If I'm Gonna Fall In Love-A Rocket to the Moon

I'm gonna take my time
Making sure that the feeling's right
Instead of staying up all night
Wondering where you are

Miles and miles away
In a town, in another state
I wanna know if you just can take
The thought of us apart

If I'm gonna fall in love
There's gotta be more than just enough
I gotta get that old feeling
I gotta get that old high

I come from an empty town
Far away from the city sound
I like to settle down some day
I need to know your past
Something that'll take you back
Cause I want a girl like that one day

If I'm gonna fall in love
There's gotta be more than just enough
I gotta get that old feeling
I gotta get that old high

You got a love to own
Gotta live life like a rolling stone
I gotta get that old feeling
I gotta get that old high

If I'm gonna fall in love

I can't stop wondering why
They take us to a longer time
Maybe I should just let go
But baby all I know

Is I'm gonna fall in love
Some day, some way you'll show up
I'm gonna get that old feeling
I'm gonna get that old high

If I'm gonna fall in love
There's gotta be more than just enough
I gotta get that old feeling
I gotta get that old high

You got a love to own
Gotta live life like a rolling stone
I gotta get that old feeling
I gotta get that old high

(I gotta get that old feeling)
(I gotta get that old high)
If I'm gonna fall in love
(I gotta get that old feeling)
(I gotta get that old high)
I gotta get that old high
(I gotta get that old feeling)
(I gotta get that old high)
I gotta get that old high
(I gotta get that old feeling)
(I gotta get that old high)
If I'm gonna fall in love

Envelop(e)

Like infinite particles, dancing in the air

your eyes pass through me.

I sing to the silent music—although you wouldn’t know it.

I cry with the skies—trying hard not to show it.

I walk between the lines—neither here nor there.

I die once more—breathing in the air.

Oh, how I love(d) you.

How curious                it is

             to be obliterated…

Despite, my loving sacrifice.

Like the decay of daisies, distorting their perfumes

the whiff of it, pushes you away.

Like spilled ink, the promise of words

smeared and unread.

Do not fear

my dear.

I speak in letters—sealed, not sent.

Sex On The Beach

One day I succeeded.

The sex didn’t mean anything

the beach did.

I drank black coffee across from you.

Traces of my mascara littered on my face

because my faucet eyes ran dry.

From my lips came all of these words.

Sounds of nonsense.

Sounds of regret.

One day had become every single other day.

As I tried to move on.

As I tried to forget you.

Your eyes now meant for someone else.

You stare at a stranger.

You give me a passing glance.

Three hundred and forty miles.

I drove to see you.

I drove to disappear.

I cried all the way—there and back.

Thought of us together.

Thought of us apart.

Facing the ocean, you watch it

waiting for the day

it opens like an open road.

Little do you know,

it’s my blue wasteland of sorrows

the gravesite of all our tomorrows.

The blue sapphire tombstone—of us.

Vanity's Downfall

Am I a flower yet?

Enough to be kissed by your gaze?

& held so that my perfume lingers

            on you?

I wonder, if that day

will ever come

where your voice is silent

and I no longer succumb

to the taste in my head.

Stuffed with the words I translated

            into a broken language.

So. Full. I’ve lost my appetite.

I can’t get past it.

The layers, upon layers,

that cover me—

until I can no longer be found.

Held captive by dysmorphic demons

that Despair had conjured.

“The flower is beautiful.”

Slender and bright.

Whimsical as it sways.

            Something fragile.

The fairies say

its the key to happiness.

Comply, and you’ll be free.

Somehow, it’s a lie.

A false promise of stars

to disguise the waste of polluted dreams.

I’ve opened all the doors

but it only leads to here.

Exit is equated with stability,

But that’s impossible when I’m standing on mirrors;

because when I look down,

I have a long way to go,

            before I reach up.

The Last One

Piece by piece, I gave you me.

And carefully you placed them into a box,

stowed away beneath your bed

& as time passed,

you forgot it was there.

But there I lay, as you loved her on your bed.

All the while

I roamed the night, a ghost of your thoughts

something of the past.

So I kept all of my tears meant for you

and waited till I had enough

to drown my sorrows

to drown my self…

But when the time came, you came back

to claim me once more,

wanting that very last piece

of me.

Tracing my lips with your tongue

spelling out words

meaningless to you

that meant everything to me

as she sat in the audience

and laughed, while I

cried.

You laid me down, reopening my wounds

and she watched as I bled

for your own amusement.

So cruel you could be

after I had given you, me.

Me, to my barest soul

with my bare skin

all, all, alone.

So, so cruel that

you could be.

Despite the best of me.

With my nimble hands I held on

to the very last one.

The one you would never have.

Dare to "Green"

Green isn't my favorite color, but that doesn't mean I'm not attracted to it. It's just so vibrant and... lively! So I decided to make buckwheat soba noodles with zucchini for dinner. It was so quick and easy to whip up, I'm sure I'll be having these often on my busy nights.

Ingredients:
-buckwheat soba noodles (I used the pre-made ones that's a single serving. I cut a slit in the package and microwaved it for one minute)
-medium zucchini, sliced
-Season to your taste (I used soy sauce, lemon pepper seasoning, chopped onion seasoning, and green onions for garnish)

Cook your zuchinni on medium high heat. Toss in the noodles when the zucchini is slightly soft. Mix in the seasonings. And voila. That easy! Less than ten minutes on the stove. Add chickpeas or tofu for a protein source. I roasted some chickpeas in the oven, gave it a dash of seasoning, and had it for my appetizer.

"Cheesy" Popcorn

No cheese whatsoever! Instead, sprinkle your air-popped popcorn with nutritional yeast for a cheesy flavor.

My method:

Put two tablespoons of popcorn kernels in a brown paper lunch bag. Fold the opening twice (about 1/2 inch increments). Place in the microwave for about 1 minute and 30-40 seconds. Ta-da! Air-popped popcorn! 

Rice paper to the rescue!

The miracle of rice paper? They can make leftovers appetizing. Thank goodness for that, because I had spaghetti squash, baby carrots, and celery leftover from the week and I needed to get rid of it. However, eating them all week didn't make them anymore appetizing.

Nonetheless, I cut up the celery and carrots threw into a pan to cook, then added the cooked spaghetti squash.

To season, I added 1/2 a tablespoon of Hoisin Sauce and chili paste. Then I used rice paper (Three Ladies Brand is the best, in my opinion) and rolled them up. Although, I do need to work on my rolling/folding skills.

Nevertheless, the rice paper saved me from my leftover slump! Yumm! If you're ever in a rut, I suggest you try it!

My verdict on vegan cookies.

I did my grocery shopping this weekend at Whole Foods and came across this vegan cookie dough.

This has 28 servings at 50 calories per cookie. I'm pretty sure I'll be set this month when it comes to my cookie cravings.

Once I got home, I tried them out right away.

My verdict? They're so damn delicious! Better than the non-vegan doughs I've tried!

Peach-nana and Straw-nana Green Smoothies

Green smoothies! Here's a simple and quick recipe!

Ingredients:
1 cup of spinach
1/2 a banana
1/2 cup of frozen sliced peaches OR strawberries
3Tbsp of water (or more to reach the consistency desired)

Blend! Ta-da!

*The first photo is made with strawberries and the second is made from peaches. Excuse my pj's ;]

February Vegan Challenge

February first. A new month. A clean slate. Just what I needed! And I think a new challenge and self-experiment is needed!

As a child, I always associated February with Red. Red for Valentine's Day and red for the Vietnamese New Year. I'm not ashamed to say it, but Valentine's Day is one of my favorite holidays. I can see you rolling your eyes as you read this, but hear me out. We all live busy, face-paced lives. How often do you tell your loved ones, that you love them? Yes, it's a commercial holiday, but it also reminds you to appreciate those around you. And sometimes, we need a reminder (even if it's one where the greeting card industry profits).

I grew up in a household where we didn't say we loved each other, and it wasn't because we didn't love each other, we just weren't accustomed to saying it out loud. So when I got home from school on V-day's with a brown paper bag filled with cards that said nice (albeit standard) things, I couldn't help but feel good about myself.

Now flash forward. I'm no longer a child, but a young adult. No more brown paper bags filled with cards. Single or not, I still celebrate Valentine's Day. I send my single mother flowers, my sisters chocolates, and go out to dinner or watch a movie with my friends.

This year, I want to do something different. With the Vietnamese New Year to boost my New Year's Resolutions, I've decided to go Vegan for 28 days. I tried going Vegan two years ago, but it didn't last too long. This time, however, I'm determined to do the 28 days. The way I think of it, I'm resetting my body so that I can learn and go on living a happy and healthy lifestyle with a plant-based diet.
Along the way, I hope to find a balance between my mind and body. And once Valentine's day comes around, I hope to inflict myself with copious amounts of self-love (something we all need, once in awhile) and delicious food!

I'll be using Kriss Carr's Crazy, Sexy, Kitchen and Alicia Silverstone's The Kind Diet to help me accomplish this. Look forward to my recipe reviews.

Spaghetti Squash with Pad Thai Sauce

I've found another sauce that goes well with spaghetti squash! Pad Thai Sauce! I didn't have the regular ingredients at hand for pad thai, but I did have broccoli and tofu.

It turned out pretty well, that I made it again for my friend Lyly for dinner. Rest assured, it's been Lyly-approved!

Makes 2 servings (but you can easily make it for one due to the simple ratios)

Ingredients:
2 cups of broccoli
2 cups of cooked spaghetti squash
2 servings of tofu
3 Tbsp Pad Thai Sauce

Steam broccoli in one pan. Cut tofu into cubes and cook on medium-high until they have browned on all sides. When the broccoli is a vibrant green, set aside.

Once tofu is cooked, add the broccoli, spaghetti squash, and sauce together. Mix well over medium heat. Once the spaghetti squash is warmed up, you're good to go!

Loaded Veggie Soup

I'm not too good about eating my vegetables. Fruits, I love. Veggies, not so much. I try to incorporate salads or soups into my day as much as possible to compensate. So for this week I made a batch of soup to eat for the week instead of to-go salads. I'm a total newbie to the soup scene, so I just threw whatever sounded good in (the same approach I have to salads ;]).

Ingredients:

1 box of broth of your choice (low sodium)

1 medium zucchini

1 yellow squash

1 cup of cut green beans

1 can of kidney beans (rinsed)

1 cup of cut baby carrots

2 large celery stalks

Seasoning of your choice (I used black pepper, Mrs. Dash-Fiesta Lime, Chili paste) (weird combo! But that's all I had at the moment).

Directions:

Wash, peel, and cut veggies while bringing broth to a medium boil. Add carrots to the boiling broth first to give them a head start. Then add everything else. Stir occasionally.

Add seasoning. It's done, when the veggies are tender. Don't overcook it or you'll end up with mushy veggies (unless you like it that way).

~makes about 8 cups at 75 cals per cup

 

Reese's Hot Chocolate

I'm calling this "Reese's Hot Chocolate" because after seeing my baby cousin eat this:

I knew I had to find a replacement for that. So PB2 and Cocoa Powder to the rescue!

In one mug heat up a cup of unsweetened almond milk (or milk of your choice) for 1-2 minutes until hot. While the milk is warming up, mix one tablespoon of PB2, one tablespoon of cocoa powder, and 1 or 2 packets of stevia (depending on how sweet you want it, you can always add it after if you aren't sure) in another mug. Once the milk is warm, pour it into the mug with the dry ingredients. Stir well to make sure everything dissolves or stir as you drink (since the powder has a tendency to sink and sit on the bottom).

It definitely took away my craving, lasted longer than the few fleeting bites my cousin had, and was a healthier option compared to the process stuff.

*Note: This drink is very rich and may not suit everyone (because of the peanut buttery taste). To make hot chocolate, just omit the PB2 and use 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder instead.

Healthy Take on Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Oatmeal raisin cookies are my favorite. I can literally eat a dozen of them in one sitting. So I decided to put my own spin on it in a half dozen batch that is completely guilt-free!

Makes 6 cookies, bake at 350 degrees for 12-14 minutes. Just simply mix all ingredients together.

1 packet of instant unflavored plain oatmeal
1 tbs unsweetened applesauce
2 tbs unsweetened almond milk
1/2 tbs of sweetener of your choice
pinch of salt
dash of cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon baking powder
1 mini box of raisins (or about a tablespoon)

 Mix!

 Divide into six cookies!

And after waiting patiently, dig in!

Update on yesterday's banana ice cream!

So this morning for breakfast (yes, ice cream for breakfast!), I made the chocolate ice cream that I wrote on my previous post. It was delicious!!! Although, it came out more like a soft serve texture. I think next time I'll try mixing greek yogurt with sweetener and cocoa powder, then freeze it for a few hours to see if that texture is creamier and ice cream like. Once I do, I'll make sure to update you all!

Spaghetti Squash with Hoisin Sauce

This week I had spaghetti squash with vegan meatballs for my meal prep. Today I didn't have any red sauce or vegan meatballs left, but I still had half a cup of spaghetti squash. Today must be my "winging" day because I winged this one too.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup of spaghetti squash (cooked) (since it was all I had left)
1/2 tablespoon of hoison sauce
1 tsp of chili paste (if you like it spicy)
cilantro (optional, I used it to garnish)

Mix together and cook on the stove (med-low heat) until warm!

Tasted great! Since I know it worked out well, next time I'm gonna double the recipe, add veggies, and a source of protein to make it a real meal.

Remember, I'm a basic experimental cook. So get creative with this and add whatever you like! I for one cannot wait to eat this with red bell peppers, onions, and grilled shrimp!

Have a happy healthy day!

Chocolate Pudding/Dip/Ice Cream

Remember those chocolate pudding snacks in elementary school? I had a craving for that today, but I wanted a healthier version. Thanks to the versatility of bananas, I can!

This chocolate pudding can also be a dip or ice cream too. So simple! Just blend a refrigerated banana with 1/2 a tablespoon of unsweetened cocoa powder. For ice cream, simply use a frozen banana! Ta-da!

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies!

Instead of eating typical oatmeal today for breakfast, I wanted cookies! Thus, I winged it and created a medium between the two.

Ingredients:
-1 packet of instant unflavored oatmeal (or you can use 4 Tbs of rolled oats and crush them in a food processor)
-1 Tbs of Peanut butter or any nut butter you prefer (I used PB2)
-3 Tbs of unsweetened almond milk
-1 packet of stevia or truvia
-pinch of salt
-1/4 teaspoon of vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon of baking powder

Mix all of the ingredients together. Place on parchment paper on a cooking sheet (you don't have to use parchment paper, I just prefer it). The mixture makes six cookies. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes.

These came out chewy and soft! Next time I'll add some mix-ins like raisins, nuts,  or chocolate chips!

-Miss M

Spaghetti Squash with Vegan Meatballs

My healthy take on spaghetti, it's as simple as one, two, three! Seriously.

1) Spaghetti squash
2) Red sauce of your choice
3) Vegan meatballs (or you can go for whichever meatball that suits you).

Yum! Michelle Approved!