Causes


  • I'm walking the LiveStrong Challenge 2009 5K in memory of my husband Chuck on June 21st. I'm recruiting for TEAM CHUCK and working to fund-raise $500+. Please click on the LiveStrong Challenge logo if you'd like to participant or contribute. Thank you!

Favorite Cookbooks 09

  • Jane Lawson: The Spice Bible: Essential Information and More Than 250 Recipes Using Spice, SpiceMixes, and Spice Pastes

    Jane Lawson: The Spice Bible: Essential Information and More Than 250 Recipes Using Spice, SpiceMixes, and Spice Pastes
    This book was on my Christmas list. The layout breaks out each spice and provides recipes that capture the spice's essence. I am excited about this book. There are lots of exotic recipes and it will help me stretch further into preparing world cuisine. My first attempts will be Chicken Mole, Seafood Paella and Caribbean Jerk Pork.

  • Ina Garten: Barefoot Contessa at Home: Everyday Recipes You'll Make Over and Over Again

    Ina Garten: Barefoot Contessa at Home: Everyday Recipes You'll Make Over and Over Again
    I enjoy the Barefoot Contessa cooking show. She does a wonderful job of highlighting a food's natural flavors with accent ingredients. I've adapted her Shrimp & Orzo pasta salad which now has become "Jeannette's salad" for summer parties. Her chocolate cake with chocolate frosting is yummy!

  • Elisabeth Prueitt: Tartine

    Elisabeth Prueitt: Tartine
    This book is magical! Every recipe I have tried from this San Francisco bakery gem has been melt in your month scrumptious. This is one cook book I do not lend out recipes from. I am thrilled with the flaky pie dough recipe version utilizing a food processor. Favorite recipes include Almond Breakfast Cake, Brownies, Pecan Maple Pie and Trifle of Summer Fruit. The recipes can take time and multiple steps, but you can't argue with the results. Superb!

  • Emeril Lagasse: Emeril's Delmonico: A Restaurant with a Past

    Emeril Lagasse: Emeril's Delmonico: A Restaurant with a Past
    I bought this cook book one Christmas for Chuck as he spent hours watching Emeril during his treatment phase to try and find his appetite. The restaurant's history and famous recipes are explored here. The biggest hit I have made out of this book is "Rosemary-Gruyere Bread Pudding" as a holiday side. It rocks!

  • Sheila Lukins: Celebrate!

    Sheila Lukins: Celebrate!
    We received this cook book as a wedding present. It has menus and meals for all the special occasions that life has to offer. It's one of the first books I turn to for inspiration.

  • Mollie Katzen: The New Enchanted Broccoli Forest (Mollie Katzen's Classic Cooking)

    Mollie Katzen: The New Enchanted Broccoli Forest (Mollie Katzen's Classic Cooking)
    My favorite of Chuck's stash is this charmingly illustrated vegetarian cookbook. It contains helpful tutorials throughout about baking bread, souffles, beans and grains. I love the enchiladas and zucchini spice bread recipes.

  • Leslie Mackie: Leslie Mackie's Macrina Bakery and Cafe Cookbook: Favorite Breads, Pastries, Sweets and Savories

    Leslie Mackie: Leslie Mackie's Macrina Bakery and Cafe Cookbook: Favorite Breads, Pastries, Sweets and Savories
    Macrina Bakery is a Seattle treasure. Chuck & I spent many a weekend morning in the warmth of the Queen Anne shop. I'm going to use this to delve into my bread baking initiative. Favorite recipes for Lemon Curd Tart and Sweet & Spicy Nuts.

  • Tessa Kiros: Twelve: A Tuscan Cook Book

    Tessa Kiros: Twelve: A Tuscan Cook Book
    A beautiful celebration of each month's bounty. My favorite recipe is for baked fennel - which reminds me of a meal I had in Siena. True Italian cooking inspiration.

  • Ernest Matthew Mickler: White Trash Cooking II: Recipes for Gatherin's (Vol 2)

    Ernest Matthew Mickler: White Trash Cooking II: Recipes for Gatherin's (Vol 2)
    This is the one that started our travel collections. Chuck & I found this in a little deli on the CA coast during our 1st vacation. It brought laughter to the rest of our trip and our lives together. Chuck always threatened to make me "Weenies and Tortellinis". The book is filled with fun stories of white trash living and awesome photos. My favorite recipe for Holiday Fruit Salad instructions are as follows: "Put it all in a bowl. Use your own amounts." Beside you never know when you will be called upon to make Deviled Pig Feet, Fancy-Schmancy Tuna Casserole or Post Grape Nut Lorraine.

  • Alice Waters: Chez Panisse Menu Cookbook

    Alice Waters: Chez Panisse Menu Cookbook
    This treasure was one of Chucks original entries. You can tell which ones came from him as they usually are more serious without many visuals. The restaurant from which this cookbook hails produces a different 5 course meal each evening. What I love about this cookbook is it's layout. It breaks down the recipes in menu types - special occasion, themes and variations, uncomplicated. The end section gives dozens of the restaurants most memorable menus. It is a great resource for inspiration.

July 16, 2009

Teatime

Teatime at the Queen Mary was held this past Sunday. 5 years ago a small group of us ladies in the friend circle decided that we needed to set our own traditions. The men in our lives all had their poker nights, book-club AKA drinking nights, etc. Meanwhile, we seemed to only really see each other at various parties thrown throughout the year. And thus our tradition of going to tea began. 

It's evolved to a spring/summer outing to the Queen Mary for Afternoon Tea and a late Fall/Holiday potluck tea at one of our humble abodes. Every occasion is a treat. It's fun to see everyone sans kids and hubbies. And the menu fluctuates with the seasons, so each time is a little different. My favorite items this time were the little scrumptious bacon & onion savory cheesecakes and the decadent chocolate scotch bar. And you can never go wrong with a yummy scone with whipped butter & jam.

Looking around the table, I always think how lucky I am to have such wonderful women in my life. And how much fun it'll be as the years go by to store up these jewels of an afternoon. Although we all agreed that we'd never reach the tea frenzy that the group next to us shared. They were a group of 10 men & women all dressed in southern formal tea dresses and gorgeous hats. Looking splendid and were all roughly 20 years our seniors. Maybe by that age we'll pick up some hats.

Always we leave a little buzzed on tea, drunk on friendship and overly full. And I can tell you, its hard to find a better state of being.

July 14, 2009

To Bainbridge and Beyond

POSTCARDS from the Ferry rides back & forth to Bainbridge Island with the folks.


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Aunt Danita & Mom

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Seattle Waterfront

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Fireboats

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4 of us - only slightly wind blown

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Bainbridge shoreline

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Coming into the dock

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Mount Rainier lightly peeking out

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Coming back to Seattle - 
I love the mountains silhouetted behind the skyline.

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July 13, 2009

What Not to Wear - the Ferryboat Edition

Never been much of a follower of fashion. My rule of thumb as a bigger girl is flattery. I don't care how "in" a style is...if it clings to, accentuates or broadcasts your problem areas, it needs to be admired on someone else.  Over the years, my style has become peppered with feminine details - floaty materials, pretty patterns, peek-a-boo necklines and the occasional pretty skirt. 

So while getting dressed for a trip with my parents/aunt to Bainbridge last week, I thought nothing of wearing my long gauzy cotton blue/grey stripped skirt with a sweet white eyelet top. Not once did I entertain the notation that sails are made of large swatches of cotton. I barely escaped with my dignity in tact. As soon as the boat opened up speed, the wind kept "playfully" catching my skirt layers. Fighting with all of my might to secure my skirt without mooning the entire ferry boat, the wind started billowing and flipping up my cute summer eyelet shirt. The water winds showed me no mercy that day. 

While in Bainbridge, I bought a lovely lilac & blue stripped sunhat. Considering that my skin can only be pasty white, ruddy or bright red...I fight an uphill battle against looking like a lobster all summer long. Hats are my friend. Unfortunately that hat became a casualty to wind on the crossing back. All was fine - I had a firm grip on the hat and the skirt squarely pinned between my knees...or so I thought. With one big gust the wind snatched a corner of my skirt skyward and instinct kicked in. In the second I let go of the hat to grab the skirt, the wind snacked the hat off my head and tossed it up and over the side of the boat lickety split. Poor hat never stood a chance. Maybe a seagull has claimed the hat as a new nest.

I consider myself lucky to exit the boat with the rest of my clothing and an ounce of dignity that day.

July 11, 2009

Sick Day

Today is an official sick day.  Self-quarantined to the condo. R&R is on my to-do-list. My parents & aunt have been visiting this past week while I've been ill. The doc said the VIRUS word yesterday, meaning just waiting it out. And applying Vitamin C liberally. 

My day has consisted of sleep, snuggle with a kitty or 2, little tv, leftovers, light reading...REPEAT. All pre-existing plans for parties, farmers markets and estate sale perusing out the window. 

There's something so luxurious about spending a Saturday with your feet up and no Agenda. Hopefully, today will recharge the batteries enough to kick start back to stellar health.

July 10, 2009

New Gallery Wall Images

Guess it is only fair to show the new images going up on the walls this weekend. There were a few images coming down that I did not have electronic copies of so the new image list is longer.

Unveiling the new gallery photos:

FAMILY GALLERY:

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Mairead

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Emmie

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Friend Family 

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Best Friend

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Me & the Nieces - this is the one replacing Chuck & I. 
A more flattering one of all of us will arise in the future.

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My favorite one of Chuck

TRAVEL GALLERY:

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Rome 

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Venice 1

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Venice 2

And for the final image I'm still debating between the 2 below. 
One of which will hang in a 3 opening frame with the 2 Venice pictures above.
Vote Anyone?  Leaning towards the Angel from Rome.

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Venice

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Rome

Earlier this winter I solved the majority of my dilemma with displaying the couple photos of Chuck & I. To celebrate my wedding anniversary, I bought a really good digital frame. It cycles through thousands of photos of my life including us, family, friends, travels etc. It allows me to enjoy the memories without them being dominating. And gives a more complete picture of my life. 

It's a hard tightrope walk somedays to honor the past, live in the present and plan for the future.



Gallery Change Up

There are 2 gallery walls in my condo - one for family/friend images and the other for travel pictures. The intention has always been to have it be fluid and updated as time marches on. Last week I chose some replacement images to get Italy onto my walls and revise the family portraits. Here's the images that I am retiring.


FAMILY WALL:

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Mairead - Hawaii 2008

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Emmie - Hawaii 2008

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Chuck & I - 1st wedding anniversary. This was the hardest one to remove.
It's prominence in the layout really suggests we are the couple of this home
and I'm consciously shifting that vibe. I'm not too happy with what I choose to replace it. 
A better image will come along. Nothing is permanent.


TRAVEL PHOTOS:

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Part 1 of a trio of Prague door way gargoyles

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Part 2 of Prague Gargoyles

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Part 3 of Prague Gargoyles

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Notre Dame - Paris


Thank you all for gracing my walls and making my home all the more beautiful.

July 06, 2009

Sisters

Abundance family time is the order of this week. My parents and Aunt Danita are in town for a visit. One of the interesting things is that we have 3 generations of sisters in the mix. Danita & my mother, Heather & myself and the lovely nieces Mairead & Emily. 

Of course my nieces have the most unfiltered and raw of sibling relationships. Love, jealousy, concern, teasing, generosity, scrutiny, envy... one moment ferocious allies and another mortal enemies. A strive to be independent - the youngest with a mind of her own and the oldest wanting to be unique. These struggles are part of earning your sisterhood stripes. As I observe each generation of sisters, it's striking how very different each sibling is in the pair. Yet as age mellows and time endears, each relationship found footing into a great friendship and respect of the other. A sister is a friend you get for a lifetime. Someone who knows where you have come from, the mountains you've climbed and the future you hope for. I've certainly been very blessed with mine. And am eternally thankful that both of our paths lead us here together. Love you HD!

And my darling nieces, it's tough to be a sister. You are just at the beginning and hardest part. Hang in there! Look at us 35 & 50 years further down the road. Someday, you'll both have your independence, the space to be your true selves and the grace to appreciate each other as you are . Believe me, then you'll count each other amongst your closest friends and cheerleaders. Sisterhood is truly a beautiful thing.

July 04, 2009

HAPPY 4TH!

Happy 4th of July Everyone!  May your day be filled with celebration, lots of red, white & blue and family & friends. My parents and Aunt Danita will be arriving within a few hours for a whirlwind week of visiting. Excited to see them all. 

And ready for some fireworks!!!

Happy Independence Day.

July 01, 2009

Summer Cold

Hi everyone. In the midst of getting my butt kicked by a summer cold that Mairead graciously shared with me. Kids aren't called germ farms for nothing. I got to spend some high quality time with the nieces this past weekend. If I cold is the price-tag I say 'Bring it on!"


Unfortunately, it's left me with just enough energy to make it through the workday. With a three day weekend ahead I'll have some time to play catchup here.

Be well!

June 28, 2009

Niece Getaway

Spending the weekend with the nieces to facilitate a parents adult away weekend. It's the least I can do! Having a great time, although I must say I am not as energetic as a 4.5 and almost 3 year old. And I can't remember the last time I had grilled cheese for dinner. Excited for another fun filled day.