Say "Cheese"

These are blueberry and pumpkin cheesecake. I've been making the blueberry cheesecake for the past three years. I usually make them for the holidays. These are cheesecake cupcakes (since it's bake in a cupcake tin). It's perfect for individual servings at parties. It's quick to make and it does not take long to bake. You can make these a day before the party too.

This was my first time making pumpkin cheesecake. I was afraid it was not going to taste good. My brother tried the cheesecake and he loved it. It was yummy. There was hints of cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg. I used the rest of my pumpkin batter for my double layer pumpkin cheesecake.

I always wanted to make a double layer pumpkin cheesecake, but I was not sure how it would turn out. This was my first time making it. It was a success! Who's your cheesecake queen? Moi. It's easy to make the pie crust. It's just graham crackers and melted butter. You want an even layer of graham crackers on the bottom of the pan or you can buy the 9'in pan at the market. It's less work. The bottom layer is the regular cheesecake layer. The top layer is the pumpkin cheesecake. When you pour the pumpkin layer on, be very careful and pour it from the center of the baking pan.

You want to let it cool down before you chill it in the fridge. You can even put it in the freezer if you like. The pumpkin and regular cheesecake is a good balance. It wasn't too sweet. It had the perfect balance between sweet and savory from the pumpkin spices.

Here's a picture of the pan. I'm happy that the layers are almost even. I have some other cheesecake recipes that I will eventually make. Happy Eating.

xoxo,
Kat

Cooking Lessons

My mom is a wonderful cook. She makes her own chicken stock, beef stock, and etc. She makes all of her broth from scratch. She doesn't cut any corners. It tastes better even if it requires more work. My fondest memories are of my mom cooking. I always wanted to be able to cook like her.

I have been spoiled by my mother's cooking. I learned to cook by watching her in the kitchen. She doesn't use any exact measuring when she cooks. She eyeballs her measurement, adding more or less of the ingredients depending on the taste. It has become my philosophy too. My mom only has written recipes for some of her food. Everything else is by memory.

I only have written recipes for dessert. The rest I just memorize by heart. I love cooking. Last time I tried to cook curry, but it did not turn out right. My mom is going to give me cooking lessons about curry. The curry that my mom cooks is similar to Thai curry, but different. My mom's curry is eaten with the french baguette, not rice. The curry is not thick like some other curries from around the world. I like to cook all types of food not just vietnamese. I often make up my own recipes, vinaigrette, and salads. It's fun and relaxing.

The picture below is of Mi Xao. Mi means noodles and xao means fried. Mi Xao is a stir fry noodle. You guessed it! I learned how to cook it from my mom. It is a popular street food, served on the crowded streets of Vietnam. Each street vendor has his or her own special recipe; sometimes the noodles are fried to a crisp or soft and slippery, some vendors use pork, beef or something else, whilst others are scorching spicy hot vs. mildly spicy. But you don’t have to go all the way to Vietname to get your fill of this addictive dish. Do it yourself. It is pretty simple. You just need to prep everything before hand.

This is Mi Xao done in two different noodles. The first is a clear noodle and the second picture is egg noodles. Mi Xao is almost like the Chinese's chao mian, expect it is less greasy and oily. I usually add a little soy sauce before I eat it.

xoxo,
Kat

Weighty Issue

Weight: n., a measurement of an object's heaviness

Never ask a women how much she weighs. Weight is a very sensitive issue for a lot of women. We are all programmed to be beautiful is to be "supermodel thin." What people don't realize is the concept of beauty has drastically change throughout history. Centuries ago, beauty was associated with having a voluptuous body. Beauty is the fragilely thin girl nowadays. They may snap and break at any moment. They don't realize that they are harming themselves by trying to achieve what society deems as "the perfect body." Everyone has a different body. Our bodies changes throughout our lives.

The media has influence many young girls and women to hate their bodies. It really is a shame. The media has shaped many of our ideals and insecurities. People don't realize that the images in magazines, commercials, etc. are computer generated. These women are not real. They are airbrushed, photoshopped, etc. Some of the women in the pictures do not exist. They are composite of many women's body parts. It's sad that children grow up having psychological and emotional issue since they are not thin or pretty enough. I remembered my niece was around three when she said, "I think I am fat." She ended up not eating and losing weight. This memory will always be ingrained into my head. I can't believe a child so young was influenced into starving herself because she thought she was fat at the age of three. This shows how powerful media messages can be transmitted.

These insecurities perpetuate many solutions (good and bad). The media makes people think that there is a solution for every problem. All you have to do is fix it. Anything can be fixed. You go on the south beach diet. It doesn't work, try weight watchers. People are foolishly wasting their money. You don't like your body, go have surgery. You still aren't satisfied, go have more surgery. You probably don't realize that sticking your fingers down your throat, the vomit acid decays and rots your teeth each time your purge. Really? We live in a mess up world. What kind of message are we sending to our kids?

Our bodies really do change many times throughout our lives. So what if you are not as thin as one of the Victoria Secret models. It doesn't make you any less beautiful than them. Having curves is more sexy than looking like a stick. These past three years my body has been through the ringer. I lost so much weight when I had a lupus flare and pneumonia. I was only 100 pounds. I hit rock bottom. I was very fragile (physically and emotionally). I felt like I was going to break at any moment. I looked like an anorexic and felt like one. Skin and bones is not a flattering look. It was very unsexy. I gained most of the weight back and more from the steroids to prevent the flares. My weight fluctuated.

I couldn't seem to lose the weight from the steroids this time. It's a lot harder trying to lose the weight this time around. I have always eat healthy. I mostly eat lean meats. I also started to exercise more at the gym too. I did not give up on foods like pizza, donuts, sweets, chocolates, etc. I just eat in moderation. Ever notice how French women stay skinny? They stop eating when they are full. It's about portion control. Most people continue to stuff their faces even when they are not hungry. I don't. What I have been doing has paid off. I went to my Rheumy three weeks ago and found out I lost another three pounds. I have lost a total of eight pounds so far. I am very ecstatic. I still have a long way to go before I reach my goal. I just don't want to be anorexic thin. Been there and it was not fun. I like having curves. I could lose some inches off my butt though. It's not about loosing weight for me. It's about having a healthier lifestyle. Loosing weight is the icing. I hope young girls realize that being thin is not as beautiful as being healthy.

xoxo,
Kat