The Larissa Monologues

Greetings from Europe!

2008-06-26T12:59:00.000-07:00

Our trip has been wonderful and adventurous, filled with lots of great food, sightseeing, and sleeping in. I'm currently writing from beside a swimming pool in Costa del Sol, Spain.

This will be a quick post because Steve and I have the ambitious plans of getting some sun at the beach, and then enjoying churros y chocolate at our new favorite joint in a nearby town. It's a hard life here.

For now, here are a few photos of our London experiences:

We stood in front of Big Ben! And on a gloomy, overcast day, no less. Really, how much more London can you get? While on a self-guided walking tour of the city, we also visited Buckingham Palace, St James' Park, the Thames, and Tower Bridge.

Riding public transportation around the city was great - simple, accessible and quick.

We also had a good laugh whenever the woman’s voice on the loudspeaker told everyone to “Mind the gap.” This, among other phrases stated in a strong British accent, has become stuck in our vocabulary. One of us will say something that sounds like a strange mix of Cockney, Irish, and a screechy-voiced witch villain straight out of a cartoon, and then we will both burst into a raucous laughter. Quite embarrassing, really.

Yes, we just HAD to be the annoying tourists who pretend to use the phone booth simply for a photo opportunity.

Westminster Abbey - primarily known to Americans (and by “Americans,” I mean me) as the place where Chandler and Joey have a squabble during the Season Four finale of Friends. And also a key location in Da Vinci Code. I know, I should probably brush up on things like actual world events and geography.

And finally, the number one thing we wanted to accomplish while in London - have a beer in a British pub! We went the full mile, and ordered fish and chips, and steak and potato pie. The food was delicious, but the beer was a little bland and warm. Maybe that’s just the way it’s done in the UK? Still, it was a perfect way to end our trip to London.

More to come on our time in Spain. Cheers.

Crustless Spinach and Mushroom Quiche

2008-06-19T04:17:00.000-07:00

Yes, I am writing at 4:15am. That's because I woke up at 2:00am, after forcing myself to sleep at 9:00pm last night. That's because Steve and I are doing what we are calling Project Get On London Time.

We're leaving for our month-long Europe trip today! Our bags are packed, camera batteries charged, and email away message posted. I also packed an insane amount of dried fruit for the journey. So we're all set, I think. Our first stop is London. Steve is excited to get back to his English roots, and I'm excited to find a real British pub. After that we head to Spain and Italy.

I hope to blog while we're there, so stay tuned!

Before I go, I'll leave you with crustless quiche, which is becoming a new regular breakfast in our house. I've made this a few times, with variations on the vegetables (i.e. diced tomatoes added). It usually lasts about two days before disappearing. Quiche without crust may sound like it misses the main point, but we're trying to eat healthier, people. And it really is quite delicious.

Crustless Spinach & Mushroom Quiche
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
1 (4.5 ounce) can mushrooms
1 tomato, chopped
1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
5 eggs, beaten
3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9-inch pie pan. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are soft. Stir in mushrooms and tomatoes, cook 1-2 minutes. Stir in spinach and continue cooking until excess moisture has evaporated. In a large bowl, combine eggs, cheese, salt and pepper. Add spinach mixture and stir to blend. Scoop into prepared pie pan. Bake in preheated oven until eggs have set, about 30 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Two Year Wedding Anniversary

2008-06-17T10:46:00.000-07:00

Exactly two years ago, Steve and I got married.

I realize that everyone probably says this, but our wedding was one of the best days of my life. In front of our friends and family, we got married at a church in Glendale, California, and had a outdoor reception at the University of Southern California.

It's been a wild, fun and wonderful adventure, and I am excited for many many many more years of marriage.

Here are the last two years in pictures:

Our wedding day, June 17, 2006, in Los Angeles.

On our honeymoon in the Caribbean.

In Hawaii, double-fisting our wine in the classiest way possible.

Day trip to Reno. It's a nasty city...don't go.

Visiting family in San Diego, California.

Upside Down Man & Lucky Cat, Halloween 2007.

Enjoying big goblets of cerveza in Mexico City.

Cousin Bethany's high school graduation party.

My brother Adrian's wedding day.

By the way, my brother's wedding was beautiful. The weather was perfect, food was delicious, and we all had a great time celebrating the day. There was also a 100-person game of freeze tag, inflatable boxing, a Battle of the Rock Bands (in which my husband sang Red Hot Chili Peppers' Dani California while wearing a pair of MY old jeans), and multiple minor injuries.

You can see more photos here.

My Flashy Bridesmaid Dress

2008-06-11T19:08:00.000-07:00

Only three days until my brother's wedding!

I'm excited for many reasons. First, I love my brother and future sister-in-law, and can't wait for them to start this new journey together. Also, there will be lots of family and friends who are coming from out of town. And c'mon, who doesn't love a wedding?

The wedding also means that I get to wear the pretty, yellow, flow-y bridesmaid dress that I bought for the occasion. And my cute gold sandals and matching earrings.

The other day, I tried on everything - dress, accessories, shoes - because that is what EVERY woman does before a dressy event. Lo and behold, the dress didn't quite fit! I should have realized that, since I purchased the dress in March, and have since lost about ten more pounds. Oops. The top of the dress hangs loosely on my bust and shoulders. Luckily for me, the dress has fabric that crosses in the front, and ties. So if I tie the fabric suuuuuper tight, it can work. I am praying that we don't have a sister-of-the-groom-flashes-the-wedding-guests situation, you know?

Although I suppose that would make the celebration highly entertaining.

Granola Bars

2008-06-03T08:08:00.000-07:00

Thank you for your comments on my previous post. I truly loved receiving your responses, and was very encouraged by all the opinions, perspectives and personal experiences out there.

This past weekend I got in touch with my inner hippie, and spontaneously decided to make granola bars at eleven o'clock one night (thankfully, Steve was gone on a white water rafting trip, and did not witness this moment of insanity from his wife). I'm still not quite sure what possessed me to do that. As we have become more health-conscious in recent months, our refrigerator and pantry have begun to resemble those of a hippie commune. Soy milk, brown rice, tofu, dried fruit, whole wheat pita bread...it's all there. So I suppose homemade granola bars seemed like the next logical step.

After reading a bunch of granola bar recipes, I came up with the one below. Since it was late at night, beyond grocery store hours, I had to work with ingredients that we already had (which explains the weird blend of fruit). While I'd like to refine the recipe at some point, these actually turned out great. They were chewy and delicious. Plus homemade granola bars are healthier and way less expensive than the store-bought ones! This recipe has so many options, and can be made to fit your taste. Next time I think I'll add flax seed, almonds and dried cherries.

Granola Bars
2 cups oats
1/4 cup sesame seed
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup peanut butter
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups dried fruit, chopped (I used apricots, cranberries and lychee)

Butter a 9x9-inch baking dish and line it with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spread oats onto a sheet pan. Place in the oven and toast for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add sesame seeds and toast for another 2 minutes. In the meantime, combine the honey, brown sugar, peanut butter, vanilla and salt in a saucepan and place over medium heat. Cook until combined. Once the oat mixture is done, remove it from the oven and immediately add it into the liquid mixture, add the dried fruit, and stir to combine. Turn mixture out into the prepared baking dish and press down, evenly distributing the mixture in the dish. Cool completely and cut into squares and store in an airtight container for up to a week.

Chocolate Chip Cookies and Interracial Marriage

2008-05-29T12:33:00.000-07:00

A recipe for messed up kids.

Just when I thought I was running out of material to write about, I received this comment on my (evidently controversial) post about soft chocolate chip cookies:

"EXCUSE ME, Mr. Marks, but I thought this was a food blog. Interracial marriages create nothing but heartache for any children conceived by such a union. DID you not read the media headlines today about the strife wrought by interracial marriages in America? Perhaps you two should stick to 'baking' cookies instead of 'making' interracial children."

Though the commenter's profile appears to be a ruse to get more website hits, I will still gladly address the comment. Because really, who could pass up this one?

First off, Commenter, I am a missus. Get that straight. Unless you're addressing my husband, who in fact does NOT claim to own a food blog. He certainly does not cook enough to warrant anything of the sort, and will gladly admit it.

Secondly, thanks for the warning about all the heartache and strife my future multiracial children are doomed to face. I'll begin setting aside therapy money pronto. But, wait...how do you explain Tiger Woods turning out okay?

Thirdly, if by your use of quotation marks you are insulting my "baking" skills, well then. Now I'm offended.

All joking aside, I have addressed some of my thoughts on interracial marriage here. And this recent comment (even if it was from someone with simply too much time and a penchant for instigating fights on people's blogs), reflects the disturbing reality of the fear, hatred and prejudice that still exist in our world today.

I want to dispel the notion that I think my marriage is fundamentally better than others simply because we're an interracial couple. Low and behold, Steve and I have many of the same issues, problems and dilemmas that any married couple experiences. Shocker, I know.

That said, I do believe that there are many interracial couples (and their families) who have walked a uniquely difficult road, and those people should be applauded. Because of my own experiences, I have a special place in my heart for interracial couples and their multiracial children. And I will continue to celebrate fellow interracial couples, such as Jon and Kate, Heidi Klum and Seal, and many of our real life couple friends (because we apparently run around in packs).

I will also continue to look forward to the day we have our own lovely multiracial children, who will hopefully be welcomed into a world that is a little more loving than it currently stands.

But until then, I guess I'll keep "baking" cookies.

Summer Break, Baby!

2008-05-28T21:20:00.000-07:00

I think I've literally sent over thirty emails today. Is that normal?

My eyes hurt from staring at my laptop screen, my back hurts from being hunched over as I type, and all my brain can concentrate on is the purpose for all of this butt-busting work. I am urgently trying to finish up loads of tasks for one main reason: SUMMER BREAK. That's right. I get to do all sorts of fun things this summer, which means that this week I am practicing the discipline of delayed gratification, and attempting to tie up loose ends before the fun begins.

Before I describe the items o' fun to you, let me first say, don't you wish you had my job? I'll bet many of you are thinking, man, I really should have gone into the college pastor field. Yeah, that's what I thought.

Okay, so the summer plans. Here goes.

Fun Thing #1: five-day trip to Catalina Island. Steve and I actually go there a lot, but it still counts as a fun thing. We'll be there with friends, basking in the warm sun, and enjoying lovely things that are hard to come by here in Los Angeles, such as clean air, trees, and visible stars.

Fun Thing #2: my brother's wedding. My younger brother and his fiancee are planning an outdoor wedding with the coolest reception ever. Don't believe me? It's going to include classic BBQ grub, athletic gear and Rock Band. I get to be a bridesmaid (or is it now bridesmatron since I'm married?), and wear a lovely yellow summer dress.

Fun Thing #3: month-long trip to Europe. Yep, you read correctly...a month. Steve and I will be visiting England, Italy and Spain. Some of the trip is work-related, some will be vacation. All of it will be awesome. I have been dreaming about visiting Europe for years, and am delirious with excitement and anticipation for all our adventures. Pictures and tales will follow, I promise.

So for the next few weeks I will be hard at work. And trying to decide what to do with the blog while I'm away (guest-posts? advance posts? blog from Europe?). And purchasing some new post-weight-loss clothes (because a baggy swimsuit is just wrong).

Coconut Shrimp Soup

2008-05-26T15:20:00.000-07:00

Since moving to Los Angeles, I've grown a deep appreciation for Thai food. The city is filled with hole-in-the-wall Thai restaurants that proudly serve up their wonderful B and C-rated food to hungry customers. Speaking of restaurant ratings, never ever trust an Asian restaurant that has an A hanging in its window...it will be a disappointing experience. And as many fans will attest, the pride and joy of most Thai eateries is the soup. Thai soups have a unique ability to engage the senses and taste buds in ways that set them apart from other cuisines.

Wanting to try our hand at Thai cooking, Steve and I made this Thai-style soup together one weekend. It was wonderful, and filled the entire house with a sweet, citrus fragrance. The blend of shrimp and coconut was delicious, and we enjoyed every spoonful of it.

Coconut Shrimp Soup
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
4 medium carrots, peeled, halved lengthwise, and thinly sliced
1 can (13.5 ounces) low fat coconut milk
1 tablespoon cornstarch
5 ounces angel hair pasta
1 1/2 pounds large shrimp, peeled, deveined, and tails removed
1/4 cup fresh lime juice

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add ginger, garlic, and red pepper; cook, stirring, about 1 minute. Add carrots, coconut milk, and 3 cups water. In a small bowl, mix cornstarch and 2 tablespoons water until smooth; add to the pot. Bring to a boil. Break pasta in half; add to the pot. Return to a boil. Reduce heat to medium, and simmer 3-4 minutes. Add shrimp; stir until opaque, about 1 minute. Remove the pot from heat and stir in the lime juice; season with salt. Serves 4.

And the Winner Is...

2008-05-17T10:44:00.000-07:00

The winner of The Great Coloring Book Giveaway is...wait for it...Morgan from Miss Priss!

She will soon receive a free autographed copy of The Road to Hana coloring book, mailed directly from the author, Renee K. Coates. Congratulations, Morgan!

Even though her name was chosen at random from the pool of entries, Morgan had a great description of her ultimate dream vacation. Said Morgan, "My dream vacation has been Paris since I was about 10... I better not have taken 4 years of French for nothing! Hubby better deliver on one of our upcoming anniversaries." Love it. And I love her blog, which is devoted to all sorts of fun and girly things, from fashion to pregnancy hormones. Go check her out and say hi!

The rest of you also had great ideas for your dream vacation - a family trip to the Australian Zoo, food-tasting in Japan, a trip to South Africa with friends, snorkeling in the Maldives - wow! You guys should plan my next vacation.

Have a great weekend, folks!

* Also, for those who didn't win the free coloring book, Renee has a special offer for you all: a 20% discount on the coloring book! Just go here and enter the coupon code QHYE9CCG when you place your order. Note that the code is only valid at the above link, and cannot be used at the amazon site.

Extra Extra: The Word of the Day is Muffin Top

2008-05-16T11:05:00.000-07:00

My husband learned a new word today! When Steve put on some board shorts that happened to be a bit too small, I made the comment, "You've definitely got some Muffin Top." "What's that?" he asked. I then proceeded to show him this. I felt proud to have educated my extremely literate husband on such a valuable vocabulary term. He then went for a jog.

Last chance to enter the Great Coloring Book Giveaway! All it takes is writing about your dream vacation in a comment by 12pm PST tonight. Hurry...what are you waiting for? Check back tomorrow for the winner!

Have you visited Tastespotting yet? It's like Disneyland for foodies in Internetville. Beautiful photos and links to mouth-watering recipes on all sorts of great food blogs. You can find a few of my recipes there - just go here, or type "Larissa" in the search bar.

It is a whopping NINETY-EIGHT degrees in Los Angeles today. Which makes our sauna of a house oh, about two-hundred billion degrees inside. We would probably be making pina coladas right now, but that wouldn't really help the Muffin Top problem now, would it?

The Great Coloring Book Giveaway!

2008-05-12T15:12:00.000-07:00

Win a free autographed copy!

This past week I had a great time with Katy and Emily (pictured on the left), who were in Los Angeles for a short, but lovely visit. They are very dear friends from the old middle school days on Maui, Hawaii. And now we're all grown up, stepping into adulthood together!

Also, Katy just so happens to be an amazing artist by the name of Renee K. Coates, whose Hawaii-influenced artwork can be found at her website here. Among her many creative endeavors, she recently published a coloring book! Isn't that cool? The Road to Hana tells the story of a family who explores the little town of Hana-Maui during their vacation in Hawaii. It is filled with gorgeous illustrations, and makes a perfect gift for anyone! The coloring book is available for purchase at amazon.com here. I am so proud of my friend, and thrilled that our shared background of Hawaiian life and culture is such a foundational part of her art.

Here is the good news for you, readers. Renee wants to give away a free autographed copy to one of you! That's right - you have the opportunity to receive your own copy of The Road to Hana (retailed at $11.99), sent directly from the author. Pretty much as good as winning an actual trip to Hawaii, if you ask me.

So without further ado, The Great Coloring Book Giveaway!

How can you put your name into the running for the prize? Simple! Answer the question below, either in a comment, or via email to larissalmarks (at) gmail (dot) com. Comments will close at 12pm PST on Friday, May 16th. A winner will be chosen at random, and announced here on the blog on Saturday, May 17th. Make sure you leave your name and a way to contact you if you win. And feel free to pass on the word about this, and let others know about the contest!

Here is the contest question (in the spirit of Hawaii), which you may answer however you want:

What would be your ultimate dream vacation? Where would you go, who would you take, what would you do?

Good luck!

I Dedicate This Blog to...

2008-05-11T09:17:00.000-07:00

I am intrigued by authors' dedications. Whenever I pick up a book, I immediately turn a few pages, and find those few lines that sum up who the author deems worthy of honoring. It's such a beautiful, timeless way to thank and bless the person or people in one's life.

Though I don't have a book (maybe someday!), I do have this blog. I've been thinking about who was deserving of a dedication of this blog. Who would I thank? Who would I attribute this blog to? The answer came easily. There is one person in my life who has shaped me more than any other thus far. One person who really does embody the characteristics of this blog. So here is my dedication:

To my mother, Terry.
A woman of courage, humility, compassion,
and many other qualities of indefinable worth.

How about you? Who would you honor with a dedication?

Chicken & Shrimp Paella

2008-05-04T23:33:00.000-07:00

This weekend was moderately successful, as measured by the goals I set for myself on Friday. I did accomplish 1) watching the Office, and 5) doing some major spring cleaning (it is insane how many opened ketchup bottles were sitting in our fridge). Goals 2-4 were unfortunately not attained. Still no couch for the porch, Steve dominated me at Mario Kart Wii, and I didn't really think at all about my hair this weekend. I blame laziness.

I also blame it on the fact that Steve and I went to see a television taping on Friday night. You can read more about that on my husband's blog here. Suffice it to say, it's a show that involves an 80's superstar with massive biceps, and an event called the Eliminator. Yeah, we go on crazy dates sometimes.

I also did some cooking this weekend, and made paella for the first time. Paella is a Spanish rice dish that gets it's name from the Valencian term for frying pan. Typically, saffron is a key ingredient in paella, but since I didn't have any saffron around, I sort of improvised the spices. It was delicious, and made about a week's worth of meals for us. Try it, and let me know what you think!

Paella
4 cups chicken broth
2 1/2 cups uncooked long grain rice
1 cup chopped onion
4 garlic cloves, minced and divided
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 bay leaf
1 large green pepper, julienned
3 green onions, sliced
1 teaspoon minced fresh parsley
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
2 cups frozen peas
1/2 pound uncooked medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, thinly sliced

In a saucepan, combine broth, rice, onion, half of the garlic, salt, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne, oregano, pepper and bay leaf; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, saute the green pepper, onions, parsley, thyme, hot pepper sauce and remaining garlic in oil for 2 minutes. Add mushrooms. Cook until green pepper is crisp-tender. Add tomatoes and peas; heat through. Discard bay leaf. Add rice mixture to vegetable mixture and kep warm. In a nonstick skillet, cook and stir shrimp in lemon juice for 2 minutes. Add chicken; cook until chicken is no longer pink and shrimp has turned pink, about 3-5 minutes. Add to rice mixture; toss. Serves 10-12.

A Weekend at Home Means...

2008-05-02T08:42:00.000-07:00

Before you begin thinking that my upcoming weekend seems like it might be a bit boring, you should know that I have goals for the next few days. Ambitious and noble goals. Said goals include:

Watch last night's episode of The Office (thank you, TiVo!).
Find a freebie couch on craigslist for our front porch.
Beat Steve at Mario Kart Wii. We rented it yesterday, and it's everything I dreamed it would be.
Decide what the heck to do with my hair. Leave it? Cut it? This is a major decision that has been giving me hours of anxiety, people.
Clean my closet, the kitchen, the carpet, and my Gmail inbox. I love Spring Cleaning!

With lots of perseverance and drive, I believe that I can accomplish these things, and stand victorious.

What are your goals for the weekend?

Extra Extra: Free Ice Cream and Other Little Joys

2008-04-29T11:28:00.000-07:00

Happy Free Ice Cream Day! If you like ice cream and free stuff (and truly, who doesn't?), head on over to your nearest Ben & Jerry's. Today is the annual Customer Appreciation Day at the fabulously hippie ice creamery. Free scoops of cold, creamy goodness for everyone! By the way, while we're talking about Ben & Jerry's, I have a bone to pick with those guys. They used to have a flavor called Pulp Addiction (does anyone else remember that?). It was a delicious blend of creamy orange ice cream and chocolate-orange ice cream with a splash of orange-flavored brandy liqueur. I ate it throughout my freshman year of college, and then it was sadly discontinued. Bring back Pulp Addiction, Ben and Jerry! It tasted far better than that nasty Phish Food ever did!

I received my first ever blog award! In case you haven't realized, bloggers have a wonderful little community in which we love to shower each other with affirmation and accolades - awards like this make a blogger's day. Thank you to Clueless Cat at Twentysomething and Clueless for the award! Stop by her blog and say hello - she's splendid! In return, I present this award to (wait for it...) everyone on my blogroll! Seriously, go peruse the list for yourself. Every single blog there is awesome.

I also received a Bloggers Choice Award nomination from the crazy, cool (and fellow LA blogger) Margot at marGOt To Bed. She graciously nominated me for Best Food Blog. I feel so honored! Go vote for me here. Maybe I'll end up with more than two (you guessed it...from myself and my husband) votes.

My Healthy Habits

2008-04-25T09:13:00.000-07:00

Since many of you asked about how I managed to lose 20 pounds, I decided to post a list of the personal lifestyle changes I have made in the last year. If you read my guest post on Diethack, some of this will seem suspiciously similar, which it is. But here is a more updated version just for you!

In my personal experience, the diet and exercise habits listed below have been the key to my weight loss. However, these habits fit my personality and lifestyle. While I think they are simple, and potentially manageable by anyone, I firmly believe every individual needs to find habits that work for them.

Hopefully my experience will inspire and encourage other people in their journey towards healthier living!

Eat a good breakfast. Ignoring conventional wisdom, I never used to eat breakfast (mainly out of sheer laziness). Now I make it a priority to eat a healthy and balanced morning meal, and I've experienced major benefits - more energy, less hunger, less desire to overeat later on. My standard breakfast is oatmeal, fruit and a glass of soy milk. Eating a balanced meal helps propel me into making good food choices for the rest of the day.

Eat smaller portions. This habit took me a while to get used to, since I spent so many years overeating. In our house, there are two sizes of plates: mini and humongous (like wok-size humongous). I decided to only use the mini plates and smaller bowls, utilizing dish-space psychology to my full advantage. I also found these ways to determine healthy food portions to be extremely helpful. Now my body and brain have adapted to healthier portions - I eat one serving on a smaller dish, eat slowly, and allow my body time to feel full.

Choose the healthier foods. I try to stick with whole wheat pasta, soy milk, brown rice, low fat yogurt, multi-grain bread, etc. instead of their counterparts. That way I consume foods with their maximum nutrients. Whenever I go grocery shopping, I try to look for healthier equivalents to our household staples.

Drink lots of water. My reusable plastic water bottle has become the best friend that I bring everywhere. Drinking water has so many health benefits, including curbing the desire to snack between meals.

Enjoy healthy snacks. In between meals, I try to snack on fruit, vegetables or healthy protein. My current favorites are almonds and dried apricots. Apples and oranges are also great to have around, and easy to carry in my purse. It was pretty straightforward - I had to stop eating junk, and reach for something healthy.

Skip dessert. My real weakness was dessert - I had a habit of eating dessert on most nights. I decided to wean myself off the dessert by committing to eat dessert only one night a week. This habit allows me to indulge a little, and gives me something to look forward to.

Exercise three times a week. I began this discipline over a year ago, and have been able to sustain it. My weekly schedule includes one hour at the gym on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Some weeks I'm not as disciplined, but I'll simply get back on track the following week. Each session includes both cardio and strength training.

Get physically active in small ways. I love discovering opportunities to be active beyond going to the gym. I try to take the stairs rather than the elevator. I park farther away from my destination so I have to walk. Sometimes I will lift weights or do stomach crunches while watching television. Finding creative ways to get exercise throughout the day can actually be fun!

Join an online support community. I joined PEERtrainer with a few friends - the site is free, and allows me to have accountability with others. There's nothing like the encouragement of other people who have similar goals. It's also a great place to keep a log of meals and workouts, and track my overall progress.

Find inspiration. I subscribe to a Health magazine, and read blogs and websites related to health, weight loss and nutritious recipes. This simple act has done wonders for me. Now I get regular reminders of my health goals, encouragement, new ideas to try, and testimonies of real people who are intentionally living healthy lifestyles - it's inspiring and motivating!

Weighty Issues

2008-04-18T08:48:00.000-07:00

As of last week, I have reached my weight goal: I have lost over 20 pounds.

About a year ago, I decided to make some lifestyle changes (which you can read more about here in a guest post I wrote for the health site Diethack).

I wanted to be healthier, and to make better choices regarding exercise and food. And yes, I wanted to lose weight.

To be honest, it took me a while to admit that desire to myself (and others). Somehow, wanting to lose weight sounded shallow and misguided. "I don't care about losing weight...what I really want is to just be healthy," I told myself. This was a half truth. While I really did desire to be healthy, I also wanted to simply shed some of the pounds.

When I finally admitted this to myself, it was liberating. I realized that a lot of my self-perception was consumed by thoughts of my weight, that I had never truly liked my body since high school, and that I was tired of it. I was tired of sucking in my stomach every second of the day. I was tired of feeling self-conscious in the majority of my clothes. I was tired of looking at photos of myself, and only being able to see the fat.

And now, over the last year, much of that has changed.

I realize that many other people have lost unbelievable amounts of weight, and might scoff at a moderately overweight person rejoicing over losing a mere 20 pounds. I also believe that there is a danger in becoming preoccupied with one's body image.

But personally, I feel that the new me is something worth celebrating.

The bottom line is that I feel tremendously more healthy than I ever have before. For the first time in my life, I am taking responsibility for my body's condition. I am satisfied with the amount of physical activity I am doing, and with the self-control I now have with food. I am comfortable in my body. And yes, I am glad to see those 20 pounds go.

My Six-word Memoir

2008-04-14T07:56:00.000-07:00

I am not the most word-efficient person around. In conversations, I tend to take 10 minutes to say something that really could have been said in one or two sentences. And I re-phrase things all the time. I'm not ashamed of this...it's just a fact. Some might also call it endearing. And by "some," I mean my husband and my mother. And maybe not even them.

Anyway. When I was tagged by Clueless Cat at Twentysomething and Clueless to write my six-word memoir (an idea originating here at SMITH, a site for writers and storytellers), I had a brief moment of panic.

How could I possibly sum up my life in a short essay, let alone a short sentence? How could that accurately portray anything of substance?! Then I realized that's the point of the six-word memoir. There's beauty and poignancy in simplicity, and I don't need lots of words to justify myself and my life. I have the freedom to sum up my journey in six words, and still know that it is more complex than any description (even a 600-page novel) could ever impart.

So without further ado, here's my six-word memoir:

Left the island for big adventure.

If you haven't written your own six-word memoir, then TAG. Write yours in the comments, or on your own blog. If I can do it, so can you!

Apricot Scones

2008-04-11T00:10:00.000-07:00

Whew! It's been a long week - including jury duty, applying for a new passport with my married name, and hitting my weight goal(!). Each of these deserves its very own post, so stay tuned. I just don't have the capacity to articulate much right now. But before I go wind down with my evening ritual of The Year of Living Biblically and sudoku, here's a recipe for you.

Scones...to be perfectly honest, I am usually not too enthralled by scones. They are overly dry and crumbly for my taste. I suppose I am more of the fluffy scone persuasion. So I've been on a quest to find a scone recipe that fit my liking, which has led to the discovery of this version. Here it is - scones with a light, airy and perfectly moist texture. The original recipe called for raisins, but I went apricots instead. When served warm, with some morning coffee, they are a wonderful breakfast. Beware, they get addicting!

Apricot Scones
3/4 cup dried apricots, cut into fourths
2 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cold butter
1 cup sour cream
2 egg yolks

Topping:
1 egg white
1 teaspoon sugar
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Place apricot pieces in a bowl. Cover with hot water and let stand for 5 minutes. Drain well and set aside. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Combine sour cream and egg yolks; add to crumb mixture. Stir in apricots just until blended. Turn onto a floured surface; knead gently 8-10 times. Divide into four portions. On ungreased baking sheets, pat dough into 4-inch circles. Cut each into 2 wedges, but do not separate. Beat egg white; brush over dough. Combine sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle over tops. Bake at 425 degrees for 15-18 minutes or until golden. Serve warm. Yields 8 scones.

Date Day & Counting Crows

2008-04-04T11:00:00.000-07:00

These fellas make for a great date.

Steve and I have Date Day once a week.

Most married couple-y friends of ours also have regular dates with their spouses, which is great, in my opinion. "Hey! You can keep the fire burnin' post-wedding! Who knew?!" For us, these times are extremely valuable. When you and your spouse share the same job and workspace, it is absolutely vital to schedule consistent time to connect, minus the thinking and talking about work.

Date Day will be anything from trying a new restaurant, to walking around one of our favorite areas in the city, to staying at home and watching Heroes on Netflix's Instant Viewing (have you Netflix-ers tried this yet? ADDICTING.). They are always fun, and remind me why I love love love being married to Steve.

To be honest, though, no other Date Day compares with yesterday.

Yesterday, we went to the Grove for a free Counting Crows concert. Free concerts can often be sort of lame, but this one was amazing. The band played a long set, which included some new stuff from their just-released album, Saturday Nights & Sunday Mornings, and some of their older classics. Interspersed between songs, Adam Duritz (whose dreads were all I had imagined them to be) took the time to talk about their new album, and do some q & a with the audience.

It was my first time seeing Counting Crows live, and it was grand, I tell ya. Don't get me wrong, any date with my wonderful husband is fantastic. But him AND the Grove AND the Counting Crows?! Splendiferous and scrumtrillescent.

And yes, I am aware that those are not real words.

Hope your weekend is also splendiferous and scrumtrillescent!

Convertible Dress

2008-04-01T09:35:00.000-07:00

Here it is - the dress!

Ever since finding this American Apparel dress that can be worn in multiple ways, I've been wanting to make my own convertible dress. Then I discovered a forum on Craftster (one of the best craft/sewing sites on the internet, by the way) discussing the Infinity Dress, a similar take on the convertible dress that uses just ONE SEAM.

I finally got around to it last week. I had some time and a few yards of cotton jersey fabric, and here's the outcome:

The dress has a few simple parts - a circle skirt, a waist band, and two long straps - that are all sewn together. Here's what it looks like:

I've been experimenting with it, and there are literally dozens of ways to wear it.

If you're dying to make your own convertible dress, here are the instructions I used. The whole project took about 2 hours, and cost a grand total of $15.

Extra Extra: Adios, Winter

2008-03-27T16:30:00.000-07:00

Spring is here! I know, the first day of Spring was actually last week on March 20th, but now it is actually beginning to feel like Spring. At least in Southern California. I have officially stored away the winter clothes, and released my warm weather items from hibernation - tank tops, shirts, dresses, slippers (or what you non-Hawaiians oddly refer to as "flip flops"), sunglasses. It's been a lovely, sun-filled week, and I've been finding all sorts of excuses to walk around outside just to take it in.

I've also been spending lots of quality time this week with the sewing machine. Partly it's because I needed to hem and take-in most of my clothes (the one minor downside to losing weight). But mostly it was to make a dress, which I'll post about later.
Yes, I sewed a dress. I am that cool.

In the last 24 hours, I have injured myself three different times. First, I was moving our portable washing machine, and ran it over my foot, creating a huge gash in my toe. Then I sliced my finger while chopping onions for dinner. Then I cut open my other foot when I dropped a table onto it. Sighhh. I think I need to just sit down and watch Top Chef reruns for the rest of the day before I accidentally give myself a concussion or something.

Speaking of Top Chef...holy moly, that is the best show EVER. I just discovered it during my hour at the gym (aka Trashy TV Time). I know everyone else is probably way more into American Idol and Project Runway these days, but competitive cooking...who knew?!

This weekend we're going to take a trip with Steve's sister and brother-in-law to Las Vegas. My husband has a gift for finding crazy-awesome vacation deals, and found a way for us to go for uber cheap. I can already smell the cigarettes and complimentary cocktails. Send me some good poker vibes!

Pillowcase Apron

2008-03-20T16:34:00.000-07:00

What do you get when you combine an old Ikea pillowcase, a sewing machine, some ribbon, and a few hours of free time?

An apron for the fashion-savvy housewife! I call this number "Hipster Mod for the Kitchen Broad." Cook with flair! Cook with attitude!

The project took about two hours from start to finish, and I was quite pleased with the result. So pleased, in fact, that I wore it around the house for a few hours. And I wasn't even cooking. The apron joins my ever-growing collection of reconstructed sewing projects - like this skirt-turned-top, this long-sleeved-shirt-turned-halter-top and this dish-towel-turned-hand-bag.

I would have posted some instructions, but I actually made it up as I went. Because, quite frankly, working with patterns annoys me. Seriously, one can handle only so much cutting and pinning and measuring before one's head explodes.

Also, I still have the other half of the pillowcase, so I might make another apron at some point in the near future. Could a contest giveaway on the blog be coming in the near future??? Quite possibly!

Farewell until next time, dear readers. I'm going to go prance around in my apron some more.

Celebrating My Irish Culture

2008-03-15T16:28:00.000-07:00

Yes, you read that correctly. My Irish culture. Since I am now married to a part-Irish man, I've decided to claim Irish heritage as my own this year. Which means I get to spend this weekend

cooking this...
and drinking this...
and wearing this...
Happy St. Patrick's Day to you all!* Hope your weekend is magnificent.

*in the best Irish accent a Chinese, honorary-Irish woman can muster

The Girlfriends Every Woman Needs

2008-03-12T13:53:00.000-07:00

Me & Katy, circa 1990. Only a true friend would stand by that.

I had a lovely time this weekend, with lots of time spent with friends. Steve happened to be out of town doing some guy bonding (i.e. camping and manual labor). So I had a free weekend with the girls, which included morning brunch, shopping for bridesmaid dresses for my brother's upcoming wedding, a dinner party, and afternoon tea. It really doesn't get any girlier than that, does it?

All this extended time with friends got me thinking about how much I value relationships with other women in my life. I have some wonderful friends who've helped me survive everything in life, from unfortunate fashion choices to work tribulations to relationship crisis. While these friends have been many things to me, there are also unique roles that each has played in my life, which are worthy of mention.

Let me introduce my posse to you.

Lifelong Friend: I met Katy on the first day of third grade. From that day on, we were inseparable. Together, we had secret code words, began our own Baby-sitter's Club, schemed to get our siblings to marry each other so we could literally become sisters, and passed hundreds of notes in class. Katy saw me through the bottle-cap glasses days, and was still my loyal BFF. She has stuck with me through thick and thin, and even 20+ years later and states apart, we can still chatter on the phone for hours.

Shopping & Fashion Pal: My friend (and soon-to-be sister-in-law!) Seisha is the best person to shop with. She has impeccable taste, and will honestly tell me if those jeans make my butt look big. She constantly knows what's in style, and will freely let me borrow anything from her massive collection of clothes and accessories. Seisha was also the only person I trusted to do my hair and makeup on my wedding day.

Confidante: I actually have two of these - Natasha and Jeanne. These gals know all of my secrets, and are there with me in all my ugly moments. They are the first friends I call when a crisis hits (like the day I broke up with my college boyfriend), and when there's something worth celebrating. We swap marriage stories and work frustrations, and I know I can trust them with anything.

Wise Sage: Whenever I have a big life question, my first instinct is to go to Chante. She is only a few years older than me, but has discernment far beyond her experience. I will find myself stressed out about a situation, and after a five-minute conversation with her, I'll have all the clarity in the world. Whatever the problem at hand, Chante always has valuable perspective and insights.

Really-Gets-Me Friend: Cathy and I are in similar seasons of life - newly married, adjusting to adulthood, and figuring out what we want to do with our lives. I know that I can share some of my deepest questions and dreams, and that Cathy will truly relate. Her uncanny ability to know when to dish advice or to simply listen makes her an indispensable friend that I want to share everything with.

Other important girlfriends I couldn't live without: Fitness Buddy, Television Show Companion, Hairstylist, Party Pal, Work Partner, Gynecologist

What friend has played a significant role in your life?