My friend Kim from SweetKimplicity got married last weekend at Sesnon House in Aptos. It was such a perfect day for a wedding. Not too hot and not too cold.
Here are a couple of pictures from the wedding day. Kim did all the chalkboard lettering, the flowers, and the little cactus seating numbers and favors. So pretty! And I just love the whole travel theme.
Shrimp and pasta cooked in a creamy pumpkin sage sauce then topped with fresh tomatoes and mixed greens. This creamy shrimp pumpkin sage pasta is delicious and perfect for autumn weeknight dinners.
Are you ready for pumpkin season? I definitely hope so since October and November are all about pumpkins and squashes.
I got a little greedy and bought a huge can of pumpkin puree. You know, the one that’s big enough to make two whole pumpkin pies?
Except I wasn’t planning on making pumpkin pie, at least, not right now, and definitely not two of them, which means that I have a lot of pumpkin puree to get creative with.
I’ll start with this creamy shrimp pumpkin sage pasta.
When it comes to fall, my favorite herb to use is sage. There’s something about the flavor that works so well with pumpkin and butternut squash and almost all things fall. At least, that’s how I feel.
So I keep sage in the fridge and use just a little bit of it at a time. What’s great about sage is that you only need a few leaves to taste the flavor. Soo soo good. I don’t actually eat the sage leaves, but I love the flavor that it adds to my dishes. I hope you will too!
Noodles cooked in spicy miso garlic butter with shrimp, mushrooms, and fresh basil. These spicy shrimp miso garlic butter noodles are delicious and savory, the perfect comfort food.
Happy Tuesday!
I say this every month, but can you believe that another month has gone by?
As it gets closer and closer to the end of the year, it feels like time goes by so quickly. The first part of the year always goes by so slowly. Maybe it’s because there aren’t any holidays to look forward to? But the moment it hits summer, I feel like we have to hit the ground running. The closer it gets to the end of the year, the busier I get. And I love it! For some weird reason, the busier I am, the more inspired and more creative I get and the more things I want to do.
This past weekend, my friend Kim from SweetKimplicity got married in a gorgeous DIY wedding at Sesnon House in Aptos. Every detail was just so pretty. The food was amazing. The music brought us back to the 90’s. As in Backstreet Boys and 98 Degrees! And instead of a wedding cake, Kim chose to go with two types of pies from Gizdich Ranch in Watsonville: ollalieberry and Dutch apple pie. Oh my god, the Dutch apple pie was sooooo good. Kim had a several pies leftover so I took one with me, and I’m savoring every single bite.
Today, I’m sharing with you a major comfort food. Because let’s be real. Anything with garlic butter is a comfort food, definitely my type of comfort food.
Thick noodles tossed with shrimp, mushrooms, and fresh basil in a spicy miso garlic butter sauce.
Simple ingredients, big flavor.
Strawberries blended with frozen banana and coconut water to create a delicious smoothie bowl topped with red currants, figs, peaches, and nuts. This strawberry banana smoothie bowl is perfect for breakfast or as a snack.
Most weekends, I’m pretty low key. Maybe hanging out with friends, going out to eat with family, shopping for snacks. You know, the not much to tell kind of weekends. Which is perfectly fine with me because sometimes after a long week of work, I really don’t want to do anything but relax.
This weekend has been out of the ordinary. First, I took a day off from work to go to the Brit+Co Re:Make Summit. And it was soo incredible. I mean, I knew when I saw the speaker lineup and the workshops that it was going to be amazing. But actually being there with all these creatives, all these people who are bloggers, creators, and entrepreneurs, I don’t know how to describe that feeling of belonging. You don’t have to worry about being the odd one out, or being rude for snapping photos and uploading to social media. It’s expected. It’s common. And the positivity during the conference was so encouraging.
And if you’ve been struggling, feeling like you’re not good enough or not talented enough or not creative enough, know that you’re your toughest critic.
My sisters and I had lunch the other day at KoJa Kitchen. This place started out as a food truck and eventually expanded to become a permanent restaurant. They serve Korean and Japanese comfort food. You know, KoJa. Korean Japanese. And the most intriguing was that their burgers come with rice buns.
At first look, it seems small in size. But it’s actually really filling. This was the Korean BBQ Chicken KoJa. Soo good. And definitely a once in awhile indulgence.
White zinfandel mixed with fresh lemon juice, red currants, peaches, and apples then topped with club soda. This white zinfandel sangria lemonade is an incredible beverage to serve guests during the summer and fall season.
San Francisco has an Indian summer. Most of the year, it’s overcast and foggy throughout the city with the exception of the downtown area. Summer is like that too, something to keep in mind if you’re planning to visit SF. You’ll want to bring a jacket just in case.
But the moment it hits September and October, we’re bracing ourselves for the heat.
The last couple days have been unbearably hot. Like 90s, hot. And because a majority of the year our weather is cool, most of the houses here are not equipped with air conditioning. So you can imagine how nice it must feel in the house. Not really.
We’re throwing ice cubes in everything, devouring ice cream, making cocktails and lemonades.
You can just imagine.
And then of course, it cools down drastically overnight. So now, we’re back to 50-60s.
Flatbread topped with melted mozzarella, fresh figs, cherry tomatoes, basil, mixed greens, roasted walnuts, and a drizzle of honey. This fig caprese flatbread is delicious and perfect as a meal or an appetizer to share with others.
Happy Monday!
I am sooo soooo excited for this week to start! I think it’s because there’s so much going on towards the end of this week.
I’m taking this Friday off from work so that I can attend the Brit+Co Remake Summit, where you can learn from and meet some of the most successful creative entrepreneurs. Different keynote speakers will be there including Tyra Banks, Sophia Amoruso, Amanda Haas, and a few others. I really can’t wait!
Normally, I would go to the Saturday event, which is the Brit+Co Remake Festival. There are a ton of freebies and crafting workshop stations. If you’re in the city, you should definitely go. It’s free! But this year, I’ll be missing it. But that’s okay, there’s always next year.
One of my closest friends, Kim from SweetKimplicity, will be getting married Saturday! Her wedding will consist of DIY decorations and games that she and her fiancé have made together over the past year.
It’s definitely going to be an exciting week!
So, can we talk about this fig caprese flatbread for a sec?
I’m just kinda, sorta obsessed with the simplicity of flatbreads. It’s crusty on the outside and soft on the inside. They’re simple to make and require no yeast! Which is definitely a plus for me because let’s be honest, I almost have no patience for waiting for my food. And most of the time, yeast makes me wait!
All you have to do is bake the flatbread, top with your favorite ingredients, and then place the flatbread back into the oven for an additional few minutes until all that mozzarella is warm and melted.
And I put a lot because I love warm melted cheese.
Seriously, all 8 ounces of fresh mozzarella. Sooo good.
Sometimes I feel it’s hard to resist buying random things for my blog and for my recipes because they look like they would fit so well. Sometimes it’s a plate or a bowl that I found while walking through the aisles of a store. Sometimes it’s a linen napkin. Or a fork. Or a wooden spoon.
In this case, when I stumbled across Sweetapolita’s shop, I knew I was going to have to buy at least one variety of her sprinkles. I love how colorful they are and they’re so perfect for decorating cupcakes and candies. Don’t they look so festive and happy? So many options to pick from too.
A comforting creamy fall soup filled with spinach, artichoke, celery, mushrooms, onions, and carrots. This creamy spinach artichoke soup will be perfect for chilly autumn days.
It’s fall! It’s fall!! It’s fall y’all! Fall is finally here!
Ahhh! I’m soo excited. It’s officially fall now. As if you can’t tell, right?
It’s time for pumpkin spice lattes, salted caramel everything, butternut squash, apple ciders, warm comforting soups.
And the best part! How could I forget? The leaves turning into gorgeous golds, reds, and oranges!
Well, at least, if you live in an area where you actually experience seasons. One of these days, I want to travel to places like Aspen or up to Washington and Oregon just to see the fall foliage.
What are you looking forward to this fall?
One of the best parts of fall is that I can happily indulge in all things warm and comforting, like soups.
Especially when it gets colder.
Wrapped in a plaid blanket scarf, wearing knee high socks, and eating a bowl of soup. Doesn’t that sound perfect?
So it can’t be a surprise that I couldn’t wait to share this creamy spinach artichoke soup with you!
This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #EggRollWithIt #CollectiveBias
An Asian inspired dipping sauce that is sweet, tangy, and spicy and can be made in just a few minutes. This sweet and spicy chili lime dipping sauce is perfect for eggrolls or your favorite appetizers.
We are already heading towards fall! Can you believe it?
Sometimes I feel time passes by so quickly. And I have no idea where it all goes.
But with fall just a few days away, I feel it’s time to get ready to celebrate!
There are so many reasons to gather and celebrate this season!
It could be that your favorite sports team is playing and you’re having a watch party with family and friends. It could be that someone you know is celebrating a birthday. It could be that Halloween is just around the corner. It could be that you’re planning your Thanksgiving dinner.
I know, it sounds like it’s far away, but it’s coming up soon.
My family is already thinking about what we’re making for Thanksgiving. Not kidding.
Since I come from an Asian family, we always have a mix of foods, a combination of American and Asian foods.
And one of my favorites? Eggrolls with a sweet and spicy chili lime dipping sauce.
There’s something about the crunchiness of eggrolls loaded with vegetables, shrimp, chicken, or pork that’s just so addicting.
And how can I eat my favorite appetizers and snacks without a dipping sauce, right?