Not that long ago, we took a much needed family vacation. While we were away, a friend cared for our garden. Being a gardener himself, he had no need for our crops. He simply came and watered. The pepper plants went nuts! We came home to more peppers than we knew what to do with.
Good morning all! Hope you are having a wonderful summer thus far. I remember as a kid, summers seemed to last forever and a day. Now, the heat just drags on for an eternity. The fact that we spent ten wonderful days in the Pacific Northwest with the rain and the cold and the fog only to return to the valley with its 100+ sizzling heat might have something to do with feeling drained. I would move to the Northwest in a heartbeat. Hubby prefers a little more sunshine. I blame it on the fact that he isn’t a tea drinker. To me, there is something wonderful about a damp morning and a hot cup of tea.
Continue reading “Italian Chicken over Pasta is My Kind of Joy”
Have you ever looked at your vacation photos and impressed yourself? Every now and then, things just seem to fall into place for that “wow” shot. I’m not going to bother you with a lot of facts, backgrounds and such. The photos need to speak for themselves. All of the pictures were taken in a single day as Hubby, Kiddo and I took a stroll together on the beach at our hotel. Nothing is staged, what you see is how the beach appeared that day. You can call it God, Nature or whatever you like as the hand that placed things “just so”. All I know is that everywhere there was simplistic beauty. Hopefully, I’ve saved the best for last.
As all things must come to an end, so it was with our Pacific Northwest Vacation Holiday. The weekend in Florence was all that remained. Oh but what a great weekend! There was just enough time to do a little shopping in the historic section of town, to enjoy leisurely suppers surrounded by family, to raise a glass of good cheer and experience the warmth of loving hugs.
When Hubby, Kiddo and I attend street fairs and festivals, there are two types of good-eats we are drawn to. Street Sausages from Lockford and Smoked Tri-Tip Barbecue Sandwiches. When given a choice between the two, the Tri-Tip generally wins out. Let me explain.
I guess it’s all these photos I’ve been sharing lately of our recent Holiday Vacation to the Pacific Northwest that has my mind occupied with bounties from the sea. Okay, so these Crab Legs actually hail from Alaska. While it might be a stretch, Alaska is about as far North as you can get. And I love the Pacific Northwest.
Continue reading “Smoky Grilled King Crab Legs are Delicious!”
Our wonderful holiday vacation is coming to an end. We’ll spend a few days in Florence with my beautiful sister and her husband. Maybe a day of shopping, and then it will be time to head home once more. We do have the breathtaking drive south along Highway 101 between Depoe Bay and Florence. I’m sure by now you are tired of hearing me lecture and ramble on. It’s said that a picture is worth a thousand words, so I have a few thousand to share. See you in Florence!
For Hubby’s birthday this year, we had the whole family over for an awesome smoked tri-tip barbecue. It was a chance for Hubby to strut his stuff with his new grill. Any excuse for a party, right? Had we gone with Mexican, I might have made a Margarita Bundt Birthday Cake. Somehow an Orange-Lime laced cake for dessert didn’t go with the rest of our meal. So we had the bundt cake leading up to his birthday, as a private celebration. For the family, I made Hubby’s favorite Birthday Cake, a marble cake with chocolate frosting.
One of Hubby’s all-time favorite dishes has to be Chicken Mole. When it comes to making Mole, I tend to get lazy. However; using a concentrate is the first quick step into excellence.
In 2016, we took Kiddo on his first Oregon Vacation. Our time was split between Southern Oregon and Northern California. It was so beautiful that we returned again the following year, this time concentrating on the Central and Southern Oregon Coast. We took a year off from Oregon to return to our favorite Wild West State, Wyoming. It was time to return to Oregon’s coast. The haunting sounds of fog horns, the lonely cry of a seagull and the music of gray whales singing together call to our souls.
This recipe was originally designed for the most Southern of all fishes – catfish. However; after spending time way up in the Pacific Northwest where Halibut is king, we’ve made some adjustments. Those of you who know me know that I am not one to make recommendations lightly. That said, if you ever find yourself wandering through the ocean-side town of Florence Oregon, be sure to check out Bridgewater Fish House and Zebra Bar. Great atmosphere. Better yet, best beer-battered Halibut I’ve ever tasted.
Continue reading “Spicy Southern Fried Fish is Yummy Good!”When I first saw this recipe, I really liked the presentation. However; I knew I could not cook it up for my family as written. The recipe was made with sliced Okra. My guys do not eat Okra. However; we have a garden full of beautiful, deep green Jalapeno Peppers. You could make yours as originally written, using Okra. Or for just a little extra kick, use Jalapenos instead.
Continue reading “Louisiana Chicken Quarters with Steamed Rice”
One Saturday morning, Hubby and I were going over the week’s shopping list before heading out to the various markets. When the weather is nice, marketing includes a trip to a produce shack up the road for anything we need that we aren’t growing ourselves. Let me tell you, they have some of the best berries in town.
Continue reading “Beefy Tacos to the Rescue”For those of you that have been following along for a while, you already know Hubby’s all-time favorite cuisine is Mexican. He loves just about anything south of the border. For Hubby’s birthday a few years back, I wanted to transport him to Cozumel where he could sip Patron Margaritas and sample the local flavors.
Continue reading “Summertime Birthday Fiesta Bursting with Mexican Heat”
Depoe Bay is one of those places that we stumbled upon without realizing what it had to offer. Two years ago, we were in Florence, some 60-odd miles south of Depoe Bay. We were relaxing on the veranda of our hotel room when suddenly a whale’s spout came into view. Needless to say, we were on our feet with excitement. As it turns out, our Gray friend was heading north, to Depoe Bay. A pod of Grays call Depoe Bay home 10 months out of the year. Your chances of a whale encounter, however brief, is fairly good. Oh, but I’m getting ahead of myself once more . . . we still have the beautiful drive.
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