Some awesome Bob's Red Mill products

My very favorite supplier of whole grain products for several years has been Bob’s Red Mill in Milwaukie, Oregon. The latest news from the Mill is that on February 15, Bob turned 81 years old. As a gift to the employees of the Mill Bob presented them with an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) which makes each of the employees an owner in the company.

This concept will allow a vital, thriving concern to grow and provide continuity of the quality and service for which Bob’s Red Mill famous. You may have seen Bob’s products in local stores here on the Coast and may be familiar with the variety and quality.

I first discovered Bob’s buckwheat pancake mix to which I add blueberries from my garden (they freeze well) and have never had a disappointed consumer. I then discovered Bob’s Scottish Oatmeal which makes a terrific morning cereal and is compliant with my diabetic food plan. Rather than drive the 1 1/2 hours from Newport to Milwaukie, I now order online. However, if you happen to be in the Portland area, you should stop by the mill’s store or even take the mill tour if you’re there by 10 am on a weekday. During my first visit to the store, I was really impressed with the friendliness and courtesy of the staff and the wide variety of products available for purchase. The selection is not limited to baking supplies. All sorts of dried goods and healthy eating items are offered at very reasonable prices.

Bob’s Red Mill products are a wonderful addition to the varied food we enjoy on the Central Oregon Coast.

Lincoln County Animal Shelter

Last week the property owners of Lincoln County, our own Pacific Wonderland, voted to dig a little deeper into personal resources and approved two tax (ugly word) measures which will allow the continued operation of the Lincoln County Animal Shelter and to fund continued operation of our fabulous Lincoln County Library system. The animal shelter is a safe haven for lost and abandoned dogs and cats. This is a no kill shelter and every effort is made to find appropriate adoptive homes for pets while housing them in a safe clean environment. Just as important is the Library system which serves the entire county from pre-school ages to seniors. Full inventories of printed material are available as well as DVD and musical recordings. One of the most popular items is free internet access for those who may not have access at home or are travelers. Both the Library and the Animal Shelter are staffed by full time professionals and backed up with well trained volunteers. Visitors and new residents are encouraged to stop in and make use of both of these wonderful opportunities here on the Central Oregon Coast.

Newport Oregon Public Library in the Spring

There are old shroomers and bold shroomers
– but no old, bold shroomers.

Knowledge and experience are the keys to this fascinating hobby. Before you venture into the woods whether it is the Winter/Spring season or the Summer/Fall season it is an excellent idea to do research or take a class at your local county extension service or community college. One of the best ways is to team up with those who have wide experience. My late mother was an avid shroomer and did it by the book — such as, “when in doubt, don’t pick it”.

Yellow Chanterelle Mushroom

Several varieties grow in abundance on the coast and several are harvested commercially. For example the morel (morchella elata) is advertised for sale this year at $132.00 per pound dried. Native Americans gathered a few varieties. It was not until immigrants arrived here from Scandinavia and Russia that mushrooms began to be widely sought as people identified species familiar to them from their home countries.

My Mother was raised during the Great Depression and was taught by her father, a Swedish immigrant, how to find edible and delicious fungi to supplement the family diet. I am also fortunate to have relatives by marriage who are immigrants from Russia. They delight is shrooming here in season. Good web sites include a local one and http://www.fsl.orst.edu.

Dark Morel Mushrooms

I had breakfast with out of town guests today at The Coffee House on Newport’s Bay Front. I was served the most delightful omelet of fresh, locally grown organic spinach and local wild mushrooms. Yummmm!

One of the most prominent displays of the Green movement in Newport is the construction of the Regatta Condominiums on Yaquina Bay. The builders selected insulated concrete form (ICF) construction (using the Amvic Building Sytsem) rather than more typical stick-built construction. This is the first major construction project on the Coast using this technique.  ICF uses recycled steel rebar and steel studs, recycled concrete componets and a state of the art siding material. This “skin” (ORO Coating) is comprised of ground up vehicle tires, marble dust and pigment. This amazing surface never requires painting, is impervious to our maritime climate and is attractive to boot. With the coastal climate in mind, the Regatta’s high tech windows and doors are designed to withstand sustained gale force winds as well as having an extended life. 

In addition to the high-tech structural design of The Regatta, the developers focused on long-term energy savings. The high insulation value of the concrete construction and the in-floor radiant hot water heat, coupled with a heat recovery system, keep costs low — for the life of the building. The engineers anticipate the cost to heat each 2000 square foot system will average $300 per year or $25 per month.  And in addition to helping keep costs low, the heat recovery system brings each unit pre-heated and filtered incoming air — a wonderful quality-of-life measure. One more bonus: on demand hot water lowers the cost of heating hot water, reduces the amount of water you waste “running” the tap until hot water arrives, and assures you’ll never worry about running the diswasher and shower at the same time.

Following the trend nationwide, this development selected a hardwood surface for the majority of the flooring in the Regatta’s units. The engineered wood flooring is comprised of tropical hardwoods bonded to a recycled wood base over a recycled mat.  These hard surfaces provide beauty, durability, and improve air quality because there are fewer places for dust and dirt to hide.  Get yourself a Swiffer (my daughter’s FAVORITE tool for cleaning her hardwood floors) and even the most allergic member of your family will be happy to come for a visit.

 The overall design theme of The Regatta is to provide luxury living with a conscience. You’ll feel good about your investment — and your ogoing expenses. From very reasonable home owner association fees at $100 per month, to your low energy bills, to a nearly maintenance-free exterior –this project just makes sense.  The Regatta is engineered to be a 200 year building. Our “throw away society” is on the verge of a new paradigm: we’re all seeking smarter, more efficient, more responsible ways.  The new benchmark is an Eco-friendly project like the Regatta — and it’s ready for occupancy! Call for an appointment to see or stop by one of my weekend open houses.