Green Thumb

When I was away in Africa this summer I didn't have anyone water my plants.  Poor little things almost died.  Almost.  My mom and dad pruned and transplanted all my geraniums, and low and behold, they're coming back!  Good thing I have family members with a green thumb.  Thanks for saving my plants, mom and dad!

Wallace Falls Hike

Today, Dave and I hiked Wallace Falls in Gold Bar, WA.  The weather forecast called for sunshine, but as we all know, the forecast in Seattle is rarely accurate. Under overcast skies, we hiked to the upper falls and were grateful that it wasn't raining! Even if it had been raining, we still would have had a great time.

The Herbfarm

This weekend I had the immense pleasure of dining with Dave at the Herbfarm in Woodinville. From start to finish, this was an amazing culinary experience which started with warm, home-made apple cider and a self guided tour of the restaurant's wine library. Following was a tour of the herb garden and introduction to a few of the herbs used in the preparation of our meal. Then came the main event.  From 7PM until 11:30 we dined-- nine courses in all, paired with wines. Wow! The theme for the meal was mycologists dream and each course featured mushrooms in drastically different preparations; the most unique of which was a mousse dessert made from a mushroom which has a strong maple flavor.  The chef made a point to tell us that there was no maple in the dessert, but it was hard to believe.  My favorite dish of the evening was a lamb prepared 3 ways with mushrooms and a lamb jus (pictured). We were seated at a group table with 3 other couples. We had lively conversation and lots of laughs throughout the evening (when we weren't drooling over our food). The best part was to share in the evening with Dave. It's great to be with somebody who loves fine food and wine the way I do. Thanks, Dave, for a wonderful evening!

Eins, Zwei, Drei!!!!!

Over the next, ohhhh...I don't know how long, I'll catch you up on my life since I last blogged consistently.  But, for now I'll just share my fun weekend in Leavenworth with Keith. And, for those of you who are not from Washington State let me clarify that Leavenworth is a Bavarian-themed town in the foothills of the North Cascades with a rockin' (or rather, um pah pahin') Oktoberfest!
We arrived on Friday in time for dinner, and instead of the traditional German food, we had a nice Italian dinner.  Then it was off to the hotel and early to bed for a full Saturday of touring, bratwust and beer. 
In the morning we had breakfast at the diner in Plain, WA. It was a beautiful day and I always love shopping at Just Plain Hardware.  Then we went to a fruit-stand-gone-wild just outside of Leavenworth where we bought some canned good and gourds (getting in the harvest festival spirit). Then in the afternoon we hit town.  Oktoberfest in Leavenworth consists of 4 building/tents, each with different musical groups playing (mostly of the German or German-hybrid variety).  You can also buy beer and German-food (brats, kraut, pretzels, etc).  It's quite a spectacle, with young and old all celebrating together.  It gives many a chance to wear their lederhosen, which party-goers undoubtedly look forward to all year (strange, but true). Randomly, many people also use Oktoberfest as an excuse to wear crazy hats.  Not sure what crazy hats have to do with Bavarian culture, but why ask questions. We also saw two guys dressed-up as Storm Troupers. Really not sure what THAT has to do with Bavarian culture, but who cares?!?!
One of the best parts was seeing Krissy and Jason in town!  Maybe in the future we'll plan to celebrate together!  Overall Keith and I enjoyed a sunny, fun-filled weekend. I had a great time!

Back to blogging

It's been a year and 4 months since my last blog entry. I've spent (AKA wasted) a lot of time on Facebook since then and I realize that I miss blogging. Plus, a lot of great things have happened in my life since my last entry. In my next post I'll attempt to play "catch-up" so stay tuned!