Glassybaby Mania

I went to the glassybaby seconds sale last weekend and it was mayhem. I was prepared for chaos, but I didn't expect the level of excitement and pushing and shoving that was the glassybaby second sale. I got there about 45 minutes before the sale started and I was the last person in line before the line turned the corner to start circling the block. Once it was my turn inside the little studio shop I got a box and had to find my way through the crowd to the different colors set on each table. The smart, veteran glassybaby ladies all had handy tuperware boxes of their own. I was jealous. I went in without a plan or color scheme and it was a mistake, I was immediately overwhelmed by other people's beautiful collections of colors and there was NO time to figure out what colors I like best, so I picked a hodgepodge of color. It may not be a martha stewart collection, but it's certainly festive - oh and some of them are definitely seconds because they don't "glow" like a glassybaby should, so if I ever go again I'm going to be like those totally intense ladies with flashlights so I can figure out which glassybabies glow and which ones are duds... for now I'm pleased as punch with my collection of glassybaby rejects. :)

Kitchen Clambake!

Sammy and Charlie pre-clambake


Sammy playing hostess to clambake guest Bodhi Stark

Last night we had a kitchen clambake! I was inspired when I saw that the new Safeway was offering king crab legs at $10 a lb. So we invited over some friends and had a summer clambake that was such a hit that I would like to make it a summer tradition in the Malley house! We followed the barefoot contessa's recipe with a few alterations and it was delicious easy and fun.

Kitchen Clambake
3 c chopped onion
1-2 chopped shallots
1/4 c olive oil
1 1/2 lbs of red potatoes
corn on the cob
1 T kosher salt
an assortment of herbs from my garden - thyme, oregano, chives, parsley, dill
1 lb clams
1 lb scallops
6 king crab legs!
BF Contessa's actually calls for: 2 dozen littleneck clams, mussels, shrimp and lobster, but I had to buy what was on sale...
2 c of dry white wine

saute the onions & shallots in a heavy-bottom 16-20 quart stockpot on medium for about 15 minutes (I added garlic and herbs just because I love garlic and herbs). Layer the ingredients over the onions: potatoes, corn, salt and pepper, clams, scallops, crab legs and dump in the wine. Cover and cook over med-high until the steam just begins to escape (about 15 minutes). Lower to medium and cook for another 15 and the clambake should be done. Test the potatoes to be sure. Put it all in a big bowl and then serve it to everybody in bowls because the broth is delicious. Make sure you have some bread for people to dip in the broth!

Doodles for Obama!

This coming November will be Sammy's first presidential election and she is so excited! She wouldn't stop barking about helping Obama get elected so I found this button on Ebay so that she can let the other pups know where her heart is. Check it out:



Isn't that funny? Now Sammy can proudly assert her Democratic pride!

I love my new herb garden....

My Mom helped me plant an herb garden that I love so much! It's so fun to have herbs growing right in your back yard and much cheaper than buying them at the store. I'm not much of a gardener (although I'm working on it!) but it's been pretty easy to keep them alive too. Basically I just planted them, put them in the sun and water them a couple times a day and WAH-LA fresh herbs! So, last night we had Herb Citrus Turkey Burgers from Cooking Light and they were amazing! Here's the recipe with a few of my changes:

Citrus Herb Turkey Burgers
1 pound ground turkey
2 tablespoons minced fresh basil
1 tablespoon minced fresh sage
1 tablespoon thawed orange juice concentrate, undiluted (or I just used the fresh orange juice from the orange you have to buy for the zest instead)
1 teaspoon grated orange rind
1 shallot - I added this because Charlie loves shallots
2 tablespoons or so of breadcrumbs I made from some high fiber bread (I had to add these because I'm bad about using the exact measurements and my patties looked too liquidy)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

I also made a spicy aioli to go along. Basically I just mixed some light mayo with some of the leftover orange zest, a little orange juice to lighten it up and a spicy mexican spice blend I found in my spice cabinet. Then I added a bunch of freshly ground black pepper and some chives and shallots. It gave the burgers a nice kick. Charlie and I both really liked these and are excited to try them again. I hope you like them too!

I will put up a picture of my herb garden once I get my pics off the camera.

50 Nifty United States...

This weekend I have to go to Raytown, MO. This is not my first trip to MO and I'm not especially looking forward to going back, but at least I'm not going to the flood ravaged section this time. I am hoping that my days as a business traveller are coming to an end, but I still have to make it through the summer which, unfortunately, is one of our busiest times. This weekend's trip is a long one and I don't get back until Thursday night. It's making me cranky just thinking about it, so in order to cheer me up I am thinking of all the places that I've had to go for work and listing for you my highlights and lowlights. I still have 17 more states to hit so that gives me one reason to soldier on.

City that surprised me the most in a good way: Portland, ME or Westport, CT (both are quaint and charming in an old east coast kind of way, Portland has a very charming cobblestone section with good restaurants and shopping and it's right on the water - also you can easily bring back fresh lobster which usually inspires me to hold a welcome back lobster party and that always sounds fun and Westport is really cute and lovely and has some really fun, giant houses to look at. I think Martha Stewart and David Letterman both have homes near Westport)
Honorable Mention: Salt Lake City, UT
I really like SLC and I think it has a bad rap. It has good restaurants and shopping and it's a very walkable city. From my hotel I can easily access a nice U Village type shopping mall or any chain restaurant you can think of along with a few good independent type restaurants - add to that a midsized airport that's easy to navigate and you have yourself an easy and enjoyable business trip (oh, the people are super nice too so it makes my actual job easier too).
City that surprised me the most in a bad way: Ketchikan, AK (maybe it was just the constant June rain, but I was expecting a cute tourist town)
Least favorite airport: Houston International hands down, that place is old, dirty, hot and has too many terminals that are just lobbies with doors and no bathrooms or shops.
Favorite airport: I love Seatac, but I'm usually just there for a little while, so my second favorite is probably Minneapolis, lots of restaurants to choose from and it's clean.

So, thanks, I feel better already, I'm not flying through Houston and I just might like Raytown, MO. I'm staying in KC so maybe I'll have some decent meals and (fingers crossed) maybe the elliptical machine at the hotel will have it's own little TV attached. That would make my trip!

Baby Milton's Room

As most of you know Kelsey is having a baby... and the baby (much to my chagrin) has a top secret name, so I call him Milton. Anyway, Kelsey has graciously allowed me to help (or more like take over) the decor of Milton's room. Fortunately, I'm pretty sure that Kelsey won't be sorry, because look at this cute and CHEAP artwork I found on Etsy! Milton's Dad (Brian) loves sailing and stuff, so I think these work nicely on that theme but are even better than just plain boats because they are cute and whimsical and perfect for a baby's room! I even bought some for me in hopes that I might need them soon (finger's crossed). We're planning a trip to the fabric store next, I'm thinking yellow and white seersucker will perfectly compliment the artwork we've picked out... Milton is going to sleep like a champ in this cute room (or at least Kelse and Brian hope)!

Check them out on Etsy:
http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=46726

Sammy's Little Admirer

This picture is of Sammy and my Dad's dog Neko at our Father's Day brunch. Neko is still a puppy and that suited Sammy just fine because Sammy loves to play with a pup that has as much energy as she does... This picture was taken in a rare moment of rest for these two!

I like this action shot too. It looks like Charlie (in the background) just discovered something mischievous that these two did and they are running away as fast as they can!

The Mint Fields of Ann Arbor Ave

Over the weekend I was weeding the back yard and discovered that some of the "weeds" were really herbs! Actually, just a single herb, mint (but lots of it) growing in one corner of our yard... so now you know where to come next time you feel like a mojito! But I figure I can't possibly drink that many mojitos so I looked up some recipes with mint and had the Warme's over to check out the first of my meals created with locally foraged, organic mint (sounding delicious and foodie already, don't you think?). One of the recipes was a total flop, but this one was good. It's originally from Self Magazine so it's healthy too:



Greek Burgers with Arugula, Tomatoes and Feta
4 whole-wheat pitas (6 1/2 inches each)
1/4 cup skim milk
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic
2 tablespoon chopped fresh mint
4 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano or 1 teaspoon dried
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
3/4 pound lean ground lamb
2 teaspoon olive oil
3 cups arugula
1 medium tomato, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
1 red onion, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
1/3 cup crumbled feta
Dressing
2/3 cup nonfat plain yogurt
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint
2 teaspoon chopped garlic
2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon honey
1/2 cup peeled, seeded and finely diced cucumber
Heat oven to 350°F. Cut 1/4 off each pita (a half-moon shape from 10 o'clock to 2 o'clock). Chop half-moons, transfer to a bowl and sprinkle with milk. Let soak 5 minutes. Drain and squeeze out excess milk. Purée soaked bread, onion, garlic, herbs and lemon juice in a blender or food processor. Transfer purée to a bowl. Add lamb, season with salt and pepper and combine. Form into 4 patties. Wrap pitas in foil and heat until warm, about 8 minutes. (Or place pitas between sheets of paper towel and microwave until warm, about 30 seconds.) Heat oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Cook burgers to medium, 2 to 3 minutes on each side. Whisk yogurt, mint, garlic, mustard and honey in a bowl. Stir in cucumber and season with salt and pepper. Open each pita, stuff with arugula and drizzle with some of the dressing. Add burger, tomato and red onion to pita. Sprinkle with feta. Serve leftover dressing on the side.

America's Next Top Puppy Model

I'm really excited because I just signed Sammy up for her first photo shoot! Really, it may be her only photo shoot because I'm more than a little worried that she'll run around the studio like a crazy dog and knock over all the photographer's equipment... but this photographer takes LOTS of dog pictures, so I'm banking on the fact that Sammy can't be the worst behaved dog she's ever worked with and just in case I'm going to wear Sammy out before the shoot so that she's nice and tired. I'll post some of the pics when I get them back, but in the meantime all of you dog lovers out there should go to this website and check out her dog portraits... I almost cried because some of them were so cute. I love dogs!

http://www.alyssarosephotography.com/#

Click on Portraits, then either Galleries or Featured. There is one under Featured that is of a scruffy little golden dog (looks a little like Sammy as a puppy) and it's chasing a tennis ball. I LOVE this picture and have my fingers tightly crossed that I might get one of Sammy just like it. I'm going to the store to buy new tennis balls right before the shoot. Oh, I can't wait for the shoot! Count down to the big day - 19 days!

Happy Birthday Brian!

A couple weeks ago we celebrated Brian's birthday. We sure hope he enjoyed celebrating the big 3 - 5 because it's going to be a red letter year for Brian and family!

We are very happy to have Brian in the family and his mellow, level headedness and dry sense of humor keep us entertained and happy all year around, but his birthday was just what we needed to tell him what a great brother-in-law he is and how much we enjoy having him around! So, Hip-Hip-Hooray for Brian!

The birthday boy!

Melissa, Charlie and Sammy celebrating Brian...

Sammy Fluffy Paws of the Fearsome Doodle Tribe

Before:



After:


Sammy went to the groomer's on Friday. She was such a ragamuffin before going in, but look at how pretty she turned out afterwards. I've been taking her to Petco for her "spa days" and she seems to hate it... this time she actually got sick at the groomer's and they couldn't finish her legs. It's sort of cute though because now she has really fluffy paws and shaggy legs. We think she looks a little like she's wearing snow pants and have taken to calling her Sammy Fluffy Paws of the Fearsome Doodle Tribe.

Fluffy Paws - These are much fluffier in person:

Post Trip Wrap-Up

Sort of like Blind Date's Post Date Wrap-Up, I'll stop to reflect on the highlights of our weekend trip... last weekend we were in Napa and we had such a wonderful time. We stayed at the Carneros Inn and I can't say enough positive things about that place, you get your own little cottage, with a private yard and outdoor shower and spectacular view! We stayed there once before and we got engaged, so you might think that it would be hard to top a trip that resulted in an engagement, but this came pretty close. We ate some great food, rode bikes to beautiful wineries with great tasting wine, played bocce ball and lounged by the pool... The only part that wasn't perfect was having to come home after only 2 1/2 days... nonetheless it was just what the doctor ordered and I hope we can go back someday. Take a look for yourself, isn't Napa beautiful??

We rode our bikes up a giant hill, but this was the view from the top, so well worth the effort.


Doesn't this hammock make you want to take a nap?


Here's the pool. Charlie didn't put any sunscreen on his feet... yikes they looked painful.

This is the view from our cottage. So pretty!

Happy Flag Day!

We had Erika and Gary and the Graves over for dinner to celebrate Flag Day. Earlier in the day I saw two bald eagles flying over Lake Washington, so I knew this was going to be a great flag day celebrations! It had been way too long since we'd seen Erika and Gary so it was nice to see them and hear about their wedding plans. We also had some good food. Here are the highlights:

These were delicious!
texas-rubbed and brined pork chops
Brine
4 cups apple cider
1 cup Morton kosher salt
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
2 bay leaves, crumbled
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
1 teaspoon whole cloves
4 cups ice cubes or cold water
Meat
1 (4-5 pound) center-cut pork loin
2 to 4 tablespoons olive oil
Rub - Next time I might cut back on the salt and add something sweet...
1/4 cup Morton kosher salt
2 tablespoons coarsely ground black pepper
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Oak or apple wood chips, soaked
Combine the cider, salt, sugar, bay leaves, peppercorns and cloves in a large stockpot. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook for about three minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the sugar and salt dissolve. Remove from heat and add the ice cubes or cold water (the ice cubes will cool the brine to room temperature faster).
Place the pork loin in a nonreactive pan or resealable plastic bag (brining bag) and cover with the brine. Cover pan or tightly close the bag and refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours. If you are using an extra large resealable bag or brining bag, rotate the pork a few times to make sure all of the meat gets brined. Before roasting, remove the pork and pat dry with paper towels.
Meanwhile, make the rub by combining all of the spices and mixing well. You will not need all of the rub for this recipe. Store any leftover rub in a clean, airtight container.
If you are cooking on a charcoal grill, build the fire and sprinkle the wet wood chips over the gray-ashed briquettes just before putting the food on the grill.
Lightly brush pork with olive oil and sprinkle lightly with rub. Place pork directly on the cooking grate and cook for about 90 minutes or until an instant-read meat thermometer reaches 155°F. Remove pork from roasting pan. Let meat rest for 10 minutes.
Cut pork loin into thick (double-cut) chops and serve.

This salad was light and pretty, but a pain to make and as Charlie put it, "Only good if you REALLY like tomatoes." Maybe that's why I liked it...
cherry tomato and lemon salad
2 large lemons
1 tablespoon sugar
1 lb cherry or grape tomatoes (3 cups), halved or, if large, quartered
3 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Finely grate enough zest from 1 lemon to measure 2 teaspoons. Trim ends of both lemons, then stand lemons on a cut side and cut peel, including all white pith, from lemons with a sharp paring knife (discard peel). Cut segments free from membranes, then cut segments crosswise into 1/4-inch pieces. Toss lemon segments gently with sugar in a bowl.
Stir in remaining ingredients and zest, then let stand, covered, at room temperature 15 minutes (to allow flavors to develop).


This corn was good, but the butter was even better... I took a little of the extra butter and added honey to use on corn bread and it was my favorite part of the meal...
grilled corn with smoked paprika butter
1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
1 teaspoons hot smoked paprika - I only had sweet smoked paprika and I don't know if I'd use the hot, because the sweet smoke taste was great
1 garlic clove, chopped
1/4 teaspoon sugar
Pinch of salt
10 ears of fresh corn, shucked
Blend butter, paprika, garlic, sugar, and salt in processor until smooth. Wrap paprika butter in plastic, forming 1 1/2-inch-diameter log. Refrigerate butter until very cold, about 2 hours. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Keep refrigerated.)
Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Working in batches, cook corn in large pot of boiling salted water until tender, about 5 minutes. Drain well. Grill corn until lightly browned in spots, turning occasionally, about 5 minutes. Serve corn hot with thick slices of paprika butter.

Aren't we lucky to live here in Seattle...

Even though I don't feel lucky all the time, especially because the weather has been horrible and I'd love to be in some exotic place, but I am sometimes comfronted by news stories that remind me just how lucky we are to live here in Seattle. I read this story and I can't stop thinking about it. It just makes me feel so blessed to live here and reminds me how different life could be if you were born in another part of the world. So, if you have some time, read this article and feel lucky that you live here and you're not albino.

Albinos being "hunted" for their body parts
By JEFFREY GETTLEMAN
The New York Times
DAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania — Samuel Mluge steps outside his office and scans the sidewalk. His pale blue eyes dart back and forth, back and forth, trying to focus.
The sun used to be his main enemy, but now he has others.
Mluge is an albino, and in Tanzania there is a price for his pinkish skin now.
"I feel like I am being hunted," he said.
Discrimination against albinos is a serious problem throughout sub-Saharan Africa, but recently in Tanzania it has taken a wicked twist: At least 19 albinos, including children, have been killed and mutilated in the past year, victims of what Tanzanian officials say is a growing criminal trade in albino body parts.
Many people in Tanzania — and across Africa, for that matter — believe albinos have magical powers. They stand out, often the lone white face in a black crowd, a result of a genetic condition that impairs normal skin pigmentation and strikes about one in 3,000 people here. Tanzanian officials say witch doctors are now marketing albino skin, bones and hair as ingredients in potions that are promised to make people rich.
As the threats have increased, the Tanzanian government has mobilized to protect its albino population, an already beleaguered group whose members are often shunned as outcasts and die of skin cancer before they reach 30.
Police officers are drawing up lists of albinos in every corner of the country to better look after them. Officers are escorting albino children to school. Tanzania's president even sponsored an albino woman for a seat in Parliament to show that "we are with them in this."
Salvator Rweyemamu, a Tanzanian government spokesman, said the rash of killings was anathema to what Tanzania had been striving toward; after years of failed socialist economic policies, the country is finally getting development, investment and change.
"This is serious because it continues some of the perceptions of Africa we're trying to run away from," he said.
But the killings go on. They have even spread to neighboring Kenya, where an albino woman was hacked to death in late May, with her eyes, tongue and breasts gouged out. Advocates for albinos have also said that witch doctors are selling albino skin in Congo.
The young are often the targets. In early May, Vumilia Makoye, 17, was eating dinner with her family in their hut in western Tanzania when two men showed up with long knives.
Vumilia was like many other Africans with albinism. She had dropped out of school because of severe nearsightedness, a common problem for albinos, whose eyes develop abnormally and who often have to hold things like books or cellphones 2 inches away to see them. She could not find a job because no one would hire her. She sold peanuts in the market, making $2 a week while her delicate skin was seared by the sun.
When Vumilia's mother, Jeme, saw the men with knives, she tried to barricade the door of their hut. But the men overpowered her and burst in.
"They cut my daughter quickly," she said, making hacking motions with her hands.
The men sawed off Vumilia's legs above the knee and ran away with the stumps. Vumilia died.
Al-Shaymaa Kwegyir, Tanzania's new albino member of parliament, said, "People think we're lucky. That's why they're killing us. But we're not lucky."
She said it was a curse to be born in equatorial Africa, where the sun is unsparing, with little or no protective skin pigment. Albinism rates vary throughout the world; about 1 person in 20,000 is an albino in the United States.
Police officials said the albino killings were worst in rural areas, where people tend to be less educated and more superstitious.
Copyright © 2008 The Seattle Times Company

Whoa! That's a big baby in there!

Sadly, I missed Kelsey's shower over the weekend, but here are a few pictures of what I missed. Apparently an excellent french toast souffle was served and Kelsey assures me that a great time was had by all, including baby, Horatio Milton Graves.


Look at this baby bump!


Happy Mom! Happy Meme!

Tahoe Bike Bonanza!

My mom biked around Lake Tahoe a couple weekends ago and she was nice enough to send these great pictures. According to my mom this ride is called The Most Beautiful Ride in America AND it is the most beautiful ride that she's ever participated in (and she rode down highway 101 all the way to San Francisco so this ride has had some steep competition)! Anyway, great job Mom and maybe these pictures will inspire some riders to join in the fun next year!

http://www.bikethewest.com/AMBBR.html

Not so "daily"...

I apologize for not being even close to daily, but I was in Baltimore for most of last week and there wasn't really anything blog worthy and then we went to Napa and it was very blog worthy, but I'm saving that post for when I have time to gather up the pictures.

In the meantime I have some new recipes. I made these two salads last night when we had the Oliver family over for dinner and they were a hit... very good and very summery (to make up for the lack of actual summer so far).

These are both originally from Bon Appetit - but I got them on Epicurious



cabbage and corn slaw with cilantro and orange dressing
1 Orange juice and zest
1/3 cup unseasoned rice vinegar
1 – 2 Tablespoons of light mayo
1 (8-ounce) bags coleslaw mix
2 cups of shredded purple cabbage
2 - 4 ears of fresh corn, shucked, kernels cut from cob
2 medium carrots, peeled, coarsely grated
1 medium red bell pepper, stemmed, cored, cut into thin strips
6 medium green onions, thinly sliced
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

I changed some of these ingredients so I’m not 100% sure on the quantities, but basically I whisked together nearly equal parts mayo, vinegar and orange juice and added the zest and salt and pepper to taste so that I had a somewhat healthy very liquidy creamy dressing.

Combine slaw mix, corn kernels, carrots, red bell pepper strips, sliced green onions, and chopped cilantro in large bowl. Toss with enough dressing to coat. Season slaw to taste with salt and pepper. Let stand 15 minutes for flavors to blend. Toss again and serve.



creamy potato salad with lemon and fresh herbs
3 pounds baby red potatoes – the store only had purple so I used those and it tasted fine and looked interesting too – I think it would be perfect for a Husky tailgate party
3 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
3/4 cup light mayonnaise
3 medium green onions, thinly sliced
1 celery stalk, cut into 1/3-inch cubes
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
11/2 teaspoons finely grated lemon peel

(FYI – I had some left over lemon herb dressing and I used it as a dip for veggies and it was excellent)

Bring potatoes to boil in large pot of water. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 17 minutes. Drain; let stand until cool enough to handle, about 20 minutes.

Cut potatoes into 3/4-inch pieces. Place 1 layer of potatoes in large bowl; sprinkle with some of vinegar and salt and pepper. Continue layering potatoes with vinegar, salt, and pepper. Add all remaining ingredients; toss. Season with salt and pepper. DO AHEAD Can be made 8 hours ahead. Cover and chill.

We also had BBQ Chicken. I used the Ancho & Molasses BBQ Rub with Love sauce that was on sale at Met Market. All the flavors look delicious and I'm going to try out a few of the other flavors... SO GOOD and easy too!

http://www.tomdouglas.com/products/sauces.html