Salmon: 2 ways

Unless you are, or are friends with, a fisherman, good salmon is really hard to find. Especially outside of the Pacific Northwest. I count myself as very fortunate as sometimes being the very blessed recipient of a friend's end of the day catch. There are so very few things better in this world than salmon caught that day. But most of us don't ever get that.

In my humble opinion a very close second to fresh caught salmon, and light years beyond what you'll find at the store, is Zaycon Fresh's Wild Sockey Salmon filets. I've ordered 3 cases (25 lbs each) in the last year. This allows me to cook salmon almost weekly and on a budget!

"Wild" seafood is also somewhat of a hot topic right now. I'm always researching my food to make

sure that I am, at the very least, aware of what is the quality of the food I purchase. The price of Zaycon Fresh's salmon can't be beat, and I was initially a little wary about it. I bought my first case,
fell in love with my first filet and started to do a little bit of digging on it. Was it really what it's advertised to be? I contacted the fishery, using the clearly marked label on my case that I received, and was able to track down where my salmon had been caught and when. Isn't that pretty awesome that in this day and age we can find that information?

What is Zaycon Fresh? It's super easy. You sign up, enter in your zip code and it will populate "events" near you. Each event will bring fresh or frozen meets to an agreed upon place and time. You place your order for what you'd like and then on the day of the event you bring your order slip and they put your case of bulk meats in the trunk of your car for you. You don't even have to get out of the car! Throughout the year they will offer different products; such as delicious bacon, fresh ground beef, fresh chicken breasts, frozen breaded chicken fritters (I like to make this), select steaks, even turkey and ham around the holidays! They are constantly adding more.

When you sign up, they'll send you non-spammy newsletters letting you know what they're adding, great recipe ideas and you can refer friends to get credit for your next purchase. Truly, I haven't bought meat any other way for a long time now.

And now, on to my two favorite ways to prepare salmon these days. YUM! When you thaw a filet, cut it in half and reserve one half for the second recipe below. Now you can have salmon twice in one week!

Honey Lemon Baked Salmon

This is my favorite go-to. It's easy, I have all of the ingredients on hand and it goes with most sides.

• Half a salmon filet, thawed.
• 3T cup of honey
• 1T minced garlic
• 1T lemon pepper seasoning
• juice from 1/4 of a fresh lemon

1. Warm the honey briefly in the microwave (about 10 seconds should be enough). Mix in garlic, lemon pepper and lemon juice. 

2. Line a baking dish with tin foil. Place the fish, skin down, in the baking dish. Pour the honey mixture over top. Allow to marinate for 20 minutes, up to 24 hours in the fridge. Prior to baking, spoon the marinate back over top of the salmon again.
3. Preheat oven to 400 degrees fahrenheit. Bake the salmon until it flakes easily with a fork, about 8 minutes. Most recommend about 4-6 minutes per 1/2 inch of thickness. 

Thai Inspired Salmon

This recipe is adapted from ifood real. I went out on a limb and thought that spicey salmon might be tasty. We gave it a shot for my birthday dinner and it was a hit. The marinade is great for chicken too!

• Half a salmon filet, thawed
• 1/2 cup Thai sauce, recipe below

To prepare Thai sauce:

• 1/2 cup maple syrup (the real kind, if you can get it)
• 1/4 cup sweet chili sauce (I use Sun Luck brand)
• 1/4 cup of water
• 1 T cornstarch
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes 

Mix all of the ingredients until combined. Add to a small saucepan and cook until boiling. Reduce heat and allow to simmer for 10 minutes. Allow to cool before pouring onto fresh meat. Refrigerate leftovers.

To prepare the salmon:
1. Pour 1/2 cup of the cooled Thai sauce over the uncooked salmon. Allow to marinate for at least two hours. 

2. Before cooking, coat the meat again with the marinade sauce.

3. Broil or grill until the meat flakes easily with a fork. My favorite is to grill it!

Honorable mention: Cilantro Salmon burgers by Alaska from Scratch. Oh lawd, it's changed my opinion on burgers.

So are you ready to order some salmon?  If you're interested in learning more about how to determine if your salmon is truly wild, sustainably caught and basically not messing around, here are some resources:

• http://www.seafoodwatch.org/seafood-recommendations/groups/salmon?q=salmon&type=sockeye
• http://www.thehealthyeatingguide.com/farm-raised-salmon-vs-wild-caught-salmon/

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. Signing up for a Zaycon Fresh account is free, but you'll be amazed at the quality of all the different kinds of meats and products you can find through them. If you loved this post and want to learn more about Zaycon Fresh - feel free to sign up using my referral code. I'll get a tiny kickback and you'll get a ton of delicious meat to stock your freezer!

Babymoon at Salish Lodge and Spa #seattle

"Just had the best night's rest I have had in YEARS. Must have been the 30 minute mineral soak, 
hour massage and delicious food right before bed, falling asleep to the sound of a crackling fire. 
EVERY pregnant mama deserves this in her 3rd trimester! 
Had an amazing babymoon at Salish Lodge with my handsome hubby"

That was the status update I posted on my personal facebook account after checking out of Salish Lodge and Spa about a week ago. Seriously - blissed out. 

We booked our 3rd trimester babymoon at Salish Lodge and Spa because they offer a special package for expectant parents that in my opinion really hits the mark. Having lived in the Seattle area my whole life, I had heard about how amazing this hotel was; I was not prepared for exactly how true this really was. 

Let's start from the beginning.  As I pulled up into the driveway a valet greeted me, took my bags and parked my car. By the time I reached the lobby (read: waddled), the concierge had my reservation pulled up. I guess the big ole belly gave me away. Minutes later, we were in our room; the bags had beat us there. 

We walked into a gorgeous, tastefully Pacific Northwest themed room that had rose petals spread over the king sized bed, French sparkling cider (read: not Martinellis!) chilling with a little stuffie for our impending bundle. The room also featured a balcony, a set of plush robes and slippers, two closets, a real wood fireplace, a Keurig with coffee and tea amenities. This waterbirth mama specifically drooled over the bathroom - a two person jetted tub with a peek through window that allows you to enjoy the fireplace from the tub. Everything felt so luxurious and relaxing, it was honestly very difficult to leave the following morning after resting in this oasis for a night. 

After we settled in and marveled over this really well appointed room Adam and I met with Greg Prescott, the Rooms Division Manager for a personalized tour of the hotel. Yes, being a blogger has its perks! :) Greg shared some of the most impressive highlights of the hotel as a business and vacation destination for locals and travelers alike.

The hotel has two restaurants on site. While they are extremely different from each other as far as their ambiance, the quality of service remains the same. Their sit down style restaurant is Falls Terrace, which is quiet and very personal. You will find over a thousand wine labels on their list; not kidding. You can order anything from the standard house wine to the once in a lifetime 1950's Bordeaux. Oh, and then there is the best table in the house - which offers 180 degree views of the waterfalls.

One of the many things I loved that Greg shared with us was exactly how connected Salish Lodge is to the Pacific Northwest community and their commitment to sustainability. They work with many local vendors to bring in the freshest, tastiest ingredients and products to their clients, but they're also doing the legwork on one other important part. In 2011 they began a small apiary with 4 beehives. This year they have brought it up to 12 hives and produce 2,400 pounds of organic honey a year. The honey is used throughout the hotel, from their dinner menu and spa, to their private selection of Salish Honey Ale and Salish Honey flavored Vodka and wine. Sweet deliciousness aside, the bees and their honey serve an important role in our environment - locally and globally. 

After our tour we checked into Salish's spa. The babymoon package includes massage treatments for both mama and daddy and I was READY for some relaxation. We first soaked in their two mineral pools - this was the perfect way to start my evening. You mamas know how few and far between quiet, relaxing baths are and this hit the spot. We sipped chocolate orange tea, relaxed to the sound of rushing water from the waterfall (and laughed at just how buoyant I am!) and were gently escorted to our treatment rooms.

I had the Mellow Mama massage (featuring Mama Mio products) and Adam had a relaxing tranquility massage. My therapist propped me and my belly on my side so that I'd be comfortable for the entire hour and got to work immediately. She checked in often to make sure that I was comfortable, but otherwise it was an hour of quiet, deep relaxation and wonderful work on some really tired mama muscles. Lifting and carrying a toddler during your 3rd trimester definitely takes a toll on your body, and it was nice getting those kinks worked out. After our hour apart, we met up in the 'recovery room' with huge, euphoric smiles on our faces. A comment that Adam made was that he was really surprised at how we weren't greasy at all when we came out; our skin had a really easy time absorbing the oils but left us feeling very glowy. 

Massages make this mama hungry so our next stop was a late dinner at The Attic - the second restaurant on the property. Here we found a more relaxed, lounge style atmosphere, where you can choose to sit at a table by the window or in any of their comfortable couches. Their claim to fame here is their wood fire pizza oven. Their pizzas are anything but the standard fare (though you can get a cheese or pepperoni pizza if you want!). We started with their baked clams (which featured chorizo in the broth, Adam insists that I now figure out how to make this at home!).

For dinner I ordered a pear and fig pizza (Salish Honey Fig Spread, Caramelized Onions, Prosciutto, Arugula, Bleu Cheese) and Adam ordered a shaved beef sandwich with a glass of the Honey Ale. Both were prepared to perfection - the dough and bread were soft, the pizza toppings and Adam's sandwich were perfectly paired with each other. Great food is always the perfect setting for the best conversations, in my book. 

We retired to our room, Adam started a cozy fire in their real fireplace (Salish has over 90 wood burning fireplaces!) and we sipped our sparkling cider. Later, I woke up around midnight to realize that we had probably fallen asleep mid-sentence and the fire was still crackling happily away. Big sigh of contentment. 

The next morning I got to do something that I haven't done in years...I sat in their library, sipped tea and read the paper for several hours, in front of yet another fire. 

Was this all a dream or did it really happen? Thankfully I have photographic evidence to prove that indeed, it did. If I can be promised a babymoon like this every time I'm pregnant, sign me up for 10 more kids please!

The biggest impression that Adam and I left with when checking out was how Salish Lodge and Spa proactively seeks the continuous improvement of their guests' experience. No, I didn't copy that from their website - that's straight from my genius husband's mouth. In addition to the connection that Salish Lodge has with its community to keep business local and provide sustainability, the guest leaves the hotel feeling like they were truly cared for during their stay. Everything was thought of ahead of time, down to having a screen door on your balcony so that you can sleep with the doors open on a summer night. What hotel thinks of that?

A few tips for you if you plan on staying at the lodge...

• Purposefully forget your laptop, tablet, whatever at home. They do offer free wifi, but seriously. Check out.
• Bring a camera to see the falls.
• Plan to spend a lot of time in your room. Even if you don't schedule anything in their spa, the rooms come in at a close second for relaxation. 
• Visit their Country Store. It's cute, has a ton of their honey products, you can take home a bottle of their Honey Ale beer or signature wine and a good variety of other things.
• Show up for their morning beverage service and afternoon tea and cookies in The Library. The fire will be stoked and ready for you :)
• Come midweek - my biggest tip. We stayed on a Monday night and it felt like we had everything to ourselves. We got to choose the best seats in The Attic and there weren't many tourists at the Falls when I went for a hike the next morning. 

What to expect with their signature babymoon package:

• Rose petals, sparkling cider and baby gift
• Special pregnancy pillow for the mother-to-be, to be enjoyed during her stay
• Two 50-minute Salish Signature spa treatments of the couple's choice (I had the Mellow Mama)
• $50 dining credit in The Attic

All in all, Seattle friends, this is one place where you do need to stay at least once - don't mistake this for "just another a tourist retreat!"

Find out more about Salish Lodge and Spa

facebook // twitter 

Disclosure: Thank you, Salish Lodge and Spa for hosting my babymoon through accommodation, meals and massage. All opinions are my own, though I wouldn't share about this amazing hotel if I didn't think you'd love it as much as we did!

Sour Cream Banana Bread with Coconut Oil {Tropical Traditions Organic Coconut Oil Review & Giveaway}

I'm a big fan of butter. Don't get me wrong. Butter just makes things better. Better with butter. But with heart disease being fairly prevalent in my husband's side of the family, I've really got to tone it down. After doing a little bit of research, I found that coconut oil is a totally viable and healthy alternative to butter in many aspects of cooking. You can substitute it as a frying oil, buttery spread and in baking. Tropical Traditions has graciously provided me with a jar of their Gold Label Extra Virgin Organic Coconut Oil so that I could give it a try with my tried-and-true sour cream banana bread recipe and we were all pretty impressed with the results!

Tropical Traditions Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil is certified organic & traditionally made. This coconut oil meets our strictest standards and is handcrafted by family producers in the Philippines using traditional methods passed down from previous generations. Recent studies show that traditionally-made coconut oils have the highest amounts of antioxidants. Tropical Traditions also has tons of info if you want to learn what virgin coconut oil is and how to use coconut oil. 

You will need:
non-stick cooking spray
a mixture of 1/4 c of sugar 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon for dusting
1/2 c Tropical Traditions Extra Virgin Organic Coconut Oil
3/4 c raw honey (or 1 1/2 c sugar)
2 eggs
3 very ripe bananas
2 c sour cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
2 1/4 c flour
optional: Add 1/4 cup of mix-ins such as chocolate chips, golden raisins, organic shredded coconut or candied nuts).

You will do:
1. Preheat your oven to 300 degrees.
2. Spray 2 bread pans with your non stick spray.
3. Dust both pans with the cinnamon-sugar mix. You don't have to use it all, just enough to lightly coat the pan.

4. In a larger bowl, cream the coconut oil and remaining sugar together. Add eggs, bananas, sour cream, vanilla and cinnamon. Blend until well mixed.

5. In a separate bowl combine flour, baking soda and salt. Slowly incorporate into the banana mixture.

6. Divide batter between your pans.
7. Bake for 50-60 min, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
8. Allow to cool and enjoy with a smear of coconut oil.

Ready to bake some of your own banana bread with coconut oil? I thought so! Check out the giveaway below to enter to win a jar of coconut oil from Tropical Traditions. (ps - if you just can't wait - they are running a BOGO sale on their quart sizes of Gold Label! That's $20 for 2 quarts of amazing coconut oil!)

This giveaway is over - thanks to all for entering! 

Keep an eye out for more Pierogie Mama Giveaways.

Big long scary disclosure: I am not a health professional! Please consult your physician or other health official regarding any questions regarding health claims with any products. Nothing I have written here is intended to treat, cure or otherwise prevent any disease. I received a free sample of the product from Tropical Traditions for the review using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers and I was under no obligation to review it if I so chose. Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review or sponsor a product giveaway in return for the free product. This post contains affiliate links.   If you order by clicking on any of my links and have never ordered from Tropical Traditions in the past, you will receive a free book on Virgin Coconut Oil, and I will receive a discount coupon for referring you. Giveaway is open to US residents, 18 years of age or older. Winners will be contacted via email and have 48 hour to respond before another winner is chosen. The Pierogie Mama is not responsible for prize fulfillment. 

Toddler Friendly Smoothies Using Avocado

I recently discovered how amazing it is to add an avocado to smoothies. My household has a certain love affair with avocados, so I decided to give this a shot after a friend recommended it to me. Not going to lie, this was an amazing discovery. I think avocado needs to find its way into every corner of my cooking. Into my cereal, into my coffee.. yea, that part I was kidding about.

Avocados are considered the perfect food by many, it's been said that an avocado contains many of the nutrients we need to survive. It's a great first food for babies as well - Penny was chowing down on slices by the fistful when we introduced her to foods via baby-led weaning. Hanna from Endless Simmer hilariously recants the etymology behind the word: "...avocado is a derivative of ahuacatl, which happens to be the Aztec word for testicle.  The avocado grows in pairs, dangling from the tree so suggestively that even the Aztecs noticed, pausing long enough from their daily blood sacrifice to chuckle to themselves and bestow the avocado with its legacy."  Will you ever look at avocados the same again? ;)


But isn't the hardest part first selecting the perfect avocado? Avocado Central has a great interactive widget to help you determine the stage of your avocado's ripeness.

The Freckled Avocado
mmm, our favorite!

• 1 ripe avocado 
• 5 medium to large frozen organic strawberries 
• 1 cup of plain or vanilla flavored Greek yogurt 
• 2 Tablespoons of local honey

The Tropical Avocado

• 1 ripe avocado 
• 1 peeled and frozen banana 
• 1 cup of plain or vanilla flavored Greek yogurt 
• 1 cup of fresh orange juice 
• 2 tablespoons of local honey

The Chocolate Avocado

• 1 ripe avocado
• 1 cup of plain or vanilla flavored Greek yogurt
• 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder

The Red Avocado

• 1 ripe avocado 
• 1 cup fresh orange juice 
• 1/2 cup frozen raspberries

A few that we'd like to try:

Beet- Avocado: from We are Not Martha

• 2 small beets
• 1 C vanilla soy milk (I used Silk Light)
• 3/4 C frozen berries
• 1/2 avocado
• 1 C baby spinach
• 1 scoop (10 grams) chia seeds

Avocado Apple: from Cooking Classy

• 1 medium ripe California avocado
• 1 large granny smith apple, chilled, cored and sliced
• 1 ripe banana, peeled and frozen
• 1 Navel orange, chilled and peeled
• 2 cups packed spinach
• 1 cup almond milk, chilled
• Juice of 1 lime
• 2 tsp agave nectar or honey, or to taste (optional)
• 8 ice cubes (about 1 1/3 cups)

Avocado Mango: from Reboot with Joe

• 1 cup mango (fresh or frozen) 
• 3 handfuls spinach
• 1/4 avocado 
• 1 cup almond milk- add a little water if you like your smoothie thinner 

Do you like to add avocado to your smoothies? What is your favorite combination? 

Food Goals

I recently watched the documentary Fresh on Netflix - and it presented the state of our country as far as where our food comes from in a not so gut wrenching way as "Food Inc." did. Food Inc made me feel guilty for the meat I was eating, and honestly left a really unsettled feeling deep inside (I suppose that's the purpose!). Fresh follows several different farmers in different industries (chickens, hogs, urban gardening in Milwaukie) who have made the choice to grow organic products and use the knowledge from industrialization combined with old world practices of diverse communities.

My favorite quote:

As we've industrialized, we've made food cheaper, but also diminished it nutritionally... there is no such thing as cheap food. The real cost of the food is paid somewhere. And if it isn't paid at the cash register, it's charge to the environment..to your body. ~ Fresh

Over the last few years I've tried to become more intentional about what I put into my and my family's body. I made the effort to go organic where feasible, and although I've been cooking home meals for quite some time now, I took it one step further and am eliminating processed foods where we can too. Here's some of the changes I've implemented:

Bread- on temporary hold

At the start of the year I made it my goal to be baking our own bread and not buying any bread products from the store. This takes a bit more work and has a shorter shelf life, but the difference in taste is phenomenal. I've successfully made soft pretzels (they're gone before you know it!), honey oatmeal bread, bunny-buns for Easter, and English muffins.  Truth be told, since Penelope's arrival I have not had the time (or energy) to bake bread - but as she is getting older and a little less dependant, I'll be back to baking bread in no time.

Eggs - soon!

In the search for our next home, we're looking for a place with some acreage - between one and three.  Growing up, I remember my parents keeping 2 chickens and a rooster. Fresh eggs are amazing. I would love to keep my own chickens and have Penelope's chore be getting the eggs. I've been doing some research on the benefits of farm fresh eggs vs. what we buy at the store.

• Pasture raised chickens are happy chickens. They peck, scratch and dig for their food - which varies by what is available in the earth and from kitchen scraps from their people. It's the same concept as grass fed beef - these animals are out doing their natural thing, not confined to cages or feed lots and fed manufactured food. They are healthier and don't need antibiotic treatments, which produces a better product.
• According to MotherEarthNews.com, farm fresh eggs boast:
• 1/3 less cholesterol
• 1/4 less saturated fat
• 2/3 more vitamin A
• Two times more omega-3 fatty acids
• Three times more vitamin E
• Seven times more beta carotene

Keeping chickens is surprisingly not that hard. I've been told that the amount of time spent each day to manage 2-3 hens is less than 10 minutes. All they need is a hen house, a safe place to forage (which you just let them out a couple times a day, like any other pet), clean bedding and feed them scraps from the kitchen. The benefit? Fresh, healthy, superb eggs. I can't wait!

If keeping chickens is not your thing, it's not hard to find someone else who does and might be willing to either share or sell their eggs. Adam's old co-worker kept friends on a rotation and would give away any excess eggs that her hens laid.  And they came in all sorts of colors! Peach, green, blue, brown .. very rarely the white that we're accustomed to. Farmer markets or co-ops are a great place to find local eggs too.

 

Honey - maybe?

The honey bee shortage is making its way into the news more and more.  Some blame pesticides, others the weather. Guesswork aside, honey is rising in prices and demand. Over the last several years, my family has been getting our honey from a local beekeeper. Just like fresh bread or eggs, once you try local honey, you'll never go back to the Honey Bear. Unfortunately, rumor has it that even our supplier isn't going to continue after this year. His bees aren't producing enough to make it worth it.  So.. a thought popped into my head. Why not keep our own bees?  Probably the most hare-brained scheme I've come up with in a while, but hey - the internet says it's easy to do too. I'm still a little hesitant about this, but who knows, maybe it will work out.

Will you join the challenge of bringing more food from the kitchen? In what ways would you change if time and money were no object?

And, for your viewing pleasure - Penny on her play mat.