Burger and Brew

I love FOOD so what I am going to say next is a surprise. I am unsure about going to Food Festivals. Why? Well, first of all portion sizes tend to be smaller than what you would get for the same price normally. The event space tends to be super packed. There is usually too much going on. That said the foodie in me wins and I tend to go to some festivals anyway. So this year M, and I decided to go to the Burger and Brew in Middleton.

Compare to most food event's Burger and Brew is very well priced at $30/ per entry. Also unlike most food festivals two people can share a ticket! One ticket gets you four pours of beer or soda, and three burgers. You can buy more "pours" at the event. You can use two "pours" for a dessert. The burgers we had were really good but greatly varied in size. They were more "sliders" than burgers. The beers I tried were quite good. The desserts were okay nothing special. And the only soda options  were locally brewed which was cool but unfortunately the taste really disappointed. One big CON was that even if you had tickets you had to wait in line about 20 minutes to get it, And when you did get in- there was NO where to sit. It was really frustrating trying to juggle a glass, and a burger while trying to eat . I feel like need a wave system or something. Yet overall I think the Burger and Brew fest was worth the money. I will definitely attend events by Reap Food Group in the future. If I do go to Burger and Brew again, I will go EARLY!! As a date too- it was great. Nice to get outside.We bought two tickets and shared it with another couple. Great double date idea.

Changes...

"And that is how change happens. One gesture. One person. One moment at a time.”
― Libba Bray, The Sweet Far Thing

In evolution, "adaption" is the process of slow change while "mutation" is rapid changes in a small period of time. Don't quote me on this- I might be completely wrong. It is just how I differed them in my mind. Like in evolution our life we have slow constant change we are adapting too. Then there are those periods where we have bursts of changes. I am in the latter right now.

Some of the big changes are as follows:

1) Finished graduate school

2) Bought a house

3) Parents are selling their house

4) For the first time in my life I am closer distance wise to my parents than my sister

5) Seriously thinking about career since I graduate that might mean a job change. Not sure yet. 

These changes are just that- different, a change from before. They have changed how I conduct my daily life, and as a result recently I have reflected on change and how we as humans deal with change. I have come to realize that people assume change to be good or bad- but many times it is not something that we can tell right away, only time will tell. You also need not fear change. I am truly surprised at how many people do. I believe you should embrace change but be cautious. It is the smart way to deal with it. Things are always changing, and sometimes you don't even know it. 

“The present changes the past. Looking back you do not find what you left behind.”
― Kiran Desai, The Inheritance of Loss

Thrifty Tuesdays

Dates for most people is a weekend affair. That is true for us as well. But in the summer when weekends get full quickly between weddings, grill outs, parties, etc. It is nice to get a quick date in during the week to relax and enjoy. If it is affordable then it gets extra points. And, that's what thrifty Tuesdays is all about!!

Metcalfe's Market has what they call the "Tuesday Night Run." Members (anyone can be a member by signing up online) get 10% off every Tuesday night including on their hot food bar which is yummy!!! In addition to that- the second Tuesday of every month they have tastings for specialty food all over the store. Tuesday nights is fantastic night to make Metcalfe's part of your date night and because it's a gourmet store you have many options.


A couple of options are as follows:
1) You could go on the second Tuesday night sample some free food, and then head to Barnes and Nobles next door (West Side) and wander together- It's Free!!
2) You could buy some gourmet cheese and wine, and have small picnic.
3) Buy fancy ingredients, and make a nice dinner at home together. If you have kid's send them to to movies!!
4) Do a cliche, which M and I often do on Tuesdays- Dinner, and a Movie!!

We usually get food from the hot bar which we either "take-out" and eat at home, or eat in their little cafe (On the West Side Metcalfes- they let you eat in the cafe,not sure about Midvale). I recommend Metcalfe's Chinese food it is really good American- Chinese. Follow it up with a movie at Point Cinemas for $5 Tuesdays. Marcus currently runs specials where every movie is $5 all day on Tuesdays at all their theaters including the Ultra Screen. I would recommend buying tickets EARLY for popular movies.

Overall, Tuesday nights are a great night to get a date in and run an errand to the grocery store. Two birds with one stone! We do it often, and enjoy ourselves. It's not something path-breaking but it's fun. It is super affordable- it is a date night for under $25!!

Note: The image above belongs to Metcalfes. No copyright infringement is intended. Neither Marcus nor Metcalfe's has paid me in anyway. These offers are up to the businesses they can stop it at any time. Metcalfes is ending Tuesday Night Run in October. 

Coming Your Way

The purpose of this blog is evolving to help me be more focused and me more accountable for time. There is absolutely no reason I have not posted something more recently except plain and simple procrastination. Now that I am done with graduate school that seems to be a focus in my life: Procrastination. It needs to stop. So it starts with the blog here are few posts.

Coming your way hopefully by the 4th of July not necessarily in this order:
1) Fish Out of Water : A tale of my struggles with my identity
2) Thrifty Tuesdays: An idea for a cheap date night
3) Burger and Brew: Recap of a date night
4) Immigrant Moments: A fun heart warming moment
5) Changes: Like I said I graduated but that's not the only change

So stay tuned.

A Bassett Street Brunch And Macarons

This is the first in the series of our dates : Brunch and a Cooking Class!

For some reason nights and evenings have capitalized "dating." Poor days!It's like one cannot be excited and romantic during it. Well this first date definitely breaks that mold. Morning and afternoon dates are especially great on Sunday, so you can still go to bed on time starting the week fresh? Just kidding... that did not happen but we did have the date on Sunday. Part of the date was impromptu, and  the other part had been booked a week in advance.

We started by heading over to Bassett Street Brunch Club, a place we have enjoyed in the past, and did this time too!! We decided on Bassett Street because we had a gift certificate that sweetened the deal. Definitely recommend the Fried Chicken with Biscuits. This is a good entree to split if that is your thing. We did not this time but might in the future. They also have donuts. In Madison given the reputed Greenbush I was skeptical. But these were good! M especially likes the Maple Bacon Donut.

After filling up with brunch,we headed to Orange Tree Imports to learn how to make some macarons. In addition to being a gourmet food store, they do cooking demo classes. We love macrons (and had heard they are temperamental) so why not have a professional show us how to make it? We did book this class in advance. I came across it while looking for something else. Unfortunately, at that time the class was all booked up. I put us on the wait list and two spots opened up the previous weekend. And so the wheels were put in motion for this date. While the class was informative and useful, it was not what I expected. It's more like an extended demo, and there was minimal hands on cooking. So that was a tad disappointing. But learning, and eating macarons was pretty cool.
 

Overall  I think as a date: brunch, and a cooking class is a pretty solid option. Would I say this particular class? Not sure, I did learn, and the instructor was good. But it was quite pricey at $80. 00 for two people. And without an hands on experience- not really worth it in my opinion. The brunch was reasonable I think it was about 30 something with beverages, and an appetizer. And it was yummy. But together this put the date in the $100 + category which is expensive for us. And not really a possibility to do often. But something to consider is this can be adapted to be cheaper if done differently?A cheaper spot for brunch, and  
may be a cheaper class? Or a Free Demo at a Grocery Store? It can!! So it is something we will change up, and do again.

So would I recommend; Basset Street: Yes, Orange Tree Imports Cooking Class- May be, it depends on what you are looking for, and Brunch and a Cooking Class as a date? Yes!

Dating Blues

You get married or start living together, and something like this might follow:

A) Monday evening: you cook together, and watch TV. What use to be a planned date in the past become a necessity, and therefore becomes a rut.

B) You might be spending 3 to 5 nights a week together. So part of the point of dating is to spend alone time together and you are already doing that, right?

It is easy to get in a RUT. It is even easier to forget to "Plan" a date.

Dates are more than alone time together. It is time you spend together to get to know each other and understand each other. It is about making the other person feel special. In essence it is putting effort into a relationship.  That's why you can have friend, mother, siblings, etc " dates." But I digress...

The point is it is easy to put "dating" on the back burner especially in couples. M& I, have been guilty of this recently especially while I have been in graduate school. As I graduated this past weekend, we made a promise to spend more time together being more purposeful about "dating." We also want to try and think about our "dates" so we don't get into a Dinner and Movie rut.

So starting now I am going to attempt to chronicle our dates. Most of course will be in the lovely town of Madison but some outside.

When the going gets tough...

You Pause. You Avoid. You Dwell. You Stop Caring. You Get Angry.  But you pick up and move on!

Honestly speaking the last few months have been physically, and emotionally exhausting. I have been sick every other week, school has been tough to keep up, work has been draining, and my parents are having some difficulties too which also required my time. As I try to keep up- I have done all of the above; procrastinated and not done anything (pause), pretended like I had control (avoid), worried too much about things I could not control (dwell), I started letting myself go (stopped caring), gotten angry at the world (angry), and now I am ready to move on.

A few Thursdays ago- I did not pack lunch so I walked to get some lunch. As I walked  I focused on the good in my life. I am graduating with a master's degree, I am healthy, I have incredible friends and family, and so much more. I decided enough is enough.

I AM am going to get my act together.

I am not there yet. Since then I have slipped a few times, and needed to pick up again- but I know I can do it. Things might unravel again but I will then do it all over again, and not give up.

I think sometimes society, and we ourselves do not give enough credit to will power.
Originally I had a long ramble about the messages we are getting from society about will power etc, But I realized something- it was hard to convey, and I could not do get the words quite right. So all I want to say is without dismissing real problems like depression is that we as humans have amazing will power. Sometimes we forget that. Will power is not the ability to overcome problems right away- it is the ability to process it however one must, and to keep going. To fail and try again.

So when the going gets tough, remember you can get going too- and it's a process.