tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-86123227478036169952024-03-13T18:54:50.892-07:00Daily ObsessionsA look at my random day-to-day obsessionsBunnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13833906117534163069noreply@blogger.comBlogger519125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8612322747803616995.post-87180597420632592842014-06-17T13:47:00.001-07:002014-06-17T20:32:44.405-07:00Release 2.0<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Wow, second labor went so much more smoothly than the first. Baby Ellie arrived on June 5th, two days past her due date. I woke up at 7am with mild cramps and had my "bloody show" (even though I already lost much of my mucus plug the Sunday before...TMI?). The cramps were about 10 minutes apart and quickly grew in intensity. By 9am, they were 5 minutes apart. Based on horror stories I'd heard about second babies coming super quick and moms not making it to the hospital in time, we promptly packed our stuff and went to the hospital with BB and Ah Ma. We got settled in a room by 9:40ish and the nurse checked my dilation - 3 cm. At this point we talked to the anesthesiologist about having an epidural that was half the dose (Frog had written a letter explaining the complications I had last time with my bladder). Luckily the anesthesiologist was very open to following Frog's suggestions. <br />
Soon after, my water broke as I sat on the bed. Then the contractions really started coming hard. Thankfully, I was able to breathe through the pain better than last time. No hyperventilating and thinking I was going to lose my sanity hahah. It was still beyond any pain I'd felt before but at least I wasn't panicking. Luckily I didn't have to bear it long before the epidural came (which hurt - I don't remember it hurting before). After that they checked my dilation again around 11:45am - 8cm and the baby's head was pretty much coming out. My OB arrived just in time to prep and deliver. I gave two pushes and baby was out! Badge, Ah Ma, and Spike were all there to witness the gore of body fluids and blood and new squiggly baby. They even set up a mirror so I could see all the action. Following tradition, Ah Ma had Monkey on facetime, pointed at my nether regions. In her other hand she recorded a video. She's such a good multi-tasker.<br />
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Baby was healthy as can be when she came out, weighing 7 lbs and 1 oz. I had a minor tear but other than that everything was pretty textbook. The hospital stay was nice, despite the incredibly gross hospital food. Badge stayed with me and everyone else flittered in and out. BB spent most days playing at Spike and Frog's. He showed mild interest in the baby but otherwise continued to run around with the crazy energy of a toddler. Baby was a natural latcher but was so sleepy the first couple of days that she would always fall asleep at the breast. <br />
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Once home, Baby started becoming fussy at night, wanting only to breastfeed. We assumed she was just comfort sucking so during one night of desperation I gave her the pacifier. The next day, she started rejecting my breast and crying when I tried to breastfeed. Oh no, nipple confusion?? Cursing myself, it took a day or so to get her back on the breast. On the fourth day, we took her to the pediatrician for her follow up. Poor thing had lost 15% of her birth weight (now she weighed 5 lbs and 15 oz)!! Within 10% is ok but 15% is way under. Also her jaundice level had elevated to 16 since she was dehydrated too long. <br />
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The primary reason of course is that my milk hadn't come in. I could tell my milk was starting to come in that fourth day (as compared to the fifth day with Max) but I didn't want to risk anything so we decided to supplement with a little formula. I didn't want to disrupt breastfeeding so the pediatrician gave me this tiny tube feeder that you can slip in the baby's mouth while they're latched to the breast. This worked out pretty well and I was able to get 20ml into her after breastfeeding. We fed her every 2 hours. The next day, we took her back to the ped and she had gained almost 4 oz. Amazing! We also repeated the jaundice test (saddest thing in the world because they have to prick her heel and squeeze about 100 drops of blood out of it). It was down a little to 15.6, whew. That day, I stopped supplementing formula (mostly because she didn't seem to want it after breastfeeding and my milk had fully come in). We took her in one more time the next day and she'd gained another 3.2 oz. Whoo hoo! The ped said we could skip another jaundice test; she was confident it would resolve itself now that baby was getting fluids.<br />
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As for myself, it's been about 12 days and I'm mostly recovered I'd say. I haven't had insomnia, night sweats, anxiety, or crazy hormonal issue thank god. All in all, doing pretty well. Bunnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13833906117534163069noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8612322747803616995.post-53181793841684407782013-12-29T20:29:00.001-08:002013-12-29T20:29:29.726-08:00Cinnamon Buns<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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.</div>
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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.</div>
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Here are pictures of this week's buns.</div>
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And here are pictures of the previous buns which failed to rise to expectations (pun intended har har).</div>
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Bunnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13833906117534163069noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8612322747803616995.post-72807084475118625622013-12-29T20:27:00.000-08:002013-12-29T20:27:09.943-08:00MoviesThe 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.<div>
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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.</div>
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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.</div>
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Bunnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13833906117534163069noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8612322747803616995.post-37634538511033060012013-12-27T14:41:00.001-08:002013-12-29T19:35:31.656-08:00Christmas TimeWell 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.<br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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For dinner, we decided to revisit some of our old favorites. Since we didn't have <a href="http://bunnyobsessions.blogspot.com/2009/03/so-cheesy.html">mac n cheese</a> at Thanksgiving, it was a must. We also remade the <a href="http://bunnyobsessions.blogspot.com/2011/01/christmas.html">same scalloped potatoes</a> from our past two Christmases, tried a new <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/oven-roasted-cauliflower-with-garlic-olive-oil-and-lemon-juice-recipe/index.html">roasted cauliflower dish</a>, 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.<br />
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Over all, the dinner came together pretty quickly, except of course the <a href="http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/782637/threehour-pork-belly">pork belly</a> which took 3 hours to roast. Everything was delicious. There was really nothing I would not make again. <br />
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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.</div>
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<b>Egg Nog</b><br />
<i>Courtesy of Saveur Magazine</i><br />
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<li>1 cup light rum</li>
<li>1/2 cup sugar + 2 tbsp</li>
<li>6 eggs (yolks separated from whites)</li>
<li>3/4 cup heavy cream</li>
<li>1/2 tsp ground cinnamon</li>
<li>1/8 tsp freshly grated nutmeg</li>
<li>1/8 tsp ground allspice</li>
<li>1/8 tsp ground anise</li>
<li>1 cup milk</li>
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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.</div>
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Bunnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13833906117534163069noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8612322747803616995.post-56760128532542507822013-06-18T20:06:00.000-07:002013-06-18T20:24:49.063-07:00Birthday, Father's Day, and Monkey Visits<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Monday was Badge's birthday. At his request, I made <a href="http://bunnyobsessions.blogspot.com/2012/06/german-chocolate-cake.html">german chocolate cake</a> over the weekend. This cake is a pain to make; there are so many steps. </div>
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But oh man is it worth the trouble.</div>
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Since I had eggs to use up, I also decided to try a new <a href="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2806/9065531774_b6061eb793_z.jpg">french apple cake recipe</a>. Verdict? I like this recipe better. It doesn't feel as oily. Perfect to eat for breakfast or as an afternoon snack. </div>
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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.</div>
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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.<br />
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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...<br />
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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.<br />
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In the late afternoon, we went over to Spike's for pizza and to watch the basketball playoffs. <br />
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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!<br />
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<br />Bunnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13833906117534163069noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8612322747803616995.post-51728256189086217182013-05-27T22:27:00.003-07:002013-05-27T22:27:43.188-07:00Mini FoodsI 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.<div>
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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.</div>
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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!</div>
Bunnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13833906117534163069noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8612322747803616995.post-77211325850213410392013-05-26T23:18:00.003-07:002013-05-26T23:20:29.750-07:00Saffron Risotto with Butternut Squash<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I made risotto tonight (added roasted brussel sprouts on the side). It was delicious. I love butternut squash. The end.<br />
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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.<br />
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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).<br />
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<strong>Saffron Risotto with Butternut Squash</strong><br />
<em>Courtesy of Ina Garten</em><br />
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1 butternut squash (2 pounds)<br />
2 tablespoons olive oil<br />
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper<br />
6 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade<br />
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter<br />
2 ounces pancetta, diced<br />
1/2 cup minced shallots (2 large)<br />
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice (10 ounces)<br />
1/2 cup dry white wine<br />
1 teaspoon saffron threads<br />
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese<br />
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Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.<br />
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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.<br />
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Meanwhile, heat the chicken stock in a small covered saucepan. Leave it on low heat to simmer.<br />
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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.<br />
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<strong>French Apple Cake</strong><br />
<em>Courtesy of Cooks Illustrated</em><br />
<em><br /></em>
1 1/2 pounds Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, cut into 8 wedges, and sliced 1/8 inch thick crosswise<br />
1 tablespoon Calvados<br />
1 teaspoon lemon juice<br />
1 cup (5 ounces) plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour<br />
1 cup (7 ounces) plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar<br />
2 teaspoons baking powder<br />
1/2 teaspoon salt<br />
1 large egg plus 2 large yolks<br />
1 cup vegetable oil<br />
1 cup whole milk<br />
1 teaspoon vanilla extract<br />
Confectioners' sugar<br />
<br />
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.<br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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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.
Bunnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13833906117534163069noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8612322747803616995.post-77127867204907264282013-05-25T21:13:00.001-07:002013-05-25T21:13:38.615-07:00BB Time<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Bunnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13833906117534163069noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8612322747803616995.post-39284832555463905422013-05-25T21:06:00.004-07:002013-05-25T21:07:43.904-07:00Vegetable Lasagna<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Last week, I finally made this vegetable lasagna recipe which I've had on my to-cook list for a while. <br />
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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. <br />
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The real test was whether or not BB liked it. He loved it! Gobbled it up like crazy. <br />
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<strong>Vegetable Lasagna</strong><br />
<em>Courtesy of Cooks Illustrated</em><br />
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No-Cook Tomato Sauce <br />
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1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes<br />
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil<br />
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil<br />
2 garlic cloves, minced<br />
1 teaspoon kosher salt<br />
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes<br />
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No-Cook Cream Sauce <br />
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4 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated (2 cups)<br />
1 cup whole milk cottage cheese<br />
1 cup heavy cream<br />
2 garlic cloves, minced<br />
1 teaspoon cornstarch<br />
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt<br />
1/2 teaspoon pepper<br />
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Vegetable Filling <br />
1 1/2 pounds eggplant, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 7 cups)<br />
Kosher salt and ground black pepper<br />
1 pound zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 4 cups)<br />
1 pound yellow squash, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 4 cups)<br />
5 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil<br />
4 garlic cloves, minced<br />
1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme<br />
12 ounces baby spinach (about 12 cups)<br />
12 no-boil lasagna noodles<br />
1/2 cup minced pitted kalamata olives<br />
12 ounces low-moisture whole-milk mozzarella cheese, shredded (about 3 cups)<br />
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil<br />
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INSTRUCTIONS<br />
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1. FOR THE TOMATO SAUCE: Whisk all ingredients together in bowl; set aside.<br />
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2. FOR THE CREAM SAUCE: Whisk all ingredients together in bowl; set aside.<br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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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.
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<br />Bunnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13833906117534163069noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8612322747803616995.post-60413455789471229372013-05-22T23:53:00.000-07:002013-05-22T23:53:42.592-07:00Blueberry Muffins<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Finally, a post! It's been too long.<br />
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This morning I made <a href="http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2010/08/perfect-blueberry-muffins/">blueberry muffins</a>. 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).<br />
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Will definitely make again.<br />
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<strong>Perfect Blueberry Muffins</strong><br />
<em>Courtsey of Smitten Kitchen, Adapted from Cook’s Illustrated</em><br />
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Makes 9 to 10 standard muffins<br />
5 tablespoons (2 1/2 ounces or 71 grams) unsalted butter , softened<br />
1/2 cup (3 1/2 ounces or 100 grams) sugar<br />
1 large egg<br />
3/4 cup sour cream or plain yogurt<br />
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest<br />
1 1/2 cups (6 3/4 ounces or 191 grams) all-purpose flour<br />
1 1/2 teaspoon (7 grams or 1/4 ounce) baking powder<br />
1/4 teaspoon (1 gram) baking soda<br />
1/4 teaspoon (2 grams) salt<br />
3/4 cup (3 3/4 ounces or 105 grams) blueberries, fresh or frozen (if frozen, don’t bother defrosting)<br />
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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.Bunnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13833906117534163069noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8612322747803616995.post-80595408446765805782013-04-06T23:14:00.001-07:002013-04-06T23:14:38.374-07:00Coconut BreadI saw this <a href="http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2013/03/coconut-bread/">coconut bread recipe from smitten kitchen</a> 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.<br />
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Anyway I used a bundt pan since I couldn't find my bread pan. Very tasty and addicting. Will definitely make again.Bunnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13833906117534163069noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8612322747803616995.post-39687581127334863082013-03-31T14:06:00.002-07:002013-03-31T14:06:17.182-07:00Tofu Curry Salad<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Since Badge is trying to eat less meat these days and I had mayo to use up, I decided to make <a href="http://bunnyobsessions.blogspot.com/2010/07/scallops-and-chicken.html">this delicious curry salad</a> 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.</div>
Bunnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13833906117534163069noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8612322747803616995.post-28209200656579141842013-03-23T21:13:00.003-07:002013-03-23T21:13:44.270-07:00Easter Egg Hunt<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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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.</div>
<br />Bunnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13833906117534163069noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8612322747803616995.post-82510039214238636352013-03-17T17:47:00.002-07:002013-03-17T17:47:41.458-07:00My Body Hates Me<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
This past week, I made my body do many painful things, some of which include, but are not limited to:</div>
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Kapotasana</div>
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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!<br />
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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? <br />
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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.</div>
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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!</div>
<br />Bunnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13833906117534163069noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8612322747803616995.post-13073837461236756942013-03-04T22:25:00.000-08:002013-03-04T22:25:09.658-08:0018 Month Checkup<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Today we took BB in for his 18 month check up. Here are the stats:<br />
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Weight: 26.15 lbs (76th %)<br />
Height: 34 inches (93rd %)<br />
Head: 19.25 inches (87th %)<br />
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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.Bunnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13833906117534163069noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8612322747803616995.post-26277269949086514952013-03-02T23:38:00.001-08:002013-03-05T15:37:20.801-08:00Pho<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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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. <br />
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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.<br />
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Next, generously salt the meat. Apparently this is more of a cleansing exercise than any attempt to add flavoring.<br />
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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). <br />
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<span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">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.</span></div>
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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Once done, your broth will probably look (and smell) as good as the following. Time to assemble!<br />
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Soften some noodles in boiling water.<br />
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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.<br />
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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.</div>
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And that's it! The broth freezes quite well so you can eat some now and save to enjoy later.<br />
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<b>Pho Broth</b><br />
<i>Courtesy of Phong's mom</i><br />
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Bunnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13833906117534163069noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8612322747803616995.post-265164481477041242013-02-24T21:29:00.002-08:002013-02-24T21:38:33.468-08:00Cream of Tomato Soup<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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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).<br />
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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.</div>
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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.</div>
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<b>Cream of Tomato Soup</b> (from Cook's Illustrated)</div>
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2 (28 oz) cans whole tomatoes (not packed in puree), drained, 3 cups juice reserved, tomatoes seeded</div>
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1 1/2 tbs dark brown sugar</div>
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4 tbs butter</div>
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4 large shallots, minced</div>
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1 tbs tomato paste</div>
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pinch ground all spice</div>
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2 tbs unbleached all purpose flour</div>
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1 3/4 cup chicken stock</div>
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1/2 cup heavy cream</div>
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2 tbs brandy or dry sherry</div>
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salt</div>
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cayenne pepper</div>
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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.</div>
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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.</div>
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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.</div>
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Bunnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13833906117534163069noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8612322747803616995.post-63180504536007784212013-02-10T16:06:00.002-08:002013-03-02T23:43:23.987-08:00Just Me and BabyThis 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. <br />
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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 <i>with wonderful grandmothers helping me out. </i>Yes, I know I'm extremely fortunate.</div>
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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.</div>
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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. </div>
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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. </div>
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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!).</div>
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That's mostly it for this random weekend update. </div>
Bunnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13833906117534163069noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8612322747803616995.post-61178500608590355212013-02-03T22:25:00.004-08:002013-02-03T22:26:11.679-08:00Pudding<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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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!!</div>
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Also since it was Super Bowl Sunday, I made this <a href="http://allrecipes.com/recipe/seven-layer-taco-dip/detail.aspx?event8=1&prop24=SR_Title&e11=seven%20layer%20dip&e8=Quick%20Search&event10=1&e13=A%3aSearch%20Results-List%28control%29&e7=Home%20Page">seven layer taco dip</a> and brought it over to Spike and Frog's. Beyond simple and quite tasty.</div>
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<b>Pudding</b></div>
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80 grams sugar (I used 50 grams)</div>
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2 tablespoon hot water</div>
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450 ml milk</div>
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80 grams sugar (Iused 50 grams)</div>
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3 eggs</div>
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dash of vanilla</div>
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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.</div>
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Bake at 325 in a water bath for 40-45 (check at 35) min until set.</div>
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Bunnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13833906117534163069noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8612322747803616995.post-9332287290826616902013-01-21T22:05:00.001-08:002013-01-21T22:15:36.298-08:00New YearWell, we survived our Asia trip. <br />
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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. </div>
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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. </div>
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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. </div>
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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. </div>
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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.</div>
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And of course, no new year is complete without some resolutions.</div>
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<li>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.</li>
<li>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 <i>extreme</i>! So unattractive.</li>
<li>Save money. We did a lot of spending at the end of last year. Time to save up!</li>
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That's it for now. I leave you with this adorable video of BB chasing Fred back when he was first learning to walk.</div>
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Bunnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13833906117534163069noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8612322747803616995.post-68431028824864895482012-12-01T21:12:00.004-08:002012-12-01T21:12:41.292-08:00Kid PhotographyI love taking pictures of BB. It became my favorite hobby the day he was born. Granted it was much easier back then when he'd just lay on his back and not move. Now, he's a blur of activity in most pictures.<br />
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When I do get a nice shot though, it just melts my heart.<br />
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<br />Bunnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13833906117534163069noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8612322747803616995.post-38948950475845553202012-12-01T20:23:00.004-08:002012-12-01T20:23:45.514-08:00ScrapbookingAs previously mentioned, I finally finished Max's first year scrapbook!<br />
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I used Shutterfly's photobook web app which was surprisingly nice. I'm sure power users like Monkey will still stick with Photoshop, but for your average scrapbooker who has A.D.D. and trouble making choices, the Shutterfly app was perfect.<br />
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I ordered a big 12x12 book for ourselves, each grandma, and our aunt in taiwan. So happy with the result. It really looks amazing. I've flipped through it numerous times since it's arrival. Love seeing BB's face blown up (pic below taken with my iPhone 3GS and therefore really crappy).<br />
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Lucky for you readers, I can share my project online via a link. <a href="http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=0Abs27Zy5aNGTio&emid=sharepbsharer&linkid=link4&cid=EM_sharpbshar">Feel free to bask in BB's cuteness here</a>.<br />
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<i>Note: the book is sprinkled with song lyrics. Most of them are songs Badge and I made up and sang to BB throughout the year (the Wildflowers and Blackbird are of course not). </i><br />
<br />Bunnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13833906117534163069noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8612322747803616995.post-41026414177991093622012-11-25T10:39:00.004-08:002012-11-25T11:18:31.954-08:00Update<div>
Alright, time for a long overdue update.</div>
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The biggest news in baby world is that BB is walking! Crazy. Around 14 months, he finally decided to take a few steps on his own without holding onto anything. Slowly but surely, he grew more confident and ventured further. Now, he's happily wobbling about. Monkey made a very observant comment that having a toddler around the house is like having a little zombie. Lots of lurching, grunting, screeching, and lunging at objects.</div>
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In other news, Badge got a new job! He just signed an offer letter to become Director of Men's Department Stores for Puma in their Lifestyle division. Pretty amazing opportunity for him. Very proud. My work is super busy as usual. I'm going to a conference next week in Vegas. Nothing else terribly exciting to report.</div>
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Since my memory only extends to the last couple days, here's what we've been doing over the holiday break. Monkey and I have been obsessively watching Once Upon a Time episodes. It's a TV show about story book characters stuck in the real world. Pretty entertaining. We've watched a few Netflix movies at home (Prometheus, Contagion, The Amazing Spider Man). Yesterday, Badge took me out to Q'ero for my birthday. Very tasty upscale Peruvian food. Other than that, we've just been doing a whole lot of cook and relaxing. A more noteworthy accomplishment is the fact that I finally finished Max's first year photobook (Shutterfly makes it so easy to put one together). Can't wait to see it when it arrives!</div>
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In another couple of weeks, Ah Ma, BB, and I will be off to Taiwan. Quite nervous about having BB on our laps for a 12 hour flight but hopefully it'll go alright. Fingers crossed!</div>
Bunnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13833906117534163069noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8612322747803616995.post-11741517472415933112012-11-25T10:05:00.003-08:002012-12-01T21:13:30.817-08:00Thanksgiving<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Another Thanksgiving come and gone. This year, Monkey and I signed up for turkey, stuffing, and corn casserole. Easy peasy compared to years past. Kris took up the mac n cheese helm and Lala even made a sweet potato casserole (Badge's request)! There were lots of other goodies, all of which tied together for a delicious incredibly filling meal.<br />
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Wrangling the family together for a group photo was rather challenging, especially with four kids. I couldn't figure out how to use the timer on my camera so I took the first picture while Monkey took the second. </div>
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Attempting to get a picture of just the four kids in their respective chairs was flat out impossible. The girls were angels while BB was trying to escape every chance he could. <br />
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He eventually squirmed out of Frog's arms and escaped.<br />
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<br />Bunnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13833906117534163069noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8612322747803616995.post-9730981142131500622012-11-24T13:57:00.001-08:002012-11-24T14:01:28.273-08:00Fresh Fruit Tart<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Alright, I know I've fallen off the blogging wagon, but I'm back! And I come bearing gifts, namely in the form of this delicious fruit tart. <br />
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This was my first time making a tart. There were several steps, but none of them were terribly troublesome. First, you make and bake the crust, then make the pastry cream, then assemble. Tada! In the cream, I used a vanilla bean instead of extract since I love the flavor it adds. I was supposed to use an apply jelly on top but I couldn't find any at Whole Foods, so substituted plum jelly instead.<br />
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Verdict? So good. Despite knowing the amount of cream and butter that went into this sucker, it tastes surprisingly light and refreshing. The filling did tend to ooze once you cut into it (perhaps I added too much?). Will definitely make this again now that I finally have a tart pan.<br />
<br />Bunnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13833906117534163069noreply@blogger.com2