monchow's Xanga

Thursday, April 05, 2007

Thu, 05 Apr 2007 18:23:15 GMT

Helllooo!! sooo instead of this being just a food blog since....lord knows i cant really cook all the well....its going to be a project blog/ snippets of my life.....im going to post projects im working on to keep myself busy since im not in school anymore...sooo right now im working making these stuffed monsters made from recycled clothing from Goodwill. I'll show ya'll a picture later. but TODAY....im going to talk about my Squash/green beans dinner!

This is a dish that my host mom made for me a lot when i was in the Philippines and ive been wanting to make it ever since....its soooo goooodddd. I tried making it without a recipe...and was unsuccessful....mainly cuz i dont know how to cook foreal....haha....so here is the recipe i found online:

Squash and Coconut Milk Stew

Prep Time: 40 Minutes
Cook Time: 40 Minutes
Ready In: 1 Hour 20 Minutes
Yields: 4 servings

INGREDIENTS:
1 tablespoon butter
1 (1 inch) piece fresh ginger,
minced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 small onion, chopped
1 acorn squash, peeled and cut
into 1-inch cubes
1 (14 ounce) can coconut milk

8 ounces green beans, cut into
3-inch pieces
8 ounces cooked shrimp,
peeled and deveined
1 (14 ounce) package extra-
firm tofu, cut into 1/2-inch
cubes
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons white sugar

DIRECTIONS:
1.     Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add ginger, garlic, and onion. Cook until garlic begins to brown, about 5 min.
2.     Add squash, coconut milk, and green beans to skillet. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes until squash is tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in shrimp and tofu, then season to taste with salt, pepper, and sugar.

My Directions for non good cookers like me =)
1. First I gathered all my ingredients:

notice the coconut milk has a "Sofa" written on it....thats because i stole it from my sister =)....shhh dont tell her....alsooo thats like the best coconut milk evaaarrr....oh yeah and i didnt have shrimp sooo i used crab meat...still delicious....and that big thing on the right is an acorn squash.

2. Then I chopped the onion and minced all the stuff (ginger and garlic)....im a bad mincer....
3. Then I seeded and peeled the squash. First cut it in half and scoop the seeds out with a spoon ("cut youuurr hearrt oouuutt with a spooooonnn" **inside joke: movie reference only VIP206 will understand haha**)

peeling this baby was a KILLER....first i used a veg peeler and that did NOT work....the peel on it so thick and its all ridged and stuff....so i used a knife....which im bad at cuz i accidentally cut myself a lot.

GAAHH the ridges!!!!

still another half to gooooo......

4. Then cut them into 1 inch cubes.
5. Wash and cut the green beans into 1 inch pieces...i know they said 3 inches...but i like them small.
6. Cut the tofu into little cubes...i didnt have extra firm soo i used regular firm...which tasted delicious....i dont think i like extra firm....

7. Theeenn I cut 2 tbsp of butter and melted it in a pot on med heat. (i know it says one....but i used 2)

8. Throw in the garlic, ginger, and onions. Heat until the garlic starts to brown (recipe says about 5 minutes)
9. Theeenn throw in the squash, 1 can of coconut milk, and the green beans.

10. Turn the heat up to High until it comes to a boil...then cover it and turn it to low-ish and let it simmer for about 30 minutes....stirring occassionally. In the meantime....enjoy and episode of your fave Korean soap =) Heres one for you to start on....Wonderful Life
11. and theeeenn after that...check if the squash is soft....and throw in the tofu and crab meat, or shrimp, or fish whatever you want to put in there.

12. I added some salt and theenn....Stir it uuuuupp and YOURE DONE!!!

Tuesday, April 03, 2007

Tue, 03 Apr 2007 20:59:40 GMT

To all my xanga readers....all 2 of you... I've decided to use my xanga as a cooking blog....taking pictures of recipes i attempt and maybe some of my own recipes....this week i made korean seafood pancakes and lettuce wraps....but that was before today so i have no pictures....soooo i'll start with my after work snack i made today:

Cucumber Sushi Rolls:

mm mmm mmmmm....healthy aaannd delicious =) I saw this on a korean food blog My Korean Kitchen, but i used soy bean salad dressing instead of mayo...and i made more than just for one person...

Ingredients (for 2 ppl)
2 cucumbers peeled
4 sticks of crab meat
1 can 6 oz tuna (optional)
Soy salad dressing (yuummy! i dont think its any healthier than reg dressing...it just sounds healthy)
Short grain rice (Japanese rice)
3 tbsp rice vinegar
2 tbsp sugar
some salt

First i peeled the cucumbers

Then i used the vegetable peeler to make thin slices....easy peasy...except for then i got to the middle where all the seeds and jellyish stuff are....soo i just used the outside part....

no wait first i made the rice....cook 2 cups of rice in the rice cooker.

ok theeen shred some crab meat, place it in a bowl, open a can of tuna, i put half the can of tuna cuz i dont really like tuna that much....

then put in a dollop of soy bean salad dressing (about 2 tbsp), mix it around...

Wait for the rice to finish cooking....when its done open it and mix it around to fluff it...then leave it open to cool it (5 minutes)

then on the stove put in the vinegar and sugar on mid-high heat...until all the sugar is melted

After the rice has cooled down a bit...slowly sprinkle in the vinegar and sugar mixture while mixing the rice until the rice gets kinda shiny....you might not use all of the vinegar sugar mixture.

theeenn get a bowl of cold water for you to dip your hands in while your making the sushis, cuz youre hands arnt wet the rice sticks to you when youre trying to work with it.

dip your hands in cold water, grab some rice (maybe 3/4 inch in diameter) squoosh it into a ball, then place it on one end of a cucumber peel, and wrap it up.

put the roll upright and standing, and then smoosh the rice down a little so it reaches the sides and the bottom...then scoop some crab meat tuna mixture and place it inside that hole...

and there you have it......a yummy snack =)

every once in a while i'll talk about work or something...but generally i have nothing to talk about hehe....

mmmmmmmm wendy's CHILI

Wed, 31 Jan 2007 14:06:22 GMT

mmmmmmmm wendy's CHILI

Lockeroom Secrets

Thu, 11 May 2006 00:46:17 GMT

In middle school when i shared a locker with Lisa Justin in 6th grade. I accidentally left a banana in the locker for who knows hooowww loongg...it started smelling like something died and then lisa discovered the rotting banana and i denied it was mine...hahaha...stupid....

Also in 7th grade i shared a locker with Jessica Ho. Oooone time i forgot to close the locker. I didnt know, until i came out from that class period and saw a bunch of boys kicking a girly pink almost trainy bra around on the floor and laughing. Jessica asked me if it was mine, but i was like PSSHH....noooo. But it was...and how? do you ask...did it end up off me and into my locker? Thats a mystery to be solved....Until today i've denied ever losing anything from accidenally leaving a locker open. But now that i think about it....maaybe our Peckle slambook was lost that day as well?....something to think about.

Monday, May 08, 2006

Mon, 08 May 2006 17:04:11 GMT

public confession: i have a crush on my roommate judy. she lives in the room downstairs, and i can't stop thinking about her. she's so hot. hot...

Tuesday, February 28, 2006

Tue, 28 Feb 2006 14:31:38 GMT

Time for new weblog entry?? i think so.....but ive concluded that my xanga is tres boring....who reads this anyway. other than jundy and michelle and perhaps ann. but thats only cuz theyre iiin iit....

A Day in the life of VIP#206:

at the moment....Jundy is unsuccessfully attempting to open her bottle of mandarin oranges...

its beeen 5 minutes.....stil no open.

(she's still going)

Meanwhile..."I dropped my chiiiiipppp =(," says michelle.

As all this is going on.....i am playing chubby bunny by myself with the last 4 marshmallows =)

"CHUBBY BUUNNYYYY!!!!" says me.

Monday, December 19, 2005

Mon, 19 Dec 2005 17:32:24 GMT

Bored. Grandma's got me beat.

Thursday, December 08, 2005

Thu, 08 Dec 2005 05:09:51 GMT

Okay so its almost 4am right now and i have 2 tests tomorrow which i am hoping and have been praying like crazy that they are CANCELLED...lets keep praying....i really need a good grade aaand i dont have time to finish studying now...sooo God, postpone pleeease pleasse please please pleeeeaaaassse.....

so its 4am and im talking to my roommate Ann on aim cuz were too lazy to walk the less than 10 feet to talk face to face....

Background info: this weekend we were naming random boyfriend names....i forget the actual conversation but it went something like this...
Me and Ann: I want a booyffriiieeeennnd
Ann: Seth........Wu......Seth Wu....you should date Seth Wu
Me: Who the hell is Seth Wu?
Ann: I dont know, those two names sound like they go together
**a few minutes later**
Me: Michael......quick say a last name.
Ann: Chu!

Just now on AIM: on the same subject
A: we're googling him as we speak
M: ooo good idea
A: michael chu the photographer
M: or this guy..... http://www.dartmouth.edu/~trustees/biographies/chu.html

M: hot stuff
A: YES
M: hahaha
A: I WAS LOOKING AT THIS ONE--HE'S PERFECT FOR U!
A: '68, oh baby!
A: hey, james marsters is '62
M: hahaha
A: and he's HAWWWWT
M: i think this man is claaass of 68.....
A: oh, haha
A: ok, gross
A: he grew up in uruguay
M: ooh hes LATIN
A: u should grab him while he's, u know, alive

Ann: mmmmm yummmyy sexy beast!

Conclusion of the story: Michael Chu is HOT STUFF baby......

**EDIT**
a little while later:

A: i still want a boyfriend
A: BOY! *poof*
A: yay!
A: *clap clap*
M: hahaha

Tuesday, December 06, 2005

Tue, 06 Dec 2005 12:38:20 GMT

Remembering Together @ Chez Zee's

Kym and Ariel...notice were all wearing black and red

Porn star and Rambo

Ariel, Judy and Me

DELICIOUS cheesecake with fruit and other good stuff

Rambo and Pornstar again

The beginning of Dave's first porn

Tuesday, November 29, 2005

Tue, 29 Nov 2005 16:22:28 GMT

oh ariel....a lot of times, you dont make sense.

DancingCow325: haha i wonder what jen would do
DancingCow325: kick the big jesus out of the guy for suggesting the game
monch0w: ....big jesus?
monch0w: who says that?

.....shaking head......