‘Wisconsin’ Category

30 November 2009

Goodbye sweet cake, goodbye

By: Jessica B.

That’s right, this entire post is about a cake. A very special cake, so buckle up those tastebuds.

This week, I’m mourning a very sad loss. The loss of the BEST CAKE EVER. That’s right, I said, EVER.

It’s sour cream chocolate with vanilla buttercream frosting and it’s like taking a bite of heaven and digesting clouds of sunshine and moonbeams.

I’ve mentioned it on here a few times because I have at birthdays and well, it’s just that fabulous. And I’ve had this as my birthday cake since I was a kid. And considering I just turned 30, that is, well a long time and a lot of cakes.

So why am I mourning it’s loss? Because last weekend, my brother texted to tell me that the bakery is closing due to the economy and ownership change. And that it was closing on Thanksgiving.

No joke, I nearly started to cry.

This cake was going to be my wedding cake and be a tradition I carry on for a family I may have one day. And now, the thought of it not being there for my next birthday breaks my heart.

What? Breaks my heart? A cake?

Yes, it’s dramatic and overblown but it’s more than that. It’s the symbolism that a long-time tradition is now gone.

And last week, my mom and dad surprised me at work by emailing to say they’re getting one more cake for us to enjoy at our separate Thanksgivings as a way to say goodbye. Bittersweet.

So now, I pour some malt liquor on the sidewalk to honor that bakery and say goodbye. I even play a little Peter Gabriel, clutching a branded napkin in it’s honor.

Goodbye Shaker Baker and thank you for being there with us for so long.

So questions for the evening! Do you have a favorite cake that you can’t live without? Or what is a longstanding food tradition in your family, for holidays or birthdays?

And here’s some cake porn to take us out tonight:

I’ll miss you :(

25 November 2009

A silly and serious thankful list

By: Jessica B.

Well tomorrow is the big day, Thanksgiving, and I am already fasting as I type this.

My parents are divorced so every year I have two Thanksgivings in one day. Moms in the morning and dads in the evening. And the first year we worked out this arrangement, I thought my stomach was going to explode from all the food. My dad found me passed out with a plate of turkey next to me and woke me up to go to bed.

The image of me passed out on a couch, drooling with turkey next to me is hilarious. I wish I had a photo of it.

Anyhow, tonight I’m on my way back to Wisconsin to be with my family, shop my heart out and try to get into the Christmas spirit.

But before that, it’s time to share a silly and serious list of what I’m thankful for this year.

Serious:

  • Family (we’re not perfect, but they’re mine!)
  • Friends (even those I’ve been estranged from lately)
  • A good job
  • Good health
  • No credit card debt
  • A good life in a great city

Silly (this is more fun):

  • Jacob’s abs (cougar time!)
  • Glee
  • HD-TV
  • A full head of hair (I would be more thankful if I didn’t have so much gray)
  • iPods
  • Text messaging
  • John Krasinski’s hotness
  • Push up bras
  • Cotton leggings
  • Nordstroms
  • A good sense of humor
  • Twitter (which will help me get through four days at home)
  • Mac and cheese (or just cheese)
  • Honey crisp apples
  • Cupcakes

And of course, thankful for all of you :)

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!

So what are you thankful for this year? It can be silly and serious!

22 November 2009

Weekend recap: New Moon and more football

By: Jessica B.

Happy Sunday everyone! I cannot believe it’s time for Thanksgiving but at the same time, I’m ready for a break from the city, basking in the scary quiet of the suburbs and one-on-one time with my parents. Well, at least for a few days :)

Anyhow, let’s get started!

Vampires, werewolves and shirtless action, oh my!

As you know, Friday morning at 12:45 a.m., TC and I were at the Chicago AMC theater with several hundred other Twilight fans to get our New Moon-on. We arrived at 11, thinking the line wouldn’t be too bad and were greeted with this.

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Holy sh*tballs

People must have arrived for the movie at 8 or 9 p.m. That is a level of hardcore I will never achieve.

Thank goodness for relevant reading materials to pass the time.

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Sadly, people didn’t dress in costume (we were easily the most casual people there), but the ladies got R-O-W-D-Y when the movie got started, clapping, cheering and gasping/screaming when Jacob and Edward were on screen. As expected, Jacob’s ab-action got the loudest response while Edward didn’t fare so well. I guess the ladies like a little meat on their men’s bones :)

And as a member of Team Jacob, I would look at that chest all day long. RAWR. I even said to TC pre-movie, “when I see Jacob without his shirt on…it’s cougar time.” I think we laughed about it for 10 minutes. Exhaustion will do that.

We got out of the movie at 3:15 a.m. and I walked into my apartment at 3:45 a.m., where I promptly went to bed and got back up at 7:30 a.m. to get ready for work. Kill me now. I fared pretty well during the day but crashed HARD Friday night. But, it was SO WORTH IT.

So what did I think of the movie? (non-spoilers below)

I loved it. It was much better than Twilight (like day and night different, aka better) and the things that really irritated me about Twilight weren’t so bad this time (minus Jasper’s unfortunate hair and Alice’s bad fashion sense.)

I also really loved the Jacob character. He was exactly what I imagined he would be and the scenes he had with Kristen Stewart had more heat and emotion than anything with Edward (sorry ladies). Maybe I like him so much because I identify with his character in a lot of ways, but he was great. And TC and I disagreed on a scene in the movie that foreshadows book four but we did agree that we’ll be back at another midnight showing for Eclipse on June 30. It’s on the calendar already!

Football with a side of soft pretzel

Lately, we’ve been really fortunate with good weather in Chicago. And by good, I mean not frickin’ freezing. And Saturday was a great day that included mild temps and sunshine. And that was the day I was up in Evanston with my parents for the Northwestern/Wisconsin game. Compared to the seats my parents and I are used to in Madison (50 yard line, 20 rows back), these seats were….not as close.

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I cannot believe that guy stood up in the middle of my shot. D-bag.

Whenever I go to a game, I always treat myself to a hot dog, soda and soft pretzel. That is my go-to for stadium food. I don’t know what they put in it (and don’t want to know) but it is awesome. And as it got darker and colder outside, the fans became bigger d-bags and my team started losing, I was ready to get out of there.

Oh college football, I love it but it will break your heart sometimes.

So did anyone else do fun stuff this weekend? If you saw New Moon, what did you think? Or what is your favorite stadium food?

15 November 2009

Weekend recap: Beer, football and blue eyes

By: Jessica B.

I love beer and football, even if the former isn’t exactly diet-friendly right now.

And sadly, college football season is coming to a close, so to celebrate the last two games of the Badger football season I hit a Badger-bar this weekend for the Michigan game and next weekend I’m headed to Evanston to see them play Northwestern.

Yes, I do love college football. That and I can’t say no to a 32 oz. beer for $7 at a bar that puts fresh duct tape on the seats before the game starts. That’s MY kind of place :)

College football has a ton of rivalries but the Michigan/Wisconsin game is a big one. Why? Because fans of each team hate each other. The only team I dislike more than Michigan is Ohio State. That’s how we roll in the Midwest.

But I do have a lot of friends from Michigan so TC, her friend Marie and I put our team alliances aside and watched the game together at a Wrigleyville bar. As you can see, it’s my kind of crowd :)

Sea of red

Well, minus the b*tchy looks on those girls faces

At the bar, I also learned that I can easily make guys buy shots for me and my friends, all with power of my eyes.

I wish I knew about this power earlier!

I’m not trying to be narcissistic but I do have big eyes that I try to play up  with slightly tinted contacts and lacquered-on mascara (without looking like Tammy Faye).

So a drunk guy stumbles over to our table and begins to slur/talk to us. He starts with TC and Marie and when he looks at me he stops talking.

Him: Wow your eyes are blue

Me: Yes they are

Him: They are like really blue

Me: Yes

Him: They’re beautiful

Me: Thank you, that’s very sweet

Him: They are…striking….

Me: Thank you!

Him: I’m going to buy you guys some shots

And then three shots showed up. I know what you’re thinking, he’s married, but I’ll take a compliment where I can get it.

Whatever power my eyes have over drunk guys, I need to harness it, especially when I want a makeout session or shots. I guess the eyes are more powerful than the boobs.

How was everyone else’s weekend? What is your best feature or what do you do to celebrate your favorite sports teams?

29 September 2009

So I guess it’s fall

By: Jessica B.

The last two days in Chicago have proven to me that it’s officially fall. Yeah, I tried to hide from it and still wear my cute summer clothes, but I do hate being cold and soon enough a summer dress may just look silly.

So it’s fall now. Thanks weather, I got the memo.

It’s still going to take time to really let this sink in, but I want to be positive and list the things I am looking forward to with this change of season:

  • Leaves changing colors - I don’t see this a lot in the city, but whenever I go home, I go for a drive to enjoy them
  • Scarves – I love them and wear them all the time when it cools down. Time to get them out!!
  • Honey Crisp apples – These are like dessert in apple form. I always look forward to when they are in season
  • Perfect sleeping weather – Cool weather + blankets = perfect night’s sleep
  • Cotton jackets – Warmth without being too hot, perfect transition to the down jacket
  • Smell of fall - It just smells crisp and cool, that’s the only way I can describe it
  • Heated mattress pads/blankets - I love cuddling up in these with my slippers on and flannel jammies. So comfy!
  • Working on my “winter coat” – I mean indulging in the treats and warm drinks/foods of the season. All in good balance with going to the gym :)
  • College football!! – Yeah I love it. I plan to be watching the Minnesota/Wisconsin game on Saturday morning too!
  • Farmer’s markets – so much goodness in one place

Yikes, this is very close to last year’s list too!

Anyhow, one of my favorite things about college football is home games in Madison. Unfortunately, I don’t go to many of them (given the lack of car thing) but the best part of the home games is at the beginning of the fourth quarter when the student section erupts in the well known “jump around,” to the House of Pain 90s hit. On a bad day, I listen to this song on my iPod and do a little “jump around” myself.

The video isn’t great but you can hear the crowd sing along and people standing start moving up and down almost in unison. It’s pretty awesome.

And speaking of farmer’s markets, I went to one near the capital in Madison this weekend and took some awesome photos. Sadly, I didn’t buy all of these items, but the food porn going on is more than enough for me :)

Peppers, caliente!

Eggplant

Kettle corn!

I was good and bought apples, but I did that moreso because I wanted one of these guys:

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Red velvet whoopie pie

I love red velvet and cake and I think I just found the perfect combo! Oh and it does taste like heaven, although it took me forever to finish this one. Damn it’s filling.

What are you looking forward to this fall? Is it finally fall-like weather near you?

Review blog update: Yes, I’ve been behind on this, but now that it’s getting cooler, here’s my favorite nighttime moisturizer