Happy 46th Anniversary Mom & Dad!
Love you, Mary
Showing posts with label general life. Show all posts
Showing posts with label general life. Show all posts
My Thoughts Over Time Graph
My Thoughts
Number of Words/Time
Last week, I met some friends and we talked, ate, talked and ate some more. I told them I realized as I age (I hate that I need reading glasses to see my food now), my thoughts are getting smaller and smaller. Or, as my friend says, concise. See above.
P.S. You know you have a food blog when you are too lazy to hook up the scanner and just take a photo of your graph.
Mary's Promenade on the Peninsula 5K - Rollings Hills Estates
A few Sundays ago (October 14, 2012), I woke up and looked at my Google calendar. Earlier, I noted that a local 5K was happening, but never signed up. That morning, I decided to just do it!
The race is called Mary's Promenade on the Peninsula 5K Run/Walk to benefit the YWCA Harbor Area & South Bay, and the Myotonic Dystrophy Foundation (MDF). Mary's family lovingly spoke of her, and I believe gathering so many people together to honor and raise funds in a tremendous effort. I hope they raised a lot of money for services and research!
Palos Verdes, Palos Verdes Estates, and Rolling Hills are hills in the South Bay area of Los Angeles. Amazing views of the ocean as well as the city below. It is a lovely place to live with horse trails, and top ranked schools...and top real estate prices. For sure I'll never be able to live there, but it is great place to visit. :) For this race, the Rolling Hills were freaking LITERAL. As a "beginning" runner (um, for the last three years), I found the course really tough. Seems like the whole thing was kinda uphill!
My time was turtle slow, but I finished, and that's what counts!
P.S. If you want to start running/jogging, I love the Get Running App from Splendid Things (available for iPhone and Android). I wrote about it here. I don't work for them or get anything for this recommendation. I just really like this app - I used it a few years ago, and just recently used it again to get myself back into running. My friends have also used it and found it really encouraging and helpful!
Puppy Sitting
Puppy wants to walk himself.
So my week has been filled with Olympics, puppy duties and very little sleep. Awesomeness!
Caine's Arcade Film - Why the Interwebs Rocks
It's totally amazing that this film was posted last night and has gone totally crazy viral. The best part? 9-year old Caine's scholarship fund is almost $50,000! And he's a Los Angeles kid! Whoo hoo. (Of course, I hope he eventually goes to UCLA's School of Engineering :)
In a nutshell, this adorable, smart, inventive, sweet 9-year old made himself a cardboard arcade in his dad's auto parts shop in East Los Angeles/Boyle Heights. Filmmaker Nirvan Mullick happened by, was his first customer and decided to make a film...and set up a flashmob of Angelenos to play at his arcade. Watch this film to see how it all turned out!
When I saw earlier today, Caine's scholarship fund's goal was $25,000 and I donated a few dollars to get it closer to that goal. I just checked...and it is nearly $50,000! Awesome. That's a lot of fun passes.
Caine's Arcade website - Donate to his college fund!
Cidney the Dog Grad Night!
Yes, this should have been a Tuesdays with Dorie posting but I just didn't get around this holiday weekend to making this week's selection. Check out the TWD crew that did make Caramel Pots de Creme!
How was your holiday weekend? I worked one day, put up some mini blinds, went to the Farmer's Market, saw Kung Fu Panda 2 with my UCLA roommate and her family (such cute girls Lucia & Julia!), and Cidney graduated!! Whoo hoo!
Cidney the Dog (a girl, by the way) completed the PetSmart Beginning Education class. Six weeks of sit, loose leash walking, down, drop, leave it, shake and come. She's doing well, but needs more practice and the intermediate class. We had a good time and our trainer Blythe was awesome. As an adult, I've only had cats so this whole idea of actually training an animal is kinda cool. :)
Cidney's trainer, Blythe. Cidney always listens when Blythe is talking. Well, almost always. Unless another dog comes by. Or a kid. Or....well, it was Beginner class! (The six week class was $109 - totally worth it!)
The profile of 1 1/2 year old Cidney. She's from the shelter so we aren't sure what mix she is... but there sure is a lot of cute in there, huh?! :) (Yes, I'm a proud Auntie Mary!!!)
Also, Cidney didn't mind the hat on her head. I never thought I would become someone who dressed up pets...but just wait for Halloween and Christmas.
Joanne Chang's Flour book has homemade dog biscuits. I think I'll have to try to make some for my graduate! Congrats to the class of 2011! :)
reade more...
How was your holiday weekend? I worked one day, put up some mini blinds, went to the Farmer's Market, saw Kung Fu Panda 2 with my UCLA roommate and her family (such cute girls Lucia & Julia!), and Cidney graduated!! Whoo hoo!
Cidney the Dog (a girl, by the way) completed the PetSmart Beginning Education class. Six weeks of sit, loose leash walking, down, drop, leave it, shake and come. She's doing well, but needs more practice and the intermediate class. We had a good time and our trainer Blythe was awesome. As an adult, I've only had cats so this whole idea of actually training an animal is kinda cool. :)
Also, Cidney didn't mind the hat on her head. I never thought I would become someone who dressed up pets...but just wait for Halloween and Christmas.
Japan Earthquake & Tsunami
My heart hurts.
The destruction of the earthquake and tsunami leave me speechless.
My mom's family in Okinawa, and my friend and her family in Chiba prefecture are okay, but there are so many who can't say the same. Heatbreaking.
I pretty much lost it when I saw footage on NHK of little children eating rice balls (onigiri) in an emergency shelter. Onigiri is the most basic comfort food, something your mom would make you for lunch or a snack. Volunteers were making them, pressing them into the familiar triangle shape with their hands.I just wanted to go to Japan and make everyone an onigiri. You just feel helpless seeing it all happen from afar.
Thanks to JustBento's Maki for translating major new sources in Japan on her twitter feed. She tweeted for 12 hours straight after the earthquake and she informed me more than CNN. For footage that concentrates on Japan, you may want to catch Japan's public broadcasting NHK World News streaming video (in English). Many cable companies are offering free access to TV Japan for the week for the live NHK feed (in Japanese).
I hope you keep Japan in your thoughts, and open your wallet to give to a relief organization. In the USA, you can text REDCROSS to 90999 to donate $10 to the relief fund for Japan.
Day of Remembrance 2011 - Japanese American Internment
My dad (middle with snow cap) in Jerome, Arkansas during WWII.
My father, his sister and two brothers were American citizens born in California.
Usually, I write about baking, eating, baking, eating, my friends, and my cousin's cute dog. However, today's post is a little different.
Look at yourself in the mirror. Oh, ignore any zits, wrinkles or beauty marks. Think about your ancestry. English? German? Korean? Mexican? Italian? A mixture of all of them? Who do you you see?
69 year ago, on February 19, 1942, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066 which cleared the way for the military to forcible remove anyone of Japanese descent (including American citizens born in the U.S.) from designated areas and incarcerate people like my dad, my friend's grandmother and 120,000 others. The United States government looked at my father and his family and decided they looked like the enemy. 2/3 of the people taken from the West coast were American citizens. My dad and his siblings were all U.S. citizens. They were not the enemy. They were farmers growing lettuce in California, raising their kids and trying to attain the American dream. My dad was 10 years old and liked reading comics and fishing.
Years later, the government apologized for the unjust treatment of the Japanese Americans. My dad framed the letter signed by the President. My father, like the rest of his family, loves this country. My dad and his brother served in the Air Force during the Korean War. And there are many veterans who served in the armed forces during WWII while their families were in camps. Get that? Your family needs to be locked up, but you can fight and die for your country. Read more about the 442nd here.
My dad is 100% American (just ask my mom...she jokes my dad's Japanese language skills are so poor that he wouldn't survive a minute in his parent's homeland); but his face and his bloodline moved his family into a racetrack, Arkansas and Arizona during the war.
So, today, please take a minute to remember this time in United States history. And today, please think about judging people by what you see...their face, their ancestry, their religion. We must all guard against racial profiling and civil rights violations, and make sure what happened to my family never happens again. Thanks for reading this. If you want to read more, here are some links:
1. Day of Remembrance event in Los Angeles, today at the Japanese American National Museum in Los Angeles
2. Story about food memories and the effect of camp on the family dynamic in this NPR/Kitchen Sisters story: Weenie Royale: Food and the Japanese Internment.
3. Photos and Background: Japanese American Relocation Digital Archive (JARDA)
4. For my librarian readers and friends... Clara Breed was a San Diego public librarian who corresponded with her young patrons. Letters at JANM and Joanne Oppenheim wrote this book, Dear Miss Breed.
5. Lesson Plans for teachers and homeschoolers from JARDA, Manzanar National Historic Site, and the Japanese American National Museum
Katie and Sinjin - Superbowl of Cuteness!
Nate & Gwendolyn with almost 2-year old Sinjin and Shannon with 2-year old Katie
Instead of watching the Superbowl yesterday, I went to the Superbowl of Cuteness! My friends and I got together with their adorable kids, Sinjin and Katie for a great Sunday afternoon. It has been a year since our last gathering and the kids have grown so much!
Superbowl of Cuteness! Here are the rest of the photo on my Flickr account. Can't wait for our next get together (which better be sooner than one year from now! :)- mary the food librarian
Carnival Paradise Cruise - Celebrating Birthdays!
During the cruise, I didn't have internet access and felt a bit of Twitter withdrawal. So, here is my post...all in 140 or less character Twitter posts that I would have sent had web access not been so bloody expensive.
- Eating on a cruise is like dining and dashing...only legally
- Our safety talk is conducted by a Northerner (England) #helenishomesick
- There ARE adequate lifeboats aboard. #notthetitanic
- It's been an hour and we haven't eaten #letsfixthat
- I need a nap. I need a snack. I need a nap. I need a snack. #cruiseissues
- Prohibition ended Dec 5, 1933. Cruise lines celebrate this day I'm sure.
- Cruising is part Frat party, part Summer camp, and part Las Vegas.
- We're eating at the bar to watch the Chelsea football game, and guys are already drinking. It's 8 am.
- Our excursion was the "Behind the Scene" tour. Met captain & crew, saw the recycling center, laundry and galley. #geekyawesomeness
- Walking the I-95 area on "Behind the Scene" tour was like being in a Discovery Channel show. #socool
- We figured out how to avoid most of the smoking areas.
- We went to the Menorah lighting ceremony. Got a dreidel and had some latkes and challah. #diversityrocks
- I worked out everyday on the jogging track...and ate everything to wipe out that progress.
- Stairs are getting harder to go up. Must be the weight we are gaining.
- The Friends of Bill W. meeting is held in "America Bar" 8th level. #seriously
- The Captain and Officers are Italian #hothothot
P.S. I bought myself a new point-and-shoot camera for my birthday. It is the Sony DSC-H55 and I really like it. Easy to use, pretty good in low light, automatic macro setting (when you get close up), and you can easily set the white balance (All these photos are taken with my new camera, and I mostly used the "automatic" setting).
El Rey Farms Chiles from Hatch, New Mexico
Chiles. Chiles. Chiles.
In September, a big truck of Chiles came rolling into Los Angeles! I went with my cousin to the El Rey Chile distribution in the La Puente High School parking lot. These chiles are grown in New Mexico and trucked out to Southern California each year.
Check out the El Rey Chile company for more information. They have been doing this for years and they have a big following. My cousin's co-worker has been buying chiles from El Rey for over 10 years!
El Rey Farms has a devoted following of families picking up their New Mexico chiles and chile powder.
And what does everyone make? Pork & Tomatillo Chile Chili, Chile rellenos, Salsas, and placing them on everything: eggs, rice, burritos... I'll make my Auntie Joy's Chili soon and post it up!
Interested in next year's truckload? Check out: El Rey Farms
Annual Bazaar: Okinawa Association of America, Sunday, Oct 3rd
If you are in the Los Angeles area and didn't get enough dango on the Buddhist Church Obon Circuit, stop by the Okinawa Association of America's Annual Bazaar on Sunday!
OAA Annual Bazaar
Sunday, October 3, 2010
11am – 4pm
16500 S. Western Avenue, Gardena, CA
Help support the OAA's only fundraiser while enjoying the sights, sounds and flavors of Okinawan community in Southern CA.
Food booths include:
I went last year and baked goods are awesome and I ate my weight in dangos. You know, celebrating my heritage and all :) - mary the food librarian and 100% Okinawan
reade more...
OAA Annual Bazaar
Sunday, October 3, 2010
11am – 4pm
16500 S. Western Avenue, Gardena, CA
Help support the OAA's only fundraiser while enjoying the sights, sounds and flavors of Okinawan community in Southern CA.
Food booths include:
- Okinawa Soba with sannmai niku
- Andagi (Okinawa dango, the “authentic” way!)
- Okinawan mochi (nantu and kasaa muchii)
- spam musubi
- teriyaki chicken and beef combo bento
- baked goods
- and much, much more!
I went last year and baked goods are awesome and I ate my weight in dangos. You know, celebrating my heritage and all :) - mary the food librarian and 100% Okinawan
Cookbook Sale - Sunday, Aug 22 - Culinary Historians of Southern California
Los Angeles...
I'll be here at 8 am. Cash in hand. Pick up a cookbook, stone fruit, Thai food, Korean pancake, and some kettle corn. Heaven! Whoo hoo! Hope you'll be here too!
- mary the food librarian
Open to the public – No admission charge
Food lovers have waited all year to get their hands on the thousands of cookbooks that have been donated by members and fans of the Culinary Historians. Come early for the best selection. The sale includes both vintage and recent books, all at incredible prices.
Proceeds from the sale will enhance the work of the Culinary Historians of Southern California.
To donate books for the sale, contact Billie Connor-Dominguez at (323) 660-6399.
reade more...
I'll be here at 8 am. Cash in hand. Pick up a cookbook, stone fruit, Thai food, Korean pancake, and some kettle corn. Heaven! Whoo hoo! Hope you'll be here too!
- mary the food librarian
Culinary Historian of Southern California
Annual Used Cookbook Sale
Sunday, August 22nd, 8 a.m. – 1 p.m.
(or until we run out of cookbooks)
At the Hollywood Farmers’ Market on Ivar between Sunset Blvd. and Hollywood Blvd.
Annual Used Cookbook Sale
Sunday, August 22nd, 8 a.m. – 1 p.m.
(or until we run out of cookbooks)
At the Hollywood Farmers’ Market on Ivar between Sunset Blvd. and Hollywood Blvd.
Open to the public – No admission charge
Food lovers have waited all year to get their hands on the thousands of cookbooks that have been donated by members and fans of the Culinary Historians. Come early for the best selection. The sale includes both vintage and recent books, all at incredible prices.
Proceeds from the sale will enhance the work of the Culinary Historians of Southern California.
To donate books for the sale, contact Billie Connor-Dominguez at (323) 660-6399.
Stan and David's Wedding Reception
Several months ago, I was honored to attend my cousin Stan and cousin-in-law David's 1.5 Wedding Anniversary celebration. Oh yes, 1.5 years is the new "in" celebration date! However, I went into a time warp and never posted about the party...but with the Prop 8 ruling this week, I felt it was a great time to celebrate love and equality.
In 2001, Stan and David met in a Bay Area church. In October 2008, during the too brief window in California where same-sex couple could legally marry, they got married in Alameda county. In May, they had a celebration with their Southern California based family and friends.
My cousin and her husband came from Vermont for the party!
