SWEET BLISS

I told her she really shouldn't wear that red lipstick!

2012-01-31T17:22:00.000-08:00

Since we've been home from SoCal, we've been anxiously awaiting our trip to Texas and planning our last few cities to tour in Germany when we are there in March. But, we are back at the inn for about a week and I am gathering my Romantic Homes magazines, perusing my very dull wardrobe and trying to find the "girl" in me. Sometimes that's really hard for me to do because I love my hiking boots, my "men's" long sleeve thermals and today, ...me with no make up! Avoiding mirrors today has been easy but every once in a while I catch that plain middle aged old woman staring at me. When I say, "what are you looking at," she just smiles and goes on about her business. It's such a good thing I have a great sense of humor!

I really haven't minded getting older and you can ask anyone, I really didn't whine when I turned 50 last July either. I think I get that attitude from my paternal grandmother who seemed to take "life" in stride. She never complained much, she lived simply and truly enjoyed whomever was around her. And, lucky for me I got to spend a lot of time with her when she was alive and I learned so much just being in her presence.

I have also learned a lot from my mother too. She taught me and is still teaching me how to be a "girl." I'm not sure I'll ever grasp it fully but I can blame that on my dad who loved teaching us how to weed properly, mow the grass and change the oil in the car. Oh, and change a flat tire too. We were pretty proud of ourselves that we caught on so quickly and so was he. He got his boys in the three daughters my mom tried to keep in dresses most of the time. But, it was my grandmother again that probably has influenced me the most in my life. My mom says she taught her so much too. She says she was a better mom, a better wife and overall a better person for knowing her mother-in-law. But the most important thing my mom says she learned was to be sure to put a nice shade of lipstick on your lips first thing in the morning or immediately after you give birth. It was important to my grandma to look kept and tidy. So, if I could have picked anyone to write a book on etiquette in the recent past, it would have been my grandma. I'm sure it would have been a good book!

That lipstick thing always had me wondering and wondering if it would really be the first thing a woman thinks about right after delivering a baby. Well, it's not! It wasn't for me anyways but things change over time and each generation finds out what's important to them and what's not I guess. And the other thing about lipstick, it used to always crack me up to see older women in red lipstick and I don't mean just a light shade of red, I mean that Christmas candy shade of red. However, I'm living proof that a nice bright shade of red can do wonders to fading hair color, skin changes and tired eyes. No one will look at that other stuff when they have two stunning red lips to look at. Why would they want to miss all that!

I will keep leaving those red marks on my coffee cup and they will be a reminder that I can wear red lipstick if I want to and that my friends... will make me smile!

The Vintage Roost... showing me the love!

2012-01-22T22:27:00.000-08:00

We are so lucky to have these sweet places popping up in the Willamette Valley!

Please join Debbie Williams and her friends at The Vintage Roost beginning February 3rd!

The most darling pebble lane lined with a sweetness that makes you lose your breath with delight. Your heart will melt at the sight and scents of the baked pies and cookies. Become enamored with the jewels, bobbles, knitted items and every bit of joy after another.

I love the "roost" and our inn is adorned with the beautiful things I have found here over the past five years. Our guests love the cookies and pies I have brought home and my dear friends and family have enjoyed every bit the gifts I have given from The Vintage Roost!

Hope to see you in N. Albany beginning Friday, February 3rd!

Travel Oregon "Ask Oregon" Ambassador, Willamette Valley... a pretty sweet job!

2012-01-17T08:44:00.000-08:00

This is a response I sent to a potential tourist from Scotland wanting to visit Oregon this fall! My job as an "Ask Oregon" Ambassador is to answer questions about the Willamette Valley via email, Twitter, Facebook, etc. This guy likes jazz and country western and wanted to know what he should do as he travels around the entire state. I could have rambled on paragraph after paragraph but I had to give my other "Ask Oregon" Ambassadors a chance to share what they love about their region! So, Ted... hope you enjoy your trip this fall to the most beautiful place in the country and let us know if we can answer any more questions for you!

I'm Debbie Lusk the Travel Oregon "Ask Oregon" Ambassador for the Willamette Valley! I love questions like yours because I get a chance to tell you everything I love about Oregon! I will concentrate here on the Willamette Valley but believe me when I tell you that you will enjoy every minute you spend in this gorgeous state!

I am glad you will be exploring and that is my favorite thing to do. However, I would like to entice you to spend as much time as you can allow in the Willamette Valley! We are known for our rolling hills of green that are covered in vineyards. In fact, you will be here in Oregon around harvest time. Lucky you!!! Have you ever stomped grapes, enjoyed barrel tasting, or strolled through a vineyard only to find the viticulturist that will love telling you about their wine? That happens here in the valley and we have about 400 wineries so please, take your time!

What is great about our towns and villages in the Willamette Valley, is often you will find that "out of the way" spot where delicious food, decadent wine or the best brews can be enjoyed along with jazz or even that county western music you love. I urge you to check out this website for some ideas on where to find our wineries and out of they way places to relax and enjoy!

http://www.oregonwinecountry.org/

on this website, you will also find a list of events that you can check on now and then while you are awaiting your visit here.

Don't forget about our coffee houses too! We do have some awesome brews when it comes to coffee right here as well. My fav is a McMenamins blend. You can enjoy it at all of their restaurants or buy a bag or two to take back home with you. It's best when enjoyed around a roaring outdoor fire with just a touch of cream floating on top. There are several McMenamins restaurants and facilities to enjoy along with concert venues and outdoor enjoyment. They are also fun places to find lodging as well.

Their link: http://www.mcmenamins.com/

I hope all of this info helps and please stop by and say hello if you happen to be in Albany, Oregon. We have an awesome carousel project that is being hand carved at this very time. A 15 year project that has about 4 years left to go! A stop worth making and be sure to bring your camera!

Thanks again for your question!

Debbie Lusk

"Ask Oregon" Ambassador, Willamette Valley

Chandelier Tours... Albany, Oregon

2012-01-14T10:41:00.000-08:00

Things do get a little interesting here in Albany sometimes and I know... that's a shocker! But... Albany has it's summer tour of historic homes and it's famous Christmas Parlour Tour, so... why not add an "ALBANY CHANDELIER TOUR???"

Open your curtains and let us walk through our historic districts with a guide book full of stories and history and ogle the chandeliers that adorn our homes through lit windows. Many of them have amazing history, many are original to the home and some are just plain gaudy.

The previous owners of our 1908 Craftsman Bungalow left not only a ton of original sconces, they left the homes first chandelier! It needs to be re-wired so we are on a mission to find someone to do that!

Let me know if you have a chandelier you want to show off and we'll see if we can't put together a little event. Timing it with our awesome Cemetery tour/event put on by the Albany Regional Museum would be perfect!

I will let you know if this pans out and provide dates and times as things progress!

"What is my perfect crime? I break into Tiffany's at midnight. Do I go for the vault? No. I go for the chandelier. It's priceless. As I'm taking it down, a woman catches me. She tells me to stop. It's her father's business. She's Tiffany. I say no. We make love all night. In the morning cops come and I escape in one of their uniforms. I tell her to meet me in Mexico, but I go to Canada. I don't trust her. Besides, I like the cold. Thirty years later I get a postcard. I have a son, and he's the chief of police. This is where the story gets interesting: I tell Tiffany to meet me in Paris by the Trocadaro. She's been waiting for me all these years, she's never taken another lover. I don't care, I don't show up. I go to Berlin. That's where I stashed the chandelier."

...Dwight Schrute (The Office)

Valentines Day in Oregon at The Pfeiffer Cottage Inn... he loves me!

2012-01-09T19:45:00.000-08:00

He loves me!

That is the theme for Valentines Day this year at the inn. Tuesday, February 14th we will celebrate the day for "love" by adding a few extra goodies to your already romantic B & B stay. A chilled bottle of Champagne or an Oregon Sparkling Wine, chocolates for two and roses all in your guest room and ready for your arrival!

Please be sure to make your dinner reservations soon too! We recommend Sybaris, Sweet Red or Vault 244 for a romantic dinner for two!

Please reserve your room via our website on our "rooms and reservations" page... http://www.thepfeiffercottageinn.com/The_Pfeiffer_Cottage_Inn/Rooms_and_Reservations.html

"Bianca's Vineyard" by: Teresa Neumann

2012-01-03T23:18:00.000-08:00

It's not unusual to get a phone call from a local author and be asked to read their book. It's happened a few times lately and I have to say, I feel pretty privileged to be asked in the first place then again when I have read the book. My most recent read was "Bianca's Vineyard" by Teresa Neumann. Teresa lives near us in the Willamette Valley and found out about our book club here at the inn and asked if she could give me her book to read. I have to say, I have a huge pile of books to get through and wish at times that I could grab them all and read for a week solid! But, when I was asked to read Bianca's Vineyard, I put it on the top of that pile and vowed to finish it as soon as possible.

I had read a few chapters before my family came for the holidays and then set it aside. No time for reading while they were here and when my head the pillow each night, I was out cold. So, now it's time to regroup and things are slowing down so I grabbed the book again a few days ago and vowed to finish it by today, just in time for our January Chick Lit Book Club meeting.

I did finish it this afternoon and I haven't stopped thinking about since then. I enjoyed sharing it at our meeting tonight but it's one of those books that is so intertwined with family, war, relationships, etc., that it must be read to thoroughly soak it up. So, without giving too much away, I attempted a quick short version which apparently was quite impossible as evidenced by my frustration I felt trying to tell a story that was so perfectly written. I finally stopped and told my friends that they would just have to read the book for themselves. I didn't want to take anything away that they may discover on their own.

I am anxious for the others to read Bianca's Vineyard so we can discuss it completely. And, I am excited to bring the author to our next meeting so perhaps she can share the story and encourage those who have not read it to do so. The story is heartwarming, the characters endearing and the reality of war is apparent throughout. I truly think that I will remember this book for a very long time and there is no doubt that whenever I pull the cork on a nice bottle of wine, drain a huge pot of pasta and pour a thick red marinara over it or even dredge a chunk of crusty bread through a bowl of olive oil and devour it, I will be thinking of Bianca's Vineyard.

Thank you Teresa!

Brian Polcyn... A Carousel Dinner!

2011-12-30T20:52:00.000-08:00

A chef that has a sense of humor and a talent for trussing a chicken among many other things, Chef Brian Polcyn will delight your senses on Sunday, January 15th! Hope you already got your tickets!

Call 541-928-8157 to reserve your seat at Sybaris!

If you'd like to learn more about Chef Polcyn, check out http://theforestgrill.com/_chefs.php

Chick Lit's... an Oregon Book Club!

2011-12-28T18:15:00.000-08:00

Chick Lits 2012!

CHICK LIT'S

Our Chick Lits Book Club will be meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 3rd at 6pm at The Pfeiffer Cottage Inn

I hope that all of you had a wonderful Christmas!

I am planning on dinner for everyone and haven't quite decided what to make yet but a ton very tasty and healthy ideas are coming to mind!

PLEASE RSVP SO I WILL NOW HOW TO PLAN!

Looking forward to seeing you all and sharing my new book from another local author Teresa Neumann, "Bianca's Vineyard!"

Teresa will be joining us in February!

FRUITCAKE... from the Willamette Valley!

2011-12-21T13:31:00.000-08:00

All it took was a post on Facebook about how much I love Fruitcake and it has snowballed from there! What I didn't know, is that there are quite a few fruitcake lovers out there but I think I have found someone that is way more obsessed with it than I am! But, I have benefited from his obsession and have been blessed with three homemade and very delicious fruitcakes. Thanks to Matt Bennett, I'm not the only "fruitcake" in town and thanks to his lovely wife Janel, we may have really begun a big FRUITCAKE REVIVAL!

We all remember the cakes we had when we were kids at grandmas at Christmastime. Liquor soaked loaves inundated with nuts, raisins and fruits that we had never seen before in anything else. A little bite or nibble and some of us were hooked! Others... well, let's just say they aren't fruitcake lovers!

I ordered some fruitcake from the Trappest Monastery right here in the Willamette Valley. My Facebook buddies said it was the best. I googled "where to find the best fruit cake in the world" and the Monastery Fruitcake came up on top so I ordered three-one pound boxes!

According to Matt Bennett, he has been on his fruitcake kick for a while and the three loaves he has given me along with the Trappests loaf proved to be a great beginning to a nice little afternoon tasting and comparing between these four fruitcakes.

I have to say, I thought one would win out above all the others. It didn't happen that way. Each and every fruitcake had it's very own distinctive taste. One was soaked in Apple Jack and was moist and full of flavor. Another was more cakey and tasty as well. The larger of the three had a lot of spice flavor that pretty much won me over. Matt said it would be good to use as a Christmas stuffing bread. Great idea! The Monastery Fruitcake was pretty and full of fruit and nuts with very little actual "cake!" Very dense but still moist and delicious as well.

What excited me most about tasting fruitcake with Matt, Janel, Ray and the Bennett daughters was not only that were we surrounded by pans of peanut brittle, candied almonds, a huge Gingerbread Boy and homemade root beer candy in the kitchen of Sybaris, but that this fruitcake obsession could quite possibly end up the latest Willamette Valley craze! Matt's idea of dousing future fruitcakes in Oregon distilled goods and baking them with ingredients found here, could quite possibly bring fruitcake right back to where it should be... on every one's dessert table at Christmastime and this is an exciting possibility to this obsessed fruitcake lover!

The rest of the itinerary! Christmas in Oregon 2011

2011-12-18T22:33:00.000-08:00

I've made my family an itinerary for their first few days in Oregon beginning this Wednesday. But now, I have to finish it! So, I decided to blog this part of it so I can share the rest of the things on my itinerary list with everyone! We are planning to spend most of the time they are here in Albany and the Willamette Valley but we have a whole day planned for Portland before they all depart on the 28th. So, here goes the fun!

Like I said, the first few days are taken care of and just a heads up, we are dining in a different country each night right here at the inn. When my family arrives, they will enjoy Ireland and a nice dose of Guinness Irish Stew with a delicious loaf of Cheddar Beer Bread! Day two will take us to beautiful Italy and my dad has asked for spaghetti so he gets spaghetti! I will make my pasta sauce with Sweet Italian and Spicy Italian sausage and a hefty dose of Oregon Pinot Noir. I just finished making Double Chocolate Biscotti to go with that Salted Caramel Gelato in the freezer!

In between all the eating, I'd like to try and fit in:

Karaoke at Pizza King

Shop for Christmas gifts downtown

Find an old barn off Peoria Rd. and take some photos of my family

Lead a cemetery tour in the rain

Lead a midnight tour of the inn with all the lights off and tell stories of ghost sightings

Take a walking Christmas light walking tour through our historic districts

Plan our trip to Germany

Discuss the history and ingredients of a fruitcake while dissecting one (not yours Matt!)

Teach my family how to make a "really good" margarita

Burn a sugar cube or two after it's been doused in Absinthe

Take a hike through the OSU College Forests

Take a "Coffee & Dessert" nosh tour

Visit the Carousel Museum

We will visit France on Friday, day three! We will enjoy Tapas French style with two types of baked brie, some hard French cheese's, fruit, local sausages and Galettes au Roquefort otherwise known as Roquefort Cheese Biscuits. I haven't figured out dessert yet but I am sure Christmas cookies made here at the inn would be fine.

My goal was to keep Christmas Eve dinner lite and tasty so a few Spanish dishes came to mind. On the list for our visit to Spain... Vegetarian Paella, Gambas a la plancha or pan-grilled shrimp, Ensalada Mixta and a nice finish of Magdalenas or Spanish Cakes for dessert along with Valor 'Chocolate a la Taza' or Thick Hot Chocolate!

Christmas Day... Sunday will be pretty typical. Matt Bennett from Sybaris has taken our pork loin and cured it. Ray smoked it for several hours today and it's sitting wrapped in the fridge waiting for it's side dishes all to be served on the 25th. Let's just hope it's still there when we want to serve it!

I'm pretty sure leftovers are on the menu for the day after Christmas. And... I'm sure we'll be relaxing and enjoying doing nothing but watching movies and perhaps taking a walk down by the river. We'll see what we feel like doing.

December 27th will take us to Multnomah Falls early in the day. Some of us will hike up to the top while others enjoy the view from below. It will be an amazing sight to see if the falls are partially frozen over! From the falls, we will find a sweet cafe along the Old Columbia River HWY to have a bite for lunch and then head to Portland. Once we have checked our family in to the Ace Hotel, we will check out the food carts, Pioneer Square, Powell's, Voodoo Donuts and see what else we can find. Dinner is planned at Bridgeport Brewery where I am already planning to order my beer and pizza that I love.

Most of our guests leave on the 28th but not before we meet once more for one last "taste of Portland!" My favorite place to get a bagel... Kenny and Zukes! Next to the Ace, the walk will be short and the food delicious!

I think I will need a vacation of my own when this is all said and done! So, we'll head to SoCal in January to spend time enjoying seeing friends and spending more time with a few family members.

Hope you love "the rest of the itinerary!" See you all Wednesday or Saturday! Fly safe!

Sahalie Falls with a Ninkasi Chaser!

2011-12-17T10:16:00.000-08:00

Being the Travel Oregon "Ask Oregon" Willamette Valley Ambassador has it's perks for sure! A good excuse for me anyways to get out and learn and explore more about Oregon and especially this week, explore the Eugene area! Cari from Eugene, Cascades and Coast offered to be my guide and what a great day we had. It started at The Pump Cafe in Springfield with Blueberry Pancakes and Stuffed French Toast.

Right off of HWY 126, the falls are on the left at the Koosah Falls turn out. Hiking the trail to the falls is relatively easy although, we had a little snow and ice to walk over. Later in the spring, summer and again the fall, this trail is very easily accessible and even has a trail that is stroller and wheelchair friendly.

We had a bite to eat at Takoda's just off the HWY on the way back to Eugene. We chose to dine inside of course but when the weather is warm, the patio is quite amazing! Having lunch along the McKenzie River would be perfect. We're already planning our next hiking trip and lunch this way for early summer 2012!

Back in Eugene, we stopped at the Eugene, Cascades and Coast Adventure Center! I think this place is the most interesting of all the visitor's centers I have been in. Staffed with the nicest folks and full of information on what to see and experience in Lane County! The center is also stocked with maps and brochures of what to do and see as well as shelves stocked full of local wines and beers. And this brings me to Ninkasi!

Only five years in the making and Ninkasi has already made a huge name for itself. Expanding again, Ninkasi can be found at pretty much every brew pub in Oregon and bottled and sold at markets all over Oregon as well! Tasting and touring Ninkasi Thursday afternoon was a great ending to an already great day with Cari. So glad Meg and Emily could join us too. And I have to say when Ninkasi was mentioned way before this day was planned, Ray and Steven kindly offered to come along as well. There's something about really good beer that brings people together!

Thanks Cari for a great day! You know what I like... food, hiking and really good beer! My idea of a perfect "fam tour!"

I will be enjoying the falls again this summer and being able to share with travelers that are looking for that great Eugene area experience will come pretty easy. The Willamette Valley has so much to offer to everyone. Whatever it is you love to do, I hope you do it here this year to come!

A MERRY CHRISTMAS GIFT OF NOSHING!...Albany Nosh Tour

2011-12-13T09:22:00.000-08:00

Christmas in only a few weeks away and it's crazy how that day sneaks up on me. I think I'm pretty organized until someone reminds me just how close it is. A second of panic hits then I do a quick mental recap of what's under my tree then I can take a deep breath and relax. I only have a few gifts left to get and I know where to find them but it's just making the time to do it. Recently it dawned on me that our Albany Nosh Tour would be the best gift for a few friends that live right here in town. I know they love really good food and I know they'd love being able to "taste" at several of our local restaurants all in one afternoon. Tickets to an Albany Nosh Tour sounds like the perfect gift!

Click HERE to be taken to that delicious page where you can purchase your gift of NOSHING!

The tours run on the last Saturday of each month. From 4-7pm enjoy being taken to each sweet spot by bus or vintage style trolley. Each month restaurants will entice you to return with delicious tastes such as Calapooia Brewing Co.'s "Class V Burger and Garlic Fries," Vault 244's cocktails and bites, Cappies brew choice and perhaps a "Chocolate Molten Lava Cake" for dessert or Novak's Hungarian delicacies and experience Italy right here in the Willamette Valley at Pizza King! We never know what is going to be featured so it's a surprise for all of us each and every month!

I love these tours because I love seeing people discover Albany's restaurants even though they have been going to them for years. Sampling items off their usual choices, tastes just a tad "out of the box" and special treats being featured and then shared by our very own award winning chef's. I truly believe that everyone benefits from these tours.

Whether you are the gift giver or a receiver of the gift of NOSHING this Christmas, we hope you enjoy it no matter what!

Please call if you'd like more info regarding the ALBANY NOSH TOURS!

541-928-0911

Christmas shopping in Albany, Oregon this weekend December 9, 10 & 11

2011-12-08T23:51:00.000-08:00

This is mostly going to be a "pictures speak louder than words" kind of blog.

The Albany Antique Mall is open 7 days a week and till 8pm Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings!

Pumpkin Hollow is a cottage full of prims, candles and all that good stuff that makes you feel warm. I am loving my candle our son picked out for the inn. Hillbilly Brew has scents of spice, pumpkin and faintly smells of something else that I just can't put my finger on but I lite it every chance I get!

Vintage Roost on N. Scenic in Albany ends this Saturday for the season. Open Friday too, this cottage is filling with baked goods such as pies, cinnamon rolls, cookies and fudge. I will go just for the cookies but I always find such darling things there and everyone knows that an inn needs to be filled with darling things. Thank goodness for Vintage Roost!

Mon Petit Château... well, someday for me but for now we will love our Craftsman Bungalow and love it even more when it's filled with our family and friends this season. Warm and cozy beds piled high with blankets, pillows and sisters! Family is the best kind of gift for the holidays!

Christmas in Oregon!

2011-12-06T23:46:00.000-08:00

I love this first photograph. Ray took it near Mt. Hood almost two years ago. I wouldn't get out of the car because I was freezing. I still wanted this picture taken so he got out and took for me. It's probably one of the most beautiful pictures we have of that region.

There is no doubt that this is going to be the most amazing weekend in Oregon let alone the Willamette Valley! We have the frigid weather, the trees are lit, the homes are decorated and it just feels like Christmas here in Albany. Our Christmas Parlour Tour is this Sunday. You can go by horse drawn wagon or trolley to homes on the tour. Call the Albany Visitor's Assn. for info: 541-928-0911

Let me tell you what else is happening this weekend! Several boutiques are open Friday and Saturday. Places such as Vintage Roost and Pumpkin Hollow will be open and filled to the brim with the sweetest handmade goodies. Prims, pies, vintage Christmas things and some items you cannot find anywhere else!

We also have several places downtown where dining is a special event. Sybaris in downtown Albany has a Dicken's lunch on Sunday that sounds like so much fun. Be prepared to taste buttered mushrooms on toast or chestnut soup and the main course... roast goose breast with apple-sage stuffing and braised red cabbage. Dessert is plum pudding with hard sauce. I think they still have a few tables left so call for your reservation or click HERE to be taken to their website to see the full menu for yourself.

I took this photo in Portland last Christmas. The courthouse is beautiful all lit up for the holidays. The tree is huge at Pioneer Square and downtown is filled with visitors from all over the world. I am quite sure than many cities and villages in Oregon look festive and decked out for the holidays!

Christmas in Oregon has to include baking. Using Oregon made products like butter from Tillamook is important to us. Supporting local not only makes sense but the quality is outstanding. I am trying to remember what I was making when I took this photo. It could have been my Cherry Muffins but maybe it was Christmas Blondies. I love making those and I could actually eat a whole jar of Maraschino cherries but I refrain because they do taste really good in Blondies.

This photo was actually taken last Christmas in So Cal where we are from. It's warmer there in December than it is in Oregon. We miss our friends and our family that still live there but we love it here in Oregon so this is home now. This Christmas we stay home at our inn and our family is coming to us. We'll take tours, follow my crazy itinerary, make meals together, play on the hiking trails, shop downtown, admire the Christmas lights that make our historic district look even more amazing than they usually do and spend time just being together.

No matter where in Oregon you are this season, enjoy... you will love it!

A Christmas Itinerary... for my friend!

2011-12-04T17:41:00.000-08:00

Friday you arrive about 8:30 am in to PDX. While you are walking to baggage claim, look around! You have just entered the top scoring airport in six overall areas surveyed in 2010... "ease of connections, customs and baggage, food/shops/amenities, comfort/design and perceived safety and security!"

I will be waiting for you as you exit the secure terminal area and accompany you to your luggage and on to where our ride will be waiting for us. We will travel approximately 20 minutes toward downtown Portland where we will be taken to the Pearl District... "an area of Portland, Oregon, formerly occupied by warehouses, light industry and railroad classification yards and now noted for its art galleries, upscale businesses and residences. The area has been undergoing significant urban renewal since the late 1990s, including the removal of a viaduct and construction of the Portland Streetcar. It now mostly consists of high-rise condominiums and warehouse-to-loft conversions."

From the Pearl, we will walk to Lovejoy Bakers where we will enjoy a bagel, muffin or breakfast sandwich and a latte. Lovejoy Bakers make the best breakfast sandwiches. You many want to enjoy an egg, butter and fontina sandwich!

We will escort Ray back to the loft and you and I can head up to 23rd. Taking Lovejoy, we will enjoy the sights and take in the feel of the city. Shopping, chocolate tasting and enjoying the people watching is only the beginning of the fun and feel of excitement the Rose City exudes. We will trek down to Powell's where you can spend as long as you want perusing the city block of books and enjoy yet another latte in the cafe. Another "people watching" opportunity! From Powell's we will street car the entire route to take in the full vibe of the city and then finally get dropped at 10th and Johnson where we will say our "good-bye's" to Ray and make our way to Albany via Pioneer Square to see the Christmas Tree. We should be back home in the Willamette Valley by evening but if we're ready for dinner before we make it all the way to Albany, might I suggest the Oswego Grill?! Feel free to click on the link by hovering over the name of the restaurant to see their menu! Once we have checked in to the inn, we can settle in for the tour, the tea and time to catch up! Bed time then more fun on Saturday!

Saturday... enjoy a healthy breakfast of oatmeal filled with banana, brown sugar and rice milk. This is great with the coffee obtained from my favorite... "Market of Choice" in Corvallis. Stumptown!

"The business practices and quality standards of Stumptown Coffee Roasters have led to them being recognized as having "revolutionized the coffee business" and helped "refine coffee drinkers' palates" in Portland. Founder Duane Sorenson and Stumptown Coffee Roasters have been credited as being part of the so-called "Third Wave" of the coffee movement."

Once we have enjoyed our slow morning, we can get ready for the day and head out to follow my list of my most fav places in and out of Albany!

Albany Antique Mall

Emma Downtown

Vintage Roost

Pumpkin Hollow

Garlands

Inkwell

Drive by tour of OSU

Old Growth Trail... a very short walk but only if it's dry and not freezing cold!

Burgers at First Burger for lunch

Sweet Reds for coffee or tea

Albany Carousel Museum

...and I'm sure I'll be adding a few places to the list along the way!

We will rest up shortly then be on our way again with dinner at Pizza Amore' for salad and garlic bread balls then it's time for CHRISTMAS BELLES at the Albany Civic Theater. The play lasts about two hours then we'll ck out Vault 244 for cocktails and chatter! Back to the inn late but thoroughly satisfied and ready for a good night's rest!

Sunday we will entertain guests here for the Albany Christmas Parlour Tour! Breakfast of English Cheddar Omelette's, Brit Bacon, Blueberry Scones and fruit will get all of us going for another busy day!

Once our guests have checked out, we will ready for the tour ourselves! We will begin again at Pumpkin Hollow in N. Albany where we can purchase our "home tour" tickets and begin there at a replica of a "Salt Box" home right here in Albany! It's only a few years old but you will swear it's been here for 200 years! The tour will take us to several homes where we can enjoy experiencing Christmas from times gone by. Historic, classic, famous and absolutely stunning... that's truly vintage Albany! We may decided to ride our trolley or catch a ride on the horse pulled wagon. Norman Rockwell would have been proud of the scenes we will be a part of creating! FYI: bring your scarf, heavy coat and gloves... it's gonna be cold but that too makes the season even more merry!

After the tour, we may decide on a quiet dinner somewhere or head over to Calapooia Brewing for some Chili Beer, burgers and tots... we'll see what we feel like! It's then time to head back to the inn and relax!

Monday morning we'll head back to PDX but we're taking the slow road! A quick stop in Aurora will warm your heart and soul with it's cuteness but not before we have warmed our bodies with coffee and a quick breakfast at Allan Bros., The Beanery, near I 5. They have the best Mexican Mocha's!

We'll chat and reminisce all the way to Portland then say our good-bye's. But remember... it's only for a short while! I'll see you January my friend!

Merry Christmas and see you in five days!

A Christmas Parlour Tour... is it all an illusion???

2011-11-29T10:28:00.000-08:00

Jerry Andrus, a world renown illusionist called his home in Albany the "house of chaos!" Otherwise known as the "Key Hole House" because of it's odd shaped windows, the home will be featured on the annual Christmas Parlour Tour, December 11th.

"Jerry Andrus is well known among many of the world's greatest performing magicians as one of the best "close-up magic" performers. However, he is equally regarded among scientists, educators and skeptics as a visionary, poet, philosopher, inventor and creator of truly amazing optical illusions."

Christmas Parlour Tour

On the second Sunday in December, 2pm-7pm, tour the parlours of several historic homes beautifully decorated, and experience the sights and sounds of the Victorian holiday. Costumed carolers and vendors will delight you on the way. Ticket price is $10.00 and includes hot drinks, entertainment, and trolley & hay wagon rides. 541-928-0911 OR 800-526-2256.

We hope you join us on the spectacular tour as we enjoy the town of Albany at Christmastime. Boasting the most historic homes and buildings and the most varied styles in the entire state of Oregon, you will love strolling our historic districts or being taken by horse drawn wagons.

EXPERIENCE OUR SWEET QUINTESSENTIAL ALBANY FOR THE ANNUAL CHRISTMAS PARLOUR TOUR ON DECEMBER 11TH BUT STAY FOR THE ENTIRE WEEKEND! SHOPPING IN OUR BOUTIQUES, DINING IN OUR RESTAURANTS, STROLL OUR RIVER WALK AND ENJOY CHRISTMAS IN OUR OREGON TOWN.

Don't forget your cameras!

Visionary illusionist, skeptic and magician, Jerry AndVisionary illusionist, skeptic and magician, Jerry Andrus astounded the world with his illusions and special effcts. At home in Oregon, which he called "The Castle of Chaos," Andrus fashions the mind boggling illusions which he exhibits all over the world. Until just before his death the world renowned magician continued to perform, invent, write and occasionally lecture on the subject of cognitive science.

stounded the world with his illusions and special effects. At home in Oregon, which he called "The Castle of Chaos," Andrus fashions the mind boggling illusions which he exhibits all over the world. Until just before his death the world renowned magician continued to perform, invent, write and occasionally lecture on the subject of cognitive science.

Visionary illusionist, skeptic and magician, Jerry Andrus astounded the world with his illusions and special effects. At home in Oregon, which he called "The Castle of Chaos," Andrus fashions the mind boggling illusions which he exhibits all over the world. Until just before his death the world renowned magician continued to perform, invent, write and occasionally lecture on the subject of cognitive science.

only for my family!

2011-11-28T18:47:00.000-08:00

We have decided to use Willamette Travel to book our flights to and from Germany. Since there are three groups of us coming from three different regions of the US and since we are flying to Frankfurt and home from Berlin, we thought having someone else tackle this nightmare would be nice so we at least all arrive in the same year.

So, I need asap from all of you:

1) PASSPORT NUMBER
2) PASSPORT EXPIRATION DATE
3) FULL NAME ON YOUR PASSPORT AND FYI... IF THE NAME YOU GIVE ME ENDS UP BEING DIFFERENT THAN THE ONE ON YOUR PASSPORT AND YOU ARE DETAINED BECAUSE YOU DIDN'T LISTEN TO WHAT I ASKED FOR, WELL THEN... I DON'T WHAT HAPPENS BUT I THINK IT COULD BE BAD!
4) I NEED YOUR EXACT BIRTH DATES

AND FOR YOU PARENTS OF MINORS...

1) OUR TRAVEL AGENT WILL EMAIL ME A LINK TO AN ON LINE SITE THAT WILL CONNECT US TO A LETTER THAT I WILL THEN FORWARD TO YOU... DONNA AND DENISE, THAT WILL NEED TO BE NOTARIZED ASAP FOR Q AND DREW BECAUSE THEY ARE UNDER 18.

2) AND PLEASE MAKE SURE EVERYONE INCLUDING THE NON MINORS HAVE THEIR MEDICAL INFO/INS CARDS, ETC.

Now about money!

If you cannot or do not wish to get a Capitol One credit card, please find out if there is a "Travel X" in your area. They have a great exchange rate for euros and they also have a debit card that you can add cash to and use like a credit card. You may refill it as needed with a phone call while in Germany. I would suggest that you not bring very much in cash/euros as the debit card works everywhere. But, you must spend at least ten euros or more to use the debit card. And, since we've been to Europe, that should be no problem even for just a latte'. Now remember, we are paying for your airfare, your hotel and your meals. You will be responsible for any souveniers, alcohol and bail if that becomes necessary.

Another FYI: If you choose to use another credit card besides Capitol One, please be sure of one thing... with some credit cards, every time you use it out of the US, there is a percentage that is charged to your card along with your purchases. Not sure why but it's at least 1.5% to 2.5% or more in some cases. Capitol One does not charge you to use your card outside the US.

In the worst case scenario, we can use our credit card for your incidentals, etc. and we won't charge you any %.

Also... I have a Germany map and we got a driving/train map today so we can sit at Christmas and sort of get some ideas of what you all want to do. I almost forgot... we are purchasing train passes for everyone too so we won't have to buy a ticket every time we get on a train. The trains will take us from village to village and we will try and not rent a car because that would be very expensive.

Thanks for choosing "Let's go to freakin Germany!" trip planners. We hope you enjoy the ride... AL WEED IS ZANE

Noshing in the Willamette Valley... a Christmas gift of tasting!

2011-11-26T14:54:00.000-08:00

Soon you will be able to buy Nosh tickets on line for our our next years Albany Nosh Tour schedule!

Well in to our second year, the Albany Nosh Tour is successful and quite frankly the most "talked about" new thing to do in the Willamette Valley! Our dates for 2012 will be announced soon so you can give the gift of noshing!

Our tours have consisted of beer, Oregon wine, a plethora of cocktails and the most delicious food you will find anywhere in the Willamette Valley. Class V burgers from Calapooia, homemade chips and Shepherd's Pie from Brewster's, Sybaris where a James Beard Foundation winning chef preparing dishes he has created and shared in New York City, tapas, a black molten chocolate cake from Cappies to go with that Hop In The Dark Brew from Deschutes and we're just beginning!

It's not unusual to meet the chef's, taste their food and even watch as some of them prepare it for you right in front of your eyes! We are so lucky to have that personal attention to our food and our chef's here in Albany love that they can show off for our nosh tour guests!

A place to go for great pizza and beer, the only Hungarian restaurant left in Oregon and a possible stop where the "fiercely independent" coffee purveyors brew up their "Truck Stop" or "Breakfast at 11" blend for us! We hope we are making you hungry!

A sweet ending at our local and award winning carousel museum where The Pfeiffer Cottage Inn makes homemade Ranger Cookies or Snickerdoodles or Blondies for the perfect end to a perfectly delicious Albany Nosh Tour!

Call 541-928-0911 for a fun ride full of delectable tastes and spirits in the Willamette Valley!

SHOPPING FOR CHRISTMAS GIFTS!!!... Albany Antique Mall

2011-11-21T18:12:00.000-08:00

Everything vintage... everything that makes you feel good about Christmas and that fact that you bought locally feels good too! Albany Antique Mall is two stories of amazing fun. I just spent over an hour perusing and spent about 150 bucks there myself. I love that when my family opens their gifts, I know that I have found them something no one else will give them. Antiques, things that bring back memories and a whole section of vintage clothing, hats and shoes just in case you wanna do retro for your office or family parties.

Say hello to Sharon for me while you are there. She used my camera to take these photos and they are beautiful and fun! I really love the vintage Christmas ornaments... it brings back so many memories of my grandmas metal tree that used to spin slowly while colored lights illuminated it. I hear those are really expensive now.

Enjoy the Antique Mall and if you read this and see something you'd like held for your next trip to Albany to shop, let me know!

The Best of Fall... Albany, OR

2011-11-13T18:03:00.000-08:00

I was so worried that I'd miss fall in Oregon when we were in Wisconsin a few weeks ago. Ha... I didn't miss a thing!

I love Jeannie's house. I love how the pink stucco and the oranges in the leaves don't clash. Nature is awesome isn't it? Amazing how it all fits.

I saw this leaf today on my walk with Steven and Patty on Countrymen Drive in N. Albany. I love fall and I know that I have mentioned that a few hundred times but I seriously do. I love how I feel when I am driving down a lane and leaves scatter from the tops of trees above the road and gently float around me. It's like being blessed with holy water at church.

I couldn't see the house at the end of this driveway today but I decided that someday I would love a home at the end of a very long driveway.

I really wanted to sneak up this walk to see that truck. I think it's a Chevrolet. I would have loved the opportunity to photograph it.

A dead tree at Pumpkin Hollow in N. Albany fashioned in to a piece of carved art. I love pumpkins anyways so Pumpkin Hollow and this carved pumpkin kind of made my day today.

I love sharing where I live. If you are contemplating a trip to Albany or the Willamette Valley, let us know. We'd love to let you in on the secrets of our region.

Steak and Eggs Rancheros... with salsa!

2011-11-11T20:55:00.000-08:00

I finally got to make this recipe I have been eyeing for a while. I don't eat meat so I made my version with black beans but Ray had the steak. He loved it!

I used a simple top sirloin steak and had Ray Traeger it today. He said he smoked it for an hour or so then turned the heat up and cooked the steak till it was medium rare. It smelled so good during the Veteran's Day Parade. We could smell the meat smoking all the way out in front of the inn where the parade ended. He let it sit for a bit then put it in the fridge for me to use later for dinner.

I made some salsa today too. Here's my salsa recipe. I get asked for it all the time and it's so easy to make. All I do is blend two cans fire roasted diced tomatoes, a few jarred jalapeno's with a teeny bit of juice and four frozen cilantro cubes (from T. Joes). Put this blended mixture in a bowl and add about 1/2 chopped sweet onion and a little garlic salt. Stir and it's so good with a big bag of black organic corn chips.

I cooked a corn tortilla in just a little Extra Virgin Olive Oil till somewhat crisp. I put the cooked tortilla on a plate, laid out the chopped heated up cooked steak, topped it with some of that good salsa, fresh tomatoes, chopped avocado and slapped a fried egg right on top. Then I sprinkled some feta over the whole thing. Like I said earlier, I used black beans cooked in a little olive oil and garlic salt for my filler instead of the steak. It was very good!

This isn't the "official" recipe but as always, I cannot just follow a recipe. I have to actually make it work for me. I love to cook and bake but I also love lots of flavor and an easy but delicious recipe. And, if I can serve it for breakfast and/or dinner... well, that's even better. I am wondering how really good ground sweet Italian sausage would taste in there instead of steak. Hmmm... maybe our guests will find out next weekend!

Christmas is in the air at the Albany Antique Mall!

2011-11-07T18:02:00.000-08:00

This player piano was so cute! It was under 800 bucks, I couldn't believe it! It was playing Christmas songs while we attended the special Christmas event in downtown Albany last Thursday night.

Silver is always so classic at Christmastime. It blends well with white, my favorite Christmas color. You should see our tree at the inn this year. All white with glass balls, vintage angels and decked out in family photos from years gone by. Makes me miss my nana and poppy each year when I see their faces adorning my Christmas tree.

I think I need to go get these. I hope they are still there. We have more family coming at Christmas this year. They all arrive on the 21st. Yikes!!! But, it's going to be so much fun.

I love these white dishes. I may have to pick a few of those up too. I want to decorate our Portland loft kitchen shelving with white to brighten up an area with no windows. Wonder how this stuff would look up there? Maybe we'll just have to see!

I have a snow family myself made by Debbie Williams. It's a snow mom with her snow children. I smile each time I bring it out. They are adorned with glitter, pearls, and bobbles that remind you that it's seriously Christmastime.

I have some of these but in white. So vintage Christmas and such a great reminder of winter and childhood. This Christmas, I want to be a child and play outside in the snow, drink hot cocoa and sing carols. Want to join me?

Chicago Art Deco, Autumn in Door County and home in Oregon!

2011-11-04T22:02:00.000-07:00

Take a lover of everything Art Deco and put her in the middle of the "windy city" and she is in heaven.

I think I was born too late. I was supposed to born in another era, an era where the lines were straight, the metals were used boldly in design and all things glamorous would be mine.

My first trip to Chicago proved more than I had planned. I fell in love immediately with the skyscrapers, the buildings made of stone and steel and feeling that whomever is in charge of making sure all of the buildings in Chicago somehow blend no matter what year they were built must be an artist! A master of design, a fluke of nature or just a lucky chance left to the architects of the past to meet with those of today in pure design within a perfectly designed city.

I have picked out my neighborhood. Tall historic buildings maybe three or more stories tall. Not too far from the lake or the good restaurants. This is where I would have lived if I had been in Chicago in the 30's. I loved the brownstone type buildings made of stone and brick. The windows bent or bowed in design with lots of wrought iron and wood. The doors are always my favorite. Their colors, the shape or the detail tell me who lives inside.

A few miles north and Autumn springs forth with the golds, the reds, the browns and hues of sienna that I love. My favorite season is fall and so it is no surprise that I find these colors the prettiest of all. I search them out to photograph them while I can. We almost missed all the colors but then I remembered that when we returned to Oregon, it would begin again. The Willamette Valley is in the middle of it's Autumn show right now. So, I won't miss a thing!

Roads that took us to parks, villages and coffee houses along our route in to Door County reminded us of home. It was just great to see it and be able to touch Lake Michigan, walk through the leaves in Fish Creek and watch a young boy snag a twelve pound soho salmon and then release it back in to the lake while we stood beside him. It's everything that reminded us of home without the extra large lake of course but I have touched the Willamette and seen it's beauty on many hikes through the fall leaves.

Our last night in the mid west took us back to Chicago. One last evening to stroll in the fall air which was an amazing 60 degrees. A margarita at Blue Agave and tacos with some chips and salsa. And yes... no matter where we go, it's still about the food!

Comparing Apples to AVEC!

2011-10-24T20:43:00.000-07:00

AVEC... a little French, some Basque and a shared bottle of wine!

Always looking for that unique food experience and we found it at AVEC this evening. A very small, simple and quite crowded restaurant in Chicago... certainly worth the wait!

Wine while we waited for a table or a spot at the chefs bar. Our favorite seat in any restaurant and we got one for each of us!

The best seats are always at the chefs bar. Watching them work, prepare food, roll out my focaccia with taleggio cheese, ricotta, truffle oil and fresh herbs was truly entertaining. Ray had the black-eyed pea and turkey sausage casserole with rapine, ricotta and calabrian chili fennel relish!

Like many of the restaurants in and around Portland, AVEC in Chicago has a truly original personality. It comes out in the style of the restaurant, the flair in the food, the mastery of "the art of food making," and satisfaction in knowing that they have created something that cannot be found anywhere else.

I could only eat a few pieces of my focaccia... so rich with the cheeses and truffle oil. I only wish I could have eaten the whole thing or had friends to share it with. Next time!

Ray had the special dessert tonight... raspberry sorbet and for me... just coffee with cream and a very little thin shortbread cookie with chocolate chips and currents baked in to it. I'm quite certain that the ending to this little soiree will bring me sweet dreams tonight!

"Romancing The Inn...An Oregon Wedding!"

2011-10-17T21:05:00.000-07:00

A small gathering of family, close friends and the two lovebirds saying their "I do's!"

I made this heart with my gloved finger on the icy cold hood of our car last winter in Boise. Little did I know it would become an icon for "love"!

Paris is romantic...the place for lovers, a place to fall in love and a place to "pop" the question!

A honeymoon cottage or a suite at the inn, either way...there is Champagne and Chocolates waiting for the newlyweds!

For wedding photographs, vintage does it best! The Pfeiffer Cottage Inn is blissfully photogenic. The organic structure that exudes Craftsman is bold and sweet at the same time. Woods, decor and all the trimmings that make your wedding, your wedding photographs and your wedding night the most romantic moments in your lives.

In the quaint garden or the large parlor, 1908 was a good year for a wedding. Joining hands, hearts and lives with those who love you in vintage bliss...white wedding cupcakes for up to fifteen guests for a perfect Oregon Wedding ...at the inn!

Call for information for your small event!

541-971-9557

Sybaris in Albany, OR...fresh from New York City!

2011-10-14T20:02:00.000-07:00

satiety: the quality or state of being fed or gratified to or beyond capacity : surfeit, fullness

Milky Way Martini's, steaks, salads, and some delicious looking chocolate dessert that I have yet to devour and what a night!

We love entertaining our out of town guests at the inn but it's even more fun for us to entertain our friends from SoCal. We often get that look from them when we are south when we tell them that we're really not in to chain restaurants. But then...they come up here to the delicious PNW and totally get why we are so snooty! It has to be local, it must be fresh and it has to taste amazing! So, we got the nod, the look and satisfaction of making yet another friend swoon with the tastes of Oregon. Yes...she held her hand over her tummy with the look that just says..."I've had the best meal of my life!"

Thanks Sybaris!... you did it again and you keep doing it over and over. We are glad you are back from New York City and thank you for helping us win over our friends and guests at the inn.

The Joel Palmer House for our 25th wedding anniversary!

2011-10-11T22:34:00.000-07:00

Ambiance is important to me. I love candles, white linen, white sheers and crystal with white china. My Raspberry Dream Cocktail I enjoyed at The Joel Palmer House tonight blended in perfectly.

My first course...Joe’s Wild Mushroom Soup – rich essence of puréed suillus mushrooms finished with crème fraiche . So cute that the server drew a mushroom with the creme fraiche. Kind of like a barista at my favorite coffee house that makes the perfect gingko leaf with the steamed milk froth.

Everything is about mushrooms at The Joel Palmer House as it should be. The Willamette Valley is loaded with them and is one of the best places to forage for these gems. We enjoyed pasta dishes of stroganoff and penne with the most delicious flavors.

The meal ended with a dessert of coffee and a chocolate peanut butter concoction that was quite heavenly. It also ended with Executive Chef Christopher Czarnecki posing with me in this photo and then giving us a personal tour of his wine cellar. How lucky are we!

About 3,000 bottles of purely OREGON WINE, Christopher invited us in to his wine cellar. He is proud to serve his guests only wines from Oregon with about 500 different Oregon Pinot Noir's and about 650 different Oregon wines in all. Pretty amazing and the perfect place to go if you are out wine tasting all day and need a place to experience all that delicious wine with food grown and served locally by people that have been doing so for generations.

The Joel Palmer House is everything that exudes the true Oregon experience. It's location, it's standing in the community of wine country and it's history. If you are visiting the Willamette Valley, I highly recommend The Joel Palmer House to make your visit complete. Check out their website to find a local Bed and Breakfast to make your stay in Oregon even more memorable.

Beautiful Willamette Valley on Monday!

2011-10-10T20:11:00.000-07:00

Pumpkins at the inn!

Found this cute porch and ghost on my walk this morning in the Monteith District in Albany!

This made me laugh!

A front porch worthy of the cover page of Better Homes & Gardens!

Walking east on 7th Avenue...downtown Albany!

Left Coast Cellars today...for wine tasting and photographs!

The vintner's say that we need a few more weeks of sunshine for these grapes to fully mature and be ready for picking. Well...it's been rainy, overcast and cool lately so I don't know. But, the sweet fruits at Left Coast Cellars today looked pretty nice to me and ready to go but then again...I'm only an expert at wine tasting not grape pickin'!

Albany, OR Amtrak Station...band greets train from Portland!

2011-10-07T11:05:00.000-07:00

I heard this was happening in Albany as guests arrive via Amtrak in to the train station. Last Saturday, I arrived at Albany's Amtrak Station to pick Ray up. He was due to arrive any minute from Portland and when I got there, a band was waiting. The minute the train came in to view, the band began playing and as the train came to a halt and guests began to descend the steps, they were pleasantly surprised!

The band played on for a few minutes as people smiled and enjoyed their personal band greeting. What a great idea. If someone on the train traveling through Albany didn't know where Albany was before, it surely knows now.

Great job HARP and I'm excited to see what's in store next!

Brownsville, Oregon Author Tina Boscha..."River In The Sea"

2011-10-05T23:06:00.000-07:00

It's amazing what can happen when a few people log in to Facebook at the same time. You meet folks you probably would have never met otherwise.

A few miles south east of where I live, the sweet town of Brownsville sits nestled amongst historic buildings, darling homes and a history worthy of bragging rights. That's where the author Tina Boscha lives. I was introduced to Tina by my friend Linda and within a few days, Tina was set to come and join us as we began our new book club season.

Small towns in Oregon are often similar in that they hold so much history, a plethora of vintage buildings and homes and a few interesting characters that truly make it fun. However, Brownsville seems to draw a little more than the average small Oregon town when it comes to interesting folks. Artists, authors, and other amazing talent fill the small town of Brownsville and we love it when all that talent spills in to where we live. Tina Boscha, teacher, author, wife, mother, pet lover and the daughter of the woman her first published book is based on, was the guest at our book club meeting at the inn Tuesday evening. River in the Sea, set in the Netherlands during WWII, captures the essence of suffering, the sacredness of family, the excitement of a first love, the hardship of sacrifice and the seemingly unending saga of coming of age. The character Tina's book is based on is a 15 year old girl named Leen and in my opinion a story worthy of becoming High School required reading.

River in the Sea is probably one of the most descriptive books I have read and although most of us have not had to endure what the main character had to go through, we can surely relate to being young and unsure of what the future holds. Truly a book for all ages. A book and story a mother and daughter can read together. A piece of historical fiction based on real life and real lives that I will probably not easily forget about for a very long time.

Thank you Tina for joining us and thank you for the story.

you can purchase Tina's book on Amazon!

Sunday in Oregon!

2011-10-02T16:03:00.000-07:00

Hiking!

Taking photos of the pines!

Stopping at a roadside veggie stand to see the white eggplant!

Stopping at a wildlife refuge center to see the dedication to help injured and sick animals and birds.

Watching a blind bird crack open a seed with his claws and beak and then watching him reap the benefits!

"The Pumpkin Patch and Bittersweet Memories"

2011-10-01T15:29:00.000-07:00

There is something today about the pumpkin patch I was at that made me a little misty. I saw parents propping their babies up against large bales of straw. I saw piles of orange pumpkins separated by size and shape. I witnessed a parent tell his child to only pick a pumpkin he could lift all by himself. Those days I remember really don't seem that far away.

Going to the pumpkin patch every year was something we always looked forward to. It was funny though when you could tell by the look on Sandy's face that she thought she was just way too cool be posing with her younger brother and sister loaded down with pumpkins just to satisfy me and my camera. Now you can find her propping her babies up against those bales and hoping they'll hug on to their big orange pumpkins for that perfect picture. What goes around.....

I left the pumpkins still attached to the vines for the kids. I'm an adult and can clearly be satisfied just picking a few perfect ones from the bins. Well, maybe....

Still don't get the "white" pumpkin thing but they are beautiful in a pile against an old white barn on a farm.

I think mine are right there on top!

Me and my honey along with our other 50+ year old friends will be running through this haunted corn maze next weekend. Come heck or high water anyways! I'll never be too old for a little ghostly fun!

Stacked at Peoria Rd. Farms, more orange pumpkins, apples for my pies and other veggies I just couldn't resist.

A Celebration of Oregon's New Wine Country License Plate!...at Willamette Valley Vineyards!

2011-09-29T20:28:00.000-07:00

There is something pretty special about being in the middle of a vineyard here in Oregon. The fact that I can walk or ride a horse through the center of the vines as they are growing with their fruit just hanging on the vines makes me feel like I am a part of what's going on. An Oregonian for only a few years but if I believed I was once here in another life, I think I was probably a vintner. This is really funny because I don't know a lot about wine. I do love however, the feeling I get when I'm close to the vines. It's like a feeling you get when you planted flower or vegetable seeds in your garden and you actually grow something. Quite an amazing feeling.

A beautiful piece of art rendered out of the kindness of an artists heart. A back drop for the new Oregon Wine Country License Plate depicting what I get to see every day. Living in the Willamette Valley is really that amazing. I hope I never tire of seeing these sweet rows of fruit. I never want to take it all for granted.

Rows of empty Pinot Noir glasses although they didn't start out that way as we tasted our way through the event at Willamette Valley Vineyards celebrating the new license plate. The joke was that we were all encouraged to get the new plates as soon as they are available so as to have them on our cars while driving through Napa Valley. They are hoping to have them ready by March 2012.

A celebration of agriculture in Oregon, a boost for an already booming tourism piece and an another reason to celebrate where we live! The Willamette Valley Wine Country!

Oregon Country Trails...take the road you've always wanted to take!

2011-09-28T16:11:00.000-07:00

Tis The Season!...beer, hops and gardening in Autumn.

2011-09-28T04:17:00.000-07:00

I love watching the Maple in our garden change colors. I try to capture a photo as often as possible. The leaves are already falling too fast.

These hops are so big this year. The third year for these plants and I really need to get out there and chop em down!

My favorite part about gardening...the after party! It feels so good to sit with a cold beer after working in the yard and look at my accomplishments.

This Espresso Stout was on our last NOSH tour. I wanted to try it really bad but I was so engrossed in the Chocolate Molten Lava Cake that I really forgot it was there. I guess chocolate is only thing I love more than beer. Hmmm....go figure!

A Starter At Sybaris, then...they're off to New York's James Beard House!

2011-09-25T08:25:00.000-07:00

A perfect setting at Sybaris in downtown Albany made for a great impression for our food tour yesterday afternoon. About thirty very hungry tour goers made their way through town via trolley tasting at six local restaurants!

What did we "taste?" Well, here's a rundown...Halibut and potato cakes with mustard cream, grilled tomato oil and fresh basil at Sybaris paired with a lovely California white, a dish of tomatoes and cheese with a little pesto at Clemenza's just down the street on First Ave. Then, a nice slice of Chicken pizza that ended with with Spumoni Ice Cream cake and an awesome voice by Tanner the karaoke dj at Pizza King. That kid needs an agent and fast!

Calapooia Brewing Co., as always an amazing stop. Flights of their famous Chili Beer along with a few others and their tasty in-house made Root Beer. Class Five Burgers, Reuben's, Sunburgers and tots at a brew house...how very fitting and paired deliciously with a nice tour of the brewery in back.

Off to Brewster's to sample their new addition...Chicken Pot Pie! They said..."oh, wow...this is the best chicken pot pie I ever had!" And...they were seriously telling the truth. A big hit and a surely a big seller for their fall and winter menu. Oh, and that Brewster's Punch...my fav!

End all that with a final stop at Cappies Brewhouse. Finalized with an nice Espresso Stout and a sweet dish of Molten Berried Chocolate Lava Cake. Warm, chocolaty, berried up Chamborded goodness chased by that stout...oh god...how could something taste so sinfully good?!

Thank you to ALL of our restaurants, our guests on the tour and thanks to those who coordinate such lovely things in Albany. The taste was perfect!

Have a great time in New York Matt and Janel...Sybaris as always is a winner and wish we were all going with you!

Farmer's Markets in Oregon!...especially in the Willamette Valley!

2011-09-21T21:40:00.000-07:00

Pioneer Square Monday Farmer's Market...the first day!

Matt Bennett...owner of Sybaris in downtown Albany stirring up some local berries! Matt and Janel are heading for New York City next week. Matt will be preparing an authentic Willamette Valley menu at the James Beard House.

Root veggies are all the rage you know. They are in everything! We were recently at Toro Bravo and had an awesome salad that contained some very delicious beets. I also found some squash and nuts and more amazing things in that salad. It's making me hungry just thinking about it.

I usually don't go to Corvallis Farmer's Market because I get what I need for the week in Albany on Saturdays. However, we were too busy to make a stop last Saturday and I had promised a guest that she would enjoy some good local food. So, today I headed to Wednesday market in Corvallis and proceeded to load my market bag with good stuff. I realized after a few minutes that I only had 22 bucks on me. I wasn't too happy with myself because I had planned to load up on a lot of good stuff. As I made my way through the market, I realized that my money was going to be plenty. Several tomatoes, squash, onions, peppers and two bunches of cilantro later, I realized that I actually had four dollars left over. Two potato donuts for the boys and two bucks less, I remembered how close I was to the Alpine Sourdough Bakery. I walked in and grabbed a loaf bread and saw the sign..."we don't take plastic!" Darn!!! The guy behind the counter said to take what I wanted and just remember to pay him next time I come in. Seriously? That seems to happen a lot around here. It's not unusual to drive down a back road and see produce and flowers for sale with a sign saying, "just leave money in bucket!" Yes...I live in place like that.

Not a day goes by that I am not stunned by some experience here in Oregon. The nicest folks in a place like nowhere else on earth.

Autumn in Oregon...the perfect fall excursion!

2011-09-19T21:25:00.000-07:00

It's just the beginning of Autumn and already leaves are falling, the air smells fresh, a sprinkle of rain fell late last evening and I'm baking my very first pumpkin pie of the season this Friday!

Every year at this time, I have to literally tell myself to slow down. Autumn is my most favorite season and I don't want to miss any part of it. There is just something about the way the leaves change colors and scatter on the ground. The sky even looks bluer in Autumn and the hues make the lakes bluer too. The changing colors of the trees and other foliage lie against that stunning organic backdrop like a painting. It's like the shades of greens, oranges and reds along with blues and browns have been so carefully chosen by an artist to be sure to capture the feel of fall. A masters drawing, an architects design and perhaps a photographers model...Autumn in Oregon is art in and of its own.

Even in black and white, the fallen leaves take on a life of their own!

I call this one a self portrait but seriously, she can be found at Vintage Roost this weekend!

I'm like a child with my hands on the windows of our car wanting out because I see something along the way I just have to have. The fields full of pumpkins that fill the Willamette Valley's countryside are teasing me unmercifully. The perfection of their roundness, their stems and the way they just sit there so cute, makes them quite irresistible to me and my camera. So, thank goodness I found a few already picked at Vintage Roost last weekend that will do till I get out there myself to get some of my own.

If I were asked by someone when the best time to visit Oregon is, I would say Autumn. But, I would also say that if you come in Autumn, be sure to plan on taking your sweet time. We can't rush the season here in the Willamette Valley. The grapes are on their own time clocks and you have to be here for the harvest. The hops are drying and you have to experience our awesome Oregon beer. The food has been foraged and picked and prepared for your visit too and lucky you...the best of our Oregon Bounty is found here in the Willamette Valley where we encourage you to take your time and enjoy every bite.

Remember...it's ok to stay for that extra piece of pumpkin pie!

East Thornton Lake Natural Area...Albany, Naturally!

2011-09-16T09:31:00.000-07:00

In every city or town, there are special places not very many people know about. Then there are the special people that decide that more should be known about these places because of the value they will add to the communities. The East Thornton Lake Natural Area in Albany, Oregon is one of those special places and for twenty bucks, you can join those folks working hard to see that this vital piece of land and lake be preserved.

There are several links below to provide you with information about Thornton Lake. You will be surprised to find out how many species of birds live there and rely on the lake and surrounding areas for survival and there is more to that "Turtle Crossing" sign you see while driving on N. Albany Road. Turtles find refuge and safety on Thornton Lake. Preserving places for nesting, laying eggs and getting the nutrients they need for survival is all counting on us.

A place to call home, a place for the turtles to thrive and a place for many species of wildlife to find a little piece of heaven and it's all found in a town known for its devotion to preservation. We hope to see you at the Wheelhouse on October 6th!

"Trails, a pavilion, and a nature-based playground will be built to teach children the history of the relationships between nature and humans"

Links:

http://www.cityofalbany.net/parks/etlna/
http://www.cityofalbany.net/parks/etlna/?page_id=80
http://www.facebook.com/pages/East-Thornton-Lake-Natural-Area/272108826136446

"Ummm...lady...there's a flower in my cocktail!"

2011-09-14T21:39:00.000-07:00

A little pink flower, prosecco with a sweet twist of something delicious!

A smooth Italian Grappa, my cocktail and a rum'd up pink lemonade!

Last August, we had a divine dinner at The Pink Door in Seattle. That is when I realized that even though it's mostly about the food, the kitsch, the entertainment, the cocktails with names like The Cagle and the fact that you can dine al fresco overlooking Puget Sound kind of makes this a very special place. So, before we even planned where we would stay in Seattle this month, we made up our minds that we would return to The Pink Door for dinner one evening.

All three of us chose the special containing pasta, egg plant, tomatoes and a very delicious olive oil based sauce. The service was awesome and our dinner came out of the kitchen quickly. Reminding myself that I didn't need to rush through this experience, I enjoyed each and every bite! If I had to choose what restaurant in Portland this place reminded me of, it would be Piazza Italia just around the corner from our loft on NW Johnson. Authentic Italian flavors melded with the seasoned olive oil and a cheese that made the pasta kind of melt in your mouth and that made me smile. It's amazing what you taste when you tell yourself to slow down to really taste your meal.

I highly recommend The Pink Door and just click here and you will be taken to their website. It's a good idea to make a reservation and check out the entertainment as it's also quite amazing. Trapeze artists, jazz bands and a little burlesque only adds to the whimsy.

In conclusion, it's all about the food at The Pink Door along with the lovely cocktails, the entertainment, Puget Sound and the darling wait staff that helped make our evening so very special!

You Can't Live On Bread Alone...unless you have a lot of really good butter!

2011-09-13T22:21:00.001-07:00

A very wise woman once told me..."Whenever we go anywhere we have a hard time finding things to do between meals. We are thinking about food all of the time."

That pretty sums me up to a "t!" I was so glad to hear her say that because the fact that we plan our road trips around food kind of scared me a little. So, once I got the ok, we wrote down and planned all of our meals for our trip to Seattle.

Serious Pie was number one on our list. About a year ago, we were walking around Seattle and I just saw the word "pie" and decided that would be fine with me if we ate there for dinner. Then we realized they meant "pizza" pie. We ate there anyways. Wow...the best pizza I have ever had. Yukon Gold Potato, Rosemary and Pecorino...the best! The crust is airy but doesn't give way to tasteless pizza dough. A hint of chewiness with just enough weight to make it easy to pick up and eat with your hands. Top that with very thin sliced potatoes cooked perfectly with just a tad of crunch on the edges, a little rosemary for flavor and then the pecorino shredded thin and with a bit of crunch of its own. I'm telling you it's pizza heaven!

We also tried the Buffalo Mozzarella, Red Sauce and Basil pizza. Again...perfection!

There was no wait this time and they do not take reservations. Last year we waited over 45 minutes for a table as the restaurant is small but that is part of the experience. Family style seating on high tables and chairs give way to easy conversation with strangers which is fun. A nice cold beer and some Hard Apple Cider went well with the pizza and now I can't believe I have to wait at least another year to have it again.

We ended our first night in Seattle with a ride on the monorail and a night time visit to the Space Needle. And...of course a night cap consisting of Coconut Cream Pie, Buttermilk Peach Ice Cream and Homemade Donuts shaken in a bag of powdered sugar and sided with sweetened marscapone and homemade peach jam at Dahlia's Lounge!

On the agenda tomorrow?...Betty's for breakfast and a delicious little dining dig near Pike's Market where we made reservations for 8pm in the patio.

Let's see what we can do to fill time tomorrow between eating!

Finding Albany on the Oregon Coast!

2011-09-12T08:53:00.000-07:00

First stop was Nye Beach yesterday. Taking a short break before heading north, we checked out the waterfront and a few shops along the way. We found Ruby's cookbook on the counter of this cute coffee shop. Evidently Ruby is friends with the owners' family and they love her and her new cookbook. I informed them all that we love her too and that she is ours but it's ok if they want to help sell her book. FYI...you can find the cookbook and Ruby at Pizza King/Taste of Italy downtown Albany!

This is me and Sher. I get to see her about four times a year and always on her birthday. This year it's a trip up the Oregon Coast to Astoria then on to Seattle for a few days. She is our middle child, the feistiest one of the three and full of all kinds of surprises! Happy Birthday Sherry baby...mommy and daddy love you angel!

It was so cold because of the wind, we didn't stick around Haystack in Canon Beach very long. There are so many starfish we couldn't believe it. Attached to rocks everywhere. There were volunteers near here to answer questions and to keep folks off these areas. Delicate creatures need protection. This Cali girl never saw starfish this big till she moved to Oregon! They are huge and so colorful.

We are spending the day in Seaside. Our hotel is so sweet and it's called the Sandy Cove Inn. A dilapidated redone old shabby hotel has been turned in to a darling place about one mile from downtown Seaside. I highly suggest this hotel and you should google it and see all the rooms. They are all themed and perfect for families too.

Walking downtown via the "prom"...that's what the locals call the promenade and we'll begin with coffee then see what else the day brings. Hoping for some sunshine but this kind of weather is truly the best for photography. Later!

An Obsessed Amateur Photographer!

2011-09-08T23:33:00.000-07:00

It's getting bad folks. When I think back about how I became so obsessed with taking photographs, I try to remember how it all began. Perhaps it happened when we moved to Oregon. Yes...that's it. I remember being so enthralled with everything and wanting to take pictures of it all. Oregon is a pretty photogenic place.

I constantly think and obsess about taking photos. I have heard of this disorder and with the little psychiatric training I received in nursing school, I learned that it is important to let the patient obsessively wash her hands because by preventing her from doing so only increases her anxiety.

The photos in this blog were taken at Suttle Lake on the way to Sisters, Oregon. They were taken just a few days ago when the smoke was really bad from the big fire nearby. The amazing thing to me was that I could look west from this little boat on the lake and see the smoke plumes, the red in the sky and the reflection of it all on the water. All I could think about is how interesting the photos would turn out. Turning the opposite direction provided a blue sky, no plumes or smoke and a blue lake. And, by 4pm, the colors from the fire and smoke made each little wave glitter like gold. Someone had shaken some golden flecks in to the water and sprinkled it with a shimmer that was mesmerizing to say the least.

And if you are wondering...I did relax that day. I laid in the boat and stared at the sky and the water and then wondered...how cool it would be to photograph my feet in a relaxed pose at the front of the little boat. I had to be sure to get some the of lake, the sky and the landscape in the frame too.

A little obsessed yes but when there is so much that is worthy to be photographed, how can I help myself?!

Autumn in Oregon...Harvest Time At Vintage Roost!

2011-09-04T09:17:00.000-07:00

It's no secret...Autumn is my most favorite time of year! I love the smells, the leaves, the weather, the pumpkins, the hot spiced cider and Vintage Roost!

Beginning September 16th, the "roost" will be open on Fridays and Saturdays till September 24th from 10am to 5pm. Debbie Williams has the talent for bringing beautiful vintage treasures together in one sweet place and they can all be found... "Nestled in the scenic hills of the North Albany Countryside." Join those of us that love Autumn and where finding Autumn begins...under the big oak trees at Vintage Roost.

"Hand fashioned home and garden decor by 30 crafters. Antiques, Collectibles, Baked Goods and More!"

935 NW Scenic Dr. 1/2 mile off HWY 20 in North Albany

credit cards now accepted...whoooo hoooooo!

The Alluring Portland Art Museum!

2011-09-01T21:23:00.000-07:00

As evidenced by my tour through the "photography" floor of the Portland Art Museum...

I have come to the conclusion that to be famous for my photography, I will have to wait about 50 more years.

We have been wanting to take in "The Allure of the Automobile" while the exhibit is parked at the Portland Art Museum. Finally today we walked over and spent some time enjoying these beautiful cars. I know we will never really see these beauties on the road but it was fun imagining myself behind the wheel of this Corvette. Although, I also could imagine all the fiberglass crumbling in just a minor fender bender too. That fact alone would cause me to keep this baby parked safely in a garage if it was mine.

....but a girl can still dream...can't she?

Try and get to Portland to see these autos before September 11th if you can. A perfect excuse to get to the Rose City and have lunch at The Original Dinerant on 6th Avenue. Great Caprese Panini and the fries are out of this world. They've got burgers, bourbon shakes made with salted caramel, honey grapefruit sodas and floats too!

You know that no matter what, for me...it's always about the food!

Mount St. Helens...remnants of a "big hot mess!"

2011-08-30T22:13:00.000-07:00

I remember where I was the day that Mount St. Helen blew. I was in my room packing for a trip to Spokane where my parents would pick me up the next day. They lived in Sandpoint, Idaho then and I was going to surprise them by getting off the plane pregnant. Well...as you well know, all flights were cancelled as the mountain spewed molten lava, steam and blew everything in its path and beyond into oblivion. I had to tell my parents over the phone that they were about to be grandparents for the very first time.

About 30 years ago, this mountain looked very different. Now, it has no peak and made the lands around it so barren that you would swear there is nothing but desert under your feet. In reality...the landscape was blown away by forces beyond our comprehension and now when we walk there, we walk on soil mixed heavily with ash and soot.

Ray took this photo of me at Coldwater Lake. The photos we both took were so pretty and they didn't seem real once we viewed them later. It was kind of like being the only living thing in what seemed like a picture or painting. This lake was formed when a natural dam was created during the 1980 eruption.

I kind of envied this fisherman. He is sitting alone in the midst of all the quiet with a line in the lake just waiting. I felt like we interrupted his moment but then I realized that there was enough peace for each of us.

Satisfied to see what the hullabaloo was about thirty some years ago. Still awe struck at the devastation it caused but nature is strange that way sometimes. Devastation to some can eventually bring beauty to others.

Mt. Hood in Albany!

2011-08-28T14:56:00.000-07:00

We had our Mt. Hood guest room painted yesterday by a dear friend. She worked all day to give the room a fresh coat of Vanilla Custard. This is one of four rooms we had never painted before because we loved the old colors and it had been painted just before be bought the house. That's been almost 6 years now and it truly needed some freshening up!

Our Mt. Hood guest room is on the first level and unlike many inns, having a main level guest room like this is perfect for some of our guests that prefer to be closer to the dining room or don't like climbing stairs. But, I have to say that even when they choose this main level guest room, they almost always are intrigued by what's upstairs. So, trekking up just after breakfast is usually the plan. Once up there, they are mesmerized. The space is so open with one very private suite we call Sister's. A two bedroom suite with a private bathroom and closet. Shut the door and you would swear you were in the middle of nowhere. And once your head hits the pillow in the king bed in the larger of the two rooms, your plans to make it up early for coffee have just been changed. That cracks us up so much. We hear..."oh, well, we get up really early so will there be coffee ready at 6 or 7???..." So funny because they all say that and we don't see them usually till just before breakfast with the normal excuse..."I never sleep like that!" Well, it's ok because our brewing coffee and scents of a hot breakfast entice you to get up outta that bed eventually!

The other half of Sisters has a queen bed and is quite the "girls" room. However, we have had many a single guy say, "it's ok...pink doesn't bother me!" Whew...that's a good thing because we call it the pink half of Sister's. The queen bed with accents of a boy and girl in shades of pink and green vintage style toile adds a little whimsy for sure.

Mt. Bachelor is just a scones throw away from Sister's upstairs and makes everyone laugh when they hear they are booked in there and so close to the girls. Vintage photos of men and the smallest guest room in the inn always gets the same response, "ahhh....so cute...love those windows!" And then to see their private bath across the hall with the claw footed tub waiting for them..."oh, I can't wait for a bath in there!" Yeah...it makes us smile every time!

We kind of love it here and hope that whomever becomes the "next" caretaker of this home has as much fun as we do!

ATI Wah Chang NW Art & Air Festival...Night Glow 2011

2011-08-26T22:23:00.000-07:00

Night Glow was amazing tonight and watching the balloonists tethering and pulling and keeping control of the balloons made the experience even more spectacular.

Balloon lift off Saturday morning at Timber Linn Park at 6am, Albany, OR

Just some photos that I love.... and some sweet things too!

2011-08-25T20:45:00.000-07:00

I saw this sweet little pink tutu again a few days ago. So darling.

Vintage lingerie and hanging together in a booth at the antique mall.

I love these pillows...just wish I knew someone getting married cause then...I'd buy them!

The funny thing is...I remember these cute red thermoses from when I was a kid. Only then...it wasn't cool to carry one. It's something my dad and grandpa did.

An old horse feed trough and this reminds me of being a kid too! Only I can't tell you why!

All those vintage coats. I had to feel them with my own hands. Wools so thick and designs I know they don't make any more. This is my fav vintage clothing photo of all.

I had to try these shoes on when I saw them. They would have gone so perfectly with our October Nosh Tour last year. Have I mentioned I was a witch? Some may argue that I am always that way...like a witch!

Sharon loves this photo and I never saw it before till she pointed it out. Sometimes I am so enthralled with what is at my eye level that I don't see anything else. I need to open my eyes!

This was a beautiful table but I think it's gone already. Sharon and I placed the pottery bowls like this just for the photos. I was tempted to buy them so I could do this at home. They were all different shades of aqua...very vintage chic for pottery!

A sink full of vintage china...perfectly ok with me! What a cute idea for showing off your wares!

I love vintage luggage! I have four pieces of my own. Two will stay with the inn when we leave but two bigger pieces will come with me. I dare to say that I will not be able to part with much of the things that I love although...I will be tempted to share with another cottage girl.

Albany Antique Mall...bringing life to vintage!

2011-08-25T08:20:00.000-07:00

Dave's Killer Bread..."Spelt" with butter!...and a Pulled Pork Frittata

2011-08-23T09:11:00.000-07:00

Ok, I have to give Ray some credit for this Frittata recipe. I have made it twice in the past few days and our guests just won't stop talking about it. So, thanks honey for making that pulled pork and 17 hours on the Traeger was the perfect amount of time!

Recipe for: PULLED PORK FRITTATA

First...you get your husband to cook an 8 lb. pork roast on his Traeger for 17 hours.

Put in to a large cast iron pan...

chopped pulled pork (a couple hand fulls)
1/2 of one sweet onion
1 cup of sweet corn
1 medium sliced zucchini

saute' for a bit in "good" butter till onion softens just a little

Whip 6-8 eggs together with a splash of cream and pour over cooked veggie and pork mixture. Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 30 min. Sprinkle with a little English cheddar and bake about 2-3 min. more. Let sit on the table for a few min. before slicing.

I served this dish with Dave's "Killer" bread...the spelt loaf. I think I purchased this bread at Market of Choice in Corvallis but you can get Dave's bread at Costco and Fred Meyer too.

The smokiness of the meat and the coffee you have brewed will bring your guests to the dining room and will leave them talking about breakfast for days evidently.

Enjoy and bon appetit!

An Oregon Bed and Breakfast in the Willamette Valley!

2011-08-20T22:11:00.000-07:00

Check this out!

1908 Craftsman Bungalow for sale in downtown Albany, Oregon! A bustling Bed and Breakfast with three beautiful guest rooms. Click HERE for more info!

A stunning beauty, a robust Craftsman and a reminder of what true classic vintage feels like, this historic home exudes all of this and more. Come experience what it "feels" like to be in the presence of history in all it's splendor!

Call us or our agent for a tour of The Pfeiffer Cottage Inn!

Set splendidly in the heart of the Willamette Valley, The Pfeiffer Cottage Inn is within easy driving distance to the coast, the cascades, Portland and wine country! Located near I 5 and HWY 99, getting anywhere in Oregon is a breeze when you are settled in Albany.

This Robust Craftsman makes a beautiful private residence and/or a busy B & B beginning it's 4th year in business. Come by to see for yourself or if you are so inclined, come spend a night or weekend at The Pfeiffer Cottage Inn. You can visit our website at www.thepfeiffercottageinn.com.

Oregon Beer...in my kitchen beer fridge!

2011-08-19T15:14:00.000-07:00

Unrefined...I don't think so! Just because I love beer and have a "beer fridge" in my kitchen doesn't mean I don't have any class...does it? I'm supposed to love wine. And for the most part...I do, but I love beer more.

Living in the Willamette Valley poses a huge problem for some and puts us in a quandary when it comes to choosing where to sample and enjoy a nice cold beer. I do have my favorites. When I walk in to a McMenamin's, it's always a Ruby Pale Ale to go with my garden burger and tots. When I head to Calapooia Brewing Co., it's usually the least hoppy beer but the Chili Beer is growing on me. We just went to Bridgeport Brewing a week or so ago and I fell for the Blue Heron then the bar dude let me sample "Summer Squeeze!" Oh wow...light, refreshing and so cold that I could have sworn I was drinking a lite summer juice. Well, that may be the idea behind it come to think of it.

No matter when or where, I'm always up for trying a new beer! I'm falling for Ninkasi now and actually held a beer tasting at the inn in June! Next time we do that, we'll be sure to let you know. Several bottles including Deschuttes, Ninkasi, Widmer, Rogue and Full Sail were included in the flight and it all went well with the beef Ray was Traegering in the garden.

Living in the "beer capital" of the world has it's perks and my beer fridge is full of Oregon beer. Come by for a cold one while it's still summertime warm!

Foraging for mushrooms in the Pacific Northwest!

2011-08-16T19:07:00.000-07:00

I won't pretend that I know exactly what these are called. I know I saw the tag at the Farmer's Market but I don't remember the name of these delicious morsels. All I know is that next on my list of "fun and exciting things to experience in Oregon" after my very first kayaking lesson in early Sept., is to go foraging for these goodies.

I don't really have a written list of things I want to experience here in Oregon but I do have a list in my head that I mentally review every now and then. This year, I really wanted to check off finding mushrooms in the Pacific Northwest.

This is where my readers come in. If you know of anyone that would take me or just tell me where the best places to find mushrooms are, I would really appreciate it! Of course I would love a guide for safety sake but I plan to read up a little before delving in to the harvest and preparation to make sure what I am foraging is not going to kill me.

I have my foraging boots ready and my mushroom bag handy so all I need now is for YOU to tell me when I should go and point me in the right direction so I can find the best schrooms in the valley!

Filling the saddlebags with OREGON WINE!

2011-08-15T20:28:00.000-07:00

Recently I had to give a bio of myself to Travel Oregon for their "Ask Oregon" project. They said they wanted to me include experiences I have had in Oregon and things that I love about it. Of course it was easy and the first amazing experience that came to my mind was riding a black mare through the Willamette Valley Wine Country last September.

I wasn't sure what to expect and my daughter and I were a little nervous. She hadn't been on a horse since she was tiny and it had been a while for me too. Our guide Jake put our nerves at ease with his comic personality and I am pretty sure we laughed throughout the whole ride. The horses were pretty awesome too! Tennessee Walkers and just high enough to make you feel just a little above it all while trotting through the vineyards.

Sitting high in the saddle brought back memories and reminded me of all the reasons I love the smell of the saddle, feel secure in the feel of the reins in my hands and enjoyed knowing that I would get to taste wine in ways not a whole of people get to. Several wineries later, some galloping through the grapes and a lot more laughs, our saddle bags began to feel full and it was time to take the wine home to share with our guests! I don't think I have ever spent two hours doing anything more fun than this. I love hiking so much and I adore my bicycle rides but this experience just felt natural and surreal at the same time.

Bonding with the mare, reaching out to feel the vines with my own hands, seeing from up high the rows and acres of vineyards, once again...I was smitten with this valley.

I added this link to the Equestrian Wine Rides here because if you are looking for that "real" experience in wine country, you should seriously consider this ride. Fill your saddle bags and taste by horseback the Willamette Valley wine country.

Photographing Vintage!...Albany Antique Mall

2011-08-11T21:57:00.000-07:00

My camera cost me two hundred dollars last summer. First trip out with it and I dropped it in the sand on the coast in Seaside. I pushed a few buttons and jammed the lens immediately. I tried to hide it so I wouldn't get that "what in the heck did you do to your new camera...did you drop it?" So, I drop things...it's better than throwing things. After a few more button pushing moments, my camera stopped flashing me awful messages and proceeded to rid itself of the sand particles and took the most awesome photos that day. And, in the past year...it has not once failed me!

I love taking photographs and I even have my most favorite places to take those photos. The top of my list begins at our local Albany Antique Mall. Man oh man...talk about a place to take some great pictures. There is just something about vintage that adds character, colors such as muted shades of pinks, greens, blues, browns and creams that seem to hug the lens of my camera. It's like this stuff has been just sitting around waiting to be recognized, brought back to life and shown off a little. Therefore, the quality of vintage is apparent in the details of these old things and captured in mere photographs to share once again.

So, I treasure my two hundred dollar camera, try not to drop it in the sand and still amaze even myself at just how well it loves vintage!

I'll always be a cottage type of girl!

2011-08-10T16:42:00.000-07:00

It's so weird isn't it that no matter what, we are drawn to what we love. I keep trying to go with that sophisticated look when decorating. You know what I'm talking about...stream line, less clutter, shades of chocolate, that un-lived in look. But, then I seem to find myself adding little touches everywhere. A sweet magazine on the coffee table, a few cute vintage tea cups on the shelf in Sisters, the cutest doily I forgot I had but found a few days ago and placed next to my bed under my French lamps...and it goes on and on. Not too much but just enough to let people know that we do live here and we like it cute!

Today I left my honey in Portland at the loft so I could play for a few days. I have been wanting to stop at the new Fred Meyer in Wilsonville for some time and wow...what a great store. I hope Albany gets one of those soon. Well, I headed to the book and magazine section first off and found a couple new issues to bring home. I love Autumn so of course I grab the "Autumn Cottage" first then of my "Romantic Homes!" I have been tempted to begin perusing them but I am waiting for a friend so we can ooohhhh and awe together over tea later. So, they sit right here on my desk just waiting...for now!

I have read and seen for myself while in the country in England that bright colors are back in style. I really didn't know they left but it does make sense when you window shop and see the shades of clothing, linens and decor that fill the picture windows downtown. I still love all shades of white and creamy yellows that exude that "cottage" sense but I love seeing bright colors in pinks, robins egg blue, marshy greens and luscious chocolates all put together to give that, "I am sophisticated...in a cottage girly sort of way!" Is there even a specific name for this style? I don't know for sure. And...it still makes me laugh when visitors to the inn say how much they love the way it's all decorated. They can never pin point a certain style about it, but they love it. I giggle and tell them it's a little Target, Ethan Allen, Albany Antique Mall, Vintage Roost and on and on. I guess it's all the stuff I love and am comfortable filling my home with and that's all that really matters.

So, I encourage you to drag out your magazines, your mint tea and cups, invite your girlies over and have a "cottage style" get together ooohhhing and awing over all the cute stuff that you LOVE! Think of me when you do it...or better yet...invite me too!

Albany Farmer's Market...the food says it all!

2011-08-06T22:30:00.000-07:00

It's still about the ride...even if it's tandem!

2011-08-04T22:53:00.000-07:00

I could provide you with tons of links to the Willamette Valley Scenic Bikeway but you can find those easily all by yourself. I could tell you where to buy your bicycling map, your bike packs, your gps, your shoes and I could tell you where to stop for lunch too. But, you could find all that stuff by yourself. The one thing I can tell you, is that at the halfway point from Champoeg to Eugene is Albany and it's a very sweet place to stop!

The Pfeiffer Cottage Inn is quite possibly the best place to park your bike in town. We are located just a few blocks from the best dining experiences in the entire Willamette Valley. Our guests love, love, love that when they arrive here, they can park their bikes in our locked basement, head to their room, take that much needed shower or soak then decide over a glass of Oregon wine where to go for dinner! It's pretty easy actually and they almost always choose Sybaris Bistro. They want that real Pacific Northwest Experience so we know the best place to send them for that. We make the call, reserve their table and they are set to go. And, the going is easy when they mosey downtown just a few blocks away to enjoy that perfect taste.

Winning the James Beard award, using the most delicious ingredients, the freshest market finds and the fact they are smitten with their own food, tells us that Matt and Janel Bennett may have set the standards over the top when providing that awesome "food" experience. You should seriously check out their August menu. Ok...I'll link it for you here! I can't resist after hearing what our recent guests have been saying about it.

So, whether you are biking alone, with a group, with your honey or friends, single or tandem...we can secure your gear so you can relax and enjoy the easy ride at the inn and Sybaris Bistro!

My dad took me to the Portland Zoo!

2011-08-02T20:44:00.000-07:00

I can check another fun experience in Oregon off my list...The Portland Zoo!

I have been wanting to go to the zoo since I have moved here but there is just so much to do, I hadn't made it yet. My dad offered to take us yesterday after riding the MAX to Washington Park. So amazingly easy to get there and I was surprised at how simple, sweet and perfect the Portland Zoo is. I wasn't sure what to expect since we had only been to a zoo once before. But if you are looking for a way to spend a few hours enjoying the outdoors with your family, this is the perfect way to do it.

Thanks dad for zoo trip!

Willamette Valley Wine Country... a home tour!

2011-07-27T04:08:00.001-07:00

We'll be sipping wine about 5:30 this Saturday afternoon because visitors to the inn will be the home owners that have just spent the entire day "showing off" their homes to hundreds if not a thousand or more Historic Home Tour goers.

Every summer, Albany gets a chance to remind folks that we do boast the most in number and most varied styles of historic homes in the entire state of Oregon! We do like showing off but we really don't have to do much to get noticed. It's not unusual to look out my window and see someone stopped to look at the architectural details of our Robust Craftsman Bungalow or to see a photographer angled just perfectly to catch the details of a huge Queen Anne just around the corner with his or her camera. And it's not unusual to be mentioned in some magazine or blog that we do put on quite a show here in Albany. We do like to show off our lovelies and why not...we have so much to brag about!

We have the distinct pleasure of hosting Joan Tapper this weekend at the inn. Joan has written several books and most recently released "The Most Beautiful Villages and Towns of The Pacific Northwest!" I personally got my signed copy as a gift from our local visitors center because when Joan and her photographer Nik Wheeler were researching their book a few years ago, they stayed with us. Joan will be signing her book at the visitors center this Saturday so when you are buying your Home Tour ticket, you can purchase Joan's book and meet her as well.

Another gorgeous weekend is planned for this years' home tour and as always, we hope you can join us. Walk, drive or be taken by trolley to see and experience some of Albany's most beautiful homes. Also, join us downtown for lunch and/or dinner and see what else Albany does so well!

See you all this weekend in the Willamette Valley Wine Country and for more details about this tour, click here!

It was good day...a very good day!

2011-07-24T07:49:00.001-07:00

Thanks to all my friends and family for making my 50th birthday so much fun! Ray and I spent a few days in Portland playing tourist and enjoying our loft in the Pearl. Then, dinner last night in Albany was like the icing on the birthday cake! A very fun week so turning the big 5 0 wasn't so bad!

I missed those of you that could not make it to Oregon. Thank you too for the gifts the cards and birthday wishes! I missed you all!

Now...what's on the list for the next 50? Well, hopefully more fun, new experiences, great health, lots of travel and time to spend with the people I love. I have a long list of things I want to do...a sort of bucket list I guess. That's what people are calling it these days and as long as my bucket gets slowly emptied, it will all be good!

One of the few things I want to accomplish this year are on top of my bucket list and it looks like we'll be kayaking in September! Being a Facebook admin for the AVA is fun and has a few perks as well. An avid kayaker saw that I was wanting to learn to kayak on the Willamette so guess what...we get lessons the first weekend in September! They say once you do it, you get hooked. Well, I hope so because that would be a very fun hobby!

A couple of other things I would like to do this year involve truffles and fly fishing. I want to go foraging! I want to truffle hunt! There are places to do that here in Oregon and so just finding out where and when then planning that short trip is right up there. Now for the fly fishing. I don't like fish, I hate looking at them and I will never touch one. I am not sure why I have this aversion but I am sure it has something to with the eyeballs and slimy feel they have and the weird way they look at me through the glass at the aquarium. I know I'm weird! I think the whole idea of standing in those fashionable waders with that fisherman hat with the lures all dangling off it has something to do with it. Not really, I am pretty sure it's the quiet, the waiting, the beauty all around and the sounds of running waters that entice me to want to step into a river with a pole just to see what happens. Ray has promised me that if I do happen to catch a fish, he would take care of it for me. I think that means throwing it back when it comes to fly fishing.

Besides this short list, we have added a few more trips this year too. Sherry comes up for her 24th birthday so we will take the coast road up to Seattle and enjoy the views, do some hiking, sight seeing and just being with our baby girl. She has never been to Seattle so it should be fun showing her around and just like her mama, we'll back to Albany in time to celebrate her birthday with some family and friends.

Ray also came up with the idea of going to Chicago for our anniversary in October. Our gift to each other was our trip abroad but we decided that nice little get away via a romantic train ride would be fun too. I am looking forward to that ride and checking out the sleeper car. I am even more looking forward to touring Oak Park and seeing some of Frank Lloyd Wright's homes. We'll be enjoying a little road trip outside of Chicago too. I want to go to Sheboygan on our way to Door County Wisconsin just to say I went to "Sheboygan!"

In between running the inn, our trips, play time in Portland and spending fun time with our friends and family, we plan to rest! Although living in Oregon, rest means hiking, city trekking, discovering more delicious restaurants, finding more wineries we love, beer tasting and having way more fun than anyone should be allowed to have. But, it's all good and at times seems unreal. So, if this is one long freaking dream...please don't wake me...I'm having a perfect sleep!

COME TO OREGON TO ESCAPE THE HEAT!

2011-07-21T17:04:00.000-07:00

What an awesome marketing tool! And yes...we do look good in gray and even though we get the occasional day of gorgeous sunshine, the PNW tends to just be this way!

For those of you looking for a good excuse to escape the heat, let me tell you what our last few days have entailed. If that doesn't entice, well then...nothing will!

We took the Pink Bus Tour all over Portland, ate lunch and drank beer on 23rd, soaked in a hot tub for an hour while watching TV and listening to music and waterfalls. We ate dinner at Tin Shed, enjoyed a salted caramel at Moonstruck, took the MAX to the zoo, hiked to the Rose Garden, then city trekked to 11th and Johnson, ate a delicious lunch OUTSIDE, had a lovely hot and cold stone massage, enjoyed banana cream pie and a latte' at Lovejoy Bakers and have plans to enjoy dinner at Toro Bravo in a bit then we're off with Portland Walking Tours for a Ghost Tour of Portland!

Enjoy the photos! Whether you are coming for the wine, the Rose City or just to hang with friends...it's all cool...seriously!

An Oregon Country Trail Event...Aug. 6th!

2011-07-20T15:39:00.000-07:00

From Bridget:

Willamette River Country Trails Event

August 6th

Take a drive and visit an array of local sites.

Begin the day wandering the Albany Farmers’ Market, meeting the folks that grow & produce our wonderful local food. Pick up some fresh produce and snacks while you delight in the open air market atmosphere with live music. Then head out to Fry Road Nursery, take a deep breath and view all the unique plants and flowers. Ooh and ah over tropicals and exotics, including 500 different varieties of fuchsia. Step into historic downtown Albany & visit The Brass Ring Carousel Museum. Slow life down to explore the charm of one of Albany's finest historic homes, the Pfeiffer Cottage Inn. Complimentary glass of wine provided.

For the finale, wrap up your day kicking back at Midway Farms for wine, cheese & music in an enchanting country garden. Featured food by Creperie Du Lys llc., scrumptious crepes & pomme frites. Full Circle Creamery, Blue Monkey Bakery & Living Earth Bakery will be offering tastes of baked foods, cheese & other goodies. GF friendly event. 21 and older please.

Albany Farmers’ Market ~ 4th & Ellsworth ~ 9am to 1pm

Albany Visitors Association ~ 250 Broadalbin SW 10am to 3pm

Fry Road Nursery ~ 34989 Fry Road SE 1pm to 4pm

The Brass Ring Museum ~ 503 1st Avenue ~ 10am to 4pm

Pfeiffer Cottage Inn ~ 530 Ferry Street SW ~ 4pm to 6pm

Midway Farms Evening on the Farm ~

6980 NW Highway 20
Wine, Cheese and Music from 6pm to 11pm

Need a tour guide? – Contact Kenneth Self at Oregon Country Tours (888) 762-8687.

Click HERE for a list of trail events...Albany Visitors Assn.

...and I'm 50 years old!

2011-07-17T22:26:00.000-07:00

I have had one or two people ask me how I feel about turning 50. This seemed like a strange question to me because I don't really feel like I'm turning 50. In fact, most of the people around me say they can't believe I'm almost 50. I would like to believe that is because I have a gorgeous complexion, no gray hairs, I don't ache when I walk a few miles or don't have a hard time moving after gardening or cleaning the floors. But for some reason I think they mean something else.

I refuse to grow up! I think I have way too much fun. I enjoy life to it's very fullest and want to savor every moment like a perfect bite of my favorite food...pizza! I am so afraid that I will not get to do everything I want to do in the rest of the time I have left. So, the race to do it all truly began a few years ago and hasn't stopped. I have never laughed harder in my life than I have in the past few years. And after reading this blog, if you don't remember anything else, remember that laughing cures pretty much everything so do it a lot!

I could at this point make a long list of things I have learned in the past 50 years but then I would miss out on reading my book waiting for me next to my cozy bed. In short, I have learned everything every one else has learned at this point in their lives. But, the most important things I have learned...be nice, be good, be sweet and be yourself! It's ok to be a little "off" because then it keeps people wondering. And mostly...it feels so stinkin' good to not worry about impressing anyone but myself by kicking higher than anyone else and laughing so hard I can't catch my breath and my sides are aching. Life is too good and too precious to waste not laughing especially if it's with my dearest friends and my family. Thank you all for making me laugh and a special thanks to my honey who makes me laugh the most. Looking forward to spending my 50th birthday with you!

Behind The Scenes...a food tour worth all it's praise!

2011-07-15T21:52:00.001-07:00

I love sitting in my kitchen reading the local newspaper while sipping my "Breakfast at 11" blend and smiling to myself after reading things like, "Recently, a jerk pork slider was sampled for the Albany Nosh Tour and Pope said it will become a regular on the menu." This quote came from our new "Dining View" edition of the Democrat Herald. Chad Pope is the owner and chef at Cappies Brewhouse. He and his restaurant are on our nosh tours and he is one of many that never cease to amaze even the skeptic when it comes to finding a delicious meal in a small town like Albany.

The nosh tours began about one year ago and have grown to the point that our September tour was booked out about 3 months ago. Someone has reserved the whole ride for a group of folks developing a special tourism piece for Linn County. And as always...I am sure they will be surprised and awed by their experiences. Great chefs like Chad, like Matt, like Ruby and all the other restaurateurs here in town that know good food is really important when you have a whole town to impress let alone 26 nosh tour goers.

To me, the nosh tours are about partnering or putting together the talents, the slow delicious food grown mostly here in the valley by the way, and the people that want it so badly that they gather on a vintage trolley to taste the ride of their lives. It's important to me that everyone from chef to taster get that perfect experience.

What goes on to prepare for these tours is not really different that what goes on behind the scenes to prepare for a huge crowd coming through the restaurant doors at 5pm. Most of our chefs and restaurateurs use our locally grown food. They thrive on showing off their talents in the kitchen. The way the grass fed beef sizzles on the Traeger, the way the Farmer's Market garlic fills the entire restaurant with such a sweet scent as it's mixed with butter and salt and served with that steak or, the way the mixologist they picked out mixes that perfect cocktail. So perfect in fact, this nosh tour coordinator/amateur photographer/innkeeper and whatever else it is I do brags about it all over the place. Facebook is a great place to do that by the way and so is Flickr...because people love photos of food and drinks. What a phenomenon food and drink has become. Who'd a thunk that besides good food nourishing our bodies, food would actually become art, a design so delicious that it's photographed and posted in places to entice, affect souls and draw many in so that they yearn to see and find that gorgeous food. It all begins in our chefs kitchens here in Albany. From the Farmer's Markets, from the farm, grown in their own kitchen gardens perhaps and then created by the masters that know showing off should be a sin but how could they not when what we have here is so worthy of bragging about.

We hope that if you have not joined us on this "tour of food," the Albany Nosh Tour, that you consider it soon. We still have some seats left beginning in October.

Hope to see you on the ride, behind the scenes on this "tour of food" right here in Albany and this Willamette Valley!

Star Trek in Portland!

2011-07-14T15:19:00.001-07:00

==================================

JULY 9-31

Beam Us Up, Scotty

Woodlawn Park: the final frontier. These are the productions of Atomic Arts. Its three-year mission: to showcase classic, contemporary and original productions; to act out live versions of classic Star Trek episodes; and to boldly go where no theater troupe has gone before.

Yes, since 2009, Trek in the Park has transported Captain Kirk and the gang to this outdoor amphitheater in Northeast Portland, where thousands of fans have watched their renditions of episodes of the classic television show. Running every Saturday and Sunday at 5 p.m. from July 9-31, this year's presentation is “Mirror, Mirror,” the episode that introduced the world to the “Evil Spock” concept, which turns a good character bad with the simple addition of a goatee.

The production is complimentary, suitable for all ages, and attendees are encouraged to bring picnics, blankets and chairs to maximize their living room-in-the-park experience. We recommend arriving early and watching the actual episode in advance — it's fun to see how true the troupe stays to the televised original. Also, while furry, four-legged friends are allowed (it's a park, after all), please leave your tribbles at home. On the deck of the Enterprise, they're just too much trouble.More info > >

— John Patrick Pullen

===========oh my gosh! We have to do this for sure!

Sanctuary at Washburn Heights! July 31st!

2011-07-13T06:03:00.000-07:00

“Moonlight & Music” at the Sanctuary at Washburn Heights

Save the Date – July 31^st

· A benefit for the Calapooia Food Alliance

· Wine Tasting from Marks Ridge Winery

· Cider from 2 Towns Ciderhouse

· Hors d’ oeuvres

· Dance Band

· Tickets $20/person – available at Keybank and the Famers’ Market

Come dance under the stars at one of the most spectacular hidden venues in the Valley – Sanctuary at Washburn Heights.

35400 Washburn Heights Drive, Brownsville, OR 97327

www.sanctuaryatwashburnheights.com/directions.html

A GREAT EVENT TO BENEFIT THE ONES THAT LIVE IN OUR COMMUNITIES! Putting it on our calendars!

Wine in Willamette Valley...we'll go wherever it takes us!

2011-07-13T04:36:00.000-07:00

Philomath Uncorked

July 30th, 3:30pm - 7pm

"Philomath will be hosting their First Annual Wine Walk on July 30th, from 3:30pm until 7pm. Tour downtown Philomath where local businesses will open their doors and become tasting rooms for the evening. Sample local wine from Airlie Winery, Emerson Vineyards,Lumos Wine Co., Spindrift Cellars and more, as well as crisp ciders from the recently-opened 2Towns Ciderhouse.

Your $10 purchase to this event includes a "Philomath Uncorked" souvenir wine glass and ID bracelet (required for the event). You will also receive five $1 tickets good for wine or cider tastings. Save this date on your calendars - it's sure to be a great evening!

For more information, visit the Philomath Chamber of Commerce website, and follow Philomath Uncorked on Facebook"

Taken from a Visit Corvallis Upcoming Events email! Yes...we belong to Visit Corvallis and love that they send us guests all year long!

Thanks Corvallis! We love attending all of your events!

Cocktails and Grape Leaves...all in a day!

2011-07-11T21:53:00.000-07:00

We had family visit again from Cali and when they come, we gotta put on our "tour guide" vests and find the best places to visit in Oregon! You know how much we love it here so we're pretty much always ready to go.

Finding out that our inn was totally booked for a few nights, took Ray and my sister and her family to Portland for a few nights. They enjoyed fireworks, Kenny and Zukes and all the fun Portland provides in two very fun filled days. I got the great pleasure of staying in Albany greeting our wonderful guests from Florida. We had fun too! Especially when our guests let me photograph them faking smoking Rays stogies and drinking up all his Booker's! We had a huge laugh at Ray's expense for sure.

Finding places to take our visitors to is really pretty easy. There is so much to do here in the Willamette Valley that we kept them all pretty busy when they finally made it back to Albany. Some hiking, bicycling, eating, shopping, lavender fairing, visiting the carousel museum, beer tasting, wine tasting, private dinners at the inn and more made it easy to crawl up on the sofa at nap time and snore for a bit each day too. Yeah...that's a great perk for us innkeepers. Quite often when we have family take over the inn, we take a little break ourselves to relax and visit and enjoy! Oh and that day on the coast...perfect. Not too cold, not too warm and of course the views...awesome!

I love it here in Oregon as you all know but most of all, we love it when we can show off what we love and then watch it perform it's magic on our visitors. They fall in love too and then are smitten with it all. So yes...they come back...again and again! Good thing we love our family!

IT'S GETTIN' CRAZY ALL UP IN HERE...CRAZY IN ALBANY, OREGON!

2011-07-05T11:53:00.000-07:00

July 8 & 9, Albany celebrates, "Crazy Daze"! Our downtown merchants will be setting up the hugest sidewalk sale you have ever seen!

First of all...this weekend begins on Thursday as we get our dancing shoes on and boogy to Coco Montoya for our Summertime Music Lineup at RIVER RHYTHMS! Enjoy other great concerts in Albany every Thursday evening by Plena Libre, Lonstar (yes...I just said that!), The Crazy 8's, Sammy Kershaw...(wow!), and B J Thomas!!!! An amazing line up!

Then Friday, our MOVIES BY MOONLIGHT begins with, "The Time Machine" staring Rod Taylor. This continues throughout the summer as well!

Sweet Saturday brings us to CRAZYVILLE! (But the sidewalk craziness really begins on Friday...I just liked the way that sounded!)

Sidewalks in downtown Albany will be set up by 9am, there will be great bargains and FOOD! Our restaurants will be open as well! Enjoy a burger at First Burger or Cappies! Maybe you feel like Italian perhaps??? Whatever you feel like, bring yourself downtown and enjoy the day!

Only a few more days and it's all happening in downtown Albany! See you then!

How I Spent My Summer Vacation...in Oregon!

2011-07-01T23:13:00.000-07:00

I was putting together a photo album today on Facebook. I looked through my iphoto library choosing all the photos that depicted what my summer was like last year. I seriously want a repeat!

We began our very first Albany Nosh Tour last June. Celebrating our one year anniversary just a week ago with another tour, the NOSH tours have been a success. Since then, the experiences have only grown. We spent the summer exploring the coast, picking wild flowers on our hike at Mary's Peak and the Multnomah Falls trail...the long one!

We trekked all over Portland every chance we got to get away. We have learned so much about that area of Oregon that we consider ourselves somewhat experts on city trekking there!

We watched as our family and friends took off and soared through the air from the airport in Salem in a small plane. And...thankfully they landed in time to wine taste at Willamette Valley Vineyards and our fav...Sweet Cheeks winery near Eugene.

We had meals including drinks and deserts at several of our NOSH stops after the tours. Promoting and supporting our local restaurants has become our personal goal and we know how lucky we are to have such great choices when it comes to our food cooked slow and so good here! We took cooking lessons and ate the panna cota served by our resident Italian chef Ruby and enjoyed watching Patrick teach our nephew how to make lasagne from scratch and then serve it to us!

We learned how to make our guests even happier by preparing breakfasts that are tastier, lighter and full of veggies, local cheese's and Farmer's Market eggs. We also learned that after hiking in the hot sun, a nice cold Ruby Pale Ale at Edgefield McMenamins works well to cool us down. We tasted all the food we could possibly taste at every food cart we could possibly find in Portland including a Full Sale veggie dog battered and served on a stick with hot mustard.

We hiked again and again while experiencing the beauty of the Hood River region. We saw pears begging to be picked and enjoyed a breakfast of French toast covered in just harvested raspberries at an inn called Sakura Ridge. We also learned there that eating is most certainly an agricultural activity as evidenced by the 40 plus acres of organic fruits and vegetables served daily to guests and friends.

We rode a horse named Lola and she took us down isles of grapes and vineyards filled with luscious reminders of why our wine is so good here. She let us fill her saddle bags with Oregon's Willamette Valley's finest so we could take it home and share it with our guests. We enjoyed the delay in leaving a friends driveway because their herd of sheep needed to be moved and we loved being lulled each evening by the sounds of music that come from our local "concerts in the park." And...we are enjoying the light in the sky that sticks around till 10pm in the summertime forcing us out to take those late walks downtown in our sweet Albany.

Yes...Oregon is that amazing. We haven't even hit the halfway point on our list of "awesome things to do in Oregon" yet. So, this summer is proving to be another hit. Hoping to mark a few more experiences off the list this year and plan a few more for next year. I just hope we have time to do it all but if not, an exact repeat would be fine with us!

Outside in Oregon!

2011-06-28T20:32:00.000-07:00

Hiking this past weekend with friends near Corvallis. Next time...I'm bringing my lunch, a good book and more time to enjoy all the GREEN!

The Willamette Valley Scenic Bikeway!...Albany over night!

2011-06-24T15:33:00.000-07:00

Check out this link...Oregon Wine Country Travel. Albany is the half way point of your ride and if you think the ride is sweet, you will be pleasantly surprised at just how sweet Albany is!

We are so looking forward to this summer. Bicyclists from all over the country stay with us all summer long. Once they arrive, they secure their bikes in our locked basement storage, catch their breath and take a well deserved hot shower and then they are set to go...again. Always asking where the best places are to eat in Albany, we send them with a long list so they can find what sounds good to them.

A Pacific Northwest Bistro, a swanky cocktail lounge where it's ok to hang out in your summer attire, a few pretty amazing places to have a burger, some sweet Italian or our very own brew pub. Wherever they decide to fill up after the long haul, it's all good here.

So, a welcome to our bicyclists this summer. We look forward to your visit as much as you will look forward to hitting the hay in one of our guest rooms. Sister's for four, Mt. Bachelor for two or Mt. Hood for three...your choice. It all comes with a delicious breakfast to give you the energy for your next trek across the Willamette Valley.

Ride safe and see you soon!

Hiking in Oregon's Willamette Valley!

2011-06-20T21:12:00.000-07:00

I love hiking! I never knew just how much till I moved to Oregon almost four years ago. For one thing, it's astonishing to me and I hope it always will be that when I am on a hike, I experience stunning foliage in so many shades of greens that I am almost certain that God didn't even know they existed. Beautiful ferns, trees with moss literally dripping and hanging off every branch like a word that hangs on the tip of ones tongue. With the unexpected stream or rushing sweet waterfall, I almost feel like I'm on a movie set until I remember that this is nature...the nature found only here where we get over 40 inches of rain every year. Where the greens are greener than anywhere else and the breathtaking winding trails that capture this hikers heart and keeps me wandering to see even more of what can only be discovered on foot on an Oregon trail.

What I love most about our hiking trails here in the Willamette Valley is that there is a trail for everyone. We have hosted many guests at our inn that want to know the best places to hike near Albany and Corvallis. Depending on their level of intensity, their desire to break a sweat or not and how prepared they really are, depends on what trail we send them on. Easy or difficult, steep or level...depending on how much time you have or in my case several times...how lost you wanna get, determines how your hike should begin. And yes...we have made several wrong turns, spent hours trying to get back to our car but it's been the most fun we've ever had. As long as we stayed on a trail and had our maps or GPS, water, excellent hiking boots and lots of daylight, we just figured we sweetened the trek by taking time to explore and discover some amazing sights.

I was excited this evening to finally get a chance to sit and read our paper. I loved the "Oregon Outdoor" edition and saw the article,

"Day Tripper: Experiencing the city and forests on Albany's river trails!"

Here is the link to that article... http://www.democratherald.com/sports/recreation/article_53b4f088-9b83-11e0-9683-001cc4c002e0.html

I have hiked a few of these trails here in Albany. The writer says there are 13 miles of them and so I am looking forward to trying them all out. The weather is beginning to warm up...finally. And, tomorrow is the first day of summer. My hiking shoes are just sitting on the shelf in the closet and my water bottle is tucked in to a drawer in my kitchen. My plans...to get this stuff out and make plans for our first summer hike.

Walking from our inn, it's easy to trek to most of the trails listed in the newspaper article. It's also an easy walk from our inn to our sweet downtown Albany. There's nothing better than a nice cold beer and some delicious food after a long hike or just a short walk from our inn once checked in and settled.

Whether you choose to take the long hike on a difficult trail or the flat path to thoroughly enjoy the scenery or just go a few blocks from the inn, it doesn't really matter as long as you end up downtown when it's all over with. Hiking boots in a posh downtown restaurant or in one of our local brew pubs is quite the rage ...in Oregon anyways!

Gold Canyon Arizona in February

2011-06-19T08:14:00.000-07:00

Gold Canyon Arizona in February

Queen Bee, Betty Crocker's 90th Birthday and the Sweetest Antique Mall in Oregon

2011-06-15T01:33:00.000-07:00

I just have to say...when I wander in to the front door of our antique mall here in town, I want to forget that I am going for that streamline, new "clean" look. You know the look...less clutter, less stuff sitting around and that, "no I'm not a collector of anything" feel. Well, quite frankly I have spent a few minutes looking around the inn today and I can honestly say that we have that "clean" kind of "streamline" look going on here in this Craftsman but we have that "look" with a very sweet twist.

It was so much fun finding things for the inn when we first opened. Decorating the guest rooms and giving them their own personalities and comfortable feel. I have never been a collector of any one thing but I have been a collector of a little bit of everything apparently.

We have spent the past few years paring down and in keeping with that "Craftsman" simple and organic look, we kept the things that say, "it's just perfectly decorated without too much but it still has that homey feel!" That's what we want our guests to see and remember when they leave us. Many times our guests have walked in or mentioned at breakfast that our home reminds them of their grandma's house or an aunt they had a long time ago. That's all fine with us as long as grandma's house was full of fun, laughter and several bottles of wine to share. Being able to be here and provide a little home like comfort to our guests is our pleasure as long as they leave satisfied and have fond memories of the time they spent in our home.

The photos I have shared in this blog were taken at or local antique mall. The place is huge, two stories and filled to the brim with amazing vintage items. Furniture, dishes, and so much more. My favorite is the big area upstairs filled with vintage clothing. I could get lost and man the memories come flooding back. I can see dresses in styles my mother wore when I was little. I saw a faux fur full length coat just like my grandma used to wear and the sweetest hats like the ones I used to see the ladies wear at church when I was a little girl. It's no surprise that when we came up with the idea to host a VINTAGE APRON EXHIBIT AND TEA, this location seemed just the perfect place!

This idea is has turned in to a celebration of women. A tea, a party and a fashion show of vintage aprons and all for the love of women. One of the ladies involved in this creation came up with the idea that we should tie in Betty Crocker's 90th birthday party to the fashion show/exhibit and what a great idea. I'm always game for a birthday cake and I do have four of the cutest vintage aprons to show off and heck, it's all going to raise money for research and treatment of cancers that affect women.

Aprons cover the parts of the woman's body most female cancers affect therefore it's only fitting that we bring out our aprons, put them up for exhibit and fashion show, have some tea, cake and celebrate with other women rooting for the same cause. So, you are invited to this party which will be held at our Albany Antique Mall in October. Let us know if you have an apron you would like to exhibit, show off in our "apron fashion show" or donate to the cause for the sake of women in our community.

We'll keep you posted regarding all of the details and let you know when the party is. Happy birthday Betty...now let's have cake!

GYPSY ARTS & CRAFTS...July 9th and 10th

2011-06-13T09:29:00.000-07:00

Gypsy Arts & Crafts

LAVENDER FAIRE July 9 & 10

10 am- 4 pm

34556 Mt. View Place NE

Albany/541-928-5122

Fresh cut lavender/ & U-cut
Lavender products & plants
Oil distillation & craft demos
Local artisans & crafters
Lavender Refreshments
LUNCH by Novak’s
Live Music 1-3pm each day

Saturday: Ian Lindsay, guitar Blues/Jazz

Sunday: Sunnyside Turner, Folk

Enjoy the mountains & river view, perennial garden, established & newly planted lavender. See our new gift shop while you relax at a homespun country faire….. Admission free, everyone’s welcome!

Contact us: Ric & Gale Blasquez 541-928-5122

Or gale@moonshadowlavender.com

An OREGON WEDDING in vintage style!

2011-06-09T11:13:00.000-07:00

Weddings are upon us! I just went out to the market to pick up some Champagne for our honeymooners coming next weekend and then I am planning to find out where to get some of the best and most mouth watering local chocolates to place sweetly on a bed of flowers next to the bed. I love looking for this stuff. I love that we have so many choices! I could head to Trader Joes or Market of Choice where they carry some local things but then my fun would be over too quickly. So, I plan my day, get my directions and head off in search of the good stuff.

We are lucky here in the Willamette Valley. Some even say the soil is "too" fertile. How is that possible?! Well, it is green here and anything grows and it does so very quickly. We are blessed with that delicious wine, those crunchy sometimes chocolate covered Hazelnuts, our schrooms that someday I will get to go foraging for and a valley full of folks that love making foods that we can consume with pride because it was made from ingredients grown here in Oregon.

Not only do we have the best food around, we have the sweetest spots for all those family get togethers, weddings, birthdays and even balloon festivals. But those weddings always get to me. The Flinn Block Hall in downtown Albany is absolutely darling. A huge room with original details, beautiful old wood floors and all lit just so perfectly that you could swear stars were brought in for the party. Among other wonderful OREGON WEDDING locations, we have had guests married in Hazelnut Orchards, on the beach near Newport, a gorgeous big red barn, a friends garden and we have even been asked to host several weddings here at the inn. It seems anything goes these days which is fun with a generation of very talented and resourceful people not afraid to be mindful all of the possibilities available to them.

So, if you are planning your OREGON WEDDING, check us out for the "after" party...we will supply the celebratory Champagne and chocolates while the entire Willamette Valley is waiting to see where you will choose to be married. Backdrops of that Hazelnut tree, a vintage hall waiting for a perfect photograph under the stars or just a sweet local inn for that wedding party of a dozen or so. The possibilities here in Oregon...are endless!

Stay sweet!

Isn't it amazing?...Albany, Oregon!

2011-06-06T09:46:00.000-07:00

One of our guests this morning said to me, "I'll bet you don't have many guests that come here to sight see do you!" Hmmm...well let me tell you!!!

Quite honestly, when we opened our inn May 2008, I was under the same impression and here is where I take my short arms and try and pat myself on the back feeling that we played a small part in enticing people to come here. Since then, we have seen guests that come to Albany from all over the world. Just to name a few places...Japan, Singapore, Germany, Holland, England, France, Canada and a few others I cannot remember. Typically our guests reign from here...Oregon! Yes, they come from all over Oregon and then branching North and South, we have guests from BC and California as well. Albany being located right off the I5 really helps with travelers getting to and from their destination. And...this is where we snag them, help them fall in love and desire to return.

More times than I can count, guests getting ready to check out of the inn have said, "my gosh...I really didn't know." They didn't know that Albany boasts the most in number and variety of stunning, robust and gorgeous vintage homes in the entire state of Oregon. They didn't know that if you are looking to buy a home in this region and you stay at our inn, you are more than likely to find yourself purchasing your very own historic treasure. They didn't know that just a few blocks from the inn, you can fine a plethora of delicious Pacific Northwest cuisine of which some has won awards reigning from James Beard and beyond. They didn't know that we have our very own brew pub that make the best burgers and tots in at least 3 cities. They didn't know that they would literally fall in love with this 1908 Craftsman the bike trail from Champoeg drove them to. They didn't know that they would really want to take that old king sized bed in the Sisters Suite home if it would only fit in the backseat of their VW bus. They didn't know that the sweetness of this town would capture their hearts so deeply that they literally just have to sit with that perfect pinot and a slice of Kris's Marionberry pie and let their minds wander to...I only wish! And...little did they know that once here, their hearts would be captured forever and full of love for this town that rests on the banks of the beautiful Willamette so close yet far away from the "big city." The perfect spot, the perfectly sweetest place on earth and the perfect time to come see what the others did not know and have found out.

Inn to see...just photos!

2011-06-04T19:11:00.000-07:00

Portland Food Cart...Olympic Hot Dogs...Washington and 10th

2011-05-31T13:09:00.001-07:00

We have been dying to get over to the food carts since coming to Portland a few days ago. Ray had a burger at Olympic Hot Dogs a while back but I wasn't hungry and have been regretting it ever since. I am a weird vegetarian. I love the taste of hot dogs but I won't eat a "real" one. So, the next best thing is a veggie hot dog and when I saw they were Full Sail Brats hand dipped in Pronto Pub Batter, well...that just sweetened the desire for one even more.

The result...a little mustard on my hot corn dog today and it was as good as I hoped! Ray ordered a chili cheese dog with all the toppings including onions and if you wanna see a pic of that dog, go to my Flickr photos.

I love taking pictures of good food and I love that we have the opportunity to experience the best place in the country to not only photograph but to taste all that good food.

Here's to hoping that when you visit Portland this summer, you find what you are hankering for on one of our Portland Food Carts!

Portland...another awesome taste! Serratto...NW

2011-05-30T21:52:00.000-07:00

Looking for a restaurant that was not only kid friendly but one that had several interesting yet somewhat normal items on the menu was a priority for me. Our family visiting Oregon this past week had planned to spend a few days in Portland and my most favorite thing to do each time we stay at our loft in the Pearl is to try a new place to eat whether we are hosting guests or are on our own.

This time Serratto won first place on my list of restaurants to try. "Reservations for ten please on Sunday at 6pm!" Soft lighting, lighter shades of wood and trimmings with simple yet thought provoking colorful art made this restaurant feel good the second I walked in. It also helped because the first thing you see when walking in is the salad prep area with delicious huge salads on a ledge waiting to be served. Add lots of windows with all of the above, candles on the tables and homemade Mac n Cheese and it almost felt like home. Pizza, seafood, pasta and Blueberry Cheesecake for dessert, to name a few items we tried and decided were delicious, made us smile on our walk back home. Rubbing our bellies and keeping Serrattos on our list of restaurants to most definitely return to, we are already planning what to order when we head back to Portland.

One more full day in Portland then heading back to the inn. So, what's on tap for tomorrow? A food cart lunch of course! Got my eye on a Full Sail Veggie Corn Dog and some Garlic Fries.

bon appetite

Family...can't live without em!

2011-05-20T17:17:00.000-07:00

I don't even know where to begin to try and explain these photos I have added to this blog. All I can say is that we have one weird and freaky family!

A few generations ago is when it all began. I think I get my sense of humor from my dads side of the family. Sarcasm comes pretty darn easy and the wit...well, let's just say I have been told that I could literally take my "one woman show" on the road. Both sides of my family have been known to be a bit humorous and I remember even as a child laughing so hard at something my papa said that it made my sides ache. One time I got a pack of stickers as a gift and one of them said "Vacancy." The directions said to place it on someones head. So...I did! I put it on my papas head and everyone just looked over at him then at me and began laughing so hard it made me laugh too. I was too young to know what "vacancy" meant but I learned very quickly that making people laugh was fun, cathartic and I felt such a rush when I did it that it was something I wanted to do the rest of my life.

Now let me explain these photos and why they are important to me. The photo with our entire family in it...minus Steven (that's another story), is at our oldest daughter's wedding about 1-1/2 years ago. We can't be normal, it's not in our blood. And yes, there are a few serious photos of us smiling and pretending that we weren't wishing we could cross our eyes or stick out our tongues or poke a finger in someone else's ear. It was a very informal affair in a small church and it was actually quite sweet. Funny story here...my dad actually had the pastor convinced that Sandy's dad had just been released from prison just in time to attend his daughter's wedding. Sandy's dad even played in to it from the get go. He even showed the pastor a tattoo he had on his neck that simply proved he was actually in prison at one time. And no...he never really was. My dad proceeded to even convince the pastor further in to believing that Ray was an alcoholic and that we were all hoping he would be sober at the wedding. The funniest part of this whole story...the pastor requested a private meeting with Sandy and her husband just before the wedding and proceeded to pray with them that God would give her strength to deal with these burdens of stress of two fathers with deep seeded issues. One an ex-con and the other an alcoholic. When she and John exited from this private meeting just before it was time to walk down the isle and she was laughing hysterically, we were all dying to know what happened. So it was told. The story of my father once again telling stories with the innocence of a child explaining the reasoning behind the dead frog in his pocket to his mother. Thanks dad for that fit of laughter and such a precious memory.

The next photo is Ray with our other daughter Sherry and our grand daughter Kaelynne. Ray is always the one to make funny faces and tease the kids. Sher is the one to sleep in photos as she works nights quite often so it's not unusual to find this sweet girl curled up in a ball like a little kitten somewhere in the middle of a party. This time she chose her daddy's shoulder to rest on. And then there's Kaelynne. My only grand daughter and the light of this grandma's life. Always a smile, a kiss, a little pink nail polish on my toes when she's around and always an..."I love you Nana Ebbie!" So, a do-over with my grandkids, a little more fun, a lot more funny and way more time to spend watching them grow and learn and become the next generation of family comedians.

We are expecting all of our children and grandchildren this week. In fact, Justin was just picked up at PDX by Ray and they are on their way to the inn right now. Sandy and her family will arrive either Sunday or Monday and Sher will be here on Tuesday. The inn will be closed to "non-family" guests so we can rock this place with laughter, hilarity, stories, games and cuddling.

Here's to family...can't live without em and we surely can't hide them in the basement...well, not for very long anyways.

Comcast Highly Recommends Tin Shed in Portland!

2011-05-15T23:56:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, we decided that we would like to try Comcast out. We have their internet at our loft in Portland and really like it. So, four boxes were connected to our t.v.'s throughout the inn, the internet hooked up great and we were ready to go.

The phone call to get things rolling actually began in Portland. I didn't know the customer service person I was speaking to was based there but when I mentioned we already had internet in Portland and now we wanted to try it in Albany, he said, "hey...I'm in Portland!" So, that's how it got going. The conversation went from setting up installation dates to food in about 5 seconds. That's how it is with us...you know...people that can always turn a conversation to food no matter how it started. Thus began my quest to try out the restaurants my Comcast customer service guy suggested.

I finally made it to the first restaurant on on my list. My friend Ann and I headed to Portland today for her birthday and I told her I wanted to check out this restaurant our Comcast guy told us about. We headed for the NE district and found Tin Shed. Not much to look at from the outside or the inside for that matter. In fact, it kind of just looks like a tin shed.

The menu was amazing. Finding things like Berry Garcia, Brie A Naughty Girl and Mac of the Day made choosing the perfect evening meal interesting. They even had a small menu for the canines of which I did not see this evening but evidently they are very welcome there.

I chose the Berry Garcia and it was basically a quesadilla filled with black beans, jalapenos, cheese, roasted peppers and cilantro with a thin layer of berry jam spread inside and creme fraiche on the outside. Oh my gosh...so delicious! Ann had the the Mac of the Day made with Cavatapi pasta, in three cheese sauce, baked with crispy bread topping with a little dill and just a few slices of dill pickle. I stole a bite of hers and again...amazing! Forgot to mention that my diet Roy Rogers and Ann's Orange Dreamsicle cocktail was quite tasty too!

For my next visit...I'll bring Ray. He's got to try this place. My choice will probably be the Rosemary's Gravy Baby or maybe the Phyllis Diller or better yet...Sin or the Spike Lee or maybe even Benny Hill or even more better yet...the Tummy Warmer!

So, thanks Comcast guy and I am so looking forward to tasting the other places you recommended too!

Cinnamon Crepes for Saturday's Market!

2011-05-11T21:04:00.000-07:00

Making crepes is probably my most favorite thing to do in the kitchen. It's amazing that a little thin batter could turn in to something so soft, so luscious and so delicious. These crepes absolutely melt in your mouth and meld with the flavors of whatever they are filled with. My cinnamon crepes are filled with just a touch of Nutella, fresh berries and then wrapped like a sweet bundle and topped with homemade whip creme. And...if I'm feeling even more artsy, I sprinkle just a tad of powdered sugar or a little shaved chocolate on top for fun.

This Saturday is my first ever "cooking demo" at our local Albany Farmer's Market. I am so excited and nervous but I have made these crepes so many times I should be a pro by now. I never had an audience so...wish me luck.

Enjoy this recipe and enjoy the moment when your crepe falls out of the pan and is perfect and soft and so melt in your mouth delicious!

CINNAMON CREPES: by Debbie Lusk, The Pfeiffer Cottage Inn

3/4 c. all-purpose flour

3/4 c. half and half

1/4 c. whole milk

1/4 c. granulated sugar

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp. vanilla extract

dash of salt

two large eggs

cooking spray

Combine flour and next 7 ingredients (through eggs) in a food processor or blender and process till smooth. Pour batter into a bowl, cover and chill for at least 1 hour or up to 12 hours.

Heat an 8 inch crepe pan or medium non stick skillet over med-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray, remove pan from heat. Pour about 1/4 c. batter into pan, quickly tilt pan in all directions so batter covers pan with a thin film. Cook 1 minute or until surface of crepe begins to look dry.

Carefully lift edge of crepe with a rubber spatula to test for doneness. Turn crepe over when it can be shaken loose from pan and the underside is lightly browned. Cook crepe 20 seconds on the other side.

Place crepe on a towel and cool. Repeat the procedure until all the batter is used and stack the crepes between single layers of wax paper or paper towels to prevent them from sticking.

I can usually get about a dozen crepes out of this recipe. Roll the left over crepes up and place in wax paper separately then in plastic baggie. They freeze great!

Now it's up to you as to what you want to fill them with. It can be just about anything! I love filling these crepes with warm berries and bananas after spreading a little Nutella on them. So delicious but be creative...you can fill them any way you wish!

Hope to see some of you at market this Saturday. I'll be the one with crepe batter in my hair and Nutella on my face!

info: Albany Farmer's Market is located near the Linn County Courthouse at Broadalbin and 5th Ave. in downtown Albany. Hours are 9am-1pm!