We May Have Lost the Battle...

The days have been long around these parts.
I only have class nine hours a week and neither my internshipnor my extracurricular classes have begun. In order to combat boredom, I have been in search of fun, free activities around Santiago (I am tryingto save money so that I can enjoy my (potential) trips to Peru, Argentina, and Brazil!).
Last week (I think...), after dreaming about cookies from NYC's famous Levain Bakery(which I have never actually visited), I decided it was time to get baking. Althoughthe recipe for these cookies is top secret, there are tons of imitations floating around the internet. I have made these cookies a few times before and they are TO DIE FOR. This time, I used a recipe I found on a food blog called Love from the Oven. One of my roommates, who is from France, told me that these are the best cookies she has ever had in her life. I suppose I can chalk these up as a success :)




Another day, my friend Jade called me and asked if I would like to go to a large, outdoor market with her, called La Vega. Although you can find fresh fruitsand vegetables on most street corners, La Vega is supposed to be one of the best in Santiago and is also supposed to have delicious fruit smoothies.  As I have been experiencing withdrawals from Blenders, a chain in Santa Barbarathat has the best fruit smoothies EVER (and I used to work at Jamba Juice, so thatis an educated opinion!!!), I was very excited to check this place out!





While they did have a wide array of fresh fruits and veggies, I think I will stick with the fruit stand around the corner from my house. I suppose I am a little bitter because our smoothies ended up being super gross... (the lady actually added an entire carton of milk to the blender, which made our "smoothies" into flavored milk). I did buy some yummy grapes and nectarines, though! And Jade had a field day because she used to work at the farmer's market in Goleta and she missed the atmosphere. 


Not gonna lie, a lot of my time here has been spent catching up on Gossip Girl (Dan & Blair?!) and The Office (*yawn*) and KKTNY (I miss Shango :( ).Hey! I can't spend every day climbing mountains and playing with penguins!!!Jade and I decided to get out of the house the other day by bringing some readingmaterial and homework to a nearby park and having ourselves a little picnic. I brought grapes (from La Vega!), a chicken wrap, and homemade brownies. Jade brought a few oranges and some almonds that a friend sent her fromthe farmer's market she used to work at in Goleta. We read half-heartedly and ended up just chit-chatting the afternoon away. It was really nice. 





This means I accomplished goal #020: Have a picnic.
But thennnnnn. I get home, check Facebook, and see that my sister and her friends had a full-on picnic by a lake that put my lazy afternoon to shame. 

photos courtesy of Samantha Holt's facebook page :)

Dear Michelle & co:Although I am impressed and incredibly jealous of the pleasant afternoon you held, I wanted to warn you that I will be coming back with a vengeance! My challenge, should you be willing to accept, is A PICNIC WAR. Best 2 out of 3???? xoxo Marcella