Cool Treats}Cool Moon

The temperatures are rising here in Portland and we are in for a hot weekend.  If you need to cool off a bit head on down to Cool Moon Ice Cream located in the Pearl right across from Jamison Park.  It’s located on the corner of 11th and Johnson.

You can cool off with a delicious ice cream treat and a dip in the fountain!

Cool Moon has lots of fun and unique flavors to choose from.  There is Good Bye Yellow Brickle Road (Locally made English Toffee rubble in a light butterscotch ice cream)
And if you like chocolate be sure and check out the Wicked Chocolate - it is chocolate!!  Lots of fun flavors!

So pick your favorite flavor or two and grab a chair outside on the sidewalk and relax.

Or head on across to the street to the park!  Enjoy the taste of summer!

Sauvie Island Farms

Summer will unfortunately soon be a distant memory so be sure and take the time to make some great memories with what we have left.

Last week we spent a few hours and make some fun memories out at Sauvie Island Farms.

My daughter was babysitting the two neighbor boys so we took them along for some fun.

The highlight for them was riding the tractor out to the berry patch!

Sauvie Island Farms is a beautiful and magical place.  Although you are just minutes away from downtown Portland you feel like you are miles away.  I think I may just want to move there.

There is lots to do on the farm and lots to pick!

Peaches are ripe for the picking right now.

The Red Havens are delicious.  The trees are grown low to the ground so no ladders are necessary for picking.

In no time at all we had our wagon loaded up and ready to go.

The farm has boxes available to purchase to put your peaches in or you can bring your own containers.

From the peach orchard we hoped on the tractor and headed out to the berries to pick some raspberries and blueberries.

There are also lots of yummy vegetables available for U-Pick as well.

And then there were the flowers – the beautiful U-Pick flowers.  How could I go home without some of these!

Well of course I didn’t!

Everyone was friendly and welcoming and we wish we could live there too!  There were lots of pumpkins getting ready to ripen in the fields so I know we’ll be back!

Washington Park Summer Festival

Looking for some free fun?  Check out the Washington Park Summer Festival going on all this week – August 5-14.

There is a wide variety of performances.  Tonight we listened to Opera in the Park.

It was a beautiful summer evening and the music was lovely.

The concerts start at 6:00 p.m. and are held in the amphitheater in Washington Park.  They run shuttle buses from the various parking lots on a regular basis.  The place was packed tonight so you may want to go early to get a better vantage point than we had.

Put together a quick picnic lunch and enjoy a fun summer evening.

Ruby Jewel Scoops Ice Cream

Nothing tastes better than some yummy, creamy ice cream on a warm summer day. Don’t you agree?

We recently tried out the new Ruby Jewel Scoops location at 3713 N. Mississippi.  We are no stranger to Ruby Jewel as we have purchased their delicious ice cream sandwiches at the Portland Farmer’s Market but they now have their own store front on N. Mississippi Avenue so you can get Ruby Jewel ice cream any day of the week!

At the store you can enjoy one of their wonderful ice cream sandwiches or a scoop of their locally made ice cream.  Ruby Jewel has  a fun selection of flavors.  Everything from vanilla bean and fresh strawberry to caramel with salted dark chocolate.

Not only is the ice cream delicious but their housemade waffle cones are one of the best I have ever had.  I believe that ice cream just tastes better on a cone and Ruby Jewel’s waffle cones are light and crisp, not thick and chewy like so many.

Ruby Jewel is a new favorite for our family!  Do you have a favorite ice cream spot in the Portland area?  Leave a comment and let me know!

Kenny & Zukes

Have a craving for a good pastrami on rye, some potato latkes or some NY cheesecake but you are in Portland not New York City?  No worries just head on downtown to Kenny & Zukes, Portland amazing Jewish deli.

Their pastrami is made on the premises and the servings are decent size. I split a sandwich with my daughter.  Not as big as the 7 inch high pastrami we had  at Carnegie’s Deli in NYC that fed the whole family though!!  And of course each plate comes with a pickle.  It doesn’t have quite the same hustle and bustle feel of the NY deli but the food made us feel like we were there.

I had my first potato latkes at Kenny & Zukes and they were great. Nice and crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, but not too soft.  I don’t like potatoes but I enjoyed these.  A side serving of applesauce and sour cream to go with.

Our server was friendly and helpful and we will definitely go back next time that a craving for a Reuben or a Pastrami hits!

And if you get thirsty they have amazing selection of soda!

Pour Que No

Pour Que No is hard to miss. For some reason  bright teal blue buildings just stick out!    Pour Que No actually has two locations.  One at 4635 SE Hawthorne and the other at 3524 N Mississippi, that one is pink!  We love this place and have eaten at both locations multiple times.

It’s hard to miss not only because of the color of the building but because there is always a line out the door.

Don’t let the line scare you away though.  You order at the counter and then find a table so it moves fast.  But be sure and follow the directions and order first before sitting down!

The place is full of stuff, a truly eclectic collection of kitsch!  You definitely won’t be bored while you wait for your food.  There is sitting inside.

As well as some fun sitting in the alleyway out back.  While sitting out there I really felt like I was in some fun, hole in the wall tacqueria in Mexico!

Not only is Pour Que No fun to visit it is delicious too.  The chips and salsa are amazing.  They don’t come with your meal so be sure and order some.  The chips are made fresh from their tortillas which are also made fresh daily.  The guacamole is great too.

If you are thirsty they have a great selection of unique juice combinations.

The best part of Pour Que No though is the tacos.  First of all they are cheap and second they are delicious.  There are all kinds of fun combinations and flavors.  I always go for the carnitas and carne asada.   Pour Que No strives to support the local economy so uses local meats and line caught fish.

My husband is always more adventurous and tries something new.  He especially likes the Pescado made with Alaskan cod and the Camarones with shrimp.

The tacos are small so you will need more then one.  Two always does the trick for us.   My daughter has enjoyed their Brian’s Bowl, a combination of meat or veges, rice, salsa, queso fresco, guacamole, crema, and cilantro

If you didn’t find enough fun things to look at inside be sure and check out the mural on the side of the building when you leave.

Noodles

My favorite Westside/Beaverton area restaurant is Noodles, not to be confused with Noodles & Company.  Noodles is a small, locally own restaurant located at 6830 SW Beaverton Hillsdale Hwy.  Tucked in amongst a strip mall lined busy road  Noodles is a treasure waiting to be discovered.  It is one of those places that you probably wouldn’t stop at unless someone recommends it – that’s what happened to us at least.  But I feel sorry for all those who don’t stop – it is a find!  Thanks to my friend Cathy who first told us about it.

With its walk up counter and hand written menu you will be greeted by amazing aromas of dishes being cooked right before your eyes.

The food is inexpensive and delicious.  They do a big take out business but also have a in house seating area.  Each dish is fresh, individually prepared and brought to your table piping hot!

Everything we have had there is great.  They have a nice selection of salads in addition to their pasta selections.  My personal favorite is the Penne Pasta Marinara, I get it every time!  I also get it with an order of Garlic Cheesy Bread .

I could eat the entire thing myself but I am good and share.  You MUST get the Garlic Cheesy Bread.

My husband likes to try something new each time and has enjoyed the lemon piccata as well as many others.  On our last visit he had the beef stroganoff which was delicious.

You order at the window but your food is delivered to your table by a friendly and helpful server.  Service is excellent right along with the food!  Don’t forget to check out the dessert selection too, all home made and delicious.  The Creme Brulee pie is amazing!

Best Breakfast}Byways Cafe

Located in the Pearl District of Portland, Byways Cafe is like stepping back in time.  Although it’s only been there for ten years, you feel like it’s been there forever. With a fun and charming retro atmosphere and lots of comfort food Byways is a popular destination for Portland locals and visitors and has been featured on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives.

We arrived at 9:00 a.m. on a Saturday morning and had about a five minute wait.  By the time we left an hour later there were a dozen people waiting in line.

There is lots to keep you entertained while you wait for your food.  The place is decorated, rather covered in travel memorabilia and souvenirs.

Many of the items have been brought to the cafe by their customers when they return from vacation.  While we were there a man brought in a shirt from a favorite ball team of one of the cafe workers!

The menu is full of lots of down home, comfort cooking.  I ordered the Blue Corn Pancakes which is a specialty of the house.  They were served with a yummy pecan and honey butter as well as maple syrup. Yes, the pancakes are blue and they have a nice little crunch to them with the corn meal. It was a fun variation on a pancake and I loved the pecan honey butter.  My husband enjoyed a nice egg scramble with fresh fruit.  If you go for lunch I understand their burgers are the best!  They serve breakfast all day on Saturdays and Sundays.

I loved the retro counter.  There is just something about a restaurant with a counter.  It reminds me of my high school days and going to the lunch counter at Woolworths downtown on our lunch hour.

Definitely give Byways Cafe a try and enjoy stepping back into time for an hour or so while enjoying some good food.

Portland Farmer’s Market

Farmer’s market season is in full swing in Portland.

Last weekend we checked out the Portland Farmer’s Market for the first time this season.

Located at PSU in the Park Blocks off of Broadway the Portland Farmer’s Market is open on Saturdays with other locations  during the week.  Check their website for details.

The market has lots of fresh local produce.

as well as lots of locally made products such as cheese…

lovely artisan breads…

and if you didn’t have breakfast before you arrived head on over to Pine State Biscuits!

Or pick up some sweet or savory treat at my personal favorite – The Tart Lady.

And of course there are plenty of beautiful flowers!  The peonies were out the day we were there.

There is something for everyone, old or young.  If you take the kids be sure and look for the balloon man!

A perfect way to spend a Saturday morning in Portland!

Summer Fun Giveaway Winners!

Thanks to all of you who entered the giveaway for these fun products!

Winner #1 of the Sport-Brella is:

#41 Kathy of Hillsboro

Winner #2 of the Speedminton is:

#32 – Ann Leete

Winner #3 of the Potty Flip and Snack Trap is:

#52 – Jessica Fuhriman

Ladies, I will be in contact to get you your prizes!!

Congratulations and thanks again to all who participated!

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