durnt's Xanga

jian-glish

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 02:05:10 GMT

we always say that we need to keep a book of jian's attempt to speak english.

potty favorites... party favorites... party flavoreds... party flavors... party favors.

Wednesday, August 15, 2007

Wed, 15 Aug 2007 21:17:26 GMT

does anyone else keep a grease jar in the kitchen? you know, the one where you put oil that you drain out. well, i BROKE mine in the kitchen yesterday! i knocked it over and it shattered all over my kitchen. it was so gross. i could practically smell every meal i've drained in there. there was the salmon that i fried and the ground beef that i browned. jian was soooo good to help me pick up most of it as i was in the middle of cooking and i can hardly bend down. then timothy started crying b/c he though it was his fault. i have to rethink the glass jar, but i don't think that's the main issue. knocking over a tin can would be just as messy, but without the glass bits. ugh! to top it off, we've been getting ants here and there. jian and i tried to clean every crevice of the kitchen, but sure enough, they found the one crack i didn't find. at least i can smash them with my thumb.

Wednesday, August 15, 2007

Wed, 15 Aug 2007 21:08:12 GMT

i've been getting to know my neighbor lately. it's been really fun since i've lived here for almost three years and she's only the second one who's invited me inside her home. her name is gloria and she speaks only spanish. so i've been dusting my spanish off. it gets easier everytime, but i've forgotten so much. we can talk about most things except faith b/c i have no idea how to say pretty much anything in that area. i do know that she is catholic. i'll have to get my butt in gear and look it up or ask for help. i was feeling a little bummed b/c i wasn't able to serve with OC missions. as a very wise sister reminds me, there is a season for everything. but b/c i wasn't able to do these things, God did give me an awesome opportunity to serve gloria by driving her to her husband's work. she had locked herself out of her house y tuve frijoles en el horno (and she had beans in the oven.) it was touch and go for a while b/c i misunderstood the cross streets. but praise God we eventually found it. that was the same day i was going to have her over for lunch. it was a little hectic, but worth it to build a relationship with her. yesterday, she had me over for lunch and it was the best mexican food i've ever had. she mad fresh salsa with roasted tomatoes. it was so good. aside from the good food, i want to really treasure my friendship with her. since i stopped working, i don't really have an opportunity to get to know unbelievers. i want to make the most of this opportunity.

Thursday, May 03, 2007

Thu, 03 May 2007 22:16:13 GMT

since the tustin sisters are using this forum to share recipes, i am adding a couple of my recent favorites. please note that i generally do not measure ingredients, within reason. so start with not too much and increase until it taste good to you.

Sundried Tomato Hummus

This is a great easy recipe because I buy garbanzo beans whenever it's on sale so I can make a quick appetizer if necessary. You can make this one day in advance. Just keep it refrigerated.

1 (16 oz) can of chick peas (garbanzo beans)
8 sundried tomatoes; if you're using the kind that comes marinated in olive oil, soak it in warm water to loosen the oil; if you're using the kind that comes dried, presoak it in warm water to re-moisten them
lemon juice (if i don't have lemon juice, i replace with vinegar, but use much less)
tahini (i replace this with sesame seed oil, but tahini taste better)
salt
pepper
olive oil

Drain the garbanzo beans, but save the water that it came in. Place all the ingredients in a food processor and process until its smoothness is to your liking. Since all the ingredients except the beans are approximate, start off with a little and increase the amount until it tastes good to you. The olive oil is to smooth out the texture. I try not to add to much oil, but use the garbanzo bean water to make smoother also. But be careful when you do this b/c the water is salty.

The great thing about hummus is that you can make it taste like whatever you want. You can replace the sundried tomatoes with garlic, which is the classic. Start with three or four cloves and see if it's garlicky enough for you. You can also make cilantro hummus. Start with half the bunch and add more if you want more cilantro taste. If you make one with some other ingredient, let me know about it. I'm sure I'd love it!

Cucumber Salad

This also a great easy recipe because you can make this several days in advance. I saw this on Everyday Cooking on PBS, but have since tweaked it a little.

2 English cucumbers
3 Roma tomatoes
1 red onion
1/2 to 1 bunch of parsley
lemon juice
olive oil
salt
pepper

Cut the ends off the cucumber and remove peel. You can alternate between peel and not peel around the cucumber so you retain the crunchiness of the skin. Cut the cucumber down the center lengthwise. Use a spoon to remove the seeds. Cut each piece down the center lengthwise again. Cut the cucumber widthwise to about 1/4 of an inch big. Cut the tomatoes down the center and remove seeds with a spoon. Cut them widthwise so they are about the same size as the cucumbers. Chop both the red onion and parsley. In a separate bowl, squeeze the lemon for juice and whisk with olive oil, salt and pepper to taste. If it's too tart for you, add more olive oil. Combine all ingredients and toss.

If you're making this in advance, you can combine, cucumber, parsley and tomatoes and keep in one box. Chop the onion, but keep in a separate box or baggy. When you're ready to serve, make the dressing and then combine everything. Fresh as ever!

Tuesday, October 31, 2006

Tue, 31 Oct 2006 01:26:26 GMT

all y'all korean cooks out there, i need your help. i recently learned that you guys pre-peel and pre-press your garlic. i tried it recently, but it didn't turn out as i expected. i soaked the garlic cloves in water to loosen the skin. i removed the skin. i put it all in my food processor to "press" it. i then put it in a small jar to store. a few days later it turned green! it wasn't the moldy green, but each invidicual tiny piece of garlic had turned green. i saw someone else's product, and it was more moist then mine too. can anyone tell me what i did wrong or if i'm missing an ingredient or step. i would really like to do this b/c i do use a lot of garlic too and i don't want to bring out my big cutting board just too smash the garlic. thanks!

Tuesday, July 25, 2006

Tue, 25 Jul 2006 21:00:40 GMT

teaching timothy not to touch things in our house is HARD! anyone who's been here knows why. we have books, dvds, blinds, curtains, outlets and wires, wires, wires! the one thing he consistently pulls off the bookshelf is the Workbook for The Heart of Anger. i think he's trying to tell me something.

Friday, June 30, 2006

Fri, 30 Jun 2006 20:56:57 GMT

i had my fruit for today.

it was a rocky mountain chocolate factory cinnamon sugar caramel apple similar to the one in the picture. i hadn't had an apple in a long time. i had never had a granny smith apple. this however was the most delicious thing i had ever had. at one point, my tooth hurt from all the sugar, but it was worth it. thanks, julie for the great dessert!

Monday, June 05, 2006

Mon, 05 Jun 2006 14:34:16 GMT

jian: i didn't know jason doesn't eat leftovers either.

me: really? i'm just glad you do.

jian: sometimes it's hard... i want to throw up.

Thursday, April 27, 2006

Thu, 27 Apr 2006 01:42:27 GMT

it's been a long time since i've written anything down here. as i was contemplating beginning another entry, i look over at timothy to make sure he's ok and i see him playing with some wires against the wall. so teaching and disciplining my son will have to take priority over my blog.

Thursday, December 29, 2005

Thu, 29 Dec 2005 19:07:16 GMT

Jian here. Just want to post this picture. Congrats, Derrick! (That's Audrey, right?) I title this Love at First SIGHT.