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Frozen bubbles

I’m not sure where I first picked up the idea of freezing soap bubbles.

That said … I do remember once seeing videos of the process I thought, “I want to do that!”

So we gathered supplies, namely a straw and bubble solution, then watched weather forecasts for the ideal temperature ( -12º to -30ºF – you can have some success as high as 9-12º).

Finally it got cold enough … 7ºF. Time to pull out our bubble solution. We placed it outdoors to cool down for 30 minutes. Then headed outside to give it a go.

At first we used a straw to blow the bubble and allowed them to drop onto the front step – FAIL

Next we attempted to use the straw to place a bubble on the step – FAIL

Then we allowed the bubble to start freezing on the straw, then carefully placed it on the concrete surface – SUCCESS!

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Making a Better Salad

For some time we’ve been making our salads with simple oil and vinegar dressings. The basic recipe is 1 part vinegar, 2 parts oil, add some herb (fresh or dried), and mix in the bottom of a large bowl. You then add a mix of greens and toss. It makes for a tasty and simple salad with any meal.

About a year ago we stopped at our favorite Bend kitchen store (Ginger’s Kitchenware) and discovered a wall of flavored oil and vinegar.

Olivelle, a company based in Bozeman, MT, markets under the motto ‘The Art of Flavor.’ Ginger’s had installed in one corner of the store a shelf with jugs of olive oils and balsamic vinegars.

Of course they set up an area featuring freshly baked bread and all the necessary bits to encourage people to taste the variety.

The variety wasn’t just in age or district, but oils and vinegars had been infused with flavors. From fruit to nuts (cocoa bean), the selection was amazing.

The beauty of these infused vinegars is how easy it is to make a delicious salad … we’ve actually cut the oil back or out of the basic recipe and just use the vinegar to impart flavor.

Check out their website,  you might find a local dealer nearby. We’ve been back several times and are currently enjoying the spiced raspberry balsamic.

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Scouting the Fall River

Crooked River, near Post Pile Campground

A perk of living in Central Oregon is that you are moments away from some of the state’s (and nation’s) best fishing and some of these blue ribbon waters are open year around.

If you have spent any time at all on this blog you are aware that we are on the Crooked River … a lot. Even in the winter it is a great spot to spend the day. However, there are two other streams open in the winter; The Deschutes and the Fall offer good fishing as well.

The Fall River, near La Pine, Oregon

The Fall River is spring fed, it literally bubbles out of the ground a few miles from our house. This means it is amazingly clear. We’ve not spent a lot of time fishing this water, though we have walked the banks numerous times.

This last week we headed over to the Fall and spent a few hours on this gorgeous stream. Crystal clear water criss crossed with deadfall and what should be excellent fish holding pools.

It is a difficult stream to fish successfully, as the clear water makes spooking fish a distinct possibility.  The water is stocked but even these hatchery fish are finicky eaters. We are thinking all the Euro-nymphing practice will come in handy.  Now we just need to find a couple of good spots to wet a line.

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Strong Drink

This summer, on the northern edge of Yellowstone National Park, as we set up camp along the Gallatin River, a significant addition was made to our camping / fishing kit …

The Flask or more to the point, a flask of whiskey.

And so the evening cocktail hour was initiated and has now become a cherished tradition.

The term ‘whiskey’ can encompass a diverse number of spirits. Bourbon, Scotch, Rye, Canadian, and Irish are all types of whiskey and each has its own taste. What they share is a mash build much like our other favorite beverage (beer). The variations come in how the beverage is treated in the distillation and aging process.

Bourbon, the most american whiskey, has a mash build primarily of corn (50% or more) and it is aged in charred aged oak barrels. This tends to be our spirit of choice, though we’ve found some variations on that theme that are equally tasty.

Want a deep dive check out the Whiskey Tribe on YouTube they have some over the top videos but great information.

A recommendation? Try “Oregon Spirit” which is not just a good bourbon but also distilled in Bend, Oregon. Anything out of the Michtner’s Distillery is great … the American Whiskey (though technically not a bourbon) is excellent. However, you really need to do some tasting because there are so many variations. There are also a lot of craft distillers, one just might be near you.

There is no right way to drink whiskey. That said your first taste really should be un-adulterated, followed by the addition of a splash of water or a cube of ice. The taste will change … you’ll be amazed.

As for cocktail? Might we suggest a classic, “the Manhatten” … our version of the classic drink.

      1. Drop a cube of sugar (20g) in a glass then add three shakes of bitters.
        Muddle these to combine.
      2. Cut a strip of orange peel and expell the oils over the muddled sugar.
      3. At this point I like to add 2 ounces of sparkling soda (dry soda) but you can skip that part.
      4. Add 2 ounces of bourbon and a small handful of ice.

Stir and enjoy!

 

 

 

 

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Gear Up … a new type of post

Something we are now adding to the blog is a quarterly list of favorite “gear.” We plan to include things we love using, some old standards, and new things we have discovered. We think you might find these items useful as well.

Now if there is something you’ve found hard to get along without, add a link in the comments. We’d love to know. As this is going to be a regular addition to the blog, you can also point us toward things that we might like to add to the list.

Thanks in advance.

Snow Treads
This is something we wish we’d discovered living on the east side of Multnomah County. East winds and ice storms were a major hazard in those parts … walking was nearly impossible on ice covered streets.

To the rescue are these “Trax.” Basically chains for your boots. Some use coiled wire as the grip, however the ones we use have metal studs in the rubber frame and are super easy to put on. They make walking on hard pack snow and ice much, much easier.

Simms Mittens
This is a well trusted name in fishing apparel and we have lots of their gear, from waders to sun shirts.

This winter we added a set of mittens for JQ. These convertible mittens / fingerless gloves have proven invaluable with her photo work.

Warm when you need them to be, but with a few quick snaps your fingers are able to manage the iPhone photo work.

Float Toy
Tip is a fanatical stick fetcher. I’m sure you’ve seen our many videos featuring the little guy endlessly chasing balls, sticks and now a floating toy. The trouble with sticks in the river is they can be hard to see.

The Lunker from RuffWear is a highly visible, very buoyant (even floats on snow) soft, stuffed fabric toy. The rope handle makes it easy to pick up and easy to throw. Most importantly Tip has no problem spotting it and retrieving it safely.

Yeti Mugs
We’ve been fans of Yeti products for years. They just make really well insulated coolers and beverage bottles.

This Christmas we splurged on some new insulated coffee mugs with monograms. If you watch their web site there is a free monogram offer a couple of times a year.Yeti products carry a premium price tag, but they hold temp better than anything else we’ve tried.

Cocoa Packets
A go to addition for the Yeti mug is a packet of Nestle hot cocoa mix … we like the *Rich Chocolate flavor*.

This is great as a winter warming beverage. We started using it to improve the flavor of instant coffee.

Basically you split a package between two mugs, add the regular measure of instant coffee, hot water and mix. On extra chilly days you can splash a bit of whiskey from the flask for an even better belly warmer.

Coat Rack
Winter in Central Oregon comes with lots of variety in weather. One week we bundle up against sub-freezing temps, the next week we’re in rain gear.

Our front entry becomes the staging area and this coat rack system has really made it easy to have coats, hats, scarves and dog leads at hand.

Wireless Temp Gauge
As I said, there is a wide range of weather. We love this about the area. It can be cloudy or sunny, windy or wet. But that’s not always an indicator of the outside temperature. To help us figure it out, we put in a wireless temperature gauge. You can see it’s windy, but how cold is it really?

There are two parts. One sits by the front door the other is tucked under the eaves on the front porch. We don’t go out without knowing what the weather has in store and this makes it easier to judge how many layers you are going to need.