Beauty

Let me start with a disclaimer- the only time I've ever gotten my nails done was for the 8th grade dance. I get my hair cut only once or twice a year. And I've never gotten a facial or pedicure. I'm just not into the whole spa thing. Mostly because I read horror stories about how bacteria-ridden nail places are. And frankly, I'm too cheap.  So when my friend and I went to Beauty Bar last night, I was a little intimidated.
Beauty Bar is a nail and cocktail joint (what a novel idea!) that has several locations across the U.S. I'd gone to the NYC location last summer when I was in Manhattan visiting friends, but it was late, hot as hell, and packed to the brim. We stayed a total of five minutes. I gave it a shot again yesterday to try out their happy hour special- $10 for a martini and manicure! There was only one manicurist working, so we waited a little over an hour to get our nails done. But the nail lady was nice, and we had a lot of fun sipping our cocktails while getting hand massages and shiny new paint on our paws. The manicure wasn't amazing (albeit I have one former manicure to judge from), but for the price and atmosphere, I'd definitely go again!

Here are some of my favorite beauty products that I use daily. Best part is they're very affordable!

The Body Shop coconut body butter. I love ANYTHING coconut flavored or scented. This stuff smells good enough to eat and is as thick as butter- hence the name.

Loreal Sublime Bronze gradual tanner. In my opinion, the only woman who can pull off pale is Nicole Kidman, and I certainly don't look like her. I keep from looking like a ghost with this stuff.  I apply it daily after showering and it gives me a nice sun-kissed glow.

Listerine Whitening Mouthwash. I'm the first to admit I've got lots of faults, but I'm pretty proud of my teeth. I credit their radiance (ok am I getting too cocky?) to this whitening mouthwash. You use it BEFORE brushing, twice a day, and its way easier and faster than messing with those tooth strips!

Revlon Colorstay Eyeliner. I've been using this stuff for years. It's great for the smokey-eye nighttime look. It will last the ENTIRE day without smudging and even stays through the multiple cry sessions I have while watching Sex and the City. Alright, I'm a little embarrassed to admit that. 

Beauty Bar

111 SW Ash St. Portland, OR 97204

Here comes Peter Cottontail...

I love Easter. It means spring has finally sprung after a long winter of rain, rain, and MORE RAIN  Our farmer's market is overflowing with produce right now.  I attend the market every Saturday and was ecstatic to find asparagus this week! It has a short growing season and it's always best to buy it fresh and local as opposed to the standard grocery store asparagus from Mexico. Some of my farmer's market finds this weekend included radishes, carrots, chives, lamb chops, cauliflower, said asparagus, and rhubarb. Here's what I made with them for an Easter dinner:

Appetizer:
Crudites (carrots and radishes) with a creamy horseradish dip.
To make the dip I mixed mayo, greek yogurt, chives, fresh horseradish, apple cider vinegar, garlic, and honey mustard. This would be great as a sandwich spread, too!

Main:
Lamb chops served with a chive pesto
Grilled asparagus
Cauliflower au gratin

Dessert:
Rhubarb and raspberry crostata  (recipe by Bon Appetit http://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/2011/05/rhubarb-and-raspberry-crostata  )

HAPPY EASTER!

DOC

Last night Zeph's mom and step-dad took us to DOC for Zeph's birthday dinner.  The cozy spot off of Alberta is the newest venture by the same people who own PDX favorites Yakuza and Beast.

You literally walk right into the kitchen when you step inside, a kitchen that is admittedly smaller than my own.  There are only six tables in the entire restaurant and the best part is that you can watch the chefs cook from anywhere you sit.  Despite the size of the dining establishments' micro kitchen, these chefs put out BIG flavors. We did the 5 course tasting menu.

Course 1:
Bread, olives, radishes, butter
Spring lettuce, fennel, feta, oranges
Oysters on the half shell with ginger and garlic
Smoked trout, greens, mustard, radishes
Beets with horseradish and creme fraiche
     -this was so yummy. I'd never think to pair beets with horseradish.
Cauliflower with anchovy butter and bread crumbs
     -probably my favorite of these. Buttery and comforting with a nice crunch from the bread crumbs.
Pork pate, strawberry, herbs, balsamic.
     -the combination of pate with strawberry's was a pair made in heaven. delicious!

Course 2:
Risotto with morels, fiddlehead ferns, belper knolle
     -The morels were divine. They soaked up every flavor in the risotto. Belper knolle is a creme-cheese type of cheese
Cavatelli, pork sugo, pecorino, mint
     -Arguably our favorite dish of the night

Course 3:
Pork atop lentils, watercress, sorrel
Sturgeon, ramps, turnips, asparagus
     -The only course I was less than impressed with. The sturgeon was a tad dry and the entire dish wasn't as aesthetically pleasing as the others
Wild nettle and Oregon black truffle lasagna with a cracked duck egg on top
     -Second favorite dish of the whole night. They were generous with the truffles and the dish was just beautiful.

Course 4:
Farmhouse cheeses with accompaniments (kiwi & strawberry jellys, cherries in chocolate), fruit & nut bread.

Course 5:
Espresso panna cotta, rosemary biscotti
Almond financier, rhubarb, creme fraiche ice cream
    -This was divine. But I'm partial to anything with rhubarb!
Chocolate cake, malted ice cream
Cara cara & proscecco sorbet, shortbread
    -The only dish we didn't polish off was this sorbet. It was very sour!


We left STUFFED and giggly after a few bottles of gorgeous Pinot.  I would definitely go back to this little gem!

DOC

5519 NE 30th Ave. Portland, OR 97211

Silver Falls

Yesterday Zeph and I hiked Silver Falls down by Salem for the second time.  This is my favorite hike in Oregon so far.  A windy dirt (or should I say, mud) trail leads you in a 6.9 mile loop through the thick woods along a river where 10 different waterfalls are the main attraction. The trail is lined by tons of ferns and moss-covered trees.  We stopped halfway to enjoy mufaletta sandwiches we made beforehand (olive spread, salami, ham and provolone on a fresh Ken's bakery baguette).  Although overcast and a little chilly, it was a perfect day to enjoy the woods after working up a good sweat!

We passed this gorgeous field of yellow flowers on the drive down. <3 Spring!

Finally made it to the last waterfall!