Me in Melange

Apologies to Seurat

Had a new experience the other day, and such a fun one! My sweet brother-in-law got a gift certificate for me, my sister and my mom to go to a "Bottle and Bottega" class. It's a painting workshop with alcohol, basically. A brilliant combination, and a long-historic one, I'm sure, lol. So the workshop is kind of like an art party, and it's in the afternoon which is my favorite time to party, and it was in a gorgeous part of Portland, and hanging out with my mom and sister was super-fun. Plus you get to take home what you make. So it was a great idea and I am grateful to my clever brother in law for the gift! Thank you Ryan!

The idea is that an experienced, professional artist leads the group through a pre-chosen painting, step by step. In this case a somewhat dark forested path under some trees called "Sunday Stroll".

When you arrive they give you a paper plate daubed with all of the colors in their rainbow, a set of brushes, a glass of water, and a rag. The artist then shows you what to paint, what brush to use, and paints along in the front of the room. They say you are completely free to do whatever you want, choose different colors, placement, even subject matter - it's your painting. That said, everyone did exactly what the teacher did. And their paintings were pretty awesome! The size was nice, not too small - everyone's looked more or less like the teacher's, and they all looked impressive. Of course I (troublemaker) had to go a different route - I felt I had to change the colors. My decor at home is kind of soft - lots of rich creams and ivories, with pops of pink and aqua, a little silver here and there, soft sage green. So if my painting stood a snowball's chance in hell of being hung on the wall it would have to have in a different color palette entirely. I do make art, but I am not an acrylic painter. I can watercolor, but painting with oils and acrylics is a whole other beast, and takes a lot of practice. Years. I figured this painting would stand no chance at all of being hung on my wall, even if it was in different colors. It would most likely suck. Which of course doesn't matter because that isn't what the experience is about. I didn't mind if it sucked, I was having fun hanging out with my fam!

 After a few cautious dabs I got inspired.

Pink.

Pink was what it needed. Pink, pink, pink and more pink. With some soft aqua, and some soft sage green. I may be obsessed with these colors. Can I get some ivory in here? A little silver? Whatever, if it moves you, roll with it. So I liked the big, soft dots my big brush was creating in pink, and I daubed away some more. Soon some darker pink dots joined the lighter ones, then....soft blue dots, green dots, and even a tiny bit of the dreaded purple...but in lavender. Soothing.

I decided against the vertical tree trunks, or even a literal version of a path...I knew from experience that if I tried to introduce a different brush stroke or hard line into this ocean of pale, soft dots, it would totally screw it up. I decided to quit while I was ahead and go all Seurat. Pointilism. Pastels, A day in the park. A "Sunday Stroll", if you will. And I liked it!  (actual Seurat below.)

Until I got it home. Ugh. So bright. The pinks are blasting pinks, far too loud. The blues are harsh and bright, and look straight out of the bottle. I should have used WAY more white, but white was hard to get at the workshop. They were a little stingy with the paint, I'm sure because wine-soaked attendees in the past had wasted it and lost them money, but sheesh I felt a little guilty when I asked for more and more white. So, I like the painting, but not enough to hang it on an upstairs wall. It's in my basement, lol, and looks like something from high school. But I had a great tie making it. Highly recommend for family fun, kid's parties, etc! 

And I love that part of Portland, just south of downtown. The hills, the trees, the views, the gorgeous old architecture, it was a pleasure to be there in the sunny afternoon.

Wishing you all a little more art, wine, fun times and gorgeous old architecture!

xoxoxo DR 

Nicest Room in the House

Omg. First home renovation project. Don't get me wrong - we hired a professional - but we are experiencing the heady, intoxicating thrill of home improvement for the first time in our lives. We did have the windows replaced earlier this year, which I suppose technically was our first major renovation, but this time around it's not only more immediately cosmetic, but this particular improvement makes available a whole new 200 sq feet of space which in a house this size is a LOT!

Plus, it gleams like golden honey, and that's never bad. In short - we got a bedroom floor refinished! Squeee! 

In the old days I used to get excited about rock and roll concerts. About amazing vacations. Cute boys. Now, it's floor refinishing. I am so enamored with this thing I open the door to peek at it 20 times a day. I turn on the lamp or ceiling lights in there at different times of day for effect, fluff the curtains and admire the view - it's just darling!

Eventually it will be my new bedroom. I have a room in our finished basement but it's so dark down there I am craving the light, breezy atmosphere of the upstairs. It would be mine this very minute except we have to order a new bed, and wait two whole weeks to put down the area rug. Darn it! The floor has to do something that sounds very vulgar - the floor guys told me, it needs to "gas off", before a rug should be put on it. Ok, fine with me - gas off all you want, I'll wait. So in the meantime I'm keeping it well-lit, fluffed, and admired until move in day. Exactly 11 days from now. 

This room used to have the worst green carpet you've ever seen, and god knows how old it was, it was there when we moved in, ten years ago. When we pulled it up it had a splotchy painted, gouged, and chipped wood floor. Now - it's the nicest room in the house!

Happy Sunday! xoxoxo DR 

What Fall Weekends Were Made For

Ahhhh, it's raining! Whoever thought we'd be starving for rain in Oregon?! But starving we are - it's like perpetual summer around here these days! But today....ahhhhhhh. It's not quite a downpour, but a good, steady rain for at least an hour now, turning into a consistent drizzle. Everything looks wet, smells good, and there are hardly any people on the street. With perpetual summer comes perpetual motorcycle engines, leaf blowers, bumping stereos and loud porch drinkers. Right now it's cool, calm and quiet, just the way I like it!  

 ON to the snack portion of this post: THE PERFECT RAINY DAY CHILI CHEESE NACHOS

These babies are full of flavor, texture, silky, cheesy smoothness and savory satisfaction, BUT - they have no dairy, no meat, no processed food of any kind! They are actually healthy chili cheese nachos! Serve em to your kids! Serve em to your footballers! They'll be so intent on the game they won't even notice they're healthy! 

Here is the recipe for the amazing "cheese" sauce, of which you'll need two batches so DOUBLE THIS RECIPE.(So easy!) 

Cheese Sauce

Ingredients: 1/4 c raw cashews soaked for at least one hour. 1 1/4 c diced potatoes, heaping 1/3 c diced carrots, 2 - 3 Tbsp nutritional yeast, 2 Tbsp coconut oil, 2 Tbsp water, 1 1/2 tsp lemon juice, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 medium clove garlic, 1/2 - 3/4 tsp white wine vinegar, to taste.

Directions: Simply boil the potatoes and carrots until tender, drain and put everything the blender, blending until smooth. Adjust consistency by adding tiny bit of water to taste. This stuff is SO GOOD!

Chili Nachos

Ingredients: 1/2 package of morningstar griller crumbles, a double recipe (2 batches) of vegan cheese sauce, 2 c diced onion, 1 red bell pepper diced with juices, 1 Tbsp tomato paste, 14 oz diced tomatoes, 1 can red kidney beans, 1 can black beans, 3 cloves garlic, 1/2 c sliced black olives, 1 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar, 1 Tbsp pchili powder, 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp oregano. 

Directions: Sautee griller crumbles as directed, set aside. In a large skillet sautee onion and garlic until tender. Add beans and tomatoes and spices and sautee another ten minutes. Remove from heat. In a glass container, or large dip container, pour a layer of bean and tomato mixture, topped by a layer griller cumbles, a sparse layer of olives, and then a layer of cheese sauce, and continue layering until cheese is used up covering the top, saving 1/3 c of bean mixture for a "garnish", topped with olives. Place chips as desired. Serve. Enjoy!

xoxoxo DR

 

Fun Night Out!

Well a miracle occurred and we got out, went downtown and on out to Beaverton for a book reading - on a week night! Very few people could lure us so far out of our usual (and admittedly, a little lame) routine, but Gayle Forman is one of them! A dear friend who has been in our lives for almost 25 years, Gayle has lived in New York forever and we don't get over there even a fourth of how much we'd like to, so luckily - Gayle is famous, and goes on book tours which bring her frequently to Portland, so we get to see her anyway!!!! Hooray! Gayle's smash hit, best-selling, made-into-a-movie YA novel called "If I Stay" made her a world-wide phenomenon, and the last time we saw her was when she was here promoting its sequel. This time she is here for her newest novel called "Leave Me". I am very intrigued by the story as it's about a mother who works so hard doing everything for everyone that she has a heart attack and doesn't even know it. Wow! Having just survived the birth-18 years I have a lot of compassion for her. Mind-blowingly difficult no matter who you are, or who your kids are, motherhood in particular is literally a blood-letting. Physical at birth, and emotional all down the line.The all-encompassing love, desire to protect and teach your children is sometimes at war with your need for peace. For personal space, for room to think, for a personality that you might have forgotten you had. No matter what whether motherhood is bliss or bellyaching, whether it's the best thing ever, or just not for you, I think we can all agree that it is INTENSE. How we handle that in our own ways would make a million books, a million movies. I'm looking forward to seeing how Gayle's character handles it, and I'm guessing somewhat like Gayle seems to be herself. With a true heart, damaged or not. Because how do you get through life without a little heart damage, anyway? 

Also - it was a karoake book signing. It's a thing I hear! Gayle's choice was "Total Eclipse of the Heart" which took me back to MTV at my parent's house, circa 1983 or 1984, squinting at the teeny, tiny BLACK AND WHITE TELEVISION we had! Can you believe that?!! I might as well have come over on the Oregon Trail! A black and white freaking tv. Like a 12" square tv. Tiny. Wow. Ok, moving on....HOORAY FOR WEEK NIGHT ADVENTURES! And weekend ones, seeing as it's Friday!

Happy weekend everyone! xoxoxo DR 

Ensemble du Jour

We're so completely in love with the new Eileen Fisher collections that have come in recently - They are so full of fall color and luxurious fabrics, designed in every-day silhouettes that are complete knock-outs! Take, for instance, this amazing combination - Eileen's smooth and sexy Fine Merino Jersey Bateau Neck Long Top in golden arnica, paired with her AMAZING Parka Trim Funnel Neck Vest and the luxuriously soft Modal Twill Scarf - chilly morning? Just add her super-soft Merino Glovettes in that sweet arnica stripe for a totally fashionable, functional, urban-cool and classic kind of look! Don't forget the denim - check out these sexy mid-rise Agnes jeans from Citizens - so perfect for fall and beyond! It's so fabulous to mix and match all of Eileen's pieces - this vest looks incredible over her striped top, and her sleek black turtleneck top - and they in turn go effortlessly with that adorable striped skirt - and how about with Citizens's incredible Velveteen jeans?!!! So fall-fabulous, and ready for the holidays! Ahhhh, it's the best time of year!!! xoxoxox Happy Monday! xoxo DR

 

 

 

Back-to-Cool

Don't you LOVE fall?! There must be something innately, biologically ingrained in us to love fall. When the air turns a little bit brisk after the dog days of summer, and we smell some wood smoke in the air, or there is a good, hard rain during the night and you wake up to that smell of soaked pine needles, and hear the crows happily cawing overhead, and you start thinking....pumpkins. Pie. Cashmere. BOOTS!!!!! 

It used to be that along with visions of coziness fall would bring its own load of stress. The words "'back-to-school" at first delighted me as a young parent - I enjoyed shopping for school supplies with Cora, and taking her to her early years at school, participating in events, making costumes, volunteering, packing lunches, etc. It was really fun, and really cute most of the time! But...as the tween years wane and the teen years wax...it is less fun. "School supplies" become exponentially more expensive as they grow older. They don't need college ruled paper and pencils anymore. They need expensive calculators and lap tops, apps and phone plans. And many pairs of expensive shoes. Yikes! 

But now, a fresh empty-nester - those three words hold no power over me. When I see huge ads for back-to-school sales I don't panic, I don't brace myself - I realize they aren't talking to me anymore. I am free to enjoy fall without pressure. Free to cook, make things, take walks and brighten the house. I'm so excited!!!!!!!! 

As you can tell I adore cooking. I wish food had no calories (don't we all) so that I could cook all the time and eat everything I cook. Instead I try to find the cleanest recipes I can so that I can enjoy making them and eat them without adverse consequences. Fall is an especially wonderful time to get into the kitchen, especially if you don't have to cook (and clean, ugh) for little ones. I had a great time baking that chocolate cake the other day, and I followed it up with the most amazing faux-chicken soup in the world. I'm including the recipe below. It is so flavorful, so lip-smackingly delicious, and so healthy I'm going to make it again as soon as possible. As long as it's easy, healthy and delicious, I'm in cooking-heaven. I don't even mind doing the dishes, when there aren't too many.

Art is also calling - I'm making a new print - a simple floral stencil and spray paint kind of print, but at least it's something after a long time of not making any art. I feel so inspired by having a clean, quiet house, I feel like making things all day long! I think I must be part-hobbit the way I love my home to be just so, cozy, and somewhat reclusive. Next week I'm going to make some velvet pumpkins. Velvet pumpkins!!!! And velvet acorns!!!! How gorgeous are those?!!! I'm including the tutorial here because they look SO easy! (you can also youtube them!)

And let me just add - as far as the holidays go (and I know this is controversial) - in my house it's never too early. As long as its tasteful and in the appropriate doses, holiday decor can happen any old time after August. I'm not talking garish Halloween decor, unless it's simple pumpkins and soft lights - something beautiful. I do not care for the macabre, the ghoulish, the gory or the terrifying. I am a wimp, a wuss, an early-to-bed-Julie-Andrews kind of girl. But who isn't, really, deep down? It's possible to love scary Halloween and love cozy lanterns and candle light, cozy cottages with crackling firesides, spiced cider and harvest soup. I think it's impossible not to. That biologically-wired-to-love-fall thing I mentioned before. So that's what this fall is to me. Getting creative, cooking delicious food, and savoring every moment. Oh, and cashmere. It's always about cashmere. And boots.

 xoxoxo Happy Tuesday! DR 

 

AMAZING FAUX-CHICKEN SOUP-FOR-THE-SOUL

1 package Morningstar Chicken Strips 

2 containers of Imagin No-Chicken Broth

1/4 cilantro, chopped

1/2 yellow onion, diced

2 carrots, sliced

2 c white rice, cooked

salt and pepper to taste

Directions: sautee chicken strips as directed, add diced onion and sautee until transluscent, set aside. Pour one container of broth into a soup pot and add diced carrots. Bring to a boil and cook until carrots are tender - about six minutes or so. Add chicken and onions and rice, along with second broth container. Cook for three minutes or until completely heated through and ameliorated. Add cilantro and salt and pepper and serve! Bon Appetit! xoxo 

 

Living on the Edge

We live in an amazing place. Portland, Oregon is an incredible city, has always been an incredible city, but it is changing by the hour. I've lived in Oregon for over 40 years, and the working-class logging town is loooong gone. Portland is not even the place where "young people go to retire" anymore, and it's getting less "weird" by the second. Suddenly the world has discovered our little oasis and it wants to live here. It's happening so fast it's pretty alarming. An entire new population is moving in, displacing whole neighborhoods and changing the character of the city. Overnight historic homes are being demolished and enormous condo projects rise in their places. We've only been here ten years, but feel like real old timers when we remember the barbershop that used to be where the fashionable Albina Press coffee house is now. "Remember that bar before it was a "vintage arcade-with-beer"? Remember that mechanics before it became a high-end bistro? Remember that taco truck before it became a 147-unit condo?" Yes, we nod our greying heads sagely, like it was yesterday. Because it was!

We live on 50th street in southeast Portland. THE prime neighborhood in the nation for real estate. On our street alone there is the above-mentioned 147 unit condo nearing completion, another 12 unit townhouse row also nearing completion, a 27 unit condo only about 1/3 way done, another 12 unit townhouse block finished six months ago, a newly-demolished site where 16 units will go in shortly, another block to our north has just had a permit issued for demolition with the plan of a 47 unit condo going in. This is just on our street alone. Last week we got a notice that the 100 year old house behind us will be demolished next month, and four townhouses going in. Right behind us. Looking into our backyard. 

Trying not to panic we called our landscape/contractor guy immediately and scheduled a replacement of our back fence, making it much higher, with lattice on top for privacy, and we are planning on fencing around the entire house next year. Maybe put a deck on our garage to use as much of our property as we can. It's time to stick out our elbows and claim our space in this ever-changing, NOISY world. It's horrific how many dump trucks, cement trucks, and work trucks of all kinds it takes to build a condo. It's deafening, constant vibration, rumbling, idling, shouting, maddening. And it's disorienting! Every time I leave the house to walk the dog I see new demolitions, new builds, old trees gone, entire blocks restructured and I think, "where am I?" 

So I think we're in for it. There is no escape when the build is right next to you. Think good thoughts for us over the next year, and beyond. My plan is to hunker down, get out of town as often as possible, and make more chocolate cake.

Happy Monday everyone!

xoxo DR 

The Best Chocolate Cake I've Ever Had

There might be a person on this planet who doesn't like chocolate cake, but I have not met them yet. Smooth, moist, rich, satisfying, so very chocolatey... I think we all agree - chocolate cake is the bomb! 

It was my husband's birthday the other day and he requested a simple chocolate cake, with chocolate frosting. What he got was the best chocolate cake either of us have ever had - and, joyfully, it is SO EASY TO MAKE! This baby is so easy I plan on whipping it up any time the occasion permits - family dinner, neighbor game night, fall picnic - it is sure to please anyone, anywhere, and draw sighs of sheer pleasure from every lucky recipient. Recipe below, and also on this fabulous blog: http://itdoesnttastelikechicken.com/2015/11/21/the-ultimate-vegan-chocolate-cake/   

Prep time:  20 mins

Cook time:  40 mins

Total time:  1 hour

 

Serves: 1 two layer cake with frosting

 

INGREDIENTS

• Dry Ingredients:
• 2½ Cups All Purpose Flour
• 2½ Cups White Sugar
• 1 Cup Cocoa Powder
• 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
• ½ teaspoon Baking Soda
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• Wet Ingredients:
• 2⅔ Cups Non-Dairy Milk of Choice (I used soy)
• ⅔ Cups Light Oil (such as canola or vegetable)
• 2 Tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar
• 1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract
• Frosting Ingredients:
• ½ Cup Vegan Butter (Such as Earth Balance)
• ½ Cup Vegetable Shortening (see notes)
• 1¼ Cup Powdered Sugar
• ¼ Cup Cocoa Powder
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• 1 - 2 Tablespoons Non-Dairy Milk (if needed)

 

INSTRUCTIONS

1. To Make the Cake: Preheat your oven to 350F (180C).
2. Prepare two 8" round baking pans by lightly greasing them, and then cutting a circle of parchment paper to fit into the bottom.
3. In a large bowl whisk together all of the dry ingredients, then set aside.
4. In a medium bowl whisk together all of the wet ingredients.
5. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Don't over mix.
6. Divide the batter into the prepared pans, then pop them in the oven.
7. Bake for about 40 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the cakes cool completely before frosting.
8. To Make the Frosting: Use a mixer to blend all of the frosting ingredients except for the non dairy milk. Blend until whipped and creamy. If the frosting is a bit to stiff, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of non-dairy milk as needed until desired consistency is reached.
9. To Assemble the Cake: Run a knife around the edges of the cake pans, and flip the pans over to remove the cakes. Remove the parchment paper and discard.
10. Set the first cake on your cake plate, and spread about half of the frosting on top. Place the second cake on top of the frosted cake, and spread the remaining frosting on top of that cake. Add swirl patterns with your spatula to make it pretty. Store the cake in the fridge or a cool place until you are ready to serve.