OC Foodie Fest--Without Pictures :(

On Saturday we went to the OC Foodie Fest. The non-VIPs were let in at 11:30, but we arrived at 10:30, mostly because we wanted to get out of the house. It turned out to be a good move, because there was already a line to get in. We parked in adjacent lot for $5 (instead of the $15 at the Honda Center) and got some exercise in the process. Unfortunately, I am without a camera (I've broken two in the past six months...I know, I know) so I was unable to be like all of the other foodies and take pictures of everything we ate.

There were 49 food trucks, but we were only able to sample from six of them. Here is what we had:

1. Nom Nom Truck--D made a beeline for this truck as soon as we were let in, because we knew it would be popular due to its success on the Food Truck Race show on the Food Network. He ordered the lemongrass chicken banh mi. This was definitely k's favorite. We were fighting over the last few bites! A local cable tv show asked if they could tape k eating because they wanted to show the audience that kids are welcome to these types of events too. Too bad we'll probably never see it on air.

2. Crepes Bonaparte--Spicy Apple Bottoms Crepe (cooked cinnamon apples, caramel, and whipped cream). Another Food Truck Race contestant, although we were sad to say good-bye to them this week. It was OK, but we couldn't try their more creative crepes because we were afraid the pesto would have nuts, and we had to avoid the nutella, etc. for the kids. n liked the apples, though.

3. Don Chow Tacos--Taco trio (Kung Pao Chicken, Chinese BBQ Pork and Ultimate LA taco (carne asada sprinkled with cilantro, salsa, bacon and grilled onions)). Saw this one on Triple D. The Chinese BBQ pork was the best...a little sweet. This trio was very filling!

4. The Shrimp Guys--Coconut lime shrimp with rice and luau punch. I thought it was good, but the portion was pretty small. If I ever go back to Oahu, I'm definitely going to go to a shrimp truck on the North Shore, which this truck is based on. I'm glad we got there early because this line was really long later in the day.

5. Fry Smith--Rajas fries (Fire-roasted poblano chiles, carmelized onions and shawarma-marinated steak with jack cheese). The steak on these fries was pretty high quality, but we were too full by this point to fully appreciate them. They also had kim chi fries with pork which I might have tried had we gone sans kids.

6. Coolhaus--Roasted pear with nutmeg ice cream between two snickerdoodle cookies. Granted, this was a tiny truck, but the amount of waiting time between giving your order and picking up the sandwich was pretty ridiculous. I mean, how long does it take to put a scoop of ice cream between two cookies? However, the ice cream tasted very "fresh" and was definitely something I had never tried before. (Wasn't in the mood for the brown sugar bacon flavor!) It also comes in an edible paper wrapper which n took a bite of. I think this woman was looking at him weird since she probably didn't know the wrapper was meant to be eaten.

Anyway, we walked around a bit more and then trekked back to the car. The morning had started out pretty cool (a nice relief from the week before), but by the time we left, around 1:30, it was definitely warming up. It was kinda fun hanging out with 8,500 fellow foodies, plus we saw a few people we know. Goodbye Summer!

Home Building Mission Trip in Baja

I spent the past week in Viecente Guerrero, Mexico with a group from WPC building a home for a needy family. The mother has polio causing her to have to rely on a crutch. Her children's names are Jose, Karen, and Rigoberto.

I spent the majority of my time on the roof, sheeting and putting the tar paper on. I really enjoyed being on the roof, looking out at the other homes toward the ocean. I also mixed cement for the first time of my life. The physical labor was fun since I got to get to know my fellow WPC members better.

The part that I really enjoyed was giving caballitos (piggyback rides) to the neighborhood children. After running arround, I told them that I was tired, so I leaned up against a truck drinking water, thinking that I had gotten away. But little did I know that a girl named Kayla climbed up on the bed of the truck and jumped on my back and in the process knocked my water bottle from my hand. I couldn't get mad at her and marveled at her ingenuity. They also tried to stand on an upside down paint can to stand on so they could reach my shoulders. Kids!

I am glad I got back safely and did not get sick. I also really appreciate having toilets that I can flush toilet paper down, drinkable water, and paved roads. However, I do miss the fish tacos.

Wedding in Pasadena

As mentioned before, a couple of weekends ago we went to my second cousin's wedding. I am sad to say, I didn't take any pictures of the bride and groom! Ack--I can't believe it. Well, you will have to trust me that they were a good looking couple, and should be back from their honeymoon in Costa Rica (so jealous!)

The ceremony was held in a Catholic church. This was my first Catholic wedding, so I wasn't quite sure what to expect. It turns out we didn't make it through the whole thing with our two squirmy kids. D took n out first, and then I had to take k out a little later. The church itself was beautiful, and according to the sign outside, 100 years old!





The reception was held at the Westin in Pasadena.


For the favors, there was a candy bar for guests to help themselves. Our table was close in proximity, so D decided to help himself before dinner! This led to other guests going to the table, which the wedding planner people quickly put a stop to. The DJ made an announcement that the candy was for AFTER dinner. Sorry about that, Mindy! :/


The reception opened with a rousing set of taiko drumming. That was a unique, memorable touch! Dinner was a duet of filet mignon and salmon which I thoroughly enjoyed. k liked her chicken strips and french fries, but she liked the salmon, too.

The bride made a touching slideshow for her dad, and then there was another traditional slideshow.


Red Velvet Cakes

The attention to detail was quite present throughout. This was the basket that was given to everyone who stayed at the hotel.


It was so nice to be able to crash that night in the hotel, since it was WAY past the kids' bedtimes. The next morning we had breakfast with my parents and sister at Lucky Boy Drive-In. We tried the famed breakfast burrito from the "Burrito Nazi". It was VERY filling, and we still made it to church in time for the last half of Sunday School. :)

The Best Egg Salad Sandwich

Last weekend we went to my second cousin's wedding in Pasadena. Her reception was at the Westin, so we stayed overnight and made it a mini getaway.

For lunch we ate at Europane Bakery. We had the famed egg salad sandwich, as seen on "The Best Thing I Ever Ate". I must it agree, it was the best egg salad sandwich I have ever had, but I hardly ever order egg salad. (Random fact: egg salad was one of my few pregnancy cravings). We also ordered the chicken sandwich and a caramel-sea salt macaron. Yum!

A Dramatic "Reading"

A couple of months ago I bought a bunch of Berenstain Bear books at a garage sale. They have since become some of k's favorites. Here is an excerpt from "Trouble With Friends". (Note that for some reason, the video repeats itself, so stop in the middle if you don't want to see it twice!)

1st Day of Preschool

k had her first day of prechool today and it seems like it went well. She didn't cry when I left, although she looked sad. Her teacher was not there today so she had a substitute. When I picked her up the teacher and the assistant said she was fine, and that she played with dolls with another girl. I can't believe she is officially beginning the (hopefully) long journey of formal education.