Memorial Day Weekend

first Samish Island sunset of the summer

With a long weekend and no plans, I decided to head out of town and visit my family.  I hadn't been up to the valley since Easter, so I was overdue for a visit.  It was a surprisingly sunny weekend and I was able to relax and spend quality time with my parents and both sets of grandparents.  I also ate my weight in food, and came out of the long weekend feeling like I gained at least 10 pounds.  Oh well - for food like that, it was worth it :)

cookie roll at Moshi Moshi on Friday night with the girls

dad grilling hamburgers

bbq steak dinner at the beach

parent's garden in full bloom

Hope everyone had a great long weekend!

xoxo,
stephanie marie

Drinks on the Links {Week 2}

Week 2 started with a threat of rain, but when you're on top of the leader board, you're not going to let a few sprinkles get in the way of defending that title.  The team started off with 2 hole in ones on the first hole (!) and though we were 2 shots above last week's score at the end of the night, we still think it's enough to stay on top.  The night was again filled with extreme inappropriateness and semi-awkward moments, but we left the course with hugs and promises of plaid for next week.  Let's get ready for theme nights!

Have a happy and restful long weekend :)

xoxo,
stephanie marie

Tulip Peony

When I went to the market last weekend with the girls, I only had $1 cash on me.  While walking through the stalls and stalls of fabulous tulips, I came across a bucket of tulip peonies, which I didn't even know existed.  The beautiful coral color stuck with me, and as I was walking back to my car, I decided to spend my $1 on 1 single flower.  Even though the market has the most spectacular, huge bouquets at insanely cheap prices, I sometimes think there's nothing better than one pretty stem in a tall thin vase.  I have this one sitting on my nightstand, and it's the perfect thing to wake up to in the morning, especially when all I can hear are rain drops on the window.


xoxo,
stephanie marie

Cuoco {and a special engagement}

Monday night, Stefanie and I went out to celebrate her new engagement (yay!).  We decided on Cuoco, the new Tom Douglas Italian restaurant that we'd both been wanting to try.  We started off with glasses of Prosecco to toast the upcoming wedding, then proceeded to order several dishes to share family-style.  Everything we had was delicious (I would expect nothing less from Tom D.) and it was perfect for sharing.  Congrats Stef and Eric!  I'm so excited for you two and can't wait for all of the fabulous festivities :)

tagliatelle

spring leeks

gnocchi & nettle pesto

grilled asparagus

xoxo,

stephanie marie

Go Sounders!

Saturday night Leslie invited Nicole, Kimber, and me to join her at the Sounders game.  We had such a fun girls night out, and everyone had such a good time together.  We stuck it out until the bitter end, and luckily, the Sounders scored in the 90th minute to beat Kansas City.  We continued the celebration in Pioneer Square late into the night, and the 4 of us couldn't stop laughing with each other.  It was the perfect end to a friend-filled Saturday :)

me and kimber

kasey keller

nicole, me, leslie, and kimber

xoxo,

stephanie marie

Etta's {brunch} and Pike Place Market

monkey bread

Saturday morning, in keeping with tradition, the girls and I decided to go to Etta's for brunch, then tour the market.  Etta's is definitely near the top of my list for iconic Seattle meals.  We had to start off with the Monkey Bread, then pretty much split the table between the Market House Corned Beef Hash (my choice) and the Dungeness Crab Eggs Benedict.  After rolling out of the restaurant, we wandered around the market, snapping pictures of gorgeous tulips and tourist hot spots to commemorate one of Kimber's last weekends as a Seattle resident.  It was a fabulous Saturday morning :)

corned beef hash topped with poached eggs

dungeness crab eggs benedict

wandering the market

pretty skagit valley tulips

kimber in front of Beecher's

xoxo,
stephanie marie

Drinks on the Links {Week 1}

Though I can't tell you our team name, or any of our nicknames (way too inappropriate) I can tell you that our Drinks on the Links team is amazing.  I must have mentioned to each teammate at one point or another last night that our team was absolutely the perfect mix of people.  We started out really strong in week one (4 Hole in Ones!!!) and can only hope to improve from there.  Since I can't really do the league justice with words (all I can say is it's mini golf with a bar in the middle of the course), here are a few pics to tell our tale from Opening Night.  Can't wait for theme nights!!

Evan, Bill, Me, David, Leslie, Nicole

the ladies

in the bushes

Bill's senior picture

Have a great weekend :)

xoxo,
stephanie marie

Spaghetti Limone Parmeggiano

When I first heard that Gwyneth Paltrow was writing a cookbook, I was a bit skeptical.  But standing in the book aisle at Target a few weeks ago, I happened to pick it up and browse through a few pages.  The recipes looked delicious, and on a whim I decided to buy it.  So far I am not disappointed.  I started out easy, creating this simple yet extremely flavorful pasta dish with lemon, parmesan, and basil.  The flavors mix together perfectly on a warm spring evening when the sun is shining through the windows, and the leftovers the next day made my cubicle smell extra fresh and lemon-y.  Can't wait to try more of Mrs. Chris Martin's creations :)


Ingredients
3/4 lb (3/4 box spaghetti)
Salt & Pepper
1 lemon
1 1/2 cups finely grated fresh Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving
2 1/2 tblsp extra virgin olive oil
3-5 tblsp pasta water, to thin
Handful of fresh basil leaves

Instructions
1.  Boil the spaghetti in salted boiling water according to package directions.
2.  Meanwhile, grate the zest from the lemon into a large mixing bowl.  Cut lemon in half and squeeze juice into the bowl.  Add 1 1/2 cups Parmesan, salt, pepper, and olive oil to form a wet paste.
3.  When spaghetti is perfectly cooked, add 2-3 tablespoons cooking water to the lemon/cheese mixture.  Add the spaghetti to the bowl and toss thoroughly, adding another tablespoon or 2 of pasta water if needed so the sauce coats each strand.  Roughly tear in the basil leaves.
4.  Serve each portion with salt, pepper, and a few extra gratings of Parmesan cheese.
Serves 4 (and literally takes 15 minutes to make!)

xoxo,
stephanie marie

Happy Feet

After Sunday Brunch, the girls and I decided to warm up with a walk through Nordstrom.  I've had my eye on these shoes for several weeks, ever since I saw a girl on my bus wearing them.  They are great new spring/summer flats that are nice enough to wear to work but will also be perfect for a lazy Saturday wandering around U-Village.  Since the sun seems like it might stick around for more than one day this week, I think it's the perfect time to take my new shoes out for a stroll.

xoxo,
stephanie marie

Shrimp, Tomato, and Basil Pasta

When the sun made a brief appearance this Saturday afternoon, I knew I had to make one of my favorite spring/summer pasta dishes, Martha Stewart's Shrimp, Tomato, and Basil Pasta.  This dish is so simple to whip up, and the tomatoes and basil (two of my favorite ingredients) are an excellent compliment to the shrimp and light tomato sauce.  Since tiny little shrimp were on sale at the store, I snatched those up, but next time I would recommend using a bit larger shrimp and removing the tails.  Make this for a few friends with some crunchy bread to soak up the sauce and a crisp glass of white wine - perfection for a sunny day :)

xoxo,
stephanie marie

Dahlia Lounge {brunch}

The girls and I decided to do Sunday Brunch this weekend at Dahlia Lounge.  I love the ambiance of this Seattle staple, and can now say I've had breakfast, lunch, and dinner there.  Everything on the menu looked absolutely delicious, but I settled on the Scramble with avocado, spring onions, queso fresco, and cilantro, served with a side of parmesan potatoes, biscuit, and housemade sausage.  It was incredible - and incredibly filling.  After brunch, we had no choice but to walk around Nordstrom to burn some calories.  And maybe pick up a few new spring treats while we were at it :)

Hope you had a lovely weekend!

xoxo,
stephanie marie

Happy Friday

Wishing everyone a fun and sunny weekend :)

xoxo,
stephanie marie

picture via Diana in Hawaii

Stuffed French Toast

When looking back through old photos recently, I came across these pictures of Mother's Day Brunch from last year.  I made my mama Stuffed French Toast (originally featured by The Pioneer Woman) and it may have been one of the most delicious and decadent breakfasts I've ever had.  Though my pictures don't quite do it justice, this meal has been raved about for the past year by both me and my mom.  If you're looking for a morning time meal that impresses, I suggest trying this simple and rich recipe.  Mmm....I think it's time to try this one again.  Brunch, anyone?

xoxo,
stephanie marie

Nana Blankets

My Nana is known for knitting the coziest, warmest, prettiest blankets.  I have quite the collection of them, and am grateful that I have them everytime I have to pile them onto my bed when the temperatures get a bit too chilly (I have one on my bed right now).  This past weekend, my Nana surprised me by sending me (via courier mom) a brand new Nana Blanket.  She had made this one for Susannah last year for her birthday, and I had raved about how pretty I thought the colors were (above, right).  Unbeknownst to me, she had been hoarding the yarn and making me my own blanket in the same colors - she had even hid it when I would come over to visit!  Thanks Nana - this one is going straight to the top of the pile :)


xoxo,
stephanie marie

Cara

Cara in Portugal

Cara, my roommate in Spain, got married this past weekend.  Though I wasn't able to make the trip to Texas for the festivities, I thought about her all weekend long and about all of the fun we had while studying abroad.  Without Cara, I don't think I would've made it through the 5 months we were in Spain.  She is one of the sweetest, funniest, most genuine people I've ever met, and I feel so lucky to call her a friend.  Cara - congratulations on finding yourself a lovely husband.  You deserve nothing but complete happiness.  I'm serious as a heart attack :)

Portugal

with Pepita, our Spanish mama

with Abelardo, our Spanish papa

with Dori, our crazy dog

Cara on her birthday in Italy

xoxo,
stephanie marie