Thursday, February 26, 2009

PF Changs

I had a great Wednesday evening! I spent it with my favorite cousin. Started out at PF Chang’s and ended at Pier One. I got some great Dead Sea bath salts, lotion, and hand soap at Pier One. However, I thought I would write a post in ode to PF Chang’s delicious Coconut Curry Vegetables. I figured that it was simple enough to be made at home so I did my research. Every online recipe that I found was basically the same. This leads me to believe that I have found the actual recipe yayyy!!! I normally post recipes that I have already tried. This time I will post before I try it. Maybe someone out there will try it as well. If you do please leave any tips you discover!! I will report on the results soon!!!

1 small onion cut into 3/4 inch cubes
1 small red bell pepper, cubed
1 cup halved mushrooms
4 ounces (3 cups) broccoli
1/2 cup thinly sliced carrots
1/2 cup whole sugar snap peas
Peanuts or Cashews Optional

Coconut-Curry Sauce
1/2 cup canned coconut milk
2 tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons unseasoned rice vinegar or cider vinegar
2 teaspoons canola oil
2 teaspoons cornstarch dissolved in
1 1/2 tablespoons cold water

  • Separately blanch the broccoli and carrots (or sugar snap peas)until tender-crisp in plain boiling water. Drain and rush under cold water to stop the cooking. Drain again.
  • Combine the Coconut-Curry Sauce ingredients. Taste and adjust the sugar to your liking.Heat a wok or wide skillet over high heat until hot. Add the canola oil, swirl to glaze the pan. Then add the onions and bell pepper. Stir-fry until tender-crisp, about 3 to 4 minutes.Add the mushrooms and stir until hot, a few minutes more.Add the blanched vegetables and toss to mix.
  • Stir the sauce and add it to the pan. Bring it to a simmer, tossing to combine. Stir the cornstarch mixture to recombine and add it to the pan. Stir until the sauce turns glossy, about 10 seconds (a bit longer if you are doubling the sauce).Add the sesame oil and toss to mix.
  • Serve with rice, noodles or a warm loaf of bread. Serves 2 to 4 people.
  • *Look for Chaokah brand, sold in Asian groceries. Be sure to stir well to incorporate the solids before using

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Pretty Bird

Sooo This morning I am sad... I miss Emmie (the pretty bird above). I haven't told you guys about her. But she was my Quaker parrot for about 2 months.

I took her to get her wings clipped by the breeder that I purchased her from and the breeder dislocated her wing. I was very upset. But I ended up giving her back to the breeder. However I miss her now......

In the process of missing her. I of course attempted to replace her with this adorable little Parrolett, named Chloe.
BIG MISTAKE. When I took her home, she literally hated me. She wouldn't let me touch her without a good bite in the process. So I ended up returning her as well. Now I just really wish I had a pet. I really want a dog but my husband thinks we should wait until we are more stable… I agree I guess. But I still want a sweet little puppy. Yea I am so over the whole bird thing. And for reasons aforementioned I can’t really handle a cat.

I miss Emmie- short for Emerald :)

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

My Funny Valentine

First I want to tell you how much I love you...
I don't think you know
How can I make you understand?
I myself can't fully comprehend
You are mine
I know I know
I am yours as well
Be mine forever
Don't change... even though I am always finding reasons and ways to improve you
I love you just the way you are
My heart aches to prove how much I love you
need you
want you
Be mine forever
My Funny Valentine
Only you make me smile with my heart







Thursday, February 5, 2009

25 Random things about Nina


So I have a facebook account and I posted this note today... I thought it would be fun to find out a little more about me....


1.)I literally love my name! If I didn’t think it was narcissistic … I would name my daughter Nina.
2.)I love to travel, but I was born, lived all my life, and will most likely die in Alabama.. If I didn't worry about money I would spend my life as a starving artist and a writer.

3.)I really loved cats until my cat Bruno decided to “mark” my bed… Needless to say I am a dog person now.

4.)Before I met my husband I didn’t want to have kids.

5.)I am actually VERY clumsy. I have fallen up the stairs, tripped on the cracks in the sidewalk, bumped my big ol head on various hard objects, etc… But the most embarrassing thing that I can remember happening to me is when I feel str8 on my butt in the lobby of carter hall—the floors were wet from rain… yeah that was embarrassing.

6.)I can’t swim and I am afraid of fish but I literally love the ocean.. I love the beach, the way the ocean smells, playing by the shore like a kid, etc.

7.)I always complain about my body but I secretly love the way I look. I just want to tease out additional praise and compliments from my husband!

8.)I was Miss Oakwood in 2005.. BUT I wasn’t even going to run because I am soooo SUPER shy. My dean at Cunningham Hall encouraged me to run! In the process I found out that I have an alter ego that loves to be in the spotlight!! NO I haven’t given her a name

9.)I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE chocolate!! I actually have a blog dedicated to chocolate…. “Pink Chocolate”. My ALL TIME favorite cookies are OREOS, and I am obsessed with heath bars, twix, and a store called Chocolate Crocodile. If I was rich I would open a Chocolatier Shop and of course I would call it Cocoa CafĂ©.

10.)I am TERRIFIED of the DARK!! Always have been. I was told that as a baby I couldn’t sleep in the room without my night light. I had a night light all throughout college and even now I sleep with my blinds slightly open (My Husband wouldn’t stand for a night light so I compromised)

11.)When I was younger I used to think that the Muppets on Sesame Street, The Muppet Show, and Fraggle Rock were REAL!! I was literally convinced and could not be swayed. Especially when they would show their legs and arms moving and running, etc !! I just classified them as animals that were really smart and could talk LOL!!!

12.)Everyone always says that I look like my dad but I am convinced I look just like my mom LOL!!!

13.)As a child I had cooking shows with my sister and cousin. To this day I secretly wish I could have my own cooking show!! I am actually starting to collect my favorite recipes and recipes that I created into my own cookbook.

14.)I am a recovering Gossip Tabloid and Blog Reader.

15.)On my wedding day I didn’t shed one tear… I wasn’t nervous either :) I always knew I would marry a very handsome and tall man. And that he wouldn’t be American—weird I know... but true

16.)I am ADDICTED to CAKE… Any and all my friends that know me know this… I love cupcakes, and Cake!!! Any kind will do. But my most intense cravings are often for vanilla cake with vanilla butter cream icing—oh but I am VERY picky about the Icing…. This obsession is so serious that it was mandatory that I had cupcakes at my wedding and the one thing that I seriously regret about that day.. was that I didn’t even get a cupcake….. those things were gone by the time I turned around!!

17.)The moment that I realized that GOD was truly real and no one can take it away from me occurred when I got my sign to marry my soul mate…. I had asked GOD for very SPECIFIC and IMPOSSIBLE sets of events and when they each came through I realized that he really is real… VERY awesome moment in my life :)

18.)I have a raging temper….. When I get mad it can get pretty scary even for me :(
19.)I RARELY make friends… VERY RARELY! But I am very loyal and I keep all my friends for life even when I probably should let them go. I also have literally NEVER fought with any of my friends. NEVER.

20.)I consider myself very perceptive and feel like I know what other people are thinking by their body language and their facial expressions…

21.)I LOVE animals!! My Husband calls me Almyra (that little cartoon girl that loved animals so much that they were all afraid of her and tried to escape whenever she tried to love, them and pet them and hold them and squeeze them, etc)

22.)I have several pet peeves that might sound weird…. I don’t like it when people hug me unless they are my family or close friends, I can’t stand to be tapped on the shoulder, I don’t like it when people attempt to give me a nickname.. Seriously my name is only four letters long.. you are doing the most by attempting to give me a nickname, the term “African Americans” uhmm we are black thanks.. it’s just a way for further division to me, FAKE SMILES.. just don’t smile or laugh for that matter, when ppl don’t listen or try to complete my thoughts, and my all time is when ppl call you fat, say you look broke down, or call your baby ugly.. without actually saying it!!! Example… “you look so sleepy”, “you actually look healthier now”,” awhhh isn’t she just precious and innocent” yea lol!!

23.)The birth of my sister is actually one of my earliest memories. We used to tease my brother by calling him adopted because neither one of us could remember him being born, and there were like no baby pictures of him… LOL!!! Anyway this also brings me to the realization that She is like the funniest person in the world to me. She always has been. Speaking of this its about time for you and me to make up another ridiculously silly songs and sing it really loud in unison!!!

24.) As a child I LOVED LOVED LOVED playing Barbies!!!! My cousins and my sister played them all the time. Like that was the highlight of our weekends. We had the works too… a red mustang convertible, a Barbie house, countless clothes, a pink mustang convertible, etc. We made up CRAZY games like OJ. Simpson and Nicole, etc. My cousins had one white Barbie doll so she was just always Nicole lol!!—It was not too crazy though she actually was unharmed in these games :)--I actually remember the moment that I could no longer imagine that they were talking and not me :( Oh and as an embarrassment to my brother he tried to play Barbies with us—“I can be the Ken” but we would never let him play but he earned the nickname “Willma” because of this LOL!!!

25.)I actually think about heaven all the time… I would love to meet certain people from the bible and ask them details about their lives.. details that were not explained in the Bible. I would love to see what Rachel looked like… she must have been very beautiful to make Jacob cry upon the sight of her.. I also want to spend all day asking God all the things about science and life that I have always wanted to know.. I fight the urge to write a list… :) Also I really want to be able to sing—I can’t hold a note to save my life..