Summer Weekend

Matt and I tried to remember this week the last time we actually went out for "date night" on a Friday night. This was a tradition we started when we were first married and every Friday night when neither of us have other plans we go out together. Sometimes we try new restaurants, and sometimes we got without old favorites. Sometimes we go do something else in addition to dinner.

Last night we tried out Ted's Nebraska Grill. A few weeks ago we got a $10 coupon in the mail for Ted's and thought we would try it out. The menu was really extensive (as long as you want meat) and both Matt and I tried the a bison burger - mine with guacamole, green chilis, and pepper jack and Matt's with bacon, cheese, bbq sauce. I really enjoyed mine and did not find the bison to be much different than beef - but the lower fat content keeps it from holding together as well - it was really nice and tender. The nice thing is we got the coupon back to continue using if we want to.

I headed to the gym for a consultation with my new trainer, Josh, this morning. We talked about the nutrition plan I will be following along with my exercise plan. I have my first workout with him on Monday. The nutrition plan and cardio plan are a new thing for me - my previous trainer just worked with me on weights but left cardio and nutrition up to me. I'm now eating 5 small meals a day and watching my protein, fat and carb intake at every meal. Tracking my meals will be a new thing for me and I am excited to see how it works.

We have a couple of errands to run today (Target, Hobby Lobby, etc) and may head to the Countryside Art Festival later.

Last day in Portland

Alice worked today, Nick nursed his hand and I headed out to enjoy my last day in Portland. Nick has been keeping ice on his hand pretty constantly since he burned it, but says that it is still bothering him. Alice and I both tried to convince him to go to the emergency room, but he says it is fine and just needs to heal.

I slept in a little and then walked up to the Rose Gardens that are about a mile from where Alice and Nick live. The Rose Garden is actually the International Rose Test Garden and features just about every variety of rose out there. It is incredible! I spent about an hour walking around admiring the roses and taking lots and lots and lots of pictures. I’ll post – I promise! The Rose Garden is a can’t miss in Portland!

I then headed to the Portland Saturday Market for some shopping. Now that I have been there a couple of times I started recognizing the vendors. I purchased Matt some of the honey roasted cashews that he loves and found a great sterling necklace for myself. I promise pictures soon! The Portland Saturday Market is basically a huge marketplace that assembles every Saturday and Sunday from Spring – December. There are food vendors, jewelry makers, clothing, pottery, woodworking, metalworkers – pretty much anything you could possibly want. I enjoy just walking around and people watching. I stayed for a little while and then began walking back – and got caught in a huge, sudden rainstorm. It absolutely poured and I wasn’t anywhere where I could jump under an overhang or anything like that. And, because it was Sunday, most of the office buildings were closed. So, I got soaked. Luckily it didn’t last too long and I was able to dry out while I waited for the streetcar to take me back to their house.

We decided to cook tonight so Alice and I headed to the market when she got home from work. We picked up some pieces of sole that we breaded in potato chips, fried lightly on the stove and then finished in the oven. We had black pepper potato chips, spicy thai potato chips, and buffalo blue cheese potato chips that we used to coat the fish and then we shared. (The spicy thai proved to be the favorite, btw – and I’ll be making this sometime at home because it was super easy and delicious!). Alice also made a sage and mushroom risotto that was very good, and we made some broccoli. Alice also shared her secrets for using the a Kitchenaid mixer to make butter! We made dill butter that we used tonight on our bread and I found it to be really good on the broccoli, and we made honey butter to use later – especially on the English muffins we bought for breakfast tomorrow.