Here There and Everywhere

Expat wanderer

What Flower Are You?

What I love about this “test” is that using a bunch of irrelevant questions, they come up with categories which identify what kind of (totally random) flower you are. Total HOOT!

The results appear unreliable and the percentages add up to more than 100%. Have some fun.

You can take the test HERE at What Flower Are You?

Your Score: Water Lily

You scored 56% exotic, 52% fragile, and 72% complex!

Traditional flower symbolism: purity of heart, wisdom, eloquence.
Your opposite is the Calla Lily.

Link: The What Flower Are You? Test written by gnomee666 on OkCupid, home of the The Dating Persona Test

December 9, 2007 Posted by | Blogging, Entertainment, Experiment, Humor, Random Musings | 9 Comments

Christmas Party Cheese Crisps

Cheese Crisps are SO easy, and so good.
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Beat together until mixture just holds together:
3/4 cup butter
1 1/ 4 cups flour

Add and mix in with spoon:
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Stir into above:
1 1/4 cups oven toasted rice krispies cereal

Shape into 3/4 inch balls, place on greased baking sheets.

Bake at 400 degrees, about 12 minutes.

Store airtight, in single layer, if they last long enough to store! When people smell these cooking, they come running. You might want to double the recipe!

December 8, 2007 Posted by | Christmas, Cooking, Entertainment, Holiday, Recipes | 5 Comments

Christmas Parties: Make Your Own Boursin

You can do it! You will be astonished at how easy it is, especially if you have a food processor. This is SO good, and also very fattening. You can make it ahead of time, and it will last quite a while – weeks – in the refrigerator.

8 ounces unsalted butter, room temp
16 ounces cream cheese, room temp
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon oregano
1/3 teaspoon thyme
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon basil
1/4 teaspoon marjoram
1/4 teaspoon dill weed

Mix together until all is well blended. Serve in ramekin or form into a ball.

May be rolled in (choose one):

coarsely ground pepper
chopped walnuts
chopped almonds
chopped olives

as a variation. Serve with crackers.
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December 6, 2007 Posted by | Christmas, Cooking, Entertainment, ExPat Life, Holiday, Recipes | , , , | 7 Comments

Winter Storm at Taqueria Guaymas

“I think you had better drive me to the airport,” Adventure Man said as the flakes came down more thickly and stuck.

I just laughed.

“The time to have driven to the airport was this morning,” I replied. “Have you even packed?”

(I knew he hadn’t!)

“The snow is coming down too hard right now. It’s supposed to be better in the morning.”

As the snow came down, harder and thicker, he tried to call all the airport shuttle companies, but they were all fully booked – or not answering.

“How about one last Mexican dinner?” he asked.

We went to one of our favorite hands-down authentic Mexican restaurant, Taqueria Guaymas. Adventure Man had a combo, which you will see photographed below, and I had the shrimp with garlic, but I was so hungry I just ate them and forgot to take their picture!

(This is not taken during the snow-storm)
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Can you read the menu? It is the honest-to-God real thing:
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Adventure Man’s Chili Colorado combo, and look at that salsa – very limey, lots of cilantro, and hot peppers – oh WOW:
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December 4, 2007 Posted by | Cooking, Cross Cultural, Eating Out, Entertainment, ExPat Life, Family Issues, Marriage | , , , , , | 3 Comments

Pike Place Market Fresh!

More photos from one of my favorite places on earth, the Pike Place Market:

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December 2, 2007 Posted by | Arts & Handicrafts, Community, Cooking, Customer Service, Entertainment, Living Conditions, Seattle | | 4 Comments

Pike Place Market Readies for Christmas

I’ve always loved the Pike Place Market. It’s like the heart – and stomach – of Seattle. My favorite time of year is November, when there are far fewer tourists, but still fresh vegetables, fresh fish, and wonderful arrangements of pine boughs and Mexican peppers (called “ristras” when all strung together.)

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December 2, 2007 Posted by | Adventure, Arts & Handicrafts, Christmas, Community, Entertainment, ExPat Life, Living Conditions, Seattle, Shopping, Travel | 3 Comments

Hard Core Divers

I can hardly believe my eyes. On some of the coldest days of the year, there are still people eager to don their wet-suits and hit the marine reserves, do a little diving. I can’t imagine; it makes me shiver just to think about it!

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December 1, 2007 Posted by | Adventure, Cultural, Entertainment, Living Conditions, Seattle, Travel | , | 7 Comments

Rockin’ Pizza

It was cold, so cold it was even . . . SNOWING! We were in the mood for pizza, and we had seen a tavern along the road that claimed a wood burning oven, which is our favorite kind of pizza. We ventured out in the cold and snow, made it to the tavern, and it turned out to have a rock theme.

It was a very fun place, with a fake old brick interior, booths, a stage – I guess for competing rock bands, but there weren’t any live bands that night – GREAT smells, and great looking pizzas coming out from the kitchen. It was called the Rock Tavern, and they played classic rock songs, some really old ones like from the ’50’s, too.

This is what it looked like inside:
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Here is what I had; it was called Evil Ways, and had artichoke hearts, spinach, sundried tomatoes and a basil pesto cream sauce – oh YUMMMMM:
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Adventure Man had Ripp’s Revenge, which had kalamata olives, marinated mushrooms and sundried tomatoes – also YUMMMMMMM:
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By the time we left, it had stopped snowing and none had stuck.

November 30, 2007 Posted by | Cooking, Eating Out, Entertainment, ExPat Life, Seattle, Travel, Weather | , | 11 Comments

Seattle Shopping Nirvana

Seattle is a shopper’s paradise. You can find almost anything. One of the pinnacles of Seattle shopping has always been Nordstrom’s.

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Busloads of Canadians are coming in for shopping sprees, and this is where they start. The stronger Canadian dollar has made shopping in the US a gleeful experience.

November 29, 2007 Posted by | Cultural, Customer Service, Entertainment, ExPat Life, Financial Issues, Holiday, Living Conditions, Seattle, Shopping | 4 Comments

Halloween Warning

When you eat too much candy, bad things happen.

This is so gross, and too funny.

Not for people with a weak stomach.

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October 30, 2007 Posted by | Arts & Handicrafts, Diet / Weight Loss, Entertainment, Events, Halloween, Health Issues, Holiday, Humor, Joke | 7 Comments