Archive for February, 2012

leaping lizards!

leaping lizards!

Guess what, everybody? It’s a leap year! It’s not every year you can post something to the internet on February 29! So here I go. And my chosen topic? Leap years. (Surprised?)

I think leap years are king of neat.

My childhood friend Adam, who I haven’t spoken to – or thought about much – in more than 10 years, gets to celebrate his 7th birthday. Happy birthday Adam, wherever you are!

I feel like a get a bonus day of being in my 20s. (Detail people, I said “feel“).

I do, in fact, get a bonus day to my work on my 30-before-30 project. Which is awesome.

I think it’s kind of weird – and also kind of awesome – that science doesn’t work perfectly. The best way I’ve heard a leap year described is as a “compensation for a cosmological inconvenience“. I love that.

If we didn’t have leap years, the seasons would just drift through the calendar over time. And, although certain units of time (seconds, minutes, hours) are arbitrary, days are based on the rotation of the earth on its axis, and years are based on the rotation of the earth around the sun. So it should work. But it doesn’t. Which is neat.

Leap years also kind of throw me off.

I’ve been operating under the premise that I’m doing a iphoneography 365 challenge. Turns out it’s actually a 366 challenge. I just realized this today. Crap. Now to go change the name of my tumblr blog.

Also I’m used to March days being the same as February days. It makes all of March special, instead of one day in February special. This year, I need to get used to March days being one off.

But wait! There’s more! You didn’t think random ramblings about leap years were all you were getting today, did you? On Sunday night, I learned about leap seconds, which are needed for two reasons: one because the solar day is very slowly increasing and two, because the atomic second is very slightly shorter than the regular second. I did not previously know about these seconds, but was excited to learn that there is going to be one added to the end of June this year. So I get a bonus day AND a bonus second to complete my 30-before-30 project.

(I also learned about atomic clocks on Sunday night. Do yourself a favour and don’t unless you a) are super physics smart or b) want your brain to explode. That stuff is complicated.)

So, go out an enjoy your “extra” day, peeps! Live it up!

February 29, 2012 1 comment Read More
travel tuesday (san telmo)

travel tuesday (san telmo)

San Telmo on Sundays is packed full of antiques, tourists and locals. But weekdays. Weekdays are special. Quiet streets. Locals in bars. And sparsely attended afternoon-long happy hours and tango shows in the Plaza Dorrego.

Later today, I’m going to do a Foto Ruta in San Telmo. I quite excited, and hope I love it, because I’ve signed up for five in various locations around the city!

February 28, 2012 0 comments Read More
One Gigantic Broccoli

One Gigantic Broccoli

Last week, the hubs picked up a gigantic broccoli at our local Saturday fruit and veg market.

Apparently, when he asked the woman for a broccoli that was ‘más pequeño’ (smaller) she just smiled at him and shook her head no. He’s got no idea whether something was lost in translation or whether she just thought it was hilarious to send him packing with a gigantic broccoli, but in any event we knew we would be cooking with broccoli. A lot.

Luckily, in a random coincidence that make me smile, that same day this post popped up in my Pinterest. Basically, a gazillion different broccoli recipes for me take some inspiration.

So, our first broccoli dish last week: Broccoli & Cheese Mashed Potatoes (inspired by these Asigao Mashed Potatoes and Broccoli) Make these. They are delicious – and the rave reviews from the hubs and from my mom ensured them a spot in my recipe book for years to come!

Broccoli & Cheese Mashed Potatoes

Inspiration.

Ingredients

  • 2 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed (1/2″)
  • 1.5 cups broccoli, florets and stems (1/2″ pieces)
  • 1 tbsp butter
  • 1/2 cup ricotta
  • 1/2 cup parmesan, grated, divided
  • splash milk or cream
  • salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

  1. Boil potatoes and broccoli together for about 20 minutes, until soft.
  2. Drain and return to pot. Add all remaining ingredients, reserving enough parmesan for garnish, mash until smooth.
  3. Garnish with reserved parmesan and serve.

Our second broccoli recipe was also seriously awesome. Pasta (any kind, I recommend super fun cellentani/corkscrew pasta) with Broccoli Pesto and Broccoli. This time, inspired from here. This may have been my favourite of all three broccoli dishes. Ever since I first started making homemade pestos about 2 years ago, I just can’t get enough. And this was my first broccoli pesto ever.

Pasta with Broccoli Pesto and Broccoli

Inspiration.

Ingredients

  • 3 cups broccoli, chopped
  • 1.5 cups pasta
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/4 cup (or more) parmesan
  • 1/3 cup almonds (or pine nuts)
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1 small red pepper, diced
  • 1 small summer squash, diced

Directions

  1. In a large pot of boiling water, boil broccoli until tender and bright green. Transfer 2 /3 of the broccoli to a blender or food processor with a slotted spoon, and reserve the remaining broccoli (be sure to remove it from the pot, so it does not continue to cook).
  2. Return water to a boil and cook pasta according to package directions. Drain pasta and return to pot.
  3. Meanwhile, add oil, parmesan, nuts and garlic to blender/food processor and puree until smooth.
  4. Sauté red peppers, summer squash and reserved broccoli in a small frying pan.
  5. Add pesto and sautéed vegetables to pot, mix and serve. (Sprinkle with parm, if desired).

Our third, and final broccoli recipe in the week of so much broccoli was a red curry stir fry with black beans, broccoli, summer squash and red pepper. This one was kind of disappointing (the red curry paste we picked up in Chinatown smelled amazing while cooking, but tasted only ok). If you have a red curry paste you love (whether homemade or store bought) this would be awesome.

Broccoli Bean Red Curry Stir Fry

Inspired by the red curry paste I found in China Town

Ingredients

  • 1 cup brown rice
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp red curry paste
  • 1 cup broccoli, chopped
  • 1 small summer squash, chopped
  • 1 small red pepper, chopped
  • 1 cup black beans

Directions

  1. Cook rice according to package directions or these awesome instructions.
  2. Meanwhile heat olive oil in a wok. Once hot – but not smoking – add red curry paste and mix. Add in black beans and sauté (if using dried beans, see instructions here).
  3. Add coconut milk, and vegetables to the wok. Add broccoli, stir fry for about 2 minutes, add red peppers, stir fry for an additional 2 minutes, add summer squash, stir fry until all vegetables are crisp. Serve over rice.

And there you have it. Our week of broccoli.

February 27, 2012 3 comments Read More
Prefab-ulous

Prefab-ulous

Remember when I used to talk about pinterest all the time? Then I got side tracked and started talking about all sorts of other things like living the dream, moving to South America, and going to Antarctica. And I love all those big things. They are amazing. But I also still love pinterest. And my newest obsession courtesy of pinterest?

Prefab houses.

I know what you’re thinking. You are thinking that I’ve gone off the deep end. But seriously friends, I woke up yesterday morning to this teensy tiny prefab house.

Dwelle-ing by Dwelle

And no kidding, this created a monster. A prefab monster with a gigantic pinboard called “fab prefab”. I just want to buy a lot on the coast, but in a forest, with a mountain view and watch my prefab house go up in a month with its eco-friendly finishes and its ability to get by off the grid. (Ok, only some of these houses are completely off the grid, but still).

I’m obsessed. (Extra obsessed with the Homb and the Preform T House (bonus points for being Vancouver-based). But obsessed with the whole style, nonetheless.

Have you ever discovered something you LOVE, an immediate obsession, that you formerly associated with less-than-classy locales?

February 24, 2012 0 comments Read More
Salsa Burgers

Salsa Burgers

Up until about six months ago, the thought of buying any groceries without a list left me in a bit of a panic. I hate being wasteful (whether financially, in throwing out rotten food, or in time – spending hours in the shops thinking about what I was going to cook). I preferred to go into the grocery store with a list and get out as quickly as possible.

This past summer, these tendencies started to change – at least when it came to produce. I was now more concerned about eating the best, freshest, produce when it was at its cheapest and most delicious (isn’t it funny how those two go hand in hand)? I’ve also matured as a cook, and am more confident in both my skills and my creativity. So I started going to the market to pick up the best looking produce, return home, make a weekly meal list, and then pick up any remaining ingredients. Admittedly, that process takes more time, but the quality of the food (and the cost of our grocery bill) more than makes up for it.

So, we’ve carried that new tradition with us down to Buenos Aires, since it is the middle of summer here. This past Saturday, I was in Iguazu Falls with my mom so I sent the hubs to the market. Upon my return, I was blown away to see the quality (and the quantity) that he had purchased. Next week I’m going to show you the size of the broccoli he bought. (I need to first finish making my way through all said broccoli…)

Anyway, I digress… when I was looking through the fridge yesterday I noticed we had leftover tomatoes, cilantro, and yellow onion. And what do tomatoes, cilantro and yellow onion make? Only the world’s best (and most simple) salsa.

Making tacos would be the “obvious” answer to go with our salsa. But, not so easy in BA, where tortillas, hard taco shells, and spicy spices are hard to come by. So instead, I decided to make salsa burgers. And boy were these babies delicious.

We used burger sized pitas from the arab grocery store next door in place of buns, delicious fresh burgers from the butcher down the street, my homemade salsa (recipe below), lettuce, slices of fried zucchini (what can I say, it’s summer squash season), and a healthy dollop of Franks (courtesy of my mom). So simple. So easy. So good. These would have been even better with avocado spread on the pita, but alas, our avocado didn’t last the week.

The hubs asked me where I got the idea for the burgers. I told him my head. And then realized that was, in fact, true. So, all this to say, sometimes the best meals come without a plan.

Allison’s Simple Salsa

Ingredients

  • 4 roma tomatoes
  • 1/2 medium yellow onion
  • 1 bunch cilantro (to taste)
  • chili flakes or jalapenos to taste
  • salt and pepper

Directions

  1. Chop roma tomatoes into 1/4 inch cubes and transfer to bowl. Wash and dry cilantro, remove from stems, and add to bowl. Dice onion and add to bowl.
  2. Add chili flakes, jalapeno, salt and pepper to taste.
  3. Mix, cover, and let sit overnight in refrigerator.

February 23, 2012 0 comments Read More
Last Minute Antarctica

Last Minute Antarctica

Ok friends, here is the promised post on how to get a last minute trip to Antarctica. Because getting to Antarctica is expensive.

Really expensive. This year (2012) January and early February rates ranged from $6,000 to $9,000 per person for the cheapest room on the boat (often a triple or quad). Late February and March rates ranged from $4,500 to $7,000 per person for these same rooms. To get into (the lowest class) double could be 15 to 20% more. So yeah. Expensive. Well, expensive unless you are a bazillionaire or an expert and go with Al Gore and Richard Branson. Yeah, we were in Antarctica at the same time as those two. No biggie. It’s actually pretty funny to read Richard Branson’s blog, it’s like we were living the same life! Recognize this iceberg anyone? If you don’t, look carefully through this post and you’ll find half of it.

Ok. That was a wee bit of a digression. Sorry about that. I just feel sort of half famous.

Now, there are two very important things to have when you are trying to book a last minute trip to Antarctica. The first is flexibility on dates. The second is lots of money saved up (because even the discounted fares aren’t cheap).

All in (trip, flights to and hostel in Ushuaia, incidentals, etc.) the two of us squeezed in at a hair under $10,000. And I’m going to tell you how you can do that, too!

Option 1: Go to Ushuaia to book

One option for booking such a trip is going to Ushuaia and booking from there. This will get you the cheapest rates (we saw a few trips advertised for $3,700), but you may have to wait and wait (and wait) in Ushuaia. One of our newfound friends camped in Ushuaia for three weeks after booking the trip and another stayed in a hostel in Ushuaia for two weeks after booking. You need a lot of time for this option.

Option 2: Book through a big reseller

A second option is to check out the big international resellers. For example, Travel Wild is currently offering 30% to 35% off several upcoming sailings to Antarctica. The problem? These sales usually exclude the lowest classes of cabins. So, these fares are great if you are willing to splash out on a more dishy cabin, but aren’t great if you are seriously pinching your pennies. On the other hand, these are often available a month or two in advance, so if you have more money than time, they could be a good option.

Option 3: Book through an Ushuaia travel agent

A third option, and, in my opinion, the best option, is to book your trip from anywhere there is email access using an Ushuaia based travel agent. Wandering Trader provides a list of most (all?) of these agents here. The list is about two years old, and about 6 of the emails bounced back for me. The list is great and if you want a lot of options, I highly recommend you sign up for his email list to get it! But, I wouldn’t be surprised if you just end up booking through Daniela.

UPDATE (January 2, 2013): I have just received an email from a fellow traveller (A) who had a negative experience with Daniela over email, and in the end he decided not to book through her. Daniela asked A for a large wire transfer to the bank account of an unlisted company in Miami Beach, FL. Daniela also told A that the boat company was going to charge A’s credit card directly for the remainder of the cost of the trip. It all sounded too weird, and when A contacted the boat company there were just too many discrepancies for him to feel comfortable doing this over email.

The hubs and I wonder whether Daniela’s started skimming a bit for herself in addition to the actual cost of the trip and her commission from the boat company—which is fine, she is a business person after all. She’s just maybe not the best deal out there anymore. At worst, she’s started scamming, though I doubt it. She’s got a great business going and I don’t think she would jeopardize it. I’d certainly recommend shopping around!

I love Daniela (Ushuaia Tursimo). She’s actually the best travel agent I’ve ever dealt with. I’m pretty sure that she works all the time. Whether I emailed her at 8am or 11pm she would reply within about 10 minutes. She was friendly, funny, responsive, easy to deal with, awesome at English, and totally organized. I went to go meet her in person when we got to Ushuaia and it was clear by the line of backpackers waiting to work with her that her small, one-woman agency is the place to go for last minute bookings. When I first enquired by email, she got back to me (fast) with a handful of dates, itineraries, and prices (these ranges from $3,900 to $6,000 for the dates we were interested in).

We ended up booking a Classic Antarctica (11-day, 10-night) trip in the lowest class room (but at least it was a double) on the M/V Ushuaia for $3,900. The Jan 28 trip was their most expensive sailing of the year (regular $5,980). When we returned, we saw mid and late February sailings for $3,700.

If that price sounds alright to you, you’ll also probably be interested in the quotes we received from Lorena of Rumbo Sur for $3,990 on several sailings of the Antarctic Dream (also doubles). If, for whatever reasons, Daniela isn’t working for you, Lorena would be a great person to deal with. A little slower on response time, but lots of options!

Booking our trip with Daniela was a breeze. Once she’s reserved your room, she sends you all the forms (personal information, medical, insurance, and credit card). These forms are all from the boat company and not from her travel agency – she’s simply an intermediary (who, I presume, is paid by the boat company). This means that your credit card gets processed by the boat company directly, which made me feel extra secure.

Then you get yourself tickets to Ushuaia (round trip from BA at that time of year for us was $450pp), rent Antarctic gear (post forthcoming), get on the boat, and have the best trip of your life.

Easy as pie.

Last minute camping option?

We originally wanted to camp on Antarctica for a night (some boats let you do this). However, the handful of boats with a camping option were much more expensive (even for triples!), and the camping option was already sold out. So, if you really really really really really really want to camp, a last minute booking is probably not the way to go.

Any questions?

Let me know in the comments if you have any other questions on things I might not have answered about getting to Antarctica. Because really, it was the best. trip. ever. EVER. And I hope that you can do it one day!

Finally, a huge, huge shout out to Wandering Trader for his awesome How To Book A Last Minute Trip to Antarctica post (and mostly his list) without which I would have spent much (much) more time floundering around trying to find Daniela. Or two weeks on my butt in Ushuaia.

February 21, 2012 6 comments Read More