Cold Food recap

…and now since my husband is home from training today on Tuesday, August 2nd, I feel like I have breathing room again. I felt like it all month was a cycle was a triathlon of dealing with my physical health, mental health, and caring for my young child and two dogs all month. Plus I’m still on a probation period at my job so I am determined to perform well.

Dishes served cold (Eat Around the World)

I think I am caught up on posts for the most part. Summertime in my section in LA gets unbearably hot. I try to limit my stove and oven use in the summer when it get really hot. I crave for cold dishes and the leftovers from the fridge and *shocker* not reheat them.

Cheese recap

I usually have a goal in mind of what I would like to make each month. This month I wanted to try to make ricotta cheese, but it’s been so hot this month. I was already looking forward to experimenting with cold dishes which is July’s food theme.

Cheese around the World

*Note: I thought I posted my Strawberries recap on May 31st, but I must have forgotten to publish it. **

I decided to use June to explore cheese. If I am stump on what to make for any meal, I would eat grilled cheese sandwiches. If it’s grilled cheese for breakfast, I’d add an egg. If it’s grilled cheese for lunch or dinner, add a side of soup or salad. I’d make a charcuterie board a meal. There’s no designated charcuterie board really. It’s more like a plate of cheese, crackers, cured meats, and fruits — it’s the easiest work lunch to pack like adult Lunchables.

Strawberries around the World (recap)

I decided not to do a deadline. At some point I’d like to do a standing page on previous food themes so I can continue to update and share some recipes around that theme. After my Eggs post recap, I thought to myself, “I don’t want to stop sharing recipes about eggs.” A few days later, I made shakshuka. I have to admit, it was not the best shakshuka recipe but I will continue to find a good shakshuka recipe even if April is long over.

So rather than being bound by deadlines, I’ll continue to share some egg dishes just as I want to share some recipe wins around ice cream and festive dishes. But also I do enjoy recap posts because I get to reflect on the past month through food. Plus I think it is fun to focus and explore on a certain food or theme for a month.

Eat Around the World: Strawberries

Anything with strawberries are hit and miss with me. I like fresh strawberries, but I am not a fan of strawberry flavor such as strawberry ice cream, strawberry candy, strawberry milk, etc. because the flavor tends to come off as artificial. I ask “did they really use strawberries?”

Eat around the World: Eggs (recap)

Now back to the fun foodie post. Did you hear? I experienced a racist incident. I was so steamed I had to write about it.

I have to say, keeping a blog has saved me many, many times. It has helped me deal with difficult and dark moments. Rather than being drowned out by what everybody else thinks, I get write my own narrative and I find that empowering. In blog world, I kick ass.

Anyways, here egg dishes I got to try this month. Most of the egg dishes were chicken eggs. I was hoping to find some eggs bonda or maybe make some this month. I did not even get to make eggs bonda during my week off. I think I may have under estimated the free time I actually had during my week off.

Eat Around the World: Eggs

I must always have a carton of eggs in the fridge. After university, there was a time eggs was what I had with every meal. I went from co-operative living at university eating from the cafeteria every day for every meal to making every meal on my own on a tiny budget. It was always breakfast for dinner and I did not mind. As I am approaching my mid-30s, I continue to do breakfast for dinner. Since I don’t eat a lot of meat and needed enough protein to get through my pregnancy, I had to eat lots of eggs (plus the morning protein shake to give me that boost). Plus my kid needs protein and she prefers eggs and beans. She does not really go out of her way to eat meat. Very rarely does she reach out for chicken. I am happy to say that it saves me money because I would probably find the meat on the floor.

Eat Around the World: Green food recap

When I think of green food, I think of spinach and I find spinach to be…blah… I feel like I only eat spinach if I need to be healthy. Here’s a work lunch I packed. The base is loads of spinach with cucumbers, tomatoes, sliced almonds, and a hardboiled egg. It’s simple, but it looks so…blah… I just don’t find it the most appetizing salad. Maybe something is missing. I chose green because I wanted (errr…need) to eat more greens in my life. In the beginning it was tough to start, but later on I had a lot of fun finding all kind of green food from salads to entries to sides and desserts!

Eat around the World: Ring-shaped food (recap)

I think I was just being funny when I decided February’s theme would be around foods shaped like rings. Valentine’s Day is in February, so there are engagement rings. And the Olympics happened this month, so there are the Olympic rings. I think I was just being goofy at the time. But I have to say, I had a lot of fun than I expected exploring this shape. I did have bagels, but I did not find any true ring-shaped ones. Or maybe these bagels were so big, it was no longer ring-like. I did not get a chance to make any ring-shaped food since my donut mold was in a box as my kitchen cabinet had to stay empty for the majority of the month.

Foods shaped like rings (Eat around the World)

Initially, I wanted February’s theme to be bagels because I like bagels. Instead, I thought maybe I should go a little broader and explore different types of ring-shaped food. This theme is so fitting for February because the Winter Olympics start this Friday. Also, this month is Valentine’s Day and I thought of engagement rings — cheesy, I know.

Salads recap

I thought doing a post on salad should be a fun twist on a common New Year’s Resolution, losing weight. Instead of the focus being “to lose weight,” it could be to eat more salad or more vegetables. The challenge was looking for salads that use cold-weather vegetables or grains.