I’m not the biggest fan of Salmon but it’s healthy so I’m really trying to find recipes with salmon that I like. This is one of my favorite salmon recipes, so if I like it then I’m confident most people will like it. All of the herbs in the sauce give the salmon a really fresh taste. This is great served with roasted asparagus and some bread to soak up the leftover sauce.
This makes a wonderful side dish but could also be a main dish. The recipe already calls for some nuts but I plan to add more to add extra protein and make it more of a meal. I love using asparagus and lemons this time of year so this recipe is right up my alley. Both farro and couscous are complex carbs so it’s easy for me to pre-bolus for.
Towards the last month of Spring we will be in the early stages of tomato season so I’m looking forward to using delicious tomatoes again. This recipe is very easy to make and even my tomato hating husband likes it. I’m planning on making some roasted parsnips and radishes with this along with some homemade garlic bread.
This is one of my favorite side dishes of all time. This recipe embodies Spring cooking. It’s bright and vibrant and taste, and it can be prepped in advance. If you are busy during the week I suggest making all the components on the weekend to meal prep. You can keep all the components separate and then all you have to do is assemble it before dinner.
When I was growing up my mom made a recipe almost identical to this and to this day it’s still a family favorite. This is simple but incredible! I normally do not like leftover pasta recipes but this is actually good leftover as well. Since I am a type 1 diabetic, pasta is a really challenging food. I found this Kaizen Rice that actually has a texture more similar to orzo pasta than rice so I will be substituting this pasta with the Kaizen Rice to meet my nutrition needs.
The sauce from this recipe sounds mouthwatering. This recipe really highlights ingredients I love using this time of year like chives and shallots. You do have to be subscribe to the website for the written recipe but she makes the full recipe in this video.
In February we went on a trip to Korea. One of the things my husband and I were most excited about was the food. While the food did not disappoint, it surprised me. A lot of food that is savory in western countries is sweet there. I was also surprised by how food was often served, almost every meal came with lots of different sauces and usually multiple types of kimchi. Below are some of my favorite restaurants we ate it…I kept this list to ones that are on Google Maps. From personal experience, some of the best restaurants I’ve ate at in other countries are the ones not on Yelp or Google Maps so I highly encourage trying a place you can’t find online but the ones below are still phenomenal.
This is in a traditional Hanok home that has been converted into a tea house. Most building in Seoul have been built within the last 50 years, and most Hanok homes were previously destroyed, so it is a bit of a novelty to see one and have tea in it. The atmosphere of this place was so peaceful. We sat in a room that had beautiful courtyards on both sides of it. Like most Hanok homes, the floors were heated which made sitting on the floor so cozy. You do have to remove your shoes here. We each tried different teas and all of them wee great along with the best desserts we had on the trip.
Fried chicken in Korea is super popular and a must-try. BHC is a chain but it is loved by locals. There are many throughout Seoul and the rest of the world but I linked the one we went to. Amongst a group of 4 we split the classic fried chicken and the Matcho-King chicken and it was plenty…if you had to choose just one then I’d go with the Matcho-King chicken.
There is some discrepancy on the name online, according to the Michelin Guide it is Goobuk Mandu but according to Google it is Gubok Mandu. It is the same restaurant though. This is a small restaurant that exclusively serves Chinese style dumplings and ziao long bao. These are by far the best dumplings I’ve ever had. The menu is limited, I believe there were only 4 main items on the menu. As a group of 4 we ordered one of each and shared. Each one was incredible but the kimchi dumplings were my favorite. I think this was my favorite meal in Korea.
Strawberries are a big deal in Korea from December through April. You can find strawberry flavored desserts everywhere in Korea that time of year. We wanted to do something special so we booked the Must be Strawberry: Sweet Dreams! event. The best way I can describe this is like a Korean version of afternoon tea and everything is Strawberry flavored. The desserts were great but towards the end I started feeling a little sick from all the sweets. The atmosphere was unmatched though. Even if you are not in Seoul at the right time of year to experience this, I highly recommend stopping into this bar for a cocktail. The bar is inside but has full glass walls with views of a garden and waterfall. It’s worth noting the tray shown above serves two people and it comes with a complimentary non-alcoholic strawberry drink of your choice. You can also order champagne with it.
Korea is known for great street food and Gwangjang Market is the place to go. This market has all the typical street food and a lively and fun atmosphere. We had so much fun wandering and eating our way through the alleys. We got Korean fried chicken, Korean style pancakes, a cinnamon coated bread sticks, octopus, and tteokbokki. The octopus was on top of my list solely because of the novelty of it. The nerves in the tentacles are still active so it’s a bit of a fight to eat it. The octopus itself doesn’t really have much flavor but it’s served with this delicious salty sesame sauce.
This is a retelling of the Trojan War, events leading to the war, and the relationship between Achilles and Patrocolus told through Patrocolus’ point of view. Since I finished my Winter TBR early, I got to this early and already finished it. I’ll save a full review for when I review all of my Spring TBR but in short I loved this book.
This is THE Princess Diana biography…the one that she was heavily involved in but no one knew she was involved in it at the time of publishing. I love a good biography so I’m confident I will enjoy this.
This is the prequel to We Were Liars which I did a full review of here. We Were Liars was one of my favorite books I read last year so I’m very excited to read this.
This is a travel memoir about a woman that leaves everything she knows behind to move to Paris to find herself and ends up finding love as well. The synopsis reminds me of Eat Pray Love which is one of my favorite books so I’m hoping this lives up to my expectations.
This book follows a tennis star as she rises to the top and sets the record for Grand Slam titles. When someone beats her record she decides to come out of retirement to reclaim her title. I love a book about someone making a comeback so I think I will enjoy this. I also love Taylor Jenkins Reid, as she never disappoints.
As a Type A Person, part of the fun of going on a vacation is the planning. We went on a tip to Korea last month and I had a lot of fun planning the trip. I understand not everyone enjoys the planning aspect of travel, so if you are ever planning a trip to Korea, below is our itinerary to help guide you.
Day 1
On our first day in Korea we didn’t plan anything. Our flight got in at 5pm so we landed, checked into our hotel, and got dinner.
Day 2
We started our first full day in Seoul with the Korean Life Time Tour which was included in our GoCity Pass. For us the GoCity pass was worth it because it included almost all of the attractions we wanted to do anyways so we ended up saving a little money. I loved doing the Life Time walking tour to kick off our trip because we learned more about Korea’s history and architecture. We then spent the afternoon at Gyeongbokgung Palace which is the largest palace in Seoul. It’s common to wear Hanbok Clothing to the palace. We did a deep dive into whether or not this is considered cultural appropriation or not. I never want to be disrespectful towards another culture. We found out it’s not considered cultural appropriation and it’s actually encouraged. It was so special to wear the beautiful attire in the palace and I feel like it created a more culturally immersive experience. Tickets to the palace were not included in the GoCity pass but Hanbok rentals were included with the pass and if you wear Hanbok clothing you get into the palace for free.
Day 3
On our technically third day, second full day in Seoul, we kicked off the day with shopping at Olive Young. Skincare is huge in Korea and the K Beauty products have been making there way into western countries. I love makeup and skincare so it was a ton of fun shopping at the most popular K Beauty store. We then had an incredible tea experience at the Hanok Tea House in Insadong. After tea, we took a Kimchi making class at the Seoul Kimchi Academy. One of my passions is cooking so I try to take a cooking class everywhere we go. Taking a cooking class offers a different insight into the culture, it’s an experience that keeps on giving because you can make what you learn to cook at home, and the instructors often have the best restaurant recommendations.
Day 4
Our third full day in Seoul is when things started to not wok out as planned (which honestly worked out for the best). We went to the Lotte Hotel Peninsula Hotel and Bar to experience their Strawberry desserts which runs from December-April. Strawberries are a big deal in Korea this time of year so we had to indulge in the ultimate strawberry experience. The atmosphere of the bar was one of (if not the best) restaurant atmospheres I have experienced. The food was incredible, but it was a little too much sweet food for me so towards the end I was starting to feel a little sick. Afterwards, we headed back to our hotel to check-out and collect our luggage before heading to the airport to go to Jeju. When we got to the airport all other flights going to Jeju were either delayed or cancelled due to weather and unfortunately ours was as eventually cancelled as well. We had the opportunity to reschedule the flight for the following day but decided not to. We missed our connecting flight to get to Seoul when flying in, so we had already missed a day in Seoul. Since we would be rescheduling the flight to Jeju the next day but not extending our trip there that meant we would only have one full day there and it didn’t feel like it was worth it so we decided to skip the trip to Jeju and spend the remainder of our trip in Seoul. We were luckily able to check back into the same hotel. I plan on doing a full review of the hotel we stayed at in Seoul at some point.
Day 5
On our fourth full day in Seoul we went to Lotte World. We had never been to an amusement park in another country and it was a pretty wild experience. Even though we went during the week, the crowds felt like Disney level crowds. We had fun going to Lotte World, but if you have more limited time in Seoul this is something I would skip.
Day 6
On our fifth full day in Seoul our group split up and everyone did their own thing. I considered going to a traditional Korean spa but ultimately decided not to because I wear medical devices. I have concerns about getting any body treatment done at spas because massage oils will cause the adhesive on the medical devices to lift up and any sot of scrubbing makes me nervous that the medical device might get hit on accident. I instead decided to go to the Lotte Department store which was fun to shop around. I was specifically looking for a wool coat and almost all of the stores were transitioning to Spring attire so wool coats were hard to come by. It was an unsuccessful shopping day but still fun.
Day 7
On our 6th full day in Seoul we went to N Seoul Tower. This was the perfect day on our trip to go to the tower and take in the spectacular views. Most of our time in Seoul had overcast days. This day was relatively clear but it had snowed the night before making everything very beautiful. Later that day we went to the Gwangjang Market for some street food. This was such a fun experience and something everyone can do from picky eaters to more adventurous eaters. I’ll share a separate blog post about my favorite food in Seoul where I’ll go into more detail about my favorite food from this market. We ended the evening with a Cooking Nanta Show. I didn’t necessarily dislike the show but if you have more limited tie in Seoul then I suggest skipping it.
Day 8
On our 7th full day, and last full day in Korea, we headed out of Seoul. We went on a tour that included Alpaca World, Nami Island and the Garden of Morning Calm. I had a lot of fun on this tour but it was not a vey culturally immersive experience so again, if you have more limited time in Korea then I suggest skipping this one. Alpaca World included more animals than just the Alpacas but the Alpacas were definitely the highlight. You could pet them and feed them and they made the cutest noises. Nami Island gave camp vibes and was really cute and charming in many ways but it also felt kind of creepy in some ways. The food on the island was kind of disappointing and it was quite muddy when we were there making it difficult to walk around and enjoy the island. We did a sky bike ride on the island which was fun. My favorite part of the day trip was The Garden of Morning Calm. This is a really stunning Asian garden covered in Christmas lights.
Day 9
On our last day in Korea my husband and I had plans to get the viral scalp treatments but woke up feeling completely exhausted to we decided to sleep in and have a slow morning. We packed up and checked out of the hotel before getting coffee, walking around the neighborhood and meeting up with our friends for lunch and tea before heading to the airport. Getting to and from the airport is super easy and cheap.
I love makeup, it’s a creative outlet for me so having good tools is important to me. I don’t think you need to spend a lot of money on makeup brushes to get good quality ones that will last a long time if you take care of them. Below are my favorite makeup brushes and what I use each one for.
Sonia Kashuk 104 This is my preferred brush for powdered blush. It doesn’t pick up too much powder.
Morphe M310 I actually have two of these fan brushes- one is for apply highlighter to my cheekbones, and the other I use for lightly contouring my nose with bronzing powder. I like to use this brush for both of those applications because the brush does not pick up too much product and it very lightly applies it but precisely applies it.
Flat Eyeshadow Brush I primarily use this brush to apply highlighter just under my eyebrows on my brow bone. It would also be great for creating a cut crease eyeshadow look.
Morphe M405 I use this brush for applying bronzer. It’s really precise but blends well.
Sonia Kashuk Large Powder Brush I use this brush for both setting powder and wiping away any fallout I get under my eye from applying eyeshadow.
Morphe M165 This brush can be used for brows or eyeliner, I personally just use it for eyeliner. I like a really soft eyeliner look so I use this with a dark eyeshadow to accomplish that.
Spring is just around the corner so I’m reflecting on this past season and all the things I have been loving. Below are my favorite items I have loved this last winter.
Pajama Top and Bottom I’ve had these pajamas for a while now and continue to love them more. They are designed for hot sleepers like myself so you can wear pajamas without waking up and feeling like you are on fire. They are incredibly soft, flattering, and they hold up so well when washing and drying. Although I have been wearing these in the winter, I am confident I will be able to wear them year-round. If you are in between sizes I suggest sizing down.
Beis Tote We have gone on three trips in the last three months and for all of the trips I used this tote as my personal item bag. I did a full review of this bag here. While I cannot recommend this bag enough, luggage is such a personal item so I suggest buying it and filling it with some of the things you regularly travel with to see if it works for you.
Humidifier I have been sleeping with a humidifier running on my nightstand every night for at least a year, and it has substantially improved the quality of my sleep. I live in a very dry climate so I notice the biggest difference this time of year. I plan to share a full review of this humidifier soon. I love it, in my opinion it’s worth the money.
Protein Bond Treatment We went to Korea in February and I shopped hard at Olive and Young for all of the K Beauty products. The water in Korea did a number on my hair and this treatment made a huge difference. It makes my hair feel soft and healthy. My hair is significantly less prone to tangle when I use this treatment. It also just makes my hair look healthy and full. It smells good too. Not all of their products are on the online USA store and I am so happy o see that this is because I will definitely be repurchasing it again.
Slippers I got these slippers back in December and I have been wearing them almost every day we have been home since then. They are not only beautiful, but soft and practical. They have proper treading on them so it’s better for the feet than some alternative slippers. At the time I ordered them, they were offering a monogram service for them which is such a special touch to have my initials embroidered on them.
Kitchen Tweezers I originally ordered these to remove bone from fish but they have come in handy in so many ways. They are effectively oversized tweezers designed for cooking purposes. I have also found them best for flipping any beaded chicken because there is less contact with the chicken than your standard tongs, so you are less likely to remove the breaded. They have also come in handy for non cooking purposes. I couple months ago I was doing dishes and a glass fell into the sink shattering everywhere with come pieces falling into the garbage disposal. I used these tweezers to pull the pieces out of the garbage disposal and they worked perfectly without breaking the glass further. Back in August we got some upgrades to our HVAC system including permanent filters. We’ve been happy with the upgraded but I have to pull the filters out once a month to vacuum them and it’s impossibly to pull them out without these tweezers.
In January I finished reading all the books on my Winter TBR (plus an additional one) so it’s about time to give a review for the books I read. The reviews below do not contain spoilers.
As a teenager, Vogue was the primary source for satisfying my craving for fashion. Despite Anna’s lengthy career, I will always associate her with Vogue and therefore have some sort of appreciation for her despite knowing she is not a great person. I really appreciate that the author basically served Anna up on a platter and let the reader decide what they think of her. In a world that seems to really tiptoe around Anna Wintour, I loved that the author did not do that. I went into this book thinking I know a lot about Anna Wintour but I still learned new things. If you love Vogue, journalism, fashion, or personal style then I would recommend reading this biography.
Classics are considered classics for a reason, so I feel like it’s a bit inappropriate for me to review them. That being said, A Christmas Carol is one of those books I have a stronger appreciation for as an adult and I always enjoy rereading it during the holiday season.
The Nutcracker and The Mouse King is also included in this Barnes and Noble edition. Unlike A Christmas Carol, The Nutcracker is something that as I have grown older, it kind of has lost it’s magic. As much as I love the book still, I have always loved the ballet a little more.
Blame It On The Mistletoe by Beth Garrod
I very rarely pick up books that I have not heard reviews or recommendations of, so I believe at some point I heard someone give this book a positive review…and I resent that person. Sometimes I really enjoy a lighthearted YA but this felt VERY YA. The characters were cringey and it was painful to read.
I see this book as being divided in two parts- the first third of the book felt slower pace and more thought provoking. The later two thirds of the book felt more plot driven and picked up pace. If you pick this book up and you are having a hard time getting into it, I urge you to try to make it to the later two thirds of the book. The things I loved most about this book is the relationships portrayed. It’s not uncommon to see women finding motherhood in becoming mother figures to children that are not theirs but it’s uncommon to see men stumble upon fatherhood. We get to see a character in this book become a father to a child that is not his, and it because such a beautiful and heartwarming relationship that I love to see unfold. I also feel that we don’t often see strong male friendships as we see strong female friendships. In this book not only do we see endearing and strong male friendships but they develop midlife and last through their older years. If you love historical fiction then this is a must read.
I want to make an effort to read more classics, so when I finished my Winter TBR in early January, I picked up Twenty Thousand Leagues Under The Sea to read next. Since it is a classic, I again don’t really feel comfortable reviewing it but I will say I love an adventure tale and Ned Land gives boomer energy.
Jericha Good 