oh-m'goodnuh: sweets and sweets and kids looking for sweets

A few weeks ago I ventured just east of downtown on 3rd to visit the Alpine Deli. It was a Saturday, and I had just spent the morning with Whitworth alumni who were on campus to celebrate their 50-year reunion. I was famished after walking and talking and showing alumni how their campus had changed, and for whatever reason, a greasy sandwich sounded really good. The Alpine Deli has a variety of meats and wursts, cheeses, pickled things and beer, so I knew it would be perfect. I talked to the guy behind the counter, asking him what various meats tasted like, and most of his answers were, "It's a little like bologna." He let me sample some - he was right! Ultimately I decided on a roast beef sandwich with a little bit of sauerkraut. Maybe not the best sandwich I've ever had, but it was called "The Putz," and that alone was worth it, even though the bread was über-greasy.

While I was waiting for my sandwich, I looked around at all the chocolate (Rittersport!) and packaged goods. They also had a variety of cassette tapes on sale for a dollar.

Have you ever thought to make a silhouette cake featuring your favorite composer and mine, Josef Haydn? Lucky for us, Germans have. Because a decadent treat should never be without a bit of music appreciation (and that's why we have Mozart balls). I picked up a package of Kathi's Lucious Silhouette Tart mix and had a little fun that afternoon. Haydn might have been appalled to know that I was listening to Steely Dan while I was dusting the cocoa to create his silhouette. Sorry!

Next sweet: rhubarb crunch. What a pretty color. My friends found a corner of their garden running rampant with this stuff, and who was I to refuse such a tart treat? What's more is that this was one of the rare occasions when I had all the ingredients ready to go - no trips to the store. Just roll out of bed, make rhubarb crunch. Easy.

Finally, a kid I had my eye on at Elkfest. These photos do not do justice to undoubtedly sticky chin and hands, or the way he communicated to his mother that he wanted more treats with the simple tug on her arm and pouty look. He was getting into everything. He paused here for a moment, perhaps to see if this bin was filled with Kool-Aid. I don't know why I found it so funny, but I did. There was just something so Willy Wonka about it all.