Shiskaberries and Top Pot Doughnuts in Seattle

I know, I know. I was just at the Space Needle yesterday. But I love this place. And I knew that I was going to try a treat that I purposely avoided yesterday.

Chocolate-covered strawberries have some redeeming healthy factor, so I actually don’t even feel all that bad.

These monorail tracks lead right to the Seattle Center, where the Space Needle calls home.

There is a car repair shop on the corner near the Space Needle. The entire surface is painted depicting men busily working on imported vehicles.

But this one cracked me up!

I would not want the guy holding the Porsche sign to be anywhere near me or my car! And the guy sitting on the swing with the air gun? Sheesh, hide your daughters!

I’m sure that this shop does nice work…just avoid the wall art to be safe.

I do believe that we are getting closer. That big round thing up there certainly looks closer.

Follow the monorail!

Ah, monorails.

Disneyland has one, you know. And my next trip will be showing that monorail to you from being there in-person! Eek!

This is the base of the Space Needle. Inside is a cute souvenir shop and fudge. But you didn’t hear it from me.

They hold all sorts of special events in the top of the Space Needle. I’ve never been up there, but it would sure be fun sometime!

Yep, I’m talking about way up there!

While standing at the Space Needle entrance, you can look north towards the Pacific Science Center (on the left), and the Chihuly Glass Museum (on the right). Just past it is an entrance to a nice grassy area near the Armory.

One of my treats is there today. Let’s go get it!

Here is a peek into the glass center!

Wow, he does amazing work!

This is a grassy meadow between the Armory and the Pacific Science Center. I discovered all of this for the first time yesterday, and I wanted to come back again today to enjoy it even more.

That’s the Armory in the far distance.

But you know my real reason for coming back today…

So let’s play Where’s Waldo with the Shiskaberries hut, shall we?

Can you see it hiding in this photo?

True, it’s trying to be invisible behind a tree and a man.

Thankfully, I will not be outsmarted. “We can see you, Carl.” “We can totally see you, Carl.”

    

So, here it is. No, I didn’t get fresh whipped cream on top. I’m on a diet.

And yes, I did add bananas to the order, which was just OK. I don’t like bananas that aren’t green, and there were “ripe” bananas.

But hey. Anything covered in chocolate is instantly elevated. So I was fine with everything here.

Especially when compared in size to the Space Needle. This was a large treat indeed!

I got my $5-worth, that’s for dang sure.

Was it worth the splurge? No. More on that later.

I had seen from afar yesterday that there was even more to explore back in this park area. So I headed that way and could hear lots of kids laughing.

This should be good.

Even though it was barely seventy degrees, kids were playing in this giant fountain water ball.

Like a creeper, I sat down to watch and enjoy the gorgeous sun.

And a gorgeous rainbow!

It looks like a space machine spurting out water. This thing was pretty cool!

And cool had many definitions today. I kept getting sprayed with some misty water. It felt nice, but it was a little too cold for that, still.

Man, do I live in Phoenix or what?!

I walked behind some other buildings to see what I could find, and the entrance to the Armory introduced itself.

Sheesh, what country is this? These eagles look like something straight out of Germany in 1938!

And they also kinda look like they’re made of Legos. Just sayin’…

This was a different entrance to the EMP Museum, which is a sci-fi classic here at the Seattle Center.

I can never get over how beautiful (and shocking…how did they do that?) buildings that make up the museum.

Aren’t these pretty?

The monorail goes right through them. Nice touch, guys.

I wonder if you see the Grand Canyon when you ride through?

Walt Disney thought of everything.

Sunbursty action of one of my favorite landmarks in Seattle.

Someday, I think that I’ll go to the top!

Every time that I’ve been here, this little band has been playing (what I think is) Mayan music. They have flutes and pipes and guitars. It is beautiful music.

I usually sit on the cement wall to listen for a few minutes. It was a nice rest for my feet, and also a wonderful chance to watch people.

Which never gets old!

You can really get anything your little heart desires here in Seattle.

Honestly, why would you ever leave?

Those lemonade drinks look yummy, huh?

I just loved this old-school sign.

Luckily, I didn’t have to follow its advice today. Car-free in Seattle!

I didn’t stop to read more about this statue because of people nearby taking pictures. I just grabbed a quick shot and was on my way.

But I love how old it looks. It probably is old.

Check out the (bear? wolf? pig?) head coming out of the stone on the base of the statue. I love stuff like this.

So I know this sounds terrible, especially because we just had a treat at Shiskaberries, but my next destination is actually for my real treat of the day.

Because I’m counting chocolate-covered berries as a healthy snack. Man, I’m bad!

I could be perfectly happy living on a flower-lined street next to the monorail. Doesn’t this look so peaceful? And clean!

There were lots of little shops and eateries in this neck of the woods as well. They were all closed today, but I hope that’s just because it was Saturday. They are located downtown with lots of businesses that are also closed today.

I love deli sandwiches!

So this still puzzles me but also makes me laugh.

OK, I get it. It’s a school for girls.

But how on earth do they explain the multiple rubber chickens hanging from the window?!

Would you want your daughter to attend a school like this?!

My phone did not lead me astray…we have arrived.

In case you can’t read all of the sign, it says, “Top Pot Doughnuts.” But the "doughnuts” part is visible, and that’s all you really need to know. It’s what matters.

I had read multiple reviews about this place and had high expectations. Inside was cute and quaint.

And the bookshelves were very inviting and inspire people to stay for hours, I’m sure!

By the way, I would love a floor-to-ceiling bookshelf built-in like this someday. But with white wood instead. With one of those cool rolling ladders.

Can you imagine?!

Anyway, back to the most important topic at hand.

Have you ever wondered what it would look like if you peek through a window into heaven?

I imagine that this is pretty close.

I won’t even be able to describe the incredible smells to you. Let’s just say that they make from-scratch doughnuts here and leave it at that.

Have you ever wondered what it would look like to peek through a pastry bag window into heaven?

I imagine that this is pretty close, too.

I got a glazed old-fashioned cake doughnut, because those are by-far my favorite.

And I must say this…

I’ve been eating healthy and working out very hard for about eleven weeks now. I’ve occasionally had a splurge on eating a treat, but I’ve always come back to the thought that “Nothing tastes as good as healthy feels.”

It has never been worth it.

Well, this doughnut changed that. So I’m very fortunate that it is so far from me most of the time.

This doughnut may very well be one of the best things that I’ve ever eaten in my entire life. It was certainly worth the splurge.

But I’m not kidding when I say it has been the only one worth it!

I don’t have very good odds, apparently.

I guess what I’m saying is that…I would go back.

If you are in Seattle, please try a fresh, hand-forged doughnut. Then you can know for yourself.

Just look for the sign.

More exploring Seattle is coming up! Are you enjoying these posts?

It’s All Going Away

Here we go again!

After hurting my Achilles Heel while training for my 5K last year, I’ve had a really hard time getting back on the bandwagon for permanent weight loss. Even worse, those wonderful eighteen pounds that came off in the three months of training for the 5K have also returned.

And then some. Yuck, huh?

I started back at the gym with some healthy goals in mind this past January. I did really well for several weeks and even lost a few pounds.

Then I got sick and spent a week in bed. And since then I’ve had the darndest time getting the motivation back to be really good and healthy-minded again. Easter candy has not helped in that regard. Neither has being on the road so much. Sometimes, it can be hard to find ways to work out and eat healthy.

I was grateful to be home Monday, so I headed to the gym for a wonderful workout. I spent forty-five minutes on the elliptical machine, which I love, and which is also low-impact and doesn’t hurt my apparently-permanently-damaged Achilles. It felt great! On my way out of the gym, I stopped to read their inspirational stories of members who have lost weight with the help of a trainer.

While I was reading, mostly not bothering a soul, a nice trainer named Lindsey came up to me. She was so friendly and not intimidating in the least. She asked if I wanted to do my free trainer session with her. I hesitated at first, and then I decided to do it. Why on earth should I be afraid of something that could help with my health improvement goals?!

So I met with her yesterday for a fifty-minute workout session. She spent some extra time with me in the beginning to get a feel for my goals and desires. She is so sweet and understanding. She played sports in high school in a small town, too. I feel like we have lots in common. Rather than feeling inadequate around her, she made me feel good for my goals and wanting to change! Lindsey is awesome! And she made me feel awesome!

We had a great workout. She taught me some neat exercises that I can also modify to do in the hotel room when I’m away from the gym. My legs and arms were certainly feeling the burn, and it was a great feeling. She was so uplifting and supportive. I really enjoyed working out with her.

So I bought a trainer package with her. Eek!

We are going to work together on my weight-loss goals these next several months. I just want to get me back and be healthy and happy and satisfied. I think that having a trainer throughout that process will only be a good thing. Nothing else has worked, so this has to be the trick. And I am tickled to get started.

She will be a motivator and someone to help me keep track of my progress. She will help me get through those plateaus and find new ways to keep the weight coming off. She will challenge me and push me harder than I think that I can do. She will help me develop the new me that I’ve been wanting for years.

No more excuses. No more regrets. Only doing something about it and loving the results!

It’s going to be great, and I’m so excited to start this new phase. I’m keeping track of my daily exercise and food using Lindsey’s recommended MyFitnessPal.com. Follow along, if you want! Even better, join and keep track with me! You are three-times more likely to succeed if you have friends helping you along the way. I have previously been using loseit.com to track my progress, but MyFitnessPal is a little more comprehensive in tracking exact workouts, like reps, weights, etc. It will make it really easy to see my improvement! I recommend either tracking tool, if you’re looking for a way to start being more healthy.

Once it comes back in stock, I am also going to get The Basis fitness tracker watch, which will also help my weight-loss goals. I hope this happens soon…I’ve had my eye on it since January!

In these next several months, whether I’m busy at work or have a few days home, I’m excited to see these weight-loss goals come true. It will solve so many aspects of my life that I’ve been wanting to change!

The journey has already started and is wonderful.

Roasted Corn and Tomato Soup from Our Best Bites

Now that we are back to eating healthy, I have been on the hunt for delicious recipes that are filling without being full of calories. It was heaven-sent to find this recipe from Our Best Bites on the very day that I was searching!

These are the main ingredients. Tomatoes, sweet corn on the cob, and an onion the size of a small planet. (Not you, Pluto. Sorry.)

Don’t be alarmed at the sheer quantity of these ingredients, as I doubled the recipe to freeze half of it for later.

You won’t believe me when I tell you this, but corn on the cob is my all-time favorite food. That means that it beats out ice cream, chocolate, and warm rolls with butter!

I know! I can’t believe it, either! But then, I take a bite of fresh corn on the cob and am reminded…

Give it a try if it’s been too long for you. Make sure that you have enough butter, salt, and pepper on board to make it worth your time.

I love Roma tomatoes and buy some almost every time I’m at the store.

And I was pleasantly surprised at the nice little spicy kick that came from adding roasted red peppers to the soup after the corn and tomatoes had simmered together. It’s very mild but adds a whole nutha dimension to an already-delicious soup.

Ah, the star of the show. It is quite a process to shuck eight cobs of corn, but the end result was totally worth it.

Actually, it kind of looked like a blonde Cousin Itt from the Adamms Family. These guys had lots of beach-blonde hair to pry away!

And soon, they were ready for their close-up. I really love corn, so it deserves lots of photo ops.

Just put these suckers in a bowl and dice away the kernels from the cob. You won’t regret all of the hard work, I assure you.

I mixed it with the diced Roma tomatoes and some olive oil and salt and pepper before sautéing in a pan on the stove. Prepare yourself for the most wonderful smells right about now.

Add some chicken broth and simmer. Simmer simmer simmer. I love my cast iron pot, too.

While the tomatoes and corn are mingling with the chicken broth, cut up the roasted red peppers to go in next. These were so sweet and yet just a little hot. What a perfect combination!

Like corn on the cob and butter!

Then, once everything had mingled long enough, I threw it in the blender to combine all the goodness. Because I had doubled the batch, it took four turns in the blender before all of the soup was mixed up. I love the little chunks of corn still left over. It added a nice thickness to the soup.

Before serving, check for flavors and add a little more salt and pepper, if desired. There are so many incredible flavors in this pot, and salt helps to bring them all out.

Of course, all soup is better with homemade croutons. So I cut up some whole wheat bread and toasted them with some butter.

Holy smokes. Heaven in a bowl!

And, if your Hubby happens to be working from home for the day, make him a grilled cheese sandwich to dip into the soup. I mixed provolone cheese and sharp cheddar cheese on grilled whole wheat bread to make him love me more.

Serve it up nice and hot and steamy!

I know it seems odd that I would want soup in Arizona in August, but we happened to eat this on an overcast day. So, this is a perfect soup to enjoy from inside with air conditioning!

And perhaps the best part for me is the nutritional information. A huge serving of 1.5 cups has only 160 calories. That doesn’t count my homemade croutons, but I factored those into my daily calorie allotment.

This soup is good, and I ate it all week. Soup is just filling and hearty and wonderful. Especially when it’s 109 degrees outside.

Try their recipe today! It would be a wise decision!