I Will Miss You, Asparagus

Patrick and I got some of the last asparagus of the season from the Rutgers Gardens Farmers' Market. Mmmmmm it was good. Smelly pee does not deter me. I will miss you, asparagus. I await your return next year.

Valley Shepherd Creamery

Did you know we have a sheep creamery right here in NJ? Patrick and I found out when we visited the Rutgers Gardens weekly Farmers' Market on Friday. Valley Shepherd Creamery is located in Long Valley, NJ, between routes 46 and 78 (exit 24 off route 78).

We sampled some cheese and were tempted to take more home, including some yogurt, but we didn't have our cooler with us. The Nettlesome cheese with real stinging nettle was delish! We only tried a small amount but I would love to go back next week for more.

If you live near the creamery, take some time to check it out. You can tour the farm, taste their products and maybe catch an event at the right time. It sounds like a good place for a family outing.

Most importantly, if you live in the area, giving Valley Shepherd your business is better for the environment, and most likely your pocketbook. Let me know if you've been there or plan to visit soon.

Pictures of our Wedding Site

We visited a farmers' market today that just happened to take place at Rutgers Gardens, the site of our upcoming September wedding. While there I took a few pictures to give an idea of how beautiful this place is. However, as always, pictures don't do the real thing justice.



1. The view of the log cabin and pavillion from the parking lot.



2. The patio and pavillion


3. A nice sitting area


4. A closeup picture of the pavillion.


The cement floor in the pavillion is in perfect shape so we won't need to rent a dancefloor. We will have a tent extending the pavillion out to the side to accommodate more seating.

There was a couple having their wedding photos taken while we were there so we weren't able to take any pictures of the garden where our ceremony will take place (I'll try again next week). But you can go to the Rutgers Gardens website to see the layout of all the gardens. We will be married in the Roy H. DeBoer Evergreen Garden, which is letter E on the map.

Japanese Garden in Washington Park

While in the Portland area, we were able to see the Japanese Garden in Washington Park. The garden is beautifully arranged in a logical and aesthetically pleasing manner. With a map and guide in one hand and a camera in another, we made our way down the winding path. Here are a few pictures we took.

A view of the city from the garden

If you look closely in the background you'll see that isn't a cloud. It's Mt. Hood covered in snow.

This is a garden of rocks made to look like the ocean. This picture demonstrates the ripples and waves.

And this one looks like a seal or sea lion.

Pretty Japanese trees.

A good example of what most of the garden looked like.

As I said, recycling takes place all over Oregon. This was at the gift shop. The park also encourages patrons to recycle their brochures on the way out to be used by other visitors. We kept ours for our scrapbook.

Seasonal Food Map

I just discovered this awesome map that allows you to click on your state to see what food is in season for your area. Please consider using it for your next trip to the grocery store.

Powell's City of Books

Our first stop after picking up our rental car in Oregon was Powell's City of Books in Portland. We had heard a lot of good things about Powell's but none of it did this place justice. It's like a little world of books. Everything you could possible ever want to read is here. There was an entire aisle of wedding planning books, multiple aisles of cookbooks and endless books on global warming, conservation and green living. Patrick was especially impressed with the birds section.

Before leaving we decided to have a cup of tea in the cafe. Not only can you ask for a reusable mug if you're not leaving the store but they recycle everything including the plastic disposable cups. YEAH!

You can visit Powell's even if you aren't planning a trip to Oregon any time soon. Just click here and shop away or browse for fun.

PS- Powell's has an entire separate store dedicated to technical books.

Home Sweet Home

Patrick and I returned home from Oregon last night. It was a wonderful trip and, of course, we wish we were still there. I missed my babies (our parakeets Roger and Amelia) though so I'm happy to see them again.

Patrick and I will both be blogging and posting pictures throughout the week but for now, here are some highlights of our trip:

- Powell's City of Books
- Good Food
- Good Beer
- Birds
- Flowers
- Environmental Awareness and Conservation Practices
- Friendly People
- WINE
- Nice Hotel Rooms and an Awesome B&B
- No Sales Tax!!!!
- Coffee
- Tea
- Dogs
- Hills
- Cannon Beach and Haystack Rock

That's my teaser for now. Be sure to check back for more details.