thanksgiving report

So we drove down to Oregon for our thanksgiving feast at gramma’s.  The whole family was there minus one sister and husband.  It was pretty uneventful and actually somewhat enjoyable!  Little D managed the drive pretty well, and although he didn’t really nap while we were there (too loud) he was pretty happy.  We did make the annual trek to the local Fred Meyers Friday morning for donut holes and bad coffee…  let me say that it was an event when Fred Meyers opened in this small town on the Columbia river a few years ago, so that was the sum of our black friday shopping.  Actually we also went to the senior center thrift store and I found a great wood handled carving fork, a pair of Wiss pinking shears, and some vintage tinsel twist.

Since there were so many of us there, we got to stay at the Scappoose Creek Inn.  We’ve stayed there before but I think this was the best room yet.  They don’t make your breakfast anymore though, just continental, but we had a wonderful post thanksgiving breakfast at Gram’s.  And actually the restaurant is now a Hawaiian BBQ place… scary.

sitka & spruce

So we are still getting our new comp all set up, so it might be a couple of days before I’m able to post pics etc…  boring without photos!  We did go to Sitka & Spruce (nondescript website, so check out these reviews, here, here, here and here) tonight for a birthday dinner and Matt fed twelve of us family style.  Here’s what we ate: cheese plate with a wonderful balsamic reduction; smelt and sea scallops with capers, pickled peppers, and grapefruit; green salad; beet green and ricotta ravioli; duck confit with persimmons; whole bronzino; ox tail and parsnips; quail; and the last was the best, pork belly with parsley and walnut salad.  I think that was about everything on the menu.  I go here for lunch almost once a week… they have the best pork sandwiches and it’s such a great space.

the violet pear Etsy shop is on it’s way…

I’ve been working on setting up my Etsy shop, but it’s taking a bit of time.  I am excited about it though, and everytime I get up at night to feed Little D, that’s what I’m thinking about… if indeed I’m thinking at all.  That and all the things I want to buy on Etsy!  If all the stars and planets are in alignment, I’m planning on rolling it out next week.   I’ll be selling my jewelry first, and then adding other crafts here and there.  I’ll give you a sneak preview soon.  YAY!

update: yeah, it won’t be opening for awhile… no need to put extra pressure on myself!

Chocolate ricotta muffins

I made these yummy muffins last Friday.  They are rather dense but nice and chocolate-y.  They were excellent with the leftover cream cheese frosting from the coconut cake.  Had them for breakfast over the weekend.

Christmas is coming

So my family decided to mix it up this year and draw names.  I love seeing all the presents under the tree on Christmas Eve and finding/making the right gift for each person, so I was against it at first.  But after mulling it over I decided we could try it this year.  Only this year.  With the addition of two new spouses, one baby, and a sister that is freaking out about how many gifts we have to give, we decided that each kid/spouse will draw three names.  There are a total of six kids and three spouses.  Little D gets gifts from everyone, of course.   And I might still give “small” gifts to everyone I didn’t draw.

After hitting Target for the second time this week, I did score a Tord Boontje acrylic candelabra.  It’s red though.  I don’t think it will go with the rest of our holiday decor so it may be on it’s way back.  It’s rather pretty though, and if I could just find a spot for it I’d keep it.

But this LED luminaire image is pretty cool.

Bathtub link-a-links

A view in my shower.  We let Little D play with these in the bathtub, oh about 4 months ago, and he hasn’t played with them since, yet here they still sit.  At least the tub is clean.

Rainy spider web

Just outside my kitchen window was this perfectly round spider web.  Too bad the window is a bit dirty.  We also went to Target today to see the Tord Boontje collection (thanks to megan at notmartha, but she must have gone to a different Target)… they told me it won’t be out until Saturday.  Guess we get to trek back.

Coconut cake for my sister

Yesterday was our family’s celebration of my sister’s birthday.  I made a coconut cake.  I’ve never made a coconut cake but I have to say it turned out rather well and all the foodies in my family seemed pleased.  After searching through my cookbooks and the internet I decided on this one because of the cream cheese frosting.  I really really do not like buttercream frosting (blch) and this cake fit the bill.  I love my mixer!

For dinner my sister chose mu shu pork and shrimp and veggie stir fry.  My mom also made an asian-y slaw.  Everything was yum.  We came home stuffed.

A purse for my car!

I’m so excited, I just ordered this car litter bag from Allyson Hill’s Etsy shop and can’t wait to get all the ‘litter” in my car under control.   Since I have been staying at home with Little D we are in the car all the time.  It’s our escape pod.  And seriously, the luna bar wrappers and parking stickers have been multiplying rapidly on the floor of the passenger side.  And such a clever and wonderfully executed idea.

any cool bibs out there?

So our baby is a drool monster and although I always said I’d never have a bib baby, I now have a bib baby.  Little D has sensitive skin so we have to keep a bib on him to absorb all that liquid.  And the big problem?  There are no cool bibs.  None.  There are some cheap simple ones at IKEA (can’t find them online), white terry with colored edging, but once washed they went all wonky, like a cheap tshirt.  And of course we received a ton of ducky, doggy, and teddy bear bibs.  At first I refused for him to be seen in these outside the home, but I’ve become a bit immune.  No more.  I decided to make a bib, since I had a lot of leftover white flannel (which was originally going to be a crib skirt for his mod IKEA crib).  Cut out two bib shaped pieces, sewed a few blue lines across them, then sewed right sides together, turned right side out, added some velcro and voila.  Now the only problem is I have to find the time to make more.