You know what the photo up top means. Ketchup for burgers and ice cream for, well - me. Dear friends, summer has arrived. The talk of summer in Seattle is touchy between May and June as Seattlites good and well know theirs wont be starting until closer to July. But, lo and behold - Ms. Earth has gone and shocked us all. Now I can count with two fingers the number of times I've become pink-shouldered on a weekend.
And what better way to kick of summer than a road trip. Although the destination wasn't the most adventurous of all places, it certainly is a well known area in the Pacific Northwest as the vast majority of local fruits we eat come from its valley - Yakima.
Yakima is an odd amalgam of idillic landscapes that bear juicy stone fruits whose residents can be found yelling across the grocery store to their counterparts, "And don't forget the tater tots and Velveeta cheese!" (In light of not wanting to ruffle anyone's feathers, there's nothing wrong with either tater tots, nor Velveeta cheese. I just found it funny.)
Before leaving for Yakima, we picked up a package my mom mailed us, which turned out to be a hearty loaf of homemade bread and cost her double to ship than what it was to make. (Now that's love.) Bread made from mom's hands was the only thing that made sense to eat as we snaked our way through Washington's heartland. Sentiments aside, the burgers and shakes a la Miner's Drive-In in Yakima brought us back to reality and rounded out the experience to make it a true summer day. Sunglasses included.
How have you kicked off your summer?
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3 comments:
Nothing says summer like the open road! Your trip sounds awesome...and totally makes me want to visit the PNW, as my Seattleite roommate always used to call the region.
Personally, I've kicked off the season by buying an ice cream maker! Also, I biked to work today, which made me feel very accomplished (and summery).
Maddie, when you decide to take that trip here just know that you have a personal tour guide waiting for you! Coincidentally, my boyfriend and I were talking about an East Coast trip next year as he's got friends in MA. I'll keep you posted :)
An ice cream maker - how great! Embarrassed to say I've had a new Cuisinart one for almost a year and the bowl still sits solid cold in the freezer, unused. What kind are you going to make first? You're my new inspiration on this front. Berries are in season here, maybe a sorbet? Very summery, indeed.
Biking to work, now that is something to be proud of. I'm way too far away from work to consider biking, so I make up for it by parking as far away from my bus stop Park & Ride as possible. So I walk more. Life is full of compromises!
Thanks, Melinda! I'll definitely take you up on that offer, since I'm hoping to make Seattle a 2011 destination fo sho. :) And do let me know if you make it out here -- I love playing tour guide!
As for ice cream flavors, I'm fixated on the idea of salted caramel; I've got a family-recipe hot fudge sauce that'd be perfect on top. But when the Southern peaches are in season, there's nothing better than peach ice cream, and I expect to live off it come August.
Once you dust off your freezer bowl (no embarrassment necessary), I'd love to hear about your ice-cream exploits. This is brand-new territory for me too, so lots of experimentation is in order!
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