I wish...

I had this awesome piece of kitchen ware from Kitchen Aid... D: A fairy godmother would be nice right now to grant my wish...! :)

So beautiful and purposeful!

Sugary Goodness!

Wasn't feeling too well last night, so we decided to stay in for the night. :) After a light chicken noodle soup with rice for dinner we decided to bake some desserts. We scoured the web to look for something I would want to eat and we fell upon a recipe for Cinnamon Sugar Pull-Apart Bread. It looked delicious and we had all the simple ingredients at home already. So off to the kitchen to try it out!

We started out with all purpose flour and, sugar, yeast, whisked eggs, melted butter, milk, and vanilla extract. Later made the filling with nutmeg, cinnamon, and more sugar.

Whisked it all together, waited for the dough to rise before rolling it out and putting the cinnamon, nutmeg, and sugar mix. We then cut the dough into equal strips vertically and horizontally.

We then stacked it together and placed it in a PAMed glass loaf pan and let sit for another 10 minutes for it to rise.

We preheated the oven to 350 degrees, wrapped the two loaves to let it rise some more for another 10 minutes. We then set the timer for 35 minutes and placed them into the oven after.

35 Minutes Later...

Warm, delicious and yummy Cinnamon Sugar Pull-Apart Bread! :)

Here's the link to the recipe that we used: https://sites.google.com/site/foodsnotsprintablerecipes/cinnamon-and-sugar-pull-apart-bread. It only took us about two hours because of all the rising/waiting that needed to be done. But I had so much fun making this and I hope sharing this recipe gives you guys the same feeling. ^__^

Quick Bruncheon in the Sun!

So I just woke a few hours ago (yes, noon...) and I was pretty hungry, went to the kitchen but was feeling groggy from sleep to make anything for myself. Di, being the awesome person that he is suggested that he'd make some Birds in a Nest for me to try as I've never tried it before and I was lurking on the web late last night looking at different versions of birds in the nest. Do they look ever so delicious... So he strolls to the stove and starts pulling bread and eggs out of the fridge. It's a rather simple recipe and I think it's a great dish for kids in the morning! And I felt this deserved a blog post~

Add a bit of black pepper I think would give it a nice kick! Maybe even draw a cute ketchup heart for your significant other, wouldn't that be cute? ;)

Another one of my favorites for brunch is Eggs with Hotdog Pasta, it's also a pretty simple dish to make. I usually buy regular hotdogs cut them into little pieces with a few chops of green onion and two eggs. Which pasta you use if really up to you, I like the shape of pasta shells, so that was the one I choose to use.

I use chicken broth sometimes for a lighter brunch dish. Boil the pasta, about 7 minutes in when their al dente, throw in the hot dog, green onion then the eggs to make a pasta soup. :) But when I'm feeling more a spaghetti type of pasta I would fry the hot dogs, put in tomato sauce under a medium fire then let it simmer for a bit before mixing the boiled pasta in it.

Ramen has always been a quick fix when one is hungry but too lazy to actually make anything. To make it more homey for myself, I literally just take an extra 5 minutes out of my time crack an egg on the fryer, add a dash of green onion for flavor and voila! A better tasting ramen!

Lastly, when I have more time on my hands, Di and I make something more fancy. Something like green onion (I love green onion on almost everything ;D) buttered corn, homemade lemon iced tea, and strawberry nutella bread.

All can be bought at your nearest supermarket! Have fun with these ideas next time and have a safe Labor Day weekend! Until next time!

Ciao~
Kitty!

Dinner For Two~

Eating out is a great way to expand your taste palette in terms of getting to know the delicious textures of Spanish cuisines or the exotic flavors of Asia. But nowadays it seems like people are such a hurry to get to places that they don't spend enough time in the kitchen to really experience the joy of cooking for yourself or for you and your family. The past few months, being the college kid that I am (and my ever so short budget) I've found a joy in making food at home when expenses are low. It's especially fun when you have someone to cook with. I spend most of my time switching off kitchens with my significant other when we do cook at home. He's quite crafty with the knife and the seasoning, somehow, someway, he always end up making dinner for two. ;)

Sometimes when we're feeling something easy, we always go to our childhood favorite: HK styled teatime spam and egg sandwich paired with french fries on the side with corn. Basic white bread with a fried egg, two slices of tomatoes, a few pieces of romaine lettuce, and spam. The fries can be bought from any of the supermarket for about $3.00 a pack, bake it rather than fry it, it's healthier. :)

When I don't feel up for heavy food, the boyfriend would always just throw some of that romaine lettuce with a few slices of honey chicken and strawberries for a light dinner.

We also get those times when we feel like we should indulge, because... C'mon. One needs to spoil themselves once in a while. ;) We throw together a steak dinner lightly seasoned with salt and pepper, garlic mashed potatoes, homemade bruschetta, and a plum ginger sesame salad.

Take some time out of your busy life and try making dinner at home, I'll guarantee you you'll have loads of fun. Until next time!

Ciao~!

Kitty

The Greatness of Paninis...

I had my fair share of paninis from Panera Bread, Corner Bakery, Urth Caffe, to Slymar's Fix. I gotta say that my favorite one by far is are the ones stuffed to the brim with delicious goodness. The ones that use sourdough bread I find the most delicious. Panera Bread had always been my favorite place to grab a good panini, but over the recent years I have found that they were starting to put less in them than they usually did and that they've stopped using sourdough bread. :( They now use plain white toast. On the other downside, if you get the sandwich alone, it's still $7.85+. It's worth more if you get the half sandwich with the salad, soup, or bread with fruits or chips for $6.99 (As they call it their U-Pick 2!)

Chicken Chipotle with Strawberry Poppyseed Salad and a side of chips. ($7.99 Premium U-Pick 2)

Corner Bakery does almost the same thing as Panera, but their paninis differentiate themselves with the different use of cheese and they add arugula into their chicken pomodoro panini. It's $7.95 for their combo that comes with a pick of soup and chips with a slice of pickle.

Chicken Pomodoro Panini with Mother's Chicken Noodle Soup and Chips

Urth Caffe's Roasted Turkey Panini had thicker biscuit like bread, the meat was a little too dry and it resulted in it being too hard to bite. It was served with baby spring mix with a really good tangy vinaigrette-like sauce. Being Urth and its organic ingredients it is a little more costly to eat here. The panini here was $12.95 although not a bad place to check out for coffee! 

Urth's Roasted Turkey Panini

Lastly, a friend introduced me to new hole-in-the-wall joint near Arleta of the greater Los Angeles called Sylmar's Fix. Raving reviews online (http://www.yelp.com/biz/sylmars-fix-sylmar#query:panini%20sandwiches) and the portions of VERY generous. By far my favorite place to get a panini fix. They were large and delicious, they stuffed it with juicy mushrooms and large slices of chicken. Totally worth the $6.95! It's located behind a shopping center on Foothill Blvd in the city of Sylmar. Pure deliciousness!

Chicken Mushroom Panini

Well, I'm still on my journey to find other great paninis out there and these are the few places that has been on my list that I want to share! Until next time!

Ciao!
Kitty~

Personality Test

Guardian Portrait of the Protector (ISFJ)
We are lucky that Protectors make up as much as ten percent the population, because their primary interest is in the safety and security of those they care about - their family, their circle of friends, their students, their patients, their boss, their fellow-workers, or their employees. Protectors have an extraordinary sense of loyalty and responsibility in their makeup, and seem fulfilled in the degree they can shield others from the dirt and dangers of the world. Speculating and experimenting do not intrigue Protectors, who prefer to make do with time-honored and time-tested products and procedures rather than change to new. At work Protectors are seldom happy in situations where the rules are constantly changing, or where long-established ways of doing things are not respected. For their part, Protectors value tradition, both in the culture and in their family. Protectors believe deeply in the stability of social ranking conferred by birth, titles, offices, and credentials. And they cherish family history and enjoy caring for family property, from houses to heirlooms.

Wanting to be of service to others, Protectors find great satisfaction in assisting the downtrodden, and can deal with disability and neediness in others better than any other type. They are not as outgoing and talkative as the Provider Guardians [ESFJs], and their shyness is often misjudged as stiffness, even coldness, when in truth Protectors are warm-hearted and sympathetic, giving happily of themselves to those in need.

Their reserve ought really to be seen as an expression of their sincerity and seriousness of purpose. The most diligent of all the types, Protectors are willing to work long, hard hours quietly doing all the thankless jobs that others manage to avoid. Protectors are quite happy working alone; in fact, in positions of authority they may try to do everything themselves rather than direct others to get the job done. Thoroughness and frugality are also virtues for them. When Protectors undertake a task, they will complete it if humanly possible. They also know better than any other type the value of a dollar, and they abhor the squandering or misuse of money. To save, to put something aside against an unpredictable future, to prepare for emergencies-these are actions near and dear to the Protector's heart. For all these reasons, Protectors are frequently overworked, just as they are frequently misunderstood and undervalued. Their contributions, and also their economies, are often taken for granted, and they rarely get the gratitude they deserve.

Romance

Guardian women look for traditions to start or maintain. They are generally suckers for flowers, cards, chocolates, and the like. They are among the most likely to notice and appreciate signs of status unless these signs are flaunted, such as entrance into an exclusive club and being welcomed by name at a trendy restaurant. Men often appreciate Guardian women who lavishly pamper their partners.

Example: Leilah is a Guardian Protector (ISFJ). Guys often didn't even notice her in high school because she was so shy. In college, she had one long-lasting romance. However, her boyfriend turned out to be abusive. Since he would always apologize and she is very trusting and loyal, she stuck by him. The abuse escalated, so she finally left. Now she is dating a man who treats her like a queen. She'd like to marry him, but she's afraid he might change afterward.

LOL. Now I know why I'm a sucker for cliches.

Dear Baby Girl,

I know this past summer was turmoil and a hellish ride for you. I didn't get to see you, but I felt your pain and your sadness. Although I don't quite fully understand the whole thing, I want you to know that we're with you 100% of the way. I can't even begin to imagine what it was like to actually face Death in the face, the heartache and utter despair that befalls someone when the one person who was their superhero, their rock, their support disappears from your side. But I do understand part of it, I know what's it like to fall so deep into a hole and feel like I can't crawl out- when the world seem to collapse on me and my life crumbling to my feet. The fear and the denial, I know it all too well.

When my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer almost two years ago, I felt my heart stop. I even snorted and told the doctors that that couldn't be possible. In a way, I saw my mother as almost invincible, nothing could take her down. I was denied the possibility that this was happening to her. I denied it so hard that I pretended that I never heard those words. But Life wasn't always a pocket full of sunshine. It wasn't until she started her chemo treatments, losing her hair that she loved so much, and me watching her life deteriorate before my eyes did the reality of the whole thing slap me across the face. Hard. My family was also arguing and fighting amongst each other everyday, and I think because everyone was so desperate to find release that they forgot that everyone was suffering too. And I added to that fire, I was childish and stubborn, I was angry at the world... At Life for doing this to my family. I fought with my dad even harder than before, bitter words were thrown at each other, and I knew that I shouldn't be fighting with him, especially in front of my mother whom was laying so delicate in the hospital bed with the beeping monitors next to her. It was then that I broke down when I saw my mother cry telling us feebly to stop fighting. I cried so hard in that hospital room, I think that was the first time that I really let myself go. I was at my lowest point in life, and I detested myself for it. I honestly thought I had lost myself through this muddle of chaotic mess, yet deep into the depth of my heart, I had faith in my mom. I had always believed my mother would survive through this, she was a fighter. She was my role model, the strongest woman I knew (although I would never tell this to her face, only through letters did I confess my thoughts to her). It was the only hope I held onto- and that pulled me through the darkness with the help of my cousin and sister who were the only ones that listened, who were pacifists. For those two years, they were my only support system. But we made it. My mother fought hard the next two years, and she persevered and won.

In a way, I learned a lesson, "For the first time I had to deal with the fragility of life. I have foolishly lived feeling invincible, thinking that I and my loved ones will live into our 70’s or 80’s, without event. But for the first time, I’ve thought about what is truly important in this lifetime. The two things that are of most value for me are my family having a purpose that extends beyond this life. There must be more to this life than living an X number of years while simply trying to be a good person." I know the ending of this story is way different than the one you went through, if not on the other end of the spectrum- but I'm here to listen to you. I want to be your support that you can depend on. I want you to know that you're not alone in this! (:

With much love,
"Elie"