Archive for October, 2009

Cheap Portland Date Night

October 23rd, 2009

I’m taking my hubby out on a date tonight. I think it is probably one of the cheapest dates in the history of dates, so I thought I would share! Because seriously, who doesn’t like a cheap date ;)

I’m signed up for Groupon, which is a daily deal service. It’s  pretty amazing. Basically because they guarantee the business a certain number of people will sign up for the offer, those businesses will give you a screaming good deal. Caveat – the deal doesn’t go through if more than 20 people don’t sign up, but usually hundreds do, for the good stuff at least.

I scored a coupon earlier this week for Branch Whiskey Bar not to far from our house. It was $10 for a $25 gift certificate. Plus Dylan has art hanging there this month, so we like to support the businesses that  throw some love Dylan’s way. Chances are we’ll spend more than $25, but it is still a good deal.

Portland also offers this program called Free Night of Theater. Tickets are released in October for shows throughout the month. There are still a few shows left but I recommend signing up for their email list for next year because tickets do go fast. I mean, they are free after all.  So we are seeing the Tempest at the Blue Monkey Theater. I had to not tell Dylan where we were going because it’s one of those things that if I told him before hand we were going to see a Shakespeare play he would have thrown a fit and I would have had to drag him out of the house kicking and screaming. But if I just make him go, chances are he’ll probably enjoy the show.

I’ll  try and post tomorrow my review of the show and what Dylan really thought!

How to Make Applesauce in a Crockpot

October 22nd, 2009

So you really don’t need a post to explain how to make applesauce in a crockpot, but I feel like my cooking adventure last night reveals a lot about my cooking abilities in general.

1. I’m not a particularly good cook. I am an excellent recipe reader.

2. With all of Oregon’s fall goodness I’ve been completely apple obsessed. Last weekend I bought a bunch of apples with the intention of making applesauce, and finally got around to it last night.

So here is how it goes. And I didn’t take any pictures because it’s really that unimpressive.

  • Cut up about 6-7 apples. Don’t need to peel them, just slice thinly.
  • Throw them in a crockpot with 1/2 cup of sugar, 1 cup of water, some lemon juice and some cinnamon.
  • Cook on high for about 3 1/2 hours.

Now, that was all I read in any other recipe I found online. And if you follow those directions you will come back 3 1/2 hours later and have a crockpot with what looks like cooked sliced apples and something that does not look like applesauce. In my mind, it would all just magically form in the crockpot.

And at 10:00 at night I’m staring at my crockpot saying, how the hell could I have possibly messed this up!!

And then I grabbed a spoon and mixed it up all up, and realized that then I had applesauce!

Crisis averted. And there are few things better than  a warm bowl of applesauce on a foggy fall morning.

Summer Recap

October 20th, 2009

Why hello blog. How are you? Long time no see.

I’ve been busy.
Or have poor time management skills
Or after spending my days at work in front of computer often find it hard to open my computer in the evenings or weekends.

So, as we here in Portland are being thrown full speed into fall/winter, I thought I would share a few photos from my adventures this summer. And because I did a lousy job keeping my blog updated through all these adventures in a timely manner. Ok, here we go.

Summer started with a roadtrip from Portland west to Tillamook, south to Davis care of San Francisco and back home to Portland. It was our first big trip with the dog too…

Roadtrip with the dog

Roadtrip with the dog

She prefered to ride in the front.

We made 3 stops along the coast from Yahats to someplace in Northern California

Considering it was early June on the Oregon/California coast, we did get some good weather, and no rain!

Kim and Tele at the beach

Kim and Tele at the beach

But also found time to relax at our campsites. Nor were we eaten by bears (obviously)

For our wedding last year we were given a hot air balloon ride from my aunt and uncle. We were able to do that right before the 4th of July. For all those who have forgotten since the sun doesn’t currently come up until after 7:30 – to see the sunrise in July you need to be up in the 5’s.

But it was well worth getting up early.

Inside a Hot Air Balloon

Inside a Hot Air Balloon

Newberg, Oregon

Newberg, Oregon

Next on the agenda was our annual Wikiup camping trip in Central Oregon. General mayhem ensues.

Things like shotgunning beers while driving throug the woods at noon.

Sometimes you find a few minutes to just enjoy the beauty of it all.

We again had the dog, and were hit by a nasty storm one evening. Here the dog was exhausted and couldn’t care less about the impending doom of the storm – and possibility of the tent blowing away.

Please ignore the dog’s freakish eyes in this picture. Also ignore our mess of a tent, it was windy. And wikiup is a drunken mess.

But we did get some cool scenery

Besides all the outdoorsy stuff, we found time to party it up Portland style in true 80’s fashion. While not the best photo, it’s the only one where you can see my entire awesome dress. And the creepy guy in the background…we don’t know him.

In September we got to spend a weekend in Long Beach, Washington at one of Dylan’s co-worker’s beach house. It just so happened to be the big hot rod festival that weekend – which is really deserving of its own blog post.

On September 20th we celebrated our first wedding anniversary, and my honey took me wine tasting. And consequently I got too drunk to make it to dinner. But really, that’s only because it was a beautiful day at great wineries and I had just too good of a time.

Patton Valley Vineyard

Montinore Estate

Montinore Estate

I can’t believe I’m posting this photo, just ignore the drunkness factor and it’s kind of cute.

See, look what fun you can have wine tasting. Happy Aniversary babe!

Then we spent a weekend in Bend visiting Dylan’s parents and went on a great hike along the Deschutes River.

Deschutes River, Bend Oregon

Deschutes River, Bend Oregon

And my last big trip of the season was technically the first week of October when I went to the East coast for my grandpa’s 80th birthday and a business trip in NYC.

We ate lobster.

And had a big birthday bash for the old guy. This is just his children (and spouses) and two of the four grandkids – Aimee and I.

I chose to awkwardly stand on the hill. Don’t ask why I do the things I do.

I also took a hundered pictures in NYC, here are just a few of my favorites.

That is where they stick the Christmas tree every year in Rockefeller Center. In case it wasn’t obvious that its not the real Christmas tree.

The view of the Empire State building from the Top of the Rock. I could touch it. Hehe.

We went into St. Patrick’s Cathedral. This is one of my favorite pictures I’ve ever taken. I’m still learning my new fancy camera but am really happy with how this came out.

And lastly, a trip to Serendipity with my gracious host Amanda.

Well thats it. Kudos if you made it all the way through. I’m exhausted just going through it all again! I promise I’ll do better from here on out.