Whole Wheat Blueberry Muffins

I went on a blueberry picking kick this Summer and as a result I ended up with a large quantity of fresh berries. One day I decided to do something with them other than eat them straight out of the bowl. I found this recipe online and quickly got to work. I loved the addition of applesauce and I added a little demerara sugar on top for a little crunch.

End of Summer baking

Summer has a tendency to pull me outdoors and make me crave simply prepared food. I shy away from baking in the warmer Summer months, so late Summer is the perfect time to make use of all this wonderful abundance of locally grown food. A couple weeks ago my friend brought over some rhubarb. I have never baked with rhubarb before and I was excited to give it a try. I came across this recipe for rhubarb crumb bars and they seemed simple enough to make.

Farm to Table Dinner with Matt Dillon

After months of stellar weather, rain threatened the forecast on the day of our Farm to Table dinner. We were reassured via email, regardless of weather the dinner would go on as planned. As we arrived at Stuart Landing Farms we were invited to partake in a beverage and hors d'oeurves while we awaited our farm tour. Once on our farm tour we learned how the farmers are allowing their crops to go to seed and overwinter so they can then collect the seeds and redistribute them or create an even hardier crop in the subsequent years. The whole idea of becoming a farmer in this day and age of modern conveniences and fast food fascinates me. There is nothing quite like a fresh picked tomato, lettuce or berries. I was inspired by these men who are working with nature and not against it. 

SLU Burger Competition

What do you get when you combine excellent weather, stellar food and great friends? Smiles all around and a good time had by all. This year was the second annual South Lake Union Burger Competition. The competition was fierce with five burgers coming from Top Pot, Sea Star, Whole Foods, Brave Horse and Lunchbox Laboratory. 

Picking my way through Summer

This Summer we have been fortunate to spend a ton of time outdoors, in particular berry picking. We have been strawberry picking, raspberry picking, blackberry picking and now blueberry picking. For deliciousness factor my favorite berries to pick are raspberries, but I also appreciate the thoughtfulness of blackberries to be free and plentiful and the ease in which clusters of blueberries fall off the branches. Basically, I love all berries for different reasons.

What are your favorite berries to pick in the Summer?

Worth the drive

One day I realized all of our favorite day trips include fantastic places to eat. Here are a few of our favorite food day trips from Seattle.

Country Boys BBQ is our favorite thing about Cashmere, WA. We spend the day hiking in Leavenworth and then make the drive to Cashmere to eat.

Food Styling class with Aran Goyoaga

During Aran Goyoaga's Food Styling workshop, I gained a whole new appreciation for food. I learned many things, not only about food styling, but the creative process of turning simple food into a work of art.

Food styling and a simple gesture of love

As a blogger who enjoys reading other blogs, I spend a fair amount of time rattling on to my husband about things I have seen or read on someone else's blog. As much as my husband is a good listener, sometimes I think I would tune myself out if possible. Several weeks prior to Mother's Day I mentioned a food styling class by Aran Goyoaga I was dying to take. I felt it was frivolous and although I mentioned it to him, I had put it out of my mind as a possibility. Fast forward a few weeks and while reading through her blog I noticed her food styling class had filled up, my heart sank. Even though I had mentioned it in passing I really wanted to attend the class- oh well, maybe next time.

Happy weekend!

Ice cream weather continues to hold strong around here, which means it might just be time to make more sugar cookie spoons. What is more delightful for clean up than an edible utensil?

A good reminder we could all use and a great little weekend adventure near Seattle.

Snoqualmie Ice Cream Farm in Maltby, WA

As you walk up and down the aisles of a grocery store, it is hard to feel connected to your food. Questions like "what exactly is in this?"often run through my mind as I scan the ingredients on a package. When I was presented with the opportunity to take a tour of a local company's farm, Snoqualmie Ice Cream, I jumped at the opportunity. Before setting foot on their farm I was uncertain what expect, I knew they created delicious locally made ice cream, but I did not know a lot more than that.

Strawberry towers which prevent mold and mildew from growing on the berries.

Sponsored giveaway: Savor Food tour at Pike Place Market

One sunny Saturday morning, we met our group at the Market Theatre to begin our Savor Food tour of Pike Place Market. Although I have been to Pike Place Market numerous times before, I was excited to see what new things I might learn about the market and what new foods I might try. Our tour commenced with a little history of the market and then onto our first stop was Daily Dozen. There is nothing quite like a hot, fresh donut smothered in cinnamon and sugar to get your day off to a good start.

Strawberry Picking at Harvold's

Harvold's has been my family's long time favorite place for berry picking. Unlike many farms, they forgo the additional merchandise and instead focus solely on the berries and their quality. I remember learning how to pick berries at a very young age and eating more than my fair share of those berries while in the field. Amazingly enough, this was Cameron's very first time ever picking berries. Despite the soaring temperatures, he was driven and focus, with his head down picking I knew he meant business.

Summer eats and Happy fourth of July!!

As the temperature rises, my desire to turn on the oven diminishes to zero. Here are a few of my favorite Summer eats which require little to no time in front of a hot stove.

Summer fruit soup, a beautiful color and unique addition for your entertaining menu.

A simple Cheese Platter for all your Summer soirees.

Lemon Curd makes the perfect hostess gift!

Parmesan Crisps dress up any salad in no time.

Sauteed Shrimp with Tomatoes and Wilted Argulua makes for a healthy and fulfilling meal.

Old Fashion Berry Cake is always a show stopper, but still easy to make.

Blackberry Crumb Bars for when you love to pick berries, but have too many to eat all by yourself.

Pecan Molasses Granola, the kind of granola you actually know what all the ingredients are.

Peanut Butter Oat Bars, for when you need a little something sweet in your life.

Fourth of July Treat

For a quick and simple patriotic treat, try your hand at these cupcakes. They really are quite simple to make. First, bake star shaped sugar cookies on a wooden skewers, allow them to cool and then frost with red and blue icing. Once the sugar cookies are frosted, stick them into the center of vanilla cupcakes. Voila, a festive treat with minimal work.

Mountain House Giveaway: let the camping season begin!

In our free time we love to hike and camp. Since we go a lot we like to keep our prep work simple. We might decide on a Thursday evening to pack up our bags and head out somewhere on a Friday or we might plan an impromptu hike midweek. Our meal style while camping or hiking is simple, quick meals with easy clean up. We like to be able to eat and then get on with our other activities as soon as possible. Also, since we usually hike into our campsites, the weight of our bags is an important consideration for us.

Shared plates

With the weather consistently staying nice, we have resolved ourselves to eat every meal outside until October. Who is with me? As the weather is warmer I crave lighter dishes, fish and lots of salads.

Are you one of those people who loves to order lots of different plates and then share? I find this to be the easiest, most economical means to try a little bit of everything on the menu. Some foods are delicious, but either too rich, spicy or heavy to eat an entire plateful. Cameron and I have taken a liking to ordering several different appetizers and then sharing them for our dinner. I know I often speak of Elliott's, but I find their location, price point and freshness just a few reasons we keep coming back for more.

Entertaining 101: Assembling the perfect cheese Platter

Typically, I am the person who schedules our social activities, but lo and behold Cameron initiated an invitation for the first time in a long while. I am fortunate to be married to someone who is able to get along with just about anyone, so when he wanted to invite someone in particular over, I knew I should jump at the chance to entertain.

Marination Ma Kai

I am always surprised to hear how many people rarely venture over to West Seattle because they believe it to be too far away. From downtown Seattle you can board the King County Water Taxi and within ten minutes find yourself on the shores of Alki beach. If you time your visit around a mealtime; might I suggest visiting Marination Ma Kai for lunch.

Our favorite Thai food + one disadvantage to being tall

When we were first married and both working full time, I am a little embarrassed to say, but we would frequent a Thai restaurant near our house at least two times a week. They knew us, we knew them and they knew our order. We were predictably predictable and most importantly happy to not have to make dinner. Once we moved away from our waterfront apartment in Kirkland I think we both shed a tear or two not because we were going to miss our friends or our place, but because we were going to miss being so close to that restaurant. For a couple years afterward we would make the jaunt across the water and to our favorite restaurant. We would reminisce about how much we loved living there and how much we loved their food. Then one day the staff changed, they no longer knew us and we no longer knew them. Their food became a bit spotty and we searched for a new place to call our own.

Sweet Treat date: Bluebird Microcreamery

I am a huge fan of supporting local businesses, so I was delighted when one evening we stumbled upon Bluebird Creamery. It was a cold, rainy evening, but once inside, the warmth and smell of freshly made waffle cones quickly invited us in. Since we had just eaten dinner we wanted to share, but the scent of the waffle cones made it necessary to have one of those too. Typically, I do not mind sharing, but sharing an ice cream cone with someone else brings out the impatience in even the most patient person. It is just plain hard to sit there will your partner is enjoying themselves licking away. Our compromise was two scoops (theo's chocolate and salted caramel) in a bowl with a waffle cone on the side- sheer brilliance in my book!