Milwaukee Faves: Usinger's at Christmas

Milwaukee is notorious for beer and brats. We know it. Both Miller Valley and Usinger's sausage deck out the halls for Christmas. Usinger's makes all kinds of sausage and still sells it in their Third Street location downtown.

It's really a beautiful building - like stepping back in time. The meat counter is marble, german frescos of their iconic elves working line the walls. In Milwaukee, Elves make Usinger's sausage. For the rest of the world, they make Santa's toys. So it was hard to rationalize as a kid why the sausage elves were made to work two jobs.

Usinger's puts up some great moving window displays and even have a mini Bavarian village in the windows for Christmas. I love going in and looking around....and inevitably walking out with a pound of knackwurst. Around Christmas, the lines are long, but if you're looking for a last minute Milwaukee gift, the gift shop next door to the storefront sells gift baskets with cheese and sausage. Go and check it out.

10 Milwaukee Holiday Gifts

{My Christmas shopping is just about done, but this is truly a first. I was often the lady running in the background of the 5 o'clock news piece on last minute shoppers at the mall. Luckily, I figured out that shopping locally affords you an extra week of procrastination. Hurrah! And it supports Milwaukee, which I'm down for. So here is my 2012 list for great Milwaukee purchases (including where to buy them). For more ideas check out the 2009, 2010 and 2011 Guides.}

- Janelle Gramling Pillow, from the Milwaukee based designer is $58 (see her Facebook page for a 20% off discount code).

- Hugh Bob and the Hustle's latest album is on my top 10 list this year- pick it up at the Exclusive Company or on iTunes, $10.

- Milwaukee Beer Soap, $5. Purchase at Groom, Outpost, The Brass Rooster, or Glorioso's.

- Plushzilla are just too cute. Find them on Etsy, Sparrow Collective, or ReThreads for $15-$25

- City Tins, $25, (aka my favorite gift to give) are sold out online but are still available at Outpost and the Public Market. Madison City Tins now available, too!

- Bolzano Meats has salami and other meats available at these these places. Or give the gift of a charcuterie class.

- An annual membership to the Milwaukee Art Museum ranges from $25 to &75 will never disappoint.

- Amerique 1912 Absinthe Rogue from Great Lakes Distillery is $35 and great for a hostess gift or for the cocktail buff.

- Koss Headphones, $79, look sharp but don't cost a fortune. Shop their outlet on Port Washington Rd.

- Milwaukee Lakefront bandana from HANmade is so lovely, $18. Purchase online or at Broadway Paper.

Live Show: Sufjan Stevens Christmas

Ok, well the office title of the show was "The Surfjohn Stevens Christmas Sing-A-Long, with Seasonal Affective Disorder Yuletide Disaster Pageant On Ice", but I digress. If you haven't been spinning the Sufjan Stevens Christmas albums, I highly recommend it. There's only so many times I can listen to "White Christmas"...sorry Bing. So last night, he and the band came to town in a Flaming Lips- meet- Yo Gabba Gabba style interactive experience at Turner Hall. Yes, there was kitsch and ugly Christmas sweaters, but a few very notable sentimental moments as well. I tried to take a few pictures on my iPhone but then I realized that my friend CJ will always, ALWAYS take better pictures than me (um, did you see my post yesterday?). So here are his photos from last night's show.

Sartorial bucket list: Cowboy boots

Cowboy boots have been on the sartorial wish list or bucket list for ....quite....some time now. They're a good thing to have around. Sometimes an outfit just needs a little rockabilly added. That, and for when Taylor Swift comes back to town (we all have vices, folks). I found these Volatile Denver boots in Camel on sale at Ma Jolie at Bayshore Mall for $68. For pleather, they look pretty good. I've been pairing them with black skinnies, tunic tops and my cheetah scarf.

How to make a cheese plate

I do love my cheese. So when I discovered on Ancestry.com that I come from a long line of cheese makers from Switzerland, so not surprised. I could eat the good stuff all day long. And when I walk into a party and see a well-curated cheese plate, I stop and applaud (slowly like this). This year we're hosting Christmas brunch, and I'll be putting together the ultimate cheese plate for an appetizer. They're easy to do and everyone loves them - a hostesses favorite things. Here are my tips on what makes a really good cheese plate.......
Step One: Pick a board. I like old wooden cutting boards or chopping blocks, but you can also use white trays, slate, or chalkboard.

Step Two: Pick your items. Cheese, of course. For a group of 4-6, I like to pick 3 or 4 cheese with one common denominator (same region / same style / same texture). For larger groups, throw in something unexpected like balsamic marinated mozzarella or brie with honey. Next, choose compliments such as nuts, dried fruit, arugula, currants, salami, or jam.

Step Three: Smaller is better. I don't like overly crowded cheese plates. It's fine to set the cheese onto a bed of cranberries, but just don't let the cheeses touch each other. That's a cheese-mongering faux paus. If you're having a lot of guests, break it up. Set out a couple cheese plates.

Step Four: Figure out the mechanics. Some cheeses are fine to cut and eat by hand, but some, especially soft cheeses like boursin are best with crackers or crostini. I like the idea of putting the bread separate, but a few toasted baguette slices look pretty nice on the plate, too. Set out small knives for slicing or spreading. Utilize ramekins or even shot glasses for separating honey, jam, mustard, or spreads. Even nuts in small bowls looks nice. Labels aren't 100% necessary but can be helpful (and fun)!


Images found via 1., 2., 3., 4., 5.

The Christmas List

Dear family,
Since things like a new tile shower, a credit card payment, and textbooks would make a pretty weird Christmas gift, I made a list with more traditional items and posted it HERE on Pinterest!

Regards,
Sara

Saturday morning brunch

I hate to be one of those people who post pictures of their all food, but some things are just took good looking not to take a picture of. For example, the eggs benedict at Honeypie Cafe in Bay View. Two poached eggs with roasted tomato hollandaise and pulled ham. I kind of think it would be funny to have an ironic photo album of "greatest meals" - instagrams of plates of food. This one would make the book.

TV Night: Call the Midwife

I've been hooked on Call The Midwife lately. If you find Downton Abbey boring at times, this is your middle ground. Granted, I'm a nurse working in OB/Gyn with an anglophile addiction, so I'm completely biased here.

The storyline follows a novice nurse in London's east end in the 50's. She lives with nuns and bikes around delivering babies. Amazingly, it's based on a true story. Season 1 is all online at PBS.

Gettin' down with down.

top to bottom: Tahari Caroline down parka, Betsey Johnson down quilted coat, North Face Metropolis Parka

For Cyber Monday, I spent most of the evening surfing around for a good deal on a versatile down parka - these 3 really caught my eye. Because if Snowmageddon happens, I want to be ready. It took about 3 hours of indecision to get me to click the buy button on the Tahari coat at top, but I did it. So now I'll be ready for winter.....on December 27th......because it's backordered. Rats!

Burning the midnight oil

Final papers were due last night at midnight. And in true form, I was working off a caffeine induced frenzy an a voice inside my heading saying 'let's do this!".

Everything got sent in on time, but then the after effects hit me. I couldn't sleep until about 2am. Is this part of getting older? I've already succumbed to buying an ergonomic keyboard. So I guess it's time to accept that i cant hack finals like i used to: caffeine after 3pm is no longer a good idea an im probably getting carpal tunnel. Good-bye all-nighters, it was fun while it lasted, but I'm getting too old for this.

Local Top 5: Coffee Shops

I've often been asked for recommendations on where to go/eat/stay around Milwaukee so I'm creating a few posts called "Local Top 5" and I'll run down the lists of my favorite places around town. Up first, caffeine, of course! In no particular order, here are some places that won't disappoint. My recommendations may change over time, but these are some good ol' standbys.

ALTERRA on Prospect: This became a daily visit when I used to live across the street from here. I love the sidewalk tables, the hanging plants inside, the lovely latte art, and the steamy squeals from espresso machines. There are numerous Alterra cafes in Milwaukee, but this one I call home. Info here.

ANODYNE in Bay View: As much as I love Alterra, their coffee is hella strong so if I plan to have more than one cup, I go to Anodyne. Their coffee is nice and smooth, balanced and bright. It has a great neighborhood feel and I never feel pushed out the door. I like the nice sturdy tables and natural light. Lulu the dog likes the dog water dishes outside.

BREWED on Brady: If I'm out and about on Brady St. during the day, I'll skip the Starbucks and head to Brewed. They have good food, lots of organic options, and a boho coffee house feel. They serve up Anodyne coffee so best of both worlds!

FUEL CAFE in Riverwest: No sissy coffee here. This moto racing themed spot is worth the trek . It was one of my regular lunch spots when I was working on the north side. They have great sandwiches. And fast and easy service. And the rock turned all the way up.

BIRDIE'S in Highland Park: On the border between Milwaukee and Wauwatosa, Birdie's is homey and smells like pies. Perfect, because pie is really good with coffee. I like the cozy atomostphere here a lot. Info here.

I want to go to there: Historic London Pubs

I saw the new James Bond movie, Skyfall, over the weekend. Amazing. For an anglophile like me, all those shots of sweeping UK landscapes, historic parliament buildings, and refined accents sent me into a web-induced brit-binge. I looked up stuff on London for like 2 hours. After learning about the real WWII Churchill Bunkers, I brushed up on the parliamentary system and took a google maps tour of Downing Street. Then I fell into a great article about historic london pubs called 'Drink like Dickens' here. Yes, the web is a slippery slope.

These four pubs have been added to my travel lists. Aren't they darling? And their history is just fascinating!

Olde Cheshire Cheese: Rebuilt after the great fire in 1666, Charles Dickens would often hang out here and supposedly based some of his darker characters on pub regulars.

The Mayflower: Originally called the Shippe in 1620, a group of pilgrims met for send off drinks before boarding the Mayflower docked down the street en route to 'America'.

The George Inn: An old coach house located down the street from a small theater called....the Globe and was a popular hangout among actors. So Shakespeare probably had a few drinks here. The current George Inn was rebuilt on the same location in the same style.

The Dove: Supposedly Charles II would cheat on the queen with a mistress here. But in addition to adultery, this place looks like a good place to sit back, have a pint, and take the patio over-looking the Thames river.

Sara's Staples: Winter Beauty Supplies

Every year around this time, my skin and hair look like the Mojave. My skin and hair naturally lean towards the dry end of the spectrum, but during fall it gets out of control. Dry, flaky skin is not pretty....nor is the greasy look from lotion trying to cover it up, and it can turn into an ungodly cycle. In Wisconsin, one day it's 70 degrees, the next I'm scraping ice off my windshield. And with those sudden drops in barometric pressure, the moisture gets pulled out from the air (and the skin) very quickly.

Here are my suggested solutions:
1. I bought the Clarisonic Mia ($110) about a month ago after reading a million and a half raving reviews. I'll add myself to that list because I have noticed a HUGE difference in my skin. Softer skin, less dry, and smaller pores. It's an investment but if you add up facials, using more moisturizer, and the cost of feeling gross - the ledger is in the black here.

2. I have been using this Kiehl's moisturizer ($26) for years and notice best results when my skin is mild to moderately dry. I hate greasy feeling moisturizers and lotions. It's like fingernails on the chalkboard to me. This stuff is very light, easily absorbed, and it staves off dryness for the entire day. I don't need a lot, so a small jar lasts me about 6mos. For the under eye area I use Aquaphor ointment ($3) at night.

3. Lastly, I use Moroccan Argan Oil ($7) a few times a week now, up from once a week in the summer as I had been taking a long-needed extended break from color treatments to try and repair the dull and 'hay-like' texture of my hair. In addition to this oil, switching to an extra-moisturizing shampoo and not rinsing my hair in too hot of water.....there have been some changes....my hair looks great!

I haven't found an 'amazing' lip moisturizer yet. I have been resorting to exfoliating at home with sugar and using trusty Carmex, but would like to find a better alternative. Do you have any suggestions?

Cat Power (update)

Just wanted to show you some epic photos from Cat Power a few nights ago. Her performance was quite emotive; adding a whole new layer of soulfulness to her already heartbreaking, breathy songs. After hearing about her breakdown in Minneapolis the next night and her bizzaro message to the world.....it started to all make sense. Oh, rock stars.

Voted.

On Monday, I checked this off my to do list. I was not going to take any chances. And no faulty plumbing is going to stand in my way. I lost my job to the infamous state budget cuts last year and I'm freaked it's going to happen again. So for me, this election is very personal.

I thought the early vote process was quick and painless- there were about a hundred people in line at 3pm with only a 15 minute wait. There were some extra envelopes and signing in the mix, but an astute poll worker stopped me from committing the ultimate sin - sealing the envelope without a poll worker as a witness. Close one. And I utilized the free parking for voters in front of the building. It was hella cold on the Vespa, which 2 sweaters and a coat did not fix, but I made it.

The last day to early vote in Wisconsin is this Friday, November 2nd. For city of Milwaukee dwellers, go to the Zeidler Municipal Building (behind City Hall) from 8:30am to 7:00pm. I'm linking the city website HERE. Go vote!