Hey hey!! How’s it shakin’? I am a touch behind on these updates (what is new?)… but I have a pretty chill weekend where I hope to sit on our balcony with lots of coffee and catch up! Currently I am eating a yogurt with matcha powder, granola, & chocolate chips — mmmm. I can’t wait to share this in a few posts.
This post includes highlights (mostly foodie highlights) from in between studying, work, house chores and watching Ozark in the evening, of course! We only have a couple episodes left in the second season- then I think we are going to start the OA!
Okay, jumping right in- I am trying to use up as many of our “dried goods” items so that we don’t have to take them with us on our move. So, on March 28th, I made fresh spring rolls with rice paper, tofu, sautéed veggies, and fresh cabbage mix.
I made some homemade peanut sauce with PB2, a touch of soy, and topped with a sprinkle of ginger.
On March 29th, right before dinner I went on a walk enjoying all Spring has to offer.
In the evening I made pasta for DJ with different cheeses and pizza sauce we had leftover, topped with parm. Pizza sauce is not quite as good as different marinaras we usually use, but still worked!
I was craving my rice/fish/roasted veggie combo. This kick is definitely still going strong. Since we are out of Arizona’s Heat sauce I’ve just been using brown mustard- still a great fixin’ for the dish.
DJ has been making himself overnight oats for breakfast most days, but whenever he runs out make him a standard breakfast of eggs/bacon/toast.
Below are some pics from my morning walk on March 30th. Usually I use walks as a study break to clear my head, but on Saturdays I like to start my day with them.
I was notified on Instagram that I won a giveaway for vouchers to Hotel Valencia’s restaurant on Santana Row. I have never been into the actual hotel although I’ve passed it countless times.
When I went to pick up the vouchers I was blown away by the beauty of the hotel’s interior/restaurant! It overlooks San Jose, and the way it is decorated is just stunning. I am saving these vouchers for when my sister visits, so I’ll be sure to snap pictures then.
In the evening I was in the mood to cook & try something new. I looked at what we had and decided on Caprese chicken. This was chicken stuffed with buffalo mozzarella & marinated sundried tomatoes from TJ’s.
I then topped with breadcrumbs and put in the oven. Easy Peasy!
I decided to roast up some multicolored potatoes and garlic green beans to accompany the dish.
Oh, and a slice of garlic toast too!
For myself I made rice, green beans, and tilapia. I also had a bowl of the potatoes. Mmmm mm!
Sunday March 31st, we woke up early pearly for Church. It was a radiant morning.
At church they had a build your own yogurt bar & donuts galore!
After church I worked on school assignments all day then met up with Amy in the City for dinner at Dumpling Time. I love going to the City on Sundays- the traffic is so light & parking is FREE!
I loved the feel of the restaurant. When going back through my photos I couldn’t help but giggle that this girl was doing the same thing as the people on the screen without even knowing it.
The whole restaurant had a modern twist on traditional asian cuisine. We decided diet coke sounded so good for some reason. I rarely ever have on anymore, but gosh- it was a refreshing treat and served with the most adorable paper straw.
As you can tell from these pics, the lighting was subpar. Below are the pork bao buns- one of Amy’s favorites.
I was peering envyingly at the other side of the restaurant where natural lighting was pouring in. I’m not even kidding- we were sitting in the darkest corner possible.
So what did I do? Did I let social faux pas and normal etiquette stop me from literally walking to the front of the restaurant to get a picture of each dish? Heck to the no! Bring on the questioning stares, the raised eyebrows, and the confused waitress who tried to stop me from taking the dishes out the door (I promised her I was only going to the front to snap a photo of the gems, not to kidnap them- she then smiled and acquiesced- clearly, I’m not the first “food blogger” to have stepped in here). PS. Amy was an absolute trooper, and cheered me on through my whole shameless display.
So, on with the pics, ya?! First up we have their giant soup dumpling called King-Dum. This dumpling is so large it is served with a straw. Truly, exstrawordinary.
Although I didn’t eat the pork inside, I tried the soup part (so good) and the actual dumpling. It was a treat! If you like pork soup dumplings, I definitely recommend this.
Next up were the Tom Yum Goong dumplings with pork belly, shrimp, and coconut milk, wrapped in a beet skin. Once again, I avoided the pork inside, but the actual dumpling itself was one of my favorites I have ever had! The beet skin was perfectly chewy and incredibly flavorful. The coconut milk was subtle, but added a smoothness to each bite. I would say I liked this even more than the King-Dum.
Now on to the things I ate in full 😉 The shrimp toast!!! This is one of their famous dishes- people rave about it. There ain’t no way I was about to pass it up. It is made of chinese donut, minced shrimp, and spicy aioli. My first bite I didn’t know what to expect, but felt slightly…. underwhelmed. Then I dipped it in their chili & soy sauce- and HELLO, FLAVOR FIREWORKS. It accompanied the rest of the dishes beautifully. It added a nice crunch among otherwise softer foods.
Now, for one of the stars of the show: The main lobster siu mai with chives, butter, and white truffle oil. You know if there is truffle it is a MUST try for me. It lived up to all my wildest dreams of what it may taste like. So. much. yumminess.
Featured below are the vegetarian dumplings with local greens, carrot, mushroom, cilantro, and egg. I didn’t expect much, but man, these were superb. I was blown away by the mix of freshness/flavor/texture. This is the type of dish I could easily eat every single day. Nutritious & delicious!
I’m struggling to find the words to best describe how scrumptious these little guys below were. The Trio of Buns (green tea and milk, beet and taro, and egg yolk bun) stole my heart. This is the type of dish I would drive the over-an-hour into SF for alone. They were fluffy, warm, creamy- utter perfection. I would put this on my list of “must try” desserts in SF. Our favorite flavor was the egg yolk bun followed in second by the green tea and milk bun.
Not pictured because I lost my shameless steam- the seafood gyoza with spinach skin, crab, scallops and spice chili butter. I regret not getting a picture of these gems because WOAH—-They were a show stopper. Truly, I would have a hard time deciding between those & the main lobster siu mai.
Overall, Amy and I both preferred Dumpling Time over City View. It was easier to get in (aka no need to chase anyone down and sternly demand your name be put on the list), the food was more flavorful, and the presentation was visually a treat! Plus the service was wonderful. Our waitress was very kind- not something you always encounter in restaurants around here because patrons are often treated like an assembly line with the mass amount of people. But if you want the real deal experience with the carts and all- I still recommend City View at least once.
April 1st nothing exciting happened besides us eating dim sum leftovers all day & studying. On April 2nd I went on a beautiful walk while the sky held back the rain.
It occasionally sprinkled, but it made for gorgeous dew drop photos.
I even saw this cute little guy!
In the evening I made a dinner of almond mozzarella cheese, boca crumbles, dolmas, hummus, and a cabbage mix.
For DJ, I made stuffed jalapeños with Mexican blend cheese, ground beef crumbles, taco seasoning, and salsa con queso. He really enjoyed them, but somehow a super hot chili pepper snuck its way into the bunch which added a not-so-pleasant surprise mid-meal! We suddenly had flash backs of Pepper Gate 2017!
April 3rd I parked it at Nosh out of convenience with a yogurt with berries, honey pecan granola, and stevia. I worked on school assignments and spent a couple hours planning my sister’s bridal shower and bachelorette party. Her bachelorette party is in Miami, so if you have any suggestions for games or places to go please share! (Although, I did take notes from Taylor’s recent posts!).
I made DJ some charcuterie in the evening with roasted chickpeas and mini saltines.
I had a repeat of the night before, but added some mashed cauliflower this time.
This is getting far too long, so I’ll say farewell, adieu, to you for now- but I’ll try to get another update published over the weekend.
Questions for you:
- Any suggestions for bridal shower/bachelorette party games?
- Have you watched the OA? What’s your current show binge?
xo <3
February 25th I submitted a paper and took a big breath of relief. We were getting really low on groceries by this point, so time to get creative again. I mixed some cauli mashed potatoes with cottage cheese warmed up with black bean burger and hummus. Sounds a bit strange, but it was reallly savory and delicious.
Friday morning of March 1st I did a
