smoothie.

what makes this little boy super happy?

smoothies!!

he eats, slurps, gobbles them up!

parker's smoothie recipe:

one cup coconut milk

one cup frozen blueberries or other berries

large handful of greens (normal spinach...today it was kale)

spoonful of flaxseed

pulse and enjoy :)

because i can't get enough

sorry but i can't help myself...

he's just too cute and funny!

please excuse my talking...i hate hearing myself

note to self stop talking while recording :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=ecjv1i0N39Q

i think carrots are next!

oh and while you are watching parker eat...

huge thanks to brandon who made 12 delicious burgers last night for yg :)

yum!

visitors

my mom and dad were in town this past week.

we had a great time with them.

a quick summary of the trip

yum!

uneeda burger

because you know you want one :)

we had no problem polishing them off!

 ice cream at molly moon's

 dad was beyond psyched

oh salted caramel with vanilla bean...you are too good!

 turtles were out at green lake

mdb got some new clothes...so stylish
 

sushi...yum!

and yes, we did eat it all! amazing!

copper river salmon! so tasty!
lots of walking (to even out all the eating!), baby shop looking,
spending time in the sun...yes the sun!

monday was beautiful, tuesday was the opposite

thanks for the good visit!

yum...

i was in the mood for a burger last night...

for those of you who know me well...this is rare

i ate the whole thing :)

yum!

i blame medium bird

oh hey portland...

we went to portland for memorial day weekend with r & c. 

it was awesome!

great cookies and ice cream

lots of pictures ;)

a yummy french restaurant...good choice brandon!

dessert @ salt & straw...two days in a row!

cinnamon snickerdoodle = heaven

 tiny spoons...reusable...very green...very portland

dinner at clyde common...yummy

complete with a thunder storm and downpour! 

thanks for clearing up before we left!

it was a good trip, great food, and excellent friends!

Do you know?

did you know our freezer is normally full of chicken parts?

yep its awesome...reach in for some ice cream...oh wait! nope its chicken bones!

why you might ask?

because brandon makes his own chicken stock.

it really does taste better than store brought!

did you know you can buy a 50 pound bag of onions for only

five dollars?

yep!

do you know what you can do with a 50 pound bag of onions and chicken stock?

make a whole lot of french onion soup!

that's whats happening with the deurs...a lot of onions and soup.

:)

Visitors :)

allysha and andy come to visit this weekend!

well, andy actually came to interview for a position in richland...

he is probably interviewing as we speak!

hooray!

so richland is just over 3 hours away so they decided to visit brandon and i and chris and melissa (andy's brother and sisiter-in-law)

it was great fun!

we saw the wiener mobile :)

ballard farmers market for some tasty lunch

completed with fresh mini donuts, of course!

sunday dinner with all six of us...thanks bran!

tasty poached eggs, asparagus, proscuttio, and homemade croutons...yum!

Chickpeas...Yum

Yes, chickpeas! Chickpeas, please! So yummy they deserve their own post.

We made fried chickpeas since our favorite neighborhood restaurant took them off the menu. I dont blame them though...they try to keep the menu seasonal and new. check them out if you are in the Seattle area.

 http://serafinaseattle.com/cicchetti/

We made our own...and like i said, Yum!

 all fried up

                                    Tasty!                                    

Gone :(

Beatiful Weekend

This past weekend was wonderful! The weather on Saturday could not have been better. Sunny skies, warm temps (in the 50's), no rain...its was great. Who would have thought it was December!

We started Saturday off with a hike with the JH kids (thanks Pastor M for tagging along!)

We hiked Rattlesnake Ridge which overlooks a beautiful like and is surrounded by other mountains. By the time we got to the top we were sweating but the view was well worth it!

Amazing, right?

Saturday evening, we headed over to C.K's for a Christmas get together. Brandon made some pork buns and they were a huge hit.

Also, Brandon and J decided to match for the occasion! So cute :)

And of course, the rain returned on Sunday and the Packers lost.

I guess that's the way it goes...

Christmas Happenings...

We

christmas cards have arrived and are going out!

sunny winter afternoons

trees on the way home 

ugly Christmas sweaters!

new knife ;)

triple ginger chewy cookies...yum

pretty trees

fresh crab

setting sun

its beginning to feel like Christmas!

Time to Share

Hello! I thought I was getting better about updating but I think a couple times a month is the best I can do! I really admire those who can update blogs, journals, diaries everyday...its amazing!

I have some fun things to share!

One: the Washington Deurs (for some reason its fun to give yourself a label) have been in the Pacific Northwest for 4 years! Yep! Brandon hit 4 years on the 6th and I was on the 8th. Crazy to think we have lived out here for this long already...quick recap: moved in November 2007, lived in Renton, found new jobs, still lived in Renton (why did we live there for so long?), i found another new job, finally moved to Eastlake apt #1 after 2 years in renton, discussed how awesome living IN Seattle is, moved to Eastlake apt #2....

Two: I have another new job...makes me sound a bit fickle...but anyways... I am still working at the Firm (I am calling my place of employment the firm due to the fact if I mention their name online it causes compliance issues and whatnot). So yeah, I am working at the firm three days a week and am working at church as the youth ministries coordinator. In august I took over the position as the interim person and applied for the position :) I was just officially hired last week! Woot woot! Its been a great change of pace and I love working with the JH and HS. They are a breath of fresh air and just plain good fun!

Three: Brandon is cooking his first turkey today! For the HS...we are having a HSYG Thanksgiving feast :) Hoping the turkey is good....

Four: We are going to Michigan/Illinois after Christmas!! So excited already!!! :)

Auction Dinner: Take 2

Auction Dinner....good food!

Once again, Brandon amazed with wonderfully yummy food. The dinner went smoothly and was definitely enjoyed by all.
The menu:

Bone Marrow & Parsley Salad
Caprese Salad
Gnocchi
Short Ribs with Celery Duo
Chocolate Tart
Farmer's Market Peach Tart

Yummy :)

Thanks to R for his awesome help in the kitchen that day!