Travel Announcement!

I know,  I know,  I just got through all the Hawaii posts, and I'm announcing a new travel destination already? What can I say, I like to travel. This trip is a bit of a departure from the usual though-it's a roadtrip! My first one!

The whole reason we are going on a trip at all is to go to the illustrious Dragon*Con, which is an annual sci-fi/fantasy convention in Atlanta, Georgia. I've always wanted to go-most of my favourite authors attend regularly, and ONLY attend this convention. Now, I won't be able to bring, like, anything to get signed, what with the packing light and all, but getting to see and chat with them will be rad as fuck. Once Dragon*Con was settled, we decided to meet up with a Texan friend, as well as one from California, and thus spawned a roadtrip.

The original plans have expanded, a lot more than I'd anticipated, so there will be lots of bulk food buying, and doing things on the cheap (or, trying not to go into debt) but I think it will be hella fun, and I am so excited to go! Where are we going? Glad you asked! Here is a breakdown of where we are going!

Bus to Seattle, WA
Fly from Seattle to Dallas, TX
Dallas to San Antonio TX
San Antonia to Galveston TX
Galveston to Houston TX (MOTHERFUCKING NASA YO)
Houston to New Orleans, LA (the Big Easy might kill me)
New Orleans to Atlanta, GA and Dragon*Con
Atlanta to Dallas, I think.
Dallas to Seattle, then bus home.

Just two weeks, but so many destinations! Got any suggestions for places to eat, or things I HAVE to see? Totally want some input from some locals, or lovers! There will be a TONNE of pics and videos, so be sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel and my Instagram if you haven't already! Links are ^

Honolulu Hawaii

I told you guys that I was in Honolulu for my secret trip-and here we are! I was there for 8 days, in, I think, the best hotel we could have got. We got an upgrade to a full 1 bedroom apartment, because we were staying so long, and it worked out really well. This is the view:

Nice, right? It was close to everything-the beach, jogging path great food, and Ala Moana, which is the giant outdoor shopping mall. We had our own full kitchen, bedroom and bathroom, and the maids came in to clean our dishes-which is perfect since it was vacation time. 

This was our first day at the beach-but not our last by far! See how pale we still are?

There are statues all over Honolulu and Waikiki that celebrate some of the prominent Hawaiians. While Hawaii is part of America, it is important to remember that Hawaii has its own culture outside of America. 

I didn't get to surf at all, which may or may not be a good thing. Bad, because its surfing, and I've never done it, but good because I didn't kill myself. Doesn't mean I can't appreciate how awesome these boards are though!

These little guys were waffles, filled with the most delightful creams! They were from a small Japanese bakery in Ala Moana. 10/10 recommend 

These guys are also from a Japanese bakery in Ala Moana-but a different bakery! Also hella tasty-and so cute!

I posted the video of this on my YouTube channel. It was a performance of traditional Hawaiian luau dancing and singing. It was really well done, and entertaining. This show is 3 days a week, and totally free on Waikiki beach. 

Disneyworld part 2!

We got to eat at the Be Our Guest restaurant. Now, this was super impressive! I had tried to make reservations MONTHS before we went,  but they were totally full. I was more disappointed than I'd like to admit.
But!
When we saw the restaurant we decided to ask if there were any spots left, just in case there had been a cancellation or if they kept spots open for walk ins. Many restaurants do.
Turns out they had ONE table for 2 for the entire night and it was at that exact time! So damn right we went for it!

The restaurant was exactly what i was expecting. It was perfect and amazing and the food was phenomenal. Everything was fantastic. I did not try the grey stuff because it wasn't veggie friendly (it has gelatin) but my mashed cauliflower was the best I've ever had.

So fancy

This is the ratatouille that the husband got. It apparently tasted super great.

Looks like baby food, right? But so goddamn delicious. Carrots, mashed cauliflower, mashed potatoes, and backed Mac and Cheese. 

The West Wing is NOT forbidden here!

I love they got all the details!

Right out of a movie, eh?

This was the east wing, I guess? It was across from the west wing, so I make assumptions.

There were plenty of paintings of the cute couple. Some were scenes from the movie (or Christmas special) and some were not. Maybe more concept art?

Naturally.

He was such a gentleman! Seriously, I got a bow and everything. It was AMAZING!

Finally an Update! And Grouse Mountain

Hey guys, it has been FOREVER I know. I'm sorry. I put off all my school work because I am a piece of shit, and got swamped at the end of the semester. And for finals. And then I had work. Ugh.
But, that's all over now, so we can go back to updates!

During March, one of my friends from Korea, who is currently on exchange in Texas, came to visit. She had never been to Canada before, so we decided to give her the BIG Canadian experience, starting with a trip to Grouse Mountain.
I know, I've been here a few times now, but this was the first time that I went while there was snow and skiing (I did not go skiing)

It was SUPER cold up on the mountain, which was to be expected. The day was nice in the city though, which always makes it hard to dress accordingly.

For my first time ever, I actually got some food from the mountains chalet. It was surprisingly good, and decently priced. I got a fake chicken cutlet, with fries and BBQ sauce, and my friend got pizza and fries. Mine was delicious, and hers looked pretty good too. The coffee, however, was pretty average. Drinkable, but not refill worthy.

It was an enjoyable day, despite not being able to get to the bear area (only accessible for people with skies, or snow shoes) or beaver tails (same reason).  I think it was pretty Canadian, and she had a lovely time as well, so that's a win in my books.

10 (other) things about me

favorite fruit: ALL the berries! And apples. 

3 anime characters you’re married to: Gajeel. Natsu. Edward Elric. Erza Scarlet. 

current obsession: Fairy Tail. Obviously. Attack on Titan. 

favorite song: I never have one fave song. Terrible, right? I have songs and artists that I love, and am obsessed with.

if you had a concert ticket to see any artist/band who would it be: concerts that I want to go to, and will kill to go to: Dir En Grey. VNV nation. Nine Inch Nails. The Cure. 

first anime: Sailor Moon, but, I hadn't realized what anime was, exactly. So, the movie Perfect Blue, or Akira, I think. I don't remember which came first. 

reading or writing: Both. Forever. 

three things you cannot live without: My husband, food, adventure. 

celebrity crush: I have 2 right now: Jennifer Lawrence and Lupita N'yongo.

3 things you like about yourself: I'm pretty fond of my eye colour. My boobs are great. I love my sense of humor. BONUS!! I love my tattoos. 

Recipe of the Month-Vegetarian mini lasagnas

This is going to be a new feature of the blog-a fun, healthy*, vegetarian recipe, complete with pictures, how to, and all that. I enjoy cooking, and sometimes I make some really awesome stuff. So, if you aren't into food, just skip this section. Otherwise, sit down, make a grocery list, and join in!

So, for this first edition of my recipe of the month, I made vegetarian mini lasagnas. This is where the * comes in, in terms of healthy. There is very little in the way of carbs, but the cheese is quite fattening. But, provided you shop accordingly (light options are good) and don't eat too many (like, I ate 5, they were so good!) then there should be no problems. I was a little concerned about how these would turn out, but I have to say that they were insanely delicious. Like, lets serve these at a wedding party delicious. And, it may seem like a lot of work, it wasn't that bad. I think the biggest problem was how fast they went!

Ingredients. 
1 1lb package veggie ground (I used Yves, but Tofurkey has a nice option as well)
1/2 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
salt pepper to taste
2-4 leaves fresh basil, chopped (or dried, whatever)
1 1/2 cups tomato sauce (whatever flavour floats your boat for lasagna)
1 1/2 cup light ricotta
1 tsp oregano
1 package spring roll wrappers
1 1/2 cups shredded cheese ( I used marble, because I like marble. Use whatever you like/have)

Preparation
Preheat oven to 375F. Grease a muffin tin, and tuck the wrappers in, taking care to get all the sides/edges. Bake for 3-5 minutes, and take out, and put aside.

While that's doing its thing, cook the onions in a skillet, and, as they start to brown, add the veggie ground, and the garlic. Cook for about 5 minutes. Add the tomato sauce and the spices, and let simmer 5 minutes.

While it's simmering, mix the ricotta and the oregano together.

To assemble
Layer a small amount of the ricotta mix in the muffin tin, on top of the wrappers. Add a small layer of the veggie meat mixture on top of the ricotta. Cut one of the spring roll wrappers into 4's, and use of one of the smaller squares to create a boundary layer on top of the veggie meat layer. And repeat however many times necessary (I got 2 layers, and ran out of vertical space). Once you get close to the top of the tin, be sure to END with a meat mix. Sprinkle the shredded cheese on top of that layer.

Cooking
Cook for 10-15 minutes, until the edges of the wrappers are golden brown, and the cheese is nice and melted. Serve immediately. They can be tricky to get out of their metal containers, but I found using a spoon helped a lot.

Serve with salad, or, whatever. Enjoy!

Ma Birfday

Like last year, I managed to have yet another birthday. I'm starting to think these things might be annual? Like, maybe?

Anyways, I kept it pretty low key this year, since it's been a busy semester, and I just don't have any friends to party with, so, why depress myself with that, right?
I had a super yummy dinner and cake with the husband, and got some great gifts from the famjam. my sister sent me money to see KMFDM (see last week) and my parents sent me some yummy candy from Greece. It's almost like they forgot how to send mail, and sent ALL the Superman stamps.

 This is so totally a perfect birthday card, right?

Part of my gift from the hubs was to see Dir En Grey (see the next post for more on this) and a night in Seattle for the show. He also got me some small things, because it made him sad, thinking of me having no presents or anything on my birthday. He's such a sweetie. So, he got me a new mug, a hot water bottle zebra, who I named Herbert, and some candy, and foot soaks. It was super great!

<3

San Francisco yummy desserts!

Seriously, you guys. I ate like a sugar coated queen while I was in San Francisco. If there was lots of sugar, icing, pretty colours, or fondant, you better believe i was all over that. I totally gave the fat kid in me the delicious treats it desperately wanted.

First up, at the Pier 39, there was this ADORABLE little cupcake place, that had cronuts. This was my first time hearing about a cronut (croissant/donut) and I admit, I was a little wary. I stuck with a normal ol' cupcake, that was to die for. I did, however, get to try to cronut, as my friend was willing to let me try a piece of hers. I must say, it was quite delightful!

There was also this little macaroon/cupcake place that was near our friends hotel (Hotel Nikko), and, every time I walked by the shop, I had to stop myself from running in and buying everything. It all looked so yummy! I really wanted to get a macaroon AND a cupcake, but, when I finally did give into temptation, they were all out of macaroons. I settled for the tiramisu cupcake, which I highly recommend.

Finally, while we were at the California Academy of Science, we stopped at the very legit cafe that was in the building, and, while getting our dinner, I snuck a little cupcake on my tray. It was a chocolate caramel cupcake, and, wow, super tasty!
As I'm sure you're starting to notice, I LOVE cupcakes. Frankly, I've never met a cupcake I haven't liked. <3

I should mention that I did not get pictures of all the other sweets I ate, such as the mounds of chocolate from my chocolate tours, mini donuts, a chocolate brownie ice cream monstrosity from Rainforest Cafe, chips and frozen yogurt with piles of chocolate caramels and chocolate chips on top.
Oh, wait, I did get a picture of the brownie ice cream thing!

The take away? I love sweets!