Today is complicated

May 9th, 2011

I went to the mall today with my mother because she wanted to get some pants and I thought I’d accompany her. Little did I know I would find items that interested me as well (or maybe I did know…).

I found three pairs of shoes at Macy’s that I was willing and ready to buy. I asked the help for size 6. After about 10 minutes of waiting the nice man returns letting me know that they don’t have ANY of them in 6. Strike 1.

I also saw some Roxy flip flops that I wanted to buy for beachwear (also at Macy’s). I tried a 6. Too small. A 7. Too big. Strike 2.

I left Macy’s and passed by PacSun. Sweet. They always have flip-flops for me. I saw a pair that were even cooler than the ones I wanted from Macy’s. I asked the guy there for a size 6 and 7 to try. He goes to the back and returns 5 minutes later. They don’t have ANY size for that model in the back. Strike 3.

I saw a nice mannequin outside Hollister wearing a cute little skirt. I thought wow I want that. So I went inside and looked for it. Size L. I asked for help again. “XS please?” He searched to no avail. At this point I sighed in exasperation, but was interrupted by the sight of a blue tank with a bow on it. “Mine!” I thought. Only L and M. No XS in the store either. The store manager decided to call other stores to see if they had the skirt and tank. 15 minutes later. None of the stores he called had them. Strike 4.

I then walked into J. Crew, my new favorite store, to see if they had some brown shorts I saw earlier this weekend. They did, but no 00. Strike 5.

My mother decided to walk into Michael Kors to see some bags. At this point I thought “That’s it. I’m done with today,” when I saw a nice bag. 40% off. I bought it immediately to take advantage of my newfound luck. After I bought it I kept looking at other items. I then saw a pair of shoes I might like. I couldn’t get the right size. I walked out of the store quickly. My luck had reverted to its original state. Strike 6.

Finally I left this forsaken mall and went to another Macy’s in another mall to see if they had the shoes there. I found one of the three original shoes (not exactly that one but very similar). They didn’t have a 6. Strike 7.

So I have officially declared today over. I’m done with today. I quit. I’m going home to drink some tea and forget all about today.

Pork chops a la Romina!

September 17th, 2010

I didn’t follow any recipe tonight. I just invented! So… without further ado… my pork chops.

Ingredients:
- Pork chops
- Red and green bell peppers (or whatever color you want!)
- Honey
- Brown sugar
- Lemon (or lemon juice)
- Bacon
- Jasmine rice (or whatever sides you prefer)

For the pork chops… I first put some black pepper on them. Then I put my super special secret sauce (don’t worry, it won’t be a secret in a minute). Then I wrapped it in bacon. I chopped up the bell peppers into little pieces and threw those into the mix and in the oven it went. I preheated the oven at 375 degrees. I left the pork chops in there until they were about light brownish on both sides.

In the photo, we had the pork chops with jasmine rice and a potato salad which was not made from scratch but actually bought at a store.

It all came out very delicious and I would recommend it, just be sure to give me some credit when you make it. (:

Secret sauce:
I mixed a table spoon of brown sugar with a tablespoon of honey. Then I squeeze some lemon juice… (about half a tablespoon, depending on your taste) into the mixture. I mixed it all together until it became a sauce. Trust me, you’ll know when that happens.

The Origin of Sloppy Joe

August 24th, 2010

The Sloppy Joe happens to be one of my favorite things to eat. Today, I had a sloppy joe for lunch… along with sweet potato fries and horseradish mayonnaise.

There are a few variations for making the sloppy joe, but I cheat and use the quickest and simplest method there is.
1) Ground beef
2) Manwich Sloppy Joe Sauce (comes in a redish can)

So you mix the ground beef and the sauce in a saucepan, until it’s cooked and that’s it! You have sloppy joe. Just put it on the bun and eat it.

Normally I don’t like sweet potato anything… but since my father offered to make them with me I accepted. And they were yummy.

Now the horseradish mayonnaise.
1) Horseradish
2) Mayonnaise
3) Paprika

Mix these three ingredients together and you have a tasty sauce for your fries, but please be mindful of how much horseradish you put. The stronger the taste of the horseradish the less of it you put. Always be aware to put more mayo than you do horseradish. Horseradish tends to have a very strong taste and you want this to be almost sweet.

The history of the sloppy joe sandwich
This is the most interesting part. The true origin of the sloppy joe is unknown and probably impossible to track down, but there is a trace.

The origin of the true sloppy joe goes back to Habana, Cuba. This version is not like the “Manwich” ones, but nonetheless has the same consistency.

There was a bar called Sloppy Joe, owned by a Cuban, who would make these sandwiches. It’s traced back to New Jersey and Key West. The details as to which of the two places it took place in is murky, but I still think the story is interesting.

Do you like sloppy joe sandwiches? (:

Fish and Chips

August 23rd, 2010

Yay! Fish and chips!

Okay, so I made fish and chips recently and I never posted about it. I made it for my parents and two friends. I think it was a big hit. It was my first time making fish and chips so I was very nervous.

But I think that in the end they came out really delicious. The only thing I would change for next time… is that I would just buy the chips instead of making them from scratch! That was the most challenging part about this and I don’t think they were as good as they should have been. Anyway, I think this recipe is good and not that difficult to make.

Also, the salad in the picture is made of baby spinach leaves, apples, strawberries, and I believe blueberries. I can’t remember what I put in it, but that’s about right. And for the dressing I mix olive oil, black vinegar, and honey seasoning it with salt and pepper to taste.

I got it by googling “fish and chips” and I found this website. Check it out and let me know how your fish and chips come out. (:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/chips-and-fish-recipe/index.html

A kid swimming with dolphins

July 17th, 2010

Hi, I found these pictures the other day of when I swam with dolphins. I was pretty young, maybe 12 or 13. I’m not really sure how old I was so I’m just guessing here. I swam with them at the Miami Seaquarium.

First I’ll start with me hugging the dolphin. (: