Looking Like a Fool in San Fran

Thankfully, I didn't look like a fool at my research presentation or poster (as far as I'm aware anyway) and the actual conference was excellent. I love SF and it was great being there for a week, sciencing, eating, drinking, accidentally riding in limos and meeting up with almost every person I went to grad school with. That's where the embarrassing part comes in (more later on that).

My poster - Science did happen!

I didn't have a lot of free time during the day, but I did head out on the cable cars one afternoon to Fisherman's Wharf. I didn't take many pictures, but did get to watch a cruise ship sail past Alcatraz and under the Golden Gate bridge. And drink some amazing Ghiradelli hot chocolate. And watch an impromptu masked escape artist get straightjacketed and tied to a lamppost. At least, I assume it was some kind of show and he isn't still there.

Alcatraz

Golden Gate Bridge with cruise ship

The bay on a really beautiful day!

 Our CSU grad school reunion was the most fun night of the week. When we realized so many of us would be there we knew we had to have dinner and drinks. We (Rachel, Melissa and I) started at a speakeasy where I had some amazing homemade Pimms and this was followed by dinner at a Moroccan restaurant with the whole group. It was so nice to see everyone and catch up. We also realized that we all had been having very similar problems in life after grad school - it's good to know you aren't alone!! Anyhow, I'd been told there was a belly dancing show. What we weren't told is that the ladies would be made to join in. It was pretty funny, and I'd say this picture just about sums it up. I appear to be taking it quite seriously.

At least they wouldn't let us play with the sword :-)

There were more drinks afterwards (in a hotel bar as everywhere was packed with people from the conference) and the following night a few of us met up again and enjoyed "Drag Queens on Ice" (only in SF) in Union Square under the Christmas tree.

Yes, I'm posting a Christmas tree picture in March

This doesn't do justice to the queens!

I was super excited to be upgraded on one of my flights home but that was beaten well and truly by the proposal when I got home :-)

Snow Hole

A long time ago we went on a hike up to a snow hole on the border of New York, Vermont and Massachusetts. It was a nice pretty easy hike but we hardly saw anyone. This was so long ago it was before it got too cold outside to do anything. It was actually fairly warm that day!

Most of the trail was like this

Some great views from the ridge, even in winter!

We made it to the snow hole 

Venturing into the depths

Inside

It was too chilly to eat lunch inside the snow hole but we still managed a picture

On the way home Matt saw a sign for a peace pagoda so we headed off the beaten track and randomly came across this. Pretty amazing and in the middle of nowhere New York!

The peace pagoda

This monument is for walking meditation

It was very peaceful and a great end to a lovely day in the winter sunshine!

Who needs cake?

In celebration of Matt's birthday yesterday I made birthday bread instead of cake. I suppose it's marginally healthier with no sugar and only 30g of butter but he isn't a big sweets and cake fan anyway.

Birthday bread consisted of jalapeno pesto (jalapenos, parsley, almonds, olive oil) and cheddar cheese swirled and spiraled into bread. It looked prettier in my mind than it did in reality but it still tasted amazing. Next time I need to make a chunkier pesto so it isn't so wet and more jalapenos! The pesto did make for a better distribution than just cut up jalapenos though.

It has been (and will be for the next month) pretty busy round here with various trips but I'll catch up with life and stop posting food pictures when I can!!

Mmmmm, Food...

I haven't posted any recipes recently so I thought I'd just do a picture gallery of a few of the recent(ish) things I've made (in no particular order). If you want to know more then let me know!

Chocolate hazelnut tart, cranberry and stilton bread and meringue

Jalapeño and cheddar bread

Leek, potato and stilton pie with homemade rough puff pastry

White chocolate and raspberry bread - doesn't look the best but tasted amazing

Fresh sea urchin from Fin - yum!

Profiteroles with maple syrup cream inside

My first gingerbread house (i didn't bake the g-bread though)

Fruit bread with lemon icing and a walnut plaited loaf

Tiramisu cookies

My first Christmas cake

Christmas pudding

Three of the 13 eggplants we grew on the balcony

Apple and cheddar stuffed bread

Hot cross buns for Easter

Rhubarb crumble with foraged wild rhubarb and fried dandelion flowers

I have two loaves of foccacia rising right now - made with my new KitchenAid stand mixer. I hope they taste as good as these did!

Weather Forecasts

I read an interesting article on the BBC website today about the history of weather forecasting on the BBC and I thought some of you out there in blog land might enjoy it.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-25665340

Exciting Times...

It's been a very busy December, with one rather large surprise that came my way on Friday 13th December.

I was returning from a big conference in San Francisco on the 13th December. I was pretty excited to be headed home for a couple of days before going back to England for Christmas, plus I had gotten upgraded on my flight from Chicago to Albany. It was only a 90 minute flight but I'll take being slightly more comfortable and free wine.

Matt picked me up at the airport and we headed home. As we got to our front door he told me to shut my eyes. This might sound bad but my first thought was "I wonder what he has broken inside"! This is what I was greeted with once I got inside and opened my eyes..

Quite the surprise!

It's official, we're engaged!

Just after the proposal - I wasn't looking my best after flying all day but who cares!

It turns out it's really not easy to take good pictures of a ring - here is a close up of the ring on my parents Christmas tree - it's a sapphire, in a white gold setting with three diamonds inlaid on each side. It's beautiful.

My beautiful ring

Friday 13th wasn't unlucky for us - we're getting married!!

Overlook Mountain

Minimal words needed… we went down to Woodstock, NY for the day and hiked up Overlook Mountain. It was a beautiful sunny day and very busy, but fun none the less. It was an easy hike up to a fire tower and old abandoned hotel.