October Saturday

We spent all day on Saturday exploring our favorite parts of the Seattle area starting with a walk around Greenlake. The fall colors are incredible and unfortunately these shots probably won’t do them justice. As far as the eye can see – the deep reds, oranges and brilliant yellows dotted the landscape. We tried taking pictures of all the different colors as we walked the 2.8 miles path around the entire lake. Fun!





Next on our adventure was a trip around the northern tip of Lake Washington (Lake City Way) to Woodinville, Washington home of Columbia Winery and Chateau Ste. Michelle. Our first stop was Molbak’s, the most incredible nursery/craft shops/Christmas (seasonal) shop on the planet. To our surprise they even have a café where Brian and I enjoyed a slice of quiche and some homemade soup. I had to drag Brian kicking and screaming from the Christmas Village, but I promised him that we'd come back closer to Christmas.

We then drove out to the two wineries located directly across the street from one another. While the tasting room at Columbia Winery is quite large and can accommodate more people, Brian and I are really not big fans of the wines. We enjoyed our 5 tastes for $5, but other than the Viognier, we wouldn’t recommend any of the other whites or reds. We enjoyed looking around at all their merchandise, T-shirts, salad dressings, etc. and could have come home with everything but their wines.





Chateau Ste. Michelle really is the jewel in Woodinville. The grounds are immaculate and are large enough to host a variety of events, so why is the tasting room so small? Saturday’s tasting were “vintage” varieties. We both really enjoyed all four tastings and came home with a couple of bottles of chardonnay.



A perfect way to spend our Saturday together under the beautiful blue fall skies!

Stace

100th Post! Go Rockies!

This represents our 100th post on Blogger! YEA! It's been a great way to keep friends and family updated on what's happening in our neck of the woods. Thanks to all of you who keep up with the blog.

Go Colorado Kids! As you all know, Brian and I are HUGE baseball fans and both of us are pulling for the Colorado Rockies as they pursue the National League Pennant for 2007.



Brian and I went to Denver, Colorado in September of 2005 for Brian's birthday and had the opportunity to visit Coors Field. It's an amazing stadium.



We are both enjoying the play-offs and rooting for Colorado!

Go Rockies!

Stace

Spaghetti in Canby

I had dinner Wednesday night in Canby at the Hygelund’s. I had not seen Debbie since our 20th High School Reunion and prior to that in the middle of summer – when the days were long and the garden was in full bloom.

Life on the farm is good, despite 16 year-old Miles’s knee injury while playing defense on the Canby football team. Fingers crossed he will be back wrestling in no time.

We celebrated a belated 12th birthday for Noel who is not “the baby” anymore. Both boys are growing up quickly.

Noel Hygelund Age 12

Deby made a huge pot of spaghetti….YUM and it was nice for the two of us to spend some time together.

Stace

Recipe of the Week: Wild Mushroom and Brie Bruschetta

It's in the mail!

I mailed in my entry to the University Book Store/Seattle P-I's Nigella Lawson recipe contest. I made a few minor changes to the appetizer so here goes...

Wild Mushroom And Brie Bruschetta

This quick and easy appetizer is best served with a dry, medium bodied white wine
(ie: French Burgundy - Pouilly-Fuissé is a dry, medium-full bodied, white wine)

Prep Time: 10 Minutes
Cook Time: 18 Minutes

Ingredients

3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter
1 lb mixed fresh wild mushrooms such as chanterelle, oyster and morels, cleaned with a damp cloth and chopped
1 small finely chopped garlic clove
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
8 oz Brie (French import; Isigny Ste Mere or equivalent); rind removed
1 French baguette or similar bread



1. Preheat oven to 375F.
2. Heat 6 tablespoons unsalted butter in skillet over medium high heat until foam subsides, then sauté mushrooms, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and tender, about 7 minutes.
3. Add garlic clove and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes.
4. Add wine, thyme, salt, and pepper and simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, until liquid is reduced to a glaze, about 3-5 minutes.
5. Slice baguette on a bias (I angled my cuts down so that there is more surface area on my slices; about ¾ inch thick). Brush the tops with olive oil and place in the oven for a few minutes until the tops are lightly golden brown.
6. Remove the bread from the oven and top with a couple of spoonfuls of the mushroom mix.
7. On top of each slice of bread, lay two slices of brie cheese.
8. Return bread to the oven, allowing the brie to melt, 1-2 minutes.
9. Remove and serve.

Recipe serves 8 (two pieces of bread per serving)



Here are a few pictures from last Saturday's "run-thru". Thanks again to Jenny who helped me with my wine selection and to Geoff and Sonja who had the first bite.



Let's keep our fingers crossed!

Stace

Busy Fall Weekend

Brian and I had a great weekend. I drove to Tacoma once again (perhaps my last road trip) due to Amtrak still being on a maintenance schedule. The Friday night trip was highlighted by our wonderful Fall foliage – so not all that bad (I won’t even mention Sundays drive home in the rain).

On Saturday we drove to Covington to see our friends, Jenny and Brent and their friend Laura – all up from NOCAL for the long weekend. Jenny (a.k.a. the “singing Sommelier” and owner of the Savvy Cellar) gave me some great wine paring ideas for my Mushroom Bruschetta recipe - as the contest deadline is fast approaching. Thanks Jenny!

It was also nice to snuggle up next to the baby! What a little cutie pie!



Saturday afternoon we headed into Seattle to hang out with Sonja and Geoff who we have not seen since the wedding. We celebrated Sonja’s birthday and I tried the recipe out for the first time. They didn’t seem to mind being guinea pigs and I really appreciated everyone’s help.

The recipe appears to be a huge success and required very little revision. I’ll post the final draft as this week’s recipe of the week on Wednesday.

Enjoy your week!

Stace

Recipe of the Week - My Chance to Meet Nigella Lawson

So this past weekend in the Seattle Post Intelligencer I came across a recipe contest with the chance to meet my favorite “foodie” Nigella “the Goddess” Lawson. The winner of this contest will win a place in the front of the line at Nigella’s Seattle book signing in mid-November.



I’ve only entered one other recipe contest and to my disappointment, I didn’t even get an honorable mention (even though my Mama Mia Leaning Tower of Pizza Burger was the best entry).

I’ve decided that I will “win” Nigella over with this yummy appetizer (this is a work in progress as I have not made it since I lived in Melbourne, Australia). Check back before the contest deadline, October 12th for the final version.



Wild Mushroom And Brie Bruschetta

This quick and easy appetizer is best served with a light bodied white wine
(ie: Pinot Grigio or a Sauvignon Blanc)


Ingredients

3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter
1 lb mixed fresh wild mushrooms such as chanterelle, oyster and morels, cleaned with a damp cloth and chopped
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
8 oz wheel of Président Brie
1 baguette French bread or similar Italian bread


1. Preheat oven to 375F.

2. Heat 6 tablespoons butter in skillet over moderately high heat until foam subsides, then sauté mushrooms, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and tender, about 7 minutes.

3. Add wine, thyme, salt, and pepper and simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, until liquid is reduced to a glaze, about 2 minutes.

4. Slice your baguette on a bias (I angled my cuts down so that there is more surface area on my slices). Brush the tops with olive oil and place in the oven for a few minutes until the tops are lightly golden brown.

5. Remove the bread from the oven and top with a couple of spoonfuls of the mushroom mix.

6. On top of each slice of bread, lay three slices of brie cheese.

7. Return bread to the oven and broil, allowing the brie to melt, 1-2 minutes.

8. Remove and serve.

ENJOY!
Stace

Quiet Weekend

Happy Monday!

Brian and I had a quiet weekend in Tacoma. We watched the Ducks lose to Cal (still licking our wounds); but quite grateful for a weekend of upsets in college football and continued respect in the polls.




Before the Ducks tipped off, we walked along the Foss Waterway before finding the game on the big screen at the Ram Big Horn Brew Pub.

As you can see....our weather is turning. Our first fall storm with rain and wind arrived late Saturday afternoon and rain will continue most of the week.

Stace

Quiz: What’s Your Wine Personality? - Recipe of the Week

Happy Thursday!

This week I am using a quiz to assist you in finding your Wine Personality through Food and Wine Magazine.

Click on this link and take the 20 question quiz.

In the end you will be rewarded with 4 personal wine varieties and all sorts of YUMMY recipes for each variety.

No big suprise that I like:
Full-bodied Chardonnays
The Zippy Acidity of Sauvignon Blanc
Earthy, complex Pinot Noirs, and
The richness and power of Cabernet Sauvignon

Let me know what your personality is!!!

Stacy

The Weekend - Saturday, September 22nd

Saturday we took Sandra on a little tour of Gig Harbor, Washington over the new Tacoma Narrows Bridge it only takes us about 15 minutes to hit the heart of downtown. The sun was out and so were hundreds of dogs and their owners for the annual charity “doggie-dash”. We had a blast looking at all the dogs and picking out which ones we liked best.

Drinks at The Tides

View from the deck of The Tides

We finally got a spot out on the deck at The Tides. It was too wet the first time Brian and I came to Gig Harbor a couple of years ago and this past spring it was a beautiful day and all the tables were filled (with a waiting list). It was funny that they ran out of chardonnay (didn’t they know we were coming), but we stared out and the water, fantasized about the boats sailing by and the million dollar homes perched high above the water.


Beautiful homes in Gig Harbor
Brian loved the beautifully landscaped homes
Wildlife Festival at the Gig Harbor bird store

After an hour or so of window shopping and looking at all of the beautiful water-front homes we drove through Gig Harbor and down to Anthony’s were we sat out on their deck (we had the entire place to ourselves) and enjoyed a bottle of chardonnay and some yummy appetizers.

Stacy on the deck at Anthony's




We ended our Saturday afternoon with Deer Park Nachos (ala Brian, even better than the real thing) and a nice quiet evening back at Westridge.

Sandra had a great time in Tacoma and really wants to come back!

Stace

NY Times LOVES Portland!

The NY Times ran a very interesting article on the Portland Restaurant Scene this week bringing, yet again more exposure to our awesome gastronomical paradise!

Enjoy!

The Weekend – Friday, September 21st 2007

Sandra and I drove up to Tacoma last Thursday night for a long weekend with Brian. Sandra had never explored Tacoma before or been to Brian’s place at Westridge so we did as much as we could in three days.

Friday – Breakfast at University Place’s own Pine Cone Café. Nothing fancy — just down-home classic food with vinyl booths and a median age of 75. We ate breakfast at 11:00 AM when most of the “blue hairs” we sitting down for lunch.



We drove down to Tacoma and took the free link (train) that runs through the downtown area a few stops down to the old Union Station. Built in 1911 at the terminus of the Northern Pacific Railroad, Union Station is one of downtown Tacoma's shining jewels.








A magnificent example of the Beaux Arts style of architecture, the structure served train passengers into the 1980s but fell into disrepair as interest in railroad travel diminished. In the 1990s, the City of Tacoma bought the building for just one dollar and renovated the station into the lobby of a new federal courthouse.






Five site-specific glass installations by internationally acclaimed Tacoma native Dale Chihuly fill the station, a perfect place to start our tour.

We walked along the Foss Waterway, soaking up the last day of summer’s rays before heading into Tacoma’s Museum of Glass.



The museum’s current exhibitions include “Mining Glass”, a new exhibition that explores how the medium of glass has gained prominence in 21st century contemporary art. It features the installation and sculptural works of Wim Delvoye, Teresita Fernández, Mona Hatoum, Maya Lin, Jean-Michel Othoniel, Kiki Smith, Fred Wilson, and the late Chen Zhen.



It is the first major survey to examine how the rich and unparalleled material of glass has expanded beyond its traditional application in decorative and functional art in the early twenty-first century. The installations are organized around eight narratives that act as suggested passages to help viewers see beyond the technical matters associated with the medium. Glass may have been disregarded by twentieth century art as decorative, but today it is not simply a major medium in its own right, it is also one that opens new visions for the artists who are approaching and mining it.



One of the most incredible experiences was walking into the museum’s 90-foot steel cone called the “Hot Shop” which has become a Northwest landmark.



This state-of-the-art studio with several furnaces burning at over 2000°F allows artists to blow and shape hot glass objects, which was really amazing to watch.



After we finished at the museum we walked down Pacific Avenue and to one of my favorite cocktails spots, The Pacific Grill.



Located in the heart of Tacoma's reborn downtown, Pacific Grill is an inviting living room, serving classic steaks, chops and succulent seafood, all in the inviting warmth of a gracefully restored turn-of-the-century building (and the wine is not too bad either). Our new favorite bartender, John was entertaining as were the other patrons enjoying an early Friday “Happy Hour”. I think the three of us could have stayed their all evening.

We finished up our Friday tour of Tacoma down on Ruston Way along the waterfront checking out Katie Downs Tavern and Eatery. We tried sitting out on the patio, but a cooler and wetter front was approaching so we relaxed inside (with views of the water) and enjoyed a great evening sipping on Duck Pond Chardonnay and talking up a storm!




What a great Friday!

Stace

BYWAYS CAFE - Restaurant Review

Brian and I tried a new Sunday breakfast spot this past weekend after Brian saw a segment on the Food Network about the Byways Café in the Pearl District of Portland.

Located at 12th and Glisan in the trendy Pearl District this small café feels like a blast from the past with vinyl booths, friendly servers, an authentic soda fountain and food served on old non-matching chinaware. A travel theme plays out in an eclectic assortment of memorabilia, including collectible suitcases and Viewmasters, which you can use to check out a variety of tourist destinations while you wait for your meal. Tableside display cases hold old postcards, snow globes, cups and vacation photos, a plate collection lines the back wall and old state pennants hang from the ceiling. The crowd was mixed: 20-somethings nursing weekend hangovers, young families and Pearlites converging outside to wait for a hearty and satisfying breakfast.

Expect to wait….as the place couldn’t hold more than 30. We waited about 40 minutes for a table anywhere (they have about 10 places at the counter in addition to the several booths and a few small tables) and ended up settling for the lone picnic table outside. Not our first choice, but hunger won out! Lucky for us, it was a brisk, fall-like morning.

This “greasy spoon” improves on the classics. From old-fashioned hash, a mix-mash of potatoes, spicy corned beef, melted cheese and hot peppers to an Amaretto-infused French toast (allow an extra 15 minutes to prepare) to about 10 different and inventive omelets with home fries…it took me longer to make a breakfast decision than at any other restaurant I have been to in ages! Oh and their coffee ROCKS!!!!

Brian had the Seattle scramble a mix of “garden” sausage, spinach, onions and tomatoes and I had the Sunrise Special, an egg (cooked however you like it) two strips of thick sliced bacon and three fluffy blueberry pancakes infused with cinnamon. Yum! Next time we go back, we'll remember not to take anyone with us (we wouldn't want to wait any longer for a bigger table) and hope to sit inside to take in all the memorabilia.

Hours
• Tue.-Fri. 7AM-3PM
• Sat. 7:30AM-4PM
• Sun. 7:30AM-2PM – Breakfast Only

**** (4 out of 5 stars)