After visiting the Hindu Mandir, I traveled to the Johnson Space Center! The center was mainly for children, as there were many activities for them to do, but there were tours available to take around the facility.
My favorite part of the tours was seeing the Saturn V, which I learned is the tallest, heaviest, and most powerful rocket to ever be brought to operational status! It was massive and there is something so beautiful about the intricate wiring of the rocket.
Traveling to the moon and outer space seems very commonplace now since our astronauts travel there so often but visiting the center and learning about the struggle to build something to travel outer space made me appreciate how far science has come.
Also, enjoy this video...it is haunting but in the most beautiful way.
Whilst visiting family in Texas, the first place that we visited was a Hindu Mandir in Houston. Although it was going through construction and I didn't get to see its full effect, the architecture and intricacy of the mandir were still so beautiful. According to its website, it was made from Italian marble and Turkish limestone that only took 16 months to hand-carve and assemble! This is truly amazing since even the walls have delicate carvings on them.
If in Houston, this mandir is definitely a sight to stop by to admire its beauty in person.
If you love anything lemon, you will love this recipe! While there is a lot of waiting time for the rolls to rise, it is definitely worth the wait. These rolls are the perfect thing to eat on a nice, warm spring day and especially to share with friends and family at brunch on Easter.
Cook Time: 30 minutes Prep Time: 2.5 hours (including rising time) Total Time: 3 hours (including rising time) Ingredients
3 large lemons - equals about 1 1/2 tablespoons of zest and 1/2 cup of lemon juice that will be divided as follows below
Dough:
3/4 cup milk
2 1/2 tsp yeast
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened plus 3 Tbsp unsalted butter for roll assembly
1/4 cup sugar
2 tsp vanilla
4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 Tbsp lemon zest
2 large eggs
Filling:
1 cup sugar
1/2 Tbsp lemon zest
1/4 cup lemon juice
Lemon Cream Cheese Glaze:
4 oz cream cheese
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 Tbsp lemon zest
up to 1/4 cup lemon juice (Use half for a thicker glaze)
Instructions
1. Microwave the milk for 35-45 seconds until warm. Add yeast, stir, and let it sit until foamy; around 5 minutes
2. Meanwhile, mix the butter, sugar, vanilla, 1 cup of flour, salt, and lemon zest with an electric or stand mixer until mixture is crumbly. Then add the milk/yeast mixture and eggs and mix until combined. Add the rest of the remaining flour to make soft but sticky dough.
3. Knead the dough with a dough hook attachment or by hand for 5 minutes or until the dough is elastic. Lightly grease and coat the dough all over with vegetable oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a damp towel and let rise until doubled; around 1 hour
4. Meanwhile, combine the sugar and lemon zest for the zest to flavor the sugar. Once the dough has risen, add the lemon juice to for a thick, sandy mixture.
5. On a floured surface, evenly roll the dough out into a thick rectangle around 10"x15". Spread 3 Tbsp of soft butter on the dough evenly. Then spread the lemon and sugar mixture on top.
6. Roll the rough up tightly to keep the lemon sugar inside. Cut the rolls up with floss or string about 1 inch thick and place them in a greased pan. Cover the rolls with a damp towel and let rise until doubled; around 1 hour
7. Heat the oven to 350°F and bake the rolls for 20-25 minutes.
8. While rolls are baking, prepare the glaze by beating the cream cheese until light and fluffy with a hand mixer. Then add the powdered sugar and either 2 Tbsp of the lemon of juice for a thick glaze or 1/4 cup of juice for a thinner glaze.
9. Drizzle the glaze on warm rolls and enjoy!
In the beginning of March, I visited Hearst Castle in San Simeon for the first time. It was only 40 minutes away from Cal Poly, SLO so I stopped by a beach in Cambria on the way there. It was very cold and windy but it yielded some great pictures.
At Hearst Castle, I went on the Evening Tour, which is the longest tour offered. I wanted to go on this particular tour because I believed that I would get to see more of the castle. The castle was very interesting aesthetically because the architecture is so intricate and detailed. Unfortunately, it very dark and rainy when I visited but I think it would have been great if I took the tour after daylight's savings to see and appreciate everything more clearly.
My favorite parts of the tour were the Neptune Pool and the Roman Pool. The Roman Pool is underground, under tennis courts, and has tiles fused with gold at the bottom. Even though it is dark in the photos shown below, the gold patterns still shine brightly. These pools are actually prominently featured in Lady Gaga's new music video "G.U.Y." as well as a whole overview of Hearst Castle at the end of the music video.
The other parts of the castle featured intricate ceilings. There is even one ceiling (the first photo featured below) that must be restored by hand by a specialist. Because he must crane his neck up to paint and the details are complex, it will take him around a decade to finish.
An interesting feature of the tour is that they hire actors and actresses to dress up as William Hearst's guests because he liked to have many guest over for dinner and to stay. Additionally, just thinking how much work went into building this castle is overwhelming and especially the attention paid to the smallest of details is amazing.
On a side note, I have just finished my B.S. in Accounting at Cal Poly, SLO so I have a bit more time to focus on my blog! I have so many ideas and plans for it and I am really excited to share with you all.
