I Can't Stop! I Can't See! HELP!

Well, at least that's how our day of skiing started. Last weekend we headed up to Wintergreen Resort in Virginia for a skiing getaway with my girlfriends and the hubbies. We stayed at a beautiful cabin, just a minute's drive from the slopes, fully adorned with five bedrooms, a killer deck, multiple fireplaces, and a lovely view (it actually snowed the first morning!).

The day of skiing itself was... interesting. See our faces above? It's right after we got our equipment on. Oh, we were so happy and optimistic. This is gonna be a breeze! (I was by far the hottest ski bunny out on the mountain. I mean, look at those 80s purple pants!) Okay, I haven't skied since I was seven. SEVEN. And that was on the fluffy, snow-covered mountains in Vermont. Not on icy slopes that are covered in piles of "fluffy" artificial snow. So when I first got my skis on and started to slide ski down the mountain, I kind of freaked out. After making myself fall a bunch twice, I started to get the hang of slowing down and braking, despite my body shaking after going so fast down the slope that my cheeks were burning and my eyes were stinging. I actually thought that I had just lost it; it "coming back to me" just wasn't gonna happen. (Note: At least I didn't face-plant on my first attempt down the hill, unlike a certain husband of mine that I might still be married to after he reads this.) But alas, a few more romps down the practice hill and I started to enjoy it again. We were going up and down the slopes with no hesitations by the end of the day (no, not black diamonds), and we do hope to go skiing on real snowy mountains next time we go to Vermont. I have a feeling I'll enjoy that more, but I'll still happily return to the challenge of Wintergreen next year.

Besides skiing, we had a blast at the cabin, cooking meals each night and playing intense games of Kemps with the fire going. Despite skiing all day, there's nothing like playing a kids card game to bring out the competitive sides of grown adults. :) Good times!

Mashed Potaters

No. This post is not about Slingblade. Sorry if I just gave way to you having nightmares tonight. You're welcome. :)

HOWEVER, I did finally find a mashed potato recipe that's a keeper. Trust me, I've tried and failed many times. They're too chunky! They're too whipped! Too dry! Too salty! Too tasteless! 

But alas, the kitchen gods finally bowed in my favor. This one's courtesy of The Pioneer Woman. If you've never been to her site before, you'll end up staying for at least 30 minutes looking at the photo-by-photo instructions for all of her recipes. We paired these with some awesome New York strip steaks we found at the Teet (BOGO: $10.99 for two!). Nothing like a delicious dinner for a delicious price. 

Creamy Mashed Potatoes 

Ingredients

• 5 pounds Russet or Yukon Gold potatoes
• 3/4 cups butter
• 1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup (to 3/4 cup) half-and-half
• 1/2 tsp (to 1 tsp) Lawry's Seasoned Salt
• 1/2 tsp (to 1 tsp) black pepper

 Directions

1. Peel and cut the potatoes into pieces that are generally the same size. (Note: I used Yukon Gold potatoes and kept the skins on.) Bring a large pot of water to a simmer and add the potatoes. Bring to a boil and cook for 30 to 35 minutes. When they’re cooked through, the fork should easily slide into the potatoes with no resistance, and the potatoes should almost, but not totally, fall apart.
2. Drain the potatoes in a large colander. When the potatoes have finished draining, place them back into the dry pot and put the pot on the stove. Mash the potatoes over low heat, allowing all the steam to escape, before adding in all the other ingredients.
3. Turn off the stove and add 1 ½ sticks of butter, an 8-ounce package of cream cheese and about ½ cup of half-and-half. Mash, mash, mash! Next, add about ½ teaspoon of Lawry’s Seasoning Salt and ½ a teaspoon of black pepper.
4. Stir well and place in a medium-sized baking dish. Throw a few pats of butter over the top of the potatoes and place them in a 350-degree oven and heat until butter is melted and potatoes are warmed through.

*Note: When making this dish a day or two in advance, take it out of the fridge about 2 to 3 hours before serving time. Bake in a 350-degree oven for about 20 to 30 minutes or until warmed through.

Enjoy!

Crazy Weather

We sat outside on our deck all day on Saturday as the temperature hovered around 65 degrees. I rocked back and forth with my bare feet on the warm wood planks, drinking coffee and closing my eyes as the sun warmed the back of my eyelids.

Around 9 pm last night, I opened our front door to this:

Today I'm at work on a beautifully sunny day, with the high almost reaching 50 degrees.

You crazy ass North Carolina weather.

Science of Wine

Last week Ryan and I attended the "Science of Wine" at the Museum of Life & Science in Durham, NC. And it was awesome. Local wineries and shops had fabulous talks, demonstrations, and endless tastings of their wines; we participated in experiments, learned about the chemistry of wine, took a class on tasting, and drank to our heart's content. We even tasted varieties of mead! Ryan was happy; he felt a little like Beowulf.

We fell in love with the museum itself years ago, and have taken Aiden there many times. They have indoor exhibits including a butterfly house, an insectarium, multiple contraptions, and weather-related exhibits (you get to feel clouds!). Outdoors, there's a farmyard, dinosaur trail, railway, wildlife area (with black bears, red wolves, and exotic lemurs), and a park.

I feel so lucky to live in an area that offers such cool and intellectually stimulating events like this. It's also just nice to get out on a weeknight and take part in community events that you're not normally exposed to. We'll definitely be attending many more of these Museum AfterHours events in the future. And you know what makes it even better? The "Science of Beer" is in September!

Here's Ryan stomping grapes at the event. And that, right there ladies and gentlemen, is why I married him. :) Nothing is better than a guy who makes you laugh.

Announcing: Mooseclumps!

I am so, so proud to finally announce the release of Ryan's new book/blog, Mooseclumps. Ryan started writing and illustrating these children's poems a couple years ago, and he has now compiled them on this blog, which he plans to post a new poem to every week. All I can say is that they're wonderful. But I'll let the poems speak for themselves. Please take a look, share with your family and friends, and if you feel so inclined, give the Facebook "Like" button a big ol' click. He appreciates every comment and every "like," and so far, he's had a fabulous response from people all over the world. I've included a few of my favorites below, but visit the site to see them all. I hope you see the same magic in these poems as I do. Enjoy!

My Other Valentine

Moose got a haircut last weekend. Without all that fluff, he's been finding all the warmest places in the house to snuggle, including the down comforter as I was washing our sheets the other day. He's also been curled up right in between me and Ryan every night this week. What a little hambone.

Happy (belated) Valentine's Day!

I hope everyone had a lovely Valentine's Day yesterday, whether you despise the greeting-card holiday, use it as an excuse to devour wine and wallow in your singleness, or if you love every candy heart and floral bouquet that passes by. If nothing else, the day can just be a reminder to appreciate the love you do have in your life--whether that's your significant other, your best friend, a family member, or even your pets. Everyone just needs an extra hug sometimes.

Ryan and I celebrated by going out this past Saturday to 18 Seaboard (per usual). Who wants to wake up early and go to work the day after a nice night out? Then we hopped over to the Krispy Kreme a few blocks away for a dozen hot-n-ready doughnuts. Melt-in-your-mouth deliciousness. That night was particularly cold ("arctic-like" windchill, apparently). We saw a homeless man sleeping upright in one of the booths, curled up in his jacket trying to avoid the cold. Before we left, I put a doughnut in front of him; even if had no desire to eat it, at least he looked like a paying customer. Moments like this just remind you how fortunate we are for our homes and our families; we worry about such petty things (like not having a valentine), never thinking about just trying to find a warm place to sleep.

Anyways, one of my favorite parts of this "holiday" is looking at all the unique cards that stationary shops come out with. I got this "You're a Fox Card" for Ryan from Rifle Paper Co. I thought it was appropriate. :)

I also love all the e-cards that NPR puts out every year. I sent Ryan one from the show Car Talk last year (he loves nothing more than listen to these brothers on a Saturday morning). You can see the rest of the NPR Valentine's Day cards here. I do realize that this makes us complete public radio dorks, but hey, Ryan really is the click to my clack.