Under a Red Roof

Leftovers

March 31, 2014 in Cooking + Baking, Eating, Friendship by Colleen | Permalink

Leftover roasted green beans and homemade pizza.

The hubster says the pizza is the best in town. I agree.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cake. I added dried cherries and a cherry frosting. Also pretty great.

Crazy light during a pouring rain. There has been much of this!

William Temple House

in rainbows

Walking the labyrinth with some of my best pals. Hi Bert’s shoes! Hullo lovely Lori! And the hubster sallied too, of course, he is the best of the best.

Korean Spice Viburnum

Non sequitur:

Head over to Yardsss Bandcamp website and have a listen to Foma 3 or the whole shebang if you have the time.

It is most Excellent!

Portland City Walks: No. 6

March 17, 2014 in Drinking, Eating, Exploring by Colleen | Permalink

Hi there! Happy Saint Patrick’s Day! Happy Birthday to my Great Aunt Mary, the kindest woman I ever knew, who would have been 106 today! I am not wearing green, but I do have a bowl of cauliflower soup with roasted jalapeno happily swimming in my belly. Does that count?

And now, a step back in time, to Saturday. We had brunch at Olympic Provisions to fortify us for the walk ahead. This is not your typical brunch, not in the least. Everything impressed. Service with a smile, a wink, a nod, and a laugh. Then there were the consumables. The Edith Piaf cocktail was as tasty as it was beautiful. The badass plate of food is the Braised Short Rib, with laser potatoes and lardons, because that hunk of meat was clearly not enough. The hubster, beyond pleased with his choice, devoured it in no time. I had the biscuits and gravy, and they were the best I’ve ever tasted. Boom! To top it off, the chefs were very kindly to us, engaging in conversation while they worked their tails off to make every last belly full and happy. They even gave us a plate of fresh house smoked trout, just because. Oh my, my…

buttercup winter hazel

blossoming quince

Like all of Laura O. Foster’s walks, we learned a little more history and saw Portland in a new light, despite having walked and driven by these buildings a thousand times. Take Jantzen, for instance, did you know they were originally manufacturers of sweaters and hosiery? When a local rowing team asked them if they could make a lightweight suit for winter, the world of bathing suits was forever changed.

Hi!

This bulldog, originally from a Mack Truck, is now happily ensconced on a Volkswagen. Or maybe not. I don’t suppose anyone can ever truly know the feelings of a hood ornament.

We stopped for a sweet at Alma. The icons are chocolate!

Lone Fir Pioneer Cemetery – Funny how the clouds came just in time for the photo…

Tags: Portland, Restaurants

3.14

March 14, 2014 in Eating, Exploring by Colleen | Permalink

Happy Pi Day, peeps! What’s shakin’? Oh, it’s a hodgepodge today, starting at the front door. If you’ve been here a while, you know that I made this fused glass piece to keep the prying eyes of strangers out of my house. At least through the front door, as I am a blinds open kind of person, so much of our life on the main floor is rather fishbowl-like.

The hubster does not like having his picture taken, but I make up for it with mad kitchen skills, copious cuddles, kisses, and such-like. He is sort of wearing my hat.

Cloud monster belching!

The Oregon Grape is blooming. It smells heavenly!

Thank you for your concern about Paris. She continues to be wobbly. The new state of affairs, I suppose, but is just as sweet, soft, and purr-y as ever. Good girl!

Milo in bright light. He is as cuddly and sweet as ever, too.

I normally find the work of taggers akin to dogs pissing on bushes, but this, I like.

Detail of White Fang, by Hickory Mertsching. Part of a series of paintings currently on display at the Stumptown on Division. Wowie-zowie are they gorgeous!