Tuesday, January 26, 2016

It's 2016! I been MIA. Why? 

I've moved!
Things gotta kinda crazy in September. My husband and I were relocating and at the same time he got a new job offer. We were planning to go back to SoCal and ended up in NorCal.
In the middle of all that craziness, we found out that we are expecting.
Things have simmered down and we have settled into our new place.
The holidays came and went.

Nowadays I am just enjoying my expanding belly. I am learning how to play the piano. I am also going to try launching a new blog. Wish me luck!

Sunday, September 13, 2015

Drinking iced coffee at 9 pm was a bad idea. Broken sleep is not very restful. Thank goodness I have the day off tomorrow. And hubs and I are going to the spa. Yeah! 

I never used to get all jittery drinking caffeine. The stuff must be more potent these days. 

There are going to be a lot of changes coming soon. Exciting and saddening at the same time.

Tuesday, September 08, 2015

Currently, I am working on my new website.  It's tough stuff. I am thinking about the layout and content, but primarily just working on the layout right now.  So I am turning to the web for some inspiration.  Time to do some browsing.

Sunday, September 06, 2015

Wow, time sure does fly!  It's already September.  I am enjoying this Holiday weekend.  Yesterday, we really didn't do much.  We basically just ended up sitting around the house.   Today, however, we did some work at Mariano's and then enjoyed some jazz music at the 37th Chicago Jazz Festival.  We waited until the sun was starting to set to head out there that way we don't get overheated for it was in the 90s today.  That's hot humid stuff.

I love warm summer nights, they are the best!  That is my favorite thing about summer, to be able to wear shorts, T-shirt and flip flops.  Also admission was free, what an added perk!  Next week, we have a festival going on in our neighbor.  It's small and pretty low key; the best part is heading down the street to listen to live music.  Can't wait.

We are also thinking about taking a quick little trip to Montreal, so hopefully prices aren't too bad. I've always wanted to visit, so this might be a good opportunity, eh?

Saturday, September 05, 2015

It has been ages since I lasted updated.  I guess I got caught up in a bunch of things.  Life, I suppose. I was actually thinking about starting a new blog.  But would I really update it that much?  Ideally, I have all these new recipes/creations that I want to share but am just not finding the time to post them. Why is that?  That's a rhetorical question, of course.  Perhaps, I should schedule it into my calendar to block out a space specifically to blog/update my blog.  I am also behind on my yelps reviews.  I been dining at all these place and want to share the experience with the public.  It must be summer, we are always out and about.  Oh the dreaded winter is a coming, maybe then I'll be productive because it will be too cold to be galloping about.

Thursday, April 09, 2015

Prague

I've always wanted to visit Prague and I got the chance to explore this beautiful city last fall.  It is a very beautiful city with a lot of beautiful scenery, buildings, and bridges.  My mom probably just arrived there, she left for Europe today.

Here are some highlights of my trip in Prague.
Old Town Square
Prague Astronomical Clock

Frank's favorite place in Prague.  
A view of Prague Castle
Prague Castle
Prague Castle
The view from Petrin Lookout Tower
Shops around Stare Mesto
Medival Tavern
St. Vitus Cathedral
Fall foliage
Enjoying the view from Bellavista
Streets of Prague
Around Lesser Town Bridge Tower
Berries

Are these Swans?
Views of Prague
Thank you Mister for taking this picture of us! 
Charles Bridge
My favorite sighting in Prague

How many bridges can you count?

Wednesday, April 08, 2015

I'm back!

I've been absent ever since I have returned from California.  I have been working more these days and planning trips for my next escape.  Next week I am going to Seattle to visit my cousin and her family. Then next month I'll be making a trip out to Asia (Korea and Taiwan).

Today, I made some bread since we ran out.  I made Honey Oat because that is Frank's fav.  I made dinner rolls as well since I wanted some.  I have been adding chia seeds to my breads lately because it is one of those superfoods.  I like the texture it adds to the bread.

Now, a while ago, I said I would do a series about my vacation last year in Europe.  So here are some highlights from Berlin, Germany.

Berlin Cathedral and the TV Tower in the background
Berlin Cathedral
Wondering around the Tiergarten
Museum Island
A typical breakfast for us 
At the Reichstag 
Ninjas at the Tiergarten
Beer time at Hops & Barley

Thursday, February 26, 2015

Delayed

My flight back to Chicago is delayed.  I been out here in SoCal for a week or so, but it definitely feels like a lot longer.  I really didn't do much but see family.  I am not sure when my next trip out here will be, so only time will tell.

Right about now, I am sitting here in the airport blogging.  I should post some pictures from my trip, which is something I said I would do, but I guess you can say I have been slightly preoccupied.  It's snowing back in Chicago and I am not really looking forward to this February snow.  Perhaps Spring will be making an appearance really soon.

I want to make it out to DC for the cherry blossom festival in April so I should start looking for deals and see if I can make it happen.  Perhaps that should be a task for tomorrow.  Upon arrival today, I was going to head out to this party, but since I am delayed 2 hours I might have to pass on it.  It's a late event so perhaps it is for the better.

Still to come are some pictures from my trip last year in Europe.  I really want to do a blogging series on it, but I have been lallygagging around.  Perhaps I should make that my goal for March?

Sculpture from Museum Island in Berlin.  Excellent depiction of what happens when flights get delayed.  

Tuesday, February 17, 2015

White Chocolate Oatmeal Craisins Cookies

A few weeks back I made these cookies. They are the heathy alternative because they don't have any unnatural sugars. The trick is to use ripe bananas and it will bring out the natural sweetness in the cookie.

You can opt not to use any chocolate chips and even exclude the applesauce. To make the oat flour I just blended down the rolled oats. I feel like it holds the cookie better and dries it a bit since this cookie will be quite moist.

White Chocolate Oatmeal Craisin Cookies

Ingredients: 
2 bananas
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup oat flour
1 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup Craisins
1/2 cup white chocolate chips (optional)

Directions:
1. In a large bowl, mash up 2 ripe bananas.
2. Add applesauce and vanilla extract and mix to combine.
3. Add oat flour and rolled oats until moistened. 
4. Mix in craisins and white chocolate chips.
5. Let the mixture sit for 10 minutes so everything gets incorporated. 

6. Preheat oven to 375F.
7. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a baking mat. 
8. Scoop out a tablespoon of the batter and flatten. (Like this)

9. Bake for 17-20 mins and enjoy!

Wednesday, January 28, 2015

Thoughts, thoughts, thoughts... running through my head!

January is about to end. Boy this month is really just flying by!  I had a good amount of time off in the beginning of the month. But of late, I have been working more.  This week isn't too bad, though. I just came back from a much needed massage.  It was a good deep tissue massage.  I need to continue to hydrate so I don't get a headache.  On my way back, I explored this path on Lincoln and checked out a number of places.

The first was a Filipino Bakery, Rowie's.  I tried a tasty Ube Macaron.  It was a buck twenty-three, what a steal! On Tuesdays and Wednesdays, they have a special on cupcakes for a buck fifty. Usually, they go for $2.25.  I haven't tried them yet because I am waiting for Frank to come home so we can share them (I got the mango and mocha cupcake).

Next stop, another bakery, this time a Columbian bakery called Mekato's.  I had a cafe latte and tried the arespas.  It was a good snack and a nice place to sit down for a bit.  They have a lot of breads that made from cheese.  I pass by this place on my way to and from work, so I really wanted to check it out.  The pastries are limited; they have tamales and empanadas.

I also love checking out what they have at Dollar Tree.  They had a lot of interesting items here and was well stocked.  I picked up some hair clips because I needed the spring to put in my other hairclips that broke.

Lastly, I did some grocery shopping at Tony's Finer Foods.  I'll have to come back again when I have the car because the canned tomatoes are on sale.

Also, look forward to a series about my trip from Europe.  I am finally getting a chance to sort through my pictures.  Here's a teaser!
Wandering around the Tiergarten in Berlin, loving the fall foliage.

Tuesday, January 06, 2015

An extended vacation

I typically work tuesdays and some saturdays.  But this week, I got pretty lucky and get an extended break.  So happy about this because it is like 10 degrees out and feels like -6 degrees.  Tomorrow it is in the single digit and really in the negatives.  It is suppose to be cold like this until friday, then next week it'll be in the 20s.  We've gone into the deep of winter.  Wuah!  So I am glad to be able to hibernate at home and watch the coldness from inside.

Today is a day of chores.  Not too excited about this, but I figure I should get it all done today. Bathrooms, kitchen, baseboard, dust, and etc.  Tomorrow, I'll do the laundry and iron.  Probably bake and cook up something here and there.  This is what I do when I am not working.

I get to chill a bit more here on my couch where the sun is nice and bright during a day like today.  I am digesting my breakfast then I shall work out and begin my chores.  But for now, it's time to bask in this sunshine.

Thursday, January 01, 2015

Hello 2015!

It's the first day of the year and we got a late start. A rather lazy beginning!

I made crepes for brunch. Three different kinds: sugar, Nutella and banana, and blackberry cream. 
Crepes are really simple to make. You just need a good recipe and the right pan. With the leftover crepes, I made a Mille Crepe Cake. 
This was our brunch; eggs and bacon on the sides. 
I can't wait to dig into this tomorrow. It's going to be my sweet treat!

I also made an apple pie because I promised Frank that I would make him one for New Year's. He wanted a pie for his birthday, but I thought a cake was better suited for that occasion. So we got to indulge with some apple pie, YUM!
I really like the lattice top. It just makes it look so pretty. I make this about 2-3 times a year and we are so sad when the apple pie season ends.

For dinner, we made Paella. 
This is one of my favorite things to eat. I bought a special pan just so we can make this dish. It's great to make for a group of people. We'll probably make this for friends and family in the future.

2014 gave me a lot of time to reflect, learn new things, and meet new people. I am really grateful for those opportunities and for what lies ahead in 2015.

Cheers to 2014 and Hello 2015!

Wednesday, December 31, 2014

New Year's Eve

2015 is but an hour away.  Farewell 2014.  It's been swell.
A lot happened this year.
I went back to Cali several time.
I started working again.
I can see 20/15.
I got to visit Praha and etc.
I am thankful for all my blessings!

Here's 2014 in a minute.

Tuesday, December 23, 2014

Biscotti

I'm not a huge fan of biscotti, but the ones I made today were pretty tasty.
I made these almond biscotti for Frank's Birthday. He's been requesting them so it was the perfect occasion.

I also threw in some cranberries and white chocolate just to make it look more festive. 

We'll be enjoying these with some coffee tomorrow morning. 
It's the day before Christmas Eve making today the Eve before Eve.  Today's plans include preparing for Frank's birthday. I have to go to the supermarket again because I forgot to get Granny Smith apples for the apple pie and some bell peppers for the chapchae

Sunday, December 21, 2014

Peet's

am at Peet's Coffee and Tea waiting for Frank. So full from our snack from Goose Island Clybourn. And I honestly don't think getting a Sea Salt Caramel Mocha helps. Perhaps, I should have gotten some sort of decaf tea. Oh well. Another thing, caffeine gives me a headache, perhaps I should just cut it out. 

With the holidays are in full swing, I am only working one day this week and am so happy! I have to make some sort of cake and goodies for Frank's birthday and the turkey trimmings. Wrap some more gifts and etc!

We saw the Nutcracker yesterday! I quite enjoyed it. I think that was possibly my first ballet. I was wondering when all the talking was going to start, then I realized it was a ballet. Duh!

Afterwards we checked out the new ice skating ring at the Daley Bicentinial Park. I discovered the BP bridge which has a great skyline view of the loop. 

Sunday, November 30, 2014

So tired these days....

It has been a week now since we returned from Europe. I am still so exhausted and just constantly have been sleeping. Yesterday I think I went to bed at 8. I worked right away and I think that is why I am so tired. There was so much laundry to do. Then we had Thanksgiving and Black Friday. I still have a lot of things to sort out. We also got our Christmas tree so we'll be setting that up today.  Thankfully I am only working a half day tomorrow!  

I'll post about my trip stuff in the near future!

Friday, October 31, 2014

Jalapeno Cheese Bread


We bought all these sweet and shishito peppers thinking that they would not be hot since previously purchasing them were pretty sweet.  Boy, that was quite a kicker for they were HOT STUFF!  Now we have all these hot peppers.  We roasted some a couple of days ago and I used the rest of them and more to make this Jalapeno Cheese Bread.

Add less jalapeno pepper if you want a milder flavor. I used a combination of all sorts of peppers. You can really add any kind of cheese you like as well.  I used a combination of cheddar, londoner, babybel, whatever I had on hand. They can be in chunks as well.  For the dinner rolls, I put chunks of swiss cheese in the center so you get a cheesy surprise.  It also helps to balance out the hot peppers. All-purpose flour is okay to use instead of bread flour.  I just like to use bread flour because it results in better texture and chew consistency. I was really happy with how this turned out.  Texture wise it is soft, but not too fluffy, and has a light dense consistency.  Give it a try. In the future, I may try different variations for variety.

This recipe yields about 2 loaves or 1 loaf and 6 dinner rolls or 12-15 dinner rolls.  You can also get one large loaf or a loaf like the size of french bread.  I like to use an egg wash before baking and once it comes out of the oven, I like to brush it with some melted butter.


Jalepeno Cheese Bread Print
Yields: 2 (9X5”) loaves (or 1 loaf and 6 dinner rolls)
Ingredients:
1-1/3 cup warm water
2 ¼ tsp yeast
¼ cup honey
3 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
4 cups bread flour
¾ tsp salt
¾ cup minced jalapeño peppers
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
Optional
1 egg + 1 tsp water (for egg wash)
1 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
Directions:
1. Combine warm water, yeast, butter, and honey in a pyrex measuring bowl and stir.  Let sit for 10 minutes to activate the yeast.
2. Using a stand mixer bowl, add bread flour, salt, jalapeño peppers, and 1 cup of cheese.  Quickly mix together and add activated yeast mixture.
3. Using the dough hook attachment; knead the dough for 8 minutes on setting 6-8 (Start off slowly so you don’t get a flour cloud).  Then add the rest of the cheese and knead for 2 minutes or until the dough forms a ball.
4. Turn the dough onto a floured surface and continue to knead until the dough is nice and smooth.
5. Lightly grease a large bowl and place the dough in the greased bowl, forming the dough into the shape of a ball.  Coat the top with some oil to prevent getting a film on top of the dough.
6. Cover with plastic wrap and place in a warm draft free spot and let rise for an hour or until it has doubled in size. Punch down dough to release some air.  
7. Grease pans with some oil and set aside.
8. Divide the dough into two portions. Form the dough into a loaf by rolling out the dough into an 8X8 and rolling it like a jellyroll.  Pinch the seams together and place it in the greased loaf pan seam side down.  Repeat with the other portion of dough. Cover loosely with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel and let rise for another hour or until it doubles in size.  (For dinner rolls, use the other portion of the dough and divide it into 6 equal portions.  Roll each piece into the shape of a ball and pinch the seams together and place it in the greased pan seam side down.  Cover loosely with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel and let rise for another hour or until it doubles in size.)
9. Lightly brush the top with an egg wash.
10. Preheat oven to 350 degree and bake loaves for about 40 minutes or until lightly golden brown.  Rotate halfway through and if the bread starts to brown before it is done, loosely cover it with foil. Bake dinner rolls for 30 minutes.  Brush with melted butter for a soft top or leave as is if you prefer a harder crust.  Allow it to cool completely on a wire rack.

Friday, October 24, 2014

Pumpkin

Of recent, I have been making my own pumpkin puree because Frank likes that in his morning oatmeal.  He also likes to buy sugar pumpkins since they are in season being that Fall and Halloween is amongst us.

I roasted these babies up over the weekend so I have the pumpkin puree for the week.  It is really easy to make.  Heat up your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and cook them for 40 minutes.  Make sure you take out the pumpkin seeds and just lay the halves face down.  Stick a knife through them and it will make taking off the skin much easier.  Then you can simply puree it through a food processor or mash it with a fork or a potato masher.  I wash and let the pumpkin seeds dry and roast them the next day and get roasted pumpkin seeds.  It's a superfood, ya know?

Since I had to roast two pumpkins this week, I had some excess and decided to make some pumpkin pie.  I made a basic pie crust using Laura in the Kitchen's recipe.  The pumpkin pie filling recipe I used came from Chef John from Food Wishes.  I actually only used half of the pie crust that I made and tweaked the filling recipe.  Rather, I used 2 eggs, and pretty much halved everything else for the most part.  If I am so inclined, I might write it up and post it later.  But you can tell, I been kinda getting lazy these days.  Sorry for that!  I ended up with about 12 mini pies and a bonus with the extra filling that I baked in a ramekin and got an extra little treat.  I baked them at 425 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 minutes, then reduced the temperature to 350 degrees Fahrenheit for another 20 minutes.
Mini Pumpkin Pie
Pumpkin Custard
I was rather pleased with how these turned out.  They aren't too sweet nor are they over seasoned.  It has just the right consistency.

Monday, October 13, 2014

Sugar and Spice makes everything nice!

Have you ever heard of the saying, "Sugar & Spice make everything nice"?  That thought came across my mind while I was showering.  I feel like I get great ideas in the shower.  Does that happen to you too?

I'll admit, I do enjoy something sweet here and there.  But not overbearingly sweet.  We were around O'hare this weekend and while there, we went to the Lindt outlet store.  I probably spent more than I should have on chocolate.  But check out my bounty!
I like to enjoy a little treat here and there.  My favorites are something with hazelnut or white chocolate crisp.  I also like sea salt which I usually get at Ghirardelli.  Belgium chocolates are also very delicious.  As you can see, I do enjoy chocolates.  Unless it is chocolate ice cream.

Indian food uses a lot of spices.  I recently made Chicken Makhani, also known more commonly as Butter Chicken.  All these spices combine together make a very delicious aromatic meal.  I had leftovers yesterday and the aroma of that sauce was so divine.
Chicken Makhani
I enjoy making Indian food because it is a learning experience for me.  I quite enjoy Indian cuisine so to be able to make it at home is rewarding.  I also make my own spices because I like knowing what goes into things.  Making these dishes from scratch can be time consuming but its worth it once you take that first bite.  

So these are why sugar and spice make everything nice.  Happy Monday!