Pike Place Street Festival 2008

We are hosting good friends from Montreal, Valerie, Martin and Lauralie. Tomorrow, we are hitting a favourite spot for the second time this week! Come join us at the Pike Place Street Festival!

Christieview Farm Blog!

My techy Dad has a new blog up and running! Check it out, especially if you share my Dad's love of horses, Christieview Farm Blog. This farm is where i spent my childhood years, and where, thankfully, i get to take my children for memorable visits. Christieview Farm shaped me into the person that i am today, as it was there that i fell in love with nature, gardening and walking/skiing/running in the woods.

Irene Video by Caribou

We just discovered Pitchfork.tv. This video by Caribou is a new household favourite.

PSE Green Power and Theo's Chocolate

Puget Sound Energy and Theo Chocolate, a Pacific Northwest green power business, have teamed up to thank you for joining PSE's Green Power Program. Sign up today and receive organic chocolate compliments of Theo Chocolate. The complimentary gift offer is available until June 15, 2008.

Chocolate anyone?

Yoga for the Gardener

I give thanks to You Grow Girl for posting a link that combines two of my passions, gardening and yoga. If you garden and need a little yoga to balance your efforts, click here.

REI's Kids' Passport to Adventure

The other day, I was at REI with M&M when a clerk asked if the kids had a REI Summer Passport. Mina was quick to sign herself and her brother up for the program. In addition to a fancy whistle at the end, you recieve a cute little book full of journaling prompts, puzzles, hiking/camping tips and stickers. I love anything that gets the kids excited about being active and outside. Our whole family is excited for summer sports and camping trips!

Friends Anna and Madeline (Deb and John) gave the kids these cool camping chairs for their birthdays. Tonight seemed to be all about the chairs. In the chairs, they read stories, 'camped' in their room and ate dinner. Miles dropped his dinner three times but it was rather fun.

Obama in Oregon

Obama Draws Huge Crowd in Oregon as Clinton Courts Kentucky .

Visitors to the Emerald City

Last night, we were happy to host traveling family friends Peter and Elizabeth Moffat, who brought with them their sweet friend, Winnie. It was a rather fun visit. Everyone got a full dose of the kids, which, in our house, means a full tour featuring the new bunk beds, 'show and tell' of an assortment of random things and many requests to read books. 'Winnie' told Mina that she was a true 'Tigger', which is rather accurate, especially last night.


To the great delight of the kids, Elizabeth played her "I know a wienie man" ukulele song. Then she and Winnie marched them, with singing and strumming, to their beds for a night of happy sleep.


I was holding on to the weather from the weekend and pulled out two favourite summer recipes,

Vegetarian Muffaletta
from International Vegetarian Union

Prior to having kids, I worked at Seattle Cancer Care Alliance and a coworker shared this recipe with me.

Serves 8

1 large round Italian loaf of bread (10")
Filling: Use as many of the ingredients as you a) like and b) can fit into your sandwich!
1 eggplant, about 1 lb. cut into 1/4 inch slices & broiled
Hommus
1 sweet red pepper, roasted, peeled, cut into chunks
1 sweet yellow pepper, roasted, peeled, cut into chunks
1 bunch fresh arugula or bitter greens (cress will do)
thinly sliced onion
Thinly sliced avocado
broiled zucchini slices
chopped black olives (brined)
Thinly sliced roma tomatoes
1/3 cup pesto sauce
Cut top off of bread and scoop out some of the insides (save for croutons or bread crumbs).
Layer ingredients thinly, starting with hommus on the bottom, ending with pesto sauce on the top.
Add top of bread and wrap tightly.
Let sit 2 hours or more.
Cut into wedges & serve.

PCC Emerald City Salad
Emerald City Salad
Serves 6-8

2 cups organic wild rice
1 bunch organic kale
1 bunch organic chard
1 red bell pepper
1 yellow pepper
1 fennel bulb
1 bunch green onion
1/2 cup chopped parsley
3/4 cup olive oil
3/4 cup lemon juice
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon black pepper


Whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper to make dressing. Cook the rice in ample water. Drain, cool, and toss rice with dressing. Remove tough stems and ribs from greens and chiffonade.

Combine with diced peppers, thinly sliced fennel bulb and chopped green onion. Just before serving, toss veggies with dressed rice.

PCC Natural Markets, 2005

The summer food was rather good, but the company was even better!

I've got a new love and its name is Panini

The looming tomato crop inspired me to purchase a panini press, which is something that i've REALLY wanted for a while. We recently got one by Breville, and i'm so in love with the whole experience. Last night, it was rather awesome to be sitting on the deck, enjoying the weather, and savouring a fresh kale/cheese/olive panini. I can see panini and a salad as the summer meal. I'd welcome any favourite panini recipes!

Happy weekend to you all. Here's hoping that the sun is shining on you too.

Narrow Stairs

DCFC's new album, Narrow Stairs, came out this week. Here's a quick documentary about the album from Current TV.

BBG Cherry Walk Video

Check out this 2008 Cherry Blossom Timelapse at Brooklyn Botanic Garden.

This timelapse was created by Dave Allen, BBG's Web Manager, from over 3,000 digital photos, one taken every 3 minutes from April 18 to April 26, 2008, of Brooklyn Botanic Garden's famed Cherry Walk.

Father's Day 2008

The tickets for this year's Father's Day KEXP Dance Party went on sale today! If you follow this link, you can purchase them on-line. That webpage is actually for last year's event, so you have to search ticketswest for Sunday June 15th, 2008 at Neumos.

Mother's Day 2008

We've just had a very mellow, nap-filled Mother's Day weekend. This kind of weekend was very overdue, and soooooooo lovely. This morning we got out for a hike and took some time to throw some rocks around.

Today's dinner highlights were a bottle of Cougar Crest wine and some "Strawberry Dream Cream" made by Mina and Pappa. Strawberry icecream from Mina's new cool cookbook, Simple in Season for Kids, from Aunt Leanne and Uncle Phil!



Mother's Day 2008, Mamma and Mina, freshly five


Mother's Day 2003. Mina was just two or three days old.

Happy Mother's Day to all of you!

Hitting the milestone of five...

Mina, June ‎26, ‎2003

Mina, May 9th, 2008

With much dancing, music and celebration, our dear daughter has officially turned five. It is really hard to believe. 'Five' seems like a milestone and as a result, we've really been reflecting on this passage. Reflecting both on where we've come and where we are going. For me, the birth of Mina also meant a significant life and career shift. I remain truly thankful that i'm able to stay home with the kids, and for all the time that we have shared. I will always cherish these early years.

Five also brings the realization of another 'shift' that is quickly approaching and will change our daily life. Thankfully, Mina is rather excited to enter kindergarten in the fall. On her birthday morning, she quickly plotted it out "i'm five now!!! that means summer and then kindergarten!!!". We expect the transition to kindergarten to be fairly smooth, largely because she already goes to preschool at her elementary school. I also believe that this integration has built up the excitment of becoming a true elementary school student. She's had a wonderful introduction to school life and has enjoyed her preschool time there very much. We have a fun summer planned with a number of camping trips and summer camps, but i want to balance that with mellow family time and sibling time for M&M. Fall will come quickly enough, and i'm going to really miss our little girl.



We had a fun birthday for Mina, complete with sunshine. Pappa met us for lunch at Red Robin. She took strawberries and grapes to share with her preschool friends. And at the hour of five, she had four friends over to help her celebrate the big five. So five, at five to celebrate five! Mina was really happy to see all her friends and to host a drop-off party. It was a 'Dan Zanes dance party', which was an idea that Mina had months ago. We followed a similar program as when her cousins were in town for a party, dancing and playing to various tunes from her favourite singer. I also made some Dan Zanes colouring books for the girls, and everyone made their own pizza for dinner. Mina wanted Dan Zanes to be on her cake so we did one of those cakes where you print a picture on it. It turned out awesome. This was the first time we bought a cake and it will remain a memorable one.








Mina had the first piece and requested his guitar! Later pal Izie requested his head!

Thanks to everyone for all the wishes and joy for Mina.

Update on the crazy number of tomatoes

I haven't counted them lately but the bulk of the tomatoes have done really well, and survived the extra TLC from Mina and Miles. True to the dedication of gardening, I started everything under a grow light which was sitting in our spare bathroom tub. I would often find Miles in their giving his special touch to the plants and watering all around. But they survived! The plants recently got kicked out of the extra bathroom for guests, so they are out in the greenhouse now!

Video of the Olympic flame on Everest

This is a cool video of the flame traveling up Everest. This event also marked three months till the Olympics will begin.

Tropea, Tropea, Tropea

This past weekend, we also celebrated our eight year wedding anniversary. We got out for a late dinner at a favourite Italian spot in Redmond, Tropea. The food tasted INCREDIBLE! INCREDIBLE! INCREDIBLE! Perhaps it was because we hadn't been out for dinner in a REALLY long time, the wine or the occasion... or all of the above. But it was amazing. Rich and i discovered this place back in Feb 2000 when Microsoft flew us out for a house hunting trip. We were staying at the nearby hotel and ended up walking by, and thankfully going in...

For our anniversary, we got a couple of cool chairs for camping and life...REI Comfort chair I just can't wait to take the chairs (and the family) camping!

Anchor Hocking Glassware

I've been searching for glass storage containers that are truly all glass, i.e. including the lid. I fell in love with these ones from an old American glassmaker, Anchor Hocking. The size is great, the lids aren't plastic, no worry in the dishwashers and I love opening the fridge to see them!

Dan Zanes/Owl Birthday Party!

The month of celebration continues! Our family from Vancouver came down for a party full of dancing to Dan Zanes and acting like owls!

Making a train for to "CHOO CHOO BOOGIE" (Catch That Train album).

Rhythm sticks!!! These were a hit.

I always love when we have enough kids for the parachute!

Cousin Simon trying on the owl toss game. :)

Keeping with the owl half of the theme, we ate mice instead of cake!


Dan Zanes/Owl Party Play List! songs/game selected by Mina and Mamma

1- JUMP UP – jumping, jumping, jumping
2- THE HOKEY POKEY
3- WEST INDIAN COUNTING SONG – hot potato
4- MANGO WALK – freeze dance
5- NIGHT OWL- flying like an owl
6- ALL AROUND THE KITCHEN- like a chicken and recommended actions
7- CHOO CHOO BOOGIE – hands on shoulders, train walking
8- LET’S SHAKE – follow song actions
9- SKIP TO MY LOU - skipping
10- QUE FORTUNIDAD- rhythm sticks
11- WHAT A WONDERFUL WORLD -bubbles
12- SMILE, SMILE, SMILE – parachute slow
13- MALTI- parachute fast
14- SURROUNDED BY FRIENDSHIP – hanging...