Mmmmm, Sangria!

Memorial Day Post: Part One

We had a picnic to go to for Memorial Day, so I decided to be ambitious and try some new recipes I've been dying to give a shot!

First off- Sangria! This idea actually came to me when my husband pointed out that we have far too much random alcohol in our liquor cabinet. I took a look in there, and he was right. There were random things purchased that I had only used once for a particular recipe (as I just mentioned in a previous post!). After examining the cabinet I decided that my goal would be to use the Cointreau I purchased to make my Pomegranate Cosmopolitans for our holiday potluck back in January. I never used Cointreau before that & hadn't used it since. Luckily, I came across a sangria recipe that would put it to good use! Unfortunately, the peaches & plums I needed for the recipe are not currently in season! Grrrr! However, I was able to improvise & use apples I already had on hand & some white peaches I randomly located at Wegmans (not the ripest peaches, but they would have to do).

Fresh fruit for Memorial Day Sangria!

Lots of fruit... too much fruit if you ask my husband!

Wine + fruit = yummy!

Ready to hang out in my fridge overnight!

Since I wanted to do 2 batches of Sangria & my original recipe was already tweeked, I decided to get creative with the second batch!

Upon closer inspection of my liquor cabinet I discovered some Chambord that I had purchased back in February for the Valentine's Day dinner I prepared for Peter. I decided to make a berry sangria that turned out to be even better than the above sangria!

I only have one glass picture, so the classiness of this sangria had to suffer!

Blackberries, raspberries & blueberries

Tried a different rioja with this one

In case anyone is interested, this is the recipe I came up with:

Berry Sangria
1 bottle of Rioja Wine;
3 Tbsp sugar;
3 Tbsp dark rum;
3 Tbsp Chambord;
1 container of blackberries;
1 container of raspberries;
1 container of blueberries;
1 cinnamon stick

I don't really think the quantities of berries matter too much. Peter's pretty sure all the berry flavor came from the Chambord... regardless, it was good. Then the wine soaked berries were wonderful to snack of afterward! Enjoy!

Hallie Update

DISCLAIMER: If you don't care for cat talk skip this post!

Hallie returned home from her surgery this past Wednesday afternoon. Muffin was not too pleased about this...

Muffin in Hallie's case... apparently she wants out of her current living situation

I figured Hallie deserved a treat for enduring surgery & a day and a half away from home, so I bought her some kitty grass that she thoroughly enjoyed.

Excited about a plant that she is allowed to eat

She also found Muffin's new bed... Muffin was not happy about this either

All in all, Hallie seems fine since returning home. She was definitely pretty pitiful her first night back, but things are returning to normal. She's back to sleeping her life away! The only difference in her that we've noticed is that she's a bit more snuggly that normal... and she was already cuddly to begin with. A fat, snuggly cat just when the weather's starting to warm up is not too enjoyable for Peter & I. I suppose we'll cut her some slack since she just endured a traumatic event.

Hal's favorite sunny napping spot

Peter & Hal napping "together"

Muffin dreaming of a day when Hallie is gone for good

Avocado Update

6 weeks into it & still progressing!

Stop Making Fun of Me

Today was Hallie's big surgery day! She needed to go in to have an infected tooth removed. Since she was already going to have anesthesia we decided that it would be a good idea to have one of her troublesome extra claws removed. Hallie has, what we like to refer to them as thumbs. She is polydactyl. Funny thing is that when I picked her out at the SPCA I didn't even notice all her extra toes... I guess her cuteness won me over on it's own.

Classic Hallie... notice the "mittens"

Anyway, not to bore you with cat stories, but it was time to get rid of one claw in particular that tends to get stuck in things.

Yes, I know you can't really see it, and yes, I know you don't care about my cat, but I don't really give a damn!

This morning Hal made the trip to the vet & is still there. They're making her spend the night so that they can make sure she doesn't walk on the foot & she doesn't spike a temp. Poor thing!

Yes, this is Hallie's cat carrier... shut up & stop making fun of my crazy cat antics!

On to dinner...

I'm the type of cook that finds a recipe she likes & then goes & purchases all the ingredients on it... right down to the garam masala that I will never use again. It kinda drives my husband crazy. I just don't consider myself to be a smart enough cook to whip up something with the ingredients I already have in my cupboards, refrigerator, or freezer.

Yesterday, I took a step in the right direction & made chicken caesar wraps! I had all the ingredients at home already! ... except for the croutons... I had to buy those at Wegmans... and then Peter didn't even realize that they were on the counter waiting for him to put them in his wrap! ....but I digress...

So, I wasted a trip to Wegmans yesterday on those worthless croutons & would not allow myself to do that again today... except for the fact that I really wanted to make roasted cauliflower, so I was gonna go to Wegmans to pick up a head, when my husband reminded me that I have some already in the freezer... fine. No Wegmans.

I decided to put together a dinner of leftover Kielbasa from Dyngus Day, sauteed with onions, peppers & mushrooms that I already had, with a side of roasted cauliflower & a side of Wegmans Golden Jewel Blend that I've been wanting to try! Then, I got really ambitious... I picked a scallion from the garden to add to the Golden Jewel Blend, and harvested some chives for my cauliflower... I know, I'm such an innovative chef!

Scallion/Baby Onion from our garden

Chives & Chive Blossoms

Yes, I put some chives in a bud vase... shut up!

Voila!

Dinner was mediocre, but I'm proud of myself for using what I had on hand, not following any recipes, and actually using items from our garden!

Crazy Cat Picture of the Day

This was just too ridiculous not to share. I still don't quite understand it.

Muffin hangin' with some herbs on the back porch

Herb Garden 2011

This is year #4 for my herb garden. It's had good times & bad times, but for the most part it's been quite prolific over years. Let's take a look at gardens past...

My very first herb garden in 2008

2009 Expansion project

What made it to 2010...

turned out to be a pretty good growing season in 2010!

I was excited to get going on the 2011 garden! The catnip, chives, parsley & thyme all survived the winter. The chives are actually the same chives from back in 2008! Peter & I find that one day out of the blue they just pop up and start growing like crazy. This year was no different. We're already trying to use them up.

The only things we needed to replace were basil, sage & rosemary. I was sad that the sage & rosemary didn't survive this winter. They had survived the last, but maybe I just didn't give them enough love & attention through the cold winter months.

Anyway, we bought some replacement herbs at last week's public market.

sage, lettuce leaf basil, purple basil, large leaf italian basil, rosemary

Our new plants enjoying sunshine before transplant

Below is where the sage & rosemary would be transplanted. It really is surprising that the thyme is the only survivor in this planter. It's "creeping thyme" which doesn't get much of the sunshine since it's ground cover & last year the sage took over the whole planter. Needless to say, I'm very proud of my thyme... she's once tough cookie!

Remains of thyme, sage & rosemary from last year

Thyme is off to a good start

The transplanted sage & rosemary (with some pitiful strawberries in the back)

Those look nice, but when you check out the other planter below, you will realize how they are no match for our parsley, chives & catnip...

Out of control parsley, chives, & catnip

Our catnip has a tendency to get out of control. If anyone would like to have some for their cat(s), let me know. Our cats love it, but the supply far outweighs the demand.

On a side note, here's a pic to give you an idea of our backyard garden's current status...

Peter's pride & joy

Even Muffin joined in the gardening fun. She found a nice little spot to chill in between the compost pile & the garlic.

The gardening day ended with transplanting my favorite- the basil! We bought 3 different kinds to try out this year! I have high expectations for them all!

purple leaf, large italian leaf, lettuce leaf

My New Obsession

I have a new obsession... depending on how the next few weeks go it may turn into an addiction. It's known as a "gelish manicure." It's seriously the best thing I've discovered in quite a while. Allow me to share...

Two weeks ago, before I went to Vegas I decided to get a french manicure. I'm not really a fan of getting manicures since they never seem to last long. I actually never even got a manicure for my own wedding. I was so concerned that the polish would chip before the ceremony that I just did my nails myself. Regardless, I was in the mood for a french manicure. I had already gotten a pedicure a few days before that, so I figured it would be a nice change to have all my nails pretty at the same time.

I ventured out to a random nail place that I had never been to before, Solar Nail Salon. It seemed decent enough. I requested a french manicure & they told me it would be $18. Not bad. Then it began... they started to tell me that I NEEDED to get a gelish manicure. They went on & on about how it would last 2-3 weeks, it doesn't chip, and it would dry instantly. I asked the price & they told me $45. I told them, "No, thank you."

So, I began to get a regular french manicure when the woman taking care of me whispered, "Do you want to try the gelish polish?" I kindly told her that yes, I was interested, but I would absolutely not pay $45 for it. She offered me a discount of $35 to try it... I'm a sucker for "deals," so I agreed.

Basically, they do your nails in layers of thick gelish polish & you put your hands underneath UV or LED lights in between coats.

The results were unbelievable. Not a chip or crack or peel in 2 whole weeks! I was sold on the manicure. However, I was not sold on the $45 (or even $35) it would cost to have this done every 2-3 weeks. I searched around & found places that do it for $20 - 30! Damn! I had been ripped off! Oh, well! At least those people got me to try this new wonderful invention!

My manicure lasted reasonably well for 2 weeks. There were no chips or peels in my polish. At this point it was just the new nail growth that bothered me enough to have it reapplied. Here's what my nails looked after 2 weeks.

After 2 weeks I made an appointment at Maxim Spa & Salon. They would remove & reapply my french manicure for $25.

To have it removed your nails are covered in acetone soaked cotton, wrapped in aluminum foil, and covered in a hot damp towel for 10 minutes. After they remove the layers they then scrape away to remaining polish. Then, your nails are filed & you start the whole process all over again.

I must say that my nails feel much stronger than usual. Obviously the thick gel keeps them pretty strong. Also, for once in my life I feel like my nails are able to grow to a decent length & I'm not afraid of them breaking!

Voila! My new manicure! (Sorry, I should've put some lotion on my crocodile skin before taking these close up pics!)

So, that's my new obsession.... because I know everyone cares about nails as much as I do!

Update on my running...

I am no longer running.
The End.

But seriously...

My knees (plural!) have not been right since returning from New Zealand. I've had one or MAYBE two pain free runs. I made a quick decision upon my return home to scrap the half marathon I had been training for & try the duathlon with my wonderful husband instead. Sadly, the runs that led up to the duathlon continued to be difficult & moderately painful, so I decided it was best to cancel that idea as well (your welcome, Peter) and limit my running & do a bunch of cross training.

Well, fast forward 3 weeks later & my knees are worse than ever... actually, I think Saturday they were worse than today, but pretty close. I haven't run, or gone spinning, or even yoga (squats & lunges are not my friends right now), or ANYTHING for that matter (in case you're curious, it's slowly killing me inside) and my knees are still hurting me. Not a fan. I've been hoping that this was just runner's knee(s), but the more time that goes by the more I'm thinking it's not. My runner's knee in the past has never been this persistent! Sunday I mentioned the pain to a friend & she said that it sounded just like when she tore her meniscus. Ugh! Hearing those words was like a knife in my heart!

I've been researching meniscus tears & it's definitely possible that is what I have. I especially think it's a possibility since I told Peter a few weeks back that it seemed like I twisted my knee (Don't worry, honey, I don't expect you to remember me saying that to you.). It's a pain that's underneath & on the inside of my knee. It's not there all of the time, but comes & goes. It started out as a sharp pain, but now it's just a dull ache. The only really weird thing is that this pain isn't on just one knee, but both.

After all of my research, I decided to swear off running, follow the RICE plan. I also looked up some physical therapy exercises to do. I was going to reevaluate myself in 2 weeks & try to re-introduce yoga & the elliptical and then slowly increase my exercising until I felt it appropriate to try running again. That was yesterday...

Now, while nothing with the status of my knees has changed, I'm thinking it's time to be a big girl & head on out to a knee doctor.

I think I'm just scared that he'll tell me I need surgery... or that I'll never be able to run again. I think both of those scenarios are doubtful, but I'd be super pissed if I rehabbed myself for 2 months only to find out then that I should've/could've done something more for my knees NOW.

I have the doctor's number in my hands & plan on calling tomorrow... maybe.

A Lovely Little Saturday

This Saturday Peter & I made a vow to be productive... despite using our Groupon at Solera Wine Bar & splitting a nice bottle of red wine the night before. There may have been additional drinking on Friday, but I'll withhold the details surrounding our escapades.

Anyway, Saturday morning we headed out to the Rochester Public Market. While Peter & I are big fans of Farmer's Markets, we are less enthused about the public market. Peter doesn't like that such a large quantity of the food being sold is not local. Florida oranges & pineapples and California avocados kinda defeat the purpose of a public market. Oh, and Peter hates all the carts & strollers everywhere! Regardless, our South Wedge Farmer's Market doesn't start for a few weeks , and our Highland Farmer's Market was complicated last week due to the Lilac Festival traffic diversion. Thus, we took the plunge & headed out to the public market.

Peter really wanted locally grown asparagus & I really wanted fresh flowers. We were able to find both, along with some apples, and a few herbs to replace the ones that didn't make it through the winter.

We also finally got to stop at the famous Juan & Maria's Empananda Stop! It was very exciting. We'd heard so many great things about them & even though we already knew where we wanted to go for lunch, we decided to indulge & split a beef & onion empanada first. Definitely worth the stop, and far superior to my pathetic attempt at empanadas.

Following the public market Peter & I ventured to Swan Market. Now, I had never heard of this establishment, but when Peter saw a Groupon for it, he told me to buy it. So, we headed off for some German fare in the middle of a Rochester area that I did not recognize.

Authentic German food

We split a sausage plate & a sampler plate. I was a little wary at first, but the fact that this place smelled just like I remember my grandma & grandpa's house smelling reassured me. (Yes, I am Polish, not German, but sausage & grease are universal smells). The food was wonderful... along with the German beer we washed it down with... all before 12 noon. We then headed home to enjoy our public market purchases... starting with my flowers!

I have a bit of a thing about having fresh flowers in the house... especially in gloomy weather. I just love fresh flowers! They make me happy! I was excited when I found the flower people with pretty bouquets for $8 and with that purchase you get 6 daisies (one of my favorites!). They definitely made me happy on such a cold & rainy weekend!

My bouquet of flowers...





and my pretty FREE daisies...

For dinner we had our locally grown asparagus wrapped in bacon- of course. We also ate our last good steak from our cow, and I prepared some quinoa. It was my first attempt at quinoa & I think it turned out alright. At least Peter & I enjoyed it. I added garlic & thyme & chives from our garden.

The picture doesn't really do it justice, but here's our meal... and no, my bacon is not burnt, that's just how I like it!

We ate strawberries & whipped cream (ie Cool Whip) for dessert & opened up some champagne for the hell of it!

We're so classy

There was no Home Depot or Olive Garden involved, but it was a nice little Saturday!