{Lunch} My Version of Panda Express Bowl

{Abalone mushroom}

{Young pickled bamboo shoots}

{Chinese broccoli}

{Vegetable version}

{Seafood version}

I bought these pickled bamboo shoots at a local market because I thought they would be a good alternative to my regular asparagus.  And I was right!  They taste amazing when stir fried with abalone mushroom, Chinese broccoli, and oyster sauce.  This vegetable combo goes well with chicken, beef, or sea foods such as shrimps, and scallops.  I, however,  prefer crab meat to either shrimps or scallops.
If you have this weekend off, I hope you'll have a great one.  For those who have to work (like me), I wish you a great weekend at work and try to find sometime to spend with  your family and the loved ones.  :)

Office Attire

{Blouse: thrifted} 

{Pants: BCBGeneration, Shoes: Linea Paolo}

Keeping it girly at the office.  I think high waisted pants make a woman look so feminine.   They should have made these in more colors.   I would love another pair in white or red.  No! I think I would like both ;).

Hope everyone is having a great week.

Nostalgia

{The lavenders smell so good!}

It actually rained two Saturdays in a row here.  Last week, I did this flower arrangement to "warm up" our dinner table during a cold rainy day, which my family really enjoyed.  So when I saw the weather forecast predicting another rainy Saturday night, I arranged these flowers for an outdoor family brunch before the rain came.  I used a Coke bottle (better if it was the glass one) as the vase for its image oftentimes evokes nostalgic feelings of my childhood.  It brings me back to those days growing up in my native country, I used to climb up a tree in our backyard, eating the fruits straight off its branches & drinking Coke out of the bottle during the summer afternoons.  I would then sit there for hours reading a book or doing homework (assigned by my dad before he left for work that day) until my mom called me down for dinner.    I was as agile as a monkey.  It's funny how I rarely drink soda now but the seeing a Coke bottle always make me smile :).  What is one item that is associated with your childhood?

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

{Movie Time Snack} Baked Avocado Fries

{Flour, Panko, & 2 large eggs}

{Ripe avacados, sliced in wedges} 

 

I love avocados & always try to incorporate them into my cooking whenever I can. I came across this recipe for baked avocado fries, & I've tried it two times since. The first time I coated the avocado wedges with too much flour & panko, which required a longer baking time.  I think the prolonged baking time rendered the avocado fries a bitter taste.   This time around, I baked it a little less & got much tastier fries.  However, there is still a slight bitterness to it.  Any advice on cooking/baking avocado to avoid this problem? Thank you for sharing.

Have a great weekend everyone. :)

{Bedazzled} Flower Madness

{Vintage silk sequin sweater: Niteline by Della Roufogali}

 

{Heels:  BCBGgirls}

I went shopping for vintage clothes with my mom a few weeks ago.  I spotted this vintage sequin Niteline sweater hanging in the corner through the glass window of the store.  I ran in & purchased it without even trying it on.  My mom thought it is a bit too old for me.  They often say moms know best but this is one of the  rare occasions I think I can prove my mom to be wrong.  It is a little over-the-top but it is such a unique piece. The silky material is just perfect for spring.  What do you think? :)

Hope everyone is having a good week so far.

DIY Flowers

 

Aggregation of tiny bubbles on the red orchids
makes them look like corals

It's cold & raining today so I decided to go get some flowers to brighten up the day.  I chose red orchids because they give off the warm & tropical vibe. I submerged  two intertwined red orchid branches into water in a glass cylinder vase, anchoring them with crystal balls (alternatively, these can be used).  Illumination is created by using submersible LED lights.  It really elevated everyone's mood at our dinner table tonight. :)

{Improvised Lunch} Grilled Chicken

I found some pears and left over vegetables from earlier this week in the fridge, so I decided to make use of these before they perish.  I blended one pear, some dried raisins, one shallot, two cloves of garlic, one teaspoonful of sherry together.  The mixture was then salted to taste & used to marinate the chicken breasts for about 2 hours.   The chicken can  be grilled or stir fried & served with vegetables.  I will definitely try this again. ;)

Have a nice weekend!