Saturday Ethnic Food Paradise

Hi Everyone,
    As a native of Southern California I'm used to having really good ethnic food. Here on the east coast it's really hard to find decent Mexican food, that isn't tex-mex; and that alone can make any Californian go crazy! Well, I did some research and found myself a little Mexican market in Albany, NY. It's literally called the Mexican Market.

To start we ordered a chicken tamale. It was wrapped in a banana leaf. 

My food. I got 3 Carnitas(shredded pork) tacos. They were so delicious!! 

My Husband ordered the tongue burrito. Delicious and massive!

Here is their menu. Already thinking about what I want to try next time!

Of course I had to get my Mexican candy fix. They had a lot more but these are my favorites.

     If your in the Albany area next time and want some good food, stop at this place! If your a SoCal native living on the east side and haven't had a good taco in ages, stop here and you won't be disappointed. It's a little hole in the wall but don't let that scare you. Grab some chili watermelon candy or a Jarritos soda on your way out.

   After our pleasant experience at the Mexican Market, and with full happy bellies, we went to our favorite Asian Market to get some groceries for our second meal of the day: PHO! My husband is Thai and he makes Pho almost every month. If you don't know what Pho is, it's a beef noodle soup and it really delicious!

Giant Eggplant

Bitter Melon. It's really good in stir fry.

Giant carrots and Daikon. Two of my favorite vegetables :)

Asian snacks. They had a whole isle, both sides, filled with snacks.

Milky Chocolate is always so cute

We bought some Japanese beer

I finally got myself a Durian fruit. I've been dying to eat a fresh one. It might have a funky smell but it's delicious.  

Some more alcohol. Plum wine is sweet and very concentrated. I think it would go well with dessert.

My little treats from the Asian market. Meiji brand dark chocolate and mango Hi-Chew.

 Finally, we got back home and ate Pho. Delicious beef, noodles, meat balls, onions and cilantro swimming in a big bowl of beef broth. Some Sriracha, hoisen sauce and fish sauce to add more flavor to an already perfect day. I'm in ethnic food heaven.

Pho. 

Thanks For Reading!

Recipe #3: Sloppy Joe Sandwich made from Scratch!

Hi Everyone,
    I think the sloppy joe sandwich is just as American as the burger, and I know I've eaten a lot of these sandwiches as a kid. Most people buy the mix from a can at the grocery store but you can make it from scratch at home! It's really simple; I think it's better than the canned sauce and is more rewarding. Because you decide what goes in it, you can customize the recipe. This can be made in minutes, and is a fast and tasty dinner.

Here are the ingredients that you'll need: 

• 1 1/2 pounds of ground beef
• 1 cup of Ketchup
• BBQ sauce
• 1 heaping spoon of Tomato paste
• Half of a green bell pepper 
• Garlic powder

    First, take the ground beef and place it in a large sauce pan with a little bit of oil. Brown the meat until all of it has crumbled and pinkness is gone.

 Turn off the stove and drain what little liquid had come out. Return to stove, set the burner on medium, add the garlic powder and your chopped green bell pepper. 

Mix well. Now add in the tomato paste and ketchup. Set the burner on low.

Mix well again, then add the BBQ sauce; about half a cup.

Check the meat mixture for flavor and add more ketchup or BBQ sauce until desired taste has been achieved. 

And now you're done!

True to it's name. This sandwich is sloppy!

Add cheese and this messy sandwich becomes even more gooey and delicious.

Hope you Enjoy and Thanks For Reading!

Spring Fashion #3 / Casual Cool Blue

Hi Everyone,
   The weather today wasn't as chilly as the past few days, so I grabbed my camera before it had a chance to change again. I love to do fashion posts, but with all the rain we've been getting it's hard to go outside.
    This outfit was something I threw together before going out to the farmer's market, again, this Saturday. I've never worn socks with open shoes before and now I'm a big fan!; especially when you have socks with cute patterns on them. I have a lot of cute socks. My bangs are getting a bit too long so I didn't bother to style them. They had this natural side swoop going on when I woke up.

Love this blue cardigan from Forever 21

My cherry socks are from Forever 21 

My shorts have tiny blue stripes 

The little bear pin was handmade by me :3

Thanks For Reading!

Spring Fashion #2 / Spunky

    Hi Everyone,

        This outift is all about looking cute and playful. I wore my favorite short overalls and put my hair up in twin buns; which makes this coordination unique but casual. I really love twin bun hair styles. Paired up with a light jacket this can be worn even when the weather is slightly chilly(It was when I took these photos!). I strongly believe in dressing cute no matter what age you may be. 

Jacket is PacSun, Shirt is thrifted, Overalls are from Rue 21, Shoes Walmart

A little pit of punk but still Sweet

Thanks For Reading!

Recipe #2: Grilled Pizza

Hi Everyone,
    Who doesn't like pizza? Pizza can be made in so many ways and can be accommodated for anyone. I don't eat dairy but that doesn't keep me from eating pizza; I just make my own. Here is a fun, tasty and simple recipe for making pizza using the grill! 

Grilled Pizza

     Here are the ingredients that you'll need:

Put the pizza toppings in a muffin tin for easy organization

• Pizza Dough 
• Pizza sauce
• Mozzarella cheese
• Pizza toppings of your choice
• Olive oil

    Set you grill on low. Cut up your veggies and place them in the muffin tins along with any other topping choices. Put your sauce and cheese in separate bowls as well. Separate your dough in 2 equal portions; or for smaller pizzas 4 equal portions. Now roll out the dough using a rolling pin until desired size has been reached. Place raw dough on a plate and oil both sides. Now let's grill them!

Put the raw dough on the grill

When the dough starts to bubble, flip it over.

    Now that it's been flipped, it's time to start the fun part! Let's assemble our pizza! Add your sauce, cheese and toppings onto the grilled side in any way you want. 

Pizza with toppings

    Close the grill and let the pizza's sit for a few minutes until the cheese has melted and toppings look cooked. Once they finish, slide them onto their own plate and it's done. 

My husband's pizza(left) and my pizza(right). I have non-dairy cheese on mine.

Close up of the gooey pizza goodness. YUM!

      

    A super fast and delicious dinner. The whole process takes about 20 mins total. Makes a great party food and also fun to do with kids. I have fond memories of making this type of pizza with my family during the summer :). 

Click Here for another recipe that uses the power of the grill! 

                                                    Hope you enjoy and Thanks For Reading!

Cartoons of the Month / April-May

Hi Everyone,

    I'm a cartoon addict. Always have been, always will be. 

    I've been watching a few different shows and I want to share my nerdy obsession with you! Simply, this wouldn't be my blog unless I mentioned cartoons at least once.

    Since I started my blog a week ago, I'm including April and May into this post.

    No Spoilers. Here's my list:

1. Steven Universe
   
      This show is beautiful, funny, has great music and is down right charming. I love every character(that rarely happens). The story is about a boy named Steven and his friends Garnet, Amethyst and Pearl. Also known as the Crystal Gems; three girls that are immortal, non-human beings who use their powers for good. I really like that all the backgrounds have sparkly designs in accordance with the gem theme.                                                                                                                                  
2. Sidonia no Kishi (Knights of Sidonia)
   
       If you love mecha and science fiction stories, as much as I do, then this anime has it all. The story follows Nagate Tanikaze, who has been living his entire life underground while the rest of the world has advanced in technology including asexual-reproduction and cloning. He gets recruited to pilot an older modeled fighting robot in order to stop the looming threat to their civilization: The Gauna; an alien shapeshifting organism that almost destroyed humans a thousand years ago. Lot's of action and futuristic properties. This anime is actually animated quite differently than the normal because it uses CGi.                                                                                                                                                                            
3. Kill La Kill     I will admit that when I first saw this anime, I hated it. I didn't even watch it, but I hated it. The reason was because it had a lot of "fan-service"; a.k.a showing girls in sexy, skimpy outfits. Eventually I gave it a chance and watched it. Why didn't I watch this show sooner?! If you've watched Gurran Lagann then you'll probably like this show because it's made by the same animation studio. The story revolves around Ryuko Matoi, a girl seeking revenge on the person who killed her father; the one who wields the other half of her scissor blade. She comes across a school uniform, named Senketsu, that gives her the power she needs to fight back. I think this show has a lot of girl power!

   Honorable Mentions: No. 6, Jubei-chan: The Ninja Girl, One Week Friends, Black Bullet, Witch Craft Works

Thanks For Reading!

The Farmer's Market

Hi Everyone,
    Happy Saturday! My husband and I took a trip to the local farmer's market and it was really fun. Even though the weather was slightly cold, it was still an enjoyable experience. The area I live in already supports local businesses so I had high hopes for the market. I wasn't disappointed. If you've never been to a farmer's market, please visit one. You can find great fresh fruits and vegetables, meats, honey, breads, tasty snacks and more. Here's some pictures because I just had to take my camera along with me. 

Beautiful root vegetables 

Potatoes 

I bought 3 bars of soap :) Mint, Almond Oat, and Rosemary

Apple Cider Doughnut. Only 75¢. It was SO delicious; it's now a weekly Saturday treat.

Loved the mushrooms. They are so beautiful. 

Mushroom tea!? I was mesmerized haha

Apples

Fresh Strawberry Lemonade only $2 dollars. Yum.

Empanadas! We bought two of them: Beef and Spicy Pork. Yum!

Of course flowers everywhere and they were all pretty.

    I had a great time and we'll be back next Saturday; probably every Saturday. Bought some hydroponically grown tomatoes, bread, 3 bars of handmade soap, mushrooms, and our tasty treats for only $30.

Support Local Farms! 

Thanks For Reading!