Still In Transit

Greetings everyone! Just popping in to let you know that no, I haven't fallen off the face of the planet, the husband and I are still in the process of moving into our new place in Kodiak, AK. Our new house won't be ready for the next few weeks, so we're staying in a hotel till then, which means (sadly) no cooking for me. And I'll tell ya, I'm so sick of eating out!!

I will give you some recommendations for yummy places to eat in Alaska, if you're interested:

1. Crabbie's in Homer: Fantastic smoked salmon chowder. Their Crow's Nest chicken is super yummy, it comes with garlic mashed potatoes on top of their gorgeous sea glass plates. Their halibut & chips is to-die-for. They also have a great dish where they batter some crab and lobster pieces and fry them up. Very yummy.

2. The Sourdough Express in Homer: FABULOUS breakfast! Tons of organic choices. Their business started a couple decades ago when they rolled into town in a Sourdough delivery van with $48 in their pocket and a dream in their hearts. And here we are in 2008, and their Plain Jane breakfast had me wanting more and more. I also ordered a side of their French Toast, which was divine. If you go there, definitely have some of their jam on your sourdough toast, you'll thank me. Oh, and don't forget to grab a piece of their carrot cake on your way out!

I'll have more recommendations once we eat out a bit more at places I like (there have definitely been some lackluster dining-out experiences on this trip, I'll tell you what!!). Thanks for being so patient everybody. Oh, and I'm sorry I missed this month's Daring Bakers Challenge, but, fingers-crossed, we'll be moved into our new house in time for me to complete August's Challenge.

Cheers!
~Mehgan~

I'll Have The Haggis!

Greetings, ladies and gents! My husband and I just recently returned from a week-long holiday in Scotland, and I have to say, I completely fell in love with every bit of it. From the city to the country, it didn't matter, I loved the whole thing!

Before we left, everyone we know asked us if we were going to eat some haggis while we were there. I always replied with, "Of course!" How can you go to Scotland and NOT eat it? That's like going to Mexico and not eating a burrito, come on people!

The first place we ate haggis at was The Royal McGregor on the Royal Mile in Edinburgh. We saw a sign out front that claimed that it was "The best haggis on the Royal Mile", so naturally, we had to try it.

We were not disappointed. I loved all the different elements, the neeps (turnips), tatties (potatoes) and haggis combined so well together, and while the haggis itself was pretty spicy, it wasn't anything we couldn't handle. We found ourselves wrestling for the last bite.

A few days later, we had another opportunity to try some more haggis. This time it was at a lovely place in St Andrews (can't recall the name, I should have written it down), so if anyone from Scotland recognizes the plating of this dish and knows where we got it, feel free to let me know. It was in the hotel bar/restaurant across the street from Drouthy Neebers.

Again, we were not disappointed. I don't see why so many people shy away from haggis, it's really delicious! I'll admit that I was a bit nervous at first, but once I had it, I knew that I was nuts for having been so apprehensive. I've heard of people eating haggis for breakfast, too, and can totally imagine doing that myself, with some toast, eggs and coffee. Oh yeah, that sounds yummy.

So, take it from me, if you've ever wanted to try haggis, but have been turned off by all the rumours, have no fear. Just go for it! You'll thank me later.

Cheers!

~Mehgan~

Hello Cupcake!

I am so excited to tell you all (those of you that do read this blog, I have no idea how many/few of you do) that I have finally made it down to Hello Cupcake in Tacoma, WA. This being our last few weeks in the continental US, I figured I had better get my rear in gear and finally experience all those things as a foodie I've been meaning to.
Hello Cupcake is one of those quaint little cupcakeries that you can smell its deliciousness from down the road. I had my window down in my car on the way there, and as I was parking on the street out front (I was so lucky to have found a spot so close!) and the vanilla-cakey-smell wafted into my car like a tantalizing-treat-wave. I had been hiding where we were going from my mom, niece and nephew, but there was no hiding it from them by the time we parked.
The inside of the shop is so welcoming, like your favorite cafe that you can bring a book to and just curl up with a latte and a cupcake and enjoy your afternoon. From their adorable cupcake mosaic tiled entryway, to their pastel colored plates, they are everything you would expect from your favorite cupcake shop.

I got a dozen cupcakes, so I could experience some variety. I got six red velvet (my fave), one vanilla & vanilla, one double chocolate, one vanilla on chocolate, one chocolate on vanilla, one coconut, and one carrot cake. The coconut was yummy, I liked the frosting better than the cake itself though. The carrot cake wasn't spicey enough for me or my family, but the cream cheese frosting was yummy. I really liked the vanilla on vanilla one, the cake was nice and soft and the buttercream was super delicious. But, like I said, the red velvet was my personal fave.

I even managed to snag one on my way out the door from my sister's house this morning, and it got to ride in its own personal cupcake holder (I have changed the cupholder in my Audi to a cupcake holder now, lol). It looked so cute riding there, I was half-tempted to just leave it, but I knew it would go bad and I would be sad about that.

If you're in the Seattle area, I highly suggest stopping by Hello Cupcake, even if it's just to smell the cupcake aroma outside the cafe. Enjoy!

~Mehgan~

An Awesome Long Weekend!

So, the hubby and I decided to take a four-day weekend to visit his family before we move to Alaska, and it was so much fun!! I knew we'd be eating and eating and eating tons of good food while we were gone, so in preparation, I decided to make a healthier dinner of baked salmon with sauteed asparagus, zucchini & squash, with some quinoa. Super-easy, and super-yummy.
Now, my husband's best friend from high school is living with the sous chef and the head pastry chef from one of the nicest restaurants in Walla Walla, Whitehouse Crawford. I actually got to go bowling with the head pastry chef, can you believe that?! It was like a foodie celebrity sighting, lol!

On Friday night, we popped by the restaurant for dessert, and he recommended the creme brulee for me. It was DIVINE!! The sugar crust cracked puuuuuuuuurfectly when I got it, it made me giggle! I scarfed this badboy down in a most unladylike manner, but I didn't care, I was in creme brulee heaven!!

He recommended the puff pastry atop lemon meringue drizzled with blackberry sauce for my husband, and boy, it was impressive!! So many different flavors to taste. We shared with each other, of course!

So, if you're ever in the area of Walla Walla, definitely make a trip to the Whitehouse Crawford, even if it's just for drinks and dessert. They serve tons of local wines (there are over 100 wineries in Walla Walla) and they staff there is really friendly. Two thumbs WAY up!

~Mehgan~