Early Bloom!

Yesterday I took some pictures of these first buds becoming blooms. Very soon the entire bush will be in full bloom. Enjoy the first!

Blue Ribbon Cooking School & Night Skiing

Tonight Rob and I have a packed schedule. I am meeting some friends to do one of my favorite activities. Taking a cooking class. We're going to Blue Ribbon Cooking School in Eastlake and taking a tapas class. I have been here a few times and it's one of the best cooking schools I have been too. They have great chef's with all different backgrounds and there is never a shortage of food and drinks.

Here is the menu for tonight:

Culinary Destinations: Spanish Tapas and Spanish Wine Tasting

Menu:

Pintxos (Bite-Size Tapas)
Pan con Tomate with Jamon
Confit of Mushrooms
Orange and Thyme Marinated Olives

Tapas
Salad with Seared Piquillo Peppers Stuffed With Manchego Cheese and Quince Paste drizzled with Sherry-Honey Vinaigrette
Grilled Asparagus with Salsa Romesco
Patatas Bravas with Saffron Aioli
Pork Tenderloin Simmered with Dried Fruit, Wine and Brandy

Dessert
Spanish Olive Oil Pancakes with Chocolate
Rioja Soaked Apples
Spanish Coffee

While I am off cooking Rob is headed to Snoqualmie Pass with some friends for night snowboarding tonight.

Yarn Crawl and Knitting Updates

Ang came in town to do the Seattle to Portland Yarn Crawl this year with me. It was really fun and well worth our time. Each store gave out discounts anywhere from 10%-20% and discounts on top of the sales tax discount is enough to make anyone head down to Portland for a yarn fix.

Below is a picture of the yarn stash I brought home.Stash includes:
Elsebeth Lavold Silky Wool - green sapling
Cherry Tree Hill - Blues and Purples (a gift from ang)
ShiBui sock yarn - S Pebble
Blue Sky Dyed Cotton - Yellow
Dream in Color Smooshy - Flamingo Pie
Shepherd Classic 100% Wool - Sand

By far my favorite store was Happy Knits. If and when I ever have my own yarn store, it is exactly how I would want it to be set up. It was simple and cute. All the sample garments were very "today". I loved it. I also had the pleasure of trying the VooDoo Bakery and trying the maple bacon bar which was amazing! Fun weekend! Thanks Ang!

Fantastic Pictures!

Fun pictures of of the cats that we took in January.

Full Circle Farms

I have to say, having produce delivered right to your neighborhood is probably one of the most convenient amenities of living in a city. Especially a city surrounded by farmland. For the last few months Rob and I have been receiving bi-monthly deliveries of fresh organic produce from a local farm called "Full Circle Farms" It's been really nice. I haven't had to go to the market in ages and it really forces us to prepare meals using things I would never buy like turnips and beets. Here is an example of what will be delivered this Thursday.

Green Chard	Russet Potatoes Baby Spinach
Bunched Carrots	Sunchokes
Celery	Navel Oranges
Mangos	Braeburn Apples *
Cremini Mushrooms *	Shallots
	Bosc Pears