Inspiration at the Northwest Flower & Garden Show

Tags

decks, drinks, entertaining, gardening, herbs, NW Flower & Garden Show

I am so over this wet, cold, snowy weather we’ve had here in the Pacific Northwest! How about you?

I visited the Northwest Flower & Garden Show this weekend, courtesy of the Seattle Homes & Lifestyles Magazine, and began dreaming of that early spring that the groundhog promised us this year.

It’s almost time to get out there and start planting and I cannot wait!

This fairy-tale inspired one is a little fancy, but I love the idea of a living wall. I may just have the perfect place on the side of my house.

I think I need to spend more time scouring the roadsides for free items I could use in my garden. Recycling old materials for the garden is something I have been wanting to try more of. This idea gives new meaning to the term garden “bed”.

I don’t think I’m quite crafty enough for this…

But this I could do!

I am really digging these stone faces. Do you like these or do you think they are creepy? I kind of think both myself.

Beautifully creepy!

What bright colorful mushrooms these are. I don’t usually go for this look, but these really caught my eye.

I am especially looking forward to the plantings that we get to enjoy at the dinner table. I’m planning on trying tomatoes yet again this year (even though my husband says I am a glutton for punishment) and of course planting more herbs, and maybe even a vegetable garden finally.

Wouldn’t these recycled silverware markers be so much fun in the garden? Right up my alley!

I didn’t realize that the show would make me so hungry

Most of all, I am looking forward to entertaining.

Is this a little over the "top"? So adorable!

I just love entertaining – especially outdoors. From a bbq with the family, to a sweet brunch in the garden with my girlfriends.

This summer I am finally going to dig out, clean up, and use this beautiful antique garden cart I got for a steal at a rummage sale a few years ago. I think it would make a perfect bar cart for the bloody Mary bar at Alexandra Hedin’s Garden Brunch I guest blogged about over at Girl Power Hour. Read about it here.

Now if I can just get my deck finished…

Mixin’ It Up

Tags

blueberry muffins, cake, chocolate, cornbread, figs, pork, salmon, seafood boil

Each time I’ve watched the batter attachment on my stand mixer whiz round and round repeatedly over the last couple of weeks, I can’t help but think of it perfectly mimicking what life has been like around here lately – a whirlwind of a good times; birthday celebrations, out-of-town guests, school starting. With all the entertaining we’ve been doing, there’s not only been a lot of cooking, but much baking as well, and my mixer has been quite busy whipping up some fun!

It all started with some lovely cornbread I made to go with this simple salmon dinner the first night of  my father-in-law’s visit from Boston.

After many years of trying box mixes and several cornbread recipes, I’ve gone back to the basics – I simply buy Alber’s cornmeal and use the recipe on the box. It tastes just like we used to have when I was a kid – why mess with that? Most times, simple is better

The next morning my mixer was back in action making these incredible blueberry muffins. My father-in-law loved them so much he even asked for the recipe, so that he could make them for his wife when he returns home. How sweet is that? Imagine my surprise, after all these years, to discover that he was a baker. What wonderful things we learn about each other over food.

These really are the most ridiculously delicious blueberry muffins – the streusel on top adds just a little bit of crunchy sweetness to the spongy, yet moist, muffin that is not overly sweet itself. To enjoy these beauties year-round, I bought a flat of berries when they were a great price at the supermarket and froze them in resealable freezer bags in two cup portions, ready to go for whenever I get a craving for Blueberry Streusel Muffins (I like a LOT of berries so I use TWO generous cups of berries for this recipe!)

While I always (both times I have made them now) get wonderful compliments on these muffins, I really can’t take all the credit. I found this recipe here on one of my favorite recipe sites, Allrecipes.com.

The mixer was still going strong days later when I made a cake for my son’s 13th birthday party (wow a teenager! I cannot believe that I am the mother of a teen, but that’s a WHOLE other post!) I needed a chocolate cake that I could prepare in a 9″x13″ cake pan for easy transport. I came across this cake, again on my beloved Allrecipes.com, titled “The Best chocolate Cake You Ever Ate” . How could I resist that? I don’t remember every chocolate cake I have ever eaten, but it is definitely the best chocolate cake I have ever made. Go ahead, make it, and let me know if YOU think it’s the best chocolate cake YOU’VE ever eaten. (Please forgive me for the paper plate presentation – it was a 13 year old’s birthday party at a Family Fun Center after all… ) One note on the recipe: I left out the cinnamon based on my own preferences.

Of course that was the second chocolate cake we had eaten – it was my husband’s birthday a few days earlier and my father-in-law – remember the baker? HE actually made my husband’s cake! For my husband’s birthday dinner we had

Baking and Blogging (with a little help…)

A couple of weeks ago I posted here about Stacey Edwards’ Bake-n-Blog virtual baking party and her invitation to other bloggers to join her in baking and blogging about this selection of enticing Ming Makes Cupcakes. Well, the choices are made, the cupcakes are all baked, and today is blogging day!

Those of you who know me, may also know that I am more of a cook than a baker. Not that I am bad at baking, or even dislike it, I just prefer the creative freedom that cooking affords me. There is an awful lot of precise measuring that goes into the baking process and I tend to be more loose with ingredients than allowed in baking, mostly using recipes as more of a “guideline” than the gospel truth. When I’m cooking my self dialogue could go something like this:

“Was that 1 or 2 teaspoons?”

“Ummmm…”

“Oh well, just eyeball it. And let’s just throw in a little of this too. Oh, and maybe some of that…”

Not such good words to speak while baking.

But I do love a nice homemade baked good, especially when it’s chocolate! And Sis’s Chocolate Cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting are an absolute dream for a chocolate lover like me!

I have always encouraged my children to join me in the kitchen, and my younger son seems to have taken to it with great intensity. But lately, he has been distracted by other fun things to do than act as my sous chef.  So when the time came to make my chosen cupcake,  I was a little surprised that he wanted to help. His disposition is perfect for baking, he is a budding engineer – spending hours in his room, working diligently, with precision and creativity, on his latest LEGO creation.

So while I directed, and snapped photos, he perfectly measured…

and poured…

and stirred…

and “stirred”…

and baked.

And of course he had to build!

This guy ( the older brother) only appeared in the kitchen when there were spoons to be licked!

The best part about this challenge was hearing the words, “I just love being in the kitchen and helping you make stuff, mom.”  I just smiled and said, “Me too.” Though I don’t really think he helped me at all…

Did I mention that I ADORE baking?

Day Tripping

Last weekend I used food as an inspiration to plan a road trip to Orcas Island with my best girlfriend, Stacey.  To read about my fun jaunt, check out my latest guest post at the Girl Power Hour Blog, Fabulous Feasting: A Food Adventure – Orcas Island.

Mmmm! Don’t those beets look great? I think I had a few of those for lunch on my salad at Allium!

I’m Guest Blogging for Girl Power Hour!

I am so thrilled to announce that I just wrote my first post  for Girl Power Hour! Girl Power Hour is a group focused on stylish networking in Seattle. Each month I will be contributing a post to the GPH blog titled, Fabulous Feasting, “ a monthly blog feature focusing on one woman’s quest for the most fabulous food in Seattle to feast on, from restaurants to recipes.”

My first piece is a recipe for this quick (under 10 minutes!) delicious, and stunning breakfast sandwich using  Secret Stash Sea Salts chorizo flavored salt. See it here.

Look for my next post here on KristinPotPie to highlight Secret Stash Sea Salts, and the other wonderful ways you can use them in your cooking.