Pike Place Afternoon

Yesterday afternoon I met up with the Klosterman family at Pike Place Market for a little touristy adventure.  They're in town for the wedding and it was so fun to spend the evening with them watching the fish guys throwing fish, checking out the first Starbucks, and sticking gum on the Gum Wall {them, not me}.  After the Market we headed to dinner at Maggie Bluffs and even though it was a bit too chilly to eat outside, we still got to wander around a bit taking in that awesome view.  I love these kiddos and am so excited to spend more time with them this weekend!

xoxo,
stephanie marie

Flintcreek Seattle

Last week Erika and I went out for her birthday dinner {yes, her birthday was in October but we like to keep the celebration going}.  After sending her a few ideas of restaurants, we settled on Flintcreek which was just up the road from her house and came highly recommended.  After lots of snuggles with Linnea from "Auntie Stephie" we headed to the restaurant where we promptly ordered a bottle of wine and lots of yummy shared food.  One of my favorite dishes was the grilled asparagus with black bean sauce and burrata {amazing} but we were also equally impressed with the with the lamb & marjoram sausage and the wild boar gnocchi - our plates were licked clean :)  Though I love our twice annual dinners out just the two of us to try new places,  my favorite part about it is hanging out with Erika and just chatting and eating with my bestie.  It really is the best tradition.

xoxo,
stephanie marie

Martha Stewart's Creamy Mac & Cheese

One thing mom and I have in common is a genuine love for homemade mac & cheese.  It's not something I try to indulge in often anymore, but when I do, I want it to be goooood.  Since Mom was coming down on Saturday night I decided to whip up a batch of Martha Stewart's Mac & Cheese that I found on Smitten Kitchen awhile back and have been dying to try.  The recipe is huge and says it serves 12, so I halved the below recipe to feed us and have yummy leftovers.  Another thing we both love?  Tomatoes with our Mac & Cheese, and luckily I had a pint of grape tomatoes that were perfect for the meal.  This Mac & Cheese is definitely one of the best I've ever tasted {we both went back for seconds, cuz why not??} - making that decadent cheese sauce is way better than just shredding some cheese over noodles and baking it for a bit.  It's not something I'll be able to make over and over if I want to continue to fit into my pants, but for special occasions like Mother's Day, it's absolutely perfect :)

Martha's Mac & Cheese

Ingredients
8 Tblsp {1 stick} unsalted butter
6 slices white bread, crusts removed, torn into 1/2 inch pieces
5 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup flour
2 tsp coarse salt
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
4 1/2 cups {about 18oz} grated sharp white cheddar cheese
2 cups {about 8 oz} grated Gruyere
1 lb elbow macaroni

Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 375.  Butter a 3 quart casserole dish and set aside.  Place bread in medium bowl.  In small saucepan over medium heat, melt 2 Tblsp butter.  Pour melted butter into bowl with bread and toss.  Set aside.
2. Warm milk in medium saucepan over medium heat. Melt remaining 6 Tblsp butter in high sided skillet over medium heat.  When butter bubbles, add flour and cook, stirring, 1 minute.
3. While whisking, slowly pour in hot milk a little at a time to keep mixture smooth.  Continue cooking, whisking constantly, until mixture bubbles and becomes thick, 8 to 12 minutes.
4. Remove pan from heat.  Stir in salt, nutmeg, pepper, cayenne, 3 cups cheddar, and 1 1/3 cups Gruyere.  Set cheese sauce aside.
5. Meanwhile, cook macaroni in boiling water until outside of pasta is cooked, about 3-4 minutes.  Drain in colander and rinse under cold water.  Stir macaroni into cheese sauce.
6. Pour mixture into prepared baking dish.  Sprinkle remaining cheese and breadcrumbs on top.  Bake until golden brown, about 30 minutes.  Cool for 5 minutes, then serve.

Serves 12

adapted from smitten kitchen

xoxo,
stephanie marie

Mother's Day Weekend

Happy Mother's Day!  I had such a great day hanging out with my mama - we started the morning with a delicious brunch at Frank's Oyster House {so so good} then headed over to UVillage for some shopping and wandering around before heading back home.  I love spending time with my mom and when it includes doing some of our favorite things - brunching and shopping - it's even better :)  Happy Mother's Day, Mom!  I love you!

 mimosa & bloody mary

 orange scented zeppole {made to order donuts}

 huevos rancheros

 my card for mom {sorry dad - too good to pass up!}

me and my fabulous mama

xoxo,
stephanie marie

Happy {Mother's Day} Weekend

Happy Mother's Day weekend to all the mama's out there, but especially mine :)  She's the lady that always convinces me to go on crazy adventures, encourages me to be a better person, and laughs with me like no one else.  Mom - I love you!  And I'm excited to celebrate you this weekend!

Happy Mother's Day!

xoxo,
stephanie marie

New 'Do

Yesterday afternoon was spent in the salon with a glass of rosé getting my hair did by my favorite stylist.  I've missed Rachelle and it felt soooooo good to finally be back in her chair chattin' up a storm.  With the sun shining in and the wine in my hand, she just had to snap a few shots of my newly blonde 'do.  Summer, here I come!

xoxo,
stephanie marie

Flatstick Pub

A few weeks back, my group all left work early and headed down to Pioneer Square for an afternoon of beer and mini golf.  Flatstick Pub is fairly new to Seattle and is an indoor mini-golf course in the basement of an old building in the heart of old Seattle.  They have about 30 Washington beers on tap and with a tee time you can play this 9 hole obstacle course that spells out "SEATTLE" {along with a few extras to make it an even 9}.  The game is purely for fun - the holes are impossible to ace {ok, a few in my group got a hole in one, but it's not easy!} and the place is noisy and crowded, but it was an excellent getaway from the office to relax for a few hours and have some fun.  The beer was delicious and the atmosphere entertaining and I can't wait to go back with some friends to try and best my horrible score.  Do yourself a favor and make a tee time at this unique and fun establishment very soon :)

xoxo,
stephanie marie