,

Mardi Gras or Valentine’s Day? No Need to Choose at Acadia Bistro This February

Portland, OR – With Mardi Gras falling the day before Valentine’s Day this year, there two delicious evenings worth of excellent dining available at Acadia Bistro.

On Tuesday, February 13th, chef/owner Seamus Foran will offer a 3-course dinner for $25, including special Mardi Gras entrees, a house greens salad, and King Cake bread.

Mardi Gras Entrees
Louisiana Wild Catfish cornmeal fried with black-eyed peas and deviled tasso
Cajun Jambalaya with smoked chicken, andouille sausage, house-made tasso and smoked tomato relish
Louisiana White Shrimp Creole with black kale, button mushrooms and spinach
Crawfish Linguine shrimps, sherry-tomato cream and spinach
Smoked Pork Cheeks white bean cassoulet
Smoked Pork Cheeks white corn grits, apples, red chili honey
Crawfish-Andouille Mac & Cheese

The regular dinner menu will also be available, and the above Mardi Gras entrees are available as a la carte options. As is Acadia’s tradition, the lucky finder of a toy baby in a slice of King Cake will win a $50 gift certificate.

On Wednesday, February 14th, the restaurant will serve a 4-course Valentine’s Day dinner for $70 per person:

Lagniappe
Smoked Tomato Soup

First Course
Hush Puppies orange-horseradish marmalade
Louisiana BBQ Shrimp lemon, butter, black pepper and rosemary
Wild Mushroom Ragout pearl onions, fresh herbs and puff pastry
Cornmeal Fried Willapa Bay Oysters jalapeño waffle, buttermilk dressing

Second Course
Field Greens Salad crumbled egg and Creole mustard vinaigrette
Roasted Beet Salad arugula, frisee, feta, pumpkin seeds

Louisiana Blue Crab Bisque crawfish toast and watercress
Seafood Gumbo blue crab, crawfish tails andouille and okra with white rice

Acadia

Seafood Gumbo. Photo by Aubrie LeGault.

Third Course
Filet of NY Striploin garlic whipped potatoes, Oregon truffle butter and red chile jus de veau
Louisiana Seabream skillet bronzed with blue crab, mandarins, spinach Madeleine, and almonds
Smoked Pork Cheeks white cheddar grits, apple, and pecans
Blackened Shrimp Acadian crawfish stuffing, celery root remoulade, smoked tomato beurre blanc
Goat Cheese Gnocchi apples, sage, chanterelle mushrooms, pecans, and butternut squash

Dessert
Bread Pudding bourbon caramel sauce, pecans, whipped cream
Banana Crème Trifle candied peanuts
Buttermilk Chocolate Cake chocolate ganache, brown butter-sea salt ice cream

Acadia

Bread pudding. Photo by Aubrie LeGault.

Dinner service starts at 5:00 p.m. Reservations are highly recommended and can be made by calling (503) 249-5001 or through OpenTable.com.

About Acadia
Located in the Sabin/Irvington neighborhood of Portland, Acadia has been serving modern American cuisine rooted in Louisiana food traditions since 2001. The restaurant uses locally-grown fruits, vegetables and meats, as well as exclusively wild caught seafood from the Gulf coast and Pacific Northwest. The restaurant is located at 1303 NE Fremont St. in Portland. For reservations, please call (503) 249-5001. www.acadiapdx.com

/0 Comments/by
,

Hana Foods Changes Up Menu — But Leaves Your Favorites

Camas, WA — The popular Hana Foods Korean restaurant, located in downtown Camas (where Rice Time used to be) changed up their menu for the new year. They’ve streamlined their offerings in an effort to focus more on signature Korean dishes, but have kept customer favorites, such as the Teriyaki grill offerings, bowls, and noodles.

“We wanted to make things a little easier on Mom, who does most of the cooking,” said Phil Park, co-owner of Hana Foods. “Plus, we wanted to focus on more signature Korean dishes. They taste so good! That’s why we changed things up for the new year. We are so grateful for so many loyal customers.”

With a focus on Korean foods, the Soon Du-bu, a soft tofu spicy stew, has an assortment of vegetables with the option to add your protein of choice (beef, pork, chicken). It does have a kick, and is a great way to ease off that winter cold and get you back to health. We just sampled it a few days ago, and it’s delicious. Top it off with some Korean side dishes. Ask for Soon Du-bu or K-1.

The Deon-Jan Ji-Gae or (K-2) is a soybean stew with assorted vegetables, tofu, and your protein of choice.

Kimchi Ji-Gae is a kimchi lovers paradise that’s loaded with kimchi, assorted vegetables, tofu and your protein of choice. We recommend ordering it with beef. It’s K-3.

They continue to offer Bi-Bim-Bap (my personal favorite), which is K-4. It’s steamed rice topped with assorted vegetables, seaweed, and your choice of protein. Again, we recommend the beef.

Hana

Steamed rice topped with assorted vegetables, seaweed, and beef (or your choice of protein).

Hana continues to offer the Jap-Chare (sweet noodles), Bul-Go-Gi (Korean Beef), Dae-Ji-Bul-Go-Gi (Spicy Pork), Day Bul-Go-Gi (Korean chicken), and Gal-Bi (Korean short ribs), which is so incredibly tasty!

Teriyaki grill offerings are still there, as are two noodle options (Yakisoba and Udon), along with eight bowl offerings and your favorite sides (we recommend the Korean sushi, Korean Kimchi Tempura Pancake, and the Miso soup.

Hana has lunch menu pricing, and is conveniently located in downtown Camas at 412 NE 4th Avenue. 360.833.9111.

Tell them Lacamas Magazine sent you.

Hana

Jap-Chase — swee potato glass noodles.

/0 Comments/by
,

Travel: Mount Hamilton a Great, Quick Getaway — For All Family Members

Beacon Rock State Park, WA — We intended on climbing Beacon Rock, but due to a rock slide, that hike was closed, so we moved across the freeway to check out Mount Hamilton Trail — and what a treat!

This hike is full of the best things the Columbia River Gorge has to offer — easy access and parking, a well-maintained trail, stunning waterfalls, and some incredible views.

As part of Beacon Rock State Park, you can approach this hike a couple ways — by hiking straight up and back for a six-mile journey or by taking the fun 7.5 mile loop.

The first mile is a steady, easy uphill pace with a wide trail (enough for passersby from either direction to get by). You’ll hear the waterfalls then head to the Hardy Falls viewpoint. Keep going until you see another trail leading up to Rodney Falls and the breathtaking Pool of the Winds. The hike to this enchanting pool is easy for people of all ages, and just seeing Pool of the Winds is worth the short trip.

There are lots of protective rails to keep one from falling, but they don’t detract from nature’s beauty.

Hamilton

Half way to Pool of the Winds.

The trail gets steeper past the falls, and it gives you two options: Hamilton Trail — More Difficult, and Hardy Creek Trail — Difficult. The More Difficult option takes you up the Hamilton Mountain Trail, and switches back for 1,400 feet. You can take the Hardy Creek Trail for a 3.2 mile loop.

At the summit, you have walked three miles up. The highest part of the trail is 4 miles in with signs pointing toward the Hardy Creek Trail. You can enjoy a picnic lunch near Hardy Creek. To get back, continue on the Hardy Trail, and after 1.4 miles you’ll be back on the Hamilton Mountain Trail and make your descent.

Mount Hamilton Trail Directions

From Camas, drive 22 miles east on Highway 14 until you arrive at the Beacon Rock State Park entrance. Go past the ranger station, and take the road that angles up to the hill (to the left, on the north side). Look for the brown hiking sign. After .3 miles turns right into the Hamilton Mountain Trailhead parking area.

Mount Hamilton Trail Photos

/0 Comments/by
, ,

Health and Fitness Q & A Spotlight: Is This Just a Trend or a HIIT?

One of the biggest fitness trends that is going to make its mark in 2018, according to CNN.com, is high intensity interval training or HIIT. This type of training is different than just going to the gym to lift weights or doing cardio for an hour. This type of training combines aerobic (cardio), anaerobic (like sprinting), and resistance training (free weights) exercises that are programmed to deliver the maximum amount of caloric expenditure burn and fitness results — within a short period of time.

How is it different than traditional group classes?
HIIT classes can range from 30 to 45 minutes, depending on the group fitness studio you belong to. Some studios will only do body weight, but others will incorporate all three components mentioned above to deliver the maximum results within your class time.

If you are an avid cardio goer, love yoga, dance, just run, walk or hike, then HIIT is definitely going to take you out of your comfort zone. In the fitness world, we use the term planes of motion. With cardio movements, like biking or running, your body goes in one direction. When you take a HIIT class, you are moving in all the planes of motion. This means you are moving forward, sideways, backwards, at angles, up, down and sometimes all around. As humans, we are not meant to stay in one place, so if we can exercise to mimic real life movements, it helps tremendously. We call this, functional training movements. With HIIT, those movements are elevated to a higher level with out-of-the-box workout routines that are meant to get you leaner and stronger throughout your entire body, especially your core. In addition, the programmed rest cycles are meant to make your heart & lungs recover quicker, so that you can bounce back faster after every exercise sequence.

HIIT

A 45-minute session at Burntown Fitness.

Why is this important?
The magic with HIIT training is that your muscles are constantly guessing. No one wants to hit a plateau and have their bodies become stagnant. With these classes, we are constantly confusing the body with various movement patterns, different exercises and resistance levels. The end result is an increase in calories burned, better muscular endurance, a stronger and leaner body, and better recovery between exercises.

Why can’t we just do cardio?
Cardio is great, but it does little in maintaining our muscle mass. The problem with cardio addicts is their muscle mass will suffer in the long term. The goal is to maintain or increase that lean body mass through resistance training because we will lose muscle at a faster rate as we get older. In addition, you have the bone density benefit. Lifting weights and constantly challenging your muscles with various resistances and dynamic movements will help maintain bone density, especially in women who are predisposed to higher levels of osteoporosis as they age.

Final Words
The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. If you feel that you have reached a plateau, it just means you need to train at a higher level and be challenged. You don’t have to leave your current fitness place, but at the end of the day, if you aren’t getting results anymore, you need to crosstrain with other modes of exercise. The question to you is: Are you going to give HIIT a try? Don’t limit yourself with comfort, you only get one body, why not get the most out of it and Make Every Move Count.

by Kisar S. Dhillon, Partner, Burntown Fitness

Burntown.com

HIIT

Working out.

 

HIIT

A 45-minute session at Burntown.

 

HIIT

Sweating it out.

/0 Comments/by
,

Five More Tips for Raising Resilient Kids — With Julie Russell

We spent some time with Licensed Family Therapist, Julie Russell, about proven tips on how to raise resilient kids. This is the second part of three articles that discuss this issue.

Raising kids today is certainly challenging, but Russell said these are things parents can do immediately to have more peace in the home. Russell based her discussion on Margarita Tartakovsky’s proven methods to raise resilient children.

Tip #6: Don’t provide all the answers

When given a challenge, don’t solve your child’s problem. Ask them what they will do about it instead. This teaches them to think for themselves, and they can propose solutions.

Tip #7: Avoid talking in catastrophic terms

“Don’t tell your children ‘You’re going to make us go broke or you’re going to make me go to the crazy house,’” says Russell.

Doing this gives them anxiety because when parents speak that way they think scary things will happen to them, which can lead to other challenges.

Tip #8: Let your kids make mistakes

Often times, says Russell, we don’t allow our children to fail.

Some common mistakes are re-doing their homework for them. Don’t do that.

When your child tries to fix something, don’t jump in and help them fix it when they don’t ask for help. If they appear frustrated a good question to ask is: “What would you have me do?”

Tip #9:Help them manage their emotions

Russell says emotional intelligence is a big factor in being successful in life, which is why socializing is so important. She recommends being an emotional thermostat. If your child throws a temper tantrum, don’t raise your voice. Don’t escalate the noise level.

Tip #10: Model resiliency

Children constantly watch the adult role models around them. When something is hard in your life, be the example and show them how to handle it. Require children to do work around the house, and when they’re older to get jobs. Make them work. Teach them to work. Make service a big part of their lives.

“Serving others is essential to happiness,” says Russell.

To read part one, go here: First Five Tips

Russell also serves as a Washougal City Councilor. She was elected to their first term on the City Council last November.

Washougal

Julie Russell signs her oath of office at the conclusion of Monday’s Washougal City Council meeting.

/0 Comments/by
,

Biz Spotlight: Heaven’s Best Carpet Cleaning — With Health Benefits

CAMAS, WA — When you get your carpet cleaned, it always feels good to get those dirty spots and stains off, but did you know there are also some additional health benefits?

Ammon Child, owner of the Heaven’s Best Carpet Cleaning franchise for the past 19 years in Clark County (based in Camas), has a few things to say about his company’s process.

“We want everyone to know that besides getting a clean carpet, there are some great additional health benefits, as well,” said Child. “We use a natural cleaning solution, which is water and citrus-based extract that dries in an hour. It’s a process that’s easy on your carpet — and the environment.”

In other words, no chemicals or residue left in your home. Their carpet cleaning also helps control allergens.

He said the quick dry means your carpet isn’t getting flooded, so it’s not doing any damage to the pads underneath. There’s not much waiting time until you can walk on your comfortable floor. Their technicians can operate around your furniture so there’s no need to do any heavy lifting — unless requested.

Child recommends that you get your carpets cleaned annually if you just have regular traffic in your residence, however, if you have pets he recommends cleaning twice a year.

Heaven’s Best offers the following additional services:

  • Upholstery cleaning
  • Tile and grout cleaning
  • Inspection, spot dying and repair
  • Carpet and fabric protection
  • Commercial services
  • Window cleaning

Their company is highly involved in the local community — Child’s wife, Kari, works for Camas school, daughter Madison attends Camas High School and runs Cross Country (ran with the State XC team), and son Lucas is in middle school.

To learn more, visit www.myheavensbest.com or call 360.606.2707 for a free estimate.

 

 

/0 Comments/by
, ,

Events: 56th Annual Clark College Jazz Festival — Features 60 Area Schools

VANCOUVER, WA — Clark College will host the 56th Annual Clark College Jazz Festival with three full days of exhilarating big band jazz on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, January 25-27, 2018 in the Gaiser Center, 1933 Fort Vancouver Way, Vancouver WA 98663. Admission is $5 per day. Clark College students and children under 12 accompanied by an adult will be admitted free of charge.

Sixty middle and high school jazz ensembles from throughout Washington and Oregon are scheduled to perform in this year’s competition with trophies presented to the top three jazz ensembles for middle schools and A through AAAA division high schools. Individual outstanding musician awards will also be presented at the end of each division’s preliminary competitions. At the end of Saturday evening, the Dale Beacock Memorial Sweepstakes Award will be presented to one outstanding band selected from the entire festival.

Preliminary competitions for the 2018 festival will start on Thursday with middle schools from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. with middle school finals starting at 5:30 p.m. On Friday and Saturday, competition will begin at 8:00 a.m. with the A and AA division jazz bands performing on Friday and AAA and AAAA jazz bands taking the stage on Saturday. Finals competitions will begin at 7 p.m. on Friday and Saturday evenings ending with the trophies presentation.
The Clark College Jazz Ensemble, under the direction of Festival Director Richard Inouye, will perform at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday, noon and 8:30 p.m. on Friday, and at 12:20 p.m. on Saturday. The 2017 Sweepstakes Band, Garfield High School Jazz Band (Seattle, WA), under the direction of Clarence Acox, will hold the spotlight on Saturday evening at 8:30 p.m.

For complete information about the Clark College Music Department concerts featuring the orchestra, band, jazz ensemble, and choirs, please see http://www.clark.edu/campus-life/arts-events/music/index.php

The History of the Clark College Jazz Festival

The heritage of the Clark College Jazz Festival dates back to 1962 when Hud­son’s Bay H.S. band director, Don Cammack, began organizing a one-day high school stage band invitational for schools from Clark and Skamania coun­ties. Organized by the Vancouver and Evergreen public schools, Fort Vancou­ver H.S. and Evergreen H.S took turns hosting the festival each year. Sponsors of the festival included Southwest Washington Music Association and Lower Columbia River Music Educators Association.

In the early years, the trophies were made by middle school band director, Jack Ager, creatively construct­ing musician figures from miscellaneous hardware and car parts! In 1970, Dale Beacock, then the band director at both Fort Vancouver H.S. and Clark Col­lege, held the invitational “Clark Stage Band Contest” for the first time at its current home, Clark College. This inaugural event hosted 17 high school jazz bands with preliminary competitions held in what was then known as the Gaiser Hall dining area, with finals in the gymnasium. Dale’s vision of a competitive jazz showcase for schools throughout Washington and greater Portland pro­moted the growth of the festival and in 1971 the festival grew to 32 bands held over two days on Friday and Saturday.

In 1976, the number of participating bands grew to 52, welcoming bands from Oregon and Idaho. In 1985, Chuck Ramsey took over the reigns as Festival Coordinator successfully organizing the festival for the next 22 years. Chuck’s achievements bringing consistency in the operations of the festival and increased student involvement set the ground­work for the educational enhancement, leadership, teamwork, and a sense of ownership the Clark student volunteers experience today. In 2008, Richard Inouye came onboard as Festival Director. His professional and educational experience has brought a new dynamic to the festival by encouraging a focus on jazz education and utilizing technology to promote community awareness, public support, and streamline festival operations.

In 2012, the Clark College Jazz Festival celebrated its 50th Golden Anniversary. Highlights of this milestone included the Clark College Alumni Band directed by Chuck Ramsey which fea­tured Clark band alumni from three generations of Clark band directors. Dale Beacock and Chuck were also presented Legacy Sweepstakes Awards for their historic contributions to the festival.

Today, the Annual Clark College Jazz Fes­tival welcomes 60 middle and high school jazz ensembles, over 1,200 student jazz musicians to the campus, and over 3,000 people to the Vancouver com­munity throughout the three-day event. In 2013, the festival went international welcoming two bands from Tsawwassen, British Columbia!

About the Clark College Music Department

Clark College offers a two-year Associate in Music Degree (DTA/MRP) that includes music theory/ear training, instrumental and vocal performance training, and ensemble experience. Classes are designed to prepare the music major for advanced studies at a four-year institution while providing the non-major with the skills and background to fully enjoy music as a cultural pursuit. Ensembles on campus include three choral groups, orchestra, concert band, and jazz ensemble. Three tenured and several adjunct faculty, provide professional instruction to the 500+ students that pass through Beacock Music Hall each year.

Photo by Andy Bao Clark College Independent

/0 Comments/by
,

Five Tips for Raising Resilient Kids: An Interview with Julie Russell

Washougal, WA — Raising children is hard work, and with technology changing the landscape, we spent some time chatting with Licensed Family Therapist, Julie Russell, about how to raise resilient kids and help them thrive. This is the first of a three-part series. The first five tips will be addressed here, then we’ll discuss five other tips, and then discuss best ways to use technology and mobile devices.

Russell based her discussion on Margarita Tartakovsky’s proven methods to raise resilient children.

Tip #1: Don’t Accommodate Every Need

Russell: “It’s easy to spoil kids and give them too much, and we all know it’s uncomfortable to see a child suffer. What I recommend is ask them how they would like to handle the situation. This will help them realize and say to themselves ‘I can solve this myself.’”

Tip #2: Avoid Eliminating All Risk

Russell: “Allow kids to have some risk. Start telling them that some things in life will hurt. Don’t be the helicopter parent, and this can start when they’re infants. When they fall, they’re usually OK, but sometimes they mirror a parent’s overreaction. Explain the consequences to rule breaking, and follow through with those consequences, even when it’s really hard to do that. We all know sometimes it is harder on the parents. I also recommend age appropriate limitations to freedom as a consequence.

Tip #3: Teach Them To Problem Solve

Russell: “Follow through on commitments. If they want a particular dinner, allow them to make it. Teach them how to properly socialize, and to greet people by shaking hands. This helps them overcome any shyness.”

Tip #4: Teach Them Concrete Skills

Russell: “Greeting someone, shaking their hands, and looking them in the eye is important. Teach them how to set a table properly. Participate in etiquette dinners, and don’t be hurtful at the dinner table.”

Tip#5: Avoid “Why” Questions

Russell: “Asking a ‘why’ question is an accusation. ‘Why did you do that?’ It’s better to ask ‘How did this happen?’ Or ‘What was happening before you decided to do this?’ This gives you a wider space between the thought and the behavior. This helps children think about the thoughts and the actions.”

We will review five other tips in Part 2 of this series.

Russell practices in Vancouver. She won her race for Washougal City Council, and will be sworn in January 8 at Washougal City Hall.

Photo Gallery

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

/1 Comment/by
,

Health: Learn More About Anti-Inflammatory Foods by Dr. Cynthia Bye

Happy New Year 2018!

I would like to start this New Year by sharing some easy to use foods that reduce inflammation. If you are one of my patients, you know after your first visit, that inflammation is the cause of all disease. Your first visit was all about going through every system of the body to ferret out the causes of inflammation. So to start the New Year, I wanted to share some information on a few anti-inflammatory foods for you to incorporate into your diet.

Here are a few examples
1. Blueberries – these little packets of nutrition are one of mother nature’s amazing gifts to us. Dark berries, in general, contain lots of antioxidants. In particular, there is one class called flavonoids. One flavonoid, in particular, is the anthocyanins that contribute their anti-inflammatory effects by effectively turning off inflammatory processes. Berries also contain resveratrol which are great antioxidants as well. Back before we started growing food or domesticating animals, we ate berries from spring to fall.

2. Ginger is an amazing anti-inflammatory herb. I frequently put fresh ginger in my morning smoothie. It makes it taste refreshing. Ginger has an ingredient called gingerol. Gingerols have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial properties. Grate some up and make some ginger tea. It is also great for nausea.

3. Green tea: I think we all know that organic green tea has some amazing health benefits. Not only is it a good anti-inflammatory but it also reduces growth factors which promote proliferation of cancer cells.

4. Dark Chocolate. Yep have to include something fun here. You must get the 70% cocoa or higher to get the benefits. It has antioxidant properties and it turns out your gut bacteria like it too. They actually ferment the chocolate into anti-inflammatory compounds.

Happy new year, and don’t forget our motto: Live every minute of every day.

Cynthia Bye, ND, FABNO
Board Certified in Naturopathic Oncology

To learn more, visit www.cynthiabye.com

/0 Comments/by
,

Get Into The Holidays With “Before We Turn To Stone” Performances

WASHOUGAL, WA — Dayley Dance Academy Northwest is hosting a fun holiday event this Saturday, December 16th with the presentation of “Before We Turn to Stone,” which is an original dance performance based upon Walt Disney’s Heros and Villains.  The show is a perfect outing for the entire family! The academy will present three show times at the Washougal High School Auditorium — at 11 am, 3 pm, and 7 pm. Tickets are $12.

You may also delight your little princess before the show by joining Dayley Dance Academy for a Princess Tea.  The Tea is from 9:30-10:30 am (also on Saturday) and the cost of the tea includes a ticket and VIP seating to the 11 o’clock show of “Before We Turn to Stone.” Your little princess will love meeting her favorite princess, autographs, eating dainty treats, and watching performances by our princesses.  Tickets are $45 for an adult and child ticket and additional children tickets are $20.

Later that evening, Dayley will host an Auction (live and silent) and Raffle. You may join the group before the auction for dinner ($3) starting at 4:30.  There are some wonderful items up for auction — as well as a raffle. All proceeds will go towards the DDANW Non-Profit mission for developing young artists in our community and providing performance opportunities. Auction and dinner will end promptly at 6:30 pm so our guests can enjoy the 7 pm show.

Tickets can be purchased by visiting www.DDANW.org or by calling 360-210-5981

/0 Comments/by