Minnesota is green, lush and gorgeous in the summer time. Just a walk around the nearest lake and you can see some beauty in the smallest places. Here are some pictures form this weekend taken by the nerds in the household. Back soon with a long post!
Adventures in Science Fiction Reality...CONvergence 2016
It's that time of year again. When CONvergence has come and gone, all that remains is memories. But, like 16 years worth in my case. In the past I have hosted parties at CONvergence. They are huge, expensive, amazing undertakings. I took the year off this time around and tried to just enjoy being an attendee. The last couple of years of parties had coincided with the release of my Sci-Fi Novels. I didn't release a full length novel this year but I did put out a little short ebook about some of my previous CON adventures which you can find here: Adventures in Science Fiction Reality
It's the story of a girl who without meaning to be so, is sort of an idiot. By accident.
Please have a read, laugh at my misery.
There are so many things to see and do at CON, I can never keep up. I visited all the parties, attended some panels, art show, dealer's room, Vilification Tennis (always amazing), went to the dance, visited the Space Lounge. And I get nowhere near doing everything.
Here are some of my snaps this year!
Book Review: The Fireman
The Fireman by Joe Hill
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
As with much of Joe Hill's writing, this is an odd book. Not to be confused with being a bad book, just odd. There are a lot of weird cultural references, new and old. J.K. Rowling dies a hero(of course). A reference to The Road is made and it's one of the first times I've ever seen anyone write about it in a way I feel about that book. Humanity's inevitable doom not withstanding, you should read this if you like Mary Poppins references, sarcasm and Martha Quinn(yes, you read that correctly).
View all my reviews
How to Order Vegan Part 3: Indian Food
Today in my third part of How to Order Vegan we’re going to cover some but likely not all, Indian food. There are so many types of Indian food that I doubt I could get it all. I mean the country does have a billion people in it so, probably they’ve created more types of food than my tiny brain can comprehend.
However, I am going to try to give you some advice for ordering in Indian restaurants or Indian fusion restaurants. The great part of this is that a large part of the population of India is vegetarian. It is part of their largest religion to honor animals and not to consume them. This usually means it’s not too hard to find vegetarian and vegan food in Indian places.
*All the delicious things at Namaste Cafe.
That said there are a few things to look for:
-Indian breads such as roti & naan are amazing. Many of them are made with butter. If you ask you can generally find out easy enough and they can be made with oil instead. Some also contain milk products so you’ll want to check on that as well.
-Ghee is a clarified butter commonly used in Indian cooking. Many vegetarian dishes contain Ghee so make sure to check that your dish is free of butter.
-Paneer is a word for types of cheese used in Indian cooking. It is a popular vegetarian dish but if you’re looking for something vegan you'll want to steer clear.
-Most curries and Chana type dishes, Chana Aloo and Chana Masala, are based in coconut milk. Which is delicious, healthy and accents spices. So if your dish looks creamy and you are told it’s coconut milk, you are in the clear.
*Chana Saag from Gorkha Palace.
-There are many ways to garnish Indian dishes. Chutneys are remarkable mixtures to dress up food. You will want to look out for yogurt based ones. A lot of them are made with coconut milk but if it’s creamy, I’d double check.
*Tremendous pile of food from New India in Austin, Texas.
*Side note: Indian food can be HOT as HELL if you want it to be. If you’re more on the mild side, be warned when asked about spice level. Hotter can be VERY HOT. I love it but I know not everyone wants to melt their face off.
*Art by The Playful Indian.
-If you can get it vegan, you should have Dal soup. It is wonderful. It can be hard to come by vegan as the lentils are often cooked in ghee beforehand.
-I don't feel that I need to get into the "avoid meat part" of this too much. I think you know that is the first step. The last bit I can suggest is that appetizers are one of the best parts of Indian food. Getting to stuff your face with pakoras and samosas is about as wonderful as appetizers can get. I have never had this happen personally, but I have been told that on occasion the breading is made with diary or chicken stock. If you have have any questions about this, ask your server. They will either know or will go find out for you.
With that, I heartily encourage you to explore Indian food. It is unmatched for aromatic magic as far as I am concerned.
Art in Bloom and the Origins of Gardens
I went to this year’s Art in Bloom and of course, love being surrounded by the art and flowers.
But it also sparked a curiosity as to where gardening came from and how it started. So I did a little poking around and found a few interesting bits.
Gardening was first used for food and later moved to growing plants for medicinal purposes. The first known being called Forest Gardening. Generally near water sources. Hazardous plants, shrubs and vines would be identified and removed by whoever was tending to the area.
Moving into places like Ancient Egypt, gardens were built to honor gods and please deities.
Wealthy Egyptians also planted gardens to create shade around themselves and their homes.
Indoor planting began to take place as a way to clean the air of spirits. Filling temples with flowers and plants to please the gods and goddesses.
Growing vines became popular to create wine for the wealthy leisure class of Egyptians.
Assyrians were well-known for their magnificent gardens in ancient times as well.
The Black Death is responsible for the rise of gardening in the 13th century as so many people died more land became available for gardening.
The biggest difference between gardening and farming tends to be that gardening is done for beauty as opposed to purpose.
Some pictures from Art in Bloom at the M.I.A.
Flowers, Flowers and Probably More Flowers
As I am working on a long blog post enjoy some snaps from this year's Macy's Flower show: America the Beautiful. It took place back in April. It wasn't quite as large of an exhibit as it has been but there was some neat things to see. Be back soon with a long post!
Curiosities and Oddities Collection
I've been happily restocking my little ETSY shop with what I've decided is my contribution to the world of wearable oddities. I've used so many new types of materials. Well, not new actually, some are very old. New to me I suppose.
Objects made with real scrimshaw bone fragments, replica compasses, heavy weight Druzy Crystals, vintage rosary beads, keys that are nearly 100 years old, jade, onyx, quartz, Rhodochrosite, Vintage German Lucite, stone skulls, black sand and all things to make unique, conversation starter jewelry. (You'll also find some Blade Runner inspired and Sherlock Holmes) More details at: GirlyGeekChic.
Time Travel Thursday: Talamanca Reserve, Costa Rica
Going back through my travel posts as I've gotten completely off track with them: I realized that I never even posted my favorite place that I stayed in Costa Rica at the end of January this year. I had some genuine adventures in the jungles and on the wild beaches but when we headed into the mountains to Cerro Chirripó, I was so in love. This is Costa Rica's highest mountain range and it is covered in what is called cloud forest. Meaning the elevation is so high that the land is often veiled in clouds. It is so beautiful and so ethereal it is like being in another dimension. The place is teeming with birds and butterflies all in the brightest, most magical of colors. Flowers grow in abundance and the hiking gives you glimpses of breathtaking sights. And when you are all worn out at the end of the day you can stay at Talamanca Reserve. A gorgeous, comfortable haven nestled into the mountains with luxurious accommodations that included hot water showers(solar powered), gourmet food and a great bar. They accommodated my vegan diet with a variety of delicious and healthy dishes. The cabin was near a river that as you walked you passed dozens of plants and species of butterflies. In one short walk I must've caught a look at over 30 kinds of moths and butterflies. I cannot recommend this place enough. The staff was phenomenal to us and took care of everything as well as answering our millions of questions. I had a hard time picking through my pictures to share. So here is some and the next thing will be Cloudbridge Reserve which you can hike to from Talamanca.
Happy Adventures!
I HAVE THE POWER!!! Or a little about female action figures.
I collect female action figures. This all really started when I couldn’t find Eowyn from the Lord of the Rings movies. I was more than a little miffed that there was finally going to be a sword wielding ass kicker in one of the biggest movies ever made and I could not find her anywhere.
Over 20 years ago now, I bought myself my first action figures. It was an X-Files set that I still own. I loved Agent Scully and her unending skepticism no matter what she witnessed. Growing up I had Barbies. Lots of them. My mother loved Barbies and my brother had G.I. Joe and plenty of other superhero type guys. My mom was all about gender oriented toys. I don’t believe this was intentional, I think she was simply a product of her generation of women. My sisters and I never even considered that we also couldn’t let our toys have superhero powers, constantly making up elaborate story lines and having absolutely no problem with being able to kick the crap out of any villain, male or female. Our giant Barbies would date tiny G.I. Joes whenever Ken wasn’t available. But as I got older and started to read more and more, I started to realize that Barbie was not going to cut it anymore. I didn’t relate to her corvette, dream house and endless desire to be a cheerleader. I had Jem for a while, but as someone who has never felt the need to be a rock-star, I lost interest in her pretty quickly.
That’s when I met She-Ra. My mother started buying me She-Ra story books in grade school and when I made the honor roll, the action figures. I loved them and let me tell you, I wish I still had them. She-Ra had a sword, rode a flying unicorn, and could match her brother He-Man blow to blow with the bad guys. Around the same time my aunt started to send me Star Wars stuff and I dressed as Princess Leia for Halloween more than once. A friend’s mother would put my hair up for every holiday in her trademark braided buns. She was the ultimate Princess to me. She was the boss, resourceful, and got to wear a spectacular space dress when she felt like it. I will say I never really got her attraction to Han Solo as a kid. Then you grow up and realize that we can idiotically be attracted to “Bad Boys.” Whatever. Leia put Han in his place when he needed it, and I thought she was all the more awesome for it.
Fast forward a decade, Agent Scully comes into my life and then I start to realize there’s really something important here. A toy that represents something that wasn’t known to me as child. That I could be a smart, capable career woman of some kind. That’s why these toys matter. Because if you don’t know you could be a doctor or a hero of some sort you won’t ever consider it. For the longest time, and even now, it’s hard to find toys for females that cover the endless possibilities of growing up. No one ever doubts a male can be a hero but a female? Maybe not. Maybe she should only be in well-defined traditional roles? Well, if that’s what she wants then so be it. But all the options should be offered to everyone. And that includes in toys.
I don’t have a huge collection of female action figures. Maybe 30 or 35. But they all mean something to me. I noticed recently that I knew where they all came from, what stories they were from, or in some cases (like my Cleopatra figure) what time in history. What I didn’t know was anything about the history of the action figure toy itself. So I did a little research. And where it’s easy to find out what the first attempt at a female action figure was, it’s pretty hard to find much about it after that. I’m still looking into it. I have a lot of questions, including things like what was the first African-American Female Action Figure?
Here’s a little information for you to start:
-1959 Barbie is released by Mattel
-1964 Hasbro creates the phrase “Action Figure” and releases G.I. Joe
-1967 Hasbro releases what is thought to be the first action figure for females and is the first female G.I. Joe. Action Nurse. She is a complete failure. Girls don’t want to play with G.I. Joes and boys don’t want to play with dolls.
-1975 Marvel creates Storm and she is the first African-American Female in a feature role in a comic.
-1978 First Princess Leia action figure released by Kenner
-1997 G. I. Joe releases a second female action figure, a helicopter pilot.
-A friend of mine randomly found Eowyn for me in a Target she stopped at on a road trip some 10 years ago.
"Houston, we have a problem."
The news has been filled with amazing space things lately. From Scott Kelly returning from a year on the ISS to Space X landing a rocket successfully, it’s a renewed and exciting time to keep your eyes turned upwards.
I love visiting NASA facilities, any space related exhibits, museums, etc..I love to learn about the great adventurers of our time. I have to say I do often feel a sense of sad wistfulness that I will never go to space. My most recent visit at the end of January was to Johnson Space Center in Houston. It was glorious. This was somewhere I had wanted to go as a kid and many of my friends went. We never had money for vacations and as such rarely went out of town. Traveling is a pretty big deal to me no matter where it may be. When it happens to be somewhere that is the site of monumental human achievement: all the better!
To add to this I recently watched American Spacemen and followed it up with the movie The Right Stuff. I don’t often use fictional retellings as a point of reference but according to those involved in this movie the story is pretty close to reality. It shows the parallels of the American Space program and Chuck Yaegar breaking the sound barrier.
American Spacemen also tells the story of a Minneapolis company that helped break altitude records and was pioneered strongly by a woman(I feel a vested interest in this, being a female and all). There is a great article about it here: High Altitude Balloon Innovation
My visit to the Space Center was epic. It included a tour of not only mission control, you know: “Houston, we have a problem” but also the Vehicle Mock-up Building where all the astronauts come to learn how to use space equipment and the warehouse that stores the last Saturn V rocket that never got to launch because Nixon cut the budget. There is also a stray photo of the deer that live on the grounds. There were more animals as NASA does all that it can to preserve it’s surrounding environment. In fact, in Florida, all the grounds that belong to NASA are an animal sanctuary and protected space.
As Neil Degrasse Tyson would say: Never stop looking up. (I also listened to his Great Course Lecture Series…wonderful. You can find it here: My Favorite Universe.)
The Girl With All The Gifts
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/19418277-the-girl-with-all-the-gifts">The Girl With All the Gifts: Extended Free Preview by M.R. Carey
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Oh, Zombies.
I've read World War Z (I did like this), Zombie Survival Guide, a crap ton of Walking Dead, Marvel Zombies, Pride Prejudice and Zombies, Graveminder-the point is-I've tried and I just don't get into zombie stuff.
Walking Dead drove me nuts because I can only read/watch people making bad choices for so long. I know zombies are biologically impossible. Half my family is in the medical profession and they always treat the CDC in these stories as if they are the dumbest people in the world as opposed to what they actually are: the most intelligent. I get that it's a statement on the human condition but one only needs to read the news to also grow exhausted reading about it for amusement.
The dumb part is, I like vampire books. I've read so many vampire books, I made my friends intervene (no joke). Perhaps it's like classic rock: you can like the Rolling Stones or the Beatles but you can't truly love both.
My friend did not tell me what this book was about, giving it to me because I love Lucifer, which is also written by M.R. Carey. I have to be genuinely surprised by a book these days to be completely impressed by it. I know, I am a snot.
This book blew me away with its unique rendering of a brave new world after the zombie apocalypse. It didn't presume people were stupid, it didn't presume they were without heart or only possessed with dysfunctional decision making skills. It walks the thin line of horror based in reality successfully. Something that I find more unsettling than all out gore. Telling a story that blurs the lines as to who gets to be deemed living or not living. And what it really means to be a civilized human being.
View all my reviews
How to Order Vegan Part 2
I am back with the second part of my How to Order Vegan posts. You can find the first post here: How to Order Vegan Part 1.
In this installment of how to order vegan we are going to cover Mexican food, Mediterranean food, and Pizza.
Growing up on the Mexican border, I spent a fair amount of time eating in Mexico. I love Mexican food. That said, living this far North can make it a little tricky to find true Mexican food. Be that as it may, the variations including Tex-Mex share some similar features in recipes. These tips tend to be things that can carry over into all the types of Mexican and Tex-Mex you come across. There are always the obvious things: no cheese, no meat. Likely it will include no sour cream as well. This is especially important since most sour cream is not even vegetarian as it contains gelatin.
Other things to note:
-Rice can be cooked in chicken stock
-Beans can be cooked in an animal stock
-Mole is rendered with lard
-Tamales and Enchiladas can often be made vegan if they are made fresh. If they are made in advance they will often have cheese or beef stock in them.
-Tortillas can be fried in lard
-Double check that guacamole does not have cheese added to it
That said, there is almost always something that can be vegan at a Mexican/Mexican-like restaurant.
Enchiladas and…
tostadas from Nico's Taco Bar.(Drinks, food and patio! Woohoo!)
I don’t get to travel as much as I’d like. Probably a lot of people will say that. However, they likely won’t say that they try falafel everywhere they do get to go. I do. I love falafel and it’s many trappings- hummus, tahini, fresh chopped veggies.
*Art by Moonfruit Comics
Mediterranean Food is an excellent vegan food and it’s not too terrible for you either. I know it might seem that gyros(lamb), chicken, and beef dominate this type of cuisine but they most certainly do not have to.
Grilled veggies abound and a lot of things are based in chickpeas and sesame seeds. Eggplant is also a prevalent ingredient.
Things to check for include:
-Nearly all falafel is cooked in grapeseed oil or olive oil. It can also be baked(Egyptian style)-on occasion it is cooked with an animal stock in it.
-Greek salad is easily made vegan by leaving off feta cheese
-Avoiding things that have yogurt. Sometimes you can get tzatziki sauce without diary but not always. Definitely ask about this if this is what you want.
-I’ve on occasion run into hummus having gelatin in it. This is a rare occurrence but not impossible.
-Ask if rice is free of chicken stock
-Various types of samosas and dolmas are out there but you can run into ones having meat in them. It never hurts to double check.
Mediterranean food is an excellent way to dine out vegan. All the places I’ve tried falafel have their own way of making it from varying spices, cooking methods and sauces. I’ve even had it wrapped up with a thin tortilla type wrap, filled with hot sauce and grilled(yum).
I also find it to be great comfort food. If I am feeling especially bad, most places offer french fries as a side and dipping those in hummus that is usually fresh made can make anyone more cheerful.
Falafel from Holy Land in the Midtown Global Market.
The final part of this second installment we’ll go over everyone’s favorite: PIZZA!
It’s a great time to be vegan as more places than ever offer at least SOMETHING for an option. This has not always been the case, sadly.
If you go to a place like Pizza Nea or Pizza Luce around the Twin Cities you can even get alternative meat options including, at Pizza Nea, choices from the first vegan butcher shop, Herbivorous Butcher.
But, the reality is more often that there is not alternative meat or faux cheese options. That does not mean that you cannot have a delicious meal. One of my favorites in town is from Punch Pizza called the Gigi. It’s simply thin crust, olive oil, garlic, tomatoes and basil. I often add mushrooms and artichoke hearts to it as well. It’s divine.
Things to look for:
-Ask if the crust is vegan because it can contain lard making it not even vegetarian. This tends to be true more for the cracker-style crust pizzas rather than Neapolitan-style or deep dish.
-Cheese can have rennet in it which is an enzyme that comes from animals, again making it not even vegetarian.
-Make sure sauce is meat and cheese free. Chunky tomato sauce tends to be a good bet if you’re unsure.
-Bianca sauce can be difficult to find vegan. Luckily for Minneapolis, you can go to Galactic Pizza and have their aromatic, melty perfection.
*An extra thing to note: If you have the option of a seasonal veggie pizza, I would go for it. This usually means the freshest possible ingredients. Minnesota has amazing mushroom pizzas for this very reason. If you haven’t had morels on a pizza you are missing out.
Gigi pizza from Punch Pizza.
I’m working on Part 3 which will include Indian food and it’s vast varieties! Happy EATING!
Midnight Special
A fair number of the last few superhero movies have a left a bad mark on my love for the genre. The rampant sexism is not helping. Even with Wonder Woman finally appearing in DC's latest disaster they couldn't help the "I thought she came with you" comment.
And as much as I enjoy the Avengers movies I am close to finding them tiresome. Too much CGI, too many big stars who are themselves and not the characters-yawn, yawn, yawn.
So, I went to see Midnight Special last night. It is wonderful. It is quiet, thoughtful sci-fi and strangely possessed of moments that feel as though they are happening in real life. It's a small budget movie and as it often seems for that reason more gets poured into it from the people working on it. It's nice to see something that is not a franchise nor just a remake of something that didn't need resurrection in the first place.
Unicorn Art Show
Last Thursday I stopped into the Casket Arts building in Minneapolis. I had not been there before. It's super cool. Filled with artist's studios and unique spaces.
They were hosting a Unicorn Art show. The second one to happen there apparently. I am sad to say I missed the first one but this second one full of sparkles and glorious manes was magic(of course).
I need to get better at keeping my eyes open for art invites. I love going to see art but since I'm not an art "insider" as it were it's not always something I know about happening. There is a huge art scene here. It's something I like a great deal about the Twin Cities but it's also something that is hard for me to be apart of. I nearly always find some gems at these shows. If only I had endless money and space...
What to Eat Wednesday: Madison, Wisconsin
I've written about eating in Madison before, right here. The food is pretty great in this pretty great town. My most recent trip there a few weeks ago was no exception.
I've been to the Green Owl Cafe in the past but I don't recall having had a dessert that they serve. Well, I had one this time, a vegan Chocolate Lava cake with ice cream and it was scrumptious. I have not had a dessert that good and perfect and fabulously rich in some time. Dinner was tasty as well. In particular, the Vegan Caesar Salad with grilled lemony tofu. It's a cute place, casual. Most of Madison is casual and laid back.
A favorite place to eat in Madison is Monty's Blue Plate Diner. I love breakfast here and actually, had the almond milk vegan french toast for dinner one night. Other yummies: Vegan Country Breakfast, Vegan Curry and sandwiches.
Even though I love eating at Monty's I have to have coffee from EVP Coffee in the morning. A friend introduced me to this place and now I even bring it home with me from my visits.
A place new to my palate on this visit was a trip to The Roman Candle. They had these breadsticks that made my mouth super happy and the pizza was fantastic. They make a spicy sauce on a pizza called the Vegan Destroyer. Absolutely worth a stop.
Happy Eating! In Madison!
5 Year ETSY Anniversary!
My 5 year ETSY anniversary is coming up on April 11th.
To celebrate I am offering 25% off in my shop with coupon code: HOORAY25
It runs until April 16th.
Visit my shop here: GirlyGeekChic!
Snaps From a Vegan/Vegetarian Pizza Party
Pie day is a big deal these days. I have a friend who has been celebrating it for some time.
He is amazing and makes tons of handmade tossed crust veg pizzas for all his guests.
This weekend was the party and it was aces.
Du Nord Distillery
A few weeks ago, my friend took us to learn how to make vodka at Du Nord Craft Spirits.
I've had cocktails here before but this is the first time I've gone on the tour.
I really like their version of the Moscow Mule....onto what we learned that day!
Lessons learnt include:
Not many people know who Ernest Hemingway is-(just us)
Even fewer know who F. Scott Fitzgerald is-(again, just us)
Even though it seems obvious that Du Nord seems like it means North, lots of people could not put that together. (Obvious to...us!)(We are proof drinking vodka makes you s-m-a-r-t)
Making vodka is not particularly safe.
Vodka is pretty much poison.
We are better at drinking vodka than making vodka.
Of the three things Du Nord produces, we all agreed the Apple Liqueur was the best. By a lot.
We are all too lazy to make vodka.
Check them out if you're in town. It's a cool, unique place complete with games and a shuffleboard table.
A Bit of Geeky Madison
I have been to Madison, Wisconsin many times at this point in my life. It's on the way to Chicago which tends to be a place Minnesotans go a lot for trips and shows and the like. Madison is a great little town. The Austin, Texas of the Midwest: oddball, artist friendly, liberal and full of kind people.
Just walking around it is a nice experience it's self. There's plenty of shops to stop in and old buildings to admire. There's good coffee and great food.
I've stayed at various places on different visits but I think the place I stayed this time was my favorite. The Mendota Lake House B & B was a quaint place owned by two men who live in town. They went through the trouble to make fresh, vegan blueberry scones in the morning and they were quite good. There was also hot tea service every night. It's on the water so the view is top notch from the house. Have a look:
More of Madison:
Next Time I'll do vegan food suggestions! Happy Day!
Geek Craft Expo ..SUCCESS!
When I said I wanted to do my first craft show I really did not know what to expect. I tried not to hope for too much with the exception of myself getting a lot done. This got a bit sidelined with a serious elbow injury but somehow and with some great help I managed to pull it off. GeekCraft Expo turned out to be a great experience. It helps that it was in Madison, Wisconsin which is a great place all on it's own. I met nice people, I sold lots of jewelry and books(I even signed a few) and I saw old friends. I'll do a separate post on Madison later because the food is always amazing. Some snapshots from the weekend.
I hope to do more shows in the future and I am currently basking in the happy afterglow.
Happy Geekery!