Salmon Burgers

For the last two years, my father-in-law has gone salmon fishing in BC and we've reaped the benefits. Our freezer is once again loaded with huge, bright pink Coho and Sockeye salmon filets. I've made these burgers a few times now, eating them on top of salad instead of on buns. They come together quickly and are a great, healthy summer meal.

Salmon Burgers
adapted from the Food Network
1 1/4 pounds center-cut salmon fillet, skin and pin bones removed
 2 tbsp dijon mustard
1 tbsp mayonnaise
1tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp grated lemon zest
Pinch of cayenne pepper
2 scallions, chopped
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Lemon Dill Mayo

1/2 c. mayonnaise
juice of half a lemon
2 tbsp. fresh dill, finely chopped
Pinch of cayenne pepper
salt and pepper to taste

Cut three-quarters of the salmon into 1/4-inch pieces. Put in a large bowl. Cut the rest of the salmon into chunks; transfer the chunks to a food processor along with the mustard, mayonnaise, lemon juice, lemon zest and cayenne. Pulse to make a paste.

Add the pureed salmon mixture to the bowl with the diced salmon. Add the scallions, 2 tablespoons panko, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and black pepper to taste. Gently mix until just combined.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and brush with olive oil. Divide the salmon mixture into 4 mounds on the parchment paper. With damp hands, pat into 4-inch-wide, 3/4-inch-thick patties. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 30 minutes.

Spread the remaining 1 cup panko on a plate. Press both sides of the salmon patties in the panko. Heat the olive oil in a large nonstick or cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the patties (in batches if necessary) and cook until browned on the bottom, 3 to 4 minutes, adjusting the heat if necessary. Turn and cook until the other side is browned and the patties feel springy in the center, 3 to 4 more minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain; season with salt. Serve with lemon dill mayo.

Loungewear

I'm a very slow mover in the morning. My favorite thing is to pour a cup of coffee and just chill out before starting the day. Whether it's at my parent's house, on our front porch or while on vacation with friends, good loungewear is essential. Here are a few beautiful options appropriate for rolling out of bed and straight to the coffee maker.

1/2/3/4

Okay.

Source

Okay.

First, I want to thank you for all of your love and support. It has helped us heal more than you'll ever know.

Life is starting to return to somewhat normal- a new normal, but normal nonetheless.

I've decided to keep this little blog going. I thought a lot about what and how much to share while still keeping things light and fun. The thought of it got a bit too overwhelming, so I've decided to start an online diary about Annalee and what we're going through. If you'd care to read it, you can find it here.

This space will stay mostly the same. Even though we're going through some of our darkest days, I still like to talk about clothes, cocktails, food and the like. I'm counting on this spot to be a welcome distraction.

Annalee Palmiere

Eric and I had our beautiful baby girl, Annalee Palmiere, on Saturday, June 20th at 10:31pm. She was 6lbs 15oz and 20 inches long. We are heartbroken that she passed away before we could welcome her into the world, but are so grateful for the time we got to spend with her. She had her Mom's lips and nose and her Dad's brown eyes and big feet and lots of dark curly hair. She was absolutely perfect.

We snuggled her and memorized every one of her features for fifteen hours before we said our goodbyes. She was physically with us for too short a time, but she has changed our lives and captured our hearts forever.

I struggled with whether or not to share this here or to just shut this space down entirely. I'm still not sure if posting will be a welcome distraction or an added stress in the days to come, but once I've made the decision, I'll let you know.

♥

For Dad

Happy Father's Day to all the dads (and dad's to be)! I hope you get to spend with weekend with your favorite bad-joke-telling dad. Here are a few things he might like:

Mega Matchstick BBQ Lighter
Friday Sock Co.
Serious BBQ- My brother has made us a couple of things from this book and Charred and Scruffed and it's some of the best BBQ I've ever had!
Shinola Runwell Chrono
J Crew Pajamas

Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp

Once spring rolls around, strawberry rhubarb anything is my favorite. When my brother invited us over for a BBQ last weekend, my dessert choice was a no brainer.

When it comes to crisps, I always like a little extra topping. I've left the recipe below in its original form, but when I made it, I increased the topping by a third and finished it off with a big scoop of vanilla gelato.

Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp
from Bon Apetit

3/4 c. all purpose flour
2/3 c. plus 
1/2 c. sugar
Large pinch of salt
6 tbsp. (3/4 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/2 c. old-fashioned oats1/2 c. husked hazelnuts*, toasted, coarsely chopped
1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
4 c. strawberries, hulled, halved 12 ounces rhubarb (preferably bright red), ends trimmed, stalks cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick pieces

*I used pecans because I had them on hand. I think you could use any nut and it would be delicious.

Combine flour, 2/3 c. of sugar, and salt in a medium bowl; whisk to blend. add butter. Rub in with fingertips until mixture sticks together in clumps. Mix in oats and nuts. Topping can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.

Preheat oven to 375°F. Butter 11x7x2-inch glass baking dish. Place 1/2 cup sugar in large bowl. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean; whisk to blend well. Add strawberries and rhubarb to sugar in bowl; toss to coat well. Scrape fruit filling into prepared baking dish. Sprinkle oat topping evenly over filling.

Bake crumble until filling bubbles thickly and topping is crisp, about 45 minutes. Let cool 15 minutes. Spoon warm crumble into bowls. Serve with ice cream.

Pregnancy Favs

Only 3 more weeks to go (hopefully) until we get to meet this little one! My pregnancy has been really great overall, but here are a few of the things that have made it even better.

Dry brush- I've dry brushed on and off for years, but I was a lot more consistent with it throughout pregnancy. It's great for dry, itchy skin and circulation. It can be a bit intense at first, so I started with a dry brush for sensitive skin from Rocky Mountain Soap Company and then progressed to a normal one.
Sweet Almond Oil- again, the dry skin! I mostly used coconut oil in the beginning, but the smell and the mess started to bother me. Almond oil is scent free and seems to absorb faster.
Wiggy Winks Body Pillow- I'd seen people rave about the Snoogle, but a friend of a friend gave me this one and I love it. I like that it's supportive without being too much to maneuver in the middle of the night. Plus, the shape of it serves as a constant reminder of how you ended up needing a pregnancy pillow in the first place ;)
Lululemon Wunder Under Roll Down- unless I missed something, the leggings maternity stores try to pass off as 'workout wear' are not even close. At the same time, my usual Lululemon pants were too low rise to be comfortable. These high-waisted ones cover the belly while still providing all the good sucking in and smoothing support of actual workout leggings. An added bonus is that they'll hide the post-baby paunch.
Water bottle- now more than ever (thanks swollen feet) I'm drinking water like it's going out of style. It's nice to have a reusable bottle to keep track of how much you've had throughout the day- the nice colours don't hurt either.
Cute shoes- while maternity clothes have come a long way, there have been times where I've felt like I've had to compromise my usual style to accommodate my changing bod. I've never been much of a shoe person, but I've found that a fun pair a shoes can go a long way in making even the most basic maternity clothes a little bit more personal
Prenatal massage- Greatest. Thing. Ever.


Honourable mentions go to:
Oatmeal, all of the Popsicles, any and all of the make your own frozen yogurt bars and whichever hormones are in charge of making your skin awesome.