Happy Veggie Garden

A few weeks ago I  went down South to visit family with my mom.  El Hubby was not worried that I was going without him.  His reason was that I was going with "the vegetarian" and "how much fun" could I get in.  Carnivores can be so harsh.

Well we did have lots of Chinese food while in LA but not all was vegetarian.  But we did have a lot of vegetarian food. 

We ate at a vegetarian restaurant called Happy Veggie Garden.   Chinese people make pretty good vegetarian food.  I think I like Chinese vegetarian food the best because most items are hot and not in the salad category.

We ordered a lot of dishes but the one that stands out for me is the beef noodle soup.  Now if you have had spicy beef noodle soup you know what I am talking about.  No, there was no beef in the dish.  But the flavoring was pretty good that you might THINK it was made from beef.  Pretty amazing if you ask me. I think even El Hubby would approve.

Happy Veggie Garden also has some other amazing dishes like orange chicken.  Instead of fried pieces of chicken it is made from fried button mushroom.  Taste just as good and orange chicken without the chicken!

The food also comes with either rice porridge or buns.  Or you can always choose steamed rice too. 

Happy Veggie Garden
1015 S. Nogales Street, Ste 127
Roland Heights, CA 91748
(616) 810-2298

Khloe the pup really likes El Hubby's stinky fee.  I caught her playing with her pineapple on top of El Hubby's slippers.  Weird. 

Keep eating vegetables!

XOXO

McDonald's S'more Pie

The best part of camping is making s'mores by the camp fire.  I remember camping with my family when I was younger and enjoying ghost stories while eating s'mores. 

Now that I am married to a husband that does not camp I have not enjoyed s'mores in a long time.  Unless you count making them in the microwave.  Which I don't count. 

McDonald's came out with a s'mores pie.  Of course I tried it.  Duh!  This thing is pretty good.  However it is very rich in flavor.  Realistically I think I can only eat half.  El Hubby and I shared it.  The s'mores pie is basically chocolate and marshmallow wrapped in a graham cracker pie crust.  For fast food, I say this is pretty good.

I am probably bias but I think Khloe the pup is the cutest.  I am such a proud fur mama and until I have a kid she will continue to be spoiled.  Took a pick of her sleeping away.  It looks like she is smiling in her sleep. 

Keep making and finding good food to eat!

XOXO

S21

One of my favorite things to eat is noodles.  The best kind of noodles are either handmade or ramen.  When I heard there was a Japanese restaurant making ramen I knew I had to go.

I got the pork ramen and it was delicious.  The broth had a lot of flavor and the ramen was cooked well.  The pork was very tender.  My only complaint was that my ramen was served with half a egg and I would prefer a whole egg.  Otherwise it was perfect.  The portion is also very big.

S21 is a little place.  I really liked the restaurant because now a days it is hard to find a place with no TV or loud music.  El Hubby and I were able to enjoy a nice dinner and conversation.  The service was a little slow.  It looked like there was only 1 server the night we went but he was very nice and helpful.  The ramen took a while to arrive but it is for sure worth the wait.  El Hubby and I had order some sushi so it all worked out.  Ramen is not served everyday.  Ramen is only served on Tuesday and Wednesday for dinner.  I will for sure being going back to S21.

S21 Sushi & Sake Bar
5754 N. First Street
Fresno, CA 93710
(559) 438-7100

Khloe the pup can have a very serious face when she wants to.  She is usually all smiles but occasionally she will stare you down.  Watch out!

Keep eating good food friends!

XOXO

McDonald's Dipped Cone

McDonald's keeps coming up with new things.  Some good some not so good. 

The new dipped cone is very good.  McDonald's vanilla soft serve ice cream has always been yummy.  But dipped in chocolate is always better!  Also for $1.29 I am pretty sure no one can beat that price. 

This is how I caught El Hubby and Khloe the pup watching TV together.  These two always amaze me. 

Keep cool friends!

XOXO

Hash House A Go Go

El Hubby and I have a really good friend that has moved to San Diego.  He was basically our eating buddy.

It took about a year but El Hubby and I finally made it to visit him in San Diego.  The very first place we went to when we arrived in San Diego was eat at Hash House A Go Go.  The portions at this place are huge.  Oh and when I mean huge I am not exaggerating.  I swear El Hubby's plate took up 1/4 our our table.

I had one of the house hashes that had fresh mushroom, artichoke hearts, sundried tomato, and fresh spinach.  This was very yummy.  Oh and they did not skimp on any of the ingredients.  However, I think my favorite part was the biscuit.  It was nice, fluffy, flakey, and melt in your mouth.  Oh and then there was the house jam.  I don't know what it was exactly but it was amazing.  We talked about me stealing the jar in my purse.  Don't worry!  We left the jam on the table.

El Hubby and our friend, Cheng, enjoyed a mimosa at breakfast.  The boys claimed that it's vacation so drinking at 10am in the morning is okay. 

The portions are seriously big here.  I saw a lot of couples share a plate.  However, the only child in me hates sharing so there was no way that was happening.  You definitely get your bang for your buck at this place.  There are a lot of items on the menu to try.

Hash House A Go Go
3628 5th Avenue
San Diego, CA 92103
(619) 298-4646

 Khloe the pup is always down to play.  However, El Hubby and I do not always feel the same.  The poor pup lives a hard life. 

Good food is best shared with good friends!

XOXO

Pinkberry

So El Hubby and I are major dessert people.  Hence my baking obsession. 

One of our favorite sweets is froyo.  A few weeks ago I got to try Pinkberry for the very first time while in San Diego. 

Oh my gawd!  Pinkberry is awesome.  I got the peach yogurt with pineapple and strawberry as my toppings.  I was a little scared at first on how the peach yogurt would taste.  But it was amazing.  By my choice of yogurt and topping you can clearly tell I am a fruity kinda gal. 

I can't believe that I have been missing out for so long.  However, it does make me sad because there is no Pinkberry near my hometown.  But I did go to their website (because it's 2012 and everyone has a website) and found out that Pinkberry is a franchise.

Mental note:  start considering quitting day job and opening a Pinkberry. 

The Pinkberry I visited in San Diego was a cute kiosk looking place.  The line was long and slow but it was worth the wait in the end.  The store was nice and clean.  The employees were nice and happy.  But then who wouldn't be working in a yogurt place.  I am for sure stopping the next time I see a Pinkberry.  

Fashion Valley
7007 Friars Road #915
San Diego, CA 92108
(619) 294-4600

Khloe this pup is always a happy dog.  There is really not much that gets this doggie down.  She even loves the vet.  It always makes me laugh when the vet is trying to feel her looking for anything abnormal and Khloe gives her kisses.  El Hubby and I are very luck. 

Life is short.  Eat dessert first!

XOXO

Salmon and Shrimp Dinner

One of my favorite parts of summer is grilled food.  Partly because it's yummy and partly because I am not the one standing outside in the heat watching the grill.  Thank goodness for El Hubby.

After months of not working out (sadly I am not exaggerating) El Hubby and I have been trying to eat healthier.  This means more lean protein, veggies, and less eating out.  For a little while we were eating out a lot and not at the best place.  Sorry McD's no matter what your commercials say you are no good to my waistline. 

This also means we are trying to be more realistic about our grocery shopping.  Sometimes we would buy all kinds of healthy food to only throw it all away when it went bad because we were eating out because we were too busy to cook the healthy items.  So now we also buy healthy frozen food and some not so healthy for those days. 

Hopefully this healthy eating and smart shopping will help my waistline and wallet. 

Ooops!  Almost forgot to talk about the food pictured above.  This is a dinner of a simple salad, salmon seasoned with pepper cooked in a foil packet with lemon on the grill, and shrimp marinated with garlic and butter grilled. 

Khloe the pup and El Hubby like to get into all kinds of trouble.  For instance, they like to play fetch inside the house.  It's all fun and games until something gets knocked over.  Oh and of course our house is not even that big.  What's a fur mama to do?  

Keep grilling friends!

XOXO

Ribeye Dinner

I believe I have stated that I do not grill.  I can do all the prep work.  I cut, marinade, and clean.  But actually standing in front of the grill?  Nope.  Too scary.  I leave that to El Hubby.  I like to call it team work.  I get everything ready, he grills, we eat dinner.  Bam!

This dinner was nothing fancy.  El Hubby seasoned the ribeye steaks with some salt and fresh ground pepper and then slapped them on the grill.  I whipped up some garlic mashed potatoes, mac n cheese, and of course a salad.  I also roasted some broccoli but it never made it on the plate.  We had a lot of leftovers but that is the intention so that we have food to pack for lunch. 

Khloe the pup always wants to play.  However Khloe the pup's favorite game is keep away.  Which is only fun for her.  She pretends to give you the ball and then snatches it away right before you get it and runs off wagging her tail only to come back and do it all again.  Ah weird little doggie but I guess as long as she burns off energy that is all that matters. 

Keep on cooking friends!

XOXO

Grilled Pork Chops

We are now full blown into summer.  With the super hot weather what better way than to grill to keep the house cool.  Grilling also means less pots and pans to wash which is fine by me. 

A simple dinner of rice, veggies, and meat.  I like to mix brown and white rice and cook it with a little olive oil.  the rice comes out amazing.  Uh if I am too lazy to cook inside of course I would use frozen veggies. 

Grilled Pork Chops

Ingredient:
4-5 slice of pork
Italian dressing

Directions:

1. Marinade pork in Italian dressing (best if over night)
2.  Pass meat to El Hubby to grill

Muahahaha.  What a awesome dinner.  Okay okay I am guessing you grill the pork for about 7-10 minutes each side at around 375 degree F.  But don't quote me on that.  I solely rely on El Hubby for all my grilling needs.  Who do I look like?  Girl meets girl?  No. 

When Khloe the pup is serious she is serious.  

Keep cooking friends!

XOXO

Banana Oat Muffins

I think I have posted more banana recipes than anything else in the last 6+ months.  I can't help it.  El Hubby and I always have banana around.  It's a good snack food before and after a workout.  Then if they get too ripe you can't eat them cause they contain to much sugar.  Or can you ...

This banana oat muffin recipe that I am sharing is not too sweet at all.  Perfect for those who do not have a sweet tooth.  Which means 95% of my Asian family and friends.  

Banana Oat Muffins
From Honey & Jam

Ingredients:
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 1/4 cup wheat flour
1 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg
3/4 cup milk
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup mashed bananas

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. 
2. Combine flours, oats, sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.
3. Beat eggs until light.  Stir in milk, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract.
4. Add the mashed bananas and combine thoroughly.  
5. Stir the flour mixture into the banana mixture until just combined.  DO NOT OVER MIX OR MUFFINS WILL BE TOUGH.
6. Spray a mini bundt pan with cooking spray and divide batter into pan.  Bake for about 14-16 minutes.

I brought these as a snack to a Tzu Chi meeting and they were a hit.  For me I thought these need more sugar.  They are definitely a muffin and not a cake.  But less sugar means more healthy.  Plus the oats are great for fiber. 

Khloe the pup is a very loved dog.  Looking at Khloe the pup it is hard to imagine that she came from a shelter and when El Hubby found her there she was just laying in the dirt.  Now she sunbathes on the patio.

Keep on cooking!

XOXO
Peggy

Rice Crispy Treats

Tzu Chi has started the summer math tutoring program for July.  This is really a great program for kids.  Every Saturday from 10am to 12pm kids grades K-algebra can come and get math tutoring for free.  I am pretty sure that free is always good. Snacks are also provided.  Since I am no math pro I will be part of the snack making crew.

For the first session I wanted to be extra careful since I did not know if any kids had allergies yet.  So what do I make?!?  Rice crispy treats!  Now I didn't know that there were people who didn't know how to make homemade rice crispy treats.  But I got asked for the recipe so I figured I would share on the blog.

Rice crispy treats really are super simple.  Any kinds of sprinkles or candies can be added.  If you want to get adventurous you can use other cereals instead of rice cereal too.

Rice Crispy Treats

Ingredients:
1 box rice crispy cereal (12 oz box)
1 bag mini marshmallow
1/4 cup butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup M&Ms

Directions:

1. Microwave butter in a large bowl.
2. Add mini marshmallows into bowl with the melted butter.  Microwave in 30 second intervals until melted.  Stir after each interval.
3. Add vanilla extract to the marshmallow mixture for extra flavor. 
4. Spray a very large bowl with cooking spray and fill with cereal.  Add the marshmallow mixture to the cereal and mix.  
5. Add any sprinkles or candy.
6. Spray a 9 x 13 baking dish with cooking spray.  Press rice crispy cereal mixture into pan.  Let set for about 10 minutes.
7. Slice and enjoy!

These homemade rice crispy treats were a hit with the kiddies.  But then again who wouldn't love something covered in marshmallow?  El Hubby even considered coming to volunteer to eat some rice crispy treats.  I let him have some for the promise of volunteering next time.  We will see.

Khloe the pup really only has two speeds.  Excited and lazy.  She is very good at both. 

Keep on cooking!

XOXO
Peggy