My friend and I picked berries while the kids played. I’m not talking about ordinary berries here…these marionberries were ginormous! Many of them were 1 1/2 inches or more in length!

After we picked all the ripe berries, we turned our attention to feeding the resident llamas some lettuce from the garden. Llamas are silly creatures and just looking at them makes me giggle. I almost feel sorry for llamas because it’s difficult to take them seriously…they’re kind of like the class clowns of the animal kingdom. I mean no disrespect to the llama lovers out there; I just happen to think they’re funny.

Anyway, it was a fine morning of picking marionberries in the summer sun with the added bonus of seeing some of the goofiest animals God ever created. I love Oregon!

Stay tuned for marionberry recipes…

The delicious chicken and egg recipes are a complete bonus, too! Dishes like: Morning Eggs on Mushroom-Bacon Hash, Chicken and Vegetable Stew over Parmesan Polenta, Cheddar Dill Chicken Cobbler, Holiday Roast Chicken with Cranberry-Fig Stuffing, Pumpkin Spice Cake with Salted Caramel Sauce, Bittersweet Fudge Pound Cake, and many more wonderful recipes that feature chicken and eggs.

It’s the middle of July and we’re full-swing into summer…and, yes, it’s still raining here in Portland. Regardless of the weird weather, our local farmers’ markets are brimming with great produce, artisan foods and handmade products. These people work hard, rain or shine, so let’s get out there and support them!

Check out one of these links to find a farmers’ market near you:
Oregon Farmers’ Markets
Local Harvest 

Do you have a favorite farmers’ market?

May God bless this Christmas!

Estimating Quantities of Hors d’Oeuvres
-Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Collection Series, Hors d’Oeuvre, by Brigit L. Binns (Simon & Schuster, 2001).

When estimating quantities of hors d’oeuvres for a party, keep these guidelines in mind. As a rule of thumb, most guests will consume 8 to 10 bite-size pieces for every 60 to 90 minutes of a party. However, the larger the variety of offerings, the more hors d’oeuvres that will be consumed because everyone will want to try at least one of each item. At the beginning of a party, especially if it is in the early evening, the pace of eating will be faster and then will slow as people satisfy their initial appetite.

If your party lasts longer than 90 minutes and is intended to replace dinner, the pace of eating will speed up again after 2 hours. In this case, it is important to have enough hors d’oeuvres ready and waiting in the kitchen to replenish empty platters.

For an average-size party, with 8 to 20 guests, plan on 2 hot and 2 cold passed items and 1 or 2 buffet items a total of 5 or 6 selections. If you will be hosting 30 to 40 guests, add 1 more of each hot and cold item plus 1 more buffet selection.

Last weekend, Father-In-Law invited us and the rest of Husband’s family to the local Annual Son’s of Norway Dinner. Husband, you see, has Norwegian roots and it was time to learn more about his cultural heritage. On the menu that evening was lutefisk (dried white fish…read more below), lefse (traditional soft Norwegian flatbread), Scandinavian meatballs, cream sauce, boiled potatoes, coleslaw, and green beans. Dessert was tapioca pudding with a dollop of some kind of jam (lingonberry or currant?).

Here’s an excerpt from Wikipedia on how lutefisk is made:

The first treatment is to soak the stockfish (air-dried whitefish) in cold water for five to six days (with the water changed daily). The saturated stockfish is then soaked in an unchanged solution of cold water and lye for an additional two days. The fish swells during this soaking, and its protein content decreases by more than 50 percent, producing its famous jelly-like consistency. When this treatment is finished, the fish (saturated with lye) has a pH value of 11–12 and is therefore caustic. To make the fish edible, a final treatment of yet another four to six days of soaking in cold water (also changed daily) is needed. Eventually, the lutefisk is ready to be cooked.

If you’ve had lutefisk before, I’m sure this post is conjuring up memories of some kind. The lutefisk served at the Son’s of Norway dinner had a gelatinous texture but was mild in flavor. The part that gets me (besides the texture) is that several days prior to eating it, lutefisk is CAUSTIC. Whaaaaaa? No amount of cream sauce or butter made it any easier to eat, but I tackled my piece of lutefisk first then moved on to the more normal items on my plate. The meatballs and coleslaw were my favorites.

This was a family-style meal so the individual dishes were passed then left on the table for those who wanted seconds. Unfortunatly for Youngest Son, the lutefisk plate landed in front of him. He was NOT happy. He promptly zipped up his fleece and remained like that the entire meal…only emerging to nibble on a ginger cookie later in the evening. It was not the time or place to enforce trying new foods. We had mercy on the poor boy that night.

I realize that the Son’s of Norway lutefisk dinner is a traditional Norwegian meal and a way of remembering the past…sort of like the Thanksgiving meal is in our country. I’m glad we went to the festivities that night and I’d gladly go back next year. I don’t mind eating a funky piece of fish once a year. Who knows, maybe I’ll even acquire the taste for it.

So, lutefisk…have you ever eaten it? If so, I’d love to hear your thoughts!

I’m lined to:
Finer Things Friday.

I’m thankful:
…for another day with my precious family.
…that I have family and friends who know me and love me anyway.
…for a warm house and food on the table.
…for my health and the health of my husband and kids.
…for those that serve our country — freedom is never free.
…that God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son…

What are you thankful for?

And while we’re on the subject of brown bagging it, I recently bought these nifty Ziplock Divided Containers. They are reusable, dishwasher safe, and come in a 2-pack. They are similar to the hip bento box containers that are popular right now but less expensive. Plus, I won’t need to freak out if one gets lost or accidentally thrown away.

Follow the ABC’s of food safety when packing a school lunch
By DANIELLE CENTONI
Special to The Oregonian

Back to school means back to the daily grind of packing lunches — an activity that’s definitely low on parents’ lists of favorite things to do.

It’s hard enough to come up with nutritious choices that your kids will actually eat, and even harder to predict which of their favorite foods they won’t be “tired of” that day.

But no matter what meal you send your child off with each day, make sure you follow basic food safety rules to keep the food from spoiling.

Rule No. 1: Keep cold foods cold and hot foods hot. While a peanut butter and jelly sandwich can linger at room temperature, anything made with meat or dairy products needs to be kept out of the danger zone (40 to 140 degrees).

Insulated lunchboxes/bags (rather than paper bags or metal lunchboxes) go a long way toward keeping things at the right temperature, but you still need to tuck an ice pack in there to keep things cool. A frozen water bottle or juice box can double as an ice pack and be ready to drink by lunchtime. Or buy several lunchbox-size ice packs so you always have one ready. These days, ice packs come in fun, kid-friendly shapes; thin, flexible “mats” ; or styles that have colorful cloth covers to soak up condensation.

When the weather cools, hot lunches are especially welcome and a good way to change things up. Invest in a couple of insulated containers for sending hot items like soup or warmed-up leftovers. Be sure to preheat them first by filling them with piping hot water and letting them sit for a few minutes while you get things ready. Then pour out, dry and fill.

Rule No. 2: Keep things clean. Once that lunchbox returns home, throw away anything partially eaten or perishable and wash out the box with hot soapy water. Leaving food in there only invites mold and mildew to grow. So wash it out as soon as you can and let it air dry until completely dry before storing. Once a week, it’s a good idea to sanitize the lunchbox with a mild bleach solution (1 teaspoon bleach per 4 cups of water).

Many schools ask parents to send children off with a water bottle each day. This a great way for kids to sta hydrated without having constant stream of children running off to the water fountain during class. But don’t think you can just leave that water bottle there all week without washing it. It’s easy for germs and bacteria to get into the bottles with every swig, and as the bottles sit at room temperature, those nasties multiply like crazy.

So wash the water bottle every day with hot, soapy water and let it dry completely before putting it away (again, mold is a risk if you don’t). And sanitize the water bottle when you sanitize the lunchbox.

Rule No. 3: These rules aren’t just for kids’ lunches. When you’re brown-bagging it, follow these food safety tips to keep yourself from getting sick, too. Protect your youngsters from food-borne illness with these guidelines on keeping packed lunches at safe temperatures, and containers and bottles clean.

Last night I got together with some girlfriends for an outing on the lake. Here’s how one of these outings works: We meet at the Captain’s house, pile into her boat, slowly make our way across the lake while eating dinner (more on that part later), then we dock in town, get out of the boat, meander through the cute shops and restaurants, then pile back into the boat for the trek back to the Captain’s house. Last night there were 9 of us…often there’s 10 but one is on vacation. As you can imagine, there’s lots of laughter and general goofiness. This is a diverse group of personalities and perspectives but it works and I love them all dearly.

Now back to the food. There’s one thing you have to understand about this group: We Love Good Food! Our gatherings are always complimented by a wonderful potpourri of flavors. This is exactly what a potluck was meant to be…quality food that not only tastes good but is good for you. Last night we had: Chinese Chicken Salad, Spinach Strawberry Salad, Lemon Shrimp & Jicama Salad, Tomato Basil Mozzarella Kabobs, Feta Dip with Fresh Veggies, Thai Salad Rolls with Peanut Sauce, Fresh Melon, Fresh Guacamole with Chips, Chocolate Covered Strawberries, and still warm Fudge Brownies. Yumm!

One of the highlights of the evening was when the Captain put on her Girlie Mix of tunes she’d put together just for this outing. She had collected a song for each of us with our name in it…9 songs in all. There was a song about Wendy. A song about Amy. Two songs about Lisa. A song about Shannon. A song about Cheryl. A song about Rose. A song about Debra. And I’d never heard it before but there was even a song with my name in it…Andrea. I couldn’t believe it! The Captain outdid herself! It was a super creative idea and one that I’m sure we’ll be talking about for a long time!

The sun had already set by the time we got back into the boat for our trip back to the Captain’s house. It was a warm night and the breeze off the lake felt good. It was a wonderful evening spent with a special group of friends, and through them, God has richly blessed my life. We laugh together. Sometimes we cry together. I am thankful for them.

I’m linked to:
Finer Things Friday
Just For The Joy Of It

There are many day-trip destinations in Oregon (the Coast, Columbia Gorge, Mt. Hood, etc.), and King Estate Winery is among them. Located southwest of Eugene near the rural community of Lorane, the beautiful European-style winery was founded in 1991 by the King family. With a little over 1,000 certified organic acres, the estate produces Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay wines. Thirty of these acres are used for growing fruit, vegetables and flowers that the estate restaurant and catering venues utilize, while some of the produce is also contributed to hunger relief organizations in the area (very cool!).

Each day the estate provides afternoon tours of the wine production facility (wheelchair accessible), as well as wine tasting and fine dining. The restaurant offers lunch and dinner daily, and brunch on the weekends. They even have a kid’s menu for the little ones (bonus!). We sat outside on the gorgeous patio for lunch, which overlooks the vineyard property and valley. Unable to decide on a single glass of wine (they all looked good!), I decided to order the Signature Wine Flight, a sampling of King Estate Signature wines (Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Vin Gris, Pinot Noir). The wines were a delicious compliment to my meal of roasted smoked chicken, local mushrooms, roasted fingerling potatoes and braised greens (YUMM!).

Much too soon, the kids were getting squirrely so it was time to hit the road. Next time I visit King Estate Winery, I’d like to go on the wine tour again (it’s been about 10 years), then relax and leisurely sip a glass of wine in the Wine Bar courtyard (sans the kiddos). I must say, I LOVE living in Oregon!