Joie de Vivre
"Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?" ~Mary Oliver262 {balcony garden}
It took a little while, but it finally felt like Spring arrived in Seattle yesterday and it inspired me to make my annual trip to Bellevue Nursery to buy starts for this year’s containers. The nursery has been in business since 1955 & has a small, neighborhood feel to it. The staff is friendly, knowledgeable & helpful, and they have a wonderful selection of plants.
My purchases included:
- Calypso Cilantro
- Vietnamese Coriander
- Fernleaf Dill
- Copper Fennel
- Sweet Fennel
- Grosso Lavender
- Grapefruit Mint
- Spearmint
- Empress of India Nasturtium
- Dwarf Oregano
- Alp Rosemary
- Berggarten Sage
- French Tarragon
- English Companion Thyme
- Ciant Musselburgh Leeks
- Waveret Petit Pois Pea
- …and a variety of Lettuces — Petite Rouge, Flashy Trout’s Back, Buttercrunch, Merlot & Black Seeded Simpson
I’ll also be adding some chives, basil, sorrel & lemon verbena.
Inspired by Amy Pennington (of GoGo Green Garden & author of Apartment Gardening), my goal is to make all of my containers edible this year. As I was doing a little online research today, I found these adorable pallet garden (above) & wine box garden (below) ideas on Life on the Balcony. I feel some projects coming on!
Happy Spring, everyone! xo
261 {cool find: lightly sweetened yogurt}
I LOVE yogurt! And last night, while I was shopping at Metropolitan Market, I discovered Siggi’s Icelandic Style Skyr. It was on sale (not cheap — 2 for $4), but the packaging caught my eye and the flavors sounded light & wonderful… Grapefruit, Orange & Ginger, Pomegranate & Passion Fruit, Blueberry, Acai, Vanilla, and of course, Plain.
Each 5.3 oz. serving has 14g of protein, 0g fat, and 11g of carbohydrate.
According to the package…
Skyr is the traditional yogurt of Iceland. It is made by incubating skim milk with live active cultures. The whey, the water naturally found in milk, is then strained away to make for a much thicker, creamier, concentrated yogurt. So to make just one cup of skyr, with all that water going out, you need 3 – 4 times the amount of milk required to make a regular cup of yogurt. As a result of this process skyr comes out with 2-3 times the protein count of standard yogurt.
When I got home, I opened a container of the Grapefruit, which was WONDERFUL! Typically, I buy Fage Plain because most flavored yogurt contains way too much sweetener, but Siggi’s is perfect — subtly flavored & the perfect tartness (it’s only VERY lightly sweetened with organic agave nectar).
Highly recommended! xo
260 {fig thyme cocktails & cherry mustarda}
Hi everyone. Happy Sunday! I thought I would share a couple new (& favorite) recipes with you today from a dinner party that we had at my condo last week.
FB2 was in charge of libations and he made a beautiful Fig Thyme cocktail.
1 fig, quarters, plus 1 extra quarter for garnish
½ ounce Thyme Syrup (see below)
½ ounce fresh lime juice
1½ ounces pisco
½ ounce Cointreau
Sprig of thyme for garnish
Thyme Syrup:
In a saucepan, add 1 cup sugar, 1½ cups water & 5-6 thyme sprigs. Simmer gently 15-20 mintues. Cool & strain. Refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.
{makes 1 cocktail} In a mixing glass, muddle the quartered fig with the thyme syrup. Top with ice and add the lime juice, pisco, and Cointreau. Shake until cold. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with the remaining quartered fig & a sprig of thyme.
For an appetizer, I made sour cherry mustarda and served it with flatbread crackers, d’Affinois & Manchego. The mustarda was super easy & very tasty!
½ lb. sour cherries, dried
½ cup and 1 Tbsp white wine
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp mustard seeds
Pinch salt
¼ cup honey
Combine all ingredients in a pot and bring to a simmer on medium heat. Cook until liquid becomes syrupy. Stir often to prevent burning.
Bon Appétit! xo
259 {february happiness}
Happiness is…
A rarely seen American version of Jacques Tati’s delightful film “Mon Oncle” at Northwest Film Forum w/CB. Followed by cocktails & nibbles at La Bête.
…I also saw Biutiful & L’illusionniste this month and loved them both as well! Here’s a little preview of all three films…
Vegetarian French Dips (w/caramelized onion, Swiss cheese & Portobello mushroom on an herbed baguette w/roasted garlic mushroom jus) at Cafe Flora, followed by a JT Nero & Allison Russell house concert w/MP. Such a fun evening! JT & Alli were amazing together! Here’s a sample of their music…
Dinner at Book Bindery, followed by Simple Measures “Feminine Mystique” at Q Cafe w/B. (All of the compositions that were performed were written by female composers.)
A cold, drizzly Saturday afternoon spent catching up, enjoying art & savoring a warm pot of tea at the Frye Art Museum w/Monica.
“Great Expectations” at Book-It Repertory Theatre w/B. Preceded by a lovely dinner at Boat Street Cafe.
Mimosas & crêpes at Citizen, followed by a matinée performance of “The K of D: an urban legend” at Seattle Repertory Theatre w/Mom. Renata Friedman was amazing in the play! Here’s the Seattle Rep preview…
A convivial evening with the Literary Divas at Sarah’s house. This month’s book was “Wish Her Safe at Home” — written by Stephen Benatar. (Thumbs up!)
…Two more books that I loved reading this month…
A dinner party at my condo w/M&G and R&E, featuring Fig Thyme cocktails by FB2.
Meals at Lynn’s Bistro (Kirkland) w/Lynnie & Jan, Wild Ginger (Bellevue) w/the family, Elemental Next Door (Wallingford) w/Tanja & Dana, and Din Tai Fung (Bellevue) w/G3.
And the continuing escapades of Figgy & Napoli!
Happy March! xo
258 {hello weekend!}
Happy Friday, my friends! I have been away at a management retreat for the last couple days. It was inspiring and my head is swimming with ideas, but boy, am I tired and ready for a long weekend. We stayed at Cedarbrook Lodge, which is located in South Seattle on eighteen acres of natural restored wetlands. It was REALLY peaceful & lovely! Above are a couple pictures from their website.
Tonight’s exciting plans include nothing more than lazing on the couch & watching a movie. Tomorrow, I’m going to see The K of D, an urban legend at Seattle Rep with Mom. Sunday, I’m meeting L&J for brunch at Lynn’s Bistro. And Monday is a holiday for me & full of possibilities!
Have a wonderful weekend! xo
257 {january happiness}
Happiness is…
Many visits to the Picasso exhibit at the Seattle Art Museum.
Seattle Opera’s The Barber of Seville at McCaw Hall with Bruce & G3. Preceded by dinner at Crow.
Apple Salad (w/slow-cooked pork belly), Hudson Valley Foie Gras Terrine, and Hand-made Smoked Cavatelli (w/foraged mushrooms, pickled pearl onions & foie gras emulsion) at Book Bindery with Dana. Followed by wine-tasting at Almquist.
Siddhartha Mukherjee (with Heather & Chase) & Ron Reagan (with Mom) at Town Hall Seattle.
Elizabeth Strout at Benaroya with Nassim & Mom. (Her book “Olive Kitteridge” is a must read. I absolutely loved it!)
A great book club discussion on “His Excellency: George Washington” — written by Joseph Ellis. (Another must read!)
Meals at Luc (Seattle), Cantinetta (Bellevue), Grim’s (Seattle), Din Tai Fung (Bellevue), Grand Cru (Bellevue), Irving Street Kitchen (Portland), and Blue Hour (Portland) with friends. (We had this wine at Irving Street Kitchen & it was wonderful!)
Seeing great films with friends — Rabbit Hole, The Social Network & Blue Valentine.
And last, but not least, my new kittens — Figgy & Napoli. Two rather feisty bundles of sweetness.
Can’t wait to see what February has in store… xo
256 {comfort food}
Photo compliments of my cell phone.
It was a perfect evening to cozy in with a movie & burn a fire in my newly redone fireplace. It worked perfectly — no smoke in the condo. Yay! :)
I made one of my favorite comfort foods — stuffed peppers — and Mom came over for dinner. Now it’s time to curl up with “Doctor Zhivago.” (I swear, I’m going to finish this book by next Thursday!)
Stuffed Peppers
Serves 4
2 bell peppers, red, yellow, or green
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped fennel
1/2 cup chopped mushrooms
2 cans (14.5 ounces) pureed tomatoes
1 tablespoon fresh oregano, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper, divided
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 pound lean ground beef, chicken, turkey, or pork
1 cup cooked long-grain rice
Cut peppers in half; remove seeds and membranes. Rinse peppers under cold water.
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat until hot. Sauté chopped onion, fennel & mushrooms for about 5 minutes, or until tender. Add 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper. In a large mixing bowl, combine egg with remaining 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and Worcestershire sauce. Gently stir to blend; add ground meat, cooked rice, oregano, and vegetable mixture. Mix well. Stuff peppers with mixture and place in a baking dish. Pour pureed tomatoes over the stuffed peppers. Bake at 350° for 55 to 65 minutes. Top stuffed peppers with a little pecorino cheese just before peppers are done; bake until cheese is melted.
Bon Appétit! xo
255 {cool find: silicone pasta fork}
Okay, yes, I know yesterday’s cool find was Vodka and today’s is a pasta fork, but it’s a very cool pasta fork. I bought it on Friday evening at the Sur La Table event and I am loving it! It’s a Le Creuset. It’s silicone & has a wood handle, but the top is removable & dishwasher safe. It is a perfect compliment to my FAVORITE enameled Le Creuset cookware and it retails for about $12.
I even used it this evening! I had company over for dinner & made pasta. Here’s the recipe (easy & tasty)…
Pasta with Sausage, Tomatoes & Mushrooms
Serves 4 — Adapted from recipe on Epicurious.com
3/4 lb. Italian sausages, casings removed, crumbled
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 lb. mushrooms, thickly sliced
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano
1 large garlic clove, chopped
1/3 cup dry white wine
15 oz. can crushed tomatoes with added puree
3/4 cup diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon butter
fettucine & grated pecorino
Sauté sausage in heavy large pot (Le Creuset, of course!) over medium-high heat until brown, about 12 minutes. Using slotted spoon (or your pasta fork!), transfer sausage to large bowl. Add oil to drippings in pot. Add mushrooms and onions; sauté until tender and brown, about 10 minutes. Stir in chopped basil, oregano, and garlic; sauté 1 minute. Add wine; cook until almost absorbed, about 4 minutes. Add sausage and crushed tomatoes; cover and simmer over medium heat until thickened, about 25 minutes. Add diced tomatoes and butter; simmer until tomatoes are soft, stirring frequently, about 10-15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain well; return to pot. Pour sauce over pasta; toss to coat. Add about 1/4 cup cheese & some chopped fresh basil; toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer pasta to serving dish.
Bon Appétit! xo
254 {cool find: single silo vodka}
Source: Project V Distillery
We discovered Project V Distillery & Sausage Company this weekend at the St. Nicholas Day Open House. They JUST celebrated their grand opening on November 13th & are currently producing a Washington wheat vodka called Single Silo. They weren’t officially part of St. Nick’s, but they were doing tours & handing out free samples on Saturday. Bottles were going fast & I heard they were sold out by the afternoon. Glad I got mine!
Their distillery/tasting room is located at 19495 144th Avenue NE, Ste. A130 in Woodinville and they are incredibly friendly. They work with a farmer in Eastern Washington who has a single silo of wheat just for them and they are hoping to eventually use the wheat byproducts left over from distilling as feed for pigs, hence the sausage portion of their name. I heard they might also have plans for whiskey and gin.
Definitely worth a visit! xo
253 {i heart weekends}
Source: Seattle Homes & Lifestyles
Yesterday, I left work a little bit early (such a treat!) and met Mom & Jackie to attend the Celebrations Holiday Home Tour in Kirkland. This is an annual event & all of the proceeds from the tour help to fund three philanthropic programs of the Assistance League of the Eastside that include Operation School Bell, Assault Survivor Kits & Assistance League Outreach. There were 6 FABULOUS homes on the tour, all with beautiful Christmas decorations & views of the water. Afterwards, there was a “Sips & Bites” party at Sur La Table with wonderful little nibbles & spiced wine and then we walked over to Lynn’s Bistro for dinner — one of my favorites!
My favorite homes were #4 & 6. The owner of home 6 runs her own design business, La Famiglia Design, and she has a blog which you can view here. Her home was the PERFECT blend of rustic & luxurious, comfy & light, very welcoming. We weren’t allowed to take pictures in any of the homes, but I posted a photograph of her kitchen above that I found online & hopefully she will post some additional photos on her blog.
Today, I’m off to enjoy the St. Nicholas Day Open House in the Woodinville Wine Country with a group of friends. The town car (fun!) will be picking us up soon, so I must run…
Have a wonderful, wonderful day! xo
