Pennsylvania Road Trip

Am I a weirdo for dedicating a blog post to a trip I haven’t gone on yet? If I am, yay for the weirdos! My best friend and I have been texting back and forth about our trip to Hershey, PA. I did a lot of research about flights, hotels, food, entertainment, etc. The cheapest route for us would be for me to fly to Nebraska and meet her there, drive to Pennsylvania, visit Hershey, drive back to Nebraska, and then fly home. The drive from Omaha to Hershey is approximately 17 hours long. I’m usually not a big fan of road trips BUT my bestie makes an excellent travel buddy. We have the craziest stories and the best moments happen when we’re driving so why not? 🙂 We plan on driving through Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio before we hit Pennsylvania. Being the micromanaging planner that I am, I’ve complied a list of all the places I want to go in each state. Sadly Iowa and Indiana don’t have any places that I know of. Does anyone know of any cool spots or good food in those two states? Help a sister out will ya?

I’m definitely going food crazy in Illinois and Ohio. For Illinois I want to inhale any type of Chicago style food that I can get my hands on. Portillo’s stands at #1 for me but I’m open to all suggestions. If anyone has them, let me know! We’ll be real close to the Chicago area. In Ohio, I plan on indulging any type of cassata cake as well as paying a visit to the Chocolate Bar and Lola’s. I’m really excited to visit Lola’s since it’s owned by Iron Chef Michael Symon. He is a beast..and rightly so. We’ll be close to the Cleveland area. I believe we’ll also be in Pittsburgh before we hit Hershey so a Roethlisburger is a must. I’m not a Steelers fan BUT it looked really good in the pictures. Yes, I’m super lame. I’m perfectly content with that though!

I’m still racking my brain trying to find places in Iowa and Indiana. I came up with nada. Seriously, someone help! I can’t wait for this road trip. It’s going to be awesome. We’re going to Chocolate World, Hershey Park, and the Chocolate Spa. We’re also going to inhale all the good food in between. The year needs to hurry up already cause I’m ready to go.

Fail Sweetly,
Justina

What kind of traveler are you?

My friend and I were discussing travel plans for 2015. We both seem to have big plans in place and got to talking about the different kind of travelers there are. So my question to you is, what kind of traveler are you?

The Jet-Setter – You’re confident and poise. You take charge when needed but tend to go with the flow. You absorbed the beauty, culture, and cuisine each place has to offer.
The Shit-Talker – You hate where you’re going but you agree to go anyway (WHY?!). You constantly talk about how much you hate wherever it is you are. You nag and nag and want to go home the second you know you’re going.
The Antsy-Pantsy – You’re anxious and worried. You don’t like change and the unknown. You can’t stand not knowing what is going to happen when and it constantly bugs you. Will there be a typhoon? Hurricane? Tornado? No, thanks!

We only came up with three because those are the three that I feel best describes me. I’m great at absorbing different cultures and cuisines as well as soaking up the beauty. However, there are certain places I always tell myself I will never go (Nebraska) but end up going. It’s really not that bad! I wasn’t in town for tornado season but it was alright. I did get a lot of anxiety on the flight there because the plane was super small and there were lots of people. I was so anxious that during my visit to Nebraska, I went to get my bags after I landed in Colorado. Then a nice gentleman told me that my bags wouldn’t be there because I’m going to Nebraska. Thanks, nice guy! Has that happened to you? haha I’m genuinely curious. What kind of traveler are you?

Fail Sweetly,
Justina

Omaha, Nebraska trip!

I want to finish my Catalina posts but somehow my pictures got deleted from my photo account so I have to upload everything all over again. I’m too lazy for that at the moment so I’ll go ahead with my Nebraska post. About two weeks ago I went to visit my best friend in Omaha, Nebraska. It was my first flight by myself and it was weird. I flew out of John Wayne airport (probably the nicest and smallest I’ve seen so far). The pilot that flew me from OC to Denver was awesome. I had a great flight. The pilot that flew me from Denver to Omaha, not so much. The plane kept shaking and I seriously thought we were going to crash. That and my ears kept popping and in the end, my right ear was fine but my left ear wouldn’t go back to normal which irritated me. The flight back was fine. The pilots weren’t horrible but they were okay. The first one was the best. When we landed in Denver, I didn’t feel a thing. No bump or skid. He was a pro.

That’s the best friend and I sitting in her truck outside of Wenninghoff’s. It’s a indoor farmers market in Omaha. It was pretty neat to see all the veggies they grow there. The tomatoes were huge! We bought raspberry cider, honey, zucchinis, green beans, and some corn.

This is a small corn field we drove past on the fwy.

Mr Cigar ice cream from Ted & Wallys. It taste like mocha with chocolate chips and possibly tobacco. It was pretty tasty.

Dinner that my best friend and her hubby made. Her hubby grilled the steak and corn and she made bacon wrapped scallops and stir fried zucchini. It was freakin delicious!

After our steak dinner we baked for her hubby and his friends. We made mini banana chocolate chip muffins, mini pumpkin cream cheese muffins, white chocolate blueberry cookies, and chocolate chip oatmeal cookies.

The goodies before they were cooked.

Goodies to take back home. I got some jerky from the meat market (Nebraska jerky is excellent!) and some honey and jam for my mom and sister.

The sign outside the meat market! 🙂 They had everything in there. All sorts of bacon, jerky, ribs, pork chops, chicken, duck, alligator, scallops, shrimp, steak, and etc.

My fruit bowl from Wheatfield’s.

My best friend made us french toast with berries, whipped cream, and cinnamon for breakfast. It was freakin delicious!! 🙂

They have his and hers steaks. How freakin awesome is that?! I totally want one now that I’m writing about it. The meat and corn definitely taste more fresh.

The guest bedroom where I slept 🙂

My best friend inside Wenninghoff’s.

Kiko the poker. She got really excited when I first met her. She pawed me in the ribs and gave me a good size bruise.

New York strip with fries and arugula salad from Upstream Brewery. It was my first meal in Nebraska after they picked me up from the airport.

Humugo tomatoes!

Two lane fwys with no traffic. Completely unheard of in California..or at least where I live.

Best friends breakfast from Wheatfield’s.

Overall it was a great trip! I’m really glad I went even though in the beginning I was a bit hesitant. Nebraska is so much more quiet and laid back then California. It was definitely a breath of fresh air. I will most likely go back for another trip but I’m not sure when that will happen. I’m not down to go during snow season! I’m still thinking about the steak, bacon wrapped scallops, and jerky. The jerky is delicious. My mom loves the honey too. I’ve been making peanut butter and honey sandwiches with wheat bread. It’s delish! The midwest isn’t as bad as I thought it’d be. Except for the tornadoes. I’m not down for that either! Toodles.

Fail Sweetly,
Justina

FSP: Operation Bright – Airmen at Offutt AFB

I’m taking a break from my Catalina Island posts and writing about my baking project with my best friend. One of my best friends from college married an airmen and moved to Nebraska. She asked me to visit her and at first I was a bit hesitate because we’re both SoCal girls. You can totally tell just by looking at us. It was a fun visit. I actually miss Nebraska (Yes Kara, you got me. It really wasn’t that bad lol). Both of us are bakers so I knew we would definitely do some baking. Before I went to visit her we talked about possibly doing a baking project for the airmen there. We ended up baking mini pumpkin cream cheese muffins, mini banana chocolate chip muffins, white chocolate blueberry cookies, and oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. We packed them into gallon size ziploc bags or plastic boxes and sent them to work with her hubby. Hopefully that brought a smile to the faces of all the airmen.

One of my friends once told me I was biased against other branches of the military because the big bro is a marine. As you can see, that’s not true. I love all branches. AND I bake for all branches. Actually…I bake for anyone who wants to eat. I think we did a pretty awesome job if I do say so myself. I didn’t get a picture of the banana muffins because I was either too tired or too busy mixing away. We went on base and went to the PX. Since I’ve never been in one it was a bit awkward. There were people just staring but I just assumed they were as curious about me as I was of them. Definitely a different atmosphere then Pendleton where everyone keeps staring. They did have some really good sales. And I made away like a bandit. I got a new sweater that says Offutt Air Force Base. I think my USMC sweater will be fighting for closet space.

If I get the chance to go back I think I’ll be doing a cooking project next. Enchiladas? haha 🙂 Toodles!

Fail Sweetly,
Justina

Project Give: Baking For Veterans

It’s been a while since I baked for the veterans at the hospital. I also brought a delicious apple pie but I didn’t take a picture. I used the PW’s dreamy apple pie recipe. This is her delicious chocolate sheet cake recipe. I have to say, this is a really MOIST chocolate cake. I haven’t made a cake from scratch that has ever been this moist. The veterans were more than happy to receive their piece of cake and pie. If you saw me, I was flouncy up and down the halls of the hospital passing out cake and pie. Some of the guys working in the employment program were making fun of me because I was walking back and forth while they enjoyed their cake. Nice guys eh? No, they really are but I like giving them a hard time. That way they remember my name.

I apologize if this post makes no sense because I’m currently listening to the Lone Survivor on YouTube. My multi-tasking skills aren’t as strong as they used to be. I’m super excited for three special events coming up. The first is my orientation for a fellowship program I got accepted into. CSU Dominguez Hills here I come! 🙂 The second is my long planned mini summer vacation with my sister to Catalina Island. I’m sooooo excited! I can’t wait to relax and just have fun and soak up the sun. California at its best. You can be sure I’m going to be posting a million sunset or scenic pictures. The last event I’m excited about is my visit to Nebraska. I’ll be visiting my best friend in Bellevue. Not to knock on other states but I’ve been in SoCal my entire life. The only other state I’ve visited is Nevada. Nebraska is definitely going to be different. I’m anxious to see what it has to offer but I’ve heard from many people that they have delicious steak over there. I guess it’s true since I tried yelping restaurants and only steakhouses popped up. You can be sure I’ll be posting more about my trips. Nebraska will also be my first flight by myself. The only other flight I’ve been on was an international trip to Hong Kong to visit family as a kid. Hopefully I don’t do anything to piss off the TSA (not that I would intentionally but I do carry perfume in my purse all the time). Stay tuned!

Fail Sweetly,
Justina

I WON!!!! :)

Photo courtesy of Google

In my last post I wrote how my sister and I were discussing options for our mini summer vacation. Well, I won and we’re going to Catalina Island!! WOOT WOOT!! 🙂 I’m so excited. As of right now, we’re deciding on which deals/hotels we want to stay at and I definitely see kayaking as part of our vacation. I can’t wait to just soak up the sun and admire the beauty of the island. That and enjoy wine and cheese happy hour and nights by the fire pit. I absolutely can’t wait. This trip is going to be awesome! 🙂 I also can’t wait to take gorgeous pictures of the island. I’m such a scenic photo junkie. I love sunsets/sunrises so hopefully I’ll get a chance to see them.

I’m still looking for different flight options for my Nebraska trip. I’m excited to see my best friend but not so excited to go to Nebraska. If she didn’t move there, I would never go. It’s just not one of those places I would say “hey, I want to go there.” BUT hopefully I’ll be surprised and Bellevue has something to offer. Other than corn that is. I sound like such a hardcore city slicker and I am. I was born and raised in Los Angeles which is a lot different than Nebraska. What should I pack? What am I allowed to pack? o_o I haven’t been on an airplane since I was about four years old and I flew overseas to Hong Kong/China. That was a long time ago. I’m kind of hesitant about the whole flying deal but hopefully it works out. I get anxiety super easily these days. I’ve already looked up different areas and things that I want to do when I go visit her. Anyone from Nebraska have any insight? Please share.

Fail Sweetly,
Justina

I WON!!!! :)

Photo courtesy of Google

In my last post I wrote how my sister and I were discussing options for our mini summer vacation. Well, I won and we’re going to Catalina Island!! WOOT WOOT!! 🙂 I’m so excited. As of right now, we’re deciding on which deals/hotels we want to stay at and I definitely see kayaking as part of our vacation. I can’t wait to just soak up the sun and admire the beauty of the island. That and enjoy wine and cheese happy hour and nights by the fire pit. I absolutely can’t wait. This trip is going to be awesome! 🙂 I also can’t wait to take gorgeous pictures of the island. I’m such a scenic photo junkie. I love sunsets/sunrises so hopefully I’ll get a chance to see them.

I’m still looking for different flight options for my Nebraska trip. I’m excited to see my best friend but not so excited to go to Nebraska. If she didn’t move there, I would never go. It’s just not one of those places I would say “hey, I want to go there.” BUT hopefully I’ll be surprised and Bellevue has something to offer. Other than corn that is. I sound like such a hardcore city slicker and I am. I was born and raised in Los Angeles which is a lot different than Nebraska. What should I pack? What am I allowed to pack? o_o I haven’t been on an airplane since I was about four years old and I flew overseas to Hong Kong/China. That was a long time ago. I’m kind of hesitant about the whole flying deal but hopefully it works out. I get anxiety super easily these days. I’ve already looked up different areas and things that I want to do when I go visit her. Anyone from Nebraska have any insight? Please share.

Fail Sweetly,
Justina

Daily Musings

What kind of music do you listen to? I used to listen to mostly r&b, pop, and sometimes a little country, classical, and rap. Now I just listen to country and pop. My workplace has got me hooked on oldies that were popular during WW2 and Korea. I always have songs like Alexander’s Ragtime Band or How I Hate to Get Up In The Morning stuck in my head. One of my favorites is My Wild Irish Rose. I also like America (my country tis of thee) and My Bonnie. I remember singing some of those songs back when I was in preschool and kindergarten but I doubt they sing those songs now. America has been stuck in my head for the longest. I could actually sing it in my head while I’m typing this.

In other news, I’m going on vacation! FINALLY! Now, my parents have never been big on taking us on vacation as kids. We just didn’t have the money to do it. My dad considers a day in San Francisco as a vacation. I used to go to San Francisco every year for spring break. Aside from SF, Hong Kong, and Las Vegas, I really haven’t been anywhere. I only count SF because the drive is so long (6-8 hours). My sister and I are going on a much needed vacation at the end of August and we’re still deciding on which place to go. I love my beaches so naturally I chose Catalina Island. It looks so beautiful!

She’s more into nature and such so she chose Lake Powell, AZ.

As of right now, Lake Powell is winning. It does look pretty awesome and I could always go to Catalina any time since it’s in California. I guess I’m on a vacation streak because after Arizona will be Nebraska. Nebraska won’t really be a vacation…it’s more of visiting a friend.

It’ll be such a culture shocker going from Arizona to Nebraska but hey, I can add those two places to my traveled list. Hopefully Catalind Island can be one of them. I’m still saving up a trip for Alexandria, VA and Washington, DC. They are at the top of my must travel list. Hawaii’s next.

Pictures courtesy of Google.

Fail Sweetly,
Justina