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Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Quick and simple dinner

As a college student, inexpensive and decent food is what matters. Usually, that would be found in a fast food restaurant.  However, you can always make something healthy, quick, and nice right at home. 
Instant Miso Soup
There are 8 servings in this $4.00 packet- good deal
Each makes a small bowl of miso

 The directions says to put: 1 packet of paste, 1 packet of miso ingredients, and 2-3 cups of water
I decided to make 2 servings, so I can save some for tomorrow's dinner
In this pot, I have 2 packets of paste, 2 packets of miso ingredients, and 5 cups of water
Then I heated up the miso to a boil

 I chopped some healthy vegetables for my broth
-Asian Bok Choy, mushrooms, tofu, diced garlic, green onions

 I placed all the vegetables in the soup and added some pepper (no salt or oyster sauce because I am trying to stay away from high sodium). I never know how to season food, but I know pepper always works!
Then, I added a packet of frozen udon noodles
Finally, I waited until the broth was boiling

 This is my most Asian dish ever
Like my housemate Cynthia would say: "Sriracha makes everything taste good". I liked how the sriracha added a little kick of spice

I'm happy that I finally ate something healthy. The weather is starting to get really cold and coming home to a bowl of soup feels so nice. I really enjoyed this flavorful vegetable udon soup!

Monday, September 26, 2011

Colorful vegetables

After discovering a Hana's Japanese Market near our apartments, my friend Jessie and I decided to make a nice home-cooked-Asian meal. I would like to dedicate this post to my sister Corinna because she is living all alone in Davis. I want her to learn how to cook and eat something healthy and delicious.

Fun-Udon = Fundon
Title was a play of words by my roommate Lauren

-Boil the udon in boiling water 
-Add oil so it doesn't stick to the pot
-When it is bubbling and ready, pour the noodles in a strainer
-Rinse the the noodles with cold water so that the noodles do not stick together

-In another pan, put oil on the pan
-Add chopped garlic and chopping onions- sautee it for a while
-Then add ground meat (here I am using lean ground turkey) until browned

Add any vegetables available to you
Here I have carrots, lettuce, mushrooms, beansprouts, green onions, and of course corn

 Add some oil, add the mushroom first to sautee it, then add the carrots because they take longer to cook, and finally add the rest of the vegetables together

-After the vegetables are cooked and stirred, add the ground meat into the mixture
-Then add some ground peppers and oyster sauce for flavor
-Finally pour all the udon noodles into the pot and mix everything together

A delicious and healthy dinner
Green, orange, yellow, brown- COLORS makes food so appetizing


Ann came over right when we finished making dinner. Us three girls enjoyed a nice home-cooked meal while we chatted about our weekends. I love staying in and having good company.

Georgetown, the New England Berkeley

On a Saturday evening, I decided to visit my old friend Kiet in Georgetown. It was an adventurous night because it was my very first time taking the metro by myself and it was in the evening. The atmosphere felt like Berkeley- college students everywhere, lots of little restaurants, bars with loud music, many clothing stores, cute and stylish homes, and lots of quirky personalities.


To me, besides the prestigious university, Georgetown is known for "Georgetown Cupcakes" which was featured on TLC. I wish I took a picture of the ridiculous line that stretched across 2 streets. 
As much as I wanted to try their cupcakes, Kiet refused to take me here because it was for "tourists" and that there was a better one just around the corner. 

Baked and Wired

Now they deserve a TV show
Come here for delicious and beautiful cupcakes, biscotti, espresso drinks, and fruity teas

I would describe the atmosphere as cute and hipster 

My heavenly choice, recommended by Kiet

"Tessita"- $3.85
I love cakes with distinctive layers of flavors versus all the flavors mixed in together. The cake was vanilla flavor and the center was filled with dulce de leche filling. And to make the whole thing even better, this beauty was topped with hazelnut frosting which tasted exactly like nutella spread.
It might be a little pricey, but it is definitely gourmet and worth a try. Sprinkle's small and overpriced, plain and unoriginal flavors topped with over-sweetened frosting made me think cupcakes were incredibly overrated. 

Baked and Wired made me LOVE LOVE cupcakes again!



The Tombs

A simple American menu with decent prices

Hello Kiet

"Portobello Sandwich with french fries"- $9
The ingredients were fresh and the french fries were crispy. Overall, it was a good vegetarian sandwich. One negative comment would be the very oily foccacia bread. I love foccacia bread because it is soft and flavorful, but it takes away the "healthier" feeling


I love Georgetown, I will definitely come back to check out the cute little boutiques, the chain stores, and the many delicious delicacies on every street. 

Sunday, September 25, 2011

Tour of the Monuments

I woke up early on a Saturday morning to go on a monument tour for my Art and Architecture class. Every art piece has a sensitive meaning and it was very interesting to learn about the controversies and criticisms that they faced. The weather was very humid and there was much walking involved, but I'm glad I had a historic learning experience.


Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial

People say MLK was a very calm and peaceful man, however this statue made him look like a dictator and very condescending at the audience below him.  Another controversy was the fact that the memorial was created by a Chinese sculptor. Critics believed that an African American should have honored him. 

One criticism that I agreed with were the quotes. At first, I felt that all the quotes sounded very inspirational and meaningful.  But then, I learned that all the quotes were paraphrased and that some were misleading.

MLK faces this beautiful lake overlooking the Jefferson memorial. It is such a lovely and peaceful area. 

Lincoln Memorial

Such a beautiful Greek and Roman design



Vietnam War Memorial

One of the controversies was the black wall to represent the heroes. Many veterans believed that it looks like a giant black scar and did not make the occasion feel heroic. Another controversy was the fact that this memorial only honored those who died in the war and not those who were wounded or scarred emotionally and psychologically. That is why they added these sculptors of soldiers.  

This memorial had the simplest design but it was definitely my favorite. I am amazed at how this simple design can create and change people's moods. At other memorials, the area was filled with laughter and conversations. However, everyone seemed to be more quiet while admiring all the names on the wall. I loved how the walls had a reflective image of myself. It makes me feel like I am apart of the memorial and makes me emotional and thankful that theses brave heroes served our country.


World War II Memorial

The memorial was so grand and beautiful

The design was exceptional! It had a circular foundation with a spectacular fountain and water works in the center



Mitsitam Cafe in the Native American Museum
My roommates and I heard that this museum had the best gourmet cafeteria of all the Smithsonian museums (or any cafeteria for that matter).  It is definitely gourmet. 

A very interesting wavy design. I would not have guessed that it was a Native American Museum


Right outside the famous cafeteria
I am excited to try some Native American food

A very open-spaced interior

So many delicacies to choose from
I liked how all the stations were divided into distinctive regions: Northern Woodlands, South America, Northwest Coast, Mesoamerica, and Great Plains


My entree- $11.85
I decided to go with the Pulled Buffalo Sandwich with a sour coleslaw salad
It was definitely not worth it for the price since the sandwich was only mediocre. I felt that the buffalo was a bit dry and salty. But since the salad was sour, it worked well with the buffalo.  I wish the bun was toasted and that there were more condiments in the sandwich to make my meal feel worth it. Since the buffalo meat was quite juicy, the bun became very soggy. I also felt that the presentation was lacking and messy because my plate was covered with sauce smudges from when the server was preparing my dish. 


Lauren's mini entrees- around $10
She ordered Mushroom Pone, Fry Bread, and Bean salad. Lauren wants to comment that "Get the Fry Bread, ENOUGH said". 

Sarah's entree- about $10
She had the Lamb Birria burrito. I had a little piece and I thought the lamb was too fatty. Another con was that there was a cost for each condiment. 

Lisa's deli salads entree- around $11
She ordered Wild Rice salad, Turnip salad with dried blueberries, and a Smoked Trout salad. Lisa said "I really liked the turnips because they were very spongy and had a mushroom consistency. They all had a little more oil that I would have liked but they add more flavor so what can I do". "I would definitely go back there and take my parents". 

Cynthia's entrees- around $15
She choose: tacos were Lamb Birria, Cream Spinach, and Mushroom Pone (she said it was similar to corn bread). Cynthia said that the pone "tasted thick and jelly but I liked it because I like mushrooms".  She might be small, but she can eat a lot.


Overall: The entrees are definitely not worth it. There were some entrees that were $18-30 each because it contained more delicacies.  However, I liked how they had a variety of deli salads. I definitely suggest that it would be smarter to order a few small deli salads since they are only $3-5 each. I will probably not be back though. 


Super full

Taking a picture with my housemates Lauren and Cynthia
We can now say that we tried Native American cuisine


The afternoon was full of walking but filled with learning as well.

Saturday, September 24, 2011

Mr. Yogato saved our night!

Happy 22nd Birthday to my housemate Cynthia!
Lauren, Lisa, and I decided to semi-surprise Cynthia with a home-cooked meal and a home-made birthday cake. It was a very cute evening. This was the first time this week that we all made dinner together and ate together around the table.

 Diced onions and garlic in Mushroom Corn Alfredo and Spicy Pepper Tomato sauces (from jars)

 Since Lisa and Lauren are vegetarians, we decided to make our dinner pasta bar style!

The beautiful red velvet cake prepared by Lisa with 22 candles

 Happy Birthday! I hope you enjoyed our semi-surprise

 Moist, sweet, red-- just the way I like it!

Our only HOUSE picture- Cynthia, Lisa, Lauren, and I
I guess Lisa thought it was silly picture


The rest of the evening did not go as planned. We were wondering the streets very late at night. The streets were filled with unwelcome faces and we were walking aimlessly. Luckily we found a yogurt shop on our way home at 12:30am

My Yogato

 This yogurt shop was also on DishTip as one of the must-go-see in Washington DC. It is awesome that they are opened till 1:00am on weekends

 They have such fun and silly games to get customers involved!

 Simple directions

A little high for yogurt, but fairly decent

 The 30 Day Champion is if you visit Mr. Yogato 30 days in a row, there will be a yogurt combination named after you!

 The cute little interior. This is a little shop but they really want to entertain the customers. Aside from the trivia that they play with customers for discounts, there is a also a Nintendo set and board games available

 Fresh-made yogurt daily

 My roommate Lauren bought a mini bite-sized pumpkin flavored cupcake for $1.00
They were once known for their cupcakes until big competitors such as Georgetown Cupcakes moved in

 Tori's smile is as sweet as her mini original soft yogurt with fresh strawberries

 Ms. Jessica ordered a mini yogurt with strawberries, Captain Crunch, and coconut flacks. She might be little but she is full of so much energy!

 I received a mini yogurt with half original soft and blueberry with kiwis for FREE. 
Their challenge was: if you can stand on one foot and on your tip-toes with your eyes closed for 15 seconds, you can receive 1 FREE mini yogurt with one topping.
I guess this skill does come in handy.

Ending the birthday night celebration with a delicious yogurt, I am happy.