How was your Christmas holiday? I hope you all enjoyed a wonderful time with your family and friends. My family had a wonderful reunion with relatives travelling from Hong Kong. The Kiddos had so much fun playing with their cousins. We sure hope they’ll visit again soon.
With so many things and events happened in 2016, some were great and some were definitely bad, it’s quite a mixed feeling to say goodbye to 2016! On the bright side, there are many great things to look forward to. The key is not to lose hope! I constantly remind myself not to worry about the things that I cannot change, but to focus on how to improve myself in case I need to change and make things better! I always tell my kids to think positive, but prepare for the worst!
On a lighter note. Today, I wanted to share with you the very last recipe and video tutorial for this year: Pomegranate Mimosa. It’s a perfect cocktail to ring in the new year! Usually, mimosa is a mix of fresh orange juice and champagne. I’m changing things up and used pomegranate juice instead. It’s a gorgeous and delightful twist to the traditional mimosa for sure! I hope you’ll give this delicious cocktail a try soon.
Last but not least, I wanted to take this opportunity to thank everyone for all your supports in 2016! I’m truly grateful for each and everyone of you. Your comments, feedback, and encouragement mean a lot to me. Wish you and your family a happy, healthy, and prosperous 2017! Cheers!
As a Mom, packing lunches for my kids is one of the greatest joy. I love it because I know what goes into the their lunch boxes and I can be certain that their lunches are nourishing and healthy. However, packing lunches every day can also be tiring as well. This is especially true when I ran out of new ideas on how to make their lunches interesting and different everyday. I was so excited and happy when I received a review copy of Yum-Yum Bento All Year Round, by Crystal Watanabe and Maki Ogawa. In the Yum-Yum Bento All Year Round, you’ll find 52 tasty and adorable in-season and health-conscious lunches. Check out these Penguin Elves (picture above), aren’t they super adorable? Best if all, they are quite easy to make too! You’ll definitely fall in love with the packing tips, tutorials, side dish recipes, and gorgeous pictures from this book! I certainly did!
With the help of this book, you'll find tones of ideas on what and how to pack fun and healthy lunches all year round! You can invite your kiddos to join in the fun and make them together; or simply pack them yourself so they get a fun surprise when they open their lunch box! My kids love all these adorable bentos that I've prepared for them so far!
You can purchase a copy of the Yum-Yum Bento All Year Round by clicking here. Or, try your luck in winning a copy of this helpful and fun book today on my blog, courtesy of Quirk Books! Here are the details on how to enter this giveaway. One lucky uTry.it reader (with an U.S., Canada, or U.K. mailing address) will win a copy of “Yum-Yum Bento All Year Round”.
To enter, simplyleave a comment on this post and tell me what’s your favorite season. Mine is Autumn/Fall.
Deadline to enter is January 15th, 2017 by mid-night PST. Winner will be selected through Random.org and announce shortly after the giveaway is closed. For extra entries, do any or all of the following (leave a separate comment for each extra entry): 1) Subscribe to my YouTube Channel by clicking here. 2) "Like" uTry.it's Facebook Page, click here. 3) Share this giveaway on Facebook (with a link back to this post please) 4) Subscribe to my email updates and never miss a post (see the right hand side bar right below my profile picture) There are total of 5 chances to win! Good Luck everyone!
Christmas truly is one of my family’s favorite holidays. I love that we get to share more precious time and create new memories together. To make this holiday more magical, try to make these Christmas Breakfast for your Kids. They will be waking up with big smiles on their faces at the dining table, I guaranteed it!
Check out my video tutorial above and you’ll see how easy it is to prepare this Christmas Breakfast. Instead of decorating the pancakes yourself, you can also let the Kiddos decorate them on their own. These festive and adorable Christmas Breakfast are made with Classic Buttermilk Pancakes that are truly scrumptious for any day breakfast. With just a few more ingredients, such as strawberries, whipped cream, melted chocolate and chocolate chips, you can transform these delicious pancakes into Santa Claus and Snowman Pancakes as a special Christmas Breakfast!
Gathering around the dining table to enjoy meals together is definitely one of my favorite things to do with my family. Happiness is actually quite simply. I guess the key is to appreciate the little things that we have, and remember not to take it for granted. How about you? What are some of your favorite things that you enjoy? Please share in the comment below. I can’t wait to hear from you!
Wish you all a blessed and magical Christmas! Stay warm and hope you’ll enjoy a wonderful time with your family and loved ones! Stay tuned for more delicious recipe next week to ring in the New Year! Merry Christmas!
Thank you everyone who participated in the “Origami Zoo Kit” giveaway. Special thanks to Tuttle Publishing for providing the prize. We have selected a winner through Random.org!
The winner is “Whatever U are, be a good one”, who said, “I love Origami, and I will try to do more Origami in the future! I already loved and followed Your facebook and blog under name: fiona nuyen! Thank You for the chance, and Happy Holidays :) Fiona N”
Congratulations, Fiona! I’ll be contacting the winner shortly via email on how to claim the prizes.
If you didn’t win the giveaway, you can still purchase a copy of the Origami Zoo Kit here. Please stayed tuned for more fun review and giveaways in the near future.
Are you enjoying the holiday recipes that I’ve been sharing in the past few weeks? I certainly hope so. If you’ve missed any of them, simply check out the previous posts on my blog. You might have noticed that I have shared quite a bit of desserts and sweet treats. So today, it’s time for some savory treats. Check out this Easy Holiday Appetizer: Ham and Cheese Puff.
Don’t they look gorgeous and dramatic? However, they are significantly less complicated to prepare than they look! Shhh….you don’t have to tell anyone how easy and simple it is to make them. If you haven’t already done so, watch the YouTube video tutorial at the beginning of this post. You’ll want to run to the kitchen and make some right the way!
These Ham and Cheese Puffs has a flaky and buttery crust, along with a cheesy and meaty fillings, with a hint of smoky flavor from the smoked Gouda cheese. You can certainly use any cheese, but the smoked Gouda is really one of my favorites! Its smoky flavor inside these puffs is just amazing! I also used uncured deli ham for the fillings. Again, you can substitute with turkey, or chicken breast, etc. Just make sure the meat is thinly sliced so it heats up evenly during the baking process.
I hope that you enjoyed today’s recipe and video tutorial. These Ham and Cheese Puffs will certainly make a wonderful party appetizer, so please give them a try soon!
Don’t forget to subscribe to my YouTube channel here. This way, you won’t miss out on any video and you’ll be the first to know when I have a new tutorial published. I share a new video tutorial/recipe every week.
Will you be hosting a Christmas party this year? Or, will you be a guest at a friend’s or family member’s house? Honestly, I enjoy being a guest more than hosting a party at my place. One reason is that I don’t really have a backyard that is spacious enough to host parties. The other reason is the tremendous amount effort needed, such as planning, preparation, and cleanup! As a guest, I’m always happy to bring desserts! And I’m sure any host would be pleased to see this festive and gorgeous Christmas Fruit Tart with Meyer Lemon Mousse! But of course, you can still make this pretty fruit tart even if you’re hosting Christmas gatherings at your place. This tart will make a beautiful centerpiece for sure.
The crust of this tart is a simple cookie crust. It’s crunchy, buttery, and sturdy enough to hold up the Meyer Lemon Mousse fillings. The Meyer Lemon Mousse filling is super easy to prepare. It involves some mascarpone whipped cream and Meyer Lemon Curd. Click here to check out my homemade Meyer Lemon Curd recipe. If you want a short cut, it’s okay to use a store bought Lemon Curd as well. After all, it’s the holiday and it’s alright to give yourself a break if you are in a hurry. But the good news is that you can make the Meyer Lemon Curd ahead of time and they’ll last quite a long time in the fridge.
I used green grapes, pineapple, pomegranate seeds, and persimmon to garnish this tart. It’s quite self explanatory in terms of how to arrange the fruit to form the Christmas Tree. You can be creative and use other fruits that you like. For example, kiwi slices for the tree, yellow peach for the star, and other small fruit as ornaments as well. These are the fruits that I have on hand so I used them. The fresh fruit compliment the Meyer Lemon Mousse perfectly. It’s refreshing yet decadent at the same time. The mousse filling has a light, fluffy and silky mouth-feel, which contrast wonderfully with the crunch cookie crust. The pomegranate seeds add a little pop and tartness in this tart. And its natural color simply brightens up the whole tart.
It’s such a festive and simple dessert to enjoy! I hope you’ll give this recipe a try and make it for your holiday celebration. If you do try the recipe, don’t forget to leave me a message below or email me a picture on how it turned out. I can’t wait to hear from you! Stayed tuned for more fun and festive holiday treats next week.
Thank you everyone who participated in the “Perfect Gift Wrapping Ideas” craft book giveaway. Special thanks to Tuttle Publishing for providing the prize. We have selected a winner through Random.org!
The winner is Annette who said, “I subscribed and gave it a thumbs up!” Congratulations, Annette. I’ll be contacting the winner shortly via email on how to claim the prizes.
If you didn’t win the giveaway, you can still purchase a copy of the Perfect Gift Wrapping Ideas here. It’s a must have for your holiday gift wrapping.
How’s your holiday shopping so far? I’m just glad that I did most of mine online these days. I simply do not like the shopping malls' crowded parking lot nor the long lines at the check outs! Are you the same? Or do you think that’s part of the fun from holiday shopping? Fortunately, some of my holiday gifts are going to be homemade edible gifts and DIYs that don’t require a trip to the mall. Gifts such as these adorable Classic Shortbread Cookies.
As you can see, I decorated them as Christmas Wreaths and Christmas Trees for a more festive look. I’ll list the cookie cutters and other tools that I used in this recipe, at the bottom of the post for your convenience. These cookies are quite simple to make and lots of fun to decorate. My kids had a blast decorating and eating their own creations.
If you haven’t done so, please check out my video tutorial above. You’ll see how easy it is to make these adorable cookies. Best of all, I mostly just used chopped pistachios and dried cranberries for the decorations. I simply love these natural and festive colors for the holidays! Not to mention, they add some wonderful flavors and textures to the cookies.
There are only a few simple ingredients for this classic shortbread cookie recipe. The key to a wonderful shortbread cookie is the butter! Therefore, please use the best quality of butter that you can get your hands on. They make a huge difference in the end product. Also for your reference, you will find the butter that I trust and love... right below this post.
I have been baking these Classic Shortbread Cookiesall year round and not just for the holidays because they are so delicious. They are super buttery and a little crunchy, thanks to the pistachio nuts on top. The pistachio adds a nice and subtle nutty flavor to these cookies. Definitely a fun treat for holiday and everyday afternoon tea. I hope you’ll give this recipe a try soon and add it to your holiday baking list. Stay tuned for more festive holiday treats next week!
What was your favorite hobby when you were young? For a while, I was obsessed with Origami. From the classic cranes, to the lucky stars, and all sorts of shapes and boxes! It’s a fun way to unwind, relax, and forget about homework for a while. My Little Girl is also into Origami now. There’s even an after-school programs where kids learn how to make different origami animals. It costs over $100 for just 8 sessions! Boy! Luckily, you don’t have to spend a fortune to enjoy this hobby! Check out this Origami Zoo Kit! It has everything you need for a fun project.
The Origami Zoo Kit will provide hours of enjoyment for your kids while at the same time teaching them a valuable new skill! No wonder this kit is the Winner of the 2016 Creative Child Magazine Preferred Choice Award!
The instructions in this kit is easy to follow. Each character comes with simple folding instructions, and the patterned papers can be folded up in just a few minutes. I love all the stickers included to provide a wonderful finishing details to the animals and models. My Daughter and I had so much fun playing with this kit.
As you know, the holiday is fast approaching! This Origami Zoo Kit will make a wonderful stocking stuffer for any kid! Interested to win a copy? Check out the giveaway detailed below on how to win a copy of the Origami Zoo Kit, courtesy of Tuttle Publishing. Here is the Giveaway details: One lucky uTry.it reader (open to U.S. residence only) will win a copy of “Origami Zoo Kit” craft book. To enter: 1) Simply Liked my Facebook Page by clicking here. 2) Then, leave a comment below to let me know that you’ve done so. If you’ve already liked my Facebook page before the giveaway, simply let me know in the comment and you’re entered! All entries must be received by December 18th, 2016 mid-night PST. Winner will be selected through Random.org and announced shortly after the giveaway is closed. Good Luck!
If you can’t wait for the giveaway and want it now, you can click on this link https://goo.gl/oLs3ko to purchase your own copy, or two.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of the Origami Zoo Kit free of charge for the purpose of this review. All opinions are 100% my own and always will be.
How was your Thanksgiving celebration yesterday? Hope you all had a wonderful and blessed time with your family and friends. As we put the left over roasted turkey into the fridge, it’s also time to take the Christmas tree and ornaments out from the storage! Okay, maybe not exactly at the same time, but you know what I mean! We’re moving on to the next holiday, Christmas! It’s definitely one of my favorite holidays of the year!
To put you into the holiday mood, let me share with you these festive and adorable Classic Gingerbread Cookies! I decorated them in three different ways while using the same cookie dough as the base. As I was baking these cookies, the house smelled like a little bakery shop! The pungent and earthy spices in these cookies are amazing. The deep and rich aroma of the molasses is undeniable in these gingerbread cookies! The wonderful aromas and flavors of spices simply reminded me of the wonderful time of Christmas!
I certainly felt that Christmas came early this year! My Little Girl and I spent a fun afternoon decorating these cookies together! It’s simply therapeutic to sit back, pipe out icing, and decorate these cuties with sprinkles (okay, maybe a little cookie tasting in between as well)! It was amazing to see the creativity shown on My Little Girl’s cookies.
A few months ago, I shared these Home Sweet Home 3D Sugar Cookie with you for Valentine’s Day. They were just as much fun to make and I used the same cookie cutter for these Mini Gingerbread House Cookies (see picture above). This time, I used some edible star sprinkles on the roof, silver dragees for the door frame, and peppermint candy canes sprinkles to decorate the walls of the house. It was so whimsical that I felt like a little fairy sprinkling pixie dust! I’ll list the tools and ingredients that I used at the bottom of this post for your convenience.
Of course, we've got to have the classic Gingerbread Man...and his family as well! How can we not have them!? I had 2 different sizes of gingerbread man cookie cutters and I’ll list the different bake times on all different cutters in the recipe below for your convenience.
Last but not least, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer! They are definitely my favorites! And guess what, you don’t need a separate cookie cutter for them! Take a closer look, they are the little gingerbread man flipped up side down. Watch the video tutorial above to see how I made them. These are just way too cute! With all these three different decorated cookies, they sure looked like a winter wonderland in my house.
I hope you enjoy today's recipe and tutorial. Stayed tuned for more fun recipe and tutorial next week. If you haven’t entered the Perfect Gift Wrapping Ideas Craft Book giveaway yet, there’s still time to do so. You sure don’t want to miss it! Until next time, have a wonderful Friends and Family Friday!
Classic Gingerbread Cookies: 3 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/4 teaspoon baking powder 4 ounces (1 stick) salted butter, room temperature 1/2 cup dark-brown sugar, packed 2 teaspoons ground ginger 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 3/4 teaspoons ground cloves 1 large egg 1/2 cup unsulfured molasses
In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, and baking powder. Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in spices, the egg, and molasses.
Turn mixer to low speed and add the flour mixture, until just combined. Divide dough in half, shape each one into a disk, and wrap with plastic wrap. Chill for 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 350 F degrees. Line baking sheets with Silpats. Lightly dust flour on a clean surface and roll the dough into 1/8-inch thick.
Stamp out gingerbread man or gingerbread house shapes with cookie cutters. Transfer to prepared baking sheets. Bake until crisp and slightly golden on the bottom. I baked the small gingerbread man ones (1 1/2 x 2-inch) for 10 minutes; the gingerbread house pieces for 12 minutes, and the medium/large gingerbread man ones (2 2/4 x 3 ½-inch) for 15 minutes. Let cookies cool on wire racks.
Decorate with royal icing (Recipe Followed) and have fun!
Royal Icing Recipe: 2 cups powdered sugar 1 1/2 tablespoons meringue powder 1/4 cup warm water 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
In a large mixing bowl, whisk all ingredients together until well incorporated and no lumps. Place in small piping bag with a small round tip to decorate your cookies.
Imagine, waking up to a plate of these gorgeous pastries on your holiday breakfast table? It’ll definitely be a beautiful way to start your day on the right note! To me, these are perfect afternoon treats and desserts, regardless of holiday or not.
This flower shaped pastry may seem complicated to prepare because they look so fancy! However, the steps are really quite simple! Check out my video tutorial above and you would agree with me too. If you plan to serve these pastries on Thanksgiving or Christmas morning, you can even make them ahead of time! Simply reheat them in the oven or toaster the next morning and you’re all set. Oh, and you’re very welcome!
To me, raspberries and lemon compliment each other really well. So, I added some lemon juice and lemon zest in the cream cheese filling inside these pastries. They are sweet and tart at the same time. The citrus goes so well with the floral aroma of the raspberries! The pastry is flaky, buttery, and oh so yummy! The crust is super crunchy; yet the inside is smooth and creamy from the cream cheese filling. Both flavor and texture contrast each other in the best possible way!
I hope you’ll give this recipe a try soon! Wish you all a blessed and wonderful Thanksgiving celebration next week! Have a Fancy Pastry Friday!
Are you ready for the holiday seasons? I’m quite excited this year as we’ll have some relatives visiting from overseas to spend the holidays with us. It’ll definitely be a wonderful family reunion and great celebration! I can’t wait! What are your family traditions for the holidays? For my family, gift exchange is one of our favorite tradition during Christmas. It does not have to be expensive gifts as it is always the thoughts that matter the most! I personally like giving out homemade gifts. Or, gifts that are useful and practical. If you wrap or package your gifts nicely, it’ll definitely elevate the appeal of your gifts. Today, I’m excited to share the review with you on the “Perfect Gift Wrapping Ideas” craft book, the Chinese Silk wrapping paper, and the Japanese Kimono wrapping paper!
If you haven’t check out the video tutorial above, don’t forget to do so. In the video, I’ll show you how to wrap and package your gift cards, in a unique and personal way. Did I say I like practical gifts that people can use? Yes! Handing out gift cards to the recipients’ favorite stores are some of my favorite gift giving ideas!
I love that the “Perfect Gift Wrapping Ideas” books comes with colorful step-by-step pictorial! With the illustrative photos and easy instructions in this craft book you can:
Find interesting ways to use almost any kind of paper
Creatively and neatly wrap gifts of any size, shape and purpose
Make containers such as bags, boxes, unique envelopes, and even a pencil case
Add a little romance with sealing wax, washi tape, custom-made tags and more
Use personally significant embellishments to make every gift a personal conversation between you and the receiver
The Chinese Silk wrapping paper, and the Japanese Kimono wrapping paper are among the highest quality of wrapping paper that I’ve ever used. They are thick and sturdy. Definitely won’t rip or tear during the wrapping process, which is important to me! The unique printing truly resemble the Chinese Silk and the Kimono prints on garments. I’m totally in love!
Check out this adorable Christmas Tree wrapping above! I can’t wait to surprise my kids with this wrapping method!
I always have trouble wrapping cylinder shaped objects! Now, this wrapping method will come to the rescue! It’ll be perfect for homemade canning goodies! Yay! Another wonderful news is that the generous people at Tuttle Publishing is sponsoring a giveaway for you!
Here is the Giveaway details: One lucky uTry.it reader (open to U.S. residence only) will win a copy of “Perfect Gift Wrapping Ideas” craft book, and one package of wrapping paper (winner’s choice). Choose from the Chinese Silk wrapping paper, OR the Japanese Kimono wrapping paper! To enter: 1) Simply click here to subscribe to my YouTube Channel. 2) Give my video a "thumb's up". 3) Then, leave a comment below to let me know that you’ve subscribed to my YouTube channel. If you’ve already subscribed to my YouTube channel before this giveaway, simply let me know in the comment and you’re entered! *Gift card and other tools appeared in the video tutorial are NOT included in the giveaway. All entries must be received by December 4th, 2016 mid-night PST. Winner will be selected through Random.org and announced shortly after the giveaway is closed.
Good Luck! Product links in this review: Perfect Gift Wrapping Ideas: https://goo.gl/cbmgD2 Chinese Silk Wrapping Paper: https://goo.gl/tSnOAw Japanese Kimono Wrapping Paper: https://goo.gl/jFHAxY
If my memory serves me right, playing with food was one of the big “no no” when I was young! Maybe because of culture? Or maybe different generations? I don’t know. Probably because my parents don’t want us to ended up wasting food. How about you? Were you allowed to play with food when you were young? Well, I’m just glad that I can play with my food everyday in the kitchen now! Oh, and of course, my kids are encouraged to do so as well! After all, I think that’s a great learning and bonding time for us as a family. Plus, the kiddos are definitely enjoying the food more if they prepare it themselves. If you haven’t watch the video above, go ahead and check it out. My kids and I had a good laugh after they urged me to add on the sound effects!
We enjoyed this Rilakkuma Bear dinner so much! And the great news is that you can easily pack it into a bento box for lunch as well. The Rilakkuma Bearwas made with rice and a little soy sauce (for the brown color). You can use brown rice instead and omit the soy sauce if you prefer. You’ve got to watch the video to find out how to make the eggy blanky though. It’s easier to make than you think. Isn’t it super adorable with the flower and heart shape patterns? I served the rice on a bed of lettuce, some grape tomatoes, and a Sweet and Savory Chicken Drumstick on the side. Chick here for the Chicken Drumstick recipe. These chicken drumsticks are one of my family’s favorites and I make them quite often.
Tucking this little bear in reminded me of tucking my kiddos in every night! They are equally adorable! Don’t forget to make a wish upon the star and have a sweet dream! May all your wishes come true! Have a Funny and fascinated Friday!
Did you check out my recent blog post with a recipe and a tutorial on how to make the Autumn Leaf Tuile Cookies? Those cookies are so good! I hope you have the will power to save some to decorate your Fall desserts, such as this amazing Pumpkin Roll Cake with Cream Cheese Filling!
Due to the rain earlier this week, we’re finally getting a bit of cooler temperature in L.A., thank goodness! I almost thought that I can keep my jackets in the closet until next year! The chilly Autumn temperature definitely put me in the mood for some Fall flavors and pumpkin spiced treats.
This Pumpkin Roll Cake is packed with wonderful Fall flavors. You can definitely taste the pumpkin and spices in it. The slightly tangy cream cheese filling balanced perfectly with the earthy spices. This cake is super silky, tender, and fluffy. It’s not overly sweet at all, which is the way how I like my desserts. The creamy whipped cream and crispy tuile cookies on top not only are beautiful to look at, they are also delicious, and give this cake a wonderful contrast of texture as well.
For the up coming Thanksgiving dinner and any Fall gathering, this cake will be the perfect dessert to share with friends and family! You can make all the components of this cake ahead of time. However, to ensure the crispiness of the tuile cookies, I recommend that you put them on the cake right before serving. They tend to absorb the moisture from the cream if you add them onto the cake too early. Don’t forget to check out the video tutorial at the beginning of this post. This cake is surely easier to make than it looks. Have a Flavorful Fall Friday!
Don’t forget to subscribe to my YouTube channel here. That way, you won’t miss out on any video and you’ll be the first to know when I have a new tutorial published. Autumn Leaf Tuile Cookieshttps://goo.gl/y4LjCM
