Off the Bagel

Sometimes looking at restaurant menus is a good source of inspiration for cooking at home. Tonight, I was thinking about Eugene, which made me dig up the menu for Off the Waffle, an amazing waffle restaurant. Somehow, I ended up making a bagel topped with a fried egg, spinach, avocado, paprika, and pepper:

It wasn't bad, but it was no Liège waffle. Luckily, I might soon be writing for a Eugene daily paper, which would enable waffle-related field trips.

In other news, here's a photo of Tiny Weasel eating food:

It kind of makes me think of the Alien movies for some reason. That's all for now.

No Photos, Only Words

It's December, and I'm re-emerging from a month of novel writing. As you may or may not know, November is National Novel Writing Month, or NaNoWriMo, a world-wide event in which determined individuals of all ages strive to write 50,000 words in 30 days. This year, I wrote a zombie novel and it was a blast. For the past five years, I've written 50,000 words each November. That's two sci-fi novels, one sci-fi/detective novel, a fantasy novel, and a zombie novel. Outside of NaNoWriMo, I've only written one novel and a bunch of short stories.

People quibble over whether or not it's productive to write such a huge amount in one month, which amazes me. There's no doubt in my mind that it's useful to write vast quantities if you want to become a writer! The most effective way to learn how to do something is to do it, and the whole point of NaNoWriMo is to stop talking about how you're going to write a novel someday, and simply write one. This year I wrote more dialogue than I've ever written before in my life, and I learned a ton. I came out at the end of it realizing how to make characters sound real and unique, which has always for me been one of the hardest parts of writing.

If you want to be a novelist, try NaNoWriMo one year. At the end of it, you'll probably know whether or not you really want to be a novelist. And you'll have gained firm proof that you can produce a rough draft, because you'll have one in your hands. It might not be pure gold, but it's a step in the right direction.

Lobsters Galore

Although yesterday's goal was chanterelles, I think we found a total of three. None of them looked like the yellow chanterelle, so I was a little wary of them until I realized we had the Pacific golden chanterelle. Equally delicious, it's also Oregon's state mushroom! I meant to take a picture, but forgot until after they were sautéed in butter and eaten. They were growing in an area deprived of light, so their color was more pink than golden or yellow.
The true star of the show turned out to be piles upon piles of lobster mushrooms. We hiked barely a mile on a trail a little south of Cape Perpetua and just kept finding them -- one was even growing on the trail.
Here's a photo of us with our haul:

Tonight, I'm going to try making spaghetti alla carbonara con lobster mushroom, maybe with a bit of bacon added and a different type of pasta. If it turns out well, I'll post my modified recipe.

ADDENDUM: Although the taste of the lobster mushrooms was a little buried under the other ingredients, it turned out well. Here the recipe:


Spaghetti alla Carbonara con Lobster Mushroom

1 lb. pasta (we used whole wheat penne)
1/2 lb. lobster mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
2 T butter
bacon, 3 slices
1 cup pecorino romano, grated
black pepper
3 eggs, beaten
3/4 cup green peas, thawed and drained
3 cloves garlic, minced

Cook the pasta al dente in a large pot of salted water. Drain, reserving 1/4 cup of the cooking liquid. Sauté the lobster mushrooms in the butter over medium heat for about six minutes. Add garlic and black pepper and cook for 30 seconds. Cook the bacon separately and keep the grease. Combine the pasta, green peas, bacon, bacon grease, mushrooms, and reserved liquid. Cook one minute, shaking the pan to combine the ingredients. Add the pecorino romano and more black pepper to taste, stirring to coat the pasta. Remove the pan from heat. Add the beaten eggs, whisking vigorously until thickened but not scrambled. Serve immediately.

Creatures of California

On Friday, I drove down to Redwood National Park in northern California for hiking/backpacking adventures with my friend Ken-ichi. It turned out to be a creature extravaganza! We found frogs, salamanders, and -- for some inexplicable reason -- piles upon piles of millipedes. The giant salamander that Ken-ichi found under a log at a botanical area was the highlight:

Other figures of note were tailed frogs, a foothill yellow-legged frog, and a black salamander (or was it a del norte salamander? Either way, it was black). A harbor seal frolicked in the breakers in front of us at Tolowa Dunes State Park, and when I stuck my head outside the tent on our first morning I found a herd of Roosevelt elk staring back at me.
Even after all of that -- plus finding piles of chanterelles and even porcini mushrooms -- finding a foot-long salamander tops the list! Here's a photo of Ken-ichi with his new friend:

Although Ken-ichi carefully removed all the pine needles from salamanders before taking their photos, this salamander neglected to mention that Ken-ichi had a pine needle stuck to his head. I find this somewhat ironic.

I will definitely find my way back to Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park, especially the Gold Bluffs Beach Campground, which is one of the finest places I've ever pitched my tent:

It's also halfway between Corvallis and San Francisco, which makes it a perfect place for a break when I drive down. I will be back!

Cake!

The McKenzie River Trail

Last week Ben and I did our first backpacking trip in Oregon: The McKenzie River Trail. I strapped a baguette to the outside of my pack and Ben brought a huge summer sausage and we hiked 26 miles from Clear Lake down over lava fields, past hot springs, all following the McKenzie River. The trail took us past two huge waterfalls, Sahalie Falls and Koosah Falls, then the river disappeared for awhile, re-emerging at Tamolitch Pool, a stunning and strangely still aquamarine pool. We camped at a place where the river converged with a small stream, then the next day continued our hike, at first following raccoon tracks from a creature who had probably been interested in but unable to reach our bear hang during the night. In the afternoon, we hit Deer Creek Hot Springs, a small, steaming pool walled off by piles of rocks from the adjacent river. I really like the West Coast ability to stop during a hike and soak in natural hot springs! My feet felt much happier afterward. The rest of the hike took us through mossy forests and then ended with a rather anti-climactic late afternoon hike near the road, at which point both Ben and I realized that our bodies were extremely upset with us for hiking 26 miles since 1 p.m. the previous day.
Here's a photo from one of the highlights, Deer Creek Hot Springs. We were lucky we had it all to ourselves!

And here's a photo of me looking goofy with a baguette strapped to my pack (we'd already eaten part of it):

The lovely mossy part of the trail:

All in all, an amazing trip! The trailhead is less than two hours from Corvallis, so we will probably be hiking this again. I love Oregon!

Mount Hood!

Can I put an exclamation mark after Mount Hood if we failed to see Mount Hood itself? I think I can. Although fog obscured the peak, we did a lovely short hike from Timberline Lodge (where they filmed The Shining) to Zigzag Canyon. The coldest, most rainy part was hiking from the car to the lodge. Once on the trail, the wind and rain died down, making for a nice hike.

Here I am at Zigzag Canyon with my friend Maggie:

and here is the canyon itself, which should end in a spectacular view of Mount Hood but instead ends in a spectacular whiteout:

I think my favorite part of the hike was the terrain underfoot: soft ash. Purple flowers dotted the area, spaced apart in seemingly deliberate formation, as if some ambitious gardener had landscaped the entirety of the mountain.

Another bonus to this trip: Ben and I found our first good Chinese restaurant in Oregon. The winner? Shandong, 3724 NE Broadway, Portland. The curry chicken fried rice and Manchurian beef are, I think, the most delicious Chinese food I've eaten since Taste of China back in Clinton, Connecticut (WARNING: their website plays annoyingly loud music).

Sunset on Dimple Hill

Last night Ben and I hiked up Dimple Hill to watch the sunset. We met a friendly mountain biker at the top who pointed us a little way down the hill to the perfect spot:

On the way back down, a coyote trotted down the trail ahead of us. The moon and stars were coming out as we hiked the last portion. A lovely night!
Back home, I've been cooking up crepes with blackberry sauce and ice cream. Recently, I recreated "The Elvis," a peanut butter/banana/Nutella crepe that they sell at Perk on Main in Durham, Connecticut. This crepe and I have accomplished a lot of writing together back home with my Connecticut writing group.

In weasel news, Rocky was feeling sick for awhile, but he's returned to normal. Just another sign that my ferrets are getting old. How did I know he's feeling better, you ask? Here is the answer:

I thought this was something only cats do, but apparently the joys of ripping toilet paper to shreds extend to ferrets, too. Rocky has learned to open the bathroom cabinet if we leave it open the slightest amount. He weaseled his way into the cabinet, began tearing up toilet paper, and then invited Ichabod in to help. The two of them managed to shred about six rolls before Ben found them. At least it means Rocky is feeling more like himself!

Screeeeeech

Our newest obnoxious neighbor:

Bite of Benton, Tiny Weasel Update, and Screech

Today Ben and I went to A Bite of Benton, where you pay $10 for five "bites" of food, drink, or dessert. The desserts were the best: we each had a small cup of Francesco's gelato, plus brought an extra brownie home for later. Now Ben is off to work and I'm back in my office, which I escaped yesterday for a board game night in Albany.
Tiny Weasel is fine and reports that the top layer of sutures (which she chewed out) was quite unnecessary. She's been reintegrated with the other ferrets, who seem pleased to see her again. Here's a video of her drinking water ten minutes ago, to show she is alive and well for those of you who voiced concern (i.e. my mom):

This video, or something close to it, is what Ben pictures happening in my mind whenever I have a vacant look in my eye.
Out on our deck, we've traded our original scrub jay, Peanut, for a new scrub jay who we've named Screech. This morning, Ben came home to find him sitting on the bowl of peanuts screaming his lungs out at two other scrub jays. Even though he sometimes wakes us up at 6 a.m., I prefer Screech to Peanut, as the latter had developed a taste for my strawberries. All of a sudden, my plants seem to be producing a lot more berries.

Tiny Weasel's Big Day Out

Tiny Weasel had a couple irregular bumps on her, so on Tuesday I brought her to the vet for surgery. It was that or rename her Tiny Bumps, which doesn't quite have the same ring as Tiny Weasel. Sadly, she decided to tear out her sutures today. We brought her to the vet for emergency care and they used a special glue to close the wound. An hour later, she decided the glue needed to come out, too. Ben and I theorize that she has become a Christian Scientist.
With all the vet visits, Tiny is absolutely done with me, vets, medication, and trips in the car. Luckily, now she's on heavy sedation, so she no longer cares about any of it.

Translation of weasel stare: "How could you do this to me?"

Other than the Tiny Weasel emergency (and that's a pretty big other, all considered), it's been a pretty good week -- at least in terms of food. Tonight Ben and I made dumplings, and last night I made overly elaborate pizza bagels for dinner.

Spiny Norman helped with clean up, as always. He does not like tomatoes, but he says Veggie Shreds are pretty awesome. Garlic is OK to eat once, and then never again. I ate all the olives and basil, so he didn't have a chance to perform his restaurant critic powers of observation on them.

Waterfalls and Lava Rock

Busy week! Ben and I cruised over to Clear Lake on Monday night and spent a cozy night at Coldwater Cove Campground. The next morning, we did a drive-by of the waterfalls on the McKenzie Highway and then went up the mountain pass. Our hike up Black Crater was cut short by Ben not feeling well and snow at the top, but we still had fun. And we discovered that it's definitely worth stopping at the observatory tower at the top of the pass. Inside, tiny rock windows outline each mountaintop beyond with its name underneath. It was hard to take photos that captured both the mountain and its caption, but I did get a good picture of one window:

Today I finished the first short story I've written in quite some time (nice to take a break from a different project!) and then Katie and I went down to Eugene for their weekly sunset hike of Spencer Butte. Needless to say, it was gorgeous and a good hike with a nice friendly crowd of people.

Now, Ben goes back to work and I go back to writing articles... with another chance of a hike and a possible trip to Portland this weekend. I love Oregon!

Sausage Rolls and Voodoo Donuts

I love Corvallis, but when it comes to food Eugene wins. Today Ben and I drove down to see our friend Ben P. and did what we always do in Eugene: eat awesome food. At the Whiteaker Block Party, I devoured a sausage roll while Ben F. made short work of a meat pasty and Ben P. worked hard (OK, not that hard) at making himself a bicycle-powered smoothie. Afterwards, a potluck with burgers, mussels, shepherd's pie, lemon meringue, and other treats. And then, because we hadn't eaten enough good food, we went to Voodoo Donuts where they happened to be selling boxes of two dozen donuts for $5! Flavors range from questionable (bubblegum) to amazing (Mexican chocolate). We've invited a few people over tomorrow to help deal with this delicious problem of too many donuts. Win!

Kung Pao Chicken and Dimple Hill

This evening Ben and I hiked up Dimple Hill in Corvallis. The trail going up wasn't impressive, pretty much a gravel forest road the whole way, but the view from the top is one of the better ones here in town.

Afterward, we cooked up Kung Pao chicken, and now we're in the lounging around the house stage of the day. Tomorrow, we're going back to Eugene to pick up the moped and watch Whale Rider with the Eugene Book and Social Club. One of these days, I should post the recipe Ben uses for Kung Pao chicken since it's really good.

Artichokes, Deer, and Mouse-Sized Pancakes

Yesterday I slaughtered and steamed one of the artichokes growing on our deck. It was OK, but definitely not an Earth-shattering culinary experience. For some reason, it cooked kind of unevenly. Two more are growing outside, and hopefully I'll do a better job cooking the next one.

After working this afternoon, I went for a walk at Witham Hill. I didn't bring my camera, so I ended up spending some time watching a doe and her fawn snack and even take a nap about ten paces from me. I missed another good photo opportunity this morning: I made Spiny Norman a mouse-sized blueberry pancake, which he really enjoyed. That's about it for today -- back to work to get as much done as I can before Ben's next stretch of days off begins.

Salt Creek Falls and See's Candies

On Tuesday, Ben and I drove down to Eugene to bring the moped to the Vespa dealership and to accompany our friend Ben on a trip to Salt Creek Falls. The falls themselves were stunning --  at 286 feet, they're the second-highest in the state.

We also did a six-mile loop hike on the Diamond Creek Falls Trail, which would have been amazing if it weren't for the nine million mosquitoes who ambushed us along the route, particularly devouring my friend Ben who logged more than 200 kills (leaving approximately nine million alive). The cool breeze at Diamond Creek Falls kept the mosquitoes away briefly, so we took a quick snack break at the base of the falls.

Eventually, the mosquitoes overwhelmed us with their numbers and we turned around. On the way back I found what I thought were morels:

but they turned out to be the false morel --  tragic! Afterward, we ate out at a random British pub in Oakridge, which had a brochure of tons of local mountain biking trails that look neat. Back in Eugene, we hit the See's Candy store and I used the gift certificate my aunt gave me to get a pound of our choosing. The See's Candy experience is pretty amazing when you get to choose all the flavors from a menu! Best of all, next week the moped will need picking up from Eugene, so we have an excuse to have adventures down south all over again.

Jackson-Frazier Wetland

Another short, easy walk today: the Jackson Frazier Wetland. The last time we tried this trail, the boardwalk was flooded by spring rains. This time, it was perfect.

We saw about four Western garter snakes. This one was quite bold and didn't want to surrender his spot on the boardwalk:

The garter snakes out here are really pretty, and seem to like water much more than the ones back East. All in all, a short 0.8 mile walk, but worth doing for the wetlands and the wildlife. Probably a really good place to spot a muskrat at dusk.

The Homestead Trail and Da Vinci Days

Yesterday Ben's back was hurting so we went for a short, easy walk which usually helps it. On the Homestead Trail in McDonald Forest, we found a European red slug that looked kind of like a morel:

It was also Da Vinci Days here in Corvallis yesterday, where people build crazy pedal-powered vehicles and ride them on the roads, up a sand dune, through mud, and finally down the Willamette River. We drove around the race area and found a few interesting "bikes":

And finally, yesterday Ben took a photo of Ichabod that makes him look like an overly cute Japanese anime creature:

So that was this weekend. Now to write a few articles and clean out my spiny mouse's cage. The next few days we're both going to be working like mad, and then later this week hopefully we'll go on a longer hike. Hopefully the weather will clear up, too!

McCulloch Peak

Today Ben and I hiked up McCulloch Peak, the highest peak in McDonald Forest, with our friends Phil and Katie. Granted, it's a tiny peak at 2,200 feet, but a decent hike all the same on forest roads surrounded by pleasant woods. The hike uphill definitely wore me out! At the top, we had a picnic of potato salad, French bread, cheese, salami, and other foodstuffs Ben picked up from Market of Choice (I admit it, I just wanted to use the word foodstuffs). Ben took some stunning photos of this cornflower/bachelor's button on the way back down:

Camping at Clear Lake

I spent the weekend camping at Cold Water Cove Campground on Clear Lake with my friend Ben from college, my friends Katie and Phil in Corvallis, and several people I didn't know from Eugene. The style: luxury car camping. I slept with a full-size pillow and we dined on steaks, scrambled eggs with sausage and mushrooms, cherry cobbler (we tried making it with ice cream but even rolling the device downhill several times didn't solidify it, so we had it in liquid form), and other such luxury items. The lake was gorgeous -- lava rocks during the day perfect for basking, bats at dusk, and star-gazing at night. We also managed to hike to a good number of waterfalls, including my favorite, Proxie Falls:

All in all, an awesome weekend. I even felt moderately clean afterward since we stopped at Cougar Hot Springs to soak.

And although I came home to find this on my third-floor balcony:

I also found this:

My artichoke has sprouted three tiny buds! I need to pick up some fertilizer to ensure they grow to maximum size. Awesome weekend, new friends, and artichokes on the way -- all is good in Oregon!

Wheels

Ben bought a moped! It's a Vespa Piaggio Ciao with a 49 cc. engine, just under the size where you need to register it. Ben's excited because it's a moped and inherently awesome. I'm excited because it means I can take the car on backpacking trips while he's at work. I'm not sure why it looks so tiny in this photo:

In other news, I have a mountain bike which is nowhere near as fast as a moped. Quite often, it goes the speed of a pedestrian as I walk it up a hill. But it's still pretty awesome, too. Yay for two-wheeled mobility!

Bikin', Hikin', Joggin'

Since posting last, I've returned to Lower Dan's Trail a couple times, once with my bike and once with Ben. Biking it was a blast -- at least, that one downhill mile was a blast. After that, it turned into me walking my bike up a lot of hills and falling off once when I realized I have no idea how to ride my bike down the sharp corner of a switchback. Expert mountain biker, I am not. Besides, when you're on a bike you're much less likely to find stashes of oyster mushrooms like so:

Today I jogged/walked the New Growth and Old Growth trails at McDonald Forest. I'm hoping that incorporating biking and jogging into my routine will get me a bit more in shape. Judging by how much I ached after biking, the plan is succeeding!

Another Use for Lion's Mane

Today I had a lion's mane "lobster" roll for lunch! I cooked it the same as before, but placed it in a toasted hot dog bun. Not the most fancy recipe, but delicious nonetheless.

Fuzzy Creatures

Last weekend at Mount Pisgah, Ben and I found what looked like a large, furry orange and black ant. Turns out it was a velvet ant or "cow-killer," a solitary wasp with an extremely painful sting. Glad I didn't touch it!
Yesterday, the theme of fuzziness continued when we found the following on Lower Dan's Trail at McDonald Forest:

Their name is appropriate: cat's ears. Lower Dan's Trail (five miles, moderate according to my "Corvallis Trails" book) was incredibly beautiful. I think I may have found the perfect place to bring my mountain bike, or at least return for the occasional hike. We found tons of blue flowers, too:

I'm not sure what they are; I still need to pick up a wildflower guide. I also found a big pile of oyster mushrooms on a log, but when I grabbed one it had been slimed by a banana slug! I am starting to see the hazards of banana slugs...
Tonight, it's back to work for both of us, which is kind of ironic since it's Friday night and everyone around here is celebrating OSU getting out.

Hot Springs and Fried Morels

After a day spent in Eugene yesterday eating delicious food, playing games, and hiking up Mount Pisgah with a friend from college, Ben and I drove out to Delta Campground in Blue River. The goal: waking up extra early to hit Cougar Hot Springs. We woke up at 5 a.m., drove to the trailhead, and hiked in an easy half mile to the springs, which were a series of pools varying from toasty to cool. No one was there, so we claimed the pool at the very top where the steaming, sulfurous water flowed out of a gap in the rock. After soaking for awhile, a couple other people showed up so we took off, sedate. It was a slow, lazy hike back to the trailhead.

Back in Corvallis, we took a nap and then later I fried up some morels for an after-dinner snack:

First I cut the morels in half, soaked them in salt water, and rinsed them, although getting all the springtails out of morels is an exercise in futility (that's why I use pepper, to camouflage the bugs I'm sure to miss). I coated them in beaten egg and milk, then breaded them in crushed up saltine crackers seasoned with salt and pepper. And then the obligatory step of any morel cooking: fry them in butter. They were excellent.

The Queen Ant

I've always wanted to have an ant colony, but the ones you buy in stores only come with workers. Without a queen ant, you just have a bunch of workers running around meaninglessly until they die, not a colony.
So this evening, when Ben found a queen ant beside the refrigerator, my first thought was "ant farm!" We placed an empty plastic bottle inside a glass jar, surrounded it with dirt, and closed off the top with bug netting: instant ant farm. Now, we wait...

Future ant farm... I hope

Alsea Falls and Yumm!

Yesterday Ben and I drove down to Alsea Falls, about an hour south of Corvallis. Perhaps since we recently visited Silver Falls State Park, I wasn't that impressed with Alsea Falls. However, another trail led to Green Peak Falls, which was lovely. The trail was much quieter than Alsea Falls, winding through old growth trees and alongside the river. At one point, we lost the trail at a campground and met another group of hikers wandering around trying to find the trail. Eventually, we found it, complete with numerous bear tracks. I wasn't entirely sure they were bear tracks until Ben pointed out that whoever had made the tracks had torn up a huge, rotten tree trying to dig out bugs. That confirmed it.

Green Peak Falls

Since it was Memorial Day weekend, we encountered the requisite hotdog-eating, stereo-blasting, screaming-children crowds, but it wasn't as bad as it could have been. Oregon at its loudest is still placid compared to the crowds that hit the Connecticut shoreline each summer.
Back in Corvallis, Ben and I went to Café Yumm! for dinner. We both downed a huge bowl of beans, rice, and mysterious special sauce in moments. We came to the realization that we both belong to the 90% of the population who immediately become addicted to Yumm! sauce. We bought black beans, brown rice, avocados, sour cream, cheese, salsa, black olives, and cilantro -- plus a huge bottle of Yumm! sauce from Café Yumm! -- and now we've been subsisting on it for two days.

Yumm!

Normally, I only eat beans and brown rice at gunpoint, but the mysterious sauce turns the whole experience into something else entirely. I can't explain it!

Cute Creature of the Day

I think I've caught Ben's cold, but that didn't prevent us from taking a short walk in McDonald Forest. I found a Pacific Sideband snail who was pretty neat (they fire love darts at each other when courting!), but the award for cutest creature goes to the Pacific chorus frog that Ben found nestled on a fern:

The flower I found last week that looked like purple asparagus has blossomed. Turns out it's spotted coralroot (Corallorhiza maculata), an orchid that parasitizes fungi! It's kind of hard to see in this photo, but each tiny flower is a perfect little orchid.

Regret

Every time I bring home strawberries from the farmers' market, Tiny Weasel rues the day she became an obligate carnivore.

Peavy Arboretum and Firehouse Café

Today was our last day off before Ben returns to the hospital for a stretch and I return to my various editing and writing responsibilities. This afternoon we hiked around Peavy Arboretum, where the wildflowers are in full bloom. We saw a ton of gorgeous purple Oregon irises along with these flowers, which I could not identify (gotta get a plant book!):

After our hike, we paid a visit to the Firehouse #5 Café, which is located right at the northernmost trailhead for Peavy. The "potato smiles" were adorable until you took a bite and returned for more ketchup, then they just became grisly.

The food was so-so, but I'm still happy to have found the place since it's the closet thing to a diner I've seen since leaving Connecticut. Plus, they have bacon waffles! We'll be back.