Ranger Review: New Mexico Edition

As some of you may know, we made a road trip to Arizona the first week of January to take Chris to the Seasonal Law Enforcement Training Program at Northern Arizona University.  Before anyone gets too excited, we must bring it down a notch and tell you that Chris was injured during the first week of training...and was hurt badly enough that he had to come home.  Who knew you had cartilage connecting your ribs to your breast bone?  FYI:  It's in your best interest for that to stay attached! We were devastated by the news and are trying to regroup.  He's back at home to rest and heal.  Instead of focusing on that sad story here, let's talk about our visit to New Mexico on the way to Flagstaff.  I suppose it might not be considered a "visit", as it lasted less than 24 hours, but we managed to goof around a bit.
After spending a night in Albququerque, we headed to Petroglyph National Monument, which is located on the west side of the city.  It's interesting because the monument is surrounded by subdivisions and suburbia, which is something that we didn't expect.  Our first stop was the visitor center...to get our passport stamp, of course.

The VC had exactly ONE exhibit...why have more when you can have a bigger bookstore?

Wish we had one of these at my park...might keep morale up a bit.

Suburbia

Seriously? Metal clips, people?

After our short hike to see some of the petroglyphs, it was time to hit the road.  Our plan was to stop at Petrified Forest National Park before reaching Flagstaff that evening.  As we headed west, our stomachs told us we'd have to grab a late lunch before making it to the Arizona state line.  We stopped in Grants and took a look around.

Grants, New Mexico is....well...pretty depressing.  Wish I could say something nicer, but we all know I'm not always nice.  We exited on business 40 so that we could go through town...on Route 66.  I immediately thought of Cars and Radiator Springs.  It's like someone rolled up the carpet.  Most of the buildings were in pretty rough shape and the businesses were closed. One thing that caught our eye was a Blake's Lotaburger.  We had seen several across the state.  So, I quickly googled it on my phone and discovered it was a New Mexico chain.  A sense of urgency set in...we were almost to Arizona...we had to try Blake's before leaving New Mexico!  My Blueberry told me that there was a second Blake's location in town, so we motored on...and were there in a jiffy.  It's pretty sad how excited we got a the thought of a locally owned burger joint. 

I approached the counter and found something unique on the menu...green chilies.  Excited, I asked the associate at the counter if they were spicy.  She looked at me blankly and said, "not really". Hmmmmm. This is exciting, I thought....can't get green chilies on a cheeseburger in Oklahoma.  So, I had her add 'em on.   A green chili cheeseburger, fries and drink for me.

Chris ordered a hamburger, onion rings, and drink.

I arrived at our table to report to Chris how excited I was about my green chili cheeseburger.  As we got all set up at the table, he just kept looking at me like he didn't quite get what had just happened.  

Chris:  First of all, why were you asking a local if the green chilies were spicy? Of course she isn't going to think they're spicy.  She lives here. You don't DO spicy.

Lauren:  I know.  I got really excited.  I've never seen green chilies on a cheeseburger before.  I hope they're okay.

Chris:  Should've thought of that before you ordered them.

Chris watched as a labored through my special cheeseburger...every spicy bite...and shook his head.  Unfortunately, we both thought the burgers were just average.  They didn't have a LOTA...get it, lota?...flavor.  The fries and onion rings were also just average.  So, next time you are in New Mexico, just don't get too excited about Blake's.  We're glad we went local, but may not go back again. Sorry, Blake.

As we got back onto I-40 I mentioned to Chris that my green chili cheese burger might not have been a good idea.  I began to wonder when and if it would, well, come back to haunt me.  Chris also looked concerned...

But, we motored on...Petrified Forest was just down the road.

Luckily, my tummy liked the green chilies.

My driver was pretty happy about that.

Guest Blog: Erin and Stephanie

Erin and Stephanie are also from Valpo.  They graduated from high school a year before me.  Although we had mutual friends in high school, we didn't hang out.  We reconnected at Purdue and spent two school years living in an apartment together...acting crazy, cooking, laughing, and having fun.  I don't remember what life was like before the girls were in it.  They are my best friends and they stood beside Chris and I at our wedding as our Maid and Matron of Honor.  I love these girls.  (photos by Jake Holt)

Erin...

Stephanie...

They spent this past weekend together, missing me I'm sure.  Erin sent this blog entry about their weekend:

Stephanie made the 5 hour trip from Evansville to visit Erin in Mishawaka. When Stephanie arrived, the apartment smelled of cake baking in the oven & Erin was preparing the spinach artichoke dip.

Together, they prepared Brian Botano’s Tomato & Garlic Crouton Salad, only adding the olives to Erin’s bowl.

Erin & Stephanie ate dinner while watching four wonderful episodes of the World Series of Pop Culture VH1 that Erin DVR’ed for this special occasion. After each devouring two bowls of salad, dip with crackers & raspberry lemonade, it was time to make the whip cream frosting for the chocolate cake.

This is the cake that Erin requests as her birthday cake every year, but instead of making homemade cake like mom, Erin used a Pillsbury box mix. The best part about the cake is that it also makes a delicious breakfast treat. We enjoyed our cake and coffee while watching a new show on comedy central that we found by accident, Human Giant.

We played Just Dance on the Wii, which amounted to 30-45 minutes of aerobic activity. After a shower, it was time for dinner.

While the rice was cooking, Stephanie shredded the cheese and cut the peppers and onions for our fajitas. Stephanie reminded Erin of the time at Purdue that we were having enchiladas & she was going to make rice pilaf to go with the dinner. Silly Stephanie! Erin cooked the steak & veggies in a grill pan on the stove. Topped with shredded cheese, salsa & sour cream, the fajitas were delicious! We could only eat a couple bites of the rice since we made the fajitas so large! We ate the fajitas and enjoyed the Christmas episode of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.

The only thing missing from this fun weekend of friendship, fun & TV, was Stephanie & Erin’s dear friend Lauren. They both wish Lauren would have been there to complain about the TV shows they both enjoyed watching, laughing hysterically! Also, Lauren probably wouldn’t have gotten a piece of cake, because there was only enough for each of us to have 4 large pieces, not exactly enough to share.

Aunt Cindy's Oatmeal Cranberry Cookies

We received a wonderful package from Aunt Cindy, Uncle John, and Hannah for Christmas.  In addition to Trader Joe's Pumpkin Pancake Mix (can't wait to try!!!!!), the package included a mason jar filled with the dry ingredients for Aunt Cindy's Oatmeal Cranberry Cookies. 

We decided to bake the cookies on New Years Eve....and they were delicious!  I'll admit that I'm not a huge fan of cranberries (although I have recently discovered how good they are on salads) or white chocolate, but these cookies are such a wonderful combination of flavors.  These cookies are soooo good!  Hope you'll try them today and think of my lovely aunt from Georgia.

I used my Doughmakers cookie sheet.  I have had it for several years and just love it.  These wonderful pans are made in the US by a company in Indiana.  I know my mom and Chris' sister, Amy, have also used them.  Although they're not non-stick, everything slides right off. 

Aren't they beautiful?  We shared some with our neighbors, packaged some for our trip to Arizona (more on that later), and put a few in the freezer for later.  Yum!  I'd love to hear what you think after you try them!  Thank you Aunt Cindy!

Ranger Review: Seattle, WA Edition, Part 2

Hello!  Better late than never...this is the final installment of our honeymoon trip report.  I know the scores of blog readers will be disappointed!

Mount Rainier National Park
We decided to escape the city to Mount Rainier for the day.  Because we were around in the off-season, only a small portion of the southwest side of the park was open to the public.  We had a wonderful time exploring, walking, and enjoying the scenery.  We entered in the southwest corner and made our way a total of 19 miles into the park to the Paradise area.  It was spectacular!  Of course, these rangers LOVED it.  Too bad we could only see a small part...but that leaves a lot to see when we go back!

So excited to be there...

Longmire Museum...why go into the park when you can press strange buttons...

Longmire Area...a National Historic Landmark...

Hiking under the giant trees...

Look!  A mountain!

The road was marked for snow removal...

On our way back to Seattle...

Pagliacci Pizza

Has anyone noticed that we only eat gourmet food?  Chris LOVES pizza.  When I say love, I mean that he would eat it every single day if he could...or at least alternate between that and peanut butter sandwiches.  So, we ordered pizza in the hotel room one night.  Fancy, romantic honeymoon dining.  Pagliacci is a Seattle chain.  Not sure what the locals would say, but we loved it.  It definitely gets Chris' seal of approval.

 Salumi
This gem was recommended to us by the concierge at the Alexis Hotel. Salumi is owned by Mario Batali's family. They create cured meats and other Italian foods in-house.

We made our way over to the Pioneer Square neighborhood, which was within walking distance from the hotel. Salumi would be easy to miss...it's barely wider than a doorway. When we finally found it, we stepped inside and joined a line. Along the wall to our left was a chalk board with the menu. They have a set menu with daily specials. Several things were already gone for the day, as we were a bit on the late side  and Salumi is incredibly busy.

Just inside the door...

 These lovely ladies...

Made us beautiful Salumi salami sandwiches...salami with provolone, olive oil/garlic smear, and peppers...

All of the tables were taken in the back of the restaurant, which was tiny and crowded. We were VERY lucky to score the only two stools near the front window and front door. So, we wedged ourselves in and enjoyed...

If you go to Seattle and you don't go to Salumi, you are crazy. It is absolutely charming, unique, and delicious. Our salami sandwiches were the best we've ever had. This tiny place is crowded for a reason. It's worth the wait and the cramped spaces. You must go to Salumi!

Matt's in the Market
Our last dinner was spent at this beautiful restaurant, which is tucked above the Pike Place Market.  It wasn't a planned stop...we just went up to look at the menu.  We're so glad we decided to have our dinner there.  It's such a charming place.  The kitchen is open to the dining area and the windows overlook the Market.  It's incredibly charming and the food is absolutely delicious.  We decided to share soup, salad, and our entree.  We each enjoyed a glass of wine.

We sat along a low wall, next to the kitchen...

 

The perfect end to our dinner came in the form of coffee in a french press...one of our absolute favorite things. If you still make your coffee in a coffee maker, you are missing out!  We enjoyed our coffe...and Chris tried to hold his cup...but the handle was smaller than the one on my cup.  He managed somehow... 

After dinner we stepped outside and looked up to see Matt's on the top floor...and wanted to go back inside to the beautiful little restaurant...

But, it was time to head back to the Alexis and pack up for our flight the next day. So, we took one last look at the Market...

Unfortunately, we had to head back to reality in Oklahoma.  We loved our time on Whidbey Island, San Juan Island, and in Seattle.  We can't wait to go back and explore again soon.