Friday, February 8, 2008

Mom and KJ visited (in January)!

Mom came back for a visit and brought with her our friend KJ (Karen). They visited in January - which isn't the most beautiful time of year to come from Arizona, but we were blessed with mostly clear weather and we made the best of it!

They arrived in the evening on a Saturday so after getting home from the airport, having some dinner and then playing Wii until the 'Wii' hours of the morning we crashed.

No trip to WA is complete without a visit to downtown Seattle - we had a blast! First we walked around Seattle Center for a bit, then took the monorail to Westlake Center. From there we walked to the market for delicious lunch part 1 at Pike's Place Chowder - located in Post Alley. From there we stopped at the famous Fish Market and then on to the Gum Wall where Mom and KJ left their mark.




From there we went to our favorite, authentic, mexican food restaurant for some Cerveza and Carne Asada and continued our trek down to the waterfront. After a nice walk there we headed back up for some shopping at Pike's Place before landing at a 2nd story Pike's Place bar and grill for a few drinks. After a bit more walking around in the market, that pretty well wrapped up the day.

Monday 'the girls' went to the outlet mall near our house and did a little shopping... this was the only rainy day we had, but that didn't stop the power shoppers! That night we met a friend of Mom's (that lives here) for dinner at a great little Irish pub called McMenamin's. (Our waitress said the macaroni and cheese had a cult following - and oh was she right!)

Tuesday we went to the Purple Cafe and Wine Bar (Oh, Just Fantastic!!) for lunch, then on to Chateau Ste. Michelle winery for some tastings. By then, the non-drivers were sufficiently buzzed, so we headed on back to the house.

Wednesday, sadly, it was time for them to pack up and go. Don't forget to come back in the summer to sample the fresh fruits, veggies and flowers - and of course go out in the boat! :-) We miss you....................

Monday, February 4, 2008

Yummy Panini

For Christmas my mom got me a Cuisinart Panini Grill... one word = YUM! It's hard to imagine having a cold sandwich anymore. Not only does this make a delicious hot sandwich, but it does it quick! It's really easy to clean up. So far Daryl's favorite panini has peppered turkey breast, pepperoni, havarti or provolone cheese and sliced pepperocini's. My favorite is peppered turkey breast, havarti cheese, sliced tomato, bacon and a little mayo/mustard. So far we've used french bread, ciabatta bread and italian rustica bread - all with great results yet very different types of sandwiches.

Hungry yet? Get your own!
Cuisinart GR-2 Griddler Express Contact Grill