Savor the San Juans Sweepstakes Winner!

Honestly, I had totally forgotten that I had entered the Savor the San Juans contest, sponsored by Seattle Magazine until a Friday afternoon back in October when I got an e-mail telling me that I had won.

I won, not one of the many prizes they offered, but the Grand Prize, which included two round-trip airfare tickets aboard Kenmore Air, two night's accommodation at the Earthbox Inn and Spa, dinner for two at The Backdoor Kitchen, wine tasting for two at San Juan Vineyards and admission for two to the NW Whale Museum.

On the downside, the package had to be used the month of October (the contest is centered around the Savor the San Juans month of October) and last October was a bad month for Brian and I.  We were set to fly out the last Saturday of October and a fog set in over Seattle.  All Kenmore air flights were cancelled for the entire week...so I called and begged the tourism bureau to extend our trip a few months and they easily accommodated us.

Last Thursday (and on my 45th birthday), we managed to finally enjoy our adventure.

I was a tad bit nervous when I called Kenmore Air and they asked for our weight prior to booking our airfare.  Neither Brian or I had ever been on a De Havilland Beaver Seaplane (you know, the ones that take off and land right on the water).  Needless to say, it was the most perfect way to kick off the adventure.

Our flight left from Lake Union early Thursday morning and it's only 45 minutes to the beautiful San Juan (Friday Harbor) Islands.

Since we had no car, we packed light and hit the ground running upon landing in Friday Harbor.  We ended up walking a bit before finding a place for breakfast, then it was time to tour the NW Whale Museum.  Opened to the public in 1979, it's the first museum in the country dedicated to the conservation and education of Orcas or "killer" whales. 

Then we called a taxi (thanks to Bob at Friday Harbor Taxi) and headed over to the San Juan Vineyards for a wine tasting.  

Established in 1996 the tasting room is located in a 1896 schoolhouse, one of two remaining in the San Juans.

A big thanks to Colleen who introduced us to 8 great wines (one estate grown). Tastings included: 2013 Chardonnay, 2013 Pinot Gris, 2013 Siegerrebe (estate grown), 2009 Sangiovese, 2010 Merlot, 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon, 2010 Cab Franc and a 2010 cab-Merlot.

Time for check-in at the Earthbox Inn and Spa where we settled and managed to grab a quick pre-dinner nap before heading off to dinner.

We enjoyed a wonderful dinner for two and a bottle of wine at The Backdoor Kitchen. 

Spending the $100 gift certificate was easy, we ate and drank everything that we wanted and topped it all off with dessert!

Pan-Seared Scallops topped with a Ginger Sake Beurre Blanc

Before we knew it....it was Friday afternoon and the plane came to pick us up and take us back to Seattle (reality).

One last amazing thrill....Brian got to be the "co-pilot" on our flight home. Sitting shot-gun next to Kenmoreair's Will was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!

A special thank you to Deborah Hopkins at the San Juan Island Visitors Bureau for extending our trip when October just didn't work!

Thanks to Kenmoreair (pilot Will who flew us up and back)!

A huge shout-out to everyone at the Earthbox Inn and Spa, including Chris (who checked us into our room....super super early and gave me a spa box filled with all sorts of goodies), Stephie (who flew on Kenmoreair home with us) and Rachel who gave me an awesome Swedish massage at the Earthbox Spa next door!

Thanks to the Whale Museum and the San Juan Vineyards for your generous gifts.

Kudos to The Backdoor Kitchen for the gift certificate.  The food was divine.

Also a big thank you to Seattle Magazine for sponsoring such a wonderful contest!  We had a wonderful adventure and came away with a greater appreciation for the spectacular beauty of the San Juans!

Enjoy!
Stacy

West Seattle Farmer's Market/"Flayvors" of Washington Contest

Brian and I checked out the West Seattle Farmer's Market on Sunday.

Operating since 1999, this market features over 35 Washington State farmers and small food processors each week and is open year round.

I actually had an ulterior motive.....

I am writing a recipe and entering this contest. Since my entry has to be a 2 minute video - I decided to film my 10 second lead-in at the market. More on the contest later.It's a beautiful market and one that Brian and I plan on exploring more as the growing/harvest seasons continues.

Enjoy!
Stacy

Recipe of the Week: Portobello Frittata (Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month)

In April of 2007, I lost someone very special to me to Ovarian Cancer. That's why I was so touched to hear about a tremendous event to raise funds for Ovarian Cancer Research, the OFoods for Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month Contest.

In honor of Gina DePalma, author of Dolce Italiano: Desserts from the Babbo Kitchen and Executive Pastry Chef of Babbo Ristorante in NYC, who was recently diagnosed with ovarian cancer, Sara of Ms Adventures in Italy, Jenn of The Leftover Queen, and Michelle of Bleeding Espresso, have asked the blogging world to donate to the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund and post a recipe on our blogs using a food that starts or ends with the letter O (e.g., oatmeal, orange, okra, octopus, olive, onion, potato, tomato). Here is my entry!


PORTOBELLO FRITTATA
SERVES 4

Ingredients:
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 teaspoons butter
8 ounces Portobello mushroom caps, thinly sliced
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, stemmed and chopped
5 eggs, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons Parmesan or Romano cheese, grated

Directions:
1. In a large heavy frying pan, heat oil and butter over medium-high heat until bubbly.
2. Add mushrooms, sprinkle with salt, pepper and parsley and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes.
3. Cover pan and cook 3 minutes. Remove cover and cook 5 minutes.
4. In a bowl, whisk eggs with 1 tablespoon cheese and 2 tablespoons water. Pour over mushrooms, reduce heat to low, cover pan and cook until barely set (4-5 minutes).
5. Slide frittata onto a plate, flip back into pan cooked-side-up, sprinkle with remaining cheese, cover pan and cook until set (2-3 minutes). Serve in wedges.

From the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund:

Ovarian cancer is the leading cause of death from gynecologic cancers in the United States and is the fifth leading cause of cancer death among U.S. women; a woman’s lifetime risk of ovarian cancer is 1 in 67.

The American Cancer Society estimates that 21,650 women will be diagnosed with ovarian cancer in the U.S. in 2008 and about 15,520 women will die from the disease.

The symptoms of ovarian cancer are often vague and subtle, making it difficult to diagnose.

There is no effective screening test for ovarian cancer but there are tests which can detect ovarian cancer when patients are at high risk or have early symptoms.

In spite of this patients are usually diagnosed in advanced stages and only 45% survive longer than five years. Only 19% of cases are caught before the cancer has spread beyond the ovary to the pelvic region.

When ovarian cancer is detected and treated early on, the five-year survival rate is greater than 92%.

Please donate to the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund and help spread the word!

Prize winners for the contest will be announced on October 3.

Prizes:
1 Recipe Prize for best “O food” concoction: $50 gift certificate to Amazon;
1 Awareness Prize for only publicizing event: Copy of Dolce Italiano cookbook.

Give me an "H"

Kamalie posted a meme/tag on her blog last week so I jumped at the challenge to name 10 things that begin with a certain letter. She gave me the letter "H" so here goes:

1. Homes: I am so lucky to have two places that I love so much, Rebecca Lane and our new home in West Seattle. Most people do not understand our routine, but to be honest, it's something that has always worked right from the start. I'd rather be in my homes.....cooking, cleaning or just hanging out than any other place on this planet.

2. Heat: Something the new house didn't have over the weekend (must be the pilot light). It was 57 degrees with a steady drizzle all day on Saturday. Just couldn't get the chill out of the house. Perhaps a precursor to the winter months ahead.

3. Haiku: I wrote one earlier this month and posted it on Rocks In My Dryer website. She was having a back-to-school haiku contest. I didn't win, but it was a fun challenge.

4. Halloween: For the first time in 11 years, Rebecca Lane will be closing it's doors on the 31st. No candy, no lighted pumpkins. Instead, Chick and I will travel up to West Seattle together on Amtrak for her first look at the new house.

5. Hamburger: This recipe sounds wonderful. Perhaps a few more opportunities this year to grill, if our Indian Summer holds. I just didn't get enough burgers on the grill this year.

6. Hawaii: My favorite vacation spot, Maui to be exact. I've been there three times, twice with Brian and now that his brother lives on Oahu, I am hoping to show Brian Pearl Harbor on our next visit.

7. Hemoglobin: My Doctor informed me that my hemoglobin is low. What does this mean? I started taking a daily multi-vitamin so hopefully my hemoglobin count will be in-check.

8. Hotcakes: I am going to get the griddle out this Saturday and cook up some hotcakes (pancakes) for Brian.

9. Housewarming Party: Trying to decide if we will have one or not?

10. Hummingbird: I don't think I saw one hummingbird in our backyard at Rebecca Lane this year.

Give-Away Winner!

A big THANK YOU to all those who stopped by the GIVE-A-WAY! I've really enjoyed meeting some new bloggers, checking out some new sites and getting lots of great idea for another 300+ posts.

Last night the ladies of Rebecca Lane took all the comments and put them in this bag....

We stirred them up a bit.........

And the winner is.....................

I hope you enjoy the cookbook and the Starbucks card, Crystal.

Thanks for visiting my site! Enjoy the rest of your summer!

Stacy

High Hopes! Recipe Contest #2

I entered another recipe contest!

The first one didn't go exactly like I planned, but what the heck. I don't know why I do this to myself, but let's see how this one goes. I haven't set my hopes too high as Cooking Light has some pretty specific "brand name" ingredients that they want you to use. I'll sit by my phone and wait. Here it is again.....a wonderful and easy appetizer!

Enjoy!

Stacy

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

Directions:

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)

Recipe serves 8 (two pieces of bread per serving)

Bitter Disappointment

The winner's of the "Nigella Express" contest were officially announced in the Seattle P-I today and I of course was not chosen. I am extremely disappointed as I was so confident that my recipe was going to be picked. I was really looking forward to meeting Nigella and bringing home all those goodies! I'll try and keep my chin up and continue to practice my cooking and recipe skills.

Stace