Becky Selengut visits Aspira

Becky Selengut is amazing.  She is a chef, a teacher, an author, a sustainable foods advocate and an all around superstar.  Over the years she has worked at La Spiga and La Medusa, but it was at The Herbfarm in Woodinville where she really perfected her craft.  She is passionate about teaching people about seafood and sustainabilty and that is the premise of her latest book “Good Fish”.  In fact, just last night she took 2 recipes from that book and taught Aspira residents how to prepare them like a pro!

Squid was the first item on our agenda.  We took the whole squid and cut it into delicious, edible pieces.  We then took sea salt, pepper, chives, fish sauce and safflower oil and reduced it.  Once done, we added it to the squid and cooked on high.  After it was done cooking, we wrapped it up with lettuce, mint, thyme, and basil (she loves her herbs) and added a sweet, spicy sauce.  It was awesome!

Next, we were shown how to successfully cook a scallop.  Not steam it or overcook it, but cook it like it’s done in a good restaurant.  She taught us how to prepare a buerre blanc sauce and how to watch for the scallop to carmelize.  Under her watchful eye there was not a rubbery scallop to be found! 

She ended the class by talking about her book (which were available for purchase, because, in her words,  ”Mama has to eat”) and reiterating how important and easy it is to eat sustainable seafood.  All in all, it was a great night.

So much to look forward too…

Can you believe it’s almost summer?  I know, it’s hard to imagine with the weather we’ve been having, but sooner or later we will see some sunshine.  And when that happens, I’m going to do what every other Seattleite is going to do – I’m going to get outside and appreciate how amazing this city really is.

Summer here at Aspira means one thing – excursions!!!  We have so many fun, interesting things planned I can hardly keep them all straight.  We have the grand opening of our friend Brian O’Connor’s new restaurant ‘Skillet Diner’ on Wednesday, May 18th in Capitol Hill.  Then there’s a cooking class with Seattle chef and author Becky Selengut on May 24th (and yes, we are a bunch of foodies).  June includes an event at The Art Gallery of Aspira, a day trip on the Victoria Clippper for a little whale watching, and a fashion show by designer and Aspira resident Marta Kappl.

We are going to start July with a white water rafting trip down the Wenatchee River followed by a motorcycle trip in mid-July.  The end of July we will be taking a day trip to Victoria, BC where we will visit beautiful Butchart Gardens.  Exciting!!!

There really are so many things to look forward to here at Aspira in the upcoming months.  Sure, you could do any one of these things on your own, but why would you?  By joining in, you get to interact with your neighbors, build a sense of community and you get a much better deal when you go with a group of people.  And besides, it’s going to be a blast!

Mother’s Day 2011

So Sunday is Mother’s Day.  What are you going to do this year for Mom?  Are you one of those people that do the traditional flowers and brunch, year after year?  Don’t get me wrong, there is absolutely nothing wrong with that.  In fact, I did that last year(s).  But not this year.  This Sunday I am going to do something fun and original and it’s going to be awesome!

A couple of things caught my eye when I began my search for ‘A Unique Mother’s Day Experience’.  I thought that the Waterways Mother’s Day Brunch Cruise sounded fun, but then I remembered that my mom tends to get seasick.  That wouldn’t be good.  Then I discovered that there is a Mom’s Day Opera with Marion Oliver at McCaw Hall, but, unfortunately, my mom is not the biggest opera fan.  This was going to be harder than I thought and at this point I was getting a bit discouraged.  Maybe I should just go with the old stand-by.  Then I was talking to friend of mine and she said that every year she and her mom walk through the arboretum down in Montlake.  She said that the Cherry Blossoms and Magnolias are in bloom and it is beautiful.   They chat and take pictures and just enjoy each others company.   Isn’t that what it’s all about, being together and loving your Mom?   Hopefully we’ll be able to get in for brunch somewhere.  Habits are hard to break.

Get fit while making a difference!

So it’s almost spring!  Ok, let me rephrase.  It’s almost spring-like weather.  And what does that mean?  That means it’s time for fitness inspired fundraising.  You know, like the ever popular ‘fun run’.   This weekend seems to be the unofficial kick-off of such events. 

There’s the March for Babies on Saturday at the Seattle Center.  It’s a 3 mile walk around downtown to raise money for the March of Dimes ($25 suggested donation please).  Also on Saturday there is ‘Zumba for Japan’ at the Century Ballroom.  This zumba centric event will feature local instructors facilitating the madness ( i mean zumba-ing) and also will include a silent auction.  All benefits will go directly to the Red Cross to help the crisis in Japan.

Then, on Sunday, there’s the Top Pot Donut Dash around Green Lake.  The registration is $30 with a portion of the proceedings going to Childhaven.  And you get a free t-shirt.  Sign me up!

So there it is.  You have many charitable fat-blasting options this weekend.  Dance, march, dash, whatever.  Just get moving!  Because summer will be here before you know it.  Once spring arrives, that is.

Aspira + Tulips = A Good Time

For the past 28 years, the month of April has meant one thing.  And no, I’m not talking about taxes.  I’m talking about tulips.  Hundred of thousands of tulips.  Rows and rows as far as you can see.  It really is an amazing sight and also happens to be the destination of our very first Aspira Excursion!  Fun!!!

This Saturday, we are making the hour trek up north to the bustling town of Mount Vernon.  Upon arrival, we will do what you do when you get to the tulip festival - meander.   Maybe you want to wander on down to one of the numerous nurseries and check out a display garden.  Or pop into an art gallery.  Or judge the ‘chili, chowdah and chocolate’ cookoff that’s happening on the 23rd.  There are so many wonderful, relaxing things to do at the tulip festival.  I can’t think of a better way to get out of the city and just unwind.  It’s going to be an awesome time!

Another one of our assets…

Community-Definition of COMMUNITY

: a unified body of individuals: as a : state, commonwealth b : the people with common interests living in a particular area; broadly : the area itself <the problems of a large community>

There are many different communities here at Aspira. As a concierge, I get to interact with one that I think has such a special bond with us. They’re something  that I think we all take for granted at one point or another. A best friend who will be there to cheer you up, whenever you let them. And just when you think they’re down for the count, they’ll spring back and beg you to play a little bit longer. Our dogs.

That’s right, I’ve been talking about our dogs! We have such a huge community of dogs here in the building that I think that a shout out should be given. I see so many different breeds, sizes, and colors that it just amazes me that we have such a large variety under one roof. We have everything from small Poodles to Australian Cattle Dogs. Not to worry though. These differences don’t hold them back from occasionally turning my lobby into a friendly dog park.

I’m in awe of how much dogs can brighten up our day. One dog in particular cheers me up all the time. Chaucer is a blue eyed, bouncing boy that pulls to the door the minute the elevator opens, but as soon as he’s let back in, he bolts to come see me and play for a few minutes. Makes me smile every time.

We also have our pretty girls too. Ruby is a Pomeranian that prances from elevator to door with her head held high. Jessie is a beautiful mix that is shy and quite most days, then out of the blue, she’ll pop up on my desk to say hello. With all the excitement, it’s easy to overlook the small ones. Puppies aren’t so great in numbers here, but we have a few… The spotted mixed pup, Chance, is one of the cutest little guys around.  And around here, that’s saying something!

Happy Birthday to Us!

Did you know that it is customary in Indonesia  to take people out on your own birthday?  My friend Teddy is from Jakarta and every year on his birthday he takes a bunch of his friends to dinner to celebrate his special day.  That is the philosophy that we here at Aspira have adopted  as well.  We just had our very first birthday and decided that we were going to treat our residents to a  ’Resident Appreciation Week’.

It kicked off  Monday with breakfast and coffee provided by E-Lucidity (the owner is Aspira resident Irving Bernal) and proved to be a  fantastic way to start off the week.  Tuesday we welcomed Dr. Todd and Align Chiropractic for chair massages in the Residence Lounge and it was wonderful.  The festivities continued Thurday with a wine pairing involving Andaluca Restaurant.  It was a  progressive event; residents met in the community lounge and were given a list of apartment homes to visit.  Each apartment featured a delicious appetizer from Andaluca and was paired with a complimentary wine.  The event concluded in the Aspira Art Gallery with the artist Andie deRoux demonstating how she uses resin to create her amazing work.  It was quite a night!

Tonight we have yet another big party planned – food, drink, dancing, the works.  It is going to be catered by Cafe Pho and the band ‘The Side Projects’ will be playing dance-inducing songs all night!  Then tomorrow, residents are welcome to bring their dogs on down to the Dog Washing Station for a bath.  If that doesn’t say ‘You Are Appreciated!’, I don’t know what will!

Aspira Alum on her way to making Olympic history!

Women’s boxing is not getting the recognition it deserves and Seattle native (and former Aspira resident) is doing her best to change that.  Meet Quanitta “Queen” Underwood, a 26 year old Garfield High graduate that is making history in the world of women’s boxing.

Queen began boxing just 8 years ago and already has an impressive resume; she won the Continental Championship in 2009 and is currently the USA Boxing National Champion, beating previous champ Patricia Manuel in July 0f 2010.  Her sights are now set on the 2012 Olympics in London, which will be the first time that female boxing will be recognized as a sport.  But first she needs to qualify, and that process begins this weekend at the Pan American Games Box-Off in Colorado Springs.  After winning, she will head to Venezuela for the Pan American Qualifier and then it’s time for the Olmpics!

Queen Underwood is an inspiration for women and men alike.  She is establishing a precedent in women’s boxing and is on her way to becoming not only a local but  national hero as well.  She moved out of Aspira a few months ago to start training full time and to put ‘women’s boxing on the map’.  We wish her the best on her journey for Olympic gold!

Game Night Recap…

Last Wednesday we hosted  ’Game Night’ in the community lounge and I can confidently say it was a success.  What do I mean by a success?  Well, over 25 people showed up and we all had a great time. 

We had a number of games going on; Poker, Scrabble, Jenga, Chess and Taboo.  My evening began playing Scrabble against a  highly skilled Aspira resident, losing the first game and winning the second.  I tend to get completely immersed in my Scrabble games, forgetting what’s going on around me.  However, I do recall looking around and noticing people were having fun; the Poker game to my left was in full swing and there were people siting in a circle, involved in a very serious Jenga undertaking.

After my Scrabble victory, I became aware that the Poker game had all but dissipated and the majority of those people were now crowded around a table where the Jenga game had been.  In it’s place was a heated battle of Taboo.  There was shouting and wild hand gestures and I knew this is where I needed to be.  After a quick trip to the ample snack table, I was fueled up and ready to go. 

Taboo is a fantastic group game.  Many people can play at once and it allows you to get to know the other people playing.  You are constantly moving and yelling and engaged.  I ended up playing Taboo for over an hour and it was a blast.  Actually, the whole night was a blast and I’m certain that Game Night will become a regular event at Aspira.  To the next one!!!

Seattle Loves Trivia Night

Did you know that there are over 75 ongoing trivia nights in Seattle?  75!  That’s quite a few, even for an uber-educated and literate city like Seattle.  Just between Monday and Wednesday there are over 20 in a 3 mile radius from Aspira!  So why is trivia night so popular?  I’ve come up with a few reasons…

One, it’s fun.  Trivia night is (or can be anyway) a major ego boost.  If you look hard enough, you can find subject matter that you actually know something about.  I personally excel at 90′s pop culture and all things Beyonce, and yes, those were actually trivia night themes.  Of course, it can be a very humbling experience as well.  I accidently showed up to a ‘western movie’ trivia night and didn’t do so well.  Failed miserably in fact, but it was still fun.

Second, it’s cheap.  Most trivia nights are $5 or less and many offer food and drink specials.  I used to frequent Mulleady’s trivia night on Mondays and it was just $2/person.  The winning team won the pot and second place won a $40 gift certificate (to Mulleady’s but still).  And if there happens to be a tie, there is a dart off.  I love dart offs!

Lastly, I think it’s nice to go to a bar without the sole reason being to drink.  Trivia night gives you a justification to go out on a Tuesday night; you are going to learn something, to stimulate your mind, to grow intellectually.  And you get to be with your friends and compete against other groups which is very bonding.  Nothing brings people closer than trying to bring down a common enemy.  It really is a win-win!

We here at Aspira are having a trivia/games night tomorrow, Wednesday March 2nd.  Not only is there going to be trivia (Seinfeld) there will also be Poker, Scrabble and Jenga.  We are going to have snacks and refreshments and I can’t wait to see how it turns out.  Hopefully it will be as fun as my past (and future) trivia nights!