Kiddy Christmas

The best part about having cousins significantly younger than you is that it gives you an excuse to do fun kid things. Since I have returned to California, here is what my days look like:

My cousins Matthew (4) and Erik (7) beating me at Mario Kart Racing, Wii Tennis, and other Wii games.
Going to Target, playing in the toys section, and watching my cousins run around after downing Icees. Eating Reese's Puffs for breakfast (along with some grown-up cereal) and heading to Disneyland, at which we got splashed on Splash Mountain. Riding the new Astro Blasters ride in Tomorrow Land and beating my mom (pictured with me) and everyone in my family by getting to level 4.
Wrapping up a long day at Disneyland with a picture by the tree. Then going home and having some Mac & Cheese. More fun to come, I am sure, on Christmas Eve.

Holiday Travel

22 hours after I landed, United finally delivered my luggage to my house. While I barely made my connection in Chicago (running down the terminal), my luggage unfortunately did not.

As much as people like to yell and blame the airlines, I did not after seeing the horrible weather conditions at Chicago O'Hare airport. Kudos to the baggage handlers standing out in the -2 degree (with a -20 windchill) working hard so that our luggage gets to whatever nice place we are vacationing to. Kudos also to the poor people working the missing baggage booth. I never understand why people yell at them; it's not like these people actually lost your luggage.

Moral of the story (and my public service announcement for the day): Pack a carry-on with an extra set of clothes, underwear, and toiletries. Even if you don't feel like lugging another bag around the airport, you never know where you might be stranded or how long your luggage will take to get back to you. Oh, and don't book connections through Chicago during the winter.

The Whole Enchilada

Something I learned since moving to DC is that East Coasters love Tex-Mex restaurants. The largest and most consistently crowded restaurants in DC are Tex-Mex, which is funny because most of them are mediocre and overpriced. It's funny how the food can be equally greasy and dry, too salty and bland, heavy but unsatisfying. I hate to be a California food snob about the subject, but I would rather go to Baja Fresh, California Tortilla (not a CA chain), or even Chipotle. Even Trader Joe's $2.50 enchiladas are better than what is served in most restaurants.

The best Tex-Mex option, however, is cooking it at home. I know that all food is usually better, healthier, and cheaper at home, but I think this is especially true with Mexican/Tex-Mex. My friend made some carne asada tacos with fresh ingredients for Cinco de Mayo which were excellent.

And last night, I managed to cook a fiesta for Alex's staff that got rave reviews (not to brag). Here was the menu that I made last night, feeding 20 people for $60:
-Chicken and cheese enchiladas
-Spanish Rice
-Roasted Corn, Blackbean, and Red Pepper Salad
-Cornbread
-Chips & Salsa

Maybe I should just open up a Tex-Mex catering company in DC next semester since I'm only taking two classes.