seattle summer

My mind can hardly process the fact that it's August already. With all the weddings and vacations and general busy-ness of the past few months, June and July seem to have slipped through my fingers.  Not that Seattle was giving us much of a summer before August began...60 degrees and cloudy, anyone?

But it looks like we're finally getting the much vaunted Seattle summer weather - the sunny, clear days, long summer nights, and not a speck of humidity. I may be an east coast girl, but I certainly don't miss the muggy days and sweltering summer nights of my childhood. I've gotten so spoiled that I found myself complaining about the heat when it was 80 degrees outside...how times have changed!

My recent dog-sitting adventure gave me a good excuse to spend some time outdoors. I tried to tire Rex out with some nice long walks, but he apparently has endless stores of energy...and an insatiable appetite, as evidenced by the all the food he managed to scarf down while we were out of the house. Luckily for him, he's too cute to stay mad at for long.

Crossing my fingers that this weather will hold up for another month!

the pantry

After a long hiatus, I finally mustered up enough motivation to do a proper post. While I have been busy with various travels, I have to admit that the main reason I've neglected this space for so long is just sheer laziness :) But the fantastic cooking class I attended at The Pantry last week deserved a real post...so hello, I'm back!

I've been a big fan of the Orangette blog for years, so when I heard that her restaurant Delancey was opening up a space for cooking classes and community dinners, I pounced on the opportunity and signed up for their first cooking class, Back to the Basics.

The whole experience was great - a beautiful space, great teachers, and of course, amazing food. I have 2 words for you: homemade butter. I had something of a butter epiphany when I tasted it, like all the other butter I have tasted in my life was just a semblance of the real thing. Dramatic? Yes. But it was really that good. Who knew it's as simple as putting some good quality cream into a mixer?

The menu was focused on simple but tasty basics, like roasted chicken, roasted spring vegetables (with more of that amazing homemade butter), a salad with mustard vinaigrette, and vanilla ice cream with chocolate sauce to finish. It was a lovely way to spend a Sunday evening - I'd love to try one of their family style dinners next time.

bliss

A sunny weekend always does wonders for my outlook on life, so you can imagine the effect of a wine-filled Saturday in Napa. Add in the fact that there was a private limo and I got to see my former NYC and college roommate, and it was pretty much a perfect vacation.

I tried to take more pictures of people this time, since pictures of wine glasses are only interesting for so long. Cheers to the weekend! Although this one will be spent in rainy Seattle, not sunny San Francisco...