just a bit over the holidays

If there is a spring fever, is there a holiday fever? Over the holidays, I had set aside my quality time for hobbies, including this blog. There were the commotions of friends and relatives coming over from overseas and everywhere, not to mention the deadlines at work. My niece even saw my unfinished Christmas decor at home and said that I had better finish it because christmas was almost over (it was a week away before the D Day), at four (4) she really is a smart kid. For the next holidays, I better recruit her to help on the decors. And yes, the holidays went by with my unfinished wreath and swags. 

Now she must be up to something, this look

What a relief that the holidays are over. I did some itty-bitty things here and there. Here are some photos of them:

Noodles for the Holidays

 Shrimps, Squid, Pork, Mixed Vegetables and Thai Veg Noodles

I brought this to Christmas lunch at my parents' and I didn't get criticisms for this one, yay! My father is a good cook and I appreciate criticisms from him. Got no name for this dish though, but since this is a mix of almost everything (seafood, pork, vegetables, and noodles), would it be enticing if I call it, Hodge Podge Noodle? or how about All In Noodle? Anyhow, if anyone wants to give it a try, here's a simple recipe:

Shrimps, Squid, Pork, Mixed Vegetables and Thai Veg Noodles

• 2 T           canola oil
• 3 cloves  garlic,minced
• 2 large    onions, chopped
• 1/4 kl      shrimp
• 1/4 kl      squid
• 1/4 kl      pork
• 1    c        carrots, julienned
• 1    c        cabbage, quartered
• 1/2 c       sweet bell peppers, julienned
• 1/4 c       spring onions, cut into half inches
• 5    c        chicken stock
• 1/4 kl      vegetable noodles (egg or rice noodles will also do)
• fish sauce or salt
• white pepper
• black pepper
• sesame oil
• Wok or Deep pan

Heat the canola oil then saute onion and garlic. Once caramelized, remove from pan. In the same pan, saute shrimp. Once it turns orangey-pink, remove. Then, saute squid. Remove from pan once it changes color. Saute the vegetables just until heated through, then remove. Pork comes next, saute it till it turns golden brown, then pour in the stock. Bring to a boil, add in the noodles. (Check package directions for doneness.) Add fish sauce or sprinkle salt and peppers to taste. When noodles are done, turn heat off. Add few drops of sesame oil, too much goes a long way with this one.  In a plate, arrange noodles, top it with the meat and vegetable. 

I use fish sauce for this recipe instead of salt because it adds more flavor to the dish. However, some palate may not be agreeable to this, it is an acquired taste. Some may also consider the sodium level, salt has less sodium than fish sauce.

Contented with my Hooking

Now this is an upload from Instagram, I wish I had a better quality photo for the crocheted neckline, but since I was in a holiday rut, I got satisfied with this. My inspiration came from surfing blogs and pinterest on upcyling old shirts. So I found this old favorite that just needed the right uplift. I started right away with a blanket stitch on the neck edging, good thing that the hem and the neckline were right for my purpose, otherwise I would have done some cuttings to make way for the crochet piece. I continued working on the rounds with double crochet stitches, added  two rows of double crochet clusters to form flowers then I ended with half-double crochet. I just love wearing this shirt.