Happy Friday!

Happy Friday!  It's supposed to be a beautiful weekend here and I'm excited for some sunshine, walks, finishing up things on the never ending to do list, and lots of naps.  Cheers!

xoxo,

stephanie marie

Thursday Flowers

Some pretty tulip peonies I bought to brighten up our home for something fun last weekend that are finally starting to bloom.  Don't fresh flowers always make the house look better?  Or am I just dreaming of spring?

xoxo,

stephanie marie

On Rotation

In an effort to keep things simple in the kitchen we’ve had several recipes on rotation constantly this winter. These are go to weeknight meals that we both love, are easy, and taste yummy {and we often have most of the ingredients  already on hand}. Feel free to use for your next dinner inspiration!

Salmon Crunch Bowls

Turkey Meatloaf with Mashed Potatoes

Lohikeitto

Spicy Chicken Stir Fry

Lemony White Bean Soup with Turkey and Greens

Chicken Parm Meatballs

Simple Cauliflower Tacos

xoxo,

stephanie marie

Nineteen

This week marks nineteen years {!} since I moved to this city and boy, does time fly. I think back through all those years {almost half my life!} and everything that has changed and brought me to the place I am today. The city has sure changed, but so have I, and I’m forever grateful that I took that leap almost 2 decades ago and moved down here with a temporary job, just a few friends, and an innocence and curiosity about what life had in store for me. It wasn’t always easy, but it sure has been fun, and I’m so proud of that girl and all she went thru to get to where she is today. What a ride :)

xoxo,

stephanie marie 

The Weekend {In Pictures}

{a rare friday night home cooked meal}

{brekkie}

{is this what they mean by nesting?}

{better}

{a yummy spontaneous date night}

{featuring christian’s favorite burger}

{ice cream on sale? say no more}

{sunday night soup}

xoxo,

stephanie marie

Happy Friday

Happy Friday! It’s been so cold here {we even saw some snowflakes yesterday} and I am so ready for spring. While that’s probably not coming for awhile, I’ll settle for a nice cozy weekend and getting stuff crossed off our never ending to do list. Cheers!

xoxo,

stephanie marie

One Pan Al Pastor Enchiladas

Here's another great one from What to Cook When You Don't Feel Like Cooking that comes together super quickly and has excellent flavors.  These One-Pan Al Pastor Enchiladas taste delicious with the addition of the canned pineapple and since I've already made them several times {including last night} and have gotten rave reviews from my tester of one, I know I'll be making them again and again as a simple but delicious weeknight meal.  No chopping, minimal dishes, and full of flavor? Count me in!

One-Pan Al Pastor Enchiladas

Ingredients

1 lb ground pork

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp oregano

1 tsp salt

5oz spinach, chopped or torn to small pieces

16oz jar salsa verde

1 cup crushed pineapple {from a can or fresh}

1- 10inch flour tortillas

2 cups shredded pepper Jack cheese

Red onion, avocado, cilantro, sour cream, etc for topping

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400.

2. Warm 12 inch oven proof skillet over medium high heat.  Add pork to the pan and cook, breaking up with wooden spoon into small crumbles until barely any pink remains.  Add garlic powder, chili powder, cumin, oregano, and salt and cook until pork is cooked all the way through.

3. Add  in spinach, 1/4 cup salsa verde, and the pineapple and cook until meat has absorbed the sauce for a few minutes {if I’m using canned pineapple I’ll add a few teaspoons of the juice as well}. Turn off heat.

4. Lay tortillas on clean surface.  Spoon about 1/2 cup pork mixture down center of each tortilla.  Top filling with about 2 Tblsp cheese, roll up tightly, and lay seamside down on a cutting board.

5. Pour half cup of salsa verde into the same skillet {no need to clean it out}.  Add enchiladas, seam side down, however they fit in the skillet.  Top with remaining salsa verde and cheese.

6. Bake 15 minutes, or until cheese has completely melted.  Serve with desired toppings.

Serves 4

adapted from what to cook when you don't feel like cooking

xoxo,

stephanie marie

Valentine's Day

For Valentine's Day this year we spent most of the time running errands then spent the evening with takeout and relaxing, which was exactly perfect.  It started off splitting a pastry I had picked up the day before, then we drove up to Lynnwood to check out some fun jewelry for me and C's favorite {Costco} for him.  When we came home we tested out the car seat  then got some pizza from Zeeks that we enjoyed while watching our favorite shows.  Sounds like the perfect way to say "I Love You!" :)

xoxo,

stephanie marie

The Weekend {In Pictures}

{thai friday}

{breakfast}

{very early blooms}

{sunday afternoon walk}

{the most delicious husband-made dinner}

{a cold holiday walk}

{hope this baby likes beige}

{fish soup to warm us up}

xoxo,

stephanie marie

Happy {Long Weekend} Friday!

Happy Friday!  What a week to be in Seattle, eh?  While I missed out on the parade this year it was so fun to watch online and to just feel the energy of the city this week - everyone is so excited about the Super Bowl Champs and it helps that it's been sunny and gorgeous all week long.  Now the rain is coming back but we have a long weekend to look forward to, including Valentine's Day where I'm sure we'll be doing exactly what we do every year - ordering takeout :)  Have a great one, and once again - Go Hawks!

xoxo,

stephanie marie

Date Night {Bar Del Corso}

After taking a class on First Hill Saturday afternoon we decided to take advantage of being halfway to Beacon Hill and go to dinner at one of our faves, Bar Del Corso.  We got there the minute they were opening and snagged the first table of the evening since we didn't have reservations.  We started with an arugula and frisee salad with baby beets and oranges, then shared two pizzas {the Funghi and the special which had Ricotta, Calabrian Chilies, and Coppa which we both agreed was our fave} along with some refreshing drinks.  It was so fun to get to sneak away to one of our fave spots {that always feels so far away whenever we really are craving it} and I always love an impromptu date night with my love:)

xoxo,

stephanie marie

Sabine

Last week a dear old friend asked to take me to lunch to celebrate baby and of course I said yes.  It was such a beautiful day out and we decided to head to Sabine in Ballard where we could sit on their enclosed patio and eat some yummy food {I used to go to this place all the time when it was Bastille but hadn't been since it changed to an all day cafe}.  The falafel pita hit the spot, but the best part was catching up with an old friend and skipping out on work on a gorgeous sunny day.  Cheers to that!

xoxo,

stephanie marie

The Weekend {In Pictures}

{i love friday night at uvillage}

{fave ma'ono fried chicken}

{never can leave without cookies}

{saturday night at the depot}

{the city was decked out in blue and green for our team}

{wise words from big dumper}

{pre-game baking}

{this halftime show was everything}

{superbowl chili}

{best end to a sunday - go hawks!}

xoxo,

stephanie marie