September 2014 – The Adventures of a Calamari Queen

Weekend Fun!

Our weekend was wet and quiet! Fall is here and it’s been a rainy weekend here in the PNW! We didn’t do a lot because Riley is still healing from his surgery so we didn’t want to leave him alone for a long time so we mostly stayed here at home. We did watch the movie “The Maze Runner” because Hubs read the book series so he wanted to see if they did them justice. He said the movie wasn’t so bad compared to the book! I enjoyed it too despite me not reading the books. After the movie, we ate at the Buffalo Wild Wings restaurant because it was close to the theater and we’ve been wanting to try it. The place is like a sports bar, lots of big TVs all over the place and college football playing everywhere while we dined. The wings were good too, meaty and flavorful. I really liked my order. I had the chicken wings with parmesan garlic sauce. The Hubs had the traditional chicken wings (buffalo hot sauce) and he said it was just OK. We also shared their fried cheese curds (my first time to have it) and it was the BOMB! I will probably go back just for that alone!

This is Zachs drink! — This is Zach’s drink (twisted margarita)!

After church this morning, we had lunch at Genki Sushi at Factoria Mall because the weather is cold and wet and I “needed” some Ramen in my system!

I got a free candle coupon from Bath and Body works and I picked this one! Smells delicious! The hubs doesn't care for this one. — I got a free candle coupon from Bath and Body works and I picked this one! Smells delicious! The hubs doesn’t care for it though.

I baked pineapple cake this evening! don't be too impressed this is just from a cake mix! — I baked pineapple cake this evening! Don’t be too impressed this is just from a cake mix!

YAY for boots season! I got this from amazon and it's so comfy! Original price:100$,I got it on sale for $20! So comfy yet cheap! My kind of deal:) — YAY for boots season! I got this from amazon and it’s so comfy! Original price: $100, I got it on sale for $20! So comfy yet cheap! My kind of deal:)

Hope you had a great weekend family and friends! I’m off to spend some time with my Hubs and my lovey Riley!

Taking Care of Riley!

Riley had a surgery last Wednesday to remove a small mass in his shoulder (we are still waiting for the analysis). We decided to have his teeth cleaned too because they gave him general anesthesia so might as well do that while he is under the meds. We’ve known about this mass for a while now,so we are prepared financially (it’s so pricey!) and we thought the mass was starting to get big. Riley is family so he is worth it! We want to make sure that he is healthy and will have many more years with us, thus we want to do all the preventative care we can for him. Right now he is recovering very well and taking pain meds and doggie antibiotics for his incision. He is back to his normal bouncy and playful self (2 days after his surgery). He is one little brave schnauzer!

we have to remove his "cone" because he was miserable the whole afternoon — we had to remove his “cone of shame” because he was miserable the whole afternoon

how cute is this seahawks bandana from his vet!

he feels much better without his "cone" — he feels much better without his “cone”

Washington State Fair 2014!

We went to the Washington State Fair this weekend (it’s their last weekend) and it was a fun afternoon! The Hubs didn’t really want to go but I convinced him, after all we only go to this event once a year. The junk food is always a must when we go! I always get the oily curly fries and corn on the cob, even if I’m full, I gotta have it, because it’s been a tradition! We had fun watching the “Wool Riders Only”, where kids 4-7 years old ride sheep. We also toured the barns to see the cows, goats, pigs, etc. Despite the crazy hot afternoon and long lines we survived! Till next time WSF!

my hubs,mom in law, dad in law! — my hubs,mom in law, dad in law checking the goats!

Elephant ears, a must junk food for my Hubs! — Elephant ears, a must have junk food for my Hubs!

smoke ribs galore! — smoked ribs galore!

my attempt to get a pic of mt. rainier inside the car (total fail!)

Steamed Clams!

We had this Clam dish a couple of weeks ago, and my Hubs, Zach, cooked this for us. Although I did the prep thing, like cleaning the clams (you have to make sure you really clean the clams because who wants “sandy” broth to dip their bread in?), Zach is the one who makes this for us. I just assume that whenever we have steamed clams, he’s cooking. This is such a simple and quick recipe, I think that’s why he doesn’t mind it! Anyways, Hubs tweaked this recipe by Robert Irvine from food network. Hubs found some bargain priced moscato de’ asti that we paired with our meal!

Steamed Clams (recipe:Robert Irvine)

6 dozen fresh clams (littlenecks or middlenecks, your choice)
3 tablespoons grapeseed oil
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
1 cup white wine
2 cups clam juice or water
Chopped parsley leaves
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup melted butter (1 stick)

Directions:

Wash the clams thoroughly and remove any blemishes. They should have no odor. Heat oil in a large saucepan (with a cover) over medium heat and cook garlic and onion until translucent. Add the wine and let cook for a couple of minutes to combine the flavors. Add the clams and clam juice (or water) and cover the pan for about 10 minutes until the clams open. Discard any clams that do not open and remove clams to serving bowls. Season the juices in the pan with salt and pepper to make a sauce. Pour the sauce and melted butter over the clams.

Saffron brûlée!

I made this brûlée last week because it’s been a while since I’ve made cream brûlée and “saffron” sounded so decadent to me that day! This recipe was just OK for me, I still prefer the Vanilla cream brûlée, I’m still glad I tried the recipe though! My Hubs liked it and so did my Father In law, so maybe I will make this next time for them.

Saffron Brûlée (recipe: Sara Lewis)

Ingredients: (serves 6)

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

1 cup light cream

1/2 teaspoon saffron threads

8 egg yolks

1/4 cup superfine sugar

1/4 cup superfine sugar,to finish

Procedure:

1. Pour the heavy and light creams into a saucepan, add the saffron threads, and slowly bring almost to a boil. Take off the heat and allow to stand for 15 minutes for the flavor to develop.

2. Use a fork to mix together the egg yolks and sugar in a bowl. Reheat the cream, then gradually mix it into the yolks, stirring continuously.

3. Place 6 heatproof ramekins or custard cups in a roasting pan, then strain the custard into them. Pour warm water into the roasting pan to come halfway up the sides of the dishes. Bake in a preheated oven at 350 F for 20-25 minutes, until the custards are just set with a slight softness at the center.

4. Leave the dishes to cool in the water, then lift them out and transfer to the refrigerator for 3-4 hours to chill well. About 20-30 minutes before serving, sprinkle the tops with the remaining sugar. Caramelize with a blowtorch, then leave at room temperature until ready to serve.

Boodle Fight!

I prepared Boodle Fight dinner for my friend Faye and her Husband Roger when we had them last night. It’s been a while since we had them,and we always wanted to try a Boodle fight kind of dinner so last night it finally happened! Boodle fight is a military style of eating where long tables are prepared with food on top of banana leaves (urbandictionary.com). Although our dinner was not as “authentic” because we didn’t have any banana leaves, and we used plates and forks, the boodle fight idea was there. I prepared Pork Hock Humba, Chicken wings Inasal (grilled), Chopsuey (stir fry veggies), Shrimps, Grilled pork belly, grilled bangus (milkfish). We still have left overs but it’s not a lot because the portions were just enough. We had Ube (purple yam) ice cream for dessert that Faye bought. It was so much fun and the weather was great so we spent most of our time on our patio. I hope you had a great weekend friends!

"modeling" with our tomatoes! — “modeling” with our tomatoes!LOL

Gave these HUGE tomatoes to Faye,I hope she will like it and will enjoy it in her scrambled eggs!hehe — Gave these HUGE tomatoes to Faye,I hope she will like them and will enjoy it in her scrambled eggs!hehe

Till the next Boodle Fight Faye and family!

Butter Chicken!

I made this Indian dish last night because my Hubs has been requesting/challenging me to make this because it’s his favorite Indian dish. So I started watching “how to” cook videos on YouTube regarding Butter Chicken. This is the recipe/video that I followed youtube vid. I had to buy a couple of spices that she used because I don’t have it in my pantry (like Garam Marsala). I did adjusted and didn’t follow her measurements specifically, like I added more brown sugar,more cream, etc. In her video, she used chicken breast while I used thigh(it’s just our preference). My Hubs enjoyed it a lot, I think he said it’s OK with him if I’ll cook this once a week:) I’m glad that the dish turned out great,because this is my second time cooking Indian food (I cooked Tandoori Chicken before) and it’s kinda hard if you’re not familiar with some of the spices they use in their cooking. It encourages me to try other dishes when the recipe isn’t a disaster!

bad picture(i really need to practice taking pics)

i think she used cilantro for garnish,i used parsley (its what i have in the garden)

Grocery Hauls!

I went to 3 Grocery stores this week because QFC (I rarely shop there) had a pretty good deal on their “mix and match” promo. I’ve read in some couponers/bloggers that this is the time to visit the store because some of the products have “rock” bottom prices. I hardly use coupons now so I was interested to see if they still have cheap prices even without coupons. So after we had dinner at the Outback, I asked the Hubs to go check it out with me. We got a lot of his fave cereals. We stocked up actually because they were like $1.50 each (with coupons, it’s probably $1). He normally has cereal twice a week, so this will last him for a while.

I paid $44 and saved like $71 (i can't find the receipt),but Im sure I paid $44. — I paid $44 and saved like $71 (i can’t find the receipt),but Im sure I paid $44.

I had rewards points that will expire today,so I wanted to use them. I went to walgreens and wasn’t really planning on buying a specific product. I was planning to get coffee (they’re on sale) because we always drink coffee, or I can send it to the PI in my next balikbayan box. When I checked the clearance they had their detergent soap for very cheap prices,so I grabbed a few and decided to just forget the coffee! I got 4 cheap lipsticks too($2.50 each,on sale for 69 cents), and packing tape (for packing balikbayan boxes).

I paid $9.92 for all,the receipt says I saved $31.50/79% savings

After Wags,off I go to Fred Meyer (they’re just in the same area) to get some ingredients for butter chicken. My hubs requested it this week,and I’ve been looking at Youtubes videos on how to make it. It’s his favorite Indian cuisine and I really wanted to do something nice to him especially that he’s really busy at work and lots of meetings and decisions to make this week!

I paid $34, I did use store coupons and most of what I bought was on sale. — I paid $34. I did use store coupons and most of what I bought was on sale.

Happy Shopping and Savings Friends!

Weekend Fun!

This weekend was really hot so Hubs and I and Riley went to Rattlesnake Lake and enjoyed our afternoon there. We had iced coffee to cool us down and the afternoon was spent taking LOTS of pictures of Riley! It was like a Riley photo session. We couldn’t help it because he was such a good dog and seemed to be loving his day at the lake (he hardly barked at all!). Hubby watched the movie “The Giver” after that, while I opted to stay home and read Karen Kingsbury’s book “A Time To Dance”. I also finished the book “The Fault In Our Stars”, I liked the movie and the book, but I found the book too “highschooly” for me (if thats a word!). On Sunday, we went to the Asian Market because I wanted to eat Jollibee, while Hubs enjoyed a Famous Dave’s brisket sandwich and some ribs! We also watched The Bridge (tv series), and a movie from Netflix. Have a great Monday friends!

I took a pic of Hubs taking pic of Riley!

current book I'm reading — current book I’m reading

Outback Steakhouse!

Hubs and I had dinner at Outback tonight. We had a gift card to use and it’s been years since we dined there. Zach availed their unlimited shrimp special. We had a lot of shrimps tonight…I think we are shrimped out for the next couple of months! I had the chicken with mushrooms and cheese, I enjoyed it and Riley enjoyed the left overs! We are just watching the tv series “The Bridge” and drinking our pumpkin spice latte! Happy friday night friends!

so sinful but so good!good thing we have this like once a year... — so sinful but so good!good thing we have this like once a year…

we like outbacks margarita! — we like outback’s margarita!

Zach's order, he had the tenderloin with unlimited shrimp! — Zach’s order, he had the tenderloin with unlimited shrimp!

I had chicken with mushroom and melted cheese!

Zachs "shrimp overload "face! — Zachs “shrimp overload “face!