Coffee Roasters

Max. T.J. and Zak offically badged for touring Distant Lands Coffee Roasting Company.

Our good friend Bev, works at Distant lands coffee Roasters. We stopped by one day to see what she does when she goes to work.

Bev's main job is to track beans purchased from around the world and bring into the warehouse. Then they are roasted and flavored and packaged for sale in supermarkets.

Before we could go into the roatser part of the plant we had to dress up.

Max, Zak and T.J. ready to see what's roasting.

Inside the coffee roasting factory.

One of the Roasters.

Coffee once finished roasting.

Storing the roasted coffee before it is packaged.

Packaging up the roasted coffee.

Once packaged the coffee is stored in the warehouse before being shipped off to stores where it is sold.

Family get together

(picture by JB)

My Mom and Dad gave us a great gift this summer... they rented a house at Sunriver near Bend Oregon so my family and my brother's family could get together and have some fun.

We did quite a bit of biking.

Max and Zak waiting for us to get going.

We biked all over the property and stopped by the river to rest a bit and play in the water.

Back on the trail.

 

We also did alot of swimming. This is Max our water dog.

T.J.

Zak

Zak and Ankush

THANKS MOM AND DAD !!!!!

We had a GREAT time!

Misery Ridge

(Picture by JB)

Misery Ridge trail at Smith Rocks is aptly named for though we made it to the top and down the other side, getting up the last bit of trail nearly killed me. My brother taught me to do the rest step and my friend Michelle taught how to breath through my nose and not my mouth to keep from panting. Otherwise I would have wilted under the hot sun and the steep climb.

(picture by JB)

The Rocks were beautiful in the afternoon sun.

(picture by JB)

(picture by Michelle)

We started our hike aorund 3PM and hiked the river trail around the left side of the rocks.

(picture by my mom)

(picture by JB)

(picture by my mom)

(Picture by JB)

When we stopped for a snack it became clear the small boys just would not want to hike further. So My mom took them back to the park area and my brother and Elliot (his son) and Michelle and my husband and I went on around towards Monkey Face.

(picture by JB)

(picture by JB)

(picture by Michelle)

The view was amazing. It was such a clear day we could see seven peaks.

(picture by JB)

(picture by JB)

My mom and the boys were waiting for us when we got back!

Blackberry pickin'

One of my favorite things to do in the summer is to pick blackberries. It has been a tradition in our family since I was a little girl. In fact we used to go picking especially for my Grandmother Lulu who lived in Casper Wyoming. She loved blackberry jam more than anything else in the world. This year is the second year my family has carryied on this family tradition. The sun has been kinda funny this year and we see more of the clouds than the sun so the blackberries are not yet sweet and one in five are black on the vine.

One my favorite ways to eat blackberries is simply to pour whole organic milk over them and spoon them into my mouth. But often we end up making them into Blackberry Cobbler. Below is our all time favorite recipe.

Quick Fruit Cobbler

In a bowl Cream together:

1/4 cup butter

1/2 cup Rapadura (or other natural sugar you like)

Add:

2t baking powder

1/4t sea salt

1 cup flour

1/2 cup organic whole milk

In another bowl mix:

1 cup blackberries

1t cinnamon

Place the dough into a baking dish  (about 9x9)

On top of the dough add 1 the blackberries.

Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. The dough will come up around the berries and the berries will sink.

Serve with ice cream or your favorite plain yoghurt.

Sometimes the berries don't make it past the pickers and into the bowl. (smile)

There is a great country western song by Paul Overstreet about blackberry cobbler...Your love's alot like Blackberry Cobbler... and I can't get enough.

Grilled Shrimp Brochettes

I have not always been a fan of shrimp but this grilled shrimp over an Asian Vegetable Salad is heavenly. My boys love it....so when I found these baja shrimp on sale I snatched them up and began to grill.

The recipe comes from a cook book I have been cooking from most of this summer called Ultra-Metabolism Cookbook.

Grilled Shrimp Brochettes (pg 97)

Mix together:

1/4 olive oil

2 t minced oregano

2 t minced parsely

1 t minced garlic (or more if you like)

1t lemon zest

1/2t crushed red pepper

1/2t salt

1/2t black pepper

Toss the shrimp in this olive oil mixture and let set for 1 hour.

While the Shimp is marinating prepare a salad....I made the Asian Vegetable Salad also from the Ultr-Metabolism cookbook.

Asian Vegetable Salad (pg 82)

In a large bowl mix together:

1/4 pound snow peas

2 cups napa or savoy cabbage

1/3 cup julienne carrot

1/3 cup julienne cucumber

3T scallions

2T minced cilantro

1Tminced mint

a handful of grape tomatoes or chopped red pepper for color

Dressing:

3T sesame oil

1T Tamari

1T Rice wine vinegar

1T fresh lime juice

1/4t black pepper

Then grill the shrimp and assemble onto a plate

River Hike

Yesterday we took out our rafts just past this bridge. After a good nights sleep back at the camp ground, we returned to hike two miles along the river to Rainie Falls, a class 5 rapid. The Boys wanted to see a "real" rapid and we were sort of hoping to see a boat or two try to run it. 

We looked at the map and were off!

The boys had a difficult hike ahead. The right side drops off about 100 feet to the river below, and on both sides of the trail and often in the middle poison oak was growing everywhere.

Leaves of three, let them be!

The river was very calm....can you see the bubbles in the water that show where the current is?

Raine Falls was impressive! The boys ate lunch here and sat for a long time hoping someone was going to run it. Unfortunately no one came so we had to trek back.