tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-55813445957176181132024-03-12T17:20:20.009-07:00Cherry Blossoms and ChaiUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger291125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581344595717618113.post-16504320108675779562014-01-13T14:08:00.000-08:002014-01-13T14:08:17.517-08:00Sand MagnificationI never really thought about what sand would look like closeup. I assumed it was small chunks of smooth rock, shells and maybe glass. But, here are some exquisite closeups of what sand really looks like when magnified up to 250X. The shapes, colors and textures all vary. It's amazing and so beautiful to think this is what feels so good between our toes when we walk on the beach. I have a new respect for sand...I think I'm going to start collecting sand!<br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Source: <a href="http://www.inspirationgreen.com/magnified-grains-of-sand.html">Inspiration Green</a> and <a href="http://www.myamazingearth.com/2013/01/what-ocean-sand-looks-like-when-magnified-250-times/">My Amazing Earth</a></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581344595717618113.post-58416725216686891992014-01-06T13:50:00.003-08:002014-01-06T13:54:01.519-08:00Happy 2 Year BlogiversaryHas it really been 2 years since I started this blog. Wow...it really has been. This past year has been crazy in so many ways big and small. I'm not going to list all of them here, but the last 2 weeks were the tip of the iceberg for me, more on that in this post. Sadly, I have not been as active on my blog as I had planned this year, and a lot of that has to do with my work load. A PhD program is not forgiving. I can't promise to be any more active this year, as my one and only new years resolution is to advance to candidacy and that means getting my head in the game and pushing forward. My blog, as much as I love it and love posting things on it, is a distraction, and well, distraction is my way of avoiding work. I will keep posting here and there, but it won't be a post a day :(<br />
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The past 2 weeks have been crazy, not because it was the holiday season. No, that would have been lovely. It was because 2 days after Christmas our landlord(s) decided our apartment had to be fumigated for termites and by fumigation I mean tenting. Against my wishes, better judgement and wisdom, we had no choice but to accept. I tried to fight it, sent email after email, but being just one person against a board of MORONS who make decisions based on their pocket books, we were forced out. Yes, I know, tenting is common practice for riding your house of termites, but it is the WORST option. I did a lot of research into the harms of Vikane Gas, and I was going to do a post about it, but every time I think about this topic or bring it up I get fuming mad and so, it is best that I just move past this episode. Suffice it to say, we moved all our food out (including freezer and fridge food), plants, fish tank, cleaning chemicals, lotions, shampoo...anything that could have a chemical reaction to the gas and anything that the gas could leach into (plastics!!!!). Don't bother with those nylofume bags...gas leeches into them.<br />
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Long story short, they released our apartment for re-entry last week and I got sick - vomiting, nausea, headaches...all the side effects of the gas. We stayed out of the apartment for 2 days after they allowed re-entry, but I was going back and forth moving things in, cleaning, dusting, vacuuming, airing things out...and well, lo and behold, I got sick.<br />
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I'm going to leave this post as PG as possible, but there are many a curse word and insults flying through my head that I wish I could spew forth, but being a proper lady (cough), I will keep them to myself.<br />
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My holiday was not a holiday and I have started this new year off exhausted and on a bad foot, but things can only get better, I hope. With that, happy new year to all, happy 2 year blogiversary and wishing everyone a great year ahead :) <br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581344595717618113.post-17977769054306776482013-12-17T15:05:00.003-08:002013-12-17T15:05:39.734-08:00DIY Glass Etching I have a handful of tea glasses and some that I use all the time, but I have wanted to "spice" them up a bit. They are very simple and plain and I have had plans on doing something to them, but just haven't had the time. Today I decided I would test my idea out on a glass cup (former candle from Ikea) to see if my idea would be even possible and if it would look nice. <br />
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My idea: etching flower patterns onto the glass. Yes, cause I have nothing better to do with my time :D <br />
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Here's what you will need:<br />
<ul>
<li>Armour Etch - etching cream</li>
<li>Sponge brush - any brush will work</li>
<li>Stencils - I used <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Martha-Stewart-32269-Adhesive-Blossoms/dp/B007C7XTAW/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1387320449&sr=8-6&keywords=martha+stewart+stencil">Martha Stewart Blossoms</a></li>
<li>Rubbing alcohol (isopropyl alcohol) </li>
<li>Gloves - optional, but this stuff is toxic</li>
<li>Painters tape - optional, but good to tape off areas you want to prevent etching </li>
</ul>
I didn't do this, but I would recommend taping off the area around the stencil to prevent any drips ending up on the clean parts of the glass.<br />
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Directions:<br />
<ol>
<li>Clean the glass with rubbing alcohol to remove any fingerprints and dust.</li>
<li>Apply the stencil. I had sticky stencils so it made life a bit easier. I used two separate stencils and applied them separately. </li>
<li>Mix the bottle of etching cream well.</li>
<li>Apply Armour Etch carefully with the brush (avoid drips). Be careful not to get any on the outer edge of the stencil. This was hard. I should have just taped the edges.</li>
<li>Leave the etching cream on for 5 minutes. The directions said no longer than 1 minute, but that didn't do anything, so I left it on for 5-6 minutes. It was enough time. </li>
<li>Wash off in the sink with luke warm water. Remove all the cream.</li>
<li>Remove the stencil carefully. Add the second stencil and repeat steps 3-6.</li>
<li>Voila, you have an etched cup :)</li>
</ol>
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I used two of the brushes to hold the cup from rolling. </div>
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Apply the cream to make sure you cover every inch of the stencil. The more the merrier. As you can see, the cream was very close to the edge of the stencil. This is why I say, tape the edges with painters tape. I didn't have any and was too lazy to go buy some. Tsk tsk!</div>
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One stencil down...one more to go... </div>
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I would do one stencil at a time. I wanted them close together and I also didn't want to fuss with cream running off the edge of the stencil because of the curvature of the cup.</div>
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It's hard to see, but it looks fabulous, if I do say so myself :D</div>
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Yay!!! I really like them. So, now onto the real tea glasses. 0 down, 12 to go. </div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581344595717618113.post-68489808393017044422013-12-17T13:36:00.000-08:002013-12-17T15:21:11.807-08:00DIY Gift BagWe had a white elephant gift exchange at my work and we were also celebrating one of the post-docs in my lab leaving for bigger better things. Celebrating isn't the right word, as she is going to be greatly missed and it was a hard leave for her as well, but alas, tis life.<br />
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I put together a few things for her on behalf of the lab, but I realized too late that I didn't have an appropriate gift bag for the white elephant gift, nothing Christmas related or festive enough, so I had to improvise. <br />
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I had bought a handful of plain bags a while back and I also had a ton of bows that I have been using slowly, but not fast enough. If I put the two together...<br />
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Voila, my very festive gift bag!<br />
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Plain paper bag</div>
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Plain paper bag with bows</div>
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Yes, I think it works and I think I like it. What an earth shattering idea I tell you, just earth shattering!!! </div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581344595717618113.post-71442190234264133502013-12-17T13:11:00.000-08:002013-12-17T13:11:30.414-08:00PancakesThe hubby officially has weekends again and for the first time in all the years we have been married, we have a Saturday together. Long story short, he's been working two jobs and I have been looking forward to some time with him for such a long time. In honor of his special day, I made one of his favorites for breakfast - pancakes.<br />
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I love me some homemade pancakes. It's the same recipe I always use, see the recipe <a href="http://cherryblossomsandchai.blogspot.com/2012/12/homemade-pancakes.html">here</a>!<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581344595717618113.post-69998422558054520992013-12-03T15:28:00.000-08:002013-12-03T15:28:45.000-08:00Shoe Rack OrganizedI hate the sight of shoes in a house. They're dirty and messy and most of all, disorganized. We don't ever wear shoes in our place and so, the shoes pile up, especially when we have guests. In our tiny place we have a small area by the door that had room for a shoe rack, and it has been the bane of existence since we moved in from day one. The apartment has a lot of these "bane of my existence"...but for the sake of this post, the shoe rack was at the top of them :D<br />
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So, one day, I had had enough. I had been keeping my eye out for some way to make the space look cleaner, and had been searching high and low for some sort of cabinet that could house shoes and yet still be functional. It also had to fit under the counter and be thin enough so the front door wouldn't slam into it. I was also not going to pay $200 bucks. Well, I finally found one and decided, well, regardless of whether it's made of laminated particle board (aka crap!) and it doesn't look that great, it's better than the rack we have now. I bought it and put it together (took me forever...who came up with the instructions...bad English and bad grammar). Anyways...alas, my corner is a bit tidier.<br />
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The color doesn't match the room as much. I really wanted a beech color cabinet, but oak was the closest I could find - it was either that or white or black. Neither would look nice. It also does not fit all the shoes it says it's supposed to - 30 shoes. Ya, maybe if all you have are a women's size 6. Men's shoes were hard to fit in, but after some squeezing and cursing, they fit. I'm satisfied. I'm not ecstatic, as it's not the prettiest thing ever, but I'm satisfied. <br />
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Oh the eyesore...uh...yuck! Here's a tidier version of a before...</div>
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Yes, I have a lot of shoes, yes most of the shoes are mine...who's counting... </div>
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Clean and organized. </div>
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It has 3 rows for shoes, 6 rows in total. It's hard to fit anything but flats, but the tennis shoes fit in the first row and the racks are moveable. </div>
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The only thing it doesn't fit are tall boots...which is fine. I only wear tall boots if its freezing and/or raining. It's neither of those two ever, here in SoCal. </div>
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I needed a place for my bike helmet. As much as I would have loved this to be hidden, a hook was the best I could do. </div>
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It does the job. It makes me cringe a bit less. I'm thinking of changing the handles to something a bit nicer looking, maybe that will make me like how it looks better, but for now, it is what it is. </div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581344595717618113.post-80509252772506096672013-12-03T14:56:00.003-08:002013-12-03T21:02:54.920-08:00ThanksgivingI went to see my family over the break. It was a quick, squeeze everyone in and have time to relax sort of trip. I didn't get to see all the friends I wanted to see, but nonetheless it was nice to be home and have some of that great turkey my mom makes every year. There was just enough left overs for me to take some back home for the hubby. He couldn't come with me this year, but he got 2 nights of leftovers :D and my suitcase got a nice dose of cranberry sauce (some idiot thought it would be a great idea to pack cranberry sauce in Tupperware...cough me...cough).<br />
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Gobble gobble! Bread from Boudin Bakery.</div>
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I may be partial, but this is the best gravy on the planet! </div>
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We went to visit my sick friend, who has a pet bird named Zazoo. This little guy loved walnuts and had to be near everyone. This was the only way to get him to shut up, otherwise he would be yelling from him cage: eating walnuts on my moms shoulder out of a Royal Albert plate. Sigh...birds these days... </div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581344595717618113.post-8256433975500176262013-11-24T16:18:00.000-08:002013-11-25T14:38:53.998-08:00Coffee Table OrganizationLiving in a tiny apartment has its ups and downs, but there are times (many times) that I start to go crazy when things start to pile up due to a lack of space. Lately I've been getting more annoyed than normal and have been trying to find ways to make our tight space work, while still enjoying where I live.<br />
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Our coffee table is the dumping ground for mail and all those miscellaneous items in our house, mostly since our living room and front door are within reach of each other (sigh!). It looks clean now, HA, but you should see it when it's not picture worthy. I cleaned it yesterday (that's why it looks clean), so it's good till tomorrow when the week starts again. Well, there's nothing you can do but make it work. I saw a basket at Marshalls and at first didn't think anything of it, but when I came home and was looking at my coffee table, I had an epiphany. This would be perfect! I ran (well drove) back and bought it and it's perfect for what I needed.<br />
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THE coffee table</div>
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Empty space than can be used :D </div>
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THE Basket </div>
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New dumping ground :) I'm so excited! </div>
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I love my new basket. I think it's going to make my coffee table less of a mess and more organized and useful. I love me some good organization!!</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581344595717618113.post-57616950003651691702013-11-21T12:19:00.001-08:002013-11-21T16:23:27.407-08:00Snippets from the weekI haven't had time for my normal everyday posts for a few reasons. School, school, Pure Barre, school and life!<br />
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This past month I signed up for the 20 day challenge at Pure Barre - 20 days in 30 days. It's been really hard to keep up with my schedule and I've been exhausted every night due to it, but I'm happy to say I have 5 more days to go and I will have met the challenge. I have already started to see changes and I feel really good. Tired, but good. I have been forcing myself to exercise at least 4 days a week and for the past 2 months, I've been doing just that. I have also been biking to work most days, which has also helped. Have I lost a pound, well, I've lost a measly 3! But, they say muscle is more dense than fat, or that fat is replaced by muscle and therefore the scale won't move but you will look thinner. Well, I want the scale to move OKAY. Is that so much to ask for, jeez!! So, I like to think I've lost more, but it's just all muscle baby! Ya! Sigh...not satisfied yet. I'm in this for the long run. So, I've accepted the fact that the changes I want to see are going to take a while and that I need to also watch the food I consume. Well, that's the harder part...but it's a work in progress.<br />
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That's my rant for today. Here are a few pix from the week, oh and it rained today :) <br />
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Beautiful masks I really considered buying - when my parents were visiting a few weekends ago...ok, so this isn't from this week! :D </div>
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Ghirardelli Chocolate Chip Cookies - see <a href="http://cherryblossomsandchai.blogspot.com/2013/10/official-best-chocolate-chip-cookies.html">here</a> for the recipe!</div>
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Rocky and his usual antics</div>
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Something about this leaf reminded me of the cartoon 'The Land Before Time', from when I was small :)</div>
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New candle holders my mom bought me :) I'm in love with them!</div>
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Hello radishes :)</div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581344595717618113.post-90570490823537009722013-11-06T11:09:00.000-08:002013-11-06T11:16:52.324-08:00Pumpkin Buttermilk Bundt Cake with IcingApparently Fall has started, but you wouldn't know it here in SoCal. It's 80 degrees today (my face just cringed). However, the leaves are changing and the nights are cold, so I have been pulling out my sweaters and warm socks and trying to get into the spirit of fall and maybe, just maybe, the weather will have pity on me and give us some actual Fall weather. <br />
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So, in the spirit of Fallness, my new word :) I have been craving all things pumpkin. Pumpkin latte's, pumpkin muffins, pumpkin pies and pumpkin cake. I came across this wonderful recipe for a yummy scrumptious pumpkin cake and I wanted to share :)<br />
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*Cake recipe adapted from: Gourmet Magazine and <a href="http://www.the-baker-chick.com/2013/10/02/pumpkin-buttermilk-bundt-cake-with-brown-butter-icing/">The Baker Chick</a></div>
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<u>Cake Ingredients:</u><br />
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2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour <br />
2 tsp baking powder <br />
1 tsp baking soda <br />
2 1/2 tsp cinnamon <br />
1/2 tsp nutmeg <br />
1/4 tsp ginger <br />
1/4 tsp cloves or all spice<br />
1/2 tsp salt <br />
1 1/4 cups canned solid-pack pumpkin <br />
3/4 cup well-shaken buttermilk <br />
1 tsp vanilla <br />
1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) unsalted butter, softened <br />
3/4 cup granulated sugar <br />
1/2 cup dark brown sugar (light would be fine too) <br />
3 large eggs <br />
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<u>Glaze Icing: </u><br />
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1 1/2 cups of powdered sugar<br />
2-4 tablespoons milk<br />
<div class="h-4 strong" id="zlrecipe-instructions">
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<div class="h-4 strong" id="zlrecipe-instructions">
Cake Directions:</div>
<ul>
<li class="instruction" id="zlrecipe-instruction-0" itemprop="recipeInstructions">Preheat oven to 350F. Note: grease and flour the heck out of a 10" bundt pan.</li>
<li class="instruction" id="zlrecipe-instruction-1" itemprop="recipeInstructions">Bring the eggs and butter to room temperature - it makes all the difference in the texture of the cake, especially with room temperature butter. </li>
<li class="instruction" id="zlrecipe-instruction-1" itemprop="recipeInstructions">In a medium-sized bowl: whisk together the flour, spices, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
</li>
<li class="instruction" id="zlrecipe-instruction-2" itemprop="recipeInstructions">In another bowl: whisk together the pumpkin, buttermilk and vanilla.
</li>
<li class="instruction" id="zlrecipe-instruction-3" itemprop="recipeInstructions">In
the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (if you have one, or just use a hand mixer), cream the
butter and sugars together until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add
the eggs one at a time until well combined.
</li>
<li class="instruction" id="zlrecipe-instruction-4" itemprop="recipeInstructions">Alternate
adding the flour and pumpkin mixtures, mixing on low speed, starting
and ending with the flour mixture. Don't overmix.
</li>
<li class="instruction" id="zlrecipe-instruction-5" itemprop="recipeInstructions">Spoon
batter into prepared pan and smooth top with the back of a spoon. Bake
for 45-55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Invert
and cool for at least 30 minutes on a wire rack before icing.
</li>
</ul>
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For the glaze:<br />
<ul>
<li>Measure the sugar into a bowl. Add a few tablespoons of milk at a time, till it gets to the consistency you want.</li>
<li>Stir until it forms a thick, creamy paste. </li>
<li>When you have turned the cake out onto a cake plate, drizzle the
glaze over the top. Slice and serve warm or at room temperature.</li>
</ul>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581344595717618113.post-56094172106048837042013-10-30T13:26:00.000-07:002013-10-30T13:26:17.623-07:00Snippets of the past few weeksI've been busy trying to write a paper, so my poor blog has been ignored, but here are a few snippets over the past few weeks of things we've done, some from my instagram.<br />
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We've had a few rainy days here and it's been lovely! </div>
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Not the best picture of Rocky (our algea eater), but he was loving the orange I put in there. </div>
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A new joint called <a href="http://creamistry.com/">Creamistry</a> just opened up near us which serves ice cream with a new twist, liquid nitrogen. It made the ice cream have a wonderful consistency. Super creamy and soft. Definitely a must try. </div>
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A wedding we went to over the weekend.</div>
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Flowers from the hubby and a new candle I bought with an amazing scent that smells like candy, 'sparkling vanilla plum'. Yum!</div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581344595717618113.post-64696969525671213182013-10-16T11:15:00.000-07:002013-10-16T11:15:00.679-07:00Can you read peoples emotions?Have you ever watched the show "Lie to Me" with Tim Roth. Fabulous show. Check it out on netflix if you haven't. In a nut shell, it was about a doctor who would assist in solving crimes through reading peoples emotions and micro expressions. There is a lot of truth to what he did and here is a quiz to help you test out your emotion reading skills. Take the quiz <a href="http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/10/03/well-quiz-the-mind-behind-the-eyes/?src=me&_r=2&">here</a>!<br />
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I got a 29/36. Not bad I suppose. Some were harder to tell than others. Now, if this would actually work in real life for me, that would be great. It's just, I really have to stare at someones face really hard to be able to read them and that is border line awkward and weird. <br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581344595717618113.post-49046414734581700552013-10-14T16:51:00.001-07:002013-10-14T16:53:52.399-07:00Fina china that made the earth crack openI hate Mondays. I really really do. I wish we could outlaw Mondays and make it part of the weekend. It is my most unproductive day of the week and it drags on and on and feels like it never ends. Now, you may be thinking, how does that have anything to do with the title of this post. Well, since it is my most unproductive day, I spend my Monday's goofing on...in other words, today I was looking up fine china patterns :D<br />
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Why, because I walked into Bed Bath and Beyond on Sunday to buy a house warming present for a friend and I always walk through their fine china section just to see what's new on the shelves, what new patterns I like, and whether I would still buy the pattern that I have (Lenox Opal Innocence). It's this bad habit that I have, as a way to justify in my head that the money, or gifts more like, were well spent. I love my pattern, and have way too many of them, but things change, so I like to confirm my liking every time I walk in, and walk back out with my head held high, thinking, nope, I got the best pattern. Let's not even mention that this is America's top selling fine china pattern. They all copied me. Come on people. Well, anyways, this was the first Sunday in 5 and half years where the answer was NO.<br />
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The earth rumbled and cracked open and I fell through it. I painstakingly picked myself up out of the man made hole, and slowly dragged myself out, trying not to make a scene while I contemplated stealing a plate or two of the new pattern (j/k!). <br />
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What pattern you dare ask broke my heart and has helped me waste my Monday.<br />
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The new <a href="http://www.lenox.com/dinnerware/garden-grove/lenox?A=21587&An=1641&Au=p_pattern_id&cmCatid=e1641">Garden Grove, by Lenox</a>. And, if you haven't been following me, let me tell you, I have an obsession with blue and white and this new pattern is killing me.<br />
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Oh beautiful plate, how you make me want to serenade you...</div>
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I also found this beautiful pattern, the <a href="http://www.lenox.com/dinnerware/opal-innocence-silver/lenox?A=25059&An=1641&Au=p_pattern_id&cmCatid=e1641">Opal Innocence Silver</a> in plain sight for my poor eyes to see, which is similar to the Opal Innocence, except the scrolls are in silver. Why, God, why. Why do they have to keep making beautiful things. Stop!<br />
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Now, I really do love the pattern that I have and it really is beautiful, but so are these. And, if I had to pick again, there is a high chance, it would be one of the above :D and that fellow readers is what made the earth crack open yesterday! <br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581344595717618113.post-52642593598735289632013-10-04T14:19:00.003-07:002013-10-04T14:19:55.758-07:00Organized BalconyI hate a messy house and I hate, even more, a messy outdoor balcony for all to see. For the longest time, I had no better option for all our miscellaneous outdoor gardening tool stuff, than to have it out on an open shelf covered with a table cloth. It looked terrible and was an eye sore, but I just didn't know what else to do. We don't have a garage (arg, student housing). <br />
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Well, I'd had enough. I decided I wanted to buy something that looked nice, had more space and was sturdier than our plastic shelving unit. And, a few weeks of waiting and Craigslist scourring (I was cheap and didn't want to buy a brand new one from Lowes), I found my cabinet :)<br />
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When covered, this is what the embarrassment looked like:</div>
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Uncovered was even worse:</div>
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And now, with my awesomely cool cabinet :) Ya, I have all that plastic wrapped stuff up there. It's our small camping tables...I ran out of space...sigh :/ I moved all our camping gear from our tiny closet into this...I don't need a lantern, mattress pump, box of camping tools, snow boots and dusty hiking boots in my closet amongst my clothes thank you very much. I also have to do something about your snow sled (see that blue UFO disc of an eye sore). It was next to our washing machine inside and I just couldn't stand it being there anymore. Dust catcher!!! I don't want to get rid of it, but it's cracked down the middle, so it's probably no good for sliding down an icy hill. Either way, the balcony looks much better than before. Less embarrassing I must say. And, it locks shut :) With a lock I haven't bought yet...crap, better get a move on now that I am confessing to the world my stuff is open for the taking! </div>
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I am also excited to say that I planted my first ever radish seeds and they have started to germinate in no time. I was so excited, you should have seen me. It was as if someone had bought me a brand new car. Oh the little things in life that excite me :o)</div>
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This is just 3 days after planting them. Look at those babies :)</div>
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A day later, they have grown even more. Sniff, mama's so proud! </div>
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I've also planted two new tomato plants :) </div>
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My Jasmine plant is taking over my balcony. I'm waiting to get the notice that I have to remove all their tendrils from the railing. Till then, take over Jasmine plant, take over! I need privacy.</div>
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<b> Happy Friday Everyone :)</b></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581344595717618113.post-49959052153866150132013-10-03T23:18:00.003-07:002013-10-03T23:18:20.049-07:00Official - The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies Ever<div id="stcpDiv" style="left: -1988px; position: absolute; top: -1999px;">
by Shirley Hendrickson, adapted from Leite Torres </div>
I have been searching for the best chocolate chip cookie recipe for a long time. I have made a few meh batches and many many horrible batches, but I have FINALLY FOUND THE recipe. It requires some pre-planning and some ingredients I didn't know existed (j/k!), but I have to say, it was definitely worth it. These cookies were amazing. The hubby could not stop eating them and for someone who hates her baking, these were FABULOUS! Moist on the inside and chewy/crunchy on the outside. Absolutely fabulous...oooh, I hear my cookies singing to me, I'm going to go have another one...weight gain here I come!<br />
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Adapted from <a href="http://forme-foryou.com/2011/08/the-only-chocolate-chip-cookie-i-will-ever-need-to-know-how-to-make-for-the-rest-of-my-life.html">Kate Miss</a>, by <a href="https://twitter.com/iamshirley">Shirley Hendrickson</a>. <br />
<br />
<u>Ingredients:</u> <br />
Depending on how big you makes the cookies, this recipe can yield between 25-30. I like my cookies medium sized (~3 inches).<br />
<br />
Also note, the cake flour really makes these cookies fluffy and soft.<br />
<br />
2 cups minus 2 tbsp cake flour (8 1/2 oz)<br />
1 2/3 cups bread flour (8 1/2 oz)<br />
1 ¼ tsp. baking soda<br />
1 ½ tsp. baking powder<br />
1 ½ tsp. coarse salt, such as kosher<br />
2 ½ sticks (1 ¼ cups; 10 oz.) unsalted butter, softened<br />
1 ¼ cups (10 oz.) light brown sugar<br />
1 cup plus 2 Tbsp. (8 oz.) granulated sugar<br />
2 large eggs<br />
2 tsp. vanilla extract<br />
1 ¼ pounds bittersweet chocolate chips, preferably 60% Ghirardelli Cacao chips<br />
<br />
<u>Directions:</u><br />
<ul>
<li>Combine flours, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Whisk well; then set aside. </li>
<li>Using a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars until very light and fluffy, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. </li>
<li>Mix in the vanilla. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Reduce the mixer speed to low; then add dry ingredients, and mix until just combined. </li>
<li>Add the chocolate chips, and mix briefly to incorporate. Press plastic wrap against the dough, and refrigerate for 24 to 36 hours. You can also bake them right away, I made a few immediately after (because I couldn't wait) and also some 24 hours later. The 24 hour batch had an even better texture, but if you can't wait, making them right away is just fine.</li>
<li>When you’re ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F. Remove the bowl of dough from the refrigerator, and allow it to soften slightly. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat. </li>
<li>Using a standard-size ice cream scoop, scoop six mounds of dough onto the baking sheet, making sure to space them evenly. Alternatively, you can roll a small ball of dough in your hands and place it onto the baking sheet. Using the ice cream scoop just makes bigger cookies. </li>
<li>Bake until golden brown but still soft, 15 to 20 minutes, depending on your oven and your taste. Err on the side of less time if you prefer less crunchy cookies on the outside.</li>
<li>Transfer the cookies carefully onto a wire rack to cool. </li>
<li>Enjoy :) </li>
</ul>
The secret to this recipe is quite a number of things, and that includes cake flour (yes there is such a thing), bread flour, as well as having all the ingredients at room temperature. If you follow this recipe to the dot, your cookies will be fabulous, trust me! See the original post for more great secrets :)<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
Ghirardelli, it makes all the difference!</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Bon Appetit :)</span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581344595717618113.post-90475696138363857802013-09-29T22:25:00.000-07:002013-09-29T22:25:06.136-07:00Grafton/Boston Adventures<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
We drove from New York to Grafton, MA to visit the brother-in-law and it was a beautiful drive. The weather was nice and the scenery was so green. Much different from the Socal to Norcal drive...all dry...booooring. </div>
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Playing with the kids :) </div>
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Purgatory Chasm </div>
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This is my favorite picture :) </div>
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Yes, the adult rolling down the hill is husband. </div>
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Boston view from Cambridge </div>
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MIT </div>
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Boston </div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581344595717618113.post-43963032238350261562013-09-27T07:00:00.000-07:002013-09-27T07:00:00.254-07:00New York/Brooklyn AdventuresWe visited New York and Brooklyn over the past weekend to see my hubby's sister and her husband, well I was really only there for a quick trip, but we managed to pack as much as we could into a short trip. The weather was really nice, not too hot, not too cold, and we walked a ton. Lets just say, my feet are not made for walking! <br />
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From a Brooklyn rooptop at sunrise</div>
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Brooklyn Botanical Gardens</div>
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Bonsai tree sculptures</div>
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Throbbing feet ;)</div>
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Walking across the Brooklyn Bridge</div>
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I spy me a statue...</div>
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View of Washington Park and surrounding...this is my favorite pic. </div>
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<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_Line_%28New_York_City%29">Highline Park</a> - an old elevated railway line turned into a 1 mile long park.</div>
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Traffic watching on the Highline.</div>
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Lion King on Broadway - The show was breathtakingly fabulous. </div>
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Times Square</div>
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Best Halal food ever - The Halal Guys</div>
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View from the Empire State Building</div>
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We also spent a few days in Grafton, MA to see my hubby's brother and his family....more to come in a later post :)</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581344595717618113.post-49643175134306455352013-09-26T07:00:00.000-07:002013-09-27T14:09:29.396-07:00Just a few of my favorite thingsA few things that I absolutely love and just had to share :)<br />
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Officially, my first real strand of pearls, courtesy of my favorite man on our 5th Anniversary.</div>
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My new mini jewelry catcher/plate/organizer/lifesaver/ring finder when in panic mode :)</div>
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My new tea cup :) This cup lists 5 essential life lessons to live by (according to Buddhism), which apply to everyone, anywhere. I asked someone to translate it for me and this was their rough translation: something about being kind, taking care of elders, having peace...<br />
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Washi tape :D wahoo!</div>
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My new black bag...yes, I have a collection...yes, it's a disease...no, I don't have the room. </div>
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Took my little blue and white plate (newest addition to my dish hoarding disease) to work and it makes me smile :)</div>
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Prada Sunglasses that look oh so fabulous on me that I totally bought in my head, but had to leave at the store :D</div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581344595717618113.post-91599786178134587182013-09-25T07:00:00.001-07:002013-09-25T07:00:10.687-07:00The LA County FairMy labmates (aka people I work/slave away with) took a fun trip to the LA County fair last week with our PI (aka boss) - my lab is just too cool. This was my first time at a fair and I was kind of excited, even though I was still dealing with shingles pain, uh. Overall, it was a great day.<br />
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Here are some shots from our day:<br />
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Note: I didn't go on that ride. I enjoyed having my feet planted firmly on the ground. </div>
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<br />Fair food may look amazing, but it definitely didn't taste amazing, sadly.</div>
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Bee exhibit </div>
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Can you find the Queen? She's larger than the other bees and has a circle of worker bees around her that pet and groom her all day long. Here's a hint: she has a red dot on her head - the dot is not natural. It's for the bee keepers to identify her. </div>
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Pig races. My little piggy won the first 2 :)</div>
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I won a chocolate covered banana for it (courtesy of the person I bet against, haha!). It didn't taste good. </div>
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Clydesdales</div>
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Fried Oreo</div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581344595717618113.post-15787846265781089482013-09-24T17:10:00.000-07:002013-09-26T19:01:09.064-07:00ShinglesI guess it has been over a month since I posted on my blog and I'm sorry
for that. I've received the many complaints and emails but it's been
hectic and crazy this last month and I'll tell you why...<br />
<br />
Now, before I write this, I want to let you know that the sole purpose of this post is not to complain and revel in my bravery as if I'm some war hero, but to let people know that it's serious and there are many different symptoms that are not clear textbook cases. My case was not as bad as some that I've read about, and I got lucky, thank God. <br />
<br />
With that being said, yes I got shingles !@#$%. It's been a week now that I am symptom free (my main reason for being absent) and although I didn't tell anyone really of this, I am writing about it now, in the hopes that I can help someone. My symptoms were NOT textbook case and the only reason I ended up going to the doctor's to being with is because nothing with me is ever textbook. And, I knew it was shingles, I'm a googler and biologist...we know these things ;) <br />
<br />
I'm a 29-year old female who thought she was relatively healthy (ha!) but somehow managed to get shingles. I had chicken pox as a kid, and as most people know, the chicken pox virus lives dormant in our bodies for eternity and only manifests itself when we are weak. Why was I weak, don't know. I think emotionally my head was not in the game of school and with lots of ups and downs with family and all that fun stuff, I got sick...who saw that one coming?<br />
<br />
Anywho's...here's my story. Read it with a box of tissues...just kidding! :D <br />
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<b><u>Non-Textbook Case Shingles:</u></b><br />
1. All week I was feeling really tired and weak. It was right before my
period so I assumed it's PMS, but it was weird this time around. I was
unusually sleepy and slept in all week and got to work around 11,
sometimes 12 (yikes!). A few days before my period, I started
feeling as though I had a fever. Chills, body ache, but no registered
fever. Again, I attributed this to my period, because this is usually
quite normal for me to feel like i'm getting sick before Charlie
visits.<br />
<br />
2. I didn't think much of it, meanwhile, I woke up one
morning with the strangest itchy feeling on my back and didn't think
much of it. It was right under my bra strap, so obviously I assumed it
was my bra annoying me (all you women know what I mean). So, naturally I
ignored it. All day it drove me crazy. This incessant itch that
wouldn't go away. I took a shower that night and itched the heck out
of my back and it felt better, but come the next day, the same thing.
Finally I had my husband take a look, and he said I
don't see anything. At this point I remember thinking to myself, I'm
going crazy and started to remember that a few months back (~5-6 months
ago) I had this weird itchy feeling all up and down my left arm (same
side as my outbreak), and it lasted for 2 weeks. I would try to find
anything to itch up against as if I was a cat. I did go to the doctors
for it because I thought I was going nuts and the doctor said it was
probably stress related or shingles, but without an outbreak they didn't
medicate. Well the itching went away and there was no outbreak until
now, 5 months later. <br />
<br />
3. Small red bumps appeared a few days after the itching, as though I was bit by a mosquito, but it wasn't just one, it was a cluster of 7-8, some large, some tiny (hard to tell from my crappy pic). I first thought it was a spider bite (but what spider bites in 8 different places) because the bumps didn't bother me. It never spread, it didn't get bigger or worse, they never blistered, they were just there.<br />
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Best pic I could take. I couldn't find any pictures on google that looked like this - this is why I'm posting it. Gross I know. This was a few days after the break out, the bumps are drying up. One of them looks like it's a small blister, but you really couldn't tell looking at it. My husband couldn't. </div>
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4. After the bumps appeared, 2 days later, I woke up with extreme soreness on my entire left upper torso that wrapped around under my armpit. My lymph nodes were painful to touch and it was at this point I realized something was wrong, but based off my reading, shingles manifests itself with blisters AND I didn't have any. I'm also 29, not 59, so I thought to myself, impossible. So, I ignored it and thought maybe I lifted something or my bag was too heavy when I was biking. I popped a few advil and dragged myself to work. The soreness was so bad, I couldn't even lift my arm, let alone sleep on that side.<br />
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5. The next day, the soreness was still there, a bit less intense, but now the pain started. Excruciating, radiating, needle like pain. Some medical posts referred to it as burning, but it was more as if needles were being shot through my back and up my nerves. It was too sensitive to touch, and sitting back in the car while driving drove me crazy. Worst pain ever. Nothing helped except taking a deep breath during the intervals where the pain would disappear, waiting for the next round. At this point, I knew it was shingles. Mind you, I still went to work (bad idea). I dragged myself to urgent car, got checked out, told the doc I have shingles and needed something, at which point he laughed and said yes, you do and then he asked me what I did for a living (abusive googler)...anyways...long story short, got Acyclovir (aka Zovirax), and took them 5 times a day for 10 days (whoever came up with this regime was insane...do you know how complicated it was to remember this) and I totally told the doctor I could do it. Yes, they have a 3x a day option, but Acyclovir (from my research) was the better option...idiot! Note: make a chart for yourself, it really helps. By the way, my doctor had shingles when he was 15. <br />
<br />
6. It took me about halfway through the meds to lose the pain. By day 3 of the medication the pain had gotten worse, and the bumps had slowly dried up, but the pain...my God! The sensitivity...my god and it still itched. At this point, my husband had a new title: The Master Itcher. He would itch around the breakout spot and it was like heaven...oh...blissful...<br />
<br />
7. By about day 7-8 of the pills my pain was gone and the only pain left was having to remember to take the meds 5x a day. <br />
<br />
<br />
My tale is epic, let me tell you ;) but out of all seriousness, it's not a joke and the pain isn't either. Those who have been through it know it's one of the worst pains, worse than any surgery rehab pain. It's excruciating. The key however with all of this is to get checked out IMMEDIATELY. The sooner you take the meds the better. My case was far from textbook and had I known, I would have gone sooner. Now, don't be paranoid like me: any itch I start to feel drives me crazy and I freak out thinking it's going to come back. It might, but probably not now.<br />
<br />
Anyone who has had chicken pox can get shingles at ANY AGE. If you've had shingles, your immune system is stronger against it, BUT you can get it again. Even if you've had the shingles vaccine, you can get shingles. If you are young, stressed, depressed, stressed, bla bla bla...you can get it. If you are healthy and active and eat right (not a graduate student, haha) you are probably safe. Now my eating habits don't consist of fried foods or junk food, yet, I still managed to screw up my immune system with stress so that my body couldn't fight it off. <br />
<br />
Hope this post helps anyone looking for answers. And shingles is NOT syphilis...do you know how many times I vocally confused the two...sheesh...<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581344595717618113.post-58902766716411321262013-08-21T17:03:00.001-07:002013-08-21T17:03:18.669-07:00Deezy - Traditional Iranian DishThis past Friday (yes, my post is extremely late...it's already Wednesday) was the 6th anniversary of knowing my husband - August 16th was the first day we met :) I remember that day for so many reasons and 6 years later, it still feels like yesterday. We had a short (I say short because we both got home at 8:30 that night) dinner date and got one of my favorite foods ever at this new joint (Hen House Grill) that opened up near our house. Actually it's been there for over a year now and we just never got around to going, haha! But oh my gosh, the food is fabulous. There is this one dish that we used to get during the summers when I was small and visiting Iran, called deezy. It's basically a stew of potatoes meat and beans, cooked in individual portions. You separate out the juice from the stew and eat it like soup and mash up the meat, beans and potatoes and eat that with bread. It may not sound that appetizing with the way I'm describing it, but believe me, something about the way it's prepared and cooked is so good (and I normally don't like stew) that I crave it and have been craving it for some time now. Craving it in this style...it's a dish that most can make at home, but not this way! I think for me, deezy is somewhat nostalgic, reminding me of my summers with my family back in Iran sitting by a fountain or river having deezy with handfuls of freshly baked bread, laughing and telling stories late into the night. <br />
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Don't mind the pony clamps, its so one could handle the metal pots. </div>
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So, I had flashbacks of summers ago and enjoyed the deezy so much. I was hoping that I would get a chance to have it for the first time with my hubby in Iran, but this is good enough :) 6 years and counting!<br />
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Here's a link I found that talks about deezy (also known as ab-goosht) for those interested: <a href="http://somayehco.com/misc.php?t=2&id=4BB6F06&lng=en">Deezy explained</a>.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbvNJROO8JAncY6J_JAHt9QnaqF2Ws2XdNC7O_HgDiR-qwXGPruYBhNo16UwpbvlcXtcX_JagKVpRSYH6W4tp445QVR7IuLlQF-ertbtIRW-IQj5VRR62TudY1tnZmeCNuL_qdBI-yJKk3/s1600/hphoto+4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbvNJROO8JAncY6J_JAHt9QnaqF2Ws2XdNC7O_HgDiR-qwXGPruYBhNo16UwpbvlcXtcX_JagKVpRSYH6W4tp445QVR7IuLlQF-ertbtIRW-IQj5VRR62TudY1tnZmeCNuL_qdBI-yJKk3/s400/hphoto+4.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />I'm hungry...this totally beats the PB&J sandwich I had today!!!</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581344595717618113.post-5922902410045019252013-08-21T16:33:00.002-07:002013-08-21T16:33:51.822-07:00Banana Bread Avec Chocolate ChunksI love banana bread and zucchini bread and pumpkin bread and
sigh...all kinds of bread. I could never go on a low or even no carb
diet. I came across this recipe and it was a twist on the regular banana
bread that I am used to making. I decided to try it, even though I'm
cautious about adding chocolate to anything but cookies and
brownies, but it came out delicious!!!! It's a very moist and dense cake filled with flavor.<br />
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Here's the recipe!! The only thing I changed was not adding Bourbon - no alcohol in this Muslim household. For every tablespoon of Bourbon I added 1 part vanilla extract and 2 parts water.<br />
<br />
Recipe by Joy the Baker posted at <a href="http://joannagoddard.blogspot.com/2012/03/best-banana-bread-youll-ever-have-with.html#more">A Cup of Jo</a>. <br /> <br /> <u>Ingredients: </u><br />
Makes 1 loaf<b><br /></b><br />
<br /> 2 cups all-purpose flour<br /> 3 teaspoons baking powder<br /> ½ teaspoon salt<br /> ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened<br /> 1 cup granulated sugar<br /> 2 large eggs<br /> 1 ½ cups mashed ripe bananas (from about 3 bananas)<br /> 1 tsp lemon juice<br /> 2 tbsp water + 1 tbsp vanilla extract<br /> 1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts<br />
Almost 1 cup (6 ounces) semisweet chocolate chunks <br /> <br />
<br />
<br />
<u>Directions:</u><br />
<ul>
<li> Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour an 8x4-inch or 9x5-inch loaf pan. Set aside. </li>
<li> In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder and salt. </li>
<li> In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. </li>
<li> Add eggs one at a time, beating for 1 minute between each addition. Stop the mixer, scrape down sides of the bowl, and add bananas, lemon juice and vanilla extract. Beat until well incorporated. </li>
<li> Turn the mixer to low and add the flour mixture all at once. Beat until almost incorporated. Stop the mixer and remove the bowl. Add the walnuts and chocolate chips and incorporate the last of the ingredients with a spatula. </li>
<li> Batter will be thick. Spoon the mixture into prepared loaf pan. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. </li>
<li> Remove from the oven and allow loaf to cool in the pan for 20 minutes before inverting onto a wire rack to cool completely. </li>
<li>Serve with milk or tea or coffee and enjoy! </li>
</ul>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
I used very very ripe bananas that had an almost brown skin and really mashed them well. Actually let me take this time to give credit where credit is due, the hubby actually mashed them :D </div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Bon Appétit! :)</span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581344595717618113.post-92070664581786186182013-08-07T14:19:00.000-07:002013-08-07T16:03:13.873-07:00Cabinet OrganizationI really got tired of the mess that had become my pyrex and tupperware cabinet. Every time I wanted to get something, things would get moved around, I had to remove all the pyrex to get to the bottom one...and the complaints go on. So, I figured I needed a better way to get things. I use a wire rack to organize my platters and I figured it would work for holding pyrex well, why not use a wire rack (<a href="http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/product.asp?MC=1&SKU=40864457&RN=205&">similar to this</a>) to organize the pyrex and a basket to organize the miscellaneous items that have become annoying to manage.<br />
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Voila...things are now easily accessible.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>After</b></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFWNKF-01ND-7XH4-jqJ8MiarRK109Sftqj0pg3rYP_7lDzPW7O7N1SF9kwyhPI7gXwWTmmzQUTmouCq2aHE34NPtZ9zZguHq2511lPxTOsg6mtqeAbyARvBXMYKfcOXqcK4fKiSbyxqW2/s1600/IMG_6677.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFWNKF-01ND-7XH4-jqJ8MiarRK109Sftqj0pg3rYP_7lDzPW7O7N1SF9kwyhPI7gXwWTmmzQUTmouCq2aHE34NPtZ9zZguHq2511lPxTOsg6mtqeAbyARvBXMYKfcOXqcK4fKiSbyxqW2/s400/IMG_6677.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;"> Before</span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilhbvFn4XXf7GYDGJv-TMHOVBQ62e8gEOKvikVr3H31l78ZGvo1S5DycWdyS6Ldd-ja5_MdmsnIL0UkxxoSSpkBo4M14bcIeO7pwjxqu0R_38HwoFBLc8pH7a6DmLhNP3xAJjjjLdX9MZI/s1600/IMG_6670.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilhbvFn4XXf7GYDGJv-TMHOVBQ62e8gEOKvikVr3H31l78ZGvo1S5DycWdyS6Ldd-ja5_MdmsnIL0UkxxoSSpkBo4M14bcIeO7pwjxqu0R_38HwoFBLc8pH7a6DmLhNP3xAJjjjLdX9MZI/s400/IMG_6670.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Ya I know, the mess isn't that bad, but it was enough to annoy me when I needed to get something out quickly. </div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
:) It's more manageable now and it makes me happy. Yay!</div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581344595717618113.post-86664199323181972932013-08-07T13:59:00.002-07:002013-08-07T13:59:25.948-07:00Time-lapse of San Francisco - AdriftI came across this amazing <a href="http://vimeo.com/69445362">time-lapse film by Simon Christen</a> of photos taken in San Francisco amist the wonderful fog that really makes the city what it is. It made me miss home so much...I almost started to cry (get it together, you're at work and your boss just walked in). This has been a crazy month for some many reasons (hence the absence) and Ramadan is also almost over and I feel as though I am missing it already. Sadness overload today. <br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
I wish I was sitting in my favorite spot with my favorite people overlooking the bay right now.</div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581344595717618113.post-76427249903598593662013-07-17T13:20:00.000-07:002013-07-22T14:17:50.862-07:00Homemade Lebanese Hummus<div class="ERSIngredients">
<div class="ERSIngredientsHeader ERSHeading">
I finally got around to organizing my kitchen cabinets so as to make more room for my food processor. It was previously in it's box in the closet, up high on a shelf I could barely reach and I got really tired of having to take it down and out of the box every time I wanted to use it. With my food processor in easy reach now, I got the urge to make a lot of things, one being homemade hummus, and by homemade, I mean everything from scratch (not the cheat way using canned garbanzo beans). <br />
<br />
I had a recipe in mind and made a few changes to my liking and it came out fabulous. I took some home to my parents house and it was all gone within a day, so that's saying something :D </div>
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Note: this recipe is very easy, but just takes a day in advance to prepare.<br />
<br />
<u>Ingredients</u></div>
<ul>
<li class="ingredient" itemprop="ingredients">2 cups dried chickpeas (aka garbanzo beans)</li>
<li class="ingredient" itemprop="ingredients">4-5 large garlic cloves, crushed (see below for how to crush garlic)</li>
<li class="ingredient" itemprop="ingredients">1/2 cup tahini paste (pureed sesame)</li>
<li class="ingredient" itemprop="ingredients">2 tbsp Olive oil (or more to taste)</li>
<li class="ingredient" itemprop="ingredients">1/3-2/3 cup of fresh lemon juice </li>
<li class="ingredient" itemprop="ingredients">1/4 teaspoon Paprika</li>
<li class="ingredient" itemprop="ingredients">1 tsp salt</li>
<li class="ingredient" itemprop="ingredients">1 tsp baking soda </li>
</ul>
</div>
<div class="ERSInstructionsHeader ERSHeading">
<br />
Directions:</div>
<ol>
</ol>
<ul>
<li>Clean the chickpeas to remove any small stones.</li>
<li>Rinse
the dry chickpeas to get rid of any debris and then allow them to soak overnight (12-24 hours) with 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda. Fill the bowl to completely cover the chickpeas. They will expand in size, so make sure to keep enough water to cover them. The baking
soda also helps soften the beans quicker.</li>
</ul>
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<br />
<ol>
</ol>
<ul>
<li>Next day, empty the soaked chickpeas in a colander to get rid of the water and then rinse the beans with fresh cold water.</li>
<li>Add
the chickpeas to a cooking pot with 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda and then add enough water to cover the chickpeas (about 6-7 cups).</li>
<li>Bring it to a boil on high heat, then let it simmer on low heat for about 1 hour with the pot covered.</li>
<li>Check
up on the chickpeas after 45 minutes. To tell if the beans are done: try to crush a chickpea with your fingers, if it crushes
easily and feels smooth then it’s done.</li>
</ul>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh0oEprYQ6hIZdST9LQmT22Vk7QJERSjnxzSe8NPUhc3Itp_Ca-ocrrJbGaVDtKPlbOQ2VVPBbCCNtnkvJUHWD7ZPQ9NRUYly2zAK7HrwezzPvzKv9R9SgVqAayCejNr0TpfAM0QuZ_vTj/s1600/IMG_6638.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh0oEprYQ6hIZdST9LQmT22Vk7QJERSjnxzSe8NPUhc3Itp_Ca-ocrrJbGaVDtKPlbOQ2VVPBbCCNtnkvJUHWD7ZPQ9NRUYly2zAK7HrwezzPvzKv9R9SgVqAayCejNr0TpfAM0QuZ_vTj/s400/IMG_6638.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<ul>
<li class="instruction" itemprop="recipeInstructions">Once
the chickpeas are cooked, and while still hot, add them immediately to a
food processor with 1/2 to 1 cup of warm water and grind for 3-5
minutes at low speed.</li>
<li class="instruction" itemprop="recipeInstructions">With the food processor still going, add the salt and garlic.</li>
<li class="instruction" itemprop="recipeInstructions">Slowly add in the Tahini paste.</li>
<li class="instruction" itemprop="recipeInstructions">Next, add the lemon juice and let the food processor
run for a couple more minutes. </li>
<li class="instruction" itemprop="recipeInstructions">Add the paprika and olive oil and continue to allow the food processor to run.</li>
<li class="instruction" itemprop="recipeInstructions">Taste the puree to see if it needs an adjustment of salt or olive oil. </li>
</ul>
<ol>
</ol>
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FYI: To crush garlic, here is a neat trick I learned:<br />
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Mince the garlic into tiny, itty bitty small pieces and add a pinch of salt.</div>
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Then, using the edge of the blade of a knife, with firm pressure on the blade, drag the knife across the garlic back and forth, crushing the garlic so it's smooth like a paste. </div>
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And voila, you have crushed garlic. </div>
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<div class="ERSIngredientsHeader ERSHeading">
<br />
<b>RECIPE: </b><u></u><br />
<u><br /></u>
<u>Ingredients</u></div>
<ul>
<li class="ingredient" itemprop="ingredients">2 cups dried chickpeas (aka garbanzo beans)</li>
<li class="ingredient" itemprop="ingredients">4-5 large garlic cloves, crushed (see below for how to crush garlic)</li>
<li class="ingredient" itemprop="ingredients">1/2 cup tahini paste (pureed sesame)</li>
<li class="ingredient" itemprop="ingredients">2 tbsp olive oil (or more to taste)</li>
<li class="ingredient" itemprop="ingredients">1/3-2/3 cup of fresh lemon juice </li>
<li class="ingredient" itemprop="ingredients">1/4 teaspoon Paprika</li>
<li class="ingredient" itemprop="ingredients">1 tsp salt</li>
<li class="ingredient" itemprop="ingredients">1 tsp baking soda </li>
</ul>
<div class="ERSInstructionsHeader ERSHeading">
Directions:</div>
<ol>
<li>Clean the chickpeas to remove any small stones.</li>
<li>Rinse
the dry chickpeas to get rid of any debris and then allow them to soak
overnight (12-24 hours) with 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda. Fill the bowl
to completely cover the chickpeas. They will expand in size, so make
sure to keep enough water to cover them. The baking
soda also helps soften the beans quicker.</li>
<li>Next day, empty the soaked chickpeas in a colander to get rid of the water and then rinse the beans with fresh cold water.</li>
<li>Add
the chickpeas to a cooking pot with 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda and
then add enough water to cover the chickpeas (about 6-7 cups).</li>
<li>Bring it to a boil on high heat, then let it simmer on low heat for about 1 hour with the pot covered.</li>
<li>Check
up on the chickpeas after 45 minutes. To tell if the beans are done: try to crush a chickpea with your fingers, if it crushes
easily and feels smooth then it’s done.</li>
<li>Once
the chickpeas are cooked, and while still hot, add them immediately to a
food processor with 1/2 to 1 cup of warm water and grind for 3-5
minutes at low speed.</li>
<li>With the food processor still going, add the salt and garlic.</li>
<li>Slowly add in the Tahini paste.</li>
<li>Next, add the lemon juice and let the food processor
run for a couple more minutes. </li>
<li>Add the paprika and olive oil and continue to allow the food processor to run.</li>
<li>Taste the puree to see if it needs an adjustment of salt or olive oil. </li>
<li>Serve with more paprika or olive oil. </li>
</ol>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Bon Appetite :)</span></div>
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