What will the future bring? [Peanut Butter and Jelly Granola Bars]

When I was at my previous job, I was burnt out. I woke up dreading work and felt sick all the time. I never seem to get better. I finally decided to leave for my own mental and physical health. I was counting down the days and fantasizing about my new beginning.

That new beginning wasn't as glamorous as I thought. I was expecting to suddenly know what I wanted to do. I thought jobs would suddenly fall into my lap. I thought I would just know where to go next. None of my questions were answered and I felt stressed from the unknown.

I kept asking myself, "Where do I go next?" "What do I want to do?" Eventually, I had small meltdown and cried and cried. Surprisingly, the tears helped clear my mind. I decided to take a step back and take some courses at community college to explore. I found a part time job to cover my basic needs and pay for classes. Hopefully from this point on, I'll find some clarity.

Since I am in the low-income bracket, I have been more money conscious especially on the amount I spend on food. I was stoked when I discovered Leanne Brown's Eat Well on $4/day. Good and Cheap. She wrote a free cookbook with recipes for cheap, simple, seasonal, and tasty snacks and dishes. You can download the cookbook from her website above. The first recipe I tried was her Peanut Butter and Jelly Granola Bars. They are easy to make and portable. I have been bringing them with me to my morning classes. The peanut butter flavor is subtle and it is lightly sweetened from the jelly.

Peanut Butter and Jelly Granola Bars
from Leanne Brown

Makes 12 granola bars (162 calories per serving)

3 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup (128g) all natural peanut butter
1/2 cup (152g) jelly or jam
1/4 cup hot water
1/4 tsp salt

1. Preheat over to 350°F. Line a 9x9 baking dish with parchment paper. 
2. In a medium sized pot, add peanut better, 1/4 cup (76g) jelly, hot water, and salt. Stir over low heat until smooth and all the ingredients are incorporated.
3. Remove from heat and pour in 3 cups of rolled oats. Mix well. 
4. Spread evenly in the baking dish. Smear the top of the oats with the rest of the jelly.
5. Bake for 25 - 28 minutes. It is finished when the edges are brown and crispy.
6. Allow it to cool in the baking dish. When cooled, cut into 12 equal pieces and store in an air tight container.

No Sugar Challenge

My Last Bite of Sugar. Nooooo!

Beginning today, May 1, I'll be starting my No Sugar Challenge. I don't know how I am going to fare since I am a sugar addict. I live and breathe sugar. At least it will force me to get creative with savory dishes, which is one of my weaknesses. I don't find savory dishes inherently pretty to photograph, but hopefully I'll develop skills in the next 31 days.

There's only one rule and it's very simple: Do not eat any dish or product with added sugar.
This includes white granulated sugar, brown sugar, agave nectar and honey in any food that I make or eat. This means I can't put sugar in my coffee or eat foods where sugar has been added.

Exceptions

• I can eat foods with naturally occurring sugar such as fruits.
• I can drink juice, but only 1 glass. Any more than that, I am essentially consuming sugar.
• I can use a pinch of sugar to flavor savory dishes. However, I cannot consume sugar based sauces.

My last sweet recipe that I'll be posting tomorrow.

Rhubarb Raspberry Pops

Love the Rhubarb!

Want to make Jello Chocolate Pudding? Try this recipe!

I was brutally honest in a situation and laid out the facts and the emotions I was feeling. I told the truth, because I have respect for them and I wanted open communication. Now, my honesty is being misconstrued into me hiding something and blamed for being uncommitted. Highly annoying when being misunderstood is one of my pet peeves.

To make myself feel better, I indulged in some chocolate pudding. Childhood memories =  pure happiness. None of the complex issues of adulthood. Thanks to Stella/BraveTart, I was able to bring back a a moment of my simple childhood days. It's chocolatety and light and a smile is sure to appear after the first taste.

What? Parents know what they're talking about? [Aloe Vera Blueberry Green Tea]

Eggettes Fail.

During my teenage years, I reached a point where I stopped talking to my parents about problems and difficulties I had in my life. Of course, there was small talk and jokes, but nothing personal in nature. I think it's because I felt that they weren't on my side and were only telling me what to do instead of listening and offering guidance.

Now eight years later, I asked my parents for advice about a difficult choice that I have to make in a few days. To my shock, they provided valuable insight and never once pressured me to pick one choice over the other. Hrm, since when did my parents become so wise? (Yes yes...I know...they have always been wise, but the teenage me was stubborn and had false impressions.) It's a strange moment to realize that I always had two valuable resources around me, but I refused to see it. Thank goodness I discovered it before it was too late. It's time to celebrate with a light refreshing drink.

Swirling Colors

Aloe Vera Blueberry Green Tea

Refreshing Aloe Vera Blueberry Green Tea

Note: Lately I've been on a aloe vera craze. It's much more refreshing and light compared to boba.

Servings: 1 Drink

Instructions
1 cup water
1 blueberry green tea bag
1 tsp honey
3 standard sized ice cubes
1/4 cup of aloe, chopped into quarter inched sized pieces
small handful of frozen blueberries

Directions

1. Pour water in a pot and bring to a boil. Turn off heat and let it cool down for 5 minutes with the lid on.
2. Place tea bag in a cup and pour cooled water over it. Let it sit for 2 minutes. Remove tea bag and stir in honey. Then add ice cubes. Allow ice cubes to dissolve. At this point, you can either prepare the drink or store tea in the refrigerator for later.
3. In a large glass, add aloe, pour in tea, and garnish with blueberries. Use a large boba straw to drink.

The Dreaded Wheat Bread Sandwiches [Mayonnaise Salad Dressing]

I used to hate sandwiches especially wheat ones with one layer of salami or ham and a thin spread of mayonnaise. I had that exact sandwich everyday from kindergarten until 8th grade. No changes in the type of bread or filling. Always a thin layer of mayonnaise and an over salted limp slice of cold cut. 

Then one day during 6th grade for some unknown reason, my mom expressed how much she loved me by making me macaroni salad for lunch. Once I found out she could make other meals besides sandwiches, I would beg and cry for ANYTHING, but the wheat bread sandwiches. You can imagine how much I salivated and ate with pleasure when I had macaroni salad. Sometimes the pasta was switched out for potatoes to make potato salad.

As I grew older, I realized that the macaroni salad weren't that special. It was elbow macaroni mixed with strips of cold cut and tossed in a light mayonnaise dressing. Now the dressing wasn't even that impressive. It was a mix of what we had in the cupboard: a scoop of mayonnaise, pinch of sugar and salt, heavy dose of pepper and garlic powder, and a dash of vinegar. When I started cooking in high school and I tried replicating the dressing, it tasted good, but it wasn't as memorable and pleasurable as my middle school days.

Memories.

Mayonnaise Salad Dressing

Note: Compared to my memories, this dressing is much more flavorful. It has the right mixture of tang and sweetness.  Like my memories, this is meant to lightly coat a pasta salad (or potato salad) for one. Feel free to double the recipe for a heavier coating. In my salads, I generally have 1 cup of cooked pasta, 3/4 to 1/2 cup of carrots, raw onions, or celery, and 1/4 cup of protein.

Servings 1

Ingredients

1 garlic clove, pressed/crushed

1 heaping TBSP mayonnaise

1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

4 to 5 shakes of black pepper

1/8 tsp salt

1/4 tsp honey

Directions

1. In a bowl, add all the ingredients and whisk to mix. 
2. When all the pasta salad elements are prepared, toss the dressing with the pasta. 
3. For best flavor, let the pasta sit with the dressing overnight in the refrigerator. 

Appreciation [Boston Cream Pie]

Appreciation is showing that we care and value someone. As a teacher, working with kids bring joy when they accomplish a milestone. At a preschool level, I work with not just the children, but also their parents. It's a packaged deal and sometimes we have different opinions about discipline methods and expectations. It's my job to help the parents understand that what we do is intended to help children learn and grow. When we bump heads, I fear that I may have stepped on their toes too much so when the holidays roll around and parents go out of their way to purchase gifts of appreciation, it makes me so happy, because I know that what I do is of value to them.

The Christmas much like Thanksgiving is about showing those around you that you care about them. I brought this cake to dinner and it was a hit at Thanksgiving. All I can say, is Thank You Joy of Baking! You're magical. I made a large 9-inch cake for the dinner, but for photography purposes a mini one was made.

The components are easy to put together. The pastry cream can be made the night before, the cake in the morning, and assembled a couple hours later after the cake cools.

Holidays, Whoo!

Wow. The year has certainly passed by quick. I've been so busy that I didn't realize it's nearly a new year and I have to pack! I'll be going on vacation, but I have scheduled a post to appear on Monday to keep you company!

Happy Holidays and Have a wonderful New Year! See you in 2012!

Bees and Pumpkin [Pumpkin Truffles]

Letters appear across the screen as my fingers tap at the keyboard. Out of the corner of my eye, I see a shadow darting around. I take a look and notice a large bee crawling around the entrance to the hive. Several more bees fly in and out of the hive. A few fall down and their tiny insects legs struggle to crawl across the ground. Their wings flutter, but it does not carry them in the air. The end is near, my friends.

If you're questioning why I am heartless and destroying pollen loving insects, the bees decided to make a home out of my house walls. Yes, in between my walls. If I put my ears against the wall, I can hear low buzzing and chewing noises.

I intended to make this post Thanksgiving related, but life happens and you get to hear about it instead. I never heard about Pumpkin Truffles until I read Blunder Construction's post. The idea of a pumpkin pie in truffle form was ingenious and I ran with the idea. I added some twists that I read from Eat the Love's pumpkin pie post. I loved his idea of cooking down the pumpkin puree to intensify the flavor and adding caramel to add another layer of complexity.

I had the boyfriend bring these treats to share with his coworker. They loved the initial crack from the dark chocolate outer layer with a creamy ginger pumpkin center.

Pumpkin Truffles

Inspired by Eat the Love & Blunder Construction

Note: (1) The ginger flavor is pretty pronounced. If you aren't a fan of ginger, reduce it to 3/4 tsp. (2) If you prefer sweeter chocolate, use 2 cups chocolate chips + 1 teaspoon vegetable oil to coat the truffles.

Servings 28 to 30

Ingredients

1 cup (220g) pumpkin puree

6 sheets (99g) graham crackers

1/2 cup (50g) sliced almonds

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp fresh grated ginger

1 tsp vanilla

dash of nutmeg

1/4 cup (50g) sugar

2 TBSP heavy cream

1/8 tsp salt

150g dark chocolate

Directions

1. In a skillet, cook pumpkin puree over medium low heat for 7 to 10 minutes. Stir frequently and stop when the puree has reduced by half and the color has darkened. Transfer the puree to a clean bowl.
2. To the pumpkin puree, stir in cinnamon, ginger, vanilla extract, and nutmeg. Set aside.
3. Microwave whipping cream for 10 - 15 seconds to warm it up.
4. In a pot, over medium heat add sugar. Watch the sugar. When it first turns into amber, turn the heat off and let the residual heat heat continue cooking the sugar. When it stops turning color, return to the stove top to slowly heat it up again. Stop when it's a dark chestnut brown and it's smoking. Once the desired color is achieved, add heavy cream. Continue stirring as you pour the cream in. If caramel hardens, turn the heat on low and stir until smooth.
5. Mix the hot caramel into the pumpkin puree. 
6. In a food processor, process the crackers until it's a fine powder. Set aside 2 tablespoons for garnish. Do the same with the almonds, process it into a fine powder. Mix both together in a bowl.
7. Add the pumpkin mixture into the dry powder and mix well.
8. Form 1 teaspoon sized balls with your hands and placed on a cookie sheet lined with waxed or parchment paper. Cover with saran wrap and allow it firm up in the freezer for a couple of hours.
9. Melt chocolate over a double boiler. When nearly melted, take the bowl of the heat and let the residual heat melt the rest. Drop a pumpkin ball into the chocolate and use a fork to pick it up so all the excess chocolate drips away.
10. Place on parchment paper, garnish with reserved graham cracker crumbs, and allow it to cool. Store in fridge. 

Thanksgiving 2011 + A Simple Pasta Dish to use up Leftover Turkey [Turkey Pesto Linguine]

With both kitchen doors closed, I turned on the heater and let the warm air wake me up in the gloomy kitchen on Thanksgiving Day. I didn't mind waking up early to make my Boston Cream Pie. I started with the pastry cream, followed by the sponge cakes. While the cakes were baking, I moved a table next to the window in the living room to get what light I could from our cloudy SF morning to take photos of the pumpkin truffles I made last night. Mid session, a high pitched beep-beep distracted me. My timer. I ran from the living room to the kitchen to check on the cakes. Perfect: lightly browned and a flat surface. After getting the cakes on the cooling rack, I packed up six shiny round truffles, grabbed my purse, and ran out the door.

Thirty minutes later, I arrived at my boyfriend's work place and shoved the truffles into his hand. Rambled about how it's pumpkin and to ask his coworkers to taste test for me. He tried asking me some questions, but I cut him off and said I need to get going and finish my cake and mashed potatoes for dinner.

After I arrived home, I immediately made ganache and assembled the Boston Cream Pie. Peeling potatoes was my next task. I managed to get the potatoes in boiling water and set up my next photo shoot: a mini Boston cream pie. Done. Time to return to the kitchen and finish mincing shallots, and squeezing and zesting a lemon. Another beep went off and it's time to drain the potatoes. Done. Time to mash and add warm milk and butter. Fold in shallots and lemon juice and zest. Glancing over at the clock, I realized it was 4:30 PM and I didn't eat anything all day except for a cup of milk in the morning

Strangely enough, I didn't feel hungry. I felt relaxed and happy, because I created dishes that I was proud of. I love hectic days centered around preparing food for people that I love. Later that night, my family and I brought pumpkin truffles, a Boston cream pie, candied yams, and lemon shallot mashed potatoes to my Auntie's house. She had roasted turkey, a side of nuo mi fan, and crab salad waiting for us.

A confession: My favorite part about Thanksgiving Day isn't the actual dinner, but the next day when my mom makes jook (rice porridge) with the turkey carcass. Oh god, orgasm in mouth. Another way to use up leftover turkey is to make a simple and easy turkey pesto pasta dish.

Turkey Pesto Linguine

Note: You can easily replace ground turkey with leftover turkey from Thanksgiving. Simply shred 2 handfuls of turkey, add the seasonings, and heat it up in the skillet. Set aside and continue with Step #2.

Serves 1

Ingredients
2 handfuls of ground turkey
1/2 tsp dried minced onion
1/4 tsp garlic powder
pinch of salt
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp fish sauce

1 serving of linguine/spaghetti, cooked
4 to 5 handfuls of baby spinach, washed
3 to 4 TBSP pesto

Directions

1. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a skillet over medium heat. When oil is hot, place ground turkey in the skillet and flatten with a spatula. Wait 2 - 3 minutes until it's brown and crispy. Flip the turkey meat over onto the other side and wait another 3 to 4 minutes. When it is cooked thoroughly, break into smaller pieces with a spatula and transfer it to a bowl. 
2. In the same skillet over low heat, add 3 to 4 tablespoons of pesto to warm up. 
3. When it's sizzling and you can smell the pesto, add the spinach and pasta. Add the cooked turkey when the spinach is semi-cooked. Toss the ingredients together and serve. Garnish with some grated Parmesan cheese.

NYC recap [Hawthorn Tea Recipe]

Warning: This is a photo intense post. If you just want the recipe, scroll all the way to the end.

When I visited New York last month, I was on a foodie adventure. Forget about the sights, it was all about the food. Why visit landmarks when there is a chance that a food establishment might close before you're able to visit again? I did visit a couple of landmarks... Rockefeller Center, High line, Charging Bull...that's about it...However, my friends and I did enjoy second and third lunches and dinners. Oh, shopping was a part of our day as well.

View from On Top of the Rock

Rockefeller Center

Shaved Iced Shop: So light and fluffy with awesome toppings. Perfect on a  hot day at Hester Street Fair.

This is indeed crack. I ate it for breakfast and  I was in heaven. (Yes, it is super sweet, but the crust, filling, and texture went so well together that the sugar rush wasn't even an issue)

Chinatown Ice Cream Factory. 

il laboratorio del gelato: mango

This was my 2nd dinner. I tried the wasabi tonkotsu ramen and the broth had a hint of wasabi...oooh sent me over the edge. The ramen could use some work...it wasn't that chewy and the order wasn't piping hot.

Over-rated. Expensive and the pizza lacked the "wow" factor.

Nuts @ Times Square (get the pun?). Those nuts4nuts carts are crazy addictive. I LOVED the cashews. I bought some to nom at the airport.

Onya: I know you can't see the udon, but the fresh udon was chewy and full of flavor. SOOOOO goood. You see all the tempera crisps? yah, self-serve so I piled it on. 

Prosperity Dumplings: it doesn't look like much, but 5 potstickers for $1 tastes amazing. You can't complain about them when it's that cheap, yo. 

Mmmm....fresh takoyaki balls

High Line was gorgeous, but People's Pop made the visit even better.  I had the golden plum pop and it was full of plum-y goodness with hints of ginger and plum flesh. I NEED to go back to NY for some more of this!!

My friend ordered the grape shaved ice. (that's his hand over there). It was pretty interesting watching the guy scrape the ice from that ice block. 

One of the most memorable moments was eating at Xi'an noodles...the noodles were wonderful and everything the reviews says it is...but what stood out for me was their hawthorn tea. It tasted like hawflakes in liquid form. WTF. Mind blowing. (It's the equivelent of Startucks's apple cider...apple pie in liquid form. Say what?) I fell in love. I had NO idea that hawthorn came dried and one could make a tea out of it, it became my mission to brew tea when I returned home.

HELLO noodles.

Typical asian plating, but the chewy noodles with the spicy cumin lamb sauce was a great combo. My tea on the upper left helped kill the tingling sensation from the spicy sauce. 

When I arrived back home, the first thing I did was drop by Chinatown to purchase dried hawthorn to brew tea.

The brand I use.

Dried Hawthorn for Tea.

Dried Longan

The Tea. P.S. Please excuse my dirty window in the back ground

Hawthorn Tea (sweetened with longan)

Note: This version is much tarter and less sweet than the store version, but I prefer it that way. If you prefer it sweeter, add some rock sugar. The great thing about making Chinese teas is that you can eyeball everything, but I did weigh out ingredients for those that work better with exact numbers (and I just wanted an excuse to use my scale).

Serves 1

Ingredients
2 1/2 cups water
25g or 1/2 cup or 2 small handfuls of dried hawthorn
30g or 1/4 cup or 1 handful of dried longan

Directions

1. Boil water in a pot.
2. While water is boiling, rinse  hawthorn and longan a few times and let it soak in water for 10 minutes. Rinse again.
3. When the water is boiling, add the drained ingredients into the pot. Turn down the heat and allow it simmer for 30 minutes.
4. When finished, it should be lightly sweetened by the longan. If you prefer it sweeter, add rock sugar. You can drink the beverage hot or cold.

If you can't eat it, practice your photography skills. [Pumpkin Bar Fail]

I've been gorging on junk food since my trip to NYC. In an attempt to eat "healthier," I thought that I would create a hearty pumpkin bar for breakfast. The results: bland, creamy, and dense bar with an odd texture. Epic fail. Since I couldn't let the food go to waste, I took some photos so the "bar" served some purpose during it's lifetime.

I find the stringy fibers of the pumpkin gorgeous.

Oooh, dead looking bars.

On the outside, you're hot....on the inside, you're ugly. Why? =(

Do you have another voice in your head? [Candied Walnuts Recipe]

Toasting walnuts.

Regardless of where I am or what I'm doing, my mom's voice is in my head telling me what to do and giving her critiques of me. She's harsh. Often times, I hear "You're not good enough" or "What's the point of that? It's useless." The voice in my head is never positive. Without realizing it, I have carried this voice with me throughout my years and I don't think it's done me any good. Yes, it's kept me out of trouble, but my confidence and self-esteem is shot. Trying activities or engaging in situations outside of my comfort zone is terrifying and my first thought is always that I'll fail. To get past that point and start chasing my dreams is difficult. I can often feel her unhappy gaze on the back of my head. I am accustomed to following my mom's shadow and I often struggle to come up with what I want and not what she thinks I should do.

I love watching sugar suddenly turn into liquid form.

My current job situation brings me joy, but she doesn't approve of it. I'm still trying to figure out how to find a happy medium for myself and for my mother. Despite the negativity, I still love her and I show it to her by making food whether is baking or cooking her a meal.

Recently, we had leftover salad ingredients so I decided to create a gourmet salad with garlic bread. I know my mom loves walnuts so I can candied it. She fell in love with the candied walnuts and said it was her favorite part of the meal.

Mom's salad: egg, onions, cranberries, candied walnuts, & mixed greens with sourdough garlic bread.

Candied walnuts.

Candied Walnuts

Note: I don't like my walnuts too sweet, but feel free to the increase the sugar up to 40g (3 1/2 TBSP).

Ingredients
50g (1/2 cup) raw walnuts
30g (2 1/2 TBSP) sugar
pinch of salt

Directions

1. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Toast walnuts in a skillet over medium heat for 3 to 5 minutes. Toss occasionally to prevent burning. Toast until hot to the touch and crispy.
3. When the walnuts are done, put it in a bowl.
4. In the same skillet, add the sugar and salt. Keep the heat on medium until the sugar starts melting and turning into a light tan. (A Tip: Swirl the pan so the sugar melts evenly and turns color uniformly) Lower the heat to low. When it turns into a darker shade, add the walnuts.
5. Mix well and let it take on a dark amber before pouring the walnuts onto a parchment paper.
6. Allow the walnuts to cool then break into pieces.
7. Best if used within the same day.

Can't wait for next year's camping trip! [Simple Cracker Recipe]

Our backyard for the weekend.

The damage to the cans with our arsenal.

When my boyfriend first told me about the camping trip, I was reluctant to go and I made a huge deal out of it. I was worried about bugs, safety, and being clean. My mind was on "Let's think about everything that can possibly go wrong and worry myself to death." About 2 weeks before leaving, I wasn't stressed about the trip anymore and I was ready to go. The night before leaving, I was excited and could barely sleep.

Fire in her natural beauty.

Wow. The camping trip from this past weekend was amazing. I never thought I would have so much fun outdoors. I didn't worry at all. I went with the flow and it felt great to be away from civilization. I jumped from a rock into the water and nearly froze my butt off. I started shaking like chihuahua. Now, I know why those tiny things shake so much. We also found a secluded hillside and shot at beer cans and paper targets. The best part was chopping and splitting firewood. It's a great way workout I tell ya! And there's nothing more satisfying than getting the perfect hit so that the firewood splits all the way down to the bottom so the two pieces fly in opposite directions. Gorgeous.

The food was a carnivore's dream. We had so much. There were patties, sausages, drumsticks, wings, ribs, and bacon. Meat in every single meal. The amount of meat I consumed was enough to last me 2 weeks. I certainly wasn't used to the protein intake. By the second day, I wasn't pooping right. The only veggies I had a chance to eat was a tiny bit of green beans, broccoli cheese, and a lot of salad mix.

Hamburger for lunch.

Pasta, green beans, and chicken (still on the grill) for dinner.

Sausage sandwich for lunch.

My last photo of our trip. Lake Spaulding.

On our drive back home, I was already brainstorming food ideas for the next trip like grilled corn, baby carrots, and crackers. We had four bags of chips that we killed, but I think some homemade crackers next time will also do us some good.

Simple Cracker Recipe

Note: I did not come up with this recipe. I found it online 2 years ago, but I did not bookmark the URL. Please let me know who the original author is if you know.

Ingredients
1 1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 TBSP olive oil
4 TBSP water
1 tsp seasoning (My favorite to use is curry powder)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Mix 1 cup flour, salt, and oil.
3. Add 3 TBSP water and seasoning. Mix well. Add more water or flour until it makes a compact ball.
4. Roll out thin.
5. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until brown.