My Food Book

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Hoppidy Hop

Hurray! The Rabbit is Here! Today is the first day of the new year on the Chinese lunar calendar. Another new beginning. What will the rabbit bring?

Well, it seems that since I'm a rabbit, this is a 犯太歲 year for me. This means I actually need to be extra careful because it will be a rocky year for us rabbits. It has to do with how the stars are lined up and certain stars are in opposite position of me that will do me harm.

*Sigh*... but I guess I'm used to bad lucks already. Heck! See what I have been through, 犯太歲 or not. Bad lucks are no news to me. I'm just waiting for the right stars to be opposite of me or align with me. Come on, show me some good luck!

I do believe that I'm very blessed on my rocky road. It seems that I'm always able to figure out a way to deal with whatever thrown at me and I'm a stronger person because of it. Don't give up. Don't be discouraged. Look on the bright side because the other side is dark.

I welcome the Rabbit. It's only around once every 12 years. I should treasure its visit whatever it may bring. It's not a question of whether I can hop, but if I want to hop and how I hop.

So, everyone, say hello to the Bunny and I wish everyone a safe, healthy and happy Year 4709.

Rise, Cinnamon Rolls, Rise

My bread machine is happy. All this time (10+ years), it only has its basic bread function used. It has not had a chance to show off its other uses. Hey, I can do better than that, I'm sure it would protest if it could.

I used the dough function only couple of times. Who needs to make own dough when you have the Pillsbury Boy?

Few weeks ago, our Office Manager told me excitedly that she made cinnamon rolls from scratch and it came out great. She gave me the recipe and challenged me to try.

Ugh! What do you mean the dough takes 3 hours in the refrigerator to rise then more time in a warm place for it to rise the second time before baking??? Total time about 5-6 hours. HELLO! What's wrong with Pillsbury Boy Big Cinnamon Rolls? It takes just 20 minutes from start to finish. But, inquiring mind wants to know how to make cinnamon rolls. If Sherry can do it so can I. There must be a easier way though.

Thanks to Google search, I found a bread machine friendly recipe. Yap, my bread machine will make the dough and I'll make the rolls.

Here's the recipe: Cinnabon Cinnamon Rolls

The hardest part turned out to be rolling out the dough to a rectangular shape. My first rolled out dough looked like a map of USA, but I got better the second time around. Yes, practice makes perfect.

So now my bread machine and I are pals. Together, not only we can make killer cinnamon rolls, we are thinking of trying out other yeast baked goods. How about butter croissants next??
Sent from my iPhone.

A Beginning or the End?

Somehow, my bad luck/hiccups are still following me. Things just keep happening. Come on! We're in the new year. Don't I get a break?

Nail in tires - twice in one month. There were two nails in one tire the second time and it required purchase of a brand new tire. So money went bye-bye.

Things are falling apart. One of the heating unit broke on the stove. $81. Garage door opener broke. $75. Of course, these all happened after I cancelled the home owner insurance. What's up with that?

Why me? I wonder how many bad things will happen to me in 2011? Or, I'm hoping that I'm exhausting the bads before the Chinese New Year. But wait, the RABBIT year is supposed to be a bad year for me too!

So, the bad luck continues to hang over my head. I think I should go to sleep now. Maybe it will just go away.

Pet or Pest?

A little mice family moved into our garage for the winter. I know, because they left clues. I was hoping that they would just go away after a while but they decided to stay for good. Worse, they decided to venture into the house. I know, because they left clues...

I asked Ooling if he could smell the mice. He looked at me with those puppy eyes and woofed NO. I think he was even spooked by them once because he came running to the family room and jumped on my lap. - *Sigh* - What kind of dog are you, Oolong?

I debated what I should do. I left the side door open hoping they would just go. I banged the walls and ruffled things around in the garage hoping they would pack up and leave realizing that they have been discovered. Nope. It didn't work.

I finally decided to do the ultimate after they opened up my bag of wild rice. Ugh! That was it. I got some mouse glue pads. The instruction says "throw in the trash bin when done." It seemed easy.

I left four sticky pads out Sunday night. When I checked on Monday morning, two were not disturbed but two had a mouse stuck on each. I screamed and asked James to come help me. He peeked and screamed too. We both ran back to the house unsure what to do next. After collecting ourselves, I told James that someone has to throw away the pads and it will be him because I say so. He obliged since I'm the older sister (ya, right).

James used the bloom handle to stick the pads and ran to the trash bin with his eyes closed. He said he could not stand seeing these little guys still moving but unable to get away. Well, guess what? me too!

So we did what the instruction told us to do. We closed the bin feeling guilty. "They're pest." James attempted to assure me and himself. I affirmed, "Ya, they got into my rice." Somehow, both of us didn't like ourselves very much at that moment.

Later, while getting some doggy treats for Oolong at the supermarket, I felt very very bad all of a sudden. Here I was buying goodies for my pet. Yet, I just put two little lives in the trash bin like garbage because they were considered pest. Who is to say those mice could not be pets? They are even being sold in pet shops. Heck, they even come in brown and white colors too!

I know I did the right thing by getting rid of the mice. Yet, I can't help but feeling bad about human's differential treatment of pets and pests. Pet or Pest, It is really how we humans decide on which is which and we determine their fate. The animals are just being themselves as nature intends them to be. :(

RIP, little mice family.