Alpenglow Blog | Bri Davey

Cardamon, Blueberry and Ground Cherry Tea Loaf

September 17, 2024 • Bri Davey •

Prepare the coffee, folks, this is a tea cake that you will want to share with friends and family, and everyone’s tummy will be happy and coming back for seconds! This is adapted from Melissa Clark’s recipe for French Yogurt Cake with Cherries and Cardamom from her Dinner in French book. If you haven’t checked out this book, it is gorgeous, with inspiring photos and stories to boot! I changed up a few things to my personal preferences; the addition of rye flour (the rye/cardamom combo is dreamy), greek yogurt, coconut oil and ground cherries. If ground cherries aren’t something you can find, the original recipe calls for fresh or frozen (traditional) cherries, which you can find more easily. I happen to have A LOT of these beautiful golden ground cherries in my garden right now, and they worked amazingly well here. Ground cherries are a super easy plant to grow and they come back year after year. My kids love searching for the little tomatillo-like pods that fall from the plant (photo below). Then they unwrap them like presents and eat the berries inside. They are a unique and not too sweet, but delicious little gem of a berry! A shout out to my sweet friend Hannah, of Cascade Heritage Gardens, for supplying me with my first ever Ground Cherry plant. That one plant from last summer, spread its joy and created so many new plants for this season. It’s the gift that keeps on giving, and very tasty one at that! : ) Recipe: Butter, for coating your loaf pan 1 cup (125 grams) all-purpose flour 2/3 cup (90 grams) rye flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 heaping teaspoon ground cardamom 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt 1 1/3 cup sugar 1 cup greek yogurt 1/2 coconut oil 2 large eggs 1 cup mixed ground cherries and blueberries Directions:

White Bean, Potato and Sausage Soup with Kale

September 16, 2024 • Bri Davey •

I don’t know about you, but once September rolls around I am ready for cool mornings and evenings, wearing pants and sweaters (yes, please!) and making soup! I appreciate the changing of the seasons as a reset for so many things and although we are few days away from the official first day of fall, I am embracing the slowing down of a busy summer season and bringing the cooking back inside after lots of outdoor meals. I’m starting with this soup, which definitely leans more towards a winter soup, but is also great on a fall or spring day. We grew our own potatoes this year for the first time, and I have to say there is something so gratifying about watching the kids dig up these lovely little red potatoes. They are tender and delicious and we are using them in this soup today. Here’s to gardening and using what you grow to make a hearty and delicious meal. RECIPE: 1 lb. Mild Italian Sausage (can be links or bulk – you can go spicy instead of mild here, but I make mine less spicy for my kiddos) 1 yellow or white onion, chopped 3 cloves of garlic, chopped 5-6 Red potatoes or 3-4 Yukon Golds 2 cans cannellini beans 1/2 bunch kale, 4 large stems with leaves cut off the stem (I love dinosaur kale here, but curly works great too!) 1/2 tsp black pepper (or more to your taste) 1 Tablespoon chicken bouillon 3 cups of warmed water 3 Tablespoons butter 3 Tablespoons all purpose flour 1 tsp salt (or more to your taste) 1/2 whole milk, cream or half and half (optional, but recommended) Freshly grated Parmesan, for topping (optional but recommended) Directions:

Summer Zucchini Fritters and Zesty Lemon Aioli

September 13, 2024 • Bri Davey •

Summer Zucchini Fritters with Zesty Lemon Aioli

It’s September and zucchini are going nuts (well they are in every garden but my own, but more on that another time). It’s time for a family favorite: Summer Zucchini Fritters with Lemon Garlic Aioli. My sweet friend and gardener extraordinaire, Hannah Dewey, of Cascade Heritage Gardens, has been bringing me nearly 18″ long zucchini’s and one of the best ways to use them? Fritters! Combine them with the following zesty lemon aioli recipe for a dreamy combo! My kids and husband love this as a meal or a side and I’ve been known to nibble a too-hot fritter from just off the pan, because I just cannot wait for the goodness to melt on my tastebuds. The fritter recipe I’ve adapted from probably four different places and I think it’s hit the sweet spot. The main key is to get as much moisture as possible out of your zucchini, or you end up with some serious sogginess. For the aioli I love combining greek yogurt with mayo; you still get the deliciousness of an aioli, but it’s not quite as heavy. Enjoy friends! Recipe: Aioli: Use this as a guide and add more lemon, dill or garlic to your liking! Taste as you go! Combine: 1/2 cup greek yogurt 1/4 cup mayo 1 Tablespoon lemon juice (zest the lemon first and set aside to be used for the fritters, then squeeze it for the aioli) 1 Tablespoon Dill Mustard (see below photo, I love the Inglehoffer brand, from Beaverton Foods, that you should be able to find at your grocery, otherwise, use a fav mustard that you have on hand) 3 finely chopped garlic cloves 2 Tablespoons of fresh dill, or 1 Tablespoon dry dill Pinch of salt Pinch of pepper Fritters: 2-3 medium zucchini, grated. Approximately 4 cups. 1 egg 1 cup crushed crackers (I like plain Triscuits or panko works too) 1 tsp salt 1/2 tsp pepper 1/4 cup fresh chopped dill 2-3 cloves chopped garlic 1/2 cup flour 1 Tablespoon lemon zest 1/4 cup scallions, chopped fine 2-3 Tablespoons olive oil or cooking oil of your preference Directions: Thank you for stopping by friends! I hope you enjoy and are able to use up all those giant zucchini! Photos below for Summer Zucchini Fritters with Lemon Garlic Aioli

Our Mountain Home Kitchen Remodel

September 12, 2024 • Bri Davey •

Welcome to the Mountain Home Kitchen Remodel! We recently updated our kitchen at our home in the Cascade Mountains and I really couldn’t be happier with the results. It’s modern, yet traditional, and honestly it was our most straightforward project to date! I think that had something to do with having more than one functioning sink and toilet while remodeling this time around, ha! I’m so grateful for those who helped along the way, my cousin for the demo, our tile layer; who did a truly fabulous job with this super spiffy gold trim, and my husband for being my sounding board as I hashed out the details in great length, and for him trusting me with the process. I am not an interior designer, but I am an artist, and very visual, so I could see it in my mind before we demoed a single thing. I designed the space after many pencil sketches (see below) on graph paper, and honestly I think this is a great way plan. I know there are lots of fancy computer programs out there, but there is nothing like a good old pencil, paper, an eraser and your trusty measuring tape! There is something about being able to sketch a place for every little thing, that makes my artist heart so happy. I am grateful for this being our second time designing a kitchen, as I learned and worked out kinks in our first remodel, the West Seattle house. I had an easier time making decisions (go with your gut!). I also ended up using several items that I loved and had on my mood board in our previous kitchen remodel, but didn’t quite fit the more modern look of that home. The funniest thing is how blue I went. I think a lot must have rubbed off on me as a kid, as my mom had this dusty blue color in every corner of our home. I mean every. last. corner. I remember at the time thinking, “Why SO much blue, mom?” But, now I get it and love it and am embracing blue as my power color throughout the house too. The apple does not fall far from the tree! We worked with our local cabinet maker, Alpine Woodworks which was one of my favorite parts. Having the luxury to go in person and work on the design and see the…

Mountain Flower and Vegetable Garden

September 11, 2023 • Bri Davey •

Since the snow melted in the Cascades this past April, I’ve been working on installing a veggie and flower garden in our backyard. For years, before we bought the home, this area of the property was a dirt patch that had been used as a parking area. The ground was severely compacted and had also been sprayed for weeds for sometime. I was determined to bring it back to life, and started with a huge dump truck load of garden soil and compost from Curb Appeal. I wanted both raised beds for veggies, as well as an in-ground pumpkin, squash and corn patch and flower garden. Bringing in lots of soil and compost was essential. Since the ground was so compacted I felt with raised beds I could at least count on getting some kind of crop this year. The squash and flower garden was going to be an experiment though for sure, since they were being planted in the existing ground, which was a very sad case indeed. I tilled up this area and added lots of wheelbarrow loads of compost, and while things are growing, it wasn’t as fruitful as I had hoped. I know each year will get better, and I’m trying to be patient as the soil improves. Here are some early photos from April when the snow melted, raised beds were in construction, and the compost was delivered. This is not a tutorial per say, just what I did at my home and what made sense for my space! I hope it helps as you plan or add to your own garden. Below is what came to life this summer: Four raised beds: I purchased 2x12x8 rough cedar boards from my local hardware store, and created four 4×8′ raised beds, for veggies. I used the 8′ pieces for two sides, then cut one in half to get 4′ long sections for the short sides. I screwed them together and used a 1″x4″ rough cedar board to make a trim piece along the top. I filled the bottom 6 or so inches with sticks, pine needles and leaves, following the hugelkulture method, and topped with 18″ or so of garden soil and compost. Below is a photo of the hugelkulture method, before I added the soil and compost. I layered cardboard, then twigs and sticks, leaves, and pine needles. Two corrugated and painted beds: These are…

West Seattle Home Renovation

November 5, 2021 • Bri Davey •

In the Summer of 2019 we started a major home renovation and addition on our tiny 1940’s fixer upper home in West Seattle. We bought the house a few years prior with plans to add on someday. After several different plans were drawn, we decided on a 300 square foot addition, that was mostly new kitchen (yay!) and a 2nd bathroom, mudroom and laundry. The old kitchen became the new 3rd bedroom. We were going from a 2 Bedroom/1 Bathroom to a 3 Bedroom / 2 Bathroom – a major upgrade by any West Seattle standards. We had previously remodeled the original bathroom which prepared us (kind of) for what was to come. Had I known we’d be living with no kitchen for a full year (not to mention during the lockdown at the beginning of the Pandemic and in my 2nd and 3rd trimesters of being pregnant with our second child, oh and did I mention we adopted a puppy too?!), I’m not sure I would have done it. I cooked on a hotplate for an entire year! Let’s just say I would make a great camping chef, now that I’ve been through all of that. The whole experience made me more resilient and realize that you CAN and DO get through things you don’t think you can. Things got real ugly before they got even close to looking good and I’m positive I have way more gray hair now than I did before. Not only did we add on to the existing house, but we replaced all the old windows, re-sided, added all new insulation, wiring, plumbing, a massive retaining wall, fencing, landscaping – the works! It has been gratifying to see our vision for this sweet home come to life and finally get to enjoy it. Anyways, I digress – following are some crazy before and afters. Enjoy! Kitchen Range – The old and original kitchen still had an oven from the 1960’s – and for the first two years we lived in this house, it did just a fine job! Amazing! As someone who loves to cook and bake, it was definitely time for an upgrade. I chose a Bertazzoni dual fuel range in a matte white finish that is a workhorse. The fifth burner in the middle is a real plus, and for a 30″ range this feature is much appreciated. The range hood was…

Fall Wreath Making with Friends

October 16, 2021 • Bri Davey •

Fresh wreaths are a fun (and beautiful) way to get into the spirit of the season – whatever season that may be! I love using natural materials as much as possible and many items you can likely find in your own yard. The best way to make wreaths? With friends! Grab supplies, have guests bring items to share, fix up some quick snacks and it’s a party! This post specifically talks about Fall wreaths, but the same ideas apply when using materials from another season. Photos taken by the incredible Ali Vrbas of Sound Roots Photography. Here’s what you need for a wreath making party: Outdoor location or a garage (there will be lots of bits to clean up afterwards) Large table Baskets or other vessels for your dried items Metal hoops (for simple modern wreaths) OR Wire Wreath Bases (for traditional style full wreaths) Thin gauge wire Florist tape 2 foot lengths of ribbon or twine (this is for hanging your wreaths or for adding a bow) Foliage, branches, dried flowers, pinecones etc. Garden shears or clippers Hot glue gun (for attaching items that are hard to wire) Instructions: Have all of your supplies out and ready for your guests. I like to spread things out on a table with shears, tape and wire spaced every couple of feet. Put all of your branches and dried items in baskets or metal vases for your guests to easily grab. Most likely folks will be moving around to grab what they need. Give a tutorial: I like to give a brief tutorial at the start of the gathering and then I walk around and help as needed. There are a few ways to make wreaths, but I like to make several bundles of the items I am using and lay them out in front of me. Then I wire the groups together, before attaching them each to the wreath base. Another way is to use one or two base materials and wire them all around your wreath base. Then you go back and add filler and accent pieces as you see fit. This is where a glue gun can come in handy, for those hard to wire items. Honestly there is no wrong way to make a wreath, but just make sure you are tightly securing each bundle or piece, as once the wreath is outside, wind can wreak havoc on…

My Italian Great Grandmothers’ Biscotti

October 16, 2021 • Bri Davey •

Every year of my adult life I’ve made my Italian Great Grandmothers’ Almond Biscotti around the holidays, and before then I would make it with my mom, along with a long list of other cookies, each Christmas. It’s a tradition that warms my heart. As a kid I thought they were a weird, adult cookie: hard and with no icing – gross! Of course (maybe because I am an adult), I now love them. Eating them as they are and dipping them in coffee (where they really shine). I add my own Pacific Northwest twist – fresh roasted hazelnuts instead of almonds, and they are so dang good. I love wrapping them up with twine and gifting them each year. So much so that now they are expected, which means I’ll have to make them forever, which I am okay with. This year I had some help in the kitchen from my L, only 20 months. She stands on her Ikea step stool and it is the perfect height for her to watch me and get her hands dirty too (which she does!). Without further ado, the recipe and a few photos too. Great Grandma Toia’s Italian Almond (Hazelnut) Biscotti 4 – 4 1/2 Cups Flour 1 Tbs. Baking Powder 1/2 tsp. Salt 1 Cup (2 sticks) Unsalted Butter 1 Cup White Sugar (I use raw cane sugar) 1 Cup Brown Sugar (I like dark brown) 4 eggs (room temp), 1 egg to be separated yolk/white and set aside 1 Tbs. Vanilla, Almond or Hazelnut extract (I use Vanilla, because I always have it on hand) 2 tsp. Cinnamon 1/2 tsp. Ground Cloves 1 Cup finely chopped Almonds or Hazelnuts (really any nuts) TOPPING OPTIONAL: Crushed Peppermint Candy and Nuts OPTIONAL: 1 Cup Dark or Milk Chocolate Chips DIRECTIONS Preheat oven to 325 F. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper and set aside. In large bowl mix 4 cups of the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and cloves. Set aside. In bowl of electric mixer beat butter, both sugars, 3 eggs (one egg at a time), until well mixed. Separate remaining egg white and yolk, and set white aside. Mix in small bowl the yolk and vanilla extract – then add to butter mixture. I don’t know if this pre-mixing vanilla is necessary, but I just follow the recipe from my Grandma! Gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture…

Cookie Decorating 101

September 16, 2021 • Bri Davey •

I’ve been decorating cookies for a loooong time (Hi, Mom and all those gingerbread boys!), but honed my skills in college while working at the amazing Fancy Flours – a direct to consumer baking and decorating supply store, once brick and mortar (gah- miss that store) and now only online. It was started by an incredible baker and entrepreneur, Nancy Quist, for whom I owe much of my love for baking. Since my days at Fancy Flours, it’s been cookie decorating parties with girlfriends, late nights decorating gobs of cookies for friends’ weddings and now sprinkles everywhere while decorating with my two young daughters. There is truly nothing better than a iced sugar cookie, made with love! This style of cookie works great with buttercream icing, but here we will focus on Royal Icing, as that is where some serious magic (and creativity) happens! Note: These cookies are great for gifting, as they hold their shape well and look amazing boxed up the holidays or on a platter for a party as well. Make them for a kids cookie decorating party too – just put a rimmed tray under each childs’ decorating area to catch all of those sprinkles! Here’s what you need: One recipe No Fail Sugar Cookies, from Fancy Flours (also below) One recipe Royal Icing (below) Lemon or Almond Oil (or clear vanilla extract) for flavoring icing Squeeze bottles and tips Gel Food Coloring (or other food coloring, but gel gives great colors) Sprinkles and sugars of your choice Parchment Paper Pan with a rim (like a jelly roll pan) for catching all those sprinkles! Directions: After letting your cookies completely cool, prep your icing. Royal Icing Recipe: To get the best flow out of the squeeze bottles, your royal icing consistency needs to be somewhere between the thickness of heavy cream and ketchup – not too liquid-y, not too thick and globb-y. After you get a consistency you like, separate the icing into bowls or cups with spouts (spouts make for easier pouring into the squeeze bottles). You’ll need as many cups as colors you are making. 3-4 colors (plus white) is typically enough options. Pour into the squeeze bottles and put the lids on. Next grab several heavy drinking glasses (pint glasses work well!) and put a small piece of damp paper towel at the bottom of each. This will prevent the icing in the…

Photo Shoot in Portland

November 21, 2016 • Bri Davey •

I headed down to Portland, Oregon a few weeks back for a photo shoot of my new goods by the amazing Wendi Nordeck of Nordeck Photo. Wendi is a friend of mine and our husband’s have been sailing buddies for quite a few years. She’s been in the photography biz for years and has several clients in San Francisco and Portland. Wendi is a pro. I always knew this, but I was able to experience her professionalism, energy and passion for photography during our two days of studio and location shots. From the get go with my new endeavor I knew I wanted Wendi to do the photography. I was blown away by her attention to detail in every shot, her commitment to the project and I couldn’t be happier with how the photos turned out. A huge thanks to Wendi! Wendi’s studio, PDX Studio 7 is a bright and cheery spot to spend the day in. It’s centrally located in close-in NE Portland and has several huge windows bringing in an abundance of natural light. There is a lovely lounge, kitchen, computer workstations, makeup stations and plenty of space. Wendi is currently renting the studio out and you can contact through either of these websites: nordeckphoto.com or pdxstudio7.com. A few photos from the PDX Studio 7 website are below.