Cooking with Michelle 101

Sometimes, when I barely have any protein around the house, I have to get very creative. Lately, I've been working sooo dang much that I have no motivation to cook a full meal. I like to cut corners as we call it.


Eggs are an essential ingredient in my house. I have to have them or at least egg whites (the ones in the box already separated..haha.) Here's a little recipe I'll share with you that's quick and easy to whip up. I use this "dish" mainly as a panchan with some fried spam , kimchi, and rice on the side. Mmmmm.... Doesn't that just make your mouth drool?? ^_^


You'll need-


4 large eggs
1 tbsp of water (adds a little bit of fluffiness)
a pinch of salt and pepper
a drip of sesame oil (is the primary taste in the egg so, don't get a heavy hand or it'll over power the taste)
a sprinkle of sesame seeds
3-4 squares (not sheets) of seaweed
a pinch of onion powder
a pinch of garlic powder




Mix all these ingredients together ...... and fry in a pan. ( I use olive oil on my pan with a tad of sesame oil and brush it around to keep the egg from sticking.)

Start to add the seaweed onto the egg and roll-kinda like omelette style but smaller.

Once a couple of the seaweeds squares are added start to fold the egg like so....

Then add couple more pieces....

Roll into an omelette style...and square off the sides with your spatula

And this is the end result after you cut it into squares..mmmmm!!

Enjoy!!!!!

Good Luck Charms

Good luck......

Everyone has their own perception of good luck. Mine is pretty much a good day with many hidden yet obvious blessings( reliable car, good pay at work, good health to help me function through out the day, loyal boyfriend…etc.)

Many countries and nationalities have their own representation of luck. Whether it’s for protection or just for fashion purposes, there are many ways to express and “wear” it.

For example, I have this bracelet I love!!!--------

It’s a jade bangle that my Vietnamese friend gave me ( about 8 yrs ago.)

I was so determined to get one after seeing all my nail technicians wearing them all the time. The color of jade attracted me and just the thought of something so “special” that you weren’t suppose to ever take it off had me even more curious.

My friend surprised me one day, bought me a jade bangle and had it sent to my house. Awwww!! How sweet, right? I loved it!!! It was a perfect fit as well! It had so much meaning to me, especially knowing the purpose of why a lot of Asians (mainly Chinese and Vietnamese) wear jade pieces.

Jade is said to have powers that ward off evil spirits, increase life span, guard against misfortunes, give wealth, and heal. Wow, talk about a magical stone!! That’s why I have 3 bracelets and 6 pendants! Hahaha. I need all the strength I can get in this world we live in… :P

The colors in Jade range from a cloudy white (kind of like mine in the picture) lavender, black, red, and dark or light green. Apparently, each color represents a different power. I found a neat little article on the different color meanings-

Red- is used to defuse tense situations and release the energy. Red Jade can be a very intense energy and over stimulate the wearer. This can lead to expressions of anger or agitation. Red Jade can be used, carefully, to bring up those feelings so that one may deal with them I the open.

Orange and Yellow- both convey the gift of inner peace, joy and happiness. They teach the interconnectedness of all life and beings. This color is also used to assist digestive organs in the body.

Blue- is a peaceful stone. It is associated with the Third Eye Chakra. It’s helpful in reaching a deeper level during meditation and relaxation exercises. It is steady energy and is given to people who feel overwhelmed or under tremendous stress in their lives.

Lavender- is said to bring one in touch with their emotions, especially the softer side. It is said to assist in honest communication and self control. It is often given as a gift to someone who has been hurt or disappointed by love.

Black or Grey- are thought to be strong protection from negative energy. It is good for grounding, as it is related to the Root or Base Chakra. These colors are said to support a wise person’s correct use of power.

White or Cream- is used to direct ones energy and assist in concentration by filling filtering out unwanted distractions. White and cream jade has long been used to boost energy and to ascertain what the highest outcome for a given situation will be. In crystal healing, white jade has been used for Attention Deficit Disorder and for other areas where focus and concentration is needed.

And last but no least, the most popular color of them all-

Green- is the most common color of jade. It is thought to be calming to the nervous system. It is thought to represent life, growth and to assist one in finding their true heart desire. It is associated with the heart of chakra and is thought to make it easier for the wearer to express love.

Here are some other "good luck" charms that are well known around the world. They might be some that you or someone you know uses! We all need a little luck every now and then, right? ^_^

I found these really cute wishbones on etsy.com.....

 The whole rabbit's foot always kinda grossed me out. I always felt bad for the poor lil bunnies! :(

Something about the Evil Eye has always caught my attention.....So, I finally bought one for myself! Yay!! Double protection..bwahahaha!

I wear it quite often too!

The Kabbalah is getting pretty popular with some of the celebrities....

I actually have a similar pendant like this that I bought at a TJ Maxx 2 yrs ago :D I loved the tiger's eye color.

And last but not least                         .....................................................................................................................................................

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The Korean Pujok!!

I looked everywhere for some info about the pujok. I finally found a site. Here's the meaning-

This type of talisman comes in 2 types: one acts as a good luck charm, and the other works to protect from evil or bad luck. It commonly had a yellow background with red symbols or characters. People felt that evil spirits disliked the colors of gold and yellow. Red represented blood or fire, and psychologically it meant the color of life and emotion. People attached the pujok to their body or drank its ashes after it was burnt. Sometimes, it was put on a wall or upper part of a door to protect a house or part of a building. A pujok can be customized for a specific ailment or circumstance or generic ones can be used for general purposes. They can be purchased from shamans or some Buddhist monks. 

When I go to Korea, I'm for sure grabbing one a couple of these!!

**p.s.- if you liked the pictures i posted i have the link attached when you click on them. ^_<

Shellac Nails

 
I was at work a couple days ago and I noticed my colleague's nails were nicely polished and groomed. She isn't the one to get her hair and nails done so when she did it stood out like a sore thumb.

At a glance it looked as if she got she average acrylic done. I didn't think anything of it.

"Look, Michelle!! I got my nails done! It's a new service that our spa's providing!" Chelsea was so excited to show me this  "new thing" that she volunteered to shove them in my face.

"Oh, cool. Yeah, they look nice." I replied.

"No!! Look closer......there's something different about them."

"Um, ok. They do look a little more on the natural side."

"That's because they are!! These are my real nails! I just have a shellac coating on them! It's this gel like polish that lasts for 14 days without chipping. " Chelsea was hyping this service up so much I could have sworn she was selling this product for QVC or something.

As I got a closer and better look I realized that her nails were extremely polished with a nice hardened look. I have to admit, Chelsea had me curious.......That same night I googled Shellac nails. It really got my interest!
I used to get acrylic done pretty often until my nails thinned out and I realized that I didn't want to lose the little ones I had left. T_T  This treatment is a lot better and safer. There are no drills used and no filing done on the nails at all. The polish dries with the help of UV rays and has a finishing look of gel nails. I like this idea! The polish can be removed at home with pure acetone without having to rip any of the nails off. *ouch*

In the next couple of days my next mission is to find me a nail salon that does this. Unfortunately, I wish I could just go to the spa Chelsea went to, but they ran out of the polish! *waaah* Their next order won't be for a couple weeks!! That's too long for me to wait! I need to start looking good now!! Hahaha!

What Asian doesn't love anime??

On my time off I like to just relax and enjoy the day. Now that I'm trying to be smart with my money I have to steer away from the mall and and any other thing that screams "SALE!" (I have a weakness for those marketing strategy signs..haha)

Now, I'm the type of person that hates staying home on my days off. I feel like it's a waste of my precious time (unless I'm doing something productive like cleaning......"cleaning" really means -secretly throwing away my boyfriend's junk that he'll never realize he had. LMAO!)

The only time I get chained to my place is when "mother nature" calls and likes to give me killer cramps that keep me in the fetal position all day long! *blah* One those days I like to catch up on my Kdrma and.......*drum roll*.............................ANIME!!! Yes, I am a super duper fan of anime and I will proudly admit it. I don't believe in the American stereotype that only geeks and nerds...aka losers that have no social life are the ones that should be into manga/anime. In Japan it consumes more than 80% of their culture! Why can't that be in the U.S? :(

Here's a  really cool documentary I found on Youtube.

For some reason my blog layout won't show the whole screen so, here's the link

Although I love Korea, I wouldn’t mind living in Japan! It's like Toontown everyday!! Why go to Disneyland when you have Japan. hehe.

A little secret**** I was one of those kids that watched Pokemon. Yes......laugh if you want but I have no shame! I think more American shows geared towards children should take some tips from the anime industry. I mean, what 5 yr old do you know LOVED watch Ren & Stimpy?? Not I!! That was the most disgusting and vulgar show for kids! How the hell did it wind up on Nickelodeon??? For 12 years I watched these poor graphic American cartoons that taught me nothing but -nothing. Until the one magical day.......I was flipping through the channels and I saw Pokemon. The whole vibe and presentation of it really caught my attention. The colors were more vibrant, the voices were cuter and not as raspy like the ones I was used to, the big ol' anime eyes caught my attention, and the story line was so much more entertaining and original!!

Now, even though I did watch the series I wasn't that much of a fanatic where I collected the cards and the whole 9 yards (and plus my dad would just laugh at me for spending his hard earned money on little pieces of paper with holograms on them T_T)

As I was watching the Pokemon series I was flipping through Cartoon Network and I discovered......*another drum roll*..........Sailor Moon!!! ^_^ Yay!! This is, still to this day, my absolute favorite anime series. I was obsessed over Darien and his relationship with Serena. I wish I had the same high school drama as Serena did....haha. My high school life was pretty darn boring....with the help of my evil stepmother that thought it was best to keep my well being cooped up in the house to prevent pregnancy. **can you say psycho??**

Just last year I finished watching another anime series, "Peach Girl." I thought this one was appropriate for teenagers. It has the whole love triangle going on sprinkled with some back-stabbing topped with an evil 2-faced best friend. Sounds like the typical high schooler's life, right?? Lol. This show had me sooo hooked that I actually finished the volume in 3 days!! Talk about nerdy loser,huh? Hahaha.

After that I wanted to get hooked again so I googled some top rated animes and found “Wallflowers.” I watched a couple episodes but it didn't really hold my attention. I came across "Vampire Knights" as well...but reminded me too much of Twilight so I kind of tuned it out of my mind.

After a couple attempts to get sucked back into the anime game I just gave up and went back to my real everyday world. :( It's been a year now that I haven't been hypnotized to my tv by the anime series but if anyone knows of a good one or their personal favorite feel free to leave a comment or email me. ^_^

Now, I do love my anime movies as well......

I watched the cutest ones just recently (well, recently compared to the date these movies were released). I’m sure everyone is familiar with Academy Award winning movie- Spirited Away. I was a little late catching up on this lil gem reason being that I was in high school when this film came out. I had other things on my mind at the time so tv was never a pastime. Between juggling a drama-ful boyfriend to trying to work part time for some spending money I felt like my time was too precious to waste on a “cartoon.” Boy, was I mistaken….. >_<

 

 

I’m so glad that I finally came around to watching this movie! It is by far the best anime flick I’ve seen since…….my Sailor Moon days. Hahaha. This film actually became the highest-grossing film in Japanese history. Take about a highly credited anime film!! I give many kudos to Hayao Miyazaki and his team. Yay! Check out his mini bio here.

 

After watching Spirited Away for the 5^th time I needed to catch up on Hayao’s other films. Howl’s Moving Castle was the next film that I fell in love with! Something about Howl is just so dreamy..hahaha. Maybe it’s the blue eyes…or just the calmness in his tone…or maybe the mysterious vibe he gives off. Whatever it is…I like it!

 

See, why can’t American movies be more like anime? I feel like kids would be in a better world (and grow up not as bratty and bad) if they had some nice friendly anime in their life! ^_^

 

I was hooked and blown away on Miyazaki ’s work. I found a new favorite Asian influence. I’ve watched all his films minus Kiki’s Delivery service and The Castle of Cagliostro. I was surprised on how advanced in it’s time Princess Monoke was. I really like the message behind it and thought it was a really good movie for kids.

 

Ponyo was watched in the theaters but I would have enjoyed it a little more at home. The story line was slower than what I was used to and somewhat “normal” compared to his other films. I liked the concept of it and it reminded me of The little Mermaid but a cute Japanese version. When Anthony got me my Betta fish I even named him Ponyo! Hahaha! *I know- I’m a dork*

 

I was so excited when I saw this keychain online! Isn’t it so freakin’ cute!

 I found this on Dreamkitty.com

It’s almost a must have….almost. I wish they had a Chihiro keychain though…..

 

When I have a daughter I might name her Chihiro. What do you think? The name has  ring to it. My son will be named Darien (after Serena’s love interest on Sailor Moon). I’m such a nerd to the point that I had that predetermined since I was 15!! LOL!! I’m sticking with it too! Darien sounds just so….so……romantic and suave. “Oh, Darien …” Yes, I can just hear and imagine  all the girls squealing over my son now. Bwahaha!

Gotta love Target!

It’s that time of the year- school shopping!! Yes! Now I have an excuse to spend a little bit of cash here and there (I don’t feel as guilty when I make up some reason for myself.)

 

I was driving to Target today with the intention to buy ONLY air freshener. What do you think happens next? Yes, I get “distracted” by the sale signs and wind up stuffing 2 shirts in the my  little red basket. Off I go and around the corner I arrive. Oh no!! It’s the $1 section! How many people do you know can actually walk past this section without taking at least a little sneak peek?? I know I can’t! Hahaha. So, this sneak peek turned into a buying spree. T_T  They had so many cute things I just couldn’t turn down.

 

One thing I always happen to need are those magnet paper pads. They come in handy and look so cute all for the price of $1. Why would I pass up such a deal? Hehe.

I keep wandering around.......and around some more......and then I realize why I love coming to Target.  Hello Kitty galore!! If all else fails when it comes to finding the kitty cat, you can always turn to Tar-jay. Everything  I needed to start school and more was all in 2 isles for me. I even got suckered into buying this cute HK binder. You think I'm too old to be carrying this around campus?? If so, oh well!!! Bwahahaha!! Call me a loser if you will, but my heart belongs to asian cuteness! ^_^

 The binder was $4 something (which is kinda on the expensive side to me for a binder) but too cute to pass up!!

 I threw in this random unrelated HK item, but Anthony got me these cute Pucca highlighters!! I had them almost a year now because they were too cute to use up. Now I'll have a reason to whip them out. :P

 Aren't these the cutest lunch bags?? I would totally embarrass my kids and make them take that to school!! Lol.

 The secret to making cheap birthday cake taste better...... :D

Min Hyo Rin