Take a Hike! The Wonders of the Columbia River Gorge!

My husband is at work today...laboring on Labor Day. He has been there pretty much all weekend. This is not how we normally like to spend holiday weekends. Last year at this time, we were footloose and fancy free on sabbatical. What a difference a year makes.

We love to hike in the Columbia River Gorge and have done three fun hikes there (somewhat) recently: Eagle Creek, Oneonta Gorge, and Hamilton Mountain. I thought I would take a trip down memory lane and share some of Jim's great pics.

We are hoping for some weekend warrior time yet this fall to take advantage of some more hikes and fun. Fingers crossed that the weather holds for awhile.

Eagle Creek:

We have done this hike multiple times over the years as it is a favorite. We were able to fit it in one more time before Nat left for Texas.

Oneonta Gorge:

This was our first hike of sabbatical. It is a short hike but requires bouldering over a pile of huge rocks and logs to get started. It also requires walking through really cold chest deep water (well, if you are short like me). Did I mention COLD?? This hike is really dependent on season. Late summer/early fall usually works out well. We also hit Triple Falls since we were in the neighborhood.

Hamilton Mountain:

We just did this hike in June to celebrate our 24th wedding anniversary. There are some pretty waterfalls along the way, and the view at the top was spectacular! We also happened to hit wildflower season! Truly stunning! After the hike, we spoiled ourselves with a night at Bonneville Hot Springs Resort. If staying there, be sure to splurge on a hot tub room. The restaurant was fabulous too!

We are so lucky to live in a place where we can enjoy these natural wonders all within a short driving distance. I hope to share more of our favorite places soon!! I hope that it inspires you to get out there and take a hike! Or to come and visit us in Oregon :)

Here We Go Again!

Howdy, y'all!

It has been awhile, eh? So much has changed since my last blog post that I honestly do not know where to start.

Our once horse-crazy daughter has left the nest. She is now a sophomore (junior by credits!) at the University of Houston, studying Restaurant Management. She has become quite the baker and foodie, and has a blog of her own called The Duke of Food.  I am so very proud of the lovely young lady that she has become!!! Look out world, Natalie is taking the world by storm!! Pretty sure you will see her on the Food Network one of these days!

My husband and I were lucky enough to start our lives as "empty nesters" with an eight-week sabbatical. We were able to travel to Texas to get our daughter settled in at college, then we went on some great adventures together. We traveled to Canada and did some epic hikes, did some awesome motorcycle trips around Oregon, spent the night in a tree house in Washington, and took our first paragliding flights at the Oregon Coast. Paragliding has become a big part of our lives and I will definitely be sharing more about that.

I changed careers and started my "mid-life crisis job" as a small country elementary school secretary in January. I have learned an entirely new definition of "multi-tasking" with this job!! It is completely crazy but most days I absolutely love it. The kids are the best part of my job, and I hope it will be my chance to make a difference in this world. Kids say the darnedest things and make for lively dinner time conversation at our house! Never a dull moment!

And yes, I am still cooking up a storm. I am learning to cook in smaller portions or to freeze extras for later. I still strive to use local, fresh, seasonal ingredients. I find that I am using less recipes and more technique to create my meals. I like to see what I have available and then wing it! It has been a challenge and lots of fun! Hopefully I will find the time to share my new creations with you.

Here we go, ready or not!! Hope you will join me in my new life as an "empty nest mom."

Crockpot Craziness: Part 1

It is finally starting to feel like fall around here. And you know what that means...time to dig out the crockpot! Back to school and activities make it tough to get a good meal on the table, but my trusty crockpot often saves the day.

I have done a few posts in the past with crockpot recipes. Be sure to check out my Tortilla Soup, Greek Chicken Pitas, and Pasta Fagioli Soup. 

Here are a few favorites! More to follow in a later post!

Crockpot French Dip Sandwiches

Large Beef Chuck or Rump Roast

1 packet dry onion soup mix

2 teaspoons sugar

1 teaspoon oregano

2 10 oz. cans beef broth (or 1 carton of the good stuff)

2 cloves garlic

(optional: 1 can or bottle of beer)

Place roast in crockpot. In a medium bowl, combine remaining ingredients; pour over roast. Cover, cook on high for 4-5 hours or until meat is very tender (or longer on low). Slice or shred meat. Serve on crusty rolls. Skim fat from broth. Serve sandwiches with individual portions of broth for dipping. Also good served with sautéed mushrooms, green peppers and onions and mozzarella or jack cheese.

We almost always have leftover roast beef for the next day. I usually shred it up into even smaller pieces, warm up with some barbecue sauce and make sandwiches. Sometimes I use the leftovers in soups or stews.

Shredded Beef for Tacos

Beef Chuck Roast

1 large can of diced green chilies

2 tablespoons chili powder

1/2 teaspoon oregano

1 clove garlic

1 cup salsa or 1 can of Rotel tomatoes

Place roast in crockpot. Combine remaining ingredients and pour on top of roast. Cook on high 4-5 hours (or longer on low) until meat is very tender and falls apart. Shred meat, drain off some of the liquid, but keeping the yummy tomatoes and peppers. Serve with taco fixings. Leftovers are good for nachos too! (This is also good with the large frozen chicken breasts. Cook for a shorter time.)

Here is a recipe that is always a hit, Pizza Fondue. It is a great appetizer for parties or watching the big game.

Pizza Fondue

4 oz. bulk Italian sausage
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1 jar spaghetti sauce
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
2/3 cup chopped pepperoni or canadian bacon
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 cup sliced pitted ripe olives
1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper

Dippers: cubed breads, breadsticks, cooked cheese tortellini

Brown sausage with onion and garlic. Drain off fat. Add all ingredients to crockpot except dippers. Cover and cook on low heat for about 3 hours. Serve with dippers. (Another option is to skip the sausage and buy a spaghetti sauce that already has sausage in it. That way you do not have to brown anything ahead, just throw it all in.)

Turning a Corner...

Do I dare say it out loud? I feel like I am finally turning a corner. The last six years of my life have been nothing short of CRAZY. Taking care of myself was at the bottom of a very long list.

Today, I can say the following things:

• I try to find joy in every single day, and usually succeed.
• I am madly in love with my husband (well okay, I always have been). We are getting a taste of the "empty nest" and having a ball together! So blessed and lucky.
• I could not be prouder of my daughter, and feel like we really enjoy each other's company. I am truly cherishing every minute I have with her this last year of high school. I'm starting to think that maybe we did a pretty damn good job as parents after all. She makes me proud every single day.
• I am starting to feel more balance in my life. I've learned to say NO more often and it feels GOOD.
• I am exercising on a regular basis. I started Couch to 5K five weeks ago. Jim and I also take regular walks in the evening.
• I am trying really, really hard to eat better and making healthier choices. I have not baked anything sweet in AGES (and it kills me!!).
• I decided to start running because I want to grow old (very old!) with my husband and for us to have amazing adventures together. I have a very long bucket list!!
• I am also running because I want to be there for all the moments ahead for our amazing daughter...high school and college graduations, wedding, grandbabies...whatever makes her happy. It's going to be a grand adventure ahead for her and I don't want to miss a minute.
• I am running because I am NOT going to get diabetes. I am NOT going to get heart disease. I WILL BE HEALTHY (even if it kills me!!). Genetics be damned!!!!
• I still don't have the career of my dreams but I have a job from home that pays fairly well, is flexible, and is not as stressful as it used to be when I was in the office. I still need to figure out what I want to be when I grow up.
• I LOVE my supportive friends and family and I adore spending time with them.
• As much as I miss having a horse in our family, I am really starting to appreciate what a huge drain on our finances it was. Did I mention HUGE?? Seriously. We have been playing catch up and it feels good to finally have a car without the engine light on, a new sofa to replace the almost 20-year-old-one, and to have the time and money to start on a few home improvement projects. Long, long overdue. Post Horse Recovery Mode (PHRM) is going to take awhile but we are making progress. And Nat has managed to still keep horses in her life in other meaningful ways.

I still have days that are hard, but they are starting to get fewer and farther between. I still miss Shauna every single day, but usually I get a smile on my face when I think of her and not tears. I'm sad that it took me this long after her death to get my act together.... to learn that I am a priority. That I need to be at the top of the list. That I need to take care of myself (and Jim and Nat) first. I still have a LONG way to go, but the baby steps are finally adding up. 

Even More Summer Cooking Ideas

Here's a few more simple summer dinner ideas for you! It is finally warming up in Oregon, so I haven't been spending all that much time in the kitchen. But you know me, I always try to get a meal on the table for my family.

Taco salad and sangria! How can you go wrong with that? For the salad, just pile all of your favorite taco fixings onto romaine lettuce. I topped mine with salsa as dressing. You could also mix salsa and ranch dressing. For the sangria, I put some yummy ripe fruit in the glass, poured in a tiny bit of simple syrup and OJ, then white wine and club soda. Add ice if you wish. Be sure to eat the boozy fruit when you are done :)

The next recipe I found on Pinterest, and of course modified it to fit our tastes. It is Chicken with Greek Salsa. I sautéed some chicken tenderloins in a pan with a tiny bit of olive oil or Pam spray. Season the chicken with lemon pepper, salt and then squeeze some lemon juice on at the last minute. While the chicken cooks, mix up the salsa: tomatoes, kalamata olives, feta cheese, lemon juice, olive oil, parsley and oregano. Serve over the chicken. 

I had leftover ingredients from making Caprese Salad, so I decided to make up a Caprese Pasta. This is simply cooked penne pasta, diced cooked chicken, tomatoes, basil, and fresh mozzarella mixed with olive oil and garlic. You can serve it just slightly warm or cold as a salad.

A friend of ours just returned from France and kept mentioning crepes! I had to make some!! These have a filling of cooked chicken, steamed baby broccoli, ricotta and sharp cheddar. Be sure to make the crepe batter ahead of time so it can chill awhile. I added the filling and baked them in a 350 degree oven for about 25 minutes. I added the shredded cheddar on top after pulling them out of the oven. You can add just about any combination in the crepes! Ricotta makes a good filler. I want to try asparagus and chicken next time. Maybe some mushrooms too!

I can't seem to get enough tropical fruit! Here I made chicken with Pineapple Mango Salsa. I sautéed the chicken the same as above for the Greek Salsa chicken only I used lime juice. The salsa has diced mango, pineapple, a can of Hatch green chilies (you could use a fresh jalapeño too), diced green onion, lime juice and cilantro. Serve the chicken over brown rice and add the salsa on top. 

Here is another variation on the Chicken with Greek Salsa. Dice up the chicken and serve in pita or flat bread with spicy hummus, tzatziki sauce (a cucumber yogurt sauce), tomatoes, cucumbers, kalamata olives and feta. One of our favorite dinners!!

Last night I made up this Sausage Summer Saute on a whim! I pre-cooked some small yellow potatoes and then quartered them. I also cut up a red pepper, half of a Walla Walla Sweet Onion, and a package of Mango Jalapeño Chicken sausages (I get them at Fred Meyer). I heated a skillet with a little bit of vegetable oil, browned the potatoes and onions. I then added the red pepper, sausage as well as some garlic, salt, pepper, oregano and parsley. I served it with some watermelon and called it dinner! There was not one bite left in the pan! It was a hit! You can use whatever kind of sausage you prefer. 

I hope these easy recipes inspire you in the kitchen. Nothing fancy, but it sure beats eating out. Sometimes it is just nice to get other ideas to get out of your normal rut. Enjoy!!! Happy Cooking!!

Summer Meal Ideas

Some of you on Facebook might get tired of all my food photos, so I thought I would condense some of my favorite summer dinner pics in one blog post for those who are interested. For those of you who get stuck in a cooking rut in the summer, I hope it gives you some ideas. I like to cook very simple things in the summer, making the most out of seasonal produce. We are so lucky to have local farm-fresh fruit and veggies in Oregon!!

This pasta dish is my "go-to" dinner when I don't know what to cook. I LOVE the goat cheese sun dried tomato ravioli from Trader Joe's and usually keep some in the freezer. Otherwise, any cheese ravioli or tortellini will work.  While that is cooking I sauté some chicken and any veggies I have in the house. Stir them all together, add a little bit of heavy cream or half and half, top with some parmesan cheese and call it dinner! Definitely a family favorite! For a little more zip, be sure to add some onion, garlic and basil.

Another favorite for the summer is kabobs! I like to add each meat, veggie and fruit to a different skewer to prevent contamination from raw meat, and it also helps with the evenness of cooking. The mushrooms, peppers and squash take awhile, but the pineapple and tomatoes cook in minutes! I like to marinate some chicken and shrimp beforehand, usually in teriyaki. Or just brush on some spicy barbecue sauce! Simple and so yummy.

Pulled pork sandwiches with ranch slaw is probably my daughter's favorite right now. I put a pork roast or loin in the crockpot with some barbecue sauce (my "secret" is half Stubb's original sauce, and half Stubb's spicy sauce). I purchase the pre-shredded cole slaw mix and add some good quality organic ranch dressing in it...voila... the perfect summer slaw. I try to make my own mac and cheese, but sometimes get the frozen kind from Trader Joe's. That with some sliced watermelon makes a perfect side dish. I found the whole grain slider buns at Target! Easy, peasy weeknight meal.

Probably one of my all-time favorite summer salads is Caprese! Yum! I like to get the heirloom cherry tomatoes, the tiny fresh mozzarella balls, fresh basil and add a little bit of balsamic, olive oil and pepper. So easy and so delicious!

I served the salad with grilled steaks with sautéed mushrooms, baked sweet potato slices (with cinnamon and brown sugar), and fresh raspberries.  Another easy, fresh meal.

A great way to use all the wonderful veggies this time of year is stir fry. Last night I made teriyaki steak rice bowls. I marinated the steak in teriyaki sauce overnight, sliced it up and sautéed it, being sure to not over cook it. I removed it from the pan, added the veggies and cooked them just a little. Any veggies are great! I also like to add pineapple! Add the meat back in, add a bit more sauce, stir and add some sliced green onions on top. Sometimes I make my own teriyaki and sometimes I get that from Trader Joe's as well. This time I used the Island variety of Soy Vay. Serve over brown rice for a really healthy meal.

Summer cooking can be healthy and not too time consuming. It is actually my favorite season of the year to cook because I cannot get enough of the fresh fruit and veggies. Yum, yum. If you are interested, let me know and I will continue to post my pics and ideas. Happy cooking, y'all!

Top 10 Super Bowl Recipes

The Super Bowl means two things to our family: commercials and yummy munchies. Not so much on the whole football thing! This year we don't even have anything planned, but if I did I would probably make these top 10 favorites. I will probably make a few things for just us.

I got the idea from The Pioneer Woman's post. Unfortunately, I don't have much for photos but wanted to share a few of my faves. Some of them (okay, MANY of them!) are from her website.

1. Firecracker Shrimp. I got to thinking about these babies and can't stop so we are having them for dinner tonight! They are REALLY, REALLY spicy but oh so good and addicting. There is also a second posting about these so don't miss out!

2. Pico de Gallo and Guacamole. Counting these as one item because you need both. I make mine almost the same so decided to post PW's link instead of typing it all out. It's Friday... I'm lazy. Be sure to try them with Juanita's brand tortilla chips. You could even go crazy and make some nachos with all this goodness.

3. Crash Hot Potatoes. Any excuse to make these bad boys and I'm all over it. Best.Potatoes.Ever.

4. Hot Artichoke Dip. I have been making this for years and it is always a hit. Once you start eating it, you can't stop. I usually serve it with pita chips. Let me know if you want the recipe.

5. Margaritas. On the rocks. Frozen. Yes, please. It's all good.

6. Burger sliders. We have a freezer full of local beef and it is good. I love the little Rhodes frozen dinner rolls for sliders. Thaw those little suckers out and bake 'em up. Grill up some little burgers and get out a bunch of toppings: bacon, cheese, grilled onions, barbecue sauce. Mm, mm.

7. Hummus and pita bread. We need something somewhat healthy thrown in here, right? Besides, my girl is crazy for hummus. Buy the spicy kind and doll it up with some crumbled feta, kalamata olives, cherry tomatoes and cucumber slices. Good stuff. If you really feel crazy, make your own.

8. Soup. Hard to decide just one. A great option if you don't feel like firing up the grill for sliders. Make a big batch and keep it in the crock pot to stay warm. Chicken Tortilla? Chicken Noodle? Chicken Gnocchi? Chili? Minestrone? Pick your favorite. Don't be wishy-washy like me.

9. Fruit and Cheese Plate. Let your hair down and go crazy at Trader Joe's. Lots of unique and reasonably priced cheeses. It is my cheese nirvana. Add some fresh berries, pineapple, grapes and you are good to go. It is always a party when cheese is involved.

10. Chocolate Sheet Cake. Because every party needs chocolate. Amen.

Ooops. Gotta have a number 11 because I forgot one CRUCIAL item: WINE!!!! Cheers!!! Have fun!!!

Throwing a Mocktail Party!

On Friday night, we hosted a Mocktail Party for Natalie and her friends before their Winter Formal. I made a bunch of different appetizers and nonalcoholic drinks and it was so much FUN!!!

One of the drinks was a Faux Sangria made with white grape juice, orange juice, fruit and club soda:

I did a bunch of different garnishes for the drinks including berry skewers. I also made a Strawberry Lemon Punch, a pitcher of Shirley Temples, and had a bunch of different flavored ciders from Trader Joe's.

For the food I made Antipasto Kabobs, Hummus Cucumber Canapes, Bruschetta, Mini BBQ Bacon Cheeseburger Sliders, Teriyaki Chicken Pineapple Bites and had some desserts from Trader Joe's. I LOVE Trader Joe's :)

Cost Plus and Target had some fun straws, umbrellas, skewers and toothpicks to make everything so festive. My friend Jaci came over for the afternoon and evening and was a HUGE help to get everything ready. The kids showed up around 5:00 and some of the parents joined us as well. It was so much work but so worth it. Such a GREAT evening!! And this why I do it... for my precious daughter. Isn't she gorgeous? Inside and out :) Making all these precious moments count.