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  • DIY Tutorials,  Lunch,  Money Saving Tips,  Recipes,  Snacks

    Super Easy Fruit Leather

    August 20, 2014 / No Comments

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    Alyssa
  • Birthday,  Snacks

    Cowboy Cheese Crackers

    December 16, 2009 / No Comments

    The first time I made these was for my son’s cowboy birthday party. We loved them so much that we have made them again and again over the years. They taste great paired with a hot bowl of chili!

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    Alyssa
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Recent Posts

  • Don’t Miss a Visit to Vizcaya in Miami
  • A Visit to Stave and Stone Winery and Hood River Lavender Farms
  • Climb to the Top of Florida’s Tallest Lighthouse
  • A Visit to The Gorge White House in Hood River
  • Girls Weekend in Bingen, Washington
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When in Ashland be sure to stop into Noble Coffee When in Ashland be sure to stop into Noble Coffee Roasting for a delicious cup of coffee that's as tasty as it is pretty. As someone who was born and raised in Portland, I know I'm supposed to like Starbucks...but I don't. Pro Tip: For the best coffee shops, I always look for the ones who roast their own coffee beans. These shops know how to make a good cup of coffee every time! They're always well balanced and smooth and IMO on a whole other level than the chain coffee shops. Reasons to stop into Noble include: Slide 1: Beautiful latte art + bonus points for a custom branded espresso machine. Slide 2: Yummy pastries. Two thumbs up for their carrot bran muffin. Slide 3: Expertly crafted coffee + Expertly executed photo bombs Slide 4: Fresh, organic, handcrafted, award winning coffee awaits you through these doors. If you appreciate good coffee, you'll appreciate a stop in to the Noble coffeehouse. #noblecoffeeroasting #ashlandoregon #coffeelover #coffeemugshot #latteart #butfirstcoffee #pnwcoffeeroasters #oregoncoffeeroasters #ilikeyoualatte #noblecoffeehouse #coffeesnob #oregoncoffeeshops #roadtripsandshenanigans
Last month we drove five hours to Ashland to atten Last month we drove five hours to Ashland to attend the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. This festival is the longest-running Shakespeare Festival in North America. I've been wanting to go for such a long time, but have been holding out to see my very favorite play, "Much Ado about Nothing." I love the sense of humor and the sarcasm written into this story using old phrasing and unfamiliar terms, yet you still know exactly what they mean. The witty banter transcends through generations and even though I've seen it dozens of times, it makes me laugh every time. This past spring when I checked the line-up and Much Ado was listed, I started making plans to go! We both LOVED the film adaptation from 1993 (featuring Emma Thompson, Kenneth Branaugh, Denzel Washington, Keanu Reeves, Michael Keaton and Kate Beckinsdale), so the bar was set pretty high. After watching the show I have to say the performance far exceeded our expectations. The actors were all fantastic. With the addition of musical numbers, the performers really got to show off their amazing voices. We were both blown away by the lead actress playing Beatrice and how versatile and crazy talented she is. So thankful to finally check this off my bucket list! Things to know about attending the Oregon Shakespeare Festival • Every seat at the Allen Elizabethan Theatre is a great seat. I was worried, having never been there, but it's small enough that no matter where you sit you will have a great view of the stage. • You will be outside (at the Allen Elizabethan Theatre), so plan to bring a sweater or blanket to keep warm. I wore a sweater dress and by the end my legs were getting cold. • This event is pretty casual. I envisioned patrons coming dressed up in Renaissance clothing, but most people wore jeans and sweatshirts or sweaters. • Photography is not allowed during the performances nor is outside food/drinks. #shakespearefilmfestival #oregonshakespearefestival #muchadoaboutnothing #shakespeare #ashlandoregon #oregonexplored #thatoregonlife #ernstopiablog #roadtripsandshenanigans
Today I was invited to a garden party hosted by @e Today I was invited to a garden party hosted by @eaglenestacres. We enjoyed a delicious harvest lunch followed by a garden tour, then we each got to pick out a pumpkin to decorate with flowers. The sun was nice and warm and we all had the best time hanging out together! #eaglenestacres #eaglenestacresgardenparty #sunsoutfunsout #gardenparty #harvestparty #sisterhood #thesearethegooddays #fallvibes #flowergarden #garden tour #oregonfall
Good Morning and Happy Monday from one of my favor Good Morning and Happy Monday from one of my favorite coffee shops @kainos.coffee. They just opened up last month in Gresham right by our gym! Their location in The Dalles closed up, but yay for us, now they're closer! This mug features an Ube latte (Dan's order). I ordered my favorite bourbon maple, not pictured. Definitely stop in if you're local! (They also have a location on Foster) #coffeetime #coffeeshop #coffeehouse #mugmonday #ube #ubelatte #latteart #instalove #butfirstcoffee #coffeelover #oregoncoffee #coffeeroasters
There comes a time in everyone's life where you co There comes a time in everyone's life where you come to a fork in the road. Sometimes it's an actual fork in the road! Follow me for more inspirational quotes! #forkintheroad #roadsideamerica #roadsideattractions #roadsideoregon #lifequotes #wordstoliveby #roadtripsandshenanigans #travelblogger #travel #thingsweseealongtheway #roadtrippin #ernstopiablog #thatoregonlife
The Sipsters have loved all the time spent in Hood The Sipsters have loved all the time spent in Hood River and our trip to Stave and Stone was no exception. If you've ever been there you know that right next door is Hood River Lavender Farm, so we planned to visit in July so we could enjoy the lavender before our wine tasting. I was excited for a return visit to Stave and Stone Winery, specifically because I love their small bite pairings. Reminds me of little tapas (wine tapas? 😄) I chose the “Legacy Flight” option for $35 which includes a wine flight with six pours and six pairings. My top pick was the Chardonnay and you can read all about our experience on my Ernstopia blog. Slide 1: Red wine + Mt Adams + pinot gris grapes on the vine. Slide 2: The Sipsters at Stave & Stone Slide 3: Baked brie topped with fig jam and walnuts (yes please!) Slide 4: Charcutery Slide 5: Artichoke Dip Slide 6: Wine Infused Truffles Slide 7: Totally normal Sipster behavior Slide 8: Beautiful lavender fields Slide 9: Moi at Mt Hood Lavender Slide 10: Lavender Ice Cream #staveandstonewinery #thatoregonlife #oregonwines #hoodrivervalley #hoodriverwineries #sipsters #winetasting #Winery #wine #sisterhood #pacificnorthwest #oregongrown #lavenderfarms #mthoodlavenderfarm #lavenderlover #charcuterie #charcuterieboard #brie #wineandcheese #winetapas #wineandchocolatepairing #winepairing
The Sipsters' visit to Mt Hood Lavender + a wine t The Sipsters' visit to Mt Hood Lavender + a wine tasting @staveandstone Winery was a highlight of my summer! Here's a look at our day! More details including the run down on the wine flight can be found on the Ernstopia blog. Link in profile #staveandstonewinery #thatoregonlife #oregonwines #hoodrivervalley #hoodriverwineries #sipsters #winetasting #Winery #wine #sisterhood #pacificnorthwest #oregongrown #lavenderfarms #mthoodlavenderfarm #lavenderlover #charcuterie #charcuterieboard #brie #wineandcheese #wineandchocolatepairing #winepairing
That's a wrap! This concludes our first internatio That's a wrap! This concludes our first international walking retreat to Victoria, British Columbia! Loved making fun memories with all these amigas! Can't wait to see them again this Friday for our next walk! ❤️
At 25,572 square feet, the Craigdarroch Castle has At 25,572 square feet, the Craigdarroch Castle has so much to see! Constructed from 1887-1890, this historic castle has several turrets, seventeen fireplaces and seven chimneys. The owner, Robert Dunsmuir, a coal baron and the wealthiest man in BC, died before it was completed. It was used as a military hospital in WWI and also a college. The woodwork, stained glasswork and all the other custom finished is just stunning! #craigdarrochcastle #castle #victoriacastle #victoria #portlandcitywalkers #roadtripsandshenanigans #victorianarchitecture #turret #architecture #architecturelovers #historichomesofcanada #historichomes #historichomesofvictoria
Our visit to the Victoria Butterfly Gardens was a Our visit to the Victoria Butterfly Gardens was a fun challenge for me to try and photograph as many different types of butterflies as I could. As you might expect, they don't hold still for long. I'm not sure what is happening on slide # 5, but I have a pretty good idea! Bow-chicka-wow wow!! The blue winged butterfly was the most difficult...mostly because I didn't realize that when it's wings are closed it's actually brown! The blue color was on the top/inside and whenever they would rest, they closed up their wings showing the brown side! I finally got one when it was feeding. Besides butterflies, this attraction also had turtles, a flamingo, parrots, and other birds. Definitely worth a stop. #butterflies #butterflygarden #victoriabutterflygardens #naturephotography #victoriaexplored #victoriabc #portlandcitywalkers #walkingretreat #insectsphotography #insects #butterflyphotography #butterflywings #canada #canadiaroadtrip #roadtripsandshenanigans
An afternoon in Cascade Locks, Oregon. Here's a qu An afternoon in Cascade Locks, Oregon. Here's a quick recap of our walk on the Historic Columbia Gorge Trail from Eagle Creek to Cascade Locks. We passed by the Bridge of the Gods and kept walking to Gorge Beer Co. For lunch. Then we walked across the street to Eastwind Drive-In for their legendary ice cream cones! 👣 7.3 miles and 16,000 steps #columbiarivergorge #cascadelocks #gorgebeer #pnwisbest #pnwtrails #bridgeofthegods #eastwinddrivein #icecreamtime #conelicker #thatoregonlife #roadtripsandshenanigans #oregongirl #oregonexplored #stepcount #optoutside.
Is my 70-200 m lens heavy? Oh yes. Was it worth th Is my 70-200 m lens heavy? Oh yes. Was it worth the back pain from carrying around such a heavy lens to get the most buttery soft bokeh images of flowers at Butchart Gardens? Yes, yes, YES! The dahlias were in full bloom at Butchart Gardens and the bees were buzzing around doing all their usual bee shenanigans. Here are a few of my favorites!
We spent our second day wandering around Butchart We spent our second day wandering around Butchart Gardens. Several ladies in our group are avid gardeners so of course they were in flower garden Heaven. I bounced around solo taking hundreds of flower photos! It was kind of weird at first being by myself, but it allowed me to slow down and take the shots I wanted rather than trying to keep up.
Afternoon Tea at the Empress is easily the most ic Afternoon Tea at the Empress is easily the most iconic place to have tea in the entire Pacific Northwest. Visitors have been coming to the Empress for afternoon tea since 1908, a tradition well over 100 years old. My very first high tea was in fact at the Empress in the late 90s, so it was extra special getting to experience high tea again with the Sisterhood. Slide 1: Layered pistachio cake was one of the desserts we enjoyed from our tiered tea tray. Slide 2: Pinkies up! Cheers to a great trip to Victoria! Slide 3: Our server was so kind and took great group photos. Here we are after the tea trays were delivered. Slide 4: This is the tea menu. We chose five different teas to try: • Empress Blend • Orange Vanilla • Earl Grey • Chai • Blue Suede Shoes I tried the first 4 and my favorites were the Empress Blend and the Orange Vanilla. Slide 5: Tea steeping in the teapot Slide 6: My first cup was the Empress Blend. I went back for more after trying the others...so good! Slide 7: I take my tea with a little milk and sugar please! Slide 8: Scones, tea sandwiches and desserts. They're little, but very filling. My favorite tea sandwich was the Coronation Chicken Salad Sandwich, but enjoyed all of them! My favorite dessert was a lavender shortbread. Second favorite was the pear macaron with salted caramel inside. This was macaron perfection! Slide 9: Sparkling Rosé...because why not?!! Slide 10: Are you really drinking wine and cocktails if you don't get this shot? Not likely! Cheers! **Other bougie places to have high tea on the west coast include The Palace Hotel in San Francisco and The Olympic Hotel in Seattle. Highly recommend! #teaattheempress #pinkiesup #hightea #afternoontea #empresshotel #pacificnorthwest #victoria #victoriabc #teatime #sisterhood #portlandcitywalkers #roadtripsandshenanigans #royalretreat #walkingretreat #friendshipgoals #sipsiphooray #treatyourself #treatyoself #sofancy
One of the highlights of my trip to Victoria was a One of the highlights of my trip to Victoria was afternoon tea at the Empress with these amazing women that we lovingly refer to as the Sisterhood. All beautiful, kind, God loving women who have each others backs no matter what life brings our way. (While we were at tea, the other half of our group went on a horse drawn carriage ride!!) #sisterhood #teaattheempress #theempress #portlandcitywalkers #roadtripsandshenanigans #afternoontea #pinkiesup #teatime #alldressedup #instagood #friendshipgoals
The Empress is the crown jewel of Victoria, but di The Empress is the crown jewel of Victoria, but did you know it was almost demolished in the 60s? Thanks to Operation TeaCup the famous landmark was saved and a $4 million renovation ensued, preserving its place along the harbor for years to come. Initially the hotel was built from 1904 to 1908 and served passengers arriving to Victoria on Canadian Pacific's steamship line. The hotel served business travelers as well as royals such as King George VI and Queen Elizabeth. #theempress #empresshotel #fairmontempress #teaattheempress #edwardianarchitecture #château #chateau #hoteldesign #famoushotels #landmarkhotel #landmarkhotelvictoria #victoriabc #canadianroadtrip #victoriaexplored #Victoriabc #roadtripsandshenanigans
Murchie's is known for their amazing tea. In fact Murchie's is known for their amazing tea. In fact the last time i was in Victoria I purchased their Empress blend in the gift shop after having tea at the Empress...Then I bought even more tea at the Murchie's store (it's that good!) However, this time when I popped into Murchie's there was no Empress blend. So I did a little digging and now I'm gonna spill the tea. Many years ago the Empress was bought out by Fairmont Hotels, but more recently Fairmont joined forces with an American company called Colony Capitol. So now the Empress is half Canadian owned and half US owned. It was after this they decided that rather than spend the money on a custom blend from a high end tea company like Murchie's, they were going to find a similar blend elsewhere. To rub more salt in their wound, Murchie's was no longer allowed to use the Empress name in their Empress blend which they made famous. Luckily you can still buy the "Empress blend," but it's now called Murchie's Afternoon blend! Of course I brought back some tea as a souvenir (black currant tea, two kinds of chai and lavender tea)! So there's the scoop!! P.S. How cute is my new mug!! I think It's perfection! #themoreyouknow #spillthetea #spilltheteasis #backstory #mugaddict #mugcollector #souvenirmug #murchiestea #prettyinpink #pinkandgold #victoriabc #roadtripsandshenanigans #tealover #burfirsttea #teatime
A group of us had dim sum for lunch. We tried quit A group of us had dim sum for lunch. We tried quite a few things that I've never had before. I'm not even going to try and pretend that I remember all the things we tried because I could barely understand what they were at the restaurant. Slide 1: I liked the sesame shrimp thingies (balls?). Nothing crazy, more of a mild shrimp flavor. Slide 2-3: Dumpling/Potsticker thingies. The pork meatball thingies were good and I don't think I tried the dumplings. We were sharing and there wasn't enough to go around, but I'd try these again. Slide 4: I did like the wontons and spring rolls, but I always like those, so no surprise there. Slide 5: The daikon square thingies were pretty neutral for me, but the texture was kinda gelatinous which was off putting to some. It was just okay for me. Slide 6: The clear winner were the egg pudding/custard thingies. Like most everything else, they were light on flavor, but had a nice buttery taste that everyone liked. Slide 7: These pastry thingies had some kind of filling that I can't remember what it was. Not really sweet, but it reminded me of bean paste from other Chinese desserts I've tried before. Overall it was fun to try something new. Since I have no prior experience eating dim sum , I'd like to try it again in PDX so I can compare the two.
Chinatown in Victoria is a National Historic Site Chinatown in Victoria is a National Historic Site and is the oldest surviving Chinatown in Canada. At one time it had the largest Chinese population in Canada. Our visit to Chinatown included a walk past The Gate of Harmonious Interest (built in the 1980s), Dim Sum for lunch, a quick stop in the Chinese Canadian Museum and a walk down Fan Tan Alley. At just under 3 feet wide at its smallest point, Fan Tan Alley is the narrowest commercial street in North America. We happened to be there on a fairly warm day so I was more than happy to find a nice fan to buy in Fan Tan Alley! I loved it all, especially the decorative lanterns everywhere. I also really enjoyed the Chinese Canadian Museum. We had to leave quickly before we saw everything, but I learned so much fascinating history of the Chinese people who came to Canada. Did you know in 1923, Canada prohibited Chinese from immigrating into Canada? What this meant for those Chinese men who were here working on the rail road was total separation from their family for over 20 years. An entire generation was separated and many didn't not even get to meet their children until they were all grown up, into their 20s. Woah! I wish I could have stayed longer, but I look forward to going back some day. #fantanalley #fantanalleyvictoria #victoriaexplored #chinatownvictoria #victoriachinatown #canadatrip #roadtripsandshenanigans #portlandcitywalkers
The first stop on our walking tour of Victoria, BC The first stop on our walking tour of Victoria, BC was the Parliament building. I love Baroque Renaissance architecture and was so excited to see the inside of this gorgeous building. The British Columbia Parliament Buildings began construction in 1893 and was completed in 1897. The murals in the rotunda weren't completed until 1935. Everything was so ornately carved with gold accents throughout. Columns and pillars and domes and carvings and stained glass. It was truly stunning. I'm already scheming to go back and get more close up detail shots of exterior of this building. #portlandcitywalkers #walkingretreat #Victoriawalkingretreat #victoriabc #victoriaexplored #roadtripsandshenenigans #sisterhood #canadatrip #parliamentvictoria #neobaroquearchitecture
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