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Happy Rabbit Year!

It's the year of the rabbit!  Predictions are that it is going to be a year of good fortune and a lot calmer than last year which was the year of the tiger (a ferocious animal).  Check here for more detailed predictions.  We celebrated last weekend with a pescatarian hot pot. YUM!

Of course we had a delicious raspberry chocolate mousse cake from Buttercooky Bakery!

Look at all those layers of sweet goodness!

Happy New Year Everyone!  I hope that this is a great year filled with good fortune and happy memories!

Pisticci for Dinner

So...it has taken me a while to write about Pisticci, but that is only because the food is great and it's hard to really give you a good description without having you try it yourself!  Now, for the recap of March 20th...

After a beautiful afternoon at the New York Botanical Garden, we headed home for dinner at Pisticci and it was the perfect end to a great day.  It was a celebration of Chia Yi's accomplishments and her new position in a field that she really loves.  I am sure that she is going to do great things! 

I think everyone would agree that we were definitely happy and full by the end of this meal.  You wouldn't know it if you didn't live in our neighborhood, but this restaurant used to be a dry cleaners.  Now, it is a pretty hopping place and has turned into a lovely restaurant with rustic decor and an outdoor dining area. Now on to the good stuff...

We started off with some booze!  I am delighted to say that all three of the Hou sisters are now legal drinkers.  Two out of three turn a tomato red after drinking.  Me, of course, turning the most red.

We loved the fresh soft bread with the olive bits in olive oil dipping!  I had the potato and leek soup which went perfectly with the soft bread; soaking up the delicious soup.

 

Shaun and Chia Hui had one of the specials for the evening, the artichoke ravioli.  The sauce was creamy yet not heavy with a bit of sweetness to it. The ravioli was so fresh it sorted melted in your mouth combining the sauce with the artichoke stuffing which created a medley of flavors.  If they made this dish a regular item on the menu, it could very easily become a favorite!

Daddy had the salmon with roasted tomatoes with satuéed broccoli rabe and potatoes.

This is what Mommy had, a stack of grilled vegetables in a tomato sauce; another specials item.

Chia Yi and I had the fettucine ai funghi with homemade fresh fettucine. It has a variety of wild, earthy mushrooms and gives off a bit of woodiness but is so good that you keep going back for more.  This is our favorite dish, because of the wonderful flavors of the mushrooms in the sauce.

This is how we feel about dessert:

So, the next time you are in the city on a gorgeous day, think about visiting the New York Botanical Garden! Then head to Pisticci for great Italian food and yummy dessert!

NYBG Orchid Show

I love orchids!  Last Saturday, March 20th, it was beautiful day and the whole family went to see the New York Botanical Garden's Orchid Show: Cuba in Flower.  I have to say, we picked the perfect day to go because the weather was gorgeous!  The NYBG always does a great job of putting together these really magnificent shows for everyone to enjoy and just take in the beauty of nature.  We enjoyed every minute of it and with so many different varieties and colors of orchids I didn't want it to end.  I couldn't stop taking pictures, but I will refrain from posting every single one in this post.  (Sorry, for the picture heavy post!) I have picked my favorites for your viewing pleasure! Enjoy!

As you enter the conservatory, you are greeted by this mini orchid oasis...

Shaun and I paused for a moment so my sister could take our picture.

According to Wikipedia, orchids are the largest family of flowering plants and have over 22,000 species!  Can believe that?!  This is my favorite exhibit at the NY Botanical Garden and now you can probably see why that is. 

Stay tuned for details on our dinner at Pisticci!

Year of the Tiger!

Happy Chinese New Year!

Happy Valentines Day!

2010 is the year of the tiger!  GRRRR!  This year it just so happens to be Valentines Day as well; a double celebration!  We snacked all afternoon and almost didn't have room for dinner.

 

Shaun brought over a basket of goodies.  I think that we might go into sugar overdrive.

 

Daddy made the most delicious dinner!  Here is the lineup:

 

 

 

Chia Yi and Chia Hui made dessert!  It was so yummie!

Wishing everyone a wonderful and prosperous New Year!

More presents!

My sisters got me this awesome rooster since I was born in 1981!  The year of the rooster!

He is sooo cute and sooo squishable!

Chia Yi got me these cute emoticon (starry-eyed, ticklish, frisky, and zippy) earbuds for my ipod headphones.

Marine Corps Marathon Weekend!

WOW!   What an awesome weekend! Even though most of our weekends are usually jam packed with things to do, this weekend was especially so!  Three days, 12 hours of driving, 6 hours of running, 4 hours of site seeing, and 411 photos.  Watching him finish the marathon...priceless!

Friday, we started off the weekend driving to Old Alexandria, VA and along the way we stopped at Cracker Barrel (one of my favorite old country style restaurants) for dinner.  We had very nice rooms at the Sheraton and the bed was so soft and comfy.

Shaun let us sleep in Saturday morning while he went to the Armory to get his marathon tracking chip and gear.  When he got back we headed off to do some site seeing in Washington D.C.!  We went to the Lincoln Memorial, National Museum of Natural History, Washington Monument, National Museum of African Art, and Smithsonian Castle.  We had lunch in Old Alexandria and guess what?  They have a Paper Source store, so we stopped in to checkout the goodies and I got a new stamp for my Christmas cards.  They really need to open one in New York.

The day of the marathon we all woke up at 6 AM!  Here we are, still trying to wipe the sleepies from our eyes while we wait in line for the buses to take us to the start of the marathon.  Time was ticking so Shaun separated from us as they got the runners on the buses first.  By the time we got to the starting line, all the runners had already started and people were beginning to clean up.

We decided to meet Shaun between the nine and ten mile marker.  He's looking good as he high-fives Sherine before continuing the route and we start heading towards the 15 mile marker for the second meeting destination.

Sherine, Chia Hui, and I met Shaun where the 26 mile marker was and we were so proud that he finished the marathon!

Weekend excitement!

We have been anticipating this weekend for the last four months and I am excited that we are finally driving to Washington D.C. for the Marine Corps Marathon today.  Chia Hui, Sherine, and I are going to be cheering Shaun along the 26 miles of the marathon.  The course will take him through the scenic areas of Arlington, VA and the National Mall in Washington D.C.  He has been training for the past six months in preparation for this event.  This will be the third year that he is running the Marine Corps Marathon in memory of his friend Andrew who passed away in a car accident.  I feel so honored that he asked me to join him on this special day.

Have you done something special to commemorate someone who has passed in your life?

Happy Birthday Lil Sis!

Happy Birthday Chia Hui!  You are not a teenager anymore!  WOW!

Bon Voyage!

I didn't believe it at first when Aunt Mary said that she was thinking of selling her house and moving to Colorado this year.  We attended a surprise party that Jing Fong threw for her, wishing her the best of luck and much happiness as she embarks on this new journey in her life.  I hope that she likes the weather and people in Colorado!