Fall Apple Crisp

My favorite month of the entire year is October, and maybe that's because it starts out with my birthday and ends with Halloween! I also love the leaves changing color, cooler temps, and pumpkin/apple flavored everything.

At my job, we bring in a treat on our birthday to share with the team. I decided to make an apple crisp, a favorite treat of mine and perfect for the fall weather. My dad used to make an amazing apple crisp with wheat germ. It was my brothers and my favorite breakfast. I couldn't find that recipe and i didn't have any wheat germ in the house, so I went on a search for other options.

I had plenty of apples in my house and found a recipe to use as a template before having some fun on my own with the flavors.  I really wanted it to taste like you are eating fall (haha)

I started by doubling the recipe so I would have enough to feed everyone at work (and have a few leftovers for myself to enjoy).

My Aunt bought me this awesome apple cutter a few years ago for Christmas. It cuts in either 8 or 16 pieces. I realized that by using the 16 piece option, I didn't need to really slice the apples any thinner and just had to remove the peel from each piece. I love time savers in the kitchen.

Here are my alterations to the recipe: (remember I doubled it)

Filling edits:
- I used 9 apples - I like a lot of apples in my crisp!
- I used 5 Tbsp. butter instead of 6 (trying to cut back on fat)
- replaced the vanilla with Maple Syrup as I didn't have any vanilla at home
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon and 1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
- 2 Tbsp Flour and 2 Tbsp. Chai Protein Powder

Topping edits: 
- I used 3/4 cup of flour and 1/4 cup of Chai protein powder in the crumb topping
- I used 1/4 tsp cinnamon and a 1/4 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
- I used only 8 tbsp of butter for the topping (tried to but back a bit)

And after those edits, I followed all the mixing ingredients to a T. Even with less butter in the filling and more apples, I felt there was still plenty of coating on all the apples.

I am so glad that I purchased a pastry blender as doing this with a fork would have taken forever. 

 There was plenty of crumb topping to generously cover the apples. 

Voila! The end result was bubbling at the edges when I pulled it out of the oven. I let it cool uncovered for about an hour and then covered it until the next morning. The topping did get a little soggy but by removing the lid at work, it crisped up again.

My coworkers raved about it. They warmed up their pieces in the microwave for just about 10 seconds and someone even told me it was like something from a restaurant! I brought home the last bits for my guy to try and his words were "you can make this anytime you want."

So I would say this is an overwhelming win for me in the baking department. And I just happen to have more apples at home that are ready to be baked with :)

Oconomowoc Night Out

My friend Kacey had his birthday last week and invited his friends out for a night of food, drinks and fun in Oconomowoc.We started at Lakerz because they have ample seating for a large group. Check out the birthday boy anxiously awaiting the arrival of his friends (or food, not quite sure which was more important at that moment - LOL).

Our server was absolutely amazing. She wrote down very little and remembered just about everything. At one point our group was up to 18 people and she kept on top of drinks and even separated all our checks at the end.

I was told their burgers are superb and they have a lot of them on the menu so I knew I was going to order one. I went outside the norm and order the Brie burger with chips. It had brie cheese, apricot chipotle spread, mushrooms and bacon. I made a wise choice as this was excellent. I like that the bacon is made into a circle and holds the sauce on the burger. The brie cheese melted from the heat of the patty and made it delicious. The burgers are cooked medium well, but mine was actually more medium. No complaints and I enjoy a my burgers a little more pink.

They also have cute presentations for some of the burgers. Everyone finished their meals with extremely satisfied bellies. But a discussion was started about which place in Oconomowoc has the best burger. The discussion was between Lakerz or Crafty Cow. It seemed to be a 50/50 split from those that have tried both. Unfortunately, I haven't eaten at Crafty Cow yet to try theirs, but they stuff the fillings between two patties to make a unique burger. I'm hoping to try it out soon and weigh in.

Kacey even got a free birthday shot - he let our server pick and we believe it was a Slippery Nipple because it tasted like butterscotch. He liked it until he found out the name.

Kacey's Birthday Gang at Lakerz.

Something interesting that Lakerz just added this past week is The Lobster Zone. I didn't believe it was actually a game at first, but sure enough, you can pay $2 and try to pick up a lobster. If you get it, you get it cooked for you for free. "You catch it, we cook it" is the slogan on the machine. Not sure it's my thing but it definitely drew people in to check it out.

Next up we made a stop at Crafty Cow for a some "fancy beers" as Kacey called them. Though the place looked really busy, the host quickly pulled tables together for our group and sat us near the back - yay for not having to wait! The only unfortunate thing about this spot is the slow closing back door. A wave of cold came over the table every time someone opened it. Apparently the door used to have a sign asking people to not use it unless necessary, but there was no sign and we shivered from time to time.

Crafty Cow has an industrial-art vibe on the inside - exposed heating and cooling vents and unique art on the wall. I didn't get a good look at the bar area, but they do have plenty of beers on tap and it changes often.

I was able to find some new beers to try and liked them. I would definitely come back for a beer atan and I definitely need to come back for a burger. But until summer, I don't want to sit near in the back of the bar.

Our last stop for the night was Splash.  I have been here before and really like the martinis. It also had a patio that overlooks a lake and is really beautiful on a summer night.

Kacey received a free drink on his birthday, but he has to show his ID. This began the discussion of all of us showing our IDs and how different we look since we got them.

I ordered the Wild Elderberry Martini that would be awesome to sip on a hot summer night. It was refreshing and lemony.

The favorite martini of the group is the Reese's Peanut Butter Cup and this is Splash's signature drink to. Our server told us the recipe is top secret and even the employees have to sign a waiver that they won't give out the recipe.

There was a band playing live music and our friends Angie & Jeremy that recently got engaged, went up and danced a bit. It was really cute to see them so in love.

All in all it was a great night in Oconomowoc with merriment had by all. Downtown Oconomowoc is similar to downtown Waukesha with the selection of bars and shops. I have never shopped in downtown, only enjoyed the eats and drinks, but I think I will have to change that soon.

Generations Birthday Brunch

I love getting my friends together for my birthday and I'm always looking for something different to do. I have had a Brewer's playoff party, Monday Night Football (Packers vs. Vikings) bar party, Badgers Game Party (sensing a sports theme), Brewery tour, bonfire on a frigid night, and sushi dinner to name a few.

27th Birthday at my apartment during the Brewers Playoff games.

28th Birthday at Sporties for the MNF Packers V. Vikings Game

29th Birthday at Milwaukee Brewing Company with the 2 birthday boys!

30th Birthday party at New Berlin Ale House for a Badgers Game

This year I went completely different and with my birthday falling on a Sunday morning, decided on brunch. I hemmed and hawed between a few spots in downtown and decided that Generations at Five Points was going to be the best. So I put in my reservation and sent out the invites.


I started the morning with a walk for the Bryon Riesch Paralysis Foundation at Carroll University. I ran this last year, but knowing my brunch was after, I decided a walk with some good friends would be a nice way to start the day.

I met Bryon Riesch in my work with the Waukesha County Fair and have come to know more about the great work of the Foundation. He is a great guy that is bringing much needed attention to the necessary research for paralysis. His walk in Waukesha is gaining more runners each year.

So my friend Tiffany and I did the walk and then headed back to her house to get ready before brunch.

As I have mentioned in previous posts, (and here) Generations at Five Points is a tapas restaurant in downtown Waukesha. They have a great wine list, creative martinis and wonderful small plates. I suggest 3 - 4 small plates per two people (These delicious dishes are meant to be shared).

Fairly recently, they added Sunday brunch, but that is not served tapas style. In the past, my friend and I have ordered an "appetizer" to the breakfast and then one plate a piece. Our past experiences left us with very happy bellies.

Eggs Benedict - always a great choice

Banana Bread French Toast with Strawberry Sauce and Whipped Cream

Generations reserved my group an area in the back of the restaurant. They have booth benches along the walls and pushed tables and chairs together to make a nice area for my group. We looked over the menu which has a little bit of everything on it for brunch and waited for drinks.

I was able to see some friends that I don't see as often and even found out my niece will be in the same school with my friend's baby in a few years. They are best friends already!

Checking out an older man already - Avery is such a flirt!

I noticed a slight delay in getting drinks to our table but our server was very courteous and kept checking back on us when she could. The Bloody Mary's come with a mini grilled cheese on it - how unique and fancy. I'm not a bloody mary fan but I do like their mimosas and it was just as good as I remembered from last time.
 
The food did take a bit to come from the kitchen, but when we were served, everyone thought it was very tasty and nicely plated. I'm glad I chose Generations, and I think I may have drummed up some new business for the restaurant.

I'm very excited for their pub to open soon and I'm curious about the food they will be serving there. I already know it's going to be creative and delicious because everything I have had at Generations has been really great.

100 Happy Days: Week 3

I had a little numbering issue and double numbered one day - but I'm back on track now. Here is Week 2 and Week 1 

Day 16: 

Took in the sites from Lapham and we were hoping for more pops of color but just a few so far. Sun is setting earlier, making the narrow wooded trails hard to see, but we pushed ourselves harder than ever before and conquered some amazing hills. It felt great.  

Day 17: 

Had a weeknight girls night and got to sip wine from some fancy glasses while catching up on life.  

Day 18: 

Currently I'm reading Book 2 in a YA series. This is called The Off Season by Catherine Gilbert Murdock. It's a light easy read and I'm glad that I am taking time each night for books. 

Day 19:

 I love having friends over to watch Packer games. I hosted a baked potato bar and it was a as huge of a hit as some of those the Packers were laying down on the Vikings. Never a doubt they would pull out this win, but never thought the spread would be so large! 

Day 20: 

When I have no other plans or just want a night in, watching Netflix has become the norm. Currently watching the Prison Break series with the occasional retro Disney movie thrown in. 

Day 21: 

 My friends surprised me with a birthday cake at a get-together and they all sang and almost lit the house on fire with all those candles! But I love them and thank them so much for their friendship! 

Day: 22

I cannot thank everyone enough for the calls, texts and messages wishing me a happy birthday. I feel so blessed to have so many people in my life and had such a wonderful day!   ‪#‎100happydays‬ ‪#‎day22‬

It was my birthday and I couldn't find the perfect photo to capture all the elements of the day - so I just thanked everyone for their love! 

Phone Dump Vol. 3

My weeks are getting crazy busy but I wanted to show you what I have been up to - so here's another phone dump for your enjoyment. Some of these will spawn into blog posts soon - I promise!

 

Homemade Beef Enchiladas - soooo good!

Beautiful sunrise while heading to work!

And a beautiful sunset on my first 4-mile run in months!

And the awesome screw that I found in my tire on Sunday - a patch is working so far - fingers crossed!

Ate at Christina's on Sunday afternoon and the chicken was good - the sides could use some work.

My nephews awesome iPhone skills - he took 7 selfies in like 2 seconds!

Jumbo pretzel with zesty dipping cheese from Cleveland Pub

Hammerschlocken from Oktoberfest in Milwaukee. I almost took out someone's eye but the event was a blast.

Pumpkin bar from the Milwaukee Public Market - not really my type of bar - too much crust

Broadway Cafe opening soon!

My favorite job that I ever held has been closed for 3 years, yet the registers and mops are still where we left them.

Yay for falling leaves on my walk!

One machine was writing on a board while the other machine moved that board! WMTS in Milwaukee

New running shoes and shoes for my leap back into running!

My awesome nephew again on his 2nd birthday!

And finally another gorgeous Fall sky on my run to end the post!