Posts Tagged ‘panda’

Hello Fresh Week 37 Delivery review

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions，Tags: , , , , , , ,
05 October 2013
1

Towards the beginning of last month, I finally got around to trying the Hello Fresh deal I’d gotten on LivingSocial. The delivery came one day when Panda was still out on a business trip, so I saved everything and hoped it would all last in the fridge. Lesson learned: next time freeze the meats right away. I was pretty surprised when it showed up on my doorstep because it wasn’t due until the next day. When it comes to planning for cooking, sometimes that can make a big difference so I sure hope that doesn’t happen all the time. They were right in the middle of changing up their shipping schedule though, so I’ll let this one slide.

Watch the unboxing if you’re interested! (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.

hello fresh large cardboard box

It’s a pretty large box!

hello fresh box interior with insulation padding on all sides

The inside is well-insulated with a ton of frozen packs to keep things chilled.

hello fresh welcome letter and large black recipe cards

I got a nice welcome card, the three recipe cards, and a promo card from one of their partners.

hello fresh chili rubbed chicken with barley avocado salad ingredients

The ingredients for the chicken dish.

hello fresh garlic skillet meatballs and baby new potatoes ingredients

The ingredients for the beef dish.

hello fresh lemon pepper shrimp scampi and roasted pepper over linguine ingredients

The ingredients for the shrimp dish.

collage of hello fresh chili rubbed chicken with barley avocado salad recipe card

The first dish we decided to cook was the Chili Rubbed Chicken.

collage of hello fresh chili rubbed chicken ingredients and meal being cooked

It was fun to cook chicken for the first time – I never knew it cooks so fast!

collage of hello fresh barley avocado salad ingredients and meal being made

The salad was something I never would have thought to piece together myself.

hello fresh chili rubbed chicken with barley avocado salad dish finished product

The final product! Pretty good, eh?

collage of hello fresh garlic skillet meatballs and new potatoes recipe card

The next night we went for the meatball recipe.

collage of hello fresh garlic skillet meatballs and new potatoes ingredients and meal being cooked

All kinds of stuff I like to eat!

hello fresh garlic skillet meatballs and baby new potatoes finished product

And the end result with a nice mix of veggies and meat.

collage of hello fresh lemon-pepper shrimp scampi with roasted pepper over linguine recipe card

And finally, it’s shrimp and pasta time!

collage of hello fresh lemon-pepper shrimp scampi with roasted pepper over linguine ingredients and meal being cooked

Oh yum. My first time making pasta with more than just tomato sauce!

hello fresh lemon-pepper shrimp scampi with roasted pepper over linguine finished product

I really enjoyed this dish, though I’d probably sub spinach for the peppers next time.

Overall I found all the dishes pretty easy to make, though the instructions assumed a bit more knowledge about cooking than we had. 😛 I enjoyed the shrimp dish the best, partially because I’m a seafood lover and partially because it was the least adventurous dish. While it was cool to try something like the barley avocado salad, I don’t know if I’d ever really look to make it again. I do like that I have more experience under my belt and got to a try a variety of dishes. I’ll definitely get Hello Fresh again, but maybe only once a month or so. Thankfully, they make it really easy to manage deliveries within your account so it’ll be smooth sailing from here.

[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!]

Oh government shutdown

laelene Posted in lifestyle glimpses, stories，Tags: , , , ,
01 October 2013
0

Well, they did it. Congress actually threw us over the cliff this time. Over the past few years, I’d hear about another fiscal cliff and Panda would joke about getting furloughed. Now we’re on Day 1 of the government shutdown and after a few hours in the morning to wrap things up for the indefinite future, he came home from work to wait it out.

capitol hill misspelled as capiton hil on tv

So eager to talk about the shutdown that they didn’t spell-check Capitol Hill.

We’re in a really good position, with ample savings and my income to get us through. So many others are nowhere near as fortunate and it’s just absurd that this in-fighting from our own government is affecting all these lives. I’m just glad that we don’t live paycheck to paycheck, but even so I do hope this doesn’t last long. We’re trying to save up for the new condo after all! In the short term, Panda gets to enjoy some quiet time off and a taste of what life for me was like the past year. I tried to recruit him to help me at work, but instead he’s getting things done like chores and a dentist appointment. Alas, a girl can wish right? So long as the shutdown doesn’t extend for too many weeks, we’ll just take it like an unexpected vacation (for him). There are even a bunch of restaurants offering discounts or free items for federal employees. Maybe he can go enjoy those!

It’s so sad that today is Yosemite’s anniversary and people can’t even go enjoy it. I feel bad for all the tourists who are around the nation, wanting to enjoy parks and museums and zoos… but getting shut out. I’m looking to the supposed leaders of our country to find a compromise soon.

365great Day 197: teppanyaki

laelene Posted in 365great，Tags: , , , , , , ,
27 September 2013
0

365great challenge day 197: teppanyakiThe first time I ever went to a Japanese steakhouse and got acquainted with this whole teppanyaki idea I was about 13 or 14. I loved the entertainment part of it and the stronger flavors they tend to cook into the food. The best place I’ve ever been offered white fish, which I just loved. I’m pretty much always obsessed with the fried rice at these places, because they pack in so much salty goodness. I love nearly drowning my rice in soy sauce and cooking it. As I mentioned earlier, this year Panda and I celebrated our 5th anniversary with dinner at a teppanyaki place. We were originally going to go to a fondue place because it makes a great date night meal, but we happened to discover we both would prefer a Japanese steakhouse this time around. Between the fun performance and tricks the chefs do and the super flavorful food you get, it’s a great choice for a special occasion.

Anniversary time

laelene Posted in general blog，Tags: , , , ,
27 September 2013
0

This year our anniversary coincides with Google’s, as I learned today. I’ve mentioned before that our anniversary is always the Friday of Zero Week at UCLA and going forth we have a new anniversary to celebrate: the engagement one! So now in June and September, we get to eat dinner together and enjoy each others’ company. I like having our anniversary on a Friday, so we can really spend the entire weekend together.

egg cooking in chicken shape at teppanyaki grill dinnerTonight we went to Benihana’s after work and tomorrow we’ll be stopping by Barktoberfest so I can play with some cats and check out the shelter that puts on the event. I’m planning on volunteering with cats and I’m looking at the shelter hosting the event and a local county shelter. I might end up going for both, but I want to get a feel for their vibes and see their facilities first. On Sunday, we’ll do some grocery shopping and then Panda will spend the afternoon volunteering with the Smithsonian. We both have our differing passions! It should be a nice quiet weekend and hopefully I can get some blog drafts ready for the week. It’s tiring trying to write them after work every night! All too soon it’ll be another week – my 4th week on the job, eeks! I can’t believe I’m already approaching one month. It’s gone by so fast…

What are your plans for the weekend? This Don Jon movie I keep hearing about?

UK Vacation Day 3 Recap

laelene Posted in lifestyle glimpses, photo blog，Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
26 September 2013
3

Check out my UK Day 1 recap and UK Day 2 recap, then read on for Day 3! We spent about half the day prepping for and traveling to Cardiff, then got a chance to explore the city in the afternoon and evening. It was a nice quiet, yet active time together in this beautiful place. 🙂

view of victoria station in london from nearby hotel

From our hotel, we could see Victoria Station, so it was very easy to get to the train!

interior of victoria station in london with skylights and british flags

The interior of Victoria Station is nice and airy, with plenty of natural sunlight.

bike parking area with dozens of bikes inside victoria station in london

There were a ton of bikes parked there.

delice de france baguette display at victoria station in london

Before boarding the train, I browsed the selection at Delice de France for my lunch.

chicken chorizo baguette sandwich from delice de france bakery

I ended up getting the chicken chorizo baguette to eat on the train and it was delicious!!

pink and blue striped circus tents beyond railroad tracks

Along the way, we saw the circus in a town.

first view of the streets of cardiff

Hello Cardiff! I’m finally in Wales!

dog standing with large piece of tree branch in mouth

What an ambitious dog, carrying around a giant tree branch.

grouping of flower pots in tree shape

The flowers make the street all pretty.

congratulations message written in chocolate on plate with vanilla buttercream cupcake

Yay, celebration!

heavy cloud coverage over buildings in cardiff

It’s sunny but it’s gloomy ’round these parts.

view of cardiff castle from nearby hotel

Got a view of the Cardiff Castle from the hotel lounge.

small garden with maze-like design in cardiff

A fun little garden area across the street.

collage of executive lounge snacks including fruits, desserts, condiments, cookies, and sugar

The executive lounge provided a variety of snacks!

pink gumdrop station in cardiff for recycling gum

Haha, can’t say this is what I imagine when I hear “gumdrop” but it’s a nice way to discourage gum where you don’t want it.

small purple flowers

We walked through an industrial zone that was intimidating, but at least there were pretty flowers!

swan on picturesque river in cardiff wales

We tried walking to this Cardiff Bay we heard about, but couldn’t quite figure out what there was to see. It was pretty along the way at least!

white swan swimming on river in cardiff

So many swans around here! I love it.

As we were walking along the river, we heard a splash and saw some movement out of the corner of our eyes. We thought it was a bird diving into the water to get a fish, so we watched and waited for it to come up. A few minutes later, what did we see? A GINORMOUS FLYING FISH! I mean, it was like a foot and a half long and propelled itself out of water better than salmon swimming upstream. I tried to get a video of it but we never saw it again. Sad times.

brains brewery across river with silver tanks and colorful tops

After giving up on going so far, we headed back and I wondered what those colorfully-topped silver canisters are for.

yellow flower on stem in slim vase centerpiece

We stopped for dinner at an Indian place, with pretty yellow flower centerpieces.

glass of clear sparkling lemonade drink with lemon slice inside

This was not what I expected when I ordered lemonade, but it was amazing. I want more!

appetizers at indian restaurant in cardiff wales

Yuuum, enjoying our appetizers.

plates of indian food including naan bread

We both enjoyed our dishes and the garlic naan. Wonderful meal together. 🙂

church clock tower against blue sky in cardiff

I enjoy the little alleyways and cobblestone streets, and of course the architecture and beautiful blue skies.

red flower floating in water as centerpiece with mug of water on table

Back at the hotel, we enjoy a little break in the lounge.

layers of dark clouds with thin bright area in middle

The clouds are moving in!

fridge and shelves with small glass bottles of sodas and drinks

Oooo yes, I love these little glass soda bottles!

free bottles of wine in executive lounge of hotel

In the evenings, the executive lounge offers free wine here. I’m sure that made some folks happy.

The laundry basket

laelene Posted in general blog，Tags: , , , ,
19 September 2013
1

white sqaure laundry basket with clothes piled insidePanda and I have very different habits. Some we’ve compromised on and others we tolerate. His laundry basket habit falls under the latter category. You see, to me a laundry basket is something you use to gather dirty clothes. When you no longer plan on wearing them, you throw them in there. Therefore, it is not a place you want to be rummaging through. Things go in one by one, they all get dumped out around the same time, and sometimes a freshly laundered load will temporarily go in to be transported away from the dryer.

Is that how you use your laundry basket?

Because it certainly is not how he uses it. For him, the laundry basket is a holding cell for clothing that has been worn once but is still viable for another wear. Yet at the same time, there are items meant for the wash as well. This grosses me out even though really it’s just a bit of weathered clothing – not like there are dried stains from sauces or anything super dirty. I can’t help it; it’s completely psychological but if something goes in that basket I am NOT taking it out unless it goes straight to the wash.

So how do you manage your laundry?

365great Day 187: cooking

laelene Posted in 365great，Tags: , , , , , , ,
17 September 2013
2

Learn more about 365great here.

365great challenge day 187: cookingPanda and I have been cooking a bit together* and I’ve really enjoyed it. Not only are we spending time together, getting a chance to chat and catch up, we’re producing results that we get to enjoy at the end. There’s something very rewarding about getting a product that is useful after all that effort. Then we get to sit down and eat together and spend even more time together! Oh, and of course cooking is nice because you can make things taste just how you want and you don’t have to leave a tip. 😉 You save time and money (usually) and you are more active too. We really should do it more often, but it’s so easy to slip into laziness and order out or just go out. That’s why I’m exploring options to make it easier for us, like this Hello Fresh meal that was pre-planned for us. I won’t delve into it too much since I’ll feature them another time, but suffice it to say that cooking at home can be a great experience.

 

*More like I’m doing the cooking and he’s doing the cleaning up, but hey we’re working together and that’s what matters.

UK Vacation Day 2 Recap

laelene Posted in lifestyle glimpses, photo blog，Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
16 September 2013
3

Continuing from my UK Day 1 recap, here’s a look at what we did the second day of our UK trip. We did a lot of walking as we went from the Victoria region to Buckingham Palace, through Green and Hyde parks, into the Science and Natural History museums, and back to Victoria.

english breakfast buffet with hash browns, baked beans, roasted tomatoes, mushrooms, and waffles

The day started off with breakfast at the hotel, where we encountered some traditional English items like baked beans and cooked mushrooms. Panda loved it!

roll mops au vinagre platter at hotel breakfast buffet

I also discovered some things I couldn’t quite figure out, like these “roll mops.”

tourist taking picture of buckingham palace guard

We then walked to Buckingham Palace, stopping along the way at a gift shop where Panda found tea towels for our moms.

view of gates to green park and tourists walking around outside buckingham palace

From Buckingham, we went over to Green Park, which was new to me.

red street running along buckingham palace lined with trees photo bombed by pedestrian walking by

As we crossed the street I wanted to get a shot of the thick trees lining the road and it totally got photo bombed.

stoplight with red person riding horse crossing light

Apparently there are a fair share of equestrians around here since they have their own crossing lights!

large tree in park with branches growing down creating cave space underneath

This is the second time I’ve seen a tree like this (the first time was at Hershey Gardens). I want one in my yard!

looking out from underneath tree branches nearly touching ground

I couldn’t resist going into the little tree cave for a moment. I mean, it already had an opening!

squirrel standing on hind legs looking far away

This adorable squirrel looked so forlorn when the squirrel it was chasing went through the fence. Why it didn’t just follow I don’t know.

bunch of pigeons and one squirrel eating on grass

Seems like the pigeons and squirrels get along quite well here.

crowd of pigeons eating in park by people's feet

Pigeons are always pecking, which makes me wonder if they’re ever not hungry…

two baby coons at edge of pond near nest in reeds

I found some cute baby coons nesting in the reeds. Aww!

ruffled pigeon standing at edge of pond with feathers everywhere

Haha! This ruffled up pigeon was cooling its feet in the pond.

black bird with neon greenish yellow feet walking into pond

Click on this pic and zoom in to see the freakin’ NEON feet of this bird.

brown and white duck with black accents swimming in pond

Now there’s an unusual duck with pretty black trim.

swan drinking water at edge of pond with kids standing nearby

There were a ton of swans around and it doesn’t look like I’m that close, but it felt like I could touch it!

kids chasing geese in park

Some of the kids enjoyed chasing the ducks, geese, and swans into the pond.

wooden and cloth lounge seats by willow tree in park

The park provided tons of chairs for anyone who wanted to relax. So nice.

pasta bake and salad with san pellegrino orange soda drink and black pepper and sea salt chips

After the park we went to the Science Museum, where I got a delicious pasta bake lunch.

zoomed in look at purple sapphire engagement ring under microscope

Next up was the Natural History Museum where we came across a microscope and decided to take a look at my ring up close.

red and white street sign with sticker grafitti

On our walk from the museums back towards the hotel, we came across signs that had been tagged with fun stickers.

ton of train tickets laid out on table as they are printed out

Before going to the room, we stopped at Victoria Station to pick up our train tickets for the duration of our trip. It printed out so many!!

bowl of wagamama ramen dish with pork, shrimp, wakame seaweed, fish cakes, and tea egg

For dinner it was Wagamama and I unknowingly went to the exact one I’d eaten at years ago.

365great Day 180: care packages

laelene Posted in 365great，Tags: , , , , , ,
10 September 2013
0

Learn more about 365great here.

365great challenge day 180: care packagesOn my first day of work, Panda prepared a little care package baggie for me. I knew he had put in some snacks and tube of lotion in there, but I had no idea of the surprises ahead. So yesterday I got up and headed out first to Chick-fil-a to redeem a free breakfast offer. I got those little bite-size sandwiches (so cute) and sat back in the car. The next stop was Dunkin’ Donuts, where I was going to get my free iced tea. That one required a coupon ad thing so I went to pull it out to make sure I had it. That’s when I discovered that the pen holding together the ad and the insurance info had more items clipped in! Turns out he’d written me a sweet note about starting my new job and he put a $20 bill there for good measure (lunch money, you see). I was really happy and enjoyed the wonderful surprise. Hours later, as I was reaching in the baggie to pull something out, I discovered that there was more! This time I found an adorable little picture frame with a picture of us soon after getting engaged. 🙂 I made sure to put that on my desk. By the end of the day, I was ready to head out and go home. As I was cleaning up my bag and putting things away, I wondered what that paper was at the bottom of the bag. What I pulled out was two band-aids! Hehe, apparently Panda really wanted me to be prepared. I loved discovering more and more little thoughtful gestures each time; it certainly brightened my day. Care packages are such a great way to share meaningful, practical gifts.

Deep food coma

laelene Posted in general blog，Tags: , , , , , , , , ,
10 September 2013
0

The first few days we got back from the UK, I was doing pretty well with the getting up in the morning thing. I’d wake up around 5 or 6 and decide that it was too early, so I’d let myself slowly drift off again until about 7. By then my body couldn’t take it anymore and wanted to get up. Because of these earlier starts, I also got tired earlier in the day. In fact, as soon as we’d get back from dinner, I’d jokingly wrap up in my new sherpa throw and say, “Good night!”

curled up on couch with new super soft and comfy sherpa throw blanketNext thing I knew, Panda would be getting ready for bed and turning off the lights. For some reason that always woke me up, though I very easily slipped back into sleep. Then another hour or so later I’d wake up and force myself to get up to blog for the night. I am dedicated to my craft, after all! If the only thing I get right is that I post every time I tell myself I will, at least I will have that. Most recently I have a goal of one post a day in addition to my 365great post at the end of the day. I’ve been doing quite well and throwing in posts about random things, mixing in reviews and pictures and whatnot. I was not about to let some strange sleep schedule jeopardize that! 😛

But what I’ve learned is that jetlag + sherpa + dinner = major food coma/crash. I mean, 8 PM I’m sound asleep as if I’m 5 again. Actually, I’m not even sure I slept that early as a child. It’s just not my thing! So I’ve got to say, this sherpa and plush blanket is one magical thing to get me to fall asleep so well. I can’t get enough of it and I’m already thinking about getting more (much to Panda’s chagrin, lol). I’ve had to resist using it tonight for fear of falling asleep before either of my blog posts are up. Alas, work now keeps me busy in the day and I need to write posts at night! This will take some getting used to.

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...
First Prev 1011121314 Next Last