How to Make Ohio State Buckeyes

Posted in Sunday Supper Series by

This weekend Lake Tahoe has been getting pounded with snow- seven to ten feet to be exact!

Our attempt at skiing during this storm was met with a few wipe outs, so on Sunday I opted to stay in our cozy apartment and bake Christmas cookies!

As I was scouring the internet for some good recipes, I checked my work email and was presented with this from my colleauge:

Subject: Kiss My Buck-Eye!

Things you will never hear a Buckeye fan say:

– I’ll take Shakespeare for 1,000 Alex

– Too many deer heads detract from the decor

– I just could find a thing at Wal-Mart today

You see, this colleauge happens to be  Michigan fan and when she found out I was an OSU fan, well let’s just say the email wars began.

Usually my response is this : SCOREBOARD! But on Sunday, I felt compelled to take it to another level. I decided one of my recipes had to be the one dessert that no one, not even a Michigan fan could turn down, Buckeyes!

Ohio State Buckeye Recipe

Mix 1.5 cups creamy peanut butter, two sticks softened butter, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla and 4-5 cups of confectioners sugar.

Using a tablespoon, scoop out the dough and roll into balls about an inch to 1.5 inches wide.

Stick toothpicks into the tops of all the peanut butter balls. This will help you when it comes time to dip them in chocolate.

Then place the balls in the freezer for thirty minutes so they’re firm for dipping. Once the thirty minutes are up, melt two cups semi-sweet chocolate and two cups bitter-sweet chocolate.

I do this by simmering a little bit of water in a sauce pot and placing a metal bowl over it so the steam heats the chocolate gradually without burning. You want to stir constantly while the chocolate melts.

Pick each ball up by the toothpick and dip it in the melted chocolate, leaving a little bit at the top uncovered so they look like buckeyes. Place the dipped balls onto parchment paper and place in the fridge for 15 minutes.

Once the chocolate is firm, pull the toothpicks out and cover the hole left behind by pressing your finger tip on top of it and smoothing it over.

Keep the buckeyes in the fridge until you want to serve them. If you feel compelled, by all means use this delicious buckeye recipe to torment a nearby Wolverine.

Update On the New Gig

Posted in Liz's Life, Moving by

Since starting my new job at Heavenly, I’ve been thrown into the mix pretty quickly. I started during the busiest time of year and  came into a position that has been vacant for a couple months, so there was a lot to do right away.

That’s fine with me though. I’d much rather be busy and contributing than have a loooong transition and feel like I’m not helping. What can I say? I’m definitely type A when it comes to my career.

Luckily my colleagues have been super supportive and helpful. It’s pretty cool to be in a work environment where everyone shares a similar passion…in this case for skiing/riding. I sense that everyone I work with is happy to be there, which I’m not sure you find in most work places.

I mean how can you not be happy when you work in such a fun industry and in one of the most beautiful places?

I remember when I first started working out of college. I had so much enthusiasm and excitement about my job. I was learning so much and truly enjoyed what I was doing. Those same feelings are back, and that feels good!

Pinch Me, Please

Posted in Liz's Life by

It feels so nice to finally be settled into our new home here in Lake Tahoe. We’ve been running around like busy bees getting our townhouse unpacked, opening bank accounts and buying a SUV.

This past Sunday we set aside all our to-do’s to have a day of fun. We kicked off the morning by driving around our new town, Incline Village. Then we drove to South Lake Tahoe, where I work, to take in some skiing at Heavenly.

We stopped along the way at a couple of scenic viewpoints. Yes, my commute has scenic viewpoints!

We spent the rest of the day on the slopes taking in the beautiful views, fresh snow and sunshine. I felt incredibly grateful and lucky the whole day. I still can’t believe that we live here!

Live Blogging: Moving Across The Country

Posted in Liz's Life, Moving by

Well, the time has come for us to pack up and move our lives across the country to Lake Tahoe!

I’m going to attempt to chronicle our move in real-time using my phone. I started the post yesterday and will continue today and tomorrow, so check back often!

Monday

8:00 am:
Luke just called and is rounding the corner with our new 2009 Subaru Legacy (NOT a hatchback) and 5′ by 8′ trailer. I really hope all our stuff fits!

8:30 am:
It seems like we have so much to pack.

Good thing Luke is so strong.

11:45 am:
We didn’t hire movers, so the process is taking a little longer than anticipated. I seriously don’t think there will be one inch of unused space is the trailer!

12:45 pm:
Just about done. The trailer is packed to the brim, we grabbed some Chipotle and took a quick shower before hopping in the car

Leaving is starting to feel bittersweet. Closing the door to our first home together made me catch my throat a little.

1:20 pm:
We are officially on the road! Luke is sighing from relief that our car is towing the hitch without a problem.

My job is to watch out for these guys.

But considering we can’t go over 55 mph with the trailer, we should be fine.

3:36 pm:
2 hours 40 minutes down- 28 hours and 20 minutes to go! Ugh.

We hit our first inclement weather just outside of Iowa- rain. Luckily there is literally NO ONE on the road. I guess leaving mid day on a Monday was a good idea.

4:47 pm:
We are in Iowa and it’s grey, cloudy and incredibly flat. I feel like we could see a giant twister at any moment.

9:43 pm:
Not much to report on from Iowa to Nebraska. Lots of flat land, wind turbines and truck stops.

We are aiming to get to North Platte, NE tonight, which is about 4.5 hours away. So we will get in after 2 am. I’m not sure how I feel about that.

We’ve been keeping ourselves entertained by listening to Chelsea Handlers book on tape and Adam Corrolla podcasts. He is pretty funny!

12:12 pm
We ended up quitting for the night. We just checked into a hotel. What a day! This is the sweetest site to me right now.

Tuesday

6:10 am
Well I blinked and then it was time to wake up. We wanted to get an early start to our 15+ hour drive day. Stick around for more updates!

7:17 am:
It’s not everyday you get to watch the sun rise in the middle of Nebraska (unless you live in the middle of Nebraska).

10:03 am:
We officially switched to mountain time. Currently we are in Wyoming closing in on Cheyenne.

I’m sure some people think driving through Wyoming is a little boring, but I’m finding the amber landscape and clear blue sky to be beautiful.

11:46 am:
We just stopped for gas and I picked out a snack. It was called the “bridge mix” and consists of chocolate covered nuts, fruit, caramels and ‘cremes.’ The problem is they are all the exact same shape so you have no idea what is inside.

We’ve been having fun trying to guess (we may or may not be chewing them and then looking at the consistency in the mirror). Lol things you’ll do to entertain yourself in the car.

12:39 pm:
45 mph winds and blowing snow in Wyoming. We’re taking it slow.

5:09 pm:
Still in Wyoming. It looks the exact same out my window as it did 6 hrs ago. I’m feeling VERY stir crazy.

My 3G is spotty, but I’ll try to post this evening.

11:22 pm:
We are in Nevada! Passing through Salt Lake City was a breeze and now we are 30 mins away from our stopping point for tonight.

It’s snowing and the roads aren’t the best, so we are only going 30 mph. After 18 hours in the car today, neither of us can wait to get to the hotel!

Wednesday
9:22 am:
We let ourselves sleep in a little and other than the sumo wrestler playing hopscotch in the room above ours from 5:45-6:15, we slept well.

We are 5.5 hours away from Incline Village, our new home. I can’t wait to get there and check it out. Crazily enough we have NEVER been there!

10:31 am:
We are driving by some beautiful mountains. White peaks framed by ice blue skies and thin layers of grey clouds.

2:06 pm:
Only about an hour left! I just spotted my first Inn & Out Burger, which made me smile.

3:34 pm:
We made it! The sun is shining brilliantly and it’s absolutely gorgeous here. I am very excited to call this place home.