Taxation without......other people paying their share?

Here's an email I received from a woman here in Portland who is heavily involved in sticking her nose into the goings on of other people:

Good Afternoon Senator Peter Courtney and Representative Karen Minnis:

Like me, it is my understanding that the two of you also pay state taxes into the general fund; and the net dollar on our paychecks is not so surprisingly smaller do mainly to those who abuse alcoholic products.

Did you know that Oregon's beer tax has been frozen at less than a penny per drink since 1977? I truly believe it is time the beer industry pays its fair share of the social and economic cost of its product. Their alternative "ice" malt products are hold fruit flavors with vodka? Hard liquor products are sold in OLCC outlets, why not this one? Because if it were sold in OLCC outlets, Oregon's general fund would earn more than the current 3/4 penny. We would get 4 cents per 12-ounce container. For every bottle sold we lose 3 1/4 penny and out of state breweries laugh all the way to their bank(s). There is something wrong with this picture.

Remember $900 million of your state dollars are paid into human services each year because of alcohol and other drug problems...must recently meth. Raising Oregon's frozen 1977 beer tax from 3/4 penny per 12-ounce container to a dime could provide more than $80 million a year in targeted funds for substance abuse, prevention, treatment and recovery, and law enforcement programs. The young people I talk with when standing in line at Fred Meyers report they don't care if the beer tax is twenty-five cents, they will continue to drink beer. Did you know that Oregon ranks #50 in the lowest beer tax?

Blessings,

mas
503.236.**** (edited to protect the idiot)

Those individuals receiving a BCC: ...please stay tuned and keep the pressure going on Senator Peter Courtney and Representative Karen Minnis to support Senate Bill 1049. Fax as many letters as possible to them in support of the 10 cent a drink county authorization.

Thank you.

I haven't substantiated any of her 'facts', but Oregon ranks #50 with respect to the lowest beer tax? Hey...GREAT!!!!! LET'S KEEP IT THAT WAY!!!!

And what a shitty argument. If she wants the beer industry to pay "its fair share of the social and economic cost of its product", then why suggest penalizing (read: taxing) the portion of the public that drinks that product. Why? Probably because that's the easiest route for the politicians to take. I can't wait for her response.

Giving them the bird

Ken had a softball game last night. He was playing 'rover' between shortstop and outfield when the ball popped up and hit him square in the middle finger of his right hand. He heard a "tssssp" and the fingernail became immediately bloody and a bruise formed around the first joint within a half hour. Apparently this whole scene happened once before when he fractured his fingertip, so it looks like he has a repeat performance. He took 4 advil last night and wrapped his finger in the splint he had from the last time he did this. The swelling has gone down quite a bit, but it's still hurts.

His main concern? Figuring out how to play Ultimate on friday.

DNA Sesame Street

I'm learning how to make DNA this week. Vectors. Restriction Enzymes. Basepairs.

Huh?

I don't have any experience in this and I'm really learning it all for the first time. I feel like a 4 year old learning how to pronounce words. Seriously. This is the step-by-step explanation I required today:

I'm chosing words to make this concept easier. For you molecular folk, just switch out the words for basepairs:

Take the two words
LIMELIGHT______HOUSEDRESS

Each can be specially cut into two parts each
LIME/LIGHT______HOUSE/DRESS

you can separate those two parts and pair them with a complimentary part of another word
__
LIME/_________+___________ /DRESS
&
____/LIGHT____+_____ HOUSE/

which will give you
LIME/DRESS and HOUSE/LIGHT

(note: you can't have /DRESSLIME/ or /LIGHTHOUSE/ or LIME/HOUSE/ or /LIGHT/DRESS because the words don't fit together that way -- imagine a puzzle piece having a sticking-out piece or a space for the sticking-out piece... you can't put them together if they both have sticking-out ends. )

Got it?

If so, congratulations; you just learned the basic concept behind restriction enzymes and putting together compatible cohesive ends of DNA.

Chocolate Heaven

Saturday night was chocolate time. I dried a bunch of strawberries and raspberries that I picked from Sauvie Island about a month ago ($1/lb). I got the molds from the Decorette Shop this weekend ($1.99 ea) and picked up the 70% dark chocolate from Trader Joe's at $3.49/lb. Not bad at all.

Cut up the 1.5 lbs of chocolate into tiny pieces with an 8" chef knife and melted it over a double boiler until smooth, then allowed it to cool such that a drop of chocolate touched to your bottom lip feels just warmer than room temperature, but not by much. I thought that this was tempering, but I just read that I missed the last reheating step. Oh well.

Made three kinds: one dark chocolate with dried strawberry pieces. Inspired by Cocoa Pete's version of the same flavor. One dark chocolate with dried raspberries. And a batch of peanut butter cups. As for the fillings, here's how I made them:

Strawberries: Pick strawberries and remove the cap. Slice thinly and place on food dehydrator at 155 degrees until dry, around 6 hours. Before adding to chocolate, use scissors to cut into small pieces before mixing with chocolate. think I used 1/3 c strawberries with 3/4 c chocolate (approx, but would use more strawberries in retrospect).
Raspberries: Pick and place whole on dehydrator overnight at 155 degrees. They will retain their shape and be very crisp. Crush with fingers into smaller pieces before mixing with the chocolate. (used 1/2 cup raspberries with 1 cup chocolate)
Peanut Butter Filling: Mixed 1 cup of chuncky peanut butter with 1 cup smooth peanut butter. Add 1 3/4 cup confectioner's sugar and about 1/8 cup melted butter. Mix well.

When the chocolate was cool to the lip, I tried two different ways:
1. brushed the molds with a paintbrush dipped in chocolate. (For the peanut butter cups, I did two layers on the bottom and sides, allowing the chocolate to cool in the fridge briefly between layers.) Added the appropriate filling on top.
2. Didn't brush the molds with chocolate but just added the filling directly to each cup, using a spatula to move it between molds. wanted to see if the time-consuming painting was needed.

In both cases, I "banged" the chocolate-filled molds on the counter a couple of times to dislodge air bubbles. Then I let the chocolates sit out on the counter overnight to harden. As for the peanut butter cups, I used my fingers to press the peanut butter mixture into the molds then topped it with chocolate. Pretty easy. I had leftover peanut butter filling that I rolled into balls and then dipped into chocolate using a fork. I think this was the easiest of all the candies -- probably best bang for the buck if you want to make peanut butter cups without the hassle.

To clean up, I heated up some milk and dissolved the last remnants of chocolate stuck to the bowls for my mocha the next morning. By the next morniing, all the candies had set up. The small chocolates popped right out. The ones I brushed had a bit of bloom on them (probably from not allowing them to cool down enough when I brushed -- I got excited). The ones that I poured directly were totally fine and looked better than their brushed counterparts. All tasted identical though, suggesting that it was probably a fat bloom rather than water bloom.

Most peanut butter cups came out of their molds fine, although others broke in half which drove me crazy. I think I'll use paper cups in each of the molds next time so my return rate will be higher. Nothing like spending all that time to get only half your product.

I tasted one of each and I was impresed how good they were. The strawberry ones needed more strawberries (and cut into smaller pieces). The raspberry ones were bright and flavorful and dead on. The peanut butter cups were very good as well, although the balls were much easier and I would make those instead next time... especially for a dessert party or something. Overall, everything was really easy but messy. I think I'll definitely make the raspberry ones again. Or maybe try my hand at filling them with some sort of ganache or caramel. I think my dream would be to use the cajeta from Mexico since it is so creamy and has such a great flavor. Mmmmm cajeta chocolates. Mmmmmmmm. Too bad I didn't ask Marsha and Brian to send me some cajeta since they were down there this past weekend. Nuts.

Next time.

Dessert Weekend

The entire weekend revolved around sweets. Friday we went on a bike ride down to Pix Patisserie for dessert fun. The ride was much shorter than I expected it to be. We locked our bikes up and sat at the counter after looking at all the sweets in the glass case. Ken quickly decided and ordered:

Big Cheryl's "Ghetto" Cake ~ A dense, moist cake with a touch of orange and rum, and filled with pastry cream and mixed berries. There's nothing "ghetto" about it except for the bad pronunciation of the French word "gâteau!"

Probably no surprise to anyone, it took me a lot longer to decide. I opted for two little things rather than one big one. I chose the cream puff, a delicate pastry filled with rich vanilla creme anglaise that was then dipped in dark chocolate. Yum. Ken ordered a glass of Taylor Fladgate 10 yr Tawny Port, which we shared and was incredible. I loved it so much that after we finished it, I picked a piece of chocolate in an attempt to taste that flavor again.

Ambrosia ~ Rosemary ganache and a port deduction nestle together in an octagon chocolate shell

But there was no comparison to that glass of port, which was amazing. I loved the creme puff and Ken loved his dessert, but the star of the evening was that simple little glass of port.

On Saturday, we met Adam & Emily at the REI tent sale and then went for breakfast at Manzana's, a place in the Pearl District where you can sit under umbrellas at tables on the sidewalk... watching people walk by while you drink bottomless mimosas for $5.50. Wow, what happy happy news. My breakfast consisted of a belgian waffle with fresh strawberries, blueberries, whipped cream and warmed maple syrup ($7.95) and a bejillion mimosas ($5.50). Ken's breakfast was also amazing -- probably one of the best omelettes I've ever tasted... chipotle chicken with avocado, monterey jack cheese and a whole bunch of great veggies ($8.50). Yum. Rachel would have loved it. Apparently this place is under the radar since they don't really advertise themselves as having weekend breakfasts... even this citysearch link doesn't show it. Nor does it say anywhere on the menu that their mimosas are bottomless. I guess this place and its secrets are just one of those little gems you just have to know about.

After breakfast, I went to the Decorette Shop to pick up those chocolate molds. They said via email that their selection was bigger than the 13 that they show on the website. What they didn't say over email was that the chocolate and candy molds took up the entire 2nd floor. They had squares, leaves, dinosaurs, dolphins... even molds that read "Iowa - The Wheat State" or something like that. Huh? I picked out 6 different types and bought 2 of each, some paint brushes for chocolate use, as well as two cookie cutters: a mini ice cream cone and a small easter chick. Wow. I went home and started tempering the 1.5 lbs of 70% dark chocolate I bought at trader joes for 3.49/lb. (I'll post on the chocolate making next, but suffice it to say I made a bunch).

Sunday I drank a giant rich mocha from the leftover chocolate the night before, packed up the little morsels and took them to our work barbecue held at Cameron Winery. What fun! I love their giovanni white wine, which I sipped as I got to taste all sorts of great food... grilled zucchini, smoked salmon, marinated lamb (made by the lady who used to own viande meats), greek salads, and desserts. Lots of desserts. The chocolate chip cookie bars were my favorite although I was happy to see my chocolates vanished in no time and got rave reviews. We left the barbecue and then went to Adam & Emily's for dessert -- she made a blackberry tart wrapped in puff pastry -- which I learned was super easy and sooooo good. Mom, I'll have to make one with peaches when I come home. Wow.

And so our dessert weekend came to an end. Sugar coma and all.

The Bitter End

Last night we went to the ball game. Ken agreed to meet me for a drink first, so I picked this little spot right next to the ball park. Cute little courtyard similar to the place across from the convention center in Tucson. I rode my bike down from work and found a back way that popped me over a hill, saving me at least 15 min. Had a hefeweizen on tap and then met Adam & Emily. Paid the $12 each for the good seats (turned out to be a waste; the $7 general admission would have been more than sufficient. Brian's right; the stadium is beautiful. Kind of like a mini-major league stadium in the heart of downtown. Each got a microbeer ($7 -- ugh -- but they do have thirsty thursdays each thursday when domestics are $2 and microbrews are $3.50.) Will definitely have to go back then. We each grabbed some food too... was taco tuesday (tacos were $1 each), but Ken grabbed a cheeseburger, emily had a burger, Adam had a bratwurst with kraut & I had a hotdog. Game was good; the beavers ended up winning 2-0.

After the game, we went across the street to another bar called the Bitter End. Ken ordered a porter and when he went for his wallet, he realized he left his card & tab open at the ballpark. He ran back over to learn they gave his card away. Apparently, the waitress called "Kenneth" and someone said "that's me". Oops. They gave him a $20 bar credit next time he came in, but Ken was in frenzy mode running back to us to get the phone number off of my card to cancel his card. Crazy. Last charge was for $8.40 at the ballpark... strange since both Ken & I got a beer but nothing else. No more than 5 minutes later, we got a call at the bar from the ballpark saying the card was found and had 'mysteriously reappeared under suspicious circumstances'. A girl walked the card over to us and told us how they've had some problems with that waitress, etc., etc. Adam figured out that the $1.40 was a 20% tip on Ken's beer; strange since the person who signed the bill didn't take the card AND the back of Ken's card says 'ask for ID'. Both seem odd. Ken's tempted to ask for a carbon copy of the receipt just out of curiousity; don't know if he will. So his new card comes in 4 days at which time he can change ALL of his online billing info. He's mighty happy about all this. So we had a great time at the game, but I suppose that the Bitter End turned out to be just that.

Hotdogs & Beavers

Ken and I are going to our first Portland baseball game tonight to see the Beavers play Sacramento. Game starts at 7:05. I'll ride down after work and meet Ken there. We also invited Adam & Emily, the couple from Ken's softball team with whom I saw Charlie & the Chocolate factory last weekend.

I'm excited for the game; I'm wearing my favorite baseball shirt and everything. I became quite fond of minor leaque games in Tucson. It's so fun to sit in a not-so-packed ballpark... you get great seats, can drink beer, & eat hotdogs while watching the game. I'm curious how this ballpark will compare to the one in Tucson. It has at least a couple things going for it so far -- 1.) Location: it's one short busride away from our house (so we don't have to drive) and I can get there directly from work by bike or bus. 2.) It's a high of 84 today

Portland International Beer Festival

Volunteering was a blast. More about it here.

I Love Portand, part food

Portland has a sneaky little way of making you love it. Before we moved here, I was scared of the dreariness and constant rain. I was advised by a friend of ours who grew up here to get a place with a front porch. Thanks B, you were so right because sitting on the porch when it's raining feels so luxurious -- whether you have a book, a glass of wine or a cup of coffee.

Then comes spring and the insane planting season. Hardiness zone 6 allows me to plant almost anything. 75-85 degree summers (although it's 90 today) means our windows are open to the breeze and have been since March.

Now the weather and gardening is all fine and good, but it's the other little tricks of Portland that get you. That everyone has style. Not J Crew style, but that people have all sorts of piercings/tatoos, hair color, clothes, etc. It's pretty much impossible to walk out of the house and have people look at you funny. You can wear or do anything without people giving it a second thought. Then it's the options of things to do. If you're a cultural person, outdoorsy, crafty, foodie, etc. -- this place has it all.

But I write this post because Portland just got me again.

After the whole chocolate thing this past weekend, I got inspired to try my hand at recreating Pete's strawberry & dark chocolate creation. When Taryn & Paul were here, we picked the strawberries that I sliced and dried in the dehydrator. I bought two pounds of 70% dark chocolate last night and was wondering where to find the chocolate molds. I asked the folks at Pix and they recommended the Decorette Shop.

Since it was 8pm and the shop was likely closed, I came home and looked them up online to find Kristen Nelson's little slice of heaven. A whole store devoted to food crafts. Chocolate molds, cake pans, icings, you can even buy chocolate there. Now I know where I'm going this week (since they're closed on Sundays). The other thing that got me was their list of classes. Plenty of options, but the one that got me the most was:

LIQUEUR CHOCOLATES(a single 3-hour class)
We'll teach you the art and tricks necessary to fill a hollow chocolate shell with a variety of alcoholic and non-alcoholic liqueurs and syrups. Hand-dipped in dark, milk or white chocolate, these unusual confections are sure to be the talk of your next party! We'll also make crème-filled liqueur chocolates, fruit centers, and try a number of different decorating ideas which will add eye-appeal to your creations.

Wow. Do you think they can teach me how to make them not taste like jet fuel? So Portland does it again by being a city just big enough to have everything, yet small enough where the options aren't on the other side of town.

Chocolate Heaven

Pete (of Pete's Wicked Ales) has been in the chocolate business lately; we met him and his beloved chocolates at the Holiday Ale Festival this past year. Wow. His espresso-caramel-chocolate was amazingly creamy and rich, but it was the dried strawberries in dark chocolate that really impressed me.

I have been thinking about them ever since.

And then there was Charlie and the Chocolate Factory the other night. (Sidenote: It was amazing; Kyle, Brian & Marsha would particularly love this movie). All of that chocolate on screen combined with the promise by Pix Patisserie, a local decadent dessert shop that is giving a free box of chocolates to anyone who brings in their ticket stub by July 31st, has my head spinning. After working all day in the yard, I took my 'golden' movie ticket stub to Pix last night. A smiling girl met me at the counter and happily led me to the display case filled with decadent chocolates and said I could pick three. Wow. Or she said she could pick for me, if I'd like. I told her that I'd love her to pick for me and that I'm partial to dark chocolate, caramel & ganache, but that they could really be anything. The first one she picked was:

Caramel Poire ~ Pear and milk chocolate caramel with a touch of pear brandy share the bittersweet chocolate shell. Finished with gold leaf.

As she placed the shiny beautiful chocolate in the chinese takeout box lined in red paper, she asked if I liked peanuts and Reeses. I nodded and she reached for the next:

Chocolate Dipped Nougatine ~ Crunchy caramelized almonds rolled flat and dipped in 75% extra-bitter chocolate.

(I think this is it; it is the closest of the descriptions but it's possible that they don't have it on the website). The last question she asked me was if I liked espresso to which my head starting nodding like one of those hood-mount bobble head dolls on a backroad in Arizona. She put the last one in the box:

Espresso ~ Not for the weak. This dark chocolate espresso ganache packs a punch!

She walked back to the main counter and sealed the box with a logo sticker and handed it to me; no hassle about not getting anything else, although I think she knew that I'd be back. I left and walked around the corner to my car that was parked down the block. Five steps out the door, I popped opened the box. All I remembered was one was ganache, one was nutty & one was caramel. The first in my mouth was the creamiest most decadent ganache I've ever tasted, covered in a thin crisp dark chocolate shell. Amazing. Amazing. Amazing. I've neer tasted anything like it. Almost immediately I ate the next one: finely textured nuts that was dry yet moist, if that's even possible. I can see the Reese's, but without all the added sugar. I couldn't wait, I had to try the caramel one that was calling my name from the bottom of the box. I bit in half and as soon as my teeth pierced the chocolate shell, all of this buttery caramel gushed out. Wow. Imagine a Caramello but with creamier softer caramel. And then as an afterthought, you taste the pear. A subtle taste that makes you feel that you dreamt the whole chocolate experience. All in all... simply wonderful. I ate all three before I even got to my car and would go see the movie 10 times over just to taste that chocolate some more.

Date Night

The hardest thing about leaving Tucson was the friends we left behind. Since we arrived in Portland in October, we have been mostly preoccupied with fixing up our new house. But now that things are mostly finished, it's given us a chance to look around with envy as we see groups of friends crowded around picnic tables with pitchers of beer enjoying the warm weather. Sigh.

Ken's softball team has been a great outlet to meet some new people. Most of them are our age (although one guy told Ken "that's right, you're old... aren't you like 31 or something?" To which Ken responded "actually, I'm... um.... 32". Hilarious. You couldn't pay me enough to be 23 again, but I digress.

So what a pleasant surpise that I just got a call from one of the guys on his team and his score-keeper wife who knew that Ken is out of town this weekend -- inviting me to joing them for drinks and then see Charlie & the Chocolate Factory that's opening tonight. (Bonus: a local shop is giving out free chocolate if you show your stub between now and the end of the month)

So I'm excited but a bit nervous. Meeting new friends feels like dating to me... Takes time to build relationships, some of which last and some of which don't. You can't rush friends. So who knows if these two will become great friends or just acquantances. I know it won't be decided tonight, but I get curious because I just like to know what's going to happen. I guess that's why I read movie spoilers instead of actually going to see movies.

And no, I haven't read the spoiler for the movie tonight. Does that mean I actually may be becoming a grown up?

Martini Taste Test

Last night was happy hour with some folk from work, so I biked down to the martini bar to sip on fancy drinks that were $4 a piece (down from the painful price of $7-8.50).

They didn't pour them as full as they normally do, but they were still good:

Ginger Drop - Ginger-infused vodka, apricot brandy, fresh lemon & lime

Joyful Girl - Smirnoff vanilla vodka & fresh lemon

Habanero Martini- pineapple-habenero infused vodka with fresh lemon.

Had them in that order and really loved them all, but for different reasons. The apricot brandy was a nice touch to the ginger drop although I would have liked a little more bite from the ginger, the joyful girl reminds me of something Kristen Nelson would adore, and I love the spicy sweetness of the habanero. The spice on it makes you drink it s-l-o-w-l-y, a good thing when you're on your 3rd one.

When I got home I drank water until my belly hurt to make sure I would feel chipper for lab meeting this morning. It worked. Rode into work with a quesadilla in one hand and my coffee strapped to my bike basket.

Looking forward to the weekend.

Lisa's Big Adventure, part 2

Well Ken heads off to Vegas again (this time for a bachelor party), leaving me here to watch silly movies, drink martinis and find more places to plant new 'friends' in the backyard. The local-everything has perennials on sale for 3/$10 again, meaning my shopping cart will be filled with "groceries". Yes, that's it... groceries.

Ken's softball game was last night. They played well and were up, but the other team came back to win in the last inning. (Lent, I know you're just shocked). The team went to Rogue after, which was fun as always. Apparently, we're all going to a tournament/camping trip in mid-august. Sounds like a blast since this team is pretty fun and very inclusive to their fans, i.e. the five girls or so who drink wine and beer out of plastic cups in the bleechers. So 25 20-40 somethings playing softball, camping and drinking beer sounds great.

Rode my bike down the hill for lunch today since there's a farmer's market in the park blocks at lunchtime on summer wednesdays. Went with a guy from work who had an italian sausage with onions and peppers. I had a raspberry muffin from Gabriel's bakery (which was awesome), a side salad with goat cheese and about a million berries. Bought 3 pints for a total of $4. 2 marionberries and a raspberry pint. Rode my bike to the bustop and took the bus up the hill while I ate berries in the back of the bus. When I got to the top, I had a big tummy ache, my fingers were stained red and I had a raspberry seed in my hair. Everything else is all fuzzy.

Well, I'm off for now. Going to grill out with Ken before he leaves tomorrow. I will drown my sorrows in a martini from Vault since that's where happy hour is tomorrow.

Happy summer! Miss you all!

Volunteer Extraordinaire

Just posted over on Sudspundit that I'll be volunteering this Sunday at the Portland International Beer Festival.

Got my confirmation and everything. Here's hoping for sunny days and hoppy suds.

Proud Moments in Scrabble

Ken and I played Scrabble yesterday while we were cooking dinner. I had the best game of my life... culminating in me using all my tiles for a 79 point word (including a double letter score, double word score and the 50 point bonus).

The word?


ORIFICES

Come to Mama

All 768 pages of your gorgeous self. I have been eyeing you for months and will bike down to pick you up after work. We will live happily ever after.

xoxo,
Lisa

Update: What?!! What do you mean you're seeing someone? Ok Ok, twist my arm, you can bring them along too. There's enough love to go around.

For the love of ginger

I have been on a ginger kick for the past two years. Probably spurred by Janos teaching me how to peel ginger root with a spoon (easier than a veggie peeler and it saves the 'flesh' while ripping the papery skin right off). Then Kyle's pitcher of Moscow Mules didn't help matters. Vodka, lime juice and a good strong ginger ale. So refreshing, especially on a hot summer night. It's a perfect party drink. However, the trouble is most of the "good" ginger ales tend to be expensive (i.e. $2.99 for a 4-pack at trader joes).... making it cost prohibitive to serve them at a party.

Which is why making your own 'good' ginger ale is so cool. The fact that it's super easy makes it all the better.

After you peeled your ginger, grate it (or throw a whole bunch of peeled ginger roots in a food processor). You'll end up with a mound of fibrous juicy mess. Just pick up the big mound of pulp and use your hands to squeeze the 'ginger juice' out into a glass. You'll be left with a clump of dry fiber that you can ditch and a beautiful glass of translucent ginger juice. You can further strain it if it still has a bit of fiber in it. Then just add it to some store-bought ginger ale (just keep tasting it until it has the right amount of bite). Easy as pie and for a fraction of the cost.

If you're not quite craving Moscow Mules, pour the ginger juice into a jar and mix it with just a bit of vodka before you throw it in the freezer. The alcohol keeps the juice from freezing so you can spoon it directly into your dish/recipe without thawing the whole thing. What a snap to get fresh tastes without going throw the work of grating ginger every time.

Anyway, I bring this up because the Oregonian just put out an article on how to make your own ginger ale using a recipe from a local restaurant that serves great drinks. It's pretty good, especially since they use vanilla, which I never would have expected. What a fun twist. As a review, I'd say more ginger and use simple syrup rather than turbinado. But otherwise, definitely a keeper. The story is below for people who hate links. There's also a recipe for Marionberry lemonade. Happy summer.

Choose a cooler that's alcohol-free
Tuesday, July 05, 2005
CHRISTINA MELANDER
The Oregonian
Graduations. Long weekends. Weddings. Sunny weather. Summer gives us plenty to celebrate, prompting as many last-minute barbecues as it does events that involve embarrassing toasts. And wherever there's a gathering, there is food -- and drink.

All that partying can lead to a lot of wasted mornings and puffy eyes, not to mention unfortunate renditions of "Born in the U.S.A." on the karaoke mike. Extend a favor to friends who are teetotalers, guests who tend to hit it a little too hard and yourself by serving nonalcoholic coolers that are just as luscious as Uncle Ted's mint juleps.

For inspiration, we combed restaurants for the iciest sippers in town, cooling off with knockouts such as Marionberry Lemonade and handmade ginger ale -- drinks that are easily made at home with the accompanying recipes.

Bartenders put the squeeze
on lemons and limes Sticky with sugar and prickly tart, fresh-squeezed lemonade is delicious on its own, not least because of its ability to kick up all kinds of summer memories. But this quintessential cooler is getting better all the time, thanks to the meddling of restive chefs and mixologists.

At Meriwether's in Northwest Portland, bartenders smash Marionberries with sugar to form a viscous puree that's strained over lemonade. Served unstirred, the drink is a tie-dye swirl of chiffon yellow and beet red, the puree wonderfully piquant and textured with tiny berry seeds. Now that basil is in season, the restaurant has added basil lemonade, extracting the herb's effervescence by putting some muscle into muddling. Director of operations Sissy Lozze recommends using a wooden muddler, an inexpensive cousin of the pestle, available at kitchen-supply stores. "Pack the basil, lemon and sugar with ice in the bottom of a glass," she advises. "Once you start muddling, the ice kind of tears the basil leaves, releasing its flavor and creating small, crunchy bits of ice that taste of basil."

Less common and more tart is limeade. Imagine you're standing in a L'Occitane store or in the middle of a lavender field in full bloom and you'll get a pretty good idea of the powerfully aromatic lavender limeade recently introduced at downtown lunch emporium Cafe Voila. The lavender essence counters the acidic lime with its floral sweetness in this unusual blush pink drink.

Tropical iced tea
takes Tetley's to task Iced tea, prepared to varying degrees of sweetness, is another beverage inexorably linked to lazy days around a picnic table. One of the most alluring versions can be found at Northeast Portland's Pambiche, which encourages idle daydreaming during its afternoon happy hour. Commonly called agua de Jamaica in Mexico, Pambiche's tropical iced tea derives its grape hue, flowery taste and dry astringency from dried hibiscus (Jamaica) flowers. Beyond that, the black tea is sweetened only with the squeeze of an orange, though it carries pineapple notes.

Beloved for its expert cocktails, Saucebox, in downtown, offers a surprisingly long list of nonalcoholic coolers. Its Green Tea Soda delivers the syrupy sugar jolt of cream soda -- and the antioxidants of green tea. It appeals to both adult and juvenile palates, and it's a cinch to make at home (see accompanying recipe).

Bitters make it better
with a medicinal bite If you've relegated bitters to the exclusive realm of cocktails, it's time to liberate your creativity. The potent herbal concoction balances sweet libations of all kinds with a welcome medicinal bite. Colosso, in Northeast Portland, uses it to great effect in its sprightly homemade ginger ale, a blend of grated fresh ginger, turbinado sugar, bitters, lemon and soda water. Owner Julie Colosso prefers Peychaud's bitters for its smoothness and says that turbinado (raw) sugar contributes an appealing caramel color. "We call it Pete's Ginger Ale because we created it for Dandy Warhols guitarist Pete Holmstrom, who doesn't drink alcohol," Colosso says, noting that it also can be served warm as a hot toddy during winter (see accompanying recipe).

And, finally, the inventor's award goes to Southeast Portland breakfast hub Genie's Cafe for a one-of-a-kind brew dubbed Horse Tail Falls. Remember that moniker because you may need to ask for it by name: Genie's listed the delicious amber beverage on its now-defunct dinner menu, but the staff is happy to whip one up any time of day. (Manager Marcus Hoover says the Horse Tail may soon reappear on a revised menu.) Again, bitters bring spark to the drink, a thirst-quenching mix of apple juice, ginger ale and Earl Grey tea poured over ice. Sound like an odd partner for a chicken sausage scramble or toasted hazelnut pancakes? Trust us, plain old orange juice has got nothing on this show pony.

Christina Melander is a Portland freelance writer.

Recipes from the article:

Green Tea Soda

Makes 1 tall drink

Ice
11/2 ounces green tea syrup (3 tablespoons; recipe follows)
1 cup club soda

Fill glass with ice. Add syrup, top with club soda and stir. To make syrup: Steep 2 bags of green tea in 1 cup of boiling water for 5 minutes. Discard bags and add 1 cup granulated sugar. Stir until dissolved. Let cool and refrigerate for up to 1 week.

-- From Saucebox, Portland

Pete's Ginger Ale

Makes 1 pint

Grated zest and juice from 1/4 to 1/2 a lemon
1 to 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
3 dashes bitters (preferably Peychaud's)
1/8 teaspoons vanilla
Ice
1 teaspoon turbinado sugar (see note)
12 ounces club soda (11/2 cups)

Add zest and lemon juice to a pint glass; add ginger to taste. Mix in bitters and vanilla; fill glass with ice. In a separate container, dissolve sugar into club soda. Once dissolved, pour over other ingredients and stir well. Note: Turbinado sugar, or raw cane sugar, is available at most grocery stores. Sprite or 7 Up can be substituted for the club soda-sugar mixture but results in a sweeter beverage.

-- From Colosso, Portland

Marionberry Lemonade

Makes 5 to 6 servings Marionberry puree:

4 ounces fresh or frozen Marionberries (3/4 cup)
2 tablespoons superfine sugar or Baker's Sugar, plus more to taste
2 tablespoons water
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
Lemonade:
3/4 cup superfine sugar or Baker's Sugar
1 cup hot water
1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 5 to 6 lemons)
5 cups cold water

To make puree: Place Marionberries, sugar, water and lemon juice in a blender and puree until smooth. Since berries vary in sweetness, taste before serving and add sugar as desired. To make lemonade: Pour sugar into a 2-quart pitcher. Add hot water and stir vigorously to dissolve. Add fresh lemon juice and cold water. Stir well and refrigerate.

To serve, fill a 20-ounce glass with ice and fill with 10 ounces lemonade (about 11/4 cups), reserving room to top with 3 tablespoons Marionberry puree. Basil variation: Place 2 to 4 basil leaves, 2 small slices of fresh lemon and 1 sugar cube in a 20-ounce glass and fill to half with crushed ice. Muddle until basil leaves are broken and well-mixed. Pour 10 ounces lemonade (about 11/4 cups) over the mixture. Cover with another glass and shake to combine. Pour out into ice-filled glass and garnish with lemon wedge or fresh basil sprig.

-- From Meriwether's, Portland

Hello, my name is Violet Beauregard

I can't stop eating berries. They're everywhere. I've been waiting for this time of the year since before we left Tucson and now that it's here, I am literally making myself sick from all the berries. I take a pint to work with me for lunch (blueberries and raspberries mixed). then I eat some with milk when I get home. Then if we eat a bowl of ice cream later that night, more berries.

This summer, we've PICKED a total of 60 lbs of berries in the past 6 weeks (20 lbs of strawberries with T&P + 5 lbs of blueberries + 15 lbs of raspberries on my birthday and then the saturday after + another 15 and 5 lbs of each blueberries and raspberries (respectively) with Lent.... bringing the total to 20 lbs of strawberries, 20 lbs of blueberries, 20 lbs of raspberries. This is not counting the 2 flats of jamming strawberries I bought (prepicked for $5/each) nor the two pounds of hood river bing & van cherries I got for our trip to Washington with Lent. Nor does this include the blackberries, boysenberries and marionberries that are just now coming in to season.

I think I am addicted.

I've made 6 batches of jam so far (strawberry, strawberry rhubarb, raspberry, spicy raspberry, blueberry and another strawberry). Some batches are already gone (first batch of strawberry, the s-rhubarb & spicy raspberry). I have five gallon size freezer bags filled with frozen berries.

So given all this, why do I still want to drive 45 minutes to the 13th annual Hood River Cherry Days for their u-pick celebration tomorrow? Yep, I know Ken has a softball game at 8 am & 3:30pm.... that's why I'm going in between.

I have problems.

Definitely "Good Taste"

Met Ken and Lent in Chinatown for lunch today. A guy from Ken's office loves this place and says it's one of the most authentic he's found.

The place is a little hole in the wall right off of Burnside. They have fried duck, roasted pork and spare ribs in the window as well as a giant butcher block and cleaver behind. The restaurant was pretty empty with only one or two tables filled. We sat and they brought us some hot tea. Lent ordered the chow fun special that had barbecued pork, chicken, squid and all sorts of veggies. Ken had the bbq pork over rice with baby bok choy. I had the meat dumpling & noodle soup. And it was awesome. Best broth I've probably ever tasted. The ground meat with small black mushrooms were wrapped in wontons and added to the steaming soup along with thin noodles and green onions. Overall, what a great dish. And it was only $4.95. Lent also loved his whereas Ken I think was hoping for more meat and less rice. That said, the meat was great. I think it's the first time I haven't left a chinese restaurant feeling gross. I actually felt better than when I went in and I can't stop thinking about that broth. Definitely a place I'd love to go again.

Apparently reviews on Craigslist and the Mercury agree.

Good Taste Restaurant (via Portland Mercury)
18 NW 4th Avenue, 503-223-3838

Back in Portland Chinatown, you'll find perhaps the only proper Chinese noodle house in the Portland area.

At Good Taste, you can't go wrong with any plate containing hacked up BBQ pork. Particularly popular is the BBQ Pork Chow Mein; pan-fried egg noodles topped with the fragrant, anise-scented meat and stir-fried Asian vegetables. Another to-die-for item is the Scrambled Egg with Shrimp, or BBQ pork if you prefer. It's a heavenly three-egg omelet, fried in the wok so that it comes out crispy on the outside.

The noodle soups are also pretty good, as are the rice porridges, which will only set you back $3.20. In fact, most of the menu falls into the under five-dollar category, making Good Taste an official "Portland Mercury Best Buy."

Week with Lent

Dave's leaving us today after being here about a week. Between hanging out with him and the long 4th of July weekend, we haven't posted much. But it's been a good week. Got to see Paul after his jobtalk and went down the street from our house to play some pool and drink some beer. Actually, I had a Tuaca Sidecar there that was absolutely amazing. The bartender said he uses both brandy and tuaca, which rounds out the flavor more than either alone.

The next morning Lent, Ken & I drove up to George, Washington to see Widespread Panic at the Gorge Ampitheater. We camped at Getty's Cove, an organized spot about 12 miles from the venue. I swear eastern washington looks just like Arizona, only cooler. The spot was fine but packed with loud 20-somethings that loved to set off bottle rockets in the middle of the night and do doughnuts around our tent at 5 am. Would have been fun with more people there, but with 3 people there wasn't much to do. We did drive to see Ginkgo Petrified Forest -- basically a desert hillside with small petrified stumps in cages. Then we went to see the show... and arrived with about 5 hours to kill. For a holiday weekend to see a great band, the place was empty. By the time we went in to see the opening band, the cars in the parking lot were only 4 rows deep. The security guard said the night before had only 4500 people out of the 22,000 capacity. It was kind of sad, but at least we got great seats right on a center berm. The doughnuts and fireworks started at 5am. Lent and Ken packed up while I slept and then threw me in the car without me even having to get out of my sleeping bag. 3.5 hours home... much better than the 6 hour drive up (including our stop at the Full Sail brewery per Taryn's recommendation).

Relaxed and made more jam on Monday, then went to see the fireworks over the Willamette. They were ok. I think I will just stay home next year and grill out. I don't think that I gained anything by seeing them. Although the bike ride down and back was very fun. Another softball game last night and then my first visit to Hooters with the rest of the all-boy softball team. Yep, there's something else I can check off my list of things I'd like to do again. Their tan shiny pantyhose freaks me out.

Then today I rode my bike down the OHSU hill (very fun!) and met Dave & Ken in Chinatown for lunch (my review to follow). Lent should be leaving around now. Sure was nice having him here.

More to come later

on our week with Dave, but for now



Thanks to Hawkins for the link.

Hey Great Britain....STICK IT!!!

Via the National Archives:


IN CONGRESS, July 4, 1776.

The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America,

When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.--Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.

He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.

He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.

He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.

He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.

He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.

He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected; whereby the Legislative powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.

He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.

He has obstructed the Administration of Justice, by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary powers.

He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.

He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harrass our people, and eat out their substance.

He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.

He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil power.

He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation.

For Quartering large bodies of armed troops among us.

For protecting them, by a mock Trial, from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States.

For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world.

For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent.

For depriving us in many cases, of the benefits of Trial by Jury.

For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences.

For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies.

For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws, and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments.

For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.

He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.

He has plundered our seas, ravaged our Coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.

He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.

He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.

He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages, whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.

In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.

Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our Brittish brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which, would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.

We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.

The 56 signatures on the Declaration appear in the positions indicated:

Column 1
Georgia:
Button Gwinnett
Lyman Hall
George Walton

Column 2
North Carolina:
William Hooper
Joseph Hewes
John Penn

South Carolina:
Edward Rutledge
Thomas Heyward, Jr.
Thomas Lynch, Jr.
Arthur Middleton

Column 3
Massachusetts:
John Hancock

Maryland:
Samuel Chase
William Paca
Thomas Stone
Charles Carroll of Carrollton

Virginia:
George Wythe
Richard Henry Lee
Thomas Jefferson
Benjamin Harrison
Thomas Nelson, Jr.
Francis Lightfoot Lee
Carter Braxton

Column 4
Pennsylvania:
Robert Morris
Benjamin Rush
Benjamin Franklin
John Morton
George Clymer
James Smith
George Taylor
James Wilson
George Ross

Delaware:
Caesar Rodney
George Read
Thomas McKean

Column 5
New York:
William Floyd
Philip Livingston
Francis Lewis
Lewis Morris

New Jersey:
Richard Stockton
John Witherspoon
Francis Hopkinson
John Hart
Abraham Clark

Column 6
New Hampshire:
Josiah Bartlett
William Whipple

Massachusetts:
Samuel Adams
John Adams
Robert Treat Paine
Elbridge Gerry

Rhode Island:
Stephen Hopkins
William Ellery

Connecticut:
Roger Sherman
Samuel Huntington
William Williams
Oliver Wolcott

New Hampshire:
Matthew Thornton

July Birthdays

July Birthdays - Andrew Marriott (7/16), Misch Grill (7/21)

July Anniversaries - None that we know of