PHOTO'S OF OUR BEACH TRIP

For some reason my collage of these beach scenes did not come up with my last blog. So I will add this now.
Computers sometimes you do the same things but yet the same results do not happen.
Bye.

DRIFTWOOD SHORES FLORENCE OREGON

I wrote the following the second morning of our little getaway while sipping my coffee at the table and gazing at the ocean as  my husband took his morning walk.


As I sit here this morning in our room at Driftwood Shores resort the waves make their soft crescendo onto shore. I am thoughtful at this moment reminded of the many times hubby and I make the trek from Eugene to Florence.
The beach is quiet this time of year in December 15 days before Christmas. There has hardly been a foot print in the sand since our arrival. There was a rouge dog this morning with no owner in sight chasing sand pipers through the gentle surf and a bi- plane flew low over the ocean very early this morning under  wispy pink clouds as we watched from our bed.
The sun is now edging it's way around and over the building so the waves have turned from cloud kissed to crisp white.
It is a soft sea this morning and it makes me feel dreamy and reflective.
Yesterday afternoon hubby found a perfect sand dollar it was sitting on it's edge deep in the wet gray sand, he barely spotted it. We will add it to our growing collection.
Last night as we walked on the beach in front of our hotel our room was the only one with a light burning. It seemed like a beacon from a lighthouse guiding our way back.
I am anxious for this day to unfold it will be like opening a book ready for the adventure that awaits.


So we are back home now and longing to still be there sitting the balcony listening to the gentle roar of ocean and the squawks of the sea birds and crows.
You can see by the photo's that the sunsets were astounding. The weather was clear and crisp with barely a hint of wind. Strolling the beach was invigorating as all was so fresh and bright. The sun warmed our backs as we walked south along the surf line of the beach and it felt like spring. Every once in a while a larger wave would sneak in and we would dash out of it's reach running and laughing.
My jeans were a tad long so each day I had soggy bottoms lol.


We ate easy fare. First day lunch at the Beachcomber Pub and Grill which I have already blogged about. Then later that afternoon we had bay shrimp cocktails. I made the cocktail sauce before leaving home. For dinner that night we popped a Safeway 5 cheese fresh pizza into the oven after topping it with Italian salami bits, onions, garlic, peppers and extra asiago cheese. It came out with a crispy crust and lots of gooey cheese in each mouthful.
The next morning I made hubby a simple breakfast. Then we snacked during the day on candied smoked salmon on crackers, olives, cheese etc. I had made a sausage potato chowder before leaving home. So that was our dinner with a loaf of crunchy crust Italian bread from Safeway that I heated in the oven. We ate at twilight while watching the tide slowly make it's way in. Ahhhh peace.


So I gather by now you know we adore going to the beach as we call it. We extended the last trip we just could not go home after two nights. The weather was to perfect and to know there was still fog in Eugene made it very appealing to linger another night.
We are already formulating plans for another trip after the first part of the year. The sea it calls to us. 
Till later.

BEACHCOMBER PUB AND GRILL FLORENCE OREGON

This is a review of the clam chowder at the Beachcomber Pub and Grill in Florence Oregon.

This is best chowder bar-none in Florence. I make a similar chowder so I may be biased. But this is the kind of chowder hubby and I love.

A bowl of their steaming chowder will get your cold toes a tingling I promise.

This is a chowder rich with cream  and just thick enough. The main ingredient clams is the star which is the way it should be. But how many times have you been served a thin and tasteless clam chowder and say, where are the clams? As I scooped out the last bite with my spoon all that was in my spoon was clams. Yum!

If you like  buttery, creamy, perfectly seasoned clam chowder that does not disappoint go stick your toes under a table at the Beachcomber Pub and Grill and order their chowder. For such a small pleasure it fills body and soul.

We have just returned from Florence. My next blog will have beach and sunset photo's and other chatter regarding our little getaway.

Later.

BLUE CHEESE BACON SALAD WITH GARLIC TOAST

We were very hungry for salad so the other night we made up this tasty number. 
Romaine lettuce, radish, onion and tomatoes slices with my blue cheese dressing and topped with crispy fried bacon bits and home made garlic parmesan croutons. We were very satisfied and it is nice sometimes to just have a salad for dinner even in the winter.


Well today I am getting us ready to go to the beach. We are staying right on the beach (no earthquake or tsunami please). We love this room as it has a large kitchen and we know what cooking items are missing in this kitchen so we take our own along. We are on the top floor so the view is amazing, the bed comfy and a nice little deck. The room fits our needs.
The weather is to be sunny, yes, sun, sun and more sun. We have been in a the thick cold fog here for days now. Sometimes at the end of the day the fog will roll off to reveal deep blue skies and sun. but this event happening at the end of the day cheats us. So we are more than ready to head out of the fog bog.


I have much to do today. I am making up in advance a thick potato cheese and sausage chowder to take along. We will have that with a hot loaf of crispy Italian bread with garlic butter. I like chowder at the beach and it does not need to be clam chowder. However we are going to have clam chowder at our fave bar and grill in Florence, the Beachcomber. The chowder is thick and rich loaded with delicate clam bits and creamy potatoes onions and celery. A good sprinkle of black pepper and Tabasco over the top and heaven awaits. 


I must now get on with my chores. I have already been grocery shopping I was at the store at eight-thirty this morning. No one was about except for few early birds like myself. I like that. I am not one for shopping as I have mentioned a zillion times before and certainly am not one for crowds and waiting in line. I have no patience. I am working on that but still I have not conquered patience.


Have a nice day and I certainly hope you are not fogged in. Not fun .
Ciao

GERMAN DINNER

I made this dish primarily for my husband. He so loves German food I do not make it that often but this turned out rich tasting and the pork was so tender.
I actually just used pork steaks and I converted two recipes and then added some of my thoughts. The result a nice mixture of flavors with that bit of a tang that German food is known for.
So I call the recipe.
GERMAN STYLE PORK CHOPS IN TANGY ONION SAUCE
with fried cabbage, potatoes and carrots.


Ingredients:
2 large pork steaks fat trimmed
1/2 large onion sliced
1/2 can beef broth heated
1/3 can beer
flour for dredging pork steaks
salt, pepper
1/2 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons vinegar
1 tablespoon brown sugar


Three potatoes sliced medium and boiled
Three carrots peeled and sliced fairly thin and boiled with the potatoes
1/2 small head green cabbage shredded
Butter and olive oil to cover bottom of the skillet for frying the cabbage.


This is what I did.
After trimming visible fat from pork chops or steaks, salt and pepper them and dredge in flour.
Add some canola oil to a heavy skillet(cast iron preferably) brown meat on both sides till brown. Add the onion slices and mix in around the pork saute until onions are slightly brown then pour in the heated beef broth and beer. Cover the pan and cook about fifteen to twenty minutes until the pork is tender.
Meantime put your sliced potatoes and carrots in a pot and cover with water. Cook on medium until fork tender, no longer.
Fry the cabbage in the butter and olive combination in a skillet. When the potatoes and carrots are done drain thoroughly (put back on the burner if needed to dry out) then add to the cabbage. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.
Remove the pork to a serving bowl and cover with foil. In a small bowl add the vinegar, Dijon mustard, brown sugar and cornstarch and mix well. Add to the sauce in the pan and stir to blend well. Add the pork back in till heated.
To serve put a serving of pork on your plate along with the cabbage mixture. Ladle some gravy over all. So tasty served with a sour dill pickle. It is a nice wintertime meal.


It is yet another fogged in cold day here in Eugene. My niece Laura from Phoenix  commented on FB that is was so pretty there. Sunny and snow in the surrounding mountains she said. I must say that sounded grand to me.
I love the valley but sometimes this fog in winter gets to us all here.
I did walk but I cannot say it was enjoyable. I was scurrying the whole way as the wind made my ears feel bone cold( should have had my stocking cap on) but I was happy I had the hood on my Columbia jacket.  I almost purred when I stepped inside my cozy warm house.


I made cream cheese brownies this afternoon. hubby likes these brownies. They are rich as I use left over coffee instead of water. They have a cream cheese and sugar mixture held together with egg that is spread over the top and then cut in with a knife. Some of the cream cheese oozes down into the brownies but most stays on top. Yumo!
Then I also made croutons for our romaine salad tonight that I am serving up with my Mom's blue cheese dressing recipe.
I like to make my own croutons as the ones you buy in the store always taste rancid to me. You do not know how long they have been sitting on your grocers shelf.
All I do is save my crusts and end pieces of bread in the fridge. When i have enough for a baking sheet full of croutons I make a batch up.
I cut them small making sure all are the same approximate size. Then I toss them in a bowl with some olive oil drizzled over and the sprinkle on whatever we are in the mood for. Today I used Parmesan cheese, onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper and Italian seasonings. Put in a 350 over for about fifteen minutes. That's it! I store them in a zip lock bag and they will last for a week or so.
To go with our salad tonight I am making a family favorite. A casserole recipe that my niece gave me  years ago.
Now mind you it is a tuna casserole recipe which I would otherwise not be to interested in. I have tasted so many awful ones, I am sure we all have.
This is good because it is very creamy it has fresh mushrooms, cheddar cheese, sour cream, scallions. Well you get the idea. Anyhow hubby loves it with a drizzle of Tabacso on the top. So a nice little comfort food dinner tonight.


Well this blog is long winded already. Time to quit. 
I believe we are going to play some cards before I start dinner.
We love playing gin rummy. We are very competitive so it is fun as we are well matched and play with entirely different strategies.
I want to win! Well I always like to win, maybe too much sometimes.


Monday tomorrow but it is still Sunday now. So enjoy your evening.

THE OLDEN DAYS

This is where I grew up on the farm on 60 plus acres forty five miles northwest of Portland. What you see in the background beyond the driveway is the Columbia River. The group assembled here front row from left to right is my aunt Lila, the little girl in the suspenders is me, then my uncle Albert sitting. Back row left is my handsome father and beautiful mother, my aunt Alieen and uncle Roy, cousin Patty and the little boy is my cousin Joey. The car is my uncle Roy's. 
I am sure this photo was taken on a Sunday as that is the day family would drive out from Portland to visit. My Dad had four brothers with families that all lived in the Portland area. So there was always company at our farm on the weekends it seemed.


My Mother would cook non-stop for the family. She loved doing so. She was a grand homemaker, cook and hostess. No wonder everyone would come weekend after weekend. 
I so remember my uncles talking and reminiscing, laughing and telling jokes on one another. My cousins and I would be outdoors and the simple sounds of meal preparation and the chatter emanating from the house through the open windows made me feel secure in my life with my adoring family around me.


The strange thing about that old farm is this. All that lived there which included myself, parents, and two brothers, one uncle and aunt and later my older brother with his wife and three children cannot recall fonder times in their lives than those spent at that farm. We all hold such treasures in our hearts for those years lived there.
We were fortunate that an area, a special piece of land and extended family touched each and every one of us in such a meaningful way. For myself I feel so thankful for my years spent there while I was growing and learning about life.


Back to reality. We won our Pac 12 championship game last. We knew we were going to win but UCLA played a very good game. So now we are Rose Bowl bound. The winner today of the Michigan St. and Wisconsin game will determine who we play there. We are proud of our football team here in Eugene Oregon.


As is my usual behavior  I was so hungry by the time we ate I did not take a photo of the yummy sloppy joe. Well it was just a sloppy joe after all, no matter.
Tonight I am making my version of german pork chops in the skillet. I will make a side of fried green cabbage, carrots and sliced potatoes. Very easy to make and appropriate for a chilly evening.


It is another really cold morning here again in the southern Willamette Valley.
It is still foggy out which holds that icy cold in. I am waiting for the sky to break and sun to begin warming all up. I will then walk. I hate waiting as my back tends to get achy in later afternoon. But I do not like cold and therefore do not walk if I know the sun is coming.
When I lived all those years in Central Oregon.....33 actually anyhow a long time. I suppose I did quite well with the cold as I was younger. But when we moved to the valley I knew I was where I needed to be. I grew up in western Oregon and am content to be here once again.
Life is just harder in snow country. All the years of driving home from work in the black of winters night on frozen and icy roads with hands gripping the wheel was certainly stressful. When the temp's dropped to below freezing  it seems the house was always a little chilly. I would have comfy chair to snuggle up in near our heat source which was usually a wood stove or fireplace that would supplement the electric heat. I am still a fan for feeling warm and cozy. I always have a blanket near by. Even now when the last dish is put away and my chores are done for the day I plop on the sofa and reach for my blankie.


Well I do have a few to-do's today before hubby gets home from work so best get at them and hopefully the sun will peep through the fog so I can walk.
Have a lovely weekend whatever it is you are doing.

OUR LITTLE FRIEND

This little guy loves sitting on our deck railing munching away on his peanuts. I was watching him while doing dishes at the kitchen window. First of all he was running around the hot tub digging in the leaves on the deck trying to find a burying spot for his nut but he did not like that idea I guess because then he jumped into my big herb barrel but he did not bury it there either. Then he went into another planter box and dug and dug but did not bury his nut. Then I see him sitting on the deck railing  just munching away on his treasure. I guess he thought.....why not? Better now than later. Anyhow it was fun to watch his antic's.


Today we will be watching the OREGON Ducks play in their Pac 12 championship. They will be playing UCLA. We are expected to win by many points. I surely hope so as we will be off to the Rose Bowl if this is our win tonight.


I have sloppy Joe's in the slow cooker as I write. I love this simple little recipe but it is very tasty with a hit of heat.
I am using smaller sized burger buns I will butter and toast them in the skillet I always have to have a toasted warm bun. We like to sprinkle chopped onions on top the Joe. I made sweet dill pickles yesterday so they will be added to the plate and hubby will have tator tots. I do not like tot's so may have a few low salt Lay's chips. I like using the slow cooker on game days. It is so handy as all stays warm and you can dish up whenever you want, just once or many times.


Here is the recipe. I will take a photo of the finished product before it goes in my mouth. Hope I remember as I am feeling hungry already.


SLOW COOKER SLIPPY JOE'S
3 pounds lean ground beef
1 cup chopped onion
3 cloves garlic
1 and 1/2 cups ketchup
1 cup chopped red or green bell pepper or a combo of both
5 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
4 tablespoons brown sugar
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
3 tablespoons prepared yellow mustard
2 teaspoons chili powder
Black pepper to taste
Your favorite buns


Brown ground beef, onion and peppers in skillet.
Drain excess fat.
Combine ketchup, bell pepper, Worcestershire suace, brown sugar, vinegar, mustard and chili powder in bowl, mix and pour into the slow cooker. Add brown beef mixture and mix well. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours. 
Spoon onto buns. Add additional chopped onions, or scallions, or sliced pickled jalenpeno's or whatever you prefer. Don't forget your slow cooker liners as there is no mess that way.
This is easy and tasty and what could be better for game day?


I have not walked as yet and you know today my back is giving me trouble. So I may not make it out the door. I have arthritis in my middle back region. My thinking is it was caused from having radiation treatment to that area as well as the rest of my body when I was in my 30's. My doctor had told me at the time that I may develop arthritis along my spine in my later years. Well it did arrive about ten years ago. So oh, yeah!
When the weather is cold and damp like it was this morning I truly suffer more with it. I take nothing for it and do not dwell on the fact that it is there. If I plop in my comfy chair for breaks during the late afternoon I revive and am good to go for a while longer. It is what it is, as they say.


Well I must do a few other things before game time.
Till later and GO DUCKS!!!!!