Happy Halloween!

Its Halloween and while we weren't able to dress up or go to any Halloween parties over the weekend AND won't be having any Halloween candy, we did carve the pumpkin we picked last weekend.

As you can tell, we are not the creative people who make beautiful, amazing, jack-o-lantern works of art. My main goal when carving a pumpkin is to get all of the seeds out so I can have a great snack.

Sutter's Ridge Farm

The weather on Sunday was warm and sunny (unlike the rain we have had the past two days), so Aaron and I decided to take advantage of it and get outside. Our favorite fall activity is eating carmel apples, but we are not eating sugar, corn syrup, or dairy, which are all common ingredients in carmel, so we opted for a corn maze at Sutter's Ridge Farm instead.

                            

Aaron looks way too tall for the corn maze in this picture, but there were parts that were taller than me! And it actually turned out to be more than we could handle... we had to use the map to find the last marker and find out way out.

                      

When we finally finished the corn maze, we picked out a pumpkin. Aaron wanted to get a big one. It is still waiting to be carved on our deck. They also had a big play area for kids and it looks like its a nice place to pick different fruit like apples and raspberries. Maybe we'll go back next year and enjoy one of their delicious looking carmel apples!

Graduate Profile

Nothing much to say from Madison. There has been lots of studying and smoothie drinking going on around here, and that is about it!

Since I don't have much to say, I thought I would share my profile on the La Follette school website. It was posted last year but was recently updated to include my summer internship and stuff I am involved in this year. Click on over if you are interested!

La Follette School Student Profiles: MIPA Training Prepares Palmer for International Work

Ruth's Visit

Ruth in front of my school's office building.

Ruth came to visit Madison for the first time this past weekend. We missed Sean, but we were really happy Ruth was able to come. 

We took her to Roman Candle for their vegan pizza and then woke up early to go the Farmer's Market and our gym. It was a cold morning! It reminds me that the outdoor Farmer's Market will soon be coming to an end. We need to stock up on honey, maple syrup, and jelly. Ruth bought some cheese to take home to Sean.

We also went to the top of the capitol building, The Old Fashioned for fried cheese curds, Red Sushi, and El Dorado Grill brunch (plus quite a few bars... but this is a PG rate blog so I won't go there). We even got her to wear a Badger shirt is support of the football game. Her flight wasn't until 5 on Monday, so we walked around campus and State Street, then had lunch at Madison Sourdough and tea at Mother Fools Coffeehouse. Of course we had to pick up a scone from Lazy Jane's for her to take on the plane and a couple extras for Aaron and I.

It was great to show Ruth around where I have been living for almost two years (it is strange not knowing where your twin sister lives!). We tried to show her the best that Madison has to offer, but there are so many other places to go. Hopefully she will be able to come back (with Sean) and visit some of the ones that we missed.

At the Memorial Union Terrace.

Fall Colors

Some pictures from an early evening walk around our neighborhood yesterday. 

Two Weddings

This past weekend we headed to Chicago and Kalamazoo for two different weddings. Unfortunately we both have been sick for a week with bad sore throats and going to two weddings doesn't exactly sound fun when you feel like crap. I'm happy to say we stuck it out and stayed until the end of both weddings and we did have a lot of fun.

The first wedding was for my older cousin, Kyle. I went to the rehearsal dinner on Thursday, which was at Wrigley Field. We snuck onto the field where another event was going on to take some pictures.

My favorite place to get burritos when I lived in Wrigleyville.

Breakfast with Mom and Jack.

Kyle and Katie's wedding was held Friday evening at the Lincoln Park Zoo. We didn't know what to expect (would the ceremony be next to some animals?), but when we got there I knew why they picked it. It was a beautiful venue. I especially liked their music choices for the ceremony which ended in everyone singing "All You Need is Love" together.

My trolley.

Ruth and Sean riding on the trolley to the wedding ceremony.

Cocktail hour.

On Saturday morning we woke up after not enough sleep to have breakfast with two of my friends in Chicago and debated going home to Madison. But instead we headed in the opposite direction toward Kalamazoo. We made it with only a half hour to spare to get ready and headed over to the Kalamazoo Nature Center for one of Aaron's best friend's wedding. 

The ceremony was outdoors and the reception was in a big barn on the property, complete with yard games and a campfire.

Enjoying the home-brewed beer.

Meghan and Aaron.

    

We had a great time at both weddings but needless to say we both had to take a day off today (I only missed one short class but Aaron wasn't happy to call in sick for the first time in almost two years).

Acorn Squash

Everyone knows its fall! Time for pumpkins, squash, and lots of apples! Our refrigerator and cupboards definitely reflect this. But who can resist your pick of two big squash for $5 at the Farmer's Market?

Acorn squash is my favorite squash for stuffing. When its cut in half it makes the perfect individual serving bowl to put your stuffing in and it looks beautiful. I found a perfect stuffed acorn squash recipe last year and have not looked back. It is rare that we make things like this more than once, but there is just no reason to look for another recipe when both Aaron and I love this one.

The ingredients are listed below, but I have to admit I have never ventured into the wheat berries territory. We have used quinoa or brown rice instead. I think following the rest of the ingredients closely would result in the best flavor, but we have made it with only dried herbs and with cranberries instead of sour cherries (they are expensive!) and walnuts or chopped almonds instead of pine nuts (also expensive). It still tastes great!

Even if you aren't going to stuff your squash I suggest roasting it with a smashed garlic clove under it. It really does add a great flavor to the acorn squash.

squash:
1 acorn squash
2 cloves of garlic, lightly smashed
salt and pepper

stuffing:
1/2 cup wheat berries, soaked for at least a couple hours
1 tbsp grape seed oil
2 shallots, small dice (or 1 small-medium cooking onion)
1 celery stalk, small dice
1 medium carrot, peeled and small dice
1 bay leaf
1 tsp ground coriander
3 sprigs thyme, leaves chopped up fine
1 sprig sage, leaves chopped up fine
splash of white wine (alternatively you can squeeze a bit of lemon at the end or use a bit of white wine vinegar at the end too)
3/4 cup vegetable stock (or water)
1/2 cup dried sour cherries, chopped up roughly
salt and pepper
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted (I just slide them into the oven for a bit while the squash is cooking)
3 sprigs parsley, leaves chopped fine

Click here for full instructions and some beautiful photos: The First Mess- Stuffed Acorn Squash.

Less is More?

I think I spoiled some of my faithful blog readers (family) over the summer by posting almost every day about something interesting and exciting. Well, I was in Mexico City, surrounded by new people, places, and things! Of course I had a lot to post about. I also had no responsibilities beyond my internship and skyping with Aaron, so it was easy to find the time.

Unfortunately my cushy summer life ended abruptly and this semester is going to be a little bit crazy. Besides keeping my part-time job, I also have added a project assistantship, which means I do weekly research for a La Follette professor. I'm taking four classes, which is a lot, and I am in charge of planning my classes graduation ceremony and reception. PLUS I got offered an internship with the U.S. State Department that I just couldn't turn down.

So as you can see, sleep deprivation will probably become an unavoidable part of my life. The work load is adding up quickly. I will still be posting but don't be surprised if there are longer gaps in between posts. Honestly, I am just not doing anything that interesting besides studying and reading the news. I try not to post about those things on here because most of you would find them boring and they require more thought out writing than talking about going to a new park. ANYWAY if you are interested in any of that you can make a Twitter account and follow me on there, where I regularly share articles and opinions.

Disclaimer: I am not a State Department or Federal government employee! Anything I post on here (or twitter) is my own opinion.

Governor Nelson State Park

The weather on Saturday was beautiful, so Aaron and I decided to go on a bike ride. We have been on the same loop around Lake Monona multiple times, but haven't really ventured around Lake Mendota much (on the north side of Madison's isthmus).

Some googling led us on a 20 mile ish ride to Governor Nelson State Park and back. The ride was very nice until we ended up on a loose stone road getting hit with pebbles for the last few miles to the park (we do not have a flat tire kit... our plan is to call the Green Cab company which has bike racks on their cabs... we are smart). When we got to the park we were happy to find out its free to get in on a bike. We road to the water and took a break on the dock.

It is a nice park with swimming, picnic tables, a volleyball net, playground etc. We'll have to head over when the weather gets warm again!

Out of the Darkness Community Walk

Over the weekend Aaron and I participated in the Out of the Darkness Community Walk in Madison. The weather was great and it was a nice way to spend Sunday morning with friends while supporting a good cause (instead of sleeping in). Thanks to Ruth for her generous donations!

We rewarded ourselves with a trip to Ale Asylum for the opening of their new brewery/tasting room.