Category: Just for Fun

Big and Small

BG and I have some BIG travel plans this week.  You’ll have to tune in tomorrow to find out where but, trust me, it’s good!   Tonight, at least, I’m packing.  No good meals or beverages in this post as we’ve pretty much emptied the fridge and pantry in preparation for our travel.

I’ve mentioned to you before that I’m a Penelope and ever so slightly OCD. It should be no surprise to you, then, that when I travel I want to take along all the products I use on a daily basis.  Believe it or not, I don’t just roll out of bed looking drop-dead-gorgeous every morning.  However, it’s simply is not feasible to travel with all the tubes and bottles of toiletries and tinctures that I slather onto my skin and into my hair every day.  So, here’s a little something that makes yours truly very happy – MINIATURES!

My typical hair products…

My travel hair products…

My typical skin care products…

My travel skin care products…

My other typical toiletries…

My other travel toiletries…

Same stuff.  Smaller containers!

Did I mention that I have an addiction to skin care products and that, as part of my OCD, I need all my hair products and skin care products to be from the same line/brand so that the containers that typically sit on my bathroom counter and edge of my shower match?  While I can actually purchase smaller versions of the real thing for my hair products and other toiletries at either Ulta or Target, Bobbi Brown doesn’t actually sell miniatures.  She does, however, sell a package of “empties” which includes small/sample size bottles and jars complete with a tiny spatula and funnel for transferring products from their original containers into the smaller “empties” for traveling.

It’s the little things in life that make me happy…literally!

Cheers, y’all!

Wine Girl

Permanent link to this article: https://kitchendoesnttravel.com/archives/656

I’m Sporty…I Mean REALLY Sporty

This little blog is supposed to be about the BG and I cataloguing our adventures, both in and out of the kitchen.  Well, if I didn’t have a mini-adventure on Saturday, I don’t know what it was.

Earlier this week, I told you the BG got me a bike for Christmas.  Since we live in NC and spent the holidays in Mississippi/Alabama he couldn’t actually give me my bike on Christmas morning.  We had to go pick it up from Bike Source when we got back in town last weekend, really only giving me Sunday afternoon to play with it.  So we’ve been plotting all week to make time for a ride today.  While it wasn’t actually cold in the Queen City last weekend, there was enough of a chill in the air to give the wind a bite when I picked up any kind of speed.  So, my stipulation for any further winter riding was that I would get what I deemed a “wind shirt.”  (In my mind this is some sort of wind minimizing shirt to help cut back on stinging headwinds, not just a fleece.)

It’s Saturday, so of course BG and I slept in a little later than we really intended.  Once up and running, we headed out to R.E.I. to see what kind of wind-minimizing cycling gear they might have in stock.  I found the PERFECT shirt/jacket!  (I was going to share the link, but I can’t find my jacket on the website.) It’s called the Novara Headwind Bike Jacket.  It blocks wind up to 35 mph, has a detachable hood that can cover my ears but won’t block my peripheral vision, has 4 pockets – two of which are zippered for holding my phone, etc. while cycling, and is extra long in the back so it won’t ride up and leave my lower back exposed to the elements while I’m leaning over towards the handlebars.  Oh, and the BEST part is it’s grey and purple – so it matches my bike. 🙂

What?  Sporty girls need to coordinate too.

Now, I mentioned that it wasn’t cold during our brief ride last weekend, just chilly when we caught wind as we picked up speed.  That same statement was NOT true of Charlotte today.  The high today was forecasted to be 37*!

We got home from shopping around 11:30a.  Excited to play with my new bike and put my new jacket to good use, I ran upstairs and immediately changed into my biking gear.  I was ready to go within minutes.  I can not say the same thing for my man.  I’m not sure what he was doing, but I had time to do all the dishes in the sink before he was ready.  About 45 min later we were BOTH finally geared up and ready to go.  So we ran downstairs, grabbed our bikes, open the garage door, and what do we see…

SNOWFLAKES!  Big, fat, chunky snowflakes falling from the sky.

I looked at him.  He looked at me.  “Are we really gonna do this?” he asked.  “Well, I do have new shirt,” I replied.  So off we went.

I’m pleased to report that my new Novara Headwind Jacket worked brilliantly!  I am especially pleased with the hood that kept my ears so warm.  If the jacket had not had that option I would not have been able to stand it.  My ears always hurt really badly in cold wind.  But not today!  The one little chink in my cold weather cycling armor – fingerless riding gloves.  Within the first half mile, my fingers were SO COLD that they hurt.  Not just pain.  That weird freezing, burning kind of pain.

Since we were headed towards East Blvd, BG suggested that we swing in the Alpine Ski Center and see what sort of gloves they might have that would be appropriate for cycling. Thankfully they had a suitable pair and, like my new jacket, I think they’ll come in handy when we head to Park City, UT next month.

By this time, it’s after 1pm and my breakfast has long since worn off.  I suggested to BG that we take a small break for lunch and defrosting.  We agreed to pop into our favorite burger joint, Big Daddy’s Burger Bar, for just that since we knew we could sit on an enclosed and heated patio, keeping our bikes near by.

(Please excuse the helmet hair and poorly lit pic taken with my iPhone camera.)

This place has a great beer selection and even better burgers.  The downside to that is it is ALWAYS hopping!  We’ve never been there when we didn’t have some kind of a wait.  (That being said, it is a MUST if you are in Charlotte and craving a good burger. ) The wind may have been blowing while we were riding, but at least we were generating body heat.  I thought I would turn into a grape popsicle before we were seated.

We split a Western Burger since we didn’t want to ride home with overly full tummies.  He had some Tater Tots and I had about half a serving of sweet potato fries.  Not very healthy but so, so yummy!

Lunch down, we now had to brave the 35* temps, sans snowflakes, for the ride back home.  The temp had dropped a couple of degrees since we left our house.

All in all, we were only out in the frigid temps for about 2 hours.  If that’s not sporty, I don’t know what is!  There was a time in my life when I wouldn’t have even considered going biking on a sunny, but freezing day like today.  Get me, I’m growing as a person.  In fact, BG told me that with the “mini-camping” I did for my Susan G. Komen 3-day Walk, my new found love of cycling, and my plans to go skiing for the first time next month, he thinks I’m in the midst of a “sporty revolution.”

You know what?  I think he may be on to something!

Cheers, y’all!

Wine Girl

Permanent link to this article: https://kitchendoesnttravel.com/archives/627

The Loot

I must have been a very good girl this year because Santa was very good to me.

He brought me lots of stuff for The Kitchen

(for serving)

(for cooking)

(for storage)

(for entertaining)

And THIS…

is for The Travel!

I was bitten by the biking bug while we were in Hilton Head this summer.  Apparently, since then, the BG has been plotting to get me one of my own!  Isn’t she pretty!  She’s black, white, and lavender…and my helmet and gloves match!  Oh, and there’s a bunch of good bike stuff about her that I haven’t quite memorized yet.

There’s mud on her tires because I had just taken her on her maiden voyage prior to taking this shot.  Is it weird that I’m stoked she’s named (i.e. read “model name”) after my favorite Disney Princess?

You’ll have to forgive me.  After 10 straight days of 3 and 4 yo nieces, I’m on Disney Princess overload!

Hope you all had as merry a Christmas and happy a New Year as we did!

Cheers y’all!

Wine Girl

Permanent link to this article: https://kitchendoesnttravel.com/archives/619

Could Anything Be More Fun

than making Christmas cookies with your 3 yo niece?

I certainly can’t think of anything…

except maybe eating sprinkles off the cookies until your teeth turn green!

Merry Christmas, y’all!

Wine Girl

Permanent link to this article: https://kitchendoesnttravel.com/archives/612

Remember when…

it was a treat to get popcorn at home?  Or are those of you who read this so young as to not remember a world where microwave popcorn always existed?

So I know that BG and I are like the last two people on the planet to get on this train, but we started watching Season 1 of Mad Men last night.  It’s in our Netflix queue, but I just HAD to start watching it this weekend.  So, for the first time in 2 yrs, we went to Blockbuster.

It’s been forever since I made popcorn for movie night at home, but something about actually going IN a video store made me want popcorn while we watched our DVDs.  I’d like to think it was the nostalgia of the situation that made me want the popcorn.  The act of going to the video store and standing in line there gave me flashbacks of doing the same thing on a lazy Saturday night with my family growing up… and we always had a big bowl of popcorn amongst us as we watched our chosen flick.  In reality, I’m quite sure that the plethora of popcorn, candy, and ice cream treats that surrounded us while in line at Blockbuster had considerable influence on my sudden craving.  But, the idea of wistful reminiscence just sounds so much better though…

While I munched on my popcorn and got drawn into the retro world of Mad Men I got to thinking – “Remember when popcorn was a treat?”  I don’t know about you, but I have vague memories of my mother heating the oil in the bottom of the popper and pouring the kernels into the 1970’s orange globe, then waiting for what seemed like an eternity for all the kernels to burst into the fluffy snack.  I also remember being at friends house and watching her mom cook the Jiffy Pop on the stovetop.  Because it took more than 2 minutes and required a couple ingredients and some equipment it was a treat reserved for semi-special occasions.

As I wandered back from memory lane, I became keenly aware of the film that the fake powdered butter on my popcorn was leaving on the roof of my mouth.  I don’t ever remember having that problem with popcorn from a popper.  So with popcorn, as with all foods, freshly made is always better and making it the way our mothers and grandmothers did is too. That’s just a little food for thought that “popped” in my brain.

Cheers, y’all!
Wine Girl

Permanent link to this article: https://kitchendoesnttravel.com/archives/481

Shutterbug!

The pics around here are about to get a lot better!

That’s because I started a photography class at The Light Factory tonight.  The Light Factory is a contemporary museum of photography and film here in the Queen City.  It host exhibits, shows indie films, and has a strong educational push – both adult education and within the local school system.  According to their website:

“The Light Factory’s mission is to promote the power of image, in Charlotte and beyond, by informing, challenging, and stimulating audiences through photography, film, and other light-based media to see their world through a different lens.”

I’m SUPER DUPER excited about my class.  Taking this class means I am really about start getting my money’s worth out of the D90…rather than using it as a glorified “point and shoot” like I have since we got it in April. There will be weekly homework assignments. (Yeah!  I love homework!  I’m such a school nerd!)   I can think of no better subjects than food and beverage…can you? At least I know they’ll stay still while I’m learning.  🙂

Never fear!  I’ll be sharing what I learn with you.  Stay tuned!

Cheers, yall!
Wine Girl

Permanent link to this article: https://kitchendoesnttravel.com/archives/477

Um, ok…

What you don’t want to see while walking down the stairs in a semi-comatose fog after a nearly 3 hour nap because you woke up at 6am on a Saturday to do your last 18 mile training walk…

I don’t even wanna know.

Cheers, y’all!
Wine Girl

Permanent link to this article: https://kitchendoesnttravel.com/archives/431

F is for Fall, Food, Friends, & Fun

Beer Guy told you about our orchard fun yesterday.  I have to say that while it may not have FELT like Fall while we were there, it certainly LOOKED like Fall.

We  were greeted by this fabulous tree

under which were apples galore (all from the orchard)

and plenty o’mums.

Outside the quaint farmhouse store were loads of gourds…

acorn squash…

and butternut squash.

But INSIDE the quaint farmhouse store….Y-U-M!  BG told you about the fritters, but he failed to mention the apple cider doughnuts…

caramel apples…

all kinds of jellies and jams.

And what is good Fall fun without loads and loads of pumpkins?

Later that evening, after our tummies had settled from all the farmhouse goodies our friends took us to a Colchester, CT Saturday night hotspot…

Harry’s Place!

There we munched on these FAN-TAB-U-LOUS bacon cheeseburgers and accompanying bacon cheese fries…Nobody said this was a health food vacation.

Afterwards we headed over to the annual Colchester, CT 57-Fest where we enjoyed music, ice cream, and fun with these guys.

And, of course, the evening ended with a BANG!

And THAT, dear readers, is why “F is for Fall, Food, Friends, & Fun!”  I’m off to pray for cooler temperatures and a plan for (hopefully) lots of leaf peeping tomorrow.

Cheers, y’all!
Wine Girl

Permanent link to this article: https://kitchendoesnttravel.com/archives/322

I Couldn’t Resist

Tonight as BG and I were sitting at the dining table planning an upcoming trip we noticed that our youngest, the Sporty Pup, was gazing intently at the bookshelf in our living room. It’s always odd to see her staring at anything when her favorite yellow tennis ball is not involved, although she has been know to watch the Today show on occasion. She was gazing at the bookshelf with such interest that I couldn’t help but think that, if she had thumbs, she might want to grab one of the books on the shelf and cuddle up with a good read.

(Yes, in our weird little world where our Pups are our kids, the only thing that might stop one of them from grabbing a book off the shelf and reading it is the lack of thumbs to appropriately hold and manipulate the book and it’s pages. Never mind the lack of grasp for the written English language…I know. We’re freaks…)

What’s a girl with an awesome camera to do with THAT thought running through her imagination? Well, obviously, put her glasses on said Pup and pose for a photo op.

That, ladies and gentlemen, is procrastination at it’s best. I just couldn’t resist.

Cheers, y’all!
Wine Girl

Permanent link to this article: https://kitchendoesnttravel.com/archives/297

Control Issues?

Last night was the final night of a Bible study I was doing this summer.  Our host asked if some of us could bring snacks for our final session since she was going to have a terribly busy day and no real time to get a snack organized.  Well, I totally forgot…until it was time to leave.  So I did what anyone would do in that situation.  I ran in the grocery store on my way out and grabbed the first easy thing that crossed my line of sight.  (I know, I know.  I have just committed a cardinal foodie sin.) While racing through the grocery store at warped speed I came across these little beauties in the frozen section. (Sorry for the fuzzy pic.)

I had them a someone’s house earlier this summer, so I knew they were good.  The directions on the back say “allow to thaw a room temperature for 30 minutes and serve.”  I know they are yummy.  Takes 30 min to thaw.  Takes 30 min to get to my Bible study.  SOLD!

We only ate about a third of them at Bible study because other snacks were also available, so I was able to surprise BG with leftovers of the decadent little treat once I got home.  It’s a treat because we DO NOT keep stuff like this in our house.  I had to be dramatic about the presence of such a treat, so when I arrived home I made him close his eyes and hold out his hand into which I placed a single Mini-Eclair.  I prompted him to open his eyes.  Upon recognizing the petite pastry his eyes widened and he popped it in his mouth and moaned in approving delight while he nearly swallowed it whole.  This was followed by a hurried “Where did THAT come from?”  I showed him the box, he immediately grabbed three more then looked at me very sternly and said “Take it away.” Ok… so downstairs I went and put the leftovers in the fridge.

I got home from work a little early today and after settling in went straight to the fridge to get myself a bite-sized bit of yumminess and THIS is what I found

He’s been on a conference call for the last hour and 15 min that I’ve been home so I haven’t been able to ask him about it.  I’m guessing he was having a little trouble staying away today…

Yeah, I’d say so.  The box was about half full when I put it away last night.  (In the interest of full disclosure, I did eat two myself before I got the idea to take pics and make a post out of this little episode. And in HIS defense they are delicious and addictive.)

He’s still on the conference call.  He’ll probably flip when he realizes that I posted this!  It’s all in good fun, though.  Right, babe?

Cheers, y’all!
Wine Girl

Permanent link to this article: https://kitchendoesnttravel.com/archives/291