Inspiration in Photography

Today I found out that I won the WeddingPhotoUSA Photo Contest! I won 2 weeks free of advertisement on their home page and will be in 2011 Wedding Photo Showcase. :) Not bad for entering on the last day of competition and I still got the most votes! I'm pretty happy with it!

I'm ashamed to say that lately my camera has been sitting on the shelf collecting dust! :( I usually take photographs every time I get a chance. Lately, I feel uninspired and lack the motivation to get out there and take photographs! So, something about winning that contest today seemed to have sparked something in me and I started looking at photography contest. I've seen a lot of no fee contests and I've decided that I'm going to start entering and this will get me out there and be a shutter bug again! I also started looking at my photographs (not the ones taken when we're out having a good time) and I was reminded how much I love photography before I started doing portraits. I took tons of pictures nature/places of wherever I was, whenever I saw something that inspired me! I love it!

So I thought I'd share some with you guys. I traveled a lot and I love clouds - so I have quite a bit of them :) I just think clouds are beautiful! These photographs were taken with my itty bitty point and shoot camera. I tell people all the time, the equipment doesn't make the photograph, the composition and subject does! These photographs bring a smile to my face. I know exactly when and where they were taken! Brings me back to those days! :)

Enjoy!

A rainy day in school parking lot, that's rain drops on my umbrella :)

Redwood National Park, California

New York City, NY

Redwood National Park, California

Redwood National Park, California

On the way to San Diego, CA to see Vince (during our long distance relationship)

Fourth of July, Eagle Mountain Lake, TX

Joe Pool Lake, Arlington, Tx

Sunset at the Beach, Galveston, TX

Clouds on the way to Amsterdam

On the way to San Diego again :)

Yes, I'm a KC Chiefs Fan!

I've been asked a lot lately why am I a Kansas City Chiefs fan and the answer is simple; I support what my love supports. I wasn't really a big football fan (basketball is another thing), I watched football (mostly college) and occasionally watched some Cowboys game (one of the things you can't avoid living in Texas :) but I was never really a fan of a particular team until I met Vince. Funnily enough, when we first met, I was sporting a Cowboys beanie that was given to me and he was of course wearing a Chiefs beanie (picture on the left - yes that was the day we met) - we totally messed with each other saying the one team is better than the other. The joke went on for a while, when we got together he would watch it and sport all sorts of chiefs gear and it didn't bother me at all.


I am as big of a fan of the Dallas Mavericks as he is with the Chiefs. He was never really into basketball until I came along. He watched basketball with me, went to the Mavs game and ultimately became a fan. I used to sit there and watch (well sorta) the Chiefs game with him but I was never really into it; mainly because I didn't entirely understand the game. I knew about the touchdown and all that but the rules, penalties and all that I didn't really know. This year I decided to learn the game and try a little harder in liking football more...and oh boy do I like it. I can actually say I LOVE football and this year with the season that the Chiefs had made for a really exciting year to learn and love this game.

I didn't know enough about the other teams to become a fan of a particular one so I support the team that Vince loves. It's the least I can do for supporting the team that I love. That's what we do. People can't believe I'm a Chiefs fan (they're all about their Cowboys here)! "You do know they suck right?" is what I get all the time. To be honest I don't really care if they suck. To me, you don't become a fan of a team all JUST because they're good. Sometimes you become a fan of something because you went to games with your dad when you were little, you grew up watching that team, you had the greatest times watching that team with your friends or loved ones, or you support that team simply because the one you love supports that team and you support what they support. :)

I know that I'm going to be a Chiefs fan for life. Our kids one day will be Chiefs and Mavs fans for life - they better be or else I'll disown them...okay maybe not, I'll probably just won't give them food for a couple of days...okay maybe just for one day. Lol. I kid!

This year the Chiefs had one hell of a season and hopefully they'll just improve from here; I'd hate to see them go back to 2-3 game wins a year! GO CHIEFS!!!

Now that football is over (well not quite) I can give my full attention to basketball. GO MAVS!!!

Well-Stocked Pantry

Vince and I had a very productive weekend. We finally finished unpacking from our vacation, took down Christmas decorations (how come it's not as fun as putting it up??), laundry, cleaning and I managed to reorganize our fridge and pantry and immediately thought about writing a blog about a well-stocked pantry.

People always ask me what do I have in my pantry. It's a long list. I found that some people don't stock their pantry well because they think it's expensive. It could be but you'll find that once you get in the habit of keeping a stocked pantry, you will find your grocery bill decrease. With a well stocked pantry, you'll end up buying less and paying less. We buy a lot of stuff in bulk and in season, this way you're paying less. I also like keep non perishable items that work well together and could be turn into a simple dish. Having a well stocked pantry is a blessing. Not having to run to the store every time you make want to make something is great. When I plan out our meals for the week, I always go to my pantry first to see what I can make with what I have and not spend more money than I need to.

So here's my list: (I apologize in advance because I think it's going to be a lengthy one)

Canned tomatoes - (diced, stewed, whole, fire roasted, paste & sauce)
Pasta (long and shells - regular and whole wheat)
Tuna Packets
Capers
Vinegar (Apple Cider, white, balsamic, rice wine, red wine)
Condiments (mustards, ketchup, mayo, soy sauce, fish sauce)
Marinades & Seasoning
Flour (Cake, All-Purpose, Wheat)
Baking Stuff (Baking Soda, Baking Powder, Sugars, Vanilla Extract)
Canned/Single serve fruits & Dried Cranberries and Raisins
Of course Rice (jasmine, brown, wild and arborio)
Oils (EVOO, canola, peanut & vegetable)
Stocks (vegetable, chicken & beef)
I also like to stock up on my filipino food mixes such as sinigang mix, palabok & kare kare

I always have a stock of aromatics (onions (white, yellow & red), garlic and lemons on the counter)

In the freezer - we buy in bulk - boneless, skinless chicken breast & whole chicken (not only it's good for roasting - you can save the carcass and make your own chicken stock.
I also like to buy frozen veggies especially the ones that aren't in season. I prefer frozen over canned.
I also like to have bell peppers, celery and carrots in my fridge as much as possible.

To top this of course the herbs and spices every kitchen should have (there are a lot to list - get them all if possible!)

Okay the list is not as long as I expected. Of course every pantry will be different. Your pantry will be stocked based on the flavors you like to cook with and the kind of dishes you cooked often. Either way a well stocked pantry is a great pantry!

What a Year!

It seems like I say "What A Year!" every year and I guess that's not at all a bad thing. This year came and went. Time seems to be moving faster than what I had anticipated. I did a lot this year! Started my photography business this year and I'm very fortunate to say that it's doing way better than what I expected. I also lost some of my "love weight" this year (not that I'm no longer in love but I found myself not fitting in my clothes and it was cheaper to lose weight than buy new ones :)) although I've gained some weight since Thanksgiving - I'll say because of the Holidays but I've only got myself to blame but hey! gotta live a little right? Vince and I will definitely push ourselves to staying fit comes the new year! I've also been a bit more actively involved this year. Rock climbed, flag football, weight lifting, volleyball, 5ks and did the MudRun. That was a lot of fun and looking forward to doing more of that this coming new year! My goal is to run a half marathon next year and possibly do a marathon before the end of the year. We'll see how that goes!

For the past three years, Vince and I have had two Christmases (how lucky are we??!!) - one in Texas and one in Kansas City. During our Texas dinner, we we went around the table and said what we were thankful for. I was looking at every single one of those people at the table and I knew that I was one of the luckiest and blessed people in the world. Our family is not perfect but when we are together, all is well in the world. When it was my turn to say something, I kept it sincere, short and simple although I could probably fill an entire notebook if I wrote down all the things I was thankful for. So I thought I'd take the time to say SOME of that stuff here.

First of all I've thankful for my mother. Her incredible strength and resilience is unparralleled. That woman is amazing. I don't know how she manage to do what she does. The sacrifices she's made and continually makes for her children. She has always been there for me, supporting me in whatever I choose to do in life. She's such a great sport when we pick on her during our get togethers. Most of all, I'm thankful that her bottomless well of unconditional love.

For my friends who are always there for me no matter what. The line between friends and family is completely gone. My friends are the best anyone could ask for. I'm very lucky to be able to say that I have such great support system. They're my biggest fans in whatever adventure I choose to take and hell most of them are even in for the ride! They continue to inspire, support and love me for all that I am and want to be.

Of course, I thank God everyday for giving me the most wonderful gift of all, my ever loving boyfriend Vince. It's safe to say he is the love of my life ;)! Words can't begin to describe how loved he makes me feel every single day. He keeps me insane when things get a little crazy. He's my number one supporter in everything I want to try. He never missed any of my practices and games. He's my rock. He's my best friend. He never fails to tell me and show me that he loves me. I love his thoughtfulness. The little things he does to make me feel the most beautiful and the most loved girl in this world. No one ever have and could possibly love me as much as he does. Thank you my love.

Looking forward to an adventure-filled 2011! :)

Little White Lies

White Lies. We all tell them. Of course we do. We tell little white lies to get out of something or maybe to avoid further discussion or confrontation. "Oh, you’ll be in town next week. I’d love to get together but I have a major report due for work." or  "Can't come over, my child screams when in a car for longer than thirty minutes."  White lies. They do the deed–get you out of whatever–and at the same time allow the recipient to maintain their illusion that they are somewhat valued by you. 

But I wonder why do we tell white lies? When is it okay to do so? Who do we lie to? I guess little lies like the examples I mentioned above won't bother me as much. To get out of something. But I've noticed that some people lie constantly about little things that doesn't even matter. Well I guess it matters to them. Lying about knowing something when you really don't, lying about having something you don't have, lying about doing something that you really don't do. Lying to cause drama. Lying and skewing the truth just to be a martyr.

I’m trying to figure out why these lies bother me so much. It's one thing to tell little lies to strangers or acquaintances but what about those who are closer to us than that? Don't we owe our nearest and dearest the unvarnished truth?  It insults me that someone who knows me thinks I (or any of their closest friends/love ones) can be assuaged with lies.  Maybe what bothers me is that accepting them as truth requires me to be complicit in another’s obvious lie.

Most of the little white lies are normally explained by the fear of losing face or to show that you're better than that person or you lead a better life than they do. I don’t get it. Don’t you lose your face by knowing the that what you just told isn't the truth? My sense of righteousness is telling me, maintain your face and tell the truth.


Sometimes it’s hard to tell the truth. Sometimes it’s hard to take the truth. Sometimes we have to.

Split Holidays

My coworkers and I went out to lunch yesterday and talked about what we did for Thanksgiving and what our plans our for Christmas and New Years. I noticed that all of us are having to be in different places at the same time when it comes to Holidays. One couple alternate their parents every other year for Christmas and it's worked for them for a while now. The rest of us, we're still a little torn. One person decided that they will not go "home" this Christmas and she feels guilty about it. The other decided to go to her dad's for Thanksgiving so she doesn't have to go down there for Christmas. Vince and I for the past two years have always spent Christmas Eve at my moms then we drive to Kansas City Christmas morning and be there by dinner. Last year it took us over 13 hours to get there due to the winter storm and didn't get there til after 10 pm. That was a little unacceptable. So this year we've decided that he will drive up there a couple of days before Christmas with Rocky and Maddie and I will stay and spend Christmas Eve and Christmas morning at my mom's and we'll fly out to KC later that afternoon. This kinda bums me because is this something we have to look forward to when we're married and moved out of Texas? What happens when he and I live in a different state from our family? Do we split the holidays? Do we alternate? What happens when we have children and we prefer to spend Christmas at our own home? Would the grandparents come out to us then? I guess we can't please everyone. Something's gotta give. I guess we'll worry about that much later. For now I guess we'll see how this new system will work for us. **Sigh** When did the holidays become sooooo much stressful?

Thanksgiving! (Recipes included!)

For the first time in 10 years, I didn't make Thanksgiving dinner. Okay well at least not all of it. Vince and I went to Maryland this year for Thanksgiving instead of staying home all because of a very special little girl (Savvy). It was her 1st birthday too and we had to be there!

Jess' grandma made the turkey and Mike's dad made the ham. Jess and I made the side dishes and some desserts and everyone else brought some appetizers and desserts as well.

If you haven't noticed, cooking is one of my passions in life. I really enjoy it. Like I said it's been a tradition that I make thanksgiving dinner for my family. I make everything from the Turkey to cranberry sauce with my little sister and little brother as my helpers. I missed it a lot. Usually we hang out and prep almost everything the night before while watching Friends. We then wake up the next morning and start cooking some more. We goof off and teach my younger siblings some techniques about cooking and of course boss them around. :) Don't get me wrong I had a great time with Jess in the kitchen but Thanksgiving was just a little different for me this year :D I still got to boss her around - she's a great helper but could use a little bit more experience in the kitchen! Love you Jess!

I emailed my sister all of recipes for what I would prepare and she did an awesome job according to my mom although I was told it was a little different. I'm very proud of her! Although she told me that next year I better be there to cook.

Some people asked me for some recipes. So here they are!

Butternut Squash Salad with Warm Apple Cider Vinaigrette

• 1 butternut squash, peeled and 3/4-inch diced
• extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 3 tablespoons dried cranberries
• 3/4 cup apple cider or apple juice
• 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons minced shallots or red onions
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• mixed greens salad
• 1/2 cup walnuts halves, toasted

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.


Place the butternut squash on a sheet pan. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil, the maple syrup, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and toss. Roast the squash for 15 to 20 minutes, turning once, until tender. Add the cranberries to the pan for the last 5 minutes.


While the squash is roasting, combine the apple cider, vinegar, and shallots in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook for 6 to 8 minutes, until the cider is reduced to about 1/4 cup. Off the heat, whisk in the mustard, 1/2 cup olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper.


Place the greens in a large salad bowl and add the roasted squash mixture, the walnuts,. Spoon just enough vinaigrette over the salad to moisten and toss well. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and serve immediately.

Turkey Gravy

• 1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onion (2 onions)
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• Defatted turkey drippings plus chicken stock to make 2 cups, heated plus some chopped turkey
• 2 tablespoon Cognac or brandy

In a large saute pan, cook the butter and onions over medium-low heat for 12 to 15 minutes, until the onions are lightly browned. Don't rush this step; it makes all the difference when the onions are well-cooked.

Sprinkle the flour into the pan, whisk in, then add the salt and pepper. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the hot chicken stock mixture and Cognac, and cook uncovered for 4 to 5 minutes until thickened. Season, to taste, and serve.

Thanksgiving Leftover Soup

• Carcass from one 12-14 pound roasted turkey, picked clean
• 2 large onions, one quartered and one chopped
• 4 peeled carrots, 2 coarsely chopped and 2 sliced
• 4 stalks celery, 2 coarsely chopped and 2 sliced
• 6 garlic cloves, 4 smashed and 2 chopped
• 1 bay leaf
• 10 whole black peppercorns
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 large eggs
• 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour, plus more as needed
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more as needed
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 2 cups leftover stuffing
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme
• 2 cups shredded leftover turkey meat
• 1 cup leftover corn kernels

Put the turkey carcass, quartered onions, coarsely chopped carrots and celery, smashed garlic, bay leaf, and peppercorns in a large stockpot and add enough cold water to just cover, about 2 quarts. Bring the water to a boil, and then reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer and cook for 1 hour. Remove from the heat and strain the solids from the broth. Pour the liquid through a fine mesh strainer and reserve; you should have about 10-12 cups broth.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk the eggs, flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and some black pepper together until smooth. Add the stuffing and mix until well combined; cover and reserve. Moistness of stuffing can vary, if the dumpling dough is too soft to roll, add flour a teaspoon at a time until it is firm enough to hold its shape while rolling.

Wipe the stockpot clean with a paper towel. Heat the oil in the pot over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and garlic and cook until soft and translucent, about 6 minutes. Add the sliced carrots and celery, thyme sprigs, and reserved broth and bring to a simmer; cook vegetables are just soft, about 10 minutes.

Roll level tablespoons of the dumpling mixture into balls with wet hands (see note) and drop into the simmering soup; cook until dumplings float, 3-4 minutes.

Stir in the turkey meat, corn, and season with salt and pepper, and simmer until heated through. Serve it while it's hot!

 Enjoy!