I’m still obsessed with plantain bread and playing with different flavors. I tried adding some sweetener as well as almond extract, and I love how it cut the tanginess of the plantains. The almonds on top added crunch. I brought some of this Plantain Almond Bread on a visit out west to dad’s farm in Oregon last week. My brother (who traveled from Illinois and met me at Portland Airport) and I ended up eating it all on the shuttle on the way to Corvalis….!
I did make a couple of mini loaves during our visit though to make up for it.
My dad and his wife, Sherry, live on a beautiful mountain in between Corvalis and the coast. They have a farm with alpacas, sheep, chickens, and Guinea Fowl.
Ruben, one of the alpacas
My dad made this chicken tractor (a mobile chicken coop) out of light weight materials. There are wheels on it, so you can move it around from place to place for fresh grass.
My dad has a great workshop in a big barn. He is an amazing builder, craftsman, and artisan.
In his barn/workshop looking down from the loft.
An owl lives in the barn as you can see from these owl pellets!
In addition to various structures he’s built around the farm and inside the log cabin, he makes all kinds of cool decorative things. These gorgeous sonorous Japanese gongs are made from recycled oxygen tanks.
His newest pursuit is sculpting figures which Sherry dresses and which can also serve as more pleasing looking scarecrows.
This yoga lady lives in the vegetable garden.
Looking at these gorgeous chard plants tells us that she is doing her job well!
It is so peaceful and quiet there…
This is where I did morning stretching — on the cabin porch overlooking the field.
We had a wonderful time catching up and visiting.
Sherry, Dad, and my brother on our walk with our walking sticks.
Apple picking bounty from their apple trees
We even made little trips to the surrounding area.
Me and Sherry in Newport, OR
Sea lions napping near the pier
We also had the opportunity to visit their neighbors’ farm and workshop up the road. Bertie Stringer and Marshall Dunham of Honeystone Candles have been in the bees and beeswax business for 20 years.
They make beautiful candles out of beeswax, like this dragon candle I brought back for Jamie and one shaped like a knot.
They smell fragrantly of honey. But we don’t want to burn these, as they are beautiful pieces of art!
Bertie sculpts all kinds of unique and imaginative figures, which she then makes molds out of and fills with beeswax.
one of the candle molds
Here is a non-organic inspired set — when you turn one gear shaped candle, the others move, just like real gears:
To see more of their unique and beautiful products, visit their site here.
We also tasted some of their fresh honeycomb filled with sweet Oregon honey.
All in all, our trip to Oregon was an inspiring, memorable, and awesome!
Sherry took this of us right before we said our good-byes at the shuttle stop in Corvalis.
Thank you for such a wonderful visit, Dad and Sherry!
I can’t wait to see you again soon, next time with Denis and Jamie!
Slice of bread with a bit of Bertie and Marshall’s honey.
Almond Plantain Bread
Non-stick spray
1 ripe plantain, cut into slices
2 eggs
2 teaspoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 tablespoon sliced almonds
1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a mini loaf pan with parchment paper on the bottom. Spray with non-stick spray. Set aside.
2. Blend plantain, eggs, sugar, and almond extract in a blender until smooth (you could also use a food processor, but process plantains until smooth first).
3. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan. Sprinkle top with sliced almonds.
4. Bake in oven for about 35-45 minutes (checking at the 30 minute mark). When a tooth pick or skewer comes out clean and the inside of the loaf looks like it is completely dry it is done. Cool on rack for a few minutes. Then run a knife around the edge, and remove loaf to rack to cool completely.
Top of loaf — so yummy!
