Two days ago, I had a friends get-together for the four of us, here in our place. We had it specifically in downtown. We had food trip and of course, the laugh trip. Ha! It is a great moment. The first time being together for the four of us, after more than six months. My second time went-out without my infant with me. And so, the highlight of the food trip was eating in "The Boiling Crab" restaurant, my first time.

The mild cajun dungeness flavor of the shrimps, taste really great! You would forgot that you are in the restaurant. Well, all the people there have their plastic bibs because it is a shell seafood restaurant. So, it is not a shy moment since all eats that way.
And because I cannot get over with the shrimps, I order a pound weight the next day! I eat it in the house with a little share for my DH (he don't like shrimps much). Yay! Happy me! :-)

From a Louisiana Kitchen or the famous food chain "Popeye" as for "P" is what I got days ago. DH bought us this for dinner for our (it is just me and DH in the house except if our little one can already eat like this) dinner.

Spring season has just kicked-in. It is the start of warm season. You might be looking forward of the spring cleaning so you are ready for summer but for me, I am already much ready anytime as I really like to splurge in the sun hopefully in the swimming pool too. As much as I am so ready of the warm weather, this "Mary Ellen" Made in USA dress that I got to review is very much perfect for the season. You know how I love dresses!

 I got the natural-colored Morocco Cafe Wrap Dress instead of the colored-truffle to which the color of the latter is the pictured below (note: that's not me in the picture below huh. Hehe! I know that's obvious but just want you to know. Smile). I love Mary Ellen! It is great that "fresh produce" clothing company also carry dress for beach , party dress , women skorts of which to name just a few.

Images below is what I received more than a year ago. That was June 2010 in our old apartment rented home. And last weekend (August 27, 2011) I received other one like this, here in our new abode. Apparently it is an invitation/selection as a potential juror in C. Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center in Los Angeles, California. Yes, a said letter is a summon from the Superior Court of Los Angeles County for service as a trial juror, if qualified when registered. I was one of the selected lucky individual.

(name intently brushed to protect personal privacy)

First, I wanna thank Te Willa, the host of Food Trip Friday meme for featuring my last FTF entry, White Pomfret Stew with Vegetables. Yey! I couldn't be more proud of my homemade foodies in my kitchen journey. Wink.

Now, the question is why rough? Instead of my usual recipe ingredient whole kernel corn to put unto the maja blanca, I put quartered pineapple chunks. I wanted it like that and I was not disappointed because it suit to my taste this time. Also I like it a bit sticky, not so sticky and so I did. Now, am going to answer why it has a rough side. It has a rough front side. That is so, because of the pineapple pieces. And since I like a bit of sticky one, it is one cause also the surface isn't even, so that is what you can see below. The spatula didn't make it. Grin.
Do you like maja blanca dessert? How do you like it?

Image above was taken dated April 23rd. Well, I just told you the date because I was already craving of this several times before I took a pic for my remembrance of one of my cravings. I don't know but as DH introduced this not-so-sweet cream cheese cake from 7/11, I then keep on wanting it especially DH went to that store and asked what I want. By this time, I still want to have such but not jut like those times. As in, I can eat two-three pouches of it the a big slice which in fact, I cannot eat a cake like that sizes with that pieces. Nothing much but this really means a lot to me especially those times, such month. It's really a food trip huh! Should I have to blame my pregnancy journey or what! Ha! Now am thinking of letting DH bought this. Am still in thinking because DH already had drive a lot of places of interest already today aside from that burrito from Tops that I like to eat. Hemmm.. what do you think, should I have to take steps to let him drive to 7/11 to get this now? *grin*

Have you been to a tourist spot where there are prints of foot and hand with the famous international celebrities? How about in Los Angeles? Do you heard about it?

You probably know that Los Angeles has been a famous place internationally. Yes, not only in USA but around the world. And speaking of such, folks are dying to journey to this place just to see the spots or the famous celebrities in the entertainment industry.

Images below are footsteps and hand prints of famous celebrities here in Los Angeles, California featuring baby Ariell, the daughter of my friend Anabel on the left which was taken during her (and her family) visit here Los Angeles last June this year (just a month ago) and on the right side is standing, taken about four years ago (my bad, the other image which was closer was unknown (cannot find it). 

I am glad that I was able to visit this place and measure such celebrities footsteps and hand prints from mine. :-) Yours truly did it just by putting my foot and hand on their prints. And whew! They have big foot and hands, ooh well, they are also big body builds so expect that they have such. :-) Along with their prints were also their quotations and some other short words from them.

I have a lot of pictures here around in Los Angeles County taken way back years ago, well, not beyond four years. I was just reminiscing about it. The journey with my friend Au and sometimes with her husband and just anything around here in the city where I live. I wonder where I put it, alright, I remember it was gone. I accidentally deleted, not a good step but then accident happens for no particular time and reason. Next time, I have to be extra careful especially memories that cannot be easily back, or cannot be back at all. Also I can blame it friendster social networking site a bit because of the virus I got in there. It just that it slows down my PC and then I clicked on something without my knowing. I was running out of time and I had to checked something but then, bang! That's it! Some folks also are annoying. Then I just deleted my friendster thing just to clear-up my troubled mind. Haler! Now, my pictures saved from such were tiny. And the pictures saved on my memory card were already deleted. I am still hoping I can recover most of it. My friend has such most but she's so very busy as of now. I'll just wait for the right time.

 (click image to enlarge)

I am a vegetables whore, tell me about it! Ha! But yep, am really into vegetables probably because I was born with a lot of vegetables than meat. I could even remember my grandfather has a garden of veges, most of it for consumption and some for commerce. But then lo and behold, I don't know how to cook of those until I got married. :-) Well, I have a lot of time of cooking now than then. Before, I enjoyed much on cleaning or washing than cooking but now I enjoyed it all especially the cooking thing because I have much time now as being a stay-at-home wife. Image below is a sauteed different kind of vegetables without meat mix but just a seasoning given from a friend called "magic sarap" and it did it's job, it made my sauteed vegetables "sarap" (sarap is a tagalog word for yummy/delicious)!

 I love eating broccoli, who wouldn't? Okay, some folks don't especially the carnivores. :-) But of course herbivores like me love it much! Myself just like to eat broccoli when it's only ready-to-eat. I don't know about you but usually (well, not most of the time as the word speaks *wink) when I am the one cooking it, I feel monotonous and don't like eating at all after cooking. I guess because I can smell it while cooking such. I was already full because of its smell. Ha! :-P Okay, yeah am just kidding aside but am serious. How many times I bought uncooked broccoli because I want to cook it but in the end, it will just rotten. So sad but I can't get it cook. I don't know but I always forgot it. Eeeh! But when you say, eat the cooked broccoli (unless if its fresh or salad-alike), I won't pass that! Gimme some!

What about you, do you like eating broccoli like me?

My birthday went fine. I thought I would just go to church to lit-up candles but went with some friends afterwards with no plan, okay, a minute plan and then just went. Thanks goodness my friends were able to be with me, they are free and were able to go as a minute-plan went. Ooh well. Thanks to Heaven Above for providing me with them. My DH was able to met them too though he didn't ate anymore as he was just from his office (we ate just few meters at the back of the buildings where my DH works) and was a mood to eat dinner few hours afterwards and it's fine as long as we met-up with friends. :-) Just as planned, I went to church but the church which is near at my friends house as well as the buffet resto where we had our small pig-out. Hehe! Te Claudine gave me awesome perfume and birthday card, Au ordered a delicious personalized mango cake from Red Ribbon with live fresh flower pink tulips in a pot and a birthday card and Dorie and Au managed to bring their kids and Au's husband, Cesar, was able to attend too in my birthday get-together. Their presence are precious and I treasure it (of course not only that day but throughout the whole me)! I am just a simple person and their presence are highly appreciated.

DH gave me a bouquet of fresh flowers with gift cash (thanks DH, luv u!) for me to buy what I want and I really did. :-) And my friend Analou gave me something for my few jewelry to hang-on, it's a woman-figured. I guess you know how it looked-like. I will show it to you next post as it was in my other camera. Thanks for all your birthday wishes, etc! To all who greeted me here in my blog(s), Facebook, sent me messages, texted and called. Thanks much guys (you know who you are)! I won't forget your kindness and such. Above all, thanks Lord God for giving me another precious age. Am 25forever! ;-) Thanks God for my precious family and friends. ~hugs&kisses~

How do you like eating almonds? Shelled almonds or what? Definitely you would love to eat this already shelled or else you would always bang your hammer or a piece of something to shell the almonds. :-) Well, if you ask me, I really like eating almonds. Oops, in an ice cream! But not in a pack. I don't know about you but sometimes it's some kind of monotonous having a lot than in something but this thing, nope, I like to munch-in a lot. Alright, this is my first time buying or eating an almonds in a big pack. As if how many months of supply for me. DH don't like it that much so it's only myself I can depend on to eat this. Haha! I was just curious having this one because my doctor advised me to eat this instead of peanuts. And so I tried since I also like it in ice cream mix and I love it!

Yep, I made a pork soup with yellow and green vegetables for my breakfast about a week ago. It was good as I had this for a long time already. I mean for so long, I wasn't able to cook a pork soup like this. I put cabbage, yellow sweet yum (or camote) tops, taro root, carrots and spices like ginger root, green onion, bell peppers and salt to taste. That's it! But too bad, the taro root became invisible. It became a mixed of water though its really great for soup as it puts slimy on it. Trust me the soup with it, taste great!

Here comes Cacai M.'s food journey again. I cooked beef stews with different mixes like with carrots and potatoes, sometimes only one mix. Picture above (that time) with nothing mix on it but only bell peppers. Different colors of bell peppers like light green (or light yellow green), dark green and red but the dominant color visible is red as you can see. Well, you know bell pepper is a family of spices but not vegetables, etcetera. That is why I think, I put no other mix (that mix I meant is vegetables). Then (of course) put garlic, onion and cooking oil (canola for me as am pregnant as per doctor's/ob-gyne's advise). You may notice I did not put tomatoes though I love tomatoes when it comes to cooking. Wonder why? That is because my ob-gyne's advise not to eat those (tomatoes, of any color and type {either canned or fresh}). I do not have any regrets because it taste great as my DH comment. You know he only ate seldom when it comes to my cooking, well, okay he likes beef stew. But really it taste great. You wanna want to taste some? Enjoy cooking!

And my food journey continues. Though I don't like eating nowadays unlike other first to second trimester pregnancy but I do crave, only it is just sometimes. Mostly the "no-no's" as my ob-gyn's advise, are not my likes too to which I could say am fortunate enough. I don't like oily foods and carbohydrates but sometimes I do which is not a problem. This time, I crave for this cooked beef below. I forgot the name but closest to my sense is beef pot roast (it's so smooth) though the white beans, not that much. Maybe you can tell me what's the name of this beef below. Thanks in advance, if you know. :-) Such white beans by the way is with a rice over on it. I usually like to have it brown beans, my fave. Those were the days that DH likes to buy soul foods. It went-by for how many weeks of buying outside foods which I like it. :-) But now, it's only seldom, seldom I like what he bought, I don't like eating you know. :(

(images presented are property of Cacai M. (c) www.cacainadjourney.com /no use of images without permission. Thanks!)

A friend of mine, Jocelyn W. , posted on her FB about what she cooked. Yes, you guess it right, it's "embutido" (sorry I do not know what's the English language of this food, if you know it would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance). I craved as I read her update. Right then, I told her if she could give me some, oops am just kidding, I told her if she could give me her recipe. The goodness on her replied on my inbox with complete recipe. Then I put it on my compilation of my hand-written recipes. "It's the next recipe I have to do" , told myself. I then began to gather the recipes. Days after I had my time after completing the ingredients, I can then proceed to the mixing and steaming up to the finished product. And so I did my first home-made "embutido" will share you the recipe next time (would you like?, just let me know).

Embutido in a foil ready for the quartered hard-boiled eggs to put on it (picture on the left side). Some "embutido" mix is on the center image, ready to put in foil. On the right side image above is the full "embutido" mix (with quartered hard-boiled eggs as the finisher) off for the foil ready to be tightly folded or rolled. The next step after it is rolled on, is to tie each ends with a reliable tie so it won't be scattered. As the recipe went on. As I rolled it on, I preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit with a hot water until boiling. Furthermore, I then put the rolled "embutido" in a foil into the steamer.

Acknowledgment to my friend for sharing me this recipe. Easy to make!