Hot Sauce

Please join me over at Kim's blog, Yep They Are All Mine, where I talk about a Hot Day in The Life.

She is a fellow Northern California girl and she is doing everything I wish I was doing this summer -- going to Lake Tahoe, hanging out with friends, and living it up! It makes me miss home to read some of her posts!

Speaking of Tahoe, I will leave you with this tidbit. Last time I was there, I ate at Jakes on the Lake, which was delicious and is right on the water. HERE is the menu.

Happy Monday everyone!

Week In Review: The iPhone Edition

What a week! I am glad it is Sunday (my one day off!) but it sure does go too fast! Today I have great plans to visit with some friends, watch the Women's World Cup game and maybe even get some hiking and pool time to boot! (no pun intended with the bootheel, boot reference!)

I normally take my big camera out when I want to take nice photo and try to impress you all, but this week, the photos are from my phone, and are grainy, badly lit and "real". So, if you can look past the quality of the photos, you will see what I really did this week!

I was going to go running, but THIS was the temperature and there were heat advisories out (107 heat index!) 

 So I ate some of these instead. I know...burn 300 calories or eat 300 calories...hmmm..

My weakness

 I took a drive through the country...

Silo

Corn Rows

And found THIS. Good one!

Then I tried running again. This time the weather was cooler. 

The running trail.

I found cheap gas. And then realized the station was closed (note the "Happy Holidays" sign)

I bought a PECK of Peaches! I have never bought a peck of anything! 

Saturn Peaches

 I went grocery shopping at a store called SMUCKS. Oh, that's not what it says? 

 

I bought some healthy food. 

Last but not least, yesterday at 6 am I went to Walmart. There were NORMAL people there!!! Buying this: 

Yummy!

I wouldn't be caught dead drinking that. It's BLUE. What kind of flavor is that supposed to be? 

Anyway, that's my week. A lot of running, driving around and buying things to eat. 

This post was inspired by Kimberly at Yep They're All Mine and her Grab a Beer and Look What I Did Last Week series. And is also a part of: 

How was your week? Did you take lots of blurry phone pictures?

Do You Hear What I Hear?

I am obsessed with podcasts. I am sure that you all know all about them already. However, just in case you don't, can I just say that if you have iTunes, you can get podcasts for free? And they are automatically downloaded as long as your iTunes is open, so you really don't have to do anything! And if you sync your iWhatever regularly, it will take off the ones you have heard and put on new ones you haven't heard.


What is a podcast, you ask? Well it's usually spoken shows like audiobooks, but in 10 minute to 1 hour increments. You can get information on running, music, fashion, technology...and more! Here are a few of my favorites.

Click to go to the show

This American Life: "First-person stories and short fiction pieces that are touching, funny, and surprising."says this source. Not only that, but I usually learn something while I am laughing out loud. So, it's killing two birds with one stone.

click to go to the show

The Moth: These are 5-15 minute live stories told by real people. This show started in NYC, and I actually went to a live one the last time I was there and it was hilarious. BUT when you can't make it to the show in the city, this podcast is a good substitute. Each week they have a different theme, so sometimes they are quite touching and sometimes they are just laugh your bum off funny!

click to go to the show

Savage Love Podcast: This one is rated PG-13 or maybe even R. It is a call in talk show regarding sex and relationships, hosted by a very vocal and opinionated, and funny gay guy named Dan Savage.

Planet Money - they break down financial issues into understandable stories, such as this one that explained some things about the 2008 recession. 

KEXP: A new song each Day!  

Car Talk

Stuff You Missed in History Class

Coffee Break Spanish

Grammer Girl's Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing

and many more! 

Here are the top 10 in the US according to iTunes: 

Gosh, even I didn't know there was a Harry Potter podcast!

Do you listen to podcasts? Which ones are YOUR favorites? 

Un Dia - Bolivia Style

Today I am participating in

 

with Karen at A Peek at Karen's World 


 Almost exactly three years ago I was in Bolivia traveling and doing volunteerwork. Here is a normal "day in the life" at that time. You can read more about my travels in Bolivia HERE.

Well, we are now in Cochabamba and have been here for about a week. We are settling into our routine...Here it is, for your reading enjoyment.

-8:00 get up

-Have breakfast, watch my favorite show on Discovery Kids (in Spanish, its about what I can understand), Charlie y Lola

-Walk to class (about 20 minutes, mostly downtown, with a few plazas thrown in)

-10:00 - 12:00 Tutor in Spanish. We mostly just talk girl talk, in Spanish...I mean, what else am I paying her for? I am getting the best gossip in Cochabamba!!

-Walk home

-1:00 - 2:00 Lunch with the family (we are staying with a family in the down town area. They have other family come over all the time for lunch, so we always have a full table for lunch)

-2:00 - 2:30 Bus ride to work (volunteering) goes from down town to the subburbs, where the orphanage is

2:30 - 6:30 Help the kids with their tarea (homework), help them with their work (they each have a daily chore) and if there is time, play with them. The kids are from 3 yrs - 17 years. 30 kids live in the orphanage full time and another...maybe 30-40 come for an after school program around 3. It is busy, busy, busy...and my arms are tired from all the spinning around and carrying we do! But it is a great time.

-Bus back home

-7:00 Dinner with the family

-At 8 Julietta´s novela (soap opera) comes on and if you want to watch it with her (and another at 9) you can...It is actually good becuase they speak really slowly, so it is easier to understand the Spanish this way...but they are SOOOO cheesy!!!

-After dinner activities (there is a festival/holiday right now for one of the virgins, so there is a mini carnaval with food and fireworks and music every night)

And that, my friends, is our normal day!!!


Original Post HERE.  


What is YOUR normal day like? Have you ever lived in a foreign city? What was THAT like? 

Cake Pops

Have you seen these at Starbucks and wondered, "how do they make those?"

Well, wonder no longer. I am here to tell you.

My friend and I made these for her going away party (I know...she wanted to do it!) and it was super easy!

We made two different kinds - chocolate cake pops with milk chocolate coating and strawberry cake pops with (blue) white chocolate coating.

Ingredients: 

1 box regular cake mix, any kind you want

(and whatever ingredients necessary to make the cake)

1 tub of frosting (any kind - we used cream cheese)

1 package of Wilton's candy melts (we got them at Michaels*they have all kinds of colors!)

(here are some tips on how to use these, clean up etc)

Various Sprinkles

Lollipop Sticks (also from Michaels)

Cello Bags (I think they are 3" x 4" but am not positive)

Ribbon

Styrofoam board (to keep pops upright while drying)

source

{1}

Bake the cake. Once it's cool crumble it up into a bowl. 

Add half of the frosting. Mix well.

{2)

Roll the mixture into balls. Put on a cookie sheet. Leave in fridge for at least an hour or, even better, overnight. We were on the fast track cake pop making, so we put them in the freezer for about 20 minutes. It worked but I would recommend just making them the night before. 

{3}

Melt the candy melts. To do this, bring a pot of water to a simmer and put a mixing bowl with the candies on top of the pot, kind of a double boiler method. 

{4}

Put the lollipop sticks into the bottom (flatter part) of the cold cake balls and then dip them into the melted chocolate. (HINT: if the chocolate is a little thick, you can add a little bit of vegetable oil to it to thin it out) I don't know if it's becuase we did the fast freezer method, but the balls kept wanting to fall off the stick, so do it as quickly as you can. Don't shake the stick either. We found that if there is too much chocolate, just give it a light twirl to even it out.

{5}

After dipped, add sprinkles and put them one by one into the Styrofoam board to cool/dry. 

{6}

Once dry, we transfered them to a plate to fit new ones in the "cooling rack". We also used a fan, you can kind of see it in the photo above. But don't set it too high or the melted chocolate will go everywhere! 

{7}

Put them in the cello bag. 

{8}

Tie a ribbon on the bag and VOILA. Cake pops!

Here they are, hanging out at the party!

Okay, so if you think the ones we made are cool, check out some of these: 

source

source

source

**Also if you don't want to mess with pops, you can make cake BALLS: 

source

Enjoy your Pop and Ball making!

Have you ever made cake pops? Do you have an "go to" thing you usually make for parties?

A Method to My Madness

You’ve probably seen the movie Planes, Trains and Automobiles. It’s been a long time since I have seen it, but I remember John Candy trying to get somewhere (for Christmas?) and he has to take all these different methods of transportation. I can relate to that! I thought I would go over a few different weird ways to get around that I have come across in my travels....

...Want to hear more? Head over to Women Rockin' The Road, where I talk about huge mountains, strange animals, hitchhiking, fearing for your life and more! You can also read stories from other women travelers and you can contribute your own!

 Also, if you haven't seen it before, check out my post about 10 Interesting Things that I've seen on the road!

____________________________________________________________________________

 In honor of different methods of transportation, here are a few examples! 

Egypt - the true MINI van

India - Waiting for the train. 

India - Rickshaw Taxi

India - Fancy Bike

India - "Sleeper" train

Africa - Things you can buy from the bus

Nepal - The porters carry EVERYTHING on thier back!

Nepal - Yak power

Italy - Gondolier

 What is the weirdest method of transportation you have ever experienced? Have you ever ridden on a bus with a chicken? What IS the weirdest animal or thing you have shared a bus ride with?

Ten on Tuesday (17)

These questions were hosted by Chelsea and brought to you by...yours truly!

1. When you are on a plane and the kid behind you is kicking your seat, what do you do?
I WANT to turn around and yell at the mother to pay attention because her kid is being rude and annoying but usually I do nothing. If it goes on for a while I will turn around and give them both the stink eye. That's the most confrontational I get.

2. What food that you KNOW is bad for you and you shouldn't have, but you love/eat it anyway?
I love a Starbucks coffee. I try to only indulge once in a while. It's as many calories as a meal!

3. What is your favorite book of all time?
A Tree Grows In Brooklyn. I also loved The Hobbit.

4. If I came to visit you in your town, where would we eat?
If you came to San Francisco, we would have a snackapalooza and go to Turkish food, Peruvian food and Mexican food (Ala Turka, Limon & Pancho Villa) and maybe to Michells ice cream for desert.

5. You have 500 dollars and 40 minutes to spend it at any store you want. Where do you go?
REI. And I could probably spend it in about 4 minutes!

6. What blog do you read every day/the most often?
S&R, Lisa's Yarns, A Little Light Reading, KTs Refinishing School, Dude & Sweeties, Yep They Are All Mine.... There are a few more, but since the questions says what "blog" I guess I will stop now.

7. What's the longest you've ever been stuck at an airport?
Well, one weekend I flew Back East from New Orleans and I didn't get there until about 3 am. Then on Sunday when I went to fly home, it was the same thing...so...maybe 10 hours the first day, 8 the second. That weekend was way more airport/plane time than fun time, that is for sure!

8. What's your daily makeup/face/cleansing routine?
Nothing. I take a shower at night after I run. If I am going out, I may put on makeup, but every day, nada.

9. Where is your farthest away friend?
Really GOOD friend -- probably CA or MA (from where I am now!) but I have friends in many places around the world. Probably Australia would be the farthest.

10. Where is your favorite place to go hiking (or to enjoy nature)?
Sierra Nevada Mountains! Represent! 

Cheap Reads

Wow, it's been a while since the last time I updated my 2011 Reading List! Here's what I have read since then. You can see the entire list at my Bookshelf page. Total Current Book Count: 28

Last Chance Saloon - Marian Keyes ***
This book was total girl fluff, but a great book to read at the beach or on a plane when you don't want to have to think too much about it.

Tarantula Woman - Donald O'Donovan (review here)

Sea of Glory - Nathaniel Philbrick ****
This book was about the exploring expedition of the United States, when they went out for four years and discovered land in Antarctica (before they didn't know if it was all ice or not). They also explore the Polynesian islands and the West Coast of the US, which belonged to Mexico and the British at the time. This book is historical, but not boring, like some of them can be.

Surviving the Extremes - Kenneth Kamler ****
This book was good! It is broken down into categories -- desert, jungle, high altitude -- and talks about what happens to your body in such extremes and how to combat the issues that you face. The author is a tad hung up on himself, but he is very knowledgeable and this was a very interesting read.

My Korean Deli - Ben Ryder Howe (review here)

Forrest Gump - Winston Groom **** (I won this at JC Martin - Fighter, Writer)
The book was very different than the movie, but I enjoyed it just as much! The only thing that sometimes bothered me was that it is written in 1st person and the grammar is (purposefully) horrible. Sometimes I have a hard time getting around that.

Beyond All Measures - Dorothy Love (review here)

Crossroads Road - Jeff Kay **
To be honest, this book was a little strange. It started off good. The premise is that this guy's overbearing mother in law wins the lottery and gives them a house and 2 million dollars, BUT they have to live in the same cul-de-sac as she does. They have funny in-law fights, but it gets a little ridiculous at a certain point.

Dirty Little Angels - Chris Tusa (review on it's way)

Just as a side note, I think I spent a total of 12 dollars on all these books, and most of that went towards Sea of Glory, which I bought at Borders at full price. The rest have been bought at Goodwill (.70 cents for paperbacks!) or were giveaways, either from LibraryThing, BookSneeze or other bloggers. I also frequently visit Amazon and get free classics for my Kindle. 

What books can you recommend to me for summer reading? What is your monthly book budget? Do you have any cheap reads tips? 

Don't forget, you can friend me on Goodreads if you haven't already! I want to see what you are reading!

Recap & A Beer

Well, I think I finally got my S(tuff) in gear enough to participate in Kim's Grab a Beer and Look What I did Last Week series. Actually, normally my week is not that exciting, so I don't want to bore you too much. This week was not that exciting either, but I do have a couple of photos, so I thought what the hey. 

I made lists. See number 3 -- I am TRYING!

I worked a lot. 12 hours a day, 6 days a week.

And drank LOTS of coffee. 

I made Chili. 

I got to play with a GPS for work! Fun!

Getting out into the field.

I had to stop to take some pictures of barns and stuff. 

I tried to eat healthy!

I tried to stay out of the rain.

And made more lists and plans for next week!

What did you do this week? 

(I am also participating in:)