Life Lately

Since returning home, life has been busy and wonderful.  It's good to be back!

On the first day of each quarter, the teachers at my school have a potluck lunch where everyone brings a dish to share and we eat together catching up on everything that has happened during our break.  I was told that it was too hot to turn on the oven, so I made these no-bake cookie dough bars and they were a HIT!

The only problem with these bars is that they killed my trusty hand mixer.  One of the beaters would no longer lock in to place, and it started to smell like it was about to start on fire.  I took this failure or my hand mixer as the opportunity to finally get myself every girl's dream kitchen appliance - a Kitchenaid.  Isn't he pretty?

Once September hits, it's fall in my brain.  Even if it's 100 degrees outside - like it has been ALL week - my brain says apple and pumpkin and FALL.  I declared pumpkin season officially opened with these pumpkin chocolate chip mini-muffins that I brought to school for my team before parent orientation last week.

And of course, with fall and pumpkin comes one of my favorite parts of September, the return of the Pumpkin Spice Latte to Starbucks!

My brain might be saying fall, but my body is still saying summer and I'm trying to enjoy the last pool days of the summer!

September also brings with it one of my favorite days of the year - my birthday!  I had a wonderful birthday weekend, ended perfectly with dinner with TDN and two of our dear friends.  Heather made an incredible meal for me.  I am so thankful to have her in my life.

I'm also thankful that she caters so well to my peanut butter cravings.  She made me a chocolate peanut butter cup cake with peanut butter frosting.  It was incredible.  And sent us all immediately into diabetic shock.  But it was worth it.  So worth it.

We enjoyed some time together, some time with friends, some hiking, and some time with Little Max.  TDN thought Littles might want to ride in a Google bike with us.  He wasn't a huge fan, but he was a trooper!

That's life!

Wine tasting with Papa Rist

Since we already went to McWay Falls and the Monterey Bay Aquarium on this trip, and I had done the touristy San Francisco things with Papa Rist on his last visit, our last obligatory Bay Area must-do was wine tasting in Napa Valley.  

The boys really had to twist my arm to get me to spend a whole day wine tasting.  Ha.  I really enjoy wine, so a day dedicated to trying many different wines and finding my favorites is pretty much a perfect day.

We tasted at three wineries in the St. Helena and Oakville areas and had a wonderful time.

The first was one of Tall Dark and Nerdy's favorites:  V. Sattui.  They have a really cool story of being an Italian-family-owned winery from San Francisco before prohibition shut them down.  They also have some wonderful wines.  Before we even started tasting, TDN told me that I would love their Gamay Rouge and that we would be bringing a bottle home with us.  Like usual, he was correct.  It's light and sweet without being too much like those candy-sweet wines I used to love.

Next, we went to Silver Oak Cellars.  They specialize in cabernets, and since Papa Rist really enjoys Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, this was a no-brainer for today.  The people in the tasting room here were so much fun.  We were talking about wine and welding and everything in between.  Definitely a great stop!

Number 3 was a place we had never heard of, Cosentino, but had great curb appeal on the way up to V. Sattui, so we decided to stop by on the way home.  This was a great little discovery.  The tasting room was much smaller than at the other two we visited, but the wine was great.  As an added bonus, they had purse hooks along the counter, which is a plus for any woman carrying a bag :)  We will definitely be stopping here again, too!

Staring at fish

Tall Dark and Nerdy and I are both, well, nerdy.  We like to "nerd out" about a lot of different things, both individually and together.  One of the things we have been nerding out about together recently is fish...well, more coral than actual fish.

TDN has a large aquarium in his house with incredible coral everywhere and some really cool fish.  

We had just spent a few days getting everything nice and cleaned up after he had been out of the country for a few weeks, and we got an awesome new fish, when Papa Rist came to town.

We decided that in addition to going to McWay Falls at Big Sur, we would go to Monterey while we were down south.  In case you don't know, you can't go to Monterey without visiting the Monterey Bay Aquarium.  It is really freaking cool.

So maybe we goofed around a little bit too :)

Papa Rist was done with his tour through the aquarium in about an hour...we, on the other hand, were a little rushed finishing in 3 hours.  We had so much fun talking about the fish, looking at the different corals and anemones, and dreaming of what we could try to get for the aquarium at home next.


The aquarium has a great jellyfish exhibit.  One of my favorites are these guys that has bacteria that make them glow like this.

McWay Falls

Tall Dark and Nerdy has been tempting me with a place called McWay Falls since we were first just becoming friends.  It's a picturesque waterfall in Big Sur that spills out onto a beach with waves crashing in all around.

Just hearing about it and seeing other people's pictures could almost take my breath away.

But, because of all my knee surgeries and his traveling for work, we still hadn't been there and I hadn't seen it in real life.

That all changed when Papa Rist came out to visit for Christmas this year!  On the day after Christmas, we got up early, hopped in the car, and drove down to Big Sur, not stopping until we were at the path to McWay Falls.

It really is beautiful.  And getting to experience it with two of the most important men in my life made it even better.

When the waves roll in, the waterfall is suddenly running right into the ocean for a few seconds.

I could just sit and listen to waves crash along the shore for hours and hours.  In the early morning, with hardly any other people around, this was a magical place and moment.

2013 Year in Review

2013 wasn't all roses, but, looking back, there are so many wonderful memories that I kind of forgot the hard parts of it all.  The first half of the year involved many, many physical therapy and doctor appointments for my knee, but the half-marathon I ran in the fall kind of made up for it.

January

2013 literally started out with roses when I traveled to southern California to watch my Stanford Cardinal play in - and win! - the 99th Rose Bowl.  My friend Kyla and I made the trip together, celebrating New Year's at a fabulous mansion party in the Hollywood Hills before watching our team in Pasadena.

At the end of the month, we celebrated Jas's birthday by going to a pop-up black-and-white masquerade ball and dinner party.  Masquerade ball has now been officially checked off of my bucket list!

February

My second knee surgery in six months happened on February 6.  The first surgery wasn't able to heal the whole tear in my meniscus, so they went back in and re-did the surgery to get the second half to heal.  My friends and neighbors were so sweet to bring me care packages.

 March

In March, I flew back home to South Dakota for "spring break" and Easter with my family.  Baby Sister, my cousin Les, and I had fun with the baby lambs, dinking around on the 4-wheeler, and going shooting with a dear friend of mine.  Holidays in South Dakota are definitely one of a kind!

April
April was marked by the start of the season for our garden.  We spent a day planting and setting up the drip irrigation system, and it was all worth it for the months of fresh veggies we got to enjoy!

May

In May, I had my first Bay to Breakers experience - a "run" across San Francisco with thousands of my closest friends, in costumes, with a lot of beer.  It was definitely memorable, and I'm glad I did it with this guy.

June

In June, I was finally able to go back to work with a mostly-recovered knee.  The same week, I also started graduate school!

Earlier in June, Tall Dark and Nerdy had an aunt and uncle come to visit us, so in showing them around, I got to see Yosemite for the first time.

July

I went to a lot of concerts in 2013, but two really stick in my head as representing the year.  Possibly because one was the largest concert I've ever been to - Justin Timberlake and Jay-Z's Legends of the Summer Tour.  Possibly because I planned the best date night ever taking Tall Dark and Nerdy to see Weezer in San Francisco at an incredible temporary venue.  Possibly because I went to these two concerts two nights in a row.  Whatever the reason, they were a couple of really great shows!

August

August brought an incredible vacation to Europe with Tall Dark and Nerdy.  With our time together in Germany, our long weekend with friends in Munich, my day by the lake in Zurich, my time in Scotland with my grandmother, and my days in London with friends, this trip couldn't have gotten much better!

September

I was able to fly home and be a part of when of my oldest friends' special days this fall.  I have known this girl nearly all my life and we have become such close friends since high school, even with me living 2000 miles away.  It was such a wonderful weekend kicking up our heels and celebrating a great couple!  And I got to spend time with Baby Sister, which made it even better!

October

On October 20th I participated in my second Nike Women's Marathon.  This time I did it pretty much on my own, and I ran more of it than I thought possible.  After all my struggles with my knee this past year, this was a huge day for me.  I couldn't run the whole thing, but it will come, maybe in 2014!

Now, as dorky as this sounds, the other highlight of October was getting our wood burning stove installed at the cabin.  Now I can relax by a fire all winter!

November

Every fall, the school I teach at has a wonderful auction to raise money for our scholarship fund.  Tall Dark and Nerdy and I went, talked with wonderful parents, and had a really nice evening (and even took a nice picture!)

At the end of the month, we headed to Cozumel, Mexico for a mini vacation.

December

The reason we headed to Cozumel was the Tall Dark and Nerdy was competing in an Ironman triathlon.  I'm so proud of him!

My dad came to visit us for Christmas, prompting a trip to Big Sur to see McWay Falls - which Tall Dark and Nerdy has been tempting me with almost since we met!

Wow, 2013 had a lot of memories!  I can't wait to make more in 2014!

Weezer date night!

When I heard that Weezer was coming to the Bay Area, I knew I had to go!  I mentioned something about it to Tall Dark and Nerdy one night, saying I was going to try to get two tickets and just worry about finding someone to go with me as it got closer.  He got super excited, and I knew it was going to make for a fun night together.

This was my first time seeing Weezer.  It was also our first time going to a concert together.  AND it was our first time in the new - but temporary :( - America's Cup Pavilion.

 

We caught the train together up to the city, then got to experience the "Dirty 30" bus ride across town, and had a nice walk along the piers together.  America's Cup Pavilion is on two of the piers in San Francisco, so it's right along the water - although you can't see the water.

 

It was a little chilly, and the fog rolled in near the end of the opener's set.  By the end of the show, it was almost misting on us, but it was wonderful!  Weezer definitely lived up to the high expectations I had for them!  I also love that the lead singer's style is and always has been "nerd."  He's in the perfect place!

 

After the concert, we went for a walk and a beer with a couple that we're friends with and were also at the show, before cabbing it back across the city to the train and my nap on the way home.

Butterscotch Neimans

I have recently become a big fan of butterscotch.  Anything with melty butterscotch chips is good in my book.

Naturally, when I came across a butterscotch-y recipe on one of my favorite blogs Mix and Match Mama, I couldn't wait for an occasion to try them!

That occasion was Tall Dark and Nerdy coming home from a weekend backpacking trip.  Not much of an occasion, but enough to warrant fresh-baked sweet treats!

Man, these did not disappoint!  Plus, TDN and I made a wonderful discovery:  his favorite parts of cakes, bars, etc. are the crunchy corners...mine are the middle pieces.  Perfect match! :)

Ingredients:

• 1 box yellow cake mix
• 1 stick butter, melted
• 1 bag butterscotch chips (2 cups)
• 4 cups powdered sugar
• 8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350.  Grease a 13"x9" pan and set aside.
For crust, combine cake mix, 2 eggs, and butter in medium-sized bowl.  Spread in bottom of pan.
Melt 1 cup of chips in microwave, stopping and stirring every 30 seconds.
Combine powdered sugar, remaining 2 eggs, cream cheese, and melted butterscotch chips with electric mixer until smooth.  Stir in remaining butterscotch chips.
Bake 35-40 minutes.  Edges should be a little brown.
Cool 30 minutes, then refrigerate.

Borrowed from Mix and Match Mama

I love Lake Tahoe

Lake Tahoe is one of my favorite places.  It's the place in California that makes me feel like I'm back home in some of the ways that I miss.  I absolutely love all the weekends I get to spend there with my Tall Dark and Nerdy, like this one in June. 

We get out of the car when we first arrive on Friday night and I spend my first several minutes in Tahoe just staring at the stars.  I spent countless nights growing up lying in a pasture or yard and staring at the stars, so it's nice to get that feeling again.

 

 I also love being near water.  I think I can blame that on my time rowing for Stanford, and on my water-loving roomie Mik.  Lakes don't get much prettier than Tahoe.  This trip was my first time being in Tahoe in the actual summertime, and it did not disappoint!  The water was cold, but it was beautiful, with three distinct colors of blue in layers.








Something about Tahoe makes me want to be adventurous.  I get there and I want to snowboard, hike, kayak, paddleboard, and do anything else I can try!

TDN also planned for us to watch the sunset at Emerald Bay, which has special sentimental value for me.  I saw a photograph of Emerald Bay last year over graduation weekend when TDN, Grams, baby sister, Papa Rist, and I were looking through a gallery.  I looked at TDN and said I wanted to go there - and had no idea where it was!  Over my birthday weekend (3 months later), he planned for us to spend an afternoon at Emerald Bay, and when I looked confused about what that was, he reminded me of the photograph.  He is so thoughtful.  That makes every visit to Emerald Bay special to me.

Any day that ends in s'mores is a great day for me, and this was no exception!

Butterscotch protein bites

After how successful my protein bite adventure was, I decided to try another variation.  They're not even cold yet, and I already know I like them!

Tall Dark and Nerdy has been trying to eat a little healthy since he got home from Nepal, and I know how bad his sweet tooth is for my baked treats, so I'm trying to make healthier treats so I can support him in this.  This is the perfect snack for the sweet tooth when we're trying to eat somewhat-healthy foods.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup oats
• 1/3 cup unsalted cashews
• 1/3 cup butterscotch chips
• 3 1/2 - 4 Tablespoons simple syrup (1 part water to 1 part sugar)
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 Tablespoons creamy peanut butter

Directions:
Combine oats, cashews, and butterscotch chips in blender or food processor, and run until it's near a flour consistency.
Add remaining ingredients, combine using blender, food processor, or hands.
Roll into small balls.  If mixture is too dry, add more simple syrup.
Place balls in a wax paper-lined container.  Refrigerate or freeze.

Adapted from Sunday Baker

Gluten-free cheesecake bites

When Tall Dark and Nerdy was coming home from his 5-week trip, I was so excited to see him and spend time with him.  I've also been told that the way to a man's heart is through his stomach - something I like to practice constantly. Because of this, I decided it was time for another cheesecake adventure.

This time, I went with bite-size cheesecake so it would be easy to take a few to TDN's house and to an "Arrested Development" viewing party I was going to.  They were so delicious and so portable - a total win.

Ingredients:
Crust

• 1 1/2 cups gluten-free graham cracker crumbs
• 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 3 Tablespoons sugar

Raspberry puree

• 1 cup frozen or fresh raspberries
• 2 Tablespoons sugar

Filling

• 2 pounds cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• Pinch of salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 4 eggs, room temperature

Directions:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Line cupcake pans with liners.
In small bowl, combine crust ingredients with a fork until moistened and well-blended.  Spoon 1 Tbsp into each liner, then press down with a drinking glass.  Bake 5 minutes.
Combine raspberries and sugar for puree in blender until smooth.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese until fluffy.  Blend in sugar until smooth.  Mix in salt and vanilla, then beat in eggs slowly one at a time.
Spoon cheesecake batter over crust into each cupcake liner.  Dot raspberry puree in a few dots on top.  Using a toothpick, lightly swirl puree through the top of the cheesecake filling.
Fill a large pyrex dish with hot water and place on bottom shelf of oven.  Bake 22 minutes on middle shelf until filling is set, rotating pans halfway through.  Transfer to cooling rack until room temperature, then refrigerate at least 4 hours before serving.

Adapted from Annie's Eats