Mountain Movie

Looking for something to do in SLC.  Check out this awesome flick at the Clark Planetarium.

After an evening of slacklining a few friends and I ended the night dreaming of mountain conquests.  Ok, maybe I'm the only one that wants to climb Everest.  But in the words of George Mallory, I want to climb Everest "Because it's there."

Sir Edmund Hillary is honored with the title of the first man to have summited Everest in 1953, but almost 30 years earlier in 1924, George Mallory's attempt at the summit may have been a success.  Mallory died on the decent and there is no evidence if he reached the summit (he was last seen 800 ft from the summit before he was lost from view in the clouds).  The movie follows Conrad Anker as he attempts to determine if Mallory could have in fact reach the summit before his death. 

The filmmakers spend a lot of time developing Mallory as a character. You learn about his relationship with his wife and family and his drive to conquer Everest.

If you are a fan of the outdoors and you like mountaineering movies, you will like "The Wildest Dream: Conquest of Everest."

Playing Dress Up

Ok, so maybe Halloween is still over a month away, but it is never too early to prepare. Last year Blonde, Brunette, and I dressed up as each other. I was Blonde, Brunette was me, and Blonde was Brunette. It was a big hit and pretty easy to put together since we just wore the other person's clothes. But as the resulting personification of me wore a lot of spandex (hey I have a lot of biking shorts) I think we should give this year's costume a little more thought.

Here our a few ideas. Leave a comment and vote for your favorite.

• Powerpuff girls
• Charlie’s angels
• 3 Stooges
• 3 Blind Mice
• 3 Amigos
• 3 Musketeers
• 3 Fates (from Greek mythology)
• Harry, Hermione, Ron
• Edward, Bella, Jacob (Who would be Jacob—we can't take off our shirts)
• Gale, Katniss, Peeta (If you don't know these characters shame on you...read The Hunger Games)
• Alvin, Simon, Theodore
• Jeanette, Brittany, Eleanor (the chipettes from The Great Chipmunk Adventure)
• Huey, Dewey, Louie
• Blue Man Group
• Butcher, Baker, Candlestick Maker
• 3 Little Pigs
• The Supremes
• 3 Fairies from Sleeping Beauty
• Knife, Fork, Spoon
• Peter, Paul, Mary
• BLT
• Snap, Crackle, Pop
• Brains, Brawn, Beauty
• Reading, Writing, Arithmetic
• Nina, Pinta, Santa Maria
• Past, Present, Future
• Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
• 3 Little Kittens
• 3 Billy Goats Gruff
• Destiny's child

Collect and Share

I found this recipe box today and swooned.  Care for a splurge-early-Christmas gift? Thinking about recreating it somehow myself.  My bro is ridiculously good with wood, and I could paint my own design on top.  Good idea, no?

By Rifle Paper Co.

Cheese Please

I'm sharing a lot of my favorites things, but what is a blog if you can't tell people about what you love. And I love cheese. Not the gross romantic kind of cheese where you rub your noses together while grinning and staring deeply into each others eyes. I mean cheese, the delicious "milk-based food product". I didn't always love cheese the way I love cheese now. I used to be an "only if it is orange" cheese eater. I slowly grew into a swiss fan (which is very mild) and in just the last 5 years have decided I love all cheeses. The moldier and stronger the better. Despite my love for all things cheese—I HATE ricotta cheese. Often used in lasagna or manicotti, ricotta cheese has a grainy texture I can't stand. But after that I don't think I have met a cheese I didn't at least enjoy a little.

Lately, I have been even more crazed. I called up my friend a week ago to go to dinner just so I could order the cheese platter. The funny part was that I didn't know that she didn't like cheese until after we arrived. Don't worry, I finished the entire platter on my own. Just a few nights ago I went out with friends and ordered another cheese platter. This platter was much less enjoyable (although the cheeses were still good). So here I am writing about these 2 cheese platters and what I liked and didn't like and offering you my recommendations on where to go for a good cheese platter.

A Winner

Wild Grape

(http://www.wildgrapebistro.com/)

Cost: Market (which was $14)

Cheese: Beehive Espresso Lavender Cheddar, Point Reyes Bleu Cheese,

Baby Bleu Swiss, Goat Cheese rolled in Pistachio

Why It Won?! You get a lot of great cheese for your money—four types of cheeses with healthy portions. And it is good cheese. My personal favorite was the Pistachio Goat Cheese. A variety of fruits including strawberries, grapes, prunes and apple finish the plate. Soft bread was served with it which I prefer to crackers or hard crunchy bread that might as well be a cracker. A must get appetizer in my humble cheese loving opinion.

A Non-winner

Pago

(http://pagoslc.com/)

Cost: Market (which was $14)

Cheese: Honey Glazed White Cheddar, Brie, Bleu Cheese (drizzled with balsamic vinegar)

No Dice. Although the cheese were good there was little of it and nothing exciting about the variety. We shared it between two people (it wouldn't go much beyond that if you both like cheese). The plate was huge, but there was very little on there. You could tell their focus was on presentation. I loved the thinly sliced apples, but the bowl of grapes was cheesy (the bad kind of cheese) and extinguished any appeal of the presentation.
The cheese was served with only a few baked slices of baguette bread. It was very tough to eat and I was self conscious of how much noise my crunching was making.
Maybe I am not used to the small servings that are common at fine dinning restaurants, but I expected to have my taste buds wowed for a $14 appetizer. Good, but I'd pass the cheese platter in favor of trying a different dish.

WEAR: Fall Coats

Does anyone else feel fall just around the corner?  When I start hearing that first briskness rolling around the seasonal corner I immedietely start envisioning layered days outfitted in tweeds and wools and cashmere.

So I bring you a roundup of gorgeous coats.  It's never to early to start planning.

Boden Carnaby Coat - $138

Boden British Tweed Blazer - $198

J.Crew Stadium Cloth Peacoat - $240

J.Crew Icon Trench Coat - $298

Anthropologie Terrace House Jacket - $138

Anthropologie Iberia Coat - $548 YIKES

Anthropologie Cream Confection Jacket - $178

Kate Spade "Ivy" Raincoat - $525 YIKES

Banana Republic Cotton Boyfriend Blazer - $130

Madewell Sweater Blazer - $168

Forever 21 Cadet Button Knit Jacket - $24.80

Granted the last one is the only one in my price range these days, but a girl can still dream.

BBR Date Night

We had a little adventure this weekend which we like to call a blonde, brunette and a redhead date, BBR for short. Our lives have become very busy so we don't often get to spend time together. Last week we headed to the Salt Lake Art Center for some much needed bonding and a little golf practice.

"The Salt Lake Art Center is exhibiting Contemporary Masters: Artist-Designed Miniature Golf, 18 fully-playable works of contemporary art like you’ve never seen before. Contemporary Masters features original creations by top artists from Utah and around the nation that explore diverse ideas (the current immigration debate, the fragility of personal identity, and the meditative value of Donkey Kong) in equally diverse media, including woven fabrics, video installations, and shredded paper." —Art Center Web

REDHEAD

Let's just say my long game is much better than my short game. I have always been horrible at minigolf. Turn minigolf into art and my skills remain subpar (yes I went there). The first hole was a par 1, it took me 2 shots. All I had to do was hit the ball and it would roll down the hill into the hole. There was no way to miss, but I did. Somehow my orange ball got stuck right next to the hole and didn't drop. There may have or may not have been several holes I just simply gave up and dropped my ball into the hole. Cheating, I think not. I prefer to think of it as helping move the game along.

All in all, I thought it was a creative exhibit idea to get visitors more involved in the art (literally). If we were going to have a rating system on our blog, I'd give it 4.5 stars (-.5 star because you had to wear booties which were not fun with flipflops) or 2 thumbs up (you can't do a half a thumb, that is weird).

BRUNETTE

WHAT??? Miniature Golf made by ARTISTS? (Rub my eyes, clean out my ears, wet my whistle...) When I heard of this awesomeness I could not contain myself. Truly this would have been my dream date. And sadly I went with my roommates (sorry ladies) so there was no immediete falling-in-lovage that quite possibly could have incurred if a gentleman caller had been smart enough to take me to this glorious place first. Really. I love love loved it, and was intrigued by all the creative genius that went behind this concept. My game started off really strong (I am the most competitive of the bunch) but soon I lost interest in winning and gained more interest in enjoying and critiquing the work that went into the show/installation/general awesomeness. (Ok I really like the word awesome...I know) Anyways, I would definitely give it an enthusiastic two thumbs up and 5 whole stars because unlike Redhead, I thought the booties were RAD.

BLONDE

This was fun. Really fun. And not just because I won. It doesn't matter, I won by infinity. There are two holes that have par infinity. And amazing as it is, it took me just 2 strokes to get my ball in the hole at the Donkey Kong exhibit. Wow, the luck I had! and I turned to Brunette to have her share in my joy and it she hadn't seen it, neither had Redhead. Much disappointment because there is no way to verify this amazing feat. Just know that it is true my friends, it is true.

I give it 4.5 stars as well, for the bootie factor. I understand the need for the booties, but that didn't make them less annoying. Maybe if you don't wear flip-flops you can love it as much as Brunette, but Redhead and I were both sporting the casual footwear that placed the booties at their current state of annoying. Other than the bootie kerfuffle, I quite enjoyed myself.

DO:
Salt Lake Art Center: Contemporary Golf Exhibit
20 S. West Temple
Salt Lake City, UT 84101
801.328.4201
http://www.slartcenter.org/

Regular Hours:
Tuesday–Thursday: 11 am–6 pm
Friday: 11 am–9 pm
Saturday: 11 am–6 pm

EAT SLC: Eva

With a quest to taste every small restaurant in the greater Salt Lake Valley—and Beyond! (Said with Buzz Lightyear voice over), I stumbled upon the delicious restaurant Eva on Main Street. Eva is a small plate restaurant featuring Mediterranean fair at decent prices. Their spinach and potato gnocchi w/mushrooms and truffle oil is worth giving up your first born for. Seriously. Plus, while we were there Thursday night for a post Twilight concert series dinner they featured a live band.

Photo credit: www.cityweekly.net

Check it out and try: Ratatouille Pie, Spinach and Potato Gnocchi, Baked Mac and Cheese, Garlic Rosemary and Parmesan Fries

Check it:

Eva

Entrees: $6-$15

17 S Main Street

Salt Lake City, UT 84111-2702

(888) 314.8536

http://www.evaslc.com/

Bike Love in Utah

I am a big cycling fan. I got my first road bike 3 years ago. I have rented and watched all the Lance Armstrong Tour de France years (these are highlight reels from the 7 yrs Lance won The Tour). And I have ridden over 100 miles in one seating (not that impressive to biking folk, but I thought it was good).
Last week the Tour of Utah was making it's way around the state. The Tour of Utah is one of the most difficult stage races in the States. And the reason for its difficulty is the elevation. Not only the high altitude in which we live, but the elevation changes the riders encounter on each stage. The race starts with a Prologue. Luckily the course was right by my house so I was able to check out a few minutes of the race. The Prologue is a 2.8 mile time trial around the Memory Grove/City Creek Canyon loop. The racing was fast. These guys were probably going 35–40 mph at some points in the race.

Too fast for my camera.

The next few stages took the riders from Ogden to the U of U, down to Mt. Nebo and around Park City. The must-see stage was Stage 5 which finished at the top of Little Cottonwood Canyon at Snowbird Resort. Sadly, I wasn't able to attend Stage 5.
But there is always a silver lining. The good news of all this racing through Utah was my favorite bald bicyclist, Levi Leipheimer, who won the yellow jersey (overall leader). Congrats Levi (I love the bald men).
Next year my plan is to be independently wealthy so I can quit my job and follow every stage of the Tour of Utah (among other things).

Photo courtesy SL Trib

UV Protection

Could you be my new sunglasses?

I used to have several pairs of sunglasses. The "cute driving" glasses, the "sporty athletic" glasses, the "co-pilot" glasses (for the co-pilot in the car who is supposed to keep me from getting lost or falling asleep—the glasses are a token of my appreciation), the "I got them forever ago and I thought they were really funny" extra pair of glasses and even recently I purchased another pair of "cute driving" glasses. So you would think that I would never go without eye protection. Well, I have. I got rid of the extra pair because really they were just silly (grandmother's glasses with painted tropical scenes around the frames). Not sure who took the co-pilot sunglasses, but they are gone (the glasses are only for your use while you are in my car, don't steal). I broke the new pair of cute driving glasses in Germany (luckily they lasted the entire trip). And just last week my last cute driving sunglasses were stepped on and broken.

Luckily I have my sporty glasses left, right? Well, sort of. I left those sunglasses at a friend's almost a month ago and haven't had time to drive down there to pick them up.

So basically, I'm in the market for some great eye protection. Here are some of my favorites:

I like color.
Red for Red. Maybe?

Travel Bug

I think everyone should take a long trip at least once a year. Get out and stretch your legs, your wallet, but most of all your mind. I am lucky to have family living overseas giving me a chance to do all three. This time I headed for a mini Red (yes there are 3 redheads in my family) reunion in Germany. Instead of boring you with details of my trip I have summarized my favorite things into a TOP 5 list.

Top 5 Thing I Love About Germany

#1 Alps
I love the mountains (I might have mentioned this before). The German Alps are everything a mountain should be. Dramatic is one word to describe them. Steep (I'm talking 24% grade steep) another. The Alps are covered with dense green forests and amazing rock faces.

Beautiful Alps

#2 Bikes
Everyone rides bikes in Germany. There a bike paths everywhere and you yield to cyclists the way you do to pedestrians. There were so many cute bikes, ugly ones too. Now I want to get me a basket, throw it on a bike, and head to the bakery (German style).

I want a bike like this. Add a basket and I'm German

#3 Bread, Brats, & Apfelschorle

You can't beat the bread in Europe. There is a bakery on every corner so it is easy to get fresh bread. And the dumplings... So I have to clarify on the dumplings. There is a good kind and a bad kind. I ate these potato dumplings that were shaped in a ball and had a slimy texture to them...yucky. But later I had another dumpling that was sliced and had a bread texture...yummy. Both were referred to as dumplings on the menu, so good luck. I still haven't figured out, but I purchased a mix at the store so now I can make them at home.

Yes, I ate a lot of bratwurst. Yes, I liked it. But what I feel in love with the most was Apfelschorle. It was a delightful soda drink. Very similar to Martinelli's (which I also love), but in a soda pop version you could find everywhere. I probably drank my body weight in apfelschorle during my trip. Yummy.

#4 History
I have always been fascinated by the Holocaust; even though history never fascinated me until my first trip to Europe when I was 18. I was able to visit Dachau concentration camp, saw the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin and toured King Ludwig II's castles in Bavaria (Oh yeah, I'm talking Neuschwanstein aka Sleep Beauty's castle in Disneyland). All of these places help you experience history more personally than reading from a textbook.

Castles, Memorials, Monuments

#5 Houses
Flower boxes and house paintings never look as good outside of Germany. There is a little town near SLC called Midway where Swiss style homes abound. But I think it just looks cheesy unless you are actually in the Alps. Germans know how to do it. With overflowing flower boxes and detailed house paintings, you feel comfortably at home, yet clearly on an adventure.

Only cute in Germany