Madison Neighborhood

One of the lovely and easier to find Seattle neighborhoods is that of Madison. A long, diagonal  street NE of Downtown along Lake Washington. Click here for map.

Jeremy and I used to come here on Sunday afternoons between our church's morning and evening services. There are great little coffee shops all along Madison, but we usually shared a latte at the Essential Baking Company. I always like to admire their award winning pastries. There are some fun little shops to browse, our favorites being City People's Garden Store, Pharmaca and a beautiful home decor store with linens and dishes, I think it's Our Distinctive Home Shop. There are several eating choices ranging from casual cafes to sit down restaurants.

The neighborhood Starbucks is one of the few Black Label stores around

and home to CEO Howard Shultz.  

The newly renovated neighborhood park.

Some unique play equipment with a space-age, modern feel.

I love the homey feel of this little corner of Seattle with towering trees 

lining the streets, old homes to admire, nurtured gardens, 

a relaxing drive along the BLVD and don't forget the Arboretum.

Cutts Island - Gig Harbor

A few years ago, Jeremy's boating parents were feeling very generous at Christmas and bought us a tandem kayak. We were so excited for all the adventures in store for us!

Our coolest and most frustrating of them all was our voyage to Cutts Island near Kopachuck State Park in Gig Harbor. We went on a sunny January day. Our first obstacle was finding a launch pad. Kopachuck would have been the logical option, but the long trail from the parking lot to the water was unappealing. We ended up parking on a side street and launched from an inlet. With life jackets, oars and snacks we were off! The view of the Olympic mountains to our West was awesome and within a short time we had landed.

Cutts Island, also called Dead Man's Island, was once an Native American Burial ground. The natives would bury their loved ones in canoes up in the trees. We spent an hour or so exploring  the 2 acre park with steep cliffs and an impressive 360 degree view of the Sound.

 

 We did not take the tides into account on our journey back, 

once we were in 4 inches of water, we knew we had to re-route. 

It was pretty cool to see the ocean beds, 

completely covered in sand dollars.

The detour around Raft Island added an extra hour of paddling, but on such a beautiful day we really didn't mind. Then we got back to the inlet--which was no longer an inlet-- only thick, sticky, stinky mud. Poor Jeremy lost a shoe and nearly lost his balance while carrying the kayak back to the car. By the time we had everything strapped down and seats buckled, neither of us were in a very good mood. But like all things, time has way of bringing out the humor of things, and if we had to do it all over again--we would. 

Snohomish

I've always heard about the shops in Snohomish. I love anything vintage, retro, antique-y and rustic. So a couple Saturdays ago, we set out for a lengthy drive.  We have pretty much exhausted the whole Puget Sound area, so it was exciting for us to discover a new destination.

 

 Annie's on First had quite the display of antique chandaliers.

 Simply Sweet, is just one of the cupcake shops on 1st, only a couple doors 

down from the sassy Bite Me cupcakes specializing in catered events. 

 Faded Elegance captured that perfect balance 

between old and new pretties.

 In the basement of Joyworks, 

I loved this cozy corner of aqua and neutrals.

Want to make one for Valentine's Day!

 A kitschy soda fountain shop full of retro signs for any collector.

Warmed up at Crepe Escape and Coffee House with a 

Vanilla Latte roasted by ZOKA and their signature 

Crepe Suzette filled with creme fraiche and garnished with 

fresh lemon and orange zest...a unique treat! 

The Snohomish Bakery & Cafe had some 

additionally tantalizing pastries.

Such a fun daytrip or weekend getaway to spend with girlfriends, moms, sisters, daughters...and of course husbands. For all the information you need to know about the shops, food, drinks, lodging, and directions click here.

We took the direct route on I-405 getting there, but decided to take the less traveled HWY 203 for the drive home. Always a treat, no matter the time of year. Every time we drive through Duvall, I'm impressed with their growth and charm.  If you are still craving antiques, they have a few shops worth the stop.

All Things Shopping

Seattle has some of the best shopping in all of the Northwest. When friends come to visit, there is usually a trip to some store, somewhere on the itenerary. No matter your style, price range, or interests, there is a store or maybe even a whole district for you.

High End (aka: Window Shopping)

• 5th Ave in Downtown - this is prime real estate, so not where you're going to find independent boutiques, but some of your favorite chains like Anthropologie, Urban Outfitters, Banana Republic, Gap. Be sure and venture over to 4th and 6th, and of course Westlake Center and Pacific Place for Barney's, J. Crew, and True Religion, just to name a few. 
• Bellevue Square Mall and The Shops at the Bravern- you might want to dress well if you're coming here, we made the mistake of going to the Bravern after work and didn't realize we stood out like a sore thumb, until the concierge politely asked us if we needed any assistance. Oops! 

Outdoor Shopping Centers

•  University Village - or commonly referred to as "the village" is beautifully lit all year round with white Christmas lights. We love the Home Decor stores like Restoration Hardware and Pottery Barn, gourmet Kitchen Shops, Book Stores, Impress, one of my favorite paper and stamp stores, and Fireworks, not your typical souvenir shop, featuring gifts from local artists.
• Redmond Town Center - features the only iPic Theater in Washington where you can see the latest blockbuster while enjoying a gourmet meal in a classy atmosphere.
• Kent Station - a central place for South Sounders to meet for lunch or see a movie. Other great shops on Meeker and 1st Ave S.

Malls

• Westfield Southcenter Mall - Tukwila: recently renovated, close to SeaTac Airport, has a well-rounded variety of stores for any price point. 
• Northgate - North Seattle
• The Commons - Federal Way
• Tacoma Mall - Tacoma
• Alderwood Mall - Lynnwood
• South Hill Mall - Puyallup: our hometown mall, gotta love Target!
• The SuperMall- Auburn: kind of a hybrid outlet mall
• Kitsap Mall- Silverdale
• Westlake - Downtown Seattle: the top floor has a pretty impressive food court, we usually eat lunch here on our Seattle daytrips.
• Pacific Place - Downtown Seattle: definitely worth a trip during the Christmas season to catch the indoor snow every night at 6pm accompanied by live music!

Be sure to drive the streets surrounding the malls for other great stores.

Antiques

• Snohomish - the largest antique district in the Seattle area. In the neighborhood: Duvall
• Sumner - the shops on Main Street do a great job of hosting special events throughout the year. In the neighborhood: Puyallup and Tacoma

For the Dudes

• REI - based in Seattle, the downtown store is something to see with it's 60 foot climbing wall and outdoor bike trails to test ride thousand dollar mountain bikes.
• Cabelas - inconvenient to get to, but worth it once you're there.

Chocolate Mint Sandwiches

I made these beautiful, rich cookies last year for my chocolate/mint loving family. I'm pretty particular about my chocolate and peppermint duos, for example, I don't like Peppermint Patties, Peppermint Bark or Junior Mints (sorry Kramer), Andes mints are...okay, Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream, now you're talking, Starbucks White Chocolate Peppermint Mocha--oh yeah and objectively speaking, these cookies were pretty awesome, the peppermint is not overpowering, it's mostly about the ganache  and chocolate glaze for me.

For the Cookies:

1 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder

1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp. flour

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup sugar

1 egg, room temperature

Confectioners' sugar, for the work surface

For the Ganache:

1/4 cup heavy cream

6 oz. semisweet chocolate, very finely chopped ( I just used chocolate chips)

3/4 tsp. peppermint extract

For the Glaze:

6 oz semisweet chocolate

1. Make cookies: Whisk together cocoa powder and flour in a medium bowl; set aside.  Put butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.  Mix on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes.  Mix in egg until well blended.  reduce speed to low.  Add flour mixture; mix until just combined.  Divided dough in half, and shape each half into a disk; wrap in plastic.  Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour (or overnight).

2.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Transfer dough to a work surface lightly dusted with confectioners' sugar. Roll out dough to 1/8 inch thick.  Cut out cookies using a 2 inch round cookie cutter (you can see I used a small snowflake cutter); space 1/2 inch apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper.  Repeat with remaining scraps of dough.  Bake cookies, rotating sheets halfway through, until firm, 10-12 minutes.  Let cool completely on sheets on wire racks.

  

3. Meanwhile, make ganache: Bring cream to a boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat.  Add chocolate.  Cook, stirring constantly, until chocolate is smooth.  Stir in peppermint extract.  Let cool slightly, 10-15 minutes.

4.  Spoon 1 tsp. ganache onto the bottom of 1 cookie; sandwich with another cookie.  Repeat with remaining cookies and ganache.  Refrigerate until firm, about 10 minutes.

5.  Make glaze: Melt chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, stirring constantly.  Let cool slightly.  Dip 1 flat side of each sandwich into melted chocolate to coat; gently shake off excess. Place sandwiches, chocolate side up, on wire racks set over baking sheets.  Refrigerate until set, about 15 minutes.  Sandwiches can be refrigerated in a single layer in airtight containers up to 2 days (2 days? Whatever, we had them for at least a week and they were fine, I did keep them in the fridge, because of the heavy cream).

Not gonna lie, these cookies were some of the most time consuming 

I've made, but it's kind of fun once a year to spend time in the kitchen 

making special treats. They really are beautiful.

I can't believe I didn't get a picture of the finished product! Thankfully Martha still has a link for hers, click here for the complete look.

Enjoy!

Coconut Macadamia Shortbread

This recipe comes from a 2005 Holiday Cookies magazine from Martha Stewart. I've been making them for a couple Christmas seasons now, and look forward to them all year. Coconut is one of those things, like cilantro, you either love it or hate it, I personally love both, so if you too are one of those coconut lovers out there, you might want to give these a try.

1 cup macadamia nuts (about 3 oz) toasted
3/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp. sugar
1 1/2 cups sweetened shredded coconut
3/4 cup plus 1 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened
4 Tbsp. cream of coconut or unsalted butter ( I have always used butter, I mean who has heard of cream of  coconut??)
2 tsp. pure coconut extract
2 cups flour, plus more for work surface
1/2 tsp coarse salt
1 large egg white, lightly beaten

1.  Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Process nuts and 2 Tbsp sugar in food processor until finely ground; set aside. Process 1 cup coconut until coarsely ground; set aside.

2.  Put butter, cream of coconut, and remaining 3/4 cup sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; mix on medium until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes.  Mix in coconut extract.  Reduce sped to low.  Add flour, salt, nut mixture, and ground coconut; mix until combined.

3. Halve dough.  Shape halves into disks, and wrap in plastic.  Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.  Let soften before rolling.

4.  Roll out each disk on lightly floured parchment to 1/4 inch think.. Cover with plastic; refrigerate until firm, 30 minutes.

5.  Cut dough into squares using a fluted 2 1/4-inch square cookie cutter ( Use whatever you like, as you can see I used a heart cutter, snowflakes would be pretty cute too).  Reroll scraps; continue cutting out shapes.  Space about 1 inch apart on baking sheets lined with parchment.  Lightly brush tops with egg white; sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup coconut.  Bake until golden, 20-25 minutes. Let cool on sheets on wire racks.  Cookies can be stored in airtight containers at room temperature up to 1 week (they also freeze great! We snacked on them for a couple months.).

 Before they go in the oven...

and after.  So delicious served with tea.

For a picture of Martha's square cookies in their cute paper cups click here.

Enjoy!

Christmas Lights

Like everyone, everywhere, we love getting in the car to go see the lights of the season. Here in Seattle we have several opportunities and these are just a few...

1) The most advertised of course is ZOO Lights at Point Defiance Zoo in Tacoma.

For ticket rates click here. You can pre-order, pay at the door or purchase at Fred Meyer.  Military and Pierce County residents may qualify for a discount as well as Zoo members.  There is a little cafe where you can order coffee and treats to keep you warm while you stroll through the park.  Get warmed up in the toasty aquarium, you may even want to treat the kiddos to a festive camel ride!

2) Last year we learned about Fantasy Lights. This is a park you drive through at less than 5 mph, the kids can get out of their car seats, open the windows, moon-roof, put the top down, there is even a radio station you can tune into to hear Christmas music played by a local high-school band. You can print out a $3 coupon from the Pierce County website. Expect a wait on weekends, and you may want to make a pit stop before entering the park. It's a fun, low key event, and don't forget to pack the car with cocoa and cookies!

3) Okay now I'm just searching the web, so these recommendations are not from personal experience. Garden d'Lights in Bellevue. Check out their website for directions, ticket rates, and even free admission nights! 

4) Clam Lights at Coulon Park runs nightly between 5-9pm with an annual kick off each season full of festivities ending with a visit from the Argosy Christmas Ship.

5) Speaking of which, the Argosy Christmas Ship. This was my first Christmas gift to Jeremy while we were dating. We had a fancy-ish dinner in downtown Kirkland, boarded at Carillon Point, cruised down Lake Washington passing lots of beautiful, lit-up homes including the Gates mansion. Once we got to Bellevue, our destination, we were greeted by a bay full of private yachts all decked out in Christmas lights--pretty cool.

6) Stanwood's The Lights of Christmas gathers more than 40,000 people each season and features 1.2 million lights, pony rides, Polar Express Train Rides, with the option of a gourmet Dinner Theater. I did not even know this existed 5 minutes ago...we have to go!

Other helpful links:

For a regional listing of private neighborhoods and individual homes click here. I grew up going to the Viewpointe at Redondo, a 44 home neighborhood.  One year there was even an open house for the public to attend, I remember getting cider and cookies, kind of a fun memory.

Candy Cane Lane for some reason gets a lot of hype, but we were pretty disappointed the year we went and my sister's family went last year and said it was a dud. My opinion--don't bother.

Kerry Park in Queen Anne keeps coming up, apparently a good view of the City Lights including the iconic Space Needle's Christmas Tree.

Enjoy!