tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-183651002024-02-06T18:28:11.188-08:00Will Run for CookiesAmyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16228853414709768732noreply@blogger.comBlogger36125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18365100.post-5019538717743155192013-01-07T19:15:00.003-08:002013-01-07T20:14:57.369-08:00The Newest New YearI'm really not much of a fan of New Years Resolutions so I didn't set any. But I <i>did </i>set up a "Bucket List for 2013!!" Pretty similar? Yes. Yes it is. But also, completely <i>different</i>. Eh? And just for funsies, I made up a graphic to keep track of my progress<br />
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I didn't want to go overboard and list a million things. I really wanted to keep it practical, achievable, and pretty specific. </div>
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I guess I do technically have one New Years Resolution (not that I'm calling it that): to simply document life as it happens more. That includes this blog, but I also like journaling on paper and I kind of like the <i>idea </i>of a scrapbook of sorts. My concept for documenting this next year spawned off a notebook I kept during our vacation.</div>
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I'm the kind of person who likes to save ticket stubs and random paraphernalia from trips but then at home they just end up in a big scrapbox and it's all very disorganized and I never really look at them again. But my new notebook totally put the kibosh on that. Score!</div>
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I bought a small <a href="http://www.eksuccessbrands.com/kandcompany/smash/">Smashbook</a> (a little notebook that has cute scrapbooky pages in it for you to write and decorate. I got it at Target) and brought along some additional pretty paper from home so that I could save things and document everything as it happened. I documented stuff kind of a like a journal but also glued in ticket stubs, local beer labels, score cards from all the games David and I played ('cause I'm competitive like that... even though I lost a majority of the games), etc.</div>
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I seriously l.o.v.e.d. doing this on the trip. And i've already looked through it a million times to relive the memories. </div>
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So, long story short (too late!)... I've decided to continue this idea throughout the year. I decided against getting another SmashBook and just opted for a plain notebook. Not nearly as cute, but hey, it's like a <b>blank slate</b>! I won't use it as a daily journal exactly, I'll just add things to it that represent my days, experiences, ideas, events, and hopefully a few pictures. The first page is now complete... it's my aforementioned "Bucket List for 2013"...</div>
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Ta da!</div>
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I'm definitely excited for this New Year and I know I'll be glad to have all the best memories kept in one place.</div>
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I'm a little late with this sentiment, but...</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Happy New Year!!</span></div>
Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16228853414709768732noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18365100.post-31542542869754706662013-01-02T20:38:00.000-08:002013-01-02T21:53:10.828-08:00Mission: CompleteWell. Vacation is over and we're both back at work :(<br />
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We flew back on New Years Eve and have slowly been adjusting to our new time zone ever since. I'll rewind a little so that I can a) relive a little vacation and b) complete the tale I started...<br />
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The Thursday after Christmas we left the beautiful Phi Phi Islands<br />
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looks like a storms a-brewin' in the distance</div>
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We took the ferry to Phuket Town to stay a single night before our flights to blustery Beijing. Staying in Phuket Town was never on our radar but it ended up working out really well as a stopping point and we ended up loving it. It felt like such a legit town - so many locals, not many tourists or souvenir shops, and plenty of interesting markets...<br />
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We landed in Beijing and were totally blown away by how freezing it was. Literally. It was about 23* F (-5* C). Yikes!<br />
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Yes, all these layers were very very necessary.</div>
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Thankfully, we were only in the freezing cold for about two and a half days. We definitely want to go back when the weather is a bit more favorable, but we tried to take advantage of it while we were there. We made it out on a day tour to check out the Great Wall!<br />
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We wandered the city as much as we could manage while extremities quickly went numb. We saw Tiananmen Square, the outside of the Forbidden City, the Ming Tombs, and the Birds nest from the olympics. We returned to Seattle this past Monday and ended up kinda sorta experiencing TWO new years.<br />
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New Years number ONE was spent on the plane en route to Seattle before we hit the International Date Line ...while watching movie #2 on the plane.<br />
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New Years number TWO was spent totally passed out from being awake for 28 hours. We made it to 8pm Seattle time on New Years Eve and fell asleep as soon as our heads hit the pillow. I figure one out of two isn't bad.<br />
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Anyone out there with a fun vacation or weekend away on the horizon??Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16228853414709768732noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18365100.post-64534333419492869982012-12-25T03:56:00.000-08:002013-01-02T20:38:15.072-08:00The Beachy Life<div>
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Happy Christmas!! </div>
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Being away from family and in such a different climate, Christmas doesn't feel so much like Christmas. But we're getting along just swell nonetheless. They don't really celebrate Christmas here (it's predominantly Buddhist) so their really arent many Christmas decorations, and the ones you do see are usually quite tacky. It's been comical to say the least. </div>
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For the first time of our trip, we have limited Internet/wi-fi access so I'll try to keep this on the shorter side.</div>
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Going back a few days to catch up...</div>
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I don't think we researched the island of Phuket enough before we got there. We'd heard that there are just tons of tourists but we didn't know much beyond that. We decided to stay in Patong on Phuket because there were tons of cheap places and it just seemed like the place to go. Turns out it has pretty much no character or authenticity to it. All it is is swarms of tourists flocking to the small-ish beach during the day and partying it up at night along with a million locals hassling you to buy things left and right. </div>
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You literally can't walk more than 5 steps before getting questioned by a tailor to make you an "Armani" suit, a taxi driver, t-shirt seller, restaurateur, DVD pirater, you name it. They all want your business <i>now</i>.<br />
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Not really our scene... </div>
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We got out of there as soon as we could and opted for Kamala Beach which was about 15 minutes North and it was a Goldilocks place for us... . It was just right! The beach was much more manageable, there weren't swarms of tourists (though there were a number of them) and there seemed to be more "real life" there. We stayed for a few days and enjoyed not doing too much. We have definitely reached the mellow part of our vacation. We've been doing a bunch of nothing - just relaxing.</div>
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After Kamala, we took a ferry to the Phi Phi Islands (Phi Phi Don specifically) - thanks to <a href="http://darlindanio.blogspot.com/?m=1">Danielle's</a> recommendation! It has been total heaven. Kamala beach was nice but the sand and water weren't quite dream-esque (I'm certainly not complaining though!), but PP has been all that and more. Beautiful views, white sandy beaches, crisp clear water. </div>
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Yesterday we went on a SCUBA/snorkel trip - SCUBA for David, snorkeling for me :) </div>
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We saw a bunch of colorful fish and David also saw a sea turtle and a couple eels on his dives. </div>
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We've come to realize we were quite spoiled with our snorkeling experience in Belize (for our honeymoon) when we saw what seemed like everything in the ocean. </div>
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We'll be spending a few more days here on Phi Phi before making our trek up to Beijing for a few days. Sadly, the end of our vacation is in sight but there are many more moments to sit and do nothing before it ends! </div>
Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16228853414709768732noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18365100.post-58990629912274011642012-12-20T01:34:00.000-08:002012-12-20T01:40:19.314-08:00Elephants, Tigers, and Boxing... Oh My!<div>
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Our last full day in Chiang Mai was one for the books. </div>
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We rented a taxi man for the day - Mr. Pon. Excellent driver/tour guide. It was only 1000 baht (about 35 bucks, gas included) for a comfy, air-conditioned car with a local who knows what he's doing and didn't pressure us into a bunch of stuff we didn't want to do. </div>
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We started the day with a quick stop at an orchid farm. One of my favorite flowers!! </div>
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It was so pretty in there. It was strange to see how they grow them; it looks like they're just growing mid-air.</div>
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Next, we went to an elephant camp. The elephants we really wanted to see didn't work with how our journey was planned so we went to <a href="http://www.maesaelephantcamp.com/">Maesa Elephant Camp</a>. Overall it was a lot of fun. They are such bizarre looking creatures!</div>
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It started with an "elephant show" that showcased some of their talent. It's fascinating to see what they can do - they are seriously intelligent. But it felt a little long and it stopped being impressive and was a little awkward. Sometimes it seemed like too much for the elephants to have to do some silly things. We would have preferred seeing elephants in a different setting. They have a couple "sanctuaries" around Chiang Mai where it's less showy and more focused on preserving elephants and letting people see them in a "day in the life" type setting. We also rode an elephant in the forest which was pretty nice. All in all, it was a good experience. </div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">After that, we went to... drumroll please... </span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-aiF2WIbvLSo/UNLOiJF08LI/AAAAAAAAAvA/20huoMBU4Bs/s1600/12+-+8" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-aiF2WIbvLSo/UNLOiJF08LI/AAAAAAAAAvA/20huoMBU4Bs/s320/12+-+8" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875);">Which is now tied with the cooking class for our best Thailand moment. It was soooo fun and a little terrifying. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875);"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875);"><a href="http://www.tigerkingdom.com/Home.htm">Tiger Kingdom</a> raises tigers in captivity and trains them to be familiar and tame around people. They're nocturnal by nature so having them "visit" with people during the day means they are super mellow (and sometimes just downright tired). You can visit any number of tigers at varying ages (for a price, of course): smallest, small, medium, and large. We started by hanging with the smallest group of tigers. </span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SNJGdWXTgSU/UNLOiNf19QI/AAAAAAAAAwk/TMFCuKS6pgw/s1600/12+-+12" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SNJGdWXTgSU/UNLOiNf19QI/AAAAAAAAAwk/TMFCuKS6pgw/s320/12+-+12" width="256" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">So cute!! I know they're cats (and they sure act like it), but they have such a dog nature to them, too. There were 4 tigers in a large pen (all 4 months old) and they let maybe two groups of two-three people in at a time (with a designated guide with you). We got to snuggle, pose, and play with them. Then we moved on to a teeny sleeping guy who was just 2 months old. He didn't do much but boy was he cute.</span></div>
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Then came the terrifying part. </div>
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I knew I'd probably pee my pants (or worse!) with the big cats so we went with a medium one - which was still frighteningly large. They weren't a popular choice so there was no waiting - which meant there wasn't much time to "build up" to it in my mind. We went into a cage that was completely enclosed (even the top) and walked with our guide right up to the sleeping beasts. The first guy was super tired and didn't mind so we did ok with him. </div>
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Then we went to a second who was a bit more awake (read: terrifying). </div>
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"Uhhhh, does he really want to be pet right now??" </div>
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As I was snuggling with him (ladies first applies to deadly things, too) he became quite alert and David and I were a little hesitant... So David didn't snuggle with him quite as much when we swapped places. </div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">Doesn't he look scary??</span></div>
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We calmly took our racing hearts out of there and called it good. I have almost no doubt in my mind that nothing would have happened but in the moment it is so dang serious feeling. Off-da.</div>
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We did some mellow things after that to balance it out. We hit up Umbrella Village where ladies make paper umbrellas all by hand - including making the paper.<br />
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It was quite the process to see from start to finish. And then Thai Silk Village where we got to see the (slightly gross) process of making silk. Mothy things --> worms --> cocoons --> silk!<br />
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Very fascinating. And of course we bought some silk so I can hopefully make something cute with it! </div>
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After that, we called it a day with mr taxi man. But the evening was just getting started. Next up...</div>
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Muay Thai Kickboxing!!</div>
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We went and saw 5 kickboxing matches. The first round was between two kids - 15 and 16 year olds! They weren't too interesting to watch. The rest of them were though. There were even two lady fights; they meant business. We saw three knock-outs! Ow. David and I had some friendly wagers going for each match and I totally won! But it was all luck. We had no idea what we were doing. We basically made our decision based on shallow snap judgements of the fighters. Ha!</div>
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That took us to 11:30pm... Waaaay past our bedtime. Past our vacation bedtime even. </div>
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We're now in Phuket and sadly we are not fans... I'll write more later, but we're hoping we'll like a different part of the island more before we head off to the Phi Phi Islands early next week. </div>
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Ta ta for now!</div>
Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16228853414709768732noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18365100.post-40292832472025892752012-12-16T06:28:00.000-08:002012-12-16T07:01:29.681-08:00Adventures in Chiang Mai<div>
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We moved on from Bangkok to Chiang Mai and I just love this place! </div>
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<a href="http://thedailyexplorer.wordpress.com/2008/04/14/thai-ing-the-knot/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Source</span></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875);">It feels like there is so much to do up here. And slowly but surely we're seeing the sights and going on adventures... Slowly because we are on vacation after all. </span></div>
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We had originally hoped to get to Chiang Mai by an overnight train since it seems like it would be quite an experience all on its own, but they were sold out the day we wanted to leave so plan B kicked in: an inexpensive flight that was just over an hour long, MUCH faster than the train but not quite as cheap. On our one hour flight they gave us a full meal!! </div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875);">I was seriously floored. I only get a couple cookies on a 4 hour flight to Minnesota! Thailand knows what's up.</span></div>
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Our hotel, Eurana Boutique Hotel (which is just so-so... albeit cheap!) is located in Old City which is a 1 km square area surrounded by a moat. </div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875);">Pretty neat. There are tons of shops and food stalls around which has kept us busy and well fed.</span></div>
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Our first day here we rented some bicycles to get around and see the city, both inside and outside the moat. </div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875);">And then we hit up the night bazaar - it's basically an arts and crafts fair on steroids. It's pretty hit or miss; there were quite a few trinkety things but we did find (and buy) a fun painting from a local artist.</span></div>
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Our second day was filled with a cooking class, something I was looking forward to doing loooong before we started our whole trip. We went with <a href="http://www.smartcookthailand.com/">Smart Cooks</a> and LOVED it. They picked us up from our hotel and we started with a market tour where we learned about the different kinds or rice in Thailand and the various veggies and herbs (which had actually perplexed me before) that we would be cooking with. </div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ux3X_E8liKY/UM3LnO-BNoI/AAAAAAAAApc/Ivmb9eqf3hI/s1600/12+-+2" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ux3X_E8liKY/UM3LnO-BNoI/AAAAAAAAApc/Ivmb9eqf3hI/s320/12+-+2" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875);">Then we headed off to their farm for the actual class portion - there were just 7 total in our class. Getting to their farm involved a short train ride and then a ten minute bike ride - it all felt so quaint.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875);">This is precisely the moment David and I realized we left the class mangoes on the train... Doh!</span></div>
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We got to pick 7 items/courses to make and it all turned out so yummy. It was a very filling day though! </div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">No surprise, David chose to make pad Thai. </span></div>
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Thankfully he loved this variation so we/he will definitely be trying to recreate it at home (thanks to them providing a recipe book!). We also got to make curry from scratch.</div>
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That mortar and pestle were heavy duty, it was seriously a workout to make the curry paste. It all led to my first ever phanang curry - it was so good!</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eInovvUPiy4/UM3LnJ7HaiI/AAAAAAAAArQ/ZQJe0O0c8Pg/s1600/12+-+9" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eInovvUPiy4/UM3LnJ7HaiI/AAAAAAAAArQ/ZQJe0O0c8Pg/s320/12+-+9" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875);">How legit does this look?</span></div>
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Today was a bit more chill. We rented some scooters and explored more of the city. It almost went off without a hitch. The scooters were a bit strange to get used to (I've never been on one before). About 15-20 minutes in, I kinda sorta made a boo-boo that ended up costing us some baht. BUT, no one suffered even a scratch and all locals involved were so dang nice about it and it was so cheap to fix! Aside from that, the scooters were so much fun to ride! I usually led the two of us so i could go a nice slow Amy-pace. Every now and then I had to remind myself this is real life... not a video game. Of course we forgot to get a pic of one of us on the bike but we DID get a pic of the damage. Ha! (See the front fender??)</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">We rode up a small mountain to check out another temple (Wat Prathat Doi Suthep) which was pretty neat. There were sooo many stairs to get to the temple!</span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ugpR46pbroA/UM3LW09kLmI/AAAAAAAAAqc/86mZsHlS6Eg/s1600/12+-+9" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ugpR46pbroA/UM3LW09kLmI/AAAAAAAAAqc/86mZsHlS6Eg/s320/12+-+9" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875);"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875);">Another foot massage down and I think we're about ready for bed! Vacation wears a girl out. </span></div>
Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16228853414709768732noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18365100.post-73324444784854480412012-12-14T03:51:00.004-08:002012-12-14T03:53:00.649-08:00The End of BangkokWe've moved on from the city of Bangkok, but our last days there were quite full. While exploring, we made our way to the Grand Palace. There's a very strict dress code for the palace...<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iOdpoG35E0c/UMsC4sN4o-I/AAAAAAAAAlA/97nfiYNrZVg/s1600/12+-+1" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iOdpoG35E0c/UMsC4sN4o-I/AAAAAAAAAlA/97nfiYNrZVg/s320/12+-+1" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875);">We didnt know we'd get to the palace that day so we hadn't dressed the part. Not that we would have wanted to, it's super hot here (high 80's and 90's) and yet plenty of locals walk around in long sleeves and pants! Anywho, the Grand Palace thinks ahead. They have it set up so you can "rent" appropriate attire for free. Here's the swag I had to wear</span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xpVaKmpSP-k/UMsD-xn4aJI/AAAAAAAAAjc/Tq0gaIEvCII/s1600/12+-+3" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xpVaKmpSP-k/UMsD-xn4aJI/AAAAAAAAAjc/Tq0gaIEvCII/s320/12+-+3" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875);"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875);">And David just had to put on a pair of comfy pants.</span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TfvuhmO1MD4/UMsEd13RgZI/AAAAAAAAAn0/zIoumoM1PEw/s1600/12+-+9" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TfvuhmO1MD4/UMsEd13RgZI/AAAAAAAAAn0/zIoumoM1PEw/s320/12+-+9" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875);"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">I guess the king of Thailand only uses the buildings at the Grand Palace for some special ceremonies every now and then. It's strange to think all of this is largely unused now...</span></div>
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It's all so ornate!</div>
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Getting around in the city has been super easy. We've managed to walk a lot of places and there is so much public transportation. Taxi's are pretty unexciting, but Thailand also has Tuk Tuks. It's a cross between a taxi and a go-cart. It's really like a motorized tricycle with room for 3-4 passengers.</div>
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This really isn't an accurate depiction of one though because the driver is usually out on the street hassling people to take a ride.</div>
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They cruise around the streets at alarming speeds and dodge in and out of traffic. </div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-867F-0mG5Ag/UMsG40fjeCI/AAAAAAAAAnI/RJE0PTviuE0/s1600/12+-+6" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-867F-0mG5Ag/UMsG40fjeCI/AAAAAAAAAnI/RJE0PTviuE0/s320/12+-+6" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875);">Bangkok traffic is something else. Seriously, road lanes are merely a suggestion - even on the freeway! Half the time your driver will be cruising in between two lanes. And motorcycles just go where ever they please and where ever they fit. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875);"><br /></span>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NbwcVPGHRqQ/UMsC4h-OifI/AAAAAAAAAjU/i-47oNCmjuw/s1600/12+-+8" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NbwcVPGHRqQ/UMsC4h-OifI/AAAAAAAAAjU/i-47oNCmjuw/s320/12+-+8" width="320" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875);"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875);">We took a day trip to see the sights of Ayutthaya. It's a city about an hour-ish outside of Bangkok with loads of temples and religious significance (if you're Buddhist, which about 95% of Thailand is). At one point it was the capital of Thailand but now it is mostly old temples and ruins of old temples. </span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VocqLhq1aeo/UMsEd0dl30I/AAAAAAAAAnk/ZbnIeMNQQRk/s1600/12+-+2" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VocqLhq1aeo/UMsEd0dl30I/AAAAAAAAAnk/ZbnIeMNQQRk/s320/12+-+2" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">We hit up 5 sites and sadly they all started to blend together quite a bit but it was still a ton of fun. </span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Bk_C4ddkllk/UMsD-3kMssI/AAAAAAAAAnM/jqYdNFtU7Jc/s1600/12+-+7" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Bk_C4ddkllk/UMsD-3kMssI/AAAAAAAAAnM/jqYdNFtU7Jc/s320/12+-+7" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0-bynAXvdeQ/UMsD-xILUlI/AAAAAAAAAnQ/cDftYb9IY4s/s1600/12+-+9" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0-bynAXvdeQ/UMsD-xILUlI/AAAAAAAAAnQ/cDftYb9IY4s/s320/12+-+9" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">The stairs to the temples were all kinds of wonky.</span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mIKpCgFCQdU/UMsD--9b1TI/AAAAAAAAAlg/28iSMzONAck/s1600/12+-+2" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mIKpCgFCQdU/UMsD--9b1TI/AAAAAAAAAlg/28iSMzONAck/s320/12+-+2" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875);">They were a little daunting to climb at times.</span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3lxU-kAk2sw/UMsD-29MRsI/AAAAAAAAAnE/oJ62FIop8hU/s1600/12+-+8" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3lxU-kAk2sw/UMsD-29MRsI/AAAAAAAAAnE/oJ62FIop8hU/s320/12+-+8" width="240" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875);"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875);">There was such a diverse group of people on our tour. Germany, Korea, France, China, and Japan were all represented, and the crazy common denominator? They all spoke English very very well. Makes me feel pretty lazy and unworldly because I don't recall much of MY foreign language - Spanish. </span></div>
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We also took a little trip to Chinatown where David had the best pad Thai of our trip so far (he has currently had 6 variations!).<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4yIzjr1U8Es/UMsEd_CUuWI/AAAAAAAAAnw/cNAJFW4ZGGM/s1600/12+-+3" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4yIzjr1U8Es/UMsEd_CUuWI/AAAAAAAAAnw/cNAJFW4ZGGM/s320/12+-+3" width="240" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CvfAA2MRPeY/UMsEd4CPrCI/AAAAAAAAAnY/GqK9ghRQiJY/s1600/12+-+4" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CvfAA2MRPeY/UMsEd4CPrCI/AAAAAAAAAnY/GqK9ghRQiJY/s320/12+-+4" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875);">And lastly, we have fully taken advantage of the inexpensive spa services here. We've each had two foot massages and one traditional Thai massage. Each was only $4 for 30 minutes!! We definitely plan on more massages. David tried a "Fish Spa" (I opted out due to me being a scaredy cat)</span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RzN1MQfLdkc/UMsEd97eWnI/AAAAAAAAAnc/AN1sQWAiH_s/s1600/12+-+7" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RzN1MQfLdkc/UMsEd97eWnI/AAAAAAAAAnc/AN1sQWAiH_s/s320/12+-+7" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ly9uxSZ7JTo/UMsEd0hc8OI/AAAAAAAAAns/TiG0vIAsKHw/s1600/12+-+6" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ly9uxSZ7JTo/UMsEd0hc8OI/AAAAAAAAAns/TiG0vIAsKHw/s320/12+-+6" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875);">So weird. He says it's kinda ticklish and it feels like when your foot is asleep, tingling back to life.</span></div>
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Yesterday we made our way to Chiang Mai (up in Northern Thailand) but I will write about those adventures on my next post... this baby is gettin' long! </div>
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..and it feels like nap time.</div>
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Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16228853414709768732noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18365100.post-27495787417545279692012-12-11T00:11:00.002-08:002012-12-11T02:53:47.716-08:00The Land of Thai<div>
Whew. </div>
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The past 2+ weeks have seriously felt like a whirlwind with being super busy at work, finishing Christmas shopping (except for a coulple things for David's side), and packing for VACATION.</div>
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Yeah! David and I are finally on vacation for 3+ weeks in glorious Thailand. We've been talking about this trip for years (literally, since before we got married) and have been legitimately planning this particular trip since about July. </div>
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We left Seattle Saturday afternoon with a layover in Beijing (which may be my least favorite airport).</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_n8hP-Oy2WI/UMaoIVtgO4I/AAAAAAAAAfg/Ja6xYlhs7Aw/s1600/12+-+8" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_n8hP-Oy2WI/UMaoIVtgO4I/AAAAAAAAAfg/Ja6xYlhs7Aw/s320/12+-+8" width="240" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-shqWAk5fXws/UMaoITVuXII/AAAAAAAAAes/bTudw7kF0Rg/s1600/12+-+1" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-shqWAk5fXws/UMaoITVuXII/AAAAAAAAAes/bTudw7kF0Rg/s320/12+-+1" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">With a minor hiccup (involving a U-turn 1 hour into our second flight for a medical emergency) we finally landed in Thailand at 4am Thai time MONDAY morning... That's about 1pm SUNDAY Seattle time. 24 hours of travel time... But we made it! ...with little to no sleep. </span><br />
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We immediately found respite in a hotel by the airport where we basically just slept for 5 hours and showered up. I always feel so gross after flying even 3-4 hours so this was like a shower emergency. We then made it into the heart of Bangkok and found our hotel even though no one else could really direct us there. It was quite the trek with our huge backpacks. </div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LU0IxW4SMR4/UMaoIf4__qI/AAAAAAAAAeQ/u0ydKpjLA_4/s1600/12+-+2" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LU0IxW4SMR4/UMaoIf4__qI/AAAAAAAAAeQ/u0ydKpjLA_4/s320/12+-+2" width="240" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">This picture was taken at the Seattle airport but that's what we're carrying... Along with an additional carry-on backpack each. </span><br />
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We haven't been here long but I would already totally recommend the place we're staying - The Korbua House. </div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SRTaPG8avy4/UMaoIf-p41I/AAAAAAAAAfU/vf0cPsUMleQ/s1600/12+-+4" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SRTaPG8avy4/UMaoIf-p41I/AAAAAAAAAfU/vf0cPsUMleQ/s320/12+-+4" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875);">We planned a few nights here because we didn't want to fret about finding a place to stay after such a long day of travel. Korbua House has not disappointed. It was only about $35/night; the room is small but very comfortable and it is so dang cute in the lobby area. It's right on a river and next to lots of shops.</span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KGeC-zxbcHw/UMaoIUwZ9MI/AAAAAAAAAeY/Wsl7aFdRbjA/s1600/12+-+3" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KGeC-zxbcHw/UMaoIUwZ9MI/AAAAAAAAAeY/Wsl7aFdRbjA/s320/12+-+3" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875);">Lucky for us there was a HUGE street fair going on just 2 blocks from our hotel. </span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-z_EmsLeByhM/UMaoIbrG8EI/AAAAAAAAAe4/RQAdXlpf4kk/s1600/12+-+5" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-z_EmsLeByhM/UMaoIbrG8EI/AAAAAAAAAe4/RQAdXlpf4kk/s320/12+-+5" width="320" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);"><br /></span>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875);">David was seriously in heaven. There were so so so many food vendors selling meat on a stick, pad thai, squid eggs, garlic bread, you name it. And it's all cooked right in front of you. Very neat. And it's all so dang cheap! A lot of the food offerings were 10baht or 25 baht... It's about 30baht to a US dollar. Perfect!! </span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-L5LUAb0vnOs/UMaoIXEzceI/AAAAAAAAAeE/uS8BV7l_Fvo/s1600/12+-+7" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-L5LUAb0vnOs/UMaoIXEzceI/AAAAAAAAAeE/uS8BV7l_Fvo/s320/12+-+7" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875);">We're just gearing up for another exciting day; I'm sure there will be plenty more to share later!</span></div>
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Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16228853414709768732noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18365100.post-77257500187127063832012-11-03T17:57:00.001-07:002012-11-05T18:40:15.126-08:00Show me the mug<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
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After waiting patiently, we finally got our pottery back
last night! Before I show you my latest creation, I thought it’d be fun to show some items from years past.</div>
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Our very first date was at <a href="http://www.ceramics-painting.com/">Paint the Town</a> way back in
October 2008. I thought it was a spectacular date idea: quite original, and
totally to David’s credit. That night, I whipped up this rather sorry looking goblet. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQw4Hmh2CEvpvhiGHVoOE9_kJDm4mOzHnap_iM53nWjZiXgGyk1xxe7-Si65P3cbpNbamTfwXo9T1Ko-0kMlFHKqDZ8aF-idHlQarAit2RfkJRik-qCJ5F3-zW4zuXqrROjsap/s1600/photo+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQw4Hmh2CEvpvhiGHVoOE9_kJDm4mOzHnap_iM53nWjZiXgGyk1xxe7-Si65P3cbpNbamTfwXo9T1Ko-0kMlFHKqDZ8aF-idHlQarAit2RfkJRik-qCJ5F3-zW4zuXqrROjsap/s320/photo+1.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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This thing never gets used… for obvious reasons.</div>
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The following year we went to Paint the Town as an engaged
couple. I made this bowl which I thought turned out looking really fun. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPA4LYMTEaVuzofnNrTF9gsk_WKSvNYh11ZEQu-n1OhgrNxKDKXNG_vWR-wnBz2VjSjoqVGnOrcViGBoNb6QrCOpa0x8vCIVuCYH2u_SZsGpHqsF8wyl7yFAdnTrPD8-mVjD02/s1600/photo+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPA4LYMTEaVuzofnNrTF9gsk_WKSvNYh11ZEQu-n1OhgrNxKDKXNG_vWR-wnBz2VjSjoqVGnOrcViGBoNb6QrCOpa0x8vCIVuCYH2u_SZsGpHqsF8wyl7yFAdnTrPD8-mVjD02/s320/photo+3.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSrP-nCLXWH4W1FXPz8Pf4MRxipKO1ACpFnrkvEr5WAA4-v0PgAj00zc7sf9mduQ1Fe9B6vyCFaay_mKUBwS9rqpVS9VQ05QHtOmguGUSIkidH-JvjhW3DpSE_9AE6puO-_edv/s1600/photo+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSrP-nCLXWH4W1FXPz8Pf4MRxipKO1ACpFnrkvEr5WAA4-v0PgAj00zc7sf9mduQ1Fe9B6vyCFaay_mKUBwS9rqpVS9VQ05QHtOmguGUSIkidH-JvjhW3DpSE_9AE6puO-_edv/s320/photo+1.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Funny fact: purple and green ended up being our wedding
colors. </div>
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As a newlywed in 2010, I made this plate. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIkUlHkBQ-ZGNHGD-JS-isBn2fXJWld9v9xFh4zouz3nrYHCWF1mMHMmNp4UVAcnT_6g-6LXJM8D98_4oQKvv6XG_e_AsYNe0JMNySheBTKWscT1ofL9JxELLpwta5sRL2BGbM/s1600/photo+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIkUlHkBQ-ZGNHGD-JS-isBn2fXJWld9v9xFh4zouz3nrYHCWF1mMHMmNp4UVAcnT_6g-6LXJM8D98_4oQKvv6XG_e_AsYNe0JMNySheBTKWscT1ofL9JxELLpwta5sRL2BGbM/s320/photo+2.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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I tried using lace
at the shop to make a pretty border (I seriously <i>adore</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> lace) but it didn’t quite turn out as I had
envisioned. </span></div>
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In 2011, this hideous bowl was birthed. I have no words for
the disorganized look of it. Oy.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvYYa1ZIRBrC6iikbo4vic-YdTA4IJF4HOU8gFsjpH6gI3Z6yCxO4CLC6NuBG8sqNFCVDxU3V95B8Rpib7RDRmqEOkSSEjq-TfCahEcAMZzEsjjAhYq-kjbKERTcutBXjPOhOk/s1600/photo+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvYYa1ZIRBrC6iikbo4vic-YdTA4IJF4HOU8gFsjpH6gI3Z6yCxO4CLC6NuBG8sqNFCVDxU3V95B8Rpib7RDRmqEOkSSEjq-TfCahEcAMZzEsjjAhYq-kjbKERTcutBXjPOhOk/s320/photo+2.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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But then this year, this MUG happened! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCrWJxxVCwL7ApksNGsE87rUzQs7r7sx3iyDFfAsetXt7vLRmoKhxYCJJBJo4iTVWIl2ksabkiRI3LOhvc5xqLWeoKOkXftcCZW6TjAgShGvv6VNHwU5gr4xEzf1HkcTofpTYm/s1600/photo+4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCrWJxxVCwL7ApksNGsE87rUzQs7r7sx3iyDFfAsetXt7vLRmoKhxYCJJBJo4iTVWIl2ksabkiRI3LOhvc5xqLWeoKOkXftcCZW6TjAgShGvv6VNHwU5gr4xEzf1HkcTofpTYm/s320/photo+4.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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And I really love it. </div>
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A lot. I thought it turned out super cute. I wasted no time and used it immediately. The
inaugural drink? Hot cider ...with some homemade pumpkin bread on the side. Mmm mmm.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLfcqhoaIiEQO4Hv5Xe81Ewup8vAdY6ENe0eEE3qr4vxybRTK7OQOVcTxDm2rl8-r54J8h5fUBLNjesz_yqp5-Sa4hqcGHVHSm_7gZUOJy79eLqUHeZsv2qIzaxxHVTJqU7szt/s1600/photo+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLfcqhoaIiEQO4Hv5Xe81Ewup8vAdY6ENe0eEE3qr4vxybRTK7OQOVcTxDm2rl8-r54J8h5fUBLNjesz_yqp5-Sa4hqcGHVHSm_7gZUOJy79eLqUHeZsv2qIzaxxHVTJqU7szt/s320/photo+2.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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David has had more consistent luck with his painting skills.
Here’s a little sampling of his stuff:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixvZplZixseIftH1N3nxtTaMzu4s-0-T3pKJq8wR4y_wpMlqdxnONB7tNKgY7AQDQUllb17ryAMxx3569QyjbrmvYgbvHZpqrQbgQHin31s6LuGVrk51dzb2gaook_dEzxamKs/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixvZplZixseIftH1N3nxtTaMzu4s-0-T3pKJq8wR4y_wpMlqdxnONB7tNKgY7AQDQUllb17ryAMxx3569QyjbrmvYgbvHZpqrQbgQHin31s6LuGVrk51dzb2gaook_dEzxamKs/s320/photo.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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That's all for pottery this year. Tonight should be a fun and interesting one… we’ll be playing <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Spin-Master-Games-20042851-Quelf/dp/B00421AGGG">Quelf</a> with a
few friends. If you’re familiar with this game you know what to expect – all
things ridiculous and probably some embarrassment. It’s a game best enjoyed
with a small group of friends you’re comfortable with and a certain amount of
alcohol. </div>
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Cheers! </div>
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Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16228853414709768732noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18365100.post-45599209570581616212012-10-27T19:47:00.001-07:002012-10-27T19:48:35.137-07:00Potpurri<div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
The title of this post is basically a shout-out to Jeopardy. I know... sometimes I'm too nerdy for my own sake.<br />
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***<br />
Last weekend I completed my very first zippered skirt
project and I just l.o.v.e it! I found some wool fabric on sale and thought
it’d be perfect for a winter work look with some tights. Here it is all
finished. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxx3oXmjMK6szC044nMUO5KvQk3y8sflBdqQ9X4MpoHlJMHX_2V4oO3NgHNYXRtckhrLCxpxos-SpF-ZzcqiS2clR3YqHaklly9uNn3-osIrLz3b-Dl8su-pqO70t4zpvnjAv5/s1600/skirt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxx3oXmjMK6szC044nMUO5KvQk3y8sflBdqQ9X4MpoHlJMHX_2V4oO3NgHNYXRtckhrLCxpxos-SpF-ZzcqiS2clR3YqHaklly9uNn3-osIrLz3b-Dl8su-pqO70t4zpvnjAv5/s320/skirt.jpg" width="226" /></a></div>
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Not too shabby, right? It's hard to see the little pattern in the fabric but here's a close up...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFeFZUS_rSLu2WqF4lvjfpJL7Ij40x8777VvDh78bitUQ85e0vx5Q-Aoz8LWeYNpMDwvBmLpmSd2564prZxaCvx7aVZ6uIkR8CL2anQNNoi03nzTFnBdRD91IrKmhNvxOSdI_P/s1600/DSCF3558.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFeFZUS_rSLu2WqF4lvjfpJL7Ij40x8777VvDh78bitUQ85e0vx5Q-Aoz8LWeYNpMDwvBmLpmSd2564prZxaCvx7aVZ6uIkR8CL2anQNNoi03nzTFnBdRD91IrKmhNvxOSdI_P/s320/DSCF3558.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
I found a fun little book at the library - <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Flirt-Skirts-Learn-Customize-Style/dp/0307586693">Flirt Skirts</a> - and <i>mostly </i>followed their A-line skirt pattern/directions. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHEo4n2mzaFclNKAq-3MhVFFpipKNtr7ddvDAIrivEyxJ-WYRuvLbkAA_mvOb2-3NNUEhQS5PeDkO_rPrXxakNJGIBmXHcbAaxIQnw9F5i6NmY_QDm4Loz3UkLEoVgIi-FRBGj/s1600/DSCF3480.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHEo4n2mzaFclNKAq-3MhVFFpipKNtr7ddvDAIrivEyxJ-WYRuvLbkAA_mvOb2-3NNUEhQS5PeDkO_rPrXxakNJGIBmXHcbAaxIQnw9F5i6NmY_QDm4Loz3UkLEoVgIi-FRBGj/s320/DSCF3480.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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It’s inspired me to make more skirts so I went out and
found some fun fabric today and plan to get sewing in the next few weeks. I’ll
let you know how they turn out!</div>
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***<br />
Here’s <a href="http://www.willrunforcookies.com/2012/10/creamy-chicken-and-wild-rice-soup.html">that delicious soup</a> in it’s finished form. It was just as good as the first time we had it.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFc-c8YFK83iKVVBKbLIaBH8c9wd5ZgZbm1JtkrnXzJCkzHmYWaI55rHVmu1SBkOxtQ0TM8Sfx5sJetqCGvgYm7ncOf9F5UuWS-ueUiOvPy8BXI0ZRb3TQY4o8-epR4tzcsF98/s1600/soup.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFc-c8YFK83iKVVBKbLIaBH8c9wd5ZgZbm1JtkrnXzJCkzHmYWaI55rHVmu1SBkOxtQ0TM8Sfx5sJetqCGvgYm7ncOf9F5UuWS-ueUiOvPy8BXI0ZRb3TQY4o8-epR4tzcsF98/s320/soup.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Yum!</div>
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David and I had a date night out last night.
We grabbed happy hour at <a href="http://www.ilbistro.net/">Il Bistro</a> in Pike Place market, browsed the market a
bit (scored some free cinnamon rolls since it was the end of the day for the bakery!), and went to <a href="http://www.ceramics-painting.com/">Paint the Town</a> for some creative enjoyment. We keep track of all the happy hours we hit up and even have a little "black book" with our ratings for each. We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves at Il Bistro which I think is reflected in our rating of a 4 out of 5. They have super cheap glasses of wine and apps as cheap as $2.95. Nothing like a cheap date, huh?<br />
<br />
We’ve gone to Paint
the Town every year for our dating anniversary and I always look forward to it
even though it can be very hit or miss with my painting skills. I didn’t get a
picture of the mug I painted before it went into the kiln but I’ll show you how it turns out when we get it
back next weekend. It was such a fun evening!<br />
<br />
I'm off to enjoy the rest of my weekend! </div>
Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16228853414709768732noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18365100.post-73877841246160926362012-10-17T19:05:00.001-07:002012-11-05T18:41:02.286-08:00Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">It’s been a busy past week or so here at The Hill
House. I’ve been wanting to post a particular recipe since last Friday
but I just kept not getting around to it… So I finally wizened up and
kinda sorta maybe wrote this at work. Sssh.<br /><br />I really wanted to share this because I made my first ever homemade soup and it was so darn good, we fully plan on making it again
ASAP. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Some wonderful backstory… This soup is kind of like a Minnesota cliché/staple.
And even though I grew up in Minnesota,
the first time I had Wild Rice Soup was during a trip home <i><span style="font-style: italic;">after</span></i> going away to college. It was at the
Oak Grill atop the Macy’s in downtown Minneapolis (known as Dayton’s in its
hayday). I simply love going to the Oak Grill anytime we visit MN. They serve some
stellar popovers before your meal and their asiago crusted chicken is so beyond
words – YUM! And then there’s their wild rice soup, another
delicious treat. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">We hosted our community group last Thursday and made this
soup and it was a total hit! It has left me wondering if all soups are this easy.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">So without further adieu… here’s the beloved recipe
that went <i><span style="font-style: italic;">straight</span></i> into my personal
recipe book. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Adapted from recipes on allrecipes.com</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">makes 4 hearty servings </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7MMK8bHOtlVb2SchHy-xX_r_Y56m_UDv5sAtYcfPNFN14HTBagancH9J-bXo3GoPQeXV0J79z4BX68jl74M41N_VOi9pQBRuFEphB67O1EuL0joQFW-OwO4pQeNmL_9MoHzoE/s1600/DSCF3473.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7MMK8bHOtlVb2SchHy-xX_r_Y56m_UDv5sAtYcfPNFN14HTBagancH9J-bXo3GoPQeXV0J79z4BX68jl74M41N_VOi9pQBRuFEphB67O1EuL0joQFW-OwO4pQeNmL_9MoHzoE/s400/DSCF3473.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">3 1/2 cups chicken stock</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">1 cup sliced carrot</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">1/2 cup sliced celery</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">3/4 cup diced potato</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">1/3 cup wild rice</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">1/3 cup diced onion</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">1/2 tsp dried thyme</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">2 tbsp butter</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">3 tbsp flour</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">1 cup half-and-half</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">1 1/2 cups diced cooked chicken</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><i>Directions</i></span></span></div>
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<style>@font-face {
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}p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; }table.MsoNormalTable { font-size: 10pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; }div.Section1 { page: Section1; }</style><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 11pt;">·</span><span style="font-family: "Bell MT"; font-size: 11pt;"></span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> Mix broth, carrots, celery, uncooked rice, onion, thyme, and 1/4 tsp pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer 1 hour (until rice is tender).</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Slowly add half-and-half mixture to rice mixture, stirring constantly. Sire in chicken and heat through.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">And like an idiot I completely neglected to take a picture
of it when it was fresh. But it looked as good as it tasted.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Now go forth and make this soup!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">P.S. We ended the meal with P-Dub’s insanely delicious
<a href="http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2010/11/pumpkin-cream-pie/">Pumpkin Cream Pie</a>. It really is a pumpkin pie for those who don’t like
pumpkin pie (like me!!).</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">What a healthy meal, huh?</span></span></div>
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</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><br /></span></span>Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16228853414709768732noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18365100.post-7258040488735281032012-10-07T20:47:00.001-07:002012-10-07T20:59:23.469-07:00A Run and Some MuffinsI took the liberty of revamping my little space here on the interweb. It's still very much a work-in-progress but I think I'm liking it so far.<br />
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I ran a 5k last Sunday and then somehow managed to not run <i>at all </i>the rest of the week. I've run a total of 5 organized 5k's and I was pleasantly surprised to learn that this was my 2nd best time-wise. So today was all about trying to get back into the game. I headed out to Alki beach to enjoy some scenery and hit the pavement. <br />
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Some pics on the run... </div>
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It was seriously the perfect evening to be outside. Not too much wind and it was cool enough out to keep me going. </div>
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And then I promptly returned home to bake.<br />
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I found a rather nostalgic recipe in my recipe folder earlier today and just had to make it. We had two sorry looking apples in stock and they were begging for a makeover anyway - it was meant to be! It's a recipe I actually remember making back in my youth. I think I'm officially old enough to say things like that. Please don't tell me otherwise.<br />
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I have no idea where this recipe really came from but if you go to my parents house and browse their recipe box you'll find a card in my handwriting with this baby on it...<br />
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<span><span style="background-color: #4c1130;"><span style="background-color: white;"></span></span></span><i><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;">Apple Muffins</span></span></i><br />
<i>makes about 9-10 muffins</i> <br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">1 egg</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">3/4 cup milk</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">1 medium-ish apple (peeled, cored, and diced)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">1/2 cup vegetable oil (I doubled this recipe and only used about 3/4 cup oil total)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">2 cups flour</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">1/2 tsp cinnamon</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">1/3 cup brown sugar</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">3 tsp baking powder</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">1/2 tsp salt<span id="goog_1115049890"></span><span id="goog_1115049891"></span></span><br />
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<i>Directions</i></div>
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Preheat oven to 400*. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Whisk egg. Stir in milk, apple pieces, and oil.<br />Stir in remaining dry ingredients just until flour is moist.<br />Pour into muffin cups and sprinkle tops with a mixture of 1/4 cup brown sugar and 1/2 tsp cinnamon.<br />Bake for about 20 min and remove from pan immediately. </span><br />
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I think they make a pretty tasty muffin... tasty enough to eat multiples in one siting. But don't ask me how I know that.<br />
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Time to go mentally prepare for the impending workweek!Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16228853414709768732noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18365100.post-90585334056392963652012-08-03T19:37:00.000-07:002012-10-07T20:47:53.353-07:00Zombies are coming!!<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
Here is where I post something and <i>completely</i> ignore the fact that my last post was over 6 months ago...</div>
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In T-minus 15 hours, I will literally be chased by zombies. </div>
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Yup, you read that correctly. </div>
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Along with a handful of friends, I'm doing the <a href="http://runforyourlives.com/">Run For Your Lives Zombie 5k</a> tomorrow morning. I'm super excited but a little nervous at the same time. You basically run a 5k with 12 obstacles scattered about and loads of zombies trying to take your life (i.e. "life flags" hanging from your sides). I'm not expecting to finish in any respectable place nor do I even expect to be "alive" when I finish but it seems guaranteed to be a blast!</div>
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I snagged some pictures from their facebook page...</div>
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They seriously outfit their zombies!</div>
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Ducking and dodging</div>
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Things are gonna get dirty... </div>
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Wish me luck!!</div>
Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16228853414709768732noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18365100.post-18227359463245369452012-01-19T19:57:00.000-08:002012-01-19T19:57:48.242-08:00Snow in SeattleI must say, the snow here was kind of well timed.<br />
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I made it in to work yesterday just fine (the clinic I work at pretty much <i>never</i> closes) and actually had a decent time there. They treated us to pizza (I <i>love </i>a free lunch!) and then gave me the option of leaving early 'cause it was so slow... umm, YES PLEASE! I was outta downtown around 2-ish and loooved it.<br />
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The streets downtown weren't too terrible... <br />
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I've heard this so frequently lately that it's starting to feel like an urban legend, but apparently the Seattle area only has FOUR snow plows to handle all the snow we're getting!<br />
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This is usually a bustling park downtown (across the street from Westlake) but it was so
empty! <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJQ85dCpxbJME5e-5aMu-0Yhh6NS5D84AXyHigqt32_VaulRC-DqBYNoDLdlgvP-ZhcsMb4W_PaBWVrcF80XRgmnrIWwo48OVU1dvW-tsuxgSz1E9UJIFzTYIEkx5JsB-MNUBD/s1600/photo+4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJQ85dCpxbJME5e-5aMu-0Yhh6NS5D84AXyHigqt32_VaulRC-DqBYNoDLdlgvP-ZhcsMb4W_PaBWVrcF80XRgmnrIWwo48OVU1dvW-tsuxgSz1E9UJIFzTYIEkx5JsB-MNUBD/s320/photo+4.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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Today was my regular day off so I didn't have to worry about braving the weather. I was able to stay nice and cozy at home. I'll be back at work tomorrow though and then I'm off for a three-day weekend! I'm not doing anything exciting, I just felt like taking a Monday off is all. ha! <br />
<br />
Hope you're staying warm out there!!Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16228853414709768732noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18365100.post-85145929063928246312012-01-15T15:43:00.000-08:002012-01-15T15:44:21.689-08:00Yummy goodnessTwo posts in one day? Yup! It's mostly due to the fact that I'm "snowed in." I use that term loosely 'cause if we were back in Minnesota this snow would have no effect on the days activities.<br />
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I just have this habit of writing posts in my head but then they never make their way to the actual bloggy-blog. BUT. This one is just too good not to put out there.<br />
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Until about a month or so ago I had never had bread pudding.
Crazy! It is so weird to me when I try new things that I've been around since I was a kid only to find that I absolutely LOVE it. Why oh WHY did I wait so long to try all these foods?? Like kiwi. I had kiwi for
the first time only a couple years ago and it’s probably one of my top 3
favorite fruits now! </div>
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But now I'm geting a little off track. Back to the bread pudding. </div>
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We had a fantastic banana
bread pudding at El Gaucho in early December (my first ever) and then tried one
this past Wednesday evening at Blue Water Bistro. The former was fantastic (seriously the best!!)
but the latter was no bueno. At all. So I thought it’d be worth a shot at
trying it on my own. </div>
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After googling some recipes I settled on <a href="http://www.pauladeen.com/recipes/view2/the_best_bread_pudding">this one </a>with only a
couple minor changes. I brought it to our Community Group on Thursday night and it was totally gobbled up. Completely gone. And I felt like a million bucks cause everyone LOVED it when it was seriously one of the easiest things I've ever made. </div>
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I only got a pre-baking picture but rest assured, it looked delicious
when it was all complete. </div>
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Without further ado...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi34Lg6SkAcs7IDjM8VixwxuzfC0ZPLJCwzAgqFf-2A7S16j6ev1BZQKZuwnHOSVzf4HOJbgNLI81OtTKHkrCbF3DuRvFjEk8jXHjx7yZI-GFIIcxvNoAfyYw9OFIUTr71U361t/s1600/Lady+Rene.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="62" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi34Lg6SkAcs7IDjM8VixwxuzfC0ZPLJCwzAgqFf-2A7S16j6ev1BZQKZuwnHOSVzf4HOJbgNLI81OtTKHkrCbF3DuRvFjEk8jXHjx7yZI-GFIIcxvNoAfyYw9OFIUTr71U361t/s320/Lady+Rene.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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2 cups granulated sugar</div>
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5 beaten eggs</div>
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1 cup milk </div>
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1 cup whipping cream</div>
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2 tsp vanilla</div>
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~6 cups cubed bread, allow to stale over night (you could probably even go up to about 7 cups)</div>
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I didn't plan ahead so I just cubed the bread and baked it at 200* for about 25-30 minutes - instant stale bread!</div>
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1 cup brown sugar </div>
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1/2 stick butter, room-temp</div>
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1. Preheat to 350* and grease a 9x13 inch pan. </div>
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2. Mix together the sugar, eggs, milk, and whipping cream. Add vanilla. Pour over bread and let sit for about 10 minutes. </div>
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3. While that's soaking, mash together the brown sugar and butter until kind of crumbly (I used a pastry blender).</div>
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4. Dump the bread into the pan and sprinkle with the brown sugary goodness.</div>
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5. Bake 35-45 minutes, or until "set" (whatever that really means)</div>
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I brought some "Embellished" Homemade whipped cream to top it with: beat 1/2 pint of whipping cream to a whip cream-like state (duh) and then add in 3 Tbsp powdered sugar and 1 tsp vanilla. </div>
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</div>Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16228853414709768732noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18365100.post-61447423958670142002012-01-15T14:25:00.000-08:002012-01-15T15:16:36.868-08:00Finally, the perfect sports bra!<br />
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I
have been sort of half-assedly (<-- not really a word) trying to find a GOOD sports bra for quite some
time but everything I was finding was pretty much just junk. It is
exceptionally hard to find a sports bra for *ahem* a larger chested lady. It
was very timely to read <a href="http://www.healthytippingpoint.com/2011/12/sports-bras-for-the-b-t-c.html">this post </a>a little while back, which got me back on
track with my search. I bought a Lululemon Ta Ta Tamer because it was sooo
highly recommended but was so annoyed with how it did NOTHING that I would
expect a $56 (!!) sports bra to do. Back to the store it went. And enter ...my new
absolute favorite thing:</div>
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<br /></div>
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The Juno by Moving Comfort.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtX70WM11VCOe6Dsr1UxoSxG9JZT7RhVPWme178eQ636Bto4LMw88FNaViIE95a_uJmnQ9vciVWqNWQ2h5VX31P32Kmd7pxD5QBFBQgtYvR4MQ9C1ZRD9TjPrDdg6ycbgOySnl/s1600/Picture+2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtX70WM11VCOe6Dsr1UxoSxG9JZT7RhVPWme178eQ636Bto4LMw88FNaViIE95a_uJmnQ9vciVWqNWQ2h5VX31P32Kmd7pxD5QBFBQgtYvR4MQ9C1ZRD9TjPrDdg6ycbgOySnl/s320/Picture+2.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.movingcomfort.com/Juno/350025,default,pd.html?dwvar_350025_color=465&start=1&q=juno">source</a></div>
<br />
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I had never even heard of ths brand until I read that post above but now I don't think I'll ever buy anything BUT Moving Comfort. Seriously. I’m sooo pleased with this thing that I feel like I need
to tell any and everyone who is looking for a sports bra that will keep things in
place. Luckily I got it at a great price ‘cause West Seattle Runner (who carries Moving Comfort) had a
<a href="http://www.livingsocial.com/">Livingsocial</a> deal come out literally the day after I decided I wanted a Moving
Comfort bra. I know MY search is now over and it feels good.<br />
</div>
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<br />
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Just wanted to put my two cents in about sports bras! <o:p></o:p></div>Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16228853414709768732noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18365100.post-11973679021730991192011-11-29T22:18:00.001-08:002011-11-29T22:28:16.397-08:00Wanna cry your eyes out from laughter??<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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How have I never seen this video before?? </div>
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I just discovered this video today (while <a href="http://www.stumbleupon.com/home/">stumbling</a> - total addiction!) and David and I literally had tears streaming down our faces from laughing so hard!! I'm talking tears all the way down to my chin. </div>
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It's that funny.</div>
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Check it out...</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/G7RgN9ijwE4?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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Now tell me that's not funny! I'm afraid I've watched this video about 12 times already. I seriously can't get enough and felt compelled to share.</div>
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Aside from that we had a fantastic evening (dinner and pub trivia) but that wil have to wait for tomorrow because it is waaaaay past my bedtime.</div>
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Night night!</div>Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16228853414709768732noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18365100.post-60556291875773510392011-11-27T17:47:00.001-08:002011-11-27T18:27:02.919-08:00Wheat Bread<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I'm definitely calling my first attempt at homemade bread a success.<br />
<br />
For the most part, I followed a recipe from <a href="http://www.farmgirlfare.com/2011/01/farmhouse-white-easy-basic-white.html">Farmgirl Fare's</a> blog but made a few minor changes/embellishments.<br />
<br />
I followed her directions but this is specifically what I threw together:<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">(Not really knowing how it would turn out I scaled it down to make just one loaf) </span><br />
5/6 cup all purpose flour <br />
1 5/6 cup wheat flour<br />
1/2 T instant yeast<br />
2/3 T brown sugar<br />
2/3 T olive oil<br />
1 1/3 cup warm milk<br />
2 cup bread flour<br />
1/2 T salt<br />
two squirts of honey - a very technical measurement, I know<br />
<br />
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It started out looking just meh... not too impressive.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqDQ-Eluazfn1T3OPkIC9R9NOVmPdKkTBW6vwhg7Y7LaqMVjHB5i-luoB7sLB6MmoyYdr8R3obP5LWToxJiqwiTSKsGTPTrzIgN0nsczKCN_95-ZvG-tOtPZCOsOgXdDO6xRYp/s1600/IMG_0492.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqDQ-Eluazfn1T3OPkIC9R9NOVmPdKkTBW6vwhg7Y7LaqMVjHB5i-luoB7sLB6MmoyYdr8R3obP5LWToxJiqwiTSKsGTPTrzIgN0nsczKCN_95-ZvG-tOtPZCOsOgXdDO6xRYp/s400/IMG_0492.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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This was at the start of rising and of course I forgot to get a picture after it had doubled.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2Ec4EI6Dtdjx144QqcE6e81RJnX8XsAdl7CToM8dTwrs3BgUS9nKA1yOLRDklYcQc1uSqb6Kq-hXHxt-oXERRNqes6HdA88HDiiiiA2ZdyFoUJ6up4BCU71clZb7GcNy-G8Wt/s1600/IMG_0494.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2Ec4EI6Dtdjx144QqcE6e81RJnX8XsAdl7CToM8dTwrs3BgUS9nKA1yOLRDklYcQc1uSqb6Kq-hXHxt-oXERRNqes6HdA88HDiiiiA2ZdyFoUJ6up4BCU71clZb7GcNy-G8Wt/s400/IMG_0494.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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I rolled it out a little and tried to fold it like the Farmgirl but it didn't work as I thought it would...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ8pguRTB1-Q9brUxynv-FBvl9lfk7SihPCP7Xg01ONPf3G-5M1k-vzVh7-BaVOKJVTS_uo_yYFfKQHvzXTEiPf0kcFyUJFyS9Ax0P0G1gocIs5jGpolGwRM9lE_MsGpPTqQTI/s1600/IMG_0495.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ8pguRTB1-Q9brUxynv-FBvl9lfk7SihPCP7Xg01ONPf3G-5M1k-vzVh7-BaVOKJVTS_uo_yYFfKQHvzXTEiPf0kcFyUJFyS9Ax0P0G1gocIs5jGpolGwRM9lE_MsGpPTqQTI/s400/IMG_0495.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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...so I just kind of rolled it.</div>
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In to the oven it went for about 30 minutes and then VOILA! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS3NtiMRu22lrhNYV74FkY7sKtBnwHNGEPlBChIPailpfm_bzlmPYsal-naNuFt-Hb2eCM4AIUkUnFFZuMjOnWTo1v0ahHQPqWnqjUdKvU2Z-p5ZN0-bf-JotdKvf3NXufwU2v/s1600/IMG_0500.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS3NtiMRu22lrhNYV74FkY7sKtBnwHNGEPlBChIPailpfm_bzlmPYsal-naNuFt-Hb2eCM4AIUkUnFFZuMjOnWTo1v0ahHQPqWnqjUdKvU2Z-p5ZN0-bf-JotdKvf3NXufwU2v/s400/IMG_0500.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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Fresh out of the oven - it smelled so good!</div>
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And it tasted good too! Of course, my inaugural meal for my loaf was a GRILLED CHEESE!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0ghFmeXfnj4Ys9hw6SR30tqwYVdSFnMXmZIH-9_VKfyuA7AaX6CT035sk0jGorCnorTSUtooSMmPeHtRDqBR7CZUwmgRONJXn7Whyphenhyphen-BwRDd0x99ILJtd6RGs14NkKjeHIxyX8/s1600/IMG_0505.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0ghFmeXfnj4Ys9hw6SR30tqwYVdSFnMXmZIH-9_VKfyuA7AaX6CT035sk0jGorCnorTSUtooSMmPeHtRDqBR7CZUwmgRONJXn7Whyphenhyphen-BwRDd0x99ILJtd6RGs14NkKjeHIxyX8/s400/IMG_0505.JPG" width="300" /></a><br />
So good!!</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I'm certainly no expert with bread but I feel like I have a decent handle on it so I'm excited to try little tweaks here and there with this recipe. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
And now, it's time to do push-ups! David and I have been following the <a href="http://hundredpushups.com/">One Hundred Push-ups Program</a> and we're just finishing up the third week (I heard about it from <a href="http://www.healthytippingpoint.com/">this blogger</a>). We got off by a couple days but it has seriously been crazy to see all the progress over the last couple weeks. Before you even start the program you're supposed to see how many push-ups you can do on your own (this determines which "path" you follow in the program). Make fun of me all you want, but I could only do TWO legit push-ups. But after two weeks, for my little progress test, I could do SEVENTEEN legit push-ups! Talk about progress!! </div>
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I have yet to do any running in the past few months but doing these push-ups makes me feel like I'm not being tooootally lazy. So here I go!</div>Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16228853414709768732noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18365100.post-60956336312096859302011-11-26T21:26:00.001-08:002011-11-26T21:32:30.786-08:00A Very Proud Moment Indeed<o:p></o:p>
<br />
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We went to Safeway the other day for some asparagus and
salad mix and came out with a BUNCH of wine instead. </div>
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It started out with scoping out the wine selection for a
secret Santa gift exchange I’m doing at work. We didn’t actually purchase
anything for said secret Santa BUT we got 6 bottles of wine for more than 50%
off!</div>
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All these wines...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihBE5uGaEv9bSjIzlECyz6bWtpLSKlC_jvQC8ijlf5cOeo3EZYXR1uOFjArc6xAV4lKM2Uyomq6OJls8Ms3ftJOZUIMxUMmqVd2W3fKpgvVEnIMsbqX1DJ1wU2Nr3VnUtMOt6n/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihBE5uGaEv9bSjIzlECyz6bWtpLSKlC_jvQC8ijlf5cOeo3EZYXR1uOFjArc6xAV4lKM2Uyomq6OJls8Ms3ftJOZUIMxUMmqVd2W3fKpgvVEnIMsbqX1DJ1wU2Nr3VnUtMOt6n/s320/photo.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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...originally would have cost about $102 (including
tax) but we got them all for $44.08! Correct me if my calculations are off but
that’s like 57% off! They have such great deals right now! One of these bottles (the third from the right) originally costs 20 bucks but they're selling it for $9 right now. Add on a 6-bottle discount and our $15-off-a-wine-purchase coupon and we're in business :)</div>
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This certainly isn’t all we’ve been up to the past week and
a half. But that’s all I have for you for now. Tomorrow I’m gonna try my hand
at some homemade bread. Assuming it’s not a catastrophe I’ll be reporting on my
attempt tomorrow evening. Wish me luck! </div>Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16228853414709768732noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18365100.post-16693543683541305502011-11-16T18:36:00.001-08:002011-11-16T18:57:51.267-08:00Insignificant, I knowBut I just had to share...<br />
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I'm a receptionist in a doctor's office and part of my job is to check patients in when they arrive. My supervisor is wanting us to keep a running tally of how many patients check in a) early, b) at the time of their appointment, or c) LATE. I'll spare you the back story and jump to our super high-tech method for recording this data. I saw the tally this morning and just had to laugh. We've been doing this for a couple days and I just don't understand WHO would keep a running tally like this:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4Hja_V2Nyg7n4fMW7YcN5pJcp-BWWBmTcrkm3KP1opWCEGdcLxF_YpwRsdGLJYaq6kSfYPSaZywLdiQRhx68rJZj2jhXV4NOcjLBXLjOyhurmlJ2TmguAOdRaq0sOYcE376sZ/s1600/photo+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4Hja_V2Nyg7n4fMW7YcN5pJcp-BWWBmTcrkm3KP1opWCEGdcLxF_YpwRsdGLJYaq6kSfYPSaZywLdiQRhx68rJZj2jhXV4NOcjLBXLjOyhurmlJ2TmguAOdRaq0sOYcE376sZ/s320/photo+2.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Well, I guess I know WHO: my co-workers, obviously. But still, isn't it common knowledge to make that cross-check for #5?? That's what makes counting them up a breeze! Oh well.<br />
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You can clearly tell when I was at this desk by the properly marked tallies. And perhaps you can see where some of our frustration might come from in the office - just look at that right column for yesterday! bah!<br />
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Late arrival = rude<br />
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Just a silly rant for today... that's all :)Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16228853414709768732noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18365100.post-40562169353280332192011-11-08T20:54:00.000-08:002011-11-08T20:55:51.440-08:00Wine in Wenatchee<div style="text-align: left;">
Back in September David and I took advantage of a deal we bought from <a href="http://www.groupon.com/">Groupon</a> a while back. </div>
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The jist: </div>
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For $189 you get a two-night stay and wine tastings at 12 wineries. </div>
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Aaaand: a $25 dining credit to the Wenatchee Roaster & Ale House, chocolates
upon arrival, daily breakfast for two, and a wine tote with two
commemorative glasses. </div>
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The hotel seemed a bit understaffed for the weekend we were there which made for some slower service but I certainly won't complain about that. I guess they were hosting a huge convention AND a wedding ...and on top of that there were a ton of Grouponers (<-- new word) redeeming their deals. They were at max capacity and you could tell. BUT. It was still fun!<br />
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Here's the swag we got upon arrival...<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiev2UnVwBMHYLU9uUd516ru5Vqd5SY9qidddSDAoJYmzAHiFskpfyMRHWq6XgJii2VK_268w3_g7kn3ZhzEe-xIN6nGbZIY1oLFxfI_qvbedpvr7QxcQ9Pkg0HCSstK-pTqfm-/s1600/IMG_0347.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiev2UnVwBMHYLU9uUd516ru5Vqd5SY9qidddSDAoJYmzAHiFskpfyMRHWq6XgJii2VK_268w3_g7kn3ZhzEe-xIN6nGbZIY1oLFxfI_qvbedpvr7QxcQ9Pkg0HCSstK-pTqfm-/s400/IMG_0347.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Meh. Unfortunate fact about me: I don't like assorted/boxed chocolates</span></td></tr>
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Not gonna lie, we threw away the wine glasses as soon as we got home but it was such
a nice touch! We had such nice weather and the surroundings were
quite nice. Wenatchee isn't an exciting city but it's cute in it's own
little way. <br />
<br />
We got to pick 12 wineries to hit up for tastings and my favorite part was that the list of wineries included a cider company! I'm not a beer drinker in the least but I love me some hard cider! The wineries were fun because most of them were small time. So the people who were pouring the tastings were actually the owners/growers! 12 is a lot of wineries to talk about so I'm only going to mention my three favorites...<br />
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We started at <a href="http://malagaspringswinery.com/">Malaga Springs Winery</a> which was a good way to set the bar high. The guy who owns it/runs it was SO nice and it was cutely situated up in the hills. <br />
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After Malaga it was cider time at <a href="http://snowdriftcider.com/">Snowdrift Cider Co</a>! 'Twas delicious! It was such a small-time place - the owner and his wife showed us around and told us all about cider. We got to see all their operations and taste the differences between ciders all along the spectrum of dry to sweet. Very interesting.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidxnKbgOh9xEe5yT6mFk7ohp4CNyqM-AMs3QSvcHWvz_dCrZ8chyc0jSTE8JU-Guup_J_MWf9azGpVWRXb_VJnJucR746jT-tPePQngNYMnVT4FqyRkk6sjFGufItYD0hM6FdC/s1600/IMG_0373.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidxnKbgOh9xEe5yT6mFk7ohp4CNyqM-AMs3QSvcHWvz_dCrZ8chyc0jSTE8JU-Guup_J_MWf9azGpVWRXb_VJnJucR746jT-tPePQngNYMnVT4FqyRkk6sjFGufItYD0hM6FdC/s400/IMG_0373.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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And finally <a href="http://www.martinscottwinery.com/">Martin-Scott Winery</a>. I was seriously impressed by this place. I loved every wine they poured (which was a LOT) and it was so nice and luxuriously set up. We arrived, they poured us a glass and told us to go enjoy their grounds outside. So we sat out on their covered porch to take in the view and they brought some munchies over and more wine. And then MORE wine. They kept coming around with another pour. Everyone was so nice and relaxed there and I'm sure they've hosted a bunch of weddings there. It was so pretty: <br />
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So there ya have it. Washington has so many wineries and I suppose Wenatchee is a good place to go and explore. We also have a TON of wineries just over in Woodinville (about 20-30 min outside Seattle). I've been to about 5 or 6 over there and it's so nifty cause they're all so close together. I know I want to explore the Yakima valley wine area next, but that'll have to be for another time. So many choices!<br />
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One final story:<br />
The day we left we got up early-ish and attempted a hike in the wilderness that is Wenatchee. Neither of us are hikers but it seemed like a fun activity to get outside and explore a bit. I did some research online before our trip and settled on a <a href="http://www.wta.org/go-hiking/hikes/marion-and-clara-lakes">hike</a> that would be scenic: we'd get to see two lakes. Perfect! We drove up to the trailhead... or what we thought was the trailhead. Parked. And started out. Online it was explained as a pretty simple hike but the hike we were experiencing was so grueling! It was entirely uphill. Nonstop. We went for about 30-35 min and we hadn't come upon a single lake. 10-15 minutes more. Still no lake. Bah! What the... We made a defeated trek back to the car (never seeing anyone else along the trail) and noticed there was <i>another</i> trailhead if you walk past the blocked driveway (right where we parked) and down the road a piece. The trailhead to the lakes I'm sure. Oh, woe is me. So while that hike was moderately fun (it was <i>freezing</i> and my nose was running like a faucet because of it) it was sort of a botched job. Maybe our next hike attempt will be better!<br />
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Uf-da. This post got really long.</div>
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...so I'll end it quick!</div>
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Bye!</div>
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<br />Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16228853414709768732noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18365100.post-46740110323448084422011-11-06T21:24:00.000-08:002011-11-07T19:23:08.439-08:00Back at it againWhoops.<br />
It's been a while since I last blogged ...again. My bad. I'm feeling newly inspired though so I'm hoping it sticks with me this time. This inspiration mostly stems from talking to my friend <a href="http://www.erykacherise.com/">Eryka</a> who is a pretty legit blogger I discovered. Check her out!<br />
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I'll do a quick catch up and then in a few days I'll try to dedicate a post to a wine trip the husband and I took to Wenatchee about a month ago (that's a town in Eastern Washington for you out-of-staters). Not much craziness has been going on in my world. Fall is in full swing in Seattle so I decorated our table to play the part.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiboTTkna_DuryE2XzTXtbqRQOsuIiym-pXo8GljhelSzORhGZKot9miGXxO5K_1xaziK7U55IyRRJwDLDR8J9OynT_bfYcNsKjgknchV8zKx5v9co2V7L_D6V1ZziL4N3jnw5y/s1600/photo4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiboTTkna_DuryE2XzTXtbqRQOsuIiym-pXo8GljhelSzORhGZKot9miGXxO5K_1xaziK7U55IyRRJwDLDR8J9OynT_bfYcNsKjgknchV8zKx5v9co2V7L_D6V1ZziL4N3jnw5y/s320/photo4.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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That's a sweet meat squash, if you're curious. We don't have any other fall decorations (if this even counts) so our fall decor tour will conclude there.<br />
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In other news: I got a sewing machine!<br />
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I haven't really truly utilized it too much but I have big hopes to make some skirts and other girly things in the future. I made a reversible sewing machine cover (my first project)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgwHiq_hWHFWdeImfX9iLJhT8sAokUzUog4q49gbkPF7loBvdYhvgacjmmmQ43DG4F7gsxaLjcphzxvSVv8guPFudz161dhC0PGvEvJXENGdBqwOzWUkdbjbyf3wM5NrmeMegU/s1600/photo3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgwHiq_hWHFWdeImfX9iLJhT8sAokUzUog4q49gbkPF7loBvdYhvgacjmmmQ43DG4F7gsxaLjcphzxvSVv8guPFudz161dhC0PGvEvJXENGdBqwOzWUkdbjbyf3wM5NrmeMegU/s320/photo3.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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...and some pillows for our couch 'cause you can never have enough pillows.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUiokVlHcSAg8xNor1JB4GCOk0bQ55wMX6Fg6QgDSf4mXZWC4kMUBUe511_tHTqFk35t59OBEDqno2HfnRb5LNQj3Jhz3ENlfBr71xH99TPMmGosP8zIoxJXU3dlMvXuBlJD7f/s1600/photo5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUiokVlHcSAg8xNor1JB4GCOk0bQ55wMX6Fg6QgDSf4mXZWC4kMUBUe511_tHTqFk35t59OBEDqno2HfnRb5LNQj3Jhz3ENlfBr71xH99TPMmGosP8zIoxJXU3dlMvXuBlJD7f/s320/photo5.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Cute right? I really liked the pattern.</span></td></tr>
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In food news: I tried making crumpets and it only went so-so.<br />
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There's a place right near Pike's downtown - The Crumpet Shop - that has the best crumpets but I don't know that I could ever make something so tasty.<br />
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In more successful food news, I made a delicious cheesecake - twice! It was a vanilla bean cheesecake with fresh raspberries on top.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixAg56is7gVH9dxCwpLvsEtgx3XVPNajFvw1s73_DYRbPuUYlvI_GBXph5Z_fv1Ww03bQV9EE2GpSmMQSdmE352kAga_oNhu6bGinOl0E4QSEhcdqGGcC5e7CkLJ4yq2SsvhqC/s1600/IMG_0440.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixAg56is7gVH9dxCwpLvsEtgx3XVPNajFvw1s73_DYRbPuUYlvI_GBXph5Z_fv1Ww03bQV9EE2GpSmMQSdmE352kAga_oNhu6bGinOl0E4QSEhcdqGGcC5e7CkLJ4yq2SsvhqC/s400/IMG_0440.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Seriously good stuff.</span></td></tr>
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I also made a variation of pumpkin spice muffins for an early Thanksgiving event we had with my community group today. I followed the beloved <a href="http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2009/10/moist-pumpkin-spice-muffins-with-cream-cheese-frosting/">Pioneer Woman's recipe</a> but I didn't have any ginger so I used some pumpkin pie spice instead. And instead of pumpkin puree I used a homemade sweet meat squash puree (I was told it is easily substituted for pumpkin). The husband has a great-uncle in Oregon who has a big farm and on this farm he has some squash (e-i-e-i-o). So we acquired a bunch of pretty squashes - which I've used for both food and decorative purposes. How perfect! I thought the muffins were great but I think I may have ended up preferring them without the frosting.<br />
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I suppose that'll do it for now. I'll try to be back again before the end of the week - that seems like a realistic goal for me, right?Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16228853414709768732noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18365100.post-12642615365429614352011-09-04T20:15:00.000-07:002011-09-04T20:17:24.170-07:00I'm back!Long time no blog, huh? I was never really "gone," I just failed to write. My apologies. But in order to move on I'll quickly recap the last month and a half in pictures. Readyyyyy ...Go!<br />
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Played pool at <a href="http://www.belltownseattle.com/">Belltown Billiards</a> for a friends surprise birthday party <br />
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Had a "bonfire" on our deck<br />
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Dinner at a friends house (Mark) - his house is on the water with an amaaazing view!<br />
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Got free Seafair/Blue Angel tickets (thanks to Michael and Aki!)<br />
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Had lots of yummy meals...<br />
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Went to a Seattle Sounders game (it was a tie in the end)<br />
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Won pub trivia at the <a href="http://celticswell.com/">Celtic Swell</a>! (again)<br />
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Saw The Help movie - superb book and great movie<br />
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Quick camping trip (one night only) with 13 other friends ...near Baker Lake again<br />
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Our camping site was a very spacious river-front area. LOVED it.<br />
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Card games are a must when camping... this one is called "Hand and Foot" and takes 1.5 decks/person<br />
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Alki Beack 5K - not my best ...in fact, it was slower than both the previous times I've done this 5K. Oy.<br />
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Sailing on the Sound - we bought a great deal earlier this summer from Tippr with <a href="http://www.sailingseattle.com/">Let's Go Sailing</a><br />
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Checked out Marilyn and Tom's (the in-laws) new super duper cute and playful guide dog puppy: Corona<br />
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Lots of work transforming our front entryway from a cement slab to a cute livable porch<br />
*** No pics yet. I wanna wait to show the whole transformation all at once ***<br />
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Enjoying the fruits of our garden - lots of yummy salads, cucumbers, tomatoes for tacos, etc<br />
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Blackberry picking - they crowd our backyard so we try to take advantage of them<br />
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And that's about it. From here on out, I'll certainly try to post more regularly!Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16228853414709768732noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18365100.post-40455172688558608522011-07-19T21:28:00.000-07:002011-07-22T18:48:13.617-07:00Tasty Tuesday<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiFfsb5TgOErHjlrFbd91bw2_H7wcxhtz-HaK8iB4TMKn60kZCxZflvvrUG_7yrhAkjv0XQVllXAssLh2Zsx0Mzu_okHGJC_v7JPICejr-sQmunoJYeEu5QJdh3u7iPf8uN4Yo/s1600/Demo+1.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 273px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiFfsb5TgOErHjlrFbd91bw2_H7wcxhtz-HaK8iB4TMKn60kZCxZflvvrUG_7yrhAkjv0XQVllXAssLh2Zsx0Mzu_okHGJC_v7JPICejr-sQmunoJYeEu5QJdh3u7iPf8uN4Yo/s320/Demo+1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5631294939839391714" border="0" /></a><br />This week was all about steak redemption.<br /><br />Recall my <a href="http://somehills.blogspot.com/2011/06/new-tradition.html">foiled steak</a> from last month? The pan fried steak still tasted ok, but I decided to redeem that and make some STELLAR steak.<br /><br />We were set on steak and potatoes so David bought some filet mignon (we don't mess around) and potatoes for homemade hash browns. I did a simple seasoning job with kosher salt and tossed 'em on the grill - which has propane now! So I <span style="font-style: italic;">knew </span>they were gonna cook this time. Of course I didn't get a picture of any of the process but I swear it happened. And for the hash browns I just grated up a potato, squeezed allll the water out of it, and tossed it in a hot pan with olive oil. fry fry fry. turn. fry fry fry =<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">DELICIOUS<br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiey-oGU_xuJyC_w0Q_dPDGNIS11kh0a72qZqTlnDQ5m9zIeMFi0MTgupkqEZ-tV6TwfDQJLADINxWIhv5pDVvjjmyHcQ3hFQlFmnerDxakDZwEFv5JOK2aEJ4ZWsYCr_OZ9fPG/s1600/DSCF1610.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiey-oGU_xuJyC_w0Q_dPDGNIS11kh0a72qZqTlnDQ5m9zIeMFi0MTgupkqEZ-tV6TwfDQJLADINxWIhv5pDVvjjmyHcQ3hFQlFmnerDxakDZwEFv5JOK2aEJ4ZWsYCr_OZ9fPG/s320/DSCF1610.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5631294937275447106" border="0" /></a>It doesn't <span style="font-style: italic;">look </span>too stellar but I promise it was. And it doesn't look too colorful either but David got home from work so late we snacked on strawberries so I didn't really feel like throwing anything else into the mix.<br /></div><br />First, I was surprised with how good those boring potatoes tasted! Oh man, I am set on making homemade hash browns waaay more often now. And the steak was superb! David said it officially ranks in his top 5 steaks... then he proceeded to recount each of those other steaks. Good memories. What an honor.<br /><br />Not very exciting, huh? But if you were the one eating it, you'd have been excited. After that we got things ready for David's "dinner date" with his gramma tomorrow evening. We try to have dinner with his gramma on a regular-ish basis but he's doing some training/classes right in her neck of the woods so he wanted to go solo and treat her to a homemade dinner after his class tomorrow. What a guy, huh?? On the menu is the other half of the steaks, rice-a-roni, a BOMB salad with homegrown lettuce/spinach/carrots, and the best apple crisp ever! Sounds perfect to me - wish I could go!<br /><br />That's all for this Tasty Tuesday!Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16228853414709768732noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18365100.post-85872745578043748712011-07-17T19:44:00.000-07:002011-07-22T18:47:59.235-07:00A camping weekendThis weekend has been rain-filled but lots of fun. It all started with David's birthday on Friday! We didn't do anything major, it mostly consisted of sleeping-in after the Harry Potter midnight showing (Awesome! Though I didn't capture any good photos!), homemade buttermilk Belgian Waffles for the birthday boy,<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGCovP5blRrOo46yzP6GRw9GPGr4FckI_4QJTEhxuyAnB9F7U-cz2X-LATzqdaF4QabJjJ1hrnFTLKWgkfICFXr8_YyLKG1eEUAyPfhfJpPqvqrWGFtW-bmkeeKDaXEeLcx9Vk/s1600/DSCF1499.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGCovP5blRrOo46yzP6GRw9GPGr4FckI_4QJTEhxuyAnB9F7U-cz2X-LATzqdaF4QabJjJ1hrnFTLKWgkfICFXr8_YyLKG1eEUAyPfhfJpPqvqrWGFtW-bmkeeKDaXEeLcx9Vk/s320/DSCF1499.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5630523125551845410" border="0" /></a><br />and packing for...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf_3hIDaz6XOLuJgMaPXt91HJ1UbszqM5wo3CdBr0xQsO2SM6Qu_3mOqcXzha9zfaLROqvyLHAZZErdsjkjN9Th5II5KphBFJlWkLLwZdLwgOKOYV0YX8Z6pLclKTu62gayA0O/s1600/Picture+16.png"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 88px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf_3hIDaz6XOLuJgMaPXt91HJ1UbszqM5wo3CdBr0xQsO2SM6Qu_3mOqcXzha9zfaLROqvyLHAZZErdsjkjN9Th5II5KphBFJlWkLLwZdLwgOKOYV0YX8Z6pLclKTu62gayA0O/s320/Picture+16.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5630527463096541602" border="0" /></a>It wasn't organized around David's birthday (OR my birthday which is TODAY). It was planned waaay back in January-ish by some friends who didn't even know it would be a birthday weekend.<br /><br />We camped with six other friends on Baker Lake (Panorama Point specifically) about 2 hours north of us. We went up Friday afternoon (taking a detour at an outlet mall where I made out pretty well!) and came back just this afternoon.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Such a beautiful lake<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN0KlPJuKJ1ORkF_tjO62cQJqk-i4oobad5nVZtYi-u0vxR6MQBcVsRYzNj_qJPpFudoBenfxq7BqP-MVSqVdXlzqYYS3A87zBAl6qeS6Wk2BaYFKUuNhrtAhldggmDLNtzYEb/s1600/DSCF1577.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN0KlPJuKJ1ORkF_tjO62cQJqk-i4oobad5nVZtYi-u0vxR6MQBcVsRYzNj_qJPpFudoBenfxq7BqP-MVSqVdXlzqYYS3A87zBAl6qeS6Wk2BaYFKUuNhrtAhldggmDLNtzYEb/s320/DSCF1577.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5630521890486897778" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">The views were stunning so long as it wasn't raining.<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4nZz2X11dYFb-5tqtoubHGfp_ZrcxRUEBdQwKE66qGVpQu1J8Q5BDGGWR9JZgn311Mh4QupqIKkLUpNpDf8EkphhK5SHh0K5HcnmcHgKSUqTltLhePYif4OXLEjB7DM0ta1W_/s1600/DSCF1530.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4nZz2X11dYFb-5tqtoubHGfp_ZrcxRUEBdQwKE66qGVpQu1J8Q5BDGGWR9JZgn311Mh4QupqIKkLUpNpDf8EkphhK5SHh0K5HcnmcHgKSUqTltLhePYif4OXLEjB7DM0ta1W_/s320/DSCF1530.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5630521896773133522" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbxO4Z7LN6ZPNgxyQfi-ymlJkv5BkRuvIkuyKdiYwycNMVxSAMITd04XmC8dO4vamx78SGDB9p4KCg7m3pvbBYHCNgczousHsuVE5Zi1kw7nWjzE-IJiedfrl3F9-i3liQO3Wf/s1600/DSCF1506.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbxO4Z7LN6ZPNgxyQfi-ymlJkv5BkRuvIkuyKdiYwycNMVxSAMITd04XmC8dO4vamx78SGDB9p4KCg7m3pvbBYHCNgczousHsuVE5Zi1kw7nWjzE-IJiedfrl3F9-i3liQO3Wf/s320/DSCF1506.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5630522984302417026" border="0" /></a><br />We enjoyed all kinds of great food. The kind of stuff you really only eat when camping...<br /><br />like an orange-y cinnamon roll. You take an orange, cut off the top, scoop out the insides (jack-o-lantern style) and cram a ready made cinnamon roll in there (the kind from the pop-open canister things), and pour a teensy bit of milk in...<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0CwWN-o7fBsdWLQ8RmhSLWW46462-TNh4tmAvWrqDw4yD0CaQ0n2dLd6ZUveGfxVc4igCfE_cX2hxgH84bm57oDFiPMvVq3k5JMFSc4SuTet7SoHH5GgWf1s5zEdNuFtB5FU8/s1600/DSCF1520.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0CwWN-o7fBsdWLQ8RmhSLWW46462-TNh4tmAvWrqDw4yD0CaQ0n2dLd6ZUveGfxVc4igCfE_cX2hxgH84bm57oDFiPMvVq3k5JMFSc4SuTet7SoHH5GgWf1s5zEdNuFtB5FU8/s320/DSCF1520.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5630522970454948162" border="0" /></a>...wrap it in foil, and throw it on some campfire coals!<br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4nZz2X11dYFb-5tqtoubHGfp_ZrcxRUEBdQwKE66qGVpQu1J8Q5BDGGWR9JZgn311Mh4QupqIKkLUpNpDf8EkphhK5SHh0K5HcnmcHgKSUqTltLhePYif4OXLEjB7DM0ta1W_/s1600/DSCF1530.JPG"><br /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb3xCK3dVDryrvbkpbqQN5A6ki5waNht0Jvx9TZXZLdObWsYnuVvT-SDNlk5msocK1lnD7C7LlpHVe0bd5OzEQhaQCUZoFvwLTdpKS87jNcct0zkJpwr-vgyCm8xiaE1eNy25O/s1600/DSCF1524.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb3xCK3dVDryrvbkpbqQN5A6ki5waNht0Jvx9TZXZLdObWsYnuVvT-SDNlk5msocK1lnD7C7LlpHVe0bd5OzEQhaQCUZoFvwLTdpKS87jNcct0zkJpwr-vgyCm8xiaE1eNy25O/s320/DSCF1524.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5630522979534818994" border="0" /></a>Wait PATIENTLY for it to cook, then tear it all open, plop some frosting on it and inhale it.<br /><br /> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6_K1GRzqJwo782UrmsRRbuxzipibtWXmzgtKnHsnV9zjjcHzNi88vh5aOCP8O1vTynJNbwCzoD-dOM8pQscitQR8C0ndN1k0_dyNUK_xgKa6aKKFpEWyBmtqVUYZcZ07A83g9/s1600/DSCF1533.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6_K1GRzqJwo782UrmsRRbuxzipibtWXmzgtKnHsnV9zjjcHzNi88vh5aOCP8O1vTynJNbwCzoD-dOM8pQscitQR8C0ndN1k0_dyNUK_xgKa6aKKFpEWyBmtqVUYZcZ07A83g9/s320/DSCF1533.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5630522963033098642" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgitSHQBX0jZxHbTzlNDXbgjEhizlDJkiWg-yFb3OeGFSoLqWQwCb2-r7M8migQfMDjf_GSoTbeS5_E9dIzXOIfsmcxkDnByc3IgbiPNIpKWPlT0m2cpIJ3MfrlzHVOTicxUJ99/s1600/DSCF1537.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgitSHQBX0jZxHbTzlNDXbgjEhizlDJkiWg-yFb3OeGFSoLqWQwCb2-r7M8migQfMDjf_GSoTbeS5_E9dIzXOIfsmcxkDnByc3IgbiPNIpKWPlT0m2cpIJ3MfrlzHVOTicxUJ99/s320/DSCF1537.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5630522968637601122" border="0" /></a>We also enjoyed marinated chicken, french toast, hot dogs, mac and cheese, and all sorts of things.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmrMW9O6aAJq1YjRtEmqUJ5SqO05wJRYM3F4VfH15GkJvhhGZppuYzpM5lGDWVWmrDgdFzPSoDwPxyYnlFp1HfRQ6geixu29dgTYGqCyUpaoMHYNGrEY1Fv6fVHyyO-vxu9MlN/s1600/DSCF1561.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmrMW9O6aAJq1YjRtEmqUJ5SqO05wJRYM3F4VfH15GkJvhhGZppuYzpM5lGDWVWmrDgdFzPSoDwPxyYnlFp1HfRQ6geixu29dgTYGqCyUpaoMHYNGrEY1Fv6fVHyyO-vxu9MlN/s320/DSCF1561.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5630521891129603730" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">The rain almost always managed to come right after we were done cooking our meal over the fire - so it worked out pretty well. But I did get a picture of some die-hard campers (husband David, Tim, and Amie) as they were finishing cooking their dessert breadsticks with cinnamon/sugar whilst it was POURING...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixdVs2SEt5RNg9AP4HRP16zNlGcaa6T1yvQFXzgXzwJ-sYUaNvljyxWD9dmFTIlL8m8noxprqhycA0_zLdZGTlmhtuvFsF2nZAHlBrwXDTlGRiMUyYfcHyhq_XiiZmGjaB0C0g/s1600/DSCF1590.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixdVs2SEt5RNg9AP4HRP16zNlGcaa6T1yvQFXzgXzwJ-sYUaNvljyxWD9dmFTIlL8m8noxprqhycA0_zLdZGTlmhtuvFsF2nZAHlBrwXDTlGRiMUyYfcHyhq_XiiZmGjaB0C0g/s320/DSCF1590.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5630521881630176578" border="0" /></a>See all the rain in the upper right background??<br /><br />And then there was the stick Amie found - it was such a great tender of fire all weekend long we had to christen it<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXl3Umy_xJJZBYUoK-3RjuQCgqu5qTFbC3us3GvqbgIBl0R6oWAuNjB8mC4It11wKEASPnL1aXyMc6Shw7zIfPV4zqkVkG7KqyUpxdEMBxHFIiZJqL-cIUYZnQ7R5JRzreyLcg/s1600/DSCF1606.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXl3Umy_xJJZBYUoK-3RjuQCgqu5qTFbC3us3GvqbgIBl0R6oWAuNjB8mC4It11wKEASPnL1aXyMc6Shw7zIfPV4zqkVkG7KqyUpxdEMBxHFIiZJqL-cIUYZnQ7R5JRzreyLcg/s320/DSCF1606.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5630521876361411778" border="0" /></a><br />And now we're home - ALMOST unpacked - looking forward to a good nights rest.Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16228853414709768732noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18365100.post-297042281224199862011-07-13T20:32:00.001-07:002011-07-22T18:47:27.527-07:00PBF and HP7Because everyone should have this frosting in their life (and because my mom asked for it!) here's a yummy recipe:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">P</span>eanut <span style="font-weight: bold;">B</span>utter <span style="font-weight: bold;">F</span>rosting<br />1 cup powdered sugar<br />1 cup creamy peanut butter<br />5 T butter, room temp.<br />3/4 t vanilla<br />1/4 t kosher salt<br />1/3 cup heavy cream<br /><br />Easy-peasy directions?<br />Beat together all the ingredients except the cream...<br />THEN, add the cream and beat until it's smoooooth and delicious.<br /><br /><br />This is going to be quick becaaaaaaaause:<br /><br />We're on our way out the door (to stand in a really long line for hours and hours and hours until midnight) for HARRY POTTER 7.2!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSiQJLRQU_xT6rNxwcRo5OaLKFSuKAL0AIEML8Z4PAgvi65ciScn1YBFhrjB63Dh1V45krmajil1vIMMubCp_9q6sBUCrUn7lfcFU8rF5E8wvL73-V9irxqcHFZhzrUrhc2fxQ/s1600/HP+7.2%2521.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 269px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSiQJLRQU_xT6rNxwcRo5OaLKFSuKAL0AIEML8Z4PAgvi65ciScn1YBFhrjB63Dh1V45krmajil1vIMMubCp_9q6sBUCrUn7lfcFU8rF5E8wvL73-V9irxqcHFZhzrUrhc2fxQ/s400/HP+7.2%2521.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5629057293717609506" border="0" /></a>Is my excitement being conveyed? Maybe. It's going to be EPIC.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Does anyone else have a hard time believing these kiddos...<br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUmXtrbW675WIZ476K58l7FTZYcayl130XIXgPnIic9mo14-W4lpc4Gh8qgy-r3DB_vjBbCKaZ3cGDW6MXmq_R66HFRpt3jd9cds_JdAlALFFb1VQD8qVLj9JtEYZo-UQbqbzM/s1600/kids+try.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUmXtrbW675WIZ476K58l7FTZYcayl130XIXgPnIic9mo14-W4lpc4Gh8qgy-r3DB_vjBbCKaZ3cGDW6MXmq_R66HFRpt3jd9cds_JdAlALFFb1VQD8qVLj9JtEYZo-UQbqbzM/s320/kids+try.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5629055816066153346" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Grew up to these guys...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdSbXShSY8bEo8J7RXWFEmBJIhTfp52DbNrdA0rHcwUeSqsp5BsT21TtgZ-K80YkOfMTud-PVjk-2_K5kZY8VKcZl6EpuXl13J3eJUwMd41RKzPJsKWkf9jbT56jLkM5l-4Yuf/s1600/kids+2.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdSbXShSY8bEo8J7RXWFEmBJIhTfp52DbNrdA0rHcwUeSqsp5BsT21TtgZ-K80YkOfMTud-PVjk-2_K5kZY8VKcZl6EpuXl13J3eJUwMd41RKzPJsKWkf9jbT56jLkM5l-4Yuf/s400/kids+2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5629056733365120834" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Jeepers.<br /><br />I'm outta here! Maybe I'll post pics of some crazy people dressed as wizards and whatnot tomorrow... here's hoping.<br /><br />P.S. blogging three days in a row? I amaze myself sometimes!<br /></div></div>Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16228853414709768732noreply@blogger.com0