Baby Dahl

This weekend, Stephanie, Merith and I headed home to the Skagit Valley for Sarah's baby shower. At seven months pregnant, Sarah looked absolutely adorable; the pregnancy glow was in full effect.

It's so fun to see people you've known for ages start a new journey together - they've been together since high school, went to college together, got married, jumped around for jobs together, bought a home together and now they're about to embark on probably the most exciting journey: poopy diapers. Err, I mean parenthood :) No doubt, they will be fabulous parents!

Now the waiting game, only two more months until we get to meet little Cameron Martin Dahl!

Fancy Friday

A couple weeks ago, Joe and I got all nostalgic about Taste of Washington. So we decided to make our own little fancy meal at home - arugula salad with homemade salad dressing, chevre and cambozola cheeses, delicious crackers, rosemary rolls, tomatoes and castelvetrano olives. And it was made complete with a glass of Washington red wine. No cooking, just putting it all together and enjoying. Wouldn't this be the perfect meal every Friday?

Say Cheese

A short engagement calls for quick decisions. So right after we decided on the date of our nuptials, we were 6 months out, which meant that save the dates were "supposed" to go out. (Seriously, can we all agree that the wedding planning "calendar" is a bit ridiculous?) So we tapped the photography skills of Maddie to take our photo down at Green Lake for our Save the Date. She captured some great shots - it was hard to pick our favorite! But I'd have to say that the bloopers may have been my favorite. I'm only sharing a select few, but as you might be able to tell, someone was being quite the goofball. If that makes me Mrs. Goofball, I'll take it.

Thanks for taking our photos, Mads!

He kept bringing out this cheesy (yet adorable) smile.

I don't even remember what this was about. Maybe I fake-dodged a kiss? I don't know. But if he sticks out that lip a little further, a little bird may poop on it! (Did anyone else hear this from their parents growing up?!)

He's a keeper.

Family Heirloom

Let me introduce you to the newest member of our family: our new dining room table and bench! They. are. AMAZING. I cannot even begin to tell you how absolutely perfect they are. When my dad and uncle said they would make us a table and bench, I expected something beautiful, but maybe a bit more rustic. This isn't rustic in the least bit - it's a true work of art.

If I saw this on any furniture store floor, I would be mesmerized. But since it was handcrafted with love by my Dad and Uncle Brad - it's even more special. It's hard to tell how many man hours went into this table, but I don't think it would be a stretch to say in the hundreds. Needless to say, we owe them BIG TIME. Thank you both for the love and time you poured into this project - we are quite fortunate, to say the least!

P.S. Here's an in-progress shot and our first table.

 Beautifully polished.

Just perfect.

Goose approved.

Did you notice my cute little Owl Salt and Pepper shakers? They were a gift from my Mom :)

Finish Lines

As a runner, the situation at the Boston Marathon has really rattled me. For someone who has crossed her fair share of finish lines, I know the feeling of hope, accomplishment and pure euphoria one gets after running 13.1 or 26.2 miles. And I know how happy I am to see family and friends cheering me on at the end. In fact, my marathon post captures it perfectly. Finish lines are meant to be for celebrations, smiles and high-fives. Not fear. Not chaos. And certainly not mourning.

So first, I pray for the families of individuals who lost their lives and for those who were injured. I thank all of the brave individuals who ran toward the explosion to help in the chaos. And finally, I thank the first responders, doctors, nurses and all hospital staff for everything you're doing to treat those in need. Stay strong, Boston.

 

 

 

 

Taco Tuesday

I realize it's not Tuesday. In fact, I'm keenly aware that it's Friday. (TGIF!) But we ate tacos on Tuesday, so that's my logic behind Taco Tuesday. That's Friday logic, if you ask me.

Anyway, when the weather doesn't require down jackets and I'm craving Mexican, we switch from taco soup to straight-up tacos. (And every time we make them, I sing this song to Joe. There is no visual, but I think the audio explains it all. He's a lucky man to have me, huh?)

A few things I'd note about these tacos:

• Secret ingredients to good homemade tacos: lime, radish and fresh cilantro. Sure, you have all of these when you go out for tacos, but how often do you have these ingredients when you make them at home? Am I right? :)
• I like to switch it up and use "fake cotija", which is feta - cotija is the traditional Mexican cheese. A little different than the original, but quite tasty. And the fat free feta variety tastes just as good as the original in a taco.
• Without fail, I get overexcited about the toppings and overload my tacos. Then the tortilla fails and I have to finish eating them with a fork. You'd think I'd learn. So I'm sharing so that you maybe learn from my own lesson? But wouldn't blame you for not.

 Here's what's included and how it's done:

• Lean ground turkey and a packet of  reduced sodium taco seasoning. Cook it.
• Corn tortillas - since we clearly don't have one of those fancy steam presses they use at taco places, I microwave them for 30 seconds with a wet paper towel - it gets a little moisture in so they are less likely to crack.
• Chop tomatoes, radishes, avocados, cilantro and red onion.
• Non-choppable extras to top it off: fat-free sour cream and feta cheese.
• Load your tortillas with the goods! And enjoy with a Corona. Or margarita. And if you don't have either, a standard beer shall do. And if you don't have a beer in the fridge, what kind of American are you? Kidding. But maybe you should go grocery shopping?

I covet

I'm thinking this print might look nice in our bathroom. Isn't it lovely?

That reminds me, I still haven't posted the "after" pictures of our bathroom. Let's just pretend that I've intentionally decided to leave the blogosphere in suspense, ok?

Green Lake

I think I fall more in love with Green Lake every year. The stunning sunsets during evening runs certainly help. The people- and puppy-watching isn't half bad either.

The adult creamsicle

Need an idea for a light, refreshing cocktail? Look no further. I present a twist on the classic (well, maybe it's not a classic, but just something Earl's served in college?) The Adult Orange Creamsicle. One part whiskey, 2-3 parts Vanilla Bean Dry Soda and fresh squeezed juice from a half of an orange. It's not too sweet, not too sour and has a bit of a kick. It gives the spicy grapefruit margarita a run for it's money. But I guess if I had to choose, the grapefruit might still win. I suppose I should do a side-by-side test to settle the score, huh? (Gosh, I just got a headache thinking about mixing the two in one night!)