New Coffee Place: Uptown Espresso

My coffee this morning!

It's official. As a coffee addict I have found a new favorite.  Uptown Espresso just opened in Wallingford and I love it.  I have been three times so far and every time I have stopped in I have had such wonderful service.  Usually when you get coffee early in the morning the people working at such establishments are less than pleasant.  Not here.  Everyone has been amazing. So friendly and genuinely trying to get to know you.  If you want/need your coffee changed at all they are more than happy to oblige. Try it!  Now I am just sad  I am moving and it won't be on my way to work.  Maybe they will open another location in Montlake? :)

Elle Apparel Website

CHECK THIS OUT! It is from one of my favorite blogs. She is going a skirt giveaway.  Custom made for you!
http://elleapparel.blogspot.com/2011/05/socialite-skirt-giveaway.html

Tater Tot and Ford Blue

Tate and Ford were overdue for a bath. It just really doesn't get much better than this.  

Cobbler

Nothing says summer to me like a cobbler made with fresh fruit.  My parents invited me over for dinner and I thought I would bring make a cobbler for dessert. I wanted to surprise my mom so I couldn't ask her for her recipe.  I could have sworn she's given it to me before but I couldn't find it in my cut and paste cookbook I've created over the years. Damn. Well after looking at about 15 different recipes online I just sort of decided to wing it.  I ended up using blackberries and peaches.


Blackberry/Peach Cobbler:
1 stick butter
1 cup self rising flour (or 1 cup flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, and a pinch of salt)
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
A pinch of cinnamon
1 cup blackberries
1 cup peaches, cut into smaller chunks to match the size of your berries)
1 1/4 cups sugar


*Feel free to substitute 2 cups or a bit more of your favorite summer fruit. I am going to try this next with blueberries and nectarines!

•  Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Melt stick of butter in 2 quart oven safe dish.
• Mix milk, flour, vanilla extract, cinnamon and sugar.  (It will be a runny batter)
•  Pour batter into melted butter. Do not stir.
• Drop fruit on top of batter. Do not stir. 
• Sprinkle with a bit of sugar. 
•  Bake for 45 minutes until golden.  Serve with vanilla ice cream.

It was a huge hit.  There is just a tiny square left for my Dad to enjoy tomorrow with coffee.  I may have had seconds. Then I may have scraped the side of the dish. What? Don't judge. Once you make it you will understand.

Update: SINK

PS. As an update. Sink: 0 Meredith:1.  Winning!

Seriously. This happened.

So I was about to start making this dress last night for an upcoming wedding and I decided I needed to change the bobbin tension. (Thanks Lauren :)  I was trying to tighten the screw on the bobbin when I realized I needed to use tweezers. Where does one usually keep tweezers? Yes. The bathroom. What should you NOT take into a bathroom and hold over a sink? A bobbin with teensy weensy tiny pieces. So I start to "tighten" the screw and I guess my righty-tighty was really lefty-loosey and tink tink tink there goes the side of the bobbin right down the drain.  After several minutes of  cursing loudly I finally started to take the sink apart.  Only problem was that this is a pedestal sink we are talking about.  I don't know how some big burly plumber man squeezed his arms behind it to put the pipes in.  I could barely fit my twig monkey arms back there.   So after several attempts (read: 45 minutes of rubber gloves on and lots of yelling at the dogs to leave the bathroom) and absolutely no progress I ended up wiggling the U-Shaped part off.  Got out all the pieces and promptly threw the pipe in the sink. I will fix it later.  Actually let's be honest. I will probably have my Dad fix it.  Dads are much better at these things. So much for my early nights sleep.