perspective.

when all else fails, just cha-cha!

the difference between today and yesterday is perspective. the difference between this day this year and this day last year is just a shift in perspective. it is time to embrace the imperfections of everyday life. to accept that we live in an imperfect world and that imperfection is what makes us all unique. (but don't dwell in that imperfection, strive to always be better.) to live in the present and take in every moment. dare yourself to just live. dare yourself to just breathe. dare yourself to just follow your heart. dare yourself to explore. dare yourself to just gain perspective. isn't that what it means to count anniversaries and birthdays? so that we can invite in the wisdom of experience?! it is for us to remind ourselves of how far we have come. it is for us to recount the memories for what they are.. moments of our very best decisions for that specific moment in time. it is for us to look back and not regret, because even if we had made mistakes, we have now learned how to make things right.. or at least better in our present and our future. it is for us to learn we are all human in that way. 

from my favorite modern day poet. 

everyday is a new day. live it fully. love and laugh and cha-cha on, always. remember, it is all just perspective. 

be the change..

we've all heard the quote by Mahatma Ghandi:

as i was researching the quote, i had found that that is not a verbatim quote by him. instead it is paraphrased from this excerpt:

We but mirror the world. All the tendencies present in the outer world are to be found in the world of our body. If we could change ourselves, the tendencies in the world would also change. As a man changes his own nature, so does the attitude of the world change towards him. This is the divine mystery supreme. A wonderful thing it is and the source of our happiness. We need not wait to see what others do. 

striking are his words. true are his words. change begins with you, and you alone. on every single humanly level possible. everything else is just a series of excuses.

Monday Night Mission was introduced to me by my best friend's sister. when she described it to me, i knew instantly that's what i wanted to experience. it was the kind of hands on charity work that i experienced growing up with my family. i wanted to be a part of that community. i wanted to see what it was about. i even contacted Mel, MNM's dedicated leader, and asked plenty of questions. but i never showed up. i knew part of my change was going after my heart and trying to rediscover what was important to me. i knew that volunteering and giving back to those in need in MY community was a large part of that. i knew that i wanted to see change and i wanted to see that what i gave affected someone. instant gratification, i suppose. i always donated money and (insert items of need here) to support whatever cause was thrown my way but i always had that uneasy feeling of wondering where all of it ended up. sometimes we fixate on problems far far away, but what about those in need here, living under our noses and not being taken care of? those that are starving, sleeping on the streets, or put through sex trafficking, right down the street from the comforts of our homes? i think about these things all the time and what do i do? i lamented the idea but i never did anything about it. because there were (what i thought then) BIGGER PROBLEMS in MY LIFE. oh dear, such a typical egotistical human i am sometimes.

but fate intervened. i came out of whatever fog i was in, brought myself back to reality and dug deep. i was ready to face the world again. and what happens? i get a text from Mel asking if i was still interested in volunteering. initially i thought oh crap, he's sick of my bullish*t and wants me to stop asking questions if im not going to follow through.  but he genuinely was reaching out because he needed extra hands. so i said i'll be there Friday. i was still a bit skeptical to go alone so i mass texted my family to see if anyone wanted to join me. and lo and behold, everyone who didnt have prior engagements replied yes. i went to my very first Monday Night Mission as a family outing, nine of us. i couldnt have felt more supported.

after reluctantly parking in a Burger King parking lot, the group's meeting point, and seeing NO ONE outside, i walked around and met a girl who was there for the first time as well. eventually we walked inside and met the rest of the volunteers. everyone was so genuinely nice and seemed to have radiated hope. little by little all these food items materialized: bread, peanut butter, jam, fruits, water, ham&cheese sandwiches, etc. we got started on making peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, the default meal the group prepares for their daily offerings. this was the time to make friends get to know some of the fellow volunteers. there were many regulars and some, like us, were there for the first time. I dont quite remember how many sandwiches were made that day but i remember thinking it was alot. little did i know, sometimes it's barely enough.

after the sandwich making session, the volunteers gather round and Mel gives us a little background of how it all started and what his simple aspirations were for doing this: To feed the less fortunate of Skid Row who are unable to find housing or turned away from shelters. we also ask for each of their names and ask that you return a greeting of "Hi insert name here" as these people don't have many moments of being recognized as an individual. let's give them that moment to feel HUMAN, not a reject or outcast of society. it was such a simple concept. it just made sense to me. he then does a rundown of the game plan. we carpool over to Skid Row. stay together as a group. new volunteers will be rotated to hand out food. people are appointed positions to be lookout on the perimeters, greeters at the line, etc. i was surprised at how organized all of it was, even more surprised that when we arrived at our location, a neat line was already formed and waiting and most of all, at how safe it all felt. we handed out burritos, ham and turkey sandwiches, oranges, bananas, water, pb&js until it was all gone. All the new volunteers were taken on a brief walking tour of Skid Row. first stopping in at the courtyard of the Midnight Mission where a good amount of people were sacked up in their sleeping bags and were lucky enough for a sleeping spot in an enclosed area. im assuming they dont want to lose that precious space so we handed out (or literally tossed) the bags of pb&j to them. once the tour was over, we all headed back to the Burger King Parking lot.    

there we regrouped and people were given the chance to voice their thoughts on the experience. i remembered thanking my family for coming out with me and thanking Mel for going after such a simple vision and continuing to be a strong and dedicated leader of MNM. we took a group picture and we said our goodbyes..

i left that experience with restored hope in the world. there were people in need, yet there were so many that wanted to do something about it. it doesnt change any situation overnight but it is a small step. it reaffirmed that good people existed.. and in large quantities. i just have to find my way there. it made me appreciate and honor whatever light left that was still lit within me. it made me appreciate the life i was blessed with and worked hard for. i have the means to cook my own meals. i have a bed to sleep in. i have a roof over my head. it doesnt matter that my mattress lays on the floor or that my couches don't match. i am more than fortunate by any standard. this is the very least i can do for anyone else. i remember someone told me early on, "well, it only takes one time. you'll be back. they always come back. just watch." and well, they were right.

Monday Night Mission is a non-registered and non-profit organization. they dont accept monetary donations and operate solely on volunteers and donations of foods and other basic necessities. without their army of volunteers, they cant run. without donations, they wont have any meals to hand out. so ask yourself, can i spare a couple hours to help? if not, can i somehow donate a couple loaves of bread to those whose next meal is an uncertainty? the group meets every Monday through Friday at 7:30pm at this Burger King parking lot in downtown Los Angeles. see more information at the Monday Night Mission Facebook page. they operate solely by word of mouth and social networks. or contact me if you want to donate something when i go. or better yet, let's go together?      

falling in love with nature.

so true.

i never thought i would ever be a mountain woman.

i am a pisces, so naturally i am a water baby. (right, astrology folks?) i jump into the ocean/pool/river/waterfall without a second thought. when asked where i'd like to vacation, generally a place near water or with an ocean view always trumps for first pickings: Greece, Japan, Bali, the Maldives, the Galapagos.  it has been in the recent 3 years that i started to consider locales that involved a good hike or five. the last vacation i started planning involved a lot of correspondence with the China National Tourism Authority regarding ecotourism in Jiuzhaigou Valley and alot of pining over the amazement and adventures that await in Iceland.  needless to say i didn't end up going, but both are definitely on my BUCKET LIST. hiking has opened my mind to a different aspect of traveling, the ones that involved very little busy cityscape. because as much as human development amazes me (skyscrapers and plane takeoffs still do it for me..), mother nature's stunning beauty literally takes my breath away. oh and the strange pull of adventure and peace that comes with it: PRICELESS.

desertscape.

training for Mt. Whitney started with a goal to push myself towards my physical edge. it wasn't until the Mount Wilson hike that i realized it is more than that.. this is an internal journey.

like the sign post above says "may your search through nature lead you to yourself." i had the time and space to really be with my thoughts and start re-piecing myself together on these hikes. i have rediscovered my love for nature buried deep down and i will continue my love affair with it.

tram ride UP.

first junction.. hmmm. 

And it's as if these mountains knew that.. Because each peak, each grueling climb offers a better view, a better hike, a better experience than the last.  These mountains are TOTALLY one-upping one another!? Is that even possible? Or has my appreciation for nature simply grown? has my solidarity with myself opened my eyes, my mind, to new perspective? no matter the reason, all i want to do is trek on.

so green. such a lovely meadow.

the mount san jacinto training hike put me in a position to face yet another fear. do i trust my sense of direction and competence to do a full day's hike on my own? do i trust my instinct enough to recognize any signs of AMS and be humble enough to turn back if it did show up? my determination to train as much as i can for mt. whitney definitely made me a bit bold. since one of my training partners withdrew and the other was busy, i decided to take the palm springs aerial tramway up and do a shorter version of this hike via Mountain Station. i know, i know.. that's cheating, but it was still a 12 mile hike and it gave me some good elevation acclimation.

peak. second tallest in so cal. 

maybe a little too close to the edge.

 it was a VERY hot day and i was very happy i would be up at higher (and COOLER) elevations! you start off literally in the desert, walk through amazing meadows, up sub alpine forests and a bit of climbing up large granite boulders at the peak. and that view at summit, the best lunch view a girl can ask for. i quite agree at this point with naturalist John Muir, who said "The view from San Jacinto is the most sublime spectacle to be found anywhere on this earth!" this was back in 1887, i wonder how much has changed since then? On one side, you see the steep slope of granite and pine trees disintegrate into a neverending flat desert. The other side offers views of the rolling peaks of the San Bernardino mountains including San Gorgonio, the highest peak in southern california. i wish i could have that grand peacefulness and beauty in my life daily(and i do, just a different kind and on a much smaller scale). 

piles of rocks. the climb to the peak.

palm desert.

san bernardino mountains.

this wasnt a strenuous hike at all. it was pretty straight and to the point except for the higher altitude. i have come to realize that i dont have much of an issue with altitude but i hope that stays true to the biggest (for now) test at Mt. Whitney. to boost the high that came from summiting, i ran into a family of hikers that somehow got off track and looped themselves in the meadow several times while descending and i was somehow able to get all of us back to the tramway. funny thing was i met an older gentleman along the trail who was turning back bc the altitude was too much for him. i sat with him for about 10 minutes offering water/aspirin/sustenance/even company on the walk back (should he need it) before wishing him luck back to the tram on his own. it turns out the family i took back was his family that kept going to summit! what a crazy whirlwind day for them.. im happy to know that i had enough confidence in myself and that the family also trusted me to lead them. phew! good thing i didnt get them lost AGAIN... 

watching the sunset as i tram down.

this has been my ultimate favorite hike. at the end of each hike, i can't wait until the next one. i am falling more in love with nature. my first love will always be water but i am slowly becoming a mountain woman as well.

see the full album here.   

what is it that you've fallen in love with lately?

when will you make me pork massaman curry?

so my mom and her husband comes to visit me and my brother about twice a year, every year. the first time, it's always around my birthday at the beginning of the year, the second, around my brother's birthday towards the end of the year. her husband is definitely a man of routine and old fashioned traditions. he is responsible for my mom learning to cook in recent years.. (it's NEVER too late to learn anything, guys! my mom is my living proof of that!) he is the ultimate foodie (he knows ALL the amazing hole in the wall spots in thailand)! and ever since the first day they landed at LAX, he's been asking me "when will you make me pork massaman curry?"  he'll casually drop it into conversations.. and though it might seem daunting to hear it again and again, most of the time, i'm asking myself "can he seriously think it's that good?"  bc he's from Thailand. i mean that's where they have the best stuff.. authentic, magnificent THAI FOOD. street food. the OG stuff. but yet he still insists.. and i am not ignoring him.. i just never made time for cooking as of late. i'm too busy trying to enjoy my long summer days in the sunlight before autumn robs me of it. haha. but i did make it and let me just tell you, MASSAMAN is worth it. it is easily my favorite thai curry (bc as much as I loooove Thai curry, I'm very particular with Indian curry and I'm not fond of Japanese curry at all..)

let's talk about cooking and recipes for a brief moment. everyone learns differently but here's my take on how i learn in terms of cooking. I've learned to cook out of necessity and want to NOT eat out everyday and to know what goes into my food. luckily i have a huge family and huge handful of friends that needs their tummy filled too. and as the years go by, it becomes much easier and the experimentation becomes more wild. but initially, i almost always follow a recipe to a T. (side note: with baking it's definitely an EXACT science and it's almost always to the T) that way i get an idea of the process and technique and what the author intended for it to taste like (especially when it's a total mystery trial dish). then i adjust according to my very nuanced palate. the next time, i will use the foundational technique and make it my own. i think technique is very important in how a dish turns out. it's amazing when you flick your wrist a certain way or wait til the coconut cracks and separates and just THAT makes all the difference in the world.  you pick up secrets from one recipe and apply it to others and the possibilities become endless. with chefs being innovative with fusion style cooking, many variety of ingredients are becoming more available and accessible, we are absolutely lucky to be in the middle of this food revolution. i can bet my bottom dollars that i can buy fresh galangal and fresh whole free range chicken (and other asian veggies/fish/fruits/plants due to my very asian community) every saturday at my local farmer's market. it's never been easier to cook up a very fresh home cooked close to authentic asian meal in your very own kitchen to tell you the truth. and here's the kicker, it might even be BETTER due to the quality of the produce and meats we have here in the states. 

Massaman Curry 

adapted from David Thompson's Thai Food

3 chicken legs (here, i used pork butt)

4 medium-sized potatoes

oil for deep frying

8 small shallots, peeled

4-5 cups coconut milk

5 thai cardamom pods, roasted (i used the green pods, not thai but that's what i found)

1/2 cup peanuts, roasted

4 bay leaves, roasted

3 cups coconut cream

2 tablespoons-1 cup palm sugar

3-5 tablespoons tamarind water

1 cup pineapple juice

1 can massamun curry paste (*if you want to make your own, message me for the recipe)

Cut each chicken leg into four pieces (or pork into 2" squares); wash and dry. Peel and quarter potatoes, then steep in cold water to leach out any excess starch.

Deep fry chicken pieces until golden. Remove and drain off excess oil.  Repeat with potatoes and onions. (Deep frying seals and firms the chicken and vegetable, enriching the curry) 

Put chicken in another pan, add sufficient coconut milk to just cover and bring to a boil. Add cardamom pods, peanuts and bay leaves.  When chicken is almost cooked, about 10 minutes, add potatoes and onions.

In a medium pot, crack the coconut cream and then add the curry paste. Turn down heat and simmer, stirring regularly to prevent burning, for at least 10 minutes -- cook until you can smell the dried spices. If paste burns, change the pan.. start over. If the paste is not oily enough, moisten with some of the chicken braising liquid. When the paste is oily, hot and sizzling, season with palm sugar and, when that has dissolved, continue to simmer as the sugar begins to caramelize, deepening the color and flavour of the curry. The amount of sugar require is determined by taste since each palm sugar batch varies. 

Add fish sauce and tamarind water. The amount of these should be increased or decreased according to the amount of sugar being used. As with all Thai dishes, the flavors must be balanced. 

Add the cooked paste to the pot containing the chicken/pork, potatoes, onions, stirring it in well.  Stir in pineapple juice.  Check the seasoning: it should taste sweet, sour and salty, in that order. 

Serve with Jasmine rice and soft boiled eggs. (my personal favorite is the 6 minute egg!)

Try it friends!  Enjoy!

xoxo 

garcia trail and mt. baldy: a training update

being aware of every single muscle in your body is a very strange feeling. before mt. wilson, i didnt know half the muscles in my legs existed or that my whole body can hurt that much from walking up a mountain. (makes you wonder how strong our ancestors must've been before the evolution of transportation..) im guessing that is how most marathoners feel after their 26.2 miles run, something i still cant wrap my head around. but somehow i became more determined to keep going, we already were behind on our 6 weeks SoCal peaks training schedule!

since the boys couldnt go with me the next week, i decided to go out to a short trail in Azusa called the Garcia Trail. a little less than 3 miles, but an elevation gain of ~1500 ft! zeroing in on my weakspots, the goal for this short hike was to build endurance and work on my walking technique. (like i havent been walking for the last 31 years of my life, you'd think i'd get it by now). in reflecting upon my last hike, i realize that when im tired or in a hurry, i tend to walk on my tiptoes. as much as it feels nice and relieving in that moment, my calves really reminded me for 4 full days that i took the "easy way out." i endeavored to walk with my WHOLE foot the entire way and make it to the cross and back. this is also my first lone hike! and my wildly illegal wildflower pickings.. totally forgot it was illegal and frowned upon.

the next weekend, i got a chance to test out my new found walking mantra: use your whole foot Ann! (and happy to report: no more pain since!) C, J and i set out to conquer Mt. Baldy (or technically Mt. San Antonio).  stats: 11 miles, 4000 ft. elevations gain, peak at 10,064 ft. it will be our first hike to experience the highest altitude yet. the hike itself was beautiful although literally bald (my favorite thus far!) and while it was a challenging hike, we all deemed it not as difficult as Mt. Wilson. shortness of breath was more apparent here, and for C, a very real and sudden hit of drowsiness during that last mile push to the summit. (signs of AMS.. uh oh). the view up top, well it was AMAZING. stretches of the pine valley below, the city beyond that, and supposedly on a clearer day, you should be able to see the Pacific. this trail was very adventurous: waterfall, creek, a bit of rock climbing and a bit of rock sliding (for me only.. have bruises and scratches to prove it). the devil's backbone portion was thrilling: everything from trying to descend on small granite pebbles, to steep, sharp drops on the mountain side with a very narrow trail path. definitely not for the faint of heart. 

 

one of the best things about this hike was the realization that hikers are such friendly people. we met new friends on this trip and were showered with stories by older hikers about their adventures: B with her 30 days John Muir trek (30 years ago!) and convincing us to think about doing Mt. Kilimanjaro! and L and wife, 75 and still trekking up Baldy, jokes about having to wait for us youngin's to catch up and refusing to accept that his recent heart condition is due to old age! it's actually hard to find hikers that will stay with you and viceversa or maybe we just stink? jk. but we happenstanced upon two awesome buddies that stuck with us through our entire loop, we'll call them CS and DG. they kept with our pace (slow and steady wins the race!), provided entertainment and good conversation, as well as encouragement when we needed it. perhaps that newness of friendship kept us all distracted from our tired leg muscles? or perhaps it was just a happy coincidence to find such spirits to keep company with in future adventures? whatever it was, we were happy to have met such cool people with such a fun outlook on life!

check out the whole album here.
so three down, two to go! and in my determination to keep conditioning my legs for our full 22 mile trek, me and a couple cousins caught an awesome deal for 6 weeks of Fit Body Boot Camp. we'll see how that goes considering my main form of exercise has been soothing and peaceful Hot Yoga for the past 3 years... dont underestimate the power of the namaste though, yoga breathing techniques and meditation has helped me much on these training hikes! keep on trekking on, friends.. i sure am!

on zombies and cake styling

i hate zombies. i hate anything that looks/sounds/conveys scary. i will walk out of a movie theater because a ghost sneaks up on the main character (true story). i will totally jump and hold onto whoever's next to me (even strangers, another true story) when something like unexpected trailers not fast forwarded during commercials show up on screen(hello, did you see the trailer for Mama? took me days before i recovered from that) .. and with that being said, when i am confronted with the idea to make a cake and tie it into a zombie theme, i draw a complete BLANK..  
i am a total rustic, yet chic, simple homemade cakes/cookies/sweets kind of baker. if there is decoration, it is the bare minimum and usually hand crafted. I'm not fond of fondant and type A decorative perfection type of cakes. i appreciate them though because i know it takes a certain artistic talent to get them looking like they do. perfect cakes makes me not want to eat them, just sit, stare and admire. But when faced with these decisions to make something work creatively, i am not opposed to learning. i am forced to research zombies, stare these ugly scary looking creatures in the eyes and figure out how to make. it. work.    
the first time i committed to a zombie project was for my big bro B's birthday cake a few years back. he is the ultimate gamer geek and he was having a zombie birthday party. I had a brilliant idea for a dirt topped cake with a fondant zombie hand coming out of it. it was inspired by this: 

that seems to be the first thing i think of when i think zombies, their rise from the dead. am i on the right track? do they always rise from the ground, hands first? anyway, i made marshmallow fondant. it was a project and a half and i gained some awesome arm muscles i never knew i had! what i learned from this fondant experience is that it is pliable but HEAVY. i was unable to make the hand stand up like i imagined. the Chocolate Peanut Butter cake was a hit, but B and his friends really loved that edible hand as i caught a few of them nibbling the digits, straight up like candy. it was an earnest attempt to use my imagination and stimulate creativity. 

zombie hand modeling.

finished cake.

my what brittle(slivered almond) nails you have.

last week, another zombie themed party fell upon me. a Cookies and Cream cake was the request, as the MBA graduate is a chocoholic. i enjoy cakes that are visually stunning in its simplicity. this cake was a sturdy cocoa sheet cake, a white chocolate mousse with crushed oreos filled its cavity and whipped chocolate ganache enrobed the exterior. in order to create the same dirt like texture, i decided to make a simple glaze, letting it drizzle over the sides (reminiscent of blood oozing) and finishing it off with crushed oreo crumbs. it was decorated with yet another set of (toothpick) zombie hands and a banner reading "congratulations!" 

drippity drip.

tada!

cake.filling.cake.filling.cake.

and since the graduate's wife wanted in on some creative fun, i provided her with a 6" chocolate peanut butter cake as a blank slate. she fondant-ed a cake to help emphasize the theme of the party. as that's not my thing, i'm glad she did it because it was so fun! 

in continuing to develop my own style in this cake driven world, i've realized that i've learn alot about restraint. to not overdo it is my forte. imperfection is perfect in my world. to strike a balance between a visually stimulating piece of art and a homemade handcrafted cake is truly representative of me as a baker and keeps me standing my ground in my #annbakes vision. while i played with fondant on the first zombie cake, i kept it very organic and raw. 

so zombies taught me an important lesson in defining my own style, hone my craft,so to say.. thank you, i now know more about your kind than i've ever wanted to know. i will continue to avoid sightings of all things scary.. and please don't come after me in the zombie apocalypse. i appreciate it. thank you.      

spam musubi, a hiking good eats trend?

i never ate spam growing up.. actually no meats from cans except for tuna and my mom's ghetto gourmet ramen featuring canned abalone (ramen $0.99 per pack + abalone at $75 a can... talk about FANCY, especially since she never cooked, but she definitely knew how to eat). it was instant love when i tried spam musubi on my first trip with my best friends to Oahu after High School graduation. i mean seriously what else can you ask for? an on-to-go treat that is flavorful and filling and it had RICE (so asian, i know, especially coming from the only asian that doesnt prefer rice over bread or potatoes or pasta). i became more acquainted to it along with canned corned beef (the Filipino way, only because all my roomates were Filipinas?) and vienna sausages (still dont like those, yuck!) during my years at UCI experimental cooking with my roomies. but spam musubi remains my favorite way to enjoy it.. and it didnt help when my dear friend G acquired a couple of musubi rice presses for me on one of her trips to Hawaii. can we say YUM?

the point i'm getting to is that while thinking and researching about what to take to nourish ourselves on these long hikes of ours, spam and foil packed tuna came up alot. and furthermore, i remembered hearing stories of asian grandparents  immigrating and living off of rice balls (stuffed with various fillings like chicken or chinese sausage or dried shrimp wrapped in lotus leaves/seaweed, steamed as a way of preserving it). there must be something to that since it seemed to be what they survived on while in transit. It made sense to me to try out spam musubi for at least our lunch for the first day of our Mt. Whitney hike, especially when something kept reminding me how wonderful an egg would be up in that mix. (egg being a good protein source as well!) And well, we had it at the summit of Mt. Baldy. it was delicious and satisfying, everything i imagined it to be after a 6 mile hike to an elevation of 10,064 ft. 

see me wrap it onigiri style here.. (loving the new video feature on instagram!!)

Nori + rice

+ SPAM

+ EGG

Fold.

umami filled LUNCH at the top of Mt. Baldy.

ingredients:

1 can spam

soy sauce

sugar

shichimi togarashi (japanese dried pepper blend)

8 eggs (optional)

3 cups rice

rice vinegar

sugar

furikake

1 packet large sheets of nori (i like the korean ones), cut in half lengthwise

special equipment: musubi rice press or a cleaned spam can with both ends popped off.

directions:

open a can of Spam. One can should be able to be cut into 8-9 slices, pretty evenly. marinade in soy sauce, sugar and shichimi togarashi to taste. 

cook the marinaded slice in a pan over medium high heat, turning once. be careful, it cooks relatively fast. You will know when it's ready when the sugar caramelizes and you get a nice teriyaki looking color on the outside. remove from pan and set aside for assembly.

in same pan, cook eggs to your liking using an empty and greased spam can as your mold. i tried both overeasy and scrambled and i enjoyed it both ways. remove from pan and set aside for assembly. eggs made for a very substantial all-inclusive meal.

prepare the rice by mixing cooked rice with a little rice vinegar, sugar and furikake. (i like to mix in whatever leftover marinade to add flavor as well)**

now let's wrap. have your musubi rice press or cleaned spam musubi can ready.

get the large sheets of nori and lay one down. put the musubi maker/spam can on top, and add a layer of rice. use press or the back of a spoon if using spam can to flatten out the rice. 

on top of that add the spam, and then the egg, if using. add a second layer of rice on top of everything. carefully remove the musubi mold but gently holding down the pressed rice and pulling the mold off. 

fold over the bottom half of the nori, then wetting the top edge of the top half, fold that over to stick. (i like to use bits of rice to help seal it)

cut them diagonally in half for smaller servings or leave them whole. 

**sometimes i like to add sautéed enoki mushrooms into the rice to make it even more substantial.. the mushrooms lend it an extra layer of umami! mmmm...

happy eating! and watch out, they are quite addictive! try it out for your next hiking trip or picnic or pot luck or snack. :)

any suggestions on what would be a great (practical) meal while camping? 

stay tuned for more updates on the spectacular Mt. Baldy summit and our training progress!