This summer has come and gone in the flashiest of a flash. We kept ourselves pretty busy, and almost nothing made it to the blog (hey, grad school time constraints). So here’s a little rundown of everything I missed.
Travels:
I think we managed to get away almost every weekend this summer, whether it was a day on the mountain, a quick trip to Crater Lake, or a weekend in Idaho.
We spent a weekend in Central Oregon on a church camping trip at the Cove Palisades State Park. We ate the fanciest s’mores of all time, provided by the amazing Nineteen27 S’mores, lounged in the lake, and hiked to the top of a cliff to watch the sunset over the mountains. Dreamy.
Eric and I went for a little morning jog in the park, which turned into a deer watching extravaganza. I’ll spare you the 20 blurry, long-distance photos I took of the deer family with my phone.
Aside from our anniversary weekend getaway to the McKenzie River, we also spent a weekend there with our favorite little ladies.
Eats:
Once upon a time, this little blog spent a lot more time talking about food. Summertime is a glorious time to eat in Oregon, with the best fresh berries that can make their way into almost anything. I made this blueberry torte that ended up being a bit of a mess when my springform pan sprung a leak, but it was delish.
I returned to an old favorite, these blueberry oat bars, earlier this summer. I used homemade blackberry jam, and a combination of strawberries and blackberries in the bars. So good.
We’ve managed to stop at Joe’s Donuts for a little road trip pick-me-up a few times this summer. I have no photos of the donuts, but this is my level of happiness each time we stop at Joe’s.
I’ve sung the praises of Gwyneth Paltrow’s cookbooks before, but this Zuni Sheet Pan Chicken was the best chicken ever made in my kitchen. Honestly, everything I’ve made from her latest cookbook, “It’s All Easy” has been amazing. (These Szechuan Style Green Beans are everything you’ve ever wanted.)
A few random things:
We ended up next to this on the highway one weekend. #blessed
Our favorite annual event, Street of Dreams, took us on a tour of five multi-million dollar homes on a vineyard with views of Mount Hood. I don’t know how you get dreamier than that.
Here’s to you, summer. I wish you weren’t leaving us so soon!
-Ally
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