Mojitos

We made soup, and just so happened to have a bunch of mint leftover. Given the warming weather, it seemed appropriate to turn the rest of the mint into a makeshift mojito. It's more of a carbonated alcoholic lemonade with mint, really. Whatever it is, it was the perfect addition to my most serene day ever.

Ingredients:
Several Leaves of Fresh Mint

1-2 shots of White Rum

1 Lime or Lemon (Traditionally made with limes, but we have a ton of lemons that need using)

2 tablespoons of Sugar

1/2 cup Club Soda

Dissolve the sugar in a little bit of hot water, then add the mint leaves and mash them up. Squeeze as much of the lime/lemon juice as desired (I used the whole thing because I like it tangy) and add the rum. Add ice, then the club soda and give it a stir. Garnish with some whole mint leaves.

Those Warm and Fuzzy Days

(Forever 21 Jacket, Charlotte Russe Tank, H&M Shorts, Sperry Top-Sider Boat Shoes, Target Sunglasses, Bag was a gift from my roommate while we were studying abroad in Paris)

Vivi's not getting any younger, so I've been taking her to the beach whenever I can. One of my friends visited from the East Coast to enjoy the weather, so it seemed like a good opportunity for another beach stroll (and mojitos). The weather is warming up some more (is that even possible? I honestly think we skipped winter in its entirety), so soon I'll be back to shorts 24/7.

I've had this jacket for years, and its cropped length works perfectly with over-sized tanks. I also like that its plaid-like pattern sort of matches the plaid on my shoes (I'll put some better pictures of them up later). As old as Vivi is, she still manages to drag me around, so flats are necessary to avoid breaking my ankles.

Overall, one of my more casual outfits for what turned out to be one of the most ridiculously serene days I've had in months. It's been a hectic year, and this was very necessary.

Carrot and Cashew Soup

A friend and I were talking about how soup seemed to be a common theme in some of the Zelda games, and this then prompted us to want to make carrot soup. A few days later, I decided to make a similar soup to bring to work, but in a lazier fashion.

Ingredients:

5 carrots

1/2 onion

Few leaves of fresh mint

dash of cumin

dash of cinnamon

lots of black pepper

dash of salt

2 handfuls of cashews (about 1/4 cup)

 Peel and chop the carrots.

 Boil the carrots until soft, around 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, dice the onion, then cook them in some cooking oil on medium heat until transparent. Lower the heat, then add the cumin, cinnamon, black pepper, and salt, to taste. Shred the mint and throw that in too. Stir for about a minute. 

 Strain the carrots. If your blender is plastic, like mine (mine's not really a blender haha), then you should probably rinse the carrots in cold water first. Blend the carrot, onions, and half the cashews together, adding a little water if the mixture is too thick to blend easily. After it's blended, add the remaining cashews and blend for a few seconds so that the cashews are chopped but still a little coarse.

Eat it cold, eat it warm, whatever pleases you.

New Lens, Old Dog

This post doesn't really have much to do with anything. But I got a new camera lens and was making my dog model for me to test it, and I thought I'd put them up.

Yogurt Parfait

I really wanted cupcakes. But I also spent a weekend eating at all a bunch of Guy Fieri restaurants, which (while very delicious) mainly consisted of bbq and everything fried (we had fried pickles, fried artichokes, fried jalapenos, fried fries, fried chips, fried chicken wings... you get it). So I decided to forgo the cupcakes and settle for this yogurt parfait instead.

Ingredients:

1 small cup of yogurt (I used the 7oz cup of Fage Total 2% Plain Greek Yogurt)

2 handfuls of Fresh berries (Here I have only blueberries cause we ate everything else)

Handful of crushed Special K Red Berries Cereal

Honey

Instructions:

Wash the berries. Take one handful and dump them into a tall glass. Layer on half your yogurt, then drizzle some honey on top and half of your crushed cereal. Dump the remaining berries, another layer of yogurt and honey, and sprinkle the rest of your crushed cereal on top.

Costco is for Coats (and Polish Sausages)

(Calvin Klein Coat, AE Jeans)

So I normally go to Costco to buy polish sausages. And I usually buy two at a time because I'm addicted to eating. Once I had a friend (she loves eating as much as I do) buy two of them, and the cashier skipped me afterwards thinking that my friend had bought one of them for me. When she apologized and explained her mistake, we both laughed. Like one polish sausage each was enough for us.

Anyways, point is I never think, "Oh, maybe I'll stop by Costco for some clothes", even though I'm fully aware that they sell them. But this Calvin Klein coat has been one of my most practical purchases. It's probably the warmest coat I own (taking into account that the areas where I've lived have no weather), and it works with anything from jeans to dresses because it's so simple.

And the label on the sleeve, for whatever reason, makes me really happy.

Upgrading That Jar of Spaghetti Sauce

So I've never been a huge rice fan. Or a sandwich person. Thus, during college my staple of carbs usually came in the form of pasta. Also, as I was often busy (aka. lazy), I ended up buying the pasta sauce from the little on-campus store near my apartment. Honestly though, it wasn't that good (ie. there was no meat), so I would occasionally "upgrade" a jar and store it in the fridge for the rest of the week.  

Ingredients:

1 yellow onion (I really like onions)

About a 1/2 lb of ground meat (I used pork)

1 jar desired pasta sauce (mine was a 25oz jar)

1 can of stewed tomatoes (don't get those nasty little diced ones, you want big chunky tomatoes)
1/2 cup Red Wine
1/5 cup red wine vinegar

Pinch of: Oregano, sage, basil, chives, paprika, garlic salt (If you don't have these, it's ok)

Several cloves of fresh ground garlic

tons of black pepper
Handful of capers (optional)
Tons of shredded Parmesan cheese

Step 1: Get yo' ingredients ready (I have a spice hoarding problem)

Step 2: Dice an onion (breathe through your mouth to stop some of the pain!)

Step 3: Throw the onions into a deep pot with some cooking oil* on med-high heat and cook till transparent.

Step 4: Make sure there isn't too much water from the onions left in the pan (or else your meat will end up being boiled/steamed instead of browning). Throw in your ground meat and stir for a couple minutes, seasoning it with all of your spices. I personally really like lots of fresh ground black pepper. LOTS OF IT. 

Step 5: Throw in your chunky tomatoes. Stir a bit, then pour in your wine. Turn the heat to med-low and let the wine reduce, about 5 minutes. Give it a stir every now and then.

Step 6: Pour in your jar of pasta sauce and vinegar and give it a stir. You can throw in some capers at this point if you happen to have any (most people probably don't). Reduce to low heat and let simmer for 10 minutes while you prepare your spaghetti (don't forget to salt the water! Also I personally like cooking the pasta a minute less than suggested on the packages for a more 'Al Dente' texture).

Step 7: Plate your pasta. Throw on your desired amount of freshly ground garlic, then ladle some sauce on top. Then throw on a ton of Parmesan cheese while it's still hot. Also avoid talking to your friends afterwards with your garlic breath, it turns out they don't appreciate it very much.

*When you pan fry things, try to avoid using olive oil. It burns (yuck) at a lower temperature than many other cooking oils, and a lot of its beneficial properties are lost when this happens anyways.

There's Nothing in Between

(Ann Taylor Loft Vest, H&M Top, 2b Bebe Skort, Target Sunglasses)

Took these on the road somewhere between SoCal and NorCal. There's such a long stretch of nothing going on between the two areas, aside from the occasional smell of cows.

This vest is the puffiest, most comfortable thing. I'm basically wearing a pillow with a super-soft fuzzy hood. The best part is that the hood is removable. And yes, sometimes I walk around with the fuzzy hood on my head without the vest attached. People do that, right?

Hana Japanese Restaurant

Pretty (but not all that functional) Chopstick Rest

Ankimo (Monk Fish Liver)

 Amaebi (Sweet Shrimp)

 Fried head of the Amaebi

Sashimi Sampler and Yummy Roll

So there isn't much in the way of Asian culture going on around Rohnert Park, but as far as Asian restaurants Hana is good enough. It's a small restaurant that features fine Japanese cuisine, with gorgeous presentation and a variety of choices.

The food is good, but nothing too crazy. Their selection of sashimi includes more expensive items such as chutoro (fatty tuna) and mirugai (geoduck clam), as well as simpler things such as tamago (egg) and sake (salmon).

Anyways, what really impressed me was their service and honesty. My mom was feeling a little under the weather, and so she didn't finish her nabeyaki udon. After we had paid and left, the waiter called me (they had my number from my reservation) and apologized profusely for the udon, saying that the broth wasn't prepared correctly and that he should have made sure with my mom that the soup was to her liking. He apologized again, then informed us that they had canceled the udon on the bill for their mistake.

Mom thought the udon tasted fine.

  

Miette Macarons

There are tons of places that sell macarons, but the ones from Miette in San Francisco are probably the most unique of all the macarons I've had. They use course ground almond flour instead of the fine kind, and so their cookies have much more of a.... "cookie" texture. I find many fine flour macarons to be chewier and stickier, almost like a cross between a cookie and candy. They also don't add food coloring, which I find actually makes the macarons look more appetizing (I'm not overly fond of artificially colored foods for no particular reason). However, this means that most of the cookies look kind of similar and you have to be able to smell them apart or spot the very tiny difference in color (I accidentally ate my mom's chocolate-orange macaron, thinking it was my chocolate-only one).

The filling of the cookie is very light. You either get a buttercream or a ganache, depending on the flavor. I personally like the buttercream better. Their cookie flavors include vanilla, rose-geranium, pistachio, hazelnut, chocolate, chocolate-orange, and grapefruit, my favorite being the pistachio.

Blue is the Rain

(Talbots Coat, H&M Shorts, Target Tights and Sunglasses)

We stopped in San Francisco over the weekend for a tiny bit, and one of my favorite places to visit is their Ferry Building (cause food). My friend introduced me to the place about a year ago, and I've been back a few times since for their grilled cheeses/charcuterie platters/macarons/I could go on forever.

Anyways, it was raining for most of my trip, so I equipped myself with this coat that I've otherwise had very little use for in Los Angeles. Also, I've developed a dislike for jeans on trips that involve a lot of driving (they're not the most comfortable of things), and so I decided that tights and leggings with shorts would have to do against the rain and cold.

Meanwhile the weather had a go at my hair, which took on an indecisive, soggy, windblown funk that attempted to eat my face.  

Smoked Salmon Salad

This salad incorporates the salty flavor of lox (smoked salmon) with the sweetness of a honey balsamic dressing over mixed greens for a refreshing dish. This light salad is great for warm days, and you'll probably be hungry again before long. Because it's a salad.

Ingredients:

Salad:

2 cups mixed spring greens

1 tomato, cut into bite-sized pieces

1/2 an avocado, cut into bite-sized pieces

few slices of lox (as desired)

Lemon juice, black ground pepper and dill, to taste

Dressing:

1 tsp honey

2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

Put both ingredients in a microwave-safe cup. Microwave on high for 30 seconds to let it "reduce". Let cool. It should be slightly thicker.

Instructions:

Place the greens, tomato, and avocado in a large bowl. Sprinkle with pepper, dill, and lemon juice, then toss with the dressing. Lay the lox pieces on top. 

ALSO don't smell the vapor when you open the microwave. It buurrrnnnss.