Who let the dogs out??

My little guys had quite the adventure. They left the house Wednesday and roamed the better parts of Cerritos. Unfortunately on their way home, my little girl got hit by a car. Nothing, and I mean NOTHING, breaks your heart more than to see your little one hurt. My waking moments on Friday were spent crying.

But they are both back home now. SAFE and SOUND. Doc gave Oliver a clean bill of health. Lulu has a few broken bones, but she is on the road to recovery. Thank God!

She's a tough little cookie, and I know she'll make it out of this one with flying colors. Of course, I expect nothing less from her.

These are the adventures of Oliver and Lulu~

Avocado Egg Rolls

It's Mother's Day!! And my dish to make during this occasion was Avocado egg rolls. It was so easy to make. You can google the recipe, but I changed mine just a little bit since my fam bam doesn't like things that are too sweet. Plus, I think my way is healthier. haha!

Dipping Sauce
9 tsp white vinegar
3 tsp balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 cup agave nectar
a good pinch of saffron
1 bunch of cilantro
6 garlic cloves
6 green onions
3 tbsp sugar
3 tsp ground black pepper
3 tsp cumin

Egg Rolls
5 avocados
1 jar of sundried tomatoes packed in oil
1/2 red onion, minced
2 1/2 tsp minced cilantro
egg roll wraps
egg
olive oil for frying

Directions
1. Wash and dry the cilantro. Put it into the food processor and pulse until minced. Save 2 1/2 tsp of it for the egg rolls.
2. In a separate bowl, mix the vinegars, agave nectar, and saffron. Microwave on high for 2 minutes.
3. Pour the vinegar mixture into the food processor which the cilantro. Add garlic cloves, green onions, sugar, black pepper, and cumin and process.

4. Cube the avocados. Chop the sundried tomatoes so they are small and bite size.
5. Mix the avocados, sundried tomatoes, minced red onion, and cilantro.
6. Place a tbsp of the avocado mixture onto an egg roll wrapper.
7. Wrap according to the directions on the wrapper.
8. Fry in hot olive oil for about 2-3 minutes.

This dish was a huge hit. And it was so easy to make. The sauce was a lot so don't try to make any more than that. As for the serving size...I used up all the egg roll wrappers, save two. We were feeding a party of 11 people and I had leftovers, BUT there was so much other food...so...yea...

But definitely, it was so good. I know I will make it again. Which is why I wrote this post, so I can refer to it next time. =)

The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran

My very first "philosophical" book was Demian by Herman Hesse. I love philosophical books because after reading, you feel so different. You want to live better. You grow. I've read many books like Demian, but they all seem like child's play compared to The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran.


This book will definitely be read multiple times. I do believe books speak different languages to different people. When I am older, I will be different and the book's message to me will be different as well. For now, these quotes stood out and struck a chord within me.

"For even as love crowns you so shall he crucify you. Even as he is for your growth so is he for your pruning."

"Give your hearts, but not into each other's keeping..and stand together yet not too near together: for the pillars of the temple stand apart, and the oak tree and the cypress grow not in each other's shadow."

"You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth."

"For even as He loves the arrow that flies, so He loves also the bow that is stable."

"And he who has deserved to drink from the ocean of life deserves to fill his cup from your little stream"

"But since you must kill to eat, and rob the newly born of its mother's milk to quench your thirst, let it then be an act of worship."

"And when you crush an apple with your teeth, say to it in your heart, 'Your seeds shall live in my body, and the buds of your tomorrow shall blossom in my heart, and your fragrance shall be my breath, and together we shall rejoice through all the seasons."

"Together they (joy and sorrow) come, and when one sits alone with you at your board, remember that the other is asleep upon your bed."

"And forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet and the winds long to play with your hair."

"But I say that even as the holy and the righteous cannot rise beyond the highest which is in each one of you, so the wicked and the weak cannot fall lower than the lowest which is in you also."

"And when the black thread breaks, the weaver shall look into the whole cloth, and he shall examine the loom also."

"You can muffle the drum, and you can loosen the strings of the lyre, but who shall command the skylark not to sing?"

"And since you are a breath in God's sphere, and a leaf in God's forest, you too should rest in reason and move in passion."

"And the cup he brings, though it burn your lips, has been fashioned of the clay which the Potter has moistened with His own sacred tears."

"If he is indeed wise he does not bid you enter the house of his wisdom, but rather leads you to the threshold of your own mind."

"For in the dew of little things the heart finds its morning and is refreshed."

"Yet the timeless in you is aware of life's timeslessness, and knows that yesterday is but today's memory and tomorrow is today's dream...let today embrace the past with remembrance and the future with longing."

"For what is evil but good tortured by its own hunger and thirst?"

"And even stumbling speech may strengthen a weak tongue."

"If it is for your comfort to pour your darkness into space, it is also for your delight to pour forth the dawning of your heart."

"[Pleasure] is the blossoming of your desires, but it is not their fruit."

"They should remember their pleasures with gratitude, as they would the harvest of a summer."

"You have been told that, even like a chain, you are as weak as your weakest link. This is but half the truth. You are also as strong as your strongest link."

"Verily the kindness that gazes upon itself in a mirror turns to stone."

"And I the believer was also the doubter; for often have I put my finger in my own wound that I might have the greater belief in you and the greater knowledge of you."

"That which seems most feeble and bewildered in you is the strongest and most determined."

"And you shall bless the darkness as you would bless light."

I can't wait to read it again and see this post to see how much the message will differ, if at all.

Other books, similar to this book, and are outstanding books themselves include:
Siddhartha by Herman Hesse (I love this guy)
The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
Ishmael by Daniel Quinn

Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes

"Any one who has common sense will remember that the bewilderments of the eyes are of two kinds, and arise from two causes, either from coming out of the light or from going into the light, which is true of the mind's eye, quite as much as of the bodily eye; and he who remembers this when he sees any one whose vision is perplexed and weak, will not be too ready to laugh; he will first ask whether that soul of man has come out of the brighter life, and is unable to see because unaccustomed to the dark, or having turned from darkness to the day is dazzled by excess of light. And he will count the one happy in his condition and state of being, and he will pity the other; or, if he have a mind to laugh at the soul which comes from below into the light, there will be more reason in this than in the laugh which greets him who returns from above out of the light into the den." -Plato, The Republic


I've always wanted to read this book and I finally had the chance to when I decided to assign it to my 12-year-old tutor girl. I'm so glad I had the opportunity to read it. I could not put it down! Even ask my sister! My nose was constantly in this book! But wow...such a beautiful book.

My very few encounters with special needs children that I have had in my life were what allowed this book to find resonance in my heart. I have a cousin who is born with Down Syndrome. And, during the time when I was going through grade school, the special needs children were able to attend school with us. I am ashamed to say that my experiences were not very pleasant ones. Growing up, I had always thought my cousin was a little off. I felt bad whenever he came over to our house because I didn't want to play with him and yet I felt bad leaving him by himself. At school, I was always afraid of the special needs children. My mom told me to not stare at them, and at that age, I had thought it was because they were bad, not because my mom was trying to teach me to be polite.

But this book is more than just about the rights of special needs people. It is about what constitutes "life."

Growing up, my parents have always stressed the value of intelligence. Undoubtedly, as an adult, I, too, believe in the importance of intelligence and it's role in carrying out a filled life. However, more important than intelligence, is love. Without love, nothing matters. I think that that is what Charlie learned. When you learn to love yourself, you learn to love each other. He realized this through his love for Alice, his love for his friends at the bakery, his love for Algernon, and even his love for his foes.

As a side note, I wish Keyes had delved deeper into Charlie's relationship with Alice. He had gone on so much about Charlie's sexual development (to the point where it got the book banned in most schools), it seems almost a waste when compared to his relationship with Alice. I leave a favorite quote of mine. (There were a few but I was too busy reading to catch them) I try to live by a "do to others as you would have them do to you" mantra, but sometimes I fall off my rocker and shock myself at my insensitivities...Charlie reminded me again to be more conscious.

"How strange it is that people of honest feelings and sensibility, who would not take advantage of a man born without arms or legs or eyes - how such people think nothing of abusing a man born with low intelligence."

Breakfast Sweets

Too many times, recipes for sweets calls for too much sugar or too much chocolate. There is no such thing as too sweet, you say? There is no such thing as too much chocolate, you say? Take my word for it, there is. So when there is a recipe that doesn't come out too sweet, it is definitely a good find. Here is the recipe. Trust me and put the chocolate chips in there. It is tasteless without them.

Mini Maple Chocolate Chip Pancake Muffins.
(Courtesty of Bakerella)

1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
2/3 cup buttermilk
1 egg
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
2 tablespoons melted butter
1/2 cup milk chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar in a medium bowl. Sift together with a wire whisk.

3. In another bowl, stir buttermilk, egg, maple syrup and melted butter until just combined.

4. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir with a spoon until combined.

5. Stir in chocolate chips. Reserve a few chips to sprinkle on the tops.

6. Bake for 8-9 minutes.

Giada De Laurentiis's Spicy Baked Macaroni

Oh my goodness! I thought this was a mac and cheese recipe! When I googled, Giada De Laurentiis' mac and cheese recipe, this one came up. But now as I'm writing this post, I realized the name of this dish is "Spicy Baked Macaroni" =( What a dummy I am...but it was still good. Beware, this dish is NOT spicy as it claims to be. Well, then again, I'm Korean so not many things that claim to be spicy are spicy to me. Eh~ What are you going to do?

Next time, though, I think I will use 2 cans of diced tomatoes. So here's the recipe! Give it a try~

Ingredients

Salt

1 pound elbow macaroni pasta

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 pound assorted mushrooms, quartered

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes

1 (10-ounce) package frozen spinach, thawed and drained of excess liquid

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/2 cups bread crumbs

1/4 cup grated Parmesan, plus 1/3 cup

1/4 cup Romano, plus 1/3 cup

2 tablespoons butter, softened, plus 2 tablespoons

12 ounces mozzarella cubed (about 2 cups)

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain pasta.

3. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the mushrooms, onion, and garlic. Cook until the mushrooms are tender and the onion is golden, about 7 minutes. Add the tomatoes, spinach, and red pepper flakes. Stir to combine and cook until heated through, about 5 minutes.

4. In a small bowl, mix together the bread crumbs, 1/4 cup Parmesan, and 1/4 cup Romano. Spread the softened butter in a 9 by 13-inch glass baking dish and sprinkle half of the bread crumb mixture inside the dish to coat.

5. In a large bowl combine the vegetable mixture with the cooked macaroni, cubed mozzarella, the remaining Parmesan and Romano cheeses, and the nutmeg. Spoon into the prepared baking dish, top with the remaining bread crumb mixture, and dot the top with the remaining butter. Bake until the top is golden brown, about 30 to 40 minutes.

Tess of the D'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy

When I first met Tess, I was about 15 or 16. I was young and impressionable. When Alec and Angel broke Tess's heart, they broke mine too. The anger and resentment towards Alec and Angel and the heartache for Tess was all too tangible for me. That was then.

I've come a long way since I was 16. I am no longer that fragile, impressionable girl. I've learned to become a fighter, a survivor, and a protector of my heart. Which is why Tess infuriates me. Why is she such a tragic character? She accepts these sorrows that life throws at her, as if it was her fate. Well, I'm a believer that you write your own destiny, so her actions are not okay with me!

Dear Tess,
Alec may have destroyed your body but Angel destroyed your spirit! And while what Alec did was horrible, Angel's crime is unforgivable. Love? Do you think he loved you? Wake up and smell the flowers sweetcheeks! He didn't love you! He loved the IDEA of you. Stop crying and thinking that your life is worthless. You said yourself, you are "a peasant by name, not by nature." Stop being a slave to your circumstances and become the master of your life. *snap snap snap!*
With love, your life coach

The Darnest Books...

Little Women. Ugh.

Once in a blue moon, a book comes along to waste your life. In my humble opinion, no book is ever a waste of time. But dang. Little Women sure does come incredibly close to it.

First off, the book truly has no plot to it. It's just a story of four sisters and how they grow up and enter society. Boring! But there was a charm to it. And the charm was Louisa May Alcott. Hands down, she is the most talented writer ever! The book was filled with beautiful aphorisms that touched my soul. They were so simple and yet so deep. If ever I had continued to pursue my dreams of becoming a writer, Alcott would have been model I aspired to. Still, she is the most talented writer I have come across. And the novel truly showcases that.

But but but! *Spoiler alert* Jo and Laurie don't get married?!?!?! Are you kidding me??? What's that??? I understand the book is not a true non fiction, but really??? Who on earth does that? What sister (Amy) marries a guy (Laurie) who was in love with her sister (Jo)???? No sister would ever do that!!!! I wouldn't even date, let alone marry, a guy who was in love with even just a friend of mine! Did Alcott just not get this??? I would have rather Alcott not make Jo get married at all if it should have truly been a biography! Ugh Ugh Ugh!!!! Of course in real life Jo and Laurie would have gotten married! For a book that is supposed to have found its charm through it frank and honest look at life, it lost it's charm by introducing a fake ending! That's right! A FAKE ending!

T.T Wahhhhh!!! My heart is in despair!! This book is almost as bad as Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code. No. It's worse! Because I believe Alcott is a literary genius and I expect more from her!!!! T.T T.T T.T I'm having nightmares because of this book, and while I loved reading her writing, I really wish I had never read the book. T.T

I obviously WON'T be watching this movie

ugh...

When the parents are away, the kids go to an...ALL YOU CAN EAT!

My parents occasionally like to go out on double or triple dates with their friends. I find it very cute and I hope that one day my husband and I will be like them. However, I have no husband at the moment and so when they "go out," this translates to "take care of your own dinner." So, my sissy took me to Joe's Sushi, out in lakewood, and we got the all-you-can-eat.

Let's just say this...2 girls=7 sushi rolls and 14 sashimi pieces

It wasn't the BEST

But it definitely wasn't the worst!

Ugh, I feel like a whale...and I DO think she looks like me~ *ponder*

Verdict: I would go there again. It's right here in Lakewood, after all. =)
Check them out!
http://joesushi.net/

The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton

Such a tender and stunning yet incredibly poignant coming of age story, even for those who have already come of age. After all, we never really stop "growing up."



Some of my favorite quotes:

"It seemed funny to me that the sunset she saw from her patio and the one I saw from the back steps was the same one. Maybe the two different worlds we lived in weren't so different. We saw the same sunset." [I've always been amazed at how truly small our world is. Though we may, at times, feel like it is vast and lonely, someone halfway across the world feels the warmth from the same sun and is guided by the same stars and moon as me! That connects us. And it takes my breath away.]

"I listened to his heart pounding through his T-shirt and knew everything was going to be okay now. I had taken the long way around, but I was finally home. To stay." [The best journey never is the straight and narrow.]

"Asleep, he looked a lot younger than going-on-seventeen, but I had noticed that Johnny looked younger when he was asleep, too, so I figured everyone did. Maybe people are younger when they are asleep." [People are much calmer and safer to approach when they are sleeping...]

"Y'all were heroes from the beginning. You just didn't 'turn' all of a sudden." [There's a hero in all of us, isn't there?]

"We'd better get on to work, Pepsi-Cola." [Love love love this name! If I ever have a boy, I'm definitely naming him Soda!]

""You smoke more than a pack today and I'll skin you. Understood?" "Yeah," I said, getting to my feet. "You carry more than one bundle of roofing at a time today and me and Soda'll skin you. Understood?" [The tender display of care and affection here chokes me....*sniff]

"Things are rough all over" [Ain't that the truth...even my little 6th grade girl thinks so! haha~ such is life~]

"He looked at me. "No, you wouldn't. I'm a Soc. You get a little money and the whole world hate you." "No," I said, "you hate the whole world." [We work with what with we have. Amen.]

"...Southern gentlemen had nothing on Johnny Cade."

"Sixteen years on the streets and you can learn a lot. But all the wrong things, not the things you want to learn. Sixteen years on the streets and you see a lot. But all the wrong sights, not the sights you want to see." [Just because you breathe, doesn't mean you live. "And just because you live, doesn't mean you're alive. And everybody dies but not everybody lives." <--words from my fave rapper Nicki. Anyway, I LIVE by this.]

"I'd never liked Dally-but then, for the first time, I felt like he was my buddy. And all because he was glad he hadn't killed me." [Sometimes, a kind word, a soft smile...can go a looooong way. Maybe that's why, a smile from a stranger is one of my favorite things in the world.]

"You're a traitor to your own kind and not loyal to us." [Loyalty is so so so important to me. If you're not loyal to me, then get the hell out because I sure as hell won't be loyal to you.]

"Don't you ever try to give us handouts and then feel high and might about it." [That's right. A girl's gotta have her pride.]

"Soda fought for fun, Steve for hatred, Darry for pride, and Two-Bit for conformity. Why do I fight?" [What's worth fighting for? Dying for?]

"He shouldn't be here, I thought suddenly. I shouldn't be here and Steve shouldn't be here and Soda shouldn't be here and Two-Bit shouldn't be here. We're greasers, but not hoods, and we don't belong with this bunch of future convicts." [Your friends say a LOT about who you are! Choose them wisely. Always.]

"...they've both come here to fight and they're both supposed to be smarter than that. what difference does the side make?" [High school AP Civics/Government teacher once told me that the spectrum of an issue (or anything) is actually a circle. The extremes of both sides are mirror images of each other. Both really bad...and not a good place to be.]

"Stay gold, Ponyboy. Stay gold..." [It's so hard to stay gold...Sometimes I feel like it's meant to fade and yet I cannot get myself to let go...I have to stay gold! Well, we all should really.]

"Johnny was the only thing Dally loved. And now Johnny was gone...So even Dally has a breaking point." [How do you live when your loved ones are gone? When your air is taken away? What is the point of living when there is no one to share it with? I think about this a lot, as natural disasters loom is my mist.]

"Two friends of mine had died that night: one a hero, the other a hoodlum. But I remembered Dally pulling Johnny through the window of the burning church; Dally giving us his gun, although it could mean jail for him; Dally risking his life for us, trying to keep Johnny out of trouble...Dally didn't die a hero. He died violent and young and desperate...But Johnny was right. He died gallant." [Who died gallantly? Johnny? Dallas? Is death gallant? I always thought dying was losing...but can it also be winning?"

"I was real proud of both of them. Dally had been one of our gang and we wouldn't desert him." [Mmmm...loyalty. Now THAT'S what I'm talking about]

"I wish I could say that everything went back to normal, but it didn't. Especially me." [What is normalcy? I always wondered that since I'm a pretty quirky girl...What's normal to me, may not be normal to someone else. Does it matter if I am normal to anyone else other than me? Well....no man is an island...]

"Johnny and Dallas were our buddies, too, but you don't just stop living because you lose someone...You don't quit!" [How do you breathe when your air is taken away from you? What on earth is the meaning of life????]

"We're all we've got left. We ought to be able to be able to stick together against everything. If we don't have each other, we don't have anything. If you don't have anything, you end up like Dallas...I mean like he was before. And that's worse than dead." [Love is a powerful thing. It truly can give you wings.]

"I guess I was still out of shape, because we all three tied. No. I guess we all just wanted to stay together." [So beautiful...]

"Instead of Darry and me pulling him apart, he'd be pulling us together."

"Ponyboy, I asked the nurse to give you this book so you could finish it. The doctor came in a while ago but I knew anyway. I keep getting tireder and tireder. Listen, I don't mind dying now. It's worth it. It's worth saving those kids. Their lives are worth more than mine, they have more to live for. Some of their parents came by to thank me and I know it was worth it. Tell Dally it's worth it. I'm just going to miss you guys. I've been thinking about it, and that poem, that guy that wrote it, he means you're gold when you're a kid, like green. When you're a kid everything's new, dawn. It's just when you get used to everything that it's day. Like the way you dig sunsets, Pony. That's gold. Keep that way, it's a good way to be. I want you to tell Dally to look at one. He'll probably think you're crazy, but ask for me. I don't think he's ever really seen a sunset. And don't be so bugged over being a greaser. You still have a lot of time to make yourself be what you want. There's still lots of good in the world. Tell Dally. I don't think he knows. Your buddy, Johnny." [This entire letter was my favorite of the whole book! I couldn't not put it in. I hope I can remember to always live like this. Oh Johnny, you break my heart!]

"I could picture hundreds and hundreds of boys living on the wrong sides of cities, boys with black eyes who jumped at their own shadows. Hundreds of boys who maybe watched sunsets and looked at stars and ached for something better. I could see boys going down under street lights because they were mean and tough and hated the world, and it was too late to tell them that there was still good in it, and they wouldn't believe you if you did...Someone should tell their side of the story, and maybe people would understand then and wouldn't be so quick to judge a boy by the amount of hair oil he wore. It was important to me." [This sums up the whole book/meaning of life for me. I cried when I read this part. I cried when I read this part to my sister. I cried as I typed it in my blog. I am crying as I summarize it. And I hope it will always bring me to tears whenever I read it. For it is how I will know that I'm still alive in my heart.]

I may or may not say this a lot but I truly believe books are a journey. And I am SO SO SO SO jealous of anyone who will pick up this book and start the journey that is The Outsiders. It has touched my heart and I will never be the same again. And that's a good thing because the Janet who has read this book is a far better person than the Janet who hasn't.

**As a side note, I'm kinda glad I didn't read this as a teen because I think the meaning would have been lost to me and I would not have appreciated it as much. I will have to make sure Sue (my 6th grade tutor child) really understands the point of this wonderful wonderful journey. I can't wait to see the movie!

Sister Sister

My sister and I have these "sister sister" days where we just hang out with each other all day. It started when we were little. We would dress the same and play all day long whether it be with dolls or playing pretend. As we got older, our "sister sister" days evolved and we now spend the whole day just hanging out. As our schedules get busier than ever, we don't get to spend too many "sister sister" days, but when we do they have truly become a celebration of our sisterhood.

We stopped at Habana at The Lab for some fuel today. We shared a plate of ceviche and salmon a la parilla.






I "heart" our sister sister days =)

Blue Fish

I'm really bad about taking pictures when going out to eat: 1. I'm a horrible photographer and 2. I feel silly busting out a camera and taking pictures of my food, place, etc. and 3. I'd much rather just be in the moment and enjoy the company and conversation of those around me.

Still, I'd like to give my two cents on my experiences on my night out in town.

I recently went to eat at Blue Fish in Pasadena. I've heard from a fellow coworker that it was a favorite joint. So I thought I would give it a try. The portions are really REALLY big! Though the taste is the same as anywhere else. What really stood out for me was the service! I accidentally ordered the Heart Attack (which after one bite, I literally felt that I could die from a heart attack) <--this is NOT a compliment. DO NOT GET THAT DISH! I meant to order the Thai Shrimp Roll (Sooooo good!!) <-- this IS a compliment. GET THIS DISH!

Anyway, it was totally my fault but they took back the ugly dish of horror and brought out the dish I had meant to order and didn't even charge me for the heart attack one!

Now THAT'S what I call service!

www.bluefishpasadena.com

I dip, you dip, we dip

Momma and Poppa Lee went out for dinner tonight. So, the Lee sisters were on their own to take care of dinner which was no biggie as we enlisted the help of good ole Chipotle. Chipotle is always bomb dot com, but we decided to go a little more bomb dot commer...with...THE SEVEN-LAYER BEAN DIP!!!!

Serves 4
1 can of pinto beans
1 yellow onion
2 cloves of garlic
2 tomatoes
1 scallion
1 avocado
2 pickled jalapenoes
juice from 1/2 lemon
cheddar cheese
sour cream
sliced black olives

1. Saute 1/2 onion diced with crushed garlic until onions become translucent.
2. Add drained can of pinto beans. Cook until soft, then smash with spatula until desired texture is achieved. Set aside.
3. Diced tomatoes and 1/2 onion and scallion. Add a pinch of salt and mix all together and set aside. This is the salsa portion.
4. Spoon out avocados and add lemon juice to your liking (I used about 1 tablespoon, but then again, I like things pretty sour). Mix with finely diced pickled jalapenos and set aside. This is the guacamole portion.
5. Start layering

First - Bean Dip

Second - Cheese (Add however much you like)

Third - Salsa

Fourth - Guacamole

Fifth - Sour cream

Sixth - Cheese

Seven - Olives

TA-DA!!!!!

Currently Reading...

A couple books I have to read for my role as tutor for some of my favorite kids:

1. Tess of the D'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy



I read this when I was in high school, I think. It was a GREAT book. Incredibly moving and powerful. Not in a "feel-good and everything is great with the world" kind of way but rather "gives you motivation to change the world" way. Catch my drift?



2. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott



This is being read currently by my sixth grade girl. It's a classic that every little girl should read. With that said, I've never read it, so it's a real treat for me to read it with her. Afterall, I AM a little girl at heart~



3. Are You There, Vodka? It's Me, Chelsea by Chelsea Handler



This one is for my own please and oh my goodness, this girl is so hilarious! I absolutely love her! And tonight is going to be a belvedere evening~~~

Beard Papa's

When writing your thesis/paper/whatever you have to do/etc makes you want to pull your hair out...



Beard Papa's saves the day!

Saying goodbye to a very good year and welcoming yet another~

As the new year approaches, I turn over a new chapter of my life. And I literally feel like I shed old skin because my birthday falls near the end of the year. As a child, I didn't like my birthday because it fell right in the middle of the holidays, but I learned to cope with it. Now, holidays, especially New Year's Day, mean a lot more to me because I really feel like I am starting a new chapter of my life.

Christmas is hands down my FAVORITE holiday of all time, but New Years comes in really close. I love making resolutions because they give me the motivation to live my life better. My resolutions (and I think for the most part, everyone's resolutions) are usually the same: somehow, someway we want to be better people. This year, I will try my best to stop being such a lazy girl, which will be extremely hard as I do consider it to be one of my many talents. =P

This Christmas season was busy for me, though busy in a good sense. I had a couple Christmas parties to attend (I won a wine that was made by the Director of Biochemistry of USC!), a thesis to write, AND it was my birthday!

For my birthday, my sister was so cool. We went to go eat at Cafe Santorini, which in my opinion has THE BEST GREEK FOOD EVER PERIOD! As a warning though, their food is so so so salty. I was chugging down water like a camel! Then we went on a shopping spree, and she bought me so many cool things.


My sister is so cool because she does so many good things for me. I'm really blessed to have her as a sister. But I do a lot of good things for her too, so I guess we even out! =P

*From the top left to right: strawberry, peppermint, coffee, strawberry lemon, mint, i don't remember, red velvet, red velvet, coconut, dulce de leche, red velvet, red velvet.

For my birthday, instead of getting a cake, I got a bunch of tiny cupcakes (dozen). Which I thought was really cool and new and these cupcakes were absolutely so so good! And I got them in different flavors so we could all try out different stuff. We got these at Dots...good stuff!

My hand looks so awkward there...

The best sister in the whole wide world, who shared the best birthday ever with me! <3>