1. Weekend Bits

    May 27, 2013 by The Squishy Monster

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    photo 1

    I cracked into my first watermelon this weekend (as it’s my favorite fruit, it was enough to begin the long weekend on the happiest note).
    2     Dinner hosted by some friends…can’t get any more southern than chicken fried steak, bacon green beans, and soulful mac and cheese!

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    Falafel from one of my favorite cafes.

    4 Coffee and raspberry macarons.

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    My indoor pot and outdoor flowers I planted both in bloom.

    Outside, J also showed me baby birds in the backyard…

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    A late night show the night before making homemade sushi with J…

    photo 2

     

    Spicy tuna and snow crab rolls.
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    A day trip to Asheville for biscuits {to die for}! and crispy fried shrimp, swiss chard salad with jalapeño aioli, and goat cheese grits–yum!

    6 The view from a rooftop bar.

    7 Breathtaking landscape + street performers followed by ice cream = win-win!

    IMG_9074 Homemade spicy Aztec chocolate ice cream, just in time to catch the sunset.

    Off to nosh on some more bbq!

    Love,

    Your Squishy Monster ^.~

    Categories: Life | 28 Comments

  2. Loving Lately

    May 24, 2013 by The Squishy Monster

    Green tea mochi ice cream to help cool me down

    How to Make Green Tea Mochi Ice Cream

     

    SomaFM’s Groove Salad to help me fall asleep each night

     

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    Eton mess brought to you by the domestic goddess herself, Nigella Lawson.

    Diggin’ this portrait of Frida Kahlo {one of my favorite artists}

    frida-kahlo-daft-punk

    Essie’s Bangle Jangle {though, I’m not traditionally a fan of Essie’s application}

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    peonies2 and pink peonies …by the armful, please ;)

    Talk to me, what are your favorite things right now?

    I’m super excited about the long weekend up ahead.  Wishing you and yours a very happy {and delicious} weekend!

    Love,

    Your Squishy Monster ^.~

    Categories: Life | 36 Comments

  3. Dinner Challenge

    Dinner for less than $10

    May 22, 2013 by The Squishy Monster

    Who doesn’t like to save money?  For me, it’s all about having more money to buy more food.  Seriously, that’s my personal logic behind it all ;)

    I decided this week that I would take on a challenge to see if I could whip up dinner for 4 for under $10.  Results?  A grand total of $7.49 with dessert to polish off after a meal of roasted chicken and kale salad.

    Break down:

    • Chicken portions < chicken breast: I got 4 pieces for $5.35 and had leftover bits/juices for gravy later on.  (Here’s a video on how to roast an entire chicken)
    • Kale: $.64 though a full pound would still have only cost me $.99 (the video includes kale 2 ways but here’s my favorite way to eat kale in my kale/blueberry smoothie)!
    • Garlic: $.30
    • Peanut butter/chocolate spread: $1.00
    • Egg: $.20

    {More money saving tips}

    Dinner under Challenge

    5.0 from 8 reviews

    Dinner for less than $10
     
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    Ingredients
    Roasted chicken
    • 4 chicken quarters
    • oil
    • salt and pepper
    Kale salad
    • 1 lb of kale
    • 3 cloves sliced garlic
    • oil
    • salt and pepper
    Alternate Kale Salad
    • 1 lb kale
    • 3 tb soy sauce
    • 2 ts sesame oil
    • 1 ts rice vinegar
    • 1 ts minced garlic
    • 2 tb brown sugar
    • garnish with toasted sesame seeds/nuts
    Chocolate peanut butter cookies
    • 1 c chocolate peanut butter spread
    • 1 egg
    • 1 c flour

    Instructions
    1. Oil your room temperature chicken and massage with salt and pepper. Bake at 350 for about 2 hours or until the internal temperature reaches 180.
    2. Sautee your garlic in the oil until it softens and toss in your kale. Salt and pepper to taste.
    3. Cream together your chocolate peanut butter spread and egg.
    4. Slowly sprinkle in your flour and mix until combined.
    5. Roll out dough balls and flatten with your palm (or the back of a cup) and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes. Bake at 350 for 6-8 minutes.

    Cheers to saving money!

    Love,

    Your Squishy Monster ^.~

     

    Categories: Comfort Foods Meats Recipes Videos | 40 Comments

  4. Weekend Bits

    May 20, 2013 by The Squishy Monster

    1 A bon voyage dinner of summer salad with spinach, goat cheese, toasted walnuts, strawberries and lemon vinaigrette, bruschetta, and lasagna {Hi, Daddy}!

    2 The fudge meant for ice cream {not into my mouth by the spoonful}

    3 Breakfast the next day.  These chubby babies are studded with toasted coconut, toasted walnuts, carrots, apples/applesauce, raisins, and spices.

    4 …and I ate every last bit + stole a bunch of fries ;)

    5 A super spicy dinner of yum.

    6 and dessert my bff brought over after we baked cookies, who also saved me from all my computer woes.  You are the freaking bestest best.  That is all.

    7 Fluffy, cinnamon scented, icing dripped clouds for breakfast the next day from my absolute favorite bakery.

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    Dinner later that night

    IMG_8816 and you can’t forget about the donuts!  Why yes, I did have a glazed, chocolate glazed, and jelly filled.

    9 The exit to the antique shop though now, I’ve decided that everything in my possession that is “old” shall now be deemed “vintage.”  e.g. my old school dell that finally crapped out on me…I kid {sort of}

    IMG_8814 Who used to watch The Rocky & Bullwinkle Show?  {This girl}!

    and speaking of old school, I fondly remember watching episodes accompanied by…

    tumblr_lhrsxqw4hn1qze8b3o1_500 Remember these?  Ah, to be a child again and your biggest concerns regarding whether or not you’d have enough cream for the cookie stragglers.

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    I found these on my walk.  Don’t you just love the vibrance of Spring?

    I hope y’all had an amazing weekend too!

    Love,

    Your Squishy Monster ^.~

    Categories: Life | 46 Comments

  5. Chocolate Crème Brûlée

    May 18, 2013 by The Squishy Monster

    Wanna know a secret?  A crazy one at that?  I used to not be such a big fan of chocolate.  I liked it ok but didn’t get what all the who-ha was all about but as I’ve gotten older, the craving has evolved into something fierce with a life all of its own.  Case in point, I have absentmindedly been licking off homemade fudge by the spoonful all day today.  I meant to reserve it for a bucket of pistachio-pistachio ice cream but it sat there on the counter, ever so not innocently and that was my mistake.  Now I’m making jokes about being air-lifted out of my house on Facebook (but seriously, I kid.  If you want something, I’m a firm believer that you should go after it.  However, it should be good to point out that moderation is key, a word that I know nothing about obviously).

    That being said, won’t you indulge in a bit of chocolate fun with me?  It has less calories that way (I hear) ;)

    How to Make Chocolate Crème Brûlée

    5.0 from 6 reviews

    Chocolate Crème Brûlée
     
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    Ingredients
    • 2 room temperature egg yolks
    • 1 tb sugar
    • ¾ c room temperature heavy cream
    • 1 tb sugar
    • ¼ c chopped bittersweet chocolate (or chips)
    • 2 ts kahlua (or vanilla)
    • ¼ ts fine salt
    • Sugar for sprinkling (I like using raw sugar but regular granulated works)

    Instructions
    1. In a bowl, whisk together your yolks and 1 tb of sugar.
    2. In a pot over medium-low, heat your cream, 1 tb sugar, and chocolate. Whisk until the chocolate melts and sugar dissolves.
    3. Splash in your kahlua or vanilla and sprinkle in your salt.
    4. Slowly scrape in your yolk mixture and continue to whisk until slightly thickened.
    5. Strain through a mesh sieve and pour evenly into ramekins set in a larger dish and slowly pour hot water half way up the sides.
    6. Bake at 350 for 25-35 minutes. Cool for about 30 minutes and refrigerate for at least 2-3 hours.
    7. Before serving, liberally sprinkle with sugar and caramelize the tops with a hand/blow torch (or use the broiler in your oven)

     

    Categories: Chocolate Recipes Sweets Videos | 42 Comments

  6. Throw Back Thursday

    May 16, 2013 by The Squishy Monster

    IMG_8110 Me and my very first best friend, Daniel :)

    IMG_8164 It’s the 70′s and Mama and Daddy are 2 kids so in love–I especially love the little sailboat in the background and how Daddy is looking over at her ;)

    IMG_8124 Daddy rockin’ some cool fringe in Europe {while he was in the military}

    As I grow up, I reflect back on earlier years and hope that the world will still continue hold as much wonder for me as when I was 6 and softly chuckle at the realization that my parents were once 2 cool kids, flirting and canoodling, way before any of us came along and I thumb through more pictures and just continue to smile.

    What is your favorite memory?

    Hosting family supper tonight,

    Love,

    Your Squishy Monster ^.~

    Categories: Life | 43 Comments

  7. Weekend Bits

    May 14, 2013 by The Squishy Monster

    This weekend was non-stop between baby brother’s arrival, mother’s day celebrations, and J’s birthday, but boy was the entire stretch delicious!

    IMG_8592 Lunch with mama {for the noodle & beef recipe}

    IMG_8604 Late night dinner

    IMG_8605 Lobster fondue

    IMG_8651 Afternoon BBQ at friend’s

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    IMG_8655 Red Velvet birthday cupcakes

    IMG_8680 Cheddar eggs, bacon, and cinnamon rolls with cream cheese icing–yum!

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    IMG_8697 Mother’s day/birthday dinner

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    photo and I capped off the weekend with a swing in the hammock and fresh, hand picked flowers.

    How was your weekend?  What did you do?

    Love,

    Your very full Squishy Monster ^.~

    Categories: Life | 44 Comments

  8. Loving Lately

    May 10, 2013 by The Squishy Monster

    seeds {Grapeseed Oil} I’ve been slathering this stuff all over my hair and it’s been thanking me.

    amy & brian coconut juice with pulp My fave at the moment.  Really, it just happens to be whatever’s on sale at the moment but too often, it comes without the pulp which makes me a very sad Squishy Monster so this one makes me very happy.  Who wants a naked drink anyways?

    litchi-188 {Lychee} I can’t get enough of these babies!

    94803-Licorice-Lines So yummy.  Real strawberries + pink + $1 = score!

    ad95c2bd84e7a86d6ac0a3068a83d91d Really diggin’ on these chevron print pillows

    Feel good-Gorillaz (Cover) Celia Pavey

     

    What’s currently on repeat.

    What are you really into right now?

    Wishing y’all a beautiful and delicious weekend {especially to the Mama’s}!

    Love,

    Your Squishy Monster ^.~

     

     

     

    Categories: Life | 46 Comments

  9. A Very Sweet Mother’s Day

    Panna Cotta

    May 8, 2013 by The Squishy Monster

    I will eternally be grateful to my mother for her unconditional love and support, not to mention all the lessons she taught me along the way.  I am the woman I am because of her and honestly, I feel like everyday should be mother’s day!  It is from her that I watched and learned how to work hard, persevere, and never give up on what’s important to you.  My mama would work 12-14 hour days while taking care of 2 tots, breast feeding one or the other, and making sure there was a hot dinner on the table every night, never once making us feel neglected or unloved.  She also had the strength to smear on her lipstick and don on her sunday best to sing in the church choir *whew!*  Just thinking about it all makes me dizzy!  Not to mention, mama’s are constantly doing things behind-the-scenes that children are never keen to be it your favorite box of cereal that magically appeared in the pantry, rips and tears that were quietly sewn, or kisses that were gently pressed into the faces of sleeping children.  That’s just what mama’s do.  So whether you’re a mama, have a mama, or know a mama, show them some love!  {and you might be able to start with these incredibly decadent panna cotta} ;)

    Mother’s Day Recipe Panna Cotta

    5.0 from 7 reviews

    Panna Cotta
     
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    Ingredients
    • 1 c whole milk
    • 4 ts unflavored gelatin
    • 1½ c heavy cream
    • ½ c sugar
    • 2 ts pure vanilla extract
    • ¼ ts fine salt
    • ½ c pureed berries*

    Instructions
    1. Over medium-low heat, stir together your milk and gelatin. You don’t want this to boil.
    2. Stir in everything else until the sugar dissolves.
    3. Remove from the heat and cool for about 10-15 minutes.
    4. Ladle into serving glasses and refrigerate for up to 6 hours.
    5. Garnish with fresh berries (or chocolate curls, candied fruit, etc) and serve cool.

    Notes
    *you could also use the same amount of an infused tea, citrus, coffee, chocolate, etc.

    Last years Mother’s Day treat.

    Happy {early} Mother’s Day!

    Love,

    Your Squishy Monster ^.~

    I love you very, very much, Mama Squishy!!!!!

     

    Categories: Holidays Recipes Sweets Videos | 42 Comments

  10. Weekend Bits

    May 6, 2013 by The Squishy Monster

    2 weekend features:

    a1 A month long feature in Elevate Magazine.

    a2 and a review of a local hot spot.

    a3 As I perused through the shelves of my local library, trying to find a Frida Kahlo biography, I stumbled onto this gem and it worked out to be the best book I’ve read all year. It’s a memoir of Kang Chol-Hwan and unravels the formidable first hand accounts of a 9 year old boy, shoved by force into a decade of hard labor, malnutrition, disease, agonizing punishment and death. (The book takes place mostly in Yodok and is said to be one of the mildest concentration camps among those scattered all over North Korea, if you can imagine that). It is heinous, terrifying, compelling, and heart wrenching all at once. I highly, highly, highly recommend it.

    IMG_8557 I couldn’t put the book down and finished it within a few hours and so, how appropriate was it that I was rewarded with the richness of Korean culture via our traditional Fan Dance. How stark the contrast of not only their brightly colored han-bok, but of the happy occasion of smiling children regaling the crowd, when those on the other side are not as lucky and do not have access to even the basic necessities, let alone a beautiful han-bok. There’s nothing that breaks my heart like North Korea.

    IMG_8499 Another smiling face. Credits to J for capturing a silly candid.

    IMG_8567 a hearty brunch of pancakes, dumplings, veggies, meatloaf and ham…here’s to rolling your eyes at bikini season! ;)

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    photo 1 (1) IMG_8519 photo 2 (1)

    Weekend jam:

    Korean Girls Sing Gangnam Style by PSY – AMAZING Cover!

    Hope y’all had a great weekend!

    Love,

    Your Squishy Monster ^.~

    Categories: Life | 51 Comments

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    Welcome to The Squishy Monster!

    Here, I'll share the stories of my on going love affair with food as well as step-by-step tutorials/cooking videos featuring original recipes. I'm a firm believer that despite our differences, our one commonality as humans? Food.
    I'm 100% Southern & 100% Korean. My name is Angela and my friends call me The Squishy Monster.

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