#30DaysOfBiking begins tomorrow!

Oh, hi there, blog. Believe me when I say I think about you a lot!

On deck in the next few months:
Numbers 15, 29 and 30.

Writing about right now:
Number 23: Go car-free one day/work week

This is more than checked off by now, and it wasn't necessarily on purpose. My "new" job (I've been here almost a year now, which is mildly ridiculous) is only about half a mile from our condo, so I walk it most days. My adorable, reliable, gas-sipping Civic has been turned over to the husband for his trek out to the hinterlands of BFK, and our CRV sits contentedly in our parking spot most days. 

I'm also  renewing my love of my bike this year in a few ways:

1. Biking more in general for exercise and fun

Husband and I rode bikes to eat pie!

2. Biking on errands

First eggs brought home by bike. No casualties!

3. Biking in the MS150 (heyyyy donate!)

4. Biking every day in April!

That last one starts – eep! – tomorrow!

But I am so excited! I started brainstorming a few places to ride in the evenings after work and I'm already wondering if I'll have time to get to them all. There are so many cool places to go in KC that I haven't been able to check out yet: restaurants, parks, local shops and more. Might as well just buy me some obscure t-shirts, fake glasses and a fixie. 

Maybe I'll even lose a few pounds?! 

(Let's not get ahead of ourselves.)

There will certainly be days when the only riding I get to do is to or from work, or the grocery store, or other close-by locale. My legs can't handle 30 days of Kansas City hills. 

But my heart sure can handle 30 days of blissful biking! I'm hoping to post something from every ride right here. So follow along!

Pisa [Europe 2012: The forgotten blog posts]

You know what feels more productive than working today? Updating my blog about our trip to Europe last summer. Because I never finished writing about some of the best parts! Plus now Pinterest lets you pin things toa map, which is super cool. So, thus I start the first installment of Europe 2012: The forgotten blog posts.

*******

How iconic is the leaning tower of Pisa, when you think about traveling the world? To me, it’s one of my first memories of thinking “I want to see that.” I was probably in middle school I guess? I remember being fascinated by the story that Galileo dropped cannon balls off the side of it to prove gravity worked evenly on everything. You mean to tell me that something Galileo stood on is still standing (though tilted) today??

[The train ride from Rome was fine, except that the train car we chose didn’t have a working bathroom and I forgot to “go before we left.” My mother’s words haunted me for the last thirty minutes as I did everything short of dancing around the car to not wet myself. That might have been the most uncomfortable half-hour of my life, despite the comfy chairs and beautiful Italian countryside rolling by. To make matters worse, you had to PAY FOR the bathrooms in the Pisa train station (not uncommon in Europe, mind you) and I didn’t have any change. When I finally did get some change, I wound up hurriedly dropping my dime into the turnstile for — and then walking into — the MEN’S BATHROOM. Luckily the two restrooms were connected by a custodian’s closet, which was miraculously open, and the poor custodian cleaning the bathrooms — who spoke little, if any, English — frantically waved me through. Talk about a comedy of errors.]

So. Pisa. Yes.

The bus to the tower is just a normal city bus, so we had to figure that out. The herd of dazed tourists wandering from the station helped. We rode this crazily-driven bus through the tiny city (luckily with EMPTY bladders), trying not to fall on each other, until finally the driver yelled a few Italian words and we all decided that this must be the stop, even though there was no tower and no signs suggesting a tower.

So we walked. And walked a little more. I feel like it was at least a mile. B can attest that I’m a terrible judge of distance, but I distinctly remember wondering if we would ever see this tower.

We did, of course, and it was SO. COOL. The tower’s white façade against that day’s clear, blue skies was breathtaking, and it looked just like the photos! It was like seeing a celebrity on the street. I’d seen this tower so often in photos it had become like a myth. Seeing it in person, examining the foundation, realizing that a 4-degree tilt really does matter when something is 180 feet tall… it was just awesome.

And then we took silly photos. :D

We're going places, baby!

One of the best things about traveling is the different forms of transportation. For example, I rode to this coffee shop on a motorbike taxi! Thailand has SO MANY quirky options. I'm always just tickled to take a tuk-tuk.

Let's see what we've got here:

1. Tuk-tuks! Tuk-tuks are practically the official vehicle of Thailand. (If you haven't seen one, it's basically a motorcycle that has been retrofitted to have a back seat. The driver is in the middle and a covered bench seat straddles the back wheel, and two wheels on either side were added so that it won't fall over, dumping it's cargo into the swarm of traffic in Bangkok.) It's open-air and loud, hence where (I'm assuming) it got its name. They're relatively agile in traffic, which means you can sometimes get places quicker. Not good for long-long distances, unless you've got time to kill. Good for stealing tipsy kisses as you tend to smush into any companion with you in the back. Or, at least, I did ;)

2. Open-backed trucks. This is the preferred method of travel in Chiang Mai. I've seen a few in Bangkok, but they seem to be half of the car fleet in CM. It's a truck with a covered (and occasionally tricked-out!) bed, with benches down the sides, over the wheel wells. Oh, and there isn't a tailgate, so hang on! Ten people can fit in one of these, and the driver can stop to pick up more people at anytime during the route. As with almost all transport in Thailand, negotiate your price before you get on/in. We rode a couple of these up to Wat Doi Suthep. Take one to the zoo, and then there's another line waiting to ferry people up the mountain to the temple. It's an established routine, and we haggled hard on the price but couldn't get them to budge - they got smart and printed signs with pricing for individuals, or if you can get a group of 10 they'll cut you a deal (you can band together with other temple-goers).

3. Moto-taxis. Literally a motorcycle taxi! Negotiate a price and hop on. I've seen girls sitting side-saddle if wearing a skirt, so don't let that stop you! Good for one person. Bad for more than one person. Very fun! (Just don't tell your mother that you don't get a helmet.) (Hi, mom!) (Calm down, it was only four blocks and we only drove on the wrong side of the road twice!) In Bangkok the drivers wear orange vests and hang out at popular street corners. Motorbikes are awesome in the cities because they don't wait I traffic at lights, they weave their way to the front of the line and then take off ten seconds before the light changes. Good if you're in a hurry!

4. Water buses. There are 15+ docks along the river through Bangkok that serve as stops for the public water bus system (I think this might also be called water taxi, but it's much more like a bus). It costs 15 baht, or about 50 cents to go as far as you want. These boats are loooong and hold a lot of people. There are seats and benches, but stand at the railing and you can get a poorman's tour of the sights. I rode this today from Khaosan Road (sp?) down to the main dock without issue, but had to switch to the south route to get to my final destination and that boat was no where to be seen for a good 20 minutes. (I wound up befriending a couple of Australians who were staying at the Chatrium Hotel - close enough to the stop I wanted - which runs a free water shuttle from the Central Pier to the hotel, and hitchhiked with them. So if you're in a pinch, I'd say go for it.)

5. River ferries. Operate in tandem but independently from the water buses. These boats just hop from one bank to the other, back and forth all day long. Sometimes they are at the same piers, but more often than not they're separate. To get to a pier, take the smallest possible alley that will get you from the street to the water. Bonus points if it's somewhere that looks like you shouldn't be there. 

6. Regular taxis. Negotiate your price first or insist they run the meter. Cab drivers seem to be really honest, compared to other places we've been. One company's cars are painted pink! 

7. The Skytrain. This has an official acronym but I don't know what it is or what it stands for (that's what Britton is for in my life.) It works like mass transit. You pay a rate based on your destination, and I never tried to get off at a different stop, so I can't vouch for sure that you'd be ok, but my thought would be that as long as you exit before your original plan you'd be fine (but maybe not after, as that would potentially cost more). This is also a good way to see the city without paying a fortune since it's above everything.

8. Subway. There is a subway. I didn't use it. Guess I didn't need it? 

9. There are regular buses, too, but I don't speak Thai. So I don't know the routes. I'm sorry. :( I'll try to learn Thai next time I come to Thailand. Anthropology-major fail. 

I don't have pics of all of those because we used Britton's phone for photos. So here's a too-dark photo of Bangkok's 2013 Car Free day logo!

Chiang Mai cooking class: OMG YUM

Before you ask: yes. I will gladly attempt to cook the following dishes again for you, and Britton will, too! (That's right - you read "Britton" and "cook" in the same sentence!)

A cooking class in Chiang Mai was highly recommended by several people before we left for Thailand, so I signed us up for an all-day class at Baan Thai Cookery School. 

This - so far - has been the highlight of our trip! Between the two of us we learned how to cook 10 dishes, and we got to keep a cookbook that explains the ingredients and has all the recipes, plus the recipes for several other dishes we didn't make. 

The school is a cute, open-air building tucked in a very backpacker-friendly part of Chiang Mai. Britton and I now affectionately refer to this area as Gringoland because it reminds us so much of Quito's Plaza Fosch (which is unofficially called Gringolandia).

The instructors were all about our age, and super nice. We sat on the floor at a table with seven classmates from around the world: Maryland, South Africa, Holland, Brazil, and Melbourne, Australia. Everyone was very friendly and eager to learn, like us!

First we walked a few blocks to a fruit/veggie market to learn about the ingredients. We got to smell and touch three different kinds of eggplant, none of which I've seen in the states; three kinds of basil, all of which I knew by different names; three kinds of ginger, only one of which I recognized; two floppy types of mushrooms; raw tumeric, which is supposed to be a natural relief from mosquito bites (must buy in bulk when I get home!); plus lemon grass, limes, and lots of little, spicy peppers. And mango! 

While at the market we got a smoothie, and boy do I feel American saying this next sentence, but: I was amazed at how much fruit went in to this smoothie. One-and-a-half bananas, half a papaya, and the juice of at least a dozen little oranges.  And then ice, and then blend. No yogurt, no protein powder, no nothin' except fruit and ice. So fresh! So yummy! So simple!

We made our way back to the school, ingredients in tow, and "suited up!" in aprons and handkerchiefs. 

First dish: Stir Fry

Ellen: Pad Thai!

Britton: Cashews with chicken

Second dish:

Ellen: (spicy!) papaya salad

Britton: (not spicy!) spring rolls

Third dish: Soups

E: Seafood in coconut milk

B: Chicken in coconut milk

Fourth dish: Curry!

E: Green curry

B: Panaeng curry

Fifth dish: dessert!

E: mango w/ sticky rice (aka, mango over rice cooked in ALL THE SUGAR)

B: deep-fried banana

So... Who's coming over for dinner and photos? :)

Elephants!

Ten things I learned about elephants while at Elephant Nature Park, Chiang Mai, Thailand.

1) Trunks have up to 140,000 muscles in them, primarily used for insisting you give him that watermelon. 

2) An elephant that looks pregnant might just be fat. 

3) In unnatural situations (I.e, forced breeding), a female's hip can be broken during mating. 

4) Elephants have a more developed brain (frontal cortex?) that can experience emotions like humans or dolphins do. 

5) A four-year-old elephant whose mom just had a baby will act out, similar to a human four-year-old (I may know one that fits this description...) :)

6) In the wild, elephants travel in family herds. When several unrelated elephants are in the same place, they'll form their own family. Sounds like college!

7) Elephants loooove the water. But they don't actually need to be scrubbed for 20 minutes by tourists. 

8) When an elephant moves, you move. 

9) At 5 weeks old a baby elephant is strong enough (or big enough) to push a grown man around, and its mother is hungry and pushes the little bugger out of the way to eat. 

10) There are only 2,500-4,500 Asian elephants left in the wild. And many being mistreated. And many being saved. Be nice to elephants!

Thailand: the first 48

In one word: challenging. In two words: challenging & great.

Challenging because I do not speak one word of Thai. And granted, I knew this going in, and many people here know some English. But a few of the things we've needed to accomplish have been just slightly more difficult because we didn't know Thai, or the person we were talking to didn't know enough English. For example, ordering food has been a series of pointing and hoping and using Britton's phone, where he had the genius idea to find photos of common foods - egg, chicken, pork, etc. - so we could point to those in moments of confusion. 

Giving directions to our lodging is a feat. We have addresses written down (in English) but can't help with directions much since we don't know how to do anything but point and tap and say things in English. Luckily drivers have been very patient and/or knowledgeable about where they are going. While we were scanning for the hostel street, the tuk-tuk driver had the good mind to slow down AND drive on the left side of the road. Which is the correct side over here. But still was very strange at the time. :) 

The great parts, however, are really great. I arrived in Bangkok very late Saturday - around 11:30 - and the next morning we had to be back at the airport by 8am to get to Chiang Mai. Our host, Mac, is a US ex-pat, and has been wonderful, if a little on the chatty side. He gave us great concil on taking a taxi instead of trying to navigate the skytrain, and his wife (who I haven't met but have spoken to on the phone) arranged for one to meet us at the house at 7:30. 

Breakfast was procured from a small  stand in a busy alley around the corner from the 7-11 (which isn't difficult to do - 7-11s are everywhere!). The original woman we were going to buy from wasn't set up yet, so she motioned us over to her neighbor, who pointed at things and we pointed at things and then we got some food. Rice, fried chicken breast (the delicious kind, not the KFC kind), and a bag - yes, bag - of soup for 30baht, or about $1usd. We are LOVING the prices here!

We got to the airport just fine and on to our flight to Chiang Mai no issues. And as we disembarked from the airplane it hit me: the hot, humid mountain breeze. Which is when I realized I will be hot and humid and sweaty and sticky for the next eight days of my life. 

Such a great challenge. 

Chicken, rice, cucumber, cilantro, fish sauce(?) plus soup (not pictured) for $1.

What does it all meeeeeaaan??? (Sorry it's sideways - I'm typing on a phone!)

Zucchini: Shred It and Forget It. (Veggies #6.9)

I've discovered something.

Zucchini doesn't have to be in chunky cubes or round slices for you to eat it!

There are two super simple ways I've been using zucchini for meals. The first is the yummiest, and least vegetable-y: zucchini pancakes! These aren't like batter pancakes, but more like the potato pancakes you might have had if you're a descendant from central/eastern Europe. I can make two of them fresh in the morning in just under 10 minutes, which is a lovely way to start my day. The recipe is from a great Paleo cookbook I'm borrowing, Practical Paleo. Super simple recipes. I've scaled this one waaaay down, as I do with most of the recipes in the book.

1/3 zucchini, shredded/julienne style (I use our cheese grater!)
1 medium egg
~1 tablespoon coconut flour
salt to taste
coconut oil or bacon grease (I figured out that if I cook 2-3 slices of bacon in the pan before the pancakes, it's just the right amount. Plus then I get to eat bacon!)

• Mix everything together. If the mixture is drippy-runny, add a little more flour. You should be able to scoop about half of it with just a fork if it's sticking together enough.
• Add oil to a pan over medium heat. Let it warm up, then drop zucchini mix by heaping spoonfuls. (Or just split the mix in half and drop that much.) Flatten in out a little so you have a flat circle. 
• Let them cook for about 5 minutes on each side. The flat sides will get nice and brown and crispy. If you like less crispy things, just don't cook them as long.

The second way to eat zucchini is even easier: as a noodle substitute. Just use a vegetable peeler (or the long, wide cheese grater option!) and shred down to the seeds. Then you can either steam them (~5mins) or throw them in the microwave with a favorite sauce (~3mins). So far I've only tried it with pesto. Yummmm.

Happy Eatings!

May 30, 2013

So, I'm actually writing this post on June 12. It's basically like time travel (hooray for technology!).

My 27th birthday was almost two weeks ago, and it came and went with very little pomp or circumstance. I've been busy with my new job and several other side projects. I kept forgetting my birthday was this week, or in a few days, or tomorrow, or today!

My new department bought cupcakes for the occasion from Baby Cakes in the River Market. So. Much. Yum. And I wore a cute new outfit, which is always a good day.

And I was also able to spontaneously meet up with friends at Manifesto for a DELICIOUS drink that was made with butternut squash. "Winter in Buenos Aires." Try it. (That's not a request.)

I still have several items to cross off my list. Not so sure I'll make it to see the Northern Lights in the next 36 months, but hopefully I'll be able to make a cake, cook a turkey, SKYDIVE, hang with my niece (and new nephew), and a few other things. I'd better get to it!

Brussels Sprouts: Experimenting

I can't officially say that I like Brussels sprouts just yet. I've tried cooking them two nights in a row now, and they're just kinda... meh.

I've tried two preparations, both pretty similar.

Last night I cooked up some bacon in a skillet, then cooked the sprouts cut side down in the bacon grease. Bought some balsamic vinegar for dipping - should've been a home run, right?? But not quite. Still tasted ... meh.

Tonight I just halved them, tossed them in some olive oil and minced garlic, and let them cook for about 5 minutes. Then at the very end I sprinkled some parmesan mixed with oregano and thyme and tossed them around a bit more. Again, another combo that - for me - is almost guaranteed to be enjoyed, but I still didn't like the sprouts. Too... cabbage-y? They just didn't seem to have any specific flavor other than "blech." Not offensive enough for me to swear off of them forever. I'll still try some recipes. Especially because I still have, like, a pound of them left in the bag I bought from Costco.

So, veggie connoisseurs - what step am I missing? What makes that flavor fade into the delicious that most people seem to think surrounds a Brussels sprout?

Vegetable Conquest Follow-Through

It has dawned on me that I haven't been the best about continuing my conquest of the veggies.

Yes, I learned how to cook nearly 10 things but I haven't really integrated them into daily diets. That's like saying you're going to learn Italian and then only use it to say "we eat pizza!" (Wait, that was me, too...)

Anyway, a combination of things is motivating me into thinking a little healthier.

The first thing is that I am working out regularly which makes me feel good. I go to a CrossFit gym, usually 4 times each week. Those workouts have consistently worn me out and made me hurt, but I can feel the energy I have at 3pm when I would normally crash and consider coffee. I can feel the awesome muscle I have in my biceps! And abs! And other small changes have surprised me in the mirror - like, my underwear fits better. I realize how random and mildly inappropriate that might be to share, but tough tamales, it's the truth!

The second thing is the mildly cult-ish dietary encouragement that comes with CrossFit: The Paleo Diet. When I first heard about it I wrote it off as a little ridiculous. Atkins and South Beach and all the other super-fad diets had me skeptical. The gist of Paleo is to eat what would've been accessible during Paleolithic times - think caveman - so basically nothing that needs to be processed before you eat it. Lots of meat and veggies but no grains, sugar, or treated animal products like dairy.

But I love cheeeeese!

I was content with ignoring that part of CrossFit until my friend Amanda accepted a 45-day challenge to eat Paleo with a group from her gym. Seeing someone close to me attempt and be successful got me thinking a little more critically. I would like to lose a few extra inches, and she says she feels great on top of that, too.

The final thing is that Britton and I both lament about losing inches, or in his case slimming down the beer belly that is threatening to become a permanent fixture around his mid-section. I have pretty great self-esteem, so this isn't a "I really wanna lose three pounds!" situation. It's a realization that I look fine, but still have room to be thinner and healthier.

Here's the kicker though (and the thing that will probably always be the kicker to any diet I try): I'm not ambitious enough to go get the right ingredients and learn to cook in a brand new way. I just want meals made of things that are easy to access and prepare.

So. What to do then?

First step, starting ASAP: Substitute veggies whenever possible. Instead of spaghetti, spaghetti squash; instead of mashed potatoes, mashed cauliflower. When at a restaurant, opt for the veggie side instead of fries or chips. Once I started analyzing what I was eating, I realized it's not very balanced. Pasta is our go-to dish and rice is a close second, neither of which is "allowed" in Paleo since they're processed before you eat them. And carbalicious. But yeah, empty calories for the most part.

Second step, starting soonish: Add veggies to a meal and eat them first. AKA, reduce calorie intake from less healthy foods and up the good calories, etc., from fruits & veggies. If I would normally eat 7 ravioli pieces without anything else, I should add a veggie (like asparagus - super simple!) and only cook 4 or 5 pieces.

Oh, and stop eating when I'm full. That's a tough one for me. Food just tastes so good!

Possible future steps: 

• Learn the basic substitutions for eating Paleo fo' realz
• Buy pre-made Paleo meals from a local company so that I know I have healthy options to grab & go in the house
• Cook meals (paleo or not) at home for the week so I don't get stuck ordering lunch from somewhere unhealthy.
• Convince husband to support a Paleo diet
• Figure out what I want to eat at restaurants before we get there so I'm not tempted to order my usual go-tos, such as biscuits & gravy or mac n cheese.

Ultimate goal is to look good in a swimsuit this summer. And by good I mean better than last year.

Help keep me honest! If you're eating food with me, ask me about what I'm eating or how things are progressing. I won't mind (but I might admit to veering away from these guidelines)!

-e

Sorry, we just bought a car.

Have you ever watched the BBC show "Top Gear?" It's hosted by three (British) funny-guys and they talk about cars, car parts, and how to drive cars. Somehow despite the incessant insistence on that topic, they are really entertaining! B loves it.

He also loves just about every car in it - Aston Martins, Ferraris, Nissans. It's been our little joke that he'll look over and say "WANT" while he reaches at the screen like a four-year-old to an ice cream cone. I usually then ask the price and he stops insisting quite so much. So, if you're ever in need of something to buy him...

Anyway, I'm rambling about this because I have a new come-back line to replace the question of price. Now I can simply ask him, "would you like to drive MY new car?" The reaction is about the same... because by "new" I really mean "old." We have officially bought my little Civic off of my parents.

So... that checkbox hit me right in the face! I'd forgotten that buying a car was on my list, probably because when I put it there I meant it in a much more buy-a-BRAND-NEW-car way. But seeing as Hondas tend to last forever and I only have 3.5 years left til 30 (gulp! - how did THAT happen?!) this is pretty much it! Another step towards competent adulthood. Give-or-take the fact that I filed my title papers on the last. possible. day. And that my car sat with the old plates for another 10 days after that (no, I didn't drive it). And that the "Maint. Req'd" light has been flashing when I turn the car on for the last month or so.

So, er, happy "new" car to me! Hopefully it lasts!

Soups! (Veggies #6.8)

I like soups so much that they get their own veggie sub-point and a blog entry all to themselves. Because they are just. That. Delicious.

I've attempted a couple of new soups recently since I have lots of fun new kitchen tools and vessels from the wedding registry.

What? Oh yeah - that wedding thing happened back in Nov.! Aaaaand it was basically perfect. Surrounded by friends, family, dancing the night away and waking up with that same guy that I still like after all this time! There isn't an emoticon big enough to really capture the happy that I have from the whole thing, so here's a photo instead.

I kinda like this guy :)

So. Soups. Yes. Counting this one as a veggie is kind of premature since I haven't quite made a soup explicitly with a veggie I wouldn't have otherwise tried. I made a super rich, cream-based mushroom soup back when it first got cold. This is where I discovered my love of cream-based anything. Ok, not really discovered, just solidified the knowledge of. If it's bad for me I probably love it.

Creamy, delicious
mushroom soup

The next recipe wasn't anything momentous either, other than the fact that it was almost entirely blended vegetables and I still wanted to eat it! It was a tomato soup in the crockpot: put a couple cans of tomatoes, some chopped carrots, celery, and onion and some broth in the crockpot and let those cook all day, then come home and blend it all together and add some cream and maybe some cheese, too? It was quite yummy (see statement in previous paragraph about cream-based anything!).

So, this most recent soup is actually a little farther out of the box. It was - gasp! - VEGAN. [duh duh DUHHHHHNNN] That's right - zero animal product, no cheese, no milk, no nothin' other than veggie-based food. AND IT'S DELICIOUS. [Erk, I just realized that we *did* add some feta when we ate it. It didn't add much though. Now if we had goat cheese, that'd be different!]

The recipe was pinned by Michelle Obama and is from the Oprah website, so it's not like it was going to be bad anyway. But other than being somewhat time consuming, it was really simple and tastes sweet but still hearty. The sweet potatoes really come through, helped by a few apricots I think. I've eaten it at least once for the last couple days and I'm not tired of it yet! (I'm also not finished yet, which gives you a hint as to how much it made!) The first night we ate it with some SUPER yummy burgers that B made with HIS new cast iron skillet. (That's right - not only did HE register for that bad boy, but he has now also USED it! I'm living this up!)

Here's the recipe. My little notes are in [brackets] this time.

Enjoy!
-e

Husband made some yummy burgers to go with.

Sweet Potato & Red Lentil Soup
1 pound sweet potatoes, peeled and roughly chopped
1 cup red lentils, picked over and rinsed
½ cup dried apricots, quartered
¼ cup chopped onion or shallots
¼ to ½ tsp. Thai red chili paste [I left this out - Thai red chili paste was $5 for a teeny-tiny jar. If you can convince me it's worth it, I'll get it for next time, but it had better knock my heels off.]
4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
¾ cup light coconut milk [that's only about 1/3 of a can. As I kept the soup warm on the stove I just added the rest in to keep it from getting too thick.]
½ tsp. salt, plus more to taste
½ tsp. ground black pepper
Chopped cilantro (optional) [didn't use it]
4 Tbsp. pomegranate juice or seeds (optional) [didn't use it, but would be interested to try it! I think the tart crunch of the seeds would be a good contrast to the sweet soup.] Edit: tried it. Liked it! Discovered Costco occasionally sells pomegranate seeds separately. Win.

Place sweet potatoes, lentils, apricots, onion, chili paste, and broth in a large pot. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce to low heat, cover, and simmer until lentils are falling apart, about 25 [20 for me] minutes. Let soup sit, uncovered, 10 minutes.

Add coconut milk. Using a blender, puree soup until smooth, in batches if necessary. Stir in salt and pepper, and add more if desired. [I barely needed the blender, everything was so tender after 30ish mins of simmering I could've mashed it with my spatula. But an immersion blender is waaaay more fun!]

To serve: Divide pureed soup among bowls, and top each with cilantro and pomegranate juice or seeds (if using). [If you're cool like me, you have a sweet soup-and-sandwich bowl/plate setup from your Gramma Barb!]

Source: http://www.oprah.com/food/Sweet-Potato-and-Red-Lentil-Bisque-Recipe#ixzz2HLNPYOpY

I like it raw! (Veggies #6.7)

Big news!

Well... really, it can be classified as "news that will not shatter the earth" because it mainly affects me and that guy I'm married to.

Right, anyway, the news!

Turns out I don't mind broccoli - if eaten raw!

This "raw veggie" theory has presented itself twice recently:

The first was when I took a suggestion from a very wise former-college-roommate of mine (hi, Katie!) who accepted the Broccoli challenge with this recipe for broccoli coleslaw.

I made it over 4th of July - and it's delicious! It helps that the broccoli is drizzled with sweet/vinegar-y goodness.

This recipe led me to try to shred my own broccoli over the weekend, since buying bunches of broccoli seemed cheaper than buying it pre-julienned. (And maybe because sending that guy I like to the store with instructions to buy broccoli slaw resulted in a purchase of 4 heads of broccoli. Maybe.) The shredding attempt was weak at best, but it did leave me with a large bag full of bushy broccoli tops, which I would've felt awful throwing away. So I bought a tub o' veggie dip and tried just eating the raw broccoli with a bit of dip last night.

Totally. Tolerable!

The second example was so fleeting I barely noticed it. At a wedding shower for my new sister-in-law (husband's-brother's-wife) the hostess made a pasta salad with fresh cut, uncooked yellow squash from her garden. I really liked the crunch and how the italian-style dressing stuck to it w/o smothering.

Another win for veggies! A war I'm happy to be losing. :)

Plus, as we move into fall & winter, I'm hoping to explore some of the fun seasonal veggies. Last year I conquered acorn and butternut squash, plus I have lots of recipes pinned for soups and crock pot goodness.


Here's the recipe for the broccoli slaw mentioned above. I've edited it to match how I decided to prepare it after making it by-the-book the first time.

(Pro tip: it's a Paula Deen recipe, and you DO NOT need the 3/4 stick of butter. Ever. I don't even cook the ramen/almond/sunflower seeds, just crunch them and toss.)

Ingredients

• 2 bags (3-ounce) Ramen Noodle Soup in Oriental
• 3/4 stick butter  I just saved you a million mental calories.
• 1/4 cup slivered almonds
• 2 bags (12-ounce) bags broccoli cole slaw (in the bagged salad section of the grocery store)
• 1/4 cup sunflower seeds
• Chopped green onions, for garnish (I tend to forget this part)

Dressing Mix:

• 3/4 cup canola vegetable oil (what's a Canola, anyway?)
• 1/4 cup brown or white sugar
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 ramen noodle seasoning packet (Oriental)

Directions

Put the ramen noodles in a bag and crush them with a rolling pin while melting butter in a large skillet over low/medium heat. Add the crushed noodles and slivered almonds to the skillet and saute, stirring occasionally (keep temperature at low/medium heat). Meanwhile, whisk together all the dressing ingredients in a small bowl. (Be sure all of the sugar is dissolved!) Place the shredded broccoli into bowl and toss with the noodles, almonds, and sunflower seeds. Pour dressing over salad and toss to coat. Garnish with chopped green onions.

¡Madrid!

There are some gaps in the trip, I know! We are safely home in KC and I owe this blog about a week's worth of adventures. Here is a post I wrote about Madrid to tide you over!

- Ellen

~~~~~~~~~~

Madrid has been unexpectedly relaxing; it's nice to stay in one spot for more than two nights!

We've been able to get a pretty good idea of daily life. In Madrid - and most of Spain, from what I can gather - everything is moved back by about 3 hours: lunch isn't until at least 1:30 but usually 2 or 3pm, and dinner is at 8 ... or sometimes 9 or 10! (My mother would never survive.) People stay out later, too: midnight is about average for a weeknight, and 2 or 3 or 4am are often seen on the weekends.

We discovered the staying out late part early. The first night we were there we went out with our host - my friend Michael from college - to get tapas and meet some of his friends. Having not arrived until almost 8pm, we weren't leaving his apartment until 10ish. Stopping for tapas took us to 11:30 and then we met his friends at a neighborhood festival.

In Madrid, "neighborhood festival" translates to "big f---ing party in the middle of the street." Drinks are huge and relatively cheap, lots of dancing and loud music. So much life happening in one place! We also didn't get there until 12 or maybe later since we walked there. His friends were wonderful - a fun bunch that was seeing a couple of friends off on a trip to Russia of all places - but eventually Britton and I had to give in to our exhaustion... at 3am! The trek home took another hour involving a night bus and plenty of walking. I fell asleep without even changing into pjs.

We've walked a LOT while in Europe: between sights, within cities, to and from metro stations, to get food, with our backpacks, through airports and train stations. It's felt good to be so active but at the same time our feet are quickly losing their stamina. I am getting the most necessary pedicure of my life on Sunday when we're home again.

That idea of home is always an interesting one when traveling. I talked about this a bit with Rebecca in Budapest. She's often in flux between what would be a "permanent" address (her parents' house in the states), her "current" address (in Spain where she teaches during the school year, Sept. - May-ish), and her "temporary" address (in Hungary where she is teaching over this summer). And even for me while we've been in Spain whenever I say, "Let's head home for a bit" it is in reference to Michael's apartment. Home is where the heart is but also where your head can hit a soft pillow.

Anyway, back to that first night, we decided we had definitely earned a morning without an alarm - a rare treat during our trip!

"The Romans were everywhere!"

We let ourselves sleep in - til all of 10:00! Then it's up and at 'em. Our "B&B" provided cereal and instant coffee, which I have quite the affinity for after Ecuador. It was really nice to have a slow morning after some of the early and get-a-move-on mornings of the past few days.

We found lunch near the Vatican - pizza with fresh toppings and these little fried rice balls stuffed with fillings. I can't remember what they're called at the moment but they were gooood. This was one of the first meals that between the two of us we didn't finish.

Then we walked off to the Vatican! To say that it was impressive is just not a big enough statement. It's amazingly complex and beautiful. And it's huge. Every wall, piece of ceiling, altar, prayer is a work of art in itself. I wish I could have laid down on the floor looking up to be able to gaze at it all but there we're far too many people.

And there is a dress code (which we adhered to) that many people, mostly women in short skirts and skimpy tops, couldn't figure out. The Vatican is very strict about these rules - two guards stand at the steps in front of the entrance checking visitors - and they're also prepared with these paper hospital gown type things for people to wear around their shoulders or tie around their waist to cover their knees. Some people brought their own scarves and would wind up looking like they wore a long dress stamped with "ROMA ROMA ROMA" all over it. I on the other hand looked cute in a sun dress that has small shoulder frilly-ness. Inadvertent brilliance, as my dad would say!

Next to the colosseum! Which had nothing of the wait we'd be warned about and we got inside within around 30 minutes. We think it's mainly because it was the middle of the day, it was hot, and right now many Europeans are taking their own holiday. Works for us! We were prepared with lots of water and light clothing, and we stayed in the shade whenever possible.

The colosseum is also impressive but in a different way from the Vatican. The colosseum is, I believe, a testament to the Romans' incredible legacy of craftsmanship. Built well, built quickly, and built with functionality for its purpose. With all of our new-fangled technology, we still don't rival some of these structures.

And there are plenty of examples of this literally all over Rome. Ruins that are closed off, ruins that were reused, buildings that are still standing. Just as Britton realized, "Man, the Romans were EVERYWHERE!" (Yes, especially when in ROME.) ;D

And - because why stop at a full day when you can pack two days worth of things into one? - we went on a bike tour at 7:00 that night! This tour was "Unusual Rome" and complemented our time in Rome really, really well. We saw some unique sights - a panorama of Rome at sunset, the Vatican through a peephole, Hadron's (?) castle, the forum at night with pictures of how it was when it was built. Plus, we had a guide which meant our random questions were answered! I was wishing at some points during the day that we had taken guided tours, because you do get so much more info. Britton and I tend to speculate and wonder what was this for or why is it like that but can't get answers from walls or signs in Italian.

Woke up in Budapest, fell asleep in Rome

Travel day between Budapest and Rome was an early one, with the added stress of it being the first time traveling by plane after landing in London the first day.

Luckily there weren't any mishaps. I think we might have been one of the last ones to the gate though, and since it's open seating on Ryanair (budget European airline) I thought it'd be a much bigger issue than it was. We were still able to sit across the aisle from each other.

And then we were in ROME! Aaaah there were so many things to see and do, and unlike previous cities, we knew ahead of time what those things were!

Colosseum, Vatican, Pantheon - see ALL the things!

We walked around for a bit - had OK pizza at what we thought was a place far enough away to not be a tourist trap. Wrong. :-/ But we made up for it with gelato!

Also - what is the deal with Europe - scratch that, the rest of the world - and carbonated water?! Uuuugh. Guess which one we bought by mistake. Blech. Good thing Rome is full of free fountains with drinkable water! So cool!

We joined a walking tour that left from the Spanish steps (which have a real name but I don't remember what it is... which is why they're known as the Spanish steps in the first place) and started off on our trek! I have to say, Rome left me amazed more times than any city yet. So much history and art, so many intricate buildings and thought-out systems. There is a church with the ceiling painted to look like it continues the wall, and like there is a dome where there is really just a flat canvas. One could sit in many of these buildings all day and always be awe-struck.

Our guide was great, too. An Italian with lots of knowledge about the history of Rome and of Italy, and answers to all of the questions asked.

And, most fun, while on the tour we met Raquel (from LA) and Ross and Colin (from Scotland)! They were a fun group and we wound up getting dinner together at a restaurant recommended by the guide. So. Delicious. Definitely made up for the ugh pizza earlier! The menu was so extensive, I just closed my eyes and pointed at a dish. And it was GREAT.

Setting records in Budapest

In Budapest we met up with one of my roommates from college, Rebecca. She's currently teaching English and Spanish in Hungary for the summer before returning to Spain to teach English in the fall. Tough life, eh? ;)

We got in after the seven-hour train ride from Munich. I don't want to sit on a trail for that long for a while. Austria was beautiful though, and I'm glad we got to see it instead of fly over it.

The trouble with getting in to a city on a Sunday at dusk is that it is generally deserted, nothing's open, and it tends to look creepier than it is. Sorry, Budapest, but you fall into that category.

On top of those factors, Budapest is also a gateway to eastern Europe which has a much different feel from western Europe. Many of these countries have been in serious trouble within the last two decades, and have been conquered or occupied for the majority of their histories. They've had bigger issues than making their city pretty for tourists.

The next morning the city looked much better. Rebecca met us at our hostel and we set out for the main square later than intended and needed to get a metro (subway/tram/bus) pass for the day. We went to the station and the line is of course 8-10 people deep. We are trying our luck with the timing. We get to the front, get a ticket, get down the escalators and the train is in the station! Run, run!

Becca and Britton make it on to a car and I'm bringing up the rear and realize the door behind them is closer, so I jump on, assuming the cars are all connected like on a train. Not so, and I can't get their attention. As the train pulls away, I see that Britton has gotten off the train and was left at the station!

Becca and I both poke our heads out at the next station to find each other and jump off hoping Britton got on the following train. Which he did! Hooray for establishing emergency plans ahead of time!

We somehow make it to the main square where our waking tour starts just as the guide is starting her history of Hungary spiel. And then we notice that it's hot! Definitely sticking to the shade as much as possible.

This tour covered the history of Hungary - of which there is a lot - and on the main touristy things: differences between Buda and Pest, the Chain bridge, parliament buildings, Margaret island, and others.

But throughout the tour, it just kept getting so hot! Turns out, as Becca informed us later, the temperature in Budapest that day set a record high for the city. The previous record was set in the 1930s. What a day to remember!

We got some dinner and sent Becca on her way "home" and then, we went and hung out on or hostel's couch. It was the first night when we just let ourselves be tired. Nothing was calling us back out to the streets of Budapest, nothing was on our agenda, and we had an early morning the next day. And I guess in the scheme of the 21 days we will have traveled, we can allow ourselves just one night in.

(photo of me in front of the Chain Bridge in Budapest)

New Europe Tours: Munich

In our search for things to discover in all of these new cities, we've come across some excellent tip-based tours (read: advertised as free but you're expected to tip the guide). Munich was our first experience with New Europe Tours - one "free" and one we paid for ahead of time.

Our first tour was the "free" tour which left from Marienplatz, one of the main squares in Munich (at 3pm - turns out when you drink with Germans the night before, you tend to sleep til 11 without realizing it!) which is famous for the glockenspiel, a large cuckoo clock of sorts. More about that later.

Our guide was fun; a young 20-something from Ireland who was losing his voice and explained at the beginning that "over 80% of the questions he asks can be answered with 'beer.'" This is our kind of guide!

The tour was also wonderful. We learned a lot of facts - some fun and some somber - about Munich and Germany. Most memorable were Dodgers Alley (a memorial to citizens who were sent to concentration camps because they purposefully avoided a Nazi memorial), a brief history of Oktoberfest and the kings leading up to its founding, and of course the glockenspiel.

Ah, yes, the glockenspiel. Not only is it fun to say, it's also boring to watch! For some reason, the touristy thing to do in Munich three times each day is to watch a not-so-intricate cuckoo clock chime horrifically out of tune from the bell tower of what looks like an old church but which was actually built in the 20th century.

It was more interesting to me that SO MANY PEOPLE packed the square! Find a YouTube video of this clock and you'll see why I'm so amazed - it's large figurines on a turntable twirling around! That's all! Though, some native Munich residents have added their own flair: at one point two jousters, er, joust, and Bavaria wins which sets off big whoops of victory from what looked like very drunk members of a bachelor party.

(By the way, if you think your bachelor/ette party was over-the-top or well organized, you are wrong. In Munich, the group of 10-20 buy matching t-shirts or matching outfits - one group of girls wore the traditional Bavarian beer maid dress - and have to interact with the crowd and embarrass the honoree. To say the groups stood out is an understatement. Oh, and they're also really drunk and causing a scene.)

Our second New Munich tour was the Beer Challenge. I'm not sure why it's a beer "challenge," other than at the beginning the guide mentioned there is a completely subjective drawing at the end to win a free tour from New Europe tours. It's a well-organized, guided pub crawl. Which is awesome!

We went to a beer garden, Hofbräuhaus, a bar across from Hofbräuhaus, and another bar. There might have been one more but that's not important.

The BEST part was it's a bilingual tour, and I wound up sitting next to a couple from Spain! After our guide gave the group a set of instructions on how to order beer within the group, they gave each other the 'I don't know what she said, do you know why she said?' look and I intervened. And then we were friends! I learned a lot about Spain - they're from Barcelona - and we had fun.

We hung out off-and-on with them as well as a couple from Brazil, a kid from Russia, and other random people from the world. The group was huge - probably 30-40 people being herded by two tour guides.

And - Bonus! - it ended three blocks from our hotel!

(photo is of musicians in the beer garden on the Beer Challenge)

Hardy and Anka at the Jodlerwirt

We realized Munich would be fun when we found the Jodlerwirt and met Hardy & Anka.

We had a big day of driving on the autobahn and through castle road (more on both of those in the previous post!) and were looking for some delicious, authentic German food.

What we found was not only authentic German food (thankfully still being served at 10pm) but authentic Germans, authentic German songs, a staff that spoke only German, a German accordion player, and lots brewed-in-house German beer.

This place was tiny, loud, and packed. We followed a waitress — definitely a Woman In Charge —through the crowd. I figured if she was pushing through, we had free reign to push, too, and we found ourselves looking at a table with another couple already there! They let us squeeze in and we ordered a couple of beers by pointing at their beers and smiling really big. (Lucky for us the Woman smiled back!)

We figured out how to order some food (chicken & beef? Or maybe pork? With mushrooms and delicious gravy, plus some pasta thing. Schnitzel? Again, pretty big language barrier at this point!) and took in our surroundings: loud, German pop music was playing while big groups of friends talked/yelled/laughed around their tables. Sometimes singing along, usually ending in a toast to whatever the song was about.

About the same time our food arrived, Hardy and Anka did, too, and slid into the table with the four of us — pretty much the only two seats left in the place. They spoke English! Yay!

They were an older couple — maybe in their late 60s? — but you could tell they refused to acknowledge that. We soon learned they live in Texas, and sometimes California, and sometimes Germany or Austria. And according to Hardy, Anka used to be a cop but according to Anka, she works at an antique store in Houston. And according to Anka, Hardy is a famous singer in Austria! Whatever it is they do, they were both delightfully drunk when we met them, an had no intention of stopping anytime soon.

When the accordion player started, Hardy would sing along and Anka would grab his and whosever hands she could (usually mine!) to sway left to right with the music. The guy from first couple at the table was, according to Anka, from Berlin, which "explained why he didn't know how to enjoy himself" when he chose to sit and enjoy the music and didn't also grab Britton's hand to sway like a drunkard through every song.

So, in between bites of food and acting like I knew what was going on by yelling syllables along with these German accordion tunes, and the swaying and the talking, we had a really good, how-did-we-get-here time, even though we couldn't speak, sing, or understand ANY of what was going on. (Turns out the Sinatra song, "bona sera, señorita, kiss me good night" is almost the same in German!)

They were thrilled that we knew how to play along ("most Americans are so stiff!") and that we just got married ("We just got married, too! In 1966!") and about their new grandbaby, which was either the second or third. The story was a little different each time.

As we walked back to the Best Western (ha! Travel across an ocean to stay at a Best Western!) we knew Munich was going to be a memorable leg of our journey.

Anka (L) and Hardy

PROST!

Getting lost in a Mercedes is way more fun

Everything you've heard about the autobahn is just about true.

Things I didn't realize:
1 - it's not just one stretch of road, it's Germany's entire highway network
2 - some parts do have limits
3 - some people still drive normal speeds; it's just a highway to them I guess?
4 - the highways aren't labeled as north/south or east/west. You have to know a city in the direction you're headed.

Things I'd heard that really are true:
1 - a large number of the cars are Audis, Mercedes, BMWs, and other built-for-speed cars.
2 - these cars drive FAST and you'd best not be in their way when the speed limits are lifted!
3 - driving fast is FUN.

We set out from Frankfurt in our rented Benz, and immediately found the highway we wanted to get us to "Castle Road" - a stretch of scenic byway that is dotted for miles with castles. It was even labeled, "Kassel" so I figured they must know a lot of tourists head out to find this road - how convenient!

As navigator, it was my job to get us headed in the right direction so that Britton could focus on driving since we didn't know what to expect. Let's jut say it's a really good thing we opted for the GPS unit.

Upon further inspection of the map, it turns our that there is a city in Germany named 'Kassel' and that it is in the opposite direction of the castle road. Oops! It also turns out there are fewer exits (Ausfahrts, lol) than on a highway in the States. And that when in Germany, the street signs tend to be in German, if they have any words at all! Go figure!

We got ourselves turned around without much further issue, and kept a close eye on the road signs until - yes! - we saw the sign that means all limits are lifted! Britton was cautious to check the road ahead for other cars, etc., and started to gradually increase our speed.

First to 90, which seemed to be a comfortable pace. You might hit that in the states, if you aren't paying attention. Then 100, a milestone of 3 digits! Giddy from the first burst, we settled down for a few minutes to keep our heads.

Next to 100 - much quicker this time. The Benz just wanted to go faster, faster! Then 110 - 120! We were passing most, but still a few others were passing us. Must mean it's ok to get a little faster!

Britton hit 130mph! It was exhilarating!

The funny thing was after driving that fast, how slow 80 or 90mph felt now. Driving to St. Louis will never be the same.

We kept up those quick speeds (not as fast as 130, but still around 90-100 on average, I'd say) and found our scenic highway, which alas, had a speed limit (about 55mph).

But the road delivered as promised! It seemed that there was a castle every 10-15 minutes! We wandered around a few, just the outsides, as our previous detours had chewed through some time.

We stopped for lunch in a small, picturesque town with a name I can't remember but had a lot of letters. Lunch was delicious. Kind of like a gyro wrapped in a large, thin pita bread that we watched the owner cook right in front of us. Best of all it cost only 4€ and fed both of us! Yummmm.

We eventually realized that if we wanted to get in to Munich to return the car at a decent time, we would need to get back on the autobahn and say good-bye to the castles. That meant it was my turn to drive.

Fun fact - 5pm in Germany is also rush hour. And just as many drivers pile onto the highways as in a major city at home. So for the first part of my stint on the autobahn, I was driving about 40mph in stop-and-go traffic with a manual transmission. Oh, joy.

It did clear up after some time, and I got to experience the thrill of driving as fast as I wanted. And as I said before - it was FUN.

And it meant we made it to Munich in time to return the car, find our hotel (best western - ha!) and find some food. That proved to be more fun than expected! Read "Hardy & Anka" for that story!