with the fact that a map was telling me how far the car could go on its current charge that I wasn't really looking past that, plus, I was driving. Gotta keep the eyes on the road!

Like most cars, it has a place to plug in your iPhone, your iPod and all of the other doodads that I didn't recognize. Something about a prong system?! Anyway, it's loaded. Plenty of cupholders and the glove box is big enough I suggested adding a shelf.

The other suggestions I made? More places to put stuff. It has one of those keyless starts and if you have a car with one, consider yourself lucky if you're not always losing the keys. If you're me, you lose them in your purse, if you're my husband, you lose them in that skinny spot between the seat and the console, argh! Earlier this year I rented a car while out of town and the car had a little cubby for the keys. Loved it and suggested it.

I also mentioned a special pocket for iPhones and the like. Much better than having your phone sliding around or offering temptation because you see a text come in and well, we know YOU don't read/respond to text messages when you're driving but human nature says a lot of people do.

I also suggested some "mom" things like automatic hatchdoor (is that a word?) and video screens on the headrests for the kidlets. Nissan Man said they were trying to keep the price affordable, which makes sense but there's a reason moms drive mini vans and while space is one issue, some of the amenities definitely matter when you're carting around a 3 year old... or any kid(s). I told him these things could be offered in the "luxury" package and he seemed to like that idea.

Oh, and for those wondering if an electric car will put your baby to sleep the way a gas guzzler will? We arrived back at PGE with my angelic 3 year old fast asleep.



Oh, one last thing: The Battery. Unlike your iPhone, the batteries do not have a number of times you can charge them before they die. After about 10 years of use, the charges won't hold quite as well but still will hold. When the battery does die? It goes to PGE who will use it for solar power or something like that (I should have taken notes). The important thing is, it will live another life, NOT head for the landfill.

You can charge this car on any regular outlet. Seriously. If the car is on "empty", it will take about 20 hours for it to be "full" on a regular outlet; unless you are doing some looooooong drives, a regular outlet is more than sufficient. And by regular outlet, I mean like the one you plug your blender into, nothing special. Just plug the car in at night, like you do your iPhone and in the morning, unplug and drive w/more than enough charge to get you where you want to go. If you want to go the exciting route, you can buy yourself a fancy, schmancy charger that is about the size of a shoe box but snazzier looking and ready for insta-charge. The charger isn't cheap but you do get a tax credit. IMO, most people won't need the charger so nothing to stress about if your pocketbook is aching.

*Thanks to PGE for giving me the opportunity to learn more about The EV Project and the Nissan LEAF
** Thanks to @OnPointCU for directing me to the plural of Prius article

Tuesday, August 3, 2010

WTH?



Things like this make me question the intelligence of humanity.


Monday, August 2, 2010

Gluten Free Chocolate Cookies

Ok, so this new diet thing hasn't been going so well. I spent the first 3 weeks failing completely while being angry that I needed to cut out way too many things I love to *hopefully* be healthy. What is life without bread, pasta, decaf coffee & CHOCOLATE and WINE?

I decided I'm simply not strong enough to deal with all of these items at the same time. It may not be the most efficient way to do things but I'm keeping my occasional decaf, and chocolate and wine, as often as I need. My anger level has diminished considerably since I've allowed myself these things.

I've heard from some people that cutting wheat from their diet resulted in 5-10 lbs of weight loss. Hmmm, not so for me. I spent the first 3 weeks looking for (and eating) chocolate & wheat-free treats. Nevermind that before this diet, I rarely "needed" dessert but such is life. A girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do.

To satisfy my chocolate needs, I've been dabbling in ready-made chocolate cookies. So far I've tried three.

Very crunchy, not popcorn-like-crunchy but almost hard. Not too hard but if you have fragile teeth or a lot of mouth work, perhaps not for you. Sweet with tiny chocolate chips.

These are virtually pointless, IMO. Scratch that; they are a good option if you're using them for a cookie pie crust or want a lightly flavored biscuit. They are dry and kind of flavorless if you're looking for actual chocolate flavor.

The best of the bunch (so far), IMO. They have an earthy texture & flavor, thanks to the crispy rice, that I'd probably skip if given the option but still, the chocolate flavor is most certainly there and they are soft and chewy like a homemade cookie vs. hard like the Cookie Buttons.

One last (unrelated to chocolate) note: If you bake a gluten-free pizza, set a timer -- or don't -- honestly, the burned part tastes better than the rest of it.


Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Love love LOVE!

I love this look by Souchi. WANT!

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

The No-No List

For a number of years I've been having problems with my eyes. Specifically dry eyes. I've gone to a number of doctors, followed a lot of advice (warm compresses, preservative free eye drops, gel drops, washing eyelids, take fish oil capsules (a whole variety of them including TheraTears and Omega 7) and taken a number of prescriptions including Restasis. For a period, the preservative free eye drops and Restasis worked.
...And then nothing did.

One of the eye doctors I went to spent a good deal of time researching and trying to find a solution for me to no avail. I stopped by Pharmaca a few times for fish oil drops and various vitamins I'd heard might help (Vitamin C and A in particular). The first time, they recommended Omega 7; it wasn't enough. The second, much to my horror, they suggested I might be gluten intolerant. Gasp. I LOVE bread and pasta. Besides vegetables, I LIVE for starch products. Besides, gluten intolerance had to be a scam, the latest fad, right?

Well, the well-timed discovery of an excellent article ("Against the Grain" Columbia Magazine) in one of my husband's alumni magazines and desperation can make a person consider all sorts of things and I found myself in a naturopath's office to see if I really could be gluten intolerant. I was given a test using a Vega machine where we discovered a sensitivity to:
Peanuts (tragic to the nth degree; I've eaten peanut butter nearly every day of my life)
Additives: Nutrasweet, Saccharin, Splenda & MSG (no real loss since I don't tend to eat "diet" foods and I've had issues with MSG before)
Alcohols: Grain alcohol, beer, white & red wine (barely sensitive), tequila (severe sensitivity) and sake (barely sensitive)
Grains: Wheat flour, sprouted wheat, spelt, barley, oat, rye, triticale & kamut
Sugars: Refined sugar and corn syrup
Caffeine: Cocoa, chocolate (the ultimate tragedy), coffee, black tea, decaf coffee; pretty much anything with caffeine in it, no matter how little.

The naturopath did say while the test gives us a starting point, it is fallible and suggested some bloodwork as well. My initial "prescription" based upon extensive questioning about my diet & lifestyle is to cut the above items from my diet for 6-8 weeks, increase my fat intake (apparently I'm not getting near enough fat in my diet) and overall, eat better. From there, we'd see if I had any improvement and work on adding foods back to see if any particular food was the prime culprit. Sounds easy enough except it turns out, wheat products and corn syrup are in just about *everything*. It's unbelievable.

It seems daily I find another item that contains something on the No-No List (my name for it).

My favorite tartar sauce and barbecue sauce contain corn syrup and / or high fructose corn syrup (HFCS). Okay, so I'll make my own, right? Turns out most pickles contain corn syrup and or / HFCS, so do most ketchup brands. Tough to make something when the ingredients used to make the product contain the very things you're not supposed to eat. Argh! Thanks to Twitter and a lot of label reading, I was able to find some products without corn syrup / HFCS.
Heinz makes an organic CS/HFCS-free ketchup.
Woodstock Farms and Nalley both make CS/HFCS-free pickles

I'm in my second week of the No-No List and I've had a few failures. A couple of glasses of wine, an entire bag of wheat & MSG containing pretzels, and today, I ate tea sandwiches and chocolate cake and drank multiple glasses of iced tea at an afternoon party. Time to get back to the business of being healthy.

For dinner tonight, I decided to make peanut sauce (with almond butter) and noodles only to discover that soy sauce contains wheat and / or gluten (some contain just one, some contain both). My friends on Twitter suggested Tamari (check the label because some brands do contain wheat / gluten) as a substitute. I heavily modified a sauce recipe I found a few years ago and it turned out pretty well.

Raw Veggies: thinly sliced carrots, thinly sliced radishes, sugar snap peas, bite-sized red pepper chunks, thinly sliced mushrooms. Thinly sliced green onions and jicama would make good additions as well.
Chicken or turkey would be a nice addition too although I didn't use either.

For Sauce:
2-5 T Tamari (I only used 2 but the original recipe calls for 5)
2-3 T warm water + more as needed for consistency
1 T sesame oil
1 T rice vinegar (I only had about a 1/2 T so I used a bit of apple cider vinegar to get the full tablespoonful)
1 tsp or to taste, crushed garlic
Mix together in blender or small food processor.

Cook noodles as directed, coat with sauce and top with veggies. A meal in minutes.

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

Mac & Cheese

It's been a while since I made real, home-made macaroni and cheese. My husband always complains that it's too fattening, not healthy; I'd give him more credit for that complaint if he didn't eat ice cream on a daily basis and consume an inordinate amount of cheeseburgers (he skips the fries). The reality is the he wants meat and if I cooked meat, it wouldn't matter how unhealthy or fattening it was, he'd eat it. I rarely cook meat and it's hard to get excited about making something that your spouse only eats a bit of and then turns to canned soup or something regardless of how spectacular it is.

Long story short, I made macaroni and cheese last night and it was fabulous. I found this recipe years ago in a closet store magazine (yea, weird, I know) and I've been making it ever since. Sometimes I think about making a new mac & cheese recipe and someday I probably will but for now, I make it so rarely that by the time I do make m&c, I really want this recipe.

I use Tillamook Vintage White Extra Sharp Cheddar, which, IMO, is the best white cheddar out there.

Macaroni & Cheese

Yield: Serves 4.

1/2 lb elbow macaroni (~2 cups)
4 T unsalted butter
3 T all-purpose flour
2 c milk
coarse sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
3 c grated white cheddar, firmly packed
2 c chopped fresh mushrooms (~12 large)
topping:
1 c grated white cheddar, firmly packed
1 c Panko bread crumbs, or other dry bread crumbs
1/4 tsp sea salt

Cook macaroni according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

While macaroni is still cooking, melt butter in a large heavy saucepan. Add flour and, whisking constantly, gently cook mixture for a few minutes. Add milk slowly and keep whisking. Bring mixture to a boil, and let simmer until thick. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Turn heat to low and add cheese, giving everything a good stir to ensure cheese is melted and mixed. Add a little milk if the cheese sauce is too thick. Do not let boil.

Add mushrooms and macaroni to the cheese sauce, stir well and pour into a lightly oiled shallow, oven-proof dish.

Move oven racks to bottom of oven. Preheat broiler. Mix together bread crumbs and grated cheese; sprinkle on top of macaroni. Season with 1/4 tsp sea salt. Broil macaroni for 5-10 minutes until topping is golden and crisp.

Hush, California Closets magazine.
Adapted from Francesca Harris, "The Food You Eat"

Sunday, February 28, 2010

WTH?

This is just bad.

Saturday, February 13, 2010


Generally I'm not a fan of Louis Vuitton but these are just too lovely...


What the hell is up with this though?


Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Thursday, January 28, 2010

Bad joke but funny

I hope I'm not breaking any rules by posting a joke (copyright or something?). One of my husband's friends emailed it to him and he sent it to me.

Why You Must Always Check Your Children’s Homework

A girl in her first year at school made the following drawing for her homework and handed it in to her teacher.

After the drawing had been reviewed by the teacher, the girl brought it back home and showed it to her mother.
The next day, she returned to school with the following note for her teacher:

Dear Ms Artsy,

I would like to clarify my daughter’s drawing.
I am NOT POLEDANSING on the podium of a striptease bar.
I work in a do-it-yourself store and had just told my daughter how much money we had earned from the recent snowfall.
Thus, I am merely selling snow shovel in the drawing.


With kind regards,



Monday, January 25, 2010

For the birds

Ever since I found this pillow online, I can't help but falling for more bird paraphernalia and today it's the Pia, Pia, Pia! bird wall decal

I don't wear shawls but I'm also loving this:
Steve Elder's work is beautiful. Buttons, pins and hair accessories, hand-carved out of some common and not-so-common types of wood.

And check out this birdhouse from S&K Creations:

Monday, January 18, 2010

Hello Kitty Assault Rifle

... because every kitty needs a gun.

I admit, I'm a Hello Kitty fan. She's cute and I'm old enough that I remember when Hello Kitty came to the United States. Somewhere, tucked into a trunk full of my childhood toys, there are various Hello Kitty knick knacks and doodads. Through a little effort, I've managed to pass my Hello Kitty fascination onto my dear, sweet toddler which enables me to feed my addiction at her expense. Regardless, I will not be securing a Hello Kitty assault rifle, for either of us...

Thursday, January 14, 2010

Cheese


I love the Zyliss classic cheese grater. It's better than any of those box-style graters, IMO. Maybe it's just me but every time I grate cheese with a traditional style grater, I end up grating my fingers and / or nails -- not only is it painful but it's gross. The Zyliss classic cheese grater is easy to use and there's no risk of finger / nail damage. Yay!

It's not practical if you need a large amount of cheese but I've used it for up to a cup at a time before. Additionally, the cheese is finely grated which allows you to cover a larger area with less cheese, flavor with fewer calories.

Sunday, January 10, 2010


Check out this cute pillow from @BranchandBirdie. Perfect to add splash of fun to bedroom or family room.

For a list of Oregon gift ideas and products see Buy Local, Buy Oregon post

Friday, January 8, 2010

Goat Cheese Cherry Appetizer


Over the holidays I had the opportunity to try a yummy new Goat Cheese Cherry Appetizer, using Blossom Vinegars. So easy to make and the Cherry Vinegar takes the edge off of the goat cheese, widening its appeal to people that don't always care for goat cheese. I was told the recipe also would work well with the Blueberry Basil flavor.


Goat Cheese Cherry Appetizer
11 oz Log of Goat Cheese Cut into ¼” slices 
3-4 Cloves of Garlic grated on microplane grater 
1 Tablespoon Fresh Thyme, minced
10 Pitted Black Olives, roughly chopped (or, use the same amount of fresh cherries)
¼ Cup Blossom’s Cherry Vinegar 
½ Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper to taste
Garnish with Fresh Cherries

Place sliced cheese on glass plate, single layer if possible. 

Mix rest of the ingredients in a bowl and pour over the cheese to coat. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use (1-2 hours). Garnish the platter with fresh cherries. The cheese is very spreadable at room temperature.

Serve with sliced and toasted baguettes with a few little knives to spread the cheese on the bread. 

Left over marinate makes a great salad dressing or drizzle over cooked vegetables. 


For a list of Oregon gift ideas see Buy Local, Buy Oregon post