Written by: Sierra Porter | Staff Writer

Spring has arrived, and along with it comes beautiful flowers, sunny days and markets with the freshest fruits and vegetables. Take advantage of this beautiful season with homemade snacks perfect for any picnic:

HOMEMADE HUMMUS:

Start to finish: 20 minutes

*This recipe requires a food processor*

Chickpeas

Tahini

Fresh lemon juice

Fresh garlic

Ground cumin and salt

Olive oil

Optional: Roasted red peppers

Start by adding lemon juice and tahini to the food processor and allow them to run for a minute or two, eventually turning into a paste. Peel the chickpeas for a more creamy texture and separate them into two batches for easier processing. Blend the first batch of chickpeas along with the cumin, salt, olive oil and roasted red peppers, then add the second batch. Add a splash of olive oil on top and serve with crunchy veggies, pita bread or even on a tasty sandwich.

ELOTE-INSPIRED PASTA SALAD

Start to finish: 30 minutes

200g pasta noodles, any kind

3 tsp olive oil

2 cans of sweet corn

6 spring onions, finely chopped

40g coriander

200g feta cheese

150g Mayonnaise

3 limes, juiced

2 tsp chili powder

Begin by cooking the pasta noodles in heavily salted water, drain and then add 1 tsp of olive oil. Heat the remainder of the olive oil in a skillet, add the sweet corn with a dash of salt and cook for 5-10 minutes or until slightly charred. Put the corn in a large serving bowl, add the pasta, spring onions, most of the coriander, crumbled feta cheese and mix well. To make the dressing, combine mayonnaise, chili powder, lime juice and salt into a bowl to pour over the elote pasta. Top with extra feta, corn, a chili powder and go ahead and set it on the picnic table.

SWEET RASPBERRY LEMONADE

Start to finish: 15 minutes

8-10 large lemons = 1 ½ cups lemon juice

½ pound of raspberries

5 cups water

1-1 ½ cups sugar

Lemon wedges, for serving

Fresh mint, for serving

Every picnic needs a sweet drink to sip on and a homemade raspberry lemonade is just the thing to quench your thirst. Start by squeezing all the juice out of the lemons, acquiring at least 1 ½ cups of juice. Combine raspberries and ½ cup of lemon juice in a blender; puree until smooth, then pass the mixture through a sieve to separate out seeds. The fastest way to eliminate seeds is by pressing down on the strainer with a large spoon or ladle, pushing the seeds into the spoon to scoop out with ease. Add remaining lemon juice, water and sugar to the bowl and stir until completely dissolved. Taste test and add more sugar or lemon if needed. Pour in glasses with ice, top with lemon wedge along with the fresh mint, and enjoy the perfect picnic drink.

Contact the author at howlstaffwriter@wou.edu

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Oregon coast hot spots for beach babes

Written by: Sierra Porter | Staff Writer

One of the best things about living in Oregon is living in a coastal state and having access to beautiful beaches. Along with the sandy seasides come delicious restaurants, nifty thrift stores, crystal shops and loads of locally owned businesses. Next time one feels like being a beach babe, check out some of these beachside hot spots.

Visions Rock Shop — Visions is located in Lincoln City in an extremely adorable barn-type building, amongst other stores and shops. They have a variety of crystals, rocks, towers, spheres, fossils, thundereggs and gems. Visions even provides classes on how to make your own pendant to wear as a necklace.

Garibaldi Portside Bistro — Garibaldi is only 10 minutes away from Rockaway Beach and stands as an excellent family-owned portside bistro right next to the water. The bistro offers a cozy environment with live music, welcoming beach decor and a variety of food items perfect for anyone. It is an excellent place to stop and fill bellies with delicious food, along with fast and efficient service.

Pick of the Litter — Pick of the Litter is a thrift and consignment store located in Newport. They provide a variety of vintage clothes, movies, furniture, cookware, accessories and more. The best part is that Pick of the Litter is run completely by volunteers from the community, and the money raised at the thrift store goes directly to the Lincoln County Animal Center. Visiting their store will ensure high-quality products and contribute to helping with the care and love for animals in the community.

Eleanor’s Undertow Cafe — Eleanor’s Hot Pink Cafe is located in Lincoln City, just a few minutes walk from the beach. Vibrant colors and the classic ice cream parlor look is just another bonus to the yummy food and sweet treats. The “sweets and cool stuff” served include but are not limited to shakes, banana splits, malts, sundaes, ice cream sodas and the infamous Granny’s ½ pound chocolate chip cookie that can be topped with any of their sixteen ice cream flavors.

Explore and have fun, beach babes.

Contact the author at howlstaffwriter@wou.edu

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Cheap and easy food recipes

Written by: Sierra Porter | Staff Writer

Living in a dorm room on campus has tremendous benefits like meeting new people, having access to resources for school and finding opportunities for new experiences. One thing that does not come easy is finding cheap and dorm-accessible foods that don’t require a kitchen.

Here are three delicious dorm room food recipes that are $15 or less and are sure to satisfy one’s hunger without leaving the comfort of one’s room:

FINGER LICKER SANDWICH:

Start to finish: 15 minutes

½ cup banana, sliced

2 tablespoons of nutella

2 slices of cinnamon bread

2 tablespoons sugar

1 cup cream cheese, softened

Let the cream cheese sit in a small bowl for 8-10 minutes to allow it to soften then add sugar – and mix until smooth. Add nutella to one side of the cinnamon bread and the sweet cream cheese on the second slice. Cut the banana into smaller slices then lay them on top on the nutella side, close and enjoy.

Recipe from Socheesy.guru

APPLE CINNAMON OVERNIGHT OATS:

Start to finish: Overnight or 8-12 hours

½ chopped apple, or whatever fruit one prefers

½ cup old-fashioned oats

1 tablespoon raisins

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 cup 2% milk, or whatever milk one prefers

Chopped nuts — optional

Chop up an apple, or fruit of choice, into small pieces then combine all ingredients in a container or mason jar. Another option is to layer; put half of the oats, fruit, ground cinnamon, raisins and then ½ cup of milk in one layer– repeat again for the last layer. Keep cold overnight and enjoy at one’s leisure.

Recipe from Taste of Home

HUMMUS & VEGGIE WRAP:

Start to finish: 5 minutes

2 tablespoons hummus

1 wheat or flour tortilla

2 tablespoons shaved or finely cut carrots

2 tablespoons finely sliced cucumber

¼ cup mixed salad greens

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons of chopped sweet onion, optional

Spread tortilla with hummus. Layer with salad greens, carrots, cucumber and onion. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar and roll up tightly.

Recipe from Taste of Home

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More quality quarantine activities for 2021

Nine new things to occupy time in self-isolation

Allison Vanderzanden | Lifestyle Editor

With the number of COVID-19 cases still rising, it is important to continue practicing social distancing and self-quarantining when necessary. After being home for the holidays, the first few weeks of January may be a very important time to stay put at home. Alleviate the monotony with these quarantine activities — some new, some familiar from 2020, but all possible ways to cure boredom.

Practice self care: Put mental health first, as isolation can bring about feelings of depression and lack of motivation. On difficult days, remember to complete some daily necessities, including brushing teeth, showering and drinking water. Also do something to relax or have fun, like taking a bubble bath or reading.

Learn to play an instrument: It may sound intimidating, but YouTube offers many great videos to help people learn to play all kinds of instruments for free. If traditional instruments are inaccessible, start with something simple like the harmonica, kalimba or ukulele.

Binge watch, listen and read: Many shows may have already been binged over the summer, but the selection of entertainment options is nearly endless. Ask friends for their recommendations to start, or scroll through a favorite genre on a streaming platform. If looking for something other than movies or TV shows, try listening to a podcast or a music album, or read a new book or series.

Try a new look: There are pros and cons to having little to no human interaction; one pro is that no one can judge. Dye or cut hair, have fun with new makeup looks and experiment with fashion like no one is watching.

Explore the world virtually: Travel the world without leaving the couch. Use Google Maps and walk the streets of a new city, or play a game with world maps like Geoguessr ⏤ where the player guesses where in the world they’ve been dropped ⏤ or MapCrunch, in which the player attempts to find the nearest airport using street view.

Take knowledge tests: The internet and smart devices such as Google Home offer a wide array of quizzes on an infinite number of topics. Sporcle, for example, is a quiz website that has something for everyone, including geography, song lyrics, film trivia and much more. Play along with friends and family by sharing one’s screen over video call as well.

Make something new in the kitchen: The possibilities are endless: appetizers, snacks, side dishes, entire meals, cocktails, desserts and the list goes on. Get inspired by some recipes featured in previous issues of The Western Howl, or a quick web search will yield dozens of results to choose from.

Start learning a new language: Learning a new language is a long process, but knowing a few phrases here and there can be fun. Use free apps like Duolingo or Memrise, or use online resources such as YouTube to get started.

Get ahead on work: It may sound like the most boring option, but I personally get antsy without some productivity in my life. Take a look at the syllabus or ask the boss for work that can be started or finished ahead of time. Bonus: less stress for the future.

Contact the author at avanderzanden19@mail.wou.edu

Western Oregon University’s Land Acknowledgement
Western Oregon University in Monmouth, OR is located within the traditional homelands of the Luckiamute Band of Kalapuya. Following the Willamette Valley Treaty of 1855 (Kalapuya etc. Treaty), Kalapuya people were forcibly removed to reservations in Western Oregon. Today, living descendants of these people are a part of the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde Community of Oregon and the Confederated Tribes of the Siletz Indians.

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Picnic recipes

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Oregon coast hot spots for beach babes

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Cheap and easy food recipes

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