Land of Gummies

Mini Cinnamon Pecan Rolls

2012-01-20T10:30:00.001-08:00

Mmmm...made these today. Little, bite sized cinnamon rolls with a light coat of maple icing...

The recipe is from Iowa Girl Eats. The only thing I changed was that I didn't put as much icing on top (not a big icing person, but I like a little bit), and I added broken up, chopped pecans inside the rolls to make pecan-type rolls, hee hee...=) I also didn't have milk, but we do have soy milk, so I substituted that in, and it worked fine. It's an easy and quick little recipe that takes little effort, but delivers deeeeliciously. =) Anyway, without further ado, here's her recipe!

Mini Cinnamon Rolls with Maple Icing

Makes 16 mini cinnamon rolls

Print this recipe!

Ingredients:

1-8oz tube crescent roll dough

2 Tablespoons butter

cinnamon

brown sugar

For the maple icing:

1 teaspoon maple syrup

1 Tablespoon skim milk

3/4 cup powdered sugar

Directions:

1. Preheat oven according to crescent roll dough package directions. Layout half the dough (4 triangles) and pinch all the seams together. Flip over and pinch the seams on the back side together too.

2. Using a rolling pin, smooth the seams and roll the dough into a square about 1/4″ thick. Brush with half the butter, and sprinkle with as much cinnamon and brown sugar as you want. Roll into a log and cut into 8 pieces.

3. Place mini cinnamon rolls into a non-stick sprayed mini muffin tin. Repeat steps 1 and 2 with the other half of the crescent roll dough. Bake according to package directions.

4. Meanwhile whisk together maple syrup and milk in a bowl. Add in powdered sugar until desired consistency is reached. Drizzle over warm cinnamon rolls.

By the way...Aiva approves! =)

Zoku Quick Pop Maker

2012-01-19T06:50:00.000-08:00

Definitely one of those kitchen gadgets we don't need.

BUT the Zoku is so cool. =) Orange creamsicles, Nutella popsicles...my imagination can go wild here! =)

One day, maybe. ^_^

French Breakfast Muffins

2012-01-15T09:31:00.001-08:00

French Breakfast Muffins, a photo by gummychild on Flickr.

Via Flickr:
Found these muffins online at Velvet Lava. =)

Here's the recipe, exactly as from the website. Note - I didn't get to peel off the muffin liners and dip the sides into the butter and sugar/cinnamon mixture, but it would be tastier! =) Having a little one prevented me from doing that, as I was chasing her around after, hee hee, but she did help me mix ingredients together and put the liners in the muffin tin! =)

French Breakfast Muffins

I never knew a muffin could be so exciting. So simple, yet so exciting. Am I alone in this lack of knowledge? Does everyone else on the planet know the awesomeness of a dang muffin, but forgot to fully inform me? Whatever the case, these are incredible and I really mean it. I don't know why they're "French" and I don't care; I don't why they're called "Breakfast" because a person really should eat them all day long, as far as I can tell. I just tilted my head back in ecstasy because I just had a little muffin flashback. Well, better than an acid flashback, I suppose. Anyway, eat these warm - when warm, they pretty much just melt in your mouth and it's heavenly. You will have leftover melted butter and cinnamon sugar but FEAR NOT! Just tear off little pieces of muffin, dip in butter, then in cinnamon sugar, place in mouth and then think "Thank you, Ann's friend Joan, thank you". That's all.

1/3 c. butter, melted
1/2 c. sugar
1 egg (preferably room temperature)
1 1/2 c. all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 c. milk

Topping (option: cut topping in half*)
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. butter, melted
1 tsp. cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350F.

In a medium-large bowl, sift together all dry ingredients. Add wet ingredients and stir until combined, but still a bit lumpy. Don't overmix. Scoop batter into muffin tins that have sprayed with cooking spray. Using a large ice cream scoop, I got 8 medium-large muffins out of this batter; I think you could get 10-12 muffins by distributing the batter a little less generously. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until they just start to turn a bit golden at the edges.

For the topping, mix sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Place melted butter in another small bowl. Dip the warm muffins in melted butter (you can dip just the top, but it's even tastier to dip the whole muffin!), then dip/roll the muffin in cinnamon sugar. *May have left-over topping; the extra topping can be used for dipping, while eating the muffins (oh my). Another option is to cut the topping ingredients in half. CONSUME, ENJOY, GO CRAZY!

Aiva is 2! =)

2012-01-10T16:42:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday Aiva! 2 years old, with some yummy and pretty Casey's Cupcakes for dessert later tonight that I picked up at the Mission Inn after work (thanks Kerri for the suggestion!). =) Sassy Strawberry, Scrumptious Cinnamon Sugar, and Caribbean Coconut Cupcakes seem the right way to ring in her 2nd year, hee hee...

After dinner, we read her one of her favorite stories (Little Gorilla), and when it comes to the part where everyone comes and sings Happy Birthday, we turned off the lights and brought in her little strawberry cupcake with candles alight. She loved it, hee hee, and seemed more shocked than excited about it. But we know she loved it cuz after everything, she wanted to recreate the whole thing with Bear-Bear with the lights off. Even the part before it, where she said Bear-Bear had to eat his rice/dinner before getting the cake, which was her surprise. =)

(Ahem, Shelton and I ate the other two cupcakes while catching up with Once Upon A Time, lol...Andrew, these are pretty good too. We'll have to get you one so you can compare to Sprinkles. ^_^)

It's amazing how fast time flies...she's already 2! And she's grown so much, and going to be a big sister soon! And she's such a smart little girl, sociable and fun, compassionate, not so brave of things like animals, but not scared of people.

Shelton did a little case study of Aiva's current progress...as he is a Nationally Board Certified School Pyschologist and all...^_~

Aiva's skills at age 2:

Language: ~500 words in English/Chinese, 3-5 word sentences, able to respond to most what, where, & who questions. Able to express wants and label 2D & 3D stimuli

Fine Motor: Scribbles with pen, pencil, or crayon with proper force, unable to draw straight lines or circles, unable to do thumbs up or manipulate individual digits, not proficient with zippers, buttons, or clasps.

Gross Motor Skills: Able to run, climb, throw ball (not overhead), kick ball, unable to jump.

Self Help: Able to independently feed self with fork, spoon or hand, drink from cup & water bottle. Able to wash hands (without soap), able to put on / take off socks and pants, need help with putting on shirt, able to urinate when lead to toilet at regular intervals with reinforcement, poor bladder control. Able to sleep independently in a twin sized bed.

Play skills: able to play independently & interactively (taking turns), engages in pretend play, constructive play (with some help in construction), symbolic play. In a stage between parallel & associative play.

Aiva Opens Basketball Cards with Daddy

2012-01-03T19:03:00.001-08:00

Aiva Opens Basketball Cards with Daddy a video by gummychild on Flickr.

Via Flickr:
Shelton’s opening up some basketball cards, and Aiva is helping him with it, hee hee…
If you understand Cantonese, it’s cute. =) For us anyway, hee hee…you can watch if you like. =)

If you don’t understand Cantonese, there are some things that we ask (and you’ll understand her answer as it’s in English), such as "Who are you looking for? Who’s the greatest basketball player?" (if you know Shelton, you’ll know what answer she’s to give, lol!).

At times, he passes cards to her and tells her it’s hers, or Bear-Bears (her pink bear). And there are more, but we don’t need to go into details unless you really want them. ^_^

Happy 2nd Birthday!

2012-01-02T14:06:00.001-08:00

Happy 2nd Birthday!, a photo by gummychild on Flickr.

Via Flickr:
Aiva's birthday is not until next week, but we saw this on clearance at Target today while finding her bedsheets, and could not say no for $50. =)

After all, the other sets we were looking on at Amazon and other places before Christmas were $100 and up! It's the perfect little size for her (she doesn't need a walk-in market, though that would be REALLY cool, ha ha...it wouldn't fit in our house anyway! ^_~), and she can pretend to cook on here now instead of her little bookshelf. =)

She's been using her wonderful imagination, pretending to cook on her bookshelf, and sometimes grabbing my real pots and pans from the kitchen to put on top, narrating as she cooks and serving me her pretend food (or Cheerios, which I'll give her in her little bowls, hee hee). =) Now she gets a little kitchen all on her own! =)

Aiva's first bed set

2012-01-02T14:02:00.001-08:00

Aiva's first bed set, a photo by gummychild on Flickr.

Via Flickr:
Here's a quick look at her first big girl bed...it's actually my old twin size bed from back in the days (my brother and I shared a bunk bed), with a different mattress, with pillows around and on the ground (she did sleep in it last night and fell off once with a big bonk, the poor thing, so we added these doggie pillows, hee hee...these are actually Shelton and I's first "couch" after we got married, as we didn't have furniture for a while in our old apartment ^_^).

Aiva chose the Hello Kitty sheets and pillowcase, and comforter. All hers for moving to the big bed, although her favorite pink bear-bear and baby pillow, she decided to keep for her new bed. She hasn't even looked at her old crib anymore, except to say that it's for babies. ^_~

Looks like we'll have to decorate the wall behind her next! =D

Zuppa Toscana

2011-12-31T20:12:00.001-08:00

Zuppa Toscana, a photo by gummychild on Flickr.

Via Flickr:
An oldie but goodie, one of my favorite soup recipes...Zuppa Toscana. =) It's a repeat recipe on this blog, but I love it, and so here is the recipe again for those that want it. ^_^ Because I wanted Aiva to be able to have some too (she's a soup fiend!), we omitted the red peppers this time around; it was still tasty without it. =D

Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana

Sandra has been wonderful in sharing this much requested recipe with all of us! Sandra used to work at the Olive Garden for three years and since Zuppa Toscana was one of her favorites, she went right to the source and copied the recipe from their cookbook. As the recipe makes gallons of soup, I divided into quarters and tried it, it is really yummy! THANK YOU SANDRA!

P.S. To be honest, there isn't much "Tuscan" in this recipe from the Olive Garden other than the name. It is a very good soup and hits the spot on cold winter days. But because many have requested this recipe (because of the site's name), I've included this and the other Olive Garden inspired recipes on the site; I hope our visitors who were looking for authentic soup recipes will not mind. ;-)Makes: 6-8 servings

INGREDIENTS
1 lb ground Italian sausage
1½ tsp crushed red peppers
1 large diced white onion
4 Tbsp bacon pieces
2 tsp garlic puree
10 cups water
5 cubes of chicken bouillon
1 cup heavy cream
1 lb sliced Russet potatoes, or about 3 large potatoes
¼ of a bunch of kale

Saute Italian sausage and crushed red pepper in pot. Drain excess fat, refrigerate while you prepare other ingredients.

In the same pan, saute bacon, onions and garlic for approximately 15 mins. or until the onions are soft. Mix together the chicken bouillon and water, then add it to the onions, bacon and garlic. Cook until boiling.

Add potatoes and cook until soft, about half an hour.
Add heavy cream and cook until thoroughly heated.
Stir in the sausage.
Add kale just before serving. Delicious!

It makes a whole pot; I put the leftovers into a smaller soup pot so that we can reheat it for later. It's still good the second time around, though it's always fresh best, only because the kale is brighter, greener and crisper the first time around. The second time around, the flavors are still spot on, though the kale is not as green as it's being reheated, but it's still oh-so-tasty! ^_^

Bacon Hash with Egg

2011-12-31T20:11:00.000-08:00

Bacon Hash with Egg, a photo by gummychild on Flickr.

Via Flickr:
A simple hash, made of grated potato (with the liquid squeezed out of it), diced bacon, minced shallots and diced green onions, seasoned with a little pepper, topped with a fried egg.

Preferably, if the fried egg was over easy, the yummy golden yolk would run run over the hash, hee hee...but as I'm expecting, raw egg parts aren't allowed in my diet for now. Boo.

Auntie Marie!

2011-12-31T20:10:00.001-08:00

Auntie Marie!, a photo by gummychild on Flickr.

Via Flickr:
She's back! She's back! For a little while anyways, hee hee, and it's been too long since we've seen her. =) Back from Liberia, Auntie Marie came to see Aiva in person - the last time we saw her was before she left, before Aiva was born.

So here's a very civilized picture (and the only one that came out!) of little Miss Aiva, sitting with Auntie Marie. ^_^

After having breakfast at one of our local favorites, the Silver Dollar (and indulging in some really yummy butter pecan pancakes there!) and hanging out, Aiva was willing to give her a hug and a kiss, and take some pictures with her, hee hee. =D

Due Forni Pizza and Wine

2011-12-30T20:46:00.000-08:00

Due Forni's Semolina Gnocchi, a photo by gummychild on Flickr.

Via Flickr:
This gnocchi dish was so fantastic! =) The little pillows of gnocchi were a little different in shape than we're used to, but just as tasty, and infused with the beautiful flavors of smoked Neuske's bacon, black truffle crema, and fresh little peas, with shaved parmesan, I believe, floating atop its pillowy goodness. =)

It's a hot appetizer plate, but perfect enough to share for two as you'll be eating other tasty dishes on the menu at Due Forni in Summerlin, Nevada. However, if this was an entree dish, we'd order it for sure. ^_^

The pizza all looked so tasty, and I'd have ordered the Tartufo pizza if I was allowed easy baked egg right now (black truffle, parmesan crema, fontina fontal, roasted cremini, over easy baked egg) but opted to try the signature Due Forni pizza with a Napoleon Crust. I thought the Napoleon crust would be more like a Pizza Hut Pan Crust type crust, which is one of my fatty favorites, lol, but it was a lot thinner, definitely less fatty, yet still delicious! However, next time, I think I'd prefer the thin and crispy Roman crust - if it's going to be a thinner crust, I think I would just go crispy instead of fluffy, if that makes sense. =) However, the Due Forni, filled with San Marzano tomato, bufala mozzarella, house made sausage, Nueske’s bacon, and pequillo peppers made this pizza a BEAST! The flavors were O.M.G. beautiful. =)

The special of the day was the Rack of Lamb, so we decided to try that.

NOTE - We learned that if you ever order the "special", expect it to be costly! Lol. We should have asked. It was a $30 Rack of Lamb dish (hey, we've paid more, but we usually used restaurant.com, ha ha...and not this time. This was a spur-of-the-moment-let's-get-something-casual-before-going-t0-a-movie type thing. We didn't expect the pizza and place to be as fancy, and delicious, as it was. ^_^). The last time we got a special, was a Rick Moonen's Seafood at the Mandalay Bay...they asked if we wanted the special, an appetizer tray on ice of delicious seafood goodies. We said yes, and it was probably our favorite dish of the night! ^_^ However, when we got the bill, it was...are you ready...?...$80!!! That didn't include the other things we ate, like the main entree. Even with a coupon, it wasn't cheap...so we learned. From now on, we need to ask for the price on the "specials", hee hee...

Anyways. Going back to that rack of lamb...the lamb was good. Doesn't compare to Rosemary's, which still has the best one that Shelton has had, where the edges are charred just right and the insides were cooked perfectly, but it was still a dang good piece of lamb. BUT! But for me, the highlight and my favorite was the Butternut Squash Ravioli that accompanied the lamb. They weren't anything special to look at, but in fact...they were perfect melt-in-your-mouth-pillows, with a perfect hint of sweetness, with the outside grilled and glazed in a way that I've never had ravioli before. =) If they had this as an entree, I'd order them and eat just that, and be a very, very happy girl. This was my favorite food of the night!

The dessert menu was short but indulgent. Check it out:

We were definitely too filled up for the Chocolate Pizza (though next time, we think we'll just share an appetizer, a main pizza, and this for dessert!), but decided to go for the Bacon Covered Chocolate Gelato. There was a lot of bacon going on for the night, so we might as well go for it. I was a little hesitant - after all, the first and only time I had these two together was from a small candy bar we bought at Whole Foods out of curiosity...and we didn't like that one at all. But we saw good reviews for this, so we thought...why not?

And it was no mistake! This was an unexpected, wonderful combination of crispy, slightly salty bacon crumbled over beautifully creamy dark chocolate gelato. I'd recommend this to anyone who'd never think that bacon and chocolate can come together so eloquently and tasty. ^_^

We couldn't get a good picture of it without the flash, so here's the best we could do...

Oh yes, Due Forni. We will be back!

The After-Christmas Days, 50% off and more!

2011-12-29T15:07:00.000-08:00

Ed says it best here: http://feet-washer.blogspot.com/2011/12/day-after.html

That's why it's so important to remember that Christ isn't just someone, or something, to be remembered around Christmastime. He is not a holiday!

A relationship isn't made in a day, or the few weeks around that day, but it's build out of spending time together - after all, isn't that how our best friendships are founded? They're often the people we choose to spend the most time with, and once that solid foundation is built, it's not easy to break. And even after we've moved away from our dearest friends, that friendship is still something strong, especially if we decide to keep it.

God's relationship with us is not just in December, but a year-round, all-the-time, in-any-situation, full-of-unconditional-love, no-matter-if-we-are-at-our-highest-or-at-our-lowest type of relationship. And it's not based on how much we can get based on how little we give or pay for it; after all, there's no price we can pay that would come close to what we owe. His relationship with us is never 50% - he gives us the full MSRP with some deluxe samples and then some...and we can have it for free...! ^_^

And if we take this free gift, and really use it, we'll find ourselves wanting to give back. That's the magic of His love, so to speak...often, if we get something we want for free (e.g. a gift), we keep it for ourselves, happy to have it at last, and happy to have it in our little hands. And sometimes we share...with those that we find worthy enough to share it with. But the neat thing about Christ's Love is that, the more you are willing to take it and understand it, the more you are willing to share it with others, either in words or actions (preferably in both, right?), to friends around us and to strangers as well. It's a relationship that changes people. If fostered, it won't dwindle off into fading embers because, if shown truly to others, it ignites others around you and around them.

Anyways, there's a lot of "magic" in the air around Christmastime. Hopefully, we aren't all upset because we didn't get our iPhone4's or cars (beware, crude language for the younger eyes - refers to this list of comments from some pretty ungrateful teenagers possibly, lol). The magic doesn't come from stuff of this earth...it comes from above. =)

Welcome Home

2011-12-18T08:05:00.000-08:00

One of my former co-workers has been dealing with carcinoid cancer, and her recent post leaves a lot for us to think about. Giving God your all doesn't mean He will take it away, and I think she says it best in her simple and straightforward words.

You can read about it here in her Journey to Joy.

Annual Family Party

2011-12-18T07:34:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas, 2011!

I love my family! And it was great being able to hang out with many of them last night at our annual party, hee hee...we even had new members this year, with Melody marrying Simon this past year, so we added some Ma's (and their wonderful taro egg rolls! One of my favorite foods in this world...! But ONLY their egg rolls. And Pho 79's, but we haven't had that in a while.) into the mix! ^_^

My cousin Margaret and I. ^_^

Many of them also had some hospitalizations this past year, so it was good to see everyone in good spirits. =) And it's good to see some of my favorite people, like Joanna and Jonathan, whom I've seen grow since they were wee babies. And eat some Porto's, that Allen and Margaret brought. And to see Auntie Ellen pass out her annual handmade Christmas earrings that we get every year from her. And to see some traditional foods that certain Aunties and Uncles bring every year, like Auntie #4's marinaded pig ears. And it was fun to see growing, but still little, Karis (and baby Jaden! SUCH A BUNDLE OF CUTENESS! It was also nice to see a regular size 3 and 1/2, almost 4, month baby boy that wasn't the size of Aiva, like we've been seeing at church with the baby boys lately, lol!) - she and Aiva are close in age, and so will Noah-to-be, and so are those that just a wee bit older - Adrienne and Micah, Grayce and Dean (they weren't there, but we hope to see them again next time!) - because this next generation of cousins would be able to play together. And Maile and Noelani are old enough to help watch them and play with them at the same time, as they did yesterday. ^_^

And catching up with, well, everyone!

The whole shebang...!

And I could go on and on breaking the rules of not starting a sentence with a conjunction, but seriously, we are blessed with a wonderful clan of people. =)

My parents' place was PACKED, I think with a little over 50 people - and that wasn't all the Laus, as we have a part of the #1's that weren't there (that would add like, 30 more. We had a few there though! Auntie #1, and of her kids, the #1's, #4's and #5). There was hardly any space for preggy people like Diana and I to maneuver about, though plenty enough for Aiva to go anywhere she wanted to go, hahahaha...

Next year, the party will be at the Oishi's! Fun fun fun! =)

Aiva can look so sweet...

Needless to say, Aiva had a blast, staying up way past her bedtime, but not getting TOO grumpy because there were too many exciting things going on - lots of people, lots of food, lots of dancing to impromptu singing, lots of shouting and clapping at the white elephant gift exchanging, and definitely lots of attention by loving people everywhere. That's not to say she did NOT get grumpy and whiny at times, heh heh, but by the time we got her home, showered, and asleep, it was about 10pm, and she knocked out without so much as a whimper without her usual story time and bit of hanging out. We're wondering what time she will get up today...will she get up at her usual time regardless of when she went to sleep? Or will she still be asleep for the almost full 12 hours she usually sleeps for? I'll find out soon...^_~

...and another look that shows more of her personality, lol!

Christmas Spices

2011-12-15T22:19:00.001-08:00

Christmas Spices, a photo by gummychild on Flickr.

Via Flickr:
I just passed some out at work today! =)

On the left is the Citrus Salt, the same one I made a few years ago (one of Chris H's favorites!). The zests of lemon, lime, and oranges were dried with sea salt in the oven, blended together and left in a few large covered jars for a few weeks before they were distributed into these cute little jars.

These jars, by the way, are $1 each at Ikea. =) They are sold in packs of 4 for $3.99...and you really can't beat that for the size and cuteness of these pretty little things. The tags though, were made my me, hee hee...

The Lavender Sugar was a mixture of 1 Tablespoon of lavender flower buds for every cup of pure and beautiful cane sugar. After they were left in large jars for about two weeks in a dark area, they were also poured into the cute Ikea jars mentioned above. ^_^

It's important for both of them to sit undisturbed in sealed jars for a few weeks...it allows for the flavors to just naturally blend together before giving them out as gifts. They're really yummy, so if you got one, I hope you enjoy them! =D

Meanwhile, next time, I want to make some of these roasted garlic salt and shiitake mushroom salt...^_^

Aiva's Second Carousel Ride

2011-12-15T22:06:00.001-08:00

Aiva's 2nd Carousel Ride, a photo by gummychild on Flickr.

Via Flickr:
As promised, the 2nd Carousel Ride was daddy's turn. ^_~

Unfortunately, Aiva got scared, and didn't like it. Neither did Shelton - he got dizzy from it, hahahaha...=)

Anime Ramen's Chicken Wings

2011-12-15T22:03:00.001-08:00

Anime Ramen's Chicken Wings, a photo by gummychild on Flickr.

Via Flickr:
Tasty? Yes.

Chicken wings? SO NOT. They were more like boneless fried chicken pieces - they were definitely tasty, but the problem was that they weren't really chicken wings, and weren't what we were expecting.

But would I eat it again? Oh yes. =)

Another bonus about Anime is that they have these side dishes, as well as boba drinks and even several TVs playing anime/manga for customers to watch. It's more of a younger, hip atmosphere, with the waitresses dressed like anime characters - pink hair, cat ears, short dresses and flats, giant glitter eyelashes and makeup, stuff like that. It's more fun, and I didn't mind that - I had fun eating there. =)

BUT I still prefer Monta Ramen, because when I eat, it's to satisfy my tummy. =) I like Anime Ramen, but didn't LOVE their ramen.

And like Naruto, we all know it's about the Miso Chashu Ramen in a little shop on the street, right? ^_~

Anime Ramen

2011-12-15T21:59:00.001-08:00

Anime Ramen, a photo by gummychild on Flickr.

Via Flickr:
Anime Ramen is another ramen shop that opened up in Vegas.

Tasty ramen. =) But Monta Ramen is still way better - Monta's broth has more flavor, and it really does taste like it's been homemade, simmered and boiled for a long time, as good broth should. The chashu pork at Anime is not as fatty and thick as Monta's, it seems.

But Anime does give you more stuff in their ramen - at Monta, you have to pay extra for the egg and chashu and other toppings.

However...I think if I want ramen, I'm still heading to Monta Ramen. Even with the extra cost, it's totally worth it, because the base is so much better! =) And these cold winter months are coming up...and since we're heading down there soon, if it's still chilly, Monta's going to be the perfect fix! =)

Welcome!

2011-12-15T21:57:00.003-08:00

Welcome!, a photo by gummychild on Flickr.

Via Flickr:
Aiva at a park in Vegas. It was a nice park, with even two sets of playgrounds - one for older kids, and one for little kids, like her! She was the only one there for a while, until another little boy came by. He was rougher and jumping around everywhere - but it was funny, because he was speaking some sort of southeastern European language with his grandma, didn't understand English, and Aiva was speaking Chinese, yet they both kinda hung out and understood each other to an extent.

It's amazing how much we humans can pick up through body language and tone if we are willing to take the time to observe each other better. =)

Slide

2011-12-15T21:57:00.001-08:00

Slide, a photo by gummychild on Flickr.

Via Flickr:
Heading down the slide...she's so big now, huh? That was last month...now, she's less than a month away from being 2 years old! How time flies!

Park View

2011-12-15T21:56:00.001-08:00

Park View, a photo by gummychild on Flickr.

Via Flickr:
She's trying to cross one of those wobbly bridges in the playground...she decided to just scoot her way across at first. =)

Aiva's Panda Hat

2011-12-15T21:48:00.003-08:00

Aiva's Panda Hat, a photo by gummychild on Flickr.

Via Flickr:
Oh. My. She LOVED this hat. We almost got it for her. But for $30? Seemed too much for an almost 2 year old...hee hee...she had a hard time saying goodbye to it. I don't know if I could resist should we run into this one again, lol! ^_~

Aiva's Smile

2011-12-15T21:48:00.001-08:00

Aiva's Smile, a photo by gummychild on Flickr.

Via Flickr:
When we tell her to smile, this is what she gives us, lol! ^_^

Aiva at the Palazzo

2011-12-15T21:47:00.001-08:00

Aiva at the Palazzo, a photo by gummychild on Flickr.

Via Flickr:
She's wearing great-auntie's hand made bunny vest, hee hee...

Kaya Sushi in Vegas

2011-12-15T21:19:00.001-08:00

One of the very nice things about when we go to Vegas is that we also get to go on dates to eat out, watch a movie, shop and meander/loiter around, as Mah-Mah and Yea-Yea can stay at home to be sure Aiva's alright after she falls asleep. So we do take advantage of that often, hee hee...

So one day, we visited Kaya Sushi. Kaya includes AYCE Sushi and Yakitori...so though I'm not allowed to eat all the sushi right now, I still got to indulge in other tasty goodies...Like these lovely lettuce wraps. =)

Kaya Sushi in Vegas, a photo by gummychild on Flickr.

And seaweed salad, which is always one of my favorites.

The Bacon Wrapped Scallops were melt in your mouth wonderful, and the Grilled Chicken Gizzards were delicious! =)

I loooved the Kimchee Fried Rice. I had to avoid the egg yolk, but I do love a runny egg. =) I thought it'd be overpowering, as I'm not the biggest fan of kimchee, but this was a beautifully made rice, hee hee...

You can never go wrong with Tempura Calamari...!

The Gingko nuts were bleah. Not my favorite at all. Beef Yakitori was tasty and savory. =)

Although the rice cake with spicy sauce was good, it was too filling. I wouldn't order it again only because it was too much to eat, and I'd rather fill my stomach up with other tasty things, ha ha ha...

The salmon skin salad was so yummy! Lots of crispy salmon skin, with pieces of cooked salmon meat, drizzled with a tangy dressing. I cleaned the plate off! =)

And grilled mushrooms and grilled beef tongue. =) If you've not had beef tongue before, you definitely should...when grilled right, it's tender, juicy, and meaty, hee hee...great if you are carnivorous like me. =) Or well, maybe I should say, omnivorous. ^_~

Shelton filled up on sushi that I could not eat: yellowtail...

...Uni and Sweet Shrimp...

...seared tuna and seared albacore...

...Ono (whitefish), which I wish I could have eaten...! Ono and Salmon are, I think, some of my favorite sushi fish. =)

Although softshell crab is not raw, it's a Chinese thing where you cannot eat certain shellfish when you're expecting, including crab and lobster. Shrimp should be minimized, if you didn't know. I think it has something to do with the skin of the baby after it's born...

November Weddings

2011-12-15T19:59:00.001-08:00

November Weddings, a photo by gummychild on Flickr.

Via Flickr:
In November, we went to Femi and Olympia's Wedding (but no camera that day! BOO!), as well as the Franice Reception.

Femi's wedding was lots of fun, even if Aiva did fall backwards into a rosebush before it started. O_o She's okay though - just a minor scratch near her eye, but it healed up and is gone now, and her eyes were closed, so she's okay. It was neat to see Femi finally married off - I can't believe I've known him since high school! And he was always a reliable buddy at UCI. ^_^ Congrats to both of them! =D It was too bad we couldn't stay to party the night away, dance and party away...we had a grumpy and sleepy Aiva to tend to. But i guess that's what happens when you get old and have kids, hee hee...^_~ I wanted to see the Nigerian Spray Dance, hee hee, as the Nigerian food wasn't too bad at all, and it was fun to see his family members dressed up in bright and happy cultural outfits for the wedding. ^_^

In the picture above, here is Shelton with his long time friend, "Choba"! =) Shelton also met Frank in college at UCI. Ironically, they both were from Vegas, but didn't know each other then - they went to different high schools. Congrats to Frank and Janice! =D

Fall Flew By...!

2011-12-15T19:49:00.000-08:00

Oh, it's been a long time, I know...

October and November were pretty hectic. Shelton's dad had an emergency gallbladder surgery - he thought he had the flu, but it turned out his gallbladder was pretty infected, so he ended up having to have it removed, but during the surgery, the doctor also found a hole in his colon! So there was surgery, recovery, and during the recovery, problems with the catheter...in short, Shelton was in Vegas for about a month, while pregnant me and Aiva were here, hee hee...after Shelton came back, he was still going in every week to help his dad with follow-up checks and so on. He brought Aiva on those trips though, as we took her out of daycare. It was too costly, though we loved the nursery school she was at - they took such personal, good care of her, and she loved her little friends there, hee hee...=)

2011 has been hectic - both of our dads went into the hospital and went through surgery, there was burglary at his parents place, we had some fraudulent activity on our credit cards, it started off with Aiva having several ear infections, and several family members have been in the hospital for some time...and some other rough months...but God doesn't give us more than we can handle! And there have been many blessings in between - weddings, babies, babies-to-be, vacationing in Vegas, vacationing in Palm Springs with friends, and so many other good things. Even those rough patches ended up well, some of them miracles! =D So it's been rough, but not a bad year, really. =)

And Shelton is AMAZING. Seriously, God could not have given me a better husband and best friend, who cooks and cares for me, makes sure I have everything I need and more, and takes such wonderful care of our little girl. ^_^

Over Thanksgiving break, we went to a few weddings and went back to Vegas...and next thing you know, it's December already, and tomorrow's my last day at work before Christmas break begins! =)

Random Tofu Stir Fry

2011-10-26T17:06:00.001-07:00

Random Tofu Stir Fry, a photo by gummychild on Flickr.

Via Flickr:
Currently cooking in my kitchen for dinner tonight...

Chicken breast, sliced and marinated in soy sauce, pepper, rice wine, with fresh diced carrots, chopped up scallions and green onions, sliced shitake mushrooms, and cubed tofu that was lightly sprinkled with salt.

This will go nicely with my rice. But there's something wrong with my rice cooker - it made a weird burning smell, and the latch popped up to "cooked" way too early (like, in less than 10 minutes, and the rice was totally not cooked). So I had to drop the rice into a pot and cook it old school style, on the stove top. But the rice itself is veeeeerry fluffy and nice. =)

I got home early today...early enough to cook a satisfying meal! =) It's been a while. ^_~ And it's about dinner time now! =D

King's Hawaiian Sweet Rolls - Chicken Salad Sliders and Veggie Sliders

2011-10-16T16:19:00.000-07:00

Just some simple recipes for today...

Last Friday, I had no cooked meats to put into my sandwich for lunch, so I grilled up two of those little sweet rolls, and filled them with slices of provolone cheese (thinly sliced from the deli!), green baby spinach leaves, with slices of a fresh and a juicy tomato for the middle. Pleasing to the eye, and pleasing to the tummy. ^_^

Today, I made a simple chicken salad - poached a chicken breast and sliced it up...mixed it with a bit of mayo, dill, thyme, salt and black pepper...chopped pecans and sliced green onion, with a sprinkling of lemon juice. After letting it chill a while in the fridge, I sandwiched them between these Hawaiian Rolls again, and BOOM! A tasty little slider! =)

Aiva didn't care for the veggie one. BUT she loved the chicken salad slider, hee hee...=)

Banana Pancakes with White Chocolate Chips

2011-10-08T07:27:00.000-07:00

Oh. My. Gosh.

The taste of these warm, caramelized bananas melting with a perfect pancake with that slight, crisp edge is HEAVEN. =) And the sprinkling of white chocolate chips is simply a sweet, added bonus to this...! =)

Sorry, no pictures...my camera is hiding somewhere! =P

I modified the recipe below by adding slices of a banana, and just a bit of white chocolate chips, after pouring about a 1/3rd cup of batter into the cast iron skillet. We didn't have an open bag of dark chocolate chips (my preference, hee hee) but we did have a bag of open white chocolate chips (Shelton's favorite) and that's how these came to be in there. I think either would have worked well - white chocolates for a sweeter taste, and dark chocolate for a less sweet, but chocolate-y-er taste. =) And we didn't have regular milk today, so I used soy milk, and it worked just as nicely. ^_^

The Simple but Perfect Pancake, from The King Arthur Flour and Baker's Companion.
Makes about 16 three inch pancakes

2 Large Eggs
1.5 Cups of milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract (optional. but I like vanilla, so in it went!)
3 Tablespoons of melted butter
1.5 Cups unbleached all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoons of salt
2 teaspoons of baking powder
2 Tablespoons of sugar (or 1/4 Cup of malted milk powder, which is what sweetens most commercial pancake mixes; for that typical "diner" taste, try malt instead of sugar. I just used sugar though.)

Beat the eggs, milk and vanilla until light and foamy, about 3 minutes at high speed with a mixer.
Stir in the butter.
Whisk the dry ingredients together, and then gently and quickly mix into the wet mixture.
Let the batter relax while the griddle/pan/skillet is warming up (or overnight in the fridge). The batter should thicken slightly while resting.
Grease and preheat the griddle/pan/skillet (if electric griddle, set around 325 to 350 degrees F.
Drop 1/4th cupful of batter* into the skillet, and cook on one side until bubbles begin to form and break, then turn the pancakes and cook the other side until brown. Turn over only once, and serve immediately.

*After you drop in the batter and it makes a nice round circle, this is the part where I'd add toppings of your desire into the pancake as it cooks. IMAGINE THE POSSIBILITIES! Seriously. =) Blueberries. Chocolate Chips (dark, for me, lol). Tasty usuals that I'd love. But what about...Real bacon crumbles with maple syrup drizzled on top? White chocolate and macadamia nuts (but I think this exists, as I've seen it before)? Red bean paste swirled into your pancake? And if one day, I figure out a good recipe for it...Babycakes' Red Velvet Pancakes, hee hee hee...=D

Congrats to Cheryl and Ronald!

2011-10-02T11:14:00.001-07:00

Congrats to Cheryl and Ronald!, a photo by gummychild on Flickr.

Via Flickr:
October 1, 2011! Finally! ^_~

We snuck a picture with the beautiful bride before she got into the banquet hall, muah ha ha ha...=D

Party it up!

2011-10-02T11:12:00.001-07:00

Party it up!, a photo by gummychild on Flickr.

Via Flickr:
Aiva and Valerie danced and ran around the open dance floor before dinner started, hee hee...Valerie would run across the dance floor, and Aiva would follow. If Valerie took too long to get moving again, Aiva would give her a nudge, as if to say, "Hey! Get running! I'm next!" =)

Aiva has a weird way of dancing, where she throws her arms up, and she wiggles/rocks her body and head from side to side, hee hee hee...it looks ridiculously funny and cute all at the same time. I couldn't get a good picture of it, but this came close. ^_^

Of course, mommy and daddy never made it on the dance floor...after a whole day down in the OC with very little naptime, she got crazy (her way of acting out when she gets sleepy and didn't get a nap...grumpy, adamant about things, fussy, hyper and curious and excited about everything around her all at the same time. It's a strange combination, but we know that's her sign that she's way past tired!) and we had to leave early, before the slideshow, cake and dancing began. Sigh. And we were looking forward to partying it up a little...as daddy says..."See Aiva? See how uncool you've made us?" Lol! ^_^

Turbie Twist

2011-09-18T20:45:00.001-07:00

Sept 18 2011 TurbieTwistAiva 002, a photo by gummychild on Flickr.

I washed my hair this morning, and she wanted to wear a Turbie Twist on her head too...hahahahaha...! ^_^

Frito Pie

2011-09-17T07:32:00.000-07:00

Hee hee. I've never heard of it before, but Orangette mentioned it...and it sounds pretty yummy, albeit wholly unhealthy. ^_~ I do love it when the Fritos are added to Julie/Elissia/Rochelle's Bean Pot Chili, and Shelton DOES love Chili Cheese Fries, so this just seems like a giant, over-the-top way to throw Fritos into a dish...in a very indulgent, crispy-crunchy way. ^_^

Anybody ever tried this? O_o

Meanwhile, here's the Bean Pot Chili recipe...All very unhealthy, of course, and definitely nothing like what a true chili pot would be like in Texas or anywhere in the true South, but very tasty when the days get colder and you need something to warm you up. =) Of course, if you want a healthier (depending on the sausage you use, and if you use bacon or not, ha!) option to warming-up, I would suggest one of my other favorite soups...Cream of Corn Soup, or Zuppa Toscana! =)

Bean Pot Chili

Slightly Modified from Julie’s and Elissia’s recipe

· 1 packet of hot taco seasoning

· 1 packet of dry ranch dressing

· 1 Onion, diced

· 1 lb. of ground beef

· About 1 lb. or 3 links of mild/sweet Italian sausages, removed from casing

· 1 can each of: Kidney beans, Pinto Beans, Black Beans (try to find low sodium ones)

· 2 cans of corn

· 1 can of Rotel (diced tomatoes with chile)

· 1 can of diced tomatoes

· 2 Cups of water

· Toppings include:
- Diced green onions
- shredded cheese
- sour cream
- Fritos corn chips

1. For the bean cans, drain them of their liquids, and then rinse them briefly while still in the can. Then fill the cans up with water, and drop all water-filled cans of beans into a large pot.

2. Don't drain the corn nor tomatoes; simply drop them into the pot.

3. Add a packet of dry ranch dressing and the 2 cups of water, and turn the heat to high.

4. While the pot heats up, brown the ground beef and the Italian sausages. While cooking, add in the taco seasoning packet, and mix well, until everything is mixed well, broken up and cooked. Take the meat and drop it into the large pot, and heat everything up. You can leave it on low...and of course, if you have a large slow cooker, it works perfect for chili!

5. When ready to serve, scoop chili into bowls, top with grated cheese, sour cream, and diced onions, and those crispy corn chips. =)

It's Lotso Huggin' Bear....

2011-09-14T20:11:00.001-07:00

It's Lotso Huggin' Bear...., a photo by gummychild on Flickr.

Via Flickr:
This little guy doesn't smell like strawberries, but he was given to me in part of my birthday package from Shelton. ^_^ Because he knows how I do love this guy, even if he was the bitter, grumpy antagonist in Toy Story 3...Poor bear, he just needed a little love...

And like Lotso, Aiva was a big ol' crockpot of grumpiness today. >_< Without much reason, but perhaps she was hungry at the time or didn't get to sit in the basket part of the shopping cart with Shelton at 99 Ranch today, or that she didn't sleep during her naptime like she was supposed to, but she found every reason to be grumpy all day long today! Poor Shelton, he had to endure that all day while I was at work...he did what he could, but she just wouldn't stop the grumpy.

Bonus points for my Shelton - he really is a good daddy, you know? =)

In case you are wondering, featured in the picture above is a happy yellow hippo, which has a hole on the bottom - he's actually a yellow crayon that Shelton had when he was little! But I dare not it be used or played by Aiva, lest it be broken and lose its chubby and happy countenance! And I love birds - Emily is the little parakeet you see in the top (those of you who know me for a long time will remember her as my constant little friend who sat on my shoulder whenever you visited!), and the bird candle was a gift from Amy many years ago! I dare not light it. It will just adorn my place wherever I go. =)

Aiva in the AM

2011-09-06T20:23:00.001-07:00

Aiva in the AM, a photo by gummychild on Flickr.

Via Flickr:
I went to wake her up this morning, and this was what I saw, hee hee...She even stayed asleep after I took the picture. With flash!

Poor baby, she needs her sleep. And she got GOOD sleep in the summer - she usually would sleep in till around 8:30am! But mommy has to take her to daycare, which means I get her up around 6:30am...this morning, she just slumped over a few times when I tried to get her to wake up, hee hee. =)

At least it's only Tuesdays and Thursdays; she gets to hang out with daddy on the other days and sleep on in! =D

Native Foods Cafe

2011-09-04T20:58:00.000-07:00

Mmm...Native Foods Cafe, you are now one of my favorite SoCal eateries! ^_^ And to tell you the truth, SoCal has few favorite food spots for me - besides the usual yummy Chinese cuisine spots, I have to admit that we don't explore as much in terms of dining here. Maybe because most of the places we really want to try are out in LA, and with a little toddler (eep! She's not really a "baby" anymore...! O_o How time zips on by!), it's not easy.

We visited The District in the Irvine/Tustin area, mostly because we wanted to go to Whole Foods (hey, it's fun!), and see what else was around there since the Irvine area has boomed with several new hot spots since we've graduated from UCI. Like how there's a crazy line at the 85C Bakery (we've been wanting to try it, but the long line is never tempting; I've had a cake or two from there that others have brought back for us, but it isn't mind-blowing either, but I'm sure we're missing some key menu items!), next to the uber crowded HMart off Jamboree. We tend to go to the Diamond Bar HMart anyway, but I digress...

Anyway, after picking up a pair of really cute shoes at TJ Maxx (hey, this is AWESOME for me, as I've not bought a fun pair of shoes since I was pregnant with Aiva!) and the cutest serving plate, we meandered around The District and found Native Foods Cafe! We had wanted to eat things this summer, but the little cafe (it was the first one that opened) was closed for the summer - we hadn't realized it had expanded!

Native Foods is an entirely vegan restaurant, and normally, we're not one to venture to a vegan restaurant because we like our meats, hee hee. =) BUT this got some pretty remarkable reviews on yelp when we were looking for a spot to try in Palm Springs, so we were definitely up to it. And I've tried this Asian vegan spot in the San Gabriel area a loooooooooooooong time ago with my family, and I remembered that it was pretty amazing - fish and duck that looked like and tasted like meat, but were entirely made of vegetables and grains! Such as the seaweed that was used to create the skin of the fish - that just blew me away, hee hee...but vegan restaurants are few, and most vegan foods to me seem like it'd be dry and untasty.

Not at Native Foods.

O. M. G. This place was DA BOMB DOT COM. Seriously, I've never had such amazing vegan food, and if eating this every day meant being a complete vegan, I'd do it! The food was moist, tasty, had texture and unique flavors, and I would NOT be surprised if this became a world-class joint in Vegas or anywhere else (they've just opened a spot in Chicago!). The food was THAT worthy, and we've had some yummy high-class foods!

Here's what we ordered:

Sweet Potato Taquitos
Crispy corn tortillas filled with coconut mashed sweet potatoes, drizzled with Native Chipotle Crema and served with guacamole. 6.95

-- Yummy! The taquitos were more like little tacos, versus the rolled fried tacos you'd think they would be. But the flavors and textures were great - crispy on the outside, soft and sweet on the inside! I have to admit though, this was a filling appetizer. I had only one taco out of the three, because I split one with Aiva, and the remaining one with Shelton (he had the other one, obviously).

Lemongrass Coconut Soup

- This side came with Shelton's order, as he ordered the special of the day. I didn't get to try too much of it, but from what I tasted, it was like the Thai Tom Yum Koong soup (which I love!), but without the shrimp and without the spicy-ness. It had the tang of lemongrass, with bits of tofu and mushroom and other vegetables in there that Aiva seemed to gobble up. She loved the soup, by the way!

Portobello and Sausage Burger
Juicy grilled portobellos, our homemade Native Sausage Seitan, caramelized onions, pomodoro, sweet roasted garlic, creamy pumpkin seed pesto and mayo. 9.95

- The special of the day (it comes with a side of your choice) that Shelton ordered. The seitan was tasty ("Seitan" is pronounced kinda like "Satan". So Shelton vanquished and ate "seitan" up for lunch, hahahahaha...okay, Bible nerdery aside...) and the texture WAS sausagey, but it was more moist and flavorful than I expected! The juicy portobello mushroom mingled well with the pesto, which gave this burger the perfect punch for me, as I love pesto, ha ha ha ha...=)

Scorpion Burger
Chef Tanya’s original tempeh burger! Homemade blackened Tempeh, chipotle sauce, romaine, carrots, avocado and onions. 8.95
Add melted cheddar. .50 (I didn't have their vegan cheese on mine, and it came with a side of edamame. )

- Ah, this was MY order for the night, and the WINNER for me! I liked this one best of everything we had, hee hee hee, and now know that I prefer Tempeh over Seitan. Tempeh is more tofu-ey and is not as sausagey as the seitan, and I prefered this. The chipotle flavors were SPOT ON! Just enough heat to pack some zing into the dish, yet it was cooled by the finely shredded romaine, onions, and carrots. The avocado gave it a creamy and flavorful transition from the crisp grilled bun that encased these glorious ingredients. It will be hard not to order this again next time we go, only for the sake of trying something new and different the next time!

Lavender Lemonade
French lavender steeped with fresh lemons. Sweetened with organic sugar.

- When you order a drink, you basically get a cup and can choose from a few tankards of colorful and fresh looking beverages they have on the side. I ordered this one originally, and loved it! But...

Watermelon Fresca
Fresh watermelon and a touch of mint. Sweetened with organic agave.

- ...the Watermelon Fresca was AMAZING. Hey, Hong Kong folks like to have watermelon juice, which is very refreshing and tasty...but add some mint? It just blew. My. Mind. Away!!! Both drinks were great, but this is a clear winner for me!

LoneStar Birthday Dinner

2011-09-04T20:56:00.001-07:00

LoneStar Birthday Dinner, a photo by gummychild on Flickr.

Via Flickr:
After a long day in Hollywood (of which there was a place called Pinches Tacos. I want to try this place, lol!), and after getting some rest at my parent's place, all of us including my dad went to LoneStar for a meaty dinner. They surprised me with a giant brownie ice cream dessert, hee hee, of which, in the end, we couldn't finish after our giant meal.

Birthdays are nice, and I'm glad I get to celebrate them with family. =D And friends who remember, hee hee...it's no big deal, but as you get older, there's less and less fanfare about your birthday, and it can even be forgotten by some (and remembered by a lot, such as via facebook and texts and emails - thanks friends! ^_^), and there's certainly less and less gifts, ha ha ha... until you hit certain milestone numbers, maybe. But it IS nice to have family nearby and to be able to celebrate with them. =) And as you get older, you realize that the real gifts are the people around you, you know? =)

BUT. That's NOT to say I didn't enjoy the marvelous scavenger hunt Shelton sent me on to find my giant package of birthday goodies, nor the colorful red envelopes handed to me by certain wonderful family members...hee hee hee...^_~

Big Bird's Star!

2011-09-04T20:50:00.001-07:00

Big Bird's Star!, a photo by gummychild on Flickr.

Via Flickr:
We found Big Bird's star!!! =)

There didn't seem to be an Elmo or Cookie Monster star, but she was pretty happy with a Big Bird one. Except she wasn't looking at the camera. >_<

Pou-Pou, Aiva, and Shrek

2011-09-04T20:49:00.001-07:00

Pou-Pou, Aiva, and Shrek, a photo by gummychild on Flickr.

Via Flickr:
Okay, she was a liiiiiiittle scared here. Maybe she thought he was going to get her. But she was safe with Pou-Pou, who would probably beat the bojangles out of him if he dare scared her. ^_~

Nai-Nai, Aiva, and Shrek

2011-09-04T20:48:00.001-07:00

Nai-Nai, Aiva, and Shrek, a photo by gummychild on Flickr.

Via Flickr:
Hee hee...outside the wax museum, Aiva decided that she wasn't so scared of the giant green ogre...=) So we did get to take some pictures with the guy. =)

Walk of Fame - Bruce Lee

2011-09-04T20:47:00.001-07:00

Walk of Fame - Bruce Lee, a photo by gummychild on Flickr.

Via Flickr:
Last Saturday (on my birthday!), Nai-Nai (Diana's mom, as Aiva calls her), M & D, my mom, and us all headed out to Hollywood Blvd to show Nai-Nai the Walk of Fame!

We're Asian. We came across Bruce Lee's star and had to take a picture of it, naturally. =)

All of our shoes are here, even Aiva's! Can you find hers? ^_~

P90X Ain't Nothin' To Her

2011-08-24T17:17:00.001-07:00

P90X Ain't Nothin' To Her, a photo by gummychild on Flickr.

Via Flickr:
She says "Wheeeee!" when she does this. ^_^

Out of no where, she was doing this like nothin' - and holding it up for quite a bit. She's got abs beneath her pudgy and cute exterior...which I'm sure is all muscle. Seriously. =)

Andrew's Camera

2011-08-23T15:26:00.001-07:00

Melody and Simon's Wedding 07.09.11 (4), a photo by gummychild on Flickr.

Andrew took this soooo very sweet picture of Aiva in July at Melody and Simon's wedding.

It's one of my favorite pictures of her. ^_^ (Thanks Andrew Tai!)

Summertime

2011-08-20T13:02:00.001-07:00

Summertime, a photo by gummychild on Flickr.

Via Flickr:
In July, Aiva and I took a day out at the park to picnic and play. Here we are, picnicking at the park this summer. With some cookies, strawberries, blueberries, a bit of Cool Whip for her to dip (she loves dipping food into ANYTHING), after we had some rice and soup. =D

Sigh. Summer's about over in a week for me. I know, it's pretty neat to have a few months off from work in the summer and still get paid. ^_^ But trust me, teachers need it. It's not a 9-5pm job. There's work at school. There's preparations and grading at home, which seems endless. And of course, at home, there's family and housework that's important too. And then, if you're lucky, you get to squeeze in friend time with friends that happen to not work at the same place you do (like I miss Giang! And Takako! And Rosalyn! And Lorie! And Huy! And Dolly! And Bev! And TK! And Derrick! And so many others!). And it's hard to fit things in like eye appointments and dental check-ups (which I am definitely behind in!). And don't even THINK of taking a day off - budget makes it difficult, but that's not really our concern if we need to take a day off - but it's almost more hassle to prepare plans for a stranger to take over your classroom for a day or two (or more, depending on your situation). And it's definitely not helpful when the teachers don't get their share of professional respect from the community - Jon Stewart's Daily Show had a pretty funny commentary on teachers.

So yes, every job has its difficulties, but teachers need this break from the hundreds of (wonderful ^_^) students that they are in contact with every single day. =)

This summer has been fantastic! We've visited Vegas at the start and end of summer (which included hanging out with grandparents, eating out a lot, and hanging out with friends...we even got to see some movies - Smurfs, and The Rise of the Planet of the Apes, both of which we liked!), witnessed Simon and Melody's wedding, went to Palm Springs with more awesome friends, and just today, had dim sum with the Hills, one of our favorite peoples! We're going to be an Auntie and Uncle sometime early next year, and Diana's mom has been here helping her out (and whom Aiva loves!), and we've seen Aiva grow so much this summer as well!

Aiva also got to visit the West Sahara Library, where they have an AMAZING children's storytime room. We just happened to be there when they had storytime, and she got to sing, dance, play and be a part of the storytime going on there. Next time we are in Vegas, this is a MUST GO for us, lol! She didn't want to leave when it was over, and cried her little heart out (until it was soothed by the presence of lunch with Yea-Yea after, hee hee).

She's also sleeping in till about 8:30am now, but unfortunately, soon, I'll have to get her up at 6:30am to get going to the nursery in the morning before I go to work. I hope she remembers all her friends there - she loves the ladies there, and her friends, so I hope it's a smooth transaction back. I myself am still trying to get used to waking up early again! O_o

Shelton's still job hunting, but we have another interview this week...keep your fingers crossed and your prayers turned on. No matter what happens, we know that God will take care of things, and that we just need to have patience. Even if the job market and economy is not in anyone's favor at the moment. =P

Pastor Yap and Doris came back to visit from Hong Kong, so a group of us went to Five Guys for some burgers and to hang out together last Sunday; they are both doing well, and Doris looks especially great! =D

Oh, and we tried a new place (to us) in Vegas, called Firefly, recommended by Mike and Jean. It's a very happenin' tapas kitchen and bar filled with a younger and hip group of customers - very yummy tapas, and a bold and flavorful Seafood Paella that Shelton loved very, very much. We also had the Boquerones (yummy!), Stuffed Dates (just okay for me; again, it's that bleu cheese in there that Shelton liked and I didn't care for, but I did like the almond they stuffed inside!), Camarones a la diabla, Chicken and Chorizo Stuffed Mushrooms (I'm stuffing MY mushrooms with chorizo next time! Why didn't I think of this???), and the Chocolate and Cherry Bread Pudding A La Mode (Yay if you like bread pudding!). Oh, we definitely want to go back - there's more we want to try! And it's quite affordable. ^_^ No pictures, because of the funky camera we had, but they are on google, lol. =)

Caught In The Act

2011-08-20T08:24:00.001-07:00

Caught In The Act, a photo by gummychild on Flickr.

Via Flickr:
"Sneaking cookies from grandpa? Again???"

(Grandpa Yuen and Grandma Lau are both NOTORIOUS for having an endless supply of cookies to give to her. Of which we have to beg them to stop at times. =P)

Dessert at Minato

2011-08-20T08:23:00.001-07:00

Dessert at Minato, a photo by gummychild on Flickr.

Via Flickr:
Fruits with a spoonful of chocolate to dip into for dessert...

Messy. >_<

This One!

2011-08-20T08:22:00.001-07:00

This One!, a photo by gummychild on Flickr.

Via Flickr:
"This one! I approve!" =)

Maneuverability

2011-08-20T08:21:00.003-07:00

Maneuverability, a photo by gummychild on Flickr.

Via Flickr:
"I like how this handles!"

Testing Boats

2011-08-20T08:21:00.001-07:00

Testing Boats, a photo by gummychild on Flickr.

Via Flickr:
Testing which boats functioned the best for our needs...

Catfish Bigger Than You!

2011-08-20T08:20:00.001-07:00

Catfish Bigger Than You!, a photo by gummychild on Flickr.

Via Flickr:
Aiva wasn't even as tall as that catfish was long. O_o

Giant Catfish...

2011-08-20T08:19:00.001-07:00

Giant Catfish..., a photo by gummychild on Flickr.

Via Flickr:
"Mmmm!", said Aiva, as she pointed out to the fish that were in the tank...

Yep, she's our daughter alright! ^_^ And definitely Chinese, lol!

Bass Pro Shop

2011-08-20T08:18:00.001-07:00

Bass Pro Shop, a photo by gummychild on Flickr.

Via Flickr:
We met up with Uncle John and Carol at the Silverton for lunch one day, and so we played at the Bass Pro Shop there. She had fun, as these pictures will tell - giant fish, driving boats...a lot of fun for the morning that tired her out later on pretty quickly. =)

Parents, this is another free spot of fun for your kiddos! ^_~

Fleur at the Mandalay Bay

2011-08-20T08:12:00.001-07:00

Fleur at the Mandalay Bay, a photo by gummychild on Flickr.

Via Flickr:
We hit up Fleur at the Mandalay Bay for some tapas with our $50 Restaurant.Com coupon, hee hee...it was deeeelicious!

Unfortunately, our camera (we lent our regular one to some friends, and so we had our backup one with us) had been dropped many years ago, and just won't take good pictures in dark, candle-lit restaurants, lol. Most of the pictures came out just black. =( But this one of the Ceci Frito (fried chickpeas) came out alright.

These were gorgeously delicious! =) Tender on the inside, and crispy on the outside. Mmmm. =) I could have eaten these the whole night if they didn't run out. =) Don't get me wrong, it was a good size portion for tapas! =)

I don't know what's up with some of the yelp reviews for Fleur - sure it's not Fleur de Lys (heeeey, one of favorites! So sad it was closed down in Vegas last year...that means we can only go if we're up in the Bay area, which we've been wanting to go for a while now! ^_^) - and sure the portions are small, but hey, it's a TAPAS place, so expect little dishes. =)

And the dishes were pretty good! Not Fleur de Lys good, but still pretty good, and worthy of Hubert Keller. =)

We had Nampol Meesa Wings, which were like the Chinese styled "ziew-yeem" (spicy-salty) style with some sweetness added in. I love chicken wings, and I loved the flavor that came with these lightly crisped, juicy and tender wings! =D

Steak Tartare came with large crackers to spread upon, served with a tangy, dijon-y vinagrette-like spread with tender greens. Shelton's favorite for the night. =)

One of my favorites, the Tuna Tacos, came in a set of three, two-bite crispy tacos that encased fresh and thick tuna sashimi with a spicy avocado-cilantro creamy guacamole.

The Onion Soup Shooters were creamy and warmed the stomach well. It's similar to the Onion Soup Shelton had last year (when we went to Fleur de Lys for his birthday!), but minus the duck confit, tableside service, and something else that he couldn't quite put his finger on - he said it wasn't AS good as the original, though it's close.

The Braised Short Ribs also got him very excited, as it was his absolute favorite dish EVER from Fleur de Lys, but though I liked it quite a lot (he likes, ahem, "bolder" flavors than I do), and the meat was melt-in-your-mouth-AMAZING to me, he said the Guiness sauce was lighter and lacked that punch he loved in the original dish. It was still a worthy dish, but he was sad about it because of his very high expectations for it.

The Tarte Flambee was tasty - I didn't know what to expect, in that "flambee" makes it sound like it would be on FIRE at our table, hahahahahahaha...! But it's a method of cooking something, and done in the kitchen in this case. =) Like a thin crust flatbread, topped with melted cheese, bacon, asparagus, onions and truffle, it was good, but nothing like the Tuna Tacos or Onion Soup nor Ceci Frito that I'd order and eat again and again if I wasn't restricted by money, lol. =) (Well...maybe not the Onion soup so much. It's a cream-based soup, so it was filling in the right way, and more than one order probably would not leave my stomach free to eat other things!). ^_^

One of Shelton's favorites were the Angus Sliders, packed with the bold (there you go again, Shelton's favorite style of food it seems - BOLD! ^_^) flavors that come with bleu cheese. They were good for me, but GREAT for him, so it depends on if you like bleu cheese I think. The pears in it gave it a night, subtle sweetness that we both agreed upon though. =)

We ended the meal with the Almond Panna Cotta, with was heavenly! I believe I like panna cotta quite a lot...it reminds me the Chinese mango puddings you can find in dim sum, but of course, in different flavors, paired with various fruits and different sorbet flavors. Mmmm!

Fleur also treated us to a birthday Tiramisu for Shelton! =) If you like your rum, you'll love it...it was too strong for us, and I couldn't finish it after a few bites unfortunately. Shelton did though. What a manly-man my husband is! ^_~

Were we full??? Yes!

Would we come again? Indeed!

With a coupon, of course, because it ain't cheap. O_o

Aiva's First Carousel Ride!

2011-08-20T07:44:00.001-07:00

Aiva's First Carousel Ride!, a photo by gummychild on Flickr.

Via Flickr:
She had fun! A little scared at first, but then I got her yelling "Woooo!" and waving to daddy and random people...she had a blast! =) Next time, daddy gets to go on the carousel with her, hee hee hee...^_^

Aiva Drives the Trolley

2011-08-20T07:42:00.001-07:00

Aiva Drives the Trolley, a photo by gummychild on Flickr.

Via Flickr:
*ding-ding!*

No, we didn't pay coins for this.

We just let her hop on with her Cookie Monster backpack and pretend to drive, hee hee.

It's free and fun! =D

Playing with Bubbles

2011-08-20T07:41:00.001-07:00

Playing with Bubbles, a photo by gummychild on Flickr.

Via Flickr:
She loves bubbles. I think every kid loves bubbles, just as much as babies love chairs for some reason. ^_^

August 6: Aiva

2011-08-20T07:40:00.001-07:00

August 6: Aiva, a photo by gummychild on Flickr.

Via Flickr:
Aghhh! She's growing up so quickly! And she's still so cute! <3 ^_^