Birthday Cake

Jonah's 1st Birthday Cake!

We went back and forth over whether to make a healthy cake or let the birthday boy indulge in a sweet dessert.  Up to this point, Jonah had only eaten naturally occurring sugars in fruits and vegetables and we didn't want to shock his system.  Or at least, not on top of the whole party and presents excitement.

After pouring over healthy recipe options I was surprised at how unappetizing the ingredients lists were.  The sugar-free ones called themselves "cake", but they seemed like they would come out more like bread or they were packed with artificial sweetener.  At last, my friend Kelly steered me towards a recipe that she loves....and it was the winning ticket!

Old Fashioned Blueberry Cake

L O V E this recipe!  The only modification I made was substituting ghee for the butter.  The combination of the blueberries and molasses make it look like dark chocolate.  This cake is delicious and unique....and no granulated sugar.  I will add that it is best eaten the day of, so save it for a party when you know it will be consumed.
I doubled the ingredients and made one large cake round for the adults (as pictured in the recipe), two small mini-cakes, and a couple of cupcake tasters with the left over batter.

Once I settled on a recipe, I started looking into presentation options.  I really wanted Jonah to have his very own mini cake, a smash cake just for him.  I put a call out to my friends to see if anyone had a small cake pan....no one did, but my friend Jen sugessted I take a look at baking the cake in a tin can like this.

I thought the size was marvelous, so I went about researching (and subsequently calling companies) in search of a can that was not lined with BPA material.  It's amazing how many companies will pack organic food in a can lined with BPA.  There are several good ones though, and this is the can that I used.

I emptied the contents (Jonah loves curry so this was no problem) and scrubbed off the label and glue so that nothing would be melting/burning in the oven during the baking process.  I greased and floured the can and then lined the bottom with a disk of parchment paper cut to fit so that the cake would pop out easily.  I actually did this twice because I wanted to have a backup in case something went awry.  I had no problems with either cake, but if you decide to try this, one tip I would pass along is to let the cakes cool in the can fully.  Because they are baked as cylinders, it is important that they are not soft when you decant them or they will start to lean.

Because I wanted to get the cake done ahead of time, before guests arrived, I opted to frost it with something that would hold up on the cake for a couple hours.  I used a combination of cream cheese and whipping cream (and yes, a smidge of sugar).  I got the yellow color for the accent frosting by adding vanilla and molasses.

And without further commentary, here are the results.  Baby's first cake makes for THE BEST photos.

Jonah wanted to grab the candle.  Even though he does know how to blow, he was too mesmerized by the flame to respond to any directions....or maybe he was really focused on his 1st birthday wish.

Waiting.....

First bite!  And my favorite photo!

Let the smash cake party begin.

Mmmm.....it was a fun celebration!
Happy Birthday Jonah.  We love you.

Happy Birthday Baby

On June 30th our sweet baby Jonah turned ONE!  The date conveniently landed on a Saturday, so family from Bellingham, Florence, Portland, and The Gorge were all able to attend a small celebration at our home.

Jonah LOVED his party.  I was fully prepared for a birthday meltdown at some point during the festivities.  How much excitement can a little mind take?...... apparently the answer depends on the individual and for Jonah the threshold is a lot. 

Jonah relished being the center of attention. And really hammed it up with all kinds of silly faces.

Opening gifts was also very exciting.  Every package was two gifts...the present and the wrapping!

Jonah would like to thank everyone for making his day so special.  I think he wishes that he could be surrounded by his extended family every day!

Cake photos and recipe coming soon.

xoxo

Bend, Oregon

The final stop of our road trip was Bend.  Rather than stay in a hotel, we opted for a vacation rental so we could cook and have an outdoor fenced space for Daisy.  We rented a cute little cottage for three nights.  The one-room house was in a great location, which made it really easy to bike to the Deschutes River, restaurants, Old Town, etc.

Inside the home was a mix of vintage furnishings and reclaimed building materials.  Jonah's portable crib fit in one of the closets, so we were able to give him a dark and private "room" for naps and bedtime.

Every morning, we would take Jesse up the mountain so he could get several hours of riding in. And then we would all bike into town for lunch.  

Beer at 10 Barrel.

We are still researching bike seat options for Jonah, but in the meantime, using the Ergo carrier works just fine.

Jonah has his own bike helmet which he gets pretty excited about wearing.

While Jonah slept, we would hang out on the patio.  There was a fire pit, so we enjoyed another round of smores.  We made it to the Deschutes Brewery which is now my favorite pub in Oregon.  Best "House Salad" ever....candied malts = yum!

Jonah melted hearts all over Bend for his sweet disposition, independent exploration, and wide smiles to all.

We had a lovely time and now that we have a bit of a Bend Crush, 

I'm sure it won't be long before we return.

Homeward bound with the family. 

See Jonah sleeping in the mirror?

It is always nice that even after such amazing adventures, home is where we most want to be.

Crater Lake, Oregon

The transition from the lush green of the Umpqua Forest to the blue water and white snow of Crater Lake was remarkable.  We drove in through the north entrance (Route 138) and passed through the Pumice Desert.

When Mt. Mazama erupted, it spread a layer of pumice 100 feet deep here.  The lack of soil and nutrients have allowed this space to remain a desert for over 7,000 years.

The terrain is beautiful.  Rocky cliffs shearing off into the water below.

This is what it looks like when we stop for lunch.  Jonah's stroller doubles well as a highchair.

We had gone back and forth a bunch over whether we would camp at Crater Lake or stay over at their expensive Lodge.  Ultimately, we decided that with unpredictable weather, camping at 7,000 feet could be asking too much of Jonah and so we booked a room in advance.  As we drove up to the rim, it was clear that there was still 30 feet of snow!  While we aren't opposed to snow camping, we didn't bring the right gear for that, so we were even more relieved of our decision to stay at the Lodge.

Below is our first view of Crater Lake.  The water is a brilliant shade of blue.

This was the first time here for all of us, and it is very obvious why it is preserved as a National Park.

Once you get to the rim, you are at the highest point so your prespective on the landscape is always an epic panorama.  This is the southern view of the large cinder cone island named Wizard Island.

The lodge is a beautiful, well maintained hotel situated right on the rim.  It opened in 1915 and even though it has been renovated recently, the remodel was done in a tasteful, rustic way.

We checked in and got settled in our suite.  There was a loft available so we got an upgrade which essentially gave us two rooms.  This was a serious splurge, but several frugal nights of camping evened things out.  First order of business was baths for all!  Note the retro tub and floor tiles.  Some of the rooms have showers, but ours only came with a tub.

The loft was great.  There was a space for us to hang out once Jonah went to bed upstairs.  Jonah also LOVED climbing stairs.  He learned (with considerable trepidation) how to go down stairs too.  It was remarkable how acute his perception of danger was without ever having experienced any consequences.

He was really proud of himself once he learned how to get down (by turning around and reverse climbing, feet first).

The best part of our room?  The view.  

This the view from our window.

Crater Lake is the deepest lake in the United States.  Because of the caldera of rock, there are no inlets or outlets to the lake.  The only source for water supply is rain and snow melt and the only exit is through evaporation and seepage. Remarkably, once the lake filled to a depth of 1943 feet there has been little variation of the water level (16 feet during a particularly dry winter was the most that has been recorded).

The color of Crater Lake comes from the water being both incredibly clear and deep.  The only other time I have experienced water this color was while sailing in the Pacific Ocean 200 miles offshore.

The lake can be classified as oligotrophic, which is a fancy way of saying that it lacks nutrients and thus aquatic life is also diminished.  While the Forest Service no longer stocks the lake with fish, past practice of introducing fish means you can fish for Kokanee Salmon and Rainbow Trout.  Because neither species are native to the lake, fishing is actually encouraged.

We enjoyed the view from the outdoor patio and sipped some wine.  

I can't believe that our little baby is so grown up...leaning on the rail like he's leaned on a rail a thousand times.

We would love to return in the winter and explore the area via xc skis and snowshoes.  

Dusk.

Followed by a beautiful morning.  

We enjoyed great weather the whole time!

This road trip has been full of wonderful treasures.  Crater Lake definitely exceeded our expectations.  

It was absolutely stunning.

This photo makes me happy.  My two loves.

In the morning we packed up the car and headed northeast toward Bend.

North Umpqua Trail, Oregon

After leaving Bandon, our road trip turned east and we traveled inland along State Route 42 to Roseburg.  That section of road is lovely---two lanes with no traffic gliding through very scenic pastures and farmland.

At Roseburg, we stopped to gather more provisions for another two nights of camping and we continued east along SR 138 (a Scenic By-way).

Our destination was Toketee Campground on the North Umpqua River.  The North Umpqua is famous for a 79 mile trail that follows the river through the forest.  This area is not near any urban centers (Roseburg being the closest with a population of 20,000) so it isn't really on the "must see" list like many other Oregon attractions.  So we feel like we discovered a gem!  

It didn't hurt that we snagged the best campsite in the place either...right on the river!

After doing some initial research about the area before leaving home, this was the most uncertain leg of the trip and the section that we were most curious to explore.  The idea of 79 miles of single track to ride makes my husband's heart go pitter-pat.....so the mountain bikes came along.

We also hit the jackpot with the weather.  It was 80 degrees during the day and cooled off at night.  The first night, was our coldest night camping with Jonah with a low of 48, but it warmed up as soon as the sun got above the treeline.  

We got an early start on the day and dropped Jesse off 23 miles up river from our camp (at the Kelsay Valley Trailhead: elev. 4280).

This section of trail experienced a fire several years ago.

I should add that the whole trail network crosses both BLM and National Forest Land.  

The best map/guide is this brochure.  In our experience, the folks running the Toketee Ranger Station did not have accurate information about trail conditions, so if you are planning a ride here, I would check the status with a bike shop in Roseburg that does Umpqua expeditions.

The trail is extraordinarily beautiful and diverse.

During five hours of single track riding, Jesse only saw one other person (a hiker).

This is Lemolo Falls and it is difficult to tell the scale from this photo (Jesse took it with his phone), but the water drops 102 feet.

This section of trail (from Kelsay Valley to Toketee Campground) crosses the river four times and, over 23 miles, has an overall elevation loss of 1,854 feet.

And just when you think it couldn't be better....at the end of a long day of adventuring, you can take a short, but steep, walk into the woods where natural hot springs await to soothe your tired muscles.

The hot springs has six different soaking pools ranging in temperature between 108° and 101° (F).  This photo is of the deepest one which also has a covered log structure over it (and graffiti art).

We had the whole place to ourselves so I got to play Goldilocks and find the pool that was just right.

More pools and the Umpqua River below.

Ahhhhh.

Jonah did not appreciate being a spectator, and was much happier once we let him participate.

The day wound down with a delicious dinner and dessert.

We toasted the best marshmallows I have ever eaten thanks to this amazing smore oven.

Happiness.

With full tummies and tired limbs, we fell asleep listening to the sound of the river tumbling along beside us.

The next day was beautiful again.

Psst....Daisy, you are in my shot.

A beautiful panorama of Lemolo Lake, Mt. Thielsen, and the Lodgepole Pine forest.

At Jonah's request, we decided to take a hike to see Toketee Falls.

The two tiers of water drop through columnar basalt notches carved out by the river.
The hike was the prefect finale to the Umpqua trip.

Next stop, Crater Lake.  Lucky us, the National Forest crews just finished snow plowing the North Entrance road to Crater Lake and we were one of the first cars through!