Chick's Summer Seattle Visit

Friday Night at Cactus on Alki

Sandra and I drove up to Seattle this past weekend. We had a great time and Brian planned one of his excellent weekend adventures!

Friday night started out at Cactus on Alki. Brian and I have been here before - back in February, but this time it was a different experience being able to sit outside on their cute patio. It's stylish and hip with a great Latin vibe. The restaurant features large, roll-up garage doors and a wonderful patio to maximize the unparalleled views of the Olympic Mountains and astonishing sunsets over the Puget Sound. We had excellent food and wonderful service.

Dungeness Crab Tamales

Saturday was a beautiful day. We awoke to morning clouds and by the time we hit the water - the sun was out!

Sandra and Brian boarding the water taxi at Seahurst Park

We rode the water taxi from West Seattle to the Seattle waterfront and hit the pavement walking. Our first stop was the Olympic Sculpture Park. The park has transformed a nine-acre industrial site into open and vibrant green space for art. It gives Seattle residents and visitors the opportunity to experience a variety of sculptures in an outdoor setting, while enjoying the incredible views and beauty of the Olympic Mountains and Puget Sound.

We left the park and walked up to Broad street....in search of the bus to take us to the new South Lake Union Trolley.

Brian and Sandra on the S.L.U.T.

The trolley took us to Lake Union - a place Brian and I have not explored much. We found the most perfect place to have a cocktail on Lake Union! The BluWater Bistro has a patio right on the water. We sat there for several hours and watched the Kenmore Air float planes take off and land.After Lake Union, we took a cab back to the Seattle Waterfront and sat out on the Fisherman's deck at Pier 57. We listened to a great band and watched the Alaskan cruise ships depart.

Beautiful day!

We spent Saturday evening drinking way too much chardonnay on the patioWe managed to walk up to Zeek's Pizza for a yummy pie and get back home safe and sound!

Sunset over the Kenney

Enjoy!
Stacy

Menu Plan Monday: Week of August 23-27

How about those local farmer's markets? Do you have one in your area? We have one of the best around - The Beaverton Farmer's Market which is not only open on Saturdays but also on Wednesday afternoons. Please support your local farmer before the end of the harvest season.

This week's menu has a few local ingredients as well as fresh basil from my herb garden and fresh tomatoes from the Topsy Turvey (video link).

Enjoy!
Stacy

Monday: Insalata Caprese W/fresh picked Basil and Tomatoes from our garden along side Mushroom Beef Patties (Chick axed Meatless Monday for this week)
Tuesday: Honey Mustard Pork Chops with Steamed Cauliflower
Wednesday: Chicken with Broccoli and Garlic Sauce over Jasmine Rice
Thursday: Grilled Salmon with Tomato Tarragon Salad

Old Photo Friday: Uncle Bud, Grandma Marie and Aunt Pat

WHO: Uncle Bud, Grandma Marie and Aunt Pat
WHAT: Friday night cocktail party?
WHERE: Anyone's guess, but probably Eugene, OR
WHEN: The picture says...June, 1957

Uncle Bud and Aunt Pat are not blood relations, but who cares......they've been family all of my life. I love the contemplation on Uncle Bud's face! Is he mad? Drunk? Thinking about the railroad (Uncle Bud was an engineer). It's funny because I can still remember the sound of his voice. Oh... to be a fly on the wall at this gathering.

Enjoy!
Stacy

Recipe of the Week: Homemade Salad Dressing

Do you ever get tired of store-bought salad dressing? We are big fans of Marie's Blue Cheese Dressing at Rebecca Lane, but sometimes you need to change things up a bit (and Marie's is full of fat).

Salad dressings are so simple to make and while they don't last as long as those preservative packed store brands - they are actually quite tasty and fun to make. Here are three easy recipes.

Enjoy!
Stacy

Herb Dijon Salad Dressing

Ingredients:

• 2/3 cup mayonnaise (you can use light mayo)
• 1/4 cup white wine vinegar or cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
• 1 tablespoon fresh basil
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon sugar or sugar substitute
• 1 garlic clove, minced very fine
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper

Directions:

In a small bowl (or tight fitting glass jar or plastic container), whisk or shake together all ingredients. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Serve over salad. Refrigerate leftovers or up to 3 days (shake each time before serving). Yields: 1 cup.

Avocado Green Goddess Salad Dressing

Ingredients:

• 1/2 ripe medium avocado
• 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• 1 garlic clove, minced finely
• 1 oil-packed anchovy, very finely chopped (I cheat and use anchovy paste in the tube)
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh lime juice
• 1/4 teaspoon sugar or sugar substitute
• 3/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream or 2 tablespoons fat free half and half
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
• 1 small shallot, finely chopped (about 1 tablespoon)

Directions

• Blend first 7 ingredients in processor until coarse puree forms. With machine running, gradually add oil; blend well. Transfer mixture to bowl, tight fitting glass jar or plastic container and whisk/shake in cream.
  
• Add parsley, tarragon, cilantro, basil, and shallot; whisk to combine. Season dressing to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and chill at least 3 hours (dressing will separate if not chilled). Let stand at room temperature 20 minutes and rewhisk before serving.

Can be made 1 day ahead. Keep chilled.

FRENCH DRESSING

Ingredients:

1 c. ketchup
1/2 c. sugar
1 c. salad oil
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1/4 c. vinegar

In a small bowl (or tight fitting glass jar or plastic container), whisk or shake together all ingredients. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Serve over salad. Refrigerate leftovers or up to 3 days (shake each time before serving). Yields: 1 cup.

We have grapes!

We have grapes at Rebecca Lane.

The arbor itself is one of the reasons Chick bought the house....that sunny early November day in 1997...it was so beautiful.

Pop and Brian

Does anyone know what to do with them?

Enjoy!
Stacy

Des Moines Farmers Market/Saturday

Des Moines Marina

Okay, I know I shouldn't say it....but summer is winding down. I realize as I look at the calendar that the warm afternoons and bright sunny days will soon give way to threats of rain and cloudy cool starts.

I tried to surprise Brian, with a little adventure on Saturday. I had a spot in mind.....not too far from home and winding through the back streets of West Seattle down to Des Moines.

A new Farmer's Market for us to explore and a chance to hang out by the water and relax....before summer leaves us.

Salty's @ Redondo Beach

Enjoy!
Stacy

Menu Plan Monday: Mid August

In my hunt for the perfectly planned meal, I review many different sources. One great link is through the Organizing Junkie (click banner above) who puts together Menu Plan Monday - which I have been participating in for about a year.

There are over 200 menu plans posted every week. If you are in a menu rut, check out their site.

Here is this week's menu for Rebecca Lane.

Enjoy!
Stacy

Monday: Chickpea Pasta with a Big Garden Salad (Meatless Monday)
Tuesday: Oven-Fried Paprika Chicken Cutlets with Garlic Asparagus
Wednesday: Fiesta Pepper Steak with Jasmine Rice (GRILLING)
Thursday: Office Party at PGE Park - Beavers Baseball Game

Oregon Zoo Concert featuring Jonatha Brooke

I absolutely LOVE the music of Jonatha Brooke. She comes to Portland every couple of years and it's been several years since I've had the chance to catch one of her shows.This last Wednesday she played at the Oregon Zoo and Chick and I enjoyed a picnic and the music. It rained from the time they opened the gates to the lawn until she took the stage. We got soaked, but enjoyed the show anyway. Hey, it's Oregon!

We even had time to walk around the zoo and see some of the animals before the concert started.Zoo concerts are very unique and quite inexpensive. It's fun to pack in your own snacks and treat yourself to a bottle of wine.

I love Jonatha's new music (her new album "The Works" comes out in late August). Check out her website for audio clips or check out her performance in the KINK LOUNGE (about 2 hours before her zoo show).

Enjoy!
Stacy

Old Photo Friday: School Boy Brian

WHO: Brian Keith Lee
WHAT: School Photo Day
WHERE: Newark, DE
WHEN: He looks a bit older in this picture, like possible 10-ish so I'll say about 1970

I found these school photos on Brian's Mom's fridge. I think I've got one other school photo shot yet to post. I've already posted THIS ONE in case you missed that cute face!

Enjoy!
Stacy

Recipe of the Week: Fresh Pesto

Pesto is a sauce originating in Genoa in the Liguria region of northern Italy. The name is the contracted past participle of pestâ ("to pound, to crush"), from the same Latin root as the English word pestle….as in mortar and pestle, in reference to the sauce's crushed herbs and garlic. Historically, pesto is prepared in a marble mortar with a wooden pestle – at Rebecca Lane we will use the old Cuisinart.

Since I planted two basil plants this year, I wanted to try my hand at fresh pesto along with a yummy pasta dish.

Enjoy!

Stacy

Garden Fresh Basil Pesto Recipe

• 1 large bunch fresh basil (about 4 cups loosely packed leaves, stems and branches removed)
• 2-4 garlic cloves to taste
• 2-4 Tablespoons really good olive oil
• 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup pine nuts (optional)

How To Make Basil Pesto

• Rinse the basil as many times as necessary to remove all sand. Pat it dry with paper towel or let it air dry.
• Place the leaves in the bowl of a large food processor. (You may have to do this twice depending on the size of the FP.)
• Pulse until the leaves have been chopped quite a bit.
• Add garlic and pulse again.
• With the FP running, add the olive oil one Tablespoon at a time through the opening. Turn the machine off and scrape down.
• Add the Parmesan cheese and pine nuts and pulse again until you get the consistency you want. Some people like their pesto coarse, others like it pureed. You decide.
• Remove to a container with a lid on it and cover lightly with a piece of plastic. As soon as the air hits the pesto, it starts to turn brown. It doesn't look very appetizing, but there's nothing wrong with it. You can stir it back in or scrape it off...but what a waste that would be!
• Freeze tightly covered for many months or refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.

Photo courtesy of Google Images

Aunt Judy and Uncle Roy

My Aunt Judy and Uncle Roy came out from Ohio last week for my Aunt Judy's 50th high school reunion in Cottage Grove, OR.




Sandra and I hosted a BBQ at Rebecca Lane last Sunday afternoon. It was a chance for Aunt Judy and Uncle Roy to meet Brian and spent some time with Sandra and I at our home in Beaverton.

It was so nice that the family could drive up from Springfield to Beaverton....we always love having a little summertime soiree!

Summertime Soiree Menu
Delicious Easy Asian Glazed Drumsticks
Cowboy BBQ Drumsticks
Aunt Kay's Baked Beans (thank you Brian)
Artichoke and Olive Pasta Salad
Big Green Salad
Dinner Rolls
Three Berry Cobbler Ala Grandma Cavey with Vanilla Bean Ice CreamThankfully, our weather cooled from last weeks 100+ and we enjoyed a wonderful afternoon on the back deck.

A good time was had by all!

We spent the entire afternoon telling stories until our jaws ached.Aunt Judy brought us the coolest gift......a lighted flower bouquet. THANK YOU! She picked it up from where her daughter, Tina works and we all loved it (especially Brian).We looked through albums of pictures.....old and new. I was so excited to see pictures of my Grandma Marie and Grandpa Don as well as all the pictures of my cousins and their families. I wish with all my heart that our family was not so scattered across the country....so far away from everyday gatherings like these. When we get together we laugh and cherish every memory.

Enjoy!
Stacy

Menu Plan Monday: Dog Days of Summer

Are these the dog days of summer? The phrase Dog Days or "the dog days of summer", refers to the hottest, most sultry days of summer. Here in the Pacific Northwest, those typically fall between early July and early September. Enjoy your dog days this week! Stay cool!

Enjoy!
Stacy

Monday: Twice Baked Potatoes with a Big Garden Salad (Hello, Meatless Monday)
Tuesday: Skirt Steak with Mushroom Salad (FIRE UP THE GRILL)
Wednesday: Jonatha Brooke at the Oregon Zoo (picnic with wine....girls night out)
Thursday: Chili Rubbed Grilled Chicken with Corn on the Cob (More Grillin')

John Hughes (1950-2009)

He made some of the most successful comedy films of the 1980s and 1990s, including National Lampoon's Vacation, Ferris Bueller's Day Off (which he wrote in 2 days over a July 4th holiday), Weird Science, The Breakfast Club, Some Kind of Wonderful, Sixteen Candles, Pretty In Pink, Planes, Trains and Automobiles and Home Alone.

Known as the "Brat Pack" – a term coined in a 1985 New York magazine feature on the then-rising Hughes and the cast of his coming-of-age comedies – the writer-director-producer's stable of fresh-faced performers included such now-household names as Sean Penn, Steve Carell, Macaulay Culkin, Matthew Broderick, Jon Cryer, Charlie Sheen, Rob Lowe, Molly Ringwald, John Cusack, Emilio Estevez, Andrew McCarthy, Anthony Michael Hall and Ally Sheedy, among others.

I own many of his movies and to this day The Breakfast Club is one of my all time favorites. His interpretation of the 80's teen shaped my adolescence. Rest in peace.

Enjoy!
Stacy

Old Photo Friday: Happy Birthday, Mom!

WHO: My Mom, Jennifer
WHAT: Opening night - South Eugene High School Play "The Music Man"
WHERE: Grandma Virginia and Grandpa Ralph's home; Eugene, OR (on Hilyard Street)
WHEN: I think my Mom was a high school senior - so my guess is 1962/63

Happy Birthday to my Mom who turned 64 yesterday!

Enjoy!
Stacy

Recipe of the Week: Artichoke and Olive Pasta Salad

Do you potluck? A few weeks ago, Brian and I were invited to a big summer soiree. I cringed when the invite said.....potluck or bring your favorite dish. How can anyone have just one?

The word "potluck" is commonly believed to have come from English origin. The earliest written citation is from 1592: "That that pure sanguine complexion of yours may never be famisht with pot lucke," Thomas Nashe. As this shows, the original meaning was "food given away to guests", probably derived from "whatever food one is lucky enough to find in the pot".

The most common usage was within inns, taverns, and staging posts in the United Kingdom from the 16th century onwards. A wealthy traveller might ask what the hosteller had to offer to eat, and be told 'chicken', or 'beef' etc., and choose it. The poorer traveller might have to do with 'pot luck', a stew of whatever was left over from the fare of the last few days or weeks. Having usually been boiled many times over, it was safe enough, and often tasty, though its nutritional value was often low. Accompanied by starchy foods like bread or potatoes, however, the traveller might go to bed well satisfied.

I hope that everyone at Paul and Christine's were well satisfied with this salad.

Enjoy!

Stacy

Artichoke and Olive Pasta Salad

Adapted from the Spice House

Serves 10

Ingredients:

2 pounds dried pasta, tri-color rotini or bowties

1 can (10-12 count) artichoke hearts

1 jar green olives, sliced

1 can sliced black olives

1/2 large red onion, diced

1 carton cherry tomatoes, halved (I like the grape variety)

1/2 cup Dijon mustard

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

juice of half a lemon

1 Heaping Tablespoon Italian seasoning

1/2 to 1 cup olive oil - I whisked well and added more oil to taste; however I don't think 1 cup

1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

freshly ground black pepper and salt, to taste

Directions:

1. In a large pot of salted boiling water, drizzle 1 tablespoon olive oil. Slowly add contents of boxes of pasta, and cook per box instructions.

2. While pasta is cooking, prepare the rest of the salad. Drain liquid from the artichoke hearts and green and black olives. Place the vegetables in a large stainless steel, or glass, bowl. Dice the onions and add to bowl. Cut cherry tomatoes in half and add to bowl. Toss all ingredients in the bowl. Set aside.

3. To make the dressing, in a small bowl, combine the mustard, vinegar and lemon juice. Add the Italian seasoning and black pepper, and stir. Drizzle the olive oil in slowly, while vigorously whisking to incorporate it into the mixture. Set aside.

4. Drain the pasta and run under cold water to stop cooking. Drain well! Once cooled, add pasta to the bowl of vegetables and mix. Add the dressing to the salad and mix thoroughly. Taste and adjust salt and pepper. Lastly, toss in Parmesan cheese and mix. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Let salad come to room temperature before serving.

Recipe courtesy of The Spice House

Image from Google

West Seattle Weekend

Brian and I had a quiet weekend in West Seattle. I was in Eugene last weekend so I was really missing Sammy and our West Seattle digs.

When Brian asked me what I wanted to do on Saturday - my first response was..."nothing".Sammy agreed and spent most of Saturday sleeping in his favorite chair!

Man, has it been hot. Saturday was the beginning of the cool down (if you want to call near 90 cool). Our best bet was the leave the house early and on foot....with plenty of water.

We walked about 5 miles through the eclectic neighborhoods near Alki and up to California Avenue (via the Beveridge Place) to home.

The Cupola at the Kenney (about a block from home)

We spent the afternoon on the patio with the Mariner's game on the radio.

Heavenly!

Enjoy!
Stacy

Menu Plan Monday: Welcome August!

Is it just me or is summer going by too quickly!? Here in the Pacific NW, we only get two maybe three months of summer-like weather so we cherish every minute of it. This past week we had temps in the 100's. Whew!

I, for one realize that I have not been spending enough time in my Adirondack chair - so this week (weather permitting) I am going to grill a bunch and enjoy my backyard.

Enjoy!
Stacy

Monday: Mushroom, Onion and Basil Pizza (let's toss it on the grill) with Caesar Salad (Meatless Monday)
Tuesday: Italian Sausage and Peppers with Penne Pasta and a Big Garden Salad
Wednesday: Tequila-Jalapeno Chicken with Garlic Green Beans (Grill Night)
Thursday:Middle Eastern Beef Kebabs with Brown Rice (Grill Night)