Lobster for Christmas Eve!

I had amazing luck last week! I won two 2 lb lobsters in a local raffle. What a fabulous way to celebrate the holidays! Neither of us were inclined to cook the lobsters ourselves. as we'd heard that sometimes you can hear them scream when you drop them into boiling water, so I decided to take them up to Fosters Market in Greenfield to have them cooked. The lobsters were delicious, served with a baked potato and some melted butter. Simple, but perfect.

And we had plenty of leftovers to make a lovely lobster salad afterwards with some celery, red onion and mayonnaise. The only thing we didn't have was Maine!

Drunken Devils on Horseback

This is one of the simplest dishes you can make, and the combination of sweetness of the prunes with brandy is out of this world. Definitely not for little ones! 

30 pitted prunes
1/2 cup brandy 
15 rashers of bacon 
This recipe is from Nigella Lawson's book "Nigella Christmas". It's a great book, with lots of fabulous ideas for the holidays, and this recipe is an absolute keeper. It's quick to prepare, and is a great addition to the usual platter of of appetizers. In fact, I think i might make this a regular dish, so that I can enjoy it year round! 
Soak the prunes in the brandy and cover with plastic wrap for about 12-24 hours. 
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. 
Cut the rashers of bacon in half, so that they're about 2 inches by 6 inches. 
Roll up the prunes one by one in the rashers of bacon, and use toothpicks to secure the bacon to the prunes. 
Bake them for about 15 minutes, and let them cool for a little while. 
They're scrumptious at room temperature, so don't worry about them cooling off. They're completely addictive so beware!

Port Townsend Farmers Market, Uptown, Port Townsend, Washington

Definitely check out Port Townsend Farmers Market when you visit the Olympic Peninsula. It runs through November in the Uptown neighborhood. There was a fabulous range of produce, and some delicious hot chowder too! Everything looked fabulous and very appetizing. And of course there's nothing like some fresh sea air to get your taste buds going. I just wish I'd bought some chowder to bring home with me to Massachusetts! Oh well, I'll just have to go again!

Blue Moose Cafe, Port Townsend, Washington

The Blue Moose Cafe was a great discovery in Port Townsend, and came highly recommended. It's tucked away in the boat yard, and very easy to miss. The place was buzzy and the help was warm and friendly. It was a chilly, blustery day in Port Townsend, so it was quite a treat to warm up and have a super tasty breakfast with red skinned potatoes and fresh avocado. 

Blue Moose Cafe
311 Haines Place
Port Townsend, WA 98368
(360) 385-7339

Dynasty Restaurant, Port Angeles, Washington

We took the morning ferry from Victoria to Port Angeles, Washington. The ferry wasn't quite as swish and stylish as the British Columbia ferry from Horseshoe Bay to Nanaimo, but there was something very soothing and retro about the decor. The colour scheme reminded me of vanilla and pistachio ice-cream, and I absolutely loved the Coho poster! As we explored downtown Port Angeles we asked several locals if they could recommend a place for lunch. The Dynasty Restaurant was rated highly, plus it was right across the street from the shop "Dazzled by Twilight" where the help actually wear fangs when they work! The Kung Pao Shrimp hit the spot for sure, but I think the hot and sour soup stole the show.

Dynasty Restaurant

136 E 1st St

Port Angeles, WA 98362
(360) 452-8687

Swan's Brew Pub, Victoria, Canada

British Columbia Parliament Buildings, Victoria

After a day exploring Vancouver Island we decided to try Swan's Brew Pub for some seafood and local beer. The atmosphere was very buzzy, and very intimate for a city pub. It almost felt like we were at a private party with people dancing to the Tom Lang Band. We really enjoyed the grilled salmon and prawn burger, which was served with an interesting mix of onion rings, French fries and sweet potato fries! The mussels and clams dish was very tasty too! The Oatmeal Stout had rave reviews, but they'd sold out, so we tried the Extra IPA which was superb. 

Swan's Brew Pub

506 Pandora Avenue

Victoria, BC

(250) 361-3310