justem: little bits of this and that

Five for Friday

1. Monday evening, my friend Barb and I went out to dinner for Madison Restaurant Week. We ate The Wise. My three courses included a roasted carrot salad, beet and goat cheese ravioli, and a lemon tart.  My favorite part was the salad, which is very unlike me. I am not a salad lover but it was so pretty and tasted just as good!

2. I finished three books already this month!  That's like half of what I read all last year!!  Two were for my book club, and one was just for me. Promise Not to Tell was a murder/ghost story mystery type book. It was scary. I was not a fan. The Midwife is written by an author who lives in Wisconsin and was raised in the Mennonite community. I wasn't expecting to love it, but it was very, very good. The author is a great storyteller, the characters were compelling, and there were some nice unexpected twists at the end!  Finally, Looking for Alaska is a book that pretty much everyone I know has read.  I read it in a few days, and it kept my attention. I thought there were some pretty predictable parts, but it was still very enjoyable.  The characters were interesting and I love reading young adult books as a grown-up...it really makes me think a lot more about my kids when they grow up. ;)

3. My mom is coming to visit this weekend and into next week! I am very excited! I am going to take her to my favorite bakery and try to convince her to help me with some sewing projects. ;)

4. Um...only ONE more episode of Parenthood left!! Who watches?  This is really the only show that I watch on a regular basis.  I love it so much, and I'm prepared to cry for 60 solid minutes next week!!!

5. I haven't gone thrifting in months.  I'm not always too keen on the idea of bringing the kiddos with me when I go searching through piles of crap hoping to find one good item. ;) ;)  I did take a little trip to Goodwill yesterday while my middlest was at pre-school. I got two picture frames to paint and a lidless blue mason jar. It gave me the itch...now I want to get back out and find MORE treasures! The best part about yesterday - when my husband send me a frantic text saying, "That flower picture is not going in our house, is it?????" Ha.  No, honey. Just the frame. ;)

 

Brittingham + Craftsman Table and Tap

Last month my husband and I celebrated our 10th anniversary.  We let the grandparents watch the kids and had a day all to ourselves.  The first part our day included a trip to Brittingham Boats where we went rented a boat and kayaked out on Lake Monona and then a yummy lunch at the Craftsman Table and Tap in Middleton.  Here are a few photos I took of both places! ;) It was a super fun day together - which is something we don't get very often!  

Five for Friday:

1. Next week is the last official week of summer. I'm trying to fill the week up with all sorts of fun activities.  A trip to the Circus World Museum with friends, maybe a visit to the zoo and my favorite lunch spot, the splash pad, and Badger Band practice.  I also am planning a Back to School Feast,  an idea that I blatantly stole from the internet.  Any other thoughts or ideas on how to make my daughter's first day of school ever special?

2. In all of my nearly 35 years, I have never been a nail polish girl. Ever.  But my daughter is, so I've slowly been accumulating some different nail polishes for her.  On a whim a few weeks ago I decided to pain my nails...and it was really fun.  I chose a trendy mint color, and my husband looked at me like I was nuts. ;) Since then, I've tried two or three more colors. My latest is Essie Mojito Madness. It's another green...super awesome.  I love it.  My "manicures" look like they were done by a toddler...maybe I should enlist my kids to help, it couldn't be much worse than it already is. ;) But it's fun...and something new and different for me!

3. I'm sure you've all seen this back-to-school video of the What's Up Moms at Target, but if you haven't, it's well worth the two minutes.  This is so me any time I have a free moment to myself!  And, on a side note, I read some of the comments like "this is why working moms hate stay at home moms," and can I just say - I loved back to school as a working mom because it meant my kids were in daycare. I would go shopping, get a pedicure, even meet friends for Starbucks after work while my kids were in the fine care of their child care center. Now it's all me, all the time. I'm not complaining - just saying that I think this video is funny and true for ALL moms.

4. Has anyone read the book Wonder? It was mentioned in an article I read, and I noticed that quite a few friends on GoodReads had given it excellent reviews. I downloaded it on my Kindle and read it in less than 24 hours. Let's not talk about how much I probably neglected my kids during those 24 hours. KIDDING!!  ;)  It is a book for kids, so obviously it's a very fast and easy read, but it was excellent.  I loved hearing the story from all the different points of view, and it really made me think about how I want to raise my children to be kind, compassionate kids.

5. If you've been a reader of my blog for awhile, you know that I have a bit of a thing for cheese curds. I mean, what's not to love? Hot, melty cheese covered with crispy, deep fried goodness??  Well, this weekend (only in Wisconsin, ha!) we are going to a Cheese Curd Festival. Yes. There is such a thing. It is sure to be incredible, and I will report back with my favorite curds next week!  I hope you all have a wonderful weekend, even if it doesn't include man's greatest food invention. ;)

Pickles and Ice Cream Open House - {A La Crate}

Do you ever stop and read the fliers that hang in the entryway of the grocery store? I'm going to be honest - I usually don't. ;)  I'm usually up to my armpits in bags and food and crazy kids. But, a few weeks ago, my eye was drawn to an incredibly cute poster as I walked out of the store - so much so that I stopped and took a photo of it:

(art by Emily Balsley)

Pickles? Ice Cream? VINTAGE anything? Sign me up!  I immediately texted Barb, who agreed to attend with me.  We met on Friday at A La Crate, which is amazing. Basically, they rent all the fun vintage items you might need or want for a wedding or event.  The walls were filled with things I love - mason jars, soda crates, vintage glassware and linens, washtubs, furniture - you name it. It was pretty much my dream come true. I would like to just go live there if they'd let me. They also create custom chalkboard art, which is fabulous!! Had they been around 10 years ago, my wedding would have been very different!! ;) I could have taken a billion photos, but I felt a little odd running around with my phone snapping away, so here are just a few of the items they had to rent:

All of the food was incredible - tons of local specialty items. YUM.  Again, I would have just stood there and grazed all evening, but I didn't want to look like a glutton. ;)  

(Music by Anna Vogelzang)

(Sartori Cheese)

(Myrtle Mabel Fabers Pickles)

(Calliope Ice Cream)

Barb and I had a wonderful time!  Lesson learned - read those supermarket posters!! And definitely check out A La Crate if you live in the Madison area and are in need of anything vintage for your next event!

**I am not affiliated with A La Crate in any way, though I wish I was. So cool. I was also not compensated for this post, save the three pickles, six pieces of cheese, four grapes, three {mini} scoops of ice cream, and the can of San Pellegrino I consumed...all which I enjoyed immensly.**

Five for Friday...er...Sunday?

Happy Sunday! I typed this up on Friday, but apparently never hit "post"! ;)  We were gone for the weekend, and I figured I'd just post it a little late! Hope everyone had a good day!!

1. A friend posted this on Facebook today: Steven Spielberg kills dinosaur?. It pretty much made my week.  I really don't mean to make fun of people, but...SERIOUSLY??!!

2. If you live in the Madison are and are near the Henry Vilas Zoo, be sure to check out the Zuzu Cafe.  I've been there twice now, and both times the food was exceptional.  i love how all of their meals are named after streets in Madison - yesterday I had "The Spooner" which had fresh pesto, tomatoes, and mozzarella (aka: my three favorite ingredients) and it was soooo tasty! And here's a picture of "The Henry" that I ate the last time I was there:

3. Some of you may know that I'm a wee bit obsessed with The Land of Nod.  I loved being within driving distance of two when we lived in IL.  Their fall collection was just released, and there are so many amazing things.  Let me just put it out there - Land of Nod, if you'd like to come redo my entire house for me...I'd be okay with that. Don't say I didn't offer.  And when you come...bring this lamp, please. ;)

4. I need a new song.  Who's got a new song for me to listen to???  I don't listen to the radio, and it's been awhile since I had a new song...you know what I like, right? ;)

5. The other night, after an insanely long and crabby day, I really needed a sweet fix. We didn't have anything in the house, so I finally got around to trying "eggless cookie dough."  I used this recipe that I found on Pinterest, but I used some regular sugar and upped the salt and the chocolate chips - because, if I'm going to make it, I'm going to make it as good (aka: unhealthy) as possible. ;)  It definitely wasn't as good as the real thing, but it hit the {sweet} spot! ;)

Five for Friday:

1. Last Friday my husband and I went on a date...okay, not really, because my brother-in law was along, but close enough. ;)  We had dinner at The Free House Pub in Middleton. If you are local and never been, definitely check it out!  We got to eat on the patio and enjoy the music of No Name String Band.  It made me yearn for more kid-free evenings!!  My food was very good...especially Wisconsin's greatest appetizer... ;)

 

2. Speaking of cheesecurds...we had a case of mistaken lyrics at our house this week.  Have you heard this new Ingrid song "Girls Chase Boys?"  Miri was singing, "Girls Chase Boys' Cheesecurds."  Perfect. 

 

3. We made one of our all time favorite summertime meals this week: Artichoke Pizza (with roasted red peppers, almon ds, and oregano).  We basically follow this recipe, but instead of pitas, we use garlic naan (usually from Whole Foods) and it's soooo delicious - and easy to make!

 

4. Have you joined Pippit yet??  I signed up...mostly because it usually takes me like a year to catch up on the newest hip social media. Pinterest? Instagram? I joined all those like WAY after everybody else. I'm always late to the party, so I thought maybe I should get a headstart this time. My username is "justemspahn" like it is most places. I'm totally not sure yet...thoughts??

5. Next week is the last week of school! Yahoo!  This means I need to get my summer to-do list ready...look for it sometime next week. Any suggestions for things we should add to it? :)

Have a great weekend!!

humble.

One week while my mom was visiting, we were driving around Madison when I spotted a tiny little shop with an awning that read "Humble - Sweet and Savory Pies."  Um - YUM.  Who doesn't love pie??  I made it my mission to stop one day and try out their pies.  My first two efforts were thwarted. (First, it was a Sunday - they are closed on Sunday. Second, it was a nasty rainy day and we didn't feel like venturing out.)  Finally a few weeks ago, we were running around town, and I talked my husband into stopping! 

My little guy fell asleep in the car, so Mirielle and I headed in to pick out some goodies. Unlike many pie restaurants that specialize in slices of pie, Humble serves only small individual pies and hand pies. I honestly could have bought one of everything, but we ended up with two hand pies - blueberry bourbon and raspberry ginger apple, a "key lime-ish petite pie", and a sour cherry galette.  We ate them family style ;) and everybody tried a little bit of everything.  They were all excellent!  I was very impressed with the flaky crust on the key-lime pie - I was expecting it to be hard like a typical pie crust, but it pretty much melted in my mouth!  My hand pies were both delicious and you could tell the fresh ingredients had been used. My favorite, however, was the sour cherry.  Justin and I may have fought over who got to eat the last bite...it was that good!  The young man behind the counter was very friendly and accommodating when Mirielle decided she was thirsty! ;)  If I was rating this place - it would be five stars for sure!!  The prices were not exactly "inexpensive," but you get what you pay for, and in this case you pay for a locally made, extremely tasty little pie.  It's worth it...and I will be back...

Full disclosure: I was not paid or compensated in any way for this post. That's right. I am just a big blogging nobody who happens to love pie. However, if you are ever in the Madison area, be sure to check it out, and tell them I sent you - maybe next time I can get a free pie! ;)