Monday Night Party

Our awesome neighbors Ricky and Kelly had a party yesterday.  It was a day long brewing party.  We headed over after work to check out what they were brewing.  I stuck to cider, because as I have previously noted, the rum raisin cider is the best cider I have ever had.  I also tired the vanilla cream, which was like a lighter version of the Breckenridge Vanilla Porter.

Heading to a party on a Monday was a good way to make the start of the week suck a little less.  I think I'll try to do something fun every Monday to kick the week off on a positive note.

Wrigley's New Sweater

Wrigley doesn't have much body fat or hair, so the recent cold spell has been hard on her. Today I set out to find her a sweater to keep her warm.

She might not look happy, but she does appear to love her new sweater. She's been snoozing all afternoon and for the first time hasn't snuggled under the blanket on the couch.

Awesome Neighbors

John and I have lots of good neighbors. Two of our favorite neighbors are Ricky and Kelly. They are genuinely nice people, and they invite us over.

Ricky is an accomplished home brewer with a five tap system in the basement. He makes delicious beer...and cider and bread and sake and tonic. This morning he stopped over with a pint fore me to try of his new rum raisin cider. It was by far the best cider I have ever had.

John & I will be having Ricky and Kelly over soon, but we will be serving them store bought beverages. We'll just go overboard with homemade baked goods.

Chili and Cornbread

I've heard some people don't eat cornbread with chili. I don't understand those people. The slight sweetness of cornbread balances out the spiciness of chili beautifully.

I had been dreaming of some time about yeasted corn bread bowls for chili. After a lot of research I found a recipe I could adapt. I make six bolles, but eight probably would have made them a more appropriate size.

After we filled them with chili we topped them with cheese. It was pretty much the perfect meal for a snowy night.

Birthday

Four photos that prove my birthday was awesome (none of which are of Wrigley):

1. My co-worker knows that every girl loves a post-it and a granola bar.

2. Kathleen made me a delicious a birthday cake. If she ever offers to make you a cake say yes, then insist on chocolate buttercream frosting. Trust me. You're welcome in advance.

3. Emily made me a cake too. This one was strawberry with cream cheese frosting. And it was at a super bowl party with amazing food and wonderful friends.

4. Dinner at Splash. I don't think I need to elaborate on this one. I'm pretty sure you're already drooling at the photo.

If this year is half as good as my birthday I'm in for a wonderful year.

Allyson & Ryan

Yesterday John & I threw a couples shower for Allyson & Ryan. We are very excited that they are getting married, so we threw them a party.

The shower was a tailgate theme. Allyson is UNI fan (she has excellent taste) and Seymour is an ISU fan (we all have our faults). Of all of the treats that I made I am most proud of my Panther and Cyclone sandwich cookies. They were delicious and full of team spirit.

Wrigley

John has given me some great presents over the years, but my birthday present this year takes the cake. WE GOT A DOG!

Wrigley is a boxer mix we found through AHeinz57 pet rescue. She is just over a year old and it full of energy and love.

She is adorable, so I will probably be posting a lot of dog photos.

Doesn't she have a beautiful smile?