Blog Posts

Valentine's Day Desserts

Welcome back to the Nantucket Gate Blog! In this post, we are helping you get ready for Valentine’s Day on the 14th by sharing a few dessert ideas. Whether you are celebrating the holiday by yourself or with a loved one, nothing says ‘I love you’ quite like a decadent, sugary dessert. Head to your favorite grocery store here in Tacoma, WA to pick up all the ingredients you will need to make one of these spectacular desserts in your apartment. Death by Chocolate Cookies from Delish We couldn’t think of a better way to go. To make these insanely chocolatey cookies, you will need flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt, butter, sugar, brown sugar, eggs, vanilla, semisweet chocolate chips, dark chocolate chips, heavy cream, and flaky sea salt (for garnish). Red-Hot Red Velvet Brownies from Midwest Living These red velvet bars feature a dose of cinnamon and a rich cream cheese frosting layer. Ingredients include all-purpose flour, non-stick cooking spray, unsweetened cocoa powder, ground cinnamon, salt, butter, sugar, eggs, and red food coloring. Strawberry Shortcake Cookies from Taste of Home This dessert is a pastry-like cookie topped with strawberry frosting and sliced strawberries. To make these perfect-for-Valentine’s-Day cookies, you will need the following: flour, sugar, salt, butter, water, and vanilla extract. For the frosting you’ll need these ingredients: butter, fresh sliced strawberries, milk, and powdered sugar. Chocolate-Covered Cherry Cookies from Valerie’s Kitchen If you’re a fan of chocolate-covered cherries then this recipe is right up your alley! Here is everything you will need: butter, light brown sugar, white sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, flour, unsweetened baking cocoa, salt, baking powder, baking soda, maraschino cherries, semisweet chocolate chips, sweetened condensed milk, and maraschino cherry juice. White Chocolate Cherry Almond Cookies from A Latte Food Dried cherries, slivered almonds, and white chocolate chips combine for a sweet and tart cookie that you will love. Other ingredients include butter, brown sugar, sugar, eggs, almond extract, vanilla extract, salt, flour, baking soda, and cornstarch. What is your favorite dessert to indulge in on Valentine’s Day? Let us know in the comments and share the recipe if you have it. Thanks for reading. We hope you have a happy Valentine’s Day no matter how you choose to celebrate!

Celebrate National Pizza Day

Do you love pizza? February 9th is National Pizza Day and we thought we’d share a few ideas for different ways that you can celebrate here at Nantucket Gate or out and about around Tacoma, WA. We’ve got a few recipes as well as some restaurant recommendations, including drive times from our apartment community. Recipes Celebrate National Pizza Day without leaving your apartment by making one of these amazing pizza recipes that we found! Macaroni and Cheese Pizza from The Gunny Sack If you’ve never tried mac & cheese pizza you are missing out! Enjoy the super cheesy goodness with this recipe that is made using a premade pizza crust, olive oil, milk, shredded cheese, slices of American cheese, macaroni shells and cheese sauce. Grilled Shrimp Scampi Flatbread Pizza from Recipe Diaries Just looking at the pictures of this pizza made our mouths’ water. Make this savory pizza with an eight inch flatbread, large jumbo shrimp, chopped garlic, butter, olive oil, chicken stock, parmesan cheese, crushed red pepper flakes, and parsley. Cheeseburger Pizza from Spicy Southern Kitchen You’ll find everything you love about a cheeseburger on this incredible pizza. To make it, you will need the following ingredients: ketchup, yellow mustard, ground beef, diced onion, diced green pepper, salt, steak seasoning, prebaked pizza crust, bacon, dill pickles, shredded cheddar cheese, shredded mozzarella, and sliced Roma tomatoes. Restaurants If you’d rather head out of your apartment to enjoy some tasty pizza, consider trying one of these nearby restaurants instead. Drive times are included. Abella Pizzeria (18 mins away) An Italian-style pizzeria that serves up hand-tossed pizzas, salads, pasta, calzones, and more. Try one of their specialty pizzas or build your own! Elemental Pizza (16 mins away) At Elemental Pizza, you will find high-quality wood-fired pizzas, as well as tasty appetizers, soups, pastas, and sandwiches as well. Try their new Buffalo Chicken Pizza or Vegan Delight Pizza. How do you plan on celebrating National Pizza Day? Let us know in the comments. Share your favorite pizza recipes or pizza restaurants in the comments. Thanks for reading!

Sensational Soups

Looking for a warm and savory meal this winter? Try one of these sensational soup recipes to make your tastebuds sing! Keep reading for some of our favorite soup recipes from the Nantucket Gate Blog to your apartment. Warm your insides with a bowl of flavorful soup! Roasted Butternut Squash and Bacon Soup This rich and flavorful butternut squash soup has bits of crisp bacon blended right in. To make this downright scrumptious soup from Damn Delicious , you will need a butternut squash, an onion, chopped red bell pepper, sliced bacon, minced garlic, salt, ground black pepper, dried thyme, chicken stock, crumbled goat cheese, and chopped chives. Chicken and Rice Soup with Green Chiles and Ginger Amp up traditional chicken and rice soup by adding in some chopped green chiles and ginger to give it some unique flavor and some spice. This recipe comes from Bon Appetit and will knock your socks off! Need something to open up your airway? This soup will definitely do the trick! Perfect if you are looking to try something unique with plenty of flavor. Cheesy Chicken Alfredo Soup If you love chicken alfredo pasta, then you will most definitely appreciate this soup-version of the dish from Delish . This soup is a pasta and cheese lovers dreams come true! Here’s everything you will need: butter, chicken breast, salt, ground black pepper, diced onion, minced garlic, flour, chicken broth, half-and-half, tortellini, crushed red pepper flakes, and fresh basil. Chicken Pot Pie Soup Soup and chicken pot pie are two classic southern comfort foods, so when you put them together you know it’s gonna be good! This slow-cooker chicken pot pie recipe from The Gunny Sack will leave you satisfied and your insides warm and happy. What is your favorite soup recipe? Share it with us in the comments. Thanks for reading our post and enjoy a warm bowl of delicious soup this month here in Tacoma, WA!

Fun Facts for Penguin Awareness Day

Did you know that January 20th is Penguin Awareness Day? In honor of this holiday, the Nantucket Gate Blog is highlighting a few facts you might not know about these adorable black and white birds. Read on to learn a thing or two. Facts -There are 17 different species of penguins that can be found in a variety of locations. -Penguins can be found in South Africa, Peru, Chile, the Galapagos Islands, New Zealand, Australia, and several sub-Antarctic islands. -The largest species of penguin is the Emperor penguin, standing at 4 feet tall, while the smallest species is the blue penguin, also called the fairy penguin, that stands just over a foot tall. -Penguins are flightless birds. Most birds have hollow bones to help them fly, but penguins have dense bones to make diving easier. -The black and white coloring of penguins provides an excellent camouflage to protect them while in the water from predators as well as from their prey. -Penguins are carnivores and they eat a variety of marine life such as fish, squid, shrimp, krill, crabs, and other crustaceans. -There are at least 5 species of penguins that are endangered and at a high risk of extinction, as well as several others that are nearly endangered. How You Can Help You can donate to one of the many wildlife preservation associations such as the World Wildlife Fund , National Wildlife Federation , or World Animal Foundation . Several of these organizations also offer symbolic penguin adoption options. By symbolically adopting a penguin, your funds go to helping conservation, rescue, and rehabilitation efforts for these creatures. You can also spread awareness about these animals and the important part they play in the ecosystems both on land and in the ocean. Did you learn anything new from this post? How do you plan on celebrating Penguin Awareness Day this month? Share your thoughts with us in the comments. Thanks for reading our post and have a wonderful month here in Tacoma, WA!

Recipes for National Popcorn Day

Did you know National Popcorn Day is coming up? January 19th is the day to celebrate your love for popcorn. Head out to the movies and enjoy some popcorn, or stay in your apartment here at Nantucket Gate, watch a movie, and make one of these recipes for some tasty popcorn. Read on for some recipe suggestions from our blog. Mexican Churro Popcorn This recipe from A Simple Pantry will make your popcorn taste like your favorite fried Mexican dessert — a churro! Here is a list of all the ingredients you will need: canola oil, popcorn kernels, butter, vanilla almond bark. Powdered sugar, white granulated sugar, cinnamon, and allspice. Lemony Kale Popcorn Add some zing to your popcorn with this lemony kale recipe from Simply Fresh Dinners . This low calorie snack won’t leave you feeling guilty afterward. Toss completely dry kale with olive oil and salt and bake it in the oven at 325 F for 11 minutes or until crispy. Remove the kale and let it cool. Combine the kale with the lemon zest in a food processor and blend into a fine powder. Season your popcorn with the powder for a tasty snack with a zing! Sweet and Spicy Wasabi Popcorn If you are a fan of wasabi, you won’t be able to get enough of this popcorn. The recipe comes from Kitchen Confidante . Here is everything you will need to make it: brown sugar, kosher salt, wasabi powder, cayenne pepper, canola oil, popcorn kernels, and melted butter. Salted Peanut Butter Caramel Corn with Bacon This flavor-overloaded popcorn is definitely not for the faint of heart. This snack from The Pioneer Woman has it all — caramel, peanut butter, and bacon! This rich and hearty snack will fill you up! You will need coconut oil or vegetable oil, popping corn, kosher salt, corn syrup, peanut butter, sugar, baking soda, vanilla, honey roasted peanuts, and chopped cooked bacon. How do you plan on celebrating National Popcorn day in Tacoma, WA this month? Let us know and share any of your favorite unique popcorn recipes with us in the comments. Thanks for reading and happy popping!

Make Your Own Bubble Bath

January 8th is Bubble Bath Day , so to help you celebrate the Nantucket Gate Blog is sharing a few recipes for homemade bubble bath, bath salts, and bath bombs. Enjoy a relaxing, aromatherapeutic bath in your apartment here in Tacoma, WA this month to celebrate. After the stress of the holidays, nothing sounds better than a nice, soothing bath. Vanilla Bubble Bath Soak This DIY recipe comes from Nellie Bellie and is fairly simple to make. You will need light olive oil, baby wash, honey, and imitation vanilla extract or a different desired scent. Your skin will feel silky and smooth after soaking in this refreshing and gentle bubble bath. Calming Lavender Bubble Bath Incorporate lavender into your bubble bath for a relaxing and revitalizing effect on both your body and mind. This recipe comes from Our Holly Days . Combine distilled water, liquid Castile soap, vegetable glycerin, coconut oil, and lavender essential oil. You can also add some food coloring to make it appear more purple and add in some dried lavender too, if you’d like. Lavender Mint Bath Salts Wellness Mama shared this aromatic bath salt recipe with stress relieving and skin hydrating benefits. Combine epsom salts, baking soda, dead sea salt (optional), lavender essential oil, peppermint essential oil, and coconut, almond, or argan oil. Green Tea Bath Bombs Green tea has several skin benefits , which is why it makes a great bath bomb! For this DIY bath bomb recipe from The Casual Craftlete , you will need baking soda, citric acid, green tea seed oil, green tea seed extract, Irish green La Bomb Colorant, witch hazel, stainless steel bath bomb mold, cyclomethicone, and droppers. Make your own scented bubble bath, bath salts, or bath bombs by substituting in your favorite essential oils. What are your favorite scents? Have you ever made your own bubble bath, bath salts, or bath bombs? Let us know in the comments. Thanks for reading and have a relaxing Bubble Bath Day on January 8th!