Oregon 2015

Oh my goodness. I took quite the break!

It's been more than a month since my last post. And let me tell you, time off did me good. I definitely feel invigorated and refreshed. The hubby and I got back from our Oregon trip on Thursday night, but it's taken me a while to find my bearings. It always feels like that coming back from vacation. However, the house is back in order, the laundry is all done, the fridge is stocked with veggies- which means it's time to get back to writing. 

The Oregon trip, while extremely busy and jam-packed, gave me a lot of time for yoga and walking outside. Generous amounts of time for reflection and devising new writing topics. I ate so much good food. So much. I ordered Mexican food at almost every restaurant I went to, it was glorious. We ate fresh sushi, which reminded me and the hubby that the sushi we get here, well, sucks. We ate fish. Spareribs and grass-fed beef steaks from Gartner's Meat Market, a Portland tradition. I made 2 new dishes (Rum and Honey Baked Black Beans and Bruschetta Pasta Salad) for people, both of which were a hit. I wish I gotten pictures of the beans, but I did not. The pasta salad will be featured later though, so yummy!

We saw many old friends. Enjoyed 14 days of sunshine, miracle upon miracles. It was a wonderful trip. And I've got plenty of pictures to share. Let's get to it!

My parents have the prettiest backyard. Plants and flowers everywhere. I couldn't resist taking some pictures.

Another view of the back of the house. And my view for yoga in the mornings.

My parents dog, LB. He was very interested in my camera lens. Also my partner in crime, he followed me all over taking pictures :)

Apples growing in the far back of the backyard. 

Teeny, tiny raspberries that burst with flavor. These ain't the oversized, genetically-modified raspberries you'll find at the grocery store.

I just liked this picture with the little well in the background blurred out. There were so many interesting things to take pictures of in the backyard.

The hubby and I took a detour around a construction area and were treated to baby deer running through a neighborhood. With their mother, of course. Sorry for the blurry i-Phone shot :)

My parent's cat, Kobe. Kobe was actually my cat that I got during my freshman year of college. After I finished that first year, Kobe went to live at my parents. You know, because they have a huge yard and they weren't college students juggling a full course load, a job at a bank, and a part-time coaching gig. After I graduated and was getting ready to move into a small apartment in Portland, I knew I couldn't take Kobe with me. After 4 years of having plenty of room to roam at my parent's property, I knew she couldn't be an indoor cat. So Kobe became my parents. I usually don't get much time with her, because the hubby and I have always traveled with the dogs. Not so this trip! Lots of quality kitty time.

Such a pretty kitty. She's always purring when she gets around people too.

Love that face.

Hiding in some grass.

Welp, she spotted me and climbed out of the grass.

The family was on its way to the Rogue Hops Farm when we saw multiple signs for "Big, Black Cherries". We couldn't resist. We stopped, and Mom bought 15 lbs. Then we spent the rest of the vacation running around singing "Big, Black Cherries" to the tune of Nicki Minaj's "Anaconda". We are a silly bunch.

Flights at the Hops Farm. So darn good.

The hubby was proud of this shot of his beer he took. 

My little brother, mom, and me.

And another.

Then, later in the week, we went back. We just couldn't stay away!

This time we went down to the river at the Farm. It. was. gorgeous!

Goofing around.

Me and my parent's neighbor Kiersten. Our families have been friends for many, many moons (that's many, many years in layman's terms). 

A little bubble on my Kolsch bottle. Kolsch, by the way, is one of the most magical beers I've ever tasted. Loved, loved, LOVED it!

No trip to Oregon is complete without a trip to Eugene. And El Torito. The hubby, my dad, and me spent the morning in Eugene one day. We walked all over town, got new Duck gear at the bookstore, and chowed down on my favorite Mexican food. Twas' a great day.

My view for yoga. So peaceful.

The whole family! The first picture of all of us together since my wedding! I think...

A good looking bunch if I ever saw one :)

An Anna's Hummingbird guarding his feeder from a tree. I love that my parents get several kinds of hummingbirds as I only see the Ruby-Throated variety at home.

A female Anna at the feeder.

A little bit closer now.

It was fantastic trip, but now it's time to get back to reality. Which means sharing recipes. Yep, I'll be sharing a brand-new recipe tomorrow. Yippee!

Hope everyone had a great weekend! Actually, a great month  :)