Happy New Year!

I am still in California for a few more days. It is lovely here and we are enjoying the sun! Our Christmas was relaxed, delicious and full of good stuff! I am making the most of my freedom...Topher is back in Seattle. That's the hard part...

Cheers!

X-mas

It's 3:00 am and I'm waiting for my ride to pick me up and take me to the airport. I'm going to California this morning, Heather is already there. We're gonna spend x-mas with H's Mom in Santa Barbara. I'm pretty excited about it actually, but right now I'm tired.

Merry X-mas everybody! Hope you're all having a fun and relaxing holiday.

Tonight is our Friday...

Though Topher is still at work for another hour or so. The long awaited dog update: this morning I hung out with Cali, a beautiful gray pit and my plug for the week is Higgins! He is an amazing sweet cutie pie. I am starting to think that the Pit Bull-Labrador mix is perfect. This morning was my last dog walking shift for a month! I am going to miss it! Hopefully I will still be able to volunteer there with a work schedule...there's always Matchmaking, which I did yesterday. This includes major cuddles with puppies! There are so many puppies at the shelter right now, including a Bassett Hound, Coon Hound, Pit Bulls, German Shepard mix and a Blue Healer...it was so fun! (I can not wait until we get a dog!)

I continue to catch up on movies and relaxing with my knitting....so far, films of note:

1. Stevie (Sad, but very good)
   
2. Diabolique (A classic)
   
3. Everyone Says I Love You (I forgot how enjoyable this movie was!)
   
4. Slither (for horror fans, plus Nathan Fillion!)
   
5. The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie (Oh, the childhood memories....)
6. Elf (I resisted Will Ferrell for long enough...)

Tonight I bought a bunch of produce from our neighborhood grocery store, which I try to support as often as possible, but they do not carry a lot of "organic" produce. I spent a significantly less amount than I would at one of the more fancy stores...and now I am rambling on and on, but check out this mushroom....

Anniversary!

Topher decided that today was our Anniversary... or at least the celebration, we decided over dinner that we can change the date to whenever we want. He took me out to Ototo Sushi and also gave me some beautiful earings from Bouncing Wall. Now we are home and are going to watch Cannibal the Musical or Super Troopers.
Today I got a very unexpected package from knit.1 magazine. I won the Fall cover kit! I received this yarn and get to make a funky hat after I am done with all the Christmas funny business I have got myself into...

Life is good, FYI: I am over my sickness. Finally. Now I have to go and eat Newman-O's and drink Red Beret...

My update

My new favorite dog at the shelter is Blue, if we had a bigger house we would have a dog! I have been knitting a lot, still not sure if all the Christmas presents will get completed on time. We have been feeling a little under the weather...something is going around. My WA teaching license finally showed up and Topher has been working a lot of catering. I miss him, but I get more knitting done and have been catching up on movies I have not seen. (Surprisingly, there are quite a few!) Now it's time for yoga! Cheers.

I googled Topher S. Hines and got this:

Update!

We havent written in the blog lately. Dont worry though, we're fine. The snow and the rain came through Seattle but our little hillside apartment was unaffected. I did get wet walking to the bus stop though.

Today was my day off, so we ran some X-mas errands and then went to a nursery and bought a poinsetta. It was a great big nursery that sells alot of Christmas trees. There were reindeer there. Heather thinks reindeer are cute. I agree. Although they are shorter than I thought.

Those of you who read this blog to hear about our culinary adventures should know that Heather made mushroom risotto last night and was really tasty. I dont know if she'll post the recipe here. I think she should keep it a secret. This morning I made some hashbrowns and a tofu scramble. My friend Tony once asked me lots of questions about how to make good hashbrowns at home, and I didn't really have any answers because I never made hashbrowns at home, I always made them at work, but now I know whats up. There's two things that make good hashbrowns at home: 1) Boil the potatoes before hand, then peel 'em and chop 'em up. 2) Use a big heavy cast iron skillet and plenty of salt and pepper. (If your cooking them for somebody who likes a spicy hashbrowns, use crushed red pepper.)

Tonight we're going to go to see the Seattle Supersonics play a basketball game against the Los Angeles Clippers. I've never been to a real basketball game before. I'm looking forward to it. Heather has been to lots of basketball games, she's gonna yell and tell me whats going on.

last night

I finally finished a knitting project in the late afternoon yesterday and made it into the outside world. The weather was amazing...warm and a beautiful sunset we both enjoyed, but not together. It was errand night, which included tickets for a Naked Raygun show, canned pineapple for a new recipe, more Christmas shopping and ended up in the "Center of the World" aka Fremont at Blue C Sushi. It was a delicious end to a beautiful and productive day. (Plus, we sat next to a very generous sushi connoisseur...which was interesting as well.)

a good start

It seems as though Fall has finally arrived in the Northwest. It is chilly and still beautiful. I had to put a sweater and a jacket on Snoopy yesterday for his walk. By the way, he is as cute in person as he is in that photo! Last night we received an excellent package! This particular item made Topher's night! Yep, that is a real smile and he plans on keeping this box. I learn something new every day I spend with him. Did you know Walleyes have bad eyes, hence the name and the glasses on this guy?

We also read through our new cookbooks and I feel invigorated to cook again! As I continue to knit my way through Christmas presents, thoughts come and go and today I could not get coconut milk out of my head. We do not have a lot of the ingredients needed for Thai coconut milk soupish dishes, but I did some research online and made this delicious broth:

1 can coconut milk
3 1/2 cups veggie stock
4 tsp. lemon juice
2 tsp. powered ginger
2 minced garlic cloves
1 lime, zested

simmer for 10 minutes
add 2 tablespoons of red or green curry paste

Then I added what we had available:
1 can Enoki mushrooms
green beans
1 pack firm tofu, cut into triangles
1 carrot, sliced thinly

I heavily garnished this with Cilantro, I'll take any chance I get! Yum! Prefect for a chilly day.

lovely days

Today...

1. mighty-o donuts
2. coffee
3. packer game
4. prepare:
- pistachio-pomagrante pilaf
- sweet potato soup
- mashed potatoes
- tofurkey
- roasted brussel sprouts
- sauted green beans
- classic jellied cranberry sauce

5. snack and watch football or if you are angela, grade papers at the same time
6. eat our first thanksgiving meal in our new house with our first visitor
7. take a afternoon stroll through discovery park
8. flying apron carrot cake and ice cream

thanks andrea...

This is amazing!

knee deep and fluffy bunny

Yesterday a dog named Lug kicked my ass, yes I know. Today I slept in, ha, when Topher had to be at work at 7 am. I was sore and worked on another Christmas present today, then the afternoon turned out to be beautiful, so I took a walk up the Queen Anne Hill, not a "walk in the park" so to say. I picked up Topher at work so we could go and spend tons of money at the grocery store for the "sham with yams" we will be celebrating on Thursday. Home again, home again...where I made a first attempt at cream sauce sans dairy. Turned out good...more to come! Buenas noches...

:::sunday:::

who's got the button?

Chocolate Buttons

Thursday!

Hi everybody. This is Topher. I'm writing the blog today, because Heather is busy making cookies right now. She is making cookies called Chocolate Buttons. I am going to eat these cookies. In other news, Heather got her hair dyed today. It looks awesome. It took the people at the Aveda School 6 hours to dye her hair. I was mad because they didn't even get her any lunch or anything. She just sat in a chair starving to death for six hours. So we went out to dinner at Bamboo Garden. Then everybody felt better.
Now we are going to watch DVDs that I got from the library and sit on our comfortable couch .

In more Topher-related news - I went to work today. It was okay. I made some mussels and some cabbage soup. Probably the most exciting thing that happened was that I banged my hand on a table while taking out the compost. (Yes, my job composts, this is Seattle.) I know nobody is reading this right now because you're all just wondering what Heather's hair looks like. Dont worry, it looks really good. Here's a picture:

link

in case you were having trouble with the link to the FAB pumpkin pie brownie recipe...it is now fixed. go forth and gorge yourself!

It was a good day.

I finally got a haircut yesterday and it's extreme in a good way. I get it dyed tomorrow by the same person, she's good. I think it's cold out, but I have been in here all day, yes, knitting and trying to clean as much as I can. I feel lazy! Yesterday Topher was off and we went Downtown and to Capital Hill to hang out....then back to Fremont to watch some sort of sporting event...we had to settle for Sports Center, which is always good. Leading to a half-assed discussion of what team will end up in Seattle when the Sonics move on.

Chantrelles are in season and they are delicious. I begin dogwalking at the shelter next Monday morning, my cousin is coming into town for Thanksgiving and that's about it.

Soundtrack: Walking With The Begger Boys- Elf Power
Liquid of choice: Tazo Zen

and the recipe

Onion Relish

1/2 sweet onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 jalapeno, chopped (For hot relish, leave the seeds in and for not so hot, remove them)
1 ear sweet corn, freshly cut corn off ear right before cooking it
tsp course ground salt
tsp cracked black pepper

On medium heat saute onion and garlic with salt and pepper for 2 minutes
Add the rest of the ingredients and let cook for an additional 4 minutes, while stirring frequently.
















I served this on a simple salad of:
mixed greens
avocado
cilantro and
lime juice
and a tortilla on the side, to help with the heat!

It is a very simple, yet very tasty touch for a salad or another Mexican or South American dish. I included all the seeds in mine, of course, and it was pleasantly hot for me...Topher enjoyed it, but was panting a little, so be careful. (Also when chopping). Buen provecho!

Relish

Yesterday was one of the most rewarding days I have had in a long time. After the training I worked the remaining few hours of a "Matchmaker" shift, which includes going into kennels and hanging out with dogs or walking them and helping out prospective dog adopters. It was a busy day at the shelter and 3 dogs that I helped meet families got adopted! One of the lucky dogs was a beautiful little rat terrier named Willy, my type of dog, who was an amazing bouncer. Then I took 2 guys outside, not at the same time, both were larger orange dogs, one part Chow and the other Retriever. These 2, Chester and Rocko, were so sweet, leash trained and one, Rocko was a great fetcher! I am going to love this! I urge anyone looking to get a dog to check Petfinder first! There are so many amazing dogs and cats (and critters too), who have had to part ways with their previous owners or are found as strays and need a home.

Topher had a good day too, brunch went well and his job continues to be mellow and enjoyable! We went to Central Cinema to see Rear Window and that was a blast. Topher was happy to know the references made on Bart of Darkness and then he felt pretty slick when he found it at home and we could watch it!

OMG

There has been a car alarm going off for 2 days down the Queen Anne hill from us. I hate to hate, but I swore to swear at the dumb car when walking to the shelter today for my final training. But, as I type this I hear, perhaps a tow truck, something and the horn traveling past my house, up the hill...I may have some peace and quiet on this Sunday morning finally...

Topher's working brunch this morning, his new job is great. (I keep bugging him to post something and he groans, so I'll do it for him.) Yesterday we hung out with Topher's family and then hit the Ballard nightlife and it was VERY entertaining...I don't even know how to explain what I do not understand.

Tonight we are going to see Rear Window (in a movie theater!) one of my favorite movies of all time, which Topher has never seen! That's about it folks...

volare....

Oh, how I love feedback. Glad to see and hear that people are reading this silly thing! I am currently trying to get the house ready for Topher's parents. I know, silly me, huh? But any excuse to clean and tidy...though I may drive my boyfriend crazy in the process...

I just got off the phone with my mom, we are very excited for our x-mas celebration in cali once again. Topher will join us for a few days, finally seeing the CALIFORNIA that I often reminisce about...
Here is one evening glorious site...

and Topher as a beer cozy model!

Hump day already!

It's weird to have all the days of the week off. Topher has weekdays off too and that makes it even harder to keep track of what day it is. I thought I would say hi to our blog readers and wanted to tell everyone about our new favorite charity! Goats Do Roam is a vineyard that gives goats to folks in need! The red blend is very good and very inexpensive. We have the others, but haven't gotten around to tasting them yet. Topher refers to this as our "house wine".

Any knitters out there? Check out my *new* knitting blog like a phantom band

buenas dias

Topher has the day off and we are off to The Globe for big vegan breakfast and then to Snoqualmie Falls for the afternoon. Last night we ate at La Carta De Oaxaca and it blew my mind. I think it is the best Oaxacan food I've eaten stateside.

And by the way if you're interested here is the Pumpkin Pie Brownie recipe that you see pictured below, it's the bomb!
Cheers!

settling in

So, we have been cooking a lot. It has been fun experimenting with new and different ingredients. Topher has been picking up extra hours at work and I continue to relax. Several things I am into right now; still training for the animal shelter, knitting, reading, vegan, wheat free baking and selling crafty items online. My brain is hyperactive with all the projects I want to be involved with! It's fun to not have my brain preoccupied with work crap.

Good morning...

Check this out!

Halloween! Cupcakes! Party!

Look at these beautiful cupcakes. These are cupcakes Heather is making for me to eat. Well, technically they are for lots of people to eat, we've invited a few friends over to celebrate Halloween and have a drink and a cupcake.
So Heather has spent the afternoon driving me crazy by making the apartment smell like delicious cupcakes.
Now were gonna eat some dinner and then we're gonna put on silly costumes and then I'm gonna eat some cupcakes.

yummy.

Weekend Update

Hello again,

Topher is off making brunch for people today. I had my second training at the animal shelter today and we will be doing the same types of things tomorrow morning too. The farmers market has been keeping us busy in the kitchen, natch and I have been learning the secrets of bargain shopping in Seattle.

I am enjoying my time off.

Hope Fall is beautiful where you are too.

Loving it...

Last week it was rainy and gray. I had the flu. I took it easy and Topher cooked for me! Seattle has warmed up since then and the beautiful sunsets are a welcome punctuation to our evenings together. We were longing for Indonesian food and in my fevered state I requested that Topher cook me Nasi Goreng! (Truthfully, the only Indonesian recipe that is in our collection.) Look how neat and tidy his preparations are!
Nasi Goreng (Vegan)

3 cups cooked brown rice, cold
1 cup mung bean sprouts
1/2 cup chopped peanuts
1 tbsp or more to taste, soy sauce
1 tbsp sambol (we substituted sriaracha and sweet chili sauce)
1 cup cabbage, shredded
1/2 cup carrots, shredded
2 cloves minced garlic
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 lb minced seasoned tofu or fake meat bits
1 Tbsp. lime juice
several lime wedges
1 Tbsp. toasted sesame oil or peanut oil (or combination)
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
1/2 cup scallions, chopped

1. Heat oil in wok or skillet, add tofu, onion and garlic.
2. Saute for a few minutes.
3. Add rice and sambol and stir. Add soy sauce and one half of the carrots, sprouts, cabbage and peanuts. Cook and toss together for a few minutes.
4. Add half of the cilantro, black pepper, half of the scallions and more soy sauce if needed.
5. Continue frying for 2 minutes.
6. Serve! Top with remaining sprouts, cilantro, peanuts, cabbage, carrots and scallions. Put lime wedges and chili sauce on the side.

Living with a chef!

Vegan Cuban Black Bean Soup

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 large onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
2 cans black beans
1 package of Smart Bacon, cut into strips
3 cups vegetable broth
3 cups water
1/4 cup hard cider (or regular cider)
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano leaves
1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
1 large tomato, chopped
for our topping: 2 plantains and vegetable oil
(optional toppings: chopped hard boiled egg and onions)

1. Heat oil over medium heat. Cook onion and garlic in oil, stirring occasionally.
2. When onion and garlic are cooked, add Smart Bacon, spices and cider, simmer on low for 10 minutes or so.
3. Stir in remaining ingredients, heat to boiling. Boil for 2 minutes; reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 3o minutes.
4. While soup is cooking: heat oil in cast iron pan. Peel and cut medium size slices of plantain. Drop into the hot oil, fry until brown. Place fried plantains on plate with paper towel to drain off excess oil.
5. Serve soup with topping of choice.

This is one of the first recipes we worked on together and it turned out wonderful! Enjoy!

the internet

We have it in our house now! Topher has started working and now it's my turn to hang out while he is gone. I have started training to volunteer at the Animal Shelter, which is close to our place. I can not apply to be a sub until my WA teaching license is granted to me, all the paperwork is in, all I can do now is wait. I have decided to knit all my Christmas presents this year and this is my project to make sure I do not lose my mind while unemployed! So far I have completed 2 hats! I had no idea they were so easy...

Here are some of amazing pictures we have from Colorado:
Cheers!

It's raining

At this moment Topher is taking his Food Handlers Test and I am applying to be a Substitute Teacher. The time off has been good for us, but the money is dwindling. Since we returned to Seattle, we have been mostly enjoying our wonderful new home. Cooking, watching dvds, walking up and down Queen Anne, knitting, researching herb gardens and reading. We are glad to be home. We skipped some of the sites we were planning on seeing on the way back, because we were anxious to return home. Now we have places to see in the US in the future.

Hope all is well with you.

The Wild West