Road trips, Turkey and Cheesecakes

In the last eleven days, I have put at least 1,530 miles on my car. I have stayed at nine different places. Traveled between two states. Taken dozens of highways, interstates, county roads, etc. Met one deer with my car. Played with one dog and five cats. Ran two miles. Played eighteen holes of discgolf. Celebrated 24 golden years. And thoroughly enjoyed the Thanksgiving holiday.

UWSP SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

It all began when I went to Stevens Point, WI to see the lovely ladies I lived with in London, see the University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point Symphony Orchestra and a dual student recital (clarinet and bass). I had the chance to catch up with so many people from school, who knew all I needed to do was go to the University Center or Starbucks to see more than half of the people in Stevens Point?!

Most of Friday I spent wandering through the Dreyfus University Center, NRHH/RHA Office and the Noel Fine Arts Building. I was able to see a number of students, previous supervisors, professors and friends I've known or worked with in the last five-ish years. It was a great visit. I could not have planned it more perfectly. I was able to go out to dinner with my friend Annika and get more up to date with others before the Symphony Orchestra concert, where I was able to successfully surprise a number of friends in the music department.

On Saturday, I spent a number of hours in Starbucks seeing a number of friends and professors. In the afternoon, I went to a joint recital for a friend of mine who plays bass and his roommate who plays clarinet. After their recital finished, I headed back to Minneapolis for a board game party!

GOPHER WRESTLING

For only spending one night in Minneapolis, I spent the night at a friend's place. She and I woke early Sunday for the University of Minnesota's wrestling match that she had to work and I was able to do the live blogging for the dual again. We've practically got this down!! :) After the event finished, I stopped by my brother's and spent time with him and his roommates. When it was time, I drove to the airport to pick up my friend Gretchen and drive her home to Poplar, WI.

GRETCHEN & ME

Gretchen and I made the three hour drive without danger, singing Disney classics the entire way (of course). When we arrived in Poplar, Gretchen's family welcomed us with open arms and fed us generously!!!! In the morning, Gretchen taught me a bit of violin: E Tune and Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star. We have videos, but I'm not sure how well it will load. I'll keep you posted. After a hefty lunch combining all of Gretchen's favorite things, I drove back to Minneapolis making it just in time for Monday night volleyball.

After working all day Tuesday and Wednesday, I packed up the car and picked up my brother to drive to Fond du Lac, WI. Our plan was to spend the Thanksgiving holiday with our parents and our Chicago family. All though the drive is not typically eventful, we unfortunately had a bit of an event. A deer. North of Stevens Point, near Lake Knowlton. Thankfully, the deer was meerly standing in the middle of my lane and I graciously drove around it. Not-so-thankfully, as I passed the deer on the right shoulder (and he {and I know it was a he because of his abundant antlers} was facing left) he decided to turn 180º. Right into my car. The right rear 'flank' of my Ford Focus, now has two small dents. I cannot complain, because we could have totalled it. I am very grateful that it was only such a minor encounter.

ANDREW & ME BEFORE THE RACE

Andrew and I made it the rest of the way home with no incidents. We got home and to sleep sometime after 1am. And promptly woke by 6:30am to run two miles for the Turkey Trot (click on the link, Andrew and I are photo #52 on the finish line!). I know I told you I wasn't going to run, but one of my supervisors at work said, "If you think you can do it, why not try?" Andrew ran with me the entire way, as if he was my own personal coach. I picked up one of those compression knee bands made specifically for patellar tendinitis. It felt so great, I didn't have a single issue. About 3/4 through the two miles, I started having problems with my other knee instead- and the problems have yet to go away. I might have to go see someone about this soon.  Moral of the story, if you think you can do it, why not try? Andrew and I ran the two mile in 27 minutes (roughly). I had to start somewhere!! Next time it will be a 5k and officially timed. I cannot wait for my knee to recover so I can get back to running!

It turned out our Chicago family couldn't make it up to celebrate with us, so our Thanksgiving became a very quiet and low-key day. In the afternoon we went out and played 18 holes of frisbee disc golf. We enjoyed our 4pm dinner time and began a cribbage tournament with double elimination. On Friday, rather than going out and buying all sorts of unneeded, marked-down items, we stayed in, slept in, and baked. Two cheesecakes, peanut butter fudge, coconut raspberry cookies and something my brother picked out. We went to out to eat since we finished most all of our leftovers and then went to see Skyfall. GO SEE IT, that's all I'm going to say. :)

TOKEN TRIO!

After the movie and for all of Saturday, I spent (in various ways) celebrating my golden birthday. I was able to spend it with friends and family, both in Wisconsin and in Minnesota. Andrew and I drove back to Minneapolis just in time to begin celebrations with dinner, and friends, and drinks. I must say, I'm beginning to feel old, I hardly made it past midnight! And the music was too loud. What's wrong with me??

Anyway, now that I'm back in Minneapolis I am able to take a bit of a breather from all the running around I have done.

Until next time (in Phoenix)....
Sarah Marsh

Cooking experiments!!

Carrot Soup:
A few weeks ago, I had a TON of carrots (courtesy of Aaron & Megan). Not knowing what to do with ENORMOUS (offensive-looking {that's my Aunt's description ) carrots, I decided to make carrot soup. My Aunt and I also had a spaghetti squash to use, and we added it to the soup. Best I've ever made. Boom.

I based the recipe on one I got from one of my brother's roommates, Kristin. Cut up onions, let them cook until transparent, add water, butter, flavors, etc... Then put the carrots in and hold it on high heat, and covered until they're soft. We used the totally awesome Emerson Stick (I call it a puree blender stick of magic) to get it into soup form. This is completely and entirely not accurate, but I do not have the recipe handy that we used, nor do I have the memory of this (as it was almost two weeks ago now.. or more), sorry!! We also added spaghetti squash!! Because we had some and needed to use it!


Parmesan chicken and mashed potatoes:
I have a 'before' picture which I will include, but I forgot to take an 'after' picture because I was so hungry. I should also note, I went to the store looking for these ingredients with no idea of what was called for (cooking fail).  Needless to say, I did not properly make either dishes; though they were decent tries.

As for the potatoes? Four is too many for one person. Three garlic pieces is too many for four potatoes. Please add more herbs and spices than what (none) I did.

I didn't take another picture even for the leftovers, because it didn't look good as leftovers. :(


Apple and Cranberry stuffed Pork Roast and Puppy Chow:
I wanted to give something back to my Aunt and Uncle who have been putting me up in the Twin Cities for next-to-nothing. They were both having a busy/preoccupied Sunday, so I offered, with help from my friend Jenni, to make them a surprise dinner. Little did they know what they were about to be in for...

My Aunt is gluten-free and dairy-free, so naturally I went to Pinterest to find a solution. Apple and cranberry stuffed pork roast was my final decision. The puppy chow became more of my own personal craving (too good to resist), and we ended up throwing in steamed broccoli for a side. YUM.

Best decision ever. If you click the link above, you'll have the recipe. It. was. fantastic. Even as left overs!! Jenni and I followed the recipe (almost) word-for-word. Our biggest difference was we had more meat than it asked for, but not by much. We also needed some cooking assistance from my Uncle for cutting the meat. Double butterflying your pork roast is actually INCREDIBLY difficult. Don't judge.

If your mouth is watering, it is because these pictures are only doing partial-justice. Please, try this yourself. It is, hands down, the best meal I've ever made. HUGE CREDIT GOES TO JENNI. She is a spice master.

As we waited for the pork roast to cook, we indulged in the puppy chow creation and eating. Best. Life. Choices.


Until next time on Cooke's Cooking. :)
Sarah Marsh

Run, Sarah, Run!

In the time that I have moved to Minneapolis (can you believe it has been 7.5 weeks?), I told you I was making a large goal for myself: To run a 5k on or before Thanksgiving. Considering I have not updated information regarding my runs, distances or other various work outs, I have a few things to share first  before I give some news.

I have been running in collaboration with the iPod Touch Application, Couch to 5K (C25K). I have logged about seven runs, which does not sound like a lot, but I am extremely confident in my abilities. Every time I decide to get out there and run, it feels easier and easier. I occasionally take runs with my brother (who is a self-acclaimed runner with about a dozen marathons under his belt), which makes me feel like a professional running next to him. He is just as encouraging as the pre-run me, and doesn't mind slowing pace or walking an interval with me to help out. *Get a running buddy.

As for other workouts, I have been doing some Pinterest inspired work outs including no-gym options since I do not have a membership anywhere in Minneapolis. Sit ups, planks, jumping jacks, etc. I'm doing my best to get in a work out before bed and something small between waking up and a shower. My newest additions to fuel my becoming-addiction have been my initial purchase of winter-wear running tights. They are cold gear from UnderArmor. Believe you me, my legs were not cold; my upper body was. Other items that I cannot wait to use include Craft winter-wear glove/mittens to keep wind and cold out, as well as a Craft pink hat with an extra band layer to protect not just your head from cold, but your ears, too. The hat and mitten/gloves were given to me by my cousins, April and Tom, and I could not be more thankful. Unfortunately with the news to come, I have not had the opportunity to use them yet. I will let you know when I do.

Moving on to the update and news, that isn't the best to hear, I have found I have Patellar Tendinitis in my left knee and horrific pains in my right knee. What am I doing about it? Taking a week (or so) off of running, getting a patellar compression band for my knee, and a supportive knee brace for my right knee. Yikes. This isn't good. My right knee, I cannot exactly determine what is wrong, but I injured it pretty sourly in volleyball two weeks ago and things just haven't been right. I heat in the morning and ice in the evening, trying to figure that anything can help from here..

Unfortunately, I'm going to have to postpone my planned 5k Thanksgiving Turkey Trot due to my injuries. My brother suggested the Santa run in December. Apparently you get a santa suit and everyone runs in one! Crazy. I bet kids are terrified over which one is the real one. Although, I'm sure it's warmer than anything else to run in during the month of December!! In the meantime, I'm focusing on leg-strengthening workouts and other ways to stay fit before the holidays strike and the cold becomes my run-limiting factor.


I hope I have better news to tell you about regarding running in the future!!
Until next time,
Sarah Marsh

To Give Thanks (ongoing through November)

I saw someone's status on Facebook and decided this would make a fantastic on-going blog post. 

What are you thankful for today? 

I am participating in the 30 days of thankfulness challenge - you should too! Find one thing each day that you are thankful for and write it down where you can see it. By the end of the month you will be amazed at what you will find!

November 1: I am thankful for having positive and encouraging people in my life. They are incredibly important and probably do not get recognized enough. This particular instance is a shout out to Chris, you made me feel like a rock star today! 

November 2: I am thankful for those who surround me in life for helping me achieve where I am today: I have a college education, a job in my field and a roof over my head. Thank you for helping me get here.

November 3: I am thankful for laughter. If there was no laughter in this world, we would all be more dimly lit. Laughter brings happiness, warmth, and a glow to every face. (Thanks to Jenni and Adrian for tonight's laughs.)

November 4: I am thankful for my friends who relentlessly support and provide peace to me in every way possible. Even when I don't know I need it. <3 

November 5: I am thankful for detergent... for getting the tough cat puke out of my belongings when it shouldn't be in there to begin with. (Petty. But honest.)

November 6: I am thankful for having a job. Although it is parttime, there are many in this world with much less. 

November 7: I am thankful for smiling faces!! Without them, the world would be dark and grey! 

November 8: I am thankful for my Aunt and Uncle for providing me with a place to stay and always making me feel welcome in their home. 

November 9: I am thankful for being healthier than I think I am. I missed the bus, waited for another, that one broke down, I took the next one and got to work only a little late. After work, I waited for the bus, turns out it didn't get me where I needed to be so I changed for another, missed that one, waited for another, that one didn't stop. So I walked the 2.5 miles- just because it was nice and felt good. I only recognized the milage after calculating it online. :) 

November 10: I am thankful for great friends who go out of their way to improve your life. (Thanks Charlie.) He invited me over to overview interview questions for another part time job I have an interview for. Best. Ever. 

November 11: Similar to many across the nation today, I am thankful for our Veterans. Without these confident and strong human beings, our world would be vastly different. Thank you-- endlessly, thank you.

November 12: I am thankful for the small reminders of the changing seasons. Just a it was warming up in Minneapolis, yesterday was brutally cold with snow. As much as I dislike winter, I love snow. I had to celebrate it. 

November 13: I am thankful for music. Without it, I do not know what I would be doing with my life. I would have no passion without music. 

November 14: I am thankful for my new pair of winter running tights. Recently they have been the only thing keeping me from freezing at night with no heat in my room!! Yikes!!! 

November 15: I am thankful for the invention and follow through of vehicles, one wheeled, two wheeled, three wheeled, four, etc. Public transportation and the working concept of personal cars. I would have to walk very, very far in very, very cold if it were not for public transportation. :) 
      *This is very first-world of me. And I apologize, but I am trying to find one thing in everyday that helped me make what I did that day possible. Make sense? Hope so. 

November 16: I am thankful for the fantastic people I work with at the Orchestra. They each make my time at work go by so fast, with so many great times.  

November 17: I am thankful for my parents. When terror strikes, they come to aid in the quickest of quick time and seemingly without question. I would be thoroughly struggling if I didn't have them. 

November 18: I am thankful for my friends. This weekend was full of friends: old friends, new friends, best friends, more friends. Having them in my life makes me the happiest person of all. 

November 19: I am thankful for music. Music is what makes the world go round (And today I'm learning Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star on violin from my totally awesome bff Gretchen, in the middle of the northwoods of Wisconsin). Future goal: get one hour of bass trombone playing in, every week from here on out!! 

November 20: I am thankful for my siblings. Without them, there would be no way in this world that I would be who I am today. They help shape and mold me, offer loads of opportunities for happiness and beautiful memories. 

November 21: I am thankful for my senses. Without touch, scent, sight, taste and hearing. Tonight, getting near to midnight, I saw a buck standing in the middle of the highway. Without my sense of sight and quick reaction time, I don't want to imagine what my car would have looked like. Instead I swerved, and of course the buck changed his mind and came back at my car. I now have two dents. Pictures to come later.. 

November 22: Thankful hardly describes the amount of happiness that family, food, laughter and old stories bring together. I am ever so thankful for absolutely everything I have been provided in life. Family that loves, food that fills hunger, jobs that earn money, friends and laughter to aid in the greatest life I could ever ask for.  HAPPY THANKSGIVING!  

November 23: Today I am thankful for the one and only 007... I went to see Skyfall today and had my socks rocked!! 

November 24:: Today I am thankful for my parents, because without the two of them I would not be here today. <3 

November 25: I am thankful for animals in the world. Some provide fear, others warmth and healing. Spending time with animals that help soothe and relax you can always help with day-to-day stressors. I stayed between two friend's places today, one with a cat, the other with a dog. You immediately forget anything bad when there are puppies and kitties to play with! 

November 26: I am thankful for the air we breathe, oxygen. Without being entirely science-specific (and if you know me, you know I am not), it does not matter when we are cold, warm, comfortable, or uncomfortable; breathing means we are alive. Nothing feels more like breathing for life than stepping into the 10º F cold and having the air in your lungs struck with a lightning bolt of frost. We are alive. 

November 27: I am thankful for great food, friends laughter and last but not least... puppy chow. YUM!

November 28: I am thankful for work friends turning into fantastic friends through food, snacks and BOARD GAMESSSSSS!! Yay for APPLES to APPLES!! 

November 29: I am thankful for diversity. Without the recognition that others are different, we would never have the opportunities to grow and learn about others, other cultures and what that means/how it effects us individually. Some friends of mine put together this video. Please watch it, share it, tell your friends. Call your mom, tell all of facebook-- call an old friend, tell them it reminded them of you. Make new friends. Show it to the world. Because the world deserves to see, that standing up and having one voice can bring the love.     http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33jAzRHCQds   I hope you enjoy it. 

November 30: I am ever thankful for all the various ways to communicate. I thoroughly enjoy being able to speak to friends on the other side of the world and keep in contact.. it's cheaper than stamps! And I sure do love to write letters all the same. Skype, Facebook, Twitter, Blogs, Videos, Email, Mobiles, Tumblr, you name it, the list goes on and on. And with that... go ahead and continue my blog. Need more information? Questions answered? Comment and I'll get back to you. 

Until next November... 
Sarah

A Wisconsin Weekend

Your next installment of what you've missed out on-- or that I've missed out on updating you on...

Last week I worked Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday and left to drive to Fond du Lac, WI (about a 5.5 hour drive) after work Thursday. I planned with a few people to meet me at Marvin's in Stevens Point for a late dinner and an excuse to stop for more than just gas. I ended up spending more time than expected (of course)- I plan on a hour or two tops! Oops.. Needless to say, I didn't get home until almost 3am.

On Friday, I ran a few errands around town, hand lunch with my mom and spruced up my car a bit. All were small things but necessary. By dinner time, I was in communication with a few friends from high school about finding a haunted house to go through. When it came down to it, there was either cost, driving distance or temperature to be concerned about and unfortunately it didn't end up happening. Instead, a few of us went to see Sinister. I don't entirely recommend it, unless you're doing a marathon of scary movies and are not afraid of the dark!!

MARIE AND MARGO

ERIN AND ME!

While back in Wisconsin, I did make a day trip down to Madison to see a dear friend, Erin, who has recently moved down there for a job. After going for burgers and milkshakes at Ella's Deli (the one with the carousel), we met our other fantastic friends, Marie and Margo for fun times at the Henry Vilas Zoo! *Fun fact: Marie and Margo have this handy dandy site where they share their latest and greatest awkward adventures.

MARGO, ERIN AND MARIE

ERIN, ME AND MARGO

Check it out!  While we were at the zoo, there were a large number of face-in-hole photo opportunities. I cannot entirely speak for the others, but I must say, this was probably the best zoo time I've had in close to 12-14 years. I LOVE ZOOS! I've included a few of my favorite photos, the rest you can find on Facebook!



My intentions for going to my parent's house this particular weekend was to see some friends of mine.. specifically Bryce -who flew in from Arizona, and Brit & Steve -Bryce's sister and brother-in-law who have a two week old!! :) Bryce and his parents came into town to see the new baby-- and I must say. Dawson is the most adorable infant I have ever laid eyes on!! While getting to hang out with these folks, I got to catch up with friends from high school Steven, Andrew and Matt on the bowling lanes!

On Sunday, I left around late morning to head back to the cities to see a friend from university. She goes to school in Southern Illinois but was up in Minneapolis for a couple nights to support her family. I was fortunate enough to get to spend the entire evening with Gretchen and her family!

And just you wait to hear about my weekend this weekend! An apartment, a house- maybe two, four cats, and another cooking special.
Until next time,
Sarah Marsh

Aussie, Sports and fun!!

My life has been crazy busy recently and this weekend I am planning on playing catch up on all of it!! OFTA! I cannot tell how long this post will be or how many posts I may be creating. Either way, you will have the opportunity to gather such information shortly.

I left off with my weekend trip to my parent's house when we were on the radio (which is such a cool thing. Seriously.)!! The return trip home from my parent's house included the briefest of brief stops in Madison to pick up my friend Australian friend, Fred, who I met in London this summer. Fred was touring through the United States and Canada on his way home to Australia. I had my friend Jenni in the car with me too, which made our travels a downright road trip! We stopped along the way at Culver's for Fred's first experience. This became an experience for him with frozen custard AND fried cheese curds. Don't know what I'm talking about? Please don't google it. Fly to Wisconsin and discover it for yourself! When we got into the Twin Cities, I dropped off Fred and Jenni but we each suggested things to do or attend later in the week.

On Thursday, Fred organized a Target Thursday at the Walker Art Center. It ended up being Fred, his friend Max he was staying with, Jenni, myself and two others from our London summer excursion- Adrian and Shannon. We think we got through a good number of the exhibits. Towards the end though we split into two groups, one was to go out in Dinkytown and the other was to go have ice cream at Sebastian Joe's a few blocks away. It was a fantastic time for people to get together and for those of us who traveled abroad to reconnect. After all, it has been almost three months!! We had such a fun time- I hope we do it again soon!! This picture is of a quote by Albert Einstein. For those of you who may have trouble reading it: "The fairest thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the fundamental emotion which stands at the cradle of true art and true science."


We had a similar get together on Friday for dinner, Fred, Max, Shannon and I had dinner at Brit's Pub in downtown Minneapolis. This pub is becoming one of my favorite places in Minneapolis. It is close to work and everything reminds me of last summer. I can not complain! We met after work (for most of us) and enjoyed an evening full of traditional british meals including fish & chips and guinness beef stew, stories, and laughter!! Towards the end of dinner, Fred decided he wanted to go outback and see the lawn bowling set up. Unfortunately they were no longer holding sport because of the change in weather. This did not stop Fred. He walked outside to check it out, only to find himself locked out until he could get someone's attention to let him back in. After dinner, the group headed to Max's house for a bit of hot tubbing but I was downright exhausted and went home.

To finish of my weekend, I babysat for my cousin's three kids on Saturday. This is always a fantastic time-- we had pizza and then played music, Olympic in-house games, told stories and shared in enormous amounts of laughter. On Sunday, I
met a girl from high school for breakfast at Victor's. It was Jenni, Kate and Rachel. Rachel was visiting from Wisconsin for the University of Minnesota's homecoming, Kate works with Gopher Sports and Jenni works with an after school kids program... it is fascinating to think of how incredible each of my friends are doing/what they are doing since high school. We've each gone in different directions, grown and learned, yet we stay grounded and connected with each other. I love it. After breakfast, Kate had to work a soccer match, Jenni had other plans, but Rachel and I headed over to watch the soccer match. Minnesota ended up winning, of course! Kate showed Rachel and I the press box before heading our separate ways.

Kate suggested there was this Monday night volleyball group that she and a group of friends from school play with at a community center and told me to join in on the fun. It has been three weeks now and I look SO forward to Mondays. It has been such a blast!! The physical activity is everything I have been needing. Speaking of activity-- I realize I have not filled you in on my running updates! I have been continuing my training to run a 5K on Thanksgiving (11/22/2012) and have (sadly) put in two more runs since my last update! The weather turned and I did not have proper running attire for a few weeks. I am slowly picking up my pace and finding successes! I'll tell you more about it after my next run!

KATE (BABY DAVID, DAVID AND ME! 

Through the next week, I worked and anxiously anticipated the weekend! I had a smorgasbord of family coming in from California, Arizona, New Mexico, Wisconsin, and near by Minneapolis for a baby shower! It was a great time, a wonderful opportunity to reconnect with cousins, Aunts and Uncles that I haven't seen in years! We had a Friday lunch at Brit's Pub, Saturday dinner night at a cousin's, and ultimately the baby shower in Elk River, Minneapolis. It was such a wonderful time with everyone included. Now we just have to wait until December for baby David to come along!!  <3

There are more updates to come!!
Until next time,
Sarah Marsh