Moose...it's whats for dinner

Happy Thursday!! 

I have always considered myself an adventurous eater but one thing I had never tried before was moose.  Honestly, I didn't even realize people ate moose until I met someone from Alaska! One of our good friends in Nashville is originally from Alaska and because of her I have tried moose...and it was actually really good! 

 For my first moose tasting experience I got to try moose three different ways - tenderloin, steak and burger.  

Moose tastes very similar to beef and bison.  I honestly would not have known I was eating moose if they didn't tell me.  Moose has less fat than regular beef steak so you don't have to cook it as long.  Also, since its so similar to beef and bison you can season/marinade it the same way.

Moose Steaks:

We had a sour cream/horseradish dipping sauce with our steaks.  

Moose Tenderloin:


The inside of the tenderloin was coated with mustard and dry seasonings.

My friend's dad hunted the moose himself - sniffle, tear, sniffle - and brought some of the meat with him on his last visit to Nashville.  I am not a hunter myself and I did not grow up in a hunting family (shocking - I bet you thought everyone from Georgia hunts) so anytime I hear about people hunting it kind of makes me sad.  I don't know why though - I'm not a vegetarian or anything - I just don't like to think about where my meat comes from I guess.   Anyways....can you imagine how manly you would feel after hunting a moose?  I mean moose are ginormous - I think this one weighed 200 lbs.  Plus it's pretty awesome to think that one moose can feed a family for months.  That kind of makes hunting alright :).  


All in all I would definitely recommend moose to anyone!  I don't think you'll find it at your local Krogers but if you are ever in Alaska you've got to try this!

Have you ever gone hunting?  Whats your favorite type of game?

~Julia

DIY Photo Wrapped Canvas

You might have noticed that I am crafting/sewing tons of decor stuff, and guess what, it's because I'm moving this weekend!  After 5 years with the same roomie, we are parting ways (tear) - she's getting married in December!  Because my apartment has been the same for 5 years I'm ready for an update.  I'm changing out the couch pillows, placemats, and now the wall art.  Here's a tutorial for a DIY Photo Wrapped Canvas:

I've seen tons of ads/Groupons for photo canvases, but the price is ridiculous!  So here's the DIY version - it cost me about $35.  I used 1 picture but cropped it into 2 photos and wrapped them on 2 canvases.  So I needed 2 pictures printed poster size from CVS or 1 inch wider than the canvas on all four sides. 

Original Pic:

Cropped into 2 printed photos.

What you'll need:

2 pictures

2 canvases (I used 16 x 20 inches)

Modge Podge

Painters Tape

Foam Brush

Foam Roller

The photo I printed was way bigger than the canvas, so I cut it down to size. 

First trace the canvas on the back of the photo, then trace another rectangle 1 inch outside that.  Pre-fold the photo where it will fold over the edge of the canvas.

Paint on a layer of modge podge on to the inner rectangle of the photo and then on the canvas.

Smoothe out any air bubbles or extra Modge Podge.  I use an old gift card to do this. 

Allow the photo and canvas time to dry - at least 4 hrs.

Now it's time to wrap the photo around the edges - you want to make sure the first step has completely dried so that the  photo isn't slipping around on you.  Apply Modge Podge to the canvas and photo back.  Then pull the photo tightly and secure with painters tape (you will remove this once the modge podge is dry).

For the corners - pinch the extra photo paper together and then fold over, adhere with painters tape.

Once the Modge Podge has dried apply a coat on top of the photo with a paint roller.  This step will add texture to the photo and make it not so shiny and look more like a painting.

Here's a close up of the photo with Modge Podge on top - can you see the texture is gives it?

What do you think? 

This is a pic I took while we were in Chicago.

~Elizabeth

Scott's Antique Market and Cow Appreciation Day!

Happy Monday!

This weekend was so much fun -  I had my sister in town, we visited with friends, and celebrated my Mom's birthday (again)! 

On Friday we went to Scott's Antique Market.  We didn't buy anything, but we walked away with lots of inspiration.  A lot of the vendors were selling painted furniture and re-upholstered chairs.  If you have the patience and know-how, most of these pieces could easily by DIY'ed from pieces found at a garage sale or the thrift store. 

Scott's is split into 2 large warehouses, you can either drive or take a shuttle to the other warehouse.  Each one took a few hours to wander through, there's just so much stuff!  Luckily admission is $5 and that allows you entrance all weekend (Friday - Sunday) and parking is free. 

50 Shades of Grey furniture was really popular!  I love the transformation of an old piece into something new & modern just with a coat of paint and contemporary fabric.

After hours of antiquing, it was time for a nutritious and delicious lunch at Chickfila!  If you dressed in an entire cow suit you received a free meal and if you just wore a partial costume you received a free chicken sandwich. 

We were handed free samples of Oreo milkshakes when we walked in - they were yummy!

It was so much fun to spend time with my Mom and sister! 

How was your weekend??

~Elizabeth 

Friday Faves: What's in my GoogleReader

Happy Friday! 

Julia is in town visiting this weekend, woo hoo!! I took the day off of work since we have a packed schedule ;-)  Things to do include:  pool, work on my tan, drop off clothes at Plato's Closet, shop at Scott's Antique Market, Tin Lizzy's with friends, trick Julia into helping me pack for my move, a birthday celebration for our Mom and the list goes on!

Today I'm going to share with you some of the blogs I read on a daily basis.  I am sure there are tons of great ones out there that I'm missing, so please feel free to share some of your faves!

DIY/Crafty Blogs:

Young House Love

(source)

Centsational Girl

Exercise/Fitness Blogs:

The Fitnessista

The Hungry Runner Girl

Healthy Tipping Point

(source)

Fun/Everyday Blogs:

Hungry Meets Healthy

(source)

The Small Things

(source)

Happy Friday!

~Elizabeth