These past few weeks I’ve spent a lot of time driving around Texas, and I’m glad because I had forgotten how rustically, beautiful Texas can be. South Texas and the valley seem to have an endless supply of mesquite trees, cacti, shrubbery, and palm trees (depending on where you are). And despite the draught that we find ourselves in, it’s still very green—completely different from west Texas, which has a beauty all its own.
I drive with the windows down, 100+ degree heat beating on my arms. A two-lane highway where you have to speed up to 90mph in order to pass the large 18-wheelers that travel in front of you. But then? Then it’s miles before you see another car, and you are driving down a tunnel of greenery with the big Texas sky laid out before you. Clouds graze the sky like cows in open fields.
I hope everyone finds the peace and comfort that I do when driving through Texas. And despite my complaints about Texas having a horrible public transportation system, I am actually glad to have a car at times so that I can speed down the lanes with nothing but blue skies in front, and a long traveled road behind.
Sunday, June 5, 2011
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Summer: Whoa BRAIN!
Heya Ladies! This is just quick...but as I was studying neuroscience, I ran across this cool video to teach the concept of "perceptual blindness." I won't tell you anymore about it, because it may ruin the video for you. Just follow the directions! Our brains are nuts-os! Oh, and I will try to post a little more over the summer...since I have some more time. Hopefully I'll have some time to do some reflection on the past year. Anywho, without further ado, brought to you by youtube...
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Summer: Happily Ever After =]
Hello ladies! So...it's been forever, but I've got a bit of time (ie I want to PROCRASTINATE) and I have been thinking a lot about my friends as of late. It must be the spring fever! I miss mojito Fridays by the Pearl St pool or evenings spent indulging in some vino on the balcony. I miss bike rides to coffee shops and bike gang, of course! I miss playing ultimate frisbee at the capitol and swimming at the greenbelt (or night swim at Barton Springs). I miss seasonal mixed CD's and the sound of everyone's beautiful laughter! Good lord!
Anyway, the weather this weekend was amazing! And it was perfect because my sister got married! The day was beautiful and the ceremony was held outside in an awesome courtyard downtown, during Fiesta. Fiesta is a big deal in San Antonio--ie Friday is a public holiday for Battle of Flowers. It was such a wonderful, colorful weekend. And I'm so happy that Alice was able to come down and dance the night away! Once my toast was given (which I had fret over for quite some time)--Alice had a glass of red wine with my name on it! We proceeded to get sloshed on the margaritas, extra tequila, please!
So, I've just been so excited since the wedding and I keep thinking about how nice it was. And then it made me remember how happy I used to always be (not that I'm miserable now, but I'm not as carefree ALL the time--I miss being freakishly happy all the time). So, back to you ladies! Love you all much. Sorry this has been one of the most rambly posts ever, but I wanted to write everyone a little letter.
Oh, and here is a link to some of the photos from my sister's wedding. The photographer was awesome! Philip Thomas Blog. Just scroll down a little bit--it's posted under Mariko + John.
I love you all much!
Anyway, the weather this weekend was amazing! And it was perfect because my sister got married! The day was beautiful and the ceremony was held outside in an awesome courtyard downtown, during Fiesta. Fiesta is a big deal in San Antonio--ie Friday is a public holiday for Battle of Flowers. It was such a wonderful, colorful weekend. And I'm so happy that Alice was able to come down and dance the night away! Once my toast was given (which I had fret over for quite some time)--Alice had a glass of red wine with my name on it! We proceeded to get sloshed on the margaritas, extra tequila, please!
So, I've just been so excited since the wedding and I keep thinking about how nice it was. And then it made me remember how happy I used to always be (not that I'm miserable now, but I'm not as carefree ALL the time--I miss being freakishly happy all the time). So, back to you ladies! Love you all much. Sorry this has been one of the most rambly posts ever, but I wanted to write everyone a little letter.
Oh, and here is a link to some of the photos from my sister's wedding. The photographer was awesome! Philip Thomas Blog. Just scroll down a little bit--it's posted under Mariko + John.
I love you all much!
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Some recipes, as requested by Alice and Summer:
Pickles (Try these, even if you don't like bread and butter pickles, you might like them. I made them for the first time today and they are amazing!)
10 pickling cucumbers
1 large onion
2 green bell peppers (I like to use 1 green and 1 red for color)
5 cloves of garlic
1/2 cup salt
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1 cup sugar
1 tsp tumeric
1 tsp celery seed
1 Tbs mustard seed
First you need to sterilize the jars that you will be using. Do this by leaving them in boiling water for a few minutes.
Then, Cut the cucumbers in thin slices and slice the onions. Chop the garlic and the bell peppers. Don't chop the peppers too small because they taste really good after pickling!
Mix everything together in a large mixing bowl and add the salt. It seems like a lot of salt but it drains the cucumbers of all their water leaving them extra cruchy. Add ice cubes or crushed ice to the mixture, I think this makes the cukes cruchier as well. Let the mixture sit for three hours.
After three hours, drain mixture. Then rinse with water (because the pickles will be really salty if you don't!) and drain again.
In a large saucepan, mix together the vinegar, sugar, tumeric, celery seed, and mustard seed. bring to a boil. Once it boils, turn off the heat and add the cucumber/vegetable mix into the sauce pan. Mix everything together. Pack the cukes and veggies into the jars and then ladel in the liquid. Seal the jar and chill in the fridge. Place the jars upside down so that the pickles are soaking in the juice and as you eat the pickles, the juice will soak the pickles at the bottom. You can either store the pickles in the fridge for a month or months or eat them instantly!
Empanada dough (I learned this recipe while working at a pizzeria/empanaderia in Chile)
4 cups flour
3/4 cups vegetable oil
1/4 margerine/butter
1 cup water
1 tsp salt
Mix everything together, knead it with your hands, add more flour or oil if it is to sticky or not stretchy enough. Roll out until dough is very thin, less than one cm. use a bowl to trace out circles with your knife.
And if you are not a vegetarian, you should try making empanadas de pino. These are the empanadas we made at the Pizzeria and they are very good.
Filling:
1/2 pound ground meat
chopped onions. You want to chop a lot of onions so that you have at least twice as many onions as meat.
First, fry the onions until they are translucent. Then move them to a large mixing bowl. Add Sugar, cayanne pepper, black pepper, parsley flakes, cumin, salt. Add a lot of each of these spices
Pickles (Try these, even if you don't like bread and butter pickles, you might like them. I made them for the first time today and they are amazing!)
10 pickling cucumbers
1 large onion
2 green bell peppers (I like to use 1 green and 1 red for color)
5 cloves of garlic
1/2 cup salt
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1 cup sugar
1 tsp tumeric
1 tsp celery seed
1 Tbs mustard seed
First you need to sterilize the jars that you will be using. Do this by leaving them in boiling water for a few minutes.
Then, Cut the cucumbers in thin slices and slice the onions. Chop the garlic and the bell peppers. Don't chop the peppers too small because they taste really good after pickling!
Mix everything together in a large mixing bowl and add the salt. It seems like a lot of salt but it drains the cucumbers of all their water leaving them extra cruchy. Add ice cubes or crushed ice to the mixture, I think this makes the cukes cruchier as well. Let the mixture sit for three hours.
After three hours, drain mixture. Then rinse with water (because the pickles will be really salty if you don't!) and drain again.
In a large saucepan, mix together the vinegar, sugar, tumeric, celery seed, and mustard seed. bring to a boil. Once it boils, turn off the heat and add the cucumber/vegetable mix into the sauce pan. Mix everything together. Pack the cukes and veggies into the jars and then ladel in the liquid. Seal the jar and chill in the fridge. Place the jars upside down so that the pickles are soaking in the juice and as you eat the pickles, the juice will soak the pickles at the bottom. You can either store the pickles in the fridge for a month or months or eat them instantly!
Empanada dough (I learned this recipe while working at a pizzeria/empanaderia in Chile)
4 cups flour
3/4 cups vegetable oil
1/4 margerine/butter
1 cup water
1 tsp salt
Mix everything together, knead it with your hands, add more flour or oil if it is to sticky or not stretchy enough. Roll out until dough is very thin, less than one cm. use a bowl to trace out circles with your knife.
And if you are not a vegetarian, you should try making empanadas de pino. These are the empanadas we made at the Pizzeria and they are very good.
Filling:
1/2 pound ground meat
chopped onions. You want to chop a lot of onions so that you have at least twice as many onions as meat.
First, fry the onions until they are translucent. Then move them to a large mixing bowl. Add Sugar, cayanne pepper, black pepper, parsley flakes, cumin, salt. Add a lot of each of these spices
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