Clyde's.

In Georgetown.

Vegan.

This is the way to go if you must go vegan (which I have not, by the way).

1-2. The Veggie Grill in Irvine, California.
3-5. A delightful breakfast consisting of the best vegan pancakes in the world and beautiful fresh fruit.

Sun, surf, smoothies.

An afternoon off.

A few of my favorite Starbucks enjoyments.

... Chai latte. Although Starbucks makes them far too weak and tasteless, I had to include it on the list simply because it is my all-time favorite everywhere else.


... Toffee mocha. Desert in a cup. Good for reading old english books.


... Iced caramel macchiato. Perfect for warm Southern California days.


... Pumpkin spice latte. It's that time of the year for pumpkin goodness. Sadly, its only around about a month of the year.


...Peppermint mocha. Ah, Christmas in a cup.

You will notice I only have one tea item and that is only a fill in for something better. Clearly, Starbucks is not for tea, and believe me, I know tea.

The only reason I made this post is because Starbucks has sweet pictures of their beverages on their website. Ha.

Refreshing.

The weekend was a whirlwind. Lately, I blink and realize that a month has gone by. It needs to stop doing that or I will graduate before I know it. I'm loving this time of life too much to let it go by so quickly. My darling friend came for a long overdue visit and it was just what the doctor ordered (literally. I have a cold). Along with the beach, pumpkin pie, and tea we saw the movie Never Let Me Go. Intensely beautiful.

The October beach is an interesting thing. The clouds drove most people away except for the die hard surfers who wore full body wet suits even though the water is at its warmest of the year. There were some who with wishful thoughts still wore their bikinis and did the whole beach thing, but let's be honest, what good is that for? It was refreshing and thought-clarifying and just "aaaaaah". A breathe of fresh sea air does a world of good.

Pancake Saturdays.

Last weekend, my friends and I continued the tradition of hijacking a kitchen and enjoying some lovely homemade pancakes and tea before settling into our homework for the day. It is truly the best way to wake up on a Saturday morning.



Some friends found this mug and immediately thought of me. I like being associated with anything Gilmore Girls.

Bhakti Chai.

This is wonderful stuff.

Boulder created, Colorado native Bhakti Chai is for devotion through social action. This is my kind of chai.

Finals.

I could really use some chinese takeout about now.

PG Tips and Digestives.

Probably my favorite snack. Always. Gotta love World Market for providing these foreign treasures to satisfy my need to feel British. Cheers.

Meaningful bites to eat.

Ginger.

Big Soft Ginger Cookies





Mmmmm. So good with a cuppa chai. Keeps January spicy.

Ingredients

* 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
* 2 teaspoons ground ginger
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 3/4 cup margarine, softened
* 1 cup white sugar
* 1 egg
* 1 tablespoon water
* 1/4 cup molasses
* 2 tablespoons white sugar


Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Sift together the flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and salt. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, cream together the margarine and 1 cup sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, then stir in the water and molasses. Gradually stir the sifted ingredients into the molasses mixture. Shape dough into walnut sized balls, and roll them in the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar. Place the cookies 2 inches apart onto an ungreased cookie sheet, and flatten slightly.
3. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container.