Tea Time!

I seriously have not been able to stop thinking about TJ’s Cocoa Almond Spread since using it as a spread on my apple for lunch yesterday. As soon as I got home, I grabbed the almost empty jar from my pantry and got working on my overnight oats in a JAR (hooray!!!)! I used the usual mix – rolled oats, plain nonfat greek yogurt, unsweetened almond milk, 1/2 medium banana, ground flaxseed topped with granola and PB. What a great way to start the day =)

MMMM! Look at all that beautiful cocoa almond spread on the bottom. Nom Nom!

"Get your own breakfast swan. This one is allll mine!!"

 


Reading some very important stuff during breakfast.

In other exciting news, I purchased Guayaki Yerba Organic Mate Chocolatte at Sprout’s last night. I used my last green tea bag yesterday and was going to simply re-stock on more when I happened to come across this baby. I was definitely intrigued, especially since I heart chocolate and tea. After much debating (I mean, $5.99/box of 16 bags on sale!!!), I decided to just throw caution to the wind and buy it. I’m going to save it as my dessert for lunch today, but I do have my reservations. I usually stick to green/black/oolong tea and the few times I have strayed off course (Earl grey? Maple tea? Ick and Ick!!) have not been successful. I’m praying that my luck will change with this chocolate tea.

Howlin' For You!

Lunch time is approaching and my tummy is howlin’ for some food. Today’s lunch menu includes: the other half of my apple from this morning’s breakfast with a tablespoon of TJ’s Cocoa Almond Butter. I love that stuff! As I was scooping some out this morning, I notice that there is barely any left in the jar. I’m thinking it will make for a perfect overnight oats later this week…like maybe tomorrow? =)

I also prepared a salad – kale, carrots, tomatoes, garbanzo beans, and TJ’s Lite Celtic Cheddar Cheese.

Tonight, I have to run some errands after work, which means dinner will be late…Luckily, I brought a heart-shaped chocolate covered granola bar that I made to tide me over until then. I can't wait to watch episode 2 of The Voice. So excited that show came back! I want to watch Smashed tonight on NBC as well but it's premiering at 10 pm and I'm not sure if my old self can stay up that late. I don't understand why that's the prime spot. Don't tv networks understand that some of us need our beauty sleep?!!! Ok, it's officially lunch time. My stomach is howlin' up a storm!

Case of the Mondays

The weekend was nice and relaxing but as always it ended too quickly and Monday came around too soon.  I always get sad when Monday rolls around. It’s the day I dislike the most. In fact, I think when it comes to Mondays, Garfield sums up my feelings about it the best.

But I’ll try not to dwell on that as I look back on my lovely weekend. On Saturday morning, I went to the gym where I ran 3 miles and then went to my kickboxing class. Afterwards, I met up with my friend and ate some good ol’ New York style pizza for the first time at Ray’s Pizza located in UCI marketplace. Since we got there pretty early, they only had pepperoni and cheese pizza, which was kind of a bummer because I wanted to try their veggie pizza. So, I settled on their cheese pizza with a side of salad. I’ve never had New York style pizza before and I have to say that it was pretty darn tasty. The crust was thin, the sauce (although canned) was sweet and tangy, and there was just enough cheese. Sometimes I find pizza to be a bit overwhelming when the crust is too thick and there is so much cheese that it becomes a meal by itself. However, the amount of each ingredient on this pizza was perfect. There wasn’t too much of anything which really allowed me to taste and enjoy each ingredient. The salad was pre-packaged but I ordered it because I find that eating veggies before my main meal helps me digest my food. I left out the dressing of course. It’s not worth the extra calories and I actually prefer my salads plain. Sometimes I feel like dressings are too vinegar-y and take away from the natural taste of the salad.

On Sunday morning, as I was working out at the gym, I was wondering what to make for my lunch and dinner. Even though the weather was perfectly warm, I was in the mood for some soup and stew. I immediately thought of curry stew for lunch and butternut squash soup for dinner.  
Whenever I make curry, I usually add chicken or some kind of meat. However, we didn’t have any meat in the fridge and I didn’t feel like going to the market just for some meat. But we did have extra firm tofu, so I decided on vegetarian tofu curry. When I got home from the gym, I chopped up some sweet potato (I didn’t have any potatoes in the house), carrots, onions, and tofu. I pulled out my dutch oven, poured some extra virgin olive oil, and threw in all the ingredients. After the ingredients had simmered for a few minutes, I added a scoop of curry powder, 1/4 teaspoon of ground cinnamon, a cup of milk, and some salt and pepper. I let everything marinate for awhile and stirred it every now and then. After 30 minutes or so, I decided it was done. The veggies were soft enough and I was ravenous after a 2 hour workout.

And how was this vegetarian tofu curry? It was really really good. I think next time I’ll use coconut milk but other than that I loved this dish. It will definitely be added to my rotation of regular dishes to make.

For dinner, I kept it low maintenance by heating up Trader Joe’s Low Sodium Butternut Squash soup. I love their box soups because they are oh so tasty. However, the one thing I have learned is to be careful when shaking the box before pouring the soup. I don’t know if I didn’t close the lid properly or if the lid is poorly made but when I shook the box I was greeted with a butternut squash shower. There was squash soup all over the counter, the floor, the stove, and in my hair. It wasn’t pretty. But the soup was really yummy, so it was worth the slight delay and cleanup.

Also, over the weekend, I stopped by Farmers Market at UCI Marketplace and picked this baby up. I have never tried pomegranate apple jam and was intrigued. So, this morning, I whipped up some apples ‘n cinnamon oatmeal and topped it off with a dollop of the pom apple jam, Wild Squirrel’s PB, and granola. It was good but a bit too sweet. I think next time I will try the one without sugar.

OH! And I went to Barnes and Noble over the weekend and bought this book. I have no idea what it’s about but I read chocolate and that was more than enough reason to buy it. I can’t wait to read it =)

It’s Friday, Friday! Gotta Get Down on Friday!!!

Since I was such a heifer last stuffing my face with Starry Kitchen’s spectacular food, I have to be good today. This morning, I woke up at 4:30 am to go to the gym. I ran 3.5 miles on the treadmill and burned 400 calories. Then, I headed straight to the classroom for some kickboxing. I don’t have a Body Bug so I have no idea how many calories I burned, but I’m ball parking another 400 calories. 

Today was our first day with our new instructor and last night as well as this morning I was praying I would like her. We had this one instructor for awhile who was really terrible. She had absolutely no stamina and would make us all take multiple breaks. I barely even broke a sweat, which made me upset because if I’m going to work out that early in the morning, it better be worth my while.

Fortunately, I love our new instructor, Jennifer. She primarily teaches in South Orange County (Aliso Viejo and San Juan Capistrano), so I am very happy that she is willing to trek down to Irvine. I will definitely be adding this to my Friday workout schedule. No more only working out every other month on Fridays. Hooray!!

After I finished with running and kickboxing, I quickly headed home to shower and get ready for work. But when I got home I was super hungry since I only ate half of a True Kind bar (which I didn’t particularly like) and so I ate a handful of blueberries and unsalted, roasted peanuts right before showering. Once I was all squeaky clean, I was finally able to sit down and enjoy some overnight oats that I prepared the night before. 

Breakfast:

Rolled oats, plain nonfat greek yogurt, cocoa powder, 1/2 banana – sliced, ground flaxseed, granola, TJ’s Valencia unsalted & crunch PB, and a handful of grapes. Delicious as always =)

Lunch:

Salad – steamed kale, carrots, garbanzo beans, tofu, and cottage cheese as a dressing

Along with a very sweet and tasty orange:

My drink:

Zico-Tini . No, I'm not drinking at work (ha, I wish)! I combined sparkling water with Zico Pure Coconut Water, with a splash of POM juice. I have disliked coconut for my entire life, but since it’s supposed to be good for you, I’m giving it another chance. I'm trying to come up with creative ways to trick myself into liking it. =)

No chocolate treat for today (although technically I already consumed chocolate from the unsweetened cocoa powder in my overnight oats) since I had such a large dinner last night and because I will be eating lunch at Ray’s pizza with my gym buddy tomorrow, who actually knows Ray! It’s been in Irvine for yearsss and I have always wanted to go there. They supposedly have really good New York style pizza. I’ve never had New York pizza so I won’t have anything to compare it to, but either way I’m stoked.

Happy Friday!!!

You Had Me At Starry Kitchen

So, many super delicious restaurants have been participating in DineLA for the past 2 weeks. Now, I love it when restaurant week rolls around because it gives me the opportunity to eat at high-end restaurants for a very reasonable price. However, there is one restaurant in particular that holds a special place in my heart; that being, Starry Kitchen. For the past two or so years, my sister and cousin have been ranting and raving about this place. So of course, I was just dying to go and try out this ambrosia-like food that they supposedly serve. Last year, my dream came true when I was finally able to go during DineLA week. And let me just say that my taste buds have definitely been hankerin’ for some more. They lived up to all the hype and exceeded my expectations. So, when I found out that DineLA week was coming up and they would be participating again, I just knew I had to go back. Unfortunately, today is the last day of this extravaganza and after two failed attempts it looks like I won’t be able get the true experience of DineLA Week this time. However, last night my sister swung by Starry Kitchen as a surprise for dinner. I absolutely love this restaurant. It’s an Asian Fusion, hole-in-the-wall restaurant that is tucked inside the Financial District and it is managed by a husband and wife team. They produce the most amazing and creative dishes I have ever seen/heard. It’s a very good thing that I live an hour away from downtown LA because if not, I would seriously eat there every day and become a Biggest Loser contestant. Their food is that damn good, not to mention that the customer service is superb. All the employees are very knowledgeable about the food and are very friendly/hospitable. In fact, as soon as you walk in, you feel like you are hanging out at your friend’s house. It’s awesome. I also love the story of how the restaurant came about (check out their website for details). If there was ever such a thing as a romantical restaurant story, this would be it.  It has all the required elements– excitement, a bit drama, heartache, headache, but ends with a happy ending.

Anyhoo, here is the breakdown of what my sister brought home:

Salad

No clue what is in it but it’s one of my favorite salads of all time.

 Citrus Sesame Silky Tofu

I actually didn’t care too much for this dish, which is a rarity for SK. I wasn’t feeling the citrus/tofu combo and felt like the two flavors didn’t mesh well. But I gladly gobbled it up because I heart SK =)

 Vietnamese Egg Rolls

I usually pass on egg rolls because I don’t really like them. I feel like it’s a waste of calories and stomach space but their egg rolls are insanely delicious. I don’t know if they use a special ingredient, like love or something, but I was craving for more.

Burmese Galangal Chicken Wings

AHHHH-MAZING! My sister originally ordered their Malaysian Chicken Curry dish I think but they were sold out <tears>. However, the SK team is incredibly nice and lovingly poured some extra sauce they had on top of our wings. Major score!! The weird thing is that I don’t like coconut or anything coconut flavor. But there is just something special about SK because everything they produce is magical. This dish was definitely muy deliciouso. MMMMMMMMMMMMM

 Vietnamese Minced Beef-Tacular

OHHH MYYYY GAWWWWDD!!!! This was hands down my favorite of all the appetizers/entrée dishes. The egg, minced Angus beef, chuck, crispified fried shallots on top, and the fish sauce. It was beef-tacular for sure!

Lychee Panna Cotta W/ Salted Plum Sauce

Best dessert I ever ate. It’s a good thing we were eating this in the privacy of our own house because I seriously made love to this dish. When there wasn’t much left, I scraped up all the sides with my spoon. And then…I took my finger, smeared it all around the mini pie tin container…and then I licked whatever remnants I couldn’t get with my spoon and finger. My mouth is watering just thinking about this dish. <Sigh>

If I didn’t live so far away (and by far I mean 1 hour drive away...I have a short attention span and get antsy if I have to be in the car for more than 20 min), I would have gone back with a giant bowl and spoon in hand and been like, “Please sir, may I have some more?”

Starry Kitchen, I just have 2 requests for you. One, please add shaved ice and frozen yogurt to your menu..like maybe lychee panna cotta flavor with a side of plum sauce? And two, PLEASE COME TO OC (particularly Irvine or Tustin. I think Diamond Jamboree still has some rental space left in their plaza) .

And on a final note, in case you haven’t noticed or in case I haven’t said it enough, I LOVE Starry Kitchen. In the words of Rick from Casablanca, “I think this is the beginning of a beautiful relationship.”

Bed & Breakfast at Casa Jessica

 Every Wednesday night, I have class from 7:00 to 10 pm. By the time I get home from work, I have exactly one hour to eat dinner and prepare all of my meals along with my mother’s meals for the next day. During this one hour crunch time, I was thinking of putting together overnight oats for a no fuss no muss kind of breakfast. But then I saw an Anjou pear on the counter that I had specifically saved for a Pears ‘n Cinnamon Oatmeal. When I picked it up, I noticed that it was starting to wrinkle. So, I thought, “Oh what the hay, I’ll just wake up a little earlier tomorrow morning to make a proper oatmeal dish.” If I can wake up at 5 am to make cookies/cupcakes, then I have no excuse for not waking up 30 minutes earlier for a healthy, possibly delicious breakfast. So, I put together my mise-en-place with only my pear left to cut in the morning.

Warm, delicious oatmeal + Hot coffee + Julie Child = Good Breakfast

 I was also surprised that my sister was up before the butt crack of dawn as well. I knew she was going to work from home today, but I didn’t know that the poor thing also had a three hour long web conference at 6:30 am. So, while my oats were cooking, I made breakfast for her as well – parfait and half of an Anjou pear with Wild Squirrel’s Bright Eyed & Bushy Tailed Nut Butter  to BRIGHTEN her up (pun very much intended =0}). Marshmallow decided to join her so she wouldn’t be lonely during her conference. =)

" I'm sorry Marshmallow. I didn't prepare anything for you but maybe Auntie Alice will let you share with you?"

I also prepared my snack for the day:

Oatmeal Bar drizzled with Chocolate Ganache

Chocolate Covered Lychees

Today marks the first day of February, which means Valentine’s Day is on many of our minds. However, since I am a singleton, I don’t really have anything to celebrate except for another year feeling like Bridget Jones before her happy ending with Mark Darcy. Now, I usually celebrate this festive holiday by making dinner and watching a sappy romantic comedy with my fellow singleton girlfriends. On this day, I usually gather with my fellow singleton girlfriends and we celebrate by making dinner and watching a sappy romantic comedy. This year, is no different. And since I love to bake desserts, I volunteered to handle that part of the menu. I originally wanted to do something fun, like bake cookies in the shape of lumps of coal; however, that idea was quickly vetoed. I guess it’s not romantic enough. Whatever. Soooo, I was thinking of making the ever so popular chocolate covered strawberries since it’s romantical and all that jazz. But, strawberries aren’t on sale right now and I’m cheap. As I was scouring the weekly supermarket ads, I noticed that canned lychees were on sale at my local Chinese supermarket. And so I thought, “OHHH!!! Chocolate covered lychees!!” Now, if you have never heard of lychees before, it’s a popular Asian fruit that is the shape of a small plum. It is protected by a shell that you peel upon eating and the fruit itself is a translucent white color with a seed in the middle. It’s very sweet and delicious. However, lychees aren’t in season yet so canned lychees will do.

And so, I woke up this morning at 5:00 to try out this recipe I concocted. Since the seeds are removed in canned lychees, I decided to put maraschino cherries and mini chocolate chip meringues inside to help retain its shape. Now, the first time I made the chocolate ganache turned out to be a bit of a disaster. I used too much heavy cream, and as a result my ganache was a bit too runny. That was a bit upsetting considering I didn’t have enough time to wait for it to thicken, which meant I had to make ganache #2. While that cooled, I drained the lychees and dried them as much as possible. I then stuffed half of them with cherries and the other half with meringues. When I was finally done with that, I dipped each one in the chocolate ganache, covered them with sprinkles, placed them on wax paper, and let them harden in the fridge. And then….I had to clean up the huge mess I made. Let’s just say, the kitchen counter was coated with melted chocolate and sprinkles. Ugh… It was totally worth the mess though because these chocolate covered lychees were delish. Too bad this was only a test batch, which means I'll have to make it again. =(

Once the kitchen was back to its pristine condition, I was finally able to eat breakfast – Chocolate Blueberry Overnight Oats. Yummy!!