Art Night & The Pumpkin Patch

A big part of feeling well, for me, is getting back out into the world. This weekend has involved some getting-out-in-the-world-ness without too much fanfare: last night Alison was kind enough to host an art night, and today, we went to The Pumpkin Patch!


Art Night used to be a monthly (or so) thing, but given everybody's lives lately, we've fallen sadly behind. I was really excited that Alison offered to host one again, since it gave us a chance to work on some projects - Adam knit a dish cloth for the kitchen, I worked on the damask afghan and made some collages for Vashti's binders (at her request). Friends came and did everything from painting to spontaneous comedy stylings. There was wine and baked goods and a good time had by all! 


Alison surprised us by making some cupcakes to decorate! Here's some of them coming out of the oven: 

As you can see, some of them exploded over their holders. They were delicious regardless! There were two chocolate frostings made and two buttercream frostings, and Alison had obtained some fun decorations. Here are some of the decorated cupcakes:

Our friend Amanda and I collaborated on one cupcake:

She did the vast majority, but the hat/fascinator was my idea--I do love a good fascinator. It's part of that whole Anglophile thing. They love ridiculous headgear in the U.K.! 

The only complaint I have about Art Night is that I was out later than I intended. But still, that's a fun complaint. Art NIght is such a great low-key way to catch up with friends I don't always get to see very often and be productive to boot! I'm hoping it's back to stay this time around. 

This morning, we had about six people committed to go to The Pumpkin Patch, but it ended up just being me, Adam, and Vashti. Oh, and for those who are wondering why I say the pumpkin patch, It really is. That's their farm's name, and they managed to register thepumpkinpatch.com. I've never been to a pumpkin patch I enjoy more, to be honest. 

We started out getting some spiced cider and fresh corn on the cob, then grabbed a bag of kettle corn (made on site, and very tasty) to head into The Maize. This year, the maize is Portland Timbers-themed:

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I'm not a soccer fan, but the maize was fun! It seems it's been easier the past couple years, which is both a good and a bad thing, I suppose. Being lost in the mud for two hours can certainly turn a fun time into a frustrating and exhausted time. They've switched a few things up, including spilling you back out at the entrance/exit midway through for a small respite. Good for those with little ones, I imagine, but the main vistor's area by the food booths, maize entrance, and produce market was fraught with bees. That wasn't the best, but we seem to have come out of the experience sans stings. 

After conquering the maize, we went to the animal barn and said hello, then got on the hayride out to the patch. I took a few pictures whilst we were out there. 

Adam took one of me, balancing a pumpkin on my head:

Note the festive attire! After selecting our pumpkins and grabbing a hayride back, we paid for our pumpkins and took them back to the car. It was $9.00 for five pumpkins--not bad at all! 

We walked back to the produce market. They carry a lot of produce grown on the farm, grown on Sauvie Island, and trucked in from other nearby locales, like Hood River. We got squash, potatoes, cabbage, kale, apples, beets, kohlrabi, zucchini, and more! Here's a quick snapshot of our bounty:

There were a couple things not pictured, including apple cider. The total of what's here is about $40.00. That included a splurge--almost $5.00 for some local smoked gouda, which Adam and I are eating with some Hood River apples right now. It is delicious. 

I always forget how insanely cheap produce is, if you go to the source! That giant 25lb bag of carrots? $9.99. Giant zucchini? 99 cents. Squash? 49 cents per pound. Vashti is going back next weekend and will pick us up a few more things--a good thing, too, considering we start our juice fast on Thursday. I feel we'll still be able to enjoy the great bounty of fall foods - if you haven't tried it, I highly recommend juicing squash. It's quite filling and squash is often slightly sweet.