For My Shoppers...

Merry Christmas

Last night we were finally able to give Norris' sister and her husband their Christmas present. It was a night in Portland (they live in Washington) and dinner at any restaurant of their choosing. Since they're going to Peru this year, we went to Andina.

Their staff was so accommodating - we were unable to get a reservation at a convenient time, so they suggested we come in. We could eat in the (interior) courtyard, the bar area, or if we were lucky, maybe get a cancellation for the restaurant.

We arrived at 7, just like everyone else. Norris went to the courtyard/bar line, and I approached the hostess, figuring we were in for a long wait. Luckily, I scored immediately - they had a table, but we'd have to relinquish it in 90 minutes. No worries, as we had just had a little wine at home, and were ready to eat.

But the bar menu beckoned, so we ordered caipirinhas and Attardecer Portenos, both of which were just delicious. (we shared everything! So nice to eat with family where you don't have to worry about asking for a bite and a sip!)

Then the waiter came over and said that we could switch to a (prime) center front window booth, and we no longer would have any time limit. So we said YES! From there, we got to watch all the limos with prom-goers drive by, all the Pearl street strollers, and generally had a much better show!

We started with their empanadas. The owner came by and told us the secret - sprinkled with a little confectioner's sugar and topped with lime juice, they had an extra sparkle. They were fabulous!

Then came the entrees: I had quinoa crusted scallops, Mark had pork tenderloin with tamarillo-rocoto sauce, Kathie had pan-seared duck breast with incredible cilantro rice, and Norris had wok-fried beef with yuca. (I've left out all the details, but if you visit their website, you can peruse the menu. The flavors were outstanding!)

The dinner was a huge success! I understand the hype! Andina should be rated as one of Portland's best restaurants because it is! Amen.

Last Night...

Sue, Sarah and Kate took me to see this:
























Taylor Hicks was campy and adorable, (and slim!) and his voice was just lovely. The dance numbers in Grease were really cute!

Meanwhile, Norris was at home and saw this:




















Our trees are knocking our socks off - the large windows across the back of our house are filled with this:


















Our new landscape plans calls for the removal of these trees. I have to rethink that a little bit. How can I give this up?

My new favorite recipe

I've made this twice in the last week - I just found the recipe in a Cooking Light cookbook that I borrowed from the library - and both times it was a huge hit.

Asian Peanut Dip

1/2 Cup natural-style peanut butter
1/3 Cup reduced-fat firm silken tofu
3 Tablespoons light brown sugar
2 Tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 Tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 garlic cloves, crushed

Place all ingredients in a blender or food processor and process until smooth, scraping sides. Store in an airtight container in refrigerator up to 2 days. Yield: 1 Cup (serving size: 2 Tablespoons - 122 calories)

I served it with celery sticks. It's like peanut butter & celery only way better, with an asian twist and a little touch of heat.

Also, you should just go ahead and double the recipe when you make it - it's that good.

Sorry I didn't take a picture, because I served it on a bamboo cutting board piled with celery and the dip in a bright red bowl - it was super cute!

Pot Luck

Monday night dinner was fun, as it always is with the old crowd. We've been friends for 11 years now!

The food was healthy, the wine was refreshing, and the weather couldn't have been nicer. We're going to do this once a month as long as we can hold it together!

And we selected dates for our summer camping & boating adventure. I sure hope Larry comes through with that lake house, LOL.

Loved last night!

This poor sucker really needs a Realtor!

I Love It When....

I drive home from work and unexpectedly find one of our boys' cars in the driveway! They love to pop in without telling us. Cam arrived last night while we were at the Dairy Queen with the dogs. (Did you know you can get them each a free "dog cone" every time you go through the drive-through?) We went to Target, hung out and watched Happy Gilmore, and had a low-key night...

This morning I'm going to whip up some quick banana bread with the ripe bananas that nobody wants to eat, and then Kim, Kim, Fritz and Jill are joining us for the Street of Eames Tour. This is our third year, I think, and the Street of Eames fourth. Last year we got a little bit carried away....

We hope to end up on the east side in time for a late lunch and a little liquid refreshment...and not be quite as ridiculous as last year! It's a beautiful day for driving around Portland and looking at houses!

Tomorrow we are invited to a playdate for Italian Greyhounds at a dog park in Lake Oswego. Cam and Betsy might find it interesting, so Peter and Bean have a date! (I'll be holding a beautiful house open instead)

And then I got this one....

In case you didn't finish shopping by the 15th, this takes you through the 19th! Time to order some sandals or something....

Saks Fifth Avenue wants you to Spend Spend Spend!

There must be something you need for spring!!!










Enter code SFAFAM10 at checkout! SAKS

Breakfast of Champions

Getting rid of a herd of dinosaurs

Seriously, can you believe we had 4 monitors, 3 CPU's, a laser printer, and a bunch of speakers and keyboards littering up the place? The kids' rooms, and the basement held all this electronic litter, and I'm glad to get it out of here. My hard drive on our computer (bought in 2000, and faithfully served for 9 years!) crashed this week and replaced it with a monster - so our computer world is back in the pink!

Time for a recycling trip!

2009 Ultimate Open House

The Home Builders Association of Porltand's Ultimate Open House New Home Tour is a free event that runs for two weekends, April 18-19 and April 25-26. The tour features newly constructed condos, town homes, and custom single-family homes in Multnomah, Washington, Columbia, Clackamas, and Yamhill counties.

At this year’s event, Energy Trust of Oregon unveils the Energy Performance Score (EPS) for new homes. The EPS displays a home’s energy consumption and related carbon dioxide emissions, allowing homebuyers to determine how a home will perform. The EPS also helps buyers compare homes based on energy use, carbon impact, and estimated energy savings. Energy Trust anticipates that more than 41 Ultimate Open House show homes will receive the new Energy Performance Score.

For complete tour information, visit the Ultimate Open House Web site. You can view featured homes and discover valuable home selling and buying resources.

Visitors

Norris and I were both working at home, when I looked out and saw two beautiful ducks in our driveway. They're pure white, with beautiful orange beaks and feet. Their heads are sleek and smooth, and they have beautiful small dark eyes. They're so lovely I just want to pick them up and snuggle them!


















Norris fed them bread, and one of them ate it right out of his hand. The next day we found them waiting on our front door mat. They've been seen at the neighbor's bird feeder, and are apparently looking for a place to nest. I'd love it if it would be right in our garden.



















But there's one in this house who wouldn't be quite so receptive to the idea. So, as much as we'd love to have them stay, we have to encourage them to go elsewhere. Boomer is still king.

Growing number of economists see recovery on the horizon!

This article made my day.