To sum up the work week, let’s just say it was relaxing and productive. Yup.
I did a lot of drawing, coloring, watching Lost, eating oatmeal, making dinner, and saving money for the weekend! Below is a picture of a blackberry white chocolate truffle that I picked up from Van Duyn Chocolate Shop last weekend. Under that is my new favorite version of homemade grilled cheese. White bread (screw that wheat stuff, grilled cheese is meant to be made with fluffy white bread and lots o’ butter), pepper jack cheese, and a slathering of cream cheese that makes the experience extra creamy. O yea, and I eat in front of my computer. I think I’m starting to abuse the old thing, or else it’s just my closest friend out here in Portland. How hermit-esque does that sound?
Thursday was a nice happy hour for me. I got an iced Spanish coffee with all of the appropriate delicious liquors and split some chunky sweet potato fries in red pepper aioli dip at a place called Imbibe. Apparently it’s “yuppie”…psh, who cares? I don’t know why people avoid going to restaurants based on the supposed type of people who eat there. That sort of behavior annoys me. hmph.
Anyway Friday I had another coffee (sans the alcohol this time) at Coffee Time. The Mexican mocha, glamorously sprinkled with cinnamon and swirled to perfection, was both pretty and yummy! After hanging out there and listening to music, my new friend and I went for some sushi at the San Sai Japanese Grill. I ordered the Tempura Spicy Tuna (fried – I had to try it, sounds too good, right?). It was too good, almost too good to order again. I enjoyed it, but the mixture of breaded friedness with what would normally be a cleansing sort of meal just left me feeling weird. The check came and surprise! my sushi was half off. Now I had money to subdue that oh so familiar spot on my tongue that immediately craves sweetness after dinner. To St. Cupcake! Only a few blocks away. I ordered 2 bite size baby cakies. One was the flavor I had before of chocolate and mint buttercream and the other was chocolate chip with vanilla cream cheese icing. Both cute and delectable and pleasing to my incessant-sweet-craving taste bud – it plays such a huge role in my life that I should probably name it. Has anyone ever named a taste bud before?
Saturday morning I walked through the Pearl District up to some North part of the city…I think? Either way, the streets were cute and decorated. I met someone for coffee at one of the BEST places for espresso, Barista. I of course had to order my usual, iced vanilla latte. I swear it tasted like a milkshake from the dairy gods. I think there was a hint of espresso flavor, I can’t really remember because I enjoyed drinking it so much.
For about 3 hours after that I walked and walked and walked. To the forest! We hiked through Forest Park which was earthly green, muddy, breathtaking, gigantic, full of waterfalls, hills, rocks and delivered nothing but the freshness of fallen rain and rooted plants. I loved it and I can’t wait to go walking again in the forest on my own. I want to go meditate there…just take it in. The vastness. mmm. On a less significant note -on our way to and from the park I passed a lot of neat houses that I could only wish to live in.
I wanted to fall over after so much walking – my poor digital designer body just isn’t cut out for moving muscles longer than an hour at a time. Finally I had some homemade Pasta Carbonara for lunch and then went back out again to pick up dessert at the famous Ken’s Bakery. It was then off to the movie theater where we split the pecan tart (sorry for no picture, the theater was dark, grr). We saw “A Single Man” with Colin Firth and it was delightful, although delightful is sort of relative. It was an intense, serious story – but the play of color and the flawless hero played by Firth was just mesmerizing. Perfect end to the day of hiking if you ask me.
I managed to get home before the rain started and I relaxed with my petite cookie-sized macaron (a primarily French confection that is meringue-based: made from a mixture of egg whites, almond flour, granulated sugar and confectionery sugar) not to be confused with the coconut version. I don’t know the difference exactly, the whole definition of macaroon is rather confusing, but alas, this was a macaroon/macaron and a caramel coffee flavored one at that. I’ve never had one, and now I know what I’ve been missing. The outside wasn’t cookie-like at all. It was airy, crisp and soft all at the same time and released a nice flavor while the filling, which was the creamiest creamy cream I have ever consumed was rich with a buttery savor that left my taste bud (whatever its name might be) in a state of caramel coffee cream crisp bliss. ahhh. thank you macaron.
This Sunday, oh glorious Super Bowl Sunday (which I can’t watch without a TV and am not sure I would anyway unless I had people and spicy buffalo dip to watch it with) was spent relaxing, drawing, watching Lost, doing laundry, and writing this. While at the laundromat, I decided to try the spiced banana milkshake from Pambiche as an all dairy version of lunch. I took a few sips and found that it was milky, unspiced, and lacking in any sort of worthwhile flavor. I threw it away and marched down the street, determined to find something better. I found this place called bakery bar and it told me to eat cake. I bought a slice of espresso chocolate cake and waited until I got home to eat half. It was dense and yum and I’m saving the other half for tomorrow!
So, for my closing sentence or two, week 5 was pretty perfect. I got to hang out with some new friends, exercise, see lots of nature, eat some good stuff, draw a lot…and next week is only going to get better because Rachel is coming to visit!!!! YEY!!! I’ll have a date for Valentine’s Day :)
