iaromatherapy-blog - Tumblr blog

[iaromatherapy-blog]

CPK

For my birthday lunch a weeks ago, my daddy and sister decided to treat me out to CPK! I'm not the biggest pizza fan but CPK has an array of flavors that I couldn't resist :) my favorite pizza there is the chipotle one! (minus the beans of course) I think that it's because of the green, spicy dressing! this wasn't my choice, maybe because I think that it's weird to put lettuce on a pizza and it has avocado (definitely not my fav) when the waitor brought it to us at our table, my mouth started watering. I usually don't like eating out too much, but this place is irresistible for some delicious pizza :)

[iaromatherapy-blog]

zucchini love

this is a super late post, but I have updated my latest post with all about ZUCCHINI! I remember when I was younger, absolutely hating everything about it - texture, color, look, and especially how it tasted. But as I grow into a less picky adult, I realize how much my taste buds have been changing. Now, I think that I've become obsessed with them! I can't eat them straight up raw, but I love them as korean side dishes (banchan), zucchini pancakes (sliced into round coin shaped and dipped/cooked with egg).

even happy can't resist them!

I saw this on a food blog a few weeks ago, and after taking a glance at them, I knew that I had to make it! it was so delicious as it as the vegetables (carrot & zucchini) weren't overpowering and it had a mix of textures - soft, moist bread as well as a light bite into the carrot and zucchini shreddings

The recipe also came with frosting and a decorative drizzle makes it really look tasty & presentable!

[iaromatherapy-blog]

my latest purchase

what do you get when you mix soy milk with green tea? ORGANIC SOY MILK WITH ORGANIC GREEN TEA! you don't see these too often so I had to buy a carton for a taste, and it was surprisingly good!

the color might not look too appetizing but it's a good mix of soy milk with green tea, not overpowering each other.

and today, I bought this at Whole Foods! Sometimes, each mustard all the time with salad can get a little bit boring and so I got it in the hopes to bring some extra flavor to my taste buds. And yumm, it is great :) Adding it actually made it feel like I was eating those appetizer salads at sushi restaurants. A great purchase!

[iaromatherapy-blog]

autumn harvest

Last sunday, I had the chance to spend some family time and spend the nature outdoors with all the delicious goodness that fall has to offer! We went to Hartland Orchard Farms, not too far from home, and after fields of seeing just grass, trees, and random cows -- we were finally there! the first thing I saw when we arrived: cows! sadly, it wasn't the peak of apple picking season and all that was left was rotten apples smushed on the ground and bare trees :( i was not a happy camper and crushed that I didn't get to pick my own apples. luckily, they had already had some picked apples in bins and we were picking a variety of apples - fuji, gala, and golden delicious - like we were in a grocery store! here's just a sample of what we picked, well just a picture of the cute ones that I had to bring back home with me: and my favorite highlight of the trip, festive autumn gourds! ahh i melt with joy :)

[iaromatherapy-blog]

Starbucks is my favorite to-go place for a refreshing iced drink any time of the year, as my gold card is evident of! I usually get the iced coffee with a pump of classic syrup but because of my dietary changes, I was willing to (for the sake of my stomach) try it with soy milk instead. And.. I absolutely LOVE IT! It definitely has a lighter, soy taste but I was regretting why I didn't try it before. I'll definitely making this my regular drink each time I go :) My dad has also been having some stomach problems too (hope we don't have a stomach virus going on in our family) and so porridge has always been an effective food remedy since my childhood to combat indigestion. I made porridge the past two nights for dinner and I feel that I've mastered it enough to put the right amount of rice and water to make it the right thickness. Rice and water is just too bland for me and so I put in some diced mushrooms and zucchini to give it a nice vegetable flavor yumm! It actually turned out great, I think that I could substitute this for regular cooked rice! Added with a bowl of some 만두국 (dumpling soup), it's just a nice light meal without a full, stuffed feeling :) I feel like I've learned much in the past few days by learning by trying different foods to accommodate my eating habits!

[iaromatherapy-blog]

Mason Jars! I'm so sad that I didn't find these beforehand, but mason jars are definitely useful and can be used from anything in the kitchen to the garden! I recently bought one at michael's but these jars are perfect for food food food :) I've also been surfing online for how other people have been using them and some people used them as to-go lunch salad jars, flower bases, and even to hold makeup brushes. The salad jar idea has really piqued my interest and I'm really hoping to make one in the near future! But for now, I've used it as a cup for my iced chamomile tea :)

[iaromatherapy-blog]

healthy breakfast! I've decided it's time to start putting my nutrition education to some good use and start with a power meal each morning! So, sometime last week my stomach wasn't feeling too good & bloated after incessantly eating my favorite Kashi cereal with milk for breakfast :( And so I decided to try to eliminate dairy milk from my diet and other foods that contain lactose.. Turns out, I think I'm lactose intolerant because all my unpleasant symptoms disappeared and I was back to digesting well again! After that, I've been including almond milk as part of my breakfast experience :) So after that my meal has been a mix of: - Kashi Honey Sunshine ( my fav, as it's not too sweet ) - sliced bananas - sprinkle of chia seeds - almond milk can you say, "Mmm Mmm"? it is absolutely a delicious breakfast to the start of mornings!

[iaromatherapy-blog]

PUMPKIN PUMPKIN PUMPKIN! In college, I realized that with food I usually have an obsession with a food (eating it everyday) until I never want to see it again. So my current obsession is pumpkin (in case you haven't noticed) and I wanted to dedicate this one post to all the lovely goodness about this precious food! In addition to being a great addition to a variety of foods (breakfast - dessert), it's also really healthy/nutritious and doesn't expand your waistline. WHAT'S SO GOOD ABOUT IT? - low calories - packed with vitamins & nutrients like Vitamin A, B, C, and E - high in fiber (regulates your digestion) - excellent source of minerals

[iaromatherapy-blog]

pumpkin pancake brunch this is an earlier post from last saturday (yikes! so late) but a brunch meal that was inspired after buying some pumpkin puree and pancake mix to make some PUMPKIN PANCAKES! add it with some soft, fluffy scrambled eggs and turkey bacon for a scrumptious saturday brunch :) I think that I may have overdone it and the pancakes were not exactly the soft, moist kind that I wanted but maybe another time. it's an all-time american breakfast with a twist of fall with pumpkin!

[iaromatherapy-blog]

hello!

oh. my. I think I forgot about this blog for the past few months and summer.. but it's already SEPTEMBER! but as i can feel the summer gradually turn to fall and that autumn breeze is in the air, I think I got nostalgic over last fall when I started my blog! My "Everyday with Rachel Ray" was also delivered in the mail a few days ago and the cover just exploded with fall and its festivities- especially PUMPKIN! I have to admit, it's my favorite part of the season- just pumpkin porridge, pumpkin bread, pumpkin cookies, pumpkin lattes at Starbucks, pumpkin in absolutely everything! and so in order to celebrate and prepare for the upcoming fall, I decided to make some pumpkin porridge/soup :) There was also a butternut squash sitting around that I think was meant to be prepared into something awesome! So my dad and I (for some father & daughter time) decided to tackle this recipe on maangchi. I don't have a step-by-step description with the pictures but this is the end product: and of course, another screenshot with rachel ray's magazine that inspired it all :) i'm in the process of trying to start new recipes so get ready for a new era of cooking and food everywhere yayy!

[iaromatherapy-blog]

worry looks down, hope looks around, and faith looks up to GOD.

[iaromatherapy-blog]

i love rain :)

[iaromatherapy-blog]

devotion time.

Today marks the first day of Lent, and so I've made the difficult decision of giving up one of occasional treats to myself: iced coffee at Starbucks. I'm even a gold card member yaay :)

I don't know why I'm so mesmerized by that cute shop with the green sign that's almost in every corner.. maybe that peacefulness I find to take a break from the chaos in the world & just relaxing with a cup of coffee in hand.

It's my first time ever committing myself to something like this (minus one day of the Daniel Fast, which was an epic fail). I haven't ever made any sacrifices or participated in fasts so I thought that since I'm old enough, it's time for a change. 

I always need a cup of joe first thing in the morning to keep my brain functioning lately, so I can't exactly give up on coffee until April 7th, 2012. It's also better for everyone else's sake also! So until then, I've decided to stop myself from making those starbucks runs :(

Instead, I'll save up the money I would've spent and donate it where it'll have a better, useful purpose. Especially living here in the states, it's so easy to take for granted simple things like food on the table, a safe house for shelter, and surrounded by the comfort of things we want more than we need. So hopefully, it'll give me a better perspective and time to reflect on things that are part of the big picture!

[iaromatherapy-blog]

in dedication of a singing sensation, rest in peace.

i will always love you - whitney houston

[iaromatherapy-blog]

red bean mochi

i'm a day late but happy valentine's day!

i've been looking forward to making mochi after seeing a delicious yet simple version online at maangchi.

i've been having a sweet tooth craving and this seemed to be hit the right spot :)

i decided to spice it up by using two colors of food dye to make this:

  i love the two color variations & the aqua blue looked awesome! 

if you take a bite, this is the scrumptious look inside:

here are a few tips I learned on the way:

#1. the red bean paste should be blended really well until it's smooth (mine was still a bit chunky) or you could actually just buy the canned ones and use it as the middle.

#2. don't use too much potato starch (the white powder you see on the top) or it will look like this -- fail on my first attempt.

overall, it was a satisfying recipe to make except when it comes to stirring the outer layer (your shoulders ache after too much mixing). I always used to think that it was difficult to make & needed so many unique ingredients, but it proves that it's do-able :) you could actually wrap it in a cupcake box, put a bow on it, and give it to a loved one!

[iaromatherapy-blog]

supposedly, there was a good thai place that I hadn't tried so my brother mom & I went to a place nearby (thai basil) for lunch - crossing my fingers. when we walked through the door, the place was packed and the food on the tables looked authentic. 

I decided to go with the classic, pad thai, and it was actually REALLY DELICIOUS! on the walls, there pictures from a bobby flay showdown & other celebrities who visited. I would definitely go visit again :)

[iaromatherapy-blog]

healthier general tso's chicken recipe

there are just a few nights in college I remember where I would crave some good chinese food so I wanted to make a recipe that calls for a healthier version of the ones that we would usually order for a take-out!

i found on kitchensimplicity a great & appetizing recipe:

I added more veggies to give it more flavor & color: snow peas, carrots, green beans, and scallions.

the taste came out great without the food coma after this meal & a squeeze of lemon for taste & garnish makes an excellent combo with this recipe!