Boo!

Happy Halloween everyone!!  While I'm not getting dressed up quite like I did for Halloween 1984 (see above), I do plan on cozying up with some Witches Stew, pumpkin beer, and a whole bowl of candy just for me :)

Be safe and have fun!

xoxo,
stephanie marie

Fall Day Trip {Bainbridge Island}

Saturday, the girls and I headed out to Bainbridge Island to give Kimber the fall adventure she'd been waiting for.  With rain in the forecast, we bundled up in boots and warm jackets and hopped on the ferry for a quick ride across the sound.  We had a yummy lunch at The Harbour Public House, poked around some of the cute shops, and sipped hot chocolate before heading back to the city.  But best of all?  We got to spend time with Kimber :)  I always forget how close Bainbridge is for a mini escape, and I'm so happy that we're making this an annual tradition. 

xoxo,

stephanie marie

Best Night Ever

I had promised David I would plan the "Best Night Ever" for him, and Friday night we made it happen.  Best Night Ever (BNE) was a blind tour of Ballard, including cocktails at some of his favorite spots, dinner at a new place he'd been wanting to try, and a competitive ending of bar games at one of the best dives around.  As we left each spot, I would give David a card that said where we were heading to next, with each stop being better than the last.  As I told David, I feel sorry for the rest of his nights, because they'll never live up to Best Night Ever :)  Here's a look at what we did:

 cocktails at the back bar at Bastille

 dinner at Kickin' Boot Whiskey Kitchen - probably the best fried chicken I've ever tasted

 cocktails at The Sexton (David's choice)

 dessert at Cupcake Royale - the ice cream has actual chunks of cupcakes in it!

Bar Olympics at The 4B's (Ballard Grill & Ale House) - we had to play a game each of darts, pool, skee ball, and Big Buck Hunter - and the loser had to buy the pitcher of beer.  Though I easily won skee ball, I got my butt kicked in the other 3 games :(

Hope you had a great time David - I know I did! :)

xoxo,

stephanie marie

Canlis Bar

After a disappointing dinner, David and I headed over to fancy pants Canlis for an after dinner drink in their lovely bar.  We instantly felt more comfortable here, quietly singing along with the piano player and trying to guess which couples were going to get engaged that night :)  Though summer is long gone, I'm glad I made it to Canlis to check off my list before the year is over.  It's definitely somewhere I need to drop by a bit more often.

Happy Friday!

xoxo,

stephanie marie

Rover's

When David, Stefanie, and I found out that Rover's was participating in Seattle Restaurant Week, we knew this was our chance to try out the fancy establishment.  Unfortunately, Stef was really sick this week, so it was up to David and I to patronize the restaurant and report back.  While I hate to give a bad review, I have to say I was fairly disappointed with Thierry Rautureau's place in Madison Park.  While our appetizers and desserts were tasty, the main courses (seared guinea fowl for David and poached halibut for me) were flavorless and unimpressive.  When compared with other nice restaurants around the city, Rover's seemed stuffy and awkward.  While I still cannot wait to give Luc a try, I'm not sure I'd head back to Rover's, especially with the typically high price tag.  I guess this is why Restaurant Week is so great - you get to try out places you normally wouldn't and see if there's anything worth going back for!  In this case, probably not.

xoxo,

stephanie marie

Pumpkin Spice Crème Brûlée

I had been saving this recipe for Pumpkin Spice Crème Brûlée for the past month or so, waiting for the perfect excuse to try it out.  When mom, Julie, and Patti came down earlier this week for dinner, I knew they would be the perfect guinea pigs to try this out on :)  My love of my kitchen torch is no secret, and adding pumpkin to this classic dessert gave it just the right amount of fall flavor.  Since it was super simple, and such a crowd-pleaser, I will definitely be whipping this one up again very soon.  If you're having a holiday party, make sure to give this one a try :)

Pumpkin Spice Crème Brûlée

Ingredients

4 cups heavy whipping cream

1/3 cup pumpkin puree

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/8 tsp nutmeg

3/4 cup sugar (plus more for topping)

6 egg yolks

Instructions

1. In a pot, whisk together the cream, pumpkin, cinnamon, and nutmeg until well combined.  Heat over medium-high heat until it just begins to boil, then remove from heat.

2. In a bowl, combine sugar and egg yolks.  Beat with mixer until well combined and yolks begin to lighten.

3. Pour 1/2 cup warm cream mixture into egg batter while mixer is still running low to temper the mixture.  Slowly add the remaining cream mixture, mixing as you go.  Be careful not to over mix.

4. Pour mixture into prepared ramekins on a rimmed baking sheet.  Add water to baking sheet, until half way up the ramekins, creating a water bath.

5. Bake at 350 for about 35 minutes, or until very light brown on top.

6. Remove from water bath and refrigerate for at least several hours, or overnight.

7. Sprinkle tops with sugar and use a kitchen torch to carmelize tops (you can also use your broiler if you don't have a torch).

Makes about 8 small ramekins

adapted from a beautiful mess

Fall Dinner

Monday night, instead of heading out to a Seattle Restaurant Week restaurant for dinner, Mom, Patti, and Julie decided to come on over to my place for a yummy meal.  I went with a Fall theme, bringing out the crock-pot to make these delicious french dips and copying Erin's salad from this past weekend of pears, walnuts, and Gorgonzola over greens tossed with poppy seed dressing.  Topped off with a delicious, hands-on dessert (recipe to come soon!), it was a perfect cozy evening in with fabulous company.  Thanks again for coming down to visit ladies - you're welcome here anytime!

xoxo,

stephanie marie

Pumpkin Patch

Saturday afternoon the girls headed up north for our annual Pumpkin Patch excursion.  We wouldn't let the forecast of day-long rain deter us from one of our favorite traditions, so we bundled up in boots, winter jackets, and smiles and headed out to the farm.  Luckily, the rain stayed away long enough for us to take some pretty pictures (the real reason we head out to the pumpkin patch :) and pick a few pumpkins before heading back to Erin's to warm up in front of the fire and fill up on homemade tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches (thanks, Matt!).  And for dessert?  Erin had all the fixin's to make our own caramel apples!  It was a great way to spend a fall day with my favorite ladies :)

 posey

 buddies

 lizzie with her perfect pumpkin

 trying to decide if the pumpkin was ugly enough to bring home to matt

yummy homemade dinner at the newsome's

 caramel apples

love these girls!

xoxo,

stephanie marie

thanks to maddie and erika for letting me borrow some of these pics :)

Happy {fall} Weekend

What's everyone up to this weekend?  Since the weather has officially turned fall-like, I'm excited to head out on our annual ladies Pumpkin Patch excursion to drink cider, take pretty pictures, and enjoy Erin's home cookin'.  Wishing you a cozy fall weekend!

xoxo,

stephanie marie

pic via instagram

Belize {via Diana}

A few weeks ago I finally turned in an old roll of Diana film, and on it were a few pictures from my trip to Belize last spring with Maddie.  Though I haven't been using this camera as often as I was when I first got it, it's fun to look at the pictures and be genuinely surprised by what I see.  In today's digital age, that's a rarity with photographs :)

xoxo,

stephanie marie

Pike Place Market

In the past month, I've found myself at Pike Place Market more times than I probably have in the past year.  Even though it's cliche, I love walking around the market, pretending I'm a tourist and snapping pictures of the neon signs, bouquets of flowers, and gorgeous sunsets.  I can never seem to get my fill :)  Here are a few of my favorite shots from my most recent trips (all taken with my iPhone).

xoxo,

stephanie marie

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Anticipating a rainy fall week, I decided to make a new, hearty soup that would be perfect for cold nights in and easy to take to work for lunch.  Since I had been drooling over The Pioneer Woman's Chicken Tortilla Soup ever since I bought her second cookbook, I decided this was as good a time as any to give it a try.  While there was a bit of chopping involved, the actual assembly of the soup was easy and quick.  I let it simmer a little longer than she recommends, and I think it gave the flavors even more time to blend.  So delicious!  Topped with avocado, cheese, cilantro, and sour cream, it was the perfect meal to start out this rainy week.  I highly recommend you give it a try immediately :)

xoxo,

stephanie marie

The Pumpkin Junction

To end a long and rainy weekend, I headed out to West Seattle to The Beer Junction to taste pumpkin beers with Stefanie.   Since I can't resist anything pumpkin flavored, this was right up my alley.  With a bar in the front and an amazing beer selection for purchase in the back, I can't believe I haven't been here before.  We tasted their 10 pumpkin beers on tap, picking our favorites to take home.  While the two Elysian ones we tried were, in my opinion, the best, they had a huge range of flavored beers, from ciders to stouts to one that tasted like those mini candy pumpkins (gross).  After our tasting, we headed back to her house for burgers and to cheer the Seahawks on to victory against the Patriots.  All in all, a great way to end the weekend :)

clyde even got in the spirit - and fortunately, helped the Seahawks win!

xoxo,

stephanie marie