‘Starbucks’ Articles at Sweetnicks

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.

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.

Mostly the food kind.

By way of Pike Place.

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.

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.

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?”

But of course.

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

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Weekend Photos in Review

March 25, 2012 · Photos

This weekend had a lot of recurring themes … caffeine, friendships, and sneakers. Though not necessarily in that order. With this being the last week of March (and the last week for me to meet my March goals), I’m feeling the pressure, so I kicked off the weekend with four and a half miles with one of my Zumba teachers. Awesome start to the weekend.

I bothered the bejeebus out of Maxwell by taking some thirty close-up shots of him. This one is by far my favorite, since I think it depicts his goofball personality most completely.

Twelve dollar girl time is my kind of rejuvenation.

Grabbed a quick bite to eat at a place that had the weirdest ice ever (full review coming soon), as evidenced by the finger-hole in each ice cube.

I am all for subtly embracing the 80s-comeback trend of neon, but these socks? Just say no. Please.

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Weekend Photos in Review

March 18, 2012 · Narrative

A generous boss gave out six packs of cupcakes from a local bakery, green bagels, and Shamrock shakes for St. Patrick’s Day. A fun start to the weekend.

The kids were slightly horrified to see this car in a local parking lot. Then we discussed the reasons why someone’s car might look like this. I’ll turn anything into a teaching moment if I can. ;)

I gave the kids $25 each on Friday and took them to the bank to open up their own passbook savings accounts. I wanted them to have an account that they could control, adding and subtracting to it as they want; this way they could see their money grow, and when Mom says “no” about buying something they deem a “must-have,” they can choose to spend their own money on it. We made a few rules (for example, when they get money, they have to put half of it in another account I have for them, and the other half goes in these new accounts), and they are more than a little excited to have this bit of extra control. Although it’s old-fashioned, I am super partial to the passbook savings account because it’s an easy way for them to see their balance grow (or not) as the case might be.

Both kids start the spring soccer season in a few weeks. We took advantage of a local shoe store’s sale — a 20% discount if you bring them an old pair of shoes (that they will, in turn, donate). Love Mom & Pop’s!

The kids went to a movie with Mystic’s daughter on Friday night, and while they were there, I ran a few errands. I love J. Crew’s new window display. The pinwheels are made up of folded magazine pages.

First time having a Skinny Caramel Macchiato. I’m a few days shy of being a month of Diet Coke-free, and it hasn’t gotten any easier. I liked the Macchiato, but too much milk for me. I still prefer the iced coffees and frappuccinos.

The kids took over the the camera for Friday’s sunset. You know, ’cause I was driving….

Planning a Girls’ Night In

December 15, 2011 · Ad-Free, Narrative

Thanks to Duncan Hines for sponsoring my writing. There’s no limit to the baking possibilities, so grab your favorite Duncan Hines mix and Comstock or Wilderness fruit fillings and Bake On! www.duncanhines.com.

This time of year, our calendars bulge with holiday commitments, parties, and general chaos. That’s why I pretty much never have a holiday party. Instead, we plan more out-of-the-box ideas … our Rainbow Cake party twice a year to celebrate both the beginning and end of school, our Chinese New Year celebration, our annual Valentine’s Day party, our bacon fete, and parties just because. Which are sometimes my favorite kind.

Back in the Spring (yes, it has taken me this long to blog about it), I hosted a Girls Night In. It actually ended up being the night before I left on my Seattle/Starbucks trip. I debated about rescheduling the party, but had been so looking forward to it. With a little careful planning, you too can have a party the night before you fly across country for Starbucks College! Especially if you make it a potluck affair with awesome friends.

The reason for the party to begin with? I had heard about Craft Hope, an organization that tries to meet needs of orphans through handmade goodness, and at the time, they were looking for people to make handmade bracelets, to be sent to orphaned children clear across the world. I have long considered adopting, even when The Ex and I were still married, so this was something that I didn’t need arm twisting to participate in. Add in a group of fun girlfriends, an array of homecooked food and Mom Juice, and directions to make bracelets using t-shirt material, and a perfect Girls Night In was born.

The bracelets are relatively simple to make but require coordination. Of which I have exactly none. Spoken by the person who sprained her ankle. Wearing sneakers. Just walking down three steps. Luckily out of the group of ten of us, there were at least 3 or 4 that got the concept quickly. And they schooled the helpless. Or hopeless. Depending on your perspective. And how much Mom Juice had been injested at that point.

Madeline just saw this picture of me and responded with “Oh Mom, you look cute!” Yeah, that was back when I had hair. I feel like it’s barely grown an inch since I lopped off 9 over the summer. It is s-l-o-w going for sure, and a cut I won’t likely repeat.

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Recipe: Baked Pumpkin Spice Donut Holes

November 23, 2011 · Narrative

My sister asked if I got a commission from all my Pinterest love, and I totally don’t. How I wish! It’s just super addicting once you learn the many different ways you can use it … and it has helped me get rid of files upon files of clippings – now everything I save is virtual! Lord help me if the site ever folds. One day, I’ll do a quick Pinterest tutorial because I know not everyone “gets” the wonderment that is Pinterest, and they should! Hear that, Mom? Tonight’s recipe? A find from Pinterest, of course.

We had a little extra time in the kitchen last night, so I whipped these up in just a few minutes. They are super simple to make, reasonably healthy (if you ignore the stick of melted butter part), and addictingly good. Because they’re small (donut hole size), you can pop them in your mouth and enjoy in one bite. And that’s all good until you realize minutes later that you’ve eaten five. But ’tis the season. Enjoy now, work out later. Everything in moderation.

Not sure if I’ll be back here tomorrow, but if not, will definitely pop in on Friday. Wishing you and yours a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday. I have tons to be thankful for, and fully intend to count each and every one of my blessings, starting with the two little stinkers waiting for me upstairs.

xoxo…

Kid Conversations

October 10, 2011 · Narrative

I love listening in on the conversations Nick and Maddie have in the backseat of the car.

Madeline: “Nick, can I have more cookies?”

Nick: “I gave you one. Here’s one more. That’s it.”

Madeline: “That’s not fair!”

Nick: “Life isn’t fair. Get over it.”

Ouch.

* * * * *

Awhile back, we picked up my Mom and head to Target. She opened the passenger door, put her purse on the floor of the car and started to get in, at which point I started the car.

“Wait, Mommy, Mimi (grandma) needs to get in the car!”

Apparently I seem to have picked up a mistaken reputation for driving off when people are only halfway in the car.

* * * * *

“Peace out, homies.”

I gotta say, I was a little surprised to hear that little gem come out of Madeline’s mouth the first time over a year ago. Not sure where it came from, but it makes still me giggle a little to hear her say it now.

* * * * *

“Nick, can you run these two containers of food over to the neighbors?”

What is it?

“Spinach Cheese Squares and Chocolate Sin Cookies.”

We always have enough food to give to somebody else.

I loved that he said that. And he’s right. In more ways than one.

* * * * *…

Starbucks Therapy Session

October 4, 2011 · Narrative

Mystic and I escaped to the movies a week ago. Let me save you twenty bucks … skip Kevin Hart’s Laugh at My Pain. The only reason we chose it it because it had been probably a good two months since we went out, just the two of us, and movies have become one of our “things.” Well, the Dine-In Cinema at least. Not a regular movie theater. A full-on straight-up comedy routine sounded perfect, just what we needed. Yeah, well, not so much.

On the way home, we were one block away and he asked me if I wanted a frappuccino. It was only 830 pm. I wasn’t ready to go back home yet. Starbucks sounded perfect. After we ordered our drinks (that new gargantuan size that Starbucks unleashed a little bit ago is pretty perfect for Mystic), he led us to the outside tables. I’ve lived in town for 10 years now, and have only sat outside the Starbucks one other time. We watched the passers-by, the sky darken, the traffic, and talked about some of life’s great topics. (There was a picture of all that in last weekends’ round-up here)

Responsibility.

Respect.

Character.

Things which are huge to us. Both for us. And for our kids. We shared stories. Ideas. Connections. And talked about people we admire. Moments that deserve respect. That left us in awe. Both good and bad.

I can’t tell you what a high it is to have a conversation, an adult conversation. Knowing the little people at home were being taken care of. Being able to finish sentences, thoughts. I tweeted later that night, something short and simple … “Heart. Full.” And I meant it.

Mystic has many pretty awesome qualities, but one of the top three that I’m most attracted to is his ability to know what I need, sometimes before I even realize it. Whether it’s a light bulb for my refrigerator that I didn’t even realize was out or a one hour chat session lit only by the headlights of oncoming cars, he is completely there.

* * * * *

Speaking of respect, one of the stories that I shared was a part of a recent episode of Giuliana & Bill. Reality tv is one of my guilty pleasures, sue me. Giuliana threw her husband Bill a surprise birthday party to celebrate his 40th. A gathering of close friends and family led way to several toasts about Bill and his character. To hear the way they talk about him totally choked me up. One of Bill’s friend’s mentioned something he learned about Bill recently. Bill was on a flight, in First Class, and noticed a serviceman board the plane and sit in coach. At some point, he spoke to the flight attendant and said he wanted to switch seats with the serviceman, but didn’t want him to know he was doing it. He didn’t want the thanks. Or the acknowledgement. Or the tabloid story the next day. He just wanted to do it. And he did. The only reason Bill’s friend knew about what Bill had done is that he had overhead a conversation between Bill and his wife. It was a silent moment about showing respect.

It took me forever to find online clips of that part of the episode. You can watch part of Giuliana’s speech to Bill right here, and you can watch the whole episode right here:

To skip to the speeches, scroll over to minute 36 and watch from there. (There is only one pop-up on this site, just close it and all will be fine). The toasts from Bill’s friend, his sister, and Giuliana, and later his to his mom, just speak to what a stand-up, grounded, loyal guy he is and it was heartwarming to watch. To me, that’s what it’s all about.

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Letter to My Son – Happy 9th Birthday!

August 2, 2011 · Narrative

At 7 am, I felt a gentle tap on my arm.

“Mom, it’s my birthday! I’m 9!”

I cracked open one eye and looked at the clock. “Happy Birthday! Are you excited?”

Nick nodded emphatically, and asked me what time he was born.

“6:07 am.”

How did you know I was coming?

“Because you woke me up, just like you’re doing today.”

I patted the other side of my bed and he crawled in. Well, with as much space as his sister would allow. For a little body, she takes up an exorbitant amount of space. She crawled into my bed at 4 am, after telling me she couldn’t sleep. They both had a hard time sleeping last night. We all did. I maintain if she was actually LYING DOWN IN A BED instead of walking around at 4 am, she might have had an easier time sleeping, but what the heck do I know?

Today is a new day.

The last year of single digit birthdays for Nick.

When asked if he wanted to go out for dinner tonight or stay home, he chose staying home. I love that. Those little moments of homebodiness that mean Mom’s cooking is always better. Home really IS where the heart is. Spaghetti with red sauce, mozzarella and tomatoes from the farmer’s market and hot fudge brownie ice cream sundaes with soft chocolate chip cookies. I can totally do that.

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Weekend Photos in Review

July 31, 2011 · Narrative

If you follow me on Twitter, you might have caught wind that my birthday was coming. I started celebrating last week. You know, birthday week. But then Mystic had to get all practical. “You know, since your birthday is actually on Sunday, and since Sunday is the start of the week TRADITIONALLY, your birthday week actually starts on the 31st.” Men! While he may be right, Nick’s birthday is this coming Tuesday, and I don’t want to intrude. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

I have accidentally on purpose found a ton of different food ways to celebrate over the weekend, starting with a kick-off lunch with Patsy on Friday, dinner/movie with a girlfriend Friday night, lunch and dessert with Beth yesterday, dinner and a movie with Mystic last night, breakfast and lunch with Mystic today, and dinner at my parents’ house tonight. Phew! I haven’t cooked since, um, last Wednesday and that is a pretty excellent way to celebrate, if you ask me. That and with friends and family, of course! In all the birthday festivities, I think it netted me another four spots to review as well – holla!

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Evolution of a Food Blog … and Sweetnicks

July 26, 2011 · Narrative

When I first started this site over six (!!) years ago, my focus was food, with a little bit of life thrown in. A place to document some of my favorite recipes, and some of my favorite memories. I shudder to look back on some of those earlier posts, and especially the photos. The phrase “We’ve come a long way, baby” has never been more appropriate. Right around the three year mark, I feel like I really found my footing. Or honed it in more. Still concentrating largely around food and family.

But then, over the last few years, particularly after my separation from The Ex, I felt a shift. And started to expand the topic wheel a bit more to include crafts, things to do with your kids (and without), some fashion, divorce, a bit of this and a bit of that. And I felt like my voice has gotten even more targeted, even though it’s a wider spectrum of topics. Does that make sense? I felt the words were more and more from my heart and soul, filled with emotion, as opposed to just words coming after the blinking cursor. It’s more me than ever.

Since the site was so focused on food in the beginning, broadening its scope is something I’ve struggled with over the past six months or so, from a readership viewpoint. Am I alienating people who come solely for the food? Certainly not my intention, but this is so much of who I am. I’m not just about food, although the presence of food in our lives is like a ribbon that ties it all together. I am so much more. We are so much more.

I am food.

And family.

And the kids. Oh those kids.

And home.

And parties.

And field trips.

And photography.

And new nail polish obsessions.

And a statistic of divorce.

And dating.

And laughter.

And love.

And tons more.

Just like you.

And it seems only natural that this site is an extension of that.

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Review: Tom Douglas’ Lola in Seattle, WA

July 11, 2011 · Narrative, Restaurant Review

When Sarah and I arrived in Seattle for our May trip, we finally got to the hotel around 9 pm. We hadn’t had dinner. We checked in quickly, dumped our luggage in our rooms and headed out in search of a bite to eat. The first thing we learned about Seattle? It’s hard to find a restaurant open at 9 pm on a Sunday night. The city all but rolls up the sidewalks after dark. Something we East Coasters weren’t used to.

Our driver had suggested a few restaurants within walking distance of our hotel, and after we found the third one closed, we ended up back at our hotel, taking our last choice, Lola. A Tom Douglas restaurant, Lola is inside Hotel Andra and let me tell you now … it should never be your last choice.

We took a seat at the bar, ordered our obligatory Diet Cokes and looked over the Greek-inspired menu. Everything looked amazing. One of my favorite things about eating with a fellow foodie is that we order a variety of things and share. Simply the best way to sample the most amount of food for the least amount of money. And hanging out with a fellow foodie (and I know how much Sarah hates that word, so forgive me) who also totes a camera everywhere? I feel way less obvious once the Nikon comes out.

We ended up ordering two different kabobs off the dinner menu. One with Haloumi cheese, figs and a balsamic glaze, and the other had assorted mushrooms and roasted garlic. I have tried figs on two occasions and haven’t grown to like them. All that stopped that night. Something about the combination of the Haloumi cheese (the first time both of us had had it) with the reduced balsamic vinegar, and the sweetness of the fig spelled nirvana.

We also ordered the anchovy cauliflower spread. I will be the first to say that I hate anchovies. The Ex Husband and my dad both love them. No thank you. But I don’t mind them one bit once they’re cooked (or in a caesar salad). Once the anchovies are heated, they melt into nothingness and just leave a wonderful salty flavor behind. Hello Salt, my name is Cate. That anchovy cauliflower spread? To die for. I don’t think we licked the bowl, but we came awfully close (and we also left that night with two recipes). The spread came with the most fabulous warm pillowy soft pitas you’ve ever tasted. Divine.

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