Weekend in Eugene

Last weekend, I took Little to visit her auntie in Eugene, Oregon.  Little was an awesome traveller . . . she loved going "up up up" and "down down down" and eating snacks on the airplane.  On our layover in Portland, she ran all over the airport making friends (and climbing on stuff).  

It took her a little while to warm up (figuratively and literally) and start talking, but once she started, she didn't stop.  On Saturday, we checked out the beautiful public library and took a photo with Eugene F. Skinner, the founder of Eugene (why isn't the city called "Skinner"?).  

It was a lot of fun to just chill on Paula's couch, play some scrabble, work on a crossword puzzle (weirdest clue - "Anatomical cul de sac") and talk.  We explored Paula's neighborhood and I didn't take a picture, but one thing I noticed was how there are bulbs planted everywhere - the daffodils were so beautiful.  My daffodils come from Trader Joe's but how fun to live somewhere where you see those annuals come up in the springtime.  

Now, on to the food.  Paula introduced me to a new beer, the Red Chair IPA (a local brew) and Little and I were treated to dinner at the Pizza Research Institute (thanks, David!).  I highly recommend both if you ever find yourself in that neck of the woods.

It was St. Patrick's Day while I was there so we made an Irish meal of Shepherd's Pie  and Irish Coffee Blondies.  I had a great time cooking with Paula and eating off of Grandma Vi's dishes.  We decided these recipes aren't just for St. Pattie's Day . . . Shepherd's Pie is really the ultimate comfort food and it was a lot easier (and less time consuming) to make than I had always assumed it would be.  The Irish Coffee Blondies were awesome . . . I ate way too much and the whisky icing was amazing.

Shepherd's Pie Recipe . . . we added dried thyme and some hot sauce but otherwise, followed the recipe.

Irish Coffee Blondies Recipe