69 days of Summer - 2012

Alright... here I am, back in the world called "blogging"... I know, I know,... I just have this on again off again relationship with my page.:-( Its kinda frustrating to know sometimes that I cant seem to move past the "beginners stage".... I admit I don't put all the time and effort to really find my way around. But now, I am starting again and I promise myself  that all I have to do is just document whatever happens on my day to day life.....

And it is perfect since summer vacation had already started for the kids!!! And for this year, I tag along a companion.......

On top of this... I still rely on my favorite blog sites that shows where and what to do within the Orange County area without breaking the bank... After all, we try to be savvy yet frugal in our spending habits.... In that way... we enjoy life to the best of everything knowing that we don't have to work hard again for the money we use... In other words... we always have a budget and a plan for our trips!!!! :-)

Click here to check out my favorite family site.....

For more blog sites..please check the following:

 http://www.just-spotted.com/
 http://rocketeermom.com/ ( for those living in Corona, I.E., Riverside etc)
http://iheartoldtowneorange.com/

There you go folks!!!!.. I just rely on those four for local "get aways..deals...and adventure"..

By the way,.. you can also check your local City Magazine. They are usually found in the libraries...:-)

Well?? Enjoy and have a happy summer vacation everyone!!

Blueberry Soy Yogurt Muffins

They say "curiosity killed the cat".. Not so much I believe :-)...
I walked into Sprouts one day and while checking out the dairy aisle, I came across Soy Yogurt..I like trying new things and so I decided to get it with the thought of pairing it with some fruits or adding it on to my smoothies.I was so excited when I got home and boy was I disappointed!! Soy didnt seem appealing to my taste buds at all. I mean, I love soy milk and some soy bean stuff but this??? eeewww!!!.. Sorry to say that but then I thought of making something good out of it instead. Next step was me browsing for some recipes....

I hope you will like this version of my blueberry muffin... It tastes so good that you can have it for your breakfast with coffee..

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups wheat flour
3/4 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt ( I always just add a pinch every time it calls for salt)
1 large egg, lightly beaten
3/4 cup plain soy yogurt
2/3 cup canola oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups fresh (or frozen) blueberries

Preheat oven to 375 deg. Spray your muffin tray with non-stick spray. (I used my cupcake tray so I used some cupcake liners instead)

In a medium bowl, mix together egg, soy yogurt,oil and vanilla.
In a large bowl , mix the flour,sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt together. Fold in the blueberries.Then fold in the wet ingredients and stir until just combined. ( Do not over mix the batter)

Fill each muffin cup and place in the center of your oven. Bake about 30 minutes until golden or when skewer or toothpick inserted comes out clean and dry. Remove from oven and cool for 10 minutes. Makes 1 dozen. 

Eating twice as much minus the guilt!!!! :-)

Spring Break Fever

Hello everyone, its been only 4 days of no school and it seems like I'm running out of things to do when it comes to entertaining the kiddos. Not that I'm feeling hopeless but when things like this comes along, I always know where to check events that are sometimes free or almost free... Who else but my favorite daytrippingmom ???? If you want to know more about where she or they are going to take you and me,... please follow on and click HERE :


A few of my favorite places includes... but are not limited to... (wink ;-)

Dollar Movie Theaters - it actually cost you a little bit more on some days of the week but for the most part, $1.00 every Tuesdays.. please check listings

Griffith Park Observatory - free admission and its really good to go visit the place during spring or summer when the sun does not set till a little after 7:00pm

OC Zoo - Get your picnic bags  and mats ready then head on to the zoo....

There are more places in the list that we have not check out and we sure are going to include that in our "Spring- into- Summer Bucket of Fun ".. :-) Also below are some places that my family and I have recently checked while doing our hiking trek...

Peters Canyon Park

Santiago Creek Bike Trail

Crystal Cove State Park - we have actually been to the beach area but we are thinking of checking the hiking trail in our next visit....

 I hope this can help you plan for you or your family's journey too. Happy Spring Break Vacation!!!!!

My version of a healthy Pad Thai

I made this version a week ago but only got the chance to actually sit here and do some posting from my end. Like what I said yesterday, organizing and cleaning can keep you busy in a much rather non exciting type of way..:-)

I saw this recipe from our local Sunday papers a long time ago and knew instantly that I am going to get a taste of it. In fact, this is my first time to make Pad Thai and I actually tweak a few ingredients based on what I have available.. It still tasted oh-so-healthy and looking forward to make another batch soon..

Shrimp and Tofu Pad Thai  ----

1/2 c. Tamarind Juice ( I use the filipino sinigang mix... think about creativity huh??? )
2 tbsp fish sauce
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
8 ounces rice noodles (linguine size)
1-2 tbsp peanut oil
1 pound deveined medium shrimp
2 tsp chopped garlic
1 egg , beaten
6 ounces firm tofu, cut into 1 or 2 inches cubes
8 green onions, trimmed and halved lengthwise, then cut crosswise into 1 inch pcs
1 c shredded napa cabbage ( I used regular cabbage)
1 c bean sprouts, plus more for garnish
red pepper flakes to taste
1 tbsp chopped peanuts
Lime wedges and Thai basil or cilantro for garnish ( I used cilantro and lemon)

***
- Place tamarind juice,fish sauce,vinegar,and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring until sugar dissolves.

- Cook noodles according to package directions then set aside.

This is the kind of noodles I used.. Bought it at Sprouts.

- Place a wok or big pan over high heat. Once hot, add oil and saute shrimp one minute or until pink.Add garlic and cook 30 seconds.Add egg and stir until scarmbled.

- Add tamarind mixture, tofu,green onions, cabbage, sprouts, pepper flakes ( if you want some kind of heat in your food) and drained noodles. Stir until they are warmed throughout. Sprinkle with peanuts and serve with garnishes...

There goes my Pad Thai.....

Enjoy your meal!!!!! :-)

What kept me busy over the last week

We often say or hear the phrase " time flies fast ", and sure enough, it really does fly fast.. I never even thought that its  already been a week since I last posted something in here. So many organization and cleaning and more cooking happened after that last time..;-) Sorry about that..

To start off, my hands got busy again but this time, its not in the kitchen but in organizing and tossing or donating some stuff that I've or we've never used for years...I started off a bit from our closet and was able to come up with (2) trash bags of clothes... ( there's actually a few more that I'm still a bit  hesitant to let go...give me a few more time ,..wink! ) then came all these old school papers from our kids and old mails or copies that used to be important then.. Sorting out papers just killed my time....

See what I mean???? And that's not even half of it.... I still have my own personal stuff plus my piles of nursing reviewers...:-(... That will be for another time, I must say... On the good side of it, We were able to find things that we thought was gone a long time ago.... " Seek and you shall find" !!!!! :-)

Tomorrow , I should post my take on a healthy version of Pad Thai..... Till tomorrow.....

Eggless (Vegan) Mango Cake

I finally made something this week!!! Part of my curiosity and diversity is to try new things... Initially, I bought some mangoes in a can last week thinking that I am going to make Mango Mousse Cake... After browsing for some added extras, I came across a vegan type and slowly my focus shifted into checking it out...It did not turn out bad but you can guess from the first bite.... It is vegan!!! :-)

Here's the recipe with my own versions.....and as adapted from one of my favorite blog... The Chef In You...

Eggless (vegan) Mango Cake

1 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
2 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
1 tsp cinnamon powder ( instead of cardamom, since I don't have any )
1 1/2 cups mango puree ( I used canned mangoes and pureed it in the food processor)
1/3 cup canola oil ( you can reduced 1-2 tbsp if you want to add mango puree instead )
2/3 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Sift and mix flour,baking powder and salt. Add cinnamon powder and give a quick mix till blended.

In another bowl, add the rest of the ingredients and whisk well until smooth. (make sure your pureed mangoes are into a smooth consistency.) Slowly add flour a little at a time while giving it a gentle mix. Make sure you don't over beat the batter.

Pour into a well grease baking pan and smooth the top. (  I used a round cake pan )

Bake in preheated 350 F oven for 30-40 mintues or until a skewer inserted comes out clean.
Some oven gets hot fast so make your own judgement..

Let it cool before serving. ( you will noticed the cake leaving the sides of the pan once its cool.)

Try it with an afternoon tea...:-)

Positive Thoughts Create Positive Results!

In this crazy world we are living, I have come to deal with my everyday stressors through meditation and prayers. Being quiet whenever I get the chance  helps me connect to my inner self, where I could fully rewind all my thoughts and actions. A chance to talk to God and share all my success and disappointments. And a chance to simply enjoy the life that's been laid out in front of me. I'm always a believer of faith. Religion is such a profound topic that I don't even want to argue with it but for as long as your faith is there, and no matter which road you take, as long as you know you connect with God, then that is true spirituality. I have proven this to myself and in the course of my journey over the years.

Experience can also be the best teacher. And I have always love learning from life. My life and other people's life. I have opened my perspective to things which allows me to make mistakes and grow. I am not afraid of falling and failing because I know that at some point in my life, I tried my best. I always find the chance to celebrate even the smallest of things and for me, there are so many reasons to celebrate life. I value every person I meet and I treasure every memories I've created with them. I like to learn and even more enthusiastic to learn from the best! I apply things according to what my needs are so basically they change from time to time. I have a lot of hopes and dreams and I am not afraid to chase after them. I am slowly learning to either say "yes" or " no" and no more in between. :-) ( that's tough for me!!!!) I have also learned to appreciate the word "no" in exchange for some quality time with myself or my family.... Most of all, I realized that I could never be in so many things ,in such little time, and in such vast areas of my life.

The discovery of Sahaja Yoga ( as explained in my older blog) has really helped me discover a lot of things. At this point , I am not as active with my meditation as I was before but knowing the real meaning of my inner self helps me stay in the present moment. It is only through being in the " here and now" that I can truly and deeply appreciate things. Why worry about the past when you can not undone what has been done?? And why worry about the future when all you ever have are thoughts that might or might not happen?? I have learned and still learning how to master the Law of Attraction . As another human being, I am still prone to my own weaknesses and strength . But like I said, with my Faith and Open minded attitude, I embrace life one day at a time. I follow and adapt  "certain rules of thumb" from powerful and successful individuals for things that I feel is essential for mine and my family's life . After all, these people have already proven themselves so why experiment of any other way??? They have already mapped out the road to a whole new way of living... All I ever have to do is follow through it....

This is how Oprah likes to say it : WHEN YOU KNOW BETTER, YOU DO BETTER!!!!!

Pls take the time to watch this video. It helps.....

How to Create Perfect Circumstances in Your Life EVERYDAY (Abraham Hicks)

Its all about the Indian flavor.....

Yesterday, I had to bring my husband to urgent care due to a bad sprain. We thought of the worst scenario, like maybe a torn Achilles tendon and prayed for the best.Luckily, and with prayers, things didn't turn out as bad as we thought. X-rays were done and we went home with a few medical orders...
It was close to noon time and we could not decide where or what to eat. We were getting hungry and we thought of curry! The first thing that came to our mind was Indian food.So we head off to this small place in Tustin, that's kinda popular with most of the residents nearby.. Its called India Sweets and Spices. Lots of things to choose from. I got a few items and some desserts but unluckily, I never had the chance to ask what  their names are. The lady who helped us out couldn't speak much English and the guy with her was busy helping others out since it was already lunch time. That's when I relied on my instincts and let my diversity take charge of the situation....lol..My favorite dessert was the one pictured at the bottom,(its made of milk and some other flavors.. reminds me of the filipino "yema" ) close to the orange one ( that's carrot something... yummy and healthy !)..then comes the almond one,very sweet but taste like real almonds..:-) and the least was the bread looking one with filling.. It has so many flavors that I cant figure out if it was a dessert or an appetizer lol,....

Since it was a vegetarian place, hubby and I were just happy with our food.. Tasty and flavorful, and the desserts were just sweet and dense.Will definitely go back to check out more items soon.

Dana Point Festival - Sunday Activity

I was a wee bit excited to see some whales yesterday !!!! The weather was perfect, actually hot (86 deg)but great at the beach. First we heard mass at home ( channel 19 ) because we woke up late and the kids were being lazy and our son wanted to just play with his wrestling video game. We ate brunch and packed some snacks and water , then headed off to the festival. There were so many areas that has the festival signs and we didn't really know where to go so we decided to go for the Dana Yacht Club. They have a little picnic, grassy area and a little enclosed lagoon ( hubby says its called "jetty") where a lot of people do paddle boarding, kayak, and a few small yachts passing us by. There were families, couples, and retired people having a nice lazy afternoon and it was just perfect for some rest and relaxation...

We felt quite too relaxed in there that we decided to just skip the whales ( you have to wait for a free shuttle bus to take you to the place then board a yacht or something....:-). My son was busy feeding the wild squirrels with some nuts while we just lazed the hours away....

Last stop was to check the different booths that sells crafts and other items....

Short Saturday Hike

Last Saturday, we decided to go to a short hike leading to a park.The trail is called Santiago Creek Trail .Hubs and I tried this path a long time ago (maybe 3 or 4 years ago) after dropping  the kids off  to school and it was so much different then.. There were mostly dirt roads for hiking and some biking for those who are into it.Today, the dirt path was mostly covered with shrubs and there was actually a nice pavement built for a smooth walk, with a few little trails here and there.

And our favorite bridge is still the same...We saw a few ducks playing in the small pool of water that had accumulated over the last rainy days and a few birds hiding underneath the bridge too..It was a good experience for the kids...

Spring is just around the corner......

Yes indeed!!!!! I could almost smell the flowers in the air.... and the weather had just been perfect over the weekend too.My Saturday hike and Sunday trip to Dana Point with the fam bam was fabulous! And there could never be a better day for me than Monday!!!!! Oh yes,.... I love Mondays because it gives me the chance to be quiet around the house, the chance to regain my inner composure and most of all, the chance to clean up after the mini tornado everyone leaves over the weekend..lol...

Literally, I am devoting the whole week to Spring Cleaning . I thank hubby for helping me out with 4 loads of dirty clothes and sheets off to the laundry over the weekend and for some help feeding our family with his love for cooking...;-) Also, in this mission , I am finally ( sob!!!! Its still hard for me to let go) letting go of most things that I have held on to for the last 5, maybe 10 years for that matter..Yeah, yeah... that is how sentimental and attached I could be...My zodiac sign is Cancer so there goes a few of my traits...

Back to Spring Cleaning... I have a huge list of things to do that when I even think about it, I am already overwhelmed. And to think that we only live in an apartment... how much more if we are in a big house???? tsk! tsk! tsk!!!.. I guess God meant for us to have a small space so we can better take care of everyone and everything without losing our sanity eh??? ;-)

Well????? Monday just started out quite good for me. Done taking care of toys laying around in some areas for sometime now, re- arranged furnitures ( with hubs help again!) last Saturday so we now have more room to move around.Checking our room and closet now for things that needs to be donated or toss away....so on... and so forth......

What about you guys????? Any ideas of what you have in store for Spring????

41st Annual Dana Point Festival of Whales

Hello everyone!!! This may look like its late but you have today, tomorrow and the the whole weekend next week to come and see this festival.I actually marked this on my phone calendar but totally forgot to share it here.. my bad :-( However, it is never too late to plan and talk it out with the rest of your family and drive on right??? ;-)
I especially love this mommy blog site, Daytripping mom, who is full of activities for the whole family either for free or for a minimal price.. With this economy, who would want to spend too much for FUN??? I think I actually met one of them when they sponsored a free Barbie Movie at Ultraluxe Cinemas at the Gardenwalk in Anaheim. Too bad I haven't gotten the chance to talk to her but maybe in her future gathering??? :-)
Anyway, feel free to check Dana Point Festival of Whales .

It is free, it includse an opening day parade,  art exhibits, classic car exhibits, paddling events, sand sculpting, concerts on land and water, environmental activities, educational opportunities, interpretive crafts, kids activities,Whale of a Block Party, and of course, whale watching!

We are definitely checking it out this weekend so see you there!!! :-)

Asian Food Splurge!!!!

Yesterday was a busy day for me.... Errands in the morning and more errands in the afternoon. Part of that errand was to go to the grocery store... And with the thought of Lent in mind, I decided to head off to one of my favorite Asian Market, 99 Ranch Store . Its been a while since the last time I bought groceries here,..mainly because you cant stop buying all these yummy goodies and ingredients and makes you want to eat more! Talk about losing weight eh??? ;-)
So anyway, I had a few pieces of recipes that I wanted to try out for this week.. And part of going here is the mission of getting large jumbo shrimps!!! Ummm... the thought alone makes me hungry already..

I only wanted to get fish, shrimps, longganisa, and a few other condiments... but guess what???? I got more than what I bargained-----
Oh well..... this should be good for the next week or two... What really made me happy though was the fact that I found ingredients for my soon to be foodies....

What more can I ask???? Just the time to make all these yummy menu .. Cant wait to post them here soon with their recipe of course! ;-)

On being "Au Naturel"

A long time ago, I have often thought about what it means to be real. Could it be real with your feelings and emotions?? Real with your thoughts? Real with your words?? Or maybe,... real with everything else around you....The word "real" is such a simple yet profound word.. How far can one go to the extent of being real????
In the eyes of a child, real is as simple as asking for things that confuses her, real is knowing that all questions have answers, whether it is right or wrong. And real is coming to terms with the simple pleasures of life...eating,sleeping,playing,etc.etc........
As we grow older, life becomes more complicated with society's rules. We try to live up to everyone's expectations. We live our life according to what our parents and our parents parent taught us... In other words, we become what society wants us to be..along the way, we get confused with the things that really make us , into the things that was structured for us.... If we are lucky enough,we break out of this cycle and find the path that truly define who we are.

Au Naturel for  me is simply going back to our roots. Meaning..... I am  finding joy in the simplicity of life by having the time to appreciate whats being laid out in front of me... From seeing my family's joy and frustrations,to cooking and baking to my  hearts desire, to sleeping, waking up and taking showers according to my own pace (;-D), to dividing my time to meet up with all the wonderful friends I have met along the way, old and new alike,to realizing that after all this time,simplicity and the truth about everything around you is the way to ultimate happiness and contentment.Accepting and knowing what my priorities in life are made me value everything that I have.I have come to realized that every individual live their lives according to their priorities and needs.I am thankful that I have been given the chance to spend more quality time with my family in this maddening stressful life called "living". No amount of money could ever exchange this opportunity.Sometimes, people wish they have more time or more money. Whatever the situation is, be thankful of what you have and really look deeper at what makes you happy and fulfilled..


 After all, according to Dan Shapiro, Life is a Choice...." Our first choice is to live our life as our authentic self, as the person we really are deep down inside. When we do that, we can access a grand library of all that is possible for us—the journeys through life that are right for us. This allows us to make choices that flow from who we are and what we can be. That’s when life works. That’s when a positive outlook can make all the difference in the world."

Au Naturel also helps me live my life as natural as I can possibly be.. I am now trying to incorporate natural and organic products in our lifestyle although I must say that my genes wont allow me to go 100% along the way. Being a Filipino, there are still days that I would crave for all those sweet, starchy,salty variations that I am used to....:-).. For now, I am just blogging my healthy discoveries one day at a time..... 

Family Hike at the Canyons

This weekend  is totally beautiful... The morning always starts as being cold and gloomy, which makes us want to not get out of bed but after a few hours the sun comes out and the weather becomes perfect... Almost telling us that Winter is coming to an end...
Me and hubby thought that it would be nice to let the kids out of the house on weekends. We thought of hiking as a start. We did this a  few weeks ago but had to stop for a bit due to our trip to Arizona..This may sound  nice but we have two kids who do not really like the idea to begin with :-).... Our daughter takes a short while to get used to it but then again,... she likes doing most things so it was not much of a problem. Thank God. Our son is the hardest one because he is at this point where his kind of fun is Video Games. Oh yeah.... the more reason why we have to bring him out of the house.The rest is all  about whining and grumpy face and a lot of coaxing... But that's when the adventure of this trip starts.....:-) :-) :-)

We can actually see that we are getting closer to the trail head!!!!

It's 10 in the morning and there are still different types of people hiking...

My family... resting before we head out to the trail head.. and this is just the starting point!

I have heard a lot about Peters Canyon Trail in Irvine. It took me a while to really check this place and I'm glad we did. The first time we came here, we parked waaaay out there that before we even reach the trail head, the kids were already complaining. This second attempt proved to be more fruitful!. We still parked quite in the middle but we were able to walk farther up into the canyons...A lot of people on such a fine day. Old, young, families, couples, students, bikers,...you name it...

Just  friendly reminder,..these are the things to watch for....;-)

                               And this...... First time I've seen how it look like.Interesting to see  things that you have to watch out for

I remember seeing a lot of this in the Philippines..

     

   

 

                                                            

   

Our DDD (diners drive ins and dives) discovery

The last weekend was a great time spent in Arizona... Not only was I there with my family but I was also there to meet a few of my best friends from high school.. Sort of like a mini reunion... As always the case, hubby and I never go to a place without having our food adventure ..
This time its from our favorite guy.... Guy Fieri ! The place was called Chino Bandido ... We got there 10 minutes before they open and the guy was kind enough to let us in knowing that we are from Orange County and was looking forward to get a taste of the fusion..:-)
We asked for their bestseller and decided to get three different orders to go..True to their fusion foodie, the place was a combination of asian, mexican and jamaican dudes... They were very helpful and accomodating with newbies like us. In the car, we were filled with the different island flavors of the jerk, the beans , the rice and so on and so forth...check this out!!!

Combo with Jade Red Chicken Quesadilla and Emerald Chicken with Jerk Fried Rice and Black Beans--the beans tasted different with some jamaican flavor, the rice was like a more exotic type of chinese fried rice, their salsa is totally different from the usual tomatoes- cilantro thing. This one was more like green onions with some kind of tangy flavor....Then we got the chinese emerald chicken and the chinese bbq pork... They were tasty as well. To top it all??? We got lucky to get snickerdoodles that was fresh from the oven, soft and very chewy!!!Lunch on the road.......