POPCORN MAKER!

I discovered my valentine's day gift 4 days early - a hot air popcorn maker. WOOT WOOT!
Anyone who knows me, knows that I HEART popcorn!

In celebration of my new cooking tool, here are some nifty recipes:

1) cuban popcorn
cayenne pepper, butter, grated queso

2) organic
2 tbsp of olive oil, light dash of fresh ground pepper, sea salt

3) tokyo stylez
wasabi powder, light amount of sesame oil

4) sweet corn
maple syrup, almond pieces, butter

5) taste of kolkota
kumin, coriander, light dash of vegetable oil

We came up with 10 recipes but after a long day of work and 2 glasses of spanish wine, I can only remember these 5.

The only one I have ever made is #2. For a non-cook, this is complicated and fascinating as cooking a roast or something difficult.

M... Cheung?!!?!?!! Who the hell is that?

Recently, I was very disappointed to learn that my church posted a powerpoint for all to see with my name as M...Cheung. I have been married for over 2 years now and I made the conscious decision not to take my husband's family name. Because of some reason, certain individuals continue to insist that my "new" name is M...Cheung.

I don't have an issue with women deciding to take their husband's family names. I don't have an issue with strangers calling me Mrs. Cheung. I don't even have an issue with formal invitations arriving Mr. and Mrs. P Cheung. But to be absolutely blunt, I am irked when people call me M...Cheung. It's like they are making a point to disrespect my choice.

I have spent my whole life as an Au and am proud of that heritage. I also have built a career as M...Au and fully identify with that name. It is important to me.

I resent it when people try to infer that keeping my maidenname is my feminist-streak or my independent nature or more ridiculous still, when people see it as a "dis" to my husband.

It is ridiculous because it suggests that the women who chose to take on their husbands' names are not feminists or independent. I think it comes down to a choice and what is important to each individual.

Finally, I love and respect my husband and I am proud that he supports me in my choice. And so I honour him by supporting him in his choice to keep his own last name.