Slacking

I became totally derailed and have not posted in a few weeks. But here is what I have been up to!

1. Cooking: I tried out all the recipes I chose for the Super Bowl and they were pretty good. Also, we were supporting the broncos as you can tell from the blue and orange arrangement in the photo. I particularly enjoyed the Blood Orange Margaritas and the Mini Twice-Baked Potatoes were excellent. I will be making the potatoes again and again. They were pillowy, whipped deliciousness. My super awesome cat, Steven J. Cat (aka "Steve" or "Stevie"), also got in on the action. Between her and our dog, Puck, we had to both watch them to not steal our food as they are both obsessed with bacon and buffalo chicken.

Blood Orange Margaritas

The sweetest, most perfect cat in the universe, Steve.
The neighbors tell us she is so tough the other cats run from her.
Hahaha, she is 7 lbs, she must be a bad-ass. 

This was a fantastic game day menu.
The chicken is really easy to prepare and can be modified to fit your taste.

2. The next weekend we celebrated Valentine's Day and I made fondue! I LOVE fondue. I made a white cheese fondue from Gruyere and Swiss cheese. It was excellent and then we had a meat course of steak and lobster tail with red potatoes, tempura-battered zucchini and onion rings all fried in canola oil with a champagne sampling and Cabernet Sauvignon. We were too full to have dessert. That always seems to happen when we have fondue. Fondue is so easy to make and is fool-proof, if you have not tried it do yourself a favor and start with any cheese fondue recipe = love at first bite. I was so excited to celebrate that I forgot to take pictures. Valentine's way a blast this year.

3. This past weekend we went to Boise, Idaho for a weekend away to visit family and for my brother-in-law's birthday. Three days of non-stop fun, but the highlight was his birthday dinner at The Yard House. They have over 70 beers and ciders on tap. It was beer heaven. Seriously, I sampled several sour beers and a couple of ciders which are really hard to find. The food was also fantastic. If you are ever in Boise, go to The Yard House.

Well, that's about it for now. Do you live in Salt Lake? Want to visit? Suggestions are always welcome and hope you are up to fun stuff too!

L

Menu

Last week, my husband and I attended the Sundance Film Festival and viewed a film called, As You Are. Sundance, guaranteed to blow your mind. This was a very unique film. I really enjoyed the way it was presented through a police investigation and flashback retelling of the story. It excellently portrayed the confusion that accompanies the spectrum of sexuality. 

After we went to BTG Wine Bar and sampled some excellent wine. I had the sparkling wine flight available right now and the highlight was sampling SIMONNET-FEBVRE Brut Rose from France. It was excellent and a nice change from sparkling wines I typically see on menu in Utah. Good job BTG!

We also volunteered at the Humane Society of Utah. This is the ideal volunteer experience. We walked dogs and socialized with cats. I fell in love with a cat named, Riddle Box. She is a petite, lovely little thing and she almost came home with us, which is always a risk when I volunteer. 

Unfortunately, we did not attend Geckos Live as my cat, Stevie, had a vet appointment and needed additional care, so after picking her up we stayed with her for the rest of the day to watch her. She is doing well now, purring away in her cat tower. We will be attending Geckos Live next week as my husband has to work all this coming weekend. Boo!

This week is the Super Bowl. Now if you know me, you know I don't care for American football and the only sport I enjoy is soccer. Go RSL! However, this is an opportunity to try spend some quality time in the kitchen, cooking is my fourth love in life. I will be making Skinny Buffalo Chicken Strips with crudites, Mini Twice-Baked Potatoes, and in honor of the Colorado Broncos the signature cocktail will be Blood Orange Margarita. 

Cheers!

L

SuNdAnCe

Luckily, I live in beautiful Salt Lake City, UT. Even luckier, the Sundance Film Festival is here this weekend and if you are a local they make it easy to get tickets. I am really excited for this weekend actually. Here's the line-up:

Friday Morning: Attend the Members' Opening of the Geckos Live exhibit at the Natural History Museum of Utah. We are members at the museum and rarely make it up there despite me having a BS in Anthropology. So, the next exhibit opens Saturday and we get to experience it first on Friday. 

Friday Afternoon: Volunteering with friends at the Humane Society of Utah. I love animals, most people love animals. I am going to volunteer to walk doggies and play with kitties.

Saturday Afternoon: Attend the Sundance Film Festival's viewing of "As You Are" at Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center in Salt Lake City. 1990's teen angst? Fuck yeah! The film description is as follows:

"Set in the early 1990s, As You Are unfolds as a series of disparate memories. Prompted by a police investigation, we witness alternating perspectives of pivotal moments in the relationship between three teenage friends: Jack, Mark, and Sarah. Bound by their aversion to the culture around them, Jack and Mark explore the limits of friendship and love until Mark's judgmental father tears them apart. Just as Jack and Sarah are adjusting to life without Mark, he gets unexpectedly thrown back into their lives. The two boys struggle to navigate complex emotions that are compounded by the disapproval they feel from all around. Ultimately, tensions rise to a boiling point, and tragedy echoes through their world. 

Infused with the rebel spirit of Kurt Cobain and propelled by star-making turns from Owen Campbell as Jack, Charlie Heaton as Mark, and Amandla Stenberg as Sarah (with strong support from Mary Stuart Masterson and Scott Cohen), As You Are is the feature writing-and-directing debut from gifted newcomer Miles Joris-Peyrafitte. This refreshing take on the coming-of-age tale boasts a plethora of young talent with boundless potential."

My husband and I love film. So after the viewing, we will head out for dinner and drinks to discuss our thoughts about "As You Are." To make this occasion even more unique we are going to hit up BTG Wine Bar after for small bites and to do some wine tasting.  

This weekend is an exciting first step back into reigniting lust for life. 

Cheers!

L 

2016

I am dedicating 2016 to creating a life worth living. This is about enriching life. For the rest of this year I am committing to once a week doing something that enriches and celebrates life. Making time for things I want to see, do, and learn. Reconnecting with things I enjoy and miss that I have not made time for anymore. This will be achieved through experiences. This blog is my opportunity to journal my experiences.

Cheers to 2016!
L