My Kitchen Remodel: Construction Detail photos

After work today, I decided to take some fun detail photos of my kitchen construction site.

Since its dark by the time I get home, the site looks eerie with our temporary light.

Good plumbing is a must, even though it means replacing all the pipes.

Mocha the dog inspects everything from floor to ceiling

The electrical plugs are not happy that they're being replaced

Especially with the new wiring

Floors are stripped bare

These tools have gone through tough jobs and have many stories to tell.

And did I mention we're also remodeling the living room too?

After knocking down all the walls, Mocha discovers a hidden treasure.

A built-in bookcase that was behind the big rocks that decorated the wall.

Our fridge is posing as a ghost. In the right light, that can give me nightmares.

Mocha is unsure if she'll ever get her living room back. She hopes the construction will be over very soon so she can get back to her old routines.

My Kitchen Remodel: 600lb package

Our package got delivered the other day. All 600lbs. This was an impulsive buy, and this is the main reason why our kitchen project got expedited. I love this piece of equipment. So beautiful and the possibilities are endless. And it was on sale, with free delivery, so I had to jump on it.


Meet my new stove. I don't quite know how I'm going to get this massive piece of equipment into the house, but look at how gorgeous this machine is! Two ovens, 4 gas burners, a grill, and a griddle! As long as I have this stove, I don't care if my cabinets are made of cardboard boxes. I think this is all I will need, right?

My Kitchen Remodel

Ever since I got married, I've been setting lofty goals for myself and my family. We bought a little 3 bedroom house a little over a year ago in Lakewood, and I've been anxious to remodel the kitchen. My boss and great friend, Margaret went through this process 2 years ago when she bought a Long Beach Peninsula beach front condo. She had to go through the whole process by herself, and I can't believe how brave she is. Her newly remodeled kitchen is fabulous and home magazine editorial worthy. I will ask her if I can post some of her before/after pictures on my blog.

Remodeling a kitchen is as painful as planning a wedding. You have a fantasy idea of what you want your perfect kitchen to be. Then you realize how much planning, research, and money it takes to make it happen. And you're bombarded to make many decisions along the way. And each decision you make costs money. And there is always self doubt of the decisions you make along the process.

Right now, it took us a long time to get our fiances in order and it is so important that you have enough cash to cover all unknown circumstances. (Like, changing out the plumbing since, everything is torn out anyway, so we should replace all the pipes, and pipes and labor costs money)

I'm not going to drive myself crazy and post all the photos until everything is complete so I can share before/after photos. Then when I catch a breath, I will post the full process on this blog for all of you who are thinking about remodeling your dream kitchen.

Since we don't have a functional kitchen, there are going to be a lot of pizza and Chinese food take outs.

Diabetic cat

My sister is away on a European trip, and she asked me to take care of her cats during the holidays. I'm a dog person, so having cats around is really different. It would be easy to just feed them and clean the litter box, but Jimmy here is a diabetic cat. He needs insulin shots twice a day on the neck to metabolize blood glucose. Living with a diabetic cat be be normal-so don't freak out when your cat gets diagnosed. Insulin and syringe is expensive, and putting the cats on a high-protein can be costly, but after getting used to injecting the cat everyday, it becomes a routine task and it gets easier for you and the cat. Jimmy doesn't seem to mind the shot at all- he actually purrs when I administer the shot. I think the insulin gives him a little rush. All this work is worth it because pets are part of the family, and after seeing how healthy and vibrant he is now that he's on medication, you realize you would do anything for this handsome guy.


This is Tiramisu. She's a hisser. She doesn't have diabetes but has a mild case of mean.

For more information on diabetic cats, please refer to this link here.

Have a Happy New Year!

What an epic 2011...I got married, bought a house, and...just as the new year is starting, my sister got engaged! Omg, look at this gorgeous ring!!!

Congrats, Angela and Martin!

Los Compadres- Jen's favorite hole in the wall restaurant series

This is my favorite Mexican restaurant-ever. This is a really popular place in a not-so-great area of Long Beach close to downtown. Don't let the neighborhood deter you away, this place is legit. So good that I keep going back every chance I get. It works out for me, because all my co-workers feel the same way too!

Before I talk about their amazing food- check out the wall murals in this restaurant. A shark with a bloody tuna ocean scene next to a very patriotic Mexican bandito with a rifle AND a sword. Of course, there is soccer playing on the flat screen- what more can I ask for?

I'm going to dive into my favorite- carnitas. They make it perfect every time. Crispy chunks of meat on the outside, that is fork tender. I love these grilled onions too. I'm not the only one boasting about this dish- this is the best carnita I have ever tried. Even beats out all the carnitas I had while traveling through Mexico.

My second favorite is their chicken Mole. It's hard to get mole just right- not too sweet, deep in complex flavor, with a kick of spice. They also have the best hand made tortillas. It comes out piping hot and fresh every time.

And the secret about this place too is that they have the freshest raw oysters on the half shell. It comes with an amazing lime-habanero sauce that beats the vinegar with horseradish combo. They also have the best shrimp soup- the broth is amazingly flavorable. It tasts like you're drinking the ocean. If you don't want a bowl, get a cup of this stuff. If you love shrimp- this is a must try soup.


Los Compadres Restaurant
(There are multiple locations, but I think this one is the best)
1144 Pine Ave
Long Beach, CA 90813
(562) 432-0061

Mon-Thu, Sun 9 am - 9 pm
Fri-Sat 9 am - 10 pm

And of course, the prices are super reasonable. I believe that great food shouldn't cost you so much!

Pismo Beach Sunset for Paul's Birthday

For Paul's birthday, we decided to go to Pismo Beach for a couple of days to celebrate and recharge our batteries. Pismo Beach is located about 4 hours drive north from Long Beach. We decided to take our dog, Mocha on this trip too.
We stayed at Spy Glass Inn which is a great little hotel that was on the cliff overlooking this spectacular beach. With a few minutes away and a stairway down, we were able to go for a sunset run every day.






We really didn't do much- except relax, finish reading my book, and taking much needed naps. Happy Birthday, Paul. Hope you had a great time celebrating!