Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween from the scary, rundown, condemned Rosebud Motel of Queen Anne {if you remember last year, it was the Bates Motel}.  I think this is our neighbors' not so subtle hint they won't be setting up the motel for Christmas this year, but if you get a chance to stop by tonight I think they're hosting a food drive and making the scene extra spooky.  Whatever you may be doing, be safe, have fun, and say a prayer for the Rose's! :)

xoxo,

stephanie marie

Happy Friday!

TGIF, amiright?!?  We have a lot of busy weekends coming up so for this one I'm excited to chill at home, get organized, and cheer the Hawks on to hopefully another awesome win.  Sounds like a pretty good weekend to me :)  Cheers!

xoxo,

stephanie marie

A Sunny Seahawks Win

Though you would've never been able to predict it, the Seahawks game on October 16 was hovering around 85 degrees and sunny all day.  We certainly don't often get October days like that here in Seattle, so Kelsey and I made the most of it by getting down to the stadium early and finding an outdoor spot at the Hatback Bar & Grille to sip beers in the sunshine.  Right before gametime we headed into the stadium to watch Shaun Alexander {Ring of Honor inductee} raise the 12th man flag and watch the Hawks beat up on Arizona in an awesome win at home.  At halftime we met up with Steph from work {it had been way too long!} and afterwards headed back to the seats to enjoy an epic game in the late October sun.  Go Hawks!

xoxo,

stephanie marie

Slow Cooker Corn Chowder

If you still can get your hands on some good corn on the cob, I'd highly suggest whipping up this Slow Cooker Corn Chowder from the New York Times cooking.  It's definitely soup weather over here and the flavors and simplicity of this end of summer chowder will warm you up in an instant, making it the perfect weeknight meal.  Enjoy!

Slow Cooker Corn Chowder

Ingredients

4 ears of corn

1 lb small creamer potatoes, halved or quartered

4 cups chicken brother or stock

2- 4oz cans diced green chiles

5 scallions, sliced, white and green parts separated

5 garlic cloves, smashed and chopped

1 Tbsp unsalted butter

1 jalapeno, stemmed, seeded, and minced

1 Tbsp yellow or white miso

1 tsp salt {plus more as needed}

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 cup heavy cream or half and half

Black pepper to taste

Chopped cooked bacon for serving {optional}

Instructions

1. Cut kernels from the corn cobs and put in a bowl to refrigerate.  Snap cobs in half.

2. In slow cooker combine cobs, potatoes, broth, green chiles, scallion whites, garlic, butter, jalapeño, miso, and salt.  Cook on low until potatoes are very tender, about 5 hours.

3. About 10 minutes before serving, use tongs to remove and discard cobs.  Stir in corn kernels and scallion greens and cook until warmed through.  Turn off slow cooker.

4. Whisk sour cream and heavy cream together in large liquid measuring cup.  Slowly whisk in a few ladles of the hot broth to combine.  Stir cream mixture into chowder.  Grind in generous amount of black pepper, taste, and season more as needed.

5. Serve with bacon if using.

Serves 4-6

adapted from the new york times cooking

xoxo,

stephanie marie

Nine

I cannot believe it has been NINE whole years since I received the keys to my cutest little yellow cottage in Magnolia.  A lot has happened this last year - I no longer live there and have been having a lot of thoughts lately on what to do with the place, but purchasing that home will forever be one of the best decisions I ever made.  Not only did it give me a roof over my head for 8+ years, it nurtured me, protected me, and watched me grow up in just 800 square feet of {slightly tilted} space.  I don't know yet what the future will bring for this cozy little home, but as I spend more time away from it I feel so very thankful that I was able to make so many wonderful memories there that I know will stay with me for a lifetime.  So cheers to you, little cottage - I'll be raising a glass to nine eventful, happy, sometimes stressful but overall wonderful years.

xoxo,

stephanie marie

pic from february 2022 - the day before the new tenant moved in

The Weekend {In Pictures}

{rain - finally}

{our fave burger place open after 56 days of being closed due to flood}

{fall in a cup}

{avocado toast}

{cozy season}

{he put up a microwave!  after about 9 months without one}

{celebratory takeout}

{a walk around green lake with my bestie}

{old fashioned season}

xoxo,

stephanie marie

Happy {Is the smoke gone?} Friday!

Happy Friday!  We've had literally the worst air quality in the whole world this week here in Seattle and the surrounding areas, so I am SO EXCITED that rain is in the forecast for the weekend.  I'm hoping it will help with the fires and smoke around here and that it's finally ushering in the fall we've all been waiting for.  I'm excited to cozy up, watch the rain, and get all the soup recipes ready :)  

Have a great weekend!

xoxo,

stephanie marie

Vancouver {Yaletown & Heading Home}

Wednesday morning I had breakfast at Starbucks because Erika had so sweetly gifted me her free birthday drink!  Pretending to be her, the women working there were very excited it was "my" birthday and insisted I get the biggest and most expensive drink I could stomach.  After working from the room all morning I treated myself to a hotel burger on their sunny patio, extending my time outside as long as possible to soak up the October sunshine.  After work Christian and I made our way on foot through downtown to Yaletown, a cool neighborhood full of bars, restaurants, and shops.  We stopped for happy hour drinks at Yaletown Brewing {which were graciously purchased by C's boss when he saw us sitting there} then headed down the street to one of the best meals, burritos at Tacofino {you may remember our obsession with the truck when we went to Tofino many years ago}.  While it was a different menu, it was just as good as we remembered and one of our favorite meals of the trip.  Thursday morning we had one last breakfast together, breakfast sandwiches and donuts at Breka Bakery & Cafe on Denman, then worked for about half the day before it was time to start the long journey back home.  It was such a fun trip that I'm so grateful I tagged along on - thanks again Christian for letting me crash your work trip!  When's the next one? :)

xoxo,

stephanie marie

Vancouver {Mt. Pleasant}

Tuesday we woke up to another gorgeous sunrise at the Westin.  During the day I took a walk down Denman to Kintaro for some takeout ramen {pretending it was cool enough for that} and after a long day of working from the hotel, decided to take an Uber to Mt. Pleasant to meet up with Christian after his work happy hour.  We decided to try out Sing Sing for dinner, a beer bar meets Vietnamese and comfort food restaurant that came highly recommended from his coworker and was definitely the place to be judging by the full crowd and loud atmosphere.  We snagged a table and ordered a few cocktails, then followed it up with some amazingly delicious food {some of the best of the trip} and a round of beers.  I wish we could've ordered more from the menu because the flavors were so good, but we were pleasantly full for our Uber back to the hotel and hotel tv and wine {yay for Bachelor in Paradise}.

i love all of the vancouver street art

bbq pork belly with koji caesar

pork and shrimp dumplings

cured tuna tartare on crispy rice

xoxo,

stephanie marie