It’s almost impossible to eat anywhere in LA without a reservation (something I def won’t miss about living here, but I will miss all the good food), so I made a res at Wildcrust Pizzeria, partly so I could try it before I blow this popsicle stand, but mostly bc the chef/owner is fine as fuck 😜

(via @csapunch)

When I say I want a little blue box, this is what I mean, babe 💁🏻‍♀️

Pammie had to come up for a work event in OC yesterday, so she came over afterwards to help me pack. I had only packed two boxes in the past two weeks, and she filled 10 bags full of trash from my linen closet and kitchen alone 😅

I took her out to lunch @ her favorite KBBQ spot from when she lived in OC – Shik Do Rak. We wanted something sweet afterwards, so she looked for a boba place nearby that had gluten/dairy-free options. She found Airoma Cafe, and was like, ‘How about this place? ‘Eye-roma Cafe.’ I was like, ‘OK… but I think it’s pronounced ‘air-oma’ like ‘aroma’. This was like the time we were at a Ess-a-bagel in NYC, and she was like, ‘Order me the egg stacy sandwich.’ I was like, ‘Egg stacy? Oh, eggstacy. Like ecstasy.’ I love a good pun or double entendre, so I usually pick up what they’re putting down, but Pammie always misses the mark 😆 This other time, she went to a Lord Huron show with me and was trying to tag the band in her IG story and was like, ‘How come they’re not coming up?’ I look at her phone and was like, ‘Well, their name’s ‘Lord Huron’ not ‘Lady Huron’ 🤣 I don’t usually like to correct people (even when I know I’m right) bc I don’t wanna make them feel dumb, but she’s probably the smartest person I know, and it’s just so funny when she gets something wrong 😆

(via @1924us)

Welp.

Eating my feelings (@ Shake Shack El Segundo)

Their new French Onion Soup collabo ‘slaps’, as the kids say.

What I typically snack on when I’m driving to SD from LA: Hot Fries and bottled iced coffee from the gas station

What Pammie packs me when I go back to LA: Bottled water and homemade trail mix that she weighs out based on single serving size (freeze-dried pineapples, freeze-dried mangos, roasted unsalted almonds and dark chocolate covered acai berries)

One time, we were going back to her house from my parents’ house, and we stopped at the gas station. I was like, ‘Do we need snacks?’ and she was like, ‘We are 10 minutes away from my house. This ain’t a road trip!’ 😅

It took me nearly 3 hours to drive down to SD on a Saturday afternoon. This entitled asshole in a white Audi kept weaving in and out of traffic. His back bumper was missing, probably bc he drives like a fucking idiot. Then, when I was in the fast lane, this group of moms in a minivan who looked like they were on their way to Disneyland (out of state plates and all wearing visors) tried to cross the double-solid lines from the HOV lane into my lane, and I had to swerve into the next lane to avoid crashing into them. Luckily, no one was in the lane next to me, but the driver gave me a dirty look like it was my fault she didn’t know how to fucking drive!

Driving in LA has def made me a better, more aggressive driver, but I can’t wait to not do this commute anymore…

Creatine in my iced coffee and corned beef hash for breakfast ☀️

Toured this apartment in downtown SD last night and it surpassed all my expectations:

• A ton of tenants already had Halloween decorations out – I’ve found my people 🖤
• Secure garage with gate
• Secure elevator that you need a code to use like at a hotel
• 24-hour fitness center
• Rooftop terrace
• Pool
• Dog-friendly
• Didn’t see any children 😆
• Limited homeless population – I was worried there would be a ton of homeless people in the area being downtown, but the property seemed relatively safe and secure
• Across the street from Quartyard (where I’ve seen concerts), but the apartment I’m looking at is on the other side of the building, so I won’t have to deal with the noise
• The apartment I’m looking at faces this construction site – I found out through some light googling that they’re building East Village Green – a community park
• ASA Bakery (Japanese pastries!) is in the same building
• The property is only 5 blocks from Petco Park (although the Padres’ postseason hopes are dwindling). I did see a bunch of people in Savannah Bananas gear, as they were in town this weekend for Banana Ball at Petco 🍌⚾
• The property is also walking distance to Callie, this great resto that Jessie frequents and her husband is in a fantasy football league with the staff 😆 We always get VIP treatment there, and Jess was able to get us a table without reservations even though they were booked for the night.

Mediterranean Feast + much needed drinks with the girls. We try to get together at least once a month, but it’s been a few months despite our daily group chats. Lots of updates all around that were better to discuss in person, not a group chat where screenshots and receipts could be collected 😅 Can’t wait to be back in SD for more nights like this…

I’ve only lived in 3 apartments on my own in this life, and I have a habit of signing the lease for the first apartment I look at. My sister and her husband think I should look around at other neighborhoods before settling on this property, but I’m already in love.

The bestie moved out of El Cajon (and SD) while I was in LA, so there’s no other reason for me to look in East County. My parents are still in Spring Valley and my sister (plus my ex and old friends) live in Chula Vista, so I don’t really wanna be too close LOL. I always said I’d live in North Park if I ever moved back to SD. I liked that it was central, walkable, and dogs are welcome almost anywhere. But I used to see this fuckboi in North Park who lived on Arizona street, and also ended a few situationships there, so I have less than fond memories of that area. My dad actually used to live in North Park before he met my mom, but that was when it was really ghetto he says 😅 Now it’s gentrified, full of coffee shops, breweries and hipsters.

Living downtown never appealed to me before, but I like having nice things now 😆

I drive by this Herbalife building off the 405 all the time, and I never knew this food hall was in the same lot (@ The Enclave)

Nori and I had chili dogs from Irv’s Burgers, then I got a drink from Boba Break Tea House. I’ll def be back to try the rest of the fare, perhaps on ‘Weiner Wednesdays’ at Trademark Brewing 😜

I don’t need Yahoo Answers to tell me I’m not pregnant – I just crave pickles and ice cream like I’m eating for two 😆

(via @javadoodles)

Legit almost squeezed some tamarindo in my eye this morning.

In my defense, I had just woken up and wasn’t wearing my glasses. Also, the tamarindo bottle and eye drops bottle are v similar in color. Whenever I’m working, IDK how many times I’ve opened Spotify when I meant to open Excel (both green icons) or opened iMovie instead of Teams (both purple icons).

Is there a term for people who confuse similar colors? I’m not color blind. At least I don’t think I am 😅 I’ll just keep my Mexican candy in bed with me to avoid confusion 😆

(via @itsgivingmario)

Who needs Dodger Stadium when you can doordash Buffalo Wild Wings, make homemade garlic fries, get beer at the corner liquor store, and watch the game on your home theater projector???

It’s common knowledge that food tastes better when served in a coffin-shaped tray ⚰️🖤

Yes, the beer is Fistful of Gummies (by Second Chance Beer Company in SD), and yes, your girl loves a fruity sour. Someone once asked me for gum, and I only had the candy-flavored variety—Sour Patch Kids Gum and Starburst Gum. He was like, ‘Are you an adult???’ LOL get off me…

Update: The Padres lost 😩

When it’s hot as balls outside (80° is hot to this socal girlie), you run the A/C and make some cold Greek Israeli Couscous Salad. Jessie used to make this for me all the time after I had my stroke 🥹

Greek Israeli Couscous Salad
Adapted from bowl of delicious

Ingredients:

• 16 oz. Israeli (Pearl) Couscous
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 package (12 oz.) feta cheese, crumbled
• 1 can (3.8 oz.) sliced black olives
• 1 package (10 oz.) red grape tomatoes, sliced in halves
• 1 can (15.5 oz.) garbanzo beans
• 1 can (14 oz.) quartered artichoke hearts
• 1 large cucumber, sliced and quartered
• 1 cup diced red onion
• 1 cup Primal Kitchen Dressing & Marinade, Greek
• 4 tablespoons toasted pine nuts

Instructions:

1. In a medium pot, mix 16 oz. Israeli (Pearl) Couscous and 2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil. Toast over medium heat, stirring frequently, until some of the pieces of couscous get brown in color. Add 3 cups water and 1 teaspoon kosher salt. Bring to a boil, cover, turn heat down to low, and simmer for 10 minutes, or until all the water has been absorbed (stir every so often to prevent sticking).
2. When the couscous is done, put it in a colander and run cold water over it until pearls are cool. Put it in the fridge as you prep the other ingredients.
3. Add all remaining ingredients to a large bowl and add the couscous. Gently mix it so everything is coated in the Greek dressing, and keep it chilled in the fridge until ready to eat.

When I say I’m busy, this is what I mean 🧩🥃✌🏼

Update: This is how far I got before I started questioning my puzzle-solving abilities… Hopefully, I’ll be done by the time I’m on social security 👵🏻

We had a department puzzle competition at work once, and I thought we were doing so well. My intimate relationship with candy surprisingly did not give my team a leg up on the competition even though the puzzle was candy bar-themed, and we placed 9th out of 10th place 😅 Each person on the winning team won $500 each, while I just got a sore lower back from bending over for 2 hours and a consolation bag of cat farts.

My sister doesn’t usually drink (she has plenty of other vices LOL). She’s one of those Asians who turns bright red after a sip of Martini and Rossi. She does enjoy an espresso martini every once in a while (even though she normally doesn’t like coffee or vodka, but apparently mixed together is her sweet spot).

All that to say, she went to a party last weekend where she brought a bottle of Blanton’s Bourbon Whiskey, because it was the birthday girl’s favorite. Pammie tried it and said it was so smooth. I love a good cocktail, and I always tell Pammie, ‘You can’t even taste the alcohol’ and she can always taste it. Problem is, I like the taste of alcohol 😆

One NYE in my 20s, I drank so much Jack Daniel’s, I was throwing up well into the next year. I’ve been turned off by straight up whiskey since (though I don’t mind it in sangria), but I’m willing to partake in some Blanton’s if my sister likes it.

Let’s have a toast for the douchebags
Let’s have a toast for the assholes
Let’s have a toast for the scumbags
Every one of them that I know
Let’s have a toast for the jerk-offs
That’ll never take work off
Baby, I got a plan
Run away fast as you can

Look at this fucking keto turmeric fried egg with baked kale gratin 👀

When I first had my stroke, I stayed at my sister’s house. I ended up staying there for a year and a half as I relearned how to speak, how to walk without falling down, how to take a shower by myself, how to cut my own nails, how to drive… I would sleep most of the day and was scared to eat like I used to before the stroke (grab snacks at the fucking gas station, doordash takeout for breakfast, lunch, and dinner), so I would meal prep healthy shit and Jessie and Christine were saviors, making and sending me healthy meals (I discovered a love for Israeli couscous and a hatred for overnight oats). Pammie and her husband still ate junk food, but they would always wait till I went to bed and would never eat it in front of me so I wouldn’t feel bad.

Now the roles are reversed, and Pammie has been on a gluten-free, dairy-free and soy-free diet for months now bc of her thyroid. She’s been doing so well and has dropped hella weight. She also exercises daily. She’s starting a keto diet this week, so I said I would join her. Been feeling blah lately, so maybe this is just what I need. I read that a routine can help you feel in control of your life, so instead of fixating on things I can’t control, I can focus on this. Now I’m not going completely keto, I still have plans to have dinner and dessert in Venice later this week… A girl has to make some concessions, after all.

Let’s get some fuckin’ french toast. And beer braised short rib hash. And lobster claws. And crab legs. (@ Tom Ham’s Lighthouse)

Pammie is starting a keto diet tomorrow, so I said I would join her. I like to carboload before starting any new fad diet that restricts my carb intake 😅

I’ve lived in SoCal all my life, and I often forget how beautiful it is here…

We ran into this girl outside as we were leaving who was talking about how she lives in Denver, and they have softball-sized hail. She got a weather alert before she went to work, so she just uber’d there to avoid dealing with the the hail storm while her coworkers’ cars were pelted beyond repair.

Another time, I remember my ex was working on a car, and there was an ice scraper tool in the backseat and I had no idea what it was. Apparently, it snows in East County ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

My friends (who used to live in SD) were visiting from the east coast last month, and I had my A/C on. It was only 75° outside, and they were freezing. They were saying it’s been hot as fuck in North Carolina, above 90° with 70%+ humidity. I was like, ‘What’s the humidity here?’ She looks at her weather app, and is like, ‘Fucking ZERO.’ 😅

(via @lissylemonade)

Pammie and her husband are at a birthday party for my ex’s ex-girlfriend (she married my sister’s husband’s childhood friend). My sister asked me if it bothered me that she was friends with my ex’s ex, and she said she wouldn’t hang out with her if it does, but it really doesn’t bother me at all. She’s a nice girl who just happened to date my high school boyfriend before he dated me and that was over 20 years ago. My ex actually married my cousin’s friend from high school, and my sister is in a fantasy football league with his wife and old mutual friends of my ex of which I’m also unbothered.

I still made some comfort jambalaya and ate it alone on my sister’s rooftop ruminating over all my life choices 😅

Morning view (@ Hilton San Diego Bayfront)

This is my go-to resto for breakfast if I’m in DTSD at the ass crack of dawn (@ Morning Glory)

Eating my feelings 🍽️

Nori and I went to Go Go Curry inside Tokyo Central for lunch, then hit up the Japanese market afterwards to stock up on snacks (Hi-Chews, shrimp chips, and they had the sandwiches I’d eat multiple times daily from the 7-11 when I was in Japan, so I got one to try tomorrow).

Mary asked me if I wanted Bread Head for dinner, so we hit up downtown Manhattan Beach for sandwiches and ice cream at Salt & Straw. I almost killed her by offering her a bite of my Chicken Salad sando (she’s allergic to apples), but not before running into Matthew Stafford (the LA Rams’ QB) and his family. There are always athlete sightings in MB, but I never recognize athletes (although if it was Jimmy Garoppolo, I would’ve recognized his fine ass). Instead, when we were walking to the resto from the car, I was like, ‘Who is this tall ass white dude blocking the sidewalk?’ 🤣

When I first moved to LA, my friends from SD visited and we ate in downtown MB. Marshall Faulk (an ex-NFL player) and his bevy of blondes were seated at a communal table with us. I had no idea who he was, of course, but an old friend who was there with us had been a fan of his since he played for San Diego State. Marshall Faulk was such an asshole to him when he tried to talk to him, though! Hey man, only me and my friends are allowed to be assholes to our friend! Ha.

I was at Costco once holding a bag of torta bread, and this huge white guy was like, ‘Where did you find that?’ He was definitely an athlete, but I didn’t recognize him. I told him where I got the bread and he had toilet paper in his cart, so I was like, ‘Do you know where the toilet paper is?’ 😳 (Yes, I replay this embarrassing moment in my mind often).

(via @manonmathews)

You don’t know wealth until you’ve milked a pecan.

Erewhon just opened a location up the street from me in Manhattan Beach. You guys, there’s a Trader Joe’s across the street from my apartment (plus two more within a 3-mile radius) and two Whole Foods within the same distance (the beach cities love their organic food). All that to say, I have options. So I won’t be hitting up Erewhon anytime soon for Hailey Bieber’s $20 Strawberry Glaze Skin Smoothie or new salt (enough of that old shit) 🤣

Avocado toast on homemade sourdough bread. Am I LA yet???

When LA’s oldest resto is closing its doors for good after 117 years, you go for one last french dip (@ Cole’s French Dip)

As a rule, I don’t eat baby animals (lamb, veal or suckling anything)—just adult animals who have lived a full life LOL. I also don’t eat pork anymore after playing with the mini pigs at mipig cafe in Japan. According to Google, cornish game hens are slaughtered at 4-5 weeks of age, so they’re off limits for me. My mom loves cornish game hens, though, so I air-fried her some following this easy recipe.

Actual footage of me rubbing their raw tiny bodies with spices:

Beer, buddies, and beer buddies (@ Pizza Port)

Bread Head and beach day 🏖️

(via @louislevanti)

This dip did not ‘slap my ass’ LOL.

I was so excited when Nori sent me this video, that we went to Trader Joe’s during lunch so I could pick up this dip (along with a bunch of other shit).

I found the dip a little bland. I’ve also had Trader Joe’s Buffalo Chicken Dip before and was underwhelmed. Everyone and their mama who went feral over this dip has obviously never had the garlic dip at Chicken Dijon. It’s Last Meal worthy. I’m not a food snob (Nori and I have the 3-for-me special at Chili’s once a week!), but I know good food, and this Trader Joe’s dip ain’t it.

The bestie took me to Cracker Barrel once, and her husband loves the french toast there and had me try some of his. It tasted like the basic ass french toast I could make at home!

The best french toast I ever had was at this french resto in LA, République. They add an automatic 4% service charge to your bill to cover their employees’ health benefits, which I’m usually so against (I think I’m paying enough for this overpriced albeit delicious kouign-amann), but the food is so good.

Anyway, save your money on this Trader Joe’s dip 😆 Or better yet, come visit me and I’ll take you to Chicken Dijon for their much superior garlic dip.

When you bring your own crab scissors and vinegar to dip the crab in. Yes, that’s Datu Puti, yes, I’m Filipino as fuck, yes, I remade that logo in Illustrator and cricutted that sticker, and yes, I know I’m extra ✨ Next question 😜

We took my dad to his favorite seafood buffet for Father’s Day. Since my sister’s been on a gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free diet, there’s not much she can eat at the buffet, but she can eat her weight in crab legs (without the butter dip, of course). The legs were hard for me to open last time (that’s what he said LOL they aren’t pre-cut like the ones I used to eat on Sycuan Sundays pre-covid 😅 and the stroke caused weakness in my hands—it doesn’t really affect my day-to-day unless I’m opening a jar, cracking crab legs, or taking a cardio pop dance class where I have to use my hands and arms LOL).

If you thought I was gonna doordash Randy’s Donuts on National Donut Day, you weren’t wrong 🍩

Squash blossom pizza (@ Gjelina)

Def not a gluten-free saint over here (@ Sinners & Saints Desserts)

Office hours (@ Wolf At The Door)

(via @mayaandhunter)

I tend to gravitate toward red or pink sweets.

There’s a Trader Joe’s kitty corner from my apartment, and I was craving something sweet after dinner, so I put my bra on and went over there 15 minutes before closing specifically for Japanese Taiyaki. I didn’t see it in the dessert freezer section I got it from last time, so I picked up some random sweets and went back to the freezer section to check if they restocked it in the minute I was gone LOL. There was this bearded white guy there telling his girl about the taiyaki – ‘I heard they have these Japanese waffles filled with custard that are supposed to be good.’ I was like, ‘OMG, they’re soooo good. I came here for them, but it looks like they’re out of stock.’ He was like, ‘I’ll have to try them then! I asked someone, and they said it’ll be back in stock June 1st.’ Meanwhile, his girl is looking at me like, ‘Dafuq are you???’ 😅 She was not amused by me talking to her man about creamy Japanese fish 😆

Also, I fear this would work on me:

(via @naughtyynate)

One of my favorite things to eat when it’s hot as balls outside is this chicken salad. It’s cold and refreshing and naturally gluten and dairy-free, so Pammie can eat it, too. I used to eat it when I’d do Whole30, so I always made it with Primal Kitchen Mayo (it’s free of gluten, grains, soy, canola oil, processed seed oils, refined sugar, and dairy). It’s good by itself, but I like to eat it on a big ass Costco croissant. Or crackers. Pretty much any vehicle to get it in my mouth 😜

Make it and thank me later (and invite me over for lunch).

Chicken Salad with Grapes and Walnuts
Adapted from Bowl of Delicious

Ingredients:

• Rotisserie Chicken Breast Meat – Costco sells their rotisserie chicken meat fully cooked and hand-pulled. You could def boil and shred your own chicken breasts, but why??? I’m not trying to use my stove on a hot ass day.
• Primal Kitchen Mayo – it’s pricier than regular mayo, but you can sub regular mayo if you don’t want to spend $12 on a jar of mayo have any dietary restrictions.
• Seedless Red Grapes sliced in halves
• Diced Red Onion
• Diced Celery
• Walnuts
• Salt & Pepper to taste

Directions:

I made a huge batch, so I used an entire package of Rotisserie Chicken Breast Meat (46 oz.), a whole jar of Primal Kitchen Mayo (12 oz.), a bunch of seedless red grapes sliced in half (2 lbs.), half a diced red onion (you can usually find the onions already diced in the refrigerated produce section of the grocery store) a bunch of diced celery (you can also find them already diced), chopped walnuts (16 oz.) and salt & pepper to taste. Combine everything in a large bowl and refrigerate. Enjoy!

I did it all for the gluten and dairy free chocolate chip cookie(s) 🤘🏼

I actually did it for my sister, who’s on a gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free diet 😆 These cookies were… eh. The texture was off, and they weren’t very sweet. I guess they could work in a pinch if you’re craving something sweet, but I’d rather eat something sweet that’s naturally gluten and dairy-free, like a piece of fruit 😆

Pammie said she liked them, but she’s been eating clean for the past 2 months. I’ve been eating dirty for 43 years, though, so I could tell 😅

We gave some to my parents without saying they were gluten and dairy-free, and this was the response:

Did you make these?

– my dad 🤢

If I’m at a resto and a dessert says it’s ‘gluten-free’ or ‘dairy-free’ I automatically pass on it. The worst dessert I ever had was this vegan churro abomination from Tocaya (a resto that has since closed down in El Segundo, but still has other locations throughout LA). We didn’t know it was vegan when we ordered it, but we sure found out after that first bite.

Beers + cheers (@ Yakitori Tsuta)

The girls and I try to get together at least once a month to stay updated on each other’s lives. One of them has an upcoming colonoscopy (lovely dinnertime conversation), and she joked that she used to ask for a ride to a boy’s house, then a ride to the club, now a ride to her colonoscopy 👵🏻 She said her doctor suggested rubbing petroleum jelly on her booty hole to prevent it from getting raw and irritated during prep 😳 When we toasted our drinks, Jessie was like, ‘Cheers to anal!’ and I nearly spit out my sake. Some dribbled down my chin, but I swallowed most of it like a good girl 😜 

…or what happens when I go to Trader Joe’s hungry 🤪

I went there for oatmeal (not pictured).

Update: Just had some of the papas rellenas for breakfast, and they taste just like the potato balls from Porto’s! 😲 I will def be buying more of these!

No more standing in this ridiculous line in the rain (@ Porto’s)

My favorite dessert while vacationing in the Philippines was taho – soft silken tofu with brown sugar syrup and sago (tapioca pearls) or boba. It’s a cheap, refreshing snack that’s available almost anywhere. In populous areas, there’s usually a man walking up and down the street yelling, “Tahoooo!” They have two metal covered buckets balancing on a wooden pole on their shoulders filled with taho accoutrements.

I was craving taho after we came back to the. U.S. so I made some for me and my family following this easy recipe. My parents said it tasted just like home, and my mom volunteered me to make it for an upcoming party at my Uncle’s house.

I bought some metal pails for the tofu and boba, a coffee carafe to keep the brown sugar syrup warm, and clear cups for people to build their own taho. I decorated the table with a festive Mexican blanket, a letterboard with instructions, and these hats made out of palm leaves that a hospitality worker from the resort we stayed at in El Nido made for us on our first trip to the Philippines 5 years ago.

You guys, I don’t half ass anything—I always use my whole ass 🍑😜

My sister’s mother-in-law always treats my family out to lunch on major holidays at Barona (where she’s a Diamond member), so I made her an Easter-themed charcuterie board. I also made one for my mom, because I know that crazy b will be butt hurt if I give one to my sister’s MIL and not her 😆

(via @hungryinla)

I’ve been meaning to try this breakfast burrito spot since I first saw @hungryinla post about it. It’s nearby and down PCH in Hermosa Beach. They only have breakfast burritos Friday-Sunday, and you have to pre-order them on instagram starting on Wednesdays. Only in fucking LA do you have to pre-order your food on instagram. It seemed like a lot of trouble for a breakfast burrito, so I never thought to do it till earlier this week when I was having lunch across the street from it and remembered they were there.

(@ Baran’s 2239)

I ordered the no-meat breakfast burrito (I love me some bacon or chorizo in my burrito, but I’m still not eating pork 😩). I got home and cut this baby open and it was full of fucking bacon. I tried to pick around it, but it was stuck in there with all that gooey cheese. I’m just gonna give it to my sister’s husband when I head down to SD this weekend. Bah! I DM’d the resto on IG, and they were super apologetic. I’m gonna come back next Friday to take another stab at the no-meat breakfast burrito.

It came with red and green salsas, too. My go-to breakfast burrito spot up here was Phanny’s in Redondo. The burrito was good, but I asked for salsa, and they gave me a dang Tapatio packet. I would have given them five stars on Google for the burrito and the ocean view, but had to knock off one star for not having housemade salsa.

What’s a girl gotta do to get a good burrito in LA? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

My AOL screen name used to be GUMMYI3EAR, and I used to watch the Adventures of the Gummi Bears cartoon every Saturday morning when I was a kid. All to say, my special relationship with gummy bears spans decades 🤪

When I visited the bestie earlier this month, her youngest daughter was telling me about the viral TikTok trend of gummy bears soaked in Sprite and frozen. She said she tried it and it turned out sooo good, and she also tried it with ginger ale and it tasted better than the ones soaked in Sprite.

(via @thefeedfeed)

This reel popped up on my feed yesterday, and knew I had to try it myself. I had leftover gummy bears from the gift bags I made for Easter, and since I don’t drink soda, I picked up a prebiotic Olipop Ginger Ale to soak them in 😆

Were they worth the hype? Ehh, I’m a purist. I’d rather eat plain gummy bears. I also don’t think I like Olipop in any flavor. It contains stevia instead of real sugar, and I’d rather have no sugar than fake sweetener. I’m the kind of girl who can tell the difference between Coke and Pepsi (if the resto only had Pepsi, I’d just get water!). I was so bummed when Costco switched from Coke to Pepsi in all their food courts back in the day, and this year they switched back to Coke, but I don’t drink soda anymore 😭

(via @drfeliciaphd)

I had a routine mammogram last week. They found breast cancer in two of my dear friends during routine mammograms in the past few years, so I already have anxiety going in. I got a message that they have to redo my mammogram because they didn’t get a good image of my left breast. The tech who did my mammo was too distracted figuring out what kind of Asian I was to do her job, and now I have to go back.

To be fair, I never know what kind of Asian people are (Japanese, Korean, Chinese… I can’t tell the difference 😅), but I would never ask someone what kind of Asian they are. I was at Sugarfina last week, and this black dude visiting the cashier asked what kind of Asian I was, and I was like, ‘Filipino’ and he was like, ‘I love Pacquiao!’ 🙄 I haven’t liked Pacquaio since he made some homophobic comments. Please don’t associate him with all Filipinos.

At least my bewbs are very squishy and malleable like stress balls LOL, so mammogram machines flattening the shit out of my tits isn’t painful for me. Plus, the women’s imaging center is next to Torikizoku, so I’ll reward myself with some yakitori afterward 😆

Prosecco & Pals Booze & Bitches (@ Gravity Heights)

If you thought I was gonna doordash food from The Empanada Shop on National Empanada Day, you weren’t wrong.

I also got an apple pie churro empanada for dessert. Or shall I say mmm-panada 😋 (I’ll see myself out).

FYI, I hate raisins in empanadas, and I tell anyone who will listen. I don’t mind them in sweet stuff, but I don’t like raisins in savory food. I also don’t like coconut in savory food (coconut shrimp, thai food, etc.), but don’t mind it in dessert. I also don’t like pineapple in savory food. Ordering a Hawaiian pizza is blasphemous and a dealbreaker. You should be writing this down 📝

I was subscribing to Factor meals for a while, but there are some nights I’d rather doordash a chalupa from Taco Bell than eat a nutritious pre-made meal. After two weeks of giving the meals to Christine (because I didn’t want to waste a week of dinners, plus I knew that they’d make that busy mama’s life easier), I canceled my subscription and she gave me a bunch of girl scout cookies in return 😜

She asked me what flavors I liked, and I was like, ‘I’ll have one… One of everything!’ 😅 Her kid’s connect didn’t have the new french toast cookies (toast-yays), so she reached out to an old friend (who also happens to be my ex’s ex-girlfriend) because her kid is a girl scout and was selling that flavor. If that’s not a ride-or-die, I don’t know what is ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

My blood-glucose levels spiked after eating a sleeve of Thin Mints, so I need to slow the fuck down on inhhaling these 😅 *checks expiration dates*

Partly because Nori observes Lent and can’t eat meat on Fridays, but mostly because I wanted to go to the beach (@ Playa Hermosa Fish & Oyster Co.)

You guys, I ate 10 egg salad sandwiches while I was in Japan. I was only there for 7 days, and I didn’t eat one on the first day. You do the horrifying math. All the convenience stores had it, and there was a 7-Eleven across from our hotel room. There was one on every block, really. I didn’t discriminate, either, I tried a convenience store egg salad sandwich from 7-Eleven, Lawson’s and the 24-hour store inside my sister’s hotel—all were equally delicious. There was even a 7-Eleven at the airport, so I picked up a sandwich for the plane ride 😅 I don’t ever eat egg salad sandwiches in the US, and the last time I remember eating one before my Japan trip was at my Grandpa Robert’s funeral in 1989 😳 I def had to try and recreate it.

I was looking up where I can get authentic Japanese milk bread in LA, and I found Ginza Nikishiwa, this ghost kitchen on Santa Monica Blvd that sells out of loaves daily within minutes of opening. The owner found out that someone was reselling loaves and marking up the price (like the dude who sells Porto’s out of his car in SD!), so she limits how many you can buy per order now. I don’t need all that stress in my life, so I just instacarted some milk bread from Tokyo Central 😅

I followed this recipe and was transported back to Tokyo.

Y’all. When it hits your lips… 美味しい

If you thought I was gonna get a po’boy for the third day in a row while serving jury duty at the Inglewood courthouse, you weren’t wrong (@ Orleans & York)

We started half an hour late because one of the jurors picked yesterday was an attorney who had to prep a witness this morning in DTLA and was late to court. They ended up dismissing him and 8 other jurors, called 9 more people, and I still wasn’t picked. But I had to sit in the gallery for hours listening to the judge and lawyers ask them all the same questions from yesterday 😵‍💫 Then they dismissed 7 more jurors and picked 7 more, and I still wasn’t picked! After afternoon recess, they called out 20 more ID numbers (none of which were mine), and the rest of us thought we were getting dismissed. Turns out those 20 were free to go! Of the 7 new jurors they picked, I could tell some of them will be dismissed from their answers, so there will definitely be another round tomorrow which I have to report to for the fourth day now. I feel like I’m on an endless episode of Law & Order. Not even SVU, just the regular one without Ice-T 😆

Being here is actually more akin to a lesser known procedural drama, For The People (a Shonda Rhimes show whose cancellation in 2019 I’m still salty about), because the sassy court clerk has been keeping us entertained. She told us the story of when she broke her arm in Colombia that involved drug cartels, volcanoes, and a canoe. Worse, it happened during covid, so she had to wait a year to have surgery on her arm that was broken in eight places! Shoutout to the court clerk for Department ‘O’ at the Inglewood courthouse! Thank you for making this whole experience less painful for all of us 😆

Another day, another donut (@ Randy’s Donuts)

They started jury selection today, and 80+ jurors and I didn’t get picked. We did have to sit in the gallery for hours while the 18 selected for the jury box answered questions from the judge and attorneys. We have to report again tomorrow, because they haven’t decided on the final jury yet. At least there’s good food spots in Inglewood, and the court bailiff is nice to look at 😅

I gave up soda after the stroke. I used to drink my weight in Coke, but my blood glucose levels were through the roof. Everything in moderation, but as long as I don’t have Coke at all, I don’t crave it. I don’t even indulge in a Coke Zero once in a while.

So today, when I craved something sweet, I had an Olipop—a prebiotic soda that’s low in sugar and high in fiber. What has become of my life???

I’ve never had jury duty in LA where I had to show up in person, but today I got summoned to the Inglewood courthouse. They were short-staffed and running behind, so it was a lot of sitting around while they got their shit together. All 100+ of us got assigned to one courtroom where a man with tattoos on his face was being tried for murder 😳 We had to fill out a questionnaire before they dismissed us for the day, and we were told to return tomorrow for jury selection.

The silver lining of having jury duty in Inglewood (besides getting PTO from work) is that the courthouse is down the street from my favorite cajun deli, Orleans & York. I usually only go here when I go to a show nearby at Kia Forum or SoFi Stadium. I got a po’boy (Big Mo’s Favorite with fried shrimp and beef hot links) and banana pudding. I will probably go back here tomorrow after it’s decided whether or not a man’s fate rests in my hands 😅

Doordashed corned beef hash for St. Paddy’s Day (@ Snax)

Am I doing it right?

The porkless diaries continue…

Crispy feta, fried egg and avocado on a Carb Balance tortilla.

Pepperoni-less pizza with mushrooms and black olives for PI day (@ Fat Tomato)

My porkless life continues (in more ways than one 😅)…

I had plant-based Spam, rice and eggs for breakfast. What has become of my life???

Since playing with the micro piglets at the mipig cafe in Tokyo, I can’t bring myself to eat pork 😩 So today, instead of my usual go-to breakfast burrito (made healthier by heating up a Smart Ones Ham & Cheese Scramble, adding hot sauce, and wrapping it inside a Carb Balance Tortilla) I made sweet potato avocado toast with soft boiled eggs and a side of turkey bacon.

Not sure if I’m sad because of my breakfast, or because I’m back at work today catching up on my emails and slack and just found out that my boss is being required to go into the office every day after five years of working from home and wondering if I’m next, or because it’s raining in LA today and I’m listening to Dashboard Confessional 😅

It’s colder than it oughta be in March

Nori and I went to Chick-Fil-A for lunch, and this child was screaming bloody murder inside. Straight up screaming and his mom was gentle parenting the shit out of him.

We were like… What the???

Anyway, when we got our food, there was a free cookie on our trays. Not sure if they were apology cookies for having to listen to that devil child, or if the server thought we were cute 🤪

Watching Babygirl and eating my feelings, HBU?

Nori and I go to Randy’s Donuts at least once a week (after eating salads at Tender Greens—Get off us). Their donuts are always fresh, so the donuts we got were still warm. I got chocolate on my hands and Nori was like, ‘Chocolate or poop?’ There’s this scene in Baby Mama (that I reference to my sister at every opportunity I can) where Maura Tirney asks her kid if what he has on his hands is chocolate or poop, and she licks it and confirms it’s chocolate 😆 I can’t believe Nori knew that reference. Who needs a man when you have friends who get you???

Christine doordashed me a breakfast burrito this morning. If that’s not love, I don’t know what is…

Update: I had to delete my message in my work slack saying I was going to watch Babygirl tonight, because I knew it was raunchy, but had no idea it was that raunchy, and my team doesn’t know me like that 😅 The whole time I was watching Nicole Kidman loudly having sex, all I could think was, ‘Can Gloria hear this shit?!’ 😳 She’s this old black lady who has lived next door to me since I moved in 13 years ago.  Save your money, guys. I have this movie illegally downloaded on my laptop if you really wanna see it. Or you can just watch free porn online 😆

Chinese food for Lunar New Year (@ Northern Cafe)

Are we doing it right???

Also, my lesbian aunt sent me this memoji video, and it’s the best thing I’ve seen all year 😆

I think the last time I saw Deane was on a zoom happy hour during covid!

I had the stroke after that, and she was a digital nomad living out of the country last year when I came back to LA. Now she’s back in LA, too, and living in Koreatown. We both have January birthdays, so we celebrated with Nori at Soowon Galbi, followed by dessert at Sul & Beans near her new place in K-Town.

Who wore it better??? We used to work together, and we bonded over work trauma, our love of live music, good food and no dietary restrictions 😆

We used to go to Ocean Diner in Hermosa Beach for lunch all the time, but we started noticing people would get fired after we ate there. It happened three different times! So we haven’t eaten there in years 😅

One time, we were at the Hollywood Bowl, and she leaned over and was like, ‘Can we go eat after this?’ 😆

We would leave shows early all the time to go eat (@ Bootleg Theater)

Our favorite place ever was Ramekin in Los Feliz. It has since closed down, but our friendship has outlasted all the restos and music venues that have closed since I met her. She’s the coolest girl I know in LA ✌🏼

Get you a work bestie who makes you shrimp ceviche, gives you grain-free tortilla chips because she cares about your health, chops up celery because she knows you hate cutting vegetables or doing any meal prep, and makes you get hydrogen peroxide on your lunch break so you can properly clean your wounds 😆

My phone died last night after my sister and friends went back to San Diego, and I fell asleep at 8pm 👵🏻 Pammie can’t track me or get my blood sugar readings when my phone’s dead, so she thought I was dead when she couldn’t get any readings. To be fair, I lost a lot of blood after I fell at the beach LOL. She was about to call Nori to do a wellness check! 😅 Nori was the one who took me to the hospital after I had my stroke, and my sister is happy I have someone looking after me in LA. I’m lucky to have such a good friend ✨

Shi couldn’t celebrate my birthday with me this year, so she doordashed me some breakfast from King’s Hawaiian 😋🤙🏼

I like to spend my birthday surrounded by wieners, HBU? (@ Puppies & Yoga)

I live at least an hour south of any of the fires burning in LA right now. You can’t see the smoke from here, but you can smell it in the air, and my car’s covered in ash. We didn’t see any smoke on the way up to West Hollywood for puppy yoga, but we did see this injury lawyer billboard 😆

We ate at Food Network’s Brooke Williamson’s beachside restaurant, Playa Provisions. Proceeds from their fish tacos went to wildfire relief, so of course that’s what I ordered. It was delicious!

Pop-prosecco? Yes, please.

I hardly ever go to the beach, even though I live literally 2 miles from the ocean on Manhattan Beach Boulevard. Donna & David happened to be in town for a wedding this weekend, and as San Diegans who moved to the east coast after high school, they like to go to the beach whenever they’re back in California.

‘Go to the beach,’ they said. ‘It’ll be fun,’ they said.

Pardon my ashy white legs LOL, I had a little accident and slipped on some rocks 😅

Fun Fact: I’ve always wanted to be Miss Argentina from Beetlejuice for Halloween.

I instacarted some non-perishables and necessities for families and pets who have been displaced due to the fires. The YMCA in Koreatown is accepting donation drop-offs.

Pammie collected money from the girls and got me an awesome Moo Deng shirt that I wore to puppy yoga, and had leftover money, so I said to just donate it to one of these major organizations accepting monetary donations for the wildfires: LAFD, American Red Cross, Direct Relief, World Central Kitchen, or the Salvation Army. They need it more than I do. Please give what you can 🥺

I was going to spend my birthday eating my way through Smorgasburg LA, but it’s been canceled 🥺

If my puppy yoga class is also canceled in West Hollywood this Sunday, I will riot 😅

JK, I hope everyone continues to be safe 💔

I just got a Teams invite for a 1-on-1 performance review meeting with my new VP next week. Guys, I haven’t had a performance review in over 10 years. In the advertising department, they would just give us annual raises and bonuses without telling us. When I was on medical leave for 6 months after my stroke, I just happened to be looking at my bank account and I’m like, ‘Where did all this money come from?’ and it turns out I got a raise and a bonus and I didn’t even know. I just recently looked at my profile on Workday, and saw that my salary is way more than I thought it was, so I thought maybe I already got my raise? But doesn’t that usually happen after your performance review in the regular corporate world? I only met the VP once at a departmental meeting last year, so I’m nervous.

Also, a few of my coworkers are out because of the fires, and I just ate a Factor meal for dinner, but I doordashed some Pinkberry because I’m stress-eating.

It’s Filipino tradition to consume 13 round fruits on New Year’s for prosperity.

Christine also told me that it’s Filipino superstition that if I go to bed with my hair still wet from taking a shower, I’ll go blind LMAO, so IDK what to believe 🤣

I made some P.F. Chang’s copycat chicken lettuce wraps in case this party wasn’t Asian enough.

At our last holiday party, my 18-year-old cousin’s boyfriend was excited to see what desserts I made. He told my cousin, ‘She’s the one who made the cinnamon rolls at the last party!’ and she was like, ‘How do you even know that?!’ I’m hoping to start another fight with these Golden Grahams s’mores bars 😆

One of my earliest memories is of my grandma making mochi on NYE. It’s an Asian tradition that’s supposed to bring good luck for the year to come. I made some this year in her memory ♥️

I found out that the party I’m going to tonight doesn’t start till 8pm! Last year, I celebrated NYE east coast time and was in bed by 9:30pm.

Actual footage of me, my sister and her husband @ 9pm PST:

(via @ilovebobah)

I remember one NYE, I was throwing up well after midnight into the morning at my friend’s house after drinking too much whiskey and I thought I was gonna die. I used to be fun 😅

Happy New Year from this old broad 👵🏻

KBBQ, cackles, Cheetahs and crack for Pammie’s birthday 😆 (@ SOT Korean BBQ)

My work bestie’s mom is Mexican, and they taught me how to make tamales for the holidays 🥰

Her dog was wearing an Ohtani Dodgers jersey. I’ll allow it, partly because her dad is Japanese, but mostly because Kona gave me all the cuddles.

Thank you, Ohtomos! I had such a great time.

Baby boy had his first chicken adobo last night, and I wanted to be just like him, so I made some for dinner, except I ate it with hella rice (it’s raining today and I’m carboloading to keep warm—is that how it works?).

Here for the sides ✌🏻

They call me ‘Salami Mami’ (JK, no one calls me that LOL).

My friend told me once that giving birth to her kids ruined her tits and her nipple to breast ratio. I was like, ‘Are they like a pepperoni on an english muffin?’ and she was like, ‘More like a salami on a Ritz cracker!’ 😅 So now I can’t make a charcuterie board without thinking about her big ass salami nipples 🤣

I love Rice Krispie Treats. I used to pick up a Marshmallow Dream Bar whenever I’d go to Starbucks and wash it down with a venti Pink Drink. Nowadays, Nori makes me get an unsweetened iced green tea from Starbucks after splitting a donut from Randy’s. What has become of my life???

Anyway, I thought I’d indulge a little for the holidays with these Fall Leaves Rice Krispie Treats 🍁

Pumpkin pie hack: I got a big ass pumpkin pie from Costco, used a biscuit cutter to cut out individual servings, and topped them with whipped cream and a sprinkle of pumpkin pie spice. Adorable!

My sister’s husband braved Costco, and I instacarted everything else I needed.

Whether it’s Thanksgiving, Grandma’s birthday, or a Thursday, I always make Furikake Chex Mix.

I will always pick a regular potato over a sweet potato, except when it’s baked into a casserole with candied pecans and covered with marshmallows.

My cousin’s wife’s name is ‘Kass,’ and she says it’s short for ‘Kassandra,’ but he tells people it’s short for ‘Casserole’ 🤣

Did they not have PF Chang’s chicken lettuce wraps at the first Thanksgiving in Plymouth, Mass?

If your family doesn’t gamble at holiday parties, are you even Asian???

Homemade chicken sotanghon and depressing Deftones music on this rainy Saturday ✌🏻

Dylan: What are you carving?
Me: Michael Myers.
Dylan: Does Michael kill people?
Me: Only little boys named Dylan.

Narrator: And that was the last time Auntie Mayan was invited to a Halloween party.

Auntie Mayan doesn’t fuck around when it comes to Halloween 🎃

Thank you, Christine, for hosting 🖤🧡

(via @rvxmendoza)

…or me and Nori after we ate at the same Peruvian resto for lunch for the second time this week (we would’ve gone yesterday, too, but it was National Pasta Day, so we ate at North Italia 😆) and the guy remembered our order (a Shack Sandwich with an extra plate because we split it, and a side of fried plantains). Papi takes care of us 😜

Soju, beer & KBBQ (@ Sot Korean BBQ)

It was my first time seeing the girls since I moved back to LA, so they were like, ‘How’s LA? Who you fucking?’

(via @kelseydianeblog)

Although, I was wearing my Rams shirt when I came home from the game the other weekend, and my neighbor started chatting me up about football in the parking garage. I have lived in this same apartment for 12 years, and he’s lived in this building for a decade, yet has never spoken to me before that night. He was asking if I went to the game with my boyfriend, and I tried to tamp down the urge to roll my eyes. When I was leaving for lunch last week, I ran into him again in the parking garage. He was already in his car, so I didn’t expect to have to chat, but he stopped in front of my parking spot and proceeded to talk to me from his car. I should have told him I went to the game with my boyfriend, but I’m a terrible liar. I don’t shit where I sleep, man (at least I don’t anymore 😆).

I was looking through old posts and came across this post of ‘Where To Get Dinner With Someone Who Talks Too Loud’ and realized the resto I was recently taken to was on this list.

Pijja Palace is a sports bar on Sunset 10 minutes from Dodger Stadium, but I went there the night of a Padres/Braves game, so these Angelenos didn’t give a shit. I’m sure it’s much rowdier when there’s a Dodgers game on.

The only other restaurant I’ve been to on here is Guelaguetza, and I can confirm that you can still hear me over the live mariachi band 😜

My toxic trait is doordashing iced coffee every morning and not finishing it, then letting the cups accumulate and having to rinse them all out at the end of the week. Relax, I’m not a completely disgusting human being, I recycle 😅

After we went to the Rams game, we took the bus out of traffic because it was impossible to get a rideshare at the stadium. The last stop was in Playa del Rey, down the street from Chef Brooke Williamson‘s resto, Playa Provisions. We were gonna grab dinner there before heading home, but they had a private event that night and weren’t accepting walk-ins, just reservations! I forgot you either have to make a res or wait in a ridiculously long line to eat at a good resto in LA 😅

Anyway, I would never choose to have Indian for dinner, but I’m also easygoing and down to try anything (except baby animals and Highland cows LOL). I avoided all the lamb dishes, of course, but the malai rigatoni was def something to write home about (@ Pijja Palace)

It was like an Indian take on perfectly al dente vodka pasta. Maybe I like Indian fusion, because I really enjoyed the Tandoori Chicken Poutine at Maneet Chauhan’s restaurant in Nashville, too.

This place was also oddly a sports bar, so I got to catch the Padres playoff game during dinner. They won again and swept the Braves to win the wild card series!

People were asking me if I was gonna go to a playoff game at Dodger Stadium, but the last time I went to a Padres/Dodgers game at that stadium (last week LOL), Padres lost big time, so I don’t wanna jinx them 😅

The series is best-of-five in a 2-2-1 format, so game 3 will be in SD. I’ll be in SD next week, but game 3 falls on my dad’s birthday, so I’m hoping the Dodgers don’t sweep, and there’s a game 4 I can possibly go to in SD.

Also, I might have to go to a game if someone’s able to find me this cute ass Padres jacket Alex Morgan (SD Wave soccer player) wore to a game last month 🔥

Because I’m still in love with you
On this harvest moon

After dinner, we went to Larchmont Village for Jeni’s ice cream and cookies from Levain Bakery, and this guy was playing ‘Harvest Moon’ on the sax on the street. It’s a Neil Young song, but I only know it because Lord Huron did a cover 😆

On the way home, we saw the coolest house decorated for Halloween in Highland Park 🖤

My cousin from LA went surfing in SD this weekend, so she stayed at my sister’s last night. We walked to this KBBQ place nearby, partly because she loves KBBQ, but mostly because she loves to get her steps in (@ Sura Korean BBQ)

Whenever people compliment me on my perfectly pulled soft serve, I tell them it’s because I used to work at Mcdonald’s when I was 16🍦It’s just one of my many skillz 😜

Do you stay up late at night googling if people eat Highland cows or are you normal?

(via @best_vacationrentals)

I found this Airbnb in Canada that has Highland cows on the property.

Nori’s been to Scotland, but she didn’t get to see any Highland cows (they’re from the Scottish Highlands) while she was there. I found some places in North America you can see these cute hairy cows, and then I went down the google rabbit hole wondering if they slaughter them here.

I love BBQ (smoked beef ribs are my favorite), and now I feel like I have to ask what kind of cow I’m eating at restaurants like in Portlandia 😅

As a rule, I don’t eat baby animals (lamb, veal or suckling anything)—just adult animals who have lived a full life LOL. And now I have to add Highland cows (at any age) to that list 😆

I wore my Padres hat and lived to blog about it (@ Dodger Stadium)

It’s National Dumpling Day, so we had to get a Home Run Platter. I don’t make the rules ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

I love a big ass wiener Doyer Dog between my legs.

Garlic fries in a helmet? Yes, please.

The Dodgers beat the Padres 7-2 and clinched the division title, but both teams are going to the playoffs. Catch you in the postseason ✌🏻

Get you a work bestie who makes you shrimp ceviche, and a work bestie’s mom who makes you nopales (cactus) salad 🦐🌵 Yes, I was good and ate it with grain-free tortilla chips, and yes, I’m pretty sure I was Mexican in another life.

Gracias, Nori and Mama Nellie 🥰

Tamales tutorial soon? 😜

Finger the water
2 in the H, 1 in the O

@chefreactions reacting to a @cedriklorenzen video is the comedy I needed today 🤣

We had reservations to go to Pizzeria Bianco in DTLA for my birthday last year, and I texted my cousin who also lives in Redondo and was like, “I don’t think I can make it. I had a stroke and I’m in the hospital.” 😅

We ate at the one in Phoenix when we were there for the inaugural Innings Fest, and were so stoked to hear that they were expanding to LA. We finally got to go and it was just as good as I remember it being 🍕 Now if only they’d open a Cornish Pasty Co in LA so we could get our PB&J pasty fix!

Since Pammie visited me in LA this weekend, I took her to this Harry Potter themed cafe nearby inside Del Amo mall in Torrance.

Pammie ordered Goblin Snot (an iced matcha with white chocolate cream) and I got Phoenix Tears (passionfruit and mango sparkling refresher with lemonade topped with edible gitter). Phoenix Tears have immense healing powers (according to Harry Potter Wiki) ✨

The cafe was cute, but my sister has better Harry Potter decor in her house 😆 They could definitely work on their marketing and branding. Our iced cups, for example, should have stickers with their logo on it. ‘Snot’ and ‘Tears’ were just scribbled on our cups with a sharpie 😅 My graphic designer eyes are very judgy 👀

LA has 2 MLB teams, 2 NBA teams, and 2 NFL teams, and I’m reaping all the bennies 😆

I went to lunch with Nori at Calif Chicken Cafe this afternoon in El Segundo, and it was right next to the Chargers Team Store and the Chargers Training Camp. I’m going to my first Rams game at SoFi Stadium this weekend, and I feel like a traitor, but I’m not trying to get murdered, so I’ll be wearing my Rams shirt 😅

I kept quiet so I could keep you

Frozen pierogies from the ‘Meals for One’ section at Target are my new guilty pleasure. Just kidding (they aren’t in the ‘Meals for One’ section. Just because I could eat all of them by myself in one sitting doesn’t mean it’s a single serving 😅).

If you thought I was gonna doordash Shake Shack for National Cheeseburger Day, you weren’t wrong 🍔

*Adds the Claim Jumper on Harbor to our list* 😆

I had a hypoglycemic event this morning.

I had just eaten my breakfast sandwich and was going to go on a walk to get my steps in and get some iced coffee. Pammie was gonna come with me, but she kept forgetting shit (her sunglasses, her keys) and the house is 4 floors, so I just waited downstairs while she kept going up and down for whatever she forgot. I wear a continuous glucose monitor, and it alerted me that my glucose levels were low. They’ve never actually been low when it has alerted me before, it usually happens when I put a new device in (every 10 days), and I just have to test my blood and recalibrate it and it’s fine. This time, though, I was sweating (even though the A/C was on in the house) and I felt off, so I tested my blood and my glucose levels were really low. Good thing I start getting ready for Halloween in July, so I had candy on hand 😆 I ate some and felt way better! I walked to Casa de Otay for iced coffee after and didn’t even break a sweat (I hardly ever sweat, so that also tipped me off that something was wrong earlier).

I have a continuous glucose monitor device that alerts me on my phone if my levels are too low or too high, but there are service dogs who are trained to also alert you. I ignore my phone notifs all the time, but I would never ignore a puppy 😆

Just a friendly reminder to listen to your body! 🙃

Just before my stroke, I was gifted an Our Place Perfect Pot. I forgot how nice it was to cook with quality nonstick pans. My sister has a fancy gourmet kitchen, complete with two KitchenAid ovens, a KitchenAid stove, KitchenAid dishwasher, KitchenAid fridge, KitchenAid wine cellar, and a huge quartz waterfall island (she bought the biggest model home), but, like our mother, she doesn’t cook 😆 Her husband cooks sometimes, but he either uses the gas grill on the rooftop, the pans he got for free from the casino LOL, or what’s left of the Calphalon cookware set we won nearly 15 years ago on Ellen DeGeneres’ 12 Days of Giveaways!

I’m like the jambalaya fairy, because I made extra for Nori & Sachi, Pammie & Dennis, Christine & Francis. Many have eaten my food, few have died. Just kidding. (Not that many people have eaten my food.)

I meal prepped so I don’t fall into old habits (doordashing breakfast and dinner everyday and spending a gazillion dollars on food 😅). I still go out to lunch with Nori during the week, though (a bunch of new restos opened in the south bay while I was gone, and I have to try them all).

(@ Lobster-Guys)

(@ Pita Café)

It was Nori’s dog Kona’s birthday over the weekend, so I brought her some toys. She loved them all, especially the piñata stuffie 🥰

Nori’s icon status at Nordstrom, so she invited me to join her for a complimentary dinner at Ruscello. We were treated like celebrities LOL!

We were able to find primo parking at South Coast Plaza with my handicap placard, and her mom and sister were like, ‘You’re invited to go out with us anytime!” 😆

Her mom gave me one of her long ass shoe horns when she saw me struggling to put on my shoes 😅 They make slipping on my Vans a breeze 👵🏻

I was gonna buy a new oven a few years ago, because the one in my apartment is tiny and electric. But since I was in the market for an air fryer, I got this Breville Air Fryer Toaster Oven combo. I have zero counter space, though (the kitchen in my studio is smaller than my bathroom at my sister’s house LOL), so I have to set it on top of my oven 😅

The first thing I made in it was a personal pizza.

The power turned off a few times in the 15 minutes it took to cook the pizza, and I had to flip the switch in the circuit breaker a couple times. It probably couldn’t handle the A/C and oven on at the same time, but I was like, ‘Come on… Don’t make me choose between A/C and pizza.’ 😅

Yes, that’s turkey pepperoni and yes, I know I need to calm down on the olives 😜

I doordashed breakfast from Urth Caffe this morning—an iced Spanish latte and a Sunrise Pizza. The poached egg that came on top of the breakfast pizza was way overcooked again (the yolk was cooked all the way through!). I went to Urth with Nori for lunch before, and I ordered the same thing. I was like, ‘Get this shot, Nori’ before I cut into my poached egg expecting a runny yolk, but the egg was cooked solid LOL.

I love a good breakfast pizza, and my favorite one is from Big Sur Bakery (I just saw it burned down a few months ago!). I still ate the pizza without the solid ass egg 😜

Another time, I was at brunch with Jessie and we both ordered chilaquiles, but I ordered my eggs ‘over easy’ while she ordered hers ‘over medium’. I was like, ‘WTF is over medium?’ She was like, ‘Where they flip the egg, but the yolk is still runny.’ I was like, ‘Isn’t that over easy?’ She was all, ‘Don’t they not flip it when it’s over easy?’ I was like, ‘Nah, that’s sunny side up.’ She was like, ‘Let’s see how they come out.’ We got our order and our eggs were cooked the same 😂 Apparently, they don’t know the difference between over easy and over medium at La Sabrosita, either!

Here are some helpful charts:

Update: Jessie studied abroad in Spain and is married to a Mexican guy, but she’s the whitest Asian we know 😆

While I was away, they opened a Salt & Straw in Manhattan Beach and a Magnolia Bakery ghost kitchen in Torrance, all within doordashable distance to my apartment. This does not bode well for my blood glucose levels. Or my waistline 😅

Last 2-in-1 Burrito from Lolita’s before I go back to LA tonight ✌🏻

Yes, I’ll be back in SD for a lash appointment next week, and yes, I will probably get Lolita’s again 😆

The last time I had sangria slushies was at Las Hadas downtown after a Padres game, and Christine was also with me and reminded me of some very bad decisions I made that night 😅 We also ran into Pammie’s brother-in-law that same night and he told her his now infamous line, ‘Tell your sister she was sloppy.’ Although some knee-dropping chismé came out during brunch, none of it had to do with me this time 😆 Ask me again in 10 years 😅

This brunch was way overdue. We were supposed to get together when I came back from Spain, but I caught Covid. Then we rescheduled, but Pammie caught Covid in Vegas. We’re all healthy now, but work has been stressing us all out while Shi’s over here starting a book club at her work 🤣

I suggested Flama Llama because I saw it on instagram. I love llamas, so liking these fuckers fucked up my algorithm 😆

Everything was so amazing and flavorful. I’ve had Peruvian food before, but this was exceptional. Just ask Shi (she ordered 4 entrees LOL).

Jambalaya is like everything I love in one dish: Shrimp? ✅ Sausage? ✅ Rice? ✅ Heat? ✅

I followed this recipe and added some Flatiron Pepper Co Four Pepper Blend for extra spice, and it was *chef’s kiss*. Not to be dramatic or anything, but it was only the best thing I’ve ever cooked. Someone make an honest woman out of me already 😆

My sister’s husband requested I make another batch before I go. I have a concert in LA with friends this Thursday, so I’ll be going back to my apartment in LA later this week. It’s been real ✌🏻

Spooky Nugs and tots for dinner. Dennis was like, ‘What are you, five?’ 😆

Um, would a 5-year-old illegally download a PG-13 M. Knight Shyamalan thriller and eat kettle corn out of a Mcdonald’s Boo Bucket??? (Don’t answer that).

I love Bobby Flay.

Even though I used to think he was an asshole ever since he jumped on the cutting board during an Iron Chef battle against Chef Morimoto in 2000 (I was more offended when he yelled, ‘Raise the roof, yo!’ tbh) and he’s since been thrice-divorced, but I kinda like assholes 🤪

I used to watch him on Throwdown, and now I watch him on Beat Bobby Flay, Bobby’s Triple Threat and BBQ Brawl. He’s still an asshole, but he’s an asshole who can cook 😜

I made Bobby Flay’s Creamed Green Chili Rice with Crispy Baked Chicken Thighs. It turned out amazing even though I had to consult my friend who cooks all the time 😅

Update: I got the stamp of approval from Pammie, Dennis, and my sister’s brother-in-law, Paul, who dropped by for dinner. They finished the rice! I’m finally redeemed from when Pammie and her husband said my adobo was too salty two years ago. Their hurtful comments still keep me up at night 😅

Pammie is back from Hawaii, and she brought me back my favorite s’mores cookie from The Cookie Corner 🍪

Leftover Chinese food? Put an egg on it.

Yes, I ate it with Datu Puti Spiced Vinegar, and yes, I’m Filipino as fuck.

Cinnamon rolls, furikake chex mix, and chocolate chip cookies, oh my 💛

It would’ve been my grandma’s 93rd birthday this weekend, so we had a potluck at the cemetery. She would’ve loved these treats I brought. She was diabetic and always sneaking sweets 😆

From the last birthday we celebrated in 2020 with grandma 💛

What, your family doesn’t celebrate dead people’s birthdays with food at the graveyard? 😜

My favorite video ever 🥹

Happy heavenly birthday, Queen! 🥳

Dear Shirley May,

Today I walked to Mcdonald’s to get my steps in and say hi to all my dog friends, made cookies for my grandma’s party tomorrow, drove by myself (for the first time since the stroke and didn’t kill anybody!) to Christine’s club pool, and went swimming with her, Francis and the kids. They brought beer and seltzers, and I was way too drunk to drive home, so Christine drove my car home while Francis followed, all the while Dylan was screaming in the backseat, ‘Thank you for the cookies, Auntie Mayan!!!’

So… a typical pre-stroke Saturday 😜

When I was trying to eat ‘healthy’ before, I’d order a wrap from Chick-Fil-A, but still get a side of waffle fries and wash it down with a large sweet tea 😅 Nowadays, I don’t drink drinks with calories (unless it’s alcohol or iced coffee, so no soda or juice).

Chick-Fil-A sells their Avocado Lime Dressing in stores, so I made the wrap at home in a Carb Balance Tortilla and it was sooo good 👌🏻

Brunch with the besties (@ La Sabrosita)

When Jessie suggested this restaurant, we thought it was at the mall across the street. I’ve been practicing driving, so Pammie had me drive to the mall, but it was closer than we thought. We could’ve walked there 😆

I should’ve walked because I ordered a mimosa flight thinking I would share it with the table, but Jessie and Pammie had cafe de olla and Christine drank all day yesterday and is done for the weekend (or possibly forever), so I had to polish off the mimosa flight by myself 😅

Poutine, but make it breakfast ✌🏻

Shi read that I was in a mood on my blog, so she offered to come down and walk around the neighborhood with me this morning! She never fails to lift my spirits 💛

I haven’t seen Shi in a couple months. We were all supposed to go to lunch when I came back from Spain, but I got Covid. We rescheduled to last weekend, but Pammie had Covid 😷 This was long overdue!

Of course she drove down at an ungodly hour while her kids were still sleeping so I was up earlier than I wake up for work 😅

Me: What in the death metal band is this shirt?
Shi: They’re Klingons 🖖🏻

Sometimes I forget how much of a Trekkie this b is 🤣 She got this shirt at a Star Trek pop-up at Comic-Con one year.

I can’t wake up this early on a Saturday and get my steps in without rewarding myself with an iced Mexican mocha (@ Casa de Otay)

Jack Karlson has died, and we’re having a succulent Chinese meal from Mandarin Beijing in his honor 😆

As it turns out, nobody wants holiday cookies in the middle of summer, so I made some regular chocolate chip cookies 😅 I followed this recipe and I can’t stop eating them. The sea salt and chocolate combo is *chef’s kiss* 🍪

Spaghetti squash casserole to counteract all the sugar and carbs I’ve been eating lately. Is that how it works?

It’s not the season for cranberry bliss, but it’s ant season, so Pammie made me clean out the cupboards because those little fuckers were getting into everything. I had all the accoutrements for the cranberry bliss cookies I never made last Christmas, and the craisins expire next month, so I made some holiday cookies in the height of summer 🎄☀️

It’s already August, which means it’s spooky season, but it’s also PSL season. Basic white girls love the pumpkin spice latte from Starbucks, but I’m just a basic Asian girl, so I’m more excited for the return of their pumpkin cream cheese muffins. I found a copycat recipe, and they turned out sooo good.

Next up, Starbucks’ Apple Croissant!

On power days, we eat chili cheese tots ✌🏼

I walked my ass to Mcdonald’s and got my steps in, got free fries, and the Padres won??? Win-win.

Sundays are for swimming and seltzers ✌🏻

My favorite breakfast burrito in SD is from this place by my old apartment in La Mesa called Super Oscar’s. I recently found out they closed down and turned into a Better Buzz Coffee, which I’m not mad about, because I love that place. I’ll take SD Mexican food over LA Mexican food any day. My favorite place by me in Redondo to get a breakfast burrito is Phanny’s. When I asked for hot sauce, though, they gave me a dang Tapatio packet. -1 star for their lack of homemade hot sauce, but 4/5 stars for this view, though 😍

Anyway, I recreated my favorite breakfast burrito from Super Oscar’s with tater tots, eggs, ham, cheddar, and turkey bacon, all wrapped in a carb balance tortilla. What has become of my life?

One of my absolute favorite breakfast sandwiches is the Farmhouse Egg Sandwich from Einstein Bros. Bagels, only second to the Bacon, Eggs -n- Cheese at Eggslut. I’m p serious about breakfast, I even bought a Bacon, Eggs -n- Cheese shirt in Bone Thugs -n- Harmony Old English the last time I ate there:

I only have it when I’m flying out of Terminal 1 at SD Airport, or when I pay the additional expanded range fee to have it doordashed to my sister’s house. I looked up the ingredients, and thought, ‘I could make that.’

Einstein’s sells some of their shmears in tubs, but not the kind that goes on this particular sando (country pepper). I sub’d Whipped Garlic & Herb Philadelphia Cream Cheese. I also used uncured turkey bacon instead of real bacon because that’s what I had on hand. I always get my Farmhouse on a jalapeño cheddar bagel instead of the default cheesy hash brown bagel, because I like a little spice in my life.

It turned out amazing, and I will def be making it again!

I once ordered ‘carne asada chips’ at the taco shop near my apartment in LA, and the cashier was like, ‘You mean, steak nachos?’ What in the gringo ass taco shop?

Another time at the same taco shop, I had called in my order for pick up. I went there and there was no parking. I waited 5 minutes for a space, and this guy swoops in and takes my spot. I was so hangry, I parked behind him and blocked his ass in and stormed inside. We were stuck in line together, and he apologized for taking my spot. I said I was just picking up an order and leaving, so he’d be able to leave later. I took my food, walked back to my car and released the breath I didn’t know I was holding in. People have been murdered for less in LA! Let alone carne asada chips 😅

Sometimes I have to remind myself, ‘You’re in your forties now. You need to calm the fuck down.’ After that incident, I started doordashing my carne asada chips, and now I’m making them at home! 😆

Leftover 4th of July sangria in a skeleton cup because Summerween.

Coincidentally, this is also how I prep for a BJ 🤣

I was watching DDD earlier and they featured Mrs. Potato. I had a sudden craving for chili cheese fries, which I used to doordash all the time in LA. ‘Where do they make good chili cheese fries down here?’ I asked Pammie, and she was like, ‘IDK… Wienerschnitzel?’ LOL. I’m not a food snob (JK, I totally am). I just instacarted all the accoutrements, and made it my damn self! (I also had a Power Day and did over 10K steps today. Get off me.)

Patrick Bertoletti won the mustard belt, but only because Joey Chestnut was banned from competing in Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest this year.

I stand behind Joey 😆

Views and ‘cue ✌🏻

You can’t spell ‘sausage’ without ‘USA’ 🇺🇸

FYI I prefer white wine if I’m drinking it by itself, but I’ll drink red or white if it’s in sangria. Also, I’m strictly dickly 😅

Strawberry Lemonade White Sangria (from thegirlinspired)

• 2 – 750 ml bottles of sauvignon blanc
• 1 liter club soda
• 6 ounces frozen pink lemonade concentrate (½ can)
• ½ cup simple syrup (1:1 ratio sugar/water)
• 1 lemon washed and sliced for garnish
• 2 cups fresh strawberries sliced
• 1 pint fresh raspberries gently rinsed

Summertime, and the livin’s easy ✌🏻

My pops and I have exactly 3 things in common: our love for The Beatles, our nose, and our love for a good rooftop (@ Mister A’s)

Unlike my sister, who, when we visited the Philippines, my dad’s sister told her, ‘You look exactly like your dad… from all angles.’ 🤣

Happy Father’s Day to all who celebrate!

I made Christine’s family banana bread, partly because I had some black ass bananas, but mostly to soften the blow of her going up to LA for the JT show with us this weekend while her husband stays at home with the kids 😅

I had enough nanners to make 3 loaves, so I made some for Pammie and my parents, too. It smells so good up in this bitch right now 🤤

I watched the movie, Chef, on a train on my laptop with an audio splitter and a boy I don’t talk to anymore. All of my memories of this movie are tied to him, and now I have new memories.

They have a Chef food truck (inspired by Chef Roy Choi and Jon Favreau’s movie) inside Park MGM. We picked up breakfast here before heading to the airport to go home. It was *chef’s kiss*.

We ate at Roy Choi’s resto, Best Friend, inside Park MGM. It was sooo good. I’ve had Roy Choi’s short rib tacos before (he has a brick and mortar and food trucks in LA, plus he had a Kogi Taqueria inside the Whole Foods in El Segundo near my apartment).

If frosé’s on the menu, I’m ordering it.

The food was amazing, and Roy Choi himself even came out. He dapped my sister’s husband and said wassup to us because we obviously recognized him and I don’t think any of the other patrons did.

I had to get a Best Friends shirt, so I could rep him back in LA.

There’s an Eataly in LA, but this was my first time at this Vegas location. It was also inside the Park MGM. It’s like an Italian food hall. We had Tagliatelle alla Bolognese, Hot Honey Soppressata pizza and gelato. Everything was so good and fresh. Andiamo!

We got our steps in and walked to The Cosmopolitan Hotel to eat at Eggslut. There are a few Eggsluts in LA, but I haven’t been to this location in Vegas since I stayed at the Cosmo for a work trip. Sabrina and I ate at Eggslut at two in the morning on a Tuesday, because we were over partying at the Marquee Nightclub (where our coworkers were) and just wanted some breakfast sandos 😅

I also bought a Bacon Eggs -N- Cheese shirt in Old English font a la Bone Thugs -N- Harmony, or as my cousin calls the couple who’s always fighting next door, ‘Bone Thugs -N- Disharmony’ 🤣

I hate when I fly out of this gate, because I was looking forward to having fries from The Counter for dinner. Instead, I had to get this stupid sandwich from Jetbox Market 😅