A New Blog Accessory & Flying Fish

Last night the hubby and I went to Flying Fish for dinner - to celebrate my b-day - and I got to test out my new blog accessory.

Ed decided now that I'm 30 it's time for my blog posts to grow up as well, so he gave me a lovely digital SLR for my bday.

As you probably have already realized from the iPhone pictures that usually accompany my posts - I'm not really the best photographer and I'm kinda' impatient/lazy, so I'm going to have a little bit of a learning period with the new toy.

The camera already won our first battle of wills last night, by tricking me into thinking its battery was fully charged (it was not) - and then deciding it had enough of this picture taking shenanigans after only 3 shots at dinner.

Oh well.  I'll win next time. (pictured below, Albacore Tuna with Bok Choy and Wasabi Cream & Black Cod)

Superfast Chicken Posole (Cool Weather = Hot Soup)



It's officially fall (sigh) - and now that the weather is getting a little cooler it's a great time to hunker down at home for dinner and try out this recipe for Superfast Chicken Posole. 

This dish didn't tickle my fancy as much as the Speedy Chicken Posole I blogged about here, which I recall tasted a bit more spicy and complex, but the Cooking Light recipe is still delicious and will save you 20 minutes and about 150 calories - so it still gets a BIG thumbs up.

It also makes a great weekday dinner, as it only takes 20 minutes to make (30 if you don't used "pre-chopped" onions/celery), and you'll end up with lots of leftover rotisserie chicken for sandwiches and salads later in the week.

Individual Huckleberry Crumbles



I honestly don't know if my creation (pictured above) should be categorized as a crumble, crisp, or cobbler.

All I know is that we had a can of whip cream languishing in the fridge and needed something to put it on, so I let my culinary juices flow.

To make 2 crumbles - I used about a cup canned huckleberries (also used in the recipe here), a crumb mixture sprinkled on the bottom of the cup and on top of the berries (2tbl flour, 1tbl oats, 2tbl butter, 1/4 c brown sugar, combined), and then baked  in the toaster oven at 350 degrees for 20 minutes, until lightly browned on the top.

I felt like I was making an Easy Bake Oven creation!

I imagine it's okay to use fresh or frozen berries in this recipe, but if you do - you may want to (1) defrost and drain the frozen berries, (2) add a little sugar.

I'm Cheating on You

Yes - I'm stepping out on you with another blog, with an entirely different set of readers.

I am now a contributor to the Inside Belltown neighborhood blog, on the Seattle PI's website.  There's currently one active contributor, David Nelson, but one other newbie and I have just been added to the mix - so I'm sure fun will ensue.

The Inside Belltown blog is Seattle focused, and I have a feeling no one there really cares about my every day life as a crafter, foodie, and online shopping addict, therefore I'm going to keep blogging away here as well.

I must admit - It's kinda' nice knowing I'll (hopefully) have readers other than my mom, sister, college friends, highschool friends, work friends (+ husband, thanks Mike!), and family.

Woohoo!

Pasta with Fresh Tomato-Basil Sauce

This recipe, for Pasta with Fresh Tomato-Basil Sauce, didn't turn out exactly like I wanted it to - but it may be because I thought to myself, "I'm just going to use Roma tomatoes instead of Cherry - they're basically the same thing.  Ed will never know I substituted, again."

Unfortunately, the Roma tomatoes really cooked down into the sauce, whereas I'm pretty sure (based on the pic in the magazine) the Cherry tomatoes would have kept their shape.

Sigh.

Oh well - even if the dish wasn't as visually pleasing as I would have liked - it was still simple, delicious, and healthy!

The Post That Never Was (Everybody Has to Rant Sometimes)

A couple months ago, my buddy Leigh and I jumped all over the Groupon for Herban Wellness in Kirkland ($10 for a class on making herbal bath products, right up our alley).

We signed up for the "Body Scrubs and Masks" class and made plans to have lunch and do a little antiquing afterwards (Leigh read about a cool Kirkland antique mall on Yelp).  It was going to be a perfect Saturday morning/afternoon, and it would have made a nice "crafty" blog post.

Unfortunately, things didn't go as planned.

First, I got stuck in the UW Husky football traffic on 520, (2) my joy at making my way through the Husky traffic was short lived when I got stuck in a triathlon reroute, (3) 30 agonizing minutes later, after slowly driving through a cone obstacle course, I made it to end of the reroute at which point a helpful volunteer told me there was no way to make it to Lake Street, where the class was, until after 1PM.  At that point I was already 30 minutes late for the class, and text messaged Leigh to tell her I couldn't make it.

Unfortunately, I also couldn't make it back over the 520 bridge until after 12:30PM, when the game started, so I had time to kill.

After spending an hour in a soulless land known as Bellevue Square - Leigh text messaged and we made plans to hit up the antique mall and have lunch.  I entered the address into the navigation system and was on my way.

To make a long story short, not only was the street the antique mall was on closed due to construction, the mall itself was out-of-business (thanks Yelp). 

After 30 minutes searching for parking we finally settled down for a nice Thai lunch, at which time (after spending a bit of time cursing Kirkland) Leigh let me know I didn't miss anything at the class - it was lecture based (not hands on) and basically a glorified sales pitch.  She did manage to filch me a couple handouts.

We said our goodbyes at her car and I asked for the handouts.  Leigh grabbed them from her car and walked to the front to hand them to me.  The door of her car closed, and for some reason - the automatic locks decided to engage.  We peered in at her purse, phone, and car keys on the seat.  It was the perfect ending to our day.

Needless to say - we aren't going back to Kirkland anytime soon (it's cursed).



Warm Wheat Berries w/Tuna Fennel and Olives

I cheated a bit on this recipe (for Warm Wheat Berries w/Tuna Fennel and Olives) and it still turned out perfectly - which ultimately means you can cheat too.

Instead of doing an overnight soak or the "quick soak" method listed in the recipe (who has the patience for such things?) I simply covered the berries with water in a saucepan, brought it to a boil, and then let it simmer for 30 minutes.  

The berries end up cooking an additional 30 minutes in the recipe - so by the time your done they're perfectly cooked!

If you haven't had wheat berries before, I highly suggest you try them.  They're a bit chewy, kinda' remind me of barley, and are packed with a freaky amount of fiber and protein (6g fiber and 8g protein for 1/4 a cup).

Happy birthday to me!

Tory Burch 'Dayton' Leather Messenger 

in Razor Blue (buy it here, or in black here)

My actual (30th) birthday is still a couple weeks away, but I couldn't resist taking advantage of the 20% off Labor Day weekend promo at Tory Burch and picking up an early b-day present for myself.

Mom - thanks in advance for pitching in for my lovely new purse...my b-day $$ is going right into my savings account ;)

Couldn't resist rocking the bag today!

Shirt BR (similar here), J.Crew leopard belt (similar here),

Ann Taylor tiered skirt (similar here), 

Tory Burch wedge (not shown, here in tan)

Flatbread with Tomatoes, Ricotta, and Anchioves

For some time now, the hubby has been on a mission to make the perfect pizza dough.

So far - it's been an utter failure.

On Sunday, after perusing the October 2010 Food and Wine Magazine I decided we had to try making the Flatbread with Tomatoes, Ricotta, and Anchioves recipe. The pizza dough recipe seemed easy enough - and, in my heart, I knew Ed was almost assured success!

But - instead of making the dough he decided to hit up Eddie Bauer (he's been inspired by Montana fashions), leaving me at home to concoct the dough while cheering for the Seahawks.

The dough/crust turned out perfectly, and the Seahawks won.

Score for me...yet Ed's mission continues... ;)


Oh - and I made cookies too

Ah - Montana!

Much to my mother's surprise, Ed and I made it back from Montana without getting kidnapped by escaped convicts, contracting Lyme disease, or getting attacked by a grizzly bear.

Montana is gorgeous, the people are friendly, and there's always a new adventure to embark on (fishing, hiking, driving and taking in the scenery).  We're already planning a trip back in the late spring.

Now that I'm almost an old lady (my 30th birthday is a couple weeks away - sigh) I'm becoming more and more impatient/unsatisfied with crowds, noise, and the city grind.  I'm starting to think maybe we should all pack up and head up to the wilds of Montana....start a commune...raise goats, weave blankets, and make huckleberry jam...game?

If you want to see more pics, check out:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=230525&id=672091125&l=d2745c2eda

Grilled Jicama, Radishes, Scallions, and Chicken with Asian Style Chimichurri

This dish is fresh, colorful, and delicious w/an array of flavors thanks to the chimichurri sauce and the vegetable accompaniments.

Half-way through the meal Ed decided he doesn't like grilled jicama - so this may be it's one and only appearance on my blog.

If you're in the mood for Grilled Jicama (which I think is delicious, no matter what Ed says), Radishes, Scallions, and Chicken with Asian Style Chimichurri Sauce - check out the recipe here.

Dolphin, Half-moon, Bridge, Warrior I/II (A Hot Yoga Update)

Sage Twist Pant - "just in" at Lululemon

I've stuck with hot yoga (at the Urban Yoga Spa on 3rd & Stewart) for 2+ months, which is a miracle for me since I have a short attention span, and I still LOVE it!

My body is slowly but surely becoming a tighter, more flexible, sleeker version of its old self.  I haven't lost tons of weight, but I feel strong and light thanks to 2-3 day a week hour long sweat sessions.

Hot Power Yoga definitely isn't for everyone though.  The room is 95 degrees and humid, you're quickly flowing from one challenging pose to another, and sometimes you're working so hard your heart races and you struggle to catch your breath.

My friend Leigh sent me an article re: the controversy surrounding hot yoga.  Check it out (here) and let me know what you think.

Happy Labor Day!

If you're looking for something delicious and healthy to throw on the grill - check out this recipe for Turkey Burgers with Roasted Eggplant.

The marmite in the recipe (find it in the baking aisle next to the yeast) added an umami flavor to the burgers...which satisfied the taste buds of my red-meat loving hubby.

The 311 calories (maybe even less since we used sandwich thins instead of a bun) satisfied me.

On the Road Again

Happy Labor Day Weekend!

Ed & I are headed out to West Glacier Nat'l Park (in Montana) to live out our urban "roughin' it" "communing with nature" fantasies.

It was a bit of a challenge packing for "Montana wilderness casual" - but luckily this is a road trip - and I can pack as many pairs of shoes as I like. I also get to pull out the cowboy hat the hubby bought for me once upon a time in Mexico.  Fun times.

Packing List for Montana by calinas3Bs featuring straight pants

P.S.  I'm going to set-up a couple blogs to post while I'm gone....

Packing List for Montana by calinas3Bs featuring straight pants

Dinner w/Lis

Once upon a time, circa 2006, Lis and I lived directly across the street from one another in QA and my sis and her brood lived one block away.

Now, Lis lives 13 or so miles away (which is a lot when you're a chicken and out of practice driver like myself) and the sis and her family live all the way in LV.

Sigh.  Sometimes I miss the olden' days.

On Tuesday after work I hopped on the 157 Express bus and 30 minutes later I arrived in Lis' neighborhood (note: I LOVE Seattle's public transportation, it really is excellent).

Awaiting me was the lovely dinner pictured above, Pasta Pesto and Scallops (she modified the recipe found at the link) and Greek Salad.

Everything was excellent and seconds-worthy!  And the Greek salad made me reminisce about sitting harbor-side in Hydra, Greece w/my bff - eating salad and drinking Greek beer.

Our view in Hydra, Greece

Lis & I in our younger years (2006), Venice, Italy

Sienna, Italy

Florence, Italy