Friday, July 17, 2009

Miss me? Probably not

Recap of my life since I last posted...

Ashland, Oregon B&B and Shakespearean Festival with my mom.

This is the Bed and Breakfast we stayed in.

I know! Totally not bed and breakfasty at all. Very spa like.

Each room had their own private bath. I absolutely love this bathroom.

Check out that sink! Beautiful. :)

For breakfast the first morning we had individual bread puddings with fresh fruit, and a blueberry scone. For day two, we had individual pans of eggs Florentine, fresh fruit and an amazing blueberry muffin. They also had complimentary bottles of water, soda, and fresh homemade cookies for any time of the day!

I will totally be visiting again. www.peltonhouse.com Check it out. :)

Here are some good eats on our trip...

Standing Stone Brewing Co.

Black and Blue Grilled Steak Salad.

Very delicious, though I had to ask for more blue cheese.

Mom and I enjoyed the outdoor seating at the Standing Stone.

Pasta Piatti's

I had the minestrone, mom had pasta with marinara and chunks of mozzarella. I ordered us a side of bruscheta.

The bruschetta was amazing, with big fresh chunks of cherry tomatoes and basil. Mom really liked adding a little balsamic vinegar.
Zoey's Cafe and All Natural Ice Cream
I had the peppermint stick ice cream. A childhood favorite!
Activities in Ashland
We saw two plays: Don Quixote and Much Ado About Nothing. Both were well done. I really enjoyed the puppetry in Don Quixote. And the way the director set Much Ado About Nothing in post World War II Italy was phenomenal!
We also had a picnic and went swimming at Emigrant Lake.
All of our lunches were packed from home. I grilled a few pieces of chicken breast for sandwiches and wraps. Of course we used my homemade bread and tortillas. We also brought a bunch of fruit and veggies for snacks.
We also walked around Ashland's historical cemetery.
We were going to do this tour thing with people dressed up like historical figures, but we decided it might be boring. so we just looked at the stones and such.
We also did a ton of walking, and we went to a few garage sales. I found a really cool vase and a free Martha Stewart book. :)
On our last day (the day we drove home), we stopped at the Rogue Creamery in Central Point Oregon. We tested a bunch of amazing cheeses.
Then we walked across the parking lot and went to Lillie Bell Farms. They had some of the best chocolate I've ever tasted. Including some chocolate covered...
...bacon! Actually pretty good. I only had a little sliver.

Below is some of my lute from the creamery and chocolate factory.
I got a small wedge of Smokey Blue cheese. The smokey-rich flavor of this cheese is to die for! I also got a small four pack of Lillie Belle's Dark Chocolate Carmel infused with lavender. OMGoodness They put a tiny dab of salt on the top. All the flavors are heaven. I also purchase one Chocolate covered Smokey Blue Cheese Truffle.
This is the inside of the truffle. I was really scared to try it. I thought it was going to have a big hunk of blue cheese in the middle, but the blue cheese was infused in the chocolate. I savored every bite. The combination was near Ecstasy.
Cheese is my favorite food. Dark chocolate is my favorite dessert. Put the two together: like a party in the mouth. Woot!
Here are some of my creative meal ideas from this past week:
Smokey Blue Cheese and Pear Salad

I used my blue cheese in a couple different meals this week.
In this salad:
  • 1 cup Romaine
  • 1 whole ripe pear (cored and diced)
  • 1/4 of diced red onion
  • 1 oz Smokey Blue Cheese
  • 1/8 walnuts
  • My own homemade honey balsamic dressing (1 tbsp honey, 1/2 tbsp olive oil, 1/2 tbsp balsamic vinegar, salt to taste)

I actually ended up adding the walnuts after I took this photo. I forgot them at first.

I enjoyed this salad so much, I had it two days in a row for lunch.
Quinoa with Lemon Zucchini
I got this recipe from the Whole Food's website. It called for crumbled feta on top, but I didn't have any, so I used my blue cheese. I think this cheese didn't go too well with the lemony flavor. Very good dish though.
Banana, Blueberry and Walnut Oatmeal.

In this bowl:
  • 1/2 cup cooked oats
  • 1/2 cup of Vanilla Almond Breeze
  • 1/4 cup walnuts
  • 1/4 blueberries
  • 1/2 banana
  • 2 tsp brown sugar
  • 1 tsp Light Smart Balance butter
Cook oats. Then in a small frying pan, melt butter, add sugar, and saute fruit and nuts for a few minutes. Add almond milk to oats and top with the fruit and nut mix.

So delicious!

I hope to blog tomorrow morning, to get back on track.

Have a good weekend everyone.

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