i was soooo excited hubby charming was coming home for the evening! what a sweet surprise!
we talked, we hung out, and just enjoyed our time together {when i’m with him, the words i’ll use to describe my feelings are comfort and happiness!} before we headed out for our evening plans.
we went to mass and then headed on our way to dinner! we went to our favorite sushi place, coast. we love coast. i/we have been going there for years. what we love most about coast is the fact that it is consistent in quality and taste every single time. it’s delicious and fresh. the rolls are the perfect size {none of the fancy, large rolls most trendy restaurants try to do…yuck}. it’s byob, so we brought some tasty wine to imbibe. the appetizers, the soup {the fried tofu – i die}, and the rolls {hands down best? the white dragon, it’s so stinkin’ good} fulfilled our tantalizing tastebuds {my brain said ‘i’m full + satisfied’}.
[mood lighting // two of hearts // best sushi ever]
after spending a lovely evening together, we scooted our way home to get those loose, comfy pajamas on!
it was a rainy day. lots o’ rain in the forecast {humph, there goes the curls + twirls i put in my hair!}. i had dedicated myself for some volunteer work in the morning. the original plan was to attend the 11:15 mass and participate in the volunteer work right after. weeeelllllll, that didn’t go accordingly! i was all gung ho about springing my multitude of clocks forward {which i did}; my alarm went off this morning and the next thing i knew…i overslept! yikes! i rushed to get ready, knowing i would make it in time for the volunteer work but disappointed that i would be missing mass!
here’s the good news {a delightful surprise!}, hubby charming told me last night that he was able to come home for the night {yay!}. so, on my way to st. clement, i called him and we agreed to go to 7pm mass together {soooo what i would prefer better!}.
I got to st. clement in time and helped maggie set up the sign up table {it stopped raining!} for our upcoming service day. i meeted and greeted with the parishioners after mass to encourage them to sign up for service day. after all that, i helped maggie break everything down and store it away for the 7pm mass. it was also great to spend the time together and get to know her better! also, knowing that i would be attending that mass instead, i told maggie i would participate in the service day sign up again!
it was so nice to be able to attend mass with my hubby charming. i just love st. clement. it was a very moving service tonight {very enjoyable and relaxing} and it’s been awhile since we’ve been to a mass where fr. ken was the presider! the volunteer time after mass was a lot of fun too! i passed out a good amount of flyers & got some peeps signed up, but i know quite a few folks in this mass because of the volunteer work we did for theology on tap {so fun!} last summer…it’s dominated by 7pm parishioners. it was a swell time then and tonight.
yup, it sure was a great day.
give, and it will be given to you. good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. for with the measure you use it will be measured back to you. luke 6:38
i love my dad. so, so, so very much. the greatest man alive.
growing up, as children, we never realize how much our parent’s do for us. we never realize the sacrifices they make for us. you never appreciate it until you get older and your ass gets kicked with reality.
growing up, having 4 other siblings, life was crazy. we ran amuck. we relied on each other. you always had a play partner. we always fought. we had fun stay up late nights. we watched fred astaire and ginger rogers movies. we played ghost in the graveyard. we always went to church and we always hung out with family.
my dad is a family man. he was meant to be a dad. as a little girl, i grew up obsessed with him. i still am. he means the world to me. he did and has done so much for us. he instilled in us the mentality, family first. everything he did was to ensure his family survived, that we were always taken care of.
when he tells me stories of vietnam, i listen in awe of the hardships of the war. what amazes me is how it just seemed so ‘normal’ to experience such immense, egregious situations. i look at my dad and cannot even fathom the things that he saw. when the war ended and the north invaded the south, removing his family from that environment was a duly choice. my parents fled by a small boat, then an american ship, the day after the fall of saigon.
the amazing stories continue on and on. their journey to america, country after country with very little personal belongings, no shoes, no food, not much of anything. my sister, thuy, was only a few months old and kim, just over a year and half old. crazy, right?!
my love for my dad is immeasurable. he means the world to me. he has taught me so much in life {although it took me forever to really listen to him}. the last couple years have been tough for us and i hope to never have such trying times like that again {everyday i pray for my family’s health}. there’s always a silver lining and the light at the end of the tunnel {sorry for the cliches but they are fitting!} in every situation. i cherish every moment we have together and love him more and more everyday {is that possible? i might burst with so much love!}. this story does no justice to sum up my emotions and no words can truly describe the love I have for him.
as you probably have read in my previous post, about my mom + her cooking and her mom duties of making sure her children are fed, we had frozen some food she had us bring home the other week {a copious amount!}. we were waiting for our schedules to align [a time where we are both home + an open dinner slot] and of course, not having this land on a friday [no meat lent friday!].
so that time was now. i was very excited to break out the bánh bao {to die for!}. it’s a favorite of mine, amongst a huge variety of other things my mom makes {honestly, everything is my ‘favorite’}. hubby charming then created his own recipe for fried rice. adding his own pizazz as he stir fried the white rice to perfection! voila, a delicious meal created by my love, hubby charming, and my loving mother dearest! it can’t get any better than that {right?}!! it was the best of both worlds, combining their skills, and a damn good meal as a final result…yum, yum, yum.
here’s a recipe for some yummy fried rice. not exactly the one hc used {he improvised} but very close! enjoy!
DIRECTIONS
*In a saucepan, combine rice and water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes. {hc says to use old rice, or let the rice sit for a day for best results!}
*In a small saucepan, boil carrots in water about 3 to 5 minutes. Drop peas into boiling water, and drain.
*Heat wok over high heat. Pour in oil, then stir in carrots and peas; cook about 30 seconds. Crack in eggs, stirring quickly to scramble eggs with vegetables. Stir in cooked rice. Shake in soy sauce, and toss rice to coat. Drizzle with sesame oil, and toss again.
as i walking home late tonight, i was passing a girl in the alley. the ground was very, very icy & slick. she slipped just a bit in front of me and then i heard her scream behind me. i turned around and saw that she had fallen on the ground. she groaned in pain. i ran over to help her but she rebuffed my assistance. i could tell that she was hurt and could not get up. she said she felt that she had twisted her knee.
hubby charming always meets me when i come home at night. i saw him at the end of the alley, right before the girl fell. he saw something was going on and was walking our way. i insisted on helping her. i said, “don’t worry, you need help! my husband will help us, too.” she kept saying no but i was steadfast on aiding her. hubby charming walked up to us as i was pulling her up onto her feet. the poor girl was so upset; we both held onto her as we walked down to the end of the alley to her apartment.
unfortunately, we were all slipping down the alley but better all of us than her alone and hurt! we got her safely to a clear sidewalk in the back of her home. i asked if she had roommates to help her, she said yes. we wanted to walk her to her door but she reassured us she was fine. she sobbed, “there are good people in this world. thank you, thank you so much!”. she was so deeply moved that strangers would help her the way we did [honestly, i felt like we didn’t do much of anything! although, city peeps tend to not be the nicest.] she gave us both big hugs and we walked our separate ways.
we never exchanged names. i’m not sure if we will ever see each other again, our paths might cross but will we even recognize each other? we were so bundled up, we could hardly see each other’s face in this cold, cold weather. the one thing i did walk away with is that i was so happy to have helped her. i was so happy that she was touched by strangers who were just doing the right thing.
i just can’t imagine a world where kindness or selfless acts don’t exist; to uphold and live the extensions of God’s teachings as best we can in our daily lives. challenge ourselves everyday to do something good, do something better. that something so small and simple as helping a girl, who fell, to her home was so incredibly appreciated by her; she was so overwhelmed that strangers would take the time to help someone they didn’t know {i do believe that is just the city dweller’s mentality: mind your own business & be cautious of everyone}.
the world can be a dark place to some and some might call me naive but i believe there is always good, and innately good people and actions. don’t get me wrong, i know evil and bad tendencies do exist. i choose to believe in hope & the good in folks.
beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. John 4:7
we are going to visit our first new year’s together {hold on to your horses!}. i’m taking you back to 2008…whoa! well, really the end of 2008 because this was new year’s eve. i can’t believe that was many a years ago, time sure flies by! it’s amusing to think that we were only together for, barely, a few months in these photos {wow}!
we started out the evening imbibing and noshing at leyla’s {old} condo in river north. a little kookiness, a little goofiness, and a lot of fun. when you’re with this bunch, it gets cray!
the girls…meow!
appetizers
the boys
after some jovial moments with our friends + famille, we went on our merry way to broadway cellars {it’s been ages since we’ve been back and seeing this makes me want to go again!}. we had reservations for two! after many courses, after many wine pairings, and desserts, we were dunzo {i mean, how much can one consume without bursting? i really don’t want to find out!}. we gladly rang in the new year with all the wonderful folks in the restaurant, it was so jubilant! we were happily stuffed, happily in love, and happy it was 2009!
celebrate!
should auld acquaintance be forgot,
and never brought to mind?
should auld acquaintance be forgot,
and auld lang syne!
for auld lang syne, my dear, for auld lang syne. we’ll take a cup o’ kindness yet, for auld lang syne.
we kicked off our day with a lovely start at church. for some reason, mass today just flew by…it was weird. it felt very ephemeral. like i was in fast forward. maybe it was because we didn’t sit in our usual ‘spot’?? it was quite packed by the time we got there {um, maybe it was because i was totally running late…causing us to be late, therefore causing hc a very difficult time in the parking lot because it was filled to the gills…oops!!}, most of the pews were full, so i was ushered all the way up to the front side rows. hubby charming almost didn’t find me! so, therefore {phew! am i longwinded??? nah!} mass was over before i felt it began!
anyhoo, after that, we did our usual run to starbucks & off we went, over the river and through the woods to grandmother’s house we go [literally]! brunch, presents, cake, oh my!
we met up with the famille for a lovely dinner at dolce! a cozy, delicious restaurant tucked away in a downtown ‘burb. i love my famille. i really do. we grew up together in such crazy ways {five kids! but who wouldn’t say life is always crazy?}, but i wouldn’t trade it for anything in this world. my dad has always taught me, family first. they will always, always be there for you. we are lucky that we are and always will be. having that many siblings is something i cherish and feel so blessed to have 2 brothers and 2 sisters that are amazing {we are missing our eldest brother, the hipster who lives in l.a.}. to top that all off, we all turned out to be damn good kids. shout out to our p’s!!! xoxo
my other major loves, my darling nephews. i just adore them [seriously love them]!! they are the sweetest, cutest, most lovable little people ever. i love being around them, i love playing with them, i love listening to them, i love being a good aunt to them. they are so stinkin’ precious {i could just squeeze them and pinch them all the time…although i don’t think they would really enjoy that}. they make the world brighter with their laughter, smiles, and innocent charm. j’adore beaucoup, les petits enfants.
tonight’s meal: chicken pot pie! oh em geeeeeee, it was so good!! seriously, freakin’ delish! i love hubby charming for his culinary skills. at least his desire to do so, ’cause me, not so much in that department. i like cooking {just the basics for me} but would rather have someone else do it. am i right or am i right? although, i’m a great cleaner upper…spic and span is my best friend 😉
chicken pot pie
1-1/2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms 1 cup sliced fresh carrots 1/2 cup chopped onion 1/3 cup butter 1/3 cup all-purpose flour 1-1/2 cups chicken broth 1-1/2 cups milk 4 cups cubed cooked chicken breast 1 cup frozen peas 1 jar (2 ounces) diced pimientos, drained
1 teaspoon salt
biscuit topping
2 cups all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon 1/2 cup cold butter, cubed
2/3 cup milk
[via tasteofhome.com]
Directions
*In a large saucepan, saute the mushrooms, carrots and onion in butter until tender; sprinkle with flour. Gradually stir in broth and milk until blended. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Add the chicken, peas, pimientos and salt ; heat through. Pour into a greased shallow 2-1/2-qt. baking dish; set aside.
*In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, sugar, salt and cream of tartar. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs; stir in milk just until moistened. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; knead 8-10 times. Pat or roll out to 1/2-in. thickness. Cut with a floured 2-1/2-in. biscuit cutter.
*Place biscuits over chicken mixture. Bake, uncovered, at 400° for 15-20 minutes or until biscuits are golden brown
*Preheat an oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
*Place the asparagus into a mixing bowl, and drizzle with the olive oil. Toss to coat the spears, then sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, garlic, salt, and pepper. Arrange the asparagus onto a baking sheet in a single layer
*Bake in the preheated oven until just tender, 12 to 15 minutes depending on thickness.
*Sprinkle with lemon juice just before serving.
[via allrecipes.com]
i hope your evening was just as good + full of love, laughter, and silliness.
boy, i was wiped out. i’m a night owl. i am just programmed that way. i have tried, in the past, to go to bed before midnight [ha!] – nope, never, ever happens. so, regardless of what time i have to wake up in the morning; i will, guaranteed, go to bed between midnight and two o’clock in the morning. over the week’s time frame, i will aggregate in the regulated amount of sleep that is recommended but on an everyday basis, it might be 3 hours to 12 {for reals…i really can sleep 12 hours straight! // no kiddies to wake me up!}.
anyhoo, i woke up with an agenda on the brain. but as my day started out really, really late, i didn’t hop to it right away. hubby charming called and said he was on his way home from work {yeah, you can only guess what time that might have been, although his schedule is erratic} and i was excited because that meant we could do errands together!
that’s not my name, that’s not my name…
in the above photo, that’s my starbuck’s name. yes, with a unique name like mine, i must have an alias! peeps around me find it comical, i find it pragmatic.
after our escapades around the city, we settled back into our abode to start a cookin’ {well, hubby charming did the cooking + i did a lot cleaning}. on the menu – meatloaf!
the delish meal
setting the table
yum
some of his favorite sauces
meatloaf
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1 egg
1 dash ground black pepper
1 cup soft bread crumbs
1/2 cup milk
1/3 cup steak sauce, (e.g. Heinz 57)
1 onion, chopped
1/2 cup diced green bell pepper
Directions
*Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 inch loaf pan.
*In a mixing bowl, combine the ground beef, salt, egg, black pepper and bread crumbs. Pour in the milk, 3 tablespoons of the steak sauce, onion and green bell pepper.
*Place the mixture into the prepared loaf pan and shape into a loaf. Brush the top with the remaining steak sauce.
*Bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour or until done. Allow to stand 5 minutes before slicing.
[via allrecipes.com]
brown sugar glazed carrots
16 ounces baby carrots
2 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup brown sugar, packed
1 cup water
dash salt
pepper, to taste
directions
In a medium saucepan, combine the baby carrots with remaining ingredients. Stir to blend ingredients. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium and continue boiling (uncovered) for about 20 to 25 minutes, or until carrots are tender and the liquid has evaporated.
[southernfood.about.com]
rice pilaf
1 1/2 cups white rice ( I use jasmine, but any white rice will work)
2 cups chicken broth
1/4 cup slivered almonds
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1/2 small onions, diced
2 teaspoons margarine or 2 teaspoons butter
2 teaspoons minced garlic cloves
DIRECTIONS
*In a small frying pan over medium heat, sautee the onion and garlic until onion is translucent. The garlic will cause the onion to scorch a bit, don’t worry, it gives it flavor.
*Add the rice, sauted onion and garlic, almonds, mushrooms, and chicken broth to a 4 cup capacity or larger rice cooker.
*Stir briefly to distribute ingredients.
*Set to cook. When done, let sit for 10 minutes.
[food.com]
there you go. it was so good!
all in all, it was a very productive day. one thing i pride myself on is getting things done {and a lot was done today! sleep included. yay!}. errands complete, delicious food consumed, and relaxation ensued.
