Hello Summer and Bagby Hot Springs and Snacks!

Ok, the title of this post is not entirely befitting of it's content. The hot springs and snacks portion, yes, I'll get to that momentarily.  But first, I have to throw down a tiny salute to summer which is just now arriving in Portland (victory)! I think we're on day number 2 or 3.  I definitely don't want to count my chickens before they've hatched, but....I think this is finally it!  We're late bloomers in the Northwest. Perhaps this is a common occurrence, perhaps this happened last year as well. Perhaps we should all shut our traps and just go along with it.  Easier said than done. When you're accosted daily with the news of scorching temperatures all across the US, and all you have is this crummy drizzle and a high of 50, well...that, right there, is reason enough to jump off the Broadway Bridge (or at least think about it constantly).

So here we are, like the rest of the world, sporting flip flops and tank tops. OH! Hello 80 degree temperatures, so nice to meet you! What's that you say?? You want to ride bikes up to the Greeley Ave. food cart pod for some freshly churned ice cream of unique and delicious flavors? Don't mind if I do!


Ok, I'm done.

Here's what we had last week.

The neverending gloom and that dreary and consistently moist cold weather prompted us to flee the city for the back country roads.  A 2 hour drive South East of Portland will find you at the foot of a trail leading up to Bagby Hot Springs.  A well maintained 1.5 mile hike through the damp mossy forest revealed some stunning scenery that made me almost thankful it rains so much here (almost).

and:

and!

We got a bit cold and wet before we got there.

Just as the rain started falling, we arrived at our destination.  Bagby is like a haven in the woods.  A small cluster of cabins surround the pools, which are filtered into small carved out tubs, some individual, some private, and some public.

Here's the public soaking deck:

You can see the steam rising up into the tree tops as the rain falls gently on your forehead.  It's a little bit magic.

We didn't make it back into town until way after dark, maybe even past my bedtime, but it was well worth it.  I'm glad we fit the excursion in right before summer came skipping along.  Time to shed the layers and immerse ourselves in ice cold water.


So, as you may have noticed, when the times get tough (i.e. no sun for days), the tough get weak.  And what do the weak do?  They pig out on pastries.  Am I right?
Well, that's what I do. I really need to cut back on all this baking.  I'm starting to feel a little thick in the middle, if you catch my drift.  Luckily, the summer is no time for turning on ovens.  I think I'm moving on to ice cream making.  That's healthy, right?
Last week, during one of my more desperate moments, I pulled out my copy of Baking Illustrated.  This cookbook is a real gem, and let me tell you why.  Not only does it provide long winded explanations of the chemistry behind each baked good (for dorks like me), but, in the case of the classic chocolate chip cookie, you can choose to make them in whatever style befits you.  There's thin and crisp, or thick and chewy, with plenty of other variations available. Whatever your little cookie loving heart desires.
I chose thick and chewy:

Bon!  These are just delightful.  Fluffy, sweet and oh so neat. If I were to do it over again, I would add a touch more salt.  I love a good salty treat.

I'm looking forward to trying out some more recipes in this book.  I use it frequently at work as well.  Highly recommended.


My most recent baking venture came from betwixt the pages of the most recent Everyday Food magazine.  Yes, I'm a fan.  But you should be too. Just look:

Blueberry Swirl Pound Cake with Crumb Topping
Inspired by a recipe exactly like this one, I set off to create a pound cake that was even more decadent and delicious than Martha could ever imagine.  I added a crumbly topping.  I stirred up a simple mixture of melted butter, sugar and flour, found in this recipe, then gingerly sprinkled it over the batter, pre-baking.  I also used blueberries instead of the blackberries the recipe called for, and I mixed in about 2 teaspoons of lemon zest, for zing (omitting the vanilla).  Please do try this recipe.  Now that berries are in season, there's no excuse not to (unless your kitchen is 800 degrees.  Then I would stick with the ice cream).  Well, here's to happy baking, loves!


And I leave you with another treat, but of the musical variety.  Please enjoy more music by my talented friends:
Nick Jaina Band. Kay's Song.

Nick Jaina - Another Kay Song from Joshua Jay Elliott on Vimeo.


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