One of my favorite sights is a mountain range in the distance or the craggly peak of a single mountain breaking the skyline. They come in such beautiful shapes, sizes, and colors. It’s so cool how there are rocky ones, lush green ones, snow-capped ones, and various combinations of other looks. You might find a forest covering them or boulders lining their sides. Some could sustain you for a lifetime while others are the harshest of environments. The diversity is fascinating. And no matter what, if you find yourself atop one and peer out… you’ll find a breathtaking view. Sometimes it might be a valley or a lake, or other mountains. Being up that high shows you how small everything else can become. Getting away from your normal life and surroundings can be empowering. Climbing mountains is quite rewarding! What a great way to connect with nature.
365great Day 307: mountains
365great Day 306: mini golf
As I’ve mentioned before, I had quite an experience with mini golf (or putt putt golf as I called it) back in second grade. Since then I haven’t gone much, but I’ve had fun whenever I did. They have some really creative obstacles and it’s an entertaining way to practice various skills ranging from precision to timing. You can challenge friends and spend quality time with them, free to talk and enjoy each others’ company. I find it to be a nice way to bond and enjoy a leisurely yet playful time. I’m not very good, but it’s awesome when I do have those moments of that one good shot. What a great feeling!
365great Day 305: shrimp & grits
O.m.g. My friends who recommended I try shrimp and grits when I went down to Myrtle Beach were sooo right. It’s such a rich, wonderful dish! I absolutely loved it and I’m definitely going to have to have some any time I’m in the south. I love shrimp, I love grits (and corn in almost any form), and I loved the little fresh tomato bits that this particular restaurant served on top! Maybe I should have been a Southern girl because I love cajun food and much of what you find in the southern states. Perhaps it’s because they use amazing spices to create such fragrant blends of tasty goodness. I might just have to move to the south at some point so I can eat that food all the time! Dang, that was some good shrimp. And grits. Whoever came up with that dish… kudos! It’s great.
365great Day 304: sprays
Whoever invented spray tops is pretty genius. Perhaps it was inspired by our sneezes, which often produce a fine mist of sorts and more evenly distributes particles across an area. Splashing liquid on yourself versus misting it over yourself is such a different experience. Sprays just feel better and help cover more area with less stuff. They’re so refreshing and fun to use with just about any sort of light liquid. For the most part, I use it for beauty and skincare purposes, but it can be useful in the kitchen too. I’d love to try those new spray-on lotions someday to see if they are more effective than globbing on lotion the way we do now. Even with the cleaning fluid with our windshield wipers, you’ll find sprays are the perfect way to cover a larger area more finely. In general, they’re a great way to get more bang for your buck!
365great Day 303: tank tops
I really got into slightly loose, somewhat flowy tank tops over the summer. I used to have more form-fitting ones that work well under a jacket, but now I’ve branched out. My favorite ones have a scoop neck and straps about an inch and a half wide. They can range from tight and form-fitting to loose and flowy and I like them either way! I’ve recently found the form-fitting ones are excellent underneath a sweater. The looser ones are perfect for a balmy summer day, when I don’t want to feel constricted. They’re very casual generally, but you can totally dress them up too. When I was at the Santa Monica Pier, I totally wanted to get this amusing mustache one, among many others, but the price point was higher than I was happy with. I’m still on the lookout for more tanks with a bit of personality! Is it just me or do their designs seem to be more fun? I find the look and feel of tank tops to be great!
365great Day 302: Vicolo
Have you ever tried pizza with a corn meal crust? I personally love cornmeal, so this was such a treat to discover. Vicolo offers their pizzas fresh from San Francisco, so they’re only offered in limited stores. Back when I was demoing them at Whole Foods, they were shipped down to LA twice a week – always fresh, never frozen. Not sure if they still do it the same, but they’re definitely fresh. The one thing they do offer frozen are just the crust, which you can use to make your own pizzas. I’ve been craving them so much that I had Panda swing by the El Segundo Whole Foods before meeting me at LAX for our flight back earlier this week. I now have two to eat in the next couple of days, which I’m thrilled about! I’ve broken into the first one and will probably devour it all by next weekend. I just love how the crust is crunchy yet soft and grainy and wonderful. It’s such a great gustatory experience.
365great Day 300: kimchi fried rice
I’m a huge fan of kimchi fried rice! I love both the kind that I can get a Gushi in Westwood and the kind I used to make (before I could no longer find spicy kimchi). There’s something about the spicy, sour, crispy, juicy combination mixed with soft grains of rice and some eggs. It’s a bit of an addiction and it’s so easy to cook. I don’t even have to add seasoning since the kimchi flavor is more than enough for the whole dish. Of course, that’s assuming you use the kind of kimchi I like, which is tart and hot. The brand that I used to get changed their recipe on me one day and ever since then I haven’t found kimchi brand that quite cuts it. I’m going to have to go on the hunt again though, now that I’ve had some more again and the craving is back. Nom nom nom… I can’t wait to cook it again; it’s going to be sooo great.
365great Day 299: touch lamps
When my mom got me this lamp as a kid, it was so exciting. I was able to adjust it to multiple levels of light depending on my needs, all by tapping it! How cool is that? Technology has a way of making life easier and much more fun. I loved using my body as a tool to control this lamp and it kept it by my beside for years. I’d even take my cats paws and use them to help me change the lighting in my room at times, wondering if I could train them to control the light too. I never quite got around to spending the time to teach them because I liked doing it myself too much. I also liked the greater control it offered me, with varying levels of light for reading, sleeping, or whatever else I was doing. Maybe I’m just easily amused, but I think lamps like these are great!
365great Day 298: brownies
To me, brownies are probably the most indulgent snack. They’re so rich and dense that sometimes just a bite or two will satisfy me. I also love how easy they are to make – I almost never mess them up (whereas cakes are another story and cupcakes are pretty much hopeless for this girl’s baking skills). I’ve been partial to the wonderful boxes of Ghirardelli brownie pouches that you can get at Costco – indulgence discounted! It’s so much fun to play around with the different ingredients you can mix in to make brownies more exciting too, like chocolate chips, caramel, marshmallow, walnuts… and I don’t know how they make that top glazed crusty layer appear, but it’s pretty fantastic. Pair it with some ice cream and you’ve got a great dessert too!
365great Day 297: reflexology
Ok, this was the only pic I was able to get of the reflexology massage place today. I know it doesn’t look like much of anything, but if you’re familiar with those shops, the super wide seat draped with towels at these places should be something you recognize. I love going to these places because they offer cheap massages and even though they bill it as a one hour foot massage, you actually get a full body massage (mostly through a towel and your clothes). What a bargain! They always love me too, since I’m one of the few Chinese people in the area and they’re thrilled I speak their native tongue. I personally love the feeling of getting a strong foot massage and it’s fascinating how the parts of the feet correspond to your organs. Whether you believe in that and want healing or just want to get a massage in, these places are cheap and great.
