March 2012 in Pictures

Picking just a few pictures for the month of March is almost impossible. In March Jamie and I took one of the most amazing trips of our lives to South America. There was a scientific congress for my field, and it's only held every other year in different locations. I was accepted to present a poster and I was determined to go to present it. It's a great experience to present your work at a congress full of people who not only understand the work, but are also interested in it. It doesn't hurt when the congress is held in an amazing location. This edition was set for Iguazu Falls, Brazil.

I really should do a blog post about our trip. ... I have such a bad memory you'd think I would blog all the time to help me remember, but I am just too busy being lazy when I'm not working my ass off for the PhD.

Ok enough talk, lets get to the amazing pictures!

Strelitzia flowers at our hotel in Sao Paulo

One part of the amazing Foz do Iguazu

A toucan friend pondering me at the bird sanctuary in Foz do Iguazu (the city, not the national park)

Our hostel in Porto Alegre, Brazil

A massive tree among other massive trees spanning more than a city block in the Recoleta area of Buenos Aires, Argentina

Smoke and deliciousness in the Mercado del Puerto in Montevideo, Uruguay

A tropical storm coming in at Ipenema beach in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

The strangest flower I've ever seen at the botanical gardens in Rio

February 2012 in pictures

Feb was a month full of knitting pictures. Yes, this definitely exemplifies the winter blues I mentioned before. I mostly want to curl up in a quilt and not come out until spring.

I made progress on the baby blankie of love

And I finished a stranded color-work hat for Jamie. Which he loves and i have never washed even once because he wont let me. I'll try again this summer.

Pictures: January 2012

So I take a lot of pictures throughout the year, and I dont really do anything with them. Sometimes I put them on Facebook to share with friends, and sometimes not. I thought it might be nice to go post and discuss some of the pictures I took last year, by month. I'm going to do my very best to stick with this and review each month of 2012. It might take me all of 2013..... But gosh darnit, i'm going to finish something I start.
Looking back, January of last year was not very exciting as far as pictures go.

I backed a really cool Kickstarter campaign for a 3D printed sculpture. Here it is next to another fine piece of art (reproduction, of course).

I started knitting two big projects. The first was my very first cardigan, a raglan construction one using Malabrigo sock yarn. This particular iteration was eventually frogged since i was holding the yarn double and it was too tight and using too much yarn.

The second project was a baby blanket for my sisters baby. He was scheduled to be born in May, so I thought I had plenty of time. This was the third try after several failed attempts at a different pattern.

And that was pretty much it for January. Winter is always a bit of a depressing bummer here in Northern Europe.

2012 in Review

1. What did you do in 2012 that you’d never done before?
Obtained a LoLcat kitten of my very own

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?

Yeah ok, after thinking about this one for a couple hours i've given up. resolutions are nice but i just dont have time for that shit with a PhD needing to be finished by this summer. so basically, i just want to get published, finish my thesis, have it approved, defend, get my diploma and get a post-doc. sigh. crazy year ahead. 

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Holy cow it seemed like Everyone had babies this year. My cousin Shannon had a daughter, my friend Cat had a daughter, my sister had a son, my friend Amanda had a daughter, my cousin Tom's wife had a daughter, and lots of people I'm facebook friends with had kids. 

4. Did anyone close to you die?
I think 2012 was the first year in many years that there hasn't been a death of someone directly related to me....

5. What countries did you visit?
New countries that I had never been to before: Brazil; Argentina; Uruguay; Sweden

Countries that I have been to before: England, Belgium, Germany

6. What would you like to have in 2013 that you lacked in 2012?
Same as last year: A first author scientific publication.

7. What dates from 2012 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
Again, I'm really bad at remembering actual dates, but visiting Foz do Iguazu was amazing. And our first night in Uruguay when we ate the most amazing chorizo in the whole world. 

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Not quitting my PhD and surviving Islay's kittenhood.

9. What was your biggest failure?
Having my paper rejected three times already. 

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Managed to sneak by this year without injusry. Had a couple colds, maybe a flu, some sunburn. Nothing dramamtic.

11. What was the best thing you bought?
hmmmm we got our cat for free so i guess all the toys we bought her were pretty fun. Couple of nice art prints for Jamie's room cheer me up too.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
Same as last year: Jamie for being awesome and taking care of me during my hellish PhD. Knitting friends who welcome me back after long absences each time i try to have a social life.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
So many... the world is going to hell yadda yadda

14. Where did most of your money go?
Rent, traveling, beer, yarn, savings.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Going to South America! Going to Stockholm to see my friend Andreas!

16. What song(s) will always remind you of 2012?
Not sure really. Not a huge year musically for me.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder? 
b) thinner or fatter? 
c) richer or poorer?
Happier, fatter, tad richer.

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Exercise. Sleep.

19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Worry about my PhD.

20. How did you spend Christmas?
Same as last two years: We spent Christmas and Boxing Day with Jamie's family in Stevenage, England. 

21. Did you fall in love in 2012?
I stayed in love with Jamie. And I guess you could say I fell madly in love with my fierce kitty Islay. 

23. What was your favorite TV program?
Pretty much same as last year. Pretty boring here.

24. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
Not sure? 

25. What was the best book you read? 
"I could Pee on This" a poem book by cats.

26. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Nothing new, how lame

27. What did you want and get?
To go to the pneumococcal congress in Brazil. To travel around in South America. A kitten.

28. What did you want and not get?
My paper accepted. An extension of my PhD. The data of a trial, on time. A new camera. Nicer weather. Lose weight. Kick insomnia. Less migraines. 

29. What was your favorite film of this year?
Oh jeez I am so bad at remembering what films I saw and when. The Avengers 3D was pretty epic i suppose.

30. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
The "big" 3-0. I invited friends out for dinner and drinks, and they actually came! It was fun.

31. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Same as last year: A magical understanding of the Dutch language. More contact with the people, friends and family, I left in the States. Less insomnia. Less migraines. Less pain and suffering on my part in general.

32. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2012?
Mostly the same as previous years - whatever doesnt make me look pudgy and lots of black with a creeping towards a bit of "Dutch" and "European" fashion.

33. What kept you sane?
My office-mates and my boyfriend.

34. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Well it was an election year so I guess I should say Obama? I voted for him and am super glad he won but it wasnt as crazy awesome as the first time.

35. What political issue stirred you the most?
Same as last year: Marriage equality - no reason the States should discriminate. Immigration rights. Oh and several places voted in marriage equality laws so that was pretty amazing.

36. Who did you miss?
My friends who are not in the same country as me. My Grampa and Gramma.

37. Who was the best new person you met? Why?
My nephew Jacob who I met on skype. He's the cutest little stinker

38. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2012.
Don't roughhouse with kittens - you'll end up with bleeding, shredded arms/hands.

39. A Quote or song lyric that sums up your year.

not really i guess. just trying to not drown

yummy carrot cake

After trying to force feed myself bacon or eggs or quiche for breakfast for two weeks and not enjoying it at all i decided to go back to what works for me in the morning, something semisweet. Looking for a breakfast that is delicious and not full of fake sugar, bad fats, gluten, etc is difficult, so i decided to try and alter an existing recipe. Here is the link to the original recipe. I made a half batch in case it was horrible, but it was delicious so I'm making it again. Also i'm not very specific on a lot of ingredients when i bake, so a lot of things are estimates.

Ingredients
75g raisins or sultanas
enough Cachaca to cover them (or rum)
6 cloves
     50-75g regular flour
     10-15g of almond flour
     60g of rice flour
      total ~150g of flour
1 tsp baking powder
~1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
60ml liquid coconut oil
30g unsalted butter
100g raw sugar
45g brown sugar (bastardsuiker)
2 eggs
90 ml karnemelk (sour milk or buttermilk)
~350 ml grated carrot

In convection oven or microwave put raisins in ceramic bowl, cover with cachaca, add cloves. Heat on high and leave in for alcohol to steep into raisins.

Oil baking pans (i used coconut oil as an experiment but i wont be doing it again. i'm going back to butter. i couldnt get my cake out of the pan).

Whisk together flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg; set aside.

Heat coconut oil and butter together until melted. In small bowl, whisk eggs and sugars together until frothy. Whisk in karnemelk and oils until combined. add carrots. combine with dry ingredients until no dry bits remain. add steeped raisins last, stir until just combined. pour into prepared pans.

bake for 30-45 mins at 180-200C, or until toothpick comes out clean.

Frosting:
1 tub cream cheese
spoonful coconut oil
1 tablespoon confectioner sugar
spoonful honey
remaining cachaca from raisins

whisk all ingredients until soft and spreadable (note to self - make sure coconut oil is melted and not hard)

put cake in fridge to cool. spread thin layer frosting over it, place back in fridge. when first layer is hard,  spread remaining frosting over cake. place back in fridge until frosting is hard.

Enjoy!

Chocolate Stout delicious noms

Oh goodness, they changed the look of blogger. Now i'm kinda lost. Well, this is a recipe post (a re-post really). I've taken one of my favorite cakes and modified it again, this time I halved it and changed it to metric - and baked it for my birthday, of course! Original post here containing original cake recipe.

Chocolate stout cake (my version)

INGREDIENTS
Cake
1 cup or 250 ml stout - I used Guinness
~1 cup or 200g unsalted butter
0.75cup or 90g unsweetened Dutch process cocoa powder (I bumped it up to ~150-180g/ cake)

2 cups or 240g all purpose flour
~1.5 cups or ~300g raw sugar (or half brown(bastard) and half raw)
1/2 tablespoon baking soda
0.75 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1/2 cup or 1pot (125g) sour cream

Icing (for 3 cakes)
2 cups or ~450ml cream (heavy cream for whipping)
1lb or 0.5kg bittersweet/pure Belgian chocolate - chopped

PREPARATION
For cake:
Preheat oven to 350F or 180C (200C if using a convection/magnatron)
Butter cake pans (I've used a variety - the original recipe is for a 3-layer cake using 8-inch round pans)
Bring stout and butter to simmer in heavy sauce pan over medium heat. Add cocoa powder and whisk until mixture is (mostly) smooth. Cool slightly.
Whisk flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt in large bowl to blend. Beat eggs and cream in another bowl to blend until fluffy. Add choco-stout mixture to egg mixture and beat to combine. Add flour mixture to this and beat briefly to combine. Use rubber spatula to fold mixture until completely combined. If layer cake - divide batter evenly to all pans (and probably make double e.g. the original recipe). Bake until tester inserted into center of cake comes out clean (about 45 mins in convection). Transfer to rack, cool 10 mins. Turn cakes out into rack, cool completely.

For icing:
Bring cream to simmer in heavy medium saucepan. Put heat to lowest setting or turn off. Add chopped chocolate and whisk until melted and smooth. Refrigerate until icing is spreadable, stirring frequently, about 2 hrs. If making frosting in advance it will get hard in fridge. Let it warm to room-temp and whisk in some milk to get it to the consistency you want (not too runny). Put frosted cake into fridge at least 4 hours (i do overnight) to set frosting.

Enjoy!!

2011 in review

Well it appears as though I havent posted in this blog since my last years review..... I cant give up this one yearly tradition i have! Does that sentence even make sense? Probably not. English grammar and vocabulary start to shrivel when you are surrounded by non-native speakers. I'd give a link to last years post, but it seems a bit unnecessary.

1. What did you do in 2011 that you’d never done before?
Planted / cultivated a rooftop vegetable garden. Cat-sat. Nothing crazy exciting I guess.

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
My resolutions for 2011 were: keep learning Dutch (be able to hold small conversations); make significant dents in paying off my credit cards (paid one off this year!); better manage my time so I can relax/exercise too.

And i really didnt keep them and that is a shame. PhD sorta gets in the way of everything else.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Ummm no i dont believe so. But there will be soooo many in 2012!

4. Did anyone close to you die?
Yes, my Gramma died (mom's mom). We were quite close. She was pretty miserable and wanted to die, but I still would have liked to see her one last time. And I really wanted her to meet Jamie. She died ~3 weeks before we went to the States for Thanksgiving.

5. What countries did you visit?
New countries that I had never been to before: Switzerland.

Countries that I have been to before: England, Belgium, France, USA.

6. What would you like to have in 2012 that you lacked in 2011?
Same as last year: A first author scientific publication.

7. What dates from 2011 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
I'm really bad at remembering actual dates, but I can remember events that happen on specific days. The ones that stand out are the first beautiful day in Interlaken, seeing the sunset at the top of the Eiffel Tower with Jamie, and the death of my Gramma.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Same as last year: Not quitting my PhD - ie surviving 2011.

9. What was your biggest failure?
Not sure

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Oh yes... New years day ~2 am slipped and fell on ice walking home from NYE party and tore ankle ligament... a week or so later fell again and tore the ligament on the other side of the same ankle. Not a great way to start the year.

11. What was the best thing you bought?
Plants and seeds for our garden. Our couch.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
Jamie for being awesome and taking care of me during my hellish PhD. Knitting friends who welcome me back after long absences each time i try to have a social life.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
The new manager/realtor of the flat I live in for charging Jamie an arm and a leg for rent just b/c he can (even though I pay much less for the same size room).

14. Where did most of your money go?
Rent, new couch, traveling, beer, yarn.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Seeing my family again after 2 years. Greenfield music festival (Foo Fighters! Apocalyptica! System of a Down! Frank Turner! Volbeat! Social Distortion!). The International Burlesque Circus here in Utrecht.

16. What song(s) will always remind you of 2011?
Anything by Frank Turner or Volbeat

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder? 
b) thinner or fatter? 
c) richer or poorer?
Happier, fatter, tad richer.

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Exercise. Sleep.

19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Worry about my PhD.

20. How did you spend Christmas?
We spent Christmas and Boxing Day with Jamie's family in Stevenage, England again. AND we spent Thanksgiving with my family in Orland Park, IL!

21. Did you fall in love in 2011?
I stayed in love (:

23. What was your favorite TV program?
New ones this year were: Game of Thrones (oh the LOVE) and Grimm. And we have our TV staples: Doctor Who, True Blood, Big Bang Theory, Walking Dead, How I Met Your Mother, any nature program narrated by David Attenborough.

24. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
I sometimes hate my PhD supervisors. This week wasn't a particularly good one, so I'm def not liking them right now.

25. What was the best book you read?
I actually finished some books this summer - i re-read all of Song of Ice and Fire in preparation for Dance With Dragons which was, as expected, so awesome.

26. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Frank Turner and Volbeat

27. What did you want and get?
A new couch.

28. What did you want and not get?
A travel grant to the International Pneumococcal Congress in 2012 in Brazil.

29. What was your favorite film of this year?
hmmmmm. I'm terrible at remembering what we saw this year and not other years. Maybe the Muppets?

30. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I was 29. I wasnt feeling very social so it was a private dinner with just Jamie. I actually dont even remember it.

31. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Same as last year: A magical understanding of the Dutch language. More contact with the people, friends and family, I left in the States.

32. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2009?
Mostly the same as previous years - whatever doesnt make me look pudgy and lots of black with a creeping towards a bit of "Dutch" and "European" fashion.

33. What kept you sane?
My office-mates and my boyfriend.

34. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
I read Dan Savage weekly - he's a mini celebrity, right?

35. What political issue stirred you the most?
Same as last year: Marriage equality - no reason the States should discriminate. Immigration rights.

36. Who did you miss?
My friends who are not in the same country as me. My Grampa and Gramma.

37. Who was the best new person you met? Why?
Umm i'm not sure I met any new people?

38. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2011.
Don't put carrot seeds too close together in pots.

39. A Quote or song lyric that sums up your year.

to the east, to east, the road beneath my feet

to the west to the west, but i haven't got there yet

to the north to the north, never to be caught

and to the south to the south, my time is running out

.....

i face the horizon, every where that i go

i face the horizon, the horizon is my home

from The Road by Frank Turner

2010 summary

It's that time again- time for the annual year-wrap-up blog post. One of the Only things I am decently good at doing every year on time. (: Here is the link to last years post, which gives further links to 2008 and 2007. Hard to believe I've been blogging that long.

1. What did you do in 2010 that you’d never done before?
Went kayaking. Went to a European music festival (involving multiple days and camping). Hosted/cooked a proper Thanksgiving dinner outside of the USA. Spent Christmas with someone else's family. One thing that was done to me and not by me was I was robbed - my purse was stolen. I'd never before been a direct victim of crime ):

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
Okay so I did fairly well on my resolutions for last year. I sadly did not finish learning Dutch. BUT I did find my equilibrium here and regained joy in my life and stopped complaining so much about being single. it especially helped that I'm no longer single though, so I guess I cant count that one.
My resolutions for 2011 are: keep learning Dutch (be able to hold small conversations); make significant dents in paying off my credit cards (paid one off this year!); better manage my time so I can relax/exercise too.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Nope, no births this year. But there were several weddings.

4. Did anyone close to you die?
I wasnt too close with my uncle Steve, but he did die suddenly. Also, my dad's mom died.

5. What countries did you visit?
Israel and Czech Republic!

6. What would you like to have in 2011 that you lacked in 2010?
A first author scientific publication.

7. What dates from 2010 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
The day Jamie moved in with me is the only one I can think of right now.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Not quitting my PhD - ie surviving 2010.

9. What was your biggest failure?
Again - I finished knitting a couple things I have not yet seamed..... Oh well, maybe next year?

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Again yes. Haven't been sick as much this year as last but I do seem to be very good at injuring myself. Nothing that has required hospital visits though. On Christmas eve I slipped and fell on ice and smacked my face on the ground/ice - my glasses cut me and gave me a black eye - it's still all nasty and ouchy.

11. What was the best thing you bought?
New bed and furniture. Mucha posters. My awesome camera that I owned for just 3 months before it was stolen with my purse. My new tattoo.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
My office-mates for tolerating each others idiosyncrasies and for supporting/helping me when I was ready to give up and quit. Jamie for taking care of me when I work 10-12 hour days 60 days in a row.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
The owner of the flat I lived in over the summer - refused to give me my deposit back just for the hell of it b/c he can. The person who stole my Purse in Prague. The police lady in Prague that yelled at me for being a stupid tourist and being at fault for my bag being stolen.

14. Where did most of your money go?
Moving. Rent. Getting my ID cards re-issued after the theft (thanks stingy Dutch govt).

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Seeing the Bruins in Prague (which i didnt get to thanks to the purse-snatcher). Jamie coming back from his world tour to visit me.

16. What song(s) will always remind you of 2010?
Soon by Triggerfinger. Teenage Dream by Katy Perry. Billionaire by Travie McCoy and Bruno Mars.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder? 
b) thinner or fatter? 
c) richer or poorer?
Happier, fatter, tad richer.

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Exercise.

19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Cry over failed experiments.

20. How will you be spending Christmas?
For the first time ever I was away from my parents and family. I spent Christmas and Boxing Day with Jamie's family in Stevenage, England.

21. Did you fall in love in 2010?
I did, actually. I fell in Love with a guy I'd met during the great Eurocrazy tour of 2008 and he became the most amazing, sweet, awesome boyfriend ever.

23. What was your favorite TV program?
True Blood def was a major new thing for me. Big Bang Theory, How not to live your life, and Walking Dead are all enjoyable to watch too.

24. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
Sure, the person(s) that stole my purse!

25. What was the best book you read?
oooh, thats a bit tough considering I started a bunch and finished none. Too much PhD reading going on.

26. What was your greatest musical discovery?
I rediscovered a love of Rammstein after seeing them live; I guess I now take pleasure in listening to Katy Perry (but only b/c Jamie sings the songs to me); and I really like Bruno Mars and I had never heard of him before.

27. What did you want and get?
A significant other. A place to call home (ie: a place to live in Utrecht that's not temporary).

28. What did you want and not get?
Oh hundreds of things went wrong in the lab.....

29. What was your favorite film of this year?
hmmmmm. tough one. Probably Machete

30. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I was 28. I had some friends over for beer and cake. it was nice.

31. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
A magical understanding of the Dutch language. More contact with the people, freinds and family, I left in the States.

32. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2009?
Mostly the same as previous years - whatever doesnt make me look pudgy and lots of black with a creeping towards a bit of "Dutch" and "European" fashion.

33. What kept you sane?
My office-mates and my boyfriend.

34. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
I read Dan Savage weekly - he's a mini celebrity, right?

35. What political issue stirred you the most?
Same as last year: Marriage equality - no reason the States should discriminate. Immigration rights.

36. Who did you miss?
My friends who are not in the same country as me. My Grampa. Jamie while he was in Canada and USA.

37. Who was the best new person you met? Why?
I havent met very many people this year compared to last year, or at least, Ive met so many new people the past 1.5 years I cant really remember who was in 2009 and 2010....

38. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2010.
Some people are jerks and criminals, always be vigilant in foreign cities (i should have known that one already but I lapsed).

39. A Quote that sums up your year.
"With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be cheerful. Strive to be happy." Max Ehrmann, 1927.