I've decided to split my blog into two different pieces - one for my cooking ventures and the other to be used as a personal family blog.
To find out what's been happening with the Simon family, please visit us at our new location Simon Family Times.
To find out what I've been cooking in the kitchen, feel free to check out my food blog Kitchen Confections.
Hope to see you soon!
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Monday, January 25, 2010
Fun Times
Brian and I have been having a lot of fun dates lately. A couple of weekends ago we went down to Pike Place Market.
We had a yummy brunch at Cafe Campagne to start. I had brioche french toast, Brian had a delicious Croque Madame. I'm definitely getting that next time. What a tasty and full flavored dish! Service was slow, but the food made up for it.
The inside of the resaurant was cozy, and snazzy french bistro music was a lovely background to our meal. We'll be back for sure.
We then stopped by Delaurenti's and bought a good quality olive oil for cooking, then wandered around the produce booths and bought some nice veggies for dinner.
We also grabbed some fresh doughnuts at the Daily Dozen. Oh my gosh, those doughnuts are addicting!
On our way out we bought some sashimi-grade black cod from the Pike Place Fish Market to complete our dinner menu. It was a gorgeous piece of fish, and I'm glad to say that my first adventure with cooking the delicate white meat was successful - we had moist and perfectly cooked cod when I was finished. I missed a couple of pin bones though because I had crappy needlenose pliars. Boo! Since then I've purchased some pin bone tweezers, I'll report on their utility the next time I cook fish.
More recently we've seen several movies and had brunch at Lola Restaurant in Seattle. Sadly, our food experience was not good and we won't be returning. The chef didn't cook the whites of my fried eggs completely, they were still runny/goopy. Talk about gross! To top it off, the eggs were so bland it was as if they hadn't even been seasoned at all! It is said that the true test of a chef's ability is to find out if they can cook an egg properly. I sent my plate back and the eggs returned cooked to my liking, but still underseasoned. If it was only the egg thing, I might have cut them some slack but unfortunately there were other things wrong with our meal that dissapointed us. I'm bummed about the experience, because the ambiance and the waitstaff were great.
Nevertheless, we've really enjoyed having the time to explore the city and we look forward to trying new restaurants and going on new adventures now that school is over.
We had a yummy brunch at Cafe Campagne to start. I had brioche french toast, Brian had a delicious Croque Madame. I'm definitely getting that next time. What a tasty and full flavored dish! Service was slow, but the food made up for it.
The inside of the resaurant was cozy, and snazzy french bistro music was a lovely background to our meal. We'll be back for sure.
We then stopped by Delaurenti's and bought a good quality olive oil for cooking, then wandered around the produce booths and bought some nice veggies for dinner.
We also grabbed some fresh doughnuts at the Daily Dozen. Oh my gosh, those doughnuts are addicting! 
On our way out we bought some sashimi-grade black cod from the Pike Place Fish Market to complete our dinner menu. It was a gorgeous piece of fish, and I'm glad to say that my first adventure with cooking the delicate white meat was successful - we had moist and perfectly cooked cod when I was finished. I missed a couple of pin bones though because I had crappy needlenose pliars. Boo! Since then I've purchased some pin bone tweezers, I'll report on their utility the next time I cook fish.
More recently we've seen several movies and had brunch at Lola Restaurant in Seattle. Sadly, our food experience was not good and we won't be returning. The chef didn't cook the whites of my fried eggs completely, they were still runny/goopy. Talk about gross! To top it off, the eggs were so bland it was as if they hadn't even been seasoned at all! It is said that the true test of a chef's ability is to find out if they can cook an egg properly. I sent my plate back and the eggs returned cooked to my liking, but still underseasoned. If it was only the egg thing, I might have cut them some slack but unfortunately there were other things wrong with our meal that dissapointed us. I'm bummed about the experience, because the ambiance and the waitstaff were great. Nevertheless, we've really enjoyed having the time to explore the city and we look forward to trying new restaurants and going on new adventures now that school is over.
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Removing Myself from a Rut
2009 was a tumultuous year. Don't get me wrong, good times were had but as the year progressed I found myself falling deeper and deeper into a rut. I guess Brian's diagnosis (and all that came with it) hit me harder than I was willing to admit. Add to that the full year that it took my back to return to a semblance of normalcy and the uncertain job climate...it was all just too much for me and I kind of gave up. I retreated within myself into a state of mourning and slowly lost my sense of spirit and passion. I was vaguely aware of this loss, but didn't have enough energy to care - I was in basic emotional survival mode and taking things one day at a time. I was stuck in a place of constant worry, vacillating between a state of patient advocate, nurse, caregiver, and wife.
Fortunately, things have started to look up. At long last Brian's major symptoms have been successfully addressed, allowing him to forget on occasion that he has multiple sclerosis. What a blessing it has been that he has started to feel like his old self again. He received a promotion at work, and January saw him starting his new position as interim team lead. My lingering back issues have pretty much resolved and I've been fortunate to obtain employment as a level II NICU nurse in Seattle. 2010 ushers in a feeling of renewed energy. I am ready to dip my toes in the water once again and participate in the things that fuel my spirit.
Friday, December 25, 2009
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Yay! Sarah Buxton is still around.
Cute but corny tongue in cheek video. Great tune. I'm glad to see Sarah Buxton in the limelight again.
Friday, July 10, 2009
This story cracks me up. Way to go Dave Carroll on getting your voice heard when United Airlines administration refused to listen! I've posted the video below.
The following was taken from msnbc's website
updated 6:55 a.m. PT, Fri., July 10, 2009
HALIFAX, Nova Scotia - A Canadian musician has become an Internet sensation after posting a song on YouTube about United Airlines breaking his guitar.
Dave Carroll's video for the song "United Breaks Guitars" was posted on site earlier this week and has received more than 600,000 hits by Thursday evening.
"I was thinking I'd definitely get some action on (YouTube) because the song has been resonating so well with audiences as I've been performing it, but I didn't know it would take off like this," Carroll said.
Carroll, a guitarist for the pop-rock group "Sons of Maxwell", has since been fielding calls for appearances around the world, including a call from the Oprah Winfrey show Thursday.
The song recounts Carroll's yearlong struggle to get compensation for what he calls "a vicious act of malice" at O'Hare International Airport in Chicago last year.
Carroll was flying between Halifax and Nebraska when he switched planes in Chicago. The passenger next to him noticed baggage handlers tossing guitar cases outside the plane.
Carroll's Taylor guitar required 1,400 Canadian dollars (U.S. $1,200) in repairs. He said it still doesn't play the way it used to but he keeps it for sentimental reasons.
The 41-year-old songwriter spent the past year trying to get compensation from United Airlines. When the airline refused to take responsibility, the songwriter made the humorous music video and posted it online.
Taylor Guitars in California has said they'd be happy to see if they could repair the damaged guitar. They also promised a big discount on his next purchase.
United also called to say it wants to discuss the situation. Carroll said officials for the airline said they liked the video and want to use it as a textbook case on how to handle customer complaints in the future.
The video shows friends dressing up as flight attendants and musicians. Volunteer firefighters played the baggage handlers who are shown playing catch with the guitar case and tossing it like a hammer throw.
Carroll initially told United he would write three songs about his broken guitar. He plans to debut the second song soon but hasn't written the third one yet.
The following was taken from msnbc's website
updated 6:55 a.m. PT, Fri., July 10, 2009
HALIFAX, Nova Scotia - A Canadian musician has become an Internet sensation after posting a song on YouTube about United Airlines breaking his guitar.
Dave Carroll's video for the song "United Breaks Guitars" was posted on site earlier this week and has received more than 600,000 hits by Thursday evening.
"I was thinking I'd definitely get some action on (YouTube) because the song has been resonating so well with audiences as I've been performing it, but I didn't know it would take off like this," Carroll said.
Carroll, a guitarist for the pop-rock group "Sons of Maxwell", has since been fielding calls for appearances around the world, including a call from the Oprah Winfrey show Thursday.
The song recounts Carroll's yearlong struggle to get compensation for what he calls "a vicious act of malice" at O'Hare International Airport in Chicago last year.
Carroll was flying between Halifax and Nebraska when he switched planes in Chicago. The passenger next to him noticed baggage handlers tossing guitar cases outside the plane.
Carroll's Taylor guitar required 1,400 Canadian dollars (U.S. $1,200) in repairs. He said it still doesn't play the way it used to but he keeps it for sentimental reasons.
The 41-year-old songwriter spent the past year trying to get compensation from United Airlines. When the airline refused to take responsibility, the songwriter made the humorous music video and posted it online.
Taylor Guitars in California has said they'd be happy to see if they could repair the damaged guitar. They also promised a big discount on his next purchase.
United also called to say it wants to discuss the situation. Carroll said officials for the airline said they liked the video and want to use it as a textbook case on how to handle customer complaints in the future.
The video shows friends dressing up as flight attendants and musicians. Volunteer firefighters played the baggage handlers who are shown playing catch with the guitar case and tossing it like a hammer throw.
Carroll initially told United he would write three songs about his broken guitar. He plans to debut the second song soon but hasn't written the third one yet.
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