Travel, Food and Everything in Between

I LOVE Pinterest!

2012-01-28T12:40:00.001-05:00

I have fallen in love with Pinterest. It has become my new obsession. I actually spend more time on there than Facebook these days. Gasp! Shocker, I know. While Pinterest has been dubbed the place where women go to dress children they don't have, design houses they can't afford, and plan weddings they'll never have, I use the site for ideas. Ideas for our new house (keeping in mind, that my wants need to match the available funds), ideas for craft projects, ideas for gifts, and ideas for dinner (and breakfast, lunch, appetizers, parties, etc.)

I have actually made several recipes I found on Pinterest. All have been delicious, but not all have been successful. I define success as it looks just like the recipe picture. I know, I'm a bit of a perfectionist.

Here are the recipes I have made (and where you can download/print the recipe yourself.)

Breakfast

Applesauce Oatmeal Muffins
Pineapple Orange Smoothie (I've made these twice, the second time I added fresh strawberries.)
Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal (this was DELICIOUS!)

Dinner

What I love about Pinterest as a way to find recipes is that I get to see pictures of the food, and then decide if I am interested in reading the recipe. Prior to finding Pinterest, I had to know what I was interested in finding, and search by name or ingredients. I have discovered so many recipes that I never would have even thought to look for, like Harry Potter Butterbeer Cupcakes! Can you even imagine such a thing existed? Thank you Pinterest for introducing me to such a treat!

Here are some other recipes I am looking forward to making, thanks to Pinterest.

Oatmeal Creme Pies (like Little Debbie's!)
Buffalo Chicken Egg Rolls
Homemade Pot Stickers
Brownie Batter Pancakes
Spiced Apple Sangria

Here are some pictures I took of the recipes I made.

Applesauce Oatmeal Muffins

Pineapple Orange Smoothie

Scrapbooking Tips

2012-01-06T11:23:00.003-05:00

One thing I love as much as travel and food is taking pictures of my travels and new foods I try (and even the food I make) and putting together scrapbooks. I just wish it wasn't so expensive (embellishments and albums, cost a lot of money, not to mention the cost of printing the pictures!) and didn't take up such a huge space. I can sure sprawl out while scrapbooking!

Here are some recent pages I completed:

For each of the Walt Disney World Parks

Magic Kingdom

Disney Animal Kingdom

Epcot

Disney's Hollywood Studios

For these pages, I used the park maps to start off the section (or in my case, each album). I find that using brochures, fliers, and even magazines are a good way to beef up an album. It gives a bigger picture to add to the story you are telling.

Magic Kingdom's Move It, Shake It, Celebrate It! Parade

For the parade pictures, I used colorful paper with movement to convey fun and celebration.

Recent Trip to Europe

For my scrapbook from our trip to Europe, I added boarding passes and tickets to the pages. This is a great way to display mementos from the trip. I am also not a fan of my handwriting, so I printed my captions using the Feltpoint Font. I love that there are so many free downloadable fonts on the Internet. You can find just about anything to correspond with your pictures.

What are your favorite cost saving tips for scrapbooking?

Happy New Year!

2012-01-01T15:57:00.000-05:00

It's funny how traditions get started. Early this morning, about 12:05AM, I got a call from my mom wondering why I hadn't called her yet. I HAD sent her a text, but I had completely forgotten about a tradition I started years ago.

The year was 1989, and while sitting in my Dad's den, something occurred to me. Although I had only just turned 8 in October, I realized that the next year (1990) I would turn 10! I turned to my mom, and said "Guess what? Next year I will be 10!" and a tradition was born. Every year since, I have called my mom at midnight wherever I was, and told her "Guess what? I will be [insert age] next year!" My little sister has been doing the same thing for years now, too.

A couple years ago, my mom asked me when I was going to be too old to keep calling her, so I asked if she wanted me to stop. I don't think she ever answered, but now I know. I think she looks forward to that call as much as I enjoy making it. So hello world, guess what? Next year I will be 33!

Happy 2012 to all! I hope it is a prosperous and wonderful year!

123Tagged.com - More New Year 2012 Comments

Favorite Foods from 2011-Part 5

2011-12-31T12:00:00.004-05:00

For my final post of favorite foods of the year, I'm going to feature a favorite drink. For our anniversary (which ended up being the same day as my graduation from grad school) Marshall and I took an Odyssey Potomac River Lunch Cruise. The cruise had a full bar (unfortunately not included in the lunch price) and I had a very potent but delicious apple martini. Here is the recipe. Try one tonight at your New Year's Eve party!

Candy Apple Martini

1 1/2 ounce Apple Vodka
1 ounce Apple Pucker
1/2 ounce Buttershots (butterscotch schnapps)
1/4 ounce Grenadine
Apple Slice or Maraschino Cherry for Garnish

Pour all ingredients into a shaker filled with ice and shake. Strain into a chilled martini glass and garnish.

Favorite Foods from 2011-Part 4

2011-12-30T12:00:00.004-05:00

I was very fortunate earlier this year to travel to Europe with my sister and best friend. My sister had never been to Europe, and was about to embark on a 3-week total immersion program to learn Dutch, in Belgium. Since my sister did not speak a word of Dutch (or at least she didn't prior to picking up a Dutch dictionary before we left), French or German (the three official languages of Belgium), we started our trip in London, where they do speak English (sort of). On this trip, after London, we went to the Netherlands (Holland), before heading over to Brussels in Belgium.

Now, when most people think of Belgium, they probably think of beer, chocolate and WAFFLES! We were very excited for all three (well, two out of the three). Turns out there are two major differences in the Belgian waffles, by way of types. There are Brussels waffles and Liege waffles. I found a great blog post (and may have already posted this) on the differences.

Having tried both waffles on this trip (both covered in Belgian chocolate, of course!), it was decided that the Liege waffle is preferable. It is denser, and sweeter than the Brussels waffle. While researching recipes, it has come to my attention that making Liege waffles is time consuming, and requires special ingredients and tools. If you are able to find the Belgian Pearl sugar, and a Liege waffle iron, you are in for a treat. If you are able to find these items, here is site that offers an authentic recipe. For those of us that do not have the special equipment, I have found several sites that mention crushing sugar cubes for the pearl sugar. Here is one site that has a simple enough recipe, listed below.

1 package yeast
1/3 cup lukewarm water (about 105 degrees F- too hot will kill the yeast)
1 1/2 teaspoons granulated white sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 cups flour
3 eggs
1 cup melted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup Belgian pearl sugar*

Mix the yeast, water, sugar and salt in a bowl and let it develop or sit for 15 minutes.
Place the flour in a separate large mixing bowl (we use the bowl of our kitchen aid stand mixer) and make a well in the center of the flour.
Pour the yeast mixture into the well and mix until blended on medium speed.
Add the eggs (one at a time), melted butter a bit at a time, and the vanilla and cinnamon. Be sure to mix well after each addition to the batter. Keep in mind the batter will be thick and VERY sticky (this is normal).
Remove the bowl from the mixer and let the dough rest until it doubles in volume inside the bowl.
Gently fold in the pearl sugar and let the dough rest for 15 more minutes.
While the dough is resting, heat the waffle iron (we use a Waring Pro Belgian Waffle Iron and I recommend Belgian waffle irons because they have the deep pockets).
Spoon about a 2" ball of dough into the center of the waffle iron (this should yield a waffle that is about 4" in diameter). I know that sounds small, but these rich waffles pack quite a punch. Waffles will take 3 to 5 minutes to bake (in our waffle iron, they take 3 minutes and 15 seconds on level 3).

Liege Waffle with Belgian Chocolate, Strawberries and Whipped Cream

* Recipe author note on pearl sugar:

It has been our experience that Belgian pearl sugar is difficult to find in the U.S. so we buy C&H sugar cubes (normally for coffee), place about 60 of them in a plastic Ziploc bag and 'crush' them with a meat tenderizer (you could use a rolling pin or heavy sauce pan as well). Then put the sugar through a sifter maintaining only the 'pearls' of sugar for the waffles. You need about 1 cup of pearls. The fine sugar that goes through the sifter can be put in your kitchen sugar jar or used to sweeten the strawberries if you are using them for the topping. I was able to find an online source at L'Epicerie. See the pearl sugar photo to the right so that you know what you are trying to obtain.

The addition of pearl sugar in the batter is what gives these waffles that special caramelized Liege waffle taste. However, that same sugar makes them sort of sticky so be careful not to burn yourself when removing them from the waffle iron.

The pearl sugar also makes clean-up of the waffle iron tricky. As the sugar melts, it runs in the crevices of the waffle iron. So my biggest tip is that after you finish baking your waffles, clean the waffle iron while it is still warm. If it cools completely, the caramel sugar mixture can be nearly impossible to get off the iron.
These waffles freeze extremely well so consider making a double batch. We just let the waffles cool, wrap them individually in Saran wrap, and then place them in a large Ziploc freezer bag. When we want one, we remove it from the freezer and put it in the oven on a baking sheet to heat it up.

Favorite Foods from 2011-Part 3

2011-12-29T13:01:00.001-05:00

As you can tell from the title of this blog, I love to travel, and I love food. Continuing with my favorite foods from the last year, today I am sharing another recipe from Disney, this time from Shutters at Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort, in Orlando. The Caribbean Pasta with chicken is so delicious! (You can also get the recipe with shrimp instead.) It's creamy, with just a touch of heat, which, after researching the recipe, I discovered comes from fresh jalapeno. If you cannot find orechiette pasta (which is Italian for "little ears"), medium shells would work just as well. (I found this recipe on http://www.allears.net/.) This recipe is for one serving.

1 ounce Red Peppers

1 ounce Green Peppers
1 ounce Diced onions
1/4 ounce Jalapenos
2 ounce Heavy cream
1 ounce White wine
1 ounce Tomatoes
4 ounces Chorizo Sausage
1/4 ounce Cooking oil
1/4 ounce Goat cheese
1 ounce Spinach
4 ounces Cooked Orechiette Pasta
6 pieces Shrimp OR 5 ounces Chicken breast

In large pan, bring water to a boil and add 4 ounces of Orechiette Pasta.
Cut vegetables (small diced red, green, and jalapenos peppers, and onions) (medium diced tomatoes and Chorizo sausage).
In hot sauté pan, add oil, onions, peppers (red, green and jalapenos) and cook until tender.
Add Chorizo sausage and any other add-ons you would like to have.
Deglaze with white wine.
Add heavy cream and add pasta, tomatoes, and spinach.
Sprinkle on the goat cheese.

While this recipe did not taste exactly like dish at Shutters (face it, do they ever?), it is a great dish if you are craving something similar. ENJOY!

Favorite Foods from 2011-Part 2

2011-12-28T13:19:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I wrote about Blue Bayou's Monte Cristo sandwich and Au Gratin Potatoes. Today, I am going to tell you about another awesome recipe featuring potatoes.

The Pioneer Woman has become my favorite person of 2011 (easily trumping Rachael Ray). She blogs, writes cook books and wrote probably one of my (and all of my sisters, it seems) favorite books of the year (From Black Heels to Tractor Wheels). Ree Drummond is the Pioneer Woman, and I think she is awesome. Here is her recipe for Potato-Leek Pizza. It is one of the tastiest pizzas I have had in a long time. Makes me want to make it tonight for dinner. (From The Pioneer Woman Cooks copyright 2009.)

Pizza Dough (I will share my recipe for dough at the end, but any refrigerated dough will work)
Extra Vigin Olive Oil
Kosher Salt
6 slices thick cut bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
3 leeks, rinsed well to remove grit, and thinly sliced
5 small red or Yukon Gold potatoes, sliced paper thin
1 pound fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced thin
4 ounces goat cheese, crumbled
Grated Parmesan cheese
Freshly gound black pepper

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.
Prepare the pizza crust and drizzle lightly with olive oil. Sprinkle lightly with salt.
Begin by placing the bacon in a skillet over medium heat. Fry the bacon until cooked, but not crisp.
Remove the bacon from the pan and set aside.
Pour off most of the grease. Do not clean the skillet. Return the skillet to the stove and turn the heat to medium-low.
Add the leeks to the pan and saute over medium-low heat until soft, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
Using a sharp knife or mandoline, slice the potatoes very thin. You'll need to do this just before you need them, as the potatoes will brown very quickly.
Arrange the potatoes in a single layer all over the crust, slightly overlapping the edges.
Sprinkle the potatoes lightly with salt, then lay the mozzarella slices in a single layer on top of the potatoes.
Place the leeks on top of the cheese.
Sprinkle the fried bacon over the leeks.
Then add the crumbled goat cheese, grated Parmesan and a sprinkle of freshly ground black pepper.
Bake for 8 to 11 minutes, until the edges are golden brown and the cheese is melted and bubbly. Cut into wedges or squares and serve immediately.

For step by step picture instructions, pick up Ree's book, The Pioneer Woman Cooks.

I have tried many recipes for pizza dough, and I have finally found my favorite. It is a tweaked version of the one listed in Food Network Magazine. This makes 2, 1 pound dough balls.

3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/3 cups warm water

1 tablespoon honey

1 packet yeast

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Whisk flour and salt in a bowl. Make a well and add water, honey and yeast. When foamy, add olive oil and knead for 5 minutes. (I do this in a stand mixer with the bread hook attachment.)
Add dough to an oiled bowl, and cover with a cloth. Let rise until double in size, about 1 1/2 hours.
Divide into 2, 1 pound balls of dough.

Here are my tips for making any kind of pizza:

Stretch dough to desired size. Drizzle with olive oil and lightly sprinkle with kosher salt.
Parbake in a 500 degree F oven for 2-3 minutes, to start the crust baking (a pizza stone is an invaluable tool for a crisp, yet chewy, crust).
Top with desired toppings, and bake for an additional 8-11 minutes, until crust is golden and cheese is bubbly.

Favorite Foods from 2011-Part 1

2011-12-27T12:12:00.000-05:00

When I started this blog, it was supposed to be about travel and food (and everything in between); however, it has been a while since I have posted about food. During the last month alone, I have taken some great trips, and experienced some GREAT food. For the next several days, until New Year's Day, I will share pictures and recipes of some of my favorites from the past year.

Today, I will start with a classic from Blue Bayou at Disneyland: The Monte Cristo Sandwich. (Recipe courtesy of Cooking with Mickey and the Disney Chefs copyright 2004.)

1 egg
1 3/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons water
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
8 slices egg bread (challah works well), sliced 1/2 inch thick
2/3 pound ham, cut into 4 slices
2/3 pound turkey, cut into 4 slices
1/4 pound Swiss cheese, cut into 4 slices
3 cups canola oil
Confectioner's sugar
Blackberry preserves

Line a cookie sheet with paper towels; set aside.
Whisk the egg and water together in a mixing bowl. Add flour, salt, and baking powder and whisk thoroughly, scraping the side of the bowl. Continue to whisk, for 20 minutes, until smooth.
On one slice of bread arrange a slice each of ham, turkey and cheese, covering the bread evenly. Place another slice of bread on top and slice sandwich in half diagonally.
Heat oil to between 365 and 375 degrees F in a 10-inch pan. Do not let the oil reach a higher temperature than this; if the oil starts to smoke, turn the heat down. Dip half of the sandwich into the batter, allowing excess to drain, and very carefully place into the oil. Repeat with the other sandwich half. Cook 3 minutes on each side. Place the cooked sandwich on the prepared cookie sheet in a warm oven until ready to serve. Repeat for the other 3 sandwiches. Cook the sandwiches one at a time, and allow the oil to reach the desired temperature in between each batch.
Sprinkle sandwiches with confectioner's sugar and serve with blackberry preserves on the side.

The potatoes served with the Monte Cristo Sandwich (and all of the Blue Bayou entrees) are to die for! I found this recipe on http://www.talkdisney.com/.

Blue Bayou Au Gratin Potatoes

3 lbs baking potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
1 onion, thinly sliced
2 cups heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
2 tablespoons fresh garlic, chopped
1 1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon butter
4 oz Parmesan cheese, grated

Mix onions and potatoes and put into a buttered baking dish. Mix cream, garlic, salt, pepper, and thyme leaves.
Pour mixture over potatoes and onions, and cover with aluminum foil.
Put in a 350 degree F oven, and bake for about 1 hour.
When the potatoes are tender, remove from oven and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
Return to oven, uncovered, and bake until brown, about 10 minutes more.

I hope you enjoy both of these recipes as much as I did!

2011, The Best Yet

2011-12-26T16:56:00.000-05:00

As 2011 slowly winds to a close, I am thinking back on a pretty good year. Here are a few highlights from the past year, and a photo retrospective, month-by-month.

Several trips including Florida, Europe, Washington DC, New Mexico, Texas, California and Louisiana
Experiencing Europe with my sister and best friend
Finishing graduate school and receiving my Master's degree
Meeting my nephew and spending time with our ever-growing family
Spending time with old friends and new
Planning the next chapter of our life with Marshall

I hope this past year was wonderful for each of you as well! Here's to an even more eventful, fun and prosperous 2012!

Always,
Lonnie

This free scrapbook design customized with Smilebox

Always Remember, Lest We Forget

2011-09-11T12:36:00.000-04:00

It's ironic, for a 20 year-old female, I thought September 10, 2001 was one of the worst nights of my life. I spent that evening on the phone with my, at the time, on-again-off-again boyfriend, learning about his time during the off-again. It was devastating, but it was a conversation we needed to have. Especially since I was set to move to England on September 15th. We talked on the phone until after 2AM. Since I was getting ready to study abroad, I had spent the summer at my parent's house in New Mexico. The morning of September 11th, my mom came in, said something to me, and turned on the TV. It was only 7AM, and I had gone to bed only about 5 hours earlier. I shut the TV off, and buried my head under the covers. A few minutes later, mom came back in, turned the TV back on, and said the words I will never forget: "NO AMERICAN SHOULD SLEEP THROUGH THIS!"

That made no sense to me in my groggy state, but I sat up and looked at the TV, just in time to see the footage of the second plane fly into the World Trade Center. You want to talk about a wake up call. The next few hours were a blur of phone calls to Monique, who was also headed to England, just a few weeks later than me, and the travel agency that booked my tickets. We had no idea when the airports would reopen, but I was certain I would not be flying to London that Saturday.

My flight did actually take off on Saturday, however, I was not on it. I rescheduled my flight for the following Tuesday, one week after this horrifying event. It's weird for me to look back at these events, because I wasn't here, but for a week. I moved to England, and put studying (well, if I'm completely honest, traveling) at the top of my list, and I really did not look back. Ten years later, I remember that instant vividly, and I will never forget.

God bless America, the troops who give me the right to say that, and all the families who will never be the same again.

I Graduated! Now what?

2011-06-02T13:30:00.000-04:00

I can't believe what I have been working towards for almost two years is now finished. I have a Master's degree. And while I don't have to work on school work anymore, things seem like business as usual. I guess once I receive the actual diploma I will feel like a graduate.

It's funny, once we finished our final presentation, several of my classmates said that it felt anti-climactic, and I would have to agree. Even though I put on the gown (a gown with funny sleeves, that made Marshall say I looked like a dementor from Harry Potter), marched in to Pomp and Circumstance, and bought all the obligatory GW Alumni items, I still don't quite feel it.

I have started looking and applying for jobs. Maybe that will give me the feeling I am looking for. While I do feel relieved and proud of myself, there is just something missing.

Has anyone else felt this way after completing something to which you set your mind? Oh well, I guess time will tell.

European Food-Is there anything better?

2011-06-02T13:16:00.000-04:00

While it has been a while now since we returned from our European trip, the food still lives on in my head. While Britain is not known for their culinary offerings, we had some great food while in London. Funny side story, while studying abroad in Reading, England, Monique and I actually escaped to Calais, France on a trip to Dover, in order to get good food. We had a stash of spices we carried to every meal in the dining hall (season salt and lemon pepper were a mainstay at our table).

Back to our most recent trip, our first meal was a traditional English Tea at the National Portrait Gallery. The scones and tea sandwiches were delicious, but we added on a cheese tray and charcuterie (cured meats) plate to make it into a meal. The entire meal ended up being a little more than the three of us could eat, but it was a great way to start off our trip.

The next day we met up with some of Monique's friends for authentic dim sum in China Town. I had never had dim sum, so I was excited to try something new. I think Traci was a bit leary, but ended up enjoying the food.

That night, after a day of siteseeing, we hit a pub over near Earl's Court and our hotel. I was thrilled to get my favorite British drink, a Snake Bite. This is made with cider and ale, and I asked for a shot of currant syrup (which I thought was called a Snakey B, as that is what I always ordered in the pub in our dorm, but I learned, after the bar tender laughed at me, that this is also a Snake Bite). Traditional pub food was on the menu and our minds. I ordered Bangers and Mash (which is sausage and potatoes with an onion sauce). I had never risked ordering this before, as I am not a fan of onions; however, this onion sauce was cooked down so much that there were no chunks or pieces, just the perfect essence of the onion. It was delicious! Traci and Monique each got the fish and chips.

Our last meal in London was snacks (sausage rolls [my FAVORITE] and veggies with hummus) while we watched Wicked! That was a pretty good one too.

Our first night in Amsterdam (after I was freed from the bathroom), we experienced an authentic Dutch meal. Traci ordered smoked salmon, which was served with capers; Monique got chicken satay, which had the best satay sauce; and I ordered macaroni and cheese. My meal was not what I was expecting, but it was really good. Elbow macaroni, with a bacon/pancetta type meat in a light tomato sauce, and grated aged gouda (known as oude kaas, or old cheese).

Traci and I took a tour of cheese, windmills, and klompers (wooden shoes). On this tour we were taken to Volendam, where the South Sea was dammed to create a lake (I'm pretty sure that is what they told us). Here were found a cafe (or essentially a Dutch pub) where we had some of the best fish and chips (the BEST fish ever, in my opinion) and a glass each of Amstel beer. I am not a big fish eater, but this was just awesome. There was no fishy taste, and it was moist and flaky all at the same time. I'm not sure I will ever find fish like that again.

That night, after visiting a local grocery store (so Monique could find some of that yummy satay sauce, and buying wine and more cheese), we found a local restaurant and decided we had to try Dutch pancakes. These were very good. They were like large crepes, served flat with our choice of topping. Traci went for a sweet pancake, with currants (which are like raisins) and whipped cream, Monique got more of a breakfast-type one, with canadian bacon and cheese, and I ordered ham and cheese.

That night, we had our very own wine and cheese spread in our hotel room.

In Delft, we ate at another cafe. The food here was also very good. We started out with beef carpaccio, which is thinly sliced uncooked beef, served with a salad of greens, pine nuts, and shaved cheese. This beef was so delicious, and it melted in my mouth like butter. The idea of raw meat never really appealed to me, but I am so glad I stepped outside of my comfort zone and tried it. Next, I ordered the steak (which was a filet) and Traci and Monique got the special, which was pork. One thing we noticed here especially, but definitely throughout the areas we visited, there is no rush to turn over the tables. We had gotten to the restaurant around 6:30-7:00PM, and planned to catch an 8:00PM train back into Amsterdam. 8PM came and went while we were waiting for our food. Once we ate and got our servers attention that we would like our bill, I just gave her my credit card right away, so we wouldn't have to further wait. I think it was way after 9PM by the time we made it to the train station.

Another interesting fact about the restaurants in Amsterdam, apparently pets are allowed. Two of the restaurants had their very own cats. Yes, I said cats! They weren't bothering anyone, they were just hanging out. I love cats, but this was strange.

In Belgium, we got what we had patiently be waiting for: Waffles, Chocolate, and Waffles with Chocolate! We learned on this trip that there are many types of Belgian waffles, but the two most popular types and sold all over Brussels are Brussels and Liege style waffles. Brussels are the type you normally think of when you think Belgian waffles. They are rectangular, with the deep holes. Liege waffles are a little different. They too have the deep holes, but they are not exactly square. I found a great website that explains the differences well. Monique and I both agreed that we prefer the Liege style waffles to the Brussels style. They are denser and sweeter. Both styles are great topped with Belgian chocolate, strawberries and whipped cream!

Belgian chocolate is one of my favorites (although I am not that big of a fan of chocolate). Around Brussels, we found tons of chocolatiers. And some very interesting chocolate statues!

Our last meal in Brussels was actually Italian, but it was quite good (probably more of the American Italian we are accustomed to). Traci, Steven and I all had different variations of pizza, and Monique had a chicken (or it may have been pork) dish that I can't remember the name, but it was smothered in a cheese sauce, and looked delicious. Traci also got tiramisu for dessert, and was excited when it showed up with a sparkler-type pompom on top.

Another interesting fact, fries in both the Netherlands and Belgium are served with mayonaise, not ketchup. And the mayonaise tastes different (more flavorful) than American mayo. The combo actually is pretty good.

I promised myself that on this trip we would do our best to eat only local, non chain, type food. And with the exception of Starbucks (and come on, we gotta get our caffenine fix somewhere, and they are everywhere), we did a very good job of this!

My (Mis)Adventures in Europe!

2011-05-21T18:25:00.004-04:00

(I have been back for two months now, but with work and finishing up my Master's degree, this is the first opportunity I have had to actually post this.)

I had planned to wait until my sister got back from Belgium to write this blog since she has most of the pictures to back up my crazy (life) stories. (I can't believe her time there is almost done, and she will be back here on Saturday!) So expect an update with pictures soon!

London

We landed on Friday after an 8 hour flight, and had to make our way not only through customs, but from Gatwick airport (which if you don't know, is NOT in London, but about 30 miles from central London) to Victoria Station, where we could transfer from the BritRail service to the Tube (or officially the London Underground). All this with 700 pounds of luggage (okay, not really, but it was probably close to 100 pounds). Not SUCH a big deal, except, oh yeah, it was RUSH HOUR. That meant the train was packed (we ended up in a First class train, and I just paid the extra difference over Second class, since we were already seated and had the luggage stowed) and the so was the Tube. We get off at South Kennsington (because I can't remember which station, I just know its AFTER Earls Court) only to find out that we should have gotten off at WEST Kennsington. Oh well, back on the train. Its only two stops. Finally we make it to our stop, and then we have to lug our luggage up two flights of stairs. Fun times. I made it to the top first, and this very nice lady stopped and helped Traci get one of her suitcases up the second flight. Oh yeah, did I mention she had TWO suitcases? No? Well, she did.

On the Gatwick Express to Victoria Station

We finally make it to the hotel (bit of a walk, turns out Earls Court was closer, it just involves some extra turns) and our room is not ready. Of course not. It was only 9AM. We check our luggage with the front desk, then go into the public bathroom to change out of our "traveling" clothes. At first I am looking for a place to hang my coat, but there is no where. So I say (outloud) "Well, the counter is dry" and I lay my coat down. Only to have it activate the faucet, pouring water down the back of my coat and onto the floor! Well, poor Traci, after 8 hours of flying (and not sleeping, the girl ate like 3 big packages of Starbursts and was wired!) and lugging suitcases up and down stairs and across uneven sidewalks, really got a kick out of this! I think my blunder (stupidity) made up for the extra blocks of lugging suitcases, sort of.

So once Monique finally met up with us at the hotel (she had some issues of her own, delayed in Orlando due to rain, delayed in DC due to rain, and United dropped her scooter in DC) we were off! We headed to Earls Court where they had "step free" access to tube trains (click here for Monique's blog on accessible London), only problem was the lift (elevator) down to our platform was out of commission. Okay, we'll take the other lift down to the other platform, get off at another accessible station, and back track. Yeah, easier said (REALLY?!?!) than done. The train pulls up, and it is totally NOT step free! There is at least a 6 inch step up into the train, not too mention the 4-6 inch gap between the platform and the train. So back up the lift we go. We can catch a bus! Once we finally found a bus that would get us somewhere NEAR where we were headed, we were off, again!

We got off the bus at Victoria Station, and we were headed to Trafalgar Square, to get our passes for the hop on hop off bus. This worked well, as Buckingham Palace was on the way. We stopped to get our obligatory Red Phone Booth pictures, and Traci noticed a weird art sculpture-thing covered with polka dots, so of course, we have to get pictures! After we took pictures, I was saying something and gesturing with my hands, when I totally got POOPED on by a bird! YUCK!!!! Well, I've heard this is a sign of luck (but for me I should have looked at it as foreshadowing!) and my mom told me once (after getting pooped on by a bird in Washington DC) that you really haven't been somewhere until a bird poops on you! Luckily I had tissue and hand sanitizer in my bag.

Fairly self explanatory

We keep on walking, see the Royal Mews, pictures in front of Buckingham Palace, and then a walk through St James Park. Traci finds some ducks and geese and befriends them by sharing a cookie she bought at Starbucks. What bird doesn't love a good chocolate chip cookie? We're still headed towards Trafalgar Square, and headed out of the park, when Monique decides to go to the restroom. Traci and I are standing around people watching, when she sees a "bum" (her words, not mine) sitting/sleeping over near the restrooms. She asks if it is okay to take his picture? I tell her to be discreet. While she is taking pictures, I decide to stretch my leg. I grabbed my ankle from behind to stretch my hamstring/quadracep (not sure which one the stretches) when I hear a gentleman in a British accent shout "What are you doing?" I look over, and its the BUM! So I shouted back, "I'm stretching!" Neither one of us could hear what he shouted back, but luckily Monique was rolling past him at the time. She rolls up to us and asks what's going on, so I told her I was stretching and that man wanted to know what I was doing. She laughed, and said "Oh! That's why he called you DAFT!" Now I know what this means, but Traci didn't, so I had to tell her, he called me DUMB. You think getting water all over my jacket made her laugh! Her quote of the trip was "A bum called you dumb!"

Sunday we planned our trip to Madame Tussauds, and got a decent start to get over to Trafalgar Square (we had waited to use our hop-on-hop-off tour tickets). By this time we had figured out how to get Monique on and off the tube trains (she could step onto the train, and we lifted her scooter on, then she drove it off), so we were able to take the tube from Earls Court to Westminster (I love walking out of the station and seeing Big Ben's tower!). We walked to Trafalgar Square, got our passes, then looked for a bus. This was March 13, but apparently it was the day London was having its BIG St Patricks Day Parade. Cool! NOT. The roads around Trafalgar Square were closed off, and busses were re-routed. When we finally found the ONE bus that would take us to Baker Street (for Madame Tussauds) it would not let us on, because there was already one (or two) people with strollers, and oh yeah, it was raining, and I guess the guy didn't want to kick them off to make room for the wheelchair! Monique figured out another routing that would get us close enough to walk, and luckily that bus was only about a minute behind the one that would not let us on. Once on, I told the driver what stop we were getting off at, and took a seat near the front. Traci was sitting with Monique near the back door with the ramp. After a couple stops the seat next to Traci was empty, so I moved back. When we got to our stop, I waited for others to get off, I stepped off, and waited for the ramp to come out. Only, it didn't. The doors closed, and the bus drove off. After a milisecond of WTF! I started chasing the bus! As best as I can chase a city bus! I kept praying PLEASE DON'T TURN!!! PLEASE DON'T TURN!!! I even walked/ran out in front of a car, but it stopped, and I kept going. The bus did not let them off for another 2 stops, and worse than chasing a London city bus, I later learned, was that the people still on the bus thought that Monique and Traci has lost their MUM. Mum as in MOTHER! How crappy must I have looked to be the mother of the two of them?!?!? Granted, Monique and Traci look young, lets say 25 and 18. Even if I looked 35 (which I don't think I do), that's just CRAZY! They finally get off the bus, and we catch up to each other. I thought chasing a bus would be as bad as it gets...

...until I almost had to chase a TRAIN. Traci wanted to get out of the city, so I did some research and found a town not too far outside of London with wildlife, canals, and world famous cakes! We planned the trip for Monday afternoon, after visiting the Tower of London. By the time we got to the train station, we were only going to have about an hour there before we would have to catch the train back to London. I knew Traci had her heart set on getting out of the city, so I looked at the train schedule and told her she could pick a town closer to London and we would go there. She picked a town called Denham. I bought tickets, and we caught the next train. We got out there, and there was nothing! It was nice, at first, until we realized that we had seen and done everything in the first 20 minutes we were there. As we were walking back to the train station, we met a lovely older couple, who reaffirmed that there was nothing there. While we were talking, the train drove up. I asked "Let me guess, that is our train back to London?" The woman said yes, and that the next one would be a while, so Traci started running. The lady yelled to her husband who had gone on ahead, to hold the train, but he wasn't paying attention to her. I took off running, as best I can. My brain was shouting the whole time "You can't run!" and I got up to the platform just as the doors closed! I guess Traci and I hit the door open button at the same time, because, luckily, the doors reopened! I jumped on, complaining of pains in my back, because my heart was beating so hard, and Traci was certain that I was about to have a heart attack. It was then and there we decided that if one of us got separated again (like on the bus) the others would get off at the next stop and wait until we were all caught up to each other!

Traci walking in Denham

That was the end of my craziness in London, but I do have one more misadventure story that was more of a misadventure for Monique. Monday night, our last night in London, we went and saw Wicked at the Apollo Victoria theater. We knew which bus from Victoria went back to Earls Court, so we figured we'd be fine getting back to our hotel. We get to our stop, I go tell the driver we need the ramp, and Traci and I get off the bus. The doors close, the doors open, the doors close. The ramp come out, the ramp goes in. The bus pulls forward. Traci runs to stop the driver, but apparently he was just pulling forward. After about 5 minutes (which for a bus to stop is a long time) the driver finally tells us he can't get the ramp to come out. I can see Monique sitting in the bus, and looking at the floor. She thinking "can I drive this thing off the bus" to which I shake my head NO! Traci and I finally talk the bus driver into pulling the bus as close to the curb as possible so Monique can step off, and Traci and I pop her scooter in neutal (we're pros at this!) and pull it off the bus!

Monique stuck on the bus

Don't get me wrong, I had a WONDERFUL time in London, this is just me sharing the MISadventures!

Amsterdam

We landed in Amsterdam with no issues, and other than meeting a fairly rude train attendant at the airport, we made it into Central Station and the hotel with little issue. We checked into our hotel, and waited for a fellow Sigma Kappa sister from UNLV to meet up with us to take us around and out for an authentic Dutch dinner. Tessa was on her way to the hotel from where she parked when Monique asked me to meet her in the lobby. I decided to go to the bathroom first. As I tried to exit the bathroom, I could not get the door to open. I had not locked it behind me, but somehow it got locked and/or jammed! We were on the second floor (third if you counted the lower floor) and the bathroom had a big window. But there was no ledge, and a bicycle parked under the window. Yeah, that was not an option. Traci went down to meet Tessa instead, and came back up with one of the front desk attendants. She used her key to try and unlock the door, and succeeded, after I had been in there about 10 minutes. Lucky it was me, and not Monique or Traci, otherwise there may have been some major freak outs (this is coming from the two of the them!). The outside of the door did not have a standard key whole, as I discovered, but the other side of the lock was a bolt with a slit, so the front desk person used her key as a sort of flat head screwdriver. We asked for some tape, and were given a roll of scotch tape, which I used to tape a business card over the latch. There was no way that door was getting stuck again!

Our window (next to the stars on the sign) from the ground

After I finally made it out of the bathroom, we left for dinner. It was a rather busy night in Amsterdam, but Tessa took us to a great local restaurant. We had a bit of a wait for a table, but that wasn't a problem, because we ordered drinks. We situated our selved near the door, while we waited for seats at the bar. The place was fairly busy, and I was bumped several times. I put my arm up to protect Monique, who was standing in the corner near the door, because I knew if she got bumped it could be bad. Traci then asked me why I had my arm up, and no sooner had I explained that I was trying to keep Monique from getting knocked over, I got my finger slammed in the door! Let me just say, that hurt like hell!

Alcohol helped with the pain, Tessa, Monique and I

The rest of our time in Amsterdam included many near misses and close calls with public transportation, but luckily, there were no more injuries, entrapments, or insults from bums!

Brussels

Of all the cities we visited, Brussels was the least eventful, but that was okay with me. :) We did have some additional issues with public transportation, but again, nothing like in London or in Amsterdam. All in all, I'm glad I made it back to Brussels, because it was definitely better than I remembered, and there were NO MISadventures there (unless you count dragging my traveling partners to see a castle in a fairly boring city!).

Ghent Castle

Europe has changed in 10 years...

2011-03-23T19:30:00.002-04:00

I have been back from our trips for 2 days now, and I have enough stories for several blogs. Trust me, they are coming, but I wanted to write a short summary of the trip. The highlights, if you will.

London

We had the opportunity to see two awesome West End plays: In a Forest Dark and Deep (starring Matthew Fox!) and Wicked
Took a ride on the London Eye (this time at dark, and the lights of London are beautiful)
A river cruise on the Thames at sunset was an exceptional experience
English Tea at the National Portrait Gallery
Hop on hop off bus tour, riding an iconic red double decker bus

Amsterdam/The Netherlands

Seeing the look of amazement on my sister's face when she saw a windmill in person
Delicious fish and chips in a Cafe on the harbor in Volendam
Dinner with a fellow Theta Eta sister, and native of Holland
Walking the quaint (yet cold) streets of Delft

Brussels

Getting to see the city through older eyes
Warmest and sunniest days of our trip
The best hotel room by far of our trip (Le Meridien, great find on Expedia, THANKS Monique!)
Belgian waffles with Belgian chocolate, for BREAKFAST

Best part of the trip:

Experiencing all of this with my sister and best friend

I'm the BEST Travel Agent, EVER!

2011-02-11T20:05:00.001-05:00

That is, in my own opinion! Just kidding, but I do think I am pretty kick a**, otherwise, why would I be in such high demand?

Okay, okay, I am just stroking my own ego here, but seriously, I must be okay at it. Lately my calendar has been extremely full with travel related planning. I work three days a week for Cathy, and almost every foreseeable Friday from now through May I will be filling in for Pat, either all day, or at least a half a day. And then there's the travel agent-related questions I get on Facebook, which I actually love answering (and for those of you still waiting to hear back from me, I promise I haven't forgotten you!).

It is probably for this reason that my brain is a little flustered at times. The other day, after I was SO excited about figuring out and booking hotel rooms, I was on cloud 8 (cloud 9 comes once EVERYTHING is taken care of). Well, I wake up the next morning to an email on my Blackberry that says FAX------. Okay, that's weird. But its on my Blackberry, so I'm not worried about opening a virus (can you get a computer virus on a Smartphone?). I open the message and this is what it says:

Open het bijgevoegde document. Dit document is naar u verstuurd via de scanner van de HP LaserJet M3027

Okay, well that's some foreign language (duh!). Let me tell you how much I love having Google on my phone (and ask anyone, I use the hell out of Google on my phone!): select and copy the text from the message, open Google in my Browser, type translate then hit paste, and VOILA!

Open the attached document. This document is sent to you via the scanner HP LaserJet M3027

Okay, so I open the attachment (still on my phone, seriously, am I crazy doing this, can you get a computer virus on your phone?) and its an invoice from the hotel in Amsterdam for a no show fee of €140! Uh, oh! What did I do?!?!? Apparently I booked our room for that night, instead of for March! I guess when I clicked Check Rates, and a new window popped up, the dates were reset. (It kept happening to me while trying to book rooms in London through Holiday Inn Express, should have paid more attention.) I emailed the hotel, and a very nice woman emailed me back that they would refund the charge and make the reservation for the correct dates! Yay, we're back in business! BUT, this means that I need to be extra diligent at checking dates and all. This was Tueday.

Yesterday, I worked at the travel agency in the afternoon. I had a lady come in with her husband and two adorable daughters, wanting to book Disney. YES! I am all over this, its my specialty! We were having so much fun, discussing what all they could do, and I was blowing her mind talking about Fast Passes, that I did not realize it was 10 after 5 until Jenny came to my desk and said she had to get going! Oops! So I finished up with the lady, and packed up to go, still on my high of being the best Disney agent out there (again, just me and my big head! I know I sound conceited, but every now and then, I think I'm allowed).

I drive home, and when I go to get out of the car I notice the red light on my Blackberry is blinking, Somebody loves me! I open up the email and see three, THREE emails from United Airlines. My first thought is What the Heck? Wait, I booked our tickets on EasyJet earlier that day, but EasyJet has nothing to do with United. What could this be. Duh, open the message and find out! Here is what the message first said:

Subject: Your United Airlines confirmation- March 10, 2011- Orlando, FL to Washington, DC

OH MY GOD!!!! What have I done? Who did I book from Orlando to DC, and WHY would I book someone from Orlando to DC?!?!?! I was standing outside my back door, about to have a heart attack, when it occured to me, MONIQUE!!! Monique was going to book her tickets through United! Yes, that must be it! So I send Monique a text that I got her itinerary THREE times, and my phone rings, its Monique! Her roomie heard my text come through and thought I was calling, so lovely bestie that she is, she called me back, where I explained the coronary she just gave me. Enter Monique and her roomie laughing the a**es off, at my expense! Her roomie loves to laugh at me, but I allow it, because I am usually being classic Lonnie, who deserves the laughs.

So, very long story short, I will now proceed to read everything 18 times before I click, or over react, plus I think I will have 27 different people verify my work after I have read it 18 times, before I click. Which totally makes me the BEST TRAVEL AGENT EVER!

The Jetway and Big Ben are In Sight!

2011-02-09T17:47:00.001-05:00

I have spent the last couple weeks working on arrangements for our trip to Europe. Since my last post, we have made leaps and bounds on decisions about where to go and what to see. After a particularly interesting conversation with Monique about Traci, and how she could get lost trying to find her way out of a wet paper sack (or in her own words, she's like an "uncharged GPS. Potential yes, but the nonetheless lacking."), we decided our trip should start in London! I absolutely love London, and I am so excited to be taking my sister there. This is a perfect place to start her crash course on Europe because, of course, they speak ENGLISH! (Well sort of, but it will be easier for her to understand than, lets sa,y starting her off where they speak FLEMISH!)

We have decided to spend 4 nights in London, then fly to Amsterdam, where we will spend 3 nights. After Traci gets her fill (which I am sure WON'T happen on this trip, unfortunately) of Holland and the Netherlands, we will train through Brussels, and on the Ghent, which happens to be the same train station for Sint-Pieters-Leeuw, and where Traci will be living for three weeks once we leave. Actually even longer, because all three of us will stay at her B&B for the last two nights before Monique and I move on to a hotel near the Brussels airport for our morning departures.

I am getting so excited about this trip, but I am completely on information overload when it comes to booking hotel rooms, looking for tours, researching sites, and everything else that planning a European vacation involves (rent a car versus take the train, etc). Its crazy to me how much work this is, and I'M A TRAVEL AGENT! I guess it really is easier booking a trip for someone else! :)

We have all of our hotel rooms reserved, so that is a load off. Most of the transportation details have been decided, so that is good too. Now comes the fun part: deciding what we are going to do in each of the cities! I have some great ideas, and we have already decided on a few sites (Madame Tussauds in London, the flower marts and cheese farms in Amsterdam, and this mini-Europe model park in Brussels), now we are just waiting for more input from Traci on what she does (and DOESN'T) want to see.

If someone had told me a year ago that I would have the opportunity to travel through Europe again with Monique, AND I'd get to bring my sister as well, I would have laughed and said yeah right! But here we are planning hopefully one of the greatest trips ever. I just hope it lives up to everything (and exceeds!) Traci is dreaming of. What better gift could I give one of my favorite people?

Where has January gone?

2011-01-26T16:48:00.001-05:00

I cannot believe it is already January 26! This year is off to fast start. I am so excited for the next few months to go by quickly, except for the fact that I have TONS to do between now and then. Then being MAY 15TH. Graduation Day. I cannot believe I am finally in my last semester of grad school. What started out as something to do after I was laid off has become very rewarding. I have met many great and interesting people on this journey, and I really hope to keep in contact with them, once we are not required to keep in touch. :)

While January is almost over, I think I can cross one thing off my list of TO DOs in the next several months:

Secure client for research methods class

There are still many more TO DOs however:

Secure client for applied strategic planning project
All planning and reservations for trip to Belgium with sister and best friend in March
Fill in at Travel Agency (which I LOVE, but can be exhausting, when you have gotten used to NOT working all day)
Make sure that other boss's clients are taken care of while she travels (again, I really enjoy this job, but sometimes there are more people and demands than there are hours in the day)
Travel to Europe with a very GREEN (in most senses of the word) little sister, and make sure we do a good job of acclimating her, so she doesn't follow us back to the airport
Stay ontop of grad school work and my boss's clients while on said trip to Europe
Actually, stay on top of school work and the gazillion or so papers and projects through the duration on the semester
Find a way to be in Las Cruces for my sister's graduation on May 7th, and make it to DC by 8AM on May 8th (I'm totally on top of this, and WILL figure it out!)
Ace the case competition capstone portion of my degree, so that I can...
Take part in TWO graduation ceremonies in DC, one of my 4th wedding anniversary, and the second on MAY 15TH!!!!

And then once I am done with all of that, I have the task of finding a job (although I guess that is actually part of my pre-May 15th To Do list as well) and getting out of Georgia, but more on that later.

I will leave you with a favorite picture from the month of January:

Who knew you could get alcohol at the movies? Enjoying (???) Black Swan with a large (HUGE) Amaretto Sour (me) and a nice glass (cup) of Reisling (Monique).

A Year In Review: 2010

2010-12-31T17:07:00.003-05:00

With the continuing declining economy, many people have felt that 2010 was not a very good year. I was one of these people. While I am not exactly unemployed, I am definitely "under" employed. The declining economy has affected the construction industry, which affects Marshall's business, the same can be said for the travel industry, and businesses with which I work.

However, with further reflection, I realized that 2010 has actually been a pretty good year for me. I was able to travel A LOT, spend time with family and friends, learn a lot more about the industry that I love and hope to be a part of, and I learned more about my self.

I was able to make three trips to Orlando in 2010, and spend time with my best friend, reconnect with sorority sisters at Sigma Kappa's National Convention, and get to experience the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

I visited my brother, sister-in-law, and neice in Nebraska, and had an awesome time reconnecting with my brother, visiting Bass Pro Shops, Cabelas, and playing A LOT of games on the Wii (who would have known that I could kick my bro's butt in Bowling and Frisbee Golf?).

I was granted the opportunity to intern with the Albuquerque Convention and Visitors Burea, analyzing culture and heritage. This allowed me to spend over six weeks with my family in NM, including a trip to my other brother's house, where I got to meet his AWESOME girlfriend. Lots of fun was had during those weeks.

Marshall came to NM at the end of my time there and we traveled to Southern NM, visiting White Sands National Monument and Carlsbad Caverns. We also later took a trip to Las Vegas for my 30th birthday, and Halloween.

I received a $1000 scholarship from Tourism Cares for the Fall semester, and as a scholarship recipient I was given the opportunity to travel to Montreal, Quebec for the National Tour Association Convention. This was truly an experience I will never forget, and the highlight for me, was volunteering at the St Joseph's Oratory.

This past year I also started blogging about my experience as a cancer patient and cancer survivor. This has been very difficult, and very rewarding. I hope that my story can help other patients and survivors make it through a difficult time.

This past year has been very good to me and my family, and I hoping that 2011 is even better! Happy New Year to all!

1 Day After Christmas

2010-12-26T11:52:00.000-05:00

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas with your family and friends! I know we did!

Customize a picture collage

1 Day Until Christmas!

2010-12-24T16:04:00.002-05:00

One of the best things about the holidays is all the food! While it may not seem like it to the rest of my family, food is an important tradition to our family Christmases. I have already mentioned baking cookies and eating posole for Christmas breakfast, but there are so many other great things!

Another favorite is making tamales. We have attended and hosted tamale making parties. Tamales are a big deal. The best tamales are made from masa (the corn-meal type mix that is stuffed with meat and wrapped in corn husks) from El Modelo, in Albuquerque. It is probably the best because it is made with lard. It's Christmas, deal with it.

New Mexican food is served on Christmas Eve. Fajitas, enchiladas, chip, salsa, and queso join the tamales. I am sad that I did not get to make tamales this year, but I am serving my favorite, green chile chicken enchiladas, with chips and homemade salsa for dinner tonight. Along with all my baked goodies.

Christmas dinner is generally traditional, turkey, ham, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, green bean casserole (which I actually despise!), and my grandmother's famous fruit salad. I say famous because there has not been a single holiday, or big family get together, where she hasn't made her fruit salad. The salad is made with segmented oranges, bananas, apples, mini-marshmallows, and whipped cream (Dream Whip for the big bowl, and Cool Whip for my aunt and brother). While its not necessarily a favorite of mine, I can't imagine a family dinner without it!

Christmas dinner will just be Marshall and I, so we got a small spiral-cut ham. I'm planning to make cheesy scalloped potatoes, roasted asparagus, and rolls for our dinner. I am sad to not spending this Christmas with my family, but I know they are with us in spirit, and we are with them as well!

2 Days Until Christmas!

2010-12-23T18:13:00.000-05:00

I spent today baking Christmas goodies. Apple pie, pumpkin pie, and sugar cookies. All day today while baking, it reminded me of my family. This is the first year that we are not flying home to New Mexico for Christmas. This is sad and happy all at the same time.

It is sad because I will not be seeing my brothers, sister, or parents. It is happy because I get to experience a true Georgia Christmas with Marshall. Marshall's son is even joining us for Christmas Eve dinner. I am happy to not have to be traveling with people who do not seem to be happy to visiting their families (because we all know there are rarely happy people traveling around the holidays).

Family is the reason for the season, too. Getting together and reliving memories and traditions is what Christmas should truly be about. Taking time to appreciate those around you, and remind them how much they are loved!

Merry Christmas to you and yours! Remember that we love you all!

3 Days Until Christmas!

2010-12-22T15:06:00.002-05:00

I LOVE Christmas movies!!! I love them so much that I look forward to Christmas in July (on certain cable stations) so I can watch Christmas movies.

Strangely enough, there are some Christmas movies, like Its A Wonderful Life, that I have still never seen in their entirety! I do have Its A Wonderful Life on my DVR, and plan to watch it this year, but there are so many movies that I love, I sometimes would rather just rewatch them.

A favorite from childhood is The Night They Saved Christmas, starring Jacqueline Smith and Art Carney. Who wouldn't love a movie about oil drillers trying to blow up Santa Claus? Just kidding, but that is the main premise of the movie. And who hasn't wanted their very own Reindee Zephyr? All in all, a great movie, and I wish they would show it at appropriate times (instead of 4AM! I love the movies, but that is just crazy!).

My two favorite Christmas movies from my childhood are The Christmas Gift and A Smoky Mountain Christmas. In The Christmas Gift, John Denver plays an architect sent to a small Colorado town, to scout land for a ski resort. I remember being 10 years old, and saying that I would NEVER let someone buy my land for resorts. And now here I am, looking to go into tourism development! I guess the one bright star that doesn't make me feel bad is that I am working to create sustainable development, and concerned with local communities. But I digress. :)

A Smoky Mountain Christmas is about a country music singer, played by none other than Dolly Parton. She is tired of her glitzy, non-private life, and heads to her best friends parents cabin in the Smokies. There she encounters a group of runaways, and they change eachother lives forever! At least that is how I look at it.

I think I love Christmas movies for the same reason I love romantic comedies. They are heartwarming stories about family, friends, and love. There is always some sort of moral you can take away from story, and they make you feel all warm and cuddly from the inside out!

In the past several years, there are newer movies that have joined my ever-growing list of favorite Christmas movies. Here is a list of a few of them:

The orginal Miracle on 34th Street
The Christmas Card
Comfort and Joy
Recipe for a Perfect Christmas
A Boyfriend for Christmas
Holiday in Handcuffs

A Holiday to Remember

And we cannot forget the Christmas movie to end all Christmas movies! The BB Gun Movie! A Christmas Story. And with cable channels like TBS playing it for 24 hours on Christmas Day, how could anyone forget that Ralphie wanted a "Red Ryder carbine-action, two hundred shot Range Model air rifle with a compass in the stock and a thing which tells time" and how he's rebuffed time and again with "You'll shoot your eye out!"?

4 Days Until Christmas!

2010-12-21T10:19:00.000-05:00

Christmas trees are ubiquitous signs of holiday cheer, and in my family, nothing was more cheerful and horrifying, than getting and putting up a Christmas tree. In a previous post I mentioned that my mom was a bit of a snob when it came to her luminarias. She's the same way with her tree. And she raised her children to be snobs about trees too. Or at least we were when we were younger (and weren't the ones paying for the trees!).

While shopping for Christmas trees it was always about getting a tree that was tall, but not so tall it wouldn't fit, and full, but not so full that the big ornaments wouldn't sit between the boughs, and then it had to survive for the weeks leading up to and after Christmas. Not too big an order.

(Side Note Funny Story: One year when I was home from college, my brothers, sister and I piled into Mom's Suburban to go find a Christmas tree, first year without Mom and Dad in tow. We drove to Los Lunas, and out towards Bosque Farms. There was a house with a huge lot full of trees, so we parked in front of the house, got out and started looking. Can't remember which one of us it finally dawned on, but turns out it was just a house, with a front yard full of pine trees, NOT a Chritsmas tree lot! We got a good laugh out of that as we ran back to the car!)

The horrifying part of putting up a Christmas tree, after Dad has sawed the bottom off, and finally got the tree to stand up straight, was when Mom pulled out the lights! Our solarium used to be closed off by double French doors. I remember Mom would close herself off in the solarium with the tree and the lights, and we were not allowed to talk to her until she was done. Every year, when she would unwrap the tree, she would painstakingly coil the lights up, nice and untangled, and the next year when she'd pull them out of the box, the light fairies, elves, or whatever other demonic creature lived in our Christmas boxes, would have tangled them all up again, and stole some of the bulbs!

When Marshall and I bought our first tree all those years ago, I finally understood her plight and aggression. Needless to say after many years of fresh cut trees at Mom and Dad's and live trees at mine and Marshall's, both our households are the proud owners of fake trees! My sister even has a BEAUTIFUL white tree that she "Seuss-es" up each year.

While Marshall and I plan to go back to the live tree at some point (I am allergic, and breakout every time I touch the boughs while decorating), I am very much enjoying my pre-lit, stick it back in its box, don't have to vacuum up after it, burn a pine-scented candle in the house and you wouldn't even know its fake, Christmas tree.

5 Days Until Christmas!

2010-12-20T15:07:00.001-05:00

Christmas is a time for giving, and I love to give! My grandma and my mother instilled in me a need to buy gifts for everyone, and start my shopping early. I am not like some people who will hit the mall the day after Christmas to stock up on season leftovers at great prices (except for Christmas cards and gift wrap, those sales are GREAT!). I like to do my shopping while I am traveling. That way I am ensuring that I am buying gifts for my family and friends that they could not get from just anywhere. I also try my best to buy QUALITY gifts over QUANTITY gifts. Some people (like my sister) are just way too easy to shop for, and I find myself needing reminding that I have already bought said person MANY things (or this year, that I did not drawn their name, and had already bought them tons!).

With giving comes receiving, and lets be honest, everyone likes to GET gifts. But for me, it really is about the giving. I put a lot of thought into what I buy for people. (Except when I am walking through a store and something jumps out and says "You know exactly who I am perfect for!" But in all honesty, those gifts are reserved for those who are really easy to shop for.) When I know I am headed somewhere in particular, I make a list of who I need gifts for, what they like, and what I can probably find. Going to Orlando, and Walt Disney World, is a prime example. There are usually certain things, that certain people, would like, and I know I can find a Disney version. I love shopping for my neice at Disney World, because even if I can possibly find something similar at a cheaper price, I know that what I am buying is quality, and will hopefully bring a smile to her face, the way shopping for her brings a smile to mine. I also have a nephew on the way, and I am excited to shop for him too.

So while "Jesus is the reason for the season," I remember that Jesus was God's gift to all of us, and I try to spread cheer, happiness and love by giving gifts from my heart.

6 Days Until Christmas!

2010-12-19T19:38:00.000-05:00

Baking Christmas cookies has been a favorite tradition of mine as long as I can remember. It's funny, even to this day, I get so excited to bake cookies, but halfway through, I forget why I was excited in the first place!

Today I made chocolate chip cookies for Marshall to give to his best customers (and a few that will go to my friends as well). I made a double batch, which is A LOT of dough. I have also discovered that while making the dough in my Kitchenaid mixer is great, it is better to just use the mixer for creaming the butter, sugar, and eggs, and then mix the butter mixture with the flour mixture by hand. Sometimes I want to becoming a professional baker just to get the upper body strength they must have from mixing and whipping!

Later this week I will make sugar cookies, and I am really excited to make snowflake cutouts! A few years back I tried drawing snowflakes in white icing on round cookies with light blue icing. Instead of snowflakes they looked more like Hanukka cookies! :) I found snowflake cookie cutters at a kitchen store in Savannah when mom was visiting, and mom gave me a couple more snowflake cutters, so I have lots of options!

7 Days Until Christmas!

2010-12-18T14:30:00.000-05:00

Its funny, sometimes when I think back on holiday memories, it seems like certain things happened every year. But it could just be fond memories of a singular event. Driving through Albuquerque and looking at Christmas lights is one such event (or maybe it really was a tradition).

I remember being really young (my brothers were probably still babies), and piling into my grandparents conversion van to go look at lights. We had hot chocolate, and I seem to remember my grandma, Bam's guacamole (again, I could be confusing memories!).

I still look back on that trip (or maybe it was several trips) to go look at lights as a family as a memory I will always cherish. I hope to someday bundle my own children up, and drive around looking at the Clark Griswold-wannabes, and creating memories that they will cherish for a lifetime as well.

8 Days Until Christmas!

2010-12-17T20:39:00.000-05:00

Today Marshall and I decided to make a new tradition, by partaking in a very old tradition in Atlanta. We planned to go to the Georgia Aquarium, stop by CNN Center, and then head over to Lenox Square to see Priscilla the Pink Pig.

The original Priscilla the Pink Pig

According the Macy's website, Priscilla has been an Atlanta institution since 1953! The Pink Pig is train ride through a lifesize storybook. Marshall actually remembers riding the Pink Pig when it was at its orginal home at Rich's department store in downtown Atlanta. Unfortunately, we did not make it to Macy's today. :( However, Priscilla will be running through January 4th, so I will get back there to ride her, and make an Atlanta tradition a Williams family tradition.

We did make it to the Aquarium, and it was decorated for the season. There are also two new additions to the aquarium family: Qinu and Grayson, beluga whales. Here are some pictures from our excursion:

Underwater tunnel in Ocean Voyager

Four beluga whales in Cold Water Quest

Christmas tree at Centennial Olympic Park

While visiting the Georgia Aquarium has not been a tradition, in the past, Marshall and I love aquariums, and have been to several. Maybe it can become a Christmas tradition of our very own.

9 Days Until Christmas!

2010-12-16T09:45:00.000-05:00

I wrote about traditions yesterday, and mentioned my mom's village. I wanted to make today's post a more in depth look at the Village.

My mom started her collections in the mid 1990s, I believe. There was an awesome store in Northeast Albuquerque called Chezems. They sold everything Christmas and collectibles. Over the years, my mom's Village has grown from fitting on small table, to overgrowing the 4X8 plywood table my dad made specifically for it.

Marshall took some "glamour" shots a while back. And even these really don't do the Village justice. Not too mention the Village is even bigger than this now!

Putting the Village together was always a fun and frustrating event. Mom would set the peices out, and for days (and sometimes weeks) after we would each go in and rearrange the pieces and add accessories. My absolute favorite pieces are the camper trailer pulled by the station wagon.

Department 56 "On The Road Again"

10 Days Until Christmas!

2010-12-15T18:25:00.000-05:00

I thought about creating a Top 10 List for Christmas, but in all honesty, I am not sure I could limit it to 10 things, and there is no way I would be able to actually rank my favorites. So over the next week and a half, I plan to list my favorite traditions and memories. I wish I had pictures to go with a lot of my stories, but some go back SO far (like 20 plus years!), you will just have to use your imagination.

So for this post I will focus on traditions.

Growing up we had several tradtions. The most memorable (and biggest pain in the butt!) were putting out luminarias, or more accurately, farolitos. For those who are unaware, these are the little brown paper bags, filled with sand, and then a small candle is placed inside. (I am sure somewhere in the recesses of my mind, I know the significance, but could not tell you now.) The reason this is a pain in the butt, is because my loving and caring mother is a bit of a snob and stickler when it comes to her luminarias (and wouldn't you know, she's raised at least one more luminaria snob). Here are the luminaria rules:

Bags must be folded neatly, without tearing. Torn bags are not to be used. (True luminarias have the top of the bag folded down, and this is a true art form!)
Bags must be placed in straight lines, and evenly spaced apart. (There was actually a stick we used to ensure even spacing!)
The seems of the bags go to the BACK, ALWAYS. That way when lit up, you can not see the shadow across the front of the bag.

These rules sound easy enough, but trust me, they are concrete, and must be followed to the T. I have to admit, though, when followed, the results are beautiful!

Pictures of Christmas Eve Luminaras

Getting ready to measure correct distance 2005

Making sure all seems are to the BACK 2005

Lighting candles 2005

Mom and Dad's House 2004

Marshall preparing luminaras at our house 2006

Marshall preparing luminarias at our house 2007

Our house, Athens, GA 2006

Christmas 2007

Other traditions:

Posole for Christmas breakfast
Reading 'Twas The Night Before Christmas on Christmas Eve, and in later years reading the Christmas story from the bible
Putting up my mom's Village (which I should say was another undertaking!)
Opening family Christmas presents on Christmas Eve, and Santa gifts on Christmas morning
Friends and family Christmas party at mom and dad's house on Christmas Eve (there were years that the boys and I would start kicking people out so we could open gifts)
Going to our grandparents, Bam and Papa's house on Christmas morning
Listening to Christmas music, first on Aunt Kathy's record player, then on reel-to-reel tapes, and finally on CDs (favorites around our house on record were Elvis and Cristy Lane, followed by George Strait, Reba McEntire and Alabama on cassette tape)

Looking Forward to the Next BIG Trip

2010-12-13T18:41:00.005-05:00

This may actually be the FIRST BIG trip in a while. I am talking BIG like our Honeymoon to Alaska BIG! Even BIGGER than the trips I took to Cancun and Jamaica in 2008. What makes this trip bigger than those, you might ask? Well, the cost, for one thing, will be coming out of my pocket.

Where am I headed on this BIG trip, you might ask? My beautiful little sister has asked me to join her on her first trip abroad! We are headed to Belgium (and planning trips to the Netherlands, Germany and France)! I am so glad my sister is a bit of a procrastinator (I love you kid, admit it already, you are a procrastinator!), because that meant I got involved trying to find her a program that would satisfy her language requirement, so she can finally graduate from college. This program also had to fit her rigorous requirements, and since we were unable to find a Dutch Immersion program on the island of Sint Maarten (which I'm thinking they are missing a key group of Seasonal Affect Disorder people who need to meet language requirements there!), I knew we were looking for something shorter than the requiste semester or longer.

Halleluja for an immersion program in Belgium where she can get 70 hours of study in 1 week! And an even greater HALLELUJA that her school accepted the program and she will only need 4 weeks of classes to satisfy the requirement!

We are still a long way from being ready to leave, but that is okay. We still have a little bit of time. Approximately 4 months! I have started my planning by ordering a set of French Immersion software. I am pretty good with Spanish, and can get by with Italian, but my French is limited to mainly the culinary arts, and certain greetings. Bon Jour, Bon Soir, Au Revoir! (And I even had to look up the last one for the correct spelling.) If my first trip to Belgium was any indication, French is important. It is one of the three (yes THREE) official languages of Belgium, along with Dutch (hence, little sis doing her immersion there) and German. I remember Monique and I trying to order lunch at a Pizza Hut (yes, they have them there, and for a 21 year-old American, it was AWESOME!) and ending up pointing at pictures on the menu. Mind you, Monique speaks French, so yeah, I have my work cut out for me.
This time around, I hope to be more wordly and eat at LOCAL restaurants, not international chains. We will see how the little sister feels about that. Luckily, I now have my 1000 Places To See Before You Die books that I WILL be consulting, so we don't miss a single place. I am really looking forward to this trip. My sister is one of my best friends, and I really don't get to see her enough.

Wish Europe luck, the Tuttle girls are headed your way!

I love to travel! Montreal

2010-11-18T13:26:00.000-05:00

Okay, I know I said I would write about Vegas first, but this was a whole new trip for me. I had been to Canada once before, on an Alaskan cruise. We took the White Pass Railroad from the Yukon down to Scagway, and flew out of Vancouver, so this was my first multi-day foray into Canadian life. Make that FRENCH-Canadian!

I was attending the National Tour Association Annual Convention, and I have to say that Steve Hartman (of CBS News fame, and the Convention MC) was right. These people are crazy! But crazy in the best possible way. I had such a good time, and met some really interesting people. I was invited to attend as a Tourism Cares scholarship recipient, and was lucky enough to be joined by three other GWU student, 2 of which are in the same accelerated program as I am. I had met one before, and knew the other through online class discussion rooms.

Our first night involved volunteering at the St. Joseph's Oratory, the largest Basilica in Canada, and absolutely gorgeous. Volunteers helped ready the church for the upcoming holiday season. Some helped, clean, others painted, still more decorated the Christmas trees, wrapped Christmas gifts, and created arts and craft. I decided to delve into my inner Martha Stewart and help make Christmas greetings out of cards. As you can see from the picture, I got more brave with the glue the further I went along. (I made the Merry Christmas! letters.)

St Joseph's Oratory

Volunteering Arts and Crafts

Day 2 started with the Opening Ceremony, hosted by Louisville, KY. I never did go get my very own tube of Kentucky Bourbon Chapstick, darn! A wonderful opening speech by Steve Hartman followed. That guy is FUNNY! So funny, I may just start watching CBS News. The morning was filled with mentoring by DMOs (Destination Marketing Organizations). When I first read who would be mentoring me, I did not even know where the destinations were. My morning mentor was from San Mateo County/Silicon Valley CVB (Convention and Visitors Bureau). I knew Silicon Valley was in Northern California, some where, but I could not pinpoint it on a map if required. Turns out San Mateo County lies directly between San Francisco and Monterrey, and I WILL be visiting there someday soon. Come on, there is a HUGE pumpkin patch in the area, as well as a Ritz-Carlton that looks like it may have been built out of the sand. Definitely want to see that!

One of the beavers from the 2010 Winter Olympics

Afternoon appointments were with Destination St. Johns. I was so excited, the Caribbean, yay! Well, apparently there are several St. Johns, two of which are in Canada. The one I was assigned, St. Johns (not to be confused with St. John, in New Brunswick) is in Newfoundland/Labrador. Where, you might ask is Newfoundland/Labrador? well, let me tell you, it's as far east in Canada as you can go, above Nova Scotia and Prince Edwards Island. And apparently St Johns is a beautiful seaside town, where you can see more humpback whales than anywhere else, and icebergs in May and June. The Titanic went down not far off the southern coast of Newfoundland. Interesting history there for you.

That evening we were treated to food and music at an Icebreaker at the Montreal Science Centre. Here they had the popular smoked meat sandwiches for us to try. Very tasty, however, the bread was really soft.

Monday was probably my favorite morning of the program, as we met with industry leaders and had round-table discussions about the future of the industry and where we saw ourselves in the fray. This is also where I had the realization of what I really want to do with my future, and that is priceless. This was also the day that Broadway.com sponsors lunch. We were treated to songs from 13 different Broadway musicals, and got a sneak peak at the new Wonderland and Spiderman plays (two SEPARATE plays). After lunch involved sitting in on "Fast Pitch" where suppliers were able to meet with tour operators for 5 minutes, to pitch their products. That time just flew by in a whirl of business cards and sales.

Monday night, a group of about 14 of us scholarship students went out for dinner at a local Montreal eatery called L'Academie. I believe it was an Italian-inspired restaurant, as pasta was a major part of the menu. After dinner we attended the Tourism Rocks! event, hosted by the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, The Nevada Commission on Tourism, and Hard Rock International. It was a 2-floored event, with live music upstairs and a DJ and dance floor downstairs. May I reiterate, these NTA delegates are CRAZY, and know how to have a good time!

Tuesday was our last day in the city, and a few of us had some time before our flights left. We decided to take advantage of the fact that it did not rain after all and tour Old Montreal. Here are some pictures from the tour.

Notre Dame du Sacre Coeur

(the church where Celine Dion got married!)

Waterfront in Old Montreal

King Edward statue

Christ Church

McGill University

Queen Elizabeth Basilica

(next door to our hotel the Fairmont Queen Elizabeth)

Our hotel next to the Queen Elizabeth Basilica

All in all, I had a great trip, Canadians are very nice, and I look forward to touring more of our friendly neighbor to the north.

Great Recipe!

2010-10-08T13:15:00.000-04:00

Last week I watched an episode of Rachael Ray, and she made Maple-Walnut Glazed Chicken with Apple-White Cheddar Rice. I made this dinner last night and it was awesome!

Here is the recipe:

Ingredients

•1 cup walnut halves

•2 tablespoons butter

•1 1/4 cups long grain white rice

•2 1/2 cups chicken stock, divided

•1 Honeycrisp, Gala or Golden Delicious apple, peeled, seeded and chopped

•3/4 cup flat leaf parsley leaves, packed

•1/4 cup fresh dill, packed

•Salt and coarsely ground black pepper

•1 brick sharp white cheddar cheese (6 ounces), cut into small, 1/4 inch cubes

•1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)

•8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs

•1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

•1/2 cup dark maple syrup

Preparation

Pre-heat the oven to 325°F. Spread the walnuts on a baking sheet and roast until well toasted and fragrant, 10-12 minutes.

In a large saucepan with a tight-fitting lid, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the rice and toast for a minute or two. Add 2 cups chicken stock and bring to a boil, then lower the heat, cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the apple and simmer for 8 minutes.

While the rice cooks, using a food processor, pulse 1/4 cup chicken stock, the parsley, dill and 1/4 teaspoon salt until finely chopped. Stir into the rice during the last minute of cooking. Turn off the heat and let the rice stand, covered, for 1-2 minutes before fluffing with a fork. Transfer to a serving dish and stir in the cheese.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat the EVOO, one turn of the pan, over medium-high heat. Pat the chicken dry and season liberally with salt and black pepper. Add to the skillet and cook, turning once, until browned, about 10 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a platter. Drain off all but 1 tablespoon of the fat in the skillet and add the vinegar. Cook, scraping up the pan drippings, then add the remaining 1/4 cup chicken stock, maple syrup and black pepper to taste. Cook until thickened, about 1 minute. Add the chicken and walnuts and spoon with the sauce. Loosely cover the pan with foil and simmer for 5 minutes. Serve the chicken, sauce and nuts with the rice alongside.

http://www.rachaelray.com/recipe.php?recipe_id=3573

I love to travel! Orlando

2010-09-26T18:48:00.001-04:00

I have been extremely fortunate to travel, and one of my favorite (new) places to visit is Orlando! Walt Disney World is a travelers (and a foodies!) dream. My September trip included trying new restaurants and photo scavenger hunt for pictures. I needed pictures to complete my scrapbook, and Monique was on a quest to document the accessibility of WDW. (You can read more about Monique's accessibility blogs and about Pompe Disease here.)
My first night in Orlando, Monique and I headed to Downtown Disney, where you do not need park tickets, and can visit the world's LARGEST Disney Store (you know this is a favorite destination of mine!). There is a great sandwich shop at DT Disney, called Earl of Sandwhich, which I LOVE! This first night, however, we headed over to Pleasure Island and Paradiso 37. This is an "American" restaurant, with food from all over North and South America. It was definitely an interesting place, but the jury is still out.

Day two was spent at Universal Studios and Island of Adventures, but we headed back over to Disney for dinner. 'Ohana Restaurant at the Polynesian Resort is INCREDIBLE! Hawaiian food served family style. (Okay, yes, I said trying new restaurants, but I had only eaten at 'Ohana once before, and once is not enough!) This meal starts with a salad with a fuity-vinaigrette, then glazed chicken wings, potstickers, and noodles. The main course is skewered chicken, beef, pork and shrimp. The meal is finished with a bread pudding topped with a banana's foster sauce! YUM.

The grill at 'Ohana

Our next day started at Animal Kingdom. While waiting to meet up with Monique, I had breakfast at a quick service hole-in-the-wall, specializing in coffee and danishes. I had an apple turnover, that I have to say was flaky and moist all at the same time. That was a first, and I was very impressed. Once Monique arrived, it was supposed to be a quick trip of getting pictures. I had not been up to Rafiki's Planet Watch, as of yet, so we took the train up to the conservation area. Definitely a good stop for families with kids. We saw Rafiki and Jiminy Cricket signing autographs. Next stop was to get pictures at Expedition Everest. For those of you unaware, this was WDW's answer to the Matterhorn, at Disneyland. In other words, a ROLLER COASTER. I have riden this before, and it is a fun ride, but it generally takes me some time to work myself up. This particular day, I thought we were just going over there to get pictures, me of the area and the ride, Monique of the sample vehicle.

Expedition Everest

Little did I know that Monique was in cahoots with the cast member. The two of them start chatting it up about blogging, next thing I know, he has talked us (ME) into going for a ride right then. He gave us a fast pass so we did not have to wait in line. GOODY. Actually, the ride was fun, and Monique was able to get up and out of the car all by herself! Yay, that means I don't have to ride next time, right? RIGHT? Just kidding, like I said, it is fun.

From Animal Kingdom we headed over to Disney's Hollywood Studios. We had lunch reservations at the Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater. This is a really cool idea! You are on a movie soundstage of the Drive-In Theater, and dine sitting in a car. The food was good, not spectacular, but I am learning about the Disney dining options (the more the meal costs, in general, the better the meal). If for no other reason than the ambiance, you gotta try this restaurant. Oh! Our waiter gave us (glow in the dark, as we later learned) water bottles that said Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater! Thanks Tony! :)

That night we had probably the best meal EVER! Boma at the Animal Kingdom Lodge (which in itself in awesome! I have to stay there at some point.) is an African buffet, with food options from all over the continent.

Zebras, grazing at the Animal Kingdom Lodge's savannah

With Monique's dietary issue (she stays away from sugars, starches, and carbs) we weren't sure what we were going to find, but as the chef walked us around, and walked us through each option, we soon learned that there was plenty for Monique (and picky-at-times-eater me!) to eat. Starting off with 3 types of hummus! Oh my gosh, so good! Move on to Peanut Butter soup. Yes, I said soup, made from peanut butter! I am not even a huge fan of peanut butter, and this soup was DELICIOUS! All kinds of proteins to eat, as well, including pistachio-crusted salmon, so good. Something I loved that Monique was not able to eat, was the mashed potatoes, made with Idaho, sweet and red potatoes, oh my gosh, delish! There were also so many good desserts, but Monique probably got the best. Goat cheese cheesecake with strawberries. Yep, I said goat cheese. It was light, creamy, and tangy. So good.

Boma Buffet

You would think how could we even try to top this meal. We knew better, but had reservations the next day at the Via Napoli, in the Italian Pavilion at Epcot. A brand new restaurants, with wood burning pizza ovens, named after Italian volcanoes. This restaurant was what I was really looking forward to. We started out with the Frito Misto, fried appetizers. I had heard of aracini, fried risotto balls, but had never had them. WOW! It's good that Monique can't have carbs, because I got to eat both of them! For our entrees, Monique ordered a chopped salad, and I ordered a pizza with artichokes. When the food came out, Monique's salad was HUGE, and my pizza looked like it was covered in green beans. I am generally really open-minded, but the artichokes on my pizza were hard to eat. Apparently, they sliced up the outer leaves. I had to send it back. I then ordered the four cheese pizza. A much better fit for my taste. After the frito misto, and about half my pizza, I was stuffed. When Monique realized that my pizza was sauceless, she decided to remove the crust and enjoy the cheese. We will definitely be returning to Via Napoli!

Monique enjoying her creation, Crustless Cheese Pizza

Pizza Ovens

I have to say also that if you are Epcot, you need to go over to the UK Pavilion to the Rose & Crown Pub and try a Snake Bite. This is a mix of cider and ale, and one of the things I miss from living in England. Not so big on the ale? Try and Cider and Black, they add a shot of black currant to the cider. (What I really miss from England is the Snakey B, a Snake Bite, with black currant!)

Enjoying a Snake Bite in the Rose & Crown Pub

We also made it back to DT Disney and had Earl of Sandwich for my last dinner! It was a great trip, and I look forward to my next trip. No date as of yet, but it will be soon!

Next I love travel! city: SIN CITY! Las Vegas for my 30th Birthday!

I love to travel! New Mexico

2010-09-26T17:36:00.000-04:00

I have been fortunate (especially in these hard economic times) to be able to travel to some places I really love. This is the first of several blogs on my travels this year. As I wrote a while ago, I was given the opportunity to work with the Albuquerque Convention and Visitors Bureau on a project for Grad School. While I was an intern for ACVB I got to go to Santa Fe and represent ACVB at a New Mexico Tourism Department at a grant writing workshop. While in Santa Fe, I took in some of the sights of the Plaza.

St Francis Cathedral Basilica

Yummy Restaurant, upstairs, on the Plaza

Delicious Navajo Taco from the Blue Corn Cafe
(only downside of this restaurant, no daiquiris, only margaritas!)

Loretto Chapel

Miraculous Stair Case, there are no nails or screws holding this stair case together

Local Artisans, selling their goods on the Plaza

Santuario de Guadalupe

Santa Fe Train Station

At the end of my time in Albuquerque, Marshall came to visit, and we took a road trip South, so he could experience more of the land of Enchantment.

Marshall and I in front of the World's Largest Pistachio, Alamogordo, NM

White Sands National Monument, Alamogordo, NM

Looking out over Alamogordo from the Lodge at Cloudcroft,
Cloudcroft, NM

The Lodge at Cloudcroft

The Natural Entrance to Carlsbad Caverns, Carlsbad, NM

New Job!

2010-09-01T15:13:00.000-04:00

I have recently been hired by an independent travel agent as her assistant. It's a part-time job, which is absolutely great! Working 6 hours a week fits into my school schedule perfectly. Only problem now is that it opens up yet another door, but that is a great thing.

While pursuing my Master's degree I've had the opportunity to work for the Albuquerque Convention and Visitors Bureau, completing analyises of Albuquerque as a cultural destination and a new event. I learned so much about the city I hope to work for/in once I graduate, but I also learned even more about myself.

The new job is with a high end/luxury agency, and I am very excited because I was able to visit many high end hotels in Cancun and Jamaica. While working as a travel agent, most of the hotels I visited were out of the price range of most of my clients. It will be very nice to be able to recommend some of these beautiful resorts.

I have to say that I have loved being a travel agent. I enjoy helping people plan vacations, and even more, I love helping create a trip of a lifetime. My Master's degree in tourism is something different. Instead of working with the travelers, I am learning to work with the destinations, which sounds great. However, I like helping people. I consider my bachelor's degree a degree in customer service, and I hold service people to a higher standard. I have worked as a restaurant server, and as a front desk agent/manager of a hotel. I know how difficult the job can be, but I also know the bare minimums to expect. For this reason, I feel like even with the Master's degree I want to remain on the service side.

Does this mean I should work for a tour conductor? I don't know. I do have a long term goal, and I have said before that my mom thought I should open my own B&B. Maybe that will happen some day.

All I know right now is that I am happy to have another door. I just hope I can decide which one to open when the time comes.

Mickey Mouse, Food and Friends!

2010-07-12T19:07:00.000-04:00

I just got back from an amazing weekend in Orlando. (I know, I know, what happened in New Mexico?!?!?! Don't worry, I will get to that.) I just wanted to take a moment to post about the great time we had, and the food we enjoyed.

Thursday night we had reservations at Tony's Town Square, the Lady and the Tramp themed Italian Restaurant at the Magic Kingdom. The food was good, but not phenomenal, in my opinion. However the atmosphere, and being there with my husband and friends made the dinner what it was, a great night!

Friday we experienced the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, and ate lunch at the Three Broomsticks. That was an experience within itself, and the food was good. The frozen Butterbeer was extremely interesting, and hit the spot on a very hot afternoon. It was a little too sweet to be the main drink with a meal, but worked well to curb my hankering for dessert. (Monique ordered a scoop of the Strawberry Peanut Butter ice cream, and all I can say is it delivered on its name. Definitely unique.)

Where my culinary experience really excelled was Saturday at Epcot. We had reservations at Teppan Edo in the Japanese Pavilion. Teppan is a type of cuisine where chefs cook on a table-top grill in front of the diners. Marshall ordered the shrimp, Monique the scallops, and I ordered the chicken, along with a California Roll, which I love. Unfortunately, the food was so filling, but so delicious, at the same time, it was hard to stop eating. The chef put on a great show, making an onion volcano, errupting in a cloud of smoke, and dazzling the table with his knife skills.

My favorite moment of the meal, however, was when I offered to share my leftover California Roll with the table. There were three parties at our table, us, a group of Japanese travelers, and a single gentleman. This gentleman told us that he was facinated by Japan, and was hoping to visit there someday, although he had never tried California Rolls. Watching him take a piece and try it for the first time made me remember why I love food and traveling. He closed his eyes and I could see he was savoring each flavor and texture, and how they married together to make a cohesive bite. I love how food can evoke emotions, and take you back to a particular place and time. Traveling around the world (or around the World Showcase at Epcot) allows you experience many cultures and heritages, and to try something new, or reacquaint yourself with something familiar, and see it in a new light.

Albuquerque is best know for...

2010-05-11T14:30:00.001-04:00

Hot Air Balloons! Much to the chagrin of the rest of the state, the Albuquerque Internation Balloon Fiesta is a HUGE event, and what a lot of people think of when they think of New Mexico. This event is not the only event in the state, and not the only event in Albuquerque. But it will be the subject of this particular post.

The Balloon Fiesta is held for approximately 10 days at the beginning on October, being an October baby (although at the end of the month) I always felt that it was for me! One of my favorite balloon memories was when my mom got me a ride (tethered) in the purple and white balloon for my 5th or 6th birthday. Another favorite was going up in the New Mexico Air National Guard balloon (not tethered) during the St Patrick's day rally in Los Lunas, circa 1992.

Sharing the Balloon Fiesta with Marshall in 2003 and 2004 was really awesome. The following pictures are from those two years. I hope you find the following pictures as beautiful and mesmerizing as I do!

Ballons over Albuquerque

An early morning at Balloon Fiesta Park

This is a combination of the Special Shapes Rodeo and Balloon Glow

Welcome to the Special Shapes Glowdeo!

A Little South of Albuquerque...

2010-04-29T13:10:00.001-04:00

About 10-15 miles south of Albuquerque (depending on from where you leave) is the reservation of the Isleta Pueblo. I was fortunate to visit their Catholic Church during the same New Mexico History class I mentioned earlier.. The Spanish Mission of San Agustín de la Isleta is a beautiful church, with walls that are 4 foot thick, and 4 foot high windows.

This is also a beautiful church, and can be visitied when religious ceremonies are not being held.

Isleta is also home to New Mexico's first Hard Rock Hotel, but there will be more on that later.

Albuquerque from the Sky

2010-04-26T14:33:00.000-04:00

Again, I am featuring Albuquerque, this time from the sky. And where is the best place to view Albuquerque from above? Sandia Peak! The Sandia Peak Tramway travels from a mile-high altitude 2.7 miles to an altitude of 10,378 feet. Sandia Peaks website says that you can see 11,000 square-mile panoramic views of the Rio Grande River Valley (otherwise knows as my home! :)).

Here are some other pictures taken from above, but not from Sandia Peak.

More pictures of Old Town

2010-04-22T13:00:00.002-04:00

Last post I featured the San Felipe de Neri Catholic Church, in Old Town Albuquerque. Today I want to post more pictures of one of my favorite places. These are taken at different times of the year (mostly summer and Christmas), but I love the way Old Town looks decorated for Christmas!

One of my favorite places!

2010-04-20T10:38:00.001-04:00

In anticipation of my internship with the Albuquerque Convention and Visitor's Bureau I will be writing about the cultural areas of one of my favorite places, New Mexico, starting with Albuquerque, moving through the metro area, and then throughout the state.

There are many well-known destinations in Albuquerque, I hope to shed light on why you should spend some time in the Duke City, and then head out from there, and experience what the Land of Enchantment has to offer.

On every trip home to Los Chavez, I make sure that I go visit Old Town. I love the shops, full of Southwestern and Native American items, but I really love the energy I feel walking around the plaza. I am not Catholic, but I studied about Catholic churches in my New Mexico History class I took one summer at UNM. I find the San Felipe de Neri Catholic church, located on the north side of the Old Town Plaza, to be one of the most beautiful.

San Felipe de Neri Catholic Church

500 things to eat...1000 places to see...Is it really possibly to do this?

2010-03-26T18:22:00.000-04:00

Many years ago I bought 1000 Places to See Before You Die. I was obsessed with this book. I sat down with a trusty highlighter and marked off those places I had been fortunate to visit. A few years later, I was at a Cracker Barrel (a favorite place of Marshall and I, you know the food will be the same whether it is California or Alabama) and I saw it. 1000 Places to See Before You Die, US and Canada Edition! Oh my gosh! I resisted the urge to purchase the book and begin highlighting while waiting for my chicken fried steak/blueberry pancakes (my two go-tos at Cracker Barrel, don't remember which I had). It was a very anticipated Christmas present from the best husband in the world, later that year. So of course, the highlighting began later that day.

Any trips that ensued after finding these great books, meant that I had to pull out said books and find out where we were going. Unfortunately, most of the places listed are hotels, hotels that are out of my price range. Oh well, if its an attraction, or something to look at, I will find it! (And you better believe every time I travel, I look to see if its in the book, and mark it off.)

This past year for Christmas, mom got me 500 Things to Eat Before Its Too Late (they didn't want to go into the morbid, before you die?). This book is interesting, and instead of breaking the food up by state, it is categorized by type of foods in regions of the country. The best relleno (stuffed chile pepper) can be found at Chope's south of Las Cruces, NM-FYI.

When I decided to spend my Spring Break visiting my brother and his family in Nebraska, of course, I had to pull out the books. Surprisingly, Nebraska is not listed in World edition of 1000 Places. And the US/Canada edition did not make Nebraska seem all that interesting- sand dunes, Omaha Steaks, but the Henry Doorly Zoo, was everything it was made out to be. I can cross that one off the list! The 500 Things to Eat was also a wealth of knowlege. Okay, so maybe "wealth" is not exactly right, but a little restaurant (and it turned out to be quite little) called Stellas in Bellevue, outside Omaha, was touted to have one of the best hamburgers in the country. And I would have to agree, it was pretty damn good!

I have never been lead astray by these books (or any of my other numerous travel books), so I will continue to consult them before any and all travels.

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter

2010-02-18T17:37:00.001-05:00

As a former travel agent, I still receive emails about great deals. Universal Orlando is offering a GREAT package deal for the opening of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

Wizarding World of Harry Potter Package

If you are as big of a Harry Potter fan as I am, I am sure this is on your list of things to do! Contact your local travel agent for more information, or I would be glad to put you in touch with someone.

Happy Valentines Day!

2010-02-15T15:08:00.000-05:00

This blog is supposed to be about food and travel, as a way of figuring out what I want to do with my professional life. I had a very nice Valentines with my husband and wanted to share two recipes I "used" for our dinner. I say "used" because I like to find recipes and tweak them to be my own.

I made Marshall his favorite steak, a filet. And while I was going to make twice-baked potatoes, I decided to make MY favorite, mac and cheese. I also made roasted asparagus. For dessert, I wanted creme brulee, but most recipes make 6 to 8 servings, and that is just too much.

I found a recipe by Emeril Lagasse for a Lemon Scented Creme Brulee for Two. I substituted vanilla for the lemon zest, using about 1 teaspoon. I also omitted chilling the custard before baking, since it did not need to be infused.

Ina Garten, the Barefoot Contessa, is a favorite of mine, and I looked to her Truffled Macaroni and Cheese for guidance on baked mac and cheese. I was unable to find the truffle butter, so I mixed Ina's recipe with my own. I omitted the mushrooms from this recipe, but used her choices for cheese, gruyere and white cheddar. I also used my secret ingredient, horseradish mustard, that Marshall and I get in Gatlinburg. To make eating mac and cheese more friendly to the waist, I do not use milk. I use a couple tablespoons of half and half, and then use chicken stock for the rest of the liquid.

I hope you enjoy these recipes as much as we do!

Food doesn't have to be pretty

2010-02-10T16:52:00.002-05:00

So, I had been planning to make stuffed poblano peppers for a few days, and with thawed chicken and leftover cornbread, I figured last Friday would be the perfect time, just needed to pick up the peppers on our grocery trip. That was my first mistake: PLANNING to make dinner based on our grocery list. By the time Marshall got all his paper packed up, and ready to go to FedEx, which he decided to do BEFORE the store, it was after 7PM. So much for trying to make a meal that was going to take an hour to cook, when I knew we weren't going to be home from the store before 9PM. (On a side note, Marshall felt bad about taking so long, and took me out to dinner. Yummy Southwest Tacos from On The Border!)

Saturday rolls around, and I have spent most of the day working on school work. (I know, my bad, I really try and get the school work done during the week.) So, 7PM rolls around, that is usually when I start dinner, and I realize that I haven't cooked the chicken! Okay, plan B, again! (Can't even remember what I made now, it was that unremarkable.)

Sunday was Superbowl Sunday, and Marshall had been bugging me for a while to make pizza, so I decided to put the peppers on the backburner once again, to make my hubby homemade pizza. (I made two individual pizzas and used the thawed chicken for my Chicken, Artichoke and Pesto pizza, and took another breast out of the freezer to thaw, for the stuffed peppers.)

(This is a homemade pizza I had to "fix" when the crust stuck to the pan)

Monday, I made the stuffed peppers! I took and braised the chicken breast in chicken stock and spices, then shredded it up, crumbled leftover cornbread, grated quesadilla cheese, then added three beaten eggs, and two packages of green chiles. Then I realized that my stuffing would be way more than enough to fill my poblano peppers. I was talking to mom on the phone when I made this startling discovery, and she said "Hey, you can make patties tomorrow with the leftovers!" Go mom! So the peppers turned out really good, and Marshall liked the way the stuffing tasted (me, too), so I thought, what the heck, I will take mom's advice and make patties. I've got some asparagus I need to cook, so I could make a cheese sauce to go with it. Yay! Tuesday's dinner was figured out!

(Stuffed Poblano Pepper)

So, last night I get all my ingredients together, and I am trying to figure out how I am going to cook the patties, boil the asparagus, and make the cheese sauce all at the same time. The asparagus will only need a few minutes, as well as the cheese sauce, but the water will take a while to boil. This may seem like a weird dilema, seeing as I have four burners on my stove. I don't know why, but I am really only comfortable using 2 at a time. (We have a glass cooktop.) I fought the urge, and used three burners. Water is boiling for asparagus, pan heating for patties, butter melting for cheese sauce. Eveything is going as planned. Add the chicken goop, formed into patties. Check. Asparagus into boiling water. Check. Cheese sauce made. Check. Turn over patties. Oh, crap! They look burnt, and aren't really holding their shape. Marshall comes in, I say "Not really sure if dinner is going to work out." Loving hubby says, "we can always get Subway." Gotta love him.

Finished cooking the patties, I knew they were done because I used my trusty thermometer Marshall got me as a Christmas gift a couple of years ago. Plated up the patties and asparagus, and tried to cover up the extremely ugly looking food by drowning it in cheese sauce. Did not help the aesthetics at all. Oh well, Marshall did say we could go get Subway. Oh, and did I mention that he said we could always blame mom if it was inedible? Again, gotta love him!

Long story short, the chicken stuffing patties covered in green chile cheese sauce were delicious! Of course they were, I made them! Just kidding, and the credit all goes to mom, because it was, afterall, her idea!

(No picture of the patties, because I did not want to scare small children away from eating.)

Happy New Year!

2010-01-25T19:15:00.000-05:00

Taking a break from school work, namely Statistics (which I actually think I may like), to wish everyone a late, but Happy New Year. So far 2010 has been pretty good. Rang in the New Year with my mom and husband, (I think we watched movies?); went to Orlando to see one of my best friends; started my second semester of grad school; and have tickets to see a couple of the BIGGEST concerts coming to Atlanta. While 2010 looks like it is going to be suffering from residual effects of 2009, namely, the economy, I am optomistic. I have to find a professional internship for this coming summer, and while Monique has convinced me to apply with Disney, even they don't appear to have openings. Oh, well. I will not let the residual effects of last year wear on me.

What I am happy and excited about this year:

Sea World! I finally got to go to the one in Orlando, and I am in love! Orca whales are on my absolute favorite animals, and I got to see tons of them!

Monique has Pompe disease! This may not seem like something to be happy or excited about, but her illness has a name! Which means doctors can create a treatment plan. Someday I know we will be climbing the myriad of steps to Dover Castle, again! (Well, maybe not, since after we climbed the steps we realized there was an easier way to get up there, but you get my drift!) (Side note: Go see Extraordinary Measures, it's a great movie, about Pompe disease.)
Clarisonic- My mom got my sister and I each one of these face brush thingies, and I love mine! It is expensive, but probably so worth it! I have only been using mine for about a week, but if it does what it promises, it (and my Clinique Youth Surge night cream) will keep me looking 25 for another 10 years. (Yes, I know I am 29, but I really don't think I look it.)

Disney, this goes back to Monique, but now that she is a Floridian, Bill's gate passes are mine! Hahaha! I really hope that we can figure out a time that Genie and I can both get down there, and hopefully when...
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter opens! I am a Harry Potter FREAK, and not afraid to admit it! But that is okay, I am sure I am in good company. I am so excited to get to walk through Hogsmeade, and Hogwarts! This will be a dream, that once upon a time I didn't know I had, come true!

An internship, hopefully in New Mexico with the Department of Tourism or Cultural Affairs. Definitely somewhere where I can help preserve and promote cultural heritage. What does that mean, I am in the process of figuring it out.

Well, I am sure there is more that I am happy and excited about, but that is the short list for now. Of course spending time with my husband, but that is a given!

Happy New Year, Ya'll!

Merry Christmas, a few days early!

2009-12-23T20:57:00.003-05:00

A lot of people take time around the holidays to list what they are thankful for. I agree that we should be thankful all year round, and not just when the weather gets colder. There is so much I have to be thankful for, people and tangible and intangible things. Here is my list, and I should say in no particular order, since it would sooner be easier to list my favorite music, than to try and list what family and friends out rank eachother.

Marshall, my best friend. He keeps me grounded and the same time my head is in the clouds. He loves that I am scatterbrained, and even though my pickiness at organization drives him crazy, I know he appreciates not having to look for something when he needs it. :)

Mom and Dad, it has taken us a LONG time to get where we are today, but I wouldn't change a minute of our past. You have taught me how to be strong, how to bend, and how to say shove it! You are the reason I am the way I am, and I blame you every day! I love you dearly, I hope you know that.

Tres, you are such a surprise. Who would have ever guessed that you would be the kid who calls to check up and make sure everything is going okay? You always end your calls with "call me if you need anything," and while I haven't figured out how you can get me batteries or reach that high shelf from 1000 miles away, I know that if I really needed something, you would figure out how to do it. I love you bro.
Reed, I am so proud of the man you have become. I sit back in amazement at the person, and father, you are. Talking to you on the phone brings a smile to my face. It's kind of like you and I are in the old married folks club, and Tres and Traci just don't get it. But that is perfectly fine. You have built a life for you, Katie and Kailee, and I am envious of your bonds. I hope to someday know the happiness you exude from being a parent. I love you Deed!
Traci, you are amazing. The strength you have, emotional and physical, I don't think you even realize that you have it. You carry the weight of the world on your shoulders, and while you don't need to, I believe that that weight is what drives you. When you finally figure out what we all know, that you are a strong, vibrant, and can be independent WOMAN, you will be unstoppable. It's hard for me as the oldest to see your bond with the boys, but I know that you and I share something that they will never quite understand. Unfortunately, that is an X chromosome. Just kidding. You are my kid sister, and one of my best friends. Love you always, TURD. :)

Monique, who would have ever guessed over 9 years ago that at an after bid-day dinner at TGIFridays would turn into one of the best friendships I have ever had. You have been by my side ever since, hell, I even followed you to England. We share a bond of sisterhood, and undiagnosed ailments. Heres to your diagnosis, treatment and recovery! I look forward to many, many, many more trips with my traveling buddy.

My Theta Eta Sig Kaps! You ladies taught me that I could be friends with girls, and that was no small feat. I love my Upsilon Sisters, but there are a few of you Sigma girls, you know who you are, that I would not be the same without.

Sigma Kappa in whole. I have met so many interesting people through the years due to my affiliation with the best sorority. You ladies here in Athens helped me to establish myself in this town, and I will be forever greatful. One Heart One Way.
Kitchenaid- I love it all! I have the mixer, blender, mini chopper, and food processor (thanks Mom! I think you started and added to most of my collection), can opener, scissors....
My DVR, for without which I would be subjected to watching commercials, and until they pay ME to watch them, I should not have to :)
Walt Disney World, it really is the Most Wonderful Place on Earth!
Las Vegas, while many people call it Sin City, it is my home away from home, away from home. :) I love the people there, but the city itself is magestic
Cookbooks, I have so many, and could have many more. There is something about reading recipes, and trying to figure out how I can tweak them, that is relaxing to me
My cats, Pickles and Spatula, you are so spastic and crazy at times. I sit and watch you and wonder what you are going to do next.

Country Music, you and I go WAY back. No matter the mood I am in, you have a way of bringing me up, pushing me down, making me remember the happy, making me remember the sad. Only really good music can bring out every emotion. Thank you for being loyal and always there when I need a friend.
Movie theaters, DVD players, and Satellite TV, I LOVE MOVIES, and anyway I can get them. Thank you Hollywood for giving me an escape. I can retreat into a 2 hour movie and completely forget my problems, and the world around me.
My health, I am sure some people would ask why this is not at the top of the list, but I guess that is because for the first time in a long time, my health is not at the forefront of my mind. I am so very greatful to be in remission, and have made it the 5 years to possibly cured. But I don't want to let my health define me. It is a part of my past, not a part of me.

I am sure I have forgotten something, but that is my list for this year!

Julie and Julia

2009-12-10T13:04:00.000-05:00

After watching this movie for a second time, I am reminded how much I love food and to cook. I was talking with Marshall and my Mom the other night about wanting to go to culinary school when I finish my Master's degree. Do I want to be a Chef? Not particularily. I love watching the Food Network and the Next Top Chef, but I feel like Next Top Chef is so pretentious. I like good food, that is not difficult to make (from scratch, if possible) and tastes incredible.

Not too long ago, I made chicken with a buerre blanc, with is a classic French sauce. Sure, you could consider that pretentious, but it was SOOOO good. But how could it not be, butter and white wine vinegar? Yum.

With my background in Hotel Administration (Bachelor's degree), Sustainable Tourism (soon-to-be Master's degree) and love of cooking, I have thought (and been told many times by Mom) that opening a Bed and Breakfast would be right up my alley. Not one of those cutesy ones with weird names for the rooms and flowers or porcelin dolls (going from my memory of Lorelai's rant on Gilmore Girls), but classy, homey and fun. I think I would be good at running a B&B or even an Inn, only question is, is that type of business viable?

Anyway, back to Julie and Julia. I love that Julia pushed to get into Le Cordon Bleu, and to get her diploma. I never really watched Julia's cooking shows, I grew up on PBS cooking shows, though. The Frugal Gormet was a staple in my house. It used to freak me out how I would say outloud something like, "What about the corn?" and then Jeff Smith would say to the viewers "Now don't you worry about that corn." It made me feel like he heard me and was answering my questions. Kind of spooky! I learned to cook from my mom, dad, and grandma. But i really believe that taking culinary classes in school at New Mexico State and UNLV pushed me to that point where I make my macaronni and cheese from scratch, every time. I have learned the health benefits of cooking, instead of reheating, or going out, Now only if I could learn portion control! I really love macaronni and cheese! :)

Anyway, I think I am procrastinating on finishing my final paper for this semester, by dreaming about culinary school and food. Back to the grindstone. I will put my ideas about culinary school and owning a B&B back on the shelf, for now.

Looking for the silver lining

2009-11-25T17:52:00.000-05:00

I have had four friends die this year. All four of these people were under 30 years old, and very lively spirits. I just don't understand how God can take such beautiful people home with him when they have such a life to live here on earth.

The first death was Howard. He fell and hit his head one weekend while goofing around. Less than a week later he was in a coma, and then passed away. I had not seen or spoken to Howard in years. I knew him from my association with the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity at UNLV. He was such a fun guy, I asked him to be my date to my sorority's Spring Semi-Formal my freshman year. We had a great time, and I remember he always had a smile on his face. One of the worst nights (booze-wise) of my life, I always blamed on Howard and his insistence to swing dance with me. It had nothing to do with the copious amounts of alcohol I mixed that night, I blamed the puking (all over my new Lil Bro's shoes) on the swing dancing. That is how I will remember Howard, as the big teddy bear who insisted on swing dancing with a drunken Lonnie.

The second death came less than a month after my 10 Year High School Reunion. I met Myra as a freshman in high school. We were in the same gym class. She transfered to Belen from St. Mary's with a handful of other students, including a person a could not stand in elementary school. Turned out that person, Rachel, would become one of my best friends from 9th-11th grade. Rachel and Myra were good friends, and that is how I got to know her. She was this little imp of a thing, but had a personality of a two-hundred pound 6 foot rock star. She was just the kind of person you couldn't help but like. We were in the same Math and Science Club for most of high school. After high school we lost touch, but through technology and Myspace we were able to get back in touch. She was even very helpful in getting her boss to photgraph the reunion with no charge to the class. She was killed in a head on collision in August. I will always remember her spirit and larger than life outlook on things.

The third death I found about a while after the fact. I met Sarah through Monique. They worked together at the Wynn, and when Monique came back from China, they invited me into their Wednesday night Happy Hour, while I was living in Vegas. She was so fun and lively. At the time I did not realize she was battling a real demon. After moving back to Georgia, we kept in touch through Myspace and Facebook. I was so happy to hear she had sobered up, and that she thought she had found true love. I enjoyed looking at her pictures of her trips, and she was usually one of the first people to comment on my pictures from trips. Monique found out from a mutual friend that she had been shot and killed in her home, by her fiance, in September. She came from a prominent family in Baltimore, and reading the notes on her Facebook after her death made me realize I truly didn't know just how special she was.

The most recent was a childhood friend. Virginia and I were in the same class in 5th grade, maybe even before that. We spent a lot of weekend at another friend Janeice's house. Playing with New Kid on the Block dolls and watching the original Saturday morning Saved By The Bell. We were friends through Middle School and I remember being happy when we discovered we were in the same World History class as high school freshman. I really can't remember the last time I saw or spoke to Virginia, it was probably after her brother died, when we were junior's. Her body was found this summer on the West Mesa in Albuquerque, and I guess recently identified. I will remember those days of complete innocence playing dolls and watching TV. They really were the good ol' days.

For a person that was not supposed to live to be 24, much less 29, it kills me that these people were taken in their prime. I know that I am here for a reason, I guess I really need to start living life to the fullest, and appreciating every day that God has given me.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2009-11-25T15:06:00.004-05:00

This is truly my favorite time of year! And for my family it includes a great meal on Tuesday night, and then traveling to the Smoky Mountains on Thanksgiving Day. This is our 8th Thanksgiving together and probably our 17th trip to Gatlinburg.

Many people wonder why on earth we go to Gatlinburg every year. It is a highly commercialized area now, but there is just something special about the area to Marshall and I. There are some very unique restaurants that we frequent each time we go, and a great crafts community. One of these days, we keep saying we are going to make it out to Dollywood, probably not this year, but someday.

This year, I am very thankful, because it has been a very trying year, to say the least! We have had many trials, and many blessings this year.

Marshall FINALLY opened his own business (which could be a trial and blessing both!)
Mom finally came to visit, and we had a great time together

I was laid off from the travel agency due to the economy
I spent a week with one of my favorite people in the most wonder place in the world

I decided to apply to Grad School
I celebrated my 10 Year High School Reunion, and got to meet up with some great old friends, who I miss dearly, I wish more of them could have made it!

Got accepted to Grad School, and spent another fun (and very busy) week with my mom in Washington DC

I turned 29, which means I made it to the 5 year mark in remission, an accomplishement that 6 years ago seemed like it may never happen
Getting to spend over 10 days with my family in New Mexico, thanks to not having a job

When I list them all out like that, the good really does outweigh the bad, and that is why I am thankful!

I plan to use this blog to help me realize the good, in times when it seems the cloud does not have a silver lining. Hopefully, I will be able to realize what my true objectives are in life, so I can plan out the next chapter in both mine, and Marshall and I's lives.