Fall

Sorry for my lack of posts lately. I've been..... relaxing :) Fall has come very quick and it's my favorite season of the year. Football season is in full swing, the wind is picking up on the streets, the North Face coats are showing their faces and I'm so very happy about all these things. I've been knitting quite a bit lately and have picked up a new book. It's called "Merle's Door: Lessons From a Freethinking Dog." It's very enjoyable so far. I finished my mom's scarf and have been working on a quick one for myself. Compared to the one for my mom, I'm not very happy with mine, but it will do the job and it's a bit funky so I'm sure it will grow on me.

All of this to say we're still here. We're just enjoying some time indoors. I would expect some recipes soon and maybe some beer reviews :) It is Oktoberfest after all.

Hope everyone is having a good Fall so far!

If...

* If you could spend one year looking for one thing in the world, what would you search for?

* If you could pick one famous person to be your neighbor, who would you have next door to you?

* If you could sing any one song beautifully and perfectly, which one would you pick?

Discuss...

National Park(ing) Day!

We turned on the news this morning to find that this event was happening just outside our front door:

Today is National Park(ing) Day. Park(ing) Day is a one-day, global event centered in San Francisco where artists, activists, and citizens collaborate to temporarily transform metered parking spots into “Park(ing)” spaces: temporary public parks.

Public parking spaces around the nation have sprouted grass, trees, flowers, park benches, and lawn chairs, sponsored by TPL and based on an idea conceived by REBAR, a San Francisco artist's corporative. Check out photos from National Park(ing) Day, 2008, as well as a full list of participating cities at www.tpl.org/parkingday.

The annual event celebrates the importance of parks in cities and calls attention to the need for new city parks. Volunteers create a park for a day-or a few hours-by feeding the meter at a public parking spot. Then they create a temporary park and invite passerby to enjoy it.

This Weekend: Fremont Oktoberfest

From 5:00pm today to 6:00pm Sunday, you can visit Fremont's Oktoberfest!



Fremont Oktoberfest, a community celebration that turns the traditional Oktoberfest into a community celebration reflective of Fremont’s funky flair.

In old Germany, the brewing season began with the fall harvest of barley and hops and any beer left at harvest time had to be consumed before the new beer arrived. September was designated as the time to drink-up all of last season’s beer. It officially became Oktoberfest in 1810, when Ludwig I, the Crown Prince of Bavaria declared a 16-day celebration in commemoration of his wedding.

The highlight of the Fremont Oktoberfest may be the Stranger Microbrew Garden with over 70 beers, but over the past 11 years the celebration has grown to have something for everyone.

Join us for…

• The Texas Chainsaw Pumpkin Carving Contest
• A kids' area featuring the favorite Zucchini 500 track and Root Beer Garden
• The 6th Annual Brew HA-HA 5K Run/Walk with the one of a kind Beer Belly Division and Team Division.
• Think you know Fremont? Try the ultimate scavenger hunt in the Center of the Universe, with the Brew HA-HA Street Scramble.
• A variety of festival food vendors
• The Carter Volkswagen festival entertainment stage packed with family-friendly fun
• Beck's By-The-Glass beer garden featuring Beck’s as the Official German Beer of Oktoberfest
• Even dogs have a day! Sunday has been coined Dog Day Afternoon!
• Bring your pooch with you to Run in the Brew HA-HA 5K or Street Scramble
• Enter in the Citydog Cover Dog Contest
• Accompany you in the Stranger Microbrew Garden (on Sunday only).

Like the Oktoberfest in Munich, the Fremont Oktoberfest would not be true to its name if it were not complete with a constant flow of great beer. Enter the Stranger Microbrew Garden and you will experience something like never before. With over 35 breweries pouring over 70 beers, for those 21 and over this is an experience you cannot miss. Returning this year with high demand is the Buxom Beer Garden within the Microbrew Garden featuring full glasses of beer. Complete with a rockin’ music line-up on the Adobe Main stage the Oktoberfest in Fremont packs all the fun of the 16-day celebration into one happening and unbelievable weekend.

Admission to the Stranger Microbrew Garden is $20, which includes a souvenir mug and 4 beer tasting tokens. The souvenir mug is only available while supplies last. Access to the Microbrew Garden is restricted to people 21+ with valid ID. Save $5 with advance tickets

And all this fun happens as a benefit for the Fremont Chamber of Commerce!
The mission of the Chamber is to promote the Fremont neighborhood, area merchants, and to provide funding for local art groups, schools, community events and overall promotion of Fremont for what it is today “The Center of the Universe”.

Halloween Costume Ideas

HELP!!! We're planning on attending a Halloween party this year and would love some costume ideas. We'd like to have all three of us be part of the same theme.... i.e. The Three Bears, Three Blind Mice, Alice in Wonderland characters, etc.

Any suggestions? We need one for Laura, one for Chris, and one for Sydney.

Go!

:) Thanks.

Puget Sound Sailing

We went on a 25 mile race Saturday around the Puget Sound. It was our first time racing on saltwater and it was wonderful. I always feel at home around the smell of saltwater, the barks of the seals, the ferries rolling by. Mermaid life sure would be fun. Anyway....

I didn't have the camera out for the race, but I got a few shots through the locks. We waited on the lake side of the locks for about 45 minutes to an hour before getting let through and while we were hanging out there, we were serenaded by the sound of splashing salmon. I'd say about two jumps every second everywhere around us. Apparently they jump to get the lice off. At any rate, being next to the fish ladder at the locks in July, August, and September proves to be quite the site. I tried getting pictures of the fish in the air, but failed. You can see some splashes in a couple pictures, but that's about it. Looks like I need a camera upgrade....

Looking back at the lake - it was 8:00 am

See some splashes?

There's a few more splashes out there.

Sleepy, but happy.

Wordle.net

I found this cool site called wordle.net. You can enter words, a website, etc and it will create a "word cloud". I put in my blog and this is what it pumped out:

Sculpture Park

I forgot to post pictures from last week's adventure to the Sculpture Park with Sydmo. Here goes:

The Needle & The Eagle

Learning how to walk on rocks.

Happy girl

One of her favorite things to do....

Papa tried writing a message.... the board kept floating away.

Pictures of Projects

I've been promising pictures of my knitting projects and I finally got the camera out to take a few. They aren't the best pictures, but they will suffice. Chris' Scarf is an easy Garter Stitch Lengthwise. He likes 'em scratchy so that's what he got. I used a 100% Wool Tweed Yarn.

Mom's Scarf is called "My So Called Scarf" and has a sort of herringbone stitch. The yarn is the Misti Alpaca Hand Paint Chunky. It's to die for. So soft and so yummy.... it sheds terribly, but who cares... carry around a lint roller. Every stitch has been hand painted and I thought this stitch pattern showed off the yarn beautifully.

My scarf is my first attempt at entrelac. It's very fun and super soft thanks to the Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran yarn, but takes a while to knit up. In the meantime I'm going to work on my first lace project, finishing up Mom's scarf, and a very simple cardigan. I'm hoping to learn to knit socks this winter so be looking for updates on that too.

Chris' Scarf

Mom's Scarf

My Scarf

Day of Music & Art Block Party

The city is bustling this weekend! Here's another event for ya:

The Day of Music & Art Block Party @ Benaroya, SAM, Soundbridge & The Triple Door.
Sunday September 14th from 10am - 6pm. FREE ADMISSION

Celebrate good times at Benaroya Hall's 10th Anniversary! The day features free performances and activities for the whole family with Seattle Symphony, Soundbridge, Seattle Art Museum and The Triple Door. Tenth Anniversary attendees also receive free admission to SAM's permanent collection. It's a block party not to be missed! FREE Admission.

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

S. Mark Taper Foundation Auditorium
11am Cascade Symphony
12pm Northwest Mahler Orchestra Festival
1pm Seattle Choral Company (Fauré Requiem featuring the Watjen Concert Organ)
2 & 3:15pm Seattle Symphony
4:15pm Seattle Men’s Chorus, Seattle Women’s Chorus
5:15pm Seattle Symphony’s Pacific Northwest Community Orchestra Plays Mahler

Illsley Ball Nordstrom Recital Hall
11:15am Members of the Seattle Youth Symphony Orchestras
12pm Wesito & Friends: Wes Dyring's Classic Latin Music
12:45pm Greenwood Concert Band
1:30pm Seattle Classic Guitar Society
2:15pm The Dave Mesler Trio (musical tribute to Benaroya Hall)
3:15pm Bokréta Hungarian Dance Ensemble
4pm Northwest Sound Men’s Chorus
4:45pm Juliana and Pava (Ancient Russian Song Vocal Ensemble)
5:30pm Seattle Repertory Jazz Orchestra

Garden of Remembrance
10am Seattle Seahawks Blue Thunder Drumline
10:45am Orchestra Zarabanda (Hot Cuban salsa!)
11:30am Beverly Graham (guitar)
12:15pm Neil Hubbard (bagpipe)
1pm Bonnie Whiting Smith (percussion)
1:45pm Mariachi Juvenil- Voces de Mexico
2:30pm The Miho and Diego Duo (marimba and Andean flute)
3:15pm New Age Flamenco (guitar trio)
4pm Shumba Youth Marimba Ensemble
4:45pm JUBILEE (indie garden jazz)

Soundbridge
10:30am Kindermusik Demo Class
11:30am Percussion Explosion!
12:30pm Let’s Write a Song! (with David Mesler)
1:30pm Sin Fronteras: Live and Listen without Borders
2:30pm Russian Folk For Kids
3:30pm American Minimalism (intended for older audiences)
4:30pm Seattle International Film Festival (intended for older audiences)

Seattle Art Museum South Hall
12pm The Raggedy Anns (stripped down acoustic skiffle)
1pm Andre Feriante (guitar)
2pm Red Eye Flight (Experimental music)
3pm Das Vibenbass (crushing the borders of jazz)

The Triple Door Musicquarium
4pm Tor Dietrichson/ Paul Benoit Duo (roots rock & more)
5pm James Baumgart (contemporary jazz guitar)
6pm The Jelly Rollers (blues/Americana)
7pm The Boogilistics (nu-soul/funk)
9pm Salsa Dancing


KIDS WELCOME!
Visit the Samuel and Althea Stroum Grand Lobby in Benaroya Hall between 11am and 5pm for a host of activities for the whole family. Grab your library card and check out books with the Seattle Public Library, put your artistic side to work coloring with SAM, explore instruments with KING FM, Music Center of the Northwest and Hammond Ashley Violins, create crafts with ParentMap and stick around for performances by local student musicians!

Visit Soundbridge between 10am and 6pm to try out instruments and learn fun facts about symphonic music. Also, pick up your scavenger hunt list anytime and find clues throughout the day to win great prizes!

FAMILY ACTIVITIES AT BENAROYA HALL
Outdoor Activities at the Maestro Gerard Schwarz Artists Entrance at Benaroya Hall
10am Make Your Own Marching Band
10am-4pm Artist Autographs
11:15am Musical Games
12:30pm Animal Imperssions with Musical Instruments
3pm Northwest Opera in the Schools: Meet an Opera Singer
3:45pm Musical Games

FAMILY ACTIVITIES AT SEATTLE ART MUSEUM
12-1:30pm Hip Hop Kids (WaMu Open Studio Mezzanine)
DJ B-Girl gets you moving and grooving with the five element of hip hop. Spaces are limited, so come early!
12-4pm Seattle International Film Festival Family Shorts (Knudsen Family Room, 3rd Floor)
Check out SIFF's fantastic kid-inspired film shorts and explore the Family Room

Lake Union Boats Afloat Show

The Lake Union Boats Afloat Show starts TODAY! It's located at South Lake Union and runs from Today through Sunday. There will be cabin cruisers, sailboats, yachts... you name it. There will be entertainment, cooking in the galley demonstrations, lifejacket fashion show, free sailing rides and tours on the deadliest catch boat. It should be a beautiful weekend... you should check it out!



(Photo Courtesy of the Seattle Boat Show Blog)

Words & Wine

After stumbling across an article in the Stranger titled "Getting Drunk with Ethan Canin", I did a little research on the event series "Words & Wine". I've been adding to our schedule lectures, poetry readings, art openings, etc and have been wanting to add some book readings as well. I've been at the Elliott Bay Book Company when they've had a reading and have accidentally found myself at a few others, but have found the environment to be a bit stuffy. This just didn't make a whole lot of sense considering these book readings are free to the public and very local. Paul Constant's article in the Stranger opened up an entire new realm of book readings. Check out this site for a series of readings paired with wine, apps, sometimes dinner, a signed book, and an intimate setting. It just can't be stuffy if you're a few glasses of wine deep.

Seattle AIDS Walk - Please Support

Dear Friends,

Chris, Sydney, and I will be participating in the Seattle Lifelong AIDS Alliance Walk this coming October the Fourth.

Thank you for taking the time to visit our page in support of the Seattle AIDS Walk. Our goal is to raise funds and awareness in the battle against HIV and AIDS in the Puget Sound region.

Any gift you can offer, large or small, will go to directly support the vital care services offered by Lifelong AIDS Alliance. Lifelong provides a variety of care services to folks battling chronic illness, including food, housing, and insurance assistance.

Please sponsor us as we walk to honor those who have been affected by the disease and to offer hope for a future without AIDS.

Thank you in advance for any help you can give. Please click on the photo below to access our fundraiser page. Thanks again.

If...

* If you could be on the cover of any magazine next month, which magazine would you want it to be, and what would the caption say?

* If you could change one election result from the past so that the loser had won, which one would it be?

* If you were to receive one honorary degree in your lifetime, which university would you prefer, and for what accomplishment?

Discuss...

Knitting Gifts

I've taken a break from my entrelac scarf to work on gifts for others. I finished a basic garter stitch scarf for Chris. I'll take pics and update this tonight or tomorrow. I'm pretty happy with how it turned out. All thanks to the yarn of course. I'm now working on a super soft yummy scarf for my mom and I hope to get started on a lace stole for me here soon. But all the while, I've been thinking, wait! why am I working on these when I KNOW I need to be working on Christmas gifts too! Well, I've come to the conclusion that the scarves will help keep people warm through the fall/winter and hopefully in a couple weeks I can start working on some Christmas gifts. I think I'm going to keep the gifts pretty small and simple considering I haven't attempted completely homemade gifts before. Between photo albums, knitted gifts, and a few unknown projects, I think I can cover everyone with a little homemade love.

Wish me luck!!

Miri Ben-Ari

I still love this girl:

Beef Stroganoff

I made Beef Stroganoff last night. I think it turned out quite good. Here's my recipe:


Ingredients:
3 lbs. Beef Stew Meat - Big Chunks
3 tablespoons olive oil

8 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup finely chopped shallots
1 1/2 pound crimini mushrooms, thickly sliced
1 1/4 cup canned beef broth
2 sherry vinegar
2 dashes Worcestershire
1 cup crème fraîche
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
1/4 tsp masala
1/4 tsp cayenne

16 ounces wide egg noodles
1 tablespoon paprika

Preparation:
Pat meat dry with paper towels. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Heat oil in heavy large skillet over high heat until very hot. Working in batches, add meat in single layer and cook just until brown on outside. Transfer to slow cooker.

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in same skillet over medium-high heat. Add chopped shallots and sauté until tender, scraping up browned bits, about 2 minutes. Add crimini mushrooms. Sprinkle with pepper and sauté until liquid evaporates, about 12 minutes. Add beef broth, then sherry & Worcestershire. Simmer until liquid thickens and just coats mushrooms, about 14 minutes. Stir in crème fraîche and Dijon mustard. Stir in chopped dill, masala & cayenne. Simmer for another couple of minutes. Transfer to slow cooker and stir. Cook on high for about 4 hours. Season to taste with salt, pepper & paprika.

Just before serving, cook noodles in large pot of boiling salted water until tender, about 8 minutes. Drain. Transfer to bowl. Add remaining 4 tablespoons butter and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Divide noodles among plates. Top with beef and sauce. Sprinkle with paprika & chopped dill.

Beer?

For all you hopheads....

We tried the Dogfish Head 120 Minute IPA last night and WHOA! I don't know that it should still be considered beer. More like beer flavored liquor. With its 40 proof and all... I didn't make it through my glass, but it still makes for a good story.

From the Dogfish Head Website:

120 Minute IPA

Availability: limited - 3 releases scheduled for 2007

Release Date: Jan, May, Sept. 2007

Too extreme to be called beer? Brewed to a colossal 45-degree plato, boiled for a full 2 hours while being continuously hopped with high-alpha American hops, then dry-hopped daily in the fermenter for a month & aged for nother month on whole-leaf hops!!! Our 120 Minute I.P.A. is by far the biggest I.P.A. ever brewed! At 20% abv and 120 ibus you can see why we call this beer THE HOLY GRAIL for hopheads!

20% abv

120 ibu

In case you care... the average 12 oz. serving has 450 calories.



A more refreshing brew:

Pliny The Elder - AMAZING!! We tried this one after the Dogfish and were more than pleasantly surprised. It is my new favorite beer. Here's a great review:

A - Hazy pale golden amber body with two fingers of milky white head that receded into a quarter inch of retention and left some exquisite lacing around the glass. Modest amount of carbonation present.

S - This is about as West Coast as it gets! Pliny's aroma is to oranges as Dorado's is to grapefruit. This is basically like fresh squeezed orange juice in the form of a beer. However, there are some piney and perfumy notes to spice things up a bit, but overall this sucker's brimming with oranges. There's also plenty of balancing malts, with apparent sweet caramel and breadiness present, as well as a slight tinge of alcohol.

T - Juicy citrus fruit abounds in this exceptionally balanced DIPA. The pine, floral and perfume characteristics are also there, but more so just to spruce up the flavor a bit. Such a simple yet effective flavor. Bold citrus hops paired with sweet caramel and bready malt.

M - Smooth, creamy texture with a bit of oily hop residue on the palate. Softly carbonated and surprisingly only moderately bitter on the tastebuds with a fairly short duration. This has a wonderful balance of sweet and bitter characteristics. Overall, this is pretty light bodied, at least for a DIPA.

D - Superior drinkability for a DIPA for sure. I can't believe this is 8%! Pliny certainly drinks like a champ and is definitely worthy of all of the praise and hype.

Serving type: growler

Poem: Penny For Your Thoughts

Labor Day Recap

We spent this past weekend on the peninsula visiting G-ma & G-pa :)

Saturday we went to the Poulsbo Farmer's Market and picked up a bunch of seasonal veggies.... YUMMMMY! Then we stopped at the Central Market to finish getting groceries for the weekend. They took us to the Toadhouse, a pizza place in E. Brem.... they have a wonderful beer selection and great pizza's from their wood burning oven. They got a Wii so we of course had to play a bit with them. They kinda kicked our butts on Bowling, but we got them back in Mario Karts.

Sunday we went to visit Grandma & Grandpa in Puyallup. We visited grandma at home. They've been growing little grape tomatoes outside and I hope I didn't clear them of all that was left ;) Those things are just too good to pass up. We took a walk to the river and picked a few blackberries. We visited Grandpa at the ballpark and watched Kylie play a few innings. It was a long but wonderful day visiting family. And the rain held out for us most of the day.

Thanks to everyone for such a great weekend. We'll make it sooner next time :) Love you all!!