Island Day and a tiny hulu dancer

Last year, Brenda and her mom volunteered to cook a big Cinco de Mayo feast for CE2. It was wonderful to taste authentic food and experience a different culture. This year, Joan (Filipino) and Justin's (Hawaiian) families cooked up an amazing Island feast.

Joan explained the Filipino side of the buffet table:
And then we dug in:
Oh, my! (Those are crab puffs!!!!)
As if that wasn't enough.... Justin's family was in town from Hawaii, including his cousin -- a hula dancer. We didn't know it, but she was about to put on a show:
Her young daughter was there, too. This was, hands down, the cutest thing EVER!
We had a wonderful afternoon of feasting and enjoying our CE2 family. We came away stuffed and entertained and with a new appreciation for our Islander friends and their culture. Thanks to everyone who work so hard to provide our meal!

:)

(Belated) Muffin Wednesday: Golden Oatmeal

I missed work yesterday and the CE2 students were all out at Law Day, a field trip to Portland State University, so we missed Muffin Wednesday. But never fear, I baked this morning: Golden Oatmeal Muffins.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees
12-cup muffin tin, greased or paper lined

1 c oats
1 c buttermilk or sour cream (I made sour milk with vinegar)
1/2 c vegetable oil or melted shortening (I used canola oil)
1/2 c packed brown sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 c flour
1 t baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
1 t salt

1. Combine oats and buttermilk. Let stand 5 minutes. Add oil, brown sugar and egg.

2. In another bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add to oat mixture, stirring just until moistened.

3. Spoon batter into prepared muffin tin, filling to the top. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.

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These were very good, though nothing spectacular. But they were easy to make and used common ingredients... and received good reviews from the masses. YAY!

:)

Snickerdoodles

I made very bulbous snickerdoodle cookies (from Smitten Kitchen) to take to Thursday dinner. I don't know that I've made snickerdoodles before, but I know that I like to eat them! I looked in the fridge and discovered one lone stick of butter, so I halved the recipe. Here's the original: 2 3/4 c flour 2 t cream of tartar 1 t baking soda 1/4 t salt 1 c butter, at room temperature (I microwaved... too impatient to wait) 1 3/4 c sugar 2 T ground cinnamon 2 large eggs

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper; set aside.

Sift together flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine butter and 1 1/2 c sugar. Beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Scrape down sides of bowl. Add eggs and beat to combine. Add dry ingredients and beat to combine.

In a small bowl, combine remaining 1/4 c sugar and the ground cinnamon. Use a small ice-cream scoop to form dough balls and roll in cinnamon sugar. Place about two inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Bake until the cookies are set in center and begin to crack (they will not brown), about 10 minutes. I used a smaller scoop than Ms. Smitten Kitchen, so I only baked mine 9 minutes. Her cookies spread and mine did not - perhaps because mine were smaller balls. Either way, they taste great!!

:)

Cinco de Mayo

Despite being sidelined earlier this week with a tummy bug (compounded by a head cold), I had to celebrate Cinco de Mayo the best way I know how... Mexican food!!

The uncle of one of my students recently opened Taqueria las Casitas near the Tualatin McDonald's. We went once before and really liked the authentic (and inexpensive!) food, so we went back this evening for more yummy tacos.
Irais was our waitress last time we stopped by:
Tonight - two Baja fish tacos for me:
Three al pastor tacos for Brad:
They were so good that we ordered more: another fish for me and a tinga and a pork carnitas for Brad. He liked all three flavors but decided al pastor was the best. We also took home a large cup full of the salsa that came with our fresh-from-the-fryer tortilla chips. YUM!

I would highly recommend Taqueria las Casitas for a wonderful Mexican lunch or dinner!

Munra Point (5/2/10)

Munra Point was Sunday's outdoor adventure. We went to first service at NFC and then tanked up on all-we-could-eat goodness at the annual Newberg Fire Department Pancake Breakfast. Bellies full of pancakes, eggs, sausage, coffee and OJ, Nick, Tyler, Brad and I hit the road for Exit 40 off Interstate 84.
It was fun to drive through the Gorge with friends relatively new to the state (both Nick and Tyler came to Oregon from the Midwest) and hear their excitement and awe over the nature that I (a sixth-generation Oregonian) tend to take for granted.

We soon arrived at the crowded Wahclella Falls trail head, donned our hiking boots and packs, crossed the bridge over Tanner Creek and started up Gorge Trail #400. The trail climbs quickly above the creek before turning back toward the river and leveling out next to the freeway.

After about 1 mile, the Munra Point Trail (unofficial and marked only with pink surveyor's tape) heads off to the left. This is a different junction than when we did this trip several years ago when it was a little-known scramble. While it's still unofficial and unmaintained, it's gained in popularity and is now much more obvious. But the trail also now offers a web of different routes on the way up, causing some confusion. But we just kept going up and up and up (seemingly straight up for about a mile).
The trail comes out at several clearings, offering great views and some steeps drops. In some spots, hands are needed to get up the rocks. Just below the summit, you have to climb a nearly vertical chimney with rocks, mud and trees to navigate:
But after that, you come out to spectacular views up and down the Gorge, including the Bonneville Dam and Hamilton and Table mountains directly across the Columbia River (and Mount Adams on a clear day). We walked out the eastern/northern ridge for a snack break, but we didn't stay long because of the chilly wind: Then we had to tackle the rocky summit block: The boys on top: Aren't we cute?! We made it up in about 1.75 hours. The way down isn't a whole lot faster since steep and rocky parts must be down climbed. Including our brief rest stop at the top, the entire round trip took just over 3.5 hours.

This is a hard scramble with lots of exposure and poison oak. I would definitely not recommend it for those with a fear of heights and/or unsteady feet. And because of the slippery rocks, this is a dry-day hike. But if you're sure on your feet, not afraid of some dropoffs and ready to get your heart pumping and quads moving, this is a very fun, half-day adventure.

:)

It just keeps getting stranger

If you're following the saga of my boss at KOIN 6 News - "Jeff Alan" - here's the latest installment. Wow.

Blueberry crumb bars

I frequently look at food blogs and drool. Then I find excuses to make the recipes so I can eat them - and hopefully share some love with my friends, family, coworkers, students, etc. This was one of those recipes. Conveniently, I needed something to take to Thursday dinner, so I had to bake these Blueberry Crumb Bars from Smitten Kitchen. Oh, darn!

1 c sugar
1 t baking powder
3 c flour
1 c cold butter
1 egg
1/4 t salt
Zest and juice from one lemon
4 c fresh blueberries (I used frozen and it worked well)
1/2 c sugar
4 t cornstarch (I really upped the cornstarch (3 T) because I was scared that the frozen berries would be juicy)

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 9×13 inch pan.

2. In a medium bowl, stir together 1 c sugar, 3 c flour, and baking powder. Mix in salt and lemon zest. Use a fork or pastry cutter to blend in the butter and egg. Dough will be crumbly. Pat half of dough into the prepared pan.

3. In another bowl, stir together the remaining sugar, cornstarch and lemon juice. Gently mix in the blueberries. Sprinkle the blueberry mixture evenly over the crust. Crumble remaining dough over the berry layer. (Mine wasn't so much crumbly as powdery - but it turned out just fine anyway)

4. Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes, or until top is slightly brown. (I was in a hurry to get out the door and pulled mine after about 38 minutes. No one knew the difference, though they could have been a bit darker.) Cool completely before cutting into squares... unless you're with impatient friends who don't care if they crumble - then just cut them and eat!

5. Store covered in the refrigerator.

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These bars were very simple to throw together. It took a long time to cut in a cup of cold butter, but that was the only time-consuming piece. I would make these again - and perhaps try other fruits.

:)