Bridgetown Sextet

I've been following a local band on FB for probably a year now.  They are the Bridgetown Sextet.  I don't remember how I found out about them, but I think it was a link through a swing dance group which led me to a link to a restaurant or something and eventually I zeroed in on this band that plays New Orleans style swing.  They only play once every couple of months or so, and so it took this long for them to play on a night when Mike didn't have to work and we were able to get a sitter.  They definitely met my expectations and were worth following their schedule for a year! 

We saw them at a supperclub called Tony's Starlight, and since Mike and I were first to arrive, we were practically seated on the stage.  Well, to be honest my foot actually was on the stage, although my seat was not.

Here's a photo re-run from My365+1.  The prompt was "Music", and I thought this was appropriate.  Yes, I was sitting that close.

what do you with a lot of basil?

Target brand Home Scents bamboo sugar cane is a really good fragrance, and about a quarter of the price of Yankee Candle.

We only have a windowsill garden  at this time, but we have a whole lotta basil, and I'm trying to figure out what to do with it.  Will try basil tea tonight.  I guess you just take basil leaves and steep for 5 minutes, but it's too relaxing to drink during the day (with a 2yo). 

Saturday email post

Since Mike and Mae are out of town, I took Libby to Krispy Kreme for breakfast.  She was so messy that I have to change my clothes now.
After KK we went over to Target to do some shopping, and at the perfume counter I sprayed Jennifer Aniston in my eye.  They have the testers permanently mounted at eye level, see.

Backyard renovation complete!

I'm so delighted to say that our backyard re-do is now done, and we spent several hours outside yesterday enjoying our new "huge" space.

Before, and this is a nice picture that hardly shows how bad it was:

A few weeks later, after many many people came over with buckets to haul away free rocks, we were still left with rocks embedded in mud.

So I hired someone to come and dig out the rocks, and he did an awesome job, though now I have a huge berm of mud and rocks on the side of my house.

Had to wait a few weeks for a bark duster to be available.  This is a really common product in Oregon.  Getting someone to actually show up was the bigger challenge, as usual.  I was starting to wonder if this is just an Oregon thing (showing up late, not showing up at all, whining), but then remembered my sister telling me a similar story about fence repair in TX ("you're the 3rd person I called, and the first to show up - you're hired").  I called her to complain and she let me in on a little secret about hiring contractors.  We followed her advice and had no problem.  They showed up without whining and did a great job.

I know my tablecloth is lame, just ignore that part.





Ninkasi Beer Dinner

Last Friday night, Mike and I attended a 6-course dinner at one of our favorite restaurants here in town. It was a private event, featuring dishes chosen to complement specific Ninkasi beers. Ninkasi is located in Eugene, Oregon.

I skipped lunch so I would have a good appetite. I had seen the menu in advance and I wasn't too sure how I would react to duck egg or rabbit.

Here is the menu. You can click on the photo to make it larger.

We were seated outdoors on a tent-covered patio.  The dinner was for 40 but I only counted 34 diners.  The restaurant does these private dinners monthly, with a different bar host each time.  I had heard that last month's dinner was sold out and seated 50 (at a dinner for 40) with 10 more lined up outside.  I am not sure what to think about only 34 people showing up to the Ninkasi event, but at least it wasn't crowded.

We were served a tiny beer/watermelon juice cocktail to start.  It was delicious.

Each of the 6 courses was accompanied by an 8-12 oz glass of beer.  I had thought the beers would be smaller.  I certainly didn't drink all of them.

First course, a tuna tartare, with the only beer I enjoyed that night, the Helles Belles.  No offense to Ninkasi, but I'm just not a beer drinker.  Mike chose the event.  The tuna could have been slightly fresher, but hey, we're in Oregon.  I have had somewhat better tuna tartare in Long Beach, CA.  A poached duck egg was served on the side, luckily, so I could just set it aside and try not to look at it.

Next course was a stuffed squash blossom, with a teeny salad, very good to eat.

I couldn't eat the 3rd course very well, though I did try.  It was the rabbit galantine.  I'm completely desensitized when it comes to the subject of chicken, pork, or beef, but the thought of eating rabbit is troubling to me (I think of it as a rodent).  Unfortunately the chef made it worse by describing the galantine process in great detail just before the dish was served.  Then Mike invited the chef to join us at our table where they discussed it further and even the chef described the process as sounding "gross".  (Mike apologized to me later for leading the conversation.)  I ate 2 bites to be polite to the chef.  It tasted good.  But I couldn't get the kitchen images out of my mind.  Luckily, the course was small, only 2 little rabbit coins, so to speak.

The 4th course was a roasted butterfish, which was a meaty fish, and very good.

The 5th course was confusing.  It was maple pork jowl.  Before it was served, we were provided with huge steak knives.  The thing that was actually served did not require any kind of knife.  The pork had been slow roasted for 8 hours, so it was fall-off-the-bone tender, and if you are familiar with pork jowl then you will know it is primarily fat.  So, the thing that I was served was a thick slab of fat, in which I could only find 3 measly forkfuls of meat.  The meat that I did find was delicious.  But I found the whole presentation to be strange, especially with the big knife, and I told the chef so.  By now it was getting dark in the tent and I had to use the flash.



 Dessert was a chocolate cake.  Fair to good.

I enjoyed the food, but more enjoyed the fact that the dinner was 3.5 hours.  Being able to linger slowly over food that is being served slowly is pretty much the exact opposite of how I normally eat.  Which is:

a) eating crusts off of the kids' plates, or

b) shoveling food in my mouth as fast as I can like I've just been released from prison camp (think of Marion in Raiders of the Lost Ark), or

c) eating at a restaurant where they serve enough food for 6 courses but all on one plate.

For that reason I am looking forward to the next time we attend this event at Hall Street Grill.

Saturday 1pm

Thought I'd post from my email (via iPhone) today. Busy with work and Mike's busy with school. But not much paying work today because I don't have a sitter on the weekend. It's hot (77). We've already been for a walk in the stroller and played in our backyard. Now inside in the a/c watching Kipper and soon will be Mae's nap time. Backyard still unfinished but expect to have playground chips delivered and installed Wednesday. I'm so burnt by "service" providers that I'm not sure I'll believe it til I see it. Mae can say Hi, no, and Down.

Update on My365+1

I think I'm a teeny bit behind schedule on My365+1, but not too much.  I enjoy following the prompts, but fell behind when I started to get competitive.  Also the prompts have been repetitive, which adds negatively to (subtracts from?) the challenge.  I'm sure it's difficult to come up with 365+1 different prompts, especially since the project leader has only been doing this publicly for one year now.  But almost every prompt in April was a flower, and going outside is a challenge in itself, when you have 2 babies and no leashes and one of them is frequently napping. as well as trying to find flowers to shoot in Oregon in April.

Food is another common prompt. 

The project leader tells us that in order to find inspiration that it helps to have a goal in mind.  This is no problem for me.  I have known what this project is for since day 1.  It is a yearbook of our family's life in 2012.  So every photo needs to be a tiny glimpse of what our life is like.  I do not want a 2012 yearbook that is 365+1 pictures of food.  It is not a freaking cookbook, it is a yearbook.

A red letter day

Today was the first day ever ever, when Mike and I could have dinner without interruption, without requiring a babysitter or even having the kids tied down in their high chairs.  Libby and Mae had already eaten their dinner and they were playing nicely together in the play house.  It felt like some kind of miracle.