Couch Baby

Wordless Wednesday: Bridge

2012-10-17T15:11:00.000-07:00

Fosters Freeze

2012-10-16T17:18:00.003-07:00

Not all food service establishments make it through the tough time and eventually close down, not Fosters Freeze. This place introduced soft serve cone and a whole line of soft serve desserts during the early 40s. Later on food items like burgers, fries and other food items were added to their menu.

Privacy

2012-10-11T11:44:00.000-07:00

PRIVACY: How important is it for a person to have his or her own space?

iris' hearty minestrone recipe: (for 5qt casserole)

2012-07-30T01:12:00.000-07:00

iris' hearty minestrone recipe: (for 5qt casserole)

15oz garbanzo beans
15oz red kidney beans
15-16oz tomato sauce
28oz crushed tomato (can be substituted with diced tomato) with basil
28oz water or chicken stock
8oz elbow or salad macaroni (can be any small cut pasta), cooked al-dente
1pc bouillon cube (if not using chicken stock)
1-2pcs zucchini
1pc med yellow onion, chopped
8 cloves garlic, minced
4pcs Italian sausage, chopped
4 stalks/rib celery
3-4pcs carrots, cubed in small pcs
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp oregano (dried)
1 tbsp butter (used after the soup is cooked for a nice glaze)

Saute' a little amount of onion (leave some for later), garlic, celery, carrots & sausage. Add just a little of oregano and Italian seasoning. Add sauces and other liquids. Add all other ingredients/seasonings. Let it simmer on high heat without lid until a thicker consistency is achieved. Add zucchini ad continue simmering until it's just tender. Stir in butter just before turning off the stove.

Totoro Tree

2012-07-24T17:45:00.000-07:00

This is the Totoro tree. It truly looks a lot like Totoro, Ghibli's ever famous cartoon.

Consequences Of Too Less Sleep

2012-07-18T22:14:00.000-07:00

Less sleep can:

pose a great risk of heart disease
increase risk of illness
cause poor and sloppy work performance
cause unhealthy weight gain and loss
lead to memory loss and confusion
cause thinking impairments like slow reaction time
promote mood problems like depression, anger and irritability

Escape

2012-07-17T15:54:00.001-07:00

Sometimes you wish to be something you are not when frustrations flock your mind. It's not having to be something else which can ease your troubles but you facing it and trying to make things work the best way you can.

Marijane Hamann Park - San Jose

2012-07-12T17:30:00.001-07:00

Location: 1227 N Central Ave San Jose, CA 95128

This is a nice park pocketed within the community. It is quiet, with lots of trees, open field, baseball field, tennis courts, toilets, picnic tables with barbeque grills, swing area for babies and toddlers, enclosed toddler playground and two other playgrounds for higher ages. This is also a dog friendly park, you can see many people playing with their dogs by the field. There's no specific parking area allotted but there's a big stretch of space to do so. It can be accessed from the pedestrian overpass crossing highway 17. This park is usually very quiet in the mornings but busy in the afternoons most especially when people are out for some barbeque and picnic.

The Starfish

2012-03-20T09:01:00.000-07:00

This shot was taken in Academy of Science Museum's exhibit. It is a very nice and interesting place to go to,kids and adults surely will have some fun going around the museum.

Dolphins' Rescue

2012-03-07T14:24:00.000-08:00

A heroic act of local Brazilians saved the lives of the dolphins beached on the shore. Imagine if nobody came to the rescue, all those helpless dolphins will just die.

Cold War Bunkers: Shelters Find New Purpose

2012-03-01T16:09:00.000-08:00

Are you among those who worry over the predicted 2012 doomsday? If so then this clip might help ease your worries, just make sure you get to reserve a seat or space however possible.

Romanian Brothers, Ages Seven and Five, Are Unbelievably Strong

2012-02-29T15:43:00.000-08:00

I've never seen something like this, these kids are remarkable! They will make such adorable athletes in the future!

Goodbye and Farewell

2012-02-28T17:14:00.003-08:00

Saying goodbye is never an easy thing, sometimes it can be more agonizing than any sickness or pain. It's not the end of the world, it's not the end of our life so be strong to farewell because life still goes on.

Monster-In-Law

2012-02-20T20:47:00.000-08:00

The title sounds funny but it really happens in real life. If you have watched the movie then you can easily relate to this. A typical mother-in-law making trouble and giving the wife-to-be such hard time to show her disapproval. Why can't everybody just get along? Seems like an easy question but the answer is far more complicated.

Do you have any story that you can relate to this movie?

Weekend Holiday

2012-02-17T23:37:00.000-08:00

A three day weekends is nice to have,

you can spend more time with loved ones,

in which during normal days you can't have,

a good road trip or maybe some time in the beach,

fun day in the park or at home chilling out,

no matter what you plan to do...

even the simplest thing is worth trying to!

What Makes You Feel Happy?

2012-02-15T17:01:00.000-08:00

There are so many things in this world which can make you happy, sad, mad, and stir all your emotions but what truly makes you happy? Happiness is something we feel deep within, sometimes it doesn't even require anything material to make you feel this way. A mere thought or gesture can make someone feel happy already without having to coordinate it with fancy things.

Have you ever asked that to yourself, what makes you feel happy?

Curious George

2012-02-09T18:47:00.000-08:00

George is an adorable curious little monkey who loves to explore and know everything. George is like a representation of little kids starting to explore and learn things. Observing how things work and function and making practical applications is just what George does best. This show is very friendly to kids but of course parent supervision is highly recommended still. Kids can get over excited and might want to do some experiment of their own after seeing what a little monkey can do. As we all know, most little monkeys can be quite troublesome too!

Easy Microwave Roast Garlic

2011-08-19T22:27:00.000-07:00

It takes 45 minutes to roast garlic in the oven but less than 8 in the microwave, way faster and easier. To start, slice off the top of the head to reveal all the cloves. Place the head in a small, deep dish, season with salt and pepper, and drizzle with 2 tablespoons of good olive oil. Spoon 2 tablespoons of water into the bottom of the dish, cover it with plastic wrap, and cook at medium power for 7 to 7½ minutes. Let stand for a few minutes before unwrapping and your garlic will be ready.

Summer's Blossom

2011-08-11T00:38:00.000-07:00

Spring is best known for the blooming flowers but Summer also has its special blooms.

Most plants around have rich lavender blooms which are as lovely as Spring's blooms.

How to determine a real survey site?

2011-07-16T11:01:00.000-07:00

Photo Credit: Don Hankins / CC BY 2.0

Doddie Herman wrote a very interesting article about how to determine which online paid surveys are legitimate and which ones are scams. This is a key factor to consider, most especially for those just starting out in this money making opportunity. Without having the ability to filter out the scams from the genuine opportunities, one will no doubt, be slowed down in his/her progress.

Today, the internet world is so vast, that trying to visualize which ones are fake and which ones are true is fairly difficult. The people that control the scam sites, are those who take peoples money without a product to deliver. They do not have sense of right and wrong. In fact, I would not be surprise if those people do it on purpose. There is no telling how low a person may stoop for money.

Don't waste your time and money on these scams, there are a handful of real survey sites that are honest. Doddie Herman gives us 7 factors how to determine a true online survey site:

Start making money online doing simple Paid Surveys from the very first day, even get a survey completed within no more than 15 minutes.
Fine navigation site and comfortable for beginner.
Access to quality surveys.
Large database of companies who pay for online survey.
Extraordinary customer support.
Small one time fee and no more charge any additional fees whatsoever.
And most important thing is 100% Money Back Guarantee.

Oh So Tasty Takoyaki

2011-07-15T22:57:00.000-07:00

Takoyaki is a famous ball-shaped dumpling originally from Japan first popularized in Osaka. Made of diced baby octopus, pickled ginger and green onion mixed with a batter and cooked in a Takoyaki pan. Variations of Takoyaki recipe differ prior to ingredients.

Never had one? Go ahead and take a bite, you might like it or you might not but it's worth to try.

Wipeout: on ESPN Sport Science!

2011-07-14T23:10:00.000-07:00

Wipeout? This show is fun and hilarious at the same time. Try watching one episode and for sure you'll be hooked. The big red balls are always fun to see with people flipping and tossing as they bounce on the balls into the water. Here's a short clip about the science behind those big red balls. Pay close attention to the guy crossing the big red balls how he incredibly bounced through the course. Amazing!

Prevent Weight Gain with This Sweet Treat

2011-07-13T14:44:00.000-07:00

As the first rounds of holiday cookies start arriving on the scene, you can arm yourself against extra pounds by munching on pears. Yep, these fresh and juicy in-season treats contain two important types of antioxidants that are associated with less weight gain over time.

In a study, middle-aged women who consumed the highest amounts of three different types of flavonoid antioxidants -- flavones, flavonols, and catechins -- saw the smallest increase in body mass index (BMI) over a period of 14 years. Pears just happen to contain two of these choice phytonutrients, catechins and flavonols. They're also high in filling fiber and low in calories, making them a win-win sweet solution for your waistline and appetite.

Researchers aren't really sure why flavonoids seem to inhibit weight gain. But other studies have revealed that the catechins in green tea may help boost weight loss and diminish body fat. It's possible they also have some kind of beneficial effect on the body's breakdown of fatty acids.

article c/o RealAge

Gargoyle

2011-07-12T14:22:00.000-07:00

With a scary looking statue like this perched on the entry door of the horror house, would you take a step in?

Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol

2011-07-07T13:39:00.000-07:00

Tom Cruise M.I. fans might go crazy over his upcoming M.I. installment titled "MIssion: Impossible - Ghost Protocol". More action, more stunts and more hype!