Jalan-Jalan

February 9, 2016 by Mackenzie

In December and January I was able to do a little jalan-jalan (travel) around Indonesia and Southeast Asia, and let me tell you – it was very much needed!

Due to the smoke, my school didn’t have a proper winter holiday – instead, we only got December 24 and 25 off and December 31 and January 1. Luckily, those lined up with weekends so I had two four-day weekends. I didn’t want to sit in an empty asrama (dorm) on Christmas, so I decided to join my friend and fellow ETA, Shalina, in Jogja for the Christmas break!

Jogja is… wow. I’m so very jealous of the ETAs who are placed there. Jogja is a bustling city in Java known for being the cultural heart of Indonesia.

Malioboro – the famous market street

Shalina and I spent our short vacation exploring all that Jogja has to offer – we went to the Keraton, or Sultan’s Palace:

We went to Taman Sari, the Water Castle:

The Palace of the Prince of Solo:

And of course… Borobudur and Prambanan. Borobudur is a 9th century Buddhist temple, and is the largest Buddhist temple in the world… it’s truly indescribable… but let me try. It’s enormous. There are nine levels that you can walk all the way around and each level has reliefs depicting Buddha’s life. In total, there are 2,672 relief panels, 504 buddha statues, and 72 stupas with buddhas sitting inside. It’s estimated that it took 75 YEARS to build. Imagine… an entire lifetime. And, most impressively of all (to me at least) is that they used no glue/cement/other binding material. It’s all interlocking stones. And it’s now lasted some 1300 years. Holy shit.

Parts of it are destroyed… note the headless Budha

Prambanan Temple is a 9th century Hindu temple and is again, one of the largest temples in the world.

The compound is composed of several large temples and you can climb up each one and see the statues to Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. Gah, it’s just so, so cool. And SO OLD.

I call this… “sassy mack”

Oh, and we also ate a bunch of Western food 😀 😀 This was our Christmas Eve dinner – new tradition I think! (also, omg my mouth is watering just looking at this!)

The pizza was at this adorable Italian restaurant with the prettiest patio. I was in love.

Okay, so after Jogja, I came home and had a very quiet New Year’s. I went down to the roundabout and joined in the festivities with a friend – but other than that, I spent almost the whole weekend at home. I was pretty bored so I decided to read Harry Potter – haven’t read that in years! I read book 1 on New Year’s Eve. Book 2 on New Year’s Day. And eventually finished all 7 books in the month of January. LOL. #junglelife

The third week of January, I headed off to Jakarta for our Mid-Year Enrichment Conference. I hadn’t seen most of my fellow ETAs since our orientation in September so it was a BLAST to be back together again. We all have so many hilarious stories and it’s so good to talk to other people who understand the cockroach struggles…

The group of ETAs and coteachers at the US Embassy Chief of Mission’s Residence

Our coteachers came along with us so we could do some teacher training all together – I chose to bring Tisia and we had a blast 😀 We even had matching dresses made…

The ACCESS coteachers who I worked with during the evacuations in Jakarta were helping out with the teacher training. It was SO wonderful to see them again and I was just a very, very happy girl that week.

We also put on a little show at the @America center in Jakarta. It was a pretty amusing show with each region contributing a 15 minute something… My group, the Kalimantan group, did a puppet show. Yep. It was awesome.

Then… I went home to Palangkaraya for about 16 hours and then jetted off to Thailand! My students had their semester exams so I was free to jalan-jalan. We only get a certain amount of international vacation days and domestic vacation days so I really wanted to use my international days while I had the chance. So… off to Thailand I went! I’ve been wanting to get my scuba diving certification for awhile now and decided this solo vacation would be the perfect time to do it!

I threw this trip together the day before I left for Jakarta. It involved three flights and a five hour ferry. When we finally pulled up to the dock to get on the ferry, my jaw dropped. This is what I saw:

I knew I was in for a great week.

There are several islands/destinations in Southern Thailand and I’m not sure how I randomly picked the most beautiful and remote island ever but when the boat docked (after a five hour ferry ride!) my jaw dropped for a second time that day. This is what I saw:

And sunset night #1

Most of my six days there were spent diving. The PADI course is several hour of classroom work/movies and then one confined water dive (pool) and four ocean water dives! Omg I was terrified at first. I almost quit. I was in a class with three other macho guys. Like army, not scared of anything guys. And then there’s me. The adventurous but never life-on-the-line adventurous kind of girl. But hey. I had to prove that girls can do this too. I am proud that I beat two of the guys in the 200 meter swim and while while I was terrified for parts of the diving – once I got over it, it was AWESOME. I 100% loved it. And now I’m a certified scuba diver!

(For anyone else who randomly wants to visit Koh Tao, Thailand and learn to dive – I can’t recommend Master Divers enough. Lemme know if you want more details…)

This trip is best told in photos so I’ll just share the rest of them… 😀

Oceanside brunch

Hiking

Stunning view of the island

The other view from the hike… WOW

Sunrise on the ferry home…

And then… I had to say goodbye to painted skies and endless oceans, and come home to Palangkaraya. Yup, think Flint’s water is bad??

Orange Cranberry Sauce

December 22, 2014 by Mackenzie

Can you believe Christmas is this week? December has flown by and I can’t believe we’re here! It’s wonderful to be home with my family. I just finished reading The Vacationers and eh, it was okay. I had heard great things about it but it was pretty predictable… I guess I rarely read light, “beach” books like this so I’m not used to the lack of a complex plot 🙂 On to the next book on my list! Anyone have any recommendations to add to my list?

I have a quick post to share today – cranberry sauce is one of my favorite side dishes during the holidays. Thanksgiving or Christmas… I just love cranberry sauce on turkey or on sandwiches stuffed with leftover meat. So if you’re making some kind of meat for Christmas – why not try this Orange Cranberry sauce to go with it? It’s festive and delicious! We originally got the recipe from about.com and I’ve been making it now for several years and I love the flavor combination of sweet oranges, tangy cranberries and nutty toasted pecans!

Merry Christmas! Enjoy the time with family and friends!

Orange Cranberry Sauce

Recipe Type: Side dish

Cuisine: Holiday

Author: Mackenzie

Prep time: 25 mins

Total time: 25 mins

Serves: 3 cups

Ingredients

1 navel orange
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
4 cups fresh cranberries, rinsed
1/2 cup chopped pecans, roughly chopped

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grate the orange peel and place grated peel in a medium saucepan. Stir in the sugar and ginger.
Juice the orange and add it to the saucepan, bringing the mixture to a simmer over medium heat. Stir frequently with a whisk, about 5-10 minutes, until the sugar is dissolved.
Meanwhile, toast the pecans in preheated oven for about 5-7 minutes, until fragrant.
When the sugar has dissolved, add the fresh cranberries. Cook, stirring often, until the cranberries begin to pop (about 5 minutes). Stir in the toasted pecans and remove from heat to cool.

Peppermint Bark Popcorn

December 18, 2014 by Mackenzie

I’m excited to be writing this post from Seattle! Woohoo! After a long day of traveling, with 2 flights, 3 mean flight attendants, 2 nice flight attendants, 1 allergic seat mate and finally 2 nice guys who put up with a sleepy, smelly puppy… we made it! She’s happy to have a yard, I’m happy to have someone else to pass the responsibilities off to and we’re both happy to be home with our momma, Tom and Spence!

Before I left, I had to proctor and grade exams for the class I’m a TA for. I knew we had a long night of grading ahead of us so I decided to bring this Peppermint Bark Popcorn as a treat to munch on all night.

I was inspired by this post from Plain Chicken and knew I had to give it a shot. I had tried making it a few times in the last week and each time was a failure! Either I didn’t let the oil get hot enough and burned the kernels before they popped or the white chocolate didn’t melt and I had clumps of chocolate in my popcorn (not complaining). But I finally figured out the trick of it and am ready to share the recipe with you! It’s really quite easy to make and is perfect for a family movie night or to wrap up as gifts for friends! Let me know what you think!

Peppermint Bark Popcorn with Homemade Popcorn

Recipe Type: Snack

Cuisine: Christmas

Author: Mackenzie

Prep time: 20 mins

Total time: 20 mins

An easy Christmas treat! I make my popcorn over the stove so I know exactly what is in it – no creepy chemicals please! Once you get the hang of it, it’s easy!

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
1/3 cup popcorn kernels
2 teaspoons peppermint extract, divided
3 oz candy canes, crushed
1 cup melting white chocolate chips, (don’t use chocolate chips – they don’t always melt well. Buy the melting chocolate – it’s so worth it)

Instructions

In a large pot with a lid, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Important: wait until it is HOT. Drop a kernel or two into the oil, swish it around so it’s coated, put the lid on and wait for it to pop. Don’t add the rest of the kernels until this one has popped and the oil is hot enough. Otherwise, you’ll just burn your kernels and they will never pop (trust me on this).
When the first kernel has popped, add the rest of the kernels, swish them all around so they are coated in oil, put the lid on with a crack of air and watch them pop! When they have slowed down, turn the heat off and shake the pot to get the last ones to pop. Pour 1 teaspoon of peppermint extract over the popcorn and stir it in with a big wooden spoon.
While the popcorn is popping, remove the wrappers from the candy canes. Crush them by hand or in a food processor (so much easier). Pour half of the crushed candy canes over the popcorn and stir to mix.
Melt the chocolate according to package directions. Pour the remaining half of the candy canes into the white chocolate and stir. Pour the melted chocolate over the popcorn and mix well.
Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper and spread the popcorn over it to allow the chocolate to harden.

Pear Butter

December 14, 2014 by Mackenzie

Oh, it’s been so nice to have free time again! I’ve been able to go to the gym most days or at least take a big walk with Calli, have been able to cook and join my friends for meals, watch The West Wing, and sleep! Two nights ago I fell asleep on the couch and fell asleep there again yesterday afternoon! But who cares, right? Yes, I should be working more on my thesis then I am, but hey – I’ve got a great start on it and am trying to spend at least two hours a day on it. That should give me a solid start come January when I really need to get cracking.

I head back to Seattle on Wednesday and am looking forward to spending time with my family and seeing old friends! I’ve only spent 11 days in Seattle since January so it will be some much needed family time before I venture off into the unknown come May!

This week the Coop had our annual Winter Potluck and I brought this Pear Butter with Brie and crackers. Oh my goodness, it was delicious! I found the recipe in the Weight Watcher’s Holiday magazine and was excited to have an opportunity to try it! The recipe itself is so easy to make – have you ever made homemade applesauce? It’s just like that. You cut the pears into small bite-sized pieces and boil it down with apple cider. I used an immersion blender to make it smooth and voila – a delicious and easy appetizer! It’s a perfect spread on crackers and cheese or toast, or even just to eat like applesauce!

Pear Butter

Recipe Type: Appetizer

Author: Mackenzie

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 15 mins

Total time: 25 mins

Serves: 12 servings

A great holiday appetizer! Quick, easy and only 1 WW point per 1/4 cup.

Ingredients

5 Comice pears, cored and chopped into bite-sized pieces
1 1/2 cups apple cider
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Pinch of nutmeg
Serve with cheese and crackers

Instructions

In a medium/large saucepan, add the chopped pears, apple cider, and the cinnamon and nutmeg. Cook over medium-high heat to get a roiling boil. Continue to cook at medium heat until the pears are soft, 10-15 minutes.
From here, you can do a couple of things. I used an immersion blender to puree the pears while still in the saucepan. It left a few small chunks but I loved it that way and it was super easy.
Alternatively, you can remove the pears and puree them separately in a food processor. Continue to simmer the remaining liquid until it reduces to a syrup. Then pour the syrup into the food processor and blend it with the pears. This will probably get you a smoother substance but I couldn’t find the Coop’s food processor so I was left with the immersion blender.
Serve with crackers and cheese for a great appetizer!

Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies

November 28, 2014 by Mackenzie

Happy day-after Thanksgiving! How was your holiday? Mine was fantastic – I am back in Seattle and am so happy to be with my family and friends. We had a full house – family and friends from Spokane, California, New York, Indonesia… quite the holiday!

We tried a couple of new recipes this year – the Dutch Apple Pie from Dieter’s Downfall was my personal favorite! And Smitten Kitchen’s Pumpkin Pie with Pecan Praline Sauce was to die for! Then we did all of our standards – my stepdad’s stuffing, my aunt’s mashed potatoes, these lightened up sweet potatoes… One of my favorite appetizers is my Rosemary Roasted Cashews – we only make them for the holidays because they are so addicting!

Are you ready to switch gears to Christmas? Already there? Well, today I’m diving into Christmas cookies! These Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies are probably my favorite Christmas cookies of all time! I’ve been making them with my aunt since I was little and always know it is the holidays when we make these cookies!

I’m participating in a Christmas cookies roundup with some fellow bloggers! Check out their posts after the recipe for some more holiday favorites!

Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies

Recipe Type: Cookies

Cuisine: Christmas cookies, dessert

Author: Mackenzie

Serves: 36 cookies

Ingredients

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup peanut butter
1/3 cup white sugar
1/3 cup light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons milk
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup turbinado sugar (or regular)
36 chocolate kisses, unwrapped

Instructions

In the bowl of a stand mixer (or in a large bowl with a hand mixer), beat the butter until creamy and smooth. Add the peanut butter, sugar, and brown sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla and beat to combine. Beat in the milk. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Add to the peanut butter mixture and beat until incorporated. Cover and chill the batter for about an hour, or until firm enough to handle.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats. Pour the turbinado sugar into a small bowl.
Roll the batter into 1-inch round balls and roll each ball in the sugar until thoroughly coated in sugar. Place on the prepared baking sheet, spacing about 2 inches apart.
Bake the cookies for 8-10 minutes, or until the cookies are lightly browned. Immediately upon removing the cookies from the oven, place an unwrapped Chocolate Kiss into the center of each cookie – pressing down gently until the cookie just starts to crack. Allow to cool completely on a wire wrack.

An InLinkz Link-up

My Top 7 Favorite Christmas Cookies

December 5, 2013 by Mackenzie

Well, it’s been a week since Thanksgiving, the weather has turned bitterly cold, (we’re expecting our first real snow this afternoon!) and my taste buds are asking for peppermint flavored things! I’d say it’s officially the Christmas season.

To kick things off for Christmas on Never Skip Dessert, I’m pulling out some of last year’s hit Christmas cookie recipes! These are some of my favorite recipes and I will be making many batches of them in the coming weeks! (Click the cookie name or photo to go straight to the recipe! I also apologize for the poor quality of most of these photos – I’ll take new ones when I make them again this year!)

First, the ever-classic – Sugar Cookies