BYOV: bring your own vegetables

Recipe: DIY Quiche

2012-01-29T12:00:00.001-05:00

I'm a big fan of quiches. There's a preferred recipe that I've made about 10 times in the past two years, and it's very easy to make variations of. The one photographed below happens to be a broccoli-mushroom-onion-redPepper quiche, but you could do any sort of combination. Whatever's sitting in your fridge and needs to go!

Everything But The Kitchen Sink Quiche Recipe
1. Pie Crust (I use the one from the original recipe)

2. Variable Content
Enough veggies or [cooked] meat to loosely fill the pie crust. Some ideas:

6 slices crispy, cooked bacon; 4 stalks green onion, sliced, white and green parts included; 1/3 cup chopped flat leaf parsley, finely chopped (from the original recipe)
1 Head of Broccoli, chopped; 1 Small Yellow Onion, diced; 1/2 a Red Pepper, chopped; A handful of sliced mushrooms
A random combination of vegetables or cooked meat that you enjoy. Just make sure not to overpack the quiche!

3. Standard Egg/Milk Mixture
3 eggs, beaten
1.5 cups milk
Pinch of salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

4. Variable Cheese Topping
1 cup shredded cheese (I prefer Swiss, but Cheddar or nearly anything else would work, too)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
Prepare pie crust (refrigerate).
Cut up vegetables, and cook any meat being used.
Toss the vegetables & meat together, and place into pie crust. Ensure that the veggie/meat filling is packed very loosely and is no higher than the walls of the crust.
Whisk together the eggs, milk, salt, and pepper until combined. Pour over the vegetables & meat in the pie crust.
Spread the shredded cheese over the top of the quiche.
Cook 45 minutes, or until a majority of the cheese topping has lightly browned.
Let cool before serving (I've learned this one from experience).

Enjoy!

No More

2012-01-25T12:00:00.000-05:00

Um, you guys. Note to self: I don't need any more winter clothing. None. Finito.

I switched to only buying clothing that makes me want to do a happy dance (from BodenUSA, Lands End Canvas, LL Bean, and Anthropologie), and I think I've successfully overcome anything from pre-2007. And yet, my closet is still a bit overflowing.

Thankfully, the winter fashion season is coming to a close.

Down the Tubes

2012-01-22T12:00:00.000-05:00

Is it just me, or are water parks a constant exercise in overcoming one's fears? There's nothing quite like hurling yourself down a dark tube while water splashes you in the face, before you swirl around an over-sized toilet-bowl that promptly drops you six feet down into water, from which you eventually emerge, totally and completely disoriented. I honestly forget every single time that I'm not claustrophobic until I actually am inside the water slide, at which point I realize that I'm not panicking and that, oh yes, I don't have claustrophobia. Remember?

Aside from having to overcome the same fear fifty billion times in one weekend, we had a nice time at the Kalahari Indoor Water Park in Ohio, and an even better time, since it was a free trip sponsored by Jim's company. It is absolutely overrun by little tykes, but they're so short, I couldn't even see them in my peripheral vision ;) Kalahari Resort also happens to be located rather near to Cedar Point but has the added bonus of allowing you to wear a swimsuit without freezing your tuckus off. Oh yeah. And it's open in January.

Success: Dijon-Braised Brussels Sprouts (omg)

2012-01-18T12:00:00.000-05:00

You guys. These Dijon-braised Brussels Sprouts from SmittenKitchen are one of my new favorite dishes. It may even rival my love of Moroccan Spinach & Chickpeas. I could eat it all day, or for several days, as I did for the past two. This was even after serving it at this year's dinner party. It's good, it's green, and it's relatively painless to put together.

Granted, if it's green and a vegetable, I probably want to marry it. But trust me, this one's a keeper. You can substitute out the Brussels Sprouts for another vegetable, if you happen to have a penchant for Dijon mustard and a strong aversion to miniature cabbages.

Washington DC, a Five Year Review

2012-01-15T12:00:00.000-05:00

The last post mentions a brief trip to Washington DC that Jim and I took in December, which brought my total number of 2011 trips to Washington DC to three. It was good to spend some time eating, visiting rainmelon, and unwinding after a difficult semester. We also got to play with Jim's Xmas present, a Nikon D5100 (it beats the heck out of the old D40).

We went to Zaytinya again, and it is still my favorite food in the entire world. Although, I'm also rather fond of Matchbox in Chinatown, ohhh, and the Amsterdam Falafel Shop in Adam's Morgan. None of this food tourism would be possible without Washington DC's most awesome Metro system. It really is one of the best I've ever experienced.

We spent an entire day walking the National Mall with the Capitol, Washington Monument, WW2 Memorial, Vietnam Memorial, Lincoln Memorial, Korean War Memorial, the new Martin Luther King Junior Memorial, and the White House. The next day was spent doing the Smithsonian Museums by ducking in and out of the National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden, Air & Space Museum, Natural History Museum, and the American History museum. We really just pick and chose based on a whim. The last half day was spent at the Air & Space Museum Udvar Hazy Center out by the airport.

Nothing says fun like free museums :)

I lived just outside of Washington DC during the summer of 2006, when I totally burned myself out on museums. It's crazy to think of how much life has changed since then. I interned in Scotland, became a PhD student, moved to Pittsburgh, broke my own heart, traveled the Greek Islands and Thailand by myself, magically procured an awesome boyfriend through the powers of the internet, learned to ask for help, started cooking like it was my job, and absolutely and utterly failed to keep up my yoga habit (multiple times). Five more years of that wouldn't be so bad.

Down the Rabbit Hole...Film Photography

2012-01-11T12:00:00.000-05:00

I recently acquired a Canon AE-1 Program (a film SLR camera), because I've been admiring some shots on the Internet taken by old SLRs. I also have a Holga that I enjoy tinkering with, so diving further into film just sort of made sense.

These shots are from a two month period and include photos from around Pittsburgh, as well as a weekend holiday trip to Washington, DC. The photos come out beautifully in their own quirky way. I'm a fan.

Recipe: Kielbasa Soup

2012-01-08T12:00:00.002-05:00

Well, over a year later and I've finally gotten around to stealing my mom's recipe for her kielbasa soup. Around here, we hide the leftovers in personal thermoses so that my brother doesn't eat all of it. Because he's a human garbage disposal and he regularly eats all of the food around home. It is indeed a beloved soup.

Kielbasa Soup Recipe
1/4 c butter
1/2 c chopped onion
3 Tbsp flour
1/2 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
4 cups milk
1 1/2 c chicken broth
1 1/2 c diced cooked potatoes
1 pkg (10 oz) frozen lima beans
1 pkg (~10 oz) frozen whole kernal corn
8 oz thinly sliced kielbasa (mom uses 16 oz)

Melt butter in 4 qt pot. Saute onion until tender, about 3 minutes. Stir in flour and seasonings, until smooth. Remove from heat and gradually stir in milk & broth. Bring to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil and stir one minute. Add potatoes, lima beans, corn, and sausage. Heat thoroughly.

Enjoy!

A Chocolate New Year

2012-01-06T12:00:00.000-05:00

If the above photo is any clue, my resolutions/goals for the new year do not include losing weight. Or watching what I eat. I make summer goals, not year-long goals. My goals during the semesters are essentially "survive until summer" which is when my head finally clears and I can think about what I want from life. Chocolate features heavily in my winter semester survival kit (see above photo).

Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge

2012-01-04T12:00:00.000-05:00

We visited the bird refuge in the rain. Normally we'd get out and walk about, but the nasty weather kept us within the confines of the car, leaving me to take some depressing photos of the marsh. Cold weather brings out the ducks, coots, buffleheads, and geese. They couldn't care less if it was raining or not.

On the bright side, the rain did keep the people away, which meant we had the bird refuge to ourselves.

Your Face is an M&M

2012-01-01T12:00:00.000-05:00

I ran out of faces for my friend's friendly face pillows annual holiday gift, and came up with the next best thing: a couple bags of M&Ms with his (and another friend's) face on it from My M&Ms. Who doesn't want to eat over priced chocolate with their face emblazoned on the outside?

Would you like pie with that?

2011-12-30T12:00:00.000-05:00

The way most people serve a homemade pumpkin pie...

...the way people should serve a pumpkin pie...

Christmas Lights

2011-12-28T12:00:00.000-05:00

I love the nearby street that goes completely overboard with holiday lights. And I'm thankful I can enjoy them without paying their electric bill...

Happy Holidays :)

2011-12-25T12:00:00.000-05:00

'Hope you're all having a good day!

I decorated the apartment at some point, and then played around with Photoshop's auto-panorama features. I like being surrounded by twinkly lights...and documenting it ;)

Fail: Peppermint Cream-Filled Butter Cookies

2011-12-21T12:00:00.000-05:00

I wanted to love these Peppermint Cream-filled Butter Cookies but they made that impossible from the very start.

The dough was absolutely unmanageable. Out of the fridge, it was too cold to roll out and then once it was warm enough to roll out, it was too warm and turned back to crumbles again. This is why some of the cookies are semi-mangled heart shapes, and the rest are balls of peppermint-filled rage.

Even the taste was disappointing. To go through all this dough-wrangling, I would've expected a stronger peppermint taste, but instead I got mostly a butter-cookie taste. Which is alright, but when I expend that much energy banging peppermint starlights with a hammer, I really expect more oomph.

I'm basically convinced that the author of the recipe used a different dough recipe to take her photos, because my dough never looked like the ones in the photos, and I don't usually screw baked goods up too much.

I have henceforward renamed these cookies "bastard cookies."

Success: Mushroom Bourguignon

2011-12-18T12:00:00.000-05:00

One of the stipulations of my annual dinner party, is that the food needs to be vegetarian. It's just easier to meet everyone's dietary restrictions this way. This is only a slight challenge, as it's easy to find vegetarian side dishes, but hearty vegetarian entrees are just ever so slightly more scarce. I found a good focus piece in SmittenKitchen's Mushroom Bourguignon. It's a medium effort dish, that only takes an hour to put together, unlike most beef bourguignons that require hours of simmering.

The large mushroom slices are a little slippery on the fork, but once you finally manage to get them in your mouth, it's decently tasty. Overall, I wasn't totally in love with it, so I likely won't be making mushroom bourguignon again. Although, it does make some kickass leftovers.

Annual Cohort Holiday Dinner #4

2011-12-14T12:00:00.000-05:00

Well, it's that time of year again. Time to throw an end-of-semester-holiday dinner party for the members of my "cohort" (there's 8 of us, plus dates). Basically, I make a gallon of boozy eggnog, fret over selecting three coordinating dishes, clean and decorate the apartment like a madwoman, and then enjoy the company and benefits of my insanity. It's quite nice.

The only photo I took of the food all night, hahahaha.
This year, the dishes were:

Mushroom Bourguignon from SmittenKitchen
Dijon-braised Brussel Sprouts (omg) also from SmittenKitchen.
Twice-baked Sweet Potatoes made by Jim
Drunken Molasses Cookies with Ginger from TheKitchn
Peppermint Cream-filled Butter Cookies (aka "Bastard Cookies", I hate them so) also from TheKitchn
Libby's Pumpkin Pie, that we never got to, from the pumpkin can
Everyone's Favorite Eggnog from BYOV

The main course dishes were all doubled. You don't know what fun is, until you buy ~20 portobello mushrooms and sear them in ~8 batches. Write-ups for the new dishes will be forthcoming.

Faces are blurred to protect the innocent ;)
You can find documentation of the first dinner party, the second dinner party, and the third annual dinner party distributed throughout the blog. I've gotten better at documentation over the years.

Need.Moar.Eggnog. I used 18 eggs this year, and 3-4 pints of cream.

Get out of my head

2011-12-11T12:00:00.000-05:00

When I first got the files from my fMRI I could only view them on Jim's computer. I forbade him from showing anyone else the 3D scans on his computer. For some unknown reason, I thought these generic-looking organs were a private matter. I mean, one thalamus looks no different than another, right? But then, a 3D model of a skull really is the most you'll ever see of someone.

That being said, if you ever get the opportunity to have your head scanned (hopefully for research purposes and not for health reasons) I would jump on that. A 3D model of your brain that you can slice any way you like is pretty damn awe-inspiring. And just a little bit creepy, especially if you're as fond of googly eyes as I am.

...and a joyous No More Projects Day to you!

2011-12-07T12:00:00.000-05:00

My vote for a new national holiday:

Two Years

2011-12-04T12:00:00.000-05:00

Sometimes I think two years is a long time, but everything passes by so quickly.

How long did a year feel when we were five years old? Twenty-five?

The Work Behemoth

2011-11-30T12:00:00.000-05:00

I've been consumed by a behemoth of a mini-project. When your experimental design is so complicated the human brain cannot fathom it, it's time to bring in the big guns. A couple thousand lines of code, and I'm still missing a level of complex assignment that must be done by hand. I give up.

On the bright side, at least I have this tool at my fingertips, and it did not explode in my face when I needed it. On the other hand, I'd really like to see daylight. Ah, work, it's grand!

Success: On Thai Curry Soup

2011-11-23T12:00:00.000-05:00

This Thai Curry Soup from For Me, For You is good. It lets you throw a bunch of random veggies into some tasty sauce and just enjoy. The rendition in these photos include: tofu, collard greens, carrots, green pepper, and rice noodles. The curry paste, turmeric, and coconut milk do all the heavy lifting. Delicious heavy lifting.

That's enough gushing over this recipe. Now, onto bigger things.

This weekend meditation post on "Eating Your Way to Happiness" from TheKitchn (combined with this one) got me to realize (1) making and eating good food is an escape from stress for me and (2) not everyone feels this strongly about food. By "good food" I don't mean drowning my sorrows in a tub of ice cream, I mean more making labor-intensive macarons to focus my thoughts in another direction, or filling my belly with wholesome goodies such as this soup. What follows from this is that I cannot understand people who do not love food.

Success: Drunken Molasses Cookies with Ginger

2011-11-20T12:00:00.000-05:00

omg. srsly.

These Drunken Molasses Cookies with Ginger are perfect. So perfect, I already had all the ingredients in my kitchen! So perfect, I think I've eaten them all in two days. So perfect, I whipped these together in very little time. So perfect, they're screaming fall/winter holidays.

They cannot possibly get into my belly quickly enough.

Success: Homemade Soft Pretzels

2011-11-16T12:00:00.000-05:00

These homemade pretzels from Smitten Kitchen are considerably less labor intensive than were the bagels. However, the recipe fell somewhat short of my fondly remembered, Philly soft pretzels from growing up. C'est la vie.

I was told that it's weird to put mustard on pretzels. I'm pretty sure that person is crazy.

Sunshine

2011-11-13T12:00:00.001-05:00

I've acquired some Lenox flower vases and promptly put some flowers in them. Sunshine in the midst of rainy autumn.

Success: Homemade Zatar Bagels

2011-11-09T12:00:00.000-05:00

I had an itchin' to make some bagels. Turns out, they're a real pain in the rear to make (a lot of waiting in between steps). However, it's pretty much the only way I'll ever get a Zatar Bagel. Zatar is so great on everything: popcorn, kale chips, etc. I figured, why not toss some of this middle eastern spice mix on some homemade bagels?

So much effort for such a simple thing. Recipe from the 'Fresh from the Oven' blog.

Autumnal Hiking

2011-11-06T12:00:00.001-05:00

A couple weeks back, we joined a family weekend in Hidden Valley and traipsed about in the red and orange woods. Ski resorts are apparently not too populated in the fall, making the trails perfect for a bit of geocaching.

I think my favorite part about this season is being able to use the word "autumnal" every other sentence :)

Hiking, what an autumnal activity.

Success: Broccoli Slaw

2011-11-02T12:00:00.000-04:00

This Broccoli Slaw from Everybody Likes Sandwiches is amazing! Broccoli, red onion, roasted almonds, dried cranberries, perfection. Easy and tasty, a new favorite of mine! ...in fact, I've already made a second batch.

A Very Merry Yeti Halloween Costume

2011-10-30T12:00:00.000-04:00

Behold, the homemade Yeti Halloween costume in its entirety! You'll notice it's a bit of an un-costume (yes, I am aware of all the issues related to women's 'sexy' Halloween costumes. But a 'slutty yeti' was too irresistible). I like to believe that the dichotomy of the two concepts will make others think about the ridiculousness of expecting women to dress up as barely-clad-whatevers, but in reality I'm guessing everyone's brain function will be too inhibited for thought.

There are tutorials around for each of the yeti Halloween costume pieces: BYOV's How To: Yeti Hat, Costume Goddess' How To Cover a Costume Bra, BYOV's Faux Fur Fingerless Mitts DIY, BYOV's Simple Elastic-Waist Skirt Tutorial, and BYOV's How To Make Furry Leg Warmers.

If you wanted a more conservative costume, you could swap out the faux fur covered costume bra for a Faux Fur Vest...and then wear a shirt and some running tights under all the faux fur. You'll be nice and covered and warm.

I also ended up making a spare yeti hat from pattern Simplicity 2853 (the gorilla hat). I prefer the toothy-grinned hat, for its additional goofy character, but this gorilla-inspired one is also really cute with the ears. And both keep my head nice and warm.

Now, please excuse me. I must go attend a Halloween costume in the snow, wearing barely anything at all. One is only a sexy yeti once in a lifetime.

How To: Yeti Hat

2011-10-28T12:00:00.000-04:00

This isn't a true tutorial, since the first step involves purchasing Simplicity Pattern 1953 (Women & Girls' animal hat pattern), but I thought the world might appreciate my custom yeti face pieces for constructing a yeti hat. Ya know, for when you need a main feature for your Halloween costume.

Above is a photo of Simplicity pattern 1953. Since we're using faux fur that doesn't stretch as much as the fleece that the pattern calls for, the largest sized hat must be used. If you have a larger head, you'll need to hand draft a larger version of the hat. I followed view 'B' (the owl hat) with view 'F's (the frog) short yarn tassels, but instead of cutting out owl pieces, I took some felt and made yeti pieces, below:

After following the pattern directions and you've constructed the outer, faux fur hat piece, it is time to make the felt face pieces.

Attach the black felt pupils to the white eye pieces, and then attach that to the blue eye area. You can either hand sew or hot glue, your choice.
Now, attach the entire eye area to the center front of the outside of the hat (similar to where the owl eye area would be located). Make sure the bottom of the blue eye area is at least one inch from the edge.
Construct the rest of the hat with lining and ear ties as instructed in the Simplicity pattern directions.
Construct the teeth by attaching the 6 teeth pieces to the blue gum rectangle, as marked on the pattern.
Attach the white teeth backing to the back of the gums, to reinforce the teeth pieces.
With the teeth completed, you should now attach them to the hat brim. Pin the teeth to the lining of the hat, centered and in the front. Make sure to position them in a visually appealing way, this isn't an exact science.
Sew the teeth in place where you pinned them, and you're done!

Along with the faux fur leg warmers and fingerless mitt paws, we're beginning to have a real Halloween costume here.

Sexy Yeti Hat...ANGRY

How To: Fur Leg Warmers

2011-10-26T12:00:00.000-04:00

One pair of furry, fingerless mitts does not a costume make. And so, I introduce to you furry leg warmers sewn from not-knit fabric. It seems to be a common pastime to turn one's old sweaters into leg warmers, but using less stretchy material seems rather rare. Here are the steps I followed to make my furry leg warmers, heavily inspired by Brody Qat's project.

The "scrunch amount" is necessary for wearing with heels, as well.
Materials
3/4 yard of faux fur, or other non-stretch fabric, depending on the measurements in the pattern
Enough wide elastic to wrap around beneath both your knees, cut into two pieces
Sewing needle, thread, scissors, etc.

The instructions are fairly basic, with only a minimal amount of math, and I give the measurements I used as an example. Although, if you're shorter than 5'11", my measurements will be way too long.

Remember to pull the long fur out of the seams with a pin. It makes the seams disappear!

How To: Faux Fur Fingerless Mitts

2011-10-23T12:00:00.000-04:00

Ah, Halloween. The season for buying zombie make up and assembling costumes from the closet. Not this year! This year I'm working on something. Something that involves furry, fingerless mitts. Here's the general instructions for making yourself a pair.

Thumbhole Close Up

Materials
You'll need approximately ~1/4 yard of fabric, depending on how big you plan to make your mitts.
Note: If your knuckles are wider than 3.5" across, you'll need to modify the pattern to be wider.
Some felt scraps in a contrasting color, if you plan to include the paw prints.
Sewing needle, thread, scissors, etc.

The instructions/pattern is below, but you may wish to download the original size.
Oh, and as always with faux fur, remember to pull the longer hairs out of the seams with a pin when you're done! This will hide the seams a bit.

If you plan to incorporate the felt paw prints in the palms, as I did, you'll need the following optional step 3.5 as well:

I also lined my mitts with some spare, blue broadcloth, but this is totally optional and not included in the instructions. Faux fur can be harsh on the skin.

Research Before Badmouthing, Always

2011-10-21T16:29:00.000-04:00

I overheard a conversation in the grocery store between a cashier and a customer. Well, it was really more of a rant from the cashier, and it went something like this:

"Yeah, those people at Wall Street don't know what they want. They're just angry, is all. They're angry and they can't figure out what it is they want, so they're just going to be angry."

There's two basic rules being broken here, but the one I care about is this: do your research before putting others down. Do your research from multiple sources. Fox News is bad by itself, but okay when mixed with other sources. Oh, and your local news is questionable. I have nothing against understanding the full range of opinions, but I do have something against an ill-informed opinion used to judge others. It's breaking my heart.

And now, some random information sources on the issues, so everyone can (at the very least) be catty and judgmental with some information to back them up.

"Official" Sources

How Executive salaries are determined based not on performance, but based upon other Executives' salaries

A note on Anti-semitism of the Occupy Wall Street Movement from the Huffington Post

Some bar charts, visualizing who the 1%ers are

Not-so-official-but-thought-provoking Sources

Refuting a it's-your-fault-you're-in-school-loan-debt-and-the-99% viral image

OWS is upset that Wall Street is cheating

OWS from a Buddhist Perspective

The Cookie Monster explains Occupy Wall Street

The other rule the cashier broke? Well I just broke it, too. No discussing politics with strangers ;)

Semi-Success: Pumpkin Pie Dip

2011-10-19T12:00:00.000-04:00

I wanted to bring something to a spoooooky gathering, and I pulled together this speedy pumpkin pie dip from kiki creates. I added in a full can of pumpkin, instead of just a cup, because the dip was a little...meh. It still is a little meh. I can't quite figure out what it's missing. (Edit: although, it appears that after letting the dip sit in the fridge for an hour, the pumpkin-ness really sets in nicely).

I think serving with ginger snaps and apple slices is in order. Something with flavor.

Who Knows Whose Baby Aghan

2011-10-16T12:00:00.000-04:00

Having just inherited a bunch of scraps of acrylic baby yarn from the 80s, I did the only thing one can do: I made a ripple afghan (well, that, and yarn pom-poms for my yeti hat, naturally). Of course, I used smaller yarn than the pattern called for, as well as a larger hook. But everything came out a-okay anyways. It always does.

I think I really prefer baby blankets in bright, bold colors, but such is life.

That Time of Year

2011-10-09T12:00:00.000-04:00

It's that time of year again, when the blog-o-verse fills with photos of apple picking trips.

Apples were an option, but my preference is for GIANT CORN MAZES. Connect-the-dots mazes, phrase mazes, what have you. We loaded up two cars full of friends and headed to Gearhard Farms' Giant Corn Maze to enjoy the glorious 80 degree October weather. That 80 degrees is just confusing.

Although, next year I swear I'll do some strawberry-picking before the season passes.

Like, Surreal, Yo

2011-10-05T12:00:00.000-04:00

Can you see it? There's something different about these photos.

They're 'High Dynamic Range' images, otherwise known as (1) take the same photo at ~three different exposure levels and (2) use Photomatix or similar software to combine the various photos. Then you end up with a more "realistic" image in which the parts of the photo at the extreme dark/light ends of the spectrum are clear. There's a collection of more specific resources available here. Jim went a little crazy with the HDR shots on our recent California trip, there's more up on his flickr account.

I think they look like paintings.

Playing with Toy Cameras

2011-10-02T12:00:00.000-04:00

Well, I finally got around to using/developing my Holga toy camera, with a bit of color film from the California trip. There was a slight misunderstanding in which I thought the rolls had 16 shots instead of 12, so I've ended up with some interesting cut-offs of various photos I took...as well as some intended double exposures. I think they're kinda cool, even though a bit blurry.

You win some, you lose some.

Botanic Hat

2011-09-28T12:00:00.000-04:00

Knitting season is upon us! I find that autumn and winter is really the best/only time to knit. I'm just not in the mood to think about wool hats in the middle of July, sorry ;)

This was a speedy knit, probably completed within two days of receiving the yarn from KnitPicks. The pattern is westknits Botanic Hat, and the tonal Wool of the Andes comes out really nicely (like camouflage, but not). On the "purl-side" of the hat, the black web-like lines are really cool, although they don't come out that well in the photos.

Annual Pilgrimage to Washington DC

2011-09-25T12:00:00.000-04:00

I'm a government-funded graduate student and as such, I make a yearly pilgrimage to Washington DC for somesuch research conference or another. I only had a few hours to spare before meeting up with rainmelon and eating the best meal of my life at Zaytinya, but I was able to capture a few shots of the gloominess that is DC in the rain.

Seven Things

2011-09-21T12:00:00.000-04:00

I'm not one who would normally pass along blog awards, but Ajax had given me such a lovely introduction on her site, I couldn't pass it up. Besides, all the 'Versatile Blogger Award' requires is for me to blab about myself, which is more or less what I do anyways. So, without further ado, seven things you may or may not know about me:

1. I love to make food, almost as much as I love to eat food.

2. I'm a computer science PhD student (i.e., I'm an intellectual masochist).

3. I watch way more crime television shows than should be legally allowed (see 'intellectual masochist' comment above).

4. I love the outdoors. Mostly for the stars at night.

5. I have a strange fondness/obsession with hexagons. Iznik tiles, quilts, greeting cards, jewelry, no matter.

6. I'm rather tall.

7. I love to kick mushrooms. It's pretty awesome.

As part of this whole Versatile Blogger shebang, I get to choose another blog to honor with the award. I've chosen Allison of Welcome to My Home. I love watching fellow seamstresses and DIYers grow in their skills. Sharing one's discoveries is one of my favorite aspects of the blog community, and Allison's blog does a great job of that :)

Spinach and Lemon Soup with Orzo

2011-09-19T20:24:00.016-04:00

¤ Guest Post ¤

Having largely abandoned my kitchen throughout the entirety of the summer (we'll blame it on the heat), the sudden drop in temperature over the past week all over the Northeast inspired me turn on my stove and oven again. As soon as the weather turns even a bit nippy, I find myself craving soups ... and I can get through a few cartons of Trader Joe's soups incredibly quickly. Cue The Kitchn's timely soup round-up (although this one was actually featured awhile ago).

This meets several of my weekday dinner meal requirements: easy prep, few ingredients, one bowl meal, fairly nutritionally well-balanced. Oh yeah, and it's really good.

A few notes: as it says in the comments, whisk the egg whites first and then add in the yolk. I added more red pepper flakes to give it a spicier kick, as well as pepper, which I thought worked really well with the lemon. The eggs make this dish creamy without making it too rich.

Don't mind my archaic camera.

P.S. -- And yes, you might have noticed that the garnish I used is cilantro (which I already had), instead of parsley; it works just as well for an infusion of freshness throughout the whole dish.

Dinner is served -- probably for the rest of the week =).

Success: Carrot Cake Sandwich Cookies

2011-09-18T12:00:00.000-04:00

This carrot cake version of the homemade oreos is perfect. Just substitute a box of Carrot Cake Mix for the devil's food cake mix. It goes great with the cream cheese icing. We made a batch of each flavor for a couple barbecues...they're just so easy to make, it's great for feeding a crowd.

Northern California Trip: San Francisco

2011-09-14T12:00:00.000-04:00

Finally! The last part of the California trip. Still physically depleted from our Yosemite backpacking experience, I decided the best way to spend our only full day in San Francisco was to loll about Fisherman's Wharf. We took a Blue & Gold Fleet Bay Cruise which took us under the Golden Gate Bridge and rather close to Alcatraz Island. We even saw a herd of porpoises!

Be sure to book your Tours of Alcatraz Island (above) a couple months in advance, or settle for a Bay Cruise.
Afterwards, we had a tourist-y seafood lunch on Pier 39, watched the sea lions that live there, wandered the San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park (mmm, old boats), and bought lots of chocolate from the Ghirardelli factory. We were even able to squeeze in dinner with a Pittsburgh friend before passing out back at the hotel.

More photos of San Francisco are up on my flickr account, here.

~~Manchester Beach State Park, 1.5 days~~
~~Napa Valley, 1 day~~
~~Yosemite Valley, 3 days~~
~~Mariposa Grove, 1 day~~
San Francisco, 1 day

Northern California Trip: Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias

2011-09-09T12:00:00.011-04:00

After roughing it for the past several nights, we splurged on a little bit of luxury by staying in one of Tenaya Lodge's cottage rooms just outside of Yosemite National Park. That's right. I got a shower. And some tasty BBQ. But the next morning we saw giant sequoias. Redwoods! They've been on my 'to do' list since 2009.

Still tired from our 17 mile hike, we managed to add another 3 or 4 miles and 1,000 ft upwards to our tally with this day hike around Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias. We were still able to see: the fallen Monarch, the Bachelor & the Three Graces, the Grizzly Giant, the California Tunnel Tree, the Faithful Couple, and the Clothespin Tree. There's some interesting stories about preserving the redwoods, and how naming the trees actually ends up forcing the park to protect certain sequoias to the detriment of the others. So, the National Park Service has slowly been removing name signs from in front of certain giant sequoias so that the grove may persist.

The trees are as tall as a airplane is long, and some of the sequoias have branches that are thicker than any of the other species of trees' trunks. It's wild. They're really just simply beautiful.

More photos of the giant sequoias up on my flickr account.

~~Manchester Beach State Park, 1.5 days~~
~~Napa Valley, 1 day~~
~~Yosemite Valley, 3 days~~
Mariposa Grove, 1 day
San Francisco, 1 day

Northern California Trip: Yosemite Valley

2011-09-04T12:00:00.104-04:00

From lazing about a beach, crocheting doilies and playing fetch with the Pacific Ocean, we went right to the MOST INTENSE PHYSICAL CHALLENGE OF OUR ENTIRE LIVES (caps lock necessary).

We stayed at the backpacker campground in Yosemite Valley Tuesday night, and the next day Jim and I put on our 25-35 lb backpacks to hike 9 miles with a ~3,500 ft ascent. We began with our trailhead at Happy Isles, then we took the populous Mist Trail to Vernal and Nevada Fall. A tiny piece of the switchback-ridden, virtually deserted John Muir Trail took us to the Panorama Trail with outstanding views of the back of Half Dome and the waterfalls. Once we reached Illilouette Creek, and saw Illilouette Fall from 1,000 ft higher, we pitched our tent with an unbelievable view of Half Dome.

The next day, we awoke to an additional 2.5 mile hike with a 500 ft incline. BUT. We arrived at Glacier Point feeling exhausted, but okay. We ate lunch and enjoyed the amazing views for awhile. There was the ever so slight possibility of waving $50 cash at a bus driver to take take us down the 3,000 ft decline to Yosemite Valley, if there was space, but that's expensive and kinda risky. So we decided to finish our entire hike as planned. Four-mile trail was one of the most grueling experiences of my life. Most people think the knees would be most affected by going downhill, but in this case my shoulders and the balls of my feet were in excruciating quantities of pain. By some previously unknown force of will, I narrowly avoided collapsing in the middle of the trail and bawling my eyes out. I decided that surrendering to my self pity would be too embarrassing.

The elevation plot from our GPS, so even if you can't feel our pain, you can see it. ...That's right, I'm entirely motivated by a fear of embarrassment. Whatever gets you to the bottom of the hill.

You can sort of see where we started our hike near the Ahwanee Hotel in the middle of the photo (close to the cliffside, just above where the Merced River is obstructed by trees). This photo was taken from Glacier Point, our highest peak.
We did indeed make it to the bottom of the mountain. The entire hike was an approximate 17 miles horizontal with a 4,000 ft vertical incline.

While climbing the rocky stairs alongside the Vernal and Nevada Falls, people regularly mumbled "I could never do that" as we trudged past. This is funny to me, because up until a few months ago, I really could not do what I just did. Training. That's the way to go.

Some highlights from the hike:

Everything was so damn pretty.
We were not attacked by bears.
The foot-numbing waters of Illilouette Creek.
Finally being able to fit all the food and scented toiletries into the bear vault on the second day.
Discovering that I am allergic to California wilderness.
Victory ice cream atop Glacier Point.
Total disbelief that we had made it up to Glacier Point.

We spent the third night back in the Yosemite Valley Backpacker campground, and the next half-day was spent doing short park-and-hike walks to the foot of Yosemite Fall and Bridalveil Fall. Our bodies were too sore to do anything that required going either up or downhill.

As usual, there's more photos up on my 'California: Yosemite Valley' flickr set.

~~Manchester Beach State Park, 1.5 days~~
~~Napa Valley, 1 day~~
Yosemite Valley, 3 days
Mariposa Grove, 1 day
San Francisco, 1 day

Northern California Trip: Manchester Beach State Park

2011-08-31T12:00:00.009-04:00

I returned from the big California trip a little over a week ago: my feet have healed, my cardiovascular system has recovered, the photos are processed, and I'm ready to share!

I kept finding myself saying "It's so pretty" throughout the entire trip, no matter if we were driving along Route 1, in Manchester Beach State Park, Yosemite, or San Francisco. As is suggested by the above map, the first segment of our trip was to drive along Route 1 up the California coast from San Francisco to Point Arena.

A Mini Cooper is an awesome choice for so much driving. So many winding roads and hills. We finally got to the Manchester Beach State Park campground and set up our tent. It was mostly empty, and absolutely stunning. A grassy field set against a cow pasture, with mule deer wandering through during twilight, and echoes of the ocean to lull you to sleep.

The beach was too chilly to swim in (I wore jeans and a fleece jacket), but it too was rather deserted. It's kinda lovely to have such places to yourself. Our time at the beach was spent visiting the Point Arena lighthouse, eating amazing steak sandwiches in a tiny little town that had an actual grocery store, catching the last of the Perseid Meteor Shower, and sharing our campfire with a fellow camper from Switzerland.

After the allotted two nights camping in Manchester Beach State Park, we headed to Fairfield, California where we visited the Jelly Belly Factory and bought way too many of the sugary treats. Pounds and pounds worth. All the strawberry-flavored beans. And chocolate covered beans. And Belly Flops.

There's more photos up on my flickr account.

Manchester Beach State Park, 1.5 days
Napa Valley, 1 day
Yosemite Valley, 3 days
Mariposa Grove, 1 day
San Francisco, 1 day

Success: Homemade Oreos

2011-08-28T12:00:00.002-04:00

To be completely honest, these don't really taste much like Oreos, despite Dear C. Jane's recipe title. They are, however, very tasty. I would probably call them devil's food cake cookies with cream cheese icing. They're made with cake mix from a box, so they're speedy to put together and probably adaptable to other kinds of cake mixes. 'Would make again, but something tells me there's more interesting/challenging recipes out in the world...

In other news, cream cheese icing is the answer to all my problems.

The Photobooks are in!

2011-08-24T12:00:00.003-04:00

Well, after many many hours of work, my Picaboo photobooks are in! These two books of my Thailand and Hong Kong trips were my first time using Picaboo, but I've used Shutterfly for five books in the past. Picaboo frequently has GroupOn offers and great sales/deals, so I figured it was worth the learning overhead.

Both Shutterfly and Picaboo allow you to auto-load selected photos into randomly selected layouts, but they also both [now] offer a 'custom path' where you can resize and relocate the photos on each page. It takes longer to do this, but the end product comes out looking really nice. I like to have these photobooks as a way of remembering where I went and when. That, and it's so much less painful than having friends sit through a photo slide show ;)

How do you remember your travels?

A Wedding Doily

2011-08-21T12:00:00.024-04:00

I like to put a little bit of thoughtfulness into wedding presents for friends. Because, honestly, buying a $50 butter dish off a registry (or as in my case, a gift card) does not really require any real focused thought on my part. So, I pair my presents with a doily. That's right, I celebrate weddings by spending 20+ hours concentrating on every stitch of an outdated decor item. But it makes me happy, just as seeing my friends happy makes me happy. This is how it is.

This latest one, a pattern from Ocie Jordan involves both pinwheel and pineapple motifs. Doily pineapples may not actually look like pineapples, but they're pretty much my favorite things to make. Mmmm, pineapples.

My prime lens' shallow DoF, making its presence known, obnoxiously.

Success: Nectarine Cobbler

2011-08-17T12:00:00.015-04:00

I brought this Nectarine Cobbler from Bon Appetit to a going away party for some dear friends. And it disappeared. In 30 minutes. I had to grab some before I grabbed dinner, it was going so fast.

15 minutes after arrival...30 minutes after arrival

This cobbler is tasty, especially with a large dollop of homemade whipped cream (yeah, I went there). It's sweet, but not too sweet (the 'biscuit' part sort of evens the flavor tones all out). It's not too challenging, as there isn't a need to peel the nectarines. And really, the amount of compliments you get for this dessert is worth any amount of hand-pinching butter into flour mixture.

How To: Photo Tracing PEOPLE with Adobe Illustrator

2011-08-14T12:00:00.122-04:00

Here's the continuation of the previous photo tracing tutorial with Adobe Illustrator! But now we're making illustrations of people! 'Finally getting to the good stuff. Alternatively, you could follow the tutorial that I learned with years ago, here. My first attempt at this took 6 hours. Now, it takes about one hour per face. So, if you're frustrated in the beginning, that's totally normal!

Before following this tutorial, you really need to be familiar with the concepts in my previous tutorial on tracing objects. The specific skills this tutorial assumes you have are: raster vs vector graphics, the concept of layers, creating new documents, locking layers, creating new layers, hiding layers, using the pen tool, choosing fill colors, and adjusting fill transparency. If this tutorial doesn't explain something well enough, please check the object tracing tutorial first! Otherwise, I'm more than happy to answer questions :)

As usual, I'll be using an ancient copy of Adobe Illustrator 10 (circa 2003) in order to do this. Basically, any copy of Illustrator should be able to handle this approach.

Tutorial for Tracing Photos of Objects with Adobe Illustrator

Step 1: Open up Adobe Illustrator and create a new document (Ctrl+N) approximately 15x15 inches

Step 2: Assure you have the following 'Windows' open: Color, Layers, Swatches, Tools, and Transparency
On the menu bar, make sure you have these handy 'Windows' open: Color, Layers, Swatches, Tools, and Transparency. As you do more intricate work, you may need other windows like Stroke, Appearance, Transform, and Align.

Step 3: Select an image to trace
Since we're doing faces in this tutorial, select a photo with a person in it. It needs to be a decent enough resolution so that you're able to trace over all the facial features.

Step 4: Copy/Paste image to Illustrator document
Copy and paste the image to the Illustrator document you created previously.

Step 5: Lock the image layer
In the 'Layers' toolbox, click the empty checkbox to the right of the eye-icon. A lock should appear. This means that the photo layer has been locked in place, and will not move until you unlock it.

Step 6: Create a new layer on top
Again, in the 'Layers' window, create a new, blank layer. You should click the little page-icon on the bottom of the Layers window. This is the layer you will draw on.

Your Illustrator space should look a little like the image below, where I've also pointed out some useful tools/windows we'll be using (click the image to see it larger):

Step 7: Trace the foundational 'large' parts of the face, using the pen tool
On the face, I like to start with the "background" parts first. This includes: the 'background' hair, the neck, the chin's shadow on the neck, the face, the half-shaded face, 'foreground' hair (bangs, etc), and eyebrows. Usually, in that order, otherwise, you'll need to get accustomed to rearranging the shapes you draw, like layers (see Object > Arrange > Bring Forward/Backward on the menu at the top). Our image will look something like this:

Step 8: Trace details of the 'large' parts you just drew
Using the pen tool, trace details of the face and hair that you just drew. This is usually just streaks in the hair, ear crevices, etc. You should have something like this:

Step 9: Trace the nose using the pen tool
Note: If at any time it gets difficult to see the photo detail, feel free to hide the busy layer, create a new layer, and work on that one. You'll just have to integrate all your layers as you go along, to make sure they are arranged in the correct order.

Now it's time to trace the nose. The nose usually extends up into the forehead, and has to be hidden by some foreground hair or bangs. The nose also [often] includes two nostrils (can go under or over the nose), philtrum (under the nose), and a bit of transparent white shine on the tip of the nose. Here's a close-up of our multi-piece nose:

Step 10: Trace the lips using the pen tool
A closed mouth smile, such as the one in our example photo usually requires the following parts: lip foundation (i.e., trace the outer lines of the mouth), lip half-shading, and lip line.

Our example photo isn't showing any teeth. If it were, you would need the following parts: lip foundation, lip half-shading, mouth interior, lower teeth, lower gums (if showing), upper teeth, and and upper gums (if showing).

The closed mouth smile tracing should look something like this:

Step 11: Trace the eyes using the pen tool
This is the most complicated and my least favorite part of tracing faces! But here we go, a list of the parts involved in the eye: (1) the pink corner of the eye, (2) the white cornea, (3) colored background of the iris, (4) transparent foreground of the iris, (5) black pupil, (6) semi-transparent white shine of the pupil, (7) lower and upper eyelids, and (8) upper eyelashes. It usually ends up looking something like this:

Step 12: Fill in the colors for objects
Now is time for the fun stuff! Using the 'Color' window, adjust the stroke and fill color of each object you drew. Set the 'Stroke' (the square on the lower right of the Color window) to 'Transparent' (the white box with red slanted line) and set the 'Fill Color' (the square on the upper leftof the Color window) to be whatever might closely match the actual shading of the photo you traced. I always start with the eyes first. They're the easiest to mess up!

If you find you need to adjust a shape you drew, the 'Direct Selection Tool' (the white arrow on the Toolbar) is the best tool for adjusting points. The black arrow ('Selection Tool') is for moving the location of the entire shape.

Step 13: Determine if your face is missing anything, and trace those pieces, adding color
Note: This step can really be done at any time.
I almost always forget to draw in some additional shadowing behind the eyes and nose. This would be a good time to add that.

Since you've obstructed your view of the photo making it difficult/impossible to trace, set the busy layer to be 'hidden', create a new layer, and work on that one. Integrate that layer with the busy one (via copy/paste) when you've finished tracing and adjusting the fill color. Make sure the new object is in the correct position of the stack of layers (this can be adjusted with Object > Arrange > Bring Forward/Backward).

Here's the finished face with some new shadowing around the eye socket, and a smile crease:

Step 14: Trace and color the rest of the photo as desired
Once the face is done, you've gotten through the tough part. Now you just have to trace (using the pen tool) and adjust fill colors of other objects in the photo, until you're satisfied.

Step 15: Set the photo layer to 'Hidden'
Hide the layer that contains the photo you traced, and you're done!

Done!

Success: Amazing Mustard Roasted Potatoes

2011-08-10T12:00:00.006-04:00

With about a half a bag leftover from making the most awesome potato salad ever I cut Bon Appetit's Mustard Roasted Potatoes recipe into quarters, resulting in a two person serving of some more potato awesomeness. Only a little charred ;)

Below is my version of the recipe, although if you are using more than a .75 lb bag of potatoes, you may as well use Bon Appetit's recipe or maybe Joy the Baker's version, which is nearly identical but has mustard-roasted onions involved. Brilliant.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Take 2 tbsp whole grain dijon mustard, 1/2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, 1/2 tbsp melted butter, 1/2 tbsp lemon juice, 1 small minced garlic clove, 1/4 tsp oregano, 1/4 tsp lemon peel, and 1/4 tsp kosher salt and whisk it all together in a bowl. Add .75 lbs small red potatoes (around here, they're usually sold in 1.5 lb bags, so I just used my half a bag) cut into quarters, until the potatoes are covered. Any excess mustard will burn in the oven, so no need for there to be globs of it on the potatoes. Arrange potatoes in single layer on well-oiled cookie sheet and place into the oven at 425 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 minutes. Toss the potatoes, flip the cookie sheet around, and bake for another 25 minutes until potatoes are cooked through.

Even the charred bits are tasty...

Yosemite: The Backpacking Packing List

2011-08-07T12:00:00.001-04:00

I really like making pictorial packing lists and the California backpacking trip is no exception. This is my current backpacking packing list for two people for 2-3 days hiking (although, I didn't show doubles of personal items, like sleeping bags). It's pretty much the same stuff I'd bring for longer trips, but with less food.

Looking at this again, I'm wondering if maybe we're overpacking a bit? ...but then, what to eliminate?

Row 1: Chemical water treatment (backup for the filter), Water filter, Cookset (or part of it, anyways), Tiny camp stove and fuel, Fire starter, Magnetic bear bell, and Toilet paper.
Row 2: SLR Gorillapod, Camera, Sporks, Waterproof matches, Pocketknife, Itch/Rash ointment, Clear nail polish (stops fraying), and SPF chapstick/nail file/toiletries/etc.
Row 3: Lightweight tent, First Aid Kit, Extra pain-killers (because backpacking can hurt), Sunscreen, Blister Care, Stuff sacks, Compression sacks, Dry bag, Dr. Bronners soap (it's biodegradeable!), and Soap case.
Row 4: Microfiber camp towel, Camp lantern, Mummy sleeping bag, Headlamp, Compressible pillow, Foam sleeping mat (or Inflatable sleeping pad for fancy people), Plastic bags, GPS (optional), Nalgene water bottles (or swap one for a Water bladder), Paracord (or straps or something to tie stuff with), ~60L Backpack, Pack rain cover, and Trekking poles.

Clothing: Moisture-wicking t-shirt, 3-in-1 Jacket (if the weather forecast is chilly), Bandanna, Goofy sun hat, Sunglasses, Convertible pants/capris OR gym shorts (depending on weather forecast), Swimsuit, assorted undergarments, Sock liners, Hiking socks, Hiking boots, and Sturdy/comfy flip flops.
Food: S'mores, Freeze-dried food, Best.Granola.Ever (my fav + locally produced), and Cherry pie Larabars (because I could live on them).

Goin' Weddin'-Attendin'

2011-08-05T12:00:00.021-04:00

I've been putting together an outfit for a New Jersey wedding that is part one of the Yosemite trip. It's a good thing I recently achieved frequent flyer preferred status, or we'd be paying a boatload in checked luggage fees! If it weren't for it being all work travel, 60 hours in airports/airplanes is really not worth it to save a couple hundred dollars.

Anyways, I picked up La Posh Style's Under the Willow Dress for its folksy charm, but it also has a side effect of making my legs look one million miles long, although, being 5'11" might contribute to that effect somewhat. I'm throwing in some cute silver bird bobby pins, the brilliant Like Lace necklace from Orange Slice (which I've been eyeing for so long), and topping it all off with a metallic wristlet for holding tchotchkes. The yellow scarf is just in case the event gets a bit chilly, and the 'ole trusty standby T-strap wedge sandals complete the outfit.

The dress packs small, which is a bonus considering how much stuff I must lug around for this trip. A wedding, wine-tasting, ocean swimming, backpacking, and city sightseeing is a wide range of activity, requiring the full spectrum of clothing.

Success: Pea Pesto with Linguine

2011-08-03T12:00:00.041-04:00

I was making this dish when the power went out for about an hour. Let me tell you, nothing says joy quite like standing over a pot of boiling pasta as your apartment temperature gradually rises into the 90s and beyond. Um, yeah.

That being said, this Pea Pesto with Linguine from SmittenKitchen is divine, although I think I overdid it on the pine nuts. I have learned this lesson: when it comes to toasted pine nuts, it is better to underestimate than to overdo it. Srsly.

Delicious delicious delicious. Easy peas-y (ha!). 'Will definitely make again.

Four Months Without Shampoo

2011-07-31T12:00:00.060-04:00

I've been doing the no shampoo thing for about four months now, and I figured it was about time to do a little write up. All of these photos were taken on the same day, about 4 or 5 days after I last washed my hair with diluted baking soda and apple cider vinegar. You can read about my first two weeks (also, the worst two weeks), here.

The left image is my hair after being rinsed with water and then blown dry with a round bristle brush. The right image is my hair after a day of being in a French braid, sleeping, then brushing in the morning (no rinsing or styling, just slightly improved "bed head"). Frizziness was not really a major issue before "no 'poo", so it's not surprising that my hair isn't really less frizzy than before. The most obvious difference to me is the reduction in grease. I can go days not washing my hair, and it won't get significantly greasy. Although, by the 5th or 6th day, my hair really needs to be washed. So, these photos are showing my hair a day or two before I would normally wash it.

My bangs are an entirely different creature (please ignore their unevenness, there's a haircut in my near future). Being blunt-cut bangs, they still pick up forehead sweat which means I end up washing my bangs only with baking soda and ACV every other day, instead of just every 6th day as with the rest of my head. Slightly annoying, but then I remembered that I used to shampoo everyday. That thought is becoming more and more ridiculous to me.

Most of the reviews of the no 'poo movement talk about how eliminating sulfates from the haircare routine is really good for those with curly hair. I was interested to see what the benefits would be to those of us with rather straight, medium thickness hair. While the results aren't as drastic as many of the stories I've heard from the curly-haired camp, I'd say my hair is happier in "shan'tpoo." However, I can't use conditioner with silicones in it, nor can I use most other hair products, because they all need the harsh chemicals in shampoo to cut through it at the end of the day. Small sacrifice.

Overall, this has been an interesting experiment: I'm saving money not purchasing shampoo, I'm saving time not shampooing everyday, and my hair is softer and less greasy. The real test, however, is after next week when I get my hair cut short and will be unable to wear my hair in braids everyday.

Hong Kong Recap

2011-07-29T12:00:00.040-04:00

Last travel post, I promise! ...well, until the California trip, anyways.

I didn't do a lot of sightseeing around Hong Kong, as I was mainly there for work, but I was able to squeeze in a few activities here and there.

There were night markets and flower markets and bird markets. Egg tarts and octopus and mango drinks. Ferries and gondolas and floating restaurants. There are Buddhist temples in the middle of skyscrapers. You can be in central Hong Kong (Wan Chai), hop on a ferry, and be on a hiking trail with waterfalls and a beach on Lantau Island within 30 minutes! I think my one regret might be not doing more shopping ;)

The rest of the details and photos are up on my Flickr account.

Two Week Thailand Itinerary

2011-07-27T12:00:00.005-04:00

As I've stated about a bajillion times (what can I say, I was really excited), I was in Hong Kong for work, and took the opportunity to fly to Thailand afterwards for a little two week solo vacation. Here's my itinerary which includes a little bit of history, adventure, and beaches, because Thailand has a plethora of all three.

Date	Activities
7/9/11	Check into Wild Orchid Villa Khaosan in Bangkok. Sleep.
7/10/11	Get terribly lost and approached by two different scammers. See the Grand Palace, Wat Phra Kaew (the temple of the Emerald Buddha), and Wat Pho (my favorite temple).
7/11/11	Taxi ride to the ferry to see Wat Arun, and then a ferry downstream to Chinatown.
7/12/11	Morning cooking class at Baipai Thai Cooking School. Souvenir shopping at MBK Center.
7/13/11	A day tour of Ayutthaya, the former ancient capital of Thailand.
7/14/11	Morning train to Pak Chong. Check-in to Greenleaf Guesthouse & Tour, and do the half day tour. Millions of bats, a scorpion spider, and springwater swimming.
7/15/11	Greenleaf Guesthouse & Tour's full day tour of Khao Yai National Park, complete with jungle trekking, macaques, horn-billed toucans, and assorted other wildlife.
7/16/11	Return by bus to Bangkok and fly to Phuket. Check-in to Manohra Cozy Village in Kata Beach, and go for a night walk along the shore.
7/17/11	Spend the day at Kata Beach. Get a [cheap] Thai massage.
7/18/11	50 minute elephant trek with Kok Chang Elephant Safari in the morning. Spend the remainder of the afternoon at the beach, getting terribly horribly sun burnt.
7/19/11	Starlight tour of the lagoons with John Gray Sea Canoe. Beautiful lagoons, mangroves, seascapes, and delicious food.
7/20/11	Swimming at Kata Beach in the morning, then a foot massage and pedicure, before flying back to Bangkok. Check into the really expensive (by Thai standards) Suvarnabhumi Airport Novotel.
7/21/11	Wake up absurdly early and spend the next 29 hours in airports and on airplanes.

There's more photos from my Thailand trip up on my Flickr account.

On Leeches, Macaques, and Jungle Trekking

2011-07-24T12:00:00.054-04:00

I haven't done a hiking post in awhile, but now that I've returned, I can share some things I've learned. Like things about leeches.


Leech photo taken by Lorraine Phelan, Flickr.	Looking at my awesome leech socks.

Yes, leeches. They look like large inch worms, and they move like them too, until you pull them off your leech socks. Apparently, they can't bite through the skin of your palm, since it's too thick. So, lucky me, I was pulling leeches off my clothing with my bare hands!

I took a guided jungle trekking tour through Khao Yai National Park in Thailand, with Greenleaf Guesthouse & Tour, and it was amazing. I saw horn-billed toucans in their natural habitat! ...along with a whole bunch of other creatures.

There were two million bats that took hours to all exit their cave, there was springwater swimming, grasslands, strangling trees, waterfalls, and lots and lots of mud. July is Thailand's rainy season after all. Let's just say I had to "retire" my red-clay-caked sneakers at the end of this hike.

The jungle was just gorgeous. Well worth the leech-removal effort.

More photos of Khao Yai National Park on my flickr account.

Yolculuklar Türkiye'de

2011-07-22T12:00:00.006-04:00

While I'm recovering from some awful 11 hour jet lag, there's a guest post I wrote up on Yes and Yes about traveling through Turkey. Much more specific details can be found here below.

In 2005 I spent four months living in Ankara, Turkey. Spending nearly every weekend on an overnight bus trip to somewhere else, I was able to hit everywhere except the North, bordering the Black Sea. Definitely worth a visit...or five.

Date	Activities
9/16/05	A bus to Antalya and a Dolmuş to Olympos, a crazy backpacker town. Stay in cabins on stilts at Saban Pension. Walk 5 minutes to the Mediterranean. Wander the ruins in the woods. Climb cliffs on the beach.
9/18/09	Spend the day looking at the Ottoman houses in Antalya's old quarter.
9/24/05	A three day organized tour of Kapadokya. See the fairy chimneys, the Three Beauties, Uçisar castle, Paşabağ Valley, hidden churches, and the Göreme Open Air Museum.
10/7/05	Overnight train to Istanbul. The Hippodrome, Aya Sofya, Obelisk of Theodosius, Galata Bridge (my favorite), Turkey-Germany soccer game, and nightlife on Istiklal Caddesi. Take a ferry to the European side, and watch the sun rise over the Bosphorous.
10/15/05	Head to Hattuşa, ancient capital of the Hittites. Get stranded for a weekend, with only three dictionaries and no luggage. Look at old, old ruins. Eat fresh bread from the village bakery for lunch. Fresh apples from a farmer on the street who feels bad that you're walking all the way to Sungurlu.
10/25/05	Dad visits, take him to Pamukkale. Walk barefoot up a hill of calcium deposits. View the travertines. Swim with Roman ruins in natural mineral baths. Walk around the ancient ruins, that once formed the spa town.
10/22/05	Head to nearby Afrodisias, the former capital of its Roman province. More Roman ruins, a giant stadium, and kittens.
10/28/05	Take a 13 hour overnight bus ride to Kahta, near Mount Nemrut National Park. Hire a local company to drive you to the top of Mount Nemrut and observe the amazing views, with Antiochus' beheaded statues of ancient gods. Stop by a weaving school. Consider taking a donkey downhill.
10/29/05	Head south a bit to Şanliurfa. It's full of sacred carp and the beautiful Rizvaniye Vakfi Mosque. The Halilur Rahman Mosque at the edge of the Gölbaşı area, equally lovely. I love the architecture in Şanliurfa historical district.
11/3/05	Mom comes to visit Istanbul. Take a day boat tour along the Bosphorous. See Galata Tower, lots of mosques, Topkapi Palace (amazing İznik tiles), and Dolmabahce Palace. Istanbul is easy to do in 4 days. We're done.
11/7/05	Book a multi-day tour of the Western coast through the Turista Travel Agency. Head to Selçuk and see the ancient Roman ruins in Efes. Amazing Celsus library and Meryemana, the Virgin Mary's House. Stay in Kuşadası, a Mediterranean beach town with a nice pazar and taxi cabs from the 60s.
11/9/05	Çanakkale is bus-able from here. See olive orchards on your way north. Amazing sunsets at this harbor town. Çanakkale has a replica Trojan Horse and what is believed to be the ruins of ancient Troy. You're also near Gallipoli, important in WWI and relevant to ANZAC Day.
11/24/05	Fly to eastern Turkey to see Van and tag along on a documentary team focusing on women's religious rights in the country. Van Castle with views of old Van, and Akdamar Island with an old Armenian Church (lovely). There's a town in this region called 'Batman.' That's all I'm saying about that.
12/10/05	Konya, a conservative town in western Turkey, with the study abroad students. See the turquoise-tiled dome of the Mevlana Museum, watch the Whirling Dervishes in the Sema ceremony.
12/17/05	A 6 hour trip from Ankara to Bursa. Mosques. Tombs of the founders of the Ottoman Empire. Private hot spring tub in the hotel. Muradiye Tombs. The Yeşil Tomb. A rainbow over the red-roofed city.

There's more photos from my time in Turkey up on my Flickr account.

A Confession

2011-07-20T12:00:00.023-04:00

I have a confession to make to you all: for the past three weeks I have been cavorting about Hong Kong and Thailand and not writing blog posts. Never fear, I have returned to give you fresh content. Maybe I'll even tell you about spending a day pulling leeches off my ankles. Maybe.

P.S. It's a bit of a safety tip to not post about your vacations until after you return from them, so that random strangers on the Internet are not aware that your home is unmonitored and ready for pillaging ;)

How To: Photo Tracing with Adobe Illustrator

2011-07-17T12:00:00.172-04:00

You've seen my traced photos around the blog, and I've fielded a handful of requests over the years about how I make them (especially my illustrations of people). The answer? I cheat. Sort of. I trace images using Adobe Illustrator. When I first started, I began with a copy of Adobe Illustrator 10, and six hours to complete one face illustration! With lots of practice, nowadays it only takes 1.

You could try the instructions from which I learned, but below I'm sharing a tutorial for tracing something simpler: objects, or more specifically, an apple. If you can trace/draw an apple, you can apply those same techniques to other objects, such as the mastiff above. I'm still using my ancient copy of Adobe Illustrator 10, but any sort of vector graphics drawing program should work (i.e., a raster graphics program like Photoshop, The GIMP, or Microsoft Paint may not work).

Tutorial for Tracing Photos of Objects with Adobe Illustrator

Step 3: Select an image to trace
In this case, I simply used Google Image Search to find an 'apple', and here's what I ended up with:

Step 4: Copy/Paste image to Illustrator document
Copy and paste the image to the Illustrator document you created previously.

Step 5: Lock the image layer
In the 'Layers' toolbox, click the empty checkbox to the right of the eye-icon. A lock should appear. This means that the photo layer has been locked in place, and will not move until you unlock it.

Step 6: Create a new layer on top
Again, in the 'Layers' window, create a new, blank layer. You should click the little page-icon on the bottom of the Layers window. This is the layer you will draw on.

Step 7: Identify key parts of the image
Now, look at your image and determine where the key color segments are. In this photo of the apple, there is the outline of the apple, the green near the stem, several shine spots, and the stem itself.

Step 8: Select the pen tool
You will be using the pen tool for tracing, and this is what makes a vectorized image, which allows you to increase the size of your drawings without any loss of quality. The pen tool is tricky and takes a lot of practice. The technique: click-and-drag a starting point and angle, then click-and-drag another starting point and angle, and continue until you end at your first point. You can always adjust the point's placement and angle using the 'Direct Selection Tool' (the white arrow on the 'Tools' window) afterwards.

Step 9: Using the pen tool, trace the key parts of the image
It is important to think about each shape you draw as a layer of paint. The first shape you outline should be the "back-most" shape, as the next shapes you draw will be on top of that one. You can fix any sort of ordering mess up later, by selecting the shape, right-clicking the shape, and choosing Arrange>Bring Forward or Arrange>Send Backward. For the apple, first I outlined the outside, then the largest pale red areas, then the smaller, then the green areas, and then the stem.

This is what the image should look [somewhat] like, after tracing all the areas. Stroke and fill color can be adjusted with the 'Color' window. Stroke-width can be adjusted via the 'Stroke' window.

Step 10: Choose fill colors for the traced shapes
Now that you've finished tracing the areas of the apple, start adjusting the fill-color of each shape with the 'Color' window. Make the stroke transparent (white box with a red slash). Start with the top-most shapes and work your way backwards, so you can see what you're doing.

For the whiter, shiny areas, you can make them semi-transparent through the 'Transparency' window.

Step 11: Hide the photo layer
In the beginning of this tutorial we created a new layer on top of the photo, and we drew on that layer. The reason we did that, is so we can make the photo disappear. Simply click the eye-icon on the 'Layers' window, next to the photo layer (i.e., next to the lock-icon.

Step 12: 'Save for Web' your image as a .png or .gif with transparency enabled

Done!
While my apple looks a little bit like a tomato, I used these exact techniques to create all four of the images at the top of this blog post. Tracing faces uses a very similar technique, but there's a lot of tricks to be learned, that I did not cover here.

Note: I am not responsible for any sort of copyright infringement problem you may get yourself involved in, by tracing other people's protected images. Trace with care :)

This Happened: Reluctant Pick-up

2011-07-15T12:00:00.010-04:00

We were all new. It was the first event of the year. Piled on the bar's top deck with graduate students from all different disciplines, it was a sort of forced mingling. Well, a sort of forced mingling that we failed at for the most part, until my friends and I were approached by a fellow who introduced himself as a dancer. We all talked for a bit about our programs, life in Pittsburgh, neighborhoods, hobbies, the usual student small talk.

Before leaving, we took a group photo and my friend, "Steve", offered up contact information so that this new guy could tag our group on Facebook. New guy unfurled his arm and offered a marker, no paper. Steve inscribed the contact information on the new guy's arm.

I got a glimpse of his forearm afterwards.

In thick blue ink, drawn on this stranger's arm is my name and my email address. So much for friends that understand the concept of not writing young women's personal information on strangers' arms. When interrogated as to his reasons, Steve's response was, "That guy was weird."

Success: Kielbasa Haluski

2011-07-13T12:00:00.004-04:00

We've been making this Polish Kielbasa Haluski from TasteBook for awhile now. You really can't go wrong with this much butter and onion. Polish food, anyone?

Ingredients

1/2c butter
1 onion, chopped
1lb Polish sausage, sliced
1/2 head cabbage
1 package egg noodles
Pinch of paprika
Salt & pepper to taste

Instructions

Add butter to a large frying pan or skillet on medium heat. Saute the onion for about 10 minutes.
Add sausage and continue cooking til sausage is browned.
Stir in cabbage; cover and cook til the cabbage is tender, about 15 minutes.
Stir in noodles and heat through.

A Wee Internship in Edinburgh, Scotland

2011-07-10T12:00:00.009-04:00

A stroke of luck (and perhaps a bit of hard work) brought me to Edinburgh, Scotland for the summer of 2007. Edinburgh is far enough north that there's barely a nighttime during the summer, a phenomenon which is taken advantage of by thousands of visitors to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival (seriously, though, this is where Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead was first staged). The weekdays, I attended Fringe Festival shows and got to know many of the pubs about town. On the weekends, when I wasn't at my internship, I would travel around a bit.

Date	Activities
6/22/07	Arrive in Edinburgh. Live in the 'pubic triangle' section of town. St. Giles Cathedral. Edinburgh Castle. The Royal Mile. New Town. The Whiskey Experience museum. Grassmarket. Arthur's Seat. Holyrood Palace. etc.
6/30/07	International Students' trip to Castle Campbell, Dollar Glen, and the Drummond Gardens.
7/13/07	International Students' trip to St. Andrews and the fishing village of Pittenweem. St. Andrews Castle & Cathedral. St. Rules Tower. Fish n' Chips.
7/14/07	A city bus to nearby Craig Millar Castle, where Mary Queen of Scots once stayed.
7/20/07	Isle of May bird refuge island, the fishing village of Anstruther, and St. Andrews. Puffins. Attacking, protective Arctic Terns. Miniature golfing on the "women's course" at St. Andrews.
7/27/07	Skye High Three Day Trip with Haggis Adventures: the Isle of Skye. Glencoe.Beautifying stream. Dynamite mines. The fishing village of Portree. Fairy Falls. The Old Man of Storr. Loch Ness. Eilean Donan Castle. Fort Augustus. Ancient Burial Cairns. Culloden Moor. Dunkend Cathedral. Beatrix Potter's hometown.
8/1/07	The Edinburgh Festivals begin.
8/2/07	International Students' trip to Blair Atholl Castle. Blair Atholl Castle. Hercules Gardens. The Falls of Bruar. Edradour Distillery.
9/1/07	Glasgow. Tolbooth Steeple. Glasgow Cathedral. Art deco tea rooms.

Scotland is a lovely, if expensive, country. I spent three months living there, without any need to ever leave. There is so much to see! ...and so much to drink. I developed a strong preference for single malt scotches from the isles (love that pete moss smokey flavor).

There's more photos of my time living in Scotland up on my Flickr account.

White Sangria: It Does Exist

2011-07-08T12:00:00.009-04:00

At the wedding I attended a few weeks back, I got into a conversation with the caterer about the existence of white sangria. That is, it exists, it is awesome, tons of recipes are online, and if you're a caterer that serves copious amounts of red sangria you should really already know this.

This is Helen Jane's White Sangria, minus the Grand Marnier. And if you were smart, you'd serve it from a bowl and not a gallon jug to avoid giving everyone alcoholic fruit salad at the very end. I am not that smart.

But alcoholic fruit salad is tasty, as is this rather simple concoction. All you need is wine, rum, grape juice, fruit, and an hour to prepare/soak.

Success: Quick and Easy Fried Rice

2011-07-06T12:00:00.008-04:00

Despite what TheKitchn says, this 'Quick and Easy Fried Rice' meal does not take 10 minutes to prepare. It takes about an hour start-to-finish. Of course, maybe if I had the rice already cooked aaaaaaand all the veggies precut, it'd take closer to 20 minutes, but that's called cheating.

I'm a big fan of having all my nutrients in one dish. And, as the title of the recipe says, this dish is 'quick and easy' with a very satisfying taste. Plus, you can pretty much toss in whatever vegetables are sitting in your fridge/freezer. This one's a keeper.

This recipe makes enough food to feed 5 people, or just yourself 5 times.

Greek Islands Itinerary

2011-07-03T12:00:00.025-04:00

I've been having difficulty finding sample itineraries for my multi-week trip around Thailand, and then realized I never posted my own from the Greek Islands from 2009. I did all this island hopping by myself and had a crazy blast of a time, so here's a post with what you can do in 1.5 weeks in the Mediterranean.

Day	Activities
6/13/09	Check-out of conference resort (Hotel Aldemar) and check-in to Hotel Olympos in Old Rhodes Town. Wander around Rhodes Town for the day.
6/14/09	14 hour ferry ride from Rhodes to Santorini (leaving at ~7am). Check into Youth Hostel Anna in Perissa Beach in Santorini. Fall asleep so fast. So fast.
6/15/09	Book and attend boating day tour of the Santorini Caldera (volcanic island, Thirasia, hot springs, and Oia for the sunset), through the hostel.
6/16/09	Rent an All Terrain Vehicle and drive around Santorini (shopping in Fira, the black Kamari Beach, get lost and end up in Pyrgos for the sunset).
6/17/09	Wake up early and go for a quick morning swim at the closest beach. Take a high speed ~3 hour catamaran from Santorini to Mykonos in the morning. Walk around Mykonos Town (Little Venice, the Old Port, etc). Check into Studio Eleni. Have dinner with some older Australians. Get lost in town. A lot.
6/18/09	Take a morning/afternoon day trip to nearby Delos Island to see the ancient Greek ruins. Return to Mykonos and swim in the town. Spend the night on the town.
6/19/09	Check-out of Studio Eleni in Mykonos Town, and check-in to Paradise Beach Resort in Paradise Beach (Mykonos Island). Spend the day drinking on the beach and swimming. Attend a party held by the campground/hostel's club.
6/20/09	Spend the day on the beach. Make new friends and hit up the gay bar scene at night.
6/21/09	Attend a PADI "Discover Scuba Diving" lesson. Spend the rest of the day on the beach. Hit up Mykonos Town at night, with the scuba diving instructors (sketchy fellows).
6/22/09	Take a 6 hour ferry to Athens. Check-in to Student & Travellers' Inn. Have dinner with new friends.
6/23/09	Take walking tour of Athens (the Parthenon, Hadrian's Arch, Ancient Agora, etc), booked through the hostel.
6/24/09	Find bus in the city to the airport. Depart Athens at 11:45am.

I've stayed in 10-person hostels (Youth Hostel Anna), plywood boxes on the beach (Paradise Beach Resort), simple tiny rooms with doors that open to a courtyard (Hotel Olympos), and made friends in 3-person hostels (Student & Travellers' Inn). All of them were great, but very very different. I had all of the accommodations reserved ahead of time, but booked the ferries and catamarans typically the day before I left that particular island. I got everywhere I needed to go, although I could have done without that sunburn on the 14-hour ferry.

There's more photos of my trip to the Greek Islands up on my Flickr account.

How To: Make Turkish Tea

2011-07-01T12:00:00.012-04:00

During a semester abroad, I drank so much black Turkish tea (çay), I had to give up sugar cubes. I love the smell of the leaves warming up, the way the glasses are weighted at the bottom, and how terribly I can overdose on caffeine with a pot of this brewing all day.

Here, I show you how I make Turkish tea, although nowadays I allow myself some sugar :)

A nice mahogany color.
Alright, folks, let me introduce you to a Turkish teapot (çaydanlık). This contraption is two tea pots that stack on top of each other. You keep plain water boiling in the bottom pot, and a dense black tea mixture warming in the upper teapot (this prevents scalding the tea leaves). You replenish the bottom with water and the top with tea/water as you drink, thereby giving you hot Turkish tea all day. This setup also allows you to determine how strong your tea will be, by adding more or less water.


Together.	Apart.

How To Brew Turkish Tea

Fill the bottom pot about half-full with water. Set it on the stove at a medium heat.
Scoop two spoonfuls of loose Turkish tea (alternatively you could use black tea bags) into the top pot, and pour in just enough water to moisten the leaves. Place this smaller pot ontop of the large pot on the stove, with the lid.
When the water in the bottom pot begins to boil, reduce the heat to low, then add enough water to the top teapot to cover the tea leaves. Then add a little more water.
Wait 7-10 minutes, or until the tea leaves sink to the bottom of the pot. Then pour the dense tea mixture into your tea glass until it is about 1/3 full.
Fill the remainder of the glass with plain water from the bottom teapot. The tea should have a mahogany color, but if you like it darker/lighter, go for it!
Return the pots to simmer on the stove, replenishing each with water as needed.

Mmmm, black tea concentrate.
That's it, you're done! Add some sugar if you like, and enjoy.

You don't have to enjoy Turkish tea in a curvy Turkish tea glass, but I think it makes the tea taste better ;)

Success: Wildflower Honey Marshmallows

2011-06-29T12:00:00.006-04:00

Left uninspired by a $1.00 marshmallow from the Pittsburgh Marshmallow Factory, I set out on a recipe adventure...

...and returned with possibly the most elitist things I've whipped up yet: homemade marshmallows flavored with wildflower honey and homemade vanilla extract. The only other recipe in the running for this exclusive title might be the French macarons, but I need to experiment with more haughty flavor combinations.

I followed Joy the Baker's Honey Vanilla Bean Marshmallows recipe, but replaced all the vanilla extract and beans for one tablespoon of homemade vanilla extract. I also didn't have any corn starch, so I just did without. This recipe is great for showcasing the vanilla, and a light toasting brings the wildflower honey to the forefront. Perfect.

The secret to clean up? Scalding hot water. Oh, and avoid trying to lick the bowl, lest you get yourself stuck in it.

I might try vegan gelatin next time, just so I can share with more people. Or go the egg route to take these up a notch to super fluffy, instead of just medium-density.

The bast damned s'mores you'll ever have.

Fix Scratches in Hardwood Floors

2011-06-26T12:00:00.004-04:00

If you're like me and have angry chairs that reject all felt pads, preferring instead to stab your hardwood floors, then this may come in handy:

Sand the scratch, with the grain of the wood.
Clean up sanding dust with some mineral spirits.
(Optional) If the scratch is really deep into the wood, you're going to need to apply some wood filler in a shade that matches the floor.
Coat scratch in a clear protectant such as polycrylic.
Let dry and you'll have scratch-free floors again.

I have officially learned this lesson one bajillion times. We won't even talk about how I thought it was a good idea to spray paint a craft project indoors.

Oh, and a Disclaimer: no blaming me if this does more damage to your floors than before. This method has worked wonders for my floors, but may not do the same on all types.

The 'Winging It' Tour of Pittsburgh

2011-06-24T12:00:00.122-04:00

The parental unit was in town again, but I decided to do a much more relaxed version of the weekend tour of Pittsburgh. That is, I hadn't made any plans at all. Everything still turned out okay. It always does, doesn't it?

I think this is a brilliant photo, but no one else seems to agree with me.
There were these Nationality Rooms for Father's Day, and seeing Pittsburgh from atop the Cathedral of Learning. While the audio tour isn't necessarily the most riveting of monologues, at least the classrooms themselves are quite interesting. It really is sort of nifty to see so many styles of countries' architectures in such a short span of time.

Afterwards, we paid a visit to the Church Brew Works, because who doesn't like beer vats in a retired church altar? ...or 'untraditional' pierogies?

We also somehow managed to fit in breakfast at the new Pamela's Upstreet Diner, trendy froyo, and a one-hour Gateway Clipper siteseeing boat tour. This way, we saw Pittsburgh both from the top of the Cathedral of Learning and from underneath, on the three rivers.

Overall, not as busy as last time, but still pretty eventful.

Success: [Exciting] Homemade Vanilla Extract

2011-06-22T12:00:00.006-04:00

I love alcohol as much as the next lady, but who knew you could turn something so awesome into something else awesome...like vanilla extract?

It turns out, you can make your own homemade vanilla extract with a cup of 80 proof liquor and three+ sliced vanilla beans (and two months' worth of patience). This "recipe" is from word-of-mouth, but there's plenty of homemade vanilla extract recipes online.

Get Outside and Geocache

2011-06-19T12:00:00.041-04:00

Do you like to go traipsing through the wilderness cursing at various GPS devices for being uninterpretable, in search of boxes of useless junk? Then you might enjoy Geocaching.

I've been tagging along on some local geocaching adventures, it seems the Pittsburgh city parks are full of them. It's fun to give your evening walk a bit of a purpose, even if it does involve scrambling off-trail in the mud and the dark. To get involved, all you need is a Geocaching.com account, and a GPS device (we use an iPhone or the Garmin GPS)...and a strong desire to rack up a list of as many Geocaches as possible ;)

A West Virginia Wedding

2011-06-17T12:00:00.050-04:00

I attended a lovely wedding at the Oglebay Park & Resort near Wheeling, West Virginia last week. It was a rustic venue in a log cabin, surrounded by lots of green space and accented with blue and ivory details. At several points throughout the evening, I even caught some deer grazing outside the window (although, no photographs, they're sneaky buggers).

Jim was functioning as the event's lead photographer, lighting designer, and tulle-draper so I just ran around like a madwoman assembling hydrangea-laden trellises and taking photos of the little details.

Pennsylvania Appalachian Trail: Where Boots Go To Die

2011-06-15T12:00:00.060-04:00

This weekend, I packed my bag, put on my boots, and drove 5 hours to Pine Grove, PA to meet up with a friend hiking the Appalachian Trail from Georgia to Maine. We started at the 501 Shelter on Saturday and hiked 5.6 miles to a campsite. Sunday we did 9.5 miles over rocks of all sizes to the Eagle's Nest Shelter, and then Monday was 8.6 miles to Port Clinton. That's a total of 23.7 miles of rocky terrain which was somewhat painful, but it was great to see my friend again, in his element.

It was interesting to see a slice of the AT thru-hiker experience, although I don't think I'd ever want to do all 2,000 miles of it. Even though I'd been training my body still wasn't entirely ready for this ~24 mile, 2.5 day backpacking trip. Hopefully with some more practice, I'll get there.

I'm not sure I'm such a big fan of the thru-hiker attitude of racking up miles just to get it done. Part of the fun of hiking is noticing little miniature forest eco-systems, and how the plant life changes with the terrain. These things are all just a blur if you have to cover 2,000 miles over 5 months.

If I had a fashion blog...

2011-06-12T12:00:00.004-04:00

...it would be photos of me wearing orange pajama shorts everyday.

I can dress myself, I just choose not to. It's summer, meh.

Success: Red Potato Salad with Scallions and Radishes

2011-06-10T12:00:00.004-04:00

...and no mayonnaise! (Just ponzu, tasty ponzu)

This red potato salad from TheKitchn is easy, simple, and delicious. Swapping plain olive oil for the smoked olive oil works out fine. I think I'm in love with this recipe.

I've said, I've been craving potatoes lately. Lots and lots of potatoes.

Oh, and also perfect for a veggie bbq: an accompanying black bean burger from AngryChicken. This black bean burger can be made ahead of time and is also pretty quick to come together. ...but it's nowhere near as tasty as that potato salad. Seriously.

Get Rid of Fruit Flies

2011-06-08T12:00:00.005-04:00

Some apple cider vinegar and a drop of dish soap in a small bowl make a tremendous fruit fly trap. 'Just leave it out overnight, for a day or two. Bam!

Of course, I think having a dishwasher would also fix my problem.

Manual Photography Exposure Cheat Sheet

2011-06-05T12:00:00.024-04:00

On my quest toward shoot-to-print, I've been having a lot of difficulty remembering the different aspects that influence exposure when using the manual features of my DSLR camera. So. I created a bit of a cheat sheet to remind me what all the numbers mean.

MakingItLovely has a few tips for better photographs of your home, but they work for lots of other situations:

Use a tripod, when possible.
Crouch down, to be head-on with your target instead of awkwardly over it.
Proper exposure (i.e., probably not your camera's auto-features).

A few more necessary techniques:

Photograph in natural light as much as possible.
Set your camera's white balance properly, either manually or through its preset options.
ISO, aperture, and shutter speed need to be balanced in order to achieve proper exposure. Most DSLRs have a little light meter in the viewfinder to tell you if your settings will result in proper exposure.

For some more information:

This post from ampersand castles explores the relationship between aperture and depth of field a bit more.
And this post from Augustine's notebook explores this concept too, but with diagrams instead of actual photos.
I like this diagram of ISO from Blindink Design and here's diagrams of shutter speed and aperture.

I'm very much a visual learner, so all of these websites use diagrams.

Success: Bannock (Pan-Fried, Not Boiled)

2011-06-03T12:00:00.000-04:00

This weekend I stole this recipe for 'bannock' from First Class Great Outdoors (there's some more information on bannock, here). Only, we pan-fried the {1 cup flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/2 cup water} and added some sugar and dried cranberries. They came out like mini pancakes, minus the eggs and milk.

The ingredients are all dry, so you could carry them around with you backpacking, but it's really necessary to add something to the recipe (like dried cranberries), or you'll end up with mouthfuls of tastelessness.

Speaking of "mouthfuls of tastelessness," Jim says to only eat bannock boiled if you hate life.

Boiled cranberry bannock. Just no.

West Virginia: Camping in Cooper's Rock State Forest

2011-06-01T12:00:00.062-04:00

I spent the weekend camping in West Virginia's Cooper's Rock State Forest at the Chestnut Ridge Park & Campground. The campground was crowded with monster Cabela's tents, propane lanterns, and fuel-induced campfires, and we still managed to have a relaxing time in the new lightweight tent (the Marmot Limelight 3).

We spent our one full day at the forest hiking ~8 miles along the Scott Run Trail, then the Raven Rock Trail (picked up at McCollum Campground), and then back to the car along the Roadside Trail.

My new boots saved me from a miserably wet/rocky/muddy intermediate climb through the Scott Run Trail. Dry feet, no blisters. I'm impressed.

Success: Spinach and Potato Hash

2011-05-29T12:00:00.017-04:00

Breakfast for dinner. Joy the Baker's Spinach and Potato Breakfast Hash. I switched 'Herbs de Provence' for the recipe's fennel seed. I've pretty much stopped buying spices until I use up some of the mixes I have, heh.

Easy dinner, done.

I was just really craving potatoes. Crispy potatoes.

Tiny Pittsburgh Trees

2011-05-27T12:00:00.022-04:00

I visited the Pittsburgh Bonsai Society's spring show this past weekend, and I've got to say, I'm in love with tiny trees. Oooh, especially the azalea bonsai, although the honeysuckle bonsai are pretty cool too. Just amazing.

What is it about tiny things that makes them so much more awesome?

Boot Break-in Photo-takin'

2011-05-25T12:00:00.084-04:00

My boots. My boots. My lovely lady boots.
I went on a little 2.5 mile tour to start the break-in process of my new hiking boots that I recently purchased 24% off at REI's annual anniversary sale (runs until Memorial Day). Um, and I think I may have bought their entire stock of freeze-dried beef stroganoff. This stuff lasts for seven years, so stocking up during a 20% off sale is a good idea...right?

...at least I'll be prepared for the apocalypse...
I spent a small fortune on boots, hiking socks, and sock liners, to prevent backpacking blister disasters I've encountered in the past. Hopefully, with these countermeasures and slowly breaking-in my boots, we will avoid all catastrophes.

my [planned] plan for hiking blister prevention

Step 1:	polypropylene sock liners. cushioned merino wool hiking socks. blister band-aids. pain killers.
Step 2:	wear new boots around the apartment.
Step 3:	short walks around town. <-- where I am now
Step 4:	longer and longer walks.
Step 5:	day hikes.

Success: Game Night Raspberry Beer

2011-05-22T12:00:00.028-04:00

Another step closer on the summer goals: game nights! (and a tasty drink...)

I decided to use the momentous occasion of the first Game Night to try out Southern Living's Raspberry Beer Cocktail.

3/4c frozen raspberries
+ 3.5x 12oz beer (I used Yuengling, a lager)
+ 12oz frozen pink lemonade concentrate
+ 1/2c vodka
_______________________
= genius

Success: Homemade Power Bars

2011-05-20T12:00:00.043-04:00

You see those sugary delicious homemade power bars above? I made that. And if they weren't so darn sweet, I'd recommend you follow my substitutions. However, that is not the case. If you do not have brown rice syrup, I suggest you find some, because honey is just way too sweet of a substitution.

These are Homemade Power Bars, recipe from TheKitchn. I recommend experimenting with swapping out other ingredients, especially the fruit and cereal. For this version, dried pineapple chunks were switched for the candied ginger, and used crushed Kix for the cereal.

I found that the honey doesn't really keep the bars in one piece. They tend to fall apart on the way to your mouth, so you might want to stick with the less sugary brown rice syrup. Otherwise, these homemade power bars are totally tasty and really quick/easy.

Summer Goals

2011-05-18T12:00:00.011-04:00

No lie, my summer goals last year were: (1) get a public library card and (2) drink in the woods and look at the stars. I only accomplished one of these (can you guess?). I'm aiming to have a better success rate this year, but we shall see.

iris' 2011 summer goals:

Attempt the whole no shampoo thing.
Learn how to use my DSLR camera [better].
Learn to drive manual cars.
Get fit enough to not die on my trips to Thailand and California (i.e., kayaking, trekking, generic schlepping).
Restart the power yoga habit.
Obtain my Open Water Scuba Certification. Most people don't believe me when I tell them that Pittsburgh has a dive school.
Host regular game nights.
Spend more time outdoors.

Climbing the Cathedral of Learning as Cardio Training

2011-05-15T12:00:00.005-04:00

As part of training for the backpacking trip to Yosemite National Park (we need to go up 3,180ft in two days!), I'm climbing up the 36 flights of the Cathedral of Learning on the University of Pittsburgh's campus weekly. Around here, we fondly refer to it as "Stair Sunday." The first week I could only do 2.5 ascents (88 flights), the second week it was 4 ascents (144 flights), then 5 ascents (180 flights), 5 times again (I blame yoga), and 6 today. It's within the realm of possibility to get to 6 ascents in a row, with ~20 lbs of gear by August. But it'd also be nice if this took less than 3 hours to complete, so I need to start running the stairs. Ughhhhhhh.

The trick is to enter the Cathedral of Learning and find Stairwell A (hint: it's near the vending machines on the ground floor). If you can't find Stairwell A, just start going up any set of stairs. As you get higher and higher up, other stairwells will end, until there's only one left to take. Once you get to the top 'Honors Lounge' area (where it is relatively safe to store your belongings while you climb), you take the elevators all the way down, so as to not unduly stress your knees.

A sign in the stairwell welcomes you, preventing any lawsuits from exercise-induced stairwell tumbles: "Warning: These stairwells exist to provide safe egress from the building in cases of emergency. The stairwell is not designed or the area supervised to accommodate exercise or other athletic activity. Anyone using these facilities does so at their own risk."
I've regularly seen people climbing the stairs on weekends and weekdays. Two women were doing 12 ascents in a row, other times I've seen some men using weight vests, and once I ran into some guys in hiking backpacks and Camelbaks. You get to mingle with some tourists at the top, gawking at the view, while you try to steal the air conditioning.

Shan'tpoo

2011-05-13T12:00:00.021-04:00

I've given up on shampoo and conditioner. It's called the "No 'Poo" movement, but I've determined that "Shan'tpoo" is more clever.

This is pre-Shan'tpoo hair, but it is exactly how I've been wearing my hair for the past two weeks, along with a headband because my bangs are rebelling.
"No 'Poo" involves a week-long phase of baking soda and apple cider vinegar washes (which I totally skipped), and then a multi-week detox phase of water-only rinsing. After weathering weeks of hair texture funkiness, you only have to wash with diluted baking soda and ACV once a week or so...for the rest of eternity! You can read about some of the politics here: sulfates are skin irritants, your hair can take care of itself, saves money/time/environment, etc. The process that I'm following can be found on The Hairpin.

I'm not sure I believe all the claims (there's a lot of anecdotal evidence, especially for curly hair), but summer seems a perfect time for some empirical research. I can't tell you how awesome this should be for traveling in Thailand and backpacking in Yosemite this summer, if it works. Hopefully this whole process will end in softer, less greasy hair.

Current Status: Day 14. Somewhere between soft and somewhat noticeably greasy.

To Yosemite!

2011-05-11T12:00:00.015-04:00

"Yosemite Valley, to me, is always a sunrise, a glitter of green and golden wonder in a vast edifice of stone and space." - Ansel Adams
On top of my other travels this season, I'm going on a trip out west to spend some time in San Francisco, camp on the beach at Manchester State Park, make a stop in Napa Valley, and spend 3 days backpacking from Yosemite Valley to Illilouette Fall in Yosemite National Park. It'll be my second backpacking experience, although I anticipate a handful of shorter camping trips before then.

Kirk and Spock in Yosemite during "Star Trek V: The Final Frontier."
A lot about the park has changed since Captain Kirk and Spock first climbed El Capitan back in a 1989 movie (that's right, a nerd reference), mostly though, it's just the crowds. Throngs of people which we're hoping to avoid by not doing the Half Dome Trail and instead doing Illilouette and Glacier Point. Besides, who wants to use chains to climb up a giant rock that two people have fatally fallen from in the past five years anyways?

Lines at Half Dome. No thank you.
A recommendation to people interested in backpacking Yosemite: start planning early. Car-accessible campgrounds are open to reservations 5 months in advance, and often fill up within hours of being released. If you're backpacking, you'll need a wilderness permit, available 24 weeks in advance (Half Dome wilderness permits are sold out within minutes as well). If you get a wilderness permit, then you can stay at backpackers' campgrounds, typically located ~1 mile from the car-accessible campsites. It's possible that the Yosemite High Sierra camps might solve some problems related to not having a lightweight tent and/or backpack, but I haven't looked into it much since we've already chosen our trailheads. Don't forget the Perseid Meteor Shower that happens in the 2nd or 3rd week of August every year!

Our Yosemite trail map, paths highlighted.
My thoughts are all redwoods, beaches, mountains, and Golden Gate bridges right now. It looks like I might make it to Muir Woods after all...

Destinations on the California trip.

[Edit 5/15/11: Due to the Blogger outage on Friday, the comments from this blog post were deleted/lost. Apologies!]

Good Girl Scout

2011-05-08T12:00:00.000-04:00

The Girl Scouts have changed a bit since I was a member, ~8 years ago (don't get me started on the uniforms). Although to be honest, I'm a Lifetime Member, so technically I never left.

My well-loved Girl Scout Gold Award, in necklace form (it's typically a pin).
The Gold Award pictured above is a symbol of a bunch of work, most of which happened so long ago I can't remember it. The gold trefoil is the equivalent of the Boy Scout Eagle Scout Award with which most people seem to be more familiar. Girl Scouts was some of my first experiences with the outdoors, setting up tents, interacting with strangers, riding horses, being a camp counselor. We spent lots of time in New Jersey's pine barrens, but also managed to travel to Savannah Georgia (the birthplace of Girl Scouts), Long Beach California for the national convention, and Assateague Island for some windy beach camping. Some very windy beach camping.

I took to the woods as a kid, but my family wasn't particularly outdoorsy, so this interest lay dormant until recently. It's interesting to lose a childhood hobby, only to pick it up again 10 years later.

In Philadelphia

2011-05-06T12:00:00.000-04:00

I lived on the edge of West Philly for five years, and spent the first 18 years of my life only 20 minutes outside of the city. Even today, when people ask where I'm from I say "Philadelphia" (although "New Jersey" is slightly more accurate). Philly's a pretty awesome place, with lots of stuff to do. I still keep a Google Map of Philadelphia, although it's mostly for my favorite restaurants/food. The food in this city is good.

I know all the dessert places in a new city, before I know anything else. Philly's no exception!

Design*Sponge does a nice overview of things to see/do in Philly, here: Design*Sponge's Philadelphia Guide by Kevin Derrick, but here's some of my favorites/recommendations:

Activities

The First Friday of every month, Philly's galleries in Old City are open to the public.

You can walk by the window, or wait in a ginormous line to see the Liberty Bell. Catch a horse-drawn carriage ride nearby, to be shown all the nearby historical houses.

Get to Independence Hall early if you want to go on a tour of the building where the Declaration of Independence was signed.

One of my favorite museums, the Ben Franklin Underground Museum is in a bit of disrepair, but it may help you get slightly closer to understanding the city's love affair with this man.

Visit the Betsy Ross House to learn about the first American flags.

Elfreth's Alley is a nearby historical little street to wander down.

Check out the Mummers Museum for insight on an unusual local New Years' custom.

The Philadelphia Museum of Art has "donation days" on Sunday, where admission is what you feel like donating.

Get real close to Billy Penn with a weekday City Hall Tour.

Food

Cheesesteaks from Pat's or Geno's or Jim's.

Soft Philly pretzels from a lunch cart.

Express lunch from Stephen Starr's Pod Restaurant (it's quite a bargain, compared to normal prices).

World Cafe Live for live music and food.

Cuba Libre does a great brunch, but there's also occasionally salsa dancing lessons/shows.

McGillin's Olde Ale House is one of my favorite bars, but it gets packed at night. They also serve a decent lunch.

Naked Chocolate Cafe serves thick European hot chocolate. European-style Aztec or American-style Caramel Salt are the best options.

Capogiro Gelato Artisans. omg. Probably the best authentic gelato since Italy. Seasonal flavors.

There's nothing quite like wandering past the place where our nation was signed into existence, on your way to/from the Old City nightlife.

Success: Rich Chocolate Mousse

2011-05-04T12:00:00.000-04:00

I have a self-enforced policy that I am not allowed to purchase store-bought sweets, but I can make as many desserts as I like. This recipe is an easy way to resolve midnight cravings for something decadent, since the ingredients are likely ones already in your kitchen. This mousse is rich, so a little goes a long way.

I would call this 'Rubber Chocolate Mousse', because if you don't let it thaw for 3-5 minutes after you take it from the fridge, it's rather, um, resilient.

Rich Chocolate Mousse Recipe (makes 3)
Ingredients
5 oz chocolate (I used semisweet chocolate chips)
Splash of milk
1/4 cup sugar
Splash of all purpose flour
2 eggs, separated
Tiny pinch cream of tartar (semi-optional)

Directions

Melt chocolate and milk in a saucepan.
Mix the egg yolks and sugar with the chocolate, then sift in flour.
Beat egg whites and cream of tartar until stiff peaks form (the eggs will hold their shape).
Fold the whites into the chocolate, delicately (you don't want to deflate the egg whites).
Divide evenly into ramekins or a bowl and refrigerate 4 hours.
You might want to let the mousse sit out for ~5 minutes before serving, so it loses its rubber-texture.

If you want more servings, you can just double the amounts of ingredients, but I would probably use 5 eggs instead of just 4.

This Happened: Turkey Underbelly

2011-05-01T13:54:00.001-04:00

Um. So, my best travel stories tend to involve slightly sketchy circumstances, and this one is no exception. Perhaps it's the sketchiness that makes it interesting. Sketch = experience?

I had been in Ankara, Turkey for a week as part of a four-month study abroad experience and was going out on the town with a Frenchman, a Danish guy, and a German (this sounds like the start of a bad joke...). We started at a dive bar and stayed until they closed. Then a slightly trendier bar, entirely decorated in shades of orange, and closed there, too. I recall my companions teasing me that they were going to sell me to a taxi driver for three camels to carry them to the next watering hole. 'Not the most culturally appropriate statement, but when inhibitions are lowered, well, it could have been a lot worse.

2:00am in the capital of Turkey is not the most happenin' time. In fact, everything was closed except for one last bastion of neon lights, which the crew promptly entered. We sat down in one of the high-walled, red pleather booths. At 20, I was not much of a drinker, and this night was no exception. While the guys each ordered a beer, I went for a çay (Turkish tea). We refused the mezze dishes offered to us and watched as a blond-haired woman sung on a low stage in front of us. Smoke hovered in the basement we were seated in, and we finished our drinks.

We get the bill, and for three beers and a tea, it's $53 USD. $15 USD per beer. The guys, at this point way past the legal limit, argued with the waiter, asked men in neighboring booths if this was typical (yes, it was). I convinced them to pay the bill, and we were out the door and in a taxi quickly.

A week later, my German friend pointed out that the expensive, smoky restaurant was actually some sort of illegal brothel (prostitution is legal, when regulated, in Turkey). I guess that would explain the waiter asking my companions if they had girlfriends (amongst other obvious indicators). Sometimes my naïvete takes me to strange places.

$7 USD is hopefully the most I will ever be overcharged for a cup of tea.

Becoming a Citizen of Science (and Balloons)

2011-04-29T12:00:00.000-04:00

Lately I've been taking some photographs for a friend's research project on Air Quality Balloons. It turns out, if you hook a VOC sensor to a computer chip and an LED, you can make balloons change from green to yellow to red as the surrounding air quality gets worse. Our research shows that drunk people in Shadyside on a Friday night really like giant balloons that change colors ;)

This project is part of a growing movement, called Citizen Science where individuals, often non-scientists, take part in research-like activities. In this case, it's sort of simple data collection and visualization. Is the air around you clean?

P.S. As an amateur photographer, there is nothing more difficult than photographing moving balloons outside, in the dark. I made a valiant attempt here.

I'm a [Beveled] Square

2011-04-28T12:00:00.000-04:00

You guys, I've come to the realization that I'm a beveled square: a total square, but with rounded corners (um, liquor-injected Easter, anyone?). ...and a tiny chip. Are you a square?

This is where I'm supposed to say "it's hip to be square" or some nonsense like that.

Easter Brunch, with a Side of Liquor-Injected Chocolate, Plz

2011-04-27T12:00:00.000-04:00

I attended an Easter brunch in which we were injecting chocolate eggs with liquor. It resulted in some rather dubious photographic evidence, surrounded by cheery chocolate bunnies and brunch dishes. Tastiness + sketchiness = awesomeness

grow your own mushrooms

2011-04-24T12:00:00.000-04:00

They look like tiny aliens...

Jim tried to grow some oyster mushrooms from a birthday oyster mushroom kit. I'd say it was an 80% success. If we could figure out when to pick those buggers, we could've done a lot better. The company I ordered the kit from was so incompetent, I won't mention them here (*cough*BTTR Ventures*cough*). BUT there's plenty of other reasonable grow-your-own mushroom kits out there: Mushroom Adventures, Fungi Perfecti, and Far West Fungi.

TheKitchn has a review on a Mushroom Adventures kit. It really is very easy to grow these (i.e., soak overnight, mist 2x per day for a week). I would say it was idiot-proof, except that we failed. Pick them sooner rather than later!

On Blog Makeovers and Human Computation

2011-04-20T12:00:00.000-04:00

The blog needed a bit of a face lift. I stole Jim's handwriting [and his banner idea], and this is what we ended up with. Oh, and I added some floating hair of mine, in neon green. You know, the usual stuff.

I took this opportunity to add my blog email address to the front page, as shown in the above image, so now you guys don't have to click through to my Blogger profile as before. However, in order to avoid spam bots sniffing out my email address, I decided to use reCAPTCHA's mailhide. You've all seen CAPTCHAs before (the fuzzy letters you have to type to make blog comments), and a reCAPTCHA is a similar thing except it helps digitize books through human computation (think Amazon's Mechanical Turk). You can find more information on the reCAPTCHA website, but basically, you type a CAPTCHA word and a fuzzy word from a poorly scanned book, which helps the New York Times and Google Books identify words they could not automatically decipher on their own. Typing these two words gives you access to my email address, while protecting me from spammers.

reCAPTCHA offers its mailhide service for free, here, so you can add it to your own blog/website/propaganda too.

A sample reCAPTCHA.
Hopefully your annoyance over ~10 extra keystrokes will be pacified by knowing that you're contributing to the knowledge of mankind. Yeah, profound.