Summer Idea List #1 - Portland specific

My facebook feed is filled with friends offering and soliciting suggestions for summer fun with kids. I have the same questions and also some answers, so thought I'd share my ideas here (in a series of lists), as I so appreciate getting ideas from other parents. This first list is specific to Portland; other lists will be more general, with book, craft and game ideas.

I'm all about the simple pleasure, so if your style is more flash and dazzle, some of these ideas may seem insubstantial, but, for me, especially with young ones and summery weather, an ice cream cone adventure can be the highlight of the day.

Portland with Kiddos Summer List:

• Bike to Cloud City Ice Cream and try it out (we've been hearing it's good and it's about a 3 mile bike from our house). Maybe I can even sneak a look into the new Red Fox Vintage while we're in the neighborhood.
• Take a day hike at Powell Butte. Watch the mountain bikers, bring the dog!
• Hang out on the Sandy River at Dabney State Park.
• Explore Elk Rock Island--bring a bucket for blackberries!
• We have so many wonderful parks here in Portland; I'm looking forward to visiting some of our favorites outside of our neighborhood--Peninsula Park, Overlook Park and Mount Tabor.

Okay, that's it for Part #1 of MamaPie's Summer Lists. Are you in Portland? What PDX places are you looking forward to visiting this summer?

Lunch

before I added a big scoop of quinoa

Yum. And Virtuous. And Responsible (made with leftovers and stuff I had in the fridge).

Inspired by a delicious red quinoa salad I had at a class party last weekend, I've eaten a version of this quinoa salad every day for lunch this week. Ingredients include: pan-toasted sunflower seeds, roasted hazelnuts, carrots, celery, avocado, leftover grilled chicken and sweet red onion and, of course, quinoa (which I like alot better now that I know about soaking it and then rubbing it while rinsing to get off some of the bitterness).

I drizzled a little of my go-to dressing (shallot, 1vinegar: 2 olive oil, dijon mustard) on top and - wow! What a lunch.