InstaFriday

Okay, I’m almost late (but not a dollar short; more like 55 cents), but technically it’s still Friday. I’ve been inspired by my fantabulous friend Kelli at Fresh Scratch to jump onto the InstaFriday bandwagon lead by Jeannett at Life Rearranged.

This week’s challenge was to snap a shot of a thing that I love. This week, in particular, that was a breeze, because it was my birthday and my always amazing birthday gift-giving husband got me this necklace, which I adore:

The rest of my week was memorable not only because of my birthday celebration(s), but because Clare started preschool. Hold me.

I was surprised by a weekend full of fun activities, including fancy dinner out — alone with Michael, which never ever happens anymore — and breakfast from my favorite bakery.

We ate at the wondrous Waterstreet Cafe, where we started with this gorgeous (and scrumptious) antipasto. And it only got better from there, which I wouldn’t have believed possible.

The kids walked the babysitter home. This was Clare’s first time with a babysitter (when she wasn’t already in bed for the night). Complete success! Now I see more date nights in our future. Finally.

Who says there’s no such thing as a free lunch? On Sunday I had to go to a local eatery to take photos for an article I’m writing. They set me up with their yummy Jake sandwich. Little did I know I’d get a second free lunch later in the week when writing about one of Olympia’s new food trucks.

We ate a little birthday torte on Sunday evening. Clare was very excited about it. Xander, my ultra-picky eater? Not so much.

Clare at her first day of preschool. She did great. Hung back, observed quietly, but had a good time.

Birthday flowers on Tuesday from my mom and stepdad! Gorgeous.

Tuesday night I got to head out with my lovely friends Emily and Kelli for weeknight, the kids are in bed so let’s let loose birthday cocktails. Why yes, that is an empty glass next to a full one. Indulgence, thy name is Turning 41.

Took both kids to the dentist on Thursday. Even when it goes well, it’s never, ever fun.

Waiting to leave for preschool on Friday. Fall weather is finally here. I couldn’t be happier.

Xander, my baseball-obsesssed almost 7-year-old turned our front porch into a bullpen. Really, I’m surprised it took him this long.

Wordless Wednesday

The Pioneer Woman photography assignment

I love the Pioneer Woman. Who doesn’t? I credit her almost completely with my huge jump in photography and editing skills a couple years ago, when I started reading her tutorials and downloaded her free Photoshop actions.

She does a regular photography assignment contest, and I always find it inspiring. This week’s subject is mobile phone shots, which I’ve almost completely moved toward, ignoring my sad, lonely dSLR. I’ve been playing around with Instagram a lot, so grabbed a recent photo I thought was interesting enough to add to her Flickr group.

Sure enough, she liked it and included it with the first group of photos. Thanks so much, Ree!

Clare’s room finally gets some color

We finally broke out the paint brushes again, over the 4th of July weekend, and got busy giving Clare’s blah room a bit more oomph.

Remember what it looked like before?

Very beige, like every other room here in Beigeland, save the downstairs powder room and Xander’s bedroom. This is the third room we’ve painted since moving in almost three years ago; we could really do with upping the painting pace.

Here’s what Clare’s room looks like now:

I’m not sure it has the same before-and-after punch that Xander’s room had, but it’s still a wonderful change and, like always, I’m so glad we did it — and wondering why it took us so long.

I was going for something similar to Clare’s nursery, in our old house. But I like the slightly softer shade we ended up with even better.

Now it’s time to get serious about painting our master bedroom, the guest room, and the living/dining/kitchen/family room spaces. We need to hire a professional to handle the living room, because of its vaulted ceilings, but the other rooms are totally do-it-yourselfable. (Yes, I made that word up.)

At the lethargic rate we’ve been going, all painting will be complete just before we’re ready to move out.

My new favorite things in our house

The husband doesn’t agree, but he would be wrong. Heh.

I saw these at Nicole Balch’s amazing blog Making it Lovely, and fell in love. Quirky, clever, and functional. And when I saw the price? Well, I purchased them for our powder room without hesitation.

The quality is amazing, a heavy porcelain with a white glaze. The male vase arrived with a slight hairline crack in it, and CB2 sent a replacement immediately without making me go through the hassle of returning the marred piece. (Anyone want a slightly dinged — barely noticeable, really — wall vase in the shape of a male symbol? No? You really need the couple to make the look complete.)

I always forget how fantastic it feels to do a little decorating. Even just a smidge. It inspires me to do more. Up next: Clare’s room will finally get some color.

Before & After: A 1920s Kitchen Gets A Design Do-Over

Sometimes a total gut-job is the only thing to do.

Michael and Stacee Sledge bought their 1924 home in Bellingham, Washington, knowing they could spruce up most of the place with paint, elbow grease, and a little DIY creativity — the bones of the neglected bungalow were great.

But the kitchen had to go.

“It had one tiny bank of original cabinets, which were so shallow we couldn’t even fit our plates in them,” says Stacee. “And the only place to put the appliances was smack dab in the walkway between the living room and the rest of the house. It was really awkward.”

The couple bought the house — a dog in an otherwise perfect neighborhood — for a steal, leaving enough budget to hire a local kitchen designer and contractor to re-imagine the culinary space.

At the top of the couple’s wishlist? Keeping the design in line with the home’s history: simple lines, schoolhouse light fixtures, and modest materials, such as maple counter tops and eco-friendly Marmoleum floors. Their kitchen designer was invaluable at making the space both comfortable and efficient.

“Every detail was thought out, from large drawers instead of lower cabinets to a wall of storage that included shelves for our cookbooks. We didn’t spend all that much on the designer’s plans, but by far that was the best decision we made, because everything fell into place perfectly with her input. She changed the placement of the exterior door and windows, which made a huge difference in how everything else flowed — we never would have come up with that.”

Stacee’s favorite part of the new space?

“Besides how great it looks and works? Hands down, the kitchen sink. We ordered the largest, deepest, stainless steel sink we could afford. I never understood the appeal of the double sink. Our behemoth single-basin sink means washing even the largest stock pot is a breeze.”

Keeping busy

Oh, it is miserable out there today. Lashing rain and gusts of wind that threaten to knock out our power. Earlier it was raining while the sun glanced off the wet pavement; now it’s just gray and grim. And wet. Crazy weather.

But this website is supposed to be about what goes on under my roof, not on top of it. So, here’s an update.

I’ve pulled back almost entirely from the writing I was doing for Examiner because I landed a promising local gig. I’m writing for a new website (brand new, really, and still a bit rough, so I’m not ready to share the URL just yet) that wants to become a local resource for businesses and community events. The technical side of things is strong and the venture is already pulling in revenue, but it really needs polishing on the content side. That’s where I come in.

I’m slowly adding new content to the site: restaurant write-ups, profiles of local folks, that sort of thing. It’s not rocket science and it’s not my dream job, but there is potential and I’m hopeful. It’s fun to be involved in the very beginning of something, to watch it grow and (hopefully) become something much bigger. Time will tell.

I’d nearly forgotten how much I like the process of planning, interviewing, writing, and editing. It’s so satisfying to have something (else) to concentrate on, something that’s all mine. The kids have been great about giving me a little extra time to work here and there while they play nicely together (really!) and come up with intriguing pretend games to keep them busy.

Having said all that, I hope to continue writing about food here, as well as house projects (more painting, a new bed for our master bedroom, a big girl bed for Clare, some decorative touches here and there, and so on…), and maybe more about the day-to-day minutiae of our lives. I know the grandparents, at least, will appreciate that last one.

Lentil tacos? Yes, lentil tacos

I’ve had these for lunch three days this week, and the 1970′s Midwestern girl inside me can hardly believe it.

I was raised on Hy-Vee hamburger seasoned with a sodium-laden packet of pre-mixed spices, spooned into crunchy taco shells from a box, and topped with cheddar and iceberg lettuce. And I loved it.

Truth be told, it was a favorite guilty pleasure meal of mine long after I moved to the Pacific Northwest and widened my culinary curiosity. My husband, on the other hand, happily left this meal behind when we relocated, so I only had it as an occasional treat when he was out of town for work and I had to fend for myself.

(I feel the need to mention here that I love the Midwest and wouldn’t have wanted to grow up anywhere else; also, I fully realize that its grocery stores have exploded with the same options found out here — from more whole foods to gourmet items — over the convening years since my departure.)

But I, like so many others, am trying to eat less meat and very few processed foods. So it was time to try a healthier variation on my childhood favorite.

I made this one night when Michael was gone, unsure what to expect.

Lentil tacos

Ingredients:
1 finely chopped yellow onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 cup dried lentils, rinsed
1 Tbsp. chili powder
2 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. dried oregano
2 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth

Toppings:
fresh salsa
sour cream
shredded cheddar cheese

Saute the onion and garlic in olive oil until softened. Add lentils, chili powder, cumin and oregano, then cook and stir for a minute or two.

Add broth and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to a simmer. Check lentils for doneness at 35 minutes; mine took about 45 minutes.

Uncover and cook for a few minutes until any remaining moisture dissipates.

Use the taco filling any way you like. It would be great in a burrito or old-fashioned taco shells. We always have tostadas on hand, so I made open-faced tacos.

I swirled a bit of sour cream onto two tostada shells, heaped about a 1/4 cup of the lentil mixture atop that, and then topped with a bit of shredded cheddar and a dollop of salsa. I also had some sliced red onion on hand, which I tossed over the top for a flavorful, colorful garnish.

The kitchen smelled fantastic, the tacos looked gorgeous, but still I was wary. One bite and I was a convert. Goodbye childhood favorite; I’m not going to miss the greasy orange goo that accompanied your nostalgia-inducing, salty goodness.

Cooking class with Urban Pantry’s Amy Pennington

Lately, I’ve been fortunate in a couple of ways.

First of all, I made a fantastic new friend, Mrs. Fresh Scratch. Not only is she a kind, genuine, incredibly sweet person, but we keep discovering a seemingly unending list of things we have in common.

Secondly, my new friend invited me to join her on a trip to Seattle this past Saturday, to sit in on a small cooking class in the (also very small) kitchen of Amy Pennington: gardener, chef, and author of Urban Pantry: Tips and Recipes for a Thrifty, Sustainable and Seasonal Kitchen.

We had so much fun.

Amy’s first cookbook (she told us a second is in the works) is gorgeous and informative and inspirational. I originally heard of it last summer after Gwenyth Paltrow touted it in her GOOP newsletter.

The citrus preserving class we signed up for was for just six people, and took place in Amy’s unassuming Queen Anne apartment, which boasts a stunning water view and an enviable outdoor balcony for her container garden.

I have zero experiencing canning or preserving, but didn’t feel overwhelmed at all by Amy’s casual yet informative instructions. Besides the actual details on how to preserve lemons, concoct delicious Meyer lemon jam, and turn a bubbling cauldron of julienned orange peels into bourbon orange marmalade, I was reminded again — I always seem to forget — that you don’t need a big, high-end kitchen chock-full of gadgets to be a fantastic cook. You need a smidge of counter space, a functioning stove top, a few quality tools, and some knowledge. That’s it.

Amy exudes confidence (culinary and otherwise), but in a totally down to earth, easy to take in way. She’s a pro, no doubt about it, but also an effective, funny, talented teacher.

Learn more about her impressive resume, which includes working with Tom Douglas and founding Urban Garden Share, by listening to this recent KUOW interview.

The mailman was just here

There’s nothing like a few new cookbooks to brighten an otherwise cloudy, ho-hum, Pacific Northwest Monday.

These are three hefty tomes. And this isn’t exactly helping with that little cookbook problem I have…