Xitlali Vintage

Brave-Pho-Ice cream

"If you had the chance to change your fate, would you?"

I had a terrible headache that doesn't go away friday night so i was hoping to get rid of it by morning, i needed some sleep but i  ended up staying late chit chatting with the ever non stop talking Joanna but it was all good she gave me little head massages, she does it in a  very loving way and taking pride of it, then i fell asleep. I woke up great the next morning but my Nana was crying she cant move her neck and her right shoulder…Stiff neck it is, that hurts i know, she was quite and less active in the house but she lighten up a bit when i asked her if she wants to go to a movie. On our way we stopped by to get her some patches of Salonpas, i know, i know, the smell! its not pleasant and i have to endure it myself, but believe me it works, its mama's old trick when we were little. So, after a long discussion back and forth what to watch - Ice age or Brave, we opted to watch Brave, since we first agreed to watch Ice age at 6:50pm , Brave is not showing until 7:20pm meaning we have an hour and a half to roam around the Theatre area before the movie starts, then i remember there's a small Vietnamese food express in the back of the movie Theatre and soup sounds good right? while killing the time.Between disgruntled and heavy sighs  i managed to convince Joanna to share a soup with me ..with my delight she like the chicken noodle soup i ordered, see? that's just proves Mothers knows best. At the end i was happy she choose to watch BRAVE it was such a beautiful touching movie one should watch with their daughter. Just as brave as her a stiff neck did not stop her little soul  from having fun. "Thank you Mama for taking me" this time she sounds more like a daughter than my mother "my pleasure darling-Ice cream?" and that was just enough for her to melt in my arms with joy.

She was happy with her choice to watch BRAVE-It's a beautiful movie a genuinely moving exploration of a complex mother-daughter relationship.

Pho noodle and Rice-We had a chicken noodle soup it was refreshingly good, taste like Mama's.

Praline and cream for me and Chocolate fudge for her-A sweet ending.

I Insert the movie soundtrack~enjoy!

 

Though I may speak some tongue of old, or even spit out some holy word
I have no strength with which to speak, when you sit me down and see I’m weak
We will run and scream, you will dance with me
We’ll fulfill our dreams and we’ll be free
We will run and scream, you’ll dance with me
We’ll fulfill our dreams and we’ll be free.
We will be who we are, and they’ll heal our scars
Sadness will be far away
So I had done wrong but you put me right
My judgment burned in the black of night
When I give less than I take, it is my fault my own mistake
We will run and scream, you will dance with me
We’ll fulfill our dreams and we’ll be free
We will be who we are, and they’ll heal our scars
Sadness will be far away...

 

 

Bubble Bath

I think the most remarkable thing to do is to take a bubble bath, next thing to that is you get to relaxed. Like really truly relaxed. I am a person who never find a time to do that but Joanna does it at least  three times a week, no kidding. She truly take her bubble bath seriously armed with an ipod dock she lies there with her eyes closed…very relaxed. I am now completely convinced and have decided that bubble baths need to be part of a regular regime of your life. I will tell you why:

 1.It truly feels good-it just does, the steam, the warm water, the smell of the bubbles. believe me it really feels good. oh! and don't forget a bubble bath essentials that is gentle to your skin, i like the one from Deep Steep in a honey variety and its organic, you can get one from Amazon for less than Ten dollars. 

2.You can contemplate-you get to pay attention of yourself, you can think,ponder without having a phone attached to your ear, without the temptation of the computer, without glancing the TV-without distraction. How good is that when you can find a small piece of your mind that has been crushed by the life of technology.

 3.A good reason to lock the door- Its a perfect excuse for a "me time" write a sign and say DO NOT DISTURB, you can even look at the door and not have a single regret.

 4.You can listen to whatever MUSIC you like-when was the last time you get to enjoy your own music, no Barneys, no Disney, no tween hijacking the car radio, and i tell you it is a bliss to listen to your own playlist, and also, since your door is lock you can sing your heart out and no one will stop you. Ha! how about that?

It's Joanna's first and only choice "Hello Kitty."

Deep Steep Organic Bubble bath from Amazon-comes in different varieties.

This Tree Hut Shea sugar body scrub is something you should not deprive your body. You can get it from Amazon too.  The oil and the sugar exfoliate your skin, you will smell delicious!

 "Take a music bath  once or twice a week for a few seasons, and you will find that it is to the soul what the water is to bath the body."

 

 

Falafel Al fez takes me to Middle East

Falafel is one of the most popular vegetarian foods in the Middle East. Made with ground chickpeas, herbs and spices it is simply yet delicious food that can be enjoyed as a snack or part of a main meal.

1.Pita Bread you can opt to whole wheat as you like 

2. Al Fez Falafel mix i bought at the World Market or any brand you like-You can opt making from scratch too if you have plenty of time.

3. Al Fez Tahini dressing also from the world market-You can buy tahini dressing from your local market . Its also good for salad.

What is tahini? Tahini is a ground sesame seed paste, similar to peanut butter. It is a creamy, oily, and smooth nut butter rich in calcium. Look for tahini in a glass jar or a can, and sometimes in a powdered, dehydrated form in health food stores, or in the ethnic foods aisle of your regular grocery store.

 

1.Falafel mix and a 3/4 cup of water

2.Mixed it together and let it sit for 2 minutes.

3.Tahini-Al Fez tahini dressing is a bit stickier so i mix it with a little water.You can mix it with milk too depends what texture you want your sauce to be.

 Falafel can be deep fried or baked in the oven. I deep fried mine in medium heat and its absolutely perfect. You can shape it as nuggets or patties. I dont necessarily need to be anywhere,Middle east right here . The aroma of all the spices envelopes my kitchen , its a hearty smell. Now where am i again?

 

Strawberry Milkshake

Joanna's simple joy of summer makes me all merry. Frosted wonderland in our kitchen... take us back ,take us back  to where the world was simple without lack.

Party of one

Plain fresh bread, its crust shatteringly crisp. rich broccoli cheddar soup and a glass of wine. There is magic in the way they come together in my mouth to make a single perfect meal. 

 

Caramelized onion

"The onion and its satin wrappings is among the most beautiful of vegetables and is the only one that represents the essence of things. It can be said to have a soul."

1.I chopped the onions 2. into the olive oil 3. after a few moments of stirring it will start to brown.

 

This is how it looks when its done and they are sweet to taste. My scallops can no longer wait.

 

Ingredients

 - One large onion, sliced per your preference
 - two tablespoons olive oil, butter, or a mixture of the two
 - Heavy pinch of salt
 - Freshly ground black pepper
 - A teaspoon of honey, agave nectar or corn syrup (optional)

How to Caramelize Onions at Home

Heat a large sauté pan over medium-low heat. Add the oil/butter.

Once the butter has melted and is hot, add as many onions to the pan as will fit in a ½” layer in the pan. Sprinkle the salt over the onions. The salt helps to draw water and dissolved sugars out of the onion’s cells. When you salt the onions at the beginning, it will take longer to achieve browning because of the extra water it draws out, but ultimately, your onions will have a much better flavor and will brown more evenly if you add the salt at the beginning of the cooking process.

Cook the onions over medium low heat. Cooking the onions at a relatively low temperature, called sweating, allows all the water to release into the pan and then evaporate slowly. Sweating also ensures that your onions will be soft and caramelized all the way through, and not just on the outside.

Stir the onions every couple of minutes, and adjust the heat so you here just the merest sizzle. If your pan would not hold all of the onions, add more as the ones in the pan cook down and free up more room in the pan.

Add in your optional ingredients, if you choose to use them, and continue cooking on medium-low to low heat, stirring frequently, until the onions are soft and anywhere from honey-colored to deep brown, depending on how caramelized you want them to be.

The process can take anywhere from ten to fifteen minutes to upwards of half an hour, depending on how many onions you are cooking and your preferred level of caramelization. Don’t worry; as long as you cook them slowly and stir them frequently, you will not end up with burned onions.

Top Five ways to use Caramelized Onions:

1.Salads

2.Sandwiches

3.Pizza or Savory Tart Topping

4.Pasta Dishes,Steak, Pan fried or Grilled sea foods

5. Appetizers

Note: I use mine on my Pan fried scallops that i will post later. Enjoy!

 

Are you feeling me?

 Hello there!

Hi this is Fluffy, hanging out with donkey here from Shrek, I like to think he's happy hanging out with me. Anyway mom bought me a pink dress as you can see it looks fabulous on me but it's kinda hard to play fetch and my sister Joanna she throws a ball and she expect me to get it and return it. A princess like me doesn't do boring things like that especially in a dress, I just want to run around and have them do the fetch, how's that? i'm pretty sure its fun for both of them. My question is when are they going to play my way? let me take the ball far away and let them run and get it. does that make sense? hmmm i think i need to write a book :A guide as to how to do right by your dog. Or mom if you see this, let's talk, girl. Other canines out there-ya feel me?

just some thoughts coming your way- Feel free to give me yours.

 Over and out!

Fluffy

 

Out somewhere

It doesn't matter what we did or where we were...it matters where we are and what we're doing. We get out there! Sing the song in our heart and NEVER let anyone shut us up!!

Once in a while i will wake up in the morning craving for a toast of cheese and honey, irregardless of what cheese you use it will just taste so great, i have that kind of morning today with pure black coffee the last crumb just makes me look forward to the next morning.  

Red Robbins: Sharing a Bruschetta Chicken with pesto sauce and a milk shake.

A window shopping can make you hungry you know, we had fun together store hopping and my little companion is complaining how hot it is though she did not get to walk outside aside from walking from the store to the car~well, it was just her way of saying it's time to go home after all she got a dozen of lip gloss on sale her $2.00 was able to afford...lately i noticed she's been eyeing mommy stuff and buying what mommy likes, i just had a big gulp of "i cant believe she's growing so fast" but oh well, that i will face later...for now a lip gloss is fine.

 

 

Skinny Cow afternoon delight

Gonna find my baby, gonna hold her tight
gonna grab some afternoon delight.
My motto's always been; when it's right, it's right.
Why wait until the middle of a cold dark night.
When everything's a little clearer in the light of day.
And you know the night is always gonna be there any way.
Sky rockets in flight. Afternoon delight. Afternoon delight.

   

wafer...chocolate... truly is my weakness and this is heavenly for me. Skinny cow? don't think so but i'm guessing you would agree with me that the name is too cute. I have to stick on eating one with a hundred ten calories or it defeats the "skinny" that goes with it.  

She's happy to share her skinny cow with the homeless outside savemart-big sunshiny heart.

We are kicking back skinny at home while outside is scorching hot, later we will go out and walk fluffy and watch the sunset.

A new tea pot Morning

The moment when you first wake up in the morning is the most wonderful of the twenty-four hours.  No matter how weary or dreary you may feel, you possess the certainty that, during the day that lies before you, absolutely anything may happen.  And the fact that it practically always doesn't, matters not a jot.  The possibility is always there.

Waking up late is a luxury i take very seriously

Little Miss Sunshine

Great things always comes in small packages-these tiny cup is no exception-I love this.

A beautiful tea pot added in my collection-A Farmer's market treasure find for a$1.50

A beautiful tea-coffee morning with little Miss Sunshine