Double Chocolate Chip Heath Bar Cookies

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When I made these divine, soft, and chewy cookies, it was for a company potluck because one of my fellow interns was going back to NYC for the rest of his internship. I of course had to make two things late the night before because I am still such a procrastinator and somewhat of a cooking overachiever….sigh. Anyway, by the time the potluck rolled around, I had already been interning at Venmo for a month. So far so good! I am so thankful to be there and take everyday as a learning experience. I really do love the company am so so thankful for the opportunity to be in a time of growth! (For those of you who don’t know what Venmo is, please please please sign up! It makes life so much easier and seriously is the best thing…ever. Ask anyone who uses it!)

Back to my cookies. I learned a while back that cookies are best when you freeze the cookie dough for at least a few hours or overnight before you bake it because the butter needs time to rest to do its magic. Before this knowledge, I had always wondered why my cookies alwayssss turned out flat and blehhhh compared to store bought kinds that were big, chewy, and thick. When the chef came in to cook for us at the office, her cookies were so blehhhh so I told everyone that I could make better cookies. I hope I lived up to the hype…there were no leftovers and the moms took a few home to their sugar hungry kids. I think these cookies were quite the hit…

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Stuffed Bell Peppers

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Hi yall! Its been quite a loooonggg minute since my last post…in May. Crazy how time flies when every day is filled with different adventures, learning experiences, reflections, and food. What have I been up to these past few months? Well to name a few: sister graduated from Cal, went on a 2.5 week vacation to the east coast, started my VENMO internship the day after I came back, moved to SF for the summer, catching up with friends, never-ending family adventures, and anticipation for the weekend, every week. (More on my crazy summer adventures in later posts.)

In addition, I have been eating out a lot more because I work in Palo Alto, chef/catering at work, and the restaurants there are basically amazing and I live in SF where food and friends are abundant. I sort of lost inspiration for some time because I was never really craving anything because I was trying new foods every day. But I started noticing I felt lazy and gross from eating out for 3 weeks straight, so I decided to take up some more cooking again.  I finally have more people around to eat my food so I get to be a bit more creative! Cheers to being back. I hope yall are having a fabulous summer so far!!! ❤ much love to anyone who reads this.

I decided to make this stuffed bell pepper because I had leftover peppers from the night before when I made the portabello mushroom combination pizzas. For those of you who know me, I actually hate bell peppers-the green ones more than anything. I usually like the red or yellow ones raw. But hell, I had to have color on my pizzas so I had to buy a tri-color pack of bell peppers. I only needed a little bit so I decided to make stuffed peppers and feed them to my friends. Here we go!

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Acai Bowl with Bee Pollen!

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Hot Day? No Problem! Enjoy a vitamin, nutrition, flavor packed ACAI BOWL!!! If you live in SoCal, you totally should get acquainted with this delicious thing because its such a southern cali thing and they have it at a cafe in every beach area. NorCal people, get acquainted too because these are BOMB. My first ever acai bowl was at Swami’s Cafe, in between Del Mar and Solana Beach! I used to go all the time and after a gigantic meal of eggs and potatoes, I always ended with an acai bowl to share. It was also the first time I had BEE POLLEN. Swami’s puts it in the bowls, smoothies, or juices. It is such a dainty little thing and when I looked up where I can buy bee pollen in SD, my search came up with all these nutritional benefits of bee pollen.

What are the nutritional benefits of it? Bee pollen is considered a ‘super-food’ by nutritionalists because it is packed with proteins, essential amino acids, vitamins, carbohydrates, and antioxidants that can increase energy, sharpen memory, and has been said to be a natural remedy for things such as acne, allergies, and high cholesterol.

Where does it come from? When bees fly from each flower to another, the tiny dust particles of the male seed of the blossom sticks onto a bee’s legs, and the bee produces a number of enzymes into the collected pollen as well as saliva among other things. When bees come back to the hive, they pass through this grate the beekeepers built and subsequently the bee pollen falls into a container that collects it! Sounds awfully gross right? hahah well we eat honey!!!

What does it taste like? Tastes a little bit bitter and nutty.

Where can I get it? I got a bottle of it at Sprouts! It was $10.99 for a bottle. Its not cheap-that’s why restaurants and cafes put only a teaspoon on your order every time. But judging from my bottle, it could last me awhile. I plan to throw it into my protein shakes along with my chia seeds. You can also get it at farmers markets from people who sell honey. You have to ask for it.

But BEWARE: Some people may be allergic to bee pollen because they are allergic to airborne pollen or allergic to bee stings. Before you eat this thing, make sure you aren’t allergic or have specific allergies that might make you have a reaction. See a doctor if you aren’t sure!!! You could do a tolerance test, meaning take a kernal a day and increase it everyday until you reach a teaspoon. Read more on the link I provided below.

More about bee pollen here: Bee Pollen; Risks of Bee Pollen

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How I lost 15+ pounds in 3 months!

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Now this is not an infomercial on a weight loss pill or a lap band that magically sheds pounds. haha! I am writing this not to gloat, but to share my story on how I became happy and healthy and shed 17 pounds to be exact since January. A lot of people have asked me what I have been doing so I figured I would write it on here so I can refer people to this post! My juice cleanse post is actually my most viewed post, so I figured that a lot of you out there want to get healthy and am wondering different methods to do so. I hope to inspire someone to get healthy, like I inspired several people to go on a juice cleanse!

It all started in a very embarrassing way: I realized during winter break that I wasn’t fitting into my winter coats anymore! And when I brought home a dress for a wedding, it didn’t fit when it came time to wear it. It was my favorite dress. How shocking and sad I was =(. I knew I had to do something about it once I came back to SD and away from the abundance of food during the holidays. Also, its funny how heartbreak can lead you to look at yourself and want to be better and channel all your anger, sadness, loneliness into something. For me, it was to get fit and be skinny like I used to be 2 years ago. Luckily I interned in a building that had a gym spring semester!
Jan-Feb: So the FIRST thing I did was RUNNNNN on average 4 times a week, 3 miles a day, on an incline of 4.0. I did this for about 4 weeks. There were 2 weeks where sometimes I ran twice a day, once at lunch and once after work, for a total of 5 miles. I did some machine weights. I did 100 crunches a day. I became sort of obsessed! It was definitely VERY HARD in the beginning. I would come home and sleep at 10pm and be sore. I felt like this for 3 weeks. It was sort of an escape for me! Then it became easier and easier. In addition, I did my 3 day juice cleanse! It really taught me that I really didn’t need that much food and it really was an invigorating experience. That lesson has stayed with me since then.

Feb-Mar: The SECOND thing I did was buy a Groupon for a month of unlimited Corepower yoga. I had done the free week last October, so I sorta knew what it was like. I didn’t really like it, but I did it to get toned and flexible. I went 5-6 times a week. I did Hot Fusion and Yoga 1.5 exclusively. I didn’t like the 2 or the Sculpt classes because I figured if I am going to run 3 miles a day, that was enough cardio. So I did this in conjunction to my running. I did another 3 day juice cleanse from Extract Juice Bar in SD. There is a Groupon deal for it! $50. So cheap! I was eating a lot more salads and protein (egg whites, protein powder, chicken) By now, I had lost 10 pounds!!! (stepping on the scale becomes an obsession sorta! hahah)

I went on Spring Break and tried to eat until I was full, and exercised when I could. I went to Miami feeling better about myself, but I knew the trip wasn’t the end of my fitness obsession. I came back and realized I had dropped another 5 pounds! Yee-haw! I came back and signed up for 24 hour fitness too so I can continue to have a place to run!

Fast forward to today, I am now a member at Club Pilates! I like the community feel of the studio, or maybe pilates in general? Everyone is so helpful and nice and the teachers/students are always so friendly and helpful. I dislike it because IT REALLY MAKES YOU SORE!!! There are a lot of core workouts, which means A LOT of planking. But I can already feel some of the results. It definitely tones you up very quickly!

So basically there is no secret to weight loss, but working hard and persevering through the whole thing. Definitely try supplementing your cardio with an extra type of workout that focuses on other parts of your body. My metabolism has gone up! I don’t overeat. I can even hike without dying!!! Now that I am at my ideal weight, I have been wanting to firm and tone up! I plan to continue running and to continue taking that extra fitness class, like pilates and barre. If anyone has recommendations for Bay Area fitness studios, let me know! Currently I am looking at the Dailey Method and the Bar Method. I plan to give barre classes a try! When I come back to SD during the fall, I have another pilates Groupon lined up and plan to try Bikram!

Here are some recommendations I have:

Protein: Trader Joe’s Designer Whey! (I drink it with soy milk and chia seeds after I work out or wake up in the morning.)
Lifting gloves: Saranac b-grl just4me gloves off Amazon.
Shoes: I just bought my first pair of Nike Frees! [But in the past I have been running with Asics]
Hair bands: Sweaty Bands. [I have a really really small head, so even these sort of slip, but I am abnormal and it will not slip for you]

I hope to inspire someone out there to get happy and healthy! Let me know your exercising regimin and your success stories! ❤

Lobster & Shrimp Mac & Cheese!

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Sorry about my weeks long hiatus on posting-just been super busy with school and finals are coming up! Along with that hectic schedule, I have a knack for craving comfort foods. I am not much of a cheese person, (I don’t like cheeseboards or even brie cheese that much), but I LOVE mac&cheese!!! I like them soupy, like Souplantation’s, or baked, like gourmet. So you ask, why did I decide to make such a fancy mac&cheese in the midst of my busy schedule? Well, I was walking around Food4Less one day, and I stumbled upon some cooked, frozen lobster tails for only $5! I am used to eating fresh ones, so I wasn’t going to bring it home to make a surf and turf, but I thought it’d be a great idea to throw the lobster meat into mac&cheese to fancy it up a bit! When I finally pounded the lobster tail open though, I realized that there probably wasn’t enough for my dish, so I decided to throw in some shrimp for some added meat and seafood! Turned out delicious!!!

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Eat Puesto!

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3 Tacos: Chicken Al Pastor, Carnitas, and Shrimp

Puesto Mexican Street Food is a bright, trendy, and hip Mexican casual restaurant in downtown La Jolla! When you first walk in, you notice big boards that tell you what you can order and its prices. Two main items on the menu are the bowls and the street tacos. The tortillas are made fresh, and you are able to see first hand of your tacos/bowls put together. They ask you what type of meats, salsas, and toppings you want, similar to Chipotle, but with way more options. Avocado slice comes free, but guac is extra. At the end of the line, there is a drink menu. Puesto serves a variety of cocktails, such as Micheladas (icy cold beer served with spices and fresh ingredients such as tomatillos, cucumbers, and lime), and frozen Margaritas. In addition to drinks, there’s a variety of side items to choose from such as black beans, corn, chips and guac, and the Mexican street fruit cup!

My experience:
I was able to meet with one of the co-owners, Eric, during my visit for this review. He, along with his cousin and brother, were fans of their executive chef’s authentic Mexican street taco creations and wanted to build upon that. They jumped right in with limited restaurant knowledge, but word spread fast of this fun and hip joint, and soon became recognized in the San Diego community as a place to go to for good Mexican food. They are opening a second location in Downtown San Diego later this year, and I am delighted to go once again when it opens. 
Best things there: huitlacoche taco and the fruit cup!!!
Tacos: 
Chicken Al Pastor, Carnitas, and Shrimp
I was very eager to try their tacos because of the freshly made tortilla, grilled cheese, and all the crazy freshly made salsas they had. I got the huilatcoche, chicken al pastor with tomatillo roja salsa, carnitas with tomatillo verde salsa, and shrimp tacos with mango salsa. 
Let me tell you the huitlacoche taco is AMAZING. THE BEST THING EVER. I still think about it, and want to go back specifically for this. For those of you who have never heard of this wild thing, let me educate you!!!!! It is a FUNGUS (corn smut) that grows on corn. Google it! It’s black, oozes out like black sesame, and has an earthy flavor, like mushrooms. Some call it the Mexican truffle! Eric, the owner, told me that those who know what it is order it and are in love with it. Well I have definitely seen the light! It might look/sound gross to some people, but trust me, think of it as black sesame or something and you will be fine once you put it in your mouth. TRUST ME. ORDER IT NEXT TIME YOU GO! ITS DELICIOUS! Here is a delightful picture:
Huitlacoche taco with grilled cheese
The chicken taco was good, and full of flavor. I was a fan of the salsa blending very well with the marinated chicken. However, it was a good taco, but nothing too OMG.
The carnitas taco was delicious! I am a HUGE fan of salsa verde and perfectly salty and flavored carnitas. I really enjoyed this one. The meat was really tender. Sort of inspires me to make my own carnitas!
The shrimp taco was my least fav. The shrimp itself was big, not like the dinky little ones you normally get at Fred’s or World Famous on taco tuesdays. But the shrimp taco itself, combining all of the other stuff in it was lacking in flavor, immensely. I wasn’t a fan of the rice in the taco…or the meh mango salsa. Those two things could definitely be worked on. Like the mango salsa being either sweet or salty, but it was neither. :(. This was just too bad because I normally LOVE shrimp tacos. If you do decide to get them, I suggest getting them without the rice, and choosing a different salsa! 
I was also able to taste the pistachio salsa. Earthy in flavor. Its supposed to be sort of spicy, but I didn’t really notice the spiciness.
Drinks: 
Green Michelada
Sangria Margarita

Micheladas are beers with fresh lime, fresh ingredients of choice, with a salt lined brim. The GREEN one here has tomatillo, charred jalapeno, cucumber and lime. I really enjoyed this drink! Its refreshing, and has a bit more flavor than a regular beer. Get it next time on a hot day!

Eric, the owner, said that the Sangria Margarita is a popular drink. I can definitely taste the strong agave of the tequila in it. Wasn’t a big fan of the sweetness. It was sort of wine-y and fruity, but because I am not a fan of tequila in the first place, I didn’t really enjoy this one. But I am sure many of you would enjoy this drink! It has a slushy texture. Good for a hot day too!

Lastly: THE MEXICAN STREET FRUIT CUPS!!!

I personally have never had one, even on those drunken nights in Mexico back in the day, or my cruise trip senior year. Let me say that Puesto’s cup is delicious!!! I really liked the lime, chili and sea salt sprinkle mixture with the fruit!!! The cup contains seasonal fruits, so its bound to change when summer rolls around. The one I had contained mangoes, pineapples, jicama, dried mango with seasoning, cucumbers, and carrots. It was the best thing to end my visit. SO THANKFUL!

If you like them, or want to get to know more about this restaurant, follow them on Twitter at @eatpuesto, or Like them on Facebook at facebook.com/eatpuesto, or follow them on Instagram at @eatpuesto. They have a food truck that sells tacos and fruit cups that drive around SD too, so if you are interested, follow them and be informed! Tag #eatpuesto on Twitter or Instagram, and your photos and/or comments may be shown on their tv screens inside the restaurant! 

Cuban Oxtail Stew! (and Miami Post!)

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As many of you may know now, I went to spring break in MIAMI! This is one of the last spring breaks I will ever have as a student and I really have never done it that big before. We went to the beach, saw the alligators in the Everglades, ate tons of food, relaxed, sightseed, day clubbed and night clubbed, and drank. Everyone was such a blast and made this trip memorable.  Thank you to you crazy fools!

Easter Brunch on yacht around Miami!
Inside LIV
Dancer at MANSION
Expensive Red Bull Vods

So a little bit more about Miami: it is a totally different vibe than Cali. or even Vegas. (Now I know this may not be the case during ULTRA because so many Cali kids and west coast people go). The vibe there is much more relaxed, chill, European. No ragers like us, barely any dancing, and especially no twerking. Even the fist pumping wasnt punching the sky like we know how to do. haha! But they do play a lot of European style trance so it was nothing that I was really used to. The clubs there are beautiful, but I have to say LIV underwhelmed me-it was a mix between the Grand and FLUXX. I totes expected it to be like XS or something. Nope. We also went to STORY, which was aight. But MANSION was by far the funnest club and very unique. Cool dancers, everything was so flashy and show-y and they only serve top-shelf- our red bull vods were made with Belvedere and were $25. hahha! We went to the RX pool party at the Shelborne, and it basically was very chill and no one splashed water around or danced or raged like at Encore Beach Club haha. One thing I learned on this trip was the best way to cure a hangover is to drink coconut water before you go to bed and to never go out so early- 1am is still early. BEST THING EVER!

Me running away from the alligator bc I was too scared to hold it!
Cuban coffee-Cortadito
Bulldog! (Margarita and 2 beers)
Ceviche

The food in Miami is AMAZING. Every meal we had was delicious. Notable mentions: La Sandwicherie (went there 5 times during our stay and got the Salmon, Prosciutto, Mozzarella one), Puerto Sagua (delicious Cuban food, which inspired my obsession with oxtail stew), Cuban coffee called Cortadito (brown sugar sits at the bottom of the espresso cup and the espresso drips onto the sugar, creating a sweet paste. More espresso drips and creates this delicious foam on top. One order of it can feed 3 people- that’s how strong it is!), and lots and lots of potato balls, pork, and black beans! The ceviche at My Ceviche we had was delicious, but somehow I got food poisoning from it. No one else did though so I still recommend it to anyone who goes to Miami! More pictures on my facebook!

Beautiful blue water

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Lemon Meltaways!

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Had some extra lemons, so decided to make some lemon meltaway cookies! They are sweet, full of citrus flavor, and melt in your mouth! It is basically a shortbread. Sort of like the the Girl Scout Savannah Smiles cookies! I usually get them, but I didn’t buy any Girls Scouts cookies this year because of my fit obsession. But two of these that I ate satisfied my craving. THANK GOD i dont have a crazy sweet tooth like everyone else. Give this a try! I have made it with limes too! Super easy!

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Tomato and Basil Soup!

Posted in Dinner, Lunch, Soup by

Tomato soup is one of my favorites-I sure wish I had a grilled cheese right now! I used to get the boxes of Trader Joes Tomato soup and drink it all the time. I really wanted the opportunity to make it myself because its obviously less processed and you can make it with the ingredients you like. I substituted heavy cream with light sour cream [or greek yogurt] and used some fresh tomatoes and basil. I got to control how much salt I put in and the consistency of the soup. I bought an immersion blender literally to make tomato soup haha. I dont really like creamy soups; I typically prefer broth-y ones. The blender is so handy to use! Through my search for an immersion blender, I figured there are two kinds that are similar: hand mixer and an immersion blender. They both look almost the same, but if you have a regular mixer or a stand alone one, the hand mixer is of no use. Immersion blenders puree food! So if you want to make hearty and creamy soups, I suggest you get one! I love my Cuisinart one!

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Chocolate Custard Cake!

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When I saw this cake on White on Rice Couple’s blog, my eyes grew big and immediately made the decision to make it…this week. This week also happened to my boss’ birthday and last day at the company so it was the perfect excuse to bake it. I ate a slice for breakfast to ‘test’ it out to make sure its not poisonous before I feed it to people. haha I ate it right out of the fridge – but you should eat it room temperature because it will have a more softened custard like texture. It also isn’t that sweet, so its perfect!

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