a cold december

all the birds are heading down south
but you're staying up north you say
i've got jackets blankets and sheets
it’s going to be a cold december

i cant fall asleep to your mystery slowly blowing from the shore
i have not failed to be what you'd expect of me
swallowing glass just to stay pure

it's freezing in the loneliest winter
it could be warm you see, a statue next to me 
swimming away from the ice and snow
could i have failed to see the signs in front of me
warning and flashing symbols, subtle and simple i couldn't see
if only time could slow down, then maybe i could come up
it's such a cold december

2010 concert playlist

chili delight

after i cooked the ground beef i drained the fat.  to me this is a key step when i make chili but i don't think everyone does this for their chili.  next i throw in fresh garlic, chopped onions, jalapenos and diced green chiles.  i let those cook several minutes before adding in stewed tomatoes, ketchup, salsa, water and tomato paste.  for this batch i threw in vegetable stock since i had it left over from another dish and added less water.  i don't have any measurements to tell you but i'd just say add less liquid to start and add as you go if needed.  after you've added the tomatoes and liquid it's time to add the beans.  another step i make sure to do when making chili is draining the beans.  i put all the beans into a strainer and rinse them before they get dumped into the pot.  i don't like the syrup they are stored in as part of my chili so don't forget to drain and rinse!

chili is such an easy dish and it welcomes almost anything you can think of throwing into the pot.  for this i had some left over mixture from the sheppard's pie dish i made so i pulled it out of the freezer and added it to my chili.  for spices i added both mexican and regular chili powder, cumin and kosher salt.

after you've added all that you can think of let it simmer for at least an hour so that all the ingredients have time to become friends.

peruvian lamb

hands down the best lamb i've ever eaten!!  i'm not even sure what this is called but it's a peruvian dish and it was delicious.  thank you to my sister in law's mother for making this for christmas dinner.

2010 christmas dinner

in our family we have always had christmas dinner on christmas eve.  i can remember this even when i was very young that we'd gather at my grandma ho's house for a huge family dinner.  i honestly can't remember one christmas dinner or lunch for that matter in my early years but i can recall our christmas eve meals with great detail.  my sister and i have tried to kept to the tradition from our childhood and we continue to have our big meal on december 24th.  this year we decided to eat tri-tip instead of the usual turkey (which i don't like anyways) and i would have to say i enjoyed the change of pace.

macaroni & cheese

ingredients

• kosher salt
• vegetable oil
• 1 pound elbow macaroni or cavatappi
• 1 quart milk
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, divided
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 12 ounces gruyere, grated (4 cups)
• 8 ounces extra-sharp cheddar, grated (2 cups)
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 1/2 cups fresh white bread crumbs (5 slices, crusts removed)

directions

preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

drizzle oil into a large pot of boiling salted water. add the macaroni and cook according to the directions on the package, 6 to 8 minutes. drain well.

meanwhile, heat the milk in a small saucepan, but don't boil it. melt 6 tablespoons of butter in a large (4-quart) pot and add the flour. cook over low heat for 2 minutes, stirring with a whisk. while whisking, add the hot milk and cook for a minute or two more, until thickened and smooth. off the heat, add the gruyere, cheddar, 1 tablespoon salt, pepper, and nutmeg. add the cooked macaroni and stir well. pour into a 3-quart baking dish.

melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, combine them with the fresh bread crumbs, and sprinkle on the top. bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbly and the macaroni is browned on the top.

this is the second time i've made this dish and i'd like to thank the food network for sharing it with the world.

sonic good

introducing the new sonic tex-mex footlong quarter pound coney topped off with warm chili, crunchy corn chips, shredded cheddar cheese, diced onions, sliced jalapeños and zesty southwest chipotle sauce.

 

before

after

pumpkin pancakes

dry mix:
2 cups flour
3 tbls brown sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
2 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/2 tsp salt
wet mix:
1 1/2 cup milk
1 cup canned pumpkin pie mix
1 egg
1 tbls vinegar

mix dry and wet ingredients in separate bowls.  after both wet and dry ingredients are mixed on their own combine and mix on medium speed for several minutes until batter is mixed throughout.  cook on medium heat (i cook on a griddle at 350 degrees).

i made these pancakes for my coworkers last year and i've been asked several times since when i would be making them again.  so last night i thought why not make them a little holiday treat.  i made the batter last night and let it sit in the fridge overnight.  this morning it was a little too think so i added a little water so it would pour easily.

everyone loved them.  i served them with butter, syrup and whipped cream.  i even made a few with chocolate chips for the perfect melt in your mouth treat.

nola

since it was raining elle and i bailed on cable car caroling in sf and went to dinner instead.  we settled on nola which is located right off of university on ramona.  the restaurant is inspired by new orleans and they give you a small piece of louisiana with not only the atmosphere but with their menu.  it's a fun spot with lots of character but the food is the reason i continue to return.  i went hands in and ordered the sticky finger baby back ribs, it's covered with their sweet and spicy root beer bbq sauce and served with mardi gras slaw, red beans and rice.  i was extremely happy with my choice to get a little messy cause the ribs were mouthwatering.  i didn't leave a bite left on my plate so you know the sides were a hit as well.  the flavor of the slaw was unique and it had a slight kick and if i could i'd recreate it at home.  the red beans were cooked perfectly and weren't too spicy.  for dinner elle and i shared the n'awlins sampler - bread pudding, pecan pie and beignets.  it was served with all kinds of sauces but my favorite sauce was some type of sugar and bourbon sauce.  since we got the dessert to go i am unable to truly give my opinion on dessert since the beignets and bread pudding were no longer warm when i ate them but i can tell you the pecan pie was good but after a few bites it became too sweet.

*sorry i don't have any pictures but someone borrowed my memory card.  i tried to take pictures with my phone but it was too dark and there's no flash on my phone so they didn't turn out.

felt like a mini dream

confession, we missed the performance of bruno mars.  well we heard the last song but we basically missed his entire show.  sad we missed bruno but we made it on time for the party.  after bruno's exit from stage the dj started spinning and the entire arena rose to their feet and began to dance.  it was so crazy and fun but we were all dancing in place and singing allowed as the music played.

up next was drake who entered in a black hooded sweatshirt very mellow and played it cool.  by the the end of his first song he removed the hood from off his head and had an outburst of energy that seemed to fuel the crowd.  i do like several of his songs but i wouldn't say i'm extremely blown away by his talent.  to me he is more of a collaborator than a stand alone artist.  he is one of those artists who needs the support of other big names on his tracks before he'll cut a song.  like he needs other people to fill in the holes where he might otherwise fall short.  not that he's bad at what he does but i just am not satisfied in saying he is extremely talented.  lets just be honest that this actor turned hip hop artist from degrassi in my mind needs to continue proving himself.  now that i've seen him perform i will put it out there that i like him a little more now than i did at the start of the evening.

the main event for me was chris brown and let me tell you that he was worth every minute we waited.  that boy can dance and he seriously worked it out tonight.  i cannot fully express the way he moves and how he seems to magically slide/fly so effortlessly across the stage.  it's like he was born to be an entertainer and let me be the one to tell you that all us ladies in attendance were thoroughly entertained.  he brought every thing he had to offer to the table tonight and he did not disappoint.  since he has too many songs to cover them all in such a limited amount of time he mashed them up into mixes.  this way he was able to hit them all and i thought it was a clever way to please the masses.  during one of his songs he brought a girl up on stage to sing and dance to her.  at this point i thought that alexis was going to pass out and that i'd have to catch her from hitting the floor, luckily she did not faint.

throwback thursday - long december

a long december, and there's reason to believe,
maybe this year will be better than the last.

i can't remember the last thing that you said as you were leavin'


if you think that i could be forgiven.... i wish you would
if you think you might come to california... i think you should
it's been so long since i've seen the ocean... i guess i should

i gotta see ya tonight

first and foremost let me start by saying that it is never alright for a man to hit a women.  that being said i still find myself loving chris brown.  i do not overlook the fact that he has made dumb and bad decisions in life but haven't we all?  i'm not dismissing his bad behavior and discounting the fact that his actions where in fact wrong and that this is never the answer.  i am however willing to give him a chance to prove that he's not 'that guy' and for him to prove that he also understands that violence is not the answer.  i feel that his actions were more a quick and stupid response to a situation and sadly he made a poor judgement call in his reaction.  i know that as a girl i should be more supportive of the victim but in this case the victim was rihanna and i'm not a fan of rihanna.  this doesn't make the issue at hand any less important or less wrong but for me it has made it easier for me to continue my love for chris brown.  i love his dance moves, those lips, all the tattoos and his style.  another thing i love is that he seems to have learned from this experience and he's not letting life and other people keep him down.  do your thang chris brown just not this thing ever again.

scott's seafood

for our christmas lunch our company luncheon we ate at scott's seafood in jack london square.  to start off i ordered the heart of romaine salad with thousand island dressing.

next up was the main meal of mashed potatoes, veggies and my delicious filet Mignon (even if my coworkers thought i was crazy for ordering my meat well done).

although my steak was great my favorite part of the meal was dessert.  i ordered bananas foster and it was hands down the best bananas foster i have ever eaten.  in fact it was so good i think i may dream of it tonight.

today i discovered that if i was a drinker, which i'm not, my drink of choice would be rum since i love pina colada's, coke and bananas foster.

ballin' at the warriors game

thank you betty for taking me to the game tonight and thanks to whomever didn't go so that we could sit in the sweetest seats with the best view i've ever had.  we were third row about half way between basket and half court.  oddly enough i even cheered for the warriors, not that i have something against them but our seats were so crazy close i couldn't bring myself to upset the older man sitting next to us by doing my usual of cheering for the visiting team, well that and they were playing the timberwolves. warriors pulled out a win in the end and ellis was on fire, from start to finish that man was ballin'.



here is a picture of my chicken sandwich with marinara sauce and peppers from the first half of the game.

this is my nachos from the second half of the game... yes a few chips came up missing before this picture was taken.

i want a hippopotamus for christmas

when i was little my most favorite animal was a hippo.  i wanted a hippo stuffed toy and pj's but sadly there was never any hippos to be found (please keep in mind that this was a time before the internet so it was harder to find what you wanted back then).  i remember crying one time especially because i wanted a hippo and still there was no hippopotamus in sight.  in fact this specific time my dad made me pick a new favorite animal.  that is right folks i had to pick something that was more accessible so that i wouldn't be continually disappointed, translation i had to pick a new animal because my dad was fed up with me whining and didn't want to deal with it anymore.


this year my hippo finally came.  the main asian must have remembered me telling her this story and thought that after all these years i should have a hippo.  it was so funny when i opened it because i had no clue but it was so fun and exciting.  i own a hippopotamus coin bank and now my life is complete.

monique's

after a night filled with awkwardness we felt that we were entitled to a sweet treat.  so we headed to bryant street in down town palo alto for a cup of hot chocolate at monique's.

i ordered the mexican hot chocolate and elle ordered the mint white chocolate.  i think this is a great place and it's very different and fun when compared to starbucks.  i do have to say that my cup literally tasted like it was filled with cinnamon and spices instead of chocolate.  i think they've got a great concept but the execution was over the top.  my taste buds were not able to handle this powerful punch that they packed into the tiny cup.  i went home and mixed it with a package of hot chocolate i had and lots of hot water and still it didn't help.  the spices would not quite and even when i added more chocolate it's powers were too intense.  i'll be back monique, don't you worry but i have learned my lesson and i will try something new.

i heart puckerman

red hooded sweatshirt

last night peter reminded me of this song and i thought it was only right that i pay my respects once more to a
fallen friend.


dear red hooded sweatshirt,

i miss the years of memories we shared. i miss the comfort you provided. i miss the belly coverage you freely gave. i miss our long walks on the beach.  i miss those cold nights at bonfires. i miss you more than i realized i would.

I LOVE YOU red hooded sweatshirt... dip dip dip

all about the starters

cheese potato cakes - cheddar, jack & aged parmesan

cheese, creamy mashed potatoes, onions, dill and cilantro lightly

breaded then fried crisp and topped with salsa ranch

avocado rolls - wrapped with crushed chiles, sweet red peppers

then fried crisp with sweet ponzu ginger dipping sauce

at claim jumpers who needs a main dish when you've got appetizers like these?  oh thats right i do.

there are no words

this caught my eye because of the name and i just had to say that i've tried it.  now i can honestly say i won't eat it again.  the chocolate did not balance out the sourness of the other yogurt.  to whomever created this i'd say try again.

pho vi hoa

a group of us girls (tiny dancer, her sister, the main asian, elle, alexis and i) got together for dinner at pho vi hoa.  i ordered arice vermicelli bowl with pork called bún thịt nướng.  it was good but after the late lunch i ate i wasn't hungry enough to finish.

after dinner we hung out at my place and played just dance 2 on the wii i purchased on black friday.

we danced the evening away to songs just as wannabe by spice girls, womanizer by the gym all-stars, hot n cold by katy perry, I like to move it by real 2 real, step by step by nkotb, eye of the tiger by survivor and ring my bell by anita ward.  good times had by all and many more dance nights to come.

late lunch at jeffery's

dang these shakes, seriously the best chocolate shakes are at jeffery's!!  and yes i like my burgers WELL done.

mister heavenly

if you are in oakland tonight and you happen to like michael cera then i'd recommend checking out the fox theater for the mister heavenly show.

  yes i know that michael cera is a dork and that he's awkward and it is true that he has made some poor choices in picking character roles.  however i loved him in arrested development and find him endearing.  my fingers are crossed in hopes that he has made a wiser choice in picking a band over his last film choices.  there is a bright side to all of this and that is the fact he is now playing with joe plummer the drummer from modest mouse.  to you michael i hope you've got not only the skill to play but also the heart to rock your little indie heart out.

french fry redemption

thank you el grullense for not disappointing me on my second visit.  on my last post i mentioned that i was less than impressed with the carne asada.  i'm happy to report that tonight's experience was exactly what i had hoped it would be.  i did make a few adjustments to my order which made all the difference.  i asked them to cook my fries longer and i ordered them with chicken instead of steak.

yank sing & ike's

thank you yank sing (and also elle's uncle) for introducing me to the yummy world of dim sum (even if one of your employees lied and didn't tell me there was shrimp in one of the items i tried).  my favorite was the shanghai dumplings - pork, scallions and ginger wrapped and steamed in its own aromatic broth.  it's like a bite of soup in each dumpling and when you bite into them the broth comes rushing out.

for dinner elle and i picked up sandwiches from ike's place at stanford.  here is a picture of my  mayoose’s ca-blt minus the t.  i ordered it on dutch crunch bread and it had loads of bacon which i loved!  elle and i also bought ike's t-shirts and every time we wear them to get sandwiches they take 10% off our purchase.. score!