Lifestyle | Food | Travel
Right now sissy and I are getting a manicure. Hopefully it’s going well since I’m writing from the past.
New Years Eve in my family means me spending time with my family. More like my parents and June since my brother is already back in Dallas and my sissy is most likely to hang out with her boyfriend.
I like being home with the parents. I actually like starting a new year with them.
I guess we’ll see what happens this year.
Happy New Years Eve!
Have fun and be safe!
What are you up to?
If you’re Chinese you would know what Congee is. Or in my language, Jook. It’s a type of rice porridge. I remember eating it when I was sick or on Sundays.
Ever since I went off to college I ate less and less of it. I wasn’t home anymore where my mum can make it for me and if I went out for it, it would cost an arm and a leg.
My mum is letting me take the 3 quart (?) Crock Pot to college for my last semester and I am so excited.
So excited, I decided to try it out and make congee last night.
I know it may look disgusting but it tastes better than it looks.
Congee (Jook)
Ingredients:
Preparation:
You can add anything else you want in there. Chicken, vegetables, shrimp, etc.
Mine came out a little bland but that’s how I like it because I’m not a big fan of using salt. I also added a lot of water. More ingredients in the pot, more water needed.
It also depends on what you put in there that makes the color. If I didn’t add some of the ingredients, it would have came out white. Keep that in mind. And enjoy. 
Since Tammy, Jenny, and Sammi were leaving back to Dallas we went to:
Spring Creek Barbeque
21000 Katy Freeway
Katy, TX
(281) 829-0359
www.springcreekbarbeque.com
They do things very differently here.
The cost of your food depends on what you order meat-wise.
And the sides (pinto beans, potato salad, coleslaw, corn, mac & cheese, green beans) along and bread are on the house – all you can eat!
But if you wanted to get baked potatoes, french fries, okra, or side salad, you would have to pay extra.
Ribs | $11.95
I got the ribs as you can tell. They were delicious. You can get bbq sauce on top or in a sauce cup. I got it on top.
For the sides, I got a roll, a slice of onion, macaroni and cheese, green beans, and potato salad.
Yes the sides are all you can eat but they were heavy and … unhealthy.
For the taste though, let’s just say I ate another roll, more green beans, a very tiny bit of potato salad.
I would come back here but not for a little while. They really do pack on the meat.
We had Christmas on the 23rd due to the sissy having work on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
It starts out like any other Christmas.
Me wrapping presents for everyone that needs help wrapping their gifts
Some tags to some presents that needed wrapping.
Pictures with the doggies (Rocky, Krypto, Pluto) were taken in front of the Christmas tree.
Here is the shots with the presents, minus the sissy’s. She hadn’t arrived yet.
All the presents!
From:
– Tammy’s Family – Beignet Mix from Café Du Monde, Fact or Crap, Scrabble
– Brett – Spice Rack
– Tammy – Popcorn Bowl, Eco 2 Go Cup
– Dad – 10 bucks (Traditional Game)
– Sissy – Certificate Shellac Manicure, Neutrogena Chapstick
– June – 2 scarves
– Mum – Crockpot Recipes
Not shown:
– Brother – Coach Wristlet
We opened up the Scrabble and played a round of it. I won with 182 points! The next time we played, I was not so lucky.
Pluto got a new sweater!! It’s so cute!! 
And I made Red Velvet Cupcakes for Jenny and Sammi.
On the 25th we all went to our Aunt’s for Christmas dinner.
I got a purple wallet from the cousins, the siblings and I got random things in a bag from another cousin, and the Uncle gave us each 20 bucks.
It was fun getting to reminisce with the cousins. I love that we grew up so close together. So many memories …
We played Outburst for Juniors. We were put into two teams. Me, Tammy, and Cousin. Brother, 2 Cousins, and Jenny.
Four against three. We won!!
Then we played Chinese Checkers. Jenny won by victory of everyone. We helped her out and she ended up being first place. Funny huh?
Hope your Christmas was just as wonderful!!
In the spirit of Christmas, I’m doing a Holiday survey. It’s been circling the blog world so I’m finally doing it.
1. Eggnog or hot chocolate? I would have to go with hot chocolate since I’ve never had eggnog before. Other than the time I had it from Starbucks, Eggnog Latte. And it was disgusting.
2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree? I never believed in Santa. I know what you think. What kid didn’t? Well, this one. But to answer the question, Santa must be dumb to not wrap the dang present.
3. Colored or white lights on tree and house? Our tree right now has white lights and outside the house colored and white. Tacky? Sorry. I’m a fan of white lights because it looks so much more romantic and classy.
The tree from last year. See all the presents? Yep … only like 10 were for extended family. The rest were for my parents, sissy, brother, June, the significant others, or dogs. Yep … we go all out.
4. Do you hang mistletoe? I’ve never seen one in real life. Anyone want to fix that? A plus if a hot guy is already underneath. 
Just kidding.
5. When do you hang your decorations up? My mum and June usually do it after Thanksgiving week.
6. What is your favorite holiday dish, besides dessert? We’re not very traditional with our foods during holidays but I would have to say corn casserole or green bean casserole. Or whatever my mum makes. Yum!
7. Favorite holiday memory as a child? When I was younger and my Uncle Naven was still here, we would all pack into one mini van to go around neighborhoods and look at the Christmas lights and decorations. There was always one with Snoopy that sat in a train thing and went around a track on the big lawn.
8. What’s on your Christmas wish-list? Just having the family together. It’s getting harder and harder to get everyone together. We are growing up way too fast. 
9. Do you open presents on Christmas Eve? Sissy is a nurse so she doesn’t always get holidays off. Therefore we work around her schedule and this Christmas we’re having it tomorrow (today 23rd). I’m fine with it, as long as we’re together. 
10. How do you decorate your Christmas tree? As fast as we can. We like to look at it but not much for decorating it. At least that’s me.
11. Snow? Love it or dread it? I would think I’d love it. I’ve never seen real live snow. The last few years we had pity snow so that doesn’t count.
Hopefully when I go to Penn State this upcoming February it’ll snow!
12. Real or fake tree? I love real trees! My friend had one at her house and it just looks so much better!! But the fake one is cheaper on the wallet.
13. Do you remember your favorite gift? I don’t have a favorite. Each year there’s always a new favorite.
14. What’s the most important thing about Christmas for you? Spending time with the fambam!
15. What is your favorite holiday dessert? I’m not a fan of sweets but I guess the occasional hot apple pie with cold vanilla bean ice cream.
16. What is your favorite holiday tradition? Um … not sure we have one but my dad does do a drawing where he doesn’t buy us anything but we draw a number that’s crumpled up and that’s the amount of money we get.
17. What tops your tree? A bow. We’re not traditional as you can tell.
18. Which do your prefer, giving or receiving? Giving! I love finding things I think they’ll love and watching their excitement. I also love wrapping presents. And baking them goodies.
19. What is your favorite Christmas song? I’m not a fan of traditional Christmas songs. Don’t kill me!! I love Kelly Clarkson’s My Grown Up Christmas List though! Never heard of it? Here you go:
20. Candy canes, yuck or yum? Yum … I don’t really eat candy canes though.
21. Favorite Christmas movie? I don’t have one … any suggestions?
22. What do you leave for Santa? Nothing …
23. Do you have a favorite Christmas morning tradition? Nope. 
24. Do you prefer to shop online or in the mall? Shopping online. It’s easier. But sometimes you find things you never would online. But even then not the mall. I hate the mall. I’m okay with stores that aren’t malls though. If that makes sense. 
25. Christmas letter or Christmas cards? I don’t do either. But we just started a FTK PenPal to the kids so I wrote a Christmas letter. It was fun.
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There’s a really cute engagement video where the guy asks the girl with Meme Pictures.
If you know what that is, you might enjoy it. It’s cute!
It won’t let me embed it so here it is: http://vimeo.com/33507366
If she had said no, he had a “forever alone” sign.
So cute.