I'll take you in my backpack

11/25/11 In the spirit of the holiday, and eating, and since I have yet to bring you a recipe from this lovely land in which I reside, I figured that I would bring you one of my favorite treats here (I need to figure out how to make this Paleo!) Any of you Paleo eaters out there if you have suggestions for recipe modifications please please send them my way! Enjoy! Okinawan Donuts (Sata Andagi) Ingredients: 4 Eggs ¾ cup milk ¾ tsp vanilla 4 cups flour 2 cups sugar 3 ½ TBSP baking powder ¼ tsp salt Directions: In a deep fryer or skillet heat oil to 350 degrees or until hot In a large bowl beat eggs, milk, and vanilla, sift in flour, sugar, baking powder and salt Add to egg mixture, stir until ingredients are moistened and dough is smooth Drop teaspoonfuls into the hot oil and fry until golden brown and donuts rise to the surface Drain on paper towel lined plates, serve hot (also good cooled down)

11/25/11 It's the day after Thanksgiving (still Thanksgiving Day in the US) and what better thing to do than zip through the trees, wind in my hair, hang upside down...really bringing out my inner primate! That's right, finally made it back to Forest Adventure! I don't know how time slipped away from me, but somehow it did and now I have 3 weeks until I leave this wonderful paradise and I had yet to make it to Forest Adventure for some zip lining. I almost forgot how much I love this place. I could literally spend all day doing this! So fun! What is not fun is the harness. It pinches, it squeezes, it bruises and if you're lucky it will leave blood blisters (isn't that the sign of a good time?!). I'm pretty sure the man who tightened mine up to his liking was into S&M. Some of my favorite things about Forest Adventure, that would never fly (ha!) in the US are: -nominal instructions prior to getting onto the course -safety, who needs safety? In the sta

11/13/11 My most recent iPhone photopia, courtesy of my brand new iphone (yay way better camera), fantastic weather, and a stunning walk in Comprehensive Park this morning! Early morning fisherman Double Shisa=double warrior protection? Small friend Only slightly larger friend Most rad flower ever

11/12/11 Birdland Cafe. I've driven past this place approximately 923843 times in the two times that I've lived on Okinawa. I've always said that I wanted to stop and try it but no one ever saw the charm that I believed was within the walls of this humble little eatery. Bottom line, from the street it looks like a dump. For Okinawa standards there is a plethora of parking, 5 or so spots on the same side as the restaurant, and then a separate lot across the street that holds about 4 spaces. Both lots require some fancy maneuvering to get in/out, but it's well worth it! The menu, all Japanese. No pictures. This means that you get to do the good old Russian Roulette method of selecting a meal, assuming you aren't picky, you won't be disappointed. The food was great, but what you really go for is the atmosphere. How you notify them that you are ready to order The inside is absolutely fabulous, little things tucked in tiny spaces that just seem

11/3/11 So this is how my Thursday evening went... After a Crossfit WOD (workout for you non-CF'ers) on Tuesday that included handstand push ups, toes to bar, and ring dips I was left very disappointed. First of all I seriously haven't done a handstand since, well, I was probably 10. The thought of it scared the crap out of me. Seriously. What if I collapsed and broke my arm, my neck, my face, my nose (again) the anxiety was building in my head. I tried a couple of times but had completed psyched myself out so I modified the workout and did incline push ups instead. After finishing the WOD I was left feeling a little bummed. I hate not being able to do something. Granted, I don't expect a handstand push up to come over night, or even in the next month or two, but being able to do one in the next year would be nice! So, tonight (Thursday evening) I rearranged my hotel room, finding "the perfect" wall. I practiced those handstands until I was almo