He said he won’t be like those other dog owners who dress up their dogs. So what is this??? He said he saw the shirt, it was on sale, and so he bought it. Tsk tsk tsk.

And yes, Dexter has cherry eye – at the moment. The vet said it’s common for his breed. It doesn’t hurt him. It just looks odd. We’ve gotten used to it. Sometimes it goes away. Then pops back out. Oh well, what can you do?

Con mucho amor,

A package arrived the other day and Dexter barked his ferocious puppy bark at the UPS lady making her almost trip as she scrambled away from our front porch after hastily dropping a large box by our front door. I picked up the box which had a big Amazon logo on it, confused because I don’t remember purchasing anything lately. Then Mica exclaimed, “Oh it must be Rinoa’s gift from Uncle Jay and Tita Ivy!” Rinoa who was doing her schoolwork, got up from her chair and sprinted towards me. “I know what it is! It’s a tea set!”, she said even before opening the box. “How do you know it’s a tea set?”, I asked. “Because that’s what I told them I wanted for my birthday!”, she replied.

Inside the box, we found a large pink cylinder box. I said “I don’t think it’s a tea set. I think it’s a hat because that looks like a hat box!” (Joking of course, but I wanted to see how Rinoa would react.) Rinoa who was trying take out the cylinder box from the Amazon box said in a disappointed voice, “Why would they give me a hat? I asked for a tea set!” And I said, “Well now, whatever you get, you should be thankful. You know that, right?” “I know,” she said in reply.

Of course, it was a tea set. And Rinoa was ecstatic! The following day, she had tea and crumpets with Mica. (Well, actually it was watermelon juice and cheesecake brownies.) Thanks Uncle Jay, Tita Ivy, and Baby Jessi!

Rinoa's lovely new tea set.

The Tea Cup

Bottoms up!

Con mucho amor,

Ahh Gardening. We’ve been trying for years. It started years ago really. Johwey is an amazing cook and always in need of herbs. We were constantly buying basil, parsley, cilantro, thyme, and rosemary, and constantly using half-ish of the package and letting the rest rot away. Growing our own seemed like a cost effective and great-tasting hobby. We started small, with a few containers of basil, parsley, and rosemary I believe. It stayed alive for at least 2 weeks on our patio before dying a sad sad death. We didn’t have a clue. Over watered? Under watered? Hell if we knew. We kept trying, summer after summer.

Last summer, we had even higher hopes. We had two tomato plants, a watermelon plant, two basil plants, a parsley, and a cilantro. Things started off great. The basil was thriving, as was the parsley and cilantro. The tomatoes were ‘meh’ – as was the watermelon. One day at work, I get a panic call from J … “There are weird bugs on the basil!”, she shouts over the phone. Within 12 hours, our basil plants had been completely consumed by the satanic little Japanese beetles. Those bastards. The tomato plants failed miserably – producing a whole one tiny tomato. The parsley died, and the cilantro turned to wood. We still suck, but we’re getting a little better.

Still determined to grow my own stuff, and recently getting addicted to bell peppers, I spent the winter months researching geekier growing techniques. I was trying to find an affordable entry into hydroponic growing when I discovered a product called the EarthBox. This miraculous product couldn’t be overwatered or underwatered, it had a reservoir that used a sub irrigation system to wick moisture throughout the soil – the plants take as much water as they need, when they need it, which apparently produces very healthy plants and lots of fruits. I researched it, and sure enough, the reviews were raving. Hundreds of people produced amazing gardens with the EarthBox. I even found videos of farms using EarthBoxes, hundreds of them, to organically grow vegetables. One problem – a single EarthBox is $65. Certainly worth it, and a fantastic investment – but being a Fatwalleteer, I had to explore cheaper options.

I found a similar product, called the GrowBox. It was cheaper, but the reviews weren’t as good and had some complaints of mold and mosquitos. I’m not a fan of mold, or mosquitos, so I started looking into DIY options. I started on youtube and found some interesting looking options like the Global Bucket. The problem I had with that was the look, buckets are ugly. Additionally, one bucket = one plant. I figured I could get more plants with the same amount of dirt with another option. Enter the DIY Earthbox (That’s actually not the plans I used, but its darn close and I can no longer find the one I used.)

I built 3 boxes, similar to the ones in the plans. Each box is made from two 18-gallon bins, one water basket (or collander), one short piece of 1.5″ PVC pipe, one straw from a Disney princess challice (stole it from Rinoa). Total cost was about $30 bucks. Time drilling and dremeling, about 3 hours total. Each one holds about 3 cubic feet of potting mix which set me back another $50 bucks.

Troy's Earthbox

Troy's Earthbox

The great thing is, everything is self contained. The fertilizer is inside, and doesn’t pollute or run off. The top is covered with garbage bag material so there’s no weeding, no bugs, and no evaporation of the soil moisture. I fill each one up with water once per day. There’s no over-watering, as each box has a drain in the side. The soil is always moist, so the plants drink as much water as they need.

One box has six pepper plants, which so far have produced 16 absolutely delicious red peppers – and there are at least 20 more waiting to ripen. Another box has two Roma tomato plants, which have produced 8 beautifully vine ripened tomatoes (two of which were taken by the evil squirrels) – There are at least 30 more waiting to grow and ripen. The third box has a purple pepper plant and about 12 sugar snap peas.

The work involved in building was actually pretty easy. It was a little messy, but totally worth it. These things make gardening easy. All of the plants are thriving, and producing more veggies than I thought my black thumb was capable of.

I have been quiet, I know. Summer days have completely taken over me. My family and I have been basking in the glorious sunshine and hanging out with old and new friends. Usually I’m away exploring new territories in the summer but this year, since we’re still training Dexter, I’m simply enjoying being able to go out in my flip-flops, discovering how wonderful our backyard is (thanks to Dexter who needs to go out every 2 hours), and connecting with some amazing neighbors.

Scene from our summer garden.

Scene from our summer garden.

In our garden, Troy is successfully growing some fresh, juicy produce with a homemade self-contained gardening system. Did I ever mention I was married to a geek? I’m sure I did. He still owes me a blog post about it {ahem ahem} so I won’t show what the system looks like. What I can show is some of what he’s been growing. Unlike our prize watermelon, these ones are delightful to the palate.

Bell peppers from our garden.

Cherry tomatoes from our garden.

Sugar snap peas from our garden.

In other news, Mica and Rinoa have been busy with their summer activities. Rinoa is taking a break from dance and is busy with gymnastics in the morning and swimming lessons in the evening while Mica is still ice skating but is also doing some off ice training this summer which includes ballet, dance performance, and jumps. Last week though, Mica skipped her off ice training to spend time with some friends. They spent their days swimming in a quiet, peaceful lake near her friend’s house.

Alas, not all summer days are fun. For one thing, I have sun allergy – too much sun exposure and I get itchy, red rashes. I know I can’t win. In the winter, I’m blue and in the summer, I’m red – haha! And the past few days, Rinoa and I haven’t been feeling well. My nose is clogged, my eyes are watery, and my throat is sore – feels like I swallowed a large frog which got stuck on its way down! But I’m sure all these ill-health will pass soon.

How are you spending your summer days?

Con mucho amor,

We’ve had Dexter for almost two months now. And even though it took me a while before agreeing to having a dog in the house, I must admit that I’m glad we have one now. For one thing, it’s teaching my girls responsibility. For example, Mica wakes up early in the morning to take Dexter out in the yard. She also takes care of feeding Dexter and making sure he has fresh water all the time. Rinoa helps train Dexter with simple commands and makes sure he doesn’t pee in the house since he’s not completely potty-trained yet.

Dexter resting on my lap.

Dexter is just so full of personality that it’s really hard not to love him – even though he chewed and destroyed my living room rug yesterday. {Grrr!} He’s definitely a part of our family. And as you can see, he loves to cuddle! He would rest his head on one of our laps and just fall asleep that way.

A cozy resting place.

Another cozy resting place.

Not quite asleep yet.

For those torn between pleasing your kids with a pet puppy and not liking the idea of added responsibility, I say give it a go. You’d be surprised at how much it completes the family. Of course, you’d have to give up the idea of maintaining a picture perfect house but, if you have kids, then that ship has sailed a long time ago. {wink}

Con mucho amor,

There’s this movie, Fairy Tale: A True Story, loosely based on an event that happened in England during World War I where two cousins discovered fairies in their garden and took pictures to prove they exist. After watching it with my family, I was inspired to create a fairy garden for Mica and Rinoa.

It sits on a large planter that I placed just outside our front porch so that every time Mica and Rinoa walk in and out the front door, they can see it. I originally used some Bratz furniture that Rinoa wasn’t using but the girls complained that the chair I used was too big for a fairy, so we replaced it with smaller furniture. Those tall, bright red-orange and pink flowers would have been the perfect height for the Bratz chair. Oh well. I also used some plants that won’t grow taller than 4 inches to keep up with the miniature theme.

You gotta have cake!

A well to get water when the fairies get thirsty.

Some benches for fairy-size birds to perch on.

Ok, so those furniture didn’t take in rain very well. The legs of the benches and table collapsed so I had to recall them so I can superglue them first. In the meanwhile, I put the original Bratz furniture back (mwahaha) …

This one is plastic so rain is not going to bother it. And I left the cake just in case some fairies visit while I mend the other furniture.

So which one do you prefer, the Bratz chair or the smaller balsa wood furniture collection?

Rinoa: Why are we making a garden for fairies? I know fairies are not real. Am I right, Mommy?

Mommy: Well, we don’t know that for sure. I’ve never seen one but that doesn’t mean they don’t exist. What I want is for you to learn to feed your im-ah-gi-nay-shun.

Rinoa: What does that mean?

Mommy: I want you to imagine there are fairies around. Now, wouldn’t it be wonderful to have a resting place for them when they pass by our house?

Rinoa: {Eyes getting wide with excitement} Oh yeah! Well then it’s good that we have cake for them. {Then in her sassy voice} But Mommy, the cake is not real!

Mommy: Remember, we’re just using our im-ah-gi-nay-shun.

Rinoa: What will they drink when they get thirsty from eating the cake?

Mommy: They can get some water from the well.

Rinoa: But Mommy {in her sassy voice again}, there’s not even a hole in the well.

Mommy: {Sighs}

Rinoa: I know, I know, ‘use my im-ah-gi-nay-shun’. {Smiles}

Mommy: Remember, when you use your imagination, anything is possible. {Hugs}

Con mucho amor,

After months and months of endless pleading from the girls, I finally caved in. World say hello to Dexter, our new 3-month old Boston Terrier.

Mica: Mommy, can we name him Sirius?
Mommy: Sounds too much like ‘Serious’.
Mica: How about Lupen?
Mommy: Ah, no.
Rinoa: How about Harry?
Mommy: No.
Daddy: How about Guinness? He’s the same color as a Guinness.
Mica: Nooo.
Daddy: How about Stout?
Mica: No.

So why Dexter? You know – Dexter Morgan – the Blood Splatter Specialist from Miami.

Thanks to Grandpa for buying him for the girls.

Rinoa: Mommy, I’m so happy that we finally have a puppy!
Mommy: I’m glad.

I got introduced to pho when a Vietnamese restaurant opened a few blocks from my home last October. I found this dish so comforting that lately, it’s been a staple in my diet. My dear friend Lar taught me how to prepare this comfort food at home. And let me tell ya, it’s perfect for a get-together among friends or family.

All you need to do is make the stock ahead of time and prepare the fixins so that your guests can build their own pho. I’ll guide you on what you need so you can give it a try in your own homes.

This is Lar’s pho after she built it up with the fixins and the condiments.

The beef stock, in my opinion, is the heart of this dish. If you’ve never made beef stock before, it is really simple. (Of course if you’re vegetarian, you can substitute vegetable stock for beef stock.)

Basic Beef Stock for Pho
About 5 lb soup bone with marrow
About 8 quarts water

1. Combine soup bone and water in a large stockpot.
2. Bring to a boil. If foam starts to rise, skim it off.
3. Partially cover and simmer for about 2 to 3 hours.

If you want to keep it lean, prepare the day before. Refrigerate overnight and when you’re ready to use, skim any hardened fat from the surface before putting it back on the stove to reheat. (The soup bones I use are so lean, I barely get any fat at all.) You can keep the beef stock in the fridge for 4 to 5 days.

Now, when you go to the meat market and ask for soup bones and get ‘dog bones’ instead, don’t wreak havoc. They’re the same thing. Of course, it won’t hurt to verify with the meat market guy … or gal.

A few minutes before the party, you can prep the fixins. I have fixin suggestions to make either a beef pho or a seafood pho … or a combined beef-seafood pho. It’s a really flexible dish!

Pho Fixins and Condiments
1 lb rice stick (Banh Pho Thuong Hang)
Medium to large onion, sliced

For Beef Pho:
About 1/2 lb beef sirloin or New York strip, thinly sliced
(To cut it nice and thin, leave in the freezer for 20 to 30 minutes.)

For Seafood Pho:
About 1/2 lb shrimp, cooked
About 1/2 lb squid, cooked
About 1/2 lb crabmeat, cooked

A handful of Thai basil
A handful of cilantro
A handful of spring onions, sliced
About 2 cups bean sprouts
Lime wedges

1 to 2 tablespoons sugar
2 to 4 tablespoons soy sauce
2 to 4 tablespoons fish sauce
Bottle of oyster sauce, served on the table
Sriracha hot chili sauce, served on the table

1. Keep the beef stock simmering. Add sugar, soy sauce, and fish sauce to taste. Add the onion slices.
2. Soak the rice stick in warm water for 5 to 8 minutes or until softened.
3. Cook the beef in a colander submerged in the stock just until it changes color. Transfer on a serving plate.
4. Arrange the basil, cilantro, spring onions, bean sprouts, and lime wedges on a large platter.
5. Arrange the condiments, platter of fixins, and various meats on the dining table.

Lar cooking the beef in the stock with a colander and chopsticks.

Assembling the Pho
Time for the party! Soak the rice sticks again, for each serving, in boling water for a few seconds. We like to use 2-quarts serving bowls as soup bowls. Transfer the rice sticks in the bowl and pour 2 or 3 ladles of beef stock over it. Let each person assemble his own pho, according to his liking. Then eat with chopsticks, slurping is encouraged!

Lar, and her husband Dave, introduced me to Moscato. My favorite, so far, is the Gallo. Pho and Moscato with great friends – good times!

Our bottle of Gallo Moscato and Troy grabbing some basil from our fixin platter.

Lar also taught me how to make Vietnamese Spring Rolls. I’ll share that next week :)

This year, I thought I’d make the holiday celebrations more exciting for Mica and Rinoa by having them count down the days before Christmas and filling their December with holiday activities.

I’ve never given much interest to Advent Calendars before but when I was planning our holiday activities after Thanksgiving, I knew I wanted to use one this year. Of course, it was too late to make or buy one that I liked, so I settled for a printout of this one that I found online:

Instead of hiding an activity behind each box, we simply fill each new day on the tree with an ornament to show how close we are to Christmas Day. It works well, especially in helping Rinoa understand — One day, Rinoa and I were at the bookstore when she saw something she wanted to give Mica for Christmas. Naturally, I bought it for her. When we got home, she wouldn’t stop asking me when she can give her gift to Mica. I showed her the Advent Calendar tree and said “When you’ve filled up all the boxes in this tree and you’ve reached the star on top, it means it’s Christmas Day – then you can give your gift to Mica.” Her eyes grew wide and she said “Ooooohhhh!”

Here are some of the activities we’ve done so far:

A Letter to Santa

I had Rinoa write a letter to Santa early in December to make sure it gets to the North Pole in time. To make it more fun, we used this Dora Santa Letter kit from Nick Jr. I wasn’t surprised at all to see that she asked Santa for a puppy, although I’m afraid Santa won’t be able to grant that wish just yet.

Mica skipped this activity – I think she’s getting too old to write Santa a letter.

Twas the Night Before Christmas

I remember memorizing this poem by Clement Moore when I was in Kindergarten. There’s a free copy in Gutenberg. I printed it out and we started reading it one night. With all the hustle and bustle, we haven’t gotten to finishing the book yet, but we will. I recite it all the time though that the girls have memorized the first part already. How cool is that?

Movie Night: Elf

We could have picked something like Polar Express but Elf is a good choice too – lol!

“First we’ll make snow angels for two hours, then we’ll go ice skating, then we’ll eat a whole roll of Tollhouse Cookie dough as fast as we can, and then we’ll snuggle.” – Buddy

Holiday Music and Hot Cocoas with Marshmallows

What would December nights be without holiday music to fill your house and hot cocoa with marshmallow to warm you up? Here are some of our favorite holiday songs this year.

Angels We Have Heard on High by Sixpence None the Richer
Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree by Brenda Lee
I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus by The Cheetah Girls
All I Want for Christmas by Alvin and the Chipmunks
Warm Me Up by Elliott Yamin

Every December (or at least since last year when I discovered it), Amazon offers free Christmas songs to download. Some of the songs I mentioned above were downloaded last year. From this year’s download, here are two of my favorites:

Joy to the World by Casting Crowns
Deck the Halls by Los Straightjackets