March 1, 2015 by Andrea

Spoiled

In general I think I’m pretty lucky. I’m pretty smart, have a good job that lets me support myself, have a nice home complete with the wonderful husband and adorable furry creatures. I have an amazing family, from parents to sister to extended family and in-laws. I kind of hit the jackpot in all of it. So while I don’t take first class vacations or fly on private jets, I wouldn’t trade what I do have for that lifestyle.

With all of this in mind, I do have to say I was spoiled for my birthday. I’m not a huge celebrate my birthday person and use it more of an excuse for a nice dinner out but this year everyone went out of their way to make turning 40 special.

We decided to head up to Disney with the thought of wandering around Epcot then doing dinner at Ohana. We are slowly working our way through all the restaurants in the hotels at Disney And Ohana is one of the last we need to do. We changed the wandering plans when I learned that the carriage from the Cinderella movie was at Hollywood Studios. Bob braved the rain with me so I could see it in person. It was incredible. We couldn’t go inside it because of the rain, but we were able to get some good views and pictures of it without and one around. One definite advantage to the rain.

We decided to eat lunch in Hollywood Stuidos since dinner wasn’t until late we found a great Italain place inside the park. Bob had pasta and I had a great pesto flatbread.

I also got to see an extended preview of Cinderella. It looks fun. And true to the original story, so I’m excited about it. After the preview we headed back to the hotel to thaw before dinner.

Val and Bill drove up to have dinner with us . It was so great to see them. Val even made me Hello Kitty rice crispie treats and Ed and Erin sent along the cutest cake .

This was my second birthday cake since the girls at work did up a cake for me the day before .

Yes, it is well known that I love Cinderella.

So I was able to go away for the weekend because Mom watched the pets and Bob indulged my six year old self. I work with awesome people and have the best family and friends out there. I am truest spoiled. … Oh and Dad, thank you for the flowers they are one of my favorites.

February 8, 2015 by Andrea

A Week In Review

I have to say, I’m not sure where the last two weeks went. I had every intention of cooking up something new and different (and hopefully fabulous) and posting it, but that didn’t happen. That isn’t to say I didn’t cook, but I stuck with old favorites and quick meals.

Super Bowl Sunday is, theoretically, the least attended day at Disney/The Magic Kingdom. Given this and my lack of enthusiasm for the game recently, Bob and I decided to go up Sunday and make a day of it. We didn’t rush, but we got there early enough to do a few things we had not fine before. Or at least that I had not done before. Somehow, in all the times we have been to Disney in the last few years, I have managed to skip Tom Sawyer’s Island and the Pirates of the Caribbean ride. How? Not sure, but we corrected this. The island was ok. I am not a fan of tight enclosed spaces, so we did have to skip the ‘cool’ parts of the island, but it was pretty and quiet and a slower pace than the rest of the park. … Which does bring me back to Super Bowl Sunday. No difference. None. If anything, it felt more crowded than most days we go. It wasn’t holiday rush time, but there were not any fewer people either.

We did have dinner with John while we were there. Sanna proved another great experience that almost rivals the California Grill. I loved watching the animals wander around outside, but I have to admit, the castle is still my favorite view.

As for the rest of the week … My Bougainville is blooming. A lot. But it has lost almost all of the leaves on one side. I’m not sure if this is due to the cold nights or my forgetting to water it on a regular basis. But it is still pretty and alive so hopefully it will bounce back.

Bob was in Miami for work this past week and he sent me the above picture followed by this next one while he was there.

That is a pork, kale and fried tomato sandwich. I know Bob got it for the pork, but I’m impressed with the amount of kale on it. This is also much more impressive than the dinner he had at home the following night.

Cheddar and chive buttermilk biscuits. I made scrambled eggs to go with them, and they were good, but I think his sandwich was way more interesting.

The cats have been cute. Really cute. Although I think Leia and Tigger had a little too much togetherness. Leia wanted to play; Tigger, not so much. The only saving grace here is that Leia gives it as good as Tigger does so they do end up playing and then he walk away. Unlike with Gracie who he just pounces on.

Nothing much exciting on the horizon. I am trying to figure out what to do with all of the rosemary that has taken over. I know I could go chicken or pork, but I’m still not that into meat these days so I’m trying to find a good vegetarian dish to use it in. If I find it, that will definitely be a post.

January 24, 2015 by Andrea

Pop Up Dinner

Time keeps getting away from me. Bob and I have finally gotten over being sick and the made midterm rush at work is over, so things are slowing down a bit. I’m still not sure where the days go sometimes.

Our favorite cheese shop has a resident chef interning there this winter. He is learning all about craft and artisanal cheeses and Louise made the smart decision to have him also so what he he does best – cook. They started a monthly pop up dinner at the shop. What is a pop up dinner? We’ll … It’s a restaurant dinner that happens for a very short period of time. In this case the dinner is one night only.

We were not sure exactly what to expect, but whatever it was exceeded our expectations. The dinners are limited to 20 people so you can actually talk to people around you and Louise does a great job of seating you next to people you want to have a conversation with. Bob and I got to talk with a local chef and his wife (who happens to work at one of our favorite restaurants in the area). It was great and since the chef if opening a limited run dinner service at a local restaurant soon, we have a new place to explore.

This is a cheese shop, but this wasn’t just a cheese dinner. This was regular, but extremely well done, food. We had a perfect cheese bite in between each course and they really were perfect bites. The goat cheese with lemon dust and candied fennel was probably my favorite, but I also loved the Louise gave me cheddar instead of blue in the last cheese bite. It worked perfectly, but I didn’t feel like I was missing anything. To tell you how good everything was let me sum it up this way – I was so enamored by the food and the company and the experience I only remembered to take a picture of one dish. One. The roasted tomato and poblano soup was amazing – as was the gnocchi I had for the main course (Bob has fish) and the play on a hot toddy for dessert.

It was a great experience, and something that you don’t get to do very often. I also think I need to keep an eye out for what Derek does next – he really is a very, very good chef. Given that Bob and I have no problem making travel plans around food and eating, we might just end up with an unexpected location in a year or two.

Hopefully I will have more frequent posts as we settle into the year and the semester.

December 18, 2014 by Andrea

Christmas in the City (part 2)

Holy cow it is taking me a long time to get these up. I may actually make a New Year’s resolution to post faster in 2015. … Probably not, but it’s a thought.

Day two of our trip centered around meeting up with Karen, Brenden and the kids. We hadn’t seen them in several years so I was particularly excited about this. Bob and I always talk about wanting to get back to DC and see everyone but we just don’t get there. But we finally did.

We started at Congress and took a look at the massive tree and the decorations there. Then we wandered a bit before heading down to the American History Museum to meet up with everyone. I was excited to be in DC, excited to see everyone and just excited to be away for a few days. Making it more exciting – the band was playing!

That is the Air Force band playing Christmas songs (and other things) in the American History Museum. I love DC.
We did wander the museum with everyone for a while. We were seeing how long the kids would last since they already had the drive into the city. They did really well and for longer than I expected. We mostly stuck to the bottom floor of the museum with all of the trains, cars etc. the kids had things to climb on, things to touch and explore. When it looked like everyone was starting to fade, we made a quick trip to the chocolate demonstration, which peaked their interest for a little bit longer.

Best part – we got to taste really fresh, really crafted hot chocolate. I think the adults like it more than the kids, but it was tasty.

After the museum we did lunch at one of my favorite spots – The Dubliner. Kid friendly, but with great food (and beer for the boys). It was so much fun just hanging out with everyone and catching up. Definitely something we have to do again before another half decade passes us by.

In the evening, despite the rain, we did the other thing I was determined to do while in DC – the trees. Every year the Ellipse has the official tree, a tree for each state and territory, the trains, Yule log and menorah. It is one of my favorite displays. This year it was raining, chilly and crowded, but we persisted. The National tree was actually very pretty this year.

The train set did not disappoint.

But … And I HATE to say this … The state trees were boring, and the same and not anything like they should be.

Yes, technically the light patterns are different for each tree, but they all looked the same. They all felt the same and it too away from the idea behind the individual trees. Add to this, no Yule log and we couldn’t find the menorah and it was the only disappointing thing about the trip. I was also a little stunned at the extent that they closed the area around the White House. I remember walking Jessie right by the fence and now … Can’t even get close. But it is what it is and we still had fun.

The other really should do that we did fit in was the old Brickskeller. It is now the Bier Baron but they kept the look and feel of the old place. Bob had never been, so I was really glad we made the trip. He even found the coolest beer …

Needless to say I texted that picture to a few people. But it was a really good time, and very relaxing. A great way to end the trip.

December 12, 2014 by Andrea

Christmas in the City (part 1)

There is something special about D.C., especially around Christmas. You can insert whichever political joke you would like, but I love D.C. around the holidays. Don’t love the weather, but I do love the city.

We hadn’t been to D.C. in a couple of years, which means we have not seen Karen and family in that long. I mean to head up there every year, but something always happens and the trip doesn’t. This year we found some great airline flight deals and a hotel deal and decided to just book it. It was a short trip, but we packed a lot into it. Best part we got to see not only Karen and family, but Ed and Erin also. It was a fabulous trip.

Let me first say this was the easiest trip, travel wise, that we have had in a decade. Security at the airport was reasonable and fast with none of the usual hassles. Boarding was quick and efficient (I do love Southwest for that reason alone) and we were able to grab the first metro train and head straight into the city. It was lovely.

After meeting up with Ed and Erin we decided to grab lunch. Since we had no plan we started to wander, but about three blocks in I realized I was headed to one of my favorite go-to restaurants in DC – Jaleo. I could taste the croquettes before we even got there and knew they have a great selection of both meat and vegetarian dishes so we would all be happy. It is a great relaxed atmosphere for catching up and the wine is good. It was perfect.

After lunch we hit my favorite “museum” in DC, especially around the holidays – the Botanic Gardens. this year’s Christmas display was lighthouses, which were beautiful, but I love the tree. The tree with the ultra cute decorations. You have to smile.

Bob and I had planned a dinner at The Partisan so we headed there for dinner. It was ok. I went into this knowing that the restaurant was meat based. It is attached to a butchery but I think I failed to realize that every single item had meat in it in one form or another. The food was good, but it wasn’t spectacular. Bob did get the coolest looking dinner, however, do I will give it that.

Hopefully I will get day two of the trip up soon. Hope everyone is having a great start to the holiday season. Merry, merry and happy happy! Deck the halls and all that!

October 19, 2014 by Andrea

Keys to the Kingdom

Every now and then, Bob and I like to head to Disney for a day. And by every now and then, I mean frequently. We are lucky enough to live a decent drive away, and have Mom around who likes to pet sit and play in the garden. Having done the parks a few times over the last few years, we decided to do something a little different – the Keys to the Kingdom tour. This is a five hour walking tour of the Magic Kingdom and how Disney makes the magic.

I was a little worried that knowing how Disney does its thing would take away a little of the magic. I was a little worried that I would loose the seven year old kid I become every time we are in the Magic Kingdom. I was a little worried I wouldn’t smile catching a glimpse of Pluto or Cinderella or Mickey. I was a little worried, but I still wanted to do the tour.

It didn’t happen. This was in part because I’ve been to Disney World enough to be incredibly impressed with it. I’ve seen the consistency of Disney that it actually becomes more impressive to know how it all happens every single day. I can separate fantasy from reality and appreciate both aspects of Disney World. I can know how Disney does it and still become the little girl, sitting on Dad’s shoulders, star struck and tongue tied because Cinderella is talking to me. I get that same feeling, and am drawn back to that memory every time I see the castle or Cinderella or any of my favorite characters. That is the real magic of Disney.

I’m deliberately not saying anything about the tour itself. If you haven’t been to Disney, immerse yourself in the Magic Kingdom and experience.i think you need to experience the magic before taking it apart and examining why it works. If you’ve been to the parks enough that you want a different perspective on it, take the tour. You get a new appreciation for how it all happens (keep in mind it’s more impressive when you remember WDW was originally built in the 1960s and the basics have not changed) and somehow knowing how they make the magic, makes it even more impressive.

September 14, 2014 by Andrea

Animal Kingdom

One of the nice things about Sarasota is that it’s a two hour drive from Orlando. I am a huge Disney fan so when we decide we want to go for a day, we can. This week we decided we wanted to go to Animal Kingdom so we got up Saturday morning, headed up and spent a really nice day out.

I am not a huge zoo fan and always feel bad about the animals in captivity. AK has some of the same issues, but from what I remember when researching, a good number of the animals in AK were injured and not able to survive in the wild. I’m sure it’s not all of them, but if the idea is to get people to see what diversity of life is out there and start taking steps to safeguard it, than I’ll be ok with the animals being there. Not being a wildlife expert, I can’t comment on living conditions or how much area each need, but from a lay person perspective, they always look well cared for and with enough room to roam.

So yes, I am aware of the controversy surrounding this park, but I still love going there. I stopped this time and focused on some of the smaller, less appreciated animals there. The bats, the birds I can’t identify (they are all fowl to me)

and the meerkats. I could watch the meerkats all day. They are adorably cute and remind me a lot of the kitties at home – especially when Gracie wants to come inside and the door is closed. She does the same stand on back legs and stretch that the meerkats do.

I also have a particular draw to the Affection Station (aka the petting zoo area) of the Conservation Station. Now, inside the conservation station are some less pet-able animals like the tree lizard

Yes, I know it has a different name, but I can’t remember it. This little guy reminded me of the lizards Gracie and Leia like to bring home … only way larger. But it is the petting friendly animals I really go to see.

The cow and pigs were cute, but there was a particular goat that I really liked. He was super affectionate and just wanted attention. I wanted to bring him home, but Bob wasn’t sure we could get him to the car.

After Animal Kingdom we checked another restaurant off our list. We had dinner at Jiko, the Cooking Place.

Jiko is inside Animal Kingdom Lodge and has African and Mediterranean inspired dishes. When we looked at the menu, we didn’t see a lot of that influence, but once you taste the food, it is all right there. We also tried a South African wine – a Pinotage. Having never heard if this varietal we asked the waiter for information and suggestions.

We ended up with a dry, fruity, medium to full bodied wine that was different than anything I’ve had before and paired incredibly well with dinner. We started with the Taste of Africa – a selection of breads and dips that ran from classic hummus to a spicy chili and tamarind dip.

For dinner itself Bob went classic with short ribs

and I went vegetarian with the Sambusas. These are similar to Indian Samosas, but the flavor profile is entirely different. Excellent, but different.

All in all, it was a fantastic day. We have another a Disney day planned next month – food and wine fest and all – and I’m sure we will get out there again. After all, it’s Disney.

June 24, 2014 by Andrea

Home Sweet Home

I love to travel. If I were thinking about careers today (instead of 25 years ago) I would look for something that lets me travel and explore the world. Food critic or writer would be amazing, but given that I can’t eat fish and hate mushrooms I probably would not make a great food critic.
As much as I love traveling, I love coming home even more. It was fantastic to experience Alinea and Topolobampo and be places I’ve never been and just hang out and catch up with family.

But home is … well … home. My cooking will never rival the food where we ate and my house is rarely as spotless as a fresh hotel room, but that’s ok. Home is home. I have my babies here (and they were happy to see us)

I can experiment in the kitchen this month and sleep in my own bed and watch Wimbledon and just relax for a bit. Bob and I are thankfully on the same page with traveling – we love to do it, but 4 or 5 days is about all we want to be away. (I’d do longer in Europe or another overseas destination, but US travel will be long weekends for a while.) Of course if we didn’t travel I would miss sights like these:

It is good to be home.

June 21, 2014 by Andrea

Kenosha, WI

On a whim this morning we decided to drive to Wisconsin. Why? Brad wanted beer that they only sell in Wisconsin. Bob thought this was a good idea so I looked around to see what might be fun and we decided to head out. Wisconsin isn’t far from Chicago, so it was a relatively short trip. We also found (after a number of detours) a cheese shop to stop at.

Shop might be the wrong term. It is technically called a cheese castle.

And what would a castle be without a suit of armor? Not much of a castle, I think.

And this castle came with a mouse with the cheese.

I had much higher hopes for the cheese selection, it being in Wisconsin and all, but alas, not so much. It was fun and provided a lot of giggles for Emmie and I so we had fun.

We also drove to Kenosha proper and saw the lighthouse, the downtown area, Lake Michigan, and a Civil War reenactment.

I was a bit surprised by this given that one does not usually associate Wisconsin with the Civil War, but ok.

The boys played on the rocks by the lake a little.

We just had a nice day out (until the Florida style rain on the way home) and it was something totally different. I can also now say I have been to Wisconsin.

June 21, 2014 by Andrea

The Unpronounceable Restaurant … With Amazing Food

Full disclosure, I love Top Chef. I know it is highly edited, slightly fake and total tv food porn, but I love it. I’ve been hooked since season one and even generally like Top Chef Masters. Given the chef star power in Chicago we searched and searched restaurants for our limited time here, but one was a complete “we have to” for both Bob and I – Rick Bayless.

I was pretty impressed with this chef I had not really heard of during that season, especially considering the other heavy hitters there. But the moment I knew I had to eat at his restaurant was when he talked about spending 20 years perfecting a mole sauce. The respect for the culture and food of Mexico is evident in everything he says, but that discussion has stayed with me since. So we decided Topolobampo was the one we were going to do while in Chicago. Thankfully we were able to get reservations (late, but I didn’t care) and we had an amazing time.

For this meal Bob and I got to create our own tasting menu since that is how Topolobampo has their menu set up. We decided to do seven courses with wine pairing (next time I’m doing five so I’m not totally stuffed) and it was perfect. I didn’t have a bite of food that I didn’t love – one that was super spicy for me, but still great – but the highlights were a deconstructed tamale that had the most amazing broth. Silky, creamy masa with a savory, deep broth.

The other must have you can guess – the mole. I could not do a Rick Bayless restaurant and not do the mole since this was the dish that got me hooked. Bob and I both had this as one of our courses.

I did trade one of my pieces of beef for Bob’s green beans – they were amazing in the mole sauce. I cannot begin to describe the sauce – it was totally unexpected and unlike any mole I’ve ever had. It did not taste like chocolate but there is chocolate there; there are so many flavors in this dish but they do not compete with each other. It is incredible and worth the trip to Chicago. (Of course all the food here has been incredible, but there really is something special about this sauce.)

Chicago is an amazing food city and we have not scratched the surface. Chicago itself reminds me of Philadelphia (with wider streets) but the draw here is the food more than the history. It doesn’t tempt me the way some cities do, but the food … oh the food. I think I would gain fifteen pounds if we didn’t walk everywhere and it would have been totally worth it.

Sixteen Paws

The random adventures of Andi, Bob, and four furry creatures

Category Archives: travel