Looking cute while cooking.

As I threw my onions in to saute yesterday, some oil splashed on my shirt :(. Fortunately i did change to some casual clothes before cooking dinner. At first I thought I had splashed some water on my tank, but it never dried up, so i'm pretty sure it's oil. Anyways...I cooked so little in the past that I never had an apron! I did a quick search on amazon and came across these cute aprons:

Sooo Katy Perry!

http://www.amazon.com/Jessie-Steele-Josephine-Polka-Apron/dp/B0025VK8K4/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1304525574&sr=8-9

 http://www.amazon.com/Jessie-Steele-Josephine-Toile-Apron/dp/B000TK4BLU/ref=sr_1_15?ie=UTF8&qid=1304525574&sr=8-15

I got this one for myself :)

 http://www.amazon.com/Jessie-Steele-Carmen-Bib-Apron/dp/B000TK6GEU/ref=sr_1_12?ie=UTF8&qid=1304525895&sr=8-12

I got this one for the hubby!

 http://www.amazon.com/Chef-Works-CSBA-BCS-Pockets-27-Inch/dp/B002JM15Z6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1304525895&sr=8-1

For the days you want to feel skinny or sexy! lol!

http://www.amazon.com/Attitude-Apron-Black-Lingerie-White/dp/B001D20DU6/ref=sr_1_23?ie=UTF8&qid=1304525908&sr=8-23



Chicken Breasts and Green Beans in Black Bean Sauce!

Over the weekend, the hubby said to me, "WE need to cook more and WE need to eat out less." (i like how he says "we" when we all know he means me). While I do admit, we probably order in or eat out more often than we should, we do eat at my mom's twice a week, so it's not like we don't get any home cooked meals. I tend to go through phases of cooking pretty consistently and then have one day where I'd feel tired and order-in. Then one day turns into two, two turns into three, and all of a sudden I stop cooking.  I hope to keep with it this time, I'm going to experiment with different marinades, sauces and recipes and share them here!

Tonight I made Stir-fried chicken breasts and green beans in a black bean sauce for the first time. I kinda winged it with this recipe and tried to cook it like my mom does. I don't think I've ever really seen her cook it though. I also don't know the amounts of the ingredients I used so I'll just sorta guess...

Stir-fried chicken breasts and green beans in a black bean sauce

6oz. Chicken Breasts - Cubed

2 Tbsp Black Bean & Garlic Sauce

4 cups Fresh Green Beans

1/2 White Onion - Chopped

Chicken Stock

Soy sauce

Garlic Powder

Vegetable Oil

Cornstarch

1. Marinate the chicken breast cubes with a few dashes of soy sauce and garlic powder (sorry I just eyeball it!) for about 30 minutes or overnight in the refrigerator.
2. Blanch Green beans for a few minutes depending on how thick your green beans are and how crisp you like them. I prefer my veggies more on the soft side and blanched my green beans for about 4 minutes.
3. Heat up a wok or frying pan at Med-High heat, add about 2 tsp of oil and saute the onions for a few minutes. Add Chicken breasts, Black bean sauce and sugar to the onions and cook until chicken is almost fully cooked then add the green beans. Stir the ingredients around to coat the green beans with the black bean sauce.
4. Add chicken stock (amount depends on how much gravy you like), stir, and bring to a simmer. Add cornstarch dissolved in water to thicken the gravy (add cornstarch mixture until desired thickness, if too thick, add some more chicken stock). 

That's it! WAH LAH! Jpjp...Voila!

It was very yummy and tasted like something my mom would make! The hubby ate a lot! He even packed some for tomorrow! For my 2-year old son, I pan fried a few of the chicken cubes sans black bean sauce and made a creamed corn sauce to top his rice. He liked that very much!

This is the Black Bean Sauce that I used. There are other varieties (i.e. Black bean chili sauce).

I'm not a great cook, just a girl that has eaten a lot of good home cooked food thanks to her mom. That is where I'm getting inspiration for my home cooked meals. I hope you enjoy this recipe, you can switch up the protein or veggies too!

Quick Kitchen Tip:

The black bean sauce will need to be refrigerated after opening. Black beans are pretty strong in odor, especially with garlic in it. Place some twice or thrice folded over plastic wrap over the the opening of the bottle before capping it to reduce amount of airgaps. If you'd like you can wrap the bottle once more after it's been capped and rubberband the neck of the bottle for super odor protection. Let's make the refrigerator a happier place :)

Upcoming recipes:

Bulgogi Beef! (semi-homemade) Probably not really traditional since I'm Chinese :P

Turkey Meatloaf

Lemongrass Pork (maybe in the form of a banh mi)

Swimmer's Shampoo - Say No to the Stench

I had taken up "swimming" a few months ago. It's in quotations because I haven't actually done a full two laps of front crawl yet. I'm slowly building up.  Since picking up swimming, the chlorine in the pool has infused my hair with stench.

After my laps, I hop in the shower at the Community Centre, lather up, and scrub down. However, I noticed that the chlorine stench stays in my hair and punches me in the face when I take my next shower.

I started my hunt for a Swimmer's Shampoo and had found Ultra Swim at London Drugs! It cost about $9.

Ingredients
Water , Sodium Laureth Sulfate , Cocamidopropyl Betaine , Sodium Lauroamphoacetate , Urea , Polysorbate 20 , Coco Glucoside , Sodium Thiosulfate , Glyceryl Oleate , Propylene Glycol , Diazolidinyl Urea , Methylparaben , Propylparaben , Sodium Bicarbonate , Tocopheryl Acetate , Glycerin , Disodium EDTA , Polyquaternium-10 , Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice , Fragrance , D&C Violet No. 2 , May Contain: Citric Acid and , or Sodium Hydroxide

Blurb on the Bottle
Pool chlorine strips hair of life leaving it dry, brittle and unmanageable. Ultra Swim shampoo removes chlorine and its odour from your hair while replacing lost moisture. Ultra Swim...

• Breaks the chemical bond that holds chlorine to your hair.
• Removes harmful oxidized metals
• Leaves hair feeling silky soft

Directions (on the bottle)
Wet hair and lather. Rinse thoroughly. Gentle enough for even children's everyday use, AND for permed, lightened or color-treated hair.

How I Use it
After another swim, I lathered up, massaged, let it sit in my hair, and rinsed it out. Sometimes I need to double shampoo depending on how my hair feels.

What to Expect

• No more chlorine stench: The next day, I hopped in the shower, and wasn't greeted with the strong chlorine stench.
• You may have to shampoo twice - I do most times, depending on how my hair feels. I sometimes can't get the lather going on the first go.
• Your hair will be dry, so be sure to use conditioner.
• Lovely generic shampoo scent
• Is a bit watery than my other shampoos

Recommendation and Alternatives

• I rinse my hair with water before jumping into the pool. This minimizes the effects of chlorine on my hair. 
• Use conditioner before and after the swim. If you apply the conditioner before, be sure it's a light coating on your hair. You don't want that stuff floating around in the pool in masses. (I don't, but I'm going to start!)
• Skip the blow dry afterwards and let your hair air-dry. Blow drying can further dry out your hair (unless you apply a balm first).
• Apply an after-wash hair cream, serum or oil - to further moisturize or seal in moisture. (I'm on the hunt for one)
• Wear a swim cap - but keep in mind it doesn't mean your locks will stay dry.
• After I finish this bottle, I am thinking of getting L'oreal Kids Swim & Sport Shampoo.
  

  

  L'oreal Kids Swim & Sport Shampoo

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  Yes, it's for kids...but it's cheaper, smells like oranges, is gentler, and doesn't sting if I get it in my eyes. Need to finish up the big people's shampoo first though :)
  
  

Overall Rating
4.5/5 - Is a bit pricey, but it does the job!

Ice Cream Machine!!! Sooo bad yet soooo good :P

The hubby loves ice-cream. He loves it so much, he went on a mission to look for an ice-cream machine. The only problem is, he decided to go get it on Easter! I ended up ordering him one through amazon.com. We got the Cuisinart ICE-30BC.

Pretty, Isn't she?

The first recipe we tried was the vanilla ice cream recipe that came in the Cusinart's recipe book. It was pretty good. I had mine with some fresh pineapples.

My biggest gripe about the recipes is that it always calls for heavy cream and whole milk. For those who know a little bit about me, just last summer I was overweight. I've recently lost 35lbs and am trying to keep it off. Naturally, eating ice-cream isn't going to be too good for me. I'm going to experiment with Frozen yogurt and using substitutes for heavy cream and whole milk. From what I've read,  using half and half or skim milk will make the ice-cream more "icy" in texture. So we'll see.

Today, I made Lychee Ice-cream. I got the recipe from http://www.food.com/recipe/lychee-ice-cream-214114.

The main reason why I chose this recipe is because it didn't require any cooking (some recipes require egg yolks and cooking the ingredients, then letting it cool, etc.). It turned out really good! I used 8 ounces of heavy cream since I had the carton open from the last batch of Ice-cream and used 8 ounces of half 'n' half. The Ice-cream did seem a little lighter, but it was still very delicious and satisfying.

After eating my cup of lychee ice-cream, I realized my power...I can have almost ANY flavor ice-cream that my little heart desires! Also, If I want to make it low-fat, sugar-free, or turn it into a frozen yogurt...BAM! 20 minutes and there it is! Oh dear, I knew this was going to be dangerous!

Ode to Hello Kitty: Mascot of my 30s

When I hit 30, I decided that the next decade would be about class, sophistication and not taking any shit. In my mind, I envisioned red nail polish, girly shoes, dresses, and harmonious ensembles of tops, slacks/skirts, cardigans.

As I sit here wearing my sport zip-up jacket, my glitter pink nail polish, jeans, rainbow-print shoes, and chunky elephant ring, I realize that my vision of my 30s is the actuality of my early 20s. How quickly I've ditched the vision. This was confirmed when I realized I had quite the addiction to Hello Kitty.

It all started with the Hello Kitty line at Sephora. All I got was the Apple balm, but it was enough to get me started.

It's super moisturizing and the right amount of color, btw. Nevermind that the container is cute to the max.

Then it was the pouch I found for $7 at the mall.

You can get it at Cutesense.com

Then I found the vending machines at an Asian mall in Richmond and spent about $6 on frivolity.

Upon showing my vending machine finds to my friend, Tina, she looked at my husband and asked, "Why did you let her do this?" which cracked me up to no end. FYI, he wasn't there to stop me.

And while looking for two of those photos above, can somebody explain to me why I want this?

You can get this at Cutesense.com too!

So what about the class, sophistication, and taking no shit? Well, I like Hello Kitty, and my crazy getup. I tend to just do what I feel is right. Being 30 is about not taking any shit. This includes any shit  from myself of who I should be or what I should like.

I think this makes Hello Kitty my mascot for my 30s, which seems odd to pair with the anthem of my 30s (Gwen Stefani's Hollerback girl).

My son has The Robot Termintaor Eye

On Saturday the family went to a friend's house for their son's first birthday party. We let our son run around their HUGE backyard. The family had a little dog, but they cleaned the poopies before the party. But somehow...SOMEHOW, my son was able to find a piece of poopie that was the size of like a screw head and picks it up with his hand! What were the chances? I mean, did I say their yard was HUGE??? This is why I think my son has a Robot Terminator Eye that somehow locked into the dog poopies.

The parents felt so bad, but it totally wasn't their fault. Ahhh the joys of motherhood.

Yoga Mat Review: Lululemon The Mat (Travel)

After practicing yoga consistently for 1.5 years, I had worn out my mat. Imagine me beating the crap out of my mat 3 to 5 times a week for that period of time. They say that the more you practice, the stickier your mat should be. Not the case with the mat I had. I was slipping and sliding all over the place. In fact, I may decide to accumulate old slippery mats, and fashion myself a Slip N Slide. Remember those? Sorry, am a child of the 80s.

I practice Vinyasa (or Flow) yoga, and one can get quite sweaty as the class progresses. With my old worn-out mat, I could feel my back leg sliding further and further away in Warrior II despite my efforts in hugging in my inner leg muscles.

Warrior II

Because my mat was slippery, I also didn't feel confident going deeper into my poses. Could you imagine trying to stick your leg up in wheel pose while on a slippery mat? Wipe out city!

Wheel Pose

So after scouring the internet, and reading many (MANY) yoga mat reviews, I finally settled on Lululemon's The Mat, the Travel version. I've been using it for almost five months now.

Hello, lover!

Lululemon does carry a non-travel version of this mat. However, I decided on the Travel mat because I do like to take my yoga mat with me when I go on vacation or business trips. However, when I'm in the studio, I throw it over my old mat just to get a bit of extra cushioning. Alternatively, I could throw it over one of the shared studio mats to protect myself from getting foot fungus...on my forehead.



Mat Details (From the Lululemon Website)

• The super grippy polyurethane top layer is ideal for hot, power, and flow yoga classes
• Due to the properties of natural rubber, the mat will have a strong smell that will fade over time
• For optimum care, clean the mat after each practice with a natural solvent
• For more thorough cleanings, completely submerge the mat in water and allow to air-dry overnight 
• Dimensions: 26" x 71", 1.5mm thick

Benefits (What I LOVE about it)

• Protection: Throw it over a shared studio mat to protect yourself from the sweat residue left by other students
• Lightweight...  so you don't have to break your shoulders carrying it around the city or across the airport. Heck, you can even fold 'er up and stick it in your tote.
• Thin!: I love feeling the earth below me when I practice yoga. This means I'm stabilized and grounded. Layering it over my old mat brings the total thickness up to 4.5mm, which is still pretty thin in my opinion
• Encourages impromptu Yoga (if you have it on you) - Oh yes, in the middle of Starbucks. I call this pose ardna tazonasana.
• Optimal for in-between sweaters: Yoga towels are great for heavy sweaters. I sweat, but not enough to use the towels. In fact, I have a yoga towel, and because I don't sweat enough, I can't get a grip on that thing.
• Absorbent: This baby absorbs sweat which makes it non-slippery - To the amazement of my classmates, I dropped a bit of water onto the mat, and within seconds, it had vanished into the mat. Magical like unicorns!
• Not smelly - I unrolled this mat, and didn't notice the strong smell that they warned about. Possibly because this is the thin version of the The Mat.

Things to Consider

• Last I checked, it only comes in black - which is fine by me!
• I usually don't get a grip on this mat until I'm warmed up (which doesn't take long). This is likely why they recommended it specifically for hot, power, and flow classes and not something like hatha, where you don't get as heated as quickly

Overall Rating
5/5 - I am a zen and happy yogi