Friday, January 31, 2014

link love // helpful blogging tips

 
One of my favorite things to do since I started blogging is read about blogging.
It may seem silly to other people, but I like to read about what I'm doing. (I'm surprised I haven't read about reading before yet.) It's just about all I've been doing during my free time for the past month, so I'd thought I share some of my favorite bookmarks.
  1. Starting a blog. Great tips like allowing yourself to experiement on your blog to see what you like and don't like!
  2. Some more great tips for beginning bloggers.  And here is a simple handy and helpful guide while we're at it.
  3. Finding your own personal style. This is definitely something I'd like to  work on this year, but for now, I'm going to stick to experimenting to see what works for me.
  4. Designing your own blog. Things that will help you make your blog look nice, clean, and user friendly!
  5. Discipline and blogging. One of the things I'd like to accomplish this year is to have an active blog by the end of the year, which means showing up and being present.
  6. Here's one on the type of blogggers you don't want to be.
  7. Conquer the fear of blogging. Something I'm sure many of us relate to!
  8. Writing 500 words everyday. A habit I would like to have.
  9. Not entirely related to blogging, but it motivates me to want to blog and travel as well as many other things. Generally just to experience and enjoy what life has to offer us. (zenhabits is one of my favorite blogs to read.)
  10. Last but not least, here's a list of blog tips that helped me get started with blogging i.e.learning the ropes, what to expect, etc.
Hope you're having a wonderful Friday! 
Let me know what blogs you've been reading lately and catching up on. I'd love to add more onto my reading list!

Thursday, January 30, 2014

geometric shapes and dummy text

Today was my first offical day of my Intro to Adobe Indesign and Illutrastor! 
They're two different classes, so I'm in class from 4 pm to 9:30 pm but I'm sure it's going to be a really fun semester and time is going to go by so fast and I'll wish I had more time to spend on my projects and assignments.


This semester is going to be really basic (since it's an introduction course), but that's okay with me because it means I get more time to play around with the functions and everything. I never thought I would be taking a graphics art class; I'm not nit picky enough to be a graphic designer. And my heart would sink if all my progress were to suddenly be gone due to computer issues and me not saving my work (because apparently that happens a lot).


Anyway, this is what I ended up making in class today! (I really like it.)
I went "outside the box" because my professor said that's one of the benefits of Illustrator 
plus it looks kind of cool this way.
  • I'm really into gradients (if you couldn't tell.)
  • I'm also really into having borders that match the filling.
  • Oh yeah, and I placed dummy text everywhere.
  • I actually learned a lot today despite tuning out during half of the 2nd class.
    (I learned how to zoom in and out in five different ways, a lot of keyboard shortcuts, gradients for everything but more importantly being patient enough to work with gradients, etc. Also I love working with opacity levels!! So much fun.)
Also the professor is really laid back and nice which is a big plus! I wish I thought of taking graphic design classes sooner because then I could work toward getting a certificate. And one of my goals this semester is to get to know my classmates, which means going out of my comfort zone and talking to them (which I am really bad at).

Wednesday, January 29, 2014

molly's college survival tips / vol. 1

Yesterday was my first day of spring semester, and wow I was exhausted by the time I was done. I'm not sure if it's because I took a semester off from college so it'll take me a while adjusting back into that mindset and time frame, but I'd thought I would share with you some tips that helped me get through previous semesters of college (and to refresh my own memory). These are just some of the things I've picked up along the way so I hope that it'll benefit someone out there, 

Not just the first couple of weeks. You know how it's always exciting and new during the first few weeks, and once that excitement dies down, everything else kind of dies along with it?

Organize and increase your productivity by using a daily planner, binders and dividers, notebooks, highlighters and pens (in different colors) and a pencil case to hold them all, sticky notes and post it notes, flashcards, etc. All of these things help me to stay motivated, productive, and organized. It may seem silly to some people that I have specific pens for writing and five different highlighters, but it helps. It's much easier to get to work if your space is organized and clean, and it helps to know where everything is instead of spending half an hour trying to find your papers.

They have them for a reason. They're there to help you. And it doesn't matter if you're in community college, your professors are just as knowledge and willing to help. When I first started college, I never really paid attention to my professors offering help through their office hours. Until I had my science class (when I started to visit my professors just about every day). I bumped up several letter grades by the end of the semester. If you have questions or just study advice, ask them for help.

Most professors give out a sheet to study for each unit (e.g. learning objectives, study guides, whatever they call them). I know it doesn't sound fun, but study ahead of time. Answer the study guide questions as you go along, review them everyday for half an hour (even 10 minutes help!), and stay on track. Because when finals come around and everyone else is running with their heads off trying to cram every last bit of information in their head, you'll already know the material.


If  you're only learning and memorizing a bunch of facts, what will you have by the end of the semester? A bunch of facts. Apply the information you learn to the real world; think about what you've learned in class and how it can apply in the real world. It's great that you can memorize a bunch of information, but so can the people around you. What will set you apart is being able to use that information to help you in the real world in real situations.


Why? There's several reasons such as being able to relax and unwind a few times throughout the wind (e.g. an art, fitness, or cooking class), having a heavy course will stress and overwhelm you (it'll always be about studying which is no fun unless you're into that), and it's always helpful and insightful to see what else is out there.


Everyone is different and has different needs. Are you a morning person or a night owl? Do you prefer having classes all day for a few days or classes everyday? Do you like using note cards or study guides? Do you like teachers who are mostly lecture based or teachers that will stop every so often to have a discussion or activity? Do you prefer marking things down in your textbook as you go along or writing things down in your notebook, or both? Find out what works for you.

 

I'm thinking about doing a monthly series of college tips just because there's so many things you could do, and I wish someone had told me some of these things before starting college and/or during my first few semesters of college. (P.S. If you couldn't tell, I'm really excited to be using Adobe Photoshop.)

Monday, January 27, 2014

sunday funday recap 1.26.2014 / sunny and foggy weather in half moon bay

What does traveling mean to you? I always thought of traveling in terms of going across the world. But traveling doesn't mean you have to go all the way across the world to experience something wonderful. It could be in your own backyard.

My friend and I decided to take a day trip to Half Moon Bay yesterday, which is really amazing considering that we managed to wake up early and I'm terrified of driving on highways (let alone a mountain with sharp turns.) I decided that adventure was more important than being afraid and staying in my comfort zone, so I took the chance, built some courage, and shortly after we were on our way to Half Moon Bay.

Warning: This post will be a series of photo dumps. There were over 1,000 photos taken on my camera and I actually had to delete some to make more room. I hope you'll enjoy these pictures as much as I enjoyed taking them! Also this is a super lengthy post so thank you for taking time out of your day to read and look at my blog!
We spent the late morning walking around downtown Half Moon Bay (really cute town). There's a yarn shop called fengari fiber arts (shown in the picture above) and you should definitely check it out if you're ever in the area! There's also a lot of other local shops like the wine & cheese shop, a few bookstores, a good amount of eateries, a painting gallery, etc. It was a lot of fun just walking and looking around; we didn't buy anything, but there were a lot of things that would make a great gift for others!

    
 We met this really cute corgi named Buzz outside the local coffee shop and the owners were nice enough to let me take pictures of him! Isn't he adorable?!

I used to be really shy about taking pictures (I still am, but I am actively working on this). Yesterday, I decided to take as many pictures as my heart desired and not worry about the occasional stranger staring at me, and it turned out to be a lot of fun! After a while, I even forgot about other people looking at me while taking pictures. It also helped that my friend was with me and carrying a camera around as well. 

When I was thinking about what I wanted to accomplish this year, one of the things I wanted to focus on was doing my own thing and not worry about what other people might think about it. If we are always within our comfort zones, then we aren't being challenged. Your boundaries aren't being pushed, you don't get that much of an opportunity to learn more about yourself and what you can accomplish, and you end up limiting yourself. So this year, I am trying to push myself out of my comfort zone even if it makes me uncomfortable (because that's the point.)

We headed to Venice Beach after grabbing lunch at Sushi Main Street. It was really foggy and windy when we first got there, but it started clearing up a bit. My parents never really took me to the beach that much when I was younger, so when I was growing up, I didn't enjoy being in the sand (partly due to laziness). But now I love it. I love the sound of the ocean waves, how the sun feels on your skin while laying down on your beach towel, the shiny little grains of sand, and just looking out to the horizon and seeing the waves.

 
It was an afternoon well spent and we didn't end up leaving until 5 pm when it started getting more foggy and dark. I loved the drive back; the sky had tints of pink and purple, mix that in that in with the silhouettes of pine trees, and you get an amazingly beautiful view on the highway.

   
We took some pictures on the way back home and they turned out beautifully for phone image quality.

Overall, it was a really nice day trip to Half Moon Bay. I'm really glad we did it; I realized that freeway and highway driving isn't that scary and the view is worth it. Also, everyone we met yesterday was really nice and friendly (not that people around here aren't nice but they normally don't take the time out of their day to say hello or good morning to you).


 I'm starting to work on my Photoshop and editing skills again (since I'll be taking Intro to Adobe Photoshop CS6 and Indesign classes this semester). My friend helped me learn the basics of Indesign so I can make collages, so you can see more photos at once. I also love spending time seeing which photos go well together and moving them around to see what looks better. Although, ocassionally I'll just settle for something because too many hours have passed me by. I also learned how to make a gradient text! Let me know if you would like a tutorial on that. :) Thanks for reading and I hope you had a wonderful weekend!
  • Do you have a favorite place to get away for the weekend?
  • What is your favorite way to relax and destress from life?


    Sunday, January 26, 2014

    breakfast 365 // week one

    1.20.2014 #1 / A simple omelette with eggs, cheddar cheese, spinach, a little quinoa, and a little grounded pork. It was yummy and I would definitely eat this again - it was a good combination especially if you like cheese.

    1.21.2014 #2 / I call this my "berry monster" because here's what I learned: be careful with how much blackberries you put it because they're bitter in the center, goji berries probably aren't a good idea, 3 cups of spinach is too much, and don't just keep adding things in hoping it'll turn out good (because it never does - not for me anyway).

    1.22.2014 #3 / A simple green smoothie to drink while I was preparing lunch. It was surprisingly really good (better than the day before - in color and taste). I used less spinach (only one cup), some mangoes, a banana, flaxseeds, and chia seeds (for fiber).

    1.23.2014 #4 / Finally over my fear of overnight oats! The almond milk was sour the last time I made this, so I stopped eating it for a while (and I stopped making almond milk too). Added some chia and hemp seeds (you may notice that I like seeds - they're so little yet packed with so many nutrients!), coconut flakes, and cocoa nibs (still adjusting to the taste).

    1.24.2014 / #5 Breakfast bowl cooked oats mixed with homemade almond milk (so creamy and good), chia seeds, hemp seeds, coconut flakes, blackberries, and goji berries. Would recommend this.

    1.25.2014 / #6 Leftover half Chipotle bowl, quiche, and quinoa quesdillas that we made the night before. We went to a music event the previous night, so we cooked beforehand. We didn't get home until 3 am, so when I woke up, all I felt like doing was eat leftovers.

     
    1.26.2014 / #7 My first time using quinoa in my breakfast cereals which turned out to be pretty good. My friend and I went to Half Moon Bay today so I wanted to get a good start on the day by eating a nutritious and energizing breakfast. We also had hazelnut macchiatos since we woke up early today and had an hour drive. I would say this was a successful breakfast - we stayed awake all day and walked around the cute little town all morning and spent the afternoon on the beach. Pictures and blog post about that coming soon (i.e. tomorrow).

    Overall, having a 365 breakfast project definitely helps me stay motivated with eating breakfast every day because there were some days where I just felt like skipping breakfast. At the same time, it also allows me to use my camera more (which I've enjoyed doing so more.)

    Let me know if you have any breakfast suggestions for week two! :)
    • How was your week/weekend?
    • Can you believe it's almost February?! Where all January even go? (Remember when we were still making new year resolutions and goals? Time flies by so fast.)

    Saturday, January 25, 2014

    falafels and quiche

    I fell in love with falafels when I had my first bite at a food truck at Off the Grid in San Francisco. After that, I tried making my own but the taste and texture just didn't compare. The idea of attempting to make my own again came to me last week and this was the recipe I used.

     
    I decided to bake them instead of frying them. Frying isn't exactly one of my best skills (or even something I'm remotely good at), so I always prefer baking (less effort involved and it also means I can do something else while waiting).

     
     I made more than twenty falafels so it was more than enough to share with everyone and to last for several days. I plan to make these again sometime in the following weeks. 
    I was pleasantly surprised because my quiche turned out a lot better than I expected! 
    It was also my first time making my own crust and grating my own cheese. The texture was really good, the crust was crunchy enough but not too crunchy or baked, and everything just went well together. Even my dad liked it!

    It was so good I made another batch of quiche last night since I had extra ingredients leftover and I didn't want my spinach or mushrooms to go to waste. (Half of it is already gone.)
    This happened on Tuesday and I spent 6 hours cooking that day and I didn't even notice until my feet started hurting due to standing the whole time, but everything turned out good so it was worth it.

    Thursday, January 23, 2014

    feeling like we're not good enough

    My friend and I were talking about how we often feel like we're not good enough, not smart enough, not knowledgeable enough, and how we're always doubting ourselves. Ever since I can remember, I have had a constant problem of feeling like I wasn't enough which led me to not doing things, which led me to nowhere. And now I'm starting to realize that many other people are in the same boat as me, and this isn't something I'm alone in. I'm also starting to realize that while I may not feel like I'm "good enough," I will never accomplish anything if I continue doing nothing. During my first month of blogging, I kept doubting myself.

    But I realized that this is what has stopped me from accomplishing things in the past - thinking I'm not good enough at something because there's someone better out there. There is always going to be someone out there who is better than you at something. The solution is to not compare your beginning to their middle; they've probably been working towards their goals longer than you have, and besides that, everyone is on their own journey. We all have different short and long term goals and what we want to accomplish.

    (It's a super lengthy post, we had a really long conversation about it.)

    1. There will never be a perfect time to start. Most of us are always waiting until that perfect moment to come so we can start on our dreams or goals, but that moment will never come. Start anyway. You may be bad at it at first, but you keep going, you're going to be better and be glad you didn't give up. Most people give up halfway and/or when they realize it's going to be hard work and give into their fears and doubts, and that's why they weren't successful. Perfection doesn't exist.

    2. Accept that you will never know everything about something. You don't have to be an expert on a subject to have an opinion; it's taken me so long to accept that, and I still struggle with it. But what we have to realize is that we are constantly growing, learning, and changing. No one knows everything from to back and every little detail about what they're talking about, and no one expects that out of you. Share what you do know because it may help someone and they will thank you for it.

    3. Fear is normal. We are all afraid and want to make excuses to rationalize why we can't, instead of believing that we can. Instead of avoiding and running away from our fears, we should face it and learn to work with it. There's always going to be the failure - so what if you don't succeed at first? That doesn't make you a failure. It's not going to be the end of the world. Instead you will gain valuable insight and knowledge (and you can apply that knowledge later on) which will help you in the future.

    4. Realize that not everyone will like you. Just because one person doesn't like you does not mean that everyone else you will ever meet will dislike you too. “You can be the ripest, juiciest peach in the world and there's still going to be someone who hates peaches”. – Dita Von Teese When you realize that it's not your job to please everyone you'll meet, you'll be happier and better off.

    5. Think of 5 positive things you like about yourself. Are you good at baking? Do you like to volunteer? Are you really hard working? Are you always there for others when they need you? Whatever it is, be proud of that. Remember that you are your own person and there is no one else like you. "Be yourself; everyone else is already taken."  – Oscar Wilde

    6. Just do it. If you want to be a runner, start running 10 minutes a day and add to that as you go on. If you want to learn a new language, learn 10 new characters every day and soon you'll find that you can hold a conversation in that language. Everyone who is successful at what they're doing has had to start somewhere to get to where they are. So when in doubt, just start and you'll be surprised by how far you get.

    * This post was inspired by my blogging experience so far; I had a lot of fears starting out about having a blog like what if my writing isn't good enough, what other people will think of me (and what if they don't like me), etc. but I realized that those things don't matter. What matters is that I enjoy blogging and would like to continue blogging and while I'm not going to be that great at blogging when I first start out, and I'm okay with that. Perfection doesn't exist, and I'm not going to let fear stop me from doing something I want to do. And you shouldn't let fear of feeling that you might not be good enough stop you either. (P.S. You are good enough. If no one has told you that recently, I'll be the one to tell you. You can accomplish whatever you put your mind and energy on. It'll take lots of time and effort, but you'll get there.I believe in you.)

    • Has there ever been a time when you stopped doing something because you believed you weren't good enough? Did you regret not doing whatever that was?
    • Do you have any additional advice or tips?

    my first month of cooking // what i learned



     I.

    Read through the recipes before starting again, including going to the grocery store. Always read the recipes. Read the reviews after, they're helpful. Trust me. Double check everything on your list and cross it out as you go along, because if you don't, you'll probably forget to buy something you really need (sometimes even the main ingredient.)

    II.

    Every recipe out there seems to call for salt. The only measurements tools you ever seem to use are the 1 cup, 1 tbs, and 1/4 tsp.  Things that come in handy: having a food processor, parchment paper, butter, all purpose flour, eggs, a whisk, lots of spoons, nonstick cookware, a spatula scraper, a variety of different spices, and lots of time on your hands.

    III.

    I'm really bad at measuring and I always lose count. I'm also bad at following recipes. I've learned that it's good to not expect your first try to be perfect, but it's good to try again. Practice helps you improve, like with anything else in life. You won't be good at it at first, but if you keep going, you'll get better. Even though I'm nowhere near good at cooking or baking, I love looking at recipes and getting new ideas.

     IV.

    I love taking pictures of my food; I put my camera strap across my shoulder so I'll always have it on me while I'm in the kitchen (except for when I'm washing dishes - that's just asking for trouble). By the time I'm done with everything, my food is already cold. But that's okay. I've never been a big fan of eating my food while it's hot anyway.

    V.

    But what I love most is that I'm always making mistakes, because that's how I improve. That's how I get better. I learn from my mistakes and I'm more aware the next time around. I love spending hours at a time making food. I love taking photos of my food. I even love washing dishes. I also waste less food this way because I'm eating in more rather than eating out. I pay more attention to the produce at the store.

    Learning to cook and bake has been such a rewarding experience so far despite burning myself sometimes and having killed our small oven.

    Tuesday, January 21, 2014

    declutter your life // one place at a time


     (The space untouched isn't mine so I didn't clean it out.)

    One day, my mom told me "Molly, don't end up like me with all this stuff. Throw away the stuff you don't want and only buy what you really need." And at the time, I knew it was really good advice. But I thought to myself "yeah, maybe I'll do that in the future" and over time I kept telling myself "well, maybe tomorrow." Maybe you've thought that yourself too. "I'll start doing this tomorrow." And then it's tomorrow, the next day, the day after that, and so on. And everything just keeps piling up until you finally hit that point where it's just like "I can't do this to myself anymore. I have to do something about it." It sure took me long enough, but it finally happened. I finally got overwhelmed by all the junk that was piling up in my life, and I knew I had to do something about it.

    I'm a hoarder, not to the extent of some people, but I like keeping my stuff. But I threw out all these things I knew I didn't knew anymore like magazines I never read, books I would never use again, clothes I haven't worn in the past year, etc. It's hard to let things that have value to you go, but it's important to remember that you don't have a t-shirt to remind you that you once ran a marathon. You ran that marathon, and throwing away the t-shirt doesn't mean you throw the experience away.



    So how would one go about decluttering? I've listed a few places in your home where you can start.You could sort through everything all at once, or take it one step at a time so it doesn't overwhelm you.

    1. Your closet. The clothes that don't fit anymore? Yeah, you won't be wearing that any time soon. You don't need it, even if it has sentimental value. But you don't need a shirt to remind you that you ran that marathon once or that you were once apart of your high school book club. The clothes you haven't worn for the past three years? Yeah, you won't be needing that either. I'll be honest with you - the clothes I told myself I would wear five years ago were still there unworn and untouched, until I finally took the plunge and donated it. If you're on the fence about something, ask yourself how many times you've worn it.


    2.  Your workspace. If you're in college like me, my advice is to rent your books. Or sell them after you're done using them. You know how your school constantly tells you that you can sell them for half of what you bought it for? Yeah, listen to them and do that. Because you probably won't ever need the book again, unless it relates to your major. Things clutter up quickly; your notebooks, your books, your notes, etc. Organize, organize, organize. Organization is key. Use a drawer file cabinet as a place to keep all the things you need (bills, important papers, etc.) You can thank me later. Keep only what you really need and throw out the rest, because you don't need it.

    3. The living room. If you're like me, then you have a bunch of random stuff lying around too. I'm a crafty person, and when I want to start a new project (such as crochetting or making bracelets), I buy a bunch of supplies and maybe get into it for two months and then never touch it again. It's hard throwing away things you spent money on, but at some point, you have to realize that you're just creating a bigger mess to yourself. Do you know why people hate the process of moving? It's because they have so much stuff. Stuff that they don't need or use anymore.

    4. The kitchen/fridge. I'm going to start off by saying that if an appliance is collecting dust, it's time to say goodbye. It's just taking up room, like all the other things in your home. I clean out my fridge on a regular basis now, but that stew that's been in your fridge for the past two weeks? Or that jar of mustard that's been there for over a year untouched? Yeah, time to throw those things out. In the future, you'll know what foods you like and don't like. (Don't buy the foods you don't like, because you would eat them. And you'll clutter up your space. Like I did for many years. Don't be like me, learn from my mistakes.)

    5. Your computer. I can't even begin to imagine how many websites, blogs, articles, funny images, etc. I bookmarked over the years. How many times have I actually gone back to them? Probably somewhere less than 10. However, if you're nothing like me (and if that's the case - lucky you), you look at those things again. Keep them organized in folders. Folders are essential to everything in life; they are your key to organization. And like I've been saying throughout this whole post; if you don't need it, throw it out. (Reptition helps the mind remember, right?)

    I hope decluttering your home has helped you in the same way that it's helped me. Tell me how your experience goes! Was it hard letting go of the things you've held on to for so long just for the sake of holding on to them? Do you feel better now that you have less things and more room? Do you notice any difference in your mood or energy levels?

    Sunday, January 19, 2014

    365 project // breakfast


    I've always wanted to do a 365 project, but I've never had any ideas that I actually really liked enough to do it for a whole 365 days. Until now. I actually feel like a genius right now for coming up with this idea because it fits me so well so I know I can do this for 365 days because it's practical and the best part? It'll taste delicious and filled with yummy goodness like antioxidants, fiber, protein, etc.

    365 days of breakfast. I'm thinking breakfast bowls (like the one above), smoothies, overnight oats, omelettes, homemade bread with jam, parfaits, wraps, etc. Besides, what better way to keep you motivated, energized, focused, and happy than starting the morning off with breakfast? Nothing really.

    Feel free to follow me on Instagram, Pinterest, or drop me an email at miaoumolly@gmail.com if you have any breakfast suggestions or just to say hi!

    Friday, January 17, 2014

    a day of homemade goodies

    And by goodies, I mean food. Because a good chunk of my life goes toward food and eating.

    This morning, I actually woke up at 9 am today (throws confetti). It's one of my new year resolutions/goals to wake up earlier, and I've been having trouble with it recently because one of my other resolutions to go to sleep earlier and whenever I tell myself to do that, I actually end up going to sleep later. Anyway, after I woke up, I made myself a delicious green smoothie.
     

    After, I went to the grocery store to buy some vegetables and sweet potatoes to cook for lunch.  And while I was browsing through the fresh produce section, I came upon amaranth leaves so I had to try them because I recently learned about amaranth (the grain) which I haven't tried yet. My dad helped me make lunch today and it was nice because we managed to get lunch on the table within an hour; I was rushing a bit because I had an appointment but I cancelled it due to lack of time. I wish I had taken a picture of the food with my camera because the colors looked really nice, but I did manage to take a picture with my phone. The food was surprisingly good! I wanted to make yam salad, but I accidently baked it instead of boiling it in water. Maybe next time!

    After that, my friend came over and we "baked" cheesecake and oreo truffles dipped in the chocolate ("baked" since we didn't use an oven). The cheesecake turned out surprisingly decent despite not using vanilla extract and substituting sweetened condensed  milk.

     Oh yeah, and we also made oreo truffles! We should grind them instead next time; we crushed them, the photos would turn out way nicer if the oreos would grounded. (Confession: I'm always thinking it terms of how the pictures would look instead of how the food tastes.) But they turned out really good! I don't have a sweet tooth, so about one or two just about hits the spot for me.
     

    I have work this weekend, but I'm planning to spend more time in the kitchen after I come home from work (and also hopefully spend more time on my studies!) Also, classes start again next week so I have to get as much cooking done as I can so I know what to meal plan (what I like, what I don't like, what works, what doesn't, etc.)
    • How has your week been?
    • Have you been cooking or baking anything new lately?
    • How is January treating you so far?

    Thursday, January 16, 2014

    quinoa and smoothies

    I've been eating more homemade foods lately, and I'm loving it. This blog and being able to take pictures again really helps and motivates me. I can't remember the last time I use my camera before this blog, probably not since a little after high school. It's still a bit tricky trying to make lunch/dinner recipes; I feel like it's always a hit or miss.

    Breakfast 

     
    I love putting my breakfast foods and smoothies in mason jars. The colors go nicely with each other and it's so bright, and it looks wonderful.

    Currently out of Greek yogurt, so I only had coconut milk avaliable for this fruit bowl. Hopefully I'll get a chance to restock this week; there's not really any American grocery stores near where I live, and I don't like driving there just to get one or two things. But I'll be going to school again soon, which means there's a Safeway on the way back home yay!

    Smoothies

      I recently started using my Vitamix blender again, and wow the smoothies taste so much better now. The consistency and texture of it is just amazing. And I got a really nice shade of green in yesterday's smoothie (the third one).

     
    Also went to the library this week to print my school stuff out and did a book haul. I don't know why I still check out recipe books, even though there are a million recipes online, but the photos just look so good. And people put lots of work into their books, so I thought I should take the time to look through them.

    Dinners

     
    I made quinoa mac and cheese with spinach last night; the first bite was really good. But when I tried it again later that night, my stomach started hurting (might be because I might be lactose intolerant). Maybe there was just too much dairy for me. :(

    EDIT // The quinoa mac n cheese is super yummy; my friend and her mom loved it. I had the leftovers (I gave most of it to my friend) for lunch today and I loved it. Turns out the leftovers are better if you bake them than microwaving them - just a side note! And I think my dad likes it as well! (He normally doesn't like these types of foods.) Definitely making this again sometime soon - hopefully tomorrow after work. I don't want the leftover milk in my fridge to go to waste and I still have butter leftover.

    Not pictured, but I also made sweet potato jasmine rice patty cakes. I substitued quinoa with jasmine rice because I had just made a fresh batch. (It's going to take me a while to learn how to follow recipes and cook.) But it was really good nonetheless and reminded me of how much I love sweet potatoes!