Lunch With Sis ... and Autumn's So Pretty It Hurts.

MY sister, one year younger than me, was down from Washington to visit and on Saturday I lured her to my new favorite place to eat, Out Aza Blue, in Gales Creek.
We split a buffalo burger with bleu cheese. I had salad and she had potato chips (homemade). Our mother used to make these when we were young and they went as quickly as they came out of the pan. The Out Aza Blue chips were really crisp and light. Mom would have loved them, especially since she wouldn't have had to do any of the work.
The drive to Gales Creek was breathtaking. The yellow, gold and scarlet deciduous trees were mingled among the evergreens and seemed more beautiful than any other fall in decades. On the way back home it was raining a bit, but nothing could dim their loveliness.
Today, Sunday, we went out to breakfast and then to work off some of the calories from the egg-coated, rolled-oat covered sourdough bread french toast with apple slices (cream cheese icing on the side) I raked leaves - the photo is a conglomeration of images, with a before and after shot of the path I made - worked on my altered art journal and went grocery shopping for our own groceries and something to make for the Valley Art Annual Artist Event members night reception tomorrow evening. (Turned out to be a veggie platter.)
The Mister and I collaborated on dinner: He cooked hamburger, onions, chili powder and tomatoes in a pan and I made the cornbread to pour on top. Then it all baked in the oven. He even asked me if I wanted to take a picture of it, but I guess I knew I had enough photos already to post.
I am working on Nanowrimo, but I'm not at all happy with the words I've put together so far. I know that's not really the point, and my brain is still freeing itself up, but still it's disappointing. I guess I thought it might come together more easily. I've tried writing longhand, on the computer, changing chairs and writing surfaces - and it's just not working quite right. Well, when it does, though, it will be a bonus - femminismo

Lunch With Someone Special.

On Saturday, I had lunch with someone very special: my granddaughter, M. She is a girl I wish I had been - smart, savvy, thinking ahead, determined to achieve her goals. I'm not kidding. She's the best.
We met at Jamba Juice and talked over our lives, the meaning of reality, commuter travel, parents, mothering, the cost of education and much more. She is attending the Art Institute in Portland and working about 35 hours a week too. She is a busy, busy young woman. (At first I said "girl" but that's not right. Not any more.)
As you can see in the photo, I had a picture for her. It was taken around Christmas about four years ago, maybe. We sat outside in the October sunshine and drank our healthy juices and enjoyed each other's company. A great way to spend part of a Saturday.
Today was a warm, sunny day too. An Oregon October day that makes you glad to be alive. If only the warmth could last a big longer. The Mister was busy in the back yard and I was busy inside. I raked leaves for a while, but then got busy on my pumpkin: The 3 Faces of Eve.
Translating drawing to sculpture - with a paring knife - doesn't always go like you'd wish it to. A once a year sculpture doesn't keep your skills very sharp. But this pumpkin did end up with three faces and I can twirl it about and try each one out in the dark. Folks will see it coming and going on Halloween night - although I doubt it will be very frightening.
I have a picture I took of it in the dark. I started at 1:38 p.m., as you can see above on the microwave clock, and gouging away at it I made quite the mess.
My hands and arms were very tired. This was a thick-skinned pumpkin!
I also got terrifically inspired by Gabrielle, the chef at Out Aza Blue, the restaurant I told you about in Friday night's post, so on Saturday I cooked acorn squash and carrot soup, flavored with sage and rosemary. We weren't hungry for it last night, so we had it tonight. Delicious if I do say so myself. (And I do.)
I love places like restaurants and art galleries that inspire those instincts. They are like matches to us candles - femminismo

Sicilian Cookery Scores a Hit !

WELL, it's an exclamation mark in the title above, and well deserved, for Gabrielle, owner of Out AZA Blue Market & Cafe in Gales Creek.
I had been trying to get someone to go there with me after I heard there was a formally trained chef trying to make a go of his gourmet meals on the Wilson River Highway.
Gabrielle, whose kitchen is up these stairs in the picture at the left, is originally from New York (his parents were from Sicily), has a degree in engineering, attended Reed College, has a business degree and attended culinary school in Switzerland.
The menu covers a variety of foods - from steaks and pastas to lasagna and eggplant parmesan. The Mister ordered a gyro and I thought, "Good grief! Why order something you can get from the corner deli when you could have a rib eye steak?" But one taste of the gyro gave me a whole new outlook on that particular "sandwich." Delicious! Spicy with heavenly tender meat and vegetables. Remember to click on the pictures to get "closer" to the food.
I ordered the seafood pasta and the sauce was heavenly. There seemed to be a clam sauce base, with maybe brown butter. When I put my leftovers into the take out box, I scraped the bowl clean with my spoon. If I could have - maybe if we hadn't had friends with us - I would have used my finger. But I do have the leftovers for tomorrow night's dinner.
Here's a picture of the seafood pasta surrounded with Gabrielle's homemade bread - and it was delightfully fresh, soft inside with a slightly chewy crust. Also delicious.
Our friends has a vegetarian pizza, and the waitress - who overheard them say they didn't care for too much roasted garlic (who knew there could be too much?) - mentioned it to Gabrielle, who left it off the pizza. There were lots and lots of vegetables, even some cabbage, and they both declared it the best veggie pizza they'd ever had. We all tried each other's food and will certainly come back again to share a meal.
The market and cafe also has food to go and organic produce, too.
Gabrielle came in and sat down to visit with us and tell us about his place, what he'd done to upgrade the building and his plans for the future. If you get the chance, you will not be sorry you stopped here. Click on the link - at the top of the post under the restaurant's name - and you'll find more information and a map.
We also had dessert - pumpkin pie and carrot cake - all homemade and very, very good. The four of us shared two desserts. (I forgot to take pictures of the desserts. It's just as well. Go check them out for yourself.) We had a great waitress, too. You'll meet nice people here.
Now I must totter off to bed. Lucky, lucky me to find this wonderful restaurant - femminismo