Veggie Burgers

Choose your favorite veggie patty (our favorite is Dr. Praeger's California Burgers from Trader Joe's) and add the following ingredients: 
Arugula
Onions 
Mushrooms
Gruyere Cheese Sliced
Sesame Seed Oil
Sesame Seeds
Trader Joe's Sesame Seed Vinaigrette


Fry onions and mushrooms in sesame seed oil.  Pour desired amount of Sesame Seed Vinaigrette in with the onions and mushrooms and sesame seeds.  Top veggie patty with cheese and build your burger!  Enjoy with sweet potato fries.

Christmas Day Cinnamon Rolls

Vegan Cinnamon Rolls made from scratch... enough said.

Pre-Bake

Post-Bake

Frosted 

A New Tradition

On Christmas Eve we went to the Pacific Northwest Ballet's rendition of The Nutcracker.  It happened to be one of the nights that they did a lot of "bloopers," like mixing in the theme song from the Simpsons or throwing snowballs on stage.  We had a wonderful time, including many laughs, and have vowed to make it a part of our Christmas Eve tradition every year. 

Merry Christmas!

Our Christmas Card!

Front 

Back

Stacey Rozich

One of our favorite Seattle based artists, Stacey Rozich, illustrated and produced the animation for Fleet Foxes music video The Shrine/ An Argument.  Here are a couple film stills from the video but do yourself a favor and please watch here. 

Making Our Own Shelving

So we tried our hand at making our own shelves.  This was our first time staining and finishing furniture, and, to be honest, it turned out pretty well.

Materials:
Pine Boards
Nails
Screws
Wood Putty
Stain
Finish

First, we built the shelves that would fit our space.

Then we stained and finished the wood.

This is the color that resulted.

And it fit perfectly.

Coffee: How do you make your morning cup?

There are many ways to brew your morning cup of joe.  Here are some ways to make your favorite cup!

The Melitta Pour Over: this is probably the simplest and most cost effective product.

The French Press: this product is typically inexpensive and easy to use.

The Bialetti Moka Express: this stove-top product boils water in one section, pushes the steam through coffee grounds in another, and finally results in some very strong and delicious espresso.

The Household Espresso Machine: these are often very expensive machines, but they define coffee as sophisticated and refined.

Frosty Mornings

Taken from our iPhones.

Five Things

Lately, date night has consisted of the five following things.  If we don't say so ourselves, these wonderful treats make for a super cozy evening-in, snuggling up by our Christmas tree. 

Trader Joe's Velvet Moon Cab, Trader Joe's Candy Cane Joe-Joe's, Jcrew Flannel Pjs, Pumpkin Souffle Candle, Sleepless in Seattle

A San Francisco Home

Photos and Story from Dwell

A Clear, Crisp December Day at Discovery Park

Vegan Strawberry Cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting

From the Joy of Vegan Baking, just the dessert to satisfy your sweet tooth.

Gifts for Her

Boots, Scarf, Leggings, Blankets, Sachet, Hard Cider

Hiking in the Snow

Last year around this time, Seattle experienced a major snow storm that locked the city down for about a week.  Of course we couldn't wait to explore the great northwest on the most beautiful sunny and snow filled day.  I am hoping for some snow at some point this winter! Here are some pictures of our hike up Rattlesnake Ridge in North Bend, WA in November 2010. 

DIY Sewing Kit

We made these sewing kits for our friends and family for Christmas! It is the perfect gift for those on a budget. 

Fresh Appetizers

Roma tomato topped with a slice of avocado, heart of palm, cilantro, roasted and salted sunflower seeds or pine nuts, and drizzled with olive oil and a touch of vinegar.  Sprinkle with pepper to taste.

Spread your favorite hummus on some flatbread.  Top with arugula, broccoli, peppers