Can you identify this plant?

Sometimes hubby and I bemoan the absence of Asians and Asian cuisine in our area.  However, as much as I miss seeing Asian faces and eating delicious foods (oh steaming bowl of ramen, tender bulgogi, juicy soup dumplings, NY style bubble milk tea, tender kong xin cai, salty nasi lemak, fresh sushi, and piping hot samosas-- how I miss you) we are fortunate to have befriended a few Asian gals.  

So we're not so alone.

One gal is originally from Cambodia and though we often misunderstand each other, we do share the common language of  food.  Most of our talk centers around food: what we enjoy eating, what we've made, and what we want to make some day.

 Recently she brought me this plant to grow in my deck garden:

The stems have to remain in water until roots grow.  Then, I'm supposed to pot them in soil.

Apparently the leaves are (1) tasty with pork, and (2) good for people with bad eyes (I wear glasses.)  Hubby and I are excited to try the leaves out, but there's one problem:  I'd like to know the name of this plant before I put it in my mouth.

So that's where you, dear readers, come into play.  What is this plant called?  I tried googling "Asian plant tastes good with pork leaves Cambodian" and didn't find anything besides kaffir lime leaves.

Here's an up close shot for all you super sleuths...

Farming fantasies

I had a wonderful time seeing my college friends this past weekend.  We laughed, cried, and ate a whole lot.

This weekend I also fell in love...
with my friend's mom's gentleman's farm.  (Gosh, that's a lot of apostrophes.)

*Sigh*  So cute

One of their roosters and his harem of chickens   (I ate their eggs for brunch.  Delicious!)

A bunch of thyme growing in their herb garden

Be still my beating heart- it's a compost pile...

Even though hubby and I live in an apartment now, hopefully one day we'll own a plot of land and I'll get to live out some of my farming fantasies.  For now I'll practice growing plants on the deck...

3223 reunion

During college I lived in a large rickety house with some great friends.  I always look back fondly on those days with my "3223 gals" because we laughed so much, shared so much, grew so much, and threw such great dinner parties.  With everyone now scattered to the four corners of the earth, it's always a special treat to meet up and share what's happening in each others' lives.  This year four of us are meeting in Philly and skyping another gal in Thailand.

Good-bye Michigan.  Hello Philly and gals!

I wonder what Hubby and Charlie will be up to while I'm gone...

       

Guess who?

Hubby and I are entertaining a guest this week.  

New life

The message of Easter is all about new life.  This message seems particularly relevant for hubby and me right now.  We're in the midst of settling into a new life in Michigan and soon we're going to start a new life as mommy and daddy to the new life growing inside my belly.

Last night we invited two friends over to Easter dinner.    

New traditions with some new friends

Congratsusagna

I recently heard some great news from two people.  One good friend recently was offered 2 jobs in California and a cousin just passed the final part of his ordination exam.  I was so happy I baked them a congratsusagna.

What, dear reader?  You've never heard of a congratsusagna?   Well, let me educate you.

Official Pink Stripey Socks definition:

Congratsusagna  (kənˌgrætjʊˈzän'yə) n.
       A dish consisting of layered pasta, tomato sauce, and cheese with the word
       "congratulations" or "congrats" written on it, often shown on websites to
       celebrate accomplishments and hard work

A real live congratsusagna

Congratulations guys.  I'm so happy for you both.  :)

Proposal is a 12 point word

One of my good friends loves playing Scrabble.  If someone were to propose to her, he might do it like this: