It’s raining today. Raining! Not snowing, well, sort of sleeting, but I’m calling it rain and that means spring!! So, as we near the end of winter, I figured I’d share a few of our favorite moments where we really made the best of this crazy cold, long, snoooooowy winter we’ve had. I took the photo above on the coldest day of the year (it was somewhere around -40 F), and I was fairly skeptical about why I was living here, rather than, say, Hawaii. So, here are some of the reasons why we love Minnesota. Just so we remember. Because sometimes it’s easy to forget. 
We went tubing for the first time this year and I can’t believe I’ve been missing out on this for the last 22 years that I’ve more or less lived here! So. Much. Fun. Like can’t wipe that ridiculously silly grin off your face kinda fun. Kinda like this other activity we did this winter. But, as you are laugh-screaming while your face is sprayed with snow as you speed down the slope, you can’t help but have an inkling that, at any moment, this could be a serious disaster if you were to let go. But no matter, you keep holding on for dear life, tethered to your friends tubes, and as you reach the bottom, you all collapse in a pile of laughter and relief that you are still alive. And alive is how you feel. And, as soon as you can stand again, you find yourself running back to do it all again. Continue Reading →
A cleanse for foodies
Warning: there are a lot of words in this post, and bad bloggers that we are, there is a significant lack of pictures. We sincerely apologize. Almost every single meal, our appetites got the better of us before a camera could be whipped out.
After eating our weight in cookies during the holidays, and, well just really splurging on food, we decided it was time to finally try out a cleanse we’ve wanted to do for a long time. We wanted to challenge ourselves to see how long we could go without a few of our favorite things (hello cheese and bread! I miss you!). So, over the last two weeks, we did Bon Appétit’s Food Lover’s Cleanse for 2014 (they come out with one each year around this time), which cuts out white carbs, dairy, and sugar. I’m excited to report that now, three days off the diet, I have not gone running back to any of them yet. In fact, other than a few bites here and there, we are still keeping up the pattern. And we feel great. Not incredibly different from before because we eat pretty healthy in general, but by the end it felt really good to be eating whole grains and greens. But it wasn’t always easy. It started out reeeaaally hard for me. And I took it as an opportunity to learn a few things about myself. Continue Reading →
A new year, a new beginning
So here we are in a new year. Do you see the new year as a new beginning? I know there’s always tons of chatter about resolutions and starting fresh, and sometimes I don’t buy into it, but usually it does feel good to see the year as a whole new beginning. Yeah, it’s pretty arbitrary, but, there’s something about seeing it as a fresh start that makes going through another year feel possible. It gives you motivation to go forward without feeling destined to repeat the year before.
So every year we do try to come up with little things to keep in mind through the year ahead, maybe goals, maybe hopes or dreams, or maybe just little mantras to keep our focus on an aspect of personal growth that has risen to the surface. This year I’m repeating these four words:
It’s time for me to stop rushing around, missing all that’s happening around me. Time to drive slower, to walk slower, to see the world for what it is each day and to take it in with awe. And it’s time for me to lose control, not in the go crazy and have no inhibitions sense, but in the sense of letting go of my control over every situation, letting go of perfection, giving the reigns to others (at least sometimes) and trusting in the bigger plans out there for me, for us.
So in the spirit of losing control, one of our favorite things over the holiday was a trip we took to Sky Zone with a bunch of friends. It’s a huge gym full of trampolines. There are even trampolines angled upright, so you can literally bounce off the walls. We jumped, we played jumping dodgeball, we jumped and flipped into a giant pile of foam blocks, and we jumped some more. And we couldn’t wipe those giddy, silly, gigantic smiles off our faces all night. It was that. much. fun.
Continue Reading →
Overwhelmed
Well, Happy New Year! We are back. Finally. After quite a long absence. We hope you didn’t completely give up on us. We are still here, still excited to tell our stories as we travel about and try to make a life out of what we love. We promise to keep up the posts much more frequently now.
So where did we leave off? Somewhere around here, am I right? 
We were on Easter Island working on production for our documentary. And then we weren’t. Sometimes airplane travel just blows my mind, because not more than a day after having that above as our view, we were staring out the window at this. 
Talk about contrast, and don’t get me started on lack of color. Anyone who travels to warmer climes during winter in Minnesota knows what we are talking about. That sinking feeling you get when you look out your window and realize the beaches have become snow and the long winter is still here, dragging on, and there’s no longer anywhere to hide. Continue Reading →
Seeking Comfort
This past weekend was rainy and cold, and it felt like fall was finally here. The leaves are starting to deepen into bright yellows and oranges and dark rain clouds we had all weekend made for gorgeous contrasts – the colors were even more brilliant against an almost purple-grey sky. Unfortunately we were more concerned with staying cozy and warm inside than getting out to take photos. 
Both the rainy weather and the fact that we’d both been traveling a lot and finally had a weekend home together made us just want to snuggle up and enjoy some quiet time. We even pulled out a puzzle! So when it came time for dinner on Saturday we both wanted something really comforting and warm. I came across this recipe for grown-up grilled cheese last week and had been craving it ever since. I couldn’t imagine it without tomato soup and since we’d just stocked up on a whole crate of tomatoes from the farmer’s market to can this week, it was easy to throw a fresh soup together. 
To make the grilled cheese you want to sauté thinly sliced onions slowly on low heat for a nice long time to caramelized them, bringing out all of their sweetness. This recipe calls for a little sugar and balsamic vinegar to enhance the flavors even more. 
Half way there….
While your grilled cheese onions are slowly caramelizing, wash and chop your tomatoes….roma tomatoes are probably best for flavor but we used what we had and it was great. Spread the chopped tomatoes out on a cookie sheet, drizzle a little olive oil and salt and pepper over them and roast in the oven for 20-30 minutes until they are softened, slightly browned and the juices are leaking out of them. 
About 10 minutes before the tomatoes are finished roasting, dice another medium onion. Warning…this meal uses a lot of onions! If you are like Ta’u and start to cry the minute one is cut into, get out your goggles, or get out of the room while the non-affected partner takes charge of chopping onions (like me). Sauté the chopped onion along with garlic and red pepper flakes until the onion softens, about 3-4 minutes. This is the beginning of your tomato soup base. Add broth and a can of chopped tomatoes and then carefully stir in the roasted tomatoes. 
It’s starting to come together. You want to simmer it over low heat for about 30 minutes. While that’s going on, begin to prepare your grilled cheese sandwiches. Start with good sourdough bread…I know some people aren’t thrilled about white bread, but trust me it really makes the meal. It’s comfort not health we’re going for right? 
Butter one side of each slice of bread and on the non-buttered sides layer slices of cheddar cheese and baby kale (stems removed). Then add the caramelized balsamic onions. 
Heat a pan slowly and add the sandwiches. We always used to burn grilled cheese sandwiches because we’d get impatient and turn up the heat. Luckily you have the soup to wait for so you have some time….take it easy and heat the sandwiches slowly, covered, in a sauté pan or cast iron skillet, and you will get that perfectly browned finish. 
Now, while the sandwiches are finishing up, get out your immersian blender. If you have one, this is the perfect moment to use it. 
If you don’t have an immersion blender, a regular old blender works great too, just be careful not to over fill it. Seeking comfort does not include third degree burns from soup exploding from a blender, right? Puree the soup until it is a nice smooth consistency. 
Add about 1/4 c. cream to smooth out the taste and chopped basil to give it more flavor. Add more salt and pepper to taste. Meanwhile keep checking those sandwiches and turning them as they get browned on each side. 
And there you have a yummy comforting meal, with a grown-up twist that proves you don’t have to sacrifice flavor and fresh ingredients to get that feeling. Now, time on the other hand, might be sacrificed a bit…this definitely isn’t a fast 10 minute meal, but if you double the soup recipe and double or triple the onions you caramelize, you can have this meal all week, and the second time around, it is a 10 minute meal.
Creamy Tomato Basil Soup
Adapted from Two Peas and Their Pod
Serves 4 (double it for lots of leftovers)
Ingredients:
- 2 ½ lbs Roma tomatoes, chopped
- 4 Tbsp olive oil, divided
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- Pinch or two of red-pepper flakes
- 1 (15 oz.) can diced tomatoes
- 4 c. vegetable broth or chicken broth
- ¼ c. heavy whipping cream
- ¼ c. chopped basil
- Salt and pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Wash and chop tomatoes and spread them on a baking sheet. Drizzle with up to 2 Tbsp olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for 20-30 minutes until softened, starting to brown, with juices spilling out.
Just before tomatoes are finished roasting, heat 2 Tbsp olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the chopped onions and cook until tender about 2-3 minutes. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook another 2 minutes or so, being careful not to burn the garlic. Add the canned tomatoes and broth. Then, remove the roasted tomatoes from the oven and carefully add them to the pot. Simmer the soup over medium-low heat for about 30 minutes.
Using an immersion blender, puree the soup in the pot. Or, transfer it to a blender, being careful not to overfill it, so as to avoid explosions. If you used a blender to puree the soup, return the soup to the pot. Add ¼ c. heavy whipping cream and stir in almost all of the chopped basil. Reserve a small amount to top each bowl with after serving. Season the soup with additional salt and pepper to taste.
Soup will last up to a week in the refrigerator or up to a month in the freezer.
Grilled Cheese Sandwiches with Caramelized Onions and Baby Kale
Adapted from Just a Taste‘s recipe featured on A Cup of Joe
Makes 2 large sandwiches
For the caramelized onions:
- ½ Tbsp butter
- 1 tsp oil
- 1 large onion, thinly sliced
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/8 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp sugar
- 2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
For the grilled cheese:
- 1 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 4 slices sourdough bread
- 4 slices sharp cheddar cheese
- 1 c. baby kale leaves (spinach would work great too)
For the onions: Heat the butter and oil in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the onions and salt and pepper and cook, stirring regularly, until the onions soften, about 10 minutes. Add the sugar and continue cooking 5 minutes more. Add the balsamic vinegar and reduce heat to low. Cook, stirring occasionally for 15 minutes until the onions are very soft and darkened.
For the grilled cheese: Butter one side of each slice of bread. On the non-buttered side of the bread, stack one slice of cheese, then top it with half the caramelized onions and half the kale leaves. Then top that with a second slice of cheese, and finally the second slice of bread with the non-buttered side touching the cheese. Repeat for the second sandwich.
Slowly heat a sauté pan or cast iron skillet over medium to medium-low heat. Add each sandwich and cover with a lid. Heat until the bread is nicely browned, then flip and repeat on the other side. There isn’t a good measure of time for this because it depends on the amount of heat and type of pan you use, so just keep checking them every few minutes to avoid burning. When both sides of the bread are toasted, the cheese should be melty and the kale should be wilted.
Remove from the pan and serve.
Survivalist: Boundary Waters Fire Starter
Heading into the wilderness, or heading to an isolated island, it seems that both help to reset our perspective on the world :
Life is simple if you get back to basics.
During out last Boundary Waters trip, this sentiment really set in for both of us. Every day was focused on 4 simple things: shelter, water, food, friends. Tim Ferris writes in his most recent book, Four Hour Chef, about the Survivalist’s Rule of Threes; assume you can survive without the following things for the given amount of time.
Shelter — Three Hours
Water — Three Days
Food — Three Weeks
We were far from having to rely on the Rule of Threes during our BWCA trip, but I did focus on honing my skills in surviving in the wilderness. Due to my recent man-crush on Bear Grylls, I decided to buy his fire starter and test it out on trail. Starting a fire without matches can be tricky. I prepared for success by making tinder out of cotton balls soaked in petroleum jelly (or Vaseline) to catch the spark. These babies last for a good 30 seconds to a full minute, which is enough time to catch small twigs or branches on fire. To prep these cotton balls, I put a pinch of Vaseline in a ziplock bag along with 4 cotton balls. Then, I massaged the Vaseline into the cotton balls. Presto! Great tinder with no mess.
To keep these cotton balls dry I kept them in an old film canister. I could fit at least 4 in there. 
The BG fire starter also has a hidden, waterproof compartment that can keep at least 2 of the cotton balls dry.
I was incredibly excited to try it out the BG Fire Starter when we first got on trail. There are two parts to this tool, a metal striker a ferrocerium rod that emits the spark. It took a few tries, but I finally figure out two key points to sparking a good fire.
1. Keep the striker in place while moving the ferrocerium rod. This makes it easier to control where the sparks will land. If you move the striker instead of the rod, your sparks will fly everywhere.
2. Scrape with the sharp area of the striker. Imagine shaving a pencil with a sharp knife, except you are moving the pencil instead of the knife. I was worried about breaking the rod or scraping off too much, but no matter how hard I tried, the tool stayed intact.
Adding to this, our friend Adam showed us a technique used in Kenya to build small fires for heating a kettle of water.
The basic principle is to configure 3 rocks under your pot so that the fire in the middle can be fed through the 3 different holes. Make sure to place this fire in a well ventilated area, this way the 3 holes will fuel oxygen to the fire. You can then feed wood in through these holes to feed the fire underneath.
The embers of the burning sticks will gather just below the kettle.
In the end, you will generate sustained heat for a long time, instead of having a roaring fire for just a few minutes.
Ready Steady Roll!
Back in May I took a log rolling class with two good friends (who have both since moved away…sniff). What is log rolling you ask? Have no fear, we will demonstrate for you in our epic log rolling video below. But before we get to that check out our instructor’s face in the bottom left of the photo above. Best photo capture of our experience (excuse the fact that the camera was wet, it just adds to the effect, right?).
Our log rolling instructor was a maniac on the log – he was even gone one of the weekends to compete in American Ninja Warrior. Hard core….we were in good hands. But as you will soon see, it’s not easy. Even with expert instruction, all we could do was try to stay on the log as long as possible. Which wasn’t very long at all….our best times were a whopping 10 seconds on the log. See our scores below in the lower right….Sarah and I both “rode the bull” (stayed on over 8 seconds) clocking in with record times of 8.25 and 10.63. Now don’t mind the 4 minute times in the upper left. Those were tiny tiny children, which obviously don’t count. Their tiny bodies don’t even make the log move. We watched the class before us, we saw how they roll. It’s like walking on land. Must be boring. 4 minutes, I mean I would have jumped off from boredom by then.
We weren’t satisfied just being crazy good log rollers ourselves, we had to bring our husbands in to experience this with us….describing it in words to them just wouldn’t suffice. And as Ta’u loves trying any local cultural or traditional activity, this was right up his alley. Log rolling is a true Minnesotan tradition.
Jim Herron’s ” Grandma Log Rolling ” show
It began during the logging days in the late 1800’s when lumberjacks would drive the logs down rivers to transport them to the growing cities of the north. They guided the logs, trying to prevent log jams as they went around curves and across shallow areas. It was critical for them to hone their skills of standing on floating tree trunks. After working hours they would hold competitions at the logging camps. Two or three men would stand on a log and try to knock the others off until only one was left standing. The sport has been kept alive in various circles and competitions are held around the country each year (check out the US logrolling association). It appears to be making a big comeback in Minnesota this year, as we saw classes offered at all the lakes this summer, and saw logs tied to the roofs of cars as they passed us on the freeways.
So who wants to see our mad log rolling skills? I promise you won’t be disappointed.
Paddle Boarding in Minnesota
I recently surprised Ellie with a stand-up paddle board (SUP) for her birthday. Besides it being something that we have both talked about getting, I realized it was a great way to bring an essence of Hawaii to the 10,000+ lakes here in Minnesota.
We also took a SUP tour when we were in the Turks and Caicos this summer. It’s a great way to see the water from a new angle.
We decided to get a board that would be good on lakes as well as the ocean, so that we could potentially bring it with us on trips to Hawaii or Easter Island. To my surprise, there are a bunch of different styles of boards (including ones that pack easy and inflate). They run between a big range of prices, sizes, and weights. I found the REI website to be the most useful in figuring out what style would work well for us. Another hurdle I had to overcome was how to transport the 10′ 6″ beast using our little Saturn without having to install roof racks. That’s when I remembered that beach-bumbs on the North Shore of Oahu would have some sort of simple contraption with tie-downs to secure their long boards onto their rusted out hondas. After a little digging in the Amazon of products online, I found Wrap Rax from Block Surf. It’s basically 2 sets of tie-downs with solid padding that holds your board in place on top of your car.
It only takes me about 5 minutes to get the straps tied down and the board on the car. I love the flexibility of this kit. And (!) the kit says it can hold up to two long boards. I guess I’ll just have to get another board for myself 🙂
The sport of Stand Up Paddling (or SUP) has become pretty big throughout the country. I always seem to run across interesting news articles about it, like this one: A musician recently paddled from Cuba to Florida. He stood up nearly the entire 28 hour journey! The feat was done to bring awareness to international relations between the US and Cuba. Maybe next year both presidents should settle their differences over a paddle on the Mississippi.
Here’s the article:
Musician Paddles from Cuba to Key West
Moving on
There’s been a mass exodus out of Minnesota going on lately. A disturbing number of our close family and friends have moved (or are about to move) out of state this year. Helping all of them pack up their trucks and move out makes me nostalgic for past moves of our own. I’m worried I’m catching a bit of a moving bug. We tend to get antsy after 2-3 years and decide we need to move, you know, just to keep life interesting, and we are quickly approaching that timeline here in Minnesota. But then I remember how fun it really is (i.e. not that much fun) and I can’t help but be happy we don’t have any immediate moving plans of our own.
Here’s a glimpse into our move back to Minnesota from New York. If there’s anything I’m good at, it’s making sure we’ve filled every teeny tiny space in a moving truck. I can’t stand unused space forcing you to leave behind something you love. And this, I realize now, is probably why we have way too much stuff.
P.S. Most people seem to be smarter than this, but if you are the type to shrug off advice and forge ahead with thoughts of “I can do anything!”, I’m warning you, as a fellow stubborn overachiever: Don’t move in the winter. We had 3-foot snow banks to welcome us home to Minnesota and carrying boxes and furniture along a skinny little path in the freezing cold is not exactly a good time. Although we sure tried to pretend it was fun (ok it was a little….you gotta find the adventure and humor in crazy situations like these). But let me tell you, nobody wants to help you with that. You will, most definitely, be all on your own. But, then again, if you gotta move, you gotta move, and you can do anything! So just do it! You will survive, just like we did.
This state sure won’t be the same without those who’ve left, but we wish you all the very best in your new adventures!