Showing posts with label travel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label travel. Show all posts

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Tomb Raider Martinis

When I was in Cambodia earlier this year, we got to check out the temple where Angelina Jolie filmed Tomb Raider. It was way super duper cool.
The Jungle Temple
Trees were growing on top of the old temple walls and the root systems cascaded all over. Truly spectacular the way the jungle had reclaimed the land.

We all know that Angelina love Cambodia -- she adopted her first son there.  I love Cambodia too; the people were so warm and friendly... and if any group of people has the right to be angry at outside (and inside) interests, it would be Cambodia... but instead I fell in love with the people and the land. I'd love to bring K back one of these days.

Our week in Cambodia came after 3 weeks of travel in China, and we were getting a little weary of being on the road... and found Cambodia a refreshing change from the chaos of China. We also had the most free time in Cambodia, specifically in Siem Riep. So we did lots of shopping (great shopping!) and went out for dinner that night.

Where did we end up? At a little restaurant called the Red Piano, where, yes, Angelina had frequented during her time in the country. And, sure enough, they had an Angelina-themed drink called... the Tomb Raider!

How could I not try it?


And I'm so glad I did. It's absolutely delicious, a great mix of sweet and tangy.

Tomb Raider Martinis
(a cocktail a la the Red Piano in Cambodia)

1-2 shots of Cointreau
1 tablespoon of lime juice (or a healthy squirt), if no fresh limes
tonic water to top off
ice

Pour the Cointreau and lime juice over ice in a low ball glass. Top off with tonic water. Garnish with lime wedge.

Enjoy! A great party drink.


Miz Helen’s Country Cottage

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Denali National Park

The mountain peeks out of the clouds on the drive up!

 This weekend, I fell in love with my home state all over again. If you didn't know, I'm from A-L-A-S-K-A!!

Mt. McKinley is the highest mountain in North America from the base to the pinnacle - measuring in at 20,320 feet. Because the base of the mountain is so low (just about 2,000 feet), it's one of the highest in the world.

Denali ("The Great One"), as it is known by Alaska Natives, is seated within a spectacular National Park, of the fame of many things, and on most people's bucket lists.

To maintain the pristine nature of the Park, access to personally owned vehicles is limited to the first 15 miles of the Park Road. The general public can visit the Park by air (flightseeing), or by bus through one of three National Park Service tours. However, for a lucky few each year, the National Park Service offers a limited number of one-day permits to drive into the Park. These are awarded via lottery to those that apply (only a few hundred on each of four days every fall), and this year we were among the lucky few!

Denali reflected (near Wonder Lake)

Denali is so large that it creates its own weather system, which ultimately means that it's only "out" about 20-30% of the time. We were lucky enough to see it on the drive up from Anchorage to the Park, and even better, she showed her face while we were in the Park itself! Even better we caught this iconic photo of the mountain reflected in the kettle pond. Photos of a lifetime!


We also saw lots of critters -- grizzlies, caribou, swans, dahl sheep, lynx, galore! And lots of animals that weren't --- trees that looked like moose but were trees, rocks that looked like bears, but were rocks... you get the picture.

It was an amazing trip with K and I loved showing him why I love Alaska. :) Gallery of Favorites

Thursday, August 4, 2011

Cambodia, China and Friday Potluck #45

If you didn't know that I was back Stateside or didn't deduce it from my return to posting, I have some very exciting news for you: I'm home!

I'm still in the process of sorting through all of my photos, and, I still need to look through my mother's journal for stories and most importantly, the list of everything that we did each day. She was the good traveler and kept a journal. We were busy busy busy from early in the morning till night most days. I'm really grateful for the tour, through which we saw much more than we would have as independents... and were treated like VIPs. Man, we hit a LOT of places though!

There is a downside of a month of VIP treatment, front row seats at performances, and unique experiences not afforded to most travelers in China -- expecting it all the time now. Sadly I have to resort myself to being a normal human being once again, and like the readjustment of my sleep schedule, this is not going as smoothly as it should. Whoops. :)

Because I'm still sorting through my photos, and, because I have to get my other photo card from my mother (along with a few fantastic purchases and photos that are on her camera), I'll just treat you to a few highlights here -- namely a photo each from the Great Wall, Angkor Wat, and Bayon @ Angkor Thom.

The last night of official travel (not counting plane travel) was in Siem Reap, Cambodia. This was the first time we did the "typical touristy thing" by eating in a tourist restaurant, doing nothing but shopping, having cocktails, and experiencing Dr. Fish. (more on this and my experience with Chinese medicine in a later post) I'm sure you're asking - "you traveled for a month, weren't you doing the typical touristy thing the whole time?" The answer is yes, but... this was the first night we were really let loose on our own! Why am I telling you about this last night? Well, we dined in the famous Red Piano restaurant, frequented by Angelina Jolie while filming Tomb Raider... and experienced the Tomb Raider cocktail, a favorite of Ms. Jolie. I'll let you look forward to the post in which I serve this delectable drink!

Before I deliver you a new Friday Potluck, I'd first like to share with you a few photos:
Angkor Wat, Siem Reap, Cambodia

Bayon "Temple of the Faces" - Angkor Thom, Siem Reap, Cambodia

The Great Wall of China - The Wild Wall @ Badaling (outside of Beijing)

Ta Prohm "The Jungle Temple" (where Tomb Raider was filmed), Siem Reap, Cambodia -- I now feel the urge to watch Tomb Raider for the first time, and have it set to DVR.
The food? I know that's what you're all wondering about. The food was great, though after 2-3 meals a day for 20 days featuring Chinese food, I have no desire to eat Chinese again for the foreseeable future... at least a few months. However, the Cambodian food was beyond spectacular... I have a new cookbook that I will share recipes from occasionally... once I go grocery shopping - hubby predictably left me with only pasta, ground beef, and cheddar cheese in the house. :)

And with little further ado, I give you Friday Potluck. Before posting though, I'd love to thank the lovely Heather over at Girlichef for her help in hosting while I was traveling.

grab the code!



Just a few quick and easy rules for joining the party:

1. Link directly to your recipe (not your main blog).
2. Only one recipe per blog each week.
3. Be sure, in the linked blog post, to link back here to Friday Potluck @ EKat's Kitchen using the button above or text.
4. Have fun, do some visiting and enjoy!


1. Video: Almond Date Energy Bar
2. Apple Cole Slaw
3. Chicken Salad Stuffed Tomatoes
4. Honey Sweetened Refrigerator Pickles
5. Roasted Mushrooms in Toast Cups
6. Spinach Mushroom Rag Soup
7. Raspberry Ice Cream
8. PB & J Muffins
9. Dairy-Free Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream
10. Wet Burrito
11. Roasted Rosemary Almonds
12. The EASIEST WAY to PRESERVE HERBS
13. Apple and Cheddar Strata
14. Zesty Peach BBQ Sauce
15. Blueberry Pie Filling & a Giveaway!
16. Oatmeal Molasses Bred
17. Stuffed Cherry Tomato Caprese Salad
18. Carmelized Onion & Cheese Omelette!!
19. bread machine challah
20. Butterfinger Bessert
21. Mediterranean Zaatar Salad
22. Very Berry Twinkie Cake
23. Fresh Chocolate Covered Cherries
24. Canteloupe, Bocconcini & Prosciutto
25. Whole Wheat Yam Muffins
26. Sloppy Joans
27. Mushroom and Onion Pate
28. Country Ribs
29. Fried Cauliflower
30. Want to eat better? Plan your meals!
31. American Cancer Society Cupcakes
32. Strawberry Margarita Jell-O Shots
33. Cause I eats me spinach. . .
34. Doubly Chocolate Chip Cookies
35. Parmesan Herb Polenta Squares
36. Summer Vegetable Skillet Lasagna
37. Pancetta-Gruyere Burger w/ Vidalia Onion
38. Zucchini Cupcakes w/Crm Cheese Frosting
39. GF Strawberry Oatmeal Bars
40. August Food
41. Peach Melba Bread Pudding
42. Easy Cookie Ice Cream Cake
43. Brandied Peach Cobbler
44. Mexican Stuffed Peppers
45. Jalapeno Cheddar Bread
46. Cheesy Biscuits
47. Lemon Blueberry Muffins
48. Homemade Hush Puppies
49. Brown Sugar Bacon Jalapenos
50. Strawberry Zucchini Marmalade
51. Brandied Pork Loin Roast with Gravy
52. Zucchini Lemon Cookies
53. Cajun Shrimp Etoufee
54. Vegan Style Quiche
55. Green Chile Rice Casserole
56. Strawberry Mango Wheat Quinoa Bread Loaf
57. The Food You Crave Review & Giveaway

This linky list is now closed.

ShareThis

Related Posts with Thumbnails