Grills, fests, & house plants

A weekend recap

It's been one of those weekends that feels full of activity and also full of laziness. So really, the best kind of weekend. On Friday night we braved the storm moving through Southeast Wisconsin — the type of storm that makes my dad say "It's a twista! It's a twista!" 

At the end of the storm lay a bonfire/barbecue hosted by Fritz and Tim. Lucky for us all, Tim has a finished garage with plenty of room for circling up some camping chairs and even moving the grill inside. I tried a new pasta salad recipe just for the occasion (recipe to come this week!). Eventually the rain cleared and we were able to have our bonfire — and we had it until 4:00 AM. Newsflash: My body didn't thank me for that one. But it did thank me for pasta salad.

After sleeping in and taking naps on Saturday, Adam and I joined my family and some friends at Irish Fest — the best fest! It's my happy place, and I know that there are a lot of local folks with Irish blood who would agree with me. As always, we ate McBob's rueben sandwiches — yummy, but soggy on the bottom. And consulting last year's blog post, we went for the Irish nachos again. Mistake. Maybe it was just the person who made our order, but there wasn't enough cheese sauce. Nachos sans proper cheese saucing are just a dry plate o' chips.

We went to see Scythian, and as always they tore it up. The fiddling skills knocked our socks off. They brought out the Trinity Irish Dancers for part of a song. They played "If Ever You Were Mine" — a tune that made my friend Shea and I turn to each other and say simultaneously: "THIS IS SO PRETTY." We followed up Scythian with Gaelic Storm, but it was such a madhouse and a little hard to handle. I like that Scythian is manageable and every bit as entertaining. 

On Sunday, Adam and I slept in as much as possible in our sweltering hot apartment and then headed out on a mission: house plants! We have a few colorful cacti already, but Adam's been itching for some greenery. We bought a few small plants for the windowsill and a Arboricola — commonly called Dwarf Umbrella Tree. How cute is that?

A lady at Stein's says she's had her Arboricola for 30 years — so welcome to the family, miss! We may or may not have named her Pamona after Professor Sprout from Harry Potter. Yep, we suddenly became those people who name their house plants. Anyway, she's not potted yet, or pruned — apparently you can't move, repot, and prune all at once or you'll shock 'em. We don't want to shock Panoma! Wow I love naming plants, and I don't care who knows it.

Boozy Bard presents: Shakespeare Raw

As You Like It + beer + plenty of innuendo

What happens when you take a troupe of theatrical Milwaukeeans and feed them lines of Shakespeare and plenty of alcohol? Boozy Bard Productions. The company has been around since April 2014, and it's exactly what it sounds like: Shakespeare (The Bard) and booze. The actors drink, the audience drinks, and there's even a drinking game that's all about 1590s innuendo (the "length of his sword," sure). On top of the booze, the actors draw their characters out of a hat moments before showtime, adding to the raw feel. Then they don costumes, read from the script, and just make it work.

Before the show started, we learned that back in Shakespeare's day the actors would get the script mere days before the show. They would rehearse any highly choreographed scenes in the light of day (sword fights etc.), then move to the local bar at night to learn their lines by lamplight. So the experience of The Bard and booze truly does date back to Shakespeare's day. Who knew this was the authentic way?!

The company performs a different play by Billy Shakes every month at the cozy Best Place at the Pabst Brewery. Shows run three weekday nights at 7:00 PM and tickets are $10 ($5 for those in themed costumes; themes vary from show to show). The entire thing was a hoot and not your grandma's Shakespeare. The actors take liberties with the script, from performing in a Brooklyn accent to colorful cursing, and sport wacky costumes (lots of shirtless and pantless dudes). But if you have a sense of humor and can handle it — and the sometimes-annoying, rowdy crowd — this is one Shakespeare company not to miss. 

The Boozy Bard's Merchant of Venice will play at the Best Place on September 14th, 15th, and 16th. One tip: If you're not familiar with a particular play, I suggest finding a movie version to watch before, or at least brushing up with an online summary. I wasn't familiar with As You Like It, and though I laughed plenty and followed the basic plot, I really didn't know the details of what what going on or why... And these actors' first concern isn't annunciating — it's entertaining. So do your homework for an even more enjoyable experience. 

Healthy baked oatmeal

Mix up rolled oats for a guilt-free breakfast

I don't know that anything can top my mom's baked oatmeal — it's in a league of its own. It also has a good amount of butter and sugar in it. So for baked oatmeal with a healthy twist, I tried a new recipe (altering it a bit) with yummy results. Will it replace Mom's? Not likely. But a guilt-free option is great to have in your arsenal.

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HEALTHY BAKED OATMEAL

WHAT YOU'LL NEED
1 and 1/2 cups rolled oats
1 egg, beaten
1/8 cup oil
1/2 cup milk 
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup applesauce or mashed banana
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking powder
1 and 1/2 tsp vanilla 
warm milk, cinnamon, extra brown sugar (for serving)

WHAT YOU'LL DO
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a square baking pan. In a large bowl, mix egg, oil, and sugar until combined. Add the remaining ingredients and mix until combined. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes and serve with warm milk and toppings of your choice. 

*Note: This will make about 4 to 6 servings, depending how hungry your party is. Leftovers keep well in the fridge the following week — just reheat with milk in the microwave.

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I love that this comes together in one bowl (yay minimal clean up!). I also love that there are easy ways to add extra flavor: Use cinnamon applesauce or vanilla almond or soy milk in place of dairy milk. Try adding mix-ins to the oatmeal before you bake it (apples, berries, nuts). This really is a great base to experiment with. So go and get your healthy oatmeal on! That way you can indulge next week.

Dinner at Swig // Dessert at Benelux

Sidewalk & rooftop dining in the Third Ward

When it would be easier to stay in, eat butter toast, and binge watch Parks and Recreation, I'm instead making a conscious effort to get out and enjoy Wisconsin's fleeting, warm summer nights. So on what could have been a lazy evening at home, Adam and I instead put on our Sunday clothes to roam the Third Ward and find some yummy outdoor dining.

We settled on Swig — a place I've been to twice before but Adam had never tried. My first visit to Swig was an indulgent girls night (there was chocolate fondue). My second trip to Swig was relatively recent: lunch with Mom during Downtown Dining Week. We particularly loved the black bean cakes and turkey sandwich with brie, arugula, and red onion jam on rosemary focaccia. I don't remember the last time I've been so excited over a sandwich. The yumminess haunts me.

But the Swig menu switches to more fancy eats in the dinner hour — no turkey sandwiches here. Adam chose a pork dish, which was good but not life-changing. I was happy with my choice: grilled salmon with a ginger sesame glaze served on a bed of quinoa with caramelized brussels sprouts. I'd for sure get it again. Our only complaint about Swig's outdoor dining: They could really use some ambiance. Candles on the tables maybe? String lights overhead? Otherwise, we were pleased. 

For dessert, we walked to Cafe Benelux and asked for a rooftop table. The wait was about 30 minutes, so we strolled along the Riverwalk to pass time. When our table at Benelux was set, we ordered dessert: skillet brownie topped with ice cream, whipped cream, and fudge sauce. Oh, and the ice cream has pretzel bits in it, so sometimes you'll get a bite of salty crunch mixed in with the sweet, warm/cool brownie/ice cream. Divine. And way too much for two people who just ate a full dinner. But ladies, this brownie has Girls Night written all over it! So grab your girls, go to Benelux, get four spoons & dig into Heaven.

Wisconsin State Fair

4 favorites from a fair-weather fair-goer

There are some people who wouldn't miss the State Fair for the world. I've never been one of those people. I'm not big into rides. I love fried food as much as the next person, but festival prices give me buyer's remorse. So for these and whatever other reasons, I hadn't been to the Wisconsin State Fair in years — until this past weekend. 

While I don't feel like I've been totally missing out, I do feel like I discovered things that are worth going back for — things that could make an annual fair-goer out of me. Here are my State Fair favorites.

#1 Bunnies. I could've spent all day in the rabbit and poultry pavilion. But it probably would've become increasingly difficult to not touch all the rabbits and stuff one in my purse. 

#2 Baked potato with everything on it. Yes, I paid $7 for a palmful of cheese curds as my token fried food of the day, but I've had better. The baked potato, however, was pretty awesome. For $6, Adam and I shared a piping hot potato so baked it was basically mashed inside its skin. The potato artists topped it with cheese sauce, broccoli, chili, sour cream, chives, and bacon bits. Worth every penny.

#3 The Wisconsin Products Pavilion. Note to self: Stop here first before succumbing to the fried food. These are real, home-grown products: meats (bison, lamb, jerkies), Door County cherries, local honey and maple, apples, Cedar Crest ice cream, milk, and more. All delicious (though not deep-fried) and definitely more affordable.  

#4 Apple cider donuts for the win! At just 75 cents each, these are a steal. They're smaller than your average donut, but bigger than a mini donut — raised, doused in cinnamon & sugar, and still warm with a melt-in-your-mouth texture. Still dreaming about them? You bet.

Buckley's restaurant & bar

Sidewalk dining + fancy eats + carrot cake to die for

Have you ever driven by that charming restaurant on the corner of Cass and Wells with the sidewalk seating and darling black-and-white cafe umbrellas? I've been driving by for years, always thinking the spot looks so warm, inviting, and a trifle magical. Well that restaurant is Buckley's, and thanks to my Aunt Kal who knows what's good and sometimes takes me along for the ride, I finally tried it last week.

We went to Buckley's for dinner with my Uncle Charlie, and for dinner this place gets nice. I mean, I'm sure it's always nice, but at dinner it's nice like grilled octopus, mussels, and oysters nice. The lunch menu looks a bit more accessible, which is probably how I would have gone about my first trip to Buckley's if I hadn't been with Kal. But she steered us in a delicious and un-intimidating direction: We shared burratta, which is akin to a gooey ball of mozzarella the size of your fist served with bread, roasted tomatoes, and pesto — divine. 

We also shared the special gnocchi in a light butter sauce with lemon, herbs, mushrooms, and plenty of Mmmm. Seriously yummy. Seriously wish it was a regular menu item. I'm still dreaming about it.

My Uncle Charlie went for the bulgogi meatballs, which came in a cute little ramekin, and roasted tricolor cauliflower. Both looked and smelled like I need to go back again soon to satiate my curiosity. 

We sat at a sidewalk table for over an hour, enjoying a bottle of wine and eventually coffee. Again, I was lucky to be with my aunt who insists on such luxuries — including dessert. She and Charlie raved about the carrot cake, so that's what we shared between us. 

This is the carrot cake to end all carrot cake. The frosting is a heavenly vanilla bean buttercream, and the cake itself is dense but moist — just the most wonderful texture and flavor throughout. And carrot cake isn't even my favorite kind of cake, so if you're a freak for the carrot cake, drop what you're doing and get to Buckley's. 

P.S. The inside of Buckley's is just as charming as the outside, so venture there for date night or fancy girls night, rain or shine.

Mars Cheese Castle

What lies beneath that giant sign in Kenosha

The Mars Cheese Castle. We've all seen it. Growing up and in all the times my family drove past the Castle, I never knew the truth behind it — so my imagination ran wild. What could possibly sit beneath that towering sign but something super kitschy? Like maybe a Martian castle made of Swiss cheese. Well after our day at the Bristol Renaissance Faire, I finally found out what lies beneath that giant sign.

Basically it's Heaven for a party host. If you need crackers, meat, cheese, specialty mustards and jams, unique sodas and beer, candy and chocolates, and fresh bakery (including kringle!), the Mars Cheese Castle is the place to stock up. The space itself isn't huge, but the variety is impressive. Honestly, it was more than a little overwhelming. Faced with such a selection, I left with only a can of Italian blood orange soda and a black & white cookie. But I'd love to go back sometime when I'm more mentally prepared. 

There's also a deli of to-go sandwiches and such. Adam got a Chicago-style hot dog that looked absolutely picture perfect. So yes, there's a lot to recommend the Mars Cheese Castle that you'd never know from its sign. Methinks we need to stop driving past it on our way to and from Chicago — rather, we should stop and smell the cheese.