Last Adventures in Ballard

Last full week living in Ballard. Here is what we've done thus far:

People's Pub:
Order- side of spaetzle. Side of mushroom gravy. They will look at you funny. And then you will do this:


And the spaetzle will soak up the gravy and it will be delicious with your beer. You = winner.

Other standard fare as dictated by Cindy:


Yes, also dipped in gravy. Also made of you love it. Or with the stone ground mustard works too. No salt.

Bought shoes. I know. broke rules. But cute shoe store by Bakery in Ballard - so it's kind of relevant, no?


Smashley made lemon-chiffon strawberry cake in celebration of our various friends.


Not seen: layer of strawberry filling. mmmmm.

Snack days, Cooking at home, and Cousin Graduates

Food at work: It's been stressful for various reasons. Let me count the ways we've coped:


Cinnamon and peanut butter yogurt covered pretzles, Taco flavored Doritos, Deep Fried Cajun Peanuts, Roasted red pepper hummus, french bread, celery, crackers, Laughing cow spreadable Swiss cheese.

Cinnamon and peanut butter yogurt covered pretzles are always addicting. Be careful with them. And when was the last time you saw Taco flavored Doritos???? Also good dipped in the hummus. Also delicious dipped in hummus -deep fried cajun peanuts. Everybody was skeptical about eating the shells, even after eating it. I swear though guys, you're supposed to eat the shell!!!

Not pictured - Cafeteria had breakfast burrito day and biscuits and gravy on the same day. Everybody was dipping the burritos in the gravy and it was wonderfully fattening. Yes, with hot sauce. I believe I picked Chalula.

Most recent snack day: home made ranch with regular salted chips + Beechers Flagship Cheese = wonderous levels of happiness and increased chances for heart failure. Rhubarb cake. Banana bread recipe made with all brown sugar. Veggie plate, donuts, and omg eating. The brown sugar actually made the bread nice and chewy on the outside.

In response to stress-induced eating habits at work I tried to counter with healthier stuff at home. Also, I craved steak. No butter, no oil. Just non stick pan, salt/pepper for the steak. Then steak remnants from the pan went to season the asparagus, mushrooms and red onion. Also some port (it helps pick up the steak stuff from the pan).



Similar variations of just meat and veggies: chicken and add kale and marsala wine to the veggie mix.

Next stop - Fremont Coffee House. When the timing is right, I get to learn Italian at this eccentric establishment. Otherwise it's at boring Tully's or other giant corporate coffee shop. Broccoli quiche and a soy latte. I just like the skull. The quiche was actually too cheesy for my tastes, but I had given up cheese for awhile. I'm sure at normal standards it was the appropriate amount. Always good coffee at Fremont Coffee.


The skull actually stayed all the way to the bottom of the cup.

Cousin graduated with ten million degrees! She requested asian sponge cake with strawberry. Her brother in law requested some reference to Star Wars. Here is what I came up with:


Other phrases considered, but wouldn't fit on the chocolate: Just a listing of all her degrees, "Congrats Jamie!", "A Jedi Master, you are", "May the force be with you" - or something to that effect. I forget what brother in law actually wanted.

Cake from Piece of Cake bakery in the I.D. Horrible customer service on the phone. Your best bet is always to go in person. On a scale of 1 to 10 on customer service - phone I give them a -5. Don't answer any of your questions, ask you to hold (without putting you on hold so you can hear them), and they just leave you there until you hang up. In person - customer service is a 7. Baked goods 10.

During our after hours celebration we walked by this place:


Didn't actually eat there, but we have relatives named "Foley" so you know. Had to share. Via 3 am text.

Steelhead Diner - Pike's.
- Alaskan Halibut with hominy polenta
- Sockeye Salmon
- Raw oysters
- Fried chicken with gravy and spinach ( you know I ate all those things together)

You know what I should have done? Hominy polenta + gravy. Gravy just makes everything molto delizioso.

Cutter's Happy hour at Pike's. Never a disappointment. Except for maybe the Bloody Mary's.


Nickerson Street Saloon has GREAT Bloody Mary's. Didn't take a picture, but the spices are mixed appropriately and they use horseradish! AND AND they give you pickles.

Portland Anticipation... Already went! Memorial Day Weekend Jaunts

Ash is having technical difficulties sending me pics from this trip. So I've got food to log backed up. We will post anyway due to Mar's withdrawal. Amended: pictures obtained.

Got Spanish Coffee at ...? Can't remember. There's this whole show associated with it where the waiter put lime juice and sugar on the rim, then TONS of alcohol (think - Bacardi 151) and lit it on fire! Result - still very alcoholic drink but yummy caramelized melted sugar on the rim with a little lime flavor. Licking glass not optional.


Start with these ingredients


Add fire and coffee


Yummy lunch! See the pate? I know I'm old now because I think it's delicious.

Went to the Rose festival and ate a bunch of random fair food - yum!/ack! Ack just for diet's sake.

I mean "diet."


SnoCone + Apple vodka/sprite from beer tent = I don't remember what the red is.

Rose festival = Portland is the city of roses or something. Not rose gardens like we thought. (or maybe just I thought).

Voodoo donuts. 1 of my 3 goals in visiting Portland - 2 and 3 were Powell's and Food trucks.

The cereal ones intrigue me, but I feel obligated to get the voodoo doll one...


When you walk in the door there are these.... and a billion signs saying no pics of the back. But didn't see until after it was taken.


Display case - and these are just the vegan kind, folks! Or is it gluten free? I am 95% sure it's vegan.

Voodoo booty:

Captain Crunch Voodoo Doll!! Filled with jelly and a pretzel stick for stabbing. I left this at R's.


Blueberry cake mmm Bacon maple bar

Powell's was huge, but I think it's difficult to navigate when influenced by sno cones.

Food trucks were meh. We got gluten free corn dogs and something else. Didn't take pictures, but yummy!

Of course, had to try coffee:

I lied, it was a soy chai. But it was yummy!

I question the source of this article

Alleged article on why people are addicted to cheese.

I actually only skimmed it. Judgement already made, unless you will read it to me.

Denver/Boulder - We'll say Louisville

Pre-trip: hit up Pie for some English Meat. They also had salmon, egg, dill and cheese. Key-lime minis and spicy mexican chocolate. mmmmmmmmmm.


zoom in English Meat!


Went over to Louisville, CO to visit the Oxfrauds (and BeBop!) with the don't-do-physics-anymore crew.

Every morning was a struggle to sleep in. Made it to 9am on Saturday I think. The struggle was purely against age. But there was always a fresh carafe of coffee. I call it J-roast, because they roast their own coffee beans. There was also J-brew, but I didn't take a picture of the beer bottle.


Oh, the rapture... roast.

Day 1: Hiking to Royal Arch + food at restaurants I don't remember the name to in Boulder. Soba noodle salad at a bar is a bad idea. Even if it's the special. shut up. Then Denver Roller Dolls! Had beer and pretzel with "cheese" sauce. Maybe needs a z. Also, the world's most dangerous playground for inebriated adults who've not yet adjusted to the altitude change.

Oh! But brunch restaurant had a Jerky Outlet!! Apparently, if you deep fry peanuts, it's okay to eat the shells. I've heard that some people do that regardless of the frying... skeptical.

Jalapeno beef sausage links, cajun deep fried peanuts, cherry maple turkey jerky.

Day 2: Walking around Denver and got some shopping booty!
Savory Spice Shop- Rubs and something interesting called black onyx cocoa. Dark chocolate flavor without the fatty.

The dark chocolate is not to be used as a replacement in recipes one-to-one. Just adds to the mysterious magic of it all!

Co-worker kept talking about this childhood candy-tablet you dropped into water and it turns into soda. We kept telling her it was alka-seltzer. But then this candy shop had it! And something....different.

Lemonade fizzies (root beer not pictured). Shop guy said the bacon tabs were "accurate."

They also had maltesers, so I got all excited because I thought they would have dark chocolate. -tesers. That's okay, I probably would have bought out the whole store. (ship half to Gaw).

Also, books. But this is a food blog. Standards, people.

Root Down Restaurant, Denver

The fruit with the gnocchi was weird. This place was all about sweet stuff. Then again, the drinks names were pearracuda and ginger (ale) mule.

Red beet gnocchi with squash, iberico, and blueberries. Lamb burgers with yam fries.


Zoom in Lamb-burger! Trying to get you to see the yummy herbs.

For dessert, banana "creme brulee" pie.

They say there was rum, but I didn't taste any. Might have been influenced by the ginger mule prior.

Favorites I've not yet paid homage to:

Haven't had the guts to go back since I lost my magical ability to eat a ****-ton. Also, think I gain 10 lbs every visit. Salty's brunch.

Standard plate 1 of 3 set up. Also, with bloody mary bar!

8407 Kitchen bar in S.S. (only while IBJew worked there).

Mom's first try of gnocchi.


The only time Dad used a sauce and continued to use it. (think spicy +lime)

Cinnamon rolls and bread = ourbestbites.com
AND THE INFAMOUS PIE IN A JAR!!!!
I have no pictures, so I'll just caption the text. Which doesn't make sense, I know.

Speaking of pie-

Dear Pie,

How much do I miss you? Let me count the ways:


huevos rancheros, banana cream with chocolate chip, english meat, chicken pot pie, roasted beets with goat cheese, swedish meatball with lingon berry....

NATTO/SHABU CELEBRATION

I ate natto for dinner and again for lunch today, and then tonight furniture advisor is hosting a shabu-shabu/natto party! AHHHH so excited!!

Natto spaghetti sounds so good~!


4 kinds of natto, 4 different ways. (tossed with spaghetti, without sauce, with sauce, with sauce and maguro!)

Also, I always knew that sushi knives were good, but until I used one last night I don't think I fully appreciated the magical cutting powers they possess. EASIER than buttuh.


Shabu shabu! (Grated daikon, ponzu, green onion, fish ball, shimp ball, beef, pork, tofu, udon, clear noodles, mochi, dumplings, fish, cabbage, enoki, sake, and wine).

There was also home made green tea ice cream and edamame! Natto and shabu go sooo well together. Yes, mix the food together. I've never done hot pot fully Japanese style so it was interesting how the flavors all mixed together.