Category Archives: Food and drink

Food and drink

Spring’s coming! Time for beer and wine events in Portland

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This Spring is starting early with some events to herald warmer weather and blossoms. In Portland, that means celebrating with food, beer and wine!

I attended the Golden Valley Brewmaster’s Dinner on Saturday, March 3 with Jim. They had set aside their party room in Beaverton for the occasion and we were among about 53 guests. We felt like the price was a great value for this 5-course dinner at just $55 each. We have attended beer dinners that were $75 each. My favorite food was the scallops. A beer was poured with every course and, before the dinner, the wait staff was generous with beers. Our table companions were friendly beer enthusiasts (it’s a thing in the Portland area).

My favorite beer was the Tickle My Dickel (LOL).

Brewmaster Jesse Shue spoke to the gathering about the featured beers.

The next weekend, I joined a group of friends to visit the Sip! McMinnville Wine & Food Classic at the Evergreen Space Museum in McMinnville. Parking was $7, which is kind of a lot for the area, and tickets were about $21, if I recall correctly. Admission includes one free souvenir glass and a coupon for a free tasting at one of the booths. Tastings were $1-$2 per pour, or $5 for several varieties in the tasting.  It was interesting to taste the winners of the wine competition, but I have my own groove at these things so I didn’t buy any award winners this time.

I bought a Gewurtztraminer, a Malbec, and a Tempranillo.

I also bought a light switch cover and a clock from Paperwings.

Golden Valley Brewing had a booth where I got a delicious beer to go with my lunch of fish tacos. The company was stellar. This is a great way to taste a lot of wine without having to drive a lot.

Last Sunday, after a lovely dinner with my brother and his family at Pacific Growlers Taphouse in Beaverton, Jim and I went to McMenamins Cornelius Pass Roadhouse to walk the fairy-lit grounds and sit at the fire pit with other friendly folks. I found and petted two Corgis.

 

What’s Next?

Some of my friends are going to the PDX Tequila & Tacos festival on March 24 at Portland Expo Center. Sounds delicious!

 

I noticed Yoga + Beer Beaverton is happening on April 2 at Golden Valley Brewery. If you can get there by 6, the event begins with yoga for all levels, with a pint included at the end. $20 includes the pint of beer. Yes!

 

Whatever you do this spring, I hope it’s fun and helps lighten your heart.

 

 

Food and drink

Frozen rice mix – great for vegetarians

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I’m enjoying a fine vegetarian lunch that was easy to prepare and nutritious. I commute to work by train, so the lunch I take has to be compact and sturdy. Frozen is okay since I have access to a microwave.

I have the use of a sink, can opener, refrigerator, and a knife. I own a bowl, a plate, a personal set of bamboo cutlery and a cloth napkin which I reuse a few times before washing at home. I also have a shaker of salt, a shaker of nutritional yeast flakes (rich in B vitamins), and a shaker of seasoning mix, so pretty much anything I make has to be workable with these basics.

I wish my kitchen at home were that simple – imagine if each of us in our 6-person household had only those items. How much less of a mess would the kitchen be if we knew we had to wash our single dish to have something on which to eat? I guess I’d choose a bowl if I had to make a choice of plate vs. bowl.

The ingredients of today’s lunch are:

Frozen steam-in-the-bag rice with vegetables
Frozen veggie mix to fill out the veggie count – portioned in a glass food container with rubberized lid for safe reheating
One frozen vegetarian patty – today’s was bruscetta flavor
One peach from the Amish fruit stand downstairs

Heated until all ingredients were hot in the microwave and then mixed together on plate. Sprinkled with seasoning mix of choice and dug in!

If I have more time I could make a higher fiber rice like brown or a pilaf mix, adding vegetables at that time and freezing portions for quick lunch packing. If veggie burgers are not in the budget, I can use scrambled egg (cage free would be great) or reconstituted TVP – texturized vegetable protein. This stuff acts like ground beef in recipes but is not as greasy. It needs to be seasoned because it is bland.

I sometimes start with a soup (I like lentil, minestrone, black bean or veggie noodle) and add some leafy greens like spinach or collard greens before heating. Afterwards I stir in a tabIeoon of nutritional yeast, also called brewer’s yeast. If low on protein, I throw in a cut up veggie patty, some TVP, or cubed tofu.

For snacks on the train, I carry raw almonds, a handful of whole wheat crackers, and an orange. I also have a great thermal coffee cup which I carry back and forth – fits in the side pouch of my backpack.

– Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Hudson St,Jersey City,United States