Keep on Truckin'

It seems as if I've spent the last five months lazing around (well, technically I have been... if you compare it to what I could have been doing :) but as I sit and ponder what all I have (and have not) done this year, I'm still pleased to say, Michael and I have had quite an eventful year (it's really easy for me to forget all the negatives because when I blog, I'm usually in a happy mood :)

We moved to London, became colleagues, worked our @sses off, fought, laughed, cried - a lot (I visibly aged during my stay there), enjoyed some world reknowned chefs, (but on the same breath) ate more bad food than I ever had in my entire life, delt with the horrid customer service, explored the neighborhoods, roamed the street markets, sun bathed in one of the world's most famous park, met some wonderfully diverse people, traveled to five other countries, did our first family trip (with my parents), saw STONEHENGE!!!... and still had five months left of the year to spend an action-packed summer and autumn here in our hometown Portland!

My biggest personal feat this year was taking that much, much needed hiatus from work. Seems pretty insignificant I know, but after more than four years in an oftentimes volatile (but opportunistic) work situation, I finally found it in me to leave. Really leave (after threatening to leave so many other times). It was the best thing I could have done for myself and the most liberating thing I did all year.

Meanwhile, Michael (who suffered sympathy pains from my unhappiness at work - I love that guy :) applied and got accepted into school and had just finished his first term at grad school <--- so proud of him! Btw, he got straight A's this past term ;) Woohoooo!

It can be easy to forget what fortunes this last year has brought us... for all of us. Have you thought about what you've done this last year or what it has taught you? Life oftentimes seem routine, uneventful and nothing short of ordinary. But never disregard the miniscule or mundane... to forget to reflect or appreciate the events of your life, significant or not, happy or sad, would be a disjustice to your vitality! Guddha (my version of God & Buddha) knows I've had my share of grief this year, but if I've learned anything at all, it's to not dwell on the bad, but focus on the good. Everything happens for a reason (my mantra for the year) because sure enough, if I look back at everything that has happened to me (even/especially) if I focused on the bad things, I now totally see why it happened. You should try it!

In hindsight (isn't hindsight a beautiful thing ?) ...

I have really enjoyed this past year, particularly my time in Europe (even though there were moments I couldn't wait to get the hell out of there) and these last few months of my "sabbatical" where I found the time to dabble in things I never thought I'd like (baking, hiking, hosting, sewing); explore things I've always wanted to do more of or get better at (blogging, photographing, volunteering); and spend time with my family and friends the way I've been wanting to the last six years.

This year has been about realization, strength, love and learning. I've (with all this free time) learned so much about myself. I've realized I am so lucky to love and have people who love me back. They give me the strength and support to keep learning about myself. I've realized, the grass is not greener on the other side (although I'll keep having to remind myself through the years) but even so, it doesn't matter, my grass is green enough! There are so many bigger problems in this world than the ones I face on a day-to-day basis. There's always someone out there who has it worse than me, but they have the strength to keep on truckin'. Hopefully, by this time next year, I can look back, remember more good things and learn from the bad... and through all the hard times, say that I too, kept on truckin'.

Torta Sbrisolona

Before you draw conclusions, I just want say, I have not forgotten the pledge I've made in baking once per week. Although wouldn't you say the ridiculous amount of baking I did in previous weeks (particularly the six dozen - edible or not, that's besides the point - cookies I made for my Cookie Swap) excuse my absence in baking for like four weeks? Plus, I've baked this Okinawan Sweet Potato Haupia Pie recipe twice since (I don't like to eat it myself, but it's so much fun to make :) and I'll be doing it again for my grandma's birthday this Friday (I just never got any good pictures to blog about it), which should further excuse me another three weeks. But who's counting?! :D

Earlier tonight, in a mad dash to provide dessert for our friends who came over for dinner, I made a Torta Sbrisolona (basically a giant cookie from Mantua, Italy) made of finely ground almonds and topped with large clumps of streusel. It was all going well until it refused to brown properly, so I decided to try my hand at broiling (never have before) and ended up burning half the cookie! LOL On the bright side of things, the half that didn't burn actually looked like what it was suppose to and tasted good with coffee ice cream (everything tastes better with ice cream doesn't it) although Martha (yes, I went back to her) does recommend it a good cookie for dinner parties if complimented with a bunch of grapes.

P.S. Michael made the most amazing miso steak and crab fried rice for dinner! I know it's so wrong to brag about your own man's cooking, but I don't care. I'd rather deal with your eye-rolling than him asking me why I never talk about his cooking!

Kenny's Noodle House

Heard about it... read about it... heard about it some more... finally tried it. It only took us this long because every time Michael and I were in the mood for noodley soups, we couldn't stray away from our beloved bowls of pho!
What do we have to say about it? Kenny's Noodle House has a very clean (for Chinese standards) taste and decor. Not as salty as the restaurant Good Taste (which I've been a devoted customer since my early college days) so it looks like without intending to, I may have found a replacement. I got the wonton noodle soup (of course - I couldn't have fairly judged it otherwise :) and Michael got the "special" fish balls, a high recommendation from friends who don't even eat fish. That must say something!

Inside a "special" fish ball.

Christmas in a Blur

Christmas this year went by in a blur. No seriously. I always thought Christmas always flew by, but this year literally zipped right past me. I think in the past, the anticipation of coming home for Christmas (from wherever I was) usually starts a month or two before I get to fly home and when I finally get home, I really work at savoring each moment. This year, with so many gatherings and celebrations starting immediately after Thanksgiving, I didn't get to sit back and enjoy the lights and scenery as much as I would have liked. It just came and went, almost like any other day :( but pictures here remind me of how much (more festive and) fun it was nonetheless!

As an only child with usually quieter Christmases, it's really fun to experience present-opening-mayhem at Michael's family's party. Sooo many presents! So many kids! It's a wonderful vibe.

We even attempted (as an unwilling team :) to make gingerbread men for the kids, although I don't think they got to participate or taste any (since Chu Hung, Chi Quan & I took over) but that might have been a blessing for them in disguise :)


Then Christmas morning at my house... "not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse. The stockings were hung, by the chimney with care, in hope that St. Nicholas soon would be there..." except St. Nick didn't come and my mom made sure Michael was the only one that got anything in his stocking!!! Wth? I didn't even get coal!



I tried my hand at sewing (for the first time in my life) a pal (gray monster on the left) for Pookie (brown monster on the right), a gift Michael had given me 3 years ago.



P.S. Our blog turned 1 year old this week too!

Ken's Artisan Bakery

In the midst of the holiday craze and frantic last minute shoppers on Christmas Eve, Michael and I went looking for a temporary refuge, where we could enjoy some down time and people watch before heading over to his family's house to celebrate Christmas.

We found ourselves at Ken's Artisan Bakery (Ken's Artisan Pizza's big sister) on NW 21st.

We each got a coffee and shared a roasted turkey sandwich and tomato basil soup. They hand-make their bread and house-roast their turkey breast. It was by far, the best turkey sammy EVER!!! Besides the fact that they take their bread baking super seriously to produce an appetizingly crunchy baguette, everything else about it was delectable! Every time I took a bite, I would wrinkle my forehead in awe and confusion (seriously, Michael had to tell me to cut it out) because I was amazed at how good this seemingly simple sandwich tasted. For a minute, I thought there was something special about their lettuce, like maybe they infused it with crack, but Michael pointed out, it was actually the crack-infused garlic aoli that made it so delicious. Perfectly hand-made bread, lettuce, cheese, and garlic aoli has change my outlook on turkey sandwiches forever.

Disclaimer: This is saying a lot because after London, I swore off sandwiches. They have countless chains dedicated to selling just sandwiches (ugh) and unfortunately, I did not share their love of bland sammys.