Whisks Away

Shark Week: My Top 5 Sharks

2013-08-09T14:18:00.000-04:00

So this year's Shark Week (one of my favorite times of year!) is winding down. In order to commemorate another successful year of watching sharks swim in slow motion, I'm going to count down my Top 5 Favorite Sharks. Because, let's face it, when it comes to a lot of my interests, they're the same as any seven year-old boy: dinosaurs, video games, space, and sharks.

#5. Whale Shark

I love whale sharks. Not only because of their massive size, but because they're so docile. When people think of huge sharks, they always think of Jaws and white sharks, but in reality in the biggest sharks are gentle giants. I love the pattern of their skin, I love that they're filter feeders, and it's one of my life's goals to be able to swim with one someday.

#4. Tiger Shark

You can take your white sharks and your bull sharks. If I had to pick my top deadly shark, it would be the tiger. Not only are they excellent super predators, but the markings on their skin are beautiful. They also predate on birds, turtles, and just about anything else they can eat, which is super interesting. I even love the shape of their teeth.

#3. Oceanic Whitetip Shark

I think this shark has the potential to be the scariest. If you get dumped out in the middle of the ocean, it isn't going to be a white shark that's coming for you - it's gonna be this guy. These are the ones who pick off shipwreck survivors. Beyond that, I think they're really pretty! I love the color on them - which is the same reason I love black tips too, but they just weren't pretty and awesome enough to make the top five.

#2. Blue Shark

Blue sharks are probably, hands down, the most beautiful and adorable sharks ever! Their color is just amazing and I love their big round eyes. For a long time, they were my number one shark just because of how beautiful they were. I love that they're tenacious too. These guys are bottomless pits - they literally gorge themselves on food to the point where they'll throw up. They're the binge-eaters of the ocean and that cracks me up.

#1. Great Hammerhead Shark

This is the most wicked looking shark in the ocean. I love the shape of its dorsal fin - it has that perfect curve to it that just personifies "shark!" to me. I love all hammerheads, really. I like the little bonnet heads and the scalloped hammers. I think they just look so alien and interesting.

I would loooove to one day have the opportunity to swim with each of these. Sharks still have such a bad reputation, despite how much effort has been made to change that. Not only that, but they're targeted for their meat, fins, and just because they happen to eat the same fish we do (surprisingly, considering they live in the ocean...). So hey, Discovery Channel... if you ever feel like you'd like to add an armchair sharkologist blogger with a go-get-'em-attitude to your roster for next year, hit me up! You won't even have to pay me to get in the water with them.

I'm Back!

2013-07-18T15:49:00.001-04:00

This spring and summer have been tumultuous to say the least. I graduated from Dalton State College in May and I also moved from Dalton, GA down to Covington. We left our apartment behind and have taken up residence in a 100+ year-old home that has been in the Future Hubs's home for decades. It took ages to get everything moved in and we've still been renovating and cleaning things up (the house had been vacant for years before we moved in). We went from a one-bedroom fully carpeted teeny apartment to a two-story multi-bedroom hardwood-floored home with a big yard and tons of antiques that have needed sorting through. Not to mention, it had zero functioning bathrooms and as of (hopefully) tonight, we'll finally have two. AND I've been working on planning my upcoming wedding. Not to mention trying to find a teaching job.

Needless to say, this blog regrettably fell by the wayside.

BUT now that most things have been squared away or whipped into functional and manageable states, I can finally sit back down at a computer and find the time for blogging.

I've thought about this blog a lot in the past few months, as I struggled to find the time to make an update. After a lot of consideration, my goal is to shape this into something meaningful. I'm not going to go out in dogged pursuit of brands or ads and adspace. I'm going to try not to obsess over inanity too much. I'm going to talk about the important stuff. I want this blog to be about what's important to me and what I'm experiencing in my life. So what does that mean?

Things I'm Going to Feature on This Blog:
+ My travels
+ My wedding
+ My experiences in this old house we've taken on
+ Food (cooking, growing, etc)
+ Weight loss and healthy living
+ History, culture, and politics
+ Teaching

Marriage Equality

2013-03-26T23:12:00.000-04:00

Today, the Supreme Court heard cases for whether or not to same-sex couples will be allowed to marry. What does that mean? It means today, the SCOTUS (Supreme Court of the Unites Stated) will be deciding the constitutionality of California's ban on same-sex marriage (popularly known as "Prop 8"), as well as hearing the case for the legality of the Defense of Marriage Act. This is a huge step for our country, where historic decisions will undoubtedly be made.

There most likely won't be a decision until June and there are a variety of outcomes that could be reached. According to the NYTimes:

The court may say the Constitution requires all states to allow gay and lesbian couples to marry. At the other extreme, the court may say the Constitution is silent on the question, leaving states free to allow or reject same-sex marriage. (There is no possibility that the court would ban same-sex marriage in places that choose to permit it.)

There are also intermediate possibilities. The court could adopt a rationale that would apply only to California along the lines of the one endorsed by the Ninth Circuit. It could adopt the "eight-state solution" suggested by the Obama administration. Or it could dismiss the case for want of standing, which would probably effectively allow same-sex marriages in California, the nation's most populous state.

I hope the SCOTUS makes the right decision - which is, by the way, make it clear once and for all that it's unconstitutional to ban same-sex marriage.

VOXBOX Fun!

2013-03-25T20:59:00.000-04:00

Hey everyone! I was lucky enough to be one of the many chosen by Influenster to receive March's Sugar 'n Spice VoxBox. YAY! I was so excited when I received the email and I'd been waiting impatiently for the box to arrive and last week, it finally did! I've been so busy with schoolwork and trying out these great products that I've only just now managed to grab a sec to sit down and post about it. I'm looking forward to continuing to test out these products they've sent and offer my own reviews on them, so keep a look out for my opinions on what they've sent me.

What have they sent me, you might ask? Well, here's a pic of all the goodies that showed up in the bright orange box.

As you can see, lots of good stuff! Here's a quick rundown:
+ Colgate Optic White toothpaste, mouthwash, and toothbrush.
+ belVita Breakfast Biscuits
+ Vaseline Spray & Go Moisturizer
+ Dickinson's Original Witch Hazel oil-controlling towelettes (and several coupons for more of their products - yay!!)
+ NCETRESSE all-natural sweetner.

I'll admit that I didn't know a lot about VoxBoxes prior to receiving one, I just knew that it seemed like an awesome opportunity. And I was right! What surprised me most was that all of the products I received to sample were full-sized! I was expecting a sample-sized/one-use sort of deal, so I was thrilled when everything came exactly as if I had purchased it at the store. I've busted into everything already and I'm loving it all. I'll be devoting a post per product in order to give them the highlights they deserve.

If you haven't yet joined in with Influenster, you really should! I've had a great time posting reviews and qualifying for various badges. You'll have to request an invite, but let me know if you're interested and I still have my 5 invites that I'd love to send out.

Dusts off cobwebs

2013-02-28T22:22:00.000-05:00

It's been AGES since I've posted here. I had every intention of wholeheartedly keeping up this blog, but then the holidays happened and I was swept off my feet for a while. Most notably by this very important fact:

I got engaged!!

The ring is blue topaz in the center, with smoky quartz as the outer stones, with a handful of little diamonds for extra sparkle. This ring is so absolutely perfect. My grandma has been quick to remind everyone that, ever since I was little, I liked to flounce around and refuse the notion of a diamond ring and declare I only wanted my birthstone (blue topaz). And look what I got! When I got older, I became an adamant supporter of not-diamond engagement rings after learning the not-really-a-tradition "tradition" behind them, so I was thrilled! It's so unique and colorful and that's exactly what I've always wanted.

Since then, I've been caught up in a whirlwind of wedding planning, honeymoon deciding, et various. Not to mention, I graduate college this May, so I've been steadily working on my final semester as well. We also move out of our current apartment in May, so home-hunting is also on the menu. Needless to say, with everything starting up all at once, I was a bit overwhelmed and this blog was completely forgotten about. BUT! I'm back and I intend on keeping this place up now that the smoke has cleared and I've found my pace with all these new changes gearing up.

So here's to more blog posts soon!

Sandy Hook & Newtown CT

2012-12-18T16:15:00.002-05:00

PIPPIN: I didn't think it would end this way.

GANDALF: End? No, the journey doesn't end here. Death is just another path, one that we all must take. The grey rain-curtain of this world rolls back, and all turns to silver glass, and then you see it.

PIPPIN: What? Gandalf? See what?

GANDALF: White shores, and beyond, a far green country under a swift sunrise.

PIPPIN: Well, that isn't so bad.

GANDALF: No. No, it isn't.

Sandy Hook

2012-12-16T16:24:00.000-05:00

I wasn't going to offer any commentary of my own on the school shooting in Newtown, CT, but I want to get it off my chest. And then I want to offer a way to help.

I have seen countless posts across my Facebook feed and the internet where people have been posting pictures of themselves with their children. Discussing how much they love their children. Broadcasting to the world at large that their children are still alive and safe. Which is wonderful. And don't get me wrong; I understand loving your child. I understand the empathy and sympathy people have over the shooting in Newtown - it was a terrible tragedy. But what I find almost offensive is the showboating mothers have done concerning their children. Yes, your children are alive and that's great. But guess what? 20 children are not and you don't need to constantly remind the rest of the world that your child isn't one of those 20. Because it's not about you. If you love your child, then hug them, love them, be grateful for them. There's nothing wrong with that. But you don't need to post to everyone about how happy you are because you get to have your child for Christmas when 20 other families will not.

Pray for those families who lost not only those children, but the adults as well. Sympathize with a community who lost so many. Donate to charities, support organizations that wish to change the world so these things don't happen. Hold your children and your family close and thank God they're alive - but do it privately. Someone else's tragedy shouldn't be your microphone to talk about your love for your children.

And don't feast on the mass media culture. Don't sit and soak up the news coverage. Don't sit there and watch as news crews thrust distraught, traumatized, and grieving people in front of a camera and exploit them for the sake of a good interview and more information. And don't, please, use this as a political platform. Should we have stricter laws allowing people to gain access to firearms? Yes. Obviously. But don't take this tragedy and turn it into a soapbox. You don't like that we - as a multi-religion country - don't say a Christian prayer at the beginning of the school day? Too bad. Don't use this as a soapbox or a "told you so" point for that either.

Just feel sad. Just be grateful you're alive. Just pray for those who lost family and friends, pray for the world, pray for yourself. Donate to charities, spread the word on helpful organizations. Don't fear-monger, don't politicize, and don't brag about how you made it out of this unscathed while others did not.

SUPPORT SANDY HOOK AND NEWTOWN CONNECTICUT

To the Blog World and Anyone Else who Wants to Help,

Yesterday, tragedy struck so many of us in ways we did not foresee. An elementary school and small town in Connecticut was shattered by a mass shooting. We knew we wanted to help and we came up with this:

(thanks to Neely, Meg & Michelle for putting this together)

On Tuesday, December 18th, there will be a blogger day of silence. We will post the button and that’s it. Please try to not post anything else that day if possible.

We are also raising money that will go to an organization in the memory of this tragedy. The organization is called The Newtown Family Youth and Family Services.

Here is the official description of the support service we are donating to:

“Newtown Youth and Family Services, Inc. is a licensed, non-profit, mental health clinic and youth services bureau dedicated to helping children and families achieve their highest potential. NYFS provides programs, services, activities, counseling, support groups and education throughout the Greater Newtown area.

ANY DONATIONS MADE TO NEWTOWN YOUTH AND FAMILY SERVICES WILL BE DONATED DIRECTLY TO THOSE EFFECTED BY THE SANDY HOOK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL SHOOTING.”

Please visit THIS PAGE to make your donation.

We can’t imagine how they must be feeling, especially this close to the holidays. We would love for you to spread the word on your own blog, Facebook, Twitter, etc. Let’s make a difference and use blogging in a positive way.

Thank you in advance for participating.

Love,
The Blog World

p.s. If you would like to, copy-paste and repost any part of this, please do. Share on.

Recipes | Roasted Chickpeas

2012-12-12T18:35:00.000-05:00

Okay so... the other day I was craving a snack. Not to mention, I was severely lacking something crunchy in the salads that the BF and I had been eating lately. After rummaging through our pantry, I found a can of chickpeas I had forgotten about. After seeing Rachael Ray do it on her show and after reading via the internet how others had given it a go, I decided to make my own attempt at roasting some chickpeas.

Let me tell you; they were delicious!

And super simple! You literally just toss them in a little bit of olive oil, whatever seasonings you like, and pop them into the oven. Presto! Delicious, crunchy chickpeas that are great just to snack on, but they're also pretty tasty when you throw them into a salad. Even the BF approved, and he's a pretty picky eater.

Now, the recipe below is just for your basic roasted chickpeas with salt and pepper. Nothing fancy. You can add any variety though, to mix it up. Some cayenne, some garlic powder, whatever floats your boat.

Roasted Chickpeas
1 can of chickpeas, drained
1 tablespoon of olive oil
Salt and pepper to season

Preheat the oven to 400. Let your chickpeas drain for a while, until they're dry - the drier, then better. I just left mine in the colander for about half an hour, but if you're impatient, you can dry them with a rag. :) Next, toss the chickpeas in the olive oil, and then season with salt and pepper (I used a combo of white and black).

(Forgive my ugly pan and oven; the pan is a hand-me-down and the oven is the apartment complex's travesty!)

Once they're coated, pop them into the oven for about twenty minutes. Open it up and shake them up a little; move them around the pan so they get a nice even roast. Let them bake for another 10-15 minutes (until they're all a pretty, golden brown color) and then take them out of the oven. You can let them sit until they cool a little or, if you're like the BF and scorching temperature doesn't faze you, just go ahead and chow down!

Christmas Cookie Exchange

2012-12-11T17:47:00.002-05:00

Wow, it's been far too long since I've posted here. This past week was the wrap-up of my semester, which meant finals, lots of studying, and little sleep, so I apologize for disappearing! The end of the semester tends to suck up all my energy and I just couldn't find the inspiration to blog. But no more! Today, I'm going to recap what I did this weekend, which was my BFF's annual Christmas cookie swap.

The Annual Christmas Cookie Exchange started back in 2009 and we've been doing it ever since. It typically takes place on the first Saturday of each December, but we held it on the second this year. We all make 3 dozen of whatever cookie(s) we like, bring them, swap them, and enjoy a delicious brunch while we all catch up. It's tons of fun!

We had a whole table full of all sorts of cookies this year, and the brunch was fabulous as always. Here are some pictures of the spread:

They all look delicious, don't they? I'm already on the look out for my cookie recipes for next year!

Dino Lingo - Language learning programs for kids

2012-11-30T20:41:00.000-05:00

Gosh, it's been FOREVER since I've actually posted here. I don't really have an excuse other than the holidays coupled with the end of this semester has me super busy. I have some posts I want to get posted, but they just don't seem to be working with me. Hopefully I'll get back into the swing of things with this and just keep on keeping on.

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving and I hope you're all enjoying the lead up to Christmas.

I'm going to make this post as an opportunity to talk about Dino Lingo.

Disclaimer: I viewed these clips complimentary via Influenster.

For a brief period of time, I considered a major in Linguistics when I was trying to decide what direction I wanted to go with my schooling. While I ultimately decided on History, prior to switching schools, I had a declared minor in Linguistics. I've always been fascinated by languages and I've got a pretty decent knack for them, too. So when I was pointed in the direction of Dino Lingo, I decided to take a look, even though it's a program for kids and I a) am not a kid, b) do not have kids, and c) have no plans for kids any time soon.

I viewed European Portuguese and Brazilian Portuguese (just to see the differences, because I think it's interesting).

Knowing what I know about language development a acquisition, I think the program has a solid concept. It combines audio and visual learning. There isn't any English spoken, which I think is helpful. It's a little cheesy and sporadic - but that's what keeps a kid's attention. If I have children, I'm a solid supporter of making certain they're bilingual at the least, so I would definitely use this sort of program to help broaden their minds and learn another language.

Holiday Hiatus

2012-11-21T00:01:00.000-05:00

This week is already turning out to be far busier than I thought it would! I was writing papers and turning them in like a frenzied person yesterday (and I still have one more to do, aah!) and today we had to pack up ourselves and Ahab and head on down for a week with our families.

The BF and I currently live in Dalton, GA, which is way up in the Northwest area, close to the Tennessee border. Our families live in Covington, which is south of Atlanta and the trip took us about 3 hours (thanks, holiday traffic) today. Now that we're here, I have some cooking to do (I'm in charge of dressing for my family's Thanksgiving) and the BF and I will be working on some pottery as well - we have to fire up the kiln, fire some stuff we've made, and then glaze it all and fire it again! I'm so excited to see how they all turn out and hopefully I'll have pictures to share with you all.

So I'll be taking a mini "hiatus" of sorts until this weekend! I hope you all have a fabulous Thanksgiving and I hope you all get to spend loads of time with family and friends and eat lots of carbs and turkey and other delicious things. :]

Pure Balance Dog Food

2012-11-17T20:59:00.000-05:00

So, let me tell you about Ahab (again). He has a sensitive stomach and sensitive skin. He breaks out easily (certain grasses, flea bites) and certain foods (any dog food with corn meal, chicken, or wheat basically) upset his stomach. Basically... he's a pain in the butt to buy food for. We tried different foods - first Iam Sensitive Naturals Ocean Fish, Barley and Rice recipe.

To say Ahab didn't like it was an understatement.

Next, we tried Pro Plan Sensitive Skin and Stomach Formula. This one was also made with fish and Ahab also hated it. He would just refuse to eat, period. Talk about frustrating.

So we tried Pro Plan Shredded Blend Lamb and Rice and, eureka! Ahab loved it. I even recently reviewed it on Influenster (sidenote! Influenster is a ton of fun. I joined up and have done a ton of reviews for all kinds of stuff) and gave it an A! The only problem? It was close to $16 for only 6lbs! There was no way we could afford to feed Ahab on our budget if we were going to be buying this. As much as Ahab loved it and as much as I loved that he was no longer itchy and rashy.

So it was back to the drawing board. We've been feeding him Purine One Beyond Lamb and Barley, but it's a little pricey too. Yeah... being on a super strict budget with a sensitive doggy? It's no fun.

But then Walmart came out with Pure Balance Lamb and Brown Rice.

It's their answer to the recent trend in better dog food and it's a little less expensive. They had a little chart out and it lined up with most of the stuff Blue Buffalo offers (which is skyscrapers above our budget). I was a bit wary to purchase it, because it's under their Ol Roy brand, which is generally terrible regularly (not to mention, it just tears Ahab's stomach up). But we decided to give it a try.

And Ahab loved it!

He's super stoked whenever meal time rolls around and so far - no upset stomach! We had to go back to cheaper dog food before I found this :( and so he'd broken out again, and his rashes and his itching are beginning to fade away, too.

Lazy Day

2012-11-16T22:52:00.000-05:00

I haven't done much today. Fridays when we don't travel back down to Covington are days we like to spend sleeping in and not doing much if we can help it. So the day started out a little like this:

Ahab loves to sleep in bed with us and I'm such a big softie that he always gets to do it. He's a great snuggle buddy when it's cold out! And on our free days, he likes to just lay around in bed, too.

So earlier this week, we canceled our cable service with Charter. While we really like their internet, the cable service has been steadily climbing in price so that our bill went from $82 to $112 - NOT cool. After talking about it, the BF called and we got rid of the cable and now our bill is currently at around $50. Not bad. We only watch about 5 hours of television a week and it's just our weekly television shows - all of which we can access online.

Now that we aren't chained to where the cable hookup is, we could move our television wherever we want! Which thrilled me to no end, so we spent a good chunk of today rearranging and reorganizing our living room. I love mixing up placement of stuff from time to time and now we've even made sure to keep a space clear for our Christmas tree, which will go up next weekend, after Thanksgiving.

For dinner, we had homemade veggie soup that I made a few days earlier and I froze the rest for later on. I tested out a small batch of my new dressing recipe I'm taking to Thanksgiving (I'll post about that later). And now we're listening to Christmas music on Pandora and the BF is working on some clay pottery that we're giving out for presents this year.

Okay, so maybe it wasn't such a lazy day. But you wouldn't know that judging by this little guy:

That's all he's been doing all day!

Recipes | Chicken Moscato

2012-11-15T21:04:00.000-05:00

SO, the other day I was lamenting how I don't drink enough wine and I really want to be a Drinker of Wine. Unfortunately, we're on a super strict budget and so I'd pretty much written off wine consumption as something that would have to wait until I became Employed and no longer just a Student. And then I decided to just check out the wine section at Walmart and see if they had anything cheap enough that could justify my purchasing it.

Enter Lucky Duck.

source

This stuff was only $3.47. We grabbed a bottle of Moscato and it was delicious! Turns out I can drink wine while being a Poor College Student. Huzzah!

Anyway, after a few days, there was still a little wine left in the bottle and I decided to see if I could come up with a recipe to use it in. Behold, Chicken Moscato.

I perused the internet for some inspiration, but couldn't find anything that a) matched the ingredients in my pantry, b) really sounded delicious, and c) took minimal time/effort for me to put together. So I came up with my own.

Chicken Moscato
2 small chicken breasts (or 1 big one)
1/8 cup flour
2 tsp Herbs de Provence
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup moscato wine
gravy (recipe follows)
salt and pepper to taste

First, take your chicken breasts (or, if you're just using one big one, butterfly it out and then halve it) and pound them out super thin. This will make them cook up faster. I cover mine in plastic wrap and then pound on them.

Once you've done that, salt and pepper the chicken on both sides. In a plate, combine your flour and herbs de provence - don't forget to season this with salt and pepper as well. It's important to s&p every step!

Now in a bowl, beat your egg until it's frothy. Dunk your chicken breasts into the egg, shake off any excess, and then coat both sides in the flour mixture.

Go ahead and put a pan on medium-high heat - make sure it's big enough for both breasts and has a high enough lip so that when you add liquid, it won't slosh out. Coat the bottom of the pan with olive oil. Once the pan and the oil have heated up, place the chicken breasts into the pan.

Once both sides have browned, go ahead and add your 1/2 cup chicken stock and 1/2 cup of wine. Drop the heat down to medium and just let the chicken simmer, turning occasionally so both sides can soak up the moscato-y goodness. If the liquid reduces too quickly, just add more wine and chicken stock as you see fit. I simmered mine for about 15 minutes. Afterward, you can go ahead and taken the chicken out of the pan.

Now it's time to make some gravy!

Moscato Gravy
1 tbsp flour
1 tbsp butter
1/4 cup wine
herbs de provence, salt, and pepper

With the pan still hot, melt the butter and then add the flour. Once it starts to thicken and form a roux, you can add in the wine slowly until you reach the consistency of gravy you'd like. Now, when I say 1/4 cup, I'm just guesstimating. You can just eyeball this and make as much gravy as you like (the more liquid, you'll need more flour and you'll need to cook it longer so you don't have a "doughy" taste). You can add chicken stock instead of wine, or a mixture of both, depending on how moscato-y you want the flavor to be. And don't forget to season the gravy as well! With both the herbs de provence and s&p.

Plate up and enjoy!

I made enough gravy to put on our homemade mashed potatoes! We also had green beans and brussel sprouts. Altogether, a pretty tasty meal!

If you try this recipe or if you have a similar one that you've made and loved, let me know! I loved to hear about others' cooking forays. :]

Captain Ahab Appreciation

2012-11-13T20:43:00.000-05:00

Yes, it's a two-post kind of night, guys. I'm parked next to the heater because it's ultra chilly out and I'm feeling a little bloggy, so yep, that's just how it's going to be.

Today's second post is going to be dedicated to my dog - Captain Ahab. Because I'm pretty sure he's the cutest dog on the planet. And I'm totally not biased or anything.

Okay, so "captain" is just a formal title and no one really addresses him as such. It's just Ahab around here. Or as he's somehow come to be called, Ahabs-Ahabs. Yeah, I don't know.

Ahab is a rescue mutt. He had been dumped out on the side of the road along and left to survive all on his own. The BF and I took him in. We hauled him into the car, tried to feed him french fries (which he didn't eat because, as I learned later, he only likes hot french fries and not lukewarm ones... the spoiled brat), and took him back to the BF's apartment to give him a bath and some food. It was love.

As far as we can tell, he's some sort of lab mix. Or a border collie mix, as he's much closer to that size and he's got a fluffy tail that curls straight over his back when he's in a mischievous mood. Ahab is incredibly sweet and he knows a small collection of tricks that include sitting, laying down, shaking hands, begging, and jumping. Rolling over? Not so much, he just kinda flops down and stays there.

And let me tell you, he is the world's biggest baby.

The only downside to Ahab is that he's very distrustful of other people. I guess it's because he was abandoned when he was so young. He adores and is fanatic over me, the BF, family, and close friends, but anyone else? He isn't fond of. Oddly enough, though, he gets along well with dogs AND cats (well, if the cats will bother giving him any attention).

That's Ahab with the Bestie's chubby little dachshund, Ollie.

Ahab is also totally terrified of water. Ollie, as seen above, actually really enjoys it. But Ahab? He will avoid getting wet at all costs. Which is why it was so awesome when we took him to our local park and he actually, voluntarily hopped into the creek that runs alongside it.

How adorable is that?!

I'm not gonna lie, though. He's a bed hog. His favorite place sometimes is right between the BF and I, and he loooves to spoon. Or just generally space-invade.

But really... he's so super adorable that I can forgive him. He makes a good cuddle buddy, anyway.

I Love Harry Potter Link Up

2012-11-13T19:37:00.000-05:00

I'm a little late getting to this link up. School has been hectic. But! I couldn't completely miss the Harry Potter link up. PLUS, the hosts are doing a giveaway this go around, so be sure you go join in. :]

1)Which wizarding school - Hogwarts, Beauxbatons or Durmstrang?
Hogwarts, naturally. While I think Beauxbatons would be neat, my French is not what it used to be...

2) David Yates as director or Chris Columbus?
David Yates. While I think Chris Columbus stayed closer to the actual events in the books, David Yates grabbed the feeling of them much better. Plus, he gave me my fave add-in scenes ever - Harry and Hermione dancing in DH1 and Hermione's emotional "I'll go with you!" in DHII (I love me some Hermione, okay?)

3)What is your favorite joke from Weasley's Wizard Wheezes?
Whiz bangs, I think. I don't think I'd spend a lot of time in their shop, but those were pretty nifty.

4)Would you put your name in for the Triwizard Tournament? Maaaybe. I think I could pull it off. If, you know, there weren't dark wizards running around sabotaging things and the like.

5)Least favorite book?
Half-Blood Prince. While I loved Draco's development, and Snape's story was okay, I have to admit... it totally turned me off of James and Sirius, who I had liked up until that point. It turns out the Marauders were just a bunch of bullies - total buzzkill. Also, I felt like a large chunk of the book was filler and just Rowling spinning her wheels. No me gusta.

6) Least favorite film?
Goblet of Fire. THEY JUST LEFT OUT SO MUCH. Like poor Molly Weasley and Percy and just SO MUCH. GoF is one of my favorite books, too, so that didn't help.

7)Which quidditch position would you play?
Chaser, I think. I'm not burly enough for a beater, being a keeper sounds boring, and I don't pay attention enough to be a seeker. :]

Election 2012: Obama Re-elected!

2012-11-07T10:24:00.002-05:00

This will be the last political post for a long while, I think. The election is over, the results are in. Am I happy? HELL YES. This election was about more than who's going to be the next POTUS. It was an election about ideals. About standing up and believing in equality and inalienable rights. About moving this country into the 21st century and keeping up with the rest of the world.

If you missed it last night, I really suggest you go read the full text of Obama's victory speech. It was incredible.

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The one thing I've seen that bothers me most is how people have been throwing God at the situation. I've seen posts that range from the harmless "Pray for our country" to the ridiculously notion that somehow they need God to save us from this terrible leader we have. Christians are acting like Obama is some sort of tyrant or anti-Christian ruler who is determined to destroy us all and the only way to possibly survive the next four years is if God (who, according to them, was a Romney supporter) has mercy on all our souls.

Uh, WTF?

As I've said on FB already... maybe God wanted Obama to win. Before you're so quick to condemn him for winning and claim God didn't want that and you need His protection to survive, maybe you should consider the notion that this is God's plan. After all, Obama was the candidate who supported accepting everyone despite their difference. He supports equality across the board. If God was going to get behind anything, wouldn't it be the idea that we need to love each other and treat each other fairly and equally? So calm down, Christians. You make us less-panicky, less-egocentric Christians look bad.

ANYWAY.

I didn't want to get on a soapbox. I wanted to take this post to celebrate that Barack Obama will be my president for another four years. And what's the best way to do that? With celebratory gifs!! All of these came from tumblr.

Remember, Remember the Fifth of November

2012-11-05T18:21:00.001-05:00

"Remember, remember the fifth of November, Gunpowder Treason, and plot!"

When you think of Guy Fawkes Night and the fifth of November, how many people think of this guy?

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Well that's totally wrong! That guy has nothing to do with Guy Fawkes or the Gunpowder Plot. Sure, that's a Guy Fawkes mask, but it's one that was made popular by "V for Vendetta" and then, Anonymous and the whole Occupy movement. Which has nothing to do with Guy Fawkes or the Gunpowder Plot, really.

The Gunpowder Plot was found out on 5 November 1605. What was this plot? An attempt to blow up Parliament. It was designed by Catholics (notably Robert Catesby) as an attempt to destroy all the current members of Parliament in order to replace them with Catholic ones so that they could have religious policies go the way they wanted. King James I was strict concerning most religions at the time (Puritans, Presbyterians, Catholics, etc) and the Catholics wanted the restrictions eased up a bit, but couldn't get it to happen.

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The used a cellar that was directly under where Parliament met and filled it with 32 barrels of gun powder, topped with iron scraps, and packed with combustible stuff in order to make it burn quickly.

Unfortunately, they kept telling more and more people about the plot - they wanted to ignite a huge rebellion right along with it. But word spread to a man who had a brother in Parliament and so he warned the brother. And of course, word ultimately got to the government. They searched the cellar and NOW is when Guy Fawkes finally comes into the story.

He was just watching guard over the gun powder. He was arrested. Then tortured until he gave up the names of his co-conspirators. (That's how they rolled back in the day.) Conspirators were all sentenced to be hanged, drawn, and quartered (a terrible way to go).

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The end result was that the government decided Catholics couldn't be trusted and so restrictions were intensified and they even put fines in place. The Protestants, on the other hand, saw the thwarting of the Gunpowder Plot as a sign from God - he was protecting Protestantism in their eyes. So they took to celebrating the Fifth of November to commemorate the event. They set off fireworks and burned effigies of Guy Fawkes and other hate-figures (including the Pope). Puritans held sermons condemning popery and it was, all around, a pretty anti-Catholic thing in the beginning. It has since dwindled down to a purely social celebration.

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In the beginning, when people would go around to gather wood and stuff for the bonfires, they would sing songs. Most notably, this one from 1742:

Don't you Remember,
The Fifth of November,
'Twas Gunpowder Treason Day,
I let off my gun,
And made'em all run.
And Stole all their Bonfire away.

Tada! History unwrapped. I feel better about having a blog and being a historian now that I've blogged about something historical. :]

I Love Harry Potter Link Up

2012-11-05T16:38:00.000-05:00

It's Monday again. Sigh. But that also means it's time for the I Love Harry Potter Link-up!

1. What wizarding job would you most like to have after finishing Hogwarts?
I think I'd like to work in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. Maybe as a Dragon Tamer! Or... idk, anywhere. Dealing with magical creatures sounds like it could be fun.

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2. Favorite member of the Weasley family?
I'm probably one of the very few who wasn't a huge fan of the Weasleys. I don't really like Ron or Ginny. :/ BUT I do like Arthur and Molly. My favorite, however, would have to be Charlie. He was the coolest of them all - who wouldn't like a dragon tamer? It's a shame they completely left him out of the movies.

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3. Least favorite DADA teacher?
Professor Quirrell. If only because he wasn't very developed and you didn't really get to know him the way you got to know the others!

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4. Diagon Alley or Hogsmeade?
Diagon Alley! It was the first way we were introduced to the whole wizarding world and it's right in London. There are so many shops. Hogsmeade is a quaint little town, but I just have a soft spot for Diagon Alley.

5. Ever been to the Wizarding World of HP Theme Park? What was your favorite part?
SIGH. No, I haven't been yet. But I desperately want to! I can't wait to finally get a chance.

6. Favorite villain and why?
Dolores Umbridge! While Voldemort is the main bad guy, I didn't think he was as evil this lady was. Voldemort was all ideological and crazy because he had a messed up childhood, etc. Umbridge was just sadistic.

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7. What character could you never get enough of?
Draco Malfoy and Hermione Granger! Draco was, in my opinion, one of the best developed student characters in the series. And after reading the Malfoy history from Pottermore, I love him even more. He was such a pitiable character. Hermione has always been my favorite character because I relate a lot to her. When I moved to Georgia, I was made fun of for having big teeth, frizzy hair (thanks, Mom's DIY perm), and glasses - not to mention, they immediately put me into the Gifted program, so I got made fun of for being a nerd. I loved Hermione's development through the first five books, though I felt Rowling kinda let her devolve a little for the sixth and most of the seventh. She's a much better role model than the likes of Bella or Sookie or Elena from other teen fiction.

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My Political Beliefs

2012-11-03T20:56:00.000-04:00

Okay, so I lied. I said I wouldn't really talk about my political beliefs. But I was cruising through the internet, reading blogs, reading articles, and looking at Facebook when I realized... this is my blog. I don't have a kid, I'm not married, I don't DIY, and I don't have the budget for fashion, travel, or even innovative recipes. So what does that leave?

I have my opinions. My thoughts. My life.

So I'll say it's for posterity. For my own satisfaction. Because even though I live in an area where I was ostracized for not being politically conservative, I'm still proud of what I believe. And because I firmly believe that you shouldn't bully or shun people just because they want to talk about the "serious" issues or just because their opinions on those "serious" issues don't coincide with yours.

So what do I believe?

As I stated in my previous political post - I believe that, if you're going to vote, you owe it to your country and your fellow Americans to get informed first. I believe you shouldn't vote on party lines - it shouldn't matter if someone is Republican, Democratic, Green Party, whatever - you should vote based on where someone stands on the issues specifically (which goes back to being informed). And on top of that, you need to vote based on your own convictions about the issues. Don't vote for the Republican just because you think you side with Republicans because that's what your parents do. Read up on the issues, where the specific candidate stands, decide where you stand, and THEN vote Republican if everything still lines up. If not? Vote for whoever lines up with you.

Where do I stand? I'm a Liberal and here's why:

I'm a Liberal because I'm a Christian.

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As a Christian, I find it mandatory that we need compassion for our fellow men. I support a candidate who wants to help Americans - the disabled poor, the working poor, the unemployed, the uninsured, the middle class, the working class, the ostracized, the excluded. You know, those "huddled masses" we like to brag about welcoming in. It shouldn't matter if someone is gay, if they're a minority, if they weren't born here, or what religion they are. Across the board, everyone needs a fair shot at this American Dream we harp so much on. We're supposed to love everyone as Christians and as it stands now, the Liberal side (and some Moderates) are the only ones who truly showcase that time and time again.

I'm a Liberal because I'm a historian.

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I've been studying history for years. European history. American history. Chinese history. Native American history. Through wars and empires and there's one story that remains the same - those who don't have open minds are the ones who get left behind. They're the ones History looks back on and frowns. Fifty years ago, people thought it was okay to be "separate but equal" and that integration was an abomination. People thought women didn't need the right to vote. Nowadays, people want to outlaw gay marriage and deny women their reproductive rights. History is a litany of reasons why we should keep an open mind and when I'm an old woman and my grandchildren ask me what I thought about these things - I don't want to tell them I hid behind religious rhetoric, fear, and bias, I want to tell them that I've always believed in equality for everyone.

Autumn Leaves

2012-11-02T15:10:00.002-04:00

A lot of people think the leaves don't change colors in the South. Growing up in Florida, that was pretty true. Even down further south in Georgia, it isn't quite as dramatic. But up here in the North Georgia mountains? Everything's been turning bright reds, oranges, and yellows for weeks now.

I finally went out and took some pictures:

These next two are photos of the bell tower at Dalton State College, where I'm finishing up my history degree. It's iconic for the school and rings every hour on the hour.

"It's Ok" Thursday!

2012-11-01T11:35:00.000-04:00

Happy Thursday everyone!

IT'S OK

... that I haven't really done a lot of blogging this week. I've been busy. :/

... to be (now not-so)secretly addicted to "The Vampire Diaries" (which comes on tonight!). I started watching it because it's filmed where I used to live and... now I'm stuck.

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... to feeling bittersweet about finally graduating college.

... that I am SO not ready for this cold weather! I already miss summer.

... that every time I go into Walmart, I wander through the Christmas section because it's already up and I'm so excited for it!

... to crave coffee and yet not have a coffee maker in my apartment! Fingers crossed I get one for a Christmas gift.

... that I'm linking up with something new this week because I'm definitely not quite there yet.

For us bloggers who aren't married and don't have kids!

I Love Harry Potter Link Up

2012-10-29T21:16:00.002-04:00

This link up is on, like, week five, but I just found it and I'm STOKED to join in because if there's one thing I'm a huge fan of that isn't Star Wars it's Harry Potter.

1. If you could ask J.K. Rowling to explain something about the Harry Potter world further, what would it be?
The whole Horcrux thing. Especially Harry as a Horcrux. He didn't die when the Killing Curse rebounded off him when Voldemort tried to kill him, but it killed the part of the Horcrux, which shouldn't have happened because the curse rebounded because of the Elder Wand? If it killed Voldemort's soul fragment, that means it should have worked and they both would've died.

2. What's your best guess of what animal your patronus would be?
A beluga whale! They're my favorite animal and they're just super adorable.

(source: Google Images)

3. Have you noticed any inconsistencies within the books that you'd like J.K. Rowling to explain? (In other words, any errors)
When Harry, Hermione, and Ron get caught by the Snatchers, Hermione says she's Penelope Clearwater in order to try and escape them. Penelope is a muggle-born, so she wouldn't have been able to escape anyway - and she should have known Penelope was a muggle-born, since Penelope was petrified by the basilisk back in 2nd year.

4. Are you on Pottermore/what's your username? I think it would be fun to all add each other as friends if we're on there :)
Yes! I'm Runestone110. Yay Ravenclaw!!

5. Have you ever been to a midnight release of the movies or books?
I've been to the midnight release of the 3rd, 4th, 5th, and both DH films. I never went to the midnight releases of the books because I preordered them online and they arrived to my house the day they released!

6. Have you read The Tales of Beedle the Bard?
Yes! I own it, along with "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" and "Quidditch Throughout the Ages".

7.What would you see looking at yourself in the mirror of erised?
Me, with the BF and my closest friends - all happy and together. I think keeping in contact with my friends is something I would truly want to see myself doing. Careers and locations are all relative so long as you have good company!

Annd let me say that I'm currently looking to SWAP ad space with other blogs. My swapping page is here and you can email me at geneticallyempowered@gmail.com for the FREE promo code!

"It's Ok" Thursday!

2012-10-25T18:31:00.000-04:00

I'm so glad the weekend is finally here (I don't have Friday classes). That means the Halloween party is almost upon us! I'm so excited. Anyway! I'm linking up with "That's OK" again, so here we go!

IT'S OK

... that I put off an entire week's worth of cleaning to do tonight.

... that having registered for my final semester of classes feels a little bittersweet.

... that I didn't put enough forethought into my Halloween costume and I'm going to be freezing my tail off at the bonfire Saturday night.

... that I'm going to miss this little guy while I'm gone:

... to feel a little lost as to what direction I want to take this blog in.

... to have JUST NOW discovered the epicness that is DOCTOR WHO. I just finished Series 1 and I'm hooked!

And that's it! I hope you all have a great day and weekend! :]

Recipes | Steak!

2012-10-24T21:44:00.000-04:00

So I mentioned before that the BF and I just recently celebrated our third anniversary and that I made us a steak dinner to celebrate. I know cooking steak isn't rocket science, but I wanted to share how I prepare my steaks!

First, we bought the steak at Wal-mart. I decided to try their new "premium quality" USDA Choice steak in the black packages they've been touting in commercials lately. We bought NY strip - two steaks that totaled around 1.2lbs, for about $16 bucks. Let me preface this all with saying that I'm actually pretty picky when it comes to steak.

And now let me tell you - these babies were delicious.

First, I let them come to room temp and then seasoned them up. No fancy steak seasoning or anything like that. I'm a big fan of my steak tasting like steak and pretty much nothing else. So just salt, pepper, and a little dash of sugar.

Then, I melted some butter in my pan, let it melt, and then tossed the steaks in. I cooked them on both sides and they turned out looking like this:

I apologize for the poor picture quality. I had to use my phone because I couldn't find my camera. But those steaks still look pretty tasty, don't they?

To finish them off, I went the totally unhealthy route and dropped a little dab of butter on each steak and let it melt while they rested. (You want to let the meat rest for a little bit so the juices all redistribute and don't leak away when you cut into it.) I realized I should have taken a picture of the inside (a glorious pink), but I realized that as we were finishing them off and so by then it was too late. ;]

These steaks were SO good. They were tender and cooked to how I like them - which is a change from when I go out. Most restaurants hand me medium-well steaks and that's just terrible. The price beat the heck out of us going to some fancy restaurant, too.

My Easy Steak "Seasoning"
salt
black pepper
white pepper
sugar

You'll notice I don't have any measurements - that's because I don't measure. :/ I just eyeball most of my seasonings. I would say maybe a tablespoon of salt and the peppers, and maybe 1/4 tablespoon of sugar, mix it all together and then distribute over the steaks.

How I Cook My Steak
4 tbs butter

Haha, not much to it. Place your pan over medium heat and melt two tablespoons of the butter. Once the butter has melted completely, place the steak into the pan. Don't touch the steak once you've placed it in the pan, just let it sit and cook so it can get nice and brown (because as Food Network Chef Anne Burrell says "Brown food tastes good!"). Let the steak go for 3-4 minutes before flipping it over and then let it cook for about another 3 minutes.

This is how long I cooked mine and it came out on the rarer side of medium. If you want yours cooked medium-well or well, just leave it in the pan longer. A good way to test your steak is to press your finger into the meat and if it springs back, it's done.

Once you've taken the steak out of the pan, set it aside and place the remaining butter on them (1 tbs each). Let the butter melt and the steak rest for about five minutes. And voila!

Whisks Away

Shark Week: My Top 5 Sharks

I'm Back!

Marriage Equality

VOXBOX Fun!

*Dusts off cobwebs*

Sandy Hook & Newtown CT

Sandy Hook

Recipes | Roasted Chickpeas

Christmas Cookie Exchange

Dino Lingo - Language learning programs for kids

Holiday Hiatus

Pure Balance Dog Food

Lazy Day

Recipes | Chicken Moscato

Captain Ahab Appreciation

I Love Harry Potter Link Up

Election 2012: Obama Re-elected!

Remember, Remember the Fifth of November

I Love Harry Potter Link Up

My Political Beliefs

Autumn Leaves

"It's Ok" Thursday!

I Love Harry Potter Link Up

"It's Ok" Thursday!

Recipes | Steak!

Dusts off cobwebs