Ranger Review: San Juan Island, WA Edition, Part 1

We spent three days on San Juan Island.  We had originally hoped to at least make a day trip via ferry to Orcas Island, but it was cold, rainy, and gray, so we stayed put.  We explored every inch of San Juan Island and, like Whidbey, seemed to have it to ourselves.  We stayed at a comfortable b&b, ate great meals, and explored San Juan Island National Historical Park.

The park is beautiful, occupying a portion of the southwest part of the island.  It's split into two areas:  American Camp and English Camp.  You see, we nearly went to war with Great Britian over a pig on San Juan Island.  The two camps existed for years and the soldiers on both sides were an important part of the island culture.  We loved having the opportunity to explore the park!

We saw the sun for approx. 30 seconds...

For our Ranger Amy...

American Camp...

We took a hike...

To a bluff overlooking the water...

Then we had a little camera crisis.  We thought the battery was dead.  So, we moped back up the hill and discussed what to do next.  How could we go to lunch if we didn't have the camera?  How could we eat lunch if we went back to the b&b to charge the battery? So, we huffed and we puffed back up the hill and discussed what to do next.  How could we continue without pictures?  How could we continue without full bellies?  Then...EUREKA!!!!  We took the battery out, put the battery back in...and the honeymoon was back on!

Time to get our passport stamps...

And give a shout out to our favorite Ranger...

On to Other Adventures...

Lime Kiln State Park...

Give us a break, we're on our honeymoon...

Trumpeter Inn, San Juan Island, WA
We were the only couple at the inn for the first two of our three nights there.  We had a cozy room with a little gas fireplace on the first floor.  Each morning we woke to a wonderful breakfast.  Our favorite was the stuffed french toast.  Overall, we'd recommend the Trumpeter.  It's just outside of Friday Harbor and convenient to everything on the island.  We loved the fresh baked cookies on two of our afternoons...they forgot them the other day.  Boo!

Backdoor Kitchen, Friday Harbor, San Juan Island, WA

We went to the Backdoor Kitchen on a cold, rainy night after exploring the island all day.  It was strange to find...it's literally behind a wearhouse.  We stepped in a found a beautiful, sophisticated candlelit restaurant.  We sat in the little bar area and had an awesome dinner, complete with wine and dessert.  Backdoor Kitchen sources fresh and, when available, local food.   We HIGHLY recommend this fabulous gem! 

Pork chops with apple/horseradish and spatzle.  Amazing!

Wish we could tell you about the homemade silky chocolate pie...

Duck Soup Inn, San Juan Island, WA
This beautiful little restaurant came highly recommended.  Our b&b made a reservation for us and we headed out into the country on a chilly, rainy night (sound familiar?).  As it turns out, we were dining at Duck Soup Inn on the last night of the 2009 season.  We were seated in a huge booth with a view of the dining room.  The restaurant was filled with locals celebrating special occasions.  We ordered shrimp risotto and duck.  We both enjoyed a cup of mushroom soup and eagerly awaited our meals.  The shrimp risotto came and was delicious.  The duck arrived...with chives sprinkled all over it.  For the average diner, this would be good right?  For one of us (might be bald), this is worst case scenario. If it's related to an onion and it's not cooked, call in reinforcements!  The duck was sent back and we waited...and waited...and waited.  The duck arrived...much later. Although it was good, it killed the experience.  We'd recommend this place, but would go to Backdoor Kitchen instead, if we had to choose. 

Shrimp Risotto...

"I'm really glad I'm finally getting to eat my dinner.  Duck, duck."

Ranger Review: Whidbey Island, WA Edition

We spent less than 24 hours on Whidbey Island...and we're cheating by telling you about a place we visited before we even got on the Whidbey Ferry, but hey, it's an excuse to shamelessly share honeymoon photos. While normal couples spend a week on the beach on a tropical island, we decided to explore a place we had never been...Seattle and San Juan Island. We arrived in Seattle late in the evening and we made our way to Mikulteo, WA, where we spent the night before taking the ferry to Whidbey Island for the day.  We had a wonderful time exploring the island and Ebey's Landing National Historical Reserve.

"Ebey’s Landing is the nation’s first historical reserve, created in 1978 to protect a rural working landscape community on Central Whidbey Island. The reserve contains 17,500 acres, 18 working farms, 400 historical structures, native prairies, two state parks, miles of shoreline, a network of trails and the second oldest town  in Washington. The Reserve is managed by a 9-member Trust Board ". (thank you, NPS.GOV)

With espresso stands, cards, and cafes on every darn corner the Seattle area is a coffe lover's dream.  We took advantage of the ridiculous number of cafes by drinking it early and often.  Our first stop in Mikulteo was the Red Cup Cafe. 

Who wouldn't want to marry this guy?

On to Coupeville, Whidbey Island for our Passport Stamp!

Knead & Feed, Coupeville, WA

This charming waterside cafe was a perfect stop for lunch.  We were visiting in the off season, so the only other diners were locals.  We ordered one Front Street Lunch and one bowl of soup with bread.  This wasn't just any bread, it was incredible homemade bread to dunk in our homemade soup and chowder. 

We didn't have room for the slice of homemade pecan pie that we planned to share, so we packed that up for later.  We might have shared it with a milk in a Walgreen's parking lot later that day, but we can't confirm that.

Whidbey Island was beautiful.  Despite travelling in the off season, we loved the gray skies (seriously.) and cool weather.  We felt like we had the island...and the views of the Olympic Mountains....to ourselves. 

At the north end of the island, we stopped at Deception Pass State Park...

We crossed the bridge...

And boarded ferry #2. San Juan Island, here we come...

Ranger Review: Austin, TX Edition

As we planned our October 2009 wedding we made several trips from Oklahoma down to Austin, Texas, where we got married.  While most of our trips were "all business", we did fit in some great meals in Austin and on the way there. Austin is a really cool city, with a little of something for everyone...and plenty of locally sourced food to go around!

Papa Rollo's Pizza, Waco, TX
We found this gem on our first trip down to Austin in the summer of 2008.  We stayed in Waco on the way and asked the hotel clerk where we could get some local pizza.  No, they didn't recommend Papa Rollo's, but we passed it on the way to the other place.  Always up for a hole-in-the-wall, we couldn't resist.  We got to stop a second time this summer for the perfect pizza. 

Yes, it's that good.

Terra Burger, Austin, TX
The best of both worlds...burgers and fries and natural and organic foods.  We loved Terra Burger so much that we returned our wedding weekend.  One of the locations is drive-thru only and the other is near UT.  We went to the drive through during the hell that is an OK/TX summer.  It was so hot that we ate in the Civic.  We pretended we were young again and ate at UT on our second visit.  You just have to try it....and order a Mexican Coke.  Heaven.  Even the packaging is green...we dig it.

Hill Country Hickory Burger...

Thousand Island Burger...

So wrong, but so very right.

Primize Osteria, Austin, TX
We chose Primizie for our rehearsal lunch the day before our wedding.  It was very important to find an Austin restaurant that sources local ingredients and that wasn't a chain.  We had an AMAZING family-style meal for 25 at Primize.  It is sophisticated and comfortable, modern and sleek.  It will always be a special place for us to return to.

PARKEDINTHEKITCHEN

The title of this blog is a play on my occupation as a Park Ranger.  As it turns out, Chris has also taken a turn to the dark side and become a Park Ranger himself.  So, we're just one big, green and gray, happy family! When I'm not at work, I am often home, parked in the kitchen.  Back when I lived with Erin and Stephanie at Purdue I escaped to our tiny kitchen when I had big papers or projects due.  I'd rearrange everything in the cabinets or I'd cook a big meal.  Although she might deny it, Erin wasn't too far behind me.  I remember her sitting at our table shredding piles and piles of carrots for homemade carrot cake.  Now Chris and I like trying new recipes and enjoying our tried and true favorites...all of which has led me back into the kitchen.  I'd like to pretend it's a big room all to its own.  But, we live in a small loft apartment.  So, the kitchen is essentially the dining and living room, too.  Somehow we manage...thanks to tons of cabinetry and great appliances.

Where the magic happens...

On the day of our wedding rehearsal, we had an incredible lunch at Primizie Osteria in Austin. That afternoon Chris' sister, Amy, and her family, including Chris' niece, Kalyn, presented us with a wonderful wedding gift.  The bag was filled with super cool utensils and two aprons.  These were not just our average, run-of-the-mill aprons.  They were custom PARKED IN THE KITCHEN aprons!  Yep, that's right, my little blog has better aprons than your blog!  You see, Amy was kind enough to provide aprons to Kalyn, who happens to be in the Air Force in Germany.  Kalyn had decided she wanted to learn to silkscreen and used our aprons as a project.  They turned out fabulous!  Not only are they silkscreened, they have funky embroidery between the letters.

Check 'em out...

Thanks, Kalyn!  Your Aunt Lauren and Uncle Chris look pretty cool in the kitchen.

My Little Pumpkin

When Chris and I were discussing what we wanted to do for our wedding favors, we quickly decided that it should be something unique and, hopefully, homemade. It wasn't long before we agreed on one of our favorite things in the whole world...my "famous" pumpkin chocolate chip muffins. Problem was that we were planning a wedding in Austin, Texas, almost 5 hours from our apartment kitchen in Oklahoma. We were leaving for our Sunday wedding on a Thursday and we (ok, really just me) didn't want to be worried about baking the week of the wedding. Another problem was the fact that most hotel rooms (where we planned on staying in Austin)don't have a full kitchen. I consulted my mom and Aunt Cindy, who quickly came up with a solution...Aunt Cindy and my cousin, Hannah, would bake the muffins on-site in Austin. So, I worked away to find a suitable place to stay where we could make these precious muffins. We settled on the Hancock Guest Cottage/Hancock Guest Nest, where we could be close to my mom and our bridesmaids, Erin and Stephanie....and where we'd have an oven.



It was important to find containers for our treats that were earth-friendly.  We were, afterall, getting married at the only certified organic events venue in the country! I decided on recycled, biodegradable, food-safe containers.  I purchased food-safe wax tissue to line them and ribbons to tie on the outside.  Alissa at Mew Paper Arts, who created our invitations, made sweet little stickers for an added touch.

Aunt Cindy and Hannah arrived at the cottage READY TO WORK!  Soon, they had quite a production going in the kitchen.

Muffins were prepped to bake...

And muffins were cooling...

The muffins were packed with care, all snug in their boxes...ready to share with our guests, who made the long journey to Austin...

It was a fun afternoon, filled with sweet smells and laughter.  I can't thank Aunt Cindy and Hannah enough for helping us have these special treats on our wedding day...

{jakeholtblog.com}

The muffins were a lesson learned...stick to what you want on your wedding day.  Find ways to create personal touches and to have an event that represents who you are.  Sure, they're just muffins...but, they're also a big part of our story.  My friend Erin and I have been baking them for years and sharing them with the people we love.  It was important to share them on our wedding day. These pumpkin chocolate chip muffins make anyone your little pumpkin...I guarantee it.

So, folks, isn't this where the dedicated blogger shares the recipe for the best muffins you will ever have in. your. entire. life?  I was about to, really I was...when my husband said, "WHAT? THEN THEY WON'T BE SO SPECIAL ANYMORE!"  Ok, the voice of reason HAD to step in.  For those of you interested, I'd be glad to share...just drop me a note.

Can't wait to hear from Jonny T....this one's for you, friend...

Back in Action

My initial attempt at keeping up with this blog was short lived, wasn't it. By the end of the summer, Chris and I were neck deep in wedding planning and preparation. The big day finally came on October 25th and we're now happily married!

This time, I'm serious about the blog...can't you see the look on my face?



Although I'm usually the cook, Chris is right behind me...enjoying every last bite...and keeping the kitchen tidy...he's my sous chef. So, we're going to re-start this blog together...

Let's take a trip back in time so that we can indulge ourselves in the most exciting weekend of our lives. Why not get things rolling with some teaser pics from our wedding photographer, Jake Holt. All pictures should be credited to Jake Holt Photography.















There were some great meals leading up to the wedding (of course)...and lots of food that weekend in Austin. Promise to share that soon. Stay tuned, folks. I'm back in action!