Last night the coolest thing happened: Daryl and I were watching Planet Earth and he heard a strange noise that sounded like a muted siren. We paused the show and the noise wasn't coming from the TV. He looked out the window and said 'fire truck'. Then he opened the back door and said 'it has Christmas lights on it'. Then he said 'It's Santa'. We ran out the front door and soon enough the fire truck and an ambulance rounded the corner. There were a few firemen walking and the truck was all decorated with lights playing Christmas music. One of the guys was dressed as Santa passing out candy canes and another fireman took a picture. Apparently they do this every year and they hit every neighborhood in their district. They sound the siren as they slowly drive the streets so the people know to come out.
It was SO COOL!!!!!!!!!!!! :-) I love living here!
I didn't have time to grab the camera - but a neighbor did. He'll email me the picture if turns out.
Now the funny part of the story: After we talked to the guys for a few minutes, we decided to go say hi to a neighbor still outside. The fire truck slowly started moving and I trip on the driveway – down I go… (I could almost hear ‘tiiimmmmmmberrrrrrrrrrr). The fireman driving the truck asks if I’m ok. I very sheepishly say yes and away they go.
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Monday, December 3, 2007
Italian Sausage Soup with Tortellini
Most of you know that every Sunday is homemade soup day. I decided to try a new recipe this week and it was delicious! Here you go:
INGREDIENTS
1 pound sweet italian sausage, casings removed
1 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
5 cups beef broth
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup red wine
4 large tomatoes - peeled, seeded and chopped
1 cup thinly sliced carrots
1/2 tablespoon packed fresh basil leaves
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
1.5 cups sliced zucchini
8 ounces fresh tortellini pasta
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
DIRECTIONS
In a 5 quart dutch oven (or large pot), brown sausage. Remove sausage and drain, reserving 1 tablespoon of the drippings.
Saute onions and garlic in drippings. Stir in beef broth, water, wine, tomatoes, carrots, basil, oregano, tomato sauce, and sausage. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer uncovered for 30 minutes.
Skim fat from the soup. Stir in zucchini and parsley. Simmer covered for 30 minutes. Add tortellini during the last 10 minutes. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese on top of each serving.
Notes
* I didn't have zucchini, so I just put a 1/2 cup of pureed zucchini (which I had in the freezer).
* I like soups pretty chunky so I added a lot more carrots
* I used 1 can Petite Diced tomatoes instead of 4 fresh
* I used ground italian sausage instead of removing the casings from links
* There wasn't enough drippings from the sausage so I added a little olive oil
* I used all dried spices instead of the fresh ones
* I used three cheese fresh tortellini
Serve with salad and warm french bread for a complete and delicious meal!
INGREDIENTS
1 pound sweet italian sausage, casings removed
1 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
5 cups beef broth
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup red wine
4 large tomatoes - peeled, seeded and chopped
1 cup thinly sliced carrots
1/2 tablespoon packed fresh basil leaves
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
1.5 cups sliced zucchini
8 ounces fresh tortellini pasta
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
DIRECTIONS
In a 5 quart dutch oven (or large pot), brown sausage. Remove sausage and drain, reserving 1 tablespoon of the drippings.
Saute onions and garlic in drippings. Stir in beef broth, water, wine, tomatoes, carrots, basil, oregano, tomato sauce, and sausage. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer uncovered for 30 minutes.
Skim fat from the soup. Stir in zucchini and parsley. Simmer covered for 30 minutes. Add tortellini during the last 10 minutes. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese on top of each serving.
Notes
* I didn't have zucchini, so I just put a 1/2 cup of pureed zucchini (which I had in the freezer).
* I like soups pretty chunky so I added a lot more carrots
* I used 1 can Petite Diced tomatoes instead of 4 fresh
* I used ground italian sausage instead of removing the casings from links
* There wasn't enough drippings from the sausage so I added a little olive oil
* I used all dried spices instead of the fresh ones
* I used three cheese fresh tortellini
Serve with salad and warm french bread for a complete and delicious meal!
SNOW!
Our first snow of the season was this past weekend. It doesn't happen much in the winter so when it does we all get a little crazy, in a good way! The photo below was taken early - later that night the street was covered and we had a total of about 3-4". It was all melted by Sunday evening. We had a ton of fun taking the dogs outside and throwing them snowballs. They would catch the ball and then eat it! Storm loved running up and down the patio trying to catch the flakes.
Don, Cindy and Josh
Our friends from Arizona came to visit over Thanksgiving weekend! Don, Cindy and Josh arrived Thursday morning and despite all of the holiday delay warnings their plane landed about 15 minutes early. Once we got back to the house the Thanksgiving meal preparations got underway. Daryl and Donnie quickly found their spot on the sofa for football.
Friday we went into downtown Seattle, parking at Seattle Center where they had a cool (very large) village display. The photos here are just a small portion of the village.
Then we took the monorail to Westlake Center. Westlake Center was abuzz with activity kicking off the holiday shopping season. They closed off the nearby streets and had all kinds of performances going on. The 55' holiday tree was all decorated with the official lighting happening later that evening.
We walked to Pike's Place for a taste of local treats from the chowder shop to authentic Mexican fare and mini cheesecakes, then on to the waterfront. The picture shown here is a part of Seattle skyline and Bell Harbor Marina.
From there we continued our walk in downtown Seattle before ending up back in Westlake Center. We noticed they had set up for horse drawn carriage rides - since the line was short, we decided to take a spin!
On our way back to the car we stopped to watch this street performer for a bit - it's amazing how good drums can be with wine bottles and 5-gallon buckets... it sounded good!
Saturday we went to Maltby Cafe for a famous cinnamon roll and delicious brunch before heading off to some of the local wineries for tastings. We decided to skip the tours and head straight to the tasting rooms. We hit 3 wineries before heading back home. Here is a photo at Chateau St. Michelle Winery
Sunday we took a drive up to Anacortes, Washington Park, Deception Pass, Deception Pass State Park and a quick drive through Oak Harbor. We found a great restaurant/brewery in downtown Anacortes for lunch. The drive through the Loop Road in Washington Park was awesome and afforded a few wonderful stopping places for pictures... including this really cool tree in the photos below.
Sadly Monday it was time for them to return home... We hope you had a wonderful vacation and we sincerely appreciate you coming here to visit and celebrate Thanksgiving with us. Rock on Game Night - and we can't wait for the next time.
Friday we went into downtown Seattle, parking at Seattle Center where they had a cool (very large) village display. The photos here are just a small portion of the village.
Then we took the monorail to Westlake Center. Westlake Center was abuzz with activity kicking off the holiday shopping season. They closed off the nearby streets and had all kinds of performances going on. The 55' holiday tree was all decorated with the official lighting happening later that evening.
We walked to Pike's Place for a taste of local treats from the chowder shop to authentic Mexican fare and mini cheesecakes, then on to the waterfront. The picture shown here is a part of Seattle skyline and Bell Harbor Marina.
From there we continued our walk in downtown Seattle before ending up back in Westlake Center. We noticed they had set up for horse drawn carriage rides - since the line was short, we decided to take a spin!
On our way back to the car we stopped to watch this street performer for a bit - it's amazing how good drums can be with wine bottles and 5-gallon buckets... it sounded good!
Saturday we went to Maltby Cafe for a famous cinnamon roll and delicious brunch before heading off to some of the local wineries for tastings. We decided to skip the tours and head straight to the tasting rooms. We hit 3 wineries before heading back home. Here is a photo at Chateau St. Michelle Winery
Sunday we took a drive up to Anacortes, Washington Park, Deception Pass, Deception Pass State Park and a quick drive through Oak Harbor. We found a great restaurant/brewery in downtown Anacortes for lunch. The drive through the Loop Road in Washington Park was awesome and afforded a few wonderful stopping places for pictures... including this really cool tree in the photos below.
Sadly Monday it was time for them to return home... We hope you had a wonderful vacation and we sincerely appreciate you coming here to visit and celebrate Thanksgiving with us. Rock on Game Night - and we can't wait for the next time.
Monday, November 19, 2007
A Day Downtown
A few weeks ago Daryl and I met with some friends and strangers as part of a photography outing in downtown Seattle. The group had about 15 people, starting at Seattle Center. From there we took the monorail to Westlake Center then walked to Pike's Place. Here are some of the shots (click to view larger size image):
Seattle Center, near the Pacific Science Center
Street scene of downtown
Indoor mall - 4 stories high!
Penguin statue inside the mall
Downtown Old Navy - for some reason I just really like this image
An old partially torn down wall
Street entertainer and her dog
Post Alley at Pike's Place, there's a GREAT chowder shop in there
View from Pike's Place, what a beautiful patio garden. Puget Sound in the background.
A small portion of Pike's Place outdoor market
Little Boat Adventure
(Click on photos to see them larger)
Daryl has been looking for a project to work on ever since we moved and he sold his Jeep. Since our boat has to be winterized (ie. not used in the winter) and it's too big to use in the rivers we decided to find a little aluminum fishing boat. Daryl had his eye on one that included so much I was surprised they didn't throw in the kitchen sink. The price was right, but it was a 3 hour drive to the coast of Washington.
Since it was such a long drive, Daryl kept looking for something else a bit closer, but nothing was catching his eye. We made a day trip of it; the area we headed to called Gray's Harbor. First we passed through Aberdeen, then on to Westport where we found a place to have lunch.
The harbor is home to lots of those big fishing boats, kind of like what you see on "Deadliest Catch". Beyond the big rock breakwater wall (probably about 8 foot tall) we could see the foam from crashing waves. I couldn't wait to get up there and check it out! The place was deserted, but in the summer it's a bustling beach town.
It started to rain and we had a long drive home so we headed off to Cosmopolis to go see the boat. It was a junker! The motors were junkers! But he was throwing in a lot of stuff, some of it brand new (anchor, winch, etc.). Daryl could see beyond the filth much better than I. He had a gleam in his eye and said 'SOLD'. I wondered if he knew what he was getting himself into... From the looks of the trailer I was highly concerned about the three hour trip home.
We got everything loaded up and started back... the trip was successful - the trailer had no problems and Daryl had his project. He could hardly wait to get started!!
I'm happy to report that he's done a WONDERFUL job. It always amazes me when people don't put just a bit of work into something. Daryl had to remove all the rotten wood seats and transom. He bought new high quality 3/4" plywood, cut it to size and varnished it all. Got all the dirt and grime out of the inside (from sitting for a year unused, 6 months uncovered) and she looked almost new again! Amazingly, Daryl has now gotten both motors working as well!!
So, here are photos of the finished product; we took it to the little lake by our house for the first ever 'sea trial':
Daryl has been looking for a project to work on ever since we moved and he sold his Jeep. Since our boat has to be winterized (ie. not used in the winter) and it's too big to use in the rivers we decided to find a little aluminum fishing boat. Daryl had his eye on one that included so much I was surprised they didn't throw in the kitchen sink. The price was right, but it was a 3 hour drive to the coast of Washington. 
Since it was such a long drive, Daryl kept looking for something else a bit closer, but nothing was catching his eye. We made a day trip of it; the area we headed to called Gray's Harbor. First we passed through Aberdeen, then on to Westport where we found a place to have lunch. The harbor is home to lots of those big fishing boats, kind of like what you see on "Deadliest Catch". Beyond the big rock breakwater wall (probably about 8 foot tall) we could see the foam from crashing waves. I couldn't wait to get up there and check it out! The place was deserted, but in the summer it's a bustling beach town.
It started to rain and we had a long drive home so we headed off to Cosmopolis to go see the boat. It was a junker! The motors were junkers! But he was throwing in a lot of stuff, some of it brand new (anchor, winch, etc.). Daryl could see beyond the filth much better than I. He had a gleam in his eye and said 'SOLD'. I wondered if he knew what he was getting himself into... From the looks of the trailer I was highly concerned about the three hour trip home.
We got everything loaded up and started back... the trip was successful - the trailer had no problems and Daryl had his project. He could hardly wait to get started!!
I'm happy to report that he's done a WONDERFUL job. It always amazes me when people don't put just a bit of work into something. Daryl had to remove all the rotten wood seats and transom. He bought new high quality 3/4" plywood, cut it to size and varnished it all. Got all the dirt and grime out of the inside (from sitting for a year unused, 6 months uncovered) and she looked almost new again! Amazingly, Daryl has now gotten both motors working as well!!
So, here are photos of the finished product; we took it to the little lake by our house for the first ever 'sea trial':
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Deceptive Cooking? I'm a believer!
I learned of this book titled 'Deceptively Delicious' by Jessica Seinfeld (yes, Jerry Seinfeld's wife) where she teaches of hiding fruits and vegetables in food - it is geared toward children, but let's face it - how many of us adults are even getting enough of these necessary nutrients in our diet? I know in our house, it's not even close!!! So, I tried my first 'deceptive' recipe today, the Scrambled Eggs. Although they did not taste just like traditional eggs cooked in butter they were still great! According to the health expert that contributes to the book the added vegetable gives 19 grams of protein per serving!!
SCRAMBLED EGGS
2 large eggs
4 large egg whites
1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream
1/2 cup cauliflower puree
2 tablespoons grated parmesan
Pinch of salt
Nonstick cooking spray
1 teaspoon olive oil
DIRECTIONS
In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, egg whites, sour cream, cauliflower puree, Parmesan and salt.
Coat a large non-stick skillet with cooking spray, then set the pan over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, add the oil. Add the egg mixture, reduce the heat to low, and cook, stirring frequently with a silicone spatula, until the eggs are scrambled - firm but nice and moist - 2 to 3 minutes.
I personally like them a little less moist, so I cooked the eggs a bit longer. I can't wait to keep trying more of the recipes! If you want to try the same thing, buy the book - I highly recommend it! Here's a quick link right to it on Amazon.com:
For the record, some of the reviewers mentioned another book titled 'The Sneaky Chef'. While they are both fundamentally similar, Jessica's book is better. The interior is spiral bound (much better for laying it open to follow a recipe), has a lot of color pictures and she does the puree thing different as well. 'The Sneaky Chef' takes up the first 1/3 of the book with a lot of talk, I just want the puree instructions and recipes - Jessica delivers!!
SCRAMBLED EGGS
2 large eggs
4 large egg whites
1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream
1/2 cup cauliflower puree
2 tablespoons grated parmesan
Pinch of salt
Nonstick cooking spray
1 teaspoon olive oil
DIRECTIONS
In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, egg whites, sour cream, cauliflower puree, Parmesan and salt.
Coat a large non-stick skillet with cooking spray, then set the pan over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, add the oil. Add the egg mixture, reduce the heat to low, and cook, stirring frequently with a silicone spatula, until the eggs are scrambled - firm but nice and moist - 2 to 3 minutes.
I personally like them a little less moist, so I cooked the eggs a bit longer. I can't wait to keep trying more of the recipes! If you want to try the same thing, buy the book - I highly recommend it! Here's a quick link right to it on Amazon.com:
For the record, some of the reviewers mentioned another book titled 'The Sneaky Chef'. While they are both fundamentally similar, Jessica's book is better. The interior is spiral bound (much better for laying it open to follow a recipe), has a lot of color pictures and she does the puree thing different as well. 'The Sneaky Chef' takes up the first 1/3 of the book with a lot of talk, I just want the puree instructions and recipes - Jessica delivers!!
Friday, October 19, 2007
Most dedicated Survivor Fan?
So, do we qualify?
Last night we had a pretty heavy windstorm hit Western Washington courtesy of the remnants from Typhoon Ling Ling. Our power was out for about 5 hours. Well, it was Survivor night!! Fortunately I have a very handy husband who took a power inverter, hooked it up to his truck battery, then ran an extension cord from the garage into our living room where he plugged in a small tv from my office. The reception wasn't great from the rabbit ears, but hey, we got to watch Survivor!!
Well, now we know in extended power outages we can plug in our refrigerator (for a little while anyway), unless of course our favorite tv show is on. :-)
Last night we had a pretty heavy windstorm hit Western Washington courtesy of the remnants from Typhoon Ling Ling. Our power was out for about 5 hours. Well, it was Survivor night!! Fortunately I have a very handy husband who took a power inverter, hooked it up to his truck battery, then ran an extension cord from the garage into our living room where he plugged in a small tv from my office. The reception wasn't great from the rabbit ears, but hey, we got to watch Survivor!!
Well, now we know in extended power outages we can plug in our refrigerator (for a little while anyway), unless of course our favorite tv show is on. :-)
Monday, October 15, 2007
Blake Island
Our last boating trip of the season a few weeks ago was to Blake Island, just 7 miles South and West of Seattle. You can see the Seattle skyline from the Island. This is a really popular place among boaters and the marina commonly fills up. Unfortunately - even though it was past the busy boating season for the area the marina was still full. So, we pulled into the bay, dropped the anchor and had lunch. It was so peaceful listening to waves hit shore behind us, watch other boats pass by and look at the changing colors around us. After eating lunch we sprawled out on the back seats and soaked up some sunshine.
Blake Island is a marine park, meaning the only access is by private boat or tour boat. The island has an Indian village on it, called Tillicum Village, where they have salmon bakes and traditional Native American dances.
We will go back next year for sure!!!
Blake Island is a marine park, meaning the only access is by private boat or tour boat. The island has an Indian village on it, called Tillicum Village, where they have salmon bakes and traditional Native American dances.
We will go back next year for sure!!!
Welcome Back Emily and Jesse!
Ok, so this post is more than a month too late, but better late than never! :-)
We were SO happy to have Emily and Jesse come back to visit over Labor Day weekend. This time we took the pace a little slower, but still saw plenty of cool stuff.
They arrived on Wednesday August 29th, late in the evening. Thursday morning we got up early and put the boat in the water. It was beautiful and sunny - we headed to Port Townsend. On the way we spotted a harbor seal on a buoy and another trying to get up. They sure can jump!! The harbor seal already on the buoy was not happy about a prospective companion. We stopped for awhile to watch their antics before pushing on. The water was so smooth - Emily and Jesse enjoyed taking turns as our Captain. :-)
Once in Port Townsend we walked through the historic homes area, then into a park along the Strait of Juan de Fuca (ocean), walked the beach and then back into the marina area. We went back to the boat for a picnic lunch of sandwiches (turkey or roast beef), chips, alcohol (of course!) and brownies. After lunch we walked around the downtown area of Port Townsend and ended with dessert in an old fashioned soda shop overlooking the bay.
On our way back since it was still early we wanted to try heading North of our starting point, but the water (pretty suddenly) got really rough... we were experiencing chop of about 2-3 feet. Since it generally gets worse in the afternoons we decided to just bring 'er in for the day.
Friday we went to (our favorite breakfast place) Maltby Cafe before heading on to the Chateau St. Michelle winery for a tour. What a beautiful place this is! It just so happened that Stevie Wonder was playing a show there that night, but tickets were sold out so we couldn't attend. (They actually sold out in 18 minutes). We experienced good wine and a nice tour, then off to another tour....
Red Hook Brewery - for fine crafted beer! $1 gets you 5 samples, totaling almost 2.5 pints! Now this is the way to drink! We had a blast, but now it was time to find some food. We stopped at the local farmer's market for fresh vegetables and then on to the store for steaks to grill up.
Saturday morning we took off early driving down to Mount Rainier for the day. Wow, this place is breathtaking. It is just stunning - the pictures I'll post below don't do it justice!!
Sadly Sunday it was time for us to part - but we did spend the day walking around downtown Seattle... another amazing visit with such wonderful friends. We miss you and can't wait to see you again. I'm already gathering a list of new places to take you...
We were SO happy to have Emily and Jesse come back to visit over Labor Day weekend. This time we took the pace a little slower, but still saw plenty of cool stuff.
They arrived on Wednesday August 29th, late in the evening. Thursday morning we got up early and put the boat in the water. It was beautiful and sunny - we headed to Port Townsend. On the way we spotted a harbor seal on a buoy and another trying to get up. They sure can jump!! The harbor seal already on the buoy was not happy about a prospective companion. We stopped for awhile to watch their antics before pushing on. The water was so smooth - Emily and Jesse enjoyed taking turns as our Captain. :-)
Once in Port Townsend we walked through the historic homes area, then into a park along the Strait of Juan de Fuca (ocean), walked the beach and then back into the marina area. We went back to the boat for a picnic lunch of sandwiches (turkey or roast beef), chips, alcohol (of course!) and brownies. After lunch we walked around the downtown area of Port Townsend and ended with dessert in an old fashioned soda shop overlooking the bay.
On our way back since it was still early we wanted to try heading North of our starting point, but the water (pretty suddenly) got really rough... we were experiencing chop of about 2-3 feet. Since it generally gets worse in the afternoons we decided to just bring 'er in for the day.
Friday we went to (our favorite breakfast place) Maltby Cafe before heading on to the Chateau St. Michelle winery for a tour. What a beautiful place this is! It just so happened that Stevie Wonder was playing a show there that night, but tickets were sold out so we couldn't attend. (They actually sold out in 18 minutes). We experienced good wine and a nice tour, then off to another tour....
Red Hook Brewery - for fine crafted beer! $1 gets you 5 samples, totaling almost 2.5 pints! Now this is the way to drink! We had a blast, but now it was time to find some food. We stopped at the local farmer's market for fresh vegetables and then on to the store for steaks to grill up.
Saturday morning we took off early driving down to Mount Rainier for the day. Wow, this place is breathtaking. It is just stunning - the pictures I'll post below don't do it justice!!
Sadly Sunday it was time for us to part - but we did spend the day walking around downtown Seattle... another amazing visit with such wonderful friends. We miss you and can't wait to see you again. I'm already gathering a list of new places to take you...
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Peach Cobbler
This recipe came from some magazine and it said this was a celebrity chef's recipe. Not sure who's it is - but thanks for a great peach cobbler!!
FILLING
3 lbs. ripe fresh peaches, peeled and sliced
2 tbsp. cornstarch
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1 tbsp. cream
BISCUIT TOPPING
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
4 tbsp. butter, cut into small cubes
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup cream
Coarse or crystal sugar to sprinkle on top
DIRECTIONS
Filling: Mix all ingredients in a bowl and set aside
Topping: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine dry ingredients except crystal sugar in a bowl and mix well. Add butter and mix with fingers until mixture is mealy and butter is about the size of peas. Add wet ingredients and gently mix until a soft dough is formed. Add more cream if necessary.
Combine: Put fruit into a 9x9 casserole and place biscuit-size pieces of dough on top. Brush extra cream on top of dough and sprinkle with crystal sugar. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until top is brown and fruit is bubbly. Enjoy with frozen yogurt or ice cream.
FILLING
3 lbs. ripe fresh peaches, peeled and sliced
2 tbsp. cornstarch
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1 tbsp. cream
BISCUIT TOPPING
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
4 tbsp. butter, cut into small cubes
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup cream
Coarse or crystal sugar to sprinkle on top
DIRECTIONS
Filling: Mix all ingredients in a bowl and set aside
Topping: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine dry ingredients except crystal sugar in a bowl and mix well. Add butter and mix with fingers until mixture is mealy and butter is about the size of peas. Add wet ingredients and gently mix until a soft dough is formed. Add more cream if necessary.
Combine: Put fruit into a 9x9 casserole and place biscuit-size pieces of dough on top. Brush extra cream on top of dough and sprinkle with crystal sugar. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until top is brown and fruit is bubbly. Enjoy with frozen yogurt or ice cream.
Mom was here!
So, I know I'm REALLY behind in blogging - but Mom was able to come up for a visit!! We were very excited to have her. She flew in on Aug. 23 and sadly left on Aug. 26th. By the time we got her toured around the house and feeling a bit settled it was dinner time... since we discovered this great little town called Snohomish the week before we decided to go there to walk around and find a dinner spot.
While walking around we found a great little Farmer's Market with bundles of fresh flowers FOR ONLY $5!!! Wowsa! We ended up eating at a little placed called Chuck's Seafood Grotto. Mom and Daryl said their fish wasn't all that good and my hamburger (claimed to be Kobe and equal to the $60 New York version) wasn't very good either. The scenery was great and so was the solo live musician.
The next day Mom and I went shopping - of course I had to take her to the Premium Outlets mall by the house - features stores like Chico's, Coach, Movado, and so many other cool places. Well - we also stopped at the luggage store because Mom found she would be packing back a whole lot more than she brought. That evening we went to Karen and Kevin's house (behind us) for a great barbecue dinner. Between us we shared filet mignon and Copper River Salmon. We also brought roasted corn and home made peach cobbler.
Saturday we took the boat to Seattle. Though a little cloudy and cooler temps, I found the day to be perfect for boating. I have been known to enjoy cooler temps than most people though.
Good thing Mom got the extra suitcases, she really enjoyed Pike's Place. While walking around the market, we ended up in an alley area with other shops and such. We saw a chowder shop and I had recalled a client of mine telling me about this great place that serves the best chowder ever and you can get a sample platter which ends up being enough for 2 to eat lunch. Well, this ended up being the place - Pike Place Chowder. No visit to Seattle, especially downtown, is complete without sampling some of the local fare.
I forgot to mention that while eating at the Chowder House we were waiting for Mom's 18 POUND FRESH KING SALMON to be filleted and packed for bringing home.
It's a bit blurry because of low light, but you can see her fish being thrown.
No, the price below the fish on the counter was not for the same kind of fish.
So, mom had a great trip sampling the local fare, enjoying the abundant beautiful flowers and we stopped every day at the fruit stands - because you just can't get better, fresher, juicier fruit in the grocery store or anywhere else in Arizona for that matter. She brought home Walla Walla Sweet Onions, Peaches, Nectarines and I don't even know what else! :-)
We're glad you were able to come visit - now we can't wait for you to come back - there's still so much more to see!
While walking around we found a great little Farmer's Market with bundles of fresh flowers FOR ONLY $5!!! Wowsa! We ended up eating at a little placed called Chuck's Seafood Grotto. Mom and Daryl said their fish wasn't all that good and my hamburger (claimed to be Kobe and equal to the $60 New York version) wasn't very good either. The scenery was great and so was the solo live musician.
The next day Mom and I went shopping - of course I had to take her to the Premium Outlets mall by the house - features stores like Chico's, Coach, Movado, and so many other cool places. Well - we also stopped at the luggage store because Mom found she would be packing back a whole lot more than she brought. That evening we went to Karen and Kevin's house (behind us) for a great barbecue dinner. Between us we shared filet mignon and Copper River Salmon. We also brought roasted corn and home made peach cobbler.
Saturday we took the boat to Seattle. Though a little cloudy and cooler temps, I found the day to be perfect for boating. I have been known to enjoy cooler temps than most people though.
Good thing Mom got the extra suitcases, she really enjoyed Pike's Place. While walking around the market, we ended up in an alley area with other shops and such. We saw a chowder shop and I had recalled a client of mine telling me about this great place that serves the best chowder ever and you can get a sample platter which ends up being enough for 2 to eat lunch. Well, this ended up being the place - Pike Place Chowder. No visit to Seattle, especially downtown, is complete without sampling some of the local fare.
I forgot to mention that while eating at the Chowder House we were waiting for Mom's 18 POUND FRESH KING SALMON to be filleted and packed for bringing home.
It's a bit blurry because of low light, but you can see her fish being thrown.
No, the price below the fish on the counter was not for the same kind of fish.So, mom had a great trip sampling the local fare, enjoying the abundant beautiful flowers and we stopped every day at the fruit stands - because you just can't get better, fresher, juicier fruit in the grocery store or anywhere else in Arizona for that matter. She brought home Walla Walla Sweet Onions, Peaches, Nectarines and I don't even know what else! :-)
We're glad you were able to come visit - now we can't wait for you to come back - there's still so much more to see!
Southwestern Chicken Soup
INGREDIENTS
2 quarts water
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 tablespoons dried parsley
5 cubes chicken bouillon
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 (16 oz.) jar chunky salsa (I used black bean salsa)
2 (14.5 oz.) cans diced tomatoes (I used green pepper, onion, celery kind)
3 tablespoons chili powder
1 (10 oz.) bag frozen corn
2 (16 oz.) cans black beans
1 (4 oz.) can chopped green chilis
DIRECTIONS
In a large pot over medium heat, combine water, chicken, salt, pepper, garlic powder, parsley and bouillon cubes. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 1 hour, or until chicken juices run clear. Remove chicken, reserve broth. Shred chicken.
In a large pot over medium heat, cook onion and garlic in olive oil until slightly browned. Stir in salsa, diced tomatoes, chili powder, corn, black beans, five cups broth and shredded chicken. Let simmer at least 30 minutes (I left it for most of the afternoon). Serve with crushed tortilla chips, cheese and a dollop of sour cream on the top.
2 quarts water
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 tablespoons dried parsley
5 cubes chicken bouillon
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 (16 oz.) jar chunky salsa (I used black bean salsa)
2 (14.5 oz.) cans diced tomatoes (I used green pepper, onion, celery kind)
3 tablespoons chili powder
1 (10 oz.) bag frozen corn
2 (16 oz.) cans black beans
1 (4 oz.) can chopped green chilis
DIRECTIONS
In a large pot over medium heat, combine water, chicken, salt, pepper, garlic powder, parsley and bouillon cubes. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 1 hour, or until chicken juices run clear. Remove chicken, reserve broth. Shred chicken.
In a large pot over medium heat, cook onion and garlic in olive oil until slightly browned. Stir in salsa, diced tomatoes, chili powder, corn, black beans, five cups broth and shredded chicken. Let simmer at least 30 minutes (I left it for most of the afternoon). Serve with crushed tortilla chips, cheese and a dollop of sour cream on the top.
Monday, August 6, 2007
Port Townsend
Saturday Daryl and I took the boat out to Port Townsend. It's our second 'big trip' (the first was Seattle). It only took about 1.5 hours to get there by boat - but it went quick and the scenery was beautiful! Turns out it was a great day to be on the water - it was smooth as glass most of the way there. :-)
Port Townsend is a quaint city once believed to become the major hub or port city of Washington. There are beautiful Victorian homes on a bluff overlooking the bay and lots of great brick buildings downtown. We spent about 3 hours walking around to check things out before heading back home. We had lunch at a great 50's diner with all the traditional soda fountain favorites. The food was great, but we agreed picnicing on the boat next time would be better.
We look forward to going back, I know we missed some cool stuff - but it was a GREAT day none-the-less. Some photos below, but next time I'm going to take the two shots I wished I would have while coming in from the water.
Both directions we saw porpoises (the marine mammals that look like dolphins) playing in the water and on the way back we came across a large school of salmon jumping out of the water.
This is a portion of Downtown Port Townsend
This is the Commander's Beach House which is a bed and breakfast. It has a terrific view of the water, it is right on the beach and it is surrounded by beautiful flowers.
Our chariot awaits.....
Port Townsend is a quaint city once believed to become the major hub or port city of Washington. There are beautiful Victorian homes on a bluff overlooking the bay and lots of great brick buildings downtown. We spent about 3 hours walking around to check things out before heading back home. We had lunch at a great 50's diner with all the traditional soda fountain favorites. The food was great, but we agreed picnicing on the boat next time would be better.
We look forward to going back, I know we missed some cool stuff - but it was a GREAT day none-the-less. Some photos below, but next time I'm going to take the two shots I wished I would have while coming in from the water.
Both directions we saw porpoises (the marine mammals that look like dolphins) playing in the water and on the way back we came across a large school of salmon jumping out of the water.
This is a portion of Downtown Port Townsend
This is the Commander's Beach House which is a bed and breakfast. It has a terrific view of the water, it is right on the beach and it is surrounded by beautiful flowers.
Our chariot awaits.....
Monday, July 30, 2007
Mountain Loop Road
Daryl and I wanted to try hiking to the Big Four Ice Caves this weekend, so off we went on Saturday. It's a beautiful drive up Mountain Loop Highway so we were in for a treat! We had read the bridge on the trail was washed out, but logs were laying across the Stillaguamish River for crossing. 1/4 of the way into the hike we reach the river crossing. Daryl gets across carrying both of our cameras, I then let Storm off leash so he can swim across, next it's CJ's turn. Wouldn't you know, he won't cross! He's the one that swam in the pool all the time! He's the one that jumped into the pool off the waterfall! He's the one that would have to swim out for the toys because Storm was afraid to leave the pool steps. What happened???? We tried and tried, but the trail was getting busier so all hope was lost. We turned around and vowed to come back another day without the puppies.
The funniest story coming out of this though - Storm LOVES branches and sticks - he carries them around when we go hiking. During one of Storm's many swims back and forth across the river he found a rather large branch, grabbed it and swam with it all the way back to shore! I wish I had my camera...
So, since it was still early and we didn't want to head back home we decided to check out more of this Mountain Loop Highway; looking for great camping spots and future hiking trails. We stumbled across a scenic drive that made it all worthwhile. The mountain saddle had what looked like a glacier on top with streams running down the entire side of the mountain. It was beautiful! The pictures below don't even come close to doing this place justice.
How far from home you ask? Only an hour...................
The funniest story coming out of this though - Storm LOVES branches and sticks - he carries them around when we go hiking. During one of Storm's many swims back and forth across the river he found a rather large branch, grabbed it and swam with it all the way back to shore! I wish I had my camera...
So, since it was still early and we didn't want to head back home we decided to check out more of this Mountain Loop Highway; looking for great camping spots and future hiking trails. We stumbled across a scenic drive that made it all worthwhile. The mountain saddle had what looked like a glacier on top with streams running down the entire side of the mountain. It was beautiful! The pictures below don't even come close to doing this place justice.
How far from home you ask? Only an hour...................
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
Posts
