oddfellows and ice cream

I haven’t spent much time in Capitol Hill in Seattle yet, but after my brief visit there on Sunday I think I’ll definitely be frequenting the area much more often. After stopping by Fleet Feet for a new pair of running shoes for Mr. Husband (expert knowledge and service at this store, btw, highly recommend!), we went to Oddfellows for a Sunday afternoon martini and snack.

 

And what goes better after vodka than a summer ice cream cone from Maggie Moos while sitting in the Cal Anderson Park?

Salted Caramel and Theo Chocolate. Mmmmmmmm.

 

Hiking Mt Si

On Saturday we climbed a mountain.

For years, I’ve driven by Mt. Si on my way to and from Eastern Washington. Under an hour away from Seattle, it’s one of the first big mountains you see as you approach the pass, just north of I-90 in North Bend. I never once considered climbing it or even realized you could. But on Saturday we were hankering for an outdoor adventure but didn't want to spend hours in the car getting there. Mt Si seemed like a great option. An awesome and challenging hike, it was well worth it even when we reached the top and found it cloudy. Will definitely be making a trip back on a guaranteed clear day.

Look at all those switchbacks.

It's four steeeeep miles up to an elevation of 4,176 feet. And then four steep, much faster, miles back down.

When we started the hike, the top was hidden in clouds. Good thing I couldn't see what I was getting myself in to or I would have been really intimidated. 

Even when we got to the top, the views weren’t quite as spectacular as they could have been…or really there weren’t many views at all.

  




But we still lingered at the top and snacked on peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and pita chips, while the clouds swirled around us.

It wasn't until we staggered to the bottom and stopped the North Bend outlet mall that the top of the mountain emerged and we could see clearly what we had just accomplished. No wonder I’m still having trouble walking, three days later.

Weekend Smorgasbord

Last weekend was a dining smorgasbord. Family was visiting and we had a lot of eating and celebrating to do.

We started out at Friday night at a launch party for Dry Fly Bourbon. This is the best stuff I've ever tasted come out of a bottle. Seriously.

After that, we dined at Steelhead Brewery. No photos of the food, but let me assure you that I ate a burger that was larger than my face and received absolutely no teasing about that fact.

Photo: Juliette Cook, from steelheaddiner.com

The next day we took my brother-in-law, sister-in-law, and baby niece to eat Homegrown sandwiches at Green Lake.

Then we dined at Salty's on Alki.

Arguably the best view in the city (here is said view across the parking lot), the interior and decor haven't been updated since the late 80s and the menu is woefully overpriced.

But, it was a great place for a celebration and the Dry Fly Whiskey Manhattans were delicious.

And if that wasn't enough, we started Sunday off with brunch at Portage Bay in South Lake Union. Don't let this photo deceive you. Weekend mornings it's swarming with people and requires at least an hour wait for a table.

Photo: urbanspoon.com

 Needless to say, this week it's been all salads all the time.

Beach Blanket View

It's been quiet on the blog front for me the past week. I seem to have accidentally deleted some of my photos for my planned posts. Yikes!

Instead, here's what I've been up to the past two weekends:
Went to Bite of Seattle (crowded!!) and watched the Dock Dogs Competition (fun!!)
Saw Harry Potter
Walked around Green Lake twice.
Ate tacos at Aqua Verde but chose not to wait in the mile long line to rent kayaks.
Played Frisbee instead.
Had brunch at Emmer & Rye.

And had a fabulous day at the beach at Discovery Park, complete with picnic, beach blanket, and a book. Thankfully I didn't delete these photos!

Orzo with Olives and Artichokes, Curry Cous Cous with Currants, and Swedish Cheese.

The view from my blanket.

Last Weekend...

…my mother-in-law was visiting, so we were excited to show her around our new city.

…we stumbled upon the Ballard Seafood Festival.

…where we drank the Best Beverage on Earth. (It was good, but probably false advertising.)

that dude is tall!

Were we supposed to add ketchup to our drinks? Not sure what that's doing there...

this dude is tall too.

…we were mildly traumatized by this pig.

…we ventured to the Seattle Art Museum for the Beauty and Bounty exhibit (where we oddly enough all got in free thanks to my late father-in-law's illustrious military career ♥).

…we also saw some striking modern art.

…my favorite was Mann und Maus.

And now it's time to make plans for this weekend. Hopefully a little Bite of Seattle (of course!) and hopefully a little Harry Potter!

More fun on the Fourth

In addition to eating well. We did lots of fun stuff over the long weekend.

We kayaked.

 

 We saw these people having a private party on a private island, only available at low tide.

We joined more than a thousand of our closest boating friends for a fireworks display in Poulsbo.

We watched the sunset.

We braved the holiday weekend traffic to return to reality.

And we attended a Fourth of July parade on Bainbridge Island.

 No wonder I'm still exhausted. And it's almost time for the weekend again!

Fourth of July Feasting

I hope everyone had a great weekend and, if you're in the United States, a fabulous Fourth! I have lots of feasting and fun to share with you. We got out of town as fast as we could on Friday so we could start the weekend off right.

After cruising around for awhile in search of the perfect spot, we found ourselves in a quiet cove on Bainbridge Island. Guess we didn't have to go that far for peace and quiet, since we could still see downtown.

My extraordinary husband/chef spent all day prepping for two of our weekend feasts. The first night's menu? Mussels, Salmon, and an original recipe Potato Salad.

Mussels are good for you and good for the environment because they can be sustainably raised and help clean the sea floor. Eat up!

Then on to the Cedar-Planked Salmon. Tip: Make sure you soak the cedar plank for a looong time. Much longer than I soaked it, at least. (Soaking the plank was my one task in preparing this meal. Fail.) If not soaked long enough, you might emerge from the cabin to find your dad holding a flaming cedar plank in a pair of tongs over the edge of the boat. Crisis narrowly averted.

Sadly, I have no pictures of the flames because I was dashing for a fire extinguisher.

 

Fortunately, the fish made it through unscathed. The grill may never be the same.



And finally, on to the yummy potato salad for some essential carbs. Also featuring one of my favorite food groups: Bacon.



Fingerling Potato Salad with Asparagus, Blue Cheese, and Bacon
1-2 pounds fingerling potatoes
Small handful of asparagus
5-6 Strips of Bacon
Equal parts sour cream, blue cheese dressing, and mayonnaise, to taste
Chopped Green Onion
Minced Parsley
Generous Salt and Pepper to taste

Line a baking sheet with foil, evenly space bacon strips on sheet. Bake in preheated 425 degree oven for 15-20 minutes. The crispier the better for this recipe. When cool, chop or crumble into bite sized pieces.

Leave oven on (or cook at the same time as the potatoes). Place asparagus on foil lined cooking sheet. Mist very lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place in 425 degree oven for 15 minutes. When done and cool, slice into 1-2 inch pieces.

Chop potatoes into 1-inch chunks. Boil in salted water for 10-15 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Mix cool ingredients in bowl and gently fold in dressing mixture and onions and parsley. Season generously to taste.

Enjoy! And stay tuned for more Fourth of July food and fun, coming soon!