What nice weather we're having

While waiting for office hours on Wednesday, I gorged a Healthy Heavenly Foods spam musubi.
(still made with the sweetened rice, though :/)

I, the Perpetual Sucker for These Sorts of Delights.
I also tried the apples and cinnamon version of Jamba Juice's oatmeal. Again, oatmeal texture and brown sugar = poifect.

--
I had such a relaxing day with my friends yesterday. Good bonding, nice environments [Go, botanical gardens!], massive snacking, and the relief in knowing great people.
Good times keep rolling, got to escape now
Good times keep rolling, dance to escape now

"Hey! It's a bottle of French vodka!"
"Kat, don't pick it up.. Oh, oh jeez Kat, put that down!"

Now... to prepare for that midterm! >_<

Reaching Content

I haven't been this me in so long.

Types of Bad Kissers

Hahaha!

Super amused by the Too-Much-Tongue. puhahah

and The 8 Phases of Dating

Good news this morning =)

Oh, Iowa, you send me!

Once while I was baking,

I saw the sun hitting my papasan and needed to photograph it.
I don't think the same comforting effect comes through in the photograph, though.

Many a friend have fallen off this lovely chair... heheh

Something from the vault... just cuz

Bun bo from Bun Bo restaurant in Saigon (HCMC)
Not to be mistaken with pho, bun bo is from the province of Hue in central Vietnam and has thicker noodles and a slightly different broth composition. Nom!

Simple, take me away!

Spuh-ringing breaking

My break was filled with all sorts of _______ (I suggest you fill in the blank). As turbulent, uplifting, and outlook-changing as it was, I still had to take pictures of my food. [Could you expect anything less?]

My dad brought me to a guerrilla family reunion on my first full day back in Los Angeles. I say guerrilla because it was sprung upon me like no other family gathering.
"Dad, I'm not ready to see anyone!"
"Hahahahaha."
"Really now? Laughing?"

This was one of my plates from some buffet in Alhambra. If you draw your attention to the top right, you will see a steamed bun that was filled, to my happy surprise, with red bean!

I went down to LA principally to support Equal Action (www.equalaction.org, folks!)

What a successful rally! The police assisted everyone by closing off the streets in Chinatown up to City Hall. =)
Yayyyyyy!

When I came back from LA, I took my friend to the Oakland DMV for her driving test. While needing to kill time, she and I stopped by a Jamba Juice, and I had had had to try their oatmeal.

I had my doubts. After all, Starbucks didn't exactly hit the spot.
But Jamba Juice's slow-cooked oatmeal (with steel-cut oats, I might add!) was awesome. I don't care too much for the super sweet fruit topping, but the brown sugar and oatmeal consistency are soo pleasant. [I also got that one pureed thing with granola and fruit... tasty, but I focused on its less assuming companion.]

Then Maria came up to Berkeley, and it was imperative to take her NorCal-loving self to Cheeseboard.

asparagus, shiitake mushrooms, bunch o' cheeses, herbs
I think she enjoyed.
The truck driver, too!

She also bought me my first avocado boba, which was pretty nutty in flavor, and you know how I enjoy my nuts! Now, I tend to like my old person boba flavors (taro, red bean), none of that hip, top 40 stuff ([insert super sweet or super fruity flavor]). The avocado hit the spot.
I can dig.

I ate a bunch of great food in Miami (Brazilian, Mediterranean, Subway [hahah]), but didn't take any photos! Blargh! Pero, comida de Miami = extra yum!

The Kitchen... Runnin' Low!

On my last grocery list, I wrote, "New vegetable to try out." A couple of weeks ago, while Tom and I were waddling through the produce section of Trader Joe's, I decided to pick up a bag of brussel sprouts. I had only had them at restaurants prior, so I decided to cook 'em for myself.

I really think there's something to the power of suggestion when you're growing up as a child and surrounded by ewws and yucks. I don't think brussel sprouts were ubiquitous in my neighborhood, so I don't remember anyone ever being all "Ew! You eat brussel sprouts?! You have sprout kooties!" I just remember being laughed at for bringing tilapia and dried seaweed to school.

Ergo, I never understood TV shows when they portrayed children absolutely mortified of these little fellas. I'm still mortified of ketchup. Can I get a televised amen?!

No? Egh.

I simmered the sprouts in chicken broth and tossed them with grilled onions and bacon. The combinations worked!

For Tom's birthday, I decided to make him some roasted banana brownies.

Army of bananas. Buttered and brown sugared.
The bites! It was a little difficult to get a banana bit in every bite (ho ho, say that three times fast!... hahaha.. ok, no), but they were yummers.

Food is glorious. ^_^

When in need of a good lol

"You two always put up with me. Thank you!"

"No, we just want you to be a normal person for once and not Kathleen!"

Let's celebrate!

Happy STIs & Family Planning Awareness Month! =D