The weather forecast looks great for the up coming 4th of July celebration. I have already brought out our flags to decorate the house and the yard. Some preparations are underway to help save time and make the day as stress-free as possible. Here are a few ways I have incorporated simple and easy ideas for this festive occasion. Store bought donuts sprinkled with patriotic colors is a fun treat to serve at anytime of day. In addition, the classic root beer float is another great treat. Scoop the vanilla ice cream into individual glasses and store them in the freezer until ready to use. All you will need to do later is to pour the root beer into each glass and serve. When it comes to activities, kids love to make noise and pop things, a good supply of pop-its will keep them busy throughout the day. Last but not least, sparklers are always a great way to light up the night.
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Bring out the sparklers, pop-its, and lots of US flags.
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It’s nice to spend some time outside….sit and relax…enjoy the summer weather …have a glass wine…and good company (Bill).
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Ice cold glasses filled with vanilla ice cream and root beer.
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red-white-blue donuts
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Our French brittany, Glory, enjoying the day with us.
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No matter what the plans may be for the day, to end the night with fireworks is something our family always look forward to. As the sun starts to set, we pack up a bag with blankets and fill the cooler with drinks and some snacks then set out on a drive to a nearby park and wait for the display of lights to begin.
I hope you and your family will have a great fourth of July!
Not too far north of the downtown Seattle area and just across the bridge is a neighborhood known as Fremont. There are many reasons to visit or live in this unique, artsy, and eclectic part of Seattle. The area is growing in popularity and it is also in the process of changing and expanding to accommodate the needs of the community. One of the reasons contributing to the growth is the tech industry. Fremont is home to companies such as Google, Tableau, Adobe, and Getty. Not to mention, the internet company, Amazon has its headquarters nearby. For many people, to live near where they work is important and Fremont has become that and more. Its proximity to downtown Seattle, trails, parks, the water, and other amenities are also big draws to the neighborhood. There are plenty of things to do and places to explore in Fremont. Today on the blog, I want to share a small sampling of eateries that are located within a block of each other, easy walking distance to one anther as you can see on the map below. And not too far from there, a ten minute walk over to the Auroa Bridge to visit a well known Troll is a must if you have not been there before. A trip to Fremont for a few hours or for the day will be well worth the trip especially with the summer season approaching.
From the moment you approach The Whale Wins restaurant you may notice these large scale, black and white, whimsical drawings of whales on the side of the building. Upon entering the restaurant, a table with fresh cut flowers greets you and guests The airiness of the space is simply decorated for a casual and warm atmosphere. Just beyond the entrance is an open kitchen with a wood-fired oven. Large marble counters were built to wrap around the kitchen to display an assortment of ingredients, baked goods, and products to be used on the menu. The large room opens to a wonderful outdoor patio. It is an ideal place to enjoy your meals and soak up the summer days and nights. The menu is simple and will change frequently to incorporate seasonal ingredients. The dishes on the menu are delicious and thoughtfully prepared with freshness and flavor in mind. The award-winning chef Renee Erikson and her business partners Chad Dale and Jeremy Price have created another wonderful restaurant for us to visit and enjoy the bounty of the Pacific Northwest. You can find more info about The Whale Wins and Renee’s other eateries at SeaCreatures.com.
Stone Way Cafe is a great place to go for a light snack or a hearty breakfast, lunch or dinner. They have a wide selection of food to choose from as simple as a muffin to a burrito or a plate of chicken and waffles. The selection of beers on tap, coffee, and other drinks are also available for you to choose from. The atmosphere is casual with a mix of rustic and industrial decor. The cafe has a spacious area with tables and chairs for customers to sit and enjoy their meals as they do a little reading, studying, surfing the web, or get some work done on a laptop. Overall, a great place to stop to get a bite to eat and drink.
A summer night out for a casual dinner and cocktails at Manolin might just be the place for you to visit. No reservation necessary, it’s a first come first serve type of dining. The building is tucked away just enough to block out the distraction from the busy street. As you approach the entrance, the blue-trimmed French doors, there is an outdoor seating area off to the left side equipped with a fire pit and strings of lights from above. The interior of the space has a relaxed beach feel with a soft ocean blue color theme throughout. The dining area is centered around an open kitchen built with a U-shaped bar for customers to view all the action first hand. The menu is filled with simple and innovative dishes with the emphasis on seafood and seasonal ingredients. Bill and I enjoyed it all from our cocktails to the last bites of our dessert.
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Cocktails {clove hitch-left and Sloop John B-right}
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{Mussels, Sea Wolf sourdough, ahi amarillo, cilantro}
I love a good crusty bread, light and airy in the center and with a little bit of a bite to it. One of my new favorite places to get this type of bread is at the Sea Wolf Bakery{round striped sourdough loaf}. They are located next door to the restaurant, Manolin {where you might find their breads featured on the menu}. The Bakery space is an open space with high ceilings, big skylights, white walls, and simple decor. Not far from the entrance is the main counter that separates the baking facility from the customer seating area. Located to the right of the counter is a tall rolling baking rack filled with fresh baked goods for you to choose from. They have a wonderful selection of breads, baguettes, focaccia, rolls, croissants, and other pastries. It’s difficult to choose just one or two.
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I didn’t know I was twinning with someone until I saw the picture.
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Here are a few of my must haves: baguette-left, pastry-center, and sourdough loaf-right.
The Fremont Troll Under the Bridge sculpture was constructed in 1990 by four artists: Steve Badness, Will Martin, Ross Whitehead, and Danna Walter. As a part of the piece, an actual {red} Volkswagen Beetle was used as if snatched by the Troll, and soon to be crushed into little pieces with his hand. The 18 foot tall statue is made of steel rebar, wire, and concrete and weights 13,000 pounds. Visitors are welcome to touch, climb, and take pictures with the Troll.
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The view from where the Troll sits under the bridge.
A classic pound cake by itself is basic and simple to make, but with the addition of lemon and lemon-glaze topping will transform and elevate it to another level of deliciousness. The cake is moist with a subtle lemon flavor and the sweet/tart glaze rounds it out well. Pair it with coffee or tea for a late morning or an afternoon snack will be wonderful. The following Lemon Pound Cake recipe is adapted from Martha Stewart’s Everyday Food magazine.
A quick tip before assembling the ingredients, grate the lemon zest first, then squeeze out the lemon juice.
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Makes 2 loaves
Ingredients:
Pound Cakes
1 cup {2 sticks} unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pan
3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pan
¾ cup low-fat buttermilk
finely grated zest of 2 lemons
⅓ cup fresh lemon juice
1½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
2 cups sugar
5 large eggs
Lemon Glaze
2 cups confectioners’ sugar
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2-3 tablespoon water {depending on the desired thickness of the glaze}
. Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350°
1. Butter and flour two 4½-by-8½-inch loaf pans or similar size.
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2. With an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition.
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3. In a liquid measuring cup, combine buttermilk with lemon zest and juice.
4. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.
5. With the mixer on low, add flour mixture in three parts and buttermilk mixture in two, beginning and ending with flour, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat just until smooth {do not overmix}.
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6. Divide batter evenly between pans and smooth the top.
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7. Bake until a toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean, 50 to 60 minutes. Cool 15 minutes in pan. Turn out cakes onto a rack to cool.
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To make the lemon glaze:
1. Place 2 cups confectioners’ sugar in a medium bowl.
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(Caleb was my assistant in whisking the icing)
2. Whisk in 2 tablespoons lemon juice and 1 or 2 tablespoons of water until smooth, thick and pourable.
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3. While the loaves are slightly warm, spread the icing over the top and let it drip over the sides.
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Cut the Lemon Pound Cake into thick slices and serve.
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Mother’s Day is not too far away, make the lemon pound cake a day ahead and it will be a lovely addition to serve on this special occasion.
The beauty of the spring season is upon us, bare branches have been replaced with emerging soft green leaves and buds. Colorful flowering bulbs such as tulips, hyacinths, daffodils, and blue bells are blooming and brightening the landscape around us. By bringing a little bit of spring flowers inside, we can enjoy the season even more. The use of flowers is one of the simplest ways to set the mood and change the decor of a room. For me, it’s like having a little bit of sunshine inside the house on a gray and rainy day. The selections at my local grocery stores have been a joy to see and in abundance. Recently I spotted these soft yellow and white double-flowered tulips {above left} there and decided to pick up a few bundles to bring home. Without having to fuss much with them but to clip a little bit off the bottom of each one of the stems and provide a pretty container filled with water, they were ready to be on display. Flowers such as hyacinths {right, bottom} will fill the room with natural fragrance. Pink mascari bulbs {right, top} were used in an arrangement as a part of the table centerpiece, here. There are many ways to invite a touch of spring into your home, here I have shared a few simple ideas that I hope you will enjoy.
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To give these daffodils structure and interest, the stems were gathered together and tied with a rubber band and place in a glass vase at an angle. A small bundle of flowers can brighten a corner of a room or any other part of the house.
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I purchased these hyacinth bulbs with the intention of replanting them in another container and bring them inside the house. As I started to assemble the bulbs, our chicken came to see what I was doing. She is a curious one and very friendly. When I’m outside, she will follow me around and wait for me to give her something wonderful to eat, especially when I’m digging.
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To get the step by step on how to put this arrangement together, click here.
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A beautiful flower arrangement doesn’t have to be time consuming or expensive. By picking just one or two types of fresh flowers like these tulips will create an elegant and beautiful bouquet. Less time and big impact.
I hope you are enjoying and embracing all that the spring season has to offer. As the seasons change from winter to spring, I look forward to the warm weather and the newness of things to come. Trees are blossoming and flowering bulbs are emerging from the ground here in the Pacific Northwest. I’ve been trying to get a good head start on planting, cleaning, and organizing the yard and garden…a little progress so far. We lost a few plum trees over the winter from the heavy fallen snow. Bill was able to remove those fruit trees and made room for a new fig tree. I hope to have a nice harvest from it this fall. The rain has been constant with few breaks in the sky and as a result the lush green vegetation is vibrant and new again. Change is constant and as the seasons change, so do we.
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As I prepare to move forward and start blogging again after a long break from it, a simple blog post on how to prepare and roast young baby carrots and zucchini is a nice start. The recipe is easy to prepare and requires almost no trimming and some peeling {optional}. By roasting the vegetables, they caramelize and it brings out their natural sweetness. I have chosen to combine a variety of baby carrots of different colors along with baby green zucchini for a visually pleasing and pretty presentation as a side dish.
1 pound of mixed baby zucchini and carrots {optional – peeled} 2 tablespoons olive oil
5-6 garlic cloves {peeled}
salt and pepper to taste
{Here is a list of other vegetables that will be just as wonderful for roasting: potatoes, asparagus, green beens, mushrooms, beets, radishes, broccoli, cauliflower, fennel, cherry tomatoes, and peppers.}
Preheat oven to 400º F.
1. Wash and dry the vegetables. Trim off any long tips or stems.
2. Place the vegetables and garlic cloves on a large rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
3. Drizzle vegetables and garlic cloves with olive oil and toss to coat.
4. Spread vegetables out in a single layer and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
5. Bake at 400º F for 25 to 30 minutes until tender.
A healthy and simple side dish to make this spring.
