Kelsey's Sunday Brunch

I hope everyone is enjoying their long weekend so far!  Memorial Day weekend is basically the kick-off to summer, right?  Pools are opening.  School is out or nearing the end of the year.  Gardens are planted and allergies are in full gear.

I had bridal showers the past two weekends and I am seriously feeling so loved!  Before we had registered I made sure to research many of the products I knew we'd be registering for to make sure they were high quality and would last a long time.  Some of the kitchen items we chose are:

• Fiesta dinnerware for place settings and serving pieces
• Cuisinart Multiclad Pro line for pots and pans
• Kitchenaid stand mixer
• Anolon bakeware
• OXO kitchen utensils and gadgets

Lately I have tried a couple of new recipes that turned out great!  For Mother's Day I made raspberry streusel bars from Sally's Baking Addiction.  We also made Naked Persian Turkey Burgers from The Skinnytaste Cookbook and were even able to freeze some to enjoy later.

I've been enjoying the extra time off to get some reading done.  I had been in a bit of a reading rut for a while there, but a well-time trip to the library a couple weeks ago scored me some really popular books right now. I'm planning on doing a lot of reading this summer to prep my mind for law school mode in the fall.

I read The Girl on the Train in just a few days.  Any Gone Girl lovers will enjoy this one.  It is completely engrossing once you get about a quarter of the way in.  While I enjoyed the read, I honestly don't have much desire to read another psychological thriller anytime soon.

I'm also leisurely reading Hyperbole and a Half.  I'm not really sure exactly how to describe it except that it's sort of like an autobiographical graphic novel that also has full blocks of text in it.  It's a quick read and I often find myself laughing out loud while reading.

Right now I'm also reading All the Light We Cannot See.  It's a World War II story from the viewpoints of a French girl and German boy.  It's very well written and I'm enjoying figuring out how the two story lines are overlapping.  It's due back at the library in a couple of days so I better get reading!

Have you read any good books lately?

April's Sunday Brunch

Another belated Sunday brunch, on a Monday. It is only because my mom demanded so much attention on Sunday.

Not really though. She demanded an appropriate amount of attention and probably deserves more because she is just that awesome. Honestly, it has just been a whirl wind the past two weeks, resulting in my neglecting the blog.

Have I mentioned I'm building a garden? By building a garden, I mean my boyfriend and his friend are building it while I paint all the pieces pretty colors. It has been consuming most all of our weekends.

I do help some, it just doesn't involve ox like strength. I get assigned all of the super tedious and boring tasks. They may not require strength and brawn, but they are necessary.

The whole thing would fall apart without those tedious tasks, seriously. That is what I tell myself as I wander around picking up rocks anyways.

A lot of people have been asking why such a mammoth fence. It is to keep all variety of woodland creatures out of my garden, ensuring I get to enjoy the full bounty of the garden. You would be surprised the lengths little and big woodland creatures will go to eat that first perfectly ripe strawberry or snap pea.

We planted our very first seeds this weekend, after a lovely mother's day brunch at Osteria Papavero, which was delicious as always. Send all your best wishes to our tiny seeds. I hope they grow. How such tiny little fellows grow into giant radishes, carrots and snap peas blows my mind. It is a true miracle of life or science or both.

The boyfriend and I spent a Friday afternoon in Milwaukee and checked out the Ale Asylum Riverhouse. It was amazing. I highly highly recommend. If you follow me on instagram, you saw some of these pictures.

We had some unique mozzarella sticks wrapped in prosciutto, mustard deviled egg salad and a burger with raspberry preserves, brie, pickled red onions and prosciutto. I forget what my boyfriend had because I was too involved in my burger. It was true love.

My mom and I had a little ladies day the other weekend that included a lot of shopping. With the mission to find me a graduation dress because that is happening, officially in six days. Unfortunately for her she couldn't try on too many clothes due to a bad shoulder.

Instead she had herself a pretty violet cocktail, plus some, at Sushi Muramato. Treating her to a cocktail and being the driver was the least I could do, after a day of watching me try on clothes.

And now for an obligatory cat picture. She is a real lady. Don't you think? On this particular day she was doing the relaxing for me, while I stressed out over my first interview related to my degree. First real professional interview ever really.

I was done with papers the week before classes ended, in order to focus all my attention on this interview. It came at the end of my last week of classes, ever. I never have to go to class again. I'm a real grown up. It is so wild and scary. I'm not a student anymore.

I was crazy anxious to have it over with and hopefully do well. I just had to get the interview over and I could officially relax for the first time in 2 years. I typically interview terribly, letting my nerves take over.

Not this time though! Whether or not the interviewers thought I nailed it, the feeling after I left that interview was maybe the best I have ever felt. I can't even describe it.

Exhilarated, exuberant, ecstatic, proud. I don't even know. I was on cloud nine the whole rest of the night. It was the perfect way to close out my graduate career, besides the official graduation ceremony next weekend.

With that, I leave you with my new spider plant I bought this weekend with my mom and grandma. I'm pretty obsessed with plants right now. What are some of your favorite house plants or outdoor plants? Do you have a garden? What are you planting?

xo,
April

Kelsey's Sunday Brunch

Around this time each year once the weather warms up I feel like there's always so much going on all of sudden.  This year especially, with our wedding coming up as well as a couple of weddings of friends, there's a lot going on pretty much every weekend and many week nights it seems!

A couple weeks ago we went to the annual band concert for the UW Marching Band.  There's always lots of good music, pyrotechnics and a flying music director.  This year's theme was "There's No Place Like Home" so we enjoyed songs from both Wizard of Oz and Wicked, along with lots of Badger classics that you'll hear at all the sporting events.

On Saturday night we went and watched the Madison Radicals, a semi-pro ultimate frisbee team, play with a couple of friends.  It was a nice change of pace for a fun activity to do, and it's a fairly easy game to understand what's going on even if you don't know the rules (like myself.)  After the game we went to the Essen Haus, an authentic German restaurant, nearby to enjoy a boot of beer.

With just two months to go we are really in the home stretch of wedding planning.  Invitations have been sent and the RSVPs are trickling in.  We have most of the logistics figured out and are starting to wrap up loose ends.  There's an exciting couple of months of pre-wedding events and weddings coming up!

Multiple times a day I usually find myself scrolling through my Instagram feed.  I follow a mix of family, friends, bloggers, brands and a few celebs.  Here's a few of my favorite accounts that I think anyone would enjoy following:

• April, Brittany and my accounts of course ;)
• The Knot and Loverly for my daily dose of wedding inspiration
• Bevcooks for a mixture of pretty food and cute babies with hilarious captions
• Iambaker for the prettiest homemade cakes
• Shanty2chic for the aspiring DIYer in me
• Harlowandsage to help cool (or spark?) my puppy fever
• Realnutritioncg for beautiful travel photos and equally beautiful food shots
• OXO to learn some clever cooking, cleaning and organizing tips

Plus many, many more!  Who are some of your favorite instagram follows?

April's Sunday Brunch

 Happy Monday! It has been a really long time since I've done a Sunday, post. Does this one count or am I still behind because its a Monday? Anyways, here is the past couple months of my life!

I took a day long photography basics class, at the Madison Club. It was with Danielle Bradley who owns First Moments Photography. She was wonderful and I learned so much!

I wish I've had more time to practice what I've learned. The above are from my day session. Soon though, I'll have loads of practice time and time with you all. Prepare yourselves.

Awhile ago it was really exciting that it was just barely warm enough to sit on the back porch, while there was snow on the ground. Not that exciting anymore since I've had the opportunity to enjoy the great outdoors a bunch of times!

There have been fires outside. Not pictured, hot dogs roasted over the fire. Love me some hot dogs.

I got to try out Oliver's Public House for the first time. Their brunch was really reasonably priced and good portions. Very tasty. I had an omelet with bacon, caramelized shallots, apples and cheese. Yum.

But their drinks are what really shined. I'm in love. The drinks remind me of what you might get at Merchant, but faster and with less people crowding your space. This may have been due to being there at noon and not midnight, but I liked the vibe and drinks.

I do not recall what the drink was called pictured above. My friend had the Mai Tai for brunch, yum! I had the bloody and it was really tasty too, real smokey. It was the perfect way to start spring break.

There was a trip to Milwaukee to learn a thing or two about building a garden and giant fence to enclose it from my Grandparents. More to come about our garden. Its exciting.

I refueled with some Kopp's, because you just have too. Best custard ever. It was pretty chilly outside, but the sunset and company was worth it.

I lied. I have gotten some practice using my newly learned camera skills. Daffodils seemed appropriate. It is spring people! The first farmers market was this weekend.

These are not actually from the farmers market, but from my parents house. I know you were curious where these beauties grew up.

Have you seen my awesome big cat pictures that replaced my Christmas wreaths. Jealous? They are pretty awesome.

Maybe you didn't notice them because of the beautiful daffodils, but that is why I'm here rambling and redirecting your attention. You're welcome.

They could use some new frames and matting, but they were quite the find in my parents basement.

This is actually what a lot of my life has looked like. A table, some paper, furious typing, learning, jams, too much coffee and cookies. I'm in the final stretch. 18 days until my last paper is due.

18 days plus a week or so to graduation, but who cares. We all know what really counts is that last paper. Hooray!

Happy Monday friends,
April

Kelsey's Sunday Brunch

Ahoy it's Sunday!

Spring has officially sprung!  We had a couple good days of rain and the grass is getting greener, the tulips have started sprouting and I even spotted some little flowers already in bloom when I was walking to my car after work the other day!

I think we officially rang in the start of warm weather this weekend by making our first visit of the year to the Memorial Union Terrace.  As was expected it was crazy busy and we had to wait almost an hour for beer but it was worth it to enjoy some good beer and ice cream with good friends.

The Farmer's Market starts next weekend and I can't wait!  I don't make it to the big Saturday market very often but there's a smaller one during the day on Wednesdays that's just a couple blocks away from my work so I will likely be making a weekly visit there.  There won't be much produce for a while still but I'm already thinking about the farmer's market stir fry with peanut sauce or broccoli salad for when there is.  I actually couldn't wait for the broccoli salad so I whipped up a batch last week for lunches, yum!  We've already grilled out a couple times this year but I'm really looking for grilling season to ramp up some more.  I'm planning on trying out Brittany's lemon chicken kabobs for a healthy, tasty dinner sometime soon.

What are you looking forward to making this farmer's market and grilling season?

As a former waitress and hostess, I'm always drawn to articles about working in the food service industry.  Here's 15 reasons why everyone should work in a restaurant at least once in their lives.  I couldn't agree more!

Have a great week!

Kelsey's Sunday Brunch

Happy Sunday Everyone!

I hope you've had a fun, basketball filled weekend so far and that you're favorite team is winning unless they're playing our Badgers of course ;)  We've had some pretty great spring weather for the most part the past couple of weeks and Ruger has been getting spoiled with extra walks and time outside soaking in some rays.

Us Badger Kitchen ladies and a couple of friends started off the weekend by enjoying cocktails at the Old Sugar Distillery.  It's always good to be able to catch up and unwind at the end of the week, even better when you're sipping on some local spirits.  I was tempted to buy a bottle to take home but couldn't quite pull the trigger.

I've been trying out some new recipes lately.  This spring quinoa salad with honey lemon vinaigrette was a winner.  I'd like to give this garlic parmesan chicken lasagna bake another try and maybe throw in some broccoli and make a smaller batch this time because sometimes there is just too much leftovers for the number of days in a week you're willing to eat the same meal.  If you can't tell, I'm currently spending some quality time on Pinch of Yum while meal planning for the week.

We also made this simple deep dish pizza twice(!) in the past couple weeks.  You may recall that I've mentioned that I was gifted a pair of cast iron skillets for Christmas but I've honestly been a little intimidated to use them since they need to be cared for in a special way.  Deep dish pizza was a dish I knew I wanted to try making so I gave it a shot and it turned out great, the skillet isn't ruined and now I'm ready to broaden my cast iron skillet horizons!  Give me some suggestions!

We have been getting a ton of stuff checked off the wedding to-do list lately.  My dress came in (insert heart eyed emoji) so my mom and I went and picked that up.  Hello extra workout motivation!  We also ordered and received our wedding invitations from Vistaprint and we're getting all the details worked out for the rehearsal dinner at Tutto Pasta.  Funny enough, it's actually the same restaurant where I went to dinner before prom.  One of the extra fun things we got to do, well at least I thought it was fun, was pick out our wedding bands!  We are getting them from BR Diamond Suite where we were actually able to custom design them.  I wanted something a little more unique that I wasn't able to find at other jewelry stores.  Hopefully now that we've accomplished so much some of these crazy wedding dreams will stop!

Have a great week friends!

Kelsey's Sunday Brunch

Welcome to March!  Is it just me or has this winter kind of flown by?  I might be kicking myself for saying that when we hit April and there's still snow on the ground.  I'm guessing it's a combination of having a relatively mild December/January for Wisconsin and all of the excitement of wedding planning because it sure doesn't feel like it was that long ago that we got engaged.  A very busy spring and summer will be here before we even know it!

Honestly though, I think I might miss soup season when it warms up.  I have been a lot more into making soups this year than in the past.  Canned soups can be mighty tasty, but there's just something special about homemade soup that you can't get from a can.  Recently I made this minestrone soup and it was mighty tasty.

The past couple of years for lent I've given up candy/desserts.  I choose it because it is actually challenging unlike when I was little and I would give up ice cream even though we never bought ice cream in the winter.  It also helps me make those healthier choices.  This year I did give myself one exception as my sweet friend Emily made me a countdown for my desk at work that requires the eating of one Hershey kiss per day.  I'll oblige if I must ;)

A Wisconsin tradition during lent, well let's be real it's basically a year-round tradition, is Friday night fish fry.  Nate and I decided to turn it into a little bit of a date night this week.  We were hoping to go to Quivey's Grove, a nearby restaurant that is well known for their fish fry, but an hour and a half wait we went elsewhere.  We ended up at the Tap Room at Hawks Landing where we washed down our fish with brandy old fashioneds, another Wisconsin tradition.  We rounded out date night with a game of mini golf on the indoor course at Vitense Golfland where match ended in a tie.

One thing I've been thinking about lately is how in the next few months my kitchen is going to change drastically.  Not only the actual physical kitchen since we'll be moving at some point this summer when I start law school, but also the tools I have in it.  Much of our wedding registry includes new kitchen tools or higher quality upgrades from what we have now.  Inspired by this article on essential tools for your first kitchen, I thought it would be fun to do a little comparison of what my top kitchen tools (meaning most used) are now compared to next fall/winter.

• Chef's Knife: I have a really bad knife set that came in a kitchen starter kit I bought a few years ago (think, serrated knife can't even cut into a baguette bad) but then on top of that we have a mediocre chef's knife that while not great, can get the job done.  This gets used daily.
• Cutting board(s): To go along with the chef's knife, we have a few different sized cutting boards that get used daily (at least).  My favorite is a giant one that can hold a ton of diced veggies but can barely fit in the sink to get cleaned.
• Large non-stick skillet: Eggs, stir fry, grilling a sandwich, making a one-skillet meal, this bad boy can do it all.  I use mine close to daily and I honestly think that as I become more comfortable with my cast iron skillets this might be replaced, but for now, here she is.
• Baking sheet: I may not use a baking sheet daily like some of these other things, but it does get used frequently and for a variety of reasons.  Besides just for baking, it also gets used for roasting, a tray for foil packets or even just to be there in case something overflows.
• Spatula: Stirring, flipping, cutting, serving; it's practically a do it all tool!

What would be on your list?

Brittany's Sunday Brunch

Good morning brunchers!

This time of winter, I always find myself bored. Bored of snow and cold and being cooped up. Luckily, the kitchen can help me stay busy. One of my favorite things to make in the kitchen lately is homemade dog treats for Bear and friends...because one batch makes like 40 biscuits! Bear doesn't need all of those. But he sure wishes he could have them all. He'll do just about any trick for one of those peanut butter goodies. I always crave peanut butter cookies after making these because they always make the place smell so good when baking. Click here for the recipe I use.

Another thing I find myself doing during the boring months of winter is puzzles. My fiancé and I love to spend time after work or weekends at our dinning room table putting together the big, tough puzzles. That's actually how we spent our Valentines day. It was a perfect day in with a puzzle and grilled cheese and tomato soup for two! Simple, cheap and comfy. Oh, and I told my fiancé to hold off on buying me flowers. He'll (we'll) be spending plenty of money on flowers for the wedding. But I still got a lovely orchid. I'm diligently adding 3 ice cubes every Friday and giving her great sunlight. Let's just say I don't have the greenest thumb but I'm trying super hard! So far so good.

One other thing that's kept me busy this winter is the wedding planning. I've been a little stressed just with the idea that it's only 4 months aways! Yikes, where has the time gone? I'm pretty sure I'm ahead of the game but I don't want to start slacking. Bakeries, invitations, bridal gifts, salons...you can see how you might forget something. Through all this planning craze, I stepped aside and thought how I need to pamper and prepare myself for the big day.

I decided to look into grown-up facial regimens. I have stuck with the high school schedule of washing my face am and pm and only using moisturizer when my face gets dry. I wanted to change that in hopes of getting a good routine down for the wedding and beyond. It took quite some time and research to find the right products but I think I found them. I went with ole henriksen because they steer clear of ingredients I'm allergic to, they got good reviews and they are not on the top of the price scale. I'll let you know how I think of them!

And although no one but my yoga mat will see my pretty toes, I treated myself to a DIY pedicure. I did this as a pampering reward after sticking to my work out plans for the week. It was a great alternative to my normal rewards, dessert! Although, I'm not completely ruling out desserts until the wedding, after all, we get free cupcakes at our bakery tastings!

How are you staying busy this winter?

Until next time,

Brittany

April's Sunday Brunch

Greetings friends! I hope everyone ate all sorts of chocolate and wine and deliciousness this weekend. You deserve it.

The past month has not been all that exciting, pretty much the usual. A real lack of picturesque moments. Therefore instead of just a recap of the past few weeks, I'm going to share some of the things I'm loving right now.

1. Milkshakes and a blizzard were one of the few picturesque moments. While some may say it is too cold or too much snow, I had my eye on a milkshake and that is what I got. Hubbard Avenue Diner is probably best known for their pie, but they make a mean milkshake too. And by milkshake I totally mean malt. They are way better, but milkshake has a better ring to it.

2. Have you seen Chef? You should. I've been wanting to see it for a long time now just because its about food. It just made sense to see it, but I had no real expectations for it. Hilarious, with a heartfelt relationship between estranged father and son. I would really recommend watching it, while you eat dinner because you'll be hungry by the end. You can find it on Netflix. Have you seen it? What did you think?

3. While browsing Netflix I came across a Frontline series "Locked Up in America," which I watched last year online. This is totally not heartfelt or delicious, but if you are into human rights and social issues, it is worth a watch. Be warned it is rather graphic but totally worth the watch if you are into issues around incarceration and criminal justice.
 

4. ...and now for something less depressing. Cave of the Mounds! Who has been? I was there probably 10 years ago as a school kid. It was so much more impressive than I remembered. Usually it is the other way around. It is also about 50 degrees Fahrenheit, which is warm considering the single digit weather coming up in Wisconsin.

5. I recently got a Groupon for Barre3 classes. I'm really loving them as an alternative to traditional group fitness classes. They also fit my schedule, with early morning times. The pricing is also reasonable with a student discount

6. I've been obsessed with my rice cooker and subsequently grain bowls. This is a really good how-to for inspiration or jumping point for your first grain bowl adventure. Endless possibilities.

7. This rice bowl sounds amazing too. Rice, beans and roasted broccoli with a little soy sauce and siracha is a dinner staple for me. This and the grain bowl are perfect throw together lunches that can be prepped on the weekend, clean out the fridge or as inspiration.Not to mention way more interesting than my typical rice and beans.

Kelsey's Sunday Brunch

Hello Friends!

Like Brittany's been mentioning, I've got a wedding of my own that I'm hoping to look my best for as well.  Near the start of the year I bought an activity tracker, the Up 24 by Jawbone, and have been really enjoying using it to help me make healthier, smarter decision in my day-to-day life.  It may just be a glorified pedometer, but I will say, I'm walking more than I did before I had it because I'm aware of how few steps I actually take when I'm sitting at my desk at work all day.  I have it set so that it will vibrate after I'm idle for 30 minutes and boy that can sneak up on you pretty quickly!

I've been trying to be creative in finding ways to cut calories and sneak extra nutrition into my meals.    Starting with a more filling and sustaining breakfast, to cut down on mid-morning snacks.  Eggs and a high fiber english muffin have replaced a bowl of cereal that left me ready for lunch by 10 am.  Sometimes I even sneak some spinach and tomato in there too!  Work lunches more times than not include a salad versus a sandwich.  Stay tuned for a recipe for my current salad obsession in the coming weeks!  Sandwiches are now eaten open-faced, cutting down on calories and carbs, and I've found a berry yogurt parfait to do a surprisingly good job at satisfy a sweet tooth.  Let me know of any other tricks to suggest!

That doesn't mean I don't get to cheat every now and again.  We enjoyed pizza and chocolate peanut butter brownies from Jessica Merchant's cookbook Seriously Delish.  Those bad boys were dangerously good.  The recipe called for coconut oil which was my first time using it.  I'm looking forward to exploring other uses for the ingredient.

We've been making good progress with the wedding planning lately.  I'm gathering bits and pieces of our decorations from thrift stores.  I was lucky enough to find some Kerr Jars, a decoration I was planning on buying anyways since Kerr is my fiance's last name.  This weekend we checked a couple more things off the to-do list and picked out suits for the dudes to wear and went to look at wedding bands.  Time sure is flying by!

Well, I'm off to get my taxes and FAFSA done.  Hope you had a relaxing and productive weekend!

Kelsey

Brittany's Sunday Brunch

Happy brunch everyone!

With the snow storm out my door, I'm really loving the couch and my blanket right now. It's the perfect weather to cozy up by a fire and shamelessly binge watch Sherlock. Ah, one of my favorites!

This weekend I had the pleasure to sit in front of a real fire at my soon-to-be in-laws. We just have a convenient switch-on gas fireplace, which is awesome, don't get me wrong. But sometimes the smell and ambiance of a real fireplace can't be beat. It was a so relaxing.

It's funny to think planning a wedding could be so tiring and stressful. But it is! I'm not trying to complain, because on top of being stressful, it is fun! Last weekend, we FINALLY found flower girl dresses! They were at this store that was connected to Grapevine Cafe in Green Bay. Go if you have the chance. Their caramel macchiatos are amazing, their food is great and I just loved the atmosphere! It was quiet an adventure to find these dresses because we need two dresses to fit a 1 year old and an 8 year old. Not many styles of dresses come in that range of sizes, but we did it! We found a dress to fit both! Woohoo! And on top of that, we found my veil! I never thought the veil would be so important to me. Through the process, I realized I will only wear a veil once. And for me it really made me feel like a bride.

Since we're finding out quickly how expensive this celebration of our nuptials is going to be, we aren't really planning on anything for Valentine's day. But I did get an email for Bluephies' "Broke Ass Date Night" special they're doing. We may just have to go for a bottle of wine and half-off apps. Yum.

Any plans for Valentine's Day? Check back later this week for a Valentine's day worthy recipe!

Stay warm,
Brittany

April's Sunday Brunch

Happy Sunday funday friends! Hear me ROAR!
 

Have you ever been to Le Tigre Lounge? You must go. It is covered in tiger. They even have Tiger Beer!  It is my new favorite date night spot. Promise me you will go?

The scarf below, has been a three year project. I've never actually finished a knitting project. My mom kindly finished this one. It was in rough shape.

It was like I was drunk when I was knitting it. I wasn't. I swear.

Can you tell which half she knitted? I think it has a nice rustic look to it. I never finish knitting projects; yet, I chose to knit my man a blanket.

He can expect a blanket in about 6 years. It is my way to make sure he sticks around. Just kidding...but really who wouldn't want to stick around for my first completed knitting project.

Here is to hoping I don't drop too many stitches.

My new favorite breakfast is steal cut oats. They taste a million times better than old fashioned oats. For real. I cook them in my rice cooker with a little water, milk, honey and vanilla.

 I make a big batch and eat them all week, switching up the toppings.

I've officially completed my last first week of class. Graduation here I come! For the firs time in the past year and a half, I'm excited for my classes.

I'm excited for my future career, mostly. It wax and wanes. I think that is natural though.

There has not been an all out panic yet either. Maybe that should be assumed when I've only had one week of class, but not for me. I'm a neurotic panic maker. I think it has something to with being able to see the light at the end of the tunnel and my amazing Day Designer Planner.

It is amazing. The front is full of spaces for goal planning and branding yourself as a human, in my case, or as a business. I think your business is a reflection of yourself anyways. It goes both ways.

There is space for an agenda, daily to do lists and a space to pick the three most important tasks. It has really allowed me to become focused and less overwhelmed.

Did I mention it has a daily gratitude box. Positive psychology for the win! I need a reminder to focus on the good things every now and then.

I made this Chocolate Pound Cake from the new Joy the Baker cookbook. The cake is a sort of bon voyage to freedom, joy and sanity for the next three months. I got this though.

Three more months isn't that long. It is practically summer.

Cheers,
April

P.S.
Don't forget to follow me on Instagram @badgerkitchen and to follow us on Facebook

Kelsey's Sunday Brunch

A couple of weeks ago I rang in the new year with friends down in Houston, Texas.  Some highlights of the trip included a trip to the Houston Zoo, which was the biggest zoo I think I've ever been to, and the Johnson Space Center.  Also we went ice skating! Outside!  In Texas!  The weather actually wasn't the greatest when I was there (think 30s and raining) but at least it was better than back home in Wisconsin.

I didn't go all the way to Texas to not try out some southern cooking.  Cajun cooking was consumed.  We discovered a hidden treasure in Ray's BBQ Shack for some mighty fine Texas barbecue.  I also experienced kolaches, which is a pastry, not quite biscuit but not quite croissant, filled with fruit jams, cheeses, bacon or sausage.  From my understanding there are many different flavor varieties of which I only tasted two.  I think Texas is depriving the rest of the country from these gourmet breakfast hot pocket type treats.  Maybe we should start a campaign to spread the love.  #ShareTheKolaches anyone?

With a new year comes a new reading challenge (feel free to add me on Goodreads if you use it)!  Like last year I set a goal of reading 26 books which I didn't even come close to but I'm giving it another shot for 2015.  First up I read Tumbleweeds by Leila Meacham, a Texas football story that follows a love triangle from childhood to adulthood.  I gave it 4/5 stars because I became really engrossed in the story and enjoyed watching the characters develop but ultimately didn't like how the book ended.

On top of reading, I've been busy knitting as well.  I recently had the first sale in my Etsy shop!

Did you guys see this story about a flower girl and ring bearer who ended up marrying each other 20 years later?  What a fun story to be able to share!

Wasting food is something I continually seem to have a problem with.  Not only do I feel bad about it because there's so many people in the world that could use it, but it's like throwing money in the trash.  Wasting less is something I'm going to work on this year thanks to the help of this synopsis on how to store your food better.

I hope everyone has a great Sunday and Go Pack Go!

Brittany's Sunday Brunch

Wow has 2015 taken off quickly! I started a new tradition for myself this year. You see, I love to be organized and one of my favorite things to satisfy my ultra-organized self is to have a calendar. Hard copy. Actually two hard copy calendars, one small sized that I take to work and can fit in my purse. The other one is large, hanging on the closet door near our kitchen. That one is more of a reminder for the fiancé. But lets be honest, I'm probably the one who looks at it most. 

But lets get back to my new tradition. So, when I change over to the new year calendar, I take a look at all the events and things written in my calendar from the past year. It really reminded me how great 2014 was. A lot of the things were wedding related. Our engagement photo session and officially reserving our wedding venue were among the pile. We also had a wedding in the family which was so much fun! Reflection is good. A reminder of what a good life I live. I'm pretty luck.

Looking into 2015, I can only guess it's going to be better than 2014! After all, I FINALLY get to marry my best friend! We just hit our 2 year mark...of being engaged (and have been together much longer). I just can't wait to say, "I do!" Here are a few other things I hope to accomplish in 2015:

• Look and feel amazing on my wedding day. I'm very motivated to work out and eat healthy, with the help of some great workout buddies!
• Finally tackle pastries. I hear you need patience and days to make these babies. 2015 is the year...but maybe after the wedding (see first bullet).
• Never forget to snuggle my fur baby, Bear! That one should be easy.
• Not to forget to slow down, make myself/go out to get a drink now and then. Getting a cocktail is an easy way to catch up with friends and take a moment away from the stress of life

What are some exciting things you hope to accomplish in 2015?

- Brittany

April's Sunday Brunch

Happy new year friends! I'm not huge on new year resolutions. It is like I'm setting myself up for disaster and failure.

Too pretty to eat, but not really.

 Life can get messy, busy and exhausting. I'd rather start the year with some good intentions to maintain some balance in my life for the things I love and the things that are just a necessary part of life.

It is going to be a busy, crazy year, with lots of big changes: graduation and job hunting. No more month longs winter breaks or summers working on a patio serving and drinking cocktails. I could do that, but I suppose I should do something with my degree.

The makings of an epic cheese board

Those two life changes in of themselves are like a resolution or goal.  I'd rather think about how I'm going to maintain sanity and happiness in the new year, with good intentions. So here they are...

November's Christmas tree hunting

1. Cook more often, for and with friends

2. Swim and bike more because we all feel better when we get moving. Its not about losing weight but feeling good mentally and physically.

Christmas Hot Chocolate Cake from Fine Cooking

3. Learn a new kitchen skill, like bread making. Sourdough bread. Cinnamon bread. Endless possibilities.

4. Spend less time on my phone and more time in the present. Embrace being alone, the noises around you or the person you are with. Engage the world.

Grumpy kitty

5. Spend more time with my cat, snuggling. She hates being alone. This is the death stare she gave me after finals, trips up north and Christmas.The semester and holidays were as rough for her as they were for me apparently.

6. Make more time for me time. Alone time is important. You get to be as selfish as you want. No judgement.

NYE dinner at home

7. Eat, drink and be merry more, even if it is at home with myself. Treat yourself.

8. More nights in with friends, with a movie, good food and bottle of wine. Bars are overrated and hard to hear your friends talk or yourself think. I'm too young to say that, but it is true. You know it is.

9. Be happy.

All in all these good intentions can be summarized as making more time for the things you love as often and as much as you can or want to because life is crazy and stressful, making it easy to focus all your intentions towards other people or things.

What are you good intentions for 2015?