Book Review: The Martian

"Well beggars can't be choosers. Three's Company it is." 

The Martian by Andy Weir depicts one man's lone fight to survive the most hostile odds against all odds. 

The story is told mostly from the logs of stranded astronaut, Mark Watney, as he fights to survive on Mars after a freak accident leaves him stranded. Intermittently, we see blips from both the people of earth and Watney’s crewmates as they desperately seek to save him. 

Watney must use his botany, engineering skills, and just simple ingenuity to devise ways to live in complete isolation on a planet literally not fit for human survival. He does it with the best of attitudes, humoring himself with his logs, and old 70's TV, despite his dire circumstances.

After discovering he's alive, the entire world watches in horrified wonder as the brilliant minds at NASA race to save Mark. 

Personally, I enjoyed The Martian. It explores a man's ingenuity and the culture that bands us together, forgetting budgets, fame, and even our own safety to rescue a fellow man. It is a more modern take on Robinson Caruso told with sarcasm and wit. The story moves quickly enough to keep you interested. It isn't weighed down with super scientific information, which considering the subject matter, it could have been. The switch between Mark's point of view, what's happening on earth, and the occasional third person narrator gives a 360 degree view of everything allowing the reader to really immerse himself in the story. 

I would rate it PG-13 for language, but nothing else.  It's a great story I would recommend it for anyone looking to go on an amazing adventure. 

Peanut Butter Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting and Chocolate Ganache

So the other day we were having a bake sale at work. Normally, I'll make some cornbread muffins and call it a day, but this time I thought I'd do something a little more fancy. 

A while back, I tried this recipe out for the very first time, and they turned out pretty well. So I decided to give it another go, now that I'm so much older and wiser. 

So here you have it. Peanut Butter cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting and a Chocolate Ganache. 

Peanut Butter Cupcake Recipe

1 cup Flour

1 tsp Baking Powder

1/4 tsp salt

pinch of cinnamon 

3/4 stick of butter at room temp

1 cup Peanut Butter

1 cup Brown Sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1 Egg

1/2 cup milk

Preheat the oven to 350, and either grease or line a cupcake tray. 

Sift the flour. These cupcakes are kind of heavy and can be bready. So make sure to sift the flour before cooking. 

Then mix flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. In a different bowl, mix butter, peanut butter, and brown sugar with beaters until they're blended. Add vanilla and egg. 

Pour milk and flour mixture into the bowl alternately, until completely mixed. 

Pour into liners put in the oven and bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted. 

Let cupcakes cool before frosting.

Peanut Butter Frosting

1 cup peanut butter

1 1/2 tsp of vanilla
2 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar

6 tbs milk

Cream peanut butter and vanilla together until blended. Add 3 tablespoons of milk and half the confectioner's sugar. Beat until combined. Add the rest; beat until combined. If your frosting doesn't seem to be smooth enough, add more milk one table spoon at a time, mixing well after each addition. 

Make sure the cupcakes are cool. If they're not, the frosting will melt. 

Frost anyway you like. I frosted using a frosting bag, but no tip, but you can do it whatever way works best. 

Chocolate Ganache

3/4 cups of semisweet chocolate chips

1/4 cup of heavy cream

This part calls for a double boiler. I don't have one, I refuse to buy one, because you can put water in a pot and put either a metal bowl or another pot on top and use that as a double boiler. 

Anyway, do that and put the chocolate chips and heavy cream in there, stirring as it melts. 

You'll want it be smooth, but not completely liquid. I wish I had a picture to show you. 

The best way to explain it is that when you pour it off the spoon you want it to be thick that it pours in streams. 

I wish there were a better way to describe it other than the "Correct consistency of chocolate." 

Decorate the cupcakes as you choose. 

Eat. 

Enjoy. 

5 Minute Make Up Look

So, we all see them. Five Minute "Natural Makeup looks" You only need thirty million different things to achieve this natural look.

Who has the time?
People are lucky if I put make up on most days. Anyway, I do have a pretty quick routine and I thought I'd share it with you.

I also do a version of this when I'm going hiking or intend to be outside. I will only wear foundation, powder, and mascara. Just because I don't always want to look like the walking dead.

Step 1 Foundation
I used Rimmel Dream BB Pure in shade 10 as foundation. This acts as a sunscreen with out putting on the sunscreen and has light coverage.

Step 2: Set Foundation
I used Ulta Mineral Powder in shade light. This keeps the make up from moving around.

Step 3: Contour/Bronze
I used Too Faced Chocolate Soliel.  I don't always do this, but if I'm going to work I will.

Step 4: Blush
I used an Ulta palette blush.

Step 5: Eye shadow
I used a medium matte brown shade to contour the eye from the ULTA palette. I do this in the crease with a fluffy angle brush and blend it out.

Next I go in with a light shade, this can either be shimmery or matte, which ever you prefer and just pop that on the lid. Then a white shade in the corner of the eye and on the brow bone.

Step 6: Eye Liner
I use a dark matte eye shadow as eye liner under the eye as well.

Step 7: Mascara

Step 8: Lip Gloss

There you have it. Five minutes later done!

May Goals and photo dump!

Wow... where did April go? I mean it was here one second and then gone the next.

Did this month blow past for anyone else?

I stayed busy between work and trying to have a life. Honestly, it was chaotic, but fun. Don't think I'd like a month like this every month.

So, let's see how we did in April. Just as a refresher, here are my April Goals.

Blog Goals

Post once a week.

Add cooking to the blog.  

Life Goals

Keep up with the chore chart.  

Only buy coffee two times a week. 

(It doesn't help Dunkin Donuts is 7 minutes away from work.)

Health Goals

Go to the gym five times a week. 

Prep two meals a week. 

Well then, I did all right in the Blog Goals section. I posted once a week and added cooking. To see my first cooking post, look here

Life Goals

Well, I did not keep up with the chore chart. It was pretty sad actually. One day I'll find a circadian rhythm that is actually conducive to humaning.... Until then, I'll muddle through. 

I made the Coffee goals. Knowing that I would have to report back to you all, whoever you all are, held me slightly more accountable. 

Health Goals

I did not go the gym 5x a week. I don't know what happened. I think I got sick, and then it's gotten hotter lately, which makes it hard to be motivated. Maybe this month I'll back it down to three times.

And I may not have meal prepped twice a week, but I did it more often than not, which is an improvement. 

Now time for 

May Goals

Blog Goals

Continue to post once a week. (Gotta do it for more than one month, so it becomes habit.)

I think that's my only blog goal this month. 

Life Goals

Keep up with the stupid chore chart. I made it for a reason.... 

Find a place to live. (I'm not homeless, just moving.)

Save up more money for a huge vacation to China!

Stop eating out as much as possible. 

Write 30 minutes once a week. 

Health Goals. 

Make it to 145 lbs by the end of the month. 

Go to the gym three times a week. (Which shouldn't be hard, I attend three classes a week.)

Up my running interval on the treadmill to 6 minute spurts with 5 minute walks. 

Well, since this has been a text heavy post, I'll show you guys some pictures of what I've been up to. 

Camping (What's a freezing cold camping trip with out a poodle dog?)

Israel at the ruins of Bet Sha'an

Hiking!

Ethiopian coffee

A Dramatic Production for the MS foundation LUNA

Cirque Du Soleil's Ovo 

The dragonfly was my favorite!

More Hiking Pictures!

As always, 

Here's to hoping we find what we're searching for.