I'm sure everyone is saying, "Not more pancakes with fresh fruit!" It seems I cannot get enough - I'm even videotaping closeup shots of succulent strawberries dripping in plum syrup, purple grapes sliced in half with several tiny seeds hidden in the middle, and bananas carefully sliced into little halves. The kiwi was sullen and lacked color, but I added her anyway, little tart. And, this was a debut for my beloved huckleberries, which have been labeled "Hands Off" in my freezer. They are such a delicacy that they will be strictly ornamental.
With the colder weather and rain, one cannot help but search the pantry and refrigerator for little taste thrills, for a possible project that will fill the hours and the tummy. I've baked whole wheat bread, three loaves at a time, and served it with a cabbage-meatball casserole. 
This is somewhat like stuffed cabbage rolls, except that one can see the ingredients individually (photo shows this casserole just before I popped it into the oven). I put a little wheat germ and rice in the meatballs, and I've dolloped homemade tomato sauce over the works. For a crunchy topping, I add a sprinkling of broccoli slaw and shredded cheddar-Swiss cheese.
I told George that we need to grow collards again, as we have for years, as they are so nutritious, and quite flavorful when cooked with bratwurst, onion, and carrots in chicken broth. 
This simmered on the stove for an hour and a half, and I brought out whole wheat bread, buttered, as a side dish. When I roast a turkey, I save some of it, to throw into the pot with the collards. It is an especially aromatic soup.
On my walks throughout the neighborhood, I've noticed woodsmoke in the early morning. The horse-chestnuts have dropped their seed-pods. Squirrels are hoarding seeds and nuts, burying them in people's flowerbeds. So many maples have turned, and it is now quite chilly at night. I love this time of year, for the changes, the anticipation of warmth and nourishment, and I savor the memories of my summer, especially grateful for the six camping trips we had, most of them with our children.
There is an apple tree up the Duckabush River over by the Hood Canal. We happened upon it last fall, this time, and it was filled with little perfect red apples, so sweet and crisp, just waiting to be picked. If we don't go there to collect the apples, they will lay wasted on the ground, unnoticed. Nearby are quince, in a little forest. I told George I'd like to visit this old abandoned orchard on the weekend - we have to canoe upriver to get there. I want to see if the apples and quince are still there. I have plans for them, if they are!
For George, pot-roast with boiled carrots, onion and potatoes really hit the spot after a day hiking near Seabeck on the Hood Canal.
We left about 10:00 on Saturday morning, headed north to Port Orchard, and found the the Gold Creek Trailhead between Belfair and Seabeck. This is a popular hiking spot that also attracts mountain bikers and people who want to explore back-country on horseback. We hiked as a light rain began to fall and I was tempted to worry a bit, because we weren't wearing rain-gear. But, other hikers came down the hillside, saying that the trail veers into deep woods where the trees provide a bit of shelter.
As we climbed, we noticed that berry-pickers were filling large buckets with wild huckleberries. I rumaged through my backpack, and found a few zip-lock bags. I could just see these berries glazed in plum sauce over some sliced and grilled yams! While I picked, George pulled them off the bushes and ate them.
To acquire any volume of berries, one must 'milk the berries', by pulling the hands down the branch in one long motion. 
Just about everything falls into the bucket - leaves, immature berries, spiders, worms and bugs. But, it is fast work...until you get home and have to sort out the huckleberries. I swirl them around in a big bowl of water, and all the bugs and leaves float to the top.We collected berries as we walked along the trail, ending up at Gold Creek, where George saw an American dipper in a little brook that had dammed up . The American dipper catches all of its food in swiftly flowing streams by swimming and walking on the stream bottom. It is North America's only truly aquatic songbird.We finished Gold Creek about 1:30, then headed over to the Guillemot Cove Nature Reserve near Seabeck. There we hiked the Margaret Trail, the River Trail Loop, and the Beach House Trail. These trails wind along mountain sides, through deep evergreen forests, groves of alder and big-leaf maple, and through an orchard. It was really dark in some areas of the forest, and since it was raining, I took very few photos.
We took the Beach House Trail down to Guillemot Cove. On a sunny day this beach has a magnificent view of the Olympic Mountains in the distance. It was named after the black and white Guillemot that inhabited this area around 1800.
This old cabin sits abandoned on the nature reserve, with the doors wide open. I peeked inside and walked around, careful where I stepped as I wasn't sure how sound the old floors were. Nothing remained except a few beds. The wood-burning stove was removed, and all the porcelain fixtures in the kitchen and bathroom were cracked. Tree branches poked through a hole in the roof, and pine needles and leaves were scattered everywhere.
We met a Japanese couple on one of the trails who were filling big buckets with Chanterelle Mushrooms .The mushrooms were huge, and are considered one of the finest available, the 'Queen of the Forest'. All during our hike I peered under the trees hoping to find some, but all I found were golden autumn leaves that had fallen to the ground.
We finished our hiking about 3:30, then stopped for coffee and a meal at Barb's Cafe in the back of the General Store. The cafe sits right over the water, and offers a quaint view. 
Their specialty was home-baked pies, breads and rolls. George had the pot-roast, and I ordered a cup of crab chowder and half a turkey sandwich on sourdough bread. No words can describe how wonderful that meal was!
Our daughter Ruhiyyih planned to fly from her home in the Washington D.C. area to Tacoma, to attend her 10 year high school reunion. As part of her trip she requested a camping trip with as much of the family as could get away at the end of the week.
We spent several days at one of our favorite hiking/canoeing/ camping locations - Quincy Lake in eastern Washington. Western Washington was due to have rain, thunder showers, and some cold temperatures, so we headed over Snoqualmie Pass to eastern Washington.
The forecast near Quincy Lake indicated 73 degrees, partly cloudy, with bouts of sunshine. We packed five tents (always an extra one), the camp chairs, sleeping bags and blankets, and a ton of food. George said, "Don't prepare anything ahead of time. Let's just do all of the cooking 'on site'." Hmmmmm. I could just see everyone wanting a meal the moment they arrived, so I boxed up six sandwiches, butterscotch bars, and four salad varieties for an instant meal. I was right. That two and a half hour drive made everyone hungry.
Snacks over, everyone pitched in to set up camp, build a fire, and prepare the grill. We put petite sirloin kebabs and bratwurst on the grill, and nestled baking potatoes in the coals. By the time we finished the moon was rising golden-orange on the horizon and everyone settled into their tents.
We thought we'd have a peaceful night, but a storm front suddenly blasted in, about 2:00 a.m. Our tents shook violently, and it started to rain. Ruhiyyih didn't have a top cover over her tent, so George got up and set up another tent for her. Taraz couldn't sleep, so he built up the fire, and that popping fire kept me awake - I never appreciate a fire in the middle of the night. It can be too easy to fall asleep and then the fire can restart and be unpredictable. So, we put out the fire and made some readjustments to our tent, which is new. The wind continued to pound our tents, and sand was blown inside, up through the air vents. When we awoke sand covered all our bedding. Little fine grains lined our eyelids and mouths. Ruhiyyih woke up with sand between her teeth!
Fortunately, George had set up a big canopy right in front of the fire pit. 
The family - Rue, Ruhiyyih, Taraz, and George and I had our meals there. By breakfast time it had stopped raining, and we lingered over coffee while I cooked buttermilk pancakes and made some country hash.
This was the last serving of pancakes (3), mine.....which I buried with fresh fruit.
I used the remainder of the baked potatoes, bratwurst and green onion from left-over kebabs to make this hash. On a rainy morning, food always tastes so good!
Taraz, Ruhiyyih and George went for a canoe glide around Quincy Lake after breakfast, while I tidied up camp.
We spent the latter part of the morning hiking to the overlook on the Dusty Lake Trail.
This trail is heavily used in summertime, but this time of year nobody is around, as was the camping area. I am especially drawn to this type of remote desert vista.
As others walked and explored the trail, I noticed that there was plenty of vegetation that has gone to seed.
These berries and the red fall color are a lovely combination.
Our three 'kids' headed back to Tacoma after the hike, and George and I spent another day camping alone - which is considerably easier when there is just the two of us. I made hamburgers for lunch, served baked beans, and the remainder of the salads, and we set about downsizing the campsite, breaking down all the tents except ours and organizing the gear. That done, we closed up the zippers on the canopy, secured the food and beverage coolers, and drove to a nearby lake for an afternoon paddle.
We beached the canoe and spent several hours hiking nearby bluffs, winding along an old trail that leads to Ancient Lake. 
This is George enjoying the view. He is wearing his hiking shirt, which shows these ducks on a day trip.
We had a vegetable stir-fry for dinner, and turned in early when the sun set. Out on the prairie when the sun goes down, it is so dark that one gets sleepy early. By 2:00 a.m. the winds started up again, rattling and shaking the tent. But, we were prepared this second night, and slept quite well. When I rolled the down comforter back in the morning, sand coursed down along all the seams. I knew I had some laundry to do when we arrived home.
We got home in time for a family birthday celebration - food, music, some family videos, and a photo shoot. 
Annie's parents, Tim and Kathy, and her aunt Karen added to the mix, and we celebrated September and October birthdays - Rue, Laurel, and Taraz. Kathy took some photos of all of us, using everyone's camera.
This is our family, our children and their spouses, and our grand-daughter Daisy.
I was especially grateful to Ruhiyyih, who prepared a fantastic Greek salad, pita and hummus, vegetable pate, chips and salsa, and generally 'worked my list' of 'to-do's' until we arrived home. We got home an hour before the party and almost everything was done. I made a casserole from our garden beans, added a few red potatoes, warmed a pecan pie, and warmed up my dilly pockets which I'd kept in the freezer until ready to heat.
It was really a fun-filled get-away, and of course a delight to see our daughter again. She heads back to Washington D.C., but will return in November for a longer stay at Thanksgiving. I'm counting the days!
We've had just a misting of rain in the mornings. But, this doesn't deter our neighbors Tony and Mikaela from taking their daily stroll throughout the neighborhood. Tony says that Mikaela looks for our cats, Mordred and Pandora, on the front porch. I told Tony not to be concerned if she doesn't see the cats during the next few days, as we'll be on our camping trip. 
Mordred and Pandora will be locked up in the house with all the necessities, patiently awaiting our return. Sadly, they will view their admirers from afar.
As a kid, this was my favorite photo of our son Taraz. He was helping me pick peas from my garden, which we'd then shell over a big quilt I'd lay on the driveway near the house. My goodness, what a sweet little helper he was. And note, those three neon colored rabbits' feet he has dangling from his zipper (on one of my old jackets). I wish him oceans of happiness on his birthday!
It was about thirty-five years ago that I took an old unused sketchbook and started filling it with recipes acquired from all the pot-lucks and social gatherings I attended in Missoula, Montana. Pretty soon the book was filled with many savory recipes: Apricot Swizzle, Mossy Forest Salad (mung bean sprouts and fresh parsley), Eggs Benedict, Italian Minestrone Soup, Manicotti with Meatballs, Peach Marmalade, Old World Rye Bread, Spareribs and Sauerkraut... and a plethora of cakes, cookies and pies. Over the years the book has become so bespattered and torn, that pages now fall out. I keep the whole thing encased in a plastic bag with a zip-lock closure, and when it is time to bake, I pull several pages out, with the hope that the recipe I'm looking for is on top. Oftentimes, it is my home-made cinnamon rolls, but this weekend it was the recipe for Whole Wheat Bread.
I planned to make a simple vegetable soup, and have the bread ready by dinnertime, fresh out of the oven. The two would make a nice combination.
These loaves are raising in pans near the stove. My friend Carol Vaughn taught me how to make the bread, using molasses, honey and Stone Buhr whole wheat. At the time, about 35 years ago, we'd buy our whole wheat flour in 50 lb bags from a wholesale place. She'd take 25 lbs, and I'd take the rest. We also used large cans of yeast rather than the small individualized packages I purchase now. 
This is the finished soup and bread. I also made grape juice from the flat of Korean grapes that our friend Myong gave us last Sunday evening. We simply couldn't finish them, so I crushed them, cooked them, and put them through my food sieve. The most incredible, potent elixir was a result, so flavorful that only a few ounces are necessary, much like a shot of whiskey! I was able to make about 2 quarts, adding only a little sugar as sweetener.
On Sunday I made Dilly Pockets, an experiment. Ruhiyyih asked that I have some Dilly Bread ready for her when she arrives on Thursday from Washington D.C. to spend a few days visiting. 
I'm hoping to pack these Dilly Pockets for our camping trip. Using this old recipe, which has sauteed onion and garlic and a whole container of cottage cheese in the bread dough, I made little rounds that are rolled out with a rolling pin. A couple tablespoons of ground buffalo meat sauteed with onion and celery is placed on top and an upper crust is pressed around each pocket. (A dried packet of Savory Herb Marinade is mixed into the filling.) 
The pockets are brushed with egg before baking, which renders them a dark brown when baked. 
The finished pocket is crispy on the outside, flavorful on the inside, and is a substantial warm sandwich. I had some left-over Pea Salad (frozen, uncooked peas, onion, shredded cheddar cheese, mayo and a touch of relish) as an accompaniment. 
I wanted to include this strange image - the butter mixing with some of the molasses, honey and milk for the whole wheat bread.
It was a productive weekend. I've put a bit away in the freezer, to be pulled out when Ruhiyyih arrives. In fact, we will be packed for our camping trip when we pick her up at the airport, heading out from there.
Today at the Farmer's Market it was so cold that I could have worn mittens and a scarf as I browsed all the organic fruits and vegetables. I find most of the prices at the Market to be quite high - $1.50 for one peach! $3 for a big red tomato!
I settled for four medium size yellow zucchini for $2 and a big bouquet of fall dahlias and zinniahs for $7. (I've already cleared out most of my dahlias, to get a head start on fall cleanup.)These prices really convince me to get back into gardening again. Grow my own like I did for so many years. I just picked 6 nice tomatoes off my one plant in our backyard, and about 20 more are ripening - if the blight doesn't hit them first. In this part of the country, where early cold temps and moisture prevail in September, often the blight will set upon the plants, and everything has to be picked green and stored indoors to ripen.
But, just thinking of all that work, and driving to a community garden plot, and hoping that people will not come by and steal our crop...it brings back a lot of memories. Perhaps in the end it is probably not cost-effective, but I think I'll try to do it again on a very small scale and see what happens. Community garden plots are only three blocks away at Franklin Park.
W've been helping Taraz and Megan move out of their apartment here in Tacoma. Packing and cleaning, feeling wistful that they'll be a little further away down in Olympia. Megan is pursuing her Masters at Evergreen State College. Taraz will continue commuting to his job here in Tacoma. As a commute goes it is only about a half hour or so, and I'll still see him every week.
The longest commute I ever had was a fifteen minute commute by bus. It took me eight minutes to walk to the bus stop, and once on I had only a brief chance to visit with 'the regulars' and the driver, who lived just a few houses down from us. I always enjoyed this commute.
I drove to work during my last job as a caregiver in assisted living, at 5:45 in the morning, and I was usually there in 10 minutes. No traffic, dark empty streets. My walking commute ten years earlier was 20 minutes to the nursing home where I worked. If I rode my bike, it was a 5 minute commute in summertime, and I'd be there in a flash. Of all the commutes I experienced, whether by bus, car, bicycle, or walking, I enjoyed the walks the most. Got to know so many neighborhood dogs, kids, and the yards were always changing due to the season. I loved smelling the autumn leaves and the fresh air of early spring.
We've seen a little color - deep red, on shrubs up in the North Cascades. It is getting cold up there. We have one last camping trip planned when our daughter Ruhiyyih comes home for a visit next Thursday. Just being out at the Farmer's Market this morning makes me realize that mornings will be a real challenge if it is really cold. I can just see me wearing gloves to boil water for coffee, and once the food is served on the plate it cools down real fast, within moments in the morning. Rue, Rahmat and Taraz would like to join us for this 'one-nighter'. Let's hope it won't rain. It will be our last camping trip until next spring.
It is this paddler's fondest dream to camp in remote places, awake at dawn, brew hot coffee, and drink it while gliding over still water - and that is just what we did most mornings on our camping trip last week.
We teamed up with our son Rue and his wife Annie, to explore the Okanogan country in northeastern Washington.
Our first destination was Leader Lake, where all of us camped together. After several days, Annie and Rue returned home, and George and I headed north, to explore the dramatic Northern Cascades Highway, one of the most scenic drives in the state. We made two more additional camps, at Blackpine Lake and Diablo Lake, enjoying hiking and canoeing experiences along the way.
We had an early morning glide on Blackpine Lake, a very pristine lake, with a beaver dam at one end. It was a little cold in the morning, and I was certainly glad to have my coffee along. During the days it may be in the 80's, but at night it was in the 50's.
Rocky outcroppings on Diablo Lake, lining much of the west shore. The water in Diablo Lake is some of the coldest in Washington, glacier-melt. The silt causes the lake to be a milky emerald green.
In every camp we pitched our tent so that we could maximize the view of the sky at night. Clear skies meant we could stargaze, and find the Milky Way. 
It was exquisite looking at these black pines through the window of the tent. As the stars twinkled it seemed like someone had come along and placed Christmas lights throughout the forest. At Leader Lake, I laid awake in the middle of the night listening to the coyotes howl answering each other.As I've written before in other camping posts, our family really enjoys cooking outdoors, and this is no exception for our son Rue. The evening he arrived at Leader Lake, he prepared petite sirloin kebabs over a grill. Marinated and rolled in seasonings, they sent a mouthwatering aroma throughout the campground. 
The next afternoon he made buffalo burgers, and I added a few prepared salads as side dishes. These burgers really hit the spot after our morning hike near Starvation Mountain.
Rue chopped up fresh strawberries and peaches to pour over Annie's pancakes the following morning. 
These pancakes were almost the size of a small fry pan, and really hit the spot! Annie opened up a jar of my home-made plum syrup and I prepared eggs, sausage and hash browns as side-dishes.
I was so busy tending camp and cooking that I had George run the video camera, and I was not able to film much. (And many of our dinners were 'in the dark', evening, when filming impossible.) 
This was a lentil soup served with bagels and brown bean dip that I served at Blackpine Lake. I make five quarts of soup at a time, freeze it, and pack it frozen in our cooler. By the third day, it has thawed and is ready to reheat.
And this rice-garbanzo bean goulash accompanied fresh green beans from our garden. 
I season these beans with fresh lemon, pepper, and cumin, and cook them in just a tad bit of olive oil. The secret here is to simmer them briefly, then let them sit in the hot broth to deepen the flavor. (You save on propane, too.) Squeeze the lemon, and the fresh scent mingles with the fragrance of pine and cedar in the air. It is very refreshing.
I also made some little taste thrills - like zuchinni bread, corn muffins, and granola bars for our backpacks. 
These bars are made with bran cereal, peanuts, almonds, pecans, flax seed, yogurt, and sweetened with honey, brown sugar and topped with dark chocolate. The day before we left on vacation, I made more plum syrup (about 6 1/2 quarts), so I dried all the pulp from the plums and made fruit leather. It turned out so good (gobbled up), that I dried strips of my home-made applesauce, adding shredded zucchini and carrots. I find that chewing on a few of these really enhances the enjoyment of a hike, adding quick nourishment.
Annie and I hiked up to this rocky promontory on their last day of the trip while Rue and George did up dishes - (yes, everyone does kitchen duty.) It was incredibly dry and warm. After we finished our climb we walked throughout the entire eastern side of the campground(pictured here across the lake), where I showed Annie where I wish we could have camped had it not been so windy on the evening we first arrived. (Propane issues.) We hope to come back to the Okanogan again, perhaps in the spring when more of the family could join us.
I'll finish out this post with the only thing I brought home from our trip -- dried elk droppings I found on a hike near Starvation Mountain. As you know, most regulations prohibit disturbing the habitat, whether that means bringing home rocks or shells, moss or driftwood. 
When I saw these I told Rue that they make excellent incense, pungent with the juniper, cedar, or pine needles that the elk has eaten. I said I regretted not having a plastic bag. . . and he happened to have one! When I got home, I made a little alter, lit the scat, and savored the wonderful memories of our trip.
I'm sure everyone is saying, "Not more pancakes with fresh fruit!" It seems I cannot get enough - I'm even videotaping closeup shots of succulent strawberries dripping in plum syrup, purple grapes sliced in half with several tiny seeds hidden in the middle, and bananas carefully sliced into little halves. The kiwi was sullen and lacked color, but I added her anyway, little tart. And, this was a debut for my beloved huckleberries, which have been labeled "Hands Off" in my freezer. They are such a delicacy that they will be strictly ornamental. 
This is somewhat like stuffed cabbage rolls, except that one can see the ingredients individually (photo shows this casserole just before I popped it into the oven). I put a little wheat germ and rice in the meatballs, and I've dolloped homemade tomato sauce over the works. For a crunchy topping, I add a sprinkling of broccoli slaw and shredded cheddar-Swiss cheese.
This simmered on the stove for an hour and a half, and I brought out whole wheat bread, buttered, as a side dish. When I roast a turkey, I save some of it, to throw into the pot with the collards. It is an especially aromatic soup.
