Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween!
We had a pumpkin carving contest at work- my group went with a no carve glow-in-the-dark one. His name is Marvin the Mummy :)

Off to carve more pumpkins with friends and pumpkin pie tonight :)

Taking on Rock Climbing

Joshua and I bought rock climbing shoes while my parents were visiting awhile back. We've used them once, but now that it's rainy season we're excited to have more of a reason to head to the climbing gym.
We went on Sunday night after dinner and got reaquainted with how to do it and what our ability was. I think Joshua's height is cheating, but he did way better than I did.

What I've been suprised about is that it kind of scares me, heights don't bother me and they have fluffy mats you'd fall on, but I've hurt my back and neck a few times and I think that's the fear that grips me.
It was fun to have Joshua there coaching me on and supporting me through it when I'd freeze and just encouraging me even when I stopped half way up. Looking forward to getting stronger and possibly, dare I say, aquire some arm muscles. (I know I laughed too)

We can't wait to spend more nights there, here they are open until 11pm! it's such a fun way to pull ourselves out of a rut and get up and do something (especially on a rainy day) that is centered around the climbing and exersize but also facilitates conversation and even teamwork. Plus who doesn't feel cool laying around on mats looking all pro in your own shoes :)

Pumpkin Beerfest

This past weekend's forecast looked gloomy but we got lucky and were blessed with some sunshine at least for a few hours everyday. Saturday afternoon hubs and I went to a Pumpkin Beerfest, biggest on in the country. They had over 60!!!! types of pumpkin beer. And they all had pretty awesome names such as- Hefepumps and Woozles(inspired from Winnie the Pooh), Pumpkin Smumpkin, Boo Radley, and many more involving the word pumpkin or gourd. Plus the glasses had jack-o-lantern faces on them, so I was on a quest to find the most orange one to put in it.

They also brewed one special beer in a pumpkin and they tapped it at the festival and then poured it all around for free! Nice! We met up with a few guys from Josh's work and they knew a lot of the brewers there so it was fun to meet the people that brewed the beer.

After our 6 samples though I must say I was pumpkin beered out :)

We grabbed pizza for dinner settled in for the night and then got a call at 9:10 asking if we wanted to see a movie at 9:30 about a bicycle messanger riding a fixie trying to deliver a package with a NYC cop chasing him, the cop was corrupt. Of course we went! It was actually a suprisingly good movie. And finished the night off at Chuck's Hop Shop with our movie friends.

With all the craziness and trips and visitors this September it was really great to have a weekend in Seattle where we Seattle felt welcoming and normal.
We even took a walk around Greenlake after church with some friends chatting and soaking up the little bit of Sunday's sunshine. We felt so blessed and loved this weekend. Feeling normal and social in the place you live is so hard sometimes that we're so thankful when it happens.

Mother-In-Law visit!

Joshua and his mom ran around all Friday while I as at work and headed to Carkeek Park and then accidentally got a little lost into downtown so they picked me up from work :)

We went to Capitol Hill for yummy sandwiches from Honey Hole and drinks at Odd Fellows.

The next day we ran around downtown to the Art Museum and took a Boat Tour
The tour was awesome because we got to sit down, and she told us stories about Seattle, and pointed everything out.

We had dinner at nice seafood restaurant downtown. Teresa really wanted crab legs which wasn't on the menu, so we convinced them to make her a whole crab which Joshua and her split. I on the other hand starred at my plate the hole dinner trying to ignore them cracking into the crab haha. I made a barrier with water glasses and bread bowls.

The next day we braved the rain, of course it rained this weekend, and went on a hike- Wallace Falls. We tortured Teresa with some hills but she was a real trooper and made it up the falls. It was fun to take her to the other side of what we love so much about Seattle, the mountains. We even had a little picnic lunch at the top.

We had the best thai food for dinner and then headed to Joshua's work so he could show off his genius, and of course we grabbed Dairy Queen on the way home.

Canadian Thanksgiving

Our friend's had a Canadian Thanksgiving Potluck. I've never celebrated Canadian Thanksgiving, but seeing as we have no family out here to celebrate real Thanksgiving with we were excited to be able to attend this one. There was food and people everywhere- the way it should be. Also a few singings of the Canadian National Anthem :)

I decided to make cornbread and lavendar honey cupcakes. I've never liked cornbread much, I can't usually make it past the first few bites. So I decided to try making my own and sprucing it up a bit in hopes of falling in love with it. Alas I did not fall in love, but it was tasty! And hubs loved it. (just one of those foods I don't think I love, bummer) But this is worth a try and a really great recipe.

Mozzarella and Sun-dried Tomato Cornbread:

1 1/4 cup cornmeal
3/4 cup flour
4 tsp baking powder
1 tbs sugar
1 tsp salt
few good grinds of pepper
2 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup olive oil
1 cup corn kernels; frozen or fresh
1/2 cup mozzarella, plus some for topping; shredded
2 tbs sun dried tomatoes; chopped
1 tbs basil; chopped

preheat oven 400 degrees F, and place 10" cast iron skillet on stove on low
1     mix cornmeal, flour, powder, sugar, salt, and pepper in large bowl
2     in another bowl whisk together eggs, buttermilk and olive oil
3     then stir into the egg mixture the corn, mozzarella, tomaotes and basil
4     make a well in the center of the cornmeal mixture
5     pour the egg mixture into the well and fold the ingredients together until just incorprated
6     drizzle about 2 tbs olive oil into the cast iron skillet and tilt the skillet until evenly covered
7     then pour the batter into the skillet and spread evenly
8     sprinkle some shredded mozzarella on top
9     bake for 20-25 minutes, top will be golden brown

serve warm or let cool to room temperature


afterwards we capped off the night sailing and playing euchre with a few friends, nice relaxing Sunday before all the adventures we have planned for when Joshua's mom visits this weekend.

Lavendar Honey Cupcakes

I've had lavendar honey cupcakes on my to do list ever since we went to the lavendar farm

I've had it stuck in my head that a less sweet lavendar cupcake needed to have a honey buttercream frosting, I finally made them and I'm thinking I was right. The sweetness of the frosting uplifted the cupcake and they are so so pretty!!!

Lavendar Cupcake:

makes 12 cupcakes

1/2 cup butter; room temp
1 cup sugar
2 eggs; room temp
2 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 1/2 tbs lavendar buds
2/3 cup milk

preheat oven 350 degrees F
1     beat the butter and sugar together until well mixed
2     beat in the eggs 1 at a time
3     and beat in the vanilla
4     in another bowl mix together flour, powder, salt
5     chop the lavendar buds until the are well ground, I used a large knife and drug
       the buds with the edge of a knife across the cutting board and that gave fast results,
       or of course a mortar and pestle
6     mix in the lavendar with the flour
7     pour 1/3 flour mixture into butter, mix until incorporated
8     stir in 1/3 cup milk
9     then 1/3 flour, 1/3 milk, 1/3 flour
10   scoop about 1/4 cup batter into cupcake tin and bake for 18-22 minutes, toothpick
       comes out clean


Honey Buttercream Frosting:

1 cup butter; room temp
1/2 cup honey
1 1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 tbs milk

1     whip butter until light and fluffy
2     beat in honey
3     beat in powdered sugar
4     beat in milk
5     put icing in icing bag with a flower tip (so the drizzled honey has somewhere to catch

then ice the top of the cupcakes
drizzle honey on top of each
and sprinkle with just a few lavendar buds!




mini's for taste testing before giving them to people- a must



Serioulsy aren't they gorgeous, I love their simplicity

decorating cupcakes with what is inside them is my favorite