Portland Timbers Home Opener 4/14/11

Amazing. Just amazing.

This video from Match Day 360 captures the night well.
Except for the rain.

A few shots from my iPhone.

Until the next match.

Snaps Around Town

Sunny Day




Rainy Day




Dusk




Dawn

Norsen's Cove on Vashon Island

A relaxing walk leads to an amazing treasure. Norsen's Cove is a private refuge that is down the road from family that live on the west side of Vashon Island.

We were lucky to get permission, with a quick wave and chat, to take a walk down the green path to the cove below.















































What a wonderful weekend walk.

Vashon Island Weekend

A few snaps from our adventures visiting family on Vashon Island.

Father and Son

Finding time for chess.




Concentration.

Super Dip for a Super Sunday

Dip is divine. So much variety. So much goodness.

My favorite dip as a child was the universal Velveeta and salsa. Spicy, cheesy, gooey and messy.

These days I'm more into dips that I make myself.

Green Goddess
Caramelized Onion

Recipes are from The America's Test Kitchen Healthy Family Cookbook.





Green Goddess Dip

1 cup 1 percent lowfat cottage cheese
1/4 cup boiling water
1 cup lowfat sour cream
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves
1 tablespoon fresh tarragon leaves
1 garlic clove, minced
Salt and pepper
1/4 cup minced fresh chives

Process the cottage cheese and boiling water together in a food processor until smooth, about 30 seconds. Add the sour cream, oil, lemon juice, parsley, tarragon, garlic, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper and continue to process until combined, about 30 seconds. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the chives. Cover and refrigerate until the flavors have blended, about 1 hour. Season with salt and pepper to taste before serving.





Caramelized Onion Dip

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion, minced
1/2 teaspoon light brown sugar
Salt and pepper
1 cup 1 percent lowfat cottage cheese
1/4 cup boiling eater
1 cup lowfat sour cream
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1/8 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 scallions, sliced thin

Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in an 8- inch skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the onion, brown sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 5 minutes.





Reduce the heat to medium-low and continue to cook, stirring frequently, until the onion is golden and caramelized, about 20 minutes. Set aside to cool slightly.





Meanwhile process the cottage cheese and boiling water together in a food processor until smooth, about 30 seconds. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, sour cream, vinegar, Worcestershire, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper and continue to process until combined, about 30 seconds.

Transfer the processed cheese mixture to a bowl and stir in the caramelized onion and scallions. Cover and refrigerate until the flavors have blended, about 1 hour. Season with salt and pepper to taste before serving.

Okay, I fess up I don't use lowfat sourcream. Ick. And I processed mine in a blender. Easy peasy.

Enjoy.

Red and Green make Brown Smoothie

Making smoothies can give you a bit of education in mixing colors. Today I had yellow pineapple, red and blue berries, creamy bananas and dark green collard greens. When you mix the dark red/blue with the dark green you get a reddish brown color.

Normally I would steer clear of a drink this color, but I made it so I know what's in it. And in my world anything with pineapple is bound to be delicious.










Red and Green make Brown Smoothie

2 bananas
3/4 cup frozen pineapple
3/4 cup cherry berry blend fruit mix
4 collard greens
1 to 1 1/2 cups water

Blend well.

Pro tip: When you use frozen fruit you will need slightly more water to get to the same consistency you would have with fresh fruit.

Pro tip: Trader Joe's has great, affordable frozen fruit.

Enjoy.

Confession. I'm not following the green smoothie detox plan anymore. After two weeks I made a move to smoothie for breakfast and lunch with a hopefully healthy dinner. Just saying.

How do you like your collard greens?

I bet you never thought of eating collard greens raw, in a smoothie.

The green smoothie recipe for today includes that very large leafy vegetable.

Apples and Collards - Green Smoothie

2 ripe bananas
1 large apple (cored)
4 collard greens
1 cup water (little more, little less)

Blend well.










Enjoy! This is one of my favorites.

Green Smoothie - Very Berry Variety

Here is a recipe for a green smoothie that's not so green. It would be easy to sneak past unsuspecting children.

1 Banana
1 1/2 cups Very Berry frozen fruit mix
2 stalks celery chopped
1/2 cup sprouts
1 to 1 1/2 cups water

Blend well.






Notice the red color. See, green but not green.

Notice the super snazzy blender circa 1970's. It does the job. Sometimes the smoothies are not as smooth as a fancier Blendtec blender would make them, but it suffices.

Oh yeah, today is my cheat day. I had a wonderful tofu scramble with spinach for breakfast. The pinch of curry was the ticket.

Green Smoothie Detox - wha???

Okay, here's the deal. My wonderful friend Judith asked me if I'd like to take part in a green smoothie detox. She told me that when she signed up she was able to add a guest for free. She mentioned I could take it at my own pace and that during the program there would likely be solicitations for other products but I didn't have to buy anything.

I said sure. Then I thought to myself, hmmm, what is a green smoothie detox?

Now I know.
I'm learning lots.

Some of which are.....

I like green smoothies.
A raw diet is "interesting" :)
I can now grow my own sprouts.
My 1970's blender was kick-ass for it's time and still is.
Buying lots of leafy greens is cheaper than buying meat.
Kale is my friend.

This program, which is put on by the Green Smoothie Queen with mention of the Raw Food Divas, is completely foreign compared to anything I have ever done before. I have never even contemplated eating raw. Never. Ever. Never. And....I'm pretty sure detox has never been on any of my "to do" lists.

But, I'm doing it. And with minimal cheating. I make it through each day reminding myself this is a detox and that I am not making a complete 180 and changing to a complete raw lifestyle. But, I'll likely continue having green smoothies.

Hey, it's only a month right. I can do this. I'll keep you updated as the month progresses.

Back to my friend Judith. I met her a few years ago. She was a nurse practitioner at my work's health clinic. She left the company we worked for to explore new possibilities. After my heart attack last July, I sent her a quick note thinking she was still back east studying but discovered she was back in town. What a boon for me.

Judith teaches. She teaches about food. She teaches about self and what's important. Sometimes we forget the basics and we need a teacher. Judith reminded me to...Be happy. Destress. Eat well. Take time for myself.

So my journey continues and I'm not perfect but if you are interested in being reminded to...Be happy. Destress. Eat well. Take time for yourself...then check out her website All That Nourishes and sign up for the newsletter.

Patience

Chacha seems to know what time it is and who is due to be home any minute.


Yes, I know. That tree needs to come down.

Happy New Year.