Travel Ideas: Europe

When I was 23 years old I was working at a job that had me living in London, England as well as a short training session in Geneva, Switzerland. I was only there for 8 months but I was able to do fair amount of traveling throughout Western Europe. I didn’t have many vacation days but I was able to stuff a lot of travel in on the weekends as I didn't have to pay for an apartment. (I was lucky enough for my employer to pay for my corporate apartment because the length of time wasn't enough to warrant a full lease.)

I will go into more details in future blogs on the cities I visited, what I saw, the things that I was most impressed by, the fun places, the not so fun places, and any stories that I remember. But to give a quick recap of the main cities I visited.

I went over to Europe a few days before I had to report to work with two guys that I knew were working for the same company. We spent a few days including New Years Eve in Amsterdam before heading to Geneva, Switzerland to start our two weeks of training. Our training group went skiing in the Swiss/French Alps. After Switzerland, I moved to London. From there I traveled to see a friend in Rome, went to Paris in the winter and the summer, Dublin, visited a friend in Barcelona, took the train Scotland, went with a friend to Oslo, back to Amsterdam for work, and I also had many day trips and activities around London.

I know two quotes that have really stuck with me and while I was traveling abroad they came in handy. They gave me some motivation when I was feeling lethargic (read: hungover. It's London, they like drinking.) and also some guidelines as I was visiting all these new places.

The first quote is about traveling; "Don't be a tourist, be a traveler."

I didn't want to be the stereotypical American Tourist. I wanted to get to know cultures, people, language, food, and places that a tourist might miss.

The other quote is accredited to Mark Twain and is, "Let us so endeavor so to live that when we come to die even the undertaker will be sorry." This leads me to try to do and see and experience all types of things before the undertaker comes to find me and hopefully when he does I'll have seen and done and experienced all that I have wanted.

Kitchen Ideas: Jars of Pickled Peppers

Kitchen Ideas: Pickled Peppers

I have recently been pointed towards a website that has changed my life. It is instrucatbles.com and is essentially a DIY website. It has all sorts of projects that people have done and included step-by-step instructions on how to succeed on your project. The projects range from simple to, well let's say out of my league.

As I have found this website, I am now trying to make homemade things and my first project I decided should be an easy one and one that I’ve actually already blogged about: jarring foods from pickles to salsa or nuts to BBQ sauce. Well instructables gave me another idea…hot peppers.

I love spicy foods and one of my favorite meals is an Italian Beef Sandwich with hot peppers (a.k.a Giardiniera) from Portillos. So if I were to ever make some Italian Beef these peppers would be perfect for the sandwich.

I used a pound of jalapenos, banana peppers, and 1 habanero pepper. I also included some carrots and I wish I had used some celery and/or cauliflower. The pickling ingredients are white vinegar, water, garlic, and salt, and of course you need some jars.

Here is the exact directions I used:

http://www.instructables.com/id/Pickled-Hot-Pepper-Rings/

And after you are done with these instructions you should browse around the website for anything that strikes your fancy.

Kitchen Ideas: Buckeyes

Kitchen Ideas: Buckeyes

Growing up, my mom always would make an assortment of Christmas cookies during the month of December. She would literally make 6-10 different cookies or desserts and we would be able to snack on them whenever we wanted. My all-time favorite was the buckeye. Partly because I grew up a fan of my mom’s alma mater, Ohio State, but mainly because of how amazingly delicious the cookies are.

This year I decided I would try to make my own batch of buckeyes because I will not be making it to my parents’ house this Christmas (a real buckeye is a nut but the cookies are essentially peanut butter covered in chocolate.) This weekend I gathered all the ingredients and got working.

The recipe I used is as follows (from my sisters Blog: This American Wife)

Buckeyes

1 1/2 cups peanut butter
1 cup butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
6 cups powdered sugar
4 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

In a large bowl, mix together the peanut butter, butter, vanilla, and powdered sugar. The dough will look dry. Roll into 1-inch balls and place on a waxed paper-lined cookie sheet.

Press a toothpick into the top of each ball (to be used later as the handle for dipping) and chill in the freezer until firm, about 30 minutes.

Melt chocolate chips in a double boiler or in a bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water. Stir frequently until smooth.

Dip frozen peanut butter balls in chocolate holding onto the toothpick. Leave a small portion of peanut butter showing at the top to make them look like Buckeyes. Put back on the cookie sheet and refrigerate (or freeze) until serving.

And this is how they turned out looking (and they tasted delicious!)

Challenge: 10 Free Throws in a Row

I was talking with my dad the other day. He mentioned that my 65 year old uncle who lifts weights regularly has been trying to make 10 free throws in a row for the past year or so.

I played basketball in High School and have been apart of some pickup games or leagues since then. I should also add that I have never been a ‘good’ scorer. I scored 17 points my entire senior year yet I amazingly was named a Captain by our coach because I hustled, played tough defense and was a smart player.

I have started to shoot free-throws now just for a few minutes after completing a workout. I am trying to see how many in a row I can make. The first time out I made 9 free throws in a row but choked on the 10^th. This afternoon I was not shooting very well but then made 9 in a row again but couldn’t make the 10^th.

I am hoping that I can improve my shooting and eventually make many more than 10 free throws in a row.

Ron Santo Gets the Long Overdue Call from the Hall

Former Chicago Cubs third basemen Ron Santo was recently elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame just over a year after his death. Santo fought a long list of diseases at the end of his life including bladder cancer, pneumonia, and juvenile diabetes, which he battled his entire life and took both of his legs but never his love for baseball. He was 70 years old when he passed away December 3, 2010.

When I heard the news that he finally was going to the Cooperstown, I immediately felt saddened because he deserved to be inducted many years ago so he could have enjoyed this moment and he famously said he did not want to get elected to the Hall post-humorously. We would have been blessed with likely one of the better acceptance speeches leaving hardly a dry eye in the stands. This also would have been one of the happiest baseball days for Ronnie; topped likely only by the chance the Cubs were to ever win the World Series.

Ron Santo had stats that stacked up against just about every third basement in history. He batted .277, hit 342 home runs, 1331 RBIs. He led the National League in walks 4 times, triples one time, went to 9 All-Star games, and won 5 Gold Gloves in a row between 1964-68. Well respected baseball historian, Bill James, has long claimed Santo as the most deserving non-Hall of Fame member not to be elected, calling Santo one of the top 100 players of all time and the sixth best third basemen.

He played 14 years for my favorite team, the Chicago Cubs (as well as 1 year for the Chicago White Sox), well before I was alive so I knew him only as the radio color commentator or more fittingly, the dying-hardest of Chicago Cubs fans. He would celebrate/agonize over not only wins and losses but down to every ball and strike. He was the Cubs biggest fan and had the honor and responsibility of holding the microphone to speak to all the millions of fans within earshot of WGN radio. I heard some replays of his epic calls this morning on the radio and found myself crying because I missed listening to Ronnie hoot and holler about the Chicago Cubs.

When I was still in school, my mom would have the Cubs game on TV but mute it so she could listen to Ronnie and play-by-play partner Pat Hughes. I remember of course the famous calls that are replayed often; like the “OH NO!” after Brant Brown’s dropped fly ball in Milwaukee from the ’98 season that almost cost the Cubs the wildcard. But I also remember a game from 2007 season when the Cubs gave up 6 runs in the 9^th inning to the Colorado Rockies to blow an 8-3 lead. Santo was moaning and groaning on air about Scott Eyre and Bobby Howry. Then the Cubs scored 2 runs in the bottom half of the inning and Ronnie was going nuts and could hardly speak. The bottom of the 9^th inning was filled with “Alright! Alright!” and “YES!!!” followed of course “YES! Cubs WIN!”

I was lucky enough to meet Ron Santo in person one time. The Cubs were on a trip in late July playing in Los Angeles and I was out there on vacation. We were going to the Cubs vs. Dodgers game that night but ran into Ron at the Warner Brothers studio tour that morning. He talked with us about the team and the pitcher that night and how excited he was that we were also from Chicago and how great Cubs fans were. It wasn’t more than 5 minutes but it sure felt like he genuinely wanted to talk to us because we were supporters of his beloved Cubbies.

Although Ron Santo will not be able to attend the ceremony, the Santo family, the millions of Chicago Cubs fans, and even more baseball fans will be able to honor the talented third basemen, beloved announcer, and devoted philanthropist for juvenile diabetes, which for the right reasons brings a tear to my eye.

Homemade Things I Want to Try

Jars of …

I love making my own things (or at least trying) when I know it is possible. This post is a few things that I want to try to make myself and they all pretty much include jarring food.

I love bread and butter pickles on sandwiches or just by themselves. I haven’t looked up any directions on making your own bread and butter pickles but I like the idea of making a batch, then jarring them and saving some for later.

Similar to the pickles, I think I would like to make a few different salsas then jarring them and saving them for later use. We also go through a lot of salsa so making large batches would be a good idea. We love eating chips and salsa. I have been thinking about a few different salsas that I might try to create: hot tomato, green tomato, mango, and a corn salsa

Another interesting recipe I came across recently was for some sweet and spicy nuts. This would be a nice little snack to eat at work and at home and put out for any guests. I might look into making a batch of nuts and storing them much like a squirrel would do before winter.

Also close to a jar of something is a bottle of something. I have in the past tried to make a few types of sauces and I would like to make a bottle or two of some homemade BBQ sauce.

As I get to making these things I will update with pictures, recipes, and reviews on how they all turn out.

Kitchen Ideas: Crab Cakes and Mango Salsa

Kitchen Ideas: Crab Cakes and Mango Salsa

Crab Cakes

From: Allrecipes.com

Ingredients:

¾ Pound Crabmeat

1 Cup Plain Bread Crumbs

¾ Cup Mayo

1 Egg – Beaten

2 Green Onions – Minced

½ Lemon – Juiced

Sriracha – To Taste

Salt and Pepper – To Taste

2 Tablespoons of Oil

Directions:

Drain crabmeat. In a large bowl, mix crab, bread crumbs, mayo, egg, green onions, lemon, Sriracha, salt and pepper until combined. Shape mixture into small cakes. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook crab cake patties until crisp and golden brown on both sides.

Mango Salsa

From: Allrecipes.com

Ingredients:

1 Mango – Peeled, Pitted and Diced

1 Red Onion – Diced

3 Tablespoons Chopped Basil

3 Tablespoons Chopped Cilantro

1 Lime – Juiced

Jalapeno – Minced to Taste

Salt and Pepper – To Taste

Directions:

Combine all ingredients. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

I am not a fan of tomatoes and will use this salsa instead of tomato based salsa with chips as well. It also works very well with fish or shrimp tacos, like I did with some grilled shrimp tacos and the mango salsa from this summer.

Kitchen Ideas: Bacon Wrapped Stuffed Jalapenos

Kitchen Ideas:

My Award Winning Bacon Wrapped Stuffed Jalapenos

Ingredients:

Jalapenos

Cream Cheese

Bacon

Toothpicks

Directions:

Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees.

Cut the stems off of the jalapenos, slice them once long ways to leaving 2 pieces in the shape of little boats. Carefully remove the seeds but keep them to add back in later to taste.

Spoon cream cheese into the jalapenos, scrape off any excess. I like to now add some of the seeds back in as they stick well to the cream cheese and you can better control the spiciness this way.

Wrap the stuffed jalapenos in bacon. I usually cut the uncooked bacon in half. Stick a toothpick through the bacon and pepper and place on a baking sheet.

Cook for 20 minutes or until bacon is fully cooked.

Also:

I like to trying to make a sweet sauce to go with these as they can be quite spicy and hot. I’ve used a bourbon and lemon glaze but I can never get the taste to stick.

Crying in Baton Rouge

To continue with the College Football theme and the “what if” scenarios that are an enjoyable jaunt for the mind, I will discuss another possible outcome that will leave one University’s Football Nation crying foul.

Again, I focus on the LSU Tigers, my father’s Alma Mater. So far they have torn through the College Football 4 month long playoff. They won at #2 and on a neutral field against the #3 team in the nation and have topped 4 other ranked teams and play another the day after Thanksgiving when they battle with Arkansas.

The Bayou Bengals can claim without much argument (if they finish the regular season undefeated) that they are in fact the #1 team in the nation. But then the college postseason chaos can really start...

Let’s now run through a hypothetical that was brought up by my cousin, who not so surprisingly is a student at Alabama.

WHAT IF:

LSU runs the table by beating Mississippi and Arkansas. Georgia also finishes off their season with two more wins and are slated to meet in the SEC Championship Game on December 3^rd in the Georgia Dome. Georgia is a much improved squad from the beginning of the year when they lost their first two games of the year.

What if Georgia, with Mark Richt still on the hotseat, pulls of the upset and takes down the Tigers.

Alabama ends their season with wins over Georgia Southern and Auburn and finishes 11-1 with their only loss coming to then #1 LSU in overtime.

Oregon ends their season beating USC and Oregon State and then the Pac 12 Championship game against UCLA (possibly 6-6?).

Oklahoma State beats Iowa State but then loses to Oklahoma.

BCS Standings 11/18: BCS Standings 12/4:

#1 LSU #1 Alabama

#2 Oklahoma State #2 Oregon

#3 Alabama #3 LSU

#4 Oregon #4 Oklahoma

LSU would likely be left out of the BCS National Championship Game, which you could say might be correct because they lost the last game of the year, didn’t win their conference Championship, etc. However, they would be the #3 team in the Nation and would have beaten both #1 and #2.

Another wrinkle as I’ve read through the BCS Selection rules is that because Georgia would have the SEC’s automatic qualifier and Alabama would be the SEC’s “At-Large” selection, LSU would not even be allowed to play in a BCS Game. Ouch. Let the BCS whining begin.

SEC Football 3 Headed Monster

I know that we’ll understand how this all will play out in the next few weeks but let’s play a game called what if….

What if the #6 Arkansas Razorbacks go into Baton Rouge and upset #1 LSU the day after Thanksgiving.

Not at all that far fetched, as LSU when playing against good offenses has given up 27 points to Oregon and 21 points to West Virginia. The Razorbacks’ offense puts up similar numbers to those two potent offenses. Arkansas ranks 13^th in Points and 11^th in Passing Yards in the Nation.

The chaos that would follow would leave three SEC West teams with identical records.

Alabama 11-1 (7-1 SEC) Loss at Home in Overtime to LSU

Arkansas 11-1 (7-1 SEC) Loss at Alabama by 24

LSU 11-1 (7-1 SEC) Loss at Home to Arkansas by X

The first question to sort through would be which team is invited to play Georgia (maybe South Carolina) in the SEC Championship Game. It would likely be Alabama by a hair based off of BCS rankings. As Alabama would likely be #2, LSU #3, and Arkansas #5.

This reminds me of 2008 Big 12 (remember when they had 12 schools). Oklahoma, Texas and Texas Tech all in the Big 12 South finished 11-1 with each loss coming from one of the others. Oklahoma, with their loss coming earlier in the season and to slightly high ranked team was invited to the Big 12 Championship game where they stomped an over-matched Missouri squad. UT and TT were left at home with Texas Tech not even being invited to a BCS game.

If LSU does finish the SEC season undefeated they will have made a case for being the most deserving #1 team having beat the best team from the Pac 12, Big 12 and the other two best teams in it's own conference.

#2 Alabama – Road – By 3 in Overtime

#3 Oregon – Neutral Field – By 13

#16 West Virginia – Road – By 26

#17 Florida – Home – By 30

#20 Auburn – Home – 35

#25 Mississippi State – Road – By 13

Still to be Played and Possible Post Season Games:

#2 Oklahoma State? - Neutral Field

#6 Arkansas – Home

#14 Georgia? – Neutral Field