Ah yes, the notorious Thai Curry. It can be spicy as all get up or mild and sweet like a freshly picked Peach. Still, most people don't know how to make this AMAZING sauce.... and it goes great on just about anything really. Seriously give it a try!


For the Thai Curry Sauce:


1 Can of Coconut MILK!!!!! (DONT YOU DARE USE COCONUT CREAM!)
2 Tblspn. Curry Powder
1/2-3/4 C. Cream
1 Tsp. Tumerac
Salt and Pepper to taste
3 Pieces of thickly cut Ginger (about 1" all around and 1/8" thick)
2 Tblspn. Oil (Canola or Soy preferably)


OK, lets begin. First, add the oil to a nicely heated pan and sautee the ginger until it is golden brown and aromatic. Then put in the can of coconut MILK, and make sure you have shaken it up well first. Then add in the curry powder, the tumerac, salt and pepper. Once this comes to a boil, add in the cream and bring it back up to a boil and taste. Adjust seasonings to your liking and serve on top of or stir-fryed with just about any thing.


For some great and simple broiled/ baked Cod you will need

4 Pieces of Cod
Salt & Pepper
4 Pads of butter
1/4 C. Olive Oil
4 Pinches of Tumerac
4 Pinches of Paprika

and A large baking sheet/ pan

Line your pan with either parchment paper or aluminum foil (not necessary but I am not one for scrubbing pans when there is company around.) Then add the olive oil and coat the bottom evenly. Place the 4 pieces of fish down on the pan and sprinkle salt, pepper, tumerac, paprika over the tops of them. Then Place the butter pads on top and send them into a 400º oven for 15-20 minutes per inch thick. Most of the Cod i get is precut into 1 1/2 inch pieces and i haven't seen them much bigger or smaller than that so I am going to assume that its safe to say about 20-25 minutes.

Once it reaches 20 minutes keep checking it because you do not want your Cod to over cook. I can guarantee you that you will not like dry fish ESPECIALLY Cod.

Once it's done, take it out and cover it with aluminum foil (heres the trick if you used foil to line your pan: just pull the foil over it and wrap it up.) So that the fish has about 5 minutes to rest. Then SERVE AND ENJOY!

-Happy Cooking and Good Luck!

So here is the basics of what has been going on lately for the past month… School, Work over load, much needed trip to Taiwan. Divorce. Yep… thats basically it. On the other hand however hard it seemed to be. Life is so much calmer now. And with that I have some new recipes to share with you. ^_^ 

1. Spiced Meatballs (Taiwanese Street Style)

1lb Ground Pork/Chicken/ Lamb/ Beef… whatever you want really

½ cup Panko

1 Egg

1 Sprig of Spring Onion (chopped fine)

½ Tsp. Pepper

½ Tsp. Chinese 5 Spice Powder

2 Tbsp. Corn Starch/ Potato Starch 

1 Tsp. Salt

1 Tbsp. Parsley

½ Tsp. Ginger Powder 

1 Tsp. Sesame Oil

1 Tbsp. Olive Oil

Throw them all together in a bowl but be careful not to over mix it. Form them into balls and you can either bake them at 350ºF for 15mins until they are golden brown OR you can pan fry them until they are golden brown on all sides. 

2. Fried Tofu with a White Onion Sauce

4-6 blocks of tofu (cut into 2 inch cubes. Also SOFT tofu, because hard/ firm tofu tends to not fry as well and you will not get a puffy texture) 

1 Onion (sliced into strips) 

1 cup of chicken stock

1 Tsp. Potato/ Corn Starch

4 Tbsp. Water (To mix the starch in to make a slurry)

1 Tsp. Chicken Stock Powder (Chinese Style where available) 

1 Tbsp. Rice Wine, Sake, White Wine (all works well)

1 Tsp. Spring Onions (Chopped Fine) 

Fry up the tofu in hot oil (350ºF) until it is golden brown and set aside so that the oil can drain out of them. In a separate pan heat 1tbsp oil, saute the onions until they begin to caramelize. Add in the Rice Wine to deglaze the pan. Then add in the chicken stock and the chicken stock powder. Let it come to a boil for 2-3 minutes then add in the slurry mixture of cornstarch and water and stir until the sauce combines. Once the sauce has come together throw in the fried tofu blocks and garnish with the chopped spring onions. Enjoy! 

Happy Eating Everyone, its good to be back! 

Wow, a month off and it feels good to be back. School is back in session and the married life is going pretty well. If life wasn't so hectic I would have been on here more often but with helping people move and getting married and preparing for classes, who has the time anymore? 

So  ON TO THE  PIE! 

Here is a pie that held me through a lot of the summer. BLUE BERRY! Originally I had made this because my father brought home a huge container of blue berries and no one wanted to eat them cause there was just this ungodly amount of them and I didn't want to throw them out of they spoiled.

2 lb. of Blueberries, washed and drained.

2 Tbsp. Flour

¾ cup sugar (this is really up to you)

1 egg yolk

Juice of one lemon

Zest of one Lemon

1 pinch of cinnamon or cloves or both,its up to you.

And one or two pie crust, either home made or store bought. I rarely have time to make pie crusts so I just get the standard pie crusts in the refrigerated section of your local grocery store. 

Basically just unroll your pie crust and line the bottom of your pie pan and in a separate bowl mix all your ingredients together to form a blueberry mixture, then put it all into your pie crust and lay the other piece of pie crust on top. Don't worry if it looks like it is mounding over, the blueberries will melt down and break down into a thick yummy syruppy jam of yummy goodness. 

Glad to be back guys! 

-Happy Eating.

So here is a quick and simple Vietnamese style BBQ sauce that you can use to marinade pretty much anything in, whether its shrimp, beef, pork or chicken. 

(Make sure whatever meat you use is sliced thin, except for fish) 

¼ C Oyster Sauce

1 ½ Tbsp Sugar

½ Tsp Pepper

¼ Tsp Salt

½ Tbsp Soy Sauce

2 Tbsp Lemon Grass

Just place your meat of choice whatever it is in this mixture and marinade over night. When you are ready to cook whether it be a pan or a grill make sure its on high and cook away. The meat should be about ¼ of an inch thick to ½ inch thick at max. This is excellent with rice or cold rice noodles and some vegetables! Give it a  Try ^_^. 

With the heat index at 110ºF its no wonder why people are staying inside this summer.. AND ITS STILL HOT! So what can you do? Make some popsicles. I'm sure everyone out there has had at least one popsicle in their life. So why not try making your own? Here are some recipes to help you make it though this horrid heat and help you spend some more time with people you care about. (or a date, its quite fun and delicious!) 

Strawberry Mango Banana Popsicles: (Makes about 6 - 8 depending on the mold you use) 

½ Cup Strawberries (if you use frozen thaw them out!) 

1 Banana (Peeled of course) 

½ Cup Mango (Again, if you use frozen, then thaw them out) 

6 Tbsp Sugar (I know it sounds like a lot but trust me)

2 Tbsp Honey

1 Pinch Salt

¼ cup water

⅓ cup Heavy Cream (optional)

Place all the ingredients together and BLEND IT INTO A YUMMY LIQUID. Fill your mold up and chill for about a 2-4 hours. (If you decide to use the heavy cream you can always mix one fruit with water and another with heavy cream and then swirl them together! It looks really pretty too just divide the sugar and honey evenly) 

Blueberry Pomegranate Popsicles: (Makes 6-8 Depending on your choice of molds) 

¾ Cup Blue Berries

1 Cup Pomegranate Juice (not sweetened!)

4 Tbsp Sugar

2 Tbsp Honey

Again place, mix, chill, serve! If you want to use cream in this one, you will have to put the blue berries into the heavy cream and mix them together with ½ the sugar and honey. Then mix it with the pomegranate mix and freeze. 

Lemon Lime Crush: (Makes 6-8 Depending on your mold) 

½ C Lemon Juice(FRESHLY SQUEEZED NOT BOTTLED!)

½ C Lime Juice (FRESHLY SQUEEZED NOT BOTTLED!)

½ C Water

1 Lime or Lemon cut thinly into semi-circles 

6 Tbsp Sugar

Blend the ingredients together leaving out the cut fruit, and freeze with a piece of fruit on the side for decoration. DO NOT USE CREAM IN THIS! IT WILL SEPARATE AND GO SOUR ON YOU!

Now for those of you who want a more adult popsicles try these recipes out...

Chocolate Babbling Popsicle: Makes 7-8

1 C Cream 

6 Tbsp Sugar

1 Tbsp Cocoa Powder 

2 Tbsp Bailey's Irish Cream or Kalua 

Mix the cream, cocoa powder and sugar together and set aside. then add in the Irish cream or kalua and put them into the molds first so that it creates a small layer and then add in the chocolate mixture. 

Lavender Honey Popsicles: Makes 7-8 

Just a forewarning, this one takes a bit more work because this is more of an ice cream base than just a popsicle base. 

2 C Cream

½ C Sugar

2 Egg Yolks

¼ Tbsp Lavender 

4 Tbsp Honey

Heat the cream and honey together until simmering, DO NOT BOIL! Mean while, whisk the egg yolks with the sugar to make it lighter. Then slowly temper the egg yolks with the now hot cream and make sure you do not curdle the egg yolks! Allow it to cool and you can either put this into a mold or put it in an ice cream machine. 

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Side note: The wedding went of without too big a hitch. And this week has been hectic! Haha well, thats life for you. And a reminder that my art exhibition is still up at the Glen Allen Cultural Arts Center in Virginia, so stop on by and take a look if you have a chance. 

Its hot, you don't want to cook too much, and someone gave you a head of some funcky looking lettuce. What to do???

Well, if its a head of Frisé Lettuce then MAKE A SALAD! All you will need. (serves 4)

4 Strips of Bacon 

1 Head of Frisé Lettuce (Cleaned and separated)

¼ Cup Balsamic Vinegar

1 Tsp Sugar 

1 Tsp Salt

½ Tsp Pepper

½ Carrot Shaved (vegetable peeler works perfectly for this)

3 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 Tsp Mustard

So to begin, render out the fat from the Bacon and drain it leaving about 1 Tsp to 1 Tablespoon of bacon dripping in the pan. Then, add in the olive oil, salt, pepper, mustard, sugar and balsamic vinegar. Be careful because balsamic vinegar has a problem of bubbling up violently when added to a hot pan! 

Have the lettuce and carrots ready in a bowl and pour the mixture while hot or warm on the Frisé, don't worry, Frisé is a very strong and hearty lettuce so this warm vinaigrette won't do anything but wilt it slightly. Toss so that the bacon, vinaigrette, and the lettuce is mixed evenly and serve it up to EAT!

-Enjoy! 

      Oh the summer breeze, perfect timing for my lavender to start popping out blossoms of fragrant bliss. Seriously, I've had so much time to work on new recipes and I just threw this one together last summer and never bothered to actually put it on here (mainly because I lost the piece of paper I had written the original recipe on) until today. 

Ingredients for Lavender Lime Chicken:

4 Chicken Breasts (halved into butterflies) 

8-10 Sprigs of Lavender 

¼ Cup Lime Juice

1 Tblspn Lime Zest (about 2 Limes)

½ Cup Sugar

⅔ Cup Water

2 Cups Flour 

3 Tsp Salt (divided)

1 Tsp Pepper (devided)

2 Large Eggs 

½ Cup Milk/Cream/ Butter Milk

4 Tbs Butter (unsalted!)

Lets begin shall we. First off, pound out the chicken breasts slightly to make them more tender, and then place them into the egg and milk mixture then into the flour/salt/pepper mixture. What you are creating a dredge almost like making a chicken fried steak or a piccata. Once you have finished dredging the chicken let them rest in the fridge so that the flour ect. can stick better to the chicken when you pan fry it.  

Ok so while the chicken is resting in the fridge start making your lavender lime sauce. Take the water, lime juice and sugar and bring it to a boil along with 1 tsp of salt and ½ tsp of pepper. Once it is boiling add in the flowering tops of the Lavender. Taste it and adjust accordingly. Once the sauce is near completion turn it off and add in 4 tbs of butter and mix it off the heat until dissolved and set it aside. 

Now in a good sized pan on high heat add in 1 or 2 tablespoons of really good olive oil and place in the chicken 1-2 breasts at a time until everyone is golden brown and well done. 

Tip: You can turn the oven on to 325ºF to keep the other pieces of chicken warm while you are cooking the next piece making sure you use a wire rack to make sure one side doesn't get soggy. 

After all the chicken has been cooked, plate it up and top it with the Lavender Lime sauce and sprinkle on some Lime zest just to give it a bit of a kick at the end.

Enjoy! 

Summer is in full swing and the vegetables are ripe for the picking and even better for the eating! So here are some links to my favorite recipes that include summer produce! 

Zucchini Pancakes - Ina Garten: This is such an easy and simple recipe, and the zucchini is just delicious! 

Meringues with Cassis and Raspberries - Ina Garten: Very quick, very simple, and even more delightful!

Beef and Broccoli Salad- Rachel Ray: I know, I'm not a huge fan of her, but give credit where credit is due and this recipe was great!

Swiss Chard- The Neelys: Delicious and simple! 

Seared Scallops with Pineapple-Cucumber Salsa- Paula Deen: Really light and refreshing especially in the heat wave we've been having in Virginia. 

And a few recipes from me: This is an old post of mine and it goes great with the summer produce! 

 Here's the Link. 

Happy Eating! And stay hydrated! 

I've been trying weird flavor combinations since I was really young and I've stumbled on several things that I really love. Fruit, Balsamic Vinegar, and Chicken have been on the top of that list since I've started playing around with flavors heres my recipe for something that isn't a new concept its just one of my favorites to make. 

Raspberry Balsamic Chicken:

4 Chicken or Duck Breasts (you can go skinless this time…. or take the skin off after you have cooked them) 

1 Cup Balsamic Vinegar

1 Tbsp Sugar

1 Tbsp Salt

1 Tsp Pepper

1½ Cups Raspberries (divided)

¾ Cup Olive Oil

1 Tbsp Poultry Seasoning (Its just easier to use this instead of going over everything to make what is essentially the same thing) 

1 Lime (Cut into wedges) 

First off, wash off the chicken breasts because i've found that a lot of them contain crap from packaging that is slimy so if you don't all ready do so start doing this! Then, place the balsamic vinegar, 1 cup of raspberries (crushed), sugar, salt, pepper, poultry seasoning, and olive oil into a bowl big enough to hold all 4 pieces of meat and some room for the marinade. Whisk the marinade until it becomes slightly emulsified and then add the breasts in taking care to coat them evenly. Let them marinade overnight (i've just found that this works out the best. 

When you are ready to cook them set your oven for 325ºF and arrange the breasts evenly spaced apart on a baking sheet. Let it sit in there for 35 minutes and then start checking on them. Use a knife or a meat thermometer (internal temp should be 165ºF) if the juice that comes out is clear, then you are all good to go, if not, then let it sit in there a bit longer…. DO NOT WANDER OFF AT THIS POINT! 

Once your chicken breasts are done let them rest for about 10 minutes before serving. Then just before serving squeeze some lime juice on them as well as place some raspberries with them. Your guests or family will love this recipe, I know mine have, so enjoy and Happy Eating!

紅燒獅子頭 is another dish my mom made, and still makes for me whenever I'm missing Taiwan. It's Stewed Napa Cabbage and Pork Balls. This dish varies by name in China but there are two specific types, Northern and Southern. In the north, specifically the Beijing area, they are 四喜丸子 (Sixi Wanzi) or "4 Happy Meatballs." They call it Lion's Head because the pork balls are the head and the napa cabbage is the mane of the lion. 

Ingredients: 

1 lb. Ground Pork (If you are using Chicken or Turkey see note at the bottom) 

1 Egg

2 Tbs Soy Sauce (Real Soy Sauce) 

1 Tsp Salt

1 Tsp Ground White Pepper

2 Tbs Cornstarch 

1 Tsp Soy Paste (if you cant find this, add in another teaspoon of soy sauce)

1-2 Tsp Sesame Oil

1 Tsp Fresh Ground Ginger or Finely Chopped Ginger

1/2 Tsp Worcestershire Sauce 

1/2 Napa Cabbage (Cut into 1-2" pieces, discarding the root but keeping the white parts) 

1 1/2 Cups Chicken Stock 

1 Tbs Soy Sauce

1 Tsp Mushroom or Chicken Bouillon 

Mix the ingredients together in a size appropriate bowl until the meat is slightly sticky. Let it rest in the fridge for about 20 minutes then place enough oil into a pan to cover a 2" meat ball or you can bake it at 350ºF for 15 minutes. I prefer frying because the Napa Cabbage will take the oily-ness of the dish out and it also makes the pork balls stronger in the stewing process. So once your 2" Pork Balls are golden brown on the outside pull them out and let them drain. Its ok if they are not well done because you will be stewing them later on, just make sure anyone who likes to peck at food doesn't peck at the meat balls while you are preparing the stewing part.

In a soup pot or a deep pan on high heat, add in 2 table spoons of oil (usually i just take it from the frying oil because its all ready hot and ready to go) and add in the white stalky parts of the napa cabbage first so that they cook all the way through. Add a pinch of salt and stir it around lightly and cover for about 5 minutes, this should give it enough time to wilt down so you can add the leafy parts. (You will also notice water at the bottom of the pan at this point, DO NOT THROW IT OUT, all the vitamins are in that water and it delicious!) Next, add in the leafy parts of the napa cabbage and cook it down with the pork balls. Then Add in the chicken stock, soy sauce, mushroom or chicken bouillon and mix well. Simmer on low to medium low for 20 minutes and eat!

Its great buy itself or with a bowl of rice and its actually really light!

Happy Eating! 

(For Turkey or Chicken you need to add in more oil so that it doesn't dry out along with another Tsp. of Cornstarch to keep it together in the frying/ baking process) 

Called hundreds of different things all over the world, these are delicious pouches of delicious morsels! This is a recipe that I have made (about 200 and still do EVERY MONTH) for my family and friends and they just keep on wanting more. Also this is a recipe derived from my family recipe, as to my mom would kill me if i ever posted that recipe on here HAHA! I also have a Japanese Style Gyoza. So here we go...

Taiwanese Style Dumplings/ Pot Stickers

Double the recipe if you want to make more, this isnt baking its just practicality. This will yield about 25-30 decent sized dumplings. 

1 lb ground pork or duck 

4 Sprigs of Spring Onions Chopped Fine

2 cups chopped Cabbage 

1 Tsp 5 spice Powder

1 Tsp Sesame Oil

1 Tsp Salt

1/2 Tsp WHITE Pepper (ground of course)

1/2 Tsp Black Pepper (ground as well) 

1 Tbs Ginger Ground or Chopped VERY VERY FINE

2-3 Tbs Soy Sauce.... (real soy sauce) 

1 Tbs of Corn starch ONLY if you like the meat inside more smooth... otherwise leave it out... i usually just leave it out cause 1. my hands are covered in raw pork but the time i remember it, 2. It tastes just the same to me, 3. If you add the starch you will need to add an egg. 

1 Package of Dumpling Skin (I can't tell you how we make our skins due to the fact that i like i having a head on my shoulders... love you mom! <3) 

Start off by adding the pork into a decently sized bowl (glass, metal, ceramic... none of it really matters it just needs to hold everything and be strong). Then add in the ginger, spring onion, 5 spice powder, salt and peppers and mix well until the meat is a bit sticky. Then add in the cabbage and mix it up again with the sesame oil. 

Make sure you have your dumpling skins ready and take about... a heaping teaspoon or two of meat into the middle of the dumpling skins, (Make sure you have put water on half of the edge of the dumpling skin or else it will not seal and they will break when they boil/ pan fry.) and fold over the dry edge to the wet edge.  You can make a ton of these and freeze them up on a tray then separate them into baggies and take them out when you need to or feel the urge to have dumplings. 

A great dumpling sauce for these are: 

2 Tbs Soy Sauce

1 Tbs Sesame Oil

1 Tsp Sa Cha Sauce 

1/2 Tsp Black Vinegar

1 Tsp Sugar 

Enjoy! 

PS------ I will be making a video of this from start to finish on my youtube account in the next few weeks so be on the look out for it. My youtube is in the contacts page. :) 

HAPPY EATING! 

Okonomiyaki- Okonomi, meaning "whatever you like" and Yaki as in "grilled". So basically its a savory pancake (typically savory) filled with whatever you like. The only good memory of my grandma, mom and me together (mom's mom before the marrow cancer hit) was us making Okonomiyaki in her house in Taiwan or Japan together. Some how that 70 year old woman with bone marrow cancer was able to hold me and cook at the same time just to make sure i knew exactly how it was done. I never forgot that recipe, and i still make it today.... not every week though, maybe once a month if that. But when i do, my family and friends usually somehow manage to come over and get a piece or two. 

So here is the basic ingredient list for how i make it, seeing has some things are really hard to obtain in Virginia VS other places. 

1 Cup All Purpose Flour 

1 Cup Bonito Stock/ Hondashi/ Bonito Dashii (if its powdered please make 1 cup of it in liquid form) 

Salt and Pepper to Taste

about 8 Pieces of Beef, Chicken, Lamb, Pork sliced VERY Thinly

1 Egg if you can get your hands on Yamaimo 山芋　or ながいも (Click for more details), its honestly all the same, otherwise use 2 eggs. 

Tempura Scraps (I sometimes substitute Furikake for this depending on what i have left over) but if you don't have any of these on hand, feel free to use Panko bread crumbs, or coarsely smashed PLAIN croutons, no need for other weird flavors to be mixed in with really asian flavors, its not good.... just trust me on that one. 

Yamaimo (If you have it) 1/2 cup grated, yes it will be sticky and slippery.

8-10 Shrimps cooked and halved

Octopus chunks (if you have it, its not really necessary i just like it) 

1 Tablespoon of Baking Powder (this will give it a bit of a rise when you make it) 

1/2 a cabbage head coarsely chopped into ribbons

2 sprigs of spring onion cut into 1" pieces 

Japanese Mayonnaise (Yes, you need it, it will NOT taste right without it) 

Okonomiyaki Sauce or Tonkatsu Sauce (which is what i use, Bull Dog is the brand name and its delicious) 

Get all of your dry ingredients together: Flower, Baking Powder, Salt and Pepper together and loosely mix it together, then add in the  dashii stock, egg(s), grated Yamaimo and mix until all the flower pockets are gone, but dont over mix. Then gently toss in the cabbage, shrimp, spring onion, any cooked meat at this point. Once you have that done, go ahead and fire up a pan or a griddle to medium high heat. Place some vegetable oil into the pan once its hot and place the meat down. Once one side of the meat is cooked flip it over and place on about 2 cups of the okonomiyaki mix and cook until it starts to become golden brown on the underside. At this point the meat should be fully cooked and also attached to the okonomiyaki mix, if not dont worry. Flip it as best as you can, i've just gotten used to flipping big pancakes so its pretty easy for me, but you can always just slip a plate over the pan flip it and then push it back on (unless you are cooking on a griddle, but keep practicing your flips, you will get it one day!) 

Cook until the other side is golden brown and then BEFORE you take it out of the pan, top it off with some chopped spring onions, Japanese Mayonnaise, and Tonkatsu Sauce. 

This is just the traditional way i've always had it. I play around depending on my leftovers to make something new here and there so please give it a try and let me know what you think. Happy Eating! 

I went to Mimi's Restaurant with my husband's family last year and had some delicious chicken and brie. And i was thinking to myself how could i improve on it.... well it took me 8 tries (most of the m spinning into something else, which will be posted soon) and i finally found one that works. I hope you guys enjoy it! 

Ingredients: 

4 Chicken Breasts (Bone in and Skin on, you can remove it later but keep them on for now) 

4 Tbs Honey 

4.5 Tbs Dijion Mustard 

2 Tbs Salt

1/2 Tbs Pepper

1/3 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil (GOOD OLIVE OIL!)

8 Slices Good Brie 

First off: Marinade the chicken breasts with the salt, pepper, dijion and honey. Then when the chicken and the mixture is all set cover it with the olive oil to keep it moist when it bakes. The reason you add the oil after you have coated the chicken with the honey mustard mix is because if you add the oil first, then the chicken breasts will not absorb the flavors as well. So, mixture first, then the oil and let it sit in the fridge overnight or for at least 2 hours. Once you are ready to cook turn the oven on and set it to 350ºF. Place the chicken on a baking sheet and place 2 slices of the brie on it and bake it for 35-45 minutes (depending on your oven. Once its complete take the oil from the chicken and you can sauté some vegetables in it (its delicious) i recommend asparagus or broccolini (the bitterness from the two goes great) also a nice frisé salad would work well with this too! 

Enjoy it! ^_^ 

The importance of having your body... as many of you know, the human body needs 1 Gallon of water, per day. Here are some quick tips to keep getting water into your body.

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Fruit Juice Popsicles: Just take your favorite juice and pour it  into a mold with a popsicle stick. 

Not a big fan of water? Why not add some frozen berries to your water bottle? Or tea bags, they work just the same and you actually get more uses out of them. Also, with tea and berries you are getting an antioxidant boost. 

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Another great way to hydrate yourself is to make a Cucumber Carrot Facial Mask:

All you will need: 

1 Cucumber (Diced) 

1-2 Carrots (Depending on the size diced) 

2 Tbs Honey

2 Tbs Olive Oil

3 Cups Plain Yogurt

Blend it all together and apply to your face, the mixture shouldn't be watery, but almost pasty, if it is watery, just add a few tablespoons of flour or corn starch to it and mix it up. Anyway, apply it to your face for 10 minutes and it wash it off with cool water. This mask will brighten up your face, and awaken your tired eyes, for any of those who like to go out on the weekends ;)

Any way, i hope these tips have helped! Stay hydrated! 

-Sorian

You can also turn tea into a really great ice facial... here is a Link to Michelle Phan's video: I will also post the video below.  

Not getting enough fruit into your diet huh.... ever tried grilling them? Or pan frying them? How about roasting them? Really none of these at all? And no, overly sugary pies DO NOT COUNT! 

Try these recipes out and see if you like them. I also have some tips included in here to help you or your picky kids try some more fruit too ^_^... It worked on my nephew so its worth giving as shot. 

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Recipe 1: Grilled Pineapple Smore's

I'm sure you all know how to put together smores, so i am not even going to bother explaining that  part. I will say though add in one slice of grilled pine apple cut about 1/4" thick to the smores will make it delightful and not as rich as a normal smore.... (i ended up having 5 before the night was over) This is a recipe i saw on some food network challenge so i can't take credit for it, but its totally worth trying out if you have picky kids at home.

Recipe 2: Grilled Peaches in a Honey Clove Sauce or 5 Spice Sauce

So depending on whether or not you like spice in your food, you may or may not like this recipe. Specifically the more holiday like scents and spices.  So here we go:

Halve 4 or 5 Peaches and coat them with honey and sprinkle them with 5 spice or ground cloves and some sugar. Grill them until the peaches are golden brown and caramelized. Serve it up with some ice cream or some toasted nuts and granola and enjoy it! 

Recipe 3: Grilled Mango and Shrimp

Not only is this recipe delicious but its incredibly healthy for you! 

Take about 1lb of jumbo shrimp, clean them off, peel them, devein them ect. Then, take a piece of cubed mango and then add a shrimp, repeat until there is 1-1 1/2" left on the end of the skewer. Sprinkle it with salt and pepper and grill it up until the mango get caramelized, and the shrimp is well done. 

Recipe 4: Grilled Banana's with Ice Cream and Chocolate Sauce

First of all DO NOT PEEL THE BANANAS! Cut a slit into them so they do not burst open while they are on the grill but other than that leave them be! And grill them until the peel is a nice charred black and the banana is nice and soft inside. Take them out and place them in the bowl of ice cream. (Vanilla, Chocolate, and Strawberry have been the best so far) 

For the Chocolate Sauce, basically, melt 2 Cups of chocolate in a double boiler, making sure that the top bowl or skillet is not touching the water. This is to make sure that the chocolate doesn't burn. Once the chocolate is almost completely melted add in 1 cup of cream and a tablespoon of milk and vanilla extract. Stir and add in a tablespoon of coffee or a teaspoon of instant espresso. Put a spoonful or two onto the ice cream and bananas and eat up. 

You can also do this with strawberries but i suggest putting them onto a skewer first.

Take care that no water gets into the chocolate before the cream is added or else your chocolate might crystalize and trust me. Its a lot of work to save it. 

Roasted Chicken with Apples: 

Ahhh yes, the classic chicken... dried, overly chewy, tough, and almost inedible and flavorless. Yeah... if you are worried about making sad and sorry chicken then please try this recipe. 

For the Chicken itself: 

1 WHOLE CHICKEN (YEAH BABY) 

2 Tblspn Honey with 1 Tablespoon of Vinegar mixed with 1 cup of water (that has been heated to a boiling point) 

1 Tblspn regular honey

1 Spring Onion Smashed and Chopped 

1 Table spoon 5 spice Powder mixed with Black Pepper Corns and 2 Tablespoons of salt and toast it until you can smell the pepper. (Yes Whole Peppercorns) 

2 Grannysmith Apples (skinned and cored) 

Ok, clean out the chicken: guts, gizzards and all. Then, spice up the exterior of the chicken by rubbing it with the scallions/ spring onion, and the salt/5 spice/ and pepper corn mixture. Then Use the honey vinegar mixture (while it is still boiling hot) and scald the chicken's skin to make it tighten up. This will not only create a very crispy skin but also seal in the juices. Afterwards, stuff with the remaining scallions, and the salt mixture rubbing it down well on the inside and let it rest up in the fridge for an hour or overnight. Once you are ready to cook preheat the oven to 350ºF, cut up the granny smith apple into wedges and stuff them into the chicken and cook. breast side down first for 30 minutes. Then, flip it over and cook for an additional 30-40 minutes with the breast side up. Let it rest for 5-7 minutes before serving. 

Enjoy, I really loved testing this recipe out and I had ALOT of leftovers so i'm sure there will be a leftover's blog coming up soon. 

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In unrelated news, I am getting married which is why the post for the past few weeks have been very sparing, no worries, i will be back to my full 2 blogs a week in 2 weeks. I will still be posting things here and there so keep a look out! 

Happy Eating everyone! 

-Sorian

Red Wine Chicken : So this was a recipe that i ended up developing because i felt like having Coq au Vin but i didn't feel like waiting 4 hours for it to cook traditionally. 

You need 4-8 Pieces of Chicken Bone In

2 Cups Red Wine (Merlot or Cabernet-Savigon) 

2 Cups Port 

Salt and Pepper to taste 

2 Tblspn. Chopped fresh Rosemary or Dried

1 Tblspn. Chopped fresh Parsley 

3 Tblspn. Good Olive Oil 

2 Tblspn. Butter (unsalted) 

2 Tblspn. Worcestershire Sauce

1 pinch Paprika 

1 Cup Chicken stock 

     First, get your pan nice and hot and make sure that its slightly deep. A nice deep sauce pan works great for this. Add in the olive oil and put in the chicken, its ok if you dont season it with salt and pepper first because we want the chicken to soak into the chicken. Once the chicken is in and browned on both sides.

     Then add in both the red wine and the port and let the alcohol simmer out a little bit, then immediately add in the rosemary and the parsley. You want the alcohol to bring out the rosemary and parsley and rehydrate them a little bit. Also, at this time, add in the chicken stock, salt, pepper, paprika, and worcestershire sauce. Cover and cook for 20 minutes until chicken is tender and cooked. Once the chicken is cooked add in the 2 pads of butter to give the sauce a nice gloss. 

I love making this dish because its homey and very comforting. Its great for a rainy day or a cold winter nights dinner. Please enjoy! 

Recipe Serves 4-8 Approximate Cooking Time: 30 Minutes

A spoonful of honey, helps the allergies stay at bay... well, local honey that is. Yup, ladies and gentlemen its that horrid time of year again. Stuffy noses, achy, puffy red eyes, sore throats, and in some cases even muscle/ joint issues.... YEAH... allergies are serious! 

I know know about you, but at least this year, allergies hit overnight. LITERALLY! I went to bed in Richmond, VA and the next day, I woke up with my car covered in yellow and running to my medicine and herb cabinets for something to ease to the suffering. 

So what can you do you ask? Here are some natural remedies for you. 

#1. Honey (Local): It will help your body take in the pollen from flowers so your body can get familiarized with them. (My favorite is Raspberry Honey, which is honey taken from raspberry flowers and its delicious!)

Why does this help? If you have it in your body all ready, your body will less likely to react as badly, if at all to the pollen floating in the air. Similar to getting a shot. 

Where do you find it? Local farmers markets, but most supermarkets have a local section now. As long as you get honey that was made in the same general area as you, then you should be fine.  (I'd say about 100-200 mile radius of you) 

How much of it to take? Add it in place of sugar for tea, or sugar in cooking recipes, experiment with it in baking. Honey adds a nice layer of flavor to whatever you make. As for me.... I love just taking a spoonful of it once or twice a day, or making a nice dip out of it is delicious too.  ^_^

#2. Vitamin C: If you are allergic to oranges as i am, you have to be pretty resourceful in getting this vitamin. Broccoli and Green Peppers are GREAT for getting tons of vitamin C as long as you don't cook them into a nasty mush!

Why does it help? It will help keep your body's immune system strong so that it is able to fight anything that might try to come across it. 

Where can you find it? Broccoli, Oranges (most Citruses), Bell Peppers, Dark Leafy Greens.

How much of it to take? A serving of it with every meal, mmm, and i have plenty of recipes for them. ^_^ 

#3. OPC-3, Açai, Resveratrol: These are 3 of the most powerful antioxidants out there. You can buy them anywhere they sell supplements, I get mine from market america (woot for distributor costs). But seriously, these are the best things i have ever taken. They've cleared more than my allergies, minus the occasional flare up. 

Why does it help? It helps your body, heal, destroys free radicals that cause cancer as well as builds your immune system. 

Where can you find it? My MarketAmerica website or a supplements and vitamin's store. 

How much of it to take? The recommend dosage on the bottle. But because OPC-3 and Acai is found naturally, if you take it in a drink form it is safe to up the doasge.

All righty, its time to tackle one of the most famous roots in the world... well technically Tubers. From its uses in Europe that began as mostly peasant food to its uses in Asian cuisine. 

So here are some quick and simple dishes for you.  

Potatoes Au Gratin 

3 Russet Potatoes (Cleaned) 

1/2 cup cream

1 Tbs butter (melted)

1 Tsp salt

1 Tsp pepper 

1/2 cup mozzarella cheese 

Cut the potatoes into 1/4 inch rounds, sprinkle the salt and pepper over them and coat them well. Place them into a baking dish and our the cream and melted butter over the potatoes and bake it off at 350º for 20-30 minutes. To make sure its done, take a fork and stick it in the potatoes if it slides out easily then its done! If not, let it sit in the oven for 10 more minutes but keep an eye on it from this point out! You dont want anything to burn do you? 

Click for more recipes! (5 more total) 

Ok, you come home, late from work, tired stressed, and of course, starving. What do you do? Well if you are anything like me you probably have a stash of assorted meats and veggies in your freezer that you can throw on heat and cook up. (AND its probably cheaper if its bought in bulk) 

what you will need: (4 Servings) 

Teriyaki Salmon Fillets 

4 Salmon Fillets (frozen or fresh) 

3 Tbs. Soy sauce

1 Tbs. Mirin or (Sweet white wine or Sake) 

1 Tsp. Sugar 

1 Tbs Honey

1 Tbs. Sesame Seeds (Toasted) 

1 Tsp. Salt 

1 Tbs. Terriyaki Sauce 

Take your ingredients and place them all into a bowl and mix them together and coat the frozen or fresh salmon fillets in this sauce. Place them onto a baking sheet and bake at 350º for 10-15 minutes depening on the size and thickness of the fillets. 

Dill Potatoes: Always a great compliment to any chicken or fish dish. The dill has a great flavor that plays well with any seafood or poultry dish. And potatoes always make a great side. 

All you will need:

2 Tbs Butter (Unsalted) 

1-2 lb. bag of Baby Potatoes or New Potatoes 

1 Teaspoon Salt & Pepper 

1 Table spoon (Dried) Dill or 1/2 Cup Chopped Fresh Dill

Place the new potatoes (after you have washed them) into a boiling pot and cook until fork tender. Then, in a separate skillet or the same one, add the butter and wait until the pan is hot and the butter releases a nice nutty flavor then add in the potatoes and the salt, pepper, dill and stir and let it sit till golden brown on one side then flip it over and and let it sit again. Once golden brown plate them up and eat! 

Most people who have gone to a chinese restaurant be it buffet style or sit down, menu style has encountered these morsels. Warm cream cheese with crab meat inside. But, theres always that one place that you go and either the crab rangoons are completely deflated, or just plain nasty and hard or the worst.... its not real crab, its imitation crab meat....

Classic Crab Rangoons 

8 Oz. Cream Cheese 

1 Container of Crab meat (usually 8 oz) 

1/2 an onion diced fine

1/2 carrot minced

1/2 sprig, spring onion minced very fine 

Salt and Pepper to taste

1 pkg. Wonton skins (available at most local asian markets) 

Bring the cream cheese to room temperature and then mix in all the ingredients saving the crab for last. Make sure that the Crab Meat has been thoroughly drained and completely defrosted. Then place about a tablespoon of the mixture onto one wonton skin and fold it in half to make a triangle shape. (you can use either an egg wash or water to make the skin stick together. Then fry them up and serve (be very careful the filling will be incredibly hot!) 

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I first had these at as a sample at some hole-in-the-wall chinese "restaurant" in NYC's China Town about 5 years ago. It was seriously a hole in the wall... where two buildings came together but there was an obvious separation of where one building began and the other ended. It was rather refreshing in a weird way. Anyway, i ordered ha gau, and got these shrimp purses instead and i actually rather enjoyed them. Crispy shells encasing a perfectly cooked shrimp with a hint of spices, oh it was sooooo elegant. So ever since i got back from that trip, I've been making my own version of this, be it for a party as an hors d'ourve or just a nice sunday snack. 

Shrimp Wonton Purses 

1 Package of wonton wrappers 

1lb of 41/50 count shrimps ((Medium) Peeled and Deveined too))

Salt and Pepper to Taste 

1 Tbspn Sesame oil

1 Pinch Chinese 5 Spice Powder 

Marinade the shrimps together and then place in the center of the wonton wrapper and then pull all the sides together and use either an egg wash or water to keep them closed. Like the crab rangoons, fry them up and serve. (And yes, the shrimps will be just as hot so let them cool before you shovel then in your mouth!) 

Ok, so this is a recipe that has to be one of the weirder accidental creations that i have ever stumbled upon.... I was making chicken wings and drinking Dr. Pepper (which for those of you who know me I dont drink soda anymore but once or twice a month) and i ended up slipping on something and i dropped my can of Dr. Pepper into the chicken wings and I was panicked because my friends were coming over for dinner. So i decided to go with it and they all ended up loooooooving it, so I've been experimenting with this ever since. Pretty Much any DARK soda will work well for this but Dr. Pepper and Coca- Cola has the best outcome. I think its because of the acidity in them but i am not totally positive. 

Coca-Cola or Dr. Pepper Chicken Wings

10-15 chicken wings: Defrosted if frozen

1 Can of Coca-cola (or your favorite dark soda, see above)

1 Teaspoon of salt (more if needed but i find that this amount is good because of the soy sauce) 

1 Teaspoon of black pepper (white if you want it spicier) 

1 Tablespoon soy sauce

1 teaspoon of sugar 

 1 splash of Japanese worcestershire sauce 

Ok so get a large non stick skillet out and get it on High Heat and DO NOT ADD OIL until it is hot! While the pan is being heated salt and pepper your chicken wings and wait. When the pan is finally hot use a few table spoons of Canola or Soybean Oil (because of the smoking point value they have). Place them in and DO NOT MOVE THEM! You want them to get nice and crispy and golden brown.

Once they are golden brown on one side, flip them over and do it again, you may or may not need to add more oil depending on how much is in the pan. Once they are golden brown on both sides, that does NOT mean that they are done, it means the out side is crispy, not nessicarily tender and cooked, add in the can of coke or dr. pepper and let the CO2 boil out and let it reduce before you add in the soy sauce, salt, worcestershire sauce, and more sugar if needed. Then cover it for about 15 minutes and turn the heat to a medium low and dont touch it. Once that time has elapsed check to see if they are fully cooked and tender, if they are, take them out and serve them up! Ranch is really good with them! Enjoy ^_^

Ok, so I had this horrible day and i just wanted something sweet to eat. So i was thinking and i thought back to something Giada DeLorentes made and it inspired me to make something. I had some puff pastry shells in the freezer i had been meaning to cook. 

2 Cups Ricotta Cheese 

10 Puff Pastry Shells 

1/2 Cup of Vanilla Sugar Divided(i will explain) 

1 Lemon's Juice 

1 Zest of Lemon 

3 Cups of Mixed Berries (Blue Berries, Raspberries, Black Berries and Strawberries, feel free to omit whatever berries you don't like) 

1/2 Cup Water 

The Puff Pastry Dough

Brush an egg wash on the puff pastry dough. (One egg and a table spoon of water and beaten together) Put the frozen or thawed puff pastry shells into the oven at 400ºF for 15-23 minutes... KEEP AN EYE ON THE PUFF PASTRY OR IT WILL BURN! Once it browns evenly! 

Ok so for the Berry Reduction/ Syrup

Juice of One Lemon reserving one tablespoon for the Ricotta cheese. The berries, water, and 1/4 cup of vanilla sugar in a sauce pot and bring it to a boil and let it reduce to a nice thick and tangy syrup. Set it aside to cool for a bit while the puff pastry is cooking. 

The Lemon Ricotta Cheese (its amazing!) 

Place the ricotta cheese, the remaining 1/4 cup of vanilla sugar, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, and the lemon zest together and mix it thoroughly! 

Vanilla Sugar

Take your left over vanilla beans, wash them off, or any used vanilla bean pods that have been opened and the seeds used into a container with sugar and let it sit for a few weeks to a few weeks. The longer you let it sit the stronger the flavor will be.  

So when the puff pastry is done, take out the middle of the shell so it becomes hollow. Fill it with the ricotta mixture and spoon over the berry syrup on it and serve! ^_^ 

YES YOU CAN EAT SHRIMP AND FEED 4 PEOPLE!

If you have a Costco or Sam Club or BJ Wholesale Club GO THERE and get yourself a huge bag of shrimp at least 41/50 to 36/40 by all means if you can go for the gold go for the gold but there is a totally different ways to cook them. But thats beside the point. You want people to be able to get the whole or at least half, of the shrimps into their mouths. This is supposed to be cheap and easy not exactly healthy but its hearty and not that bad for you every now and then. 

Shrimp in Garlic Creme Sauce

So here is the list of ingredients you are going to need...

1/2 Tablespoon Garlic Powder

1/2 Tablespoon Tumerac (i love the flavor and the color it gives)

1/4 Teaspoon Smoked Paprika 

1/2 Tablespoon Garlic Salt

1 Teaspoon Black Pepper 

AND 1 STICK OF BUTTER (I DONT CARE! USE IT DAMN IT! THIS IS FOOD FOR ENTERTAINING! TO MAKE SOME HAPPINESS AND BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER IN CONVERSATION.... USE THE DAMN STICK OF BUTTER) 

1/2 Cup Heavy Cream.... please read above 

1/4 Tablespoon Fresh Chopped Parsley 

1/4 Tablespoon Fresh Chopped Dill

1 Package of Linguini/ Spaghetti/ whatever pasta you like

and your 1 pound of shrimp, peeled and deveined and tails off. 

Here we go, start boiling the pasta and in a medium-high heat pan place that stick of butter in it and melt the butter. After the butter has melted, add in the spices and mix it around reserving the cream and the parsley for last. Add the shrimp in and cook it until they are C's and the instant that happens add the creme and maybe a bit more salt and pepper to taste. When the pasta's done add it together and stir-fry it till its evenly coated. Serve on individual plates and garnish with the chopped parsley. 

My perfect Roasted Chicken Breast

This is just a plain roasted chicken breast you can add herbs and spices to your liking later but this goes along with my chicken salad recipe and it makes for a great topping on a nice leafy green salad as well. ^_^ 

2 Chicken Breasts and thighs WITH SKIN ON(you can remove it later, after the chicken is cooked, if you don't want to eat it but for the love of the Kitchen Gods KEEP IT ON!) 

Salt and pepper the chicken both front and back. 

Then flip it over and use seasoning salt or poultry seasoning onto the skin side to make it crispy and so to flavors will really soak into the meat. 

Refrigerate and rub them down with a quick splash of EXTRA VIRGIN olive oil just enough to coat it.

If you are ready to cook add EXTRA VIRGIN olive oil onto the breasts, and rub them down well and send them into a 350ºF oven for 25-30 minutes.

Keep an eye on it!!!!!!

To test for doneness stick a chopstick or something like that into the thickest part of the meat and if the juices run clear then its done. Let it rest for 5-8 minutes before serving. And yes stick every piece of meat because your oven may be off/ unevenly heated or its thicker than the other pieces... remove as according. 

The reason you should leave the skin ON while cooking is to keep the juices and flavor in the meat so it doesn't dry out in the hot oven. If you take that skin off before hand you WILL be sorry and left with a dry dry dry piece of hard meat. 

This is something I came up with when I was craving Curry and chicken salad. Simple, easy, and tasty ^_^

Curry Chicken Salad

2 Chicken Breasts Roasted (you can use the leftover from those store bought roasted chickens too, they work great for this ^_^) 

1 or 2 Celery Stalks diced fine 

1 tsp black pepper

1 tsp tumerac

1 1/2 tsp curry 

1 1/2 cup mayo (I reccomend Hellmans) (you can replace the last 1/2 cup with sour cream if you are watching your weight but you will probably need more salt) 

salt to taste 

Cut the chicken into 1/2 inch dices add all the other ingredients and then mix, save the salt for last so you can control the salt level... i rarely find that it needs more salt. Also this tastes better after a night in the fridge because the flavors will come out more. 

For more.... click the actual blog link because for some reason double posts won't show up on the home page.... its been like this for all of my other posts too so feel free to re-read some stuff cause you never know what you might have missed ^_^ 

So I started searching for recipes on how to make my own puff pastry, albeit simple, but it's still puff pastry nonetheless. I made the dough last night and rolled it out and made it this morning for breakfast. ^_^ 

Recipe for Puff Pastry Dough

1 Cup of Flour 

1 stick of butter (Cold and cubed) 

3-4 Tblspns water (icy cold) 

1/4 tsp Salt

Yeah, that's it! 

First, add the flour and the butter thats chilled together, and break it up and mush it together with your hands for 3-4 minutes. Then, slowly add the water 1 tablespoon at a time, DO NOT, DO NOT add more than 4 tablespoons of water! Keep on mixing untill the dough comes together. 

Then Chill for at least one hour or you can store it in your fridge for up to 2 days. If not you can keep it in your freezer for up to 4 months. I don't recommend storing it longer than that. 

Anyway, I rolled out my dough this morning and set my oven to 400ºF. Then, I cut the dough into small littles circles, just enough to come half way up the muffin pan (I didn't have a tart dish/pan that was small enough), sprayed some Pam into the tray holes, and placed the dough in. After the oven was hot, I put the tray in there for 20 minutes. AND VOILA!!!!!! IT WORKED! ^_^ I hope this works out for you out there who read this! ^_^ 

-Happy Eating- 

I will put some filling and other information later ^_^ 

So the loooooong awaited part two of the winter time skin care is FINALLY here. 

As far as moisturizers go you need 2 good ones, WHY? because:

1. your face will get use to them

2. different moisturizers have different purposes... obviously enough.

So what should you look for? 

If you can find either an all mineral based or an all natural great! GET IT! 

Its worth shelling out the extra cash for those because that means you are not putting anything harmful on your face. 

STAY AWAY from anything with isopropyl! I MEAN IT. Isopropyl is not beneficial for longterm uses on the skin besides sanitation... which in this case should be an issue because you would have just washed your face before you put on your moisturizer. 

My Reccomendations: 

MICROWAVE COOKING for the COLLEGE STUDENTS

Back to school... a time of seeing friends that don't live near you, cramped dorms, and awful food from cafeterias sometimes. (VCU isnt that bad.... but it is faaar from what I would call a decent dining experience too) For most college students it still ramen and frozen t.v. dinners.... not healthy or that tasty by any means. So i was talking to a few friends and then someone made a suggestion... "Can you make the food you make at home in a pan in the microwave?" and i thought....HELL YEAH THATS A GREAT IDEA!!!! (Thank you Nuhad and Mandy) 

Recipe One:

Butter Herb Chicken (microwave version)
1 or 2 Chicken Breasts
2 Pads of butter (one for each breast)
Salt and Pepper to taste
2 Teaspoons of Dried Thyme
2 Teaspoons of Dried Rosemary
1 Pinch of Sage
1/4 cup of water
2 Table spoon of Olive Oil

Place the chicken in a microwaveable container and add in the salt, pepper and olive oil and massage it into the chicken, then add in the thyme, rosemary and the sage and massage it in again. Let it sit in the fridge for 30 minutes or till you are ready to cook it. Then place the two pads of butter ontop and the water just before you place it in the microwave. Cover it in plastic wrap and microwave it for 6-8 minutes or until fully cooked. Let it rest with the plastic wrap on for about 2-3 minutes before you try to take the plastic off... be very careful because the steam is hot!!!!! VERY VERY HOT! Then dig in!

Steamed Dill Salmon
1 Salmon Fillet (Fresh or Frozen)
1/4 teaspoon of Turmeric
1/4 teaspoon salt
Pinch of pepper
Pinch of Paprika
2-3 pinches of dill/ per filet 
2 Pads of Butter

4 Lemon Wheels 
(You can add a splash of heavy cream to this to make a slight sauce for the fish and it keeps it moist too)
Cover loosely with Plastic wrap to prevent splatters

Place everything on top of the Salmon Filet and into a microwave safe container and microwave on HIGH for 5-8 minutes depending on if it is frozen or not. You can check to see if its done when you stick a fork in and the fish flakes. And you will know it is over cooked when it becomes very dry.

Ramen Lo Mein
1 package of Ramen Cooked (whatever you have on hand works)
1/4 cup of peas/carrots/ string beans cut into 1" pieces
1/2 Packet of seasoning from the ramen
Any leftover meat or seafood you have on hand
Crushed unsalted peanuts (to garnish)
1 Scallion chopped fine (to garnish)

Take that ramen and all the other ingredients into a container and mix it a bit with 1/2 table spoon of soy sauce and i dash of sesame oil. Microwave for 1-2 minutes because the ramen is already cooked and you just want to cook the vegetables a bit. Top with the peanuts and scallions and eat ^_^ ( If you are allergic to nuts you can leave the peanuts out)

Microwave Mashed Potatoes
2lbs of Potatoes (Russet or Idaho)
1/2 stick of butter
1tsp salt (more to taste)
1tsp pepper (more to taste)
1/4 cup of cream
4-5 slices of cheese (cut into small peices, and make sure its your favorite... i like mozzarella, provolone,or cheddar depending on the meal i am making)

Cut the potatoes into cubes about 1/2 in thick and put them into a bowl and microwave on high for 4 minutes, then take them out start breaking them up a little bit, and add in about 2 tablespoons of water. Continuing microwaving on high for an additional 3 minutes. Then take it out break up the potatoes more add in the cream, salt, pepper, and herbs. Mix them together well and pop it in for 2 more minutes. Finally take it out give it one more good stir while incorporating your cheese and microwave it for an additional 1-2 minutes. When its done you want to make sure the potatoes are soft and easily broken/ pierced with a fork/ chopstick whatever you have on hand or if you can stand the heat try to pinch one of them and see if it will break, if it does so easily then its done. If not, just pop it back in for a few more minutes. Enjoy ^_^

HAPPY EATING!

This is going to be a start of one of MANY more cheap recipe blogs to come. 

For this one... it will be....

Stuffed Bell Peppers with Fiesta Smashed Potatoes and Fiery Veggies 

Ok you are going to need for the Stuffed Bell Peppers: 

4 Large Peppers (Red and Yellow because the flavors are more mellow than green) 

1 lb of beef 

1 Tblspn Italian Seasoning 

1 cup of uncooked rice (about 1-2 cups cooked) rice

2 Tblspns soy sauce

1 Tblspn worcestershire sauce

Salt and Pepper to taste 

1 Tblspn butter (unsalted) 

1 Tblspn olive oil

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup chopped celery 

1 can diced tomatoes 

1 tsp Oregano 

2 cups Mild-Sharp Cheddar 

Brown the beef and add all the spices in and mix well until it is cooked and strain out the excess oil from the bottom of the pan. In a separate pan use the butter and sauté the onions/ celery/ and tomatoes till the beef is done and then add them together. Then add the rice and the sauces and mix it well and let it simmer for about 3-5 minutes. While this is happening, clean and prep the peppers so that they can be stuffed and also get your cheese out. Spray a baking sheet and put the peppers onto the tray and start stuffing them with the beef and top the stuffed peppers with the cheddar and the caps like in the picture above.  Place into a 350 degree oven for 15 minutes. 

For the Fiesta Smashed Potatoes: 

You need 

2lbs of russet or idaho potatoes (cut into 1/2 inch cubes) 

6 slices of Monterrey Jack  Cheese 

2 slices of Cheddar Cheese 

1 Jalapeño seeded and cut into small 1/8" peices 

1/4 cups of heavy cream

1/2 stick of butter 

1/4 cup bacon bits (optional) 

Boil the potato chunks till they are soft and easily pierced by a fork and add in the butter, cream and jalapeños and mix it will and start smashing the potatoes. Just before you finish smashing add in the cheese and mix it well... the residual heat should be enough to melt the cheese if not just pop it into the microwave for a minute or two. 

and last of all for the Fiery Veggies : 

Get a steamer bag from the grocery store... yes this is a cheat for you out there.... or you can get a bag of mixed veggies and put 1 tablespoon of butter in a pan until its almost done, dont forget to salt and pepper them too! Then add in 1 teaspoon of cayan pepper, i minced Jalapeõ, and add a pinch of tumeric and paprika and cumin.... The cumin will make people think hmmmmm what is that... its just enough to leave them wondering. And yes this is a VERRRRRRY spicy dish! 

I HOPE YOU GUYS LIKE THIS. Feedback would be lucky so i know if you guys want more of these quick and cheap recipes. 

Total for this dinner of 4 (not including spices) 

$14.23

Merry Christmas Everyone!!!!!!

I wanted to take this time to thank all of my readers and viewers on here and youtube for being so patient with me while i got all of my equipment up and running as well as the many malfunctions that have happened while starting this blog and youtube. Thank you all so very much, I really couldn't have done this without you! 

So here is a recipe for

Chinese Lou Mie Fan (Sticky Rice) 

This can be used inside stuffed inside Chinese Roast Duck as well! (its what we do for Thanksgiving and Christmas!) 

3 Cup of Sticky Rice (Soaked in water prefferably overnight or at least 4 hours... yes 4) 

1 Medium Sized Carrot Chopped into cubes

6-8 Dried Shitake Mushroom soaked OVERNIGHT and cut into cubes, be sure you remove the stems off of the mushroom as well (save them because they are edible and for the vegans and vegetarians out there that is an ingredient in those mock meats you guys love. I do eat vegitarian/vegan food but i am not vegan/vegetarian, just have a lot of friends who are.) 

5 or 6 Chinese Sweet Sausages cut into cubes as well (you can use this cut Bacon Chunks for this too) 

4 Table spoons of Soy Sauce

1 Teaspoon of WHITE pepper

Salt to taste

1 Pinch of 5 Spice powder (optional) 

OK FIRST OF ALL, place about 4 tablespoons of oil in a LARGE wok or non-stick skillet. Let it heat up and add the carrots, mushroom, and sausage and stirfry it till it is aromatic. Then add the rice and 2 more tablespoons of oil. After stirring the rice for about 3 minutes add the rest of the ingredients and continue stirring until it starts to create strands. Then take it out and place it into a bowl and steam it for 20 minutes or until the rice is translucent. 

and for a drink....

Christmas Morning Frost 

1 liter Sparkling cider or 7 Up

1 can Limeade 

1 Cup Frozen Raspberries/ Black Berries

1 Cup Frozen Strawberries

3 Limes Cut up into wheels 

1 Pint Lemon Sherbet or Sorbet 

Put everything into a Large punch bowl or pitcher. serve with a sprig of mint. The frozen berries will keep the punch frozen throughout the day and will release their flavors as the day progresses. ENJOY!!!!!!!!

!!!!!!!HAVE A HAPPY HOLIDAY AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!

All rightly, here are some of my favorite and simplest sauces that you can use on just about anything. I'm sure everyone reading this has made at least one or more dishes where you've thought "OH CRAP THIS IS BLAND!!!! WHAT AM I GOING TO DO!?!?!?!" Don't panic, it happens to the best of us all. Ether the chicken is too dry, the beef is too bland, or the pork just tastes like unsalted dry meat, and even your vegetables are lacking some flavor. 

Don't get me wrong, I am very much about the flavor of food but at the same time, NO ONE should have to eat something thats just plain tasteless. 

So here we go.... 

Spicy Mayonnaises: Yes like the kind you find in sushi restaurants. I have two recipes for you and they are both equally delicious. 

#1. Chef Nobu's Spicy Mayonnaise Sauce: I found this online ages ago and I LOVE Nobu's cooking, and i really want to go to one of his restaurants one day... but here is how you make his Spicy Mayonnaise 

1 Tsp- Chili paste or sambal oelek chili paste or sriracha chili paste sauce

2 Tblspns- Japanese Kewpie Mayonnaise 

2 Tsp- Tobiko or Smelt Roe 

1/2 Tsp- Mirin (Sweet Japanese Cooking Rice Wine) 

1 Tsp- Lemon Zest 

Just mix it all together and serve on anything from seafood to steak! 

#2. My Quick Spicy Mayonaise 

3 Tblspn- Kewpie (Japanese Mayonnaise) 

2-3 Tsp- Tabasco sauce (start with 1 teaspoon first and go from there) 

1 Tsp- Smelt Roe 

1 Tsp- Sriracha Chili Paste Sauce 

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Sweet Soy Sauce 

4 Tblspn- Soy Sauce 

1 Tblspn- Mirin (Sweet Japanese Cooking Rice Wine) 

1/4 Tsp- Sugar or you can use 1/2 tsp. of honey 

1/2 Tblspn- White or Rice Vinegar 

Put it in a small sauce pan and bring it to a boil. 

This is greaaaaaat for marinading chicken (Yakitori or Grilled Skewered chicken) and also a nice glaze to just put on some veggies too. 

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Lemon Glaze (Really good on Chicken) 

2 tsp- Coriander 

1 tsp- Sage

1/2 tsp- Salt AND Pepper 

1/4 cup- Lemon Juice

1/4 cup- white vinegar 

1/4 cup and 2 tblspn- sugar 

1/4 tsp- Lemon zest 

1 tblspn and 1 tsp- corn starch

2 tblspn- water

Bring it all to a boil and use for chicken, seafood, pork.... I've tried this on beef and its just not strong enough to work with beef. You can add noodles and toss that with chicken or shrimp as well it does wonders for a quick lunch. 

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Chinese Seafood Crêpe Dipping Sauce: This is another one of my favorite seafood dipping sauces and it's reaaaaaaaally tasty and the items are actually rather weird but give it a try. 

2 Tblspn- Kewpie Mayonnaise 

1 Tblspn- Ranch

1 Tblspn- Thousand Island Dressing (yes thousand island dressing) 

1/4 tsp- (or more to taste) Chinese Mustard powder 

1/2 tsp - Water

1 dash of mirin

2 drops of sriracha sauce 

Dissolve the Chinese Mustard Powder into the water until it is thoroughly mixed then add in the other ingredients and combine. This is great on pretty much all seafood and its a nice sandwich spread as well as a vegetable and obviously seafood dipping sauce. 

Enjoy these recipes guys and let me know what you think. 

Happy Holidays and Happy Cooking!

From Fruits, to Hot Chocolate, Eggnog (which i personally hate) and spiced teas. Winter is the best time to start looking for more hearty drinks and i don't mean thick syrups of overly sweet and equally unhealthy crap from cans and bottles and yes... even coffee shops... you know that one i am talking about.... Its starts with Stars and costs a lot of bucks.... No, im talking about true to home made juices, drinks, and cocktails for the cold winter days. 

So since i am sick and tired of the crap thats in stores now a days i decided to compile some simple, tasty and delicious drinks for people to try. 

http://www.foodfit.com/healthy/healthyWinterFoods_Fruit.asp 

^^^ That is a list of all the fruits available in winter in most areas ^^^

Ok sooooo my first drink is what I like to call

Bitter Sweet Christmas: Why? because it's made with Cranberries, Milk or Soy Milk, Sugar, and a PINCH of cinnamon and or cloves (personally i like cloves) 

1 quart Milk/ Soy Milk

About 2 Cups of Sugar (depending on how sweet you like things) 

1 Cup Crushed Fresh Cranberries (WASHED!) 

Pinch of cinnamon or clove

Take some milk boil it, add sugar to taste (and trust me you might want to add more than you think cause when you add the crushed cranberries it will not be as sweet. But its a really nice drink to pump some antioxidants and calcium into you drinks ^_^. (Be careful not to curdle the milk though, cause once you do... GAME OVER) 

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The Frost Bite: This is great for when its too hot cause someone in your family turns the thermostat up ridiculously high and you are over heating in your house. 

1 Quart of Water 

2 Cups of spear Mint Leaves 

1 cup chopped

1 cup whole

2-3 Cups of Sugar

1 Star Fruit or Lime Cut up

(You can Add Vodka or Gin to this too) 

Bring Water to a boil and add all the ingredients and save the chopped spearmint. Let it cool in the fridge and then add the chopped leaves.  

This is a great way to cool down in the summer also and it reduces inner body heat. 

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Spiced Cider- This is my recipe for Spiced/ Spiked Apple Cider

I've actually never tried this myself, only made it because i am allergic to oranges but everybody i've made it seems to looooove it and I've given this recipe out so many times so i figured i would just post it. 

1 Gallon of Apple Cider 

(You probably shouldn't need any more sugar but if you do you can add about a cup or two, again it really is more to your taste) 

1 Lemon, cut into slices

8 Cloves

1 Orange ( this is what i am allergic too...  tragic i know) Cut into slices

2 Limes (4 Key Limes) cut into slices

2 Apples (Fiji works the best because Red Delicious tends to fall apart and leave a grainy texture) 

1 Cut up Mango 

1 Cinnamon STICK

(Rum or Southern Comfort) 

So basically you just bring everything to a boil and thats it serve warm cause its the best warm. And if you have kids, you can leave the alcohol on the side for adults to add on their own. 

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Mango Hot Chocolate: 

2 Mango's (I know they arent in season but they amazing with this) 

6 Packets of your favorite Hot Cocoa 

1 Quart of Milk 

1 pinch of Nutmeg (to serving cup) 

Cut up the Mango into strips and set them aside. Bring the milk to a boil and add the hot cocoa mix and the mango strips. Strain out the mango strips and serve with a few raspberries on top. 

Don't like Mango Use a nice fleshy fruit or Berries (strawberries and raspberries are great too... dont use blue berries cause A. they are ridiculously expensive at this time of year AND B. if you get them/ find them they are pithy and pulpy as well as full of seeds... not delicious.) 

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Peach Eggnog 

I know its impossible to find fresh peaches in the winter but thats ok, I'm calling for CANNED yes CANNED peaches although if you have fresh thats EVEN better. 

1 Can or 3( Fresh Peaches Yellow or White <-my favorite) 

1 Quart of Milk 

if you are using canned about 1/2 -1 cup of sugar if you are using canned 2 -3 but add slowly to taste. 

4 Egg yolks 

1 pinch of nutmeg

1 pinch cloves (optional) 

Beat the egg yolks and set aside. Bring the milk to a boil and add the sugar and peaches and bring to a boil again. Then slowly temper the egg yolks by adding a ladle of warmed milk to the cold yolks so they dont curdle. You might get a little still but thats ok you are going to strain this out in the end. Anyways, keep adding the milk to the egg yolks till you have about 1/3 of the milk/ peach mixture in with the egg yolks then add that back into the pot with the rest of the peach milk. 

Dont like peach? No problem, use a nice fleshy fruit or berries =D 

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Spiced Tea- This is another great warming tea, it will promote circulation according to my mother, as well as calm you down and get you ready for sleep or just to calm down and de-stress yourself. 

1 Quart of Water 

4 packet of Lipton or Luzianne or whatever

2 Jasmine or Chamomile tea

3-4 cups honey

8 Cloves 

1 zest of orange and lemon

1 Cinnamon stick 

Bring it all to a boil and STRAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Then ENJOY!!!!

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I hope these winter drinks help you out over the colder months and most of these are good any time too! 

Sorry for the delay in posts, i've been working on cleaning my studio and expanding it out so i can build a better studio out of it.  I'll post pictures when i am done! 

Next post: INSOMNIA!!!!! 

HAPPY HOLIDAYS EVERYONE! 

OK so here is the link to my quick video on these two products.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gSWXHhJqcGA

The reason's I like DaVinci more than Biore are....

1. DaVinci leaves a black residue so you can actually see where to wash your face.

2. If you don't need to wash you're face theres no residue left behind from the strip. Whereas Biore does leave behind a residue.

Just a quick little update.. still working on 5 other posts simultaneously ^_^ 

Its that time of year again...... (Bare with me guys this is going to be a loooong post haha) 

Cold winter air, chapped lips, cracking skin, and painful tingling sensations from your skin expanding and contracting from the heat. Its ridiculously bad for your skin. First thing.... MOISTURIZE! I cannot stress how important it is to moisturize. It protects your skin and keeps your skin hydrated as the cold dry winter air keeps hitting you.

The trick to preventing dry, chapped, itchy, flakey, ashy, cracked, and over all bad skin in the winter. Keeping your outer body hydrated is just as important as your inner body.

During the winter time your face gets dried out and your pores reduce in size because of the cold, also: if there is anything in your pores during the time you're in your nice and cozy house, it's going to get stuck inside your pores when you go outside. That's going to cause some major break outs and black heads.

So here are some suggestions, I hope they can help.

After you shower and wash your face, use a toner.
Lancomb's - http://www.lancome-usa.com/skincare/cleansers-toners/eau-fraiche-douceur.htm
EAU FRAÎCHE DOUCEUR
Micellar Cleansing Water
Face, Eyes, Lips
$34.50

This has been one of the best toners that I have ever used and several of my friends that I have recommended it to have loved it too. Compared to a lot of other toners, this one cleans the most and gets even the minor specks that the other toners leave behind.

Yes, there are several other toners out there that are incredible as well:

Clean and Clear: Pore Reducing Toner- Seriously worked really well for me and it was under $6 bucks! After a solid 3 weeks of use my pores did reduce, but im not a big fan of the words "Alcohol" on the bottle because i'm thinking its Isopropyl alcohol which is actually harmful for skin. After the 3 weeks of use, i did stop regular usage of it because of the film it left on my skin. And i did't like that feeling. But still for the price and the effects it's still good.

Acne Stress Control Triple-Action Toner- was a really nice and soothing toner for me and i really liked it however, it didn't clean as well as i would have liked for a toner. It did get alot off though and it calmed alot of red and irritated areas. Its 6-7 dollars at Ulta and Walmart and its pretty good for the cost.
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After you've used a toner, you need to use a moisturizer to seal off those clean and open pores. Otherwise you leave your pores open to more dirt, grit and grime that can cause dry skin and pimples... not a good combination AT ALL. The other reason you should use moisturizers is so that it will keep your skin hydrated, obviously moisturized, and it will also protect depending on the type of moisturizers you use.

I am going to put the Moisturizers on the next blog because this one was getting too long HAHA... see you guys soon ^_^

So many people (like me) have oily skin and it can be a serious problem if you don't know how to treat it. 

I have a pretty strict routine that i have worked out over trial and error. It took 2 years to figure out and this is what i have come up with. Bear with me because I have a method to my madness. 

First of all I take a supplement called Prevaderm from Market America's Timeless Prescription line. It used milk based proteins and enzymes to balance out your hormonal imbalances in your body. And the beauty of it is you just need to take it until your body balances itself out. And the effects of taking it last after you stop taking it. 

Week1: Clean and Clear Deep Action exfoliating scrub

Week2: St. Ives Apricot Scrub for Black head treatment 

Saturday: Market America's Skintelligence Hydraderm-Deep Cleansing Emulsion Cleanser 

Week3: Clean and Clear Deep Action exfoliating scrub 

Week4: St. Ives Apricot Scrub 

Last day of the Month: Saturday: Market America's Skintelligence Hydraderm-Deep Cleansing Emulsion Cleanser 

So first of all I do everything either in the shower or right after i take a shower because your pores are more open due to the heat and rising steam from the water. It really helps you clean your face. 

Also i tend to wash my face once a day so i don't end up drying my skin out because that can happen. 

The reasons for alternating my facial wash is because what you are using is medicine if you over use it your body will get used to it and then it won't work as well or at all. 

For people with extremely oily skin Neutrogena has an amazing skincare line and they are always what i revert to if i have a serious brake out in extreme conditions. 

And if i get a random over night pimple that show's up i use Market America's Timeless Prescription: Anti-Blemish Lotion. (This will be in my v-log on youtube) It works as a 24 hour acne remover for me and its AMAZING!

Aside from that I also use Timeless Prescription's F.A.C.E. Age Defying Skincare pad. It detoxifies your face and is incredible for removing the deepest crud that gets stuck in your pores. 

you can purchase the Market America products off of my webportal here: 

www.marketamerica.com/sorianlee90 

For the people who know me, I'm not easily satisfied nor am i an easy sell. But after years of having horrible acne issues and trying a lot of things that just didn't work i found that this worked for me. And that is why i decided to sign up with them. 

My youtube site: http://www.youtube.com/user/PoisonedAsh88

Please feel free to message me or email me about any questions you may have or anything that you want to know about. 

Also Check out my Friend's and Colleagues on Jimdo! 

• Ashley Payne: http://paynean87.jimdo.com/
• Nuhad Bensouda: http://nuben290.jimdo.com/

So I've been getting a lot of feedback about how all of my posts look really healthy and delicious or that they seem really helpful but they aren't commonly found in their households.

So I decided to write an article with healthy and simple recipes to compensate for the more intricate things that I have a tendency to write about. I hope you all enjoy it ^_^ I know i did writing it. 

OK so simple/easy/healthy snacks ^_^

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Number 1: Tuna (or some kind of FRESH fish or Beef if its fresh) Tataki

Tataki means "into bits and peices" in the Japanese language. And as most of you know (if you are regular readers THANK YOU) I am half Japanese and Taiwanese so I have many various flavors but Taiwan and Japan are very similar in cuisines but there are many MANY differences. 

This is a Taiwanese twist on a Japanese dish, please enjoy. 

Ok so first go to the market (preferably a fish market where you know its fresh) and buy a nice fillet or steak of fish...

So far I've found that the following fish taste the best: 

- Salmon

- Tuna Bluefin or Yellowfin

- White Fish

- Sword fish is ok but MUST be seared on the outside first 

Ok so first, take the sharpest knife you have and slice the fish into thin pieces about 1/4 to 1/8th inch think (0.5 cm thick).

4 Table Spoons- Soy Sauce

1 Teaspoon Sugar

Splash of vinegar (white, black, whatever you have except for balsamic) 

Cilantro 

1 tablespoon of lime/ lemon juice 

1 Tablespoon of water

1 Tablespoon of Worcesterchire sauce 

and Jalapeños thinly sliced into ringlets with seeds removed and soaked in water for about an hour... (WEAR GLOVES AND DO NOT TOUCH YOUR EYES) 

Add the soy sauce, sugar, and vinegar together and combine till all the sugar has dissolved you can taste it to make sure it isnt too salty or sweet. Also at this point add the water, lime juice and  Worcesterchire sauce at this point and mix well. (This is a really basic Ponzu sauce) 

Then arrange the fish into a nice radial pattern on a plate and use your homemade ponzu sauce on top of it, then add a leaf of cilantro and a jalapeño wheel on top of each piece of fish. 

ENJOY ^_^ (Yes the fish is in a sense raw but the homemade ponzu like sauce will kill the bacteria in the fish as well as take out the fishy taste/ smell and turn it into a ceviché almost. 

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Number 2: Caprese Pasta (ka-prey-say) 

This is a simple Italian Pasta recipe that is quite tasty as well as it is light and healthy. 

Ok so all you need for this recipe: 

Salt 

Pepper

Olive Oil

Tomatoes

Pasta

Mozzerella Cheese (Provologne works really well too) 

Fresh Basil (About a cup of unchopped) 

All you really need to do is add the freshly boiled pasta into a pan with olive oil, salt, pepper, tomatoes (either cut in slices or if its cherry cut in half), with chopped basil, and the cheese and cook it in the pan till the cheese is melted and the tomatoes are warmed up. 

You can add parmasean cheese if you would like, but i find the flavors better as is. 

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So these two recipes for now and more to come later ^_^ Happy Healthy Eating ^_^ 

Ok so some regular house hold herbs and other easily obtained items can easily help out some achy bodies. 

Ok so for Achy Backs/ Muscles/ Joints... (Also good for Cold/ Sinus Issues) 

- Orange peel (use lemon/ grapefruit if you are allergic to oranges like i am) 

-Eucalyptus leaves (you can get this at most herbal stores or get some salts with Eucalyptus oils! but PLEASE BE CAREFUL IT IS POISONOUS IF EATEN!) 

- Menthol or Mentholated Oil, the higher the mg dosage the better actually. You can also use mint leaves if you cant find those... but they need to be fresh mint leaves/ Spearmint leaves are probably one of the best for this) 

-Sea Salt or better Mineral Salts or Mineral Oil 

FAQ's- 

Does it sting you're private parts?

No, It might sting cuts though if they are bad enough, but everyone i have used this soak on has had no problems. 

Does it dry out your skin? 

It can if you use it more than once a week, but if you follow my instructions you should be fine unless you have sensitive skin. Then i will tell you what modifications you need to make. 

What does it do?

It relieves aches and pains as well as muscle tension and helps you relax. 

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OK, so here we go, take about 2 cups of salt/ mineral salt or 1 cup mineral salt mineral oil, your orange peel, menthol, and Eucalyptus leaves or whatever and put them in to a pot (you want this to be a pot souly dedicated for this by the way) and put in 2 cups of water and let it soak over night (at least 2 hours or you can just bring that whole thing to a boil and then add it to your bath water) You want your bath water to be fairly hot so as hot as you can stand the water you want it to be there. 

So fill up your tub, soak well and have relax, enjoy, read a book or listen to calming soothing music. ^_^ 

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-Camomile

-Lavender 

-Rosemary 

-Sea Salt/ Mineral Salt/ Mineral Oil 

Same deal as before, this one helps relax you and helps you sleep. 

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Anyways I hope this sunday posts help. ^_^ 

On more of the news side of things. I will have a few pieces going into Rumorz in Richmond, Virginia off of West Broad Street and Harrison. Stop by if you're in the area and check out some of my work ^_^ Hope to see you around. ^_^ 

TOTALLY TEA 

This week i figured i would go over some nice treats with tea.

My favorite teas: 

Jasmine

Green 

Oolong

Macha 

All of those teas are amazing and have their own special traits. 

Jasmine- very fragrant, and has plenty of antioxidants (my personal favorite, green tea with great flavor basically) 

Green- Great for cleansing the body and detoxification, also tons of antioxidants

Oolong- honestly it has great flavor and tons of "purification" properties... (according to my mother.... Shes Japanese raised in Taiwan, and this is one of her favorites) 

Macha- this is a mixture of ground tea, and herbs (as my mother calls them) I made a batch of this at my one of my uncle's places a few summers ago (one of 9 uncles, Mom- family of 18, Dad- 23... good god, i am a single child... what the hell happened there, ahh well not complaining) 

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I tend to add honey to my tea all the time, and i am notorious for it because:

Honey contains natural enzymes that keep away anything that can cause it from spoiling and it kills alot of bacteria. It's also great in facial masks... i have a few recipes. And It's alot better for you than processed sugars (un bleached cane sugar is good too e.g. sugar in the raw) 

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Its been over 7 years, well over 7 years since I took my first hit off of a cigarette and its time to quit. With all these new laws going into effect, and all of the side effects (all negative too) that go along with smoking; one would wonder why i wouldn't quit sooner.

Well there are multiple factors:

• stressed out
• school
• boredom
• no time to eat so i smoke
• tired
• anger/ frustration
• taking a break 

But none of them are good enough reasons for me to smoke either, its just that i hadn't found a good and positive way to release anything. Honestly, i still haven't, but i figured that this would give me the opportunity to find new things as well as get my heath back into my hands.

Also, as many of you know, I am getting married next year to a beautiful man named Matteo. He's beautiful, charming, ridiculously smart, well rounded, speaks mandarin chinese (and he's Italian... and can speak that and a few other languages too =^_^= ) and a million other things, that i won't bore my readers with. But, I want to spend a long healthy life with him and not die at 35 from lung cancer or throat cancer. I love him very dearly and he is my best reason to quit smoking. Besides it was going to happen sooner or later and I'm sick and tired of wasting money on cigs....

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Drink of the Week: Winter Berry Smoothie 

So this week I decided that the drink of the week should be nice and full of anti-oxidants as well as.... so here is what you are going to need.

1 package of Blue Berries

1 Pomegranate juice bottle 8-16oz 

1 strawberry juice bottle or you can use pureéd strawberries (about 8-10 mashed up strawberries WELL MASHED!) 

Honey to taste

and several special ingredients....

1 pinch of clove AND cinnamon 

(Obviously leave any ingredient out that you are allergic to and add more of the others its still tasty either way) 

So first, you are going to mash your blueberries and strawberries  into a pureé and then mix in the honey, add ice and pomegranate juice and blend away. 

Serve with a sprig of mint (and if you are like me and allergic to peppermint use SPEARMINT!) 

The whole process of applying to a gallery and hoping they:

A. Like you

B. Want to show your work

C. Have room to show your work

D. Don't judge your work before you explain it

Is so.... EXHAUSTING and TIRING AND Draining... mentally and physically draining. I have applied to 7 galleried and only have had 2 respond to me and give me the time of day... sheesh.

Any ways since I figured if I was tired I would share a recipe i had for something that gives me a little boost throughout the day when I need it. Its packed full of antioxidants and its all natural unless YOU add something that I didn't, which isn't always a bad thing. 

So here it is. Drink One. 

Coffee Milk Tea: Yes, I know what you are thinking... that sounds absolutely gross or weird but... I grew up on this stuff in Taiwan and Japan. Not to mention 6PM when I feel my eye lids starting to touch the floor after classes and work

Equal Parts Coffee and Tea and about half that of the coffee or tea... confusing here is how I make it: I take one coffee mug and make my usual cup of coffee, the other my usual cup of tea (this can be anything from Black- Red, Oolong, Green, or Jasmine... I've found that either Red, Green, Jasmine ,or any flavor mixture of the above, are the best. Yes lipton works too...)  and then add about 3-4 tablespoons of milk. or you can leave it out. Sweeten to taste and add ice if desired. 

Drink 2: Warning when I make this I end up making about 2 pitchers full so be ready to drink it constantly or with a group of friends. 

Sparkling Lemon-Lime Passion Fruit Punch: 

Ok here is the ingredients list. 

1 Can of Limeade or Lemonade Concentrate from FROZEN 

1 pint of the opposite flavor sherbet or sorbet. (Rainbow sherbet works really well here too) 

1/2 bottle of 7Up

1 Bottle of Peach, Apple, Passion Fruit Juice (Available at: Costco, Sams Club, Walmart) If you can't find this you can now get mango or guava nectar at those places too.... mango works out really well but you need to add more liquid, in this case 7UP, in the final product. 

1 Sliced Lime and Lemon and 5-10 Sliced up Strawberries 

Basically just combine everything together. First get a really large punch bowl or a large pitcher (VERY LARGE) and add in the bottle of juice and half the 7UP unless you bought a nectar. Then crack open the concentrate from frozen and add that in, as well as the pint of sherbet or sorbet. Stir until there are no large globs of sherbet, sorbet, or concentrate left. Then mix to taste add the sliced fruits and enjoy. 

Ah yes, the notorious Thai Curry. It can be spicy as all get up or mild and sweet like a freshly picked Peach. Still, most people don't know how to make this AMAZING sauce.... and it goes great on just about anything really. Seriously give it a try!


For the Thai Curry Sauce:


1 Can of Coconut MILK!!!!! (DONT YOU DARE USE COCONUT CREAM!)
2 Tblspn. Curry Powder
1/2-3/4 C. Cream
1 Tsp. Tumerac
Salt and Pepper to taste
3 Pieces of thickly cut Ginger (about 1" all around and 1/8" thick)
2 Tblspn. Oil (Canola or Soy preferably)


OK, lets begin. First, add the oil to a nicely heated pan and sautee the ginger until it is golden brown and aromatic. Then put in the can of coconut MILK, and make sure you have shaken it up well first. Then add in the curry powder, the tumerac, salt and pepper. Once this comes to a boil, add in the cream and bring it back up to a boil and taste. Adjust seasonings to your liking and serve on top of or stir-fryed with just about any thing.


For some great and simple broiled/ baked Cod you will need

4 Pieces of Cod
Salt & Pepper
4 Pads of butter
1/4 C. Olive Oil
4 Pinches of Tumerac
4 Pinches of Paprika

and A large baking sheet/ pan

Line your pan with either parchment paper or aluminum foil (not necessary but I am not one for scrubbing pans when there is company around.) Then add the olive oil and coat the bottom evenly. Place the 4 pieces of fish down on the pan and sprinkle salt, pepper, tumerac, paprika over the tops of them. Then Place the butter pads on top and send them into a 400º oven for 15-20 minutes per inch thick. Most of the Cod i get is precut into 1 1/2 inch pieces and i haven't seen them much bigger or smaller than that so I am going to assume that its safe to say about 20-25 minutes.

Once it reaches 20 minutes keep checking it because you do not want your Cod to over cook. I can guarantee you that you will not like dry fish ESPECIALLY Cod.

Once it's done, take it out and cover it with aluminum foil (heres the trick if you used foil to line your pan: just pull the foil over it and wrap it up.) So that the fish has about 5 minutes to rest. Then SERVE AND ENJOY!

-Happy Cooking and Good Luck!