Colorful Summer

Yellow makes me think of summer, sun, warmth, and just plan happiness! So for this outfit, I chose a zippered, yellow t-shirt and paired it with a denim jacket, white shorts, mint crossbody and t-strapped sandals and mint nail polish. Then some nautical themed necklace and earrings and a good old large fashion ring, sunglasses and simple top knot bun. Summer is here!

~Hong

Marinated Tofu

I LOVE TOFU! I could literally eat tofu everyday. It's versatile and comes in several textures including silk, soft, firm and extra firm. Some people have a texture preference, but I love them all! I eat it steamed with a mixture of fish sauce and garlic chili paste, I throw them in soups and stir fries, and stuff them with all sorts of meats and vegetables. The wonderful thing about tofu is it captures the surrounding flavors so spices and marinades are awesome with tofu!

Not too long ago, my sister had a dinner party and she made this wonderful marinaded tofu that I had share with you guys. The list of ingredients seems a little daunting but is really is quite simple.

My block of tofu

Minced garlic and chopped green onions (note that the julienne ginger is missing from this picture).

Rice vinegar, marin, sesame oil, soy sauce, red pepper flakes, & black pepper.
Mixed to create a sauce.

Cut the block of tofu into cubes, broil for about 20-30 minutes till the edges start to look toasty.

On medium heat, cook the garlic, ginger, and green onions till fragrant. Stir in the sauce till it starts to simmer. Finally add the tofu.

Allow the tofu to simmer in the sauce, turning the tofu so all sides are marinated.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoons Marin (sweet rice wine)
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
• 1 block of tofu, cubed
• 1 inch knob of ginger, Julienne cut
• 1/2 cup chopped green onions
• 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
• 4 tsp red pepper flakes or to taste
• Pepper to taste

Directions

• Combine vinegar, Marin, sesame oil, soy sauce, salt and pepper, red pepper flakes. Set aside.
• Cut tofu into blocks, broil in oven for 15-20 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside.
• Saute ginger, garlic and green onions till fragrant.
• Add prepared sauce and heat for 5 minutes.
• Add bakes tofu and simmer for 15-20 minutes.

This can be eaten either hot or cold. I like to eat it hot with jasmine brown rice or quinoa. Hope you guys give this a try. If you do, let me know what you think!

~Hong

No Meat-Spicy Asian Noodles

Pasta is one of my favorite dish to make. Lately, I have been looking for dishes that do not include meat. Not to say I am now a vegetarian, but there are days when I am simply not in the mood for meat. This is an easy dish that is full of flavor without a lot of ingredients or prepping and can be whipped up fairly quick.

So let's begin. I started by chopping the green onions and cilantro along with shredding the carrots.

Then I lightly toasted the peanuts over medium heat.

Once the angel hair pasta is cooked, the peanuts toasted and crushed, the sauce created. EVERYTHING gets thrown into the pot with the pasta and mixed!

 

Ingredients

• 1 box angel hair pasta
• 1/2 tbsp garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup sesame oil
• 1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce
• 4 tbsp red pepper flakes or to taste
• 3/4 cup organic honey
• 1 cup cilantro, chopped
• 1 cup green onion, chopped
• 4 medium carrots, grated
• 1/4 cup peanuts, toasted & coarsely grounded
• Salt & pepper to taste

Directions

• Cook the angel hair pasta as directed, drain and place back into the pot.
• On medium heat, toast the peanuts for about 10 minutes stirring constantly. remove and crush till peanuts are coarse.
• Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, heat the sesame oil and add the minced garlic. Stir and cook for about 2 minutes.
• Add the soy sauce, pepper flakes, and honey. Stir continuously on low heat for about 4 minutes.
• Place the pot with the pasta on low heat. Add green onions, carrots, cilantro, peanuts along with the sauce and mix till all ingredients are combined well.
• Pasta can be served hot or refrigerate and serve cold.

 I hope you guys give this recipe a try and let me know who it turns out! Enjoy!

~Hong

Elegance

Spring is fast approaching and with wedding season is right around the corner, I imagine myself in this lovely outfit. A sleeveless dress with a sweetheart neckline in a blush pink, cream heels, a nude, ruffled clutch, pearl drop earrings, opal ring and a low side bun. Lovely and gorgeous, what more could I ask for?

~Hong

Summer-Walk in the Park

Who doesn't like a flowy summer maxi dress? Especially when it's leopard print and in this gorgeous mint and orange color!  Then a beaded chandelier earrings, stacked chain bracelets, opal fashion ring, and nude nails to keep the outfit simple. Leather t-strapped sandal and hobo bag along with straight layered hair to pull the outfit together. What do you think, perfect summer ensemble?

~Hong

Summer Outfit

Another simple summer outfit! Slightly distressed pair of blue jeans, a cream ruche tank, braided bracelet, petal stacked rings, bejeweled flat, mint purse, and a simple braided hair and makeup. Perfect for a summer day!

~Hong

Sandals

After oogling these Sam Edelman T-strapped, cheetah print sandals since last summer, my wonderful husband bought them for me as part of my Valentine's day gift. For me, they ran a half size small so I went from a size 5.5 to a 6. They are extremely comfortable and can be worn with a number of outfits. From a pair of blue jean, shorts, or leggings to a summer dress, or skirt, these sandals would look great with any color or any outfit. I definitely be reaching for them this summer!

Here's a close up of the cheetah pattern:

What are some pieces you guys will be reaching for this summer?

~Hong

TOMS!

From my previous post, you guys know how much I love my TOMS wedges. It all started last summer when I bought my first pair of Ash Canvas TOMS. They were so comfortable and adorable to wear with any outfit!

I loved these TOMS so much that a few months later, I headed out for another pair. This time, I bought a pink fabric TOMS that was so soft and comfortable to walk in. It adds a subtle pop of color to a simple outfit.

As I was killing some time while waiting for my sister to finish her physical therapy last week, I dropped by Zumiez to take a look at their TOMS collection. Look what I found:

How adorable are these TOMS? It has fun and vibrant colors, perfect for the spring and summer! The soles are red, the background is white and it's splashed with flowers in several shades. Here are a few more pictures to give you guys an idea how awesome these TOMS are!

They were having a buy one get one half off of a pair of shoe that is currently on sale so I picked up a pair for my husband.

Chris has been reluctant about wearing TOMS before, but I bought a denim pair for him last summer and he was hooked. The fabric of these TOMS seem pretty hardy and they have a unique chic look to them. Plus, they were only $20, can't beat that!

Not only are TOMS comfortable, they are also a great foundation. For every pair purchased, one pair is donated to a child in need. They give to children all over the world and have donated over 2 million pairs to date. So try a pair of TOMS! They're adorable, cozy and your purchase will go to an awesome cause!

~Hong

Summer Fun Outfit

On this lazy Sunday, Chris and I caught an early movie and ran some errands. As we strolled outside, I couldn't help but turn my face towards that gorgeous, warm sun! My head then started churning about all the summer outfits I'm ready to pull out of my closet. When I think of summer, I think of flowy dresses, strappy sandals, messy ponytails, petite crossbody bags and simple accessories. Hence, this outfit was born. A floral dress with flutter sleeves and accents of a red like this purse, sandals and lipstick. Then fun jewelry such as this kissing necklace and multi-bangles. This outfits screams summer doesn't it?

~Hong