America's Cup...

So...on a random trip to California in July to see my lovely Kate. I was educated on America's Cup and found out that it was going to be in San Francisco this year.

Per Wikipedia, America's Cup (affectionately known as the Auld mug) is a trophy awarded to the winner of the America's Cup match races between two sailing yachts. One yacht, known as the defender, represents the yacht club that currently holds the America's Cup and the second yacht, known as the challenger, represents the yacht club that is challenging for the cup. The America's Cup is the oldest international sporting trophy.

San Francisco's waterfront was all done up for the event. First there was the Louis Vuitton Cup. This is the event that determines who will be the challenger and will race against the current cup holder (USA). This year New Zealand won the Louis Vuitton, and it looked like they were going to win America's Cup, but the US pulled it together (thanks to Dan and I being there to give them a pep talk when we came to watch them race in September. The whole event is over the course of a few months.  Here are some pics for the trips to over there.  We had an amazing time visiting Kate and Jack despite Dan being on his death bed for our trip.  We even got to see the actual cup...Dan was like a kid in Disneyland. :)

Extensions...

I never thought I would play with or have a use for extensions. My best friend, Katelyn (http://mrsofamedstudent.blogspot.com/) always told me that she uses them to have hair like mine, just like I want to get lash extensions for my lashes to look like hers.

However, I have always been curious. In my blog reading while chilling in San Fran with Kate, I came across Amber's Blog (www.barefootblonde.com) and found some hair styles (http://barefootblonde.com/hairideas). I started reading along and found that I could have a use for extensions!! So excited to play, Kate and I busted hers out and got all decked out for or America's Cup outing (See America's Cup Blog Post). I just ended up doing her extensions because we didn't have time. We ended up trying the braid in Amber's blog...

When we got back from the Cup, Kate busted out another set of extensions and said I needed them and that she was going to play with my hair (thank you so much Kate!!!). She ended up putting all of them in my hair and then in a ponytail. Although it looked awesome (still need to color the extensions), it was heavy and once she braided it, my head was already feeling the pain of the weight (i don't know how people with dreads do it) . Some pics...

I was playing in my hotel in Portland last night and trip the braid as Amber describes at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ElcddThnrCs&list=TLnC-kJZCroqw and it wasn't so painful.

Once I dye them, they will blend a bit better, but not too bad. They are fun and an easy way to spice it up. 

Brand: EURONEXT

Color:Chestnut Brown

Length: 18 inches

Anti-Seattle Freeze Movement...

So sorry blogging world, I left you. It has been a crazy, fun summer and I just can't bring myself to sit in front of my computer. I want to be out with my pup and enjoying the AMAZING summer that we have been enjoying in Seattle.

So...I started this post a bit ago and so much has happened since then but this was the start of it all  

I read this article about how Seattle is not that friendly or open city. 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seattle_Freeze

We keep to ourselves and although are polite, we don't openingly welcome new people into our lives. There are many theories on why. My thought has always been that other people are busy and why would they want me to interrupt their day. I always used to get annoyed when one of my friends (not from Seattle) would go strike up conversations with strangers. Don't bug them...they are enjoying their day. Little did I realize that most of the world does this and Seattle is known for being unfriendly. I decided that I was not going to be a part of this. I was going to be friendly and open. I was going to invite strangers put to meet people and not be a part of this Seattle stereotype. 

I have always (well, at least as an adult) been the type of person to love to bring people together. I love taking groups of people that don't normally mingle and bring them together. I can't wait to someday get married primarily because the idea of having everyone that I love in one place for a party just sounds fabulous to me (I am sure the husband, love, and of course the dress will all be great too). 

So, first victim...I mean...new friend (perhaps more...but that is another post). On a May Saturday, I was chilling in my apartment waiting for some carpet cleaners who were late, I walk down to my managers office to figure out what was going on and there he was. He was looking for an apartment and had just moved from Virginia Beach (I pretend to know where that is...I hope I am right in my assumption that it was in Virginia). I say hi and take a deep breath and invite him and his friend out to a birthday party and then explain my 'mission'. I am sure he thinks I am crazy, but I am trying and don't care. We exchange numbers and he is stored as "Dan from the Lobby."  I go about my way and am happy with my attempt and if it does or doesn't work, I did what I set out to do. 

He doesn't end up coming to that particular party...he had tickets to see Jason Aldean (a reasonable excuse to a country girl like myself). He did however come out to another one and met some people. 

I have continued to be more open...asking confused people with maps on the street if they want help and inviting new people in the area to come out and meet some of my friends in hopes of making more connections. I feel good about it and it has definitely opened my life up a bit. I recommend that others do the same, it has done nothing but good things for me. 

Sorry for my blogging absence. I will do better...

Day Eight: A piece of advice you have for others.

Do what you love or what gets you what you need to be happy with life. 

TRY to think things through a bit, but don't be afraid to make the jump every once and awhile. 

It is not a bad thing to ask for help. 

You are smarter than you think you are (Well...except for some of you, you aren't as smart as you think you are). We are our hardest critic. 

Be proud of your accomplishments and don't let people make you feel bad about them. 

Be there for your friends and family, helping others and making them happy is the greatest gift in the world, but don't sacrifice your happiness/principals to do it. Ensure that what you are doing is actually helping and not enabling. 

Day Seven: The thing(s) you're most afraid of

Spiders and snakes...I don't want to talk about it.

Day Six: If you couldn't answer with your job, how would you answer thequestion, 'what do you do'?

What don't I do? 

I try to do everything and then sometimes turn on the breaks and do nothing. I am active and I am a pet parent, a daughter, a sister, a problem solver, a friend, a best friend, a bestie, a room mate,  hard working, driven. I travel, run, walk, workout, play indoor soccer, play outdoor soccer, am on facebook too much, should be working but am blogging. I love, I rarely fight, I shop, I spend, I return after I have buyer's remorse. I am impulsive and don't always think things all the way through.

I love to spend time with all parts of my family and my perfect day is chilling at home with family/friends on a nice day.

Day Four: Favorite quote

- Oscar Wilde

This is my mantra. I tend to fall in line with things and not always follow my own thoughts/opinion (part of being a people please-er).  Panda has actually been a key person in helping me with this. He always encourages me to make decisions and not just leave it all to him or others. On the other hand, sometimes this is hard because I don't really care what we eat or what we do. :)

Day Three: Things that make me uncomfortable

Hmmm...there are a lot of things that make me uncomfortable, although nothing really stands out.

- Animal cruelty or pets that need homes/better homes. - This fish ownership stuff has been hard for me. Even going to the pet store and seeing all those fish makes me sad.

- People crying or showing significant emotions, especially at work.

- Silence with people that I don't know that well (I think this is a common one).

- People being upset with me or not liking me. I am a people please-er and like people to like me. I don't do well when people are angry or upset with me, even when it isn't my fault. This usually ends up working to others advantage because the situation is so uncomfortable to me that I will do whatever I need to just end it and get back to normal (ie caving on a fight). I am trying to be better about it, but I just don't hold a grudge well and I just want to move on with life.

There have been a few times where I reached my breaking point and those people are just not active parts of my life...granted, it takes A LOT to get there.

Day Two: Educate us on something you know alot about or are good at.

I am good at SO many things...this could be difficult (read sarcastic font).  I am going to go with being a good pet parent on road trips or knowing what Gabs needs, primarily because I just recently did it. 

So, Gabby and I are probably over packers, but we like to be prepared. Recently her and I did a road trip over to Idaho to see my Auntie Jams (aka Jan). She is my mom's best friend from college and like another mom to me. She means the world to me. Gabs and I decided that since Panda was out of town for work, that we should skip on over to visit her. Although not really a skip, more like a ridiculously boring 5+ hr drive, but she is totally worth it.

So...what does her highness need while traveling or just in her day to day life? We have this down pretty well, because we are always heading over to Panda's for the night or something.

1) This may or may not be a legit LV. I will let you decide. This is a great size bag to keep all of her stuff in.

2) Her remote collar, as mentioned in earlier posts, this is a must and it is great for on the farm because there is so much space she can run and run without me worrying.

3) Door Bells - these are great. My mom gave me a set of these when I moved into my apartment. Gabby picked it up pretty quick that if she rang them, we would go outside. They are also nice on doors because if someone does open them, it is a bit of a warning. Many people have thought I had them on my door as a type of alarm.

4) Harness - This is a gentle lead harness, you can hook the leash to the front or the back. If you hook it to the front, then kind of stops the dog from pulling so much. I use this for running and with #8.

5) Puppy pads, given that Gabs is a city dog and I used to work long hours, she is trained (mostly) to use these. I keep a few in my bag so that if I am leaving her at someone's place, she knows where she can go.

6) A water bowl and a ziplock bowl with food in it. I love these ziplock bowls because the lock down tight, great for soups/chili and why not dog food. There is always a full one in her bag in case we are staying out one night.

7) Chuck-it/balls - Saying that Gabs loves to play ball would be an understatement. I keep the short chuck-it and a few balls with us at all times. I like the shorter version because it fits in her bag easier. I also like the orange and blue rubber balls because they tend to hold up a bit longer and are easier to locate.

8) This is a great little invention - it is a short leash. I hook it to her harness and then the handle of the leash goes through the seat belt of the car. Usually gabby travels in the back in her crate (not pictured, but also a must for us), however, for long road trips with just the two of us, I set her up in the seat next to me with this and a blanket. It is nice because she is secure, so we can drive around with all the windows down and I don't have to worry about her jumping out.

9) Thunder shirt - I was surprised that this actually worked. It is supposed to calm your dog down and it actually works, now is gabby a mellow (insert name of mellow dog here) with it? No, but definitely a bit calmer and it also keeps her from getting quite so much hair everywhere. It is great for when we are visiting friends or have just vacuumed my car.

10) Long leash - I got hooked on these with Gab's training for her remote collar. It is nice to have for rest stops or what not. I don't like the retractable leashes because I think they encourage dogs to pull on the leash since with those, there is always a bit of tension. 

11) Chicken Strips or Lamb Strips - Any treat of choice will do.

12) Water bottle and travel attachment for pups - my friend Bart got this attachment for me for my birthday a few years back. It is nice because it attaches to any water bottle. It is nice for when we are on the move or hiking.

13) This is a new item and in all honesty we haven't tried it yet. It is a natural flea/tick repellent. We got this for our trip to Idaho because we were concerned about ticks, but didn't have any issues and haven't used it yet. The ladies at Mud Bay (http://www.mudbay.us/) were recommending it as they don't carry the chemical stuff. I liked the idea, but can't...at this moment comment on how well it works. A later post I am sure.

14) Bully bone or similar - just a nice bone for her to chew on or what she seems to be doing recently is just hiding them, I will have to start an album of funny places she hides her bones.

15) Hedgehog - Gabs actually has a couple of these. It is a nice durable go to toy. It still squeaks and honks.

16) Of course, a leash and bags on board - We just have a basic leash and I found that ordering replacement bags on amazon is the cheap way to go about it.

17)  Gabby recommends that there be an additional ball or two in the mix.

....wow...gabby has a lot of crap.

Some other things to consider carrying along that aren't pictured

- Proof of vaccinations

- ID tags with local names/phone numbers of where you are staying. For example, Gabby has a tag that says she is Jan's dog and has Jan's phone number. You can actually get ID tags really cheap online. It is nice because then if something happens, they know where she is from or a local contact. It is also nice for Idaho because my cell doesn't work well over there. I also have one for when my mom is watching her and I am out of the country or don't have access to my cell.

Hope this little pack helps you to plan for your pup's trips....

a blog post for every day of May challenge...

So...I haven't be able to think of things to blog about for a bit (hence my lack of blogging), but in comes May and someone else has my blogging brain freeze answer. Thanks to my fabulous best friend and her blog reading she found this to help us both power up out of this blogging rut.

Blog every day in May challenge...

So here we go...

Day One: The story of your life in 250 words or less

Me...well, I grew up in Duvall, WA with my mom. My parents divorced when I was 1 (I should really stop making this a key part of my life). I can't even imagine them together, just wouldn't even make sense to me. 

My mom did so much for me growing up and continues to go above and beyond as a mom. I don't know how she did it. I love her so so much!!!

I loved growing up small town and never thought I would live in the city, I was going to end up with a guy and a truck and live on some property. I played basketball...typical sport of a tall gal. After high school, I went to WSU, missed the family and came back to this side of the mountains. I finished up college at UW (I know...who does that?). Straight from College I started work at Moss Adams. I then found my two partners in crime (Gabs and Panda).

Now, I live in the city in a small apartment, work downtown and couldn't image leaving the city (although a vacation place in the country might be nice. I am also not a vet, which I also planned to be as a child...oh how things don't turn out as planned but are still fabulous!

Things to note about Europe...

I am finally catching up on my European blogging...here are some random thoughts about things I observed over there.

Deodorant
This is not as commonly used over there as it is here, or maybe it used to not be and that smell is just lingering, kind of like it does in that one shirt you wore that one day you forgot to put on deodorant.  It wasn't horrible or unmanageable, just something I noticed.

Tipping
So, in the US we tip...pretty much no matter what. We tip for good service, we tip to compensate for the fact that wait staff don't make enough money, we tip for everything. You tip in Europe for Superior service (which in my opinion is how it should be). There is no expectation and they are grateful for it. This was my experience anyway. Loved it and wish there was a way to change the system here. I hate tipping as a matter of requirement and not because someone actually stepped up and did something above average. I don't get a tip for meeting a deadline and or completely my daily tasks.  Luckily I have friends that work in the service industry and understand how important tipping is, I just wish it worked differently here.

Oh...you are an American?
I loved that you could walk about and no one knew you were a tourist (well...except for maybe Italy). It wasn't until we opened our mouths that people would figure it out. Being someone that mostly vacations in exotic places where we stand out like a sore thumb, this was a nice change. It is nice to be submerged in a culture and no one notice you or try to ask you to buy something because they know you are tourists. 


Boots 
My boots got me through this trip. It took me a bit to find them but for walking your way through Europe, I would say they are the best!  I got them from Nordstrom and lived in them during the trip and for a good part of the time after I got back. I could walk for days in these. They were great because you could dress them up or down.  Nicely done Keen (Bern Baby Boot).

English?
I was a little nervous with potential language barriers when we were planning the trip, I hate being that person that assumes that everyone knows English  although without some serious investment in Rosetta Stone, I didn't think I was going to be able to learn Italian, Dutch and Irish Gaelic by the time we left. So armed with my laptop, phone and the Internet I crossed the world. To my surprise, almost everyone speaks English (Italy being the exception). We tried to learn words and not be those people, but people were pretty awesome. 

European Airlines
We elected to fly around on Ryanair and Easy-Jet. Some things to note. They are STRICT on their weight limits  for checked luggage and carry-on sizes. Be sure to check these as the limits are much lower than in the States and the fees are significantly higher. 



Multiple Airports
So...this might be common knowledge to others, but I was not aware that Rome had multiple airports. I would assume that this might be the case at other cities. We found this out the hard way. We headed to one airport (the one we arrived at) and upon arrival realized that we were at the wrong airport. The other airport is on the other side of town. After a 60 euro trip, we just made it for our flight.

Time Change
I was never able to get used to it, we were in Europe for only 11 days and maybe that was why, but I just never was able to fully get used to it. So if you head over, take that in mind when planning activities, getting up in the morning was a slow process and the black out curtains didn't help me move any faster.

Amsterdam
This was my favorite city and I would love to go there in the summer/spring to really enjoy it. The Netherlands in general was the best part of the trip. The people there were so friendly and the charm of the cities. We spent a lot of time wandering the streets and poking into a few spots.  The weather was pretty rainy when we are there, but it was still beautiful. 





If you have never been to Europe, I can't even begin to explain how amazing it was. The only problem with going is that you will just want to go back.

Does anyone else have any comments? Tips?

Spring Cleaning

Every year I decide to take a month or so to clean stuff up, although not your typical spring cleaning, we are talking about our diet/drinking habits/etc. I wouldn't say I drink a lot and but I go threw spurts of lots of social events and whatnot. I also tend to get lazy when I am  busy with work (I just finished my year end audit). So, once a year I take some time to say good bye to booze and worse of all good bye to chocolate. I also may or may not be doing this so I look fabulous for a Mexican vacation (hopefully to be in May).

So what do I do? I stop eating entirely for 40 days and live off lemon juice.  Just kidding, not quite that crazy. Each year I do it a little differently. There is definitely some calorie watching and usually a limit on the starches/carbs. Each year it changes based on what I thought was good the prior year and things that I learn during the year.

This year we are going with a low carb/lean meat/no dairy/lots of veggies kind of thing. I also like to throw in some overpriced juice cleanse days.  :) 

For example...here is what a cleansing cart looks like, although this is kind of what my cart always looks like because if I grocery shop I eat pretty healthy...I just usually tend to eat out.

As I have mentioned multiple times...I love Blue Print juices, although the price is sometimes hard to justify. I have found the best way to have kale is to make kale chips, break it up and remove the stalks, cover with olive oil, your favorite spices/seasoning salt and maybe a lil garlic. Put it in the oven at 400 degrees for 10 to 15 mins, just keep an eye on them till they are crispy. 

Key things I learn after these cleanse/spring clean up;

• I feel great when I am not hungover and eating right gives me a lot of energy and keeps me motivated to get things done.
• Not going out on weekends and drinking results in some serious savings in my banking account and as I have made that a huge priority that is a great thing.
• It is fun to find fun ways to cook healthy. 
• You do fall off the grid a bit socially, especially if you have friends that do drink (which I would say is most of us or at least all of my friends). They will be there when you are done and some will even be crazy enough to spend time with you sober.
• Throwing some work outs and what not in there is a good idea as well, just make sure that your calorie intake isn't too low.

On the plus side for my MILLIONS of viewers...it will lead to more blogging...in theory. Wish me luck tomorrow I start day 4 of 40.  Try it out sometime...you will feel awesome. 

Happy Spring Cleaning!



Favorites...right now.

It has been a pretty good week and I am just all and all very happy about how things are going in life. Thought I would share some things that I am enjoying right now...

Food - home made kale chips...over at 400/broil, kale in oil with minced garlic and seasonings of your choice, throw it on a baking pan for 10-15 mins and enjoy. I will post a picture eventually. I am trying to be good and have kale. This is the only way that is really working for me right now.

Technology - I broke down and purchased an ipad mini and I LOVE it. Perfect size, great for checking email, keeping an eye on my finances (thanks www.mint.com), and now I am actually reading the news/mags that I purchased...what a concept. I was also introduced to TED Talks, LOVE them and totally recommend checking them out (www.ted.com/talks). Think it is too expensive or out of the budget? Try selling some stuff that you maybe don't use or whatnot on Craig's list. I sold a tablet that I received a few years back and used it to support this purchase.

Drink - I have always love Blueprint's juices, but unfortunately, they were only available in NY and a lil pricey to be delivered  well...they are still a bit pricey  but also available at Whole Foods (aka...Whole Paycheck).  I love all of their juices and now I can just cleans for a day or something on a whim without worry about planning. I also try to drink one green juice a day...it just makes you feel better.

My blog - I have been having fun customizing it and cleaning it up a bit...and even posting stuff now and again. I hope to improve and post more...especially as the weather gets better and we get a bit more active. I totally recommend going out and checking out how to do some code...it is fun and probably a good thing to have a basic understanding of.

Spring is coming (don't forget to spring ahead) - Excited for all the bright colors this season!!!

A new fish?

So...for some reason for the last few years, I have wanted a fish tank at work. Maybe it is because my dad has one in his office and I always thought it was cool or because I can't keep a plant alive to save my life, who knows...but I got a small Beta last year, named him Sushi (morbid, I know) and he was my buddy at work. Last September, Sushi left us...I think he just worked too much (he was always at the office) or maybe he was worried I wasn't coming back, since he made his final jump while I was out of town or perhaps it was just because as I learned after some research...Betas like to jump and he did just that. We will never know since he can't tell us after his passing and the fact that he was a fish. My coworker wrote this fabulous eulogy for him.

After a little under a year I decided to get a new fish, I decided an upgraded tank was necessary because I wanted him to have a bit more room to move around. I went to the pet store and picked up Martini...a fabulous blue beta, a new 2 tank with pump, a rock, and some plants for him to play around. Got him all set up in the new tank on Sunday and was excited to have my new office mate (Title: Director of Aquatic Resources).

Monday I came in and decided that I wanted to do some additional research to make sure that this fish had the best life. I didn't know if I was responsible for Sushi's death, but I didn't want it to happen again. I consulted the web and an expert (Katelyn...she should really blog about her happy fish family) and the interwebs.

I found out that I was a horrible fish owner...did you know that a Beta shouldn't be kept in a tank smaller than 5 gallons? that you need to be considerate of the type of plants (alive or fake) that are in the tank because of their fins? that they don't like currents? that they need warm water? Oh and that you need all of this bacteria in the tank for happy fish/water/plants? I felt so guilty for the life that I put Sushi through and any fish prior to him for that matter.

So this little addition to the office because a larger project. Amazon - beta hammock, beta log, testing kit. Pet shop - larger tank...8 gallons, new rocks, new plants (live ones).  This is a picture of the upgrade from the 2 gallon to the 8. Lucky fish...

So, I let the water settle over night and then transferred Martini over on Friday. Unfortunately...I came in on Monday and he had passed away (no need to give me a hard time...I feel horrible enough about it all on my own). Katelyn researched it for me and he died of new tank syndrome...if I remember correctly. Basically he wasn't strong enough to handle all of the changes that a new tank goes through.

So it has now been 2+ weeks and probably $150 later and I am still without fish. I am working to get the right bacteria levels (ammonia, nitrite and nitrate). I have a heater, the right power of pump (that was a whole other story, but all I can say is that the customer service at Aqueon is amazing), live plants (I don't have to water them...so they should survive).

Life Lesson: Research fish before you get them, you are taking a life into your hands...take care of it. As crazy as this sounds, Betas were not meant to live in little cups/vases/etc...they need space. Same goes for any animal. Once I get this all set up...the fish or fish (plural) that live in there will be very well taken care of.

Cool random fish at the aquarium...he would pretty much take up my whole 2 gallon tank.

Braised Elk Short Ribs

In the timber industry, there are lots of hunters. Oddly enough guys who like to hang in the woods, like to hunt. So, when I go down to California to work with our operations, I am usually gifted some sort of meat (elk, bear, deer, etc). Some might say gross...but it is so good for you and cooked right, it can taste fabulous.  On my last trip down there (via private jet...because that is how we roll) I received a package of elk short ribs. Upon receiving them, I had no clue what to do with them. I, of course, turned to the trusty Internet for guidance and came across this fabulous recipe and figured why not (even though it was way out of my comfort zone of cooking, considering I wasn't even sure what made something "braised").

BRAISED ELK RIBS

5 lbs elk ribs or one slab

Salt & pepper 

BRAISING LIQUID

8 ounces red currant jelly (small jar)

2 tbls Dijon mustard

1 cup tawny port

2 cups stock (chicken turkey or beef)

1/2 tsp allspice

1 tsp juniper berries (10 to 12) scorched and coarsely crushed

1 tsp ground cardamon or 4-5 pods husks remover and finely crushed

1 tbls brown sugar

1 cup red wine

1 tbls red wine vinegar

1 tsp ground cinnamon 

Salt (coarse) and fresh ground pepper to taste

Aromatic vegetables such as onion, turnip, celery and carrot may be added in an amount to loosely cover the meat

Pat the ribs dry with paper towels. Rub with salt and pepper. Brown the ribs under broiler or in an iron skillet. 

Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, whisk all braising liquid ingredients, being careful to liquify the currant jelly. Over medium heat, cook the liquid until it's reduced by a third. 

Place ribs in a slow cooker such as a Le Creuset, covered cast iron Dutch oven or even your trusted crock pot. Pour the reduced liquid over ribs about three-fourths of the way up. 

Simmer at 230 degrees at least 4 hours. The longer the simmer, the more tender the ribs. Eight hours brings them to falling-off-the bone which is the desired level of done-ness.

Per all knowing Wikipedia...Braising (from the French “braiser”) is a combination cooking method using both moist and dry heat; typically the food is first seared at a high temperature and then finished in a covered pot with a variable amount of liquid, resulting in a particular flavor.

So now it all makes sense. I went to the store to get my ingredients, figuring I had most of the spices. The next morning I woke up to realize okay...maybe we don't have all of those...so I decided there were going to be a few adjustments. I found this helpful chart to assist with substitution.

About.com - Home Cooking

Allspice - I only used cinnamon and nutmeg
Juniper Berries - Gin...yeah, I got that. :)
Cardamon = Ginger = Cinnamon (this one was a bit of a stretch and I don't think that you are supposed to substitute a substitute, but why not.

So, at 6 AM I was out on our deck in Seattle BBQ-ing to brown the meat. I felt a little odd freezing my butt off doing it, but figured it would be the easiest way to get it done. 

We have a baby BBQ, but it works perfect - Ribs browned . I think mixed my sauce and heated it to reduce it, I didn't reduce it as long as recommended, I had to get to work and figured it would reduce in the crock pot as well. 

 I also being a lover of veggies added some onions, celery and carrots.

 Threw it all in the crock pot on low for 10 hours, crossed my fingers and left for work. When I came back...the apartment smelled FABULOUS!!! Checked the mix (after stressing about it all day) and it looked amazing and tasted awesome. Doug was even impressed and he is usually the cook between us. There is hope for me yet.

 I ended up taking some left overs in to work, because people are always curious about game meat. A few people had it and I had to remind them that it was elk. The meat was very tender.

Here is the recipe as I did it, if I had more control over my work schedule or was around the apartment, I probably wouldn't have cooked it for so long.

Rachel's BRAISED ELK RIBS

5 lbs elk ribs or one slab

Salt & pepper 

BRAISING LIQUID

8 ounces red currant jelly (small jar)

2 tbls Dijon mustard

1 cup tawny port

2 cups stock (Chicken)

1/2 tsp Cinnamon/Nutmeg

Splash of Gin

1 tsp Cinnamon

1 tbls brown sugar

1 cup red wine

1 tbls red wine vinegar

1 tsp ground cinnamon 

Salt (coarse) and fresh ground pepper to taste

Aromatic vegetables such as onion, celery and carrot may be added in an amount to loosely cover the meat. For me...more veggies the better.

Pat the ribs dry with paper towels. Rub with salt and pepper. Brown the ribs on the BBQ.

Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, whisk all braising liquid ingredients, being careful to liquify the currant jelly. Over medium heat, cook the liquid until it's reduced by a third. Mine was reduced by a 4th at most.

Place ribs in trusted crock pot. Pour the reduced liquid over ribs about three-fourths of the way up. I put it a little higher, because I figured I probably had more ribs and I was hoping for some reduction in the sauce during the day.

Simmer at 230 degrees at least 4 hours. The longer the simmer, the more tender the ribs. Eight hours brings them to falling-off-the bone which is the desired level of done-ness. Yeah...they were falling off.

I believe this would work for any short rib...beef would be fabulous in this. What is your favorite game meat recipe?

First night in a foreign land...

Rather than ramble through every moment of my time in Eindhoven, I figured I will focus on the key events/activities/observations.

First Night...
Walking into the bar in our hotel, we were pleasantly surprised to see that they were strong supporters of Movember. It was nice to see something familar and know that such a wonderful cause/program is supported world wide. We decided to hang out and have a drink to support their support. :)

Nothing like having bitterballen to support the balls.

We then headed out for dinner. I think of the things that I love so far about traveling in Europe is that no one knows you are foreign (Well, until they attempt to speak to you). This is much different from Mexico where we tend to not blend as well, despite our attempts to blend with our fabulous language skills (where-o is-o the-o beach-o?, Doug's version of Spanish) and attire (doesn't everyone where their swimsuit every day in Mexico?).  It has been nice to not be hassled, stared down or asked if I would like to take a motor taxi...however, we are without sun here...so I guess we can't have everything.

We went to a Thai restuarant, and I am upset to say I can't remember the name. I would ask Doug but last time he was asked where he went, he looked at the receipt and told them  :)"klant bon," which they responded meant "Customer Receipt." :)  Obviously his Dutch is not as strong as his spanish.

After that we ended up walking around the center and people watching, there were a lot of young college/high school aged people out. We ended up settling at an Irish Bar (which, I was at first against because why go to an Irish bar when you are going to Ireland within the week?). However, after we went in, it was my favorite and the musican there was really great.

Sleep...
As you can imagine, the time change has been having an impact on my sleep, I not being one who likes to sleep in, seem to now have no issue sleeping in or staying up late, although I do like my nap times. With the time change and the fabulous black out curtains in the hotel, we had no problem sleeping until after noon. Our goal had been to get up and go check out the shops and all that, but since we were unable to motivate ourselves out of bed, we ended up, just grabbing lunch and then going to meet up with some co-workers/friends of Doug for a movie.   We saw the new James Bond movie, Skyfall and then went out for tapas at a restaurant called Si Senor.  Ordered...fill the table and tried lots of fun things...ended up at our Irish Bar with great conversation and friends. Closed the night off with a stroopewafel mcflurry from MacDonald's (Scottish Restaurant...maybe you have heard of it) and of course frikandellen.

Darn birds

Have you ever heard of a bird strike? Well, I hadn't, we ran into some issue escaping the Netherlands and heading to Ireland, the birds decided to attack our plane as it was flying in to pick us up. This is not something you want to see next to your plane. After a few hours we were allowed to board.  Lets just say that the Eindhoven airport is small and has limited internet connectivity.

We finally made our way to Ireland....