All posts filed under: Out and About

Portland in October, My first Airbnb Experience

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If you have been following me on Instagram then you probably know that last month I was once again in my happy place–Portland, Oregon! The goal: to see fall colors, rain and a Ducks game. I accomplished all of these goals and more, but the one thing that stood out about this trip was my experience with Airbnb. I have not been able to stop talking about Airbnb since we booked this trip! I’ve been to Portland numerous times always staying in the downtown area, right in the thick of things. This time, however, I wanted to know how the locals lived so on a friend’s recommendation, I booked a basement apartment through Airbnb. I cannot recommend Airbnb enough–the process was simple and I was able to chat with the host several times before booking! The apartment was more fabulous in person than it was in the photographs (when does that ever happen??)! It was spacious, super clean, had a fully equipped kitchen and as an added bonus, the host family had an amazing garden and a chicken coop …

My 100th Post! Plus, Surviving the Portland Boil of 2014

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It’s my 100th post!  A couple of weeks ago, after I published my 99th post, I started to feel a little anxiety over what my 100th post would look like.  I initially thought that I wanted to do something BIG and insanely complicated.  A blog post that would cause balloons and confetti to fall from the sky.  But, that didn’t exactly happen.  Instead, I got myself so wound up about my 100th post, that I couldn’t seem to write anything at all.  And soon after that, I was out of town for two weekends in a row! So, instead of a big, complicated recipe, I’m going to show you some of my vacation photos! I make no bones about the fact that someday I would like to retire in Portland, Oregon.  Our dearest friends abandoned us relocated to Portland in 2011 and have been enticing us to move there ever since.  And since my feet first landed on Portland soil that first time in 2011, I’ve fallen inextricably, entirely in love with the place.   …

Chinese New Year & Cucumber-Enoki Mushroom Salad

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Last weekend marked a Trifecta of Celebratory Celebrations:  Chinese New Year followed by The Husband’s birthday, which landed squarely on top of Superbowl Sunday!  Oh, and Groundhog Day, too!  Shoot. Now it’s a Quadrant? Quadrifecta?  Anyway, there was a lot going on last weekend and all of it was surrounded by delicious things to eat! On Friday, the first day of the Year of the Horse, we ventured into Chinatown (yes, Las Vegas has a Chinatown, and a good one at that!) for Chinese soup dumplings, or Xiao Long Bao.  Now, if you’ve never had them before, let me tell you, they are amazing little feats of culinary engineering!  These little dumplings are traditionally filled with pork and a little gelatinized broth encased in a bun.  When the buns are steamed, the gelatinized broth melts and becomes like soup, so that when you bite into the delicate bun, you are treated to a steaming hot burst of soup and meat!  Delicious!  Actually, I’m not even sure why I’m getting you all excited about soup dumplings …

Downtown Las Vegas Pub Crawl!

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My stove has been broken since Saturday and according to the repairman, it’s going to remain broken for the remainder of the week!  I had the faintest glimmer of hope that it would be fixed today, but of course, there were parts that had to be ordered from Timbuktu.  I suppose I should be grateful that Timbuktu has rush delivery; and really I am…but I’m honestly feeling very out-of-sorts right now!  I tell you, nothing irks me more than things being broken, undone or under construction at home–not to mention being really tired of getting takeout! So, in lieu of a recipe, I wanted to show you what I got up to this past weekend: I went on my first Downtown Pub Crawl! I will be the first person to confess that I have not spent nearly enough time exploring the revitalization projects going on in Downtown Las Vegas!   I’ve been to the Smith Center for the Performing Arts, which is an awesome and wonderful addition to our city.  I’ve also spent time in …

James Beard Foundation Taste America and Greek Food Festival

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This last weekend, we found ourselves with almost too many things to see and do in town!  The stars aligned and Las Vegas was host to three major food events–Bite of Las Vegas, James Beard Foundation’s Taste America, and the 41st Annual Greek Food Festival!  We didn’t make it to Bite of Las Vegas this time, but we did get to experience some amazing dishes at Taste America and the Greek Festival.  So much fun! The James Beard Foundation’s Taste America took place at the Mirage Hotel and Casino Pool and featured tastings from nine world class restaurants and James Beard Award winners.  It was a gorgeous night!  The highlight of my evening was meeting Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto!  Chef Morimoto offered a dish of Big Eye Tuna loin and Japanese Wagyu beef.  It was a perfect bite! I’d have to say that my favorite tasting dish came from local James Beard Award Winner Saipin Chutima of Lotus of Siam Thai restaurant.  She featured two Northern Thai dishes: Khao Soi Beef, beef stewed in a …

Bright Sunshiny Day

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Last Friday, the weather was absolutely gorgeous, and since I had to take a furlough day, I decided to make the most of it and get out of the house and get some fresh air (and some much needed exercise)! Friday, March 1, the first day it felt like Spring here in the Desert Southwest The trail where I walk is next to a wash, which is a type of flood channel here in the desert.  You can see the scrubby brush and tumbleweeds in the background.  The wash is a very dangerous place when it rains, but afterwards everything is green and beautiful and teeming with life! Naked boughs, with view of the wash in the background It’s so exciting to see the trees burst into bloom! I hope I never lose that feeling of wonder every Spring! Ornamental Plum trees in bloom Budding leaves!

A Time to Learn

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One of my favorite movies is Star Trek: Insurrection.  In it, a group of people called the Ba’Ku live in harmony with nature and are essentially immortal–living for hundreds of years before they decide what they want to do when they “grow up”, all while wearing comfortable natural fibers!  How awesome would it be to spend, oh, fifty to a hundred years learning how to perfect a skill?  Well, last time I checked, I am not immortal and there are a finite number of years with which to work. That being said, I am struggling with learning an essentially new skill–photography.  I have been frustrated with my food photography lately but at the same time, felt like I couldn’t afford to spend time fixing the issue–so many things to do!  So, I’ve resolved to work on it and patiently learn, which is a challenge for me because I always want to put the cart before the horse! I have a lot to learn, but I’m really excited to slow down and focus on developing this …