Need a laugh?

As Matt attempts to summit Mt. Blackburn (16, 390 ft of snow, ice, and wind), I've been busy with eating, keeping warm, working, and eating. I'm always hungry for something, and lately it's been Honey Nut Cheerios. Subway seems to always be in the back of mind tho... a constant craving that I've narrowed down to be the combo of peppercinis, mustard, and that yummy Italian Herbs and Cheese bread. My heartburn says thank God Subway is in no way near McCarthy.

This past weekend I headed to the coast with some friends to watch the Valdez airshow. It was great to get out of McCarthy for a bit and enjoy some new scenery. On Saturday night, we went to dinner at Mike's Palace, which serves anything from pasta and seafood to steaks and Mexican. It was quite the menu; however, the bathrooms were the highlight of my dining experience.

Upon looking at the toilet, I realized that it was not just an ordinary toilet ~ It had some type of Asian writing along the sides as well as buttons that looked incredibly tempting to push. As I sat down, I noticed that the buttons had little pictures to help decipher the function. Being a woman of action, I quickly skimmed the buttons and picked the one that seemed most intriguing: the button that had a girl's face on it. I pushed the button. The toilet made a noise. In an instant, I was being hosed down, or rather, hosed up, and the sensation surprised me enough that I shot up off the toilet. At this point, water was still squirting up at me, so I pressed myself against the bathroom stall in an effort to escape the shower. My pants were down; the toilet seat cover was stuck to my thigh; water sprayed the entire stall; and I was soaked. Good thing I had on my raincoat. I almost died laughing.
Needless to say, I came out of that bathroom with a huge grin on my face.  People must have thought I fell in. Of course, I made sure to have my girlfriend try it, but I made it clear that she had to stay on the toilet, no matter what.

The second, and most amazing highlight of our trip was when we found.... SUBWAY! Yes, Valdez does have Subway and you can bet that I ate there, not once, but twice. Every bite was worth the heartburn for sure. J

Home Sweet Home, McCarthy style!

Bags are unpacked. Water has been pumped. Walls have been scrubbed. Just many of the chores Matt and I have had since we've arrived here in McCarthy. Though there is still snow on the ground, the sun continues to come out and play, and doesn't seem to set now until 10:00 or so. We are getting settled in for sure, but the food cravings seemed to have multiplied since there's an absence of a quick fix ~ mainly, Taco Bell and Subway!  Oh, what I'd do for a Double-Decker Taco Supreme or a Veggie and cheese sam'ich on italian herbs and cheese bread! Yesterday, pepperoni pizza would not leave my mind, and due to the lack of Domino's delivery, or even Digiorno for that matter, I was on a mission for home-made pizza. 

Now, I must admit that baking has never been a talent of mine. Bread making, in particular, has always been intimidating, so I have a special fondness for my bread maker. McCarthy, however, doesn't allow for such pidly appliances as a bread machine. So, for the summer of 2011, I will face my fear of bread making and will take on such challenges as whole wheat, focaccia, and bagels. Oh dear. 

Back to the pizza dilemma. Home-made pizza dough. How hard can it be? Actually, and to my delight,  it was quite easy. And delicious (to Matt's delight!)! It required about 15 minutes of prep work and an hour or so for rising, and then a beautiful and exquisite creation of pepperoni, onions, canned 'shrooms, and red peppers came together. It was a beautiful thing. 

For those of you who are also intimidated by such things as pizza dough, I have included the recipe I used. So face your 'dough' fears and create your own concoctions of carbohydrate goodness. 

Happy Baking!

Pizza Dough (taken from Bread Winners, by Mel London)

For the leavening:

1 package of dry yeast

1/2 c warm water

1/2 tsp honey

For the dough:

4-5 c whole wheat flour

1 Tbl oil

1 c water

Dissolve yeast in 1/2 cup warm water, add 1/2 teaspoon honey and stir. Let stand for about 10 minutes to become active. 

Put 4 cups of flour in a large mixing bowl, stir in oil, 1 cup water, and yeast mixture. Mix thoroughly. Coat your hands with flour and turn out the dough onto a floured surface or board. Knead thoroughly for 8 to 10 minutes. Divide the dough in half- you should have 2 pieces that weigh about 1 1/2 pounds each (or 4 pieces of 3/4 lb. each). Form the dough into balls and place on a floured surface, cover with a towel and let them rise to double (about 1 hour). (Dough makes roughly enough for 2 large or 4 small pizzas and can be frozen for another time). 

Punch them down and form 2 circles. On the floured surface, roll out each circle with a rolling pin to fit a  16-inch or 8-inch circular tray. When the circle is approx. the right size, place it on the circular tray and shape it exactly to the size of the tray. Using your fingers and pressing into the edges of the dough, make a small raised ridge all around the circle to hold the sauce. Preheat oven to 500*. Decorate your pizza with chosen toppings, place pizza on lowest oven shelf, and bake for 10 minutes or until desired crispness is achieved.

Goodbye California!

And we're off! Our adventure has begun with the 1st leg of our trip starting in Oregon visiting family and friends. Today we head North as we attempt to cover 2471 miles to McCarthy. We have 5 days to get there... 48 hours worth of driving... and lots of potty breaks for Miss Preggo and Harley the Dog. Our truck  is packed to the brim, and the risk of a speeding ticket is just about non-existent due to the truck barely breaking 60 mph.
So, as we make our way towards Canada, much like the availability of Starbucks, internet will be out of reach. Stay tuned for a McCarthy arrival post around the 26th or so. Until then, check out the company's website to get the low-down on what Matt and I will be doing this summer and where we'll be:
www.steliasguides.com

I'll post some pics of McCarthy as well. Alrighty, time to get on the road. See you in Alaska!

And baby makes three!

Holy moly, I can't hold the news in any longer! After almost 11 years of being together, Matt and I are starting a family! We are 10 weeks into our 1st pregnancy, and so far so good! We got to see our little sea monkey today at our dr. appt, and the strong heartbeat and the crazy ninja moves that the little kiddo was doing was amazing! The head, the body, feet, and arms... there's actually a lil' Vial brewin'. Wow. Craziness. And yet so perfectly right. J 

Stay tuned for baby bump updates, pics, and all other nuggets of goodness! YAY!!! 

What happens in Santa Fe stays in Santa Fe...

Despite the packing and cleaning and blah blah blah that must be done before I head North, I instead, will be heading to Santa Fe, NM tomorrow to celebrate my good friend's bachelorette status. What kinds of shenanigans can one get into in Santa Fe you ask? Spas and food and bubbly... and, of course, booty shakin' to name a few. Yes, I think it will be a perfect way to get me geared up for the big trip ahead.

Congratulations Miss Dana... I can't wait to celebrate with you this weekend!

Hello and welcome to my blog! Summer is quickly approaching, as is my trip to Alaska, so I thought that a blog would be a fun way to share my crazy summer adventures with you all. So check back often, share a comment or two, and enjoy the ride!