Sophie In the City

Gobble, Gobble!

Posted on November 19, 2015 by fordsophie

Thanksgiving is a time where families get together to celebrate one another and all that God has given us. It is a time to appreciate the good in our lives and to overlook the bad.

I love Thanksgiving for its meaning, but honestly, I really love that we get to celebrate over kick-ass food. Dinner always starts at 5 p.m., but there is a lot of preparation that goes into Thanksgiving planning when you are the daughter of the hostess.

First thing in the morning, Jake and I head over to our parents’ house around 8 or 9 a.m. Mom has a breakfast casserole cooked and ready for all of us to eat while the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is on. Keep in mind, Dad’s band always plays until 2 or 3 a.m. the night before at Shenanigans.

Once the parade is over, and the dog show comes on, it is down to business. Well for me, Mom and Dad anyways. Jake normally slips out of the house to go hit golf balls.

While my Dad peels potatoes for 30 people, mom has the green beans setting on the stove all day, the two turkeys in the oven, and the turkey neck soaking in broth which will eventually turn into the gravy. After the food that needs immediate tending to is out and cooking, we now concentrate on the minor things.

As Mom’s sous chef, I am in charge of putting together the salads and making the homemade dressings. Each year the salads vary. But, they never disappoint. After the salads are made I then go and set the China out on the two tables on the main floor, and then I make sure there are plastic forks and paper plates on the table in the basement for the basement crew.

Mom is in charge of setting out the beverages, and making the mashed potatoes and stuffing.

While everything on the inside is in a chaotic state, because of my Mom’s alter ego, Betsy Bosanova, Dad walks the dog, cuts our grass and then comes inside to clean up any mess we might’ve missed from the night before.

Before we know it, the clock is already at 3:30 and we all have to rush to get ready before family begins to arrive around 4:30 p.m. with their dishes in hand.

Is it worth it? All the cleaning and preparation before the grand meal? Hell yes. I will still do anything to sink my teeth into a good meal.

Thanksgiving

The Christmas Amazing Race

Posted on November 12, 2015 by fordsophie

Yes. I have OCD: Obsessive Christmas Disorder.

When November first hits, Thanksgiving is the furthest thing from my mind. I start unpacking my two storage bins that are filled with Christmas decorations, break out the Josh Groban “Noel” album, which I continuously listen to on repeat, and start dispersing my money into different accounts so I will have just enough money to buy my boyfriend and family nice Christmas gifts.

I think my obsession began, when my aunt, Kate, put together many years ago, the first, Christmas Amazing Race.

Obviously mimicked after, the Amazing Race. You all know the show right? Where teams of two travel across the world completing different tasks on each leg of the race.

Well, she gets all of her friends, many of them local judges, lawyers, relatives and local personalities, and sends them on a race throughout Louisville competing tasks in teams of four.

Participants in past races have done it all. They have performed synchronized Christmas dance routines in the Mid-City mall for a panel of judges, had a wing-eating contest, gone to a tattoo parlor to receive a stamp on tattoo, delivered 50 pounds worth of donations to the Little Sisters of the Poor, and unwrapped hundreds of presents trying to find one of 7 boxes with a piece of coal in it before they continue in the race.

My personal favorite task that they have had to do was when Kate made them set a 5-minute timer, and they had to pray inside of a popular Nativity scene in Louisville, kneeling down in front of baby Jesus. Each year, the tasks get bigger and better. Sometimes a little more daring as well.

I cannot wait for this years race. My aunt and I have came up with some pretty funny tasks for them to complete.

But, what I love most about the race, besides watching the intensely competitive people play, is that Kate gets all of the cousins involved. I help her plan it every year. I assist with the prizes and different tasks stationed throughout Louisville. Mainly, I just show up to the stops to make sure no team cheats. We have cheaters every year.

A few of my cousins, brother and boyfriend are all team drivers. Yes. I have heard that the tension in some cars have been so high, that the drivers will pull over to take a “breather” while everyone takes a moment to gather themselves. Some of the ladies tend to yell at the drivers for not going quick enough.

And then there are my youngest cousins. AKA the Christmas “Divas, Fairies and Elves.” It is their job to greet the teams at the pit stop of the race. They normally throw glitter at them or something, while the players sing a Christmas jingle. It’s cute.

It’s nice to have something to look forward to every year that is a little out of the norm and different from everyone else’s traditions. I can for sure say, that this year’s race is going to be one for the books. Some women are out for blood and the competition is only getting hotter.

Stay tuned so I can tell you the outcome for this year’s event.

Picky Eaters? Overcome Fear of Granola.

Posted on October 30, 2015 by fordsophie

For all you trail-mix, granola lovers out there, I have just discovered a game changing granola recipe on Pinterest.

If I am being honest, I hate granola. It is actually a food I force myself to eat once or twice a week because of all of its nutritional value.

I am not a picky eater, but I always have to choke it down with another food to cover up the taste: yogurt, peanut butter and bread, maybe sometimes even cookies. But, this granola, I will eat it like Christmas-crack!

Side note: Christmas Crack is just a form of cinnamon puppy chow my boyfriend’s mom makes every year. I can’t keep my hands off it.

Back to my point. Granola. It can be dry, it can be too crunchy, it can be too nutty, but this one is just perfect. It is called Coconut Granola.

Want to know the only other food I really don’t like besides granola? Coconut.

My mom went about this in a very sneaky way, but this past week when I was house sitting for my parents, my mom made me a bunch of food for the week.

She made burgers, pasta sauce, salads, macaroni, fresh salsa and homemade guacamole, chicken salad, anything you could possibly want, she had!

She left a note on this one particular tin. It read:

“NEW PINTEREST RECIPE. PLEASE TRY!”

I have no problem being my mom’s tester. She is an amazing cook. Obviously I am biased, but I would say she could kick any other parent in a cook-off.

I popped a huge handful in my mouth, and half a day later… half the bin was gone.

I called my mom to tell her how awesome the granola was and that I was eating it by the handful. No distraction foods were being used!

She just laughed and said, “Soph.. it has coconut in it!”

Needless to say, I think I’ll start trying more coconut based dishes now.

For the recipe, please follow the link listed below. This is a perfect appetizers to take over to your friends and family’s houses for the holidays.

http://www.twopeasandtheirpod.com/coconut-granola/

A Dog’s Best Friend

Posted on October 15, 2015 by fordsophie

Play dates with Wynnie, as told by Elvis.

Hey Wynnie!

I’ve been watching out the front door for you!

How long has it been since we last saw each other? A week?!

Oh, it’s only been seven hours? Last night? Wow, time really does feel like forever when your other half is gone.

Don’t worry friend. I won’t move until I see you! Can’t. Miss. Play. Date. Must. Stay. Put.

*Bark, Bark, Bark*

Mom! Wynnie is here quick, open the door!

Keep tugging at that chest harness of yours Wynnie, don’t worry, Justin will take it off. I can’t stand the bra strap! I don’t like my woman to feel restricted.

Please let me death roll you. That is the only proper way to greet you!

No Wynnie, come back here! Don’t touch my basketball! Don’t do it Wynnie! Oh! You wanna be like that?! I’ll show you.

*Lifts leg*

Isn’t the weather just amazing! I am SO frisky. Let me show you my lightening speed as I run in quick circles!

(Runs in circles)

Oh the fall weather is making you hyper?! I shall bite your face too!!

*Munch, Munch, Munch*

(Too much excitement!)

Don’t worry friend, even when we get tired there is no one I’d rather sit and eat grass with.

You are the only lady I will let come and eat my grass. Apparently it’s a good cleanse? I know Kate and Justin have you on that super healthy diet.

Why do they call us cows? I don’t get it.

I love you Wynnie, please do leave me.

I have an idea! Let’s alternate eating grass with playing so Justin and Kate won’t take you away.

(Eats Grass, Then Plays, Eats Grass)

OH NO! NOT THE BRA STRAP!?

Wynnie! Run! Don’t let them put that on you, that only means one thing.. you are leaving.

It’s okay Wynnie. I love you and will wait for you by my door.

Until then!

College Foodie Edition

Posted on October 8, 2015 by fordsophie

If I had to make an assumption, I would say that most college kids budget their money weekly. They lay aside a set amount of money for the necessities: gas, food, cab fare and alcohol money.

There’s only one problem. What happens when you live in one of the top growing, food cities in America? People find themselves overwhelmed with unlimited decisions.

You might think this post is going to be about how college kids can save money, but it is far from that.

I have friends that love to eat out. Not at like a chain restaurant, but a trendy restaurant. It is be hard for me to afford the lifestyle where you are constantly eating out once every week, but, let’s be honest, even though I complain about not having money, for food and good company, I’ll burn a hole in my wallet – no problem.

If I am going to make myself broke and live off my money day-by-day, when I go out to eat with my friends, I want to make sure I am getting my moneys worth.

Listed below, in no particular order, is a list of my top three favorite restaurant/bars to go. Eating at any of these places is money well spent.

Mussel & Burger Bar: I am ecstatic to announce that I no longer have to drive out to the intersection of Taylorsville and Hurstbourne Parkway to gorge myself in their flavorful mussels and juicy burgers. Mussel & Burger Bar just opened a second location in ddowntown Louisville in place of the St. Charles Exchange.

Crescent Hill Craft House: Their diverse food and craft beer menu will hold you captive for hours. You’ll want to try one of everything at this restaurant. I highly recommend the smoked gouda cheese grits.

The POST: Hands down, this is easily the best pizza joint in Louisville. The Post is a newer pizza place in the Germantown-area. Not only are they known for their creative pizzas, but the Post is also popular for their giant individual pizza slices.

Side note: Every day they have a different pizza of the day.

The Best of Jim vs. Dwight

Posted on October 2, 2015 by fordsophie

Although it took my ten years to succumb to the peer pressure, I finally have started watching the Office series. I have to admit, I am obsessed. Between the office romances, drama, parties and every day antics, Dwight Schrute and Jim Halpert’s relationship is by far my favorite asset of the show.

The show consistently revolves around their love-hate, competitive relationship.

Just when you think Jim has overcome his taunting ways, Jim, alongside Pam, pull off some bizarre, unrealistic prank that I wish could happen in the real world office environment.

I now have watched the Office up to the beginning of season five and have documented my top five favorite pranks that Jim has pulled on Dwight. The following rankings are in no particular order.

5. Jim decides to buy Dwight’s entire wardrobe at a Dollar Mart for eleven dollars and acts like Dwight for an entire work day. Dwight realizes this after Jim pulls out a bobble head from his pocket and places it on his desk. Dwight too has quite a collection of bobble heads.

4. Jim puts various items from Dwight’s desk in jell-o multiple times throughout the entire show. I was impressed that Jim managed to get one of those TI-83 calculators in the jell-o. Kudos to you Jim!

3. Dwight leaves his wallet on his desk and Jim decides to put it in the vending machine so that Dwight has to pay money in order to get his wallet out. But, Dwight clearly has no money because his wallet is in the machine.

2. Jim moves Dwight’s entire desk into the men’s bathroom. He has to work from the bathroom for the entire day.

1. Last but not least, each day for an entire month, Jim would progressively put more and more pennies in Dwight’s work phone. It got to the point where the phone was completely full of pennies. One day Jim decides to take all the pennies out at once and when Dwight goes to pick up the phone, he proceeds to hit himself in the face.

Run Outside While You Can!

Posted on September 24, 2015 by fordsophie

Louisville is known for Muhammad Ali, Jennifer Lawrence, the University of Louisville athletic program, high school programs, hipster Bardstown Road, the Kentucky Derby and its tasty food scene.

There is no denying that Louisville is known for its eclectic environment that is continuously developing, but, one of my favorite, less popular things about Louisville is all of its public parks.

Iroquois Park, Cherokee Park, Shawnee Park, Joe Creason Park, Tyler Park, Waterfront Park and Seneca Park are some of the dozens of parks you can find throughout the city of Louisville. Each park has something unique to offer.

Whether it be the massive playgrounds for children, the challenging bike and hiking trails, the dog-friendly environment, outdoor concerts, or the beautiful scenery that draws you to each of these parks, there will always be something for you to do.

Since fall has officially begun, this is me, challenging you, to take advantage of the beautiful weather while it lasts, and go to one of these parks once a week.

Call up a friend to go biking, walking or running! There are plenty of paths and trails for you all to walk. I personally love running the trails at Seneca Park! If you want to run more hills, I would definitely suggest running in Cherokee Park.

I have just recently discovered an app called, Charity Miles. This app tracks how many miles you run, bike or walk and then has the sponsor of the day donate money to your charity of choice based on the miles you complete.

If you ask me, this is a great incentive for people to stay active. If I had known about this app a while ago, I guarantee you that I would have been a more dedicated runner months ago.

So put on your running shoes and kick those seasonal allergies to the side! Take advantage of all the parks the city has to offer and go exploring! It’s Louisville. So who knows how long the weather will stay like this.

Cards vs. Class

Posted on September 17, 2015 by fordsophie

This entire day has caused me an enormous amount of stress. Do I attend my once a week night class, or skip it, for the second week in a row (first absence was due to a vacation I won and the teacher give me permission). Here’s the catch. If I skip, I get to go to arguably the largest home game of the season: University of Louisville vs. #11 Clemson. After a lot of contemplation, I finally came up with a conclusion. There’s no backing out. I am going to skip my night class.

For all you studious people out there, here is a list as to why it is important to live on the edge a little.

It is important to have school pride. Ever since the Cards entered the ACC, Louisville is now competing with some of the top programs in the game. We need to show out at every game and wear our schools colors with pride!

2. Sometimes people need to have some time to unwind. Now is the time to live a little. We are in college. We have all the time in the world to worry about meeting deadlines and appointments when we are graduated and working full-time.

3. This your senior year? Make the most of your last year as a “kid.” Now is the best time to make memories of a life time. P.S. I heard there was going to be a mechanical bull at this game?

4. Lastly, it’s not the end of the world. Although I hate condoning this, but sometimes there are loop holes around missing a class. I am missing this class because I know I can make up what I miss with extra credit points. Side note, this class is an elective and has nothing to do with my future occupation.

Please keep in mind though. If you are going to be a slacker here-and-there, kick ass the next few weeks to show your teacher that you really care!

Have a great weekend and go Cards!!

Remembering 9/11

Posted on September 11, 2015 by fordsophie

I’ll always remember my grandma’s story about where she was when JFK was shot. My mom can reflect back to the day the Challenger exploded.

At seven years old, I never thought I would have one of those “moments.”

Fourteen years ago disaster struck our nation on September 11, 2001. What at first seemed to be a plausible accident when a plane crashed into the North Twin Tower in New York City, clearly turned into a terroristic attack on our nation when a second plane hit the South Tower.

I was sitting in Ms. Webster’s second grade when all of the teachers left the room. Moments later, she and her assistant, Mrs. Evans, walked back into the room, turned off the lights, turned on the news and asked us to sit in silence.

Our principal came over the intercom and asked us to remain silent as she recited a prayer.

I didn’t realize the significance of what was happening.. But teachers were crying and kids were leaving school early.

Flash forward to today – I find myself in New York City the weekend of September 11th.

About 3,000 people died that day; All of them left a mark on someone’s life and on our country. Tomorrow marks the 14th anniversary of the 9/11 attack.

While I am prepping myself for the 9/11 museum and memorial tour I can’t help but think of all the things I am grateful for in my life.

I have been blessed with loving family and friends.

I have been blessed with a wonderful education that has been provided by my parents, which is something that I learn to never take for granted.

I have been blessed to live in a country where freedom is values.

Regadless of your faith or beliefs, at this time in our lives, I think we can all agree that this weekend is a time to reflect on the things we are grateful for.

I Fell for Fall

Posted on September 3, 2015 by fordsophie

I don’t know about you, but for me, fall is my favorite season. You might think it’s because I now have an excuse to wear oversized sweaters, leggings and boots, or it’s because pumpkin spiced everything is now in every store. Fall could also be classified as the perfect “selfie” season.

I mean who wouldn’t want to post an insta of themselves drinking scolding hot lattes and smiling next to pumpkins. If you were to stereotype fall, it could be called, the “basic bitch’s” month.

Don’t get me wrong. I am a sucker for sweaters and leggings, but I love fall because of all the things Louisville has to offer during that season. Here are my five favorite things to do in Louisville during the fall:

Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular Louisville – Every fall, 5,000 jack-o-lanterns are carved by professional artists and are laid out to form a .25 mile walking trail. Held in Iroquois Park, it’s a sight you have to see in order to understand how mesmerizing of a “walk” this can be.

The Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular has a theme that varies each year.

2. Zombie Walk – On August 29^th at exactly 8:29 PM., a massive group of “zombies” embark on a walk of terror from the Mid-City Mall and head north down Bardstown Road. If you think you can stomach the gruesome, “Walking Dead”-esque sight, I highly recommend attending or participating in the event next year.

Prepared to be ”Thriller’ed.”

3. St. James Art Fair – Every year during the first weekend of October, over 750 artists from around America travel to Louisville to show their art. Held in one of Louisville’s most historic areas, Old Louisville, the art show draws a crowd of 300,000+ people per year.

The art ranges from leather, wood-work, hand-crafted jewelry, pottery, clay, digital images, paintings, etc.

4. Tailgating – Sure, the nearest professional football team we can cheer for is in Indianapolis, but Louisville has great high school and college football teams to watch. If you don’t like the Louisville Cardinals and refuse to tailgate in their stadium, don’t worry, there are plenty of high school teams to cheer for.

Saint Xavier vs. Trinity and Louisville Male vs. Manual, all high school teams, draw crowds of thousands of people to their rival games. Trust me, college-like tailgating goes on for these games. Throw some pigskin, play some corn hole and grab a beer (if legal). You’re guaranteed a fun time.

5. Huber’s Orchard & Winery – Alright, alright. I know I said favorite things in Louisville and Joe Huber’s Orchard & Winery is obviously not in Louisville. RIP Joe. But, growing up in Louisville, it’s almost like Huber’s is a tradition.

It’s the perfect place for field trips, family outings, a girls’ day, or for a date. Yeah it’s about a 30 minutes away in Indiana, depending on where you are coming from, but a trip to Huber’s is never time wasted.

If you want to make your fall a memorable one, try one of the outings I have recommended. Hopefully, like me, you’ll fall for fall too.