Bourbon Cinnamon Rolls

Got some requests to publish this recipe.  I made these a few weekends ago, and oh my gracious, thank the good Lord for bourbon.  I love bourbon in every form, but I think it's especially amazing in chocolate and desserts.  Make sure you have a large glass of cold milk to go with these babies

for the rolls

1 package active dry yeast

1/2 cup warm water (make sure it's actually warm, not hot or the yeast won't work)

1/3 cup + a pinch of sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup softened butter

1 cup hot milk

1 egg

3 cups + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Stir together the warm water and a pinch of sugar.  Stir the yeast into the water and let sit for 5-8 minutes.  It should start to look foamy.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine your yeast mixture with the sugar, salt, butter, and hot milk.  (You want the milk to melt the butter).  Stir it all together and let it cool to room temperature.  Stir in the egg.

Stir in the flour, 1 cup at a time, until a very soft dough forms.

Once the dough comes together (you can add more flour, if necessary), place it on a floured surface and knead for a few minutes.  It should be really soft.  Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl.  Cover and let the dough rise in a warm place until double in size, about 1 1/2 hours.  My dough would not rise, so I filled a pan with boiling water and place it on the bottom rack of my oven.  I put the bowl of dough on the top rack.  The dough finally began to rise, so if you live in a cold place or are having trouble with the dough riding, this seemed to do the trick.

for the filling

3 tablespoons butter, melted

1/3 cup sugar

1 tablespoon cinnamon

Turn the dough out onto a floured surface, and roll out into a long rectangle.  Melt 3 tablespoons of butter and brush (or fingerprint!) all over the dough.  Stir together the cinnamon and sugar, and sprinkle on the dough.

Roll the dough up into jelly roll, and slice.  Place the rolls in a lightly buttered pan and bake at 350 degrees for 25-27 minutes, or until the edges are browned.

for the glaze

3 tablespoons milk

1 tablespoon bourbon (so I used like 4 big tablespoons because I wanted to taste the bourbon.  I highly recommend over pouring your liquor)

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups powdered sugar

Whisk together the glaze ingredients and pour over the warm cinnamon rolls.

The finished product. So delicious. 

Enjoy, folks.

My Week in Oregon

A few years ago, while studying in Zanzibar, I met my good friend Meredith Holley.  She and I haven't seen each other in a few years, but from the day we left Zanzibar, I have told her over and over that I would come visit her someday.  I ventured out to Oregon the Saturday before Thanksgiving and stayed until the Saturday after.  We did pretty much everything there is to do in Oregon!  Here is a recap of my week! 

Sunday

After arrival later than expected on Saturday night, we decided to have an easy day on Sunday.  I got to sleep late which was a nice start to vacation.  We started the morning by eating some fantastic waffles at "Off the Waffle" where I had a waffle which chocolate chips, strawberries and whipped cream.  We then ventured down to the river to watch a 5K that many of Meredith's friends participated in that morning.  After meeting everyone, we decided to drive around Eugene.  We stopped by the University, saw the law school, Hayward Track, and the basketball arena.  It's a beautiful campus.  We also decided to go watch a movie, as "Catching Fire" had just been release, and we are both avid Hunger Games fans.  All in all, a great, relaxing start to the week. 

Oregon Law

Hayward Field

Hayward Field, the most famous track and field in the country.  It also looks like Nike threw up all over the University.

Monday and Tuesday

We made our way to Portland for a few days to do some sightseeing.  We stayed with Meredith's married friends, McKenzie and Tiffany.  They were super amazing and welcoming, allowing us to crash in their cozy little home.  When we arrived to Portland, we decided to spend some time in Powell's Books, one of the most famous bookstores in the US.  It spans an entire city block.  It's a little overwhelming, but a great place to explore if you are a book lover.  We then made our way to VooDoo doughnuts, my only request for the entire trip.  I have seen VooDoo on the travel channel and other food shows countless times, and being a lover of all things doughy and round, this was a must-see.  We got a day-old bucket of doughnuts for $5, as well as a few fresh ones to enjoy at the picnic tables outside of the shop.  I indulged in the "Old Dirty Bastard" which was a doughnut with chocolate glaze, Oreo crumbles and peanut butter.  We finished the night by going out to dinner with our hosts at a place called "Bollywood Theatre," a fusion Indian place.  It was delicious and totally hit the spot, as I had been craving Indian food for a few days.

On Tuesday, we went to Multnomah Falls, which is the second largest waterfall in the US.  It was beautiful, and not too packed which was nice as I believe it is usually crammed with tourists.  We opted for the coastal route back to Eugene, which although much longer, allowed me the opportunity to view the Pacific Ocean from the US for the first time.  I've seen it from some Central and South American countries, but never from the US.  It was beautiful.  Very rugged and wild, completely different from the Atlantic.

Powell's Book Store

The bucket of doughnuts

VooDoo Doughnut Shoppe

My Happy Place

Culmination of my entire life, maybe?

Loving the doughnuts also!

Beautiful, crisp day to be outside.

Pacific Ocean

I insisted on touching the water

A little unfocused, but my only pic with the Ocean, so it made the blog.

Meredith

Wednesday

We climbed Mt. Pisgah. It was beautiful, and after the bucket of doughnuts, we decided it was probably in our best interest to hike.  We were also extremely exhausted, so we opted for some RedBox movies and a quiet afternoon laying around on the couch.  I also had checked out some books front he library, so I was happy to sit around a read.  On a side note, this was my first Thanksgiving not having to study for finals, so it was a nice activities to read books for fun and not some stupid law school outline.

I also went to my friend's Eric and Ally Ringer's home for dinner that evening.  Eric and I worked PASSPORTkids! together my first summer.  I knew that they had moved to Eugene a year ago, so I decided to see if I could meet up with them sometime over my trip.  Ally made a wonderful dinner, and it was nice to catch up with them.

Almost to the top of Mt. Pisgah.  Above the clouds. 

Thursday

We decided another hike was in order, so as to earn our Thanksgiving meal.  We went to Spencer's Butte.  We took the steep trail up the mountain, and the longer trail down.  We were not the only people who had this idea, the top was packed with hikers, enjoying the crisp morning.  It was a beautiful hike. The sky was blue, the forest was lush and green, and the trees were huge!  I had a blast hiking.

Later, we went to Meredith's friends home and enjoyed Thanksgiving dinner.  We stayed there for most of the afternoon and evening, then returned home to watch some television and go to sleep wary after our big meal.

We were told these were the Three Sisters. 

Queen of the World

Love my sweet friend

Friday

We slept late on Friday, and decided to brave the stores and do a small bit of Black Friday shopping.  We went to TJ Maxx, Nordstrom's Off the Rack, and Old Navy.  I didn't find too much, but it was fun to be out and feel in the holiday spirit.  We also went to the U of O bookstore so I could get some Oregon/Nike gear for the big game.

At 3 pm, we headed towards the stadium.  I was decked out in Duck gear, and ready for some intense rivalry football.  Meredith scored us some amazing, club seats right on the 50 yard line.  All I can say is that the stadium was rocking.  It's a great football atmosphere, the student section was awesome, people were pumped up!  The Ducks won 36-35, but it went down to the last minute of the game.  Such an intense, great game, could not have asked for a better game.  After the game, we went home, I packed my suitcase and went to sleep as I nada 5 am flight bright and early.

Club Seats. 50 Yard Line.  Boom. 

The U of O band and OSU band.  

Last night with my pal :) 

Decked out in Duck.  Let's go Ducks!

All in all, such a great weekend with Meredith.  I was so thankful to spend so much time with my friend in such a beautiful place.  Now, I've just gotta get Meredith to Kentucky!

Half Marathon Success

So back in June, I was going through a rough time.  I thought I was the kind of person who couldn't do something hard.  I was going through a challenging time, so I thought needed a challenge to occupy my time.  I had always wanted to do a half-marathon, but I'm not a runner, by any means.  My extent of running was in high school, and I view running as punishment, not something to be enjoyed.  All that to say, I signed up for a half-marathon that would take place in November, and somehow convinced one of my good friends, Miss Emily McCracken, that running the half-marathon would be a great idea! 

I trained and trained, signing up for multiple 5Ks, spending tons of time in the gym.  I would go on long runs through downtown Lexington and spend my Saturday mornings running the Legacy Trail from Lexington to the horse park.  I had a lot of issues with my ankles and knees; turns out, I suponate (meaning I run towards the outside of my feet) which caused a lot of pain on the outside of my feet, ankles, and knees.  I had to try a few different types of running shoes, but by the time the half rolled around, I felt ready to go!  

We arrived early on Sunday, November 10.  Emily brought her boyfriend, Jeremy to cheer her on.  My mom and Blair rode up with me to join "Team Emily and Ashley."  Blair even made a shirt, it was pretty amazing to have the support and encouragement from my loved ones.  The half was much easier than I believed it would be.  I had some pain in my knees around mile 2, but then got into my stride.  The half-marathon was in downtown Louisville, so part of the race went through Cherokee Park.  Therefore, miles 4-8ish involved a lot of hills, which I was not totally prepared for.  However, Emily and I kept trucking, getting excited at EVERY mile marker, knowing we were getting closer and closer to our goal each time.  

We ran into some problems around mile 9.  Emily started dying…haha.  She was having a lot of pain in her legs, and I was afraid she was going to have to stop the race.  I knew we had started together, and how disappointed, after the all the training, she would be if she stopped.  So I stayed with her, encouraged her, pushed her to keep running.  The last 2 miles were killer.  Literally, they were miserable.  At that point in the race, I was so over running, so ready to eat and just get off my feet.  We finally saw the finish line, and I told Emily to run hard.  We took off and made it to the finish line.  I was so extremely happy (although I didn't cry!), and Emily just laid down, literally crossed the finished line and laid on the ground. 

We decided to go to the Cheesecake Factory and carb up.  I ordered food, then immediately felt sick.  I threw up in the bathroom, then asked for my food to be boxed up.  It's crazy how your body responds to running so far.  I really could hardly eat for the next day, but once my appetite finally returned, I pretty much ate everything in sight.  

All in all, it was a successful first half-marathon.  And I'm planning on doing the Derby Half Marathon in April.  I loved the training, the intensity, and the feeling of accomplishment after you finish.  I think I'm addicted :) 

Here are some pictures from the big day! 

My running partner.  Getting ready to head to the starting line. 

Blair's amazing shirt.  She was totally reppin' "Team Ash and Em"!

Starting line.  We were in the back, not upfront with all the real runners.  Haha.

…And I'm off. 

Hanging out at mile 9, waiting for Emily and I to pass by. 

Yay!  We see people we know!  Who came to cheer for us! Very important pick-me-up at mile 9.

13.1--Finish line in sight!!! Yesssssss

SO. SO. HAPPY!!!!!!

Emily, laying on the ground at the finish line.

Kissing my medal.  That thing is getting framed. 

So relieved to be done.  She did it!  I was so proud of her; she struggled through! 

Showing off her medal.  

Carbs, thank the Lord.

New York City

Back in October, I took a trip to NYC to visit two of my close friends from Zanzibar, Desiree and Erik.  I arrived on Thursday, October 17, and stayed through Sunday, October 20.  It was a great trip, a trip that went by way to fast! 

I arrived bright and early on Thursday morning at La Guardia.  I had plans to meet up with a good friend from the ICTR who was in NYC for a few weeks, working at the UN.  He still lives in Arusha, but because of his position with the ICTR, he gets to travel quite a bit.  And it just so happened that our paths crossed during my visit.  I hadn't seen him since I left Arusha, and wasn't sure how long it would be till we met again, so I was happy to see and catch up with him.  I met him at his friend's apartment where he had been staying for a few days.  We loaded up his luggage and my bag, and went to a place called Sara Beth's for brunch.  We had some pretty tasty omelets, muffins, and juice.  His Aunt then picked us up to take us over to New Jersey.  We went to his childhood home, and hung out for a little while.  Then, we drove around his hometown in a sweet convertible (I'd never ridden in one before, so that was kind of exciting) for a while as he showed me his high school and other important places from his childhood.  We then made our way to Newark so I could drop my bag off to Erik and take the train into the city to do some exploring and meet Desiree.  

I cannot tell you how happy I was to see my pal Erik.  He and I have remained close since our time in Zanzibar, and I'm constantly thankful for his friendship.  We caught up for a few minutes before he put me on the train, promising to meet up with me later that evening after work.  I took the train from Newark into the city, jumped off and wandering around (half knowing where I was/half being lost) until I stumbled into Times Square.  I knew I wanted to see some of the "touristy" places while my friends were at work.  I walked around for a few hours, visiting Times Square, Rockefeller Center, and Radio City.  

Radio City Music Hall

I got a call from Desiree, telling me to head toward Chinatown to meet up with her for some drinks.  We decided to do drinks in "Little Italy" then go a few blocks over into "Chinatown" to enjoy some delicious, authentic Chinese.  Again, I was so happy to see Desiree again.  We had traveled to Africa together twice, once as students and the second time as student assistants.  We had not seen each other since leaving Africa.  It was amazing to catch up with her, hear about what's been going on, including her amazing new job.  We did drinks, then met Erik for Chinese.

So much Chinese.  Such amazing Chinese. Nom Nom. 

We then headed toward Desiree's apartment which is located in a prime location, right across the street from Serendipity and a few blocks from Central Park.  We decided to indulge just a little bit more, so we got some pie and frozen hot chocolate at Serendipity.

Frozen Hot Chocolate.  Mind Blown. 

On Friday, I went exploring on my own.  I walked for what seemed like miles and miles through Central Park.  I went to the American Museum for Natural History to look at some dinosaur bones.  I also checked out the special exhibit on whales which was pretty incredible. I also enjoyed some "Shake Shack" food, which was recommended by Desiree and Erik.  I got a burger and fries, but no shake since we had indulged in too much chocolate and sugar the night before. Then, I wandering back through Central Park to the Metropolitan Museum of Art to look around.  I went through the exhibits that contained paintings by artists I actually recognized, so I saw some Monet, Picasso, and Van Gogh. I also went through the armor and weapons exhibits.  I really like Game of Thrones, so it was very Game of Thrones-ish, very cool.

The whole time I walked through this exhibit, I kept thinking about how I wanted to watch Jurassic Park again.  Totally cool to see these. 

Armor Exhibit

So pretty. 

Central Park in the Sunshine

Atop the Met

After exploring on my own, I met Desiree for some appetizers and cocktails at a bar in the East Village.  She decided that I needed to go to a proper "cocktail" bar, so we indulged with some $12-$14 cocktails, which shocked me to say the least.  Drinks are expensive in NYC, just in case you didn't know.  But it was well worth the money.  It provided a great atmosphere, and an an opportunity to catch up with Desiree again.  We had some oysters (another first for me!) and a cheese plate.  She also talked me into getting a smoked moonshine cocktail.  They put a huge glass globe over it to hold the smoke on the moonshine, but it tastes so delicious.  Erik arrived shortly after, as did our dear friend Colleen who was also on our Zanzibar trip.  We left the bar and went to see Mike, Desiree's boyfriend, and his improv group perform at a local club.  I had never been to an improv show, but it was really fun.  I can't imagine how nerve-wracking it must be to make everything up on the spot, but that's a huge reason as to why it is so funny.  Anyway, Mike was great, and it was fun to talk to everyone after the show for a bit.  Definitely a cool hobby and talent.  After the show, we ended up going to another bar, getting some tacos, then dancing on the "urban/hip hop" level of a club.  All in all a completely fun, random night, but aren't those always the best nights?

Smoked Moonshine Cocktail

Shenanigans in the back of a Taxi.  Love these two. 

Mike and his team improvising a song.  Hilarious.

On Saturday, we slept in late.  Erik picked me up and we headed to Brooklyn.  We decided to go to an event called Smorgasbord which is a big food festival type event. Local restaurants set up tents, and you can eat until you feel sick.  We had mac and cheese, lobster rolls, ice cream, fried chicken, and donuts.  We ate too much, but it was all amazing.  I was also able to meet up with my cousin Allie, who lives in Brooklyn.  She came and walked around with us, and also ate too much.  We enjoyed some pretty spectacular ice cream cookie sandwiches.  After eating, we went to the Brooklyn Flea Market and walked around for a bit.  We got there right at the end, so we only stayed for about 45 minutes, but it was pretty amazing.  If I had (1) unlimited money and (2) a way to transport things back home, I probably would have been in big trouble.  After Brooklyn, we went back into the city.  Desiree and I decided to get our nails done since we had time before Erik's birthday party celebration was to begin.  In NYC, you can get a manicure for $10, so I was totally in.  Erik had a birthday celebration at a bar, so that was the agenda for the evening.  I got to see some more friends from Zanzibar so that was fun.  And again, we ended the night dancing on the "urban" level of the nightclub.

In Brooklyn.  Great view of the Manhattan.

My lovely cousin, Allie.  We were loving our sweet treats.

Sunday was pretty low key.  Again, we slept in.  Erik stayed with Desiree and Mike as well, so there were four of us packed into a tiny little studio.  We decided to go with them to the Jets/Patriots game. We made a quick stop to get the "best NYC bagels" ever, which were really amazing, then headed to the game.   At the game, we got really lucky, and were able to move down next to Des and Mike in the lower part of the stadium.  It was a beautiful day outside, and the Jets upset the Patriots, so it was a great way to end my time in NYC.  After the game, we stopped for some quick pizza and then I was dropped off at the airport.

First NFL game ever.  

New York pizza, it lives up to the hype.  

All in all, it was a great weekend.  I was so sad to see it end so quickly, as Des and Erik (and now Mike) are all such wonderful people to hang out with.  I am hoping they get to come visit me in Kentucky in the spring.  And I'm also hoping to make it back to NYC sooner rather than later since there is still so much to see.