Christmas!!!

Christmas has come and gone, it came so fast that I still feel like I need a real Christmas!! I did not feel any excitement on Friday... I had work and then I went to do some errand that by the time I got home, it was already dinner time. I did not get to dress up or finish wrapping presents. Our record player was broken so we did not hear any Christmas songs and it was such a small gathering that it felt like any other weekend. I miss my big family. I miss having all my cousins, aunts, and uncles, all sharing a meal. Telling jokes and playing games... I miss having gift exchanges and sharing stories. I hate growing up. I hate family feuds. I hate that Christmas no longer feels like Christmas. Times like this I really miss my grandfather. He knew how to keep the family together. He was the center of our family and I miss him. Its been more than five years since he has died, and I still feel like I talked about to him a couple of weeks ago. If he were still alive, there would not have been a feud between uncles and aunts. We will all get along an he would be proud of us for being such a close family. But no, they are all acting like children. Since there is no longer a parent figure, they are all throwing tantrums and ignoring people's calls.

Okay, enough of all this and more on good stuff. These past few weeks I have been in a baking frenzy, I have bakes a lot. Here are some of them:

• German Christmas Cookies
• Rugelach
• Mini Pumpkin Cheesecakes
• Persimmons cupcakes
• Shortbread Cookies

I took pictures of all of these, but when I went to Disneyland in December 13, I left my camera on a bench. I was very excited 'cause I had just gotten a call for an interview for a teahing position.. That I left it there... So now I am camera-less and with no picture to post. So I am posting the links of the sites in which I got the recipes from.

Fall!!

Well it finally feels like fall in southern California. What is the best way to celebrate? Well by making a large stack of crêpes and a hot pot of English breakfast tea!!!!

Hamlet: Facebook Version

So I was juts browsing the NPR website when I found this poem by Sarah Schmelling about what the Hamlet story would look like today.

Hamlet (Facebook News Feed Edition)

By Sarah Schmelling

- - - -

Horatio thinks he saw a ghost.

Hamlet thinks it's annoying when your uncle marries your mother right after your dad dies.

The king thinks Hamlet's annoying.

Laertes thinks Ophelia can do better.

Hamlet's father is now a zombie.

- - - -

The king poked the queen.

The queen poked the king back.

Hamlet and the queen are no longer friends.

Marcellus is pretty sure something's rotten around here.

Hamlet became a fan of daggers.

- - - -

Polonius says Hamlet's crazy ... crazy in love!

Rosencrantz, Guildenstern, and Hamlet are now friends.

Hamlet wonders if he should continue to exist. Or not.

Hamlet thinks Ophelia might be happier in a convent.

Ophelia removed "moody princes" from her interests.

Hamlet posted an event: A Play That's Totally Fictional and In No Way About My Family

The king commented on Hamlet's play: "What is wrong with you?"

Polonius thinks this curtain looks like a good thing to hide behind.

Polonius is no longer online.

- - - -

Hamlet added England to the Places I've Been application.

The queen is worried about Ophelia.

Ophelia loves flowers. Flowers flowers flowers flowers flowers. Oh, look, a river.

Ophelia joined the group Maidens Who Don't Float.

Laertes wonders what the hell happened while he was gone.

- - - -

The king sent Hamlet a goblet of wine.

The queen likes wine!

The king likes ... oh crap.

The queen, the king, Laertes, and Hamlet are now zombies.

Horatio says well that was tragic.

Fortinbras, Prince of Norway, says yes, tragic. We'll take it from here.

Denmark is now Norwegian.

Fall!

Fall is here and its time to start baking! yay! This morning the sky was cloudy with some rays fighting to heat up Earth. Leaves are turning from green to a orangy red color. I even saw leaves falling from the trees as I drove to school. Fall is my favorite season. It means I can wear scarves and sweater. I can drink tea anytime of day. I can bake and no one will scowl me for heating up the house. So to everyone, Happy Fall/Autumn!

Day Thirty

Dear reflection in the mirror,

You are in my past, did you know that. Your image is a few milliseconds younger than me.

I see you every morning; some mornings you are my friend and other times you are my enemy. Who I see in the mirror is not me. You do not look like that person I believe I am in my mind. Years back people used to go their entire life without looking at their reflection, and here I have the opportunity to see you every day, and I can't. It is a reminder of many possibilities of who I could be. A reminder that I am real and that I must live my life to the fullest. I would like to be honest to you. It should be easy to tell one's reflection the truth but I can't. Of all the people I've lied to, you are the only one that I have been the most dishonest to.

~Leli

Blogs

Every morning I check my email, my facebook, and then a series of blogs that I follow. here are just some of my favorites:

foodgawker.com
pinchmysalt.com
crepesofwrath.net
poiresdechocolate.blogspot.com
undejeunerdesoleil.blogspot.com
sandrakavital.blogspot.com
breakfastatanthropologie.blogspot.com
effortlessanthropologie.blogspot.com
thefreshloaf.com

the thing that grab my attention is that they have really great photography.

Day Twenty-nine

Dear person that I want to tell everything, but am afraid to,

I want you to know everything about me, I really do.But I feel that if you ever actually get to know just a bit about me that you will just turn around and leave. Me acting more like myself around sometimes makes me feel like you do not like me as much. I feel like you getting to me, and listening to everything, you'll see that I am a disagreeable person. So perhaps I should keep everything to myself, to make life so much easier.

~Leli

Macarons!

I am going to see a play by the Independent Shakespear Company at the Griffith Observatory in a couple of days, and I want to make something that we can snack on. French macarons have been in my baking list of thing I want to make. When I actually started looking for recipes there were so so many of them. Since I do not eat anything with chocolate that weeded out majority of the recipes. Here are some of my favorite:

Vanilla Cranberry Macarons

http://lifesafeast.blogspot.com/2010/06/chocolate-vanilla-macarons-cranberry.html

Peach Macarons

http://onevanillabean.wordpress.com/2010/08/15/amelie-peach-macarons/

Lavander Vanilla Bean Macaron

http://une-deuxsenses.blogspot.com/2010/08/lavender-vanilla-bean-french-macarons.html

Day Twenty-eight

Dear someone that changed my life,

Everyone I met has made an impact in my life. I am more outgoing because you were outgoing and it was fun to be like that. I've made an effort in learning math because you told me that that is what was important in life. I am learning french because you always made it sound fun; and I am becoming a teacher because you were a great teacher who cared about all her students, even the ones like me that did not talk a lot. You who made me live life to the fullest and remind me to not dwell in thing that cannot be fixed. All of YOU I thank you.

~Leli

Day Twenty-seven

Dear friendliest person I knew for only one day,

You started talking to me because we were stuck standing at the back of the class. You were such as nice person, that i took an immediate liking to to you. You told me about you experiences in Lake Cuomo, and how to be a good international relations representative. We were so engrossed in our conversation, i completely forgot to do the assignment.

~Leli

Day Twenty-six

Dear last person I made a pinky promise to,

Surprisingly I still remember, or maybe is just that you mentioned it so often that that memory has been ingrained in me. I do not know how I came to promise what I did. I think you are the one that said it. Well anyways, all of sudden you said 'pinky promise me', and I just agreed saying sure; while thinking,this is not really going to happened anyways. But you told everyone about it. Now a couple years later I can still remember that I made that promise and I know that I can never fulfil that promise, so I am so glad you have forgotten. It had something to do with you watching a Harry Potter movie. Anyways you are the first and last person I've pinky promise, and it'll probably be the last time cause I do not like that there is promise which I cannot keep.

~Leli

Day Twenty-five

Dear person I know that is going through the worst of times,

I know that you are going through a tough patch right now. I feel like you cannot trust me enough to let me help you. You give me that secretive smile every time I ask if you are okay. But I feel that behind that secretive smile, there are unshed tears that want to come out. There is a saying that I like: 'Tears are to the soul as soap is to the body.' If you need to talk tell me. I will try to just listen and not do what I did last time, I promise. Everything gets better after a while, remember in a year things will be different.

~Leli

Day Twenty-four

Dear person who gave me a favorite memory,

Every time I am down or sad all I have to do is think back to that moment and i'll find myself smiling. You might not know it but it really has made it as one of my top ten favorite moments. Thank you!

~Leli

Day Twenty-three

Dear last person I've kissed,

I do not really remember you much anymore. We had our moment and the sun has already gone down.

~Leli

Day Twenty-two

Dear Someone I'd give a second chance,

As long as you do not hurt me or kill me, I'll will always give you a second chance.

~Leli

Day Twenty-one

Dear someone I judged by their first impression,

My first impression of you was that you were antisocial and had a dry personality. You were someone whom I could not carry a conversation. I'm sorry that because my impression I was cold to you, but you were just shy. Sorry.

~Leli

p.s. you are now one of my closes friend and you turn out to be a cool guy. Glad I ignored that first impression.

Day Twenty

Dear person who broke my heart the hardest,

I hope I would never meet you. I do not know you but I know you are lurking in my future.

~Leli

Day Nineteen

Dear someone that pesters my mind,

Get out of there, let me be. I can't really understand why you are there.

~Leli

Day Eighteen

Dear person that I wish I could be,

I seriously do not know that would be.

~Leli

Day Seventeen

Dear someone from my childhood,

Growing up I always envied you, I still do. You are so much cooler and knowledgeable. You were also my one constant friend ( that wasn't family), in my childhood. I regretted that we lost touch for a bit in high school, each following our own path. But it is so nice to see you now. Though you are now married and have your own responsibility we can still hangout like all times. You are like another sister part of our family, you and your whole family.

~Leli

Day Sixteen

Dear someone who is not in my Country,

How are you??? I am so excited that you'll be back soon!! Though I did not really talk to you these pass few years after high school, I always felt you were reachable, but when you decided to spend this past year in Spain, I was when can i talk to you?? But I so hope we can hang out soon.

~Leli

Day Fifteen

Dear someone I miss the most,

I just want to say I miss you.

~Leli

Day Fourteen

Dear someone I've drifted away from,

We were very good friend, we had some really good times where we laughed and had fun. But those days have long pass. I took this path and you took that path. When I hang out with you, its like old times, but I know that the person I act around you is my high school self. You have not yet left high school, you are still in that state, while I have moved on. Its nice to remember high school, but I do not wish to go back. You on the other hand have stayed there, with no thoughts of leaving yet. Call me when you have left high school, and then we can enjoy each others company again. We will always ' death food' though :)

~Leli

Day Thirteen

Dear Someone I wish could forgive me,

Unfortunately I don't think you would never read this because you said you'll never speak to me again. So I think If you did read this, I hope you can truly forgive me and know that I did it because I did not want to hurt you. If I did not do it then we both would have been more hurt later on. I know it is unacceptable now, years later but it better later than never right?

~Leli

Day Twelve

Dear person I hate most,

You could have left me alone, but NOOO you have to pretend you cared and you just did it cause someone ask you too. Why did you decide to do this. That is not such a nice thing to do.

~Leli

Day Eleven

Dear deceased person I wish I could talk to,

Abuelito i miss you so much, especially these past few days as we are reminiscing about you. It almost going to be six year since you pass away, but i still feel like it was only last year that i played cards with you, or listening to all your childhood memories. Oh how i loved just sitting at the kitchen table and listen to you talk. I still regret that you never made it to see me walk after high school and now college. I try and be a good person so that you could be proud of me. And I hope you and mi abuelita are really looking down at all of us and see that even though we have all separated, that we all love you, and we all miss you. Ignore how your children are acting, they seemed to have lost sight of the meaning of family, but i know that with time, we will all be on Big happy family.

~Tu nieta, Leli

Day Ten

Dear people I don't talk to as much as I'd like,

I see you often and we get along well, and it seems like we talk a lot, but we don't. We don't have as meaningful conversations as i wish we could. Sometimes we only skim the top part of what we should talk about but i think its me who does not try to plunge into real feeling. It takes courage and guts and I guess i am just a wuss.

~Leli

Day Nine

Dear Someone I wish I could meet (future me),

I have so many questions to ask you. Are you happy? Are there things you wish to tell me so that I can make an even better you? I can picture you, being happy, going to work everyday, and coming home to a loving family. But what I cannot imagine is which road am I suppose to take in order for me to get there. It's like I know what I want but I don't know how to get there. I seem to have lost that piece of paper where I wrote all of it. oh, and if time travelling is invented yet, send me a sign (lol the nerd in me can only hope it can happen)

~Leli

Day Eight

Dear favorite online friend,

Okay. You're my favorite because not only do I speak to you online, but I also speak to you in person.

~ Leli

Day Seven

Dear Ex,

When I think back all I can see is your angry face. Things weren't going well and still when it came at the end you were surprised, angry, mad. Because of that, I carry no fond memories.

~Leli

Day Six

Dear Stranger,

I went into McDonald's to eat and I came out having a great conversation with you a stranger; and being told that I had what was needed to become a good teacher. Thank you.

~Leli

Day Five

Dear Dreams,

Best night sleep is when I don't remember you. What I have remembered of you, you are just full of emotions, and why can't I see faces, huh? So please let me forget you before I wake up.

~Areli

Day Four

To my sisters,

I just want to tell you that you will always be my sisters, and if you need anything I'll always be there. I hope that even though we are always arguing and from the outsider view we are really mean, that you know we are arguing because that is who we are and we are actually having fun. I hope that you'll never take it anything seriously. I'll always criticizing because I want you two to become much better people than me. I know I'm can be sometimes mean, and you two are scare of me sometimes.I know I cannot change, I know that. Just bear with me.

~ Areli

Day Three

Dear Parents,

Thank you for being such good parent growing up, but can you please tone it down just a bit now. I'm already 23 years of age and you still treat me as if I am still ten. I know you do everything because you love me but still come on, you have an adult child. I feel that since you always hovering in my life that you are not letting me experience being an adult. Many times I find myself missing opportunities because I still feel that you wont let me.

Dad, you are always invading my privacy, going through all my stuff, cant a person have some privacy, have some secrets? Mom, I know we are so similar and that is why we argue a lot. Always wanting to be in charge and wanting things to be our own way; but please, I don't bother you when you do thing differently from me, so please be considerate and not complain that I am doing things wrong, when in fact I am doing just as I feel is correct. There are different ways to do things.

~Leli

Day Two

To my crush,

To all my crushes; past, present, and future crushes. I am talking to all of you who I have liked. You who have had no idea that I liked you. You have become in my eye all the leading guys in TV and in movies. You have become something more in my mind. Being the prince in every book I've read. Knowing that you can only stay in my imaginations and dreams. I see your name everywhere I go, whether it is in a scrap of paper or in movie credits. You, who I cannot approach with these feelings because I know you do not return the sentiments. I don't want to be a fool again. You have no idea that I like you and that's okay. Don't expect much. Crushes are for little girls who are bored. Crushes do not lead to anything. They are just there to torment me, of what I cannot have. In the end you'll just become someone completely different in my mind, that the real you, I'll stop 'crushing' you. Maybe its not a good thing for you to be my crush. Maybe you can become someone that I can actually approach and just like you. To have a real connection and not just an idealize relationship in my mind. Maybe, just maybe it can happen.

~ Leli

Day One

To my Best Friend, my Soul mate,

I have not been a good friend these past few months. You have been away for almost a year and I have not contacted you one to really talk to you, to see how you are doing in China and in Indonesia. These past few months have been such a blur that looking back I do not have much to report. I remember those nightly 30 minute phone calls, back when talking on your cell phone

and driving was still legal. How much we exchange about our day. Oh how I miss them. But you know me, I tend to be silent for long periods of time and you know I need them. I know that once all these life problems we are having are long past, we would once again get together and start conversing once more.

There are many times when I want to tell you everything that has happened, but I stop myself and tell myself I don't want to bother you. And because of those thoughts, that I am not being a good friend. I'm sorry. Hope I can start talking to you more. I really cannot wait until you get back to the States. It should be anytime right, from July to November.

~Leli

30 Day Letter Challenge

So I have been MIA from my blog for the last few months, neglecting to write the recipes I tried. While I was gone, I have been reading and following other blogs, and trying out the recipes. I am going to try and write frequently now. There is a 30 day letter challenge going on and I will like to connect it to cooking. So bear with me these 30 days.

http://letterchallengetumblr.tumblr.com/post/670539707/the-30-day-letter-challenge

Blueberry pancakes

Basically this whole week I have been cooking and baking a lot, cause what else can you do when you don't have a job and there are no places to go when it is raining. The only reason I have not posted the recipes is that I haven't uploaded the picture for them. This morning I woke wanting to eat some blueberry pancakes. And since it's my sister's birthday, I decided to treat myself (cause of course I need an excuse). I was going to make my traditional pancake mix but then I'll be making 20 pancake just for me. I search online for a recipe for one and I found one that sounded good. I got it from this other blog CupcakeMuffin but of course I altered it a bit. Here is the recipe.

Ingredients:

1/2 c all-purpose flour

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1 egg

1/3 c plain yogurt

1/3 c blueberries (fresh)

1 1/2 tsp vegetable oil

1/3 c vanilla soy milk

1. Whisk together the dry ingredient is a bowl.

2. In another bowl mix the egg, yogurt, berries, and oil together with a spoon (so you do not pop the berries).

3. Combine the wet ingredients to the dry ingredient bowl. Add the soy milk.

4. Heat up a skillet with some butter. Pour 1/3 of the batter and gently spread the batter to create a uniformed layer ( you can add more blue berries at this time if you want). Flip the pancake when bubble appear on the surface of the pancake. When underside is golden remove from skillet onto plate. Recipe makes three pancakes.

To make blueberry syrup. Heat up 1/8 c of maple syrup and a handful of blue berries in the microwave for 30 second. Pour over the pancakes and you'll have a wonderful breakfast for one.

Oatmeal Cranberry Pistachio Cookies

Today was dad birtdhay and I wanted to make something to sort of celebrate his birthday, even though I am not there celebrating his birthday with him in Mexico. I had this oatmeal cookie craving so I look for one that was chewy and crunchy and delicious. I wrote down the recipe and a freind of mine actually did the cookies. They turned out quite delicious.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 c all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 c butter

2 1/2 old fashion oats

1 c light brown sugar

1/2 c white sugar

2 eggs, beaten

1 tsp maple syrup

2 tsp vanilla

1/3 c dried cranberries

1 c unsalted pistachio, coarsely chopped

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Grease cookie sheets.

2. In a large bowl mix flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.

3. In another bowl cream together the butter and sugars. Mix in the eggs. Then add the honey and the vanilla. Mix into the large bowl.

4. Add the cranberries and the pistachios. Then mix in the oats into the batter. Place dough into the freezer for fifteen minutes.

5. Scoop cookie dough with a small ice cream scoop, 2 inches apart. Bake in the oven for 9-11 minutes.

6. Let the cookies settle in the sheet for a minute of two then transfer them into a cooling rack.

Enjoy the cookies with a nice cold cup of water or some milked tea.

Cream Cheese Coffee Cake

Days like these, raining all day and having no place to go, I feel like taking out all my baking supplies and take note on all the things I have; and then I search all my books and online websites for that right recipe to quench the need to bake. That is what happened to me: I had all the ingredient to make this bake good( found on thefreshloaf). I had everything but the blueberries but i was able use berry jam instead.

Here is the recipe:

2 c all-purpose flour

1 c sugar

1/2 c cold butter

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp lemon zest

3/4 plain yogurt

1 tsp vanilla

2 large egss

6 oz cream cheese

1 tsp lemon juice

Directions:

1. Preheat oven 350 F. Butter a 9- inch round pan or an 8x8 inch pan.

2. First Layer:

1. Mix flour and 2/3 cup of sugar in a large bowl. Cut in the cold butter. Put aside 1/2 cup of the mix. Mix in baking soda, baking powder, and lemon zest.

2. In another bowl, mix together the yogurt, vanilla and one egg. Add the mix to the large bowl. Pour onto the baking pan. This is the first layer.

3. Second Layer:

1. In a bowl mix cream cheese, lemon juice, one egg and 1/4 cup of sugar until it has a creamy consistency. Pour over the first layer in the pan.

4. Third Layer:

1. Mix in a 1/2 cup of jam with 1/8 c of cold coffee. Pour over the cream cheese layer.

5. Fourth Layer:

1. Mix the saved 1/2 cup of flour/sugar/butter mixture with 4 tbs of more butter. Working your finger to create a crumbly consistency. Sprinkle over the third layer, concentrating around the edge.

6. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes. Making sure to rotate the pan halfway through. Take out and let the cake settle for fifteen minutes. Enjoy.