EPISODE #116 -
SATURDAY JUNE 23, 2012
The summer is beginning now!
We hope you have all your spring projects done. Actually we have found
that projects don’t ever end, they just transition. As a home owner we
always seem to have a project on the back burner. This last week we had
guests visiting and as we were getting the house ready for them we
noticed a few more projects to add to our list. Even though the calendar
says we are in summer the rain and cool weather will still be with us
for awhile. Enjoy it while you can and take a break from your projects,
you know you deserve it.
Indoor Iron
Furnishings
We have visited
Grand Valley Ornamental Iron (503-981-6923) before to see their
great line of trellis’s and arbors. This time we stopped by to check out
their selection of indoor iron furnishings and accessories. Jan joined
David to show us just a few of the different things made of iron to
complement your home. Iron has been used for centuries for inside the
home. Tables, chairs and large decorative pieces are what we usually
think of when it comes to indoor applications. These days the look and
durability of iron comes in all shapes and sizes. Wall hangings, towel
bars and even wine racks are just part of the new wave of decorations
that can be made out of iron. Plus iron can fit into any décor, not just
rustic or western themes. It can be very ornate or sleek depending upon
your design. Iron can also be paired with glass, pottery, and even
candles to compliment your existing décor. Grande Valley has worked with
lots of local artist too to incorporate different materials into their
designs. One thing that Grande Valley also prides itself on is that they
will custom make anything. You just bring in your measurements and your
idea and they will make it. If you are looking for a unique iron table
and chairs, or even something smaller, stop by and check them out. They
are located on Highway 99W between Aurora and Hubbard.
Port
Cocktails #2
Summer is here and it is time
for entertaining outside. This week we return to the
Rum Club in south
east Portland to talk once again to chat with Lorenzo Bakewell-Stone
from the Port industry in Portugal. He was in town to promote the use of
port in drinks and he had a few more refreshing summer cocktails to
share with Robin. The port industry is seeing a resurgence as younger
drinkers are enjoying port in all sorts of new combinations. Port is a
fortified wine. That is a wine that has a grape spirit added to give it
more flavor and more alcohol. The first cocktail was made with a dry
white port called Siroco. Lorenzo used this to make a port tonic. In a
cocktail glass he added ice and crushed mint to a mixture of equal parts
of the port and tonic water. Very light and dry, perfect for a hot
summer night.
Summer
Mission Chips
Recently Mission Foods
introduced a new line of organic chips. These chips come in 3 different
styles including White Corn, Blue Corn and Multi-grain. The other thing
that peaked our interest in these chips is that they are produced in
McMinnville. They are delicious! But we figured the best way to try them
was with a few new summer time recipes. We found someone who had some
great recipes to go along with these great chips. Peter Calley from
Hipcooks
(503-281-0614) joined Robin in the kitchen to show us some quick and
easy recipes for the chip. The first recipe was a shrimp and scallop
ceviche. A ceviche is a dish that uses the chemical reaction of lime
juice to ‘cook’ the shrimp and scallops. You use 6 of each and let them
soak in the juice. After about 20 minutes in the lime juice you are
ready to go. Add them to a bowl and then stir in chopped serrano chilis,
green onions, red onions, add a dash of grated ginger. Stir it a little
and then add chopped red and yellow peppers, and diced mango. It was
dressed with a chiffonade of basil (long thin strips). Once stirred it
was placed on the Multi-grain tortilla chips.
The final recipe was a summer
gazpacho. This was served in an English cucumber cup. Little cups made
out of cucumbers! The gazpacho was poured in the cup and the White Corn
Tortilla chip. It was so cute! At Hipcooks they also use these ‘cups’ to
serve margarita shots!
We really loved the Hipcooks
kitchen. Hipcooks provides hands-on cooking classes for the novice and
seasoned cook alike. Measuring implements are banned, tasting is
encouraged, and your inner chef is invited to play. The best part? Every
class ends with a dinner party! If you are interested in trying a
cooking class at Hipcooks you can check out the full list of classes on
their website. The Mission organic tortilla chips can be found at Fred
Meyer, QFC, Safeway and Hagans. You have to try them!
Patio
Covers
Putting a cover over your
deck or patio can be tough because of all the choice in materials. To
help sort through all those choices we stopped by
Parr Lumber
(866-214-7277) and talked to Amber. Patio covers are great because they
extend the season and allow you to be outdoors even if the weather is
not the best. It is also good for protecting your investment in your
deck and the outdoor furniture that you own. She pulled out a bunch of
samples to show us all the different styles and also to talk about the
advantages of each material. We started with metal covers. They are the
longest lasting material that you can use and the most durable, but it
doesn’t let any light through. Next we looked at fiberglass. Old
fiberglass was known for turning yellow and cracking over time. New
formulas have improved the performance and you don’t have those issues
anymore, and it will let the light onto your deck. It is also one of the
cheapest materials you can buy. Next we looked at PVC options. PVC is a
type of plastic and it is great for letting light through to your deck
or patio. It is very durable and will last a long time. Finally we
looked at polycarbonate, which is one of the newest materials on the
market. It can let up to 90 percent of the light through and is very
durable. It is more ridged than a PVC and can handle tough loads
including snow. Most of the materials can be installed with screws that
have weather proof washers on them. You will also want to use ‘wiggle
molds’. These are pieces that help secure your cover and keep wind from
getting under the cover and they make the cover more ridged. If you are
thinking about installing a patio cover, stop by and see the experts at
Parr. They make it so easy you can do the whole project in one weekend!
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