Salish Lodge & Spa, Snoqualmie Falls

Last week, my parents and I drove up to Snoqualmie Falls for a little staycation and it was so beautiful! I hadn't been since I was small and had forgotten how dramatic the Falls were - after all, they served as the setting for David Lynch's Twin Peaks and the luxury hotel Salish Lodge & Spa (where we stayed) doubled as the exterior of the fictional The Great Northern Hotel.

In the summer, Snoqualmie is beautiful, and you can hike right down to the bottom of the Falls on a steep, but gentle trail. But even on a cloudy, overcast day like the one we experienced, it's a stunning sight to take in and a popular place to visit.

Our room at Salish Lodge had a balcony overlooking the river and a jacuzzi tub that I was tempted to jump right into, but my attention was quickly stolen by the fireplace,  which made the room instantly cozy - especially on the grey and slightly chilly day we had.

However, it was the exquisite food that won me over at Salish Lodge. Perched high above the falls and with window views overlooking the river, The Dining Room is the Lodge's most notable restaurant and its menu boasts a showcase of Pacific Northwest cuisine, featuring local and homegrown produce.

Our bread basket arrived warm, with honey butter (which I'm now obsessed with!) made with honey from Salish's own hives. I loved the honey so much, I brought two jars back to the UK. The flavor is delicate, light, and subtly sweet - not cloying, like so many other honeys I've tried before.

We were lucky enough to score a table by the window at dinner and it felt like such a treat to be sipping wine and enjoying the view over our delicious meals!

My dad's prime bone-in rib eye steak was utterly decadent: topped with Dungeness crabmeat and served with a side of Hollandaise sauce, it was no surprise that he couldn't actually finish it.

My filet mignon was delicious, although disappointingly overcooked, despite having asked for it to be prepared "medium". Having only recently returned from the-land-of-practically-raw-steak (AKA France), I was ready to enjoy my steak a little pinker than my usual order of "medium well" ... next time, I'll be sure to ask for "medium rare"!

Needless to say, we had absolutely no room for dessert (although they all sounded tempting: I would have easily opted for the carrot cake or chocolate souffle with Salish honey Creme Anglaise) and needed to save ourselves for the epic breakfast the next morning.

So, we waddled back to our room where I promptly proceeded to fall into a deep sleep on the super soft bed, with the sound of the falls serenading me in the background. Idyllic, no?

The next morning, I was super excited to try Salish Lodge's renowned "Country Breakfast". Consisting of four courses, Washingtonians and tourists alike travel to the Lodge just for this incredible spread plus the "Honey From Heaven" service, where honey is drizzled onto your plate from high above.

We started with a selection of Snoqualmie scones, muffins, and cakes, followed by a stack of buttermilk pancakes with syrup and fresh fruit, before digging into a bowl of steel-cut oats (which I barely touched!) and a finale of three fresh farm eggs, smoked bacon, apple-pork sausage, ham steak, hashed potatoes and a buttermilk biscuit.

Whew.

Like many other diners that day, we sampled a bit of everything and took the rest home with us in takeaway bags! It was so, so good.

Before we left, I picked up a few more souvenirs from the hotel gift shop (including those jars of honey) and reluctantly headed home. I'd love to go back with John sometime and indulge in a spa treatment or two as well! It's the perfect place to celebrate an anniversary or birthday (though I love how we rocked up because ... well, "just because").

I'm sure on previous trips to the Falls, I'd busied myself in the car with a book or whatever game/activity my parents had offered to keep us children occupied, but this time, I made sure to take stock of the gorgeous, sweeping views in front of me: evergreen forests that just don't exist in the UK and a peaceful stillness that I relished before returning to the hectic pace of London.

Folks, It's Pimm's-o-Clock

Spring has finally hit London: the evenings are longer, the birds are my alarm clock in the morning, and the pollen count is high. As soon as the sun's out around this part of town, I always, always order (or make!) a glass of Pimm's. It's a ritual. The first sip brings me right back to the first time I'd tried it: on the Cherwell riverbank in Oxford, celebrating the completion of John's final exams Trinity term. We'd rented a punt for the afternoon with friends and spent our return nibbling at a picnic on the grass and drinking Pimm's and lemonade from red plastic cups.

Since then, Pimm’s has become somewhat of an “official” signifier of the summer season for me. The familiar, sweet taste instantly makes me think of balmy, lazy days spent in the park. It’s also so undeniably British, which is why I think it’s super popular in the US! 

Last weekend, we invited our neighbors over for a Sunday roast - which was so much fun. Instead of offering them wine or prosecco when they arrived, I made these Pimm's cups, which felt celebratory but relaxed. It also felt much more grown-up to be able to offer a variety of cocktails and drinks other than just ... water, which we totally used to do when we were moving from tiny flat to even tinier flat! It seemed like too much of an effort to keep spirits in the apartment since it was too small to host in, so I secretly love seeing the bottle of Pimm's perched at the front of our drinks cabinet now.

Here's the original Pimm’s recipe, but I like to use ginger ale in mine and load it up with heaping amounts of fruit. Ginger ale has a more subtle taste than ginger beer, and it's something we often drink in the States (I always ask for it on flights to settle my stomach!). It’s also not quite as sweet as lemonade (AKA Sprite/7UP for my American readers).

For these, I used slices of orange, lemon, cucumber, strawberries and a generous helping of mint, which was pretty restrained! On any other occasion, I would have thrown in some raspberries, blackberries and probably even more cucumber. I love picking out the Pimm's-drenched fruit at the end and I secretly judge pubs for the amount of fruit they put in their jugs of Pimm’s.

What's your favorite take on Pimm's? The classic, or a twist? Here are more great recipes from thebar, which I'm excited to try outdoors this summer (especially this tasty-looking Pimm’s Royale) assuming our gardens ever get "done"!

This post was sponsored by thebar. All opinions are my own.

LHR --> SEA

You guys! This time, tomorrow, I'll be en route to SeaTac airport to spend a week in Seattle with my family. I'm so excited! I'm going to hit up Target, eat all the dim sum and donuts my stomach can hold, and give my mom a big hug as soon as I get off the plane.

I can't wait.

We're also escaping for a little mini spa-break at Salish Lodge & Spa, which I've never been to and am excited to visit! Apparently, they serve up a great brunch, which is why my parents booked it - they know me too well!

I'll be publishing a couple of posts here and there next week, but I'm really just going to focus on enjoying some quality time with my family. So, if you want to follow along, head over to Instagram or Snapchat (which I've recently joined and am loving!), where I'll be posting snippets from my trip.

Until then ... have a great weekend xo

An Unexpected Gift

Yesterday, I had one of those days. You know the type. The kind of days that just feel so demanding. Colleagues being demanding. Heck, even strangers being demanding. Heavy rain that started just as I stepped out of the office to meet my friend for lunch.

After being talked over on the phone (one of my biggest pet peeves!) and groaning at an irritating email that pinged into my inbox just as I hung up, a curious envelope landed on my desk. It felt thick and heavy.

Inside, I found a beautiful card from India. And when I opened it, these stunning vintage postcards tumbled out. I was disorientated at first; the buildings looked familiar, but I couldn't quite place why. Then I looked closer: Bordeaux. Postcards made from photographs by Marcel Delboy (what a name!) that Karen Harvey (the talented writer and photographer behind I Don't Like Peas) happened upon in an antiques shop here in the UK.

So she sent them to me, knowing how much I'd loved our recent trip to the city and how much I adored the antiques we brought back as souvenirs.

Isn't that the nicest thing? The loveliest, kindest thing?

I read her card and her lovely words to me and my eyes pricked with tears.

Snail mail seems to reach me with unfathomably precise psychic timing these days. Days when I just need that little extra boost. I had no idea that the contents of that small, unexpected envelope would turn my day around so quickly. But they had, and I studied the monuments in each card closely, remembering where I'd stood just a few weeks ago to get the exact same views; where we sat sipping wine as little dogs that were let off their leashes came to patiently beg for food.

So, thank you, Karen. From the bottom of my heart, thank you.

xo

Brünch in Bed this Weekend!

Nope, not trying to be all fancy with the umlaut: brünch, the über-cool (sorry!) Berlin brünch pop-up founded by my super-talented friend, Noemi, is delivering their famous Berlin-inspired spreads to London homes across Zones 1 - 3 via EatFirst.

So you can have all of this:

And even this:

Delivered to your door. Which means you could (if you wanted to - I know I would!) eat it in bed. Prosecco and Bloody Marys** available too (**order a "Virgin Mary" on the EatFirst app along with a bottle of Our/London vodka to make your own - EatFirst will provide the pickles, cucumber, and celery!).

I'm just gonna let that sit out there for a minute.

Udita and I sampled the menu last weekend at The Little Yellow Door in Notting Hill and it was - you guys - it was epic. It's also wholesome, healthy, (mostly) vegetarian and vegan-friendly.

From open-face sandwiches piled thick with avocado, beetroot, and butternut squash to rote grütze, a delicious German red fruit compote, this brünch + EatFirst collaboration is one of the best little luxuries you could wish for on a Saturday morning.

Here were my favorites:

'The Berliner' - which consists of "sliced smoked cheeses, French Brie, Cumin Gouda, German pepper salami, tender smoked pork loin (Kassler), Berlin fleischsalat,  egg, and celeriac remoulade (so good!) accompanied by fresh fruits, pickles and a selection of artisan sourdough and bread rolls".

I loved picking at this - I could totally picture myself taking it out into our garden (when it's finally overhauled this summer - fingers crossed!) and enjoying it on a warm summer's morning with a cafetiere of fresh coffee.

Sourdough topped with quark, almond butter and banana, drizzled with honey and topped with chia granola and thyme. I'm not even kidding when I say that I preferred this over my usual brunch favorites, French toast and waffles. It satisfied my sweet tooth AND is delivered pre-sliced, which means I don't even have to get out a knife and fork. L. A. Z. Y. This is something ideal to have in bed with a mug of tea balanced on a tray/nightstand.

Smoked mackerel paté with fresh horseradish, grated gala apples, créme fraiche and lemon juice served with that delicious celeriac remoulade and - here's the clincher - artisan rye bread. I probably wouldn't eat this in bed because I'm clumsy as heck and would probably end up dropping mackerel onto our White Company sheets, but I'd definitely take this out in the garden to split with John, as he'd be a big fan. It feels so fancy and indulgent to have this for breakfast/brunch!

I also loved the rote grütze as a little dessert. It's topped with sour cherries, raspberries, strawberries, blueberries and blackberries, so that counts as my five-a-day, right?

Also featured on the menu are roasted butternut squash and feta sliders, avocado and beetroot sliders, and the (stunningly visual) goat's cheese and strawberry sliders - all made with thick slices of rustic sourdough.

Noemi gave sweet explanations of each item on the menu before offering us bottomless glasses of prosecco and Bloody Marys. Also: can we just stop for a second and appreciate how beautiful she is in this photo (and IRL)? Everytime I speak to Noemi, I'm enthralled and inspired by her enthusiasm for cooking and creating. Have a look at brünch's festival line-up this year, if you don't believe me.

After sampling every option on the brünch/EatFirst menu, I knew we had to order it to our door. The great news? No, the best news? Delivery starts tomorrow.

You're welcome.

Udita and I were generously hosted by brünch and EatFirst - thank you! Download the EatFirst app to see if they deliver brünch to you. The brünch menu launches this Saturday, May 14th. Happy brünching!

Just Did.

You know, I spend a lot of time on the internet looking at beautiful things, buying beautiful things, and pining after beautiful things. I spend a lot of time admiring other people's work, wishing I could produce such emotive writing; wishing I could take a photo that was worthy of enlarging into a poster-sized, frameable piece of art to be hung over my bed; wishing I could get an article published in this or that magazine.

Then, the other day, I was doing my usual pining after someone else's work (in this case, it was a  photograph of the beach) when I thought, 'Hey, wait a minute. I just came back from the beach. I took some nice photos at the beach. Hang on, let me - yep, they're more than nice, they're actually really good.' So, I ordered a poster-sized print to frame and put over my bed. I plan to lie there, looking up every morning, and think: 'That's my own damn photograph hanging over my own damn bed.' Yup.

Because why? Because I'm good enough. Because I'm capable of creating something that even I would pay money for.

This was a revelation.

Why did it take me so long to figure out?

It was always:

I want to start a business, but ... I don't have enough experience. I don't know what I'm doing.

I want to pitch an article to this magazine, but ... they probably get thousands of submissions every day. My writing isn't good enough. It's not precise enough, not witty enough.

I want to frame some of my photos, but ... they were edited in VSCOCam, not Photoshop, which is still sitting unopened on my counter at home.

And then I see someone do ALL these things and the results are half of what I could have achieved. And I'm all, "Oh my gosh, I could have done a much better job!" The difference? They had a shit-ton of self-belief and the audacity to just do it. And for them, it wasn't a matter of "could have done", it was a matter of "just did". That self-belief goes a long way. It goes a long way in convincing other people (people like me) that you can do it - despite all those "buts" above.

After that, I gave myself permission to believe in myself. Because if I don't do it, who will?

So, here it goes: I am an excellent writer. I am a fantastic photographer. I have a great eye for interior design. I am a talented musician. I am a "creative" (thank you, thank you, thank you, Rebecca Pitts for believing in me enough to refer to me as one in this article).

Now, your turn.

Interior Inspiration: Market Baskets (Plus, A Giveaway!)

When we were in France (I promise to stop using that as a conversation piece soon, I promise!), everyone carried a market basket to the Marché des Capucins - it looked so chic and so very French! I nearly bumped into someone carefully placing a punnet of bright red strawberries into his basket, which was already overflowing with leeks, fennel, and carrots WITH THE GREEN BITS ON THE TOP (you'd only feel my excitement on this one if you spend your time buying vegetables which come pre-packaged in cellophane wrapping).

I decided that I wanted one, then got a little depressed at the notion of taking it to my neighborhood Co-op/Tesco. But we do have a village market every Saturday, so I thought I could take it there and return with a wedge of fancy cheese and artisanal bread to enjoy with the bottles of wine we brought back from Saint-Emilion.

When I discovered that Postcards Home stocked this handwoven Moroccan market basket by Bohemia (along with a lot of other beautiful homeware and accessories), I was ecstatic.

Not only is it great for shopping and picnics, but it also makes a wonderful little storage basket for our house. I know that the founder of Postcards Home, Lucy, uses hers for storing wrapping paper but I like to throw things like towels, blankets, and magazines in mine. It's easy to forget that storage can be functional and attractive at the same time!

Alongside homeware, stationery, and gifts for children, Postcards Home also stocks a beautiful selection of accessories. I'm super excited to be hosting a giveaway for a gorgeous piece of brass jewellery from South India over on my Instagram account! All you have to do is follow me (@angloyankophile) and Postcards Home (@instapostcardshome) and either tag a friend in the comments under my photo of the giveaway or repost the photo to your account. The winner will be randomly selected on Friday, May 13th.

Good luck! And happy browsing.

p.s. this pretty, nautical-inspired quilt and these gorgeous cups - in case you're looking for gift ideas!

My pretty market basket was generously provided to me by Postcards Home, whose products I love and adore. All opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that support Angloyankophile!