Lake Geneva

My buds

I can't believe I haven't told you about this yet! I had the most amazing weekend with friends up in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin.  We ate great food, found tons of fun activities, and had a generally relaxing vacation.  I consider myself incredibly lucky to have found these guys my freshman year of college and to still be so close with all of them today.  So here is what we did:

We stayed in this great cottage near downtown and that meant we were able to walk almost everywhere.  We went on a pontoon and walked around the lake.  I got to go for a few good runs while I was up there as well!  In the downtown area, we went to places like Kilwin's and Popeye's.  Kilwin's was perfect for a sweet treat in the middle of the day and Popeye's was our big dinner out that we enjoyed. 

Our other dinner was a homemade BBQ.  We made a great strawberry poppyseed salad and grilled up some hot dogs.  

We also went to a brewery and a winery while we were in town.  Both places were a drive, but totally worth it.  We went to the Gevena Lake Brewery which was super cute and had tastings of everything they had on tap.  Then, we went to Staller Estate for wine tasting and, of course, I bought a bottle to bring home.  I am suddenly super interested in reds.  I'm not sure if I just suddenly grew up or something, but I love red wine!  I am still a white fan, but all the wine tasting I have done over the past few months have showed me that I actually have quite the taste for a good red wine! 

The IPA at Geneva Lake

It was a great weekend and I can't wait to see what we come up with for next year's reunion!

Weekend in Madison

I just had a super fun weekend! On Friday, Anna and I drove up to Madison, stayed with my friends, Russ and Ryan, and had a super fun time going out for amazing dinners, visiting a winery, and having an all around blast.

On Friday, my friend Tamara had the brilliant idea to go to Mariner's Inn for Restaurant Week.  That means, for $25 I got to have clam chowder, surf and turf, and key lime pie.  It was all delicious and it was a great way to kick off our weekend away.

On Saturday, we woke up and walked over to the Farmer's Market.  We picked up fresh raspberries, cheese curds, and a mini apple pie.  Then, we got Cosi sandwiches and salads and met up with Tamara to go to Wollersheim Winery. We had our amazing picnic lunch and toured the winery.  It was very interesting and, of course, we all got wine! It was a lovely afternoon.

After returning to campus, Anna and I walked around State Street and then got ready for dinner with Russ at the Old Fashioned.  This is one of my favorite restaurants and it did not disappoint!  Also, Anna got to try her first Old Fashioned Cheese Curds (the best in Madison!).

Overall, this was just a fantastic weekend and we even got to see Anna's grandpa on our way home in Milwaukee!  It was really fun to get away and see such great friends.  Next weekend, I will be moving to Chicago! Ah! Can't believe it is almost here!

Graze Restaurant, Madison, WI

Phew! Just finished a quick 4.5 mile morning run and now I am here to tell you about a fantastic new restaurant I discovered in my last week in Madison.

My last week was super fun because Bri and I went to a million new places and did a bunch of the things that I've always wanted to do, but never got around to.  For example, we took a walk in the Arboretum together, went to the terrace to watch a hockey game and share a pitcher, and tried a ton of new restaurants.

Another little family out for a stroll
in the Arboretum

Graze, is known for being one of the best restaurants in Madison.  Their chef is constantly switching up the menu to incorporate fresh, local ingredients that they buy at the farmer's market just outside their front door on the weekends.  They are located on the square and have a wall of windows so that you can look out at the beautiful capitol as you enjoy some crazy good food.  You can go there for lunch, brunch, or dinner.  We went their for dinner.

Appetizer: Hot Pretzel with 3 Mustards and Cheese 

Drinks :)

We started out sitting at the bar while we waited for our table and we each enjoyed a drink and split a hot pretzel with mustard and cheese as our appetizer.  So far, we were pretty darn impressed.  The mustards were yummy and the cheese (of course from WI) was amazing.  The pretzel was one of the best I have ever had!  Then, we sat down and ordered our dinner.  I ordered the Tofu Bibimbap (tons of fresh veggies and rice with tofu in a spicy sauce and topped with a fried egg) and Bri ordered their Homemade Veggie Burger (a beet based burger).  Everything was delicious. I loved my meal and Bri thought it was one of the best veggie burgers he had ever had (and this is impressive considering how many he has tried).  For dessert, because we had to get dessert, we split their freshly baked Chocolate Chip Cookies with Milk.  It was an adorable and comforting end to the meal.  We will definitely be hitting up this restaurant in the future!  If you are ever in Madison, put Graze on your list of Must-Eat-Restaurants.  

Tofu Bibimbap 

Veggie Burger

Dessert!

Kabul Restaurant Madison, WI

It is my last week in Madison! I can't believe this week has arrived and I am trying to do everything that I've wanted to do but haven't up until this point.  Basically, I am going to a lot of new restaurants.

I have lived close to State Street for the past two years and I have walked past Kabul Restaurant a thousand times.  I have always wanted to try it, but I haven't! They specialize in Mediterranean food.  So, last night Bri and I went there for dinner.  We had great service, got to sit outside (which I love since people watching on State is great), and the food was delicious! I had a chicken dish that was on special, Chicken Stuffed with Spinach, Mushrooms, and Feta in a red wine sauce, and Bri had an Eggplant dish with Yogurt and Rice.  We split a Stuffed Artichoke as an appetizer.  It was a great meal and we were both really happy.  Of course, we had to walk past Forever Yogurt on the way home (it's not on the way at all...) and get dessert!  Our night ended with watching Game of Thrones (EPIC) and feeling pleasantly full.  Now I have to decide where to go tomorrow!  Any suggestions?

Stuffed Artichoke

Vegetarian Eggplant Dish

Stuffed Chicken

Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Mini Cheesecakes with Pretzel Crust

When Tamara and I were planning a dinner for Courtney's birthday, Tamara came up with an amazing sounding cheesecake idea: Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Cupcakes with Pretzel Crust and Salted Caramel Glaze.  Yea, she's a genius.

I can't wait to share this recipe, but I am also excited to share my Half Marathon Training! I finally made it up to the double digits and Saturday was my 10 mile run! It went really well and I got to run on a beautiful day through the Madison Arboretum.  It was awesome.  This week I have some shorter runs planned for during the week and then on Saturday, I am running in the Madison Crazylegs Race! I can't wait! I've wanted to run this race all through my college career, but I have always been busy.  Finally, my senior year, I am crossing this one off my bucket list!

Speaking of bucket lists, I got another item checked off when my parents came to town Friday for the UW Marching Band Concert.  We went out for dinner at Roast, saw the concert, and then headed to the Ivory Room for a fun night of dueling pianos.  The bucket list item: my mom and I took a shot together! It was super cute.  We had a really fun time and it was awesome to have them here in Madison.

The rest of the weekend was jam packed with running, DTS Sister Bonding Sleepover, DTS Activation, and lesson planning.  I also spent some time coming up with new recipes and I can't wait to tell you about them!  I hope that everyone has a lovely day and enjoys this amazing recipe for Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Mini Cheesecakes with Pretzel Crust!

Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Mini Cheesecakes with Pretzel Crust
(Cheesecake Recipe adapted from King Arthur Flour and Caramel Sauce adapted from Cooking Channel)

Ingredients:
For the Crust:
1 1/4 cups crushed pretzels
4 tbsp powdered sugar
1/8 tsp salt
5 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
For the Cheesecake:
16 oz light cream cheese
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup heavy cream
3 eggs
3 tsp vanilla
1 cup mini chocolate chips
For the Salted Caramel Sauce:
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
3/4 cup heavy cream
3 tbsp unsalted butter
1 tsp sea salt

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 and place 16 cupcake liners in a cupcake pan.
2. In a medium bowl, mix the crushed pretzels, powdered sugar, and salt.  Pour melted butter over the mixture and stir to combine.  Place 2 tbsp of pretzel mixture into each cupcake liner and, using a small glass, press the crust into the pan.  Bake for 10 minutes.  Let cool.
3. Lower the oven temperature to 325.  In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth.  Beat in the sugar until well combined.  Beat in the cream, eggs, and vanilla until well combined.  Beat on high for a few minutes until light and fluffy.  Stir in the chocolate chips.  Pour batter into cupcake wells until it is almost to the top.  Bake for 30 minutes or until cheesecakes are no longer wobbly.  Let cool for an hour and then place in fridge for 1 hour.
4.  To make the caramel sauce, heat the sugar with the water in a medium pot over medium heat until completely dissolved.  Increase the heat and bring to a boil.  Continue to cook, without stirring, until your mixture is a deep amber color.  Remove from heat and whisk in the butter and cream.  Mixture will bubble violently.  Whisk until well combined and whisk in the salt.  Let cool completely.  Mixture will thicken as it cools.  Drizzle over cooled cheesecakes.  You can store the extra caramel sauce in the fridge.

Enjoy :)

Pretzel M&M Cookies

Happy Sunday! I have had a lovely weekend.  Bri came up to visit me and we have had so much fun!

Friday was a scary day for me.  I had an observation from a school in IL that is considering hiring me! It's all very exciting, but I was so nervous! When it was over, I was extra excited to relax and de-stress with a fun weekend.  So, I did!

Bri and I went out for dinner to the Tipsy Cow on Friday and then out for the night with a ton of friends.  The Tipsy Cow was fantastic! I had a great Mediterranean sandwich with cheese curds on the side and Bri had their grilled cheese, tomato soup, and beer battered french fries.  It was all very tasty and it was nice to treat myself to some great comfort food.  Then, we had a great time out and I continued my quest to learn the card game, Ucher.  I think I'm getting the hang of it!

Saturday was a great day to be lazy.  I didn't want to do anything so I didn't.  Well, after I got in my 8 mile run.  Then, I showered and we watched episodes of How I Met Your Mother and had lunch with a bunch of DTS for parents day.  My parents didn't come up, but I got to see my friend Lauren's family and the food was awesome! After more episodes of How I Met Your Mother and a nap, we met up with friends at Great Dane for a drink and then dinner at Flattop Grill.  The food was yummy, but their service was rather slow and we ended up getting a few free meals because they felt so bad.  Next, Bri and I came back to campus and met up with Max at Forever Yogurt for dessert...yum! Our adventure continued as we met up with Russ, Lauren, and Max (other Max) at The Plaza.  I like this bar because it is fairly chill.  We got a booth and spent time just catching up.  Other Max was in town because he had just been visiting University of Chicago and might be going there for law school!  How cute is that?  Bri and Max might end up there together!

Now it is Sunday, and while I had a lovely weekend, I know that I now need to get some work done.  After my Jillian Michael's Workout, I am planning on a shower, lesson planning for the week, filling out some more job applications, and then baking! Yep, I am going to bake something today.  Not sure what yet, so if you have a suggestion I'd love to hear it! I have been so stressed the past few weeks that I just haven't had much energy for cooking or baking, but I miss it and I know that it will make me feel good to get back in the game.  Check out this awesome cookie recipe and I can't wait to share what I end up creating today!

Pretzel M&M Cookies

Ingredients:
3 cups flour
1 tsp cornstarch
3/4 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
pinch of cinnamon
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 egg white
1 tbsp vanilla
12 oz pretzel M&Ms

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, salt, cornstarch, and cinnamon.
3. In a large bowl, beat butter with sugar and brown sugar until light and fluffy.  Beat in eggs, one at a time, until well combined.  Beat in vanilla.  Beat in dry ingredients until just combined and stir in M&Ms.
4. Drop cookie dough onto the prepared sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes.  This recipe makes about 60 cookies that are about 2 tbsp in size.

Enjoy :)

The American Club, Kohler, WI

My mom and I had an amazing time over spring break.  We went to the American Club in Kohler Wisconsin and had our very first massages!  We spent two days and two nights at the hotel and had great food and a really nice and relaxing time.  On the way there, we did some shopping at the outlet malls in Pleasant Prairie (teacher clothes!).  We also checked out the Shops at Woodlake for lunch at the Woodlake Market while we were there and I even found a great UW-Madison sweatshirt!

afternoon tea

welcome mimosas!

tea treats! 

appetizers and wine

The food was great! Our first night, after a lovely afternoon tea and some great appetizers with wine, we had Italian at Cucina.  My mom and I split a salmon dish and chicken dish and everything was delicious.  Then, we came back and hat a slice of Chocolate Cake at the Winery for dessert.  We obviously overdid it a little since we both had trouble sleeping that night!

dinner was so good...I forgot to take a picture!

THE chocolate cake

That was alright, since the next day, we had our massages.  It was fabulous.  I felt relaxed and amazing.  We went early, read books, and stayed after to chill and just relax.  I haven't spent that much time relaxing in ages and it was must needed.  Afterwards, we had our tea, appetizers, and then it was off to dinner at the Wisconsin Room.  My mom got the Pork and I had the Steak on special.  Both our meals were, again, fantastic, and we decided to skip dessert in hopes of sleeping better and being healthier.

However, the next morning, we made a stop at the Greenhouse for ice cream and lattes before it was time to head back home.

The entire trip was amazing and I would gladly head back in a heartbeat.  This was a great way to spend a few days over break and we did not have to travel far at all for a very fun time!

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!

Madison's Restaurant Week

It's Restaurant Week here in Madison!  That means that for 25 or 30 dollars you can dine at some of the finest places in Madison and enjoy an appetizer, entree, and dessert!  I am going to be eating at Sardine, Fresco, and Veranda Restaurant and Wine Bar.  Check out my experiences with these amazing restaurants!

Sardine

Fresco

Veranda Restaurant and Wine Bar

Restaurant Week: Veranda Restaurant & Wine Bar

I have been such a slacker! I can't believe that I haven't posted here in so long.  I feel badly, but I have been so busy with school!  This past weekend was jam packed with fun and friends.  And now, I am back to the hectic full-time teaching gig.  

I have wanted to share with you yet another restaurant I discovered with Bri for restaurant week.  This place was in Fitchburg, but was only about 15 minutes away from where I live and a great find.  It is called VerandaRestaurant and Wine Bar.  When I saw "wine bar" I as immediately intrigued.  The food was great and I did get to enjoy a good glass of wine with my meal.  It was a really fun date night!

For appetizers, we both had amazing salads.  For dinner, I had the seared tuna and Bri got a vegetable napoleon.  Both were really yummy.  Finally, for dessert we shared the ricotta cheesecake and espresso ice cream.  It was all amazing.  Afterwards, we went back to campus and went to the Piano Bar for a fun evening with friends.

It was a really nice night all around.  Definitely hit up this restaurant if you are in town! 

Now, it’s time for me to return to lesson planning/worksheet creating/trying to work out occasionally! 

Restaurant Week: Fresco

Another snow day?!?!

Seriously, one might start to wonder if I am actually in Wisconsin.  When I was a kid we never had this many snow days.  But, here I am for the third time, enjoying a lovely snow day.  I woke up and had breakfast before I found out about the day off so instead of sleeping in, I ran 5 miles, showered, and now I'm making cupcakes!

I also wanted to take this opportunity to tell you about another fantastic restaurant I tried for the first time.  This was my second Restaurant Week dinner and it was amazing! Max and I went to Fresco and for $30 dollars, we both had an amazing meal complete with appetizers, entrees, and desserts.  Plus, we got to sit above the Overture Center and look out on snowy, State Street.  It was pretty amazing.

We both had the same appetizers and entrees: the Wisconsin Apple Salad and the Seared Mahi Mahi with Cauliflower Risotto in an Almond Raspberry Vinaigrette.  It was all delicious.  For dessert, we ended up splitting the Homemade Kit Kat with Peanut Butter Mousse and the Carrot Cake Cupcake with Maple Buttercream Frosting.

It was an awesome meal followed by Modern Family and skyping my bestie Caryn who is all grown up and working a real job in DC! It was so nice to turn a boring weeknight into an amazing one.

Now, it's time for me to take my cupcakes out of the oven! They smell amazing and I can't wait to share the recipe with you later! Have a nice day!