The blackberries are coming!

When I was born and up to the age of 8 years old I grew up in Olympia Washington. Back then it was much different then now. Yard Birds and Kmart were the only super stores I remember and now it's jammed with Targets and Walmarts on every corner. We lived on 5 acres with lots of room to play, a large garden tended by my mother and her friend who shared the bounty it produced, a few chickens, hazelnuts, strawberries, raspberries, and lots and lots of blackberries. Unlike the raspberries and strawberries the blackberries grew wild and I remember picking and filling 5 gallon buckets. My dad said I was the best blackberry picker in the world and silly me, I bought it and man did I pick a lot of berries. My mom canned almost everything out of our backyard and we had a cool dark pantry in the garage filled with everything you could imagine in large mason jars. Canning was just a part of my life growing up so it was only natural that it rubbed off on me a little.

The past few years I have been picking blackberries and canning jam. The first year I made a batch I was surprisingly successful, thank God or I would have been to discourage to attempt another batch the following year. I now get the jam jitters towards the end of July.
Steve and I will sometimes climb a logging road just outside of Cannon Beach Oregon around August. He of course is bear hunting and I'm busy picking blackberries. Steve basically hikes with a gun and honestly we have never seen a bear. We do however see a few signs of bear, especially around the blackberry bushes.

I was just gazing at our backyard this evening and to my surprise I noticed our blackberry bushes are starting to lose their blossoms and that tiny form of a green berry is popping through. I CAN'T WAIT!!!!

Saturday July 4, 2009

I have so many childhood memories linked to the July 4th. It was yet another excuse to get together as a family cook, eat, and celebrate. Our small little town would celebrate with a walking parade, a pancake feed at the Legion, and lots of lots of bonfires on the beach.

Due to some changing in the family dynamics, a few economic setbacks, and my brother and I both starting our own family we have slowly started to change up the 4th of July traditions.

The traditions are changing but the food and family is still there. Yesterday morning my husband woke up way early to go fishing for salmon in the ocean and I woke up much later to have an open house on one of my listing (selling real estate is just one of my many jobs). The conditions were perfect. Blue sky, lots of hustle and bustle, and almost no wind. Steve rolled home with a truck full of happy fisherman and each got their limit.

I managed to work a little and then finished icing some cupcakes I made for the 4th of July.

The recipe I used was a red velvet cake, cream cheese frosting and fresh blueberries.

Now, I had never made a red velvet cake before and honestly never looked at a recipe. All I remember was the movie Steel Magnolias with that red armadillo grooms cake. To my surprise it was so flavorful and rich. I made a simple cream cheese frosting and finished with a cluster of big plump blueberries.

Around dinner time I headed to my brothers where we made alder smoked, cedar planked salmon he caught earlier that morning. All in all it was a great day filled with family and food, just a little different but I guess it's part of life, creating new traditions.

Another summer night at the Honan's

Summer has arrived and man is it amazing this year. The coast in Oregon always has unpredictable weather and each summer that goes by is different then the last. Some summers are sunny and warm, some are sunny and chilly, or some are cloudy and rainy. This summer just happens to be nice and warm and sunny with a slight breeze to cool off the heat of the day. Keep in mind warm by Oregon coast standards are much cooler then what people might expect.

With all the sun and warmth and looooong nights Steve and I have been mountain bike riding on some of the logging roads close to our home. I enjoy climbing a hill and admiring the foxgloves and Steve is busy scouting for animals. We have gone twice in about a week and have had spotted two bucks and one bull with a bunch of cows. I love that Steve and I can share time doing something we love (mountain biking) and each gaining our own personal experience.

Our rides are so beautiful and at the top of the hills we climb Steve and I get to enjoy a panoramic view of the ocean and town below.

Aaahhhhhh Oregon.