Summer fare

I ate this for three days in a row. It doesn't get much better than this.

Girls (and boys) just wanna have fun

Last weekend I joined in Anne's birthday celebration at a few of the metro area's downtown hotspots. Most of the people in Anne's group had been to Chiang mai Thai on Hennepin Ave, but what a jewel that I got to discover! The green veggie curry was excellent and gluten-free. Plus, I've never met a spring roll I didn't like. There were tables waiting for the guest of honor here, where we watched some dancers in their very bright and revealing costumes, gave some tips (Lady Gaga was amazing), leaving me to wonder where it all goes in those outfits? The Shout House was quite popular, considering basically every song is a crowd favorite. There were some heavy metal covers that even sounded great on the piano.

Some sweet

Made some delicious sweet potato pancakes this morning, topped with real maple syrup and toasted walnuts. Bon appetit.

the Emerald City

I actually didn't know this until I arrived but this is Seattle's moniker. At first, I was thinking, "But Oz is the Emerald City..." OK, so I'm a little overinvested in fairy tales. I had never been to the Pacific Northwest before and despite not being able to hike, mountain climb, or take the ferry (all items for future trip with husband--one of our top 4 future destinations), my bird's eye view of the city was lovely. Our hotel was very centrally located near some important landmarks: Starbucks (duh), J Crew, Nordstrom et al. Work commitments really sucked up my time from 7:00 am until after 8 most nights, so I took an afternoon to play hooky and spent most of it traipsing through Pike Place Market. This is indeed a foodie's paradise: any type of fresh produce (and some I didn't recognize), in addition to a mile of fresh-cut cacophony of sunflowers, lilies, snapdragons, lavender...The honey tasting was one of my favorites, and I'm so glad that many booths started selling 3 oz. containers of their wares. I continued my tradition of collecting a piece of local art from my travels, and I bought a gorgeous painting of a ginko leaf from this artist. I really respected what this marketplace represents and how much the city and its businesses appreciate tourism. Great restaurants I was able to experience: RedFin Sushi--amazing crunchy tofu roll w/ spicy aioli; Anthony's at Pier 66--tender chargrilled halibut with a spectacular view; and a definite cheat-worthy pain du chocolat with almond paste at Le Panier. Next time I'll bring my hiking boots and passport, as I'm sure the views from Rainier and Olympia are well worth the trip, not to mention a night or two at Safeco Field.