Belles of the Sound

This Sunday, May 6th, Fremont will be overrun by mobile food trucks and wandering buskers (street musicians). Great food, great beer, great music – I can’t wait to get a side ache from dancing on a full stomach!

The Mobile Food Rodeo is Seattle’s largest mobile food truck rally featuring over 35 food trucks and plenty of Pike Place’s best buskers. The festival offers the chance for attendees to sample food from some of the most creative and refreshing menus around, and celebrates the star chefs of the street food scene. Admission is free, a charity beer garden will quench your thirst, and a large  seating area awaits to sooth your tired feet. How can you possibly say no to all of that? Come on down and join the fun!

Photo via Mobile Food Rodeo

Spring is here, which means bathing suit season is just around the corner, which means dessert is off limits. Unless of course there is something to celebrate. Or if I need something to sweeten up a sour day. Or if I’m having a dinner party. Or if it’s Tuesday and dessert sounds good. Do you now understand why attending exercise boot camp is a Must for me? I need it to counteract my sweet tooth and feeble will power. However, dessert can be a Must for all the reasons I listed above and more. So for the health conscious, time-strapped dessert lovers out there, I give you the yummiest, easiest, almost healthy-est dessert ever.

Roasted Pineapple with Honey and Pistachios

Photo via Bon Appetit

I know. It looks a little weird. Sounds a little weird too. But I’m telling you. This dessert is finger-licking, can-I-have-thirds good. And with 5 minutes of prep time, it’s the perfect dinner party dessert. Toss them in the brown sugar and orange juice marinade before guests arrive, marinate in the fridge until dinner is done, pop them in the oven for 30 minutes, once roasted sprinkle some goodies on top and voila! Dessert is served. To top it all off, the recipe is flour-free and relatively low in sugar. That’s what I call a win-win! Check out the recipe from Bon Appetit magazine below.

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The season of sequins! Our favorite Seattle fashionista, Anna Gilbert of the blog What are you wearing? is back with loads of helpful fashion tips for the holidays. Enjoy!

Style: Leather

‘Tis the season for parties, libations and festivities galore – the burning question on every fashion-forward mind: what’s a girl to wear to celebrate the holidays (or ring inthe  New Year)?? Here are a few fool-proof suggestions to ensure tasteful holiday style:

• The LBD,LRD or LWD – Yes, I’m talking little (insert color here) dress. Don’t be afraid to punch up the wow factor with red or winter white. If you stick with classic black be sure to add a piece of statement jewelry or patterned tights.

• If dresses aren’t your thing… try a menswear inspired tuxedo. Equally chic and (believe or not) sexy — a variation of the fellows’ classic ensemble can be a real head-turner. Be sure its well-tailored, and add metallic accessories and a sky-high heel to complete the look.

• Leather – No, not dominatrix or S&M style, but a classy stand-out piece. May I suggest fitted pants or a backless dress? This type of outfit requires minimal extras and is guaranteed to put a smile on someone’s face

• Sequins – If this doesn’t scream holiday/NYE bash, I don’t know what does. Try pairing a sequin top with dark denim jeans and booties for an edgier look, or sequin shorts with opaque tights and a classic white tee for an unexpected twist.
  

  Style: Menswear, Cozy Cashmere

• Cozy cashmere – If your heading outdoors to celebrate, don’t be afraid to don a classic crew-neck cashmere sweater (with a denim or plaid button-up underneath), or an oversized scarf. You won’t regret it when fellow party-goers are shivering in the cold while you’re bundled up in luxury. I topped mine offwith a blazer and pock square for extra party pizzazz. See image below.

The Seattle Christmas Ship Festival starts today! For those unfamiliar with the musical, brightly lit flotilla of holiday spirit, the Seattle Christmas Ship Festival is a 62-year old Northwest holiday tradition involving boats, lights and carols. Great, right? Each night through December 23rd, Argosy ships adorned in Christmas lights sail to various waterfront locations where choirs on-board sing 20 minute caroling performances that are broadcast via a speaker system for all to hear.

I experienced my first Christmas Ship Festival last year and really enjoyed it. Not to be cheesy… but I’m going to be… the lights, music and sense of community really brought out the holiday spirit warm fuzzies for me. This is time of year is for family, friends and celebration, and the Christmas Ship Festival brings all those things together. And it’s on the water, which makes it even better because anything involving water or boats automatically gets extra brownie points in my book. There are a few ways you can experience the Christmas Ship holiday spirit warm fuzzies, and as the good blogger I try to be, I will share them all with you.

On shore: Thousands of people gather on shore at the waterfront destinations around large bonfires to see the ships and listen to the carolers. For a list of waterfront destinations by date, visit the festival website.

On a boat: If you’re the lucky owner of a boat or the lucky friend/family member of someone who does, you can join the Christmas Ship conga line. Decorate the boat with lights and join the many others who follow the Argosy ships to their destination and watch the show from the water.

On board an Argosy Christmas Ship: Climb aboard one of the Argosy Christmas Ships and be right in the middle of the action. Visit the festival website for tickets — note the cruise includes dinner. Yum, yum.

The best part about Christmas Ships? A portion of all ticket sales benefit The Seattle Times Fund for the Needy, an annual program that raises money for charitable organizations in the Puget Sound area. So c’mon! Get your holiday spirit on and check out the Seattle Christmas Ships. You might even catch yourself dramatically singing a carol like someone I know did last year….

So much holiday spirit. Some might even say too much... [Christmas Ships 2011

Who says Seattle winters are foggy and rainy?

Gorgeous day at Greenlake. Sunday, December 4th.

“I don’t want pie,” my mother said.

“What do you mean ‘you don’t want pie?’ I retorted. “Everyone wants pie at Thanksgiving.”

“Not me. I don’t want pie. Let’s come up with an alternative,” she said while ambling away, signaling the end of the conversation and my dreams of pie.

And here we are. Four days away from a pie-less Thanksgiving. I mean really, though. Who doesn’t eat pie at Thanksgiving? It feels almost un-American, right? Though there’s really no sense in debating the issue because what the Thanksgiving chef wants, she gets, and if she doesn’t want pie we will find an alternative. But it will involve pumpkin. I put my foot down on that one. Having no pie at Thanksgiving is one thing, but having no pumpkin at Thanksgiving… that’s blasphemous.

Below are some of the pumpkin pie alternatives I’ve been contemplating. Right now I think the creme brulee is winning, but it’s really any dessert’s game. If you find yourself in a similar pie-deprived situation or just really like pumpkin desserts, I hope these recipes will be of some help

Pumpkin Pie Creme Brulee 

Photo via Love and Olive Oil

Pumpkin Mousse

Photo via Taste of Home

Pumpkin-Chocolate Cheesecake Bars

Photo via Martha Stewart Living

I’m going to get on my soap box for a moment, but don’t worry, this is intended to be a positive and inspirational soap box session. Today’s topic? Job hunting.

Job hunting sucks. No secret there. Combing websites, filling in job applications, writing cover letters, answering the same canned interview questions over and over — the process is exhausting, and at times demoralizing. To be told “No” repeatedly for unclear reasons is difficult to swallow, for anyone. I’ve been there, I know it blows. Really blows. And it doesn’t help that the job market is in the toilet. Yeah, it’s getting better, but it’s by no means great. People are struggling, lots of people, and I can completely understand why many give up the search and trade-in the career path for travel, sooner-than-planned grad school attendance or the job that couldn’t be farther from their professional interests, but will pay the bills. All are good options when jobs are scarce. However, I did hear an inspiring story the other day that I hope will be of some help to any readers out there struggling with the job hunt. This isn’t the uplifting, magical things happened, pass this on to five friends and your dreams will come true kind of inspirational story. This story simply serves to show that hard work can and will pay off, and if opportunities aren’t revealing themselves to you, maybe it’s time to create them for yourself.

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Best Halloween costume ever. Round of applause for The Piece of Toast.

I’m going to be Peter Pan for Halloween. Going to get myself some American Apparel green leggings, an XL Boys Peter Pan costume (for the shirt and hat), some elf ears, a wooden sword and potentially a stuffed Tinkerbell to glue to my shoulder. I have a plan and a list, and I’m feeling good. No awkward costume drama this year. Now I just need somewhere to show off my awesomely juvenile comfortable costume. Lucky for me, Seattle is pulling out all the Halloween stops this year. I did a little research to help us all find the best place to party this Halloween. Check out the fruits of my labor below.

FreakNight Festival

Be (mostly) naked, wear a spirit hood, coat yourself in glitter, find yourself a Ring Pop and perfect your shuffle. FreakNight is back with DJs and tweakers galore. But for real, jokes aside, this will be a really fun event. Some of the best dance music ever! Tickets are on sale now. Event is Friday, October 28th at the WaMu Theater. Ages 18 and up are welcome so uh, watch our for those underage dance partners.

The Ultimate Halloween Bash

Self-proclaimed to be Seattle’s largest Halloween bash, the Showbox at the Market will host live bands, a DJ and a $1,000 prize costume contest. The photos from last year look pretty epic. I think we may have found a goodie. Tickets are on sale now. Event is Saturday, October 29th. Doors open at 8 p.m.

Halloween Pub Crawl

One massive costumed pub crawl. Yes, puh-lease! NO cover charges, happy hour prices, free food, dance floors — I think Peter Pan may have to make an appearance here. And the best part is that the lovely creators of this event made sure to schedule it around many of the huge Halloween bashes happening around the city including FreakNight and BonzaBash. Event is October 29th from noon to 8 p.m. (day drinking, yay!) and will stick to the Pike, Pine and First area. Actual bar locations will be announced closer to the event date.

A House

Your house, your friend’s house, the neighbor’s house. No matter how big or crazy a sponsored Halloween party is, a simple house party can always be equally as fun. All your friends in one place, looking ridiculous, acting ridiculous, bumbling around in awkward costumes. Don’t under estimate the house party. Always a good option. Now which one of my friends wants to host one? I promise to supply cobweb decorations and ample amounts of Peter Pan-ness. Any takers?

“Chocolate has become so important to Seattle culture, that it is rivaling the other famous bean in town.”

The sentence above is music to my ears and my taste buds. While the coffee bean holds an indisputable place in my heart, the cocoa bean reigns supreme. I am a chocolate lover. I will always choose dark over milk and white, but will never turn down a piece of any. I am an equal opportunity chocolate eater. Understanding my affinity for chocolate, you can understand my surprise when I discovered Savor Seattle’s Chocolate Indulgence Tour. An entire tour dedicated to chocolate that I have never heard of? Impossible! But sadly true.

The Chocolate Indulgence Tour is a two-hour walking tour that explores the shops and kitchens of Seattle’s finest chocolate. Um, yes please. Some of the highlights include over 15 chocolate tastings, President and First Lady Obama’s favorite chocolate, a history of Seattle chocolate and tastings of some of the city’s most famous desserts. And that is just scratching the surface. Sign me up!

The tours take place year round, however, there is one this Friday and we should all go. Screw work, let’s go get chocolate hangovers. Spend the afternoon in chocolate comas. Yes? Sounds wonderful, see you there. Tickets are $49, the tour starts at 11 a.m. at the Mayflower Park Hotel on 4th and Olive. If you can’t make it this Friday, you can check out the list of other tour dates at the Savor Seattle website.

Break out the lederhosen boys and girls. Fremont Oktoberfest is upon us. 

Seattle’s Fall tradition will take place this weekend September 23, 24 and 25th in the Center of the Universe, otherwise known as Fremont. The three-day festival features two stages with live music, an all ages Oktoberfest Village, a 5K run and, most importantly, an Oktoberfest beer tasting garden. Advance tickets to the Tasting Garden cost approximately $20-$25 depending on the number of tokens selected, and include a 5 oz. tasting mug. The festival benefits the Fremont Chamber of Commerce with “a portion of the proceeds going toward funding local schools, art groups, community events and promoting Fremont as the “Center of the Universe.”" I’m not sure what they mean by promoting Fremont as the “Center of the Universe,” but it sounds neat. For information about the festival activities, ticket pricing, etc, click here.

I must admit I have never attended Fremont Oktoberfest. I am always out of town and will be again this year, so I need you to go for me. I will wear lederhosen and drink beer vicariously through you. Even you if you don’t actually wear lederhosen, I will picture you as such. Did that just get creepy? I think it did… and I’m okay with it. Happy beer drinking!

P.S.

Anyone else notice I seem to blog about a beer events rather often? Seattle Beer Week, Washington Brewers Festival, now Fremont Oktoberfest. I see a pattern, Seattle. Like your beer much?