better late than never!

Yay!!! Our coffee table and rug are FINALLY here!!! We ordered back in September and something happened to our order and it has taken this long to work it out! But they're here! Now I can finally take pictures of our new house to post! (... eh... maybe after I clean a little a first!)

our wedding album!

Our wedding album arrived today!!!!!! And I'm so happy with how it turned out! It definitely would have been done sooner had I not been so picky about the pictures and layout and required three rounds of edits! But our photographer, Serena Choi of Serena Grace Photo, is SUPER! ... super talented, super sweet, and super patient, and was so gracious with me through the whole process. We definitely recommend her! :)

Our beautiful leather album comes with a fun album sleeve! AND as an added surprise, Serena included a fun apron for me, as a "happy baking" gift. :) sooo thoughtful! I used it tonight (and already got it dirty--darn!)

THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING, SERENA!!!

(ooh! I just went to Serena's website, and in her gallery, we are "Wedding Three"!!!)

Company Pot Roast

With cross-rib roast on sale for only $1.87/lb, I seized two medium-sized packs and the opportunity to finally try my hand at pot roast. Ina Garten's recipes are always winners, so I decided to make her "Company Pot Roast", featured in her latest cookbook, Back to Basics. (By the way, LOVE her cookbooks!) Red-skinned mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese with ham, green beans, and pugliese bread rounded out this super hearty meal!



Results and reviews? Because I didn't have enough time to slowly simmer the pot in the oven as I was supposed to, my roast wasn't AS tender as I would have liked, but the flavor was excellent! The sauce is great over rice or egg noodles too. Plus, this marked another personal culinary milestone as my first time cooking with LEEKS!!! Those frighteningly large green onion-looking like veggies used to be the stuff of onion nightmares for me, but over the last few years, I've been growing more comfortable with not just cooking with onions but eating them as well! (As long as I can't really taste them...) This pot roast recipe is definitely going into my rotation to make again and again.

And because I love to share, here's the recipe!

Company Pot Roast
2008, Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics, All Rights Reserved.

• 1 (4 to 5-pound) prime boneless beef chuck roast, tied
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• All-purpose flour
• Good olive oil
• 2 cups chopped carrots (4 carrots)
• 2 cups chopped yellow onions (2 onions)
• 2 cups chopped celery (4 stalks)
• 2 cups chopped leeks, white and light green parts (2 to 4 leeks)
• 5 large garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
• 2 cups good red wine, such as Burgundy
• 2 tablespoons Cognac or brandy
• 1 (28-ounce) can whole plum tomatoes in puree
• 1 cup chicken stock, preferably homemade
• 1 chicken bouillon cube
• 3 branches fresh thyme
• 2 branches fresh rosemary
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature

Directions

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Pat the beef dry with a paper towel. Season the roast all over with 1 tablespoon salt and 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper. Dredge the whole roast in flour, including the ends. In a large Dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add the roast and sear for 4 to 5 minutes, until nicely browned. Turn and sear the other side and then turn and sear the ends. This should take 4 to 5 minutes for each side. Remove the roast to a large plate.

Add 2 tablespoons olive oil to the Dutch oven. Add the carrots, onions, celery, leeks, garlic, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper and cook over medium heat for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender but not browned. Add the wine and Cognac and bring to a boil. Add the tomatoes, chicken stock, bouillon cube, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. Tie the thyme and rosemary together with kitchen string and add to the pot. Put the roast back into the pot, bring to a boil, and cover. Place in the oven for 2 1/2 hours, until the meat is fork tender or about 160 degrees F internally. Turn the heat down to 250 degrees F after about an hour to keep the sauce at a simmer.

Remove the roast to a cutting board. Remove the herb bundle and discard. Skim off as much fat as possible from the sauce. Transfer half the sauce and vegetables to a blender or a food processor fitted with the steel blade and puree until smooth. Pour the puree back into the pot, place on the stovetop over low heat, and return the sauce to a simmer. Place 2 tablespoons flour and the butter in a small bowl and mash them together with a fork. Stir into the sauce and simmer for 2 minutes, stirring until thickened. Taste for seasonings. Remove the strings from the roast, and slice the meat. Serve warm with the sauce spooned over it.

Mouse in the House!!!

I just screamed bloody murder after I scooped up a mouse along with Lucy's kibble for dinner!!! Wayne is now trying to capture it with an empty yogurt container (a large one, of course)... because I want to set it free in the fields. ... But I am in the living room, blogging, because I do not want to go near it. Strange how I am fine with PET mice, but wild mice... eeek! I know it's a learned response, because, really, he's quite cute.

Okay, Wayne has captured the food thief, and is taking him away. I hope he doesn't come back (the mouse, that is...not Wayne!) Yay, Wayne! He's my hero!

Lucy, the pest.

Lucy, as sweet as she is, can be a real brat with her (dog) friends... like how she likes to nip at their butts or paw at them to get their attentions or to chase her to play.

This weekend, MoMo came over (along with Jessie, Debbie, and Vicky) and Jessie got some great photos of them sitting pretty...


still sitting pretty...


...until Lucy got bored and wanted to play. Here's MoMo, flinching at Lucy's striking paw on the left!

Lucy is One!

Lucy had her first birthday November 7, and we had a big barbecue for her! Well, okay, the barbecue was more of an informal housewarming of sorts with Wayne's friends from high school, and it just happened to fall on Lucy's birthday... just don't tell her that.

Lucy's friends, Sasha and Cody, came over to celebrate!



Donning her new scarf (thanks, Auntie Emily!), Lucy is about to enjoy her special birthday breakfast--Eukanuba topped with hard-boiled egg.



And then I made her a bone-shaped cake... too bad Lucy couldn't have any, though, since it was chocolate! (see? she looks kind of annoyed in the bottom picture.)





Happy birthday, Lucy! I love you, even though you make everything dirty... don't think I didn't notice the paw prints on the couch!!

Pie Mr. To!

Last week, Mr. To got pied as part of a fundraiser at school! How could I not share these pictures?

Before:


During (love the protective gear):


After:


Wayne said he had whipped cream smell up his nose the rest of the day. Haha, what a good sport!

Latest Aspirations

While watching the Food Network the other day, I discovered THE best job! It's not owning a bakery or hosting my own cooking show or working as a nutritionist... It's being the Chairman on Iron Chef! All he does is introduce the chefs in a funny accent, do a few back flips, and then does NOTHING for about an hour until the end when he gets to eat awesome food during the judging! He doesn't even have to say anything during that time, just eats! I can do that. And ON TOP OF THAT, he got to be on Dancing with the Stars!!!



So that's my plan... become a D-List actor, which will still allow me to lead a normal life, and then get on Dancing with the Stars! ... now how do I get onto that career track?

Lucy's new chew toy.

Stocking up for the winter... and spring, and summer...

This is what happens when I go grocery shopping on my own and Ben & Jerry's is on sale... (there's actually more in my freezer, but there wasn't room on those shelves).



I'm ready for Jenny's visit!

Nike Women's Marathon 2009

(what a boring title... but I can't think of anything else right now...)

Ran the Nike Women's Marathon this morning with Colleen! I came in at 4:33, and while it's definitely no PR, I think we did pretty well, considering all the walking we did in the latter part of the race due to my right quad cramping up and Colleen's knees and mild fever! Despite our ailments and my now aching body, we still had a lot of fun! Highlights were: having a great first half of the race with Colleen, chatting and enjoying the course, and seeing our supporters! Sam at mile 8, my aunt and uncle at mile 10, Wayne at mile 24, and Sam and Albert at the Finish. (Special thanks also to Albert for being Race Day chauffeur once again). Oh, and the food at the end of the race tasted SO good... nothing special--just bananas, bagels, and granola and yogurt... but it must be the 26.2 miles, because it was the BEST banana, bagel, and granola and yogurt we've had, haha.

Colleen and I are trying to decide which race to do next. Perhaps Big Sur in April!

my first race as a To!

and this is a funny picture of me and Colleen sniffing flavored oxygen at one of the booths at the expotique.

At mile 24! (and Colleen with her shirt/scarf around her neck)

and jumping for joy after finishing!

what a hoot!

Look what I found at HomeGoods today! SOO excited about them! :)



(p.s. they're two plates and a serving platter, in case it wasn't apparent).

Now to find a cookie jar to match!

InStyle and inBudget

A one-year subscription to InStyle Magazine is only $5 at amazon!

my survivor outfit

I just finished watching Survivor (oooh... the mean Russell on the yellow team!), and I've been shopping for my Survivor outfit, for you know, if I ever get chosen for the show. And unlike some of the contestants on the show who come wearing HEELS, I actually put a lot of thought into my outfit.

First, I'd wear a pair of convertible pants that can turn into capris and zip off into shorts. The fabric is moisture-wicking, and ideally, I'd find a pair with drawstring to prevent them from falling off during challenges and when I lose weight.



On top of that, I'd wear a racerback bra (so that straps don't fall off during challenges), a light-weight tee, and a Zella jacket--all moisture-wicking. Zella is Nordstrom's own woman's activewear brand, and they make really cute AND practical activewear. This Zella "She-Girl" jacket, for example, will not only keep you cool and warm, it has a hair tie on the zipper for emergencies. Very helpful for Survivor.


I'd also wear dry-fit socks and light-weight trail shoe.


Oh, and moisture-wicking underwear, like these from Patagonia. I'd probably wear something one size smaller than usual, because I always see the contestants' clothes have stretched out by the end of the show.


Okay, I'm all set... now I just have to find a way to get on the show.

Stylish Pup

Emee knitted this super cute scarf for me, but I think she should go into designer petware, because it looks even better on Lucy!

CoinStar Fun!

We cashed in Wayne's coin collection at CoinStar today and got an amazon gift card worth $90.95! It would have been $91.95, except that I kept the very cool James Madison dollar coin I found in there. :) Yay, CoinStar!

Providence!

I'm sitting at a large wooden table at Seven Stars Bakery in Providence, Rhode Island, sipping on a small iced mocha and nibbling on a ginger biscuit, granola scone, and (yes, "and") cranberry pecan scone... because I couldn't decide, of course, and I may never be back here, and if I don't order them all, I may miss out on THE BEST ginger biscuit or granola scone or cranberry pecan scone EVER!  Apparently, I did not, but that's beside the point.

I've been in town visiting Angela since Wednesday late afternoon (though my travels commenced Tuesday night, taking a red eye with TWO 3-hour layovers), and we've been eating almost nonstop since.  Wednesday night was dinner at Geppetto's Grilled Pizzeria and then dessert at Palmieri's.  4.5 stars for Geppetto's (the subtraction is for the overbearingly loud music that made conversation a laborious task) and a meager 1 star for Palmieri's (full reviews on yelp).  

Thursday, I started my day with a beautiful run down Blackstone and Hope, lunch also at Seven Stars bakery followed by lots of insanely good pastries (to make up for the debacle that was Palmieri's), then we spent the day walking around Newport and of course more eating ensued. Clam chowder, lobster pizza, and seafood linguine... mmm! 

Today, I want to try Rhode Island clam chowder and clam cakes, two indigenous specialities.  And then it's off to the Wrenthem Outlets and then Boston, where I'll be for the rest of the weekend for Stef's bridal shower!  

grow, bangs, grow!

I went in to Magic Salon for a much-needed haircut today. I've been going there since moving to Sacramento, and Michelle, my stylist before she moved to San Diego, was AMAZING and the first person who has ever given me a haircut that I like right away. This time, I had Sonya for the first time. Everything was going well... until she gave me a "corner" in my bangs, which are basically really short bangs on one side of my head. When I realized what she was doing, I quickly told her to stop; I'm always trying to get rid of my baby hairs, and now I have lots! haha, oh, well. I will be tucking these under for sure, or parting my hair on the other side. The great thing about hair is that it grows!

auck! I look like I'm 12!

oh the pain...

Moving to a new home means that I've acquire Comcast cable, and with it, access to Fox Sports Net Bay Area, which, of course, means Giants games. Incidentally, it happened to be the most crushing Giants defeat since game six of 2002. Wow...that hurt big time tonight.

So the bad news is, we are at the wrong end of a walk-off grand slam after an immensely grinding game.

The good news is, I haven't hurt this bad for a Giants game in a long time...and you know what, that is a good thing. :| Now I think I'll go cry myself to sleep...

biore

I found some old biore strips as I was clearing out my bathroom, so Wayne (after a little cajoling) and I applied a couple to our noses. And just like the commercials, we peeled off the strips after ten minutes and marveled at each other's strips. Except, mine was almost clean and Wayne's was FILTHY! Little dark flecks dotted the entire strip! I couldn't stop looking at it! And if I remember correctly, Wayne's nose was just as dirty last time Stef and I made him biore with us our Freshman year of college. I think it's time I recommend a good facewash for my grubby hubby.

Green and I are no longer friends.

Even after 15+ tubs of little pots of paint samples and one wasted gallon of "Soothing Green Tea", I can't get the color right in our family room. "Prairie Sage" sounded and looked so promising when it was a small square, but now that I've painstakingly applied it to the entire room, it looks too creamy and green... like ice cream puke. Okay, perhaps not so horrific, but that's what I wanted to do last night as I was finishing up the room that took me the whole day to complete. It was midnight as I left, and all I could do was fume and cry and shake my fist at Prairie Sage and all its green cousins.

This time of painting really has been much more trying than the first. But it's not the actual painting, it's the color selection. Already, we have painted two rooms that I feel need to be repainted... the labor I can put in, but I'm afraid it will just be another wasted endeavor because I can't seem to get the colors right. I do absolutely love our kitchen, though, with its warm beiges, creams, and whites. Maybe that's what I need... just a sea of beige. Perhaps I should just give up on color...

SYTYCD!

YAY!!!! I'm happy with the results!!

running out of time

The Nike Women's Marathon is fast approaching, and I am so not ready for it. Between the trips, busy work schedule, recent house painting, and other excuses, I haven't been running at all! But this past week, I found a marathon training schedule online to help me stay focused. It's an 18-week training schedule, but since the race is in mid October, I have to jump right into week 7! That means that I did my requisite 3-miler on Tuesday, 6-miler today, and I'm scheduled for a whopping 14 miles on Saturday!!! Just like that! Although I suppose it wasn't intended to be such instantaneous torture, but that's what I get for missing the first 6 weeks of my training. yikes... I hope I'm still alive to enjoy Josh and Melissa's wedding later that day.

oh, and P.S. Our bedroom walls look like toothpaste! I had envisioned a soothing seafoam, but got Colgate, instead. :/

so tired of painting.

I actually love painting and meticulously edging my walls like a self-professed pro, but tonight, I'm just tired. So much still left to do, and it's coming along much slower than I had planned (probably because while Wayne has been industriously working on our cabinet doors, I've spent the better part of this week mostly just staring at our walls and trying to decide on colors instead of actually painting). I feel like I'm moving a mountain one pebble at a time.

But tomorrow is a new day... let's see how many pebbles we can move then!

progress

We've been busy giving our new home a face lift. Our progress so far...

We bought SO many little paint samples, trying to find the right shade of green... We've decided on Soothing Green Tea, but even now, I'm still a little hesitant.



Repainting our kitchen cabinets!

Take Me Out to the Ballgame!

I had such a fun time at the Giants game last night! Here is why:

1. The company was superb!
2. I got a cute hat!
3. Garlic fries and hotdogs! (You would think all the grease would have warmed us up, but not so much--it was FRIGID last night.)
4. and... oh, yeah, the Giants won against the Pirates (whom I wrongfully told Annie were from Tampa Bay... oops)!

Who could ask for anything more? :)

A Year and a Day

Wayne and I have been married now a year and a day. And in this year and a day, I've learned many things. First, I've learned that Wayne likes to wrap himself in blankets like a burrito when he sleeps, and through the night, he'll slowly reel the blankets off of me to achieve desired burrito state. I've also learned that being married to Mr. To is somewhat like being married to a small town celebrity; seldom can we venture into Elk Grove without being spotted and hounded for autographs (okay, not really about the autographs)... and I predict that these occurrences will only increase when we move into our new house closer to his school. But I think the most impactful lesson I've learned, and am continually learning, is how to operate with and under grace. Sometimes, the smallest things, like a musty sponge, can really ruffle my feathers. But it's when I'm being a prickly porcupine and Wayne braves my quills and embraces me still, I am compelled to lower my defenses and act in love in return. It continually amazes me how God designed marriage to remind us of His love and grace for us.

Yesterday we celebrated out first anniversary by going to this huge flea market/farmer's market up in Roseville (where I got this AMAZING papaya, among other items), and then Wayne took me to lunch at La Provence. We spent the rest of the day working on our house (which is slowly coming along). I have the best time doing the biggest and smallest things with Wayne, and yesterday was perfect! For no rhyme or reason we work... I still don't know HOW we work, because on paper we are so different, but we do, so beautifully. And by God's grace, I look forward to many more years and a day of living, loving, playing, and growing.

Happy anniversary, Sweetheart!


This is us at the farmer's market!

This Week's Results Show

WARNING: SYTYCD season 5 episode 19 spoiler.


JEANETTE????? booo!!!!!! :( I should have voted for her that night (but I thought she was safe)!!! I'm not so sad about Jason. While I must agree he was a good dancer and performed a couple of pieces I really liked, like the childhood friends one with Jeanine ("I love childhood friends!") and the zombie one, I just never warmed up to him as a person.

But Jeannette?? It was that breast cancer dance! Saved Melissa for sure! I mean, how do you go up against breast cancer?!?! >:{

color crisis!!!

just got back from a test run of colors for our house. so many colors... and shades of colors... And what I thought was going to look great, doesn't. Colors are clashing. And now I'm second-guessing all my original color choices. I've always loved a bright color palette, but now, never has a sea of beige seemed more appealing--and safe. so confused!

must stop staring at color swatches and go to bed. goodnight!

on the move

Well, not just yet. But we did get the keys to our new house yesterday!!! YAY!!!!!!! The first thing Wayne and I did was peel off the wall paper daisies and "stained glass" from the windows. ahh, much better!





We still have lots to paint and pack before we actually move in. Right now, we're frantically trying to finish the kitchen and laundry room before our appliances are delivered on Saturday (which normally wouldn't be a problem, except that I'm working lots this week). But it WILL get done, and it should be lots of fun!!

Here we are with our wonderful realtor, Pam, who also works with Wayne as a teacher at Franklin! Thanks, Pam!!!!!

I see ya at IKEA!

We went to IKEA the other day and ran into Matt Chin. Doesn't that look like him on the right? Okay, kind of, right? At least a little bit? Anyway, I thought it was pretty good...

...until I saw this!

Does Wayne have an alter IKEA family that I don't know about??

dream job... still a dream.

I was looking at job listings on craigslist this morning and my heart leapt when I saw a posting for a Personal Baker! ... but alas, when I looked more closely, it was for a Personal BANKER. boo!

"Cantonese Boy"

... a friend of Wayne's and his wife. Don't they seem like such a fun couple? :)

Ovomaltine Crunchy Cream!

I am sitting at Colleen's kitchen table and she has just fed me the BEST spread in the world!!! Ovomaltine Crunchy Cream! Though it sound like cellulite cream, I assure you it is not. It is a chocolate malt spread reminiscent of nutella without the hazelnut and with little crystals of crunchy things throughout instead. We ate it on toast and regular bread... and I wish we had more things to spread it on. (I'm looking around... um, goldfish?)

Alas, this Swiss-made product is not available in the States, and when I googled it, I found it only at www.austriangrocery.com. I think one jar would cost about $22 to ship over here. so... if anyone is swinging by Austria, please pick me up a jar or two... or ten.

In Escrow!

(... but where's Escrow?)

Being the house-hunting newb that I am, I've been waiting until it's "real" to post about our house, but I think it's been "real" since the seller's accepted our offer a few weeks ago. I guess I expected something more special, more grand. Like all of a sudden I would FEEL like a homeowner... an experience more complex than just, we see it, we like it, we buy it! Because, it really has been that simple (and praise God it has been)! We saw this house on our second house-hunting excursion, put in an offer that day, and after a quick round of counter-offers, they accepted! Our appraisal came back right at our offer price and inspection passed with flying colors, and if all else continues to go as smoothly, we'll be receiving our keys July 10!

A little about the house: 3 bedrooms, 2 bath, separate family and living spaces, partial hardwood, sufficient yard with grass for Lucy. It's in the esteemed Stonelake community of Elk Grove, and what really sold me on the house were the amenities--beautiful clubhouse, gym, tennis and basketball courts, and pool WITH lap lanes!!!!!! THAT I am looking forward to!

It is not a short-sale, meaning a family still lives there now. And judging from our initial walk-through, it looked like they've simply outgrown their home. I love their custom paint job, but sadly, I do think I will need to paint over the bulldozers and baseball players in the kids' rooms, haha. I'm so excited to repaint and make this place our own! ... oh, and to get rid of the hideous green paisley couches that we currently own!