Refer the post on Dec. 22 and you will understand our weekend and what it looks like. We would post new pictures but it really looks the same--lots of snow. Stay warm!
--Steph and Ryan
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Stinky Cheese Man! (and woman)
So the birthday festivities went well and having a birthday on a three day weekend makes time for a lot fun. We started off slow with a quick dinner out and a relaxing Friday evening. Then Saturday we went to the movies, and Ryan had coke and popcorn just like he requested for his b-day (such a big boy! haha). Sunday was his actual birthday so we went into the District and had brunch at this place called Founding Farmers which is a owned by a coop of farmers from the midwest and they use only fresh and as local as possible ingredients. We are both suckers for great brunch food but this was WONDERFUL! Ryan's was the best: leek hash browns with roasted red beets and goat cheese, topped with two poached eggs and hollandaise sauce. We didn't have reservations (they were booked) but it was pouring rain so we were rewarded for being a few of the only people to venture out in the rain and got a table immediately. The rest of his b-day was spent digesting/being in a food-coma and then eating homemade (by me!) carrot cake to start the food-coma all over again.
Monday we went for a hike on the C&O canal starting in Georgetown. We overestimated the warmth of 50 something degrees along the water and were a little chilly, but I think we made it about 5-6miles and managed to take some photos along the way. We then went into the city to pick up one of Ryan's b-day gifts (I wasn't lying about his b-day being the whole weekend) which was a new tripod.
Tuesday we went back to work/school but some of his other presents came in the mail. The one from me was a Cheese Making Kit! He had been talking about making cheese for a while, and I was hesitant because I was afraid the apartment (and us for that matter) would stink but decided to give in for his birthday. We spent this past weekend making feta as our first cheese, and it is now sitting in brine in our fridge. We are really excited to try it in about a month once it has aged some, but I am proud to say it actually looks and smells like feta! We can't wait to make more and get better at it.
The curds, made by adding acid to warm milk will turn to cheese when dried and aged.
Hanging the curds to dry
The cheese will age in this salt brine for at least a month and up to a year.
Monday we went for a hike on the C&O canal starting in Georgetown. We overestimated the warmth of 50 something degrees along the water and were a little chilly, but I think we made it about 5-6miles and managed to take some photos along the way. We then went into the city to pick up one of Ryan's b-day gifts (I wasn't lying about his b-day being the whole weekend) which was a new tripod.
Tuesday we went back to work/school but some of his other presents came in the mail. The one from me was a Cheese Making Kit! He had been talking about making cheese for a while, and I was hesitant because I was afraid the apartment (and us for that matter) would stink but decided to give in for his birthday. We spent this past weekend making feta as our first cheese, and it is now sitting in brine in our fridge. We are really excited to try it in about a month once it has aged some, but I am proud to say it actually looks and smells like feta! We can't wait to make more and get better at it.
The curds, made by adding acid to warm milk will turn to cheese when dried and aged.
Hanging the curds to dry
The cheese will age in this salt brine for at least a month and up to a year.Sunday, January 17, 2010
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, RYAN!!!
We have been doing different things all weekend to celebrate and will update about the festivities later!
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Blizzard, Christmas, New Year's, and Failed Trip to KY
The holidays are over and Ryan has his first full week of work in almost a month starting tomorrow. Classes also start for me tomorrow. So it is a good time to catch you up on our December and New Year adventures. We didn't have time to post much about the blizzard, too busy playing in the snow, but the pictures speak for themselves. There was a LOT of snow and it was fun for the weekend, but not so fun once we had to get back to reality/work. We ventured to the city and saw kids sledding down Capitol Hill and dogs going crazy in ~2ft of snow. It was a really fun, cold day. After that we tried to stay inside as much as possible to stay warm.
A few days later we drove to Williamsburg, VA to meet my parents for Christmas and had a really good time. It was very relaxing and a fun, different way to spend Christmas. We explored the Colonial Williamsburg area and spent a lot of time being lazy and eating. :) The town makes Christmas wreaths using only materials available back then, and they were all unique and pretty. The whole town/experience was very interesting and fun. Click here see more Williamsburg pics.
For New Year's we went to one of my friends from school's apartment and rung in the New Year there. It was a lot of fun and we enjoyed meeting some new people. We ate our black-eyed peas on New Year's Day, and the next day we went for a fantastically delicious meal in the city. It was one of my Christmas presents from Ryan and was wonderful (pic before dinner below).
We also went to the alumni club's viewing party for the Orange Bowl (and unfortunately bball game too) on Tuesday night. We had a good time but were definitely disappointed in the outcome.
This weekend we were supposed to drive to KY to attend Ryan's longtime friend's wedding, and Ryan was supposed to be a groomsman. We woke up at 4:00am, but the traffic reports from the "Arctic Blast" were unfavorable so we postponed leaving until about 9:30. The roads through VA were very well treated and cleaned, but unfortunately the second (literally) we got into WV the conditions deteriorated. We tried our hardest but about half way through WV decided it was not a smart or safe decision to keep going forward especially with more snow starting to fall. So we turned around and spent the night in Lexington, VA then came the rest of the way home yesterday. We are very sorry to have missed the wedding, but are looking forward to seeing pictures. I bet they look like a Winter Wonderland Wedding. The rest of our weekend has been spent watching GT beat DUKE, football and buying wiper fluid fit for freezing weather!
A few days later we drove to Williamsburg, VA to meet my parents for Christmas and had a really good time. It was very relaxing and a fun, different way to spend Christmas. We explored the Colonial Williamsburg area and spent a lot of time being lazy and eating. :) The town makes Christmas wreaths using only materials available back then, and they were all unique and pretty. The whole town/experience was very interesting and fun. Click here see more Williamsburg pics.
For New Year's we went to one of my friends from school's apartment and rung in the New Year there. It was a lot of fun and we enjoyed meeting some new people. We ate our black-eyed peas on New Year's Day, and the next day we went for a fantastically delicious meal in the city. It was one of my Christmas presents from Ryan and was wonderful (pic before dinner below).
We also went to the alumni club's viewing party for the Orange Bowl (and unfortunately bball game too) on Tuesday night. We had a good time but were definitely disappointed in the outcome.
This weekend we were supposed to drive to KY to attend Ryan's longtime friend's wedding, and Ryan was supposed to be a groomsman. We woke up at 4:00am, but the traffic reports from the "Arctic Blast" were unfavorable so we postponed leaving until about 9:30. The roads through VA were very well treated and cleaned, but unfortunately the second (literally) we got into WV the conditions deteriorated. We tried our hardest but about half way through WV decided it was not a smart or safe decision to keep going forward especially with more snow starting to fall. So we turned around and spent the night in Lexington, VA then came the rest of the way home yesterday. We are very sorry to have missed the wedding, but are looking forward to seeing pictures. I bet they look like a Winter Wonderland Wedding. The rest of our weekend has been spent watching GT beat DUKE, football and buying wiper fluid fit for freezing weather!
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