A man can be a father, but it takes a special kind of person to be a dad.

Happy Father's Day!

My Father's Day gift to my dad was a gluten free meal (dad can't have gluten). So I decided to make pad thai for him.

While in registering for classes my mom and I found an Asian and Mexican market in the town. I found my favorite noodles from Thailand (mama noodles), and I found some tamarind. Tamarind is a legume I ate in Thailand, and found in the pad thai I learned how to make. So I bought what was a block of tamarind. I had to heat it in some water and then strain out the seeds. And then I made the Pad Thai. I would post a recipe for the Pad Thai, but it changes each time a make it. I suggest searching a few pad thai recipes and see what is common in them. I did learn today though, that you DO NOT want the rice noodles too soft before you add them to the pad thai, or they will break up and have the right consistency.

In addition to pad thai, we ate egg drop, grilled shrimp, and grilled asparagus.

Instead of a pad thai, here is how you make egg drop soup (it's super easy):

Beat 4 to 6 eggs.

Bring to a boil 4 cups of chicken broth.

Slowly pour in the eggs while stirring the boiling broth.

And you have egg drop soup.

You can add pepper, onions, etc. You can also use vegetable broth for the vegetarians (my preference).

Here is my latest sewing project, an apron from two old button up shirts. I got the directions from Sewing Green: 25 Projects Made with Repurposed & Organic Materials by Betz White

Catch you on the flip side.

Summer Lovin'

I've just gotten back from the summer orientation and class registration for my first semester of freshmen year at my new college. The idea of leaving home now does not feel doable, I mean I just got home. But I'm sure I'll be ready to leave soon enough.

Here are some pictures of my recent summer activities.

I've done some sewing, and those pictures will do coming shortly.

Catch you on the flip side.

Like mascara on Prince. It is on!

So far I have been pretty productive this week, which is good cause I'll be gone Thursday and Friday. I will be visiting my soon to be college and registering for classes. I am so excited, and I just can't hide it.

The top two pictures are my outfit post that I didn't post.
I lost a fair amount of weight while in Thailand, and now most of my clothes are too big. I find myself needing to belt my shirts and dresses all the time now. I don't have the money to by a new wardrobe, and I don't want to have to take in ALL of my clothing. So I have decided to by a few fitted shirts and then just embrace the baggy style.
The next other pictures are what I have been up to, most yoga and crafts. Yoga is back to being a regular part of my morning routine, and I have to say I feel better. That with my regular meals and handful of vitamins, and my body is running the way it should be.
The crafts have not been going so smoothly. my first few attempts failed with a capital F, but it's getting better now. I made a few pincushions, the idea of which I got from "Pretty Little Pincushions". I am now working on a sleeping mask, and I'll let you know how it turns out.
My movies I like that I've watched so far this summer:
Without the king (documentary)
Food Inc. (documentary)

Eat, Pray, Love (travel, romance)

Who is Harry Nilsson (documentary)

Reality Bites (romantic indie)

Catch you on the flip side.

My lips burn

So here's what going down.







Summer has officially begun in my small town, but unfortunately the weather hasn't gotten the memo. It is cold, rainy, and all around unpleasant. I should be chillen in some shorts on the yard right now, instead I am in pj pants, fuzzy socks, and a sweatshirt. But the weather won't keep me from my summer list.
I've been working on my room for most of this week. I've ventured out a few times (the proof is above), but I've spent the bulk of my time in my room. Going through my things is one of the bigger things on my list, and I've gotten it done. So check number one.
Another check is making one of the dishes I learned in Thailand. I made green curry tonight for dinner. I'm gonna have to pump up the effort if I want to get a good part of this list done, and that means getting more than just two things done a week.
But week two, here I come.
Catch you on the flip side.

Sun is shinning. Weather is sweet. Make you wanna move your dancing feet. - Bob Marley

What started as the yearly summer reading and movie list has turned into something bigger. There is now an entire computer folder. It is filled with pictures of crafts I have wanted to do, recipes from the various cooking blogs I read, lists of summer activities I want to take part in, and of course my book and movie list. The pictures are many, the recipes diverse, and the lists long, but my goal is to make time for each of them this summer.
I am enough of a realist to know that not everything in this folder will get done this summer, but finishing everything is not my goal. The goal is to follow through, it’s to follow through on all those ideas I’ve had been never acted on. I like to sew but I only do it when the mood hits me so I am not as good as I could be, and the same goes for cooking. But this goes beyond furthering my skill, it is about not just being an “idea” person. I have all of these ideas and things I want to do, but most of them stop at the idea stage. I want to do things and accomplish things in my life. I want to turn my ideas into my reality, and I am starting this summer. I don’t have huge things to accomplish because I am just starting. So I’m starting off small in hopes that follow through will become a habit for me. And then, I will move on to bigger and better things.
Here is my commitment to me and to you: I commit to do at least three things in that folder and blog about them. Why blog? Well, someone needs to hold me accountable, and I guess that someone is you.
Catch you on the flip side.

Home is... what you make it

I'm home.
I miss Thailand and my friends, and the food, and a crap load of other things, but it's good and right to be back in the US. Despite the ridiculous jet lag.
It's quieter here, greener, cooler. It's nice to be home.
Catch you on the flip side.
p.s. my first summer post will come soon.

I guess that's just life

Well, it’s been fun. Thailand has been an amazing adventure and I’m sad to be leaving. The friends that I have made and the experiences I’ve had are ones I hope to keep with me forever. Moreover, the lessons I’ve learned intend to remember.
Such as: mosquito bites are not just annoying they can send you to the hospital. It is often necessary to ask what kind of meat is in front of you before you dig in. And you don’t always need to know Thai to get a kid to stop misbehaving.
I don’t know when I’ll come back to Thailand, but I hope it will be soon. This Adventure may be ending, but I know a new one is headed my way. And if there is one thing I’ve learned from my time in Thailand, it is not to shy away from new things because you never know what kind of adventure it will be.
Catch you on the flip side.