Happy {End of February} Friday!

Happy last Friday of February!  While January seemed to be about 4 months, February felt like 4 days and now that it's almost March it feels like spring is just around the corner.  Flowers are popping up all over the place {my winter daphnes are making the yard smell sooooo good}, the sun has been shining {even if it's still under 40 degrees}, and the days are getting longer, making an after work walk for fresh air even more enjoyable than even just a few weeks ago.  I'm ready for some spring days ahead - who's with me?  

Have a great weekend!

xoxo,

stephanie marie

Canlis Family Meal

One of the coolest things about quarantine {are there cool things about quarantine? are we still calling it quarantine?} is to see how small businesses and restaurants have pivoted to "make it work".  One that has pivoted over and over is Canlis, and though we hadn't been to any of their previous iterations {besides signing up for "community college" and only going to one class}, I thought we should give it a try as one of those once in a lifetime Covid experiences.  Since we're not comfortable with outdoor dining right now {isn't a yurt just a small, indoor restaurant?} I decided to surprise Christian with Canlis Family Meal a few weeks back when I saw the menu included Beef Bourguignon, one of his absolute faves.  We picked up the meal on Wednesday evening {he was pretty shocked when we pulled into their parking lot} and everything was promptly brought to our car {no contact} and was still warm by the time we got home.  Since this was a "fancy meal" we opened a nice bottle of wine and ate dinner at the table instead of the couch {grown-ups}, enjoying every last bite.  It was more than enough food for the two of us {we actually didn't eat the dessert until the next day, and it ended up being one of my favorite courses} and was such a fun little indulgence to say we did during this crazy year.  While it's not something I'll be picking up every week {it is Canlis, after all, and my wallet can't handle that}, it was fun to surprise C and do something a little different than the usual.  And I cannot wait until they reopen as a fine dining restaurant again - I'll definitely be getting in line for that!

it came with the cutest little tea light and Canlis matches

iceberg wedge salad

beef bourguignon, potatoes robuchon, mushrooms & kale, and parker house roles

luxardo cherry & frangipane tart

xoxo,

stephanie marie

Urban Hiking {SLU}

Since the weather has been all over the place recently, we took advantage of a little sunshine on Saturday and headed out for an urban hike.  We did a variation of our usual route, heading down the Galer stairs to the Westlake Starbucks for refreshers, then strolled along Lake Union Park where the daffodils were out in full bloom {and after a snowstorm just a week ago!}.  We then headed back towards Lower Queen Anne, making our way back up the hill for a quick 4.5 mile loop.  I'm excited that the days are getting longer and the sun is peaking out a bit more so we can start finding more places in the city to explore by foot!

xoxo,

stephanie marie

Chicken Pot Pie

Autumn recently reminded me that I gifted her The Pioneer Woman's first cookbook years ago when they got married, so I was inspired to pick it up again and check out all of the recipes that I used to love and the ones I never got around to making.  When I stumbled upon her Chicken Pot Pie and realized it looked relatively simple to make, I knew it would be the perfect meal to whip up this past Saturday afternoon with not much else going on.  It was super easy to put together {especially if you use a premade pie crust like I did} and though it looked a little deformed when it came out of the oven {the insides bubbled up over the crust}, it more than made up for it in the comforting, yummy flavors that warmed our bellies.  I'll definitely be making this one again and can't wait to flip through more old cookbooks that I haven't picked up in awhile to see what is awaiting me!

Chicken Pot Pie

Ingredients

3 celery stalks, finely chopped

3 medium carrots, finely chopped

1 large yellow onion, finely chopped

4 Tblsp butter

1/2 cup frozen peas

2 cups cooked chicken {we cooked 4 small boneless skinless thighs and shredded them}

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 cups low sodium chicken broth

1 chicken bouillon cube

1/4 cup white wine {optional, but why not?}

1 cup heavy cream

1 tsp ground thyme

1 tsp salt

Black pepper

1 pie crust, either homemade or store bought

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400.

2. Melt butter in large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat.  Add onion, celery, carrots, and peas.  Saute until vegetables start to turn translucent, about 5 minutes.

3. Add chicken and stir to combine.  Sprinkle flour evenly over vegetables and chicken and stir to coat.  Cook for a few more minutes, stirring gently.

4. Pour in chicken broth, stirring constantly.  Add bouillon cube and wine, then pour in cream and stir.  Allow mixture to cook over low heat, thickening gradually, about 5 minutes.  Season with thyme, salt, and pepper.  Remove from heat and adjust seasoning as needed.

5. Pour mixture into deep pie pan, small casserole dish, or deep cast iron skillet.  

6. Roll out crust so it's about 1 inch larger than pie plate.  Place on top of chicken mixture and cut small slits in top.  Press gently into sides of dish to seal.

7. Bake for 30 minutes, or until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbly.  Cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Serves 4-6

adapted from the pioneer woman

xoxo,

stephanie marie

The Weekend {In Pictures}

{facetime friday with this cute snow buddy}

{friday night takeout}

{mushroom scramble}

{family walks}

{saturday night dinner prep}

{those ears}

{avocado toast}

{sleepy sunday}

{warm enough outside to pull down a bunch of ivy}

{sunday night salmon & roasted veggies}

xoxo,

stephanie marie

Happy Friday!

 

Happy Friday!  After finally making it back to my house on Tuesday after Snowpocalypse 2021, most of the snow had melted but the bulbs in my yard could not be deterred by the cold and snow!  I wish I had as much optimism as these guys :)  Hope you have a great weekend - stay warm and safe out there!

xoxo,

stephanie marie

Snow Day {Part II}

The rest of our snow day consisted of watching skiers and sledders at Kerry Park and down Queen Anne Avenue {brave!}, then stopping by Top Pot to pick up what was left of their donuts for the day {luckily, most of my faves}.  We dropped one off with Vannessa who lives close by as a snow day pick-me-up then made our way home for donuts, happy hour, and yummy meat sauce made by C.  Later that evening we set out for a quiet walk with Nina where we marveled at the snow and discarded sleds {which I was VERY tempted to take} before heading home to warm up.  It was such a great day that made me so, so happy :)

brave people sledding down queen anne ave

xoxo,

stephanie marie

Snow Day {Part I}

After a light dusting on Thursday, it really started snowing on Friday and never really stopped all weekend.  We headed out Friday night for a little neighborhood walk and to watch cars trying to {unsuccessfully} navigate the Queen Anne hills, then Sunday morning awoke to a real winter wonderland.  Nina and I had a lazy morning inside while C shoveled the walkways around the house, then we took off on an adventure, watching kids and adults alike taking turns sledding down the steep hills and dodging skiers on the streets.  More from our adventures tomorrow, since you know I can't resist taking hundreds of pictures of snow :)

xoxo,

stephanie marie