Pictorials

I have a dslr camera but that doesn't mean I'm a photographer. My husband bought it for my birthday/anniversary present. I told him I wanted one so I can take better quality pictures. So yesterday, the weather was beautiful. I told my sister and her husband that I can take pictures of them. So we went to Fort Ebey State Park to get it done. These pictures are not edited. I just used my camera and took pictures.

Pikes Market in Seattle

My sister and her husband came down to visit. So last Saturday, we decided to go to Pike's Market. I've been wanting to go there and see what the market has to offer. =)
Pike's Market is kinda like the market in the Philippines. You can smell the fresh produce and fresh seafood . There's lots of people and you bump into them. I like going to those kind of places which reminds me of "back home".

My husband and I. We didn't notice that we're both wearing stripes til we got in Seattle. Of course, I told him he copied me.

expensive seafood

That pig makes around $10,000 a year.

The Gum Wall.

My sister and my brother in law.

Visiting Teaching #2

For this month's visiting teaching, I baked some cookies for Sister Parker and for the 2 sisters we visit. I was soooo glad that the cookies turned out good. For me, the cookies tasted yummy. I hope the sisters will like it. I found the recipe from family circle magazine. They call it "Ranger Cookies." I am thinking now what I will make for next month's visit. Maybe some type of bread or something.

Visiting Teaching

Since I moved here in Whidbey Island, I never had a different VT companion. I am not complaining. I am so grateful for Sister Parker who is a good example to me. She is a really wonderful lady. She always makes sure that we get our visiting teaching done every month. She always calls the sisters we visit to set up an appointment when to visit them and sometimes she bakes or have something for them and she gives the visiting teaching message. Yeah, I am lucky...

A few months ago, the Relief Society Presidency in my ward did some interviews. I went and asked if I have any concerns about the sisters we visit. I said, the sisters we visit seem fine. They are all very nice ladies. I said that Sister Parker is the one who makes the appointment and gives the message. Sister Gheen asked me to try to call the sisters and make the appointments and maybe give the lesson. So I said , I will try.

Last month (July), I told Sister Parker that I will call the 2 sisters we visit and make the appointment. And I DID! The first sister we visited, I gave the VT message. I was nervous. In my mind, I was like, please let me have the right words to say or I should say the right grammar so Sister #1 will understand me. It was my first time giving the message in 5 years. I was relieved when Sister #1 understood what I said. (whew!)

The second sister we visit, I messed up. Sister Parker couldn't go visit teach because she was in girl's camp. It was totally fine with me until I messed the schedule up. I thought I was gonna visit Sister #2 on a Thursday not Friday. Of course, I called her on a Thursday telling her that I couldn't visit her on Friday because I had to take my baby to her doctor's appointment. And she said, "I thought you're going to visit me today." I was speechless. Sister #2 was right. I was supposed to visit her on the day I called her. I told her I was very sorry and gave her my phone number so she can call me whenever she needs anything. I felt really bad. So I made her a card and told her how sorry I was. I wrote the VT message on the card too.

Sister Parker told me, it's ok. She told me, good thing I called Sister #2 and let her know what was going on. I told Sister Parker, I will try not to let it happen again.

I certainly learned some lesson from this experience. I am so thankful for Sister Gheen who asked me to try to schedule the visits. She told me Sister Parker would appreciate it and she did. Sister Parker is one of the nicest lady I've ever known. I've learned to check my schedule, not once, not twice but a billion times so there will be no conflicts and no confusions.

Island County Fair

It was our first time at the Island county fair. I have to say it's a different fair from the ones I've been to but we had FUN! We just checked some farm animals out.

Yakisoba vs. Chowmein

Last week, I've been challenging myself to cook something I've never cooked before. I decided to make yakisoba (Japanese fried noodles) and chow mein (chinese fried noodles). I used mostly the same ingredients but the noodles were a lil different. I went to an asian store, bought yakisoba noodles and chow mein noodles. Yakisoba noodles is similar to ramen noodles and the chow mein noodles is a little bit thicker. I checked the internet for yakisoba sauce ingredients and I couldn't find a really good one so I grabbed a ready made store bought one. I basically just stir fried all the vegetables: minced garlic, onions, cabbage, carrots and celery then set it aside. I fried the sliced chicken about 1 inch cubed for the yakisoba BUT for the chowmein, I marinated the chicken with light soy sauce, chinese cooking wine and a lil bit cornstarch before frying them. Then I set the chicken aside. For the noodles, I fried the yakisoba noodles then put the yakisoba sauce, on the other hand, I put light soy sauce on the chow mein noodles. After the noodles where fried, I put the chicken and the vegetables with the noodles , tossed it and done!

In conclusion, I like the yakisoba better than the chowmein BUT the chicken in the the chowmein was tastier than in the yakisoba. (maybe  because of the chinese cooking wine.. lol)

My chicken yakisoba

My chicken chow mein with lumpia

Siopao Asado (Pork steamed buns)

Siopao(燒包, POJ: sio-pau) is a Hokkien term for baozi, literally meaning steamed buns. It is also called salapao in Thailand.

It is a popular food item in the Philippines. It does not require utensils to eat and can be consumed on-the-go. Like baozi, there are several siopao stuffing varieties which could be either Asado or bola-bola that may use pork, chicken, beef, shrimp or salted duck eggs. (I got this from Wikipedia)

I've been wanting to have some siopao. It reminds me of home(Philippines). So I decided to make some. I got the recipe from this website. I just didn't use lard or shortenning in neither the bun nor the filling. I used butter to the dough and vegetable oil to sautee the filling and I didn't have any hoisin sauce so I added 1 tbsp of oyster sauce.



I wasn't really happy about how the bun turned out. The filling was good. I was thinking maybe the bun didn't turn out good because I used butter instead of shortening. oh well. I think I will keep on searching for a better recipe for the dough or I will make my own. ;P