Happy NYE!

2009 has been an amazing year. I look forward to new year filled with many more blessings. Hope everyone has a wonderful and safe holiday filled with good friends and family! See you next year!

Holiday Dinner Part 2

It was so great to return to LA and be immediately surrounded by all my family and tons of good food! My sisters and their respective family and boyfriend were in town and the atmosphere was lively bordering on boisterous. We also had some extended family over for the evening and it was good times to be had by all. My mother as usual outdid herself and single handedly prepared an amazing spread. If only I could throw a dinner party like she does. And as per usual, she sent J and I home with tons of leftovers so we wouldn't have to cook after our travels. Instead we could rest and rejuvenate ourselves for the upcoming year.

White Christmas

Christmas morning in Central Canada...

Christmas evening in Los Angeles!

Merry Christmas Eve!

Hope everyone is having a wonderful and warm holiday. The Husband and I are spending our last evening in Canada with the In-Laws, so we did presents early and had a big turkey and prime rib dinner. It was a wonderful visit and I know for sure we'll have a White Christmas tomorrow. I am looking forward to seeing my family on Christmas Day for another round of presents and another hearty home cooked dinner. J and I are so lucky that our Mothers are both such good cooks. We learn a lot from them and often attempt to duplicate their recipes when we are at home, but during the holidays, we just sit back and let our Mothers do what they do best! Now let's just pray we get through this commute via O'Hare with no delays or cancellations!

Happy Birthday Baby!

Happy Birthday Hubby!! Here's to another fabulous and fruitful year! I love you!

Wontons Two Ways

My husband enjoys cooking and I especially love when he teaches me his mom's dishes. I know he misses his mom's homemade cooking, so I'm eager to learn her dishes and make them for him more often. So we were having friends over to watch the fights and we were pondering what we should make. We like theme dinners and we like to do something different each time. We already did a pizza night and a sausage night, so this time we thought we'd do an Asian finger food night. We decided to make fried wontons and spam musubis since they are easy to eat without being too messy. You can boil them, steam them or fry them. I made the filling and J was able to wrap about 200 wontons in an hour. He's a great helper.

Wonton Filling:

Ground pork (we used ground turkey)

Minced napa cabbage

Minced ginger

Salt and pepper to taste

Worchestershire sauce

One egg yellow

Little bit of corn starch

We seal the wontons with the egg white that is leftover. When cooked, serve with a dipping sauce made of soy sauce, rice vinegar and red pepper flakes. So easy, J was able to do it all unsupervised!

 

 

 

 

 

Brown Paper Packages Tied up with String

During the holidays, gifts are often wrapped in the standard bright reds and greens. The metallics are also very popular as are the cute Santa and chubby snowman prints. However, I have a lot of birthdays to wrap for during the holidays and frankly the traditional wrapping paper can get a little mundane. So I’ve been turning to the anti-holiday paper to wrap my other gifts: brown paper. There is nothing shiny or bright about it. Although brown paper may seem boring and unimaginative, it has the potential to be so sweet and chic. Tie it up with string, yarn or pastel ribbon and it sort of looks like something from a French market. When the outside is so sweet, you know the inside will be even better!

Anthropologie's Holiday Wrapping 2009 and 2008

More Jars!

More jars in my bathroom! One for my soaps and one for all my beauty samples. I've somehow accumulated so many that they were spilling from every corner of my bathroom (they are great for travel). Now they are all neatly contained and what's even better is that they are now visible so I can actually use them. I love how it looks!

A Little Something Extra

During the holidays, gift cards are often exchanged. Although they aren't the most thought out or personal of gifts, sometimes they are the easiest option. Especially for the picky person on your list or the person that you don't know very well, etc. Regardless of the stigma, everyone loves receiving a gift card because you have the freedom to get what you want and not worry about the hassle involved with returning or exchanging gifts.

I just participated in a Secret Santa gift exchange with some girlfriends and sure enough the person that I chose, my dearest friend IY, only had gift cards on her wish list. As much as I wanted to give her something more fun and thought out, I knew that the gift card was exactly what she wanted. Plus I don't think I've ever seen her use or wear a single gift that I've given her, and I've known her for 10 years people!! (Don't worry IY, I'm not offended and I still love you!) So that is why this year I got her exactly what she wanted and to make it just a tad more personal, I baked her chocolate chip cookies too! I made an envelope out of holiday wrapping paper to put the card in and tied it all together with some festive ribbon. Easy, cute and more thoughtful than handing over a piece of plastic.

J's Pasta Mish Mash

The other night I left work feeling exhausted and emotionally drained. I called my Husband on the way home and immediately began whining about my day. He is an amazing listener and knows just what to say to validate me. He then said that tonight he would cook for me so I could take a load off and decompress. He used to cook for me all the time before we were married, but lately since I have more time, I almost always cook for him. I was thrilled when he offered, because making dinner was the last thing that I wanted to do at that moment, but I was a little worried, because we didn't have much in the fridge to work with. He said he would figure something out, so I decided to put my control issues on the back burner for that night and just let him take care of it.

Dinner turned out to be amazing!! He grilled some chicken and garlic in olive oil and then threw in some asparagus when the chicken was cooked through. He added that to some pasta and topped it with fresh chopped tomatoes. Such a simple recipe and one that was thrown together so quickly. He's good at making dishes just using what we have, whereas I'm always running to the market. The chicken was well seasoned, the asparagus was crunchy and the pasta was perfectly al dente. It was delicious and more importantly, made with love.

Cauliflower Soup

The other night I had a ton of veggies in my fridge, but no ideas for what to make. J and I both had a late lunch that day and so we weren't that hungry and we weren't really craving anything. A recipe for cheesy shells with broccoli and cauliflower came to mind, but it was just too heavy for our little appetites that night. However, I was determined to cook with the cauliflower because it was beginning to get a little brown. Then I remembered one of my favorite items at BreadBar here in LA. The cauliflower soup! It was perfect, because it's been a bit chillier here in LA and my Husband and I LOVE soups! I scoured the internet and found a great recipe by Ree Drumond, The Pioneer Woman. Be warned, I did not attempt to be healthy in any way while making this. It is very creamy, buttery and milky. Oh and hearty and delicious! Serve it with some crusty bread!

Read more for the recipe

Candy Jars

I really love the look of old apothecaries and confectioneries. It's not just because I like things that are vintage looking, but I realized that there is something about glass jars that makes whatever they are holding appear so much more appealing. So lately I've been shopping for a lot of glass hurricanes, apothecary jars, fish bowls, crocks and canisters to hold the usual household items, with the hopes that it will make them look more fun and less ordinary. I put things like nail polish, pretty soaps, paper clips and flowers in them and they look great! Above is a picture of one of my Husbands and my favorite snacks: sour gummy watermelons. We buy them in bulk, throw them into a glass jar and include a cute little scoop. The result is a look of an old general store!

Spam Musubi

Tonight I decided to make my husband a traditional Hawaiian snack, Spam Musubi. I know Spam is very scary to many of you, but I have to admit when it's not sitting in that mysterious jelly after sliding out of a can and instead lightly fried and eaten with rice, it is pretty tasty! Spam Musubis are a great snack and a fun idea for BBQs and parties because it can easily be eaten with your hands. Above, I served them as a side with a bowl of hot Japanese udon. Enjoy!

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Slice the spam right out of the can into thin slices. I know it looks a little scary at this stage.

Lightly fry on a fry pan adding a spot of soy sauce and brown sugar to each slice. Flip over and repeat.

Set aside.

Slice up roasted seaweed into strips. Some use Japanese unseasoned nori because it wraps better. But I like to use Korean roasted laver because it is a little salty and seasoned.

I like to use a musubi mold which can be bought in any Japanese market. It makes it easier to shape the musubi. You don't need the mold, but it's less messy if you have it.

Place the mold on top of a strip of seaweed and then place a piece of spam inside.

Next place some cooked white rice. I like to mix my white rice with a little brown rice. But all white rice probably tastes better.

Press down on the rice to flatten it out.

I like to sprinkle a little furikake on top of the rice. After this step, you carefully remove the mold and wrap the seaweed around.

It is up to you how you want to layer them. I made some with one layer of rice and one piece of spam, but you can make them with two layers of rice.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving!! I hope everyone stuffed themselves and also remembered to give thanks. For those of you shopping on Black Friday, try not to get trampled on! I on the otherhand will be avoiding the shops at all costs. Time is money and waiting in those lines and navigating through throngs of people is just not worth it. Instead, the Husband and I will be resting our still full bellies!

Knobs

 

I love reading decor magazines and design blogs! They are so inspiring and people have such creative ideas. I'm always thinking of ways to spruce up our home, but unfortunately I can't redecorate every time something inspires me. But there are lots of little things that one can do to change the look of their place, like painting the walls a fresh color, whimsical wallpaper, or moving around furniture. My thing lately is knobs! Different knobs can really change the whole look of a dated piece of furniture. I really like the ones from Anthropologie! Keep in mind that it might take a few tries to get the right look. I had to make several trips to Anthro to return and exchange. But eventually, you'll discover what works. I might consider changing my door knobs too!

Honey Dijon Chicken

I always forget about good ol' dijon mustard. It's a tasty and easy addition to any recipe. There are so many different variations of this recipe out there. But here's how I like it. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
8 chicken thighs
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup dijon mustard
4 tbsp of soy sauce
pepper to taste 

Directions:
Mix everything but the chicken in a bowl
Add chicken, cover and marinate in the fridge for at least an hour
Place the chicken in a baking dish (reserve marinade) and cover with foil
Bake in a 375F oven for 20 minutes
Remove the foil and brush on some of the marinade.
Bake uncovered until the juices run clear, about 20-30 minutes, brushing with the marinade periodically.

Candles

I love love love scented candles! Not only do I love the soft flickering glow, but I like how they can really affect and improve my mood. They can be soothing, relaxing and oftentimes they carry me away to another place. They can create a mini getaway right there in your home. I prefer scents that are milder and therefore most of my candles are sweet or fruity. I'm not a big fan of heavier muskier scents. Having said that, although the scent is light, I need the candle to be fragrant. Not strong and overpowering, just aromatic. There are so many candles out there that are scented, but when you light them, you don't even notice it. So now, when I buy candles, I am very particular.

Above are my favorites. (Clockwise from the top: Voyage in violet, Archipelago in peony, Jonathan Adler in shelter island, Fresh in sake, Tocca in cleopatra). The Voyage one they sell at the Peninsula Hotel Spa. That smell is so pleasant and distinct and the whole hotel smells like it. So when I burn it at home, I am immediately at ease like I am at the spa. It also reminds me of my wedding and the wedding night that we spent there! So that is definitely a very special one for me. But my all time number one favorite is the sake candle from Fresh. It is AMAZING. I've gifted it to so many people, because every time anyone comes over and it's burning, they always ask what it is. It's a great hostess gift as well.

I don't just love candles, but I also like pretty candlesticks, unique votive holders and creative candle centerpieces. It's amazing how much they can change the look and smell of your place! Just remember to trim the wick and wipe down the jar. Most of the jars can be cleaned out and used for something else.

Let me know what your favorite candles and scents are!

Central Coast

Here are a few pictures from our trip down the coast. We started in San Francisco and then stopped by Palo Alto, Monterey, Carmel, Big Sur, San Luis Obispo, Pismo Beach, Solvang and then ended in Santa Barbara before returning to Los Angeles. It was so nice to get out of LA for a few days and the weather was beautiful. There is something about bed and breakfasts, breathtaking views and no cell phone service that is so romantic! Oh yeah, and when you are doing it all with the one that you love.

Mummy Dogs and Freaky Franks

Last weekend Husband and I went up to San Francisco to visit the Older Sister and her family. After the weekend, we took a few days coming back down so we could enjoy the California coast and therefore I haven't been able to update the blog for awhile. So although it is a little belated, I want to share the creative Halloween dinner my sisters (yes! Middle Sister came for a visit as well) and I prepared. It mostly consisted of finger foods to make it easy for everyone walking around either watching the World Series or handing out candy. Older Sister is such a fun mom and got a lot of cute ideas from the website Weelicious. Click on the links for the original recipes.

Mummy Dogs

Hot dogs wrapped in pizza dough with mustard eyes

Freaky Franks covered in "blood"

Sausages with pasta in marinara sauce

Carrot Pineapple Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Icing

A few other dishes

Chicken Wings, Sliders, Asparagus, Tots and Sweet Potato Fries

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween from our home to yours!

Hope everyone has a fun and safe holiday!

City of Angels

New York was a blast, but I'm glad to be home!

Bye New York!

Home: such a beautiful and comforting sight