Ne-how, Hong Kong!

i'm leaving on a jet plane. i know when i'll be back again...

haha, my first grown up business trip and i'm going to china, baby! i'm nervous and excited. it's a lot of work pressure for me and my co-worker so it won't be all fun and games. HOWEVER, i'm really excited to travel. i haven't been out of the country in like over 2 years.

i leave on wednesday morning!

A Tisket, A Tasket

find out how you can make a handmade Easter basket on the mambi blog. project courtesy of yours truly.

food for thought

i enjoy cooking. growing up my mom slowly introduced me to things like knife techniques, how to handle fruits and veggies, and more importantly for her, proper dish washing skills. i have no illusions about my mother's cooking. it's not mind-blowingly good. however, she did teach me a lot of what i know in the kitchen.

when i started getting interested in cooking american food i turned to PBS on saturday mornings for programs such as julia and jacques: cooking at home, jacques pepin: fast food my way, martha stewart everyday cooking, america's test kitchen (my favorite!!), and the like. but i understand that not everyone watches these shows or has food network to watch on cable TV (i certainly don't).

so if you have a very limited history of cooking but want to get better, what do you do? if you go to the bookstore you will be hit in the face with a tidal wave of books. which one do you get??

my suggestion would be to get "How to Boil Water" by the Food Network Kitchens.

it's a basics kind of book that answers questions like:
-what are the basic kitchen utensils/cookware?
-where should i store veggies in the fridge?
-do fruits go in the fridge or on the counter?
-should i wash chicken before cooking?
-how long can i store uncooked poultry?
-what's the best way to hard boil an egg?
-how do i uncork a wine bottle?
-how do i cook shellfish?
-what makes a soup good?

it's a beautiful book with great pictures, really nice graphics, and the recipes range for basic to old favorites to something challenging and new. if you've been recently bitten by the foodie bug and want to try cooking, consider this book.

spring has sprung!

it's amazing how the seasons seem to change literally overnight...even in california. this week has been so amazing. the weather has been perfect in the evenings and the sun is going down much later. that's my favorite part. spring is such a beautiful time...even if will only last a week until it's summer here hahaha

i think the lenten season has been so good for me. a time of reflection and preparation. it causes me to stop and consider. i've been practicing with a new camera and after work i've been walking around my neighborhood trying to practice this same lenten idea through photography. to stop and SEE the beauty in the ordinary. it's amazing what you'd find.

mascara...oh, God have i become a girl?

i got this mascara as a sample from bare minerals/bare escentuals (i don't really know why there are two names of this company). it's called flawless definition mascara. and i'm sold.

it's a great for a normal everyday look. very natural looking, just enhances what you already have. it goes on so smoothly and stays on too. at $18 it's not a bad price either. maybe not the best choice for an evening look or dramatic eye but for the regular day-to-day it's awesome. you can get it online at sephora or a bare escentuals store near you (there's one in south coast plaza, costa mesa).

i can't believe i wear mascara now...damn you mark villasenor for turning me girly.

an acquisition moratus

i will soon be the proud owner "Ad Hoc at Home" by Thomas Keller who is famously known for his restaurant in the napa valley called The French Laundry. he is also known for Bouchon Bistro and Bakery with serveral locations. several locations, including las vegas, where Nadia was able to visit recently, here as well as the comfort food styled Ad Hoc in yountville, ca.

i'm excited to leaf through this beautiful book and muster the courage to try some recipes. this cookbook is an attempt at an accessibility that maybe wasn't there with Keller's previous cookbooks because there is a sense of intimidation with the Keller name and the type of food that he does. but it's a beautiful book and i'm excited to try.

jamie oliver's food revolution

i give this guy a standing ovation. i'm so glad that someone is finally stepping up and starting a revolution in food. look for his new show on TV changing food served in america from our homes to our schools. we are slowly killing our children because of the food we feed them and the lack of education about such a basic fiber in our life. and it needs to change.

i'm inspired to change the way i eat and i hope you are too.

art imitading life

photo of me taken by nadia.

here's a scrapbook layout that was inspired by a page out of a j.crew catalog. i borrowed the color palette and some of the elements from the outfit for the page.

a co-worker of mine was talking to me about the importance of journaling. she was encouraging me to journal as i prepare myself to move to chicago. i think the idea of taking time to reflect and remember is an important habit to develop. as i was making the layout i was remembering how last year was a very formative year for me and i think 2010 will be even more so. that's kind of my approach to scrapbooking...it's kind of a record of watershed events with photography, words, and design.