banana ice cream.

this recipe is a perfect and healthy dessert to beat the summer heat. best of all, it is surprisingly easy to make! all you need are a couple of bananas and a blender or food processor and you're good to go. i couldn't help but add a scoop of peanut butter to my rendition. next time i'm going to experience with dark chocolate chips and almonds... mmm.

enjoy!

brownie chocolate chip cheesecake

it's been a while since i've posted recipes on here. i made this bad boy over the weekend. it was the first time i made a cheesecake and it was actually a lot easier than i anticipated. it helped that i had an easy recipe to work with and i followed it exactly. when z returned home on sunday and saw the half-empty bag of chocolate chips on the counter, he immediately knew i made something. i wanted it to be a surprise but his sweet tooth wasn't having it. after he discovered it in the fridge, he went right to work and hasn't been able to leave it alone since.

i'm taking it as a sign of success.

a serene state of mind.

one of the many highlights of my weekend were these babies. i went all out and ordered 2 earl greys, 2 cappuccinos, 2 caramels, 2 chocolates, and 2 coconuts (for z, cus i hate coconut-anything). interestingly enough, the earl greys tasted like fruity pebbles and brought back childhood memories. my favorite, though, had to be the chocolate - you just can't get between a girl and her chocolate.

we actually had a lot of good food this past weekend: flamed grilled chicken with stuffed poblano peppers, honey marinated chicken kabobs, good ol' pizza and wings, and of course frequent stops to yogurtland for dessert. my only regret is not having pictures to show you guys (but you can see the kabobs from a previous post here). we tried to balance out all the food intake by joining friends for a hike yesterday at Peter's Canyon. it was such a beautiful day for a hike and the view from up top was pretty amazing. i've been wanting to go hiking for about a year now, so i'm happy that z liked it enough to try and do it more often. if all goes well, expect more posts and pictures of trails and nature!

now the clocks get set back to the 9-5 grind. i have a test in both classes this week so it's going to be a tough one.. but you know what? i'm feeling kind of good. i don't know if it's because of the great weekend i just had, or if the universe is just smiling on me today but something in me says that nothing can stand in the way of me and my sense of serenity and it's a great feeling to have.

how's your state of mind this monday?

xoxox.

killing time. literally.

it's funny how we miss the simplest things of our past, or in my case, a part of me that i don't embrace too often - my korean side. i had been meaning to take a trip to the korean market to alleviate my craving for korean food, but only just had the opportunity to do so on Friday. my longing for korean food has gotten stronger over the years and if i had my choice, i'd have my mom prepare me something homemade because really, nothing compares to her cooking, but given the circumstances, i settled on the store bought stuff. unfortunately i never adopted my mom's talent for cooking and i regret not paying closer attention in the kitchen. z isn't a big fan of authentic korean food, but i admit that it's partly my fault for not presenting the opportunity to his taste buds more often. when you're living with someone who is picky with what they eat, you tend to lean more towards something safe and knowingly edible. i wouldn't say that i'm the riskier eater, but i can eat almost anything, so i usually leave it up to z to decide on what to have for our meals together.

nostalgia hit me again last night while i was driving up the 5 from carlsbad. feeling the ocean alongside the freeway, it brought back memories of my solo night trips to the beach. back when i first started driving and had trouble sleeping, i'd hop in my car with my poetry book and head to the beach. i'd sit on the steps under orange street lamps and just write whatever i had on my mind so i could silence my thoughts. i couldn't see the ocean in the darkness but i loved the smell and i wrote a lot about the peaceful sounds of the water rolling in and out. sometimes i wouldn't even stop and just drove up the coast until i was tired and drove back home. once, i took a friend with me and he thought it was weird that i did that - "uh.. that's it? you just drove here and now you're just going to drive back?"

i miss it - before all the responsibilities of adulthood came crashing on to my little head and when i actually had time to reflect on my dark and romantic thoughts of love and life. why does it feel like it wasn't too long ago? does becoming an adult happen that fast? i really can't believe it sometimes.. that i've come so far, yet i feel that only little time has passed. Martin Amis wrote in one of his novels, "Sometimes I feel that life is passing me by, not slowly either, but with ropes of steam and spark-spattered wheels and a hoarse roar of power or terror. It's passing, yet I'm the one who's doing all the moving." how amazingly true.

xoxoo

"A thankful heart is not only the greatest virtue, but the parent of all other virtues” - Marcus Cicero

we managed to put out two apple pies Thanksgiving morning / early afternoon, which was more than enough. we arrived at john and marisa's around 4, just in time to help finalize the last minute trimmings before supper. it was a grand feast - salad, turkey, ham, green beans, mashed potatoes, two kinds of stuffing, yams, cranberry sauce, mac and cheese, and dinner rolls. it was bad. real bad. but if being bad is wrong, then i sure as heck didn't want to be right.

after dinner, the men did all the cleaning. it was a real treat watching our guys wash the dishes and wipe down the kitchen. once all was squared away, we stuffed ourselves with desserts and played board games. it was a real fun evening mixed with getting to know one another and laughing together.

i had planned on seeing my family on friday but decided to head back down to carlsbad with z and his mom instead. i wanted to spend more time with z's mom and marisa's family while they were still down here. john and marisa live walking distance from the beach and since z's mom wanted to see the ocean, we decided to take emi with us so she could enjoy the beach too. i can't believe the weather we were blessed with those two days - the sky was clear blue while the bright sun smiled happily, kissing our heads. being there with my toes in the sand and the ocean at my feet, i couldn't help but be especially thankful that day. emi was having the time of her life with marisa's adorable nieces and to think - spending a day at the beach during winter... how could you not be grateful for that?

i spent saturday with my sisters. we had lunch, went shopping, and caught up with what's new. i thought i had my camera in my bag but it turns out i left it at home so i wasn't able to capture my day with them. the mall was pure madness, as i predicted. we were late on the black friday deals but were able to take advantage of a few sales. i was also surprised at how much that particular mall had changed. i had worked there years ago but could hardly recognize it as the same mall and actually, the stores i worked for aren't even there anymore. to top it off, they added a damn Costco to it. a Costco attached to a mall!! can you believe that?

all in all, it was a great Thanksgiving. so much so that i don't know how i'm going to be able to return to reality tomorrow, or this week. i'm not ready for it. at all. i'm already procrastinating with the things i have to do today, which is catch up on some school work. ah, the holidays...

i hope you all enjoyed being around great people and great food this weekend. i know i did.

xoxooo

p.s. if you haven't watched "Leaves of Grass", you need to. it will leave you with smile and a warm feeling, i promise.

peanut butter cup cookies

i decided to give these a shot today and glad i did, they came out perfect! they're so easy to make and i love the cute presentation. original recipe is here (i didn't change a thing).

i'm going to a halloween party next weekend and had my mind set up to take chocolate cupcakes with peanut butter frosting but after trying these, i'm not too sure. what do you guys think?

chili

i devoured mine last night. the smells of spices brewing from that big pot of chili were intoxicating.

here is the original recipe. z has perfected his own adjustments, one of which i know for certain is substituting the ground beef for turkey. twas a perfect meal to top off a great weekend.

here's to a hearty appetite.

chocolate cake with peanut butter frosting

the photo is at a weird angle, i know. i'm convinced i just really suck at taking good food pictures. but omg, guys... so delicious. and really, how can you go wrong with chocolate and peanut butter? they were made for each other! i've been having a piece with my morning coffee and have fallen in love every time.

original recipe here, she also has a better picture. yum!

o' 3-day weekend, how i have been longing for your embrace.

it's no secret that z and i are in love with mexican food. a few fridays ago, we discovered Carmelita's in Rancho Santa Margarita, which is on the same lake i mentioned a few posts back, and may be our new friday dinner spot. pictured above is their Flautas de Pollo which was a first for me so i didn't know what to expect but it was good all the same. more than anything, i love the atmosphere - it's relaxing yet lively. the scenic view is definitely a plus. i'll be trying their chile verde this evening and the very thought of it has me salivating.

it's funny how we feel about fridays, isn't it? i picture people running out of their offices screaming "FREEEDOMMM!" at the top of their lungs while the men toss away their neckties and women let their hair loose. at least that's the case for most of us, especially since it's going to be a three day weekend! *dance*

i'm planning on visiting my family - i try to visit at least once a month but given my hectic schedule, even that is getting harder to do. aside from that, it looks like school will once again consume the rest of my weekend with little time in between for a bike ride, walks with emi, and quality time with z. but however little those moments are, they are the ones i've learned to fall in love with and cherish the most.

hope you all have a great 3-day weekend! share your plans if you have any :)

chicken fried rice.

fried rice makes for an easy weekday dinner. you can't go wrong with it, although i have learned a few tips along the way to enhance it little ways.

first, i cook the rice. because my rice cooker broke a few months ago, i've been cooking rice on stovetop, which is no easy task at first. however, i've found that stovetop rice is better for fried rice because historically, fried rice has been made with leftover rice. fresh rice from the rice cooker usually causes fried rice to be sticky and mushy. stovetop rice accomplishes the texture and dryness that fried rice calls for, especially if you let it sit after it's done cooking. one cup of rice is plenty for this recipe (for cooking, follow the instructions on the package).

while the rice is cooking, i chop up about 1 lb of chicken into 1-1.5 inch cubes. i throw this into the wok and cook until juices flow and no longer pink. then i throw in my chopped veggies: one green pepper, about 7 or so chopped baby carrots, and half chopped white onion. once the veggies start to soften i put the chicken/veggie combo aside and throw in 3 scrambled eggs, seasoned with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. i allow this to cook, scrambling it along the way.. and right before it's fully cooked, i toss in the rice and mix it in with the eggs. then i throw in the chicken and veggies, a tablespoon of soy sauce, and a few squirts of sriracha sauce for heat. mix and serve! :)

lunchtime and life choices.

there are a number of things i do during my lunch hour when i don't have emi duty. one of them is parking my car in the shade and either taking a nice little nap or reading a good book. i wasn't tired enough to take a nap so i opted for the latter. unfortunately i didn't anticipate reading today so i didn't have a good book in my car, but i did have my sociology book that i purchased yesterday for the upcoming fall semester. so, for the lack of having anything better to do, i picked up the text and surprisingly found myself intrigued by it. so much so that i began rethinking my major. i've always considered sociology - maybe this course will give me a better idea of what to expect. it also got me to thinking about life and the philosopher i'm studying - Jean-Paul Sartre - who believes that we are "condemned to be free" - meaning that being free to make choices in our lives is actually overwhelming and burdensome, rather than a privilege. that's how i feel sometimes... can i just please have some kind of sign?!

anyway. the second pic is what i had for lunch - a grilled tomato, swiss cheese, ham, and avocado sandwich on wheat. it was very delicious as you can imagine :)

stuffed chicken valentino

this is probably my favorite recipe for stuffed chicken. the flavor is great and i love the color of the red roasted peppers when you cut open the chicken (i know, i should've taken a picture of that). i followed the recipe exactly and it came out perfect - delicious and moist.

accompanying the chicken is linguine with broccoli and red peppers. just toss the ingredients together with olive oil, salt, pepper, and parmesean cheese and it's a perfect combination, not to mention very easy!

amber's sesame chicken

this is amber's sesame chicken without the sesame seeds.. we're just not a fan of 'em. i also cooked the chicken in sesame oil instead of vegetable oil, but i think that could have been a mistake since the chicken soaked up the sesame oil very quickly and i kept having to pour in additional teaspoons of it every 2 minutes - plus the flavor ended up being a little too overwhelming. also added broccoli for some more color.

tips: 1) eat it right away otherwise the chicken gets soggy instead of being crispy (learned this the hard way). 2) double up on the sauce and add as you go, and 3) if you do plan on using sesame oil, it may be a good idea to add a little to your sauce instead of using it to cook the chicken.

i served it with jasmine rice. i'm convinced with the minor adjustments that it will be an even better dish next time.

last weekend home.

(spinach, mushroom, and sausage omlette at Sunrise Cafe in San Clemente)

the picture has nothing to do with today's post but Sunday morning breakfasts are always good for the soul so i thought i'd share.
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it's hard to believe that this will be my last week of summer school (where did July go?) and that on Friday night, i will be on a plane headed across the country.

i am so very much looking forward to the experience despite the anxiety i have been feeling the past few weeks. i can't wait to see what Boston has to offer and most importantly, reunite with my old high school buddy who i haven't seen in quite some time. she just recently graduated from Boston University and i'm sure she has stories to share and my ears can't wait to listen. i'm not sure what to expect, or if i should be expecting anything at all... but i do know that it'll be an adventure to remember and i can't wait to share it with you guys :)

ham breakfast braid

of all the recipes i planned on making this past weekend, the breakfast dish was the only thing that deemed worthy enough to share. the ham breakfast braid came out delicious and it was easy to make. i simplified the recipe (even more) by eliminating the cream cheese altogether (i've never made my eggs with cream cheese and didn't want to risk it) and used regular deli ham. i also added white onion and green pepper to my eggs (of course), but do as you like - this dish is so versatile!

i don't think the recipe explains how to braid a crescent roll very well. i actually had to look up a tutorial online, which i can't find right now but this is a good one as well: braid tutorial. i am definitely adding this to my breakfast menu. try it out and tell me how you like it :)

something familiar.

korean food runs through my veins. if i don't have a dose of it every once in a while, i begin having withdrawals and it's not pretty.

last week i had a major craving for samgyupsal, which are slices of pork belly. there are many ways of eating this dish, but i like to have mine dipped in sesame oil with salt and pepper or ssamjang (a korean chili paste), then wrapped in a thin rice paper, or piece of lettuce accompanied by grilled kimchi and mushrooms. it is ultimate bliss.

since z isn't too fond of this cut of meat, i thought i'd take advantage of his absence by treating myself on friday night. jess and paul were kind enough to join me in what turned out to be a korean bbq fest. jess's mom is the kitchen manager so we were spoiled in true korean fashion - i think we had 4 people waiting and fussing over us and i nearly choked on a piece of meat when they brought out the nengmyun (cold noodle dish).. so much food! i had the biggest smile of satisfaction on my face when it was all over. it was nice to have something familiar and comforting.

(as you can tell by that last pic - i am a very messy eater)

alone time.

z is heading north bound tonight, leaving me and emi to fend for ourselves for the next few days. i will miss our weekend routine but i'm also looking forward to having some time to myself. i think every healthy relationship requires a little space here and there, don't you agree?

there are a few things i like to do when the man of the house is away. one of them is inviting my sisters to stay with me for the weekend since i don't get to see them as nearly as much as i'd like to. unfortunately, however, they are as busy as i am and are going to Catalina this weekend for a church retreat. brings back fond memories of my retreat days..

another thing i enjoy doing is experimenting with various recipes. z is a picky eater so i'm always conscious about what to make for dinner, i usually have to play it safe. but when he's gone, i bring out the secret ingredients hidden in the cupboards and play scientist in the kitchen. i plan on making cupcakes, shortcake cookies, a breakfast dish, and a seafood dish. i get hungry just thinking about the possibilities!

lastly, i like to have some one-on-one girl time with the wonderful ladies in my life. girls just have a certain connection with each other that boys can't seem to fathom (i think the same applies to guys too). it's a funny thing :)

this is not to say that i won't miss z because i will. and i'd go with him if i didn't have a dumb midterm on Monday - i sincerely miss his family.. but emi and i are gonna have a fun girls only weekend, i'm sure of it!

pesto cheesy chicken rolls

one of my favorite things to do with chicken is stuffing it! i've expanded beyond the typical chicken cordon bleu and have stuffed chicken with everything from roasted peppers to various cheeses and veggies. pictured above is one of my favorites - pesto cheesy chicken rolls. it consists of exactly what its named after - pesto basil sauce and cheese (did i mention that i loveloveloveloveee cheese?!) i didn't have mozarella on hand so i used slices of swiss cheese and dipped the chicken in egg and breadcrumbs to give it a golden crisp color. i use plain breadcrumbs and just spice it up with other seasonings, depending on my mood. for this particular dish, i mixed in italian seasoning, salt, pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder.

another thing i do with the chicken is cut the breasts in half, lengthwise, and split it open to resemble a butterfly, leaving the sides attached. once i place my stuffing toppings, i roll it up and then stick my toothpicks in. i used to just fold the chicken breasts in half because i didn't have a mallet to pound it thin enough to create the perfect roll so this technique has worked out perfectly for me.

the side dish is parmesean orzo again. as you can see, i topped it with fresh avocado slices. it's one of the perks of having a boyfriend who works for the california avocado commission :)

hope you enjoy it as much as we did, xoxo

p.s. sorry for the crummy picture.. once the sun goes down, we have to rely on the horrible fixtures for our lighting. eck

banana crumb muffins

i made myself useful yesterday by being as productive as can be. i did laundry, went grocery shopping, washed the dishes, and finally made banana crumb muffins. i followed the recipe to the T but found that i didn't use even half of the brown sugar/cinnamon topping (and trust me, i sprinkled on a whole bunch!) i also took advantage of the summer sun and brewed fresh tea on my patio. the muffins and iced tea made a perfect afternoon snack. the muffins also make for a good centerpiece on the dining table:


....and made for a great addition to today's Sunday morning breakfast.

sausage pasta

the full recipe can be found here. my changes included using fresh baby spinach, instead of frozen. i also added green pepper (you'll find i add green pepper to almost everything) and i mistakenly bought the pre-cooked italian sausage so i couldn't remove the sausage from its casing like the recipe calls for. i almost always use whole wheat pasta and this time was no exception. the only thing this picture doesn't have is the parmesean cheese that i sprinkled on it shortly after.

when paired with a nice glass of red wine, it makes for a simple, delicious dinner. bon appetit and happy Friday! hope you all have a fantastic weekend, xoxo.