Camping in the Columbia River Gorge at Memaloose {#Travel #Oregon #GoCamping #Food Family #Fun}

How can it be that it is already June 10th - another few posts are still locked up in my head and there has been zero output on this blog lately.  Yes, shame of me…time keeps just on rolling by…so now no more fretting from me…

Summer is here meaning the tent camping season is now fully open {for us} -  we kicked off the season with a two night stay at Memaloose Oregon State Park; actually the same campground we kicked the season off for a few years now.  Memaloose State Park is in the Columbia River Gorge just past Mosier and few miles west of The Dalles; this is the place - at least we think so - where the lush green changes over to a more desert feel.  The mighty Columbia is just below the campground and Rowena Crest rises high above;  Memaloose is located where the gorge is super narrow.  The train line is below the campground separating the river from the park; I-84 runs right above campground and Rowena Crest towers above.  Yes,  it is loud - there is the highway, trains all times of day and night, and - since this is the Columbia River Gorge - one the premier wind/kite surfing places around the world super, duper windy.  WE - for some odd reason - love to kick off the season here.  It is always a lot warmer, and drier than Portland plus there is a lot to do.

We love hiking up Rowena Crest, or the Tom McCall Preserve but since I hurt my foot {hello Plantar Faciatis} a hike was not in the cards.  Let's just say that MiaRose was slightly excited about that fact.  Instead of the hike we headed to the Washington side in the gorge, tasted some wine,  went to an awesome museum and visited Stonehenge.  More about that tomorrow, or soon thereafter...

Roasted Marshmallows and s'mores by the campfire

Other things to do include biking, wind/kite surfing, hiking, more wine tasting, visit the the Columbia Gorge Discovery Center, taste fantastic beers at Full Sail and/or Double Mountain in Hood River…

Oh yes and finally figured out how to improve our camping fare; parboil.  I obviously did not invent the idea but how on earth did it take me so long to think of it?  We finally had great food - perfectly roasted corn on the cobb {parboiled at home before packing} plus potatoes, bacon, and eggs for breakfast - I parboiled the potatoes and they came out fantastic….

Good to know before you camp at Memaloose

• It is loud - there is no way of sugar coating it; trains run throughout the night, and so does the traffic on the highway
• It is windy and the wind can be really gusty; so if you are tenting be prepared to anchor it down
• It is dry and hot
• and yes,  despite it all we love it , but it is not for everyone - so if you are looking for a quaint spot to camp this is not it…
• Great Junior Ranger program in the summer

Fort Stevens State Park, Astoria & Beer or the first #camping trip of 2015 {#travel #gocamping #yurt #oregon}

No, this is not an April first joke it is actually me posting…can you believe my super long break?!  I am really waiting for that tool to transpose my posts from my brain to my blog.  Yes, I have been saying that for a long time it's lame but yes, so many, many posts lined up in my head and oh so little time.  Well, truth be said that lately I have also been feeling a little worn out ~ not to worry the family is all right just me being a little under the weather.

I am happy to announce that our 2015 camping season has opened.  Okay, truth be said we did not yet break the tent out and instead camped in a yurt at Forth Stevens Oregon State Park {Northern coast} which is perfect especially in chilly weather as there is heat, electricity, as well as beds.  Take a look

It's super fun and dry…We arrived on a Monday - it being March and the Oregon coast - there was a chill in the air and a slight drizzle in the air.  After setting up camp, we took a quick drive to the beach to explore the wreck of the Peter Iredale a ship that ran ashore in 1906.

 This was the first time we have seen it, really the first time that I have seen a real-life shipwreck and I do think that there is a certain mystique about it. You, know I was thinking about the hands that built the ship, the people that sailed on it the merchandise…okay, okay I am getting a little carried away...

The next stop was dinner and when in Astoria or close to it Fort George Brewery  is our place to go.  Let me just say that the beer is delicious and the food is not shabby either.  They certainly always have options for the girls.  In addition to the regular pub fare on the lower level,  the restaurant has expanded the upstairs into a pizzeria including a wood burning oven.  Feeling more like pub food - fish tacos for me friers - we stayed downstairs, gobbled down our food, enjoyed the beer, and took in the atmosphere of the steady downpour….

After dinner back to the yurt - yay for the yurt in the pouring rain - a nice game of Eckolo with Alena, comfortable beds and sleeping to the sound of the rain without worry.

We woke up to an almost dry day - you know the kind with lots of dry patches, sun, and intermittent rain.  Ron - always the camp chef - made us bacon and coffee/tea for breakfast…before we took a nice long walk to Coffenbury Lake (you can swim in the summer) to the beach and back.

I do have one complaint about Ft. Stevens and that is that cars are allowed on the beach. Year-round the beach is open for cars to drove tp the shipwreck but the area north is closed off for the months May thru September.  Let's just say,  cars on the beach are not my thing…

Check-out is at 1pm leaving plenty of time to explore Astoria.  Alena loves to visit the Columbia River Maritime Museum  which really is an awesome place to visit, now you know there is a but coming, right so here it is blue skies - sun and yes, neither MiaRose nor I were into a visit this time.  Instead we watched a beautiful 3D movie about Galapagos Islands and then headed outside to the pier to tour the Columbia Lightship

Feeling hungry our last stop was at Buoy Beer Company right on the river; the brewery is a little over one years old and neither the beer nor food disappointed.  The most amazing thing however are the views…I am talking right on the river,  pilot boats go by as do huge freighters coming off the Pacific Ocean and let's not forget the great viewing area of sea lions from the restaurant.  What do I mean?  Well, there is huge viewing area in the floor of the restaurant and below the floor are sea lions lounging.  Quite amazing and it's an awesome addition to the places to visit in Astoria.

Good to know:

Yurts - as many campsites in Oregon - must be reserved ahead of time and they go quickly; we just got lucky but only got to stay one night.  Reserve your spot at ReserveAmerica

Bring sheets to put underneath your sleeping back it's more comfortable than lying directly on the thick plastic

Be aware that cars are allowed on the beach at Fort Stevens State Park.

Have fun!

Orcas Island - camping at Doe Bay {#gocamping} #getoutside #nature #pnw #washington

For years now we have wanted to go up to Doe Bay on Orcas Island.  Well, okay let me rephrase that I have wanted to go to Orcas Island actually ever since I read about Doe Bay.  Yes, I have been dreaming about this place that sounded so magical.  Sitting at a cove right above water it looks absolutely magical plus the resort is complete with a Sauna and hot tubs.  Now, you may not yet know this about me {and Ron} but we love Sauna; and as if not going to Germany would not be already hard enough for me but the thought on missing out on my several weekly trips to the Sauna just added more salt to an already open wound.  So yes,  since this is  was our summer of living outdoors and camping we reserved a walk-in spot at Doe Bay.  How was it?  Oh my - beyond absolutely magnificent; truly a walk in spot but it was basically just us right above the edge of the water.  Sea otters were feasting right by our campsite, the view of the water, the tranquility, the stars…it was such a reward for the seemingly long walk to the site.  Plus have I mentioned the Sauna yet?  Such a magical place - a beautiful big Sauna right behind the sunken hot tubs with views to the bay.  Yes,  we may have spent a couple of hours there every single day…just pure bliss.

Those of us living in the Pacific Northwest surely have all heard about the San Juan Island an archipelago located in the northwest corner of the United States and are part of Washington State.  There are a total of about 400 islands of which 128 or so are named and they lie between the continental coast of Washington and Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada.  There is ferry service to four of the islands - San Juan, Lopez, Shaw, and Orcas - from Anacortes, Washington.  The islands are a nature lovers dream…wild life, hiking, sea kayaking…pure bliss; and yes getting there is already part of the fun; I mean who does not like to arrive at their vacation destination by ferry?!
Take a look…

After about an hour on the ferry we arrived at Orcas and drove straight to Doe Bay which is at the other end of the island.  The drive took us through the quaint village of Eastsound as well as through Moran State Park right below Mount Constitution….outdoor heaven, friends. Now can you guess how we spent our days?!  Oh yes,  we hiked…one we went up to Mount Constitution and walked up the last 1.2 Miles on the trail up

An other day we hiked around Mountain Lake

On the rainy day our not so much into hiking Mia Rose went on strike and refused to go on a little hike.  So Alena and I set out on our own on a little hike at Obstruction Pass State Park, yes we did get soaked but were ready for the Sauna and hot tub :)

But what about the kids?  Did they have fun?  YES - I can assure of that, we all made great friends and the kids had lot's and lot's of playtime {as well as s'mores} with their new friends while the adult had lot's of great conversation with our new friends.  Oh, and I almost forgot to mention a few other great things about Doe Bay - not only is it scenic, relaxing but you will also meet the nicest people every plus there are showers, and a guest kitchen with two stoves, two refrigerators plus a dining area.  Perfect for camping on a rainy day…and meeting new friends

All of us caught the same ferry back to the mainland or America as they say on the island when it was time to say good bye….

Lost Lake Resort Camping Trip {#gocamping} #oregon #getoutside #nature {#galactosemia #newbornscreening}

This my friends is our summer of camping and living outside.  You may remember that we got a new tent earlier this year and are truly enjoying it.  Never has camping been easier;  finally a tent that I can put up all by myself…

It has been very hot here in Portland and you know what we do to escape the heat?  We either drive out to the beach {= Pacific Ocean}, or we go up by the mountain {= Mount Hood} to one of the lakes to swim and camp.  This year we have already been to Trillium Lake but this was our first camping trip to Lost Lake {we have come up for the day before}.  A few things to know if you plan on camping at Lost Lake; get there early in the day to find a spot - there are also a few walk-in sites however all sites are first come first served.  Yes,  you cannot reserve a spot.  Try to come up during the week and stay a couple of nights.  It will be challenging to find a spot on a weekend - but you can always call the resort in the morning to find out how many camping spots are available…

P.S.: Can you see our tent right behind Alena & her friend...

We made the trip out to Lost Lake on a Wednesday morning together with our friend Kim and her 4 year old twins.  Kim has camped there many times before so she knew the perfect site for the six of us.  Luckily the site was empty when we arrived and we quickly pitched the tents.  Okay - I admit Kim helped me in putting up the tent…While we put up the tents the kids  explored the camp site, walked on the large log and later both of my kids read to Kim's children.

Dinner was amazing; Kim cooked for all of us take a look at this amazing looking plate…

The next day Kim rented a boat and took all the kids fishing; both Alena and Mia Rose loved it and cannot wait to get their own fishing poles. I think that will be the perfect activity for Ron with the girls because this girl is not much of a fisher…

Oh, I almost forgot there was ice "cream"; plenty of dairy free options for the girls leaving everyone happy :)

On Friday the girls and I hiked around Lost Lake which everyone enjoyed - yes, truly I kid you not neither of the ladies griped even so Mia Rose only found one newt ….

By the time we got back from our hike the other parental units had arrived from Portland….

We had one amazing time; these are little things which I never thought would be possible ten years ago when Alena was first diagnosed with Classic Galactosemia.  Our life is luxuriously ordinary and I never ever forget that newborn screening saved both of my children.

Trillium Lake Camping Trip {#gocamping} #oregon #getoutside #nature

I have some news to share with you.  Really are you ready for it?  Okay…we LOVE camping. Yes we do - we love spending quality family time together in the outdoors.  Now honestly this is not something I would have imagined myself saying  fifteen probably even eight years ago; but it is true we love it and that is all of us no exceptions.  Having a new tent that is easily pitched helped, having the right equipment and of course gorgeous nature has helped.  So far we have been on two camping trips.  The first one was to Memaloose State Park and a couple of weeks ago {I cannot believe how far behind I am blogging} we took our chances by driving up to Trillium Lake without a reservation.

Mt. Hood as seen from Trillium Lake {Oregon}

We lucked out; we asked the host and guess what she said?  I think spot 47 is still open…

It does not get much better than this.  Camping right at Trillium Lake with a beautiful view of Mt. Hood; we usually come up once a year during the summer for a day trip but staying over night was just amazing.  We hiked around the lake, the girls and Ron swam while I enjoyed reading my book.  Ron took a swim out to the middle of the lake every morning. One morning a bald eagle pulled out a fish just a couple feet away from him.  Yes, we saw at least a couple different bald eagles {majestic is the only word that comes to mind}, an osprey and lots of other birds.

Both girls - especially MiaRose - were excited about catching rough skinned newts to pet and release them right away. I think MiaRose could have spent all day catching them.  We stayed a couple of nights and it was just pure bliss.  On the culinary end,  we enjoyed pasta one night and baked beans with hot dogs grilled over the fire on a stick the other nights.  Not to forget, there were s'mores every night….

What are you up to this summer?

German Cherry Cheesecake - Kirschkäsekuchen {#Dairyfree} & first 2014 camping trip at Memaloose Oregon State Park

What is going on?  It is finally summer when the living should be easy and time for leisure should be plenty.  This has been said many times by me, but really would someone please invent a device that transposes blog posts onto the screen for editing….

The 2013-14 school year is over and to celebrate we went camping the very first weekend.  We have a new tent and could not wait to get out and give it a try.  Let me tell you it was full success.  The weather was dry out at Memaloose State Park in the Columbia Gorge albeit super windy and making the kite- and windsurfers out on the Columbia River very happy.

Both girls loved riding their bikes throughout the campground - their favorite is to make  s'mores at the camp fire and play silly games.  We have somewhat of a routine when camping.  Ron makes delicious French Press coffee and breakfast then we head out for a daily adventure.  This trip we went on a couple of adventures.  The first day we drove up to Rowena Crest and hiked the Tom McCall Nature Preserve; windy but simply beautiful.  Now let me tell you something about our kids - we have one child that absolutely loves hiking but there is also a cute squeaky little wheel that is not the biggest fan.  Can you guess the hiking fan and the hiking foe?!  -  One thing that sure helped the hiking foe was that we observed a beautiful deer in the park eating her lunch and seeing the ponds on the plateau.  Take a look how beautiful this place is….

Now I know if you are here for the Kirschkäsekuchen you are asking yourself what on earth does any of this have to do with a cake?  Let me tell you,  cherries grow in abundance in the Columbia River Gorge and this is what we saw on our drive up to the nature preserve

How can anyone resist and not stop to buy at least a pound of cherries for each person? Well, I may have bought ten pounds something I shall call planning ahead :)  Back home, they were pitted, placed on cookie sheets in the freezer, then moved to freezer bags and I am happy to report that we now have lots of cherries.  We use them as ice cubs in water and lemonade, and in this German style Cherry Cheesecake…Since we are not going to Germany this summer, I have to bring Germany to us.  Käsekuchen is one of my favorites; dense, rich, full in flavor with little hints of lemon. Unlike the American Cheescake a German style Cheesecake is made with Quark. Neither of our girls have had Käsekuchen before so this was a challenge that I had planned to tackle for a long time.

Take a look…

What do you think?

German Cherry Cheescake {Kirschkäsekuchen}
Crust

• 1-1/4 C flour
•     1/4 C  Sugar
•      1 tsp vanilla 
•      pinch of salt
•     1 egg yolk 
•  1/2 C  Earth Balance or other vegan "butter"

Filling

• 3 eggs, separated
• 2 pack soft silken tofu 
• 1/2 C sugar
• 1/4 C lemon juice (or more to taste)
• zest of 1/2 untreated lemon, grated
• 1/4 C corn starch
• 1-1/2 C fresh or frozen pitted cherries

1. Combine all the dough ingredients and bring together until it forms into a smooth dough.  Roll out the dough on a floured work space.  Place it into a parchment lined spring form pan. 
2. Place dough in spring form pan for about 30 minutes into a fridge
3. Preheat oven to 400 F
4. When the dough has chilled and the oven is preheated bake the dough for about 10 minutes.
5. Remove from the oven, and turn down heat to 335 F
6. Make the filling -
7. Beat egg whites until they are firm.  Set aside
8. Place tofu - drained as much as possible - into kitchen stand mixer. Beat until all lumps are worked out and it is smooth.
9. Mix in sugar, lemon juice (add more to taste), egg yolks and corn starch.  
10. Gently lift egg white under the filling
11. Pour filing into pre baked crust.
12. Place cherries on top of the filling and gently push them down
13. Bake for about 60 minutes until golden
14. Remove from the oven and let rest at a cool place for about 45 minutes before serving

Enjoy!

     

Orzo Salad for a #picnic #PicnicGame {#dairyfree}

Today we are celebrating International Picnic Day by bringing you a basket packed with goodies from A to Z, in the style of the picnic game! Drop by the Sunday Supper Movement to see the whole picnic spread out on our virtual blanket. I'm going on a picnic and I'm bringing…
Asian Chicken Salad from Try Anything Once Culinary
Beautiful Beet Salad from Small Wallet, Big Appetite
Chicken Muffuletta from Marlene Baird
Double Chocolate Chip Cookie Cups from The Dinner-Mom
Elote from Peaceful Cooking
Fennel Slaw from FoodieTots
Greek Farro Salad from That Skinny Chick Can Bake
Honey Porter Glazed Chicken and Vegetable Skewers from Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks
Italian Pasta Salad from Casa de Crews
Japanese Plum Sushi from NinjaBaking.com
Kudos Kitchen Kolaches from Kudos Kitchen by Renee
Lemon Yogurt Bundt Cake from In The Kitchen With KP
Molasses Lovers Baked Beans from Cindy's Recipes and Writings
Northern Bean Salad with Egg and Prosciutto from Family Foodie

                          and

                            Orzo Salad

Delicious Orzo Salad packed with olives, shallots, olives, arugula, red pepper…take a look - what do you think?!

Orzo Salad

• 1 C Orzo
• 3 oz pickled red peppers ~ 1/8 C of the juice reserved
• 1/2 C pitted, mixed olives
• 4 shallots sliced {1/2 C firmly packed}
• 3 Tb Olive Oil
• 2-1/2 Tb white balsamic vinegar
• Salt & Pepper to taste
• 1 C washed arugula

1. Cook orzo according to directions. Drain and cool
2. Dice red peppers into bite sized pieces
3. Slice olives
4. In a large bowl combine the cooled orzo with red peppers, olives, and shallots
5. In a separate bowl combine Olive Oil, white balsamic vinegar and reserved juice from the pickled red peppers. Mix up thoroughly, add salt and pepper to taste.
6. Pour dressing over the orzo vegetable mixture and combine well.  Cover and let rest for about an hour before serving.
7. Before serving, place arugula in a ring around the top of the salad.
8. Mix orzo with arugula when ready to serve.

Enjoy!

Lost Lake {Oregon - Hood County} - Day Trip

It is finally getting hot in Portland; just in time for August and it is perfect to get out of town.  Our original plan was to go camping this weekend at Lost Lake - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lost_Lake_(Hood_River_County,_Oregon).  The campground is first come first serve and word is that you need to be up there early on Thursday to get a spot http://lostlakeresort.org/default.php.

That was a no-go this week, plus it felt like too much work to get ready so instead we decided to drive up on Saturday.  It takes about two hours to drive up and there are plenty of day use spaces.  Okay - let's be honest there are plenty of day use spaces if you get there early enough in the day.  We like to take our time in the mornings so we did not get there until around 1 in the afternoon.  So - as you could expect - we did not get a spot by the water, but we did find an empty picnic bench - yay! Once we got settled it was off to the water.  Oh my, what an amazing lake for swimming.  Clear water, shallow at the edges, and did I mention the beautiful view of Mt. Hood?! It is the perfect place to cool off, and enjoy the day.

We brought our camping cooker to make Spaghetti with Sockaroni for a late lunch. And look who decided that she likes sauce....

After lunch we packed our picnic site up, and hiked around the lake.  It is a beautiful hike, magical hike with lots of boardwalks and spots to jump in the water to cool of.  One can just imagine the fairies living in the forest....Alena is such a good walker and she loved the entire hike.  Our youngest on the other hand was complaining for - what seemed - at least half of the hike while the path was leading through fairly dense woods.

 Everyone was happy when they jumped in the water and watched a couple of newts....Here is the link for the hike -> http://www.portlandhikersfieldguide.org/wiki/Lost_Lake_Loop_Hike

It would have been fantastic to stay for the night, but oh well still close enough for a day trip.  On our drive back we stopped at a brewery in Hood River for dinner. There was not only homemade regular beer, but also homemade root beer....Yum!