Portland Parents

Tuesday, Nov 4 is the day to get your vote on. If your ballot hasn’t been mailed or dropped off yet, then get your procrastinating little fanny to the polling place. Take a friend.

I think it’s obvious that you should vote for Barack Obama. It’s not even an anti-Palin choice; you shouldn’t be voting against someone, but for someone. Obama stands for change, for economic sense and for …. well maybe you should be voting against McCain/Palin. And you should vote for Jeff Merkley, because his opponent (Gordon Smith) promises to vote for women’s rights but historically votes against them.

Well, ok; I think there is someone you should vote against. Any measure put forward by the felon Bill Sizemore should be examined very closely. For instance, measure 59 is put forth by him. He wants to “stop double taxation.” Basically, if you currently make 50,000 and pay 25 percent to the federal government, that’s 12,500. But you can only deduct the first $5,600 of it, and the rest gets taxed again in Oregon. This measure, if passed, would amount to a 15 percent across-the-board cut from education, safety, and other basic services. Sizemore wants to cut services to cut taxes for the rich.

Any measure that Bill Sizemore writes is guaranteed to be worded confusingly and the supporting advertisements are all “paid for by citizens for fair taxation” — a sneaky way to bring yet another argument into his advertising. Bill Sizemore sponsored Measures 58, 59, 60, 63 and 64. Please vote no on all of them.

I’m a fan of reducing taxes. Really. But Measure 64, for instance, wants to end “co-mingled funds.” Which is a fancy term that means that state money sometimes, somehow winds up in political campaigns. In fact, this measure is against the payroll deductions for state workers that pay union dues for SEIU, AFSCME and OEA. It’s endeavoring to treat public employees differently from private employees. The employee has earned the money fair and square and should be able to determine how it’s portioned out.

At any rate, no matter how you decide to vote, please vote. You can’t complain if you don’t vote.

The kids’ll be home on Tuesday ( 11/11 ) anyway, so why not take them to the Portland Japanese Garden? It’ll be cool and rainy, a perfect time to contemplate the serenity of this garden. At the heart of the Japanese garden is harmony with nature, and Oregon’s autumn, winter and spring is naturally damp. Through the careful use of environmental items like plants, stones and water, pools of serene quiet beauty emerge.

Also, the garden will be taking donations for the Oregon Food Bank. Requested but not required, you can bring non-perishable food like canned meat (tunafish), boxed meals (macaroni and cheese), peanut butter, canned or dried beans, pasta, rice, cereal, canned fruits and 100 percent fruit juice.

10AM-4PM, at the garden.

611 SW Kingston Avenue
Portland, Oregon 97205

If the kids are too rambunctious, head downhill and south of the rose garden to the children’s play structure. In the rain and mud it’s sure to be a hit!

One of my favorite things to cook in this cool weather is an apple crisp. With the kids’ candies sitting around, I admit that sometimes I raid their Halloween buckets for caramels and throw them in as well.

Here’s a tasty recipe I like to use:
3 pounds of apples ( Honey Crisp or Fuji, or whatever you like )
2 tablespoons of lemon juice
24 Kraft™ style caramels (unwrapped)
1/3 cup flour
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup rolled oats
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 stick of unsalted butter
sprinkling of chopped peanuts (optional)

Peel, core and chop up the apples, toss them with the lemon juice (it keeps the apples from browning with the air). Chop the caramels in half or so and mix with the apples. In another bowl, combine the flour, sugar, oats, and cinnamon. Cut the butter into eight small pieces and cut it into the flour until the mixture is crumbly… it doesn’t need to be perfect. Put the apples and caramels in a non-stick baking dish (or generously butter a non-nonstick baking dish) and top with the flour-oat-butter mixture.

Bake it at 375 degrees for 30-45 minutes, until the apples are soft and delectable and the topping is lightly browned. It’s crisp, remember, not mush. If you like, sprinkle the top with the peanuts when you’re done.

Serve warm or at room temperature with vanilla ice cream.

The Not Its are coming to town at 4PM on December 6. They’ll be at the Mississippi Pizza Pub at 3552 N Mississippi, across from the Rebuilding Center. Mark your calendars now!

There’s a $5 per family admission price.

The Not Its is Seattle-based rock band making music enjoyed by both Kids and Parents. Check out this video of them at Full Tilt Ice Cream, singing B.A.T.H. Yup, a be-bopping song about taking a bath. If you go to the Not-Its myspace page, you’ll have the opportunity to listen to a few more of their songs. It’s sure to be an exciting show!

It’s another lovely rainy day in Portland, and just in time, Stephanie has posted a great recipe for Granola. And because it’s made in the crock pot, it won’t burn as badly as that last batch you tried to make in the oven. See her recipe (link previous) for the notes.

• 5 cups oats
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/4 cup melted butter
• 1 T flax seeds
• 1/4 cup slivered almonds
• 1/4 cup raw pumpkin seeds
• 1/4 cup raw sunflower seeds
• 1/4 cup unsweetened coconut
• 1/2 cup dried fruit

Put all the dry ingredients into your crockpot. You’ll need at least a 4 quart.

Melt the butter in the microwave, and add. Add the honey. Toss well.

Cover, but vent with a chopstick. Cook on high for 3-4 hours, stirring every so often.

If you can smell the granola cooking, go stir. It will burn if you don’t keep an eye on it. But it won’t burn as quickly as it does in the oven!

Dump out on some parchment paper and let cool. Eat with milk like cereal, warmed with milk like oatmeal, or as is. Seal well in an air-tight container or in a ziplock. Granola freezes well.

Don’t forget- today is $2 at the zoo (take the max for an extra dollar discount) and it’s free day at the Japanese garden

What is this to you? Nobody is asking you to embrace their expression of love. But don’t you, as human beings, have to embrace that love?

The world is barren enough! It is stacked against love, and against hope, and against those very few and precious emotions that enable us, all of us, to go forward.

Thanks, Keith

The Queen of Kafooster is a wickedly funny mother of two energetic boys. Her post about the “insignificant booger” is a must-read. She’s a great Portland Parent who we’d love to keep tabs on. And if Obama doesn’t fix the US, we’d be happy to move to Kafooster, wherever that is. We just need to know what kinds of clothes to pack.

It’s that time again: 103.3 has switched their programming over to 100% pure unadulterated Christmas saccharine. As usual, some good, some bad. But tune in and burn out for the next five weeks while we burn out on Christmas Candy, Cookies and Music!

Peter Pan is being put on at PCC Sylvania, directed by Elise Ericksen. Come check it out December 6th!

Want to give mindful gifts this year? Tired of commercialized Christmases? (yeah, I’m buying Barbie™ some friends too)

Shop at the 7th Annual Mindful Gifts Bazaar, Saturday December 13, from 10AM to 4PM.

It’s at the BridgePort UCC, at 621 NE 76th Avenue (Two blocks north of Glisan, on Irving at 76th).

“Purchase unique gifts and certificates representing the services and projects of dozens of local non-profits. Enjoy great musicians and refreshments all day. You’ll find the perfect, mindful gift for everyone on your list!”