Lively

Birthday Feast

2011-11-16T07:34:00.000-08:00

Today is Pete's birthday! Last year we traveled for both our birthdays to celebrate turning 30, but this year we're keeping it more low key. We're having a big meal that I've been working on for the last few days. The menu:

Fancy cheeses and crackers (Cheese is required at the birthday celebration of a Wisconsin native)
Swiss Chard Lasagna with Mushrooms and Ricotta (I hope this is good because it was a process to make. It's in the fridge and ready to put in the oven when I get home tomorrow).
Chopped Italian Salad (without the meat)
Bread
Wine
Dorie Greenspan's Brown Sugar Apple Cheesecake (I'm currently a bit obsessed with Dorie's cookbooks)

Happy Birthday Pete!

13.1 or Bust

2011-11-15T07:23:00.000-08:00

You guys, I am running a half marathon in less than two weeks! That's 13.1 miles! The last one I did was in 2007, and after that race I spent years battling IT band injuries that were so bad I never thought I'd run 13.1 miles again. But, here I am. How did this happen, you ask? Lots of patience, determination and incremental progress. Here are my tips for coming back from IT band injuries:

Start running again slowly. And I mean SLOOOOOWLY. I started by running for one minute and walking for two. Every week or two I increased my ratio of running to walking by a minute or so, and if I was busy or sick and missed a week I re-did the last one. Many, many months later I was up to a 5k distance. Then, I slowly added mileage to reach a 10k training run. And, training for a half marathon followed.
Work on core and hip strength! For me, yoga and physical therapy exercises work the best. But, I also did a boot camp workout once a week that seemed to really help my strength. And, good old weight training helps too.
Stretch that lower back and hips! Yoga helps with this as well, and I make sure to stretch well after long runs.
Use a foam roller. Ideally, I would use one of these after every single run (I'm not always that dedicated). Here's instructions:

Now, get running! And, wish me luck, I'll be out in the rain on November 27 with 15,000 other runners!

P.S. Of course, I've already planned my food. I'm going to make pasta bolognese the night before with a beer. And, after the race we're going straight to Tom Douglas' Dahlia Workshop for a biscuit sandwich (a half marathon is probably the only way I can justify eating one).

Light reading list

2011-11-14T19:09:00.001-08:00

All my graduate school reading has been making my head hurt,* and I've been dying for some fun, escapist reading to lose myself in before I go to bed at night. (I was trying to finish Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse Five, but that was decidedly not meeting the criteria so I've put it aside for a while.) I'm especially interested in young adult books, since I'm spending quite a bit of time with teens these days. I asked some literary friends for suggestions, and thought I'd share them. I can't wait to read these!

I'll Be There, Holly Goldberg Sloan
Full-frontal Snogging, Louise Rennison
Chime, Franny Billingsley
If I Stay
Repossessed
The Mysterious Benedict Society
The Wave
The Eyre Affair
Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac
Marcello in the Real World
If a Tree Falls at Lunch Period
How to Steal a Dog
Shine, Lauren Myracle
The Help

I also added a couple to the list:

Garlic and Sapphires, Ruth Reichl (I love reading about food, and I think Reichl is the best food writer around.)
Charlotte's Web (I heard an NPR story on the author, and decided it was time to read this classic.)

I've also started reading one to two poems each night from a book Pete gave me: Good Poems, by Garrison Keillor. I recommend this book to anyone else who wants to start dabbling in reading poetry!

* Becoming a teacher is hard!

Is it already time for Starbucks holiday cups again?

2011-11-01T19:35:00.000-07:00

Hello there. I am busy, but I have all sorts of things I'd like to post swimming around in my head (along with LOTS of graduate school reading and information.)

Today the holiday cups appeared at Starbucks again. I had to get a latte immediately, of course. Such is the draw of the cheery, red cups. It made me happy on an otherwise stressful, tiresome day.

The cup also made me start daydreaming about Thanksgiving recipes and knitting patterns. I'm going to skip the stressful parts of the holidays this year (I hope) and just focus on the parts that make me happy. I'll save the stress for grad school.

I have another couple posts I'll throw up in the next few days. But, I wanted to note that all the pictures from my blog have disappeared. I think I know why, and I think it would be much too difficult to fix. So, I guess they're gone. I'm taking this as a sign I should start posting new content again. Yea for happy cups! Boo for stress!

Moment of Zen: Poetry

2011-08-18T09:59:00.001-07:00

Whatcom Peak and Mt Challenger, North Cascades National Park, originally uploaded by i8seattle.

Oh, hello there. Life is crazy right now, and I'm mainly focusing on keeping my head above water instead of blogging. I had a little moment of zen yesterday listening to a poem by a man from Spokane, my hometown, and thought I'd share it.

Unfortunately, our local NPR station didn't post the text of the poem, but you can listen to Howell read it on their website: Poem: Christopher Howell and 'Dancers'

In other news, Pete and I will be making a trip up to the North Cascades National Park soon, and I cannot wait! I've been wanting to explore the park since driving through it a few years ago. And, it looks like we may even have nice weather.

Via Flickr:
Taken from Silesia Camp, Copper Ridge, North Cascades National Park
That's Easy Ridge in the foreground.

Friday Fun (in songs)

2011-07-08T14:22:00.000-07:00

Some Friday fun for you. Pete and I are chasing the sun to Eastern Washington this weekend. I'm planning to lounge near the water and read while he bikes up a mountain. Who has the better deal in this scenario??

I just went on a sunny run serenaded by Dolly Parton on my iPod. LOVE Dolly. I always said my dream was to see her in concert, so when she came to Seattle I was so there - along with every adorable gay man in Seattle, dressed as cowboys, of course. Well, she has a new song that's kind of catchy.

Together You and I - Dolly Parton - Dolly Parton Videos

Via

And, this is the one I always have to sing out loud when I'm running and it comes onto my iPod. It's irresistible (even if I do look crazy)!

Raul Esparza makes it look so EASY to sing amazingly. I love "Defying Gravity"! Maybe someday I'll take those voice lessons - then I'll be able to sing like this, right??

Well, here's hoping Pete and I find some sun. And, that everyone else has a fun, sunny, delightful weekend!

What I'm Eating

2011-07-01T07:30:00.000-07:00

Trader Joes Apricot Mango Greek Yogurt - So yummy! It's big enough that it can last for 2-3 snacks or breakfasts, and the container is a really nice size to re-use in transporting other snacks.

Kind Bars - These nutty, fruity bars are delicious! They were on sale at REI, so I got a box of the mini bars to keep in my bag and my desk. Actually, I just ate Almond & Apricot Bar.

Post-workout foods - Smoothies can be great, but sometimes I really want to bite into something with some crunch, carbs and chocolate! I've been putting in a bowl: Greek yogurt, Kashi Go Lean or Heart to Heart, or Nature's Path Organic Heritage O's, strawberries and dark chocolate chips. So good when you're starving after a long bike ride, swim or run!

Fish - Costco in Seattle has wild Alaskan Sockeye, and we were gifted some fresh trout last time we went up to the lake. Line a cookie sheet with tin foil, place the fish on it and brush on some olive oil and melted butter, sprinkle salt and pepper on it, and lay some lemon slices on top. Then put it in a 350 degree oven for 10-20 minutes, depending on how big the fish is. Check it often - you don't want to overcook a beautiful piece of fish! Throw in some potatoes tossed in olive oil and salt and pepper a little earlier, and some asparagus with olive oil at the late minute. Boom! Easiest, most delicious summer dinner ever.

Rhubarb - I made the rhubarb cake mentioned earlier - it was good, but not a winner I'll keep in my permanent recipe binder. I did have great success with individual strawberry rhubarb crisps recently, though. I had a little bit of rhubarb and strawberry in the fridge, and I wanted to make a dessert. It wasn't enough for a whole pan of crisp, though. I sliced up the strawberries and rhubarb and filled four ramekins, then sprinkled about 3 tablespoons of sugar over each, and then topped each with a little bit of crumb topping (I had some leftover from the crumb topping for these muffins, or you could just make a new, small batch) I baked them in the oven at 350 degrees for about 25 or 30 minutes. We topped them with (homemade) vanilla ice cream. YUM. I still have some rhubarb in my fridge - I'm thinking PIE. Why not go classic?

I wish I could talk about plans for exciting Fourth of July theme dishes, but we'll be out of town all weekend! I've been craving cole slaw, so I would definitely be making that along with some kind of red, white and blue theme dessert that involved cake, blueberries and strawberries. Maybe next year. We'll still be able to eat a burger and watermelon, and drink some beer on the Fourth - so we won't be totally un-American :). Happy Independence Day!

Memorial Day Weekend

2011-05-27T10:00:00.001-07:00

Oregon coast, originally uploaded by gail des jardin.

We're heading to the Oregon Coast for some camping, with a stop over to see friends in Portland along the way! It's going to be rainy, so we've brought lots of books and games, and we may escape to Tillamook for some cheese tours!

Here's to s'mores, camp breakfasts and bratwurst! Have a fantastic weekend!

Things I Like

2011-05-06T15:00:00.000-07:00

I'm thinking of trying to talk Pete into going out for dinner with the LivingSocial I just got and seeing Thor tonight. Will I be successful? We'll see.

A few things I'm into these days:

The Fleet Fox's new album

Catching up on documentaries like "Kings of Pastry" and "Bigger, Faster, Stronger." Next up will probably be "Waiting for Superman."

Making margaritas

Making smoothies

Reading and drooling over Super Natural Every Day

Penzey's Chili 9000 - a great spice mix for chili, Mexican food, whatever!

Reading through the AV Club's Nashville or Bust series (I know, I'm waaaay behind on this - just found out about it!) and discover or re-discovering awesome country music singers.

Signs of spring in Seattle - seeing ducklings and blooming Lilacs on my runs!

Seeing new bulbs pop up in the yard - I think it's the dahlia and gladiolus bulbs I planted!

I recently switched back to Nike running shoes after a long period of Brooks Adrenalines, and the Lunar Glides have been working great for me!

Does anyone get bruises on their eyes from swim goggles? I've been on a quest to find a more comfortable pair. This is the best I've tried so far.

Oh, and I just started the book "Little Bee," inspired by Seattle Public Library's Seattle Reads program. I'm hoping to go to one of the author events. (Our library system is awesome - FYI)

Stuck in my head: Glee

2011-05-05T16:30:00.000-07:00

Do any other post-high school Glee watchers wish it had been around when we were in high school? Even though I often find the plot silly or downright confusing, it has some great messages about acceptance - of yourself and others. I was really touched by this song in a recent episode - so I, of course, downloaded it and I've been listening to it all week. It just really strikes a chord with my memories of high school - always wishing I were skinnier, prettier - just better. Thank God we make it past that.

And, just for fun, the other songs on my current Glee playlist:

Cinco de Mayo

2011-05-04T11:50:00.000-07:00

Pete and I are planning a themed meal for Cinco de Mayo tomorrow! (Which, FYI, is NOT Mexico's independence day. It's the day they defeated the French in a key battle.)

Here's the plan:

Tortilla chips with salsa (bought from the store) and guacamole (made by Pete)
Carne asada - My mom made this over the weekend and it was a hit! I picked up the flank steak at Costco yesterday.
Margaritas! - We tested recipes this weekend, and I've listed my favorite combo below.
Mexican chocolate ice cream - We're looking for any excuse to use our new ice cream maker.

Margaritas

I like my margaritas on the rocks without any sugar. The combo of liquor and sugar makes me feel kind of sick, but you could add sugar, simple syrup, 7-Up or limeade (we might even experiment with adding Squirt!). Also, my mom thought these were a little strong, so you could cut down the amount of tequila.

1. Pour some salt on a plate. Use a slice of lime to wet the edge of the glass, and then turn the glass upside down onto the plate to stick the salt to the rim.

2. Put ice cubes in the glass.

3. Add:

2 oz. Silver tequila (I found I much preferred silver to gold, and there's a bottling company that makes it out of Hood River called Monarch. Not sure if local is better for tequila, but I liked it!)

1/2 oz Triple sec (This is an orange flavored liqueur with less alcohol content. We also bought the Monarch brand of this.)

Juice of one lime (I threw in a couple of the wedges too)

Splash of Grand Marnier (For tomorrow, I actually bought an organic blood orange liquer from Michigan called Thatchers. It was right next to the Grand Marnier, but way cheaper.)

Enjoy!

P.S. This recipe for a gin bucket also looks pretty darn good.

P.P.S. While researching recipes, I stumbled upon a whole website of recipes using Coca Cola, including this horrifying recipe for Coca Cola Rice. So wrong.

Cookbooks: Super Natural Every Day

2011-05-03T10:32:00.000-07:00

I've recently whittled down the number of food blogs I follow to just a few favorites that consistently have winning recipes. One of my top blogs is 101 Cookbooks by Heidi Swanson. She has delicious, wholesome, easy recipes - many of which have become regular week night go-to meals for me. I just bought and started reading Super Natural Every Day, her new cookbook. So far, I can tell that she and I have very similar tastes in the tools we use and how we stock our kitchens. (She likes to keep about ten different kind of nuts and seeds around - just like me! I'm glad someone else shares this addiction.) She's a vegetarian, which I'm not, but I often prefer vegetarian food and her recipes have such great flavor!

One tip I've picked up so far: Whenever you cook up a grain or rice, make a big batch and freeze the extra in a freezer bag. Then, just pull it out and warm it up next time. If you're ambitious and cook up dried beans, you can do the same!

She also admitted that she does not make homemade broth. So refreshing! So many food writers make me feel inadequate with their weekly routine of broth making. It sounds wonderful - but who has time??

I had to miss her book signing in Seattle last weekend :( and it sounded amazing. Darn. But, I've been on a kick with her recipes lately and I can't wait to try more from the cookbook!

A few winning recipes:

Lively Up Yourself Lentil Soup - A good, basic lentil soup recipe made more interesting by the saffron/Greek yogurt on top. I really like this addition, but Pete said he'd skip it next time.
Double Broccoli Quinoa - Just made this last night and it was delicious! We didn't have Parmesan, and it still had great flavor. I'd probably add some tofu next time.
Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie - Pete wasn't in love with the whole-wheatness of this, but I thought they were awesome! I'll definitely make them again for a quick dessert that's a crowd pleaser. Plus, I love any dessert that involves my cast iron skillet.
Simple Cauliflower Recipe - I usually add tofu to this and eat it with brown rice. This is a long-time standby for me. LOVE cauliflower.

Get in shape girl!

2011-05-02T15:00:00.000-07:00

Pete and I walked Bloomsday last week - a 12k run/walk in Spokane, that drew more than 55,000 people this year. (Go Spokane! Love my hometown.) It's a great way to kick off spring and summer fitness plans, and on our drive back across the state to Seattle, I started setting mine:

Bike to work at least five times during the month of May (this doesn't sound like much, but I have a really crappy bike commute). I've committed to do this as part of Bike to Work Month here in Seattle.
Work my way up to running the 6.2 mile Cheshiahud Loop in Seattle.
Do at least one triathlon - I may do both the Seafair Triathlon and Danskin. (Danskin seriously needs to work on its website.)
Hike Mt. Si.
Go on a weekend backpacking trip with Pete!
(Oh, and cheer on Pete when he ride RAMROD!)

Can't wait for warm weather to FINALLY get to the northwest so I can enjoy my training outdoors!

A fitness blogger I follow likes to say: Say it. Do it! Telling other people about your fitness plans helps you stick with them. Hope it works for me!

P.S. I used to LOVE "Get in Shape Girl." Yea for the '80s!

My hair routine - Curly Girl method

2011-04-29T15:00:00.000-07:00

A couple of years ago, I took up the "Curly Girl" method for my hair. You can read about the switch and details here. I stuck with it for about a year, but then drifted away and started trying a bunch of products with silicone again. Then, this winter, my hair just revolted on me. It was looking sad and limp and pathetic. So, I dove back into the world of Curly Girl devotees, did a bunch of research and realized I had been missing a few key steps.

My hair has been looking 100% better the last few months, and I'm using fewer, less expensive products. Double bonus! Here's what's been working for me and how my morning routine works:

Notes: If you're going to try this, make sure to do one last wash with normal shampoo to get rid of all the built up silicones in your hair. Also, I don't see why someone with straight hair couldn't incorporate a lot of these steps. They're cheaper and cut down on the heavy products in your hair.

Here's what I do:
1. Get in the shower, get my hair wet and squirt A LOT of Suave Naturals Coconut Conditioner in my hand. Plop it on the top of my head and rub it into my scalp with the pads of my fingers. Rinse it out. (This takes the place of shampoo. Trust me, it really does clean your hair - even after a sweaty workout or swimming!)

2. Put a pretty good amount of L'Oreal Vive Pro Hydra Gloss Conditioner in my hand and work it into my hair from the ends up to the crown of my head (but not into my scalp.) (Seriously, this is the best conditioner I've ever used!) I leave it on my hair while I do the rest of my shower routine. Then, with the conditioner still in my hair, I comb my hair with my fingers. Last, I wash out the conditioner.

3. Get out of the shower and dry off my body as usual, but DO NOT use a terry cloth towel on your hair. Keep your hair away from that soft but deadly terry cloth.

4. I put a generous squirt of gel in my hand - either Pantene's Curly gel or Herbal Essence Totally Twisted - and rub it into both hands. (The reason these gels work is that they don't have silicones.) I flip my hair over and shake it out. Then scrunch my hair with both hands. From here you can go straight to drying it, or "plop."

5. When I don't get ready at the gym, I plop in the mornings - which basically means putting my hair up in a special plopping towel or t-shirt. You can see how to do it here. I usually just leave it in the plop for 15-20 minutes while I make coffee, etc. At home, I just use a long-sleeve t-shirt to plop.

You can buy special towels for curly hair. I recently bought the Curl Ease towel to use at the gym (since I don't want to walk around the locker room with a t-shirt on my head, like a crazy person.) I put the towel on my shoulders to absorb some of the moisture from my hair right when I get out of the shower, and then flip my head over and scrunch with the towel, then apply gel as usual.

6. Then, I dry my hair with a diffuser following these instructions:

Leaving the blow dryer OFF, accordion curls into the bowl of the diffuser up to the root.

Turn dryer on.

When dryer gets hot, do a “cool shot.”

When dryer gets cold, turn off “cool shot.”

Turn off dryer, release curls, move to next section.

7. Then, DON'T TOUCH YOUR HAIR. I used to fix my part right after drying, but that just frizzed out the front of my hair. I've found it's better to just let it dry wherever it naturally parted during styling, and once it's 100% dry I fix the part.

8. You can add a little hairspray right after you dry it, while it's still partially damp, or once it's totally dry. I LOVE the Aveda hairspray - it's really light and smells good.

I know this is all very specific and detailed, but this really is a science. Once you do it a couple times, it's no big deal and it doesn't take me any longer to get ready in the morning. There is A TON of information and tips on this method - so I encourage anyone interested to do a little research and figure out the routine that will work for their type of curly hair! One good place to start is NaturallyCurly.com, where you can find lots of forums and articles.

A lot of people who use this method have also been raving about oils like Flax Seed Oil and Coconut Oil - applying them to their hair right before gel. I may give that a try at some point. Good luck and have a great weekend!

In need of greens

2011-04-27T11:09:00.000-07:00

Photo via

Yesterday was Election Day, which always means a huge potluck at my office. I ate my weight in See's Candy, and threw in some doughnuts, deviled eggs, pulled pork and curry chicken. Does that sound like a recipe for disaster? What am I, eight years old? Well, I had a massive tummy ache last night and could not wait to have a green smoothie this morning. Ah, already feeling better. And, now I've got a big salad, cottage cheese and hard boiled easter eggs for lunch. My body, and tummy, are thanking me.

What is a green smoothie, you may ask?

Right about the time that my acupuncturist suggested I try to get more greens and vegetables into my breakfasts, a friend posted a link to something called the Green Monster Movement. The idea is to make breakfast smoothies that include greens like spinach, kale, chard and collards. I usually get into a smoothie kick each spring and summer, but I had never thought of adding the greens. Great idea! I've been experimenting with some combinations lately, and I've had some great breakfasts!

In-a-Hurry Green Smoothie

Add in this order to the blender:
1 T Flax Seed (or peanut butter)*
1 scoop protein powder - optional!**
2 cups of pre-washed, bagged spinach - about one big handful
1 banana
1/2 cup frozen berries (strawberries, blueberries, etc.)
1 cup milk or soy/almond milk

Blend until smooth. Add 4-6 ice cubes, if you'd like. I now leave out the ice cubes.

Fabulous Green Smoothie

This is what I went for this morning!

Add in this order to the blender:

1 T Flax Seed (or peanut butter)*

1 scoop protein powder - optional!**

2 cups of spinach (or kale, chard, collards) - about one big handful

1/2 banana

4-5 fresh strawberries

1/4 cup frozen blueberries

5 frozen cherries

1/3 cup plain yogurt

3/4 cup milk or soy/almond milk

Blend until smooth.

* I had never had flax seeds before I started making these smoothies. I get them in the bulk aisle at grocery stores. My naturopath said it's good to have them in there, but you could certainly leave them out, substitute them with a nut butter, or just forget the nuts/seeds altogether!

** Protein powder is another new product to me. I proudly described my morning smoothies to my naturopath recently, and then she promptly told me that although they're great, they're probably not giving me enough protein. Good point! So, she suggested I add a scoop of protein powder. It certainly doesn't improve the taste of the smoothie, but you can hardly tell it's there. I found mine at Whole Foods.

A few last notes:
The bags of pre-washed spinach are definitely the easiest green to use. You just grab a handful and throw it in! Other greens are great, but involve more prep with washing and cutting.

A don't like raspberries or blackberries in smoothies because of all the seeds! Just my opinion, though.

Rinse out your cup and blender right away, or you'll come home at the end of the day with some hard-wash-dishes. (And, blenders are especially annoying to wash.) I rinse out my blender right away, and then let it soak during the day with a little dish soap.

I use organic spinach and strawberries, since those seem to be ones that are always recommended to buy organic.

If you're growing greens, those early little leaves that are starting to pop up are perfect for smoothies. I used some of the small chard leaves from our garden this morning!

Easter Review

2011-04-25T13:08:00.000-07:00

Photo via Martha Stewart

A quick run down of the Easter weekend highlights. (These are too late be to helpful to anyone this year, but may be good to file away for next year.)

I cooked lamb. It was super delicious. (Plus, I got to use my new food processor!) I will definitely make this again next year.

Pete and I made a spring kale salad. Yum! (Recipe posted below.)

We dyed eggs using turmeric, beets and red cabbage. You have to leave them in the dye overnight, but the colors turned out really saturated and cool.

We got to sing to lots of organ music in church. (I love seeing all the kids in their Easter outfits!)

We went to an amazing Easter potluck and drank some lovely Washington whites: CMS Sauvignon Blanc (left over from our wedding) and Maryhill Pinot Gris.

I started reading through Heidi Swanson's new cookbook, Super Natural Every Day.

We watched Winter's Bone, which kept my heart rate elevated for the entire movie. A little stressful, but still a good film. (Also made me more excited to see Jennifer Lawrence in The Hunger Games.)

I had a nice run on Saturday morning, and have finally gotten to the point where I can add a little mileage every Saturday. My goal is to eventually run the 6.2 mile Cheshiahud Loop, which goes right by our house.

I decided to do the Seattle Danskin Triathlon after hearing that a friend is planning to do it. Fun!

I read a book in the sun for hours (and got a sunburn!).

I went through my clothes and took a load to Goodwill. (Therapeutic purging.)

We grilled with friends.

And, finally, I had a bit of a fiasco with hot cross buns. I went with Nigella Lawson's recipe, which is in her Feast cookbook. I mixed and kneaded the dough on Saturday night, and then put it in the fridge as directed so that I could bake them in the morning. The next morning, I had . . . a very cold, hard lump of dough that just didn't look right. So, there were no hot cross buns for Easter brunch. But, I let it raise over the course of the day, and then finished out the recipe last night. And, they're really good. I might try it again next year, but I'm not sure about this "let it rise overnight in the fridge" thing. Any suggestions?

Happy Easter!

Spring Kale Salad
Adapted from this recipe

1 bunch kale (I used curly), washed, dried and cut or torn into bite size pieces
1 lb. strawberries sliced
1 pear cut into bite size pieces
1 cup roasted nuts, I used sesame seeds, slivered almonds and macadamia (I think it's easiest to roast them on the stove top for a few minutes, moving the pan back and forth like you're making Jiffy Pop. I tried doing the macadamia nuts in the oven and burned half of them - hence adding the other nuts.)

For the vinaigrette:
2 Tablespoons shallots, minced

2 whole lemons, juice & zest

2 teaspoons dijon mustard

2-4 teaspoons sugar or honey

1 Tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons pepper

½ cup extra virgin olive oil

Put the chopped kale into the a mixing bowl.

Make the vinaigrette. In a medium sized glass or ceramic mixing bowl, add the shallots, lemon juice, lemon zest, mustard, sugar/honey, thyme, salt, and pepper. Mix this well with a wire whisk. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil while whisking to emulsify properly. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed. You want this to be a little sweet with a good tart background (remember that you’re adding fruit to sweeten it up).

Dress the kale. Pour about half the vinaigrette over the chopped kale – reserve the rest in case you want to add more later and to finish off the salad. You don’t want to over-dress this salad.

Toss the kale. Now for the messy part – “massage” the vinaigrette into the kale. Kale has a water-resistant exterior that needs some coaxing to take hold of the dressing. I work my hands through the kale and massage the leaves for about 1-2 minutes. The kale should feel well-coated with dressing but not drenched. Add more dressing if needed.

If you have time, marinate the kale. This step is not necessary, though, and ours marinated on the table while we were waiting to eat. Cover the bowl with plastic and let it set in a refrigerator or on the counter while you’re preparing the rest of your meal. The time marinating will also help to tenderize the kale a bit.

Assemble the salad in a large bowl. First add the kale, then the strawberries and pears, and then the nuts. Finish off with a little dressing over the top.

It is finished.

2011-04-15T11:50:00.000-07:00

The wedding, that is. It was . . . fantastic, amazing, beautiful, fun, wonderful! Any more adjectives I should add? For all you brides and grooms and parents and friends working on planning a wedding right now - all the hard work really does pay off in the end. Thank goodness!

I'm thinking of posting a series of "lessons learned" while planning a wedding in Seattle. They would be the type of posts I kept desperately, fruitlessly searching for while I was planning our wedding. I just have to get back in the habit of posting.

In the meantime, I now have this weird obsession with continuing to look at photos of other weddings on wedding blogs and Facebook. Why? Maybe I'm comparing them to ours. (Ours is better, of course.) Maybe I can't quite let go of the whole process.

I mentioned earlier that I think Scottish weddings look so dreamy and romantic. Well, Indian weddings look like the most colorful, fun, festive parties ever! I hope to go to one someday. I usually think wedding videos are too cheesy and silly, but this one is pretty amazing.

Oh, and if you want to see more of our wedding, check out the blog post from our phenomenal photographers Red Fish Photography.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Go Packers!

2011-02-04T15:59:00.001-08:00

I hope you're all cheering for green and yellow on Sunday! Go Packers!!

(Green and gold were also my high school colors so I have a fondness for them. Go Highlanders!)

Or, are you one of those people who is just ready for it to be over?

But, if you are into football, the New Yorker has a very interesting article on concussions.

In case you need to know why the Packers are awesome, NPR has summed it up for you.

The Onion also has an entertaining Guide to the Super Bowl, including this list of Greatest Individual Super Bowl Performances.

Pete and I are whipping up some Greek Goddess dip and some good, old guacamole. Two crowd pleasers that are also somewhat healthy.

Need a pep talk to get you in the right mood for the big game?

Have a great weekend whether you watch the Super Bowl or not! I'm doing some wedding prep and going for a run, in addition to all things Super Bowl related. See you on the flip side!

Squirrel Appreciation Day!

2011-01-21T12:42:00.000-08:00

I love squirrels!

Remember how the boy turned into a squirrel in the move Sword in the Stone? I always thought that would be so fun - to run up and down trees, leap from branch to branch.

And, they're very smart.

They're British cousins are in danger!

But, don't worry, they'll be around for a while in the U.S.

Happy Squirrel Appreciation Day!

Where does it all lead?

2011-01-12T14:25:00.001-08:00

Photo via

I've taken to quoting poems and books quite often . . . I will work on diversifying my posting more in 2011. But, I just finished Patti Smith's "Just Kids" about her life in the center of the New York art and music scene in the 1960s and 70s, and her magical relationship with photographer Robert Mapplethorpe.

I read the last chapter in a coffee shop last night while snow fell on Seattle, and cried through the last chapter chronicling Robert's downfall from AIDS. It's a beautiful love story that defies labels.

For some reason, I really loved this passage from their younger years, when they had dreams of becoming artists but often didn't have a place to live or anything to eat. Maybe it's because I've spent the last couple years thinking about where I'm going and right now I'm looking at a new decade of life - trying to think about my path.

Where does it all lead? What will become of us? These were our young questions, and young answers were revealed.

It leads to each other. We become ourselves.

I hope everyone is enjoying the magic of snow this week! (I read that it snowed in 49 states yesterday - sorry Florida!) I'm off to an even snowy-er place on Friday: Wisconsin!

Christmas Lights

2010-12-23T15:00:00.000-08:00

Too fun.

Read more about these houses

Christmas Spirit

2010-12-23T10:10:00.001-08:00

A wonderful story about one young man helping another with cerebral palsy:

A teenager's simple act elevates all.

I miss this place!

2010-12-22T11:15:00.001-08:00

I miss coming here and sharing my little thoughts and discoveries. I have lots of ideas stored up for posts, so I'm going to try to be better about posting in the coming months.

For now, a few things to share as we head into Christmas:

Christmas snuck up SO FAST this year! I barely got my shopping done, and most people I mail presents to will get them late. I'm aiming for New Year's cards this year. I am, however, honoring our last week of advent by dressing festively every day. I've got my snowflake sweater on (which, BTW, I've owned since high school!!!) and my reindeer sweater lined up for tomorrow.

I'm taking the train home to Spokane tomorrow, so let's hope it goes smoothly there are no delays with the tracks! Last year it was a blast - very festive and boozy! I'm taking along some knitting, two books (Just Kids by Patti Smith, and #4 of the Blue Bloods YA vampire series) and renting a couple movies on iTunes (Girl Who Played with Fire and Kick Ass)

Check out this adorable article about a woman who has been illustrating Hallmark cards for 55 years. She thinks cards have a place in our lives because "people like something they can save." I agree!

Pete and I just finished watching the original Star Wars trilogy - which never gets old - but I just found out there was a Star Wars Holiday Special, which looks truly awful. Apparently, Princess Leia sings. Why??

While I really didn't do much holiday cooking this year, I might still try to make Panettone before the new year.

The Onion gives us an amazing round up of cheap toys. Please at least read about the Music Phone and Happy Time Buslike Vehicle .

Some hilarious holiday eating tips - I plan to follow all of them!

What's the best Christmas gift? A new baby! My friends just had their first baby, and he's the cutest thing. Welcome to the world Porter - there's a lot of love here for you!

I'm celebrating an early Christmas with Pete tonight before we go to our respective hometowns - we've got pot roast in the oven and wrapped gifts under the tree. Yea!

Watch with glittering eyes

2010-12-03T13:17:00.000-08:00

So much to blog about, so little time these day. I will get back to it soon, I hope. But, for now, I leave you with a quote from the beloved author Roald Dahl.

And above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those who don't believe in magic will never find it.

Thank you Mr. Dahl for helping me believe in magic, the uncanny and the unlikely every time I read one of your delightful books!

Thanks Erika! Via.

More beauty in this life than the world could bear

2010-09-22T13:41:00.000-07:00

I recently finished Let the Great World Spin by Colum McCann. I had to say, it took me a long time to get into it. And, I almost gave up a few times. But the end of the book was really beautiful, and I ended up being really touched by it - and even crying on the bus. I just wanted to share a quote from one of the female characters in the book. She's near the end of her life, and trying to comfort her daughters as they prepare to lose her:

Gloria laughed at them and said that she'd overtaken grief a long time ago, that she was tired of everyone wanting to go to heaven, nobody wanting to die. The only thing worth grieving over, she said, was that sometimes there was more beauty in this life than the world could bear.

I was still thinking about this scene the next morning, when I heard Story Corps come on. And, could so clearly see the connection: Robert Patterson and his wife Karen. So beautiful and sad at the same time.

A Seven-Day Virus

2010-09-19T14:52:00.000-07:00

Something just knocked me out for the count last Wednesday. Sore throat, fever, chills, body aches. I went to the doctor because I thought I had strep throat. No, not strep throat, she told me. Probably just the virus that's going around right now; it lasts seven days.

Oh, good, I don't have strep. Wait, WHAT!!?? SEVEN DAYS?? There's no way I'll be sick for that long, I'll just take it easy and feel better by the weekend.

WRONG.

I'm now on my seventh day - and while I'm still stuck at home, I'm no longer a prisoner to the couch. I can actually do some work, sit up and move around.

If you should happen to fall ill with one of the many bugs going around, here's what I recommend:

Catch up with your favorite shows online (for me: Top Chef, Project Runway, 30 Rock [Modern Family didn't come out until today])
Fresh flowers - They really lift the spirits when you still feel like absolute crap on Day 5 of the virus. (Thanks Pete!)
Fresh air - Even though I couldn't actually do anything, it felt good to sit outside or in front of an open window.
Antihistamines/Decongestants - They are your friend. They help you sleep. And, they also help prevent all the gross sludge congested in your head from coming out of your eye ducts . . . not that I'm saying that happened to me . . . . because that would be disgusting.
Stieg Larsson books - Seriously, it would have been a much more boring week without The Girl Who Played With Fire. I was so sad when it ended! At least I still have one more book to look forward to.
Liquids - Green & Lemon tea, Squirt & 7 Up, water and lots of soup (see below)
Whiskey - No, really. I don't like whiskey normally, but a tiny little amount in the evening felt really good on my sore throat.
Ice Cream - Pete and I found the perfect combination of coconut ice cream, mango sherbet and lychee sherbet (you can get them all at Uwajimaya)
And, of course, lots and lots of rest.

Simple Survival Soups

Lentil Soup

Saute 1 onion, 3-4 heads garlic, 2 carrots and 2 celery stalks in butter. Add about 1 1/2 cups diced potatoes, a bag of lentils, 2 boxes broth, salt, pepper, 2-3 bay leaves and any spices you like (parsley, oregano, etc.). Simmer for about 45 minutes. Add more broth or water if it looks like it needs it.

I basically doubled this recipe and have been eating it all week. Very filling and comforting. I usually add ham or a ham hock, but I couldn't find any at the market on the corner, and I wasn't up for going any farther to search for it.

Potato Leek Soup

Saute 4-6 chopped leeks, 2 cups diced potatoes in butter. Add salt and pepper, and 1 box of broth. Simmer for 20 minutes. (I added a little cream because had some in the fridge.)

Seriously, it's that easy. I had never made this kind of soup before, but it was delicious, and took almost zero time.

I recommend both of these soups with quick drop biscuits - I either use the recipe from Better Homes & Gardens or Joy of Cooking, or this time I just used Bisquick because we had some around.

Stay healthy everyone!

Trippy Music

2010-09-14T13:38:00.001-07:00

Since I shared my Queen obsession a couple weeks ago, I thought I'd post about a totally awesome, amazing band I heard at Bumbershoot. I didn't know anything about Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros before the concert, except that they sang the very catchy, fun "Home" song:

Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros "Home" from Edward Sharpe on Vimeo.

We had to wait for quite a while for the concert to start, so I learned about the band from the fans around me. For instance, the lead singer - Alex Ebert - is from LA, was addicted to drugs, went to rehab and then wrote a book about a modern-day messianic figure named Edward Sharpe. He fell in love with the female lead singer, and they went on to form The Magnetic Zeros. The group toured the country and lived together for a year in an old school bus.

The first thing you notice about this group in person is that there are A LOT of them! I think I counted 2 singers, 2 keyboardists, 1 piano player, 2 drummers and 4 guitar players. And the lead singer walks onto the stage looking like an honest-to-goodness modern Jesus. Barefoot, in a dirty, ripped suit and long brown hair. In short - this band is a trip! But, a really fun trip. I will definitely go see them again if they come back to Seattle and HIGHLY recommend them to anyone who has the chance to see them. Pete and I have been listening to their album for a couple weeks. Enjoy!

Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros "Desert Song" from benjamin kutsko on Vimeo.

Craziness

2010-09-03T10:25:00.000-07:00

Pete and I moved this week. Hence the title of this post. I've been so distracted and tired that I wore two different colored shoes to work, and backed into a car in the liquor store parking lot. Geesh!

We combined households and are now living together (!) for the first time. It's been physically and mentally tiring, but so far the actual living-together thing is going well. We moved a lot of heavy things together, assembled furniture and made a trip to Ikea all without fighting or getting annoyed with each other. That's pretty good in my book!

During this period, I've developed two pretty serious obsessions:

Goodwill - I found an awesome solid wood sideboard from the 1960s and a set of wooden drawers at the Ballard Goodwill the other night. And, since then I've been doing a drive-by anytime I'm nearby to see if they have anything else good. You have to be fast, though! I had to stand with my hands on both pieces of furniture so that no one else would buy them! It was stressful - but also exciting! I'm now determined to check out the Goodwill Outlet near my office, although it's apparently very smelly and they recommend you wear gloves to sort through the bins. Also, bedbugs are back big-time, so we'll have to be careful about what we buy.

Queen - Have you listened to Queen lately? Well, you should. Because they are awesome. NPR did a story on them this week, and I've been listening to them non-stop at work since then. It's really been helping me to keep me energy up during a week when I'd much rather be taking a nap most afternoons.

I REALLY wish I could have gone to a queen concert!

Don't you wish men still wore white pants like these? I kind of love them.

Friday Fun

2010-08-13T13:15:00.000-07:00

Have a great weekend everyone! The sun is shining in Seattle, and I'm hoping to do some outdoor yoga in the Olympic Sculpture Park tomorrow morning and bike out to Redhook Brewery on Sunday. Lovely!

I will leave you with this - a very adorable video of a Corgi in a life jacket, doing belly flops.

And, a sweet (pun!) story about some guys in Ballard spreading some sugary love at Cupcake Royale. Here's the story from MyBallard:

“Coolest dudes ever!” The Cupcake Royale Facebook page states, “These lovely gentleman just came in to our Ballard cafe, threw down a one hundred dollar bill, and told our baristas to buy the next customers who walked in the door thier coffee and cupcakes until the hundred was gone. Wow! You guys rock!”

How nice is that? How will you spread the love this weekend?

P.S. Also officially purchasing the wedding dress this weekend. Eek!

A Wonderful Weekend

2010-07-30T09:29:00.000-07:00

via

We had such a fun Seattle weekend! My mom and youngest sister were in town, along with Pete's mom from Madison, to do some wedding planning and dress shopping. And, guess what? We found the perfect dress! I really love it and it's actually very affordable. I'll do a longer post about the whole dress shopping process later this week.

But, in addition to having fun playing dress-up, we also made a visit to Golden Gardens and then went down the road to Ray's Cafe for a lovely sunset dinner. We walked around Green Lake. We made it to TWO farmers markets, where we managed to eat quite a few crepes and quesadillas, and TWO community gardens. We also sampled from Mighty-O and Cupcake Royale, and had an amazing lunch at Veraci Pizza (who we're considering for catering our wedding.)

I didn't want the weekend to end!

Love for Seattle:

More amazing Seattle photography, including the photo above, from Ben Blood.

The Washington Secretary of State has a delightful online shop (who knew??) I bought some of the notecards with vintage Washington photos and advertisements.

Apparently, Washington has amazing online archives, which actually win awards. Again, who knew??? Their news page is kind of fun and interesting.

Wedding Planning Weekend

2010-07-30T08:37:00.000-07:00

Well, it's oddly foggy in Seattle this morning. But I have faith that the sun will come out by the time my mom (and Pete's mom!) get into town later today for a wedding planning weekend. Besides the mandatory dress shopping, I'm hoping we have time to hit up the Phinney Ridge Farmers Market tonight, take a walk at Green Lake, eat some Molly Moon's ice cream and Mighty-O Doughnuts, stop by Golden Gardens to scope out our reception site, go to church to scope out the ceremony site and maybe grab a meal at Oddfellows. Whew!

Plus, we're going to eat Veraci Pizza, since we're considering having them bring in their pizza oven cart to cater the wedding.

I've been cleaning like crazy and trying to get my little apartment ready for house guests. So, how about a little Friday serenity in the form of a Longfellow poem I saw posted on The Wednesday Chef this week? A good reminder to slow down and enjoy our summertime.

Then followed that beautiful season,
Called by the pious Acadian peasants the Summer of All-Saints!
Filled was the air with a dreamy and magical light; and the landscape
Lay as if new-created in all the freshness of childhood.
Peace seemed to reign upon earth, and the restless heart of the ocean
Was for a moment consoled. All sounds were in harmony blended.
Voices of children at play, the crowing of cocks in the farm-yards,
Whir of wings in the drowsy air, and the cooing of pigeons,
All were subdued and low as the murmurs of love, and the great sun
Looked with the eye of love through the golden vapors around him;
While arrayed in its robes of russet and scarlet and yellow,
Bright with the sheen of the dew, each glittering tree of the forest
Flashed like the plane-tree the Persian adorned with mantles and jewels.

(P.S. Check out the link to her blog for some good, quick meals using toast. I had the spicy salmon for dinner last night because I was cleaning and didn't want to get any dishes dirty.)

Reasonable Shopping

2010-07-29T09:32:00.000-07:00

I've been thinking quite about about my personal shopping and consumer habits. It started when I hauled three HUGE bags of clothing and shoes to Goodwill and didn't even notice a dent in my closet and drawers. And then, I read an interesting article in the New York Times about how women are trying to address their personal shopping habits. None of their solutions seemed quite right for me, but they did help me to have my own brainstorming session.

After all that thinking, I believe I've come up with a reasonable resolution to test out. Here's the deal: I will only buy new clothing if something I own actually needs replacing (i.e. gets a stain, rips, wears out). Now, I know most of you probably already adhere to something akin to this. But, I'm always drawn by the siren call of sales and just the fun of having something new to wear. I just keep adding to my wardrobe, and I really don't need all of this stuff.

I will try this out for three months, and if it goes well I may extend it to six. And, I'm blogging about it so that there will be some degree of personal accountability. Here's to being a little more responsible and thrifty!

Fun Stuff for Friday

2010-07-23T10:41:00.000-07:00

Happy Friday everyone! I'm headed up to a cabin outside Bellingham with friends this weekend, and can't wait for the festivities to begin!

I've made some delightful and interesting discoveries lately, and thought I'd share.

Books - I'm not into the Twilight books (actually, I think they're terrible - don't hurt me for saying this!), but I do really enjoy the whole vampire trend. It's kind of fun and scary and campy. I watched True Blood for a while, but it got a little too creepy and I'm a little too much of a scaredy-cat. But, I have recently breezed through the first two books from the young adult Blue Bloods series. So fun! It's about hot young socialites in New York that happen to be - you guessed it - VAMPIRES!

Food - I'm loving Morningstar Farms Veggie Sausage Patties. Pete's family brought them to the lake, and I think I like them better than actual breakfast meat. You can get them at Trader Joes.

Shopping and clothes - I did a huge purge of clothing and shoes last week. I just felt overwhelmed with the amount of STUFF in my closet and drawers, and wanted to pare it down to the items I really love and wear often. It felt so good to drop everything off at Goodwill. Of course, I then promptly hit the the Nordstrom sale. I don't feel too bad about it, since I usually get a lot of wear out of the few items I buy at Anniversary Sale. But, overall I've been realizing that my urge to shop is a little stronger than I'd like. I was thinking of taking 1-3 months off, and not buying anything new. Then, the New York Times published an article on taming the urge to buy. Some good motivation and ideas in this! Some people commit to only wearing six articles of clothing for an entire month (although, I don't really see the point of this) or not buying any clothes for a year (maybe a little much for me).

TV - Have you been watching Parks and Recreation? It has been cracking me up lately. And I do work for the government now, so I feel a little more loyal to the show. I happened to see the episode where the staff goes hunting. Hilarious. Seriously, watch it. Amy Poeler is so great in this clip.

More TV - How much do I love PBS? A lot. I even became a member! I'm really into all their mystery shows (most of them BBC) because they're interesting without being absurdly violent and disturbing (I'm talking to you, Law & Order SVU!) Plus they have America's Test Kitchen, Tavis Smiley, Antiques Roadshow, Newshour . . . I could go on. I saw an incredible documentary on Kenya called Good Fortune that talked about the challenges and complexities of outsiders trying to come in and provide aid.

A little more TV - Did anyone watch American, The Story of Us on the History Channel? I think I'll have to get it from Netflix. I took an American history class this spring at the community college, and I'd be interested to see how they put this series together.

Wedding stuff - Let me tell you, there are a million wedding blogs and website. Talk about overload! Some of them can really make you feel inadequate and lazy - but I've just stopped following those ones. A couple highlights: Wedding on Wheels!! and a truly lovely Scottish wedding (I don't know, maybe I just love mist, lace and plaid?).

Disguises - A downloadable disguise kit! I feel like you could make a fun photo booth at a party with this. Kind of like the one at a wedding Pete and I recently attended.

Have a fantastic weekend. Get some sun and fresh air! Read a book or magazine! Eat some fresh fruits and veggies! (That's the recipe for success, I tell you.)

Caesar Salad

2010-07-20T10:56:00.000-07:00

I had a few heads (hearts?) of Romaine left over from a barbecue I hosted, and yesterday got the idea to make Caesar salad with them. I knew I had some old halves of French bread in the freezer and most of the other ingredients I would need (since I've now started keeping lemons and Parmesan cheese on hand at all times). I wanted to make one that was tasty (obvs) but simple. I had just read about how to make the fancy French version in Ruth Reichl's Tender at the Bone. (BTW - I really enjoyed the memoir by the former New York Times restaurant reviewer and Gourmet editor.) It involves coddled egg (which I learned is an egg boiled for one minute in the shell) and anchovies. It also had a somewhat complex set of steps for assembling the salad. I'm sure it's delicious, but it's not quite the direction I wanted to go last night.

So, I started with the usual suspects - my favorite blogs and recipe sights. And, holy croutons!, there are a lot of Caesar salad recipes out there. I found very traditional versions at The Reluctant Gourmet and allrecipes. They both involved using raw or coddled eggs. Others seemed a little more accessible, but still not perfect, like the Pioneer Woman, Smitten Kitchen, Martha Stewart and epicurious. So, I decided to take all of these not-quite-perfect recipes and combine them.

Then, lo and behold, a new blog I just started following happened to post a Simple Caesar Salad yesterday. Don't you love it when that happens? Like when you mention how much you love a song and then it comes on the radio. Thank you, Everybody Likes Sandwiches!

I made the recipe last night and it was delicious - exactly what I wanted. She has you make the croutons on the stove top in bacon grease (brilliant!). My only tip is to use a big pan or cook the croutons in batches. I dumped them all in my smaller cast iron and then had to take half of them out to make sure they all got crispy.

One final note: I found a really interesting vegan Caesar salad at 101 Cookbooks. I'd definitely be interested in trying this one out at some point.

Happy eating!

A Quest for Sandals

2010-07-01T10:43:00.001-07:00

I just wanted a simple pair of black, flat sandals for my trip to the Midwest on Friday. Even nice-ish flip flops would have worked! You'd think it wouldn't be that hard, right? Well, unfortunately for me - a girl with very long, narrow feet that resemble water skis - these are the type of sandals in style right now:

And, in theory, I think they're cute. But something awful happens when I put them on my abnormally long feet. They look horrible! My foot looks like it stretches on forever, and the strap across my ankle cuts off my legs and makes them look stubby. Just . . . no. I refuse to spend money on these just because the fashion gods tell us to.

I had almost given up, when I made a quick stop into Old Navy. And . . . yes! Tons of cute sandals. I bought these simple ones (in black):

And absolutely could not resist these yellow ones either:

(I know the yellow ones look similar to the dreaded black ones above. But, the straps are just different enough and the beading is just big enough to make a difference. Plus, yellow!)

Now, if the sun just comes out in Seattle, I'll be ready! Let's hope they help me stay cool in the muggy Midwest :)

P.S. I'm going to try to start posting more regularly. Really, I am!

My Garden: May 25

2010-05-28T08:00:00.000-07:00

I'm going to eat some of the lettuce up at the lake this weekend!! The big bushy area is all salad greens, and I'm going to take them up to the lake this weekend for everyone to eat.

Compare these photos to my last update. Whoa! Stuff has grown.

One note: I had to thin out my carrots and beets, because I read the the roots will be too close together and I won't get an viable plans. It was kind of a pain because I had planted a ton of seeds all close together and I had to cut them off so that plants were about 2 inches apart. I learned that I should be a little more sparing with the seeds next year and try to space them out more. For thinning, you don't have to pull them out, you just cut off the tops.

For harvesting the lettuce, I read that you should cut off the tops and then dig up the roots. This keeps the lettuce from getting dirty. Then, I can plant new seeds for a second harvest!

What's going on?

2010-05-27T11:30:00.001-07:00

You may be asking: What's going on with Katie? We haven't heard much from her lately.

Well, friends, the answer is: A LOT!

Before we get into the details of my life, I wanted to note that this is such a beautiful time in Seattle! I went for a short evening run yesterday and felt lost in a fairy land of so many flowering trees and gardens. Seeing all the gorgeous colors and blooms, along with the sun setting over the Olympic Mountains always clears away every last bit of stress and anxiety. I picked one little poppy (I think it's a poppy?) to put on my table.

So, the big news. Pete and I are getting married! We're almost certain we'll tie the knot in Seattle on April 2, 2011 (the day my parents got married and Pete's dad's birthday). AND, I have a new job! I'm finishing up at my current job tomorrow, and will begin a new position June 7. In addition, I'm continuing to take classes at Seattle Central Community College.

I'll try to post updates with our wedding planning. There's a lot to think about. But, I'm finding it to be a lot of fun! I've found The Knot's book on wedding planning to be helpful so far, and I'm dying to get my hands on Martha Stewart Weddings newest issue, with is all about DIY. They've already put some great content online including these templates and clip art for wedding decorations.

I'm hoping to put up a few posts in the next week or two on:

Our engagement and the adventures of wedding planning, and specifically planning a wedding in Seattle
A couple more quick dinners
The lessons we learned in New York (I'm waaaay behind on this one)
An update on my garden

P.S. I'll use any excuse I can to post a Marvin Gaye song. His version of: What's going on?

I have just one day, today, and I’m going to be happy in it.

2010-05-12T16:06:00.001-07:00

Greta in the grass, originally uploaded by Maggie Skinner.

“Each morning when I open my eyes I say to myself: I, not events, have the power to make me happy or unhappy today. I can choose which it shall be. Yesterday is dead, tomorrow hasn’t arrived yet. I have just one day, today, and I’m going to be happy in it.”

- Groucho Marx

via

May Garden: May 7

2010-05-08T08:00:00.000-07:00

We haven't had much sun, so there hasn't been a lot of progress.

Although, some beets have sprouted.

And, I think these are little carrot sprouts.

Denim Obsession

2010-05-07T15:30:00.000-07:00

I've been slightly obsessed with denim lately. Partly because I just love denim in general, and partly because I just got these Frye-ish boots from Target.

I added them to an online order to qualify for free shipping, thinking that I could return them if I didn't like them. But, they are super cool and look pretty high quality. I think they'll go great with denim. I've also seen women wearing similar boots with black legging and black skinny jeans. I may have to try out that look this weekend.

I keep looking at this dress at the Gap online, but haven't gone to a store to try it on.

And, I think these shorts from The Gap are cute. They remind me of my favorite cut-offs from high school.

Isn't this Anthropologie skirt adorable?

Sunny Friday

2010-05-07T10:13:00.000-07:00

It's FINALLY sunny here. I had almost given up hope that I'd ever see the sun again. Granted, it's not that warm (higher of 62 today), but I'll take what I can get. Blogs have been torturing me lately writing about spring fruit and spring recipes, when it still feel like winter in Seattle.

Some spring recipes:

Rhubarb Lime Margarita and Strawberry Rhubarb Jam via From Me to You
Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble from 101 Cookbooks
Roasted Rhubarb from Orangette
Spring Shells and Cheese from Bitten Word (I think I'll definitely have to make this over the weekend. I'll have to wait on the rest until rhubarb and strawberries show up at the Farmer's Market.)

P.S. I've been reading that strawberries are one of the fruits you should buy organic, since they tend to have more pesticides.

One Wish

2010-04-30T12:52:00.000-07:00

via

If I had one wish I'd ask to be transported to this place right now, at this very moment, with a snuggly blanket, some tea and a good book. Let the daydreaming commence.

Although, Twin Lakes in NE Washington is a pretty good runner up and I'll be there Memorial Day.

Glee: Your True Colors

2010-04-30T12:16:00.000-07:00

Confession: I just finished the first season of Glee last night. I just fell behind and couldn't find time to catch up.

I enjoyed all of the musical numbers in the last three episodes, but I've definitely been singing this one to myself this morning. Love it.

My Garden: April 29

2010-04-29T14:46:00.000-07:00

I promise I won't post about my garden every other day for the rest of the spring and summer. It's just that I'm REALLY EXCITED about it right now. It's so fun to choose all the seeds and plants, and put them in the ground. I went to visit it this morning, and the starts have already gotten taller and many of the plants have more leaves than last week.

I was so occupied with the progress of the starts, that it took me a while to see that the lettuce seeds had sprouted!

Lots of sprouts!

Isn't the nasturtium pretty? The master gardeners from the WSU Extension Program told me that it's a good plant for pollination (giving the bees a little love) and you can eat the flowers and pods. In fact, Saving the Season just put up a nice post about nasturtiums (known to him as California Capers) and how to pickle the pods. Fun!

My Garden: April 25

2010-04-25T13:38:00.000-07:00

Just planted it this week! So far I've got broccoli, cauliflower, kale, carrots, peas, beans, lettuce and beets in the ground - some starts and some seeds. Also planted a sunflower and nasturtium for good measure. Grow little plants!

Friday Cuteness

2010-04-23T14:38:00.000-07:00

A very adorable 8-year-old sings "Hey Soul Sista" while playing the ukelele at Hawaii's Kokua Festival. Warms my heart (and makes me want to be in Hawaii).

Birthday Buds

2010-04-14T13:09:00.000-07:00

Lucky me!

P.S. The party went well - the banner arrived in time, the cake was great and I didn't feel very sick at all. Can you see what banner I chose in the background?

What does a sick day look like?

2010-04-12T16:25:00.000-07:00

Man, I've got something nasty that won't leave me alone. I've been home for three days trying to get rid of a cough and stuffy head, and cabin fever is starting to set in. I'm still feeling optimistic that I'll be able to recover in time for my birthday and New York. In the meantime, I've been relying on my sick day staples: Cream of Wheat, tea, and a mixture of lemon carbonated water with grapefruit juice.

I've also been making fruit smoothies: frozen strawberries, blueberries and mango combined with almond milk and strawberry kefir. It tastes really good, especially on a sore throat.

Wish me good health!

Reason to Love Seattle

2010-04-12T14:18:00.000-07:00

We totally rocked the Glee Flash Mob:

Love it! You go guys!

Friday Cuteness

2010-04-09T12:05:00.000-07:00

Look at the new baby penguin at the Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle. This is just up the road from my apartment.

You can read more about the little guy on my neighborhood blog, Phinneywood.

Travelling to New York

2010-04-08T09:51:00.000-07:00

I'm going to New York next week! I've been doing all sorts of research over the past month on New York City - mainly revolving around a few activities we've prioritized and cheap places to eat and drink.

Things to see and experience

MOMA & Tim Burton Exhibit

I was just poking around the interactive site on the exhibit, and I'm so excited to see it all in person! We've bought our tickets for Friday, and are going to try to squeeze in watching a couple of his movies before we leave, namely Beetlejuice and Edward Scissorhands.

Brooklyn Flea Market

Martha Stewart blogged about this a while ago, and I've been dying to check it out ever since. It will even be outdoors by the time we get there!

Central Park

I'm hoping for daily walks, with stops at nearby coffee shops.

Metropolitan Museum of Art

New York Times just posted a charming video today about The Met. A longtime hot dog vendor outside The Met is given a tour and asked for his thoughts on the works inside.

In the Heights

I've been wanting to see this play ever since I watched the Tony awards when it won for best musical. We might try catch one other play by visiting the half-price ticket booths.

Places to Eat and Drink

Coffee: The New York Times recently had a good article on coffee shops . I'm thinking we'll try to hit a few of these. I kind of want to go to Cafe Grumpy just for the name!
Drinks: Located in Rockefeller Plaza, I read the Rainbow Room was a good spot for a drink and a good view of the city.
Bakeries: I've found a bunch that sound good including Cupcake Cafe.
Barbecue: I definitely want to check out the Brooklyn Ice House.
I've tried to list a lot of the places that sound good in a Google Map.

Places to Shop

I really only have one place I'd like to check out, which is Purl Soho. I've been following their blog on knitting and sewing for a long time, and I'd love to see the store. Plus, they'll have just opened in a new, bigger space!

Packing/Flying

This woman posted her list of travel necessities. It's handy, and pretty comprehensive.
Also, not martha just linked to this excellent list of flying tips. I think I'll download the free white noise app. I also have Where the Wild Things are on rental from iTunes, so I'll put that on my iPhone.
I've found iPhones to be immensely helpful while travelling. I've downloaded a few free New York apps that, let's hope, come in handy!

Last, it's apparently been unseasonably warm in New York. Which adds a new element to my thoughts on clothes to pack. Jezebel addressed the challenge today. I just checked the weather and it looks like it will be closer to high 60s while we're there, so normal spring attire should be fine.

P.S. Michael Jackson is singing about New York in the song Human Nature, right? He says: If this town is just an apple, then let me take a bite.

P.P.S. Isn't John Mayer's version nice?

My Birthday

2010-04-07T11:41:00.001-07:00

Birthday #30 is coming up next week. Wow! I remember lying in my dorm room on the night before my 20th birthday, feeling more sad and shocked than anything else. I had honestly believed I'd be a teenager forever! I was so depressed leaving those years behind, and thought it would all be downhill from there.

Thank goodness I was wrong. My 20s have had some ups and down, but it feels nice to end them on an up! I'm having a very casual get-together next week and I only have two requirements of the party: cake and a banner. (I feel like a 30th birthday warrants a banner!)

Lo and behold, these charming banners popped up in Cup of Jo today! I like that they're not the traditional "Happy Birthday" message.

I was really debating between the gold "Good Times and the black "La Dolce Vita." I'm not telling which one I ended up ordering. To order the banners, visit Banter Banners.

P.S. If I haven't invited you - apologies! Evite wouldn't import my email contacts and I'm afraid I didn't do a perfect job of getting everyone on the list. Just let me know and I'll send you the info.

Quick Dinners: Roasted Broccoli with Shrimp

2010-04-05T21:31:00.000-07:00

I happened to see this recipe in the New York Times on a day when I needed something quick and easy for dinner. And, it was good enough to keep around. Actually, I just made it tonight! You can just keep a bag of frozen shrimp in the freezer to pull out when needed, and then you probably have everything else around except the broccoli and lemon. Serve it over brown rice, couscous or quinoa, and you have a very quick and healthy dinner.

(I added a glass of Chinook winery red to make it a real meal. Yum!)

Roasted Broccoli with Shrimp

From The New York Times

Ingredients

2 pounds broccoli, but into bite-size florets

4 T extra virgin olive oil

1 t coriander

1 t cumin

1 1/2 t salt

1 t pepper

1/2 t chili powder

1 pound shrimp, shelled and deveined (I usually use frozen)

Zest from 1 lemon

Lemon wedges, for serving

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a glass or metal lasagna/brownie pan toss broccoli with 2 T oil, coriander, cumin, 1 t salt, 1/2 t pepper and chili powder. In a separate bowl, combine shrimp, remaining 2 T oil, lemon zest, remaining salt and pepper.

Roast broccoli for about 5-10 minutes. Add shrimp to baking dish and toss with broccoli. Roast until shrimp are just opaque and broccoli is tender and golden around the edges, about 10-20 minutes. Serve with lemon wedges, along with rice, couscous or quinoa.

Quick Dinners: Black Beans and Rice

2010-04-02T16:43:00.000-07:00

I haven't blogged about food or posted a recipe lately, but I realized that it's because I haven't been cooking much. I've been a little more busy than normal, and even on the occasions I do cook either it's not exciting enough to post or I never find the time to post the stuff I really do like.

So, with my busy-ish schedule I've been relying on a few standby recipes that are quick, easy and that I usually have most of the ingredients for. So, I thought I'd share them with you starting with the one I've been making the longest: Black Beans and Rice.

I really learned to cook from Mollie Katzen (of the Moosewood series). I was just out of college, a temporary vegetarian and living with four roommates while I did Lutheran Volunteer Corps. I just learned by trying things - some worked; many didn't. But I turned to Moosewood books more than any other, and had the most success with them. A lot of the things in my "pantry" are still based on her recipes.

Here's what I usually keep around (that allows me to make most of the quick dinners). I haven't included spices or the true staples like butter, salt, oil, milk, etc. Those are are a "No duh."

Pantry staples:

Onions
Garlic
Salsa
Canned tomatoes
Tomato sauce
Frozen corn
Cheese (usually some hard Italian and cheddar)
Bread
Chicken and vegetable broth
Pasta
Polenta (either dry or in tubes)
Brown rice
Eggs
Black beans
Chickpeas

You'll notice that most of the ingredients in Black Beans and Rice are in my pantry staples. Which is probably why this is the recipe I've returned to again and again. So often, it's actually become a comfort food. You can't really screw this up. So, make it your own and enjoy!

Black Beans & Rice

Based on the Basic Skillet Black Beans in Moosewood Restaurant New Classics

Ingredients:

2 t olive or vegetable oil

1 onion, chopped

2 cloved garlic, diced

1/2 t ground coriander

1 t ground cumin

1 t chili powder

3 cups cooked black beans (two 15-ounce cans, rinsed and drained)

1 cup salsa

2 cups chopped tomatoes (one 15-ounce can, with juice)

1/2 cup frozen corn

Whatever vegetables you have on hand - I usually opt for carrots and/or peppers

In a skillet, heat oil on medium-high heat. Add the onions and sauté for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and spices and stir for a minute to toast the spices. Add the corn and any other vegetables and saute for about 5 minutes. Add the salsa and tomatoes, and simmer for a few minutes. Add the black beans and simmer for about 10 to 15 minutes until everything is thickened.

Serve over rice and, if you like, top with sour cream, cilantro or cheese.

National Poetry Month

2010-04-01T17:08:00.001-07:00

Lonely Snowy Tree, originally uploaded by Ally Mac.

Is it just coincidence that I was born in National Poetry Month? I think not! I'll make a goal to seek out some new poetry this month (which shouldn't be too hard since I barely ever get around to reading it). Let's start the month with a poem shared with me by Pete's dad.

It really hit home and caused a physical response in me when I read it. I have to trust that like the wind, I'll find my way to the right place as well. But that's so hard sometimes!

Message to self: Let go. Let go and trust.

Trust
by Thomas R. Smith

It's like so many other things in life
to which you must say no or yes.
So you take your car to the new mechanic.
Sometimes the best thing to do is trust.

The package left with the disreputable-looking
clerk, the check gulped by the night deposit,
the envelope passed by dozens of strangers—
all show up at their intended destinations.

The theft that could have happened doesn't.
Wind finally gets where it was going
through the snowy trees, and the river, even
when frozen, arrives at the right place.

And sometimes you sense how faithfully your life
is delivered, even though you can't read the address.

(Thanks Ken!)

Happy?

2010-03-26T09:34:00.000-07:00

Some Friday eye candy for you.

I stumbled upon this image today at a new blog I'm following, most beautiful darling. Enjoying the simple wisdom of it.

I was also thrilled to see this photo. I've aspired to have a wall of brightly colored plates for a few years now. Maybe I'll have to finally start collecting some! I always pick them up in stores, ponder buying them and then put them back down.

My other new favorite blog is a desert fete. There's something very alluring about living in the desert to me (and, maybe my allergies wouldn't be as bad!). Anyway, looking at this photography is a little breath of fresh air every day.

I LOVE this series she posted from a train hopping photographer. Sigh. Makes me miss the summer I spent in Glacier National Park, hiking and riding around Montana in the back of pickup trucks.

Also, CACTI. I have a slight obsession with cacti that I have absolutely no explanation for. I just really like them.

picture by Elly Yap

Happy Weekend

2010-03-05T15:43:00.000-08:00

It's been a tough week for me. I've been really low-energy and kind of in low spirits. But here are a few things that have brightened my day, and I hope they do the same for you!

Pretty Cakes - I definitely need to make this cake for the next girl/woman I know who has a birthday. Pink with sprinkles. My sisters Jayme would love it. Heck, maybe I'll just make it for myself!

Color - When I'm down I really try to make an effort to wear patterns and bright colors. It makes me feel better about myself and makes me look a little brighter to the outside world. I wish I could have been at this festival in India - it looks like they fill their world and paint themselves with the most vivid colors.

Pretty pictures - Like these pictures of summer and desert photos and all her pretty photos

The Office - Last night's episode really made me laugh! Plus, it featured babies.

Alice in Wonderland - Even though it didn't get the great reviews, I still really want to see it. Look at this cute blog post with Alice inspirations. I downloaded the book for free to my iPhone, but have just started it.

Mr. Rogers - I've just started to read a book called I'm Proud of You, but a friend of Mr. Rogers. And while it's not the best book ever, the spirit of Mr. Rogers definitely shines through. His devotion to helping children and sharing love wherever he went is truly inspiring. I ran across this video of him testifying for Congress.

A New Dress - A friend alerted me to the fact that a (very) expensive dress I blogged about was half off. Who could resist!? Let's hope it looks good on me - not just on the Web site. I'll report back!

Exercising - I was in a really bad mood when I got home one evening. And I didn't feel hungry because I hadn't exercised in a couple days. I was short on time but I decided to just throw on the running clothes and shoes and hit the pavement for a few minutes. What a difference some fresh air and movement can make! Flowers are blooming in Seattle, so I could smell them and take in their bright colors as the sun set over the Olympic mountains. Lovely. Improved my mood greatly.

Seattle University basketball - I've become a die hard fan and the men won their last home game! Go Redhawks! They've worked really hard and ended the season with a winning record. Amazing!

Thinking About Our Trip to New York - I bought tickets to In the Heights and looked into how to buy tickets for the Time Burton Exhibit at MOMA (so glad it will still be there when we visit!). I've been playing with iPhone apps for New York and tracking down good bakeries. I also booked our list night for a steal at the "hippest hotel in New York" - as Seattlites we'll fit right in with the hipsters.

Actually, just writing this blog post made me feel better. And, it's Friday afternoon so the weekend is almost here. Hope yours is lovely!

Super Chow

2010-02-25T08:00:00.000-08:00

I just realized that I haven't posted a recipe for quite some time. I haven't been cooking quite as much, and I've been having trouble squeezing in as much time for blogging. But, I did recently eat and prepare some good TV-viewing party grub. I made food for both a Super Bowl Party and an Olympic Opening Ceremony Party.

I love these types of get-togethers. Very low-stress. You can just all hang out and watch the show. Oh, and eat lots of party food!!

First off, let me just say Thank Goodness for Trader Joe's! He supplied many items to fill in the holes between homemade food:

Parmesan Pastry Pups - Basically Pigs in a Blanket. They come frozen and were a big hit. (Find it in the frozen aisle.)
Sharp Cheddar Pub Cheese - Yes, it's a spreadable cheese that looks unnaturally bright orange. But, dang, it's tasty! (Find it with the other cheeses.)
Spinach and Artichoke Dip - Heat it up in the microwave, and you're ready to go. I could not stop eating this. (Find it in the frozen aisle)

OK, so speaking of recipes . . . I also made a really interesting dip. I found the recipe in The New York Times, and then just slightly altered it. It's called Green Goddess - full of herbs, garlic, onion, feta, olive oil and Greek yogurt. We dipped veggies and crackers in it.

Greek Goddess Dip

From The New York Times

1/2 cup packed fresh mint
1/2 cup packed fresh parsley
1/3 cup packed fresh basil
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 scallions, white and green parts, sliced
1 1/2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
Pinch kosher salt, more to taste
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/2 cup Greek yogurt

Raw chopped vegetables or pita chips, for serving.

1. Place mint, parsley, basil, garlic, scallions, lemon juice and salt in a food processor and process until finely chopped. (I used a blender - it worked fine once I added the olive oil.)

2. With motor running, drizzle in the olive oil until incorporated. Add feta and process until smooth; pulse in yogurt. Taste dip and add more salt, if desired.

3. Serve dip immediately with vegetables or pita chips or cover and store in refrigerator for up to 3 days. (You can add mayo to make it a little creamier, but I didn't this time.)

Now, for the Olympics party, I had a heck of a time coming up with themed food. I ended up with:

Gold Medal Drinks: Miller High Life and orange Italian soda mixed with white wine

Silver Medal Sandwiches: I cut out pieces of bread into circles and made little round sandwiches with hummus, olive tapenade, carrots and cucumber. Then, I wrapped some of them in tin foil.

Bronze Medal Bundt Cake: I used one of my favorite bundt cake recipes for Chocolate Stout Cake with Chocolate Ganache. Yummmmm.

We had quite the spread!

Chocolate Croissants Baked Right in Your Own Oven

2010-02-24T17:04:00.001-08:00

Trader Joe's Chocolate Croissants, originally uploaded by One Food Guy.

That's right! I made an impulse buy the other day at Trader Joe's - Frozen Chocolate Croissants. (Who, me, make an impulse buy??)

You take them out the night before to let them rise, and then just pop them in the oven the next morning for 20 minutes. And you have warm, gooey chocolatey, flaky pastries right at your own kitchen table.

Now, this wasn't the best chocolate croissant I've had in my whole life. But, it was pretty darn good! Highly recommended. I made the excuse of buying them for my friend's visit from DC, but she got snowed in!! Guess I'll have to eat all of them myself. Poor me.

It's Glorious Here

2010-02-19T15:19:00.001-08:00

I don't know about where you are, but it is an absolutely beautiful day here in Seattle! I wish I could bottle this up. I enjoyed my morning walk to the bus and a little lunchtime walk to Cal Anderson Park on Capitol Hill.

I've been enjoying the sunrises while I watch Olympic coverage on the Today Show. And, yes, I have Olympic rings taped to my window.

Can you see the Olympic Mountains?

Seattlites enjoying the sun

Playing soccer at Cal Anderson

Let's hope it stays this nice for a trip to Vancouver this weekend!

P.S. This has nothing to do with a sunny day, but I had my iPhone camera going, so I snapped a pic. This is one of the saddest, rundown apartment buildings near my workplace on Capitol Hill. And, what an apropos name:

Kitchen Table

2010-02-17T16:03:00.000-08:00

My kitchen table has been making me happy this week. Well, not the table itself, but what's on it.

I had such a nice weekend in Bellingham and at Mt. Baker, and really didn't want to get up in the morning and go to work. But, then I sat down to drink my coffee and saw these lovely, cheerful flowers from Pete. (They really make you believe that spring is coming!) And I smile every time I see this amazing plate that I bought at a University of Washington art auction for the MFA program. It was created by one of the ceramics instructors, and I really love it.

It's the little things sometimes.

"we are an idea in the process of being realized"

2010-02-16T14:37:00.000-08:00

Did you watch the Opening Ceremony on Friday? I watched it with a small gathering of people, and really enjoyed it. I thought the ceremony was thoughtful, and simple, and really beautiful. I enjoyed the mix of dance, music and even poetry. Of course, now I'm sucked into the Olympics every night. Biathlon! Moguls! Snowboard cross! Do I know anything about these sports? Not really! But, I learn a little more each Olympics and it's a nice break from the (sometimes) monotony of football-basketball-baseball we always see on TV.

Anyway, I really enjoyed the poem by Canadian writer and poet and Shane Koyzan. I used one line as the subject for this post. And I also loved it when he said:

"we are an experiment going right for a change."

I've included the entire poem below.

You can watch Shane reading the poem. (Apparently I can't embed videos from NBC. Annoying!)

Other favorite moments included K.D. Lang singing "Hallelujah" and the elfish young man that did all the aerial tricks to Joni Mitchell's "Both Sides Now" (no video to be found).

Go Canada! Go World!

We Are More

by Shane Koyczan

When defining Canada

you might list some statistics

you might mention our tallest building

or biggest lake

you might shake a tree in the fall

and call a red leaf Canada

you might rattle off some celebrities

might mention Buffy Sainte-Marie

might even mention the fact that we've got a few

Barenaked Ladies

or that we made these crazy things

like zippers

electric cars

and washing machines

when defining Canada

it seems the world's anthem has been

"been there done that"

and maybe that's where we used to be at

it's true

we've done and we've been

we've seen

all the great themes get swallowed up by the machine

and turned into theme parks

but when defining Canada

don't forget to mention that we have set sparks

we are not just fishing stories

about the one that got away

we do more than sit around and say "eh?"

and yes

we are the home of the Rocket and the Great One

who inspired little number nines

and little number ninety-nines

but we're more than just hockey and fishing lines

off of the rocky coast of the Maritimes

and some say what defines us

is something as simple as please and thank you

and as for you're welcome

well we say that too

but we are more

than genteel or civilized

we are an idea in the process

of being realized

we are young

we are cultures strung together

then woven into a tapestry

and the design

is what makes us more

than the sum total of our history

we are an experiment going right for a change

with influences that range from a to zed

and yes we say zed instead of zee

we are the colours of Chinatown and the coffee of Little Italy

we dream so big that there are those

who would call our ambition an industry

because we are more than sticky maple syrup and clean snow

we do more than grow wheat and brew beer

we are vineyards of good year after good year

we reforest what we clear

because we believe in generations beyond our own

knowing now that so many of us

have grown past what used to be

we can stand here today

filled with all the hope people have

when they say things like "someday"

someday we'll be great

someday we'll be this

or that

someday we'll be at a point

when someday was yesterday

and all of our aspirations will pay the way

for those who on that day

look towards tomorrow

and still they say someday

we will reach the goals we set

and we will get interest on our inspiration

because we are more than a nation of whale watchers and lumberjacks

more than backpacks and hiking trails

we are hammers and nails building bridges

towards those who are willing to walk across

we are the lost-and-found for all those who might find themselves at a loss

we are not the see-through gloss or glamour

of those who clamour for the failings of others

we are fathers brothers sisters and mothers

uncles and nephews aunts and nieces

we are cousins

we are found missing puzzle pieces

we are families with room at the table for newcomers

we are more than summers and winters

more than on and off seasons

we are the reasons people have for wanting to stay

because we are more than what we say or do

we live to get past what we go through

and learn who we are

we are students

students who study the studiousness of studying

so we know what as well as why

we don't have all the answers

but we try

and the effort is what makes us more

we don't all know what it is in life we're looking for

so keep exploring

go far and wide

or go inside but go deep

go deep

as if James Cameron was filming a sequel to The Abyss

and suddenly there was this location scout

trying to figure some way out

to get inside you

because you've been through hell and high water

and you went deep

keep exploring

because we are more

than a laundry list of things to do and places to see

we are more than hills to ski

or countryside ponds to skate

we are the abandoned hesitation of all those who can't wait

we are first-rate greasy-spoon diners and healthy-living cafes

a country that is all the ways you choose to live

a land that can give you variety

because we are choices

we are millions upon millions of voices shouting

"keep exploring... we are more"

we are the surprise the world has in store for you

it's true

Canada is the "what" in "what's new?"

so don't say "been there done that"

unless you've sat on the sidewalk

while chalk artists draw still lifes

on the concrete of a kid in the street

beatboxing to Neil Young for fun

don't say you've been there done that

unless you've been here doing it

let this country be your first-aid kit

for all the times you get sick of the same old same old

let us be the story told to your friends

and when that story ends

leave chapters for the next time you'll come back

next time pack for all the things

you didn't pack for the first time

but don't let your luggage define your travels

each life unravels differently

and experiences are what make up

the colours of our tapestry

we are the true north

strong and free

and what's more

is that we didn't just say it

we made it be.

P.S. I'll try to post on some of the food we served for the Opening Ceremony viewing later this week.

It Never Fails

2010-02-09T16:09:00.000-08:00

I'm really trying not to shop or spend money, in order to save for our trip to New York and other travel plans this summer. (Plus, I'd like to get a new laptop and digital camera.) So, I've been avoiding looking at anything from anthropologie - online and in stores. I gave in and took a quick look at their current dresses. And, as usual, I want one of the most expensive ones. Figures!

It's cute, though, right?

When I was really poor my first few years out of college I used to do something I called "pretend shopping." I would go into stores, try things on, look at the prices and choose which things I would buy - if I had any money. So I'll "pretend buy" this dress.

Dress: Photomontage Dress, anthropologi e, $278 (!!!)

Eat Food

2010-01-28T16:26:00.000-08:00

I caught Michael Pollan on Oprah last night. I have to admit, I've only skimmed his books, but I agree with so much of what he says! He mentioned a few of the rules from his new book Food Rules, and they make a lot of sense:

1: Eat food .

2: Don't eat anything your great-grandmother wouldn't recognize as food.

7: Avoid food products containing ingredients that a third-grader cannot pronounce.

13: Eat only foods that will eventually rot.

39: Eat all the junk food you want as long as you cook it yourself.

I especially enjoyed #39. That's a great philosophy about working for your junk food!

Oprah also announced that Amazon is now offering Food Inc. for only $9.99. Go Amazon!

Watching it was a reminder and a motivator to re-commit to organic dairy, ethically- and naturally-raised meat, and local, organic produce. (Well, as local and organic as I can get. I can't resist grapefruit in the winter!)

I've had a real lack of veggies in my diet lately. I'm thinking of having a voluntary vegan week to kind of cleanse and focus on getting a lot of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and healthy proteins. I'll let you know how it goes! Any good vegan recipes I should try? I made the Stuffed Portabella Mushrooms With Swiss Chard that I linked to a while ago. They were really good and can be made vegan. Maybe I'll start with making those again.

P.S. I stumbled upon this cool Food Rules feature on the New York Times. Michael Pollan asked reader to submit their own rules, and then they put them together in a cool slide show.

Martin Luther King Jr. - Thank you.

2010-01-18T09:12:00.000-08:00

I don't think I can write anything particularly enlightening or meaningful that hasn't already been said about this extraordinary man. Today I'm just feeling deeply grateful for his dedication to justice, his example of working for change and his legacy.

In church yesterday we sang the hymn "Lift Every Voice And Sing" which is also knows as the Black National Anthem. It's a powerful song, and always brings tears to my eyes.

We also sang it the week that Obama was elected, and you may recall that Rev. Joseph Lowery drew upon it for his benediction at the inauguration.

Finally, King's most famous speech:

Thank you Rev. King. You are an example and an inspiration for all of us.

A Hero

2010-01-12T13:24:00.000-08:00

Listening to NPR this morning, I was inspired by the story about Miep Gies who hid Anne Frank's family for two years and died today at the age of 100. She was also the one who saved Anne's diary and gave it to her father when he was released from the death camps. You can read and listen to the entire story here. But I was especially touched by what she said about being considered a hero:

"I don't want to be considered a hero," she said in 1997.

"Imagine young people would grow up with the feeling that you have to be a hero to do your human duty. I am afraid nobody would ever help other people, because who is a hero? I was not. I was just an ordinary housewife and secretary."

We're all ordinary people with a human duty to do good. Thanks for reminding us of this, Miep Gies.

I Want It

2010-01-06T16:20:00.000-08:00

The sassy author of Stitch N' Bitch, Debbie Stoller, has a new line of yarn called Stitch Nation. They come in alpaca, sheep's wool and bamboo (is that like cotton?). I love, love, love the colors. Especially these:

But, I don't have any knitting projects lined up. Drat! I'll have to think of something. I've been looking at the book The Opinionated Knitter, which I recently got from the library. Maybe I'll find something in there.

Based On My 2009

2010-01-05T15:06:00.000-08:00

Based on my experiences in the past year, I would recommend:

Reading Half the Sky
Watching Food Inc.
Visiting Santa Barbara (especially the farmers' market, beach and mission)
Visiting Bozeman, MT
Saving more and spending less
Wearing more lipstick
Wearing less make-up on your face
Using sunscreen
Using eye cream
Playing with babies
Acupuncture
Dancing and singing unabashedly to Michael Jackson. (While you're at it, go out and rent This Is It.)
Eating more kale
Wearing converse sneakers
Investing in relationships - they're worth the time, energy and cost of travel!
Watching Glee, Castle and The Good Wife on TV (I'm addicted!)
Playing Bananagrams
Taking risks!

Things I would not recommend:

Joining L.A. Fitness
Spending the 4th of July in a dry forest with a bunch of low-IQ, high-blood-alcohol-content Eastern WA folks with access to way too many fireworks
Going on a horseback ride in the Dominican Republic (sorry, inside joke)
Wishing you could change or control others - you can only control yourself and your response to them
Getting married on a beach - from my keen observation, it's impossible to walk gracefully!
Over-sharing during wedding toasts. (Keep it short, people! Less is more!)

Have yourself a merry little Christmas

2009-12-24T08:00:00.000-08:00

Courtesy of the amazing Judy Garland.

Merry Christmas to all! (And especially my sister, Jenni, who is in Phoenix and who we really miss this year.)

May the new year bring us all adventure, joy and peace.

P.S. I was so in love with Judy and this movie, that I had my mom make me a deep red velvet dress for Winter Dance my senior year of high school

Food Inspirations

2009-12-16T11:16:00.001-08:00

All sorts of fun food info and links around the Web this week! I wish I had time to try some of these out. I'm half-tempted to get some chestnuts from the farmer's marketing this weekend and make a soup!

Chestnuts

This chestnut soup definitely caught my interest, and it's the one I may actually attempt to make: Chestnut Soup with Crisp Prosciutto.

But, always enlightening NPR also just posted a nice article on chestnuts with some yummy sounds recipes, particularly the Slow Cooker Lamb with Chestnuts.

Incredible Layer Cakes

As much as I love making cake, I don't think I'll ever attempt one of these cakes highlighted in a New York Times article.

Dinner Tonight

How about this? Stuffed Portabella Mushrooms with Swiss Chard

Monday Distractions

2009-12-14T09:54:00.000-08:00

The Muppets are IN right now. For the record - they were never out in my book, but it's so awesome to see them around the Web these days. They have a new video in celebration of Christmas:

More Muppets fun with Bohemian Rhapsody (Seriously, watch long enough to hear Monster's solo. So funny.):

Even Saturday Night Live is getting in on the fun:

Spirit of Christmas

2009-12-13T21:58:00.000-08:00

Well, what a wonderful weekend! Pete hosted a festive holiday party, and we all sampled some exciting hot holiday beverages including Hot Buttered Rum, Mulled Wine (Glogg?) and Tom & Jerry's (tastes kind of like egg nog). And now, I'm staring past my Christmas lights out the window, and willing it to snow. (Just a little!)

Pete and I just watched Elf and drank cocoa, and while that movie is funny it makes it seem like the "Spirit of Christmas" lies in believing in Santa Clause. The heart of Christmas is love - bringing love into the world through Jesus, if you're a Christian. And that shows in many ways - spending time with family and friends, giving to the poor, etc.

I heard a really touching episode of Story Corps this week that provided one of those grounding moments. And of course, it takes a child to show us all how far off the mark we can stray. Listen to it here: Debbie Watterson and her son Mitchel

Christmas Cruise

2009-12-11T10:58:00.000-08:00

We sang carols, drank hot cocoa (with a little something extra), took in the lights and even survived the arctic wind out on the Sound. It was a lovely evening on the Argosy Christmas Cruise, and definitely got me even more in the Christmas Spirit.

And, guess what? It might SNOW here this weekend. Here's hoping!

UPDATE: The Seattle PI Blog has a nice summary of the history of the Christmas Ship Festival in Seattle.

Eggs in Hell

2009-12-10T14:00:00.000-08:00

Dramatic name, right? We can thank M.F.K. Fisher, author of "How to Cook a Wolf," for the recipe and name. I know I've mentioned how awesome she is before, but I'll do it one more time. If you're a bit of a foodie, I'd highly recommend her book. She laments the downfall of good, crusty bread and praises the healing effects of eating pigeon(!!!). Obviously, she's speaking from a different era.

This recipe is along the lines of a few others I've come to rely on for a quick, satisfying dinner. They are all based on the same equation: toasted bread, topped with some kind of warm veggie, topped with a friend egg. A great example that involves kale is at Orangette.

For this one, you make a quick tomato sauce, and then break the eggs into the sauce and let them cook gently for about 15 minutes. Then serve it all up on a piece of toast. I had it for dinner this week, along with a glass of wine, and it was a very tasty, satisfying winter meal!

Eggs in Hell

Ingredients
4 TBS olive oil
1 clove garlic
1 onion, minced
2 cups tomato sauce
1 tsp minced mixed herbs (basil, thyme, red pepper flakes)*
1 tsp parsley
8 eggs
Slices of French Bread or another type of good bread, toasted

1. Heat oil in a saucepan that has a tight cover. Split garlic lengthwise, run a toothpick through each half, and brown slowly in oil. Add the onion and cook until golden. Then add the tomato sauce and seasonings and herbs. Cook about 15 minutes, stirring often, and then take out the garlic.**

2. Into this sauce break the eggs. Spoon the sauce over them, cover closely, and cook very slowly until eggs are done, or about 15 minutes. (If the skillet is a heavy one, you can turn off the heat and cook in fifteen minutes with what is stored in the metal.)

3. When done, put the eggs carefully on the slices of dry toast, and cover with sauce. (Grated parmesan cheese is good on this, if you can get any.)

Note: I usually cute the recipe in half and just make 2 eggs, if I'm cooking for myself.

Rules

2009-12-10T11:07:00.001-08:00

Argosy Christmas Ship 2008, originally uploaded by Walkabout Wolf.

Well, I've already failed miserably at posting every day. But, I believe that rules are meant to be broken - even if I created the rule myself! I have a post halfway finished that I'll put up later today.

I'm super distracted today because I'm going on a Christmas Cruise around Seattle tonight!! I've packed lots of warm clothes, and I'm ready to take in the Christmas lights and holiday beverages.

Melt Your Heart

2009-12-07T15:51:00.000-08:00

It's Monday. Ugh. I re-watched this video today to break up my afternoon.

Just try to watch this movie trailer without melting. This may rival March of the Penguins on the cuteness scale!

Christmas Poinsettia

2009-12-06T22:18:00.000-08:00

Last night I went out with a group of friends to the cozy, retro-swanky Sorrento Hotel for drinks and jazz. It was a lovely evening, and the room was decorated beautifully for Christmas. In the holiday spirit I ordered a drink called the Poinsettia (after my customary vodka martini - that's what I get whenever I go out for cocktails). A you would expect, it was a very pretty red color. The recipe below is an estimate based on having drank it once.

I'm kind of craving one right now!

Poinsettia

2 parts champagne

2 parts cranberry juice

1 part vodka

1 part Cointreau

Mix and serve in a wine glass over ice.

Cheese Ball!

2009-12-05T11:16:00.000-08:00

I made this cheese ball for a party last year, and it was a hit. I make it into a ball, and then cover it with pecans. It looks really retro and kitschy - but everyone really liked the way it tasted too! I serve it with Ritz crackers.

This recipe is from the fabulous Amy Sedaris's book "I Like You."

I'm making it for a holiday party tonight!

In case you can't read the recipe from the picture:

Lil' Smoky Cheese Ball

2 cups shredded smoked Gouda

16 oz. cream cheese

1/2 cup butter

2 1/2 tablespoons milk

2 1/2 teaspons steak sauce

1 cup pecans

Bring all ingredients to room temperature. Add milk and steak sauce to cheeses and butter and beat until completely blended. Chill overnight (or for as long as you have time). Turn it into a ball. Cover with nuts. Serve it at room temperature, spread on Ritz.

Birthday Paella

2009-12-04T15:25:00.000-08:00

Photo source: Epicurious, Marcus Nilsson

Well, I was going to post about sweet potato biscuits today. See, I had this Martha Stewart recipe for sweet potato biscuits that I had been holding onto for, literally, years. I FINALLY decided to make them last night. And . . . they were OK. I mean, they were good, but not as good as I had worked them up to be in my mind over the last four years.

So, instead I'm posting the recipe for paella that I made for Pete on his birthday. I first dabbled in paella with Mark Bittman's simple vegetarian version, and then tried a couple other kinds. I quickly sold Pete on the joys of it as well. But, I was still looking for a good classic recipe to make for his birthday when I stumbled across one called Birthday Party Paella. How perfect! It's called that, though, because it's designed to serve about 12 people. So I cut down a lot of the ingredients. My personal altered version is below.

It really is delicious and satisfying - try it out!

(I would post a picture of the one I made, but because I'm not a food photographer my photo makes it look kind of gross.)

Pete's Birthday Paella

Ingredients

3 tablespoons olive oil
2-3 fresh Cajun or hot Italian sausages
4 chicken thighs with skin and bones (about 4 1/4 pounds), excess fat trimmed
1 very large onions, chopped (about 5 cups)
6 garlic cloves, chopped, plus 1 garlic clove, minced
1 can chopped tomatoes
2 bay leaves
2/3 cup frozen peas
1 red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch-wide strips

1/2 pounds uncooked large shrimp, peeled, deveined
Generous pinch plus 1/4 teaspoon saffron threads

1 1/2 cups arborio rice
1 1/2 teaspoons salt

3 cups canned low-salt chicken broth
2 teaspoons paprika

Chopped fresh parsley

Preparation

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in dutch oven or large cast iron pan. Add sausages and sauté until cooked through, turning often, about 10 minutes. Transfer to large bowl. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Working in batches, add chicken, skin side down, to pot. Cover and cook until brown, about 6 minutes. Turn chicken over, cover and cook until brown and cooked through, about 8 minutes longer. Transfer chicken to bowl with sausages. Add onion and 5 chopped garlic cloves to pot; sauté until tender, about 8 minutes. Add tomatoes and bay leaves; stir 2 minutes. Stir in peas and bell pepper.

Toss shrimp with remaining 2 tablespoons oil, 1 minced garlic clove and generous pinch of saffron in medium bowl.

Preheat oven to 375°F. Mix rice and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt into vegetable mixture. Cut sausages diagonally into 1-inch slices. Using wooden spoon, push sausage and chicken pieces into rice mixture; pour any juices from bowl over. Bring 3 cups chicken broth, paprika and remaining 1/4 teaspoon saffron to boil in medium saucepan. Pour evenly over rice mixture. Cover with a lid or foil. Bake until rice is almost tender, about 30-40 minutes.

Sprinkle shrimp mixture with salt and pepper. Arrange atop rice mixture. Cover and bake until shrimp are opaque in center, rice is tender and most of liquid in pan is absorbed, about 20 minutes longer.

Remove from oven and put pan over high heat for a few minutes to develop a bit of a bottom crust before serving.

Sprinkle with parsley. Spoon paella onto plates and serve.

December Food Blogging Challenge

2009-12-03T11:35:00.000-08:00

It's the holiday season! I just made the my first batch of Christmas cookies with Pete this weekend, and have about 20 soup recipes lined up. I'm feeling happy every time I look at my little tinsel tree and Christmas lights. And, I'm plotting out the last of my Christmas gifts. I'm also hoping for (just a little) snow in Seattle this year. It was so fun last year - until it turned into a total nightmare . . .

I've also been wanting to blog, but feeling so behind that I don't know where to start. So, I've decided I'm going to go out of 2009 blogging strong. I'm going to post a new recipe every day until the end of the year! (Or at least try.)

I'll start today with a fun Sweet Potato Bundt Cake posted by Orangette. I made it last time I had to provide food for church coffee hour. And, guess what?! I'm making it again for coffee hour this weekend! It was a real crowd pleaser, and not too heavy or sweet for a late morning snack. Plus, I have some canned sweet potato puree that Fred Meyer was conveniently carrying during Thanksgiving. I might have to stop by and see if they have more - it's a handy thing to have around!

Anywho, here's the recipe. Enjoy!

Sweet Potato Pound Cake
Adapted from Southern Cakes, by Nancie McDermott

For the cake:
3 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. freshly ground nutmeg
½ tsp. salt
½ cup milk (low-fat is okay)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
8 oz. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 cup light brown sugar
4 large eggs
2 cups mashed cooked sweet potatoes

For the buttermilk glaze (optional):
½ cup buttermilk
½ cup sugar
4 Tbsp. (½ stick) unsalted butter, cubed
1 ½ tsp. cornstarch or flour
¼ tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 10-inch tube or Bundt pan. (If your pan is nonstick, you can get away with just some cooking spray; no need to flour.)

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, and salt. Whisk well. In a small bowl or measuring cup, combine the milk and vanilla.

In a large bowl, beat the butter, sugar, and light brown sugar until light and fluffy, stopping once or twice to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the sweet potatoes, and mix until the batter is combined. (The batter may look terrible at this point: curdled, weird, terrible. Don’t worry.) With the mixer on low speed, add half of the flour mixture. Beat to just incorporate. Then add half of the milk mixture, and continue to beat on low until well blended. Add the remaining flour, followed by the remaining milk, and beat on low until the batter is thick and smooth.

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan, and bake for 60 to 75 minutes, or until the cake springs back when pressed lightly and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool the cake in the pan on a wire rack for 20 minutes. Run a thin knife around the edge to loosen the cake, and then carefully invert it onto the rack.

Meanwhile, make the glaze, if using. In a medium saucepan, combine the buttermilk, sugar, butter, cornstarch, and baking soda. Place it over medium heat, and bring it just to a gentle boil. Immediately remove it from the heat, stir well, and set it aside to cool to room temperature. Add the vanilla, and stir well.

Set the wire rack - with the cake atop it - over a rimmed sheet pan. Spoon the glaze through a fine-mesh sieve over the warm cake. (I recommend using a sieve because my batch of glaze had some little gelatinous bits of clumped cornstarch in it.)

Cool completely before serving.

My Favorite Meal

2009-11-24T08:48:00.001-08:00

I love, love, love Thanksgiving. I love the turkey and the sides and the desserts and the friends/family. It's about eating good food, but also about counting our blessings. Great combo.

Plus, we'll be spending Thanksgiving with new baby Greta this year!

We're splitting the Thanksgiving cooking between ten people this year (the two babies aren't required to make anything) so it should be a somewhat light lift for all. My mom and youngest sister are heading over tomorrow and are going to help me make Apple Cranberry Pie, Pumpkin Pie and Bourbon Sweet Potatoes. Plus, my sister is making a cheesecake pie.

The Bourbon Sweet Potatoes are from Martha Stewart's Everyday Food (Nov '09) but it doesn't look like the recipe is online.

The pumpkin pie is going to be made from a pumpkin my mom grew. Whoa!

And the Apple Cranberry pie was an inspiration I had a couple weeks ago. I found a recipe on the Cook's Illustrated Web site, but it's only available to subscribers.

I'll report back on all this, plus Pete's making Brussel Sprouts with Bacon and Apples.

Anyone making something particularly exciting?

Gobble, Gobble!

PS I made some delicious bread and squash soup this week. I'll try to post the recipe tonight, if I have time. But, I'll also be frantically cleaning my apartment in preparation for guests.

New York, New York

2009-11-12T09:56:00.000-08:00

I just booked a hotel in New York for my birthday weekend in April! We're really going!

Now, time to start thinking about what to do there. I'm thinking: art gallery (which one?), Central Park, a play, tix to Conan O'Brien. And, we'll probably take a jaunt over to Brooklyn where I'd like to check out the Brooklyn Flea Market, which Martha recently blogged about.

Where else should we go? Where should we eat?

UPDATE: Dope! Conan moved to LA when you took over The Tonight Show. Options are: The Daily Show, SNL, David Letterman and The Colbert Report. I found a very helpful NY Times article about getting tickets.

Wednesday Cuteness

2009-11-04T15:51:00.000-08:00

Elephant + Dog * Friendship = I'm squealing with the cuteness of this clip.

(I'm mostly posting this for my sister, a lover of elephants.)

Thanks Erika

The best part of Halloween?

2009-11-02T21:24:00.001-08:00

Katie (as Dolly), Greta and Pete (as a young Kenny Rogers), originally uploaded by Maggie Skinner.

Hanging out with baby Greta Louise. She was one week old on Halloween! Hey kid, just wait until you can eat the candy.

I was afraid to touch her with my crazy, scary fake red fingernails!

Babies make the world seem like a happier place.

If you want to absolutely explode with cuteness, click here.

How do I know it's fall?

2009-11-02T08:53:00.000-08:00

1.) This is what I bought at the farmer's market this weekend:

Squash (2 kinds!)
Kale
Beets
Apples
Pears

2.) I had to bundle up and use both my front

and rear lights on my bike ride to work this morning.

3.) I went to a chili cook-off last week.

4.) I carved pumpkins with friends.

Welcome fall!

Oh, by the way, I had the most amazing kale salad at a Locavore Potluck at church (most of the food was grown locally). And, since I'm currently on sugar overload, I'm going to go heavy on the vegetables and light on the sugar this week. Here's the recipe - the trick is "massaging" the kale!

Massaged Kale & Currant Salad

By Jennifer Adler M.S., C.N.

Makes 6 servings.
• 1 bunch kale, de-stemmed, cut into bite sized pieces
• 1 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons raw apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup diced red onion
• 1/3 cup currants
• 1 cup diced apple (1/2 apple)
• 1/3 cup sunflower seeds, toasted (I used roasted seeds)
• 1/3 cup gorgonzola cheese, crumbled

Put kale in a large mixing bowl. Add salt, massage salt into kale for 2-3 minutes.
Gently stir in remaining ingredients except for cheese.Taste salt and vinegar. When at desired flavor gently stir in cheese.

Oh, and one more sign that it's fall - costumes!

What a week!

2009-10-02T15:06:00.001-07:00

I'm exhausted. I'm biking home from work and then laying low tonight with some beer, Arrested Development and Pete.

It's been a week of fascinating experiences.

I had the opportunity to visit a local organization called Compass Center, which serves homeless men and women in Seattle. I ate dinner and went to the evening worship service. We were at the location that provides services for men (women's services are at another location), and I enjoyed chatting with a few of the men while we had dinner. They had all been employed until recently and had basically slipped off the bottom of the employment ladder - and now there's no work to be had. It was a good dose of reality in terms of what the new face of homelessness looks like.

At the end of the evening a man talked to us about his life, and I thought his words were simple, but incredibly true and poignant:

"When you're faced with change, it can cause fear.

And the fear can paralyze you.

That's when you need help, from other people.

Now I'm not afraid.

I don't know what's next. But I'm not afraid."

And, I saw an amazing multimedia art show by Peter Becker Nelson called Former Best Friends at the Pioneer Square First Thursday. It was a cool blending of audio, visual and experiential art that examined his relationships with four former best friends from childhood. It made me reflect on how relationships evolve and how men and women differ in their experiences of "best friends."

We checked out a few other artists that evening and I love, love, love this work by Erin Kendig called Alphabet Pile (she's sitting on a pile of letters):

You can see it better on her Flickr page

Sigh. I wish I could afford art.

Glee - Are you watching it yet?

2009-09-29T16:00:00.000-07:00

It's on tonight. I was literally giggling with, well, glee at this scene last week.

Chicks!

2009-09-29T08:30:00.000-07:00

I have a slight fascination with Martha Stewart, and I think she totally rocks. Case in point: She just got a new batch of one-day old chicks for her farm, to give her fresh eggs. Don't I wish! Maybe someday . . . when I live on the imaginary farm in my head. (That farm also has goats and llamas, in case you were interested.)

The chicks are SOOO CUTE! I want some! You can read her post about it.

Photo source: The Martha Blog

My neighbors have chickens. They're a very pretty golden brown and I like to hear them clucking when I walk to my car. But sometimes they get out and stand in the middle of the road like a bunch of dummies. I've tried to herd them back a couple times without much luck. Maybe I'll be an urban chicken owner someday, since Lord knows I'm too lazy to actually take care of a real farm.

Weekend Highlights

2009-09-28T14:40:00.001-07:00

I rendered lard last night. It didn't turn out perfectly, so I'll try again tonight and post a longer rundown later this week. Most people have been at least interested, if not supportive, of this new experiment. My mom just thinks I'm crazy.

Many other culinary adventures are in the works - including canning! I bought the Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving and have referred to my most reliable source - my mom. We're starting with peach jam, and we'll go from there.

Besides working with lard and learning about canning, it was a lovely weekend with the highlight of attending our fifth wedding this year! It was a beautiful evening and a lovely service. I caught up with longtime friends, drank wine, did a little dancing and ate cake. What more can you ask for? Here's wishing happiness and adventure to all the couples I saw get married this year!

P.S. A couple tasty recipes that I made last week and I think are worth passing along:

Steamed Eggplant and Mushrooms with Peanut Sauce - Quick and healthy. A good way to use all the eggplant at the farmers markets right now. I served it with brown rice, just don't over-steam the eggplant like I did.

Pork Chops with Bacon and Cabbage - The perfect fall meal. Pete and I both really liked it. I mean, just look at the picture! I can't wait to eat leftovers tonight.

Photo source: MarthaStewart.com

P.P.S. There are SO MANY blog posts and YouTube videos about rendering lard and canning. So very helpful. Thank you technology!

Cupcake Conversion

2009-09-23T17:00:00.000-07:00

Photo courtesy of Cupcake Royale blog

Dear Cupcake Royale,

Something's changed in our relationship. I used to put down your cupcakes, calling them dry, tasteless and over priced.

But, I take it all back.

A plate of your cupcakes was placed in front of me at a meeting recently. At first I resisted, but eventually gave in. And, to my surprise, the cupcake was moist and tasty, and the frosting was creamy and flavorful! Was it a fluke?

Then, I saw your sign about the cupcake of the month: Blue Mountain Huckleberry. My internal response: "Must have huckleberry cupcake. Immediately."

Would I be let down? Disappointed? No! It was delicious!

Plus, your Capitol Hill location is so cute and cozy, I kind of want to hang out there every day - drinking coffee, eating a cupcake and reading. Oh, and your employees are all very helpful and friendly.

You've won me over! I'm a fan, and I will now be singing your praises in Seattle. And I'm dying to trying your Salted Caramel cupcake. Watch out - I'll be back!

-Katie

P.S. I also admire the fact that you provide employees with healthcare and advocate healthcare for all!

(Cupcake Royale has bunch of locations in Seattle, you can find them and see the cupcakes at their Web site.)

Lardfest 2009

2009-09-22T21:15:00.000-07:00

That's right people: Lard. In case you haven't heard, it's in. This is mostly because transfats are out of favor, which includes vegetable shortening. So, we went old school by re-embracing butter. And, now we're going real old school with a renewed interest in lard.

The New York Times was singing its praises recently:

I have a suggestion for those Old World cooks who are wrestling with New World advice: take another look at the fat profile of lard. It has half the level of saturated fat of palm kernel oil (about 80 percent saturated fat) or coconut oil (about 85 percent) and its approximately 40 percent saturated fat is lower than butter's nearly 60 percent. Today's miracle, olive oil, is much lower in saturated fat, as everyone knows, but it does have some: about 13 percent. As for monounsaturated fat, the current savior, olive oil contains a saintly 74 percent, yes. But scorned lard contains a very respectable 45 percent monounsaturated fat - double butter's paltry 23 or so percent.

As with all dietary advice, the fat of the day will change. But eternal truths will remain: food is always best with little or no processing and eaten as close as possible to where it is grown. This goes for lard, too. The artisan pig farmers whose fortunes have been revived by a new market for pork with real flavor should look into selling lard because the supermarket kind is processed and dismal.

(Side note: I had a fascinating conversation with a local artisan pig farmer, which has inspired me to try rendering my own lard. But, stay tuned for more on that in a later post.)

And Slate seconded the wonders of lard:

Lard's fat is also mostly monounsaturated, which is healthier than saturated fat. And even the saturated fat in lard has a neutral effect on blood cholesterol. Not to mention that lard has a higher smoking point than other fats, allowing foods like chicken to absorb less grease when fried in it. And, of course, fat in general has its upsides. The body converts it to fuel, and it helps absorb nutrients, particularly calcium and vitamins.

In fact, I might need to get my hands on this book: Fat: An Appreciation of a Misunderstood Ingredient, With Recipes. The Amazon listing even include ones of her recipes - Pumpkin and Bacon Soup.

So with all this hype about lard, I was super excited when my friend Maggie sent along a recipe for pie crust that was supposed to be to-die-for and suggested we have a pie baking party. It involves a mix of half lard and half butter. And, the trick is to use high quality, leaf lard. It's the most tasteless and the best for baking.

We convened at Maru's house on Saturday to find she had whipped up five different varieties of tamales. WHICH ALSO INCLUDE LARD! Do you see where I'm going here? Lard was the theme of the day! LARDFEST 2009!

Lardfest then got underway in ernest, with lots of pie-making.

The star of the day: Lard. Maggie ordered it from Minnesota.

Measuring

Peeling - Peaches were still in season, so Maru and I made peach pies. I'm looking forward to making an apple pie a little later in the fall.

Fruit was prepped and crust ingredients were combined and chilled - and we were ready to roll out the dough! One handy trick from the recipe - thump the dough before rolling it out!

Can you tell I'm excited?

A series of pre-baking photos:

And, the finished products:

We all agreed they were the best pies we'd ever made, and maybe the best pies we'd ever had.

So, Lardfest 2009, in summary:

Final note: I also got a quick lesson on making tamales, so I'll have to attempt that on another day and report back.

Now there's just Lardfest 2010 to plan for!

What a weekend!

2009-09-21T14:15:00.000-07:00

It was a weekend of culinary adventures, time with friends, football, farmers markets, eating and more eating. And it all ended with a sunset sailboat ride.

Lots more to come about the weekend and our adventures into the exciting world of lard.

Postcards From My Commute

2009-09-17T16:00:00.000-07:00

This isn't breaking news, but it has been beautiful in Seattle over the last week. I've taken so many mental pictures on my walks and bike rides, and I often wish I had a camera strapped to my helmet. There's one point on my bike ride to work, as I'm climbing Capitol Hill, that I can see both the Cascades and the Olympic Mountains. (It's nice to have inspiration as I'm huffing and puffing up the hill.)

I've been keeping a pretty consistent commuting schedule of bussing two days a week, biking two days a week and doing whatever I feel like on the fifth day. I'm pretty proud of myself! The morning are getting slightly more chilly, but I'm hoping to keep up the biking until those dark, dark rainy days in the heart of winter. I might take a break for a month or two then, but otherwise I'm going to try to stick with my program.

I've also been lifting weights twice a week - which caused some major soreness in muscles I must have left dormant for at least the last three years. But I'm feelig stronger now, and it's worth the time investment in the gym.

So, a couple quick snapshots from commutes:

One thing I've learned through biking is that a lot of people sleep near the Burke Gilman trail - along the canal and near bridges. Sometimes I see the remnants of late night bonfires next to the water in Fremont! One man always has a makeshift tent up near the I-5 bridge - you can tell he's a pro (at being homeless) and has staked out a good spot and developed a solid set-up. So, one morning this week, I ride by his "tent" and see this:

It says: Lea! Call your f@!king voicemail.

I love how he was polite enough not to write the actual F word. And, let's all hope Lea did call her voicemail!

In addition, I have one quick photo from my phone of one of the many beautiful morning views I get on my ride:

Now that I'm in a little better shape, I'm thinking of doing the Kitsap Color Classic, a 64-mile ride!

Dirty Dancing

2009-09-15T09:22:00.000-07:00

This is how obsessed I used to be with Dirty Dancing in high school:

Not only did I watch the movie almost weekly, I would rewind the last dance scene at least once to watch it again.

I convinced my class to use the theme "I've Had the Time of My Life" for our senior prom.

My friends and I learned entire dances from the movie, and one even had her date at a dance do the lift from the movie. (Note: That lift causes underwear exposure.)

So, Patrick Swayze is close to my heart. And, how can you not love him for his performances in Ghost, Saturday Night Life and To Wong Foo? He played a drag queen in a movie! And he can dance! (And, since he just died, I'll even admit that I enjoy Road House.)

So, in his memory, I present to you one of the greatest movie clips of all time. It won't embed, so you'll have to watch the Dirty Dancing clip on YouTube.

Thanks Patrick! We'll miss you!

Don't Stop Believing

2009-09-09T13:45:00.000-07:00

Something to lift your spirits on a Wednesday. It's the the fifth-grade chorus from Public School 22 on Staten Island, N.Y. singing Journey's "Don't Stop Believing." And one little guy does an amazing solo! You go guy!

Here's an NPR Story on the chorus.

And, you can watch many more videos on their You Tube channel.

P.S. Hearing this song made me excited for the premier of Glee tonight.

Postcards From My Commute

2009-09-04T21:00:00.000-07:00

I now commute up to Capitol Hill everyday, usually by bike or bus. And I get to see all sorts of inspiring, beautiful, weird, fascinating and even disgusting things. So, I'm going to try to start mentioning them. I'll try to post pictures as well, whenever possible.

First thing of interest: While biking on the Burke Gilman trail I have seen two fellow bikers who were missing a limb, yet still smoked me on the trail. One man was missing a leg, and used a prosthetic to pedal. Another was missing an arm. Seriously bad ass.

Second thing of interest: I'm a snooper - I snoop on what groceries people buy, what they check out from the library and what books they read on the bus. The other day, a small, middle-aged Asian woman was sitting by me. She was conservatively dressed, carrying a canvas bag and looked to be on her way to work. When I looked more closely at the book she was reading, I was able to make out the title: Drink, Play, F@#k. Wha??? I know it's a spin-off of Eat, Pray, Love. But, who would actually read that? She was about halfway through and looked pretty engrossed.

Bad Blogger

2009-09-04T17:00:00.000-07:00

I've been a bad blogger. You know when you feel like you're always a step behind? You can't get to work on time, can't get enough sleep, can't get you apartment clean, can't go to the grocery store. Yeah, that's been me in August. But, I think I have time to take a deep breath now and start to catch up.

I have a big dinner planned for me and Pete tonight, followed by a nice walk around Green Lake. Then, a three-day weekend in town. What a concept! I'll be getting together with some friends and maybe taking a bike ride in the San Juans, if it doesn't rain too much.

I hope everyone else has a nice, relaxing weekend as well!

My Sense of Direction

2009-08-12T13:00:00.000-07:00

Some confessions:

I drive my mom crazy by asking her for directions to places in Spokane that I've been 100 times.

I sometimes get lost coming out of the bathroom at restaurants and malls.

I have trouble giving people directions to places because I tend to just drive around until I find a destination.

Yes, I have a terrible sense of direction. Or perhaps just a lack of one. Anyway, I kind of cracked myself up this week with another classic example of my directional confusion. See, I had the simple task of walking from my office at Seattle University to Safeco Field. For most people, their mind would direct them to a route that looks something like this:

It's about a 1.8 mile route, and pretty direct.

Here's how my brain works (these are direct thought quotes): "Hmmm, I know how to get from my office to downtown, and I know how to get from downtown to Safeco. So, I guess that's the best way to go!"

So, my actual route looked like this:

I walked about 3. 5 miles. When I told the group that I had passed Pike Place Market on my way to the game, they all said: "What were you doing there? That doesn't make any sense!"

At the time, it made perfect sense to my directional-deprived brain! The Dixie Chicks have a song with the lyrics: "I've always found my way somehow, taking the long way around." That's me - both literally and figuratively!

Things I Like, August 2009

2009-08-11T08:45:00.000-07:00

Mojitos - Pete and I had so many during the Record-setting Seattle Heat Wave (!!!) that we completely OD'd and have to take a break for a while. But, here's the easiest way to make them:

Muddle 2-4 t sugar, 10 mint leaves and 3-4 limes in the bottom of a glass. Add ice. Pour 2 oz. rum in the glass. Top it off with club soda.

Converse All Stars - I found a pair at Ross in Palm Springs, and started wearing them around town. And, THEY ARE AMAZING. So comfortable, and oh so retro-stylish. I kind of want to wear them all the time right now. I've started using them as my commuting shoes, since I have to walk a bit to and from bus stops.

Farro - Bluebird Grain Farms set up at farmers markets in Seattle, and they have all sorts of interesting and appealing products from flour and hot cereal, to stuff I'd never heard of like farro and wheat berries. I decided to give the farro a try. So far I have made a recipe for Farro Caprese Salad and another one with chickpeas, which I cannot find at the moment, but which was pretty close to this one. I just substituted farro for bulgur. I think I'm going to make one of these recipes again this week! (Bluebird also has a CSA that I'm tempted to join, but I just don't think I can go through that much grain each month!)

Julia Child & M.F.K. Fisher - Right now I'm reading "How to Cook a Wolf" by M.F.K. Fisher. She's pretty darn fabulous - writing about eating well during WW2 and maintaining quality in the American diet. I already tried one of her recipes, and it was very tasty. And I, like every other foodie on America, saw Julie and Julia this weekend. I also happened to catch a couple old Julia Child cooking show episodes on PBS. I have officially fallen in love with Julia Child. I may just have to get her book and try some French cooking. Eating and cooking French food has always intimidated me, but Julia was out to convert people just like me, so for her sake I think I'll give it a try. Maybe start with Beef Bourguignon?

Ryan Berkley artwork - He's kind of like a modern Beatrix Potter artist. I bought this set of squirrel prints, and I smile every time I look at them.

Week of Words - Sunday

2009-08-02T08:23:00.000-07:00

This is my last post for Week of Words. And, since it's Sunday, I thought I would post a poem that my pastor included in one of our church newsletters - about the call to create a better world, and act out compassion and justice.

I'm off to church and the farmer's market. Hope everyone is enjoying the sunshine!

Christ Has No Body

Teresa of Avila (1515-1582)

Christ has no body but yours,

No hands, no feet on earth but yours,

Yours are the eyes with which he looks

Compassion on this world,

Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good,

Yours are the hands, with which he blesses all the world.

Yours are the hands, yours are the feet,

Yours are the eyes, you are his body.

Christ has no body now but yours,

No hands, no feet on earth but yours,

Yours are the eyes with which he looks

compassion on the world.

Christ has no body on earth but yours.