Happy Anniversary Mom & Dad!

Happy 44th Anniversary to these amazing parents who are celebrating together up in Victoria!  I'm so grateful to have such a wonderful example of a couple who love each other and have fun together every single day.  Cheers to you both!

xoxo,

stephanie marie

Summer To Do

I can't believe next week is July {where does the time go?!} We've already passed the official longest day of the year so it's time to make that all important Summer To Do List to make sure we savor every second of the season - we all know it goes by way too fast.  I anticipate a much more chill summer than last year and hoping it won't be too hard to cross a few of these things off of my list!

1. Eat dinner on the roof

2. Play tennis

3. Spend the day on Bainbridge Island

4. Cheer on the Mariners 

5. Make homemade ice cream

6. Enjoy more picnics

7. Rooftop yoga

8. Wake up early for a weekend hike

9. Drink spritzes on the rooftop

10. Rent kayaks

11. Eat lots of pan con tomate

12. Go on more dates with friends

13. Burgers at the bar at Canlis

14. Enjoy spontaneous date nights with my honey

15. Celebrate the big 4-0 in style :)

xoxo,

stephanie marie

Healthy Greek Turkey Meatballs with Tzatziki

I love me some Greek food but lately our favorite takeout has been a bit disappointing so when I stumbled upon this recipe for Healthy Greek Turkey Meatballs with Tzatziki I knew I had to give them a try {after all, I followed this girls advice for our honeymoon in Italy and she never steered me wrong!}.  These meatballs were super easy to put together on a weeknight and paired with the homemade tzatziki and tomato & cucumber salad were a perfect dish for leftovers as well.  Definitely give this one a shot if you're looking for fresh flavors and a yummy takeout inspired meal!

Healthy Greek Turkey Meatballs with Tzatziki

Ingredients

Meatballs

1 lb ground turkey

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 red onion, finely chopped or grated

1 egg

1/2 cup breadcrumbs

1/4 cup fresh dill

1/2 Tblsp dried oregano

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

2 Tblsp olive oil

Tzatziki

2 cups Plain Greek Yogurt

1 cup English cucumber, deseeded and diced very small {set in a bowl with a sprinkle of salt and let sit for 10 minutes to release moisture, then drain excess moisture from the bowl}

1/3 cup lemon juice

1/2 cup fresh chopped dill

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400.

2. In large bowl, mix turkey, garlic, red onion, egg, breadcrumbs, dill, oregano, salt, and pepper.  Mix thoroughly with hands and roll into meatballs {will make about 14}.

3. Place meatballs on parchment-lined baking sheet and bake until cooked through, about 15 to 20 minutes {alternately you can cook them on the stove using the original recipe}.

4. Make Tzatziki by combining all ingredients.  Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.

5.Serve meatballs with tzatziki and tomato & cucumber salad over rice.

Serves 4

adapted from erin lives whole

xoxo,

stephanie marie

Pancita

I've read about Pancita, the James Beard nominated pop-up turned brick and mortar out by Uvillage for awhile now, so when I was able to snag a reservation months ago for a fun date night in June I jumped at the chance.  We headed out there a few weeks ago and everything from the food, the service, and the space far exceeded all of my expectations.  We each ordered yummy cocktails and then devoured plate after plate of incredible food {I could eat the tuna tostada and brisket tacos every day of my life}.  We debated ordering a Nightcap after our sweet waitress explained each in great detail, but when we decided we didn't really need them she ended up bringing out samples of 2 of her faves which were delicious {and was very kind of her}.  While it wasn't an easy dinner on the wallet, the food was fantastic and I can't wait to go back and try this spot again.

serrano caesar

brisket tacos

tuna tostadas

pork chop

xoxo,

stephanie marie

The Weekend {In Pictures}

{friday afternoon}

{milkshakes + the most gorgeous dogwood}

{dinner}

{facetime with my favorite 1 year old}

{i love bbq season}

{exhibit a}

{another gorgeous dogwood on our sunday walk}

{sunday night pasta}

xoxo,

stephanie marie

Happy {Summer} Friday!

Happy Friday and Happy Summer!  The weather has been gorgeous here in Seattle {and thankfully not as hot as elsewhere in the country} and I'm excited for a weekend of relaxing on the rooftop, bbqs, and long neighborhood walks.  It's Swedish Midsummer this weekend and while we won't be having quite as epic of a time as 2019, we will be hopefully making some of my favorite Swedish foods and toasting to the summer.  Cheers to warm weather!

xoxo,

stephanie marie 

Happy Hour at Ray’s

Yesterday we were off for Juneteenth which felt lovely to have a midweek break {though not so lovely to have to come back to work today}. I went for a long walk around the neighborhood during the day then relaxed on the roof while Christian went for a long bike ride. Afterwards, we decided to treat ourselves to happy hour at Rays Cafe, one of the best places to go in the city on a nice day. We got there right as happy hour was starting at 4 and immediately were seated on the patio where we could bask in the sunshine. We got a few happy hour appetizers then split the rockfish sandwich and poke bowl {which our server split for us without us having to ask} and were pleasantly stuffed by the end of the meal. By the time we left our table there was a big wait for seats so I’m glad we got there when we did for a spontaneous midweek date in the sun.

xoxo,

stephanie marie

Father's Day in the Valley

Sunday morning Christian and I headed up north bright and early to spend Father's Day with the family.  Right as we got to the house it started raining {of course} but it quickly cleared and we headed downtown with Dad to the Berry Cool Car Show where we walked around admiring the old cars and yummy smells coming from the bbq competition.  After a bit we stopped by to pick up Gram then headed home for a yummy meal prepared by mom that we gobbled up before sitting down to watch the nail-biter of a US Open finale.  It was a lovely day getting out of the city and celebrating the best Dad around!

xoxo,

stephanie marie

The Weekend {In Pictures}

{friday night at uvillage}

{our front door roses}

{breakfast}

{two very different skies to the north and south}

{treats}

{my chef}

{dinner}

{glimpse of a pretty sunset}

xoxo,

stephanie marie