Pomegranate Mimosa

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!




Please drink responsibly.  Health and General Disclaimers. 

Penguin Elves Bento Box Recipe and Giveaway

Picture from Yum-Yum Bento All Year Round, used with permission from Quirk Books.

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! 

Picture from Yum-Yum Bento All Year Round, used with permission from Quirk Books.

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!

Picture from Yum-Yum Bento All Year Round, used with permission from Quirk Books.

 


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, simply leave 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 Breakfast: Santa Claus and Snowman Pancakes

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!
 

Origami Zoo Giveaway Winner Announcement

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.

Easy Holiday Appetizer – Ham and Cheese Puff

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.


Tools and Ingredients Used:
Puff Pastry (Click here for more information)
Smoked Gouda (Click here for more information)
Uncured Ham (Click here for more information)
Pizza Wheel (Click here for more information)
Cooling Racks (Click here for more information)
Baking Sheets (Click here for more information)
Silpat (Click here for more information)

Christmas Fruit Tart with Meyer Lemon Mousse

 
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.  
 
Tools and Ingredients Used:
 
Cooling Racks (Click here for more information)
Baking Sheets (Click here for more information)
Organic Vanilla Extract (Click here for more information)
Kerrygold Butter (Click here for more information)
Powdered Sugar (Click here for more information)
Mascarpone Cheese (Click here for more information)
Rectangular Tart Pan (Click here for more information)
Parchment Paper  (Click here for more information)
Horizon Organic Heavy Whipping Cream (Click here for more information)
Pie Weight (Click here for more information)
Pastry Cutter (Click here for more information)
Pastry Bag (Click here for more information)
Wilton Closed Star 2D Pastry Tip (Click here for more information)

 
P.S. Current Giveaway: The Origami Zoo Kit (Open till December 18th, 2016)

 

 
 
 
 

Perfect Gift Wrapping Ideas Giveaway Winner Announcement

 
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. 

P.S. The Origami Zoo Kit (Open till December 18th, 2016) giveaway is still open, don’t forget to enter that one.  Good luck!

How to Make Christmas Wreath and Christmas Tree Shortbread Cookies

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.



Baking and decorating cookies have became one of our holiday traditions.  We also bake and build gingerbread houses together.  If you haven’t check out my classic gingerbread cookie recipe from last week, simple click here.  You sure don’t want to miss that one!  What are some of your holiday traditions?  Share in the comment session below.  I can’t wait to hear from you. 



I have been baking these Classic Shortbread Cookies all 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!  






Tools and Ingredients Used:
Scalloped Edges Round Cookie Cutter Set (Click here for more information)
Holiday Mini Cookie Cutter Set (Click here for more information)
Star Shaped Sprinkles(Click here for more information)
Silver Dragees (Click here for more information)
Candy Cane Sprinkles (Click here for more information)
Red Heart Sprinkle for Bowtie (Click here for more information)
Multi Color Dragees as Ornamens (Click here for more information)
Wilton #2 Small Round Piping Tip for Icing (Click here for more information)
Silpat (Click here for more information)
Cooling Racks (Click here for more information)
Baking Sheets (Click here for more information)
Food Decorating Tongs/Tweezers (Click here for more information)
Meringue Powder (Click here for more information)
Organic Vanilla Extract (Click here for more information)
Kerrygold Butter (Click here for more information)
Pistachios (Click here for more information)
Dried Cranberries (Click here for more information)
Powdered Sugar (Click here for more information)

Current Giveaways:
1) Perfect Gift Wrapping Ideas Craft Book and Wrapping Paper (Open till December 4th, 2016)

2) Origami Zoo Kit (Open till December 18th, 2016)

Origami Zoo Review and Giveaway

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.

This Origami Zoo Kit contains:

• Full-color 48 page booklet
• Clear, step-by-step diagrams and instructions
• 15 fun origami projects
• 95 animal parts stickers
• 40 sheets of origami paper
• Fold-out zoo map

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.