A Little History Lesson…

Posted on March 7, 2013 by Girl In Pigtails

Did you know?…

Between 800-900 A.D the discovery of coffee berries was first reported. Legend has it that an Ethiopian goat header named Kaldi noticed that his goats become very energetic after eating the berries of a certain shrub. Curiosity kicked in, and the header tried it and found that it too gave him energy. Then, a monk who met Kaldi and his dancing goats picked up the curious berries and crushed then into a powder. The monk then added boiling water and drank the strange liquid… and the first cup of coffee was made!

I thought this was an awesome little fact to share…

Drink coffee and be merry! 

-girl in pigtails

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Spartacus!

Posted on March 6, 2013 by Girl In Pigtails

STARS has graced us with another action packed season of… Spartacus! I am so excited because I have been watching this show since season one. I fell in love with the story, action, and actors. ;-D If you would like to catch up, on COMCAST, you can find the episodes ONDEMAND. It is graphic so be warned…

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You have to try it!

Posted on March 6, 2013 by Girl In Pigtails

We have a new drink at Starbucks … the Hazelnut Macchiato. It is a delicious esspresso beverage with yummy vanilla flavor and a thick hazelnut sauce.
Just when you thought it couldn’t get better… it did!
-girl in pigtails

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Oh so many flavors!

Posted on March 4, 2013 by Girl In Pigtails

It’s not part of the diet but every now-and-then, you need a treat… Baskin Robbins has really yummy ice cream! I really like the world class chocolate flavor when the chocolate craving hits. It is a combo of dark and white chocolate that is very creamy.  Also, love potion 31 is great because it is a white chocolate and raspberry flavor with chocolate chips! YUM! My other go to flavor is daiquiri ice… it is light, crisp and fat free! 😀

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Dare to Race?

Posted on March 2, 2013 by Girl In Pigtails

On occasion, I like to play video games. Mr. Awesome Boyfriend and I just got three new games that are pretty cool: The Elder Scrolls V SKYRIM, LEGO The Lord of the Rings, and Gran Turismo 5 The Real Driving Simulator. So far, Gran Turismo 5 has my full attention because it is the coolest racing game ever!
We have played Dirt 3 and Need for Speed SHIFT but both were easy to lose my attention. What is nice about Gran Turismo 5, is that there are so many types to driving skills, courses, cars and classes to play. You can race on a perfect track or rally race in snow. This game also teaches the basic skills needed for a real world adventure; like following the race line and how to go in and out of a tight corner. I really think this will help my driving skills in real life. Plus, I like finding out my limits without going to the hospital or the junk yard.
To make our racing games more lively, we bought a Logitech driving force GT steering wheel and pedals. They are so much fun to use but we always had to attach the wheel to the coffee table and sit on the floor. This was not comfortable and I felt like I was cruising in a low rider instead of becoming the next STIG. Mr. Awesome Boyfriend found a few racing set ups online but they where too expensive for my taste. Then, we discovered a few people who made their own stands from PVC pipes. DIY jobs are awesome and most of the time way cheaper and fun to work on. We got a design figured out and headed to Home Depot.

For about $135 and a few hours of work, we made the ultimate racing set up! It is very stable, looks cool, and can be disassembled for storage.
It makes the racing game come to life! I feel very comfortable and I think I drive (play) better than sitting on the floor.

It pays to think outside the box!
-girl in pigtails

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Typing Update!

Posted on March 2, 2013 by Girl In Pigtails

So, for about a week, I have been practicing my typing skills. I was in the high 20’s WPM with about a 95% accuracy. Now, I am in the low 30’s WPM with about the same accuracy. Not to bad at all! I find that I am typing my blog a little faster and I am not looking at my keys anymore. Sunday I will be taking another typing test! I will keep you posted!

-girl in pigtails

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Yes, I’m a wine-o!

Posted on February 28, 2013 by Girl In Pigtails

I started a grand adventure of wine tasting about a year ago. I would like to share one of my favorites! It is called Ghost Pines red blend 2010. It is a red wine that has a unique taste because it is a mix of different grapes used for other styles of wine from around the nor cal area. I am still a new wine-o but, from what I do know, this wine is great with a few dishes: brie cheese, olives, and berry desserts. Of course, you can buy this wine at Safeway. 😀  According to the winemakers website:

“Description:
         Our 2010 Ghost Pines Red Blend has a dark purple color that alludes to the intense blueberry, licorice and cracked pepper aromas that are framed by hints of toast and cocoa
         powder. Flavors of syrupy black cherry, blackberry and blueberry and brown spice meld with velvety tannins, creating a rich mouth feel and a long, plush finish.”  
        
My favorite part is that it is local! These grapes are not from some crazy overseas land that I can’t pronounce. LOL Again from their website: 

 “Viticulture Notes:
         The grapes for our 2010 Red Blend were selected from a variety of our renowned vineyards in Sonoma, Napa and San Joaquin counties. We looked to Lodi vineyards for our dark,
         intensely flavored Petite Sirah grapes. The red volcanic soils of the Monte Rosso Vineyard in Sonoma Valley provided portions of the Petite Sirah and Zinfandel and the sun-drenched
         vineyards of Napa County gave us our structured Cabernet Sauvignon and plush Merlot. Some small amounts of Petit Verdot and Syrah were selected from Sonoma County vineyards.
         The 2010 vintage was one of the coolest on record, allowing the grapes to mature at a slow pace, which translated nicely to intense flavor and tannin development while retaining
         excellent natural acidity.”  

I really like wine and coffee because both take such art to make and one year is different from the other because each growing season is slightly different. There is a real moment of unity with the different taste and the environmental elements that I believe few people take time to appreciate.

Stop and smell the roses or taste the wine!

-girl in pigtails

www.ghostpines.com/red_blend.a  

ghost pines

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Coffee Master

Posted on February 27, 2013 by Girl In Pigtails

I have officially received my coffee master workbook! In 8-12 weeks, I will achieve this high status and look snazzy in the ultimate coffee master black apron. I will know the who’s, what’s, where’s, when’s and why’s about Starbucks coffee! Pretty cool… B-D Speaking of coffee our yummy Tribute Blend will be coming out in a few days (3-5-13). This coffee comes out every year around spring time… it’s a dark roast that is full bodied and goes great with a chocolate treat!

Happy Mid-Week!
-girl in pigtails

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PHO!

Posted on February 25, 2013 by Girl In Pigtails

At the Saigon pho restaurant, I just tried the #21! This is my ultimate favorite pho… it is chicken noodle. It is perfect when you are feeling a little under the weather. Again,  the broth is amazing and a small is very large. I actually took half my soup home for dinner. They put it in a styrofoam cup and even gave me some extra broth (I had mostly noodles and chicken left). It’s a great family owned place and I like supporting those authentic places.
Happy eating!
-girl in pigtails

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My Driving Shoes!

Posted on February 24, 2013 by Girl In Pigtails

I am so excited! I got some driving shoes… and yes they are purple. LOL I noticed a few of my Mazda friends had Puma shoes when they were driving. I thought that it was a great idea! I have been wearing either Nike running shoes or flip flops and they are just not good driving shoes. The Nike shoes are made for arch support and physical activity. When driving, they hurt my feet and I found them to be very hot. The flip flops are great for late night burger trips but not good for long drives. I find them to very breathable but unstable. When we were at Macy’s for the Chinese new year parade, I found the elite driving shoes… purple Puma’s! They are super comfy, light weight, and very breathable. They were also on sale! The sole is awesome to because they have super grip; I don’t feel like my foot will “accidentally” slip off my pedals.

They are so worth it!

-girl in pigtails

driving shoes 2

driving shoes 1

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