"Over-biked"

Since the snow has finally melted and I was quite convinced that I would no longer freeze (that much) outside, I decided to bike to school instead of taking the bus as I have done for the last four months. However, my initial idea of biking to school and back home again somehow ended up with me...

- biking to school

- biking to the gym

- biking back to school (after a 40 min workout)

- biking to a place where I could fill my bicycle wheels with air

- and finally biking home

So right now I'm E-X-H-A-U-S-T-E-D.

Coloring Our Spring

by Pam Ripling

Well, I was going to talk about Cadbury, and the history of the chocolate Easter egg. Faberge eggs, too, and how all this sweetness got its start in Europe. But gosh darn it, J.R. and Jackie have already done such a good job with this topic, I've been scooped.

So instead, I'll answer J. R.'s question. What do we do, as a family, to celebrate Easter? Well, plans are already underway to put together our annual egg-coloring event. Every year, rain or shine, my sister & I and our two daughters break out the Paas pills and vinegar, boil up a whole mess of eggs and arrange 8 coffee mugs with spoons. We have the requisite white (or colorless) crayon handy. Newspapers spread on the counter, and a rag or two at the ready. We decorate, with rubber banks, decals, stickers, etc. Ooh and ahh, and compete for the prettiest egg.

• "Whose egg is still in the purple?"
• "Oh no! Another one cracked!"
• "Did we make one for Mema yet?"
• "How did yours get so blue???"

And so it goes. Our girls are teens now, so the Big Bunny himself sorta skips our houses these days, but we determined and dedicated moms have taken over the tradition by mimicking the traditional egg hunt on Easter morning. In keeping with the eggy-day, I make a wonderful Serbian Eggs casserole for brunch, and we are often blessed with weather warm enough to sit outside and reflect on the beauty of spring and those sinfully excellent Cadbury eggs.

Happy Easter!

Oh, and by the way, Paas has an excellent page here on creating your own Easter egg eggstraveganza!

Pam Ripling is the author of middle-grade mystery, LOCKER SHOCK! Buy it at Quake, Fictionwise or Amazon today! E-book version now available for your Kindle! Visit Pam at www.BeaconStreetBooks.com.

A Little Taste of San Diego

I recently spent a few short days in San Diego--or, to put it more accurately, I recently spent a few days inside a hotel conference room that happened to be located in San Diego.  That said, I still managed to avoid hotel catering on a few occasions.  Unforch most of the suggestions I got and read were in La Jolla, and I didn't have a car!  Alas, next time--I'll even bring The Man with me.  Here are the highlights from this past trip, including this awesome tree:

Cafe 222: I gather this place is never really empty--it's only open for half of the day (serving breakfast and lunch from 7-1:45pm), and everybody got the memo that it's delicious.  Cafe 222 happens to be the site of Bobby Flay's favorite French toast, stuffed with peanut butter and banana.  I'd LOVE to share that with someone, but you all know I love eggs waaaay too much to trade them 100% for a sweet like that.  At this point you should be able to look at the menu and know what I got, so quiz yourself.

...
 Is it the Green Eggs and Spam?   Nah, I only eat green eggs at Belga.

...

 Pumpkin waffle?   No ya'll, that's out of season.

... 

Answer?  Eggs Italia.  Eggs scrambled with pesto, diced tomatoes, and goat cheese.  The creamiest, herbiest, zangiest eggs I've ever had.  The pesto wasn't a sauce on top of the eggs, it was IN the eggs.  Sorry for the iPhone pictures, I was on my way back from a run along the lovely bay.  I got take out, and I was able to refill my iced coffee a few times from a little help-yourself station near the patio seating while I waited.  It wasn't shady, I promise--the host told me I should!  Their coffee was really really good.  There wasn't any milk out, and I could have asked, but instead I took a taste and decided it worked for me.  If coffee is really good, I like it on ice without the milk.


Shout House:  Going to Shout House is like watching TRL if you really love music videos.  A song you might like begins, but the AM rush hour-like banter and drunk girls ruin that moment for you.  And you're left with snippets of almost-happiness.  GRANTED, it was St. Patrick's Day--no fault of LC, who sent us there. Still, it was a good time to hear talented people play and sing.  I even ruined it a little by singing along myself.

Sidenote, I went up to LA for a day and hit up Gardens of Taxco again with the fam (chicken mole, SO GOOD--like it was born in the sauce, SPICY, not hot, etc), and also had a delicious oatmeal cookie and iced coffee at Urth Cafe.

But my first night we stopped in super cute and built up Culver City (sort of Clarendon-y).  Our destination was Ford's Filling Station, the joint by Harrison Ford's chef son Benjamin.  We ordered the fish & chips, which was pretty good.  My favorite part was the fish, and I was slightly disappointed to find all these other fried things in there--veggies, shrimp (granted, the description mentions the shrimp, I just didn't read carefully.  Bad me.).  MORE FISH, less other stuff!  But this isn't Eamonn's.   The curried lentil salad was really good--I didn't get so much curry, but definitely got lots of lentil.  Halibut with mashed potatoes was okay, but didn't blow me away. Our server was super sweet, and told us we HAD to have the mashed potatoes because they were AMAZING.  I'm not the hugest potato fan (I like them, but I'm not about to do a 5K on their behalf or anything), so maybe I just didn't get it.  The mushroom flatbread that came out first was actually my favorite.  I'll take two, please!!!!  Ford's calls itself an American gastropub (how very now), so if I lived nearby I'd bet the beer list and happy hours would do a body good. 

All in all, the most favoritest deliciousest thing I ate on this trip was my Eggs Italia.  I can't help it; I'm addicted to breakfast.  Thanks to my Seester for giving me the 411 on 222.

Coming soon: Birch & Barley, PS7's (again), Rosemary's Thyme, Seder 2010, and more.

I hope you are all having a lovely week!  Apparently the weather is going to get better any second.  ::listening for when the wind stops making the windows make scary noises::

The Sentimental Hop

Traditions are like fairy tales. The basket full of goodies, egg hunts, and chocolate bunnies with big ears are all a part of my family's tradition. For one day, we get to pretend and make believe, leaving behind the cares of the world. No balancing the checkbooks, no juggling schedules or trying to fit in the laundry sometime between grocery shopping, dinner and boy/girl scouts.

For the whole day, we get to goof around and pretend that chocolate eggs come from rabbits and marshmallow chicks come from marshmallow chickens. Little girls get to wear the most gorgeous dresses, sometimes complete with matching hat and dainty lace gloves.

Most of all, we get to celebrate the end of winter and the beauty of a new spring. So yeah, okay, I'm being a little poetic here, but these family traditions always bring out my sentimental side.

What does your family do during this time of year? Do you take spring vacations to far off places? Visit relatives in different states?

Warmly,
J.R. Turner

J.R. Turner is the author of the Extreme Hauntings series. The first book, DFF: Dead Friends Forever is available at Amazon.com, Kindle, Fictionwise, and Echelon Press.com

Now, if only they tasted like chocolate...

Meet the Marans chicken, an uncommon European breed, named for the town in France in which it was developed. And now...

Meet its embryo.

That's right, the Marans chicken lays chocolate eggs. They vary in shade, from milk chocolate to dark, but are always some glossy shade of our favorite treat. Of course, they still taste like eggs, so the Cadbury bunny doesn't need to worry about finding a new job yet, but c'mon. Chocolate eggs. How cool is that?

This got me thinking--are the Marans chicken and Easter candy related in some way? The candy chocolate egg did originate in Europe, so...did someone see a glossy chocolate Marans egg and think, hey, I could do that with real candy? Or was the Marans bred to create a living imitation of a tasty chocolate craze?

In other words, what came first...the Marans chicken, or the Easter egg?

Jacquelyn Sylvan is the author of Surviving Serendipity, a YA fantasy novel. Click below to buy on Amazon!

Sharing a song

I don't really have anything to say tonight, so I thought I'd share a song with you insted. Good idea, huh? ^^ A song says more than a thousand words. (Literally.)

Top Ten Things Which Freak Me Out

What freaks me out? After thinking long and hard, I’ve discovered that a lot of things freak me out. These are my top ten.

1. Spiders, of course. Always have, always will. I don’t care how much they benefit my garden.

2. People who smile all the time, even when they are by themselves, and especially when I see them on downtown buses.

3. Digging up something weird in the yard, especially if it is moving.

4. People using Bluetooth devices in public. I know it’s simply technological progress, but to me, they simply look like they are talking to themselves. Speaking of which...

5. People who talk to themselves...especially accompanied by smiling all the time...on buses.

6. Giving interviews, as I’d just recently discovered when I gave my first the other day. I kept worried about finding that fine line between coming across as an idiot and being a pretentious bore. Not used to it yet, and it didn’t help that I was 15 minutes late because I showed up at the wrong Starbucks where we agreed to meet (but in my defense, where I live, there’s a Starbucks roughly every 100 feet).

7. When my kids get injured. I’ll never get used to that.

8. When my dog does disgusting things, such as throwing up, then deciding the meal he just lurched is worth enjoying a second time, or how he’s recently discovered the hidden treasures of our cat’s litter box. I’m starting to think he considers the cat’s butt as some kind of doggy vending machine.

9. Seeing people who were obviously never taught that digging in your nose (or other regions) in public isn’t socially acceptable behavior.

10. Death. And the older I get, the more it freaks me out. I’m at that age where any unexplained ache or pain sometimes has me hitting the panic button.

I love H&M

Whoever says that shopping can’t make you happy is wrong. Just so you know.

Friday Fulla Tourists

Yes, it's that time again.  You're stuffed into the Metro with your heels in your bag, balancing your newspaper while not touching anyone around you, and the group in matching t-shirts is holding everything up, throwing everyone off.  WELCOME, VISITORS.  THIS IS RUSH HOUR.  ISN'T IT GREAT?

We celebrated a birthday this week, and we had some awesome weather.  High fives all around.

I can't believe my seder is Monday--if you've never seen an Ikea table + 3 folding card tables lined up, you're missing out!

I'm planning on making these cool charoset balls, obv the chocolate drop cookies (put them in the freezer, you won't regret it), and I put out a call through Google reader for someone to make Modern Domestic's pretty chocolate/almond/orange/praline tart.  Bossiest hostess ever...

Awesome story about an Iranian seder, and the family that comes along with it. 

In other (non Kosher for Passover) news, my in-laws are super into tea, and I've got to bring them some of these Earl Gray Cookies.  If only Inkpad herself would whip them up...I'd pay!

Michel Richard is whipping up pie in the sky...or rather, airplane food (via We Love DC).

More reasons to go out for Ethiopian food--turns out the stuff injera is made of is the #1 superfood for runners (via Runners Kitchen).

And a simpler, still delicious pie, from Eat, Run, Read--the lovely D sent me the link to that blog a few weeks ago, and it talks about most of my favorite things.  And the cupcake in her header graphic is SO CUTE.  And to think I almost named this blog Eat, Jog At A Moderate Pace, Read Sometimes, But Mostly Listen To Podcasts.  Didn't really flow, though.

Lastly, can we talk for a second about the Italian Store and BGR being in the same shopping center?  For serious?  DANGEROUS!

Have a great weekend everyone!  Kite festival, cherry blossoms, or wherever else it takes you.  Hopefully to brunch!  I leave you with happy flowers...

Prefer the real Robert Pattinson

I have nothing against wax dolls; especially not the ones at Madame Tussauds where the wax celebs are scarily alike the real person. Nevertheless, I must say that they have completely managed to destroy the hottie Robert Pattinson by turning him into one! Besides the hair, he doesn’t look like our favorite vampire at all. - He’s too skinny, his neck is too long, and he looks…old! ^^

The fake one.

The real one.

You can find more pictures here.

Daydreaming of Greece

I should really start working on my IOP (Individual Oral Presentation) in Swedish that I have for next Tuesday (which I haven't even begun with yet!), but I have no motivation at this moment whatsoever. All I can think about is getting on a plane and go someplace I've never been to, someplace with beautiful white beaches and a totally different culture...someplace like Greece.

I can't believe there are paradises like this in Europe. ^^ Or maybe it's more like: I don't want to believe there are. Because I'm still here in Sweden where the sun barely shines, and when it does, the wind catches you like a huge tornado... -.- So by thinking that places like this only exist far, far away (and not relatively close to Sweden), I won't get as bummed over the fact that I don't live in a place like that. See what I mean?

I wonder why dreaming of escaping the reality is sometimes so much funnier than being in it?

5 Ways That Zeus Raped His Way To Glory

History is filthy. And when I say filthy, I don't mean bootleg porno filthy. I'm talking full-scale filthy - somewhere between a live donkey show and a snuff film. In tribute to the sexual sins of our fathers and erstwhile gods, here are the five most innovative ways that Zeus ever used a fantastic disguise for the purposes of stranger rape.

5. The chick.

The victim: Callisto.

The ruse: The virginal Callisto was a follower of the goddess Artemis, so it was a simple enough matter for Zeus disguise himself as Artemis in order to lure Callisto into the woods and rape her.

The progeny: Arcas, king of Arcadia.

Oh, and... When Artemis found out that her supposedly virgin follower was pregnant, she turned Callisto into a bear and set her loose in the forest, where she gave birth (as a fucking BEAR) to Arcas. In the conventional wisdom of the Gods of the day, Zeus hid baby Arcas away and never bothered to tell him who his mother was. Again, typical of these motherfucking stories, Arcas goes hunting one day and actually shoots his bear-mother dead.

4. The long-lost husband.

The victim: Alcmene.

The ruse: At first, Zeus actually had the balls to approach the married Alcmene in person - and she actually had the balls to refuse him - but that's ok, cause Zeus had a Plan B. Alcmene's husband (and cousin) was away at war, and all Zeus had to do was to stage a passionate reunion, starring himself as Ron Jeremy's stand-in.

The progeny: Heracles (Hercules) - the greatest condom-full-of-walnuts in history.

Oh, and... We forgot to mention that Zeus just pulled out his time-turner and turned the night he was with Alcmene into three entire days. If Alcmene thought the Gods couldn't screw her any more than that, then check this out:

- Her husband swore against ever having sex with her again, out of respect to Zeus, who is clearly the Most Persuasive Rapist Of All Time.

- Zeus' wife Hera was so jealous that she sent a bitch goddess to intervene and stop Heracles from being born. Alcmene was in labour for seven entire days before finally tricking the Gods into leaving her the fuck alone.

Again, it just sucks to be a woman in Ancient Greece.

3. The bull (or was it an eagle)?

The victim: Europa

The ruse: There are two equally screwed up version of this story. According to Robert Graves, Zeus became enamoured of Europa, "became an eagle and ravished (her) in a willow-thicket". Or, if you prefer Ovid's version, Zeus rocked up as a white bull, which she trusted enough to "mount its back" - and get carried off and raped. Perhaps the most frightening inherent aspect of these accounts is how any historical sources could have possibly confused an eagle with a fucking bull.

The progeny: Minos, Rhadamanthys and Sarpedon, who all went on to become Kings.

Oh, and... Zeus named Europe after Europa in the world's most pathetic attempt at making up for getting raped by a bull.

2. The Swan.

The victim: Leda

The ruse: An oldie but a goodie - why not just try showing up and having sex with a defenceless woman at a waterhole - dressed as a giant swan? Good idea? Great idea.

The progeny: Helen - who later became Helen of Troy. Also the twins Castor and Polydeuces, who later became the sign Gemini.

Oh, and... Did we mention that the children hatched out of eggs?

1. The golden shower.

The victim: Danae.

The ruse: Danae's father Ascrisius lacked an heir, and loved consulting random hacks dressed up as Oracles. Naturally, one of them handed him the type of beautifully self-fulfilling prophecy that we've come to expect from Ancient Greece- namely, that his daughter would give birth to a son who would grow up to slaughter him. The most obvious available solution was to shut the virgin Danae in a tall tower only accessible from a trapdoor in the ceiling.

Zeus, being the classy fella that he is, decided he was tired of appearing as a giant bird and went to Plan B - which happened to be falling as a "shower of golden rain". Which, we assume, is just a euphemism for "pissed all over her".

The progeny: Perseus, who tamed Pegasus, defeated the Gorgon, saved a princess and managed to look hot in a tunic in modern film adaptations.

Oh, and... Proving that effective parenting comes naturally, Ascrisius cast Danae and the newborn Perseus into the sea in a sealed casket. Unfortunately for Ascrisius, they washed up onto another island, where Perseus was raised in blissful ignorance of his connection to his homeland. Sure enough, he returned as an adult to kill his asshole grandfather - proving yet again that consulting an Oracle is a fucking stupid thing to do.

Faryab

Sometimes I'm just in the mood for something saucey and delicious.  We go out for Indian cuisine all the time, and even make our own variations at home.  [Thank you Trader Joe's for making this possible.] But if you want something a little different than usual, try Afghan!  I was craving Ethiopian, actually, but wasn't sure what was good nearby--I spotted Faryab on Washingtonian's Cheap Eats and figured It Must Be Done.  Then we had a massive snowstorm and I needed to hold off on fulfilling that craving for several more weeks.

Pakowray Kachalu: Fried slices of sweet potato topped with yogurt and meat sauce.  You're going to start sensing a meat sauce theme...

I liked these guys!  The sweet potato was sweet, the meat was savory, yogurt has tang.  Good combo.

Sambosa-e-Goushti: spiced ground beef and chickpeas in this fried pastry.  This was my least favorite app--the dry fried outside stilted any flavor intensity the inside might have had once long long ago.  I just didn't get it.

Mantu: Steamed dumplings filled with meat and scallions, topped with meat sauce and yogurt.  I liked these little buggers, and would order a double next time. Meat on the inside AND the outside.
Yes!!!!

Faryab shiskleek:  Marinated chicken and veggies with basmati rice.  This dish was pretty good--T says that the chicken dish and the eggplant dish (not pictured: chalow badenjam) had excess oil that didn't add any flavor.  And in her words, "it's not like it's extra oil that's really really delicious flavorful olive oil.  It's just greasy."  Ouch!  I liked the eggplant dish better than the chicken, but I agree it was a little...wet.

Shalgham Goushti: Super tender braised lamb topped with "sweet and spicy" turnips that I found mostly sweet, not so spicy.  Everybody at the table thought these were pretty awesome turnips, and we didn't really consider ourselves turnip people.  Who is?  This was my favorite dish that I would definitely get again next time.  Sorry for the blur ya'll.

I'd definitely go back to Faryab.  The price is reasonable (especially when you share lots of apps, which you should), some of the food is really good--some is not AS good as others (and the bread is TERRIBLE, not at all what you want--you want Me Jana or Zaytinya bread!).  There was a little too much fried on the table for some of us, but you have to live a little and try stuff, even if it clogs your arteries.

These are yummy comforting ethnic flavors that you should be gettin' down with.  I definitely want to try something pumpkin-esque next time.  I have a feeling it will make me as pumped as the turnips did!

Skip dessert and go to BGR for the shake of the month, whatever it may be.

Faryab
4917 Cordell Avenue
Bethesda, MD

What Freaks Us Out

I suppose that's a really good question. I mean, we are all different, so we can't just assume what freaks one person out freaks the next person out as well.

However, there are some pretty common fears that 'freak people out'.

Heights, for example. You go on vacation. Want to go to the top of the Sears Tower? No thank you. Want to go on this roller coaster with me? Yeah right. (You know, excluding the fear of roller coasters.) I'm taking a trip to Europe. Want to come with me? Do you mean that I have to fly?

Or there's spiders. Or anything that has more than four legs and doesn't bark or meow. Quite possibly snakes. Or mice. Clump those out into one giant cluster of things that can make some people take a step back.

What about water? I've known a couple people who are afraid to go in a pool unless they can stand on the bottom. Ocean? Probably not. Boat? Yeah, there's no point in even mentioning it. It'll be a no.

There are just certain things that freak people out. And there's nothing wrong with it because most people have that one odd thing that just tends to make them cringe. (And no, I'm not talking about nails on a chalkboard).

So what freaks you out?

Total Toilet Freedom

This week's theme ... you knew there was a theme on this blog, right? ... anyway, this week's theme is ...

(drum roll)

Here goes ...

It's "What Freaks Us Out."

When I read the theme, one thing came immediately to mind, followed by a number of other things, then some ESPN leakage and other stuff. But I decided to stick with my first impulse.

So what freaks me out?

In a word ... Women.

Yep, the so-called 'weaker sex.'

Yeah, right, weaker.

I have two daughters and my wife of almost a quarter century, and I'm bigger than them. I'm stronger. I out stink them. Heck, I'm a black belt. I shouldn't be afraid of them.

Okay, so explain to me why on a recent trip, when I stayed in a hotel by myself ... five hundred miles away from my wife and kids ... why ...

... I still couldn't leave the toilet seat up.

I mean,here's my taste of freedom. My chance to boldly leave the toilet bowl exposed and uncovered. Heck, there was no reason I'd even feel required to flush the thing.

Total Toilet Freedom!

But I couldn't do it.

Yeah, women, they freak me out.

Norm

http://www.normcowie.com

(author of the young adult humor vampire book, Fang Face - now available for just three bucks on ebook)

Free Cone Day: Tuesday, March 23, 2010!

Lexi says: "It's Free Cone Day, ya'll!" 

Many Ben & Jerry's will be servin' it up from 12pm-8pm.  Sometimes the line gets really long, so bring a friend and stick it out.  Last time I waited we were approached by some friendly fundraisers for a great cause.  Give 'em some bucks if you feel up to it--not like you're spending it on ice cream. 

FCD is early this year ya'll!  Check out my past coverage of Free Cone Day here and here. 

P.S., the majority of you were excited for "all of the above" when it came to Farmers' Markets, Sundresses, CSAs, or Grilling Out.  and PPS, grilling out was my idea of a little joke.  I'd never heard the phrase until a few years ago.  It must be a DC or Southern-ish thing...right?  Anyone have any insight on this?

Hedgehogs.

What freaks me out?

Hmm. I could say the usual... I could say it freaks me out when I'm told I have a math test coming up, or when I witness bigotry, or when my cousin wears a maroon sweater with a bright orange tee shirt sticking out the bottom (despite how many times I make a pointed remark about how much my eyes are hurting. I think he thinks I get migraines)...

But I think I can classify those as rational. I do, however, have a completely irrational fear.

Hedgehogs freak me out.

I don't know why, or how they started, but I've had recurring nightmares about the little animals. In my dreams I'm in Ireland, on a cliff, searching for something, and all of a sudden a hedgehog jumps out at me. Next thing I know I'm wide awake in bed, listening to my heart thud away like I've turned up the volume dial to INSANE.

So, that's my totally irrational freak kryptonite. Hedgehog nightmares.

I find it even more interesting when I point out to myself that I never have actually seen a hedgehog in the flesh. (But maybe it's better that way. I mean, look at this picture. The thing's positively rabid.)





Kieryn
Author of RAIN, a YA spy novel.
www.kierynnicolas.com
www.kierynnicolas.blogspot.com

Friends

Just before Christmas our outdoor group was painting at the eco village of Oude Molen. 

While we were there, a group of youngsters from the next door area came by to exercise the horses.  They run down to the river with them and then walk back and allow them to browse until they go back to their holding area.

These horses belong to the children of wealthier Capetonions and locating them at Oude Molen provides income for the locals and the village itself.

I took this pic as they walked past my painting spot and have wanted to paint it for some time.  Now that I finally have, I'm not that happy with it.  I think I spent too long a time on it and tried to get it 'perfect' thereby losing the looseness that I so desperately want.  Photographing it was also not the easiest.

Anyway, here it is - I've called it Friends.

I'm going the apologise to all the wonderful bloggers I visit regularly.  I've been absent and will be a bit busy for the next 7 days as I've got the job as 'Official Sitter' at the current South African Society of Artists exhibition at Kirstenbosch.  Despite not having qualified for this exhibition, it's a job I enjoy doing as you get to see all that great art and meet many wonderful artists and art lovers.  But I'll be back on my computer in bits and pieces during the period.  Then I will have to paint again so I have something to post!

Saturday

With some pizza in the stomach I was planning on watching the second episode of Vampire Diaries tonight, but I guess that's not going to be the case now since it's almost 11 p.m. and I need some rest before "depressing Sunday" arrives. Give me a reason for why every Sunday must be like that? (With an exception to last week's Sunday, of course.)

Tonight's dinner was served at Forno Romano, one of my favourite Italian restaurants to have pizza at - YUMMO is all I have to say.

Hello, my name is Heather Ingemar, and I'm a Twitter-freak

I'm a Twitter addict.

Which is funny, because I never thought Twitter was something I'd get into -- after all, you've only got 140 characters, and why would people be interested in knowing what you're doing? All the time? Every waking minute of every day?

But I was curious.

So I signed up, and...

What's that saying about killing the cat??? ;)

~*~

Heather S. Ingemar has loved to play with words since she was little, and it wasn’t long until she started writing her own stories. Termed “a little odd” by her peers, she took great delight in exploring tales with a gothic flair, and to this day, Edgar Allan Poe continues to be her literary hero. To learn more, please visit: http://ingemarwrites.wordpress.com/ or follow her on Twitter: http://twitter.com/heatheringemar

Buy a story (or two or three): Heather Ingemar on Echelon Direct

Mini vacation

I am extremely sorry for my terrible update, but this week has just been bombing me with stuff to do…However, it’s always to better to be late than never, right? So here are a few pictures and “notes” from last Sunday’s cruise with Birka Paradise. ♥

Me and my beautiful sister enjoying the really good buffet. - I have no idea how much salmon and seafood that entered my stomach that evening, but it was a lot, haha...;)

The evening's outfit

We were so lucky going on just that Sunday, because suprisingly enough, (for us at least) there were lots of "Swedish celebrities" entertaining that day. Which explained the large amount of young people being there that usually don't go on cruises on Sunday-Monday cruises...

Sibel was one of them...and gosh, she was tiny and cute!

Another one being really cute was Erik Saade, hehe. :)

Then there were others like Ola Svensson, Neo and Molly Sandén (Erik's girlfriend :() there too, but the other pictures are all very blur, so this will have to do. I must say that it was a really good and well needed trip for me. Because besides having a lot of fun, I also got to forget about reality for a while and just relax - and that was the best part of it all I must say...

Last week, the whole of Year 3 went to visit the Royal Observatory at the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich. It was a terrific day and a wonderful addition to our topic on 'Space: To Infinity and Beyond'. The children got a real kick out of watching space come alive, landing on the moon and on Mars, and getting a glimpse of what may lie beyond our own galaxy.

Here are some pictures from our trip.
Mr. Cusack.

My favorite Internet addictions

The Internet gives users the opportunity to easily placate any addiction from their comfort of their homes.

For me, the big three Internet addictions are keeping in with friends, keeping informed about my favorite TV shows and, of course, keeping up-to-date with the latest fashion trends.

Facebook

After high school (and especially after college) my friends and I all scattered from our home town just outside Philadelphia. Although some of us didn't get very far (I just moved to another side of the city), two of my friends now call the UK home.

While we were fortunate to all meet up again this past Christmas, we use Facebook to keep everyone apprised of our adventures the rest of the year.

TV Guide

This Web site has virtually all the features of its paper version without the cost or carbon footprint. And since stations can change their programming last minute for breaking news, the site is more accurate than the printed copies.

There are also links to any episode you may have missed that week.

Rue la la

A friend turned me on to this Web site last year. The site sells leftovers from top designers on sale -- most for more than half off the retail price. It's like a high-end flea market; you're never quite sure what's available.

I will admit, though, that half off a Coach bag is still out of my price range. So I use the site for virtual window shopping when I can't get to the King of Prussia mall.

Yes, the Internet can satisfy all your latest addictions (and even create a few more -- every try the free games available at Yahoo!), just remember to surf carefully. Because wipe outs can happen without any waves.

Katie Pasek is the author of "Sure-foot Sam in Jeopardy" available from Echelon Press and Junior's New Home available from Lulu.com. For more information please visit www.katiepasek.com.

Friday Fly-day

Or, almost.  I'm coming back from La La Land tomorrow night and hoping my chauffeur will pause for breakfast on the way home. 

See that photo?  That's my phone standing next to an ENORMOUS ICED COFFEE from Georgetown Bagelry in Bethesda with an incredible handsome shoulder peeking from behind.  A few firsts here: first time I've seen iced coffee in a paper Coke cup, and also first enormous IC I've had that's not from Dunkin Donuts. 

Via LB, Weezermonkey's post about The Bazaar by Jose Andres.  The place looks absolutely spectacular, and a few notes remind me of bites I enjoyed at Cafe Atlantico and Oyamel (in particular, jicama avocado ravioli from Cafe Atlantico and Greek yogurt panna cotta at Oyamel).  Next time I'm in Vegas I am definitely going to The Bazaar.  I discovered that I'm not the LV type, but dammmmn we still talk about our pasta tasting experience at B&B. 

Like it or not, Passover is coming, and Cara's Cravings and The Shiksa are both blogging recipes galore in preparation, including PIE!  I love pie, and it turns out that it's scientifically better than cake.  This is me, not surprised. 

Banner photo NSFW for this next linkm, so scroll down a few inches fast--The Passionfruits talk one of my favorite topics...ROAST CHICKEN.  You know I love a good roast chicken, particularly if I accessorize it with fried lemon slices. 

Mango & Tomato's Roasted Eggplant Dip with an Indian Twist.  I love scooping out a roasted eggplant with a fork; it's so simple, and you can add whatever you have around (garlic & salt alone!) to make it delicious.  This recipe shows how easily you can zazz it up for the benefit of your tastebuds or maybe some guests.  Now you just need an adorable copper serving bowl.

I'll leave you to your weekend with another photo:  Remember the papri chaat I was obsessed with at Indique Heights?  Turns out that when you get it takeout it's deconstructed.  That way it doesn't get too soggy.  We were a little confused, and J was disappointed that I didn't make beautiful swirls with the sauces.  Too bad so sad.

Zorba's Cafe

HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY!  And HAPPY BIRTHDAY to M!  [Announcements over.]

Hmmm where to go with an enormous group of girls?  Ever split a check 26 or so ways?  I'm guessing your answers is NO AND I NEVER WANT TO THX.

Recently a bunch (a whole big bunch) of us went out to Zorba's for our first of hopefully many future food outings.  We took up the entire space upstairs and to the right.  Zorba's has pretty decent Greek food--it's not amazing, but it's good, cheap, and really conveniently located.  It's nice to have a bargain meal that isn't from an obvious source (a burger place, chain sandwich shop).  One of the best parts about Zorba's is that it can be quick--you order and pay separately at the counter then wait for your number to be called.  But it can also be long--the place is big enough that if you want to sit and hang out for a while, you can.  People waiting for a table might hover, of course.  And I'm not saying that a crazy talking probably homeless man didn't hang out on the stairs for a few minutes and shout things at us, because he did.  But it wasn't so bad, and after a good 10 minutes the staff convinced him to leave.

Above is Zorba's yero, or maybe you know it as a gyro.  This link is an example of how gyro/yero has the pho/fuh dilemma going on.  Balancing proper with pretentious, being correct with being understood.  WHAT STRIFE! 

Anyway, marinated & sliced beef and lamp, tzatziki, feta, and some greenery on a pita.  $7.95.  Not the most filling dinner for a big eater like me, but if you pick at the food of the people around you it's fine.  Next time I'll order fries.

That's the spanakopita I was snacking on, even though it's ER's.  It was very far from my favorite spanakopita--there was way too much crust, and it seemed a little stale.  I want a thin outside and a warm gooey inside.  This guy reminded me more of a previously frozen situation popped in the toaster oven. 

And some baklava.  Again, I wouldn't write home about the pastry part, but the filling was yummy, even though it was very very sweet.  You need a few napkins for this sucker between the stickiness and some general greasiness.

Zorba's Cafe
1612 20th St NW
Metro: Red Line to Dupont Circle