truth be told, i’ve been to seattle 3 times.
that’s it.
once in grade 12 for a photography day trip (1997).  once with sony music to see franz ferdinand overnight (2004) and once for an incubus show overnight (2007).
i’ve also been in their airport transiting twice… does that count for much?
oh, and one time i ate by the university in seattle on my way to portland…
for someone that’s lived just 2.5hours north of it for my whole life, it’s definitely not a lot.

while i know it’s a beautiful fun city, it’s just so much like vancouver that i haven’t been overly motivated to cross the border, spend american money, drive several hours and pay for a hotel to enjoy it.
and on the other hand, i haven’t really had the opportunity to do so… it’s not like the seattle invites come fast and furious attcha every weekend.

but this weekend, it’s care of my boss.
we’re heading down this morning and will be back on sunday.  effectively doubling my seattle time in my life up to this point.

the schedule is fairly fixed, but will allow for a little free time tomorrow morning and i’m hoping to either get in some shopping or maybe even to the science fiction museum.
it will factor greatly on my hangover.

but mostly i’m looking forward to wandering and exploring.  so i sure hope the rain stays away.
i’m guessing either today or tomorrow we’re doing an epic scavenger hunt.  my boss loves those things.
so there will be lots of photo opportunities i imagine.
and you know, even if the weather is no good, i’m taking my waterproof camera, so i should be able to get some fun pictures.

we’re staying at the beautiful fairmont olympic.  which i’m also excited about… although my last stay in seattle was at the W, so i’ll have high expectations.

one thing i’d very much like to do, that i don’t think will happen is visit the experience music project.
i’ve been wanting to go since it opened, but never had the opportunity.  no one that drives has been keen to do a specific trip with me for it, and my past seattle visits have been with purpose and no time/interest in deviations from the plan.
so, EMP will stay on the list of things to do “one day” when i go back to seattle… judging by my track record, that’ll be in about 5 more years, lol.

we’re being wined and dined this trip, so the restaurant selections will be out of my hands, as will pretty much every other decision, and that’s exciting to me.
since my seattle experiences are so limited, it’s like everything is brand new to me.  and the majority of my coworkers seem to know if very well, so i’m in good hands.
i’m really looking forward to making no decisions and just going where i’m taken.  rumour has it there will be some dancing at a gay bar tonight.  things with my work folks tend to get out of hand.  very quickly, lol.
full censored report to follow… have a great weekend!

in the paleo cookbook world, i often see cauliflower “rice” mentioned.
apparently ricing or grating cauliflower makes for a decent rice substitute.
or so they tell me.
and i like cauliflower, and i miss rice… so i’m game.

but, a big old bowl of cauliflower isn’t much of a balanced meal (although, in truth i used to happily eat bowls of rice with butter, salt & pepper for dinner in my radio poor days and call that dinner, but i digress…)
anyways, in addition to the cauliflower monster, i also have to clean out my fridge… so i made myself some paleo fried rice.
basically i made it exactly how i would have made regular fried rice… which, let’s face it, is definitely a “cleaning out the fridge” recipe.

Paleo Fried Rice for 1

• 2 cups of cauliflower, raw, grated
• 1 – 2 cups of mixed chopped vegetables (i used broccoli & peas)
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/4-1/2 cup of leftover meat (i used chopped roast from dinner last night)
• wheat free soy sauce
• sesame oil
• garlic, crushed
• green onions, chopped
• hot sauce to taste

1. saute grated cauliflower & garlic (i used a little butter for this) until lightly brown over medium heat (5-7 minutes)
2. add veggies and cook as desired (i like mine almost raw)
3. add meat, heat through
4. add beaten egg, mix well
5. season with soy sauce, sesame oil & hot sauce
6. finish with green onions

you know what?
this was GOOD.
like, really really good.

my husband wouldn’t touch it with a 10 foot pole, as his mortal enemies include cauliflower, broccoli and peas… but i thought it was awesome.
quick, easy and achieved the goal of cleaning out the fridge and not leaving the house for groceries.

i shall be trying more of this cauliflower rice… although it was a bitch to grate.  i’m getting myself a food processor very soon.

it’s very chocolaty and rich and i love it a lot.
in fact, it might be a new favourite.
and i know this because my husband went back and bought two more bottles today.

so, here’s the tasting notes from the BCLC…

overall, i agree.
we enjoyed it tonight with a coffee rubbed grass fed bison roast and the resulting combination was pretty orgasmic.
dare i say, the perfect pairing.

i’ve been getting more brave about the coconut flour cooking.  and i came across a recipe that had great reviews for some coconut flour pancakes and figured i may as well give it a shot.

like all my recipes, qualification number one was that i had everything on hand in my pantry or fridge.
check.
so here’s the recipe… i’m not going to type out how to make a pancake.  if you can’t figure out how to make that go, then i’m not sure a recipe will help you in life.

Paleo Pancakes for 2 people

• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup coconut milk
• 1 tbsp coconut syrup (i used agave syrup)
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/4 cup coconut flour
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon

1. beat together eggs, milk, vanilla & syrup until frothy.
2. add dry ingredients
3. beat/mix until well combined with no lumps
4. make pancakes

i served mine with sausages with blueberries & maple syrup inside.  (they came from costco and are a delight)

the pancakes turned out quite lovely.  great texture and light coconut taste to them… myself & the husband really enjoyed them.
they’re definitely not an everyday food, but as a special treat every now and then, i give this recipe a gold star.

i chose two of them to take home.  because at under $14 a pop, that’s a good investment.
also, i have the aerator which saves even the shittiest bottle of wine.

i found the bear flag to be a tasty choice.  and for the price point, definitely a winner.
usually i stay away from “animal wines”, but the bear is in reference to the state flag of california, so i’ll let it go.
this was a “nothing special” kinda red, but nice and drinkable.  the first glass was a little abrasive, even with the aerator, but after a few minutes it had mellowed out nicely.
i would buy this one again.

first off, i managed to find a recipe for something i actually wanted to eat… and one that actually had ingredients that i owned in my house already.
and that, my friends, is the only way i’ll bake.

i stumbled upon the recipe from this blog.
and of course, i changed a few things to suit what i had on hand.
below is my version, based on her version.

Fudgy Coconut Flour Brownies
1 cup coconut flour
2/3 cup good cocoa powder
2 squares of unsweetened baking chocolate
¼ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon baking powder
¾ cup butter
1/4 cup olive oil
3 extra large eggs
1/2 cup lukewarm water
2 tablespoons regular rum
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
¾ cup agave syrup

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

1.) In a large bowl, sift together the coconut flour, salt, cocoa, and baking powder. Set aside.

2.) Cut butter into chunks and place in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir until melted then add the chocolate chips and mix just until they soften. Quickly remove from heat and continue stirring until everything is combined. Let cool.

3.) In a medium bowl, beat the eggs and agave syrup. Add the oil, rum, and vanilla. Followed by the cooled chocolate butter mixture.

4.) Slowly pour the wet ingredients into the dry. The coconut flour tends to suck moisture quickly so don’t worry if the batter clumps. Use the lukewarm water to loosen it up by drizzling a little bit at a time until it is all absorbed but the batter is still wet. If you need to, add up to ¼ cup more water.

5.) Pour the batter into a 9” square baking pan lined with parchment paper.

6.) Bake for 30 minutes until the top is dry to the touch and the batter is firm.

7.) Remove from the oven and let cool for a few minutes before lifting the parchment paper to remove the brownies from the pan. Slice and eat right away for a warm, cakey brownie or let sit over night for a firmer fugier one (or have it both ways!)

the brownies turned out pretty much exactly as described. fudgy and dense and very crumbly. but good. nice subtle coconut undertone and I liked the texture quite a bit.
definitely not health food, but a great lesson that there can indeed be treats!

about a month ago, i purchased a bag of coconut flour with intentions of baking with it.
or using it for something…
i’m actually not sure what i was thinking, it just seemed like one of those household staples for people that don’t eat wheat.

so it’s been taunting me from my cupboard ever since.
with it’s high price tag and promise of awesomeness.

i’ve been reading a bazillion recipes for paleo baked goods… but the problem is that a) i don’t really like baking and b) i don’t really care about baked goods anymore.

so i’m a bit stumped as to how to use it.

i did have a vision the other day of using it to “bread” a piece of fish and frying it so make a mock fish & chips.  in fact, i was even considering making a tempura out of it.  i have no idea if this is a “real thing” or if i’m just dreaming up wild ideas that this flour isn’t meant for.

i do know this; it’s super absorbent.  all the recipes i’ve read call for shockingly little coconut flour.  like 1/2 a cup to several cups of liquid/eggs/oil/ect.
which is warping my perceptions of what i know about baking.

this weekend i’m planning to hunker down and try out some recipes.  so i’d love to hear any experiences or suggestions or recipe ideas.  because, i frankly, have no idea where to start.

i know its monday, but i had a tough day.  i deserve wine dammit.

but this liquor store has a section of top picks below $10 and top picks below $15.
and since i’m broke, but not cheap… i went for the top picks below $15 and grabbed this little guy.

it’s not like ridiculously awesome, but for the price point and once you run it through the aerator, it’s really quite tasty.
perfect choice for a monday night.
you know… when you need a glass of wine, but don’t want to open a $20 bottle.
that’s this guy.

plus, the cap made me laugh a little.  so that’s gotta be worth a couple bucks.

a very large chunk of the business i do is selling vegas.
and a very large chunk of the travel i do, it to vegas.
so it stands that i spend a lot of my time thinking and talking about what hotel to stay at when in fabulous las vegas… so i’m going to share some nuggets of my wisdom that usually people have to come see me for.

i have a personal goal to stay at all the strip hotels.
the cool part about this goal is that the hotels themselves are always changing.  even in the 6 years i’ve been going, i’ve seen at least 4 hotels go and about 7 new ones pop up.  not to mention all the ones that stayed and kept their names but have revamped their images and refitted the hotel.

i have personally stayed in the following hotels… in this order:

1. the monte carlo – deluxe room stripview
2. the bellagio – deluxe room poolview
3. the flamingo – neapolitan suite
4. mandalay bay – penthouse suite
5. the hotel at mandalay bay – standard suite
6. the wynn – panorama room golf course view
7. mandalay bay – regular room stripview
8. vdara – regular suite aria view
9. the mirage – deluxe room volcano/strip view

there’s a few things i’ve learned about staying in vegas and how i like my trips to go.  almost every hotel has a positive to choosing it and every hotel has their own vibe.
for me the biggest factors in choosing are: who im going with, what we’re planning on doing, restaurants, pool area and location.  pretty much in that order.

for instance, i am a loyal hardcore lover of mandalay bay.  but many people would never dream of staying there because they find the location to be too far.  my response is always the following:  first off, all you do in vegas is walk anyways. so does it really matter if i’m always walking in one direction?  not really.  second, there’s a free tram that takes you from MB to excalibur and that shortens your walk considerably.  often if i’m doing a late night strip stumble, i’ll just walk all the way down and taxi back to MB from the flamingo-ish area.  it’s under $10.  really, not a huge deal to me.  but, i also am mobile, wear sensible shoes and love walking.  i’m not the girl in high heels teetering around nightclubs.  but if i was, or was traveling with those girls, we’d probably stay at the hotel that had the nightclub we’d be going to most often.  ya dig?

for me, mandalay bay has so many other massive positives too.  the restaurant selection is top notch.  my absolute favourite; border grill is there.  they have many super high end choices and tons of great casual choices.  i could happily eat from only their restaurants for every meal and have nothing but success.  even the buffet, while not one of the high end buffets available, is always good and has ample options for a good price.
the pool area is hands down the best on the strip and they have the house of blues, where i’ve seen a couple great shows.  its like if the commodore ballroom was in your hotel and all you had to do after was stumble upstairs.  that shit is worth every penny.  also, i like how it’s connected by a mall to the luxor.  i’m not a big luxor fan, but i like shopping sometimes.  and that mall has some solid choices.

that being said, despite my mad love of MB, i wouldn’t stay there EVERY time.  in fact, on my last stay at the mirage, i didn’t even set foot inside mandalay bay.  we never made it further down the strip than monte carlo.  which, actually marked my very first trip to vegas without eating at border grill.  i feel like i let myself down with this choice.  but thats a whole other restaurant blog, lol.
next topic… high end hotels.
it’s no secret that i love luxury.  and here’s the reason why.  i can’t afford to live that way in the rest of my life.
vegas is a magical fantasy world where you touch down and immediately feel like a rockstar.  i get off that plane and i’m a freaking millionaire.  so i splurge.  because to me, i don’t want to count my pennies in vegas, i just want to live.
and there’s no where else on the planet where you can stay at a 5 star hotel for under $100 a night.  end of story.  so, why on earth would i waste that opportunity?  to me, this is a gift that should be welcomed with open arms and sincere thanks.  thank you vegas for letting me stay at a 5 diamond property with an exceptionally stunning view of the strip for a ridiculously cheap rate that wouldn’t even get me into a motel 6 in most cities.  thank you from the bottom of my heart.

sure, i could go with a basic accommodation and think “oh, i’m never in my hotel anyways”… but i actually *am* in my hotel.  i use the facilities, like the pool… i inevitably spend more time in the restaurants and casino than anywhere else… i like my room to be nice and posh and welcoming, not so barren that my first morning thought is “let’s get up and get out of here”.  in a city where all you’re doing is going from hotel to hotel day and night, why wouldn’t you choose one for yourself that you actually enjoy spending time in?

again, that’s not to say that i’m staying at the wynn every time… but i’m reasonable.  even when i’m on a bit more of a budget, i’ll always find the extra few $ a night for at least a mid-range property.  there are a few properties that i sell a ton of that you would never see me at….

imperial palace – this one i actually kinda like as far as the casino goes and hanging out in.  good location, but for just a few dollars more per night (literally) i can stay next door at the flamingo, which IMO is far superior and has a spectacular pool area.  i sell a TON of this hotel.  people LOVE it.  the budget conscious people love it. the people that honestly do wake up and get out of the room as soon as possible and don’t care about hotel facilities.  this is the perfect hotel for those people.  those people are just not me.

excalibur – never ever in a 100 years.  i’m sorry, but its just not happening.  i’ve never walked in there and thought “gee, this is a great casino with a nice feel, lets stay a while”.  as soon as i walk in, i can’t wait to get out.  it generally has more kids than anywhere else on the strip, it’s hideous in decor, run down and so trashy.  theres no fine dining, everything is cheap cheap cheap.  it’s like if walmart had a hotel.  but you know what?  a lot of people shop at walmart and a lot of people go to vegas for a cheap vacation, not to do fancy stuff.  so it works for them.

circus circus – yaaaa.  i’ve set foot in here once, to see the carousel bar from fear and loathing.  and while i kinda dig the old school dirty smoky vegas feel of years past, at the end of the day, it’s just too far down the strip with nothing around it and the circus theme is vaguely creepy and unsettling to me.  and i think i can find more than $29 a night to spend on where i lay my head.  but if all you care about is the lowest price possible, this generally is it.
the last thing i wanted to touch on today is upgrades & suites…
this is what i like to think of as the win/lose.  sometimes i’ll stay in a hotel that’s not quite as nice as i’d like because i’ll pay to be in an upgraded room or a suite.  because let’s face it, a suite is always kickass.  now, not everything is going to be my penthouse suite at mandalay bay (aka – nicer than my house will ever be) but even a suite at the flamingo can feel pretty swanky.
it’s a good thing to price out when you’re shopping for vegas… sure you could stay in a standard room at the wynn, but you might be able to get a suite somewhere less fancy for the same price and that would give you an overall more enjoyable experience.

also, once you’ve ventured into suite territory with a hotel, they’re more likely to consider you for an upgrade.  simply put, if you’re already in a higher room category and they have something else available, it’s really easy to bump you up one more level.  if you’re in a standard “cheapest possible” room, then the best you can hope for in most places is an upgrade to a strip view.  ya dig?

obviously the bread was dropped out of the recipe and caramalized onions were added to the meatballs…
we used a salt free chicken stock and also added some extra touches like chili flakes, worcestershire sauce and agnogstura bitters.
we also finished it with lemon wedges to perk up the flavour.  oh, and instead of escarole, we used kale.
it was good.

my husband was so kind as to take photos of his meatball making.  and then i took over and promptly forgot to take more pictures.