A Bellingham Foodie Blog Restaurant Reviews Bellingham Washington 98225

April 12, 2009

Tribute To You: Validation

Filed under: Bellingham local,local,Pacific Northwest,Seattle — Bellinghamster @ 10:02 pm

There are people who always help me feel happy. Their disposition is just naturally sunny (I even think they glow a bit).

Take for instance, my daughter’s kindergarten friends, Zoey and Kylie. They are just soo nice! They are great friends to my daughter and they really manage to get along. And they’re nice to me, too!

Community Food Co-op is a shining example of people who are sunny and/or above board helpful. Erin is the best because she knows how to stick it to me and I don’t even know it – that’s major talent from a girl from Ohio. My NY sarcasm is never lost on her, merely lobbed back like a birdie – bing!

And there are the Trader Joester’s I like so much. They never look at me cross-eyed regardless of my comments and requests and returns: Cynthia with her fruit and fish earrings, Katie who remembers me even on a bad hair day with a hat pulled down over my head and Jessica (she glows a bit and I think it’s because she’s a new Mom) and all her helpful gluten free ideas.

Even the Costco sample servers don’t mind my seconds (it helps if I buy the product being sampled). They smile and nod their heads with hair wrapped in netting; offer hints on receipes. The Costco people are ever ready to guide me through the store in search of THE item I want or dissect the ingredients on a package for me.

And although the only connection to food is they sell See’s Chocolate’s for charity, Kathy and Tami at Wee One’s Rerun’s are fantastic!

I almost forgot everyone at Super Supplements. They employ gurus of health there.

The Bethany’s of the Library, the Bev’s of the Museum, the Lance’s of the Aquatic Center, Sportsplex and the myriad hockey rinks within a 100 mile radius of Bellingham, Border Crossing guards (joking – too tough a job for smiling) – to these people and many other strangers I engage with daily I offer the following:

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cbk980jV7Ao]

April 11, 2009

“I feel hot inside!”

Filed under: Bellingham local,local,Pacific Northwest — Tags: , , , , — Bellinghamster @ 6:25 am

My son was very surprised by the way he felt after eating a couple of Raw Energy Balls I had made.

“I feel hot inside!” he exclaimed.

You should go outside and run around the neighborhood a few times;  they are ‘energy’ balls, after all.

“Oh”. And then he started laughing. “These would be great to eat before a lacrosse or hockey game!”

Here is the recipe for a Raw Energy Ball courtesy of Ali Segersten’s The Whole Life Nutrition Cookbook:

1 cup raw almonds or walnuts
1 cup medjool dates, pitted
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/4 cup raw almond butter
shredded organic coconut

  1. In a food processor fitted with the ‘s’ blade grind the almonds (or walnuts) until finely ground. Add the dates, raisins and spices. Grind to a fine meal.
  2. Add the almond butter; process again until thoroughly mixed.
  3. Form into balls and roll in shredded coconut.

Store in a sealed container on the counter for up to 3 days, or refrigerate for up to a week.

These little gems are vegan and raw/living food and they don’t last a week in my house because they get eaten! Thank you, Ali Segersten!

April 8, 2009

Carvel Chocolate Crunchies

Filed under: Bellingham local,local,Pacific Northwest,Seattle — Bellinghamster @ 3:32 am

I remember walking with my Mom to Bell Boulevard to go to Carvel Ice Cream. It was either there or Dunkin’ Donuts. Don’t know Carvel? They were the first American retail ice cream franchise and made the original all ice cream cake. A birthday wasn’t a birthday unless you got a Carvel ice cream cake. They came in lots of flavor combinations and sizes, but the best part was always the chocolate crunchies. The cake has 2 layers of ice cream separated by chocolate crunchies. The outside has a white cream frosting sprinkled with more chocolate crunchies. Think sweet chocolate nibs. Why am I telling you about an ice cream franchise you can’t visit in Bellingham? Well, because now you can get a very close replica at Trader Joe’s Bellingham.

I had to buy one because it was my son’s 13th birthday this week. He LOVES surprises, so we surprised him with some gifts not on his list and we surprised him with an ice cream cake. This guy LOVES ice cream. You should have seen his face! The cake has 4 layers: vanilla ice cream, chocolate CRUNCHIES, chocolate ice cream and a thin layer of chocolate cake as its base. My daughter couldn’t keep her fingers off it!

So since the closest Carvel to the west coast is in Reno, Nevada why don’t you hop on down to TJ’s and start a family tradition like the one I grew up with. Just keep the bright light out of my eyes for the birthday home movies, would ya, Aunt Edith!

PS:  You can get them in Costco Marysville and Everett, too.

April 7, 2009

Bellingham Farmers Market is now OPEN for the season

The Bellingham Farmer’s Market opening day was Saturday and it was packed! It’s no wonder with the weather a cooperating factor – here comes our Pacific Northwest summer! Hooray! There were some of the old and some new vendors. I was glad Danielle from Sharazad was there as was Curt’s Kettle Corn (can you smell it?). There were children eating cupcakes from Icing On the Cake and ogling home-made, hand-made wool dolls. There were some new vendors tending booth. Waldorf mom’s with talent extraordinaire: one creating beautiful designs on furniture, another on glass, plus one making Kathy Kruse type German dolls of wool.

There are dozens of vendors and as the season progresses there will be the abundance of produce I’ve come to relish. My mother and MIL* love visiting Bellingham, and one of the highlights, besides their grandchildren, is the Farmer’s Market. My mother buys her gifts for her Florida friends there. She has traveled with Dr. Dandelion’s Lavender and, at other times, has flown home with dozens of spring radishes and plant starts (horseradish, if you need to know, THRIVES in Clearwater). While MIL has spoiled the grandchildren with Bavarian Pretzels and popcorn and ice cream…not that I’m complaining.

So plan accordingly: go to the Farmer’s Market late, so it’s not too crowded when I’m there. And, oooh, I can’t wait to hear a cappella from U4eeuh!

*MIL = mother-in-law

April 6, 2009

Aunt Madeline & Glazed Crullers

We went to Rocket Donuts. Again! Great location, great service, great food and sci-fi on the screen. Have you seen the talking robot?! Cool! My kids keep ordering the bars:  chocolate bars, maple bars, glazed bars, butter milk bars, twisted sugar bars. Those things are huge!

I just ordered a chocolate cruller. It is my long time favorite. I use to get then at Dunkin’ Donuts when I was a kid; chocolate or just glazed. The baker at Rocket makes them light and airy, not heavy or cakey or too sweet. I could eat a dozen, but am learning less is more. And, I’m happy to make a repeat visit because I know it will be a little treat. Today’s cruller sent me back. Way back, to Aunt Madeline. Crullers were Aunt Madeline’s favorite doughnut, too. Yes, that was the way donut use to be spelled.

I knew Aunt Madeline a LONG time ago. She was an ole lady whose inhibitions had gone dry so we could hear the scoop on who did what to whom way back when. And she didn’t need a sherry to fess up either. She was petite, well dressed and enjoyed the family gatherings. We were looking forward to seeing her one Christmas because the perfect gift sat wrapped for her: a dozen glazed crullers. It was such fun to see her open it! And she started eating them right there and then.

You see, food is what brings our families together. If it wasn’t for the free food, would we really spend time with our relatives? Just kidding!

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