Menu a la Marguerite!

Showering Baby DeBay

2011-09-09T09:33:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, I got to co-host a shower for one of my oldest and dearest friends, Sonali, or as we lovingly refer to her as, Snogi!

Sonali is due with her first child, a baby girl, this November. She is going to be the sweetest, funniest, most gentle mother, and I cannot wait to see her in action!

Congratulations Sonali and Cam on your little lady - I look forward to meeting her soon and spoiling the s*#t out of her...

P.S. I hope you teach her how to make some decent curry.

XOXO

This Site Makes Me Smile...

2011-09-01T12:35:00.000-07:00

I was recently introduced to this web site and I just love it... for ideas, recipes, inspiration, fashion, home decor, gifts, events, vacations, etc. etc. etc.

Check it out if you haven't already!
www.pinterest.com

Catching up!

2011-06-24T09:33:00.000-07:00

Life has been pretty crazy of late...Im not sure how its almost July!!! Its been a whirlwind few months and no plans of slowing down... and I wouldn't have it any other way!

Hey 'Mon - Whitesel Nuptuals, Montego Bay, Jamaica

Chelanigans* (*Michelle Gwinn Trademarked Phrase) - Kristi's Bachelorette Party

Showering Rauh & Baby B

Celebrating Dad's Day w/ horses & my new Family - Emerald Downs

Its been a great a Spring, and look forward to a wonderful and eventful summer with lots of new babies, new couples and planning for mine and Jeremy's big day next year...

Happy Summer!

Lordy, Lordy, Lily's Forty...two!

2011-05-05T09:24:00.001-07:00

Happy Birthday to my sweet Lady Lily Belle! Yes, she does have a formal name since she is AKC registered. I am not totally certain today is her birthday, it could have been yesterday, but I think it is more fun and easier to remember on a Mexican Holiday. I picked her up in Puyallup almost six years ago, and can no longer recall a time without her...

My "phat bitch" as we lovingly refer to her, has one heck of a personality, complete with questionable glances, doggy ADD, "I have to go potty real bad" pacing, snoring, really horrid toots, crazy excited "welcome homes", Marge Simpson-esqe noises that gently wake me up every morning, loving stares at her new roommate (Jeremy), great cuddle skills, amazing feet warmer, AND she keeps me in shape (she loves long walks on the beach and jogs in the park).

I. LOVE. MY. DOG.

Lot 3

2011-05-04T10:54:00.000-07:00

Last night I had the pleasure of catching up with two of my besties at a new (ish) Bellevue eats, called Lot 3.

The decor and ambiance is very reminiscent of Purple Cafe (its neighbor actually), but the menu is completely surprising! I had intended on ordering a glass of wine, but when I took a closer look at the menu, I noticed the majority of the back side was .... BEER! So excited. They have an amazing selection of Northwest/West Coast brews. I enjoyed a Red Seal Ale from Northcoast Brewing Co., in addition to a Free Range Red, from Laurelwood Brewing Co.

To accompany the yummy beers, we enjoyed their famous Plate O' Bacon. Yes, bacon on a plate as an app! Genius. Coated and candied, a plate of about five slices arrived at our table and was gone in minutes. I love this idea and plan to replicate with perhaps a cheese plate, maybe some olives and collection of nuts. Lot 3 also has other fun apps such as popcorn, pretzels, onion dip, corn fritters, salted peanuts, deviled eggs and more down-home treats!

For the main course, we shared the roasted chicken with an amazing gravy that was a little sweet, a little savory and a touch creamy; braised lamb stew; baby carrots with tarragon and shallots; and roasted fingerling potatoes, tossed in olive oil and rosemary. SO good. I'm not a huge comfort food person, but this place has definitely turned the tables for me.

To finish things off, we had the spiced jar cake. Served in a mason jar (so cute and creative!), this flawless desert combines cinnamon pudding cake with a light maple glaze. Not too rich, very light and sweet and just perfect for sharing.

I give this little enclave 4 stars! I hope yo go back and try more beers and apps very soon. Way to go Sonali for the rec!

Check out the rest of the menu here!

In a New York Minute....

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

Just got back from my annual East Coast jaunt! This trip complete with a front-end excursion to NYC! OMG, one of the most amazing places I have ever visited. I loved it all, the energy, the sounds of taxis honking, people hustling, wind blowing through the mountains and mountains of buildings, sirens, etc. Such a cool place.

We did all the touristy things like Times Square, Empire State Building, 30 Rock, SoHo, Little Italy, Trump Tower, The Plaza, Tiffany's, and my favorite, Central Park. We also attended a Mets game and had money seats!

We stayed near Grand Central Station across the street from the infamous Cipriani's. I could not get over the mobs of people walking through the streets at ALL times! Times Square was a like a scene out of a movie or something, very Vegas-esque. The M & M store of all places was like wall-to-wall people... at 10:30 PM! LOL.

I got some great food recs from my girls Jamie and Wexler. We dined in Soho the first night at Mercat. Uber trendy, urban nook that I have no idea how she found. Mostly tapas type eats. We had the skirt steak, which was AMAZING and their sangria which was equally awesome.

The next evening we head down to Little Italy for some pizza. Stopped at this great little place in the middle of it all (cant remember what it is called, but got a pic of the store front). Really good, authentic Italian style pizza. We enjoyed Brooklyn lagers as well. We followed up our late night dinner with a special treat from Ferrara's Bakery. Holy canoli.

We also thought it would be "cool" to buy a pack of cigarettes and have a smoke like everyone else... $13.00!!! Just reaffirmed why I don't smoke.

We then spent the day at Central Park, and after I received the surprise of a lifetime, complete with one very sparkly piece of jewelery, we celebrated New York style with pastrami sandys and beers at Stage Deli. Best pastrami I ever ate, hands down.

After a whirlwind in NYC, we hopped on the train down to see the Mullins in Beantown. Worked-in the 'Marge Special', which includes a walk and shop on Newbury Street, lunch at Stephanie's and a ride on the T.

We also toured Fenway, which is always a cool site to see, team or no team in town. The Mullins were also kind enough to throw a little BBQ complete with the Kevin Mullin specialty, steak tips.

Lastly, we spent the day in Marshfield - although rainy and cold, love the this beachy nook, and had a good laugh at a horrendous KENO game whilst sippin' on a black and tan at the local Venus. Thank you Mullins for another great trip!

Needless to say I am WIPED OUT. Wonderful trip, and one I wont soon forget...

Hawaiian Sandy!

2011-04-11T11:36:00.000-07:00

So, I was perusing through a Women's Health magazine (I think that's what it was?!) Friday night and discovered this great idea for a sandy! Looked to good not to try...

Here is what you'll need (serves 2):

- Pineapple slices (you can get in the can but you can usually find in the produce section freshly cut) - 1 jalapeno

- 1 red onion

- Your favorite teriyaki marinade (I love Yoshida's - thanks Kevin Mullin!)

- 2 Chicken breasts

- 4 slices of good Swiss cheese

- Your favorite rolls (I used ciabattas)

Here's how to do it:

1. Marinade the chicken breasts for at least 30 minutes. Then grill for 8 minutes on one side, flip and grill about 7 on the other, add the slices of Swiss on each piece and cook another minute(depending on how thick they are - mine were pretty thick)

2. While chicken is resting, grill pineapple slices for about 1 minute on each side, just to start the carmelization process. Also, toast the buns about 1 minute each.
3. Once chicken has rested for about 5 minutes, place on toasted buns, then stack pineapple, a drizzle of fresh teriyaki sauce, a few red onion slices, and jalapeno slices to taste.

You can serve this with any type of side you like, I chose wheat spaghetti noodles coated with satay peanut sauce and freshly chopped chives to garnish. It was so good I cant even explain it in a blog. Someday when I have a house and a new BBQ, I will make this for guests... SO GOOD.

Manny & Roger

2011-04-05T12:45:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we decided it was time for another brewery tour! Let's face it, no one really goes to actually see the brewery... you go to taste. And that we did!

The BF and I lucked out and squeezed in at the Saturday Georgetown Brewery Tour (you have to call and make a rez ahead of time; only 15 to a tour and only one tour, only on Saturdays).

Georgetown Brewery, which I never knew was actually called that, is the home of Manny's Pale Ale and located just south of Sodo in a large warehouse. When we arrived, the place was packed with folks purchasing growlers, mini kegs, large kegs, etc. If there was a grocery store for beer in all shapes and kinds, this would be it... i guess that's kind of like a mini-mart, but whatever...

The "tour" started with awesome staffer, Crystal, who gave us the history on Manny and his partner Roger. These two guys really have it made... literally. Both under 40 and produce something like 30,000 barrels annually (to compare, Red Hook does like 450,000). They are considered a Craft Brewer, but if you can believe it, they are also considered smaller than Mac & Jack's!! Not sure how that is possible (have you ever been to Mac& Jack's brewery!?) Any who, we also got to sample all of their beers (also didn't realize they had other flavors). They have all the yummy standards, but with a twist. Rogers is their pilsner, which I really liked a lot. I would compare it to a light Manny's actually. Then there is Choppers (BTW, these are all named after staff members) which is a red ale; the BF's favorite. Next up the porter, followed by their new IPA, Lucille's. IPA's are typically super bitter for me, but this one was very smooth and perfect blend of hops and those other things they throw in there ;) Lastly, Lisa's... um, how cool is it that there is a beer called Lisa's!? It would have been that much cooler if there was a Marge blend. Lisa's was named after a staff member who apparently hates sunlight and wears sunglasses even when it rains and loves chocolate. Her beer actually has chocolate in it! 15 lbs of Theo Chocolate in each barrel and 8.3% alcohol! Would be darn tasty over some vanilla ice cream.

Next we saw the lay of the land, tasted some Manny's straight out of those things that make the beer (see photo) and tasted some beer they bottle in champagne form. The Belgian Double Donkey Deux, which is sweet and zippy and has a fun label (see below); and the Georgetown Braggot, which has honey in it that you can totally call out when you taste it. Super yummy just wouldn't be able to drink more than a glass.

Overall I would say one of the better brew tours I have been. AWESOME beer, AWESOME staff/guides, and fun atmosphere with a group of friends. Although they don't offer the space for private events, we are determined to make friends so they will let us some time.

As they say, Good Beer = Happiness!

St. Patrick's Day

2011-03-17T09:46:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite days for many reasons, none of which include me being Irish ;)

Here's to rainbows, pots of gold, Leprechauns, shamrocks, the Celtics, potatoes, corn beef, cliffs, Tom Cruise's Irish accent in Far and Away, Irish Car Bombs, anything GREEN, bag pipes, kilts, red hair, freckles, Irish Setters, BEER, basketball, Lucky Charms, Kiss Me I'm Irish shirts, and oh so much more!

Project Alert!

2011-03-03T13:22:00.000-08:00

I love projects, and feel like I dont have the time, nor the space at home to complete them! I was recently at a Ruffles & Rust event and saw these adorable old frames with a chalk board surface instead of glass. They also had silver platters/trays with a chalk board surface that were just adorable. When my girlfriend shared that there was a chalk board paint on the market, I decided to save the $30 they were selling these for and make my own!

What You'll Need:

- Chalk board paint (available at Home Depot; comes in different colors, green, black, etc.)

- A good synthetic paint brush

- Paper towels and newspaper for set-up

- A cute frame (complete with glass)

- Chalk pens (basically like a paint pen that doesn't leave chalk dust and washes off with water)

First, make sure the glass is clean and you have a clean surface to set up. Remove the glass from the frame and set on newspaper. Shake paint can, remove lid and mix well before your start to paint. Evenly coat the glass and let dry for about 3 hours.

Repeat two, or three more coats until your desired look. I went for three coats. Let dry about three days, then put your frame back together and hang! Ta dah! Yes, its just that simple. I started off small with my project, but someday I plan on creating a chalk board wall or larger frame.

Red Hook

2011-02-27T14:06:00.000-08:00

Funny thing about me and beer... I hated it for years and survived college on rum and Diet Coke in addition to the occasional night of tossing back approximately three shots of Jose Cuervo and I would be set for the evening. About six years ago, I had the pleasure of meeting the "microbrew" when I lived with my dear friend Leslie, whohas a passion for fancy beer. I quickly began my love affair with craft beers and have become a beer snob of sorts. Although I cant claim to be any kind of connoisseur, I do know what I like.

I have been on some fun brewery tours before with some great beer, and was super excited to finally head out to my neighborhood brewery and do the official tour at Red Hook. I have of course had Red Hook many times, but really didn't know much about the brewery. So, me and BF headed out to Woodinville Saturday night to meet our dear friend the Solinsky's to taste some beer. The tour costs $1.00 and with that hefty investment you get five samples, a commemorative mini glass and a good time. There isn't much of a tour per say, more like a gathering in an upstairs room with some random folks (our crowd was complete with a mullet and a baby), some tunes, a witty beer guide and a view of the brewing and containment rooms. We got to taste the signature brews, Blonde, ESB, Longhammer IPA, Copperhook Ale and my new favorite, Mud Slinger Spring brew. Our beer guide was so good, that she slipped us a sixth sample of our choice.

I preferred the Mud Slinger, which is a nut brown ale and not too overwhelming. Its very smooth; perfect amount of bitter and sweet; kind of a grainy flavor which I like. It went down very easy and was a great complement to my turkey burger. Really good beer and I love the packaging for it.

We had a great evening and I managed to awake headache free which is always a plus when the night before is filled with drinking delicious yet high alcohol content beers.

Happy beer tasting!

Savory Bread Pudding & a New Dinner Favorite

2011-02-15T20:25:00.002-08:00

My new favorite magazine is 425. I love this publication and they have some great recipes by local Eastside chefs and personalities. This one in particular caught my eye... Savory Sundried Tomato and Chevre Pain Perdu. Translation: Bread Pudding with sundried tomatoes and goat cheese.

I've never had any kind of bread pudding before, but I've always thought it looked super yummy. So, I was inspired!

(One thing to note, this recipe needs a little prep time, so be sure to plan ahead when making this recipe.)

Savory Bread Pudding

Ingredients:

1 lb crusty loaf bread cubed in 1 inch pieces (I

used a round loaf of sourdough, cubed and tossed in the oven for a few minutes to get nice and crusty OR you can use day old bread)

4 large eggs

1.5 C of 1% milk

1 C heavy cream

5 ounces of goat cheese

1/2 C parmesan cheese, grated

6 ounces sundried tomato,

chopped (I used ones soaked in olive oil)

1/2 C parsley, chopped

1 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp pepper

Place the cubed bread in a baking dish, OR you can make individual servings in 3 inch ramekins.

Whisk milk, cream, cheeses, tomato, parsley, s and p, and pour on top of the dried bread cubes. Smash the bread down into the custard mixture so the bread is completely emerged. Place in refrigerator and let set over night.

The next morning, bake at 375 degrees for about 25-30 minutes. May take more or less time depending on how thick your baking dish is. Mine took about 45 mins to completely cook through. But, my oven also sucks...

I served with thick, center cut bacon and a hot cup of coffee. Deelish! Perfect for a brunch.

As for recipe #2, my lovely mother left me a stack of Bon Appetite's a few weeks ago and after sifting through them I stumbled on a fabulous recipe for lamb chops. I have never made lamb of any kind, so needless to say, I was nervous. I assumed the best place for lamb would be a butcher, so I went to our friends at Fisher Meats in Issaquah, but of course they only had leg of lamb. When I asked where I could find good lamb chops, they suggested QFC. Low and behold, my neighborhood QFC did indeed have some chops! I got the last 4, about 1.6 lbs for about $16 with my club card.

Lamb Chops with Mint Salsa Verde

Ingredients:

4 1 inch thick lamb loin chops

2 tbls plus 3/4 C extra virgin olive oil

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

2 C loosely packed fresh mint, finely chopped

1/2 C flat-leaf parsley leaves, finely chopped

2 tbsp. finely chopped fresh tarragon leaves

1 tbsp salt-packed capers, finely chopped

1/4 tsp crushed red chile flakes

6 oil-packed anchovy filets, finely chopped

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

Put lamb into a small baking dish and rub with olive oil, s and p and set aside to rest for about 30 mins.

For the salsa, combine mint, parsley, tarragon, capers, chile flakes, anchovies and garlic into a medium bowl. Slowly drizzle in remaining olive oil while stirring with a fork until well combined. Set aside for later...

Set grill to medium heat. Add chops to grill and let grill for about 4 minutes or so and then flip to cook on the other side for another 4 minutes or so, or until browned and crusty. Let rest for about 10 minutes.

Once well rested and juices have redistributed, top with salsa verde, and serve! We cooked ours for exactly 4 minutes on each side and they were perfectly cooked, pink inside and very tender. So good.

I served these with roasted mix veggies including carrots, brussels and red potatoes. All chopped about the same size, tossed in olive oil and s and p, then hit with a little butter and fresh chopped herbs once out of the oven, including thyme and rosemary. Roast for about 40 minutes at 425 degrees on a lined baking sheet. You could do any veggie combo you like!

Maybe a good Easter dish? Enjoy!

Super Bowl XLV

2011-02-09T15:15:00.000-08:00

It's a dirty job, but someones gotta do it...

I had the pleasure of co-hosting some clients this last weekend in Dallas for the mother of all sporting events, the Super Bowl.

We arrived Thursday evening at our fabulous hotel, the Palomar. Super trendy, boutique hotel that apparently my boy Snoop and Jamie Fox also stayed at (the bartender took a liking to our group and spilled the beans).

We then headed out to the Budweiser Hotel to hear Lifehouse and the Fray perform. They were both incredible live and we also had a few fun sightings...

Any Bachelor or Chelsea Lately watchers out there? Chris Harrison couldn't be more nice... he also told me who won...

Kidding, I wish.

We emerged from the party into a blizzard. No taxis available anywhere (Detroit all over again) so we opted for a choice ride of the 80's... a white stretch limo. Hey, you gotta do what ya gotta do to get to your next destination.

Due to the blustery weather, I was somewhat confined to the hotel, but managed to get a lot of rest and relaxation in before the big game.

Friday evening we headed out to the Commissioner's Ball. Mostly NFL people and a lot of yummy food. I had the pleasure of trying jalapeno mac and cheese... YUM. We also got to see Martina McBride perform. She is awesome live and so gorgeous. Following, we dropped in to the Axe Bar, no, not a bar sponsored by Axe deodorant, just Axe. Pitbull decided to show up about two hours late and hit us with some beats. He is pretty entertaining. I was the most clothed and the eldest person in the place. We had a few drinks, did little platform dancing and headed back to the hotel for a night cap.

Saturday, we took the group out to a local Mexican joint, Desperados, that caters for the Texas Rangers and the Dallas Mavericks. It was pretty damn good. I wore my brand new cowgirl boots to get into the spirit... they were hit! Now I just need to find more reasons to wear them. They are so comfortable.

Finally, Super Bowl Sunday. It always amazes me how these types of events happen... thousands of fans, hundreds of staff, team personnel, players, coaches, performers, etc. Its nuts. Cowboys Stadium is absolutely absurd. It's like the Nordstrom's of stadiums. Everything is over the top, but very beautiful. The jumbotron is ridiculous. You don't even need to watch the actual game occurring on the field. I could see the sweat dripping off of Aaron Rodgers face (and I liked it :)). Super cool.

Augi (aka Christina Auguilara) was amazing. Although she missed half the song, the parts she did sing were spot on and she literally brought tears to my eyes with her rendition. She did however look like a stuffed albino sausage. Bad outfit, bad, bad, bad.

Halftime was also a spectacle. Loved every minute of it minus Slash. He was unnecessary, but the BEP and Usher rocked it. Fergie is one hot mama.

It was great to see the NFC take it and especially the Pack. Well deserved and what a fabulous game. It was also great to see Big Ben single handedly lose the game for the Steelers. Karma is a you... know... what!

All in all, GREAT trip. I'm one lucky lady for being able to go on my boss's behalf. Would love to go back to Dallas and explore a bit more sometime, maybe look for Riggins and Seracin, and go line dancing.

Texas Forever!

Did You Get Your Veggies Today?

2011-01-16T18:32:00.000-08:00

I don't know about y'all, but thank the lord above, I love vegetables. I hate trying to type the word "vegetables", but I love them none the less.

Most people I would say/guess, do not heart veggies as much as I do. So, I thought I would share a few fun ideas to spice up your veggie dishes and find ways to better incorporate this most beneficial food group into your daily fixins'.

Ive got lots of veggie tricks up my sleeve, but the first, is roasted broccoli.

Wat You'll Need:

- a bushel of broccoli

- olive oil

- garlic powder

- salt and pepper

Pre-heat over to 375 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper or foil. Cut stems off broccoli (or broccolini = hybrid of broccoli and kale aka fancy broccoli) and break into small pieces. Lightly drizzle with olive oil, garlic powder and salt and pepper and toss so all are pieces are evenly coated.

Toss in oven and cook for about 15-20 minutes, checking after 15. You'll want the broccoli just lightly browned.

This cooking method makes this veggie much more flavorful and exciting, especially for those of you who don't enjoy veggies. You can do the same thing with cauliflower, brussel sprouts, squash, asparagus, or any other fibrous veggie that can take he heat.

I hope you'll try this! Its much more fun than good old fashion blanching or steaming.

Serve with baked fish, brown rice, or steak, chicken, really whatever you fancy~

TRY IT!

Cliche?

2011-01-11T11:28:00.000-08:00

I hate cliches, yet I often use them when giving advice, making suggestions or trying to motivate people.

Ironic.

The one I use the most and say without merit most for time is "Never Say Never". Just sort of rolls off my tongue.

I usually get a smirk or a look where I know the person is saying "GFY" in their head. But, this last weekend I experienced the ultimate "Never Say Never" moment, and I will never take this "cliche" for granted again.

I cannot stop thinking about it and how remarkable it really was. I am infected by joy, excitement, and belief that anything is possible. Anyone who is a Seattle fan, sports fan, football fan, fan of the underdog, knows what I am talking about. Pure magic (sorry Sullivan :)). Maybe a little faith and luck had something to do with it as well.

The universe has spoken.

"Never Say Never". A cliche? Maybe not so much after all. Maybe words to live by when facing what we perceive to be the impossible?

So next time your are looking for a little inspiration, think about those impossible moments that became possible, and remind your self that nothing is unattainable.

New Recipes

2011-01-09T19:50:00.000-08:00

So, I decided part of my 2011 New Year's Resolution would be to cook more. I really love to cook, just don't often have the time or energy to do so. This time of year I do however, usually get a few more opportunities for some weekend down-time to make a nice meal.

One of my favorite Food Network cooks is Giada. I was watching her holiday episode a few weeks ago and her pot roast recipe tickled my fancy. I am not a huge stew, pot roast, pot pie kinda gal, but this recipe looked really good and super easy for someone like me who doesn't always cook meat very well.

Stracotto (Pot roast in Italian of course..., said with her weird accent followed by a totally English word and no accent)

Ingredients:

5lb boneless beef chuck (I used 2lb and cooked for about 1:55)

kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

olive oil

2 onions, chopped (I used one for a 2lb roast)

6 cloves garlic, minced or crushed

1 C red wine (I would recommend a cabernet blend)

1 15 ounce can/box of beef broth (low sodium is best)

1/2 ounce dried porcini mushrooms

1 large sprig of fresh rosemary (chopped)

6 sprigs of fresh thyme (chopped)

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees

Pat beef dry w paper towel and season all sides with s and p. In large Dutch oven or 6-qrt pot, add olive oil and brown beef on all sides, just a few minutes on each side. Remove and set aside.

Next add more olive oil and saute onion until translucent. Add garlic and cook for about a minute. Then add wine, and scrape brown bits off the of bottom of pan. Then add broth and dried mushrooms. Return beef to pot, bring to a boil, then cover and place in hot oven. Cook for about 3 hours or until meat is tender to the fork (falls apart).

When meat is done, remove and set to side to rest with foil tent. Remove about a cup of sauce and blend in food processor or blender, then add back to pot (this makes it thicker). Bring sauce to a boil and add herbs, a little butter and s and p. Then place meat back into pot to reheat, and serve.

SO good. Serve with a glass of the wine used in recipe.

As a side, I was inspired by all of the potatoes and zucchini I had in my pantry so added a few other ingredients and came up with this gratin recipe.

Potato & Zucchini Gratin

Ingredients:

3 average size zucchini, washed and sliced

small yellow potatoes, washed and sliced

kosher salt and pepper

olive oil

1 tbls butter

1.5 C gruyere cheese, grated

1/4 C panko bread crumbs

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees

Drizzle olive oil on bottom of 2 inch deep baking dish. Place sliced potato and zucchini and alternate in rows until entire dish is filled.

Drizzle a little more olive oil, salt and pepper on top of vegetables. Next top with grated cheese, bread crumbs and butter (break apart cold butter in little pieces).

Toss in hot oven and cook for about 45 minutes or until top is browned.

I really liked the combination of the zucchini and potatoes, with the flavor of the gruyere. It was just the right type of cheese to use for this. You could also use a white cheddar or even parmesan or asiago cheese.

A perfect Sunday night meal.

My Week Off...

2010-12-27T14:39:00.000-08:00

That's right, I took an entire week off from the grind! It was difficult, and I started to get some serious anxiety around Friday, but I survived. Here are a few highlights from my winter staycation...

Reindeer

Anyone who knows me, knows I heart animals. I almost cried when I saw killer whales this past summer. For the game two weeks ago, in honor of Christmas, we invited two beautiful three-year old Reindeer from Cougar Mountain Zoo to join us. They were awesome, despite their nervous poo on the sideline. I didn't get too close... apparently they like to bite. Yousa!

Mountains

I am a skier. I come from a long line of skiers. I strive to be as good as my uncles... they jump out of helicopters and ski uncharted territory. CRAZY but COOL. I convinced three boys to come skiing with me last week. They are terrific skiers so needless to say I had to keep up. My legs hurt for two days. Crystal Mountain is my home base. Stellar conditions and mostly sunny skies. We had an awesome day. I tried to talk sports and business with the boys... I think I did pretty good :)

Minestrone

My bff Jessica made me a deelish winter minestrone last year and I decided after a long day of skiing I needed to make it. Here is how to do it...

2 tsp olive oil

1/2 C chopped onion

1/2 tsp dried basil

1/2 tsp dried oregano

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 1/4 C cubed, peeled, acorn or butternut squash

3/4 C diced zucchini

1/2 C chopped carrot

1/2 C diced fennel
1 C water

1 14 oc. can of chicken stock

5 tbl tomato paste

1/2 C uncooked ditalini pasta

2 1/2 C chopped swiss chard

1/2 C canned, rinsed, drained Great Northern beans

1/2 tsp pepper

Grated Asiago cheese to top

Heat oil in large pot and add onion, herbs and garlic. Saute until onion is just tender. Add squash, zucchini, carrot, fennel and saute until tender. Add water, stock and tomato paste, then bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Add pasta and cook for 8 minutes. Add swiss chard and cook for 3 minutes. Add beans and cook for 2 minutes. Add pepper and salt to taste. Service with crusty bread and top with Asiago cheese. Yum.

Thanks universe for allowing me to take a deep breath and enjoy life a little more last week. Along with lots of me-time, lots of holiday gatherings, gift exchanges and sleep. Look forward to doing it again sometime...

They have arrived...

2010-11-26T10:42:00.000-08:00

The Holiday's are officially here! This might be my most favorite time of year... and here are a few reasons why:

1. Cozy sweaters

2. Mint hot chocolate from Williams Sonoma

3. Snuggles with Lily girl (that would my chocolate lab)

4. Boots!

5. Thanksgiving and Christmas with not one, but with TWO families!

6. Christmas lights and jingle bells

7. The quiet after a snow storm

8. 24/7 "A Christmas Story" on TBS

9. Krumkake and Spritz cookies (holla fellow Norskies)

10. Holiday Parties galor!

11. Fires (thank god BF has a fire place or I would miss out on this one)

I love, love, love this time of year. Happy Holidays to anyone reading my little blogster.

Friend's T-Giving

2010-11-08T10:19:00.001-08:00

Every year a big group of us get together to celebrate Thanksgiving a little early. I look forward this party every year, to not only spend time with some of my best friends, but to also enjoy the most delicious turkey ever... the deep fried kind.

This year was no exception. The spread was amazing and I ate way too much. Here are some of the highlights in photos... wish I could have stayed up till the wee hours with y'all but duty called at 7:00 am :)

Rauh and her darling Turkey cupcakes... in the background you can see the beautiful table Fitzy set.

My plate...

The Friends...

What's Your Favorite Condiment?

2010-11-01T10:10:00.000-07:00

Mine is Mustard...

Kinda blurry but you get the picture. Happy Halloween!

And that's another...

2010-10-11T09:40:00.000-07:00

Cougar. First. Down!

Well sort of that is... at least we held the #3 team in the country to under their game average of 56 points. Go Cougs!

Homecoming 2010 was a BLAST! I hadn't been back in over four years, and the BF in nearly nine!! So many upgrades to beautiful Pullman and the WSU campus. The CUB which was more like a cLub, is absolutely gorgeous! Complete with a Bar, Borders Books and fire places! Walking along the Mall, downtown Pullman, all the new buildings, the Rec Center (which you could pay $5 to shower = awesome when you are camping)... all look amazing!

It was so wonderful to be back and quite nostalgic reliving all the fun times in college. We hit up every bar... Shakers (will always be Shakers to me), the Coug (still hot, sweaty and no where to sit), and of course our old stomping grounds at Valhalla (along with Scott the old owner!). Drove by Kappas, which is still so beautiful. Had Sellas, a Pita Pit, D-Grind... all my old favs. We also visited the new Bookie, Crimson and Gray, and had to buy some Cougar Gold...

We shacked it up with the RinaCoffey's in the Lo Liner Coug Mobile. We had so much fun and had the perfect set up over in the RV lots and easy access to the stadium. Just like in college, we watched the first half and headed to the bars to get a table... And of course no Saturday night in Pullman is complete without a houseparty, shirtless freshman (boy) and a lost, very wasted boy looking for the next party... good times!

Cant wait to go back... wont be another four years this time. Go Cougs!

Ah Sookie Sookie Now...

2010-10-07T11:24:00.000-07:00

I am a True Blood fan! I just love how ridiculous the show is and find it extremely entertaining. Let's just say its my new Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I miss you Buffy...

Those of you who watch the show, know that the story lines are based on the Sookie Stackhouse books by Charlaine Harris. Ive heard from several folks how great the books are, but since I don't really read in bulk, have had no interest. Why would I read about when I can watch it unfold every Sunday night on HBO... and the characters are H.O.T.

As a non-avid reader, I have really been trying to put myself out there and find a good read. They are hard to come by, and the last book that got me was none other than Twilight. Can you sense a theme? Yes, I enjoy reading about forbidden vamp love.

Anywho, I was at the airport on my way home from Boston and there happened to be a Borders Books. I took a chance and picked up the 4th book in the series. You know you aren't a reader when you realize the Dewey Decimal System is no longer in use and books are sorted by author and genre. Who knew!

So far.... SOOO GOOD! Its literally like watching the show in print. I would definitely be interested in reading the remainder of the series, which I find it catchy that all the books have "Dead" in the title. Here they are in order:

Dead Until Dark

Living Dead in Dallas

Club Dead

Dead to the World

Dead as a Doornail

Definitely Dead

All Together Dead

From Dead to Worse

Dead and Gone

Dead in the Family

Dead Reckoning

A Touch of Dead

And no, these are nothing like R.L. Stine books that 13 year-olds read :)

Happy reading!

Beantown 2010

2010-10-04T15:58:00.000-07:00

I just love my annual (sometimes semi-annual) jaunts out to Boston to visit my dear friends the Mullins. This trip I got to bring along my "life partner" and fellow Lisa, Ms. Spry. We had a super fun and relaxing weekend, which included, but wasn't limited to the following occurrences...

- Crossed the borders of four states (NH, RI, MA, CT)

- Drank close to 30 different kinds of frosty bronsons including one with smashed pumpkin

- Did some damage on Newbury Street (#1 steel was the MK purse for sheez...)

- Ate my favorite chicken salad-salad at Stephanie's and enjoyed unsweetened iced tee

- Visited an 80's movie classic set, Mystic Pizza

- Ate breakfast at four different Dunkin D's, all equally delightful

- Got covered in Tucker hair

- Slept in the un-wed woman's room

- Saw at least two members of the Mullin family (love you Hobbs'!)

- Listened to Officer Lord try to tell us the East Coast is better in an absurd Boston accent

- Ate steak tips

- Ate at the Cherry Tree (yes, I even had onion rings - not smart decision making)

- Saw Phil, randomly

- Organized my receipts to annoy Sta :)

- Picked out which house I would live in on Summitt Street

- Ate the Sr. Account Executive Special as prepared by L. Spry

- Learned how to play Rummycube and won both times ;) Beginners luck...

- Left already planning the next trip out - hopefully Spring 2011 ;)

Thanks for all your hospitality and fun Mullins... one my most favorite traditions to visit what I consider my second home at this point.

And to my traveling partner, thanks for putting up with me despite my redonkulousness :)

Tutta Bella

2010-08-23T15:23:00.000-07:00

Looking for some authentic Italian pizza without having to take the long flight to the Boot? Look no further, no matter where you live, Eastside, Seattle, Wallingford, there is a Tutta Bella Neapolitan Pizzeria near you.

I had my first Tutta experience this last weekend with a few gal pals and it didn't disappoint. Winner of the 2010 Pizza Today Indie Pizzeria of the Year, Tutta rewarded customers with one free pizza per table throughout the weekend.

We started dinner with an Insalata Di Salerno which came with fresh mozzarella balls, shaved fennel, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, basil topped with a dijon vinaigrette. It was so good! Perfect combination of garden favorites with fresh cheese and a tangy, creamy, but light dressing to top it off.

On to the pizza... we ordered three for four girls (they are thin).

1. Giovanni - OMG so good. Mozzarella, cherry tomatoes, prosciutto, shaved parmigiano, topped with fresh peppery arugula. This was my favorite.

2. Pino -Calabrian Salami (salami makes the world a better place doesn't it?) and fresh basil.

3. Regina Margherita - Basil and fresh mozzarella.

We of course had to get some gelato so went with a classic chocolate chip. Perfect way to complete the dinner.

I fell in love with this place, really. The pizza reminded me of Italy and they do it just like the Italians - thin, perfectly cooked, a bit of smokiness to it and all fresh ingredients. I give it a 4 out of 4 stars.

If you haven't tried this place you should and soon!

Tutta Bella

Happy Birthday BF!

2010-08-12T14:41:00.001-07:00

You probably wont see this anytime soon, but thought you deserved a Birthday Blog shout out ;)

My Summer 2010

2010-07-30T09:55:00.000-07:00

So, I know Summer isn't technically over, but this next month is going to be so super crazy with my job, that I wanted to reflect back on MY summer (June and July 2010).

It was a great one full of trips, bucket list checking off, sunsets, birthday parties, weddings, friends and of course sporting events.

Thanks to all for making my summer super fun!

Goodbye Life Partner!

2010-07-23T11:40:00.000-07:00

Dearest Life Partner aka Spry,

I'm so super sad you are heading back to SoCal and will miss many things about you, including, but not limited to the following:

1. Our engagement photo shoots

2. You being my date or roomie at events and weekend getaways

3. Spooky laughs

4. Goldie Hawn game

5. Screening your calls so I don't have to fulfill your business requests

6. Fulfilling your business requests

7. Attending church every few months :)

8. Trail Nugs

9. Watching you show your tee tas to strangers

10. Seeing you convince bouncers to let you in bars w/o a valid ID

Love you my friend. Call me with requests often, and visit when you can. Cannot wait until we take over Beantown in September.

xoxo

30

2010-07-20T13:26:00.001-07:00

A very special (and belated) Happy 30th Birthday to two of my gals!

Snogs - Welcome to 30 little lady! Going on hmmm....21 years of friendship I think?

Rauhy - Happy Birthday girl! Cant wait to celebrate this weekend!

Love you both oodles and oodles!

I cant wait...

2010-07-16T16:23:00.000-07:00

for this weekend! So many fun events...

Welcome BFFs Stass, Kev, Tuck and Peenie from Beantown!

Celebrate the soon-to-be Mr. and Mrs. Easterlin...

Eat at this place with the BF....

And work a little :)

Mahalo Maui!

2010-07-12T16:43:00.001-07:00

I had the pleasure of spending an ENTIRE week in beautiful Maui with my best friend/BF. At the start of 2010 I wasnt expecting to get to go on TWO week-long vacays, so I feel pretty lucky that I got to visit "margaritaville" with the high school besties, and then be on "Island time" for nearly eight days. Needless to say, doing nada for a week was pretty awesome.

Just a few highlights from our trip... we did a lot of eating, drinking, and relaxing!

Tip: Bring a small/softshell cooler with you and stock it up with beers and booz so you dont have to pay $10 for a beer at the pool. If you buy one drink, you can use their branded cups. You just have to be sneaky. Do people already know this??

I hope to get back here again someday - what an amazing trip. Thanks BF!

Coo-coo for Coconuts!

2010-07-08T14:05:00.000-07:00

I love ANYTHING with coconut. Sweet, savory, whatever, I will eat or drink it. These were no exception. I found them at an ABC Store in Lahaina (bascially a Hawaiian Fred Meyer). M&M should get a metal for these...

In other coconut news... I made up a drink in Hawaii that I just had to share.

What you'll need:

Malibu Rum
Soda Water
Fresh Lime
Ice

How to:
Mix 2 shots of Malibu rum with a 1.5 - 2 cups of soda water over ice. Add freshly squeezed lime juice from about a quarter of lime and drink up!

Refreshing, light and tropical! Enjoy.

Zippity Do Dah!

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

One of the funnest things I have ever done...

Click on below to check out the absurdness.

Jeremy plunging...

...and Marge plunging (file too big :)).

More to come on our amazing trip to Maui.

Aloha!

Speaking of...

2010-06-02T17:00:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I spent a super fun weekend with the ladies in Chelan... I also learned about a fun new gadget from my friend Kris!

I had recently been searching for an IPOD speaker but couldnt find one that was of good quality AND within my budget. Krissy had this speaker below made by Altec Lansing and it worked great! Battery operated, it just plugs in to your IPOD and plays! It has great sound quality as well. It even came with a cute little case to protect it whislt traveling. The only downer is that it doesnt charge my pod...

It only cost me $30 on Amazon.com. It was on sale from around $40 or so. Pretty good if I do say so myself.

I highly recommend this little guy if you are traveling and want to make sure your pre-funk hotel tunes are taken care of.

Thanks Krissy!

In the words of Christopher Cross... Sailing... Take me away....

2010-06-01T12:14:00.000-07:00

Back from a very relaxing (and what seemed to actually be long for once), wonderful weekend!

Friday Harbor 2010 was so much fun and I got to share it with all rookie visitors! Everything was as I left it nearly two years ago! Although a couple of new things have been added to the mix... like a flat screen TV at the house (welcome to the twenty-first century Giese family), a new video rental place, and a beautiful bench just off the ferry landing that is dedicated to my lovely grandparents Hans Otto and Borghild Giese.

The weather wasn't awesome, but we ate, drank, played a heated battle of boys against girls in catch phrase, went sailing with my fabulous uncle and saw some Canadians... whales that is! Anyone who knows me knows I LOVE wild life and I was dying to see some whales when we were out sailing and just as we were heading back, three transient Orcas (apparently they came from Canada) swam about 200 yards off the bow of the boat. They were amazing! I practically started crying I was so excited to see them. We also saw a raccoon, deer, a seal, a bear... oh wait, that was just Tar the 120+ lb dog! (Lily went on a warmer weekend getaway with her grandparents to Plain, WA).

Some of the foody highlights included drinks at an Island fav, Herbs, and a stop at the Hungry Clam. I would say the HC is up there with the finest Fish and Chips... the fries were amazing, tarter sauce totally yummy, cocktail sauce questionable... but they serve beer which is always a plus. I also think you can tell a lot by how good a restaurant's ranch dressing is. I was forced to have this because they didn't have blue cheese, and it was really good. Just like at Kappas!

Really great weekend, with geat company, lets just hope I get up there again before two years pass me by. Missed everyone who couldn't make it!

Return to Friday Harbor!

2010-05-26T13:52:00.000-07:00

I am so super excited to finally be getting up to my family's summer home on Friday Island! I have not been up there in TWO YEARS! How sad... When I was a kid we would go up practically every other weekend!

Hopefully the weather will clear up a bit so we can bask in some sunshine.

Here's to...

1. A relaxing weekend with great friends

2. Sailing with Uncle Emil

3. The smell of the salty air

4. The sound of the ferry coming in

5. Fresh seafood and island ice cream

6. Lots of frosty bronsons and perhaps a few margs

7. A good game of catch phrase

8. Chillin' on the meadow

Happy Memorial Day Weekend!

Franz's BBQ

2010-05-17T10:19:00.001-07:00

There is nothing I love more then my Dad's country ribs. YUM. He even makes his own sauce... they are awesome.

This Weekend...

2010-05-12T16:45:00.000-07:00

I am going here....

To celebrate her.... (the little red head :))

Happy almost 30th DJ! Many of my most absurdly awesome college and life memories have you in them girl... looking forward to making many more the next 30!

Can't wait for sunshine, wine and good times with good friends! Here's to not falling asleep on the drive home.

Happy 35th Birthday Lily!

2010-05-06T14:32:00.000-07:00

Happy birthday to my sweet, energetic, crazy-ass dog, Lily. I love this dog more than anything and can't imagine my world without her jumping on me in it ;) Even though she cant read blogs, I thought she still deserved a shout out.

Love you puppy!

I will be sipping on one of these in about 30 minutes...

2010-05-05T16:53:00.000-07:00

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

Bucket List Item #8

2010-05-01T12:58:00.000-07:00

...attend the Kentucky Derby! How fun! Although this year's derby doesn't looks so hot, literally, with all of the rain and mud.

Someday, I hope to parade myself around with a ridiculously large hat and stilettos whilst betting on horses and enjoying a cocktail at one of America's greatest traditions.

My actual bucket list item lists "attend every major sporting event in my lifetime". So far I have two down (Super Bowl 40 and MLS Cup 2010).

Good luck horsies!

Onlychildhood of My Non-Traveling Pants

2010-04-28T15:44:00.000-07:00

I am convinced that my spendy stretch pants (the Lulu's) might actually be magic pants. A few reasons why:

1. I was able to run 7.5 miles without stopping, dying or gasping for air
2. I can kick my legs a lot higher and hold my poses a lot longer during my hot yoga classes
3. I appear smaller than I actually am
4. It feels like I have no pants on at all they are that comfortable... I have even slept in them and then proceeded to go shopping in them the following day

They are like those favorite capes or costumes little kids wear every day until they are sick of them... thank goodness mine are reversable (thanks Spry)...

Quote of the Moment...

2010-04-27T12:46:00.000-07:00

Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, today is a gift, that is why we call it the present.

- Babatunde Olatunji (no clue who this chap is)

Sometimes I have to remind myself of this concept... today is one of those days :)

Passport to Woodinville

2010-04-20T13:19:00.000-07:00

This past weekend I attended the 2010 Woodinville Wines Passport Weekend. I have been wanting to do this for some time, so I was super excited when I got to be the "plus 1"!

For those of you who do not know what this is, basically, all of the wineries in Woodinville open their tasting rooms for one weekend to the general public. You can buy a "Passport", which is your ticket to get in and try their delicious wines. They do this twice a year in April and in December.

We kicked off the day at diStefano. They had a really cute set up with an old movie playing on a projector in their warehouse, along with garlic truffle oiled popcorn - so good!

Next (I think) we went to Woodhouse Cellars. This place looks like a barn with a really fancy kitchen inside of it (they have a wine tasting/cooking class club). I really couldn't tell you much about the wines, but the food stood out of course... this place had the most wonderful ham sandys. They were on those yummy rolls you have for Thanksgiving, along with a pesto mayo (I think - could have been wasabi mayo).

Then headed to Matthews, which is right along Redmond-Woodinville road. This was one of the smaller tasting rooms, but they had a tent up for all the extra bodies. They had cheese, which I swear was Cougar cheese, and salami - my favorite! This one wasn't very memorable, so I don't have much else to say about it. They gave you tasting tickets which I thought was annoying, but didn't have a poor spout like the other wineries, so I didn't complain about my pours ;)

We finished the main tour with Chateau Ste Michelle, my absolute favorite wine of all time. I love this place and it didn't disappoint. They had the most wines to taste including a Brut, which was the only wine I actually poured out. Blech, not a fan of anything pink... Their Cab however, is THE BEST and I love it.

Then we headed over to the "Warehouse", where I gather there are about 25 tasting rooms. Its like a wine strip mall. Each winery had their own little hook, whether it was a live folk band, unique snack (Gardettos = classy) or promotion like at Page, where they have a wine called Lick My Lips, and they were looking for some new lips for their label. I glossed up and stamped my lips, but was a little tipsy so my imprint wasn't great... we'll see! Page had the most fun atmosphere... they had a great band called Higher Vibes playing covers in a reggae-like beat, such as Human Nature, ACDC and Cheap Trick. It was my favorite stop for sure.

We also visited Red Sky, who had the BEST white wine, Semillion, I have ever tasted. One of the pourers happened to be the dad of a dude I went to high school with! Small world (it was there in the line to the bathroom, that I was told to go to Page). And also Baer, where I bought their signature Ursa blend (for $35 - YIKES). It was sooo good - I even convinced the pourer to give me a second sample, since that was all they were tasting for the day.

We went to a few others, but I honestly cant recall which. It was a super fun day and I hope to do it again sometime!

Ill stick with beer for the next week so ;)

Marge the Runner?

2010-04-12T12:30:00.000-07:00

Well, I did it! My very first official RUN! On Sunday, I finished a 12K run (7.5 miles) with my dear friend Erin Rinacoffey, who BTW is a crazy ass marathon runner. I honestly didn't think I would make it past 4 miles, since that is the farthest I have ever ran, and only twice before!

I only started running about a year ago after purchasing an IPOD and some new running shoes. One mile at a time, I made it to about 3 or so last summer and never really tried to go further. I am so excited that I did this - although a quick jaunt for some, pretty much a marathon for me. Several other of my coworkers completed the 12k as well. Here we all prior to the ass kicking.

My official time was 1:13:25 and the average completion (minus the Kenyans 35 minute finish) was 1:09:00. Not too shabby! I will not however, be running anything more than this in the near future. Butt and knees were killing this old lady!

PS - Please excuse the lack of makeup. I do realize I look like a man.

The Fabulous Baker Girl

2010-04-08T09:28:00.000-07:00

My dear friend, former roommate (of many years) and sorority sister, who also has a blog Jamie of All Trades, was just recognized for her amazing cupcake creations. She was up against pretty big names like Trophy Cupcakes and Cupcake Royal and she WON! What did she win? 'Best Cupcake' by Seattle Metblogs. She made a Key Lime cupcake (which she made for Marge Madness 2009 - AMAZING). She is also responsible for Marge Madness 2010 treats - Samoa Cupcakes. Also unbelievable!

Congrats JOAT! I am super excited for you and all the business I know you are going to get from this exposure. Woot!

Does this make me lazy, or awesome?

2010-04-05T14:52:00.000-07:00

Um, hello! I think I just hit the mother load. Someone recently mentioned home milk delivery to me, which prompted me to talk about it with someone else, who told me about a company called Smith Brothers. Intrigued, I went to their web site and discovered that they deliver a lot more than milk!

Pretty much all my favorite dairy products such as Greek yogurt, Tillamook Cheese, milk in cartons (which not only tastes better, but apparently retains more of the nutritional components than plastic cartons), dozen eggs, Coffeemate creamer, and even cookie dough! JACK POT!

Okay, so I started to write this blog before I checked the delivery route.... wha wha. My home is not included. If anyone who DOES have access wants to let me use their address to deliver my groceries, let me know... I knew it was too good to be true.

Quote Cards

2010-04-01T11:40:00.001-07:00

I really enjoy inspirational quotes on signs, cards, posters, etc. Its just nice to glance over at your desk or in your kitchen and be reminded to "Dance like no one is watching..." when you are having a not-so-fabulous moment. I used to save quotes that make me feel good and recently found a slew of old posty-notes in my jewelery box loaded with them! I thought it would be fun to do a little PhotoShopping and make them into little note cards that I can carry in my daytimer, put on my fridge, or perhaps give to friends.

Here are just a couple of samples I did, and wanted to share! If anyone has any favorite quotes they would like to pass along, I would love to hear them! Hopefully I didn't misspell anything!

Homemade Granola

2010-03-30T08:42:00.000-07:00

I love me some good granola! I have been meaning to try making my own, and finally had some free time, so thought I would give the Barefoot Contessa's a whirl.

Here is what you will need:

4 C old fashioned rolled oats

2 C sweetened, shredded coconut

2 C sliced almonds

3/4 C veg table oil

1/2 C of "good" honey (she always says "good" as if someone would choose "bad"? LOL...)

1 C each of your favorite dried fruits (apricots, cranberries, figs, cherries, etc.)

1 C chopped cashews (she says unsalted, I say salted :))

Whisk the vegetable oil and good honey together. Then coat the almonds, coconut and oats, and spread evening on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes depending on how hot your oven is and also how brown you like your granola. It only took about 35 minutes for me. Stir the granola around about every 5-7 minutes so it gets a nice, even brown. Watch for burning!!! NO one likes burnt coconut.

Once cool, add the chopped dried fruits, mix, eat or put away in an air tight container.

NOTE: Mine did not stay very crunchy after a night in the air tight container. Still delicious, but any tips on how to keep crunchy, lemme know!

I like to put mine atop Greek yogurt... YUM.

Happy breakfasting.

Peeps

2010-03-29T10:20:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year again for cream filled chocolate eggs, pastel colored M & M's and... PEEPS!

I loathe these little suckers. They have a weird name and taste like petrified sugar. My teeth hurt just looking at them. I guess they are kind of cute, but they mostly make me want to gag. Does anyone else share my angst for colored marshmellow sugar blobs that look like baby birds?

Dear Mom,

Please do NOT include Peeps in my Easter basket this year.

Sincerely,
Marge

Margesitting

2010-03-26T15:03:00.000-07:00

I am so super excited to babysit this little guy and his baby bro this evening while their parents get out for a date night! (this photo makes me chuckle - Grayson is a pretty funny little guy).

I have not babysat little G since he was 1.0, and it was quite the experience. I ran out of things to entertain him with after about an hour and didn't realize that I was allowed to bring him into the bathroom while I peed, so held it for almost 2 hours until his mom and dad came to get him. Yikes.

Before that, I hadn't babysat him since he was just a few months old and that too was one for the books. His mother informed me and my co-babysitter that he LOVED baths... we quickly discovered this was not the case when he whaled as soon as we placed him in his baby boat/bath thing. His momma then shared that he had only experienced showers... thanks, would have been good to know ;)

They say third times the charm, so lets hope so. I have plans to make pizzas, maybe do a little dancin' to some J-Timby, and attempt to watch Disney's "Earth". I LOVE anything the Discovery Channel puts out i.e. "Planet Earth", "Life", etc. so thought we would give this a whirl. I also will be equipped with peanut m&m's and popcorn for a snack, and some Sounders & Seahawks schwag..figure he will remember me better if I bribe him ;)

His little bro is pretty easy... I say this now of course. I have NEVER seen or heard this kid cry and he is almost a year old. He is always smiling and his dad thinks he will be a politician. He is also a big cuddler and loves to nuzzle, which just melts my heart.

I love these little buggers to pieces and cant wait to get my baby fix on tonight! I will have a co-babysitter again (since I cant do anything by myself) but she has lots of nieces and nephews so I think we can handle these two. Wish me luck!

Late on the Lu...Lu That is!

2010-03-22T11:49:00.001-07:00

After actively practicing hot yoga for about a year and half now, I only recently discovered what brand the little symbol on every one's clothing that looks like an outline of a 50's hair do belonged to...Lululemon.

You might be thinking: "Where the hell has Marge been?", or, "How can she call herself a yogini and not know what Lululemon is?" I too thought these very same things about myself. I'm embarrassed, I'm sorry.

EVERYONE in my yoga class seems to wear the Lulu so I was like, okay, this stuff must be pretty awesome, I need to look into it. I asked around and of course all my gal pals were like "What is wrong with you?". I immediately went to the web site to check it out and quickly realized why I do not own any Lulu... because it costs almost as much as my jeans and I hate spending money on workout clothing, which is in part why I am always dressed up (even on planes). Any who, I continued my independent survey, and everyone I spoke with only had awesome things to say about the line and how well it fits, and also that it doesn't fade or shrink. I started thinking... I go to yoga about three times/week and I am constantly washing everything so perhaps I should give the pants a whirl.

I decided to bite the bullet and go to the store to check them out in person. The only store I know of is at Bell Square (apparently there is an outlet up in Everett as well). I walked in and the best way I can describe this place is like a cross between jean shopping (different sizes/shapes/colors in cubbies) with a twist of Abercrombie and Fitch (good looking teeny boppers pretending to fold things whilst loud music thumps). I of course looked for a sale rack, but no such luck...hmm. I grabbed the Groove Pant with the white belt in a "Tall". I quickly found out that "Tall" is meant for abnormally tall people. I guess 5 8.5" is considered regular?

I looked around for some other goodies, but just couldn't bring myself to buy a sports bra for $52. The cool thing about this place is that they give you your purchase in one of those cute little red and black reusable bags, which I love for bringing breakfast to work, etc. And since everyone else has them, I can now be one of the cool people ;) Yay me.

I haven't worn them yet but I am super excited to try them out. They are VERY comfortable and make me look smaller than I am, which is always a good thing. I am running a 12K in April so they will be perfect for a Spring run!

P.S. I also recently discovered Hanky Panky's. One size fits all ... what a concept! I love em!

Cafe Juanita

2010-03-18T08:42:00.000-07:00

Where do I start?

First, a BIG thank you to my wonderful mom and dad (G & F) for honoring my birthday request to dine here for my last dinner as a twenty-something. Its no Red Robin, so I feel very lucky that I was able to enjoy this amazing cuisine with my parents and boyfriend. And A.M.A.Z.I.N.G it was in deed...

I of course arrived on time and sat alone at the table for a good ten minutes while my bf and parents tried to find parking (I walked since I literally live around the corner). I felt like Carrie Bradshaw on her 35th birthday when everyone forgot about her special dinner. I thought about ordering the $417 bottle of red wine for the table but though F might not be too thrilled about that.

When they finally arrived, I took a chance and ordered a red wine I had never even heard of (they only had four choices by the glass). It was wonderful! Very buttery and smooth with very little aftertaste which I just love, and in my opinion, is a sign of a good wine.

Rosso Toscano '06 Aia Vecchia, Logone.

We sipped on our wine while we reviewed the menu, which I have to say, was no easy task. I honestly couldn't tell you what half of the items actually are. You know you are at a special place when they refer to game meat as "fowl".

We started with a bread plate that contained cheese crisps, a foccacia type bread, and other thin crackers with herbs. They serve this with butter and sea salt. We also ordered the prosciutto di parma. It comes very thinly sliced with a puffed cheese cracker. So good and salty just the way I like it! My family members are big fans of cured meats ;)

As a second course, I had the radicchio salad with a balsamic vinegar and freshly shaved Parmesan. I absolutely love anything with vinegar and Parmesan so this was just the perfect salad for me. My mom and BF ordered the avocado citrus salad and my dad had the Parmesan soup.

On to the main event! Just as F was about to order Thumper (aka the rabbit), the waiter presented the special, Trout. Not the kind you catch in the creek out back, may I add. I had a bite and although reminiscent of salmon with a slightly pink color, the flavor was so delicious and different! I had never had it before, so would definitely try ordering it myself sometime.

I was the odd man out and ordered the beef. OH.MY.GOD it was like the best steak I have ever had. If I recall, our waiter mentioned the beef came from Australia and it was aged so perfectly that it would be like butter. And... he was right! I barely needed a knife but was trying to maintain my etiquette and used it anyway. The steak was accompanied by Gorgonzola and a brown butter sauce with a bit a sage and also some of those yummy little pearl onions that had been caramelized. It was seriously to die for. I ate every bite (not that large of a portion, so I don't feel bad about myself).

For desert we all shared the very chocolate, and salted carmel gelatos. Super yummy and the perfect way to end a fabulous dinner.

I give it 4 stars! I would love to go back someday but definitely a place for a special occasion.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

2010-03-17T14:28:00.001-07:00

The Benefit of Turning 30...

2010-03-16T11:52:00.000-07:00

You get to ask your parents to take you here.....

I am so extremely excited to eat a meal at this establishment, I can hardly contain myself. One of the Chefs, Holly Smith, will battle on an upcoming "Next Iron Chef"!

I. CANNOT. WAIT.

Girl Scout Cookies Continued...

2010-03-15T13:48:00.000-07:00

So, I couldnt resist... my dearest friend Jamie made me Samoa Cookie Cupcakes for my birthday celebration. How amazing do these look? Well, they taste even more incredible.

Thanks James for making these very special treats for another Marge Madness (last year she made me coconut key lime cupcakes and they were TDF!).

Girl Scouts

2010-03-11T12:09:00.000-08:00

Its that time of year yet again where cute, wide eyed little girls are mustering up the courage to ask "um, do you want to buy some girl scout cookies?".

They are pretty cute aren't they? But those little girls hold a lot of power.

It used to be easier for me to avoid them when they were just outside one of the grocery store entrances... I would just use the other one! But they have gotten smarter. Now they tag-team and cover all of the entrances, so that you have nowhere to hide! I had to pull out some of my "when dining alone" tricks like pretending someone is calling me or checking my Blackberry, digging around in my purse for nothing, looking around for a companion, etc.

I find it especially challenging to avoid them when I am participating in Lent. Its like they were put there to test me and my will power. Terrible timing. This year I gave up cookies.

They have also infiltrated commercial foods like Dairy Queen's Thin Mint Girl Scout Cookie Blizzard, and Dreyer's Girl Scout Cookie Ice Cream (Samoa - my favorite!). I mean, WTF? They are everywhere, even banks now (talk about the perfect local!). They remind me of those creepy little toe head kids with the red eyes in Village of the Damned but instead saying "cookies... cookies" whilst chasing after me in slow motion! YIKES!

So far I have successfully avoided the cookie brigade at two grocery stores and Bank of America. I wish you all the best of luck in your avoidance adventures and if you fall into their trap and buy "just one box", I wish you the best of luck.

Happy Thursday!

Blah Blah Blah & Recipe

2010-03-10T09:34:00.000-08:00

I recently decided to acknowledge that I have neglected my little blog for lack of relevant content. I really haven't been cooking like I used to...

A) Because I live in a 600 square foot apartment that REEKS whenever I cook something
B) I have zero counter space (I want a house!!!)
C) Since I started yoga, have a small window of time during the week to make something decent

Since I love to write (and I do :)), I decided I would start sharing my daily trials and tribulations, in addition to writing about food!

My life can sometimes be pretty entertaining and absurd so what better way than to keep documentation (albeit online for everyone to see) of my daily mishaps.

Stay tuned!

I did want to share a recipe I stumbled upon while reading Women's Health in Mexico.

Cornflake Chicken
*This is a spin on fried chicken by Katie Lee. I didn't copy the entire recipe so had to improvise a bit.

Ingredients:
4 pieces boneless chicken breasts
2C Cornflakes
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste
3 tbl good Dijon mustard

First, combine cornflakes with oregano, garlic powder and salt and pepper. You can ether smash in a zip lock bag, or put in a food processor. You want to get the cornflakes to a fine consistency. You'll notice I didn't do this for mine... I wanted to see how it would turn out in larger pieces.

Next, rub each piece with Dijon mustard. Then dip in cornflake mixture and coat each side generously. Place on baking sheet and back 20 minutes on each side at 425 degrees. My pieces were larger, so you may need less cooking time depending on the size of your breasts. Ha!

I served mine (to myself) with a BBQ sauce mixture. I mix my favorite BBQ sauce with a tsp of Dijon and splash of balsamic vinegar. It makes it a bit more tangy, which I really like.

Happy faux fried chicken!

Hasta la vista USA!

2010-02-22T13:56:00.001-08:00

It's true, I am about to embark on my very first week-long vacation in about ten years, and to top it off, my crackberry doesn't work where I am going and I have no plans to visit any "cafes" other than ones that make really strong Mexican coffee. AND, I have no obligations... other than swimming with dolphins of course, which is a life-long dream of mine and my 30th birthday gift to myself (thanks Jamie for the best birthday idea ever = Birthday Pool).

I will be visiting the beautiful Mayan Riviera at the El Cid Resort, about 30 miles south of Cancun in Puerto Morelos, Mexico. I am heading across the border for six whole days with my dearest gal pals from Redmond High School (which has now suddenly become a haven for bad behavior... kids were busted from undercover cops for selling meth and crack during school hours... WTF!). No boyfriends, husbands, babies or pets... just us girls relaxin' and reminiscing about our last trip to Mexico circa 1998 - we visited Mazatlan for our senior trip and instead of eating actual food, we saved our cash for booz and bull riding...and you know the rest ;)

I plan to eat a lot of yummy Mexican food and drink a lot of fruity frozen beverages as I lay in the sun and think about absolutely nothing. Did I mention how excited I am??

I hope to try some new things along the way, so that I can blog about them upon my return. In the mean time, I thought I would update my reader (yes, singular, assuming Franz is the only one that reads this thing...) and let you know what I accomplished on my list of must-make items for the fall/winter.

1. Pumpkin Chip Cookies - CHECK - I even have a few left in the freezer for a treat craving.

2. Pork Roast - CHECK - This was questionable... need to try it again.

3. Jackie's Joy Pretty Potatoes - CHECK - But, not so pretty...

4. Gretl's Chili and Lori's Corn Bread - NO CHECKS... maybe next fall!

5. Barefoot Contessa's Mac and Cheese - CHECK - Michelle and I made this for the Johnson's and we all devoured it (such a fun and relaxing visit :)).

6. Marge's Candy Brownies - CHECK - Made them for New Year's Eve and they were once again a hit.

7. Pumpkin Risotto - CHECK - Made this for Friend's Thanksgiving. The boys thought it was spanish rice... but it tasted amazing in my own personal opinion.

8. Mexican Lasagna - CHECK - Made one of my best versions yet for Super Bowl this year at the Kalamakis's beautiful new home.

9. Gretl's Artichoke Dip - CHECK - made this for a high school friend's gathering. Not as thick as I would have liked, but the flavor was just as I remember it!

10. Apple Pie/Tart - CHECK - This turned out so delicious and I plan to use different types of fruit to make one this spring!

And that's all for now... Happy Almost March, I mean Marge Madness!

P.S. That is not really me in the image above if you were wondering.

Boston Eats

2009-11-02T12:48:00.000-08:00

Every year I visit Boston, I take one day whilst the Mullins are hard at work, and take the best public transportation ever, into the city to Newbury Street (a street full of shops I cannot afford) and lunch all by myself (I check my phone frequently to look like I am occupied when really I am not) at Stephanie's.

I always order the same thing: the Classic Chunky Chicken Salad. It is hands down the best chicken salad I have ever tasted. It comes with a side salad of fresh tomatoes (they look like beef steak tomatoes) and greens tossed in a light vinaigrette, and a slice of Irish soda bread with raisins. It is such the perfect combo of creamy, tangy and sweet. The chicken salad is tossed in a light mayo, capers and nuts. The chicken is roasted and comes in huge moist chunks. I love it but I can never finish it ;) I highly recommend visiting this joint for a yummy lunch if you are in the area.

So after visiting the usual, I also experienced a new joint - The Barking Crab, not to be confused with Woodinville's Barking Frog. Although neither species can actually bark, these two places are polar opposites.

Any who, back to the crab... this restaurant should be called the Crab Shack; it just has more of that type of feel to it. Super cute place located downtown on the water, people wearing bibs and crab nets hanging all over the place.

We ordered clams for an app and they were yummy! However, this was the first time I have ever received a clam with the tail or whatever the hell that thing is, still on it. It was grasth...

For dinner I ordered the lobster sandy (when in Rome!) and it was worth the $2o! Fresh lobster chunks, seasoned and laid inside a hot dog bun. It was deelish. I opted for the side salad vs. the gut bomb, I mean french fries. Although pricey, you are in deed getting a fresh catch and the atmosphere is super fun - great place for a group!

Cant wait to get back to my favorite East Coast hot spot in 2010! Later Beantown.

Shipyard Pumkinhead Ale

2009-10-27T12:48:00.002-07:00

I just got home from my annual cross-country jaunt to visit my dear friends the Mullins in Waltham, MA and happy to report I ate and drank like a superstar!

More to come on the eats... but first, the drinks! One of the reasons I chose to visit Boston this year during the fall, is because this time LAST year when I visited, I enjoyed the most fabulous brew, Shipyard Pumpkinhead Ale!

I have been listening to Stacie rave about this beer for several years now, so I was so excited to finally try it last year and I was even more excited to toss back a few of my new fall favorite this year.

Shipyard is an east coast thing, so I have been doing a little research to see if I can find a local pumpkin ale. Turns out Elysian Brewing Company has one! I have not tried this yet but since there is a Brewpub adjacent to Qwest Field, a place I frequent, I think I am going to add this to my list!

Here's to Fall, bottoms up!

Nothing better than a hot bowl of soup!

2009-10-20T16:33:00.001-07:00

Marge's B-Nut Soup
This one is not on the list but I am proud to say that I winged this one!

Inspired by all of the gourds (squash, pumpkins, etc) I have seen prominently displayed at the grocery store, I snagged myself a butternut squash and went to work on my first try at making soup. I wanted to make this from scratch to see if I could do it, but also for my love of soup, but without all the sodium that it comes with when store bought.

Ingredients:
1 butternut squash
1/2 apple, grated
3 cups vegetable broth (low sodium)
1 cup water
1 teaspoon nutmeg
2 garlic cloves minced
1/2 tablespoon salt
1/4 tablespoon pepper
1/4 cup milk or cream
2 tablespoons olive oil for roasting
chives for garnish
sour cream for garnish

How I did it:
First, carefully peel and dice the gourd into 1 inch cubes. Toss in olive oil and spread out onto a cookie sheet. Roast at 350 degrees for about 40 minutes or until tender.

In the meantime, heat vegetable stock and water.

Using a blender (or emulsion tool, ricer, etc., which I don't have), place 1/3 of the roasted squash and about 1/2 cup of the stock into the blender, cover the blender with a towel (so it wont explode) and blend until think and smooth. Remove from blender and add to clean pot. Continue to do this until all of the squash and stock are blended.

Next, add garlic, nutmeg, s&p and mix over low heat. Then add milk or cream. Let sit for about 10 minutes on low heat.

Serve with chopped chives and a dollop of sour cream! I enjoyed my soup with a fresh mozzarella and sourdough grilled cheese made under the broiler (little trick I learned from a special friend).

Rustic Apple Tart!

2009-10-19T15:02:00.000-07:00

Four items from my "To Do" list down, and seven to go!

I received a pallet of Washington's finest straight from Wenatchee from a client of ours, which included my favorite hybrid, the Honey Crisp!

You can imagine my excitement when I opened the box and saw all these freshly picked, sticker-free apples since my list included some sort of apple desert - the perfect excuse to knock this one off the list!

As I usually do, I turned to my friend Ina Garten for a good/easy apple really "make it my own" (in the words of Paula Abdul circa American Idol).

What you will need for the crust:
1.5 sticks of cold, diced salt free butter
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup ice cold water

How to make the crust:
1. Pulse butter, flour, sugar and salt together until small beads are formed. (I don't have a food processor so I used a hand mixer).
2. Add cold water slowly until dough comes together.
3. Kneed briefly, then form into a ball and refrigerate for at least one hour.

What else you ll need:
1. 4 sliced apples (Contessa, Barefoot calls for Granny Smith apples, which I too would normally use for baking, but since I had all of these delicious apples, I decided to go for the Honey Crisp.)
2. 1.5 tablespoons of apricot or another favorite jam
3. Juice from half a lemon juice (only use this if you use a non-baking apple that needs a bit of tartness)
4. 1 egg yolk
5. 1/2 tablespoon of sugar
6. 2 tablespoons cold, diced salt free butter

Next, roll out the chilled dough in a round form. Take a fork and prick the surface. Mix the apple slices with the lemon juice, sugar and jam. Next, arrange sliced apples neatly over the dough leaving a 1.5 inch border around all edges. Once the apples have been placed, fold the edges over gently and brush with egg wash (makes it shiny). Lastly, drop little pieces of the cold butter on the crust and over to apples.

Pop it into a 400 degree oven for about 40 minutes or until brown, and enjoy! I like that this looks a bit more rustic and it was just wonderful with a glass of white wine!

Not So Pretty Potato...

2009-10-15T11:14:00.000-07:00

I had meaning to try Jackie's Joy Pretty Potatoes. I'm not much of a regular potato fan so I wanted to try this great recipe with a sweet potato. I was a little nervous because they tend to get mushy a lot easier than regular russet potatoes but willing to give it a shot.

I started by slicing through the tater carefully to make slits. NOTE: this is rather challenging without slicing completely through the darn thing. It took me like 10 minutes to do this. Next, I actually used pre-pressed garlic instead of the sliced garlic (just because that is what I had on hand), a little olive oil, and a lot of sea salt and freshly cracked pepper.

I popped the little guy into a 400 degree oven and held my breath. About 40 minutes later, I removed him from the oven to cool off. He was nice and brown on top but a bit too soft in the center as I had suspected he would be.

I whipped up the sour cream, chives, garlic, s&p topping and laid a huge dollop on top. It was delicious! Not what I had hoped it would be or nearly as presentable as Jackie's, it taste great! So, thanks girl for sharing a great, simple recipe that is a great side with any meat or poultry.

Roast This!

2009-10-12T16:11:00.000-07:00

Number two on my list - roasted pork loin! I have to preface this entry with the fact that I am very intimidated by cooking proteins (meat, poultry, fish). As much as I love meat and fish, I typically stick with simple recipes that I cannot royally screw up. However, I usually end up cooking things too long, which I suppose is better than the thing still talking, but, no one likes a dry piece of chicken :(

I was recently inspired by a gift from my Mom (Gretl) - a meat thermometer! After I recommitted to writing on my little blog, I purchased a loin of pork on sale (woot!) and thought I would try it out after our glorious win over the Jags Sunday. I thought: Worst comes to worst, I feed the loin to Lily - she will eat anything.

I bing'd a simple recipe for roasted pork which included the following:
1. Olive Oil
2. Sea Salt and pepper
3. Dried rosemary
4. KITCHEN STRING

So, in my typical hurried fashion, I seasoned my loin up nice and good and as I went to seer the sides, the entire thing fell apart on me. Oof. I failed to notice that I needed kitchen string to tie the thing together.

I wasn't about to give to up so I improvised and snagged some dental floss. I know, sounds grasth, but in the end you never would have known! I remembered how B-foot Contessa ties up her loins and gave it whirl. It was by no means simple, but it worked!

After searing the meat on both sides, I placed it on a lined pan and popped it into a 350 degree oven. Cooking time suggested 1 hour and 20 minutes. I checked it after 30 and it was moving along nicely. After about 50 minutes, I decided to test my new tool and shoved it into the center of the loin hoping for a 160 temp read. To my dismay it read 190! I overcooked it... surprise, surprise. I immediately turned everything off and let the thing rest (and continue to cook, oof). After it was cooled I sliced into it and it wasn't as terrible as I thought. Slightly over cooked, but realllllly delicious! Or, maybe I have just become accustomed to dry meat? Either way, I consider it a success on the first try.

I obviously had way too much for one person, so I froze some and enjoyed leftovers the second night with some Swiss cheese and dried apricots (really good combo)! See photo above.

Best of luck with all of your protein adventures.

Ciao.

One down!

2009-10-12T10:48:00.000-07:00

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

I checked the first item off my list and made some of these yummy fall treats for a friend's 30th birthday shindig!

Here is what you will need:

2 sticks of unsalted butter (softened)

1 cup sugar

1 cup light brown sugar

2 eggs (at room temp)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup canned pumpkin puree

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips or chunks

How to do it:

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.

Using a mixer or whisk, cream butter and sugars together; add vanilla. Next, add one egg at a time until well mixed; then incorporate pumpkin puree. In a separate bowl, sift together flour, salt, baking soda and spices. Slowly add flour mixture until well incorporated. Add chocolate pieces last.

Bake for approx. 15-17 minutes and let cool on wire rack. Then enjoy with your favorite ice cream, a latte, or as a late night snack all by themselves!

I Just Remembered I Have a Blog!

2009-10-07T11:55:00.000-07:00

I'm baaaack! If anyone actually reads this...

I have been on "sabatical" and well, quite frankly, I just havent had anything too exciting to write about (food wise that is). But, now that my favorite time of year has arrived, I have decided it is time to start cookin' and bakin' again!

So, I thought I would share some recipes I plan on making this beautiful Fall season - might extend into the Winter season schedule pending!

1. Pumpkin Chip Cookies

2. Pork Roast - Have been meaning to test out my new meat thermometer

3. Jackie's Joy "Pretty Potatoes" - I am going to try this with sweet potatoes I think
4. Gretl's chili and Lori's yummy corn bread

5. Barefoot Contessa Mac & Cheese - Already sort of made this for Delane, Kev and Parker (she could only smell it at 5 weeks of age) but had another request!

6. Marge's Candy Brownies

7. Pumpkin Risotto

8. Mexican Lasagna - A football favorite courtesy of my friend Heather Linderman AND I never make it the same twice!

9. Gretl's Artichoke Dip - Always a party fav

10. Apple Pie/Tart

I'll be sure to document my cooking adventures as I knock each of these off the list!

Happy Fall all.

JBay Bar & Grill

2009-04-22T13:39:00.001-07:00

Fellow Eastsiders: Looking for a new hot spot? I may have found one, and just steps away from my front door! That probably doesn't mean anything to anyone but me, but I am all about easily accessible establishments.

JBay Bar & Grill, formerly known as the Juanita Bay Pub (ya know, the place on the corner of 100th with the volleyball court and dive'ish feel inside) recently opened and is in full swing! I have been admiring the transformation of this joint for months, so finally decided to bite the bullet and check it out for myself. Hints of its popularity? Well, the parking lot is always full (though that could be because there are only like 10 parking spaces), decent looking individuals coming and going, and well, the smell of a good burger as I run by with my dog was rather tempting.

So, last weekend a few of my good Eastside friends and I made an occasion to grab some drinks and dins. It literally took me like 3.5 minutes to get the place (located next to the well-known Cafe Juanita) so needless to say, I didn't worry about the multiple yummy Blue Moon beers I consumed (with a slice of orange on the side; the only way to drink a Blue Moon).

The setting is reminiscent of Joey's which for some of you, could be a turn off. Normally, that would be for me, but I decided to look past the waitresses with thigh high boots and shorty shorts (mostly because they were super nice and actually paid attention to their tables). And well, some of the male specimens that congregated had definitely just come from Gold's Gym, right before they finished their bye-weekly spray tans. Turbos I like to call them. Good people, but their biceps are usually bigger than their brains. In general, great people watching!!!

The bar also has like 8-10 plasma TV's, which was great - every direction you turn there is a TV to view your favorite sport! They also have what looked like a dance floor, though the square footage to "get down" is about as big as my office system (office system = Cubicle). They did however play great beats, a little loud, but a good play list of recent hits.

Now for the food... well... it was... mediocre at best. Their menu is very diverse, but not a lot to choose from and no rhyme or reason to their options i.e. if you asked me what kind of food they have, I wouldn't know what to tell you.

I had the pulled turkey ciabatta sandy. It was pretty good but the turkey slightly dry, ciabatta bread slightly a day old, and the fries that came on the side LOOKED good, but were a little chilly. I also had a side salad with blue cheese, which was actually really good. Let's just say my Blue Moon's made it all worth while.

Overall, I would give it a 2.5 out of a 5. They still have some decorating to complete and a menu to perfect. But, I would definitely go back. If anyone wants to join me, you ll have a place to sleep :)

Happy bar hopping!

For more information: http://www.jbaybarandgrill.com/

It's been awhile!

2009-04-21T12:59:00.000-07:00

No one is probably going to read this since I have been a horrid blogger and have not written anything in loooong time!

BUT, I'm back and I am going to try to make an effort to take a few moments away from soccer and football and document my food related life moments more often!

To kick off my renewed blogging, I thought I would share some interesting finds on water temperature for those of you who drink tea like me (I also drink coffee but apparently this only applies to tea drinkers).

Recent studies done in the Middle East show that tea drinkers who drink their tea extra hot, are actually putting themselves at a greater risk of getting throat cancer. Not because of the tea (that is the part that is actually good for you :)), but tea in water that exceeds 158 degrees F (FYI - water boils at 212 degrees F). HOT!

Research showed that drinking tea less than two minutes after pouring was associated with a five-fold higher risk for throat cancer, compared with drinking it four or more minutes after being poured. Essentially, these findings lend support to the notion that scorching liquids may cause damage to the throat’s epithelial linings and lead to cancer.*

We reviewed this article at our Easter brunch and nearly scared my tea-drinking cousin into a tizzy over it. Anything in today's world seems to cause cancer one way or another, so take this how you will. However, if you are a logical person, you would recognize that drinking boiling hot water wouldn't be so good for you, and ultimately cause adverse effects on your body. And, I know y'all have burnt your tongues doing it this way and who likes a burnt tongue? Not I!

Moral of the entry: don't be in such a hurry, let your tea sit for a few and enjoy a nice luke warm tea vs. sipping on a hot spring.

*More information can be found here:
http://www.healthnews.com/medical-updates/hot-tea-may-increase-risk-esophageal-cancer-2873.html

Ciao for now!

Aloha!

2009-03-13T10:59:00.000-07:00

I have been a BAD blogger, this I know! I honestly have not had any time or opportunities to eat awesome food/bev and write about it. BUT, I did just get back from Maui (my dear friends the RinoCoffey's got Maui'd a couple weeks ago) and I enjoyed several yummy Mai Tai's and a personal favorite, the Lava Flow!

Upon my arrival in a very windy version of Maui, I immediately headed to the nearest pool side bar for one of these suckers... they are absurd to say the least. I don't think there is much alcohol in them, but they are superb and really add to the "tropical" experience. They are especially yummy when you start drinking them at 2pm in the afternoon whilst sunning yourself (PS - If you use Maui Babe, lather some SPF on first :)).

Any who, if you have never had the pleasurable experience of downing a Lava Flow, here is a bit more info on what exactly they are. I like to describe them as a lovely meeting of Pina Colada and strawberry daiquiri.

Ingredients:
1 oz. light rum
1 oz. Malibu® coconut rum
2 oz. fresh or frozen strawberries
1 small banana
2 oz. unsweetened pineapple juice
2 oz. coconut cream

Preparation: Blend the 2 rums and the strawberries in a blender to form a smooth paste. Pour this mixture into a tall (Collins or Hurricane) glass. Rinse the blender. Blend the banana, the coconut cream, and the pineapple juice in blender with crushed ice until smooth. Pour this mixture into the glass with the rums very slowly and watch as the strawberry mixture oozes its way to the top along the sides of the glass creating the flowing lava effect. Garnish with a pineapple wedge and paper umbrella.

Note: DO NOT EXCEED 3-4 OF THESE DRINKS OTHERWISE YOU WILL PAY FOR IT IN MORE WAYS THAN ONE. Discretion advised!

Super Snack

2009-01-30T14:13:00.001-08:00

I just received this image accompanied by a recipe in my email and nearly fell out of my chair. LOL. How ridiculous is this!

The sheer fact that someone took the time to create this masterpeice AND calculate the calories, is mind boggling!!!!

The Field:
1 Pound of Guacamole
15 Oz. Queso Dip For The Steelers End Zone
15 Oz. Salsa For The Cardinals End Zone
2 Oz. Sour Cream for the Field Lines

The Players:
15 Vienna Sausages
Helmets - 3 Oz. Sharp Cheddar Cheese

The Goal Posts:
1 Slim Jim for Each Goal Post
1 Oz. Monterey Jack Cheddar To Anchor (each)

The Stands:
58 Twinkies
1 Pound of Bacon
1 Bag of Nacho Cheese Doritos
1 Bag of Cheetos
1 Bag of Corn Tortilla Chips
1 Bag of Chex Mix

The Blimp:
20 Oz. Football-Shaped Summer Sausage (optional) (on second thought, no, this isn't optional. Go buy one.)

TOTAL CALORIES: 24,375
TOTAL GRAMS OF FAT: 1,285
TOTAL COST: $86.47

Enjoy!

Potatoes a La Jacques Pepin

2009-01-23T11:44:00.000-08:00

I have been a really bad blogger of late... but, it is my new New Year's resolution to be more inspired by cooking and food and write about it!

I hope to come back with an inspiring post after my weekend excursion.

In the mean time, I thought I would share a recipe my mom and dad discovered on crazy Rachael Ray. Although super annoying and cheesy beyond belief, she does have some pretty "yumo" recipes, this one a French inspired potato dish.

What you will need:
1 lb or bag of new potatoes, mini gold potatoes, russtes, etc. Basically something small.
3 - 4 cups of chicken stock, reduced sodium
2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
Herbs of your choice either fresh or dried (basil, dill, thyme, oregano, etc)
2 tbls unsalted butter
1 tbls olive oil

What to do:
- Poor about 3 cups chicken stalk in a stalk pot and drop potatoes in with 1/2 of salt; turn on boil and let em' go until the stock is nearly gone (about 30 minutes)
- Check potatoes for done-ness and add additional cup if needed (another 10-15 minutes)
- Once all of the liquid has been absorbed, add olive oil and sauteed potatoes for about a minute
- Place in bowl and toss with butter, salt, pepper and herbs

This is super easy and it really makes a boring old potato into something special and full of flavor!

Enjoy!

MY perfect Oatmeal!

2008-12-22T11:52:00.000-08:00

Since I was snowed in last week, I took it upon myself to make a warm and hearty breakfast!

Starbucks claims they have the perfect oatmeal but I have to dissagree (sorry James). I eat oatmeal daily during the winter time (can't seem to get hot stuff down during the summer months i.e. oatmeal, soups, stews, etc.). I usually go for the "quick oats" and just add water.

Quick oats do not equate to oatmeal packets with the flavorings; we are talking straight oats, no flavor, no sugar, no fun. I add raisens and cinnamon to spice it up a bit, literally.

Well, I made an impulse buy at Trader Joe's last week and came home with steel cut oats; the kind that take a good ten minutes to make and over the stove with lots of stirring ;) I added some dried pears and candied walnuts and... YUM!

I enjoyed my hearty oats as the snow fell... and fell... and is probably still falling.

Happy winter!

Grayson's 1st Birthday!

2008-12-08T17:08:00.001-08:00

I had the honor of baking cupcakes for my most favorite little boy, Grayson, one of my very best friend's son. He turned 1 years old last week and we celebrated by putting the kid into a sugar shock.

I made my standard cupcakes, but this time I mistakenly purchased extra large cupcake wrappers and had to quadruple my recipe so that the batter would fit, LOL! They were HUGE and VERY green... my attempt at creating something that resembled a frog.

I've got the 'frosting spread' down pretty good, however, I am terrible with the cake decorating set and my frog tongues looked more like handicapped frogs trying to smile. Oh well, they WERE for 1 year olds and at the end of the day, Grayson didnt really care :)

Happy birthday little buddy!

Deep Fried Turkey

2008-12-03T14:13:00.000-08:00

Hands down the best turkey I have ever had was about two weeks ago at our friend's Thanksgiving/Apple Cup Celebration (Go Cougs!).

The bird was prepared by Bill Bartlow; support provided by the Partridges, whom I love dearly, but they didnt know ass from breast on this one ;) Luckily we had a ringer carver in the house who saved the day and cut the poor bastard clean! P.S. Electric knives = a BIG no no.

Okay so back to how to cook the darn thing. I have never done this myself, but according to the cooks, it took approx. 40 minutes to cook a 15 pound turkey. It was cooked to perfection I might add ;) I am one of those people who loves the skin, so you can imagine how wide my eyes got at first glance of this thing...

Prepartion:

For whole turkeys, inject 60 percent marinade deep into the breast muscles, 30 percent into the leg and thigh muscles and 10 percent into the meaty wing section. Do not inject the marinade just under the skin, as a water-based marinade will result in the hot oil popping and splattering. You can find great marinade or brine recipes on the Food Network, Williams Sonoma or good old fashioned Joy of Cooking. You are going to want to do this the day prior for a well seasoned bird.

Under no circumstances should this be done indoors...

Cooking Process:

1. Typically, a 30 to 40 quart vessel with lid, basket, lifting hook and burner will do.

2. Add PEANUT oil to the fill line indicated using up to three to five gallons. Only oils that have high smoke points should be used.

3. Preheat the oil to 375°F. Maintain the oil’s temperature at 350°F thereafter.

4. To prevent excess splattering, SLOWLY lower the turkey into the oil.

5. For whole turkeys, allow 3 minutes to 4 minutes per pound. The internal temperature should be 165°F to 170°F in the breast and 175°F to 180°F in the thigh.

6. Let rest for 15-20 minutes and carve it up!

If you would like to learn more about how to actually carve a turkey, click on the link below to view Cliff Huckstable (sp) teach Theo how to do so with a cabbage (circa sometime in the 80's).http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJSCKCj0FUU

Moons Over Mihammy

2008-11-10T14:35:00.000-08:00

No, I did not go to Denny's and order this infamous scramble; I actually visited Miami in person! I just like to name trips and events (i.e. Marge Madness) things that make me laugh :)

Moons Over Mihammy = A last minute work trip (Hawks vs. Phins). Over the course of 48 hours, I was able to soak up some serious rays, enjoy a long walk on the beach, and some delicious eats in Miami's most popular scene, South Beach.

Keep in mind this was a work trip... but when your task is to entertain clients in South Florida, it isn't hard to make work fun. We arrived pretty late Friday night, so we stayed on site at the lobby lounge at the amazing hotel we stayed at, the Westin Diplomat http://www.diplomatresort.com/ and enjoyed some serious Mojitos. I don't know about yall, but whenever I have ordered a Mojito in Seattle, it takes about a half an hour to muddle, mix and serve. In Miami, Mojitos are like Margaritas in Mexico - they come quick, strong and require lots of aspirin the next day. I enjoyed three....

Saturdays are typically free days for our guests, so I took the liberty of rising early and walked along the beautiful beach before I planted myself on a $10 beach lounge (which I didn’t have to pay for = a simple wink at a cabana boy goes a long way). Over the course of the next 8 hours, I enjoyed some of the best people watching and eavesdropping of my adult life. I also enjoyed watching our PR department frolic in the waves with a stolen Frisbee, and enjoyed two heavenly Pina Coladas... the kind with the toppers on them ;) During all of this I worked up quite an appetite, seeing as though I neglected to consume some lunch.

By the time 7pm rolled around, I was more than ready for a fab dinner. We decided to take the group into South Beach (about 30 minutes from our hotel) to Lario's, which is owned by Gloria Estefan's husband. We were greeted by a really tall, beautiful Cuban woman with big curly hair, light eyes and a rather large bottom. This to me was the quintessential Miami bar hostess... gotta love that!

Any who, the place was very low lit and smelled of amazing, authentic Cuban cuisine. They also had a live band playing what I would call ‘Mambo Kings type stuff’, which made it that much more of an authentic experience. Their bar had every kind of rum imaginable and a huge bucket of fresh limes ready for muddling. It also smelled of some cigars… the freshly rolled, by fresh off the boaters, kind…

We started off with some Mojitos of course, accompanied by some fried sweet potatoes, which were amazing! They slice them really thick and then drop them in some hot oil and serve. So good! I thought I would go all out and ordered the Cuban roasted pork. It literally looked like they cut it directly off the pig! Sounds gross but believe me, anything but gross! I couldn't even tell you what they put on it; all I know is that it was soo incredibly yummy. All their dishes come with rice and black beans (mixed together) and plantains. I have got to figure out how to make plantains... they were the perfect complement to the pork and rice and beans. I could not finish my plate but enjoyed enough to put myself into a food coma.

In hindsight it was good I didn't eat lunch.

Marge's Rating: 4 Stars and would SO go back ;)
For more information, visit http://www.miamibeach411.com/Restaurants/larios.html

I shall return to this hot spot someday... hopefully next time with some good friends :)

Viva Miami!

The Black Pearl!

2008-10-28T12:53:00.002-07:00

I just got back from my annual trip to Boston, well this was actually my second trip in one year ;) I just LOVE Boston and of course visiting my dear friends the Mullins!

This trip was no different than the others… lots of eating! I enjoyed many delicious meals over my stay and will be hitting up hot yoga this evening to attempt to sweat them all out.

Anywho, by suggestion from my co-worker and good friend Christy, who used to live in New England, Stacie and I ventured to Newport, Rhode Island for the day and stopped by the Black Pearl Tavern for lunch. The Black Pearl is wedged in between two piers on the waterfront and is apparently known for their clam chowder (“chowduh” as said in a Boston accent). It is totally a hole in the all type place, complete with a full bar. Needless to say, it was packed at 1:00pm.

I am not really big on ordering soups when I lunch, but, when in Rome….. I ordered a yummy side salad with a light blue cheese dressing, Boston chard, radicchio, walnuts and granny smith apples, followed by their famous chowduh. It was pretty good; I can’t deny! Very buttery and light, with just the right ratio of potato and clams.

I will admit, I don’t have a lot to compare this to, as I am no chowduh expert , however, it was mighty tasty and totally worth the trip! They have a lot of other yummy items on their menu as well. Our neighbor was enjoying fried brie which of course looked amazing.

For more information, visit http://blackpearlnewport.com/.

Snack Attack!

2008-10-17T16:00:00.000-07:00

See how many you have tried! Bolded/underlined are the items I have tried.

1. Venison
2. Nettle tea
3. Huevos rancheros
4. Steak tartare
5. Crocodile
6. Black pudding
7. Cheese fondue
8. Carp
9. Borscht
10. Baba ghanoush
11. Calamari
12. Pho
13. PB&J sandwich
14. Aloo gobi
15. Hot dog from a street cart
16. Epoisses
17. Black truffle
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes
19. Steamed pork buns
20. Pistachio ice cream
21. Heirloom tomatoes
22. Fresh wild berries
23. Foie gras
24. Rice and beans
25. Brawn, or head cheese
26. Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper
27. Dulce de leche
28. Oysters
29. Baklava
30. Bagna cauda
31. Wasabi peas
32. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl
33. Salted lassi
34. Sauerkraut
35. Root beer float
36. Cognac with a fat cigar
37. Clotted cream tea
38. Vodka + Jell-O
39. Gumbo
40. Oxtail
41. Curried goat
42. Whole insects
43. Phaal
44. Goat's milk
45. Malt whisky from a bottle worth £60/$120 or more
46. Fugu
47. Chicken tikka masala
48. Eel
49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut
50. Sea urchin
51. Prickly pear
52. Umeboshi
53. Abalone
54. Paneer
55. McDonald's Big Mac Meal
56. Spaetzle
57. Dirty gin martini
58. Beer above 8% ABV
59. Poutine
60. Carob chips
61. S'mores
62. Sweetbreads
63. Kaolin
64. Currywurst
65. Durian
66. Frogs' legs
67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake
68. Haggis
69. Fried plantain
70. Chitterlings, or andouillette
71. Gazpacho
72. Caviar and blini
73. Louche absinthe
74. Gjetost, or brunost
75. Roadkill
76. Baijiu
77. Hostess Fruit Pie
78. Snail
79. Lapsang souchong
80. Bellini
81. Tom yum
82. Eggs Benedict
83. Pocky
84. Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant.
85. Kobe beef
86. Hare
87. Goulash
88. Flowers
89. Horse
90. Criollo chocolate
91. Spam
92. Soft shell crab
93. Rose harissa
94. Catfish
95. Mole poblano
96. Bagel and lox
97. Lobster Thermidor
98. Polenta
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee
100. Snake

Dairyliscious!

2008-10-14T09:40:00.000-07:00

I am sure all you ladies out there have heard it time and time again.... but you really should be eating yogurt daily! And this is why....

Yogurt has nutritional benefits beyond those of milk. I, thanks to my dear friend Shelby, drink a glass of 1% milk after dinner every night on weekdays (weekends = wine or beer J). BUT, the nutritional value/effects of milk for women decrease as we age, so it is super important to find other ways to incorporate dairy, specifically calcium, into your diet in a healthful way.

Yogurt is a great way to do this! It comes in so many different flavors and types i.e. low fat, low sugar, sweetened, unsweetened, Activia, etc. My personal favorite of late, is Weight Watchers. They have really yummy flavors like Lemon Cream Pie and Cheesecake and they are of course low fat and low sugar. And, they don’t have the fruit chunks = Blech!

FYI: They are always on sale at Safeway.

Yogurt also has many health benefits, such as, for a variety of gastrointestinal conditions, preventing antibiotic-associated diarrhea and even the dreaded yeast infection. Yogurt also promotes good gum health from the probiotic (probiotic = dietary supplements containing potentially beneficial bacteria or yeasts) effect of lactic acids present in yogurt and helps in some cases, with appetite suppression.

Here are some suggested ways you can eat yogurt:

- Breakfast with granola or fresh fruit
- Frozen!
- Unsweetened and strained with a little fresh dill, lemon juice and S&P = great on a Greek salad, in a pita sandwich or with cucumbers
- Smoothies!
- Mid-morning snack

Even if you are one of those folks with consistency issues like myself, try a few different brands until you find one you like; try it for a week and see you how you feel!

Happy yogurt hunting!

Saturday Nights In!

2008-10-06T10:11:00.000-07:00

As many of you know, during the football season I don't often emerge from my home on Saturday nights due to the fact that I awake at 5am, to get to work by 6am, to get everything I need to get done by 1pm (kickoff). Whew....

Well, this weekend was an away game (an ugly one at that) but I decided to hang in anyway. It was the perfect night for cheesy romantic comedies (which I typically loathe) and some of my favorite things!

Against all my rules on film selection, I opted to watch "Definitely Maybe". This is a terrible movie, but I'll admit that I enjoyed it a little. The wine I was guzzling helped a bit.

So the wine... if you read my silly little blog, you'll know that I just love Trader Joes. I like to try different wine each time I go there. However, last week I made a poor selection - a chard from Santa Barbara. It was way too bitter for my taste but the treats I ate along side of it cut the bitterness a 'bit' (pun intended) and I was able to get through two glasses.

Treats...If I could eat really good cheese and fruit for every meal, I surely would. I would then however be overweight :) So on occasion, I like to put together a plate of my favorite cheeses (usually gorgonzola, Cougar Cheese, goat cheese or Irish cheddar), along with granny smith apples, grapes and dried fruit, a meat of some kind (usually kilbasa but I bought some of that yummy low fat turkey pepperoni so had that instead) and crackers or fresh bread with olive oil. MMM!

After I enjoyed my gourmet plate for one, I splurged (which is also something I rarely do) on some heavenly coconut sorbet. Coconut anything is my favorite. I just love the smell and taste of it... and clearly someone else does too ;) Ice cream isn't bad for dogs is it???

Heres to cozy nights in this Fall with YOUR favorite things ;)

"WHOA, these suckers are hot!"

2008-10-02T08:53:00.000-07:00

This was my response when I thought I was tossing a candied almond into my mouth and as soon as I bit down, realized othwerwise. Although frightened at first, after a few chomps I decided what I was eating was rather enjoyable... wasabi almonds!

Im sure anyone who has dined on Asian cuisine has a tale of wasabi. The stuff is absurdly hot but only at first... leaving you then confused but happy you narrowly escaped a wasabi overdose. I remember the first time I had it and I was trying to act all tough like I could handle more than a teaspoon at a time...boy was I wrong.

Alright, so what is wasabi? According to my favorite source at Wikipedia:

asabia japonica - is a member of the Brassicaceae family, which includes cabbages, horseradish and mustard. Known as "Japanese horseradish", its root is used as a spice and has an extremely strong flavor. Its hotness is more akin to that of a hot mustard than the capsaicin in a chili pepper, producing vapors that irritate the nasal passages more than the tongue. The plant grows naturally along stream beds in mountain river valleys in Japan.

These things are actually quite addicting. They taste great with a glass of Sapporo ;)

Another little treat I recently discovered are wasabi coated peas! They are so yummy and I could honestly eat an entire bag in one sitting. They are really good on Asian salads (instead of those cracker like noodle things). They are much less expensive at Trader Joe's FYI.

Marge's Zippy Asian Salad Recipe (Serves 2):

1/2 head of green or red (or both) cabbage shredded
2 grilled chicken breasts sliced
1 tbls. toasted sesame seeds
1 tsp. red pepper flakes
1/2 cup of your favorite 'peanut' dressing or sauce
1/2 cup wasabi peas

Toss and serve!

Cupcakes for Baby Jacob Henry!

2008-09-22T11:41:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we celebrated the upcoming birth of my very dear friends Steph and Leroy's baby boy, Jacob Henry, their first child!

My contributions to the shower were red velvet cupcakes made from scratch (I don’t mess around when I bake). All in all I think they turned out great if I do say so myself, although a tad bit rich for my blood, and not as red as I would have liked.

I had initially planned on topping them with little trucks, which I thought would be super cute for a baby boy shower, but to my dismay, I could not locate an adequate adaptation to what I dreamed up in my head, so I had to go to plan B.

Plan B = me wondering around the greatest party store ever (Everything Party, Formerly Confetti Junction in Redmond, WA) until I found these adorable little blue rattles and pacifiers. This store has pretty much anything and everything you could imagine or not imagine, for a theme party. Go there and see for yourself, seriously (Halloween is just around the corner).

Back to my cupcakes… As I mentioned in my previous post, I was super nervous about trying red velvet. Anything that involves a “chemical reaction” freaks me out. The reaction between the vinegar and the baking soda turns the cocoa powder a reddish brown color, which turns the batter red (in addition to the red food coloring). I did not put enough food coloring; the batter was more a brick red vs. a bright red. If anyone has seen “Steel Magnolias”, J. Roberts’ cake was red velvet – an armadillo. The cake was so red it looked like blood!

PLUS, the Cupcake Queen, one Jamie McQuary, was in attendance and she makes some pretty yummy treats that are tough to compete with!

For the batter, I like to use cake flour because it is much lighter and makes the cupcakes really light and fluffy. This particular recipe called for sour cream, which I also really liked, because it kept the cake very moist. For the topping, I just love cream cheese frosting, and I thought the combination would be really good. I just mix equal parts unsalted butter and cream cheese and add powdered sugar (about 2-3 cups) until blended well. You can add food coloring to this recipe if you like. I opted for white this time.

Everyone seemed to really enjoy them, so I consider that a success! They were fun to make and I might just make a spooky version for Halloween.

Happy baking!

Red Velvet

2008-09-18T10:18:00.000-07:00

Well folks, I am going to tackle the ever-so-popular and infamous Southern classic, RED VELVET! I have been fascinated and slightly obsessed with Red Velvet since J. Simpson married one Nick Lachey, so I finally have the chance to try it out.

I am making special cupcakes for one of my besties baby shower this Saturday. I found a great, traditional recipe, so let's hope I don't screw it up. Stay tuned....

What the hell is Funnel Cake?

2008-09-11T16:31:00.000-07:00

As summer comes to an end (one can hope it is a slow and steady decline but this is Seattle, so fall could arrive at any given moment), the Fairs are in full swing and along with them... Fair Fare! Inspired by an electronic conversation amongst my best girl friends and a recent trip to the Monroe Fair (yes, I hit up Monroe twice in one weekend), I decided to look a little closer at a fair goers favorite; FUNNEL CAKE!

I have never actually seen or tried funnel cake before, but all I ever hear about come fair time is fricken funnel cake or deep fried snickers! In my head I envisioned some sort of cake shaped like a worm, which sounds less than appetizing. Come to find out, that is EXACTLY what it is, minus the cakey consistency. The consistency is more like a doughnut (fried dough), not to be confused with Elephant Ears, which are totally different (see below).

Wikipedia says funnel cakes are made by pouring batter through a funnel into hot oil in a circular pattern and deep frying it until golden-brown. They are often served with powdered sugar, jam, or other toppings.

What is the difference between funnel cake and said fair treat 'elephant ears' you ask? The difference is totally obvious. Elephant ears are made with risen yeast dough, whereas funnel cakes are made with an unleavened batter. And well, one looks like the ear of a giant African beast, and the other looks the same before and after you eat it (I know, inappropriate).

I thought I would also include an image of a deep fried snickers since I have never seen one of those either. This to me does not resemble something I would like to eat, let alone a dessert. However, rumor has it these are delicious morsals worth every fried, gooey, chocolatey calorie!

I am fascinated by the American-Hick tradition of fairs. The Evergreen State Fair aka the Monroe Fair, went on for like three weeks and the Puyallup Fair (the Monroe of the South) will now be going on for the next two! Some people actually purchase week-long passes, which I just do not understand. One day or even a few hours is plenty of fair fun for me. There are only so many farm animals/livestock to see/smell, rides that cost $5/ticket, and fried food to eat that always leads to trouble (I think you know what I mean). Though I am never one to pass up a bag of kettle corn.

My friend Coffey ventured to P-town last night and made a few of the following observations, along with some of my own:

- Hefty gals who keep their cell phones in their bras... WTF? A pager... maybe, but a cell phone?

- Stand in line for an hour for the Zipper only to finally reach the front and the ride closes due to an excess of puke from a teenybopper that has spewed in and around the ride. Icky....

- A mother who asks if she can hold her BABY so she can go on a ride (this was actually someone elses observation but I thought it was too absurd to leave out)

- One of the ride operators forgot to buckle in patrons and the ride took off with them screaming for mercy. There was a default safety mechanism but still.... 15 year olds should not be operating rides made in the 70's somewhere deep in Iowa (heard this one on the news this am)

- Republican Party booth giving away fake money with Obama's head in Arab garb and people actually thought it was real... COME ON PEOPLE!

-Parking for $20... in a field... next to a 1979 el camino and a cutless supreme

Happy Fairing!

Seafood in Monroe?

2008-09-01T13:38:00.000-07:00

If you are from the greater Seattle area, you probably wouldn't say, "Hey lets go to Monroe for some good seafood." This city is more of a steak stop if you ask me... I mean, every which way you look there are barns and livestock. The only fish I figured Monroe would fry up good, would be that of the cat or carp kind.

Well, I am here to share that Sockeye's Restaurant & Bar located on the man-maid yet beautiful Lake Tye off Fryelands Blvd in Monroe, WA is just as good, if not better than our Seattle Favorite, Anthony's Home Port.

Sockeye's was a birthday choice and a good one at that (not mine). They sat us in front of a window overlooking the lake and I swear it looked like we were in North Carolina or somewhere in the South. We had the perfect vantage point to watch a gorgeous sunset... with a side of thundershowers.

They started us off with fresh baked foccacia bread seasoned with herbs and served with olive oil and balsamic. We went through two baskets in about five minutes.

I had a starter salad with blue cheese, lightly tossed with dressing and served with English cucumber and a tomato (yum). I decided to try something new in the fish category and took a chance with the Rockfish. No one at the table knew what Rockfish was so it was in deed a chance. Upon the arrival of my dish I decided I made the right choice! I discovered that Rockfish is a white, flakey fish, similar to halibut or mahi but much more mild - it's all about the flavoring with this fish.

My fish came with a cashew crust, pan sauteed with a side of tarter sauce that was TDF (to die for). Super light and with a hint of horseradish I believe - SO good. I also had baby new potatoes tossed in herbs and some sauteed veggies on the side. The fish was absolutely outstanding! Needless to say I overate and eventually went into a food coma.

Marge's Rating: 3 Stars and I would and will go back ;)

For more information, visit http://sockeyesrestaurant.com/

Brisket vs. Roast Beef

2008-08-26T07:44:00.000-07:00

Last night at a work function one of my coworkers commented on how delicious the roast beef was. I would have second that sentiment; however, they were serving beef BRISKET not roast beef  Bless his heart…..

SO, that prompted me to write a blog about the differences between the two for those meat virgins out there. But, before I get into the meat of this (pun intended); I have to admit that I have never actually prepared either but hope to do so in the near future!

Brisket is a cut of meat from the breast or lower chest. While all meat animals have a ‘brisket’, the term is most often used to describe beef or veal. The beef brisket is one of the eight beef primal cuts. The other seven are as shown in the image below.

Marge’s Interpretation: Brisket reminds me of southern people with no teeth. I can’t say why it just does. I really enjoy brisket but probably wouldn’t say “hey, I feel like some brisket today”.

Roast beef is a cut of beef which is roasted in an oven. Roast beef is often served within sandwiches and sometimes is used to make hash.

Marge’s Interpretation: I would prefer to eat roast beef in a sandwich vs. sliced nicely on a plate. It reminds me of my mother making yummy French Dip sandwiches to dip in au jus! My friend Kim can’t pronounce au jus so it makes me chuckle whenever I eat this dish.

The Ram

2008-08-11T16:10:00.000-07:00

For those of you WSU Cougs out there, when you here someone suggest The Ram for a meal, you immediately think of a purple and gold dressed establishment with annoying Husky's everywhere. Well, this is true, but not at the Lakewood location! Who knew it was a chain... I sure didn't!

Anywho, I made a visit there with my boyfriend's family last weekend and enjoyed one delicious piece of meet, burger that is. I ordered a Black Angus Prime burger complete with honey-peppered bacon, cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomato and grilled onions. I don't really think the bacon was honey flavored or peppered, but it was still tasty all the same. I am super picky with burgers and typically do not order them when out to eat but I figured I was at a place known for their burgers so I would take a chance. I had a side salad instead of fries to keep my girlish figure for my best friends upcoming wedding. Bridal bootcamp is serious business. The BF got the fries and they looked really good - steak cut and seasoned just enough

I also had a zesty locally brewed beer on the side. A 71 Pale Ale.
- Distinctly drinkable Pale Ale brewed with a touch of rye and a blend of 5 hops. Deep copper in color with a subtle spicy rye character and an enjoyable hoppy flavor. YUM!

For desert we shared a Mile High Mud Pie between 4 people. It was absurd. It really WAS a mile high and served with a heaping side of warm fudge. It was a little messy but such a treat!

For more information, visit http://www.theram.com/.

Marge's Rating: 3 stars and would go back but never to the University Village location (Go Cougs!).

Island Food, done Friday style!

2008-07-28T14:08:00.000-07:00

This past weekend my high school friends and I went to our family summer home on Brown Island, which is a private island adjacent to Friday Harbor/San Juan Island. I have spent my lifetime at this place and in my old age (28) have grown to appreciate my down time much, much more! And, down time spent with great friends is even better!

Aside from playing catch phrase, drunken monopoly (boys only) and speed scrabble, we did a lot of eating! As part of our annual tradition, we always dine at Downriggers for lunch, which is located in town on Friday Island, to the right of the ferry terminal .

They have the most incredible seafood entrees and they make a hot (in more ways than one) Bloody Mary complete with celery salt on the rim and a skewer of green olives and pepperoncinis.

I enjoyed the very bottom image; corn battered fresh halibut on greens tossed in a vinaigrette with blue cheese crumbles and cherry tomatoes. It was so good! Well worth the $20 I spent on it ;) My neighbors the DeBay's enjoyed the second image; cod fish tacos. They are super spicy and delicious! I actually had these the year before and they are fantastic in deed! Across the way Pauly enjoyed breakfast in the top image. The hash browns looked TDF (and I don't even like hash browns!). I think his omelet was filled with manly things like ham, bacon, meats, cheeses and perhaps a veggie of some kind. The toast also looked really good and he utilized it well soaking up all the goodness! Jessica enjoyed the infamous clam chowder; third image. I dont do hot things on a hot day, but it sure did smell good! It came with a crisp salad on the side with candied walnuts and blue cheese. All the food looked and tasted so good! We will surely be back for a third visit next summer!

Marge's Rating: 4 stars (went back and will go back again!)

These are a few of my favorite things!

2008-07-24T09:51:00.000-07:00

For some reason when the weather is warm and the sun is brightly shining, I crave fresh fruits and veggies.... to me that equates to anything with mango or a perfectly ripe avocado.

The other day I found a recipe inspiration for a mango/avocado salad. I put my own spin on it and it turned out super deelish! Here are the deets (aka details):

Dressing:
1/4 cup orange vinegar (Trader Joe's has an excellent selection of flavored vinegars)
1/2 cup EVOO (always 2 to 1 with vinegars and oil)
2 tsp of chili powder
1 tsp dried red chili flakes
1 chopped garlic clove
1 tsp garlic powder
2 tbls fresh chopped cilantro (or 1 tsp dried)
dash of habanero sauce or tabasco sauce
s & p to taste

Whisk this all together in the bottom of the bowl you are going to toss the salad in.

Ingredients:
2 ripe avocados, sliced
1 ripe mango, chopped
sliced grilled chicken or steak
1 sliced vine tomato
4-6 cups chopped romaine lettuce

Place lettuce on top of the dressing and toss. Then layor other ingredients on top and serve.

Serve with a side of your favorite tortilla chips and a margarita!

Blog Neglecting

2008-07-22T08:00:00.000-07:00

I havent stopped eating (NEVER!!) but I havent eaten out anywhere worth honorable mention.

For anyone who needs a break from the daily grind, check out www.tastespotting.com. The greatest blog ever!

Cómo valorar Cocina mexicana

2008-06-26T13:01:00.000-07:00

No, Menu a la Marguerite is not available in multiple languages, but I thought it would be appropriate to title this post in the language of its origin.

"Xtapa is WAY better than Las Margaritas". This comment made me chuckle (because I think they are essentially one in the same). It also got me to thinking that Mexican cuisine has various different classifications, which prompted me to write this entry.

(P.S. I hope I don't offend anyone with this post.)

I have classified Mexican cuisine in the following three categories:
1. Fresh Mex: Cactus, Matador, Fred's, ANY Taco Truck in SoCal only.

2. Gut Bomb: Las Margaritas, Xtapa, Tres Hermanos, Azteca. etc.

3. Urban Street Mex: Taco Hell, Taco Time, 711, Gas stations mini-marts.

Why and how do these restaurants end up in their respective zones you ask? Simple, I base this off of my unofficial observations and bodily responses following a dining at these establishments.

Fresh Mex

Fresh Mex is typically more on the gourmet side with a southwestern flair. You most likely will not see a side of triple-refried pinto beans, Spanish rice and dirty shredded lettuce atop your monster burrito. More like black bean salsa, fresh cilantro and a side of plantains. You'll usually see classics like chili rellenos and quesadillas with like roasted squash or something exotic. These types of places are great for Mexican seafood and Mole.

The chips will also help you determine your zone. Homemade tortilla chips usually frequent a Fresh Mex place versus the bagged tortilla. (One almost ALWAYS has to add salt regardless of which zone you are eating in). As for the dippin', I have to say that I have never met a salsa I didn't like; maybe once in a blue moon. They are good in all zones and the hotter the better.

Taco Trucks = AMAZING! Stipulation: you MUST be South of LA to get anything decent. Take my advice. You CAN go wrong with a Taco Truck if you don't evaluate your geographical area responsibly. And don't get fish tacos at a taco truck; just my opinion.

Gut Bomb

Let me just clarify that the term "Gut Bomb" does not mean avoid at all costs. In fact, Gut Bomb Mexican joints are fantastic when you are looking for some greasy, fast, cheap and scrumptious Mexican food, complete with a Mariachi band and sombreros for all! And if you're looking for a good "purge".

The service is always friendly and super fast, and they are always willing to split checks. Your chips and salsa are bottomless, and sometimes guacamole is complementary (who wants to pay $6 bucks for smashed avocados mixed with salsa?). Your typical plate should look like this:

Nothing goes better with Gut Bomb Mexican then a Margarita on the rocks with salt. You won't have a hangover because the food will soak it all up. Drink up muchachos!

Urban Street Mex

I personally do not frequent ANY fast food joints, let alone an excuse for "Mexican" fast food i.e. Taco Bell and/or Taco Time. Last time I checked Mexicans don't eat mexi-fries i.e. tator tots with their meals. I also find it bizarre that they combine a hard shell taco with a soft shell. There are two versions for a reason - freedom of choice people!

I also strongly believe that soft serve cheese is meant for soft pretzels, NOT tortilla chips (unless of course it's Tostitos with lime chips and Salsa con Queso watching a football game).

The only plus to these joints is that a taco is like 50 cents and you can get all the packets of yummy hot sauce you want and in three temperatures! Stock up folks!

There you have it!

The Slip aint' Slippin!

2008-06-18T15:00:00.000-07:00

In light of the recent sunlight (pun intended) and the earth's attempt at summer in Seattle, I decided a trip to the Slip was in order. I am super picky with my burgers and this place is FAR from a McD's or Burger King; in a good way. Fresh beef grilled to order!

The Slip is quaint little Eastside secret located down in the Marina Park. Mostly high school kids work there, and they make mean burgers, including their signature peanut butter and bacon burger. I have yet to try this masterpiece, but will attempt it on my next visit. So far, the only one I have tried is the Moss Bay burger, which has wasabi mayo on it! It is TDF (To Die For). It's pretty simple: beef, swiss cheese, lettuce, tomato and wasabi mayo! Its light and very zesty. My eating partner had a bacon cheesburger (typical man burger). It looked and smalled AMAZING. I have also heard the mushroom burger is really yummy, so I might add that to my list.

Each burger comes with a side of home made tortilla chips, or you can get steak fries or a salad (they sprinkle tortilla strips on top). All are equally deelish, but I especially enojy their salads (with blue cheese dressing of course).

The Slip has a full bar including Seattle's favorite microbrews and cocktails that will leave you in a tailspin (that means they are SUPER strong).

Burgers range from about $7 - $12. A meal for two cost about $24.00 and well worth every penny :)

We brought a long Lily as well (my chocolate lab) to torture her while she staired down our beef, followed by a swim in Lake Washington as her reward. The Slip is dog friendly so bring your furry friends along.

For more information, click here http://theslip.biz/.

Heres to a great start to Summer (lets hope)!

Rating: 4 stars and will make multiple visits this summer.

Disney Food Done Right

2008-06-16T14:59:00.000-07:00

I just returned from Disneyland in Southern California, and let's just say being five again was fabulous!

My dear friend Shelby has a unpresedented love for anything Disney, so of course her bachelorette party was going to be there! Her MOH's (that is Maids of Honor to a layman) planned an awesomely Disney weekend, including a full day at the park, an exclusive dinner CLUB 33, bridal bunch and Mexican bachelorette dinner. I also documented my favorite Disneyland treats (I didn't actually try them but desperately wanted to ;)).

I am not sure where my girlfriends' love for Churros comes from, and I certainly dont understand it. I am not a fan personally, but people must really love these things because there were stands ALL OVER the park! They are 1.5 feet long tubes of fried dough rolled in cinnamon and sugar and cost $3.00. Sounds good huh? Maybe I need to give them a second chance....

Deb... this is the sister-in-law to be and she is fabulous! She also LOVES Cotton Candy! She purchased this pillow of pink cotton (just looking at it makes my teeth hurt) and kindly shared some with the group. They come in pink and blue as if they were meant for a baby shower... they also cost about $3.00 per puff.

These are just samples of all the Mickey Mouse shaped food at Disneyland. We had lunch at Boudin's Bakery and they have a huge Mickey loaf on display! (P.S. Food in Disneyland is very reasonably priced aside from the $3.00 bottled water, but that is to be expected ;)).

There is actually ZERO ALCOHAL in Disneyland, so if you are looking for a frosty bronson after half a day of rides, stroller parking lots, lines and little munckins EVERYWHERE, head to California Adventure and immediately to the Karl Strauss stand. I had a Stargazer IPA and it was delicious! http://www.karlstrauss.com/

For out first dinner, we had a little connection that got us into the excluisve CLUB 33 venue tucked away near the Haunted Mansion. This venue was created by Walt Disney himself, for his 33 original park investors. It is the ONLY place where they secretly serve alcohal. Our bill came to over $2,000! High rollers we are not, like I said, we got a deal :) http://www.disneylandclub33.com/

This photo is just for fun :)

For the bride that loves Disney, her bridal bruncheon was set non other than in the center of downtown disney at La Brea Bakery. We had our own little area roped off complete with mimosas(freshly squeezed OJ made them even better!). They have a wonderful menu that has a lot of variety. Great selections for breakfast lovers as well as those few who cant stomach eggs (you know who you are). They have pretty good sized portions as well. Most of the breakfasts come with hash browns prepared more like gourmet potato peices. I had the open faced scrambled egg sandwich on freshly baked souerdough bread with spinach and crumbled feta. I ordered a side of bacon for some protein and it was awesome :)

Our bride also LOVES Meixcan cousine, so we headed straight for Tortilla Joe's Saturday night for a late dinner. It is also located in Downtown Disney. We started off with 3 pitchers of Margaritas (followed later by 2 more) accompanied by the traditional tortillas and salsa. The tortillas are home made and really crunchy and good. Their salsa is super spicey and yummy but a little too sweet for my taste. I opted for the fresh guacamole. For dinner I had the shrimp and avocado enchiladas with salsa verde, black been salsa and topped it off (mistakenly I might add) with habanero sauce. My mouth was literally on fire. I also had a taste of my friend's side order of gilled plantains. They were nothing shy of amazing! They were seasoned with cinnamon and some sort of smokey spice topped with a creme fresh type sauce. YUM!

Lastly, I just loved these glasses at the gift shop and wanted to share them!

Overall an excellent eating experience at Disneyland. I look forward to going back some day to try some of the other great food they have to offer!

Where to Eat at the Happiest Place on Earth!

2008-06-12T11:47:00.000-07:00

Well folks, I am on my way to Disneyland and it couldn't be a better time to get the heck out of Dodge i.e. Gloomsville Seattle.

I am heading into 80 degree weather and a world of make believe. I hope to enjoy fast rides, get soaked on Splash Mt. and enjoy some delicious amusement park food!

Happy weekend!

Delightful Cupcakes!

2008-05-30T09:16:00.000-07:00

I do not claim to be any sort of decent baker, however, I have a select few baked goods that I think I am bomb at making! 1. Candy Brownies and 2. Fluffy Cupcakes.

Last night I took a few of my favorite cupcake elements that I have made or had before, and created a new treat. Lemon cupcakes with cream cheese frosting and rolled in coconut (my fav!).
Without revealing the complete recipe, I did want to share a few notes from the making process to maybe inspire other bakers to experiment:

1. There was no lemon flavoring or extract called for in this recipe; just lemon zest (about 2 tsp). It is JUST enough lemon flavor to provide that hint of citrus when you take a bite. The recipe also called for sour cream, which added an additional zing and moister to the cupcake.

2. I use cake flour instead of regular flour for cupcakes and it makes a world of difference, in my opinon. It makes the texture lighter and more moist.

3. Cream Cheese Frosting - All you need is cream cheese, butter and powdered sugar. I use more cream cheese than butter and sugar so its a little less sweet.

I dont exactly love cakey baked goods, so in order to test my creation, I just ate the top of the cupcake :) It was heavenly. Hopefully the folks I made these for will enjoy them!

A Cook on Some Cooks!

2008-05-20T08:40:00.000-07:00

I woud like to start off this entry by congratulating the lovely Lyndsy & Elon Cook! I spent this last weekend at their AMAZING wedding in Malibu, CA. No detail was overloooked, and every detail made me smile :)

Here is a little montage of some of my most favorite food/beverage related elements...

I must point out that I didnt get a photo of my new favorite hor'devour, bacon wrapped artichoke hearts! Devine! I had two and would have had more, but couldn't keep up with the lovely Megan who was passing them.

Instead of the traditional cake, the Cooks had a tower of delightful mini-cupcakes, of which I had the Red Velvet with cream cheese frosting version. It was so fabulous and just the right size.

In addition to the cupcakes, they had a candy bar, complete with lemon heads, skittles, pixy sticks and these darling little mongrammed paper bags to put them in!

My personal favorite touch that I overlooked until I saw some photos by their amazing photographer yesterday, were the personalized Jones Soda bottles! I work with Jones Soda, so I was especially pleased that the Cooks took advantage of Jones' unique personal marketing opportunities. You can check these out for yourself at http://www.myjones.com/.

The entre included a spread of chicken with a pesto sauce, grilled veggies, steak and creamy, yummy mashed potatos, preceeded by a delicious balsamic dressed salad with grilled pears, blue cheese crumbles and candied walnuts - MY FAV!

Those are just a snippet of the beautiful things at this wedding! A ridiculous view, gorgeous couple, and overall a simply wonderful wedding! Congrats again and thank you for letting me be a part of it.

XOXO

Marge's 411 on Cheddar Cheese

2008-05-15T15:52:00.001-07:00

I love cheese. I love it so much that I would choose to live on only cheese, fruit and wine for the rest of my life, no joke. My favorites include blue or gorgonzola, gruyere, feta and a classic American favorite, Cheddar!

I am very picky when it comes to quality and texture of cheese, especially cheddar cheese.

My self proclaimed grocery rule is to never stray from Tillamook for a generic sale brand i.e. Kroger, Lucerne, etc. I was in an "I have no money" mode whilst grocering last weekend and made a cardinal mistake and strayed. I should have known better and now I am now stuck with a block of sh*ty cheese which I cant quite bring myself to toss out and waste $4.50.

Cheap cheese is never a good idea. Its much more dense and bendy and has a sort of rubbery/fake cheese taste. Low fat cheese is also never a good idea. If you are going to eat it, you might as well enjoy it. I am way passed the stage of Two Buck Chuck and Kraft Singles. I am old enough to enjoy the finer things in life, such as a good Cab from my favorite local winery, and some Tillamook cheese. Amen!

If this post can do anything productive for anyone, it would be to always go with what you know and spend a little more on products like cheese and wine and good produce; skimp on things like grains, cereal, condiments and side dishes. Never again will I stray.

Happy cheese tasting!

Grocery Store Sushi?

2008-05-12T16:55:00.000-07:00

Yes, I get sushi from the grocery store... on an occasional Friday night. Whole Foods has a great selection of pre-made sushi and sashimi that is very reasonably priced ($6 - $8 for 8 pieces). You also have a choice bewteen brown rice rolls and white rice rollls. The brown are deelish!

You can even buy edemame beans that taste like they were just made! They come pre-cooked, so all you have to do is zap them in the microwave for about 1 minute and serve!

When you dont have the time or the $$ to get "good" sushi, there IS an alternative just around the corner!

I'm a travelin' lady....

2008-04-15T10:13:00.001-07:00

If anyone is actually reading my silly little blog, you'll notice I havent posted anything new in a few weeks. I have been super busy with work and events, and havent done a very good job of keeping track of new places I have tried!

Here is a brief summmary:

Denver
I enjoyed nothing shy of an awesome piece of meat at this lovely establishment! We enjoyed a four course dinner, which typically puts me in a food coma of sorts, but the portions were just the right size, so I was able to enjoy a little of everything.

We started off with rustic bread and olive oil with balsamic, in addtion to bruscetta and fried calamari with a red pepper cream sauce.

First course was a cesear salad, very nicely presented with shaved parmesan. We also enjoyed a delicious bottle of red wine, which I have no recolection of how it tasted, only that it was good, so unfortunately, I cannot make a recommendation. They have a wonderful wine selection and the wine "cellar" is prominantly displayed in a glass room in the center of the restaurant.

For the main course I enjoyed one of the most tender and delicious steaks of my existance. No lie.... It was perfectly pounded, round and juicy. I ate every bite and I am not ashamed of it. It was accompanied by sauted baby carrots and broccoli.

I never say no to desert and this was no exception. I enjoyed some sort of chocolate crepe. I dont recall the details on this either, because my eyes were closed when I was eating it - it was THAT good!

Rating: 3 stars
Note: great for a large group

For more info, visit www.veniceristorante.com/index.php

Portland
I took the train down to Portland for a one-hour meeting... I would love to tell you that the train had some great eats, but I just cant. My point in writing this is to eat BEFORE you get on the train to Portland.

San Francisco
Where do I start with this trip! I tasted food from about 6 or 7 restaurants, without actually visiting them. Various local restuarants set up shop at the Exploritorium (i.e. junk on display in a huge warehouse) in downtown San Fran for about 200 guests to taste test their specialties.

Taste Test #1
Restaurant: Americano
Dish: Cavatelli with pork Sugo, herbs and pecorino
Marge's Notes: This was the last dish I tried and all I can say is that it was perfectly seasoned and deliscious.

Taste Test #2
Restaurant: Tres Agaves
Dish: Mexican style meatballs with chile and mint and shrimp cocktail.
Marge's Notes: Love the meatballs! They were super spicy but not to the point where you cant see straight. The shrimp cocktail had avocado, cucumber, red onion and a spicy tomato broth. An excellent spin on a classic.

Taste Test #3
Restaurant: Ozumo
Dish: Yellowtail Sushi
Marge's Notes: Sushi as I have never seen it! Beautiful presentation of delicate yellowtail atop daikon sprouts and enoki mushrooms (teeny tiny mushrooms) with warm ponzu dressing. Salty and slightly sweet; I could have eaten about ten of these!

Taste Test #4
Restaurant: Rubicon
Dish: Pancetta wrapped game hen with thyme roasted mushrooms
Marge's Notes: this was hands down my favorite. I love anything with pancetta and this was no exception! The thyme was a perfect complement to the mild game hen and salty pork. Loved it!

Taste Test #5
Restaurant: Boulevard
Dish: Slow cooked maple grilled beef brisket
Marge's Notes: I have never had brisket so I thought I would give it a try, and I am so glad I did! The meat was so tender it melted in my mouth. The maple flavor was delightful!

Taste of the NFL is not a tasting event for concession food, no no no, it is an event which local chefs provide samples of their goods for NFL employees such as myself. The NFL purchased tickets for the entire business summitt and all of the proceeds go to Hunger Relief in San Francisco.

All in all the food was fab but total scensory overload between the atomosphere, the food hopping and speed mingling.

I also had the opportunity to visit with two of my sorority sisters who live in the city. We met a wine bar appropriately named WINE, located in the Embarcadero. I had a glass of the 2007 Sileni Sauvignon Blanc, from Marlborough, New Zealand. I typically reach for the Chardonnay, so it was nice trying something new. I would describe it as a little sweet, a little bitter, and with a flowery aftertaste.

www.winebarsf.com

I followed up the wine with some serious Italian food at Tiramisu, just situated in a tiny alley way, just like you would find in an Italian piatza.

I had a glass of the Chianti Classico Riserva, Terrmia Tuscany. I use to drink Chianti but overdid it while traveling in Italy so havent had any for years. This was a very smooth Chianti and didnt have quite a bite that typical Chianti's would have (in my non wine conesuer opinion).

I started with a tossed salad with vinegrette, goat cheese and candied walnuts. I love soft cheeses, especially goat cheese, but they didnt put enough in the salad.

Next I had the pan roasted salmon over grilled zucchini carpaccio, and
lemon with corn polenta cake. The salmon was perfectly cooked and went very well with the zuchini and light lemony polenta cake.

As always, desert was ordered. My table shared the gelatto, which came in chocolate, vanilla and rasberry. Each scoop was housed in a sugary wafer with mint leaves. Very refreshing and great pallet cleanser after all that garlic.

Rating: 3 stars

For more information, visit www.cafetiramisu.com/pages/Menu1.php?project_id=1

P.S. I did not have all of this food in the same day!

Boston
This one is forthciming and I hope to have lots to share about one of my most favorite places!

See you soon!

Dinner with Friends

2008-03-19T09:48:00.000-07:00

http://www.trenchtownrocks.com/index.html

No this is not a joke, there really is a restaurant called Marjorie, my namesake! Well not mine exactly, the owner's mother. And I can only describe it kindly: charming, warm, romantic, funky, inviting.

Tucked away on the corner of 2nd and Bell, just north of Seattle's downtown, you'll find a dive that I like to describe as Vintage Arabian Chic. You're probably wondering what that means... the decor consists of padded raw silk ceiling panels, dark wood benches lined with patterned cushions and dim lit votive candles. The walls are painted in rich tones and lined with what appeared to be East Indian art.

The music is also very interesting... the three hours I was there I heard everything from "Hot Sex" from the Boomerang Soundtrack, to 80's favorites, to contemporary hits. Its one of those things where you'll be in mid sentence and then chuckle when you realize what song is playing over you.

I started off with a Trenchtown cocktail: Appleton Estate Extra rum, ginger syrup and coconut water, fresh lime shaken and served up. The lime on the rim was the most perfect cut lime I have ever seen. This initially caught my eye because of the coconut water, but I have to admit, I didn't really taste it. It was a yummy drink but a bit too bitter for my taste.

We ordered the plantain chips and guacamole with grilled pineapple. They are utterly heavenly! The flavor combo is fantastic - salty, mild plantains with a tangy guac. YUM! We had two ordered and ate all of them. They also served bread with oilve oil.

Marjorie's has this great combo dinner, $30 for 30. You choose an appetizer, meal, and desert and you also receive a ginger sorbet palette cleanser and cheese in between courses. Two of my gal pals went this route and we all shared the deserts which I will get to.

My friend and I shared the shrimp and grits. I could'nt even tell you what was in this dish, just that it is delicious. The shrimp are grilled and laid atop a bed of collard greens with pancetta (i think) and grits, which tasted of butter and garlic. We also ordered the Tikki Masala chicken, which is always a favorite of mine. This was served with a yogurt sauce and Naan bread pockets. The masala sauce was perfect; not too spicy. The yogurt sauce otherwise known as taziki, makes this dish an explosion of different flavors, which frankly I adore, but if you have a mild palette, you may want to refrain.

The Desert
Brioche bread pudding with bourbon carmel sauce. Need I say more? I am not a fan of bread pudding typically, but this dish rocked my world! It was'nt too moist, which I attribute to the brioche; ts a much denser bread. The carmel sauce was amazing and once again I found myself wanting to lick the plate, but this wasnt exactly MY desert so I didnt. We also had the hazelnut cinnamon cake with cardamom ice cream. Very refreshing after eating such rich food. It sort of reminded me of tiramisu, the texture and presentation.

Rating: 4 stars for sure! I had actually been here before a few years ago, but I forgot about this spot and have now been reminded to put it back on my list of fun joints to dine!

Maggiano's

2008-03-18T09:47:00.000-07:00

http://www.maggianos.com/

Or as I like to call it, Marrrrrrgiano's!Kidding... Since Marge Madness was celebrated a bit early this year (my birthday just happenes to be on St. Patrick's Day), I decided to go for a Marge Mellow and have a nice dinner with my parents at a restuarant that was sure to be without a long wait for corn beef, cabbage and green beer.

Maggiano's is obvisouly Italian. I thought for sure I would leave smelling of old Italian men that had been cooking homemade marinara sauce since 5am, but I was pleasantly surprised not to.

Needless to say the restaurant was a bit empty on an Irish holiday, which was kind of nice. We started off with fresh toscano bread dipped in my fav, olive oil and balsamic. I had a glass of the Coppola Cabernet, which was $9.95/glass! Hey, it was my brithday and I wasnt paying. It was very tasty and although I ended up getting a main course that probbaly would have gone better with white, it was a good selection.

We ordered a Gregory family appetizer favorite, Calamari. It came with a red marinara sauce that had a bit of spice to it. It was a very flavorful sauce and went well with the fried squid. We also orderd "side" salads... which thank god the waitress explained how huge they were or we each would have ordered our own. We had a ceasar and a spinich, which had gorgonzola, pine nuts, bacon and roasted red peppers tossed in a vinegrette. I ate entirely too much salad (because it was right in front of me) which left little room for what was next.

I ordered the chicken picatta and my mother had the veal picatta. I preferred the chicken because the veal was a bit more chewy. Like the salads, they come in HUGE portions, so I had a plate with three chicken breasts on it (although they were pounded pretty thin)! I saved 1.5 to enjoy later this week. The sauce was perfect! Just enough lemon and capers and not too buttery. The chicken was laid atop a bed of spinich, which was a mild complement to the tart sauce.

My dad got the crab and shrimp cannelloni. OMG was this rich! All i could taste was cheese and my arteries clogging. He deserved it, but a bit too rich for my blood.

For desert, even though I had already had some ice cream cake earlier at my place of employment for my day of birth, the waitress brought over Italian lemon cookies in the shape of a crecent moon, or perhaps a lemon wedge, depending on how you look at it. They were soft and sugary and glazed with a tart lemon frosting... I had three and I dont feel bad about it!

The service was great, though since the place was a ghost town, that could have been why. Our waitress made some good recommendations on ordering, which I always appreciate, but I am not sure how I feel about the large portions. It leaves room for binging and belly aches. I would rate this with 3 stars overall. It was a delicious meal and I would go back, but propably just by default.