“well, looks like I’m not showering today.”

Sunday morning pancakes with huckleberries.  I used to make pancakes almost every Saturday morning.  I liked to add my own secret ingredients, like bananas, peanut butter, chocolate chips, beef sauteed with peas and onions, etc.  These are from the same recipe - my mom's - but without any secret ingredients.  

Bonus points if you can name the source of the post title.   

brother devil

Janna has been craving really spicy food, so on Friday night we made one of our favorites from the America's Test Kitchen Cookbook - Shrimp Fra Diavolo (translates to brother devil). It is spicy, garlicky, and best of all, you get to light it on fire.

The ingredients

En fuego

Almost ready

No utensils required

mango

We have an app on our phones called "What to Expect When You're Expecting" that compares our baby to similar-sized produce. It started as a poppy seed, then a blueberry, grew to a lime, an orange, and this week it is one of these:

That's right, a mango. About 6.5 inches long and 10 oz. Below are pictures from our ultrasound last week. Janna is convinced that the baby has my flat feet.

rolling huts

This past weekend found us traveling over the Snoqualmie and Blewett passes towards the Methow Valley to spend the weekend at the Rolling Huts. The huts are billed as an alternative to camping, with an efficient use of (very) little space and few amenities. The huts have a fireplace, microwave, coffee pot, electric kettle, and modular (read: plywood boxes) furniture. The huts are a stone's throw from the Methow River and are situated along great cross-country ski trails.

On Saturday, after a breakfast of sausage and homemade buttermilk pancakes, we went for a short hike to the river. I used snowshoes; the other three made the trek in hiking shoes. So unlike me to bring unnecessary gear, right? Upon arriving at the river, we spotted a mountain lion about 50 yards downstream on the opposite bank. I've always wanted to see one and was surprised that this one had hung around to see us pop out of the woods. It was gone too quick to snap a picture, but I took a mental one. Click.

After catching the end of the 'Hawks game at the Mazama store, we came back to the hut for chili, cornbread, Hearts and White Russians.

Sunday morning was quick, with cinnamon rolls and donut holes for breakfast before breaking "camp". We braved Stevens Pass on the way back to the wet side, stopping briefly to see some cool rock formations.

We enjoyed our adventure, but the consensus was that the huts were not worth the price. The thermostat was finicky (leading to a couple of really cold nights), doing our own dishes without the right supplies was mildly aggravating, the sheets weren't clean, and the furniture was literally plywood boxes. The scenery was gorgeous, but we'll rent an actual cabin next time.



The huts at night



The "herd" - ours is second from the left





Methow River - the mountain lion was beneath the evergreens on the left.



jake's 2010 in review

The year two thousand ten was a special one for us - plenty of adventures and time spent with family. I think we purposefully lived to the brink of exhaustion because we knew this would be our last year as non-parents. We hope to share adventures with our child-to-be (we've been referring to them as hermit - her, him, or it), but likely not at the same pace. Here is a look at some of my favorites.

Sunrise, Mt Haleakala - February 2010

Rainbow, Bitterroot River - March 2010

Yakima River - April 2010

Wenatchee River - June 2010

Blackfoot River - Independence Day 2010

Skykomish River - July 2010

Cedar River lunker - July 2010

Moon rise, Harstein Island - July 2010

Lake Pend Oreille, August 2010

Smallmouth bass, thanks to Jeremy, Lake Pend Oreille, August 2010

Janna, West, St Joe River-August 2010

Janna, Coho, Kodiak Island - September 2010

Unnamed river, Kodiak Island - September 2010

Warriors, Middle Fork of the Salmon - September 2010

Nefarious Winery, Chelan, WA - October 2010

Janna's 30th birthday menu,  Manson, WA - October 2010

Sweet aprons, Manson, WA - October 2010

Us, Hermit, Shoreline - December 2010

jake's birthday and NYE

I'm no longer married to a younger man...this past weekend Jacob turned 30. He and I kicked things off by heading to Ellensburg on Friday for a mid-winter float on the Yakima river. It's important to note that while Jake's birthday parties typically included sledding and ice skating, Sam's often had summer activities, such as wearing shorts, drinks with ice in them, and the occasional float trip - a lingering source of jealousy. We arrived to find temperatures in the single digits (it reached a high of 16 degrees) and a river full of slushy ice. So we opted not to float and had a picnic instead. Lunch included Annick's minestrone soup, artichoke & green olive tapenade and sourdough bread. After Jake wet his line for a few minutes and indulged in a Punch cigar, we headed back to Seattle to get ready for New Year's Eve (NYE).

NYE 2011 was one of the greatest in our history. Along with Kaitlin, Christian, Christian's sister Marisa, Todd and Dennis, we attended a soft opening for a new Tom Douglas restaurant. The building wasn't even marked yet so it felt very VIP. We arrived a few minutes early and, contrary to his nature, Jacob passed the time chatting up the owner of a wine shop located in the same building. He and the owner, Michael, became fast friends and within a few minutes Jake was tasting a fine, fine bottle of Chianti. Dinner included three courses, the drinks were plentiful and the service was top notch. Afterwards, we concluded the night at Todd & Dennis' ringing in the new year over several rousing games of Catch Phrase.

for jess and sam (but mostly jess)

Here it is. Our first post. Getting this far has been an exercise in patience and communication. Janna would like a drink and I'd like my second. Faults and all, right?