Searching for Ansel Adams

      It has taken over 2 years as well as countless miles, shots, and editing, but my next book is scheduled for release in May.  Searching for Ansel Adams is an 81 page black and white expose of my best works so far.   I have always, as have so many, admired the depth and stark reality of Ansel Adam's work.  It was his efforts over the years that generated vast interest, virtually saving the National Parks System.  Nearly everything is shot full frame RAW color and then edited to BW in post.  I use Adobe Lightroom for nearly all of my post processing work.  This follows my 20015 release of The Mind's Eye, my first publication and a 31 page expose of my best early color shots.  Both of these publications I have produced myself as when you are starting out, you have to sponsor yourself via your own wallet.  My sales only help me to break even as well as get my work out there.  

      I have always loved photography, preferring to freelance my art.  I am trying to start a small business, responding to the demand from some folks to sell some of my work.  I have set up a couple of vendors that will make my work into canvas and I am looking into 'glass sets' as well.  I am looking for something a bit different than a typical frame hung wall picture or print.  I am very happy with the first two canvas shots I had made.  I will be creating a website showing the gallery of what I consider to be my finest work as well as my two books for purchase.  You will be able to decide what size and how you want your selections mounted and shipped to you.  Price will, of course, depend on size.  I won't really know book prices (to include shipping) until I get my production/shipment and final invoice.  I am planning on book prices to be $20 and $4 for shipping (if needed)  I will announce any and all information once my website is completed, but will also preview the entire inventory on Facebook.  Any of my Western Washington 'Homies' wanting to purchase a copy of the new book should contact me directly as we are heading out within a day or two of receipt of the shipment.  I will deliver this personally.
      My first book I produced through Shutterfly, but this current release will be done through a local recommended publisher Gorham Publishing of Centralia, WA.  They have proven very easy to work with and helped me to modify and accomplish some things I never would have thought of myself.  As I embark on this journey I will keep my focus on quality, not on sales.  I only want to better myself through my art and so that others may enjoy it as well.
      For those of you always asking about a cookbook as the kitchen is my other great passion......relax.  It may be coming down the road a few years.  I also have a few good ideas about a cross country expose of rural America on the back burner as well.  

"The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only one

page"

Saint Augustine

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Clams To Go, Please

     

      We dug clams earlier during this trip, but this would be our last go around for awhile.  This is the last scheduled 'dig' of the season.  Once again we camped at Screaming Eagle RV Campground at Ocean City, although the digs would be further north at Mocrocks.  This area, especially this time of year REALLY DRAWS A CROWD.  We hoped to really 'sack them up' the last 4 days of this season.  It was the first 'morning dig' of the year so the beach would be much more crowded.  Obviously, if you follow our blog this is something we do often when visiting here so I won't labor you with the specifics.  Relax (we did) and enjoy the pictures.

Although this poor guy gave himself up after we had already dug here,

this is often what you look for when the waves recede. 

When the tides are low, they WILL come.....LOTS of 'em

Trying to stay ahead of the surf

Once the shell is removed (they will pop open after 30 sec in boiling water) this is the remaining clam.  We immediately put these in ice water to stop the cooking process.

Completely cleaned razor clam (before trimming for use)
You can also use just the intact left portion above for fried clam steaks.  
We save a few of these for PoBoys or steaks, but mostly trim for Diggers (salads), Trimmed Frill (clam strips)and Chopped Necks (chowder meat) 

 Trimmed Diggers, Chowder Meat, & Strip Meat 

Vacuum Sealing for freezing

      Because we were digging in the mornings we ate small breakfasts such as grits or oatmeal with juice or coffee and toast, and then had a large late afternoon meal.  The clams soaked all day in a bucket of water and we cleaned and processed them each evening.  While at the beach we dined on Cudighi Stroganoff, Bacon Razor Clam PoBoys, Wild Boar Pizza, and Mangu Con Los Tres Golpes (a Dominican Breakfast with Sausage, Plantains, Fried Cheese, and Eggs) 

Dominican Sausage, Plantains, Fried Cheese, & Egg

Wild Boar Sausage Pizza

Bacon Clam Poboy

     Another successful trip with 90 more clams vacuum sealed and frozen.  The first day's limits were on the small-ish size and only I dug a limit on Day 2 as Barb's allergies won out.  Day 3 opened up the area much closer to camp at Copalis and Barb rejoined the fray fully rested.  In fact she dug her limit and helped me with a single to finish out mine.  Day 4 we returned to our first area, but found the digging much tougher with small-sh clams that were located deeper,  never fun.  So we tally 90 clams for our 4 day dig.  Our total for the entire spring season equates to nearly 7 pounds of digger meat, 7 pounds of clam strips, 3 pounds of steaks, and 7 pounds of chowder meat, but it will be another year before we are back here again on our way to Alaska.   Along with the wild boar, rabbit, turtle, pheasant, gator, scallops, stuffed pork chops, pork/clam sausage, Dominican Sausage, Schweinhaxen, and Tasso that's a lot of good eating stocking both RV freezers for the coming year.  Hmmmmm, might have to stop off in Ishpeming to stock up on some Cudighi as well.   Joie de Vivre........always pursuing the happiness, joy, and best; the spice of life.      

NOTE:  Diesel prices during our stay here ranged from 3.09 to $3.39.  We will leave Mom's and Western Washington in the next couple of weels, boondocking along the way heading east towards our 'other home' in NW Michigan....2400 miles.  I hope that we have been able to finalize or at least set in motion the next phase of mom's life.  These visits are always harder than you think with all your efforts born from love, but it never seems as though it is enough.  We look forward to getting back to Casa Hilts, once the snow is gone with the most beautiful time of year arriving.  There really is NO TELLING when we will actually arrive.  Spring and summer, although a bit late arriving sometimes, are beautiful at our place.  Maybe one day, one of you will come visit us.   

"Stop worrying about the potholes in the road and enjoy the journey" 

Babs Hoffman

WiFi courtesy of Verizon MiFi

Mississippi Pot Roast

   

         I have seen this recipe several times before online and finally decided to try it.  It seemed to me to be another of those great 'home cooked' recipes for cool weather.  The recipe is incredibly simple and very straight forward, easily used in our RV crockpot as well.  I prepared this one while visiting mom so we could fill the house with those flavors we all remembered years ago.  We bought a beautiful 3 pound chuck roast from a local meat market for this meal.

Searing Chuck Roast

Roast ready to go

Ingredients
Beef roast (here it is totally your choice as to size and cut)
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 package of dry ranch dressing, such as Hidden Valley
1 package of dry aus jus
1 stick of butter
1 small jar of Pepperoncini (quantity depends on your taste)

      Thaw roast if needed and season with salt and pepper.  Heat large skillet to medium high.  When hot, add roast and sear all sides.  Remove and place into crock pot.  Pour on the Ranch Dressing Mix, Aus Jus Mix, and place a stick of butter on top.  Place Pepperoncini around the sides of the roast, as many as your taste dictates.  Cover crockpot and turn to low for about 8 hours.  Test for doneness and then decide to:

Serve it sliced

Serve it chopped

      Either way you WILL NOT need a knife.  Serve it with mashed taters, noodles, rice, biscuits, or whatever you wish.  The smell in the kitchen alone will remind you of Mom, and probably Grandma as well. NOTE:  WITH THE VINEGAR FROM THE PEPPERONCINI BEING USED TO TENDERIZE THE MEAT, THE REMAINING PEPPERS ARE SOMEWHAT HOTTER THAN YOU MIGHT IMAGINE.  

"A minister has to be able to read a clock.  At noon it's time to go home and turn up the pot roast and get the peas from the freezer" 

Garrison Keillor

WiFi courtesy of Mom

Copper Creek Inn Ashford, WA

 Summertime photo courtesy of National Park Service

      Although this is not the optimal time to visit Mount Rainier National Park, it is still accessible with plenty of spectacular views to be had.  We have visited the park many times and have even stopped here to eat, but perhaps only now in my 'later middle aged years' did I realize that I took this place for granted.  This was another 'RESTAURANT REVIEW' far overdue. This was a day trip to break the monotony of a late developing spring here, or never ending winter depending on how you think of it.  We even treated Roux the Wonderpup to a day out.  We left Tumwater early enough as it is a 2 hour drive here, all two lane winding country roads gaining elevation into the Cascade Mountains.

      We chose to stop here on the way up to the mountain.  Located about 2 miles west of the Nisqually gate to the park, Copper Creek Inn   coppercreekinn.com/   is a quaint, homey, integral part of the Mount Rainier experience.  Now not only is it a restaurant and gift shop, they offer 14 different cozy cabins throughout the nearby forests for lodging.  From two story rental homes to the Copper Creek Lodge to single, romantic cabins, they have it all.  Prices, of course, vary greatly from $89 to $550 per night.

Photo courtesy of Copper Creek Inn

Photo courtesy of Copper Creek Inn

Photo courtesy of Copper Creek Inn

      Our visit was, of course, to the restaurant as we yearned to try more of the myriad of delicious dishes as well as their world famous dessert.  We arrived around lunch time, but they do serve a wide variety of breakfast menu as well.  coppercreekinn.com/menu.html  The CC Restaurant is what you would expect in a western mountain venue:  small, comfortable, quaint, and warm.  

      After a long drive through winding mountain roads through Ohop Bob,Elbe, LaGrande, and Ashford Barb were glad to be seated for a bit.  Perusing the menu gave us no relief as there were too many delicious choices.  Finally, after a bit of mulling, chatting with the waitress, and hot coffee Barb decided on the Bacon Blue Cheese Burger while I chose the BLT w/Garlic Taters.  We both chowed down like we'd been on the mountain.  

Bacon Blue Cheese Burger

BLT w/Garlic Redskins

      No meal in this world could ever be topped off better than a with warm piece of Copper Creek Wild Blackberry Pie.  Two pieces with forks and top off my coffee, please.  Total price for our lunch?  $40

Oh, baby.....

      From here we ventured on to the mountain itself.  A journey full of forests, waterfalls, ice, snow, and the peak itself.  Conservationist John Muir himself said it best........

Photo courtesy of National Park Service

      We traveled through Longmire and as far as Paradise to view the majestic peak in all her beauty.  Though the area is still very much covered in deep snow we enjoyed the visit.  It was a day trip, yet not to be wasted.  

Still 10-16' of snow at Paradise Lodge

      Copper Creek Inn is a wonderful little café with plenty of good food.  Barb and I both enjoyed our meals; would probably rate them both 'good'.  The pie was 'excellent' as always, but I always wish for a more sugary crust.  The service was 'okay', but in all fairness it is Spring Break and there was only a single waitress working.  She was quite friendly with us.  This is definitely worth the stop.  I rate this the full 5 stars. 

"Every man can transform the world from one of monotony and drabness to one of excitement and adventure"  

Irving Wallace

WiFi courtesy of Verizon MiFi

We Live and Die......Christ Died and Lived

      I can't even remember the last time I was home with Mom for Easter.  This year we'll celebrate all that is important.  We began our celebration with a somewhat silly, but completely unexpected approach as we surprised Mom with an Easter Basket for the holiday........just to have fun.    Dinner was a much more involved matter as I (the anal retentive chef) planned the ultimate feast.  I love a good leg of lamb.  Barb and I enjoy any type of lamb, but Mom had only tried it in Oregon at my sisters.  Her husband, Jim, makes a fantastic lamb shish-ka-bob so my work was cut out for me.

      It was a pretty informal morning, other than the surprise basket and several phone calls.  I got the meal in the oven early afternoon so that we had time for reverence as well as celebration (at our age, celebration means TV).   I had selected a choice leg o' lamb for dinner; ordered early and FRESH from Stewarts Meats.  www.stewartsmeatmarket.com/  I marinated this the week before.  I planned to accompany this with mashed potatoes, and a batch of fresh green peas.   Of course biscuits will be on the menu as well, King's Hawaiian.  Not to be outdone, Mom made her delicious fruit salad.  Barb topped everything off with a tray of her Mom's special recipe deviled eggs.  

       First of all,  I trim the excess fat off the lamb and then place it in a large turkey bag.  I also include several sprigs of mint leaves, a couple of quartered Golden Delicious Apples, and approximately a half bottle of Chardonnay wine.  Squeeze out any excess air, tie off the bag, and marinate for several (up to 4) days. Turn the bag over once a day.

Lamb ready to go into oven

      When ready to cook the lamb, remove from marinade bag, drain, and place in a roasting pan complete with stocking net (if boneless).  Rub roast with lots of Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Thyme, Oregano, Rosemary, a bit of Lamb Tajine Spice, and Garlic.  Sprinkle with salt.  This provides a delicious outer crust.  Place roast into preheated 425 degree oven for 15 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 for 2 hours or until inserting the thermometer at deepest point, but not touching the bone reads 145 (medium rare) or 160 (medium),  your choice.  Remove from oven and let rest on cutting board for 30 minutes more.  Make gravy from juices in roasting pan 

Lamb resting right out of the oven

     Holiday mashed taters are a treat.  Barb did her mash with butter, sour cream, and garlic.  Tender peas are easily warmed and served fresh.  Deviled eggs and fruit salad, oh my!  Warm the rolls, dot with butter.......voila!  Remember, we only used a half bottle of Chardonnay earlier........you do the math.  

"There would be no Christmas if there was no Easter"

Gordon B. Hinckley

WiFi courtesy of Mom