Graduation: It happened.

It seems our time here is coming to an end. I’m in Birmingham, and I signed one of those dreadful documents saying I wouldn’t write for anyone anymore. Before we end our relationship and bury ourselves in buckets of Ben and Jerry’s and cheap tequila, I have a few final thoughts and reviews I’d like to share.

First, Off The Waffle:

Cyclops the Greek

Go here. You’d be silly not to. The waffles are divine and so fluffy and buttery, it’s like they stuffed a bunny in a stick of butter. You aren’t going to know what to do with yourself. Then, they go and put all those crazy toppings on their fluffy bunny waffles, and it’s the best darn thing you’ve ever had (or close to it).

I mean, what rational person would put  kalamata olives, tomato, caramelized red onion, feta, sunny side up egg, spinach, tzatziki and extra virgin olive oil ON A WAFFLE? And then what hippy would eat it? Answer: Me. And lot’s of other Eugenians. And there’s a reason: it’s addictively delicious.

Go ahead, order the Cyclops the Greek. I dare you.

Second, Keystone Cafe:

Keystone biscuits and gravy. A great way to start the day.

The day I met the owner of Keystone, I was sitting on the back patio gnawing at an embarrassingly large spread of food (like always. This is what we food writers do. I love Jonathan Gold, but have you seen pictures of him? I’m going to look like that some day too: adorably-chubby-sized. Tall. Bearded.) He was installing his own heating lamps, gushing to me (he didn’t know me) about plans for future renovations. He is one of those owners who is deeply involved in his business and cares. The kind of business owner I wish to see succeed.

Keystone, is located on the corner of 5th and Lawrence. I’m not sure if that counts as the Whiteaker, but it sure fits the theme: folky and yummy. (Other Whiteaker notables include Izakaya Meiji, Papa’s Soul Food and Ninkasi, but I digress).

My friend Billy, enjoying breakfast at Keystone. Miss you Billy!

Keystone is wonderful; you’ll find great food made from scratch. There are a lot of great vegan options, but that shouldn’t deter you carnivores—they have tasty meat. Sometimes, they have live music. And they’re VERY kid-friendly. Tons of toys and coloring books.

The only major problem I have is that the coffee is serve-yourself, which sounds great in theory, but when it’s 7 a.m. and I’m hung over eating my eggs, I really just want someone to bring me my coffee. That’s why I go out. And as much as I love Keystone, I have to admit that the service isn’t great. But if you know that going in, you’ll be just fine, because the food is worth it and the patio is gorgeous on sunny summer mornings.*

Third, Marché is overrated.

If you’re really looking to drop $30-50 on dinner and drinks in Eugene, there are better places to do so. Belly,  Zenon, and Soriah to name a few. And whatever restaurant Gil opened in place of the Rabbit is sure to be a win as well.

Fourth, The Kitchens

I have been in many kitchens in Eugene. There’s only one restaurant whose kitchen I’ve seen that I refuse to ever eat in: Noli Italian Cafe. I’m walking a fine line on getting sued here, so I’m just going to keep my mouth shut, but I hope that when they moved from the 5th Street Market to their new place next to Sweet Life, that a few things changed.

Another place I would caution you to avoid is El Jarro Azul. It’s just not good. Please don’t go there. My stomach will be sad for you.

And then a Conclusion because that’s what they Teach you in JSchool

Celebratory Cookie

And thus concludes my candid thoughts on the Eugene food scene. Oh, you were looking for something upbeat and witty, weren’t you?

Well, I can tell you this: now that I’m more than halfway across the country, I miss eating New Day Bakery’s garlic kale rolls while strolling around the Saturday Market; I miss free Track Town pizza at UO School of Journalism and Communication events; I miss popcorn at Max’s; I miss celebrating life achievements with Duck-shaped cookies from Barry’s—I miss Eugene.

I will miss this blog. One of the things I’ve learned from this blog is that as a writer, it’s ok to be me. I really like $2 tacos, and gobs of ice cream and mac’n'cheese out of a box, but I also like exploring and trying wacky combinations and finding new things—even fancy schmancy ones—and I’m really glad we could do that together, even if it means that I won’t be employed in the future because I said “shit,” more than once here. Oh, I said it again. Shit.

Tomorrow, I will release my final post, “A perfect weekend in Eugene,” where I will share what I would do if I could visit Eugene for 72 hours. Hint: it involves food.

*Disclaimer, I once accepted a free muffin. I know, I’m a bad food writer.

**An earlier version of this post listed Fisherman’s Market and Sweet Life as Whiteaker notables. I was too busy loving them to remember that while they’re near the Whiteaker, they aren’t part of it. My bad. 

This blog is packing up and moving with me to Birmingham, Alabama, where I will be a fellow for Cooking Light magazine. In the coming weeks, I will try to post the reviews that have been simmering/burning on my desk for the last few months.

I’m about to get real, real bored with myself.

I don’t think I’ll be continuing this blog in Alabama.

I can’t tell you how wonderful this has been and how much I have discovered about myself. Most of all, I’ve learned that I can adore the work I do each day — that I don’t have to settle into a dismal, sad, stifling world just to pay the bills.

If I can catch my dreams, you can too.

Cheers to you! And please do tell me if there’s a place I must stop along the way.

With love,

Melissa

Late-night is the best time to eat. There are no rules and almost anything can happen. Whatever the case — whether it involves innocent studying or a bit too much rum — you know you’re in for adventure. Whatever the result, cookies covered in frosting shoved inside Oreos, goldfish on your pizza, or a food cart hot dog, it’s sure to be the most delicious thing you’ve ever tasted. And though you may try to recapture the moment, it will never be quite so phenomenal as that time it was half past a bottle of wine on the cusp of tomorrow. With that, I bestow upon you a list of late-night eateries and a wink, for I hope you have as much fun as I have had.

And don’t forget, drunk cooking looks like this.

Dough Co. serves up a selection of calzones and cookies. Calzones range from cheese to potato and bacon and cost $7.00. Chocolate chip, sugar, peanut butter and oatmeal cookies are available for $4.00 per batch of 4. Drop by the store or have it delivered for a $1.00 fee. 1337 Hillyard St.; (541) 485-7459; Open + delivery until 3 a.m.

Horsehead is your go-to place for gloriously greasy late-night food. Delve into bacon cheese fries, wings, chicken strips, fried pickles and much more. Horsehead also has a great selection of Southern-inspired comfort food like mac ‘n’ cheese, fried chicken, and gumbo. And of course, the national go-to drunk food: nachos. 99 West Broadway; (541) 683-3154; Open until 2:30 a.m.; 21+

Sam Bond’s Garage dishes up pizza, sandwiches and soup until closing time, around 1 or 2 a.m. depending on the day. Be warned, you’re sure to go almost-deaf if there’s live music (which can be good or bad depending on who you want to go with and whether or not you want to talk to them). 407 Blair Blvd.; (541) 431-6603; Open until 1 a.m./ 2 a.m.-ish; 21+

Sy’s Pizza: by the slice or whole pie, Sy’s is a great place for a delicious, topping-rich pizza. You’re looking at spending about $3 for a slice and $25 for a medium-sized pizza. 1211 Alder St.; (541) 686-9598; Open until midnight Sun.-Thurs. and 1 a.m. Fri.-Sat.

Izakaya Meiji Company is the North Star of the Whiteaker (don’t worry, Ninkasi can be Aldebaran). This modern, East-meets-West eatery serves up some of the best food in Eugene. You’ll find small plates of Northwest-inspired sushi, rice balls in various sauces, fish, curry, soba and even fries. Don’t miss the Sunday burger special, you get a Meiji burger (grass fed beef patty, served on English muffin with teriyaki coleslaw, lettuce and onion and fries) a bourbon and a beer for $10. Now that’s called winning. 345 Van Buren Street; (541) 505-8804; Open until 1 a.m.; 21+ after 10 p.m.

McMenamins High Street: Both McMenamins are open until 1 a.m. Mon.-Sat. and midnight on Sun. but the High Street cafe has a killer fire-pit outside, which makes for great conversation/atmosphere. Expect slightly-overpriced Northwest fare and horribly slow service. Burgers, salads, sandwiches. Superb late-night happy hour — go for the hummus and veggies for $3.50 or the $6 cheeseburger. 1243 High Street; (541) 345-4905; Open until 1 a.m. Mon.-Sat. and midnight on Sun.

Rennie’s has some great traditional bar food. Burgers, chicken sandwiches, nachos, salads and fries are some of the things you’ll find on their menu. I’ve definitely enjoyed the food at Rennie’s, both tipsy and sober. However, I haven’t tried to order food at 1 a.m. on a Friday night, so I don’t know how likely that is to get you kicked out of the bar. From what I’ve seen they don’t seem to mind, but I’m not making any promises. Whatever the outcome just be nice, these places are super-slammed and have to deal with all our bullshit all night. 1214 Kincaid St.; (541) 687-0600; Open until 2 a.m.; 21+

Burrito Boy is that guilty indulgence you feel embarrassed about the next day. It’s that thing you get when you’re incredibly drunk and it’s oh-so-good until the next day when you wake up snuggling a mess of hours-old sour cream and cheese. Burritos, nachos, tacos — it all tastes wonderful and it’s scarily cheap. 510 East Broadway; (541) 344-8070; Open always

Cornucopia: I’ve addressed my feelings about Cornucopia’s Philly cheese steak here, so I won’t describe to you again how much I like it. However, I will tell you that Cornucopia is simply divine. Besides wonderful food and entertaining servers, they run specials all week and have some of the funnest events in town (comedy night is incredibly laugh-worthy). Pick from sandwiches, a million and a half, giant salads, appetizers, and traditional entrees like chicken pot pie. 295 West 17th Ave.; (541) 485-2300; Open until 2 a.m.; 21+

Voodoo Doughnuts: If you’re craving something sweet Voodoo is your place. Voodoo dolls are great but so are sprinkle-covered doughnuts, maple bars and Fruit Loop-covered doughnuts. The bacon maple bar is a must try, for sure and what’s the point of a late night Voodoo trip without a youthful-behavior inspiring cock-n-balls doughnut? Be sure and remember cash they’re anti-credit card-y. 20 East Broadway; (541) 868-8666; Never-ending hours (except holidays). If you live in West Eugene, Dizzy Deans at 2380 West 11th Ave. is a great alternative.

You can also usually find food carts near Barmuda and campus until shortly after the bars have closed. Chains like Taco Bell, McDonalds, Shari’s and Ihop are open around the clock as well.

Photo by Flickr user The Vault DFW

Thanksgiving (aka National Everyone Get Fat Day) is almost here. Do you suck at cooking or have no friends? Don’t worry, with this all-inclusive package you get pilgrims, a live turkey and even a full-size replica of the Mayflower (ocean not included)! All for just 82 payments of $99.99, what a deal!

Ok, you caught me, I’m kidding. But I do know some of you Eugenians will feast out this holiday. For those of you who won’t be able to make it home, I’m sorry. For those of you who are eating out to skip the dishes, you suck. I mean, Happy Thanksgiving?

I’ve compiled a list of places I know will have something special this holiday, whether it’s a four-course meal or something you can order ahead of time and take home. Tables are filling up, so make sure to call ahead of time for reservations.

Whatever your reason for eating out, I hope you have a heartwarming, tasty holiday.

The Boulevard Grill: Traditional turkey dinner featuring turkey, candied yams, mashed potatoes and gravy, vegetables and dessert. Served 11 a.m.-8 p.m. 2123 Franklin Boulevard; (541) 686-2020; $17 per person. 

Capella Market will offer vegetarian-fed, range grown Turkeys to take home. Stuffed delicata squash, cornbread and chestnut stuffing, mashed potatoes, and cranberry chutney are a few of the sides that will be available for pick-up. Stop by the deli to fill out an order form. 2489 Willamette Street; (541) 345-1014.

The Excelsior is planning a stunning buffet which will include turkey, honey glazed ham, candied carrots with golden raisins, garlic mashed potatoes and much more. To see the whole menu click here. 754 E. 13th Avenue; (541) 342-6963; adults $29.95, kids 5-11 $15.95, under 5 free

Heidi Tunnell Catering: At Heidi Tunnell, you design your own feast and pick it up the day before Thanksgiving. Options include turkey, bourbon and mustard glazed spiral ham (yum!), mashed potatoes, sweet potato casserole, green bean casserole, roasted beets with hazelnuts, rolls, a selection of pies and several other items. Download the full menu/order form here. All orders must be placed by Sunday, November 18. 182 South 2nd Street, Creswell; (541) 895-5885

King Estate will be serving up a delicious dinner of porketta with red wine and Estate honey poached dates; apple cider braised carrots and kale; buttermilk mashed potatoes; roasted smoked organic turkey with giblet gravy; brioche stuffing with chestnut and sage; bread; a buffet of cakes and desserts and a few other creatively festive dishes. 80854 Territorial Highway; (541) 942-9874; $55 per person.

The Kiva The guy on the phone assured me that you’ll be able to order turkeys and that the deli will be putting together some special sides to go with it. 125 West 11th Avenue; (541) 342-8666

Oregon Electric Station: The Oregon Electric Station will offer a Thanksgiving buffet featuring traditional items like mashed potatoes and turkey. 27 East 5th Avenue; (541) 485-4444

SweetWaters: It looks like Sweetwaters will be serving a “5 or 6-course,” dinner from noon to 6 p.m. (what’s being served is a mystery as of yet. Detective Melissa is on the case i.e. calling the restaurant again in the morning). 1000 Valley River Way; (541) 687-0123; $45 adults, $20 kids

Many of the usual suspects like Market of Choice, Marie Callender’s, Freddy’s and similar places have options as well.

Restaurant owners, did I miss you? Email me at haskinm[at]gmail.com

Blueberry blackberry spelt bread

Breakfast should be easy, flavorful and fun. I’ve compiled a list of my favorite finds in Eugene that are under $5. All are local, maybe made with love, for sure-packed with flavor and maybe healthy. Some you can sit down to eat, others you can grab on your way to class. Whatever the case I hope you have a wonderful morning and that perhaps you try something new.

Cheers!

Broccoli cheese croissant; Sweet Life Patisserie

Gooey cheese, broccoli and ham baked into a croissant. Not available every day, other tasty croissants and breakfast treats are though. 755 Monroe St. Open 7 a.m. $4.50

Jiffy Market

Early morning special; Jiffy Market

Your choice of bacon or sausage served on a biscuit with an egg and your choice of cheese. For $.50 you can have it on a delicious croissant. Get it to go or stay and enjoy it over a cup of coffee while watching the morning news. 3443 Hilyard St. $3.55

Garlic kale roll; New Day Bakery

Garlic, Parmesan and kale make up this breakfast roll from New Day. Great for a lighter breakfast packed with flavor and a little bit of healthiness. 449 Blair Blvd. $2.25

Humble Bagel

Yogurt and granola; Humble Bagel

This heaping bowl of Nancy’s yogurt and house-made granola is sure to give you the fuel you’ll need to start your day. Flavorful, healthy and filling. 2435 Hilyard St. $5

Sausage Breakfast Burrito; Market of Choice on Willamette

A generously sized breakfast burrito stuffed with sausage, egg, cheese, sour cream and pico de gallo. It’s one of those go-to items that you know is always going to taste good and fill you up. 2862 Willamette St. $4.69

Vegetarian Bagel; Bagel Sphere

A freshly made bagel toasted and then topped with healthy goodness: cream cheese, avocado, tomato, onion, and sprouts. Bursting with flavor that you can feel awesome about. 810 Willamette St. $3.99

Keystone Cafe

Biscuits and gravy; Keystone Cafe

Biscuits and gravy are always a good idea. They’re an even better idea at Keystone, where they’re made from scratch and served as a glorious mess for $4.50. If you’re vegan, or in a vegan-mood, check out the vegan biscuits and gravy, also $4.50. 395 West 5th Ave.

The overachiever; Off the Waffle

Pretty much everything at Off the Waffle is student-budget friendly, but the overachiever goes above and beyond, fitting into the $5 and less category that makes every college student sigh and think, “YES. I can eat and still have money for a PBR later.” This buttery waffle is topped with chocolate chips, sliced banana and chocolate sauce.

Veggie breakfast sandwich; El Pato Cafe

Hidden in the 5th Street Market (that thing that looks like it’s too fancy for us) is El Pato Cafe. A lovely little Mexican place, in a mall-like setup. You get fantastic food at an incredible price. The huevos rancheros are mind-blowing both in their taste and their size but unfortunately, they cost more than $5. However, the veggie breakfast sandwich, is only $4.50. Your choice of meat (sausage, ham or bacon) is layered on a roll with an egg and cheese. 296 East 5th Ave.

Goat cheese biscuit; Noisette Pastry Kitchen

Noisette has some pretty killer breakfast pastries. Topping the list is the goat cheese biscuit. It’s pretty much a Red Lobster Biscuit but for breakfast. And they’re just as addicting (I don’t even like goat cheese and I can’t put them down). Get two, they’re not exactly sized to be a full breakfast. Or, to stay in the $5 budget, pack a piece of fruit to eat with one. 200 West Broadway. $2.75

Cinnamon Pastry Roll, Hideaway Bakery

Cinnamon Pastry Roll; Hideaway Bakery

This breakfast pastry is just delightful. It’s light, buttery and flaky while not being overwhelmingly sugary. Fairly big and cinnamon in personality, it would go well with a glass of milk.  It’s well worth the drive if you don’t life on the south side of town. Another great option is the spelt bread – pretty much a danish.

$2.75

Photo by Melissa Haskin

If you ever go to Crater Lake you must promise me you’ll stop by Beckie’s and have a slice of pie.

Beckie’s is tucked away among the weathered pines of the Rogue River National Forest. You’ll find it just before Highway 230 departs from Highway 62 if you’re traveling eastbound to Crater Lake.

For me it’s nostalgic, comforting and delicious.

The pie board. Photo courtesy of traveljapanblog.com/ashland/.

When I was growing up we visited this little restaurant almost every year. We’d camp at Union Creek, a tradition that extends five generations now that my niece has gone. What I looked forward to most on our trips to Union Creek — besides the s’mores, games and hikes — was blackberry pie at Beckie’s. We’d stop by at least once. Sometimes we had lunch or dinner, but we always had pie. What I remember is looking at the white writing on the wooden board an imagining all the flavors. I don’t think I strayed much from my favorite but I do know that for many years I have believed it’s some of the best pie I’ve ever had.

Earlier this month I returned to Beckie’s. A few friends had asked me to travel to Crater Lake. I told them I’d be happy to go, but I’d only go if we stopped by Beckie’s. It’d been years since I’d been, and I’d been thinking about it for just as long. The friends liked Beckie’s so much that we returned the next day to buy a whole pie.

Inside this Cabin-like diner the food is simply home-style cooking. It’s back to the basics — burgers and chicken strips, salads and soups — and it’s done well. None of it will explode into euphoric fireworks, but it will remind you of grandma standing in the doorway, mixing butter into the potatoes while you sit at the wooden table, impatient for dinner to start.

For example, you can tell that the chicken strips actually came from a chicken. If you peel back the breading you’ll discover a chicken breast that was always a chicken breast. It wasn’t ground, mixed with mysterious chemicals and plopped into some breading.

The burgers tower with goodies like the Fire on the Mountain burger that comes piled with pickled jalapenos, cheese, pickles, onions, tomatoes and lettuce. They even have vegetarian-friendly options (that’s going to come up later).

You get more than enough food to fill you for more than fair prices. Plan on spending about $10 (including drink and tip) unless you really, really want the New York steak and five appetizers.

And if you feel so inclined, they have a PB&J. You might have to convince them you’re under 12 or over 62 though, so don’t forget to pack your granny cloths.

Another way to east PB&J as my companions quickly realized was to order a piece of rich, peanut butter pie and combine it with a piece of oh-so-sweet huckleberry pie. Ta da! You have the adult version of a quintessential dish.

Hello friend, I’m going to eat you.

The blackberry pie comes as a glorious heaping mess. So many blackberries have been stuffed inside the crust that the seeded insides ooze out of the crust. Imagine a size 48 woman trying to fit into a size 0 dress. That’s pretty much what’s happening on the plate (and how you’re going to fill when you’re done) except, there’s also a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

The crust is thin, buttery-looking and has a dark-golden color around the rim. It’s perfectly moist, it won’t crumble when you poke it but it’s a supporting actor, fulfilling it’s duty while pointing to the star — the filling. What’s most distinct about this mixture is that it’s thick. Liquid doesn’t pool at the bottom of the plate, spilling every which-way, soaking into the crust. Instead, it’s eerily thick. Like a custard. I say eerily, because I have absolutely love it but they won’t tell me how they do it (and I don’t blame them).

The waitress did divulge the secret about the crust though: lard.

The idea of it grosses me out, perhaps not as bad as the vegetarian we took who ate a whole piece before she learned it was lard, but I can’t knock it, because it was darn good pie. The vegetarian also admitted she was happy no one told her until after she ate the pie because she very much liked it.

The deed has been done. Photo by Rebecca.

Beckie’s has about 13 different kind of pies. The pies change with the seasons, thus sometimes there’s more, sometimes there’s less. But I ask you, how many other restaurant have you been to with 13 different choices of pie? It’s pretty much my dream-land.

The story of Beckie’s is a little peculiar. You’re thinking there’s a woman named Beckie, right? Well there was, but there was a man named Beckie first. In 1938, Ed Becklehymer, known as “Beckie,” opened the restaurant. After he passed away, his wife Cecil ran the place. She became know as Beckie as well and ran the place well into the 60s.

Now Kent and Sandy Watson own Beckie’s and keep the recipes a secret.

For many, Beckie’s is a stop along the way. For me, it’s a destination.

Beckie’s| 56484 Oregon 62 Prospect, OR 97536|(541) 560-3563|Winter hours:  Sun.-Thur. 8 a.m.-7 p.m., Fri.-Sat. 8 a.m.-8 p.m.|Cost for a piece of pie with ice cream $3-$4|Whole pie $16-$18 (handmade in-house by a baker)

Overall rating: 5 out of 5

College student friendly? YES.| Food 5 out of 5| Prices: 5 out of 5| Environment: 5 out of 5.

Photo credit: visitcorvallis.com

A play-by-play guide to eating in Beaver territory

It’s bound to happen, you have a friend or two in Corvallis and they want you to come visit and though you won’t admit it, you kind of want to get away from Eugene for a bit.

Here’s my no-fail guide to having a great time in Corvallis, whether you’re headed up for civil war or if you take the chance to go this weekend while UO has a bye week and OSU plays BYU, defending their top 10 title (is there a reason to go to Corvallis other than football?).

Friday night:

Photo from the Downward Dog’s FB page

After a day of traveling, ok, a 45 minute trip through agriculture country (don’t be an idiot, take Highway 99) drop by the Downward Dog or Block 15 and knock back a few pints.

At the Downward Dog you will find a somewhat intimate atmosphere with low lighting and loud, sometimes, live music. This is the kind of place you take a friend/friends you don’t necessarily need, or want, to talk to. If you’re not in the mood for beer (which they have lots of) enjoy a creative cocktail, most of which are only $6. The late night menu is killer, you’ll find fries, a huge quesadilla and fun flavors of mac’n'cheese, all of which run at about $5. Open until 2 a.m.

Photo credit: flickr user WVVA

Meanwhile Block 15 has pretty much any beer you could want on tap. Trash talk about your friend’s choice of orange clothing, which is just downright wrong, over one of 16 beers on tap. You’ll find a great selection of tasty food on the late night menu, like the pulled pork sandwich with honey bourbon barbecue sauce. The open atmosphere encourages conversation while the chalkboard tables encourage you to act like a 5-year-old. Don’t forget to leave a nice tip with the 15 chalk penises you thought were a good idea to draw. Open until 1 a.m.

Saturday:
You’re going to need a little grease to counter the 8 beers you had last night and Broken Yolk is going to be busy as hell so head over to Sharon’s Cafe, a less busy, just as awesome, greasy spoon that the locals frequent.

During the game, if you have any room left, eat whatever food they’ll supply you with at whoever’s house it is you’re watching the game at. Chances are they’re the same friend whose couch you stayed on last night. Which means, 1) they should probably feed you once 2) If you weren’t an inconsiderate ass, you probably bought them a beer or two last night.

Photo from American Dream’s FB page

After the game wrap up your trip with a slice of pizza from Corvallis’s best known pizza place, American Dream. For $3-ish you get a ginormous piece of pizza with anything you want on it. You want Gorgonzola, anchovy, zucchini and roasted red pepper? You got it!

And there you have it, a weekend full of some of Corvallis’s best beer and food, for about $25.

Cheers,

The duck who was once a beaver. (Does that make me a platypus?)

Part I, wherein my hair looks silly:

Part II, wherein I make you sick with my camera angles:

*If you’re in college you have an obligation to add vodka, rum, whiskey, tequila or hot sauce to any of the above recipes.

Happy Smoothie-ing, but remember, smoothies aren’t as good for you as eating raw fruits (your body better digests the vitamins and gets full quicker when you eat whole foods because your brain actually processes that you’re eating, so says my nutritionist and lots of research¹). Regardless, smoothies are better than not eating fruits at all and I almost fully support happy-yummy-smoothie-time.

Cheers!

¹ That research I promised you: Liquid versus Solid Calories, OSU. And some more mainstream articles: Ask the Diet Doctor: What are the Benefits of Juicing? Shape; Is juicing healthier than eating whole fruits or vegetables? Mayo Clinic

Touche. Photo credit: imgfave.com

I made myself a silly goal this week and posted it on a pink sticky note to my computer screen: to make it to 12,000 blog views. You see, the thing about that is that I started the week at 11,000. If my math skills haven’t withered away into the dark hole of journalism that calculates to about 142.9 views per day, up from the 50 or so I usually get (ok, I used a calculator. Side note: when’s the last time you did long division by hand? THEY ACTUALLY MAKE YOU DO THAT ON THE TESTS TO GET INTO GRAD SCHOOL! …and they still let me in, but I digress).

The point is, I’m a very determined gal. I once walked to school in 85 feet of snow, uphill both ways. So, I may not have done that, but my mom has a lot of good stories about how she had to force me to eat when I was little. And there was that one time when my sister and I avoided eating our Jell-O by launching spoonfuls onto the ceiling above the dining room table each time my mother would look away. Then again, I’m not sure if that was for amusement or avoidance, I was only 8 or so.

On that note: I think we’ll have a giveaway.

I’m thinking you might want to know what the prize is. Yes? Maybe? DRUMROLL:

A $20 gift certificate to one of these local eateries:

★ Cornbread Cafe
★ Cornucopia
★ Off the Waffle

This could be the secondary reason I want you to leave mean comments. Photo credit: blog.shareaholic.com

There are four ways to enter the drawing:

✔ Share a link to any one of my Two Pots of Coffee and A Slice of Pie at Midnight posts on TWITTER

✔ Share a link to any one of my  Two Pots of Coffee and A Slice of Pie at Midnight posts on FACEBOOK

✔ Subscribe to my blog. To subscribe scroll to the bottom of this post, down past the picture of my face and enter your email address in the box, then click the button.

✔ Critique me. Post one critical comment on one of my posts. Did I miss a coma? Do you hate my face? Positive comments will NOT be accepted. (Mainly because I have a 5 pound container of ice cream in my freezer and I need an excuse to sulk on the couch and drown my sorrows in it. What can I say, I like being sad.)

THEN you MUST

Comment on this post telling me how you entered. Your name won’t be counted unless you leave a comment.

You may enter one time for each of the check marks listed above. For you writers, that means you can enter up to 4 times. (1+1+1+1 = 4). Suzi that means you can correct all of my 18,000 grammar errors, but you’ll still only get one entry for critiquing. By all means, feel free to edit away though.

If you tweeted you will need to leave a link to your tweet in your comment (under your Tweet got to “expand,” then hit “details.” It will take you to a page with just that tweet. Copy the link). If you Facebooked and win, I’ll check to make sure you actually posted.

Details

The contest starts now, about 3:30 a.m. Tuesday, October 2. It will end at 11:59 p.m. on National Fluffernutter Day, i.e. October 8, 2012. As if a day of peanut butter, marshmallow sandwiches isn’t going to be enough fun by itself.

The winner will be announced within 24 hours. It may involve a live video, a 20 minute feed of me cutting up names and a bum drawing one from a hat. Or, more likely, we’ll just use Random.org.

Also, in case you hadn’t noticed, this is a very Eugene-centric contest. I’m happy to mail gift certificates out, though I sure as heck will not mail them internationally. However, the business are all located in Eugene and are not chains so it would be in your best interest to be in, near, around, or planning to visit Eugene, Oregon if you actually want to use your prize.

Cheers!

Filed under: Food, Fun, Giveaway, Life ]]> http://foodadventuresineugene.wordpress.com/2012/10/02/goals-fluffernutters-and-a-giveaway/feed/ 27 free food haskinm free food gosling