Scenes From A Museum

We recently took a trip to the Houston Museum of Natural Science, it was my first time there and I had a blast. First up was the beautiful butterfly exhibit. It was like walking into a wonderland! There  were butterflies everywhere! There was also waterfalls and lush vegetation. It felt like another world!

Next we went to the Warriors, Tombs and Temples exhibit. It was a really cool exhibit, focusing on the Tang Dynasty, I think. I loved the lighting and mood the exhibit had. Everything looked so grand.

And of course, you can’t visit the museum without seeing the dinosaurs!

Lol.

We were on our way out, when we caught a small crystal exhibit and this beautiful thing!

Beautiful!!

That was a great trip. I love museums, do you? What’s your favorite museum? Any suggestions? Let us know!

:) Thanks for viewing.

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Creme Brulee

Hello Bloggers! Recently my guy made the best creme brulee! It was so good I had to share it with you :)

Ingredients:

3 egg yolks

1 pint of heavy cream

4 tablespoons sugar

a splash of vanilla extract

ramekins

Heat cream on medium/ medium high almost to a boil

Mix the egg yolks with the sugar. We ran out of regular sugar, but sugar cubes worked in a pinch.

Mix until mixture gets lighter.

Incorporate small amounts of cream into the egg mixture at first to keep the eggs from scrambling.

Add the rest, slowly, while whisking.

Here’s where you add the vanilla. We used ye olde standard, but you can go fancy.

Now take the yummy mixture and fill ramekins about 3/4 full and place them in a cookie sheet with sides  higher than the ramekins.

Fill the cookie sheet to about half the height of the ramekins.

Place in the oven at 275 for 40-60 minutes. They should wiggle in the middle while the rest stays firm when they’re done.

Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for two hours. Take them out, dab off any condensation and spread a thin layer of brown sugar on top. This gives them an amazing flavor.

Then use a torch, or place them in a broiler for 30-60 seconds to melt the sugar. Voila!

I was gonna take a pic of me breaking the sugar crust, but it smelled so good I had to taste it. And then I ate the whole thing. Haha! So now you have to go make some brulee! It’s easy go! Go now!

Thanks for reading!

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Short Story Idea.

Hello Bloggers! I was thinking the other day about how women get treated these days. Rape culture, reproductive rights being questioned, patriarchy, and misogyny.  Hell you can’t even say the word vagina anymore. So instead of getting mad and depressed I decided to write a short story about a republican senator who got teleported to a parallel universe where all the roles were reversed. I’m gonna call it Flip. I’m planning on either blogging it every week, or starting it off on the blog and finishing it elsewhere. Here’s what I have so far, enjoy! PS any feedback is greatly appreciated.

Flip.

My name is Max Oliver. It used to be Senator Max Oliver, but all that’s changed now. Looking back I was…well let’s just say I wasn’t a very nice guy. I was one of those male chauvinist pigs your mother told you about. I felt women should be seen, not heard. I felt gays and minorities weren’t real people. I was a real ass. Then one day something so spectacular happened, something so crazy, it changed the very fiber of my being. And that day started off so normal.

It was hot. I was at a fundraiser for my friend Gov. Ted Monroe. Ted was running for president, and he had a pretty good chance of winning. If things kept going the way they were, he was gonna be a shoe-in come November. Ted was also a raving alcoholic, but his people did a great job at keeping that hidden. The event was going great, except for the fact that it was summer in Savannah and they decided to make it an outdoor event. It felt like a thousand degrees. “Max!” Ted called out my name in his southern drawl, as he came walking, or shall I say hobbling, over to me. He had already finished off two glasses of wine and he was holding what looked like a mojito or mint julep in his hands. “Good ta see ya buddy! Nice to see you could make it down here to the good ol south.” I smiled in acknowledgment. I was dressed in a polo and khaki pants and I was sweating bullets. Meanwhile Ted was dressed to the nines in a full tailored suit with nary a drop of sweat on him. Bastard. “How’re things back up North?” He barely got that sentence out before taking a swig of his minty drink. “Good, great actually. Things are looking up.” Ted let out a hearty laugh and gulped down the last of his drink. “Glad ta hear it Max! Glad ta hear it. Now… have you made a donation, yet?” I nodded. “Good! Now why don’t ya have a drink, ya look like you’re about ta die out here, can’t take the heat? Hahahaha.” God he was an obnoxious drunk. How are they gonna keep this under wraps any longer? Satisfied that I was giving him a hefty donation, Ted wobbled off back to the bar. I, on the other hand needed to cool off. After a short hike, I found the main building, we were at a country club, and made a beeline for the a/c cooled building.

It was not cooled. Or very open. A sign was posted on the door. Apparently it was the ‘off season’ and the building was all sealed off except for the bathrooms on the first floor. I didn’t know places like this has seasons. Well, bathrooms had cold water, right? I asked the lady attending the door to show me to the bathrooms, she merely pointed down a hallway and resumed her post. She didn’t even speak. Odd. The bathrooms weren’t like I thought they’d be, with this being a country club and all. They were plain, with sketchy looking stalls and a bit dirty. Maybe that’s how they did things down south. Whatever, I wasn’t using it, I just needed cold water on my face ASAP. The faucet made a strained, gurgly sound as I turned it on, but the water was clear and cold, so I didn’t care. I glanced in the mirror as I was drying my face and I noticed something off. My reflection was less of a reflection and more of… well me. It looked like I was staring at myself. What? I thought as I stepped closer to the mirror. It moved like a reflection should, but the eyes. My eyes. They looked so different. I don’t know why, but I reached out to touch the mirror. As soon as I did everything got blurry and faded to black.

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Getting Healthy

Hello Bloggers! I’m sitting here typing out of breath and sweaty. I just did my morning workout. I used to work out often, but as I got older, I got lazy. And after a while, as other things piled up, my workout came to a complete stop. That is, until my doc said I was at risk for diabetes and high blood pressure. Oh…. well…huh….ya don’t say. I should’ve known this, it runs in the family. Especially on my mother’s side. So, I’m back working out again. I do mostly cardio with a little weight training. I work out from home, until I can get a gym membership and a personal trainer. I’ve also set small goals for myself. Mostly clothes and food.

If I wanna dress like this, I gotta get fit.

If I wanna eat like this (In moderation) I gotta work off those calories!

I’m also changing my diet to more healthy foods. Less meat, more fruits and veg. Can’t give up the sweets, though. I’ll just back off of them some. :)

So I”m off on my fitness journey. Any suggestions or words of encouragement is greatly appreciated!

Thanks for reading!

(photos via Pinterest)

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Our Pretty Amazing Week-end

Hello Bloggers! This weekend was filled with food, fun and food. Wait did I say food twice? Well it was necessary, we did eat a lot. Haha.

On Saturday we went to a food truck rally at the Katy Mills Mall.

Food trucks have the BEST designs!

And humor. Haha

This one was really popular.

Pi…I love this!

It was so fun, but we didn’t stay long because it was 1,000 degrees outside. No amount of water would have been enough to stop dehydration. I don’t know how they were able to stay in those hot trucks! I’m glad they did,  thought because the food was amazing!I got a bahn mi sandwich from the Bang Mi Truck.

It was soooo good! barbeques pork with a spicy slaw, cucumbers, cilantro and jalapenos! It burned, but it was worth it! The husband got an everything burrito from the Coreano’s Truck. It literally was everything on the truck, plus fries, wrapped in a  tortilla. There was braised pork, chicken, a delish sauce and a bunch of other stuff. Sounds weird, but it tasted really good. We washed everything down with water and  a Mexican Coke.

Mexican Cokes come in a bottle and are made with real sugar. Like it’s supposed to be :)

As if that wasn’t enough food, later on we got a pizza from Sicily Pizza.

Pizza tastes better when it’s eaten out of a box. This is fact.

Oh and we saw this:

A Shelby Cobra! On our way to here:

I’ve blogged about Ooh La La before (the amazing bread pudding). We go here every chance we get. They’re just wonderful. And they give great life lessons:

Words to live by.

I have a steamy love affair with their Nilla Nilla cupcakes. It’s steamy, trust me on this. It’s like a little heavenly pillow topped with fluffy cream…ahhh.

Anyway! After all that food we ate Saturday, we decided Sunday to get some exercise in. What’s the best exercise in the world? No not that! You have a dirty mind! I was talking about paintball!

My lovely pink face mask.

My baby.

The Husband’s baby.

The Husband on the right. Our friend Mike on the left.

We had a ton of fun. At one point there was a bunch of little boys that came in who hadn’t played before. Me being me, I had to ‘big sister’ and cover them while they found a good ‘hiding’ spot. I’m a sap. We definitely worked off all the food we ate Saturday, as it still was a billion degrees outside and we were running around like we were still teenagers. Haha

After a good rest, we went to The Alamo Drafthouse Theater and watched The Wrath Of Khan! Yes KHHHHHAAAAAAAANNNNN!!! That one! They always have events and specials like that at The Alamo. They even played old commercials and music videos and movie trailers from that year!

‘

Yes. That is Prince.

The food there is also great, they have everything from Philly Cheesesteaks to gourmet pizzas. I got a green chile mac in cheese and The Huusband got pork tacos.

Spectacular. They also have wine and beer. I love that place. KHHHHAAANNNN!!! I had to say it one more time.

Thanks for reading!

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Foodie Porn

Hello Bloggers! I love taking pics of all the yummy food I eat (and I eat a lot). Most of my Instagram pics are of food. Yes, I’m one of THOSE people, haha. There’s just something about getting that perfect mouth watering angle and having everyone say ooooooohhhhh! There’s also the joy in finding a cool restaurant. A place where you know the service will be great and the prices aren’t outrageous. So sit back and enjoy my culinary road trip. Warning! Don’t view on an empty stomach!

 

This was the Best. Cheesecake. Ever. From McCormick and Schmick’s. The texture was perfect, not soft or runny. I think they used ricotta cheese instead of cream cheese, but I’m not sure. It tasted amazing, none the less. And that strawberry sauce? Heaven. Even that little dollop of cream was awesome. I highly recommend.

Tacos! If you’ve ever been to Freebirds World Burrito then you know how AMAZING their food is. I have a soft spot for they’re queso and their tacos. And the chips! you can eat them plain and its perfect.

Ohh La La! Yes that’s what I said when I saw this amazing bread pudding too. It’s also the name of the bakery. Ohh La La Dessert Boutique is a cute bakery that serves everything from cupcakes to Tres Leches cake. Yum! That bread pudding was fluffy and delicious. And the sauce you poor over it is silky. Yes. Silky.

I didn’t think I liked German food. That is until I had the best/ lightest sausage in the world. Koen Sculptors’ Santuary On Green is a beautiful tea house/ sculptures studio. You’re surrounded by trees, art and an adorable little kitten that apparently lives there. The food is delicious and surprisingly light. We had the munchner weisswurst, an amazing veal and pork sausage, served with blaukraut. It’s kind of like sauerkraut, but it’s made with red cabbage and apples. It. Was. Amazing.

I love sushi. Well, I love Asian food in general, but sushi is the best. Houston has an abundance of Asian cuisine, but we usually go to Sushi Hana. They’re so nice, the food is perfect and they play quirky music in the background. What more could you want? We usually go around lunch time and get their bento. They have all kinds. We got blown away by their eel and octopus. Sounds weird, I know, but once you try it…yummm. They also give you an Andes mint after you’re done. So nice!

STEAK! Texas is known for steak. There are amazing places to get the perfect steak, if you have lot’s of money to spend. If you don’t have lot’s of money to spend, but still want an awesome steak there’s Texas Roadhouse. You can pick out your steak when you come in, there’s singing, dancing and amazing service. (By the way, the only real Roadhouse is in Texas. Haha) They’re also known for their bangin’ chilli and they have a Long Island that would knock you on your bum, if you’re not careful.

Feeling under the weather? Hungover? Want a cheap lunch? All these can be solved with Pho. Pho is amazing. It’s like a wonder-meal. It does everything. Pho Saigon Noodle House is right up the street from us. We go there when we need a pick me up. I usually get the pho tai gan, eye round with tendons, and drown it in sriracha. It’s heaven. I also get the Cafe Sua Da, iced coffee with condensed milk. You wanna talk about heaven! That place is always packed, and for good reason.

So that’s my food journey. Don’t worry there will be plenty more where this came from.

Thanks for viewing!

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Zombies!

Hello Bloggers! Have you heard about the Miami Zombie? Sometime over the Memorial day week-end a naked man was shot after a witness found him eating another mans face (the other guy is still alive) . Get this, though, the cops had to shoot him SIX times before he finally died. And apparently he growled. You know what this sounds like, right? (a drug induced frenzy?) No silly, ZOMBIES!

above: Zombies.

So what if that guy isn’t an isolated incident? What if there’s a Zombie Apocalypse? No need to worry, you can pick up this handy guide:

Don’t have time to read? Well lucky for you I’m trained in the art of zombie killing, so I’ll give you some tips.

1. Work out: If we’re lucky, the zombies will be slow and easy to shoot, but if they’re like the ones from Resident Evil or I Am Legend, then we’d have to be able to outrun them. Now’s a good time to dust off that gym membership and get your cardio up. Remember, if they cant catch you, they can’t eat you.

2. Weapons Use: Never shot a gun before? Well, my friend, that’s not gonna fly. You need to learn how to shoot. And not just how so shoot, you need to know how to aim. Wasting bullets and nicking the zombie in the arm aren’t gonna help. Also you’d die. So head to the nearest shooting range and drop a stack on some bullets. Practice Practice Practice. Also, get trained in melee weapons. Sometimes you won’t have a gun, and the zombie still needs to die.

3. Survival Techniques: More than likely, if the zombie apocalypse happens power and water will shut down. No refrigeration, no heat, and even more scary, NO WI-FI! So how do you manage in this situation? Mere week-end camping techniques won’t be enough. You need to learn how to hunt, how to make a fire without a lighter, and how to send out signals for help. I suggest watching this:

Trust me on this one.

4. Stay Mobile: If you don’t know how to drive. Learn. Cars are great for A. killing the crap outta zombies, and B. Getting you the heck outta dodge. Also, staying in one place too long is gonna make you a target. Seek out flat areas with great visibility, preferably one where you’re high up. The farther you can see, the better. Also being mobile increases your chance for finding help.

5. Stay Calm: Above all else, stay calm. Freaking out and making a lot of noise will only get you eaten. Cooler heads kick more ass. Look at Batman, Chuck Norris and Bruce Willis. Okay maybe not Bruce, but you get the point.

So there it is. Remember these aren’t concrete rules, improv is always welcome. Now go out there and start training. And keep an eye on the news… remember that man whose face was eaten is still alive. If he starts to show signs, it’s on.

 

 

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