U-knit decorations

Everything about the Christmas holiday season makes me buy into the kitschiness of it all. Which is why when I heard Baftani was hosting an event call Knit & Eat, I had to jump on the chance to make it festive!

As a designer, there is a slight hoarding tendencies in me, especially when it comes to paper. For decorations, I like to use scrap materials saved from over the years, left over wrapping paper, old magazines, shirt fabric to reduce creating new waste.

For this Knit & Eat event I wanted to create a cozy, artisan atmosphere. Triangle fabrics flags and yarn pom-poms hung across the room can create that intimate mood by lowering the ceiling.
These zig-zag paper ladders were so easy to deck out any room.

This past saturday afternoon started with Lauren on some light stretching, ate homemade treats, all the while knitting with the talented Pegah and company.


Recipes for these unconventional party dishes seen below can be found on Lauren's website. I definitely recommend trying them out for the upcoming holiday parties as a healthier alternative, especially the Black Bean Brownie Bites, sounds weird but oh-so-delish!

Raspberry Oats Bakefast

 

Unlike many out there who despise oatmeal for breakfast, I happen to like it. Yes, oatmeal can be quite boring on its own since it is only a type of grain, but that is the fun challenge, to make it interesting. 

Made a batch of Raspberry Baked Oatmeal for a co-worker's birthday at the office, quite pleased with the turnout and there was enough left overs to last me a week! 

You start out by lightly frying two bananas in the pan with cinnamon, nutmeg + sugar

Detailed recipe here.

Tossed Baggage Salad

Greetings! Although It is good to be back, I am missing my carefree vacation in Taiwan. Traveling abroad has left me with new revelations and a shift in priorities, hopefully these fond feelings will stick around long enough to make a lasting impact. 

Cabbage salad:
Red & green cabbage, fennel, lemon juice, olive oil, apple cider vinegar, salt + pepper. Chop, toss and fridge overnight. Topped with sesame and seaweed seasoning. Avocado and rice crackers on the side for a complete meal.
Upon my return, I was embraced with cabbage, a hearty fall vegetable. This salad, similar to the bean salad was easy to put together, has a light refreshing taste due to the fennel & lemon, and the crunchy texture is satisfying next to any meal. Until next time, here are some baggage that I came across in China, luggage options to consider for the next vacation?!

Purse Pastries: Flaky dough with fried noodle as a handle, vegetable fillings inside.

Large soup dumplings to-go! Yes, the straws are for drinking the soup inside the bun when you really need a dose of animal aspic. yummy!

Quinoa-Miso

All of the sudden, this 'pseudocereal' Quinoa (keen-wa) is everywhere, featured in magazines, in restaurant menus and people are talking about it. Plentiful in nutritional benefits, quinoa is also very versatile in cooking. With a couscous like texture and a slight nutty flavor, it is enjoyable cold or hot once cooked. This is my usual go-to dish when making quinoa - original recipe from Whole Foods, with variations depending on what left-over vegetables I have on hand. This case peas were replaced by 毛豆soybeans, and its the miso ingredient that really gives the dish body + flavor.

Bean there, done that.

Three-bean salad has been done countless times in countless ways, but I never realized they were so easy to make. Once put together, they are able to last in the fridge for up to a week, but it usually doesn't make past the fifth day in the company of some tortilla/pita chips. This can also be packed as lunch with some quinoa or rice. 

Ingredients top down: red onion, celery, fresh corn off the cob, kidney beans, edamame, pinto beans, and most importantly cucumbers. Drowned in apple cider vinegar, olive oil / sesame oil, salt + pepper. The cider vinegar and cucumber makes it real refreshing on a warm day and the beans are what makes this salad filling on its own. The dish gets better overnight in the fridge.

Definitely making an appearance at the next Forth of July BBQ!