Small Pet Select Hay

I clearly have a love of all things food.  Well, I have met my match!  Apparently, guinea pigs will do anything for most things leafy green (or carrots, carrots are god).  They will wheek as loud as can be, they will look pleadingly at you like they are starved, even if they *just* finished their last bite of tasty fresh cilantro as they are pleading.  If their hay holder runs out of hay before you awaken, expect to hear cries of desperation from my beloved furbabies. 

Meet Oreo and Reeses

These two guinea pigs, also called cavies, are boys, also called boars, who are only 1 year old.  They grew up in the same litter, and are now pair bonded, but are still brothers.  In other words, they drive each other insane at times.  I should clarify- Reeses, Mr. Special Snowflake, loves to wheek, climb on, talk incessantly to and in general just irritate the dickens out of dear, quiet Oreo.  They are quite the pair to watch, and each interaction is funnier than the last.

Piggies love food.

Hence, this is their "kitchen":

The hay rack you see is filled at least once a day.  I run through 8 lbs of hay every 30 days or so.  I used to run through a LOT less hay, until I read about this awesome company who ships boxes of fresh, moist hay for our beloved furbabies.

Whenever I open the box of Small Pet Select hay, the wheeks of joy are heard apartment-wide. It is a joyous sound that fills my heart with warm fuzzies.

If you would like your piggy to look at you like this in the morning, then go order a Small Pet Select hay box for your furbaby immediately! (They deliver quite fast too!  Use coupon code GUINEAPIG for FREE SHIPPING & A FREE STICKER! )

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Check Out My New Etsy Shop!

I have opened a new Etsy shop!  My photography images will be available for sale as prints of all sizes as well as screen prints on items such as cards, mugs, key chains, puzzles, reusable totes and more!  Check out SunshineStudioPDX and see what all the hubbub is about!
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Broiled Salmon with Miso Glaze and Cross-Country Move

Broiled Salmon with Miso Glaze

(Recipe to follow my long story about my cross-country trip)

Sorry all, for the lack of blog posting lately.  Dear hubby and I decided we had enough of the great Northeast and 'twas time to move to the Pacific Northwest!  So into the car went the Fam, yes including two very confused and slightly grumpy guinea pigs.  After a two week sojourn across the amazing US through the South and up the West Coast, we arrived at our new home in Portland, Oregon.

For those of you who feel an inability to be yourself where you currently reside, I highly suggest taking a trip to Portland.  You might never return home again.  Along with the beer and coffee brewing obsession, you can't fly your freak flag high enough here.  NYC has nothing on Portland's weird.  I mean weird in a good way of course.  In Portland, even the H addicts are polite to one another.  All I can say is, I am now home.  Even Oreo and Reeses are finding happiness in their new home.

Coffee in Portland is the BEST I've ever had.  Even the crap coffee in Portland is better than the best Starbucks.  I'm giving a shout-out to my fav coffee spot just a few blocks walk from my spiffy new apartment:

BARISTA

At Barista, coffee is anywhere from a mocha cappuccino with the most amazing Valrhona chocolate, to  their syphon coffee which amounts to a science experiment with pretty LED lights and everything!

Some awesome places I've discovered while walking nowhere specific in the Pearl District in Portland:

Comic book shops with awesomely classic books like 70's Dr. Who books: 

This one speaks for itself:

Sur La Table is only a short walk away from home!  (Me making my own chicken crepes)

Bonnet- a wonderful haberdasher who makes their own hats and also sells local artists' goods on consignment:

The food cart scene here is phenomenal.  Now all the food that I've had here has been amazing, but hands down, the best food in Portland is found at these carts. With meals at $5 a pop, you can't go wrong.

Rogue- good times!

Stumptown Coffee- my second favorite coffee spot in Portland.

Hubby and I on our second visit to Portland at my all-time fav ice cream joint:  Salt & Straw (a MUST when in the area)

The trip getting here was both wonderful and extremely stressful for all of us, but it was worth it.  We stopped and hung with some good friends along the way, and had some of the most intense fights and beautiful moments ever.

I got to see California from stem to stern, starting with LA:

Wouldn't be LA without a shootout in the street

 then up the PCH:

with some amazing views along the way:

Mugu Rock, California

and the obligatory stop at Whole Foods:

then through San Francisco:

Bay Bridge

Fisherman's Wharf

The most AMAZING sundae at Ghirardelli Square

Hubby got me a ginormous heart pillow there (such a romantic!!)

Haight-Ashbury- the start of the 60's movement began here.

Nick's Lighthouse at the Fisherman's Wharf 

Z&Y Restaurant in Chinatown, San Francisco

then a detour to Yosemite:

Sunset at Yosemite National Park

Turnout at Yosemite

We stayed in a cabin in Yosemite for two nights.  We cooked tacos and sat by the fire with a good movie.  The guinea pigs sang like a bird!!!  That's a rarity for them!  It was so beautiful to listen to.

Another amazing vista in Yosemite National Park

El Capitan, Yosemite National Park

Half Dome and El Capitan, Yosemite National Park

Bridalveil Falls, Yosemite National Park

Amazing wildlife in Yosemite National Park

Then straight through to Portland.  What a great ride!!

When we arrived, the first thing we did in our layover spot (we moved to our new apartment a week later when our furniture arrived,) was COOK of course!  And.... what you all have been waiting (extremely) patiently for...

Broiled Salmon with Miso Glaze

Serving Size: 4 

Ingredients: 

- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds 
- 2 tablespoons shiro miso paste (sweet white miso paste) 
- 2 tablespoons mirin (Japanese rice wine) 
- 1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce or tamari 
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger 
- A few drops hot pepper sauce 
- 1 1/4 lbs. center-cut salmon fillet, cut into 4 porti 
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped scallions 
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro or parsley  - 4 slices blood orange

Directions: 

1. Position oven rack in upper third of oven; preheat broiler. Line a small baking pan with foil. Lightly oil foil or coat it with nonstick spray.

2. In a small dry skillet, toast sesame seeds over low heat, stirring constantly, until fragrant, 3 to 5 minutes. Set aside in a small bowl.

3. In another small bowl, whisk miso, mirin, soy sauce (or tamari), ginger and hot pepper sauce until smooth.

4. Place salmon fillets, skin-side down, in prepared pan. Brush generously with miso mixture. Broil salmon, 3 to 4 inches from the heat source, until opaque in the center, 6 to 8 minutes.

5. Transfer salmon to warmed plates and garnish with reserved sesame seeds, chopped scallions and cilantro (or parsley).

6. Shopping Tip: Miso paste, mirin and tamari are available in health-food stores and Asian markets.

7. Nutrition Tip: Other good fish sources of omega-3s are albacore tuna, mackerel, sardines, lake trout and cod.

8. Nutritional Information: 250 calories 11 total fat (2 g sat) 84 mg cholesterol 3 g carbohydrate 32 g protein 0 g fiber 460 mg sodium

'Til next time!

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