Back From the Great Northwest!

We just got back from our annual July 4th trip to Manzanita, OR...and, what a great trip it was!!! We left June 30th and got back to Texas last night. The eating was easy as everything is fresh, local, mostly organic, and so incredibly flavorful in the NW, the workouts...were pretty much nonexistent, and the drinking...well, that's another story. Needless to say, I am back to reality and feel a little more "fluffy" (my friend, Cindy's, word...) than usual. I am really not looking forward to what may be in store for tomorrow's WOD, but am looking forward to getting back in a routine.

We usually stay pretty active, but this year had some pretty funky weather on the days we had reserved for our hikes...so, our workouts were limited to shopping (which did involve a lot of walking and sand dune trekking...), some beach meandering, and one morning WOD (the day we arrived at the beach). On a positive note, we ate really great, local food and took advantage of the sauna in our rental house.

Here's a little sampling of some of the food we ate on our trip:

Eating Out
Lau Lau from Kauai Island Grill (just a small bite of the macaroni salad...thankfully I'm not really a fan)

Since our trip to Playa, I've been a little more adventurous with my meat eating, hence the Lau Lau (basically pork butt wrapped in taro leaves and then steamed...really tasty, actually!). Our friend, Iggy, got Scottt hooked on this place and I finally understand why! I'm not sure how Paleo-friendly pork butt is, but since I don't plan on seeking it out on a regular basis, I'm not too worried. The plate also came with a little shredded pork (Kalua pork?)...it was really dry and salty, so unfortunately I didn't eat it.

Eating In
Frittata (eggs from my Mom's neighbor) w/Local Goat Cheese, Spinach, Asparagus, Tomatoes, and Basil (from Grandma Betty's herb garden)

Local Grass-Fed Beef from Lance's Farm Vittles, Wild Sockeye Salmon, and Succotash (from the Manzanita Farmer's Market: Zucchini, Bell Peppers, Jalapeno, Basil, and yes...Corn...my stepdad bought it...)

Wild Sockeye Salmon w/Local Mixed Greens (w/spicy mustard greens...YUM!), Tomatoes, Local Feta Cheese (from Jacob's Creamery), and Mixed Herb Vinaigrette

Frittata w/Local Eggs (from the Cannon Beach Farmer's Market), Local Grass-Fed Beef, Local Bacon (also from the CBFM), Local Sheep's Milk Cheese (the BEST cheese ever from Willapa Hills Farmstead), Asparagus, Spinach, Zucchini, and Fresh Herbs

We took advantage of the local Farmer's Markets for our meats and veggies and were able to eat some of the freshest, most flavorful meals because of this. We all love to eat out, but also enjoy cooking...especially when we have access to fresh, local food and a great view of the ocean as we both cook and eat. But, our eating wasn't always so Paleo-friendly...here's a sampling of the not so wise choices I made on this trip:

• Personal Pizza with Artichoke Hearts and Tomatoes at Pietro's Pizza (Scott's all-time favorite pizza place)
• Fish and Chips (shared with my mom and ate salad instead of "chips" making this choice a little bit less guilt-inducing) Bill's Tavern and Brewhouse
• Bacon Burger w/Yam Fries at The Sand Dune Pub
• Bunyan Burger (this was a HUGE burger with local, grass-fed beef patties, fried egg, ham, and bacon, with all the fixin's...YUM!!!) at Oney's Restaurant 
• Rosemary Raisin Pecan Raincoast Crisps w/Ewe Moon Sheeps Milk Cheese 
• A LOT of beer...it's local, they do it well, and I LOVE IT!!! I'm pretty sure this is the "fluff" culprit... :)

So, there you have it...we're back to reality and I'll have more recipes and workouts for you all this week! Here are a few more pictures from our trip, in case you were interested:

Me and Scott at the Lookout Point above Manzanita:

Scott, Me, My Mom, and Mark:

Scott's Family, My Mom, and Mark:

The local firefighters/Irish band ending the July 4th parade with some entertainment at The San Dune:

Fireworks from our deck:

My Mom and Marley (my dog-sister):

Oh, yeah...we had a bonfire on the beach and I ate a S'mores:

Pogoing at my Brother and Sister-in laws' house...with my niece, Sara, wondering what the heck her aunt is doing...sort of counts as a WOD...right!?

Taking my niece, Emma's, car for a little joyride (thanks for the pic, Becky!):

And, that's what we've been up to...