These past few weeks have just been road trip after road trip intertwined with a couple birthday parties, a bittersweet goodbye party, and a wedding. Though seeing friends and family, visiting sights, and dining out are all my favorite things to do, I’m looking forward to a weekend with absolutely zero plans! Call me a shut-in, call me antisocial (screw you, btw), sometimes you just need to do absolutely nothing in order to “recharge” as I like to say, and it seems my low-battery light has been flashing for sometime.

Though it sounds like I may be complaining about the hecticness of life, I’m not. I’m actually quite grateful for all the experiences I’ve had in the past year. Reflecting back, I learned to ride a motorcycle, I entered a triathlon (and signed up for another one next year), I got to to see some great shows (Paul McCartney at Candlestick’s farewell, Ringo Starr, Cirque Du Soleil’s Love, Sound Garden, Louis CK, and Eddie Izzard to name a few), I finished a couple art projects, I’ve travelled quite a bit (granted, though only within the U.S.), and oh hey, I got married to a great guy! So, I can’t complain. With a few inevitable not-so-great life experiences and situations aside, this past year for the most part, has been pretty fantastic I’ll say. But right now, nothing sounds more appealing than to park my lazy ass on the couch next to my husband’s and go on a Netflix binge.

Of course, lazy weekends call for lazy recipes. This chili recipe is literally just throwing things in a pot and walking away; ok, maybe there’s a little more to it than that but there’s really not a whole lot you can do to mess it up – thus the beauty of chili! The ingredient portions are built to my tastes but feel free to adjust them however you like. Want to add more onions? Do it! Want to switch the beef for turkey? Go ahead! Want to add PBR to the mix? I say go for it, you f*#kin hipster!

Been a little obsessed with floral oil cloths lately.
Top left: Cajun shrimp from Cha Cha Cha’s in San Francisco
Top right: Ordered a new oil cloth
Bottom left: Homemade caramel pork belly and egg
Bottom right: Sangria margarita from Chacho’s in Downtown San Jose

Top left: Design I made to be a reminder for myself and others
Top right: A painting I made. Inspired by a photo taken by my sister while in France. Acrylic on canvas
Bottom left: shot from my motorcycle training class
Bottom right: medal from the Hits triathlon in Napa, hence the grapes/

Top left: homemade pork belly adobe
Top right: homemade bacon wrapped stuffed chicken with heirloom bruschetta
Bottom left: homemade pizza
Bottom right: homemade tom rim

Frequent visits to SF lately.
Top left: Golden gate bridge
Top right: Dim sum in San Francisco
Bottom left: Lychee mojito from Burma Superstar
Bottom right: Beach in San Francisco

First time in Las Vegas since I was 13. Crossed off a bucket list item and watched Beatles LOVE. Seriously amazing performance!
Top left: Getting ready to see Beatles LOVE with cocktails in hand
Top right: Old Vegas
Bottom left: Fremont in Vegas
Bottom right: Waiting on the LOVE lobby, admiring the sign

Made a trip down south for a wedding.
Top left: Moonlight Beach in Encinitas, San Diego county
Top right: Shot from a friend’s beautiful backyard wedding in Escondido
Bottom left: Brunch by the beach in Encinitas
Bottom right: Our AirBNB in Escondido

Visited Tahoe with the sister
Top left: Charcuterie board picnic in Tahoe
Top right: Emerald Bay, South Lake Tahoe
Bottom left: Emerald water
Bottom right: More food!

Ingredients
1 tbsp canola oil
1 onion, diced
6 jalapenos, seeded and diced
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb ground beef
1 ½ – 2 cup tomato sauce
4 cups water
1 tbsp worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp vinegar
1 tsp sugar
½ -1 cup black beans, canned
2 tomatoes, diced
½ cup frozen corn
½ tsp cumin
2 tbsp sriracha
salt
pepper

garnish:
green onion, diced
sour cream
shredded jack cheese
cilantro, chopped
avocado, diced

Directions
Place a large pot on medium-high heat. Heat the oil and brown diced onions for 2-3 minutes. Add the ground beef to the pot and break into small pieces using a wooden spoon. cook until slightly browned. Add garlic, jalapenos, black beans, corn, tomatoes, water, tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, vinegar, sugar, sriracha, cumin, salt, and pepper. Stir well. When the mixture has come to a boil, cover the pot with a lid, bring heat down to low, and let it cook for 25-35 minutes. Carefully lift the lid, stir well, and adjust to taste. Pour in individual serving bowls and garnish with shredded cheese, avocado, sour cream, green onion, and cilantro.

For dunking and dipping, I used this basic cornbread recipe . You can never go wrong with Betty Crocker!

The past few months have been flying by, I mean, here we are, already half way through 2015. By the way, I’m not particularly looking forward to turning 28 next month. At 27, you’re teetering between mid-twenties and late twenties, but once you turn 28, let’s face it, you’re pretty much 30! No, I’m not obsessed with getting old, but I am half-expecting someone to hand me a congratulatory birthday package containing a bottle of Tums, some anti-wrinkle cream, a bottomless bag of butterscotch candies, and a complete beginner’s guide on how to knit. Of course, I’m being facetious! Sort of. Here’s hoping 30 is the new 20!

Top left: In the world of digital messaging, getting a post card in the mail is all the more special.
Top right: The porch needed something other than cobwebs to fill up it’s space.
Bottom left: More succulents from the nursery.
Bottom right: Enjoying a drink by the fire at Mix Downtown Sacramento.

Top left: Fish sauce chicken wings with fried garlic. My kitchen smelled of garlic for hours after.
Top right: I think my husband has mastered the art of grilling steaks.
Bottom left: Homemade lemongrass chicken noodle salad
Bottom right: Homemade fried green tomatillos

Top left: Banofee cream pie I made for a house warming. Desserts require a delicate hand, I should know, I made 2 pie crusts but flopped one in the oven as I was taking it out. You need them delicate hands, I tell you!
Top right: Doughnuts for National Doughnut Day.
Bottom left: Homemade carrot cake cupcakes for a Birthday.
Bottom right: Homemade French toast.

One thing I hope to do more in my thirties is travel. As I type this, my father is in Vietnam, my brother just returned from Taiwan, and my sister is in France. Meanwhile, here I am being a homebody and thinking of going on a little adventure to the taco truck parked a few blocks away.

Speaking of Mexican food, if you’re a fan of Chorizo, check out my recipe for Egg and Chorizo Potato bake.(Like my little segway there?) I made this one morning after realizing I had a crap ton of potatoes hidden away under my liquor table – when you have a tiny kitchen with very limited cabinet space, you get creative in the way you store things. A little forewarning about this dish – it is extremely addictive! I firmly believe that potatoes, when combined with a considerable amount of fat (whether it’s oil, animal fat, cheese, or butter in this case), is the crack cocaine of the food world! It’s no wonder the Lay’s potato chip motto is “Bet you can’t eat just one!” OR consider the Pringles slogan – “Once you pop, the fun don’t stop”. That’s totally a hardcore druggy reference if I ever heard one! But I digress…without further ado, here’s the recipe to my egg and chorizo potato bake!

Ingredients
2 lb potatoes (Yukon or Russet), diced into small ½ inch cubes and washed
4 tablespoons butter, melted
1 ½ teaspoon salt
Pepper to taste
9 oz. chorizo
1 onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
4 eggs
cilantro (optional)

Directions
In your oven, place a rack on the lowest position. Place a sheet pan on the rack and preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. (Heating the sheet pan beforehand will help prevent the potatoes from sticking) Toss the cubed potatoes with melted butter, salt, and pepper. Lay the potatoes evenly on the heated sheet pan and bake for 20 minutes. With a spatula, toss the potatoes and bake for another 15-20 minutes.

While the potatoes are baking, place a large skillet over medium to medium high heat. Add the chorizo and break up the bits using a wooden spoon. After a minute or 2, add in the diced onions and allow it to become slightly translucent, stir occasionally. Add in bell peppers and cook for another few minutes until the peppers have softened. Remove excess oil if needed.

After the potatoes have finished baking, lower the heat to 375 degrees F. Remove the potatoes from the sheet pan and add to skillet. Toss the mixture in the skillet, allowing the potatoes to be coated in the chorizo and veggies. Carefully crack the eggs over the potatoes and place the skillet in the oven. Bake for about 12 minutes.

Remove the skillet from the oven and sprinkle chopped cilantro over the top. Enjoy with some tortillas or toast!

Living in California, I am just surrounded by amazing Mexican food everywhere! Whether it’s a taqueria, a fancy cantina, or a push cart down the street, you don’t have look very far to find your favorite dishes.

In fact, one of my favorite dishes is, you guessed it, chile rellenos – peppers stuffed with cheese that’ve been battered and deep fried served with a tangy tomato salsa. The first time I had these were in Woodland, California at Maria’s Cantina. I was told their chile rellenos were amazing – the stuffed peppers I’ve had in the past were always just filled with bland barley and raisins, but I’m always down to try new foods, so I took chance and order it with a side of rice and beans. Needles to say, I was pleasantly surprised. The richness of the jack cheese, the smoky poblano flavor, and the zesty salsa…I had never had anything like it!

Fast-forward a few years, and here I am today, making my own chile rellenos at home. Not going to lie, these peppers are a lot more labor-intensive than I had expected, but it’ll be worth it once you take that first bite. Check out the recipe below! (modified and adapted from All Recipes.

Ingredients

Yields: 4 stuffed peppers

Stuffed peppers:
4 poblano/pasilla peppers
4 oz of pepper jack cheese, cubed
4 eggs, yolks and whites separated
⅓ cup flour, for batter
½ tsp salt
¼ cup flour, for dredging
1 ½-2 cups oil, for frying

Sauce:
3 tomatoes
1 tbsp vegetable oil
½ onion, diced
2 cloves garlic
½ cup chicken broth
½ tsp cumin
½ tsp oregano
½ tsp pepper
2 tbsp vinegar
1 tsp hot sauce

Directions

Roasting and stuffing the peppers:
Using a gas burner or torch, carefully roast the peppers on all sides until crisp and blackened. After roasting each pepper, place them into a large bowl covered with a plate or lid allowing the peppers to steam in their own heat. (This part is crucial! The steaming process makes it easier for you to peel off the skin) After the peppers have sat in their own steam for about 15-20 minutes, use a paper towel to rub off the blackened skin. Using a paring knife, make a small T-shaped incision on one side of each pepper, just big enough for you to cut out the seeds and stuff in the cheese. Carefully remove the seeds. I like to leave in some seeds, but just know, the more seeds, the spicier your chile relleno will be. Stuff the pepper with 1 oz of cheese and set aside.

Making the sauce
Puree the tomatoes in a food processor. In a small sauce pan over medium heat, heat the oil, toss in diced onion and brown until slightly translucent, stirring occasionally. Stir in garlic for about a minute. Then stir in tomato puree, chicken broth, cumin, oregano, pepper, vinegar, and hot sauce. Simmer until the sauce has thickened, then remove from heat and set aside.

Making the batter
With an electric mixer, whip the egg whites and salt until stiff peaks form. Stir the egg yolks with a fork or whisk. Using a spatula, fold the yolks and ⅓ cup of flour into the whipped egg whites.

Heat the frying oil in a skillet on medium to medium-high, you want it to be in the range of 325 Fahrenheit.

Coating the peppers:
Dredge the peppers in ¼ cup of flour and dip into the egg batter; you may need to used a spoon to evenly cover the pepper.

Frying the peppers:
Place the peppers in the hot oil. (I placed 2 peppers in the pan at a time to prevent overcrowding.) After the first side has reached a golden brown color, about 2-4 minutes, flip the pepper allowing it to brown on the other side. When the peppers are done frying, place them on a few paper towels to soak up the excess oil.

Preparing the plate:
Pour a few spoonfuls of the sauce onto a plate, lay the pepper on top and pour just a bit more sauce over the top. Voila! You’re finished!

Last Month, Jonah and I took a vacay down South to Gulfport, MS and one of America’s biggest food capitals: New Orleans! Above are some shots from Cafe Du Monde, THE said place to get beignets. When we got there, there was line of about 200 people or so, and that’s just the sit down line (yes, there’s a separate line for take-out). But don’t let the lines scare you too much – we ended up only having to wait 15-20 minutes or so. The table turnaround is pretty quick, because really, how long does it take to scarf down doughnuts and coffee?

We ended up trying a few more beignet places and I found it interesting how much they vary in both flavor and texture depending on where you go and if they fry with cottonseed oil or vegetable oil. One block down from Cafe du Monde on Decatur St. is New Orleans Famous Beignets And Coffee. This is where people go for the French pastry after being overcome with the lines at Cafe du Monde. Jonah and I tried it out and saw that it was flaky and hollow, almost puff pastry-like, whereas Cafe du Monde’s dough is a bit denser and slightly spongy. West Beignet (in the Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport), however, serve their doughnuts fluffy and pillowy which reminded me of these Vietnamese doughnuts I grew up eating called Banh Tieu. Although each place we visited made their pastries differently, they were all delicious and it’s to hard say which is superior. If anyone ever makes a blind taste test to compare beignets, please sign me up!

Here are some more shots from our trip!

Top left: Frenchmen art market by day.
Top right: Frenchmen art market by night.
Bottom left: Frenchmen st. by night, surrounded by lots of music and the smell of NOLA’s best cuisine.
Bottom right: Frenchmen st. by day. This street is completely dead before 4pm, so don’t even think about brunching on this section of Frenchmen.

Top left: Lunched at the Commander’s Palace. Don’t let the circus tent fool you, this is one of the fanciest restaurants I’ve ever been to.
Top right: The Sazerac, a cocktail made of rye whiskey, absinthe, and bitters.
Bottom left: Craw fish tartine. The waitress asked if I needed help cracking open the craw fish. Pffft, please.
Bottom right: Louisiana Shrimp and Grits

Top left: The husband ordered the Blackened Sirloin
Top right: Bread pudding souffle. Does this pic make you think dirty thoughts? It does? Good! Let’s be friends.
Bottom left: Paying our respects to those laying in Lafayette Cemetery
Bottom right: Beautiful mausoleums of Lafayette Cemetery. You don’t see many structures like these on the West Coast.

NOLA’s charming and beautiful architecture.

Top left: Roses from Jackson Square
Top right: Jazz musician by the water
Bottom left: Decatur st.
Bottom right: More Jackson Square

Top left: Hurricane cocktail
Top right: Shrimp and fried green tomato po boy
Bottom left: Shrimp Creole and hush puppies
Bottom right: Gumbo and hush puppies

Top left: Fishing in the bayou in Gulfport, MS.
Top right: Not one fish was caught
Bottom left: Jerry the cat, he goes from one vacation home to another asking for treats and love, and people are happy to give him both
Bottom right: White sandy beaches of Gulfport, MS

I love seeing color in my food. You know, they say you eat with your eyes first. I mean, just look at those vibrant green avocado slices, or that rich red sauce covered under that bed of pale yellow and white cheeses! It’s like a kaleidoscope of color, textures, and flavors! And believe me, these enchiladas are both bursting with color and flavor!

Ok, so these enchiladas are by no means authentic, but they’re still tasty none the less. If you’re just looking for a quick and dirty fix to satisfy your enchilada craving, then look no further. I made these in less than an hour with plenty of leftovers for lunch the next day.

Top left: Homemade sushi. Made my and my husbands favorite sushi dishes/rolls.
Top right: Napoleon from Rick’s dessert diner in Midtown Sac. My first time there – will be going back for sure!
Bottom left: Took a pic of the Sac bridge while walking Bailey
Bottom right: Had lunch in San Jose with the family and ordered the com tam.

Ingredients
1 tbsp vegetable oil
¾ -1 lb ground beef
1 large onion, chopped
6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
½- ¾ cup frozen corn
2 tbsp achiote paste
⅓ cup crushed pineapple
garlic salt (to taste)
pepper (to taste)
14-20 corn tortillas
1 cup shredded mexican cheese
¼ cup queso blanco, crumbled
1 avocado, sliced
1 cup olives, sliced
2 scallions, chopped
⅓ cup cilantro, chopped
¼ cup sour cream

Enchilada Sauce
6 oz can tomato paste
1 ½ -2 cups water
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp garlic salt
1 tsp onion powder
2 tbsp vegetable oil

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees fahrenheit.

Place a large skillet on medium and heat the vegetable oil . Saute onions and garlic until slightly caramelized. Throw in the beef, garlic salt, and pepper. With a wooden spoon, break up the meat into tiny bits. After the meat has browned, add the achiote paste, crushed pineapple, and corn. Allow it to cook for an additional 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Roll the tortillas with the meat filling and line them side by side in a baking pan.

To make the enchilada sauce, simply mix together the sauce ingredients. You can choose to use more or less water, depending on how thick you’d like your sauce to be.

Pour the sauce evenly over the rolled tortillas. Sprinkle the shredded cheese and queso blanco over the top and bake for about 10-15 minutes. Everything is already cooked so you’re basically just trying to get the cheese to melt and have everything blend together in the heat.

When the enchiladas are finished baking, add avocados, scallions, olives, cilantro, and sour cream on top. And there you have it – quick and dirty enchiladas!

I’m going to be honest and admit I was never a morning person, and neither are any members of my family. Growing up, if my family ever woke up early enough to have breakfast (which was rare), you can bet it was savory and slathered in soy sauce. I’m talking about rice porridge, fried eggs on toast, dim sum, and yes, all covered in soy sauce! Not that I’m complaining. Just trying to paint a mental picture so you can understand why the rare but occasional sweet breakfast was always such a treat growing up (I’m of course excluding box cereals from this list). It was a nice break from the typical savory meals I was so used to.

Waffles are one of those foods that just make you happy…deep down-to-the-core happy. It’s crispy on the outside and spongy on the inside. To quote my all time favorite comedian:
“A waffle is like a pancake with a syrup trap.” – Mitch Hedberg

Said bon voyage to my little sister last week. She’s currently in France studying abroad, but before leaving, we enjoyed Bo 7 Mon (a 7 beef course dinner) alongside a whole deep-fried peanut-crusted fish.

More insta pics from the holidays. Top Left: Mi Quang from Ban Cuon Bac Ninh Top Right: Macarons from Bouchon bakery given to me by some lovely friends. Bottom Left: Saying goodbye to 2014 with some bubbly. Bottom Right: Prepared a hot pot dinner with my dad.

Here’s a recipe from The Joy of Cooking reiterated by Queen Bee

Ingredients

1 3/4 cup flour, all-purpose
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 eggs
1/4 cups to 1 cup (1/2 to 2 sticks) butter, melted
The more butter used, the crunchier the waffles
1 1/2 cups milk

Directions

Preheat waffle iron.

In a large mixing bowl, mix the dry ingredients together (flour, baking powder, sugar & salt) and in a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, butter and milk.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and whisk until just combined. Over-mixing will get you tough, dense waffles (no bueno!)

Scoop the batter onto the waffle iron. Keep in mind, the batter will inflate so be sure not to overflow the iron.

Cook the waffles according to your machines instructions

Top your waffle with all your favorite fixins! I made whipped cream and sprinkled the waffles with powdered sugar and berries.

Yields: approximately 14 waffles (depending on your iron)

So a few weeks back, when Autumn started, I was craving all things pumpkin, which is of course the natural reaction when leaves start to fall. I went to Starbucks to get their infamous pumpkin scone, and wouldn’t you know it, they didn’t have any! The kind employee explained that the company was working on improving the recipe. Behold, the great Starbucks pumpkin scone famine! My first thought was bummer, my second thought was shouldn’t they have tried finishing perfecting the recipe in say, I don’t know, the Summer? And my last thought was how the heck am I going to get my pumpkin scone fix now? And of course, the obvious answer was “Make them yourself”.

A little thing I drew up. Some hate the fact there’s pumpkin spice everything this time of year, but i for one, love it!

I found this post on Reddit later. Rumor has it that the so called “recipe evaluation” may have been nothing more than a coverup for a recall due to cross contamination. Others say there may have been broken shards of glass or plastic in the scones. Yikes!

Whatever the case may be, if it had not been for the recall, I’d have never learned to make these babies on my own. And I can say from experience, these copycat scones tastes just as good as their legit originals.

I’m using a recipe from Fairly Nerdy Food. Their recipe yields 24 mini scones but I decide to cut them into larger triangles- 3 of their mini scones equals 1 of my large scones, so I ended up with…*beep boop beep, calculating complex math, beep boop*… 8 large scones. I also tweaked the pumpkin icing ratio a bit by adding more pumpkin puree to the mix, giving it a darker look as well as a runnier consistency.

Ingredients

Yields: 8 scones

Scone
1 egg
½ cup pumpkin puree (non flavored/unsweetened)
3 tbsp heavy cream or half & half
1 tbsp maple syrup
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
2 tbsp cornstarch
½ tsp salt
1 tsp cocoa powder
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice (Here’s a simple recipe from Taste of Home)
⅓ cup brown sugar
½ cup unsalted butter, cold and cut into cubes

Glaze
1 cup powdered sugar
2-3 tbsp heavy cream or half & half
½ tsp vanilla extract

Pumpkin Icing
Leftover glaze
½-¾ cup powdered sugar
3 tbsp pumpkin puree
¼ tsp pumpkin pie spice

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a medium sized bowl, mix together the egg, pumpkin puree, maple syrup, vanilla, and heavy cream or half and half until creamy and smooth.

In a food processor, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, corn starch, salt, cocoa powder, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice. Then, thrown in the brown sugar and process until all of the sugar is coated.

Add the cold butter cubes into the food processor with the dry ingredients and process until they form fine crumbs.

Add the wet ingredients into the food processor and mix just until all the ingredients are incorporated. Be sure not to overmix.

Place the mixture onto a lightly floured surface and knead the dough into a 8×6 inch rectangle with a ½ inch thickness. With a sharp long knife, cut the rectangle into 8 triangles.

Place the scones on your lined baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes. Let the scones cool for about 5 minutes on the baking sheet until moving them.

While your scones are cooling down, whisk together the glaze ingredients in a medium sized bowl.

Once the scones have cooled completely, dip the tops of each scone into the glaze and set aside to allow the glaze to harden.

When you’re finished glazing all the scones, mixing the leftover glaze with the remaining ingredients for the pumpkin icing. Pour the icing into a ziploc bag and cut a small wedge off the corner, creating a pastry bag. In a zig zag motion, drizzle the icing over the tops of each scone.

Allow the icing to harden and hey, look at that, you’re finished!

This fine torched dessert is the absolute epitome of decadence. I mean, you’re literally just eating sugar and cream, but oh what nirvana it is to crack into that thin caramelized shell and dig your way into the creamy velvety goodness! Yeah, you may need to skimp on the whole fat milk in your morning coffee to offset the richness in this dessert, but I promise, it’s worth it!

I used a creme brulee recipe from the great food genius, Alton Brown. It’s your run-of-the-mill vanilla creme brulee recipe but what I love about cream-based desserts is that it’s essentially a blank canvas for flavors, creme brulee is no different – add your own little twist on the classic dessert. Change it up by adding Cointreau or Grand Marnier if you want to add a little zesty hint of orange. Make a raspberry nutella brulee by incorporating Chambord, Frangelico, and cocoa powder. The possibilities are endless!

Ingredients

1 quart heavy cream
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup sugar plus a few tsp for top crust.
6 large egg yolks
2 quarts hot water

Directions

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Pour the cream and vanilla extract into a medium saucepan and heat at medium-high heat. Allow the mixture to come to a boil. Remove from heat, cover and allow to sit for about 10 minutes.

In a medium bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup sugar and egg yolks until light in color. Pour the cream in a thin stream, while constantly stirring. Pour the mixture into 6 small ramekins. Place the ramekins into a large pan and pour the hot water into the pan until it reaches halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes. The centers should be slightly jiggly. Refrigerate the ramekins for about 2 hours.

Before serving, sprinkle the remaining sugar over the ramekins; spread as evenly as possible. Using a torch, melt the sugar until lightly browned and crispy. Enjoy!

The wedding is coming along slowly but surely. Let’s go through the wedding items I’ve accomplished in the past few months, shall we?

-Set the date
-Booked the venue
-Found a food supplier
-Found a decorator
-Found a photographer
-Found a videographer
-Found a party rental store
-Purchased a few wedding essentials

Check, check, and check! But oh wait, there’s still tons more to do.

And did I mention our wedding budget is $8k-9K. Considering the average American wedding costs $25,000 according to Google, I’ve got pennies to work with! Here are a few tactics I used to cut down costs:

1. Rent a community center for the reception and ceremony
I know what you’re thinking, some community centers can be…run down, but some centers can be absolutely gorgeous, it just takes time to find the right one that meets your standards, and luckily I did! By going this route, you’re also supporting your local community, good stuff right? right! The only thing about community center is that you’ll have to provide most things on your own. i.e. tablecloths, chair covers, dinnerware, speakers, etc.

2. Buy, don’t rent
If you’re going to go the community center route like I am, you’ll likely have to rent quite a few items. Do your research and find out if it’s more cost effective to rent or buy certain items. In my case, I found out that buying tablecloths and cloth napkins only costs a little more than if I were to rent them. After the wedding, I can then try to sell them to get a portion of my money back. So yes, you’ll be spending more money initially, but you have the opportunity to get some of that money back after the wedding.

3. Send out the save-the-dates electronically
The message in the every save-the-date is simple – “This is when we’re getting married – make sure you’re available. Oh, and here’s a pretty photo of us leaning on a tree”. When the info is this minimalistic, I say emailing is the way to go. In this day and age, everyone has an email address, even grandma, so save some cash and email those suckas out.

4. Design and print your own invitations
Unlike the save-the-date, the actual wedding invitation makes more sense to be printed out as it has more information about the wedding – it may be more beneficial for your wedding guests to have certain details directly in hand (directions, instructions, etc). Rather than spending loads of money on wedding invitation design services, ask someone you know who’s a graphic designer, or a digital artist, or someone who’s just really savvy in Photoshop to design your invitation. This way you save money AND have more control over what goes in your invite; it beats using an overused template off a random website that’ll overcharge you. You can then take your design and print at affordable print shops i.e. Kinkos, Office Depot, etc. If you need them to be cut to a specific size, these print shops will often provide those services for an additional fee, OR you can utilize their cutting machines and hand-cut each invite yourself. They’re free to use, but be forewarned, you will be there for a while. Note, if you design your invite to be 5.5”x8.5” or smaller, you can squeeze 2 invites on 1 letter size page, meaning you can get 2 invites from 1 print.

5. Have your guests RSVP via email or phone
Again, it’s 2014, everyone has an email nowadays. You’ll save money on stamps and envelopes. It’s more convenient for your guests. Bam, everyone wins.

6. Buy online
Buying items online may be a bit of a gamble as you won’t be able to see, touch, or evaluate what you’re buying upfront, but if you plan ahead, it’ll give you enough time to receive the item and return it if you’re not satisfied with your item(s). Also, you’ll want to look into online retailers with rewards programs like Amazon Prime; if you’re a frequent Target shopper, sign up for a RED card and get 5% off your purchases (don’t I sound like a commercial).

7. Sign up for email newsletters
If you know you’re going to purchase a large amount from certain companies, sign up for their email newsletters. Retailers will often send out coupons with special offers i.e Free Shipping, 20% Off, etc.

8. Buy from the Dollar Tree
Yes, the Dollar Tree – they actually have a lot of neat stuff in between the cheap crap if you look hard enough. I’m buying my centerpiece vases there, along with some decorative river rocks, sternos for the buffet, and a few other essentials.

9. Ask friends and family for help
This is probably a given, but it’s nice to be reminded that your family and friends are there for you if you need help, so don’t be afraid to ask.

10. Ask “Can I borrow that?”
Renting items can get costly quick and if it’s something household you need like a cake stand or a platter, ask your friends if they could lend you their items. I’m borrowing my future sister-in-law’s and mother-in-law’s pastry stands to hold some yummy cookies.

11. Find aspiring future professionals (cake decorator, photographer, videographer)
Hiring amateurs comes with it’s risks for sure, but as they’re just breaking into their industry, it’s likely they’ll give you a nice low rate, just be sure to ask to view their professional portfolios before you make a decision.

12. Buy the food and hire the servers
Hiring a caterer is always going to be one of the top expenses in any wedding. To cut down costs, I’m ordering the wedding food in party trays from a Chinese banquet hall, I’ll be hiring 2-3 servers (off Craiglist or temp agency) to pick up the party trays, set up the food buffet-style, and just maintain the service throughout the reception.

13. Set up a drink station
Drink stations are becoming quite trendy so jump on the band wagon and save some bucks! Here’s a neat drink station found on Pinterest. Rather than hiring a bartender and/or server to go around replenishing drinks, set up a few drink dispensers with different flavored beverages for the guest to choose from. If you want to booze it up, add a liquor basket on the side filled with the essential hard alcohols i.e. vodka, whiskey, rum, etc. Invite your guests to turn their virgin drinks into a slutty cocktails!

14. Make a music playlist
86 the DJ and create your own wedding playlist. You’ll have one less service to pay for (and one less meal to serve) and YOU get to control the music.

15. Ask musician friends and family to play at your wedding
If you insist on having live music but don’t want to shell out for a full-on wedding band, ask your musician friends and family to play a song or 2 at your wedding. They’ll be happy to be part of your special day and you’ll be glad to see them onstage doing what they love.

16. Buy flowers wholesale and arrange them 2 nights before the wedding
I realize this may be super stressful to do right before the wedding, but I’m willing to do it if it’ll save me a couple hundred bucks. Plus, I’ll be recruiting my bridesmaids and a few good friends to assist. It’ll be like a party!

I hope these tips prove to be useful to anyone out there looking to have a beautiful but inexpensive wedding!

Cream puffs and I have deep and long history. For most kids in the U.S., the cupcake is the go-to for sweet comfort food snacks, but that wasn’t the case for me. No, the cream puff was my childhood indulgence. My parent’s had a shop next door to a Vietnamese and French bakery. Growing up, I was taught to be frugal at a young age, and at 35 cents each, the cream puff was the perfect answer to my cheap sweet tooth.

In this recipe, I’m using a classic chocolate pastry cream for the filling. The pate choux pastry recipe is from Edible Memories, who I believe references Williams-Sonoma.

Pastry Cream
2 ½ cups whole milk
6 egg yolks
½ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup all-purpose flour
5 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoons cornstarch
2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup chocolate chips (melted)

Directions
Making the pastry cream – In a small saucepan, place the milk over low-heat. You want it just hot enough to steam. While waiting for the milk to warm, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, flour, and cornstarch until smooth. Add half of the steaming milk, while whisking constantly, to the egg mixture. Add the milk and egg mixture back into the pan of the remaining warm milk. Continue stirring until the mixture reaches 170F and has thickened. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla extract and melted chocolate. Refrigerate for 30-45 minutes

Choux Pastry (recipe from Edible Memories)
¾ cup milk
¾ cup water
9 tbsp butter, cut into pieces
½ tsp salt (absolutely necessary!)
1 ½ cup flour
6 large eggs

Directions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. In a medium saucepan, combine milk, water, salt, and butter. Bring to full boil on medium-high heat.

Remove from heat when butter has melted and mixture is boiling. Add in flour all at once, stir vigorously until blended. A thin film will form on the bottom of the pan, don’t scrape it off, it’s not meant to be mixed into the dough.

Continue stirring until the mixture leaves the sides of the pan and forms a nice ball of dough. Cool for a 3 minutes. (It’s important to let the dough cool before adding eggs; this cooling time allows for gluten strands to form thereby creating a more hollow shell)

Beat an egg in a separate bowl before adding to the dough. Mix well to incorporate. Repeat with second egg. The resulting batter should be smooth and soft.

Let dough cool for 10 minutes before making the puff balls on lined baking sheets. place dough in a disposable piping bag with a 1 inch opening.

To make small puffs, pipe about 1 tsp of batter for each puff, spaced 1-2 inches apart on the baking sheet. To make large puffs, pipe out 1-2 tbsp of batter. Using your finger, smooth the edges of the balls of dough to prevent edges from burning prematurely.

Bake puffs in oven for 15 minutes. Then reduce heat to 375 degrees F and bake for another 5-10 minutes until the puffs are golden brown.

When the cream puffs have dried off and cooled slightly (or completely, however you prefer), cut open the tops and fill with chilled custard. The puffs should have a hollow center that will hold the custard perfectly. Cover with top of puff and serve immediately. For best presentation, dust with powdered sugar or drizzle with melted chocolate (or Nutella).

Nutella Drizzle
1/4 cup Nutella
4 tbsp whole milk

Directions
Microwave Nutella for 30 seconds, add milk and stir until smooth.

Yields 36 cream puffs.