Family Night Food

Broiled Lemon and Garlic Tiger Prawns

Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds tiger prawns, peeled and deveined
1 cup butter
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:
Preheat oven on broiler setting.

With a sharp knife, remove tails from prawns, and butterfly them from the underside.

Arrange prawns on broiler pan.
In a small saucepan, melt butter with garlic and lemon juice.

Pour 1/4 cup butter mixture in a small bowl, and brush onto prawns.

Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over shrimp.
Place broiler pan on top rack, and broil prawns for 4 to 5 minutes, or until done.

Serve with remaining butter mixture for dipping.

I love this idea of having this food during family movie night especially shrimp. Who would have thought of serving it while the family watches movie together. I will definitely try this one. This is a family favorite for home movie night; it's quick and easy and kids like the 'finger food' style.

Jake' s Bath Tub!

When Jacob was still a baby, we used to give him a bath in the sink. And these are few of his pictures taken while taking a bath.

I love my ducky buddy, Mommy...see!

Hmmm, this is a yummy ducky, don't you think, Mommy?

Now, he uses the bath tub and he calls it "my little swimming pool" :-)

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

Thanksgiving is supposed to be a time to reflect on people and events you are grateful for, but this year, with so much bad news about home mortgages, increased heating prices, and the reality of job cuts, it may seem hard to find reasons to be thankful. Surprisingly, that's exactly why you should be thankful, psychologists say.

Zesty Salsa

Do you love eating chips, like corn chips? If so, you should try this salsa I got from internet. It is very yummy.

10 cups chopped, seeded, peeled, cored tomatoes

5 cups chopped and seeded green bell peppers

5 cups chopped onions

2 1/2 cups chopped and seeded hot peppers

1 1/4 cups cider vinegar

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons cilantro, minced

3 teaspoons salt1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce

Combine all ingredients in a large saucepot, adding hot pepper sauce, if desired. Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes. Ladle hot salsa into hot jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Adjust two-piece caps. Process 15 minutes in a boiling water canner.

A Day at the Pumpkin Patch on Halloween Day!

Some pictures taken at the Hay Maze we went to in Ashland...

a little house on the farm...
at the pplayground...

at pumpkin Patch on the Afternoon of Halloween Day.

Biggest Holiday Allergy Triggers

1. Christmas trees and decorations. Allergies to evergreens are usually caused by high levels of mold spores, grass, ragweed, and pine pollen—all of which can trigger severe symptoms including asthma attacks.

2. Poinsettias. This traditional Christmas plant produces a milky sap that may cause contact dermatitis or skin irritation in some people.

3. Scented candles. As irresistible as the fragrances of gingerbread cookies or candied apples can be, they may come at a steep price to allergy sufferers.

4. Alcohol. The celebratory feeling of the season may put you in the mood to kick back a few, but the result could be an allergic reaction (not to mention a nasty hangover.)

5. Firewood. There's nothing more picturesque than cozying up in front of a wood-burning fireplace with the snow falling gently outside.

My son and husband have both sensitive noses; and they both have allergies through the year especially during winter time. With these things in mind, I try to be careful putting holiday decorations in to my home at this time of the year.

Cool 'n' Crunchy Chicken Salad

I am not a fan of sandwiches particularly tuna or chicken salad sandwich; but this recipes really made me love it. It is so yummy and healthy, too! I am sharing this with you guys, in case you want to try it.

Ingredients:

2 cups cooked chicken, diced or shredded
1 large hard boiled egg, chopped
2 tablespoons onion, diced
1/4 cup celery, diced
1/4 cup low-fat mayonnaise
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/3 teaspoon sugar
black pepper to taste

Preparation:

Dice or shred chicken.
Chop egg, onion and celery. Place in a large bowl.
Add mayonnaise, lemon juice, sugar and black pepper. Stir all ingredients together.
Cover and chill overnight or at least 2 hours before serving.
If desired, serve on bread, roll, croissant or pita bread with green leaf lettuce.

Enjoy!

Variety is the spice in Malay Foods

Before I came here to U.S., I was living in Malaysia with my Aunt and her family. Her husband is a British National and is an Expat. These people likes foods and eating out; and while there I get to taste different culinary. I came to like Malay Foods for they are spicy and yet very delicious. These are the foods I miss most which I couln't find anywhere here.

The traditional culinary style has been greatly influenced by the long-ago traders from neighboring countries, such as Indonesia, India, the Middle East, and China.Malay food is often described as spicy and flavorful as it utilizes a melting pot of spices and herbs.

Nasi Lemak - a rice cooked with coconut milk and served with anchovies, nuts, cucumbers, a chili paste known as sambal and a choice of curries.

Kangkung belacan' is kangkung wok-fried in a pungent sauce of shrimp paste (belacan) and hot chilli peppers. Various other items are cooked this way, including petai (which is quite bitter when eaten raw; some older generation Malays still eat it as is) and yardlong beans.

Ketupat and rendang is the most delicious cuisine which is served normally on Hari Raya festival.

Rice is the staple diet in any Malay meal. It is often served for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and supper too. Most meals are eaten by using your fingers, and eating utensils are kept to a minimum. All dishes are served at the same time, accompanied by a refreshing drink. Fish is popular in Malay cooking, as with other seafood such as shrimps and cuttlefish. Beef and mutton are very popular choices but never pork as it is against their religious beliefs to eat pork. The other popular white meat is chicken.

Flat Belly Diet

Everywhere I go people talks about this diet called Flat Belly Diet. It is so popular that even on the newspaper and internet you can read how effective it is in losing those stubborn belly fats if followed strictly by people including me. Yup, I have fats on my belly and got it after I gave birth to my son. I did the best I could to take it off of my body but nothing works; I did diet, exercise, planned meal but they were just a waste of money. The deal is that it is done by eating eating mono-unsaturated fats at every meal. People who have tried it actually lose their belly fats for up to 15 pounds in just 32 days!

Right now, Prevention Magazine is recruiting people who are willing to try Flat Belly Diet free of charge, and blog about their experiences on their website. Once accepted, participants will be given a free I year subscription to the website, a membership of exclusive Success Story Club and a free Fat Belly Diet book. The great thing about this diet is that unlike every diet plan, I don’t have to do lot of exercising which I hate doing and I can eat whatever I want without worrying that I might gain the belly fats back. By following this diet, I will not only lose those stubborn belly fats but also it is good for the heart, too!

According to research/study, mono-unsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) can fight the effects of bad saturated fats, that can help in losing weight. MUFAs are believed to target the belly fats. Finally, I have found the diet that is perfect for me. You think this diet is for you? Then, visit their website to learn more about Fat Belly Diet and get yourself some delicious goodies on top of getting your flat belly back the way it was before. Don’t wait long, act now!

Parents and Teacher Conference

Lately I have been busy spending time with my family, which is why I haven’t visited my friends and their blogs. I only have little time with my blogs when my husband is home; because I always make sure they are on the top of my priority lists. I know you guys understand that. I am still doing my best to visit as much as I could. Today was another busy day for us. Hubby and I attended the Parents and teachers Conference in the afternoon after my son's school; then as a treat for Jacob for doing a good job at school, we went to Chucky Cheese's and we all enjoyed it especially my son.

Scrabble, My Favorite Board Game

You Are Scrabble

You are incredibly clever and witty. You can talk your way out of (and into) situations easily. You are an excellent decision maker. You are good at weighing the options in front of you. You're the type of person who can make something out of nothing. You are very resourceful. You know a lot of things. Most importantly, you know when people are wrong - even when they won't admit it.

What Board Game Are You?

This is so true! I love playing scrabble and will never get tired of it. I remember when I was still in Malaysia living with my Aunt; every Sunday, my friends and I go to Filipino Community and play scrabble with fellow Filipinas who love scrabble like me. Then, one day they organized a tournament and proudly said that I won the third place! Every once in a while my hubby and I play and almost all the time I win the game and now, he was challenged and he gets very serious because he wants to beat me; and he succeed!

Things I am thankful for...

There are lot of things I am thankful for this year and that includes good health (kidneys are doing well), new job for hubby ('though it'll only last till Feb. of 2009), my mother recovering well (after stroke), father and siblings (who take care of mother), in-laws (who are supportive as always), Jacob's school and teachers, church leaders and members who are there when we need help, friends online who have touched my heart in many ways, new found hobby (blogging) , new prophet of LDS church and challeges in life that made us stronger than ever and of course a hubby who is my bestfriend, supporter, lover and devoted husband and a doting father to our son, Jake.

Finding the reason of our existence...

Everyone here on earth came here for a reason and it is up to us to find out what it is. As we find those reasons, we sometimes tend to get discourage or disappointed. That is part of the process and if we let ourselves down, it's like we disappoint heavenly Father. We just need to remember that trials in life are part of finding who we are and the purposes of our existence here on earth; let us not lose hope. Burdens in our life can be carried easy if we will always bear in our mind and heart that God is helping us carry those burdens. God loves us and He is watching over us; He knows us and our needs and knows us more than we know ourselves. He is there to lift us up and help us to get up every time we fall.

Journal Entry....

Another one of my journal entry in November of 2006 ; I justwant to paste it here to remind me of how we made that day a productive one even though we didn't get enough sleep that night.

We walk up early today because of Jacob’s habit of waking up in the middle of the night or very early morning going to our bedroom and sleeping with us. I get up and ready myself for my doctor’s appointment. I got there before nine, have my urine collected and blood drawn. At 10:30 am Sandy finally called me to get ready for Doctor’s check up. Dr. Lerman said that everything is ok. And that was 10:45 am. I finally got out of the clinic at exactly 11am. He scheduled me for glofil and 24 hour urine collection next month. Have Taiwan foods for lunch, which was so good. After, lunch, Matt took a nap and as soon as he woke up from nap, we went to Costco to buy diapers and wipes for Jacob. We ate our dinner there with pizza and hotdogs.

My Two priceless possesions....

I love these pictures of Jacob and Daddy together; they looked so adorable. I still smile everytime I look at them. These are treasure I can not afford to lose and also something Jacob will remember when he grows up. It's funny because every time I show them to him he always says; "that's baby Jacob, Mommy." instead of "that was me."

Journal Entry on Halloween Day 2006

I decided to paste this journal entry I wrote on my personal journal exactly 2 years ago. It is fun reminiscing the past; and the following years after that.

October 31, 2006

Busy again with the kitchen, hopefully we would be able to finish it this week. I have had a bad day today, and this is one of those days where my mood swing attacks me. I take it out on Matt and feel so bad for that. I am glad that he is so patient with me and my being mean on those days. We still manage to work things out. Sometimes I just don’t want to talk, but be quiet. The kitchen is not even half way done. We ate junk foods today, burgers from Wendy’s which I called junk foods. Dinner, nothing much but went trick or treating. Jacob has so much fun trick or treating tonight, ‘though it is very chilly outside. Tomorrow, we need to go to Sandy Mc Curly’s retirement party at TI campus. She has worked there for 38 years. I have been eating a lot but no exercise at all. I was just lazy walking on the treadmill, and I’d rather walk outside. Since the weather is getting cold I have no choice but to try walking on the treadmill starting tomorrow.

Shirmps, our family's favorites.....

My family and I love eating and cooking; that is why I cook a lot of variety of foods in our kitchen. One of our favorites is shrimp. I came in a country with lots of different sea foods, fresh and inexpensive. I learned to cook by watching my mother cooks sea foods in a lot of ways. I love shrimp because it is very easy to cook; in just a matter of minutes you have it, ready to be eaten. I cook it the easiest way I know; after cleaning (removing the skin, deveining and rinsing)., just drop it on a hot wok with a very little vegetables oil or butter and minced garlic, I stir it a little bit, then seasoned it with salt and pepper, cover and let it steam for a minute or two then here you have a very delicious shrimp and top it with chopped parsley. Another way to cook it is to grill it. First of course you have to clean it, dried it with paper towel, then seasoned it with salt and pepper and brush it with a little oil with minced garlic, put it on skewers and then grill it for minutes or till the color turns pink. I am glad my son eats seafood also and my brother in law and his wife was very surprised! Why? Because their son doesn't want to eat fish, all he eats are chicken nuggets. He eats veggies, but still the one the baby eats which is the pureed ones that you can find on the baby section of the grocery store. I wished he would eat variety of foods. I think it boils out to one thing; whatever you serve on the table, is the only food your child will learn to eat.

Patiently and quietly he waited....

It was funny because my son woke up early today and then he started waking me up, too! He said "Mommy it's time to wake up! It's not dark anymore and we got to go." I told him I was still sleepy, come on let us sleep more." He reply and said," no Mommy we can't go back to sleep." Finally he gave up and I fell asleep again; after an hour or more, I woke up and found him next to me, all dressed up and was playing. I told him, “go down stairs and I'll be right there." He went down and turned the TV. on. I made him a breakfast and was very please with that. I always wake him up every morning during school days, but today, he woke me up! He was so patient at his very young again and I am proud of that. He waited for me patiently and quietly. I wished I can be patient as he is.

What motivates and inspires me.....?

These are few of quotations from the leader of our church (Latter Days Saints). I like them becuase they always inspire me to be better person, wife, mother and a citizen of the nation where I belong now.

"The more perfect one becomes, the less he is inclined to speak of the imperfections of others."
—ElRay L. ChristiansenCR, April 1956, p. 114.

"The Savior will let you feel the love He feels for those you serve. The call is an invitation to become like Him."
Elder Henry B. EyringEnsign, May 2000, 66

"The world is in need of your help. There are feet to steady, hands to grasp, minds to encourage, hearts to inspire, and souls to save. The blessings of eternity await you."
President Thomas S. MonsonEnsign, May 2001, 48

Funny looking couple...

As I was looking at the stocks of pictures we have on our computer today, I found this funny pictures of me and my hubby wearing the clown wig and the square eyeglasses. I can't help but smile. I showed it to my son and he was laughing at them.

The wig and eyelasses were my hubby's collections of funny accessories for Halloween costumes.

We kind of looking funny here, aren't we. Yup, got nothing to do today, but be lazy.

Another one of those lazy saturdays...

I have been lazy today; and still didn't do much except sit down and watch t.v. with my son. I have been busy updating my blogs especially the new one. I even apply it to have Entrecard so I can drop EC to gain friends and eventually learn from them and their life's experiences. Soon I need to stop and turn my computer off so I can start tidying up the living room where my son made a lot odf mess; and afterwards prepare our diner. I decided to make Sarsiado, Steamed Chinese brocoli with oyster sauce and brown fried rice. No idea what will be our dessert, maybe we'll just have fruits.