Weekend Getaway

Ryan and I just got back from a whirlwind trip to Chicago! We were there for exactly 24 hours. Red-eye flight on Friday, followed by sister-hangout-time, followed by an awesome wedding, then trip back to the airport to catch our 5:00 AM flight back home on Sunday. Phew. We. Are. Tired. But we had so much fun!

Got to have some sister hangout time! It was so good to see her sweet face. 

And then got to see these crazy kids!

It was so great to spend some BFF time with this girl. Wish we lived closer!

We also got to play some bocce ball! The reception was at Pinstripes, a really neat venue that had outdoor bocce ball courts and everything!

Bocce action shot!

The wedding was perfect. The ceremony was beautiful, the reception was so much fun, and seeing your friends get hitched and so happy is priceless. I just love weddings. I can't believe I forgot to get a picture of the bride and groom! What was I thinking?!

It was quite the trip! And it was so worth it.

Always remember: Memories > Sleep

DIY Aquavit

A while back, I posted about our new little aquavit bar I made in our dining room. Ryan and I will skål with some aquavit on special occasions [like getting a new job, celebrating an anniversary, or even just having a clean apartment!], and it's become a fun tradition. Unfortunately, aquavit hasn't become a mainstream liquor here in the States [yet]. So after some stealthy google searches, I've decided to give making my own aquavit a whirl, and you probably should too.

Let the craziness begin!

You will need:

750 ml bottle of vodka

5 sprigs fresh dill

Zest of 1/2 a lemon + 1/4 of an orange

3 whole star anise

 1.5 tsp caraway seeds

3/4 tsp fennel seeds

Put your fresh dill and citrus zest into a clean, glass bottle with a lid. Using a funnel, pour your bottle of vodka into the glass bottle containing the citrus and dill.

Let infuse for 24 hours.

Remove the dill and citrus from the vodka after it has completed infusing. I did this by pouring out the contents of the bottle into another glass bottle, using a funnel and cheesecloth to catch the zest/dill.

Add caraway seeds, fennel, and star anise. Let infuse for 2-6 days, depending on the strength of flavor you are looking for. I really enjoy the anise/caraway flavor so I let it infuse for 5 days and it gave it a very pronounced anise flavor (like black licorice). Once your flavor level has been reached, discard spices.

Ta da! You've just made your very own Aquavit! Toast to something special!

Verdict: Ryan and I both loved it! It definitely had a stronger anise flavor than the Skåne brand aquavit we bought in Sweden. We really liked the nuanced flavors, including the citrus. For future batches, I may even let the citrus infuse one day longer.

If you try it, let me know how it works for you!

Giveaway WINNERS

Drumroll please....

The winner of the CoffeeSock is:
 #12 - Valerie Taylor Mabrey

And the winner of the Righteous Bros. Coffee cold brew goes to:
#13 - Jessica Cnossen

Congrats to both winners!
Please email me with your mailing addresses so the prizes can be shipped.