Friday, January 07, 2011

Basil-Feta Vinaigrette

Ingredients: fresh basil, feta cheese, fresh garlic, crushed red pepper, sesame oil, rice vinegar, extra virgin olive oil



Toss everything in the blender, then adjust ingredients to taste.








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Update: I don't know what's wrong with my iphone blogger, the photos look crappy :(
Update II: fixed it! :)

Feta cheese dip

Ingredients:
Feta cheese, cream cheese, mayo, garlic, basil, dill, oregano






Serve with celery sticks or pita chips



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Wednesday, January 05, 2011

Greek food + Book club

I always wanted to be part of a book club, ever since I was a kid. So I was thrilled when my very good friend, Samantha, started one late last year. There's six of us in the group (my hubby being the newly recruited member. Yay). We each picked a book for our reading list, then once a month our little book club meets. We just checked off "A Thousand Splendid Suns" by Khaled Hosseini and "Brave New World" by A. Huxley from our list.

Now food plays an important role in our meetings. Good food just brings people together and makes this world a better place, right? We'll find any excuse just so we can have a feast, and a book club meeting is a legit reason to get our grub on. We try to come up with a theme for each meeting and last night's was Greek.

Below are some snapshots from our mini greek smorgasbord. I wish i can take credit for the yummy food but I'm not that great of a cook yet. I did prepare the Caprese Salad, experimented on Basil-Feta Vinaigrette and made the Feta cheese dip :)










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Saturday, January 01, 2011

Happy new year!




New year's eve at work.

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Friday, December 31, 2010

365 things I'm grateful for...

301. Google docs
302. Free CEU’s from loma linda. Even though economy has been crappy (even for healthcare), Im thankful that Loma Linda still pays for our education
303. Glee and House episodes online
304. Envelope-less ATM machines
305. The park behind our new apartment

306. Drugs that sedate patients

307. People who thrive to end racism

308. Sharp kitchen knives. Super handy tool in the kitchen

309. People who actually offers solution and not just complain

310. Parking meters that accepts credit cards

311. Wedding gifts!!! :)

312. Mint. Helps me keep track of our finances, and it's FREE!

313. People who throw their trash properly. Aim for the big dumpster, and if you fail please pick it up and try again

314. Snuggies

315. Wheels. For making life easier, I can just roll carts/machines/beds without breaking my back

316. Mail in rebates. Coz I usually forget about it, so getting a random check in the mail always makes me happy

317. Caller ID.  So I can reject certain calls. Haha.

318. My senses. See, hear, smell, speak, touch

319. Fruits that aren't bruised

320. Free taste test at Costco or sam's club = Free appetizers before dinner date. haha.

321. Book club

322. People who knows how to park in compact space. I hate it when I can't get inside my car from the driver's side

323. Cheerful colors. Instant energy booster!

324. Places that sponsors feeding the less fortunate

325. Being able to take care of sick people. I enjoy my profession as an ICU nurse :)

326. Computer charting at work

327. Recycle bins for electronic gadgets at Bestbuy

328. Online thanksgiving sales. A lot less chaotic.

329. My husband, for giving me a superb early Xmas gift. I love my Kindle!

330. Privacy setting on social networks

331. BofA ATM machines

332. Brita. No need to waste money on bottled water.

333. Freshly baked cookies or breads. hhmmmmmm....

334. Spirit of giving

335. Everyday heroes

336. I'm very grateful that I can register/renew most things online

337. Sam's club. I like to buy things in bulk items once in awhile

338. Arrested development. Funniest tv show ever.

339. Hugs before and after I get home from work. Something I look forward to everyday

340. Spending time with the whole family during this holiday season

341. Braces. Been there, done that

342. Smiley faces emoticons :)

343. People who respect boundaries

344. Double dates

345. Forever stamps

346. Fresh and Easy

347. Free shipping (without spending $50-$75 first)

348. Christmas songs. No matter how overplayed they get during the holiday season

349. Free museums

350. Coffee maker at home = $$ saved from Starbucks

351. Days when I get to see my hubby before I go to work

352. Rainy days when I can just cuddle and stay in bed

353. Holiday pay differential

354. Padded backpacks

355. Clean grocery carts. I hate dirty and sticky carts

356. Countdown on crosswalks

357. Organizations that promote literacy

358. Shamy. Works wonders in the kitchen

359. Dollar tree: for their bountiful selection of cheap christmas decors

360. Group games during parties

361. My sister and my cousin for flying home for Christmas this year

362. Sundried tomato + pesto. My go-to ingredient for pasta dishes

363. Back massage. I need one right now....

364. Christmas movies. Elf is a must.

365. Traditions that lasts and doesn't lose its meaning.




365 things I'm grateful for for 2010.

It's been few months since I last posted "things I'm grateful for". Doesn't mean I stopped listing them, I'm just an awfully lazy blogger. I've been saving them as drafts in my handy Iphone :) Sooo, to complete my new year's resolution for 2010, I'm gonna flood this post with what's on my list.

252. Days I can sleep in... for 8 hours straight.
253. People who adopt pets
254. Locally grown foods. I wish Loma Linda/Redlands farmer's market is available everyday.
255. Innovative contraptions for hospital equipments to prevent needle sticks/ fluid exposure
256. Saniwipes.
257. My mom's tuna spread. It's the bomb!
258. All the help I got from my wonderful friends during the wedding
259. People who reply to emails asap
260. Our first wedding anniversary. And wishing for more years to come :)
261. Lovely date with hubby during our Anniversary. I wish all movie theaters provide lazy boy recliners + pillows + blankets + food. hmmmm.
262. Finishing wedding projects with my hubby. Fold, cut, paste and repeat x100... 
He was a trooper!263. La Grotta di Capri: My caterer for the wedding. 2 thumbs up for customer service!
264. Having super talented friends who sang at the wedding
265. Sipping hot tea while reading a book
266. Low calorie yogurt
267. Popcorn Colonel for providing delectable popcorn treats
268. Good mattress. It does make a lot of difference for my aching back
269. Having days off work to prepare for the wedding
270. Buy one, get one free offers
271. Voice activated search engines for cellphones272. My husband who understands my moodswings
273. Simplified Remote controls. One more reason why I dont watch tv, I cant figure out how to change channels or what button to press to turn the tv on in the first place
274. People who understands my weird humor
275. Workmates i can share morbid jokes with. It's a stress reliever
276. People who celebrates goodness in this world277. This year's summer was not as crazy hot as I expected it to be
278. Iphone notes. My instant sticky notes when I don't have the actual sticky notes in my purse
279. Chocolate soy milk. I dont feel too guilty when i drink it
280. People who stays behind the designated line on grocery/store check out lanes.
281. People who are dedicated to living green. I'll try harder next year...
282. Random discount deals at restaurants.
283. Being able to spend time with my 85 yr old grandpa
284. Seeing how close my mom and her siblings are to their dad (my grandpa).
285. Stephen Colbert.
286. Free wifi!
287. Beautiful wedding day. After more than a year of planning, our special day finally came and it was truly a dream come true :)
288. My whole wedding entourage for making it possible for me to relax and enjoy the party.
289. My parents for all their love and support.
290. My free wedding coordinator :)
291. Iris and Light. Genius when it comes to photograpy and videography. Their talents will blow your mind
292. Dr Kim for the touching message during the homily
293. The Rada's for entertaining my guests.
294. People who posted wedding pics on facebook and tagged me. haha
295. My brother, for taking great photos during the wedding.
296. People who flew in for the wedding. Utterly thankful for the love!
297. All the heartfelt congratulation msgs I received after posting wedding photos.
298. Blankets big enough to share. I realized after being married, the tug-of-blanket-war really gets annoying. haha
299. My mom in law for being so generous and loving. I feel very lucky.
300. Free prints! ( as long as you sign-up for the first time. haha)


Snack time




English muffin + creamy peanut butter + chocolate cheerios = Loads of yumminess!

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