New chapter!

Considering how little I post, I think this blog was quite successful. However, given the fact that I haven't posted anything in years, I decided instead of trying to revive a dead blog. I mind as well start a new one.

Thanks to all or any that had graced my grounds of ranting and raving. If you'd like, you can read more here: Food Confessions Take 2.

The next destination: Bien Hoa, Vietnam!

It's been awhile since I wrote anything meaningful on this blog. Life happens. However, I am going to embark upon another adventure soon. I feel bad that the URL to this blog is wanderingtummies.blogspot.com, but I haven't posted much on my "wandering". I started this blog when I was living in Denver, Colorado. Since then, I've moved to Orange County, California then up to San Jose, California, then back to Orange County, California. I haven't given any of you a clue in what life or food is like here. In 3 months, I will be embarking on a TEFL-ing adventure across the world. How will I document this great adventure if I can even consistently document my adventures in the States? Granted I have been busy since I got back from Colorado, but that's still no excuse.

So, I'm going to make a resolution to regularly post and document my last 3 months in Southern California. I will try to take you guys around my frequent hangouts and the awesome things that goes on in Orange County. To make up for lost time, here are a few things that I have graphically documented recently.

Disneyland - the happiest place on earth!

I bought an annual pass at the beginning of last year. It was Michael's Christmas present for me. Yes, we totally, completely splurged for Christmas last year. Not so much this year. However, these were from December. Christmas is my favorite time to go to Disneyland. However, with my pass expiring in four days. I think this was the last time I'll be able to spend time in Disney.


Christmas Shenanigans!

I have an office now. This is my Christmas Tree. I decided to make my little place more festive. I love holidays.

Newport Beach Harbor  They hold an annual Boat Parade during Christmas. The pictures I took of the Boat Parade didn't turn out too well. 

My feeble attempt at making a gingerbread house.

94 days until I leave for Vietnam. I can't wait. Until next time (hopefully it will be soon), Happy Eating!

OLD HOUSE

OLD HOUSE

I appreciate the guest post, Jewel Rodgers

We live in a house that is about eighty years old. We love it, but there are a few things about the house that could get much better. One thing that I have always wanted to fix, but we have never had the money to fix is the salmon colored tile in the bathroom. I called the tile doctor for an estimate on the price to change the tile glaze. They quoted over five thousand dollars—way to much money for us! The other day, I was watching the “Rachel Ray” show on tv ( we got DIRECTV Deals and upgraded). I must have been watching the right show at the right time because they had a special about how to change tile that you don’t like. They showed tile in a fireplace that was really an outdated color. They make tile stickers that you can stick directly on top of a piece of tile and it makes the area look like it is tiled! What a great idea! I immediately got on-line and started doing some research about them. I have been amazed by how inexpensive changing the color of the bathroom is going to be now! I just can’t wait to get started!

Thank you! (Spinach Fettucini with Sautee Spinach and Mushroom - A Recipe!

I was at work chugging along on the website I've been working on for about two months now. As I check the stats of the old website, I happened along the stats of this blog. To my surprise, it's still getting hits. Every time I posted a post (the few that I posted last year), there would be a spike in hits. It warmed my heart. There were a few comments I neglected to answer. To whom this is concerned, I am sorry. Last year was quite a wild ride. Things are calming down and turning into a rhythm. I will try to post more regularly and to answer comments and questions that happens along the way.

It's been quite since I've posted a recipe. Now that I started cooking regularly again. I thought I should share a recipe with the world. It's my dinner tonight. (The stuffed pork is slowly cooking in the oven. Yum!) To those that frequent my blog knows that I do not measure. So, all the measurements here are guess-timates. I cook like a homecook. I just throw ingredients together and hopes it comes out delicious. Whatever combination works well, I post them here.

Spinach Fettucini with Sautee Spinach and Mushroom

Spinach Fettucini - I used half a 12 oz bag
1 12oz bag of spinach
1 tray of mushrooms
1/2 - 1 cup of Vegetable stock
Romano cheese
Manchego cheese
half onions - chopped
3 cloves of garlic - chopped and diced

1. heat up some olive oil
2. brown the garlic
3. turn down the heat to about medium and throw in the chopped onions.
4. wait for about 30sec to 1 min throw in the mushrooms.
5. sprinkle a little sugar and carmelized the mushrooms and the onions. (there's a little bit of timing right here) As the onions and the mushroom cooks boil the water. and cook the pasta
6. when the mushrooms and onions are nicely caramelized and browned throw in the spinach. When the spinach is about half way wilted, pour in the
7. when the spinach in nice and wilted, the pasta should be done, throw in the pasta. sprinkle with the cheese.

I also added a some finely chopped apples. I thought it would compliment the pork very well. Now, you're probably asking about the pork. Well, I bought pre-stuffed and pre-marinaded pork yesterday. All I did was popped it in the oven.

I can't wait for my husband to get home and chow down on this delicious dinner. Thanks for all the support.

As always, happy cooking!!!

My Kitchen

For the past ten months, I've been working with a very, very small kitchen. There aren't enough kitchen pantry furniture to even store a decent amount of ingredients for a properly stocked kitchen. Not only that but I have limited cookware and utensils. Of course, it's partly because I don't have space to store more than a couple of pots and pans and silverware.

Michael and I were making noodle soup the other day, and we found ourselves (again) without adequate bowls to enjoy our said noodle soup in. We have one medium size bowl between us ( the other one was for the cat's water). I kicked myself for forgetting to get bowls from my dad's place. Since our place is so small right now, I really don't want to store too much stuff. I like my space, but I guess it's what I have to do for now. This place after all is just a studio. To think, the other studio that was offered to us was even smaller than this one (mental shudders).

This just makes me dream of the pantry cabinet for the kitchen I could buy or wish to have someday. But, that is a long time away. Now, all I have to look forward to is a to cook in a tight space and do my laundry in cheap vessel sinks to save money. Yes, I do laundry by hands because the cost of the laundry room is too high.

Until next time, Happy Cooking!

Love it!

Thanks for the article from Robin Woodard

My wife and I got some cabletvadvisor.com packages a while back and to be honest, we didn’t really watch much TV with it at first. Mostly because our tastes in shows are really different but I finally figured out what’s going to bring us together – college football! It’s starting super soon and since she and I both went to college together we really like to watch the Golden Bears beat up on all the other teams in the conference every Saturday. She was kind enough to let me get the huge plasma when we bought the house so I think I’m going to throw one or two football parties to have some buds over and drink beer and watch games all day and I know she’s going to be totally there, too! That’s part of the reason I love my wife – I mean, how many pretty girls do you know that drink beer and watch football with the best of them? That’s why she’s a real keeper in my eyes and in everyone else’s!

A Revelation in a Cooking Mind

Back when we first met, Michael told me that he could cook, and from the couple meals that he cooked up, it was okay. However, after we started living together, I asked him to cook more often. Now, I'm not sure if it was because the ingredients that I stocked (Asian, Vietnamese more specifically) or the fact that he was just overwhelmed, but the food Michael churned out when I asked wasn't very appetizing. I managed to swallow most of them: dry spaghetti with cheese, fried rice with weird spices, potatoes with all the spices we have in the house, and some other strange concoctions I can't remember.

The strange thing was that when he wanted something he would make it, and it would be delicious, so I told him that he just didn't want to cook for me. He told me that he really tried it just didn't turn out. That went back and forth until I just gave up.

Recently, life made Michael do most of the cooking (yes, I was cringing). I was just too busy to cook. His cooking actually improved as the day go by. In the beginning, I had to step in a lot and help him out when he was burning things and overcooking things or just didn't have heat on high enough. But, I'm spending less and less time in the kitchen (to my disappointment actually). Michael is actually producing not only edible food but quite delicious food too.

Anyway, recently, he made an especially nostalgic dish for me. A vietnamese braised fish. I'm not really sure how he managed to get the flavor so close, but he did. And I'm quite amazed in fact.

I'm glad that his cooking abilities had improved, but now I fear I have a competitor. My skills weren't that great to begin with.