cardis

Working at J.Crew has taught me a few things about putting myself together. One of the quickest way of looking pulled together is to throw on a cardigan. (Actually part of the dress code at J.Crew is that you always need a 3rd piece, cardigan, vest or blazer) As a result, I've accumulated more basic cardigans than one person should own. I've definitely curbed my jcrew shopping quite a bit since I work at Crewcuts now and I don't have many friends who have kids. Until I found out that I can fit into size 14 there...well only size 14 boys on top. I came to the realization when I was closing down the store and was folding this caridgan.

It is one of the softest and coziest cardigan I've seen in a while! It probably doesn't hurt that it is also cashmere. I might wait for it to get marked down again before it gets added to my cardigan rotation.

Toulouse Petit Breakfast HH

Whoever came up with the idea of breakfast happy hour is a GENIUS. Unfortunately it only runs Monday-Friday when most people have to work but it does start a personal day off with a bang :). Toulouse has everything on their breakfast menu (with a few expetions of pricer items with crab but even then at $9) for $6. I've been told that their caramel french toast is "the bomb" and their bengiets are pretty good too. I'm really more of an eggs benedict person so I was torn between the french toast and their classic eggs benedict. Luckily I went with 2 other friends and we decided to splurge...we each got our own dish and split the caramel french toast AND bengiets. I mean come one, when were we all going to be free in the morning of a work day again? It was well worth it. The french toast truly was amazing. Sweet but not too sweet and light and fluffy on the inside. I've never had bengiets before but I can say that they were delish esp with the espresso anglaise dipping sauce that came on the side.

I forgot to take pictures of the bengiets before we attacked it, better luck next time I guess.

Pine State Biscuits

I saw Pine State Biscuits featured on Diners, Drive-in and Dives and was sort of tempted to go. It was the raving reviews on Yelp that pushed me over. I think had it not been featured on tv, I wouldn't have picked this place to try. I love biscuits but fried chicken is not my thing.

First of all the place is small but very cozy. Just a few tables but a huge bench outside for people to eat their food.

Since there was already a line out the door, I had plenty of time to decide what I wanted to try.

I think in reality I should have tried one of their specialities but I went with the Mcinsley with the fried chicken, mustard, honey and pickles. It was super messy to eat so no pictures of the yummy sandwich. I'm glad I decided to try PSB, I'd definitely come back again!

me + sports

I don't know how it happened but I've become slowly addicted to more and more sports. Soccer is the only one that I try to make an effort to watch but I've been making a bigger attempt to catch all the various sporting events in Washington. I went to a Marniers game last year, many Sounders game and went to a Thunderbirds game. I don't understand a lot of football (esp why it takes 3 hours to play a game that should only take 1 hour) so I haven't yet made it out to a Seahawks game. A couple months ago, I made a trip up to Vancouver. Vancouver and Portland are my 2 go to places whenever I get bored of Seattle. This time, I timed it so I was going to the season opener of the Vancouver Canucks. What I didn't know that it was their 40th anniversary of being in the NHL. Not only that, but they were playing the exact team (to the DAY) 40 years ago. I really lucked out because they had a cool ceremony in the beginning with highlights from the first game and brought out many members of the original team. They also gave each person a special pin to commemorate the day. Not wanting to spend $100+ on a jersey, I got a shirt to support the team. It was a great game, super exciting and I can see why people get addicted to the game.

Toulouse Petit

This year I managed to go to 4 restaurants during restaurant week. My favorite out of all the ones (even though they were all excellent) was Toulouse Petit in the Queen Anne neighborhood. Although they are famous for their Breakfast Happy Hour (which I've heard from multiple people that it's amazing and I'm going on Thursday) I went for dinner (3 course meal for $25).

The atmosphere in there is so cozy. There's candles all over the wall and big cushy booths to sit in. Service is great and the food was resonably priced with huge portions (even during the restaurant week promotion). I had the fried chicken gumbo, fresh pasta with pine nuts/chanterelles/sage and white chocolate bread pudding. Sorry for the lack of food pictures, it was dark in there :) Definitely be prepared for the breakfast happy hour pictures!

flecks of gold

Like everything else in my life, I go through waves of being obsessed with one thing or another. Not too long ago, I was really into nail polish. I would change the colors before it even started to chip. Then I stumbled upon this gold flecked top coat by Rococo. After some intensive googling for pictures, I decided I MUST have it.

I can't wait to play with other color combos!

Banana cupcakes? Muffins?

What is the difference between a muffin and a cupcake? Is it really just the frosting? I was reading an old issue of Bon Appetit and saw this recipe for banana cupcakes with peanut butter frosting. It really just is banana bread in muffin form with a good serving of peanut butter cream cheese frosting. Maybe by calling it a muffin it's less caloric? Regardless, it was delicious and I would make it again.

pumpkin bread with nutella

To me fall equals pumpkin ravioli and hot apple cider. I had a couple minutes to spare at the end of the day so I decided to spend it browsing foodgawker. A co-worker pointed out how delicious this recipe looked. Direct quote, "You HAVE to make this, Zon, it's making me salivate, it looks SO good. I surprisingly had all the ingredients for it so I made it a mission to make it the same night.



I had enough batter to make 3 mini loafs. I bet they would be great muffin sized too! I can't wait to taste test it tomorrow.

yum yum yum

I haven't had the time to do any sort of fun cooking (or baking for that matter) but as soon as I have time to think about what I want to cook, I am making this recipe. Is there anything better than gnocchi mac and cheese?!



Recipe here

oh hot water

So far, this has been the worst month out of the year for me. In the back of my mind, I keep thinking, it can't get any worse than it already is. Friday night, I did a Crewcuts roll out, crashed at 7 am and got up 11. Bummed around the house (cleaned and watched a lot of soccer) then I went out for about 2 hours shopping with a friend. I got home ready for a hot shower and bed (call me lame but it's really hard to recover working from 9pm-7am!) I stand in my shower waiting for about 5 mins waiting for the water to heat up. Thinking, hmm, it normally doesn't take that long for it to heat up, I jump back into clothes and go check out the hot water heater. No pilot fire. GREAT, one more thing to add to my awful month. 45 mins on Sunday + $350 lighter, I temporary have hot water. I still need a part to fully fix my water heater but I'm crossing my fingers that I can avoid that for at least a couple more weeks. 2 days without a shower really makes me wonder how people go a whole week camping!!

headbands

The only downfall with short hair is that the growing out process is so unflattering. I'm at the stage where it just skims my shoulders and flips out at all the awkward angles. I'm starting to think that the only chic way to do it is to wear more headbands.





Although at times, it makes me feel like I'm 5, it sure beats the same hairstyle every single day!

green tea macarons w/ white chocolate ganache

I have to admit that I didn't do a whole lot when making these. My friend Liz who is in baking school used a recipe that she got in class. I pretty much let her take over my kitchen while I helped sift and measure ingredients. They were SO GOOD. I must get back to making macarons again.

Fall in Seattle

Everyone complained that summer was too short this year in Seattle. It didn't reach over 80 too many days which was fine by me. Upper 70's = the perfect day in Seattle. We are not equipped for hot weather since no one here has air conditioning. Now that it has started to rain daily, I can bust out my boots and hunter wellies. Even though I already have way to many pairs of boots, I still like to browse through the stores to see what they are offering. I saw a pair of the Loeffler Randall Riley boots in black at Nordstroms and I instantly fell in love with the zipper at the back.



But who has the money to spend $900 on trendy boots?! Luckily, Steve Madden already has a k/o for a fraction of the price.

c25k again...

I don't know how people always manage to exercise everyday (I struggle with every other day!). I think somewhere between balancing a full time job and a pt job, I always fall off the c25k train. But nothing like new flashy sneakers to get me back on board. That and the fact that I'm going to give myself a deadline of running the jingle bell run December 12th. I just need to get it over and done with!

bullet points

the fastest way to update my blog!

• got a promotion at work, yay!
• took a vacation to California, San Fran and Santa Monica
• slowly working my way through Rosetta Stone-Spanish (it's hard!)
• got some spiffy new running shoes (tentatively going to run the Jingle Bell Run 5K in December)
• made some green tea macarons (they were amazing!!)
• brought tickets to the season opener of the Vancouver Canucks (!!! So excited about this)
• got a crock pot and made delicious hoison pulled pork

pictures and real posts to follow soon!

I love lists

Especially food related lists. Every time Seattle Magazine releases a Top (fill in the blank) of Seattle I ALWAYS buy it. I now have the issues on burgers, restaurants, desserts and I would have breakfast if I didn't lend it out to a friend (sad, it was the best issue! Luckily, the article is online) Yesterday at the grocery story, I saw that they had an issue about SANDWICHES. I haven't heard of half the places in there and I can't wait to eat my way through the issue. Any takers? I want to try at least 1-2 sandwiches from each category!

Portland Haul

Even though I'm off the clothing ban (I had to get some new clothes for work), I ended up spending more on books than I did on clothes on my recent trip to Portland. No trip is complete without a trip to the Waffle Window! This time I had to try the chocolate dipped waffle along with the 3 B's (Bacon, Brie and Basil) and I can't believe it took me so long to try it. It was amazing.



I could spend hours and hours in Powells. I can't imagine how much money I can spend there! This was only after about 45 mins of browsing. I had to put a few books back and email myself the titles so I can borrow them from the library. I never really wanted to read Eat, Pray, Love but the movie trailer made it seem pretty interesting. Everything else I brought based on the back and I hate to admit, on the cover. I miss reading!

Tuesday night dodgeball

Tuesday and Friday nights on Capital Hill means dodgeball in Cal Anderson Park. I stumbled upon this about a year ago and I wander by every once in a while. There is something that I love about watching people get hit in the face. I'm a closet violent sports fan (hi hockey and rugby!). Here is a crappy video I took of the mad dash to get a ball.


It only gets rowdier and rowdier as the night goes on. It's a great way to just chill with friends on a Tuesday night.

lemon blueberry ricotta pancakes

The best part of the weekend is having the time to make a real breakfast! I have to admit that I rarely get pancakes when I go out for bunch because omelets are more enticing to me. I saw this recipe on the Food Network (Secrets of a Restaurant Chef) The recipe didn't call for blueberries but I had a carton from my CSA box that I needed to use up. It tastes even better with them. Again they were light and airy due to whipping up the egg whites separately.

gooey coconuty goodness

I've been slowly cleaning out and reorganizing my pantry. One thing that I seem to keep buying is oddly enough coconut milk. I'm slightly addicted to making green curry for dinner since one batch can last me 3-4 meals. So when I found 4 cans of coconut milk hidden in the back, I decided to make the Triple Layer Coconut Custard Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting.

Mine didn't turn out nearly as pretty as the original recipe, so I am posting her picture.

It's a little tedious to make but so worth the time. Even the cake by itself is worth the extra dishes it takes to separately whip up the egg whites. I can't wait to make this cake again!

my oh my

another bazillion days since I last updated. I can't help it! it's World Cup time! So besides watching a ton of soccer, I've managed to sneak away and watch The A-Team.


Now before y'all judge me, there is a backstory to why I went to see The A-Team. Remember a while ago when I went to Vancouver and we accidentally walked on to the set? Well, they didn't let us cross the street so we weren't really "on" the set. I had to watch the movie to see what they were doing in that specific scene! It actually wasn't all that bad. Definitely action packed and who can really complain about Bradley Cooper right?

early moring shopping

'roid love

I was cleaning out boxes from under my bed (I was looking for a dress that I swear I didn't donate) and I found my box where I stashed my polaroid cameras. Why do I have them in a box and not running through the city using them? BECAUSE THEY STOPPED MAKING FILM FOR THEM. I brought up as much as I could before I stopped seeing them instores/online. I think I have 3 more boxes left in my fridge. Luckily, there is a company out there who wants to revive the art of instant film and brought polaroid's film making machines. Unfortunately for me, no matter how often I check, they haven't restocked since they debuted the new film. For now, I'll just have to keep checking and store my camera back safely in the box.

It doesn't really look like much, does it? If you pull up on the part that's sticking up....


and the camera pops out!


It's an SX-70 model if anyone is curious and the tab part that you pull on is the view finder. The fun thing about the camera is you have to manually focus and you get to see your images right away!

messenger bag

Since I've been getting into a habit of walking home from work (yay, 2.6 miles!), I've been on the look out for a nice leather messenger bag. Not that it's a good enough reason to justify a purchase but it's annoying adjusting my regular bag because it keeps slipping off my shoulder! Here are my 2 contenders





or I can go back to using my timbuk2 bag that I used for school. Practical but not nearly as cute.

SF recap

First of all, can I say that time is flying incredibly fast and now it's June?! Not that it feels like summer with the Seattle rain, summer is really just around the corner. I was super lazy after I got back from my weekend trip from San Fransisco and just uploaded my photos off my camera. I had a great time and can't wait to go back again.

Started off the trip with dimsum in Chinatown.

It took us a while to find the official gate of Chinatown.


Followed it up with ice cream from Ghirardelli's though we were not the least bit hungry. I could have easily shared the sundae but for some reason it didn't occur to us to split one.


Then dinner that night, we went to the burger bar of Hubert Keller fame. It was super tasty and they had sweet potato fries! Luckily, the next day we planned a lengthy bike ride to burn off all the calories.


We were warned that the bike route we were going to take wasn't easy and the guy who got our bikes ready questioned us to make sure we really knew what we were getting ourselves into. Apparently, no map of SF is drawn to scale and it's TRUE. At least it was gorgeous out and the views were amazing.







We thought we biked 20 miles (that's what the map said) but in reality it was close to 17. I still like to say 20 miles because it sure felt that way with all the hills. We ended the night with a night tour of Alcatraz.

They opened up the hospital on the 3rd floor and I would be lying if I said it didn't creepy me out. The place gives me the heebie jeebies!
I don't know why it looks so bright, it was close to sunset when we were there.

Definitely some gorgeous views of the city from the rock.


Whirlwind tour of SF and great times with friends. I can't wait for our reunion back in October!!

Full Circle Farm

I guess I never shared the farm that is supplying my CSA box. I ended up going with Full Circle Farms. It seems like a reasonable price, delivers to my door and I can change/preview the weekly selection online. They also allow me to swap out any of the fruits/veggies that I don't want. I even had a service rep call me after my first box to see how things went and if I could give them some feedback. My next box is this coming Monday and this is what I have coming:
Spinach, Arugula (which I swapped out for green onions), fingerling potatoes, carrots, tomatoes, lettuce, bell peppers, cucumbers, mangos (which I swapped out for pears), white peaches, strawberries (which I swapped out for green beans) and valencia oranges. It's going to be great to get my new box on Monday. I am excited for my peaches!

I'm taking off tomorrow

for SFO! I'm so excited! It's only my 2nd time there but this time around, I'll have a local tour guide who has also graciously hosting me until Sunday. I won't be taking my trusty dslr with me since I want to travel as light as I can but I'll still take plenty of pictures. See you when I get back, readers :)

SIFF

Starting next Thursday, The Seattle International Film Festival aka SIFF starts. Last year, I was encourage to go by a friend and ended up loving the 2 movies I saw. The Swimsuit Issue is on Comcast On-Demand if anyone wants to check it out. It's about a group of men starting their own synchronized swimming team and it's hilarious. K and I have been trying AGES to find this movie on dvd so you can imagine how shocked I was when I saw it on On-Demand.

This year, I am volunteering! Mostly because I can get free tickets to movies. I'm all about the free stuff :) I can't wait for the film festival to start.

Sperry topsiders...are MINE!

I totally love them even though I call them my 'frumpy old man shoes'. No joke, ask my friends at work. It's how I described them and one of them proceeds to tell me that it's cute and all the kids at local high school are wearing them. Like Kate, said, they really do look better when they are all broken in. I will be rocking these all summer long so outfit ideas/suggestions will be much appreciated!

Tortellini Salad

I found a decent salad to use up my vegetables from my CSA box on Apartment Therapy. I like how there is tortellini in the mix to make it more of a substantial meal. I've had it for lunch the past 2 days and I'm not tired of it yet! I used broccoli/radishes/mushrooms instead of the ones listed in the recipe since that was what I had on hand and it worked out just fine. The dressing is a little bland so on the 2nd day I mixed in mustard with a bit more olive oil. I think I can probably find a better dressing for the salad but now now, it works.

picture from Apartment Therapy.

Williams-Sonoma

I don't know if it's just me but I get excited when I receive the glossy W-S catalog in the mail. I love browsing and imaging what else I can shove into my kitchen that already has no more storage. Last summer, I gave in and brought the Cuisinart Ice Cream maker. I made about 5 batches of ice cream that summer before I put it away. I am determined to bust it out again this year and at least make 8 different types of ice cream. The year before that, I brought the Cuisinart Griddler. I use that sucker at least 2-3 times a week! It has earned it's spot on the counter next to my rice cooker. I really like the fact that the plates come off for easy cleaning. I think I'll be good this year and not get anything from the catalog but if I could, I would totally get this badass blender!


I got sucked into watching the infomercial on tv and now all I think about is the different smoothies I can make all summer long....with the HOMEMADE ice cream that I make.

why I jumped out of bed at 6am

Today I got my first shipment from a local CSA! I got inspired by K who is getting one from her BIL's farm. I'm getting it every other week (delivered on Monday) and I was surprised how big the box was!





It's got a nice mix of fruits and veggies. I got 4 apples, 5 oranges and a MANGO! The mango is a little random and I had to double check my list to make sure I wasn't going crazy...Veggie wise I got, lettuce, carrots, radish, mushrooms, tomatoes, purple tomatoes, spring onions and broccoli.




Notice that I subbed in the tomatoes? I originally had strawberries and since I'm not a huge strawberries fan, I'm glad they allowed me to change it. They also give a couple recipe suggestions which I appreciate!

Sperry topsiders

It might be because I see these on my fellow employees at Crewcuts and in the J.Crew catalogs but I've been bitten by the boat shoes bug. I keep waffling over if I will really wear them. I think they may be one of those, "looks cute on others but I won't wear them" things. We'll see though...they are on sale this week at Nordstrom.