Craft-A-Gift

I have a really good friend at church named Irene... She is crafty and one of the few Asian women at our church so we get along! Haha! No she truly is great! I love her to pieces! She is a woman of God, humble, caring, and has been one of my prayer warriors this past year. So one of our shared passions is crafting... I saw her at church wearing a beautiful red scarf and instantly I knew she made it... because it was a well crafted t-shirt scarf... One I actually have not seen. Any who she emailed me her eternity t-shirt scarf and I immediately had to make one and here it is...

Tada! Kuddos to Irene! Thanks for showing me this quick and easy Craft-A-Gift idea!

FYI: The shirt I used was one of my Mission Trip Russia shirts... It is a sentimental possession and I have quite a few. I cut it to where I left the Bible verse on the inside of the scarf, so every time I wear I promised myself that I would pray for Russia!

Home Sweet Home

We're MOVING! 

.... again...

Last night Willie and I went to have Pho for dinner over at Riverside. We found our favorite Pho place over here in the desert! Quite exciting!

So about this move... After Pho we went roaming around this cute part of Riverside. Absolutely beautiful, it has a small village type of feel. There are a ton of trees which gives it a woodsy feel. Any who we relentlessly searched through the neighborhood and jotted down phone numbers of apartments. We called those numbers and looked at a few apartments. We narrowed our search down to 2 apartments. Both built in the 70's one with 150 units and the other under 20 units. We chose the one under 20 units. It is nice cozy and very spacious! Plus in a very good neighborhood!

 We are very excited! We move mid January!

grateful...

 

10 things I am grateful for...

1. the assurance that the Lord is my Savior

2. my husband who is so patient with me

3. my family who loves us

4. doing ministry with my favorite ministry partner: my husband

5. my church family

6. having a roof over our head

7. always having a meal to eat

8. having a job

9. have a car that takes me around

10. having holidays like thanksgiving and Christmas to share with my husband

adelphai!

I first would like to apologize for my absence... Unfortunately I have been battling with my health recently.

But with out further a due..  Adelphai!

So a few friends of mine a year ago decided to start a company of crafts I guess you can say. It has been in the back burner but still is in existence.. i think! haha! Well this is a new addition to my collection...

 My blogspot is being silly and wont upload my picture in the right direction but there it is nonetheless.... a bookmark! This lovely bookmark is going to a lovely friend of mine... as we venture on to a new adventure.

Here are past creations...

adelphai!

Christmas in November!

Merry Christmas (in November)!

We are starting Christmas this year. Willie thinks that we are going to get our money's worth out of Christmas this year.. meaning he wants to decorate like today! It's going to be hillarious! Stay tuned as I log our Christmas in November! Merry November Christmas everybody!

My Battle...

ECZEMA.... This is my battle. I have had this skin disease for as long as I remember.  For the past 3 months I have had a really rough time fighting with my Eczema. As silly as it sounds it gets pretty draining both physically and emotionally. Lately I have had pretty bad outbreaks, mostly at night. It is as if I am ringing a cow bell saying "come on down Mr. Eczema!" ( I gave it a gender just because) But lately I will wake up in the middle of the night with hives. So what I have to do every night before I go to bed is take an allergy pill (loratadine) or if I am really not up for the fight Benadryl. But let me go through the routine for you...

When I shower I have to use a cleanser (not soap). Then I have to "pat" myself dry out of the shower. Then I have to immediately (I mean ASAP) apply my special ointments or creams. Then apply my special lotions....

Specifically Cetaphil but without the SPF because guess what??? I am allergic to SPF on my face! Fun!

Having Eczema also means I am allergic to a ton of chemicals... for example chemicals found in lotions, makeup, lipsticks, lipgloss, etc.

Eczema flare ups are related to an allergic reaction. So I do not know what I am allergic to or what is causing this uncomfort. So recently I have been researching foods or special diets. Basically I learned that I practically can't eat anything. See for yourself...

Please pray for me in regards to my eczema. It really isn't fun. I am constantly itchy 24/7. I wish I was exagerrating but I am not. Honestly I am really frustrated with it. :(

Good Read

Seeing and Savoring Jesus Christ by John Piper

Read this book!

Today I went to Cornerstone Fellowship Bible Church. I there today because Willie had his Phlebotomy class. I thought I should check out a local church out here where we live. I went to the Masters Seminary alumni list and thankfully it was divided by the city in which the alumnus are at. So I clicked Moreno Valley and then Riverside. Then a name that was very familiar popped up "Vincent Green". Well the funny thing is that this pastor, Vincent Green has visited the church I attended (South Bay Christian Alliance Church) before I got married, then a year later he visited the church I currently go to (First Fundamental Bible Church). So I checked out the church and it was a guest speaker Pastor John Koh from Faith Bible Church. Any who all in all I was really blessed today. It was a great Lord's day! Even though I went with out the hubby it was good. I am glad I went, and as a visitor at Cornerstone Fellowship Bible Church I received this book as a gift. This book could not have come at a better time. I am glad the Lord moved me to open this book and begin reading it. It took me back to the first time I fell in love with the Lord. I am very blessed that the Lord has saved me. This book is a good reminder of my first LOVE, Jesus!

Validation

This is validation that I live in the desert!

When the hubby first took me here to Moreno Valley this is one of the first things I saw. He said not to worry it only occurs every once in a while. Little did he know that he was wrong. I see these dust devils quite often!

Still sad...

I miss her!

She's gone... :(

She is gone... My Mimie... I miss her so much! But she is in a good home. We gave her to a family from our church. They have 3 beautiful children and live in a beautiful home with a yard perfect for Mimie to frolic and play. Mimie made herself at home there.

I won't lie... I cried when we got home because I didn't hear her whine. I am sad and really missing my beatiful puppy Mimie. She was a good puppy despite all of the headaches.

Puppy 101

So the hubby and I have decided that we are putting our puppy up for adoption. Unfortunately our living conditions aren't suitable for her needs and for ours as well. I am really sad but understand what needs to be done. I want to sell her to someone I know so if you are interested PLEASE contact me ASAP. We want to give her up by tomorrow!! :(

HOME

Hello Readers!

Sorry I haven't posted anything. Currently I have been ordered to stay home for 3 days by the doctor. See here is what happened... I had gotten a few rashes (see if you know me, this is normal since I have eczema). Well the rashes continued to get worst then a month later I went to urgent care to get it checked out. Well the doctor I saw just said that it may be an infection and she prescribed me a "cocktail" (a mixture of creams in this case). Well see the problem with getting a cocktail cream is that you have to go to a special pharmacy called a compound pharmacy. Well these type of pharmacies aren't that accessible to me since I live in the desert plus I am sure insurance wasn't going to cover it and it was going to be pricey. So I figured to just keep my rashes clean and put neosporin! Great idea right? Nope! Apparently since I had been using neosporin and cleaning my rash with an antiseptic for two months my body had gained a resistance. So I went to urgent care again on Monday after getting hives and random fevers.. and wala.. I had gotter a Staph Infection (infection of the skin). The doctor totally freaked me out. She said I had to stay home from Mon-Wed and to go back to her on Wed for a follow up. She said it was a MUST!!! She said that my follow up on Wed will determine if I need to be admitted to a hospital! GREAT! Yeah on top of this she practically prescribed me the entire pharmacy... 2 different creams, 1 antibiotic ointment, 1 oral antibiotic, 1 ibuprofen, and 1 vicoden (because it was painful, I was practically crying when you touch the rash)... if you added those all together that was 6 prescriptions! Not including the antibiotic shot I got on my tush (which hurt pretty bad)! I asked why I needed a shot and she said, "I do not think you understand the seriousness of your infection and its potential." Yeah that freaked me out among other things, let alone the fact that I had to endure all of this by myself (hubby had to go to work). All in all I am feeling better, PRAISE THE LORD! But we shall see tomorrow what the doctor says... the upside is that my rashes are looking better the downside is that it is still inflamed. :(

FYI: I am sparing you some details in regards to this infection... I am doing you a favor because it was pretty gnarly!

Recipe of the Week

Shrimp Wrap with Creamy Cilantro Sauce

1. First the sauce... Mayo, yogurt (although mine went bad and I had greek yogurt), 1/2 a bunch of cilantro, some cayenne pepper, cumin, salt & pepper

2. Cabbage sliced thinly, lime juice from one lime, 1 tsp of vegetable oil, salt & pepper

3. Onion, Garlic, Butter, Shrimp (seasoning of your choice)

4. Whole Wheat Tortillas!

Then Ta Da!

Yummy goodness! The hubby really liked it so you know its a hit! Comment me with your email address if you want step by step directions.

Cheers!

As I continue to write these posts I come up with more and more titles for categories.. Here is one of them... CHEERS!

So as I was at work today I noticed that my slacks (bought in March) have become really loose on me. They were tight when I got them (like major gut hanging out kind of tight). Two weeks ago I noticed that my skirts that I got in a bargain have become really lose as well. But my slacks have become significantly tight and all day today I struggled to keep them up. I complained about them to my husband and it wasn't until he saw me when I got home he noticed how loose and baggy they have become. So we were at Costco and right when we walked in there were $20 Kenneth Cole Slacks! What a bargain and what a way to celebrate my weight loss. Well I never buy pants without trying them on. But I took the chance. I grabbed the size I would have liked/ and realistically fit into. I already made a note to myself that these pants may be quite tight and I might have some love handles hanging out.. I went home and tried it on and to my amazement I dropped two pant sizes! How exciting! Cheers Cheers Praise the Lord! This only motivates me that much more!!!

I think these are the ones I got...

Shopping Cart

Here is a peak into our shopping cart...

It is kind of hard to see but here is a breakdown:
- Special K Cereal
- Kashi Cereal
- Organic Reduced Fat Milk (this was a compromise because I wanted to get non-fat)
- Apples
- Bananas (for the hubby)
- Grapefruit
- Mixed Rice (blend of brown, red, and black rice)
- Cabbage
- Cauliflower
- Brocolli
- Tomato
- Onion
- Cilantro
- Non-Fat Plain Greek Yogurt
- Turkey Bacon (this is a treat)
- Whole Wheat Macaroni
- Panko Crumbs (for when we crave for something "fried")
- Bread ( the healthiest one we could find)

Stay tuned to see what I make out of all of this!

BLACKSTRAP!

It's just me and my BLACKSTRAP!

 I have the honor of starting this stud tomorrow! I call him BLACKSTRAP! Starting tomorrow I will be taking 1 tablespoon of this stud daily. Wish me luck because it does not taste good. But I will be taking it because it has a significant source of Iron, Calcium, and Potassium! I need Iron because I am anemic, I need calcium because I am a woman, and I need potassium because I do not like bananas!

This bottle of studly goodness is from my lovely friend Liz (from church)! She was kind enough to provide my first bottle! Kuddos to Liz!

Recipe of the Week

Lentil Mixed Rice Casserole
I bought some lentils not knowing what to make with it, but knowing that it is good for you.

Here we go...
1. Chop up an onion and carrots. Saute in 1-2 tbs. of EVOO.

2. In the mean time rinse and soak 2/3 c.lentils and 2/3 c. mixed rice. (Probably better to soak lentils and rice for hours ahead of time).

 

3. Saute Lentils and Rice in pan for 15 mins. Then throw in the lentils and 2 1/2 cup of chicken stock. Simmer for about an hour (until rice is tender).

 

 4. Top with cheese. Then Enjoy!

5.Enjoy with a steak. Mine looks unattractive since I cut it. Remember PORTION CONTROL!!!

Grub & Pup

Skinny Sinigang...
Sinigang n. (see/knee/guh/ng)
A tamarind based Filipino soup. Can be cooked using pork, meat, fish, chicken, or shrimp. Usual vegetables are onions, tomatoes( I know, it's a fruit) radish, spinach, and green beans.

My "skinny" version is made with Kale... (that's the green leafy stuff)

As you can see we made it with shrimp. Shrimp is low in fat but high in cholesterol. But... "Studies show the high percentage of good fats in shrimp lowers the part that cholesterol plays in the body."

It was quite delicious if you ask me... The hubby got these big succulent prawns from Costco and boy was it delicious. As for the kale.. well it is tougher than I am used to. Kale is the extreme opposite of the silky smooth texture of spinach. But knowing that the Kale is better for you helps you appreciate it.
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Puppy 101...
This past weekend we stayed at my in-laws. That means Mimie is left out in the backyard the whole time. Well when we were ready to leave I went outside to get Mimie all packed I found her bag (the one she goes into) is soaking wet from the sprinklers. So we improvised... Here is what my father in law came up with... See that hole on the side of the box (not the one Mimie's head is through). Well that is the size of the other hole that Mimie's head is through. How did she do that? We have no idea!  

 Yup! She is one crazy puppy! Oh Mimie!

Recipe of the Week

Today was one of those I am super tired but yet need to be productive day. I did three loads of laundry and made up a new recipe. Here it goes...

Ingredients
- Steak
- Soy Sauce
- Worcestershire Sauce
- Honey
- Maple Syrup
- Crushed Red Pepper
- Cayenne Pepper (my favorite!)
- Carrots

I mixed all the ingredients and let the meat marinate for about 15 minutes. Then got a pan and a tad of butter then seared both sides of the meat. After that I put the heat at low covered it as I peeled and cut carrots. Then placed the carrots in the pan. I added some of the marinate into the pan. I flipped the meat a few times. I let it cook for 45 minutes as I was folding laundry.

I made some mixed rice with it... Black rice, red rice, and brown rice. It was delish!

Here was the finished product... It was way better than I imagined it to be!

Puppy 101

Meet our puppy Mimie! She is an almost 6 month old Maltipoo. She is definitely a handful. We got her when she was about 7 weeks old and boy is she a lot of work. Potty training is not my specialty. My hubby is pretty decent at it if he had the time. But now as his work schedule is getting better we have come with a game plan (thanks to our friends David and Paola).

Lately we have tried to train her to stay in the restroom. Basically we give her the command "Border" that means that she cannot cross the carpet. She had been doing pretty well, she ran out a few times. Well we were kind enough this evening to put her bed back since she recently lost her bed privileges. We she decided to be a slick puppy. Watch what she did...

Before

  

During

After

I don't know if you notice how she is on the carpet but technically not because "she" isn't on the carpet, technically her bed is on the carpet. Ay yay yay... this puppy is slick and has a crazy personality of her own. She is quite the mischievous puppy! Stay tuned to our puppy training endeavor!

[Food for Thought]

WATER
 Apparently water should not be consumed during meals. The reason? Well it is said that consuming water during meals dilute the digestion acids that help us digest our food. Is this true? I don't know. I used to save my water drinking until after my meal but when I got married I developed the habit of drinking during my meal. This habit was infectiously obtained from my husband. So I can see how this can be true but at the same time water is good for you. I figure that water during meals only help flush it through your system. But what do I know...

<SHOUT OUT>
Congrats to one of my favorite bloggers... MyCakies to their new addition to their family, Glow! Check out her blog.... I love her! I aspire to be like her... she is super mom and super creative! I love love love her and her ideas! Congrats on your new blessing!!!

lower calorie LA dog

whole wheat tortilla: 80 calories
turkey dog: 70 calories
ketchup: 3 calories
mustard: 0 calories
light mayo: 10 calories
onions: ?
= all together around 163 calories... not bad!

Weekend Re-cap!

This weekend we got to enjoy the sights of Thousand Oaks because of our friend Victor & Desiree's wedding. It was a ton of fun, and it was nice to see some Biola friends!

Friday

The beautiful venue...

The Wedding Party

 Me and the hubby enjoying the landscape! Tiger woods plays at this golf course!

 Victor & Willie

Saturday
 Then on Saturday we had lunch with my parents... Pho and bluberry donuts! Then later that evening we went to this seafood restaurant (forgot what it was called) to celebrate my grandma's birthday!

 Oh it was sooo delicious!!!

Sunday
We enjoyed church! Led worhip for Junior High & High School, went to service, then served in the nursery. Ok side note... Our Junior High ministry is undergoing a revamp. Our kids are excited and we are ecstatic!!! There will probably more posts to come in regards to them.

Back to work...
My job is not bad. I am enjoying getting to know my co-workers day by day. I am grateful and truly blessed. One of my co-workers (Ranie) decided that we are both going to make candied pecans to add to our salad. Here is what mine came out to look like...

 My yummy pecans on our yummy salad for dinner!