Wordless Wednesday

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Wordless Wednesday

p/s: It is getting closer and closer for the little guy's arrival, 2 weeks from today to be exact(schedule section). Thank you everyone for your well wishes. I will try to do another post just before and visit your blogs but I don't get to it, please have yourself a very Merry little Christmas and Happy Holidays and Happy New Year!

Golden Friday

Dear furfriends and human friends, today we are not posting any pictures of us. We are just going to post a picture of our mommy and her belly. She said our little brofur is in there.
Happy Labor Day Weekend efuryone! Have a safe trip if you are travelling!

Golden Friday

Sisfurs furever!

Samantha: Mom was putting laundry away and June was already sleeping on the bed,

so mom helped me up the bed.

June & Samantha: We have a little news to tell efurybody. Mom said we are going to have a little brofur or sisfur. She said in another 6 months the little one will arrive. They kept asking us if we are going to be good big sisters and protect the little one.

YD: The little addition to the family is not going to be a dog but will be a little human instead! Yes, my husband and I are expecting our first child(together)! The little human "pup" is expected to "arrive" on New Year's Day.

Happy Anniversary!

8 years ago, a boy met a girl;
They got married and live happily forever after...

Happy Anniversary Hubby!

Thank you for being a wonderful husband!

Looking forward to many more years.

Way Back Wednesday

While I am away, please enjoy a picture of my family from "way back when".

Can you guess which one is me?

Sweets

Some of you may or may not know that Chinese New Year(also known as Lunar New Year) is coming up soon. This year it falls on February 14th, right on Valentine's day and this year is the year of Tiger! CNY(Chinese New Year) celebration usually begins on the first day of the first month in the Chinese calendar and ends on the 15th day of the first month. As for the year of Tiger, there are 12 animals in the Chinese Zodiac, one animal for each year. These are the animals, in order(which I've this memorized since I was little), The Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat/Sheep, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig/Boar. You can click on the links above if you would like to read more.


"So what do you eat on Chinese New Year day(s)?" I can already hear you asking that question.
Well, today I am going to talk about the Sweets/desserts for CNY. I will write a different post on the food later. For each sweets, I have included a link, in case you are interested in reading more.

From left to right(top): Nian Gao, Kuih Bangkit(white ones) & Honeycomb cookies(brown ones), Kuih Bahulu From left to right(bottom): Kuih Kapit, Dried Prawn rolls(little springrolls) & Peanut cookies, Kuih Bangkit Pictures taken from goseasia.about.com and knowingfood.com

1) Nian Gao - Also known as Sticky Cake, is made from Glutinous Rice(also known as sticky rice). Nian Gao can be eaten year round but is very popular during CNY. There are a few varieties of Nian Gao(from different regions) but the ones that I grew up eating is the Cantonese version pictured above. A fresh Nian Gao is very very sticky. It can be eaten as is, plain, or dip in coconut flakes. It can also be sliced(usually mom used stale hardened nian gao), dredged in flour and fried(then it becomes crunchy on the outside from the coating and gooey and sticky on the inside). We used to eat it by getting a chopstick(not a pair but just 1) and twirl it in the sticky mess(it will start sticking together and make like a lollipop), and eat it! Yum!

2) Kuih Bangkit - These cookies, I believe, are staples in the Southeast Asia around CNY time. Kuih Bangkit are made with tapioca flour and are usually made with a mold(for the pretty shapes). These cookies just melt-in-your-mouth. I have never made them before, so I may try making some this year.


3) Peanut Cookies - Oh, my all time favorite CNY cookies! Not to be confused with PB cookies. These cookies are made with grounded peanuts, instead of peanut butter. I have just found this recipe, might give that a try as well.


4) Kuih Kapit - Also known as Love Letters, are very popular during CNY. These cookies are a little similar to the traditional Italian waffle cookies, Pizzelle, but are made with a different type of mold and with rice flour and coconut milk. The end product is a very thin and crispy cookie. The making of the cookies are not as easy because it's hot and you have to move fast. You can check out here for some pictures. Making Kuih Kapit is definitely a family affair. We used to make Kuih Kapit together. Mom and dad would be in charge of the molds(adults or mature individuals only) because it involves sitting in front of a charcoal burning grill or devise and flipping and moving the molds so that the cookies don't burn. When it's done, peel the hot cookie off the mold and send it over to the "folder". We, the kids, are the "folders" as in cookie folders, folding the round cookies in half and then in quarter(to make the triangle shape). We would have to work fast as well because once the cookies cooled, it becomes crispy. So in order to get the pretty shapes, cookies have to be folded while still hot. Of course we used to purposely "messed up" a few so that we could snack on them. :)

5) Honeycomb Cookies - Also known as Kuih Bunga(Bunga means flower in the Malay language). These cookies are made with a special flower shape mold, hence the honeycomb/flower shapes.

6) Kuih Bahulu- These are really not cookies but little cakes, just like the Madeleine cakes.

So, are you drooling yet? How many pounds have you gained just reading this post?

Awards

We've got some awards, we've got some awards....

My very kind and sweet friend Julie awarded me with this Beautiful Blogger Award. To accept this award, I must:

1. Thank the person who bestowed this honor upon me. Thank you Julie!

2. Copy the award and place it on my blog. Did it

3. Link to the bestowers’ site. Please visit Julie's blog Elisharose News.

4. List seven interesting things about myself. Ok here goes:

• I love to bake and cook (as if you don't already know that)
• I used to be afraid of dogs (how can that be? right?)
• I drink a lot of water daily
• I am a crier. I cry watching a sad movie, I cry reading about something sad
• My first dog's name was Shaggy(from Scooby Doo)
• Purple is my favorite color
• I love to eat

5. Nominate seven bloggers that I find beautiful. Ok, here's where I break the rules. It's too tough to pick just 7, so I am going to pick all of you because you are all beautiful and you are great blogger friends for keep coming back and leaving me comments. :)

The second award came from our friends in Italy: Paco, Milo and Maya. Thank you so much dear friends!

Exotic Fruits

As promised, I'm going to introduced to you some fruits that I grew up eating(in Malaysia). These fruits are common in Malaysia and the Southeast Asia. I do not know if you will be able to find any of these here in the US. Perhaps if you live in Los Angelss, San Francisco or New York City, you might be able to find them at an Asian market in Chinatown. I have linked the fruits to Wikipedia, if interested, you can click on over to read more about each fruit.

Durian - Also known in the Southeast Asia as the King of fruits. This fruit has a very strong unique smell which is loved by some and hated by some as well. It's one of those thing you either love it or you hate it. I can't even describe it to you. The part that's edible is the yellow flesh inside the very hard and thorny shell. The flesh is sweet and creamy. It's very tasty if you can get pass the smell. LOL!

Rambutan - I think this is/was my favorite! My parents had a rambutan tree in their yard. The ripen fruit is red but there are also yellow variaty. The outer shell is soft(even though they look prickly, they are not) and it can be easily peeled by your bare hands to get to the edible part. The edible flesh is sweet(some tart) and the texture resembles a grape. Inside the flesh is the seed.
Mangosteen - In Malaysia it's called Manggis. This purple fruit(yes, it is really purple) is sweet and it can be tart as well. The edible flesh is inside, which is white. The outer shell is purple which can and will stain your clothes if you are not careful.
Longan - This is native to China but can be found widely in the Southeast Asia. The word Longan means Dragon Eyes in Cantonese. The shell is thin and the flesh is sweet.
Jack fruit - In Malaysia this is called Nangka. This fruit has a green rubbery outer shell/rind and it's not as pricky as it looks. The edible part is the yellow "bulb" looking sections. Inside the flesh is the seed.
Papaya - The edible part of this fruit is the orangy flesh. The black part of this fruit is the seeds. Seeds & the membrane are removed(kinda like removing the seeds from a winter squash) before eating the flesh. Papaya can sometimes be found in a local grocery store. I do have a funny story about this fruit, I remember mom telling us about someone she knew trying to eat papaya for the very first time. The person ended up throwing the whole thing away because she thought it was rotten(the black seeds)!


Cempedak - Looks similar to the jackfruit but has a totally different texture. The flesh(yellow/sometimes orange "bulbs") is soft and sweet and sometime it could be a little stringy. It can be eaten fresh or can be made into fritters. Mmmm, I love fried cempedak. The seeds are edible as well, when cooked. Just boil the seeds until they are fork-tender. It tastes like cooked chestnuts. My mom however had told us(and it's a myth) that eating the cempedak seeds will make someone stupid. I think I turned out just fine. :)
Langsat - This is probably my least favorite fruit, maybe because it's mostly tangy. I only like sweet stuff. When the skin(thin leathery) is peeled, it reveals the translucent juicy flesh. The flesh is usually devided into segments and there might be small seeds in flesh. Careful not to eat bite into the seeds, they are very bitter!

Coconut - One cannot mention tropical fruits without talking about coconut. The picture below shows the fresh coconut that you don't/won't normally see. The white-processed coconut that you buy at the store is the white flesh that's inside the green husk. When the green fibery husk is removed, you'll get a very hard brown shell(the nut). Inside the shell is coconut juice(not to be confused with coconut milk) and coconut flesh. In a young coconut, the flesh is soft and the juice is clear and has a lightly sweet taste. I love drinking the juice straight out of a coconut. The flesh will get thicker and whiter as it aged. Coconut milk is extracted from the white aged flesh by grinding up the flesh, add some water and squeeze out the white milky juice.

Starfruit - The entire fruit is edible except for the seeds. It is very juicy. I have seens start fruits at a local grocery store.

This concludes our lesson on tropical/exotic fruits. Next time when you are at a grocery store/Asian market/international grocery store, try looking for some of these and why not give it a try. Who knows, you might like it.

Fruity

I'm sure you have noticed by now and I'm sure I'm the one who is in the dark....

Have you noticed that this blog has been taken over by my dogs?

This is suppose to be MY blog, hence the blog title. I thought I would be nice and let them do Golden Friday but it seems that they have been posting more than just on Friday. I think they are trying to take over my blog. Guess I better put in some more ME time!

Let's talk fruits. Frankly I'm not really a fruit person. I eat fruits just because I know they are good for me and instead of eating a donut or bagel, I eat fruit and yogurt. Here are the fruits I like:
Banana - I love bananas. I think that's one of my favorites.

Blueberries - Love those little blue yummies.

Strawberries - Only if they are sweet.

Apples - Also only if they are sweet. I can't stand tart apples.

Mandarin Oranges/Tangerines

Pineapples

Melons

Asian Pears - These pears are really sweet. If you have never try them before, you should buy1 just to try. Who knows, you might like it. You can buy these at Walmart or your local supermarket in the pear section. Here's how it looks like

Do you like fruits? What is your favorite fruit or fruits?

Next week I will introduce you to the fruits that I grew up eating. Please stay tuned.

Lots of words Wednesday

I received this email a while ago and had accidentally deleted it. Recently Allison at Reflections of a Dog Mom posted it at her blog and I was glad that she did.

A Dog's Purpose? (from a 6-year-old).

Being a veterinarian, I had been called to examine a ten-year-old Irish Wolfhound named Belker. The dog's owners, Ron, his wife Lisa, and their little boy Shane, were all very attached to Belker, and they were hoping for a miracle.


I examined Belker and found he was dying of cancer. I told the family we couldn't do anything for Belker, and offered to perform the euthanasia procedure for the old dog in their home.As we made arrangements, Ron and Lisa told me they thought it would be good for six-year-old Shane to observe the procedure. They felt as though Shane might learn something from the experience.


The next day, I felt the familiar catch in my throat as Belker 's family surrounded him. Shane seemed so calm, petting the old dog for the last time, that I wondered if he understood what was going on. Within a few minutes, Belker slipped peacefully away.The little boy seemed to accept Belker's transition without any difficulty or confusion.

We sat together for a while after Belker's Death, wondering aloud about the sad fact that animal lives are shorter than human lives. Shane, who had been listening quietly, piped up, ''I know why.'' Startled, we all turned to him. What came out of his mouth next stunned me. I'd never heard a more comforting explanation. It has changed the way I try and live.


He said,''People are born so that they can learn how to live a good life -- like loving everybody all the time and being nice, right?'' The Six-year-old continued,''Well, dogs already know how to do that, so they don't have to stay as long.''



Oh another note, WVFarmGirl presented me with an award. For this award, I would have to first link it back to the person who gave me the award and then share 10 things about me that are true. Thank you WVFarmGirl! I am honored!

1) I love dogs, Golden Retrievers are my favortite but I love them all.

2) I cry easily. I cry while watching a sad part of a movie, I cry while reading a sad part of a book, I cry while watching the ASPCA commercial, I cry while reading about someone losing their dogs...

3) I am a loner, well, kinda. I would actually prefer staying at home than going out with friends.

4) I hate clothes shopping at the store. I see it as a waste of time because I usually can't find anything that I like.

5) I talk to my dogs all the time.

6) I used to hate cheese but now I love them!

7) I don't get drunk in public. I always have a fear that I will do something stupid or get in trouble so I will not let it get there.

8) I used to speak 3 languagues: Mandarin, English & Malay. But now I am only fluent in English and getting a bit rusty in Mandarin.

9) I heart camping.

10) I don't eat veal.

Ok, I am suppose to pass it to 10 bloggers. It is so hard to pick because I think everyone deserves an award.

My Home Among The Hills

The Little Dog Shelter in The Holler

Being A Mother

The PawPaw Patch

Moms from Khyra Khorner, Golden Samantha, Dog Tails: The Diary of a Distinguished Dog, paco e milo...i nostri amori, Two Goldens and a wannabe, NY Bully Brats

Ice Fishing Part 2

This post is my responses to your comments from my previous post.

Khyra the Siberian Husky said...
That looks tasty to my mom!I'd like the fish plain!Hugz&Khysses,Khyra
Khyra: Please let your mom know that it is very tasty. However, I do not know if it's doggie approved because I didn't give any to Samantha & June.

JP said...
Sounds yummy, especially with some rice or pasta for filler... ;oP
JP: I didn't serve it with rice or pasta because I only wanted a light meal but you are right, it would be really tasty with some rice for filler.

Joey said...
Four fish is a good catch! We see fishermen at Hollywood Beach all the time who don't catch anything - but it still looks like fun.See ya!Joey and Zeke
Joey & Zeke: Fishing is fun! I bet Samantha & June would enjoy it too but we didn't bring them. It was a little icy for them to walk on.

WVfarmgirlsaid...
I've never been ice fishing before. I'll have to try it since you caught more fish than I ever do fishing in warm weather
WVfarmgirl: We were there for 5hrs and all we caught was 4 Perch. It wasn't a good day. When hubby went a week before, they caught at least 25 Perch by noon time!

Country Girl said...
That sounds like a real good recipe. I'll have to bookmark it so I can refer back to

CountryGirl: Please do try it. I hope you like it.

Warren said...
Glad you had fun! 15 inches is impressive...We used to cross country ski on a nearby frozen lake...it still always freaked me out a little...

Warren: We measured the ice but hubby had previously measured it when he went the week before. It gets very cold up here so it's safer. The place to avoid is near any docks. Home owners install pumps or bubblers(I think that's what it's called) to prevent the water from freezing(that way it doesn't ruin the docks), so the ice get pretty thin near the dock areas. The scariest thing I've done was to ride a snowmobile across a frozen lake. It wasn't planned, the people we went with decided that they wanted to cross the lake to get to a restaurant. I didn't like the idea.

Mrs. JP said...
Wow---ice fishing huh? So how's that done? I'm sooooo southern :O) I can't even wrap my head around the whole sitting on ice thing. I've fished plenty but how is the whole ice fishing thing done? Can you tell this is probably the first time I've even thought of it - and now I know someone who's actually done it and caught something! so cool

Mrs. JP: Basically you just go to a frozen lake, find your spot(i don't really know if there is any particular way of finding the best spot, I just followed), drill a hole in the ice using an auger. There are 2 ice fishing methods: using tip-ups or "jigging". You can read more about it here. I actually got to try both methods.

Simona, Paco e Milo said...
Mmmmmmmmmmm....we're drooling!!!thanks for sharing with s this great recipe!!!!!mom will try to do it asap!!!!sounds sooooooooooo yummy!!!!!!can't wait to see your pictures making ice-fisching!!!!!!!!have a great week!!!!kisses and licks!!!!SMACKKKKKKKKKKKKK!!!!Paco & Milo: I hope your mom tries that recipe. I hope she gives some to you guys to try as well. :)

In my previous post about ice fishing, I promised that I would have pictures for you and here they are...

The beautiful Lake George

Here's me, those orange things behind me are Tip-ups. The wooden thing in front of me is the stand for the jigging rod. The bucket is the bait bucket and the auger next to it. And of course the chair to sit in.

Hubby(left) and his friend setting up the Tip-ups

Here's hubby, setting up more Tip-ups

Here's me again, definitely dressed for the occassion.

The Bucket List

The Bucket List is a comedy-drama starting Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman. The movie is about 2 terminally ill men going on a road trip with a wish list of things to do before they "kick the bucket".

Just recently, my friend Lacy tagged me in facebook reagarding "The Bucket List". In the facebook bucket list version, you put an X next to a list of things that you have done during your lifetime. I did that list in facebook but I'm changing it a bit here. Here's my version of "The Busket List":

Things I have done during my lifetime:

Skipped school

Cried myself to sleep

Sang Karaoke

Paid for a meal with coins only (It was probably at McDonald's or Burger King, sorry, I'm not proud)

"Ding-dong ditched" someone

Done something I told myself I wouldn't

Made prank phone calls

Laughed until some kind of beverage came out of my nose or elsewhere

Caught a snowflake on my tongue

Blown bubbles

Gone to the movies

Given someone a gift without them knowing it was from you (Secret Santa does not count)

Lay down outside at night and admired the stars while listening to the crickets

Been to Washington

Been to Maine

Been to California

Been down Bourbon Street in New Orleans (Many times!)

Been down Bourbon Street in New Orleans for Mardi Gras ("Laissez Les Bon Temps Roulez")

Seen the Statue of Liberty

Been to the Grand Canyon

Been to Disneyland ---or Disney World

Traveled by train

Traveled by motorcycle

Been deep sea fishing (Awesome time!)

Gone snowmobiling

Lived in more than one country

Been on a plane

Been lost

Swam in the ocean

Seen whales in the ocean

Been to Niagara Falls

Been to Canada

Made snowangels

Been to a Major League Baseball game (Atlanta Braves vs NY Mets)

Things I would like to do before I "kick the bucket":

Skydiving

Swim with the dolphins

Visit Italy

Take a cruise to Alaska and do some fishing

Go to Yellowstone

Take a cross-country camping trip

What about you? Do you have a list of things that you would like to do before you "kick the bucket"? You are welcome to share this list by leaving me a comment. Or if you perfer, consider yourself "tagged" to do this at your blog!

My Favorite Things

"Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens

Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens

Brown paper packages tied up with strings

These are a few of my favorite things"

The Sound of Music - My Favorite Things

Watching hubby sleep so soundly

The sound of my dogs snoring

My dogs napping or playing

Tomato sauce simmering

Fresh-picked tomatoes

Watching campfire

The smell of basil

Untouched snow

Snow falling

Sunflowers

Chocolate

Camping

...

These are a few of my favorite simple things

How about you? Please share with me your simple pleasure.

Did You Know? (Answers to your questions)

Did you know that I have been in the United States for 14 year?

Did you know that the last time I went back to Malaysia to visit my family was in 1997? (This is for Warren)

Did you know that I moved from the warm, music saturated South to the frozen north because I came with a certain person whom I'm no longer with? (This is for the cold-hating Southerner Julie)

Did you know that I do not teach piano anymore? (This is also for the cold-hating Southerner Julie)

Did you know that the average price for a gallon of gas up here nowadays is $2.03? (Here's your answer Warren)

Did you know that hubby and I met at a party? (For Warren & Lena)

Did you know that I do not really know how to cook Malaysian food? (For JP & Mrs. JP)

Did you know that I do know a few blogs that have lots of Malaysian recipes and mouth-watering photos (Rasa Malaysia, Little Corner of Mine)? (Also for JP & Mrs. JP)

Did you know that Samantha was my Christmas gift from hubby (Find out more)? (For Lena)

Did you know that June was adopted on Thanksgiving day (Find out more)? (Also for Lena)

Did you know that if I get a chance I will get my butt to Georgia to visit? (Ya, you Lacy)

And this concludes our "Did You Know" session. Have a wonderful weekend!

How did I get here?

Many of you have asked this same question: "How did you end up here in the US from Malaysia?" Are you sure you want the truth? You can't handle the truth!


I am a Mail-Ordered Bride. That's it.



Ha ha! Gotcha!!! I've been wanting to say that.
Ok, here's the truth:

In Aug. 1995(2 years after I graduated from high school), I left Malaysia, flew across the Pacific Ocean and landed in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. I went there to attend Louisiana State University(LSU - Geaux Tigers!). I majored in Piano Pedagogy.

In Sept. 1999 I graduated from LSU and moved to upstate NY and got a job and I have been here ever since.

That's how/why I came to the US from Malaysia. Not mail-ordered, not smuggled, not sold, not illegal. There, happy now?
Since we are on the topic of asking questions, here's your chance to ask me other questions and I will try to answer them in a future post.

Nostalgic

I have never purchase from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds before so I had decided to request a catalog. When it came, I was so excited. As I flipped through the catalog, I saw quite a few things that I have eaten(quite regularly) when I was growing up in Malaysia. These really brought back some memories. If you have a copy of that catalog, you've probably seen them:

Asian Winged Beans (Mom used to slice them thin and stir-fry them with dried shrimp and sambal)

Red Malabar Spinach (I remember growing these next to the fence at my parent's house and we would just go outside and pick some when mom needed them)

Roselle (I remembered making tea with dried roselle)
Jicama (It's a type of tuber, you can eat it fresh or cooked. It's the main ingredient in one of my favorite dish: Popiah)Bitter Gourds (They are called bitter gourds for a reason, they are bitter! Mom likes to stir-fry them with eggs)Also in the catalog are green long beans, Malaysian dark red eggplant, Boy Choy and Chinese Kale. These are common vegetable found in Malaysia.

If you have a Johnny's Selected Seeds catalog, you would have seen these: Vietnamese Fuzzy Gourd, aslo known as Winter Melon. Mom used to stir-fry these or make winter melon soup.

There you have it, a trip down my childhood memory lane.

Helpless

Believe it or not I have never been to an animal shelter before until this past weekend. Just like I had mentioned in my previous post, we brought 2 50Lbs bags of dog food and 1 50Lbs bag of cat food to the humane society on Saturday. Since I have never been to an animal shelter before, I have decided to go inside(in spite of warning from my co-worker) and take a look at the dogs and cats. As soon as we walked in, we saw this yellow lab who was so happy to see us and so were the other dogs. It really broke my heart to see these helpless animal in there. My eyes started to get watery as we walked to each cage and greet each dog then we went to see the cats. I tried my very best to hold my tears because there were other people there. I cried all the way home, feeling very helpless...

I have thought about volunteering for rescue groups before but I am too weak. I know I probably would not be able to handle it especially if it's an abused case. Or I may end up in prison because I would probably do something bad to the abusers.

Maybe one day....

Your mission, should you decide to accept it...

I accept.

I've been tagged again by Warren. The actually game is called "Brought to you by the letter..."

Your mission, should you decide to accept it, is to post about 10 things you love that begin with your assigned letter. When people leave you a comment saying they would like to play, you will assign them with a letter and it goes on from there.

Warren had assigned me with the letter "R":

Retrievers - I love all retrievers especially Golden Retrievers. I'm sure you know by now that I have 2 wonderful and very goofy Golden Retrievers, Samantha & June. I love them very very much.

RazorFamilyFarms - My blogger friend, Lacy's blog. She blogs about simple living, country lifestyle, her husband and her children, her animals(golden retrievers Logan & Dustin, cat Remington, chicken, gunny bunny and so on), organic gardening, food, soap making....Her blog rocks like KISS!!!

Roti - Roti is an unleavened flat bread in these languages: Malay, Hindi, Punjabi, Bengali.....The one I grew up with is roti in the Malay language, which means bread in general. But here I am refering to Roti Canai (pronounced "chanai," not "kanai") , which is a type of flatbread found in Malaysia, often sold in Mamak stalls. You can read all about Roti Canai here.

Rascal Flatts - I normally listen to Rock n' Roll music but occasionally I would listen to country music. There are a few country artists whom I like and Rascal Flatts is one of them.

Rome - I would love to visit Rome or anywhere in Italy someday.

Rings - I don't wear many rings or jewelry. In fact the only jewelry I wear are my rings. I wear my engagement ring, wedding ring, 1 year anniversary wedding ring and another wedding ring we got in Aruba. We had a little wedding ceremony 3 years after we got married becuase my parents were in Aruba with us and they didn't get to attend our first ceremony.

Rugelach - I love this Jewish pastry. The butter/cream cheese dough is very flaky and melt in your mouth. The different fillings can include raisins, walnuts, cinnamon, chocolate or apricot preserves which are rolled up inside. I personally love cinnamon and also raspberry jam fillings.

Round - Round zucchinis, I think they are just so cute!

Recipes - I enjoy looking up recipes and I love trying out new recipes.

Ranch - Ranch dressing that is. This is my favorite salad dressing along with Blue Cheese and Parmesan Peppercorn dressing.

Mission Complete!

To my dear blogger friends:

Your mission, should you decide to accept it, is to leave me a comment saying you accept the mission and I will assign you with a letter.

Should you decide not to accept, you could still leave me a comment.

This tape will self destruct in 5 seconds.....

So Long 2008 & Happy New Year!

I truly cannot believe that 2008 has come to an end. Time really flew by this year. Overall it has been a good year for us. Here's a brief look back at 2008:

- Hubby and I hit a very rough patch at around this time last year. We were in the verge of separating but we decided that we should try to save this marriage and work things out. I could not begin to tell you how glad I am that we stayed together. I know for sure that our relationship grew even stronger since then.

- Around Feb. or March this year, I stumbled upon Razor Family Farms blog and I am so very gald that I got to know Lacy, my first blogger friend!

- May 2008, hubby was fixing an equipment at a jobsite and almost amputated his index finger. I do not want to gross you out so I will not go into details. He was rushed to the ER in an ambulance which was right on site(his jobsite was right at the emergency corps.) I had to call 911 because everyone was inside the building and instead of me running around like a mad woman looking for help, I just called 911. I could here my call being dispatched at the same time while I was on the phone with 911(which I thought was pretty funny afterwards).

- Also in May, with the encouragement of my friend Lacy, I started this blog. Ever since then I have made some wonderful blogger friends. I really enjoy reading comments from you, my dear blogger friends, and I love visiting your blogs.

- June 2008, hubby and I celebrated our 6th wedding anniversary.

- In July, hubby gave me a KitchenAid stand mixer for birthday. I have always wanted one and now I got one!

- November, we found a growth on June and she had to have a surgery to get that removed. Luckyly it wasn't malignant.

- Also in November, my sister and her husband moved to their new Condo. And their little girl Grace celebrated her 2nd birthday.

So, as we say goodbye to 2008 and welcome 2009, I would like to make a toast to:

My hubby: Thanks for being who you are. I love you and I look forward to many more years with you!

My family: I know I am very far away but I think of you guys all the time. My warmest hugs and my very best wishes for a New Year filled with joy and happiness.

My blogger friends: Wishing you all the best in the coming New Year. May each new day brings for you happiness, prosperity and continued success!

Happy New Year!!!