Thankful for Furniture

Just want to share the latest love in my apartment, the LIATORP desk and INGOLF chair from IKEA. I had acquired this set second hand from a friend of mine that was moving. This replaced a small, very old, ugly crappy desk that my cousin got years ago from Staples. It was so old that the thin wood sticker covering the 'engineered  wood' would peel off whenever I wiped it. With this pristine upgrade to 55-inch space, I feel imposing and inspired to get things done!

I'm even slightly shamed to show you my old desk, but it did last me through multiple moves in college then some post-college shenanigan.









Now I'm an adult!

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!

再見! Bye for now!

In preparation for my upcoming trip to Taiwan, I've been flipping through photos when I was there last, March of 2009. A little more than two years ago, I was jobless and in a rut, went back to Taiwan mostly to escape the staleness that comes with winter blues in NY. A good amount of energy went into researching and planning a five day half-tour of the island. Utilizing my forth-grade level Mandarin, I rented a car and drove from the west coast, over the mountains to the east shores, staying at hostels/homestay along the way. It was a good learning experience, and I got to see first hand the dynamic landscape of this Formosa island.

Scenery aside, I am very excited for the variety of food to come. Taiwan is known for Night-markets, which are open into wee hours of the night with carts that sell ''small eats'' all along the streets. These markets always surprise me with innovative combinations of ingredients and flavors.

Clockwise: taro ice cream on crush peanuts wrapped in flaky rice crepe, man making 'Oil-rice', freshly steamed black sesame bun. And lastly, my mom's cooking!


Before I go, if you would love a postcard from the my motherland, please email your mailing address, and I'll be sure to get around to it!

The only Eggplant I would eat....

 

It was how I felt about eggplants growing up when my mom would serve a plate of stir fry purple-brown stuff. But I've come to enjoy this fruit for its lovely color and versatility in cooking. Since eggplants are in season, I got two small ones at the farmer's market. Unsure which direction these eggplants should go, they sat in the fridge for a week, then was inspired by the prettiness of it on Smitten Kitchen.

As always, mine are slightly different from the original receipt. After baking the sliced eggplant, a layer of quick-boiled spinach went over. Then the marinara sauce with onions and cubed baked tofu. Sprinkled with germinated rice crackers and a fresh basil leaf! Similar to a bruschetta, the baked eggplant acted like a piece of soft bread, needless to say, I ate all of them in one sitting.

Tutu

For the annual KickBall dance, I decided to wear the one thing that I've always wanted to wear but perhaps got too old to - a tutu skirt! An adult tutu skirt is difficult to come by, pretty pricy for layers of tulle, so I decided to make it myself. Slightly daunting at first, but the process was quite simple, for an overall pink color I sewed an extra layer of tulle over the knotted strips of fabric on elastic band, and there were layers of tulle underneath as well, to cover my bum. This skirt made the night so much more fun & only costed me a total of $25 in materials!

Pumpkin patch

I hate to see summer go, so in an effort to welcome the change of season, I made Pumpkin Chocolate Chip cookies. Altering the original recipe just a slight, coconut oil is what I have on hand instead of vegetable, whole grain pastry flour instead of white. These were easy to make and ready to eat in under an hour. They turned out soft & bready, just the way I like my cookies! 

Hoarvesting

Had found this curvaceous lamp almost a year ago in the garbage, tacky plastic flowers filled inside with a dusty, musty smelling lampshade. The clear wide vase made my mind race with possibilities.  My first desire was making it into an aquarium but the logistics of it is more complicated, hence the discontinued product. Another was a miniature dollhouse with a spiral staircase around the spin of the lamp. But having miniature items around always makes me feel like a giant, which depending on the day, can be a great feeling or a depleting one. During spring-cleaning of the apt, the yarns found themselves out of a plastic bag and into the vase. The white lampshade also presented itself to me on the side of the street just last week. It came together just in time for those gloomy fall days.

And if I was miniature, this would be my oasis.