| My Detailed Results: | |
|---|---|
| Quality Time: | 9 |
| Acts of Service: | 8 |
| Physical Touch: | 6 |
| Words of Affirmation: | 5 |
| Receiving Gifts: | 2 |
Unhappiness in relationships is often due to the fact that we speak different love languages. It can be helpful to know what language you speak and what language those around you speak.
Tag 3 people so they can find out what their love language is.
| Resource | Summary | Why I love it |
| Kayak | My planning resource | Flight searches are easy and flexible. You can search only one airport, or compare prices for multiple airports. You can set parameters that constrain take-off/landing windows, airlines, days +/- your planned trip dates, flight duration, number of stops, and price. If you find a segment you like, the results can be narrowed to those that include that segment. It searches airlines, other travel sites, and consolidators. It does not search Southwest, but no one does. They also put out a nice blog. |
| SeatGuru | Flight seating information | Sometimes it is hard to know which seats are good. This site lets you choose the airline and aircraft (part of the flight info as you are in the booking stage), then gives you a run-down about each seat. If you hate those seats that don't recline (I do) or get a lot of bathroom noise (yuck), check this site as you book tickets online. |
| Farecast | Fare prediction resource | Not sure if you want to purchase tickets now or wait? Farecast gives predictions for most major cities on based on pricing trends. |
| Yapta | Fare tracking resource | Once you have purchased tickets, you can set Yapta to watch those fares and notify you if they fall. Sometimes you can get money back or get a voucher. This notification service is a handy way to track the price for the flight you've booked. |
| Vayama | International travel resource | If you are planning a trip abroad, Vayama is a great (and fun) resource. You can search for flights by a map (I love it!), search through deals, and restrict to low-cost carriers. |
| Be sure to check in advance the baggage policy for your airline. Kayak put the list together that I link to here, but be sure to check with the airline for updates. Most airlines have limitations for the weight of your baggage. Weigh your bags at home! It doesn't matter how stupid you feel when you do this, you will feel much more stupid at the airport as you repack your bag in front of a huge line of people because you exceeded the limit. Many airlines are charging a surcharge if your bags weigh too much -- that $50-$75 would really hurt. Also be advised that some airlines are limiting the number of bags. Double-check what is allowed before leaving home. |
| Make sure you know what is allowed in your carry ons. This changes, so be sure and check before each and every flight. Also be sure to check what is not allowed on board. It sounds easy, and we all think it is obvious, but we are human and we forget. Years ago I got bagged at the Kansas City Airport for having scissors (a nice pair of Fiskars) that I used to open boxes for a training. They had to be thrown away. |
| If you are traveling with children or have a medical condition, make sure to know what is allowed on-board. |
| If you or someone you are traveling with has a food allergy, check in advance what foods will be available on board. To be on the safe side you should bring your own food. I'd also recommend bringing sanitizer wipes -- those tray tables are the most germ infested part of the plan -- and plane sheets to protect your little one from unsafe seat ickies. |
| Bring you own headphones. Many airlines make you purchase headphones if you want to enjoy that in-flight movie. The jacks are standard size, so your own will fit and will probably work better. If you are disturbed by other passengers, get an MP3 player and load it with songs. It will make the flight so much more relaxing. |
| Load up on magazines to read on the plane, then leave them behind for someone else. There's nothing worse than having nothing to do on a flight. If you don't like magazines, bring a book or games. |
| Check the status of your flight prior to leaving for the airport. I know this takes extra time, but it may save you time in the end. Flight delays and schedule changes have become the norm. Use the carriers website or reservations line. |
| Parking at the airport? Check the airports website for information about which lots are open. If you're counting on using the closest lot and it is closed, you may just miss your flight. |
| Always, always, always program your phone with the phone number for the airline. This is your hot-button to flight information and if you run into trouble you may be able to re-book faster by calling -- even inside the airport -- than dealing with a counter agent. I can't tell you how many time this has worked out for us. |
| If your flight is canceled, try getting seats on an earlier flight; you may have a better chance. Signing up for flight notifications by email or SMS may also give you an early heads-up (thanks, Kayak). |
| Hydrate on the plane! Planes are very dry. Be sure to drink water, use hand lotion to keep your skin from drying out, and use lip gloss to keep your lips from cracking. |
| If you are not the traveler, but will be picking up the traveler (or you just care), be sure to track the flight. I use FlightStats. It is free and you can even have it send you updates via text message if you are driving into the airport. |
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| 2 tablespoons balsamic mayonnaise 1 (5-inch) round rosemary focaccia 5 slices Monterey Jack cheese 4 ounces oven-roasted turkey, sliced 2 pieces applewood smoked bacon, cooked until crisp 1/2 avocado, sliced into thin stripsSpread the balsamic mayonnaise on the inside of top and bottom of focaccia. Place with mayonnaise sides facing up on a flat top grill at 350 degrees F. Drape 2 slices of cheese over top and 2 slices over bottom of roll so as to cover the entire surface area. Place dome over focaccia to facilitate melting and even heat. While cheese is melting, place turkey on grill to warm. Place bacon in an "x" over the turkey. Cover with avocado and remaining cheese. Once cheese is melted all around (focaccia and turkey) assemble the grilled cheese and close. Place finished sandwich in a panini grill until roll is crisp and has added squishiness! EAT!!! | |||||||||
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| 16 slices center-cut bacon, cut into 1/2-inch thick pieces 2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature 8 slices Pullman bread, sliced 1-inch thick 8 to 12 ounces really good quality brie 2 green tomatoes, sliced 1/4-inch thick Watercress 8 ounces soft goat cheese, cut into 8 slices (recommended: Boucheron goat cheese) Salt and freshly ground black pepperPlace the bacon in a large skillet or griddle and cook until golden brown and crisp. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate. Break each piece into fourths and set aside. Heat a cast iron griddle or cast iron pan over medium heat. Spread butter on 1 side of each slice of bread. Layer 4 of the slices of the bread with 3 to 4 slices of brie, 2 tomato slices, watercress, 2 slices goat cheese, and 4 slices of broken up bacon and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Place the remaining bread slices on top, butter side up and cook on the griddle until golden brown on both sides and the brie has melted. | |||||||||
| Grilled Cheese Sandwich with Bacon and Pear Recipe Filed under Sandwich  A few months ago I had the pleasure of accompanying Amy of Cooking with Amy and Brett of In Praise of Sardines for a light bite to eat at the Arlequin deli in Hayes Valley, San Francisco. Amy highly recommended the grilled cheese sandwich with bacon and pear, and it was, true to Amy's suggestion, fabulous. The sweet pear worked beautifully with the bacon and sharp cheddar. A great combination. Bartlett pears are just now finally making a show at the markets and I made these sandwiches for the family this week. We also tried them with ham, in place of the bacon. The bacon won. There is a debate here as to whether gruyere would do well in place of the cheddar. "No, no, no, it would overwhelm the pear." We haven't tried that combo yet, but if you do, please let us know how it goes. French or Italian loaf bread, sliced
1. Heat a cast iron skillet to medium high heat. Layer your sandwich - bread slice, cheese, pear slices, bacon, bread slice. Spread butter over the top of the sandwich. Place the sandwich top side down (butter side down) on the hot pan. Butter the exposed side of the sandwich. Let cook for a minute and then use a metal spatula to turn the sandwich over to its other side.
2 While you are toasting the sandwich on the remaining side, press down on the sandwich with a spatula. Alternatively, you can mimic a panini press (albeit without the ridges) by heating a smaller cast iron pan on a separate burner. Use the weight of this pan to press down on the sandwich from above. The sandwich is done when the sides are toasted and the cheese is melted. Cut in half and serve. |
| Honey-Basil Grilled Cheese Original Recipe  INGREDIENTS 4 slices multigrain bread (I used Vital Vittles 12-Grain) 6 strawberry tomatoes, thinly sliced 3 oz. part-skim mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced with a sharp knife 10 slices fontina cheese, cut with a cheese slicer 12 to 16 large basil leaves Honey to taste Butter (to coat bread for grilling) DIRECTIONS Makes two sandwiches.
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