Growing Up

For my birthday,

I don’t need presents,

and please, no fancy parties.

I DO want a cake, preferably homemade,

preferably with love by my mom,

and I DO want acknowledgment from my family that it’s my birthday.

This year,

I had expected my grandmother to call me on THE day, asking to come over to celebrate my birthday with me.

The morning of THE day, the phone stayed silent.

By late afternoon of THE day, the phone remained silent.

My heart sunk.

My grandmother had forgotten my birthday.

I used to not care if she had forgotten.

But this year it DID matter because our relationship had improved significantly.

She meant more to me than I had realized.

I was hoping she shared that same feeling. I was hoping she would call me to wish me happy birthday.

I tried to brush aside my disappointment but the feeling lingered inside me.

After a few days, I finally got the courage to call her.

We chatted a bit. Then came the moment of truth.

I asked my grandmother if she remembered when was my birthday.

She responded with the correct date.

She said that she had waited all day on THE day for us to call her, to invite her over. She had my present all ready to go.

We never called.

I told her I was waiting for HER to call US.

She never called.

This is an example of how misunderstandings arise.

Cheers to growing up. Cheers to being another year older, another year wiser.

Yard-Fresh Egg

Do the Chicken Dance,

because it doesn’t get better than this.

{Touch} Our Hands

You used to admire my soft, delicate hands.

You said I was like a princess who never had to work.

You did all the work for me,

for everyone around you.

You spoiled us like royalty.

I grew older.

I became you.

My hands are no longer soft and delicate.

They are covered with calluses.

I often touch the calluses on my hands and wonder,

if I’d rather be the naive princess or the hardworking daughter.

I’d often wonder if my hands stayed soft and delicate,

if your hands would become coarser; your heart heavier.

My hand touches yours.

They match.

I won’t let go.

3 Small Apples…

3 small apples from the tree in our yard.

1 apple fits perfectly into the crevice of my palm.

There are 7 members in our family.

7 members

+

3 apples

Sharing is caring.

I carefully select my apple slice and hold it like a newborn baby.

I give it a good look, inhale its scent, and pop it into my mouth.

Crunch, crunch, crunch.

The apple is sweet, slightly tart, and fragrant.

I observe everyone’s expressions as they eat their slice.

They are smiling, laughing, and commenting how wonderful of our apple tree is to have produced such good-tasting fruit.

My lips curl up into a smile.

I overlook the fact that I only got a measly slice of apple.

This is satiety.

Family + Happiness.

Mochi

My mother is almost perfect.

She is the most patient person I know.

When I suddenly became vegetarian, she wasn’t pleased but stuck by me.

When I turned vegan, she thought I was crazy but my hardheaded personality left her vulnerable and eventually, she conceded.

When I lost too much weight and began to looked emaciated, she begged me to stop torturing my body.

I took a step back and told myself it was okay to be a vegetarian. She took a step forward and embraced me for who I have become.

Mom,

Thank you. If you hadn’t stuck by me, I would have probably been in the hospital by now.

Your patience is endearing. It has allowed me to find myself.

My mother is almost perfect.

She has such a generous heart, it’s contagious.

I used to be afraid of spending and giving too much; as if the people around me were going to take advantage of my generosity.

My mom taught me the importance of being happy; of enjoying happiness with the people you care about and love; how to trust the people I care and love.

Mom, 

Thank you. Your generosity has made me a more generous person. I’ve found happiness because of you.

My mother is almost perfect.

Her flaw?

She immerses herself in so many projects but rarely completes something. I end up trailing behind her, trying to sweep up everything she starts.

Like these mochi.

She wanted some. So she cooked some lotus seeds, mixed in a little brown sugar, and turned them into paste. My mom proceeded to mix the sweet rice flour with water and gave them to me to microwave.

And that was where she had left this project. With me.

So I proceeded, like usual, to finish things for her.

Lotus Paste Mochi

Paste

Boil dried lotus seeds with water in the pressure cooker. Once done, mix in enough brown sugar to taste. Set aside to cool.

Mochi

3 cups of sweet rice flour

3 cups of water

Mix the flour and water until well combined. MIcrowave for 5 minutes. Remove and mix well. If the batter seems a bit dry (which mine did), add more water (I added about 1 more cup of water). Place batter back into microwave for 5 more minutes.

Assembly

Lightly grease tray with oil. Sprinkle (more like drench) unsweetened coconut shreds onto tray until completely covered. Scoop mochi dough with ice cream scooper onto tray. Flatten dough and fill with lotus paste. Roll with more coconut shreds if dough is too sticky. Shape into balls and gently flatten into mochi.

My mother is almost perfect.

But that’s okay, because she has made me into a better person.

Mom,

Thank you.

Something about You…

I don’t know if you know,

but you’re one heck of

an ANNOYING,

HIGH-MAINTENANCE,

and IMMATURE,

sister.

You always want this and that.

You call me to get you out of trouble.

You run me around in circles all day and all you say is:

“Thanks, Yo!”

Well Sis, thank you for being polite,

but I’m tired.

I need more than good manners.

I need you to step up.

I’m ready to wave up my white flag,

Yet, the flag gets stuck in my pocket every time I want to surrender.

 There is something about you.

Your child-like innocence,

Your happiness,

Your ability to bring out my silliness and happiness.

I’m captivated.

So captivated that despite you had woke up super late this Saturday,

I had made you your favorite: waffles.

Classic Waffles

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 eggs, separated egg whites from yolk
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 1/3 cup oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

 Directions

1. In a large bowl, mix together flour, salt, baking powder and sugar; set aside. Preheat waffle iron to desired temperature.
2. In a separate bowl, separate the egg whites from yolk. Beat the egg whites until foamy.
3. Stir milk, oil, egg yolks and vanilla. Pour the milk mixture into the flour mixture; beat until blended.
4. Fold the egg whites into the batter.
5. Ladle the batter into a preheated waffle iron. Cook the waffles until golden and crisp. Serve immediately.

I don’t know why I am willing to give you all I’ve got.

Sisterly love?

 I don’t know how you manage to goad me every time.

I have a soft heart?

There is something about you…

You’re an ANNOYINGLY,

AMAZING

sister.

 Thank you.

Grandmother and Me

There is something interesting about the way relationships evolve.

My grandmother and I are strangers.

I have not always favored her mannerism.

She can be bluntly rude.

She can be annoyingly nosy.

She finds my cold, quiet attitude a bit daunting.

Yet this woman has been able to change our relationship around.

She nudged me the other.

She said she has been forgetful lately; forgets to turn off the fire on the stove after she cooks.

“Can you give me a call every night to remind me to check my stove and other electric appliances?”

She gave me the “I’m a frail, helpless lady look.”

I conceded.

I’m a person of my word.

I called her every night for 2 week straight.

I became her alarm clock.

Every time I called, the first thing she would say was, “Oh, don’t worry, I’m fine. I checked my stove. I turned off the fire.”

Calling her became a chore by the end of the second week.

Our conversations dwindled.

I didn’t want our phone calls to feel like another obligation.

I already had too much of those.

So didn’t call her one night.

She never followed-up with me to ask me why I didn’t call her.

Four days passed.

I suddenly thought of her Sunday morning.

I suddenly missed her.

I picked up the phone and called her.

We talked like old friends.

Behind

My camera and I used to be attached to the hips.

Somehow, when I lent it to my mom for her trip, I detached myself from it.

Well, my mom and the camera is back now.

But I’ve become more attached to my mom than the camera.

It’s almost like I’ve left a part of me behind last month.

I don’t care about capturing moments anymore.

I care about living in the moment.

So I’m sorry for neglecting this little blog I’ve called my second home for the past few years but just give me a moment to live, okay?

Just a few more days of this bliss…

A Taste of Donuts

妈，

这餐是送给您的。

谢谢你多年的支持和爱。

Translation:

Mom,

This meal was created for you.

Thank you for your many years of support and love.

***************

This was breakfast.

It was an intimate meal. My mom and me.

It was also my proposal to Foodbuzz’s monthly 24×24 turned reality.

Hold up. What is 24×24? Well, each month, Foodbuzz selects 24 Foodbuzz Publisher to recreate their proposed meal during a 24- hour period. You may remember my previous Spring Affair. This time, I’ve decided to go donuts…for baked mini donuts.

Vanilla Cinnamon Mini Donuts

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour

1/4 cup agave

1 T baking powder

1 T chia seeds

1/2 cup water (or nut milk)

1 t vanilla

1 t cinnamon

4 T extra virgin olive oil

1/4 C glutinous flour

Pumpkin Mocha Mini Donuts

1 T chia seeds

1/4 cup cold water

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup agave

2 t expresso powder

3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour

1 T cocoa powder

1 t baking soda

1/2 t salt
Let’s not forget the glaze and toppings, okay?

We got to pick and choose our flavors. Yogurtland style.

Apple Cinnamon Butter

Green Tea Maple Glaze

Hot Chocolate Glaze

Sweet Potato Salted Caramel Glaze

Oh, glaze isn’t enough. Let’s please pile on those toppings!

And we can’t have all this without a beverage!

My mom’s drink before blending:

Ta-da! After blending.

My morning “drink” a.k.a. latest breakfast obsession.

And finally, to round things out:

Fruits. It’s a must!

Champagne grapes and Asian pear.

妈，

干杯.

Mom,

Cheers.

KODAK Gallery: Say Cheese!

I used to hate taking photos.

Now I carry my camera everywhere.

The Foodie in me changed me.

Not only do I appreciate food a lot more, but I appreciate photography.

I love artistic photos.

I love interesting angles.

I love colors.

Therefore, when the Foodbuzz Tastemaker program selected me as one of their “Tastemakers” to test the KODAK Quickstart Photo Book features, I said “Cheese” and jumped at the chance!

However, I must have said “Cheese” a bit too quick because I didn’t know who to give the photo book to or the theme of the book!

After pondering for a while, I decided to make a family album in honor of my sister who is leaving for her first year of college. I figured the book would be a good “going away” present for her in case she ever gets homesick (or forgets how her family looks like and how wonderful they are).

Making the photo book was actually quite fun after you get used to the features. KODAK Quickstart Photo Book offers lots of layout and background options. I almost felt overwhelmed by the choices at times and wished the program had a sensor that could detect which background would best match with the my photo on the page.

However, what fun would that be if technology did all the work, right?

KODAK claimed that their product allows the user to have “complete control and flexibility in your hands. You’ll be able to resize, move, rotate, and even overlay your photo images and text.” True to their words, I loved the ease when maneuvering and rotating the photos!

One interesting thing I noticed when making the photo book was that the only language options KODAK seemed to offer was English. I didn’t have trouble typing the text in Chinese during the editing process, however, found that my text turned up blank upon the during review of the album. Perhaps KODAK could think about expanding its language options in the future if this product is a success?

Although the photo album took a bit longer (choices, choices, choices) than I had anticipated to create, I was quite proud of the end product.

Thank you so much to Foodbuzz Tastemaker Program and KODAK for giving me this opportunity to explore my creativity! I can’t wait to receive my photo album!

Readers, are you jealous and tempted to get your own creativity going? Well, just your luck because the Kodak Gallery is providing an exclusive 40% offer to all my readers. Just redeem this offer at www.kodakgallery.com/creativity anytime before 8/31!