Coffee, Pastry and Chocolate in Oregon

I’m sitting here at Grounded NW Coffee and Teas writing while my husband Ken works at the Chevron Refinery today. Today’s blog will be about the people and places we’ve explored the last few days while in Oregon. Here is a blog post from the last time we were in Portland Oregon.

My son Curtis drove us to the Oakland Airport to rent a car last Monday Memorial Day. From there we stopped a few times for gas, restroom breaks and to switch drivers. We had brought leftover sandwiches from Ike’s Deli to eat on the way up North. Ken doesn’t enjoy eating in the car, but will occasionally go with the flow and break the rules if I’m convincing enough.

After about six hours on the road we arrived in Roseburg, Oregon. It was 4:15PM and our B&B Terraluna had requested we give them an approximate time of arrival. To be clear, James and Gail wanted an exact time of arrival and kept texting us throughout the day. When we got there, they offered ice cold sangria with bourbon and fresh raspberries and a non-alcoholic sparkling rhubarb drink for Ken.

Terraluna Bed and Breakfast in Roseburg Oregon

James asked if we wanted to get settled before he gave us a tour of the 100 year old Victorian property. We were ready for whatever surprises he had for us and followed him into the music room. The house was filled with classical music when we walked in and James proceeded to show us his musical collection with great enthusiasm. His love for music was contagious and he had some fancy antique equipment to show off. As if this wasn’t enough entertainment, James then took us into the formal living room where he started the movie Guardians of the Galaxy II and we enjoyed the upgraded surround sound Bose speaker system for about fifteen minutes.

Eventually, Gail led us into the back patio garden where she had to scare away the turkey who was trying to eat her plants. They shared the story of their fancy greenhouse where they had rare houseplants and had recently kept their new vegetable starts from freezing. We chattered about the destructive squirrels, deer, and racoons that frequent our gardens and how to control them.

Passing enormous ancient azaleas, rhododendrons, peach tree, tall Oriental lilies and Japanese Maple trees we walked down the brick path to the rose and vegetable garden. We learned the story about the sewer system that crashed on Thanksgiving a few years back and more. 

Gail grows many types of tomatoes, kale, cucumbers, marigolds, squash on the roof so the deer don’t eat them, peppers, and Lincoln roses which Gail makes a jelly with every year. I also spotted California poppies, rhubarb, “love in a Mist” flowers, rosemary, mint, onions, beans, dahlias and strawberries. 

Elegant breakfast table setting at Terraluna B&B

James and Gail at Terraluna in Roseburg gave us a warm welcome of which we’ve never experienced before. They truly enjoy owning a B&B, but looked a little tired and weary from all the work. We were warned to be on time for breakfast at 8:30AM the next morning and that coffee would be served in the hallway an hour before. Beethoven would be playing if we didn’t get up and as it was, James played some annoying Christmas music at 8:00AM. He was a Marine in his younger years who played clarinet in the band while he was in the service. His wife Gail was an ICU nurse who raised her three children on her own as a single parent. I kept finding similarities between her and my own Mother who also raised me and my three siblings without financial help from my father in the 1970’s. My mother and her husband Tom also live in a one hundred year old house with a functional basement and adorable wrap around porch. I digress…

Sashimi and adobo lime chicken dish at True Kitchen & Bar

I forgot to mention we ate at True Kitchen & Bar for dinner. Chef Rodney was just leaving as we were seated. The owners Brad and Lisa Carens have a nice menu and the vibe is clean, happy and modern. We had the Southwest salad, ahi sashimi tuna, scallops and adobo-lime chicken. I had a glass of Trella Gruner Veltliner grown locally which paired well with my meal. Back at Terraluna James was waiting for our return on the front porch. He greeted us and invited us onto the back patio for a small glass of port, a coconut crust with lemon curd dessert and a warm fire in the brick fireplace. We relaxed and then retired early to get a good nights rest.

Dinner at True Kitchen and Bar in Roseburg Oregon

Breakfast at Terraluna consisted of Peets Major Dickenson coffee, Dutch babies with homemade rhubarb compote, sausage and grapefruit orange juice. Ken had mango juice and plenty of water. Gail and James sat down with us and we had a lovely breakfast while we got to know them a little better. Gail has a wedding cake to prepare for her daughter’s wedding in a week. We were happy to meet them, stay at Terraluna and be pampered for one night. It should be mentioned that we have great nieces with the names “Terra” and “Luna” whom we see regularly at family parties.

Before leaving town, we stopped into Umpqua Sweets & Treats in Roseburg and met the owner Mandi Dolan. We talked about chocolate while Ken waited on a bench outside. I enjoy hearing about the local businesses and what they specialize in. Howl and Whistle Flower Farm leave their flower bouquets in the candy shop for the subscribers to pick up. I purchased the dark chocolate caramels with sea salt for gifts. Father’s day is coming up and my step dad Tom loves chocolate. Mandi also sells dairy free Inspired Artisan Cocoas, icecream, hand dipped truffles and fudge. She and her husband lived in Crocket and she worked in Walnut Creek before opening the shop in Oregon. It’s a small world.

Wool fiber display at Little Hawk Yarns

Just down the block I came across Little Hawk Yarns. The owner Kat Tylee works with yak wool and local sheep farms to provide the best yarn for the community. She will be teaching a local farmer’s daughter how to spin wool and make yarn with Babydoll Southdown Sheep “Penelope” and “Bonnie.” She was inspired to have a yarn shop because her dad did all of the knitting, sewing and crocheting while Kat was growing up. She even has a beautiful feather tatooed on her arm to signify a little hawk feather and the love she has for the craft.

On our way up to Portland, Mandi had recommended stopping at Creswell Bakery in Eugene. There we ordered the ham and cheese pretzel, the chicken pot pie hand pie, a croissant for Ken’s breakfast tomorrow and a ginger molasses cookie for me. The pot pie was fabulous, made with organic chicken, onions, carrots, celery and peas in a crispy pastry. They sell Camas Country stone milled club wheat pastry flour, breads and pastries, local wines, toasted hazelnuts and gifts. I was surprised to see a Mountain Rose Herb tea selection for sale. I have been listening to Mountain Rose Herbs Herbal Radio for a while and enjoy learning about healing herbs since I grow many of them at Smyth Family Farm. 

I was happy to discover this enormous herb shop was only twelve minutes down the road from the bakery. Ken assumed his place on a bench outside the store and I bought an herb bible, cardamon, lemongrass, thyme and more. I was tempted to buy the arnica essential oil for the arthritis in my toe, but kept my purchase to a minimum.

We stayed at the Marriott Bonvoy Hi-Lo Hotel in Portland and walked several blocks to Morton’s Steakhouse for an early dinner. Ken and I shared a Caesar salad, he had the lobster raviolis and I had a steak and baked potato. We took a Lyft ride back to the hotel since it was dark.

I dropped Ken off at his Portland office the next morning after we went to Blue Star donuts to get treats for his coworkers. I ventured about town with the rental car, got gas and ended up at Grounded NW Coffee and Teas for hot chocolate made with Hollander Chocolate. I sampled the olive oil donut from Blue Star and it was light and melt in my mouth delicious.

There are so many cool places to write about in Portland and I look forward to sharing my excursions with you. Recipes will have to wait until next time. I’m hoping to find fun thrift shops to go to nearby while Ken is at work.

I’m grateful our boys Curtis and Andrew can watch over the farm while we are away. Thanks for reading and hope you enjoy the last days of Spring before the weather heats up.

Teri

 

Hello 2022 and a Tiramisu Recipe

It’s a new year, so let’s get it off to a good start by writing again. Truthfully, I’ve gotten out of my groove for some time. Covid hasn’t helped things, nor has farming and raising 8 chickens for the past year.

My niece Michelle and her boyfriend Nitin

I’ve loved being in my garden. It has brought me peace and a great deal of exercise which I love. For a 50 something lady, I’m doing pretty good health wise. About 80% of my family got Covid during the holidays. That includes my husband, whom I live with. It hasn’t been easy staying away from him since he works from home and has for the past almost two years. We get along great, but not having time to myself to write has been an issue. 

My Sister Julie, Me, Sister Susan and Brother Rick on Christmas Eve

I also gave up my gym membership two years ago and that’s where I wrote each and every blog post. I would order a beer and an appetizer after a workout and get to writing. I miss that space, but am happy to spend more time in my garden and with my chickens.

My “girlfriends” Babe, Arthur, Mabel, Burtha, Mary Kate, Caramel Corn, Dolly and Bee Bee have been a huge blessing in my life. They bring me joy each and every day. I spend time talking to them, feeding them, cuddling them and driving to local grocery stores to pick up fresh greens and almost spoiled fruit and veggies. If the chickens aren’t interested in celery, or peppers, or whatever, I compost it. Nothing gets wasted here. Sometimes the tomatoes or corn are good enough to eat for us. In which case, it becomes a bit of work and a time commitment for me to separate everything, refrigerate it and feed it or compost it, etc… I love to juice celery, turmeric, beets, ginger, carrots, apples, kale and spinach for Ken and me and then give the pulp to the chickens. They basically get to have any leftovers that we can’t eat. Spoiled girls for sure.

Back to Covid. Right now the Delta and Omicron variants are here in the Bay Area. No one knew they were ill on Christmas eve. Maybe they were asymptomatic, but it was a superpreader event like no other. So far, everyone has survived. Everyone was vaccinated. Not all of us were boosted, which means their cases will be more severe.

I listen to podcasts at night when I can’t sleep and one of them is from Vincent Racaniello called MicrobeTV. He is known as the Earth’s Virology Professor and he has guests that chat with him and answer questions. It is very interesting to me. Probably not something I should be listening to in the middle of the night, but whatever. I learn a lot about Covid-19 and what’s going on.

Sometimes I listen to the Live Twitter feed of theCovid-19:Updates for the US. My favorite is listening to Governor Murphy in New Jersey who speaks every Monday or Wednesday about the numbers of deaths, whether schools are open, stories about the people who have passed away, etc… Last year, I listened to Governor Cuomo in New York, but he has since lost his job. I love learning. It’s a passion of mine.

I haven’t baked as much recently. My friend Marie and I got together last October and baked tiramisu together. I have a few recipes that I use and I promised her that I would post the recipe. I know. I’m a little late. Oh well…

 Ohh. And I’ve been quilting too. I also attended a 5th birthday party for a special little girl in my life. The BEST day ever. I’ve made marajuana pound cake, apple cake with cannabis leaves which is GREAT for sleep, and cannabis butter from plants I grew last summer. Recipe coming soon.

Billie’s 5th Birthday at a park in Walnut Creek

Here is a quilt I made for Luke. I included a jumper he wore that a good friend made for him. Plus they embroidered his name on it. Plus I included his mother Kathleen’s baby t shirt she wore and colors and pattern that she chose for his room.

I attended a Holiday concert with Blackhawk Chorus that my son Andrew and good friend Denise Clark performed in which was a blast. 

From the Back left Sue, Nintin, Laura, Curtis, Andrew, Dan, Second row: Hanson, Michelle, Shannon, Nancy, and Terri Ann. And Me in front

Blueberry Pie

I spent Christmas day with my 2 boys, my hubby, my older sister Susan and my dad Ron which was unexpected, but so much fun. We made a ham, scalloped potatoes au gratin, and a blueberry pie with a heart shaped crust and Marion Berry ice cream.

My Daddio and Me with our #Smythfamilyfarmwc hats from my cute husband Ken

Here are the four of us on Christmas Day . Starting in Back: My Husband Ken , son Andrew. Second row: Son Curtis and Me
Http://letsmakemudpies,wordpress.com

Back to the recipe.

Tiramisu Recipe

You can purchase 30 small Savoiardi cookies instead of making ladyfingers. Or make a Chiffon Cake and use that instead.

Lady Fingers: 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

 Butter a 12X16 inch baking tray. Line with Parchment paper and brush again with butter.

In a mixing bowl, whip the egg yolks with ¼ C sugar until ribbon stage and light in color. Reserve. In another mixing bowl, whip the egg whites to soft peaks. Slowly add the remaining ¼ C sugar and continue to whip to medium peaks. Sift the flour again. With a rubber spatula, fold half of the flour mixture into the yolk mixture.. Fold in ½ of the egg whites. Then fold in ½ of the remaining flour mixture. Lastly, fold in the remaining ½ egg white mixture. Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish, and with an offset spatula, carefully spread the batter evenly. Bake for 12-15 minutes until done and golden in color. Remove from the oven and allow to cool to room temperature. This can be made up to two weeks in advance, wrapped in plastic wrap and foil and stored in the freezer. 

Mascarpone Cream:

Ingredients: 

6 Egg Yolks

6 Egg Whites

1 C Sugar

¼ C Marsala

¼ C Italian Brandy

2 Lbs mascarpone cheese

2 sheets gelatin or 2 Oz unflavored Knox gelatin

¼ C cold water

2 ½ C Heavy Cream

Espresso Syrup:

1 C hot espresso or use 1 T dry espresso powder with water

3 T brown sugar

1 T sugar

1 teas lemon juice

1 teas vanilla extract

¼ C Kahlua

½ C grated Bittersweet chocolate (preferably Guittard or Ghirardelli) 

½ C Cocoa Powder Dutch Processed

Mascarpone Cream:

Directions

In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar. Add the Marsala and brandy. Place over a ban marie/double boiler and cook until mixture reaches 160 degrees F. Continue to cook mixture for another 5 minutes, until the mixture resembles a thick paste,( called sabayon). Remove from the double boiler and cool mixture over an ice bath or until room temperature. Whip the mascarpone cheese to soft peaks. Fold the cooled sabayon into the mascarpone until well incorporated. Place gelatin sheets in ¼ C cold water. After 5 minutes, pour mixture into a small pot and melt on medium heat. Cool. Fold melted gelatin into mascarpone sabayon mixture. Beat the egg whites to stiff peaks. Fold egg whites into mascarpone mixture ¼ at a time. Place heavy Cream in a cold bowl and mix until whipped or “chantilly” stage.Fold into sabayon mixture.Mixture should be smooth and light. Use as layers in the tiramisu or as needed. Can be made up to four hours ahead.

Espresso Syrup:

Brew fresh espresso. (or go to Peet’s Coffee or Starbucks and buy 1 Cup). To one cup of espresso, add the brown sugar, sugar, lemon juice and vanilla extract. Stir until dissolved.

Assembly of Tiramisu:

Divide the sheet of ladyfingers into 2 (8X10Inch) sheets. Divide espresso syrup into 2 portions. Divide the mascarpone cream into 3 portions. To assemble, spread the first portion of the mascarpone cream at the bottom of a deep (8X10-inch) deep dish topped with 1 sheet of ladyfingers. (Or for fun use wine goblets) Pour one portion of espresso syrup on to the layer of ladyfingers until soaked using a brush. Repeat process. Sprinkle grated chocolate and cocoa powder on top of mascarpone. Lastly, top with remaining mascarpone cream, and cover with grated chocolate. Cover pan and refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving.

Note: If not serving right away, keep in freezer wrapped tight with plastic wrap and foil. (I’ve kept mine in freezer up to 3 months!) When ready to serve, transfer to fridge to defrost or take out of freezer and leave on the counter to defrost.Then top with whipped cream and chopped chocolate and a sprinkling of cocoa powder when serving.

Recipe was developed by combining Sullivan’s Sweets and Savories cookbook, Diablo Valley College’s Pastry Baking class tiramisu recipe, Food Network’s Barefoot Contessa and celebrity Italian chef Mario Batali’s recipe. You can double or triple the recipe to make a large amount to share with friends and family. 

I had to stop and take a break to bring treats to my chickens “girlfriends.” Ken stopped by Lunardy’s on his way home from soccer and picked up a box of sprouts, broccoli, butternut squash and seeds, spinach, carrot tops, celery and lettuce. They were thrilled. Brought out the garbages, transferred the laundry to the dryer, texted a few friends, replied to Instagram posts and here I am.

And it goes without saying that we miss my Mother in Law Nilda Smyth who died last October a week before she turned 90. We love you Grandma Nilda.

Me and my husband Ken Christmas 2021

Happy New Year everyone and hope to be writing again soon.

Teri