2012 April » Just 5 More Minutes

Fine Dining at Kahneetah after Another Beautiful Day of Hiking

Central Oregon (High Desert), Great Restaurants, Oregon No Responses »

Apr 202012

“I just don’t feel like cooking tonight,” I mentioned to hubby as we headed back down from the mountain (it was another beautiful hike that day).

I had plenty of delicious fresh goodies in the fridge, but tonight I wanted to do something different. I wanted to go and see the Chinook Room located in the Lodge where I have heard from many guests here at Kahneeta that it is the place to go for incredibly delicious cuisine.

Apparently it is so good there that people drive all the way from Portland and beyond to enjoy the gourmet fare.

Boy were they right.

We enjoyed perfectly cooked salmon with hollandaise sauce, tender lamb (B’s favorite), flaky elk empanadas (yes, elk — my first time ever trying it and it was delicious!) and thinly sliced venison that was topped with the most incredible berry sauce I had ever tasted. The combination of all the flavors were perfect and everything was cooked to absolute perfection and served, once again, but a smiling face from our sweet hostess.

No wonder everyone is always so happy here and smiling.

It really is such a wonderful place to be — beautiful landscapes and amazing cuisine.

Bon appetit!

A Beautiful Day of Hiking and Golfing at Kah-Nee-Ta Warm Springs Resort

Central Oregon (High Desert), Great Campsites, Oregon 1 Response »

Apr 172012

Here everyone is all smiles.

Really.

So kind, so caring and so, well . . . always making sure you are having a good time.

This for sure, we were having. Especially B.

We could hardly wait to take a hike up into the beautiful mountains that surround Kahneeta.

The views were so beautiful.

So incredible.

To fuel our day I made chocolate crepes. Oh those crepes . . . B is still talking about them. This time we kept them plain with just a sprinkling of sugar and I can tell you, we probably won’t have them any other way after tasting them. What that sugar does to those crepes, it’s magical almost.

I also want to share with you photos of double bruleed custard oats that I also made. The hard candy topping on the custard oats, well, it was almost desert.

There was so much to see on our hike from wildlife tracks (I am guessing these are mountain lion maybe?) high up in the mountains to the cool rushing river down below . . .

I also was eager to make beautiful bowls of berries with vanilla stewed rhubarb from my garden. Greek yogurt with some honey finished it off perfectly along with a sprinkling of chopped pistachios.

It was quite the feast that morning that took us through to the end of the day when I prepared an amazing rice pasta and cheese dish (using this recipe and subbing out the pasta with the rice version). If you want to add an extra layer of “cheesiness” to your mac and cheese — try a sprinkling of nutritional yeast. It’s really SO delicious (and what is typically used as the main cheese substitute in vegan mac and cheese versions).

Kahneeta is a very special place for us. It was our very first time here and it will most definitely not be our last. The combination of the beautiful landscapes, outdoor activities, incredibly friendly people that always have non-stop smiles on their faces and just general overall feeling of complete peace really sets the stage for the perfect family vacation.

I miss it there, very much.

So does B.

“B, can I take off your wrist band for you?” (It was a wrist band for access to the slippery slides)

“No mommy, please don’t. I want to keep it on forever.”

See? It’s a paradise for children and adults alike.

Thank you so much Kahneeta for the memories that we will keep forever :) xoxo

A Return Home from Oregon’s Spring Splendor

Central Oregon (High Desert), Hiking, Oregon 5 Responses »

Apr 162012

Dear friends,

Just yesterday is when we returned home from our spring trip to beautiful Oregon.

Oh how I miss it already . . .

I took over 1,500 photographs on this trip if you can believe it. I couldn’t help myself, Oregon is so beautiful with some of the most incredible landscapes you will ever find. I keep thinking how I will put all of my photos together so I can clearly share with you our experiences.

Until then, I will leave you with some images of places that we visited and meals that I prepared. If you can tell it, we had an incredible time and are already planning when we will return. I can hardly wait.

“I wish we could have stayed for just one more day mommy,” said B over dinner last night.

“I know it darling. Me too . . . me too.”

Central Oregon’s High Desert

Central Oregon (High Desert) No Responses »

Apr 082012

Warm springs, hiking, biking, swimming, horseback riding, golfing and the list goes on . . .

These are just some of the things you can enjoy here at Kahneeta Resort located in Central Oregon’s high desert.

Tomorrow we go on a hike. A day hike and I very excited about it, especially to take some photographs so I can share with you just how incredible this landscape is out here. You won’t believe it — I promise.

The landscape is absolutely breathtaking here.

Breathtaking.

Today we celebrated the welcoming of Spring and Easter.

B participated in the annual egg hunt here and found two golden eggs. Two!

Guess what was inside?

Money! Oh the look on his face, lol.

He also had his traditional Easter basket hunt.

“Mommy? Do you think the Easter Bunny came?” he asked me, first thing when he woke up.

“I’m not sure, why don’t we go and have a look?”

B is eight years old by the way — and he still believes in the Easter bunny.

My sweet boy.

After the morning festivities, we enjoyed brunch at Kahneeta.

Here is talented chef David preparing my omelette. It was delicious, thank you David!

Back at camp and looking forward to new adventures and some home cooking on the Airstream. Stay tuned . . .

The Good Life at Crystal Mountain in Washington with Nathan and Katie and their 1968 Vintage Airstream

Crystal Mountain, Skiing 5 Responses »

Apr 052012

This post is written and beautifully photographed by J5MM guest writer Matt Small. Check out his site: MattSmall.com for amazing photography!

Talk about living the good life.

If you ski or ride at Crystal Mountain here in Washington State with any frequency, you are bound to see a refurbished 26′ 1968 Airstream “Land Yacht,” planted firmly in the parking lot with smoke billowing out of its custom chimney. This is a curious oddity for strangers and a welcoming clubhouse to friends and family of the owners, Nathan and Katie.

Nathan originally bought the Airstream from a fellow ski buddy two years ago and rehabbed it to his liking complete with reclaimed wood and a beautiful, vintage wood burning side stove that came from a metal scrap collector — a true find!

During the winter, Nathan and Katie tow their Airstream to and from suburbia with their 3/4 ton Chevy Silverado where they enjoy their days skiing, riding and hanging with friends while cooking up gourmet meals inside of their cozy Airstream on their efficient wood burning stove.

The engaged couple are always graciously hosting people and their canine friends before, during and after a day on the slopes.

I consider myself lucky to have spent time with a great group of people that congregate in the cozy Airstream as well as on the steeps of Crystal Mountain.

Here at Crystal it is typical to finish off a beautiful day and stop by the Airstream to make yourself comfortable while being handed a cold beer along with a hot and piping meal that Nathan and Katie have prepared.

On the day I took some photographs, Nathan left kalbi chicken thighs coated with basil and garlic along with a stack of smoked pastrami. Beautiful peppers were left to slow cook on the stove top while the gang and I went out and skied some of Crystal’s famous March powder.

We cheered the day and enjoyed a scrumptious meal together when we came back to the Airstream.

Another great day for the record books!

Thank you Nathan and Katie (and all the locals) for your love of the mountains and the camaraderie you consistently promote, keep up the good work!

Matt Small
Matt Small Photography

More from Matt on J5MM:

An Afternoon Stroll Through a Japanese Garden and a Simple Quinoa & Radish Salad

Airstream Kitchen, Lunch, Seattle 1 Response »

Apr 022012

A long time ago, I used to come here. Often.

I used to come here to think,
and most importantly,
to enjoy the peace and quiet this beautiful botanical garden had to offer.

I owe a lot to this beautiful garden. It helped me through some very trying times.

It feels good to come here now and reflect.

. . . and to be happy.

— Yao Garden at Bellevue Botanical Gardens

With these happy thoughts came inspiration for this quinoa and radish salad. It is full of vibrant colors and tastes incredibly fresh and bright.

My CSA box was full of beautiful radishes in vibrant reds, pinks and surprisingly — black.

A black radish? Who knew? Certainly not me.

Thank you Full Circle — I am in love!!

Baby garlic was also in my box. Baby garlic! I don’t think I have ever been so excited. I knew it would be an excellent addition to this already delicious salad as it really offered up a nice crunch and intoxicating mild garlic flavor and aroma. I absolutely love, love, love baby garlic.