Quarantine Adventures: Virtual Cheese Tasting

Carroll sent me an email with their upcoming virtual alum events. One of them was a virtual cheese tasting with an alumni who was a food chemist. I love cheese.. especially good cheese. Discovering new cheeses is fun.

We were sent a grocery list about a week before the event of the different kind of cheeses to buy: Mild and Sharp Cheddar, Brie, Havarti, and Parmesan. I've had Cheddar before and grated Parmesan. Brie would be a new experience as I didn't tend to go with soft cheeses. Havarti would be a new one as well but I've heard good things about it. I refused to get mild cheddar. I am not a big fan and the hubby only likes extra sharp, especially Extra Sharp Vermont White Cheddar which is what I used. The hubby kind of freaked out on the price of the Havarti. I told him it's a good cheese and I will eat it all.

I cut the cheese the day before and put them in bags. I cut some Parmesan but grated most of it. Fresh grated Parmesan is so much better. The brie came in cute little wedges so I left those alone.

The event was really well done. John had a power point presentation about the cheese making process especially the science behind cheese making. Apparently we were supposed to print all the hand outs and not just the cheese tasting one. Oops. My Bad. John would review a few slides and then we would taste a cheese. There was time for discussion after each tasting as well.

Apparently, like wine, there is a proper way to taste cheese. Smell it and then bite off a piece and mush it around your mouth to get all the flavor before swallowing. I didn't do so well at that.

My thoughts on the cheese

Kroger Private Selection Vermont Extra Sharp White Cheddar -- If this wasn't any good, I wouldn't be buying one or two blocks every week for the hubby. I'm not a huge fan of extra sharp cheddar but this stuff is really good. I do find it a bit crumbly when trying to slice it.

Castello Havarti -- This one is nice and creamy and a bit nutty. It would be amazing in grilled cheese. It is in the same family as brick which I like as well. The hubby tried this one and found it acceptable.

Sartori Classic Parmesan -- This was very hard to cut. Instead of using my cheese slicer, I had to use a knife. It is also very nutty and kind of smells like feet. A slice of it isn't bad but I prefer the grated stuff. I will finish up the few slices I cut but will stick to grating it in the future.

President Brie -- I was very scared to try this. I did eat it with pretzels. My initial reaction was that I wasn't a huge fan. Everyone said it was better with warmed up with jam on top. Note: I do like it to eat it with pretzels as a snack now.

I am glad that this event was offered and it was fun trying new cheeses. They were all good but the Havarti is a new favorite along with the Brie. I hear that Carroll is doing a virtual wine tasting at the end of August. I will have to think about that one. In the mean time, maybe I will have to set up my own cheese tasting party.

Quarantine Adventures: Eating with Austen

I found an event on Facebook (big shock I know) called Eating with Austen which would discuss what the people ate and drank in the time of Jane Austen. Now I am not a big fan of Jane Austen. I read Pride and Prejudice in high school. The event sounded interesting enough and I really didn't have much going on except a cheese tasting later in the day. 

The Event was put on by Jane Austen Co. It was essentially a lecture about eating and drinking in Jane Austen's time. The presenter, KC, went through a Powerpoint presentation buying. preparing, and eating food in the late 1700's in Britain.

Although it was could be interesting to the right people, I found it incredibly boring. I was not prepared for a lecture. I was hoping for something a little more entertaining. The old cookbooks were interesting as many of the time did not read or write.

The best part of the presentation was the recipes KC prepared to show us. There was a summer berry cordial, a biscuit, and a jello mold. Even though the Jello Mold sounded scary, it looked really good and KC assured us it wasn't that difficult. The recipes can be found here.

It was not the most exciting hour or so I spent so far in quarantine but at least it was something and I was able to multi-task fairly easily. If you are a Jane Austen fan, check out their Facebook page for more events and information. Me, I stick with more current books and groups like the Friends and Fiction.

Quarantine Adventures: Virtual Charcuterie Board Making Class

Janis brought a charcuterie board to the toga party last year which is the only the second time hearing about them. The first was when I was visiting Kelly in Boston and we shared one for dinner. I was impressed with Janis' charcuterie board making skills and I wanted to really learn how to make one. I did toss one together back in December for our cookie exchange since Janis was sick. I wasn't even sure if it was correct or not but everyone enjoyed it.

Facebook told me about a Virtual Charcuterie Board Making Class hosted by Nicole, the author of For The Love of Food Blog. She invited us into her kitchen and showed us how to put together a charcuterie board using whatever was in your pantry.

The first step is to create a centerpiece on your board which in Nicole's case was a wheel of brie with jam on it. Then fan out meats, cheese, fruit, crackers, etc from there.

There is no right or wrong way to create a charcuterie board. It is best left up to the people eating it and making it. You definitely want some sort of meats, cheese, crackers, and fruit. Think of the season and what you have in your house. Olives and pickles if it some sophistication while nuts and other snack foods give your texture and crunch. Stand bread sticks up in jelly jars. Don't be afraid to give height and dimension.

Even though I didn't think I made a successful charcuterie board last December apparently it had all the ingredients to be a board. I guess a refresher course was nice. With the amount cheese and sausage eaten in our house, we could make charcuterie boards every day of the week. Heck my lunch is usually a mini charcuterie board of cheese, sausage, and cracker. Okay so it's just thrown on a plate but it's the same concept.

Whoever thought of making these charcuterie boards mainstream had a great idea. They are a great go to item for any party or get together. You can make them for family movie nights or dessert with the ladies. It's one of those trendy foody things that you can adapt to any situation especially if you think outside of the box.

5260. See the animals at the parking lot of the FAST Corp in Sparta

By now you know that I enjoy weird road side attractions. I try to find at least one a trip but sometimes with the hubby it is difficult to convince him to stop at these oddities. This trip was no exception.

I saw we were going to by Sparta on the way home. I figured we could swing by the FAST Corp parking lot. Initially the hubby was hesitant because of time restraints. As we started heading home, he decided we could take the detour once I kind of explained what this place was.

The FAST Corporation makes fiberglass statues and water park attraction. The parking lot is the die-cast graveyard. It is open to the public as long as you watch out for wasp nests in the ground.

Of course it was raining so we didn't get out of the car since parts of it was muddy potholes. We did to see several cool pieces. The hubby was even impressed.

It is a very neat place to see if you are out that way. It is just off highway 21 so it's an easy detour. I would love to go back and wander around the place to see all the really cool molds they have.

5164. Go to Granddad’s Bluff in La Crosse

When planning our Southwest County Road trip, I realized we were only 40 minutes from La Crosse and we might as make our way over to La Crosse.

The one thing I wanted to do was go to Granddad Bluff. I figured it was a hubby approved activity and social distancing friendly activity. I figured we'd drive to the top and then check out the look out.

However, Mother Nature had other ideas. It POURED buckets plus it was foggy.. and the umbrellas were still at home.

We did drive to the top. It is a very pretty drive. It reminded me of the ride in the rain forests of Costa Rica.

We did not walk to the overlook since we had no umbrellas. I meant to grab the umbrellas but somehow forgot them. I did get out to take a picture of the sign.

Well now we need to go back to La Crosse and actually see the overlook of the bluff. I won't mind do that drive again to the top or maybe I will hike it.

5286. Walk the suspension footbridge in Richland Center

When researching the Southwest County road trip, I really wanted to do something in Richland and Vernon counties. There was not a whole on my bucket list in either of these counties and google actually didn't help much either. One of the things I did find that sounded interesting and was open, was the footbridge in Richland Center. I told the hubby he can stay in the car since he is not fan of bridges.

This was the one thing I was really looking forward to doing so I was hoping the rain was going to hold off until I managed to cross the footbridge which it did.

The Mapleside Footbridge was constructed in 1912. Most of the bridge was destroyed in a flood in 1951. It was rebuilt using some of the original lumber and pilings.

The bridge is located in West Side park and crosses the Pine River. There is street parking. You can also access the bridge from the other side as well.

To reach the bridge, you must walk down a relatively steep hill and the back up to get back to your car.

The bridge is very scenic and does sway slightly as you walk across it.

This was definitely the high point of my day. It was a fun and great to escape the car for a short time. I was the only there so there was no need to social distance. If you ever find yourself in Richland Center, I would highly suggest you stop and stroll across the bridge. It is also a good photo opportunity.

5108. See the Trolls of Mt. Horeb

The first stop on our Southwest Wisconsin County road trip was Mount Horeb to see the trolls. Mount Horeb was settled by Norwegians and other Scandinavians where troll folklore originated. What started as a gimmick to entice people into a gift shop, has become a slogan for Mount Horeb getting people off the highway and into town.

There are twenty-three different trolls through out Mount Horeb most of them on the main drag. Some of them are outside and some of them are inside. There is a map that tells you where each of the trolls are.

We get off in Mount Horeb and saw a troll at Culvers and another giant one just on the outskirts of downtown. We get downtown and I'm expecting to see these large wooden trolls and we find none. They vanished over night it seemed. Sure there was one at the Chamber of Commerce but that's all I could seem to find. Either we are blind and can't see giant trolls or the map needs updating.

Now the hubby wasn't too enthusiastic about troll hunting so he wouldn't park and walk the streets of downtown to find these trolls. That's what I really wanted to do. He just didn't understand what troll hunting really is all about.

I was able to get out at the Grumpy Troll and get a picture with a troll.

Maybe another time I can get back to Mount Horeb and really go on a troll hunt. At least I saw some trolls and even got my picture taken with one.

6908. Listen to an audio book

I am not one to jump on technology as soon as it comes out. I tend avoid new-fangled ways of communication such a podcasts, you-tube videos, Tik-Tok, and Facetime. I do text and keep up on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter but that's about it. So when audio books became more mainstream, I just brushed them aside along with all these other technological marvels that I should be enjoying. To me audio books is something people listened to in the car or elementary kids did at a reading station. I prefer paper or e-books.

I am still not sure what possessed me to download my first audio book from the library. Maybe because the book I wanted to read was only available in audio book through Hoopla. Maybe I wanted something to listen to while walking the loop the lake. Maybe I was abducted by aliens.

I downloaded The German Heiress by Anika Scott. It's a post WWII book set in Germany. I was really excited to read the book. After 45 minutes of listening to the book while walking I was so confused by who was who and what was going on in the story. I could not follow along. This audio book was going to be the death of me.

However, as I continued to listen in the morning while doing my reports at work, I found the book to make more sense and the characters starting to take shape. I really enjoyed the book.

Since I really liked listening to an audio book to start my day each morning, I decided to start listening to them every morning. I found that lighter reads are much more easier to listen to so are books by Rachel Hollis. Anything that actually has a decent plot, set in Europe, read by an European or Australian causes me to miss a lot of book. Girl Gone Viral by Alisha Rai, Girl, Wash your Face by Rachel Hollis, and That Wedding by Jillian Dodd have been some of my favorite audio books in the last month or so. Next up is the Harry Potter series on audio book.

Haven't tried listening to an audio book? Most libraries have some sort of app that you can download e-books and audio books to your phone or tablet. I would recommend giving an audio book a try. You just might be surprised that it is a relaxing way to start your commute, work day, or wind down in the evening.

Quarantine Adventures: Elin Hilderbrand Author Talk

Elin Hilderbrand is another one of my favorite authors. I read most of her books. When I saw she had a new book coming out this summer, I was excited. When I saw she was doing a virtual book event with the Enoch Pratt Free Library, I had to attend.

Unlike most of the author events I've been to in the past, this one was on Crowdcast -- another virtual meeting platform I guess. It was the first time I used Crowdcast and it wasn't any different I thought than Zoom.

Elin's book, 28 Summers, follows tells the story of two people who promise to come back to Nantucket every summer on the same weekend. Elin loved the movie Same Time Next Year which she based her book off of. I can't wait to read it.

Besides talking about her book, we learned why Elin moved to Nantucket... like everyone else she feel in love with the island. We learned how in second grade she was determined to read every book in the library and even wrote her own story which sits in her old elementary school library.

Then after Elin chatted for a while, she did a house tour. That was very cool. She didn't show us the whole house because she was in the process of remodeling. However we did she her fabulous kitchen with her huge stove. She was very proud of her stove. She also showed us her back yard with the gorgeous pool area and fence line. Her house was an old barn and it amazing to see what she has done with it.

Elin is also the first author I know that is going out and doing public book signing starting this month. Good for her. She is taking precautions and everyone has their own time slot. If I was in Massachusetts or Rhode Island I would totally go.

Okay this is the last virtual author event besides the Friends and Fiction weekly chat I have for a few weeks. I can say I'm not too upset by this. Sure there are a lot of virtual author events out there. I get an email daily from Harper Collins with their virtual events. I'm just not looking for any new author events at the moment. Life is slowly getting back to normal-ish and I want to enjoy it.

Quarantine Adventures: Cary Library Romance Hour

Somewhere I came across an event for a library event with Susan Elizabeth Phillips and Kristin Higgins at the Cary Library. I have read a few of Susan Elizabeth Phillips' books over the years and I may have even read Kristin Higgins at one point in time.

Because both authors had book birthdays today, the library thought it was a great to have both of them on together. It was a good time. They were a few technical issues but it made the event even more real and we all know technology isn't the greatest at times.

They talked about their books, how they are surviving the pandemic, and touched on the events that are going on around the country. They talked about their writing process and how they started their writing careers. Both have been writing for years.

It was a good virtual event. We hung out virtually for almost 90 minutes. It was very relaxing. It was fun to see that these authors aren't always "perfect" on virtual talks. They fidget, have people or pets appear in the camera. We got to see Kristin's husband. These are the things you don't get to see when you are at a live event.

These virtual events are also a fun way to visit other libraries across the country. I may have to keep searching for different libraries and virtual events across the country. Maybe something other than author talks...

6583. Watch a little league game

Baseball is back! Okay so Major League Baseball and the players can't agree on terms for the season so who knows if we will see the Brewers play this year but local teams are starting to practice and play. I know in the Fox Valley many teams aren't starting until July but in West Bend they started right after Memorial Day.

Because the weather was nice out and the hubby was sleeping, I took the opportunity to scout out West Bend little league and watch my nephew, J, play. I wanted to see how the umpires were set up, what social distancing was taking place, and what the fields looked like. So part recon mission for the hubby as well.

J's game was at 11:45 at the Little League Complex in West Bend which wasn't too hard to find even if I made a wrong turn (with the GPS). It is actually a very nice complex. It has several lighted diamonds with restrooms and concessions. I was shocked to see the restrooms and concessions both open. My brother did say they did cut back on the menu and there were Xs on the ground to keep 6 feet apart. I did not visit either.

The game was as thrilling as any nine year old baseball can be. Hits that don't make it out of the infield, wildly thrown balls, passed balls by the catcher. They did have 2 umpires but both were in the field. The home plate umpire called balls and strikes behind the pitcher. His zone was horrible as he called a strike three on J when the ball was over his head. I guess that's what the league wants.

I was really surprised to see nine year olds pitching off a mound. I know nine is when they start kid pitch but up here they all pitch off the rubber like softball. They don't normally pitch off a mound until 13 unless they play 50-70 Cal Ripken at 11 or 12 then they start throwing from the mound. It was very interesting to watch these little kids throwing off a mound.

People followed social distancing to an extent. Families sat together and for the most part other families stayed six feet away. Kids not batting couldn't be in the dugout and had to go sit in the bleachers. They sat together in the bleachers which defeated the purpose. The bleachers were open to fans but not many were sitting in them. Most brought their own chairs.

It was a great day for baseball. It was great being back at a diamond. The hubby's schedule is still pretty light this month but he does have several games scheduled. Soon, hopefully, things will be back in full swing and the calendar will be full of games. And maybe, just maybe the Brewers will play baseball too.

Quarantine Adventures: Carroll U Alum Cooking Demo

Within the last couple of years, I have started noticing alumni events in different areas in my Carroll e-newsletter. I thought about doing a couple but always decided against it. This year prior to the pandemic, Patrick and I joined Carroll for a Brewers spring training game in Phoenix. Since the pandemic started, they have taken these events virtual.

They have started a book club at like 10 in the morning. Hello.. working people here. They have also done some musical performances and fitness classes. The one the piqued my interest was a cooking demo. I can always use new recipes. I signed up and received my Zoom link. The world we live in now.. meetings and events with people all over the country and world by a computer screen. I can't even imagine how we would have coped if this pandemic happened 20 or even 10 years ago... and I digress.

The Pandemic Pantry Cooking demo was hosted by Kate Peterson of Kate Peterson Nutrition LLC. We went sent an email with the recipe ahead of time so if we wanted to follow along or make it again in the future we were able to. We were making a stir fry and cauliflower fried rice recipe.

Kate walked us through making both the stir fry and fried rice. She talked about substitution for the cauliflower rice. It was all very easy. Kate was great at explaining how to make both dishes and answered all of our questions.

Since we were such a small group, Derek the moderator and alumni office employee, asked what we were made during the pandemic so far. And of course when it was my turn, my audio on my laptop didn't work. So I had to quickly join the meeting via my phone while I was in the midst of making our own dinner. I told them about the garlic knots. They were impressed it was 2 ingredients. Those are the best thing ever.

Being able to connect to other people that you have a connection to however small is a wonderful thing during this crazy time. Thank goodness for technology.

I will keep looking for more alumni events either virtually or in person once this is all over. I do have a cheese tasting coming up at the end of the month. I can't wait for that one.