R&R Weekend

M and I went to northern Wisconsin for relaxation the long weekend of March 22-24.  I bought a Travelzoo voucher for a 2 night stay in Cable, Wisconsin that also came with a $50 food credit to the restaurant attached to the lodge.  I bought this as a gift to Michael for Valentine's Day and while we could have used it anytime until June, we felt the need to get away soon, regardless of what the weather was like.  Turns out the weather was probably better a month ago when we went versus now or anytime in between then. 

We left on Friday morning and got up to Hayward in about 2 hours.  We stopped there and I thought I would see the huge fish like I remember seeing the only time I ever was there as a kid.  We didn't see it though and we didn't go searching for it.  Instead, we stopped at the grocery store in town to pick up some snacks and something to drink.  Here are the chips we found that we couldn't pass up.

All of the chips weren't very good but the Chicken & Waffles were horrible.  

We drove up the 16 miles or so to Cable, Wisconsin (population 836 according to the 2000 census) where our destination would be.  We stopped at the visitor center to pick up some brochures for the area.  There really isn't much to do around there unless you are doing some winter outdoor activity.  We figured as much as we just wanted to relax and get away.  We were about an hour early from checking into the lodge but we decided to stop anyway and see if they could get us in.  With the Travelzoo voucher,  you don't get to pick what room you want.  We saw a specific room we wanted online and we were hoping by getting there early we'd be able to choose it.  We drove the additional 7 miles or so east, entering into the Chequamegon-Nicolet Forest until hitting our destination. Once arrived, they weren't ready for us yet and said maybe another hour.  The place didn't have anyone there except for the woman we talked to but we were able to pick out the room we wanted. 

I checked my Facebook messages and had a message from my cousin's wife Tonia who said if possible, try not to miss going to the Angry Minnow, which is back in Hayward.  With at least an hour to kill, we drove back to Hayward to go there.

Tonia, thank you for suggestion!  We loved this place.  It's a brewpub that serves food.  The beer and food were perfect.  M bought some beer to bring back and share in MN.  

Black bean dip and pita chips for me

Burger and cheese curds for Michael

After the Angry Minnow, we went back to check in officially.  We had a joke that it's always cloudy in Cable because we would drive away a bit and it would be sunny.  

Here was our room.  It was called the Namakagon and it looked just like the picture online.  While checking in, we also got the $50 food credit to the restaurant that was attached and down the stairs.  They asked us if we were interested in using it that night or the next night.  They said that it was slow and just wanted to prepare for us depending on when we used it.  We would later find out that it was just us and another couple who was staying there for the weekend.  There are only 7 rooms anyways and having only 2 rooms occupied makes for a very quiet place to be, especially when the owner and all staff leave at the end of the night.  It truly was just the four occupants there through the night.  

We didn't leave for the rest of the night.  Since we ate around the 3 pm hour, we decided we would still eat at the Rookery Pub Fine Dining just out the door and down the stairs from our room later in the evening.  Besides the other couple staying there, we were the only ones there.  The restaurant was cozy with lots of art on the wall for purchase.

We had our $50 credit which allowed for the majority of our meal to be paid for.  The menu wasn't huge but there were a lot of interesting items to choose from.  We took advantage of that.  I couldn't decide on a single entree so I ordered a salad and three small plates.  Sounds like a lot and it was but I was so curious to try everything.

Here's what M ordered:

Wisconsin Cheese Fondue-Specialty blend of Wisconsin cheeses with fresh herbs and crusty rosemary olive oil bread

Fettucini Alfredo-House made herb style Alfredo with fettucini, grilled chicken & grated parmesan

 Here's what I ordered:

Spinach Citrus-Fresh baby spinach, pieces of orange and grapefruit and candied pecans with a citrus vinaigrette

Seared Scallops-Jumbo sea scallops, fennel and marinated grapes with a lemon tarragon vinaigrette

Thai Barbeque Tostadas-Coffee rubbed barbeque pulled pork, tomatillo salsa and sharp cheddar cheese with a sweet Thai chili sauce on a crispy tostada shell

Baked Crab Cakes-Zesty baked crab perfectly seasoned with fresh lemon juice, olive oil, secret herbs & a pinch of cayenne pepper, topped with orange dill aioli

The food was fantastic.  With great food at the Angry Minnow and great food at Rookery, it was shaping up to be a foodie weekend and the trend would continue. 

After dinner, we went back to our room, listened to music, lit candles, cracked a bottle of homemade wine from a co-worker of M's and watched the NCAA basketball tournament like any romantic couple would do. We also brought the telescope with us.  We brought it outside and set it up to see the almost full moon and we saw Jupiter too.  Being outside in the middle of the nowhere, where's it's quiet and it's completely dark and away from any city lights we're so used to was awesome.  This sounds so weird but it was so quiet that my ears started to hurt from the silence.  I don't know if I have ever experienced such silence before.  

We woke on Saturday morning with plans for exploring for the day.  We were very excited to head to a diner in the middle of nowhere.  Delta, Wisconsin is the site of Delta Diner and I'm not sure much more exists there.  We had a beautiful drive around windy roads that would be perfect for a motorcycle.  I think the diner was 45 minutes away but with beautiful scenery, it didn't seem like it at all.

We had heard of Delta Diner through one of M's friend years ago.  What's so special about this diner?  It's hard to describe this place.  Just know it probably has the best food, service and cleanliness of any type of diner you may know of.  You have this ultimate sense that they truly care about you as a customer.  It seems so rare these days.  They don't have a paper menu, only a board so when you are a Delta Diner Virgin, as they called us, they take the time to explain the entire menu to you.  It sounds like it would be annoying but it's not.  There's not that much to choose from.  M ordered a breakfast sandwich with a Norwegian pancake on the side.  She asked if he wanted the jalapeno one or the plain one.  While he likes jalapenos, he was reluctant to have it in a pancake so he ordered the plain one.  The server then brings out a jalapeno one for him to try, for free.  It's served with powdered sugar on top and a wedge of lemon.  You can eat it plain, with lemon or with syrup.  We tried it all three ways.  The best was plain to us.  It was so nice for her to do. I had hashbrowns with eggs, peppers and onions. Our experience was so pleasant that we left an almost 50% tip.  

I never see biodegradable containers in the Twin Cities!

Just leaving the diner, we saw over 25 deer in a 10-20 minute period.  I don't care how many deer I've seen in my life.  I will NEVER get tired on seeing them or looking for them.

We headed towards Ashland next.  We had no real plans but wanted to go see the south shore of Lake Superior.  Both of us had never seen it from that perspective and only the north shore from Minnesota.  Well, it wasn't that interesting.  I thought we'd be able to see more but with the time of year, everything was still frozen and snowy and gray.  I'm sure the area is just gorgeous in the summer and we hope to experience that as well some day.  

We stopped at South Shore Brewery for a beer.

There's wasn't too much to do, other than drive around the town.  They have lots of murals.

After Ashland, we headed north to Washburn.  My cousin Mike lives there and we stopped to visit with him for the afternoon. We hung out and talked and sipped on beer. We had good conversations about my dad and his dad.  Unfortunately, his wife Tonia wasn't there but it turns out we just missed her after we left.  They've lived up there for almost three years as homesteaders and this was our first chance to see their place. Sorry we missed you Tonia!  Mike, it was fun to see you! THANK YOU for the wonderful goodies you gave us!  They are definitely being used in our household.

We headed about 12 miles north to Bayfield to just go and see the place.  This is where you can take the ferry to the Apostle Islands.  With it being the off-season, there wasn't much to look at and it appeared that many shops were closed due for the season. They do have an ice "highway" that you can take across Lake Superior to the islands.  Drive at your own risk!

We made our long way back to Cable in the early evening.  We were surprised to see close to 10 cars in the parking area for the restaurant.  I was glad to see they were getting business because they really are great.  We hung out for a little bit before going into "town" and getting a bite to eat.  We ate at the Rivers Eatery in the Ideal Market building.  It was a cute place. I started with a salad and the spread on the bread was wonderful.  I still don't know what it was but it was delicious. Possibly something with honey.  I wanted to try something a little different so I went with The Najmadi pizza, which is has a Thai sauce, roasted red peppers, carrots, peas and feta.  It was just ok for me.  M stayed a little more safe in his eating choices as he normally does.  

We got back to our nature lodge and it was dark and no one around except for some restaurant patrons just leaving otherwise it was back to us and the other couple for the evening.  We did the same thing as the night before; music, candles, drinks, basketball and it was perfect.   

We're a single couple with no kids so we have time to ourselves any time we want it but there's nothing like getting away for a couple of days, relaxing from the rest of the world and enjoying yourself.  We had a great time.

We ended up seeing 34 deer on our trip, two turkeys and a fox.  The fox was trotting right down the street!  Success.  And yes, I still count how many deer I see and probably always will.  

Lastly, I just wanted to mention that prior to this weekend in Cable, I had only dreamed of my dad on two occasions.  He was sick in one of them and in the other, I couldn't see him very well because he was far away and in the shadows.  I dreamed of my dad both nights in Cable.  Both times he was healthy.  Both nights the dream had a different scenario but it was the same message.  A message for my mom, which I gave her.  I feel as though I was visited by my dad while in Cable.  Even he wanted to experience the beauty and nature of the area.



Walk for Animals

I'm doing the Animal Humane Society's Walk for Animals for my 10th time on Saturday, May 4th. The walk is held in Golden Valley and it is 5 miles.  I did my very first walk by myself after adopting my cat Fuzzer less than 6 months prior. A month before the first walk, I also got Powder, my other cat.  We've been a happy family ever since!  

As I do each year, I'm collecting donations to go the AHS.  Would you like to help?  

If you are interested in donating, please check out my personal page, otherwise please contact me if you'd prefer to send a check to my address. 

Donate to my page here: My Personal Donation Page

To send a check: My Email Address

If you don't have interest in donating or can't, please send this blog post to someone who might.  As for now, please enjoy the pictures below of my fuzzy babies. 

Thank you!

I'm Lazy

I'm lazy.  I'm tired.  I'm defeated.  I just get those feelings where the last thing I want to do is blog.  I'm in that mode right now.  I'm forcing myself to get out of it this weekend.  I feel the tiniest bit better just writing this. I'll post again soon.  Until then.  

Charity Challenge - March

This month for my charity challenge, I decided to donate to the PKD Foundation.  PKD stands for polycystic kidney disease.  This disease runs in my family and it is known that at least 3 members of my family have it, including my aunt who was lucky enough to have received a kidney transplant last summer, thanks to one of her nieces who was a match for her.  

March is kidney awareness month so if you'd like to donate to this cause, you can do so by going HERE.

If you don't want to donate money but want to become an organ and tissue donor, go HERE!

{PKD}

Conscious Box - February and March

How come none of you told me that I missed blogging about my February Conscious Box?  How did that sneak past you?  I know it's not the most exciting but I like to document what I get in each box.  While I did blog about the February Valentine's Box, I forgot to blog about the regular subscription box.  

Here's what I got for February.  I really liked this package.

Here's March's box.  It probably was one of my least favorite boxes.  I don't see it being worth $20 at all, however I decided to renew for an entire year.  Conscious Box used to send the packing list by email but they don't do that anymore so it's not as easy for me to list the products so pictures will have to do this time.

Google Reader- Goodbye

Google Reader is going away as of July 1st, 2013.  This makes me a little sad as I use it but I'm looking for alternatives for a new reader.  Actually, I've already changed over to a new one but I don't know if I'll like it and I'm curious to know what you're using.  

So, what are you using?

Goodbye!

Dana Crocker

St. Paddy's Day weekend was spent making food.  On Saturday the 16th, I really wanted to make raw hemp seed bars with cacao drizzle but I needed almond butter, which I didn't have so I decided to make almond butter first.  Has anyone ever made almond butter?  This was my second time and it's so frustrating to make.  If you don't have patience, don't even try.  It took 30+ minutes to get it to the correct consistency and I know I'll make it again but this time I'm going to make a big enough batch to make it worth it.  It took longer for me because I used raw almonds (roasted goes faster) and added no oil so it takes quite a bit of time to leech the oil out of the almonds to make it creamy. The final product was delicious though!

My only ingredients:  raw almonds and 1/4 tsp pink Himalayan salt

All that work so I could use half of it to go into the hemp seed bars.  This recipe was much easier and a lot faster.  

I know a lot of these ingredients may not be available in your kitchen.  Being my diet is mostly plant-based (vegan), items like hemp seeds and almonds are very common in my diet.  Also, this recipe ends up being very expensive to make.  After I added up all the ingredients, I think it was around $18-19!!!  The hemp seeds equaled an entire bag, which is usually around $10 and almonds aren't cheap either.  I do have to say these were so delicious and I still have some left.  They are a great way to get some energy as they are probably higher calorie but they also have a great amount of protein as well.  They truly taste like a dessert.

On Sunday the 17th, I made vegan pancakes.  I figured I might as well make them green too.  I was so proud that M ate them as well.  Being that we are on completely different ends of the food spectrum, it always makes me happy when we can eat something healthy together.  I would share the recipe but I can't remember where I found it so pictures will have to do.

Four-leaf clover

Finally on Sunday evening, I made the most delicious teriyaki sauce.  I didn't have any fresh veggies in the house so I settled with a frozen package and steamed the veggies.  I used fresh rice noodles and roasted some cashews in the oven to add a little protein.  My final result was really delicious and I ate it for the next couple of meals.  The sauce was extremely easy to make and I feel good when I can make something that isn't full of chemicals and preservatives.  This sauce only lasts about 1 week or so in the fridge and it yielded over 16 oz.  

• 1.5 cups cold water
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup soy sauce (I used Tamari, which is gluten free soy sauce. Try and find a brand that is organic or non-GMO as soy is one of the most genetically modified crops in the US)
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 3 tablespoons corn starch (again, try and use organic or non-GMO.  Corn is the other big crop that is mostly GMO)
• 1 tsp sesame oil (I didn't have sesame oil so I used peanut oil)

Put all together in a pan and whisk over medium heat until thick and color is dark. I put it what I wasn't going to use in a mason jar and let it cool for a long time before putting it in the fridge.  Enjoy!

Charlie's 40th

We went to a 40th birthday party for Charlie on Friday, March 15th.  The party was held at Maranatha Church in Forest Lake on a super snowy evening.

Charlie is M's oldest friend.  They've known each other since they were born.  M's siblings range from age 56 to age 39, with M being the youngest.  Charlie's siblings also have a similar age range so it was perfect for them when they grew up that the siblings in each family had a friend around their age with the other family.  (There's actually another family that are friends with them that have around same age range as well.)  I met Charlie around 6-7 years ago for my first time.  When M would talk about him, he would also talk about going over to one of Charlie's sister's house and playing with their kids as well.  After talking about it, M and I realized one of Charlie's sister's kids, (stay with me now) was my friend from junior high and high school so that makes Charlie (who's 40), the uncle of my friend from high school (who's 36).  Small world.

Charlie's heavily involved in his church so it's only natural his big bash would be there.  Despite how bad the weather was, there were lots of people there with a taco bar and cupcakes.  Charlie was the DJ to his own party and loves doing it.  If you were at my dad's benefit, Charlie was the DJ there as well.  We hung out with Charlie's wife Sarah and a couple of Charlie's siblings while we were there and listened to his great party mix.  Happy Birthday Charlie!

Dixie's

Wednesday, March 13th was our girls dinner for March.  It was my turn to choose the restaurant and I picked Dixie's on Grand in St. Paul.  Both Jamie and my mom hadn't been there before and it had been about 15 years since I had been there.

We got there at 5 pm so there really wasn't anyone there yet but by the time we left around 7:30 pm, the place was packed.  We started off with some baked mushrooms and Jamie ordered some beef jerky.  For dinner, I had a shrimp po' boy.  I really wanted to try the jambalaya but the after asking the opinion of the server which was better, she said the jambalaya is just average.

We had a lot of fun talking and relaxing.  Our conversations range all across the board and we always bring up our dad.  I know he'd love that we are doing this on a monthly basis.

I'm an Adult

When you're a full-blown adult, you get excited over household purchases, like a new vacuum.  I was pretty excited to get my new vacuum a couple of Tuesdays ago.  My favorite part is ordering it online from Amazon, not paying tax or shipping and having it come right to your door.  Oh, and cashing out some credit card points on Amazon so I got over $50 knocked off the price.  I opened it up and started vacuuming right away.  Being that I vacuumed a handful of days earlier, I didn't think I would suck up as much as I did but I knew my old vacuum just didn't work as well anymore.

Does anyone have this vacuum?  So far, so good.  What kind of vacuum do you have?  Do you get excited about household items like this too?