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Chipolte Chicken Tortilla Soup…and getting our kicks on the epic…Rt 66!

July 22, 2012 By Sarah 33 Comments

Reverse psychology is a fabulous parenting tool.  If I were a smarter mother, I would have employed this tool much more often than I have in my parenting years.

Being a homeschool mom who has made it to the end of the high school years with one child (one to go!) has taught me more life lessons than I could have indeed imagined.

One is…a precise and tactical use of reverse psychology.

It is without question that the teen years can be interesting, challenging, and daunting for many/most parents.  Try wearing the teacher hat too and you have the setting for potential conflict at every tumultuous teenage turn.

We are no exception.  With all of our moving, my kids certainly benefited from the stability that homeschooling offered to them.  Fortunately, they both have the personalities to fit the lifestyle well and have had no desire to enroll in traditional school.

But…their mother is quite the “Type A” personality who went from corporate marketing… to ballet school owner/director… 

…to ‘stay-at-home-homeschool-mom“.  We need an acronym for that…wait…S.A.H.H.M.  There it is.

One need only imagine the conflicting roles and unaccustomed hats that were adopted at each stage of this journey.

To me, in order to face embarking on a homeschooling journey, I had to compare the task to something akin to a corporate position… bestowed on me for the direct challenge…

…of testing my inner fortitude
…of polishing my zealous organizational skills
…and to tickle my beloved strategic planning acumen.

Otherwise…the title said, ‘stay-at-home-homeschool-mom‘.  I would be a S.A.H.H.M-y…Ouch.

So, we laid out my new position.  I was determined to reach the CEO level of ‘S.A.H.H.M-dom‘.


But, just as there are hiccups and snafus within the corporate cluster…so it is the same within the family enclave…

..there is…reality.  Yes…brutal and unforgivable REALITY!

When the kids were in middle school, I had a highly polished schedule that included finely tuned weekly field trips ~ to places like… the local water treatment facility (woohoo!)…and…

…to remote farm-to-table experiences…where we churned our own butter, separated seeds from lambs wool, and turned it all into our next meal replete with our hand-woven wool coasters on which to place our mugs of freshly steamed milk.

As the years progressed into high school, we were familiar faces at the homeschool museum classes, local farm “homeschool” re-enactment days, traveling theatre events, and all manner of the zillions of classes offered during the daytime hours for homeschoolers.

But…BUT…

…something shifted in the high school years.  A dullness crept over the eyes of my children.  I saw flickers of light waning with dimness instead of firing up with sparkles.

Slowly, just a mention of a new art exhibit tour, a potential museum science experiment day, or a theatre-in-the-park evening began to illicit…moans and groans from my veteran homeschooled twosome!

“What was I doing wrong?” I worried.  “Why weren’t my kids happily trotting behind me to all of these incredible and educational events like they always did?”  

“How was I going to check-off…fill in…list out all of the achievements of their homeschool years in order to get my ‘self-appointed’  S.A.H.H.M. promotion that I needed to justify my ‘stay-at-home-homeschool-mom’ title?“

Because, as I so abashedly realized…and took a big gulp of reality…they are TEENAGERS…

Period…end of story…they are teenagers. Oh, that word can be so loathsome at times and invigorating..at others (insert smirky smile)

Teenagers don’t trot.  Teenagers especially don’t  trot behind their MOTHERS!

It seemed that their quest for unrivaled bits of knowledge was coming to a screeching halt.  Computer gaming, fantasy fiction (ew!!), animé/manga (double eew!!) were becoming the leading contenders for my carefully planned agenda of more and more museum exhibit excursions.

A slow, heavy, heady realization occurred to us as parents.


It was time.

Critical tactics needed to be employed at this stage of the four year plan in order to make it to the end of the schooling journey.  Patrick suggested the ultimate well-thought out approach…it was nothing short of brilliant.

Bore them to death.  

Yep. Yesss… Yadda!  Plan nothing.  Do nothing. Suggest nothing…offer nothing…stare at..nothing.

Obviously…Admittedly…this does not bode well for the “type A” in me!  Instant dislike was my initial stubborn reaction.  My idea of a vacation from hell is to journey to a secluded beach with endless cocktails… piles of magazines…and…

…nowhere to go
…no one to talk to
…and nothing to see but miles of endless ocean water.

How very…and utterly RELAXING. (ugh.shivers.)

How was I to live with a strategic plan circling around the word “boredom”??

This proposed plan did not speak to my strengths at all.  Where was the planning, the honing of carefully planned out activities, the strategic four year high school “plan de succés“.  

No, not going to bode well for me my friends!

But, looking deeply into my reflection in the mirror…I knew he was right.  I knew his plan of action had to become our reality.

We discussed our motives.  Carefully decided on a course of action…and decided to put our ideas to work…


My particular plan was to hide out from my teens in the only safe haven in the house I knew…my kitchen.  

So, I cooked…
And then, I photographed…

And then, I wrote about what I cooked and I photographed…

and the result of this “reverse psychology experiment” on our children was the unexpected product of this blog called

‘thyme’

“Thyme” has been the result of my escape from homeschooling burnout.  Instead of planning the latest and greatest volunteering activity for the a.m., followed by hand throwing our own pottery vases and then designing them with intricate  Egyptian hieroglyphics in the p.m…

We sprayed into our family atmosphere~’eau de boredom‘. (pronounced ‘boredumb‘)

…I, for my part, commenced learning how bake tiny sweet crème brulées, meticulously burning the sugar to a fine crisp on top with my newly acquired torch.  I spent time carefully measuring out ingredients for little petite rounds of tart crust and then carefully plucking and placing fresh ruby red cherries on top.

Getting lost in my kitchen…from one recipe to another allowed me to escape to worlds unknown to me like E. Europe’s state of Georgia, where they make dumplings filled with spiced beef.  And, Mexico where they use beautiful chipotle peppers to flavor their hot soups.

As time ticked on…and more time was clocked in my kitchen than ever before, I began to notice that it was getting a bit crowded in my ‘home-away-from-homeschooling-home/kitchen‘.

“Oh, Mom, I think Anthony Bourdain went to Sardinia, Italy in one episode…you should make that one dish that looked so delicious” casually comments one child while hanging lethargically over the countertop, taking up my precious kitchen square footage. (around month no. 2)

and…

“Since that lamb dish was so flavorful, perhaps we should reconsider that trip to Istanbul, Turkey and see what other dishes we could discover in their culture for you to cook, Mom…” inadvertently quips the other child, while seeing if they can get the burners on the stove to turn off and on…off and on… (around month no.3)

This suggestion from the teen gallery, of actually TRAVELING came…after quite the lackluster reactions of my two teens last fall to the most incredible journey through Ireland that I have ever had the fortune to enjoy. 

“Look kids, another incredible rainbow!!” I gasped as we skimmed remote peninsulas in Ireland.

“Meh,” chorused the peanut teen gallery from the depths of the back seat…both wired for sound to Kindles, ipods, ipads, iphones, and eye-rritating devices!

Rumblings in the family unit were sounding.  A pervading unsettledness was detected in the house…feet shuffled to and fro in and out of the kitchen with punctuated sighs and sheepish mutterings… 

“Are we doing anything today, Mom?”

Finally, after months on end of weaning  activities, granting unprompted gifts of lavish computer time…nothing-planned-after-school-time galore…came the exasperated words that tasted like raw honey dripping from those Irish rainbows…

“Mom…we’re so bored!” says Thing One.  

“Mom…how about we think about a road trip…anywhere?!” pleads Thing Two.

“Meh,” came my lackluster response with a careless shirk of the shoulder. “I have baking to do, photography to learn, articles to write.”

But!  In my mind, I was shouting…

Yessssss, my friends!  Yesssssss, my fellow moms…striving trying to climb the corporate ‘stay-at-home-homeschooling-mom‘ ladder.

Reverse psychology.  It’s the most beautiful tool!  It works…like… Shazam! ~given a month, or two, or three.

All systems were an immediate ‘go‘ once I shed my carefully shielded blah demeanor after what was probably only minutes!  I had the kids pouring over Mapquest, Google, Fodor’s, Yelp, and app after delicious app.  I was giddily dialed-in for the mother-load task of planning, calculating, and plotting…I was in my element again!

The decision was unanimous…

The kids were like putty in my hands…

We would take …The ultimate.  The classic.  The All-American Road Trip to…

The Grand Canyon!!

We got a quick tutorial in changing a flat tire.  A radiator check…car insurance update check…oil change completed

…check, check, check.  

P. was going to stay at home and man the dog, the cat..and oh yeah…the job!

Within 2 days…the kids and I were off.  They didn’t care which direction we went.  Just anywhere out of the stench of …

“eau de boredom“. (pronounced ‘bore-dumb’)

We chose West.  Ultimate destination…the Grand Canyon in Arizona. We’ve traveled east, northwest, and north of Houston, but we really had no idea what lay out there in West Texas lands.

I added in our first stop off at the tiny little Texan, but decidedly influenced by German culture, town called Fredericksburg.

Fredericksburg was settled by German immigrants in the 1840’s.  These immigrants were adamant about holding on to their culture and there is marked display of German culture, heritage, architecture, and food offered in this adorable little Texan town.

Shops sell everything Texan ‘chic’ for outfitting those cattle ranches in their finest southern garb.

When the best leather boots are bought and the softest supplest cowboy hat is fitted, there can’t be anything much better than a good brat, sauerkraut, and cold beer to recuperate from the day’s shopping sprees.

After walking the sidewalks of Fredericksburg and observing the shopfronts that looked like something out of the set of a wild West John Wayne movie set, we belted ourselves in…and headed out further West.

Next destination…Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico.

The landscape became remote.  And when I say remote…I mean r.e.m.o.t.e.

Any signs of life were detected in cactus-like form.  Occasionally, we saw a lizard scamper across the road in front of us.  Madeleine and I actually saw a roll of ‘tumbleweed’ skittering across the highway.  We became one of the only cars for an hour at a time crossing the great expanse of Western Texas.

Goodbye anything “chain” related.  Goodbye Starbucks.  Goodbye Shipley’s donuts.  Did I say…goodbye Starbucks?

The landscape was lunar…dry…barren…dusty…eerie.

After getting used to the shock of bareness as we rolled across the flatlands for hours on end…we began to see the beauty of the landscape unrolling  before us.

We stopped for dinner at the remotest of Mexican restaurants.  We ate a fabulous dinner filled with spicy dishes and fresh tortillas.  M. had a wonderful beef stew called Posole.

I had a wonderful ‘Asado‘ which was fork tender pork slow cooked in spicy red chile pods.

The next day we continued our all-American, classic road trip now turning north into New Mexico.  Just across the border from Texas is one of the largest cave systems in the U.S.

Carlsbad Caverns.

Again, our drive was eerily remote.  For hours at a stretch, we were the only car on the highway.  We kept the gas tank on full and never let it get below half because that is how remotely spread out each town was from each other.

There he is!  Note the ‘Cow Crossing’ sign right behind the big fellow!

As we followed our trusty iphones to the Carlsbad Caverns, it seemed impossible that we were on the correct highway. We weren’t even on a highway anymore but some crumbling down narrow 2-lane country lane stretching into nothingness as far as we could see.

Signs kept appearing determined to warn us about black cows that might be crossing these desolate backroads.   Could we please see a sign that says something helpful like “Carlsbad Caverns…this way”

“Cows Crossing?”  we asked ourselves.  As far as the eye could see, there was absolutely not a living creature in sight.  

But, sure enough…around the next slight hump…there he was.  A black cow in all his black cow-ness…

…staring right at us.

Finally, one tiny little crooked sign said “Carlsbad Caverns”. We breathed a sigh of relief and felt as if civilization was within grasp once again.

We climbed the windy hills up to the caverns, passed gnarly cactus-like trees on the right and left…and wouldn’t have been surprised to see a scene out of a wild west movie crossing the plains below.

The caverns are spectacular.  Out of the middle of nowhere, a huge visitor center appears.  Within minutes, our hours of isolated highway driving ended and we were surrounded by families from all over the country and all over the world experiencing the glory and mystique of the caverns.

We spent over an hour 1.4 miles (equivalent to 79 stories) under the earth’s surface wandering on our own along the miles of softly lit trails in the caves.  

The air was cool, the rocks were damp, and the mood was peaceful and eerie at the same time.

Next stop…another little side deviation from the direct route to the Grand Canyon.  We had recently watched a Samantha Brown travel episode on Santa Fe, New Mexico.  

The resort-like town looked completely different from anywhere we have traveled so we thought it would be a good representation of the New Mexico lifestyle.

The kids and I were googling and ‘yelping’ restaurants and places to stay during the hours on end of highway driving.

We came across this sweet darling little inn in Sante Fe…
El Rey Inn.

El Rey Inn is a charming inn tucked away along a rather busy road running right through the center of Santa Fe.  But, once you drive onto the grounds of the inn, you feel a wonderful ambiance of quiet and relaxation.

After all of those hours of driving, M. and I completely took advantage of the wonderful jacuzzi pool near our room.  The jets were so strong they could almost blow us across the water.

The next morning we were again delighted by the inn’s breakfast room, patio, and buffet.  Yogurts, granolas, lots of fresh fruit, good coffee and tea…were spread out attractively.

El Rey Inn was a treat for us and we enjoyed our stay there.  It was a wonderful respite from the highway drive, the bustling nature of Santa Fe, and the heat of the July sun.

Time to discover the sights and places that Samantha Brown highlighted on her weekend stay in Santa Fe.

We headed to the downtown historical district for some shopping, people watching, and overall New Mexico scenery.

(Needless to say, R. was quite content staying at the inn to catch up on precious computer time!)

Santa Fe was nothing short of fascinating for us.  We are completely unfamiliar with the styles of the Southwest.  From the adobe styled homes to the heavily western, native American, and Mexican styled jewelry and accessories, everything was interesting and different.

I especially enjoyed the faces of the people in Santa Fe.  It was easy to see the multi-cultural heritage in the locals.  I couldn’t take my eyes off of this woman as she whizzed by on her red scooter.

I thought to myself…there is the modern day Native American Woman!  Fierce, free, and just beautiful.

Santa Fe is an artist’s dream city.  Galleries are lined up one after the other and the prices of many items rival anything that might be showcased on 5th Avenue in NYC.

I’ve never worn cowboy boots…but I figure if I were to choose a pair from the 100 or so that were lined up…I would select the pair above.

We were incredibly fortunate in that there was an annual Folk Art Festival in Santa Fe on that particular weekend.  All over the city, tents were set up and all sorts of artists, painters, and sculptures had their creations out for everyone to enjoy and purchase.

After a long and wonderful day of shopping and people-watching, we had dinner at a fun and festive BBQ restaurant before calling it a night.

Next day…the crossing from New Mexico into Arizona…we would be on the famed Route 66!

and to the Grand Canyon at last!

The night we rolled into Flagstaff, Arizona the storm clouds rolled in with us.  Fierce storms raged all night and the morning brought low lying grey clouds clear across the sky.

This could possibly become the epic ‘fail’ of all-American road trips.

We stayed good-natured.  There was nothing we could do about changing the weather.  I think the trip was indeed more about the journey rather than the destination anyway.

People from all over the world were wandering around the rim of the canyon waiting and wondering what this one day would hold in store for them.

Unbelievably, the sun slid out lazily from the greyness,  beautiful soft mists of clouds hung in spots all along the canyon

…and the scenery before us became breathtaking.

We spent the day driving along one look-out spot after the next.  Often we found ourselves caravanning with the same families…not speaking the same languages… but we connected through shared smiles after seeing the vistas stretched out before us.

We just couldn’t have asked for much more at that point.  The storms had cleared the heat and we drove around the rim with the windows down.  We were very grateful to enjoy summer weather without the humidity.

Overall, the trains roaring across the flatlands of Texas, barreling into New Mexico, and through the rocky hills of Arizona were my favorite sight of the trip.

What a lonely scene to watch the chugging of a long train sliding across such barren but beautiful landscapes.  

My eyes would shift from looking at the trains to imagining the lives of the early pioneers as well as the Native Americans as they managed to survive in this harsh part of our country.

I imagined sitting at a camp site after a slow, arduous, and hot trek over the lonely lands.  I wondered what they ate for meals.  How did they keep food fresh and edible?  What about the scorpions?

Soups must have been prepared in the evenings to help feed such a hungry crew of travelers.

Thinking about their rugged lives inspired me to prepare this Chipotle Chicken Soup.  This is a deliciously spiced soup, filled with chunks of chicken, spices, tomatoes and herbs.

The flavors are all representative of the people, the landscape and what was provided for travelers who used the few ingredients that were available to them in such a delicious way.

What an epic trip.  I am really proud of my kids for helping me along the way, getting along with each other really well, and creating a memory-filled drive that will undoubtedly mean more to them as the years move on by.

Chipolte Chicken Tortilla Soup
(recipe from Eat Yourself Skinny blog)

1 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 1/2 tsp. minced garlic
2 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded (I used a roasted chicken from the store)
1 tsp. chipotle chile powder
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 cup water
1/4 tsp. salt
1 (14 oz) can fat-free, low-sodium chicken broth
1 (14.5 oz) can stewed tomatoes
1/4 cup fresh cilantro
1 lime, cut into 4 wedges
2 (6-inch) tortillas, cut into strips
Cooking spray 

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat.  Add minced garlic and shredded chicken; saute for about 2 minutes.  Add chipotle chile powder and cumin; stir well.  Add water, salt, chicken broth and tomatoes and bring to a boil.  Cover, reduce heat and simmer for about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 350˚F and place tortilla strips on a baking sheet.  Spray strips with cooking spray and sprinkle with a touch of chipotle chile powder or chipotle seasoning blend (such as Mrs. Dash).  Bake at 350˚F for about 8 to 10 minutes.  Top soup with baked tortilla strips, cilantro and a lime wedge and enjoy!

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: chicken soup, chipolte chicken soup, Fredericksburg Texas, Grand Canyon, Santa Fe, soup, southwestern soup, travel

Oregon Wine Country…Youngberg Inn, Tapas, and French Bistros

May 20, 2012 By Sarah 33 Comments

After having had a wonderful visit with our family in Portland, enjoying our new baby nephew, Luca, exploring the fabulous “Saturday Market” along the river, and enjoying fresh Pacific salmon dinners, we took off intending to see the Oregon wine country.

Within 30 minutes south of Portland, Oregon, the urban landscape of the city transforms itself into bucolic, lush, green hills and valleys.

We drove along Rt. 5 heading into the Willamette Valley.  We noticed the many bikers pedaling along such beautiful scenic roads and we immediately thought of the french countryside…but it wasn’t.  It was the countryside in Oregon and it captures a distinct American-style beauty.



We came upon farmstands selling all varieties of flowers, baked goods, and fresh produce.  Tall stately white barns dotted the landscape.

At times it was slow-going along these country roads as we crawled alongside the wild turkeys as they pretended cars were of no importance and they waddled passively along.

It seemed we were the only family out on these back country roads.  We rarely passed a car and were so grateful to have such a pleasant drive, windows open, fresh cool air flowing through the car.

This Llama farm certainly caught our attention.  Certainly not something we see every day…or any day!  What shaggy bangs and buck teeth they have and their very inquisitive stares made us laugh at our mutual curiosity of each other. 

We passed through the town of McMinnville on our way to our home-away-from-home for the next several days.  The town looked like a busy little town but at first glimpse, I can’t say that we were too excited to stop and explore.

What we missed passing though was the adorable historic downtown area and we would find ourselves happily wandering back to McMinnville.

I try, when possible, to use Karen Brown’s Travel Guide to choose a B&B.  She has yet to disappoint us with her carefully selected Inns and B&Bs.  They are usually out-of-the way spots that ooze with charm and hospitality.

As we turned down the long, hilly, windy little road to head up the graceful hill to Youngberg Hill Inn, I sensed a delightful discovery ahead.

We all paused at the front gates to gaze upon the sweet, winsome scene before us.  The long, windy drive only added to the approaching beauty of Youngberg Hill Inn perched high above rows and rows of grape vineyards.

Oh, thank you Karen Brown for providing us with another assured choice for our vacation!

As we rolled into the drive way, several cows lazily munched on green grass to our right, lifting their heads only briefly to see who had arrived.

The air was so sweet, cool, and quiet as we rang the bell to announce our arrival.  We could smell warm gooey chocolate chip cookies wafting from the kitchen.  The sense of peacefulness that pervades the entire house is so welcoming and relaxing.

We were shown to our rooms, munching on a few warm cookies.  To my delight, a bottle of Youngberg Hill Pinot Noir wine greeted our arrival as a surprise birthday gift.  I was so tickled by this unexpected gift of hospitality.

The views from the rooms are spectacular.  Lush rolling hills of undulating vineyards stretch out so gracefully.  We were trying to take it all in from the balcony outside our room and just breathe the fresh air that sweeps over the hills.

We freshened up and made our way downstairs for a wine tasting session with the owner of Youngberg Hills, Wayne Bailey.  

What I thought was adorable, is several of the wines are named after the owner’s three daughters, Natasha, Jordan, and Aspen.  What keepsakes to pass on to your children.

We chatted with another sweet couple.  The husband seemed the serious business type to me.  Early the next morning, he was tucked under a tree painting the scenery of the expansive vineyards in front of the house. He was a painter!  I love when people surprise me like that.

We were perfectly content to sit on the huge balcony overlooking all of the vineyards and sip our wine and soak up the ambiance of the inn.  

After all, the inn’s resident sweet faced dog and licorice colored cat were both happily curled up and basking in the afternoon quiet.

The other couple, however, convinced us that if we didn’t drive down into the quaint town of McMinnville, that we would miss out on a bustling town that is such a sweet slice of Americana.

They suggested several restaurants and we all thought a tapas restaurant would be different and fun.

La Rambla restaurant was indeed fun.  We found the historic square of McMinnville.  Quaint, charming, and relaxed are the first words that come to mind when describing the area.  Whereas the rest of McMinnville is busy and faster-paced, life transforms and slows its pace in the historic section.

Restaurants, shops, galleries, and small boutique hotels lined either side of the street.  La Rambla was humming with laughter and movement when we stepped inside.

La Rambla blends Spanish influenced dishes with the freshest ingredients from the Pacific Northwest.  My favorite dish was the stewed tomatoes with chorizo, corona beans, lima beans, and jamón.  (above)

At the bar area, I met a really nice gentleman.  He recommended that if we were looking for a place to relax and enjoy wine country, we should look into Youngberg Hill Inn. “Ha!  We are staying there!” I laughed.

He let me know that he is the executive chef (below) when the Inn holds group dinners in the dining room.  How fun to know…we chatted a bit about our mutual love of food and cooking.

La Rambla is named after a famous avenue in Barcelona.  The food is a specialty from the Iberian Peninsula of Spain.  The building was built in 1884 and is the oldest in McMinnville.  It originally was a town saloon.

But, moving on to desserts.  When we are traveling, we are “bad”.  I mean…BAD.  All healthy considerations go out the window and dessert is almost never skipped.

We decided to try out the Caramel Apple Bread Pudding as well as a plate of the Churros with Dark Chocolate Sauce.  The Churros were much better than the ones we ate in Barcelona.  The bread pudding was definitely the winner.  Not too mushy, subtly flavored instead of overly sweet, and capped off by the warm caramel sauce for a touch of richness.

It was getting late and we knew we wanted to enjoy sunset at Youngberg Hill so we headed back the twisty charming country roads that climbed up into the wine region.

After glancing up and down the historic street of McMinnville, though, we definitely knew we would return the next day to try out another restaurant (or two) and do a bit of shopping.

We returned to the Inn to find chocolates on the bed, cool breezes blowing gently through the window, and the fireplace lit.  What a wonderful atmosphere to enjoy sunset.

And what a sunset.  The light softly lit up the valleys and hills as far as the eye could see.  The quiet was only momentarily interrupted by the mooing of the cows in the side pasture and the sweet giggling of the family’s little girls playing along the hillside next door.

The next morning, there was no sleeping in.  We knew a hearty breakfast was being prepared downstairs.  Freshly brewed coffee could faintly be smelled wafting up.  

Running/walking clothes on, we took off down the long windy road that crosses the inn’s 50 acres of land before hitting the main road.

Going down was a breeze, the air was crisp in the early morning and several deer decided to prance right across the road in front of us.

Coming back up was a whole different story.  Calves ached and thighs groaned…but we knew it was worth it and breakfast would be the reward.

After getting ready for the day, we sipped coffee on the balcony of our room.   We could faintly see Mt. St. Helen in the distance.  I think this was one of my favorite moments at the inn…just relaxing with a strong delicious cup of jo.

First of all, if you breakfast at Youngberg Hill Inn, you have to chat with Becky.  Becky pulls together the fabulous breakfast selections we enjoyed and chats about her life in McMinnville, her children, and what to see and do in wine country.  Thank you Becky for your cheerfulness and big smile!

All while overlooking the hills of vineyards outside, we ate sliced melon with delicious banana bread.  

We also had a very unique egg dish.  Becky whips the egg whites and spreads them over a pesto flavored english muffin.  Then, she carefully lays the egg yolks in the center of the nest of whites and bakes them in the oven.

We enjoyed not only the taste but the presentation of this egg dish.  Beautiful little chive flowers garnished the plate.

Another breakfast totally hit the spot with my kids.  This time Becky soaked slices of french baguette in eggs, added spiced apple slices with a touch of caramel, and baked the whole thing in the oven.  

That mouth-watering dish was served with a yogurt parfait with fresh granola, fruit, and cream topping.

After that hearty breakfast, we decided working it off with some strolling and shopping in McMinnville was in order.  We were headed to the coastline of Oregon next so we didn’t want to miss the shops we saw the night before.

Dare I mention food again so soon after that breakfast, but we cruised right through lunch only to make the decision that Serendipity’s Ice Cream parlor looked too good to pass up.

All I can say is, if you have a chance to order the Mocha Crema with Peanut butter topping – you won’t be sorry.

How to describe McMinnville?  Charming at the same time having a bit of a hippi-vibe.  Couples sat relaxing at the many outdoor tables, sipping on hot coffee while skate boarders and young people went zipping by.  

Antique cars rolled stately along the main avenue right next to patched but character-marked volkswagons dotting the street.

One restaurant where we made a reservation before the trip, really caught my attention while researching this town.  

Bistro Maison.

Bistro Maison is tucked around a side street in the historic district.  It is an authentic french bistro started by frenchman Chef Jean-Jacques.  He and his wife have brought their knowledge from working in Paris, Rome, and New York City to the town of McMinnville, Oregon.

Flowering bushes lined the street spilling onto the side walk.  The little front porch of the restaurant looked as inviting as arriving at grandma’s house.

The front door creaked open and we instantly knew this bistro could be a good choice for us.

And it was…

First of all, the hot french baguettes with the creamy butter that was brought to the table was some of the best bread we tasted in the U.S.  

We savored a delicious sweet potato, red spinach cream soup that M. is asking me try and duplicate.  Also, the french onion soup was delicious and always a favorite of ours.

Chef Jean-Jacques stepped out and we were able to tell him how much we enjoyed his restaurant and his food.  The atmosphere of Bistro Maison is decidedly American on the outside but, oh la la, very french à l’intérieur!

I enjoyed a savory quiche with a roasted beet side salad.  So much on the menu called out to us and I would love to return to Bistro Maison to sample more of their delicious food.

A charming little back garden was being set up for diners to gather there.  Flowers hung randomly over the little walk way and seating areas creating a cozy natural garden setting.  

We enjoyed a beautiful bowl of fresh hazelnuts that was place on the table at the end of the meal.  We had been driving by rows upon rows of hazelnut orchards.  Hazelnut orchards are beautiful as they create such softly lit canopies of light in between their branches.  

Oh, sweet Oregon, your charms are certainly working on this family.  How could there be a rugged wild coastline only 45 minutes away from this gentle pastoral landscape.

It was bittersweet leaving the inn and the wine country of McMinnville but just as Oregon has delighted us at every turn thus far…the Oregon coastline, we would would find out is just as expansive, equally captivating, and so wild and free!

Sweet Potato and Spinach Cream Soup
(this is not the soup from Bistro Maison but another similar recipe)

INGREDIENTS:

  • 4 cups spinach leaves
  • 2 cups sweet potatoes, diced ¼-inch
  • 1 cup julienned smoked sausage
  • ½ cup margarine
  • 1 cup chopped onions
  • ½ cup chopped celery
  • ¼ cup chopped red bell pepper
  • ¼ cup diced garlic
  • 1 cup flour
  • 3 quarts defatted chicken stock
  • 1 quart heavy whipping cream
  • ½ cup sliced chives
  • ½ cup chopped parsley
  • salt and cracked black pepper to taste
  • dash of hot sauce

METHOD:
Wash spinach leaves to remove any sand or grit and finely chop into ¼-inch squares. In a heavy-bottomed Dutch oven, melt margarine over medium-high heat. Add smoked sausage, onions, celery, bell peppers and garlic. Sauté 3 to 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Sprinkle in flour and, using a wire whisk, stir vegetable mixture to form a blonde roux. Add chicken stock, one ladle at a time, whisking constantly until soup consistency is achieved. Add sweet potatoes. Bring to a rolling boil, reduce to simmer and cook approximately 20 minutes. Add spinach and cook approximately 10 additional minutes. Additional stock may be added to retain proper consistency. Add heavy whipping cream, chives and parsley. Season to taste using salt, pepper and hot sauce. Once potatoes are tender, serve in individual soup bowls and garnish with finely chopped spinach.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Bistro Maison McMinnville, karen brown travel guides, La Rambla restaurant, McMinnville Oregon, Oregon Wine Country, Sweet Potato and Spinach Soup, travel, Willamette Valley, Yamhill county, Youngberg Hill Inn

Swedish Ginger Cookies…and a pint in Dublin!

November 7, 2011 By Sarah 28 Comments

Note:  
I’ve been nominated for Babble’s Top 50 Food Blogs. I’ve moved from 197 to spot 31, but I sure would love make it into the top 30!   Could you take a minute and add your vote?   Click here or on the side link to the right.

 Thank You!

If you are still following along with me on our Kenney adventure in Ireland, I thought we should pause for a cookie break.  

These are called “Swedish Ginger Cookies”.  We make them every year and bring some to teachers and friends to share and celebrate the change of seasons.

This year,  the family M. babysits had a baby girl so we brought them a plate of these fall cookies on our visit.

As leaves start to fall all over the country in the U.S. as well as in Ireland, I have been having fun playing around with some camera techniques.  

This is a technique called “bokeh”.  I’ve been trying to see what fun things I can do playing around with light.

Little did we know what gorgeous landscapes we would have ahead of us after leaving the city of Dublin.  I am most excited to show photos from the Irish countryside.

But, first!!  I’m getting ahead of myself.  Our day in Dublin, Ireland.

You just can’t go to Dublin without laying your eyes on the “HaPenny Bridge”.  The bridge is right in the heart of Dublin where everyone is hustling and bustling.

One of my favorite authors, Maeve Binchy is Irish.  I enjoyed remembering scenes from her novels as we walked around this historic city.

I wish we had more time to spend in Dublin but, honestly, we raced through the day.  Our true intent on this trip was to get to the countryside, relax, and just soak in some fall scenery.

The city was busy!  Much busier than we imagined and we jostled and shuffled our way up and down narrow little lanes until we made our way to the Guinness Factory.

Guinness!  Just as one must see the Ha’Penny Bridge in Dublin.  One must understand the importance of Guinness Beer to this country of pubs.

Patrick was thrilled.  This tour spoke to his love of all systems mechanical and to all things…well…beer!

The tour was very well put together and easy to follow along with the automated screens guiding people through the process of roasting barley, collecting hops, and blending it altogether just perfectly.

We made our way to the very top of the factory floors.  In a huge room, crowded with beer enthusiasts everywhere, is where the crowning glass of Guinness beer is poured for each guest.

After we collected our glasses of beer, we found an out of the way table where it was quiet.  We had a wonderful view of the city of Dublin.

We were tired.  We relaxed in our little nook for a good long while, enjoying a cold drink and some “crisps” while looking out at all of Dublin.

It was time to return back to Clontarf Castle.  That night was to be Riley’s birthday dinner at the Castle restaurant “Fahrenheit Grill”.

The salmon was delicious.  We were recommended to try the various seafood dishes in Ireland.  The smoked salmon salad was also very fresh and flavorful with its vodka soured cream julienne of beetroot, and salmon caviar over a fresh herb salad.

However, this lamb dish captured the night for me.  I really enjoyed the tenderness of the lamb with a rich cognac cream and peppercorn sauce.

We were all excited about getting into the Irish countryside.  And, it does not disappoint!  

Everything we ever read and heard about the countryside of Ireland is true.  It is enchanting and alluring around every narrow curvy country road.

Our plan was to head south to a small fishing port town called Kinsale.  Along the way, we thought we might stop and see the ruins of  The Rock of Cashel.  

Last night in the castle.  A wonderful dinner enjoyed.  Our itinerary was carefree at this point with two days to amble along the coastline of Ireland.  Eventually, we would check into our home away from home, The Pax House, on the Dingle Peninsula.

Swedish Ginger Cookies:

2 sticks of butter (16 Tbsp)
1 1/2 cups of sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 Tbsp orange zest
2 Tbsp. dark corn syrup
1 Tbsp. water
3 1/4 c. flour
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp cloves

Cream 1 cup of butter and 1 1/2 cup of sugar together.  Add 1 egg and beat until fluffy.  Add  orange zest,  dark corn syrup, and water.  Mix altogether.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves.  Stir these ingredients into the cream mixture.  Chill for two hours.

Preheat oven to 375˚ F.  Take dough out of refrigerator and bring to room temperature. Roll out dough on a floured surface and cut with fall leaf and acorn cookie cutters.  

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes until edges have begun to brown.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Clontarf Castle, Dublin, family, Guiness beer, Guiness Tour, Ireland, Lamb, Salmon, smoked salmon, travel

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