Here are some pictures of the Cape Dissapointment Lighthouse we visited last week, at the mouth of the Columbia River. The North Head Lighthouse was built in 1898 to guide mariners from the North who could not see this lighthouse at Cape Disappointment. Both of these lighthouses warned ships of the shallow waters at the mouth of the Columbia River.
If you like pecan pie but don’t want to hassel with pie crust, AND if you don’t mind gaining five pounds, then you ought to try this recipe for pecan bars. My husband gave them a 10 out of 10. For chocolate-pecan pie bars, see note below.
Pecan Pie Bars
Crust
1 ½ cups butter (softened)
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
4 cups all purpose flour
Filling
8 eggs
6 cups firmly packed brown sugar
6 tablespoons butter, melted
2 tablespoons vanilla
1 cup all purpose flour
2 cups sweetened coconut
2 cups pecan halves
To prepare crust: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 12×17 baking pan. Beat butter and sugar in large bowl on medium speed for about a minute. Add the flour, mix on low until evenly incorporated but still crumbly. Press the mixture evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake the crust for 20 minutes, until a deep golden brown. Remove, but leave oven at 350.
To prepare filling: Whisk the eggs and sugar in a large bowl until blended. Stir in the butter, vanilla, and flour. Then stir in the coconut and pecans. Pour the filling over the crust, spreading evenly. Bake until set, about 30 minutes. Cool thoroughly, at least an hour, before cutting into 3” squares.
*note: to make Chocolate-Pecan Pie Bars, melt 2 Tbs. unsalted butter with 4 ounces of bittersweet chocolate in a small saucepan over low heat. Add the cooled chocolate-butter mixture to the filling’s egg and brown sugar mixture and follow the recipe as directed.
To celebrate our fifteenth wedding anniversary we took off to the Pacific Coast for three days just to ourselves. We stayed in a condominium in the quaint little town of Gearhart, Oregon (near Seaside) and spent our time exploring lighthouses and old military forts, enjoying walks, shopping antique stores, eating delicious foods in delightful restaurants, and relaxing on the beach.
Here are some shots of North Head, one of the five lighthouses we visited. Other lighthouse pictures to come in future posts.
Today I celebrate 15 years of being married to this man that I love – my best friend… my biggest fan… my safety net… encourager, listener, patient beyond what I deserve. My playmate, my love… Keeper of my heart. The. Other half. Of. Me.
Living out in “the sticks” is a blessing for the most part. However, if you’re not careful, you just might turn around one day to find that the sticks and briars are infringing upon your territory… and if you don’t do something aggressive about it soon, they’ll take over every last acre! These are the kinds of things you might find us doing an occasional Saturday, or two, or three – a little periodic reclaiming of the land.
When you live out in the country with kids, chickens, and a garden to protect, you need to have yourself a darn good security system. Nothing compares to the peace of mind you’ll find in having a “bad boy” like this around the place.
Not only does this fella make noise, but he turns into a fierce, ferocious fighting machine if his alarm is set off! Why, just two summers ago he got into a squabble with a cougar that left him with fifty stitches – this boy is a bit territorial and he felt the need to give that cougar a lesson in boundary lines.
I’m thinkin’ I’m grateful to be a welcome member of his territory.
Good Ol’ Boy.
Name that American one-hour television program that aired on the NBC network from September 11, 1974, to March 21, 1983. You remember, the one where Carrie, Mary, and Laura Ingalls frolic down a hill, as shown in the opening credits of the series. Can’t you just hear those opening credits now… dum dum da da, dum da da, dum dum da da, da da da da da da da da da….
Wait! What’s that I see? A little girl running down the hill toward me! Dum dum da da…That’s the tune that came to mind today when this scene I did see. Listen closely and perhaps you’ll hear it too… 
Little House On the Prarie, I sure did like that show!
I did a photo session recently with two brothers and their adorable families. They were so easy-going and really, a fun group. With the busy little-ones though, we had our work cut out for us! I love the images we came up with, and it was a pretty rewarding job. Two very charming families. 
Candid Reflections 
