Author: miemo

I survived driving through a blizzard on a mountain


What was I thinking when I told my cousin that we would come to OHIO for Christmas. Isn’t that where it snows a lot? But of course she’d have a cute baby that I can’t refuse. We left friday night, and somewhere along the way, we were in the middle of the mountain as a blizzard swirled around us. Cars were pulling over and getting snowed in, mack trucks were driving in the middle of the lane, and we were still driving along merrily. It was hard to see with the wind and the snow, but some how we survived.

I’d like to thank this car and it’s driver. All wheel drive, and snow tires. Top Gear indeed.

Posted on by miemo 0

The Thurman Cafe

20121227-203425.jpg

I think by now you are familiar with my burger obsession. This is not great for my waist. But great for my belly. In addition to that list, I’ve added Smashburger. On a recent trip to Columbus, Ohio, I of course had to stop at The Thurman Cafe.

This place was featured on Man vs. Food. No I didn’t try the Thurmanator. The regular bacon burger was more than enough for me. This burger weighs in at 3/4 lb. Stacked with a plethora of bacon and mozzarella cheese. Served with a side of chips and a pickle spear. I was there for the holidays, so I downed it with Great Lakes Christmas Ale, ON TAP!

The verdict:
It was full of flavor, and the patty is huge so it was definitely juicy, but maybe a little too juicy. My bottom bun was completely soggy and I continued eating my burger with only the top bun. Me personally, I like a good bun to meat ratio, so that killed me. I think the Travel Channel gave it the hype it needed, but I don’t think I’d wait in line for it again.

Posted on by miemo 0

Pistacia Vera

20121227-211153.jpg
Why am I so obsessed with macarons? Is it because of the pretty colors? Or the gently sweet bite sized delight it delivers? They’ve been around forever and I am just now obsessing. I know, I am always late. Well, when I was in Columbus, Ohio I decided to see how the midwest does macarons.

Pistacia Vera calls themselves a dessert boutique. I agree. A cute little shop set in German Village, with tall windows, this place gets a little busy on the weekends. The staff is super friendly and very helpful. It gets a little tight in there but once you settle in its a nice place to hang out.

20121227-211216.jpg

There is something for everyone, with plenty of hot and cold drinks to choose from, as well as a brunch menu and a long list of desserts to choose from. But lets talk about the macarons.

Yes they are different in the midwest. Or at least here. Their flavors include: yuzu pink guava, maple walnut, mocha hazelnut, gingerbread (seasonal) passionfruit, black raspberry, buckeye, chocolate cherry cordial, caramel pecan, coconut creme, pistachio, and peppermint chocolate.

As you can see, to my dismay, they don’t have the “classic” flavors I adore other than pistachio (which was awesome by the way). They do have a lot of unique flavors and colors which I admire. Pink guava was fun. The chocolate cherry cordial really tasted like one… too bad I don’t like those in their real form. Of course you can’t be in Columbus and not have a buckeye anything.

Over all they were REALLY good. They are more creamy in the middle because they use a buttercream filling instead of the classic jams. They are a lot more fluffy and chewy in the middle than the ones at home, but that again, goes to preference and I like both. Glad I can go visit Columbus and not miss out on my favorite dessert 😀

Posted on by miemo 0

2012: A year in review

It’s that time again. To reflect back on the year behind us, and think about the lessons learned. I had an amazing year compared to the heart break of last year. This one was full of happiness and adventures. Here are some snapshots.

Photo & Video Sharing by SmugMug
Hopped on a plane to Los Angeles for the weekend just to eat.

Photo & Video Sharing by SmugMug
Celebrating Mardi Gras and my birthday.

Photo & Video Sharing by SmugMug
Saw the Harlem GlobeTrotters

Photo & Video Sharing by SmugMug
Met Jo Koy on Vitya’s Birthday

Photo & Video Sharing by SmugMug
Visited my maman’s ashes in Delaware

Photo & Video Sharing by SmugMug
Took a Girl’s Trip to my home state!

Photo & Video Sharing by SmugMug
My first trip to the Outerbanks!

Photo & Video Sharing by SmugMug
Had an amazing time in Paris, and the south of France, and Monaco with my best friend.


Built hotel forts in Myrtle Beach

Lots of beach time.

Crawfish boils

Fireworks

Bought a motorcycle

Hiked

Spent a lot of the time in the kitchen making things I thought I couldn’t.

Got another sorority little sister

This little chunky joined the family.

And watch this one learn to walk, run, talk, and get potty trained.

I’ve grown a lot this year, and made a lot more memories in one year than I had years before. I learned that life is an adventure and that I should spend it for experience and memories, because that’s what I can keep forever.

I am nervous for what 2013 will bring, but I’ve filled my life with so much positive, it will be hard to get/keep me down anymore.

Cheers!

Posted on by miemo 0

Congrats to GMU KPL Xi Class

Photo & Video Sharing by SmugMug

Photo & Video Sharing by SmugMug

Photo & Video Sharing by SmugMug

I know what you are thinking, “what. you’re in a sorority?!” Don’t be like that. I know what else you are thinking, that is a lot of Asian girls, that parking lot must be all messed up. Harhar. Get this, when I was growing up, I didn’t really know much about Asian American culture. My parents weren’t the strict crazy kind that expected you to get A++. When I got to college, I wanted to make friends with people I wouldn’t have normally been drawn to, and look what I did, chartered a sorority 8 years ago that is now 56 strong, having only started out with 2 charters. That’s us below.
Photo & Video Sharing by SmugMug

As an alumni who is still around, I like to support their events, so attending the probate, and the banquet last week was a must. Also, I came out of retirement and took another little sister. This is another reason why I was so busy this fall, making sure this kid becomes a sister.

And she did! Congrats little! I am so proud to see what our colony has become. And now let me introduce my greek family.
Photo & Video Sharing by SmugMug

My littles L-R: deMILO FA12, ROCKSTEADY FA05, BEBOP FA08

Photo & Video Sharing by SmugMug

And my GrandLittles: Fawkes, Amortentia, Banksy

Posted on by miemo 0

Chili Oil

I don’t really know how to describe this condiment, other than its a spicy garlicky oil used to dip stuff in or stir into your soups. My mom always had a jar in the spice cupboard. I don’t really eat A LOT of spicy (shocking I know), but I guess I do prefer things more spicy than your average American, I’ve got cajun roots after all!

Going through my emails of recipes that my maman has sent me through the years, there were two things I haven’t made yet. Suki yaki, and this. Obviously I chose to do this chili oil first because that other sauce looks daunting (pickled garlic!??)

Anyway, this is my interpretation of my mom’s recipe. Enjoy!

Chili Oil

Ingredients
Dried Whole Red Asian Chili Peppers, enough to make ½ cup when ground
4-5 garlic large cloves, smashed
1 Cup of Vegetable Oil

Directions
Grind the chili peppers finely in your food processor until there is about ½ cup to use. Smash the 4-5 garlic cloves (your choice, I prefer 5 for a stronger garlic flavor) in a mortar and pestle or with the back of your knife.

Heat the oil in a saucepan over high. Add the garlic. When the garlic turns golden, remove saucepan from heat. Burnt garlic is bitter. Don’t cook it too long. Let stand for 5 minutes, then stir in the ground chili pepper.

The longer it sits the better it tastes. When cool, store in a tightly closed jar with your spices.

 

Posted on by miemo 0

What Tattoos?

If you follow me on twitter or know me personally, or read my about section, you know that I’m always trying to figure out ways to hide my tattoos when I am out and about and especially at work. Well last weekend we had a holiday party, and I am definitely not ready to let anyone know visually that I am a menace to society, trouble and a member of gang (please read the sarcasm, I am none of the above).

So I had to ask my friends, twitter and pin things to figure out ways to look fancy, yet not show a single tattoo. This of course meant my options pretty much were limited to turtle neck dresses. Which I wouldn’t have minded. After searching through and through, I decided on a black long sleeve lace dress from topshop.com

Not pictured: full back tattoo that blends into a half sleeve and chest piece, a forearm tattoo and a wrist tattoo.

WIN!

Posted on by miemo 0

Pho Real This Time

A lot has happened since I made my first pot of pho. I’ve actually gotten a lot better, and I think will continue to get better in the kitchen. There might even be the recipe for it at the end of this post, *gasp, I know. This is the ultimate comfort food for cold days/nights or even hangovers. Knowing how to make a delicious pot of pho is just good for the soul. Also, I did the math, making it at home the way you want it, is still A LOT cheaper, like less than $3 a bowl CHEAP.

With the cold weather being more stable, I will be making a lot more hot comforting foods at home. Warm bellies make for a good night sleep! Be sure to follow me on Instagram, I usually do play by plays in real time there. Or maybe not follow me if that’s not your thing!

First you are going to need a gigantic pot. But this really depends on how many soup bones and oxtail you want to use. I have a gigantic one because I use about 4-5lbs of soup bones AND a couple pounds of meaty oxtail!

As you can see, my bones roughly cover the bottom of the pot. So if you use a smaller pot, that’s one way to eyeball it. Make sure that you parboil the bones first to get rid of excess fat and blood that will make your pho water murky.

Once everything is ready for that pot, let that baby boil! While it’s doing that, this is prime time to get your extras together.

Ok I lied. There’s no recipe. This is a lot more complicated to explain than I thought. But I’ll keep working on it!

Posted on by miemo 0

Crafty Bastards DC 2012

Let me start off by saying, I know that this happened a little while back, but life was catching up with me!

My friend Marty and I decided it was time that we check out Crafty Bastards. We’ve missed out all the other years before, and this was our year. Armed with cash and full of coffee, we were ready to discover some one of a kind hidden treasures.

Set in Union Market this year, the booths were set up in rows, under a tent. However there was still a ton of people, so patience and a good attitude is definitely needed. There were crafty stations, where you could let your little one’s imaginations run wild, or you could learn a new hobby like crochet. Dogs were welcome, which meant you have to watch out so you didn’t trip over some people’s pets.

There were lots of unique things, and lots of great inspirations. It was all very visually stimulating. Marty and I had a pact, that if we could make it ourselves we wouldn’t buy it. She is much more crafty than I, so I was the only one that walked away with something.

I am building an altar for my maman so I wanted to collect some dia de los muertos items and I got this beauty from Michael Brown of UC Studios. They have an etsy store, but not all their pieces are up there since they have so many. So the best way is to find them at a craft show and flip through their (AWESOME!) stuff.

If you wanna plan an efficient trip…make a list of things you WANT to spend money on, and target those tables. There was stuff everywhere in no particular order, you can walk away with too much or nothing at all depending on how the crowd sways you!

 

Posted on by miemo 0