Verismo is here!

Today, I was in Galveston, TX and stopped by the Starbucks on Harborside Drive.  Its a nice Starbucks with a view of the cruise port.  Sometimes you will see the cruise ships and many passengers making their way on and off the ships.  The Starbucks had their display of the much anticipated Verismo which is now available for purchase at Starbucks stores nationwide (and on starbucksstore.com).  I have never had a coffee maker and always just buy my coffee at Starbucks but Im really excited about this product.  You can make a variety of quality drinks easily at home!

Verismo 580 display.  Its a very sleek and stylish coffee maker.

Available in: black, silver, burgundy, and champaign. 

The pods.  You don't have to be a barista to make good expresso anymore!

Verismo also comes in two sizes:

V580 & V585

As I mentioned above you can make a variety of drinks with this machine.  This is done by using the different pods which come in: Caffe Latte, Expresso, and different roast and blends.  There is also a milk pod. Then you can mix in different ingredients to make other drinks.  Here are the recipes for those (from the Starbucks Store website):

Espresso

Makes one 1 fluid oz. beverage

One (1) Verismo™ Espresso Pod

Latte

Makes one 6 fluid oz. beverage

One (1) Verismo™ Espresso Pod
One (1) Verismo™ Milk Pod

Americano

Makes one 8.2 fluid oz. beverage

One (1) Verismo™ Espresso Pod
Release the pod and close the handle with no pod in the machine
Press the brew button for 7.2 fluid oz. of hot water
For a more intense flavor, press the brewed button a second time to stop the flow of water at your desired level.

Caramel Macchiato

Makes one 6-7 fluid oz. beverage

Put 2 tsp. vanilla syrup in a cup
Brew one (1) Verismo™ Espresso Pod into the cup
Brew one (1) Verismo™ Milk Pod into the cup
Drizzle the top of beverage with 2 tsp. of caramel sauce

Mocha

Makes one 6-7 fluid oz. beverage

Put 1 Tbsp. mocha sauce in a cup
Brew one (1) Verismo™ Espresso Pod into the cup
Brew one (1) Verismo™ Milk Pod into the cup
Stir until fully mixed.

Vanilla Latte

Makes one 6-7 fluid oz. beverage

Put 1 Tbsp. vanilla syrup in a cup
Brew one (1) Verismo™ Espresso Pod into the cup
Brew one (1) Verismo™ Milk Pod into the cup
Stir until fully mixed

Hot Cocoa

Makes one 9-12 fluid oz. beverage

Pour one (1) envelope hot cocoa mix into a cup
Brew two (2) Verismo™ Milk Pods into the cup
Stir until fully mixed

 So there is a lot you can do with this little machine.  Im sure there will be more to come from Verismo in the future.  I will be definitely getting one of these machines for my new office.  I cant wait!!

Here's a little intro video as well:

Hiking to Iceberg Lake, Glacier Natl. Park, MT

Our second hike during our trip to Glacier National Park was up to Iceberg Lake.  It was a 4.8 mile hike to the lake with an abundance of wonderful views and wildlife to be seen along the way.

Black Bear - Ursus americanus, up on the mountain side busy foraging for food. 

Moose - Alces alces, down in the valley.

The beginning of the trail was showing the signs of fall.

Moose - Alces alces (bull)

The low morning clouds were covering the mountain tops but the view was still stunning. 

We passed many interesting alpine plants.  They look like a tiny forest by themselves. 

Spruce Grouse - Falcipennis canadensis

Doll's Eye - Actaea rubra

A waterfall down in the valley.

Golden Columbine - Aquilegia flavescens, we saw many plants on the rocky slopes but this was the only one blooming. 

Red-tailed Chipmunk - Neotamias ruficaudus 

Our destination is in view!  (the patch of snow in the distance)

Iceberg Peak is getting closer. The peak reaches 9145 ft above sea level and 3000 ft above Iceberg Lake. 

Nearing Iceberg Lake we came across an area that seems to have a microclimate.  Many wildflowers that were already finished blooming everywhere else were blooming here as if it were spring time. 

Bear Grass - Xerophyllum tenax.  This was the only specimen we saw blooming during our entire trip! Most were already finished blooming and setting seed. 

Bighorn Sheep - Ovis canadensis

Mule Deer - Odocoileus hemionus

Almost there!!

Iceberg Lake

Iceberg Lake was beautiful!  A picture cannot capture the beauty of this place.  It is so majestic and serene.  You really have a sense of peace while gazing upon the lake and breathing in the fresh air. 

Hiking to Avalanche Lake, Glacier Natl. Park, MT

Last week I got back from my trip to Glacier National Park, Montana.  It was a wonderful trip!  I spent lots of time with my family doing hikes, relaxing at the cabin, and seeing the many beautiful sights. 

The first hike we did was up to Avalanche Lake.  It was a two mile hike with an elevation gain of 500ft.

Avalanche Lake map

Avalanche Gorge

The very interesting bark of the Black Cottonwood - Populus trichocarpa

A waterfall half way up to the lake.

The trail passes through lots of beautiful woodland.

I love how the moss covers the forest floor.

Western Rattlesnake Orchid - Goodyera oblongifolia

Greene's Mountain Ash - Sorbus scopulina

Stellar's Jay - Cyanocitta stelleri, was very friendly.  

It must be used to being fed by tourist...

Cascade Aster - Eucephalus ledophyllus, was blooming almost everywhere we went around Glacier National Park.

Pearly Everlasting - Anaphalis margaritacea, was another very common wildflower.

Orange Hawkweed - Pilosella aurantiaca (non-native)

Avalanche Lake 

Avalanche Lake, a little hazy from a wildfire in Idaho.

Vegan Birthday Cake

For my past two birthdays I have not had a birthday cake...

But the other day while shopping at Whole Foods I saw a cake that I would really like to have as a birthday cake!

It is a simple Vegan Carrot Cake.

I know it doesn't seem like anything special but I like carrot cake and I like simple nice things for my birthday.  Also I love Whole Foods.  Sometimes I miss certain food items like cookies, ice cream, and other sweets and thankfully Whole Foods has a great selection of items for me to choose from. 

Snorkeling at Playa Uvas Beach Club - Cozumel, MX

Last week I took a cruise that stopped on Cozumel, Mexico.  I had been to Cozumel two other times but this time we were dropped off in a different location than before.  We used to snorkel at a restaurant/bar just a few blocks from the cruise port but we had no idea where it was so after some advice from a local we took a quick taxi drive to Playa Uvas Beach Club.  The beach club was reasonably priced and offered rental snorkel gear like many other places along the beach.  Since we were short on time I got into the water and started snorkeling right away.  

The water in Cozumel is beautiful.  Very clear and has a good amount of reef organisms.  The sun was shinning brightly but a storm was quickly rolling in.  

I love looking for Echinoderms whenever I'm at the beach.  I found a bunch of beautiful brittlestars.  This one is Ophiothrix angulata. 

A school of Yellow Grunt - Haemulon flavolineatum

An interesting Octocoral

Vase Sponge 

Caribbean Sea Anemone - Condylactis gigantea

Lettuce Coral - Agaricia tenuifolia

Lots of very friendly Sergeant Majors - Abudeduf saxatilis, Im sure they are used to being fed when groups of snorkelers come out. 

A curious but fast Rock Beauty -Holacanthus tricolor

Peacock Flounder - Bothus lunatus, seemed to change color a little to match the substrate. 

At this moment when it started to swim it had darkened. 

Long-spinned Urchin - Diadema antillarum 

French Angelfish - Pomacanthus paru, both are transitioning from juvenile to adult coloration.  

The wind picked up, the temperature dropped, and the rain started pouring really hard so we were asked to come up and we went back to the cruise ship.

This short time was definitely the highlight of the whole trip for me! 

I cant wait to go back to visit again. 

All pictures taken with my Olympus Tough TG-610.

Golden Raspberries

Fall is coming and an abundance of fall fruits are filling the markets.  I went to my local Whole Foods to buy some fruit and among the beautiful variety of stone fruits (plums, peaches, pluots, etc.) I found a fruit I've always wanted to try.  Golden Raspberries!

The golden raspberries I bought from Whole Foods displayed in a Waterford crystal bowl. 

Golden Raspberries are pretty much the same as normal raspberries but can be slightly sweeter.  The ones I tried taste about the same as normal raspberries but some were a bit tart.  This variety is often sold in mid-summer and fall for only a few weeks. The only time that I have seen this raspberry is in garden centers during spring when the plant roots are for sale and in Martha Stewart's Living magazine.