Category: Summer

Early Summer Images

~ Crystle ~ 11 Comments

It seems like we’ve been everywhere this season, and Summer has only just begun. From Washington, we drove through the beautiful Oregon on our way to my home state of California.  The drive was insanely scenic and of course any trip where we get some face time with San Francisco is a success. Visiting family was icing on the cake.

For a short time being, things have settled down around here. I’ve been cooking up a storm and taking photos of mundane things around the house.

We’ve also been getting outdoors (in town) whenever possible. We recently crushed our previous long distance records. We ran 10 miles on Tuesday, a surprise to us both. I attribute that success to cross-training with the ‘Insanity’ videos. They’re exactly as they’re titled: insane.

Now we’re working on getting both of our bikes into commission. I’m fortunate to have a husband who is super handy with road bikes.

And of course the dogs are always in our shadows, shedding on everything.

Things are pretty lax this minute, but tomorrow one of my best friends comes to visit. We’re going to be bouncing around Washington; touring Seattle, Snoqualmie Falls and Bellingham this weekend. After she departs, Jay arrives and we get to check out more local haunts. It’s going to be a busy summer!

And just so you’re in the know, I’m collaborating a giveaway with one of my favorite bloggers. More to come on that in my next post. If you have time, check out my blogroll and see if you can find the creator of my favorite Hand Crafted Pretty Little Lovelies!

Sweet Potato Black Bean Burgers

~ Crystle ~ 6 Comments

I spent most of this morning looking up new recipes I could whip up with the ingredients I have on hand. I was lucky to come across Meg’s  recipe for these tasty burgers. I didn’t want to use quinoa, so instead I doubled the oats portion. I also added unsweetened cocoa powder to make these taste a little bit more like my vegetarian chili. I went ahead and rolled them in Panko to help them develop a crisp exterior. And oops! I forgot the sunflower seeds, but these burgers turned out pretty tasty.

Sweet Potato Burger

Black Beans

Uncooked Veggie Burger Patties

I somehow had these prepped and cooked within minutes of my husband coming home for lunch. I love the illuminated look on his face when he comes home, sniffs the air, and asks “what’s cooking?!” Pure joy.

His veggie burger was served up on artisan bread with iceberg lettuce, 1/4 of an avocado, red onion and provolone. Mine was served in a wheat tortilla, with Dijon mustard, 1/4 of an avocado and arugula. I also threw on some chopped onions on top. It was delicious.


Here’s the recipe, via Meg at Peaches & Cake:

  • 3 cups of sweet potatoes, peeled and mashed
  • 1 1/2 cups of black beans, rinsed (I cook a big batch of these almost every week, but feel free to use canned)
  • 1/2 cup yellow onion
  • 1 cup frozen corn, thawed
  • 1 1/2 cups of Panko to roll the patties in
  • 2/3 cup rolled oats, chopped finely in a food processor
  • 4-5 tablespoons of minced garlic
  • 1 tablespoon of olive oil
  • 1 tsp. cumin
  • 1 tsp. oregano
  • 3 tsp. chili powder
  • 2 tsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
  • cracked sea salt to taste
  • cracked pepper to taste
  • cayenne pepper to taste

Instructions:

  • Preheat oven to 375°F
  • Line cookie sheet with parchment paper
  • Baked sweet potatoes can take up to 1 hour to bake at 400°, feel free to microwave them instead for about 7 minutes. Not ideal, but it works if you’re pinched for time like I was.
  • Place half the bean mixture in the food processor and chop until they have a mashed consistency
  • Add all ingredients into large mixing bowl and stir well until they are well mixed
  • Form into patties about 1/2″ thick, or thinner for more crisp burgers
  • With your Panko poured into a shallow bowl, lay your patties on the Panko, one at a time. Flip over to make sure both sides are evenly coated with Panko crumbs.
  • Bake for 15 minutes, flip burgers then bake for 15 more minutes.

With nearly all veggie burgers, it’s fairly easy to tweak the ingredients list to create a delicious meal. If you have a winning combo of seasonings, try it! If you prefer a spicier burger, add jalapeños! The possibilities are endless. We’re having this for dinner tonight, alongside my favorite green bean salad. Can’t wait!

Chambers Bay

~ Crystle ~ 6 Comments

Chambers Bay View

The weather this weekend has been heavenly! We’re looking at sunny skies and 70°F weather until next week. On days like this, there is no better place in the metro to be than Chambers Bay in University Place. There’s plenty of room at this park to lay out and soak up some rays, fly a kite, or take a long run.

Chambers Bay

Or if you’re like me, you’re out snapping pictures of the Olympic mountains and bird’s nests with your underused tele lens. And when you’re out doing that, a group of teenage girls call you ‘ma’am’ and ask you to take their photo (with three different cameras) while they sit on a log. No worries, happy to oblige, just don’t call me ma’am, please!

This brings me to my next topic: when does a ‘miss’ become a ‘ma’am’? When she gets married (which I am), when she looks to be about 30 years of age (which I speculate I do), or otherwise? I have no idea, but somehow my honest face automatically contorts into a stink-eye scowl when I’m referred to as ma’am. Maybe I need a lesson on embracing the aging process, because it’s a long journey and I’m really just starting out.

Until I’ve come to terms with the inevitability of teenagers getting younger as I get older, I’ll just continue bird watching on Puget Sound while sucking on lemon drops and listening to This American Life podcasts.