Ohio State Wins the National Championship!

Being from Wisconsin I've always been a Packer Fan.  Ever since I could cheer the team on with Don 'Magic Man' Majkowski (he's the first Quarterback I remember) I've been doing it.  My Mom actually put my brother and I on the Packer's Season Ticket Waiting List when I was nine years old.  I'm still waiting for tickets and hoping that I'll get them in my lifetime!  Because we had the Packers to cheer for, I never really got into College Football.  If the Badgers were playing I would hope that they would win but I never had an affinity for it.

Watching the game at American Junkie with the boys, smiles with
some pretty girls, and celebrating at Underground after the game!

I've been living in LA for nine years and have cheered on the Buckeyes to more victories than any other team, thanks to my Ohio friend, Brad.  So when it was time for the NCAA Championship Game I was cheering for the Buckeyes, even though I had Oregon Ducks apparel.  American Junkie in Hermosa Beach is a Buckeye Bar so I went with Brad and a bunch of his friends to watch the game there.  It was packed with Ohio State fans and a few Ducks fans just to create some friendly competition.  And what a game it was?!

Cardale Jones was the third-string Quarterback, had only played a couple games but got Ohio State to the Bowl Game.  We were all hoping that Ohio State would win but Oregon was definitely favored for the game.  After seeing Ezekial Elliott get that first 33-yard Touchdown run I had a feeling the Buckeyes would come out on top.  Sure enough, Elliott got four Touchdowns in the game leading Ohio State to victory with a 42-20 score over the Ducks.

So much going on here...the stories that photos tell ;)

We were all in celebration mode after the game and hit up a few places in Hermosa Beach and had to end the night at POW's in Playa Del Rey for one last giant shot of Fireball.  It was a great Football game with fantastic people, new friends, and so much fun!

Bacari in Playa Del Rey for Dine LA

I'm a HUGE fan of Dine LA.  In fact, I budget every year so that I'm able to check out a few new restaurants each time Restaurant Week happens here in Los Angeles (which is twice a year).  I always look forward to eating at some new places as well as some of my favorites like Ruth's Chris or Locanda del Lago.  Dine LA gives you a chance to check out restaurants at a more affordable price while offering a few options for a three-course meal.

My first Dine LA experience this year was at Bacari in Playa Del Rey.  I had never been there before and with a limited schedule due to work and rehearsals I only had a couple hours and wanted to find something that was close for both Kelly and I since she was coming from Hermosa Beach and I had rehearsal in Santa Monica.

Four courses at Bacari in Playa Del Rey

The Dine LA menu for Bacari was really awesome; it's more of a tapas type place so you could get a three-course meal but also with unlimited white or red wine, beer, or sangria, all for $40.  Now that is a steal!  Since I had to get to rehearsal and both Kelly and I had to drive we opted out of Dine LA and just ordered a few things off the menu since it was Happy Hour and that was an even better price than the Dine LA menu since we weren't going to drink more than a glass of wine.

I started with the Caprese salad (always one of my favorites) while Kelly got the Grilled Romaine.  Next up I had the Poached Shrimp which had a sweet chili aioli and Kelly got the Cauliflower.  *They do have plenty of vegetarian options.*  The Shrimp was amazing; I loved the ailoi and was very happy with the portion considering it was $6.  I also ordered the Mac & Cheese which had truffle oil and that was good too, but covered in panko breadcrumbs which I'm not a huge fan of, but the Mac & Cheese was still creamy and very cheesy...yes!  We finished off with the Brown Butter Cookie Dough for dessert which had a banana brulee, candied walnuts, and whipped cream.  It was small but yummy!

Even though we didn't order off the Dine LA menu, that's what got me in the door, so I'm glad it was my first place to check out this Dine LA season.  Next time I go in I really want to try to the Seared Scallops as well as one of their Pizza's; they had a Smoked Mushroom and White Pizza that look awesome.  I'm really excited to go back and try more of their menu and with Happy Hour being such a great deal I'm sure I'll be back soon :)

Healthy Salsa Recipe

I've never been a huge salsa person; I go through phases.  Maybe that's because I'd much rather have something sweet than salty, so chips aren't something I usually have in my pantry.  Since my Mom and I made this Texas Caviar recipe when she was visiting me a couple months ago, I've come around to salsa and did my own take on it.  This recipe is great because it's more like a Pico de Gallo which I really do love since it's always fresh and light.

Salsa My Way

1 Can Diced Tomatoes (or you can dice up a cup on your own)

1 Can Chickpeas

1 Can Black Beans (rinsed)

1 Orange Pepper

1 1/2 Cups Corn (I like to use frozen corn that I thaw)

Half of a medium Onion

1 Jalapeno

1/2 Cup Sugar

1/3 Cup Apple Cider Vinegar

1/4 Cup Olive Oil 

Salt & Pepper

Cilantro

No filter just bright colors and an amazing healthy snack!

Start with your liquids along with the sugar in a pot to boil and dissolve the sugar and then let that mixture cool, it usually takes just a couple of minutes.  Then add your tomatoes, chickpeas, black beans (that you rinse so the color of the salsa stays vibrant) and corn into a bowl.  I diced up the onion and pepper along with a jalapeno which seemed spicy at the time and then added those to the bowl.  After tasting the jalapeno in the salsa, I probably could have used a habanero but it's completely up to you and how spicy or not spicy you want it to be; I prefer a little kick.  Once your liquid mixture has cooled add that to your bowl of vegetables and fruit and mix it all together adding salt and pepper to taste.  I love cilantro so I chopped about a 1/3 of a cup, loosely packed, and then added that in for a brighter flavor to the salsa.  It's completely optional.  I also thought adding mango would be a nice hint of sweetness as well and you can remove any of the items you don't like or add stuff in that appeals to you.

This recipe makes A LOT of salsa because it's hard to use only half a can of tomatoes or black beans so it's great for a party or while watching a sporting event with friends.  I took it to my friend's place a couple weeks ago for a Packer game and it was a hit.  Mark had even said, I don't like any of the things in here, but this salsa is so good you need to bring it again next week!  So now you know what you can bring to that Superbowl Party next weekend :)

Resolutions for 2015

As we're already a couple weeks into 2015, I figured it was time to settle into my resolutions for this year.  I'm really happy with how I kept up with my resolutions from last year and will bring a couple of those goals into this year as can be seen in my previous blog.  I'm excited to start 2015 with a fresh start and clear outlook!

So, on top of my old resolutions to continue, I've got two more to challenge myself.

1. Do something every day that scares me.

'Clear Eyes, Full Heart, Can't Lose'

I found this really neat book at Urban Outfitters that has 365 challenges that you can fill in throughout the year, or you can create your own.  Sometimes it's easy to follow, I'm at a restaurant I love and instead of ordering my old stand-by, I get something new that I wouldn't normally try.  In Minneapolis I went up to a guy in a bar (he looked just like the lead singer from Lady Antebellum) gathering courage and support from my best friend and her friend, and gave him my number on a bar coaster.  I ended up having a 10 minute conversation with him and his friends and he actually texted me later that night.  I clearly live in LA and he's from Wisconsin, so the likelihood that anything would ever happen is slim, but trust me, that scared the sh*t out of me!  But life is about taking chances and creating memories, and if you try new things that scare you, you may actually find out that you like it.

2. Be more patient and polite with Customer Service representatives and bar patrons.

It's super easy to get irritated with drunk people at the bar, or Time Warner Cable, when the cable bill goes up $50, etc.  Instead of getting frustrated and either walking away and ignoring these yahoo's at the bar, or venting my anger to the representative, I will choose to leave people better than before I spoke to them or met them.  Everyone has a bad day (me too) but as I always try to see the best in people, I need to find the best in me during those demanding moments, and give my patience instead.  I'm already looking forward to this one...there's always room to be a better person!  Always.

I really learned a lot in 2014 and feel like a stronger person because of it and I'm looking forward to everything that 2015 will bring with a new more positive outlook!  It's really refreshing to experience life when your mind and heart is clear and open <3

Last year's Resolutions completed!

I'm really proud that I was able to complete and work on my resolutions from 2014.  I'll definitely continue working on these in 2015 and add some new ones as well.

Goodbye 2014...you've taught me a lot...

Last year I really wanted to try new restaurants and happy hour's at least once a month and totally kept true to that.  It opened my eyes to new food and drinks as well as experiences.  From The Culver Hotel, Cafe Laurent, Gladstone's in Malibu, The Blind Barber, Mastro's in Beverly Hills, La Vecchia, Public School 310, Alibi Room, C&M Cafe, and BOA in Santa Monica, I dined, and I dined well, usually with wonderful company :)  I will definitely keep that resolution and say I want to do that at least twice a month this year.  With Dine LA starting next week, I'll get a couple new places in for sure, and since I was in Minnesota the first week this month I had a couple great dinner's with my best friend there as well.

Another resolution from last year was to go out of town more often and try new things.  While I only made it home to Wisconsin once, I made the trip to Minnesota at the start of this year.  I had my first trip to Catalina Island for my Birthday and it was absolutely amazing; so beautiful it didn't even feel like LA.  My family and I made a trip to Carmel to visit my cousin and while hiking we were surrounded by breath-taking scenery.  I also made another trip to Phoenix (I seriously want to move there) and did some hiking in the mountains and got to go to fabulous wedding!  This year I got to spend a lot of time with children through Creating Arts as well as my cousin's kids and I really cherish those moments.  I also saw some incredible concerts and shows this past year, Sara Bareilles, 3 Doors Down, 'Ghost' at The Pantages, and more.  I look forward to more new adventures in 2015!

I've been working on advancing my career in new ways and took some more casting director workshops and also got more involved at Afterbuzz TV working on some new shows.  I also interviewed some great people including Misha Collins at Supernatural Con and made some amazing new friends!  I've done a ton of children's shows with Creating Arts Company including our new adult show, 'Thenardier's Inn - A Les Miserables Cabaret,' and have learned so much working with our awesome company.  I'd really like to start taking some acting classes this year and do more on-camera work and continue to build my reel.  The short film I did this past year was a blast and I also shot a couple commercials for a great company and innovative brand, as well as a music video about stealing a grill.  I will work even harder this year on doing what I love to do.

Hosting at Afterbuzz TV with our Panel for HBO's 'Hard Knocks'

I've been living in LA for nine years and it's been quite the crazy ride, so here's to another year of memories, fun, and insanity!  Happy 2015 everyone!

Bestie Time!

The last weekend that I was in Wisconsin I planned a little road trip to Minnesota to see my best friend, Sarah, from College.  I hadn't seen her in at least four years so I was really looking forward to catching up with her and just spending quality time together being nerds like we were at Winona State.  My other best friend, Sarah, from Winona State as well, let's call her my Twin, for non-confusion purposes, was spending the Holidays in South Africa with her husband's family, and I knew I was going to miss seeing her since she wouldn't be in Wisconsin while I was home.  Lucky for me, I saw her post as soon as she got back from South Africa, suggested she make a trip to Wisconsin, and she decided she wanted to see her family as well, so we made plans to have Lunch while I was on my way to St. Paul.

I hadn't seen my Twin in at least nine years, we couldn't believe it had been that long, but it was.  We met in Montello, a small town in Wisconsin where I didn't even get service on my cell phone but the friendly Wisconsin folk allowed me to use their cell phones in order to coordinate a meeting spot and then find a place to grab Lunch.  As the snow started to fall, she pulled into the parking lot and I think we hugged for a full minute straight!  Gosh did I miss this girl!  We decided on this little Diner where all the women working were incredibly cute and asking what we were doing in Wisconsin when we were currently living in California and Florida.  In fact, we spent at least the first hour talking and not even looking at the menu.  How do you catch up on nine years in just one Lunch?!  Well, we ended up shutting the restaurant down before they re-opened for Dinner later, talking for almost four hours.  My Twin is still exactly the same; we might have aged a few years but we didn't miss a beat.  I trust whatever advice she gives me is always out of love and believing in me, she's got a heart of gold, and our bond is really special.

Lunch at Spark's Cafe in Montello, Wisconsin with Sarah!

I got back on the road and made my way to St. Paul, Minnesota and my bestie's perfect home!  Sarah had a new addition to the household, Gemma, a beagle puppy, who I couldn't help but snuggle for the next 48 hours; talk about adorable!  We had Dinner and played catch-up that night but it was the next day when we walked around Minneapolis that I was confused and impressed all at the same time.  Of course, we had Erbert's & Gerbert's for Lunch, my favorite sandwich spot, and walked all around Downtown Minneapolis in the skyways.  Every single building in this metropolis is connected, and as long as you know where you're going, you can get anywhere in the city without having to go outside!  I was blown away.  We had Happy Hour at one of Sarah's spots, Sweeney's, before heading home to freshen up and get ready for a wonderful Italian Dinner at Scusi.  Along with a delicious bottle of wine, we had our fill of fresh amazing pasta!  Everything was so good and we even got this yummy dessert on the house, cheesecake with berries and lemon curd, and it was so good!  We still share the same jokes we did years ago in College and I always remember why this girl means so much to me.  Sarah always has my back, she'll always be honest with me, and have my best interest at heart.

Dinner at Scusi in Downtown St. Paul with Sarah!

I'm so lucky to have these two wonderful women in my life; I only wish that I could be closer to both of them so we don't have to wait this long between visits again!  The best thing about the distance is that they're always a phone call away, and no matter how I'm feeling, just talking to either of them brightens my day.  I hit the jackpot <3

Pourvino in Plymouth

While I was back home in Plymouth for Christmas my family and I decided to check out this new wine bar called Pourvino.  I'm so excited we have a place like this back home; if I was still living there it would definitely be my go-to spot.  I can't wait to visit again and do more wine tastings and check out their new food menu as well!

Mom and I decided to split the Sweet White Wine Flight and also ordered a bottle of The Little Black Dress Moscato.  Our awesome Bartender gave us an extra taste of another kind of Moscato that was a little more syrupy but without the sugary taste; it had mango and tropical fruit notes, was really smooth and totally delicious!  I almost wished we had tried that before we ordered The Little Black Dress bottle because we might have gotten that instead.  That Moscato was very tasty as well, with slight carbonation and from California.

The Sweet White Flight we had included a Riesling, Chardonnay, and Sauternes.  The Riesling was far less sweet than I expected and was my least favorite of the three but Mom enjoyed it.  I really liked the Chardonnay because it did have that buttery finish and I always look for that when picking out a Chardonnay.  It was a unanimous decision that the Sauternes was the best of the three.  That wine was the sweetest and the grapes they use are partially raisined which brings on the sweeter flavor.  Even my Dad liked that one!  He was drinking Bourbon that night since he's more of a Whiskey drinker.

Wine Tasting at Pourvino in Plymouth!

Overall, the experience was amazing.  Even the music was on point, they had a chill mix that had Sara Bareilles playing "Little Black Dress" and other fun songs (perfect while we were drinking the same-titled bottle of Moscato).  On Tuesday's they have half-price bottles and it made the night very affordable, even in Plymouth!  To top it all off, they have a menu that includes a Chocolate Tasting, Triple Chocolate Mousse Cake, small plates like Proscuitto wrapped Breadsticks, and Spinach Artichoke dip.  This is a must visit spot in our wonderful small town in Wisconsin :)

It looks like they just updated their menu so find Pourvino on Facebook right here: https://www.facebook.com/pourvinowinebar

Winter in Wisconsin! Part 1.

I always go back to Wisconsin for Christmas and this time I planned an extended vacation because I hadn't been home since last Christmas.  I'm so lucky and thankful that all of my jobs worked around my schedule and I was able to get shifts covered and people wanted to pick up certain days, so I was able to spend a whole two and a half weeks with my family in Plymouth!

With some of my favorite girls, Dru, Ari, and Olivia!

It was literally go go go the entire time I was home!  Not only was it Christmas and the Holidays, but there were Birthday's, brunches, and dinners to attend.  One of the best parts about being home was that our entire family on my Mom's side was able to get together for the first time in years.  I was able to spend quality time with my cousin's children that I don't get to see very often; we talked about "Frozen," played games, they showed me their Christmas presents, we roared, I cackled, gave lots of hugs, and so much more.

Another one of my favorite things about being home are the dinners I have with my family.  We went to St. Anne for my Uncle's Birthday and had a steak dinner that night, my Mom & Dad had a steak and lobster night for my brother and I one day when we were all home together, and we went to Prime Quarter a different night and grilled our own steaks.  Plus, we tried The Black Pig in Sheboygan, Rupp's where I had amazing Cajun Chicken, Mom had made roast beef one night, we had chili, Dad made his incredible steak sandwiches and more.  The family time really makes the trip worthwhile, and I loved being able to grab lunch one day with my Grandpa and Dad, and spend a lot of time with my Grandpa during my mini-vacation.

Wegner Family Christmas Eve 2014

We always get together with my cousins and aunt's and uncle's to play games like Spades, Loaded Questions, and at home we play Settler's of Catan and Peanuts.  It's always so fun to laugh and have a good time with my family.  Mom and I play Dr. Mario and we even watched a few movies together.  Mom and I watched my favorite Christmas movie one night, 'White Christmas' and I caught 'Love Actually,' another night.  Mom had never seen 'Country Strong' so we watched that while I got 'The Fault in Our Stars' for Christmas so we had family night all together with that wonderful, amazing, heart-wrenching movie.

The Packer's had two games while I was home and won the Division Title.  I would have loved to have gone to a game but getting tickets for them are super hard since it's all Season Ticket holders.  It was nice just to watch them at home while Mom and I were baking Christmas cookies, or we were all playing cards.  I wore my Aaron Rodgers jersey with pride, especially after he left the Detroit game with an injury to his calf/ankle, and then came back and threw that beautiful touchdown pass to Randall Cobb!  There's nothing like watching my home-team while I'm in Wisconsin; it's just a totally different feeling.

Make sure to check out Part 2 of Winter in Wisconsin!

Winter in Wisconsin! Part 2.

The two and a half weeks really flew by because of how much there was going on.  Since Christmas and New Year's fell on Wednesday's my parents were able to take off of work and that gave us even more opportunities to hang out.  Mom and I drove to Green Bay one day and had our after-Christmas shopping trip along with a stop at the casino and bite to eat at Five Brother's for burgers.

I was able to go out in Plymouth one night and met up with some friends.  I love being able to have Leinenkugel's beer and RumChata, which come out of Wisconsin.  We all made a couple trips to Rosie's Bar, and had Old-Fashions at home, as well as plenty of wine and Cognac.  In fact, at Antonio's one night I ordered Stoli on the rocks and it was a very generous pour for just $4.50!  I sipped on that all night long because I had to drive home and it was certainly more than a double.  You gotta love Wisconsin prices :)

Drink's at Rosie's on a Saturday afternoon!

The weather really held out well while I was home.  Initially, it's always a surprise as to how cold it really feels.  Mom and I were able to take walks for two weeks without having to wear boots and that is definitely not normal!  In fact, one day it was 47 degrees when we took our walk, and just a few days later, it was two degrees, and wearing four layers of clothes, it was still really cold.  I love having a White Christmas and this year we were able to take our Family Christmas photos outside!  Of course, the weather gods came through and snow finally hit so I was able to enjoy the beautiful blanket it created.  That also brought the below zero temperature's and including wind chill, it was negative 11 at one point.

Family Christmas Pictures outside without snow!!

On New Year's we had a family dinner at home and Mom made Split Pea Soup as well as French Onion Soup, Dad grilled steaks, we had beer biscuits, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, vegetables, and more!  My cousin and his wife stopped over with their kids so we could say goodbye since they were leaving the following day and I was able to get my New Year's kiss from my 6 year-old second-cousin.  His parting words...'Don't be late, Rattlesnake.'  I can't even handle how cute all my little second cousins are!  We made it to downtown Plymouth just in time to catch the Cheese Drop at midnight and had drinks at The Depot and stopped in at City Club for a drink and a Beaver shot.  It's Cherry Doctor with orange soda and so delicious; I always have to order one when I'm home.  Then Mom, Dad, and I went home and played Spades till nearly 3 am.  It may not have been the most exciting New Year's I've had, but it was one of the most memorable <3

Needless to say the time went by way too quickly and in all honestly, I wish I could have stayed home for another week.  There was just too much to catch up on and do since I hadn't been home for a year and to cram it all into a couple weeks just felt rushed.  It was by far one of the best Holiday vacations I've ever had and now I just need to plan a Spring trip back home!

*A special thanks to my family for all the Christmas presents, memories, time spent, and everything else you do to make my time with you so perfect.  Miss you already!*