"Almost Famous" Fridays ~ Erin

When I originally started this blog, I said I would feature my talented friends with a Friday feature called "Almost Famous" Fridays (for those of you who don't know, the name is a shout out to one of my favorite movies of all time).  I have to admit, I have been a bit lazy about  contributing to my blog. Bad Cari.  This week's entry is about my friend Erin.

First...let me just say that Erin has a beautiful soul. I am so happy that we found each other.  Even though we've known each other for only a few years, it feels like a lifetime (and I mean that as a big ole compliment!).

Erin and I met after she found me on MYSPACE.  I know, what the hell is MYSPACE right?  It just so happened that our circle of musician friends was very similar.  Small, small world.

Erin is extremely talented.  She's a fantastic singer - part of the "Erin and Matt Acoustic" duo.  Check them out at Erin and Matt Acoustic.  When you go out - make sure you have her sing a little Led Zeppelin for you.  She will rock your face off.

She's also a fabulous photographer.  Band pictures, baby pictures, wedding pictures - you name it, she's your girl.  She just recently launched her website.  View her portfolio at Erin Messerschmidt Photography. 

I'm not sure if she has an official website for this - but Erin can put together phenomenal gifts/act as a personal shopper. Especially baby gifts.  She even makes "diaper cakes".  Erin if you're reading - post something here so people would know how to reach you for this.  You can also get in touch with me and I'll point you in the right direction. 

Love you girl!

"Sunday Dinner" ~ Batch From Heaven

A quick update....

Thank you to all of you who have been so supportive of my dream to start my own online bakery business.  At first I was very hesitant about pursuing it.  After some encouragement I got all pumped up about giving it a whirl.  Even registered my domain name batch from heaven last week (I wanted to feel like I took a step in the direction of my goal).  Needless to say I jumped the gun a bit.  After some research I discovered that Wisconsin law states that in order to sell bakery, it must be produced in a commercial kitchen.  Clearly, I do not have a commercial kitchen in my home.  Sadness.  Sooooo....bakery as a "business" has been shelved for the time being.

Many of you know that Casey and I have a dream of opening a restaurant.  If and when that day comes guess what we will be serving for dessert? You got it, my bakery.  At that time I would also be able to do the online business if I still wanted to.  Even though my whole thing is comfort food type bakery, I may just take a cake designing class and use this time to learn some basic skills to make my bakery a bit more "fancy".  I will not be advertising a "business" per se - however if someone out there has a need for a carrot cake, lemon bars, cookies etc., we can certainly talk.  I don't see anything wrong with accepting a "donation" for now.  My bubble was burst big time earlier this week - but I'm over it.  I am going to use this time to broaden my baking skills.  I will not be defeated!

Sunday Dinner ~ Bacchus

I can't believe I haven't posted anything about Bacchus yet! Oh my!  Bacchus is one of the Bartolotta restaurants and is hands down my favorite restaurant in Milwaukee.

There are a number of places that have great food - but Bacchus is truly an all around experience.  Not just great food, but a great environment and exemplary service.

Last night Casey and I had a wonderful night out and enjoyed a dinner at Bacchus.  The evening started out with our favorite server Cassidy greeting us at the hostess stand.  What is really cool about this is that every time (up until last night)- I have requested Cassidy when I've made our reservation.  She is the sommelier at Bacchus and only acts as a server when the restaurant is really busy.  I didn't think she was serving on Saturday nights.  Well the reason I bring this episode up is because Bacchus keeps notes in their computer about their customer's preferences.  Even though I hadn't made the note about Cassidy when I booked the reservation on line - someone noticed that she was our preferred server and put two and two together and made sure that we were dining in her section last night.  For all of the crappy customer service I receive at so many establishments, having someone go above and beyond was greatly appreciated.

One of the great things that Cassidy has "schooled" us about is that it's OK to share plates.  She said that when her and all of her foodie friends go out, they do it all the time.  It's a great way to be able to experience a wider variety of food during your dining experience. Sometimes we do an entire meal that way.  It's awesome.  Just a few bites of each thing.  Last night we decided to order a couple things on our own and split one plate.

For our first course I had roasted butternut squash soup.  They place an empty bowl on the table and bring the soup in a little canister and pour it right at the table.  It is served over a pecan "cracker".  Casey had pork belly  It's amazing how they can prepare a small slab of bacon and make your mouth water!  That is served with greens on top and a little glaze on the plate.  One of the things I love about Bacchus is that they don't give you the super sized portions.  They give you a portion size that you can actually eat and not feel full after just one course.  My soup was between 1/4 and 1/2 cup ----perfect amount.    You've never seen Casey as happy as when he's eating bacon!

For our second course we decided to share a plate (and please note that when I say share a plate that doesn't mean that they bring out one plate and 2 forks for each of us to eat off of it-----they split the portion and you get your own serving).  The shared plate was ricotta ravioli served with a cream sauce and mushrooms.  Delicate, handmade ravioli. There is nothing like it.  Just a hint of garlic - the mushrooms giving the whole dish a very earthy tone.  I very rarely eat mushrooms - and I ate the mushrooms with this dish.  It was divine.

For our entree course I had a filet.  I have tried almost all of the entrees and can honestly say you can't go wrong. I'm just partial to steak.  The filet is no more than 5 ounces (which is perfect for someone watching portion sizes). It was prepared to a perfect medium temperature (as requested).  I love the fact that rather than putting a slab of meat on the plate, they slice it and place it over yukon gold potato puree.   The steak is served with a bourbon peppercorn sauce.  There's just enough sauce drizzled on the plate to get a taste-----but not drowning the meat.  Cassidy knows that I don't like the sauteed mushrooms that come with the filet so she took the liberty of substituting broccolini for me.  Again, the portion sizes - spot on.  Between 1/4 up and 1/2 cup of potatoes and 4 broccolini spears.  I love being able to enjoy my dinner the way it was intended to taste  and not taking it home and eating it as leftovers.  The steak was like "butter".  Perfect!   Casey had the braised short ribs.  This is one of his favorite entrees.  The meat is so incredibly tender.  His entree was served with brussell sprouts and sweet potato puree.  There was nothing left on either of our plates.

Casey enjoyed a glass of wine with each of his courses.  He loves to ask Cassidy to pair it with his food. He always goes with her recommendation. As a little side note- 2 years ago I took Casey to Bacchus for his birthday and we had an entire meal that basically revolved around the wine choices that Cassidy presented us with.  It was an incredible experience.

Casey treated himself to dessert (well that's really a no brainer).  He had a chocolate cappuccino mousse.  I may or may not have had one bite.  Delish!

I highly recommend this restaurant if you are someone who really has a passion for great food and wants to enjoy an experience.  This is not the type of place where you will be herded in and out to turn over the table. Plan on at least 2 hours for dinner.  We had the pleasure of looking out over the lake and a view of the full moon last night. It was beautiful.  It's a true testament to the quality of a restaurant that even though we would love to experience other great restaurants, we KNOW that we are going to get the best there, so we just keep going back.

Visit their site here.

The Year of Reinvention ~ Update #1

I'm pretty happy about the baby steps I've taken so far this year.  The Year of Reinvention is off to a great start! Some updates:

*Shaking it up even more where the healthy living is concerned.  Not seeing the results I want with the way I'm doing things.  Sooooooo......going to try something else.  Rather than get frustrated and throw in the towel I am going to channel that energy and focus on making additional changes....positive changes!I will not be defeated dammit! 

*With that being said.....let me tell you about my first Zumba class.  For those of you have been to a Zumba class, you already know.  For those of you who haven't, I'm here to tell you that once you go through a 45 minute Zumba class you will hurt in places you didn't even know existed.  It is very high energy and a ton of fun.  Jeanne and I are definitely going to go at least once a week.  Lots and lots of calories being burned.  Maybe somewhere down the road I can teach a class---do the Zumba Latin signature moves but put it to some rock-n-roll music.  I'm telling you she did one routine to "Pour Some Sugar on Me" and I was able to get through the whole thing because I could sing along!  If you haven't tried a class......I highly recommend it!

*Trying to have more patience and not sweat the small stuff.  That is a constant battle for me.  I like everything the way I like it, when I like it.  I am not good at working on other people's time tables.  I have a lot of talks with myself when it comes to this. 

*One of the things I mentioned in my original "Reinvention" post was that I want to be more involved in church activities at Crosspoint.  This is also a work in progress.  My friend Cheryl commented to me one day that she thought I would be a great person to work in the youth ministry.  I took her advice and have been in communications with the Pastor of Youth Ministry.  I have a bit of a scheduling conflict as far as getting involved with the cell groups that they hold each week.  The details aren't important and they will sound like excuses anyway......bottom line is that I live in West Allis and go to church in Oconomowoc.  It's just going to be tough to get out there twice every week.  Right now I'm looking at getting involved with their special events as a volunteer.  Perhaps I have to take baby steps in this area too.  It will all work out. 

*I saved the best for last.  Cheryl and I have embarked on a very exciting new journey.  We enrolled in an American Sign Language class at WCTC.  We had our first class this past Tuesday.....LOVED it!  The instructor, "Suz", is amazing.  She is completely deaf, yet is able to speak perfectly.  That was a God moment when I found that out.  She has never heard a sound, never will - yet she can speak more clearly than many hearing people I have met.  She took the experience of a very rocky childhood (16 - yes I said 16 - foster homes) and used that as her driving force to succeed.  Not only does she teach sign language, she also teaches psychology at WCTC.  She shared with us that she was the first Latina woman in the United States to receive her doctoral degree.  Probably comes as no surprise that she is a sought after as a motivational speaker. It's worth the price of the class just to hear her story.  What an inspiration. 

The class was mostly an introduction.  We went through the syllabus and a few group activities.  I'll tell you this, sign language is not for anyone who is self conscious or afraid to express themselves.  I guess I'll have to learn how to break out of my shell a little ha!  It's another language and another culture to learn about...I'm very excited to learn more.  Did I mention that starting next week (yes, the second class) we will not be able to talk?  Yep.  She will not be speaking either.  She is going to teach us everything through signing.  Way to jump right into things! 

A little tidbit that some of you may want to look into.  She has a business where she teaches children 4 months to 5 years old....hearing and deaf.  How cool is that?  Apparently these classes are big on the West and East coasts and just now gaining attention in the Midwest.  Here's the link if you want to check it out (there is also a bio about Suz). 
baby signs
I hope that everyone is having a terrific year so far....thanks for reading!

zumba!

Soooooo.....I'm finally taking the plunge. Tomorrow night I will be going to my very first zumba class.  I have to admit, I'm a little scared :)  My only experience with zumba is what I've seen on infomercials!  I like to dance and I'm not afraid of making an ass out of myself so I'm thinking I will be just fine!  I have a number of friends who swear by zumba.  They tell me that it's so much fun...not only that, but you burn a ridiculous amount of calories.  Truth be told, it's so hard for me to stay motivated with working out because I get bored.  I'm hoping this will be my new favorite thing! Anyone have any good or bad experiences with zumba? Please share.  Wish me luck!


~As a little side note, I used to go to a jazzercise class and L-O-V-E  loved it!  I'm hoping that this is similar with the high energy. Heck, I once had a dream of teaching jazzercise, perhaps someday I will teach zumba (it's a goal right?).  Baby steps...

Rainy Days and Mondays~baby steps

For those of you who have been following along with the blog postings, you know that I have dubbed this the year of reinvention.  Part of that reinvention is finding my "happy place" both mentally and physically.  I'm  not going to lie to you. It is by no means easy.  I'm struggling big time.


I will share one small self discovery ----- I have realized that my bar is set waaaaaay too high (for myself as well as those around me).  This leads to a good deal of disappointment.  My own fault.  Part of the reinvention process.  I can change that. I'm already actively working on it. 


As far ramping up my exercise......slacking. Big time.  I am still not making myself the top priority. I am still not making my work out the most important "appointment".  It's hard.  Not only to juggle a busy schedule...but to get motivated to go to the gym after work.  I have to find a way to be excited about it.


Eating healthy? Yes and no.  I'm not consistent.  I'll do really good all day....will get to dinner time and I overdo it.  It doesn't help that my husband is a fabulous cook.  NO, I'm not blaming him.  He's not forcing me to overeat!!!!


It's a mindset.  I'm talking the talk.  I'm only walking the walk maybe 70% of the time.  That's not enough. I don't expect to have perfect results...I doubt that my effort will ever be at 100%.  I would be very happy to be at around 85%.


This post sounds more like a rant.  Not meant to be.  I know that there are others out there reading this who have shared with me that they are going through similar struggles.  I just want to be honest with you.  It's not all puppies and unicorns.  What does help is knowing that I am not alone.


Let's keep going people.......baby steps are better than no steps at all!

Sunday Dinner ~ Tofu Stir Fry and Coconut Rice

Some of you reading this are probably shaking your head thinking tofu? gross!  EXACTLY what I thought the first time I came across this recipe.  Since it was in the "official" cookbook of our house~ Cook's Illustrated ~ decided to give it a try.  I am so glad that we did because for the last 4 or 5 years this has seriously been one of my favorite dinners.  Sounds funny coming from a girl who loves steak and potatoes.  


I'll let you in on a little secret... with the tofu coated/fried like in this recipe, you would be hard pressed to know that you are not eating chicken or pork.  The tofu takes on the flavor of the glaze/sauce.  It's a great way to get in a lot of veggies!  I like to serve coconut rice along with it.  


If you are new to tofu - I highly suggest giving this a try.  Let me know what you think!

TOFU STIR FRY

What you will need:
1 package extra firm tofu (HAS to be extra firm)
1 large carrot (grated with vegetable peeler into thin slices)
cauliflower florets (we use about half of the head of cauliflower) or broccoli if you prefer
1 small onion sliced
sugar snap peas
baby bok choy (cut the white/bottom parts off and separate from leaves. stack all leaves on top of each other, roll, then cut into thin strips. cut the white pieces into small strips)
corn starch
honey
low sodium vegetable broth
soy sauce
vegetable oil
2 tsp FRESH ginger (peeled and grated with micro planer)..do NOT, i repeat DO NOT use dried ginger...blechy.
2 cloves garlic, minced

Easiest way to do it....first prep all of your vegetables by washing and cutting them. Set them aside on a serving platter.

Make your sauce and your glaze and set aside.

Glaze:
Whisk together..
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons honey
1/4 cup low sodium vegetable broth

Sauce:
Whisk together...
3 tablespoons soy sauce
3/4 cup low sodium vegetable broth
1 tablespoon corn starch
2 tablespoons honey

In a separate bowl, mix garlic, ginger and 1 teaspoon vegetable oil. Set all three bowls aside.

Prepare your tofu. Take tofu “block” out of wrapping (careful, there will be water in there that you will need to drain off). Place it on a cutting board and cut in half horizontally to form two rectangular planks. Cut each plank into six squares. Then cut each square diagonally into two triangles.

Heat about 3 tablespoons vegetable oil in a non stick 12 inch skillet. While oil is heating, sprinkle about 1/3 cup corn starch into baking dish. Place tofu on top of corn starch and turn with fingers until evenly coated.

When skillet is hot, add tofu in single layer and cook until golden brown (4-6 minutes). Turn tofu with tongs and cook until other side is browned (4-6 minutes more). Don’t rush this part - you want the tofu to be crispy (slightly browned) on the outside and creamy on the inside. Add glaze ingredients and cook, stirring until glaze has coated all tofu (it will essentially absorb into the tofu)....1 to 2 minutes. Transfer tofu to place. Wipe skillet clean with damp paper towels.

Heat 2 tsp. vegetable oil in now empty skillet over medium high heat until beginning to smoke. Add onion, cauliflower and carrots. Stirring occasionally until beginning to brown (2-3 minutes). Add 1/2 cup vegetable broth and cover skillet. Cook until fork tender - 2 to 3 minutes. Uncover and cook until liquid evaporates (about 30 seconds). Transfer vegetables to plate.

Heat 2 tsp. vegetable oil in now empty skillet over medium high heat until beginning to smoke. Add snap peas and bok choy (white part and leaves), stirring occasionally until beginning to brown and soften - 1 to 2 minutes. Push vegetables to center, add garlic-ginger mixture to clearing and cook, mashing mixture with spoon or spatula until fragrant (my favorite part, the fresh ginger smells amazing) - 15 to 20 seconds. Then stir mixture into greens.

Return all vegetables (onion, cauliflower and carrots) and tofu to skillet and add sauce. Toss to combine and cook, stirring, until sauce is thickened and vegetables are coated (2- 3 minutes). Ta da!!!!!

COCONUT RICE


MAKES 3 CUPS
TOTAL TIME; 30 MINS.

Bring to a Boil; Stir In:

1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 cup coconut milk (do not confuse with cream of coconut and do not get sugar free!)
2 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup jasmine rice

Finish with:

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Bring broth, coconut milk, sugar, and salt to a boil; stir in the rice. Cover, reduce heart to low, and simmer 15 minutes, or until the liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat and let sit for 5 minutes before stirring.

Finish with lime juice and butter. Fluff with a fork and serve.