Michigan, 2016

Or
Saginaw, MN to Saginaw MI

Or
The Great Lakes Tour

Or
Two States and One Lake for One Restaurant

So many title options for this posting!

The reason for this trip to visit Bradley's in Saginaw, MI.  Scott and his wife opened Bradley's in 2014, after a year of extensive remodeling.  We were informed the space had been empty for 20-25 years and it was in rough shape - we saw the pictures.  It was in rough shape. They completely gutted the interior going to the studs and beyond.  Pretty amazing work. 

But, I should start at the beginning, which is in Saginaw, MN, just outside of Duluth, where we buttoned up the house and headed out. 

Saturday/Sunday:  Manitowoc, WI was our first stop.  We slept over Saturday night, then Sunday morning toured the Maritime Museum (HIGHLY recommended) and caught the 130p ferry for Michigan.  This was the Badger's last run of the season, and we couldn't have planned better weather for the 56 mile four hour crossing:  70*, sunny, mostly calm seas.  The main excitement of the trip was the ferry hauling one of those mega-semi trailers - the XXL trailers that haul wind turbine generators and wind turbine blades around here.  Yes, they backed one of those trailers into the ferry.  How cool is that!?!  

Sputnik crashed in Manitowoc

 

Manitowoc WI, Maritime Museum

The Badger docking

Loading the mega-trailer on the Badger. 

Sunday:  We arrived in Ludington, MI, about 630p-ish, but because we were among the first six cars ON the ferry, we had to wait.  Mostly we had to wait until they could pull afore mentioned trailer off. So it was about 730p before we made it too our B&B, where we discovered a very unfortunate mix-up had occurred.  Because the Innkeeper was very apologetic about the error, I won’t mention the establishment.  Mistakes happen.  In a nutshell, another person by my first name checked in (sans reservation) but he thought it was me, and thus, when I showed up, the mistake was revealed.  Being a Sunday night during non-peak tourist season, I wasn’t worried about procuring a room at a hotel and, in all honesty, the Comfort Inn was a very nice room for about the same price.  After a late dinner, we crashed.

Departure from Manitowoc, WI

56 mile crossing - four hours

Arrival in Ludington, MI

Monday: We toured the Big Sable Lighthouse, drove up to Douglas Valley Vineyard, then tootled across the state to Saginaw, MI and checked into our hotel. 

Big Sable Lighthouse, Ludington, MI

View of Michigan coast from lighthouse

 

 

Douglas Winery

Tuesday: Saginaw we toured the Castle Museum in downtown Saginaw, MI.   Another HIGHLY recommended museum.  We easily spent about 2 ½ hours there.  Bonus!  Castle Museum is only a block from Bradley’s! 

Castle Museum

Bradley's Restaurant - I highly recommend it!

We surprised Scott, the Husband's longtime acquaintance at the end of lunch rush, enjoyed a fantastic meal (the mac and cheese was amazing!  The Husband had some kind of burger with bacon and fried onions, with a side of truffle fries.  O.M.G.) then introductions all around.  We wandered away for a couple hours so they could prep for dinner, and came back to another great meal (a pork dish for the Husband, Gnocchi for me.  YUM!).  The four of us went out for a round of drinks and socializing before calling it a visit and saying good night and best wishes.

Wednesday: We were on the road again.  Up to Bay City for breakfast at Maggie’s.  We decided to skip the Navel Museum in favor of the 5 hour drive along the shore of Lake Huron.  My humble opinion, won’t need to do that drive again.  It’s ¾ houses/cabins and ¼ visible lake shore.  Disappointing. 

Arrived in Mackinaw City about 4ish, caught the next ferry to Mackinac Island, get settled in our hotel, and found dinner.  

Mackinac Island

Mackinac Island

The Grand Hotel, Mackinac Island (no, we did not stay here...)

Thursday: In the morning we rented bikes and biked the middle of the island because that seemed to have the most historical things to look at, then came back along the shore, where the Husband’s peddle fell off.  Ah, the joys of rental bikes – parts fall off or seats don’t stay up.  Returned the bikes, grabbed lunch, then spent three hours touring Fort Mackinac.  Dinner and called it a day.

Fort Mackinac

Friday/Saturday: Time to head home!  Ferry ride back to Mackinaw City, halfway point being Marquette, MI, where the Husband found the most amazing Cajun restaurant.  Seriously, this place was awesome.  Alligator Bites for an appetizer, Bouillabaisse as a main dish, and BINGETS for dessert!  I FINALLY got to try a BINGET!  Who would have thought there would be such a great Cajun restaurant in downtown Marquette?

Grand Island Harbor, by Pictured Rocks National Shoreline, Lake Superior

And thus, ends the trip:  three lakes (Superior, Michigan and Huron), two ferry rides, all for one restaurant:  Bradley's.   Totally worth it! 

The Dark Wind by Tony Hillerman (Leaphorn and Chee #5)

The Dark Wind by Tony Hillerman

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Jacket Blurb:  A corpse whose palms and soles have been "scalped" is only the first in a series of disturbing clues: an airplane's mysterious crash in the nighttime desert, a bizarre attack on a windmill, a vanishing shipment of cocaine. Sgt. Jim Chee of the Navajo Tribal Police is trapped in the deadly web of a cunningly spun plot driven by Navajo sorcery and white man's greed.
 
Read as an audio book. I really enjoy the narrator of Dark Wind. He's done a couple in this series, and he's absolutely perfect.

Premise of the story is, Jim Chee has found himself in the wrong place at the wrong time, and is a partial witness to a triple murder that may involve a very large drug deal gone wrong. The Feds and the DEA are convinced Chee - being a mere "Navajo" policeman - is involved somehow. Chee, with his understanding of the Navajo and Hopi ways, methodically unravels who killed three men while figuring out who has been sabotaging the Hopi windmill.

This was a wonderfully written mystery, with more twists and turns than a desert arroyo. I was just delighted in how the plot slowly unfurled, with all sorts of subtle red herrings, then everything culminating in the resolution. I enjoyed the duality of the Navajo and Hopi cultures presented in this one, and a glimpse at the government bureaucracies in that corner of the world.

Thaaattt being said...the book felt unfinished. I was left with some unanswered questions and a feeling that I didn't get the whole story. I knew the book was done. "The End" was spoken out loud. There were no more disks. But I still had items that needed to be answered!

Ultimately, a wonderfully done narration and very enjoyable book.



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Recipe Review from 10/10/2016

A busy week!  I put the Husband on a plane for Virginia - he had an all-staff meeting from Tues thru Friday, well, Wednesday/Thursday with two travel days on each side.

And work had me up on The Range for two days, in addition to my usual yoga classes, a run to the vet for booster shots and the usual errands.   Not complaining about the Range runs at all - it was peak color on Tues, and despite some sustained winds Wed and Thurs, the colors were just as enjoyable.  Just less leaves on the trees.


Bean and Bacon Soup  (Taste and Tell Blog by Deborah)  gluten free
Friend Tess found this recipe and passed it along.  Only one significant alteration and that was I used dried beans instead of canned - I had some on hand and it was easy enough to cook them up.  It did require some pre-planning, so if time is of the essence, use canned. 

I really enjoyed this - a combination of creamy bean mixture with whole beans complimented by a background of bacon.  This re-heated very well.  Using 1lb dried beans, this made about 7 servings.  This was great with a crusty bread to sop up the soup.

Serves: 4 servings  (I ended up with about 7 servings)

Photo from Taste and Tell

• 8 oz. smoked bacon, diced
• 1 cup diced yellow onions
• 1 cup diced carrots
• 1 cup diced celery
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 3 cans (15 oz each) Great Northern beans, drained and rinsed
• (I used 1lb dried white beans, pre-cooked)
• salt and pepper
• 1 can (8 oz) tomato sauce

1. Cook the bacon in a soup pot or Dutch oven until crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon to a paper towel lined plate. Discard all but about 2 tablespoons of the bacon grease.   
2. To the hot bacon grease, add the onions, carrots and celery. Cook over medium heat until they start to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook an additional minute. Stir in the chicken broth and beans. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Bring to a bubble then reduce the heat to low and let the soup simmer for 1 hour.
3. Remove half of the soup to a blender or food processor. Using an immersion blender, process until smooth. Return the puree to the soup pot and stir into the remaining soup. Add the tomato sauce and ¾ of the reserved bacon and stir to combine. Taste and season to taste with salt and pepper. Let the soup simmer until it is heated through, about 5 minutes. Serve topped with the remaining bacon.

Slow Cooker Pork Chops and Noodles (Ckng Lght, Sept 2016)
I know it's Fall when the slow cooker is pulled out and the first hearty pork and noodle dish is created.  This dish was perfect for a beautiful October day.  There is a bit of prep on the front end - chopping veggies and searing the meat, then it's hands off until its time to cook the noodles and thicken the sauce.

My only complaint with this dish is, I found it to be a bit bland, which, given the sherry vinegar and the herbs, was a bit of a surprise.  I will note, that 7 hours might be too long for the pork.  Monitor your slow cooker and adjust timing accordingly.  5-6 hours might be plenty.

Serve with some artisinal crusty bread to sop up the sauce.  

1 1/2 cups unsalted chicken stock

1 1/2 teaspoons sherry vinegar

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

photo from cookinglight.com

Cooking spray

3/4 pound carrots, peeled and cut into 2-in. pieces

1/2 pound shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and caps quartered 

(I used cremini 'shrooms - cheaper to buy) 

1/2 cup chopped onion

2 garlic cloves, minced

4 thyme sprigs

2 oregano sprigs

1 tablespoon olive oil

4 (6-oz.) bone-in center-cut pork chops

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided

3/4 teaspoon black pepper, divided

1/4 cup dry white wine

6 ounces uncooked whole-wheat egg noodles

2 tablespoons heavy cream

2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves

1. Combine stock, vinegar, and flour in a 6-quart slow cooker coated with cooking spray. Stir in carrots, mushrooms, onion, garlic, thyme sprigs, and oregano sprigs.

2. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high. Sprinkle pork chops with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Add pork chops to pan; cook 2 minutes on each side. Place pork chops in slow cooker.

3. Add wine to skillet over medium-high; cook 30 seconds, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Spoon wine mixture over pork chops in slow cooker. Cover and cook on LOW for 7 hours or until vegetables are tender.

4. Cook egg noodles according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain.

5. Remove pork chops from slow cooker, and keep warm. Remove and discard herb sprigs. Add heavy cream, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon pepper to vegetable mixture in slow cooker, stirring to combine. Stir in cooked egg noodles. Divide noodle mixture among 4 plates; top each with 1 pork chop, and drizzle with any remaining sauce in slow cooker. Sprinkle evenly with thyme leaves.

The Burning Room by Michael Connelly (Harry Bosch #22)

The Burning Room by Michael Connelly

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Jacket Blurb:  In the LAPD's Open-Unsolved Unit, not many murder victims die almost a decade after the crime. So when a man succumbs to complications from being shot by a stray bullet nine years earlier, Bosch catches a case in which the body is still fresh, but any other evidence is virtually nonexistent.


Now Bosch and his new partner, rookie Detective Lucia Soto, are tasked with solving what turns out to be a highly charged, politically sensitive case. Starting with the bullet that's been lodged for years in the victim's spine, they must pull new leads from years-old information, which soon reveals that this shooting may have been anything but random.


Read as an audio book.

Kudos! Hachette Audio managed to get Titus Welliver as the narrator! Very cool.

Harry has one year left on the job and wants to make the most of his time left with the Open Unsolved Unit. The department has undergone another reorganization, and he's now paired with Lucia "Lucy" Soto, a young and upcoming Latino woman who made a name for herself as a street cop. She's now paired with Harry, and Harry feels it's his mission to "train" her in properly in the ways of being a True Blue detective.

Which means he doesn't trust her, he treats her like a subordinate and someone who doesn't know anything. Because, as we all know by this point in the series (book #22), only Bosch knows best.

But, despite my grumblings and misgivings, this book surprised me I think this is one of the better in the series.

Bosch wasn't a complete and total ass to Lucy - but found that she met "his" criteria for what it takes to be a detective - working late, coming in early, getting her boots on the ground and knocking on doors, and a tenacity that rivaled his own.

Bosch wasn't a complete ass to strangers/coworkers. At one point he even held off on making a phone call in the middle of the night so as not to disturb the individual. He wouldn't have done that in previous books.

The year Bosch has remaining with LAPD was a bit heavy on the foreshadowing. I felt like I was being hit over the head with the repeated "How much time do you have left Harry?" questions and responses.

Ultimately, I thought the cold cases in this book were interesting, nicely convoluted, and kept me engaged. Lucy's tie in added a level of personal touch that humanized the murders. If you've read the previous twenty-one books in the series, I recommend this one.



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Recipe Review from 10/2/2016

Meal plan ended up with a bit of tweaking this week as the Husband found some pasture raised and finished ground beef to try.   I had everything on hand for tacos, which also used up some fresh veggies so a win-win meal.

Otherwise, pretty uneventful!


The Meal Plan:
Sun (L) out  (S)  Cheesy Quinoa Bake
Mon (yoga)  leftovers
Tues - leftovers  tacos!
Wed(morning yoga) Sweet Potato and bacon veggie skillet  leftover tacos
Thurs (yoga) leftover quinoa
Fri (yoga) leftover quinoa

Lunches - Vegetable Soup (Husband made);  Bean and Bacon Soup


Cheesy Sausage, Broccoli and Quinoa Bake  (Ckng Lght, Sept 2016)  gluten free option**
Massive modifications here - IF you follow the link to the recipe, you will see it's to make 2 (TWO) casseroles.  One to eat now, one to freeze and eat later.  I only made ONE and the recipe below reflects that.

Please note, I also did not decrease the amount of carrots and onions and I used regular Italian sausage instead of chicken sausage.  This is a bit putsy, but there is time at the end to clean up dishes and counters and to set the table before eating.  Flavor-wise, this is pretty mellow and I thought it could have used something, but couldn't quite figure out what.   This made closer to six servings, especially if you serve it with a hearty green salad or some additional vegetables.    

1 1/4 cups water

1 cups uncooked quinoa, rinsed and drained

1 tablespoons olive oil

Photo from CookingLight.com

1/2 cup chopped yellow onion

1/2 cup chopped carrot

2 (4-oz.) links sweet chicken Italian sausage, casings removed

(I used regular Italian sausage) 

1/8 cup all-purpose flour

1 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 cup whole milk  (I used goat milk)

1 cups unsalted chicken stock (such as Swanson)

3 cups chopped fresh broccoli florets

1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme, 1 tsp dried thyme, divided

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper

Cooking spray

1/2 cup whole-wheat panko (Japanese breadcrumbs) ** I skipped

2 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded (about 1/2 cup)

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.

2. Bring 1 1/2 cups water and quinoa to a boil in a large saucepan. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 12 to 14 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Remove pan from heat; let stand 5 minutes.

3. Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high. Add 1 tablespoon oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add onion, carrot, and sausage; cook 7 minutes, stirring to crumble sausage. Remove sausage mixture to a bowl with a slotted spoon.

4. Add flour, butter, and garlic to drippings in pan; cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add milk and stock; bring to a boil. Cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly with a whisk. Reduce heat to medium; stir in broccoli, 2 teaspoons thyme, 3/8 teaspoon salt, 3/8 teaspoon black pepper, and red pepper. Cover and cook 2 minutes. Stir in quinoa and sausage mixture.

5. Coat 1 (8-inch) square microwave-safe glass or ceramic baking dishes with cooking spray. Divide quinoa mixture between dishes. Combine remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons oil and panko in a bowl; add remaining 1 teaspoon thyme, remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt, remaining 1/8 teaspoon black pepper, and cheddar. Sprinkle cheese mixture evenly over casserole, sprinkle remaining thyme over cheese. Bake at 400°F for 18 minutes or until browned, or follow freezing instructions.

RECIPE NOTES: This can be doubled and half of it frozen for later.  See original recipe at Cooking Light.    How To: FREEZE: Cool unbaked casseroles completely; cover tightly with aluminum foil. Freeze up to 2 months. THAW: Remove foil. Microwave at HIGH 20 minutes or until thawed. REHEAT: Cover with foil and bake at 375°F for 25 minutes; then broil 5 minutes or until golden brown.

Bacon-Powered Sweet Potato Veggie Skillet (Ckng Lght, Sept 2016)

I made this for lunch over the weekend.  I'm not so sure about the "bacon-powered" part - it was more of an added flavor than any "power" aspect. 

I will also note that if making for breakfast, best to save for the weekend or a day off.  This is not fast enough for a typical a work-day breakfast in my humble opinion.   

Overall, tasty enough - I used one medium sweet potato and substituted Swiss chard and kale for the spinach.  The feta is a nice touch, and goat cheese would be outstanding. 

3 center-cut bacon slices, diced

1/2 cup diced onions

Photo from CookingLight.com

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/3 cup diced yellow bell pepper

1/3 cup diced red bell pepper

1 cup (1/2-in.) cubed sweet potato (I probably had two cups)

1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper

1/4 cup unsalted chicken stock

4 ounces fresh spinach (I used chopped Swiss chard and kale)

1 ounce feta cheese, crumbled (about 1/4 cup)

1. Place bacon in a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat; cook 5 minutes or until just starting to crisp. Add onion; sauté 3 minutes. Add garlic; sauté 1 minute. Add bell peppers; sauté 4 minutes. Add potato, salt, crushed red pepper, and stock. Cover and cook 9 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Add spinach; cook, uncovered, 1 minute or until spinach wilts. Divide mixture between 2 bowls; sprinkle with cheese.

NYPD Red 4 by James Patterson

NYPD Red 4 by James Patterson

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


Jacket Blurb:  An audacious jewel heist. A murdered actress. A killer case for NYPD Red.

In a city where crime never sleeps, NYPD Red is the elite task force called in only when a case involves the rich, famous, and connected. Detective Zach Jordan and his partner, Kylie MacDonald--the woman who broke his heart at the police academy--are the best of the best, brilliant and tireless investigators who will stop at nothing to catch a criminal, even if it means antagonizing the same high-flying citizens they're supposed to be helping.

When a glitzy movie premiere is the scene of a shocking murder and high-stakes robbery, NYPD Red gets the call. Traversing the city's highs and lows, from celebrity penthouses to the depths of Manhattan's criminal underworld, Zach and Kylie have to find a cold-blooded killer--before he strikes again.

Read as an audio book.

Chapter 4. Zack is already agonizing over Cheryl being angry because he's home late. Cheryl is NYPD's psychological counselor. If anyone knows what it's like to be on a cop or detective hours, it will be her. But more than that, she's mad because he's with Kylie, his partner. Gads. Annoyed already.

So the big question at the start of this book was - am I reading a male fantasy romance or a detective thriller? The big question at the end of the book was - did I read a male fantasy romance or a detective thriller?

Several plots all kinda weaving together
Zack and Cheryl (sorry if I'm misspelling the name, I "read" this as an audio book) - will they or won't they stay together because of Zack's inability to say "No" to Kylie.
Kylie and Spencer - will she continue to support her drug addict husband or will she divorce the guy and return to Zack?
The Mystery - a shooting, a missing necklace, a couple of con artists, who's on first?
The Other Mystery - who's stealing hospital equipment?

I've already touched on the romance. I really could do without it. ALL of it.

I've noticed a trend in the Patterson books I've been reading - All the men are good looking, all the women are drop dead, heart stopping, gorgeous. Long legs, long hair, no plain women allowed.

The resolution to the hospital mystery - I didn't buy it. If a person was stealing millions of dollars in hospital equipment, and they were caught, they should be prosecuted regardless of "national hero" status. They were stealing. Period. It's not going to affect political careers - only that bright Hero has now fallen and the press is going to gobble that up like it's stuffing on T-day.

Ultimately - a mindless read, good for commuting, traveling, or a day at the beach. Don't expect a lot, because there's not a lot here.



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Oregon, 2016

No recipe review this week - I was off on adventures!

I was back in Oregon visiting the Sister, her Husband and the Nephew.  It was a fun filled four and a half days: 

Thurs - early morning and uneventful flights.  Landed in Portland at 11a to cool and overcast weather. Sister was waiting at the airport, then took me to McMenamins Hotel and Restaurant (and smoking room, and brewery, and soaking pool, and movie theater...).  I highly recommend this as a Portland stop!  We then went to Close Knits and the fabric store next door (she wanted to by fabric). Close Knits was a repeat from last year - a delightful store with a good selection of local yarns to choose from.

Fri - it continued to be rainy and overcast.  I taught the Sister the basics of sewing in the morning and we made two small gift bags.  Lunch with her co-worker and his two sisters (also in town visiting) at a great Indian restaurant.  Grocery shopped for the weekend trip to the Willamette National Forest and the Clear Lake "Resort".

Sat - packed car with linens, food, and lawn chairs, then Caroline (another co-worker) arrived and we stuffed her items and dog in the car along with the Nephew, myself, and the Sister and we were off to Canby, OR, for the Flock and Fiber festival.  That was pretty cool.  Then a two hour drive back south across county to  Clear Lake Resort in the Willamette National Forest.   Beautiful, rustic, awesome.   Amazingly awesome.  I have never seen tress so BIG!  Nor water so CLEAR!  Amazing...

Sun - hiked around the lake (~5 miles) and admired the beauty of it all with clear skies and 90* temps.   Saw the headwaters of the McKenzie river.  Saw BIG trees, lava flows, and some amazing terrain.  

Mon - stuffed everyone back in the car and came back to Corvallis. Still 90* (loved it!).   I shoved linens, blankets, and towels through the laundry - cabin was none to clean and neither were we after Sunday's hike.   Took a walk in the evening and called the weekend/trip a success. 



Tues - Sister put me on the shuttle to Portland at 8a (including her head cold...). At airport by 1030a, then a two hour wait to see if I had a seat on the plane (I did).  I'm not certain if I *should* have been worried, but I've never switched flights two weeks out either.  I inquired about getting on the earlier flight but they were full.  In Minneapolis by 700p.  In Duluth by 920p. Home by 1015ish. That, was a long day. 

Ultimately, a really great trip that allowed me to see a bit more of Oregon.  Could have done without the head cold I caught, but meh, so it goes.