Photo Post: North Cascades

A few weeks ago we finally made it to a place in the world that has been on my bucket list for quite some time, North Cascades National Park. Thankfully, being based in Portland these days means it was just a quick 5 hour drive to get there! This park really was everything I dreamed it would be, a park seemingly built for adventurous off-the-beaten-path folks like my babes and I. Case and point - not a single one of the campgrounds in the park even has a shower. 

While my level of grunginess at the end of the trip may have preferred at least one shower over the course of the nine day adventure, a lack of amenities also means a lack of the crowds found at most of our nation's National Parks... even during 4th of July week! 

I'll keep my commentary brief, but here are some of my favorite images from a 5 day backpacking trip, a one night trip to a fire lookout tower, and a few nights of car camping. 

The rich blue of mountain waters makes for a magical sight, be it in the blue glimmer of glaciers hugging the rocky mountaintops or the blue of raging mountain streams mid snow melt - like this one we followed for the first few days of our backpacking trip. 

A backpacking trip with my sweet man is never official until I've taken at least one photograph of him pumping water alongside whatever body of water we can find. This one is perhaps my favorite in what could be a long series throughout the years. 

On the fourth of July we arrived along the shores of Lake Chelan, a deep and vast mountain lake stretching fifty miles through the valley, in the little town of Stehekin. The joys of conveniences mid-backpacking trip are some we don't often experience. We were giddy to be able to buy cold beer to celebrate the holiday and find the local garden selling fresh vegetables (which the gardener harvested only when we told him what we wanted) and goat cheese made on site. 

The next day we began our hike up and over a mountain pass and out of the valley. Upon first climbing up above the valley, we had a beautiful look down on the river and the town's historic orchard tucked in one of the few clearings. 

Dwarf Lupine abounds in this mountain environment, blooming a beautiful small purple flower and catching water to form these diamond-esque jewels. 

Our final few days of adventure involved climbing 4,500 feet to reach the peak of Lookout Mountain, and this fire lookout tower on stilts. While we knew the views beyond the mist were a magical ring of rugged snowy peaks, we marveled in the mystery from our cozy spot in the clouds. 

Pasta Fresca & Our Garden

While I can sometimes be known to search at all lengths for a special ingredient to make incredibly specific dishes, the recipe I'm sharing today is not one of those. In fact, it is about as opposite as can be! This is the dish you make with whatever happens to be fresh in your world, whatever catches your eye at the farmers market or beckons to be harvested from your garden. Or in some cases, whatever needs to be used from your fridge. The options are endless! 

But first, lets look at some garden photos! My babes and I finally got our hands on a little plot of land to start gardening again, and we couldn't be happier to have returned home from vacation with food to be harvested (thanks so a sweet friend who watered while we were gone!).

On my most recent trip to the garden, I got lost for a bit photographing bees... I could definitely photograph bees for a nearly endless amount of time. I love the chase, being as still as possible to not disturb them, and finally capturing clear shots of those speedy little wonders. Bees are so vital to our world, they deserve our respect. 

Also, I always want to give that little hairy bit on their back a pet! 

In our plot, greens abound - everything from kale to mustards to tender salad mix. Even many of the non-greens plants could be eaten as greens if we so wish - turnips, radishes, and beets. It's a salad in the soil! 

In a neighbors plot, early planted onions are going to seed, creating these big and beautiful displays. 

Now - back to that pasta! 

The few things that do matter in making this dish shine are having a flavorful olive oil, quality sea salt, freshly ground pepper, and a tasty hard cheese. Those things aside, you just go ahead and fill the veggie space with whatever you so dream. 

My version of this dish is made from rustic spinach pasta we've had in the pantry, but you can make it with whatever pasta you please. Veggies were made up of the harvests of my garden, some broccoli that caught my eye at the farmers market and was kindly traded to me for lunch from the food truck I work for once a week, and carrots: a must-have in our fridge. 

It's nothing more than a bit of veggie prep, cooking pasta, and doing a little sautéing to bring this meal to the table. Perfect for a quick weeknight meal, and as leftovers for lunch the next day! 

Pasta Fresca 

note: I'm not going to include amounts in this recipe... please don't let that frighten you! Start with the amount of pasta that will serve your anticipated number of eaters, and aim for an equal amount of veggies. 

garlic 

onions 

veggies fresca (whatever is fresh and/or on hand), chopped into bite sized pieces 

pasta, any shape you fancy! 

olive oil 

sea salt

freshly ground black pepper 

fresh basil, chopped into fine ribbons 

freshly grated parmesan cheese, or another hard cheese 

• Set a generously salted pot of water to boil over high heat. When it comes to a boil, add your pasta and cook for the directed amount of time given your pasta type. 
• While the water is boiling and the pasta is cooking, start sautéing your vegetables. Heat a pan over medium heat, add a bit of olive oil, then the onions. When they start to become translucent, add the garlic and any other hearty vegetables that need a bit of cooking. Add in the remaining veggies based on their cooking times, ending with the things that need the least amount of cooking. Just give it your best guess if you're unsure - the worst that can happen is a few of your veggies still have their crunch factor! In my case, I added the carrots with the garlic, then the broccoli, then the kale. I stirred in the turnips and radishes fresh. 
• When the veggies and the pasta are cooked (and the pasta is strained!), stir it all together in one of the pots you're using. Drizzle with a bit of olive oil and stir it to coat. 
• Plate the pasta with an extra drizzle of oil, salt & pepper sprinkled on top, and a bit of fresh basil and cheese to your liking. 

Toasted Vanilla Coconut Oats

It's time for oats, friends! There is something oh-so-satisfying about sitting down to a hearty bowl of oats for breakfast, no matter how much of a "boring breakfast" reputation they might have. Warm and nutty with a hint of sweetness - you can't go wrong in my book. 

With this recipe, I'm giving oats a bit of a facelift by toasting them gently to bring out that nutty flavor. Then we add some coconut cream, my new favorite vanilla extract, a touch of maple syrup, and some chia seeds for a little bonus nutrition. Here's to the new normal of satisfying and healthy breakfasts! 

Take a close-up peek at these beauties, toasted just to that perfect level of golden brown to ensure you're getting the absolute best flavor possible out of those little oats! 

If you haven't noticed - I'm a pretty big believer in vanilla. I've always loved the intoxicating flavor of those exotic beans, and am endlessly trying new types of vanilla in search of the best ways to bring that flavor into my creations. I was pretty darn excited to try this Vanilla Bean "Crush" from Sonoma Syrup, and couldn't be happier that it lived up to my expectations. The combination of an extract made from the highest quality beans and vanilla bean seeds makes for the best tasting vanilla extract I've gotten my hands on yet. 

Thankfully, these oats come together in almost no time at all. While they do require two dishes to make, one of them hardly gets dirty and you don't have to stir the oats while they cook. That means, you can toast the oats then mix them in with the liquid and totally abandon them for five minutes while you make some coffee or wake the kids. This is my kind of warm weekday breakfast. 

Topping the oats off with some fresh berries and a hearty sprinkling of my lightly sweetened toasted coconut chips makes for a simple breakfast that feels like something special. Go ahead, treat yo' self! 

This recipe will make breakfast for two, but can easily be halved or doubled depending how many folks you'd like to feed! 

Toasted Vanilla Coconut Oats

1 cup water

1/2 cup coconut cream 

2 Tbsp maple syrup

pinch sea salt 

1 1/2 cups rolled oats 

1 1/2 tsp vanilla 

2 Tbsp chia seeds (optional) 

Toasted Coconut and Berries for topping 

• Combine water, coconut cream, maple syrup, and salt in a pot, and place over medium-high heat to boil. 
• Heat a frying pan over medium-high heat. Once it's hot, add the oats and let them toast for a few minutes. If they start to brown before the water/coconut milk is boiling, pull them off the heat.
• Once the liquid is boiling, add the oats and the vanilla. Remove the pot from the heat, cover, and let sit for 5 minutes. 
• Give the oats a good stir, and add a little extra coconut cream if you like creamier oats. Also stir in the chia seeds. 
• Top the oatmeal with berries and toasted coconut, and serve. 

Disclaimer: I have received free product or money from businesses highlighted in this article - which helps me keep this blog alive. I take great pride in the advice I share here on Toot Sweet, and would never recommend a product to you that I'm not over-the-moon excited about, or that I wouldn't purchase for use in my own kitchen.