Mount Rainier and Seattle Trip Part 2

I know you've been biting your nails in anticipation for this post. 

The second leg of our trip a couple weeks back was in Seattle. We ditched our rental car back at the airport and took the train into the city. I love being independent of a vehicle for a few days - it's refreshing. As soon as we stepped out of the light rail station, the hustle and bustle of the city was in the air. We went to the hotel, freshened up, and headed out for some drinks and dinner.

I should have taken more pictures of the food and drinks that we ate and drank, but I feel weird taking tons of pictures in restaurants all the time. We hit up Artusi and Elysian Brewery. Both were fantastic. Artusi was the kind of place that Jacob and I would order fancy drinks and food at all the time if we were rich. It was modern and artsy, yet had a wonderful relaxed atmosphere. The bar tender was top notch. Elysian's beer was very good, the food, meh.

Monday morning we woke up early, ran 4 miles around the city, and got ready to head out for a full day of tourism. First stop? Pike Place Market.

The fresh seafood, produce, and flowers were all outstanding.

After walking around the market for several hours, we decided to stop at a little french bakery. I can't remember the name of it to save my life, but it was awful close to the ORIGINAL STARBUCKS. You would know it was the original one because the signs were brown (not green) and the line was at least 25 people long. Now don't get me wrong, I'll settle for Starbucks at times, but come on, people. Our espresso at the french bakery ran laps around those people's "cinnamon dulce" lattes. 

Ok, back to the french bakery. This was the most immaculate bakery I have ever been in. The pastries were gorgeous and the attention to detail was outrageous (in a good way). 

We worked our way around the pretty cases and made our order.

For me, chocolate croissant and an americano (which came served in a real mug, on a saucer), and for Jacob, a brioche and a double espresso (which also came with a tiny saucer). They were just as good as you would expect.

Later that afternoon we visited the Museum of Flight.

We even got to step foot in the old "Air Force One"!

The rest of our trip was spent eating and drinking at a few notable places - Tango in Capitol Hill (yet another amazing bartender who comped one of our drinks just because he said we were "cool"), Umi Sake House, and List in Belltown. 

 We went to Kerry Park to get a nice view of the city and to the space needle to get a few snapshots (without actually paying the $16 to go up to the top) on our last day in the city.

We had a great trip - but it was great to get home as well. Thanks for tuning in, and look forward to some actual recipes that will be going up on the blog very soon!

Mount Rainier and Seattle Trip Part 1

So, after this post you won't hear me bragging on how cool the northwest is, at least for a while. The third and final week of training for work was two weeks ago. Back in the spring, we decided that September would be a good month for Jacob to fly out and meet me at the end of my work week so that we could explore Mount Rainier and Seattle for a few days. 

Warning - this post is a total mix of iphone and "real camera" pictures.

Jacob flew in Friday evening and we started out the trip right - beers at the local brewpub in Tacoma.

Followed by a stroll through downtown.

Saturday morning we woke up early to fog and drizzle but decided we would make the trip to Mount Rainier National Park anyways. Good thing we did, because the weather was out of this world. 75 degrees and blue skies. It was breath taking.

We hiked a 5 mile loop that took us up to the snow fields at the base of Mount Rainier. We could just barely see a few hikers close to the summit of the mountain while we were hiking. It was super cool.

After hiking 1700 feet of elevation over 5 miles in just over two hours, we were tired. We drove around the park and hopped out of the car when the scenery was ripe for pictures.

Sunday, we packed up, dropped our rental car back at the airport, and took the train into downtown Seattle. Apparently there was a Seahawks game that day?

To be continued...

Blackberry Gin and Tonics

Hello! Sorry for the period of absence from the blog. I was in the great state of Washington for the third and final week of work related training last week, and Jacob flew out over the weekend so we could spend some time exploring Mount Rainier National Park and Seattle together. We had an absolute blast.

While no gin and tonics were consumed on our trip, we did eat and drink some fabulous things. I can't wait to tell you all about them in my full recap very soon!

Let me just say, I was very skeptical of gin before I first tried it. I had heard so many people talk about their deep hatred for the liquor and so I stayed away from it. But then, one day, Jacob talked me into taking a sip of his gin and tonic. YUM! So refreshing, light, crisp, piney (in a good way, I promise), and slightly sweet. It's now my go-to "fancy" drink. This past week I decided to switch up the normal gin and tonic by adding a few frozen blackberries to my drink. It was fabulous. If you are over the age of 21 and not pregnant, I highly recommend you try this.

 This creation is just a slight twist on the classic gin and tonic. Frozen blackberries were the only "non traditional" ingredient.

Fresh black berries would work just fine too.

The gin to tonic ratio I usually stick to is 1/3 gin to 2/3 tonic, poured over ice.

A squeezed lime wedge is very necessary, in my mind.

Enjoy!

Pearled Barley Salad

Hello, long lost friends! I have been a little MIA lately with continued travels, crazy weeks at work, and not many meals at home. When we have been cooking at home it's been our usual quick staple meals: tofu and veggies, pizza and salad, beans and rice...

I'm currently in Muskegon, Michigan for my Grandma's 80th birthday celebration. Jacob wasn't able to come with me due to work responsibilities, so I made the 12 hour drive solo on Wednesday. I've been soaking up the sun at Lake Michigan, hanging out with family, and trying to get as much adorable niece time as possible. Here are a few iphone snapshots from my Michigan adventures...

Un-edited. 

4th of July watermelon.

Let me out!

Me and my cousin, Brianna at Lake Michigan.

Rice and beans bowl bake with toppings and fresh farmers market veggies. Recipe to come soon. 

Ok, back to the barley. This barley salad was a recent creation. I had cooked some pearled barley one night to go along side our tofu and veggies, and threw the extra in the fridge to use later on. I decided to make a cold salad out of it and it turned out great! This is such a simple recipe, and makes for a refreshing summer side dish for your next cookout. You could add or take away any veggies to cater to your own tastes.

I added green pepper, cucumber, fresh corn, and basil.

Dressing was simple: lemon juice, olive oil, salt.

I love the chewy texture that pearled barley has. The raw veggies compliment the texture of the barley nicely. Can't wait to make this dish again!

Pearled Barley Salad Recipe:

- 2 cups cooked pearled barley, cooled (cook according to package directions)

- 1/2 cucumber, diced

- 1/2 green pepper, diced

- 2 ears fresh corn, kernels sliced off the cob

- 4 to 5 larges basil leaves, chiffonade (ed)? What's the past tense of that word?

- 1 lemon, juiced

- 2 tbsp olive oil

- 1 tsp salt

Directions:

- Toss the barley, veggies, and basil in a medium sized bowl.

- Mix together the lemon juice, olive oil, and salt.

- Pour the dressing over the barley and vegetables, toss to combine.