#flowertherapy might be right up there with #water #flowertherapy might be right up there with #watertherapy.  Love passing the time in secret wildflower patches. As you do. 🌸
I remarked how pretty that tiny sliver of the moon I remarked how pretty that tiny sliver of the moon was on the way home tonight, and my friend pulled over right away so I could grab a photo. That’s when someone really knows you! It was just too beautiful to resist. 🌙
Weekend photos in review, old school style. ✨ C Weekend photos in review, old school style. ✨ 
Context: 1/ picture perfect weekend, 2/ threw together a quick meal w udon noodles, steak and broccoli, so good, 3/ the sun reflections on this painting struck me today, looked like a cross 4/ it takes all afternoon but nothing like Sunday Gravy, 5/ six months old, 6/ when he wants some serious zzzz’s, he covers his eye with his ears, the cutest, 7/ breakfast pastries at @coniglios
I have plenty of reusable shopping bags since New I have plenty of reusable shopping bags since New Jersey banned the plastic ones last year. But when I spied this beauty for a buck, how could I resist? It just is so darn happy, which makes me happy. The little things aren’t so little. 💛
Cheers to the weekend! This may look like a staged Cheers to the weekend! This may look like a staged photo, but Lola just has ZERO boundaries and Clifford is exceptionally patient. 😂
I’ve been on a smoked salmon kick lately (it’s I’ve been on a smoked salmon kick lately (it’s so good for you), so when I saw that a local patisserie has a smoked salmon croissant available (weekends only), I added it to my list of things to seek out. I popped into @chocolatinenj early on Mother’s Day and was rewarded with this deliciousness. Layers of soft flaky croissant dough, tender smoked salmon, light whipped cream, thinly sliced red and green onion slivers and dotted with capers… it was every bit as amazing as you’d imagine it would be. If you’re local, don’t sleep on this one. 😋
Weekend photos in review, the belated edition. 1/ Weekend photos in review, the belated edition.

1/ hit up a few yard sales and snagged this beautiful pasta dish from Italy with my favorite color for a buck, 2/ and one of these printer trays came home with me too, 3/ pre Mother’s Day celebrations with 30 local moms, 4/ finished the weekend supervising furniture assembly
Today would have been my friend Cathy’s 53rd bir Today would have been my friend Cathy’s 53rd birthday. Unfortunately she’s not here to celebrate because she died suddenly at age 49. I think of her often … every Mother’s Day because we spent most of them together since her husband worked weekends … when I discover a new food adventure (we once did a day long donut crawl) … when I’m sharing a special time with my kids knowing that her then-11 year old is growing up without her. Before she passed, I always appreciated every day, but since then, even more so. You never know what the next day can bring, so relish in the sunshine, surprise rainstorms, making wishes over railroad tracks and all the wonderful randomness life can throw your way. Don’t waste a single second, say yes, live on the outskirts of your comfort zone, laugh often, tell people you love them, give eight second hugs, and squeeze every ounce of joy you can out of life. Do it for the people who can’t. ✨
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Sweetnicks

Food and Life

Review: Emmett Watson’s Oyster Bar {Seattle, WA}

January 15, 2013 · Narrative

When Sarah and I were choosing our return flights from our trip to Seattle for a Starbucks event almost two years ago (ack!), we purposely chose a later flight. It meant we would land back at our home airport at around 6 am, and then I took the car service home, changed, and went straight to work. Which was pretty killer.

Curved Pike Place Market

But it also meant that it bought us an afternoon of sightseeing around downtown Seattle. Nearly seven hours, to be exact. Since this was the first trip to Seattle for both of us, we couldn’t not do it, right?

After our last bit of the Starbucks’ obligations ended, we checked out of our hotel room, left our suitcases with the front desk, and headed off in search of adventure.

Seattle trip 090

Mostly the food kind.

By way of Pike Place.

EW - outside sign-001

When we happened upon Emmett Watson’s Oyster Bar (judge nothing by their web site, it’s lacking in a severe way), it was pure happenstance. We had just bought piroshkies from Piroshky Piroshky, and honestly just wanted a place to sit down and dig in. We ended up walking down a little alley way and found an outdoor courtyard with tons of available seating.

EW - hidden treasure-001

As it was part of the Emmett Watson’s Oyster Bar, we came by our seats honestly.

By buying multiple Diet Cokes. (This was long before I gave up Diet Coke)

After we polished off our food, we took a quick look at the Oyster Bar’s menu.

And, well, when it comes to oysters, it’s really hard for me to say no.

Sarah too.

And so we took our party of two inside to one of their well-worn, deliciously broken-in booths and started to order off the fun paper-bag menus.

EW - paper bag menu-001

I swear we seriously just ate our way through Pike Place.

And it was, like, the most fun ever.

When we ordered the Oysters Rockefeller, our very cute, affable waiter, Trenton, said that they were made to order and it would be about twenty minutes.

“Is that ok?”

EW - happy waiter-001

But of course.

And then we busied ourselves doing what most food bloggers do.

…

Read More

Review: Piroshky Piroshky Bakery, Pike Place Market, Seattle

August 10, 2011 · Narrative

Piroshky - Exterior Sign
Love the little bit of sun flare in that picture.  I had planned another topic for today, but couldn’t string the words together in a way that made me happy, so instead we’ll catch up on some backlog.

I happened to be on an interview this morning, and the guy interviewing me asked me “why food?”  One of the easiest questions for me to answer, but not one I am able to eloquently sum up in a nice, compact elevator speech.  Because it means so much.  From my girls trip last year to Mystic, CT, I have a giant photo hanging in our kitchen that proclaims FOOD IS LOVE.  And that’s it, really, isn’t it?  Some of my earliest fondest memories from my childhood involve food, but beyond that, it’s about coming to the table.  To share with family.  With friends.  Creating memories.  Around occasions.  And nothingness.  And that’s one thing I strive to give my kids.  Memories of love.  Food.  Family.  Laughter. After all, it’s all woven together in our tapestry.  Our rainbow cakes.  Our Feast of the Seven Fishes.  Nick’s yesteryear favorite dinner of Penne with Vodka Sauce and his sister’s first taste of grapefruit.  Our celebrations of Chinese New Year.  Even though we’re not Chinese.  I want them to remember coming together as a family, at the table, when they look back on their childhood.  And when Nick requested a homecooked meal for his birthday dinner, it just reinforces the fact that I’m on the right path.  It all starts here.

And so it is with trips too.  Since early Spring, I have taken a trip a month, largely for work, and some of them (heck, most of them!) have been intrinsically tied to food.  The memories that surround the trip are all about “Remember that meal we had at that dive?”  “Those roadstand tomatoes?”  “That waiter at such-and-such as awesome, wasn’t he?”  We share.  We connect.  We laugh.  We love.  We feed our souls from the inside out, nourishing every fiber of our being.

When I say that Sarah and I ate our way across Seattle back in May, I’m not exaggerating.  Because we totally did.  Our last meeting with the Starbucks crew was a lunch meeting.  But after that, we had a second lunch at Lola.  And then we seriously worked our way from one end of Pike Place Market to the other.  Eating.  Experiencing.  Thinking “oh, we’re not hungry,” and then an hour later we’re chatting it up with a cute waiter and two dozen oysters.  (That review is coming soon)

Piroshky - Interior Door
The day we arrived in Seattle, Beth forwarded me an e-mail with a list of Top 10 eats in Pike Place Market.  Whoever said “timing is everything” wasn’t kidding.  I saw Piroshky Piroshky Bakery on the list and it was one of our first stops.  A Russian bakery that has been family-owned since 1992, we found it easily by the small line snaking outside the front door.  And in actuality, the line gave us a chance to get the tiny lay of the land, suss out the menu, peer into the clear glass case and decide exactly how many piroshkies would be too much.

Piroshky - The Line

Piroshky - Menu
…

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#flowertherapy might be right up there with #water #flowertherapy might be right up there with #watertherapy.  Love passing the time in secret wildflower patches. As you do. 🌸
I remarked how pretty that tiny sliver of the moon I remarked how pretty that tiny sliver of the moon was on the way home tonight, and my friend pulled over right away so I could grab a photo. That’s when someone really knows you! It was just too beautiful to resist. 🌙
Weekend photos in review, old school style. ✨ C Weekend photos in review, old school style. ✨ 
Context: 1/ picture perfect weekend, 2/ threw together a quick meal w udon noodles, steak and broccoli, so good, 3/ the sun reflections on this painting struck me today, looked like a cross 4/ it takes all afternoon but nothing like Sunday Gravy, 5/ six months old, 6/ when he wants some serious zzzz’s, he covers his eye with his ears, the cutest, 7/ breakfast pastries at @coniglios
I have plenty of reusable shopping bags since New I have plenty of reusable shopping bags since New Jersey banned the plastic ones last year. But when I spied this beauty for a buck, how could I resist? It just is so darn happy, which makes me happy. The little things aren’t so little. 💛

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#flowertherapy might be right up there with #water #flowertherapy might be right up there with #watertherapy.  Love passing the time in secret wildflower patches. As you do. 🌸
I remarked how pretty that tiny sliver of the moon I remarked how pretty that tiny sliver of the moon was on the way home tonight, and my friend pulled over right away so I could grab a photo. That’s when someone really knows you! It was just too beautiful to resist. 🌙
Weekend photos in review, old school style. ✨ C Weekend photos in review, old school style. ✨ 
Context: 1/ picture perfect weekend, 2/ threw together a quick meal w udon noodles, steak and broccoli, so good, 3/ the sun reflections on this painting struck me today, looked like a cross 4/ it takes all afternoon but nothing like Sunday Gravy, 5/ six months old, 6/ when he wants some serious zzzz’s, he covers his eye with his ears, the cutest, 7/ breakfast pastries at @coniglios
I have plenty of reusable shopping bags since New I have plenty of reusable shopping bags since New Jersey banned the plastic ones last year. But when I spied this beauty for a buck, how could I resist? It just is so darn happy, which makes me happy. The little things aren’t so little. 💛
Cheers to the weekend! This may look like a staged Cheers to the weekend! This may look like a staged photo, but Lola just has ZERO boundaries and Clifford is exceptionally patient. 😂
I’ve been on a smoked salmon kick lately (it’s I’ve been on a smoked salmon kick lately (it’s so good for you), so when I saw that a local patisserie has a smoked salmon croissant available (weekends only), I added it to my list of things to seek out. I popped into @chocolatinenj early on Mother’s Day and was rewarded with this deliciousness. Layers of soft flaky croissant dough, tender smoked salmon, light whipped cream, thinly sliced red and green onion slivers and dotted with capers… it was every bit as amazing as you’d imagine it would be. If you’re local, don’t sleep on this one. 😋
Weekend photos in review, the belated edition. 1/ Weekend photos in review, the belated edition.

1/ hit up a few yard sales and snagged this beautiful pasta dish from Italy with my favorite color for a buck, 2/ and one of these printer trays came home with me too, 3/ pre Mother’s Day celebrations with 30 local moms, 4/ finished the weekend supervising furniture assembly
Today would have been my friend Cathy’s 53rd bir Today would have been my friend Cathy’s 53rd birthday. Unfortunately she’s not here to celebrate because she died suddenly at age 49. I think of her often … every Mother’s Day because we spent most of them together since her husband worked weekends … when I discover a new food adventure (we once did a day long donut crawl) … when I’m sharing a special time with my kids knowing that her then-11 year old is growing up without her. Before she passed, I always appreciated every day, but since then, even more so. You never know what the next day can bring, so relish in the sunshine, surprise rainstorms, making wishes over railroad tracks and all the wonderful randomness life can throw your way. Don’t waste a single second, say yes, live on the outskirts of your comfort zone, laugh often, tell people you love them, give eight second hugs, and squeeze every ounce of joy you can out of life. Do it for the people who can’t. ✨

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