It’s nearly July and Seattle has had one day where it was over 75 degrees. One.

So my man and I decided to roll with it and go somewhere that is always a little chilly so our expectations would not be let down—the San Juan Islands.

The irony is that it turned out to be quite sunny and warm (high 60s). I even got a sunburn, first of the season. Hush now, I was expecting clouds and showers. And the sunblock was buried in my backpack somewhere that I did not desire to seek out.

The Juans were gorgeous, as always. They’re breathtaking rain or shine, clouds or not.

Caleb shot this photo right before we left the ferry back in Anacortes.

And they are home to all manner of fluffy, cute, frolicking creatures–which I am very sorry I didn’t catch any pictures of. We had numerous deer sleep in the field next to our tent and in the morning we drank coffee watching the sheep and the bunnies play.

We left early in the morning on a Saturday, driving up to Anacortes and grabbing some Old Rasputin stout on the way (for camping, not for driving).

I am going to build a castle on this island and live there forever.

We parked in the lot way up on the hill, pieced our bikes back together since we had to remove the front wheels to fit both bikes in our little car (a task easier said than done). And sped down the hill and onto the ferry.

Our little trip started on Lopez Island. Where we discovered that Caleb’s bike tire was flat. And town was 5 miles from the ferry terminal. Uh-huh. I see.

The Husband without, and with, enough coffee at the Lopez terminal.

So we began our trek in the heat into town, trying to catch a ride. It’s amazing how many trucks with empty beds sped by. Finally an old van with a bumper sticker on the back reading I love my Eagle Scouts pulled over to the side. Ah! Someone with the scout’s honor! And indeed it was an Eagle Scout to our rescue. He took my husband and his bike into town and I just rode the rest of the way in on my bike.

~

The secret writing on the wall, is there more?

The secret writing is here because the CSS is being weird. In the mean time, congratulate yourself.

Caleb and I stayed the night after riding our rears off all over the island at the Lopez Farm Cottages and Campground. We opted for the Camp Nest, a carpeted tent with a futon and comforter already set up for you. And no, we’re not lazy. We just didn’t want to haul in the camping supplies for our one nighter on bicycles.

The campground was empty, it was all ours. Just to share with the gentle creatures of the forest. It’s a very peaceful camp, I highly recommend it. The perfect change of pace from the city. Not that Seattle is all that wild, but it is compared to a meadow full of bunnies.

The rest of the weekend was spent on our bikes visiting Spencer Spit, walking on the beach, beckoning the bleating sheep, delighting on espresso over homemade ice cream, and whale watching.

P.S. No photos of me because all of them turned out awful. Somehow the husband looks good even after a day of bike riding in the wind.

Places we ate at:
Bucky’s on Lopez (average but good burger, excellent fries)
Isabel’s Espresso on Lopez (we had the ice cream with espresso, highly recommended)
The Crab House in Friday Harbor (really fresh seafood, naturally, but sorry we spent the money as it wasn’t very good despite the freshness)
The Hungry Clam in Friday Harbor (read my review here)
The Doctor’s Office in Friday Harbor (just got coffee, it was alright)

Verdict: The only repeatables were the fries at Bucky’s, the espresso float at Isabel’s, and the burger at The Hungry Clam.

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I’ve always liked my yolks runny and sunny side up. Only slightly thickened, just shy of a custard-like consistency.

Photo by Sifu Renka

Recently I discovered poaching. All my life I either scrambled or fried them, sometimes over easy. Often we made quiches, growing up, to use all of the muddled egg we had from draining them for my mom’s beautiful Pysanky art.

I always knew what poaching was, I had just never attempted it. Sometimes we all like to stick to what we know works. But the other night I decided try it, so I went with a simple dish in which to nest my first poached eggs.

Duck vs. Chicken

I chopped a pound or so of fingerling potatoes into halves and cubes and sliced some carrots for more color and variety. I browned a couple tablespoons of butter in a heavy pan and tossed in the potatoes to fry up for a bit, followed by the carrots.

Photos by ccharmon, sassyradish, and Robert S. Donovan.

While that was cooking, I boiled the water to poach the eggs. I was following meticulous instructions, I so desired for this not to fail. I poured in a little rice vinegar (it’s the only clear vinegar I had) to prevent sticking, and I carefully slid my first duck egg into middle of the pan. I hit the timer for 2 minutes.

Photo by Marxfoods.com

I carefully took my slotted spoon (a slotted spoon doesn’t hold much soup, but it sure holds a poached egg!) and lifted my first specimen out of the pan and into a little prep dish. I proceeded to repeat the process once more. By this time my potatoes and carrots browning along the edges with a little crispiness. I sprinkled it with sea salt, pepper, and a swizzle of honey and let it crisp just a little bit more.

I dished it up in bowls and plunked the poached egg on top. I nervously broke open my egg and it’s yolk spilled forth perfectly. It’s a rich dish to be sure, but that first bite was absolutely heavenly. It’s a 4 ingredient dish and it took all of 20 minutes. Sold to the girl destined to have high cholesterol!

*I’m thinking that some spinach would be a nice addition to this dish, especially for color. I usually add chicken to incorporate more protein, but it usually makes it too heavy for me.

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Photo by jronaldlee.

It’s Beer Week here in Seattle, so I thought I’d share some of my experiences with beer in all their grandeur.

It was a long, long time ago that I first tasted beer, I don’t remember when or where or why, but I do know that I didn’t like it. I hated it. Beer was bitter and tasted like wheat (well technically it was probably hops, but what did I know about hops then?)

Fast forward to when I met my husband. Each time he had a beer he made me take sip. It was always awful, leaving a sour taste on the back of my tongue. It wasn’t like it was Budweiser, I’m pretty sure I have never seen the man drink a Budweiser. Or Miller. Or anything with the deranged term “light” in the name. For the first year and half that I knew him, he drank what I now know to be middle-of-the-road beers. Above Pabst but not gourmet. Except for a few, like Arrogant Bastard.

Photo by found_drama.

Then we temporarily moved to Spokane for a job. We also had the chance to then spend quality time with my eldest brother and his wife and son while we were there. My husband and brother had never really spent anytime together, but they soon discovered they both liked beer. My brother is definitely a beer connoisseur (thank you spell check). The husband and brother often tasted gourmet beers together, of course making me try them along the way.

My taste was growing. I was starting to tolerate beer, maybe even enjoying it a little. Now, a year later, I fully enjoy beer. Not all beers mind you, I am still rather picky. I pretty much only like Imperial Stouts, any beer that you can’t see through and has a tan-tinged foam is probably going to be smooth and delicious.

Photo by Traffik [US]

And finally we come to my favorite beer, beating out the Old Rasputin Imperial Stout and the 09 Abyss, is the grand Quilter’s Irish Death from Iron Horse. It’s so smooth, so malty, so deserving of a title like “dessert beer” if there were such thing (is there?) Iron House refers to it as “beer candy”, never did words ring more true.

I really don’t know much about beer, nor do I drink it very often. But I am glad that I can appreciate it now.

So you see, old dogs can learn new tricks.

Photo by Sailing “Footprints: Real to Reel” (Ronn ashore).

Recommended for beer-phobes: Lindemans Lambic Fruit Beers [I really enjoy these, though expensive and they don't really taste like beer made with hops], and of course Irish Death. Just try it, just a sip. You never know.

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Everyone has that list. These aren’t items like bread milk, these are the items and specific brands you must always have. The ones you will walk across the store for even though you were next in the check-out line. A week doesn’t pass by without these items.

Know what I mean?

1. Whole Foods 365 Coarse Sea Salt

You know, the one in the really big red and blue container? And it’s cheap. It goes on everything I have. I don’t even used refined salt if I can help it. I love big grains of salt on chocolate chip cookies, air-popped popcorn, you name it. The sad part is that I’m out of it right now (have been for a week) and I only live about a mile from a Whole Foods.

2. Tillamook Cheddar Cheese

Photo by dklimke

I don’t know about the rest y’all, but Tillamook (or Bandon, since it’s the same company now) is the only cheddar cheese I’ll buy. Except for super fancy stuff, but that doesn’t really happen. So my daily cheese is Tillamook. Everything else tastes off. You know how some brands of milk taste wrong? Same thing. I wonder what they’re feeding those cows.

3. Fish Sauce

Photo by Andrew Huff

Oh yeah. The smelly stuff. It’s that aroma that makes you crinkle your nose when you reach that aisle of Uwajimaya’s (or your Asian market of choice). I use it in almost all Asian dishes, primarily pad thai as it’s the husband’s favorite food in the world. Breakfast (no kidding), lunch, and dinner.

*Squid is my primary brand of choice.

4. Butter

Not margarine. Not “olive oil butter”. Just straight up butter. Not that I don’t have 10 different kinds of oils in the cabinet next to the stove.

5. Kale

Kale chips. ‘Nuff said.

6. Fresh Ground Peanut Butter

You know the machines at Fred Meyers that you can get fresh peanut butter and almond butter from? My favorite part of my grocery trip. Then going home and digging in while it’s still warm. My tastebuds thank me every time.

7. Coconut Milk

Photo by smashz

Mix it with rice. Use it in curries, smoothies, and soups. In can do no wrong.

8. Goat Cheese

Truth be told I can’t afford to always have it around, but when I do I put it on pizzas, puff pastry, salads, and anything else I can find an excuse to use it on/in/under/around.

9. Fresh and Sun-Dried Tomatoes

Photo by enigmachck1

I definitely always have fresh tomatoes, mostly for salads and sandwiches. Sometimes on pizza or in stir fries. The sun-dried tomatoes are reserved for stir-fries, pasta, and pizzas. If you haven’t tried it in a stir fry, go and do. Make a brown butter sage sauce, then mix it in a fry pan with chicken. Add chopped sun-dried tomatoes, fresh basil, fresh tomatoes, and bell peppers. Top it off with goat cheese. :)

10. Chocolate

Specifically dark. For all matter of uses and pleasure. Primarily to satisfy me until dinner is ready.

Honorable mention: $3 buck chuck from Trader Joe’s, good for both cooking and drinking on a budget. Good ol’ Charles Shaw.

Photo by @joefoodie

I am one of those people who would love to look through everyone’s cupboards. Please link up your own posts about what’s in your kitchen, past or present! Or just share in the comments. :)

This link-up will be up for a long time. I would like to collect these. I find that I get the greatest recommendations this way for products.

*Header image by Ex-Smith

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I  am back from my hiatus. I’ve missed blogging. I’ve missed reading blogs. The whole nine yards.

This last month has been a blur. New job. New house. Applying to grad school. Catering my Grandpa’s 90th birthday party. Making 130 wedding invitations (for a friend, my knot’s tied folks). What do I get myself into?

Anyway, one of the recipes I used for my G-pa’s birthday was a huge hit. It was fantastic.

My G-pa really likes blue cheese, it’s one of his favorite foods. My Mom found a really great recipe in a Pampered Chef catalog called Pecan-Crusted Blue Cheese Bites. The only way to describe it is as a blue cheese cheesecake. Seriously.

If there’s any chance that you might like blue cheese, try this recipe. It’s as fantastic as I say. And my aunt says. And my other aunt. And my cousin. And an abundance of other family members. Could my family be wrong?

Don’t answer that.

I’ll just leave it as the recipe that people requested the recipe for. I’ll be making it again for sure.

My other favorite recipe that was by far the easiest thing to make and so pleasing. The resistance to the teeth, the bite of the goat cheese, with the sweetness of the apple was mmm*smack*!

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So on Mondays my Twitter Feed is filled with mommy bloggers posting their menu plans for the week. Every week I think, “Huh, I should start menu planning.” And you would think that I would menu plan. In a sense I do, I’ll scribble short lists for what I need to buy to make certain dish, but it’s never very formal. Plus there are only two of us so dinner plans are always pretty flexible.

So here goes, my menu plan.

Monday: Pineapple Coconut Chicken Curry (I actually don’t follow a recipe, but this one is close. Though I don’t use cilantro, and I use a few teaspoons of machi curry powder in place of the paste.)

Tuesday: Leftover elk chili from Sunday

Wednesday: Pad Thai (We use our own recipe that varies from time to time, but the linked one is for if you’re curious.)

Thursday: Chicken White Sauce Pizza (chicken, alfredo sauce, mozzarella, bell peppers, garlic, and mushrooms on a Trader Joe’s crust)

Friday: Dinner out (or leftovers)

Saturday: Bay Scallops (seared with lemon, butter, and random seasonings of choice) and salad

Sunday: Baked Indonesian Chicken (chicken breast marinated in a sauce I received as a gift) with Hasselback Potatoes.

Right now the elk stew is simmering and will be Tuesday’s dinner too hopefully. And yes, I do eat dinner this late (9pm PST). The joys of a home without children (at least for now). I’ll let you know next week how closely I followed this plan. Not likely since I just got back from Uwajimaya’s (local Asian store) and picked up tons of ingredients for yummy curries and pad see ew.

See more menus for Menu Plan Monday @ The Organizing Junkie!

Photo by star5112

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