Some holidays shouldn’t be skipped. I’m adding National Pie Day to the list. Why is January 23 THE pie day? “Because celebrating the goodness of pie is as easy as 1-2-3,” says the American Pie Council, which created the holiday. In the words of Bobby Hill from King of the Hill, “You had me at fruit pies.” Me, too, Bobby.

In celebration of National Pie Day, we planned a Saturday morning field trip to Sweetie Pies in downtown Vancouver. Entering the shop, the scent of hot cinnamon rolls bowls us over. Is there a National Cinnamon Roll Day? Note to self: Research that holiday, too. Actually, National Cinnamon Bun Day (Kanelbullens Dag) is October 4 in Sweden. Another note to self: Future road trip?

Sweetie Pies in downtown Vancouver

Back to our closer-to-home research, Linda Davis opened Sweetie Pies in November 2011 in a shared space with Swoon at 1006 Main Street in downtown Vancouver. The pie shop is complemented by Swoon’s collection of antiques, vintage, resale and hand made clothing, jewelry and art among other collectibles.

A baker of pies for 40 years, Linda knows her pastries. Under her mother’s tutelage, she baked her first pie at age 13 or 14 in New York State. A former owner of Antiques and Country Décor in Camas, this businesswoman is now a professional baker.

Today’s selections include rhubarb and mixed berry pies. They share the counter with cinnamon rolls, lemon bars and cookies. Three of Linda’s collection of 30 or so vintage rolling pins hang on the wall.

Pastries of the day

Linda serves up hot cinnamon rolls behind the counter displaying rhubarb and mixed berry pies

A perfect crust

The perfect research project

Moment of pie-tasting truth

After tasting Linda’s pies, I make a silent pledge to permanently give up frozen, store-bought pie crusts. Sweetie Pies’ crusts are flaky and buttery. The fruit-fillings are perfectly sweetened and downright succulent. This being 10 a.m. and election season, I’m thinking that “Pie for breakfast” would make an excellent campaign slogan. Why not? “Pie is the food of the heroic. No pie eating nation can ever be vanquished,” the New York Times allegedly reported in 1902.

The very happy pie taster

Linda Davis, Piemaker

So let’s celebrate! The American Pie Council suggests making, eating and/or giving a pie on the day. Other days work, too, no doubt. Find their history of pies and pie making tips here.

Pie Recommendations for Southwest Washington
Here is a handy pie reference list, recommended by genuine pie eaters (thanks, Gian and Franji!) in Southwest Washington. Feel free to add your favorites by commenting.

VANCOUVER– Sweetie Pies – Try everything!
LONGVIEW – Judy’s Restaurant and Catering – with high recommendations for Peanut Butter Pie, Chocolate Raspberry Mousse Pie and Marionberry Pie
CHEHALIS – Market Street Bakery and Cafe – with accolades for the Marionberry Tart
CENTRALIA –The Good Lunch – Oatmeal Pie especially suggested
CENTRALIA – Berry Fields – all pies recommended
WHITE SALMON – Sweet Things Kitchen – also available in Stevenson at the A&J Select Market and Chuck’s Produce in Vancouver
OCEAN PARK – Full Circle Café – Check out their daily menu

And if you want to watch a quirky, fun movie about pies while enjoying your dessert, check out Waitress with Keri Russell, Jeremy Sisto and Nathan Fillon. It will be impossible to NOT crave pie while watching this film.

Get out there and eat pie!

And remember: January 23, 2012 is also the first day of Chinese New Year (aka Lunar New Year) but that’s another story. For a 2010 ZEST post on this colorful holiday celebrated by billions, visit Gung Hay Fat Choy!

Looking for a reason to gather your friends for a unique evening? What about an evening of wine and cheese tasting?

Our co-host, Jim

Friends Jim and Joyce recently hosted an educational, tasty and increasingly jovial evening that featured nine wines paired with matching cheeses. Thank you to Jim, Joyce and all the other participants! Here are some tips gleaned from the party:

1. Start with a wine steward. Jim and Joyce worked with Ernie, the sommelier at their neighborhood Fred Meyer, to choose the four whites and five red wines featured for the evening.

2. Coordinate with a cheese specialist. After choosing the wines, our hosts worked with Berry of Trader Joe’s in Vancouver to pick the cheeses that best matched the wines.

3. Create a fact sheet about each wine. Jim shared information about each wine including the winery location, vintage and a description of the wine. Fact sheets were on the table and available for guests to take home.

Fact sheet for the Argentinian red

4. Label the cheeses. Each cheese was tagged by type with its matching wine.

Asiago with rosemary - paired with the Chardonnays

5. Provide wine glass labels. I, for one, always lose my wine glass. No one could do that with Joyce’s special paper wine glass labels, which are available online at Wine Compliments No more misplaced wine glasses!

Where is MY glass? No more lost glasses with these paper labels

6. Start with the whites. (Our hosts had a light white wine, Oisly-Thésée Les Gourmets 2009 Sauvignon, available to all upon arrival. This gave us something to drink while waiting for all the participants to arrive.) You want to go from dry to sweet whites, and light to full-bodied reds. Provide new glasses when switching from whites to reds.

Serving the cheese

7. Provide a pitcher of water and a dump bucket. The water will allow tasters to rinse glasses between tastes. The dump bucket? It speaks for itself but, frankly, I couldn’t bring myself to toss out good wine and it was ALL good wine!

8. Serve more food after the tasting. To avoid sending guests who have been consuming fabulous wines out into the driving public, serve food, coffee and conversation AFTER the tasting. Our hosts served us wonderful quiches, salads and coffee.

Salad and quiche

Perfect post-tasting dinner

What wines did we taste? Here is the delectable list in serving order:

Mezzacorona (Italy) 2009 Pinot Grigio

Vino Noceto (California) 2010 Pinot Grigio (award-winning, fruity, sweet, my favorite white)

Peachy Canyon Winery (California) 2008 Zinfandel

Blackstone Winery (California) 2008 Zinfandel

Davis Bynum Winery (California) 2006 Chardonnay

Gordon Brothers 2006 (Washington State) Chardonnay

Don Tiburcio Bodega Benegas Winery (Argentina) 2007 Red Wine

Estancia Winery (California) 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon

Jones of Washington Estate Vineyard (Washington State) 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon

The final, nearly empty line up

The best wine? Personally, I would move to Argentina for Malbecs so I loved the red wine of Don Tiburcio Bodega Benegas Winery. All the wines were excellent. This is the one of the group that I would take to my final picnic.

I confess. After about the fifth wine, I lost track of the cheeses. Best idea: pick your wines and then talk to your local cheese buyer for pairing suggestions. Joyce and Jim wisely used their consultant at Trader Joe’s.

Want to do this party on a budget? To preserve your checking account, create the wine list and then assign a bottle to each guest to bring. Ask each person to put together the fact sheet and give a brief lecture on the wine. This WILL generate a FUN evening!

A votre sante!

My favorite gifts are experiences — presents that get me moving, seeking, learning, growing or relaxing. The memories of those experiences WILL fit on the boat.

Here is a short but fun list of experiences (with gift certificates available) in Southwest Washington (of course!) that you can give this holiday season, or year round, to friends, family or to yourself:

Pacific County
Give a gift certificate to one of my favorite places, Shakti Cove Cottages. These cute little cabins are within walking distance of the beach at Ocean Park, include kitchens and are near some of the best areas of the Long Beach Peninsula including Oysterville and Nahcotta.

Entrance to Shakti Cove Cottages

Consider including a gift certificate to Nanci and Jimella’s Klipsan Market Café just down the road. Remember the famous and fabulous Ark restaurant? That was Nancy and Jimella’s before they sold it. Their tradition of wonderful food continues in Klipsan Beach. Call 360.665.4847 for details.

Clark County
The beautifully restored Camas Hotel offers a relaxing getaway that is surrounded by shops and restaurants including Oliver’s at the hotel. Call for details and reservations.

The charming Camas Hotel

How about a gift certificate to Magenta Theater? Their 2011 plays include classics Life with Father and You Can’t Take it With You. It’s a sweet deal to have dinner in one of the many restaurants in downtown Vancouver and then stroll down to Magenta’s space on Main Street, near 6th.

Cowlitz County
Speaking of theater, do not overlook the recently restored Columbia Theatre in downtown Longview. Upcoming events include ‘S Wonderful, The Fab Four, 39 Steps (4 actors doing 150 characters!) and more including performances for children. Call for a gift certificate!

The Columbia Theatre

What about a pre-show dinner? Consider a gift certificate to JT’s Steak & Fish House, which comes highly recommended. Call 360-577-0717 for a gift certificate.

Skamania County
A night or two in the beautiful Skamania Lodge would make anyone happy. You could include a gift certificate dinner or brunch at the lodge or Big River Grill in downtown Stevenson.

The view from Skamania Lodge

Dinner at the Big River Grill

Klickitat County
Maryhill Winery offers a beautiful tasting room overlooking the Columbia River. A gift certificate to the winery can be used on their wines and items in the retail store. It’s a wonderful drive out to the winery and can easily include the remarkable Maryhill Museum.

The stunning terrace at Maryhill Winery

One more suggestion
Okay, after purchasing “experiences” for your loved ones, you may still feel the need a gift in hand to fill a stocking or to wrap for under the tree. Stop by or shop online at the Fort Vancouver Bookstore for the 2010 ornament – Fort Vancouver Village by Paul Lanquist. You’ll find lots of other gift ideas related to Southwest Washington, too.

The Fort Vancouver Village 2010 Ornament

And please HAVE A HAPPY HOLIDAY AND PEACEFUL AND PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR!

So why did I, a total morning person, stay up until midnight last night, mixing batch after batch of high-cal morsels, starting over with brand new ingredients (thanks for going to the store, Gary) after discovering a weevil, artfully (sort of) twisting red and white dough into candy cane shapes, while totally trashing my kitchen with powdered sugar and wayward flour? Because I LOVE my neighbors and am willing to wrangle with my oven and stay up past my usual 9:15 bedtime to hang out with them at a cookie exchange. And, of course, it was worth it.

Our neighbors Caitlyn, Jerrad, and Ivy are incredibly creative. They set up a lovely gathering with boxes, ribbon and decorative stamps for packaging the cookies plus lots of appetizers and drinks. With each of us bringing six dozen cookies, the table was thoroughly bedecked with holiday treats.

Why do a cookie exchange? Our neighbors came up with lots of reasons. Here are 5.5 of our favorites:

1. You get to find out what is happening in the neighborhood. Who is performing in concert with her madrigal group? Who is having squirrel problems? Why was a neighbor taken to the hospital in an ambulance? You don’t learn these things in the newspaper or on Facebook.

2. You get to see how much the children have grown. Our little exchange had a 3.5-year-old, a toddler and two babies, including a month-old new neighbor who mostly slept through the evening. Our neighborhood is attracting young families. It’s fun to see how much their kids change over the years.

3. You get to welcome new neighbors. We were delighted that our newest neighbors joined us.

4. You see your neighbors’ latest remodeling projects, and get ideas for your own home. Most of our houses are 80 to 100-years-old. Believe me, we are all regularly updating and looking for cool ideas.

5. You can escape from reality tv to real life. Getting to know your neighbors is reality, not the latest television show.

5.5. In the words of the Cookie Monster, “Cookie!” Somebody said “A balanced diet is a cookie in each hand.” We’ll be slowly savoring ours so we should have a balanced diet through Christmas. Thank you, Caitlyn, Jerrad, and Ivy!

We spent four days there in mid-summer and pined for more. So we returned a month later for a camping trip with long-time friends, Mary and John Tyburski. Again, we were enchanted by the area. Cranberry Coast, Part I is here.

Westport Marina

Friday afternoon. Taking I-5 north, we make our ritual stop for milkshakes at the Dairy Barn in Chehalis (Exit 77). Cookie Dough and Hazelnut shakes in hands, we head west on SR6 through PeEll, which has what must be the world’s largest stop signs, and through Frances and Lebam—a town with a name to love. It’s backwards for Mabel.

We pass the Pacific County Fair in Menlo, hurrying on to Raymond, where we pick up SR105. We’re eager to get to our campsite before sundown at Twin Harbors Beach State Park.  Setting up a campsite in the dark is not my idea of fun and it’s raining so we are grateful for our snug tent camper. Our days of sleeping on the ground are over. Guess we are getting older…

Home Away From Home

What a multi-generational community we find! Park demographics include all ages, from infants to grandparents and a diverse, well-behaved canine population. We must have missed the memo that said “bring your dog.” Two doors down, so to speak, at least 30 high school girls (also well-behaved) are on a field trip and eating dinner under the world’s largest tarp.

Much later, two cars of very polite surfers from Port Orchard set up their tents next to ours in the dark. We save them from an imminent medical emergency by lending them our hatchet. Watching a barefoot surfer try to chop wood with machete is not a pretty picture.

Saturday morning. With the rain gone, we explore the beach, which is nearly empty and quite beautiful with seabirds, crashing waves and fishing boats in the distance. I’ve never seen so many whole sand dollars on a beach.

Beach at Twin Harbors

11 a.m. We drive to Westport, which is only a few miles north of the state park. Not surprising, there is LOT to do here. A local blog, Discovering Westport keeps track of what’s happening. The Westport-Grayland Chamber of Commerce also has a good Web site. Also, check out the live beach cam and for live views of the beachs and marina plus weather info.

The Westport Marina is an active, working marina with fleets of pleasure and commercial fishing boats. The captain of the MV Scooter has returned with four fishermen and is cleaning their salmon catch. Two massive sea lions are savoring the scraps that the captain tosses overboard as he fillets the fish.

Sea Lion with Lunch

12:30 p.m. It’s lunchtime and we stop by the Half Moon Bay Bar and Grill. Panko breaded Willapa oysters, a seafood sampler and Dungeness crab melt on ciabatta sound WAY better than sandwiches back at the campground. The restaurant’s panoramic view of the marina plus a large, see-through aquarium with Nemo and various other tropical fish add to the ambiance.

2 p.m. Across the street from the marina, downtown Westport offers shops and galleries with fine art, kites, jewelry, fudge and the usual beach mementos. We make a mental note to check out the food at the One Eyed Crab.

3 p.m. At the “westernmost winery in Washington State,” we are greeted by the friendly owners of Westport Winery. We enjoy quite a flight of reds and whites in their impressive and busy tasting room. We purchase a bottle of Maritime Muscat and Tyburskis buy Going Coastal Sparking Gewurztraminer. Each bottle purchased benefits of local non-profit group at this family-run winery. Current wines are listed on their Web site.

Tasting at the Westport Winery

4:30 p.m. The Grays Harbor Light Station is a significant landmark on the Washington coast. This active lighthouse is Washington State’s tallest at 107’ tall. It’s 123’ above sea level. Mary climbs the 135 steps to the top for the coastal view. We wander around the surrounding woods. John naps at the campground.

5:30 p.m. We’re in Grayland (about 10 minutes south of Twin Harbors) for dinner at the very popular Bennett’s Restaurant. It’s good that we are early because by the time we leave, the line is out the door. Seafood and wine in a great restaurant. I admit it. This is my kind of camping.

7:30 p.m. The fog has cleared and we are watching the sun’s golden orb dip into the sea. Back to the campsite for a campfire and glass of wine.

Sunday morning. Tyburskis take off for home while we head back to the beach for a long walk. We then head back to Westport to explore the charming Westport Maritime Museum. Housed in a 1940 Coast Guard station, the museum features exhibits on community history, ship wrecks, logging, cranberry harvesting and other local topics. Full-sized whale skeletons are displayed in outdoor glass pavilions and the massive Destruction Island Lighthouse lens is showcased in a separate building on the groups. Community museums offer fascinating exhibits. We are glad we visited.

Westport's Maritime Museum

Next, it’s time to figure out where all those surfers are going and how Westport can support multiple surf shops. We are directed to Westhaven State Park, a day-use area with a beach on the south side of the Westport Jetty. There we are amazed to see hundreds of surfers in black wetsuits looking like seals in the water along with kayakers, paddling through the waves. We later read that Westport is Washington State’s premier sport for surfing. Who knew? We didn’t.

Surfers near Westport

1 p.m. It’s time to return home from the Cranberry Coast. Before we leave Westport, we have time to squeeze in one more meal – this time at the One Eyed Crab. The place is packed with Sunday diners eating all manner of seafood from crab legs to tuna to oyster burgers and chowders. Kids are going for the corndogs. We devour halibut (which has a light, tempura-like coating) and chips, and clam chowder. (Only one week later, the Sunday New York Times Travel Section published an excellent review of the restaurant.)

Even after making two trips and six days in the area, we still didn’t have enough time to fully explore the Cranberry Coast. What about a fishing trip? Kayaking in the Willapa Bay? More time in the museums? More local wine? More oysters? We’ll be back.

Pre-Breakfast Music

This is not just about pancakes. There may be a bit of a wait for seats at this popular breakfast but live Nordic music and fresh coffee keep the mood upbeat.

The Crowd at Sons of Norway

And Scandinavian sweaters brighten the room. This is WAY more fun than breakfast at your usual pancake house.

Downstairs in the dining room, waiters are quick to bring plates of pancakes with lingonberry jam, eggs, sausage, juice, and lots more coffee. The pancakes are all-you-can-eat. All for $6. First Sunday of the month, 9:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. Go early! Wear a Norwegian sweater.

This is the the second year that we have bought a half-share of the Red Basket Farm, which is near Battle Ground. Every other weekend we receive a BIG basket of produce from Kate Rae’s CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) farm. Deliveries start in late spring with greens, peas and other early vegetables. With the coming of summer, our bounty diversifies and increases. Our last shipment weighed 42 pounds! There are many reasons to join a CSA. Here are 10 benefits we have enjoyed:

1. Pesticide-free, ultra-fresh vegetables. This almost goes without saying but we know that our CSA produce is grown in a safe, sustainable manner and that it is harvested right before we receive it.

2. Supporting and getting to know a farmer. Not only do we know where and how are vegetables are grown, we know WHO planted and harvested them. Kate has been known to say our names as she plants potatoes.  It’s nice to know that there is a potato with your name on it! And her potatoes are fabulous when roasted with Red Basket Farm beets, carrots and onions.

3. Sharing produce with our friends and neighbors. We can’t eat all the produce we receive. So we share. Cabbages go to our German neighbor across the street. Spicy peppers go to a friend who is from Mexico. Vegetables build strong friendships!

4. Learning new cooking skills. Orach, kale, shisho greens, Swiss chard – we are learning to cook and eat in new and interesting ways. We still haven’t figured out what to do with mustard greens but we will get there someday! (See the Clark College  Easy Vegetable Meals class listed below.)

5. Visiting the farm. It’s great fun to visit the 70-acre Red Basket Farm. It’s a beautiful site filled with beds of our vegetables, flowers, fruit trees and assorted animals. The surrounding countryside makes for a lovely Sunday drive and Rusty Grape Vineyard and tasting room is just down the road. 

6. The BEST eggs in the world. It pains us to buy eggs in the store after eating the fresh green and brown eggs with such beautiful orange yolks. Kate’s feathered girls know what they are doing!

7. Meeting other CSA members. Each year, Kate has a beginning and end of  year party. It’s great fun to meet the other members and spend time at the farm.

8. Surprise! You never know what you are going to get. This is similar but not the same as #4. It’s an adventure to pick up your veggies and not know what you are getting or, in some cases, what you have received, once you see it. It’s all about learning and being flexible.

9. Flowers. Many CSAs offer flower shares and deliver gorgeous bouquets.

10. Buying local. We buy so many things that are manufactured or grown thousands of miles away. Buying local, fresh produce is a gift to us, to the farmer and, hopefully, to the environment.

Note: On Thursday, September 24, 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m., Clark College at the new CTC campus is offering an evening class “EasyVegetable Meals” with Betty Hinkle of News Seasons Market. Class members will create:  Mixed Vegetable Grill with Spicy Peanut Sauce; Goat Cheese and Red Pepper Relish Sandwiches; Stir-Fried Japanese Mushroom Noodles; Roasted Root Vegetables; Gazpacho; Cauliflower Bake and Sweet Potato and Nut Bake. Cost is $85. For more information, go to Easy Vegetable Meals.