April Showers

Sometimes things don't always go so well. You sit down, and you can't possibly think of a reason to get back up. Whether it's certain people or certain situations, it all becomes a little overwhelming and you need to take a deep breath and look back at all the good things that have happened. Take some time and remind yourself why it's not all bad, and why it will always get better.

• Seattle Restaurant week is this week, and I'm desperately hoping to get out and enjoy some of the local selections around town. You can check out the list here.
• This sandwich by My New Roots is amazing. I made it as a sort of family dinner for my coworkers and they were just as obsessed as I was. I probably don't need to eat anything else ever.
• Pike Place Market this past week was filled with all sorts of delights including brightly colored tulips, fiddlehead ferns, and fresh Northwest black truffles. I had to physically restrain myself from running to the ATM and draining my life savings for more food.
• mint green. That is all.
• This Sunday was awesome because a) it was National Beer Day b) the weather outside was horrible and c) all three of my favorite tv shows were on. It made it way too easy for me to just sit inside and not even feel guilty about it.
• I have lost five pounds from eating vegan, and I'm loving it, especially with above mentioned sandwich. 
•  That face, how can you say no to it? Ever? 

Farmers market in the town where I live begins in approximately 25 days. 

On Friday I had the pleasure of trying Stone Brewers Old Guardian from 2007 and The Vine Sour Ale. Separately both beers were amazing - the Guardian was smokey and hoppy while The Vine was sour enough to taste like a dry sparkling wine or cider, but with a touch of malt and hops. I am so lucky to live in such a popular area for breweries, wineries and distilleries alike.

Fresh strawberries taste like happy in my mouth. I can eat those for days... Along with previously mentioned sandwich. 

I think I acquired a tan because I put on white nail polish and it doesn't blend in with my skin, that's something to be happy about right?

Speaking of tans, I'm going on vacation to San Diego next month (in approximately 32 days)  and I am so excited. Normally our visits are brief and over all too soon. This time we have five whole days to enjoy our time there. Along with my cousin's graduation (and engagement!) my sister-in-law-to-be is throwing my fiance and I a engagement party where I get to meet the whole family. Super exciting! San Diego is also the source of all the delicious fresh strawberries I've been eating, so I imagine I'll be able to have ALL THE STRAWBERRIES I WANT. I think they have beaches there too, yeah, beaches and sunshine, but mostly strawberries.

Okay, my personal case of the Mondays is over, now back to the kitchen! 

Obligatory Instagram Post

I really feel guilty about this post. Truly. It's one thing I told myself I wouldn't do if I wrote in a blog. I wanted never to just throw a bunch of Instagram photos in your face as a reader and have you dig through them all. That's what Flickr is for.

Here I am though, posting my week in Instagram because things have been keeping me especially busy here on the homestead. Including a very exciting visit from some family members at the end of the month! Nothing makes me happier than showing off my hometown and introducing people to all the wonderful places hidden in the nooks and crannies of Seattle. However, it means my little apartment has to be fairly presentable which presents a long list of tasks to complete before they arrive.





The top three photos are from the Northwest Flower and Garden Show. My father and I have been making our annual trip there for several years now and it has always been a gorgeous escape from the miserable overcast days. Every show has a different theme for their display gardens and this year it was A Floral Symphony. Every different landscaper based their garden designs around music and sound, it was an astounding combination. In one massive drums were erected in the middle of a pretty garden and "raindrops" dripped down from a gazebo overhead causing a loud beat to echo around the convention center. The one with the chicken coop made of an old VW Bus included a giant interactive harp while another included an actual live harpist playing Clair de Lune. The third photo was just such a creative idea, I had to snap a shot - a "living" table made out of a re-purposed shipping pallet with a pretty bouquet of flowers growing out of the middle.
Next we've started a Biggest Loser competition at my work so my fellow coworkers and I have made an extra effort to eat much healthier. My diet has consisted of green smoothies and lots of quinoa and fresh fish. Pictured above is grilled salmon over quinoa and lentils with a fresh mango salsa, grilled endive and broccoli salad and avocado fries. Yum! Lastly, this past weekend my father and I ventured into downtown Seattle to brave the Seattle Home Show. After spending a couple hours browsing through windows and re-modelers we quickly tired of the displays and retreated to Elysian Fields where I picked up a delicious Prometheus IPA and had an amazing lunch.

These were waiting for me when I got home from work on Tuesday afternoon. Such a nice surprise even if the chocolates didn't help my diet!

Make My Day

For me, this is the time of year where you suffer briefly from holiday-withdrawal, attempt to build up Valentine's Day to make up for it, and wind up sobbing into a box of heart shaped chocolates. I've skipped most of the V-Day excitement and used the unseasonably warm and sunny weather to get out and absorb some much needed Vitamin D. The best place to do that during the winter months is an adorable little Bavarian-themed town in the mountains called Leavenworth. Here you can enjoy steins of beer, hand-crafted trinkets, and snow all year round!

TL:Perfect mountain views in the park TR:Wall full of tasty taffy BL:My first tumble while Nordic skiing BR:Dad and I enjoying a stein

What you don't see here is the amazing lunch we had gazing out the windows of Cafe Mozart while people sledded and horse-drawn carriages went down the street below and how the sun glinted to make it look like the whole area was covered in glitter.
What I can show you that made my week was a delicious carrot-cake I whipped up to curb my boyfriend's cravings for sweets.

I found this cake to be fairly simple, except for the mistake I made in thinking it wouldn't be too hard to grate up three cups of baby carrots. Silly me.

Ingredients
For the cake
2 cups sugar
1&1/2 cups vegetable oil
4 whole eggs 2 cups flour
1 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3 cups grated carrots

For the topping
1/2 cup walnuts finely chopped
1 tbls brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon

For the icing
Two (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups confectioners’ sugar
1/4 cup pure maple syrup

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.

In a mixing bowl, mix sugar, vegetable oil, and eggs. In another bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Fold dry ingredients into wet mixture and blend well. Fold in carrots and chopped nuts until well blended. Distribute batter evenly into 3 (9-inch) cake layer pans, which have been generously greased. There will be approximately 1 pound 5 ounces of batter per pan. Place in preheated oven and bake for 50 to 60 minutes. Cool layers in pans, for approximately 1 hour. Gently remove from pans by tapping bottom until layers easily slide out, then begin to compose icing.

To make icing use a stand mixer to beat all the ingredients on medium until fluffy. Chill the frosting for 10 to 20 minutes, until it has set up enough to spread smoothly. Lay down first layer of cake with flat side facing the top and frost. Then put the second layer on top and frost top and sides of cake. From there mix topping ingredients and arrange on top of cake.
Chill for about one hour and slice.