Late Night Swim This Week

Last day of real summer, August 31st. At least, that is the way it feels like to me. This is the last week that the Henry Moses Aquatic Center will be open until next year. Sigh and deep sense of sadness. You have two more glorious evenings of late night swimming - tonight, Monday, from 8pm to 10 pm - its called TWILIGHT SWIM. Next and last chance will be this Wednesday evening at the same hours.

Daytime swimming, outside of the morning Lap Swims from 6 am till 8 am, will be Leisure Swim from 12 noon till 3:30 pm and then from 4:00 pm till 7:30 pm. You have until Closing Day which will be September 7th.

Henry Moses Aquatic Center
1719 SE Maple Valley Hwy
Renton, WA 98057
(425) 430-6780

lawn weddings

Weddings - I saw two of them, after the rainy start of Saturday subsided and the sun perked up the sky. This was just the tail end of a joyous function held on the lawn just outside the doors of the Renton Senior Activity Center here in North Renton. Such a beautiful spot, I am surprised that this is the first I have had the pleasure of happening upon.

The photos were taken with my Blackberry Phone - so not the greatest, but you get the idea.

Jazzy Brunch for Everyone

A Terrible Beauty Irish Pub is the newest best place to take the family for brunch. That's right - their license has gone through, and now up until 9pm, the under aged are allowed on the premises and everyone can come together to enjoy the great restaurant vibe that owners Pat and Jenna are putting down

I have written about the brunch at A Terrible Beauty before, but since then it has gotten even better. Now you can go and listen to the mellow and melodic music of a pair of jazz guitarists while you sip your good cup of joe and enjoy an incredible collection of eggs benedict dishes and omelets, served with (my favorite choices) a scone or piece of Irish soda bread. Oh, and the bit about being able to bring in the younguns is important update news as well.

The breakfast/brunch begins at 9am and ends at 3pm. If you were partying at the pub the night before, bring in your receipt and get 20% off your breakfast until they stop serving it. Jenna and Pat have also been hitting the streets with a handy dandy coupon that entitles you to 50% off the second brunch, lunch or dinner entree when you purchase the first at equal or lesser value. Try to pick one up. Sundays feature the $3 Bloody Mary.

Be on the lookout for a lot of incredible music opportunities at A Terrible Beauty as well. They are promoting Alternative, Punk and Rock Music without cover charge and on a weekly basis. Sign up with Jenna to receive a biweekly update as to who is on the stage/docket and include it in your rooster for nights out and fun.

A Terrible Beauty
201 Williams Ave. S.
in the DTR
(425) 227 - 3396
Full Menu till 11pm, open til 2am
Happy Hour 3-6 Weekdays

Newly opened on South Third Street

Cedar Chest Antiques boasts new management, new stock and a new name on the front window. With a soft opening a couple of weeks ago, Beverly Franklin and David Olds, recently of the Antique Shopping Mall from around the corner on Wells Ave., have opened new antique shopping digs for themselves. The storefront was home to another antique store prior to this one, but has a much cleaner and uncluttered look to it and there is no mistaking it for the previous shop.

The Antique Mall was one of my favorite shopping haunts when I first came to Renton, and as I pen this post, my laptop sits on a cute 50's linoleum table with matching chairs that became my first of many purchases from Beverly's previous store. I loved it in there - there were many treasures to be unearthed. The new store still has some of the goodies I grew to love looking at, but is a mite less full of the clutter and clump that are still an endearing featuring of an interesting antique shopping experience for me. Yet, as I whisked through this morning, David was purchasing some goodies from a client (yes, you can come here to relieve yourself of antiques as well!) and my thought is that more stock will be added in no time.

Cedar Chest Antiques
916 South Third Street
(25) 271 - 0511
11 - 5pm Tuesday - Saturday

When an apron is all you need

The Little Black Dress Apron is adorned with a neckline of tasteful jewels. has two different styles and is $34. The Retro Fabric Wall Art is made by Mary Clymer, owner of Happy Delusions, is $40 and Mary does take custom orders. The ubercool red heart necklace is $44. The cutest window in the DTR can be found at...

Happy Delusions
924 S. 3rd St. (425)255-6078

summer fruits

Summer fruits. At times my kitchen has been abundant to overflowing with them these last couple of weeks. I am always on the look out for a recipe that will help diminish my fruit stash and make me want to bake more. This recipe was discovered at a cute food blog "Cookie Pie" , and was originally called The Blueberry Crumble Bar.Note that ANY fruit combination can be used in this recipe and not just blueberries. The fruit pictured above has peaches, Italian plums and rainier cherries in it and it was an amazing mouthful - yum!

Fruit Crumb Bars
Makes 24

1 1/2 cups sugar
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. plus a pinch of salt
16 Tbsp. (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 large egg
4 cups fresh fruit
1 TBS vanilla
1 Tbsp. cornstarch

1. Preheat oven to 375ºF. Line a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with foil, leaving an overhang over 2 sides. Mist foil with cooking spray.

2. In a food processor, pulse together 1 cup sugar, flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Add the butter pieces and pulse again until mixture resembles wet sand. Pulse in egg, just to blend. The dough will be crumbly. Pat half into the baking pan.

3. In a bowl, stir the remaining 1/2 cup sugar, cornstarch and pinch of salt. Fold in the fruit and vanilla. Pour the fruit mixture evenly over the crust. Crumble the reserved dough over the berries. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until the top is golden brown and the fruit is bubbling. Let cool on a wire rack until room temperature, then cover and chill for at least 1 hour before lifting out and cutting into bars.

Note: These keep beautifully in the fridge, covered, for up to 4 days. You can give them a little toast in the toaster oven to crisp them up again. They're also great with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. I didn't try it but I bet they'd freeze well, too.

The Renton Reporter moves to Kent

The sign outside the Mills Ave. building where The Renton Reporter resides says "Your Community Newspaper". While still planning to be of the community, for the community, the Renton Reporter will no longer be in the community as of tomorrow, when it moves to Kent to share digs with sister publication The Kent Reporter just three blocks shy of Renton.

Helping out with overhead at the West Valley Hwy and S. 194/6th Street location is just temporary, the staff at the Reporter assured me today while they had an impromptu going away cake amidst the moving boxes and slight disarray. (The Picaroon was graciously offered cake but declined - our summer sugar intake has been a tad scary!). The Kent Reporter can expect to have Renton around just until their lease is up and then the plan is to return back here, with the ultimate goal being to open their offices in a storefront location.

The Renton Reporter Staff :
Jamie Faase, Natalie Bonham, Dean Radford, Rene Flansaas, Ellen Morrison, Celeste Gracy, Adam McFadden

The general staff consensus is that you will see them around even more and not less. The Reporter would not like us to feel as if we have been abandoned in anyway. However, it will put a kink in Celeste Gracy being able to walk to half of her interviews for articles and from seeing Rene and Natalie out and about on a coffee run to Liberty Cafe.

Safe travels down Kent way and hope the lease is up soon!

caught in my camera frame

even when it's gray

Overcast and gray, but still it's okay to float upon the river. The Cedar River in Renton is busy all year long, but most of the time we residents remain outside of the water and not in. Yesterday a certain mugginess in the air and thoughts still on summer being here, there was a confluence of people on and in the river just near the Jones Park. How fun.

Tomorrow you can have your nails done

It has been a long road of recovery since the 5 alarm fire that struck in downtown Renton over 2 months adversely affected the building housing the CK Nail and Spa on South Third Street. Granted, the building that went up in flames was around the corner on Wells Ave. S. but the thousands of gallons of water that were used to save the block from going up in flames rained down heavily through the roof of the salon. After all the other businesses seemed to have gotten up and running thus far, CK is just now ready to reopen their doors once again.

Chi and her husband, Kevin were both in the store this afternoon putting the last finishing touches in preparation for opening tomorrow. The entire salon was gutted and redone, with a new color on the walls and a rejuvenated air about the place.

Tomorrow there will be specials to welcome the clientele back, so spread the word and come on in to have a soothing mani/pedi in the deluxe spa chairs. Rub the Happy Buddha's belly while you are there. Many other shop owners might have thrown in the towel and walked away. Lucky for us, Chi and her nail salon decided to stay.

CK Nails & Spa
900 S. Third St. (425)282-6453
Mon - Sat: 9am-7pm Closed Sunday

The Meaning of life

I have often thought that the meaning of life could be found in the bottom of my coffee cup, so the fresh roasted stuff of Caffe D'Arte bearing that name was speaking my language. It is also available to all of you, $11.95 a coffee pound, which is cheap for life altering truths and obscure mysteries solved.

While there with your omniscient beans, you may consider a little something sweet to help make the revealing messages of life go down that much easier. Try these mini cupcakes, in their assorted flavors and dreamy color combos. Match it to your outfit or your mood. Remember, you still are in charge of your destiny, no matter what the coffee cup says to you. And whatever you do, don't hold a conversation with the coffee in public - somethings should remain a secret still to the rest of us listless coffee drinking peeps.

Common Ground Cupcakes and Coffee
900 South Third St.(425) 235 - 1717
www.commongroundcupcakes.com

Renton Hill has their picnic

Potluck Picnic on Renton Hill this evening at the Phillip Arnold Park. Anyone in or around that area should surely go - those neighborhood gatherings are what give Renton our cool and comfy small town feel. They are also a great way to get to know your neighbors better, share in some potluck dishes and see a few of the city council members making the rounds.

I am sending my best thoughts out to Marcie Palmer who seems to have taken some kind of spill and damaged a leg, forcing her to slow down (so NOT Marcie-like) and put her feet at ease. Gary, her husband (pictured with Marcie above) filled me in this weekend on the news. It happened about a week ago, so maybe Marcie is a-okay now. Hope so - she is always one of those friendly faces you want to see while eating a hot dog and buying a raffle ticket for some goodies at the neighborhood gathering.

UPDATE: Directly from Marcie Palmer herself this morn:

Hi Lady P and all my Renton Friends!

Yes, I broke my right leg and will be unable to put any weight on it for 6 weeks:(

Thursday I get a cast put on, and hopefully that will be somewhat more comfortable. For now, I'm watching all of you through the blogs, enjoying the pictures and stories of what's going on, and missing you all! I have crutches, but anybody that has had to use them knows how hard they are on the upper body. I hurt in places I didn't know were there!

Keep the colorful pics coming and thanks for the Howdy!

Marcie P.

Phillip Arnold Park
720 Jones Ave. S
Renton, WA 98055
(425) 430-6700

Let me take you to the Market - Week 13

Jessie's Berries professed "We've got the Blues!" today at the Renton Farmers Market, and they most certainly did. Blueberries, blackberries, raspberries - luscious berries. Buy a little, buy a lot - every berry your little heart desired.

You know me - gotta plug the absolutely gorgeous $5 bouquets of flowers that are everywhere in our market. I have recently been down Pike Place Market way in Seattle, and let me tell you, our fleurs are more plentiful and wonderfully priced than those I glimpsed there (personal opinion, of course).

Future generation of flower shopper in the making.

Sign up to have delivery of milk and eggs directly to your home by Smith Brothers. First week that both eggs and milk have been available for purchase at the market - wonderful. Makes for a one stop shop approach at the market and helps add further appeal to our ever growing market selection. Want to find out more? Head to the Smith Brother's website.

Oh Fudge! has more than just candy to offer - this week, they had the largest squares of 7 Layer Bar Cookies imaginable and the price that could not be beat! $3! Don't lick the screen, it's bad for you.

Fall is coming - you can feel it in the air and the crops are beginning to change, and so are the fruits. I know that you can always find at least one vendor with apples, but I am already thinking of those cherries who are having their last week at the market, making way for other goodies to come. Like soon to arrive fresh fall apples.

Life is always colorful at the Market. That's why you should stop by.

I had never seen so many colors of carrots before until this week at Full Circle Farm - where all the produce is certified organic and all the colors are mesmerizing.

If you buy no other herb or spice than this, you will still have the best basic ingredient in your kitchen. Onions - they can make any savory dish taste even better

Free Range Eggs! Only $4 a dozen or bring your own egg carton and knock down the price by 50 cents. They looked so warm and fresh - straight from the hen.

Don't forget your veggies! I know that the tasty market desserts are calling your name, but not before you have your basic colorful greens and lycopene filled tomatoes first, please.

Music is always an element of the market. Sidewalk busking, guitar melodies making the shopping that much nicer. Today was supposed to be Public Karaoke at the microphone. Our citizens with singing skills were somewhere else this afternoon. I did not hear a peep or a squeak from the stage while skirting the edges of the booths. Okay - maybe that was for the best. I wouldn't want to accost anyone with my singing, maybe everyone else was being just as considerate.

Renton Farmers Market
Tuesdays from 3pm till 7pm
The Piazza/ S Third and Burnett

Meet me at the Market

Something new to round out your weekly shopping at the Market today - fresh milk and eggs!

"Starting August 25, there will be farm fresh eggs available at the market from the Twisted S Ranch. Bring in your own egg carton and receive 50 cents off your eggs!!"

"Check out Smith Brothers Dairy!!! They will also have eggs, and you can sign up to have local organic milk delivered to your house!! "

This news directly from the Renton Farmer's Market Newsletter. Wanna get the news and the green sheet yourself? Go the the Renton Farmers Market website and sign up now! There are only 4 weeks of the Market left, so make the most of them! The newsletter is also offering a smattering of great recipes and news on how to preserve fruits and veggies as well

Chef Demo at 4:30pm Jack's Pub (sponsored by Renton Tech)
Karaoke for the public at 5:30pm

Renton Farmers Market
Today 3pm till 7:00 pm
The Piazza/ S. Third and Burnett