Move over Martha Stewart

When the holidays roll around I try to make some sort of treat from scratch.  This year I attempted peanut butter chocolate eggs.  Think buckeyes, only flatter.  I really like the recipe because it said: Prep time 15 minutes, Ready in 15 minutes.  Who comes up with these times??  Maybe I'm just sluggish when it comes to baking but there is no way you could have these things whipped up in a half an hour.  An hour and a half maybe. I assume they lie about these times on purpose.  Let's be honest, in the fast food world my generation is used to getting what they want fast, all the more reason to stretch the time references lol.  

I took some to work, this is what's left of them lol...I decorated some but at 11 o'clock last night gave up on the rest.

I also made some crazy things called birds nests.  Have you seen these things?  There are super messy to make, but look and taste pretty good.  It's just chow mein noodles stirred in melted chocolate, and then jelly beans in the middle.

Speed dating - for bunnies?

Here's an early Easter story for you.  I did a story the other day about speed dating for rabbits.  If you own a bunny you can bring it to the Animal Humane Society for a date!  A 'trained dating expert' introduces your bunny to one date at a time.  If two bunnies like each other they'll stay close together and rub noses.  If they don't hit it off, they bring in another bunny - much like speed dating.  Before 'dating' all bunnies must be 'fixed' lol, but other than that there are no other restrictions. 

Why do this? Apparently bunnies live longer if they have a companion to live with.  Plus the Humane Soceity wants to adopt out as many bunnies as possible lol.

I can't make this stuff up folks!

Hawaii Bound!

We're counting down the days! Jason and I booked our honeymoon tonight. We decided on Hawaii. We'll be staying four nights in Kauai, and three in Oahu. I think we've got the best of both worlds - Kauai is laid back, less populated, with a rain forest like atmosphere. Oahu is more of a tourist hot spot with shopping and bars within walking distance.

This is where we'll be staying in Kauai - The Grand Hyatt.

Buffalo - A Bust

Jason and I decided to get out of the house this weekend and enjoy the nice weather.  We went toward Buffalo, MN.  We'd heard this place was known for a quaint little downtown with all sorts of thrift stores and random antiques, so we thought we'd make the 45 minute drive west to check it out on Sunday. 

It's true, it is a cute little town with a great view of a lake appropriately called Buffalo Lake, but nothing is open on Sunday!! We walked from shop to shop only to see 'Closed' sign on the doors.  It turns out some of the stores have bizarre hours.  One sign said, "Open the first Thursday through Saturday of each month."  What?  How does a business stay afloat with those hours?

There was one store open called, 'A Wreath of Franklin.'  Yea, I thought it was pretty funny too.  They did have all sorts of stuff for sale, including this turtle shaped foot rest lol, but it was all WAY over priced.  

So Buffalo was a bust for a Sunday afternoon but at least we were outside and it was a nice country drive  which are few and far between out here.  We did snap our picture near the lake.  Hopefully we'll have better luck next time lol.

Bulldog bliss

We aren't the only ones enjoying the nice weather and later sunsets.  Gracie Lou is enjoying it too!  But this sixty pound drooler is still a little out of shape.  She's super excited to go out, but then about a half mile into the walk, the tonuge is out and she is movin' slow.  By the time we get back to the house, she gets a huge drink of water and is out cold for most of the night lol.  I couldn't help but snap a few pictures yesterday...she looks pretty cute huh?

And the nominees are...

It's not often I get good news at work.  This week alone I have done stories on a murder, flooding, and homeowners that have let their home fill with garbage.  But today I got some good news.  A special that I worked on has been nominated for an award!  In September, with the help of great photographers, I put together a 30 minute show on Cold Cases.  We featured four cases, ranging from murders to a missing child, that have no leads.  It sounds just as grim as the week of stories I've had...but this was different.  At the very least, we made sure the victims of these crimes weren't forgotten.  I know it sounds cliche, but we gave a voice to the voiceless, and whether we win or not, that's more than enough for me. 

We'll find out the results in mid April.

Record breaking temps!

After one of the snowiest winters Minnesota has seen in some time, the weather is finally turning for the better.  In fact, Sunday we hit 64 degrees!!  It's a new record! 

Jason did some yard work, I made lunch and dinner on the grill, we took Gracie for a walk - without wearing coats - it was great! 

We've had several gloomy days full of rain, which on the bright side, melted about 97% of our snow.  The snow is almost gone from the garden, and I keep peeking at my flower beds to see if any of the spring bulbs are coming up yet.  I know it's a little early for them to be coming out, but hey a girl can dream lol.

This week is supposed to be pretty nice, but it might not last long....it looks like we could have a cold and wet weekend with temperatures in the upper 30's.  I guess I shouldn't get too excited yet huh?

Seven states, two countries

Hotels are booked and the itinerary is set.  Jason, two groomsmen, and our photographer are driving out to NY for the wedding.  They'll be traveling through seven states and two countries.  Their first stop is Chicago, then off to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, followed by a stop to Niagara Falls and dinner at the Anchor Bar - known for their chicken wings.  They'll say hello to the McEwen family while in the area, and then head up to Toronto to catch a ball game and go to the hockey hall of fame.  Next stop will be Sackets Harbor where the wedding reception will be held.  They'll get to Sackets by Thursday and be ready for 'all things wedding.' 

I wasn't worried about this 'man trip' until I saw the movie 'The Hangover' lol.  It's about four guys who head to Vegas before a wedding...they end up with a tiger in their bathroom, and they lose the groom lol.  Here's hoping I don't get that phone call lol.

It's a boy!

After 24 hours of labor our friends welcomed their son, Jack William into this world.  We couldn't be happier for Dave and Shannon who are going to make great parents!  

I had the chance to go up and visit them tonight.  I'm glad to say mom, dad, and baby are doing well and will take the little guy home tomorrow.  I know Dave and Shannon would say they look tired in this picture, but I think they look amazing!

There is just something about babies that makes you smile.  Here he is not even a day old, with so much life ahead of him, and two wonderful people to guide him along the way.

Congrats Dave and Shannon!

Four girls, four weddings

Left to Right: Lisa, Erica, Sarah, Kerry

Since moving to Minnesota I've met some great friends.  Typically you'd find us hanging out in Uptown, but lately all of us have been busy planning!  All four us got engaged this year, and all four us will be married within three months of each other.  It will be one busy summer!

Congrats girls! Happy planning.

Chicken, veggie, soy, rice, repeat

There are several organizations here that have been working around the clock to package food and send it to earthquake torn countries.   I've done what feels like a hundred stories with volunteers as they put these meals together, but never volunteered myself until the other day.  A city is trying to package a million meals in a week to send to Haiti.  Yea, a million!  A coworker and I spent a few hours scooping chicken powder, veggies, soy, and rice into plastic bags, like the one above.  To keep everyone on track we started chanting - 'chicken, veggie, soy, rice.'  Once they arrive in Haiti, the bags are dumped into boiling water and make something resembling porridge.

You'll notice everyone has to wear hair nets, which is why you won't see a picture of me lol. 

There were about 50 people volunteering while we were there and in two hours we packaged 28,000 meals.  Not bad huh?  They already had 500,000 meals done Thursday night, we'll see if they hit their goal by Sunday night. 

Technology & Weddings

When our parents were married, the phone book and word of mouth were their best planning tools.  Odds were someone in the family either was or knew a baker, a caterer, or a bartender.   Their wedding party was made up of lifelong family friends that lived close, and the guest list included every neighbor in a twenty mile radius.

These days, things are a little different.  I haven't gone a day without googling something for the wedding.  The wedding party is made up of friends from Vermont to Montana and spots in between.  Our guest list spans two cities in NY and multiple states.


Another difference - wedding websites.  It wasn't even an option for our parents.  Honestly, it's not a necessity to have today but it is something I think our generation gravitates to.  It's one spot where all the information lives, it can be accessed anytime, and you can't misplace it.

Check out our wedding website, but don't worry the invitation will lay out all the details too.