Edamame Packing

It's 2:26 AM and I'm packing.

Got snacky.

Boiled some edamame!

I am so over packing.

Soon Dubu

Now for one of my ALL TIME favorite dishes, soon dubu.

I eat tofu like no one's business and let me tell you, really like no one's business. xO

Honestly, my last meal on earth would be soon dubu.

Soon Dubu is a chili based soup with tofu, vegetables, an egg and usually a meat of your choice. I nix the meat in my soon dubu. Oh man guys, I LoVe soon dubu. I've asked almost every Korean person I know if they can show me how to make the soup base, but it seems like its a pinch and dash kind of recipe...hard to replicate. So after much rejection one Korean friend finally showed me the light, a soup base in a packet! A packet!!! At first I thought, "man...its in a packet...its not gonna be authentic". But my friend assured me that this soup packet tasted just like how they make soup broth at home. So I bought me some soup base, and I gotta say...its a substanstial stand in for a homemade broth.

The accoutrements for our soup.

Chopped up broccoli, mushrooms, one block of tofu, and one cup of water.

Korean Rice (my fav also). I find it has a smoother texture and heartier consistency.

Chili oil

Chili powder

Mix, mix, mix!

Drop one egg in and boil with lid on.

That's a lot of broccoli!

The color isn't as bright on the broccoli, but don't be fooled into thinking its less delicious. =) It's spicy and makes me feel wonderfully whole when I partake in this meal. ::DROOOOOOL:: >__<

You can find this soup base at Kim's Mart on E street (Davis, CA) for $2.49 in the refrigerator section.

4 Cups of Macaroni

Melt butter

Beaten Egg, set aside for later

Here is a pic of a roux (pronounced rue, as in, "I rue the day you were born").
Melted butter sprinkled with flour....and then adding whole milk.

Here is the beaten egg, and to it I added 1/4 cup of the roux

Add a ton of pepper, 1 teaspoon of salt, pinch of paprika, 2 heaping spoons of dry mustard to the roux. And if you're like me you'll forget to take a picture of that glorious roux. Oh and add 1/2 cup of sharp cheddar. I also blanched some broccoli cuz I <3>

A lot of sharp cheddar on top with Italian bread crumbs (whatever that means) in 350 degree oven (have you noticed I really like to use the oven?).

Voila!

Whoa...

Eat and be merry!

Here's the link for the full detailed recipe. It was a glorious 5 AM concoction.
I bought the ingredients from the same cashier and I was like "hehe...don't look at him straight in the eye or else he'll recognize you...!" This is the 2nd consecutive day he's seen me. =/
I do have a life Mr. Cashier at line number 2!!!!

Coffee Cake

Crumb Topping

Cake Mixture

mmMMmm...cakey!

Crumb Topping turned into glaze...haha

Blueberries and Coffee Cake!

Tofu-Pesto Lasagna

Well today was lasagna day. I actually didn't put too much thought into this dish because I've made it so many times, but you know, for the sake of beginning a post, I wanted to start with a dish that I truly, truly love.

Now, I stumbled upon this recipe in the first 3 months of becoming vegetarian and I picked up this book called Eat Right 4 Your Type by Dr. Peter J. D'Adamo that talked about blood type and foods that work well for those blood types as well as exercises that best suited those individuals. Long story short I ended up with this lasagna recipe and thinking to myself WOW this has gotta be a good dish I have to make it!

Mashed tofu with oregano, salt, and olive oil (I used Canola cuz I was out of the other stuff)

Soy Cheese, pesto, spinach/tofu/seasonings mixture

See the steam? ooOOoo...

Tada! The cheese on top is in chunks because the room started to heat up and the cheese couldn't stay shredded anymore.

The piece I had while blogging.

Its funny how the things you never thought you'd enjoy become life habits and even life changing events. I became a vegetarian out of curiousity and now its become a long standing life habit.

I met up with an IV intern and talked about how I was apprehensive about being a small group leader next year. And although the two things don't directly parallel each other...I feel in some small way deciding to become a vegetarian was a very great step of...shall I say...faith? That honestly, I didn't know exactly what it would do to my body and definitely I did not know that it would benefit me in such a monumental way. I'm not saying everyone should become a vegetarian, but I am saying that for myself trying out this one new habit has become a life style that has brought me a new perspective on health and well being. And in some ways my intern friend was trying to tell me the same thing that even with all the uncertainties of the coming year (finances, family's well being) would I regret not being a small group leader? If these uncertainties remained, if they dissipated, if - if - if. And obviously these were all hypothetical questions because I really have no way of 100% guaranteeing my family's well being, honestly at this point in my life I don't have those types of resources at my disposal. But what I can give my family is love. Having a healthy relationship with them, being responsible with the money in my pocket, being faithful to the things I've been given responsibility over...how does that not honor my family? It was very encouraging to be able to share that with my friend and learn that they too were going through similar thoughts and fears.

Maybe I've gotta just give it a try like I do everything else?
Maybe it'll become a life long thing that will bring me joy like being vegetarian has?
I don't know...I think I just have to go in faith that it'll be okay even if I don't know it all.


Hope you like pesto-lasagna as much as I do. Until next time =)

Late Start

Hi everyone...so you may be wondering why I decided to purposefully be single for a year. Honestly, its because I want a break from getting hurt and also it gives me a chance to figure out what to do with my post college life. I have one more year at UC Davis and I think I'll always be able to date but I won't have the same type of time I have now to do ... whatever it is I'm suppose to do.

I started being purposefully single on June 20th 2009. So This blog is slightly behind the start date, but all in good fun because true to my nature...I'm late. Something my employers understandibly don't appreciate, but...I feel that I more than make up for my tardiness when I start working.

I love food! One of the main reasons I want to blog about it here. There's so much fun in eating, especially when you're eating something you love! I once listened to this uptight girl say she didn't enjoy eating, and I just wanna say, that she was lying out of her ass. Haha! Not enjoy eating, PUH-lease girlfriend! Who do you think you are?! You're too good to eat like the rest of us?

I dunno guys, nothing beats winding down and sitting down to a good meal with friends or family. I don't do it often, but here's to cooking food for myself and loved ones to eat together!

Tomorrow I'm going to have a Disney movie night with some old friends and I plan on making pesto-tofu lasagna. One of my very dear friends is leaving for USC to do a master's program and I'm very excited for him. Its so fun to touch base with people who you've known for a long time, isn't it? I've known these people for four years and counting...and call me sentimental but I am so glad we got put into the same dorm. I usually move a lot and during the last four years I actually had time to make friends and...well...keep them! So I gotta say I'm really happy about the people whom I've met and become good friends with.

Here's to great friends, :)