Lost Adventure #2: Wisconsin Trip 3

Trip 3 was a success! This was the first time me and the boy actually spent a solid week together. It was really nice to get annoyed with each other but still want to be with each other at the end of the day. From the time in hit the ground in WI we were on the go.

Tuesday night we met up with some friends of ours at a bar for a few drinks and to catch up. 

Ashley and I

Wednesday was the start of the worst of the heat wave. I have been on an exercise kick and I didn't want to miss a beat so we went for a run at 8:30am and it was 87 degrees with 90% humidity! I don't handle heat very well at all and I finished my workout with heat exhaustion for the next couple days. Which the next couple days were 105 degrees!

We also had a wedding shower/BBQ with my man's family so I made little piggies in blankets to take with us. I sat outside in the shade in 95 degrees of hell for a few hours. His family was amazing but the heat was brutal.

Thursday we didn't do much because of the heat but my boyfriend did take me to see Brave, the Disney movie, which I LOVED! I felt like I was watching the story of my life. It was a funny movie and my boyfriend even said he enjoyed it.  Friday was the beach day at Lake Michigan. I now have been to 4 out of the 5 great lakes! It was nice to be somewhere cooler and the water was refreshing.

Lake Michigan

After the beach we got dinner at a nice brewery/ restaurant and drove into Milwaukee to see OAR, my favorite band at Summerfest! I have to applaud my man because he isn't into hippy music and he tried very hard to be cool. :) Summerfest was a neat experience but once again unbearably hot and sweaty.

Saturday was Shane's friends wedding. We woke up a little late after such a long day before at which point Shane told me he had forgotten all of his dress clothes at home. I quickly showered and dressed and packed my bags once more for a rushed trip to Walmart. Boy oh boy.... guys have no idea about colors and it was a good thing I was there. 

Not bad for Wal-mart style! 

Wedding was very cute! Not alot of pics though because I forgot my camera. The bride and groom were the sweetest most energetic people. The bride even did a cartwheel into the reception in her wedding dress!!! There was amazing food and lots of dancing and good sleep in a big hotel bed.

The next two days were low key and we just enjoyed some quiet time. I left on Monday and we had a chance to eat lunch together. It was a great trip and I can't wait to go back.

Tasty Bakes #4: Chocolate Covered Strawberries

Right before my week long vacation in Wisconsin I came down with a cold... of course...  So as a result I stayed in the whole weekend before I left. I was getting a bit restless so I rummaged through my fridge and decided to make chocolate covered strawberries.

They came out perfect and were delicious. They didn't even last 24 hours before I ate them all!

Chocolate Covered Strawberries

The strawberries were good "medicine". It was a good sweet but healthy treat to snack on!

Tasty Bakes #3: Homemade Apple Chips

Recently I have been feeling extremely domesticated. Homemade apple chips were my next culinary adventure. It was an experiment in its own right. I originally googled a number of recipes but there was a fair amount of variation among them so I winged this.

First Attempt

To begin with I chose 2 types of apples granny smith and red delicious ( not sure on the red one). I figured I would take a chance to see which tasted better.

Choice of apples.

Secondly I sliced up one apple of each. My slicing consistency isn't perfect but ended up with very thin slices and 1/8th of inch slices.

Slicing

After slicing all of each apple I put the on separate sheets. Sprinkled them with varying amounts of sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

Time for the oven!

Second Attempt

So I have worked out a few of the difficulties I was having with my first pass at these apple chips. I have now mastered the technique.

My Recipe

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 250 degrees Fahrenheit.

Step 2: Cover Baking sheets with Parchment Paper ( I originally tried Aluminium foil and the slices stuck to it.)

Step 3: Wash and Slice Granny Smith apples into 1/8" slices. ( I tried a couple different apples and this type tasted the best.)

Step 4: Place all the slices on the parchment cover backing sheets so that no slice is on top of each other.  

Step 5: Sprinkle Cinnamon and sugar on the slices. Then pop it in the oven!

Step 6: After about 30 minutes take the baking sheets out of the oven and flip all of the slices over and sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar again.

Step 7: Put back in the over for another 35-45 minutes depending your oven it may take longer.

Step 8: When dried to desired texture remove from oven and let sit.

You can keep the chips in a container but they never last in my house! :)  Haha

Enjoy!!!

Lost Adventure #1: Newport, My Man and My Birthday Weekend

For my birthday this year my boyfriend made his first visit to the east coast. It was a short visit but absolutely amazing! I surprised him at the airport Friday night and we had a chance to go out in South Boston and for him to meet some of my friends out here.

Saturday we celebrated my birthday as if it was and went to Newport, RI. We did the cliff walk which is an absolutely beautiful site to see.

Cliff Walk - Newport,RI

Cliff Walk - Newport, RI

The Cliff Walk wraps along Newport coast line. On one side of the path is the Altantic Ocean and on the other side are multi-million dollar mansions. 360 degrees of gorgeous views. The mansions are as breathtaking as the ocean that they sit on.

Cliff Walk - Newport,RI

Atlantic Ocean - Newport, RI

After our walk we headed to downtown and wandered along the streets doing a little window shopping. I found a cute pair of zebra print shades and my first pair of reef sandals.

Before we headed home we stopped at my favorite restaurant, Busker's, in Newport, RI to grab some grub. My handsome man order the most delicious Lobster Mac and Cheese (New England is known for their seafood) and I ordered a savory chicken pot pie. Buskers not only has tasty eats  but it also has a comforting setting with live music in the evening.

On out way home we stopped and my boyfriend bought me a Cold Stone ice cream birthday cake per my tradition and we continued on home. We had a relaxing night watching a movie, eating, playing with legos and playing SuperMario. Yup nerd love as I like to call it, but hey that is why I love him.

It was sad dropping him off at the airport on Sunday but it was only because it was one of the best birthdays I have had in a long time.