She Blogs. He Rambles.

Mapo Tofu

diane — Wed, 13 Jun 2012 18:26:50 +0000

The story of origin behind mapo tofu (麻婆豆腐) is one that is not completely verified but the myth is that this dish was created by a pock-marked old woman (hence, the meaning of the first two Chinese characters, 麻婆). This woman was a widow and due to her disfigurement, also an outcast, who lived in [...]

Vince-ism: That Thing

diane — Fri, 11 May 2012 22:41:50 +0000

I’m sound asleep, like always, and wake up to the Hubs literally suffocating me, his entire body on my face. Me: What the hell?!?! Hubs: Shhhh…don’t move. Me (muffled because the Hubs is still laying on my face): What? Hubs: Don’t move. You gotta be careful. Me: Careful of what? Hubs: It’s going to fall [...]

Banana Bread

diane — Thu, 03 May 2012 17:28:25 +0000

The first time I ever baked something was in 7th grade Home Ec class (do schools still offer those classes?). Banana bread was the first thing we learned to bake in Home Ec. In hindsight, I’m kind of surprised I never touched the oven until I was 12 years old. But then again, my mom [...]

Cold Spicy Cucumber Salad

diane — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 17:41:49 +0000

I love the smell of cut cucumbers. For something so unsuspecting, they make the house smell really refreshing and as odd as this sounds, they smell like…summer. Summer, as in a cool summer evening when all of your windows are open and there’s that nice cool-warm breeze coming through. Cucumbers and watermelon will definitely do [...]

Sundried Tomato Pasta Salad

diane — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 16:38:14 +0000

If you’ve never heard of The Pioneer Woman, you do now and you’re welcome . What began as a casual encounter with The Pioneer Woman’s blog four years ago, I am now one of the hundred thousands, or even millions, of adoring readers. Her blog posts are humble, shameless, funny, helpful, and chock full of [...]

Kimchi Fried Rice

diane — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 16:37:45 +0000

Who doesn’t love fried rice? It’s one of the best all-in-one dishes – you get veggies, meat and starch in every bite. When I was young, fried rice was only a treat when we had too much rice leftover from dinner. Now I purposely cook more than enough rice for me and the Hubs so [...]

Parmesan Cauliflower Soup

diane — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 17:41:29 +0000

I’ve always been accustomed to eating cauliflower as a vegetarian side to a meal and only recently discovered how versatile it could be as other components of a meal, such as a healthy alternative to mashed potatoes or in the form of soup. Something about the strong nutty and pungent taste of Parmesan cheese goes [...]

Vince-ism: Do You Want a Pear?

diane — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 17:24:52 +0000

One night after dinner, the then-BF-now-Hubs was searching for something sweet to eat. Hubs: Do you want a pear (pronounced as “pier”)? Me: A what? Hubs: A pear (“pier”). Me: LOL. It’s called a pear (pronounced correctly, of course)! Hubs: What? Then why is it spelled like “spear”? F English! Poor guy was saying “pear” [...]

Salted Brown Butter Rice Krispie Treats

diane — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 22:29:36 +0000

Who doesn’t love Rice Krispie treats? Kids love them and most adults love them. I know a lot of grown-ups detest marshmallows but I am definitely a fan. It makes everything gooey, and I like gooey things. My mom always made Rice Krispie treats for us when we were young. Her Rice Krispie treats always [...]

Korean Tofu Stew (Soondubu Jjigae)

diane — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 19:47:29 +0000

It rained nonstop for five days last week – no complaints here, as it was a welcome change from our abnormally dry winter. The rainclouds have finally dissipated, but they left us with crazy winds and freezing cold temperatures that are reminiscent of dead-of-winter temperatures – not temperatures we should be experiencing when spring is [...]