Yummy Food!!

I really love to cook.

At first, I only focused on desserts (since that is what most people love in my opinion). But I have broadened my horizons and stepped out of my comfort zone lately and I can honestly tell you...

It feels great!

I'm use to baking - which means I measure the perfect amount of ingredients and play by the rules at all times to get my result. Deviating from the recipes always made me uneasy!

But thanks to Mike (who will eat and 'love' anything I make - eatable or not) I've really been committed to trying new flavors and dishes and it has really payed off!

One of the blogs that I love to follow is Two Peas & a Pot written by my friends Jana and Cindy. They always have great recipes that just hit the spot.

Like this one...

Sweet and Sour Chicken

The recipe is super simple and SO good - especially if you are craving Chinese Food!

They have such a great variety of recipes that keep my mouth watering!

My next dish I'm going to attempt to make from their archive is THIS.

Wish me luck!

Family & Memories....

This year has been a tough one. We lost two great women from the Armacost side of our family. My Aunt D.G. lost her battle with cancer recently and my Grandma just passed away this afternoon. Both women were great inspirations to me and possessed qualities that I strive for in my daily life.

With my Gram being 96 years old, we knew her time on this Earth was coming to an end. I was so grateful for the chance to sit by her side, tell her how much I love her and say goodbye for now.

A few of my favorite memories were finding her loose change with her metal detector in her back yard, helping her with crossword puzzles and trips to the San Diego Zoo.

She did such an amazing job raising her 5 girls and loving her 21 grandchildren.

D.G. was my mom's 2nd oldest sister and a prefect example of a loving, patient person. Each of my aunts have been a great influence in my life and it is so hard to see one of them pass away. Even though we were happy to see D.G. free from pain, we can definitely miss her sweet smile and warm laugh.

The great thing through all of this sadness, is the truth that we know Families are Forever. I'm sad that D.G. and Gram are no longer with us in this life, but I'm excited to reunite with them in the next. For now, we send our love to them and remember the happy memories.

To all my aunts (here and there), I love you!
To Gram, you were the best grandma ever! I love you forever and always.
And to my Mom, I love you "just a little bit more"!