7 QT 46: Hikes, cocktails, and a giveaway!
Not only is it Friday, it's the Friday before Memorial Day. This weekend, we're taking time to honor those who have given their lives while serving in the country's armed forces.
It's also a four day weekend, so we'll be celebrating with deck parties, road trips to see friends, relaxing, and gratitude. Before we pull out a lawn chair, here's what is new with the Langrs this week:
1. Wait, this isn't Ireland?
Last weekend Joseph and I took a quick day trip down to Manhattan, Kansas. After brunch with friends, we drove a few miles out of town and hiked the Konza trail. Thanks to the fog and the recent rain, it looked like we were hiking in Ireland.
Or, this is what I imagine Ireland looks like, since I've never been. Fine, it just looked like the Ireland I've seen in the movies. I'm looking at you, Leap Year.
We took the 4 mile loop and enjoyed the views, the silence, and the occasional rain drops. It was a gorgeous hike! The last time Joseph and I were on that trail, it was on our first date as boyfriend and girlfriend. We revisited some of our first memories together and had a great time.
2. The new glasses have FINALLY arrived!
This morning I was planning on publishing this post when I got a call from the optometrist - my glasses have arrived! I love how quirky they are! For some reason in my mind, these glasses were bright pink - so it was a happy surprise when I realized they were actually a deeper cranberry color.
Now I'm just waffling back and forth on whether I should keep my hair long or go back to the Chloe classic pixie cut. What do you think?
3. Puppy love
While we visited friends on Sunday in Manhattan, we stopped in their apartment to meet their adorable dog. After playing with her, watching her sit (and stay and come!) on command, and just basking in her cuteness, my dog fever has returned. Although, let's be honest, it's never left.
I've caught myself a few times this week looking at puppy pictures and enjoying spending time with a few other friends' dogs too. But then I think of the work that goes into taking care of a puppy - potty training, training in general, etc. What's been your experience with dogs? If you were to share your thoughts on adopting a puppy versus an older dog, what would you say? Asking for a friend.
4. Budding cocktail connoisseurs
There's nothing like walking into a fancy bar, realizing they don't have a menu, and having your mind go blank. What do you drink? What would you like to order? How are cocktails made? What is a cocktail?
In typical Langr fashion, Joseph and I took a walk down to the library one night after work and checked out every book they had on cocktails. No, seriously, every book. My favorite is the illustrated guide to cocktail making. After realizing the sparsity of our liquor collection, we decided to buy a bottle of liquor each month and gradually build our selection.
Now in our growing liquor cabinet (read: the cabinet above our stove) we have gin, rum, and whiskey. The vermouth is in our fridge (we kind of know what we're doing). We're thinking that our June liquor purchase will be vodka.
We've gotten very creative with our cocktail making, and I don't know if that's us being adventurous or ignorant about how cocktails work. Cold brew cocktail? Check. La Croix cocktail? Turns out that canned hairspray tastes pretty good with some gin added.
This week I also made a trek down to our local thrift store and bought some martini glasses. After spending a whopping $2.12, we're drinking in style now!
5. Deck parties and sangria
We're headed to a house-warming deck party this weekend and I volunteered to make a pitcher of sangria. The only thing is, I've never made sangria. I must have been feeling adventurous.
After some quick research, it turns out sangria is a little more complicated than I expected. So far, all I've decided is to use the Trader Joe's classic '2 buck chuck' wine as the base.
Other than that? I'm not quite sure. Do you have a favorite sangria recipe you've used in the past and loved?
6. Celebrating Letters to Women!
11 women teamed up with me this week to host a giveaway celebrating the first year of my 'Letters to Women' podcast!
I'm giving one lucky reader eight books, a brand new water bottle, and of course two coffee mugs. Everyone knows the morning is better with at least two cups of coffee. Now you'll have mugs for both morning brews. Enter today! The giveaway ends in one week!
7. The rabbit protest continues
Wilson continues to protest his food selection. This week we took all of the pieces of food that Wilson refused to eat, stuffed them in his cranberry bag and shook it all together.
The faint cranberry flavor encouraged him to eat a few pieces of food, but he couldn't be fooled. I've upped his food portions so we don't have a repeat of last week.