Stitch Fix

Hi Everyone!

I'm sure most of you know what the title of this post refers to.  For those of you that don't, Stitch Fix is a styling service website where you get monthly (or more often, based on preference) "fixes" of fashion items.  You fill out a profile on their website, and a stylist will style a fix for you based on it.  So you basically get a present every month!  Of course you have to pay for the service, it's $20 per fix, and you get five things sent to you.  Keep the items you want, and mail back the items you don't want.  Check out online, the $20 styling fee applies to the stuff you keep.

It's a really fun service.  I jumped to it when I first found out about the service.  But then I wasn't really liking my monthly fixes.  I felt that the stylist didn't really get me.  So I cancelled for a while, then decided to give it another try.  My November fix was surprisingly good!  When I opened the box, at first glance I wasn't very impressed.  But I still tried on each item.  To my surprise, one of the blouses that I tried on was very flattering!  And the jeans that were sent to me - let me tell you, I already have a handful of black jeans - but this pair, I kept it because it was so incredibly comfortable.

It's truly a fun experience each time I get my box of fixes.  I eagerly await its arrival when the date is close, and when I finally see it at my doorstep, it's like, "Ok, the kids can wait on their dinner.  Mama is trying on clothes first!"

Here's my most recent fix.  I paired the blouse with the black pants, and accessorized the ensemble with a black glittered Rebecca Minkoff clutch and Valentino Rockstud pumps.  On my lips I'm wearing a plum-colored lipstick.  Perfect for the season.  The rather business-like pairing suddenly look hip when I added fun and edgy accessories to it.  I'm still relatively conservative.  My idea of "edgy" is as edgy as a mother-of-three type of edgy gets.  ;)

Blouse: Fun 2 Fun via Stitchfix

Pants: Just Black via Stitchfix

Clutch: Rebecca Minkoff Leo Envelope Clutch via Amazon

Pumps: Valentino Rockstud

Lipstick: Chanel Rouge Allure Envoûtante #116

Happy shopping!

xo,

Lin

Stir Fried Sole with Celery

Hi Everyone!

Oh, is it good to be writing again!  I was MIA in the last few weeks because I was so busy putting up my sons' school book fair. I think I'm going to do a post about that too, and label it under "parties."  It was quite a production - literally!  I mean, we chose a Hollywood theme, because you know me, I love my glamour!  And having a fun theme really gets me excited about decorations and stuff.  Which is what I love to do.  So, if you need inspiration on book fairs, stay tuned!

Well, this post is about my life going back to normal and being able to cook for my family again.  I found this recipe on a Chinese cook book also - I don't take credit for stuff that's not original!  So here it is, translated into English.

Ingredients:

Sole fillet, cut into 2 inch sections
Celery - about 1/2 a stalk, sliced
1 carrot, sliced
ginger, thinly sliced
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 tbsp wine
1 tsp corn starch

Instructions:

1) Marinate sole fille in soy sauce, wine, corn starch, and ginger for about 15 min
2) Stir fry celery and carrots, add salt, remove
3) Stir fry fillet until about 80% done, put celery and carrots back in
4) Add sugar, cook for another 5 minutes, or until fish is fully cooked

Happy cooking!

xo,
Lin

Deep Fried Sole Fillet

Hi Everyone!

I've done deep friend fish before-but never was able to make it crispy and have the batter stick to the actual fillet.

I've finally just given up and consulted a cookbook.  Turned out, you're supposed to batter the fish in this order 1) flour, 2) egg, 3) bread crumbs.  And guess what?  Voíla!  It turns out beautifully when it's done in this order!

I chose to put my fish on a bed of stir fried chive buds because my husband loves them.  But you can really put it on a bed of any stir friend vegetable.  Or even just with some lettuce leaves.  Or on it's own.  Although the recipe calls for marinating the fish, you can still dip with either ketchup or a mixture of salt and pepper.  My kids love ketchup - which kid doesn't - so that's what we used.

Ingredients

1 package of sole fillet - you can use any, actually.  I just got the one from Trader Joe's, comes with 3 strips
1 cup flour
3 eggs
3 cups bread crumbs - I used panko bread crumbs, you can use regular ones

Seasoning

Cooking wine
salt
pepper - optional

Instructions

1) slice fish fillet into rectangular pieces.  Marinate in seasoning for about 20 minutes
2) Coat fillets in 1) flour, 2) beaten eggs, 3) bread crumbs
3) Heat oil, turn heat to medium, fry fillets to golden

This is an easy way to make a fast meal.  Or if you're trying to show off your cooking skills at a potluck, this is an easy dish to prepare.

Hope you enjoy it as much as my family did!

Coral Me Mine

Happy Friday!

It's been a couple of weeks since I did a fashion post.  24 hours in a day just isn't enough!

But since my boys are off from school today, I am forced to stay home.  And since they are home,  my photographer is finally free as well. :)

I scored this beautiful coral BCBG dress when we were on vacation in Maui.  We were doing a family photo shoot and I didn't have anything to wear.  If you read my post about that vacation, you might recall seeing this dress.  It was on sale, it was perfect for photos, so I bought it.  I wore this dress again for my children's piano recital this past Saturday - which was phenomenal, by the way.  I can't tell you how proud I am as their mom when I watch that all their efforts from practicing has paid off.  *beam*

And you know me.  I love finding multiple ways of wearing a dress.  It's just more bang for your buck when you can style a fancy dress for casual wear.  I went the casual route for the recital, and it was the perfect balance - since it was a Halloween-themed recital, it wasn't meant to be fancy and stuffy.  Yet, at the same time, it IS a performance, and there WAS an audience. I didn't exactly want to go in flip flops and shorts. I think my outfit stroke the perfect note.  Pun intended!

Casual

Dress: BCBG, similar here

Jacket: GAP

Shoes: Tory Burch, old, this one here is really cute

Bag: Zara, older, this metallic one here is gorgeous

Necklace: H&M, old, this one here is adorable as well

Dressy

Shoes: Jimmy Choo via Neiman Marcus

Bag: Saint Laurent, similar here

Necklace: J Crew, similar here

This is my first pair of Jimmy Choos.  And my gosh, now I know what all the hype is about.  They're so incredibly comfortable.  I never thought they were that appealing - I like my fancy shoes really fancy.  Like, bling bling fancy.  Somehow Jimmy Choos never caught my eye. But I needed a pair of shoes in a metallic silver/gold color for an upcoming wedding. I searched up and down my local mall, all over the internet, and finally settled on this one.  And am I really glad I got them!  You get what you pay for, that's for sure! You might be thinking, "Why would I need such nice shoes?  I don't have any where fancy to go!"  Trust me.  There are always places to wear nice shoes.  GNOs, baby showers, bridal showers, weddings, company holiday parties, anniversary parties, Vegas, etc, etc.  Take my advice, buy the ONE pair of really nice shoes (in a neutral color), and forgo all the other ten pairs of mediocre shoes.  Your feet will thank you!

Happy shopping!

xo,

Lin

Sweet and Sour Spare Ribs

Happy Tuesday, everyone!

It's only a few days until Halloween, what are your plans?  My family is attending a friend's Halloween party, after we stuff our bellies, we're going to go walk it off around her neighborhood and go Trick-or-Treating with the kids.

My boys are going as Thor and Hawkeye, and my daughter is going as "new" Cinderella - the one with Lily James and Cate Blanchette.  I was going to be Lady Tremaine, but couldn't find a costume that I liked. So I got my creative juices going and made my own costume.  It's the first time I've made my own costume and I was pretty proud of my idea. I'm going to be a clock that strikes midnight!  Isn't that fun?!  My husband always dresses up in as outrageous a costume as he can find (he was a full on Olaf to our daughter's Elsa last year), so he wanted to be the Hulk to match the boys' Avenger's theme.  But we just couldn't find a good Hulk costume.  So I told him that I'd make his costume too.  We'll all match our daughter.  And...he will now be Cinderella's pumpkin!  The problem was, I couldn't find a good pumpkin costume.  Every single one has a scary Jack-O-Lantern face on it.   So I got a piece of blue fabric, sewed it on the pumpkin costume to cover scary Jack, then used black felt and made a pumpkin carriage silhouette.  Then glued that on the fabric.  It's looks totally awesome.  I'll post pictures of the three of us once we all put our costumes on.  :)  I think we should win any costume contest!

Well, enough talk about Halloween (I think I'm more excited than the kids!).  I recently made these short ribs and they were a fan favorite at my house.  Everyone loved them.  Even my husband!  And he's a man that's hard to please.  I adapted this again from a Chinese cook book. So I will translate and post it here for you.

Ingredients:
1/3 lb short ribs
2/3 tbsp soy sauce
1/2 tbsp cooking wine (or any wine)
1/2 tbsp chopped garlic
dash of salt
2 tbsp cornstarch
2 tbsp flour
2 tbsp ketchup
1/2 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp water

Instructions:
1) Marinate ribs with soy sauce, wine, garlic, and salt mixture for 20 min
2) Coat with cornstarch and flour, then deep fry until golden.  Remove.
3) Combine ketchup, sugar, and water.  Cook with 1 tbsp of oil until boiling. Put ribs in sauce and coat evenly in high heat.  When sauce has nearly dried up, remove and serve.

Happy cooking!

Xo,
Lin

Pork Tender Loin with Garlic Sauce

Happy Tuesday!

I wasn't able to post a recipe last week because I got busy with some book fair preparations.  But I really wanted to share this easy recipe with you. There's not much preparations at all!  Just a large pot, pork, some asian sauces and garlic, and you're DONE!  Here goes!

Ingredients

1-2 lbs of pork tender loin
2-3 cloves or garlic, minced
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp water
2 tsp sugar

Instructions

1) combine all sauces
2) add garlic in sauce
3) boil pork tender loin until done, about 1 hour in medium heat
4) slice into thin slices, and you can either pour garlic sauce on the slices, or use as dipping sauce.

Enjoy!

xoxo,
Lin

Falling Into You

Hi Everyone!

TGIF!  Boy, was I waiting for today like a child waiting for his milk and cookies.  It's been a really tough week.  We had to put our dog to sleep this Monday, and it's been incredibly hard on our entire family. We've had our dog, Koko, for over 10 years; she was really the sweetest dog you can have.  When I told the the kids, they all broke down in tears.  And even as I'm typing this, my eyes are welling up.  Kok kept everyone company even until the last days of her life.  She would wait for me to return home after dropping off the kids at school, so I was never lonely; she would wait downstairs with my husband until he finished working, late into the night, and walk upstairs with him when he was finally ready for bed; she'd lie down on the carpet with my daughter, who would talk to her about anything and everything, and let her put clip-on earrings on her; she'd accompany my son to his room when I told him to shower, so that he wouldn't be alone.

We had another dog that passed away a couple of years ago, but this one really hit everyone hard. Because this one was our only dog, and she was such a sweetheart.  I still find myself automatically looking under my feet after propping them up on the coffee table, making sure I don't step on her if I got up, only to realize that wait, there isn't anyone down there.  And when I enter my house through my garage, I'm still slowly opening the door because I'm used to her waiting for me there.  

We miss you, Koko!  You were the best companion to all of us.  We will never forget you, and this is a way for us to remember you always.  You'll be in our hearts forever.

Ok, well, now that I got you all crying (sorry)...back to our regular program...

It's been a little cooler these days.  Thank goodness because it's just been too hot.  I don't know if I mentioned this in my other posts, but my daughter keeps saying it over and over again, and I thought it's so funny because she says it with such enthusiasm, in that squeaky 4-year-old voice, that I had to mention it again.  "I'm DONE with the heat!!!"

So I see that suede skirts has been trending these days.  And I've been dying to try it out.  I finally got a cute one from Zara that is totally appropriate for Fall.  In a simple, dark brown color, you can dress it either up or down.  I did the two looks so you get an idea of what a great investment this piece can be!

Casual

Skirt: Zara

Shirt: BP from Nordstrom

Jacket: Gap

Bag: Céline

Shoes: Calvin Klein via Amazon

Dressy

Shirt: Splendid via Amazon

Shoes: Cole Haan, so old but these here are so cute!

Necklace: Madewell

Bag: Louis Vuitton

Thanks for reading!  Have a great weekend!

xoxo,

Lin

Slow-Cooked Beef Shank

Happy Hump Day!

I made this delicious dish last night because I've been craving it for a while.  My entire family likes it, especially me and the hubby, since we've all had it when we were kids.

Although it super easy to make, it takes a long time.  When I say long, I mean loooonnng.  I started cooking this on Monday.  It was finally done...Tuesday afternoon.  So I'd say it took me about 6-8 hours.  See what I mean?!  Then again, it's actually tastier if you let the shank sit in its broth overnight in the fridge.  So it's a good idea to make this a day ahead.

However, if you own a slow-cooker, I think you just might be able to do this in the slow cooker.  I don't have one - we have so much junk in our kitchen, I REFUSE to add more stuff.  So I do it the old-fashioned way: on the stove.  However, I'd imagine you can prepare everything and dump them all in the slow cooker in the morning, and have a delicious dish ready by dinner time.

Ingredients

2 lbs beef shank
1 tomato
1 onion
5-7 slices of ginger
4-5 pieces of star anise
soy sauce
cooking wine
sugar
oil
green onions, chopped

Instructions

1) Blanch beef shank in hot water.  Cook until all the impurities have floated to the top.  Drain water and rinse.
2) Heat oil in pot, stir fry ginger until fragrant.  Add shank.
3) Fill pot with water, covering shank.  Add soy sauce, cooking wine, sugar, sliced tomatoes, sliced onions
4) Let simmer in soft boil until shank is soft.  It takes awhile if you're doing this on the stove.  Like I said, it took me 6-8 hours.  I had to constantly add water.  I don't know what it's like in a slow cooker though.
5) When done, let cool, store in fridge overnight
6) When ready to serve, cut into thin slices. Garnish with chopped green onion.  Reheat broth and pour about 2 tbsp full over the sliced shank.

What's good about this dish is that you can kill two birds with one stone.  You can use the broth to make - you guessed it, beef noodle soup!  I kid you not, it's the best broth ever!  That's how I served mine last night.  The kids and I had noodles, and the hubby, who's not a fan of noodles, had just the shank and some other vegetables I cooked.  Everyone was happy.

Enjoy!

xoxo,
Lin

Stripes

TGIF!!!

Gosh, it has been so hot this week.  Honestly, when you live in So Cal, you really don't experience an Autumn.  I feel like it goes straight from Summer to Winter.  It's been so hot in the past years during Halloween too.  I guess it's good for the kids with their costumes, since they won't have to double up underneath.

So with this weather, I thought it was fitting to still do a summer look.  Whoever said that you can't wear white after Labor Day clearly hasn't experienced the heat waves we've been having recently.

Stripes are all the rage for a while now.  I have to be honest, I didn't love them before.  But the more I see other people wear stripes, the more I like them.  I have a striped t-shirt, a striped sweater, and now, this cute striped dress.  Pair it with the cutest trend of slip-on sneakers, top it off with a hat, and voila!  You're ready to battle this crazy heat.

Dress: Alice and Olivia

Shoes: Ralph Lauren

Bag: Louis Vuitton

Hat: I bought mine from Amazon, but the beige one is all sold out.  Here's a similar one 

Sunglasses: Tory Burch, old.  Here's a pair of Tory Burch aviators.

Try to stay cool!  My goodness, it's just too hot!

xoxo,

Lin

Seafood and Tofu Casserole

Hi Everyone!  I've been so busy recently with my sons' school - I'm running the school Fall book fair with another mom, and it's just been, non-stop go, go, go!  Everyday has a deadline, everything needs to be done immediately.  I'm telling ya, those people doing your children's school book fairs, they deserve a huge pat on their backs for all the hard work they're putting into the schools.  I would've never thought it would be so hard until I had to run it this year.  It literally is running a real business, and it takes a village to make it work.

The only reason I'm telling you this is because I normally do two posts a week - Tasty Tuesday with a recipe, and Fashion Friday with a "look."  My Tasty Tuesday today is already later than usual.  There might be weeks where I won't do any posts at all!  But I will try my very best.  I love sharing with everyone anything food, fun, and fashion related!

So I got today's recipe from a Chinese cook book.  I will share this recipe since it's not online.  This dish was so good.  I always order this when I go to a Chinese restaurant.  So when I saw the recipe in the cookbook, it was almost like hitting the cooking jackpot.  :)

Ingredients
6 scallops
1/2 lb of shrimp (peeled and deveined)
1 box tofu
1/2 carrot
3 mushrooms (cut in halves)
bamboo shoot (optional - I didn't have any so I omitted it)
1 cup of sweet pea
1 stalk green onion
4 slices of ginger
1 tbsp cornstarch solution (cornstarch + water)
3 cups chicken broth (I used chicken stock - it's more flavorful)

Seasoning
dash of salt
1/2 tbsp cornstarch
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tbsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp wine

Instructions
1) Marinate shrimp and scallop in salt and 1/2 tbsp cornstarch for 10 min
2) Cut tofu into 1 inch pieces
3) Slice carrot, green onion, and ginger
4) Heat pot, fry shrimps, drain
5) Heat pot with 2 tbsp oil, fry green onion and ginger until fragrant, add mushroom, carrot, tofu, and broth - stir.  Then add shrimp, scallops, and sweet peas.  Add oyster sauce, soy sauce, salt, sugar, and wine.  Thicken with cornstarch solution.  Remove to casserole dish.

Hope you liked this recipe as much as I did!  Please don't limit yourself!  Add fish fillets or squid if you like those too!

xoxo,
Lin

It's All Business

If you're a SAHM like me, we're probably in either workout clothes or jeans all day.  But that doesn't mean we can't dress professionally once in a blue moon.  I like the clean, crisp look of a pair of nice pants and some nice black pumps.  Dressing up professionally just makes me feel a little smarter.  I mean, I stay home and listen to talks of Minecraft and princesses all day.  So, if I can feel a little more "adult" just by dressing more like one, then I'm all for it.

I saw this pair of really cute heels on bananarepulic.com the other day, and again, just had to have them.  It's a bit on the edgy side, but pair them with a pair of nice pants, it actually makes the outfit that much more fun.  So you're looking professional but you still have an edge.  My day-to-day style isn't very adventurous, but I can sneak in little surprises to make an outfit more interesting.

And, let me tell you.  If you don't know already (and I don't know why you wouldn't know), the Portofino Shirts from Express are seriously the most versatile, comfortable, and fabulously structured blouses I have ever seen!  And very well-priced at just under $60!  They're also having a buy one, get one for $19.90 sale going on.  I probably own at least 4 of these shirts.  As far as I'm concerned, they're the best thing since sliced bread!  Depending on the style, you can wear them with shorts and a pair of cute sandals, or wear them with pants and heels like I did in this picture, and head to work looking polished.  Honestly, I love them.

Blouse: Super old from Express, here are a selection of other Potofino Shirts from Express

Pants: Banana Republic

Shoes: Banana Republic

Bag: Chanel, here's a fun but still similar one by Stella McCartney from Nordstrom

What did I say about the shoes?  Aren't they to-die-for?!  Oh, and the Stella McCartney bag I found as a substitute for the Chanel?  I LOVE it!  If I didn't have the Chanel already, I just might get the SM one!  Happy shopping!

xoxo,

Lin

Peppered Beef

I've been wanting to write this post for a while, truth be told, it's because this dish is so amazingly delicious.  Seriously.  I never thought the beef I cook could be so tender.  This recipe calls for black pepper, but I skipped it since my kids won't eat anything remotely spicy.  You can decide whether you want to use it or not.  Either way, it's incredibly yummy.  Your whole family will be asking for more and more servings until it's all gone!

Ingredients
Beef fillet (I just used one rib-eye steak)
1 onion
3 cloves garlic
Marinade:
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp wine
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tbsp cornstarch
water
Sauce:
2 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp black pepper
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp ketchup
1 tbsp cornstarch

Instructions
1) Cut beef into 1 inch cubes, then soak in above marinade for 20 minutes
2) Cut onion into slices
3) Mince garlic
4) Run beef through heated oil then remove
5) Heat another 2 tbsp of oil; stir fry onion, then add garlic and sauce described above until thickened.  Add beef and stir fry.

Voila!  Bon apetit!

xoxo,
Lin

Kimono Dress

Happy Friday!

I don't know about you, but I've always loved kimono dresses.  I think they're so beautiful the way they drape over your body.  The fabric used to make these dresses are always a soft and flowy material.  Makes these dresses all the more feminine and beautiful.

I saw this kimono dress on ASOS and just couldn't resist getting it.  I don't even have anywhere fancy to go with this.  So I kept thinking about how I can dress this down for everyday wear.  Hence, I've come up with two different looks for this.  As you can see, accessories, hairstyle, and makeup play big parts in differentiating a casual look from a fancy look.

Casual

Dress: ASOS
Shoes: Tory Burch
Bag: Kate Spade (super old, similar here)
Lipstick: Tarte Amazonian Butter in Pink Peony

Fancy

Shoes: Christian Louboutin

Bag: Saint Laurent

Lipstick: Chanel

Got that dress in your closet that you don't know where to wear to?  Follow this recipe and you can wear it from a stroll at farmer's market to  date night with just a change of accessories!

Happy styling!

xoxo,
Lin

Ketchup Shrimp

I never knew this until I grew up, but my mom is one heck of an awesome chef.  We didn't have much growing up, but my mom would make the most amazing delicacies out of very simple stuff.  The amount of time she would put into each meal, all the chopping, the mixing, dicing, etc, pairing her dishes into something that not only tastes great, but looks beautiful as well.  I thought all mothers cooked like she did.  Who knows, maybe they do, but her food rivals those from restaurants, and to me, they're always the best tasting ones.

So this was one dish she created and I had forgotten about until recently.  I'm not a big fan of shrimp, but these I do like.  I had to start making shrimp because my children like them, so I was wracking my brain trying to think of a tasty way to make shrimp.  Then I remembered my mom's ketchup shrimp.  The sweet and sour flavor combined with the mixture of ginger, garlic, and green onion makes this irresistible.  Eat this over some plain rice, and you'll find yourself not only mixing the sauce into your rice, but licking the sauce off your fingers as well.

Ingredients:
1 lb shrimp (shell attached)
ketchup
ginger, slices
garlic, diced
green onions, diced
salt
wine
sugar
oil

Instructions:
1) Heat oil in large pan
2) Stir fry ginger, garlic, and green onions
3) Add shrimp, stir fry until it's half done
4) Add ketchup, salt, wine, sugar, and a little bit of water.
5) Mix everything, lower heat, cover and let simmer for about 5-8 minutes.
6) Remove lid, turn up heat, and stir fry for another 3 minutes
7) Enjoy!

You can make this dish with shrimp that have been peeled, or with peel still on.  I like it unpeeled, I feel that the peel preserves the moisture a little to prevent overcooking the shrimps.

Hope you liked these shrimps as much as my family did!

xoxo,
Lin

Lady in Blue

Happy Friday!

I was doing my routine Amazon "stalking," (I say "stalking" because I love going through it and seeing what they have to offer) when I saw this cute dress popping up on my screen.  Albeit the model wearing the dress is so much taller than me.  But I couldn't help but notice how comfortable she looks in it!  So naturally, I bought it.  :)

What is not to like?  It's been so hot to the point where I don't feel like I'm roasting, but more like melting.  My skin is practically falling off my bones.  When is this heat wave going to end?  So when I got the dress in the mail, I immediately took off what I was wearing, and put the dress on.  Ahhh...infinitely cooler.

Because I'm not very tall, and the dress is quite long, I decided to pair the dress with strappy heels like the model on Amazon.  I know Stuart Weitzman has these cute scrappy heels that's all the rage these days, but as simple as it looks, which means it will probably stand the test of time, I was still wary of the pricy tag of $400+.  What if the style doesn't last?  So I opted for a less expensive version from Schutz.  As for hair, I wore mine in a bun, contrasting the flowing hem of the dress.  Add some gold bangles, and an adorable tote from Zara, bam!  I was ready to go out in style!  Only...it was a weekday during summer vacation...so, I had no where to go.  LOL!  Hey, at least I looked good for myself for a moment there!  :)

Dress: Blue Pepper Handkerchief Hem Dress from Amazon

Shoes: Here are the Stuart Weitzman ones from Nordstrom, and here are the Schutz ones from Amazon
Bag: Combined Shopper Bag from Zara
Sunglasses: Gucci
Bangles: Really old from J Crew & Nordstrom, here are some really cute collections from Banana Republic

Have a great weekend, and happy shopping!

xoxo,

Lin

Almond Chicken

So I've been looking for more ways to make chicken these days.  My son loves it, and it's a healthier alternative to beef.  The problem was, I had no idea what to do with chicken other than put it in soup and baking it.

Luckily I found this recipe on Pinterest.  The recipe actually calls for cashew.  But I'm not a big fan of cashews myself, and neither are my children.  So I substituted with sliced almonds instead.  And since my husband doesn't like celery, I skipped that as well, and instead used a yellow bell pepper.  I didn't use exact measurements in my version.  I usually just eyeball everything.  After nearly 2 decades of cooking, that comes easy!  Pour this over rice, and you'll have a crowd-pleasing meal.  Although in my family, I always have to make 3 different dishes for dinner - "variety," says the hubby!

Here's the recipe.  Happy cooking!

xoxo,
Lin

Bohemian Rhapsody

Happy Friday!  What are your plans this weekend?  We're having a combined birthday party for my hubby and one of our close friends.  It's a BBQ + swim party.  The kids will be causing a raucous while the adults eat, drink, and be merry.  It will be fantastic!

I've been seeing a lot of these really cute cold shoulder dresses lately on fashion boards.  And I recently went out on a whim and bought a pair of gladiator sandals.  I haven't had the chance to wear them out yet, but since I got the dress, I just might be brave enough to step out of the house with them!  Honestly, when I put this look together, I felt like I was trying to look like some kind of Greek deity going to a toga party.  Hermes has got nothing on my shoes!  Ha!  ;)

My sandals steal the spotlight with their bright gold tones, so I paired the look with some neutral and beige accessories to tone everything else down.  

Hat: H&M (beige in this style is sold out, here's a black one and here's a similar one)

Dress: Amazon

Shoes: Aldo Umarelle

Bag: Celine Nano (purchased at Bergdorf Goodman in NY, here's a really cute messenger bag from Zara)

Necklace: J Crew (old, here's a similar one)

Glasses: Tory Burch (old, these aviator ones here are super adorable)

Enjoy your weekend!

xoxo,

Lin

Pork Dumplings

Happy Tuesday!

So I made these a couple of weeks ago for the first time.  I can't believe it took me this long to make dumplings.  When I was young, my sister and I would always help my mom fold these on weekends.  She would make a couple of hundred at a time; whatever we didn't eat that evening, she'd freeze for future use.

It's actually quite simple to make.  You can find dumpling skin at any Chinese market.  They are the circular ones, not the square ones, which are wonton skins.  And honestly, you can fill them with anything you want.  I chose to use ground pork and chopped napa cabbage for this one, but it's also common to use ground beef with chives, or ground chicken, or shrimp, even fish!  I used ground turkey the first time I made them, and they were delicious as well.  Be creative and use your imagination!  The recipe below makes about 120 dumplings.

Ingredients:
2 lbs ground pork
1 medium-sized napa cabbage
4 stalks green onions
1 3/4 tbsp salt
1 tbsp sugar
1/4 cup wine
1/4 cup sesame oil
about 4 packs of dumpling skin (with 30 in each pack)

Instructions:
1) finely chop napa and green onions
2) combine napa mixture with ground pork
3) add salt, wine, and sugar, then mix
4) prepare a bowl with some water
5) put about a tsp of pork and napa mixture in the center of 1 dumpling skin
6) dip finger in water and trace outer rim of dumpling skin
7) fold in half, encasing the pork mixture, then fold the sides by pushing up the corners.

8) Place folded dumplings in rows on cookie sheet sprinkled with loose flour.

To cook these, you either boil them, or pan fry them.  When ready, dip them this mixture: soy sauce, sesame oil, and vinegar.  It's delicious!  I chose to pan fry this time, here's the end result!

Here's the instruction to make pan-fried dumplings look as good as mine:

1) pour about 1 tbsp of oil in a frying pan, heat
2) line dumplings around pan
3) pour 3 tbsp of water in pan, lower heat to medium
4) cover and let simmer for about 10 minutes
5) open lid, so water can evaporate, and let cook for about 2-3 minutes.
6) this part is tricky, if you want your friend dumplings to look like my picture above, you just cover the pan with a plate, flip the pan and plate over, and voila!  Your dumplings should look like the ones pictured above!

I'm going to try making ones with beef and chives next.  Happy cooking!

xoxo,
Lin

Casual Friday

TGIF!!!!

I've recently found a liking for very simple and neutral pieces.  Having 3 little ones to care for really doesn't give me any reasons to dress up.  So some basic pieces are my BFFs this summer.

Over here where I live, it's been scorching hot all summer.  Recently it's gotten a little cooler, so I dared to put on my cropped jeans.  Otherwise, I've been living in shorts for the last 3 months.

And it's not just me. All over Pinterest, neutral pieces dominate the fashion boards.  Distressed jeans seem to be in this season.  The trick is to accessorize strategically to make the outfit.  Accessorize with simple jewelry and add a touch of color with your handbag. Therefore, without further ado, here's the look.

Top: Banana Republic V Back Tee

Bottom: Hudson Ginny Cropped Jeans 

Necklaces: Madewell (similar here) and bar necklace from Amazon

Bag: Chloe Drew

Shoes: Skechers Sweet Pea 

Thanks for reading!

xoxo,

Lin

Hong Kong Style Egg Tarts

Happy Thursday!

So we celebrated my hubby's birthday yesterday.  Given that I have a little more time on my hands these days, I decided that I would surprise him with his favorite dessert on his birthday.  Him and his egg tarts. What can I say?  He loves them so much that every time we have Dim Sum, he'll get two orders of the delicious egg yumminess.  What better way to celebrate his special day with some home made ones?

It's really quite simple to make them, actually.  I got my recipe from All Recipes.  I followed the direction to a T, but I think you're better off using 1 1/3 cups of butter, and 8 eggs.  The recipe calls for 1 cup of butter and 9 eggs.  I found that 9 eggs made the egg flavor a little too strong. Also, you'd definitely have to bake for at least 25-30 minutes instead of the 15 the recipe calls for.  I found myself adding more and more time to the timer since the tart crusts just weren't hardening.

Well, without further ado, here's the website where I got my recipe from.  And here are photos of the ingredients and the finished products.  Happy baking!

xoxo,
Lin

Designer Crossbodies To Die For

What can I say.  I love me some handbags.  You can say I'm addicted to them.  Honestly, truth be told, if I ever win the lottery, the first thing I would do with all that money is go on a handbag shopping spree.  Move over, kids!  Mommy has priorities!  Ha!

My love for handbags started at a very young age.  I still remember the first purse I owned.  It wasn't a luxury brand, not even anything fancy.  It was just a simple denim Esprit purse.  But I was so happy when I got it.  I'd carry it everywhere!  Something about carrying a cute purse just makes me happy.  Hey, don't judge.  Everyone has their weaknesses, and handbags are mine.  :)

So with the cross body bags being all the rage right now, I thought that I might provide you with a visual of what is trending now.

Celine Nano

Boy Chanel

Chloe Drew (saddle bags are so trending right now!)

Fendi Peekaboo

3.1 Phillip Lim Pashli Mini

Gucci Soho Crossbody

Mansur Gavriel Mini Bucket Bag

Louis Vuitton Monceau

Valentino Rockstud

Givenchy Antigona Mini

Yves Saint Laurent Crossbody

I'm already guilty of owning 4 out of the 11 bags here...I tell you, it's an addiction.  But they're so cute!  How can anyone resist?!?!

xoxo,
Lin

Oxtail Soup

I know...it really is too hot right now to think about any type of soup.  We're sweating like pigs during the day, who wants to sweat more in the evening when it's finally cool?  But this soup is like a meal in itself.  It's so easy to make, everything is in one pot, so there isn't even that many dishes to wash after the meal.  What my mom used to do was pour these over rice, but I chose to pour them over noodles for my kids.  Of course, if you're watching your carbs, you can eat this by itself and still feel very satisfied.  You got your protein and your veggies, it's a healthy, easy, and hearty meal.

I got my oxtail from a local Chinese market.  I was craving this soup after visiting a family member and her MIL made some for them.  It's been years since I've had my own mother's oxtail soup.  So I just decided to make my own.  Here's the recipe!

Ingredients:
1 oxtail, cut into 1 in pieces (the butcher will do this)
5 carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2 in pieces
1/2 of a large cabbage or 1 small cabbage, chopped
3 large tomatoes, cut into 1 in pieces (I use beefsteak tomatoes, and I usually use more because I love them, but it's up to you)
1 onion
chicken stock (not broth - stock is more flavorful since it's made of chicken bones)
ginger (this is important - you need it to slightly mask the meaty scent of the oxtail so it doesn't over power the entire soup)
salt

Directions:
1) Boil oxtail in regular water in large pot to clean the oxtail.  You'll see all the impurities rise to the top.  Pour water out, repeat one more time.

2) Once the oxtail is clean, you can fill the pot with all the ingredients above except for the cabbage.  If you want a more flavorful soup, you can use only chicken stock for the broth.  I find that with the oxtail and the vegetables, the broth will be flavored as is, so I chose to use regular water.  It's really personal preference.

3) Flavor with salt.

4) Boil for at least 2 hours in medium heat.  You want the water to be bubbly lightly the whole time.  That's when you know everything is simmering and your broth is being flavored.  In the last 30 minutes, add all the cabbage.  If you want an even more hearty soup, you can add some potatoes as well.

Voila!  This lasts in my family for about 2 days.  I'll use it as a main meal the first day, then the second day just as a soup additional to the mail meal.  I hope you enjoy it as much as my family did!  Next week I'll post the recipe for my San Bei Ji (Three Cups Chicken)!

xoxo,
Lin

A Whirlwind Tour of the Big Apple

Ahhh...New York, how I've missed thee.  I was here on a week-long trip with a few friends about a decade ago, and I've since missed it terribly.  The convenience of getting anywhere and everywhere within walking distance, the sights, the culture, the art, the food... I've just fallen completely in love with Manhattan.  I've since wanted to return so badly, but it's not quite the vacation destination when you have three little kids.  Luckily for me, my cousin is currently attending classes at FIT and lives on the Upper West Side, so I took the opportunity to take a rare weekend trip to the city I've missed so much.

Where should I begin?  She had a packed schedule for me.  The day I landed was Friday afternoon, and that night she took me to a nightclub.  Oh, how I've missed the night life!  Then, we walked through Central Park to get to the Metropolitan Museum of Art the next day, spent half a day looking (ok, more like gawking for me) at the exquisite pieces done by the masters.  Not to mention the amazing exhibitions going on right now.  Then the afternoon was spent shopping on Fifth Avenue and SoHo.  And, since New Yorkers never sleep, we took a stroll from her apartment to Times Square around ten in the evening.  Talk about a packed schedule!  We crammed a week's worth of activities into a weekend.  I've got no other choice, gotta come back home to take care of my munchkins!  It really is possible to pack so many activities in such a fantastic city into a couple of days.

So we're not going to talk too much about the night club.  What can I say, I was one of the oldest people there.  Anyone of those "kids" at the night club could easily be my kids...if I had had children in my early teenage years.  But it was fun dancing nevertheless.  You don't get to do that much anymore after having kids!  So it was definitely worth staying up until 4am for.  *wink wink*

Central Park (link)

Walking distance from my cousin's apartment, we decided that we should at least take a stroll through this beautiful park this weekend.  The weather that day, to a Californian like me, was humid and hot.  But to a New Yorker, who just came out of the cold not too long ago, it was fantastic weather.  I'm not a fan of running myself, but there were loads of people jogging through the park.  Some with baby strollers, some with a partner, some were biking.  Luckily it wasn't too sunny, otherwise I think I would've melted in the heat.  But it made me so happy to see so many people leisurely enjoying their Saturday morning.

The Met (link)

I've taken a few art history courses throughout high school and college.  And I find the stories behind these historical masterpieces absolutely fascinating.  It's been so long since I've stepped foot into an art museum.  My children are too young to appreciate art, and my husband just isn't an art aficionado like me.  When I visited NY a decade ago, I remember that I had a great time inside the Met.  But the experience was even greater this time because of the current exhibit - China: Through the Looking Glass.  Talk about haute couture meeting high art!  It was amazing being able to see what the fashion powerhouses like YSL, Chanel, Valentino, Roberto Cavalli, Tom Ford, John Galliano, Givenchy, Ralph Lauren, Jean Paul Gaultier, Dior, Jason Wu, Cartier, to name a few, designed for this exhibition, which was also the theme for this year's Met Gala.  Their designs were based on past costumes, paintings, porcelain, and other artifacts from as early as the thirteenth century.  To see a court robe from the Qing dynasty?  And a vase from the Ming dynasty? The experience was priceless.  The exhibit took my breath away.  See for yourselves.  Although my camera phone did not do the exhibit justice!

And because I'm in love with the Impressionists, I had to go visit that section of the museum.  I've always loved Van Gogh's work.  As a matter of fact, a poster of his Wheat Field with Cypresses from the Met I purchased 10 years ago, still hangs in my foyer.  I was lucky enough to be able to catch another current exhibit, which was one of Van Gogh's paintings.  This was a trip well taken, I tell you.

Oh, don't get me wrong, the museum had so many other collection, this museum is to me like Disneyland is to my kids.  It would take 3 days for me to see everything.  But since we were limited on time, we only saw what was most important.  Here are some Egyptian art, Greek art, and Medieval art.

Fifth Avenue and SoHo

Ahhhh...shopping.  A girl can't call a trip "vacation" if it doesn't include shopping.  We strolled Fifth Avenue and gawked at all the beautiful goodies.  I was on the lookout for a casual cross body bag, so we went to all the big department stores.  We finally found a cute Céline Nano.  it was in the perfect shades I was looking for.  Neutral tones in tan, black, and white, perfectly goes well with everything!  And the best part about this is, I bought this at Bergdorf Goodman.  Since there is no Bergdorf Goodman here in California, it shipped home and saved me nearly $300 in taxes!  That's like a discount on a high-end designer bag, which never happens! Woohoo!  What a score!

Aside from the Nano, there were plenty of stores in SoHo that were having great sales, so I nabbed a light sweater from Club Monaco, a pair of faux leather jeans from All Saints (similar here), and a cute necklace from Madewell (similar here).  Yes, I knew there was a reason I loved New York.

Times Square (link)

The first thing I want to say about Times Square is this: why on earth would there be THAT many people there at midnight?!?  Don't you guys sleep?!?  There were honestly tens of thousands of people!  If you'd seen what I saw, you'd think that we were there on New Year's Eve, watching the ball drop or something.  It was ridiculous.  We got there, we saw the sea of people, took a few pictures, and left.  Don't get me wrong, Times Square is amazing as well.  Just the sheer number of people there will make your jaw drop.  The lights, the stores that never close, the street vendors, they all bring this place to life.  I stopped by M&M World and bought some personalized candy for my kids, and got a couple of really cool street art (YouTube link here). I saw this guy's work on my FB feed one day, and I thought it was the coolest thing.  So when I came across him, I knew I had to get the paintings for my boys.

Food

I can't talk about New York without talking about the marvelous food the city has to offer.  My cousin took me to some of the best restaurants around her apartment, and sure enough, they didn't disappoint.  First stop was Totto Ramen.  I got the Mega Ramen.  Oh my, the broth is heavenly deliciousness.  And there was so much food that I couldn't finish the entire bowl.  Which never happens when I'm eating noodles.

Next up, Pick a Bagel.  There were lines out the door for their bagels.  I had their whole wheat bagel with raison and walnut cream cheese.  And let me tell you, I don't eat cream cheese often, but this one was so delicious.  Just look at the picture of their cream cheese selection!  Although I don't know what plain tofu would taste like...

And a block from the bagels, is a smoothie store.  Not your typical Jamba Juice.  This is much healthier.  Juice Generation even has tiny bottles of juice "shots" that do various things for your body.    Cleanse, check.  Boost metabolism, check.

After we went to the Met, we stopped by Le Pain Quotidien.  Yes, there are many closer to home, but it's usually too inconvenient of a drive for me.  Since it was walking distance for us, we decided to stop by.  That day, this particular store ran out of ricotta cheese for the Prosciutto, Pear, and Fig Tartine I ordered, but I asked them to substitute it with plain Greek yogurt, and the result was still delicious.

Last but not least, we went to 456 Shanghai Cuisine for their delicious dumplings, also known as Xiao Long Bao. The restaurant itself does not have a website, but here's an article on it on the NY Times. There of course was a line out the door again; we waited about 20 minutes and then we were seated. I was reading up on the restaurant from one of the articles they posted outside, and supposedly the owner modeled his dumplings based on Ding Tai Fung dumplings.  Sure enough, the dumplings didn't disappoint.  I also felt like eating their sesame cold noodles, and that was delicious as well.  Although after a while, the sauce became too rich for me, so again, another bowl of noodles I couldn't finish.

Alas! My post on NYC is finally done!  I have been wanting to write this post since I returned, but I was either too busy or just got plain lazy.  I finally decided I'd sit down today and type it up, once and for all.  My cousin and I didn't have time to watch a Broadway show this time, and that's on my to-do list.  She promised me she will take me when I visit her again.  So cous, if you're reading this, I'm holding you to that promise!  I'm sure a lot of you have been to New York already, but have you been able to do all this in two days?!  And to those of you who haven't, and have heard such wonderful things about it, it really is that great.  If you think there are too many things to do and too many sights to see, and you just don't have enough time to do and see them all, I just proved to you that it is possible to do most in a short weekend.  I hope you find my post helpful in navigating the city!

xoxo,
Lin