Crooked Tiara

Week 31 - Lightening Capitol of the World

noreply@blogger.com (Alison) — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 19:20:00 +0000

Week 31 - Lightening Capitol of the World, a photo by A!ison on Flickr.

This is a palm tree.
This is a palm tree across the street from my house.
This is a palm tree across the street from my house that is not dead.
This is a palm tree across the street from my house that is not dead but scorched.

By lightening.

DIY Mini Ironing Board - GENIUS!!

noreply@blogger.com (Alison) — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 12:55:00 +0000

I'm addicted to Pinterest.

If you don't know what Pinterest is, it's kinda like a categorizing slash bookmarking network. I create virtual "pin boards" and label them, i.e. Sewing Projects, Recipes, Christmas. I then "pin" images to the boards. So if I find a pumpkin bread recipe on the web, I pin it to my Recipes board. What's more, the images I pin are linked to their origin so all I need to do is click on that pumpkin bread image and I'm taken directly to the recipe.

The coolest part of Pinterest is I do not have to scour the web for great ideas or recipes. Because the site is networked, I can just look through other Pinterest user's images/pins/boards. I have spent HOURS looking at images on Pinterest. If it's photographed, it's on Pinterest. So not only is my sense of sight stimulated, all the images are backed up with how to's.

And it goes beyond what I'm explaining here. Crafting and baking is my thing so that's what I look for on Pinterest. Special K got tired of looking over my shoulder when I was "pinning" so he started his own boards. He's all about architecture and landscapes. Some people pin quotes, fashion or gift ideas. I have a board dedicated to just Harry Potter and another to just Star Wars.

So anyway, I found an idea on Pinterest... turn a TV tray into a ironing board. I'm a sewer and the one thing I hate is having to get up from my sewing machine to press a seam. Having the TV tray ironing board allows me to stay seated! mo.honey suggested I move my ironing board closer to my machine but I will still have to stand up and sit down. And before you go and judge me on not wanting to stand up... when you sew, there is a lot of small pressing you do. This idea is like a god-send to sewers.

So I made one! And it's fantastic. I love that I can keep my rhythm and position! I also love how easy it is to fold up and down and I can slide it between the bookcase when I'm not using it. It was so easy to make I wonder why no one else has thought of this. Well maybe someone has and I've been living under a rock.

So here is my mini-ironing board:

And if you are pinterested in making one yourself, here is the linky link: mini-ironing board

Week 30 - Juno Launch

noreply@blogger.com (Alison) — Fri, 05 Aug 2011 21:02:00 +0000

Week 30 - Juno Launch, a photo by A!ison on Flickr.

This week we were invited as VIP's to the Juno Launch at NASA Kennedy Space Center. How did we get VIP tickets you ask? My brother's fiancé's uncle works on the project and they knew we lived in Florida so they got our names on the list. Pretty freaking cool huh?

We figured this was a once in a lifetime chance so we took advantage of every opportunity that was thrown our way from cocktail parties to briefings! It's been a pretty awesome week.

The launch itself was AMAZING! I really didn't expect it to happen the first day and anticipated returning to KSC every day for a few days but to our delight it launched on the very first day!

The rocket was armed with FIVE "SRB's" (Solid Rocket Boosters), the space shuttles have two (although they may differ in size, I'm not sure). None the less, five SRB's insured we would "feel" the launch with all it's power.

We sat in the sweltering heat for about two and a half hours. I brought frozen paper towels to place on our necks and we bought an umbrella at the gift shop. These items saved our hide let me tell you.

My brother was at JPL (Jet Propulsion Lab) in California and was giving me blow by blow updates as we waited for liftoff. We could hear Mission Control but sometimes it was garbled or too many acronyms were used (kinda like this post).

When we heard we were clear for liftoff the entire crowd burst into cheers. When the countdown got to T-10 seconds, everyone started counting down along with Mission Control. You first saw smoke and then a very short moment later you saw the orange/yellow fire coming from the bottom of the rocket. And within seconds that sucker was high above the clouds. We could hear the ripples of sound almost immediately but it took a few seconds to actually feel it. The entire area around us shook like an earthquake. And then just like that it was over.

You can tell that the KSC is no stranger to controlling large crowds. We were off those bleachers and in our bus headed back to the main visitor center within about 5 minutes after launch. Every single person seated on our bus still had that silly little adrenaline grin on their faces, Special K and I included.

What an experience. What a sight.

Here is the launch video.
Here is the Juno image gallery.

Here is the image I took... so far away.
The sights are much more spectacular in the gallery so go check them out!

Week 29 - Second Cousins

noreply@blogger.com (Alison) — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 19:49:00 +0000

Week 29 - Second Cousins, a photo by A!ison on Flickr.

Just when I feel like I'm on top of Project 52, I fall behind. Seems to be my pattern. And even though there were times I'd back-date a post during Project 365, I somehow feel back-dating a Project 52 post is totally cheating. Let's face it, it's a post ONCE a week... this should not be difficult. Sigh.

Thanks to Facebook, I have reconnected with my cousin Hollyhoodian. Her mother and my mother were first cousins which makes her mother my first cousin once removed. And because Hollyhoodian and I share the same great-grandparents, she is my second cousin. Thanks to Genealogy.com I can keep all this strait.

I come from a big family. My great-grandmother had 12 siblings. She had five children of her own and each of her children had many children. When I was small, we spent holidays and summers with all my great-grandmother's children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. As the years went on, we all grew apart. I think this is a cycle of a family. I see it happening today in my immediate family... children grow up and have families of their own and everyone ends up doing their own thing. It's just how it goes.

I also believe that sh*t happens. Somewhere between playing with barbies and a milestone birthday, life hands you something you don't like. And sometimes it sucks so bad you end up retreating.

Hollyhoodian was out of my life for a long time. People grow apart and sh*t happens. But I'm here to tell you, relationships can rebuild. In some ways we are cut from the same fabric and to discover those similarities brings a smile to my face. I am thankful she is in my life now even if it's only through casual exchanges.

So what does today's Project 52 picture have to do with any of this? It has everything to do with Hollyhoodian. =)

Yet Another Butterbeer Recipe

noreply@blogger.com (Alison) — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 22:19:00 +0000

Last Tuesday I set out on a mission to recreate The Wizarding World of Harry Potter's Butterbeer. I sought help from Fox News and Bakingdom, the two most splattered butterbeer recipes on the interwebs.

I started with the Fox News recipe. To put it plainly, it was elaborate and unmistakably wrong. If you love fussing with candy thermometers and want a bizarre drink that alcohol could easily be added to or in other words, you don't want the WWofHP butterbeer, make this recipe. The End.

I then moved on to Bakingdom's recipe. After troubling myself with the aforementioned recipe, this one was a breath of fresh air. But sadly, it is wrong as well. However, not all is lost, Bakingdom gave me some ideas of where to start.

THE SODA

I sampled cream soda via IBC in the glass bottle, A&W in the can and cheap ol' WalMart brand in the 2-liter bottle. IBC is expensive and A&W is too fizzy (which is a problem I'll expand on later) so that leaves the P.W.T. 2-liter. It's my first choice. Did I mention it's cheap?
Barkingdom added butter extract to the cream soda. This was muy bueno. The sweetness needs to come from the cream. The butter extract seems to make the soda less sweet. It also adds some yummy butterness to it which, when ever is butter a bad thing?
I tried adding butterscotch ice cream topping to the soda instead of the butter extract. It didn't combine well and left the soda murky. (gross) And if you are wondering about adding real butter, see Bakingdom's notes on the subject.

THE CREAM

I started with the base of clotted cream or sometimes called Devonshire cream. Clotted cream is incredibly unhealthy and English so it sounded like a good place to start!!
Clotted cream however is not something you would describe as "sweet" so I added a fair amount of sweet deliciousness to it. Don't worry.
Now, I tried granulated sugar in one version and powdered sugar in another (clotted cream recipes called for one or the other). As you can guess, the granulated cream was more sweet than the powdered and sweet is what we want so granulated is what we get.
As for all the healthy people out there, I tried using Bakingdom's method which is beating the heavy whipping cream into submission (not using cream cheese). In the end, the cream cheese gives the cream a nice rich heaviness. Sorry but cream cheese is a must.

So without further adieu, I bring you my butterbeer recipe!

CROOKED TIARA'S BUTTERBEER RECIPE

Harry Potter Butterbeer
(click to enlarge)

1 - 2-liter Generic-brand cream soda
4 - 1/2 tsp. Butter extract (imitation butter flavor)
6 oz. Softened cream cheese
1 c. Granulated sugar
2 c. Heavy whipping cream
1/2 c. Butterscotch ice cream topping
1/2 tsp. Vanilla
A dash of salt

Set out 4 16-ounce glasses. Place 1/2 tsp. of butter extract in each glass. Pour 12 oz. of cream soda into each glass, over the butter. Stir and set aside*.

In a medium bowl add the cream cheese and sugar, mix together on medium until well blended. Add the heavy whipping cream and mix on high until soft peaks begin to form. Fold in the butterscotch topping, vanilla and a dash of salt.

Add a generous amount of cream to the top of each soda glass. Form an even layer rim to rim to rim. This will prevent foam bubbling up the sides. Drink without delay!

* The cream soda needs time to settle. A freshly poured soda is packed with carbonation which leads to lots of foam when the cream is added. The real WWofHP butterbeer does not contain much foam as you can see from this picture. Setting the glasses aside helps the soda flatten a bit.

You're welcome very much.

In all honesty, this recipe, just like all the others, is a poor substitute for the real WWofHP betterbeer. I don't know how they do it and there is nothing like it on earth. Guess y'all just have to come to Florida to try the real thing. Viva WWofHP!!!

Week 28 - You n your bags

noreply@blogger.com (Alison) — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 20:00:00 +0000

Week 28 - You n your bags, a photo by A!ison on Flickr.

So I need a bag for my new camera. And not just any bag, not one of those gross boxy black bags... a bag with panache and a hint of sass, something that's girly and fun but doesn't look like a diaper bag.

Well I totally found it on Etsy only problem is it's going for $80 bucks! Wowza! And then it hit me. Wait a second, I sew! Why couldn't I make a cute bag like that?

So I started out small and began making little non-lined market bags with scraps and fat quarters. I then graduated to lined bags and taught myself how to make a fabric flower. Before I knew it I was swimming in market bags and ready to give the camera bag a shot. Today's Project 52 picture is the last lined market bag I made. It's just the right size to fit newly purchased fabric at the fabric store and of course the vintage pattern makes it all the more perfect.

I worked hard getting all the details of the camera bag down on paper first and I must say it made the job so much easier. I finished this fully padded lined bag in about 6 hours and could not be happier with the result. As I said, it's fully padded, has three lens pockets and a large side pocket for keys, lens cap, etc. I'm not too sure about the buttoned closure because I'm thinking I'd like the bag to be fully closed so I may make that adjustment because yes, I plan to make a few more. Not because I need a bunch of camera bags but because I think they're adorable and hope to make some camera-toting girlfriends very happy.

Click to Enlarge

Of course, I am a FREAK over giraffe print right now. I've never been an animal print kinda gal but I'm loving anything giraffe, from cards to these shoes to my new travel bag. So I guess my camera-toting friend better like giraffe print. =)

You want to hear that greatest news of all? This bag cost me approximately $16 to make. I just saved my husband $64!! Woohoo!!!!!

Photo Assignment #2: Twenty Site Slump Killers

noreply@blogger.com (Alison) — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 02:16:00 +0000

Last week I talked about my new toy and the need for photo assignments. And although this week's assignment does not require a photo, it's a valuable exercise nevertheless.

Every single city has interesting spots. To not allow yourself to get into a "site slump", list 20 appealing spots around town and make it a point to visit these spots regularly.

Here's my 20 picture-pleasing-places for the Orlando, Florida area:

Kennedy Space Center / Merritt Island. Lots of hardscape with equal parts marshland.
Atlantic-side beaches. Easterly as you get for a sunrise.
Cocoa Beach Pier
Farmer's markets
Baldwin Park
Citrus groves / strawberry fields
De Leon State Park
Driving range
Winter Park. Mansions, lakes and lots of Spanish moss!
Harry P Leu Gardens
Special K's D&D night. =)
Blue Springs State Park
Cell phone lot at the airport
Disney World / Downtown Disney
Kelly Park Rock Springs
Gator's Dockside or Mellow Mushroom's Trivia Night
Cemetery
Town of Christmas
Swamp lands / conservation areas
Pirate's Cove or Congo River Miniature Golf

_________________

I will leave you with a pic after all! =) I finished reading this for the second time the evening before we saw it in the theater, so my mind was fresh with all the details. I remember mourning the end of Harry Potter when I finished the book series some three years ago. Seeing the end of the movie series has got me mourning the end all over again.

A Storm

noreply@blogger.com (Alison) — Sat, 23 Jul 2011 15:44:00 +0000

You can see it literally rolling in.

Rainy season has for sure hit Florida. It seems like every other afternoon a rain cloud rolls in and waters my grass. Within a very short period of time, we've had two HUGE storms pass through and yesterday afternoon was one those storms.

I walked into the kitchen and through my kitchen window I saw the biggest, darkest clouds coming strait for us. You could see the lightening raging inside the clouds, such an ominous sight. The strange part is it was still sunny over my house so it almost magnetized the color of the clouds.

Less than 10 minutes later a storm unloaded with lightening strikes so close there was no seam between it and the thunder. The lights flickered and the rain pounded on the roof. At that moment I was praising and thanking God for two things: 1.) that I had a roof over my head, one that protected me from the lightening and the rain. Not only do I have a roof but one that does not leak and a floor that is protected from runoff and 2.) that my soul's mate was already safely home from work.

I'm sure you get tired of hearing me carry on about Florida storms especially if you are my Facebook friend, but they really are something spectacular.

Click image to see bigger. For some reason blogger pixelizes the image when I change the size???

Easy Lemon Burst Cookies

noreply@blogger.com (Alison) — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 13:24:00 +0000

Thanks to Pinterest and ultimately Tidy Mom, I found an irresistible recipe (among many others) for lemon cookies and tried it today. Do you want the good news first or the bad? I'll give you the good 'cause it's really good...

The recipe calls for FOUR ingredients, that's it AND each cookie is only ONE point!! So good. Right?

The bad news is you can't eat just one which makes it very dangerous to even make this. You start with a one point cookie that turns into ten by the end of the night. So bad.

So here it is in all it's good and bad glory...

LEMON BURST COOKIES

1. One box of lemon cake mix*
2. One - 8 oz. tub of cool whip**
3. One egg
4. Powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350°
In medium bowl beat cool whip, egg and cake mix until well blended. Dough will be thick and sticky.

Drop teaspoonfuls into a bowl of powdered sugar and roll to coat.
Place on cookie sheet and bake for 12-14 minutes.

Eat warm! The cookies should be chewy deliciousness.

* Don't like lemon? Try an orange or strawberry cake mix!
** I used a tub of "lite" cool whip so the cookies were one (Weight Watcher) point. If you are not watching your waistline, use the real stuff (it's what the original recipe called for)

Note: You should yield 50-60 cookies to get each cookie within the one point range. Also, the smaller the cookie the better. The cookie is already quite chewy. Making a large cookie leaves the center raw-ish.

Harry Potter Butterbeer EXPOSED! Part I

noreply@blogger.com (Alison) — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 17:20:00 +0000

OBJECTIVE: to recreate Wizarding World's butterbeer.

MOTIVE: Wizarding World's butterbeer is about the best thing I've ever had, yes, even better than coffee and tangerine wheat. =) If you've never had butterbeer, it's like a butterscotch cream soda with a smooth creamy top. Kinda like a float but with a strange delicious cream instead and without all the foam.

REFERENCES: Fox News recipe, Bakingdom's recipe, and my own concoction.

Us and our butterbeer at Harry Potter World this past April

__________

RECIPE ONE: Fox News Butterbeer Recipe

1 cup light or dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons water
6 tablespoon butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cider vinegar
3/4 cup heavy cream, divided
1/2 teaspoon rum extract
Four 12-ounce bottles cream soda

1. In a small saucepan over medium, combine the brown sugar and water. Bring to a gentle boil and cook, stirring often, until the mixture reads 240 F on a candy thermometer.

2. Stir in the butter, salt, vinegar and 1/4 heavy cream. Set aside to cool to room temperature.

Once the mixture has cooled, stir in the rum extract.

3. In a medium bowl, combine 2 tablespoons of the brown sugar mixture and the remaining 1/2 cup of heavy cream. Use an electric mixer to beat until just thickened, but not completely whipped, about 2 to 3 minutes.

4. To serve, divide the brown sugar mixture between 4 tall glasses (about 1/4 cup for each glass). Add 1/4 cup of cream soda to each glass, then stir to combine. Fill each glass nearly to the top with additional cream soda, then spoon the whipped topping over each.

__________

RECIPE TWO: Bakingdom's Butterbeer Recipe

FOR THE BUTTERBEER
6 12-ounce bottles chilled cream soda (IBC or A&W)
3 teaspoons (1 tablespoon) imitation butter flavor,

FOR THE FOAM
2 cups heavy cream
6 tablespoons sugar, or splenda for sugar free version
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons imitation butter

To make the butterbeer: Set out 6 16-ounce glasses. Place 1/2 teaspoon of imitation butter in each glass. Pour 12 ounces of butterbeer into each glass, over the butter. Lightly stir, if necessary.

To make the foam: In a large bowl, or the bowl of a standing mixer, whip the heavy cream on medium high speed for 3-4 minutes until it starts to thicken. Add the sugar and continue whipping until very soft peaks begin to form, another 3-4 minutes (if you need to whip more or less, then be sure to do so, the times can vary quite a bit based on environment). Stir in the vanilla and imitation butter, then whip for another 30 seconds or so, until soft peaks form.Spoon a generous portion of foam on top of each glass of butterbeer, mixing gently, if desired (or spoon the foam into the bottom of the glass and pour the butterbeer over the top). Serve immediately.

__________

RECIPE THREE: Crooked Tiara's Butterbeer Recipe

Welp, I don't have one yet so stay tuned. All I can say is I bought some butterscotch topping. Bam!

LET THE FEAST BEGIN! ~Dumbledore

Photo Assignment #1: My Self-Portrait

noreply@blogger.com (Alison) — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 14:38:00 +0000

I finally took the plunge and purchased a Canon EOS Rebel xsi Digital SLR camera. I've been wanting a starter camera to get my hands dirty and this insanely-reduced floor model was right up my alley. The camera came with dust though, consequence of buying cheap I guess. It's still perfect, for my bank account and skill level.

Needless to say I've been brushing up on my f-stops and shutter speeds. The web is chalked full of photography lessons of which I have been taking advantage of. Guess that's a big part of the reason you have not heard from me here.

The truth about photography is you can sit and read about it all day long but the real learning comes from actually getting out there and taking photos. And for me, this has been a real challenge. You can only photograph your household items and the landscape around your house so many times. What I really needed was photo assignments and again, the web was full of 'em!

So today I bring you my first photo assignment, my self-portrait.

First let me say that photographing myself from my beloved iPhone is a heck of a lot easier than shooting from a tripod-mounted camera where I have to worry about white-balance and exposure. My iPhone in a way has hindered me and there have been times (especially with this particular shoot) when I've wanted to throw in the towel and just use my iPhone. But I persevered with results that I am satisfied with.

My Self-Portrait
Taken July 17, 2011

Camera: Canon EOS Rebel xsi
Lens: Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6
ISO speed: 400
Exposure: 1/30
Aperture: f/4
Focal Length: 18mm
No flash

You can see the original photo here.

Week 27 - Clearly New

noreply@blogger.com (Alison) — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 16:36:00 +0000

Week 27 - Clearly New, a photo by A!ison on Flickr.

When I was 16, my braces were removed and a permanent retainer was placed on my bottom teeth. Had a removable one for the top which was promptly lost some 6 months later and never replaced, hence my crooked top teeth.

Fast forward 23 years and that bottom retainer finally snapped on one side hours before I was to board the plane to San Diego. After an emergency removal thanks to Marris Ortho (I heart them), I was able to go on vacation with no protruding wire in the lower half of my mouth.

When I got back from vacation I had my teeth cleaned (plaque builds up easily and badly around a permanent retainer) and impressioned for a new retainer. Only this time I got a removable and it's clear! Good bye threaders and good bye unhealthy plaque!

In today's picture I have the retainer on. Can you tell?

Gladness.

Week 26 - Legal Fireworks

noreply@blogger.com (Alison) — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 16:20:00 +0000

Week 26 - Legal Fireworks, a photo by A!ison on Flickr.

Epic.

Week 25 - Vera Bradley Outlet

noreply@blogger.com (Alison) — Fri, 01 Jul 2011 16:04:00 +0000

Week 25 - Vera Bradley Outlet, a photo by A!ison on Flickr.

Fell in love with a Vera Bradley cross body purse in San Diego but knew I could find it cheaper online so I waited. When I returned home I discovered there is a Vera Bradley OUTLET in Orlando!!! Oh happy day! For the price I would have paid for the bag in San Diego, not only did I get my cross body but I also got a wallet and laynard. Yay!

Week 24 - Guns of Navaronne

noreply@blogger.com (Alison) — Sun, 26 Jun 2011 16:00:00 +0000

Week 24 - Guns of Navaronne, a photo by A!ison on Flickr.

Fourth of July is TEN days away so on our way up to Jacksonville we stopped at Phantom Fireworks. To our sheer joy, they were having a buy one, get the second for $0.99. JACKPOT!

This past New Year's was our first experience with fireworks. Like the amateurs we were, we settled on lots and lots of fountains. We now know fountains are for babies and people from California.

This time we went strait for the aerial shooters. Special K is pointing to the biggest one in the store "The Guns of Navaronne" which also happens to be one of our favorite movie quotes (this You Tube clip is not censored, the f-word is used many many times).

So here's what we got:

Nineteen shot aerial repeater - Pyro Palms
Sixteen shot aerial repeater - Red, White and BOOM!
Eight Smiley Face Rockets
Six Ten-Ball Long Rifle Roman Candles
Six Assorted Roman Candles (the grab bag of Roman Candles)
Nine shot aerial repeater - Gunner Mates
Twelve Eight-Shot Flashing Thunder Roman Candles
Nineteen shot aerial repeater - Molotov Cocktail
Four sets of Firecrackers
Twelve Military Satellites "spins upward with showers of sparks"
Four Strobe Flowers "spins on ground with flashes of lights"
Four packs of Snaps

We gonna light our neighborhood up!

Our Top Five Eats in San Diego

noreply@blogger.com (Alison) — Sat, 25 Jun 2011 17:00:00 +0000

Special K and I recently returned from a visit with our families in San Diego, California. This is the place I grew up in, born and raised, and like all parts of the country, it's food is one-of-a-kind. Just like Key West is famous for it's Key Lime Pie and New York for it's slice of pizza, San Diego is famous for it's Mexican food. But being away from home for so long, we discovered other foods that were must-haves as well. Today I'd like to share with you our foodie adventures and list the Top Five Eats in San Diego.

This list is not based on the highest rated or most visited. It's based on the deprived taste bubs of a California guy and gal living in Florida. It's the food we had a voracious craving for.

________________

1. MEXICAN FOOD

Taco shops are a dime a dozen in San Diego and they are NOT all created equal. Case-in-point, the WORST Mexican food we ate came from the taco shop my brother-in-law said was "good". You'd think our taste buds wouldn't care if it was good or bad Mexican food as long it was Mexican food. Wrong! Not having Mexican food as a staple has altered our judgment. We are now Mexican food snobs and our taste bubs won't settle for anything less than perfection.

Favorite Taco Shop:
Cotija's in Santee
This a Mexican taco shop offering typical items like burritos, tacos, carne asada fries (Special K's fav) and fish ROLLED tacos (my fav). It's quality food for a good price. We are East County natives and believe this is the best taco shop in the East County.

Cotija's fish rolled tacos and burritos

Favorite Mexican Restaurant:
Casa Guadalajara in Old Town.
In the past Old Town was taken over by tourist-quality food and prices (that means bad and expensive) but Casa Guadalajara has kept it's integrity. Not only is it in a great location (Old Town is a hot-spot for a reason) but it serves homemade, fresh tortillas (you see the woman right there making them) and rockin' good margaritas.

Favorite Authentic Mexican Food:
Las Cuatro Milpas in Barrio Logan.
If you are looking for some authentic Mexican food but don't want to cross the border to get it, this is your place. Now I will warn you that if you have carne asada fries on the mind or a great bean and rice burrito, this is not the place to go. The menu is small and a.u.t.h.e.n.t.i.c. Soupy beans, rice, chorizo, rolled tacos, fresh tortillas and tacos. Expect a wait, we were in line for one hour at lunchtime but it was fantastic. This is authentic and hole in the wall as you can get.

Las Cuatro Milpas

Favorite Chain:
Rubio's
You have not had a good fish taco till you've had Rubio's. And Taco Tuesday makes it easy to try something you're not sure you'll like... fish tacos are only $1.50.

2. DONUTS

We love grease fried donuts that come in a pink box. The kind that leave a little ring of grease in the box when you lift it out.

Honey Donuts

Our two favorite East County shops are:

Honey Donuts in Santee and
Cristy's Donuts in El Cajon

3. CHINA PANDA GARDEN

This place is family owned and even after being away for a year, they remembered us and our favorite things to order. My husband can get his beloved duck (which is hard to find) and I can order a whole plate-full of their fantastic egg rolls. It comes in huge portions and the price is perfect. I'd drive out of my way to go here.

China Panda Garden

4. PHIL'S BBQ

This is not one of my Top Five's but Special K's. It made the list because not only could Special K not stop talking about going here weeks leading up to our trip but also because every other ravenous meat eater in San Diego would agree this is the place to eat.

5. JULIAN PIE COMPANY

Julian, California is charming any time of the year and if you make a trip up there, the ONLY place for a good piece of pie is the Julian Pie company. They have around 8 different pies to choose from, sell it by the slice and can add a slice of cheese if that's your thing or a humungous scoop of cinnamon ice cream! There is nothing like it!

_______________

Aside from what you see above, we also munched on a hot dog at the ball game (lost of course), Del Mar fair food and In-N-Out burgers just to name a few. =D And in case you are wondering, I gained FIVE pounds! Worth every.single.bite.

In-N-Out

Crooked Roots Move-in Day

noreply@blogger.com (Alison) — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 11:44:00 +0000

Crooked Roots = an archived post from a year ago. Helps me remember where I've been and how far I've come.

June 22, 2010

Movers arrived right on time. Took 4.5 hours to offload and put together the little bit of furniture we own. I thought we had a lot of stuff but it doesn't fill even half this house!

It is HOT! In San Diego this kind of heat would cause a heat advisory. My husband stood in the unairconditioned garage checking off boxes as they came off the truck. After about a half hour his shirt was drenched. Mind you he was just standing there!

I have a feeling McDonalds and Taco Bell will be our fast food of choice in the beginning only because they taste just like home. Gotta appreciate that consistent taste.

Went to Super Target this morning about bought $300 worth of random supplies. Man it adds up! Crazy thing they denied my bank card. I think it wa the amount and the fact I'm in Florida. After calling the bank which was closed (5am their time), I got a spark of thought... use debt!!! Thankfully it worked.

While I was at Target I bought a $5 toilet seat. OMG!!! I am so glad I did! When I removed the old seat I almost threw up!!!! Guess I'll be purchasing another for the guest bathroom. But I got our bathroom cleaned and shower cutain hung. Also got our bedroom situated. Boxes are in the closets, bed is made and the furniture is exactly where it needs to be.

We are now heading to Ikea for some office furniture. Cost $1.75 in toll charges to get here. Will cost us the same to get home.

The Top 10's of Florida Living

noreply@blogger.com (Alison) — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 16:03:00 +0000

Today is our one year anniversary of moving to Florida. One year ago today we climbed aboard with a one-way ticket to our new home. It started out a little shaky but nothing lasts forever.

It didn't take long for me to fall in love either. Listed below are the top 10 reasons I LOVE Florida. I'm proud of my new state and have arrogantly listed documented facts. It's an a-hole move I know, but there's logical evidence why it made my top 10. =D

But like all love affairs, I slowly discovered the flaws so I've also listed the top 10 things I detest about Florida as well.

Love is a many splendor thing, the top 10 reasons I love Florida:

Gas prices. Ranked 19th lowest in the US (California - 47th).
No state income tax.
Warm sunshine. Florida is the warmest place in America.
Beaches. The only state to beat Florida with beautiful beaches is Hawaii. N'uff said.
Thunderstorms. Florida is the lightening capital of the world. Check out this video taken in Tampa, Florida.
Tourism. Orlando was the #1 visited city in America in 2009. We've got everything from Mickey to Harry Potter to the Space Coast to gator tours. No excuses for boredom here.
Fireworks! Fireworks are legal in the State of Florida. Being a California native the most exciting "fireworks" were sparklers. So you can imagine my thrill discovering roman candles, firecrackers, fountains and actual shooting fireworks that you set off yourself!
Foliage. It's abundant and green. Even in a high industrial area you see nature.
Affordability. The 4 bedroom/2000+ square foot home we currently reside in cost the same as our 2 bedroom/900 square foot apartment EIGHT YEARS AGO!
Slower pace of life. In San Diego our schedule was always full of obligations. Dinner plans with friends had to made weeks in advance. To spend an entire weekend at home was rare. Here in Florida we are hardly ever "on the go" and much of our time is spent in at our leisure. Life's not so overwhelming and anxious, it's nice that way.

Fear and loathing in Orlando, the top 10 reasons I hate Florida:

9 out of 10 bathrooms do not provide toilet seat covers. GROSS!
Floridians do not understand/practice the hierarchy of lanes on highways. ALL lanes are the slow lanes. They do not yield to faster drivers either.
Bugs. Red ants, mosquitoes, gnats, lovebugs, spiders, grasshoppers, beetles, drangonflies. All are humungous in size and quantity. And these are the bugs I can see! At night there are a million others that I can hear. I'm so done with bugs.
Walking in grass. Florida is COVERED with beautiful, lush green grass but you'd be crazy to walk in it. You never know what could be lurking in it's reeds and I'm not just talking about bugs; snakes, toads, turtles, rodents... you get the picture.
Produce. There is little of it to buy and what is available is expensive and low quality.
We love to eat out and Florida just does not offer a wide variety of good restaurants. Sure, we have a couple favorites but it pales in comparison to our list of favorites in San Diego. It's also worth noting that many of our favorites here are substitutions for ones in San Diego.
Traffic lights. The traffic lights are not equipped with sensors or alternative cycles so you could easily sit at a light long enough to contemplate running it OR you begin to yell at the light to turn. The lights here are essentially retarded.
No Trader Joes. I know what you're thinking... how have I survived a year without it? I don't know. I knew I was going to have to find substitutions for all my favorite Trader Joes products but it's impossible. Condition #1 when moving to a new city? There must be a Trader Joes nearby.
Humidity. As much as I love the warm temperature and sunshine, I could do without some of this humidity. I have sweated for no apparent reason and sweated in areas I didn't think even had the capability of sweating in. The humidity is so bad from June to September, it makes it unbearable to be outside.
Water. The water here stinks as in smells funny. The water that flows from the taps in funky and the glass of water you get in a restaurant tastes like swamp. You half expect the glass to be filled with slimy algae and tadpoles. It's pretty horrendous.

Week 23 - Cuyamaca Birthday Hike

noreply@blogger.com (Alison) — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 15:13:00 +0000

Week 23 - Cuyamaca Birthday Hike, a photo by A!ison on Flickr.

One of my most cherished memories is hiking up Stonewall with our good friends one day last May. I blogged all about here.

This past Wednesday we got another chance to do it again! This time we brought my momma, who turned 60 that day and my lil' brother. I mean, how cool is that, that my 60 year old momma wanted to hike! I'm so proud of her.

We got to the trail head early but discovered Stonewall was closed that day because of prescribed burns of the underbrush. To say we were disappointed would have been an understatement. So we looked at the smaller peak to the west and started our hike.

The best thing about all of this (besides the company) was we would have never taken this trail. Stonewall is too magnificent to pass up. But to our delight, this hike was very satisfying. Beautiful creation, birds, views, there was even beauty in the fire devastation of 2003.

After the hike we drove back to the cabin my mom rented and had breakfast. We spent two nights there to just be together as a family and celebrate her big birthday. The hike was the highlight of our time at the cabin.

Oh ya, one more thing. My lil' brother almost stepped on a rattler. I was right behind him and saw the whole thing. My adrenaline pumped for about a half mile. Our friend rode on her husband's back about the same amount time. It was quite the hubbub but I'd do it again in a heartbeat!

Crooked Roots - Western Metal Supply Building

noreply@blogger.com (Alison) — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 11:38:00 +0000

Crooked Roots = an archived post from a year ago. Helps me remember where I've been and how far I've come.

I can say the same thing I said one year ago: " HAPPY BIRTHDAY Mom! I feel privileged to have shared the day with you. I love you!!".

June 15, 2010

Went to the game for my mom's birthday with regular ol' cheap tickets up in the nose bleed. Decided to try and upgrade... boy did we upgrade! Got to sit at the top of the Western Metal Supply Building shown in this pic. Best part is it was all-you-can-eat hot dogs, peanuts, popcorn, bottled water and soda. On top of that the seats included two free beers for each of us.

The section was not crowded at all. Later found out that it's a pilot program Petco is trying out. On days when there is no private party scheduled, they will open the area to the public. We all agreed we would sit in those seats in heartbeat if ever we got the chance again.

Padres won too, holding on to that first place position!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY Mom! I feel privileged to have shared the day with you. I love you!!

Week 22 - Goldie Not-So-Old Gal

noreply@blogger.com (Alison) — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 14:28:00 +0000

Week 22 - Goldie Not-So-Old Gal, a photo by A!ison on Flickr.

This is the Chick Magnet.
He "won" this goldfish at the fair.
He named it Goldie.
We carried Goldie all over the fair.
In the car he spilt Goldie water all over my jeans.
Strangely, my jeans did not smell.
He made everyone say goodnite to Goldie.
Some suckers had to actually kiss the tank.
Goldie died six days later.
About 20 years too soon.
I guess that water was funky after all.

Day one in San Diego

noreply@blogger.com (Alison) — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 14:50:00 +0000

Day one in San Diego, a photo by A!ison on Flickr.

After a wonderfully uneventful flight, we arrived in San Diego in all it's glory of perfect weather and sunshine.

First order of business, eat Mexican food from our favorite shop Cotijas. I got a bean burrito and fish rolled tacos, Special K carne asada. It was heaven on earth. The tortilla was soft and chewy, not heavy, dry and floury. Magical.

After lunch we visited with my granny, stopped by my momma's work to say hello and shopped for some essentials we couldn't pack like shaving cream and such.

In the evening we set up a time to have an open house-type dinner at Oggi's pizza in Santee. We invited both families to stop by, eat if they wished and say hello. I must tell you, it was the perfect set-up.

People trickled in so we got to chat with everyone. And as some left, some arrived so it was a perfect flow of people.

It was on the patio so our two families could be as loud as they wanted. It also gave us plenty of space to move around and sit with other people.

And finally, to our immense delight, there were non-partisan lines. Everyone interacted with one another which is not a strong suit for either side. And this picture proves it. :)

We met our new great-nephew for the first time and he stole the show! He's the happiest baby I've ever seen an I can't wait to spend more time with him.

All in all, it was the perfect first day. Got to see a lot of people and felt our time was of good use but not over-the-top scheduled. Looking forward to another day of nice weather and quality time with the ones we love.

Crooked Roots - Yogurt Mill

noreply@blogger.com (Alison) — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 11:35:00 +0000

Crooked Roots = an archived post from a year ago. Helps me remember where I've been and how far I've come.

June 6, 2010

BUCKET LIST ALERT! Got to do another thing on my bucket list... have Yogurt Mill with Linds! Met at 6:30, stayed till 9:30! I could have sat and talked to her all night long.

She is such an amazing woman. Has the biggest heart for people. You can always tell how genuine and good someone is by looking at their relationships with other people and everybody loves Lindsey. =) To me she is smart, sensitive, thoughtful... double thoughtful actually, comfortable, compassionate and pretty... just to name a few. She is at her best when she knows she is being useful. She thrives when taking care of others. She has an uncanning ability to remember favorites... your favorite flavor slurpee, your favorite past time, your favorite movie. She has this cute little giggle and raises her shoulder to her ear when she laughs... so adorable! She knows how to dance and is always in style whether she's at church, at a Lynard Skynard concert or doing laundry at her momma's house.

I will miss her. She is the first one I have cried over. Maybe because I worry about her or maybe because I'm afraid our friendship will change and that my time with her now is as perfect as it will get. I don't know. What I do know is my heart aches when I think about how I won't be able to enjoy a frozen yogurt double dropped with some fattening topping with sweet Linds this summer.

Week 21 - A New York Times Blessing

noreply@blogger.com (Alison) — Fri, 03 Jun 2011 17:39:00 +0000

A New York Times Blessing, originally uploaded by A!ison.

A once-in-a-lifetime stroke of luck, so big most only dream of it ever happening to them, has befell on me. Even now as I write this, my mind is finding it hard to grasp the totality of the situation.

My photo of Sunday's visit to the beach (today's P52 photo) was found by a New York Times Rep. Arrangements were made and not only was my photo published in the New York Times, it was featured on the FRONT COVER. Even the article that my photo was to compliment was printed on another page.

Do you know what the greatest piece to all this is? The photo was taken with none other than my iPhone.

Crazy.Lucky.Lightening.Strike.Blessing.

Stop by to see my new diggs!

noreply@blogger.com (Alison) — Fri, 03 Jun 2011 15:47:00 +0000

I've always believed less is more and I think I've taken it to a whole new level with Le Bloggette. I think ones personality can still be defined without the use of blinking lights or the overuse of cutesy gadgets in the side columns. The older my blog gets, the more I strip away. I'm like a senior citizen that decides to go from green grass to cactus and rock, no lie.

Not only did I make changes to the header but I updated some of the standard info. Cleaning your blog is like cleaning house... it sure feels good to get it all updated!

Anyway, I hope you like it. If you don't, go ahead and talk trash behind my back. I'd rather live in denial that Crooked Tiara rocks an awesome design than take any more time coming up with a new one. =D

HAPPY FRIDAY!