Flashback to September! Wine Dinner

So back when I was doing my 28 in the 28th, I had 'have a multiple course dinner paired with wines'.  And back on the season premiere night of Glee, I made this dinner.  I found my camera cord (woo!)  So here is what we drank, and what I made.

Sparkling Chardonnay! I love sparkling white wines, and this one was really good. It was a good combo with the first course:

First course: Parmesan crisps two ways: cracked black pepper and smoked paprika  with melon wrapped prosciutto and balsamic vinegar reduction. 

With the second course, we had Portuguese Vinho De Mesa Branco, which was light, and nicely dry, and went excellently with the risotto. 

The risotto was one of one of the best I've made so far (... if I do say so myself, heh)  it was roasted butternut squash risotto with chicken apple sausage and rosemary, and had plenty of cheesy creamy goodness. This time of year, I'm obsessed with butternut squash. I like it even better than pumpkin in savory dishes, it's just slightly sweet, and when it is roasted, the salty, carmelized squash is heavenly. 

With dessert, we had this Cabernet Sauvignion which I will admit, I don't remember much about. I had had... quite a bit of wine by this point. It was red, and it was good!

And for dessert, it was a sugary bomb of delicousness. Baked apples, with salted caramel sauce and vanilla ice cream. YUM. 

All in all, I think that it was a pretty successful dinner. Thanks to Julie for picking out the wines so awesomely, and for Paul, for coming over and eating it all. Glee Tuesdays for the win! 

28 in the 28th- One Month Left

Ok, with one month left to go, I've identified the seven list items that I think that I can reasonably do in the next month, with explanations of how I'm going to try to get them done. If you want to do any of these things with me, let me know!

3. Go to DC for the day by myself and walk around This may not happen, but I really want to do it, so maybe I'll be able to
6. Learn how to can things (like jam) - Jalepeno Jam, here I come! Next weekend!
17. Go to a museum- I can get into the AVAM for free this weekend, with my Bank of America card, so that's what I'll be doing!
18. Have dinner that is multi-course and paired with wines- Glee Premire night- I'm cooking it, and I'm pairing wines. Paul and Julie- get yourselves ready.
20. Make something beautiful
27. Learn a new card game Someone wants to teach me how to play poker, right?
28. Go see a movie with Subtitiles (or, rent and watch Amelie without falling asleep) I have Netflix instaplay; I have an evening free. This will happen.


PS: I am also still accepting suggestions for next year's list, I've got 23 of the 29 I'm supposed to have, so far.

28 in the 28th- 2 months left.

Okay, I'm headed down the home stretch, and I've got two months to go until I'm 29 (eep!)  here's what I've accomplished so far, and what I still need to go. 14 down, 14 left. I can do this!

1 Write a Novel. This looks like it might not happen, sadly. Well, there's always room on next year's list!
2. Try one new craft   Origami!  I can make a flower, and a box, and a waterbomb.
3. Go to DC for the day by myself and walk around
4. Cater a Non Family Event
5. Make Homemade christmas gifts Done! Several family members recieved mittens, and snowflakes. I am going to start working on christmas presents earlier this year though. I did not get nearly as much done as I wanted to.
6. Learn how to can things (like jam)
7. Take a cooking class- Thanks to a completely awesome birthday present from my friend julie, I am taking a pasta class here in March. I was also able to take a vegetarian cooking class, as well, it rocked!
8. Go camping
9. Go to a non House Concert- Show    Done!  Went to See Corinne Bailey Rae and The Rescues. Plus! am going to see Lilith Fair this week.
10. Get a Manicure, Pedicure and Facial  Done! I got a Mani, Pedi, Facial with my sister and my cousin Kate, before my cousin Lindy's wedding, which was very excellent. I actually have super long nails right now, and have been debating getting a manicure. I will probably just end up cutting them, though.
11. Go on 12 dates I've not gone on 12, but I still need to make progress on this goal. Serious progress needs to happen on this front.
12. Visit a city I've never been to before   Done! Toykyo, March 2010
13. Learn how to make a recipe by watching my G make it.  Done! Pitzelles, June, 2010, Homosassa Florida
14. Go to at least one Free Fall Baltimore event Julie reminded me that we went to Fells point fun Festival this year!  We ate pit beef, we had deep fried Oreos, we bought crafty things, it was great!
15. Have a Cookie Baking/Decorating Party
16. Make a tradition of my own  Glee tuesday (which then merged into Top Chef Wednesday, When Glee was over) is a weekly tradition that Paul, Julie and I have formed. We get together, cook some good food, drink some wine, and watch some awesome tv.
17. Go to a museum
18. Have dinner that is multi-course and paired with wines
19. Go to a winery and have a wine tasting
20. Make something beautiful
21. Create ten new cupcake combinations- Five down, five to go.
22. Get my camera fixed. DONE!
23. Twelve Random Acts of Kindness for strangers- One down, 11 to go.
24. Go for a week without internet (for non work puroposes)  Okay, it wasn't quite without internet completly, but I was without my computer when we were on vacation in Virginia, and I had very limited access. So I'm counting it good.
25. Do some acting I am in the Iron Crow Theatre Company! And we're doing a night of short plays by Christopher Durang called "In Durang's Shorts" I acted as a Chorus member and Phyllis, in Phyllis and Xenobia
26. Go to ten new restaurants in Baltimore Done!
27. Learn a new card game
28. Go see a movie with Subtitiles (or, rent and watch Amelie without falling asleep)

28/28th # 9

On my list of 28 things to do in my 28th year  #9  Is to go to one non- house concert show.

I love house concerts.  The intimacy of the performer, a few feet away, strumming on their guitar, or playing the piano, makes me happy. It really is the best way to hear music. In the last few years, I have been to seldom few non-house concert shows.   In order to get out of the box and enjoy the Life Outside My Apartment, I added go to a non-house concert show.  Large concerts have their bonuses too-  I never would have been introduced to acts like Girlyman, Lucy Kaplansky, and Richard Shindell if not for Falcon Ridge Folk Festival.

I was all set to make The Rescues show at the Ram's Head in Annapolis my concert,When there was a concert on Twitter by Bthesite to win tickets to Corrine Bailey Rae!  I entered the contest, and won (WOOOOOO, winning!)  and then I had tickets that friday to see her.  I invited Tim (he of trip to Japan awesomeness) So I not only exceeded my goal, I doubled it!  

Corrine Bailey Rae was really good- (aside from the venue that had no seating, requiring us to stand up for four hours)  I had not listen to much of her latest album, that she was touring on, but I really liked it. She sprinkled in her popular songs from the last album. All in all it was an excellent show.

The Rescues I saw the next week.  A supergroup of four singer songwriters that came together to make an awesome band, I am a big fan of theirs.  Kyler England, Adrianne, Rob Giles and Gabriel Mann make up the group, and they rocked it.  It was my first time being at the Ram's head, and I REALLY liked it- it's a great venue to hear music, plus, there are chairs and food! I will be keeping my eye out for other acts that are going to be there, Due to sheer awesomeness.

Opening for The Rescues was Garrison Starr, who I had heard of, and was a little familar with her music (she comes up on my Edie Carey Pandora playlist)  and I thought she was great- I went home and downloaded a bunch of her music from itunes.  I love when opening acts are good- it sets the tone for an awesome concert-going experience.

*all pictures taken with my phone.

Going to Florida!

So I'm going to Florida to visit my G, and while I'm there, I'm going to check off an item on my List (watching my grandma make a recipe)

And then, while I'm there I'm cooking for her all weekend. I'm so excited!  So far the menu stands at:

Chicken salad in lettuce cups (lunch saturday)

Seafood risotto  (dinner saturday)

Roast chicken and roasted potato salad with asparagus and hollandaise sauce (sunday dinner)

Cuban Sandwiches (sunday lunch)

Plus, I've made two kinds of compost cookies and they are packed in my suitcase (regular and white chocolate/crasin/oatmeal)  and I think I'm ready to go!

I'm going to spend the weekend reading, and chrocheting, and cooking and hanging out with my G. it's going to be awesome.

TEN THINGS THAT MAKE ME HAPPY RIGHT NOW

1. My friend Amanda, from college, doing Ten Things on her blog.
2. Making progress on 28/28th list
3. Tuesday night Glee Dinners with Paul and Julie (up this week: roasted chicken, potatoes, and cookies for dessert)
4. Walking into a good thing happening at work (on a Monday! For real!)
5  The theatre company I'm in endng our very first show. Check us out!  It was a really awesome experience, and I'm really glad I did it.
6.  My Grandmom having a day countdown to when I visit when I called her yesterday (twenty days!)
7.  Looking forward to seeing my little cousin in two weeks
8. Making Meringues for the first time. They really were light and fluffy! (and lemony!) I think the next Meringue based thing I want to make is a Pavlova. And my own marshmallows.
9.   I have a bunch of blog post subjects rolling around my brain.
10. Earl the cat taking a nap on me yesterday morning. He's not really a snuggly cat, and when he is, it makes me happy.

List update!

26. Go to ten new resturants in Baltimore

In the Burger challenge, we've been to
Duda's,  Kooper's,  Turps,  Poncabird Cafe, Ale Mary's  (links are to my reviews of the burgers there. Duda's is forthcoming.)

And in everyday life I've been to:
Sam's Kid  Sam's Kid is an Asian Tapas resturaunt that I really, really like, They have all sorts of small plates of great food, thoughtfully done. If you go, make sure you get the cucumber salad. SO. GOOD.

Iggies  I can't belive I had not been to Iggie's before last week.  it's in Mt Vernon, and my friend Paul suggested it to take my family to before they saw the show on Saturday. The pizza and salads here a fantastic. We tried the pizza with duck, blue cheese, onion and asparagus (SO awesome) and the sausage and fennel (delicicous)  and had the Iggie's salad- spinach, mushrooms, and a warm pancetta dressing (droooool)

Kyros  It's right accross from the Church that the chuch that the theatre company is performing in, so i've been there a couple of times. Has a solid buffalo wing pizza, but the falafel there is what is excellent.

Thairish Easily the best Pad Thai I've had in Baltimore. They also have a rockin' Thai Iced tea.

Mt Washington Tavern Paul and I went after rehearsal one night, and I'm glad we did. They have an awesome dining room, solid Mahi Mahi tacos, and  we ended the night with a Chocolate pudding cake confection that hit the spot.


So Yay! I've crossed another item of my list.

On Being Fearless

So my friend Sarah Lynn  (who is full of epic awesomeness and is also in Iron Crow Theatre Company ) started her new blog today! And in the spirit of her blog, and the theme of fearlessness that lies within- (she's taking dance classes! fancy!) I am going to  get working on some of the things from my list that need to get worked on.

Especially #11
I have eleven dates to go on left for this year (before October)  so I'm sending messages to two people on Ok Cupid tonight. As my friend Lisa says, "Dates are not just going to come over to your apartment!"

Woo, progress!

#23 Do twelve random acts of kindness for strangers.

The reason that I put it on the list in the first place is that I have been the recipient of some wonderful random acts of kindness. When I was in my car accident in June, I was walking back to my apartment (the accident happenend about a mile from my house, and I figured I'd walk) I was loaded down with bags and various stuff from my car, and I was really regretting my decision to walk home, walking slower and slower, almost on the verge of exhausted tears, when, 3/4 of the way, a woman who lives in my apartment complex that I didn't know pulled over and asked me if I needed a ride up to my place. I had been thinking that I could not walk any more, I was in pain, my adrenaline was crashing, and this woman, who I've never seen again, was my hero.

The good feeling that I had from that day stayed with me for a long time. Just when you think that all is lost, sometimes the universe sends you a random, and kind stranger.

So you may have heard that The Mid Atlantic region has had some pretty wicked snow for the last week. The main roads are okay, but many of the side roads are still packed in snow (like the one I live on, for example). I had lunch at work, and then with my friends Katie and Mandy, went for a Starbucks run to get tea after we ate. There was crazy traffic getting out of the Starbucks onto the main road, and we were waiting in the traffic in Katie's car for about fifteen minutes. As we were pulling up to the light, the car in front of us got stuck in the snow/slush roads, and began to back, almost hitting Katie's car. It stopped, spun it's wheels, and was stuck again. I jumped out of the car, asked the guy if he needed a push, which he said he did. He got back into the car, hit the gas, and I got low, pushed forward, and pushed the car out by myself! Triumph! the car made the light, and I ran back to Katie's car, where we promptly got stuck at the red light. It was really awesome to do something for a random stranger, and I can't wait until I get the next opportunity!

28/28th list update- #12

I put #12 on the list, because I wanted to make it happen, but I wasn't sure I could. #12 is tricky. Because I had my travel planned out for the year, I didn't think I would be going anywhere new. Up to Providence, probably, Down to Virginia, into NYC, down to DC definitely. But none of those places are what #12 is. They're all places I've been before.

12. Visit a city I've never been to before

As I mentioned before, I'm going to Japan.  With my friend Tim, who is wonderful, and generous, and fantastic, and I can't imagine having a better traveling companion in him. Tim won a trip to Japan from Saveur Magazine, and asked me to go with him. (Insert me running around like a crazy person and going eeeeeeee! I'm going to Japan!)

We're going to fly there at the end of Feb/first week of March, a have a night in Tokyo, and then the next day fly to Yamagata Prefecture and spend three days in Ginzen Onsen, then back to Tokyo for a night, then home.  I've been doing lots of reading, and reasearching, and just in general being excited.  I'm excited about the food, I'm excited about the hot springs, and mostly I'm excited to spend a week having fun adventures with Tim, because he's awesome.

28/28th update: Three Months In.

1 Write a Novel.
I abandoned NaNoWriMo, But I have been working on a Writing Project, so... will update when that is more fully formed
2. Try one new craft
3. Go to DC for the day by myself and walk around
4. Cater a Non Family Event
5. Make Homemade christmas gifts
Done! Several family members recieved mittens, and snowflakes. I am going to start working on christmas presents earlier this year though. I did not get nearly as much done as I wanted to.
6. Learn how to can things (like jam)
I got a canning book for christmas, I've got some jars waiting to go! I can't wait, I think apple butter or pear butter will be up first. it seems pretty idiot proof.
7. Take a cooking class-
Thanks to a completely awesome birthday present from my friend julie, I am taking a pasta class here in March.
8. Go camping
9. Go to a non House Concert- Show
10. Get a Manicure, Pedicure and Facial
Done! I got a Mani, Pedi, Facial with my sister and my cousin Kate, before my cousin Lindy's wedding, which was very excellent. I actually have super long nails right now, and have been debating getting a manicure. I will probably just end up cutting them, though.
11. Go on 12 dates
One down, 11 to go!
12. Visit a city I've never been to before
13. Learn how to make a recipe by watching my G make it.
I am going down to Florida in February! I am hoping that I'll get that done then.
14.  Go to at least one Free Fall Baltimore event
Missed this year's- I am hoping that I will get in under the wire next fall.
15. Have a Cookie Baking/Decorating Party
16. Make a tradition of my own
17. Go to a museum
18. Have dinner that is multi-course and paired with wines
19. Go to a winery and have a wine tasting
20. Make something beautiful
21. Create ten new cupcake combinations
On my way!
22. Get my camera fixed. 
DONE!
23. Twelve Random Acts of Kindness for strangers
24. Go for a week without internet (for non work puroposes)
25. Do some acting
I am in the Iron Crow Theatre Company! And we're doing a night of short plays by Christopher Durang called "In Durang's Shorts"  to which I've been cast in two roles. Woo! Performance days are in the spring!
26. Go to ten new restaurants in Baltimore
The quest for the Best Burger in Baltimore should take care of this nicely! Three down already!
27. Learn a new card game
28. Go see a movie with Subtitiles (or, rent and watch Amelie without falling asleep)


So in conclusion, I've made progress on some of these things, but not as much progress as I'd like. especially the "random act of kindness" one. I need to get going on that. The "go a week without internet except for work purposes " is also giving me hives to think about.

Cupcakes!

So another one down on my list of cupcakes! These cupcakes (which sidenote, cool picture, right?) are gingerbread with chocolate chips in them and cream cheese frosting. I had the chocolate/gingerbread combo about a year ago, and I really liked it.

So a success! my co-workers certianly enjoyed them.

List update!

22. Get my camera fixed

Done!  Through the Magic of the Mail, the awesomeness of Canon Repairs, and me finally getting off my butt to get my camera fixed, it's done!

To celebrate, here are some pictures of Earl.*

* I fully know that crocheting a hat for my cat makes me a Crazy Cat Lady.  I crocheted him some booties too, but he wouldn't wear those.

Ten things that are making me happy right now

1. Crossing items off my 28/28th list
2.  Homemade Stock.
3. Awesome Welcome Winter party this weekend
4. Iron Crow Theatre Company
5. Pictures of my cute 15 month old cousin seeing santa
6. Day off later this week (what what, thursday!)
7. Camera being fixed
8. Tim is blogging!
9. Chicken corn dogs from Target (surprisingly tasty and awesome!)
10. Creme Brulee Latte from Starbucks- they probably have a million calories, but they are really good

What's making you happy right now?

Cupcake Mania

I may be a little obsessed with cupcakes. I love their size, the infinite combinations that can create a great and delicious dessert. plus, they do not require a fork. I recently won a pumpkin bake-off at work with my spice cupcakes with pumpkin butter filling and cream cheese frosting on top, dusted with pumpkin spice. (Those were pretty good)

I often start with an idea. A flavor pairing, based on flavors I've been thinking about recently. for our Sunday Night Dinner this past week (friends of mine having awesome sunday night dinners) I had a taste for bananas. Well, I need to go back. I've been having a taste for bananas for the last month, as evidenced by the amount of banana pudding I made. But I made banana pudding for last sunday's dinner, and I had cupcakes on the brain.

Also peanut butter.

So I was thinking about all the things that go well with bananas. Peanut butter, chocolate. How can you go wrong? So I paired banana cupcakes (which were dense and cakey) with a peanut butter frosting in the center, and topped it with a rich, dark chocolate ganache.

yum.

(this counts as the first of my 28/28th cupcakes- I made them after my birthday, so it counts!)