MLK and MJ

We spent the holiday weekend up in Arnold. It was so strange being up there mid January without a speck of snow anywhere. On Saturday we took the dog on a nice long hike behind the cabin and then decided to pop into the local brewery and catch the last quarter of the 49er game. Neither of us are huge football fans, in fact, this was the first game we watched all season. What a game! It was fun cheering on the niners and drinking some beer with the entire bar – which was packed full of red jerseys. The game got pretty stressful towards the end and I really didn’t think the niners would pull it off, but they did! Hopefully they can do it again this weekend and go to the super bowl.

Our friends also happened to be up at their cabin in Arnold so we met up with them to watch the game. They told us about some ice skating up top near Bear Valley ski resort that they were going to check out on Sunday so we decided to join them. What a treat! This is about the only positive thing to come out of this dry winter we’ve been having. Because there is no snow, we were able to skate on Mosquito Lakes which was frozen (but usually covered in snow). It was so much fun and we got a real taste on how it is on the east coast.    

  

I’ve been wanting to try this dr. pepper pulled pork recipe I’d seen and we gave it a try at the cabin. Talk about easy and so tasty! We threw everything in the dutch oven after breakfast on Saturday, went out and enjoyed our day, came back 6 hours later and dinner was ready. We ate pork for the rest of the weekend. 

Ingredients:
1 whole large onion (cut into wedges)
1 whole pork shoulder 5-7 pounds (ours was 4 pounds and worked out just fine)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 can (11 ounce) chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (we used a 7 ounce can and that was spicy enough!)
2 can Dr. Pepper
2 tablespoons brown sugar

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
Generously salt and pepper roast.
Put onions in the bottom of a dutch oven, lay roast on top of onions.
Pour in chipotle peppers and sauce, dr. pepper, and brown sugar.
Put lid on dutch oven and place in oven for 6 hours, turning roast 2 or 3 times in cooking process.

Head over to Pioneer Woman to check out step by step process.
http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2011/03/spicy-dr-pepper-shredded-pork/

Wonderful weekend at the cabin, we didn’t want to leave! Then on Tuesday evening, my mom treated me to the Cirque du Soleil Michael Jackson Immortal tour down in Oakland. We got down there with enough time to do a little tailgating before the show. My mom made us a picnic dinner and I brought a bottle of wine. The show was amazing. It was two hours of nonstop MJ music and music videos showing in the background, with dancers, body contortionists, lights, fire, and excitement. It made me a little sad that Michael’s life was cut so short. He was so talented and had such a profound impact on the music and entertainment industry. Thanks for a great show, Mom!

2012 hello and welcome

Happy new year!

We rang in the new year camping by Lake Oroville. We hiked, biked, sat by the fire, sipped on wine and coors light, read books, and played cards. Camping on new year’s might just become a new tradition.

2012 Resolutions:

Practice more yoga – strive for healthier body and mind

Bring your lunch to work (at least 3x a week)

Be more appreciative of your job

Visit Grand Canyon and hike Havasu Falls

Floss floss floss, like every day or almost every day

Try new recipes in the kitchen – don’t be scared

I could keep going, but I think this is a good start. Here is to a happy, healthy, and unforgettable 2012!