Atlantic Time Square then Big Bear Adventure @ 3AM

This was a special night for the Changs... Another one of our spontaneous adventures!

10:00 PM

Atlantic Time Square - Monterey Park, CA.
This place is almost exactly like one of those big outdoor shopping plazas, without the typical chained establishments like PF Changs or Applebees. Instead it is a plaza of famous SGV restaurants... Chinese, Cantonese, Taiwanese, Japanese and Vietnamese. Basically, if you are a big fan of Asian food and new furbished condos... this is your paradise!

Phoenix Food Boutique is a restaurant specialized in food and desserts from the southeast region of China. It is definitely worth a visit! Check out what we ordered:

House Special Pan Fried Egg Noodle with shredded duck, chicken and bean sprouts. I don't think anymore explanation is necessary for this dish... It was a very special serving of chow mein.



Braised Tofu with seafood



11:00 PM

After the delicious dinner at Phoenix Food Boutique, we decided to go on a night photo scouting adventure.

Route 66 was on Beth's mind and that became the first target destination of our adventure. The Wigwam "teepee" Motel to be exact. I mean, a motel that is shaped and designed like an Indian teepee tent... Badass.

When we arrived at the motel, we were freaked out a little bit and we changed our minds at the office window. Mainly because it reminded us of Heisenberg's neighborhood from Breaking Bad... creepy and it would probably be more fun if we had more people with us.

1:00 AM

We were disappointed... heading back home and about to call it a night...
I thought, Hell no! It's 4th of July weekend and I am not going to waste my precious holiday weekend at home. Maybe it just felt like the perfect timing, but I was determined that we should totally check out Big Bear Lake, early Monday morning.

3:00 AM

It was 3AM and there weren't any other options that are awake at that time. Todd at the front desk of Northwoods Resort gave us a great deal so we have a comfortable bed to sleep in. We were blessed with the 2nd largest suites in the resort... also badass.

comes with king size bed, small kitchen / bar, jacuzzi, living room and balcony.



Wake Up and Explore Big Bear Lake

we drove up to the lake to get some fresh air, I wish I had a grill...



When we were scouting for future cabins for rent, we drove by this patriotic house.



Lunch at the local pizza joint. Hits the spot



After lunch we drove back to Pasadena.
Back to reality.
It was a great getaway!
Happy 4th Everyone!

Cleaning Out The Fridge

Warrior Dash is coming up and we need to eat healthier food. I looked in the fridge and there's not much left to cook with... All I could find was tofu, tomatoes, asparagus, onions, and eggs. Well we got our carb and protein... now lets mix em up!



Start with rice... Since it takes about 30-50 minutes to cook a batch of rice with the rice cooker, you should make rice first!

I've decided to experiment with brown rice mixed with multi-grains!  Multi-grains are awesome! it contains vitamins and minerals. And it also help us prevent things like heart disease, certain cancers, and type 2 diabetes.

• 1/2 cup brown rice
• 1/2 cup multi grains

Mix the rice and grains together in a rice cooker, add 2 cups of water and press the "cook" button.

If you don't know how to use a rice cooker you can find the instructions here.

Step 1 Prep

• 2 tomatoes, cut them up like orange slices
• 1 onion, sliced
• 1 pack of tofu, cut into 1-2 inch cubes
• 1 bundle of asparagus, chopped into little pieces
• 2 eggs, beat evenly in a separate bowl
• 11/2 teaspoon of salt (add more to taste)
• 1/2 teaspoon of ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon canola oil (for the egg)
• 1 tablespoon canola oil (for the vegetables)
• 1 cup of water or chicken broth

Step 2 Cook The Eggs

For this dish you have to cook the veggies and eggs separately, then mixed them together later.

Place a deep skillet/pan on the stove and turn on high heat.  Pour the canola oil into the pan, wait about 1-2 minutes or until the oil is hot.  Then you can slowly pour the beat eggs into the pan... Let it sit for about 30 secs, scramble the egg roughly... once it's solidified then you can pour the eggs into a separate container.

Step 3 Stir Fry The Veggies

Place the same pan back on the stove and turn on the high heat.  Pour the canola oil into the pan, wait about 1-2 minutes or until the oil is hot.  Start with onions and asparagus, let it sit in the pan for about 1 minute then you mix in the tomatoes and about 1/2 teaspoon of salt together.  Cover the pan and let everything steam for about 1-2 minutes.



Remove the lid and pour in about 1 cup of water or broth, I used water in this case... to make it more vegetarian :)  let it come to a boil... reduce the heat to medium then cover again... for another 1-2 minutes

Remove the lid again, add the scrambled eggs and the tofu and the rest of the salt.  stir everything up gently... cover for another minute... remember in medium heat.



You are almost done! now remove the lid and add the black pepper... stir one last time and DONE !!!

Step 4 Eat

Get a plate, scoop in some rice, and pour the mix veggies and tofu on top of the rice... now EAT!





The left over food came with me to work the next day :) this makes a great lunch too!