Long Labor Day Weekend Begins today - Look Here for Events

Portland knows how to party and if you're looking for some fun ways to spend the days, click on this link to find concerts, shows and ways to celebrate. Or just type in pdxpipeline.com to find all the fun ideas of ways to spend your weekend.

I hope you all have a funtastic time with family and friends. Remember it's the last official weekend of summer! So don't waste it.

Progress on the Room

Some of you have followed along on this remodeling journey from the beginning. When the ceiling was way too low.

So they looked around to see what they could do

And they decided to raise the roof and rip off the walls...

Well, it's been a long process but the room is finally painted.

Now there's just the trim for the windows, the final coat of pain, the deck off the french doors, the refinishing of the floor...YEP, we're almost there.

Salmon Balls

Salmon balls or salmon patties are delicious for dinner and Super Simple to make. Here's how you do it.

2 cans of canned salmon
2 packages of saltine crackers
2 eggs

Mix ingredients together until you have a nice mash.

Then using your hands, squish patties (just like hamburgers) and fry on a cast iron pan that's coated with olive oil until the outsides turn golden brown - or for about 3 minutes on each side.  You can salt and pepper to your own taste. But, I like to squeeze fresh lemon on my patties.

Serve with rice and creamed spinach...at least that's how I like to serve them. Super healthy and tasty.

EZ Cooking and healthy too!

Squash Minions

Okay, so I'm on a Minion Mission. . . or kick, or whatever you want to call it.

But since I love Halloween...and all holidays...I wanted to start practicing my pumpkin carving. So, why not start with a Minion?

This is how I did it.

I pulled out some duct tape, yes, we do have lots of colors of the stuff sitting around the house.

I used yellow, black and the old standard gray.

I started with a little pumpkin and some yellow duct tape.

I started covering the pumpkin in tape.

Then I used garden wire to make the monocle and wrapped it in gray duct tape and the sides in black duct tape.

This is a no muss, no fuss pumpkin carving.

The Next Level SCBWI Professional Series

The SCBWI is offering free seminars for children's book writers and illustrators.

The third Saturday of each month at TaborSpace on 5441 SE Belmont...you can take your writing to the next level. Doors open at 2:00 and speakers start at 2:30 p.m.

The first session launches in September so mark your calendars for September 21, 2013 and keep watching here for more information or pop on over to the SCBWI website and check it out.

Minions Galore

 

So I wanted to create my very own minions but it's hard after working all day and coming home tired BUT this is a super way to make your own minions with hardly any fuss, muss, or cuss...ing ;D

I got this from a Pinspiration I found on-line and then simply quickened up the process.

First I stopped at the store and bought some marshmallows, candy eyes and white chocolate tinted yellow.

Then I simply microwaved the chocolate in a cup, stuck lollipop sticks in the marshmallows and took the little minions for a dip.

 While the chocolate was still warm, I stuck candy eyes on them.

As you can see I used bamboo shish-kabobs to lengthen the sticks so I could put them in glasses until the chocolate hardened. Then I made some frosting (but you could buy your own at the store and just color it with food coloring).

I like cream cheese frosting and it's so easy to make:

1 2 lb package of powdered sugar
1 8 oz package of cream cheese
1/4 cup water

Then you blend the ingredients until smooth and separate it into a couple bowls so you can add food coloring and make different colors of icing.

Then I use a pastry bag and a small tip to pipe my icing but you could use a baggie and just snip off one corner and squeeze out your frosting.

Then I added blue pants

Super simple and oh so fun...ny :D

Schmoozing

• So what exactly is schmoozing?
• Who can do it?  
• What's the purpose?
  
  Well according to Merriam Webster here's what "schmooze" means:
  
  To converse informally : chat; also : to chat in a friendly and persuasive manner especially so as to gain favor, business, or connections 
  
  And what could be better than getting together with like-minded folk and chatting about the thing we are most interested in: writing.
  
  Well, if you're like me, and love talking with other writers then listen up:
   
• There's a Schmooze going on this Saturday: 
   Aug 24, 2013, 10:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m., SE Portland

SE Portland Writers and Illustrators

Holgate Library (7905 SE Holgate Blvd, Portland) Schmooze will be Aug. 24th, 10:30 - 12:30.  Roz Malin will speak on the Willamette Writers Conference, Kiersi Burkhart is bringing handouts on her Professional Series coming up. She is also planning a pre series Schmooze in Sept.

 Yes, YOU too can Schmooze. So come on over to the library and meet up with other writers. You just might make some great connections and a few friends :D

And if you want to check out what other Schmoozes are taking place, hope over here to the SCBWI Oregon website and read all about it.