michelada

am: cereal, 1/2 dunkin muffin, 3 munchkins (tempted by pod breakfast....)
pm: 1/2 canned tuna, baby carrots, banana, cheese
snack: lots of almonds
dinner: lots of pizza (but it's the healthier kind....)
snack: 1/2 bottle of beer
ex: 40 min walk around Philly
overall: over all ate too much and unhealthy

I'm a fan of Evan Kliman of KCRW's Good Food. It's a radio food program based in LA that I podcast during work when I am bored or doing something too mundane to even think about.
She was talking about cocktails in this podcast. I've never made cocktails before, partly because Pat is not a big fan. He's a beer drinker and sometimes wine. But today, Evan was talking about Mexican Beer Cocktail: Michelada.

Here's the recipe and despite my diet plans, I am going to make it and consume it this weekend after kids are in bed.

1/2 key lime
salt
dash of hot sauce (tapatio or Tabasco)
dash of Worcestershire sauce
dash of Maggi sauce
light mexican beer like Corona, Pacifico, or Sol.
ice.
Start by rubbing lime along the rim of glass and dip in salt. add ice. add the sauces.finally add beer.
Sounds amazing.

I was surprised that the ingredient included Maggi sauce because I thought that that was an Asian thing (though not Japanese). So I goggled and was blown away because Maggi originated in Switzerland. So it's European but a very strong part of Asian food culture. What Chinese restaurant doesn't have Maggi sauce; maybe not on every table but ask and you shall receive. For further info on Maggi, check out this website.

my baby

am: cereal, yogurt, donut....
pm: ham, tomatoes, cheese
snack: banana
dinner: fish, rice, artichoke w. mayo, broccoli
after dinner: sunflower seeds, tea
overall: ate too much

I have terrible allergy today and I was crying all day despite my nose spray and eye drops.

Sisi has been talking and understanding a lot. Speech came so quickly to her and I talk to her just the same way as I talk to Terran. It's nice that I can get comprehensible response. She loves babies. She has a little baby doll that she adores. When Pat says "Sisi, you're not really a baby anymore, you're a little girl." She gets mad and says "NOOOOO! I'm baby!!!" She also expresses her desires with "I need" and "I want". She'll say "I need mama","I want mina (which means milk)", "I want cook cook (that means a cracker or a cookie). When Pat comes home from work, she'll say "hi dada" in the sweetest possible voice. She also often say "not nice" to Terran. In fact, "not nice" was not only her first phrase, but her first words.... She's also pretty vain and she particular about what she wears. Terran never cared about that and still doesn't.

Her words include: apple, hat, me, hand, eye, baby, mama, dada, quack quack (duck), woof woof (dog), mew (cat), eat, mina (milk), corn, pop (lollipop), juice, cup....

She likes to give food to her little baby doll. She loves to give kisses and hugs, and blow kisses. The vegetable she willingly eats consists of peas, corn, and broccoli.

She's probably going to be my last baby so I just want to remember all this. It's
the sweetest time.

Terran got a new bike from grandma so Sisi got his tricycle. She can't peddle yet but loves pushing it around with her feet.


Terran and my sister Reyko (he calls her chichi). He just loves her.


Sisi in her pretty pink dress on a nice spring day.


This is funny: She's still wearing her PJ, puts on Terran's helmet, wears her sunglasses that she loves, and dances to music. She loved this look!!!


Terran has been going to his swim classes at Lawrence High School. He loves it. It consists of about 15 3-5 year old kids. It's just fun to watch them do their thing. I swam while I was pregnant with him and he's been splashing in the pool since he was a baby. He thinks gymnastics is for girls (because some girls in his class take gymnastic classes) and swimming is for guys (just because he's doing it).

new york today

am: bread w. peanut butter, yogurt
pm: veggie delight sandwich
dinner: beef chow fun, young chow fried rice, white rice (carb meal!!!)

Allergy is kicking in. My eyes are watery, and my nose is sniffy. It feels aweful!

heat

am: cereal, yogurt, sunflower seeds
pm: ham, cheese, grape tomatoes
snack: milk & blueberries
dinner: ham, greenbeans, few things that kids didn't eat....
snack: cereal, tea

don't know why but my weight went up.... sucks!

ate too much

am: toast w. peanut butter & pat's ham & cheese omelet
pm: onigiri, oso-men, greenbeans
snack: beef kabob, bit of cotton candy ice cream (yuck!)
snack 2: ice cream (dark chocolate and raspberry) (yum!)
dinner: hotdog and artichoke w. mayo
ex: walked 2 miles in 85 degree heat pushing a double stroller (approx. 70lbs with kids, stroller, and other junk we carry around); 30 day shred level 2

Every year, Lawrenceville hosts Jubilee on Main Street, basically a street party for kids. So we went after lunch and Pat actually made us walk the 1 mile in 85 degree heat pushing a double stroller. It wasn't that great because by the time we got there, the kids were tired and ready for nap. But overall, the weekend was amazing. It was so nice in the evening that we took our dinner to the back yard to eat.

For the first time, I scrubbed the inside of my oven. I hate using chemicals in the kitchen with kids and food always being around. So here's the trick. Mix baking soda and water to make a past (not runny). Spread it all around the oven. Leave for an hour or more. Come back with a wet sponge and scrub. The accumulated gunk will come off without too much elbow grease. What a success!

Ok, so I didn't blog for a few days..,,

Friday:
am: pastries and coffee (due to pod breakfast day at work)
lunch: Taiwanese beef noodle soup (forgot to bring lunch and went out with friends! This dish is so amazing and brings back memories.)
dinner: artichoke w. mayo (yum)
ex: 30 day shred level 2

Saturday:
am: banana bread and milk
lunch: oven baked fries (I made the fries from real potatoes and they were not deep fried so they are not so bad.... or so i'd like to believe)
snack: left over oven baked fries
dinner: 1/2 of chick-fil-A chicken sandwich (We don't call this fast food. It's gourmet!)
ex: chasing kids. sweating under the sun.

So I've been writing down what I've been consuming and I have to say the result has been good. I've actually dropped about 3 lbs since a month ago. Yay!

Terran had his swim lesson today and I think he enjoys it. He seems to like the water but most kids do. I just love watching these 3-5 year olds do their thing. It's just very humorous. Kids really make people laugh without really meaning to.

book: I just finished reading "the parlor house daughter" that I just picked off the shelf. A fun read, probably for women. Next book - "I like you" by Amy Sedaris. I heard an interview on NPR and she's absolutely crazy! A book about hospitality and cooking.

in new york today

am: cereal, sunflower seeds, banana, coffee (on amtrak to NYC)
pm: chicken cutlet sandwich w. tea @ Lenny's
snack: rice puff (on amtrak to Trenton)
dinner: canned tuna, green beans, some takoyaki
dessert: piece of dark chocolate and tea

ex: running to the subway to catch my train home(10 min); walking around the hospital (3.5 hours); 30 day shred level 2(it killed me)

I couldn't help but get the chicken cutlet sandwich. The chicken is deep fried and it's just so goooood. I think I ate too much today to consider it a diet day. Start again tomorrow.

monday

am: cereal, milk, apple sauce, sunflower seeds
pm: cheese, ham, grape tomatoes
snack: rice puffs
dinner: beef stew w. pasta and bit of rice

ex: none....

sunday

am: toast w. peanut butter and banana, yogurt, coffee
pm: banana pancakes w. strawberries & maple syrup, artichoke w. mayo
dinner: pasta w. ham and green beans
ex: none

Reyko stayed with us last night and hung out with the kids today. I get to talk to her only when the kids are asleep. Otherwise, they totally occupy all her energy and attention. With her around, they are less interested in hanging out with mom, so I get a little break :)

She brought this wonderful green tea. It has the smell of a cherry blossom with a mixture of green and black teas. The texture of the liquid felt smoother than a regular green tea. It was amazingly soothing and nostalgic.

Found more giant artichoke at Wegman's on Saturday. It feels like spring!

swimming in formation

am: scambled eggs
pm: a few dumplings, a tiny slice of pizza
snack: sun flower seeds, strawberries, cookie
dinner: tilapia, potatoes

I took Terran to his first swimming lesson @ Lawrence High. There's nothing funnier than watching a bunch of 3-4 year olds get into the water and have a go at "swimming". Most were hesitant at first and all parents were at the pool side trying to get their kid to stay in the water and kick water. Some refused to get in. Some cried the entire time. Terran did pretty good. Towards the end, he was so tired that I saw him yawning in the pool a few times.

fatty friday

am: a really big and sweet pastry w. coffee (pod breakfast)
pm: grilled pressed sandwich w. prosciutto, mozarella, fig jam, and arugula + really really good fries (lunch w. friends at Marathon Grill!)
dinner: left over creamy chicken w a little rice

ex: 30 day shred (getting better at it!)

Watched Forgetting Sarah Marshall - It's really funny!

i love carbohydrates

am: bread w. peanut butter, 60cal yogurt, olives
pm: small portion of fried rice, banana
snack: caramel rice puff
dinner: creamy chicken w. pasta and some rice
ex: walk 2 miles in Phila and got clothes from H&M!; 30 day shred (sore from yesterday)

Being aware of what I eat made me realize how much I love carbs. I want to eat rice and pasta all day long! That's all I want. Must restrain until I loose my lbs.

I pick up random books and movies to watch. Sometimes, they aren't great but for the lat few weeks, we've been getting lucky - probably because we've been watching the academy award movies that's becoming available on netflix. We watched:

Twilight: oh so great! I'm a fan of the series so this was a home run!
Marley & Me: the dog stole the show.
Slum dog millionaire: except for the part where the kid got blinded, I thought it was great. I don't like to watch anything bad happening to children. I generally think young Indian men are hot, so this film was good for me.
Milk: I love Sean Penn. There's something so appealing about watching 2 men make out. And I love San Francisco. We really loved this one.

books:
Loving Frank: Frank Lloyd Wright came in second to Mamah in this book. The story is so wrong but so right. It's confusing. I loved every bit of it except for the part where the children died. Again, I just don't like reading anything bad happening to kids.
The Reader: I've never read anything like it.
The Commoner: Actually, this was really boring. Anyone want the book? I will send it to you.

Next in line:
Movie: Let the right one in - I just want to watch more movies about vampires!
Book: Sacred Gifts, Profane Pleasures - just heard about it on NPR podcast.
Book: As they see 'em - about umpires - I only moderately like baseball but I like reading about it. I read Moneyball a few years ago and it was really great to peek into the world of baseball management.
Book: Prodigal Summer - I read about it in Marie Claire.... I like the author so it should be good.
Book: Animal, Vegetable, Miracle - another Barbara Kingsolver. This book is about food so it's up my alley.

shopping = exercise?

am: bread w. peanut butter, 60 cal yogurt, banana, coffee
pm: 1/2 turkey breast sandwich, 6 olives, grape tomatoes, piece of dark chocolate
snack: 100 cal oreo
dinner: left over beef stew, left over ham, artichoke w. mayo

ex: walking around the mall shopping for Sisi's clothes; 30 day shred level 1 (killer!)

I finally found the big artichoke that I've been looking for! I got the very last one on the shelf- lucky me! I've usually boiled it but I steamed it this time with garlic, lemon, and bay leaf. I think it tasted exactly the same as usual. I think it takes less to steam so I will just steam with just water and no additives from now on.

It was really raining today so I went shopping for Sisi's clothes during lunch. Pat says shopping counts as exercise as long as it is not done online :)

I've been doing tummy exercise with Pilates but I was getting tired of it. My new amazon purchase - 30 day shred - finally arrived. The exercise is only 20 min long but it was a challenge to say the least.

today

am: bread w. peanut butter, 60 cal yogurt, 1 bottle water, coffee
pm: 1/2 sandwich w turkey breast, grape tomatoes, piece of dark chocolate, 6 picholine olives, laughing cow light cheese, almonds, tea
dinner: pizza, broccoli, grapes

ex: walking 30 min around philadelphia in mist and found lots of fun stores about 10 blocks from the office.

Got a call from Sierra's pediatrician regarding her peanut allergy reaction from last week. I got a referral to an allergist. She told me that I also have to carry around her allergy medication with me in case it happens again. And if it does happen, she says it may be worse than the first time. I am to give her this medication (it's an injection) if she were to have any breathing problems.... That's really scary and we really need to be careful.

food

am:
bread w. peanut butter
60cal yogurt
grape tomatoes
coffee

pm:
1/2 sandwich w. turkey breast meat & mustard
10 olives
laughing cow light cheese
grapes

dinner:
ham w. veg (frozen peas, corn, carrots)
rice

dinner part 2 (was not part of the plan....):
cocktail
spinach & artichoke dip

liquid:
1.5L water
2 cups of tea.

ex: 40 min walking around Philadelphia in search of a large artichoke without success.


I think about food a lot these days. When I can listen to radio at work, I podcast anything that has to do with food. They were talking about artichoke and I started to really want it. Wegman's said they will have shipment tomorrow so I should go pick it up. Tomorrow dinner should be artichoke and pizza, yum!

writing diet

I've half heartedly tried many different types of diets in the past. I can't really say that anything has really worked since I never really made the effort. However, after having 2 children, I am carrying around 10 lbs of extra weight. I'd really like to loose just 5 of it. It doesn't sound like much but some how, it's a lot for me.

So I read about a writing diet where I keep track of what I eat. I am going to start today and see how long it lasts. I will also record my exercise.

am: slice of bread w. peanut butter + 60 cal yogurt + coffee (black)
pm: a bowl of left over fried rice + wedge of laughing cow cheese (35cal) + green tea
dinner: 2 chunky slices of ham + rice + asparagus + spinach + a few sips of beer
also: 3 cups of water

ex: running 30 min.

A relatively healthy day!

crocking

This weekend, we found out that Sierra is allergic to peanuts. I gave her some peanut butter on bread and thought it was OK because she's had Nutella, which has hazelnut. So she ate it, loved it, and we went out. About 30 min into our drive, she started crying and I thought she just wanted out of her car seat. I looked back and saw her face covered with rashes with overall redness and puffiness; scary-looking. I went into panic mode and made Pat turn around right away to go home. We saw a Target along the way so Pat dashed out to get some Benedryl. It took a few hours to settle down completely. Poor little Sisi, her beautiful face really turned pitiful looking and I just felt horrible.... Now I know....

Just awhile ago, Pat asked me if I was "crocking" tonight, and I said yes. In fact, I will be crocking most nights this weeks. I've been obsessed with the crock pot for a few months now. It's a great way to cook because it takes very little effort to make a meal that is completely cooked when we get home. I prepare all the ingredients and put it in the crock pot the night before and refrigerate - this takes about 10 minutes. In the morning, Pat plugs it in along with the rice cooker before he leaves for work. When we come home in the evening, we are ready for dinner as we step into the house. This is so good for me because as soon as Sisi sees me in the afternoon, she hangs on to me like a koala and won't let me go. That means that I usually only have one free hand to cook. It's possible but just a pain.

Tomorrow's crock pot dinner will be Korean Short Ribs with rice, green beans and Kimchi. So when I get home, I will just pop the green beans in the microwave to cook and that's it. It's really awesome. I boast about my crock pot to other moms at work, but for some reason, they only seem mildly impressed....

There has been some misses with the crock but my family has liked stuff like beef stroganoff, chicken/ pork adobo, creamy chicken with vegetables, beef stew, chili, and soy ginger chicken. Since my criteria for any cooking these days is "quick and easy", they only take minutes to prepare. I think I am going to start posting recipes here but some great websites that I discovered are:
Crock Pot Recipes & A year of crockpotting


Both my kids love fish but it's one of those dinners that's better prepared with 2 hands. So even though it's not hard to do, it's just a pain carrying Sisi and dealing with fish. But just looking through the web, I did find that fish can be done in a crock. So I think that's going to be my next thing.