In Review: Twilight Series

It's taken some time, but I thought I'd do a blog about the Twilight series that I so easily and happily became addicted to.

In record time of just a couple weeks, I sped through all four, very hefty novels. I'm sure by this point in time, most people have read them. If not, YOU'VE GOT TO! If so, do it again! :)

I've never been one for vampire stuff, but the story line totally draws you in an. And as much as I hate to admit it, I think part of it is the damsel in distress bit that girls fall for so easily. I found myself flipping through page after page for hours upon end and being irritated when I realized it really was time to put it down and go to bed. Considering most have either read them or heard about then and since there are tons of reviews online, I’ll spare the detailed outline of the stories. I will just say that THEY’RE GREAT!

http://www.stepheniemeyer.com/twilightseries.html

In addition to the books, the movies are great too! Definitely not the same and I did enjoy the books a little better because you get so much more of the story and the characters but the casting for the movies is a huge bonus. Easy on the eyes, that’s for sure! I will have to say that after watching both the first and second movie, they must have heard the feedback, because I’m pretty certain they forced the actors to take acting lessons. That made the second movie so much better and easier to enjoy. If you haven’t seen the New Moon movie because of the lack of acting skills or cheesiness of the Twilight movie, GO SEE IT! Way better. And don't worry, after a couple weeks, you'll stop thinking about silly vampires... just takes some time. With that said, I will leave you with some yummy pictures.

The Home Hunt

All of the stars have aligned to open the posibility of  buy my first home. The idea of it is still sinking in. It feels like such an adult thing to do and I think I'm still trying to get used to the fact that, well... I AM an adult and it really isn't such a crazy idea. In actuality, it makes quite a bit of sense!

So now begins the process of not only searching for properties but also prioritizing what criteria is important. It really seems like such an easy thing. Oh, but it is not. Aside from that, looking at houses, condos, townhomes it quite fun! Here are a couple I checked out yesterday that I LOVE!

Please comment and let me know what you think!! :)

Kent House:
BRAND new, amazing layout, open, light, living room spans 2 stories high, large kitchen, awesome master suite, 3 bed/2.5 bath, 2 car garage, close to southcenter mall...

Kent Condo:

(very high ceilings, 2 bed/2 bath, not as great of location, but BRAND new/still building, quiet, close to Southcenter mall)

And just a couple more from the long list to check out soon...

West Seattle:
45th ave. Awesome location, good views, but a little outdated , 2 bed/2 bath

Capitol Hill:
Yesler Townhome (good location, updated, 2 bed, 2 bath)

23rd Ave Condo (2 bed, 2 bath)

Kirkland:

Condo 1 (1 bedroom, new/updated interior)

Condo 2: (2 bed, 2 bath, updated interior)

Why do we do it???

We've all heard a million times how bad too much sugar is for you, how terrible processed foods are, blah blah.... But we continue to cram it down and stuff ourselves til we're about to burst! It's all in the name of a holiday, right?

Today's suspect: Valentine's swap at work - a spitting image of elementary school.

Exhibit A: The superhero cards stouting "You're a cool cat!" etc... Prepping you up and getting you excited to eat candy!

Exhibit B: Mounds and mounds of various candy. Chocolate, warheads, suckers, Nerds, Wonka Razapplemagic Fun Dips, etc

Now, if only we could have that extremely full, I-think-I-might-vomit feeling BEFORE we eat an entire bag of Heart Shaped candy - then the true culprit could be brought to justice! Until then... *barf*

Bon Appétit: French Cooking

About 35 miles and a ferry ride north of Seattle is a small town on Whidbey Island called Langley. It was the location of a fun French Cooking and B&B weekend.

After exploring the sprawling metropolis of Langley (or rather, a couple square blocks of the town), we rested up in our very pink and very flowery room at the Ashingdon Manor Bed & Breakfast. Later that afternoon, we made our way down to the huge kitchen for the Seasonal French Cooking class with Chef David Amar, a native of Aubenas in Southern France.

Below are some pictures of the incredible food as well as a recipe for one of the most amazing dishes I've ever tasted! I've also included some very cool pictures from the Earth Santuary Nature Reserve we visited during our time on Whidbey Island.

- Pre-Dinner -

Instructions in the kitchen from Chef David Amar:

Prepping the pears for dessert:

- Entrée -

Pétoncles en sauce d'hiver (scallops in winter sauce). Recipe below.

Petites salades oubliées (Pot Herbs Mini Salad).

- Plat secondaire -

Rillettes de Pore (Smooth pâté of pork).

Increbile homemade French bread.

Salade de topenambours en persillade (Sun-Chokes in parsley)

Choux raves à l'étouffée (Braised Kohlrabi)

- Plat Principal -

Daube Provençale (Classic French braised beef, red wine, and winter vegetables)

Gratins Dauphinois (Potato gratin from Dauphiné region of France)

- Dessert - 

Poires pochées auvin rouge et épices (Winter pears poached in wine and spices)

- Recipe -

Pétoncles en sauce d'hiver (scallops in winter sauce)

Ingredients:

4 cups of heavy cream

4 cups of bay scallops

1 cup of button mushrooms

1 cup of diced Bartlett pear

1 cup of smoked ham (black forest ham is best)

1/2 cup of Roquefort (crumbled)

1 tablespoon of chopped garlic

1 bunch of parsley (chopped)

Preperation = 30 min, Difficulty = medium to easy.

In stainless steel with heavy bottom or a cast iron pan, sear the mushrooms, ham and pears. When browning, deglaze with the cream and add the garlic. Reduce for a while at high temperature so the cream gets a nice ochre color then add the blue cheese. Stir a little and keep warm on very low hear.

In another similar pan, sear the scallops at high temperature and really fast, no more than a few seconds, so that the inside remains raw and tender.

Put scallops in a bowl with the parsley ad coat them with it.

Just before serving place the sauce in a ramekin and the scallops on top. This would be great as a main dish with some French bread and red wine or as an appetizer.

Other pictures (not of the menu)

STUFFED beyond belief after dinner:

Our overly pink and flowery B&B room:

Earth Sanctuary Nature Reserve:

View of the soggy sky:

One of the many rock formations:

Bethanne at one of the rock formations:

Billings Outlaw Signing

Make it official. Michael is signed on for a second season with the IFL's Billings Outlaws Football Team - as if we didn't see it coming. Is there a second Championship ring on the way? I sure hope so!!! I'll definitely be there for the season opener on Feb. 28 at the Rimrock Arena in Billings.

Check out the article: http://www.billingsgazette.com/sports/football/professional/arena/article_dd904234-0ef9-11df-9297-001cc4c002e0.html