Winter in Wisconsin

The weather outside is frightful, but I enjoyed the day inside baking. A baker I am not - nor do I really like baking. I feel I should at least learn so I decided to make a variety of goodies today. Some turned out beautifully and others no one would try based on looks alone. All of them are pretty tasty. I started out with a very traditional pumpkin spiced bread. I love how the house smells and feels when there is bread baking in the oven. One of P's favorite treats are peanut blossoms. Instead of trying to compete with his mom's recipe I decided to use the recipe my grandmother has used for years. P approved. I also decided to make Mexican Chocolate Cookies. They are a delicious chocolate cookie spiced with just the right amount of red and black pepper. I had to make a favorite of mine as well. Classic white cut-out cookies are always at the top of my list. After struggling with the dough for a little while I was able to manage the cookies like a pro! Finally I finished my baking extravaganza with Spicy Oatmeal Crisps. Crispy they are! If you can get past the crunchiness they have a wonderful flavor. This holiday season I would love to try a fudge recipe, Chex Mix and make some carmel corn. I guess practice makes perfect - I am just looking for edible! :)

The House

Being alone in our home at night is not something I enjoy. Every few months P is gone for an extended weekend and I fend for myself. Not that I cannot take care of myself - I just prefer some company. During the day life is as usual but at night I here every noise. Does the furnace usually make that noise? Does the water heater normally run that long? etc. Kilo is no longer a help because he is deaf and senile, he tries but I know the truth. :) My usual plan of attack for weekends alone is to keep so busy during the day I can't help but fall asleep. This weekend was no different. Friday night I spent painting the kitchen. By the time I was cleaned up it was 11pm and I was ready for bed. Saturday I spent the morning shopping for decorations for the bedroom. After lunch I spent about 9 hours cleaning, painting, and decorating our room. I sat down at 10pm for a "rest." I woke at 5am with 3 very angry animals. They had apparently given up on supper, but they were determined to wake me for breakfast! I feel guilty about the pets missing supper, but I would say mission accomplished for the rest of the weekend.

Home

I went home last weekend - a place that I haven't been much in the last year. Normally when I go home we have a specific purpose and agenda. This weekend P was in Indy and I was bored and drove home. Kilo loved the drive home sound asleep in the back seat. It takes a lot for him to get excited now days. Friday night I spent at home with my mom and my cousin Jessica. We stayed up talking till the wee hours of the morning. The next day I spent the morning with my grandparents and hung out for lunch. My grandfather and I watched the Badger game together. A small victory over Purdue. The afternoon was spent helping my mom around the house. Since purchasing our own house my grandmother's buffet and china hutch need to be cleaned and moved to our new place. I was supposed to head home that evening but was having such a great time I decided to spend another night. We decided to have a bonfire. The rest of the evening was spent catching up with family I have not seen in quite some time. Being back home this past weekend reminded me of what an amazing family I have.

Autumn

I wouldn't say Halloween is my favorite holiday but the season surrounding it is tough to beat. I absolutely love the fall season. I enjoy the the beautiful leaves changing color, the wonderful fall foods from the garden, the brisk air with the warm fall sun. There is not much about the fall I don't enjoy, except the hint of the

winter to come. Each year I take my nephew to a local pumpkin patch where we can play in the cornmaze, crawl on the giant stack of haybales, and pet the rabbits and goats that live on the farm. We always conclude our day at the pumpkin patch with a wagon ride out to the area where the pumpkins are grown and each pick our special pumpkin for the year. In the evening we clean the pumpkins and carve them while watching our favorite TVshows. What a great time of the year.

Mineral Point B&B

P & I are always on the lookout for fantastic local brews. Just last weekend we decided to travel to Mineral Point for a day. We had dinner and drinks at Mineral Point Brewery. They had the best Porter I have tasted in a long time. I also enjoyed the pale ale. We always like to try something new so we ordered Pickled Herring for an appetizer. My grandmother used to eat pickled herring every year for christmas and all I remembered was it smelled bad. But you have to expand your palate and to my surprise it was delicious! I had a delicious Grilled Salmon Salad with bacon and blue cheese for my entree. It was delicious. We stayed at the Bed and Breakfast located on the second floor of the brewery. I would highly recommend this place to anyone. The next morning we ate at the Red Rooster. They have been serving customers for 30 years and they are known for their Cornish Pasty. It took P two seconds to decide that was breakfast.

The Test

For two years I studied, read countless journal articles and books, wrote case reports and completed a credentials packet only to subject myself to an 8 hour three part examination. The exam was held in Las Vegas. P and I enjoyed our time after the examination (I wasn't much fun before the test). We went to Burger Bar where I had my first every pumpkin burger! It was delicious. I spent the entire day after the exam celebrating. We visited many of the casinos and spent most of the day site seeing. In the evening P surprised me by taking me to Craft Steak. This restaurant was founded by Tom Colicchio who is my favorite Top Chef judge. The Vegas trip was a blast and it was made even better when I found out I passed the exam. Dedication and a little stress pay off again for this lady.

So Many Things

Where did the year go? 2010 will go down in history as the most stressful, most exciting, most scary, and best year of my life! The last time I posted I had a different zip code, different priorities and a different last name. So much has changed, but many things remain the same. I will be updating the blog but after much deliberation the title will continue. Even through all the changes I have been through this year I remain the same driven girl I have always been.

Amazing Day Off

The day after the 4th of July is a holiday for many people. I was one of the lucky ones. Today's challenge was to jar strawberry jam solo for the first time. I was really very excited about it! My future in-laws verykindly hand-picked strawberries for me and delivered them

when they visited us this weekend. I spent some time sorting the berries this morning. I wanted some toeat, some to freeze and therest to preserve. I looked up directions online as a reminder of 1 year ago when Jane first taught me how to preserve strawberries. Of coarse I couldn't keep it simple. I had left over rhubarb from my CSA and wanted to make Strawberry Rhubarb preserves as well. The day went well, I ended up with two freezer packs of fresh strawberries, fresh berries in the fridge to eat and 14 perfectly sealed jars of jam. A little extra in the fridge to snack on!

Oil Painting

I wanted to begin a new art project today. I bought some oil paint, poured myself a mimosa, and sat down to paint! Let's see what I can create.

Gardening Project

I began my gardening project for 2010. I received a gardening kit for my birthday this year and it has inspired me to begin planning. I prepared each flower bed and my garden space.

The garden space will never be big enough to hold all the veggies I would love to plant. I have decided to do a rotation of the veggies I very much love to eat. I decided to go to the local gardening store and purchase a few cold weather crops, so I can start my garden early. Today I planted Swiss Chard, peas and beans. This week I will start tomato and pepper plants inside, so when the weather gets a little warmer the plants will be ready to go. Last year, the seed starters did not go so well. I have a little more knowledge this year and a lot more patience!!!

Busy Day

I woke this morning and was ready for a road trip. P and I started at New Glarus Brewery for a quick self-guided tour. P was really impressed, I thought it was a bit commercial - fun never the less! The grounds on which the brewery sits are beautiful. We met C&K and the girls for lunch at Baumgartners (one of P and my favorite places). After lunch we went to Bothem Winery to take the wine tour. The tour was non-existent but the wine was good. The grounds at Bothem are beautiful. I didn't realize they grow many of their own grapes. Once home, the sun was still shining so I took my newly tuned-up bike out for a spin. It was pretty windy, but I enjoyed it non-the-less. Now curling up in the sun with a good book. I might get ambitious and start an art project. We'll see.

Weekend with the Nephew

L came to visit this weekend. I had a fantastic time hanging out with him. Friday night we had a movie night watching "Horton Hears a Who." There is nothing like a child's laugh! On Saturday we went to Olbrich Gardens for story time. Then home to eat lunch and nap. Later we had a play date with one of my coworkers and her children. Dinner and playtime before bed. Later my sister came and we had a nice conversation before turning in for the evening. Today, dinner with L&L and just relaxing. Fantastic weekend!

Brewmaster Dinner

P and I had the opportunity to enjoy the brew master dinner at the Grumpy Troll. It was a six coarse meal paired with craft beer from the brewery. The dinner was amazing. It started with a spicy tuna roll with Wasabi and Terriyaki glaze. It was paired with Devil's Delight. I enjoyed this dish thoroughly (even though I am cautious with sushi). Second pairing was Fig and Bacon stuffed Quail with braised Kale and topped with 20yr Balsamic Vinegar. Next was my favorite dish of the evening: Seared sea scallops with Duck Confit and sweet potato hash topped with green onion honey butter. It was amazing! Then on to braised beef short ribs with roasted brussel sprouts and Cheddar polenta. After a small sample it was sent to the take home dish - not a flavor I enjoy. A trio of artisan cheese followed paired with wonderful ale. Finally homespun ice cream garnished with fresh mint and chocolate dipped almond biscotti. The dinner was fun and the company enjoyable.

FOOD INC

P and I watched FOOD INC two days ago. I cannot get the story out of my head. I have been vocal in the past about eating fresh food and vegetables and understanding where my food comes from. This movie depicts the worst of processed, fast, factory produced foods. P and I changed our venue for the evening dinner we were planning on having down the street to the new Kickshaw restaurant miles away. I had a fantastic chicken pasta and delicious green salad with apple balsamic dressing. Today I was astonished when I walked into the grocery store and found how deceiving labels and marketing can be. I also really took notice how expensive local fresh food is to purchase compared to mass produced items! I am grateful I am able to purchase fresh food and locally grown/produced items, I am sure many people and families are not. I am looking forward to the spring and planting a garden and visiting the farmers markets.

Last Post

Don't get excited the blog will continue. However the process will have changed. Today I am posting my final blog from my home PC. I have waited long enough for a new computer. I purchased my "old trusty" when I graduated college (2003). It has served me well in the past 7yrs and has made many moves including out of state to be with me. Today I purchased my second Apple product. I bought a MacBook. Still fresh in the packaging I am excited and a little nervous to learn a new system. Everyone I have talked to has said "Get a Mac, it just works." I will put those words to the test today.

RENT

Wonderful date yesterday. C&K, P& I went to Paul's Club prior to watching Rent at the Overture Center for the Arts. The movie was no match for this Broadway production. Many of the original cast members, I learned, actually did the movie as well. This is a compelling, emotional, and yet slightly comical production of young New Yorkers trying to succeed with only the clothes on their back and no place to live. I highly recommend this show, forget the movie! We followed the show with drinks at the Old Fashioned and dinner at Tutto Pasta. What a great day.

Fantastic Coffee

The other day I enjoyed a wonderful cup of coffee. It was an experiment of sorts. It is called a Bodum Santos vacuum coffee maker. I have never heard of vacuum coffee making let alone tried it. It was definitely a conversation starter. The coffee tasted wonderful but too much work for those of us awaiting our morning caffeine fix. It would be a wonderful ending to a dinner party or for those of us who love coffee dates.

The Begining

Feeling a little emotional and a little sentimental this evening. I accomplished a task this evening that has been two years in the making. I completed my specialty training credential packet sent it packing UPS style. I feel a great deal relieved and yet a small void. It seems every waking moment for the past month I have focused on one project alone. For the past two years time has been set aside to complete this project, now it is time to focus on something new. For me, new projects are always exciting! I feel I should have taken a short period of time to relax, but of coarse I am looking into the future. My work helped me celebrate by bringing in snacks and coffee. My fabulous fiance sent flowers to say congratulations. I have spent my first evening in a long time doing the things I enjoy: making dinner, snuggling with the pets, and working on my computer. I am looking forward to having some of my time back, but also looking forward to all the exciting things in my future.