End of the Day Zero Project I

Damn! I was only two shy of completing my first list!

47. Complete a coloring book - I guess I will NEVER complete a coloring book in my life. Oh well. I'm over it.

54. Go to the Aquarium of the Pacific* - We never got the whole family to go, and it's been cold here and there, so maybe later on when spring comes, we'll go.

 

But it's over, and now I can turn my full attention over to DZPII!

#99 DZP: Identify 100 things that make me happy

This took me a long time, but I finished it....
 

1. Ryan (enough said but I’ll continue)

2. Ultrasound pictures of Ryan

3. Ryan's giggle & laughter

4. My Baby blanket

5. My Baby Peanut charm

6. Ryan's bath time

7. Ryan giving kisses and hugs to me

8. Walks to the park with Ryan

9. Ryan's baby smell

10. Clothes shopping for Ryan

11. My Parents

12. My Girlfriends – my sisters from other misters

13. Audrey Hepburn

14. My Kitties: Tilly & Chibi (RIP Chibi)

15. Ginger Puppy (RIP Ging)

16. Colorguard

17. My Maneki Neko (Japanese Lucky Cat) Collection

18. Hello Kitty

19. Photo albums

20. (Completed) Scrapbooks

21.  Yearly camping trip with family and friends

22. Kisses and hugs for no reason

23. Teddy Pendagrass' "In My Time" song

24. Beyonce's "Love On Top" song

25. Maroon 5's "Moves Like Jagger" song

26. Mom's Chicken Noodle Soup

27. My Aunt Judy's Beef Stroganoff

28. Dad’s Golly-Whoppers

29. Grandma's Macaroni Salad

30. Alex grilling me a steak

31. Eggs and Rice Meal

32. Baking

33. French Vanilla Ice Cream

34. Hot chocolate when it rains

35. Smell of chocolate chip cookies in my kitchen

36. Scotchmallows from See's Candy

37. Mochi at New Years

38. Sunday morning waffles (or anytime!)

39. Root beer ice cream floats

40. Homemade fresh tortillas

41. Spaghetti meals

42. "How I Met Your Mother"

43. Cheesecake

44. Cake pops
45. Starbucks Mocha Fraps
46. Stella Rose
47. Barefoot Bubbly champagne
48. Going to the Japanese grocery store
49. Steel Magnolias the movie
50. Sex & the City Series

51. Harry Potter (books & movies)

52. The Twilight Saga
53. Hunger Games Trilogy
54. Fifty Shades Trilogy
55. Lauren Conrad’s LA Candy books

56. Food Network channel

57. “New Girl”

58. "Iron Chef America"

59. Any "Bones" Episode

60. Tiffany's Blue Boxes (hopefully with something shiny in them)

61. Juicy Couture Charms (for my collection)

62. My purse collection

63.  My iPhone

64. New car smell
65. Fresh flowers
66. Orchids
67. My KitchenAid Red Mixer "Big Red"
68. Dolphins & other marine life
69. Surprise birthday parties (for anyone or myself)
70. Boat rides

71. Sand between my toes

72. Sleeping in the middle of the day
73. Playing Yahtzee (and hopefully winning)
74. Backyard BBQs

75. Massages at Burke Williams

76. "Good Morning" texts
77.  Fireworks
78. Poolside fun
79. Bubble baths
80. Falling asleep in the car (comfortably)

81. Fresh mani/pedi nails

82. Salon haircuts

83. Head massages

84. Hotel suite rooms

85. Tropical breezes

86. Helmet dives

87. Shipping boxes outside my front door

88. A clean house

89. Swinging in a hammock

90. Jamba Juice
91. Completing a DZP goal
92. “I want a hippopotamus for Christmas” song
93. Tamales
94. Mimi’s muffins

95. Completed craft projects

96. Yorkie puppies
97. Farmer’s Markets
98. Disneyland
99. Calla Lilies

100. Alejandro (he really does make me happy lol)

#26 DZP: Cook a Prime Rib Roast

#26 DZP: Cook a Prime Rib Roast

 

Now this was originally the Mr's recipe he wanted to do. So he did buy the roast and he butchered it, but he had to work late and I really didn't want this roast to go to waste. So he helped me (more like coached me) and I cooked it!

 

Using Iron Chef Michael Symon's recipe we read in our Food Network magazine, I was able to cook it and it was great! The house smelled amazing and not going to lie: I was super pleased with myself!

 

 

Prime Rib

Recipe Adapted from Michael Symon from Food Network

(Note: Total time is 4 hours, not including overnight refrigeration)

 

Ingredients:

• 1 4-bone prime rib, bones and excess fat removed and reserved
• 4 teaspoons kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 4 sprigs fresh rosemary
• 4 cloves garlic, unpeeled, smashed
• 4 ounces arugula (optional)
• 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil (optional)

Directions:

1. Liberally season the prime rib with the salt and some pepper and refrigerate overnight.
2. An hour before cooking, remove the roast from the refrigerator to allow it to come to room temperature.
3. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
4. Put the reserved ribs in a roasting pan bowed-side up (the ribs will be acting as the roasting rack). Scatter any fat and meat trimmings in the pan around the bones. Roast the bones and trimmings for about 30 minutes, or until the fat starts to render.
5. Remove the pan from the oven, put the rosemary sprigs on top of the bones, then top with the prime rib. Put the smashed garlic in the bottom of the pan with the trimmings. Baste the beef with the fat drippings and return the pan to the oven.
6. Cook for 30 minutes and then baste the roast again.
7. Reduce the heat to 350 degrees F and cook until the meat is medium rare (an internal temperature of 125 degrees F to 130 degrees F), about 1 hour, 15 minutes, basting the roast every 30 minutes until it is done. Keep in mind that the roast will continue to cook while resting.
8. Remove the roast from the oven and put it on a cutting board to rest, uncovered, for 20 minutes. Slice the prime rib to the desired thickness and garnish with the arugula and olive oil.

#22 DZP: Eat my first Macaron!

 

#22 DZP: Eat my first French Macaron!

It was my Mom's birthday on December 5th. But she was on "expedition adventure" down at Antarctica. But we waited for her return to carry on our tradition of enjoy birthday dinner at the Melting Pot, just us two! (since 2008!)

Just before we went in, I remembered a small, adorable bakery that's just a little walk from the restaurant. We had time so we popped in to see what Merely Sweets had.

I knew they had macarons and cupcakes, but I wasn't expecting the number of flavors! Needless to say, my Mother and I took a dozen and I believe we got every flavor:

They're light, sweet, and really delicious! I'll have to control myself because I could eat them all right now. I split them with my Mom: birthday treat for her & goal complete for me! YAY!

I will spare everyone a picture of me eating (& throughly enjoying) a macaron. No need for that!

Now I don't know if you've seen the Macaron Trees online or through Pinterest, but they look amazing. And at Merely's they have a tree guide for their customers:

 

Shout out to Merely Sweets! They were BOMB!

#98 DZP A-Z Movies

#98 DZP: Watch 26 movies I've never seen starting with each letter of the Alphabet

 

I did it, I finally finished. I don't watch movies all the time (Ryan won't sit through them and some he just should NOT watch) but I finally finished this goal. Some are old and some opened this year, but I did it. Done.

 

 

A - Avatar

B - the Blind Side

C - Cleaner

D - the Day After Tomorow

E - Eclipse

F - the Fighter

G - Get Him to the Greek

H - He's Just Not That Into You

I - Inception

J - Julia & Julie

K - Knight & Day

L - the Last Song

M - My Sister's Keeper

N - No Strings Attached

O - Old Dogs

P - the Proposal

Q - Quantum of Solace

R - Reel Steel

S - Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows

T - the Town

U - the Ugly Truth

V - the Vow

W - WALL-E

X - XXX (Triple X)

Y - Yes Man

Z - Zookeeper

#32 DZP: Complete the 10 iPhone Photo Challenge

#32 DZP Goal: Complete the 10 iPhone Photo Challenge

  

Back on the last post on my Pinterest find: A Beautiful Mess, I want to attempt to complete the 10 iPhone Photo Challenge, & I'm happy to say I was successful! Let's have a look shall we...

 

1. Use a blur effect

I know it's hard to see, but I used the blur-circle tool on Instagram to help with this one.

PS: Ryan loves nanas.

 

2. Play with sun flares

While babysitting Ryan & his new cousin Austin, we played outside on a beautiful morning, and the sun was perfect for a quick sun-flare-pic!

 

3. Use two filters to create a unique style of editing

I love hanging out with Ryan before "nite-nite" time.

I used "twinkle" & (I think) "Melissa" filters off the Pixlromatic App.

 

4. Use a timer for a self portrait

I was cleaning that massive pot behind me after Ryan's Baptism party, and I was a dumb-butt and didn't think about all the soot from the bottom of the pot... then I touched the other hand... then I wiped my eye/face... and this is what I ended up with!

So I took the opportunity to take my self portrait, using the timer on the Camera+ App!

 

5. Take on the challenge of taking 10 photos throughout the day

I only remember that it was a Tuesday, but which one, no clue. My bad.

Lots of Starbucks, Ryan, colorguard, traffic, and cold weather.

 

6. Try taking a silhouette

Funny story: I could hardly ever get the right lighting for this, so it was fairly difficult to do.

Oh but this picture is the closest I got, and it was taken in (drum-roll-please)

....the office women's bathroom! Yes! I did!

Then I took the picture through the Camera+ App and "Darken" the picture a little bit more.

 

7. Create a filter with your sunglasses

Left picture is with my Coach glasses, and the Right picture is without.

Not a huge difference, but noticable.

 

 8. Add fonts to your photo.

I've heard that it's usually "No-Pants-Friday", but this particular day was "Track-Suit-Friday"!!

It was raining, and too cold to run around with no pants, so I decided track suit it is!

For the font I used the Phonto App.

 

9. Make a collage

This wasn't hard, because I make collages using the Diptic or PicFrame app.

But this one is special to me, because it was the first time Ryan "met" my Auntie Debbie and Grandpa Bob.

 

10. Create a message

It's simple but sweet! Aloha & Mahalo everyone!

 

 



#77 DZP: Complete 3 DIY projects

Now when I say "DIY", I really thought "Craft-Time". So while I was off work, and staying home with Ryan, Craft-Time is what I did during his Nap-Time. :)

My craft store loved me: Ryan and I probably went (at-least) 3 times each week...

 

I always wanted to make melted crayon art, so I bought my crayons, the board, the frame, and the flowers, and took my glue and hair dryer to them. Tutorial to follow :)

 

 

Since it was Halloween, I found this off Pinterest (what else?!) and decided to make my own.

Just take a fake pumpkin (from craft store), spray paint it black (or white, or orange, or neon green... get your Pantone-color on!), take rhinestones and stick/glue them on into a web pattern, then hot glue your creepy (but glittery) spider! I absolutely HATE spiders, but I loved this project!

 

Once again, Pinterest sparked my creative-funny-bone: Halloween Tu-tu Wreath!

Take a roll of tulle (I bought mine from amazon, but tulle is everywhere!) and cut into strips. Tie, knot, slip-knot (whatever you want) on a foam wreath (also from craft store, I think I used a 12" wreath). Then run to the craft store and gather decorations for your fancy wreath: flowers, leaves, glittery-shinnies, and hot glue them on! I used  purple and black flowers, orange-glittered stems, and a decorative peacock feather. And because the spiders were 2-package deal, I used the other for my wreath!

 

Yay for crafts and Do It Yourself Projects!