Cinnamon Buns

I've made cinnamon buns twice this year.  The first time was a month ago when I decided to try a recipe from Smitten Kitchen.  The recipe seemed promising although I had problems with the dough not rising.  Probably because it's arctic cold in our house.  Flavor came out great but texture was simply not as fluffy as hoped.

I held off trying again until this week when Monkey came to town for the holidays.  This time, I used a recipe from my Baking Illustrated book and boy did it deliver.  Both recipes were similar but for the second go, I used a technique Monkey recommended for rising the dough: preheat oven to 200, turn off the oven, and put the dough inside.  Sure enough, super puffy.  Everything about these buns were fabulous, including the icing.  Will definitely make again.

Here are pictures of this week's buns.

And here are pictures of the previous buns which failed to rise to expectations (pun intended har har).

Movies

The best part of the holidays are when you're stuffed after dinner, the baby is finally sleeping and you get to snuggle up on the couch and watch movies...still wearing the pajamas you woke up in of course.

So far, we've watched Ghostbusters as previously mentioned.  I don't think I've watched that since I was a teenager.  Bill Murray will always be funny in my book.  We also watched Stardust, a fantasy movie from 2007 that Monkey recommended.  Badge grumbled about this one, thinking it'd be a total dud, but he was the first to admit it was anything but.  Surprisingly cute and funny, the whole family enjoyed it.  I kinda want to watch it again.

After Stardust, we went on a tear and watched Ocean's Eleven and Ocean's Twelve.  We're now going to go watch Ocean's Thirteen and drink some more egg nog that Monkey whipped up this afternoon.

Christmas Time

Well it's certainly been a while since I last blogged.  Oops.  I'll play catch up later.  For now, I'll focus on documenting our Christmas day.

On Christmas morning, we rolled out of bed and started opening presents.  This was BB's first year opening presents, and though I'm pretty sure he had no idea what was going on, I like to think he enjoyed the chaos.

In the afternoon, I made egg nog using a Saveur recipe that Badge saw at the doctor's office (and immediately swiped).  The flavor was great, but was pretty thick and frothy from the whipped egg whites.  The family all had differing opinions on preferred thickness so I just left the milk out for individual adjustments.  The recipe called for 1 cup rum but I used 3/4 because that's all I had left.  It seemed like enough since Uncle Jamie still got drunk, which I suppose isn't saying much.  The egg nog really didn't last long and we were all disappointed when it was gone.  A double batch will definitely be considered next year.

For dinner, we decided to revisit some of our old favorites.  Since we didn't have mac n cheese at Thanksgiving, it was a must.  We also remade the same scalloped potatoes from our past two Christmases, tried a new roasted cauliflower dish, and made caesar salad with Monkey's addicting dressing.  For the main course, I was originally planning to make some beef short ribs but was distracted by a large slab of pork belly while shopping at Whole Foods.  The mere thought of crispy skin on top of tender melt-in-your-mouth meat was all it took to make my decision.

Over all, the dinner came together pretty quickly, except of course the pork belly which took 3 hours to roast.  Everything was delicious.  There was really nothing I would not make again.

At the end of the meal, we were all utterly stuffed so we put BB to bed and parked it on the couch to watch Ghostbusters.  We took a break towards the end of the movie to make some hot chocolate.  It was the perfect end to a great Christmas.

Egg Nog
Courtesy of Saveur Magazine

Ingredients

• 1 cup light rum
• 1/2 cup sugar + 2 tbsp
• 6 eggs (yolks separated from whites)
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/8 tsp ground allspice
• 1/8 tsp ground anise
• 1 cup milk

Whisk rum with 1/2 cup sugar and egg yolks in heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water until very thick, 2-3 minutes; chill.  Whip heavy cream in a bowl until soft peaks form; chill.  In a large bowl, whip egg whites, 2 tbsp sugar and spices until soft peaks form.  Fold whipped cream and cooled egg yolk mixture into whites; stir in milk.  To serve, ladle egg nog into mugs and garnish with ground cinnamon and nutmeg.  Serve additional rum on the side if you like.

Birthday, Father's Day, and Monkey Visits

Monday was Badge's birthday.  At his request, I made german chocolate cake over the weekend.  This cake is a pain to make; there are so many steps.  

But oh man is it worth the trouble.

Since I had eggs to use up, I also decided to try a new french apple cake recipe.  Verdict?  I like this recipe better.  It doesn't feel as oily.  Perfect to eat for breakfast or as an afternoon snack. 

Note: I tried to take an artsy photo by throwing in completely unrelated ingredients in my fridge, like blueberries and thyme.  Humor me and pretend it makes sense.

This weekend was full of eating and drinking and merriment.  Monkey flew in Friday morning and I took the afternoon off.  That night, Badge and I met up with friends for an awesome dinner at Urban Solace while Monkey and Ah Ma babysat.

On Saturday, we took BB to the Del Mar beach.  It was his first time up close with the ocean and boy was he freaked out.  After some crying, we managed to get him to calm down - mostly by stuffing cheese in his mouth and facing him away from the ocean.  Once we finished picnicking on the grass, we let him cautiously venture out onto the sand.  As expected, he eventually adjusted and had a blast poking and sand and pouring water around.  I took a ton of pictures, but the cutest ones were of Badge with BB.  What a wonderful father.  We closed a great day but ordering a ton of Indian food.  Mmm...

On Sunday, we met up with Spike, Frog, and Dog at Sipz for lunch.  Towards the end of lunch, Frog took BB next door to a karate studio.  Apparently they let him run around the mat to his hearts delight.  Check out this hilarious video.

In the late afternoon, we went over to Spike's for pizza and to watch the basketball playoffs.

Overall, I'm pretty sure I could skip dinner every day this weekend and still not manage to make up for all the food I ate, but who cares?  It was such a fun and relaxing weekend.  Till next time Monkey comes!

Mini Foods

I couldn't resist buying BB some frozen mini blueberry waffles from Whole Foods this week.  I don't usually buy any frozen food for him but these looked extra cute and delicious.

One really can't fault frozen food for convenience.  This morning, I just popped the little suckers in the toaster and added a dab of butter and maple syrup.  Ta da!  He certainly enjoyed them.  Once we move, I'd definitely like to invest in a waffle iron and make these things for real.

Oh did I mention we're moving?  Our house has been sold and is currently in escrow.  That means it's a mad dash to find a new place to live.  The inventory in SD is horrible.  Badge and I are having a hard time finding something we love.  Keeping my fingers crossed!

Saffron Risotto with Butternut Squash

I made risotto tonight (added roasted brussel sprouts on the side).  It was delicious.  I love butternut squash.  The end.

Well, not quite.  I continued my flurry of cooking activities by baking a french apple cake.  The recipe was touted as a mixture between a cake and a custard.  Thus I was intrigued.

Unfortunately, after mixing up the batter halfway, I had to put everything on hold while I fed a fussy BB who'd gone the whole day without a nap.  I'm not sure if that had any effect on the cake but it did feel a little more greasy that I would have liked.  At least, I could certainly taste the 1 cup of oil that went in.  Perhaps substituting canola oil for veggie oil wasn't the best idea?  Damn you Whole Foods for not carrying veggie!  Overall, the cake was still tasty, esp paired with vanilla ice cream.  I'd definitely try making this again (when I can devote my full attention).

Saffron Risotto with Butternut Squash
Courtesy of Ina Garten

1 butternut squash (2 pounds)
2 tablespoons olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter
2 ounces pancetta, diced
1/2 cup minced shallots (2 large)
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice (10 ounces)
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 teaspoon saffron threads
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Peel the butternut squash, remove the seeds, and cut it into 3/4-inch cubes. You should have about 6 cups. Place the squash on a sheet pan and toss it with the olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Roast for 25 to 30 minutes, tossing once, until very tender. Set aside.

Meanwhile, heat the chicken stock in a small covered saucepan. Leave it on low heat to simmer.

In a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, melt the butter and saute the pancetta and shallots on medium-low heat for 10 minutes, until the shallots are translucent but not browned. Add the rice and stir to coat the grains with butter. Add the wine and cook for 2 minutes. Add 2 full ladles of stock to the rice plus the saffron, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Stir, and simmer until the stock is absorbed, 5 to 10 minutes. Continue to add the stock, 2 ladles at a time, stirring every few minutes. Each time, cook until the mixture seems a little dry, then add more stock. Continue until the rice is cooked through, but still al dente, about 30 minutes total. Off the heat, add the roasted squash cubes and Parmesan cheese. Mix well and serve.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

French Apple Cake
Courtesy of Cooks Illustrated

1 1/2 pounds Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, cut into 8 wedges, and sliced 1/8 inch thick crosswise
1 tablespoon Calvados
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 cup (5 ounces) plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup (7 ounces) plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 large egg plus 2 large yolks
1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Confectioners' sugar

1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Spray 9-inch springform pan with vegetable oil spray. Place prepared pan on rimmed baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Place apple slices into microwave-safe pie plate, cover, and microwave until apples are pliable and slightly translucent, about 3 minutes. Toss apple slices with Calvados and lemon juice and let cool for 15 minutes.

2. Whisk 1 cup flour, 1 cup granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt together in bowl. Whisk egg, oil, milk, and vanilla together in second bowl until smooth. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and whisk until just combined. Transfer 1 cup batter to separate bowl and set aside.

3. Add egg yolks to remaining batter and whisk to combine. Using spatula, gently fold in cooled apples. Transfer batter to prepared pan; using offset spatula, spread batter evenly to pan edges, gently pressing on apples to create even, compact layer, and smooth surface.

4. Whisk remaining 2 tablespoons flour into reserved batter. Pour over batter in pan and spread batter evenly to pan edges and smooth surface. Sprinkle remaining 1 tablespoon granulated sugar evenly over cake. 5. Bake until center of cake is set, toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, and top is golden brown, about 1¼ hours. Transfer pan to wire rack; let cool for 5 minutes. Run paring knife around sides of pan and let cool completely, 2 to 3 hours. Dust lightly with confectioners’ sugar, cut into wedges, and serve.

BB Time

Vegetable Lasagna

Last week, I finally made this vegetable lasagna recipe which I've had on my to-cook list for a while.

It was pretty annoying to chop up all the veggies, but otherwise all the steps were quick.  Next time, I would use the mandolin and just slice everything thinly.  That would have made the prep work a breeze.  The flavor was great and of course it made enough to feed an army.

The real test was whether or not BB liked it.  He loved it!  Gobbled it up like crazy.

Vegetable Lasagna
Courtesy of Cooks Illustrated

No-Cook Tomato Sauce

1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

No-Cook Cream Sauce

4 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated (2 cups)
1 cup whole milk cottage cheese
1 cup heavy cream
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Vegetable Filling
1 1/2 pounds eggplant, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 7 cups)
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
1 pound zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 4 cups)
1 pound yellow squash, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 4 cups)
5 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme
12 ounces baby spinach (about 12 cups)
12 no-boil lasagna noodles
1/2 cup minced pitted kalamata olives
12 ounces low-moisture whole-milk mozzarella cheese, shredded (about 3 cups)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

INSTRUCTIONS

1. FOR THE TOMATO SAUCE: Whisk all ingredients together in bowl; set aside.

2. FOR THE CREAM SAUCE: Whisk all ingredients together in bowl; set aside.

3. FOR THE FILLING: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Toss eggplant with 1 teaspoon salt in large bowl. Line surface of large plate with double layer of coffee filters and lightly spray with vegetable oil spray. Spread eggplant in even layer over filters. Wipe out and reserve now-empty bowl. Microwave eggplant, uncovered, until dry to touch and slightly shriveled, about 10 minutes, tossing once halfway through to ensure that eggplant cooks evenly. Let cool slightly. Return eggplant to bowl and toss with zucchini and squash.

4. Combine 1 tablespoon oil, garlic, and thyme in small bowl. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add half eggplant mixture, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper; cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are lightly browned, about 7 minutes. Push vegetables to sides of skillet; add half of garlic mixture to clearing and cook, mashing with spatula, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir to combine garlic mixture with vegetables and transfer to medium bowl. Repeat with remaining eggplant mixture, 2 tablespoons oil, and remaining garlic mixture.

5. Return skillet to medium-high heat, add remaining teaspoon oil, and heat until shimmering. Add spinach and cook, stirring frequently, until wilted, about 3 minutes. Transfer spinach to paper towel–lined plate and drain 2 minutes. Stir into eggplant mixture.

6. TO ASSEMBLE: Spray 13 by 9-inch baking dish with vegetable oil spray. Spread 1 cup tomato sauce in bottom of baking dish; shingle 4 noodles on top of sauce. Spread half of vegetable mixture over noodles, followed by half of olives, half of cream sauce, and 1 cup of mozzarella. Repeat layering with 4 noodles, 1 cup tomato sauce, remaining vegetables, remaining olives, remaining cream sauce, and 1 cup mozzarella. Place remaining 4 noodles on top layer of cheese. Spread remaining 1 cup tomato sauce over noodles and sprinkle with remaining 1 cup mozzarella. Lightly spray large sheet of aluminum foil with vegetable oil spray and cover lasagna. Bake until -bubbling, about 35 minutes. Cool on wire rack 25 minutes. Cut into pieces, sprinkle with basil, and serve.

Blueberry Muffins

Finally, a post!  It's been too long.

This morning I made blueberry muffins.  Nothing like a delicious pastry straight out of the oven first thing in the morning.  These muffins were easy to whip up and not overly sweet like store bought muffins.  I used plain greek yogurt and stuffed the batter into 6 big muffins (too lazy to bake 2 batches since I only have a 6 muffin pan).

Will definitely make again.


Perfect Blueberry Muffins
Courtsey of Smitten Kitchen, Adapted from Cook’s Illustrated

Makes 9 to 10 standard muffins
5 tablespoons (2 1/2 ounces or 71 grams) unsalted butter , softened
1/2 cup (3 1/2 ounces or 100 grams) sugar
1 large egg
3/4 cup sour cream or plain yogurt
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1 1/2 cups (6 3/4 ounces or 191 grams) all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoon (7 grams or 1/4 ounce) baking powder
1/4 teaspoon (1 gram) baking soda
1/4 teaspoon (2 grams) salt
3/4 cup (3 3/4 ounces or 105 grams) blueberries, fresh or frozen (if frozen, don’t bother defrosting)

Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a muffin tin with 10 paper liners or spray each cup with a nonstick spray. Beat butter and sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add egg and beat well, then yogurt and zest. Put flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a sifter and sift half of dry ingredients over batter. Mix until combined. Sift remaining dry ingredients into batter and mix just until the flour disappears. Gently fold in your blueberries. The dough will be quite thick (and even thicker, if you used a full-fat Greek-style yogurt), closer to a cookie dough, which is why an ice cream scoop is a great tool to fill your muffin cups. You’re looking for them to be about 3/4 full, nothing more, so you might only need 9 instead of 10 cups. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until tops are golden and a tester inserted into the center of muffins comes out clean (you know, except for blueberry goo). Let cool on rack (ha), or you know, serve with a generous pat of butter.

Coconut Bread

I saw this coconut bread recipe from smitten kitchen last week, and immediately set forth making it.  Totally forgot to take a picture sadly.  That either means I was very absent minded last week, or we ate it too quickly.  Maybe a little of both.

Anyway I used a bundt pan since I couldn't find my bread pan.  Very tasty and addicting.  Will definitely make again.

Tofu Curry Salad

Since Badge is trying to eat less meat these days and I had mayo to use up, I decided to make this delicious curry salad with tofu instead of chicken.  Of course, it's not as good as the original but I was surprised that the flavor still held.  The salad has more liquid from the tofu, but I imagine that's not a bad thing when eaten with bread.  We, on the other hand, ate with leftover tortilla wraps.

Easter Egg Hunt

Today was BB first easter egg hunt.  It was an event held at my company.  BB was more busy picking up rocks, staring at the waterfall, and attempting to dive into the koi pond than hunting eggs, but I think he still had a great time.

My Body Hates Me

This past week, I made my body do many painful things, some of which include, but are not limited to:

Kapotasana

Viparita Shalabhasana - here's me doing it almost 3 years ago.  I was surprised to be able to do it again after so long (still touched my feet to head), but I think I tweaked something in my lower back.  Doh!

Insanity - my coworkers are doing the full thing but I just randomly join on Thursdays.  This week I did Pure Cardio and Cardio Abs, which was Pure Pain.  The first time I did Insanity, I thought I was going to pass out.  This time, I actually felt like I was able to keep up better and push myself harder.  It was still beyond difficult and wheeze-inducing but I think I see some progress?

And I ran 5 miles on Mon.  I've been trying to up my mileage from 3 miles to 4-5.  Feels ok now that I've done it a few times but afterwards my right hip always aches.  I can't decide if thats from an old yoga or old running injury.

All that activity and my body is just pooped.  Well incredibly sore, but also pooped.  Will try to rest before doing it all over again next week.  Must lose final 5 lbs of baby weight!

18 Month Checkup

Today we took BB in for his 18 month check up.  Here are the stats:

Weight: 26.15 lbs (76th %)
Height: 34 inches (93rd %)
Head: 19.25 inches (87th %)

Baby Burrito is still a Big Ass Baby.  I can't believe he's so tall.  He'll probably even out soon but for now Badge and I like to think he'll be the next Jeremy Lin.

Pho

This weekend, I went to my coworker friend's house to learn how to make pho.  I've always assumed pho was too much trouble to make at home.  Turn's out it's quite the opposite.  Buy some simple ingredients, throw it in a pot, simmer for 5 hours, and you're rewarded with a vat of rich flavorful broth, enough to feed a small army.

First things first: assemble your meats.  This consists of beef bones, flank (can be purchased as "beef plate" from viet store), and tendon.  Once you have your meats, wash in water several times to clean.  The water should run clear, free of blood.  For the faint of heart, do not look too closely at the following picture.

Next, generously salt the meat.  Apparently this is more of a cleansing exercise than any attempt to add flavoring.

Set aside the meat and assemble your spices (cinnamon stick, cloves, star anise, and dried tsaoko aka black cardamom) and add-ins (onions and ginger).

Both onions and ginger should be peeled, although the onions get thrown into the pot whole while the ginger should be sliced into chunks.  Spices go into a tea bag/container.  Sorry for incredibly ugly picture below.

Now add 8 heaping tablespoons of sugar, 2 heaping tablespoons of salt, and 2 heaping tablespoons of msg.  The proportion can be adjusted to taste.  If you react poorly to msg (like Badge), I imagine you can add less or skip it altogether.  Just don't expect the broth to live up to its full potential.

Now just sit back and let the broth simmer for 5 hours.  Check back periodically to skim off that white foamy junk that rises to the surface whenever you boil meat.  At around 3 hours, your flank will probably be done.  Pull it out once tender and let the broth keep cooking.  When the meat has cooled, slice it thinly and set aside.

Once done, your broth will probably look (and smell) as good as the following.  Time to assemble!

Soften some noodles in boiling water.

Top with the cooked flank and tendon.  Add rare steak if that's your thing.  Be sure to add thinly sliced onions, cilantro and green onions.  Pour the broth on top.

Make sure you have plenty of bean sprouts, basil, limes, and whatever that long green leafy thing is on the side.  As always, hoisin and rooster sauce are a must.

And that's it!  The broth freezes quite well so you can eat some now and save to enjoy later.

Pho Broth
Courtesy of Phong's mom

2-2.5 gallons water
2 cinnamon stick

2 small spoon of dried cloves

4 dried star anise

4 nuts of dried tsaoko (crack only for the flavor)

2 big spoon of MSG

2 big spoon of salt

8 big spoon of sugar

2 onion

2 5-inch ginger sliced

4 lbs beef bones

4-5 lbs beef plate?  (just get flank)

Beef tendon

Cream of Tomato Soup

Tonight, I whipped up some tomato soup.  I got this recipe from Monkey and it's super delicious and quite fast to put together.  The first step was to roast tomatoes with a splattering of brown sugar.  While that's doing it's thing, you saute shallots, butter, and tomato paste.  Then add some flour to thicken.  Finally dump the tomato juice, chicken broth, and roasted tomatoes back in.  End with some heavy cream and a dash of brandy (YUM).

The end product isn't so exciting to look at on its own (maybe I should have garnished with some toasted bread and herbs), but don't be fooled!  This is amazingly flavorful, the best tomato soup I've made by far.

After dinner, we dove into some Jean Philippe chocolates Badge got for free while in Las Vegas last week.  Perfect end to a simple but satisfying meal.

Cream of Tomato Soup (from Cook's Illustrated)

2 (28 oz) cans whole tomatoes (not packed in puree), drained, 3 cups juice reserved, tomatoes seeded

1 1/2 tbs dark brown sugar

4 tbs butter

4 large shallots, minced

1 tbs tomato paste

pinch ground all spice

2 tbs unbleached all purpose flour

1 3/4 cup chicken stock

1/2 cup heavy cream

2 tbs brandy or dry sherry

salt

cayenne pepper

1. Adjust oven rack to upper middle position and heat oven to 450 degrees.  Line a rimmed sheet with foil and spread tomatoes in single layer on foil.  Sprinkle evenly with brown sugar.  Bake ~30 min (until all liquid has evaporated and tomatoes begin to color).  Let tomatoes cool slightly, peel off foil and transfer to small bowl.

2. Heat butter in pot until foaming and add shallots, tomato paste and allspice.  Reduce heat to low, cover and cook, stirring occasionally until shallots are softened (7-10 min).  Add flour and cook, stirring until combined (30 sec).  Whisking constantly, slowly add chicken stock, reserved tomato juice and the roasted tomatoes.  Cover, increase heat to medium and bring to boil.  Reduce heat to low and simmer about 10 min.

3. Strain mixture into bowl and transfer solids into food processor (or blender).  Add ~ 1 cup of liquid and puree.   Add everything back into pot.  Add cream and reheat soup.  Off the heat, stir in brandy or sherry, season to taste and serve.

Just Me and Baby

This week, Badge went to NY/Boston and ended up getting stuck there due to the blizzard.  Rather than flying back on Sunday only to fly out again next Tues, he decided to just stay there through the weekend and come home next Sat.  Boo.

So, it's just been me and baby.  Of course, that's not quite true since Spike has been watching BB all week while I worked, and my mom is driving to SD as we speak so she can watch him next week.  Really, I've been playing the role of single mother with wonderful grandmothers helping me out.  Yes, I know I'm extremely fortunate.

So what have BB and I been up to in the after work hours?  Well, mostly I just bring him home, feed him, and do the whole bedtime routine (baths every other night).  He's incredibly squirmy these days so it's been a challenging (but amusing) chasing him down.  In the mornings, he's been snoozing like it's his job.  I frequently have to wake him in order to deliver him to Spike's in time for my 8 am meetings.

Yesterday, we went to our friends' kids' birthday party down in Point Loma.  They had a cute pirate outfit that I put BB in.  Hilariously, with his disheveled hair and bulky sweatshirt, he looked more like a homeless drunk pirate.  

After his nap, I took him to Spike's so I could dash out to a yoga class.  I usually prefer to go to the Sun class at FSY but since no one would be available to watch BB, I had to improvise by going to Core Power.  Though not as challenging as my usual class, it was still good to sweat it out (sweating mostly because they turn on the heat).  I can't believe how packed CP classes always are.  I've gone every once in a blue moon and it's always jammed.  

Today I took BB up to the mall to run around.  They've remodeled everything and it's so fancy schmancy now.  This better up the value of our house.  As usual, I couldn't resist popping into Sephora and buying makeup I don't need (eye shadow brush, mascara, and lip gloss).  I even got a brow gel to see if I could tame my funny asian eyebrows that tend to grow straight out and kinda down.     I guess asian eyelashes are like that too (but not when combatted with a curler!).

That's mostly it for this random weekend update.  

Pudding

This weekend, I made pudding.  This was a recipe my cousin and I tried while I was in Taiwan.  The ingredients are simple (eggs, milk, sugar) and overall the pudding is much better than my previous flan recipe, which was way too sweet.  This recipe makes a small amount so it can't hurt to double!!

Also since it was Super Bowl Sunday, I made this seven layer taco dip and brought it over to Spike and Frog's.  Beyond simple and quite tasty.

Pudding

80 grams sugar (I used 50 grams)

2 tablespoon hot water

450 ml milk

80 grams sugar (Iused 50 grams)

3 eggs

dash of vanilla

Melt sugar with hot water and coat the baking dish.  For custard, heat milk with sugar until dissolved.  Take off heat and add eggs that have been pre-beaten.  Add vanilla.

Bake at 325 in a water bath for 40-45 (check at 35) min until set.

New Year

Well, we survived our Asia trip.

I still can't believe Mom and I willingly took Baby Burrito on a 15 hour flight to Taiwan.  It wasn't a complete disaster but it was extremely rough.  I won't go into detail because I really don't want to relieve the memory.  For two weeks, we accustomed BB to the chaos that is my aunt's house.  When it didn't rain, we hustled him outside with all my cousins' kids and had a great time exploring all the parks in Taiwan.  The rest of the time, my family and I ate our faces off.  

After two weeks, Badge joined us.  He hung out for a few days, and then we went to Bangalore (by way of Thailand) for Maya's wedding.  Sans baby of course.  Our first trip was a bust since I forgot my Taiwanese passport (only had my U.S. one) and they refused to let us out of the country.  Fail.  Luckily we were able to rebook our flights.  In Thailand, we got the royal tour during our 10 hour stop over.  Our friend, Christina, is half Thai and her father was kind enough to set us up for an extremely entertaining trip.  

In Bangalore, we had amazing time.  India itself is simply crazy with a capital C.  I'm still mind boggled by the driving there.  The food was amazing though - I would definitely go back just for that.  Maya's wedding was lovely and it was so good to see my college friends.  We decided last minute not to join everyone for the Hampi post-wedding trip, and flew back to Taiwan early.  Badge hung out a few more days before heading back to the States for work.  I continued to spend quality time with my child and Taiwanese family (and eat) until the 8th, at which time I flew back on my own. 

Fast forward two weeks and Baby Burrito is finally home (almost).  On Sunday, mom flew back with him on her own, a trip which was apparently even tougher than ours - eep!  Badge and I went to LA to pick them up from the airport and spend the day.  Though we missed him terribly, mom convinced me to let her keep BB in LA for the week so they can both recover from jet lag.  It was a tough sell, but ultimately the prospect of being woken up at 2am by a wide awake toddler won out.  You win mom.  So we'll be driving back up this weekend for the final pick up.  I guess it doesn't matter much since Badge is gone all week on a business trip (he was gone last week too!).  Though I miss my family terribly, it's also secretly nice to be alone.  I get to putter around, not worrying about anyone else but me.  

Tonight I made myself chicken katsudon with sauteed cabbage and chard.  I finally upgraded my iPhone to a 4GS (couldn't do a 5 since it's a company phone), so I'm no longer ashamed to post phone pictures.

And of course, no new year is complete without some resolutions.

• Get back to pre-pregnancy weight.  Over vacation, I gained 6 lbs.  Luckily I've lost 4 since coming home, but I've still got a solid 5 more to go before I hit pre-BB weight.
• Stop slouching.  Dear god, looking at the pics from my cousin's camera really made this one hit home.  I am an extreme sloucher.  I mean extreme!  So unattractive.
• Save money.  We did a lot of spending at the end of last year.  Time to save up!

That's it for now.  I leave you with this adorable video of BB chasing Fred back when he was first learning to walk.