Utah part deux

Another Memorial Day, another trip to Utah -- but this time with Katie!  Last year, Nick and I went to the Grand Canyon & Zion (but failed to hike the Narrows).  This year, we conquered the Narrows and ventured 1 1/2 hrs north to Bryce Canyon National Park for three busy days of hiking.

 I've never seen anything like Bryce.  It was so red and those tall things, the hoodoos, were so unique - and there were tons and tons of them!

 How did you survive and grow so tall, tree?

 There were lots of opportunities to wait in line, stand on something, and take a picture.  I kept doing that, because I didn't want all of our pictures just to be of rocks!

 How don't they fall over??

 I actually had to climb up a really gravelly, slippery hill to take this picture.  I should get more credit.

 One of the best defined hoodoos "Queen Victoria".  It was RIGHT IN FRONT of us and it took forever to find it.  There she is. :)

So to #50 - (1/3) Go to a new national park, I say CHECK!!

Would you spend a weekend climbing in and out of canyons??  (We're thinking Glacier or Yellowstone next, any one game??)

Oh Ells

This has nothing to do with my list, but look at this ridiculous photo. 

Elliot, watching the Lakers game, with his hand down his .. pants?  What a boy!

Oh my goodness... where are your manners?? Who's your mommy??

Cookies, nom nom

I've always been intrigued by beautifully decorated cookies (sugar cookies decorated with royal icing).  And I've guessed that they can't be THAT hard, but the effect of them is pretty amazing.  For example:
  

 Packers jerseys!!

All photos from BrownEyedBaker.com

And as I begin approaching the Mommy-land portion of my life's journey, I know that this skill will come in handy.  Class parties, birthday parties, etc.  It's basically one skill adaptable -- and newly "adorable" -- to each event.  All you need is a new cutter and some new food coloring!!

So this weekend, I bought some decorating bags and piping tips -- followed the how-to from the BrownEyedBaker and well.... I learned a lot. :)  Does that count?

Look at those skillz

There's a reason this pic is from far away

First of all, the cookie recipe I used was insanely delicious, but way too soft to work with.  It was hard to cut, pick up, move, etc.  And I only had a star cutter, which doesn't lend itself to great decorations.  AND I didn't have the right tip for the edging.  AND -- this is harder than it looks!

Excuses aside, I kind of give myself a check for this one (#10 - decorate cookies) because I learned the technique.  I just need the next excuse to make one.  Erm, 4th of July??

What do you think of my star cookies??? PS.  They're DELICIOUS!

Fantasyland

This is very weird for me to admit.  Some where during the course of my life, I became a fan of fantasy books. 

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The first in this category that I became a bit... obsessed?.. with was Harry Potter.  I shed more than one tear during that last book.

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 The next crew I grew to love were the kids from the Wheel of Time series.  This incredibly long, detailed, involved, elaborate storyline -- everyone in that picture is considered a main character -- was something I hesitated to undertake, but now really love them and can't WAIT for the next (& final) 1000 page book to come out in January 2013. 

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You may also have heard of a little book series called The Hunger Games. I was reading this on our vacation to Costa Rica.  ("Hey Care, want to explore our beautiful tropical resort?" "No thank you, this chapter is good.")

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And not a book, but... there was that video game I may have played a few times in my life.

So anyway, when I saw an article on other "Young Adult Fantasy Series for People who Miss HP & THG", I thought I'd try a couple.  And so far, I'm not disappointed.  

Graceling by Kristin Cashore is her first novel. It's set in a world where sometimes a baby's eyes will change into two different colors, meaning you're Graced.  The Grace you have basically means you're super awesome at one random thing -- swimming, cooking, tree climbing, archery, mind-reading, to all kinds of weird stuff.

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This book came out one month after The Hunger Games.  The main character (above) is named Katsa and her love interest is Po.  What a bizarre coincidence?!  Anyway, I gobbled up this book and can't WAIT to read the other two she's written.  I'm not sure how many more there are to come, but definitely recommend at least the first one, Graceling.

I'm getting through these books (#65) pretty good, I've got to find something else to focus on!

Admit it.  Do you like fantasy too??

Not a new food exactly...

Our best meal - BY FAR - while in Hawaii was at a Tonkatsu place.  Never heard of tonkatsu, you say?  Well, it's pork katsu, silly! 

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Alright Wisconsinites -- this might not look like much, BUT I really do love Hawaiian BBQ and chicken katsu is my favorite dish - basically thin, breaded chicken, katsu dipping sauce, white rice, nom nom macaroni salad, and cabbage.  You get it for like $8 and have it as take out.

But PORK katsu, that's apparently a different (and more fancy) beast.  We went to Tonkatsu Ginza Bairin and were seated at the sushi bar.  It's always amazing to watch the chefs work and this was no exception.

The appetizer choices were brought out to you on sample plates, not listed on a menu or anything and we got the sashimi plate.  We get sushi often, but true sashimi (raw fish with no rice) was a little different.  My food that isn't-exactly-new-but-counts-as-new was the raw scallops in the middle of that plate.  It might have been very lightly seared, or maybe just marinated in acid or something, but basically raw.  I was very skeptical and sooo delightfully wonderfully surprised and happy.  It was awesome!

The main dish (we got two different levels of them - mine was thicker, but Nick's was more expensive - but they looked the same) was a delight.  Miso soup, pickled veggies, amazing pork katsu, cabbage salad, rice, dipping sauce --  very similar to that $8 box above, but... wow oh wow oh wow was this a super tasty - and filling! - meal.

I'm almost done with my new foods!  #17: (9/10) raw scallops - CHECK

Would you eat raw scallops?? What about tonkatsu??

Hanging ten

I've wanted to try surfing for a while.  I'm not sure why really -- it doesn't actually seem like something I'd be good at.  I'm not a strong swimmer, I don't have great balance or timing... but Nick and I found some random Hawaiians to make it happen!!

Waikiki Beach, Hawaii

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 Do you see all those people in this random picture?  Do you see that they all have surfboards?  And most are beginners.  And those waves are frequent and rough.  Can you see how this ACTUALLY goes?  Mm hmm.  

(*TIP: go in the morning.  Don't learn at Waikiki!)

They made us wear (totally disgusting, just don't think about it) long sleeve shirts over our swim suits and thank the heavens for that.  Unfortunately, we did not get full wet suits. 

 This is just one little area of the unbelievably itchy, irritated, raw skin on my poor beat up legs when we finished.  I just noticed that I also have one under my chin. Awesome.

We couldn't really bring our camera because we were both in the water the whole time (~an hour lesson).  Nick was out deeper -- I stayed more shallow because my teacher said the waves were better.  Basically, it was less paddling.  (OMG the paddling is so freaking hard.)  I wasn't a great student, but did sucessfully ride three waves... one of them all the way until it died and I just sat - not flopped - on my board.  Verrry proud of that one.

So just about the only thing I did "right" with the whole surfing lessons was decide to go on our last day.  Because let's talk about the next morning... holy moly moly-sauce.  I have never had my chest/chin/sternum so insanely sore to touch, walking, movement of basically any kind.  That reminds me... where's my advil??

Overall, it WAS fun - I can definitely see how it would be really fun if you had some skill. I'd like to go again but I'd plan it better (wet suit and more beginner friendly waves/beach).  But to #31 - take a surfing lesson - I wholeheartedly say: CHECK!

Who wants to join me in surfing lesson #2?? (Santa Cruz, CA isn't far and is supposed to be great!)