use real butter

I know you people think I’m on vacation in Hawai’i. That’s only half true. I’m working. It’s a working vacation, which happens when your job involves going to beautiful places. I’m working (and playing) so hard that I barely have time for a proper post. That’s partly because connectivity to the interwebs are a little sketch where I’m traveling, so I’m taking advantage of the fact that I have access and some time in Hilo before the next leg of the itinerary. Meanwhile, it’s soon to be Mother’s Day and I just had to give a shout out to my mom, my MIL, my grandma, my aunties, my friends, and all of the wonderful mothers out there who do the toughest job in the world:

happy mother’s day with aloha

While I’ve been shooting the wonders that are the Big Island (and much of that in the rain so far), I’ve also been snapping photos to document our trip. I promised Jeremy this would not be yet another slog of a photo shoot and that we’d do fun things too. Needless to say we’re both exhausted, but having a great time when we’re coherent enough to remember what we did just two hours ago. Enjoy the snaps and hopefully you’ll hear from me again soon!

the plant life here is incredible

awesome malasadas (guava is pink, taro is purple, also strawberry- and chocolate-filled)

the ubiquitous hibiscus

we stayed in the rainforest

and ate plenty of papayas

**Jump for more butter**

To: you
From: me

Hot, dusty, tired, and a little sunburned. Also covered in white, yellow, orange, and purple pollen. Lots of grass stains. It’s a Claritin kind of trip. Totally worth it. Achoo! See you when I get back.

-jen

joshua trees and goldfields

tidy tips among other asters

expanses of yellow

poppies move into an old burn area

cherry tree in blossom

Recipe: chocolate chip peanut butter cookies

Last week on my way to the airport, I read that Breckenridge had received 16 inches of snow the night before. I felt a pang in my heart as we flew over the snowy Rocky Mountains. But you know what? All of that melted away when I arrived in Seattle. I spent two days visiting with beloved friends, dining at great restaurants, seeing the city and its surrounds. Seattle is one of those places I could spend a lifetime and never get enough of it. But wait! There was more… The whole reason for my trip was a gathering of all the Nintendo Ambassadors to celebrate the launch of the Nintendo 3DS. My reaction and the reaction of all the other ambassadors was simply, “WOW!”

rebekah and erini check out the nintendo 3ds for the first time

at nintendo headquarters

lots of game play, lots of photos taken

in 2d mode

We spent the bulk of Friday learning about and experiencing different capabilities of the new Nintendo 3DS at Nintendo headquarters in Redmond, Washington. Nintendo were gracious hosts giving us a tour of their gorgeous building (sorry, no pics allowed) and access to their employees’ store.

rebekah really getting into it!

jean kicks some virtual butt playing streetfighter 2

president and coo of nintendo of america welcomes the group

discussing research on 3d viewing

After a full day at Nintendo headquarters, we spent the evening in downtown Seattle at various restaurants. I happened to wind up at Black Bottle in the private room with my fellow food blog pal Marisa and my local blog chica Aimee and new friend, Jean. A parade of small plates marched onto our tables, one after another. Broccoli fries (a favorite), hanger steak, ceviche, fried olives (another favorite), sausage pizza… It was dark. Really dark. But look at what I managed to capture for you!

caprese salad on a stick

bean and mushroom salad (winner!)

roe vs. egg

I met a lot of wonderful new people on this trip. Sometimes I think my life is pretty full and I couldn’t possibly cram another friend in… but then there are folks like Michelle, Ilina, Doniree, Victoria, M, and others who make you wonder how it is you could go on in life WITHOUT their smiling faces, witty conversation, and sweet hugs. This Nintendo trip was bursting at the seams with all manner of goodness.

the finest company (left to right): ilina, maggie, jean, marisa

chocolate cake with gelato inside

lemon cheesecake with lavender

co-owner paul chats with us about our visit to seattle

And at the end of the day, I had my own little Nintendo 3DS to take home and share with Jeremy. Thanks for an incredible experience, Nintendo. Also a huge thanks to Justine and team for their flawless execution of the entire event! [Full Disclosure: All travel, lodging, meals, and the Nintendo 3DS were provided courtesy of Nintendo.]

So now you know where I was last week and why! I’m leaving again in less than 12 hours and my shooting partner suggested I could bring that little Nintendo 3DS for him to *ahem* check out for safety and such… Right. Since I barely have time to unpack and repack my bags, there isn’t a lot of cooking or baking going on in the House of Butter. Luckily for Present Me, Past Me anticipated this stretch of kitchen inactivity and so we have some cookies today. Grab a glass of milk… It’s okay – I’ll wait here for you.

start with butter and sugars

plop goes the egg

**Jump for more butter**