Clinging

::Learning to cling to my Lord, because He is completely reliable::

::Realizing that my true best friend isn't ever limited by time, distance, or a busy schedule::

::Reminded that Jesus is never too busy, too tired, or too important to extend His presence in my life::

People may disappoint me, but my God never will. Even as I sit at home alone and bored, wondering if everyone else is hanging out without me, feeling unimportant and forgotten- I desperately turn to the Lord. Why do I feel so lonely? Perhaps the Lord is using these months of living by myself, away from my built-in safety net of parents and brother, to allow me opportunities to practice depending on Him as my joy, my satisfaction, my contentment.   

Lord, I want to choose you right now. Choose you over human friendships or worldly entertainment (i.e. Hulu). Because I have Your assurance that when I place You first in my life, you will remember my choice and bless me with your promises. I want to take the first step in absolutely surrendering my life, and all that it entails, to You. 

In Christ Alone

This song and melody has been on repeat in my head all week long. Praise the Lord, He has been the source of my strength as I gruel through yet another finals week. This quarter has been all about learning that when I put the Lord first, He blesses me abundantly and in better ways than I had hoped or planned.

Also, this song fits so perfectly with our Bible study last week on John 16. "In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world." (John 16:33b) Isn't this verse refreshing every time you read it?

In Christ alone, my hope is found,
He is my light, my strength, my song;
This cornerstone, this solid ground,
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm.
What heights of love, what depths of peace,
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease.
My comforter, my all in all,
Here in the love of Christ I stand.

Heavenly Scones

I fell in love with scones at Harborview. Thursday mornings are remarkable simply because they are Scone Days in the cafeteria. Fresh, huge scones dotted with blueberries smeared with berry jam. Yum!

The scone recipe below is freezable! Each batch makes 2 scone rounds (a total of 12 scones), so you can bake one immediately to enjoy and freeze one for a scrumptious, fuss-free breakfast on a lazy day.

Heavenly Scones (from Don't Panic-- More Dinner's in the Freezer)
Makes 2 scone rounds (12 scones)

2 c. flour
2 tbsp. white sugar
1 tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
6 tbsp. butter, cold
1 egg, slightly beaten
1/2 c. milk

Directions:

1. In a large mixing bowl, sift together flour, white sugar, baking powder, and salt. Cut cold butter into small chunks, then cut into flour mixture with pastry knife or 2 knives until mixture is coarse and size of small peas. 
2. Make a small well in middle of the flour mixture, and add egg and milk. Gently mix until dough just comes together. (Do NOT over mix!)
3. On a floured work surface, shape dough into 2 rounds. Cut each round into 6 pie-shaped wedges. Wrap each round with plastic wrap, and freeze in large freezer bag. 
4. Serving Day: Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Separate scones along pre-cut lines, place frozen scones about 2 inches apart on lightly greased baking sheet, and bake for 10-12 minutes until light golden brown. Serve with jam.

Tilapia Ideas

I love fish and seafood, but don't get to eat it often since I live by myself. It's impractical to bake a salmon or cook a whole fish for one person. I might have to eat salmon for the rest of the week! That's why I love tilapia fillets- it's the perfect size for one! Costco sells frozen individually wrapped tilapia fillets, which is convenient. Or you can buy fresh tilapia, wrap individual fillets with plastic wrap, and freeze them yourself. I usually take out 2 tilapia fillets from the freezer to defrost overnight in the fridge, cook them for dinner, eat one and save one for lunch the next day!

In the past, I only knew how to bake tilapia fillets. Pan searing is quicker and a great alternative when you don't want to turn on the oven. Plus, I think it's just as delicious! Feel free to experiment and change things up by mixing other seasonings in with the flour before coating the fish. Some ideas: Old Bay seasoning, cayenne powder, onion powder, garlic salt, paprika, etc.

Pan Seared Tilapia (from allrecipes.com)

2 tilapia fillets
Salt and pepper
1/4 c. flour
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. melted butter

Directions:

1. Rinse tilapia filets under cold water and pat dry with a paper towel. Season both sides of each fillet with salt and pepper. Place flour in a shallow dish, and gently coat tilapia fillets by pressing each side in flour and shaking off excess. 
2. Heat olive oil in skillet over medium-high heat until hot, then cook tilapia in hot oil for about 4 minutes per side, until fish is flaky. Remove fish from skillet and brush with melted butter.

Sweet Potato Casserole

For our annual (it's becoming a yearly tradition, yay!) pre-Thanksgiving potluck, I tried out a sweet potato casserole that turned out to be a hit! This side dish is deliciously creamy with a crunchy topping. Don't be fooled, while it highlights the natural sweetness of yams and sweet potatoes, don't wait till dessert to bring out this dish!

A few tips: I used a mixture of yams and sweet potatoes in making this dish, mainly because yams are cheaper and gives the dish a gorgeous orange hue. I used 2.5 lbs Beauregard yams and 1.5 lbs sweet potato. I popped the yams and sweet potato into the oven to roast along with the turkey at whatever temperature the turkey was baking at for about an hour. When I took out the yams and sweet potato, they were soft and easily popped out of their skins. Also, I ended up using almond slices instead of pecans in the topping, because it was what I had on hand. The casserole turned out fine, but I'm sure pecans would supply even more crunchiness.

Sweet Potato Casserole (modified from Allrecipes.com)

4 lbs. yams and sweet potato
1/4 c. white sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1 tsp. salt
4 tbsp. butter, softened
1/2 c. milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 c. brown sugar
1/3 c. flour
3 tbsp. butter, softened
1/2 c. chopped pecans

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Wrap sweet potatoes and yams in aluminum foil and roast in oven until soft (about 45 minutes).  
2. Decrease oven temperature to 325 degrees. Scoop out flesh of sweet potatoes and yams and mix with white sugar, eggs, salt, 4 tbsp. butter, milk, and vanilla extract. Beat until smooth. Transfer mixture to a casserole dish (or equivalent 8x8 baking dish). 
3. Topping: Combine brown sugar and flour. Cut in butter until mixture is coarse. Mix in pecans. Sprinkle topping over sweet potato/yam mixture. 
4. Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until topping is lightly browned. 

A Few of My Favorite Things...

As I bunker down in my room, kicking off my Thanksgiving break by watching my favorite movie and reading a new cookbook, I thought it might be interesting five or ten years from now to look back and see what a few of my passions were! It's most likely that these "favorites" will be superseded by then! Actually, I have a pretty poor track record in maintaining favorites, so I never liked those icebreaker questions asking about "favorite song" or "favorite movie" because I can never fully decide upon just ONE favorite! 

The List

Favorite movie right now: Tangled! Watching it right now makes me just... happy! 

Favorite song: "If I Die Young" by The Band Perry. A few other songs that are currently played on repeat on Spotify: I See the Light (Tangled), I'm Not That Girl/Defying Gravity (Wicked), The One That Got Away (Katy Perry), We Found Love (Rihanna). 

Favorite after-school snack food: Trader Joe's dried unsweetened mangoes. Or ice cream... (see below)

Favorite book: Any cookbook! Especially anything by America's Test Kitchen. 

Favorite ice cream: Tillamook's Oregon Wild Cherry.

S.A.D.

Two words: rough morning. And it's not even noon yet. Why is it that when one bad thing happens, everything else seems to go awry as well?

Midterm comes back today, and I have a sinking feeling (and I haven't even seen my score yet). I can't enjoy someone else's happiness, because (selfishly) that means I didn't do the best on this particular test. Compounding factors that turned one bad event into a bad mood: another cloudy, gray day; burnt my green onion pancake; discovered jeans were too tight this morning; brain not working as I try (distracted by my imminent midterm score) to finish a paper.

Currently feeling all alone. And where is God in my life? I had expected to do well on this specific test, because I had put God first the weekend before taking the test. In my mind, I was good- I attended the Fall Conference messages rather than skipping out like all the other students. I had felt peace after my test and thought I had done well. Why do I feel so scared to get my grade back now?

Randomly, turned to 2 Samuel 8 in my Bible this morning. It details David's triumphs and how God was with him in all this battles. Opportune reminder to me that David was someone who put the Lord first, and God rewarded him. I need that promise right now in my life.

Well, hopefully Tillamook black cherry ice cream for lunch cheers me up a little...

Baked Teriyaki Chicken

A easy and delicious main course for a big crowd or potluck! I'm sure you can also substitute Yoshida sauce for the homemade sauce if you're in a time crunch or don't have all the ingredients in your pantry.

Last time I made this, I doubled the sauce (you can't go wrong with extra sauce, right?). I froze the extra sauce in little containers; a week later I brushed some of the teriyaki sauce over salmon, baked it, and that made for a delicious and no-fuss dinner on a busy school night! I also didn't have cider vinegar (I broke the glass bottle in my garage while taking groceries out of my car- my garage smelled vinegar-y for weeks!). So, I did some research on vinegars- cider vinegar has a fruity smell/taste, so straight white diluted vinegar won't be a good substitute. Red wine vinegar diluted with equal amounts of water seemed to be the consensus on how to sub for cider vinegar, which is what I did and the sauce tasted fine. 

Baked Teriyaki Chicken

from Allrecipes.com

1 tbsp. cornstarch

1 tbsp. cold water

1/2 c. white sugar

1/2 c. soy sauce

1/4 c. cider vinegar

1-2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 tsp. ginger, minced

1/4 tsp. ground black pepper

6 skinless chicken thighs 

Directions:

1. In a small saucepan over low heat, combine cornstarch, cold water, soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, ginger, and ground black pepper. Bring to a simmer, stirring frequently, until sauce thickens and bubbles. 
2. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
3. Place chicken thighs on a lightly greasted 9x13 baking dish. Pour sauce over chicken pieces. 
4. Cover pan lightly with aluminum foil. Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes. Flip chicken pieces over and bake for another 30 minutes, until chicken is no longer pink and juices run clear.

Chicken Fingers, Anyone?

Stumbled upon this recipe yesterday on Yahoo. It reminds me of the chicken katsu recipe that I use. A slight difference- this recipe adds another step with breading the chicken in flour first. Also, a Canadian shout-out, since the recipe originated from a Chinese (!) restaurant in Winnepeg. I can't wait to try making the dipping sauce! Honey mustard is definitely my favorite :). 

Mitzi's Chicken Fingers
SERVES 6

FOR THE DIPPING SAUCE:

1½ cups mayonnaise

¼ cup honey

2 tbsp. roughly chopped dill

2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice

1 tbsp. dry mustard powder

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

FOR THE CHICKEN FINGERS:

2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 3"-long-by-1"-wide strips

1 tbsp. sugar

1 tbsp. kosher salt

1 tbsp. freshly ground black pepper

1½ tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. paprika

1 tsp. dry mustard powder

1 cup flour

4 eggs, lightly beaten

3 cups finely ground fresh breadcrumbs or panko

Canola oil, for frying

1. Make the dipping sauce: In a medium bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise with the honey, dill, mustard powder, and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper, and stir together until smooth; set honey-dill dipping sauce aside.

2. Make the chicken fingers: In a medium bowl, toss together chicken, sugar, salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika, and mustard; set aside. Place flour, eggs, and breadcrumbs in 3 separate shallow dishes; set aside. Pour oil to a depth of 2″ into a 6-qt. Dutch oven; heat over medium-high heat until deep-fry thermometer reads 325°. Working in batches, coat chicken in flour, shake off excess, and dip in eggs; coat in breadcrumbs. Fry chicken until golden brown and crisp, about 3 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain. Repeat with remaining chicken. Serve with dipping sauce.

My Favorite Season is Autumn

Autumn is lovely. As fun and sunny as summer may be, autumn brings back scarves and boots, bright pumpkins, falling red and yellow leaves. Also, some of my favorite foods are back: pumpkin pie, warm soups and stews, and hot pot! More serious and studious, fall marks the fresh start of a new school year. I especially adore walking on campus on a crisp autumn day with blue skies overhead while bundled up in cold weather gear.

This past week, I was inspired to bake a homemade apple pie. Paired with teriyaki chicken and coconut curry, I was prepared with feed (and nurture) a few friends that I had invited over for dinner. This apple pie recipe was actually picked up from a baking class I had taken during undergrad (via the Experimental College). Taught by a local baker, I was introduced to a simple no-fuss apple pie that did not require cinnamon (I am not a fan of overpowering cinnamon apple pies) and peeling apples. His logic made perfect sense- why overpower an apple pie with strong cinnamon flavoring and why lose the beauty of colorful apple peels? The other differences were the use of potato starch (less gooey than the typical store-bought apple pies) and dried cranberries (adds more color and complements the apples).

Making a homemade crust takes more time, but it makes a difference! Homemade crust is flakier, richer, chewier than store-bought ones. If you have a food processor (on my wish list!), make your own crust by all means! Just toss all the ingredients into the food processor, give it a whirl, and you'll have perfect pie crust.


Butter Crust (in comparison to a crust made with lard as the fat of choice)

2 1/2 c. flour
1 tsp. salt
1 c. (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1/2 c. ice water, or more if necessary
1 tsp. nutmeg (optional)
1 tsp. cinnamon (optional)

Directions:

1. Combine flour, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon in a large bowl. Add pieces of butter, then process (either in a food processor or by hand using a pastry knife) until mixture is crumbly. Add ice water, and then process until dough just holds together without being wet or sticky. (Test by squeezing dough, if it holds together it is done.) If dough is too dry and crumbly, add more ice water. 
2. Turn 1/2 of dough mixture onto a large piece of plastic wrap. Fold ends of plastic wrap over dough, forming dough into a flat disk. Wrap completely in plastic wrap and chill in refrigerator for at least 1 hour. Repeat with other half of dough mixture. 
3. On a lightly floured surface, roll out 1 disk of dough to a thickness of 1/8 inch and 2 inches wider than pie plate. Fold rolled out pastry into quarters, pick up and place in pie dish, unfold pastry, pressing firmly against bottom and sides. Trim edge with scissors, so it is even. Crimp, if desired.
4. Roll out second disk of dough in the same way as the first, and use as the top layer in a double layer pie.

Homemade Apple Pie

5 c. sliced fresh apples, cored and leaving skins on

1 tsp. lemon zest

3/4 c. sugar

1/4 c. potato starch

1/2 c. craisins, rehydrated in microwave with 1/4 c. rum (or brandy or water) for 35 seconds

1 egg, beaten with 1/4 c. water (egg wash)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Prepare pie crusts. Mix apples, lemon zest, sugar, potato starch, and rehydrated craisins together. Fill prepared pie dish. 
3. Cover apple mixture with top crust, trim excess dough from edges, seal edge (with water if necessary) and flute edge of pie crust. Add slits to top crust. Brush egg wash on edges of pie and top crust. 
4. Bake for 35-45 minutes, or until crust is slightly browned. 

To Honduras and Alaska and Back!

I suppose my vacation(s) ended this afternoon as I finally sat down in front of my computer and tackled the mountains of emails from the past 2 or so weeks. It's pretty sad when the majority of my emails are from Groupon and Livingsocial- I guess it's time to dial down the number of emails I receive from them everyday...

The last month has been a blur, constantly on-the-go! I guess I should recap my entire month of September. In a sentence: after working full-time the last 2 months, it was finally vacation time!

1. Our college group headed off to camping at Deception Pass for a few amazing days (yes, shockingly, no one was hurt even with Billy around!). As much as I want to hate on camping (ew... living in the woods?!), I had fun and didn't (quite) want to come back!
2. The moment I got back from camping, the realization hit- I was heading out-of-the-country in a few short days. Yes, at the age of 23, I was finally (kinda) traveling by myself! Yet, I had one last hurdle to jump through before my medical mission trip to Honduras- work presentation. Luckily, my neurons were firing on all cylinders, and I super-charged through preparing for my presentation (hmm, I barely remember the topic now... oh yes- New Treatments for Hepatitis C). Presentation done? Check! Off to Honduras!
3. My trip to Honduras (not technically a "vacation" since our brigade went to Honduras with a purpose) blew away all my expectations and trepidation. I was a little nervous, going on a trip to a foreign country for the first time with a group of pharmacy students that I didn't really know (most were a year below me). However, I had a wonderful time! The people in my brigade were awesome, the Honduran people were amazing, and the week flew by! Expect a separate blogpost on Honduras... coming soon *fingers crossed*.
4. Then it was home in Seattle for a short stay. Short, but enough time to meet up with some old high school friends that I haven't seen in years! It brought me waaay back to high school days. It was relaxing to discover that even though I haven't seen them recently, it was so easy to chat and have a good time.
5. Then to wrap it all up, the fam and I went on an Alaskan cruise for 7 days. Good food, good entertainment, aaaand lots of rain. Oh well, I'm from Seattle- I'm used to it!

Not wanting to brag... but I had an unbelievably amazing wonderful fantastic summer! Even before the month of September, with all the hangouts and BBQs and game nights, I can perhaps say THIS was the best summer of my life!

Okay, enough with the words. I know everyone just wants to see the pictures! Here are a few of my favorites :)

First day in Honduras, right before
the tropical thunderstorm hit!

Anybody recognize the country? :)

Hello from Alaska! 

Ice sculptures!

Me with Sam the Seal!

Walking the pier in Victoria, BC

Maryland Kids and Blueberry Coffee Cake

Action-packed weekend with the Maryland kids just ended... and left me all by myself at home feeling a bit lonely. After hours of hanging out and having people all around me, being alone is startling. The abrupt change of pace from rowdiness to quietness can be jarring.

Yet, time alone is so scarce now in the summer that I need to treasure every minute of it. Being home by myself is time to recollect my thoughts, tackle my ever-growing To Do list, blog and bake, read up on articles for work.

I had a mini-panic moment this week as I realized that my Honduras trip is in 2 weeks! I feel utterly inadequate and woefully under-prepared for my adventure (of a lifetime?). I still need vaccinations (tomorrow), pack up all the medications I'm bringing (next weekend), figure out what to pack, brush up on my conversational Spanish (hopeless), and mentally prepare myself as I take a very large step outside my comfort zone.

So in the midst of the busy-ness, I managed to produce a Blueberry Sour Cream Coffee Cake complete with a crumb topping. This cake was a three day process, not by choice!

1. Thursday night- I got a craving to bake. I decided upon a coffee cake, because it's easy, quick, and delicious. I was planning on bringing the cake to work the next day. As I creamed together the butter and sugar (first step), I was horrified to discover I had no eggs in the house! With dejection, I placed the butter/sugar mixture into the fridge to finish another day.
2. Saturday afternoon- I lined up all the ingredients I needed for my coffee cake (not wanting to repeat the fiasco from Thursday). Flour, salt, vanilla extract, eggs, sour cream- all check. Wait... where's my baking powder?! I ran to the Grocery Outlet down the street, but to no avail. Grocery Outlet didn't have the one ingredient I needed in stock! Low on time and in frustration, I placed all the ingredients back and hoped that the butter/sugar mixture would last another day in the refrigerator.
3. Sunday evening- Third time was the charm! All necessary ingredients? Check. Ample time to bake? Check. Successful and delicious cake? Check! 

Blueberry Sour Cream Coffee Cake (modified from Allrecipes)

3/4 c. butter, softened

2 c. white sugar

2 eggs

1 1/4 c. sour cream

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2 c. all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1/8 tsp. salt

2 c. blueberries (frozen or fresh)

1/3 c. flour

1/2 c. packed brown sugar

2 tbsp. melted butter

1 tsp. cinnamon

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9x13 baking pan or springform pan.
2. In a large bowl, cream together 3/4 c. butter and white sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Then, stir in sour cream and vanilla. Mix in flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir in blueberries. Spread batter in prepared pan.
3. Prepare crumb topping: In medium bowl, mix together 1/3 c. flour, brown sugar, melted butter, and cinnamon. Sprinkle evenly over batter. 
4. Bake until done, when toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Baking time varries depending on the size of pan. For a 10-inch diameter springform pan, I baked the cake for about 1 hour. For a 9x13 pan, baking time will be closer to 35-40 minutes.

Hello, Blog

Sitting at home. Time is 7:29pm. Spotify on. Alone. Brother at work. M and G in Hawaii. A at family dinner. Why hello, Blog!

I had yet another up-and-down day at the OP Zoo. Most patients are manageable and some I even go above-and-beyond to help, but it just takes one. One crazy, off-his-meds, psychotic (literally) patient who doesn't want to pay his copay and is too busy to go see the financial counselor to get charity. After Monday's incident I was antsy and ready to call security right off the bat... At least this time there was no personal attacks and cursing involved. Welcome to Harborview :).

Strangely enough, I'm busier this summer than during the school year. Busy with a full-time (sometimes overtime) job and full-time play. A snapshot of Summer 2011:

Late June/July: White water rafting, VBS, Vball, Ivar's (twice), HS/College Retreat, Tennis, BBQ and Fugitive, USH and Gelato, work work work + overtime

August: WCCC, Blueberry Picking, Hiking (shocking...), $hopping, Paintballing, Glo's 20th!
A little more than a month of summer left... and still so much I want to do. Coming up: college camping@Deception Pass, then Honduras with GMB, and fam trip to Alaska. Plus, I want to squeeze in (at least) another game of Fugitive, more BBQs and potlucks, eat at Vancouver BC, crabbing, and of course, more cooking and baking. Fingers crossed!

Ms. Lasagna Meets Mr. Freezer

I eagerly wanted all the promises offered by homemade freezer food to hold true. Delicious, really easy and no-fuss meals after a long day of work? Save money on groceries by buying and cooking food in bulk? Yes, please! In response, I checked out a few cookbooks from the library that were devoted to making freezer meals, and set to work in the kitchen on the rare no-work day. 

1. I spent that Friday morning diligently reading up on all recipes in Don't Panic, (More) Dinner's in the Freezer, studiously noting which recipes I wanted to try. 
2. The hardest part: Deciding which entrees I wanted to make and freeze. I settled on Heavenly Scones, World's Best Lasagna, Chicken Enchiladas, and Tangy Chops with Honey Curry Sauce.
3. Compile my shopping list and go shopping!
4. Cook. 
5. Freeze.

From beginning to end, the endeavor took from roughly 6 hours of time. And the glorious result- dinner for the next week is solved! No more cereal for dinner when I have my pick of homemade frozen dinners.  

First up, I really wanted to try my hand at making lasagna. Inspiration: Jess made lasagna for our girls' group a few weeks ago, and it was simply amazing! As I pored through the recipes in the cookbook, I realized that I preferred to use good ol' Allrecipes.com for my basic recipes. I guess part of me is a bit suspicious of cookbooks put together by 1 person- what if their taste differs from mine? So, I found World's Best Lasagna on Allrecipes.com with over 2000 reviews. I modified the recipe to be less meaty and include more veggies, then followed the tips on how to freeze food from the cookbook. My version is below! 

World's Best Lasagna (modified) 

2 tbsp. vegetable oil

1 1/2 lb. lean ground beef

1/2 c. diced onions

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 (28oz.) can crushed tomatoes

2 (6oz.) cans of tomato paste 

2 (6.5oz.) cans of tomato sauce (I substituted some chunky salsa, turned out well)

1/2 cup water

2 tbsp. white sugar

1/2 cup fresh basil

1 tbsp. salt

1/4 tsp. black pepper

1 tsp. oregano

3 zucchinis (green or yellow), sliced

8 oz. package mushrooms, sliced

16 lasagna noodles, soaked in hot water for 20 minutes until pliable

16 oz. ricotta cheese

1 egg

1/2 tsp. salt

Dash of nutmeg

4-6 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:

1. In skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil, then add onions and garlic and cook until soft. Add ground beef, and cook until browned. Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce, and water. Season with sugar, 1 tablespoon salt, pepper, oregano, and basil. 
2. In another skillet or pot, heat 1 tablespoon oil and saute zucchini and mushrooms until soft. Stir veggies into meat sauce. Simmer sauce, covered, for 45 minutes to 1 1/2 hours. 
3. Soak lasagna noodles for 20-30 minutes in hot water, until noodles are pliable. Drain, and rinse with cold water. In mixing bowl, combine ricotta cheese, egg, nutmeg, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. 
4. Prepping for the Freezer: Assemble lasagna either in one 9x13 pan or two 8x8 pans. Line pans with aluminum foil, then a layer of plastic wrap. Make sure aluminum foil and plastic wrap are large enough to cover bottom, sides, and top of the dish. 
5. Assembling in 8x8 pan: Layer 1/4 of the meat sauce, 4 lasagna noodles (cut noodles to fit pan), 1/4 of the ricotta mixture, 1 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, then repeat layers. Repeat for other 8x8 pan. 
6. Freezing: Tightly seal plastic wrap to remove air. Then seal outer aluminum foil layer. Flash freeze in 8x8 baking pan for 30 minutes, then slide lasagna out of pan and freeze in freezer bag. 
7. Eating the lasagna: Thaw lasagna in fridge the day prior to eating. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Remove plastic wrap and foil. Spray 8x8 pan with nonstick spray, then bake lasagna in pan for 25 minutes with foil loosely covering lasagna. Then remove foil, and bake for an additional 25 minutes. Cool 15 minutes before serving. 

The lasagna was delicious, and was even better the next day as leftovers! And the best part... and true story: Even though I came home late on Tuesday after work, dinner was ready for Ben, Nathan, and I. I had placed the lasagna in the fridge the night before, and Ben popped the lasagna into the oven around 4:30pm to bake. As I walked into the front door, the smell of meaty tomato sauce wafted throughout our house. Success!

After flash freezing: lasagna has mold of 8x8 pan

Chinatown Eats: Sub Sand

First impressions can be misleading. When Shu texted me our lunch spot for the week, I thought "sub sand" had to be an abbreviation for the restaurant's full name. Then, when I arrived, I was a little weirded out by the tubs of cooked meats all lined at the ordering counter. 

Sub Sand is a tiny Asian-style Subway-inspired sandwich shop in the ID with more variations on the banh mi (Vietnamese sandwich) than I could ever imagined. Just like Subways (or Chipotle), they make your sandwich upon your order, in front of you. You can choose toppings for your sandwich- no thanks to the cilantro and jalepenos. And I rarely mention the service at restaurants, but Sub Sand's owner and staff were very friendly! 

Shu and I both ordered the Lemongrass Chicken Sandwich per raving Yelp reviews. Toasted, fresh baguette buns? Check. Crisp veggies? Check. Perfectly seasoned white radish/carrot mixture? Check. Sub Sand makes a delectable sandwich, which I thoroughly enjoyed. The price is slightly higher than your typical to-go Vietnamese pork sandwich- but in this case, I would be willing to pay a dollar more for the fresh ingredients. The only detraction: Both Shu and I noticed that the lemongrass chicken did not quite live-up to the "lemongrass" billing. Don't get me wrong, the chicken still tasted yummy, but the lemongrass was very... subtle. I'll try another sandwich next time... why not, when there's so many (more than 15) options? 

The final word: Sub sand is a place you should try if you're ever in the ID-area, but I would not go out of my way and drive down to the ID just for this little hidden-away restaurant. It definitely hits the spot for a quickie and cheap lunch. 

Ratings: 4 out of 5 stars 

Chinatown Eats: Tamarind Tree

Shu has been introducing me to the restaurants in the International District, and I have to say that I am very impressed. Yes, the ID is rather dirty, can be stinky, sometimes sketchy with unsavory characters- but the FOOD is darn good! Cheap, good eats is the criteria, and so far, the ID has been 3 out of 3.

First up, lunch this week was at Tamarind Tree in Little Saigon. A half-mile walk from Harborview, Tamarind Tree was absolutely worth it. A hidden-away restaurant in the back corner of some Asian plaza, I was slightly turned off by the stink and uncleanliness of the area before entering the restaurant. However, once inside, Tamarind Tree does not fail to impress. The decor reminded me of upscale Japanese sushi restaurants in Belltown, not something I expected from Little Saigon. The restaurant was polished and classy, definitely not your typical Vietnamese pho shop. Shu and I both ordered from the $5 lunch menu (apparently their "anniversary" menu that's been running for at least 2 years). Shu ordered the Shrimp Patty Noodles, and I requested Grilled Steamed Rolls. Considering the only Vietnamese food I am accustomed to is pho, I had no idea what to expect. In fact, Grilled Steamed Rolls made me think of wrapped spring rolls you get as appetizers, and I wasn't sure if I would be full from that single order.

I was blown away when the food arrived. I cannot adequately describe the dish, but here goes. On a bed of steamed rice "paper" (think: thick rice noodles) was heaping amounts of bean sprouts, fresh basil, and thinly sliced marinated grilled pork. On the side was a small bowl of flavorful sauce that I poured all over the dish. To my consternation, I wasn't quite sure how to eat all the delicious food in front of me at first. Still holding to my "spring roll" bias, I thought perhaps I was suppose to roll up the ingredients with the rice paper. Nope, after double-checking the rice noodles, I decided there was no way I could separate the sticky sheets into individual pieces. So, I simply dug in. The fish sauce with mixed herbs was amazing. So good sauce- I could probably drink it as soup if I could! The grilled pork was perfectly flavorful. The whole time I was chewing, I was trying to pinpoint the singular taste of the pork marinade. The unique underlying flavor was just out of reach... eventually, I gave up and just chalked it up to general "yumminess". I was completely stuffed at the end, but I couldn't bear to leave even a scrap of the delicious food uneaten.

You'll have to ask Shu how good her food was; I was a bit preoccupied with my own dish. If it was even half as good, I would be willing to try it in a heartbeat. Our lunch conversation was punctuated by exclamations of "Wow... yum...." and "This is really really really good." Even better, the $5 menu makes the meal completely affordable. There probably isn't a more delicious, cheaper option in the ID. No wonder Shu's coworkers go to Tamarind Tree at least 3 times a week! If you can try anywhere in the ID/Chinatown- go to Tamarind Tree! (This post is making me salivate in anticipation of my next visit already...)

Pardon the poor quality of the pics- the lighting of the restaurant was dim and I was too eager to start eating to waste time (I mean, focus) on taking a good picture!

Grilled Steamed Rolls

Shrimp Patty Noodles

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Lemon Pound Cake

Lemon Pound Cake Specs:

• Solid, dense cake with total weight over 1 pound
• Made in a bundt pan
• Requires 5 eggs and 2 sticks of butter
• For extra lemony-ness: baste with lemon syrup and drizzle lemon glaze
• Serve with fresh sliced strawberries and a dollop of homemade whipped cream = heavenly

**Jump to Lemon Pound Cake recipe**

Slow Cooker Chili

I really cannot take credit for the BEST CHILI I HAVE EVER EATEN (and I don't even really like chili...). The above pic was 98% Ben and maybe 2% me. I merely found the recipe. But Ben was the one who actually cut, diced, cooked this chili to perfection. 

I love this recipe because it uses the slow cooker! Which means less time in the kitchen stirring the pot and adjusting the stove heat. Instead, the slow cooker takes over. The slow cooker is a bit like a magician's hat- you put in a bunch of raw, unpolished ingredients, and a few hours later it delivers a sumptuous dinner! 

A little about the cookbook, The Best Slow & Easy Recipes- It's part of the Best Recipes series by Cook's Illustrated. While it has few pictures, it has wonderful exposes on the process of developing each recipe. The authors write about how they determined the best ingredients and the best way to cook each dish. I love reading and I love cooking, so it's a perfect match for me. Reading all about cooking- sounds like a perfect lazy afternoon :). 

Slow Cooker Chili (modified from Cook's Illustrated The Best Slow & Easy Recipes)

1 tbsp. vegetable oil

2 onions, diced

3 garlic cloves, minced

1/8 c. (=2 tbsp) chili powder

1/8 c. (=2 tbsp) tomato paste

1/2 tbsp ground cumin (we did not include this)

1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes

Salt

1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes

1 can (14 oz) tomato puree (puree 1 can diced/whole tomatoes in blender)

1 can (15.5 oz) dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 1/2 tbsp. soy sauce 

1/2 tsp. dried oregano 

1/2 tbsp. brown sugar

1-2 tsp. minced chipotle chili in adobo sauce (we did not include this)

1 lbs. 85% lean ground beef

Black pepper

Limes, cut into wedges (optional)

Shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions:

1. Heat oil in nonstick skillet, then add onions, garlic, chili powder, tomato paste, cumin, pepper flakes, and 1/4 tsp. salt, stirring often until onions are slightly browned. Stir in diced tomatoes with their juices. 
2. Transfer mixture to slow cooker and stir in beans, tomato puree, soy sauce, oregano, sugar, and chipotle until evenly combined. Season the meat with salt and pepper and stir it into the slow cooker, breaking up large pieces. Cover and cook until meat is tender and chili is flavorful- 8 to 9 hours on low setting, 5 to 6 hours on high setting. 
3. Let the chili settle for 5 minutes, then remove fat/oil from surface with large spoon. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with lime wedges and shredded cheese.

Seattle Adventures: Pike Place Market and The Confectional

After feasting at Henry's Taiwan, I dragged Kyle and Donnie to walk through Pike Place Market with me in the afternoon. We felt like tourists... pointing at the pig statue, taking pics of the grotesque monkfish, trying out every possible free sample there was- fruit, chocolate, honey, even chocolate spaghetti. We indulged on mini donuts (frosted with sprinkles, cinnamon/sugar dusted, plain, and chocolate), an absolute must when I trek all the way out to Pike Place. Along the way, we grabbed bags and bags of free samples of pita chips and hummus. Our mother lode was a sight to behold! Surprisingly, I had visited Pike Place more recently than either of the two Seattle-grown boys, and this made our trip even more fun, since visiting Pike Place isn't a common occurrence.

In actuality, our trip had a semi-purpose. I was determined to locate The Confectional. The bakery specializing in individual cheesecakes. I had my first experience of The Confectional's creations last Christmas, when a pharmacist brought a case of cheesecakes into work (for all of us poor hospital slaves who don't even get holidays off). I was instantly hooked. At the time, I remember the difficulty deciding between which flavor of cheesecake to choose. The pumpkin spice or the red velvet? Or the caramel? Then there was the triple berry... The store was much less remarkable than I had imagined it to be. Nothing at all like Willy Wonka's Amazing Chocolate Factory! Ah well, I guess those were unrealistic expectations. A very plain counter with a window displaying all the cheesecake flavors offered today. I finally settled on 4 different flavors with lots of help from the guys, luckily they were there or else my indecisiveness would have dragged on forever! Peanut Butter, Triple Berry, Caramel, and Raspberry White Chocolate. Of course, I brought them home for Ben and I to share. I got the Triple Berry and Caramel, and he chose the Raspberry White Chocolate and Peanut Butter. Dense, sweetened cream cheese on top of a graham cracker crust shaped into the perfect portion size. Absolutely heavenly! At $4 per cheesecake, it was definitely expensive, but worth splurging on once in a while (especially when you get holiday pay for working Christmas)!

Tourists! Haha...

Beautiful, colorful bouquets

Ugliest Fish in the World

This just might have been our favorite place that day... free samples!

The Mother Lode

Top Left: Peanut Butter
Top Right: Caramel
Bottom Left: Triple Berry
Bottom Right: Raspberry White Chocolate

Seattle Adventures: Henry's Taiwan

The past month has definitely lived up to the motto of "work hard, play hard." It's been a whirlwind of activities interspersed between work shifts. Almost no time to sleep, and even less time to catch up on my blogging. But, I feel obligated to blog. I started this blog as an outlet, a place for myself to vent and pour out my thoughts. While I have realized that blogs are too public to treat as a personal diary, that sense of selfishness hasn't changed. I blog for myself, no one else. I think of it as a way for me to look back someday (one year? five years? ten years from now?) and see how blessed my life truly is!

I celebrated the end of another school year with lunch at a Taiwanese eatery in the International District- Henry's Taiwan. Unfortunately, I was running late, then Kyle was also running late (which actually turned out to be a good thing, since Donnie could then come with us)- in the end, poor Shu had to rush through lunch to go back to work. Ah... work, bane of life. Fortunately, the food was quite delicious!

To borrow a Chinese idiom, "my eye was bigger than my stomach" (yan du da xiao) which meant every square inch of our small table was crammed with various dishes. For the 4 of us, we had the popcorn chicken, shaved beef noodles, purple fried rice with Chinese sausage, another dish that I don't remember, and of course, stinky tofu! I made the 2 boys try the infamous Taiwanese delicacy- stinky tofu. In fact, our waiter suggested that in order to date Chinese girls, they both had to learn to love stinky tofu. Unfortunately, they weren't a huge fan... but that just meant more for me! Yum yum! 

I especially liked the fried rice, which was made with purple rice and had chunks of Chinese sausage. It was quite flavorful and authentic (though, since I really am an ABC, who am I to judge authenticity?). Usually, I refrain from ordering fried rice at restaurants, since it's something I feel that I can cook at home; however, Henry's fried rice really is quite excellent and I would order it again and again. The other dishes were good in retrospect, but not memorable. For example, we devoured the popcorn chicken (who doesn't like fried chicken pieces dusted with salt and pepper???). And the stinky tofu was good (although, I thought Rocking Wok's was slightly better), especially with lots of Chinese kimchi! Perhaps, we over-ordered. Too many choices made us more picky and critical eaters. Our feast wasn't expensive- about $10 per person, including lots of leftovers for dinner or lunch the next day. Like most of the ID restaurants, it is a bit small, so seating is very limited. Another bonus: if the waiter happens to know you... free appetizers! Apparently the waiter recognized me from church... small world, eh? 

Henry's Taiwan is definitely another restaurant I would introduce my Taiwanese parents to! I just love taking my parents to Taiwanese restaurants, so they can taste memories from their childhood. It's the best compliment when Dad approves a restaurant's stinky tofu, or Mom comments that the food is quite genuine! 

Working those chopsticks skills!

Beef Shaved Noodles

Everyone's favorite: Popcorn Chicken

Stinky Tofu: See all that stinky sauce? nom nom nom

--out and about--

awaiting her owner's return

sweeties!

Happy Birthday, Jess!

The Confectional: Triple Berry Cheesecake

@the Phillip's for dinner! Each of us got to hold baby Daniel! 

Veggie Chowder and Work Drivel

I slightly tweaked and modified the veggie chowder recipe on Ann's blog according to what I had in my fridge. It was the perfect (fatty) comfort food for me to pig out on while curled up on the couch watching mindless TV after a horrendous day at work. I will definitely keep this recipe handy during the cold, rainy Seattle autumns/winters/springs.

Veggie Chowder
1/4 c. butter
1 tsp. garlic, minced
1/2 onion, diced
8 oz. white mushrooms, sliced
1/2 c. frozen broccoli cutlets
1/4 c. flour
1/2 c. heavy cream
1 c. milk
1 can (14.5 oz) chicken broth
Splash of white cooking wine
A few heaping spoonfuls of sour cream... (recipe called for 1 c. sour cream, I used significantly less and the soup's consistency was still plenty thick and tasted delicious)
Salt, to taste
Generous amounts of black pepper

Directions:

1. Melt butter in large pot. Saute garlic and onions until tender. Toss in mushrooms, and cook until soft. 
2. Add heavy cream and milk. Whisk in flour slowly to prevent clumping. Add chicken broth. Bring soup to a boil, then lower heat and continue cooking for 2 minutes. Add frozen broccoli and cooking wine, if using. 
3. Stir in sour cream, and heat through. Season with salt and pepper to taste. 

The soup is flexible to accommodate whatever you have in your fridge. Make the soup a hearty meal by throwing in ham or bacon, and serve with crusty bread. Or add more/different veggies; just remember, frozen veggies can be thrown in later after all the liquid has been added, while fresh veggies should be sauteed in butter with the mushrooms and onions. Next time, I might try with chunks of potatoes and bacon! Yum yum! 

So more about my day: why exactly was my day horrendous you ask? Well, I had such high hopes going into work this morning after my fantastic high-energy on-fire workday last Friday... alas, today was the complete opposite. Strangely enough, even with an iced mocha to begin my day, I had an headache and felt slow all morning. My mind wasn't quite awake even though laid in bed for at least 8 hours last night, and thus I kept making errors while typing prescriptions. By the afternoon, I was completely frustrated at myself, to the point that I was working slower and slower to avoid typing new prescriptions. At one point I made mistakes in 3 consecutive prescriptions. 

Furthermore, Mondays are hectic days at the pharmacy. Since the pharmacy is closed on Sundays, Mondays bring in all the people who didn't plan ahead and didn't pick up their medications before the weekend. At multiple points throughout the day, the pharmacy lobby was packed, usually with a screaming child or two. Our pick-up line for refills was swamped. Our queue for new prescriptions ballooned to at least 6 or 7 waiters, plus the 3 or 4 we were already working on. And of course, each patient demands why his or her prescriptions are not done within 20 minutes! Additional problems (like my mistakes) extend the whole process of typing, pulling, filling, verifying, dispensing. 

Some of the most newsworthy lines from the patients today: 

• "I ain't paying for this! Your job is to figure out how to get me my medications so I don't have to pay for them!" --Patient on refusing to pay for early refills (because she was going on a trip) for her painkiller medications 
• "Why is the pharmacist questioning THE doctor! My doctor wrote the prescription, so the pharmacist should just give me my medications! She [pharmacist] isn't a doctor!" --Patient not understanding why a pharmacist was verifying a prescription with the prescriber before dispensing the medication
• "Are you NEW??" --the words don't do justice to the loathing, despise that was conveyed in the patient's tone
• And of course, you can't forget about the patient who just stands at my window glaring at me, or the patient who runs up to the counter every 3 minutes and asks if his meds are done yet

So often I don't know how to respond to these angry patients, namely because I get riled up at them! For feeling like the "pharmacy should just be like Mickey D's- in and out" while feeling entitled to get free medications in life. Understandably, my nerves were grated and raw by the time 5pm swung around. 

No way am I going to work retail or outpatient in the future! I'll take the comatose patient in the ICU over a patient who yells, demands, cusses, throws a fit, and rants any day. You can't get through or communicate intelligently with either... 

Wide-Eyed Caffeine Infusion

I can proudly declare that I am NOT a coffee-dependent Seattle-ite. Even when midterms, finals, and early mornings roll around during the schoolyear, I don't run straight for the coffee-stand. Coffee simply does not appeal- who chooses to drink bitter, unpleasant liquid that leaves a lingering bad taste in your mouth?

But this past week I had a taste of the attraction that caffeine (better known in our society as "coffee") offers. For once I was early to work, so I decided to stop by the busy Harborview cafe hub. I am such a newb that I didn't even know how to order my drink. The barista gently prompted me as I stumbled over my order: "uh... a macchiato, the sweet kind... you know..." Finally, four dollars short later, I had my double tall (I think that means two shots of espresso?) iced (but not too much ice) caramel macchiato.

My goodness, did that morning fly by or what! I felt like I was on-fire all day in the pharmacy- churning out prescriptions, getting medications filled, clearly counseling my patients! It was a startling change to be wide awake, coherent, and active so early in the morning. Not only was it doing a world of good for my patients, but I found that I was also more talkative and engaging around the pharmacy staff. I definitely experienced the caffeine buzz... and I liked it!

Yet, I am still not completely committed to $4 coffees every morning. Thoughts whirl around my head: What if I become tolerant, and don't attain the wide-awake sensation from caffeine anymore? Or maybe I was just making up the "caffeine buzz" effect, and it was in reality just a normal day. What about falling into caffeine addiction, and I can no longer function without the stimulant in the morning?

I should not so readily give away my independence and the control of my life to some brownish, muddy highly-addictive (as my classmates attest to) substance.

Musings on Gardening

If a baby is anything like a garden, he (or she) would be unfed, unwatered, all-around neglected for days at a time. It would be forgotten and cast aside if I had a major test to study for or had a long day at work. Even if the "baby" cried for attention, I would most likely put off feeding him or her until a time that is more convenient for more arose.

Thank goodness I don't have a baby! 

My (poor) garden is a lens into my own habits and quirks. I have found out that I am very much the "one-track mind" type. During test season, I live and breathe studying (with numerous breaks interspersed); from the moment I wake up to the last thing I do before I go to sleep, my mind screams "TEST!!!" (Yes, with 3 exclamation marks...) Work can also drain the energy right out of me- 8 hour work shifts turn into 10 hour days with the commute, which leaves little time for cooking/eating/fun/errands, much less tending a garden. 

Therefore, my garden has disintegrated into some disarray. The seeds I had sowed outside have fared alright, survived if not thrived. Even if I forget to water the plants (which is often), the sky provides much needed moisture. Yet, the plants have grown wild, some even sprouting flowers. Overgrown, old plants are usually not very edible, to my dismay. Indoors, I have a pile of wilting lettuce sprouts that are pretty much dead due to lack of adequate sunlight and no watering. My only success story is my small basil plant that provides delicious, fresh basil, but not enough to make pesto. 

All in all, plants are haaard work! They require daily care- I cannot simply add lots of water in spurts or only weed and trim plants every so often. Gardening really isn't a hobby- a hobby is something that I can pick up and put aside in my spare time (i.e. knitting). Instead, gardening involves a commitment and a change in my lifestyle. Other people have dogs or cats or fish, I have plants to care for now!

SUMMER = FREEDOM

No more...

1. Living out of my hamper
2. Subsisting on ramen and frozen foods
3. One-track mind focused only on tests 
4. Having something to do every single minute of my life
5. Living in a pigsty (which means now I need to CLEAN CLEAN CLEAN!) 

In other news, look what a pretty cake Ben and Tiff made for Mel's birthday this past week! I am inspired- I never thought mere mortals could make a cake like those perfect store-bought types, but this was pretty darn close! Perhaps a cake decorating class this summer is in the stars? 

Chocolate Cake with Raspberry Preserves
Topped with Homemade Whipped Cream and Fresh Raspberries

Crash and Burn

Crashing and burning... that's how I feel this quarter has gone. Like to an airplane that has lost control and is nose-diving, I'm flaming out, academically. Ever since Rho Chi initiation, I seemed to have lost any motivation to study. Yet, I still retain my pride and desire for good results. That turns out to be a bad combination: I don't want to study, but I still want to do well. It's like in the movies where the plane bumps, skids, jolts to a screeching halt,  every midterm is a bump, skid, jolt. Every single one worse than the previous one... trying desperately to reach to the end of this ordeal.

Just got punched in the gut by my stats final. Stats- the supposed easy final of this week. I probably deserved it, since I was relying on the 3 pages of notes we could have during the test. To make it worse, I didn't even write out the 3 pages of notes, and used someone else's. Oh boy, the next 48 hours is going to be long, uphill climb.

I don't remember first-year being like this. I remember being excited for those multiple-choice conjoint tests, having full confidence that I would ace them. How the tables have turned... Am I getting dumber, or are the tests getting smarter?

I don't know how to study anymore. I have a headache just staring at my notes, especially pceut notes (bane of my life at the moment). My mind is sluggish. The words I read don't stick at all. I can't focus. Sad truth is, I'm maybe less prepared for these finals than I have ever been for tests, and am relying/praying/wishing on some luck to get through them.

Perfect Dinner? Denied!

I've been impatiently waiting for this Maggiano's dinner for the past 2 weeks. Daydreaming about all-you-can-eat calamari, stuffed mushrooms, salad, pasta while in class. Obsessively checking out Maggiano's menu days beforehand. The night was going to be perfect, with the perfect dress, perfect ride (only 10 minutes late! hehe), beautiful people, and decadent food. 

Everything was perfect, except my stomach. As I saw plates and plates of heaping hot food placed before me, I could only weakly nibble. As much as I drooled over the calamari and my favorite Rigatoni D pasta, my stomach refused to cooperate. Clenching in resistance every time I forced down a bite of creamy pasta or Parmesan-encrusted mushroom caps, my stomach overcame any desire for food. The visceral pain is sharp and acute- yet, there was also a chronic throbbing that intensified through the 2 hour dinner. The mental disappointment was just as great- our much-hyped ASCP end-of-the-year in-and-out dinner was completely wasted on me. Yet the fact was, the more I wanted to eat, the more my stomach denied me. Warm water, slow bites, good conversation- none distracted the pain. 

It felt like labor- and I didn't want any of it! Chronic, no end in sight, intensifying contractive pain. By the end of the night, it took all my concentration and willpower to stand up tall and smile for pictures outside. It felt like my organs were being shredded by acidic gastric juices. 

Perfect dinner- thwarted again! 

Dreaming of Summer

Summer can't come soon enough! I'm ready to forget school, not be burdened with endless studying, and play! With finals week looming and imminent, this is what I'm thinking about right now- my top 10 (+1) list for this summer!

1. Visit the Lake City Farmers' Market
2. Experiment with out at least 3 new slow cooker recipes
3. Host a brunch party (or two)... and I now have Nutella to go with my crepes!
4. BBQ, period.
5. Try out the new dessert fad- Cake Pops! 
6. Volleyball at least once a week 
7. Paint something... my house? a room? a pottery piece?
8. Travel- Vancouver BC! Honduras! Alaska! Where else???
9. White water rafting, and live to tell the tale!
10. Update myself on antimicrobials and infectious disease (a bit nerdy, but I like it!)
11. Be the change I want to see 

Tabla

Instead of dinner at Le Pid-ge-on (this is me speaking in an exaggerated, terrible French accent), I found myself and friends at Tabla Mediterranean Bistro this past Sunday.

Getting right to the point: I adored the Duck Confit I ordered, so all was good! It made me so happy I will barely whine about the small portion sizes, really salty olives, lack of bread (don't all fancy restaurants offer bread as an appetizer?!), and the gooey bean/vegetable mixture that came with my duck. The duck was perfectly salted, crispy on the outside, and wonderfully flavored. And surprisingly, there was enough to share!

Another standout was the Tajarin pasta, creamy with hints of woody truffle oil. However, as a main dish, the pasta could be rather carb-heavy, as the dish consisted of only cream and pasta. No veggies, no meat- simply pasta. And is that really worth $18 plus tax and tip?

Overall, Tabla was good, not great. It will probably make it onto my "Portland Restaurant Recommendations list," however, with so many other great restaurants (See: Bunk, Pok Pok) in Portland, Tabla needs to up its game (and portions)!

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Duck Confiiiiiit!