Pineapple Fried Rice and Tarka Dhal

Most of the local markets are featuring pineapple on sale for Easter weekend. I hollowed one out and filled it with rice and two types of east-Indian dhal - chilka udad and masoor dal. The lentils are simmered with ginger and garlic pulp, turmeric, green chillies and salt.

Tarka dhal features simmered onions, tomato, mustard and onion seeds, and a little salt. This is partnered with the two dhal blends, and is very flavorful.

Rahmat came over for dinner, so I made a cornmeal crepe for him. The tarka dhal and the fried rice are layered inside the crepe. I enjoy adding veggies to the pan to enhance the texture of the crepe. These cornmeal crepes contained red onions, leeks, and red chillies.

Rahmat also enjoyed left-overs from last night's dinner - pork chops. He polished off the meal with pineapple, then rode his bike home in the rain.

I drove out to Watson's today to get my Walla Walla onion sets, red onions, and white onion sets. If the garden has been plowed by the Park District, I'll put in my beets and chard on the weekend, and try to plant my onions.

Vietnamese Crepes With Coconut Sauce

I made these crepes for a Sunday brunch, thinking how well they would work for camping trips - just make the crepe batter and coconut sauce ahead of time, marinate the thinly sliced beef, and warm everything over the campfire. Serve with stir-fried vegetables, and you've got a hearty meal.

The crepes are made with coconut milk. I sprinkled onion, leeks, parsley, garlic and thin-sliced hot red pepper in the crepe pan, then poured in the batter. Both sides can be sprayed with olive oil for a crispier finish. Just sear the tops. The coconut sauce requires very little cornstarch, as it is already thick. I added salt, pepper, and a little garlic.

Stir-fried edamame, zucchini, red pepper and fresh garlic compliment this meal. George was a happy camper!

Sunshine and Rain

We had gorgeous sunshine and balmy temps on Saturday, and dismal rain on Sunday.

George loaded up the canoe and my hiking poles and we headed over to Anderson Bay on Holly road for a morning paddle, and then spent the afternoon hiking along the Gold Creek Trail in the Green Mountain Forest. No photos, since George forgot his camera.

The water at Anderson Bay was perfect for an early spring paddle - clear and still, which made for a very peaceful glide. Lots of oyster beds and seaweed, and shorelines dotted with little cabins. This area has been in use for a long time.

We noticed several old cabins caving in to decades of neglect. One old cabin remained upright due to a huge fir tree holding it up on the leaning side. We beached the canoe and I explored an old abandoned cabin in a nettle patch. Daffodils were in bloom along a nearby creek. Someone had pitched an old stove and icebox off the back porch, and an old rusty bed-frame leaned against an outside wall.

I walked through the cabin - others had too, leaving behind their beer cans. Nothing remained inside. The doors were taken off the closet; the fixtures removed from the kitchen sink; many of the lovely ceiling boards were pulled off and salvaged. A tin roof kept the old linoleum floor dry, but the deck outside was rotted and dangerous. I noticed that all of the windows were still intact, unshuttered, and open to any little critter wanting to nest in the roof or inside the chimney.

The cabin had four rooms, a large living area, a small kitchen, an adjoining bedroom, and a stairway up to an open loft - it would be warm up there, for kids. I stood at the kitchen window and imagined waking up in the morning there 40 years ago. There was a nice view of the water, the snow-covered Olympic mountains, and the forest. What a shame that all of it is now in a tangle of blackberry bushes and nettles.

I enjoyed lunch and a thermos of Turkish coffee while George paddled along the shoreline. We saw very few people about as many of the homes are for summertime use. Lots of waterfowl: Common mergansers, western grebe, barrows golden-eyes, buffleheads. We heard one barking seal on the far shoreline - it is amazing how that sound will carry across still water.

Our hike at Gold Creek took us through the forest and down to a large beaver pond where many frogs were singing and courting. A speckled grouse pecked in the gravel along the path, and I was surprised that she just kept sorting through the fallen leaves, head down, and me just a few feet away. "Dumb as dirt", as Trish on 'The Alaska Experiment' once mentioned, when it came to grouse. The moment I saw it I felt just like her - it was food, not just wildlife!

I made several soups over the weekend, using my garden vegetables. The beautiful white roots on these leeks can be chopped for Vietnamese crepes. I finely chop the green stems- all of them, and freeze them for soup.
Leek soup, topped with home-made yogurt.
I ran out of potatoes so had to use carrots for this kale soup.
These cheese-filled biscuits were seasoned with dill.

Produce From The Garden

The garden has yielded beautiful leeks, kale, mustard and sorrel. That land will be plowed next week, so I had to pull all my produce. The sorrel is along the fence, and will not be disturbed.

In Russia and the Ukraine sorrel is called Shavel and is used to make potato-sorrel soup. The tender sprouts are good in salads, infusing a flavor that is similar to kiwifruit or sour wild strawberries.

Common sorrel has been cultivated for centuries. In Northern Nigeria it is known as Yakuwa. The sorrel is steamed with spinach. It can also be worked into roasted peanut patties, using salt, pepper, onion and tomatoes. I'm hoping to do an experiment using sorrel within a Vegetarian Spring Roll, using a variety of 'calming vegetables' and a cream-based topping made with coconut milk.

I sliced the veins out of the sorrel and added the leaves to salad greens, adding chopped pears, pecans, mandarin oranges, fresh sliced leeks, mustard and kale. Seasoned it with fresh oregano and fennel from the garden, enhanced it with Red-pepper salad dressing. Butter and honey on the corn bread and Cinnamon-Orange Tea - just heavenly!

Zucchini-Sorrel Stir-fry

Remove the large veins from the sorrel since they hold more of the bitter lemony juice and add them to a zucchini stir-fry. The sorrel provides a bit of a bite to the more bland zucchini. I seasoned this stir-fry with Syrian za-attar and my special paprika blend.

Fresh pears, a salad, home-made farmer's cheese and flaxmeal bread rounded out this dinner.

Bread-Crumb Stuffed Potatoes

I make my own breadcrumbs, spraying the bread with olive oil, seasoning it with Syrian za-attar, salt and my special seasoning, a combination of spices that are 'hot'.

I baked these potatoes, then scooped out the filling. Cheese, finely chopped sorrel, the mashed potato and bread crumbs are placed back into the potato. Then they are re-baked.

Those little purple flower-heads are more than a garnish. They were picked just minutes before I served them steamed... mustard from the garden, ready to bloom.

Poached Eggs on a Tortilla

I love spreading a little olive oil on a flour tortilla, seasoning it with my 'special seasoning', and frying it crispy. I'll break the tortilla into pieces and use it as an enhancement to a salad - it is all about crispy, fried, and spicey. The other morning I put a couple of poached eggs inside, and enjoyed it for breakfast, with a little salsa picante.

Shrimp Creole Gumbo

The color comes from Poivron Rouge Paprika, the zap from Chipotle Chile Powder and a hot picante sauce.

To prepare broth, fry onions and garlic in olive oil. Add a large can of crushed tomatoes in sauce.

Add water, a ham hock, 'Better Than Bouillon Lobster Base', and 'Bun Oc' Vietnamese Soup Seasoning. Simmer together for about a half hour.

Add celery, carrots, cauliflower, green beans, red pepper, fresh corn and parsley.

Saute link sausage, slice and add; boil malloraddus pasta in a separate kettle, and add. I pour a little olive oil on top, and add additional hot picante sauce when served.

Yes, this cornbread is rich and buttery - there is nothing like it, partnered with a true Southern gumbo.

Happy Naw Ruz

Well, a HUGE black fly is lying dead on my windowsill here by my computer - wings flattened, and him too. It must be spring!

We celebrated the beginning of the new year with two delightful hikes on Saturday, and two Naw Ruz parties on Sunday.

Over the weekend it was warm and sunny, with a bit of breeze. We explored ephemeral wetlands on the Clear Creek Trail in Kitsap County. There is a boardwalk part of the way, as these areas can temporarily hold water after heavy rain.

We hiked through the forest down to the beach at Anderson Landing. This 68 acre nature preserve requires yearly maintenance due to heavy rain. The volunteers had worked the area in the morning. Lots of gullies and ravines here.

I've invested in one good walking pole from REI. I've used it on my daily walks and it really helps to stabilize my gait and provide balance. It is great for hiking, too, especially on downhill trails. After researching online and talking to the clerk at REI, I felt this type of pole fit my needs, rather than trekking poles. I need to hold onto the top of the pole, using it much like one uses a cane, rather than angle onto it sideways, as one does with a trekking pole. I plan to get another one when we get our year-end dividend and apply a coupon for 20% off.

Just A Little Piece of Heaven - Here and There

We drove down toward Olympia, and spent part of the afternoon hiking through Tolmie State Park. The park features a saltwater marsh on Puget Sound, forest trails and abundant wildlife.We've been here several times before to hike and canoe.

It was quite cold initially, and I had to put on gloves and a scarf. But as we hiked through the forest we warmed up. I took a thermos of Turkish coffee along, always great.

George's photos will appear in our Flickr account, when he has a chance to go through them.

I've been playing a few of our old canoeing videos, and I've really enjoyed them. I reawaken to just how beautiful the Okanogan in north-central Washington can be in early summer.

The Sinlahekin Wildlife Area has so many camping and canoeing locations that we want to re-visit, hopefully this summer. Just on a whim, I researched land for sale in the Okanogan, and found some land advertised as:

One Person's dream/Another Person's realty

24.56 acres / $77,900

• Listed Price: $77,900


• Size/Acreage: 24.56 acres


• Road/Access: Private Road


• Legal: Lot 2 (NW NE)


• APN: 3630051004


• 2009 Property Taxes: $27.24


• Edwards Creek flows through west side of property.


• Septic is in.


• Underground phone and power are nearby.

....."wildflowers of every color of the rainbow blooming right before your eyes awaiting you to pick a few for your table in a small travel trailer that is included in the price, very usable but needs a little TLC."

"The soils are excellent for as large a garden as one will ever want, with southern exposure and wonderful 300 days of sunshine, what more could you want..."...aspen and cottonwoods ....seven alpine fishing lakes nearby.....and a creek that flows through the property.

I can just imagine this place on a quiet summer afternoon. Just a little piece of Heaven!

Oatmeal Pancakes With Huckleberries

These pancakes were made by George this morning....

His microwaved oatmeal failed.

Mt Rose ~ Olympic National Forest

When I asked George about our hiking destination, he avoided telling me anything more than "Oh, you'll love it!"

We drove along the Hood Canal, past Hoodsport, and over to Lake Cushman. He pulled out a couple of maps showing the trail. It showed a short loop at the top of Mt Rose, with an even shorter trail upwards. I thought, with some disappointment, "What a dinky little hike!" Little did I know that we were going straight up, to an elevation of 4,000 feet!

I had hoped for trails like we'd been having in the Capitol Forest, gentle walkabouts, with wetlands, forest, open flat meadows, and an expansive vista. But the Mt Rose hike was all switchbacks, with just so many uphill steps per switchbacks - like they'd calculated just how long it would take before one's legs would give out!

I should have researched this hike online! Other hikers have said: "Good smoker of a hike, especially if you try going fast. It's steep right out of the parking lot and is consistent and relentless the whole way."

"I have set out a couple times on this hike and never made it to the top."

"I wasn't prepared for the snow."

"One thing to keep in mind if contemplating this hike is that like Mt. Si there are no views until the top. So if you get going make sure you make it to the top!"

Well, we hit the snow about 4:15, it got really cold. I'm sure glad I packed layered clothing, a jacket, and a pair of gloves in my backpack.

I also benefited from a two-bottle hydration/lunchbox that I got from the Goodwill for $2.99. I wore it in front, so I could snack while hiking. It fits my coffee thermos and a large bottle of water, and has strong elastic pouches and ties to hold them in place should I bend over. Similar packs at REI cost $34, and, according to online reviews, the ties on those hydration bottles break after only several uses. Other hydration units have squeeze bottles that are too hard to squeeze. I'd be paying for something I wouldn't use.

We didn't make it to the top after four hours of climbing. We turned around at the snowline, to make sure we'd make it back to the trailhead before dark - we got there about a half hour before darkness compromised trail conditions.

Coming down was a lot harder than going up. My muscles were like mush from the grueling climb, and my double vision made descent precarious. A few times I had to hold on to the back of George's backpack to feel steady. I picked up a stick along the way, as I usually do, and tottered like a little ole lady. We were sure glad when we reached the trailhead and could finally rest and head for home.

Before we left, I'd made sure we had a good meal ready when we arrived home, a hearty soup and a casserole, but both of us were too tired to eat. We showered and went straight to bed! Today I can barely move. Taraz said, "Get out the protein shakes!"

Goin' Loupe 'd' Loupe ~ Frostie Shakes & Twists

So Many Trails, So Little Time

It was simply gorgeous on the weekend, with temperatures in the low 60's. We headed over to the Mima Falls Trailhead for an afternoon hike.

We enjoyed hiking seven miles through the Capitol Forest, in shirt-sleeve weather!

Yes, still muddy, much of everything still dormant, but if you looked closely, you could see salamanders and skunk cabbage just poking their spikes through the marshes.

Ford Transit Connect

Built in Turkey, this little cargo van is used throughout Europe and the United States as a taxi, police utility van, medical services van, and a five-passenger family van.

It has a reputation of getting into tight parking spaces, gets 25 miles to the gallon, and can be fitted with all kinds of inside gear and roof racks. It has the durability of a Ford truck, and the 'can do' attitude of a happy little dung beetle!

So, when we signed the papers, the Ford guy asked, "What are you going to do with it?" I said, "Haul horse manure."

George added, "....and use it for camping, hiking and canoeing."