by Bradley

          I love a full Irish breakfast, I've had several good ones but none compare to my brother and sister's home cooking! They were beating themselves up over forgetting the potatoes but they weren't missed cause everything was so delicious. Tim cooked the ham steak on the grill with a little cinnamon and cayenne, the sausages went on the grill too. Steph made perfect eggs over easy, bacon and beans w/ Jack Daniels! No Irish breakfast is complete without an Irish coffee...and we added an Irish breakfast shot as well for good measure. Just writing about this is making me starving and crave it!

by Katherine

     While we were in Washington, we of course had to go hiking. Our original intention was to go up to mt. Rainier, the largest mountain in the continental US. But being that it was November, a lot of the trails are closed or highly advised not to go on, as it gets pretty snowy and icy. After checking weather reports, I decided Mt. Rainier wasn't the best idea. So I had to figure out a new plan the night before our intended hike.

by Bradley

          I surprised Katherine with a Belgian classic, with my own twist. She told me we never need to order mussels at a restaurant after eating this dish and this is my personal favorite recipe I've developed. I substituted bok choy for the traditional Belgian endive but if you want a slightly bitter flavor than stick with tradition (it's very good too!). This is an inexpensive dish that is actually very filling due to the heavy cream. Serve along side a nice Belgian lambic or ale!

2 lbs         Mussels
3 tbsp      Butter
3 cloves  Garlic, minced
2  large    Onions, chopped
2 c.            Bok Choy, chopped
1 1/2 c.    Fruit Lambic (we used raspberry)
1 1/2 c.    Heavy Cream
1/4            Lemon, juiced
                    salt, pepper

by Bradley

          After grabbing breakfast we headed for Tumwater Falls. It's great for those that want to experience the falls but not have to hike to do it. It is a leisurely walk, in fact the upper falls (smaller but wider across than the lower falls) are right next to the parking lot. As you pull up and exit your car you can hear the water!

          Tim told us about the time he and Steph visited a couple weeks earlier, it was during salmon spawning season and they were everywhere. Unfortunately when we went it was past the season so we didn't get to see them...but the falls were amazing on their own!

by Bradley

          We decided to grab breakfast before going on our walk down to Tumwater Falls. Steph found this awesome little coffee bar that's known for its great breakfasts.

          I went for the breakfast burrito, not necessarily your everyday breakfast item but it definitely tasted like it! I got mine filled with sausage, scrambled eggs, cheddar cheese, green chiles, black beans, pico de gallo and sour cream. It was all topped off with a homemade hot sauce. This may be a little spicy for some but it was delicious and I think the hot sauce stole the show, it wasn't just spicy it also had tons of flavor!