Petes Speaks

Suits and Boots

2012-02-17T09:43:00.004-08:00

The weekend notoriously known for suits and boots*, Goody's candy, skiing or sledding, aimlessly exploring Bend, OR, bad (bad!) chick flicks**, homemade breakfast and dinners, quality girl time - well, that weekend is upon us. Sunriver or bust!

What are your President's Weekend plans?

A note to the Doherty's: We don't thank you enough for letting us stay at your place each and every year. It's one of my favorite weekends of the year. So thank you!

*An annual tradition in which we put on our bathing suits and snow boots and high tail it to the hot tub across the complex.
**Just so you understand the caliber of bad movies we pick - if it features Miley Cyrus or Selena Gomez, we have a winner. Just bad. But usually quite comical.

Penne a la Erika!

2012-02-16T10:38:00.008-08:00

We've made Penne a la Betsy from PDubs' site before and it's scrumptious and sinful. Heavy cream, butter, oil - oy vey! We thought we would attempt to make a slightly healthier version - much less butter, oil, replacing heavy cream with half and half, and skipping the salt. Maybe a not-so-healthy replacement, we also substituted turkey sausage for the shrimp. It just seemed quicker, rather than deveining the little suckers.

To be honest, I don't think I could taste the difference from the original! Maybe if I had them side-by-side, but these slight modifications still made a heavenly dish. Yes, I admit, it's still not healthy, but it's healthier. There has to be some indulgence on Valentine's Day, right? A little Lilyhammer, pasta and your main squeeze? Perfection.

P.S. Please don't judge my portion size above. This lady was hungry! And I wonder why my pants are feeling tighter this week? :)

Penne a la Erika! (Original recipe)

Ingredients
3/4 pounds Penne Pasta (if you use the full 1 lb. box, add a bit more tomato and half and half)
1 pound turkey sausage
1 Tablespoons Butter (was 3)
1 Tablespoons Olive Oil (was 3)
1 small whole Onion
3 cloves Garlic (was 2, but we wanted more)
1/2 cup White Wine, Or To Taste
1 can Tomato Sauce (8 Oz)
1 cup half and half (was heavy cream)
Fresh Parsley, to taste (we tend to add more because we can never finish a full bundle, so we want to get some get use out of it!)
Fresh Basil, to Taste (ditto, above)
Pepper To Taste

Instructions
Cook the penne pasta until tender-firm, also known as al dente.

Brown the turkey sausage. Remove from pan onto plate.

Finely dice one small onion. Mince two cloves of garlic. In a large skillet heat 1 tablespoon of butter and 1 tablespoons olive oil. Add the garlic and onion and sauté, stirring occasionally. After the garlic and onions have cooked a bit add your white wine. Let the wine evaporate for a few minutes, stirring occasionally.

Now add an 8-ounce can of plain tomato sauce. Stir well until combined. Then add 1 cup of half and half. Continue stirring. Turn heat down to low and let simmer.

Chop your herbs, about 2 tablespoons of chopped parsley and about the same amount of chopped basil.

Now add the turkey sausage into the tomato cream sauce. Give it a stir and add pepper to taste. Throw in your herbs and stir until combined. Finally add your cooked penne pasta and give it a good stir.

Lilyhammer

2012-02-15T12:00:00.005-08:00

Picture this: New York mobster becomes everyone's target after he decides to do the right thing and testify in a trial. Quickly, he realizes that he won't survive in the Big Apple and enters the Witness Protection Program. Where does he request to be relocated? Lillehammer, Norway because "it looked pretty in the '94 Olympics." And you find out another small reason he chose "Lilyhammer", but I won't ruin the surprise.

A mobster in fair isle sweaters, trying to become a better person? It's like The Godfather meets Northern Exposure. Sounds like the recipe for a fun flick, huh?

We watched the first episode last night and I'm definitely itching to watch #2. It's a Netflix original, so it can only be watched on Netflix streaming. Check it out and let me know what you think!

valentine's day happy list

2012-02-14T13:18:00.001-08:00

A few things that make me happy on this Valentine's Day.

The nostalgia and memories of elementary school valentine's days.
Wearing this red skirt with red lipstick to work today.
Google's valentine's day video. Sometimes the answer is simple.
Knowing that the people who surround me in life are so supportive, inspiring and thoughtful. How'd I get to be so lucky?
The "fax me" conversation heart. I like that even though the fax machine is semi-archaic, they still hold onto it.
Laid back valentine's day plans with my sweetheart tonight. (Or swedeheart as my mom calls my dad?)
This flashback memory: In high school, I remember telling my friend Robby about how I never had a Valentine, which was a week away. I wasn't sharing because I was bummed, just a matter-of-fact statement. So on the big day, he left flowers, chocolates and a balloon at my desk in 1st period. What a great friend, huh?
The red and pink color combo. It's so bright and happy.
Cute Valentine's Day cards.
This unromantic, stinky gesture made me laugh.

pic/via pinterest

Macrina Bakery

2012-02-13T12:43:00.000-08:00

Since we had an early morning on Saturday to sign some papers in Queen Anne, we quickly ducked into Macrina Bakery to share a sweet roll. They have some of the tastiest treats in Seattle. Even though I've only been there a handful of times, every time I get something different and every time I find myself wanting more. Next time, I'd like to try one of their savory scones. But considering homemade breakfast is just as tasty, it might be awhile before I get back :)

P.S. For the record, my favorite bakery is Cafe Besalu in Ballard. Next time I go, I'll document! Their pain au chocolat just melts in your mouth.

Thinking Warm Thoughts

2012-02-10T12:00:00.000-08:00

It's inevitable. Every year, I get to a point when I'm just ready for Summer (or an unseasonably warm Spring). I've hit that point way too early this year. To fight the rainy, gray weather blues, I reminisce of tropical vacations. Hands down, my favorite tropical vacation was Hawaii with Stephers back in 2009. Aww, the beaches. The cocktails. The warm sun. The snorkeling. The relaxation. The surfing. The naked baby. (Our daily beach visit was always at the same time as an adorable little family with the cutest little baby - and she mostly ran around in her diaper or just butt naked. Adorbs.) You guys, it was magical.

What is your favorite tropical vacation?

Bathing Beauties

2012-02-08T13:32:00.000-08:00

As a follow-up to last week's post, seriously, can it get any cuter than this? My Nama and my Mom, soaking in the sun - absolutely adorable, right? My grandma must have been close to my age in this photo (Am I right, Mom?). I wish I could jump into a time machine to join this timeless moment. But I'd definitely have to bring sunscreen! Lord knows I can't survive without it.

We came, we dipped, they conquered.

2012-02-07T11:31:00.000-08:00

Some like Super Bowl for the football. Some like it for the attractive players (ahem, Tom Brady). Many like Super Bowl for the commercials and the commercials alone. But to a few dozen people, Dip-A-Palooza is front and center on Super Bowl Sunday. The competitive dip-making contests brings in the best cheese dips, onion dips, jalepeno popper dips, cilantro dips, buffalo chicken dips, Snickers dips, curry dips - the list does on for miles.

This year, the competition was FIERCE. There had to be over 30 dips in total! We made Queso Blanco (thanks for the recipe, Steph!), which was very tasty, but by no means a winner. But even more impressive was the presentation of winners - Aaron impressed us all with his suit, top hat, booming music and scripted performance as he revealed the winners of Dip-A-Palooza VIII, one of the founding fathers himself (and wife!), Chris and Chrissy Barrows. It was well-deserved. Congrats, you two.

P.S. Past DAP posts.

DAPers. Many new faces this year, but still many old.

I was honored to be able to help tally the votes!

Aaron kept the crowd in suspense for a full minute before opening the envelope to reveal the winner.

Victory for the Barrows' - waving the flag and raising the DAP plaque!

The queso blanco. There is a whole lot of American White Cheese in this sucker. Healthy? No. Delicious? Yes.

Another Bainbridge Adventure

2012-02-06T10:12:00.000-08:00

A few years back, those of us who had Veteran's Day off decided to go on an adventure to Bainbridge Island. It's the perfect, quick escape to get out of the city on a sunny day, so we decided to recreate it on a Saturday afternoon. We had no agenda, just quality girl time - in the form of wine tasting, aimlessly walking through town and lots and lots of cheesy Mexican food. Oh, and did I mention girl talk? Yeah, lots of it. In fact, I feel bad for the bartender at the restaurant who was in earshot of all of our girly conversations. I'd like to think it was the highlight of his day :)

Excited for our next adventure!

The ferry ride home was dark!

Whoa.

2012-02-02T13:04:00.000-08:00

Seriously guys, this is cool. Follow the instructions and be amazed.

Instructions:
1. Stare at the red dot on the girl’s nose for 30 seconds.
2. Turn your eyes to a plain surface (your ceiling or blank wall, preferably white, preferably sort of close by, maybe in a decently lit room).
3. Blink repeatedly and quickly.
4. Whoa.

via/oneplusinfinity

I covet

2012-02-01T13:00:00.000-08:00

These babies need little explaining. Who would have thought that light teal, patent loafers would make such an impression? But I have to keep my eye on the prize: save for a house.

Cuter than a bug's ear.

2012-01-31T10:56:00.000-08:00

During the holidays, I looked through hundreds of old family photos. I'm one of those people who can look at stranger's photo albums and become instantly enthralled (which I do regularly on Facebook, admit it, you do too). But when it's my own family, I become even more intrigued. When I came across this gem of my Dad with his brothers and sisters, I was in love. Such an adorable, happy family!

So, whaddya think? Do I look like my dad? :)

From left to right: Aunt Jeanie (baby), Uncle Doug, Aunt Nancy, Dad and Aunt Barb.

Swedish Winter

2012-01-30T09:57:00.000-08:00

One of my Swedish relatives posted a picture of her home on Facebook recently. It looks magical! It's not uncommon in Östersund to get several feet of snow at a time. Makes our Seattle freakout look a little pathetic ("But we have hills!" says the Seattleite). But honestly, doesn't this make you want to warm up some hot cocoa, cuddle up by the fire and gaze outside at the winter whiteout?

Somewhere

2012-01-27T13:00:00.000-08:00

I literally chased this rainbow around Green Lake awhile back. I was driving, saw it out of the corner of my eye, stopped the car - parking very illegally - to snap a few shots. (I wasn't alone, there was another car that did the exact same thing!) The picture doesn't do it justice, but it was perfect. A good reminder of how the small things in life can totally boost your mood. I had no agenda for the day, so I just drove towards it. Never really making it even an inch closer. The 4-year-old in me was hoping, hoping that I would eventually reach the magical pot of gold. No such luck, but nonetheless, it was a fun adventure!

Hope you have a weekend filled with chasing rainbows and finding gold, whether that's a golden brew, golden hand or golden john (seriously people, is this even necessary?)!

Zebra Stripes

2012-01-26T11:17:00.000-08:00

There once was this girl named Autumn. She was an adventurous soul. So for high school graduation, her dad decided to take her on a safari in Africa. Since her father was an avid hunter with deer and elk mounts covering the walls of their home (which stare you down when sleeping at their home!), their safari was a bit different than some - they carried guns.

For everyone's sake, let's fast forward a bit. Autumn's prized zebra rug! It's style, accomplishment and pure awesome all-in-one. And after a little searching, I'm sold on the versatility. Don't you agree? (I like the first picture best!) Well, I guess I gotta go on an African safari now! Or I suppose I could go the easier route and buy this one? Nah, safari wins. Who wants to come?

pics via 1 2 3

Spicy Black Bean Soup

2012-01-25T08:24:00.000-08:00

Last Friday, I stayed home sick, but even worse, I had completely bare cupboards. You know your cupboards are bare when you think to yourself, 'I wonder what peanut butter would taste like on pasta?' - trying to make a meal out of the few things you actually do have. But instead of going down that path, I waited. Worked a little, rested a little, etc. Joe said he'd come over and help make dinner after work, so I was watching the clock like a hawk.

Now the question was, what should we have? What tastes best when you're under the weather and the snow won't stop falling outside? Soup. It's a no-brainer. With that in mind, I scoured Martha for a tasty-looking soup and landed on the Spicy Black Bean Soup. I've had bland black bean soups before, so I knew we'd have to keep in the zing (spicy, but not overwhelming) and add some flavor - like avocados, ham, sour cream and cilantro - all of which, make me want to file away this recipe for another wintery day. Yum!

Want more soup recipes?

(Note: The online recipe is very different than the cookbook, so I updated based on how we made it. Use the cookbook, if you have it.)

Spicy Black Bean Soup

Ingredients

3 cans of black beans, drained
3 cups of water (more to taste, consistency preference)
1 medium red onion, diced small
1-2 jalapenos, minced (keep in the seeds! gives a good zing)
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil (or vegetable oil)
4 garlic cloves, minced
Coarse salt and ground pepper
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons oregano
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (I didn't add this, but I would imagine it would be good?)
Diced avocado, cilantro, low-fat sour cream, ham, and tortilla chips, for serving (optional, but required if you want it to taste the best it can be!)

Directions

In a large Dutch oven or heavy pot, heat oil over medium-high. Add garlic and onions; season with salt and pepper (or just pepper) Cook, stirring often, until onions are soft and golden brown. Stir in jalapenos, cumin, and stir for a few more minutes. Add beans and water. Season with salt and pepper (or just pepper). Bring to a simmer and cook until beans are soft, like 10 minutes or so.

Transfer 2 cups soup at a time into a blender and puree until smooth (keep the hole on your blender open, covering with only a dish towel - the heat can create a mess if air can't be released). Place in large bowl. Continue to blend the remainder of the soup based on your preference in consistency. (We liked it all pureed.) To serve, top with avocado, cilantro, low-fat sour cream, ham (slightly browned on each side) and tortilla chips, if desired.

Lianna and Matt Tied the Knot

2012-01-24T11:38:00.001-08:00

On Saturday, we celebrated Lianna and Matt as they took the plunge to become husband and wife. I am pretty sure that Lianna had a smile on her face the entire time, which naturally put a smile on my face. These two are perfect for each other.

The wedding was at Pravda Studios, which was filled with candles and classic wedding white. It was simply gorgeous, as was the bride! Gorgeous. Top it off with catering by Veraci Pizza, some awesome dance floor moves, catching up with old friends and late night burgers from Dick's - it was a great time!

P.S. This was our third wedding at Pravda - first Carol, then Meredith!

Li and her Dad :)

Birthday Boy

2012-01-23T15:55:00.000-08:00

This amazing fella is blowing out 33 candles on his birthday cake tonight. 33! We were talking about how 33 sounded to us 10 years ago - it sounded so old! But now that he's there and I'm a few years behind (cough... five years... cough), it doesn't sound old at all. We're still youngins!

Joe, I hope this is your best year yet. Love you to the moon and back, then to Mars and back, then to Venus and back, etc. For the record, that means "a WHOLE lot."

P.S. I usually prefer post-birthday blog posts (like this, so I can talk about the birthday party), but I couldn't help myself. It's a very important... palindrome birthday? Yeah, palindrome birthdays are very important, don't ya know?

Hairsicles

2012-01-20T18:00:00.000-08:00

Last weekend, we went snowshoeing again. We couldn't help ourselves. The fluffy white snow was calling our names, "Erika! Joe! Come play!" (If only we knew it would hit us hard later!) So we packed a picnic, hot cocoa and headed east. But I apparently forgot to pack my common sense because my hair turned to ice. Next time, tuck it in your hat, Peterson. I had hairsicles.

But seriously. We love snowshoeing and want anyone and everyone to join us sometime. Except for the man running up the hillside in snowshoes. I would consider that self-inflicted torture. (Says the girl who willingly did this.)

Seattle and Snow

2012-01-19T18:49:00.000-08:00

If you haven't already watched the Seattle snow parody videos, then you're missing out. They are hilarious! I never really comment on YouTube videos, but I couldn't help myself because I felt like there were some major omissions in their first two videos. So here's my comment verbatim (as you can see as the current top rated comment here!):

"Seattle just isn't prepared for this. We only have like 15 snowplows for the ENTIRE city."

"We just don't have enough de-icer."

"Remember that one year when we were being so eco-friendly and wouldn't use salt on the roads? We need to protect our fish."

"Why does the Metro bus always have chains on 24 hours before the snow starts?"

"I just keep drinking coffee to keep my hands warm."

"Should I leave a note? It was just a baby tap on their bumper... Uh, damn guilty conscience."

Well, today they posted a third installment - using many of my ideas! Watch to see just how many they used :)

Dip-A-Palooza VIII

2012-01-19T08:00:00.000-08:00

You know what's right around the corner? Dip-A-Palooza VIII! Or DAP8, take your pick. And thanks to Holden, we have another video to jazz us up. I think I'll go on record by saying: best video yet.

It is hard to believe it's almost here - Superbowl Sunday is a mere 2.5 weeks away. I don't know about you, but I've been scouring recipes for MONTHS. I might just try to add another tally by my name. I have some tough decisions ahead of me. (I will not be making this dip, that's for sure) Savory or sweet? Fancy or classic dipper? If you know of any killer dip recipes, please send them my way!

P.S. For past year's DAPs.

The exact place you do not want to be during a Seattle snowpocalypse.

2012-01-18T18:32:00.000-08:00

That place is in an airport trying to go home, even if it's home of the snowpocalypse. I left for Spokane for work on Tuesday with a sneaky suspicion that I might encounter some challenges when trying to get home today. My suspicion was spot on. Our flight was canceled this morning, but luckily we made it to the airport early enough to be booked onto another flight, which was (not surprisingly) delayed.

As Katie and I waited in the terminal, watching the tractors clear the runway, we were thinking of our Plan B: if we can't leave via plane, should we rent a car and drive? Nah, too dangerous to cross the pass. Should we visit the self-proclaimed Vegas of Spokane? Yes, that's it. That would be our Plan B.

But eventually, when we made it on the plane. The flight took forever as we circled and circled before they could finally clear a runway for us. When we touched down, I saw what we were up against. Several inches of snow (don't make fun of us, you midwesterners) and it was hard for the crews to keep up.

Then, the cab ride home. In a Prius. A Prius! Those puppies are definitely not made for the snow. He dropped Katie off at the bottom of Queen Anne hill (he laughed at the thought of actually driving up the hill) before he slowly inched along to my place. Making it home never felt so good.

But I have to admit - it wasn't that bad. A lot of people had it worse than us. It was just unexpected - a trip that should have taken less than two hours start to finish took us almost six hours. Hope others made it to their final destination safely!

Speaking of Seattleites and snow, have you seen these clips? Quite funny.

Pub Squat, part deux

2012-01-17T22:30:00.000-08:00

I pretty much said it all in part one, but our pub crawl mission to Fremont breweries and distilleries ended up with stops at 9 Million and Norm's. Nothing beats impromptu brews and burgers on a Sunday afternoon (turned late night), especially when you meet new friends in the process!

After many hours of Fact or Crap (game at 9 million), witty banter, Golden Globe viewing, cheersing and dancing on tables (ok, not really, but it's funny to picture Barry doing it), we weren't done, so we ventured to Autumn and Ryan's for some hot buttered rum around their fireplace. While I tried my hardest to ignore my yawns as queues to leave, the night had to end eventually. But I'm ready for the next squat! Here's an idea, maybe we can even crawl to a few other places next time? Well, maybe.

Pub Squat

2012-01-16T22:40:00.000-08:00

This weekend we attempted to go on a pub crawl through Fremont, but it turned into more of a pub squat. Several hours at 9 Million and then a few more at Norm's. We blame the weather - SNOW! - for not wanting to move from our warm, cozy booths.

Keeping with tradition, Autumn stole my camera (or iPhone) to document the evening. She discovered a great new use of the photobooth app - start rolling the camera and aim it at everyone around the table. Most people had no idea what the heck she was doing, but I caught on quick - hence, the cheesy smile. (Must remember this for future gatherings!)

But one my my favorite discoveries is the photo strip of Autumn... and Autumn alone. LOVE it.

More to come on the pub squat!

TGIF

2012-01-13T13:22:00.000-08:00

What a week! Busy, busy, busy. But you know what? It makes long weekends that much better. And any long weekend that is expected to deliver the first SNOWFALL of the season has to be good. On my agenda: dinner with my parents, a snowy Green Lake walk (crossing fingers!), cocktails at the Space Needle (!!) and possibly a little work (hopefully not too much). In other news...

Last night, we celebrated Joe's dad's (Joe, the 2nd) birthday with a mile high mud pie and bread pudding from The Ram. Despite his resistance to celebrating, I think it was a lovely night. (Lilian, I'm resisting in posting the picture per your advice... though I know he'll make it on thee ol' blog eventually!)

This list of Seattle's best burgers is missing two very delicious options: Red Mill and Lunchbox Laboratories. Am I right or am I right? UPDATE: I stand corrected. I guess they both did make the list (amen!), but I was drooling over the few pictures too much to see the "click here for the list" link. Now I want a burger.

Is it weird that I want to see this movie? Maybe it will balance out the ebby jeebies I get from this movie.

Fun idea! I think I like the s'mores one best.

Do you like this bag better or as much as this one?

Have a wonderfully AWESOME weekend!

pic/via

Pancake Facts

2012-01-12T12:52:00.000-08:00

Fact: Swedish pancakes rock my world.
Fact: My grandma would take first place in any Swedish pancake throw-down.
Fact: We make them almost every weekend. (Alternating with these crepes or some other fun concoction. Breakfast is fun to cook!)
Fact: Homemade syrup makes them taste even better. Dousing them with jam or lingonberries is also delicious.
Fact: They often put me into a food coma. Are naps acceptable at 11am after breakfast?
Fact: Before heading to Snoqualmie, the snowshoe crew went here for their pancake feed last weekend. It's the place to be.
Fact: They give you superhuman powers. Seriously.

NYE: The Finale

2012-01-11T12:06:00.000-08:00

I realize it's already the 11th and I'm still posting about NYE, but I captured some priceless moments and I can't help but continue sharing... in small doses. I even have a couple zingers of Karen, Maddie and Erin dancing, but for my respect and love for them, I'm not posting. You're welcome, ladies. But now for the finale of NYE. One of my favorites yet!

Is this not the sweetest shot? Oh, you newlyweds, you.

SURPRISE! Karen's midnight entrance! So perfect.

Yes, we had a breathalyzer at our party. No biggie. It was more for educational/entertainment purposes than function because we all had our "getting home" strategy. At one point, we all felt we were at a point that we probably wouldn't take the road, but we were only half the legal limit! Umm, makes me think about the people who actually drive at the legal limit.

Laura and Drew better hurry up and finish grad school and med school (in different states, nonetheless!), so they can move on back to the best coast, the West Coast. Aren't they cute?

And I'm definitely stealing this photo from Maddie, but I liked it too much not to share. With the crown in place, I can see how my family in Sweden said he looked a lot like this guy. What do you think?

Snowshoe Crew

2012-01-10T10:49:00.000-08:00

On Sunday, Maddie, Casey, Joe and I took on Gold Creek Trail up at Snoqualmie Pass. We ordered up some blue skies and mild weather for the most perfect afternoon. It was a fairly easy trail and ended with a beautiful view. Throw in some picnic action, complete with hot cocoa and marshmallows (and great company!) and you've got yourself a successful winter outing. Gotta make the best out of cold, sometimes miserable weather, right? What do you do to fight the winter blues?

P.S. More snowshoeing adventures.
P.P.S. Maddie's take.

Joe likes to "off-road". Or maybe pretend like he's Bigfoot?

Hot cocoa tastes like heaven in the cold and at high elevations. Trust me on this one.

NYE: Instagram

2012-01-08T21:47:00.000-08:00

New Year's Eve through Instagram. Gosh, I love that app. But even more, I love reminiscing the night. Hope you like it too because it's not quite over!

Noisemakers and sequins to bring in the new year.

The night was complete when Karen came as the ball droooooppppppped.

Just some more sassy dazzle.

¡Ay caramba, Ryan!

What does that taste like?

Nothing says 2012 like sparklers.

Decorations make every party 12x better, especially when they are 75% off. (Nice find, Autumn.)

Perhaps the best "decorations" of the night. The headbands Maddie made for the ladies! (Idea spurred by Oh Happy Day.)

Cocktails are not complete without sparkly swizzle sticks, right?

So festive!

And for good measure, Mads.

NYE: Photo Booth

2012-01-06T13:14:00.000-08:00

I'll let the pictures do most of the talking, but seriously: aren't homemade photo booths so darn cool? Autumn, brilliant idea. I heart you.

P.S. More on our amazing head pieces, compliments of Maddie!

Just shaking our grove things.

Boppa

2012-01-05T11:06:00.000-08:00

(Quite the handsome World War II pilot, if I do say so myself!)

Unfortunately, the holiday season didn't come without some sadness. My Boppa passed away in his sleep on Christmas morning. A slight damper on the holiday merriment, but we took the time to look through so many old family photos, so that definitely brought smiles to our faces.

Boppa is my mom's stepfather, but has been in my life since day one, so he was nothing short of grandpa in my mind. He was one month shy of 95, so we can be happy that he lived a full life. About 15 years ago, Boppa and Dee (his longtime girlfriend) became snowbirds, moving their lives down to sunny Arizona. Sadly, this meant less time with them both, but I think they enjoyed their consistently warm afternoon toddy breaks on the golf course.

I'll forever cherish the memories I have with my Boppa. The many trips to the Bellingham Golf & Country Club, charging any and every snack to his account, 007 (or double 'o' seven as we said it - we loved the James Bond-ness of his account!). He had such a distinguishable high-pitched chuckle, "hee heee." He was also a good story teller - I remember the hours passing by quickly when we sat on our deck during his visits. And to be honest, Boppa may be the reason I got good grades - he'd give me money for A's only. Needless to say, this gave me some great motivation and I cashed in each semester :)

WARNING: Nudity to follow, but it's under 2 years old so it technically doesn't count - I just couldn't help including this photo of us. That smile is just so Boppa! (And more evidence of how amazingly pale I am. You're welcome.)

Shop 'til you drop

2012-01-04T11:31:00.000-08:00

It was warfare at the office. Nearly three solid weeks of WARFARE, I tell ya. Why? Oh, you know, just a friendly, turned ugly food drive competition at the office. There were secret strategy planning meetings, many competitive glares and a covert Costco trip to boot!

In total, as an office of 21 people, we donated nearly 1,200 items and $1,700! On average, that is approximately 60 items and $80 per person. Amazing!

Unfortunately, my team did not win. The other team took a sneaky (yet smart!) approach and filed papers for the company donation match, which earned them an extra $500! Well played, Team 2.

At the end of the day, the biggest winners are Northwest Harvest and the families they serve. We hope our efforts will bring smiles to a few more faces in 2012!

2012

2012-01-03T09:36:00.000-08:00

Here's to another fabulous year filled with family and friends, fun weekend getaways, running more races, trying new recipes, checking things off my list and maybe even buying our dream home.

Posts from my blogging hiatus to come. But seriously, is anyone else excruciatingly tired to be back at work? It's hard to get back into the swing of things!

At any rate, Happy New Year!

P.S. This picture is from the photo booth that Autumn created for New Year's Eve! So. much. FUN!

Mr. and Mrs. Claus

2011-12-29T12:09:00.001-08:00

As you've noticed, I'm taking this week off of blogging. So much to get done, so little time. But I didn't want to leave you completely hanging, so I want to share some big news. Like HUGE news. I found out this Christmas that my Dad is SANTA! Which in turn makes my mom Mrs. Claus. Talk about mind-blowing. Hope your Christmas was equally as exciting!

We have a winner.

2011-12-23T12:26:00.000-08:00

Despite my lack of Christmas card sending, I am always stoked to see what's waiting for me in my mailbox this time of year. Travel photos, wedding photos, puppy photos or silly photos - I like it all. This year I'd have to say that Suz, Rob, Gene, Michelle and Jasmine take the cake. Talk about awkward family photo! I think I'm in love. (Michelle, the eye blink brings it to the next level!)

P.S. Josh, Brian and Judy, you were an extremely close second. I just couldn't resist Suze's Farrah flip!

Glögg

2011-12-22T15:00:00.000-08:00

Do you have any vivid memories from your childhood? I definitely do. And one of them involves catching my Aunt Jeanie, Aunt Barbie and Aunt Nancy all giggling as they poured themselves a glass of glögg (spiced wine) on Christmas day at my Grandma and Grandpa Pete's home. I remember being so curious about this mysterious drink they hated, but liked at the same time. I asked my Dad if I could try a sip of his and he obliged, eagerly awaiting a face of disgust - and that's exactly what he got. Ewww! I thought they were all crazy. (However, when I was finally of-age, I gave it another try and actually really liked it!)

Fast forward 20+ years. On our third date, Joe made me Swedish pancakes, some sort of Scandinavian soup and glögg. Not your typical way into a girl's heart, but it worked for yours truly. I remember watching him do his thing in the kitchen and thinking, "yep, the Aunties and Grandma Pete would approve."

This year when we made a batch, it brought back both memories and made me smile. Now that's a reason to cheers. Or as the Swedes say, skål!

(P.S. Joe's recipe involves port, cloves, cardamom pods, cinnamon sticks, almond slices, raisins, orange peel and maybe something else I'm missing. But here's a basic recipe.)

Ho ho ho!

2011-12-22T11:00:00.000-08:00

Friends, I tried. I had every intent to send Christmas cards this year; I really did. I looked on Etsy quite early, browsing for options that would strike my fancy. Joe and I took a Christmas photo in case we wanted to go the photo card route. I even made a list of people I wanted to send one to! That's where it got tricky. Ten quickly became 20, which grew to 50+! Where does one cut it off? I can't bring myself to cut off my cousin's step-brother's girlfriend (ok, kidding, but really, the family is giant). Then when you take into account ordering that many cards, postage and getting everyone's addresses together, I was overwhelmed. Maybe I should put this on my New Year's resolution list: send Christmas cards in 2012.

So in place of snail mail (which I know is like 10x better!), I had a little ~~tacky~~ editing session with our photo. So from our home(s) to yours, Happy Holidays! We love you.

P.S. Do you like the return of the seasonal Petes Speaks?!

Lianna's Shindig

2011-12-21T12:07:00.001-08:00

I'm late to report the festivities of Whidbey Island a few weekends ago. So my brief rundown:

You know it's a party when...

You're celebrating someone who is getting married. (Yay Lianna!)
Your party involves wine tasting at a barn on Whidbey Island.
There are photo opps' a plenty.
You make Christmas ornaments.
Your evening involves limbo with a boa and other rather girlish games.
There are 20+ ladies filled into one cabin - dancing (or watching the incredible dancers) the night away.

Lianna, only 31 days until you marry the love of your life. Can't wait!

(Mads and Steph recap the bachelorette weekend too!)

2011

2011-12-20T14:35:00.000-08:00

Look what the world searched for in 2011. Quite a year, that's for sure.

Winter Walks

2011-12-19T12:00:00.000-08:00

We picked up some coffee and took a nice stroll around Green Lake this weekend. I love winter walks - crisp air, fewer crowds, beautiful scenery - but they are so hard to come by. I can't bring myself to take many walks in the dark (too many mice and creepers lurking in the shadows!), so I can only really make them happen on the weekends during the winter. But we are only a couple days away from The Darkest Day of the Year, so in time, I'll be making more laps around the lake. (Partially because we signed up for this baby again. Better lace up my running shoes!)

During our stroll, I was taking photos with my Instagram app. I still haven't decided which filter I like best - Earlybird, Lomo-fi, Valencia? If you have it, what are your favorites?

The Jury was Unanimous

2011-12-15T19:07:00.000-08:00

Seven words: Pumpkin gnocchi with brown butter and sage.

I rest my case.

Ingredients (I doubled this recipe strategically for leftovers)

1 cup pumpkin puree

1 egg

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1 3/4 cups flour - plus more for your work surface

2 tablespoons butter

2-3 tablespoons of shredded sage leaves

2-3 tablespoons of grated parmesan cheese

1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions

Set a large pot of water to boil. Combine pumpkin, egg, nutmeg and salt. Add in the flour, a bit at a time, stirring to combine. Continue adding flour until the dough is firm enough to handle (it will still be slightly sticky).

Take about a quarter of the dough and roll into one long rope, about one inch thick. Cut rope into one inch pieces. Repeat with remaining dough. Drop pieces of dough into boiling water. Cook until they rise to the surface (about five minutes).

Meanwhile, melt butter in saucepan over medium heat. Add sage and stir frequently until butter browns. (Browning butter is a science.) Drain gnocchi on paper towel and add to brown butter. Toss to combine. Serve with parmesan cheese.

This is my "Look at me! I'm making gnocchi" face.

I froze the gnocchi for a few minutes to ensure they didn't fall apart on me. Worked wonders! (That's a Maddie trick!)

P.S. Crossing something off my 30 before Thirty list!

Hoot.

2011-12-14T13:52:00.000-08:00

I happen to think these owl plates are pretty cute. Wouldn't you agree?

The Nutcracker

2011-12-13T10:28:00.000-08:00

Jenna and Audrey certainly shined on the stage! I had a perma-smile during the entire performance. They were breathtaking and so incredibly graceful (and tear-jerking for my Grandma!). I already can't wait for next year!
We also got to watch the adorable Katierie and Taryn, our close family friends. They love their Miss Koby. And Miss Koby loves them :)

My Personal Assistant

2011-12-12T14:17:00.000-08:00

For those of you who don't know the biggest news of 2011, I upgraded my phone. [Insert gasps, followed by hoots and hollers.] After nearly six years of dedication to my tried and true Razr, I landed in the world of the iPhone. The 4s to be clear. It has since changed my life. No more printing out directions, no more anxiety when I leave my work computer for more than an hour, and no more boring waiting room experiences.

But most importantly, I now have a personal assistant, Siri. She can text or email for me, find answers to trivial facts and keep me entertained for hours. She has quite a sense of humor (check out how funny Siri is). I asked her the age old woodchuck question and she even knew the answer.

Siri, I'm excited for our budding friendship. I look forward to all of your support and sometimes snarky responses!

It's beginning to smell a lot like Christmas.

2011-12-09T10:11:00.000-08:00

After some delay, Joe and I finally got our tree last night. We put it up, then life (i.e. hungry bellies) got in the way so we didn't decorate it right away. Next, Big Bang Theory got in the way, then Sleepy McSleepersons got in the way. So my tree still stands in the corner of my living room, naked as a jaybird. The hot cocoa-drinking (with marshmallows!), Christmas music-listening, and decorating tradition has been postponed until tomorrow morning. But this morning when I walked into my living room, it was the most intoxicating smell ever. If I could bottle it up and name it "Christmas in a jar," I'd make millions.

Have a festive holiday weekend, friends!

Cookie Dough Dip

2011-12-08T12:00:00.000-08:00

For Tom's birthday, I attempted to make this cookie dough dip that I had bookmarked for months. It's actually considered a "healthy dessert", yet mine may have been on the less healthy side because I kept adding sugar to improve the taste. In the end, I couldn't even tell you how much sugar I added, but it's a helluva lot more than what the recipe called for.

Overall, it was... good. I chose Nilla wafers as the dippers and I think they brought the dip to the next level. (Never underestimate the power of a dipper.) I can't decide if I didn't like it as much because I knew the base was GARBANZO BEANS or if it really wasn't cookie dough flavored enough? At any rate, people did eat most of it, so it must have been decent, right? Though after time, I think people got skeptical since the small remainder of the "cookie dough" was sitting out for hours. And then started to sweat - almond butter oil? My verdict: If you want something sweet and healthy, give it a try. If you want something sweet and don't care about the calories, have some ice cream :)

Cookie Dough Dip (I doubled this recipe)

Ingredients
1.5 cups chickpeas (1 can, drained)
1/8 tsp plus 1/16 tsp salt
Tiny bit over 1/8 tsp baking soda
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup almond butter
Up to 1/4 cup nondairy milk (Start with 1 T, and add more as needed)
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup chocolate chips
2 to 3 T oats

Directions
Add all ingredients (except for chocolate chips) to a blender or food processor, and blend until very smooth. Then mix in the chocolate chips.

I covet

2011-12-07T11:20:00.000-08:00

After testing out my uber-cheap crossbody bag for a couple months, I've realized that I really like this style, but it's much too small. Yet my other bag feels like a suitcase! So I'm on a quest to find a medium-sized crossbody bag. Call me picky, but I'm finding this to be a much harder quest than expected. I keep coming back to this Marc by Marc Jacobs bag, but I'm not ready to take the leap with such a hefty price tag. Do you have any ideas of where I can find the perfect bag?

How do weekends fly by?

2011-12-05T08:00:00.000-08:00

This weekend zoomed by, but it was a blast - the Nutcracker and a fun bachelorette party in the boonies. Greenbank, WA to be exact. (Though, I admit, not any more boonie-like than my own childhood home) The party may have involved some wine tasting in this very barn. Fun, huh?

Once I'm caught up with everything I left behind for the weekend, I'll share the whole scoop on the weekend. Happy Monday!

Break a leg, ladies.

2011-12-02T09:08:00.000-08:00

You know how parents always say, "they grow up so quickly!" Well, even as a cousin, I wholeheartedly agree. My adorable, sweet, little cousins who I used to babysit - Audrey and Jenna - are growing into beautiful women. Tonight, I'm going to watch them in the Skagit Valley Academy of Dance's Nutcracker performance. As two of the leads, Clara and the Snow Queen, I have no doubt they will dazzle the crowd.

Even though I turned my pointe shoes in for dance team pom poms (after nearly 10 years of ballet!), I still have a soft spot in my heart for the grace and beauty of ballet. Especially when it involves people you love! Good luck and break a leg, Audrey and Jenna!

Soup it up.

2011-12-01T13:18:00.000-08:00

It's definitely soup season again. The moment I step outside into a dark and dreary evening, I immediately crave soup. Chicken noodle soup, taco soup, curried soup, you name it! I'll eat it. So I've been scouring my cookbooks for a healthy, but hearty soup to make on these increasingly gray days. I found a winner with the Italian White Bean, Pancetta, and Tortellini Soup from Giada's Everyday Pasta cookbook. Soooo, so good. And actually quite easy! Give it a try, people. As Nike would say, just do it.

Ingredients

3 Tbsp. olive oil

1/4 lb. pancetta, chopped

3 shallots, chopped

1 carrot, peeled and chopped (we added two!)

3 garlic cloves, chopped

1 (15 oz) can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

1 bunch of Swiss chard, chopped

8 c. chicken broth

4 c. water

1/2 lb. fresh or frozen cheese tortellini

Salt and pepper
(Erika's addition: Red pepper flakes! I add them to almost everything for a nice kick.)

Directions

In a large soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the pancetta, shallots, and carrot and cook until the vegetables are soft and the pancetta is crisp, about 15 minutes. Add the garlic, beans, chicken broth and water and bring up to a boil over high heat. Toss in the Swiss chard and let it wilt, about 3 minutes. (It will look like A LOT of chard, but don't worry, it shrinks.)

Add the tortellini and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook until the tortellini are tender (about 4 minutes for fresh, 8 minutes for frozen). Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper if needed.

Cupcake Royale

2011-11-30T13:13:00.000-08:00

After a delicious homemade meal, we hit up Cupcake Royale for our anniversary last week - the very spot of our first date. While two years ago, we walked to the Irish bar down the street (we didn't want it to end!), this year the old folks inside of us thought we'd call it a night. Besides, we had some Peterson Winery Zinfandel from our road trip to finish up, not to mention a Thanksgiving meal to prepare for the next day!

A night out on the town

2011-11-29T09:00:00.000-08:00

What do you do when two out-of-town girlfriends come to visit? Well, you plan a happy hour, of course. Then happy hour inevitably turns into getting another drink elsewhere, which turns into dinner at Serious Pie, which turns into hanging out at Steph's until the wee hours of the night. What can I say? There was a lot of ground to cover. Love you girls!

Thanksgiving Feast

2011-11-27T18:59:00.000-08:00

Friends, I'm checking something off my 30 Before Thirty list: Hosting a big holiday! This year for Thanksgiving, Joe and I mastered the traditional turkey feast for our parents. We started bright and early; I had the apple pie in the oven just after 9am and then moved onto the mashed potatoes shortly after (using PDubs delicious recipe).

We opted to keep they turkey simple with butter, rosemary and a tiny bit of garlic, then filled the turkey with Grandma Novak's famous stuffing. Add in the cranberry sauce I made the night before, plus a few more side dishes brought by our parents, and we were ready to give thanks. Good food. (No dry turkey!) Delicious desserts. Great company. I can definitely say that I have a lot to be thankful for. Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving too!

P.S. Don't you love my place setting? It's my grandma's old china that will one day be mine. It would have been her 82nd birthday on Thanksgiving, so my mom brought it down for the occasion. I think she'd be happy it was put to good use :)

Two Years

2011-11-23T09:00:00.000-08:00

When this man strolled into my life two years ago, I had no idea how much he would change my life for the better. He's the most thoughtful, caring, intelligent, funny, and handsome man - I couldn't have asked for a better partner-in-crime. While last year, I recounted our first year together, this year I'm going to share a few reasons why I love this man so much.

Have you seen his beautiful blue eyes?
And that smile. It certainly lights up a room.
We make a killer cooking duo.
He's proud of his Swedish heritage, which is uber-convenient for me to keep it alive in my family.
He's a perfect travel buddy.
He sits through a chick flick now and again.
He values education, which is important to me.
He knows the perfect response to, "does this look ok on me?"
He's a total gentleman.
When he's killing me on the tennis court, I can tell he gets a little loose on what's in or out. (Giving me the advantage, thank you)
My family adores him and I adore his family. Ditto in the friend department.
He is a genuinely good, good person.
Nurse Joe takes care of me when I'm sick. (Plus, let's me take care of him when he's under the weather.) He also has this crazy, quick instinct to ask if I'm ok when I hurt myself.
Tech Joe takes care of my technology.
He likes going on adventures like snowshoeing or finding new hikes.
We laugh together a lot. A lot.
In every situation, he has such great perspective.
He still gives me butterflies.
We want the same things out of life.
He's absolutely perfect.

That's just the tip of the iceberg.

Joe, I thank my lucky stars I found you. I love you dearly. Happy Anniversary!

A Snowy Getaway

2011-11-22T09:00:00.000-08:00

On Saturday, we trekked up to Snoqualmie Pass to celebrate Tom and Emily's birthdays. We stayed at this amazing cabin, which sleeps 12, but we managed to fit close to 20. It was quite an eventful night, including tons of food, karaoke (yes, someone actually has a legitimate karaoke machine), dancing, games (umm, Bananagrams is so fun!), drinking, and tubing - which may or may not have resulted in an epic face plant by the birthday girl. I didn't witness it myself, but like most embarrassing moments, it was caught on camera. Overall, good times.

After the snowy getaway, we found ourselves smack dab in the middle of Fall in Seattle again. Isn't it weird how quickly the seasons change? Before we know it, it'll be Christmas! Until then, I'll enjoy the last few weeks of Fall.

Non-traditional Thanksgiving

2011-11-21T18:58:00.000-08:00

For this month's edition of Cooking Club, Stephanie chose the theme of non-traditional Thanksgiving. So we each signed up for something traditional and had the option to spin the recipe. I quickly signed up for potatoes - making twice-baked potatoes instead of standard Thanksgiving mashed potatoes. Paired with glazed turkey breast, stuffing, brussel sprouts, cranberry sauce, and miniature pumpkin cheesecakes! It made quite the spread. I'm drooling just thinking about the warm and hearty meal. Yet another successful cooking club!

Who would have ever thought that rap would be the cure?

2011-11-18T10:02:00.001-08:00

I imagine that people would do just about anything to stop a baby from crying. If playing a little Biggie Smalls does the trick, then I say go for it. Shoot, this baby already has some swagger, if you ask me.

Remember when the dad got into the crib to stop his little one from crying? So stinkin' cute.

Healthier Brownies

2011-11-17T13:55:00.000-08:00

As soon as I heard about Diet Soda Brownies, I knew I had to make them pronto. You just mix a standard brownie mix with a can of diet soda, cook a smidgen longer than the box instructions, and end up with gooey, delicious brownies. I'll admit, there is a slight hint of soda flavor, but I don't think you'd notice if you didn't know it was a key ingredient. The brownies also have a little more of a cake-like quality and are somewhat sticky, but ditching the oil and eggs saves quite a bit of calories and fat, so it's totally worth it.

What do you think? Would you give these a shot?

Young at Heart

2011-11-16T09:00:00.000-08:00

Yes, this is in fact my full-grown boyfriend in a ball pit. I'll address the questions that are most likely coming to your mind:

Where is he? Oh, you know, just at his full-grown buddy's house.
His buddy has a ball pit?! Duh. What else are you going to do with an empty basement?
Does he have children? Nah, he is just young at heart.
Umm, what about making a bar in the basement instead? Don't you worry, there is also a fully stocked bar. Like fully stocked. And a personal movie theater.
Ok, back to the ball pit, how deep is it? About 4 feet. You could lose a small child in there. Luckily, this is a bachelor pad, so there will be no children lost in the sea of plastic, colorful balls.
Can I visit this house?! I'll have to get back to you on this one, but I have a hunch that he wouldn't turn away any good-lookin' ladies.

Any other unanswered questions?

To be or not to be cool

2011-11-15T09:00:00.000-08:00

Talk about coolest high schooler ever. Her class was required to memorize Hamlet's "To be or not to be" sollioquy, so she figured it would be easier with a melody. And a ukelele! Why didn't I think of that back in the day? Who knows, maybe chemistry would have been my thing if sung to the tune of "In Da Club" or "Cannonball"? Please don't judge me for my taste in music; it's gotten ~~worse~~ better with age, I promise.

Oh, and the teacher's verdict? A+

Höganäs Keramik

2011-11-14T09:00:00.000-08:00

Don't you just love my Swedish teapot? The graphite grey, matte finish and imprint of Höganäs Keramik (clearly Swedish) made it seem like the perfect souvenir from our trip last May. Plus, I've become a big tea drinker, so it was basically a done deal. Signed, sealed, delivered, it's mine!

Next time, I'm getting some of the matching teacups to add to my collection...

Nine Years

2011-11-13T19:39:00.001-08:00

This little man is certainly growing up. I can't believe that he's almost in the double digits! We didn't get to spend his birthday with him like in years past, but I was thinking about him all day long. And in his honor, I even played Xbox Kinect. My game-addicted nephew would be proud.

Kamron, I love you to pieces and I hope your birthday was everything you hoped for. Sending you many hugs and kisses. And no rubbing off my kisses! Not all girls have cooties :)

Photo circa 2006/Dad's camera

The right way to do dishes

2011-11-09T18:05:00.000-08:00

This guy...

2011-11-08T11:19:00.000-08:00

...makes me smile on even the greyest of days.
(P.S. Best app ever.)

A letter for Amanda

2011-11-06T16:32:00.000-08:00

Dear Amanda,
We all voted and it was unanimous: you must move back to Seattle. Admit it, you're more of a west coast kind of gal anyway. Sure, you guys bought a house and all. Oh, and you just got a new, rockstar job out yonder. (Congrats!) But I will go on record and say: it's still not as cool as your home state of Washington. Mostly because I live here, but your family and other friends have something to do with it too :)

Until you reach this revelation, I'll accept the fact that you are dillydallying around North Carolina. I'll accept an occasional phone call or message. And I will also accept your invitation to visit at some point in the future.

At any rate, it was so good to see you this weekend. I sincerely hope we don't go as long next time around!

Love,
Herk

P.S. Amanda's brother is who gave me my nickname, "Herk", years and years ago.
P.P.S. The picture is from Halloween 2K7. It's sadly the most recent photo I have with Amanda! And for the record, I was Lindsay Lohan. Remember those lovely photos the paparazzi caught of LiLo in the grey hoodie? That's what I was going for.

TGIF

2011-11-04T12:44:00.000-07:00

I've told you before that I liked Up. But I think this little man has won me over even more than the movie. Isn't he the perfect rendition of the old man?

Hope you all have fabulous weekends!

Hello 1980s

2011-11-03T12:48:00.000-07:00

Just add a scrunchie and acid wash jeans and you'll find yourself in another decade! Alternatively, you can pair this bright top with some chic black ankle pants, a lovely necklace and black flats, and you're instantly back in 2011. What do you think - would you try rocking this?

Hi Hat Cupcakes

2011-11-02T09:52:00.000-07:00

Do you have a recipe that you've flagged for a long time, but have yet to make it? Perhaps because it intimidates you? Well, I do. And this is it, folks: Hi Hat Cupcakes. There are so many reasons it intimidates me and one look at the directions and you'll know why. But with mixer in hand and friend by my side (Thanks Mads!), I was ready to take. them. ON!

It's a rather lengthy process - making the cupcakes, licking the batter bowl clean, mixing the frosting at exactly 160 degrees, licking that bowl clean, piping the cupcakes, freezing the cupcakes, dipping them in molten hot chocolate, praying the frosting doesn't slide right off into the chocolate, rejoicing, then cooling the cupcakes to serve. Friends, this process is not for the faint of heart, but the finished product is absolutely incredible!

Top pic/via, other pics my own

We Prescribed Party

2011-11-01T12:41:00.001-07:00

As a doctor and nurse, we prescribed everyone a healthy dose of Halloween party. And party we did. With cupcakes and cocktails and a game of Apples to Apples! We were joined by Dorothy, a retro Tennis star, Archie and Betty, and a welcoming door mat :) All in all, another successful Halloween!

Sidenote: I must say, scrubs are quite possibly the most comfortable things ever. Part of me wishes that scrubs were the daily garb of us communications folk. I envy you, doctors and nurses. You have a good thing going on.

How do you entertain 3 ladies on a Saturday night?

2011-10-31T11:29:00.000-07:00

The iPad Incredibooth app. Let's just say there are more where these came from. Happy Halloween, friends! Costumes pictures to come, but I will tell you this: my costume is the most comfortable costume in history.

High Five

2011-10-28T12:32:00.000-07:00

High five.

Gold star.

A+

Bravo.

I'm so incredibly proud of you!

Those are just some of the things I told Joe on Wednesday. Why, you may ask? Oh, no biggie... except for that fact that HE GOT A NEW JOB! That's right people, this man landed a new gig. He's been so diligent in the process, but never quite found the right fit. And now I'm over the moon excited for him - all his hard work has certainly paid off.

We celebrated with an evening out on me. First, we tried out Delancey's for superb pizza and local craft beer. (The spicy salami pizza was divine.) Then we tracked across town for our favorite fro-yo, Menchies. Throughout the night, we would cheers or I'd give him a high five. It was the perfect evening of celebrating. I admit, I think he's still getting used to my celebration style. What can I say? I like to make celebrations a big deal. Learned that from my mom :)

Congrats, my sweets!

Handmade Goods

2011-10-27T11:06:00.000-07:00

I wish I was more crafty sometimes. Isn't this hand painted silk top gorgeous?

Unadoptable is unacceptable

2011-10-26T09:44:00.000-07:00

Golly, I love the issues I work on. (Yes, I just said golly.) This video makes me want to adopt enough kids to make a soccer team. But then again, I'm not sure how they'd fit in my one bedroom apartment. Warning: you might need a tissue.

Bath Style

2011-10-25T11:47:00.001-07:00

I'm totally smitten with these simple, striped, traditional Turkish towels from the etsy shop, Bath Style. Apparently they are thin, but highly absorbent. Sounds like a bonus for someone who has minimal space for linens! The colors range from soft neutrals to vibrant colors.

If you were to pick one out, which one would you get? I think I'd opt for a neutral shade of some sort that can easily adapt to any bathroom decor. Maybe this one or this one? Or the one up top. Man, I'm bad with decisions.

Smashing Pumpkins

2011-10-24T12:00:00.000-07:00

Erin says "pose" and this is what happened. Not sure why I thought a leg grab was the best option. But it only gets better from here...

This is the "ok, ladies, how should we really pose?" pose.

The "smashing (confused?) pumpkins" pose.

The "pumpkins make me laugh sooo much and me-want-to crush-pumpkin" pose.

The "I wanna jump with my pumpkin, but my feet are stuck in cement" pose.

The "final attempt at jumping before we ask ourselves, why are we jumping with pumpkins?" pose.

Note: There were no pumpkins harmed in this photo shoot. Just a group of twenty-somethings trying to figure out how best to pose for the camera in a pumpkin patch, and for the most part, failing miserably (or succeeding - beauty is in the eye of the beholder, yeah?). Very reminiscent of last year. We'll grow up eventually, I promise.

A Sacred Tradition

2011-10-21T13:34:00.000-07:00

The pumpkin patch is a sacred tradition. One that I hope lasts for years to come. First, we adventure to Stocker Farms in Snohomish to find the perfect pumpkin (or gourds!) and then head to Erin's home for some homemade treats - this year was potato leek soup and pumpkin cheesecake cupcakes! Fall at its best, I tell you.

(The butt crack pumpkin! As Maddie said, yes, we sometimes act like 12 year-old boys.)

(And sometimes we act like 5 year-old girls? My 5 year-old self really wants this playhouse.)

Flashback

2011-10-20T12:00:00.000-07:00

I'm fully aware that Stephanie just posted these photos from Aaron's wedding reception, but they made me smile from ear to ear, so I had to repost. It looks like the three of us were having high school flashbacks, quite notably in the Charlie's Angels pose. We weren't alone in the Charlie's Angels pose, right? Any others rock the pose in every pre-Homecoming dance photo shoot? Oh, how Josh, the Jakes, Aaron, Robby and others suffered through our endless photos shoots, time and time again. I take that back - Josh enjoyed it.

Mom, thanks for capturing so many good ones! Especially the one below of Suze :)

(P.S. Did you notice I got my skirt, but for half off! Score.)

Miss Representation

2011-10-19T09:00:00.000-07:00

Miss Representation discusses how women are misrepresented today. It's a long trailer, but totally worth it. Anyone wanna watch it with me?

Miss Representation 8 min. Trailer 8/23/11 from Miss Representation on Vimeo.

Sliderlicious

2011-10-18T15:23:00.000-07:00

Sliders are like cupcakes: a fun, somehow better tasting, miniature version of the original. I've wanted to make them for ages and last week, creativity struck. So we set out to make the best darn sliders in history and by golly, they were sliderlicious! We read through a few recipes and decided to take our favorite parts from several slider variants - arugula, white cheddar, chipotle peppers. I pray to the slider gods each night that I will be able to recreate this perfect blend of flavor and spice and everything nice. (Luckily, I have a picture below so you can kinda see the proportions.)

Ingredients

Burger patties
1 lb. of ground turkey
1 egg
About a half of a diced jalapeno (leftover from egg bake, needed to use!)
Some diced red pepper (leftover)
Some diced green onion (also leftover)
Breadcrumbs
Some lime juice
Some garlic
Ground pepper
And the kicker? Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (say 3 peppers, scooping in extra sauce?)

Toppings & Buns
Arugula - another key ingredient
Red Onion
Sharp White Cheddar
Whatever slider buns you can find (our store only had 1 option)

Since I trust you know how to cook burgers, I'll spare you actual directions. Now what are your waiting for? Go home and make some sliders!

In with the fish

2011-10-17T13:02:00.000-07:00

What a lovely weekend, filled with poker, marriage celebrations, long walks on the beach, and pumpkin patching. Details to come, but I'll first share Joe's attempt to throw me in with the fish, which was caught on camera. Sneaky boyfriend.

TGIF

2011-10-14T13:10:00.000-07:00

I realize that everyone and their sister has posted a "keep calm" saying at one point or another, but I felt this one was very fitting for two reasons:

At the end of any busy week, I find myself muttering this under my breath.
This is my poker face. For every hand. Calm with a giant smile. And guess what? Tonight is poker night! It's been far too long, so I'm pretty jazzed about it. Wish I would have had the chance to make these babies to bring!

Hope you have a fabulous weekend! TGIF.

Cooking Club

2011-10-13T11:16:00.000-07:00

We've been talking about starting a new tradition (to add to the dozens we have already: Puyallup Fair, Sunriver, Chelanigans, Pumpkin Patch) and we finally made it happen: Cooking Club. Dinner Party? Grub Club? We still haven't settled on a name quite yet, but we would welcome ideas!

Basically, we rotate hosts, who then picks a food theme and we all bring a dish that corresponds. Maddie so graciously offered to host last weekend and picked "brunch for dinner" as her theme. Cha-CHING! I love brunch food. On the mouth-watering menu? Well, prepare yourself to get hungry:

Pomegranate mimosas, with prosecco, pomegranate seeds and juice - Liz
Balsamic-marinated strawberries - Liz
Monkey Bread - Stephanie
Eggs Benedict - Maddie
Fruit Salad - Maddie
Spinach, bacon and more good stuff quiche - Autumn
Lemon and blueberry coffee cake, topped with ice cream - Erin
Potato pancakes - Lizzie
Egg bake with sausage, onions and peppers - Petes (can't find the recipe I adapted!)

I left 9 pounds heavier, but it was totally worth it. Any ideas for the next theme?

Tiny Dancers

2011-10-12T13:04:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned before, Olita's little nephew, Aiden, is absolutely adorable. I had the privilege of watching the little man and his sidekick entertain the crowd for hours on end. Early in the evening, he was a smidgen shy, but then something must have gotten into him and I'd wager a bet that it was the delicious cake - sugar highs are powerful!

(P.S. It's a little dark, but still awesome!)

iPad Love

2011-10-11T13:09:00.000-07:00

I thought I had met people who were uber tech-savvy. Then I met Joe. He single-handedly raised the bar for everyone else (for multiple reasons, really, but I'm focusing on tech today). Needless to say, my life got a whole lot more techie in the last two years. An AppleTV, mini wireless keyboard, bluetooth, portable hard drive, etc.

And now, an iPad. And I LOVE my iPad.

While he has brought technology into my life, I have brought simple and chic aesthetic and design into his. Enter: This simple, yet classy iPad case. Whaddya think? Should I go for it or is there a better one you've seen out there?

(I'm also digging this one, but not worth $100!)

Two Rooms

2011-10-10T12:32:00.000-07:00

I like these rooms, don't you?

via/Pinterest

maddie's happy list

2011-10-07T10:45:00.000-07:00

Out of the blue, Maddie sent me a happy list. And boy, happy lists have a way of just lifting my mood, even though it's not my own list! I think we can all identify with at least one, if not all of other people's lists. Heck, I have red fingernails right now and it's #1 on her list! And those Friday night plans she speaks of (#7) are with both me and my mom (#8!). TGIF.

Red fingernails
The deep green color leaves turn when it rains
Animals with pushed in faces
A snuggly warm bed on a cold morning
Joni Mitchell songs
The prints I just bought for my bedroom
Fun Friday night plans with great girlfriends
My mother
Using a free tall drink coupon, then receiving a free GRANDE drink in exchange
Trying successful new recipes

P.S. Maddie's last happy list.
P.P.S. I will not pretend that happy lists were my own brainchild. Rockstar Diaries was my inspiration.
P.P.P.S. I will definitely take new happy lists. If you want to send one, send away and I'll post! (for those without my other email: petesspeaks (at) gmail.com)

Yellow and Gray

2011-10-06T13:03:00.000-07:00

They are the wedding colors of 2011: Yellow and Gray. (If you remember, Autumn also chose the same colors.) But honestly, I completely understand why - the color combo looks so chic and romantic, but still fun and fresh.

My pictures don't do Olita's wedding decorations justice, but needless to say, they were simply gorgeous. The darling cake arrangment, candlelit room, homemade limoncello favors, table placards and even the table assignments board - where you take down your name strung from a rope and replace it with a fun mini-polaroid, all on top of one of their engagement photos! Brilliant, right? Bring it all together and you have yourself a lovely wedding.

Virtual high five, Olita! (Because you're still on your honeymoon, but for the record, I'm having major withdrawls.)

30 Before Thirty

2011-10-05T11:27:00.000-07:00

Friends, I'm officially 28 years old. (Zoom even told me so.) I know we all think it, but honestly, where does time go?! In honor of gaining another year of wisdom, I've decided to make a 30 Before Thirty list, so time doesn't pass me by. Thirty things I'd like to do before I turn the big 3-0. (Some overlap with this list, but they are still different.) If you know me well, I'm all about making goals and lists, so this suits me perfectly. Some are ambitious, some not so much, but all are things that I want to do in the next two years. Ok, ready. set. GO!

Learn to sew.
Take salsa dance lessons.
Go abroad again – Greece, Costa Rica, French Polynesia? I'm open to anything.
Grow and eat my own veggies and/or herbs.
Read more books and finish the half-read ones.
Run another marathon.
Marry this fella.
Reassess my 401K and retirement plan. Make sure I can retire at 35 :) (just kidding)
Learn (some) Swedish.
Learn to drive a stick shift better.
Go on more Mom and Dad dates.
Buy a nice SLR camera.
Learn how to use said nice camera.
Hike Mount Si.
Go zip lining somewhere.
Find a new hobby that I’m passionate about.
Host a big Holiday like Thanksgiving or Christmas!
Brew beer (again).
Pay off my car. (Both the Toyota loan and the Dad loan from catastrophe 2k9)
Buy a house.
Renovate a room in that said house. (Because the house I buy will likely need some prettification)
Make homemade pasta, ravioli and gnocchi. (That’s a 3 for 1!)
Give blood. I’m not afraid of needles, but I’ve never given blood. Why? I have no excuse.
Go wine tasting in a new region – Walla Walla? Burgundy, France?
Master a 5 course gourmet meal.
Be better at sending snail mail.
Get a kitty! (Joe and I decided we’d name him Carl-Gustav after the King of Sweden :))
Complete a triathlon.
Explore the idea of opening my dream shop: Wine not? (Filled with wine, cheese, goodies and more entertaining supplies!)
Continue to grow my amazing relationships with family and friends because they are awesome.

What would be on your list?

DIY: Halloween Decorations

2011-10-04T09:00:00.000-07:00

Just give me some cardboard, colored tissue paper and a beautiful home and I'll give you some awesome Halloween decorations! Isn't this just the coolest? This holiday decoration may even top this one. Maybe.

(P.S. Like how I snuck 'beautiful home' in there?)

pic/via

Happily Ever After

2011-10-03T09:00:00.000-07:00

I remember Olita saying if there was only one thing her guests would remember as they leave her wedding, it would be: "Wow, they are just so in love." Well, I have good news, Olita - the two of you looked like you were sooo madly in love. A true happily ever after.

But I have even more good news - I also left thinking that was AN AMAZING WEDDING. It goes beyond the decorations and food (decorations post to come!), but the crazy fun we all had together. I guess it's easy to celebrate when you're celebrating two fabulous people. Congrats!

Steve looked like he was on Cloud 9 when Olita walked down the aisle.

Once again, my fella was the best darn date ever.

The GMMB cast and crew (minus Susie and Megan!). We knew how to boogie.

I wanted to put this little man in my pocket and take him home; he was so adorable! This tiny couple liked to entertain us all with their break dancing moves!

friday happy list

2011-09-30T10:56:00.000-07:00

It's been awhile since I've shared a happy list, so I thought it'd be the perfect way to kick off the weekend. A weekend where I plan to rest and recover after a long week. Without further adieu, my friday happy list:

When friends have your back :)
Weekends when "sleeping in" is on your to-do list.
Erin's loud, scary laugh before taking photos, which makes everyone smile even bigger.
Oliver's Twist grilled cheese and tomato soup. (They froth the soup like a cappuccino!)
When your boyfriend decides to clean your house when you're running home late from work. (Thank you, Joe!)
The sense of joy you feel when hard work pays off.
The sudden change in recipes you cook in the fall - soups, pumpkin enchiladas and more!
Finding an open parking spot in a crowded lot.
The new salted caramel mocha at Starbucks.
Fridays at 6pm. TGIF. Have a wonderful weekend, friends!

pic/via Pinterest

BYOCB

2011-09-28T12:42:00.000-07:00

This year's Puyallup Fair theme was: bring your own cowboy boots! All of the ladies donned our favorite pair of cowboy boots to take on the eatfest, obligatory ride and people watching that the fair brings us year after year. I wore a pair of Justin boots that I absolutely love; a special gift from Mom and Dad from their trip to Marfa, Texas.

As usual, the fair did not disappoint, even if it "rained on our parade." Can't wait for next year!

(The fair through the years!)

Boots!

Small Details

2011-09-27T16:15:00.000-07:00

Aren't people masterful in their home details? From homemade coffee tables or gorgeous herringbone wood floors to built-in wine racks or a sliding antique door. Consider these ideas saved for my future home.

But if I could only pick one, it'd be the herringbone floors. I wouldn't let anyone actually walk on them, but that's beside the point. Which detail is your fave?

via/Pinterest

A Husky Legend

2011-09-26T09:00:00.000-07:00

Tell Erika that we were cleaning out the freezer and found this old mug with a note in it that said 'Go Huskies'.

This message made me beam with pride.

Back story: YEARS ago, say 2005? I put "Go Huskies!" Post-It notes all over the Knutzen household. In the spice rack, freezer, pots and pans, you name it - I slapped a Post-It note there. This seemed only natural in a strict Cougar zone. Through the years, Greg and Kathi would let me know when a new note mysteriously emerged. Right when I thought they had all been discovered, I learned the "Go Huskies" Legend lives on. All is right in the world. All is right.

Baking Extraordinaires

2011-09-22T17:53:00.000-07:00

After raving about cake pops for awhile now, I finally decided to try making them. As part of our "thank-goodness-training-is-over" celebratory dinner, Autumn, Maddie and I put our culinary skills to the test. Yes, we had a few lost soldier cake pops which drowned in chocolate, but overall it wasn't so bad and let me tell you, they were scrumptious!

If I could give three pieces of advice for this recipe, they would be (as seen below) 1) Drink wine during the process because why not? 2) Crumble the cake by rubbing two pieces of cake together, back-and-forth and 3) Get the fun cellophane wrappers and twisty ties so they have that nice, finished look.

Oh great, now I'm craving a cake pop. I might have to remedy this at Starbucks. Happy Friday, all!

(I didn't capture the full process on camera, but you can find a step-by-step recipe on Bake Fancy.)

Paragliding

2011-09-22T09:00:00.000-07:00

Liz from Say Yes! to hoboken recently went paragliding in Switzerland. (You have to see all of her photos!) I've always been a bit of an adventurer - even skydiving with Autumn and Danielle at the young age of 19 - so when I saw her photos, I knew I had to put this on my bucket list. Naturally, I would go tandem so I could let the instructor worry about steering and I could focus on taking photos of my shoes and the Alps. Could you even imagine flying through the Swiss Alps? Would you ever do it yourself? And most importantly, who wants to join me?! (There's no way I could convince Joe to do this - baby steps, right? First I'll try to convince him to go on a scary ride at the Puyallup Fair!)

Mariners Date with Dad

2011-09-21T13:39:00.000-07:00

I really like giving "experiences" as gifts. A nice dinner, a Broadway play, high tea or a sporting event - it's a nice way to spend quality time with the birthday boy or girl, especially when you're at a loss for what to get them! Enter: My dad. Yes, once in awhile, I have a perfect gift idea (like the ducks!), but I usually opt for an experience because I know he loves it and I'm always up for father/daughter bonding.

So this year for his birthday, I told him we'd go on a Mariner's date - complete with beers, hot dogs, prime seats right by Ichiro and post-game stop at Molly Moon's. Growing up, we'd go to a game nearly every season, so it's sort of one of our traditions. While they didn't win, it was still a perfect afternoon with my dad. He's fun and I love him a lot, so how could it not be perfect? Hope you had as great of a time as I did, Dad!

P.S. Our seats were right by Ichiro!

Oops.

2011-09-20T14:34:00.001-07:00

I couldn't help but laugh at this, so I had to share. Despite the stress that wedding planning can cause, this bride didn't lose her sense of humor. I love that.

(Four more days 'til Olita gets hitched!)

via/Pinterest

Calm, Cool, Clear Lake

2011-09-19T13:59:00.001-07:00

Before we jumped for joy last week, my parents visited their happy place: swimming and kayaking on Clear Lake with the dogs. (Yes, the dogs are wearing lifejackets. They go back and forth between kayaks, so it's a must.) If my parents could do this everyday, I think they might just do it - especially my mom who has been sneaking out to Clear Lake after work to take a dip or spin. If I could join them everyday, I might do it as well. It's a little oasis out there. A big thanks goes out to Kathi and Jim for opening their home to us!

TGIF

2011-09-16T10:48:00.000-07:00

I'd be lying if I didn't say I lived for the weekends. Whether is one of those jam-packed weekends where you don't see room for breathing or one of those rare, I'm-staying-in-my-PJ's-and-doing-absolutely-nothing weekends, they are always front of mind, Monday through Friday. You with me on that?

This weekend, I'm having date night at Tin Table, visiting the Puyallup Fair and taking my Dad to an M's game. Who knows? I might even fit in a nap if I'm lucky.

So, to celebrate this lovely Friday, a few fun links from around the interwebs:

Quite possibly the best DIY ever.

Sort of in love with this quilt.

I really would like to make these, but I think I need the support from Baker Erin.

How to pack for a week. Very strategic.

I'm cat sitting this weekend, so I've got cats on the mind. One day, my friends.

TGIF!

Picture from last sailing trip.