100 Happy Days: Week 8

 Day 51:

 Sushi and Milwaukee night with my girls. I don't get into Milwaukee as much as I would like and so picking a place on the river with excellent food was a great idea. I got to see the skyline, got to catch up with the girls and filled my belly with delicious sushi. Screaming Tuna gets a high recommendation from me.

  Day 52:

 Luke Bryan on stage with Garth Brooks - what a site. The County Music Awards majorly impressed me and though I never doubt country music to cheer me up, this show kept me laughing, smiling and singing along. Maybe the wine I had with it helped too! :)

Day 53:

 The start of a nasty cold brought on a treat to myself of chocolate, Gilmore Girls and snuggling up on the couch with blankets to keep toasty warm. This chocolate bar was amazing. The caramel was almost like toffee inside the bar. For 1.99 at Walgreens, it was worth the splurge. 

Day 54 & 55:

I headed back up to Appleton for the next TMNT party and another success it was. Even though I wasn't feeling the best, I made the most of it and didn't let my cold win. (Maybe that's why I'm still sick? - nah!) My cousin came up with all the ideas and I helped make them happen. Super proud of the cake - another successful cake for one lucky 6 year old. 

Day 56, 57, & 58:

I laid low for a few days and there are no pictures because I'm still recovering from this dang cold. I found out that I'm allergic to Hydrocodone so that set me back a little but I'm thankful that it's just a cough and I'm not more sick. I can't really sleep well at night but am trying to rest and get this gone with lots of fluids. Plus a few texts from friends really cheered me up and are getting me on the road to recovery.

Top 12 of 2012

This was the first year that I really spent quality time on my blog and making fun posts for you all to read. I can't believe that I have over 19,000 pageviews when just a year ago I think I was lucky if anyone read my blog and now I'm averaging 50-100 views a day!

This blog started as a way for me to put a personal diary out in 2007 about my life. But then I realized that I wanted to really share something that people wanted to read about and not a journal of my daily tasks. So I began slowly and kept at it. This year I attended Online BlogCon which really helped boost my readership and I started a Facebook page. It's only up from here.

In 2013, I'm attending the Build Your Blog Conference in Salt Lake City, Utah in February with my friend Tiffany and I can hardly wait! But before I get ahead of myself, here are my Top 12 posts of 2012.

12. Wine Maniacs

I haven't gone back like I thought I would have but the place is still on my list.

11. People's Park 2X

Haven't gone twice in one day but I been back many times. Actually the second time I was at People's that day is when my profile picture for my Facebook Fan Page was taken.

10. Melthouse Bistro

This place is really having fun on social media and offering deals to fans that dress up in Packer gear or know an answer to trivia questions. Not to mention, they are coming up with yummy new sandwiches all the time.

9. Good Friend Inc. Drop N Shop

I wasn't able to attend the Drop N Shop but I have spent more time volunteering for these lovely ladies and can't wait for what 2013 has in store for them.

8. Meiji Cuisine

A Fifth Friday event was held here and it gave me a chance to eat at the sushi bar. This is the best sushi I have ever had and I can't wait for someone to invite me to go again soon :)

7. What a Difference a Year Makes

It's only been half a year since this post but there have been a lot of changes already. I better get to writing those down so I don't forget by July!!!

6. Couch to 5K #3

Although it was a really hot day out, running through a city is such a rush and I can't wait to do it in 2013.

5. Bernie's Tap Room 

I have been back a few more times and I really hope this place makes it. The pizza is amazing and I'm drooling over that beer cheese soup!

4. Cookies for Kids' Cancer Cookie Swap

I am planning to make the Greek cookies early in 2013 because they were so good. And I can't wait to participate again!

3. Fifth Friday Events

The Waukesha County Biz Alliance, and all the wonderful ladies (and gentleman) that work for it put on the best events. I missed the last Fifth Friday at Thunder Bay Grille due to being out of town, but I can't wait to be more of a participant in 2013.

2. Pizza Battle???

Nothing has yet come to fruition, but I really hope that it can happen next year. And there are some additional contestants since I wrote that - The Lucky Rabbit???

And Drum Roll Please.........

1. Make & Take Chocolate Class

Thanks to Allo! Chocolat for sharing my blog post in one of their newsletters as it contributed to this being my most viewed post of 2012. I bought my mom a gift certificate to take another one of the classes as well as some of the nice chocolate discs to melt and coat the biscottis that she is dying to make. 

So those are the most popular posts of 2012. I am surprised at some of them, but I am not complaining at all, just overjoyed that people are actually reading me.

Coming up will be my personal Top 12 highlights of 2012 and my 2013 resolutions goals.:)

Fifth Friday Events

Young Professionals of Waukesha County

If you are a Young Professional in Waukesha County and haven't attended a Fifth Friday yet, you don't know what you are missing. The Young Professionals of Waukesha County is a group created by the Waukesha County Business Alliance (countywide chamber of commerce if you weren't aware). Young Professionals are those in their 20s and 30s that work in Waukesha County. (They don't check IDs at the door to make sure you qualify and truly all are welcome.)

Each month that has five Fridays in it allows for a bonus networking night for the young professionals. This event is informal and FREE to attend and usually has some great drink specials. In other words, a good time at a local pub with "new friends."

I have been attending Fifth Friday events for quite a few years. For a while they were held at House of Guinness, but in the last year, the group has ventured to locations throughout the county - Delafield Brewhaus, Sprizzo's, Thunder Bay (to name a few) and this Friday's will be at Meiji Cuisine. New locations sometimes mean that the group layout will change, but the dynamic never does. Sometimes the facility works best for us to break off into smaller groups, other times we are one large group or a bunch of medium groups. Regardless we are all able to meet, socialize and cheers hello. And I think we can all agree that we are glad it's finally Friday. No matter what, you will have no problem joining in and meeting some great people.

This month's event is held from 5 to 7 pm on Friday, Aug. 31, and if you haven't been to Meiji Cuisine in Waukesha yet, you need to! And what a perfect opportunity to come check the place out. I have been to Meiji one time before and it was a fantastic sushi experience. You can read about it here. Meiji is located by Target and Home Depot in Waukesha off of Hwy J.

Meiji has about five menus to choose from for food and specialty cocktails, so there is something to please everyone. Although the event officially ends at 7, some of us stay after to eat and enjoy additional adult beverages together. All are welcome to partake in the post 7 pm dinner. I'm already craving the Outstanding sushi roll and Wasabi Salsa appetizer.

So if you are free (yes I know it's Labor Day weekend), consider stopping into Meiji Cuisine and joining us for a libation or dinner. I hope to see you there.

A Night Out: Toyko Sushi & Grill

TokyoinMilwaukee.com

 

Recently my friends offer was accepted on their "Forever Home." They shared the news with me as soon as they found out and I couldn't be happier for them. It's a beautiful house and can't wait to see it when they add their style to make it a home. To celebrate this wonderful news, a group of us went out for sushi (and yes again I had a Groupon :)).

I made reservations for 9 of us to go to Tokyo Sushi and Grill Japanese House on 129th & Bluemound, next door to Wine Cellar of Wisconsin (if you have never been, please stop into the wine shop - great selection, amazing help!). The hostess was quite confused when taking my reservation, and I had to repeat myself, so just make sure they get the right number and time when you call. When we walked into the restaurant, we stood in a very small entryway with photos of customers enjoying meals, daily specials on a dry erase board and a small bench. Half of dining room was set up for  Hibachi and the other half was tables and booths. A small bar runs against the front wall on the dining side and would seat maybe 6. In the floor is a unique display of fancy liquor bottles. I didn't notice it at first, but we had to wait a few minutes for a table and upon moving out of a customer's way to the door, I glanced down and it caught my eye. Very unique display, but I'm unsure of the purpose.

The restaurant was very full and they sat our group of 9 (actually 7 as a few cancelled, so we had some space) at a Hibachi table, even though we all were getting sushi. It was a little awkward and I felt like I had to talk loud to folks on the other end of the table, but there weren't many others in the room to bother if I did speak up.

Hibachi table at Toyko

Decorative window to divide the Hibachi Room - TokyoinMilwaukee.com

Our server wasn't very familiar with the bar offerings and just suggested that she bring over a drink menu for us to choose from. I wanted to do a vodka lemonade (I know, not very authentic) and the server wasn't sure what I wanted. I ended up going with a Bacardi and diet because they didn't have any flavored vodkas on the menu. Shauna and Jack shared a little bottle of sake, Tiffany tried the beer special of the night and the rest got waters or sodas. It's been a while since I have had hard liquor in a drink, but even so, this one was very strong. I'm very glad I asked for a water as well. 

Sake in a pretty bottle to chill

Bacardi and diet - its pretty light colored!

My Groupon did not work on the nightly specials or specials menu that they had, so I ended up using it on my own for the regular menu as everyone else went for specials. It's not hard to spend money on sushi because in my eyes, its all so good!

One of the specials was a terriyaki steak with veggies that came with miso soup and a salad. A few people ordered that. I snuck a taste from Kacey and the the salad dressing was a delicious but thick ginger sesame. The miso soup was typical from what everyone said and Kacey devoured his steak in just a few bites it was that good. Everyone had cleared their plate and was waiting patiently for the sushi.

Our server informed us that with all the Groupons, the sushi chefs were a little backed up and items from the kitchen were coming out much faster than the sushi area and she apologized for the wait. A few minutes later, sushi started to come to our table. I had completely forgot what I had ordered and even if I did remember, I would have no idea what it was to look like. It was an hour from the time we sat down to the time we got our sushi.

We finally got all the plates out at the table and started to dig in. I ordered the Phoenix Roll which was made of tempura shrimp and cream cheese topped with spicy tuna. This was my favorite roll that I have ever had. Although I still remember that Tory's roll from Meiji 88 was really good, I enjoyed the little kick of spice and the crunch and that's what made it #1 for me. I also ordered a Dynamite roll which was crab, avocado, spicy mayo and lobster salad on top. This too had crunch but these rolls were very large and hard to eat. And to be on the safe side, in case both of my rolls were too spicy for me, I ordered a California roll, cucumber avocado rice and that is exactly what it tasted like. 

California, Dynamite & Phoenix Rolls from ToykoinMilwaukee.com

Although I don't remember what everyone ordered and the majority came from the specials menu that isn't listed on line, I did take pictures to show the rest of the food. I know that a Rock'n Roll and a Fashion Roll were ordered, but beyond that, I couldn't tell you, so just enjoy the beautifully presented sushi. My friend Caroline did have some of her sushi wrapped in soy paper instead of seaweed and although it is a higher cost, she really likes the flavor better. I will note this for my next sushi adventure and have to order a roll that way.

Beautiful Presentation from Toykoinmilwaukee.com

TokyoinMilwaukee.com

Our server did seem to disappear for quite some time while we were eating. She did apologize again for being slow and promptly got us our bills and boxes for leftovers. I had misread my Groupon and it was worth $20 and not $30 so I had over purchased, but I enjoyed every bite and took some to-go. I figure that you can have leftovers up to 18 hours later if kept cold and they will be fine. Unfortunately I left them in Kacey's fridge so he had a marvelous lunch the next day at work. 

Even though service was a little slow (mainly to blame on the Groupon's expiring soon), I would like to go back there and try some other things on their menu. I have never done Hibachi so that could be an option too. The people that were finishing up their Hibachi when we got there and the small group that sat down as we were leaving really seemed to be enjoying themselves as did the chef.

Until my next post, Happy Eating!

Sushi Time at Meiji Cuisine

Image from MeijiCuisine.com

 

This past Thursday, I asked three of my friends to join me for a night of sushi and a movie in Waukesha. They all agreed and I was super pumped to use my LivingSocial deal for Meiji Cuisine. (If you aren't a member of Groupon or LivingSocial, you really need to get on board. I know that there are mixed reviews from retailers that they can be more hassle than they are worth, but if the consumer reads the fine print and understands what they are buying AND the retailer explains the offer to all their employees prior to the deal starting, they are great deals.)

The deal asked that I make a reservation and because we were planning for a 7:10 movie, I made the reservation for 5:45. When we entered Meiji, I could not believe from the outside how beautiful the interior is. I would never picture this from a strip-mall style business in Waukesha. Meiji is located right by Home Depot in Waukesha in front of Texas Roadhouse on Hwy J. The entrance is a little unique to get into, but there is ample parking.

Back to the interior. You walk in at the middle of the restaurant and we were immediately greeted by three smiling faces welcoming us for dinner. There is a beautiful fountain and blue glass light sculpture in the waiting area. Obviously on a typical Thursday night at 5:45, I don't think you would need to make a reservation, but by the time we left, the place was filling up. We were set at table in the middle of the restaurant side right across from all the chefs making the sushi. Tables are dark wood with tan placemats, white plates, burgundy cloth napkins and chopsticks. The art is modern Asian if that makes sense all in the black and tan color palette.There were 2 hibachi rooms located off this main dining room that I could see but neither were in use while I was there.

They asked us what menu we wanted to use. I had read some reviews on Yelp and heard from friends that if you don't know what you want and you get all the menus, its really overwhelming. I asked my friends to preview the Japanese sushi menu online so we could minimize being overwhelmed. We got 4 sushi menus and asked for the Chinese menu too to just see what else they have to offer.

Then came time to order. One of my friends ordered a sake and they suggested she drink it warm. I had never heard of that before but she took the suggestion and said it brought a whole new level to the sake experience. The rest of us just had water with lemon because with us getting older (haha) we thought sitting in a movie after a cocktail or two might make us sleepy or give us a headache (yep we are getting so old :) ). Our server gave us a few moments and then we were ready to order.

My friend Tiffany ordered an appetizer for us called wasabi salsa (which I didn't get a picture) that consisted of cucumber strips w/ salmon, tuna or yellowtail and topped with tomatoes, onions and a little wasabi. I'm not sure which one I had, because we dug in before asking, but the cucumbers were lightly pickled and then the seafood was wrapped around the cucumber. It was absolutely delicious. I am not one that has experimented too much in the world of sushi and never had sashimi, but this is going to become something in my repertoire! And this might have made me interested in trying sashimi sometime.

Next came the rolls, I decided to go with the Sexy Girl Roll to step out of my comfort zone. It was fried lobster inside the roll and spicy tuna and chef's special sauce on the top. They were wrapped in a pretty pick rice paper (so fitting for me). The fried lobster was delicious but the special sauce was pretty spicy on top - maybe a sirracha sauce concoction. Other than that, the rest of the roll was good but without that red dot of sauce the roll would be pretty bland.

Tory ordered the Outstanding Roll which was spicy tuna and tempera bits with eel and avocado in a green rice paper. This was absolutely delicious and my favorite roll of the group. I'm a sucker for avocado. The tempera crunchiness was just enough to make it a complete roll. I'm going to look for this in future rolls. I didn't try the sauce in the middle but check out that super fun presentation and Tory really enjoyed it. 

Tiffany ordered the Mummy Roll which was tempura shrimp and cucumber on the inside, tuna and lobster with tobiko sauce and a sweet/sour sauce. The sauce was much calmer than mine but went very well with the roll and enhanced the flavor a lot.

Shauna is new to the sushi world but she was adventurous. She ordered the Boston roll which was shrimp with cucumber and mayo. We were both curious about the mayo but it really just added a little smoothness to the roll and the shrimp and cucumber were a good combo. She also ordered a California roll because that one didn't have any raw fish in it and she knew it would be a safe bet. I didn't try one of those but seeing as we all ate everything, I think they were just as good as the rest.

Tiff and Shauna also ordered spring rolls with sweet and sour sauce. They said they were good but typical.

As you have read, I thoroughly enjoyed this meal. Even without the LivingSocial deal, it came out to around $20 a person and for sushi that isn't too bad (and we were all full). Sakura and Meiji are very even in my book but I have only been to each one once. I can't get past the amazing lunch deal at Sakura. I highly recommend both for your sushi enjoyment and maybe I will get a group together to check out the Hibachi table soon as this is something on my hit list for 2012.

We finished enjoying all the sushi fun in about an hour and headed over to the Majestic to see New Year's Eve. Unfortunately we weren't the only people using our Spotlight discount from Marcus as they only had 4 seats left in the movie -- thus we would have to search all over the theater and not sit together. While we decided what to do, 2 tickets were bought and that settled the idea for us -- no movie. So instead we went to Tiff's apartment and played Just Dance 3 on her Wii. Not that sushi is a super fattening meal loaded up with calories but I was glad to not just sit after I ate (a resolution for me in 2012) One of my friends earned the nickname "Wind Up Toy" that night for her never ending energy in the game. It turned out to be a really great night.

Until my next post, Happy Eating!