Farm Fresh
In anticipation of today's record-setting 103 degree temps (no, I'm not kidding), Ben and I hit the Hillsdale Farmer's Market early. It's just up the street from where we live, and as farmers markets go, it's absolutely perfect. With just enough booths offering fresh fruits, veggies, flowers, baked goods and cheeses, advertising "produce with integrity" and with names such as "Sweetwater Farms," there's just something I LOVE about this farmer's market. We're used to stocking up on the usuals -- and today it was bing cherries, zucchinis, a squash and garlic -- but we did a little "out of the box" shopping by stopping at one of the meat booths and puchasing some bacon and sausage. There's just something about knowing the food you're buying is fresh and feeling like you're supporting a local farmer -- for me, it's much more fulfilling than shopping at Fred Meyer (which we also did today -- a necessary evil).
Last weekend we supported another local farm -- Kruger Farm on Sauvie Island. We hand-picked raspberries and strawberries from acres upon acres of gorgeous farmland reminiscient of the Midwest but with a backdrop of rolling hills.
In other news...I'll be traveling back to Minneapolis for a long weekend soon -- July 7-10. I am thrilled and can't wait to see everyone!
A Prairie Home Companion
I remember interviewing Ethan VanDrunen my junior year at Taylor University about his
now-legendary rafting trip down the Mississippi River. He mentioned that he and his rafting buddies had a battery-operated radio on board, and they'd treat themselves by listening once a week to Garrison Keillor's "A Prairie Home Companion." I had never heard of the show at the time -- we didn't listen to NPR growing up -- but knowing what I know now, I certainly understand it!
The Twin Cities were all abuzz last summer when Meryl Streep, Lily Tomlin, Lindsey Lohan, John C. Reilly, etc, came to town to film the movie, and finally, at long last, it opened this past Friday. Now faithful "Prairie" listeners, we loved it. We love the way the movie and the radio show poke fun at the Midwest -- Minnesota most often. We love the Lake Wobegon stories, the constant references to Lutherans and cold Minnesota winters -- things we now consider inside jokes that we're lucky to be in on.
There were also a few fleeting scenes of St. Paul -- Mickey's Dining Car, the Fitzgerald Theatre -- that we were excited to see. While St. Paul may not boast the nightlife of Minneapolis, it's a city with a rich history, housing the state capitol and the St. Paul Cathedral, which lit up at night is a spectacular sight.
So to any Midwestern expats or NPR lovers like us -- go see "Prairie Home" to soothe any pangs of homesickness.
The Rose City
They don't call Portland the "Rose City" for nothing. We went up to Washington Park yesterday and saw hundreds of gorgeous roses at the International Rose Test Garden. Here are a few shots we got:
We then spent a few hours moseying around the
Pearl District --
finally venturing into
Powell's City of Books and
Buffalo Exchange, and stopping by an interesting little water park. The water comes in and out of a rock formation, very rhythmic, very cathartic.
It's a pretty one, this new city of ours.
In anticipation of today's record-setting 103 degree temps (no, I'm not kidding), Ben and I hit the Hillsdale Farmer's Market early. It's just up the street from where we live, and as farmers markets go, it's absolutely perfect. With just enough booths offering fresh fruits, veggies, flowers, baked goods and cheeses, advertising "produce with integrity" and with names such as "Sweetwater Farms," there's just something I LOVE about this farmer's market. We're used to stocking up on the usuals -- and today it was bing cherries, zucchinis, a squash and garlic -- but we did a little "out of the box" shopping by stopping at one of the meat booths and puchasing some bacon and sausage. There's just something about knowing the food you're buying is fresh and feeling like you're supporting a local farmer -- for me, it's much more fulfilling than shopping at Fred Meyer (which we also did today -- a necessary evil).
