Monday, October 27, 2008

Cooking classes around town

The last Community Education class that I took I raced home to find my yoga pants. I don't use yoga pants for yoga, I wear them as fat pants -- they stretch so well! I had just returned from consuming my body weight in Indian food. Indian food that I made! And it was good - darn good. So I thought I would take a moment to send a shout out to some of the cooking classes I have taken around town...maybe some of the lesser known ones...

Minneapolis Community Ed
Yes, community ed is hit or miss. I have taken enough classes to know that there are a few good ones out there! So give it a try - you never know!

Mississippi Market
After you take the homemade mozzarella class you will wish that everything you touched turned into fresh mozzarella!

Byerly's
All classes are $10 per person and are of the demonstration kind. At the completion of each class, registered attendees receive a $10 coupon for the culinary and gift basket shops at Byerly’s in St. Louis Park. So in a way it is like getting your money back, so even if the class isn't your favorite, you don't lose out too much!

Whole Foods
I think most of the classes are around $20. They are like the Byerly's classes, in the sense that it is demonstration. Although, they do have a sushi class where you get to roll.

For all these classes, be sure to arrive hungry! I am amazed at the amount of food I get to eat.

Sunday, October 26, 2008

Surly Brewery Tour

Surly Brewing Company
So after a bit of organizing, some friends and I found a Friday that would work for the Surly Tour! The thing that excited me most was the free tour, which meant "free happy hour Friday"! Plus, I love tours and yes, that seals my status as nerd.

This brewery is small! But bare in mind the last one I toured was Lienie's, so that isn't fair for me to judge. But the fact that the entire tour could be conducted in one room was amazing to me. They just have one machine to can all the beer. Just one!

The man that conducts the tour is the owner/founder/CEO and he is adorable. I was fine with him talking about himself and his company for like an hour and half. I could have easily seen myself be annoyed by that, but I wasn't, he was fun to listen too. Plus, at anytime we could return to the bar and get a refill on the beer!

This is a fun way to start the weekend, I highly recommend it!

We missed Darkness (the newest in the family of Surly's) by like two weeks, but we did get to sample:

  • Furious, American IPA
  • Bender, Oatmeal Brown Ale
  • Cynic Ale, Belgian Saison (no wheat!)
  • Coffee Bender, Coffee Brown Ale


~Posted by Ann

Monday, October 20, 2008

Happy Hour at a Museum??

It is true!

The Bakken is a very "hands on" museum, showing us the power of electricity. The night I visited was "Monster Mash", so it was very Halloween themed. There was a big focus on Mary Shelly and Frankenstein, although there is a permanent exhibit on Frankenstein. Bakken may have had an obsession with the story (did you know Mary Shelley wrote Frankenstein when she was 15 and it was published when she was 18!?) and has a first edition book.

The Tudor style house is quite beautiful too. And, it does have a quirk - the amount of doors. A small den had 6 doors! The man that built the house, Goodfellow, was a little paranoid (like eccentric, rich folks tend to be) and thought an intruder would get lost in the dead end of doors, giving Goodfellow enough time to escape. Poor guy should have been more paranoid about his relationship though. He built the house for his girlfriend, but before the home was even finished she dumped him. He never married.

Probably one of the top highlights was this:
Yes, you get to have your picture taken -- showing the power of static electricity!! HA, strangers were screaming at me, "you look like a dandelion!"

So be sure to check this out sometime, the second Tuesday of every month. And yes, admission (which is $7, but don't forget to log onto the site before you go, sometiems they have links for 2 for 1 coupons!) does cover wine and appetizers!!


~Posted by Ann

Sunday, October 12, 2008

Best Apple Orchard!

I have been to several apple orchards over the years and I finally found one that I want to return to year after year! Fall Harvest Orchard, in Delano, MN. Now getting there is an adventure in itself (especially now with the construction), it takes about 45 minutes from Minneapolis, but it is so worth it. Plus, I still love the road trips and you know you are on a road trip when the local gas station in the area has this out front:

I think the thing I love most about this Orchard are all the chickens and goats...

You get to pick your own apples ($1/pound, that is a bargain if you ask me!), but you also get to be a part of the farm. They have daily egg pickings (and you can buy the result in the store), along with a chance to visit with animals I don't interact with in my daily life! My only complaint is that the grill only sells things like soda and nachos. What about slices of apple pie? Oh well, this just means I need to buy more apples and make my own apple desserts!

A new neighbor to this orchard is a winery! Woodland Hill Winery I was obliged to stop, of course. The tastings are $3 and due to a number of wines being sold out we had 7 we could taste. We were able to get samples of the whites and reds, luckily. The apple wines (made from the apples at Fall Harvest Orchard and Apple Jack Orchard) were my favorite, far and away. The semi-dry apple is dangerous! Tastes just like cider. The sweet apple wine they served warm, with brown sugar and a cinnamon stick. WOW! I left with a bottle of both.

Here is an applesauce recipe I made today:

6 medium apples; peeled, cored and cut into 1 inch chunks
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup water

Place apples in a large saucepan. Add lemon juice and water. Cook on medium heat for 15 minutes, then on low for another 10 minutes, or until apples are soft. Mash with a potato masher.

That is it! It was so easy. And if you like sweet apple sauce, you can add:
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp cinnamon