I'm ready for some sunshine.
Monday, February 21, 2011
Sunday, February 20, 2011
BBQ
Tonight for family dinner, we had BBQ night. We had BBQ chicken, homemade macaroni and cheese, potato wedges, salad, and french bread. It was delicious!
Cheese grating teamwork.
To make this macaroni and cheese yourself at home, you need:
-4 cups milk
-8 Tbsp butter
-2 Tbsp flour
-1 1/2 tsp salt
-1/4 tsp pepper
-3 cups grated cheddar
-1 lb elbow pasta
-Ritz crackers
1) Heat the milk (but do not boil)
2) Add the butter and flour, mix until smooth.
3) Take off of the burner and add the cheese, salt and pepper.
4) In separate pot, boil water and cook the elbow pasta.
5) Add the cheese mixture and cooked pasta into a casserole dish. Sprinkle crushed RItz crackers on top.
6) Bake in oven at 375 for about 10-15 minutes (or until slightly brown on top)
YUMM!
Cheese grating teamwork.
To make this macaroni and cheese yourself at home, you need:
-4 cups milk
-8 Tbsp butter
-2 Tbsp flour
-1 1/2 tsp salt
-1/4 tsp pepper
-3 cups grated cheddar
-1 lb elbow pasta
-Ritz crackers
1) Heat the milk (but do not boil)
2) Add the butter and flour, mix until smooth.
3) Take off of the burner and add the cheese, salt and pepper.
4) In separate pot, boil water and cook the elbow pasta.
5) Add the cheese mixture and cooked pasta into a casserole dish. Sprinkle crushed RItz crackers on top.
6) Bake in oven at 375 for about 10-15 minutes (or until slightly brown on top)
YUMM!
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Plaid Gone Mad
Last night for Kat and Lindsay's 3/4 birthday, we celebrated by dressing up in our best Scottish plaids.
We then when out to Espionage, where Leah karoeked her rendition of "Something to talk about."
After that, we headed to the Liquid Room for some dancing.
Kat, and her boyfriend Craig who is visiting!
LIndsay, Zach & Kat dancing
On our way home, we had no choice but to stop at Made In Italy for some delicious pizza!
We then when out to Espionage, where Leah karoeked her rendition of "Something to talk about."
After that, we headed to the Liquid Room for some dancing.
Kat, and her boyfriend Craig who is visiting!
LIndsay, Zach & Kat dancing
On our way home, we had no choice but to stop at Made In Italy for some delicious pizza!
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Champagne High
Today for my wine studies class, the topic of discussion was Champagne & Sparkling Wines. It was definitely my favorite class thus far, so I figured, why not share my newfound knowledge??
Do you know the difference between Champagne & Sparkling Wine? I didn't either - until today. CHAMPAGNE is sparkling wine from the region of France called Champagne. SPARKING WINE is exactly the same, but if it is from any other region besides Champagne, France, then it is called sparking wine. Therefore, it should never be assumed that champagne is better than sparkling wine from elsewhere; that is not the case.
I alos learned that Dom Perignon, a the very fine and expensive champagne is named after, was a blind monk who used to create sparkling wine.
Also, sparkling wine is usually a mix of different grapes, and there are various kinds. As soon as it is put out on the shelves to be sold, it is good to drink. It does not get better with time. In fact, it gets worse, as air seeps in through the cork and the champagne can go rotten. Therefore, there is no reason to hold on to champagne for years hoping it will age - it won't, so drink up!
And my last fun fact we learned today, (I won't get into the difference processes of how they are made), is that people feel the alcohol faster drinking champagne and sparkling wine because the bubbles carry the alcohol to your blood stream quicker.
We tried four different ones in class, ranging in price.
The first was called "Toso", from Mendoza, Argentina. It was a brut (meaning dry), priced at £6.95 ($11), with 12.5% alcohol.
It was very crisp, dry, fresh, and fruity. The bubbles were on the larger side. It wash high in acidity (as all sparking wines are), and very light in taste. I really enjoyed this one, especially for being the cheapest one we tried all day.
The second one was "Prosecco" from Veneto, Italy. Produced by Passaparola, it was £9.95 ($16), and 11% alcohol.
This one was more bubbly, with smaller bubbles. It was light, fresh, and fruity, with a green apple-y taste.
The third one was Miru Miru, from Marlborough, New Zealand. It was more expensive, £13.95 ($22), and 12.5% alcohol.
It had small, delicate bubbles. It had an intense aroma of florals and fruits, and a dry, highly acidic taste. It tasted of peaches and other ripe, stone fruits.
The last one we tried was Pol Roger from Champagne, France. It was a whopping £26.95 ($44), and 12.5% alcohol.
This one had the deepest color, a yellow/gold, and lots of tiny bubbles. It smelled of florals and green apples. It tasted highly acidic, with a fresh fruity taste that was long on the palate.
I hope I have given you some information, if not ideas, of your next champagne/sparking wine purchase, and not just bored you!
XOXO
Do you know the difference between Champagne & Sparkling Wine? I didn't either - until today. CHAMPAGNE is sparkling wine from the region of France called Champagne. SPARKING WINE is exactly the same, but if it is from any other region besides Champagne, France, then it is called sparking wine. Therefore, it should never be assumed that champagne is better than sparkling wine from elsewhere; that is not the case.
I alos learned that Dom Perignon, a the very fine and expensive champagne is named after, was a blind monk who used to create sparkling wine.
Also, sparkling wine is usually a mix of different grapes, and there are various kinds. As soon as it is put out on the shelves to be sold, it is good to drink. It does not get better with time. In fact, it gets worse, as air seeps in through the cork and the champagne can go rotten. Therefore, there is no reason to hold on to champagne for years hoping it will age - it won't, so drink up!
And my last fun fact we learned today, (I won't get into the difference processes of how they are made), is that people feel the alcohol faster drinking champagne and sparkling wine because the bubbles carry the alcohol to your blood stream quicker.
We tried four different ones in class, ranging in price.
The first was called "Toso", from Mendoza, Argentina. It was a brut (meaning dry), priced at £6.95 ($11), with 12.5% alcohol.
It was very crisp, dry, fresh, and fruity. The bubbles were on the larger side. It wash high in acidity (as all sparking wines are), and very light in taste. I really enjoyed this one, especially for being the cheapest one we tried all day.
The second one was "Prosecco" from Veneto, Italy. Produced by Passaparola, it was £9.95 ($16), and 11% alcohol.
This one was more bubbly, with smaller bubbles. It was light, fresh, and fruity, with a green apple-y taste.
The third one was Miru Miru, from Marlborough, New Zealand. It was more expensive, £13.95 ($22), and 12.5% alcohol.
It had small, delicate bubbles. It had an intense aroma of florals and fruits, and a dry, highly acidic taste. It tasted of peaches and other ripe, stone fruits.
The last one we tried was Pol Roger from Champagne, France. It was a whopping £26.95 ($44), and 12.5% alcohol.
This one had the deepest color, a yellow/gold, and lots of tiny bubbles. It smelled of florals and green apples. It tasted highly acidic, with a fresh fruity taste that was long on the palate.
I hope I have given you some information, if not ideas, of your next champagne/sparking wine purchase, and not just bored you!
XOXO
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Class At The Castle
Today, for my Scottish Culture & Society class, we all met at the Edinburgh Castle. The whole class met at the entrance, where our professor handed out the tickets, and we proceeded inside to grab a guided tour headset and basically just do whatever we wanted. I'm pretty sure he left as soon as we entered. Either way, it was great!
Unfortunately...it was pouring. Horrible day for pictures with such a gray sky, but we made the most of it. The castle was really different than I expected. Inside, it was all not covered, and there were a lot of different small museums cafes - very few actual castle rooms. Kat and I spent about two hours there exploring all of the different areas and museums, seeing everything from war memorials to the national Crown Jewels. By the time we left, I'm pretty sure we were the last from our class to depart...
Unfortunately...it was pouring. Horrible day for pictures with such a gray sky, but we made the most of it. The castle was really different than I expected. Inside, it was all not covered, and there were a lot of different small museums cafes - very few actual castle rooms. Kat and I spent about two hours there exploring all of the different areas and museums, seeing everything from war memorials to the national Crown Jewels. By the time we left, I'm pretty sure we were the last from our class to depart...
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
We'll Be Kings In Castles By The End...
Today, we did our typical adventuring Tuesday. We went to Craigmillar Castle. It is one of the most intact castles, and so pretty.
Afterwards, we followed the normal Tuesday routine...Brass Monkey, free Tuesday dinner at Frankensteins, and trivia at Electric Circus!
Afterwards, we followed the normal Tuesday routine...Brass Monkey, free Tuesday dinner at Frankensteins, and trivia at Electric Circus!
Monday, February 14, 2011
Be Mine
Happy Valentines Day!!
I woke up this morning to my roommate bringing this in that she had just signed for!
Thank you Mom & Barry! They are beautiful!
Missing and loving all of my valentines...
I woke up this morning to my roommate bringing this in that she had just signed for!
Thank you Mom & Barry! They are beautiful!
Missing and loving all of my valentines...
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