Music Nostalgia: Lost In The Rhythm Of The Night

I just like this song it reminds me of those carefree days when I didn't much care for rule, always lived outside the norm, was intrigued by the complexity of  those enigma effortlessly commanded onlookers to take notice and ruled the  dance floor with such fluidity. It was uncanny how the lights and music almost mesmerized them almost drowning out the world around them, because I myself discovered this intoxicating freedom like no other there out on the dance floor in the midst of chaos that ensued amongst the crowd of the masses.  I have always been more of a social butterfly, but under those flashing lights with the thumping sounds of the bass and electrifying beat that reverberated across and through the sweaty masses attempting to move to the beat, I was immersed in ecstasy, feeling the vibes through every inch of my being, coursing through my veins. I  have always danced the beat of my own drum, never having been able to conform to the rhythm of the masses for the music it sings to me, it is and it becomes an integral part of who I am.

                                                                                                            -Lost n the Rhythm 

Treasures from the sea: Yummy Crab Cakes

Ginger and Coriander-tinged Crab Cakes served with honey mustard sauce

Whip up delicious ginger and coriander-tinged crab cakes when you're pressed for time. Many crab cakes are heavy in calories, sodium, and saturated fat which is so tasty, but oh so  not healthy. Plus they're often junked up with caloric and sodium-laden fillers and then deep-fried which is a tasty technique, but the caramelizing powers of deep-frying overwhelm the delicate, sweet crab. Often there’s too much sauce, too. Here’s how we put this seasonal treat within nutritional reach. We lightly season sweet, premium crab and use just enough mayonnaise, low-sodium panko, a Japanese breadcrumbs, and egg to bind it all together. We don't add any salt to the mixture, to keep sodium in check. The cakes are cooked in a slick of oil instead of deep-fried. We love a good rémoulade but overhaul the condiment to add a flavor punch without as much sodium. Our version of crab cakes is ideal for the season: a ¬vibrant and light dish that pairs perfectly with a crisp salad and glass of wine.

INGREDIENTS

For the crab cakes

• 2cm/1in piece fresh root ginger, peeled
• 2 red chillies, seeds removed
• 250g/9oz white crabmeat
• 1 tbsp roughly chopped fresh coriander
• 2 spring onions, finely sliced
• 2 free-range eggs
• 7-8 tbsp breadcrumbs
• plain flour, for dusting
• 25ml/1fl oz olive oil

PREPARATION

1. Place the ginger and chilli into a mini food processor and pulse until finely chopped.

2. In a bowl combine the chilli and ginger with the white crabmeat, coriander and spring onions. Crack in one egg and mix well, then stir in 4 tablespoons of the breadcrumbs.

3. Divide the crab cake mixture into 6 equal portions and mould into patties. Place on a tray and chill in the fridge for about 20 minutes before cooking.

4. Preheat the oven to 180C/365F/Gas 4.

5. Beat the remaining egg in a small bowl with one tablespoon of water to make an eggwash. Place some plain flour and the remaining breadcrumbs in separate shallow dishes.

6. Dredge a crab cake in the flour, then dip into the egg and coat in the breadcrumbs. Shake gently to remove any excess breadcrumbs. Repeat with the remaining crab cakes.

7. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan and fry the crab cakes for 2-3 minutes on each side, or until crisp and golden-brown all over. Transfer the crab cakes to a baking tray and bake for 5-10 minutes, or until piping hot all the way through.

8. Serve the crab cakes with sweet chilli jam and a mixed leaf salad, lightly dressed with olive oil, salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Spicy Crab Cakes served with Glazed Buttered Baby Asparagus Spears

Sauces:

Crab cakes can be served with tartar sauce or for a change try one of the sauce below.

Zippy SauceIngredients:
¼ c. catsup
¼ cup mayonnaise
1 tbsp. horseradish
1 tsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. red pepper flakes

Whisk together all of the ingredients.

Mustard SauceIngredients:
½ cup sour cream
½ cup brown mustard
1/8 cup yellow mustard
¼ cup mayonnaise
¼ cup plain yogurt

Put all of the ingredients into a bowl and mix well.

My Reason:My Little Tiny Tornado!!!

2012-Nate @ 7 yrs old

2011- Nate @ 6 yrs

2010- Nate @ 5 yrs

2009-Nate goofing around with Lok Ta 4 yrs old

2008-Nate and his Ma Yeay 3 yrs old

2007-Nate @ 2 yrs yrs old

2006-Nate's 1st Bday

2005-Nate and his Lok Ta-9 months

2005-Nate@ 6 months

2005-Nate @ 3 months

2005-Nate @ 1 days old

2005-Meet the Birthday Boy!! Newborn Nate

Hoobastank, Reason 

My Saving Grace

Be my saving grace, for this silence echoes deafening killing me inside

I beg you rescue me, don’t run from me, and give me a sign

Tell me it’s just my mind playing tricks on me

Losing my mind, losing control of my mind’s eye, my sanity

So bittersweet, this love captivates me, encapsulates me

Taste so enticing, taste so bittersweet, consumes me whole 

Lingers on, lingers long after you've gone 

Be my saving grace, for this silence echoes deafening killing me inside 

I beg you rescue me, don’t run from me, and give me a sign 

Tell me it’s just my mind playing tricks on me 

Pure and innocent promises reverberating from your lips 

Slowly mystifies me, smoothes me, and intrigues me 

I can barely take hold of my senses, I'm defenseless 
I'm falling apart, I'm crashing down hard 

Be my saving grace, for this silence echoes deafening killing me inside 

I beg you rescue me, don’t run from me, and give me a sign 

Tell me it’s just my mind playing tricks on me 

How can we bare to continue, how can this love be sustain? 

You turn and run away, leaving me standing alone 

With my heart in my hands, crying for you 

Be my saving grace, for this silence echoes deafening killing me inside 

I beg you rescue me, don’t run from me, and give me a sign 

Tell me it’s just my mind playing tricks on me 

Thoughts of you so sweet, seeping through intoxicating me 

Rejuvenating me, lifting me higher, high above beyond what I can see. 
I desperately want to believe in everything I hold true.

-Lost n Vicious Reality

ATB feat. Sean Ryan - Killing Me Inside 

My Thought of the Day

Comfort Food: Asian Style:)

Beef Pho

While the beef version of pho is most popular, my mom makes the best chicken pho I have ever tasted bar none. It is pretty Puh-tastic!!! Like many others in the region, I too can trace some ancestral roots back to china via Vietnam. And in recent years, there has been a renewed interest in a handful of restaurants are specializing in the delicate noodle soup. Some of them use free-range “ga chay” or “gia di bo” (literally, “jogging chicken” or “walking chicken”), yielding bowls full of meat that has a flavor and texture reminiscent of traditionally raised chickens in Vietnam. If you want to create great chicken pho yourself, take a gander at the this recipe and maybe try your hand at making some good ole pho remedy in lieu of chicken soup as comfort food. It is healthy and tasty!There are a variety of vegetables and herbs used to prepare and garnish the pho including:  fresh mint, cilantro, basil, bean sprouts, limes, sliced chili peppers are just some of my favorite accompaniments. Set a plate at the table and your guests can pick and choose what they like.

Veggies and herbs used in Pho

Where to find ingredients

• 2-3 lb. chickens: If your go-to markets don’t carry small chickens (mine don’t), you can find them at Asian markets
• Star anise: If your market has a Mexican foods section, you can usually find a packet of whole star anises in a bag for about $0.99. Note: You can also get cloves and cinnamon sticks in the same section… usually for a fraction of the price of spices sold in the standard baking aisle… in the same market
• Fish sauce: Try an Asian market. Look for an orange bottle with flying fish on it. It’s the best.
• Rock sugar: Also at an Asian market. A whole box with a pound of sugar is usually in the $1.00-range.

Chicken Pho

Chicken Pho Recipe 

(Makes 8 servings)

Ingredients for Broth
6 quarts water

• 2 2-3 lb. whole chickens
• 2 medium yellow onions
• 6 whole cloves
• 1 4-inch piece of ginger
• 5 star anise (40 robust points total)
• 3-inch cinnamon stick
• 1 ½ tablespoon kosher salt
• ¼ cup fish sauce
• 1-inch chunk rock sugar (about 1 oz.)

Ingredients for Bowls 

• 1 ½ lb. fresh small flat rice noodle
• 1 yellow onion
• 3 scallions
• Chicken pieces (from whole chicken used to make broth)

Ingredients for Garnish 

• 1 cup bean sprouts
• 3 sprigs Thai basil
• Handful cilantro leaves
• 2-3 limes



Nate enjoying some Beef Pho! Yummy!

• 2-3 Serrano chilies

Preparation ( Time: 2 hrs 30 min)

1. Preparation for Broth: In a large stock pot, heat up water. Rinse whole chickens clean and add to pot. Quarter onions, pierce them with the cloves (to prevent cloves from floating around in the broth) and add to pot. With a knife, slice the ginger about every quarter-inch to expose more surface area to the water. But don’t slice all the way through, so it’s still in one piece when added to the pot. Add the star anise, cinnamon stick, salt, fish sauce and rock sugar.
2. Bring pot to a boil, then bring heat down to a simmer for 45 minutes. As needed, skim off the top of the broth.
3. After 45 minutes, remove the two whole chickens and let cool for about 20 minutes. Using bare hands, pull of the chicken meat and place meat into bowl. Cover bowl. Return chicken bones to pot.
4. Preparation for Bowls: Peel and cut an onion into paper-thin slices. Then submerge into bowl of water and set aside.
5. About 2 hours into the cooking time, strain the broth to remove all the solids, and return broth to pot.
6. Begin assembling pho bowls. Cook fresh small flat rice noodles according to package directions (usually by submerging in boiling water for 10 seconds). Chop scallion into thin slices. In each bowl, you need the following:
   1. 3 oz. fresh small flat rice noodles
   2. 1 tablespoon chopped scallions
   3. 3 oz. chicken meat
7. Assemble garnish plate: Pull off cilantro leaves from stem. Quarter limes. Add to garnish plate, along with bean sprouts and Serrano chilies and Thai basil leaves.
8. Immediately before serving, ladle hot chicken broth over soup bowls- enough to cover the rice noodles. Serve immediately.

My Thought of the Day

Love Rush: Adrenalin junkies ultimate drug of choice!

In love as it is in life, the outcome isn't something you can foretell. More often than not unrequited love plays out like a tragic tale of two lovers than the unrealistic fairy tales which we so fondly remember as a child. Because    the reality is this screenplay is more of an impromptu skit that doesn't leave room for happy endings. Sadly enough there is no script for the leading characters to follow.  But without such sorrow what would we sing about.

There are countless country ballads that recant the torrid affairs of the heart and how love was lost or never returned. I know I am not alone in finding comfort in music and some songs actually feel like they are singing to me. That is the power of music and song, it reaches into ones soul and tugs on your heartstrings. It may even travel to places no one dared to venture.

Regardless of the impact, the human condition is vastly perplex and more complicated than  some may like to  portray it to be. Take heart,  love is eternal and forever, even if it never returned, for true love requires no reciprocation. It is given selflessly and without expectations. So, don't hesitate to love fully and openly for as long as you love with all of your heart, you are always true to yourself there is absolutely no shame in doing so, because the alternative is not to feel at all. Regret is harder to live with. 

Love like you live, without fear!

                                                           
                                                                                                       
                                                        -Lost n Her Element                                                                 

Who doesn't love surprises?

Who doesn't love surprises from time to time? I think we all do! They make your day and make you smile! Thank you!!

An E-epidemic: The Modern Attention Whore Explained

An attention whore is described as an insecure person that is so emotionally unstable and needy, that they have to constantly be coddled and be the center of attention in any given situation.

Attention whores are generally excessively dramatic and overtly seek out attention. They are enamored with the constant need to be the center of attention. This person (either man or woman), due to their deep-seeded need for validation from others, will often try aggressively to takeover any social setting. Though they tend to start as a bit entertaining to observe they tend to lose their entertainment value and become a nuisance quickly maybe even a pain in the ass. Generally, they have to qualms with crossing lines or stepping on toes to get to what they want, ie. meaning it could very well be your boyfriend or girlfriend. They lack good judgment and are fueled by the intoxicating rush and gratification that comes from attaining said attention.

Hahaha! Too hilarious!!!

Their inclination to obsess over their own extroversion dramatic theatrical talents, perplexing verbal skills and desperate desire to woo people often makes an attention whore quite loud, pushy and annoying. You just want to either get them to shut their trap and maybe even just take a chill pill, or have this overwhelming desire to to hit them with a blunt object repeatedly. We all know one or two and maybe have had to directly with one in the real, but now a new breed of attention whores has hit the cyber airwaves and threatens to become a E-epidemic.

Unfortunately, most of the impulses we may have when dealing with an attention whore will most likely not yield favorable results. I have thought of some idea to help productively deal with an attention whore.

Now before we delve into this process let’s start by understanding what is it about this person’s attitude bothering me because they are loud and aggressive, or because they’re deflecting attention off of me? The human condition is a tricky on, you know, a lot of the times those who have the biggest issues with attention whores are in fact quite motivated by envy of an attention whore’s outgoing and social persona .

Okay, now that we have clarified our motivation, I would like to point out that the best strategy that I have found is just simply ignore the attention whore’s erratic whimsical bouts for attention. Because, let’s face it the alternative response would be to give or appear to give your full interest to an attention whore. This only feeds their exacerbated sense of entitlement and makes them even more obnoxious.

If you are gonna be one, you might as well do it with pride!!!

But, I am going to be a little naughty and not so nice with this next suggestion, but occasionally I have been known to partake in some slightly unsavory activities.Sue me...I do sometimes enjoy toying with said attention whores is to verbally indicate their tendency to take over a conversation and to tease them about it. For example, I’ll say something like: “Wow! You sure have this uncanny obsession with talking about your favorite subject, YOU! You've been blabbing nonstop for over 40 minutes! Is there anything that you failed to mention?

Okay, I know “baiting” isn't a very nice tactic, but it does amuse me to no end from time to time. And I am admittedly a tad dark and twisted when it comes to certain topics. This kind of confident and clever humor is more effective than becoming aggressive, and a lot more effective than simply shutting up. They usually end up offended and storm off in a huff. 

But in all fairness, even attention whores have feelings. So, in the end, I think the most diplomatic and empathetic thing to do with a attention whore is to let them live out their lives. Because, behind all that drama and theatrics is more than likely a traumatized little child inside of each and every attention whore. And sometimes it gets tiring to deal with the never-ending psychological battle with an attention whore, trying to outsmart them, dominate them, ruin their reputation or steal their attention. And god forbids you don’t want to appear like you are just as insecure or an attention whore yourself. Yikes!

Lost’s EndNote: I believe that it is perfectly natural for one to seek a reasonable amount of gratification from compliments and possible attention that may come your way. Now whether it be intentional or not, the excessive need for external affirmation is unhealthy and not a desirable trait, but rather proves to be high maintenance. So, with that in mind, keep yourself in constant check and remember an excess of any good thing isn't always a good thing!

                                                                                - Lost n Vicious Reality

Disclaimer: I couldn't decide which version I liked more so I posted a few:) Enjoy!

                                                

Artist: Deadmau5
Song Entitled: Attention Whore
Version: Frostyboy Remix

Artist: Suicide Commando 
Song Entitled: Attention Whore
Version:  Funker Vogt Remix