Savoring Our Lives

Welcome to Savoring Our Lives! In this week’s episode we: Got our taxes done We braced for the worst again this year, but amazingly we have refunds coming this year instead of owing a lot of money! We celebrated with margaritas. [caption id="attachment_817" align="alignright" width="300"] Margarita Time![/caption] Worked on eating less beef We had home runs and base hits this year. Sunday we made a Shakshuka with Feta and it was delicious. Definitely a home run! Then we made some Turkey-Hummus Sliders and they were just a base hit. Celebrated Chad's sixth match anniversary Chad is part of Big Brother Big Sisters and they threw a party for all the Bigs and Littles. Chad and Elijah have been matched for six years already. [caption id="attachment_816" align="alignright" width="300"] Chocolate & Wine Pairing at Indulgence Chocolatiers[/caption] Attended a Spring Wine and Chocolate pairing We visited Indulgence Chocolatiers for their spring wine pairing. We tried five different wines and chocolates which wer

Welcome to Savoring Our Lives! In this week’s episode we: Ate a lot Ruth visited Tre Rivali with her friend Sarah. The meat and cheese plate was simply outstanding. Then, we revisited Matty's and tried the "Cheese Logs" - these were way more than a simple cheese stick. [caption id="attachment_796" align="alignright" width="225"] Meat and Cheese at Tre Rivali[/caption] Found ourselves back in Total Wine We returned to Total Wine to pick up a couple more bottles of wine for the cellar. Chad was fronting bottles as we went along and the staff was thrilled. Enjoyed a celebration of life We went out to Mr. B's Steakhouse to celebrate the life of the best beagle/basset ever - our very own Tater Tot who passed away one year ago. Got some test results Ruth saw a new doc and had some tests done. Her A1C level is pre-pre-diabetic. Her doctor recommended changing diet and exercise. We're exploring the Mediterranean diet, Chad will be visiting a doctor, and we're going to start exercising. [caption id="attachment_797" al

Welcome to Savoring Our Lives! In this week’s episode we: Got an Instant Pot [caption id="attachment_775" align="alignright" width="300"] Instant Pot Korean Beef[/caption] We took the plunge and purchased a refurbished Instant Pot. Our first recipe was Korean beef. We were amazed at how it worked (and had to consult the user manual online). Headed out for date night We went to Tenuta's in Bay View for Italian. Ruth got the mushroom ravioli and it was delicious. We'll definitely be back and we'll have to try the pizza! [caption id="attachment_774" align="alignright" width="225"] Mushroom Ravioli at Tenuta's[/caption] Spent too much on wine On Wednesday, we ordered by the glass and it was way more expensive than simply buying a bottle. Then, we were off to wineza with more wine. And finally on Saturday, we visited the new Total Wine near our house and brought wine home. Got "How Far I'll Go" stuck on a loop in our heads We heard the main song from Disney's Moana while shopping at Total Wine. Neither of us knows

Welcome to Savoring Our Lives! In this week’s episode we: [caption id="attachment_747" align="alignright" width="300"] Eggs Benedict at Bass Bay Brewhouse[/caption] Visited Bass Bay Brewhouse for brunch Chad had their "Shenanigans" dish which had everything and the kitchen sink in it. Ruth really enjoyed the Eggs Benedict. See the whole brunch menu here. Continued to eat On Monday, we tried The Suburban Bourbon and enjoyed a couple of their burgers with a bottle of wine. Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday we cooked dinner at home - including an epic Tater Tot Casserole. On Friday, we stayed home for Wineza and paired it with a brand new bottle of M2 Zinfandel. Had a full day on Saturday We had a family funeral visitation to attend Saturday morning. Ruth had to work to enforce some boundaries around what she needed. Afterwards, we had certified professional dog trainer Laura from Connecting with Dogs come over to help us humans communicate more effectively with both dogs (but especially Abby). [caption id="atta

Welcome to Savoring Our Lives! In this week’s episode: [caption id="attachment_721" align="alignright" width="225"] Bahama Mama & Cafe Au Lait Truffle[/caption] Ruth went to a Tiki Cocktails & Chocolate pairing class Ruth and her friend Sarah visited Indulgence Chocolatiers and enjoyed a class pairing their chocolates with tiki cocktails. It was fun and delicious. The cocktails reminded Chad of the song "Drink To Hawaii" by Richard Cheese. Chad was eating in Iowa He was in Iowa training and his clients took him to a BBQ joint, a taco/burrito place, and a place called Saucy Focaccia. And then they brought in donuts from the build-your-own donut shop, The Donut Experiment. [caption id="attachment_720" align="alignright" width="300"] The Donut Experiment[/caption] We didn't close our Activity rings Ruth's hour-long yoga class lasted three hours and 48 minutes on her Activity app because she forgot to turn it off after class. Oops! We're challenging ourselves to move at least three days this week. Pokemon

Welcome to Savoring Our Lives! In this week’s episode, we: Saw our neighbors put their house up for sale We were sad to see the "For Sale" sign in our neighbor's front yard this week. It's a lovely home and Mark and Kathy are some of the coolest people on the block. If you're cool and are looking for a house, take a peek here. Watched "The Cutting Edge" Chad enjoys the movie "The Cutting Edge" and since the story is all about the Olympics, we decided to watch it. Ruth had never seen it and really didn't care for it. #toepick [caption id="attachment_707" align="alignright" width="300"] Look at all that food in Tini's tummy![/caption] Visited the Emergency Vet Tini and Abby conspired to get into a new 22-lb bag of dog food which was in a closet. Tini managed to eat a POUND of food. It was obvious she was uncomfortable so Ruth chose to take her to the vet to get the food out and help her feel better. [caption id="attachment_709" align="alignright" width="300"] Hangover Burger at Bass Bay[/caption] Dined out eve

Welcome to Savoring Our Lives! In this week’s episode, we: [caption id="attachment_695" align="alignright" width="300"] Half-Birthday Flowers[/caption] Had Beagle Adventures The girls had their nails trimmed on Monday and we got to help. Later in the week, each of them treed different wildlife - a possum and a pair of raccoons- in the yard. Celebrated Ruth's Half-Birthday Ruth never got to celebrate her birthday during the school year when she was a kid because her birthday was during the summer. So she deemed the six-month mark her half-birthday and this year, Chad bought her flowers! [caption id="attachment_697" align="alignright" width="225"] Zombies from the Beyond[/caption] Saw "Zombies from the Beyond" We went to see a musical called "Zombies from the Beyond." It was a silly, campy spin on '50s sci-fi movies. The play is set at the "Milwaukee Space Center" and there are a number of Milwaukee references throughout the show. We can only best describe it as layers of weird. Activity Update Last week we tal

Welcome to Savoring Our Lives! In this week’s episode, we: [caption id="attachment_683" align="alignright" width="300"] Air Hockey Showdown[/caption] Celebrated National Pizza Day Chad was on the road this week and had to navigate through a snow storm on Friday, but we still managed to enjoy National Pizza Day! Played Air Hockey We visited Romine's High Pockets - a pool and billiards hall in Milwaukee. It's kind of a dive restaurant but the food was delicious. On the way out, Ruth noticed an air hockey table, so naturally there was a showdown! [caption id="attachment_680" align="alignright" width="169"] Activity Monitor[/caption] Activated the Activity app on our watches After wading through a foot of snow to retrieve the dogs from barking at the neighbor dogs, we realized we need to increase our fitness. We spent time pairing all our health apps together so we can track our movement each day. Watched a fun Automan parody Actor David Hewlett (Stargate Atlantis, etc), a fellow geek, created a parody of 80s TV

Welcome to Savoring Our Lives! In this week’s episode, we: [caption id="attachment_669" align="alignright" width="300"] MKE Ice Bars[/caption] Hung at MKE Ice Bars Ruth works for an organization which helped to produce a fun time for people in Milwaukee. There are now three ice bars on the corner of Broadway and St. Paul. The bars were created by Max and Jeanne Zuleta of Art Below Zero. [caption id="attachment_666" align="alignright" width="300"] Ruth with Ken and Jon of The Posies[/caption] Saw The Posies in Chicago Ruth got tix and a VIP meet and greet for The Posies. If you're not familiar with the band,  here's a clip of them playing live in Seattle on KEXP a few years ago. We thought we were going to miss the meet and greet but just a few minutes late. The show was outstanding and the City Winery concert venue was cool. [caption id="attachment_668" align="alignright" width="300"] Avocado Bomb at Matty's[/caption] Went back to Matty's We returned to Matty's Pub (after finding it closed the week before) an

Welcome to Savoring Our Lives! In this week’s episode, we: Discussed Chad's footwear Chad wanted to go drive to get coffee with no shoes on. Ruth thought it was illegal in Wisconsin to drive barefoot. Turns out it's not illegal but is definitely not advised. [caption id="attachment_644" align="alignright" width="300"] Burger and Fries[/caption] Were disappointed on date night We were driving to the restaurant we picked for date night and ended up in a hail storm. When we finally got to the restaurant, it was closed for a private party. So we backtracked to a bar relatively close to our house. It was less than stellar. We've never really panned a restaurant experience but this was close. Sent Chad to Iowa for a client Chad's client this week was in Wapalo, Iowa. The clients were totally into the maker mindset and it totally inspired Chad. [caption id="attachment_643" align="alignright" width="300"] Wine and Cheese[/caption] Stopped at the wine bar Shocking, but we stopped by our fave wine bar for an afternoon

Welcome to Savoring Our Lives! In this week’s episode, we: [caption id="attachment_635" align="alignright" width="169"] Notes from the past![/caption] Found a message from the past In a recipe we made in October we left notes for future us. Past Ruth and Chad were very wise. We're going to keep putting notes in to our recipe manager, Paprika. Remade an old Blue Apron recipe For dinner on Saturday, we decided to pull out an old Blue Apron recipe - Shiitake & Hoisin Beef Burgers. Went vintage shopping We hit up Tip Top Atomic Shop in Milwaukee to find some bowling shirts from Chad. Then we visited BC Modern Furnishings which was super cool. Ruth's been following the owner, Eric Lewis, on Instagram. He told us,"I started chasing my passion instead of chasing a paycheck" which totally inspired us. Made our own pizza for Wineza We made pizza (and Ruth made her first Instagram Story!) on Friday. We have a good pizza dough recipe, so got all the toppings and made pizza at home. But first, we stopped at the win

Welcome to Savoring Our Lives! In this week’s episode, we: [caption id="attachment_621" align="alignright" width="300"] Chad's Birthday[/caption] Celebrated Chad's birthdayChad's Dad called a day early to wish Chad a happy 50th! (Chad's 46...whoops!). We celebrated by going out for (wait for it) pizza! We had a lovely time at Pizza Man with cheese curds, pizza, tiramisu and a C5 Ranch Cabernet. Had rain in the house Sunday night water started dripping in the main room of our house. By Monday, there were at least six points where water was coming in - dripping on furniture, counters, and more. Turns out it was a "fluke" because the outdoor temperature fluctuated so much in such a short time humidity got caught in between the ceiling and the roof and had no where to go.  A number of homeowners had the same issue. [caption id="attachment_620" align="alignright" width="300"] Cheese Curds![/caption] Went out for dinner With all the rain in the house, we were scared to cook anything and create more humidity so we

Welcome to Savoring Our Lives! In this week's episode, we: [caption id="attachment_599" align="alignright" width="300"] Taco Pizza[/caption] Tried a Taco Pizza We went out for Wineza and decided to try a specialty pizza - taco pizza, specifically. Unfortunately, it was more of a taco salad in pizza form. Declared a Word of The Week Chad singled out the word "pedantic" as his word of the week. Pedantic: "a person who is obsessively concerned with...displaying academic learning." Mostly because one of his former co-workers tends to be that way on Facebook. And suddenly, Chad realized he is now doing the same to a different friend. Whoops! [caption id="attachment_600" align="alignright" width="300"] Happiness Jar[/caption] Relived wonderful memories of 2017 Each year we fill a jar with index cards outlining the happy events of the year. On New Year's Eve, we open the jar and read through all the memories. This year's jar was filled with joy and tears. Declared a war on puff pastry We got ambitious on NYE with a

Welcome to Savoring Our Lives! In this week's episode, we: [caption id="attachment_587" align="alignright" width="225"] Doctor Who in a theater[/caption] Saw Doctor Who...in a theater Chad and Ruth are both Doctor Who fans and were thrilled to have the opportunity to see the 2017 Christmas special, "Twice Upon A Time," in a theater! Ruth completed a 365-day meditation challenge That's one year of meditating every day! Ruth learned some lessons and shares what she learned from it. Savored every sip On Friday, Chad noticed Ruth made an "aaaah" noise after she took a sip of coffee. She was thinking, "This sip is awesome," and was savoring every bit of the experience. [caption id="attachment_588" align="alignright" width="300"] Cheese Curds at West Allis Cheese & Sausage Shoppe[/caption] Went out for lunch...a lot We visited El Beso for tacos and margaritas; Bier & Burger for burgers; and West Allis Cheese & Sausage Shoppe for sammies. We tried the cheese curds at both Bier & Burger and West Allis

Welcome to Savoring Our Lives! In this week's episode, we: Killed a lasagna We attempted to make this Motherf$cking Lasagna by fitness blogger James Fell. The recipe actually includes a warning to get a deep enough pan and not let the lasagna boil over. We did not follow directions and everything started burning. So we pulled the rip cord and ordered pizza. [caption id="attachment_571" align="alignright" width="300"] The nephews at laser tag[/caption] Enjoyed Christmas fun with people Chad got together with his Little Brother to work on an electronics project. It inspired Chad that Elijah really took pride in his craftsmanship. And then we took our three nephews to play laser tag at Lasertag Adventure. The youngest had a lot of fun continually shooting Ruth. She's busy formulating a plan to retaliate for next year. [caption id="attachment_568" align="alignright" width="300"] Ice Cream Drinks[/caption] Indulged in ice cream drinks We visited Joey Gerard's Supper Club with Ruth's family. After dinner, we decid

Welcome to Savoring Our Lives! In this week's episode, we: Didn't track our food intake In the last episode we said we were going to track our food. That really didn't happen this week. Ruth thought about signing up for a program that game-ifies weight loss and overall health. Chad was all flavors of NO. [caption id="attachment_560" align="alignright" width="300"] Chad, Wine, and Gin Rummy[/caption] Played Gin Rummy We haven't played Gin Rummy in years because Chad was "cheating" at the game according to Ruth. He said she had tells. She got frustrated and didn't want to play with him anymore. We started playing again this week and Ruth won a lot. Really enjoyed Cheeseburger Pizza For #wineza this week, we got a Cheeseburger Pizza from Ricardo's. It was really decadent and contained ground beef, onions, dill pickle slices, mozzarella and cheddar cheese. [caption id="attachment_558" align="alignright" width="300"] Chocolate Chip Cookies[/caption] Were cooking in the kitchen Ruth baked chocolate chip cookies las

Welcome to Savoring Our Lives! In this week's episode, we: [caption id="attachment_540" align="alignright" width="300"] Pulled Pork Totchos[/caption] Ate a lot of tater tots For date night, we visited 42 Ale House in St. Francis. They offer a lot of board games as well as food and beverages! In addition to ordering tots with each of our entrees, we had the pulled pork tot-chos. It was a LOT of tots! Went clothes shopping Ruth had to buy a new winter coat because the zipper on her coat broke. Then we headed to Torrid to find jeans. She had no idea they had real clothes that didn't feature Jack Skellington or Hello Kitty and was pleasantly surprised by the nice looking offerings. We took a break in between and stopped for some wine and apps at Pizza Man. The wine was a C5 Ranch Cabernet and the apps included sausage stuffed olives and mozzarella sticks. [caption id="attachment_545" align="alignright" width="300"] Abby in her e-collar[/caption] Visited the Emergency Vet Abby was running along the fence with the

Welcome to Savoring Our Lives! In this week's episode, we: Made a Movie War list We went through Netflix and watched trailers for old, bad movies. We now have a good list for Movie War and will offer some reviews in future episodes - because The Ice Pirates needs some internet love. [caption id="attachment_529" align="alignright" width="300"] Wine and Small Plates at La Merenda[/caption] Found an open restaurant on Monday Apparently restaurants being closed on Mondays is still a thing. We were going to head out and realized half our list of date night restaurants are closed on Mondays. But in good news, we found La Merenda was open and they were thrilled to see us! Chad was in Minneapolis And learned that one Mai Tai is plenty! [caption id="attachment_531" align="alignright" width="300"] Christmas in the Ward - photo by Cindy Lesky[/caption] Ruth had a work event It was the 29th Annual Christmas in the Ward on Friday, so wineza was a little late! Thought about keeping in touch Our friend Phil shared a graphic

Welcome to Savoring Our Lives! In this week's episode, we: Had Date Night  We went to Mr. B's Steakhouse for burgers. The menu changed from the specialty burgers what we had anticipated so we were kind of sad. [caption id="attachment_509" align="alignright" width="300"] Friendsgiving 2017[/caption] [caption id="attachment_510" align="alignright" width="300"] Pilgrim's Pie[/caption] Enjoyed Friendsgiving Our friends "The Sisters" get a group of people together a few times a year for all-you-can-eat sushi at Wasabi. This Thanksgiving eve was a fantastic group of people and amazing service. Made Food for Thanksgiving We got coffee and then made Rumchata French Toast for breakfast. For dinner we made "Taste Likes Thanksgiving Casserole" or what Chad calls "Pilgrim's Pie." Then, for dessert, we made Tiramisu. We had a Zinfandel from Federalist from the Dry Creek Valley. It was bold and delicious and we went back and bought more. Played Board Games Ruth pulled two board games up from the basement which neither of

Welcome to Savoring Our Lives! In this week's episode, we: Had an unwanted guest Ruth realized a critter had gotten into the heating ducts. She's kinda worried it may be a demodog! We're hoping it was a mouse. Watched bad movies Chad wanted to introduce Ruth to "Phantom of the Paradise" starring Paul Williams. Ruth wanted Chad to re-watch "Three Amigos!" with Steve Martin. Neither of us liked the other's movie. So now, we're going to have a bad movie war. Dined Out A Lot [caption id="attachment_473" align="alignright" width="300"] We ordered two pizzas because we couldn't agree.[/caption] Wineza this week was at Pizza Man. We got a great wine recommendation from our server, Megan. And, instead of cheese curds we tried the sausage stuffed olives. They were delicious and not as filling as other appetizers. And then we opted for dessert - a yummy tiramisu. And we decided we're going to make tiramisu for Thanksgiving, too. We also ordered an entire pitcher of margaritas at our nearby Mexican restaurant. We realiz