It's been a long time...

Since you've seen our smiling face(s)

It's been a long time

Since we've seen a sunny day.

But we don't mind

No we don't

As long as we've got you next to me (us)

Ok, badly paraphrased/altered Cake lyrics aside...it's been WAY too long since we actually did anything on this blog. Sputnik and I are taking action to correct this. We have recommitted ourselves to regular posting. I know what you're thinking. Undoubtably it's something along the lines of "We've heard this before. Two years ago you said this same thing and nothing changed. You've had this blog for years now and we've only seen a handful of posts. You guys suck at blogging!" Or maybe that's not at all what you're thinking. Maybe you're ticking off types of cheese in your head or rehashing a recent fight with your lover or planning your supreme take over of the world. I wouldn't know. I'm not a very accomplished Occlumens. 

Anyway, this time we're for real. We have a plan and intend to carry it through. We've actually even set up strategies for ourselves to make it happen. And we're informing you so you can bug the crap out of us if we don't keep our word. So from now on you should expect new posts every Thursday. 

Some will be by me (Jade) alone, some by Sputnik, and some by both of us. From me you can expect several posts chronicling the trip I just took with my visiting parents around Botswana, Zambia, and Zimbabwe as well as a few musings on travel in general and trips I'm in the process of planning. I won't speak for Sputnik but from the two of us you can expect to hear about the trip we're planning for the end of this year/beginning of next year, a false start trip we were thinking about and the trip we're planning for 2016 (this one is a small but super exciting). 

For now I'll leave you with a picture of a lion picking its nose. See you next week!

~Jade

Mmm...boogers!

Butterbeer

Jade and Sputnik tasting frozen butterbeer at Universal Studios

This is where our dorkiness comes through. Butterbeer is one of the most amazing drinks you will ever have. I've been fantasizing about its flavor since I was 12 years old. Last April I finally got my chance when Sputnik and I spent a week in Orlando with our friend Ash Tree. At some time I'm sure we'll go into detail about the whole trip but for now I'd like to focus on the butterbeer.

If you don't know, butterbeer is a beverage of wizards and witches from Harry Potter. The first time Harry tastes it he thought "it was the most delicious thing he'd ever tasted and seemed to heat every bit of him from the inside." J.K. Rowling was quoted in Bon Appetite as saying "I imagine it to taste a little bit like less-sickly butterscotch."

With the opening of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios Orlando Island's of Adventure, many fans (myself included) were particularly excited to finally taste the brew. Universal's version is not exactly what's described in the books but it's pretty darn good.

The version in the book should be slightly alcoholic; not enough to effect a teenager but plenty to get a house elf wasted. Since Universal's is mostly (I believe) aimed towards children there's no booze. Harry and his friends drink butterbeer two ways, cold in a bottle or hot in a mug. Again, the theme park has a different take. The only option is in a mug either chilled or frozen. Both are delicious. I feel the differences can be forgiven since the park has their own perogative.

Ash Tree and Jade enjoying some homemade butterbeer

About a month after our trip, Ash Tree and I made some of our own based on a recipe found here: http://wizardingworldpark.com/top-5-butterbeer-recipes/2010/08/20/  If you're interested in making it, we used recipe number1. This came very close to what we had at the park. One of the things I like best about this recipe is it can be served warm and easily be made alcoholic (instead of rum extract use actual rum) to more closely resemble what is described in the book. This version was so good Sputnik and I made a batch to celebrate Harry Potter's birthday at the end of July. We can't wait to find another occasion to make it or get the opportunity to return to Universal!

~Jade