Monday, August 26, 2013

Mount Constitution


Orcas Island is this beautiful island up in the San Juans that my aunt and uncle have a house on and I had visited a few times. I always enjoy riding on the ferry and I knew that I wanted to hike up to the top of Mt. Constitution, the highest point on Orcas, even though you can drive up there. 







I convinced my friends Tina, Crystal and Valerie to get up super early to make the drive and ferry ride over. The sunrise was gorgeous and the ride over was blissful, even though we were still waking up. 


 



We got to the ferry terminal on Orcas and made our way over to Moran State Park, where we parked at Mountain Lake and then hiked up. 



The hike was definitely not easy, especially since we were all tired from getting up early. But it was totally worth it! Even though it wasn’t super sunny at the top, the view was gorgeous!


 


 

The hike back down was steep and my knees felt it. We got done early enough that we enjoyed lunch at a little cafĂ© in Eastsound before heading to the ferry terminal. 

 

 It was definitely a fun trip and I would like to go explore more of the San Juans.

Thursday, August 22, 2013

Now Open: Huckleberries and Rain Etsy Shop

Hey there!

Just stopping by for some news I'm thrilled about: I just opened my Etsy shop!

I have a few pieces of jewelry up there right now, and I'm going to be adding a few more each day. I hope to get my knit hats up there soon, too!

The link on the left side should take you to my shop, Huckleberries and Rain.

Thanks for checking out my creations!

Rachel

Tuesday, August 20, 2013

Kale and Apple Salad with Turkey


I recently signed up for a weekly CSA box from Full Circle and one of the first things I got was a bunch of kale. Now, I love kale, but I really didn’t feel like cooking it, so I made it into a salad. Plus, it was lunch time and I was hungry for something quick. I had also gotten some apples in my box, so I thought I would use those. I stopped at the store to pick up some sliced turkey, and then when I got home, my bottle of pomegranate molasses grabbed my eye. The dressing was delightfully sweet and tart and it went perfect with the kale and apples. 


 Kale and Apple Salad with Turkey

Serves 2

1 bunch kale, rinsed and chopped
1 apple, cored and diced
¼ lb cooked turkey breast, shredded
Sesame seeds

Dressing:
Juice from ½ lemon
1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
1 tbsp pomegranate molasses
2 tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper

1.      Mix together ingredients for dressing. Put kale in a bowl, drizzle with a little olive oil, then massage until the kale begins to wilt. Add in apple and turkey and toss with dressing. Sprinkle with sesame seeds, then serve.


Enjoy!

Saturday, August 17, 2013

Dewey Lake



Dewey Lake is a pretty little lake along the PCT near Chinook Pass. I had hiked from Chinook Pass several times to Sheep Lake, but I had never gone the opposite direction towards Naches Peak. 



It was a nice sunny day, but the sky was hazy from all the forest fires raging on. The flowers were mostly gone, replaced by autumn’s golden colors of yellow, red and orange. 

 



 The hike itself was not too hard, but I found myself struggling because I had ran the Gladiator Run the day before with Crystal, and we had to hike down first before hiking back up. (See picture below for how tired I was!)

 


The lake was a nice little lake where we enjoyed lunch before heading back up to the view point and back to the cars. It was a nice, short hike that I would definitely like to do again!

Wednesday, August 14, 2013

Crab and Lemon Spaghetti with Zucchini

In one of my favorite cookbooks, there is a recipe for a simple crab and lemon pasta dish that absolutely looked divine. I couldn't wait to try it, but I wanted to add a vegetable to it, just because I love vegetables. I thought about it for days which vegetable I wanted to add.

None of them seemed right, until I came across zucchini. The zucchini, sauteed in garlic olive oil, was a perfect accompaniment to the crab. The lemon zest and juice created a nice tang that melded perfectly with the rest of the dish. I've made this dish twice now and I can't get enough of it!






Crab and Lemon Spaghetti with Zucchini

½ lb crabmeat
Juice and zest of half a lemon
½ lb spaghetti
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 zucchini, diced
Pecorino Romano

1.      Cook spaghetti according to package directions.
2.      Meanwhile, heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a sautĂ© pan over medium heat. Add garlic and sautĂ© until fragrant and beginning to brown. Add in zucchini, season with salt and pepper and cook for 5-7 minutes until soft.
3.      Add pasta to zucchini, and stir. Drizzle with lemon juice, olive oil and lemon zest. Stir in crab meat.
4.      Serve with shaved pecorino romano.
 


Enjoy!

Sunday, August 11, 2013

Snow Lake



Snow Lake is an absolutely beautiful lake to hike to, but I am going to refuse to do it again in the middle of hiking season. The trail itself is as busy as I-90 over Snoqualmie Pass, and I am definitely one who avoids crowds. 






The trail was not very steep and was in rather decent condition for the amount of people going up it. As we were going up, there were plenty of people coming down and I think they had the right idea of getting there extremely early.



 
The hike was a good workout, although the trail was very dusty and it made it hard to breathe right. As we got over the top of the ridge, the lake came into view and it was sure gorgeous! We hiked down to the shores, eating lunch among logs while watching the dog in our group fetch sticks out of the water. A few brave souls walked out over rocks to a perch in the lake for pictures. After we were done eating, we wandered around the lake, seeing where the trail went.






I got my scrambling on on a little patch of rocks, while the rest of the group hung out above. We took a group picture before the lake got too crowded, and then headed back up the ridge. There were even more people going up than there where when we were walking. 




As much as I loved the lake, next time I go I want to try to go for Gem Lake, a smaller lake that is a bit further away, and I also want to start really early to avoid the crowds.
 



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