peru!

We’re leaving Sunday for Peru, and I have to say I’m very much looking forward to Peruvian type adventures including, but not limited to, pisco sours, Machu Picchu, coca tea, Aqua Calientes hot springs, a lot of ceviche, beach and hammock time and hopefully one or two alpacas. If I accomplish nothing else this trip, I sure do hope I see an alpaca! Ideally I would like to come back with an alpaca wool poncho. I once saw one at a street fair years ago for $35 that I didn't buy, and I still wake up in a cold sweat thinking about it sometimes.

I've been walking my legs everywhere this past month getting ready for this trip and our four day hike to Machu Picchu, so I’m pretty excited it’s finally here (see problems with wanderlust). Our plan is to spend one week doing the trek and then another week at the beach in Mancora. I'm thinking beach time will be much needed after the hike. Let's do this. Be back in a few weeks!

Oh, and this photo has nothing to do with Peru, but it's an old vacation picture I like. I have been wearing that yellow bandanna on every vacation for the last seven years. I just realized this. And, yes, I have it packed.

Kauai 2009

pike place fish dinner

The Pike Place Fish Company had their annual dinner last night at Madison Park Conservatory. I look forward to it every year. Good friends, awesome food and a lot of laughter.

And now some food porn!

bark espresso

The sun was shining and the temperature warmed up to the low 50s on Sunday, so we decided to go for a long walk with the pup to check out a coffee shop in the neighborhood we had heard about. It's called Bark Espresso, and it caters to people who love coffee and their dog (us). In fact, they have a "hound hang out" where dogs can lounge and have a snack. They even had a puppy latte that we ordered for Ms. Maggie (peanut butter and rice milk), and I'm assuming she liked it since it took her all of 5 seconds to drink it up. This is seriously why I love Seattle. Does it get better than this?

little things

The big, fun stuff in life, like vacations and weddings and birthdays, don't happen every day. It's the daily, little things that really make the ho-hum days special. I've been thinking a lot about little things lately. It's kinda nice to wake up every morning and not really know what little surprises are in store for you. I've been trying to appreciate those little moments more these days. Here are a few of my favorite little moments from the week:

My co-worker bought me an earl gray latte. I have never had one before, and it was the creamiest and most belly warming drink I could have asked for on these cold days.

Anders and a buddy happened to be downtown when I was getting off work. They picked me up thus eliminating me having to take the bus home! Bonus cause I hate the bus.

Anders had very exciting work news, which always makes for fun dinner conversation and usually leads to fun "what-if" daydreams.

I tried out two new recipes this week (this and this), and they both came out great and will be put on repeat. I love it when that happens!

And I somehow managed to snap off a picture of Maggie in mid-yawn that surprisingly wasn't blurry. This never happens to me.

Happy Friday, everyone! Hope your weekend is filled with lots of little surprises.

products I love: zum bars

I had a pet goat when I was growing up. I named him Djolly after a character in a book I had read. I'm pretty sure you aren't actually supposed to pronounce the "D" in Djolly, but, as a kid, I didn't know that, so I called my goat Dee-Jolly instead of just Jolly. I really loved Djolly, and I'm pretty sure that having a backyard goat today would be seriously cool, but, unfortunately, my husband and dog have a different opinion. Someday!

Anyway, I love goats and I love goat products. My Mom got me these pretty incredible goat's milk soap bars from a company called Indigo Wild. Here is what they have to say about why these bars are better than regular bars.

"This natural soap has the good stuff of goat's milk, 100% pure essential oils, veggie oils, herbs, natural glycerin and natural mineral pigments. But why? Well, it's better than stuff like tallow (beef fat) or PEG-6 methyl ether (a thickener) or tetrasodium EDTA (water softener) or lard (yeah, no explanation necessary).

The bad stuff in un-natural soap is obvious, but some wonderers wonder, "why use goat's milk?" Well, there's an udder difference in the pH balance of goat's milk. Goat's milk makes our natural soap more akin to the skin than anything else - not too alkaline, not too acidic, but just right. So it doesn't dry skin or leave it feeling oil."

After using the Zum bar for a month, I can totally agree. It's the best, and I just wanted to pass along the info. to you guys as well. I think DJolly would approve too!

(oh and just for the record, I'm not being paid to write this. I just really like them!)

ode to marshawn

Playoff game #2 was yesterday, but I don't really want to talk about the outcome. Instead of focusing on our heartbreaking loss and then end of our season, I would like to give a salute to our team and our amazing running back Marshawn "beast mode" Lynch.

He is SO talented.

And what better way to tell someone they are awesome than to have a cupcake named after him. Trophy Cupcakes designed the Beast Mode Cupcake, and our friends brought some over for the game. The cake was the Seahawks colors...blue, green and white with a "skittles orange" buttercream frosting and topped with skittles (Marshawn's favorite candy and what he eats before every game) and a football. They were so good they almost made losing okay....almost.

Thanks for the great season, Seahawks!

korean at home

I tried bibimbap a few months ago when Anders and I went to Chan's for dinner, and we both were definitely smitten with this little dish. It basically combines three of my favorite things: rice, vegetables and a runny egg. Since going out for Korean food isn't always on the agenda, I decided to try and make it at home myself. I followed Michael Natkin's recipe, and, you guys, this was SO good. I'm not kidding. Anders and I declared it amazing and decided we needed to have a bibimbap party, invite friends over and make them eat it pronto. Look for an invitation soon.

Even if you don't want to make the dish, I can also highly recommend his tofu cooking directions he includes in the recipe. I have always been a bit squeamish about tofu, but his instructions sealed the deal. I might be eating tofu every day moving forward.

(bowl of tofu!)

photo-a-day

Kate and I finally wrapped up our December photo-a-day project. We are actually continuing on into January, but I thought I would share a few of my favorites from the last of the December shots (you can also see the first set here and the second set here). 

Subject: Tree Topper

Taken by me

Subject: Scarf 

Taken by Kate

Subject: Morning

Taken by Kate

Subject: Sky view

Taken by me

Subject: Sky view

Taken by Kate

Subject: Peaceful

Taken by me

Subject: Christmas Eve

Taken by Kate

Subject: Stocking

Taken by Kate

Subject: Winter

Taken by Kate

And this one wasn't part of the project, but it was a nice picture Kate took of my Dad. Hi, Dad!

playoffs!

WAHOOO! Our team is in the playoffs, and this is a big deal. We won our first game, which means we have exactly two wins to go before the big game. The Millers are ready. Let's hope the Seahawks are too.

last home game

Alas…the Seahawks regular season has come to an end. And while we still have the playoffs (playoffs?!?!) and quite possibly a Superbowl win to go (stay with me), Seattle won’t be hosting any of those games. We said adieu in tailgating fashion with warm soup, drinks and logo seared sandwiches! It only seemed fitting after last year’s salute.

happy 2013!

Just a little life mantra for your New Year. It makes me smile...a lot.

"No one looks stupid when they are having fun"

-Amy Poehler