If you really knew me........

OK friends!  I'm jumpin on this bandwagon.  I've been seeing this trendy post floating around, and it's really let me learn a lot about some of my favorite bloggers.  I don't share very much personal info, so I figured this was a perfect chance for all of you to get to know me a bit better.

1.  I have 8 siblings.  YEP- 8!  My parents were teens when I was born, and alas, I was the only spawn of those two.  Since, I have grown 4 stepbrothers (2 of which are twins), 2 half brothers, 1 stepsister, and 1 half sister.  Whoa.

2.  I used to be a dirty hippie.  You know those dready bare-footed free spirits with the patchwork clothes that smell like patchouli covered up weedsmoke?  That was me.  In high school and college.  Actually, that was me until I was about 23.  Like another life, I tell you!

3.  I adore reality TV.  The trashier, the better.  I actually don't allow myself to have cable for this specific reason.  I have no excuse..... and I try not to watch them because if I watch one episode...... BAM- I'm hooked.  Here's my rule: If I'm too embarassed to tell my fiance about it, it's too trashy to watch.

4.  I have an addiction to ironing.  Like, a serious addiction.  I used to watch my mom iron everything when I was kid, and think she was totally crazy.  Now, I can't even hang anything up in my closet until it's been ironed.  MAKE IT STOP!

5.  I think farting is just about the most hilarious thing in the word.  I'm actually smiling and chuckling to myself just writing this!  If you ever want to make me laugh, really hard, just let one.  Why are they SO freakin hilarious???!!!

6.  I physically can't burp.  Weird huh?  But seriously....... it's like my body can't do it.  Every time my body sort of tries, it stops in my throat and I just sound like a weird frog.  I actually burped one time, and one time only.  And get this, it was in the  middle of the Nutcracker balet........ and it was uberloud.  HAHAHAHA!  I turned to my friend sitting next to me and we were both SO excited because I had burped...... but then embarassed because I had done it during a quiet balet!  Oh man..... good times.  But really, how weird is that? 

Anyways........ now you know a little more about yours truly.

What are your juicy little details about yourself?

Have a great holiday weekend!

Trish

Pluot rosemary icepops

August tradition: blackberry picking

Late summer in Seattle is one of my favorite times of the year.  The weather is pretty much 75degrees every single day, the sun shines until 8PM, and berries grow wild on almost every corner.  Each year, Jared and I head down to Discovery Park in Magnolia, where the blackberries take over to create a maze of nooks and crannies just waiting with bunches of fruit.  The pricks are a bit gnarly, and if you're girly and a little cray-cray like me, you wear a dress and sandals anyways, but man oh man are the berries worth it.

This last one is my favorite pic.  Miss Tootsie Roll in yellow booties munching away at the berries straight off the bush.

I've already got some blackberry brandy steeping in the closet (2 months of patience.  EEK!) and can smell the blackberry crumble in the oven.  This time of year is gone in the blink of an eye, but I so adore the few weeks that it's here.

What are your August traditions?

A song for Saturday: I'll be loving you

I'll be loving you by King Khan and BBQ is seriously one of my favorite songs of all time.  I happened to see Mark Sultan and King Khan perform together a handful of years ago, and I was instantly in LOVE!  I was totally gaga over Mark Sultan's turban, King Khan's draggy wig, and the incredible 60s garagey tunage at that show.  Ah sigh..... melting heart......  

This song is SO uber essential for a summer drive with the windows down and your feet hanging out the window.  Enjoy the last stretch of summer friends!  And expect a LOT of Mark Sultan on a song for Saturday, because, well,  he is my dream boyfriend after all.

Have a fantastic Saturday!

Adventures in poptails: White sangria

Well hello!  This is my story of my first ever poptail attempt, a white grape and nectarine sangria poptail.

First, let me show you how classy I am with some photos of some white wine, and some fruit.

There's also a bit of grand marnier.  UBERCLASS up in heeea!

OK, now that I've let my classiness nerdiness shine, let's begin:
I've decided that poptails are a MUST have for my wedding next August, and have started a mission to try out different ones until I find the BEST one.  I've been getting a ton of poptail inspiration from different websites, (see obsession post here) and found this super delish looking recipe on www.bakersroyale.com. 

I knew I had to make this when a friend of mine was having a housewarming/birthday bbq that weekend.  They seemed like a dream come true!  So, I gathered my classy ingredients, took some classy pictures, and followed the recipe exactly.

They seem so beautiful and perfect.  Slushy classy goodness just waiting to be a frozen delight.

I waited overnight for the freezer to do it's thang
more waiting......
More waiting........
More Waiting......
MORE WAITING!........



These lovelies never froze.  :(

I ended up at the party with a tray of sangria slushies.  Amazingly delicious sangria slushies, but still........ slushies.
Turns out, the fabulous birthday gal had tried to make some whiskey sour cherry poptails and THOSE didn't freeze either!

Tricky little buggers!

In the end...... not the perfect poptail for next August, but I'll get you poptails!  I'll get you!

At home creamy iced coffee

Good morning!  Here's how to have a nice and cool refreshing coffee in a late August morning, the easy way, and still in your PJs.  I actually work for a local micro coffee roaster here in Seattle, so I am one of those snobby snobs in Seattle who thinks my at home coffee is the BEST! (and well, it is).  It hurts me a little to go to a cafe and see them pour hot espresso shots over ice...... in hot weather..... and make a watery mostly milk and fake syrup drink.  GASP!  No need for extra water or fake syrups my friends!  Get some great iced coffee like this:

 The night before your intended iced coffee blissful drinking moment, make your coffee and let it cool.  I swear by french presses, the grand poobah of coffee taste.  Once cooled, pour into ice molds and freeze overnight.

The next morning, use these iced coffee cubes as your coffee.  Pour some half and half and a little bit of sugar in your glass and stir like crazy. 

This takes quite a bit of patience, so if you must have your coffee NOW, add some freshly brewed hot coffee and this will speed up the melting process.  I would recommend using about an entire tray of iced coffee cubes per cup.  SO not enough without your own tray!

That's it!  Enjoy your cup of iced coffee that will taste WAY better than a cafe chain can make them. :)

Stupendous Sunday: 8/19/2012

 Oh hello Sunday.  Thank you for being a friend.

Drinks before seeing Rent at the 5th Ave Theater.  SO SO amazing!

Awesome summer produce

 

Sangria poptail beginnings

 

Sangria poptail middle-ings

 Just some Molly Moon's ice cream in some 90degree weather.  No big deal.

 

 Miss Tootie and some late night strolls

 

Seattle night sky

 Lemon raspberry thyme ice cream meets strawberry balsamic ice cream.  YUM!

 

Holy cow I love the sunshine

 

My classy man eatin his manly steak

 

Mysterious plant growing at the office.  I think it's from a fall gourd I buried last year!

 

Weeknight supper delight

 

Fresh summer pasta

 

Cobweb face

 Watermelon mint vodka presses

Car Tootie

 

Sunflowers for sunny days

 Fade to blonde

Peanut butter cup smores.  BEST thing I ate all summer.  Seriously.

 

Camping deck style

 

Cuties