Gram P on Rocky Hill

Saturday, Sept 5, Gram suggested we hike up to Grampa Powell's memorial stone. As you can see, we made it. It was a steep climb, and there were times I wondered if we had both lost our marbles to attempt such a thing, but we enjoyed the view and remembered the first time we came to Rocky Hill. Gram fell in love with it immediately and knew that someday she would live in the stucco shooting range on this rugged hill.

Polly's D'Parture Party

When Polly told TK & Bill she was moving to Porterville, they offered to host a farewell party. The date was set for July 18th, Polly got together a list of friends, and it was Party On!

It was a beautiful, warm day in Sherwood, and the festivities spread outside. There was food, drink and conversation. Here Sam Caruso discovers the magic folding bench/picnic table combination and demonstrates its functionality to Elinore Howe, Dr. Sarah, Ron, and Cathy Nuno.

Meanwhile, back in the house, Heather Graziano signs the much-acclaimed master work "Polly: The Portland Years," a book in pictures and prose, by TK & Bill. Adam holds Olivia back from the buffet table with Vanessa's encouragement. And Doug and Beverly scout the scene for their directorial debut in a cinematic short featuring Polly's rear.

In the living room, Cathy Howe and Sam Caruso help Patt Watson pick a miniature painting to take home as her party favor. Polly and Abby hold court; Heather joins her Goldy in wishing Abby all the best in her new adventure.

Later Abby says goodbye to Sarah.
Gross, huh? Although parting is sad, Polly and Sarah focus on all the wonderful times they've shared, and as they share a farewell hug...is that -- yes, I believe Sarah's tail is actually wagging!

I have been overwhelmed by the outpouring of support and encouragement. Thank you, thank you to everyone who was able to come to my party. If you couldn't make it, I know you were there in spirit.

Over the last twelve years I've come to love the Pacific Northwest: the four seasons, the drama of the coastline, the comforting presence of Mt. Hood, the weirdness of Portland, the sudden crystalline sun break, the sting of cold mist on my cheek, and maybe most of all the curiously courteous drivers. But my greatest gift have been the friends, old and new, I have gathered here.

As I set off on my next adventure I will miss you all and think of you often. The difficulty of leaving Oregon will make imperative that I succeed in all my new endeavors. I'm excited about spending precious time with my mother, reconnecting with family, painting a lot, and introducing Abby to the Hollywood lifestyle of California. Help me keep in touch. I'll see you on my visits back to my adopted home.

FIRST ENTRIES IN RECIPE CONTEST

We have two official entries in the recipe contest and a bunch more still to be road tested. Better get yours going!

At HyNoon this week the word has been "quinoa" as in that vegetarian miracle food, the diet staple of ancient Peru. We cooked 2 cups in 4 cups of vegetable broth, and eaten it a couple different ways, coming up with some great small meal ideas for Gram. Quinoa cooks quickly, and is a seed that looks like tiny little sprouts when cooked. It's loaded with protein and is a good source of calcium.

TK's Fabulous Quinoa Wrap

1/4 c traditional quinoa cooked in vegetable broth
1 T cubed avocado
1 T cubed tomato
1/2 t lemon juice
Pepper to taste
Fajita size High Fiber wrap

Heat the wrap in the microwave about 20 seconds, till it's flexible. Put quinoa in the middle of wrap, top with other ingredients. Roll the wrap like a burrito, and YUM!

This small meal has about 325 calories, but it has 16 grams of dietary fiber and about 7 grams of protein.

Corn, beans, olives, salsa, cheese all would be tasty additions to this wrap.

A few miles away at Casa Hering, the word is "Gorp." In keeping with the theme of the recipe contest, this is a snack that can store and travel, and I think Gram P. will flip for it. Made with granola and peanut butter, this gorp has over 5g protein and 2.7g fiber in 1/2 cup.

Cammie's Peanut Butter-Granola Gorp

1/4 c peanut butter
1//4 c maple-flavored syrup
1 c low-fat granola
32 tiny pretzels, crushed
Cooking spray
1/2 c golden raisins
1/2 c dried cranberries

Microwave peanut butter & maple syrup 30 seconds until hot; stir well. Place granola & pretzels in large bowl; pour in peanut butter mixture and stir to coat. Spread mixture on baking tray coated with cooking spray and bake at 300 degrees for 25 minutes, stirring twice. Stir in raisins and cranberries. Return pan to oven. Turn oven off; cool mixture in closed oven for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and cool completely before storing p 1/2 cup individual servings in little zip-lock bags. (We'll have to see how sticky this gets in a car in the Porterville heat.)

I'm currently perfecting my tri-color deviled eggs, with no cholesterol and more protein than you can shake a rubber chicken at. Just let your imagination work on it!

DEAR ABBY

At the end of July, I, Polly, will be moving from Portland, OR to Porterville, CA to stay with Gram P. I will be bringing some furniture, my paints, this blog...and a sensitive, gentle dog named Abby. Some of you have met Abby, some of you know her well, but to most of you this is your chance to MEET ABBY.

Abby is a Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier, born in 2004. She is quite typical of that breed, in appearance, temperment and many behaviors. She'll be nice company for me and a good addition to the household. She is a submissive dog and will get along well with Ding.

Soft-Coated Wheaten Terriers, or Wheatens, have hair instead of fur (like poodles) so they don't shed much. Many people with allergies choose them for pets because of this. Abby's coat will pick up more pieces of pasture weeds than short-haired dogs, so I'll have to be very careful about letting her outside. My plan is to install a pen with artificial turf made for dogs.

When you come to visit, here are some things to know about Abby. If you point and say the word "Go" in an authoritative voice, she will go away from you in the direction in which you point. If she's bugging you, tell her "I'm eating," (or "he/she's eating if she's bugging someone else), and she will move away and not look at you. She knows the commands "Come," and "Sit," and "Down" for her means to lay down. She knows "Stay." She also responds to common hand signals for these commands. Use a deep, authoritative voice to get the best response.

Abby is sensitive and easily frightened. If she is scolded, she will want to hide. She doesn't like loud or sudden noises, too much quick movement, or arguing or fighting - even on tv. Her only reaction if she's scared is to leave the area where the people are or to move under a table or chair.

Abby jumps straight up off the ground when she's excited in the classic "Wheaten Greetin'." She usually won't touch you, but this could be scary for a little child. She's very friendly and loves everyone. She likes to lick, but knows she's not to and will cut it out if told. She's very excited around children, but hasn't been around them much and is not a dog who plays. No chasing balls or tug of war; Abby just doesn't care. It's probably wise to have close adult supervision for preschoolers at least.

Abby is a clean, dignified house dog, so if you are visiting us, you will be visiting her, too. Rule Number One of being a good friend to Abby is that she has food allergies. PLEASE, NO TABLE SCRAPS OR TREATS! I have to watch what she eats carefully, or she gest violently sick. I'm sure you'll enjoy Abby's wet kisses and exuberance just as much as I do.

Gram P's I-NO-LONGER-LIVE-TO-EAT-I-JUST-EAT-TO-LIVE Snack Contest

To kick off Gram P’s blog, we’re having a contest with fantastic prizes. Send in your best recipe for a snack to stave off her low blood sugar, and you could win an item from Polly’s superstar stash of cool junk! It’s guaranteed to be something you’ll love (maybe with an armadillo theme?), chosen specifically for our winners!

Here’s how it works: The goal is to keep Grandma’s blood sugar at a nice consistent level all day, so it means lots of snacks that are low in refined carbs (sugar) and high in complex carbs (like whole grains) and protein (like dairy, nuts, beans, meat or Ensure.)

Here's a quick quiz: In the picture to the right are crudite. How do you say that?

Try out your recipe on your friends and family, and if they survive, e-mail it to us at grolly.p@gmail.com so we can sample it, too. Judges will be Gram, Polly, Ding and special guest judges. Winners will have their recipe and photos posted on this blog and be mailed their fantastic prize.

Remember, Gram has very little taste and doesn’t smell so good either, so judging will be heavily weighted toward Texture, Temperature and Time. Think crunchy, chewy, smooth, creamy. Give her a frosty cold smoothie on a sweltering day or a toasty warm snack for evening. And if you’ve met her, you know about speed. Make it fast, eat it on the run, have a half dozen made up ahead of time to really save a minute or two. It will be a bonus if your snack can travel in a purse or survive in the car for days.

Be bold, be creative, get your recipe to us by August 10th to be entered in the contest. Your snack could save Grandma from an embarrassing and dangerous lapse, or could just be another tasty morsel for Polly to gobble up. Remember, Ding and Polly are supposed to be watching their waistlines, and they are judges, so they’ll be looking for any high-calorie delicious ingredients
(b-r-i-b-e-s) in your snacks.

Now here's another quiz:

Gram's doctor says she's to eat every
2 to 2.5 hours. If she gets up at 7:30 a.m.
and goes to bed at 10 p.m., how many
meals and snacks should she have in a
day? See why we're looking for lots of
yummy snack ideas?