21 going on 30

Back to the good ol' routine

2012-01-26T00:42:00.000-08:00

Well the beginning of the spring semester was on Monday. What a weird feeling. I do not feel as if this is my last semester and I am not really sure if it will hit me until I am done with all of my finals and I am heading to the ceremony. But, I am not there yet and still a long 15 weeks out from becoming a "real" adult and entering the workforce. With this new semester brought a new outlook on planning my weeks. I began making to-do lists for the things that I need to get done during the day. Now I have always made to-do lists for assignments and things that needed to get done in my sorority, but who knew that making a to-do list for errands, gym time, and housework could be so useful! I planned my entire week on Sunday, and yes little things come up here and there but at least I get most if not all of the things done on my list and I feel accomplished. I know what I need to do each day and don't have to worry about forgetting. My planner will now become my new best friend and be by me almost at all times. When I have something new I need to do, put it on the list. I realize I need to do a chore, put it on the list. It is really helpful to plan things this way so there is some structure for the day to day things that we might forget about, as well as the things we want to remember to do for ourselves.

After all, doesn't coming home to drink a cup of tea and read a book feel nice after a long hard day? You can bet that was on the to-do list.

Asian Persuasion

2012-01-21T00:20:00.000-08:00

Since it is after the holidays and I can feel the holiday food all over my body, I really need to get back into my healthy eating regimen. I have always eaten healthy and have always done really well with eating healthy even when I moved out of my parents house for college. But there is something about holiday food that gets me every time. I am only home for a short period of time, so why not right? Well the holidays are over and done with and now its time to get back into the swing of things.

I love Asian food. That is one thing Mr. K (the boyfriend) and I both really enjoy. Whenever we are looking to go out to eat somewhere, 75% of the time we are going to Asian. It is just the way it is. So, in lieu of going out for Asian all of the time, we have started on a "make our own stir fry kick". We can whip up any meat and a variety of veggies quickly, and have a good homemade dinner that satisfies our flavor craving.

I decided that this a great way to get a little bit of everything in my healthy eating plan as well, so as my first home cooked meal of being back at home from my holiday visit, I made stir fry. I used chicken, sugar snap peas, bean sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, mushrooms, and zucchini.

First, I start with the chicken. I decided to boil it first to cook it throughly and then add it to the steaming hot stir fry pan with the rest of the ingredients. I season the chicken with garlic powder, salt and pepper, and some red pepper flakes for a little bit of heat. I boiled two breasts and decided to use one that night and then shred the other to add to salad and sandwiches later on in the week.

Once the chicken is boiled, I let it cool in the liquid it was boiled in to retain the flavor and then I cubed the one breast for the stir fry and shredded and put the other breast in the fridge for later use. While the chicken was boiling I prepared all of my vegetables and arranged them on a plate so they could easily be tossed into the stir fry pan when I am ready for it. Whole Foods is great for prepared mixes of fresh veggies, but I am using the same veggies later on in the week for dinners and lunches so I just decided to buy the whole produce and prepare it myself this time.

After everything is prepared it is ready to be stir fried! I heat the pan to medium-high heat and then add about a table spoon or two of olive oil. You could also use peanut oil for more of an Asian flavor, but olive oil was what I had on hand and it tasted fine. Then I just dump everything in the pan, sprinkle a little extra of the same seasonings I used when boiling the chicken, and cook it until it is browned and heated through. A few minutes before the stir fry is done I add soy sauce and let that cook through with all of the ingredients for a little salty bite and a nice brown color. Any sauce could be added at this point though and heated through with the veggies and chicken (oyster sauce and teriyaki sauce are some examples).

Now for the rice. I buy my brown rice in bulk at whole foods. I like doing that because I can get the amount that I want or need and it also tends to be a little cheaper. I also don't fuss with cooking rice on the stove, I use a rice cooker instead. Coming from a Hawaiian background, white rice is a staple. Therefore in my family we make and eat a lot of rice and everyone in my family grew up with rice cookers. I am not even sure if they know how to cook rice on the stove top except for my family that still lives in Hawaii. To plate the dish I scoop up a little bit of rice and put half of the stir fry over it. I save the rest for a lunch or dinner later on in the week.

Making homemade dinners and lunches really can be this easy and take no time at all. And oh yeah, this is healthy remember? :) Enjoy

To all who come to this happy place, welcome

2012-01-20T21:23:00.000-08:00

For those of you who do not know, I am a HUGE Disney fan. Although I do not live in the same area, I have a pass to the park. I have been over 50 times in my life, and I am actually probably closer to pushing 70. Yes, it's a little obsessive and I always get the question "Don't you get sick of it?" and I always say no. There are always new things happening at the park and because I frequent it so often, I am able to enjoy the little quirky things the resort offers and I don't feel that I have to ride every single attraction every time I am there. I also love sharing my memories and experiences of the park with people who do not frequent it as often or have never been. I love playing tour guide and showcasing what I know about my beloved Disneyland. It has become a tradition for my sister, Mom, and I to all go to the park in January (Unfortunately Dad has to stay behind because he is crazy busy with work this time of the year).

This time we stayed for four days and took advantage of the long Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. weekend and visited the park for three days, which we haven't done in a long time. The last time I had been was in November and I got to see the taping of the Christmas Day parade. A side note but here is a picture of me and my cousin on TV that aired on Christmas Day behind Nick Cannon (we are on the left of him and I am in a Trojan sweatshirt and my cousin is in a Santa hat).

Anyways, back to this trip. One of the things that I was most excited about seeing was the brand new Jolly Holiday Bakery which is in a building by the Coca Cola Refreshment Corner. They close Blue Ribbon Bakery to make more seating for the Carnation Cafe, and those buildings are currently shut down. Jolly Holiday has a lot of the same pastries and new lunch items. We just stopped in for coffee and a snack but everything that we had was just as good as it was before. As you can tell by the name Jolly Holiday, it is Mary Poppins themed. Not too much, but they do have a few tributes to good ol' Mary herself around the place. Here are pictures of a few of them.

One of my favorite things to do when we go to Disneyland is eat! They have really yummy food and I am always craving at least something. This time we lunched at one of my favorite places, Rancho de Zocolo which is located to the right of Big Thunder Mountain. This time I got the veggie tacos. They were absolutely delicious.

Another thing that I look forward to is "treat time". This is the term we have coined when we would like a treat during the day. Yes you will hear a 46, 21, and 20 year old women walking around the park saying oh its treat time. On one of the days we decided that we couldn't pass up the new Mickey Mouse Cake pops! The ears were marshmallow and the head was moist, rich, red velvet cake. They also came in chocolate and vanilla, but all three of us decided on red velvet.

One of my favorite things about California Adventure is the fact that you can sit back, relax, and enjoy a nice cold beer, glass of wine, or margarita. I usually go for the marg because I feel that I am getting more bang for my buck but me and Mom were both craving a beer. I got the blonde brew which was closest to a Stella the vendor told me.

I didn't get to experience any of the holiday decorations when I went back in November (with the exception of Haunted Mansion Holiday because they put that up for Halloween) so I was pleasantly surprised to see that Small World was still in it's holiday decor. It is probably my favorite way to see the attraction, and of course I sang along the whole time. They added a new snowman to the finale scene that was beautiful and the picture doesn't do it justice.

The only time that I have been stuck on an attraction was back in the early days of California Adventure and we got stuck on Grizzly River Rapids and got to walk through Grizzly Peak which was pretty cool. We got stuck on Ariel's Undersea Adventure for a couple of minutes, and in the best spot of all! I got to snap a perfect picture of Ariel in the Under the Sea scene.

With the release of the new Muppet movie, my love for the Muppets was reborn. Therefore, we went to go see Muppet Vision 3D and it was just as funny as I remember. I was a little disappointed that there wasn't as much merchandise for sale since the movie just recently came out and was a huge hit. I did score seasons 1, 2, and 3 of The Muppet Show on DVD as well as the Green Album of modern musicians covering some beloved Muppet songs.

Overall, the trip was a great success. We didn't have rain and we had a nice relaxing time. I am always sad when it comes time to leave. But I always know that it won't be too long until the next time I am able to revisit "The Happiest Place on Earth". So as the Mickey Mouse Club would say, "See ya real soon!"

A Taste of Childhood

2012-01-05T19:27:00.000-08:00

There are a few dishes that my mom would make that bring me back to my childhood. One of those dishes is something my mom calls Pork Chops Cream of Mushroom. It reminds me of a dish that may have originated in the 1950's or 1960's and I believe my mom got this dish from my grandmother, so this would make sense. It is a simple dish and tastes even better left over.

The dish starts out with center cut pork chops. You brown the pork chops, seasoned (I use black pepper, coarse salt, and garlic powder) in a frying pan.

Once the pork chops are browned and have a nice crust (as shown above), you add them to a stock pot with two cans of your favorite cream of mushroom soup and a can of water. It may look a little watery at first, but this dish is meant to simmer (covered and stirred occasionally) for awhile. I like to simmer it for at least an hour or so and as my rules goes...the longer it simmers, the better it tastes.

My mom usually uses Campbell's Cream of Mushroom soup, but this time we used Trader Joe's Condensed Portobello Cream Soup. It was good, but I think I may have used a little too much water due to the fact that I did not know if it needed more or less. I think for nostalgia, I will continue to use Campbell's. For some reason Campbell's just gives it the flavor I know and love, but if you like the Trader Joe's brand, by all means use that.

My family always serves this dish over rice, so that is what I do. I also think that this dish would be served nicely with some mashed potatoes or any other starch. I always accompany a meal with some sort of veggie and today I had corn and some avocado. Hope this meal is a comforting to other people as it is for me. Happy eating!

Lip Saver Among Other Things..

2012-01-04T15:14:00.000-08:00

I really do not like winter time unless I am inside in comfy clothes by a fire accompanied by a good book or a cup of coffee. I dislike what the dry cool air does to my hair and my lips. I swear I suffer from chronic chapped lips (if there was actually a condition named that) and I am always on the lookout for new products to soothe my poor dry lips. I may just be jumping on the bandwagon but my new favorite lip balm is Smith's Rosebud Salve...

I am absolutely sold on this stuff. It's not too gooey, not too waxy, leaves the lips moisturized, and I feel like I don't have to constantly put it on to still feel moisturized. I was looking on the back of the tin after I got it and noticed that it can be used much like Vaseline can for dry chapped skin. I unfortunately came down with a little sniffle after the holidays (thought I would get through at least one holiday season without getting sick) and my nose always, without fail, gets red, dry, and chapped. So I figured I would give the good ol' Rosebud Salve a try on my nose one evening to see how it works. I was very impressed! It cleared up the dryness in just one use at night and it also helps that it smells yummy and helped me to go sleep.

Long story short, I was definitely impressed with the Rosebud Salve and will continue to buy the product.

New Grocery Obsessions

2012-01-04T00:52:00.000-08:00

As the new semester is approaching, I am in the process of finding new and exciting things at the grocery store to make their way into my meals and snack times. Here are some of the more recent things that I have found and have fallen in love with.

Trader Joe's Roasted Seaweed Snack:

It might sound a little weird but it is delicious! My sister introduced it to me on a recent trip to the grocery store. It may not be for everyone, but if you like asian flavors and are interested and trying new things, I say give it a shot. I will be packing these in lunches or in a snack bag for a quick bite in-between classes.

Trader Joe's Frozen Steel Cut Oatmeal:

On this same trip to the grocery store, I found this nice little package in the freezer section and had to pick it up to try it. They come in two frozen little packs and microwave them for about 3 minutes and it tastes like you were over the stove making it for 10 minutes. I prefer the texture of steel cut oats to regular oatmeal but don't have the time to make it in the morning. This is a perfect alternative and things like nuts and dried or fresh fruit can easily be added to it in order to make the morning oatmeal a little more interesting. I found that it is very filling and is a great day to start off the morning.

Trader Joe's Chili Mango Fruit Floe's:

This is one thing that I am OBSESSED with. I come from a mexican heritage and grew up putting chili powder on a variety of different fruits so when I found these in the freezer section I was very excited. They are perfect if you like sweetness with a mix of spiciness and are willing to try something new and different. Again, these might not be for everyone but I think they are a great simple dessert and leave you feeling that your sweet tooth is satisfied and a plus...they are fat free!

Fresh Fruit Packs:

I get these at either Trader Joe's or at Whole Foods in the produce section. I really love fruit and love a variety of fruit, but don't want to be wasteful and buy so much and then not eat it. This is why I love these fresh packs. I am able to get a variety of fruit that I am able to eat without being wasteful and satisfying my tastebuds at the same time. These are sometimes more expensive, but I see them as being cheaper in the long run because I never waste anything. These are great for someone who lives by themselves and I swear by them.

These items and many more will be entering their way into my meals this next semester along with many more yummy treats. Is it weird that I am excited to prepare lunches for lunches for school?

Inspiration for Cooking and My Go To Easy Recipe

2011-12-31T12:28:00.000-08:00

As I sit down enjoying a nice bowl of oatmeal and cup of coffee on this lovely new years eve, I began watching one of my newest favorite movie of all time Julie and Julia. This is the movie that set my love for food and cooking into full force. I had always been a fan of cooking shows, watching the Food Network, and helping my mom in the kitchen ever since I was a little girl, but something about that movie just set me into a new frenzy. I was suddenly obsessed with going into gourmet food stores, stopping at Williams Sonoma every time I went to the mall, and going straight to the cookbook section every time I went to a book store. I fell in love with this new hobby, and here I am today. Still food obsessed, and quite frankly, my skills have refined and I have been able to cook and create a variety of different dishes with people (like my boyfriend and roommates) to taste them.

Even though I have a love for cooking, I have a very hectic life. So, I have come up with ways to still make a home cooked meal and make it stretch or have found some favorite convieniece healthy foods to grab while I am on the run.

Today, I'll talk about sauce. It is one of the the things that I am a big fan of and it is something that you can variate and make it different. The boyfriend is also a huge fan of my sauce and in fact I made some for him just the other night. A few nights ago we went to Trader Joe's (my favorite grocery store) and picked up some ravioli's. My ingredients for my sauce included: hot sausage, mushrooms, canned tomatoes, jarred mushroom pasta sauce, red wine, and a fourth of a white onion. I sauté the hot sausage and the onion together. Once the sausage is browned I add in the mushrooms to cook down a little bit and then add in the canned tomatoes. I let those simmer for a little bit and add in my spices. I use garlic powder, some italian spice blend, a little extra oregano, and salt and pepper of course. I stir everything together and add in the jarred sauce and about a quarter cup of red wine. That's it! I let it simmer (the longer it simmers, the better it tastes) and then serve it over any pasta shape or ravioli. Sauce is something that freezes really well too. So when I am busy with school and have some time to make a sauce, I make a HUGE batch, and freeze it into single servings which are easy to defrost and then warm up on the stove top.

It may be easy, but it's delicious and you can add whatever your heart desires to a sauce whether it be veggies, meat, sausage, or anything else!

Well here it is...

2011-12-15T15:57:00.000-08:00

Since today is the end of the semester, I have decided to take this whole blogging thing full force. I will need something to keep me busy over break and have decided to share with the world what I cook and how I cook as well as other homemaking type things that I do. I definitely have always had an interest in food and cooking, and make it a point to cook even with my busy schedule. The pinterest world has led me to the blogging world, so here is my stab at it...so stay tuned!

With the holidays coming up, I will have lots of yummy things to post and write about so be on the look out for that.