Zip n' Dip

As soon as we decided on Kauai for the honeymoon, I knew I'd have the opportunity to check something off of my 30 before Thirty list. (More on that later!) Thanks to Merith's suggestion, we discovered Princeville Ranch Adventure's Zip n' Dip tour: a series of 9 ziplines with a little dip in a waterfall-fed swimming hole. It was so. much. FUN!

You do eight full zips, then have a little swim/lunch break, then tackle the King Kong - a 1200'  zip across a 10-story-ish deep valley. It was incredible. Climbing the tower to get to the ziplines was not so incredible in the wind - it has to sway at least a foot in each direction! I'm not even afraid of heights, but it gave me the jitters - I felt safer on the zipline than the tower! So if you ever find yourself in Kauai, give this adventure a go. You won't regret it!

Those helmets are hot, huh? 

Joe getting pumped for the first zip!

 (picture take upside down, so I felt it was necessary to share that way too!)

 Dip time!

The King Kong tower!

The final year of my 20's

Let's take a vote: Am I giving a peace sign? Or am I two going on three, but my third finger doesn't want to cooperate? Either way, I'm rockin' some amazing floral overalls. And those ribbon-tied pigtails? So fashion-forward at such a young age.

As I start the final trip around the sun of my 20's, I can't help but get excited about what's ahead. While I only have crossed off seven things on my 30 Before Thirty list, I'm so happy with where I am in life. I have such supportive and loving family and friends. I have the man of my dreams. A lovely roof over our heads. A great career of doing good in the world. Aside from winning the lottery, I really couldn't ask for anything more.

So here's to the great adventures that 29 will bring! And perhaps crossing a few more things off the list? (Oh lordy, that would mean a marathon AND triathlon this year. Ladies?)

P.S. This picture makes me want to get bangs and make a bundt cake. (This was the traditional birthday cake my Mom made growing up - it even had creme filling! It tasted like a homemade Hostess cupcake with cherries on top, but 10x better. My favorite.)

P.P.S. Grandma, keep the old pictures coming! I love them.

Wine Not?

With only a few short weeks before my Living Social coupon expired, Joe and I headed up to Woodinville for a wine tasting at Robert Ramsay Cellars. The deal included a full flight of tasting for two, chocolate and cheese pairings, and a bottle of wine - all for $18! Pretty sweet deal for a fun, kick-back date if you ask me.

We also strolled into Page Cellars for a quick tasting. If it hadn't been closing time for most of the tasting rooms, I think we would have tried a few more. I knew there were a lot of wineries in this neck of the woods, but I had no idea there were over 50! And that many of them operate within walking distance of one another. Anyone thinking what I'm thinking? FIELD TRIP! Who's in?

P.S. Wine Not? will still be the name of my future wine shop.
P.P.S. Do you think wine tasting in Woodinville counts as a new region for 30 before Thirty list?

The Jury was Unanimous

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!

30 Before Thirty

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!

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

What would be on your list?