STORY & PHOTOS BY LAURA BAIRD • Downtown Castle Rock has quite a bit to offer shoppers, and though I hate to overuse the word "quaint," it really is appropriate. One shop I had the pleasure of visiting is Focus Art & Frame, near Hattie’s restaurant.

By Chere Weiss • Mardi Gras is coming. The day before Ash Wednesday in the Lenten calendar is known as "Fat Tuesday." This special day is a way of having one last celebration before the beginning of Lent when believers sacrifice over indulgences in spiritual preparation for the Easter season. "Fat Tuesday" means you can eat rich foods, drink and be merry, traditionally often incognito wearing a mask so you can be naughty and no one will know who is behind that disguise.

BY CHERE WEISS • Off the beaten path in SW Portland’s Hillsdale neighborhood, Salvador Molly’s sneaks up on you. I happened upon this place during a local weekend of dancing and hiking. Great food, reasonable prices, a creative décor, and an attentive wait staff await you. The venue and menu serve up primary influences of India, Hawaii, Mexico and kitsch.

STORY BY PAUL THOMPSON • I enjoy dinner parties, and shaping the dough for a group’s dinner becomes a fun, social part of the evening. Make the dough ahead of time, ready to shape. Then let your guests pitch in and take a turn at the crank. Store-bought pasta is made with semolina flour and without any egg. Semolina flour, because of its high, harder gluten content, keeps its form when made into dough, cut and dried. Pasta noodles made with other flours need the addition of an egg to maintain their shape.

As a lover of wine — every day of the year — I particularly love the Winter Solstice because I get to break into our family stash of better wines, reserved for just this time. What I refer to as “Solstice wines” are the best in your cellar, be it literal or figurative. In keeping with that tradition, I want to suggest a great Washington wine from Isenhower Cellars called "Holiday Paintbrush Red."

As Christmas week unfolds, dear readers; slow down, take a deep breath and make time to enjoy the wonderful opportunities that are outside your doorstep or inside your home. . .

In a pinch? Don't panic. Four of Columbia River Reader's most popular columnists offer last-minute tips. Just pick the interest area that best fits . . .

The atmosphere at the downtown location is a stark, no nonsense diner vibe, but the suburban location offers a little more ambience with murals on the wall and Middle Eastern music videos or an American Idol type belly dance competition running on the monitors.....

In America, gingerbread usually means two types of cookies–Middle European honey-based cookies or English molasses shortbreads. The cookies can range from thin and crisp to puffy and soft. They can be plain or elaborately shaped and decorated. Gingerbread can also be the spicy cake I loved as a child.

The best news is that savoring and mindfulness don’t have to be another “To Do.” We do not need to sit on a mountaintop to do this. We can practice it this season right at our dinner table, by making the simplest meal a celebration not only of the food, but of the people we love.