wednesday and new fish

Wednesday. The halfway point to the weekend. Well, in my case it doesn't really matter since I'm a stay-home-mom and J's days off change every week. So what am I doing today? Let's see.....laundry, vacuum, washing dishes, playing with Esaias, making sure our new Bloodfin Tetra fish hasn't died, sorting thru the closets to take out the winter clothes, and popcorn. My favorite popcorn are the ones that popped only half way. Yummmm. Yeah I'm a freak, whatever.
Oh, so yeah, the last angelfish standing we had, keeled over. I think he was depressed and died a sad death. And in his place we got 4 Bloodfin Tetra fish. No time for mourning here! The salesman said that they're so much more easier to care for and don't have to worry about them dying off so quickly even if the water hasn't completed it's nitrogen cycle thing. And so we'll get a few more since they prefer to be in schools. They seem pretty happy!
Well the laundry isn't going to fold and hang itself! (damn I wish) And the vitamin B12 I took earlier is starting to wear off and it's only 2:45! No!! So a small cup of coffee for me it is! Enjoy your Wednesday whatever it is you may or may not be doing.

got asian?

My Asian blood is in full force today! I went crazy on some blue crab I picked up from K & S World Market yesterday. What's the best part of the crab you ask? The head! That's where the Asian part kicks in. It's a pain in the neck to pick through the little bodies, not like king or dungeness crab. But once you taste the succulent sweetness of the meat, the two hours you spent is totally worth it!

I also had made some tofu with a HOT chili sauce that I never get tired of eating since tofu itself is so light. My first taste of this simple side dish was back on Kaua'i at Kalena Fish Market. A small eat-in and carry-out joint that is owned by a Korean family and specializes in plate lunches of Hawaiian and Korean food. Menu of lau lau, kalua pig, meat jun, etc. So what was I talking about? Oh yeah, the tofu. The light and spicyness is a perfect compliment to the slight heaviness of the meat. And so I attempted to make my own and finally found the chili paste that is used. I use the Kikkoman brand shoyu (soy sauce) for this. I believe that's what they used as well. The soy sauce brand can make a difference in the taste for sure, since this isn't cooked. Here's the recipe:
1 tray firm tofu
1/4 c. Kikkoman soy sauce

1 tsp. Sambal Oelek chili paste

green onion for garnish

1. Cut tofu into 1" square pieces. Put in a tray. (I use a rectangular tupperware container with lid for easy storage.)

2. In small bowl, add the soy sauce and chili paste. Mix well. Evenly pour over tofu.

3. Garnish with green onion.

4. Refrigerate at least an hour.

So that's the tofu. Good stuff. Especially if you're a lover of tofu and spicy foods like me, this is perfect.

I also picked up some red bean mochi at the market. This I don't have a recipe for and am going to definitely find one to try it out! But it was so reasonable for a tray of fresh mochi that maybe I'd better just stick to the pros at Mai's Bakery. Thank you Mai, whoever you are.....

And to finish off all of that yummy goodness in my tummy, I had a grass jelly drink that brought me back to my childhood in the Philippines. Yes, I lived in Philippines for a while and visited there often as a kid but that's another blog entry in itself I will share later. And with one sip, you get the jelly bits and banana (comes in different flavors), entertainment for your taste buds.

And it doesn't stop there people! Guess what mama's cookin' up for dinner?! Korean Chicken! Woohoo! One of my favorites. I am such a fan of Asian foods. So stop at your local Asian market today!

mussels with whole grain rotini

When I was at Kat's yesterday, we cooked up some mussels with whole grain pasta that was deLISH! I didn't realize how eating whole grain pastas doesn't make you feel so overstuffed after eating a plateful. I always knew it was better for you but always shied away. I guess it seemed "unnatural". Shame on me considering I'm always game for trying new things! I loved the color it had from the peppers, mussels, and spinach. This is Kat's recipe and hope she doesn't mind me sharing her creation.

1 lb. mussels (can use frozen. soak in cold water for few minutes to defrost)

olive oil

3 garlic cloves (minced)

2 green onion stalks (cut into 1/2" pieces)

2 tbs. roasted red peppers (can use canned)

white wine

handful of baby spinach

pinch of kosher or sea salt

whole grain rotini pasta (can use any style of pasta of your choice)

1. In large pot, bring water to full boil and add the pasta. Cook til al dente.

2. In a pan, heat olive oil and add garlic. Saute for a bit then add green onions and roasted peppers. Saute for a minute.

3. Add white wine, just enough to coat the bottom of pan and simmer for a minute or 2.

4. Add mussels, sprinkle with salt, saute for 1 minute.

5. Add spinach and saute til tender but do not overcook!

6. Add mussel mixture to pasta and coat evenly.

7. Plate and eat!

r.i.p. fishy #2

Sorry to report that the new fish is no longer new. Yes, it went to fish heaven. And the first fish is still swimmin'! I think he's anti-social and kills the others when no one is around. ha! Oh, sorry. I forgot we're in mourning.
I called the dudes at PetCo and spoke to the manager because I wasn't sure if it was going to be okay to return ANOTHER deceased fish. But he assured me it will be okay and that I should get a different species of fish that are more "hardy" because it apparently takes a few weeks for the water to go thru the whole nitrogen cycle and yada yada yada. At this point, I just want something that's not going to croak in a day. Give me the toughest son-of-a-bitch you got! None of these sissy fish please. So another trip to PetCo for me tomorrow. Grrrrr.....wish me luck!

fishy don't die!

For our son's birthday, J and I wanted to give him some pet fish. He's has so many toys we could open up a small day care, so we figured no toys this time. But my mom said she'd get the fish since she had no clue what to get him. Cool beans. So the other day, we got the tank and then the fish came after to give time for the water to de-chlorinate. I picked out 2 freshwater angel fish because it reminded me of "Gill" in Finding Nemo. He happens to be obsessed with that movie which is fine with me. I'm SO OVER watching Spiderman 1, 2, and 3! Moving along. So we took the 2 home and did as the saleslady instructed. So far so good. Until about 12:30 a.m. J woke up because he had to go into work at 3 :00 and woke me with what he discovered. This is how it went (from what I can remember anyway):

J: Iris.

me: what?

J: One of the fish is dead.

me: what?

J: Is a fish supposed to swim on it's side?

me: what? no. i don't know. it's not dead. leave me alone.

J: you sure?

me: yeah! shut up and let me sleep!

An hour later.....

J: Iris.

me: what?!

J: It's dead. It's on it's side at the bottom of the tank.

me: (grunting)

J: You want me to take it out and flush it?

me: no, I can return it.

J: Cool. Want me to take it out?

me: no, I'll do it. crap.

So yeah. I had to take the poor feller out, put it in a plastic bag and into the "morgue" (the refrigerator) it went, so I could return it. Good thing they have a 15 day guarantee. And so we got a brand-spankin' new one that just arrived this morning from the waters of South America. Too bad I don't know the exact cause of death. Homicide? Possibly. Suicide? Maybe. If this new one turns belly up too, I'm going to have to go with the first. Man I hope this one lives! Well both of them or else I'll be really depressed. Esaias probably won't mind because that means another trip to the pet store and drive mommy crazy! Woohoo!

down memory lane

My lil man turned 3 years old today. I know how everyone says the same ol' saying "It feels just like yesterday when I gave birth and held him in my arms." Well, it does. I don't realize how fast he's grown until I look at pictures of him over the last 3 years. The "monkey face" he would make when he was a baby. His first time sitting, walking, and taste of a popsicle. And today while he was playing away with this Spongebob game at Dave & Busters, did it hit me that he's going to one day be a grown man in this crazy world we live in, have a family of his own, and go through whatever obstacles may come his way. I want him to take his childhood by the horns and have a blast! It saddens me to see how a lot of kids nowadays try to grow up too fast. I on the other hand, am still a kid at heart and plan on staying that way!

Today has made me think of my own childhood and reminisce of the good ol days when I didn't have a care in the world! Not all of it was happy-go-lucky, but it's the good ones that I hold on to. Sometimes it seems so long ago that it could have all been a dream, until a familiar smell in the air of cherry flavored tobacco and I'm back at grandpa's and tutu's house in Kailua. Or the smell of "swimming pool" that brings me back to when my sis, our bestest and one of our oldest buds Mischa, and I would walk to the local pool. And after about 5 fun-filled hours of Marco Polo and "who can hold their breath underwater longer", we would walk our sunburned bodies to Taco Bell or Jack in the Box to get a drink we would all share, and play some "ice hockey" on the tables. We got in trouble once for doing that. heehee! I would have to say alot of my favorite childhood memories were from living and visiting my grandparents in Oahu. My tutu was an artist and so we always had access to art supplies to play with. Once during one of our many barbecues, Kat, Mischa, and I decided to make the lower level of the house an "art gallery" and so we drew all kinds of pictures for the display. To this day, I still get teased for my "Dorky of Oz" picture. I hate you guys. Nah, you know I love ya! One afternoon with painted faces, we made scary faces at drivers down busy Oneawa Street. I'm surprised we didn't cause any accidents that day. What a bunch or dorks. So many happy days of going to the beach, buying Sanrio at Liberty House, "panty hunts", barbie doll soap operas, and playing detective, will forever be locked away in a special place in my memory.

And of course I had very memorable moments on Kaua'i as well. Voting season was always fun! Holding signs and waving for Cayetano, Hirano, Kouchi, and whatever candidate signs happened to be posted by our house without permission. It was hilarious to see the confused faces of passersby. Our backyard was abundant with a variety of vegetables. We could've had a stand at the farmers market! There was corn, sweet potato, papaya, peanuts, eggplant, ginger, starfruit, avocado, jackfruit, typical filipino spread of malunggay, saluyot, and some kind of something that I still to this day, am not sure what it was. All I knew it was good for was throwing at cars that drove on the highway. They were a little larger than dates so don't be so appalled! Something I really miss was riding our bikes after school and stopping by the 7-eleven to get our Big Gulp and Big Hunk fix. But we always had to be home by 5:00 to cook rice. Good times.

Now I'm an adult and the life of bills, responsibility, picking up after the family has taken over! But it's okay. I love my family. I have some great memories to look back on, and new ones to make with my son. Happy birthday lil guy!

morning.

migraine. 1 aspirin. 2 aspirins. coffee. damnit. no creamer. no good. milk? ugh. i guess. no choice. need sleep. more sleep! pain leaving. good. arm itchy. scratch. yawn. close eyes. coffee. eck. more milk. sip. better. sigh. close eyes. rub ear. pimple?? what the?! ew. sigh. laugh. coffee. grunt. sigh. laundry. damnit. dishes. damnit. breakfast. damnit. dog barking. damnit. mornings. DAMNIT!!!!!!!!!!!