Food: Homemade Almond Milk

I LOVE MAKING MY OWN ALMOND MILK. Yes, I had to write that in caps, because who knew it could be so easy to do? Seriously much more healthier since boxed almond milk always have additional added ingredients that does not need to be in your almond milk! The first time I tried, I had quite a malfunction - I tried it with a cheesecloth...and it was messy. The cheese cloth kept tearing up on me and the little ground almonds kept getting into my milk when I didn't want that to happen. So, I went back to buying boxed almond milk for another month until I moved back home for the summer and tried making it again using a strainer instead. BEST. TOOL. EVER. Made the job less stressful!

I usually sweeten mine, but you can easily just take out the last two ingredients to make it simple, unsweetened almond milk. 

Here's a simple and easy recipe to make your own almond milk.

• 1 cup of almonds
• 3-4 cups of water
• 1/2 tablespoon of vanilla extract
• 1-2 medjool dates (remember to take out the seed beforehand!)

1. Soak 1 cup of almonds overnight or for 8-10 hours.

2. Drain the water from the soaked almonds. Pour the almonds into a blender. 

3. Add 3-4 cups of water.

4. Blend! Blend! Blend! Blend until the water becomes a milky colour and the almonds are all grounded up.

5. Add the vanilla extract and medjool date(s).

6. Blend for another few minutes, so everything is well incorporated. 

7. Get a big bowl and pour the mixture through the strainer (my strainer is very small, so I have to separate the straining into three different batches). Once you strain everything, there will be tons of almond grounds - using a fork/spoon, push the almond ground to make sure you get every last drop of the milk through the strainer.

8. Once you strained the whole amount, your amount milk is now complete! Pour it into a cup, a container, and enjoy.

I usually keep my almond milk in the fridge for no longer than one week - which isn't a problem, since I drink it daily. 

My parents usually get almonds in bulk, so making your almond milk is much more cost effective and cheaper than regularly purchasing store-bought, boxed almond milk.

I hope you enjoy this simple DIY!

<3

Susan 

Food: Homemade Raspberry Chia Jam

Just as I said in my new years resolution, I'm trying my best at eating healthier and changing my food habits. I've made tons of changes this year so far, but I know this summer would be an easier time for me to explore recipes and options.

Just the other day, my boyfriend's grandma made a loaf kind of cake and I knew a jam would be perfect to go along with it. I remember seeing other articles on chia jam, but this is one quick one I assembled myself in the kitchen the other day.

Homemade Raspberry Chia Jam

1 Cup of Raspberries, Fresh or Frozen (make sure it's thawed!)

1 Tablespoon of Chia Seeds

1-2 Tablespoon of Honey

In a small bowl, using a fork, mash up the raspberries.

Add the chia seeds and mix well. 

Mix in the honey. Some berries, especially frozen, tend to be quite sour and depending on individual preferences, the amount of honey will differ among everyone. 

Tasty and healthy raspberry chia seed jam. Can leave in your fridge for the week.

Enjoy!

<3

Susan

Food: Spinach and Banana Smoothie...and VEGA ONE!

Sooo, it's been a while - and a lot have happened in that while.

April in a nutshell:

• I finished all my papers, presentations, and final assignments for second year!
• I fell down the stairs and sprained my foot...pretty badly. Late night ER for 4 hours was not fun. I can't forget to mention how much I HATE crutches!
• My relatives from sunny California came for a visit - yay to family time! 
• My exam schedule was the worst. It was completely spread out and I pretty much had about 6 days in between my exams and days with back-to-back exams. So, I wrote 5 final exams and am now OFFICIALLY FINISHED WITH MY SECOND YEAR OF UNIVERSITY. 
• I started a new part-time job and am pretty excited for the rest of the summer!
• I moved my whole life back to Toronto for the summer.
• I started an internship at another local business as well.
• Back to pilates and yoga...on a consistent basis. 

As busy as April sounds and a good start for the rest of the summer, I'm back to blogging! 

I've been hearing lots of good things about Vega One through other bloggers and from a recommendation of a good friend. I hopped on the bandwagon as well and decided to order a small tub of it to test it out. With my sprained ankle, I ended up ordering it from vitamart.ca (just a quick note - they have the fastest shipping ever!). Probably because I didn't have a blender at school, I've been really into making smoothies the last few days that I've moved back home. My friend introduced me to the spinach and banana smoothie and I've been loving it. To test the Vega One protein powder, I just add some into the smoothie. Since I've just started testing the Vega One protein powder in French Vanilla, I can't really give a full review of the product yet. But, so far, I'm really liking the taste of it. I've only been adding about a quarter of a scoop of it into my smoothies so far, just so my body can slowly adjust to the additional supplements! 

Spinach and Banana Smoothie 

1 cup of almond milk (you can use whatever milk you want!)

1 banana

1 HUGE handful of spinach

1/4 scoop of Vega One Protein Powder in French Vanilla

Put the almond milk, banana, and spinach in the blender and blend till smooth. 

Add the protein powder and make sure you blend at a slower speed to ensure it doesn't clump up in one area. 

Once it's well blended, pour it into your favourite cup (or mason jar!)

ENJOY!

<3 

Susan

Food: New Dip!

I've come to the point where I'm too lazy to go walk over to the grocery store to buy groceries for the next two days that I'm still at university. I have exams for the rest of the month and I don't start till a little later on, so I thought it's probably best to just go home.

I had a whole bag of carrots sitting in my fridge for the last three weeks and it really had to go. So, I made a dip one afternoon last week...and I made it again the next day...and the day after...and today.

I think this dip is very particular and will only appeal to some people. But, I think it's pretty tasty and the fact that it can go with so many different foods, it makes it even better.

This recipe is usually eyeballed, but you'll try to get 1:1 part with the main ingredients and a pinch of any of the spices you desire. But, here's a recipe that will get you started and adjust accordingly to your needs.

Cheesy Carrot Dip

1/2 cup of shredded carrots

1/2 cup of shredded cheese

1/4 cup of sour cream

1 tbsp of olive oil

pinch of ground pepper

pinch of ground cayenne pepper 

pinch of garlic powder

1. Mix the shredded carrots, shredded cheese, and sour cream together. You'll notice it's a little clumpy after this step.

2. Add the olive oil. This is what will smooth the whole mixture together. You'll see the change in consistency right away after you mix it all together.

3. Add your spices. 

4. Give it a good mix and you got yourself a good dip.

I used this as a "sauce" for my chicken finger wrap using lettuce. I used this to dip my chicken fingers. And as the photo below shows, I used it as a topping for my perogies . 

I'm pretty happy with this and it's helping me use up my carrots!

I hope you all enjoy this mini recipe. Let me know in the comments below if you tried this recipe and if you did any variation to change it up to your style!

<3

Susan

Life: Morning Ritual with Lemons

After my whole face breakout ordeal, I've done tons of research and really got myself into a more healthy approach with my food decision. Let's be honest - I eat a lot for my size and giving up food is not an option. I will and can eat anything and everything my heart desires. But, I've been really looking into a more holistic skincare and health approach; and finding ways to slowly incorporate it into my lifestyle.

I started drinking warm lemon water right after I wake up in the summer, but I was not consistent with it. One week, I'll be drinking it every morning, and then the next, I'll be forgetting. But, since the  New Year, I've been more consistent with this habit. The only times I find myself missing this is when I wake up slightly later and have to run out the house as quickly as possible. 

The reason why I jumped on this bandwagon was when I heard about the list of benefits that this morning drink does:

• Improves your digestion - I used to have the most sensitive stomach ever; it runs in my family. But, since drinking this in the morning, I've had less stomach upsets and cramps! Definitely helping my food go through my digestive system a lot smoother and quicker.
• Boosts your colon function and prevents constipation - The one thing I instantly noticed right from the start...I'll be running to the bathroom right after downing the mug of this lemon water. It helps promote your intestines to get things moving and to clear it all out. In the long run, there will be less food build up around your intestines, which results in removing all the nasty toxins and improving better nutrient absorption. 
• Boosts your mood and energy 
• Helps clear up your skin - This one was a big one! With all the acne scars on my cheeks, I know I can't completely get rid of it, but I know I can help it fade away.

Of course, there are tons of other reasons for this amazing morning drink; but, this is just a minor list of things I realized and noticed. Now, it's been about 3 months that I've been doing this and I've noticed the small changes it's done to my body. This is not a miracle product or anything, but it's not that hard to do and commit to.

I only recently started adding a little honey to the drink to change it up a bit. The lemon sourness was starting to get to me. Also, make sure the water isn't too hot - this will kill a lot of the good nutrients from the lemon and honey!

Warm Lemon Water with Honey 

A cup/mug of warm water

Half of a lemon

1 teaspoon of organic honey (I tend to eyeball it now)

Squeeze half of your lemon into the mug and add the honey. Give it a quick stir to make sure it is well-incorporated. 

It's really that easy. Give it 30 days and you'll start reflecting on the difference. 

<3

Susan 

Food: What I do with my cornflakes?

For a girl my size, I eat a lot. I think my housemates are shocked at the portions and random combinations I tend to make for myself. But, food makes me feel good - so, why would I ever eat less?

Lately, I've realized how much cheaper it is to just buy cornflakes and top it off myself. Don't get me wrong, but Special K is still my favourite cereal...it's just a little too expensive...who am I kidding? It's overpriced. BUT, I found a great solution that makes my tummy even happier in the mornings.

I've been cutting up around 4-6 strawberries and a whole banana to add it to my cornflakes. SO much cheaper and healthier. It's fresh and it's gooood! WAIT, I can't forget to mention chia seeds - I soak about 1 tsp of chia seed in the bowl of milk while I wash and cut up all the fruits.

And if I have any different type of fruits on different weeks, the whole variation changes. It's like having a different breakfast each day!

Tasty and healthy. It's my new obsession.

<3

Susan

Food: Homemade Matcha Latte!

So, it's true. There's always snow in Canada...just kidding. But, really - last Tuesday we got our first taste of spring when the weather warmed up to 8 degrees C! The sun is what really needed to cheer me up. But, I went to bed...and the next morning, I woke up to 15cm of snow on the ground and -15 degree C weather. WAIT...so what just happened there? Well, today is snowing again, so I guess spring will never come?

With all this chilly weather, all I keep thinking about are warm drinks and cuddles. So, this is a old photo that I never got around blogging the recipe, but it's the tasty and easy homemade matcha latte! A little green for St. Patty's Day (sorry, no alcohol involved with this recipe...but I'm sure you can splash some Bailey's in it and it'll still be good!)

Tealish Tea Shop is a little independent tea shop in downtown Toronto. Offering a variety of different teas, they also sell three different types of latte mixes. These latte mixes are so versatile - I reallllly like baking with these!

Easy Homemade Matcha Latte

• 1 cup of milk (Can be almond, soy, etc.)
• 1 tablespoon of matcha latte mix
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla or almond extract (optional)

Heat up your milk with a saucepan.

Once the milk starts to bubble up, remove it off the heat and let it cool down just a bit (just so the milk isn't scaling hot).

Add one tablespoon of matcha latte mix and using a whisk (or a fork), make sure it is well-incorporated and "melted"with your milk. 

Once it's all dissolved, add a teaspoon of either vanilla or almond extract to give it an extra flavour. Of course, if you use vanilla soy milk for example, you can skip this step.

Pour it into a mug (your favourite mug to make this drink extra special).

And sip away!

I hope you all have a safe St. Patty's Day!

<3

Susan

Food: Vanilla (with hints of butterscotch) cupcakes and mini SKOR topping

I've been home for reading week the last few days and I've finally got a chance to bake! I was too consumed in being lazy for the week and going to pilates/yoga class everyday. I started with a basic vanilla cupcake and I decided to add some of the leftover butterscotch chips that was lying around. Along with that, I just made a basic buttercreme frosting and added tiny SKOR bits on top. I had everyone on a sugar coma! 

Vanilla Cupcakes with a Hint of Butterscotch

• 1 cup of unsalted butter (soften, room-temperature)
• 2 cups of granulated sugar
• 2 3/4 cups of flour (I used blending flour)
• 1 teaspoon of baking powder
• a dash of salt
• 1 cup of milk (I used whole milk)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons of pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup of butterscotch chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees C. Line two cupcake pans with liners - you may not fill all of them up depending on how much you fill them up, but line them all up just in case.

In a big bowl, cream the butter and sugar together using an electric hand mixer or stand mixer. Set aside.

In a medium sized bowl, add the flour, baking powder, and salt. Give it a good mix. Set aside.

Using a measuring cup, measure out the milk. Then, add the vanilla extract. Give it a stir. Set aside. 

Going back to the big bowl, you'll alternate between the dry ingredients and wet ingredients in three parts - slowly incorporating it into the sugar and butter mix. Make sure you do not over mix. Stop mixing once you don't see anymore of the dry ingredients. Using a spoon (or any other utensil), slowly stir and mix in the butterscotch chips. 

Using an ice cream scoop, fill up the liners. The ice cream scoop will distribute the batter more or less evenly throughout. In the end, I only filled up 20 liners. 

Pop them into the oven for 16-20 minutes. Let them cool before you frost them!

Vanilla Buttercreme Frosting 

• 1 cup of unsalted butter (soften, room temperature)
• 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract
• 4 cups of powdered sugar
• 4-5 tablespoons of milk/cream (I used whipping cream)

Prepare your piping bag.

In a bowl, cream the butter. Add the vanilla extract. Add 1/2 cup of powdered sugar at a time, blending right after. Add a tablespoon of milk/cream when you find it hard to blend. Mix until the all the ingredients are well blended. 

Fill the piping bag up and frost your cupcakes the way your heart desires. 

Give your cupcakes a sprinkle of some skor chips to finish the cupcake up.

Definitely a good hit away from your classic vanilla cupcake.

Enjoy!

<3

Susan

Food: Avocado Rice for Lunch!

So, it's extremely snowy out and we're expecting around 20cm of snow throughout the day.  A great day to stay indoors and just eat...and maybe study...actually, I really should be studying for my midterms next week. 

On another note, everyone in my house is sick except for me. So, my housemates turned up the heat and it's probably the optimal ripping temperature for my fruits and veggies. I brought 4 avocados this weekend and I brought a few specifically to slowly ripe throughout the week. NOPE, didn't happen. I went to class on Monday, came home, and all my avocados are screaming "EAT ME NOW". 

So, having to think of ways to be all avo-creative, I decided to mix it into my rice today!

I just made some rice in my rice cooker and once it's done, scoop a whole avocado into bowl and just mix. All the white rice will slowly turn green - add a little bit of lime juice to it and don't forget to add your seasoning of choice (I used garlic powder and ground pepper)! I had a whole container of mixed greens sitting in my fridge, so I had the rice sit on top of some of that good green fuel. 

Along with this, I had half of a baked potato from last night with some sour cream and green onions.

And of course, how can I have a meal without my green tea?

I hope you all enjoy this mini food post. Let me know what you use your avocados for!

<3

Susan

Food: Sunday Salad

As the weekend come to an end, it was nice to be home for the last 2/3 days. I kept an eye on the weather for Toronto the last week and was so excited to see that the weather was rising...ALL THE WAY TO 0 DEGREES for Saturday. Without realizing that the warm weather is a bad idea to wear my Uggs; not because it was warm, because it's still cold enough to wear the shoes - but, instead, when Saturday did come, it was raining snow flakes. Extreme slushy puddles all over the city! My poor UGGS are SOAKED and DESTROYED.

Lesson for my life - UGGs are not functional...EVER.

Despite losing a pair of shoes this weekend, I came back to my place to find tons of veggies sitting in my fridge about to go bad. I made a great salad for lunch today and I just wanted to share with all of you a little bit of my day!

What's in this salad?

• Spring Mix
• Iceberg Lettuce
• Carrots
• Cucumbers
• Fresh Ground Black Pepper
• Olive Oil
• Balsamic Salad Dressing

I hope you all enjoy this mini update! 

<3

Susan

Food: Quick Hot Chocolate!

As the cold season is slowly kicking in, I constantly find myself in the kitchen making hot chocolate. I've never been a big fan of the hot chocolate made from the pre-made powders, so I found another easy way in making creamy hot chocolate. 

I take a bar of chocolate (I prefer Hershey's since it always makes creamy hot chocolate) and just melt it in hot milk. It's really that easy!

For the cup I pictured above, I actually didn't have a bar of chocolate left, so I just used milk chocolate chips that have been lying around my house. 2 full handfuls is more than enough for a cup. 

I top it off with either marshmallows or whipped cream, along with a dash of cinnamon.

And just like that, you have a perfect chilly weather treat!

<3

Susan

Food: Easy Chocolate Chip (+Mint!) Cookies

As midterm season has come to hit us, all I can think of is baking lately.

A housemate was studying all day and at one point, he just says "I want chocolate chip cookies."

So, a quick online search - we found a really simple recipe and we vamped it up to what we had around our house...and it was delicious!

Easy Chocolate Chip Cookies

1/2 cup of margarine (I usually use unsalted butter, but we didn't have that around at the time!)

1/2 cup of sugar

1 egg

1 1/2 cup of flour (we used all-purpose)

1 bar of Lindt Excellence Intense Mint

1 Bar of Hershey Milk Chocolate

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

 Chop up the two chocolate bars in tiny pieces.

Mix the margarine and sugar together.

Add the egg and mix until it is well incorporated.

Mix in the flour.

Add in the chocolate bits. Give it a quick stir.

Roll the cookie dough in balls and place onto your prepared cookie sheet.

Pop it in the oven for 10-12 minutes.

And here is another easy batch of cookies to enjoy!

<3 

Susan

P.S. Sorry I've been horrible at taking photos of the process - I promise to get back to doing those soon! :)

Food: Easy Peanut Butter Cookies

Tonight was a baking night.

I haven't baked in a while and I felt the urge to make something the last few days...it's literally a natural high for me to put on oven mitts or something. But, putting my student laziness into the equation, I wasn't motivated to make something fancy.

That's when I came across a recipe from Kraft Foods for Super Easy Peanut Butter Cookies. No...it literally is the easiest recipe for cookies...ever!

Adapted from Kraft:

1 cup of peanut butter (I used Extra Smooth)

1/2 cup of Granulated Sugar

1 Egg

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Mix the ingredients together. 

Form balls and place on the baking sheet. 

Bake for 20 minutes. 

Let them cool.

Enjoy.

Optional: For an extra touch, sprinkle some cinnamon on top of the cookies right when you take them out of the oven. It gives it a unique touch to them.

As simple as that, you get a fresh batch of cookies.

<3

Susan

P.S. I know you are suppose to use parchment paper to bake, but I didn't have any with me - so aluminum foil will have to do the job!

Food: Lunchtime!

School year always goes by fast...

My schedule is pretty packed with studying for my midterms, tons of eating, and being lazy. 

Just wanted to share a quick post with you all!

My lunch has been more or less the same the last two weeks, so it hit me one day when I took my first bite (photo evidence below of my bite!) and thought WHY DON'T I BLOG MY SANDWICH. So, here I am, sitting in front of my computer...blogging about my lunch! 

Susan's Daily Sandwich

-two slices of bread 

-meat (I like turkey slices)

-marble cheese

-lettuce

-slice of tomato

-cucumber (I usually do 4 slices)

-ground pepper

-olive oil mayo

-mustard (very little)

Assemble like how you would with any sandwich.

It's tasty and filling! Lasts me through my afternoon classes. And you can't go wrong with green tea (Stash Organic Green Tea) as a mid-day pick me up drink!

I hope you all enjoy a little peak into my daily life. 

-Susan

Food: S'more Rice Krispie Square

Rice Krispies are probably one of my most favourite snacks ever...especially when it's homemade, it's never overly sweet compared to the store brought ones. 

When I came across s'more rice krispie squares a few weeks ago, I  told myself IT WILL BE MADE...soon.

That soon came around sometime last week when I had my baking night.But, after I made them, I noticed the recipe needed to be modified. It ended up being way too dense with the additional added ingredients to the original recipe. A minor change and you'll get the chewy rice krispie snack that everyone loves. 

S'More Rice Krispie Squares

1/3 cup of unsalted butter
1 1/2 bags of mini marshmallows 
5 cups of rice krispie cereal
1 and 1/2 cup of graham cracker crumbs
1 cup of milk chocolate chips

Line a 11x9 or 11x7 pan with parchment paper. 

In a large saucepan, melt the butter. Once melted, add the marshmallows. Let it completely melt, but keep stirring and remove from heat right away once it's completely melted (you don't want the marshmallows to burn).

Add 3 cups of rice krispie cereal and 1 cup of graham cracker crumbs. Stir and mix well. Then, add the rest of the cereal, graham cracker crumbs, and 3/4 cup of the milk chocolate chips. Give it a good stir and then pour everything into the pan evenly. Before you start pressing it to shape it, sprinkle the rest of the milk chocolate chips on top.

Using parchment paper, press it to shape the top of the rice krispie snacks. Leave it out for an hour to cool down before cutting it to serve.

I'm obsessing over this treat and will probably be making this quite often.

I hope y'all enjoy. 

-Susan

Food: Skor Cookies

I finally took a night off last week and just baked. I haven't touched oven mitts in weeks and it was probably one of the most relaxing thing to do.

I baked three different goods and I completely forgot to take photos of the process - Sorry!

But, I must still share the recipe! 

I've been stuck with what to get for my boyfriend's birthday...for weeks. Then, I decided to bake him something again. What is better than a batch of cookies made with love? Nothing.

Looking through the internet for recipes for days, until I remembered how much he loves SKOR - his mom buys cupcakes for family events and he'll be jumping out of his chair to grab the SKOR one before anyone does.

I found a few different recipes for the SKOR cookies; all different variations - triple chocolate chip, chewy, soft, etc. So, I tried to modify the recipe on my own. 

SKOR Cookies (Makes approximately 3 dozen)

3/4 cup of unsalted butter (room-temperature)

3/4 cup of granulated sugar

3/4 cup + a dash of light brown sugar 

2 large eggs

1 tsp of vanilla extract

2 1/4 cup of all purpose flour (I really like using blending flour)

1 1/2 tsp of baking powder

a dash of salt

1 1/3 cup (1 bag) of CHIPITS SKOR Toffee Bits

In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugars together - I slowly added the sugar in by adding 1/4 cup of both sugars at once, blending it, and then adding another 1/4 cup, repeat until a total of 3/4 cup of both sugar has been added.

Add the eggs one at a time and blending it in. Add 1 tsp of vanilla extract. Set the bowl aside. 

In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, and salt. 

Slowly mix in the dry ingredients with the wet. After well incorporated, add the skor bits to the batter. Give it a quick mix with a wooden spoon and it's now ready to be baked!

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degree F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and take roll the batter into balls - I did 12 cookies per baking sheet. This is optional: taking a little bit of light brown sugar, sprinkle a little on top the balls of cookies for an extra sweet touch to them. 

Once the oven is ready, pop the cookies in and set the timer for 11 minutes and take them out immediately after the timer. From doing 3 different batches, I found exactly 11 minutes will make the desired cookies. Any more than 11 minutes will lead to hard and burnt bottoms of your cookies; any less than 11 minutes, will be too doughy. 

I hope y'all all enjoy this recipe!

<3

Susan

Food: Honey Fried Bananas and French Vanilla Ice Cream

I love my french vanilla ice cream and to make it even a sweeter treat, finding the recipe for the honey fried banana was perfect.

About a month ago, I went to a local brunch place with an old high school friend. We took a while to decide what we wanted - we each ordered our own main dish and opt to share french toast with caramelized bananas. My friend LOVED caramelized goods, but it was my first time trying it...and it was delicious! 

Of course, I wanted to make it myself at home and I knew who to go to - Google. I searched up fried banana recipe and came across Rachel Schultz's blog on her recipe for Fried Honey Bananas - you should all go check it out, because it was a perfect addition to my ice cream. 

I used 1.5 bananas and I used it as a topping, along with apple-cinnamon granola on my french vanilla ice cream. It was a perfect treat!

Thank you Rachel!

-Susan

Food: FRUITS in my GINGER ALE

Just a recent self-discovery that I kicked myself for not knowing earlier. It's simple, but simple things are usually the best things.

I'm not a big soda drinker, but my family always buys boxes of ginger ale and occasionally, I'll crack out a can to have. 

After coming home from a yoga class, I wanted something to drink other than water. Sadly, there was nothing in my fridge except for water and ginger ale. I hesitated a little to opt for the can, until I thought to throw some fruits in...and at that moment, I knew I was obsessed.

In the picture above, I just cut some green grapes in half, sliced up half a peach, threw it in a mason jar, and added the can of ginger ale. I let it sit for about 30 minutes for the fruits to be infused a bit and it was perfect to enjoy for a summer day. 

Berries would definitely be another great combination for this.

Just for those who love alcohol, you can make sangria for one! Just mix in white wine in your choice of proportion - I usually like it 75% white wine and 25% ginger ale.

I really hope I don't get addicted to ginger ale, because of this...

Enjoy!

-Susan

Food: Matcha Loaf Cake

First attempt at baking with matcha! 

After picking up the matcha latte mix from Tealish, I just had to bake with it as soon as possible. (Just a side note, you can find matcha (latte) mix in some tea stores as well as Japanese groceries stores.)

Oops, I forgot to take a photo before cutting my knife into this for a piece! 

I thought to start up basic and make a simple loaf cake. The matcha latte mix is definitely sweet and makes the cake sweet enough to eat without any frosting on top. 

This is what you'll need for this recipe:

• 1 cup of flour ( I used blending flour)
• 1/2 cup of matcha latte mix
• 1 teaspoon of baking powder
• dash of salt
• 1/4 cup of softened unsalted butter
• 3/4 cup of sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup of vanilla soy milk (you can use regular milk too)
• Vegetable oil

First, with a small bowl, mix the first four ingredients together. Give it a quick mix and set aside.

Using a large bowl, cream together your butter and sugar. Add one egg, mix, add the (soy) milk, mix, add the other egg, and then give it a quick mix. 

Slowly mix the dry ingredients with the wet. Make sure you don't over mix the batter - the consistency won't be thick nor watery. 

Using a little bit of vegetable oil, make sure you moist around the loaf pan before pouring your batter into it. This will prevent your cake from sticking onto your pan - it's the worse cleaning this out.

Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees F and pop your pan in for 45-50 minutes. 

And just like that, the sweet matcha loaf cake is ready to enjoy.

A great cake to have along with your tea or just a snack throughout the day. It's not overly sweet, but I can see it as a dessert along with ice cream on the side after dinner. 

I hope you all enjoy this recipe!

-Susan

Food: Crepes filled with Cottage Cheese

Lately, I haven't made anything interesting to feel motivated to have it documented on my blog. When I was making crepes last week, a old memory hit me. Back when I was in high school, my friend brought crepes filled with cottage cheese as a snack and it was delicious. After finding a few recipes for it, I decided to modify it to how I wanted it to be. Thankfully, they turned out good and edible!

I began making the batter for crepes. You will need:

• 1 3/4 cup of flour (I used a mix of blending flour and all purpose flour since I was short of one of them)
• 1/2 cup of sugar
• 1/4 cup of melted unsalted butter
• 4 eggs
• a pinch of salt
• 2 1/2 cup of milk

In a large bowl, whisk the eggs till fully blended (yolk + whites). Add a pinch of salt and give it a quick mix. Add the milk and mix till well blended. 

Add the flour into the same bowl. Give it a quick mix.

Add the sugar and mix till you no longer see any of the dry ingredients. Add the melted unsalted butter and give it another quick mix. 

The batter should be a semi-watery consistency. There may be lumps, but that is okay. The batter is now ready! 

I used the measurement of approximately half a cup for each crepe. Do not flip the crepe over until you fully see bubbles all over the top of the crepe. Flip and keep checking to make sure it does not burn. 

As the crepes were in the works, I also alternated to make the filling. I used about 1 cup to 1 1/2 cup of cottage cheese; 1/4 cup of sugar; and 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract. The end result should look something like the picture below. 

Put some filling onto the crepe and roll it up...And just like that, it's finished! 

This is definitely a sweeter treat - more like a dessert type. I hope you all enjoy this recipe! Let me know in the comments below if you have made this or something similar! 

-Susan