Oregon Odyssey 2014 | Portland

Wow. It's been ages. I know. The truth is, I've been a little overwhelmed with where to begin in sharing the highlights from our recent trip to Oregon, getting settled back into our summer routine in Charlotte, and then gearing up to send the little ladies off for their first "sleep-away camp" experience.

Our trip back west was really great. It was split into three mini-trips: Portland (or West Linn to be exact), Sunriver, and Cave Junction. The Portland portion was focused on seeing our friends from the old neighborhood, giving the girls a chance to reconnect with a few of their great friends, visiting with Greg's sister (now living in Portland) and my cousin (who made the trek south from Washington with her two littles), and enjoying some of the best things we miss about PDX (the food, summertime outdoor activities, and restaurant-hopping) with some of our best friends who graciously hosted our family in their home(s) and hosted a gathering of our friends at their polo fields for a match. Learning from our jammed-packed itinerary last year, we simplified things this time around. While that did mean we were not able to see as many of our friends as we would have liked, the time we did get to spend with a lot of them was much more relaxing and enjoyable.  This is a summary of the first leg of our trip in photos and captions.

Hanging Out

We were quite spoiled spending the majority of our days and nights in the home of our friends (two houses down from our old digs). The girls (Campbell, Scarlett, Piper and Geneva) took turns trading bunkmates each night. Between horseback riding, living room gymnastics, carpet picnics, and silly shenanigans, these four snapped right back into their old rhythm of easy friendship and fun.

A trip to Portland would not be complete without at least one stop at Salt & Straw for some of the best ice cream on earth.

Greg and I were happy to enjoy a night out and about with Gretchen and Sean.

Swank & Swine, Taste, St. Jack

We had fun checking out Auntie Jessica's new apartment and then walking to lunch at Foster & Dobbs.

The girls were excited to be able to join in the festivities at Finley's birthday party.

Sean and Gretchen were delighted to share their downtown flat at The Envoy with us for our last night in PDX. It was really fun for the girls (and us!) to spend the night in this beautiful, French-inspired space that felt like a "fancy hotel." Jessica rode her bike over and we walked to dinner before tucking in for the night.

Hidden Creek Polo Match

We had a blast visiting with friends, enjoying the terrific weather, and cheering on Sean's team at the Hidden Creek Polo Club in Wilsonville. It was a family affair and to all of our friends who were able to join us, "Thank you for coming out!" Between the chatting, polo-watching, food truck noshing, little kid chasing, sipping, divot stomping, and caterpillar collecting--I think the day was a great success! 

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Things I Love Lately // 6.27.14

• Camp Invention ~ Both Jones girls had a blast this week at this national science and engineering camp. If you happen upon a Camp Invention in your area, we highly recommend it! 
  
• Our second meal at Lumiere ~ Delightful company, amazing meals! 
  
• The French butter dish my friend Sarah gave me ~ I've been wanting one of these for a long time. I noticed she had one and when I commented about it, she promptly handed over an extra one her family had. It's so great! Soft butter, room temperature, no spoiling. Brilliant!
• Sharing great music with my littles ~ Wish you could hear us all belt out these tunes! 
  
• The decade+ set of diaries that my great-grandmother kept ~ My aunt just sent these to me and there is so much pleasure in paging through her memories and experiences. 
  
• Pio Pio ~ This is a terrific Peruvian restaurant in our 'hood. I cannot recommend enough the "#5." It's a delicious salad with shredded chicken, a ton of avocado and served alongside a crispy pile of perfect fries. Try it (with the green hot sauce--but watch out; that sauce is very spicy).
• Chorizo ~ Obviously. But my discovery of Trader Joe's Soy Chorizo has been a revaluation. Almost all the flavor without the bad stats. It's "guilt-free" chorizo. You should really try it!

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Recipe Review | Spicy Grilled Shrimp with Quinoa Salad

Highly recommended by a home cook I admire greatly, I jumped on this recipe as a dinner idea about a month ago. We loved it! So much so, that I made it again this week. While it is something you need to plan a bit in advance for, the prep is worth the payoff. In fact, the second time I made it, I prepared all the components in the afternoon and put it together as a chilled salad for dinner that evening. (If you plan to do this, wait until just before serving to dice and add your avocado.)

Spicy Grilled Shrimp with Quinoa Salad

(via Cooking Light)

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What you need:

1/4 cup fresh lime juice, divided

10 teaspoons olive oil, divided

2 teaspoons chili powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon hot pepper sauce (I used Sriracha)

1/8 teaspoon Spanish smoked paprika

4 garlic cloves, chopped and divided

24 large shrimp, peeled and deveined (about 1 pound)
     (The shrimp I found were smaller. One pound ended up being about 35 shrimp)

2/3 cup uncooked quinoa

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 cup water

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, divided

1/2 teaspoon honey

1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

1/2 cup canned organic chickpeas, rinsed and drained

1/2 cup diced peeled avocado

1 ounce feta cheese, crumbled (I always add more cheese!)

Cooking spray
8-10 (6-inch) wooden skewers 

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

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What to do:

1. Preheat grill to high heat.
2. Combine 2 tablespoons lime juice, 1 tablespoon olive oil, chili powder, 1/2 teaspoon cumin, black pepper, hot sauce, paprika, and 2 garlic cloves in a medium bowl. Add shrimp; toss well. Marinate in refrigerator 30 minutes. 
   
3. Rinse and drain quinoa. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion to pan; sauté 3 minutes. Add remaining 2 garlic cloves and quinoa; cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add 1 cup water; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 13 minutes or until liquid is absorbed (mine takes about 17-20 minutes). Cool. 
   
4. Combine remaining 2 tablespoons lime juice, remaining 2 tablespoon olive oil, remaining 1/2 teaspoon cumin, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and honey in a large bowl; stir with a whisk. Add quinoa mixture, tomatoes, chickpeas, avocado, and cheese; toss gently. 
   
5. Remove shrimp from bowl; discard marinade. Sprinkle shrimp with remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Thread 3 (or more) shrimp onto each of 8 (6-inch) skewers. Place skewers on grill rack coated with cooking spray. Grill 2 minutes on each side or until done. 
   
6. Divide quinoa mixture evenly among 4 plates. Top each serving with 2 skewers. Garnish with cilantro. 
   

Both times, I served this dish with a big green salad on the side. 

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