Posts Tagged ‘food’

Hello Fresh Week 42 Delivery review

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions,Tags: , , , , , ,
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In mid-October, we got this box from Hello Fresh after a few weeks of paused deliveries passed and I forgot to continue to pause. It worked out well though, since I think it’s nice to get one of these boxes once a month or so. (Interested in trying Hello Fresh? Use my referral code to get $20 off your first order: 9CAMJS)

Hello Fresh is just under $70 per box and comes with 3 meals of 2 servings each. That’s less than $12 per meal serving. Boxes are sent weekly unless you choose to skip (which is very easy to do). They offer a referral code that gives $20 off to both the person you referred and for your next order.

collage of hello fresh classic beef bolognese with spaghetti recipe card

We start off with the dish that we’re most familiar with.

collage of hello fresh classic beef bolognese ingredients and meal being made

It was pretty easy to prepare.

hello fresh classic beef bolognese with spaghetti dish finished product

I think I would have liked it a bit more saucy.

collage of hello fresh vietnamese chicken salad with avocado and mint recipe card

Next up was a salad I wasn’t too thrilled about.

collage of hello fresh vietnamese chicken salad ingredients and meal being made

Pretty straightforward and all you need to cook is the chicken.

hello fresh vietnamese chicken salad with avocado and mint dish finished product

I tried but just couldn’t finish it. Not my type of salad I guess.

collage of hello fresh seared salmon with fennel couscous recipe card

Finally, it’s seafood time!

collage of hello fresh seared salmon ingredients and meal being made

I’ve started to enjoy vegetables like squash and zucchini.

hello fresh seared salmon with fennel couscous dish finished product

I loved the chicken stock in the couscous and then getting some salmon and zucchini in the mix!

The beef bolognese wasn’t all that exciting, but it’s a nice dish to have. I wasn’t into the salad and ended up barely eating a few bites. The salmon with couscous was definitely my favorite and I gobbled it right up! That’s one dish I’d make again. What do you think of these recipes?

[This post contains affiliate codes. Signing up through them helps support my subscription and I’d be ever so grateful. 🙂 All opinions are my own and I received no compensation for this review. I just purchased this box and wanted to share what I got!]

365great Day 264: Sprinkles Cupcakes

laelene Posted in 365great,Tags: , , , , , ,
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365great challenge day 264: sprinkles cupcakesI don’t recall how exactly I found out about Sprinkles, but I do remember all the hype around it. I mean, who’s crazy enough to open a cupcake shop and sell that exclusively?? But hey, it turned out to be a hit and I happily lined up outside that teeny shop on Little Santa Monica Blvd. For me, it absolutely lived up to its reputation. The cupcakes were a generous size, fresh and moist, not too sweet, and just enough taste. I could hardly get enough! I’d go with friends whenever we got a chance to roam away from the UCLA campus. I still love those cupcakes, though I don’t go as much anymore and their size has shrunk. They did open up a cool cupcake dispensing ATM and an ice cream shop next door! Each day, there’s a special code to get a deal – it used to be a free cupcake, but now I think it’s BOGO. All kinds of goodness there. It’s a great place to try if you haven’t yet!

Meet & greet

laelene Posted in general blog, lifestyle glimpses,Tags: , , , , ,
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Today’s a pretty momentous day in the history of my life. For most people it’s just another Black Friday, but in my world it’s also my mom’s birthday and the first time my parents and Panda’s parents met.

cat sleeping with arms stretched out straightIt started off as a nice lazy day – I woke up around 9 and lay in bed playing games on my phone for a good two hours. Missy came to find me at one point and napped by my side as I enjoyed lounging in bed. Eventually, my mom came up to discuss stuff for a bank account I’m opening and I wished her a happy birthday. She’d forgotten it was today, as usual. For the past couple of years, she probably wouldn’t have known when her birthday was if I didn’t remind her. 😛 I went through the mail that was waiting for me from my time away and went downstairs to join everyone for lunch.

rainbow seen by freeway while driving

Saw a rainbow on our drive!

After sitting around for a bit to chat with my mom and catch random bits of the show my dad was watching, I decided it was time to head off to Chase, where I was going to open a savings account. That turned out to be a bit of a disaster (offer had expired but I called in weeks ago to make sure to lock it in… and they had no record of it) and an hour later, I only kind of sorted it out. Oh well, I did the best I could and I might still get the offer. Sometimes I really hate large organizations. How do I ever get to the person who can actually help me? Bleh. From there, I had hoped to swing by the stores for a quick look around at the Black Friday deals, but it was time to go home to get ready for our trip out to Panda’s parents’ place. My parents, cousin, and cousin’s friend all came along for the festivities. 🙂

giant pile of crab legs and chilled shrimp at chinese buffet

I made sure to get crab and shrimp!

At Panda’s, his parents and brother were there with him to meet us. My cousin had met his family before and we’d both met each others’ parents, but the parents had not met each other. Back when Panda was graduating with his Master’s degree, my parents had hoped to attend but were ultimately unable to. Little did I know that would be the very day we got engaged! Too bad my parents weren’t there for that. Since then, this was the first time we got a chance to all gather. We sat in the living room and the adults chatted about a variety of things, including their histories and us kids. After nearly an hour, we did a tour of the house and headed off to dinner.

large tub of hot and sour soup with a ton of mushrooms

The hot & sour soup was a mushroom-lovers dream! NOM

Throughout the night, the parents seemed to have plenty to talk about. They got along quite well and had many common threads, including the immigrant experience, being engineers, and of course being Chinese. I got a chance to catch up with Panda’s brother, who is working down in San Diego now. We had all sorts of filling food and stayed for nearly 3 hours! It went so much better than I could have hoped for and I think we all had a great time. Now his parents aren’t some mysterious phantoms that my parents need to imagine and both sides have a sense of what the other family is like. I think the way I describe his family doesn’t do them justice, so my parents had a skewed view of what they might be like. Now they can see for themselves and it was encouraging that we all enjoyed each others’ company. We are very different, yet share enough culturally and experience-wise that it’s wonderful.

365great Day 259: holidays

laelene Posted in 365great,Tags: , , , , , ,
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365great challenge day 259: holidaysHolidays are a time for people to celebrate, remember, and connect. They also make for a wonderful reprieve from the daily patterns of weeks gone by. They’re the perfect excuse for a vacation, whether a quick one over a long weekend or an extended one stretching for a week or more. For ones like Thanksgiving and Christmas, they are ripe with traditions and they’re an important time for families to unite. For many years now I only get a chance to spend time with my parents around this time, so it’s a time of year that I always enjoy. We often try to travel together to make it even more special, but hanging around at home is quite nice too. This year, that’s all I want since I’m so far from home I don’t get to stay much anymore. It’s great when we get to take some time off to reconnect with our loved ones.

Home for Thanksgiving!

laelene Posted in lifestyle glimpses, photo blog,Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,
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Happy Turkey Day! I’m thankful to be home. 🙂

It was a strange feeling yesterday to show up to work with half the office out, then work a short day. I left around 4:30 and ended up taking a nap when I got home. I woke up about two hours later and tried to get some work done. Between attempting to blog, chatting with Panda, and getting distracted by the news, I had a busy night. Before I knew it, the night had passed me by and Panda was settling in for some shuteye before our flight. I kept working and at 3:30 I decided that it wasn’t worth it to try to sleep, so I took a shower and started to get ready. I pretty much had nothing to pack since I’ve got everything I need at home, so I decided to treat myself by bringing my sherpa blanket with me. Panda got up at 4:50 and we were outside by 5:15, right as the taxi showed up.

flying over colorado mountains covered in snow

Hello somewhere in Colorado.

As soon as we got on the plane, I settled in with my blankets and drifted off to sleep. When I awoke, I felt like we should be nearly there, but it was only 10:30 EST… we were flying over Colorado with two more hours to go. This is the first time I’ve actually felt hot on a plane ride, so I’m definitely going to try to bring my blanket with me for all future travel purposes, if there’s room. I hate having cold feet! After playing some games on my phone and catching a few more Zs, we started our descent. We arrived a good half hour early and got picked up by our respective families. My mom and cousin came to get me since my dad’s back is not doing so well. It was great to see my family again and I had a good time catching up with my dad. Soon after, I got a chance to do what I’ve been missing for months: play with Missy! She’s my baby and loves me the most – probably because I’m the only one who scratches her neck, rubs her face, and lets her sit/sleep on me all she wants. I took some time to go through my things at home to prepare items to move. Tons of memories to come! It’s weird being home; I feel different out here. It’s like my life out here is completely separate from that of my life out east. It’s surreal being back and I hope to really relax during this time. 🙂 And now I’ll some of my day in pictures…

cat sitting on sofa back

I got home to find a sleepy, confused Molly. “Who are you again?”

cat playing under person's legs staring out

Missy ran in and out of my legs for awhile as we played in the yard.

cat laying on person's arm sleeping

Pretty soon, she found her way to my lap and took a nap.

cat sleeping on person's chest

Eventually I went up to my room and Missy decided to join me for a nap.

thanksgiving turkey fresh out of oven

It’s turkey time! My mom made a delicious turkey.

collage of thanksgiving meal laid out and dishes with food

We always have a Chinese American turkey day, with turkey, stuffing, gravy, sweet potatoes, and random Chinese vegetable dishes.

cat sitting on person's lap at dinner table

Whenever I’m eating, Missy likes to come sit on my lap. I then end up sitting there for hours because I don’t want to move her.

scratching cat's chin

Missy loooves being scratched – under the chin, behind the ears, along the neck, on her back… it’s all good!

cat sneaking a taste of thanksgiving turkey

She’s a naughty girl who likes to sneak a taste of our food! I eventually had to hide the turkey in the oven.

cat sniffing pineapple and rubbing teeth on leaves

She loves to use pineapples as an after dinner mint/floss. Gotta keep that breath fresh!

Blissmobox: Bliss de Toilette

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions,Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,
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Been awhile since I’ve posted up my Blissmobox stuff! I want to get them all up just so it’s all out there. This one was the April one and I chose the Bliss de Toilette option because I always like getting skincare and I wasn’t feeling the snack box.

blissmobox is just under $25 per month with shipping (or as discounted as just under $120 for 6 months) and comes with eco-friendly products in themes like beauty, snacks, home, pets, and more. Each month you choose from two or three themes, or skip if none of them appeal to you. They do not offer a referral program.

the choices for april's blissmobox: grab'n'go and bliss de toilette

The two choices for the April blissmobox.

I liked the name of this box, so I decided to try it. It was an ok box for me – I didn’t like that the only full-sized product was a repeat from the March blissomobox I’d just gotten! I even wrote about it because I contacted their customer support about it and did NOT get the kind of resolution I was looking for. Oh well, I guess you can’t win it all. If I’d gotten a different box for March and hadn’t already seen the lotion, this box would have been alright for me.

opened blissmobox april 2013 with contents displayed

collage of softwater soapworks lemongrass soap included in april 2013 blissmoboxSoftwater Soapworks, Lemongrass soap – This is a really cute little handmade soap bar that makes for a perfect item to be used in a guest bathroom. I have a bunch of soap bars I have yet to use so this will be saved for that queue or I might share it with someone if they ever come over to visit and want a soap bar to use. I love that this soap is vegan with very simple ingredients. I wish I could make soap like this too! I’ll have to try it out one day.

collage of natu liberating shampoo and reawakening conditioner samples included in april 2013 blissmoboxNATU, Liberating Shampoo & Reawakening Conditioner – I don’t often need shampoo and conditioner samples since I either have full sizes at home or travel sizes at hotels, but when I get these I want to save them for a time I’d need them. Sooo they end up not getting used for awhile usually. I like the names they use for these and how they’re free of all the crazy chemicals that hair care products are often laden with.

collage of antho organic serum included in april 2013 blissmoboxAntho, organic serum – This little bottle can go quite a long way since it doesn’t take much oil to get the job done. It has a light herby scent and is super healing for dry skin. I like what I see from this brand and I’ll have to add them to my list of brands to try more products from. I actually can’t find this product on their site, so I wonder if I would even be able to get more of it.

collage of skin salvy lip repair unscented lip balm included in april 2013 blissmoboxSkin Salvy, unscented lip repair lip balm – I find myself using a whole lot more lip balm now that I’m living out east, so it’s always good to have more. I haven’t opened this one yet since I have many tubes open, but I’m sure I will get around to it soon. At this rate I’m going to go through 3-4 tubes this winter! That’s more than I’ve used for years… but hey, I’m really trying to avoid chapped or dry lips.

collage of earth science daily defense lotion with spf 15+ included in april 2013 blissmoboxEarth Science, Daily Sun Defense Lotion SPF 15+ – Well, I do like that this is a giant bottle of lotion. Great for slathering on to keep my skin hydrated all through the cold months. It feels good and doesn’t have a scent so it’s good for guys to use too. I just wish I hadn’t already gotten one! I would have loved to try another product from this company, or a lotion from another brand.

collage of golden earth aromatherapy perfume sample in euphoria included in april 2013 blissmoboxGolden Earth, aromatherapy perfumes from nature in euphoria – I’m not into perfumes, but since this is an aromatherapy scent I’m thinking of dabbing it on my temples and wrists to relax with after yoga or during meditation. This rose and jasmine blend is supposed to inspire happiness, creativity and a sense of well-being – perfect! Who doesn’t want some of that, right? I might even try putting a few drops on my yoga mat so I get a whiff of it as I do my yoga practice.

collage of 100% pure green apple nourishing body cream sample packet included in april 2013 blissmobox100% Pure, green apple nourishing body cream – I’ve stashed this away for when I need a super portable bit of lotion. I’m such a hoarder! I have a bunch of these packets but only one in this scent so I almost don’t want to open it… just not yet!! I like the simplicity of this brand and I’d enjoy a full size of one of their lotions if I didn’t already have way more lotions than I need. I also have a scrub from them I need to try!

If you’d like more info on these brands, you can click below to enlarge the photo and read more.

blissmobox bliss de toilette info sheet

365great Day 256: cronuts

laelene Posted in 365great,Tags: , , , , , , , ,
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365great challenge day 256: cronutsOne of my friends in LA introduced me to cronuts back when I was visiting him and his girlfriend in DTLA. There’s this one bakery that makes them in Little Tokyo and they are faaabulous. A donut-shaped fried treat with the texture of a croissant, filled with sweetness, rolled in sugar, and topped with fruit/chocolate… I mean, this is just madness. I tried to go get one from the original place in NYC but they’re so popular you have to get up before the crack of dawn to stand in line for hours. The one in LA will set some aside from their next batch if you call in, which is what we did. I had the blueberry one and OMG it was all kinds of amazing. I’m looking forward to getting some more when I return to the area for Thanksgiving. They’re expensive at $4 a pop, but they are oh so great.

Escape Monthly November: Vermont Box Review

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions,Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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Vermont is one of those states that I keep meaning to go to, but have yet to make the trip yet. I can’t help but think of the Vermont Teddy Bear Company, which I heard a ton of ads for on the radio back in the early 2000s when I was living in New York. I’m pretty clueless about what they have to offer, so this month’s Escape Monthly box is a great one for me to explore something new!

Escape Monthly is just under $40 per box (with code for 20% off your subscription – see end of post) and comes with a variety of food, home, skincare items themed around a city. Each box comes with a Moon Handbooks guide for that region. Boxes are sent monthly with no option to skip. They offer a lovely recurring referral commission program.

escape monthly november vermont box products showing

escape monthly november vermont box info card against blue and white chevron background

2013-11-23 13.08.53(click to enlarge and read full messaging)

I must admit, when I first opened the box I was kind of disappointed that there were only nine items, but once I started digging in, I was pretty pleased with what they included. I think part of it is because there was no tool type item this time, whether a brush or scrubber or what have you – I really enjoy getting those items! Despite that, I was pretty impressed with the products in this box, which were all quite eco-friendly. I’m liking Vermont!

Here’s what came in the box:

Moon Handbooks guide to Vermont – As always, the knowledge packrat in me enjoys getting these so I can learn a ton about Vermont. Now the issue is actually getting around to reading them… I figure I’ll get around to it whenever we plan a trip to the area. Until then, I’m getting a nice collection of these handbooks to reference.

Way Out Wax Escentual Love Tea Lights – These little tea lights are scented with lavender, patchouli, and rosewood for a soothing scent that reminds me of many of the items in the Whole Body section of Whole Foods. This type of smell also reminds me of the calm of yoga, which is perfect for relaxing with. I love that they are made with soy wax with the simplest ingredients you could imagine. I can definitely feel good about burning these!

Distler’s Maple Pretzels – I’m a fan of mixing salty snacks with some sweetness, so these are a nice snack for me. Usually pretzels are too dry and salty for me, but the sweetness of these is perfect for counteracting some of that feeling. I still can’t eat too much at once since they’re very crunchy and I can feel them grinding, but I enjoyed them! If I see them in a store, I’d likely get another pack.

True North Ginger Gluten-free Granola snack pack – Mmm, yum! I like this granola a lot. It has a lot more variety of seeds and other bits and the flavor is nice and strong. It’s not too hard and dry like some other granolas so I could definitely eat this frequently. I’d love to get some yogurt to also eat with this – then I’d feel so healthy!

Quinn Popcorn in Vermont Maple & Sea Salt – I’m not usually a popcorn fan, but this flavor does sound intriguing. It’s been ages since I’ve microwaved a bag of popcorn and I want to save these for a night in when I want a nice hot snack. I’m starting to learn that this whole Vermont maple must be a popular thing. I usually think of Maine when I hear about maple!

Whisper Hill Olive Oil Soap in Bergamot – This is a good-sized soap with a really nice scent. I have a ton of soaps so I won’t open this one just yet. I like the concept of olive oil soap though and bergamot’s a lovely scent. I can imagine this being one of those super lathery soaps that makes using them super fun.

Nature’s Mysteries Twilight Face Creme – Ooo, this is super rich and hydrating. Exactly what my skin needs in this chilly weather! It’s not as thick as I thought it might be, but boy does it apply and absorb well. It’s vegan and contains no synthetic ingredients, which is wonderful. I’m definitely adding this to my face routine so my skin doesn’t get dried out from the winter air.

Belle Savon Lavender & Mint Whipped Shea Butter Cream – This shea butter is sooo creamy and it smells fab. I love the combination of lavender and peppermint for a refreshing sweet scent. It smells so good I want to just gobble it up. My hands will be thanking me when I apply this! I’ll have to check out their line of other products. I know I’m going to want more!

Lake Champlain Chocolates of Vermont – What adorable chocolates. Each comes with a fun design, whether shaped like a mountain or pressed with a maple leaf design. I enjoyed them all but have a particular weak spot for the Maple Crunch’s toffee bit inside dark chocolate. The other flavors are Honey Caramel (gooey caramel in dark chocolate), Evergreen Mint (peppermint crunch in dark chocolate), and Green Mountain (roasted almonds and dried fruit in milk chocolate).

Do you like this month’s Escape Monthly box? Do you think it represents Vermont well? Get Escape Monthly for yourself! Sign up here and try one of these codes (not sure which ones are still active): ESCAPENOW for 20% off the lifetime of your subscription, ITALIANESCAPE for 20% off, GIFTESCAPE for 25% off.

Next month, we get to go outside the US for the first time!

escape monthly november vermont box info card back with preview of next month's box theme of italy

[This post contains affiliate links. Signing up through them helps support my subscription and I’d be ever so grateful. 🙂 All opinions are my own and I received no compensation for this review. I just purchased this box and wanted to share what I got!]

Treatsie November 2013 review

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions,Tags: , , , , , ,
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It’s Treatsie time!

Treatsie is $15 per box and comes with artisan candy from 3 brands. That usually means 5 or 6 different flavors of treats. Boxes are sent monthly with no option to skip. They offer a referral link program.

treatsie november box contents with macaroons, chocolate bar, and lollipops

danny macaroons box with salted caramel, chocolate banana nut, spiced pumpkin, and black chocolate stout macaroonsDanny Macaroons in Salted Caramel, Chocolate Banana Nut, Spiced Pumpkin, & Black Chocolate Stout: These weren’t quite the macaroons I’m used to – for coconut lovers, they’re great. If you’re allergic or not a fan, you’re fresh out of luck. I enjoy bits of coconut like this, so I liked the macaroons. I couldn’t quite tell the flavors apart, but I did enjoy the special taste of the spiced pumpkin. I gave the salted caramel to a friend, who liked it with its gooey top. The two chocolate variations were kind of similar to me and I couldn’t quite tell them apart. While I definitely ate these happily, I wouldn’t usually get this kind of treat.

sweeteeth sea is for caramel dark chocolate salted caramel barSweeteeth Salted Caramel Dark Chocolate bar: Fabulous!! This dark chocolate bar is soooo delicious. You can see the bits of salt all along the bottom and then when you break the bar, a wonderfully gooey caramel filling comes out. I love the contrasting texture of the crisp chocolate and the soft caramel. Even better is the flavor of the dark chocolate, salt, and caramel – perfectly blended for an amazing taste. I love their naming style too – Sea is for Caramel for this salted caramel bar and A’chocolypse for their “popping ginger” flavor. They’re a cute brand with a fun personality and I’d definitely get more of their bars! Yummy.

das foods lollipops in man bait, naughty ginger, salty caramel, & pomegranate orangeDas Foods Man Bait, Naughty Ginger, Caramel Me Happy, & Fab-O-Pom: What funny little lollipops with cheeky names! I tried the Fab-O-Pom (orange & pomegranate flavor) and it was decent. There were little bits in it that made the texture interesting and brought out more of the fruit flavor. I’m curious about the maple bacon Man Bait one… quirky stuff that I’d try from time to time.

[This post contains affiliate links. Signing up through them helps support my subscription and I’d be ever so grateful. 🙂 All opinions are my own and I received no compensation for this review. I just purchased this box and wanted to share what I got!]

365great Day 247: Dinners for 12 Strangers

laelene Posted in 365great,Tags: , , , , , ,
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365great challenge day 247: dinners for 12 strangersThis is a fun UCLA tradition that I have participated in both as a student and alumna. You basically get alumni to volunteer to host a bunch of students for dinner. Usually this is at an alum’s home, but sometimes it could be at other venues that they have reserved, like one time when I had a meal at one of the restaurants at the Anderson School of Management. On average, it will be two alumni to about ten students, but of course the number will vary depending on how many Bruins sign up. As a student, it was an opportunity to meet some fellow students, enjoy a free meal, and learn from alum. It was nice to see what some of them had been doing since graduating and getting any advice from them regarding school and/or work. On the flip side, as a host, I enjoyed working with co-hosts to put together the meal, learning about what’s been going on at UCLA since graduating, and sharing my apartment for a night of chatting. For hosting, we were given these cute little cutting boards as a thank you. 🙂 It’s a great way to connect with more Bruins over the years!

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