Thanks to a little help from my friend, Erin, I finally tried ear candles. It was kind of a cool sensation, but really didnt do much as far as cleaning out ear wax. I had never heard of ear candles until about a year ago when Erin mentioned them during a spa night that we were prepping for. I said I would pick some up in Anchorage next time I went to town, but I could never find any until this year during spring break. I went to a store in Anchorage called Natural Pantry. I picked up a box of 12 and have several left, so if you want to give them a try, just let me know.
The huge flaming end piece did burn the bottom of my shower. Ooops. Next time I'll put some water in the bottom of the tub. We had to fan the smoke alarm in the apartment the whole time we were doing this. Good thing there were lots of people over to help :)
I bought my tickets for the Kuskokwim Ice Classic yesterday. It has been really warm lately (although we're back down to zero today) and I think that the river is going to break early this year, so here are the dates that I choose...
May 2nd 1:01 pm
May 4th 11:06pm
May 5th 2:47am
May 6th 9:42 am
May 10th 4:11pm
To learn more about what the Ice Classic is all about, you can read my posts from 2008 here, 2009 here, and 2010 here.
For a long time, I have liked the idea of having a timeshare. I have been considering buying one for many years. I liked the idea of having a place to go on vacation once a year. I liked the idea of paying about the same amount for a resort that I would pay for a cheapo hotel. I liked the idea of having the timeshare to give as a gift. I liked the idea of travelling all over the world and always having a place to stay. I liked the idea of letting Avery using it. I liked the idea of owning my vacation and passing it on to my kids.
After some research into timeshares, I discovered that that's just it...I LIKED THE IDEA.
Once I got into the research, I discovered that the cost is not really worth it for me. First there's the cost of buying it, then there are the yearly maintenance fees that run around $1000 per year for the type of timeshare I was interested in. Some of them you couldnt even use every year, but you still had to pay the fees. Also, most timeshares lock you in to a specific week of the year and I dont want to be locked into vacationing the same week every year. I found out that it is difficult and a process to "share" your place with someone else. So that if I wanted to travel to some other timeshare for a week instead of going to mine, I would have to find someone who would trade there place with mine during the same week. Some timeshares made this a long drawn out ordeal, some just made it more expensive. I also found out that you generally dont own a timeshare indefinitely, you only own it for a certain number of years.
In the long run, I think it is better for me to do my travelling on my own time and under my own guidelines. I think a timeshare would be great for people who want to travel to the same spot for the same week every year, like a tradition type of thing, but that's not for me. I want to do things my way. So after some long thought, I decided that a timeshare is NOT for me. Which is kind of a bummer, because I really liked the idea of it. I almost feel like I've killed one of my own dreams.
I finally bought this book after weeks of holding my friend and neighbor's book hostage. I also bought a second book and have made several of the recipes out of it, but we'll focus on this one. Last time I was in Anchorage, I picked up about 7 different kinds of flours so that I could try my hand at baking various types of bread.
Here are the recipes that I have made out of this book so far...
Caraway Rye Bread
Cheese Onion Bread
Cinnamon Raisin Nut Bread
Cranberry Nut Sourdough
French Bread 1
Herb Bread (white and rye)
Oatmeal Bread
Seven Grain Cereal Sourdough
Rosemary Bread
Whole Wheat Bread
English Muffins
Yukon Flapjacks
I have been baking all of my own bread for several months now. I cant even remember the last time I bought a loaf of bread, but it was probably before Christmas. I've been getting better at it and I generally bake about 4 loaves per week. In fact, there are two loaves of French Bread in the oven now. I think the next one to try will be the Malt Beer Bread. Oh yes, I said Malt Beer Bread. Or maybe the Sunflower Bread or the Banana Batter Bread.
This past weekend, on April 2nd, there was a 9K Human Powered Race that was hosted by a teacher in the village of Kasigluk. Participants could run, walk, ski, snowshoe, bike, or basically complete the race anyway they wanted as long as their mode of completion was powered only by them. I choose to walk/jog (waog). In the end, I think I walked about half and jogged about half. The race was alot of fun and the turnout was great with about 20 or so people showing up. The race gave those of us in Bethel an excuse to go out to visit some of the other villages. We left from Bethel on Saturday morning and arrived in Kasigluk at around 1pm.
After the long ride to Kasigluk, one of the first things that I needed to do was use the restroom. The race host, Kyle, lives in a housing unit in Kasigluk that has an incineration toilet. I finally got to use one. This was a strange treat...something that not many people can say that they've done. The incineration toilet is a step up from the honeybucket that villages used for a long time. The honeybucket was just a bucket that people did their business in and then had to take out an dump in a designated area when it was full. The incineration toilet is a toilet that burns the waste right there in the bottom of the toilet. It is interesting and shocking to some people that there still are places in the U.S. that still dont have running water. Something to think about and appreciate next time you are feeling like life is dealing you a bad hand.
The 9K that we raced was a triangle between three villages that are close together. The race started in Kasigluk-Akula, then went to Nunapichuk, then to Kasigluk-Akiuk, then back to Kasigluk-Akula. The picture above shows the first leg of the race to Nunapichuk. On the way to Nunap, the wind was in our faces and it was strong. I walked alot during this first section.
The picture above shows the second leg of the race to Kasigluk-Akiuk. During this part of the race, the wind was at my back so I ran alot more and made pretty good time. The trail was clearly marked with pieces of bushes. We just followed the bushes most of the way. Below shows the third leg of the race to Kasigluk-Akula. The village is split into two sides because the original village (the Akiuk side) is sinking. People started moving their homes to higher ground on the other side of the river (the Akula side) because they were worried about the sinking. Later they discovered that it was not sinking as fast as they originally anticipated so the movement to the other side of the river slowed down. Eventually all Kasigluk residents will need to move over to the Akula side, but for now the village is divided.
We had the intention of camping out on the tundra after the race, but as you can see in the last two pictures, the wind continued to pick up and eventually was had an all out winter blizzard on our hands. Some other friends from Bethel tried once to head back to Bethel, but turned around and decided to wait out the storm. They ended up leaving a few hours later. We ended up spending the night on the Akiuk side at a fellow teachers house. We had a huge dinner with lots of food and lots of good company. It was a fun weekend and I feel great about waoging that 9K. My foot barely hurt at all the next day! It's so good to finally be healed.
On Thursday, I tried cross country skiing for the first time ever. It was a perfect day for outdoor activity, although the snow was a little more crusty than I think would be preferable for skiing. My friends, Chris and Erin, took me out and lent me a pair of skis. They were patient with teaching me the ropes and watching me fall down.
The sun was shining brightly in the clear, crisp sky. It was about 20 degrees, which is a nice temp for a spring day here in Alaska. Because the sun is up now until about 9pm, we have many hours after work to go out and enjoy the day. It the picture above you can see the evening jet in the distance coming in for a landing over Bethel.
Then some more friends lent me skis and took me out for a night ski. It was a really great time. The original plan was for moonlit skiing under the super full moon that was happening this month, but the sky was overcast so we skied by headlamp instead. There were 7 people and two dogs along for the ride. I only fell down once this time, but earned myself some pretty intense blisters from the boots that I borrowed. I'm still debating whether I like cross country skiing enough to invest in the equipment. It's definitely a nice way to get out and get in some exercise. Number 31 on the birthday list is done.
Numbers 1,8,9,12,14,15,18,21,23,25,27, and 29 are all in progress as we speak.
Since 1999, I have kept a photo album for every year. It used to be really easy back in the days of film. I would get a roll of film developed in 4X6 glossy and slide the pictures in order into a photo album. This way my photos were always accessible and organized. Since I've gotten a digital camera, this task has gotten more difficult. Now I have to sort through all my photos, upload them to a photo printing site (I use Snapfish), then have them printed and shipped. The last time that I had taken the time to have any of my photos printed was the summer of 2009.
I've been working on sorting the photos and uploading for a couple of months, but really wanted to wait until I could finish 2010 before I placed the order. The shipping costs are the about a third of the cost so I figure I might as well just ship as many at once as possible. I ended up printing about 900 photos for about $85, plus shipping which was another $35 or so. I had the second half of 2009 to finish and all of 2010. I also printed many extra photos to share with other people, put in frames, or add to Avery's school memories book. As of now, the photo albums are caught up, but of course they're still 2011 to get around to.
a Spanish dish of rice, saffron, chicken, seafood, etc., cooked and served in a large shallow pan.
Each region of Spain has their own unique version of paella. When I lived in Spain during the summer of 2002, I lived in the Valencia region and paella was one of my favorite foods. It is cooked in a huge pan and meant to feed many people. So when I decided to try my hand at cooking paella, I knew I wanted to try to find a recipe similar to the paella that I knew and loved from the Valencia region of Spain. Paella requires some very specific ingredients, so I made a list and went shopping while I was in Anchorage over spring break. Since the clams were live, I had to cook the paella the very next day to prevent them from dying. So I spend a Sunday cooking up paella and halibut tacos, then invited some friends over to enjoy the feast. The paella turned out great and tasted just like I remember it. I just cooked it in the oven, but other than that, I pretty much followed the recipe. The most difficult thing to buy for making the dish was actually the paella pan itself. Now that I have it, I can cook it up whenever I want as long as I can get my hands on the ingredients. Here's the recipe and here's to crossing number 16 of the new birthday list...
Seafood Paella
Seafood Paella is probably the most famous and popular Spanish dish around the world. It originates in Valencia, a region on the Mediterranean coast of Spain, between Barcelona and Murcia that is known for its rice dishes. There are as many versions of paella as there are cooks in Spain!
Prep Time: 45 minutes
Cook Time: 60 minutes
Total Time: 105 minutes
Ingredients:
·1 yellow onion, diced
·2 medium tomatoes, diced
·1 whole chicken or 8 chicken drumsticks
·1 1/2 lbs pork loin (fat trimmed), cut into ¾ inch pieces
·1/2 lb calamar (squid) cleaned and sliced into rings
·Medium grain or "pearl" rice *
·4-6 cups chicken broth
·1 large pinch Saffron
·1 1/2 lbs raw mussels in shell (frozen or fresh)
·1 lb small clams (frozen or fresh)
·1 1/2 lbs raw shrimp, medium or large - shell on
·1 red pepper seeded and sliced
·1 10 oz. pkg frozen peas
·Olive Oil, Salt to Taste
Preparation:
* The exact quantity of rice will depend on the size of the pan, so have at least 1 lb of rice on hand.
This seafood paella recipe makes approximately 12 servings.
Before you start preparing paella, it's best to check you have all ingredients and gather the equipment that you'll need.
·17 inch (144cm) paella pan
·Round charcoal BBQ
·Medium sauce pan
·Sharp knife for chopping meat and vegetables
·Meat cleaver (if you use a whole chicken)
·Aluminum Foil or Large Tea Towel to Cover Paella
Cut the Chicken and Pork into Serving-Size Pieces - You'll need one whole chicken, cut into serving-size pieces or 8 chicken drumsticks. If you use a whole chicken, use a meat cleaver to cut the chicken into pieces small enough to easily mix while sautéing.
With a sharp knife, cut the pork into 3/4" pieces.
Clean the squid and remove the tentacles. Make sure to remove the innards and the "spine" and discard. Then, cut the squid into rings.
Tip: Try to buy fresh squid whenever possible. If fresh squid is not available, look for packages of squid in the frozen food section. The squid should NOT have batter or coating on them, since that type is used for frying.
Slice red pepper and chop onions and tomatoes, set aside.
Now that you have the ingredients cleaned and chopped, it's time to start the BBQ and begin cooking. When the coals on the BBQ are covered in white ash, cooking can begin.
Assemble all the ingredients on a table near the BBQ, so that you can stay in the area and monitor the cooking.
Place the paella pan on the grate and add enough olive oil to coat the bottom and allow the pan to heat up. When hot enough, sauté the onions and tomatoes in the olive oil. Add olive oil as needed to prevent sticking. Once the onions are translucent, add the chicken and cook, stirring constantly – about 15 minutes. Add pork and squid and cook, stirring often.
Add the rice, sprinkling in the form of a large cross on the pan. (Have approximately 1 lb of rice on hand for this.) Stir for 2-3 minutes to thoroughly coat the rice with oil and mix with the other ingredients.
Add saffron threads to the chicken broth and stir. Slowly pour broth into pan until pan contents are covered. Spread ingredients evenly over bottom of pan.
Arrange mussels around outside edge of pan, pointing up. Place clams and shrimp in pan, distributing them evenly around the pan. Add slices of pepper on top.
Allow to simmer, cooking rice. Add more broth if necessary. (If fire becomes too hot, raise the pan up, away from the heat.) When rice is almost cooked, sprinkle peas over the pan.
When rice is cooked, remove from heat and cover with aluminum foil or large tea towel, allowing paella to “rest” for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
Slice lemons into wedges and serve.
[blockquote shade=grur]Guide's Response to User Reviews The exact quantity of rice depends on the pan and number of people you are serving, so it is best to be prepared and have at least 1 lb of rice on hand.
Since my birthday is tomorrow, I took the opportunity today to cross number 29 off the Birthday List. Avery took me pull-boarding for my birthday.
Pull boarding is where you get pulled around by a snowmachine while riding a snow board. We had a fun time and I only fell a couple of times. Avery is pretty good at it because he does it all the time with his friends.
It was nice to spend some time doing something fun with Avery.
I'm a high school science teacher currently living my dream of teaching out in bush Alaska. I'm always up for new adventures and like to travel anywhere and everywhere. This blog is a way to keep in touch with friends and family, journal about life, and share my experiences with the world.
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