Category Archives: the 20 list

the 20 list / recap

Source: web.stagram.com via Amelia on Pinterest

Time is ticking for the twenty list to be complete. And while I didn’t post about everything I completed, some of them are most certainly done. Others are pending. Still others, well, I didn’t quite get to them.

But it is what it is. And I’m okay with that (:

The TWENTY list:

1. Get my driver’s license.
2. Learn how to sew.
3. Ace the SATs.
4. Apply for college.
5. Take ABRSM Grade 8 cello exam.
6. Start “note to self” mini-album.
7. Start cooking Chinese food.
8. Try 20 new food recipes.
9. Participate in a race.
10. Decorate/paint my room.
11. Write a resume.
12. Save money.
13. Get a job.
14. Read at least one book a month.
15. Exercise regularly. (I’ve kinda sorta done this one so I’m going to cross it off haha.)
16. Start a business/write a business plan.
17. Take a photography class.
18. Organize recipes + make a recipe folder
19. Take higher Chinese exam.
20.Brush up on Spanish.

(click on the links to read those I posted about!)

—-

I quite enjoyed working on this list – it definitely made twenty a whole lot more interesting/memorable (:

Keep a look out for that twenty-one list!

the 20 list / start “note to self” mini album. done.

IMG_3517[1]

This book came together one night when I had the urge to just make something. And it pretty much came together in a snap with some of my favorite supplies (:

I haven’t decided whether I’m going to add a title or not because I’m good with this the way it is. And this might end up being my “lessons learned” journal instead – taking notes on lessons learned, things God has taught me…

Loving it either way (:

Supplies: Studio Calico 5×5 classic journal, fabrip, butterfly mask; Mister Huey’s Pinstripe, Passport, Crate Paper patterned paper, washi tape; Uniball white pen

the 20 list / try 20 new recipes. done.

IMG_3528[1]

If you’ve been following this blog, you would’ve seen the pictures of the recipes I’ve tried in the last twelve months.

Not all of them have turned out like they should’ve. But I’ve loved the excitement of trying new recipes. And of course, I have to thank all those who *willingly* ate my food experiments, even the not so yummy ones.

This one’s definitely going on the list again (:

You can check out my 20 recipes here!

the 20 list / read at least one book a month. done.

Source: Uploaded by user via Amelia on Pinterest

Books read in 12 months: 22

I didn’t read much at all in November and December. But I think the number of books I read altogether averages it out (:

I loved doing so much reading – good stuff.

“To read is to fly: it is to soar to a point of vantage which gives a view over wide terrains of history, human variety, ideas, shared experience and the fruits of many inquiries.”  – A. C. Grayling

Indeed.

the 20 list / start cooking Chinese food. done.

IMG_3516[1]

This one was on the list because I knew I needed to start cooking Chinese food someday but just needed the motivation to.

While I haven’t cooked as much Chinese as I would’ve liked to, I’ve definitely enjoyed the few dishes I made. And my family has been (I hope) pleasantly surprised, that this girl can actually cook Chinese food haha.

After all, I’m still very much Chinese at heart and this Chinese girl always needs her Chinese food in the end (:

P.S. You just might expect a slight deluge of posts this week as I work through whatever I can of the twenty list with my birthday just around the corner!

20 recipes / fettuccine + soured raisin cookies

This pretty much wraps up trying 20 new food recipes. And truth be told, I wouldn’t mind it lasting a bit longer. I had so much fun doing this – I’m totally putting it on my upcoming 21 list (:

Presenting recipe #19 and #20!

fettuccine

I made this quite awhile back when we were having pasta almost every day. And while my love for pasta is no secret, I was totally ready to get back to my rice at that time (: haha.

sourcreamcookies

This was one interesting cookie – chewy and crumbly and not didn’t taste at all sour cream-ish like I’d expected.

Honestly, I can’t believe that I’ve already tried twenty new food recipes. I think, somewhere along the way, I lost track and miscounted, making me think that I still had one more to go.

But I’m DONE!
Now I’m off to check this one of the list! (:

20 recipes / pb & chocolate cookies + chicken & bacon pot + spinach linguine with creamy walnut sauce

I can’t believe how close I am getting to trying out twenty recipes this year!

I honestly didn’t ever seriously consider the possibility of it, or the fact that I would try seventeen new recipes and still have four months left of twenty!

I tried these a couple weeks ago while I was on my blog break!

pb&chocchip cookies

I love how cute these cookies look!

chicken&baconpot

This one-pot dish was pretty easy – I’m putting it in the go-to recipes for when I have no clue what to make for dinner!

spinachlinguine

This recipe was from Everyday Food: Fresh Flavor Fast. I’m quite liking the two recipes I’ve tried from it so far.

17 down, 3 to go.

10K.

Although the Nike Goddess 5K was the first race I did, Run350 was the first race I signed up for. And I honestly never thought that I would do two races within a week of each other.

But on 22 April 2012, I ran the Run350 10K.

And truth be told, I was pretty nervous going into the 10K on 22 April because I was anything but religious for the crucial last few weeks of training leading up to the race; my brain and body were pretty much switched off about training after Saturday’s 5K.

But I had three goals going into Sunday’s 10K:

  1. FINISH.
  2. NOT walk (except at like water points and stuff).
  3. RUN within one and a half hours.

All in that order.

But I did it.

I made it to the finish line without walking and in under one and a half hours. In fact, I think I managed to do it in 1:10:32. I still can’t believe I did it (it couldn’t have been more surreal), and I’m pretty proud of my accomplishment, if I don’t say so myself (: This especially since I could hardly run 1K without feeling breathless at the end of last year, to actually completing a 10K. That’s a pretty big deal to me.

The experiences with Run350 and Nike were completely different: the Run350 participants were definitely more experienced and the spacing along the route was much better, albeit rather boring, while Nike just seemed a whole lot more relaxed.

The first 6K was pretty manageable. But the second half of the race felt like it would never end. It was pretty much mind over matter, and forcing myself to listen to my head, not my body. I don’t know whether it had anything to do with the idea of running 10K, but getting to the finish line pretty much felt like forever after I passed 7K. I felt like giving up several times but I managed to take it home to the finish line.

Of course, not without the help of seeing friends along the way and family support (xo).

I am so proud of this medal and of the accomplishment it represents – can you tell? HAHA.

My first 10K experience was pretty amazing; I was still living off the adrenaline high one week after the race (:

I’d do it all over again.

20 recipes / tea cakes + moroccan honey & lemon chicken + creamy lemon squares

Last week was pretty productive on the 20 recipes front.

I tried out three new recipes, of which I only have pictures of two, because the Moroccan honey and lemon chicken was gone by the time I remembered to get pictures.

So.

If you happen to remember, the last time I tried a recipe from this book, it didn’t turn out too well. As in, they tasted good, but looked not-so-good. But I’m pleased to announce that the tea cakes this time tasted lovely and looked just like they should (:

teacakes

(insert photo of Moroccan honey & lemon chicken here)

creamylemonsquares

I found this recipe here. But this hardly turned out like how I expected it. But that happens, right? Like not everything we make turns out like how we expect it to. So this one didn’t. Technically, it still counts towards the 20 recipes (since it’s just about trying them). But I’m definitely trying this one out again, and I hope, successfully this time.

14 down, 6 to go.