Happy Birthday Dad

Growing up, we would have iced cream every night for dessert. My dad would get out a gallon pail of plain, economical, vanilla and we would slather it with peanut butter, honey, or malt powder.   He always said that there is room for ice cream after dinner because it "filled in all the cracks".
So naturally,  the family celebrated his birthday by taking him out for ice cream. We met at my favorite local parlor.  I ordered  salted caramel,  pistachio almond,  and sweet cream. All stacked nicely inside a chocolate waffle cone. Their salted caramel is one of my all time favorites. If they have it available I have to get it. The same with their sweet cream,  but only if its the first scoop on the cone. So I can savor its simple flavor before the other more colorful scoops.  What's your favorite flavor?
P.s. If you weren't already hungry, here's a picture of my cone.

My Favorite Cupcake Shop

My favorite cupcake store is closing in less than a week. Every time I go there I try a couple different flavors and they rarely disappoint. Today I picked lemon, hazelnut, and salted caramel (not pictured because I ate it before I could take a picture), plain chocolate and vanilla for Mike, and a root beer float for Layla (who also couldn't wait until after I took a picture). I'm going to miss them when the shop closes. I guess I will have to find a new favorite bakery or learn to make them myself.

A Mini Road Trip

Last weekend Mike, his brother Pat, and I drove down to Central Illinois to look for morel mushrooms.  We left at two in the morning so we could beat all the locals to the best spots. Contrary to the current Wisconsin weather, it was warm enough to walk around in shorts. The first place we arrived at was beautiful, all the trees are in bloom there now. We checked all the usual spots; south facing slopes, dead elms, and near creek beds and although we found two box turtles, we didn't find any mushrooms.
Our luck was the same at the next couple spots but it was ok because it was just nice to spend a full day with Mike. We stopped at a local diner for lunch and I managed to swing by a Starbucks on the way home so I could finally try the (once) new flat white. I'm definitely looking forward to taking more road trips with Mike through the years.

New Year's Resolutions Update

If you remember, I made three New Year's resolutions this year. Now I'm already one third of the way through the year and have about a 1.5/3 success rate. Here's the breakdown.

1) Do more yoga.
I haven't been as successful as a thought I would be. Mostly because the weather has been nicer. Instead of indoor yoga, I've been opting for daily stroller walks with Layla in the spring sunshine instead. It's not yoga and probably doesn't increase my flexibility or get me closer to my handstand goal but its still just as relaxing and physically active. Plus its mich easier to do with Layla.

2) Blog more
This has probably been the most successful new goal for me. Once or twice a week, during nap time, I try to post something relevant to my life. I'm already improving. If you have any suggestions for me I'm always happy to hear them.

3) Stand up for myself more.
This one is definitely the most difficult. Unlike my first two resolutions, I haven't improved upon this very much at all. I am working less and getting more sleep, however,  so I'm altogether far less irritable. Surely this goal is going to take me more than a year to master.

What were your New Year's Resolutions? Were they successful? Let me know.

Learning to Cook, One Cookbook at a Time.

I thought I knew how to cook, until I met my husband. Tacos and vegetarian pastas aren't enough to fill him up. Not to mention he has Crohns disease so his diet is all canned french cut green beans,  refined flour, and lean meats. Pretty much the opposite of what I eat.
Mike comes from a family of great cooks. His grandma takes pride in all the blue ribbons she has won for various recipes. Holidays with his family are thusly wonderful while my meals often turn out only ok.
I know my cooking is improving,  just not as quickly as I'd like it too. I'm not scared of spices and have creativity, but lack experience  and often end up going overboard. To solve this, I finally dug all those cookbooks I've gotten for Christmas out of the cupboard. Which book should I start with?

Spring Green

The recent spring rains have encouraged my chives to have a growth spurt. At about four inches tall, these small Alliums are the first vegetable to awaken from winter. Their bright green looks so cheerful compared to the rest of my damp patio. I can't wait until I can sprinkle  some freshly picked chives over my cottage cheese for a simple snack, or to add them to all my summer salads. Just like my patio, Chives instantly perk up any simple dish without overpowering it like an onion can. Mmm, I can taste the fresh flavor already.
What is your favorite way to use chives?

Spring Fishing

I haven't been fishing much this spring compared to other years. Its been hard because Mike and I work opposite shifts. We were finally able to get out tonight and do some Walleye fishing with Mike's brother. They caught a few small ones while I chased Layla around and kept her from falling into the water. Overall it was nice just to beoutside so I wrote a Haiku. Do you like it?

Fishing for walleyes
Patiently waiting to catch
tomorrow's dinner