My Nashville Adventure

I went to Nashville for a Marathon recently and here is a photo reel of everything I ate...

The best donuts I've ever had from 5 Daughters Bakery. My favorite was the Maple one, but all of them were crazy delicious and the perfect treat to have the day after a marathon! 

A celebratory Bloody Mary from The Frothy Monkey.  This was our day-after-the-race brunch spot.  Breakfast was delicious and it is located on a super cute street to walk around.  

Jackalope Brewery had the cutest taproom...go there! 

A trip to Nashville wouldn't be complete without some Hattie B's Hot Chicken! I went for medium, it was delicious,  and it was the first thing I really ate after the run so it was life-saving as well.  We also got all the sides because Bri is a vegetarian and he loved them! 

Not that special, but we carb-loaded at Bucca de Beppo and I just couldn't believe the size of this dish and the tastiness of those meatballs! 

Country Music Hall of Fame! Do it! 

The Rock n' Roll Marathon Expo was super cute! 

This was a crazy good PB&J that I got at this amazing sandwich shop!  Clawson's Pub and Deli has great sandwiches and a ton of local beers.  This was the day before the race so I did not take part in the drinking, but I would love to go back and try some! 

On the way to Nashville we stopped at the Louisville Slugger Museum.  Bri had a blast and you get to see them making baseball bats! Plus, you get to take a miniature bat home with you! 

We also just walked around the city which is super adorable and we made a pit stop at Acme to check out some Honky Tonk and get a drink.  Overall, the weekend was fantastic and I can't wait to go back another time to check out more that this fabulous city has to offer!

Thirsty Thursday: Fall Moscow Mules

Last night I went to a Team Have Dreams pasta dinner party! It was so nice to meet other members of team have dreams.  We talked about how we are getting ready for the big marathon day and experienced runners shared stories and advice.  Plus, we had so much pasta and pizza!  It was a really nice evening and it always amazes me how much you have to talk about with other people who are also running a marathon.  I only have a few more days left until the big day! 

So, I just ran my last TWO miles! Yep, only two.  I feel very excited and I can't believe the next time I run it will be in the Chicago Marathon!  Woo!

Last weekend, my buddy Caryn came over.  As we were getting ready for a girl's night out with dinner and wine, we decided it would be a splendid idea to make some Moscow Mules.  I am a huge fan and I decided to put a little twist on it so that it would be fall themed.  I found some ginger vodka at the store and delicious apple cider and I was ready to go.  It was a great tasting drink and we loved how the apple cider really went well with the ginger.  I don't have the cute copper mugs (I registered for them!), but the drink was still great!  If you are looking for a cold, fall cocktail, this is the one!

Fall Moscow Mules

Ingredients:

2 oz. ginger vodka

2 oz. apple cider

juice of 1/8 lime (or more to taste)

ginger beer (get some high quality stuff)

Directions:

1. Pour the vodka, apple cider, and lime juice into your cup.  Then, add the ginger beer.  About a 1/2 cup works well.  Add ice and serve! 

Mexican Red Head Mules

It's time for another "Thirsty Thursday!"  A few weeks ago, I shared a post written by my little brother, Zack. He is the guy who was the bartender at our engagement party, and he has been coming up with some really great drinks.  This one is perfect to pair with a Tex-Mex meal, but I also feel like it should be sipped while on the beach.  

I traveled with my family to Arizona for Spring Break this year and this location is what inspired my brother to come up with this fun drink! Moscow Mules are a really trendy drink right now and this is just a spin on that! 

Mexican Red Head Mules

Ingredients:

(for one drink)

8 oz Ginger Beer

1 shot Silver Tequila

1 tsp lime juice

1/2 tsp grenadine

Directions:

Mix all ingredients together and serve over ice.  

Enjoy :) 

Guest Blogger: Thirsty Thursdays by Zack

Today, I have a very special guest blogger!  I am pretty pumped about this.  It's my little brother!  When our spring breaks lined up this year, we spent some time hanging out.  I told him about how I really wanted to get my blog going again and he told me about how he wanted to be a bar tender.  I was like, hmmm....how can we combine both of these fun/fantastic ideas?  And here we are: Thirsty Thursdays by Zack!  The little bro is going to share with me drink ideas that he has and I am going to share them here! 

Z shared this recipe with me along with some cute photos.  He took this recipe from Cookin Bug, and jazzed it up into his own frozen version.  I give you: The Frozen Pineapple Almond Upside Down Cake! 

Frozen Pineapple Almond Upside Down Cake

Ingredients:

1 1/2 oz Cake Vodka

1 1/2 oz Amaretto

3 oz Pineapple Juice

1 Pineapple Slice

splash Grenadine

Strawberry Vodka Whipped Cream

1 Maraschino cherry

Directions:

1. Blend with ice: Cake Vodka, Amaretto, Pineapple Juice and Pineapple slice

2. Pour into glass

3. Add splash of grenadine

4. Stir gently to gradually combine grenadine with frozen drink

5. Top with whipped cream and a cherry

Enjoy :)

Green Smoothie

I figured I should kick off 2015 with a healthy recipe after all this celebrating over our engagement, the holidays, Cancun, and New Years. This smoothie is great because it has so many healthy ingredients and it can also be a meal supplement when you are looking for a healthy detox sort of smoothie.  I was inspired by the recipe over at Sally's Baking Addiction and made a few changes based on my preferences.  So, grab your blender, get some fresh ingredients, and get ready for a delicious way to be a little more healthy!

Green Smoothie

Ingredients:
1/2 cup pineapple coconut water
1 cup fresh pineapple, chopped
1 cup fresh mango, chopped
2 cups baby spinach, packed
1/2 avocado, cubed

Directions:
1. Throw everything into a blender and blend until smooth.

Enjoy :)

Marathon Training and a Detox Mango Avocado Smoothie

Here is what you think about when you sign up for a marathon:
1. I'm young, I'll probably be fine.
2. This looks really cool.
3. It's a bucket list thing.

Here is what you think about during training:
1. Geez this is a lot of running.
2. I'm so hungry all the time.
3. My knee hurts.
4. Am I sure I can do this?

And here is where I am at now:
1. I'm totally ready.
2. I'm totally excited.

Last weekend, I ran the Magellan Ready to Run 20 miler.  I was so nervous leading up to the event, but when I finished I was truly amazed.  I ran the whole time at my 10 minute mile pace.  Therefore, I ran 20 miles in 3 hours and 20 minutes.  It was amazing.  I have never felt such relief and excitement at accomplishing anything like this before. I have been training with CARA (Chicago Area Running Association) and it has totally paid off.  If someone told me 5 years ago that I would be running a marathon, I would have thought they were completely insane.  And yet, here I am.  Last year, I went and watched some of the Chicago Marathon and decided that I should do it.  Now, I am two 2 weeks away!!!  I feel totally ready and completely amazed at what I can do.

post-run!

Today, was the first "taper" run.  After 20, you taper (run less and less) until the race.  Today, I ran 12 miles and it was the first time in 6 weeks that I ran less than a half marathon during the weekend.  How insane is that???

Throughout training, I have tried to focus on my health as well as my running and teaching.  However, all this running really does just make me want to eat everything in sight!  To try and avoid eating a ton of junk, I have discovered various healthy recipes.  Today, I am sharing one.  This is one of a few smoothie recipes that I have tried over the course of my marathon training and it really is delicious as well as nutritious.  I highly recommend it as a great way to get your veggies and feel amazing.  If you are running a ton, you will need more than this, so maybe have some peanut butter with toast in addition to the yummy smoothie.

Detox Mango Avocado Smoothie

Ingredients:
1/2 cup chopped fresh mango
1/2 cup sliced avocado
1 cup orange juice (I used Tropicana 50)
2 tbsp lime juice

Directions:
1. Put everything in blender and blend until smooth.  This makes 2 large smoothies.

Enjoy :)

2013: A Year in Review and a Fabulous New Year's Cocktail

2013 was one amazing year.  I can't believe all that has happened.  I completed student teaching, graduated from college, ran my first half marathon, got my first teaching job, moved into an apartment with Bri, and became a mom!

For all you readers who just became shocked about that last detail, I have to clarify.  I became a mommy to the cutest cat in the world!  I can't believer I haven't talked about Benny already!  Bri's sister found a kitten on the streets and Bri and I decided to take him in!  His full name is Benedict Ted Cumberbatch.  The Benedict Cumberbatch part comes from Bri's sister who decided it was a great name.  Plus, he is an awesome actor and stars as Sherlock in the BBC version of Sherlock Holmes (great show!).  The Ted part comes from Bri's and my favorite show, How I Met Your Mother.  Bri and I are Marshall and Lilly (he's a lawyer and I'm a teacher) and then we just needed a Ted to complete our apartment!  He's an awesome little kitty and I love him so much! Also, I apologize in advance for any typos in this post...Benny is currently laying on one of my arms while I type and is just being too darn cute for me to move him.

The other most exciting accomplishment for me this year has been my work as a new teacher!  I absolutely love my job, love my colleagues, and love my students.  I am have a great year and, although it is exhausting and often difficult, it is so rewarding and I know that I have chosen the right path based on how happy I am.

In other news, I have continued to cook and run as much as I can.  These are clearly important passions of mine and I am grateful to have kept up with them as I have become more busy with my job.  Although I am very happy, I have made up my mind on a few new years resolutions.  The biggest one is that I want to blog more.  I have continued to cook, but I have seriously cut back on blogging.  I want to change this in the new year and make sure to keep up with my blog.  I also want to work on becoming a better teacher by taking classes to further my education and make sure that I am the best I can be for my students.  In addition, I have set my sights on running my first marathon and I can't wait to start documenting that experience.  This new year is sure to be great and I can't wait to continue to share all my experiences here.

Finally, on a fun note, I am making a fabulous cocktail for tonights festivities.  Some friends are coming over for a potluck and I have decided to contribute stuffed shells (coming to you soon) and a Sparkling Pomegranate Cocktail!

Sparkling Pomegranate Cocktail
(adapted from Food & Wine)

Ingredients:
1 quart pomegranate juice
2 cups orange juice
2 cups limeade
750 ml Prosecco
1 fresh orange, sliced
1 fresh lime, sliced
ice

Directions:
1.  Pour all wet ingredients into a large pitcher and stir to combine.  Stir in slices of the orange and lime.  Chill.
2.  Serve with ice and additional slices of orange and lime.

Enjoy :)

Happy Birthday Mommy! Oreo Coffee Ice Cream Cake!

It is about time that I got back here!

I have been really busy getting ready for school and moving to the city!  It has been a crazy and exciting time and I have so much to share.

For school, I have been working on my web page, planning the first day, and thinking about my classroom management plan.  I have gone in a few times to set up my desk and binders and get acquainted with the staff.  I got my own key and had some meetings about benefits.  I must admit, I still feel like I have no idea what is going on, but I am excited.  Next week, new teacher training starts and I can't wait to meet some of the other new teachers and become more prepared for the start of the year!

I have been exploring restaurants like crazy now that I am in a new place and it has been great.  Some of our favorites so far have been Glen's Diner and Margie's Candies.  We have been eating out quite a bit since we want to explore, but I have also been cooking in my new kitchen and I can't wait to share some of my creations.

Today, I have to share my latest dessert creation in honor of my Mommy.  Yesterday was her birthday and we had an awesome night out in the city.  We started out at the Signature Lounge on the 96th floor of the John Hancock building.  The view was incredible.

We had appetizers and drinks and it was lovely.

Next, we headed back to our apartment for dinner across the street at Caro Mio.  This Italian restaurant is known for its HUGE portions.  Also, it is a BYOB so that was fun.  Our dinner was fantastic.  My mom got salmon, dad got bolognese, Bri got eggplant parmesan, I got pasta primavera, and Zack got the crowd favorite: Gnocchi.

Finally, we headed back to the apartment for dessert.  Now, this is where I get excited since I made a dessert that had my mom's name written all over it.  I was inspired by a recipe over at BruCrew for Oreo Fudge Cappuccino Ice Cream.  My mom loves coffee ice cream and oreos! So, I decided to make an Oreo Coffee Ice Cream Cake!  I made coffee ice cream, layered it with crushed oreos and topped it all off with a ganache frosting.  It was delicious!

Oreo Coffee Ice Cream Cake

Ingredients:
Coffee Ice Cream:
14 oz Sweetened Condensed Milk
2 cups heavy cream
3 tbsp instant coffee
about 24 crushed oreos
Ganache Frosting:
12 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup heavy cream
1 tsp vanilla

Directions:
1. In a large bowl, beat cream, condensed milk, and coffee until combined.
2. Pour into ice cream maker and churn according to directions.
3. Place half the crushed oreos on the bottom of a 9 inch springform pan.
4. When ice cream is done, pour half over the oreos and spread it out to cover the oreos.  Then, place the other half of the crushed oreos over the ice cream and pour the rest of the ice cream on top.  Place in freezer to harden.
5. Meanwhile, make the frosting.  Heat up the cream in the microwave for 2-3 minutes or until just about to boil.  Pour over the chocolate chips in a separate bowl and stir until chocolate is melted and combined.  Next, pour in vanilla and beat with the mixer until ganache starts to form soft peaks.  Pour over your ice cream cake and place back in freezer until ready to serve.  To serve, just push the springform pan out and cut into slices.

Enjoy :)

Red White and Blue Sangria

Happy 4th of July! Today's recipe is a drink recipe that is super festive.  Enjoy my Red White and Blue Sangria!

I am off to go for a run and then see the parade! Later today, Bri and I are meeting up with friends to see some more fireworks!  I am excited to celebrate and enjoy a day off from camp!

Last night, we had an awesome potluck dinner with a bunch of my friends.  I made veggie flatbread and this drink and then we headed over to watch the fireworks in my home town.  It was such a fun evening and it made me so happy to be surrounded by such amazing friends.  I really feel so blessed to have them in my life and it was a great way to start celebrating the 4th!

Red White and Blue Sangria (adapted from Group Recipes)

Ingredients:
1 bottle dry white wine (I used Sauvignon Blanc)
1/2 cup triple sec
1/4 cup citrus vodka
blueberries
raspberries
pineapple, cut into chunks
strawberries, quartered
1 cup sugar
1 cup water

Directions:
1. First place 1 cup sugar and 1 cup water into a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Let boil for a minute or two and then turn off heat and let cool.
2. In a large pitcher, pour wine, triple sec, and vodka.  Stir in sugar mixture and add in fruit.  I would just add in as much fruit as you want.  Also, you can cut the pineapple into chunks or cute shapes!
3. Serve over ice.

Enjoy :)

Strawberry Bellini

Not much time to chat today.  I am so busy with school this week that I can't think straight!  I recently received all of my letters of recommendation and therefore I am now able to submit complete applications to schools!  If you know anyone who is looking for a math teacher, let me know! I have been filling out applications like crazy and it is making me feel both very overwhelmed and very excited/nervous. I don't have much time to cook or bake! I do, however, have a new and exciting thing to share: I have a Drink Recipe today!

Last weekend, Tamara, Courtney, and I made dinner.  I made a recipe that involved strawberries (more on that later) and we had a ton of extra ones.  Tamara had the fabulous idea of pureeing them and adding the strawberry puree to champagne to make some fun drinks for our dinner.  The Strawberry Bellinis were fantastic and it was a great addition to our fun ladies night.  All you need: champagne and strawberries!

Strawberry Bellini

Ingredients:
Champagne
10-12 strawberries

Directions:
1. Cut of the stems and quarter the strawberries.  Place in food processor and chop until you have a smooth puree.
2.  Add about 2-3 tbsp of puree to 1 cup of champagne.  At this point, simply add to your taste preferences.

Enjoy :)

Hard Cider Mac and Cheese

So, there might be another snow day tomorrow.  I know right? Another one! I am excited, but also a little overwhelmed about re-planning for the next day.  However, I am planning on getting a lot done if there is a snow day and I might even cook or bake! Who are we kidding, I'm definitely going to make something sweet.

Anyways, today was sort of fun since we played with puzzle pieces in Geometry and learned about central angles and interior angles of polygons.  It was a fun lesson that was accessible for everyone and that was really nice to see.

For lunch, I brought some of the Hard Cider Baked Macaroni and Cheese that I had left-over from this weekend.  I was in Madison this weekend and did not have a ton to do.  So, I cooked! It was really great and now I have leftovers to bring for lunch!  This macaroni and cheese is super tasty and you should all give it a try.  Instead of the Woodchuck Amber that the original recipe called for, I used the new Woodchuck "Spring" Blend.  This added a sweetness that was really great with the apples, onions and cheddar cheese.  Okay, lets also talk cheese.  I go to school in Wisconsin and so I have access to some pretty fabulous cheese.  For this recipe I used Sharp Aged Babcock Cheddar.  This is the stuff that is made on campus and it was awesome.  Enough chit-chat, here is the recipe for Hard Cider Baked Macaroni and Cheese.

Hard Cider Baked Macaroni and Cheese (adapted from Bakeaholic Mama)

Ingredients:
12 oz whole wheat pasta
16 oz Aged Sharp Cheddar Cheese
1 cup Woodchuck Hard Cider
1/2 cup skim milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 granny smith apple, peeled and chopped
2 tbsp unsalted butter
3 tbsp whole wheat flour
1/2 tbsp yellow mustard
1 tsp paprika
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Cook pasta according to directions until al dente, drain and set aside.
3. In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat and toss in onions and apples.  Cook for about 5-10 minutes or until onion is translucent.  Toss in the flour and stir to coat.  Things should look crusty.  Pour in the cider, milk, and cream and bring to a boil.  Stir in abou 3/4 of the cheese and stir until melted. Remove from heat and stir in mustard, paprika, salt, and pepper.  Pour cheese sauce over the pasta, stir to combine and place in 10 or 12 inch skillet or oven-proof dish.

4.  Sprinkle the rest of the cheese over the top and bake for 20 minutes.

Enjoy :)

Francesca's al Lago and a Birthday!

I just had such a fun weekend! My parents came up to visit me and to celebrate my Dad's birthday!

Happy Birthday Dad! 

On Friday, I had Vegas Night at my house and it was a blast.  We got all dressed up and had a really fun time.  It was extra special since it was my LAST Vegas Night.  It was a good one to end with and I had a ton of fun dancing and hanging out with my friends.

Also, I found out that Bri got accepted into the University of Chicago's Law School!!!!  This was amazing news and probably means that I will end up in Chicago with him after graduation! I am so excited for him and I can't wait to see where I will be and what I will be up to in the future.  Now, I have to seriously start job searching.  This is stressful, but also really exciting.  If you know of any good teaching opportunities in the Chicago-land area, let me know!

Saturday was when my parents showed up.  They stayed in the Concourse Hotel.  This place is famous for it's amazing Happy Hour.  They serve FREE drinks and appetizers.  We got a few cocktails and some snacks and then headed to Francescas al Lago for dinner   My mom and I have been here before and knew that we would love it.  It was a great place to go for a lovely birthday dinner. My mom and I got the salmon and then my dad got the chicken parmesan.  It was all delicious!

After dinner, it was time to head to the Overture Center to see West Side Story.  Now, I'm not a huge fan of this show simply because it is rather depressing.  However, the dancing was amazing and I ended up wishing I could jump up on stage and dance with them.  My family has always been into musicals and this was the perfect activity for us.  Plus, afterwards, we went to the Ivory Room for a few more drinks and dueling pianos!  This bar is so much fun and a great place to go when you are in Madison.  We requested songs and had a great time listening to the music.  The piano players are super talented and they can play anything!

So this pretty much sums up a typical Madison weekend  fraternity party, happy hour, amazing food, cultured experience, and going to a bar.  It was great to share all this with my parents.  No wonder I love this city so much!

Butterbeer-Regular and Adult Only Style

Today I feel really happy.  I think it is the "Almost-Thanksgiving-Cheer" that is in the air.  Today at school, my students took a quiz, and tomorrow we are going to be watching Boy Meets World as a little treat before break.  Plus, it just does not make sense to start a new unit right before the break.  I can't wait! On top of all this excitement, tomorrow is PJ day! I know right, it's going to be great.

Also, I found out that next semester, when I do my full-time student teaching at a high school, I will be teaching Algebra for juniors/seniors, AP Statistics, and AP Calculus.  The drastic change from middle school math is really exciting.  I met with my new cooperating teacher yesterday and now I am just super excited.  I love all these subjects and I can't wait!  There are only a few things keeping me nervous: 1. I haven't taken stats for ages and if anyone other there has any tips or good resources, I would love the help, and 2. I need to get a lot of nice, professional clothes so that I don't look like a student! Other than that, I am ready and excited!

And, today my family welcomed it's newest little member into the mix! My brother and his wife gave birth to a beautiful, healthy boy this morning.  So, once again, I am an Aunt!  I can't wait to go home for Thanksgiving break and meet my new little nephew.  I just need to make it through one more morning of school and then I am free!

With all this excitement, I am also pumped to share my final part of the crazy Thanksgiving Feast-Harry Potter Style.  For drinks, we decided on, of course, Butterbeer!  I have a bunch of friends who have had Butterbeer at Harry Potter World, and they all agreed that this was even better.  These recipes are great and since one is alcoholic and one is not, everyone can try some!

Butterbeer (adapted from MuggleNet)

 Adult Version:
2-3 shots butterscotch schnapps
12 oz cream soda
Topping: Whipped Cream

Directions:
1. Mix the schnapps with the cream soda and then top with whipped cream!

Not-so-Adult Version:
1 cup unsalted butter
1 cup butterscotch ice cream topping
24 oz cream soda
Topping: Whipped Cream

Directions:
1. Melt the butter and butterscotch topping together in a small saucepan.  Once melted, remove from heat and mix in the cream soda.  Top with whipped cream!

Enjoy :)

My First Turkey

I participated in making my first turkey this past weekend.  The Little Sisters of Delta Theta Sigma threw a Thanksgiving Feast-Harry Potter Style for an event we call, Dinner/Auction.  We have dinner, we have an auction, and its a great fundraiser.  We dressed up like Harry Potter characters and it was a blast!  For the next few days, I will be updating this menu with posts on the Thanksgiving recipes that we made for this awesome feast.  Stay tuned...

The Menu:

Thanksgiving Stuffing

Roasted Herbed Carrots

Creamy Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Homemade Cranberry Sauce

Golden Snitch Cake Pops

Butterbeer

Holiday Party Punch

Our last day of Adolescent Psychology was a huge success!! We had some epic trivia challenges and enjoyed pie!  Our teacher made us three pies and they were fantastic! A bunch of the class brought in goodies as well.  I am going to have to get those recipes because they were amazing.  My slice of Bourbon-Chocolate-Pecan Pie was probably one of the best things I have ever eaten, and that's saying something.

Ed Psych Desserts

Also, I found this amazing recipe for my holiday party tomorrow called Promegranate-Champagne Punch.  After some modifications party due to laziness and partly due to lack of money, I came up with this concoction:

Holiday Punch (adapted from epicurious.com)

Ingredients:
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
4 750 ml chilled brut Champagne
3 cups white rum
2 1/2 cups pomegranate-raspberry juice
2 lemons sliced
ice


Directions:

1. Bring 1/2 cup water and sugar to boil in small saucepan, stirring until sugar dissolves. Simmer 5 minutes. Cool syrup completely.

2. Combine Champagne, rum, and pomegranate juice in punch bowl. Add enough syrup to sweeten to taste. Mix in lemon slices and add ice to bowl.

Enjoy :)