My nut-studded crust earned gloriously complimentary comments. The extra butter Jesse suggested did wonders, I say. My filling was not as firm as I would have liked...perhaps a little time in an actual icebox (rather than a fridge) would help? When all was said and done, I was a winner, though not the only winner.
My prize? Two Tupperware cups with nicely sealing lids and straw holes. And the sweet glow of satisfaction.
I'm serious about making contest winning my new part-time job (this is number 2 for the month). I'll keep you posted.
7.31.2009
7.30.2009
límon
I was invited to participate in a Lemon Icebox Pie "Throwdown" ala Bobby Flay, in honor of our Civil Deputy Supervisor's birthday. I did a test run the weekend before the contest, and the following is the recipe that resulted:
Crust:
1/3 box of honey graham crackers, finely crushed (7 or 8 crackers)
1/3 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup white sugar
8 tablespoons butter, melted
Grease deep-dish pie plate with butter. Mix together all crust ingredients and press into the bottom and onto the sides of the pie plate. Bake for 7 minutes at 375 degrees. Cool.
Filling:
12 oz. plain cream cheese, room temperature
14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk
1 Tbsp. lemon zest
1 tsp. vanilla
Juice of 4 large lemons (approximately 1 cup)
Juice of 1 small lime
Mix all ingredients in electric mixer on medium speed till smooth. Pour into cooled crust. Refrigerate overnight. Serve with Cool Whip.
Hopefully Award-Winning Lemon Icebox Pie
Crust:
1/3 box of honey graham crackers, finely crushed (7 or 8 crackers)
1/3 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup white sugar
8 tablespoons butter, melted
Grease deep-dish pie plate with butter. Mix together all crust ingredients and press into the bottom and onto the sides of the pie plate. Bake for 7 minutes at 375 degrees. Cool.
Filling:
12 oz. plain cream cheese, room temperature
14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk
1 Tbsp. lemon zest
1 tsp. vanilla
Juice of 4 large lemons (approximately 1 cup)
Juice of 1 small lime
Mix all ingredients in electric mixer on medium speed till smooth. Pour into cooled crust. Refrigerate overnight. Serve with Cool Whip.
7.23.2009
wedding gown miracle
As I was telling my friend, McKenzie, I am a firm believer in fate. Whether you call it fate, or destiny, or God, or luck, I think we receive indicators when we're following the right path.
Though I had chosen my wedding gown (and gotten Chloe's approval), I was holding off on buying it. I checked the website almost daily, just to make sure the dress was still there. Today is the day I had planned on buying it, so I checked the website once more. I almost fell out of my chair when I saw the price had gone up nearly 40%, literally overnight. My mind started racing with alternatives. I think paying a million dollars for a one-time-use gown is absurd. I would have to find a different dress.
I hopped on Ebay on a whim. I had browsed that site in the past, but wanted to order my gown from the designing company so I could return it if need be. I found a listing. My dress, in my size, brand new. I scanned the details...it is returnable within 7 days of delivery. The cost? A 60% discount from the new, inflated full price.
I've never typed so fast to make that purchase. As Beckie says, "It's meant to be!"
Though I had chosen my wedding gown (and gotten Chloe's approval), I was holding off on buying it. I checked the website almost daily, just to make sure the dress was still there. Today is the day I had planned on buying it, so I checked the website once more. I almost fell out of my chair when I saw the price had gone up nearly 40%, literally overnight. My mind started racing with alternatives. I think paying a million dollars for a one-time-use gown is absurd. I would have to find a different dress.
I hopped on Ebay on a whim. I had browsed that site in the past, but wanted to order my gown from the designing company so I could return it if need be. I found a listing. My dress, in my size, brand new. I scanned the details...it is returnable within 7 days of delivery. The cost? A 60% discount from the new, inflated full price.
I've never typed so fast to make that purchase. As Beckie says, "It's meant to be!"
7.22.2009
ring bearer
With an influx of wedding-related enthusiasm, I’ve been browsing Etsy to get ideas to accentuate the DIY vibe of our event. The site is a goldmine of inventive creations that beg to be made by my fumbling fingers. I’ve derived a list of items I hope to make myself, and I decided to start with a substitute for the traditional satiny ring bearer pillow.
Instead, I wanted to get super ambitious and try knitting and felting a ring bearer bowl. I was daunted to try using circular knitting needles for the first time. My first go at it produced the beginnings of a bowl whose rim was going to be about 2.5 feet in diameter. After purchasing a smaller set of bamboo circular needles, I got back on the right track.
This smaller bowl knitted up very fast and I finished the basin part of the bowl and secured a ribbon through some of the looser stitches at the bottom (to hold the rings in place during the ceremony). I mentally prepared myself to toss my precious construction in the wildly thrashing water of my washing machine.
After about 25 minutes of harsh agitation, I pulled the bowl from the washing machine and squeezed out the excess water. The “felting” process had helped the rows of yarn to blend together into a thick fabric consistency. The individual stitches now blended together and were indistinguishable. This last photo is of the felted bowl before I shaped it and dried it over a balled up dishtowel.
I’m considering some kind of beaded embellishment to make this bowl more “pretty” and wedding appropriate. Photos to come.
Instead, I wanted to get super ambitious and try knitting and felting a ring bearer bowl. I was daunted to try using circular knitting needles for the first time. My first go at it produced the beginnings of a bowl whose rim was going to be about 2.5 feet in diameter. After purchasing a smaller set of bamboo circular needles, I got back on the right track.
This smaller bowl knitted up very fast and I finished the basin part of the bowl and secured a ribbon through some of the looser stitches at the bottom (to hold the rings in place during the ceremony). I mentally prepared myself to toss my precious construction in the wildly thrashing water of my washing machine.
After about 25 minutes of harsh agitation, I pulled the bowl from the washing machine and squeezed out the excess water. The “felting” process had helped the rows of yarn to blend together into a thick fabric consistency. The individual stitches now blended together and were indistinguishable. This last photo is of the felted bowl before I shaped it and dried it over a balled up dishtowel.
I’m considering some kind of beaded embellishment to make this bowl more “pretty” and wedding appropriate. Photos to come.
7.12.2009
invitations - part 2
After months and months of occasional, focused work on our wedding invitations, they are complete and in the mail! I experienced a burst of happy interest in finishing them up, not to mention the return date already printed on the RSVPs was July 31st. Probably best to get the invitations out before that date arrived, yes?
As I mentioned, I designed and printed the four main components (enclosures) on our Canon inkjet printer, using a font I located on 1,001 Free Fonts. I utilized copper, dark olive green and leaf green for all details. The "main" invitation card and the map card were the largest, while the hotel/activities card and the RSVP needed to be cut to size. The latter three were tucked into the invitation pocket, with only the "title" of each card exposed.
I carved the image of an agave plant for the central invitation card. I stamped the image with a copper stamp pad and then raised it with clear embossing powder. That card was glued in next to the enclosure pocket.
I then used a Martha Stewart punch on the invitation flap, and attached a small copper closure card by threading my Paper Source "leaf" ribbon through the punched holes. Voila. The whole project was topped off with address and return address labels printed in the same "One Forty Seven" font, and wonderfully matchy 61 cent wedding cake stamps!
It was extremely gratifying to drop the 37 invitations in the mail! I have a renewed interest in all kinds of wedding craft projects and I'm so appreciative of the generous help and excitement my friends and family are offering!
7.07.2009
lava balls - day 2
I woke to the sound of birds chirping at the myriad feeders surrounding the cabin. A quick shower, then I went to work on making a rustic breakfast – hazelnut 10-grain pancakes and bacon, while Jesse retrieved coffee from the town center. Jesse got some nice photographs of one of my favorite birds, the ornately Mohawked Steller’s Jay. We cleaned up the cabin – I broke a teacup in the process – and we bid farewell to the quaint little cottage.We drove the short distance down the freeway into Bend. We were finally visiting Bend, a place loved by so many and pleasantly reminiscent of Northern Arizona, or so I hear. We passed through the city and found the first entrance to the Newberry National Volcanic Monument. I was delighted to spot a raven walking around on the gold bed of pine needles. We spent some time in the interpretive center before setting out to explore the harsh, black hills of hardened lava. A sidewalk path ran up and through those hills, to hidden corners and scenic overlooks. Note: For those of you hoping to visit this monument in the future, lava rock is extremely sharp.
We had a fun time trying to take photos of ourselves by wedging my camera into the aforementioned lava rock. By the time I realized I should set the camera on a stable bench and got the timer set up properly after 5 failed attempts, we could hear other visitors approaching. It was probably around shot 2 of 10 that the small group arrived, so rather than posing for the automatic photos and trying to look halfway decent, we chatted with the newcomers as the camera snapped away. A male from the group kindly offered to take our photograph, but made the fairly glaring mistake of cutting off parts of our feet. Oh, and it was crooked. Thank you though, sir.
We finished up and drove a mile down the road to the mythical Lava Tube. This expansive cave stretches at least 1.1 miles into the Earth, a cylinder formed by hot flowing lava. We armed ourselves with a big flashlight and a lantern and descended into the blackness. We’d both been in caves before, but there was something extremely thrilling about heading straight back into the ground, passing other groups, the temperature growing cooler. After hiking for a mile, the ceiling of the tube began to drop. And then it dropped further. Soon, we were crawling on hands and knees. A group nearby warned us that the cave continued on, but the opening grew so small and confined that travel became uncomfortable. We took a few photos, again having a friendly stranger offer to help out – though we were in absolute pitch darkness this time.
After reaching the exit of the cave, we returned the borrowed lantern and hopped back in the car to hit up the Bite of Bend festival. Our appetites were raging, so we jumped at the chance to taste some spicy little corn fritters with a sweet jelly sauce as soon as we arrived at the festival. The wind was whipping through the main food concourse, but we didn’t let that deter us from feasting. I ended up having an elote (grilled corn on the cob with butter, cheese and red chili powder) and a wonderful lemon curd-blueberry crepe. Jesse had some sausage, chicken wings (I think?), Asian food, and then we got a few more corn fritters for the road. Those definitely need to be replicated in my kitchen. I’m having trouble believing that was all I ate at the fest. I’ll have to think about it.
We made it home safely, reinvigorated but at the same time content. Having a little getaway to look forward to does wonders for the soul, and having it turn out well and become a happy memory is even better. I can’t wait to return to Central Oregon!
lava balls - day 1
An email arrived in my work inbox on June 5th advertising a cabin that belongs to the friend of a coworker. The 2-bedroom wood cabin is located in Sisters, a 3-hour drive from Portland in a charming little spot in central Oregon. The outrageously affordable nightly price prompted me to start planning a trip within 30 minutes of receiving the email. Road trip!
I didn't tell Jesse where we were going, though when he asked if he could bring his surfboard I said yes to throw him off. We departed less than an hour later than planned, and drove south toward Salem. Not long after turning off the main freeway, I revealed our destination. "Sisters! I love Sisters," he said. "I have five of them."
After a 70-mile drive through thick cloud forest, drenching rain and past lovely, churning creeks (and Camp Attitude, of course), we reached the straightaway to Sisters. The small town consists of a bustling little main street, lined with shops, restaurants and llama farms. We decided to check out the cabin before venturing further.
I was told the little hut would be surrounded by big, luxurious mansions and was thereby frightened that the place might be a bit too "rustic" for my tastes. Not in the least! The sweet cabin was small but inviting, surrounded by birdhouses hung in trees, mounted on fence posts and propped on tables. The living room housed a wood-burning stove that I couldn't wait to utilize and the open kitchen featured a breakfast bar and nearly every kitchen tool one might need.
We dropped our belongings off and drove back into town to try out the legendary Sno-Cap Ice Cream. The smell of freshly battered onion rings wafted out the door as we waited in a line stretched around the front of the building. Jesse prompted me to order an indulgent root beer float...possibly the best I've ever had. We finished up and headed back down the road we had taken into town. We reached the turnoff for Jack Lake, my excitement growing in anticipation of a moderate hike to a gorgeous alpine meadow filled with more wildflowers than I'd ever seen, with a quick, cold stream flowing through its center.
We wound around the mountain, climbing higher and higher. At one point, a gorgeous female black-tailed deer appeared directly ahead of us on the side of the dirt road. She confidently stared toward us for several minutes, before calmly walking into the forest. I thought she was trying to communicate with us, but I wasn't quite sure what she was saying. In retrospect, I should have tried harder to discern her message.
We finally reached the parking area and stepped out into the very crisp mountain air. We located the trailhead next to a quiet, silvery lake. The surrounding forest showed obvious signs of recent widespread fire. The whole scene, save little bursts of new green growth, looked like a black and white film. Thin, scorched tree trunks leaned against one another, eminating a horrible, soft screaming noise. We climbed up the path, frequently having to jump over, roll under or hike around fallen tree limbs. We encountered increasingly large snow drifts and a huge outcropping of rock that Jesse was able to "boulder" and climb.
Shortly thereafter, my Piscean intuition kicked in and yelled at me to "Stop!" Jesse and I had a brief discussion about the high likelihood we would loose the difficult-to-spot trail and spend the night in these awful, haunted woods. I agreed to go another 10 minutes in the hopes of finding that seemingly imaginary flower pasture, but we lost our courage and turned back after only a few moments. I have seen way too many episodes of “I Survived” and “I Shouldn’t Be Alive” to make such an elementary mistake and a grievance against my instincts.
I was thoroughly relieved once we made it off the mountain and back into town. We drove to the Three Creeks Brewery in Sisters and tasted their mega-sampler. Wow. I’ve tasted a few beer samplers in my day, but this one was outstanding.
Back to the cabin. Jesse taught me how to play horseshoes (flip the wrist, get good speed and height) and we cooked maple-rosemary skirt steak, baked potatoes and corn on the cob for dinner. Heavenly! He proceeded to kick my butt in Trivial Pursuit and we browsed a local birding guide while relaxing after our meal. Sisters was proving to be the lovely, needed escape from suburban life that I had hoped for.
I didn't tell Jesse where we were going, though when he asked if he could bring his surfboard I said yes to throw him off. We departed less than an hour later than planned, and drove south toward Salem. Not long after turning off the main freeway, I revealed our destination. "Sisters! I love Sisters," he said. "I have five of them."
After a 70-mile drive through thick cloud forest, drenching rain and past lovely, churning creeks (and Camp Attitude, of course), we reached the straightaway to Sisters. The small town consists of a bustling little main street, lined with shops, restaurants and llama farms. We decided to check out the cabin before venturing further.
I was told the little hut would be surrounded by big, luxurious mansions and was thereby frightened that the place might be a bit too "rustic" for my tastes. Not in the least! The sweet cabin was small but inviting, surrounded by birdhouses hung in trees, mounted on fence posts and propped on tables. The living room housed a wood-burning stove that I couldn't wait to utilize and the open kitchen featured a breakfast bar and nearly every kitchen tool one might need.
We dropped our belongings off and drove back into town to try out the legendary Sno-Cap Ice Cream. The smell of freshly battered onion rings wafted out the door as we waited in a line stretched around the front of the building. Jesse prompted me to order an indulgent root beer float...possibly the best I've ever had. We finished up and headed back down the road we had taken into town. We reached the turnoff for Jack Lake, my excitement growing in anticipation of a moderate hike to a gorgeous alpine meadow filled with more wildflowers than I'd ever seen, with a quick, cold stream flowing through its center.
We wound around the mountain, climbing higher and higher. At one point, a gorgeous female black-tailed deer appeared directly ahead of us on the side of the dirt road. She confidently stared toward us for several minutes, before calmly walking into the forest. I thought she was trying to communicate with us, but I wasn't quite sure what she was saying. In retrospect, I should have tried harder to discern her message.
We finally reached the parking area and stepped out into the very crisp mountain air. We located the trailhead next to a quiet, silvery lake. The surrounding forest showed obvious signs of recent widespread fire. The whole scene, save little bursts of new green growth, looked like a black and white film. Thin, scorched tree trunks leaned against one another, eminating a horrible, soft screaming noise. We climbed up the path, frequently having to jump over, roll under or hike around fallen tree limbs. We encountered increasingly large snow drifts and a huge outcropping of rock that Jesse was able to "boulder" and climb.
Shortly thereafter, my Piscean intuition kicked in and yelled at me to "Stop!" Jesse and I had a brief discussion about the high likelihood we would loose the difficult-to-spot trail and spend the night in these awful, haunted woods. I agreed to go another 10 minutes in the hopes of finding that seemingly imaginary flower pasture, but we lost our courage and turned back after only a few moments. I have seen way too many episodes of “I Survived” and “I Shouldn’t Be Alive” to make such an elementary mistake and a grievance against my instincts.
I was thoroughly relieved once we made it off the mountain and back into town. We drove to the Three Creeks Brewery in Sisters and tasted their mega-sampler. Wow. I’ve tasted a few beer samplers in my day, but this one was outstanding.
Back to the cabin. Jesse taught me how to play horseshoes (flip the wrist, get good speed and height) and we cooked maple-rosemary skirt steak, baked potatoes and corn on the cob for dinner. Heavenly! He proceeded to kick my butt in Trivial Pursuit and we browsed a local birding guide while relaxing after our meal. Sisters was proving to be the lovely, needed escape from suburban life that I had hoped for.
dead man's hand
Several entries are in the works, forthcoming. The natural waning of my interest in blogging arrived as expected, but I am committed to get the writing up and running once again. I need to get in shape for the next IPRC Creative Writing Certificate program! The upcoming session starts the week before our wedding, so that won’t work, but I’m hoping attendance might be feasible the next time around.
My goal last night was to return home after work, add photos to the two blog entries I recently finished regarding our weekend getaway to Sisters and Bend, and to post a bunch of junk on Craigslist…in the hopes of earning enough cash to buy a wedding dress (a remarkably affordable wedding dress, I might add).
Alas, alack, the kitchen was at the same time lacking supplies and in disarray and I spent a few hours gathering groceries, scrubbing counters and washing dishes. By the time I finished, my stomach growled for dinner and my sore feet requested that I plop down on the couch to watch “The Bachelorette.” For real.
I’m feeling the inklings of creative inspiration. Hopefully a significant portion of this evening can be spent getting those ideas out of my mind and on to paper.
I’m going to go research the value of several old pennies in my wallet. See you soon.
My goal last night was to return home after work, add photos to the two blog entries I recently finished regarding our weekend getaway to Sisters and Bend, and to post a bunch of junk on Craigslist…in the hopes of earning enough cash to buy a wedding dress (a remarkably affordable wedding dress, I might add).
Alas, alack, the kitchen was at the same time lacking supplies and in disarray and I spent a few hours gathering groceries, scrubbing counters and washing dishes. By the time I finished, my stomach growled for dinner and my sore feet requested that I plop down on the couch to watch “The Bachelorette.” For real.
I’m feeling the inklings of creative inspiration. Hopefully a significant portion of this evening can be spent getting those ideas out of my mind and on to paper.
I’m going to go research the value of several old pennies in my wallet. See you soon.
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