Today's Photo: Onion Ring Tower

Today's Photo is of the golden onion ring tower from the Pelican Pub & Brewery on Cape Kiwanda Beach in Pacific City, OR, that was devoured by four friends in less than four minutes. Those onion rings were as delicious as they look, too. As you can see, Tom looks very happy about the whole situation. He was not as happy when a seagull decided to leave him a little present on his shoulder moments later...

The oceanview from our seats was spectacular, but clearly can be risky... Nevertheless, we enjoyed a tasty lunch, and I highly recommend the Kiwanda Cream Ale :)
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Today's Photo: Lost Boy Beach

Today's Photo is of my friend Kristin, over at The Pastry Affair, soaking in the rays at Lost Boy Beach. A few friends and myself are staying in Oceanside, Oregon for the week. Our house is beautiful and overlooks a beach cove. Climbing down a little trail for 10 minutes leads us to our own private beach. We are surrounded by green-covered walls, blue-grey water, and mystical sea spray. So forgive me for not posting for a few days, but the sunshine has been calling...
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Today's Photo: Flower in VanDusen Botanical Garden

Today's Photo is of a flower in VanDusen Botanical Garden in Vancouver, BC. I went to this beautiful 55-acre garden last week while visiting my boyfriend. Today, I can't just show you one photo. You need a taste of the rest of this place:

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Today's Photo: Meatball Sandwich from Salumi

Disclaimer: Today's Photo is for mature audiences only. Sumptuous, tantalizing, seductively messy, Today's Food Porn, I mean Photo, is the meatball sandwich from Salumi that I made love to, I mean ate, in Seattle. My friend Chau introduced me to this beauty the moment I arrived in the Emerald City, and oh, what a moment it was... The meatballs are the best that I've ever had, and it came with fresh mozzarella! Salumi is best known for its cured meats, especially its salami.  I also had a taste of the Muffo sandwich with the famous salami... If you love food and find yourself in Seattle, this is your place. Salumi is located at 309 3rd Ave S. and is only open Tuesday - Friday from 11:00 am - 4:00 pm.
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Today's Photo: Sea Otter at the Vancouver Aquarium

Today's Photo is of Milo, a sea otter at the Vancouver Aquarium in Stanley Park. During my visit, I saw not only Milo, but also dolphins, jellyfish, and beluga whales (impressive!). The sea otters, though, were by far the cutest of the bunch. Here are a few sea otter facts that I learned:

• Sea otters' fur is the thickest in the animal kingdom, so thick that their skin never actually gets wet.
• Sea otters eat about a third of their body weight every day (They have a high metabolic rate)!
• Sea otters were extinct in British Columbia due to the fur traders in the 1800s but some Alaskan sea otters were relocated to the Vancouver area and now there are about ~3000 in the area today.

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Today's Photo: Snoqualmie Falls

I'm going to try something new today (and almost everyday if I can stay on top of life/blogging this year): I'm going to post a recent photograph that I've taken, and a brief description of the subject matter, in an effort to improve my photography and let us get to know each other a little better...

My first "Today's Photo" is of Snoqualmie Falls, outside of Seattle, Washington.  My friend Chau and her friend Matt took me here yesterday after hiking the Little Si trail in Snoqualmie Valley.  Yes, it rains quite a lot in Seattle, but it's completely worth it for the beautiful greenery, dramatic skies and rainbows when the sun does decide to make an appearance!

(click to enlarge)

Stay tuned for tomorrow's photo from the Vancouver Aquarium...
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Cold Corn and Roasted Red Pepper Salad

With the 4th of July just past, there is no question that summer is here to stay, and summer means corn. What would summer be without corn on the cob? Answer: sad, very sad.

I was invited to a potluck over the weekend and needed to bring a side dish. My roommate had left me behind corn and peppers in the fridge before leaving to go home for a couple weeks, so I needed to get creative with these main mediums sitting on the second shelf, and hence this salad was born.

This cold corn and roasted pepper salad is a perfect pairing for grill fare or tacos. It's refreshing, due to the cider vinegar and lime combo, and crisp, due to the cold crunch of the corn. I love me some freshly cracked pepper so feel free to add less, or add a shot of tabasco for some heat.

All of the health experts are always saying to "eat your colors", so you've got your reds, yellows, and greens covered with a helping of this dish. You don't have to make this salad, but please promise me that you will at the very least have some corn this summer!

Cold Corn and Roasted Pepper Salad
yields 8 side servings

Ingredients:
3 ears of corn, shucked
1 large red pepper (I used 1/2 red and 1/2 yellow since that's what I had on hand)
1/2 cup diced green onion
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil
juice from 1/2 lime
1 teaspoon sea salt
2 teaspoons freshly cracked pepper

Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook corn with the lid covered for ~ 5 minutes. Meanwhile, roast the pepper (You can do this on the grill, but I cheated, since it was over 100 degrees outside, and just put the pepper on my stovetop gas burner, on low, rotating every few minutes). Let the pepper and corn cool.

Slice the corn kernels from the cob and dice the pepper and green onion. Toss the corn, roasted pepper, green onion, cider vinegar, olive oil, lime juice, sea salt, and pepper all together in a bowl. Chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour before serving.

Enjoy.
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