Here's Abby taking a quick break from entertaining all the guests.
Abby and Daddy playing with her special Memorial Day pinwheel.
Cuddling with Mommy.
Look at this chair!
Friends!
Monday, May 31, 2010
Memorial Day
Rain or shine, we love Memorial Day BBQs!
Here's Abby taking a quick break from entertaining all the guests.
Abby and Daddy playing with her special Memorial Day pinwheel.
Cuddling with Mommy.
Look at this chair!
Friends!
Here's Abby taking a quick break from entertaining all the guests.
Abby and Daddy playing with her special Memorial Day pinwheel.
Cuddling with Mommy.
Look at this chair!
Friends!
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Drowning my sorrows...
Thank God Abby didn't inherit my weather obsession.
I am beside myself. It's cold. It's raining.... AND THEY SAID TOMORROW WAS GOING TO BE NICE AND NOW IT'S NOT!! Oh Rich Marriott. How could you do this to me? How could you tell me that it was going to be 67 and mostly sunny and now there's a 40% chance of rain and high of 61. Yuck. I know I'll get over it, but for now I'm drowning my sorrows with a cocktail Charlie made for our BBQ tomorrow. You should make it too. It's so good and it will be SO refreshing and wonderful if the sun ever gets here.
Earl Grey Martini
fresh lemon juice
honey
water
Earl Grey tea–infused Tanqueray gin (see recipe below)
Steep 4 TBL of loose earl grey in a bottle of gin for 2 hours or so. Strain it through a coffee filter. Disolve a tablespoon or so of honey in water and add lemon juice (I used 1/2 a lemon for one drink). Pour in some of your infused gin and add lots of ice.
I am beside myself. It's cold. It's raining.... AND THEY SAID TOMORROW WAS GOING TO BE NICE AND NOW IT'S NOT!! Oh Rich Marriott. How could you do this to me? How could you tell me that it was going to be 67 and mostly sunny and now there's a 40% chance of rain and high of 61. Yuck. I know I'll get over it, but for now I'm drowning my sorrows with a cocktail Charlie made for our BBQ tomorrow. You should make it too. It's so good and it will be SO refreshing and wonderful if the sun ever gets here.
Earl Grey Martini
fresh lemon juice
honey
water
Earl Grey tea–infused Tanqueray gin (see recipe below)
Steep 4 TBL of loose earl grey in a bottle of gin for 2 hours or so. Strain it through a coffee filter. Disolve a tablespoon or so of honey in water and add lemon juice (I used 1/2 a lemon for one drink). Pour in some of your infused gin and add lots of ice.
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Abby Kisses
She has a lot of love to give, but she is stingy with her kisses. How lucky am I that I got this one on video?!
Rain, Rain, GO AWAY!
Raining again?!
But we signed up for sun!
I don't mean to make light of seasonal depression, because I know I don't really have it... but I DO have a some pretty intense negative feelings about the weather and it's starting to get to me! We want sun. Poor Abby and I have major cabin fever. We do go outside, but we are sick of our coats and socks and shoes and we really, really want to be able to walk out the door without rain coats and warm sweaters. So I'm really, really hoping that Sunday's weather forecast stays sunny and warm, otherwise I might have to do something drastic, like complain even more and I don't think Charlie can handle it.
But we signed up for sun!
I don't mean to make light of seasonal depression, because I know I don't really have it... but I DO have a some pretty intense negative feelings about the weather and it's starting to get to me! We want sun. Poor Abby and I have major cabin fever. We do go outside, but we are sick of our coats and socks and shoes and we really, really want to be able to walk out the door without rain coats and warm sweaters. So I'm really, really hoping that Sunday's weather forecast stays sunny and warm, otherwise I might have to do something drastic, like complain even more and I don't think Charlie can handle it.
Chicken Dinner!
Charlie has suddenly become a chef! It's very exciting for me because I love to cook and it's been fun to cook up a feast together. We've been at it 2 weekends in a row, the first weekend was a great success, last weekend was just okay. Here are some photos from our first great success. Charlie made beer can chicken and it was great! We can't wait to try it again.
The chef at work:
Sammy smells something good!
Thank you Adam Perry Lang for the wonderful recipe! Check out his website for lots of great recipes http://www.adamperrylang.com/
It looks so good!
and tastes even better!
The chef at work:
Sammy smells something good!
Thank you Adam Perry Lang for the wonderful recipe! Check out his website for lots of great recipes http://www.adamperrylang.com/
It looks so good!
and tastes even better!
Thursday, May 13, 2010
What do you want to be when you grow up?
Abby and I have given this question some thought this week and here's what we've come up with:
Taxi cab driver?
Chef? She definitely at feels at home in this wok...
Celebrity stylist? She sure seems to enjoy putting sunglasses on people indoors.
Veterinarian? Here she is checking out Sammy's sore paw.
Journalist? Newspaper delivery woman?
Who knows? So many options...
Taxi cab driver?
Chef? She definitely at feels at home in this wok...
Celebrity stylist? She sure seems to enjoy putting sunglasses on people indoors.
Veterinarian? Here she is checking out Sammy's sore paw.
Journalist? Newspaper delivery woman?
Who knows? So many options...
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Happy Birthday Grandpa Goose!
Abby and I tried our best to take a special picture for her Grandpa's birthday. It was pretty much a disaster until she finally warmed up to the idea around lunch time. The crying pictures are pretty funny though... I don't know why she hated my birthday sign so much, but she really wasn't into it.
Um... Not quite the Happy Birthday expressions I was hoping for Abby and Sammy:
Getting a little better:
Finally, some smiles!
Um... Not quite the Happy Birthday expressions I was hoping for Abby and Sammy:
Getting a little better:
Finally, some smiles!
Post Date Wrap-Up
Last night we were going to try Emmer and Rye, but Abby decided not to go to sleep and since she is my most beloved and I have an active imagination I decided that we better go someplace close by and make it quick because this was Abby's first time with a babysitter that she's not blood related to!! Of course she was a dream the whole time (even though it was 90 minutes past her bedtime) and we could have gone wherever we wanted... Oh well, it really wasn't a big deal, especially because our close-by-back-up-plan is Frank's and as you know, I love Frank's. This time though I am providing details and pictures so you'll know why exactly I love Frank's and you can decide for yourself whether you also need to make a trip.
The Food:
I loved the English pea soup with pork belly confit & paprika oil - I ordered soup and salad because I felt like getting something a little lighter and I might do it again because this soup was SO good. There's something about pea soup that is so smooth and almost buttery that I really can't get enough of. Oh, and the pork belly was also to die for.
Charlie ordered this drink, the High Tea (Earl Grey tea infused Bombay gin, honey, lemon) that was amazing. I don't usually get too excited about cocktails, but this was worthy of excitement.
Charlie had the buttermilk fried chicken and I only got one or two bites, but it was awesome. The biscuits were delicious too. My mom always made biscuits growing up and these were every bit as good, plus they came with honey butter (I'm a sucker for flavored butter).
We shared the crab louie lettuce cups and they were good, but a little messy and I think I would have just preferred a crab louie salad. I also had the bibb lettuce salad with green goddess dressing, roasted tomatoes and locally smoked bacon. Charlie gets this salad almost every time we come and I could no longer be satisfied with just a couple bites of his, so I got my own and I think I will have to again, because it's just that good.
The Food:
I loved the English pea soup with pork belly confit & paprika oil - I ordered soup and salad because I felt like getting something a little lighter and I might do it again because this soup was SO good. There's something about pea soup that is so smooth and almost buttery that I really can't get enough of. Oh, and the pork belly was also to die for.
Charlie ordered this drink, the High Tea (Earl Grey tea infused Bombay gin, honey, lemon) that was amazing. I don't usually get too excited about cocktails, but this was worthy of excitement.
Charlie had the buttermilk fried chicken and I only got one or two bites, but it was awesome. The biscuits were delicious too. My mom always made biscuits growing up and these were every bit as good, plus they came with honey butter (I'm a sucker for flavored butter).
We shared the crab louie lettuce cups and they were good, but a little messy and I think I would have just preferred a crab louie salad. I also had the bibb lettuce salad with green goddess dressing, roasted tomatoes and locally smoked bacon. Charlie gets this salad almost every time we come and I could no longer be satisfied with just a couple bites of his, so I got my own and I think I will have to again, because it's just that good.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
First Haircut
Abby loved getting her haircut. She loved the fun seat, all the attention and checking out everything in the mirror!
Before: almost a mullet & bangs constantly in her eyes
During:
After: just look at that pretty face!
I don't think they cut off that much, but I guess it was worth it. At least now we can see that pretty face...
Before: almost a mullet & bangs constantly in her eyes
During:
After: just look at that pretty face!
I don't think they cut off that much, but I guess it was worth it. At least now we can see that pretty face...
Sunday, May 9, 2010
Happy Mother's Day Weekend
It was full of fun and I sure do feel loved! Thanks Charlie, Abby and Sammy for making me feel like one special mama!
At lunch today officer Abby spent some time on patrol with officer Uncle Peter
Abby read her favorite book with Dad
I guess it's a funny book...
Tickle Time!
Nice hat Abby!
At lunch today officer Abby spent some time on patrol with officer Uncle Peter
Abby read her favorite book with Dad
I guess it's a funny book...
Tickle Time!
Nice hat Abby!
Friday, May 7, 2010
New Favorite Recipe: Wasabi Guacamole Salmon Burgers with Asian Slaw
Yesterday I wandered into the Trident store in Ballard and found some amazing Salmon burgers. They are frozen and you don't have to defrost them, they cook up fast and are delicious. I also happened to be browsing though my Epicurious app on my phone and was inspired by an Asian guacamole recipe. I can't remember what it was called, but I thought it sounded delicious so I made my own to go with the salmon burgers. I'm calling it Wasabi Guacamole Salmon Burgers with Asian Slaw. So good, pretty healthy and a nice new twist on plain old burgers!
Wasabi Guacamole Salmon Burgers with Asian Slaw
Salmon Burger - just buy the frozen ones from Trident (I got them in Ballard at their store, but I think you can get them at Costco too maybe)
Wasabi Guacamole - all these measurements are approximations, so add more or less depending on your preference
2 avocado
Juice of a lime
2 tsp wasabi paste
1-2 tsp sesame oil
1-2 tsp mirin
1-2 tsp rice vinegar
finely chopped fresh ginger (maybe a pebble size knob)
1 clove garlic finely chopped or better yet use your micro grater
black sesame seeds
1-2 tbl chopped cilantro
Asian Slaw
red cabbage
carrot
1-2 tbl of your guacamole
rice vinegar
sesame oil
lime juice
onion
cilantro
Use the guacamole plus some oil and vinegar to make a dressing. Add the other ingredients.
I recommend a small bun (I love the sandwich thins because you don't want a lot of bread with this) and pile that salmon burger high with slaw and guac. It's pretty messy, so you might want a knife and fork.
Wasabi Guacamole Salmon Burgers with Asian Slaw
Salmon Burger - just buy the frozen ones from Trident (I got them in Ballard at their store, but I think you can get them at Costco too maybe)
Wasabi Guacamole - all these measurements are approximations, so add more or less depending on your preference
2 avocado
Juice of a lime
2 tsp wasabi paste
1-2 tsp sesame oil
1-2 tsp mirin
1-2 tsp rice vinegar
finely chopped fresh ginger (maybe a pebble size knob)
1 clove garlic finely chopped or better yet use your micro grater
black sesame seeds
1-2 tbl chopped cilantro
Asian Slaw
red cabbage
carrot
1-2 tbl of your guacamole
rice vinegar
sesame oil
lime juice
onion
cilantro
Use the guacamole plus some oil and vinegar to make a dressing. Add the other ingredients.
I recommend a small bun (I love the sandwich thins because you don't want a lot of bread with this) and pile that salmon burger high with slaw and guac. It's pretty messy, so you might want a knife and fork.
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Date Night
For the last few weeks we've had a date night every Tuesday. It's been great to have something to look forward to that's just for Charlie and I AND for the first time, in what feels like a long time, I get to indulge myself in two things that I definitely took for granted before we had Abby... getting dressed up and trying new restaurants! It's been a good trade though. I get to spend my days playing with Abby and now I get a quick glimpse of the best parts of my pre-Abby life every Tuesday night.
Anyway, we've tried some new restaurants and I thought I'd give you a rundown of the highlights. If you have any suggestions for places we should try I'd love hear your ideas!
Anchovies & Olives
Pros: Loved the atmosphere, great seafood, interesting flavors, definitely not stuff you'd make at home
Cons: Very expensive, especially since most plates are designed to share which is great because you get to try a lot of stuff, but I don't know about you, but small plates add up fast!
This place was great, small space (definitely make reservations), lots of windows, an open kitchen, the place was crowded on a Tuesday but not so crowded that you couldn't talk over the crowd. The food was impressive and full of surprises. The menu was a little intimidating, but the staff is really helpful and I am pretty sure both Charlie and I would have licked all of our plates if only we weren't surrounded by both fancy, sophisticated people and Capital Hill hipsters... We probably won't go back until we have a special occasion and to be honest I might opt for one of Ethan Stowell's other places, How to Cook a Wolf, if I were forced to choose, but it would be a very tough call, especially since I do love seafood...
Frank's
Pros: great neighborhood place, food is delicious. Small menu, but there's generally both adventurous and safe bets to be found.
Cons: I guess it's a little pricey, especially since the portions can be small, but who really needs a GIANT plate of food?
This is our neighborhood spot. We love it. We've been a number of times and although I'm generally not inclined to go to the same old place when there are so many new places to try, there's just something I love about Frank's. We love the tuna carpaccio and there's a burger and fries that I love too, but the specials are great and although I rarely order a cocktail at a restaurant, there's so many great ones to choose from that occasionally they win me over at Frank's. There's outside dining coming this summer, so we may be back a lot...
Avila
Pros: Good food (loved the mussels), chef's bar, there's a cool outdoor area and a private room
Cons: I thought it was a little pricey for food that didn't really knock my socks off
Last Tuesday we went to Avila during restaurant week, it was so full that the only place to sit was the chef's bar. I actually LOVE to sit at the chef's bar because you get to see into the kitchen and check out the food that you didn't order as it comes out and I can say that there were some very delicious things coming out of that kitchen. I'd read some mixed reviews about Avila so I had sort of low expectations, but I got to tell you I thought it was really good. We started with the mussels and they were outstanding. Charlie and I almost always get mussels to share at every restaurant we go to, so I consider myself a bit of an expert. These were some of the best and they came with an amazing toast for dipping in the sauce. LOVED it. I almost wish I would have just ordered that... but I also got some halibut. The fish was perfectly cooked and it came with a razor clam meatball that was full of flavor. Since it was restaurant week we also got dessert. I ordered the chocolate souffle or something... I didn't really eat it. It was so hot I couldn't really taste it, it's highly unusual for me, but it really wasn't worth the calories (Molly Moon's is right across the street so if I owned Avila, I might not even bother with dessert).
Cantinetta
Pros: cute atmosphere, good cheesecake
Cons: mediocre
I really wanted to like Cantinetta, but even going into it I was so not excited about it. I can't really tell you why. I guess it started when I looked at the menu online and wasn't excited about anything. This is very rare for me. I generally get very excited about menus. Not this one and maybe it was my attitude coming in, but honestly the food was very disappointing. We started with the mussels. Blah, and sandy. Gross. They do offer focaccia as their bread though and it was good. Charlie got a salad, the dressing was a raw egg, not my favorite. It was flavorful though. Then came my halibut with turnips. I know it's weird, but I actually ordered this entree because I love turnips. Oh they were disappointing. The only flavor in those turnips was water and salt. Ugh. Watery. Salty... not what I love about turnips. But the worst thing was the halibut. It looked beautiful, it had a perfect seared crust that I try to get at home but somehow always fall short (I think I may be trying to be too healthy), but it was overcooked. Gross. I hate dry fish. It tasted like banquet food. So sad. We did end with an espresso cheesecake that was wonderful. Oh, and the lady across from me had what looked like an excellent red meat dish. Maybe it deserves a second chance, but I don't know if I have it in me.
Anyway, we've tried some new restaurants and I thought I'd give you a rundown of the highlights. If you have any suggestions for places we should try I'd love hear your ideas!
Anchovies & Olives
Pros: Loved the atmosphere, great seafood, interesting flavors, definitely not stuff you'd make at home
Cons: Very expensive, especially since most plates are designed to share which is great because you get to try a lot of stuff, but I don't know about you, but small plates add up fast!
This place was great, small space (definitely make reservations), lots of windows, an open kitchen, the place was crowded on a Tuesday but not so crowded that you couldn't talk over the crowd. The food was impressive and full of surprises. The menu was a little intimidating, but the staff is really helpful and I am pretty sure both Charlie and I would have licked all of our plates if only we weren't surrounded by both fancy, sophisticated people and Capital Hill hipsters... We probably won't go back until we have a special occasion and to be honest I might opt for one of Ethan Stowell's other places, How to Cook a Wolf, if I were forced to choose, but it would be a very tough call, especially since I do love seafood...
Frank's
Pros: great neighborhood place, food is delicious. Small menu, but there's generally both adventurous and safe bets to be found.
Cons: I guess it's a little pricey, especially since the portions can be small, but who really needs a GIANT plate of food?
This is our neighborhood spot. We love it. We've been a number of times and although I'm generally not inclined to go to the same old place when there are so many new places to try, there's just something I love about Frank's. We love the tuna carpaccio and there's a burger and fries that I love too, but the specials are great and although I rarely order a cocktail at a restaurant, there's so many great ones to choose from that occasionally they win me over at Frank's. There's outside dining coming this summer, so we may be back a lot...
Avila
Pros: Good food (loved the mussels), chef's bar, there's a cool outdoor area and a private room
Cons: I thought it was a little pricey for food that didn't really knock my socks off
Last Tuesday we went to Avila during restaurant week, it was so full that the only place to sit was the chef's bar. I actually LOVE to sit at the chef's bar because you get to see into the kitchen and check out the food that you didn't order as it comes out and I can say that there were some very delicious things coming out of that kitchen. I'd read some mixed reviews about Avila so I had sort of low expectations, but I got to tell you I thought it was really good. We started with the mussels and they were outstanding. Charlie and I almost always get mussels to share at every restaurant we go to, so I consider myself a bit of an expert. These were some of the best and they came with an amazing toast for dipping in the sauce. LOVED it. I almost wish I would have just ordered that... but I also got some halibut. The fish was perfectly cooked and it came with a razor clam meatball that was full of flavor. Since it was restaurant week we also got dessert. I ordered the chocolate souffle or something... I didn't really eat it. It was so hot I couldn't really taste it, it's highly unusual for me, but it really wasn't worth the calories (Molly Moon's is right across the street so if I owned Avila, I might not even bother with dessert).
Cantinetta
Pros: cute atmosphere, good cheesecake
Cons: mediocre
I really wanted to like Cantinetta, but even going into it I was so not excited about it. I can't really tell you why. I guess it started when I looked at the menu online and wasn't excited about anything. This is very rare for me. I generally get very excited about menus. Not this one and maybe it was my attitude coming in, but honestly the food was very disappointing. We started with the mussels. Blah, and sandy. Gross. They do offer focaccia as their bread though and it was good. Charlie got a salad, the dressing was a raw egg, not my favorite. It was flavorful though. Then came my halibut with turnips. I know it's weird, but I actually ordered this entree because I love turnips. Oh they were disappointing. The only flavor in those turnips was water and salt. Ugh. Watery. Salty... not what I love about turnips. But the worst thing was the halibut. It looked beautiful, it had a perfect seared crust that I try to get at home but somehow always fall short (I think I may be trying to be too healthy), but it was overcooked. Gross. I hate dry fish. It tasted like banquet food. So sad. We did end with an espresso cheesecake that was wonderful. Oh, and the lady across from me had what looked like an excellent red meat dish. Maybe it deserves a second chance, but I don't know if I have it in me.
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Baby Model
My talented and creative friend Anne-Lise made some Washington Crew shirts for all the baby fans out there. Abby was lucky enough to help model them for Anne-Lise before the race... Just look at her, smiling with her eyes, looking so high fashion. I know Tyra would be so proud.
Saturday, May 1, 2010
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