This is in the valley where Clint Eastwood sang to the trees, near No Name City,
Gratitude #83 - Sweet Biddies!
11 years ago
Saturday, July 4, 2009
quiet
Our camp for the first couple of nights was along the mighty Columbia river. Elevation 110 feet.
We were where the Deschutes River empties into the Columbia. There is a nice state campground there and since it one of the few campground along this part of the Columbia it was busy.
Across the Descutes River from our camp site is a short line railroad. It runs a couple of trains a day, early morning, it seems.
To the north a mile or so is Interstate 84, the main east west highway between Portland and points east. Along the freeway is the mainline Pacific Union tracks. They run a lot of trains each day, with the required whistle blowing.
Then to top it all off, across the Columbia (which is a mile and more wide at this point) the Northern Pacific has a mainline. And that sound carries well over the water.
So, it was a noisy camp, but most of that noise get lost in your head, remarkably soon.
Our 2nd camp site was in the mountains of Eastern Oregon, elevation about 5000 feet. We were on the south shore of a reservoir, which was full of water, which is not always the case.
Sometimes if you listened carefully you might hear a truck engine across the valley, but mostly it was quiet and wonderful.
We were there for 3 glorious days, just Miriam, Leo and I.
We were where the Deschutes River empties into the Columbia. There is a nice state campground there and since it one of the few campground along this part of the Columbia it was busy.
Across the Descutes River from our camp site is a short line railroad. It runs a couple of trains a day, early morning, it seems.
To the north a mile or so is Interstate 84, the main east west highway between Portland and points east. Along the freeway is the mainline Pacific Union tracks. They run a lot of trains each day, with the required whistle blowing.
Then to top it all off, across the Columbia (which is a mile and more wide at this point) the Northern Pacific has a mainline. And that sound carries well over the water.
So, it was a noisy camp, but most of that noise get lost in your head, remarkably soon.
Our 2nd camp site was in the mountains of Eastern Oregon, elevation about 5000 feet. We were on the south shore of a reservoir, which was full of water, which is not always the case.
Sometimes if you listened carefully you might hear a truck engine across the valley, but mostly it was quiet and wonderful.
We were there for 3 glorious days, just Miriam, Leo and I.
Friday, July 3, 2009
more food
Saturday noon there was a big potluck at the family reunion.
Last time we went I made an upside down pineapple cake and I was told that as long as I made that I was always welcome (the family is my son-in-law’s mother’s family, so I am a bit of a shirt tail relate).
This was to be done in my Dutch Oven, firing with charcoal briquettes.
All went well. After it was cooked I turned it out on a plate to cool. My plan was to not even wipe out the DO, but to cook the potatoes in the same DO. Lora suggested I should get the caramelized sugar out of the pot first, so we will have to wait to see how it might have tasted!
All went well in the prep. Brianna helped. She is a good helper. But I do not have a lot of experience working with charcoal and/or one of these “chimney” starter gizmos.
The potatoes cooked and cooked but they did not get done. We were a bit above 100 feet above sea level, so it was not altitude. It turned out that I did not get my charcoal properly started and the fire simply went out.
Alan, (brother to son-in-law Cliff) is an experienced DO cook, so I talked to him. The restarted charcoal did a fine job.
But the potatoes were finished an hour after the meal was over. I fully expected to eat potatoes for the next two or three meals, but word got out that there was a pot of hot scalloped potatoes, and the pan was promptly emptied.
But now, thanks to Alan, I can get charcoal burning too!
Last time we went I made an upside down pineapple cake and I was told that as long as I made that I was always welcome (the family is my son-in-law’s mother’s family, so I am a bit of a shirt tail relate).
This was to be done in my Dutch Oven, firing with charcoal briquettes.
All went well. After it was cooked I turned it out on a plate to cool. My plan was to not even wipe out the DO, but to cook the potatoes in the same DO. Lora suggested I should get the caramelized sugar out of the pot first, so we will have to wait to see how it might have tasted!
All went well in the prep. Brianna helped. She is a good helper. But I do not have a lot of experience working with charcoal and/or one of these “chimney” starter gizmos.
The potatoes cooked and cooked but they did not get done. We were a bit above 100 feet above sea level, so it was not altitude. It turned out that I did not get my charcoal properly started and the fire simply went out.
Alan, (brother to son-in-law Cliff) is an experienced DO cook, so I talked to him. The restarted charcoal did a fine job.
But the potatoes were finished an hour after the meal was over. I fully expected to eat potatoes for the next two or three meals, but word got out that there was a pot of hot scalloped potatoes, and the pan was promptly emptied.
But now, thanks to Alan, I can get charcoal burning too!
first Zucchini
Today a neighbor gave me a nice zucchini.
I am not the Zucchini's best friend, but I accepted. Somewhere I had read recently about a lady who roasted her Zucchini and her kids just loved it, as in: “is there more?”
It seemed that roasted potatoes would be a good compliment. (Remember we are life long vegetarians).
So I went on line and looked for recipes. The potato one said to cube the potatoes, put on some olive oil, seasoning and put them in the 425 degree oven for 30 minutes. It said then to turn them all and put them back in for another 30 minutes.
Sometimes I do as I am told.
The Zucchini, on the other hand was to be “roasted” in 5 minutes, so I worked planning when to start these things cooking so they would come out even.
Well, an hour at 425 is way too long for cubed potatoes, it turned out. The potatoes were very tasty, but just a "bit" overcooked. The Zucchini, on the other hand, cooked for about 15 minutes, and was barely cooked at that.
While at it I roasted half a red pepper, and put some chopped garlic and sliced onions with the Zucchini.
While this was cooking I made a garden salad. To make the meal even more vegetarian, I washed the earwigs out of the lettuce.
Now this is what I should have done, I think!
When the potatoes looked done at the end of 30 minutes I was afraid they would get cold before I was ready to serve them. I should have taken them out of the oven and put them back in the oven a few minutes before serving.
The Zucchini might have been broiled a bit to get them roasted a bit more. My bride gets upset when I “burn” anything, so I might get to eat the toasted ones, which is OK. They taste the best!
All of this is the joy of being a beginning cook at 72!
There will be no shortage of Zucchini this summer, and I’ll do that meal again. Any suggestions?
I am not the Zucchini's best friend, but I accepted. Somewhere I had read recently about a lady who roasted her Zucchini and her kids just loved it, as in: “is there more?”
It seemed that roasted potatoes would be a good compliment. (Remember we are life long vegetarians).
So I went on line and looked for recipes. The potato one said to cube the potatoes, put on some olive oil, seasoning and put them in the 425 degree oven for 30 minutes. It said then to turn them all and put them back in for another 30 minutes.
Sometimes I do as I am told.
The Zucchini, on the other hand was to be “roasted” in 5 minutes, so I worked planning when to start these things cooking so they would come out even.
Well, an hour at 425 is way too long for cubed potatoes, it turned out. The potatoes were very tasty, but just a "bit" overcooked. The Zucchini, on the other hand, cooked for about 15 minutes, and was barely cooked at that.
While at it I roasted half a red pepper, and put some chopped garlic and sliced onions with the Zucchini.
While this was cooking I made a garden salad. To make the meal even more vegetarian, I washed the earwigs out of the lettuce.
Now this is what I should have done, I think!
When the potatoes looked done at the end of 30 minutes I was afraid they would get cold before I was ready to serve them. I should have taken them out of the oven and put them back in the oven a few minutes before serving.
The Zucchini might have been broiled a bit to get them roasted a bit more. My bride gets upset when I “burn” anything, so I might get to eat the toasted ones, which is OK. They taste the best!
All of this is the joy of being a beginning cook at 72!
There will be no shortage of Zucchini this summer, and I’ll do that meal again. Any suggestions?
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
birthday kids
This has been a week of birthdays. Our youngest granddaughter Amy was 12 Thursday last. Emily was 15 yesterday and Griffith, our youngest grandson will be 13 Saturday the 4th of July.
And my young friend Stefanie had a birthday too!
Good kids, all of them. Grandpa is very proud of them.
we are back
We made it back this afternoon.
When I went to pay for our camp site Sunday, after driving towards home from the family reunion, I did not have change for two days, but did for three days!
So that is why we stayed three. It was good. Miriam was good company and I got to cook a whole new variety of food, much of it in my Dutch Oven.
I have a good bit to write about -- I’ll start later this evening.
When I went to pay for our camp site Sunday, after driving towards home from the family reunion, I did not have change for two days, but did for three days!
So that is why we stayed three. It was good. Miriam was good company and I got to cook a whole new variety of food, much of it in my Dutch Oven.
I have a good bit to write about -- I’ll start later this evening.
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