{weekend adventure} tiger mountain

Since the weekend is upon us yet again I thought I'd share photos from one of our past weekend adventures here in Seattle (in case you were looking for something fun in the area). This was Ryan and my first hike since moving here. We had no idea that it would be as amazing (and challenging) as it was. The 2 mile hike up the mountain was up hill (which Ryan and I are generally not a fan of), but beautifully covered in a canopy of bright green trees, surrounded by tall ferns and other woodsy things. There were two areas at the top where we stopped to lounge on the mountain slope and watch the paragliders jump off. Most of the photos of people I either took from the side or behind because I was the slowest up the mountain (I blame the photo taking ;), and once at the top was not a fan of turning my backside toward the open mountain edge. I had never before experienced the constant line of people waiting up to jump off a mountain before. It was crazy cool. And the view. Breathtaking.  We went with Ryan's cousin, his cousin's girlfriend (that's a photo of them hugging), and her good friend.  Such a wonderful afternoon. <3 Carrie

{the perfect} parfait

For my lovely mother's birthday last month I decided to try out Giada's Ricotta Parfait Recipe for breakfast before a morning of garage sailing.  It was a big hit, and since then I've tried all sorts of variations on her recipe.  Here's a look at one that I love.....


 Yogurt Ricotta Parfaits (by Giada De Laurentiis)

Ingredients:

• 1 cup ricotta cheese
• 1/2 cup plain yogurt
• 1/2 cup raspberry jam, divided
• 2 cups granola, divided
• 1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted*

Directions:

In a small bowl, whisk the ricotta cheese and yogurt together until smooth. In each parfait glass, layer 2 tablespoons of the ricotta mixture, 1 tablespoon raspberry jam and 1/4 cup of granola. Repeat the layers. Spread the remaining ricotta mixture on top and garnish with toasted almonds before serving.

*Cook's Note: To toast the sliced almonds, arrange them in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake in a preheated 350 degrees F oven for 6 to 8 minutes until lightly golden. Cool completely before using.

My Notes:

I've noticed that the ricotta texture is more or less course depending on the brand you use.  Precious Part Skim Ricotta was more course, and Frigo Part Skim Ricotta was less course.  Also, I've only tried this recipe with vanilla or strawberry & honey flavored yogurts, not plain.  The Lucerne Vanilla is inexpensive and good, but right now my favorite is the Greek Gods Yogurt!  Every flavor I've had of theirs I've loved.  Another alternative is right now I prefer fresh berries to the raspberry jam.....however, the raspberry jam is excellent in it!  I also highly recommend adding lots of toasted almond slices.  The nuttiness brings all the flavors together.

I am in the process of learning to make the perfect homemade granola, and still haven't mastered it yet.  Will share that recipe once I have.  I hope you enjoy this lovely summer breakfast as much as I do!  <3 Carrie

{card design} using a grid

Last week I made a whole stack of Father's Day cards for a friend. Here are a couple of the designs I came up with. The idea was simple.....to make a grid to *hold* each embellishment using stitching from my sewing machine. For the inside, I just cut a thin strip of paper, used the bottom of a heart punch in the top center and then added a full punched heart that *fit* inside the negative space. This is a simple design that can be used with many different card themes. Enjoy crafting!  <3 Carrie

{over the weekend} father's day

Over the weekend I spent lots of time with my wonderful Dad. Ryan, my sister's and I went with him on an afternoon walk down a section of the Elwha River that had recently drained from the removal of a dam. We came across 100 year old tree stumps 15 feet high that still had chainsaw marks. It kind of felt like an odd wasteland surrounded by a thick forest of green trees with moss and flowers growing out of the sand and piles of rocks at our feet. The weather was muggy, warm, gray and drizzely all at the same time.  Such an amazing experience.

Below is a collage of phone pics from Ryan and I waiting for the ferry, the walk with my Dad, and another stroll with Amber, Waylon and the doggies at Port Williams Beach.....

This isn't the best photo, but I love it because it started sprinkling so hard at one point, that raindrops fogged up my camera lens making everything glow.....

On Friday night my beautiful mother and I went for a stroll around her yard and ended up picking radishes from her garden. We munched on them right away for an evening snack while listening to all the birds chirp outside. Our day ended watching Pride and Prejudice, just me, my mom and little sister. My favorite part of the day was explaining the Old English to my little sis and seeing her fall in love with the movie.  Just like magic.

And my favorite food of the weekend was this amazingly delicious salad that Amber and Waylon brought for Father's Day with my Step-Dad. Flowers in your salad is the best ever!!! Lots of love to both my dads.  <3 Carrie