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Birthday Lunch with Mom and Dad

Posted on November 1, 2021 by Ching under Family, Food and Drink.

Had a nice birthday lunch with mom and dad on Saturday at P.F. Chang’s. It was just going to be only me and Brian at first because we had to go to the store for a few things before the get together at our house but mom and dad happened to be available. We owed mom a birthday lunch and we owed dad a lot for helping Brian with the electrical work in the basement storage room.

Mom got me a present and the birthday card had a hair clip.

The shirt she got me is absolutely perfect but it will probably turn into a tank top.

Here are some pictures of our food.

We started with the starter sampler which had perfect portions of everything for the four of us. We got four of each of our favorite appetizers — egg rolls, crab wontons, pan-fried pork dumplings — and a handful of edamame.

The crab wontons are still my favorite.

Mom enjoyed her coconut mojito.

Brian decided to try the orange chicken instead of getting his usual Chang’s spicy chicken. It was okay but both agreed we still like the Chang’s spicy chicken better.

Mongolian beef and eggplant. It’s our most favorite dish that’s not even on the menu. I mean it is but the Mongolian beef doesn’t usually come with eggplant. I ask them to add substitute it for the green onions.

We shared a great wall of chocolate and vanilla ice cream for dessert. It was perfect because it’s hard to eat an entire slice of that chocolate cake by yourself. Even with the four of us helping (well, maybe mostly me), we couldn’t finish the cake.

The four of us had a lovely lunch.

The best part is always the fortune cookies at the end. Our server gave each of us a fortune cookie instead of just putting all four of them in a pile in the middle so in a sense she picked our fortunes for us.

Dad got a typical cryptic one. I wonder what truth he will discover.

Mom’s is actually fitting because I have no doubt that she will master pickleball (her new hobby in the coming years).

Brian is convinced he got the wrong fortune cookie and this was meant to be for me. He would never describe himself as an optimist and, frankly, neither would I. LOL.

Lastly, my fortune cookie tells me that others will seek my talents in the coming months. I’m a woman of many talents so I’m not sure which specific talent this is referring to. I hope that, in addition to seeking my talents, the people seeking my talents are willing to pay me for my services as well. It would be nice to be able to do something with my talents like make a little money on the side, if not actually make a living. One can dream. Until next time. GNG.

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Sharon Family Trip to Wichita

Posted on July 27, 2021 by Ching under Family.

We had a wonderful opportunity to spend time with Richard, Amy and their five kiddos on their most recent visit to Wichita. I’m so glad they agreed to meet at Chicken N Pickle because (a) I wanted to share my absolute favorite place with them and (b) it’s conveniently located down the street from my Aqua Zumba class at VASA Woodlawn so it was easy for me to get there.

Amy has not changed one bit since the first day we met her. As for Richard, other than the gray hairs, he’s as youthful as ever. Both guys actually have such gray hair in this pic. I hadn’t noticed until now but Brian’s hair, which is normally more of a salt and pepper color, looks super white in this photo.

Here’s the entire Sharon family with their five kiddos. I joke that every time we see them they’ve multiplied.

Chicken N Pickle was the perfect place to bring these guys because there are plenty of activities for the kids to do while the four of us caught up. It was wonderful to see them and meet their beautiful kids on this trip.

That’s all for now. Until next time. GNG.

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Logan’s 21st Birthday

Posted on July 14, 2021 by Ching under Events, Family, Food and Drink.

Brian and I went to mom and dad’s on Sunday for a “family get together” to celebrate our nephew’s 21st birthday. First of all, it’s crazy that he is 21. That means Brian and I have been together for over 21 years. These are the kinds of situations that make one feel super old.

Anyway, Brian and I thought it would be just our immediate family — mom and dad, Jenni (Logan’s birth mom), Jenni’s husband Adam, Matt (Logan’s dad), Jennifer (Logan’s stepmom), Logan’s brothers Quentin and Eli, and maybe a couple of other people. Mom put us in charge of picking up birthday cake and I never thought to ask how many people would be attending because she just said “get together” at her house, which usually means just us. Heck, Brian and I didn’t even bother to dress up. We just came in our workout clothes.

The funny thing is, when Brian went to Costco to order the cake, he debated whether to get the smaller round cake or the bigger sheet cake. He called and asked me and, although I assumed it would be just us, I recommended that he get the bigger sheet cake (the same one that we bought for his and Karen’s birthday celebration at the Belmont) because it’s always better to have extra than to run out.

Once people started arriving at the party, he told me he was glad that we got the bigger sheet cake. He was worried that we got too much cake and, after the fact, we may not have gotten enough.

He was like, “I didn’t realize your mom invited the entire Filipino community.” I replied, “Neither did I.” He goes, “Now I see where you get it from.” Brian has always accused me of inviting too many people to our parties.

So anyway, here are some pics from the “get together” this Sunday.

Jenni and Brian patiently waiting for the buffet to open.

Mom and dad went all out for Logan’s 21st. They even decorated.

They were also absolutely serious about not allowing any food or drinks at this table… In case anyone had other ideas.

They seriously went all-out. Look at all this food!

We had some pancit, which is a staple at Filipino birthday parties because the noodles are meant to signify long life.

Menudo is always a crowd-pleaser.

Dinuguan is not really for everyone but I love it.

I made the mistake of referring to these as “shrimp” — no, no, they are prawns!

The rice pilaf was great but I think there should have been more lumpia, which are usually the first to run out at parties.

And then there’s beef — something less exotic for the gringos.

Besides the chocolate cake that we brought, there was fruit and flan and bico for dessert. Mom and dad truly went above and beyond for this party.

Brian and I came hungry and were not disappointed.

Here’s a picture of my plate with a little bit of everything.

I’m not so fond of feeling old but I was very grateful for the opportunity to enjoy delicious Filipino food which I really only get to enjoy once or twice a year. Thanks to Logan for having milestone birthday to celebrate. Until next time, GNG.

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Birthday Celebrations

Posted on June 25, 2021 by Ching under Events, Family.

We had a lovely dinner with the Dills last Thursday. Jay and Becca wanted to get together to celebrate Brian’s birthday since they couldn’t make the birthday celebration happy hour at the Belmont. Brian’s mom and dad arrived that day to spend Father’s Day weekend and to celebrate grandma’s birthday so they joined us for dinner. I had no idea Jay was buying. It was very nice and generous gesture.

It was great to catch up. I feel like we never really get to see them any more. BTW, check all the short hairstyles. Seems like Mama Dill, Becca, and I all have the same idea for the summer.

Saturday night was grandma’s night. We celebrated her 99th birthday at Carrabba’s. It’s a huge deal because it her last double-digit one. Their relatives Jill and Cinda joined us for dinner.

Here are some pictures of grandma reading her birthday cards and opening presents from everyone.

Our friend Joe photo-bombed one of the pics when grandma was reading one of her cards. She and Brian had no idea that he was behind them.

Here’s a video of grandma opening her presents from Dave, Donna, and the cats.

One final video from dinner on Saturday night.

We are so blessed that grandma has her health (for the most part) and that her mind is completely sound. At my Rotary club meeting last week, we learned that one in three people over the age of 85 have some form of dementia. Granda’s eyesight may be failing and her body is as frail as that of any almost centenarian but her mind still as sharp as it ever was. I hope that, if Brian and I ever live to be her age, that we are as blessed with a strong mind as she is. Until then. GNG.