Super Duper Fantastic
My Travel ABC’s
A – Age you went on your first international trip:
One of those things I wish I could remember. I pulled up this photo that I think was taken in China. It’s a bit blurry [blame the scan], but after closer examination, the calendar on the right is May 1983. I would have been about 1.5 years old. Even then, I was wearing short dresses.
B – Best (foreign) beer you’ve had and where:
I will always have a special place in my heart for Asahi Super Dry. It was one of the first beers I ever tried at the ripe age of 20 [Japan's drinking age]. It lacks the flavor of the craft beers that I love these days, but anytime you put one of these in my hand, it’s not just light and refreshing; it brings back memories.
C – Cuisine (favorite):
If you ask Ryan, he would tell you that my palate is very Asian. It’s what I grew up with. It’s what “home” and “comfort food” taste like to me. I don’t have one favorite cuisine, but I lean towards Asian flavors – fish sauce, lemongrass, ginger garlic, black bean sauce, green onion, Sriracha… I also prefer the light [not bland] flavors of rice noodles and raw or steamed fish, not usually at once.
D – Destinations – favorite, least favorite, and why:
I’m going to have to wimp out on this question and say I don’t have one. So many places, so many different reasons for being there.
E – Event you experienced abroad that made you say “wow”:
I’ve always thought that people are inherently good, but it really gets me each time to see it in action. While traveling in both South Korea and Singapore, people who I only just met offered to show me their home. The kindness of strangers – absolutely amazing.
F – Favorite mode of transportation:
My two feet – walking is a lot more tiring on long trips, but I find myself noticing so much more.
G – Greatest feeling while traveling:
Besides the satisfaction of stuffing your face with delicious food from all over the world, it’s the sense of connection you get when meeting someone new. It’s crazy that you can travel halfway around the world and find so much in common or to learn so much from someone you wouldn’t have encountered had you stayed at home.
H – Hottest place you’ve traveled to:
Surprisingly, Las Vegas. It was a dry heat that made it difficult to keep one’s eyes open! Other places FELT hotter because of the humidity, but if you compared the numbers, Vegas was it.
I – Incredible service you’ve experienced and where:
On a cruise to Mexico. I would love to go on a cruise again!
J – Journey that took the longest:
Driving from San Francisco to Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah during Memorial Day Weekend a few years ago. The road we wanted to take was blocked off, so we had to take a very long detour.
K – Keepsakes from your travels:
I don’t really buy souvenirs. Ryan and I started buying magnetic bottle openers – we have two. I’m a National Parks Passport holder, so I collect stamps if I am traveling to one of the national parks.
L – Let-down sight, why and where:
It’s very easy to feel let down if you set yourself up with expectations. I think I was let down by the size of the Statue of Liberty. We took the stairs up to her head, and it was much smaller than I had expected. Of course, I couldn’t even enjoy it because I had gone all the way up and down with a bloody nose.
M – Moment where you fell in love with travel:
Since the beginning. I am still in awe that you can go so many miles on a plane and reach an entirely different place than the one you know.
N – Nicest hotel you’ve stayed in:
Most of the nice hotels I’ve stayed in were when I traveled for work. One such place was the Barton Creek Resort. Since my current job no longer requires travel, I only stay in nice hotels if I happen to make the right bid on them through Priceline or if I have earned enough hotel points.
O – Obsession – what are you obsessed with taking pictures of while traveling and why:
Food = YUM, graffiti = PRETTY.
P – Passport stamps – how many and where from:
Not enough in my current passport. I traveled more in my early years, but that passport has long gone missing.
Q – Quirkiest attraction you’ve visited and where:
Puzzling World in Wanaka, New Zealand. It’s all optical illusions! It reminded me a bit of The Mystery Spot in Santa Cruz.
R – Recommended sight, event, or experience:
I can’t possibly pick, but my recommendation? Just go!
S – Splurge – something you have no problem forking over money for while traveling:
The plane ticket because getting there is important. From there, it’s the experience of being there, going from place to place, eating the food, and meeting the people.
T – Touristy thing you’ve done:
Lots. I even explore my own city as a tourist.
U – Unforgettable travel memory:
Walking across the bridge from Singapore to Malaysia because I missed the bus stop. Oops!
V – Visas – how many and for where:
None in my current passport. In my former one, mostly China and Japan.
W – Wine – best glass of wine while traveling and where:
The first glass of wine after the sister’s stomach issues went away while we were in Spain! It’s always better to enjoy a glass of wine with someone.
X – eXcellent view and from where:
Hard to pick [By now, it sounds like an excuse], but here is a recent one. From atop Half Dome, it feels like you’re on top of the world. I didn’t have a digital camera while studying abroad in Japan, so no Mount Fuji photos!
Y – Years spent traveling:
Nearly 30 – woo!
Z – Zealous sports fans and where:
Japan and South Korea during World Cup 2002. I remember watching the games with friends, and then when I went to South Korea over the summer, I was able to catch a soccer game there. Even though the World Cup was over, the emotions carried over into their other games. AH-MAZING.
——————-
Thanks for the tag, Aaron! It took me a while to complete since it’s the entire alphabet! Here are my tags to continue the project:
Ashley @ The WanderScapes
Donna @ Poo is Watching
Gina @ Gina Marie Rose
Keane @ Keane is Cool
Linda @ Curious Notions
Treavor @ Endeavors
Look forward to reading your answers! If anyone else decides to participate in this meme, please let me know, so I can come over and learn all about your travel experiences.
Related PostsWine and Love #27
Wine and Love is a series brought to you by Walking With Nora. It’s basically a list of what makes us reach for the wine this week and a list of stuff we’re loving.
Wine…
* After recovering from what I thought was a sore throat, I have other symptoms that lead me to believe that my allergies are just really bad. According to the news report I watched last night, there’s a ton of mold in the air. :/
* Money money money. I am paying for a lot of things early in the year – travel, conferences, cleanses. February is a shorter month. Since I’m non-exempt, it means less money this month. *shake fist*
Love…
* A well-behaved and well-exercised dog. I’ll probably dedicate an entire post to this, but I don’t want to get ahead of myself. You know that as soon as I talk about all the things we’re doing that are working with Sasha, they won’t work anymore. She’ll retaliate.
* Beach Blanket Babylon tonight. SO EXCITED.
* As of a few days ago, I am a contributor at Art of Backpacking, a website all about sharing the experience of travel. I’ll keep you all posted on when I have something up!
What’s up with you this week?
PS – My change for February 2012 is hydration.
Related PostsJanuary 2012 Reflections
And just like that, the first month of the year is over. These reflection posts are a good exercise for me. They help jog the memory as I seem to forget more and more these days. It’s time to start taking some gingko biloba! Oh, that’s all what I did in the month!
January was…
Starting the year off with a museum hop. It was a quiet start to the year – the calm before the storm, I’m sure.
Exploring several parks around the city and the Bay Area with Sasha. My goal for the month [12 changes in 12 months] was to take her out every day. It has definitely paid off. She doesn’t give me as difficult a time each morning, and she sleeps when we do at night.
Having a blast at one of the Yelp Holiday Hangover parties.
Learning how to use my camera in manual mode with Emily’s photography workshop. I haven’t had a chance to practice more since then, but I would love to squeeze in some practice before I head off to Costa Rica next month.
Sampling foods/drinks at Fancy Food Show and Food Fete this year. We chatted it up with members of the Oregon Cheese Guild and plan on checking out the Oregon Cheese Festival next month!
Chinese New Year was early this year. Lots of family time.
Keeping fit with weekly Zumba classes with the sister. It’s a lot of fun, especially since others aren’t really paying attention to what you’re doing, and you can just roll with it.
Spending so much money on travel this year. I don’t mind it too much, only wish I’d come across a winning lottery ticket. Priorities, people.
Did your January fly by like mine?
Related PostsWine and Love #26
Wine and Love is a series brought to you by Walking With Nora. It’s basically a list of what makes us reach for the wine this week and a list of stuff we’re loving.
Wine…
* My neighbor’s car was the victim of a hit-and-run this morning. They were parked in that spot in front of our house where people like blocking us in, but they weren’t the ones who blocked our driveway.
Hit-and-runs = NOT COOL. They took down the license plate, so hopefully they catch the guy.
* Someone maliciously knocked over the Vespa while it was sitting outside of the store waiting for our pickup, and now it’s got scratches all along one side. Ugh. I have insurance, but it’s one of those things that was bound to happen while driving in a city.
Love…
* Chinese New Year! It’s been one family dinner after another. So much good food and quality family time! We have more this weekend.
* I’m sore, but for good reason. Free Zumba and Yoga. I’m going with the sister, so definitely happy to be spending more time with her.
What’s up with you this week?
Related PostsAlways a Toyota Girl
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I’ve owned two cars in my life and have really only driven three regularly. Every single one was a Toyota – Corolla, Matrix, and Prius. You can’t really blame me though. It started in the family. Aside from my father’s ’85 Accord, every car since then has been a Toyota – Corolla, Rav4, Sienna, and my sister’s Scion TC. My dad is about to buy his next car, and he has his eyes set on a Lexus, another Toyota brand. See, it can’t be helped!
I was recently invited to join Toyota Women Influencer Network [TWIN], and of course, I jumped at the chance. It is an online discussion group focused on vehicle choice, driving, and the Toyota brand. They asked that we share with our readers what our dream Toyota vehicle is.
I’m pretty happy with my current 2nd Generation Prius. If I had to pick a dream vehicle, it’d have to be the Prius V look [like an older Matrix] with the gas mileage of the hybrid plug-in. 87 mpg ftw! With Sasha in tow, I might opt for one of the SUV-types instead. Here’s dreaming that they one day will have amazing gas mileage!
What’s your dream car look like? Has your family influenced your automobile preferences?
Disclosure: I was not compensated for this post. I am a member of the Toyota Women’s Influencer Network (TWIN). All opinions are 100% my own.
Related PostsThat Kind of Neighbor
I don’t want to be that kind of neighbor – the one who is a hawk when it comes to the parking in front of her own home. Parking in front of one’s home is a precious commodity on this street. God forbid you’re the one guy walking all the way down the block to his car. Or even two blocks – oh no! Since we have a two-car garage, we park inside, and we don’t have that problem.
Instead, THIS is our problem, usually every week.
It’s usually a different car each time, but this van has been a violator many times. The last two times resulted in a note. The next one will be a phone call to DPT. A ticket for blocking a driveway in this city is $90, plus a potential tow which would cost even more.
I don’t want to be that kind of a neighbor, but I’m sick of it. It seriously ruins my mood when I come home from work and so much of my driveway is blocked. I gave my warnings. It’s $90+ or walking down another block where there is abundant parking.
Related Posts8 is my lucky number. Hello Vegas!
On Monday, registration for Bloggers in Sin City opened, and within days, the blog has exploded with attendee bios. What started out as 60 open spots has whittled down to 8. Lucky number 8.
8 Reasons I’m Excited About #BISC
01. It’s nearly all-inclusive! That means my attention will be focused on having fun, rather than figuring out where my next meal would be and whether or not I’ll have someone to dine with. There are several buffets on the agenda – bringing my stretchy pants!
02. Reconnecting with the bloggers I met last year! I’ve already had a mini reunion with Caryn, Terra, and Nic in Chicago and Doniree and Nicole in Portland. It’ll be great seeing everyone else!
03. Reading through profiles/comments and finding kindred spirits in wine, cheese, beer, impromptu dance parties, and most importantly, jumping photos!
04. Meeting fellow foodie, Linda, and ordering everything off the menu at Lotus of Siam. All #BiSC-uits welcome!
05. Crossing off a Cirque show in Vegas from my list. I’ve seen two in San Francisco already, and it will be my first one in Vegas!
06. This is a chance to step out of my comfort zone [currently Ryan's La-Z-Boy recliner under a blanket]. As much as I hate to admit, uncomfortable situations that one conquers can be invigorating.
07. What excites me most is the potential new friends that I’ll have all over the country and beyond that once I connect with, I can visit and hang out with. Guess I just invited myself – oops!
08. Experiencing Vegas VIP-style. What happens in Vegas ends up documented!
PS – Paper’d, a crazy cool iPhone/iPod Touch app that’ll beautify your phone and inspire you, is sponsoring this event by covering the registration for one lucky attendee. For a chance to win, you have to register! There are eight spots left. Go get ‘em!
Related PostsManual Mode
Photography on manual mode has been on the back of my mind. I’ve attended photography sessions at various conferences in the past, but it didn’t really click until this past Saturday.
I attended Fun 101, an introductory photography workshop with Emily of Gem Photo [on the left below]. She went over the basic concepts of photography, not unlike the information from previous sessions I attended, but I think what really drove it home was having the chance to practice and ask questions as the photos were being taken.
I don’t have a DSLR any longer, but the mirrorless camera I bought has similar functions. It’s a bit easier to learn since the end result shows up on the screen right away, but it really helped having Emily’s expertise and the permission to pick her brain.
Our model for the day was Lisa of With Style and Grace. She was a great sport. Having so many cameras pointed at you can be nerve wrecking.
The rest of the photos from the day are: here. Hope that this means better photos from me! The session made me really excited about potentially going down the road of the DSLR at a later date.
Related PostsBirchbox vs. MyGlam – Jan 2012
I received my January Birchbox and MyGlam subscriptions today. Thought I would take a picture comparing the goodies in both.
Contents: Algenist – Firming & Lifting Cream, FIX Malibu – Immaculate Complexion Smoothing Serum, Juicy Couture – Signature Fragrance, Zoya – Nail Polish in Kendal
Contents: Sheer Cover – Duo Concealer, Wen – Sweet Almond Mint Cleansing Conditioner, Freeman – Cucumber Facial Peel-Off Masque, theBalm Cosmetics – Shady Lady
I think the winner of the January 2012 comparison is MyGlam because they’re products I’m more likely to use. I’m excited about the cucumber facial peel-off mask, which as far as I can tell is the product’s full size. At $10/month, which would you prefer?
For my Canadian readers, Jolene informs me that these are similar Canadian counterparts: Luxe Box, Top Box, and Glymm!
Related PostsWine and Love #25
Wine and Love is a series brought to you by Walking With Nora. It’s basically a list of what makes us reach for the wine this week and a list of stuff we’re loving.
Wine…
* Sasha is being a royal pain in the butt. She gives me a hard time as I am leaving the house in the morning. She was fine for quite awhile, and then suddenly I can’t leave without her tracking my every move and putting up a fight. I don’t know when the turning point was. I can only guess that she is too energetic and hasn’t been stimulated enough. It gets so bad that she won’t even obey commands for treats. She’s got a one-track mind, to get between me and the door or to come along for the ride.
* Similar to how in order to get a job, you need certain experience, but to get the experience, you need the job first, there’s an event coming up where you can get a press pass if you have a certain number of pageviews. You can take photos at the event if you have a press pass. However, for all those up and coming blogs that don’t have enough page views, you can’t take photos, and you can’t get a press pass. You can’t even take photos to attract more people to your site. Oh, the irony.
Love…
* Finally picked out a helmet, which means I’ll be riding around on the Vespa soon! It’s a full-face, as recommended by most of my motorcycle-riding friends. Even though I am only on a scooter going 35mph, that’s still going to be a huge impact if I go flying off the scooter.
* BJ’s Pizookie
* Went to a whiskey and chocolate tasting last night hosted by Pacari Chocolate. As it turns out, even a non-whiskey aficionado such as myself can tolerate whiskey if it is paired up with chocolate. If you’re in the San Francisco area and would like to attend a chocolate/whiskey tasting on Monday, January 16th, check this out!
What’s up with you this week?
Related PostsWine and Love #24
Wine and Love is a series brought to you by Walking With Nora. It’s basically a list of what makes us reach for the wine this week and a list of stuff we’re loving.
Wine…
* I might be sick. I feel a little sinus pressure, and my throat is sore in the morning. My body is fighting something. It hasn’t succumbed to whatever it may be, thankfully.
* Going to the gym. I bought a deal [one month membership + a massage] that expires tomorrow, so we have to go to the gym. I’m not a fan of the machines, so I’m hoping for either interesting classes or sauna/steam room/spa that isn’t too crowded.
Love…
* Crab cakes! I’ve been encouraging Ryan to blog more, so check out Urban Piscivore [soon to be Seafoodie]. These are the crab cakes and paprika aioli from Crabsgiving.
* Portland house is no longer an issue nagging me. The property manager is doing his job!
* Planning our trip to Costa Rica. I, more or less, have our itinerary figured out, as well as our accommodations. It’s crazy how much there is to do in a country that is the size of Vermont and New Hampshire combined. I’ve made some reservations, but I also want to keep some free time in case we find other things that we want to do.
* 12 Changes in 12 Months – January will be dedicated to Sasha. I will take her for a 20-30 minute morning walk every day. I started slacking off at the end of December. This is part of the goal of sleeping early to wake up early in order to take her out.
* I am starting up a new 101 in 1001 list. I hope to have my list updated by this weekend.
Related PostsFirst Day of the Year 2012
Happy new year! Hope the first few days of 2012 have been treating you well. My mood’s been in the dumps over the last week, but I’ve finally resurfaced. Ryan and Sasha have helped keep my mind above ground. How can I not smile when I’ve got this face looking back at me?
As members of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, we don’t visit them nearly enough. I decided to start the new year with a museum hop, hitting up both the de Young and Legion of Honor museums in one day. While I invited friends to join us [to take advantage of our guest passes], it ended up being a New Year’s Day date instead. Guess it’s hard to get up and out after a night of partying!
At the de Young, we checked out the Masters of Venice exhibit, featuring Venetian painters such as Titian, Giorgione, Veronese, Tintoretto, and Mantegna. No photography was allowed, so you’ll have to check the museum website for the artwork.
There’s also an exhibit of Anatolian Kilim, which are flat tapestry-woven carpets or rugs.
After checking out the artwork, we headed up to the observation tower for views of the city. It was still early and uncrowded – a great photo op which will be featured in tomorrow’s Wordless Wednesday.
When our stomachs cried out for food, we grabbed a shrimp po boy and ginger ale from Sam’s Chowdermobile and sat down to enjoy the botanical garden. When did the food trucks start hanging out by the museums?!
After lunch, we headed over to the Legion of Honor. We caught The Mourners on their last day at the museum. Absolutely fascinating. However, again, no photos allowed. What I did take photos of – a Sutro Baths color lithograph poster mounted to linen circa 1896 as part of the Artistic San Francisco exhibit and Bernini’s Medusa, which will be on display until the middle of February.
I didn’t take photos of the exterior, but I love the Legion of Honor and its surrounding areas. It was a clear day with perfect views of the sailboats right outside the Bay.
After the museum hop, it was back to being responsible dog owners, so we took Sasha out for some hiking in Glen Canyon Park. It’s a great escape within the city limits.
Not too shabby for the first day of the year, right?
PS – Ryan posted our crab cake recipe – check it out!
Related PostsNo related posts found
Crabsgiving 2011
December is coming to an end, and I haven’t written up about our crab festivities for the year! Ryan and I love Dungeness crab season and enjoy sharing that with our friends.
Over the course of four evenings, 50+ crabs were either served freshly steamed or in some crabby dish. It isn’t a crabby party without a menu highlighting the star of the show, so Ryan threw one together.
A few ingredients were changed over the course of four nights, so that’s why there are some manual edits.
Since we used only live crabs, that meant taking the meat out of a LOT of crabs the night before each party. We wanted to make sure all of our dishes were full of crabby goodness. There’s no canned crab meat in this kitchen! I think Ryan’s rate is three crabs in an hour.
Of the dishes we made, I think our favorite is the crab cakes. I will be posting the recipe in the new year. Coming in as a close second, I’d say the crab rangoon, but those required more time to make. When I started hearing Trader Joe’s commercial about their frozen crab rangoon, my heart sank. All that work for nothing! I haven’t tried theirs yet, but I still think homemade is the way to go.
Goodbye 2011!
Hello 2012!
Related PostsKitchen Play : Pork Sirloin Tip Roast in Garlic Cream Sauce
It has been awhile since we participated in Kitchen Play, so we jumped at the chance to use the ingredient for this month – Pork! We took a shot at adapting the small plates course – Roasted Pork Loin prepared by Paula of Bell’Alimento. We used a pork sirloin tip roast that we picked up from Costco. It ended up being the main dish for the evening, served over pasta.
Pork Sirloin Tip Roast with Garlic Cream Sauce
Ingredients:
2 pound pork sirloin tip roast
kosher salt
3 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, minced
pepper
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 cup beer [we used Asahi Dry]
1/2 cup half and half
Directions:
Brine sirloin tip roast in kosher salt brine solution [1/2 cup salt for 2 quarts water] for two hours. Dry off the roast and coat with olive oil, rosemary, garlic, salt, and pepper. In a cast iron pan, melt butter and brown the pork on all sides over medium-high heat.
Once browned, roast in oven at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes until the pork is 145 degrees on the inside. Remove roast from pan.
In the same pan [with the drippings], saute garlic. Add beer, half and half, and reduce by half. Add salt/pepper to taste.
Slice pork into 1/2-inch pieces. Top with sauce.
Since we didn’t have cannellini beans as suggested by the original recipe, we used pasta. The sauce came out on the richer, saltier side, and the pasta helped to balance that out. We have a few more of those roasts to use, so we’ll definitely try this one again.
Each month, Kitchen Play hosts a sponsored Progressive Party with six food bloggers assigned to create a dish incorporating the same product into one of the following courses: cocktail, amuse bouche, salad, appetizer/soup, entrée (main course) and dessert. At the end of the month, a contest is held for blog posts and recipes inspired by the creations in each course. This month’s sponsor is the National Pork Board.
Related PostsChenery Park
After preparing for and hosting several crab parties in a row, Ryan and I decided to give the kitchen and ourselves a break. We took advantage of a recent OpenTable Spotlight and spent the evening at Chenery Park, a local restaurant that has been on my list to try for quite some time. For over ten years, chefs Richard Rosen and Gaines Dobbins have worked together at Chenery Park to serve contemporary American cuisine in the Glen Park neighborhood of San Francisco.
The holiday season brings out the holiday decorations. The restaurant was decked out in ornaments, lights and garlands. I hit my head against a few dangling ornaments on the way up to the top floor where our table was waiting. The lower left part of the strand pictured below hung right over the top of the stairs.
As we waited beyond our usual dinnertime to dine, our eyes were larger than our stomachs, and we ended up ordering three appetizers and two smaller entrees to share. Chenery Park gives you the option of full and half orders on certain dishes.
Cambazola Beignets with Apples, Endive, and Poached Figs – The beignets were hot, crispy and filled with creamy Cambazola. The apples, endive, and poached figs were a fantastic complement.
Chenery Park Pate Plate with Pork Rillettes,Chicken Liver Mousse and Rabbit Terrine – The pate plate was good, but not spectacular and therefore, probably could have been skipped altogether.
Steamed Mussels in Trappist Ale Sauce - The mussels were perfectly cooked. I LOVE mussels! The key to good steamed in any sauce is the sauce itself. This one was sopped up with bread quickly.
We could have stopped there if it was our normal dining hour, but the extra few hours gave us a bit of room to continue the meal.
Housemade Wild Mushroom Gnocchi – As far as I could tell, this was the favorite between the two of us. We weren’t so eager to pass the plate back to each other. The housemade gnocchi were soft, pillowy and full of mushroom flavors.
One of these days I will learn to make gnocchi! New 101 in 1001 list perhaps?
Chenery Park Gumbo with Smoked Chicken, Louisiana Gulf Prawns and Housemade Andouille Sausage – Tasty with a little spice. Both Ryan and I secretly wished they’d used local spot prawns.
We didn’t stick around for dessert since we were stuffed. What remained of the gumbo and pate plate became part of our doggie bag. Overall it was a good experience, and we were glad to able to get out of the house and try a restaurant new to us!
Have you tried a new restaurant in your neighborhood lately?
Related PostsAn Entertaining House is a Clean House
Thanks to Duncan Hines for sponsoring my writing. There’s no limit to the baking possibilities, so grab your favorite Duncan Hines mix and Comstock or Wilderness fruit fillings and Bake On! www.duncanhines.com.
December has been a hectic month. Ryan and I have been hosting one crab dinner after another. Had crab been available over Thanksgiving weekend, we would have started the crabby festivities at the end of November. Instead of crab, we feasted on a whole lot of rice dishes [mostly by accident].
The celebration that kicked off the craziness of dinner parties was actually my sister’s birthday at the end of November. Thanksgiving festivities tend to fill everyone’s calendars, and it isn’t as easy of a time gathering for a party. This year, her birthday fell over the weekend, and since she didn’t have anything planned, I took it as an opportunity to throw her a last-minute party at the house. Last-minute = I was texting some friends just a few days beforehand!
With such little prep time, there was still a great turnout, and without much planning on our part, it turned into a rice party. In addition to my wild rice dish, there was fried sticky rice and white rice to go along with curry. All tasty and different!
Rice rice, baby!
I decided at the last minute that there had to be some kind of birthday cake, so it was an absolute blessing to have a box of Duncan Hines’ Double Fudge Decadent Brownie Mix sitting around. It’s not a birthday party until you’re sharing a delicious treat with friends. It certainly helps that something so rich and tasty can be whipped together without too much effort.
Within the hour, it was ready and smelling absolutely divine. The occasion was made even sweeter when a friend misread my text and brought candy instead of candles. We topped the brownie with our birthday candies, and it was a little celebration not to be forgotten.
When you’re in a pinch for time, what are some of your go-to quick desserts?
In the last three weeks, we have entertained five separate occasions. I suppose that is one way to keep the house tidy.
Remember to check out Duncan Hines’ website www.duncanhines.com to find some great recipes for your holiday get-together! I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective.
Related PostsPassports with Purpose Wish List!
With only a few days left for donations, I wanted to compile a list of my Passports with Purpose wish list to hopefully motivate some of you to put your name in the hat. All proceeds go towards building two libraries for children in Zambia through a partnership with Room To Read.
These two would make the perfect weekend getaway for those of us in the Bay Area! A hop, skip, jump away, really.
* MacCallum House in Mendocino, California – Two nights lodging at MacCallum House in Mendocino, California. Includes full gourmet breakfast.
* Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn – Two-night stay at the Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn, including welcome bottle of wine upon arrival.
Some other trips that I want so badly:
* Any of the three Hawaiian getaways please! Maui, Oahu, The Big Island? I’ll take ‘em all please.
* Disneyland Park Hopper Tickets-Hilton Garden Inn Prize Pack – then Ryan wouldn’t have an excuse not to go to Disneyland with me!
That’s just the tip of the iceberg. There is sooo much up for raffle! If you have been itching for a Kindle Fire this holiday season, there are FOUR [scroll to the Electronics section] up for grabs. $10 per chance to win!
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