EPISODE #82 -
SATURDAY JULY 16, 2011
How is your home
treating you? With all the time we’re spending outside it is
easy to overlook small problems. These problems could become big
if not treated quickly. Recently we have been watering a lot in
the lawn and garden, and so we have become accustomed to the
sound of water running through our pipes. But we also noticed
that we still had the sound of water even when the irrigation
was shut off. We found out we had a small leak in our system. It
could have happened during this past winter, but we’re not sure.
We have called a plumber and found out it is in the line leading
to our house. We may have to dig up a little of the yard. Better
to do it now, than the middle of winter when it can become a
huge, messy problem. While we are at it, we are thinking about
getting the furnace tuned up too! You can never be too careful!
Al’s Fairy Gardens
You can ad a bit of magic to
your garden either inside or out by making a portion of it a
fairy garden. A fairy garden is supposed to attract and make a
home for good fairies so they stay and bring luck and good
fortune to your garden and your home. They are made up of small
homes, furniture and chairs. You can build one in a pot or in a
secluded part of your garden (to give them a little privacy). We
stopped by
Al’s
Garden Center (503-726-1162) in Sherwood to chat with Amy
and her daughter Rachel to learn more about this phenomenon.
Since fairies need a space of their own you will want to include
pathways, fences and arbors. This will encourage them to stay in
your garden. Letting your kids build the garden will allow them
to use their own creativity and imagination. Rachel built one in
a large container, but they also had one on display in the
nursery. It looked like some of the pieces had been move since
they set it up. That is a good sign since it shows that the
fairies had been there and using it. Getting one started is
easy. You can even get a kit that has everything you need to get
started. In a time when some people think that bigger is better,
you can take the opposite route and make a home with your kids
for the ‘wee people’ and have a great time doing it!
Strawberry
Lavender Parfait
Hot days deserve cool
treats! This week David wraps up the final one of the ‘lavender’
series of recipes with Kathy Gehrt, author of ‘Discover
Cooking with Lavender’. Today she is doing a dessert,
Strawberries with Lavender Yogurt Cream, one of the many tasty
recipes in her book. She started with organic local
strawberries, but you can use any type of fresh local fruit. She
added 1 tablespoon of lavender sugar, which is regular
granulated sugar that has been infused with lavender buds to get
some of their light flavor. She also added balsamic vinegar to
the strawberries as well. Then, for the topping she mixed Greek
yogurt, lavender honey and Crème Fraiche. These 2 mixtures are
layered in a dessert dish and you are done. It is quick, easy
and delicious.
Basic Sauces –
Bar-b-que Sauce
A couple of weeks ago we met
with Chef David Musial who showed us how to make a good basic
tomato sauce. This week we use that ‘base’ sauce to make a
‘kicker’ of a bar-b-que sauce. The tomato sauce that we made was
pretty good and with just a couple of other ingredients we found
that we can make a good all-purpose sauce. David used items like
brown sugar, ketchup, dried chili and even a little beer. In
just a few minutes we had a very delicious sauce that could be
used for ribs or brisket. Print out
your own copy of the
recipe and try it for yourself.
Berry Martini
It is berry season in the
Northwest and that means it is time for the annual
Oregon
Berry Festival. This festival is about everything ‘berry’.
They even have the huge celebration happening at the EcoTrust
building on the 22nd and 23rd of this month. Plus they have the
Gala Berry Dinner Saturday at 6:30 at the Heathman Restaurant.
The dinner will feature a six-course dinner showcasing Oregon
berries. You can also enjoy berry appetizers and cocktails. To
taste one of the featured cocktails we paid a visit to Janie
Hibler the author of ‘The Berry Bible’ to have her whip up a
blackberry martini. Janie uses fresh Oregon Marionberries to
make her delectable drink. She starts with the juice of the
blackberry. You wash the berries in a strainer and then mash the
berries in the strainer and collect the juice in a bowl. It only
takes a cup and a half to get enough juice to make the drink.
Next you will want to make a ‘simple syrup’ which is ½ water and
½ sugar in whatever amount you want. Once you have all your
ingredients together you can assemble the drink. Get a martini
glass and coat the edge with fine sugar. Then put ½ cup of vodka
in a cocktail shaker with ice. Janie used the new Lavishmint
vodka, but you can also use a plain vodka. Next add a tablespoon
of all your other ingredients including the berry puree, triple
sec and the simple syrup. Shake it really well and serve. To
really make it classy you can spear a fresh blackberry on a
cocktail pic and garnish. If you are interested in trying this
tasty recipe and many other berry themed treats, check out the
Gala Berry Dinner at the Heathman. Check out the Oregon Berry
Festival website for tickets. If you would like to attend the
festival at the EcoTrust building, stop by on Friday or
Saturday, the event is free!
Packing a Camping Container
It is time to hit the road!
Getting into the great outdoors is one of the simple pleasures
we can enjoy in the Pacific Northwest. But creating a nice ‘home
away from home’ doesn’t have to mean dragging all your
belongings outside to the wilderness. We met up with our friend,
Sara Tetreault from
GoGingham.com,
to get some packing tips before we head out! Sara is the perfect
example of the organized camper. She can fit everything she
needs for a family of 4 in one simple storage tub. What we found
interesting is that most of the supplies that Sara had she found
at Goodwill and Value Village. We started with a wash tub. This
is one thing you need to do dishes, wash vegetables, etc. She
also had little baggies of soaps, seasonings, matches, napkins
and paper towels these all fit into the washtub to save space.
Other things included dish towels, aluminum foil, a small
cutting board, and an oven mitt. The only cooking tools included
were a spatula, tongs and a large knife. In the silverware bin
she did have a small paring knife but it was part of the forks
and spoons, and don’t forget the can opener and wine opener. As
far as plates go she just had 2 large plates (for serving) and 4
small plates. Sara also had a small Boy Scout cooking kit, a
sauce pan and an old cake pan. To finish it off she had a coffee
pot and 4-5 cups and only one bowl. No other bowls because you
can use your plate or cups for runny items. To add a touch of
class she also had a couple of candle holders/small vases for
decoration. It doesn’t seem like a lot and it isn’t. This is
meant to make you think about what you really need to bring on a
trip. As we mentioned before, this all went into one large
storage container, including the table cloth. Finally Sara had a
meal planner protected in plastic. Planning is a large part of
being efficient on your trip and getting your meals organized is
part of that as well. Next time you take a camping trip see how
much you can do without and make your trip a real fun adventure. |