Thanksgiving will be at my sister’s place this year (can’t really say it’s at my dad’s, since he’ll be celebrating in San Diego), and I’ve got a pretty ambitious array of foods I’m planning to bring. Usually I’d just bring cupcakes or a lasagna, but this year I want to do more. So I plan on making several items:

1. Lasagna - this is my staple of big parties. It takes some time to make, and I think it tastes better if I set up the lasagna the night before (cook the beef and lasagna noodles, arrange the lasagna) and then bake it the day of the party. It gives the flavors some time to mingle before baking.
2. Bacon and Tomato Cups - Never made ‘em before, but they sound really tasty. Bacon, tomato, mozzarella cheese, and basil in a cup shaped biscuit. Really, can you go wrong with bacon?
3. Smoked Salmon Dip (and crackers) - This was requested by Fatima, who had a taste of a batch when she was over at my place. When I was in Alaska, I had a sample of smoked salmon that was mixed with cream cheese. I loved it and bought some cans, but once I got home it just didn’t taste the same, so I used my super chef intuition and added some dill, mayonnaise, lemon juice, salt, pepper and cajun seasonings to the salmon and cream cheese and it came out delicious!
4. Mini-Cheesecakes with berry toppings - I made a trial batch of these and took them to my aunt’s place for one of our get togethers. They were a total hit and there was a request to make A LOT and to keep a hidden stash in case they go quickly. Instead of making these in regular cupcake pans, I used mini-cupcakes so there would be more. I have to admit - these little two-bite sensations are AWESOME.

It almost feels like Top Chef, when the chefs have to cater an event and they have the day before to prepare and the day after to do the actual cooking. So I’ll be using my lunch break today to do the cheesecakes, then after work to cook the lasagna (it will bake tomorrow) and get the ingredients together for the bacon cups. I’m excited to see how these turn out. In the past I haven’t been the best cook, but I’ve learned not to stress out about food as much and to trust my cooking instincts.

I’ll definitely post up pictures of my cooking process…

Happy pre-Thanksgiving everyone!

Tags: Daily by Yano
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Today is the 5th anniversary of my mother’s passing. It’s weird how I keep track of these milestones, but I can’t help it. I still remember that day so vividly - the people who were there, the look in my mother’s eyes, the crying, holding her hand…I often comment on how I have a horrible memory, but when I remember something, I remember it pretty well.

I am still reminded of her on a daily basis - sometimes small things, like the “ding” of the letters on Wheel of Fortune…sometimes big things, like Ben going through my wedding album, pointing to my mom, and saying “Lola” (grandmother). I know she’s watching over all of us - her biological children and all the other children she had treated as her own. She’s left us in good hands - her best friends always watch out for us and help us along our path. I know that they, too, still feel the pain of her passing and miss her terribly.

So I decided to change my blog, just for today, for my mom, since she loved roses.

I miss you, Mommy.

Tags: Whine and Cheese by Yano
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The other day, Ben and I went to the wake for our grandmother (not a blood relative grandmother, but I’d grown up with her so she’s just like a real grandmother). It was Ben’s first time at a wake, and I know that a lot of people don’t expose their kids to dead people, but I grew up going to wakes and funerals, so I don’t think that Ben needs to be shielded from it. Truthfully, some of my favorite childhood memories were in funeral homes.

Seeing my grandmother’s body didn’t really affect him - he didn’t ask why she was sleeping or why she wasn’t moving. He just made his spider fingers toward her and waved goodbye as we passed. After that he played with his cousins in the child playroom, building blocks, moving around cars, screaming and yelling like little kids usually do. At one point, they had set up chairs in a line and were sitting in them, and we figured it would be the perfect time to take some pictures. The thought was easier than the execution - it’s hard to get five little kids to sit still and smile, all at the same time. Eventually I got this picture, which doesn’t have a lot of smiles, but at least they’re all sitting down!

Near the end of the night, we went back to the main viewing room. Ben was chasing around his little cousin Leo, who was enjoying being chased. I had gone into the lounge to gather our jackets so I left Ben with my aunt. I guess while I was gone, Leo running around and went into the wake across the hall. He ran into the room, with Ben soon behind him (of course, people who were watching them caught them a little too late) As Ben ran into the room, he raised his hand up into the air and screamed “Roooooooooooooooooowr!!!!”, trying to scare Leo, but which I’m sure scared all the people there for the wake. Fortunately, they were pretty good natured about it and didn’t get angry. After that we made sure to keep the kids in our area.

With the seriousness of a funeral home aside (as well as the fact that people may consider it disrespectful to the dead), I kind of find it funny to think of Ben, running into that room, stopping in the doorway and making his best dinosaur sound. ROWR!!!

Tags: Stories by Yano
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I guess the rest of the world doesn’t share the same love of Pushing Daisies as I do. Maybe the world cares more for reality game shows or dark dramadies. But to me, Daisies is a breath of fresh air. It’s a whimsical fantasy that makes your heart flutter one moment and break the next, with the occasional song break in between. The colors are so vivid, and the sets out of an incredible imagination - it’s like Tim Burton lite. The tale is about a man who has the power to bring people back to life by touch - but with consequences. If he touched them again, they would die. But if he didn’t touch them again, within a minute someone else would die. One day, he finds out his childhood sweetheart had been murdered - he revives her and realized that he still loves her, but that he could never touch her again. For something so heavy, it’s actually very touching (excuse the pun). So they live their lives, along with the crazy supporting cast, solving crimes and making pies. It sounds silly, but it’s awesome.

So give it a chance tonight, I’ve heard it’s one of their best episodes yet.

Tags: Cool Link by Yano
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Seen at the Flower Stand, originally uploaded by Yano.

Posted this picture on my Flickr account…it’s gotten on their “Explore” pages for the week, which is a pretty cool honor. We were at the Farmer’s Market in Santa Monica and I stopped by to take some pictures at the flower stand. Not sure if these things are flowers - more like sticks, but that’s what makes them so interesting.

FYI - I did a lot of post processing on this - punched up the blues in the original (which more yellow-reddish) to give it this magenta feel. However, other than the color changes, the soft colors on the back were in the original.

Tags: Uncategorized by Yano
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This is several months late, but there’s a point to all this…

In July, we went to Detroit (well, a little bit outside of it) to visit Claudine and Dan for 4th of July weekend. Their neighbor across the street always puts on a good fireworks show. It was a pretty awesome show, except for the time that the cops came by and told them to stop. No big accidents, just a little law breaking. We had a great time, and some DELICIOUS bratwurst that Dan picked up while driving around in Ohio.

What was pretty cool is that Dan got his party sponsored by Greased Lightning. He got a party kit, complete with plates, napkins, t-shirts, foam lightning bolts, temporary tattoos - all the fixings for a fun party. All he had to do was submit a video to enter their contest. So click on this link to see (and vote for) the video that was made - that’s Johnny and Frank singing Greased Lightning, and my sister Fatima who’s spelling out the words with sparklers (I took the pictures). Make sure you vote for Dan’s video to win!!!

Here’s all the letters strung together:

Here’s more pictures from the weekend:

Tags: Travel, Pictures, Cool Link by Yano
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I love surfing around deviantART, there are some really incredible artists on there. I was thinking I’d share some of my favorite art with you guys, so I’ll start off with this one:

It was originally done by nami86. I love Calvin and Hobbes, and I like that this picture is one of Calvin, all grown up, in love with Susie, but Hobbes is still with him.

Tags: Cool Link by Yano
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One of the things I loved doing as a kid, walking home from school, was listening to the rustling of leaves as my feet shuffled through. I think it’s something that’s built into our brains - see leaves, run through, throw them in the air. Yesterday Dave and his dad got to work on raking the leaves in the backyard. Dave’s dad brought over Justin’s dog Brody, who eventually had to be tied to the hammock because he was getting too crazy. Ben was getting a little crazy as well, running from pile to pile and later picking up bunches of leaves and throwing them into the air. He was in heaven.

Simple things like that make for wonderful memories.

Tags: Pictures by Yano
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The Gentle Smile, originally uploaded by Yano.

In most pictures, Ben has a crazy ass smile, full of teeth, and his eyes get all squinty. However, he knows the difference between a regular and smile and what we call the “gentle smile”, which you can see here.

Tags: Uncategorized by Yano
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Just testing out some stuff, so things may look a little off for a couple days or so!

Tags: Page Update by Yano
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