A Get-A-Way And The San Juan Islands

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“Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend.”~Melody Beattie

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Hi Everyone!

 

 

How was your week?

I recently returned from a little get-a-way.

and…

it’s so great to be home.

🍁Grateful🍁

 

 

My holiday took me to the San Juan Islands.

https://visitsanjuans.com

 

 

have you been there?

they are quite beautiful

 

 

Joe and I stayed at The Argyle House

http://www.argylehouse.net

we celebrated 14 years of marriage…

and….

his running in a Marathon.🏃🏻🏃🏻🏃🏻

(shhhhh…..don’t tell him I told you)😉

I’m very grateful for both

 

 

The Argyle House is a charming Craftsman bungalow built in 1910.

 

 

Our room was named The Honeymoon Cottage.

 

 

I think perhaps it had once been a garage & then later converted to a small home.

 

 

I’m grateful for places where you feel at home.

even though you aren’t

 

 

The mornings were greeted with a delicious breakfast prepared by Art who was one of proprietors at the Inn. Thank you Art!

 

 

and served in the cozy dining room

 

 

which overlooked a section of the property.

 

 

I decided that Fall was a perfect time to visit because there were signs of the season everywhere🍂

which..

I am so grateful for

because…

 

 

 

 

 

It was the perfect backdrop for exploring.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

During our stay the last game of the World Series was playing so we decided to order pizza for dinner and watch the game. What a fun experience to meet Vinny who had moved to Friday Harbor from Brooklyn, New York and who we discovered bakes up the most authentic hand-baked pizza we had ever eaten. Such a special memory.

 

 

 Thanks Vinny!

 

 

 

 

Come on…

Lets go for a walk…

and chat a while longer…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When I first moved to the Oregon coast I remember mentioning to a few friends that living here felt like I was on vacation. And of course it’s true because I live in a tourist town. However even when your life feels like you’re on vacation it’s important to get away every once in a while to experience something new. I find that when I do I often return with a new perspective on life... people, places & things I return Home with a deeper appreciation & gratitude for all the little everyday things. It doesn’t really matter where you go…it doesn’t necessarily even need to be faraway.  The real secret to making each day feel like a vacation is to continually see our lives in a new fresh way no matter where we live.

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Here’s a peek into the entry of Friday Harbor.

https://youtu.be/lO0s8wjps0U

 

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Now I should admit that another reason it’s so enjoyable to get-a-way is I get to eat out a lot which then motivates me to experiment with preparing those new recipes.  One of my favorites were tilapia fish tacos. Here’s a recipe I found on Host The Toast.

 

 

Tilapia Tacos

Ingredients:

For the tacos

1  1/2 lbs.  tilapia fillets

 

 

1  1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

2 tablespoons canola oil

12 corn tortillas

 

 

For the Slaw:

1/2 red cabbage, sliced thin

1/4 green cabbage, sliced thin

1/2 medium sized onion, diced

1/2 cup cilantro

Juice of 1 lime

For the Avocado Cilantro sauce:

1/2 cup sour cream

1 ripe avocado, pitted and skinned

1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

Juice of 1 lime

1 jalapeno, chopped and seeded

salt to taste

Directions:

In a small bowl, combine the smoked paprika, garlic powder, dried oregano, onion powder, cumin, salt, brown sugar, and cayenne pepper. Sprinkle the mixture over both sides of your tilapia fillets, and then rub the seasonings in.

Combine all of the Avocado/Cilantro Sauce ingredients in a blender. Blend well.

Combine all of the Slaw ingredients in a large bowl and mix well.

 

 

Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed pan over medium-high heat. Once heated, add in the tilapia (a few at a time if you can’t fit them all at once) Cook for 4-5 minutes on each side, or until the outside is blackened and the fish flakes apart easily.

Remove the fish from the heat, and if desired, warm the corn tortillas in the same skillet over medium heat, cooking for about 30 seconds on each side.

 

 

Break up the tilapia into 2-3″ pieces, Stack the tortillas in twos. Distribute the fish evenly between the 6 sets of tortillas, and top with Slaw and Avocado-Cilantro Sauce. Enjoy!

 

 

I purchased a bowl of rice & beans from a local Argentinian restaurant here on the coast called Pablo’s Corner. Thank you Pablo!

 

 

This made an excellent side dish to a fabulous recipe.

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I enjoy the month of  November for many reasons. I love experiencing the changing of leaves and the reminder that change and letting go are essential for growth. The month calls me to a deeper awareness of everything I’m grateful for.

A month of Gratitude for the many blessings in my life.

and…

you sweet friend…

are one of them.🍂