Feuerzangenbowle & The Chocolate Factory

Touring a Chocolate Factory
For week 19 of my 52-week project, Leigh and I went on a tour of a chocolate factory. We visited Schakolad, a chocolate shop that makes its own sweets fresh on the premises. The tour included a brief lesson on the history of chocolate, lots of sampling, and making our own goodies.

First, we made “chocolate business cards.” This is one of the owners making his, which looked a lot better than mine. I think I spent more time eating the white chocolate out of the tube than actually writing my name.

Next, we learned how to make chocolate lollypops. We made them by scooping chocolate out of the vat and filling smiley face molds and adding sticks. The molds sat on a box that vibrated to shake out any bubbles in the chocolate.

We then moved on to dipping strawberries. It was pretty simple to do, just dip the berries in the swirling vat of chocolate and spin the berry until it was completely coated.

Finally, we made dark chocolate covered marshmallows. These were my favorite. So delicious. We made them by dipping our fingers in chocolate, picking up a marshmallow, covering it in chocolate, and and setting it out to harden.

I wish I had pictures of the final product of everything. But, to be honest with you, the treats didn’t last very long after I got them home. I have a bit of a sweet tooth.

I used my newly acquired skills later in the week to dip strawberries for Leigh’s going away party. They weren’t as pretty as the ones at Schakolad, but they were mighty tasty.

Feuerzangenbowle
As I mentioned above, I attended Leigh’s going away party this week. She is moving back to Germany so this will be the last time we will have an adventure together for a while. However, I am sure we still have many adventures to come. For her party she decided to prepare Feuerzangenbowle, a German fire drink traditionally served at Christmas and New Years. Feuerzangenbowle is made with mulled wine, fruit, cinnamon, cloves, rum, and a sugarloaf.

First, you add lots of red wine. Leigh said it’s best just to go with cheap wine, so you don’t waste the good stuff. Please note that the wine has no specific variety and is simply classified as “red.”

After dumping 5 liters of Franzia into the pot, Leigh added oranges, lemons, and cinnamon, and let it simmer on the stove for a few hours. It smelled amazing, exactly what you would expect Christmas to smell like.

Finally, it was time for the show! A cone-shaped sugarloaf is placed in a tray above the wine. The sugar is then set on fire, either by soaking it in rum and then lighting it, or by lighting the rum and slowly spooning it onto the sugar until it is completely melted. According to the instructions, you need to use 54% percent alcohol in order for it to burn properly. Leigh said she once used Bacardi 151 and that the resulting flame was terrifying.

This is Leigh’s uncle Dave and me spooning rum over the sugar.

A few times the flames got pretty high and engulfed my hand or caught the spoon on fire. No injuries though!

I don’t remember what was happening here, but I think Leigh and I were excited to be done and that nobody caught on fire.

The Feuerzangenbowle was hot, delicious, and tasted a bit like cider. It was the perfect drink to warm us up as we sat around the fire telling stories and singing Rocky Top.

Thank you to Amy Williams for letting me use her Feuerzangen-photos. Check out her Freewill Photography Facebook page!

Constitutional Law: The Music Video
Apropos of nothing, here is a video of Leigh and her uncle Dave singing about Constitutional Law. I’m going to miss her.

Art Crawl & The Sunsphere

Art Crawl
The first Friday of every month the art galleries in Knoxville open their doors for what is aptly named, “First Friday.” In addition to the exhibits, the galleries have delicious food and drinks, and even the occasional band. It’s a great way to see a wide variety of artwork because every gallery offers something different. I met up with my friends Leigh, Qun, and Eric and hit the streets. Since everyone comes out for First Friday, you are sure to see someone you know. We eventually ran into our friends Kathryn and Darren. Poor Darren, he was the only non-lawyer (or non-future lawyer) among us. Here is a small sample of the artwork we saw:

Coral Grace Turner, Rabbit, Wool needlepoint and cotton velvet at The Emporium Center.

Megan Hensley, Twisted Element, Metal at Downtown Gallery.

Samantha Briegel, Glacé Chic, Ceramic at Gallery 1010.

Mike Naney, Berry Cold, Canvas wrap at URBhana.

There was even awesome art on the streets…

It was a beautiful night, so everyone was out enjoying the spring weather. We came across hula hoopers and a drum circle in Krutch Park, which continued to grow in size as we stood and watched. They seemed to play forever, prompting Eric to inquire whether they got union breaks.

The highlight of the evening was seeing the Lovearch in Krutch Park. Lovearch was sculpted by Andy Denton, a friend of mine from high school. After years of seeing photos of his art online, it was really exciting to see his work in person. Well, for the first time since our teens. Andy describes the statue as being like a love poem. “These two figures are each others’ grounding in life. They are flung upside down by the world but they stand on each other.” Lovearch isn’t just beautiful, it also is an award winner. It won 3rd place in the Dogwood Arts Festival. Go Andy! So proud!

A few weeks ago, I actually walked by as the sculpture was being installed. Yet, somehow I didn’t notice Andy standing just a few feet away. Why? Because I was either in a rush or had my nose buried in my phone, not paying attention to the world around me. Lesson learned.

The Sunsphere
We decided to end the evening at The Sunsphere. The Sunsphere was built in 1982 for the World’s Fair and has a bar and observation deck. For a long time The Sunsphere was empty, or, according according to a 1996 episode of The Simpsons, housed a warehouse of wigs. People still talk about the Fair like it was yesterday. I wasn’t around then, so I only know of The Sunsphere as the shiny thing that distracts me as I am driving. The windows are coated in 24-karat gold dust . . . what girl wouldn’t that distract!

We went up to the Icon Ultra Lounge on the 5th floor, where we were met by our friend David, yet another lawyer. The circular room is a little disorienting at first. The windows are slanted and run floor-to-ceiling, giving a 360-degree view of the lights of the city. We sat overlooking the fountains of World’s Fair Park; it was absolutely beautiful. While the music was loud, it was a relaxed atmosphere, perfect if you are looking for something different for a night out with friends.

After the evening was over it was time to head back to my car. My friends offered to escort me, but I insisted going it alone. It was a beautiful 60-degree evening, perfect for a quiet mile-long walk across town. Before you think I am crazy for wandering the streets alone at 2AM, you are more likely to see artwork in the alleys of Knoxville than get mugged in one. However, as soon as we parted ways I noticed that my iPhone battery died. My first thought: “great, this is how horror movies start.” Of course, the walk back was uneventful and I was greeted only with friendly Knoxvillians saying “hello.” And as you can tell from the blog post, I am still alive.

Salsa Dancing & Meeting Martin Sheen

Salsa Dancing
A few weeks ago I asked you to vote on which style of dance I would try next. Salsa won by a landslide. I had a deal for 2 dance lessons at SalsaKnox, so I went down to their studio to try it out. I’ve had friends accompany me on most of my recent adventures, but I decided to break out of my comfort zone a little and go this one alone.

I have discussed before that my dancing skills aren’t exactly developed. This isn’t due to a lack of rhythm, but due to an utter lack of coordination and not knowing my left foot from my right foot. Knowing which foot is which is vitally important in salsa. Because it is a partner dance, if you step with the wrong foot it throws everything off.

The basic salsa step for a woman looks something like this (in peach):

1. Step back with the Right Foot
2. Rock forward onto your Left Foot
3. Step forward with your Right Foot
4. Shift your weight on to your Right Foot
5. Step forward with the Left Foot
6. Rock back onto your Right Foot
7. Step back with your Left Foot
8. Shift your weight on to your Left Foot
Repeat Step 1


My lack of skills was very evident in my first session. I had to be shown the steps multiple times and receive a lot of corrections. Even when the instructors would take time to personally show me the steps, I still had problems. However, everyone was incredibly supportive. One fellow student told me not to worry, his first time he was terrible too.

I am really glad I had a 2-class package deal. While I had a great deal of fun my first session, I am not sure I would have gone back, thinking it was a skill I would never master. But, since I already paid for the class and am incredibly frugal, I decided to go back for more.

This time I wanted to be more comfortable. For me, that meant wearing my 4-inch heels instead of the flats I wore to my first class. Wearing flats just throws off my sense of balance. This time we were lined up facing a giant mirror instead of a wall. At first, this made me self-conscious because I was worried that everyone would be watching me and judging me. Then I realized that everyone else there probably felt just as self-conscious at me and was only paying attention to themselves. So, I decided to use the mirror to my advantage and try to watch and correct my steps.

I must have picked up something through osmosis or in my sleep, because my skills increased significantly overnight. Don’t get me wrong, I was still an extreme novice, but I was able to figure out the moves and was no longer tripping over my own feet. This made me much more confident. In fact, I got “excellent” and “perfect” from the instructors Waldo and Jacqui. In addition to picking up some new dance moves like spinning and dipping, I learned how important it is to have a good leader when you are dancing. The better direction your partner gives you, the more confident you can be about your own steps.

I absolutely loved salsa, and I learned not to give up easily on things I don’t master right away. The night after my second lesson I came home and purchased 15 more! I never thought I would be good at any style of dance, but who knows, stranger things have happened. This leaves only one question . . . who is going to take me dancing?

Meeting Martin Sheen — The Coolest Man Alive
While this isn’t really a New Thing, it’s the coolest thing that has happened to me all year so I had to share the story.

This week I had to go to Nashville for a meeting. I never get to see my friend Justin and wanted to spend time with him while I was in town. He had, however, an event to attend the night I arrived. He asked me if I wanted to join him, and I promptly accepted his invitation. The only thing he told me was that it was a fundraiser, what to wear, and when to be there. Thinking nothing else of it, I hopped in my car and made my 3-hour drive across the state.

When I got to the venue Justin explained that the Great Futures Gala was for the Boys & Girls Club of Middle Tennessee, and that his organization, the Phoenix Club of Nashville, was one of the sponsors. I noticed that the room was beautifully decorated and the presidential seal was on everything. I don’t really remember much of what happened next, but the conversation went something like this:

Justin: The evening has a West Wing theme, so everything is decorated like the White House, and Martin Sheen is here.
Me: (Thinking he is being sarcastic) Martin Sheen is here?
Justin: Yeah.
Me: Wait, is Martin Sheen here or are you just messing with me?
Justin: Yeah.
Me: (In a very serious tone) Yes he is here or yes you are messing with me?!
Justin: No, Martin Sheen is really here. (He points to a giant picture of Martin Sheen on the wall.)
Me: (Babbles incoherently for several minutes about my love of Martin Sheen and The West Wing.)

I should note that I am generally not star-struck and don’t care much about celebrities. However, Martin Sheen is on the super short list of people I truly admire and makes me turn into a puddle of goo.

Let me start off by saying: Yes, he is as cool as you think he is. Yes, he is as smart as you think he is. Yes, he is as eloquent as you think he is. He was interviewed for quite some time by local reporter Jimmy Carter (not the President). I don’t remember a lot of what he said, mainly because I spent the entire time with the inner dialogue of “Oh my God, that’s Martin Sheen. Oh My God, that’s Martin Sheen.” A few thing I do recall is that he talked about: his own experience as a member of the Boys and Girls and how it was a positive influence on his life, how passion for what you do in your life is critically important, and how he does not own a computer.

Of course, he did talk about the West Wing. (For those not familiar with it, it is the greatest show ever made. Yes, that is a matter of fact and not of opinion.) He told a story about when Allison Janney was interviewed about the show. The interviewer commented that it was a shame that the West Wing didn’t have a love story. She commented that the show did have a love story: Leo and the President. He said she was right, it was a love story and that they did love each other. Sheen then commented that John Spencer and he, as the more experienced actors, were the mom and dad on the set.

SPOILER ALERT for the non West Wing devotees. (What is wrong with you people? Just watch the show already, it’s on Netflix!) Sheen talked about how heartbreaking it was when John Spencer died and what a wonderful person he was. (I still can’t get through that episode without sobbing like a baby.) Apparently, Sen. Arnold Vinick (Alan Alda) was supposed to win the election and the show was going to keep going following the new presidency! However, when John Spencer died, they decided to call it a day and end with their 7th season and Matt Santos (Jimmy Smits) winning.

After the fundraiser we got to go to a private meet and greet with Sheen. I was so excited that I couldn’t speak. If you know me, you know this is a big deal. Sheen took the time to ask every one of us our name, look us in the eye, and shake our hands. He looked at our group and said, “look at these women . . . these women” and launched into a story about when he met Desmond Tutu. Apparently Desmond Tutu wanted to make a spontaneous visit to a tribe in Africa. The tribe thought that it was such an honor, but there was no way they would have things ready in time for his arrival. So the women stayed up all night, decorated, prepared food, and set everything up for his visit. When he arrived, it looked as though they had spent weeks preparing. When Desmond Tutu learned of what the women had done, he said, “if women aspire to be equal to men, they are not ambitious enough.”

Meeting him and hearing him speak was absolutely everything I imagined it would be. He is as absolutely brilliant, eloquent, and charming as he seems, and is hands down the coolest person I have ever met.

My First MLB Game & Verdi’s Requiem

Reds Game at Great American Ball Park
For week 16 of my 52 week adventure, I hopped in the car with my friend Leigh to drive to Cincinnati to see my first Major League Baseball game. The Cincinnati Reds are uniquely suited to serve as host for my first game; in 1869 it was founded as the first professional baseball team. I wish I could say I planned that on purpose, but I did not.

This was the 2nd game in a 4-game series against the Miami Marlins. It was Brandon Phillips bobblehead day, so we wanted to get to the stadium early. (See Phillips being awesome above). Before the game we had to stop by O’Malley’s In the Alley for a drink. O’Malley’s is a small Irish pup tucked away in one of the alleys of downtown Cincinnati. It’s not far from the stadiums, so it is a favorite spot for locals to go before Reds and Bengals games. At one point Leigh’s dad became concerned about our ability to procure our bobbleheads, so he hurried us along by telling us to “stop talking and drink.” We finished up and hurried along to the stadium.

Our seats were in the nose-bleed seats over right field. However, the distance from home plate neither detracted from the view nor our enjoyment. We settled in with our snacks (peanuts and popcorn) and bundled up to keep warm. A friend of Leigh’s was visiting from Germany; it was his first game too. Apparently, baseball isn’t big there. For the first time in my life I got to be the one explaining the rules of a game. Fortunately, baseball is a lot easier to explain that college football.

The game was low-scoring so it moved a bit slowly. But there were a few highlights. The best part of the day was watching Joey Votto hit one out of the park. Always exciting. Late in the game, Aroldis Chapman stepped in as closing pitcher to relieve Bronson Arroyo. Above, is Chapman right before throwing a 99 mph pitch. Chapman holds the league record for the fastest pitch at 105 mph. I can’t even fathom throwing something that fast. Then again, if I threw the ball it wouldn’t even make it to home plate. Those weren’t the only impressive play of the game, Arroyo threw his 1,000th strikeout with the Reds.

At one point we spotted Mr. Red nearby in the stadium. I decided that I had to have my picture with him, so Leigh and I took off to chase him down. When we finally caught up to him, Leigh shouted “Mr. Red! Mr. Red! It’s my friend’s first game! Can she have a picture?” Mr. Red turned around to look at me, then shook his head and hung it in shame. I apologized for my neglect to the sport and he waved me over for a picture. I guess he decided to forgive me, after Leigh took our picture Mr. Red gave me a hug and a kiss on the forehead.

The best part of the day was just talking, laughing, and spending time with our friends. I see why baseball is considered the great American pastime. Of course, the Reds did not disappoint, they pulled it out in the 13th inning to beat the Marlins 3-2. And yes, I got my bobblehead.

Verdi’s Requiem
This week Leigh and I also returned to the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra to see Verdi’s Requiem. I know what you are thinking, “You’ve already been to the KSO! That’s not a New Thing!” Well, this was my first large-scale choral performance, and it’s my blog and I can write about what I want.

Requiem was composed as a funeral Mass in homage to the Italian writer Alessandro Manzoni. The work premiered in Milan in 1874, a year after Manzoni’s death. At the time it was written, women were not allowed to perform in Catholic Church rituals. Yet, Verdi used a females in the chorus and as two of the soloists.

In addition to a full orchestra and 120+ member chorus, there were four superb soloists: Cherie Valaray (soprano), Bracha Kol (mezzo-soprano), David Katz (tenor), and Stephen Morscheck (bass-baritone). Being completely tone deaf, I can only imagine the years of grueling work they put in to develop their exquisite voices.

One of my favorite moments was when 4 trumpets sounded, representing a call to judgment. These were placed behind us in the balcony of the theater and sounded absolutely startling and brilliant.

If you want to check out Requiem, you can watch the entire work as performed by the BBC Symphony Orchestra. My favorite movement starts at 9:35.

Photo Scavenger Hunt & Kale and Mushroom Hand Pies

Photo Scavenger Hunt
For this week’s New Thing I went on a photo scavenger hunt. We met up in downtown Knoxville and split up into groups. Our team consisted of a guy named Trevor, my friend Cheryl (the one with the shotguns and chickens), and me. Each team was given a list of over 100 challenges worth various amounts of points, the harder it was the more points you got. For example, a human pyramid was worth 5 points, hanging upside down on the monkey bars was worth 10 points, a teammate with a death wish was worth 20 points, and a 60-second video of a guy trying on a dress and asking what shoes went with it was worth 100 points.

Here are some of some of my favorite shots of the day:

Teammate wearing a road construction cone – 10 points.

Find a sign and act it out – 20 points.

Teammate getting a drink from a water fountain while someone is riding piggyback – 10 points.

Our team mascot, “Enzo” – 20 points.

Group members mimicking a statue – 5 points.

Edward chopstick hands – 20 points.

Running around downtown was great fun. It was a beautiful day and everyone was out enjoying the Dogwood Arts Festival. We discovered that if you tell someone that you are on a scavenger hunt that they will do almost anything for you. This is dangerous knowledge.

When we got back to base and all the points were tallied we were crowed the winners by a landslide! But, our victory celebration was short-lived. One team forgot to turn in their score sheet. When their scores were added up they just squeaked out first place. Boo. However, the winning team was very gracious and shared their bounty with us (a pack of Payday bars).

I would love to do a scavenger hunt again, but next time I’ll have a winning strategy. I hate losing.

Kale and Mushroom Hand Pies
In addition to doing the scavenger hunt I wanted to try out a new recipe this week. I was looking for something a little different and a friend suggested Martha Stewart’s Kale and Mushroom Hand Pies with a Cheddar Crust. The recipe calls for chicken instead of mushrooms, but I went with her suggested vegetarian substitution.

I started with the pie crust, hoping that things would go a little more smoothly than it did when I made the Three Berry Pie on Week 1. The Flakey Pie Dough recipe called for flour, salt, butter, and sharp cheddar cheese. I learned my lesson from last time and cut the butter in smaller squares to make mixing the dough easier.

Pro tip: Don’t use a tablespoon of salt when you are supposed to use a teaspoon of salt. This almost happened before I thought, “hmm this seems like a lot of salt, I should double check this.”

Confession: I may or may not have consumed an entire cup of shredded cheddar cheese while baking.

I learned last time that dough is extremely difficult to manipulate when it is cold so I flattened and cut out the pastries before refrigerating to cut down on my cooking time and swearing.

Once done with the pastries, I moved on to the filling. First, I cooked the mushrooms in butter and set them aside.

I never cooked with leeks before and thought they were small, similar to wild onions. But apparently they are approximately the size and length of my arm. I am usually not a fan of vegetables from the onion family, but the leeks smelled a-ma-zing while they were cooking in the butter. Side note: Leeks are toxic to dogs and cats, so keep them out of their reach. I threw in the thyme and kale and was finally ready to fill the pastries.

The filling recipe makes enough for an extra 2-3 pastries. Next time I’ll make larger rounds or make more of them. Finally, I put them in the oven and began my wait. The recipe called for 30 minutes of baking, but it took over 40 to get them nice and brown.

Finally it was time to sit down and try my creation with a yummy viognier. It isn’t the most photogenic dish out there, but it was absolutely delicious! The crust was crisp, flakey, cheesy, and was firm enough to pick up and eat with my hands; the filling was piping hot and absolutely delicious. The recipe is a little time consuming to make regularly (at least if you make your own crust) but the filling is simple to whip up and super yummy on its own.

My First 5K (Color Me Rad)

For week 14 of my 52 New Things I ran my first 5K. This may not seem like a big accomplishment to most, but for me, it is. For years I have had foot (and more recently knee) problems that have made walking or running long distances extremely painful. However, whether it was through yoga, training, or magic, within the past few months my foot problems, for the most part, have gone away.

For my first race I wanted to do something fun, something that would be a memorable experience. My friend Erin (who made candles with me on week 3) suggested Color Me Rad, which benefitted East Tennessee Children’s Hospital. She could not have picked a better race. The thing that separates Color Me Rad from other 5Ks is that you are pelted with green, pink, purple, yellow, and orange color bombs (colored cornstarch) throughout the race. It is reminiscent of Holi, the festival of colors. The photo below is of me releasing my first color bomb over our friends before we started. Please note that my clothing is still clean and white at this point.

When I woke up the morning of the race I was skeptical of how it would go. It was 35 degrees, I had a chest cold, and my knee was already bothering me. But, I layered up and decided it was too late to back out. Fortunately, it warmed up a bit to a sunny 43 degrees (6 degrees Celsius for you kids abroad) by the time our wave started at 10 a.m. However, the run and colorful distractions quickly warmed us up.

When we hit our first color station it was like running into a cloud of purple chaos. The clouds of paint were so thick that I lost Erin in them more than once. There were stations for both powder and watery paint sprays. We got blasted with plumes of purple, pink, and orange, and sprayed down with yellow and green. We looked like a tie-dye factory exploded on us. Below is Erin getting covered in purple powder. Please take notice of the guy rolling around on the ground in the paint.

There were 9,000 participants, all decorated like Easter eggs. Here are a just a few running past Neyland Stadium.

The race was a ton of fun. Physically, I fared better than I had expected. My knee and feet held up through the race, I think stopping 5-6 times for color bombs helped. My knee did start to bother me about halfway through and made climbing stairs difficult later that evening, but seemed back to normal by the next day. This is unusual for me and bodes well for future runs.

As soon as we crossed the finish line they started playing Rocky Top. For those not from Knoxville, Rocky Top in the University of Tennessee’s unofficial fight song, one of Tennessee’s official state songs, and one of the greatest things ever written. (No, I am not biased at all. Why do you ask?) It was a great end to a pretty rad morning.

When we were done we were covered head to toe in paint. It was everywhere. It somehow managed to penetrate the 3 layers of clothing I had on, get in my nose, ears, and mouth, and took 2 showers to remove it all. I can’t wait to get covered in it all again next time. Here is what I looked like before and after the race:

I am looking for a fun 10K (or 8 to 10-miler) to run later this summer or fall, and hope to make it up to a marathon next year. Stay tuned; I am sure I will post about it here.

Update: I got some shots from Color Me Rad actually running during the race. This one was near the end.

Honky Tonkin’ & Visiting the Zoo

Honky Tonkin’
I lived in Nashville full-time for 6 years and part-time for another 4 years. During that period I avoided Broadway and honky tonks like the plague. Anytime my friends wanted to go I would excuse myself for the evening and go home. I just assumed I would have a bad time and that it would be filled with nothing but rednecks and tourists. My friend Clay, however, took issue with my characterization and said that the right honky tonk was “a beautiful local authentic music experience.”

Me: So where are the good Nashville honky tonks?
Clay: There is one that is hands down the best, Robert’s Western World.
Me: Sounds like they sell cowboy boots.
Clay: As a matter of fact, they might. . .

I never figured out if they sold boots there, but the walls were lined with them.

When we arrived, Jesse Lee & Brazilbilly, the house band, were playing traditional country music. The dance floor was already packed when people from all walks of life (including local celebrity/designer Manuel Cuevas—see the silver-haired gentleman below).

It was not long before I got asked to dance by a stranger in western wear. One vintage gentleman (which is apparently what we call “old” now) taught me to waltz, and another showed me how to western swing dance. I always forget how friendly everyone is in Tennessee. I finished the evening with some friends on the dance floor and was absolutely exhausted.

Here is Jesse Lee & Brazilbilly performing Cattle Call, one of the songs I danced to.

My first honky tonk experience was a lot of fun and I absolutely loved the music. It was not what I expected, and I have once again learned not to have preconceived notions about things. If you are ever in Nashville make sure you go by Robert’s for a swingin’ good time.

Visiting the Zoo
Somehow I have made it through life without going to a real zoo. I decided to rectify this by visiting the Nashville Zoo with my friend Meagan. We were supposed to have a nice, sunny, 67-degree spring day. What we got was a hazy, 56-degree, seasonally-confused day. Despite the weather not being what we hoped for, we had a lovely afternoon.

The zoo was geared up for Eggstravaganzoo, their annual Easter egg hunt. This meant the zoo was festively decorated, kids were everywhere, and the animals had giant Easter eggs in their habitats. It was the perfect day for a visit. We even joined in the festivities by gorging ourselves on popcorn and blue cotton candy. Mmm.

We got to see dozens of animals, but here are a few of our favorites:

First up was the Bengal tiger. There are fewer than 2,500 in the world and they are classified as an endangered species. They are absolutely gorgeous creatures and one day they might not be around for us to see.

I loved the African elephants. I have never seen one in person so they were the highlight of my day. They were absolutely huge (as you might imagine). On average they weigh 5 tons and male elephants can grow up to 13 feet tall. Like the Bengal tiger, African elephants are listed as endangered.

I also loved seeing the Masai giraffe. They were not as tall as I expected, I think I have seen Lion King too many times. They were, however, absolutely beautiful and graceful.

The Eurasian lynx may look pretty mellow, but apparently they can hunt animals 3-4 times its size. I am glad we were separated by (I hope) a very sturdy fence.

OK, a goat isn’t exactly an exotic animal, but it was pretty cute.

Of course, no blog post would be complete without me interacting with some sort of bird. Before we went in to feed the birds at Lorikeet Landing, Meagan warned me how much they seem to hate and want to attack her. The zoo was really busy that day and the birds definitely seemed hyped up on all the extra nectar they got. Perhaps the extra sugar was an aggravating factor, but just as she predicted I watched the birds poop on, scream at, and try to bite Meagan. I made it out unscathed.

We had a great time at the zoo. This summer they will add an interactive Kangaroo exhibit and I can’t wait to come back to pet them!

Honey Basil Martini & A Double Back
About 6 1/2 years ago I had my first martini. It was quite possibly the most disgusting drink I ever tasted; it had the all the charm of, and I what I suspect the flavor of, rubbing alcohol. Ever since, I have avoided the drink. This weekend I went to Virago, one of my favorite restaurants in Nashville. As I was perusing the drink menu I noticed their Honey Basil Martini. My usual reaction is to turn my nose up at any type of tini, but I thought that it was important to give the drink a second chance.

The drink was made up of Stoli Vodka, grapefruit juice, honey simple, and a basil leaf. It was an interesting mix of tangy and sweet with a hint of basil—and didn’t taste anything like rubbing alcohol. While I don’t expect to turn into James Bond (who, according to the West Wing, is ordering a weak martini and being snooty about it), I will be a lot more likely to choose a martini when I am out with the girls . . . or with Mr. Bond.

Later the same evening we went to The Patterson House, a prohibition-era, speakeasy-style cocktail bar. The bar had a vintage decor, was dimly lit, and the walls were lined with books (including the Tennessee Code Annotated—nerd moment).

After my positive martini experience earlier in the evening, I decided to go a bit creative on my drink order. My friend Clay pointed out the “Double Back” on the menu. The Double Back was comprised of Sailor Jerry Rum, Pierre Ferrand Cognac, cream, a whole raw egg (yes, you read that right), Averna, and Fee Brothers Old Fashioned Aromatic Bitters. The drink was cold and creamy, but had a warm and spicy flavor . . . and you could not taste the egg (thank goodness). It was perfect for a cold rainy night on the town.

After having my mind changed about martinis and loving a drink with an egg in it, I will no longer order my safe go-to drink choices and will try to branch out a little instead.