Ginger-Marinated Bulgogi-Style Chicken

This dish (Ginger-Marinated Bulgogi-Style Chicken) represents Ed's cooking at it's best.

Unusual ingredients, 2 1/2 hr prep time (mostly marinating), and lovely plating presentation (yummy kimchi and cucumber) make for both a palate pleasing and visually pleasing dinner.

This is definitely a dish that requires a little pre-planning b/c of the marinating time, so save it for the weekend or prep the chicken the night before.

NYC!!

We're jetting off for a week in NYC in a couple of days and, b/c I'm always obessed with only packing the perfect amount of clothing, I've already mocked up my packing list on Polyvore.

I "heart" Polyvore!

If you want to check it out the list, click on the pic below.

NYC Packing List by calinas3Bs featuring J Crew

Chicken Burgers w/Caramelized Shallots & Blue Cheese

I fully realize the picture above does not do the entire dish justice. 

I can only imagine my hunger and general flustergation (prior to the pic, Lis and I were furiously scraping char off the over broiled-buns) led me to: (1) forget to take a pic w/the other side of the bun, (2) include the delicious artichokes and aioli Ed made as a side, (3) or include the perfectly paired salt & pepper kettle chips I inhaled by the handful.

I also managed to forget take a picture of the salted caramel ice cream the hubby made for dessert (recipe here).

At least the one pic I did manage to snap conveys how utterly delicious and decadent the burger was (recipe here).  Just thinking about it is making my mouth water.

All in all it made for a perfect Sunday afternoon w/friends (yay Lis & Bry!!) - and that's all that really matters.

Accessories (Sigh)

I've always find accessories to be a bit perplexing - but I definitely try my hardest to add a little something to my outfits.

Lately it's been my new chunky/paste grandma bracelet and old Timex military watch (thanks for the idea J.Crew styling folks...wouldn't have thought it up myself).

It makes me feel tough and girly at the same time - like I could spend a day slogging  through the damp NW forests, and then pull a dress/heels out of my backpack and hit up a cocktail party.  Sweet.

J. Crew Crystal Milano Bracelet (I have this one, find it here)

My Tough Timex Military Watch (here)

Click on the pic below for more masculine watches and estate-esque bracelets

Masculine Watches & Granny Bracelets by calinas3Bs featuring Forever21 jewelry

Curried Mussel Pan Roast

My sister is convinced Ed does all the cooking, but she it WRONG!

Exhibit A - yet another dinner I whipped up:

Curried Mussel Pan Roast

I've been dying to try this recipe ever since we received our June Cooking Light.  The recipe is heavy on the veggies and light on the mussels (only 1 lb for 4 servings), and the mint/curry/coconut milk give it an exotic taste.

Ed said he felt like we were eating "spa food."  

I don't know about that...but I sure was able to mentally justify the bowl of ice cream I ate for dessert.

FOOD & changing identities

It's nice to have a couple home cooked meals to blog about again.

For a week or so the hubby and I were pretty lazy, and mainly foraging/eating out/ordering in, but lately we've been on a cooking tear - yay FOOD blogs!

Anyhoo - I whipped up the dish below, Spaghetti w/Sausage and Simple Tomato Sauce, for a weekday dinner last week.  The recipe was a tiny bit more involved than I thought it would be, since you have to broil the turkey sausage, and I may have blended the whole tomatos a little bit too much - but once I combined all the ingrediants the dish looked and tasted great.  Dress it up with a little basil (I didn't since we only had oregano in the house) - and it could be a very good looking weekend dinner to serve to friends.

On a completely separate note, my mother has (continuously) pointed out that I haven't been blogging much about crafts lately - and I can't say my blogs are merely the "ravings of a serial crafter." 

Therefore, my blogs are now the "ravings of a serial crafter & stereotypical seattleite" b/c that is exactly what I am. 

Want proof?  Check out these Pemco profiles:

Belltown Regional Fare Uber-Foodie

Relentless Recyler (isn't everyone in Seattle?)

and just for fun, this is my friend Mo: Confused East Coast Transplant

Top 10 reasons you know you're from Seattle...

Waterfront Grill Beer & Wine Dinner

Last Wednesday the hubby and I hit up the Waterfront Grill Beer & Wine dinner, featuring beers from the Dogfish Head Brewery (they're based on the east coast - wonderfully complex beers).

The pairings were great - but now I know why I don't usually drink a glass of wine and a glass of (6-18% alcohol) beer with dinner (6 courses, each paired w/beer & wine) on a weekday.  Yikes!

We're usually prevented from hitting up set menu dinners like this since I don't eat red meat - and places w/temperamental chefs aren't willing to be accommodating - but the folks at the Waterfront were super cool and made me a delic. swordfish dish in place of the short ribs, and omitted the pancetta from my salad (yipee!).

If your looking for a place for a fancy-schmancy dinner or a great happy hour joint with outdoor/waterfront seating - I highly recommend the Waterfront Seafood Grill.

radicchio w/warm goat cheese & red pepper dressing

roasted king salmon; tuscan white beans (...)

chocolate mousse on chocolate cake, goat cheese

T to the 3

When I first got it into my head my nephew was in dire need of Thomas the Train gear, my sister told me, "Okay, but this is going to be between you and Mason."

At that time I thought, "Sure..whatever that means," and then plunked $70 down on what I imagined was a large and magnificent rail set (w/a couple figurines) and an engine or two.  My job was done.

Now that I'm older and wiser, I know what my sister was really saying at the time was, "There is no WAY I'm going to buy him those overpriced wooden toys, and if you want to get him hooked - you're going to have to support his habit."

Sigh.

The magnificent rail set I initially bought him looked like this:

Who would have thought a $13.00 engine would only be 3 inches long x 1 inch wide?  (That's what I get for shopping on the internet for basically everything)

It seemed so pathetic.

Imagining Mason pushing his single engine and car around a tiny circle of track all day long (he LOVED the thing) made me feel like a failure as an aunt.  I couldn't let it go on!

I started buying him more.  He wanted a bridge, I bought him two.  He wanted a specific engine, I went online and found it. 

Mason started to get one board.  Even though he's only 3 - Mason is a clever kid.  He's never overtly asks me for anything...he always just tells me how wonderful a certain engine/windmill/bridge - he doesn't have yet - is.  If he throws in a couple other descriptive words (cheeky, magnificent, red, etc) I'm a goner.

Today, during my lunch break, I bought him a Rosie.  Sigh.

The growing track a couple months ago

Working it...

Sometimes its tough to decide what to wear to work - especially if you have a "conservative" work environment and want to break out of the navy skirt suit, gray pant suit, black skirt routine.

The three looks below are a little bit buttoned up, a little bit girly, and a just a tad fashion forward. 

The great thing about each piece is that it matches every other  - so you have a ton +++ of mix & match outfit choices.  Add a nice pair of pumps, a watch, and a cool necklace - and you are ready to head out the door.

A quick bonus note: always and I mean ALWAYS look for a promo code when shopping online.  Right now you can find coupons for 20% off jcrew, 25% BR and Gap, and....

Check out See Chloe Shop for the latest crop of coupon codes

Also - the "Shirtmaker Jacket" currently on sale at Anthro for $39.95 is a less expensive alternative to the J.Crew chambray jacket pictured below

Cropped Pants by J.Crew
Button Front Tops by Gap

Sleeveless Tops by Banana Republic
Jackets by J.Crew

Cropped Pants by J.Crew
Pumps by Nine West

Philosophy

the supernatural pallete

Whenever my mom visits, she always gets a kick out of all the Philosophy products scattered throughout my bathroom - primarily because the packaging provides intellectually stimulating reading material.

Case in point - their retinol cream is called "help me" and the package reads: "philosophy: help me help myself, so that i may help others."  Their moisturizer - "hope in a jar" - reads: "philosophy: where there is hope there can be faith, where there is faith miracles can occur."

hmmmmm....

My mom never knows if she's just supposed to read and ponder - or if she can actually use the products.

Thought inducing packaging aside - Philosophy is one of my favorite brands because of wonderfully gentle and effective stuff inside the tubs/tubes/bottles.

And (bonus!) now through 5/20/2010 (one more day!) - you can get 20% off all online orders w/the code: happiness (website here).

Eek!  Now what to buy?

strawberry milkshake shampoo/shower gel/bubble bath

pure grace lotion/soap for the bathroom

my favorite (but $$$) at home peel

SALE

Followspot Tank (now on sale!)

"Anthroholics" rejoice!

For the past week blogs have been a-buzz with news of a HUGE Anthropologie sale - and now it's arrived!

For the best selection - hurry on over to your local Anthro or http://www.anthropologie.com/ (usually the "fresh cuts" category of the sale section has the newest items).

If you want a list of items on sale: check out the Anthroholic blog found here

Ahhhhhhhh!

Lola

Mo's friend from Boston was in town this weekend, which necessitated a Saturday brunch date at Lola - Tom Douglas' Mediterranean inspired eatery on 4th & Virginia.
Lola serves arguably the best, spiciest, most delicious bloody mary in town. (drool)
Their food is also nothing to turn your nose up at.
Mo, Mark, & I had "the special" - crab cakes perched on a bed of sautéed rapini and topped with a poached egg and hollandaise. The hubby had the house cured gravlax w/chive cream cheese, tomato, and rye.
Unfortunately I forgot to take pics, but if you want to take a peek at Lola's delicious food and read a couple of reviews, check out the Yelp page here.

p.s.  I couldn't resist posting this pic I found online of the "Lola Mary"

New York, New York

The hubby and I will be jetting off to NYC in a couple of weeks (he's going for business - I just can't pass up a "free" hotel room in Manhattan), therefore I've been obsessing over what to pack.

If the weather holds up - I'm thinking about debuting a couple new pairs of shorts I pulled the trigger on recently.  They're both made of silk, slouchy, and comfy - and, I think, perfect for playing tourist in NYC.

New York, New York #1 by calinas3Bs featuring J Crew

New York, New York #2 by calinas3Bs featuring J Crew

Peppery Pasta w/Arugula and Shrimp

Ed & I have been mainly eating out this week (if you can call a couple of cocktails and appetizers at happy hour "eating out"), so I had to dig into last week's dinner menu for this post.

This lovely recipe for Peppery Pasts w/Arugula and Shrimp in theory should only cost about $9.00 to make - but I didn't test that theory since we already had every ingredient but the arugula. 

The dish was another quick one to whip up (hence it was another dish I made), and was a nice mixture of naughty (butter - gasp) and nice (yummy greens).

Update

Friday afternoon felt like my birthday - since both the Chicago painting and the Seattle map coasters came in (yipee!). 

Even though the Chicago painting has yet to be hung - I think now is as good as time as any to do a little update...kind of a "where are they now" of my recent Etsy purchases.

Rooster Painting from this post is now hanging in the hall

Custom vintage Seattle map coasters from this  shop on Etsy

(note: Ed thinks I'm going to cry if any moisture gets on them, but they seem rather well sealed)

Pillows from this post

Painting from this post waiting to be hung

Tasi helping me unpack

Pizza from Bambino's for fuel

Using the coasters for the first time

Roasted Corn and Radish Salad w/Avacado Herb Dressing

This is a pretty involved recipe for a salad - since the dressing has quite a few ingrediants and you have to take time to roast the corn - but the end product makes all the work totally worth it!

The corn adds a wonderful sweetness to the greens, and the avacado dressing tastes complex, creamy, and fresh.  A great warm weather salad. 

Check out the recipe here

As an aside - I bought the cookbook stand below for the hubby a couple months ago- and its worked out perfectly.  The stand will hold books, magazines, or print outs up at a very read-able angle, and there's a splash guard to protect the paper.  If you want one for yourself (its from Crate and Barrel)...buy it here

Saturday in Review

Yesterday the hubby and I decided to hop on our bikes and head out to Ballard for lunch.  We, of course, got lost (Ed thinks we went on an adventure) which is funny since we've been to Ballard billions of times via car - but in the end lunch at Ocho made the journey worth it.

refreshing drinks when we arrived at Ocho

ed w/helmet hair

asparagus gazpacho

tortilla enspanola

devilled egg

anchioves

passing over train tracks on our way back

bridge home

We started out on a bike path by the Olympic Sculpture park (link here) and on the way back we went through the Ballard Locks (link here) - both are beautiful and worth taking a look at if you've never visited.

Happy Mother's Day (specifically to the tiny woman who birthed me :)!