Number 43 of 365 Things to Do Around the Eastside – Meet Woody Goomsba and Celebrate Christmas in a Bavarian Village

Ok, so this isn’t exactly Around the Eastside of Seattle, but it is still an awesome Holiday Event for the entire Family. Each December for the past 44 years the Village of Leavenworth holds hosts a Christmas Lighting Festival. This event has made Leavenworth world famous as “the Ultimate Holiday Town USA” from A&E Network.

Each weekend in December the Bavarian Village of Leavenworth hosts a Christmas Lighting Ceremony and Festival. For a complete list of Activities check out Leavenworth’s web site.

Christmas Tree Lighting Leavenworth WA

 

Be sure to meet Woody Goomsba, the Official Ambassador of the Bavarian Village of Leavenworth. He even has his own video that has gone viral on the interweb.

 

 

 

 

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Number 42 of 365 Things to do Around the Eastside – Breakfast with Santa Claus

Number 42 of 365 Things to do Around the Eastside – Breakfast with Santa Claus

The Holidays have arrived in Redmond!

This year Redmond is hosting a Santa Breakfast! It is being held at the Old Redmond Schoolhouse Community Center on December 4 from 9:00 to 10:30 am. Enjoy a delicious Pancake Breakfast, Photos with Santa, Arts and Crafts.

Reservations are recommended – Limited seating available

Price: $12 (age 13+), $9 (Children & Seniors)
Ages 2 and under FREE with a paying Adult

Call 425-556-2300 or log on www.redmond.gov to register.

Number 41 of 365 Things to do Around the Eastside – Hanukkah Celebrations

Number 41 of 365 Things to do Around the Eastside – Hanukkah Celebrations

Hanukkah begins on December 1, 2010 at sundown. This 8 night Festival of Lights is full of Family activities around the Seattle Area.

You can find something to do for just about anyone. There are History Lessons, Gatherings, Dances, Concerts and lots of options for fantastic food.

I have heard about the Famous Latke Dinner and Hanukkah Celebration at Temple De Hirsch Sinai. This year it is coming up on Friday December 3, 2010 beginning at 6:00 with a Hanukkah Service followed by Latke Larry’s Famous Dinner. I haven’t made it to this event yet, maybe this year will be my time to check it out.

Latke Larry

For a list of most, not all, but most Hanukkah Events check out the Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle’s Events Calendar.

To all of my Friends that are begging their Holiday Celebration tonight…

Mazel Tov

 

Happy Hanukkah 2010

 

 

Number 38 of 365 Things To Do Around the Eastside: Clydesdale Horses at Bella Bottega Shopping Center in Redmond

I know this is VERY LAST MINUTE, but the Budweiser Clydesdale Horse Team in going to be at Bella Bottega Shopping Center in Redmond until about 6:00 pm tonight.

If you are close by come on over and meet them in person. They will also be in the Torch Light Parade for Seafair tomorrow night in downtown Seattle

Number 37 of 365 Things To Do Around the Eastside: Kirkland Classic Car Show

Kirkland will be hosting the 8th Annual Kirkland Classic Car Show this Sunday July 18th from 10:00 to 4:00.

There will be 100’s of classics, hot rods and custom cars lining the streets of downtown Kirkland. It will bring back memories of your youth.

It’s always fun to check out how people have restored and painted their collectible cars.

The Kirkland Classic Car Show is put on by the Downtown Kirkland Association and The Legends Car Club

Bacon Explosion = Heart Attack on the Grill (BBQ Time)

Bacon Explosion:

The BBQ Sausage Recipe of all Recipes

This recipes is from BBQ Addicts The people who run the BBQ Addicts web site are my heroes. They are BBQ FANATICS. Everything they make, create, smoke, grill or dream up is amazing.

If you don’t want to take the time to assemble a Bacon Explosion you can order 1 that is ready to heat and eat!

Here’s what you’ll need…

2 pounds thick cut bacon
2 pounds Italian sausage
1 jar of your favorite barbeque sauce
1 jar of your favorite barbeque rub

To kick off the construction of this pork medley you’ll need to create a 5×5 bacon weave.  If the strips you’re using aren’t as wide as the ones pictured, then you may need to use a few extra slices to fill out the pattern.  Just make sure your bacon weave is tight and that you end up with a nice square shape to work with.

The next step is to add some barbecue seasoning on top of your bacon weave.  Being the barbeque addict that I am, I whipped up a batch of Burnt Finger BBQ’s competition pork rub for this special occasion.  Seeing as not everyone has the time, or the expertise, to create a tasty rub of their own, I would recommend trying Cowtown Sweet Spot for the best combination. Plowboys Yardbird, Bad Byron’s Butt Rub, and Rendezvous Famous Seasoning are also excellent choices.

Now that you’re pork is well seasoned, it’s time to add more pork.  Take two pounds of Italian sausage and layer it directly on top of your bacon weave.  Be sure to press the sausage to the outer edges of the bacon creating a patty that is the same thickness all the way across.  Most grocery stores carry loose sausage, so just pick out one you like.  I chose to go with a mild sausage, but spicy would work just the same.  If you really want to get crazy, take a stab at making your own homemade sausage.

Next up is bacon layer number two.  Take the remaining bacon slices and fry them up the same way you would for breakfast (or lunch, or dinner, or a midnight snack).  If you like soft bacon, make it soft.  If you like crunchy bacon, make it crunchy.  If you like your bacon burnt to hell so the smoke detectors go off, then burn it to hell so the smoke detectors go off.  These pieces are going to be a major part of the inner flavor of our sausage fatty, so cook them your favorite way.  Personally, I like my bacon right at the point when it starts to get crispy, but hasn’t quite lost all of the softness yet.  Regardless of how well done you like yours, you’ll need to crumble or chop the cooked strips into bite size pieces and place on top of the sausage layer.  (Note-It’s okay, and encouraged, to snack on these pieces while your chopping/crumbling.  But keep in mind that once those bacon morsels touch the raw sausage, you’ll need to resist all temptations to nibble.  This can and will be difficult, but hospital trips are no fun, so stay strong.)

Since this is a barbeque recipe, we need to add another layer of barbeque flavor.  Take your favorite sauce and drizzle it all over the top of the bacon pieces.  Personally, I prefer to use Burnt Finger BBQ’s homemade competition sauce, but if you’re torn on what brand to use I recommend Cowtown, Blues Hog, and Fiorella’s Jack Stack.  Once you’ve sauced the bacon, sprinkle on some more of the barbeque seasoning you used on the bacon weave.

Now comes the fun part.  Very carefully separate the front edge of the sausage layer from the bacon weave and begin rolling backwards.  You want to include all layers EXCEPT the bacon weave in your roll.  Try and keep the sausage as tight as possible and be sure to release any air pockets that may have formed.  Once the sausage is fully rolled up, pinch together the seams and ends to seal all of the bacon goodness inside.

At this point we can start to see the final shape of our Bacon Explosion, but we’re missing one key item.  To complete the construction process, roll the sausage forward completely wrapping it in the bacon weave.  Make sure it sits with the seam facing downward to help keep it all sealed up.

Sprinkle some barbeque seasoning on the outside of the bacon weave, and now this bad boy is ready for the smoker.  Cook your Bacon Explosion at 225 degrees in a constant cloud of hickory smoke until your Thermapen gives an internal temperature reading of 165 degrees.  Normally this will take about 1 hour for each inch of thickness, but that could vary depending on how well you maintain your fire and also how many times you open the smoker to take a peek.  Mine took about 2.5 hours, which was right on target with its 2.5 inch diameter.

Now that our Bacon Explosion is fully cooked, we need to add some finishing flavors.  Remember that barbecue sauce we used for inner flavor?  We’ll be using that same sauce to glaze the cooked bacon weave.  Using a basting brush, coat the entire surface with a thin layer of sauce.  Sweet sauces are loaded with sugars, so they’ll give your fatty a nice glossy finish.  Spicy and vinegar based sauces don’t contain as much, so they won’t set up as well.  If you’re dead set on using those sauces, just cut them with a bit of honey and you’ll get the same effect.

Slice the Bacon Explosion into quarter to half inch rounds to serve.  If your roll was good and tight, you should now see a nice bacon pinwheel pattern throughout the sausage.  Obviously pork is best served by itself, but if you feel the need to make this meat monster into a sandwich, try placing a couple Bacon Explosion slices on a warm Pillsbury’s Grands Biscuit.  You’ll reach pork Nirvana in no time flat!

Number 35 of 365 Things To Do Around the Eastside – The Rockets Red Glare Kirkland Fireworks

The Rockets Red Glare

As American’s gather to celebrate the 234th birthday of The United States neighborhoods, villages, communities, small towns, cities will be hosting festivals, parades, fairs and of course firework displays.

On The 4th Of July in downtown Kirkland along the waterfront will be a full day of activities.

The Kirkland Arts Center and Celebrate Kirkland will host a “decorate to celebrate” event at Marina Park Pavilion starting at 10 am.

The Kirkland Arts Center and Celebrate Kirkland will host a “decorate to celebrate” event at Marina Park Pavilion starting at 10 am.

The Childrens Parade begins at 11:30 on Sunday at the corner of Market and Central in downtown Kirkland.

The Annual July 4 parade starts at Noon on Sunday from Marian Park and travels along Central Way. The parade is presented by Celebrate Kirkland

Marina Park will be the place to spend most of the holiday. There will be live music, food and other festivities.

At 4 pm will be the Annual Duck Dash hosted by Rotary Club of Kirkland to raise money for the Boys & Girls Club, TeenCenter and many other important causes. Adopt a Duck to Support the Kirkland Community! Support the Kirkland community by adopting a duck for $5 or buying a value package of five ducks for $20. Every ticket includes 12 valuable coupons to use at Kirkland businesses like Hector’s, George’s Lucia, St. James Espresso, Wilde Rover, Ace Frames and more!

Special musical performance at 9 pm in the Pavilion at Marina Park will be provided by The Ex Box Boys.

The Main Event – FIREWORKS will begin around 10:15

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Randy Randolph
Uber Agent
206-234-3647 v
206-400-1125 f
randy@randyrandolph.com
www.randyrandolph.com
www.uberrandy.com

RSVP Real Estate

Servicing King County, Snohomish County, Redmond WA, Kirkland WA, Bellevue WA, Sammamish WA, Issaquah WA, Woodinville WA, Renton WA, Seattle WA, Bothell WA, Lynnwood WA, Edmonds WA, Everett WA, Lake Stevens WA, Snohomish WA, Marysville WA

Number 34 of 365 Things To Do Around the Eastside: Rose Hill Carwash “The Nordstrom’s of Carwashes”

I have been taking all of my cars to Rose Hill Carwash for years and years. Rose Hill Carwash does a better job of washing my cars than anyplace else I have gone!!! They consistently impress me.

There is an article that is hanging inside by the large picture windows overlooking that soft cloth wash system that is from the Seattle Times (I think) that calls RHCW “The Nordstrom’s of Carwashes”

RHCW (Rose Hill Carwash) offers 7 levels of service – from just a basic Exterior Wash to The WORKS PLUS. I typically get the Super Wash which makes my car look brand new:

• Interior Wipe Down & Window Wash & Vacuum

• Exterior Soft Cloth Wash and Hand Dry

• Tire & Rim Cleaner

• Tire Dressing

• Clear Coat Treatment (spray on wax)

It is a good place to take younger kids – they can watch their car go through the automated soft cloth washing system!

They also offer a Full Detailing Service, which I haven’t tried, but expect it is of the same high quality and standards as their regular carwashes.

RHCW also offers Texaco Gas – you don’t have to get a fill up to get a car wash. I don’t think that they even offer a discount if you do buy gas.

They do offer a discount for AAA members and Real Estate Agents that show them a business card!!!

Go give them a try you and your car will love them!

12633 NE 85^th St

Kirkland WA 98033

425-882-07897

Day 33 of 365 Things To Do Around the Eastside: Steak Dinner at John Howie Steak Bellevue WA

I had the pleasure of eating at John Howie Steak two weeks ago and I am still raving about how fantastic it was!

I love Steak. When John Howie announced that he was going to open a new restaurant at The Bravern in Bellevue WA my taste buds started to salivate. I waited a few months before I checked it out; now that I have eaten there I am HOOKED!

John Howie Steak is definitely an upscale classy dining experience. Its decor is modern and well-lit – which is something I like – I want to see what I am eating. (El Gaucho in Bellevue was so dark we used small flashlights to read the menu!!!) There is a nice size Bar, but I can imagine it gets full during the week after work. The dining room has a nice wall of windows that lets in lots of natural light.

While it is a beautiful restaurant we came for the BEEF so here is a recap of our meal:

They serve some pretty tasty fresh made breads, crackers and rolls. There were 4 or 5 different ones. I liked the Rosemary Rolls – warm, light, slightly salty and tender.

We had 2 starters. The 1^st was one Fried Calamari and Baby Artichokes with Roasted Garlic and Lemon Aioli. This dish was the only thing that was disappointing. The Calamari was slightly soggy instead of a Fried Crispy treat. The serving size was ample enough for the 3 of us to share (we didn’t even finish it all).

The 2^nd starter we ordered was FREAKING FANTASTIC!!! Tempura Fried Kurobuta Bacon with a Spicy Maple Ponzu Sauce!!! This is on their Happy Hour/Bar Menu – lucky for us our server was able to snag an order for us. The Bacon was Thick and Salty. The Tempura was fried to a beautiful golden brown, it was crunchy and light. The Spicy Maple Ponzu Sauce complimented the flavor of the bacon and the crispness to the tempura. This very well could be THE BEST THING I HAVE EVER EATEN!!! My motto when eating is “Everything is Better with Bacon!”

On to the main event one of us had the Alaskan Halibut that was pan-seared with Morel Mushrooms, English Peas, White and Green Asparagus. It had a light lemon and butter sauce. The serving size was large enough for the 3 of us to share and we even had some leftover to take home. The fish was firm and tasted fresh. The Asparagus was cooked perfectly, which was a nice surprise since most of the time when eating Asparagus at a restaurant it can be overcooked.

Two of us had a USDA Prime Filet and an America Wagyu Beef Filet. Both Filets were 4 ounces. They were served straight up with no sauce or vegetables. The USDA Prime Filet is Omaha raised beef and grilled over Mesquite Coals. It was cooked to medium rare and was thick and juicy. Tender is not the right word for this steak. It was more than tender. The flavor was big and bold. It was what Beef should be. The Just the right amount of fat to give it a deep taste.

The American Wagyu Beef Filet was an incredible piece of meat. John Howie Steak gets their Wagyu Beef from Snake River Farms over in Boise. The meat from Wagyu Cattle is known worldwide for its marbling characteristics, increased eating quality through a naturally enhanced flavor, tenderness and juiciness. Once again tender is not the right way to describe these Filets. They were SOFT, soft like butter that has been sitting in the sunshine all afternoon. The Wagyu are equal in taste to a Kobe steak. They are rich, marbled, thick, juicy and SOFT. You will not have a better piece of meat. It was simply perfect. Cooked just right – with a warm red center. Using any sauces would have been sacrilege. Wagyu Beef should be enjoyed naked and in its purest form.

We also had 2 sides for the table: Asparagus Spears with brown butter and Meyer Lemon Hollandaise. Once again the Asparagus was cooked right it was young and tender. In addition to the Asparagus we had a Five Cheese Twice Baked Stuffed Potato with Bacon. This Potato was almost as large as a Nerf Football! Again it was awesome.

We didn’t really need desert, but we ordered it anyway.  It was a unanimous choice for getting the Flourless Semi-Sweet Chocolate Volcano Cake with warm Caramel Ganache, Vanilla Crème and two scoops of Vanilla Bean Ice Cream. It was as expected – excellent!

I am looking forward to trying out John Howie Steak Happy Hour (Monday – Friday 3-6 and late night Monday – Thursday 9-11 Saturday 9-Midnight and Sunday 3-10).  If you would like to meet me at John Howie Steak for Happy Hour just let me know and I will be there. I want to try their Epic USDA Prime Beef Bacon Cheeseburger and the Beecher’s Flagship Reserve Cheddar Macaroni and Cheese.

John Howie Steak on Facebook

John Howie Steak at The Bravern

11111 NE 8^th Street

Bellevue WA 98004

425 440 0880

60 Minutes Story on “Strategic Defaults” in Real Estate – Walking Away is it Right?

Last night on 60 Minutes they had an interesting report on people who owe more money on their home mortgage than they could sell their house for. This is known as being “Underwater” on your home.

More and more people who are Underwater on their homes are choosing to walk away from their loans and homes in a Strategic Default.

Watch CBS News Videos Online

What do you think about this trend?

If you or someone you know needs to BUY or SELL Real Estate? Call me and I will help!

Randy Randolph

Uber Agent

206-234-3647 cell

randy@randyrandolph.com