Newbie

I love reading blogs especially about food and travel. Wanted to create my blog for several years now but I’ve procrastinated and thought : “will I have time for this?”, “what will I write about?”, “will I do it properly?” until finally, just a few minutes ago, I created it! When it was time to enter the title..and the tagline..oh, I haven’t thought of that yet!

I’m a Facebook addict. I always update my status/page, I (almost) always post  pictures of food I ate,  food I cooked, food I craved or food I found interesting and wanted to try. I have this album in Facebook called “A Day in the Life” which is like a picture diary where I post pictures then put a date and description on the caption. Started this years ago and I’m already on album 4 since FB only allowed 200 pictures on each album back then so it’s entitled “A Day in the Life Album 4”. 

 I would have named this blog “The Foodie Diaries” but I thought, hey, why not that album name since most of my friends have seen them. Sometimes they even ask : “When will I become part of this album?”  😀

This is my first post. Hope you’ll find this site informative and interesting in the weeks and months to come 🙂

Have a wonderful day!

July 2013 Foodie Penpal Reveal

I got my box this month from Texas! I was excited to see what’s inside :

Goodies from Trader Joe’s!

 Excited to try the ravioli this week!

I love caramel. yummy chewy goodness 🙂

chips and salsa – perfect for movie night at home 🙂

This is different from the banana chips I’ve tried before. it’s salty not sweet. Perfect for a snack. Been munching on this all week

I love pesto! I use this for pasta or mix it with grilled chicken breast

I’ve been munching on these granola bars. I think I only have 2 left 🙂

Thanks Jennifer for putting together a nice box. Loved the goodies you send! 😀

——————————————————————————————————————-

And now it’s time for some details about Foodie Penpals.  In case you’re a new reader, here’s a reminder of what the program is all about:

-On the 5th of every month, you will receive your penpal pairing via email. It will be your responsibility to contact your penpal and get their mailing address and any other information you might need like allergies or dietary restrictions.
-You will have until the 15th of the month to put your box of goodies in the mail. On the last day of the month, you will post about the goodies you received from your penpal!
-The boxes are to be filled with fun foodie things, local food items or even homemade treats! The spending limit is $15. The box must also include something written. This can be anything from a note explaining what’s in the box, to a fun recipe…use your imagination!
-You are responsible for figuring out the best way to ship your items depending on their size and how fragile they are. (Don’t forget about flat rate boxes!)
-Foodie Penpals is open to blog readers as well as bloggers. If you’re a reader and you get paired with a blogger, you are to write a short guest post for your penpal to post on their blog about what you received. If two readers are paired together, neither needs to worry about writing a post for that month.
-Foodie Penpals is open to US, Canadian & European residents.  Please note, Canadian Residents will be paired with other Canadians only. Same with Europeans. We’ve determined things might get too slow and backed up if we’re trying to send foods through customs across the border from US to Canada and vice versa. 

Check out the Lean Green Bean website for more information on how to join.

I can not wait until next month for another foodie pen pal reveal 🙂

Island Flavor – Hawaiian cooking Big Island Style

My husband is from the Big Island in Hawaii (Hilo) and sometimes he craves for local food.  We already went there several times and their food never disappoint.

Ordered loco moco on my first time here. Didn’t realize that the orders are big!

Big hamburger patty with loootttsss of gravy!

sooo big! was only able to finish half

Hubby loves this! chicken katsu with sauce.  He always orders this!

They say that this is one of the best oxtail soups in Vegas. California hotel’s Aloha specialties has good oxtail soup too but I heard that Island Flavor’s version is better

so soft and not gamey at all!

Fruit punch is becoming my favorite drink. Raspberry iced tea is next

Time for dessert!

Guri guri is a famous dessert in Maui and this restaurant has someone from Maui making these desserts for them.  It has a sherbet consistency to it but has creamier taste.

It’s available in strawberry and vanilla :

Hubby and I loved the strawberry flavor!

The next time I went back, I tried the chicken teriyaki salad for a healthier alternative

Again, it did not disappoint.  Can’t wait to go back and try another dish next time 😀

 

June 2013 Foodie Penpal Reveal

It’s time for another Foodie Penpal Reveal 🙂  Got my box this month from Sara who is from Ohio.  It was a big box that is why I got more excited to see the goodies inside!

The goodies were mostly from the local farmers market :

The potato chips are from Massillon, OH and her family loves munching on these! I like it. It’s not oily at all and so addicting.

My favorite : the Gluten-Free Nutella cookies. These are chewy and crunchy at the same time. Heaven!  and yes Sara, the cookies reached here in good quality 🙂

Honey from Norwalk, OH which I used in making honey bbq wings!

She gave me wild flower and buckwheat honey sticks too (perfect as tea and coffee sweetener) and beeswax products like lip balm and candle (I liked them!)

She even sent me a jar of strawberry rhubarb jelly from her grandma who lives in Michigan and dandelion jelly from OH. I’ll try them soon!

Thanks Sara for putting together a wonderful box!

——————–

Here is a guest post from Tory who resides in Mississippi.  She is the recipient of my box :

Hello! Well, since this is my first ever blog post, let me introduce myself. My name is Tory, and I’m currently a sophomore in college majoring in biology. I’m not sure what I want to do yet, but I know I’ll figure it out. This is also my first time to participate in Foodie Penpals. I had the privilege of receiving lots of goodies from Sheryllyne!

Here’s what she sent me:

Here’s what was in the box (including items from the Philippines):

Fresh & Easy Classic Granola– which I have loved being able to top my yogurt with.

Boy Bawang Cornick– which definitely had a unique flavor. I’m not too sure of them yet.

Onion and Chive Crackers– which were delicious!

Fresh & Easy Honey Wheat Pretzels– which I love a good combination of sweet and salty.

Piattos– Being from the South, I’m pretty picky about anything barbeque flavored, but these had just the right amount of seasonings.

Chocolate Oatmeal– which I love anything chocolate! I can’t wait to try it with some of the peanut butter stirred in.

Trader Joe’s peanut butter– which you can never have too many jars of peanut butter!

 Peppermint Tea and Green Tea– which were both good.

Big Island Cookies– which I was so excited to receive. They reminded me of the cookies I tried while in Hawaii for Spring Break.

Polvoron (powdered milk candies)- which if you ever get to try…Oh my so good!

Knorr Crab & Corn Soup– which I can’t wait to try, but it’s rather hot here. I’ll save it for colder weather.

I really enjoyed FPP and can’t wait to do it again. Thank you so much Sheryllyne for all my goodies and allowing me to guest post!

* Thanks Tory for the nice feedback 🙂 glad you liked the goodies I sent you

——————————————————————–

And now it’s time for some details about Foodie Penpals.  In case you’re a new reader, here’s a reminder of what the program is all about:

-On the 5th of every month, you will receive your penpal pairing via email. It will be your responsibility to contact your penpal and get their mailing address and any other information you might need like allergies or dietary restrictions.
-You will have until the 15th of the month to put your box of goodies in the mail. On the last day of the month, you will post about the goodies you received from your penpal!
-The boxes are to be filled with fun foodie things, local food items or even homemade treats! The spending limit is $15. The box must also include something written. This can be anything from a note explaining what’s in the box, to a fun recipe…use your imagination!
-You are responsible for figuring out the best way to ship your items depending on their size and how fragile they are. (Don’t forget about flat rate boxes!)
-Foodie Penpals is open to blog readers as well as bloggers. If you’re a reader and you get paired with a blogger, you are to write a short guest post for your penpal to post on their blog about what you received. If two readers are paired together, neither needs to worry about writing a post for that month.
-Foodie Penpals is open to US, Canadian & European residents.  Please note, Canadian Residents will be paired with other Canadians only. Same with Europeans. We’ve determined things might get too slow and backed up if we’re trying to send foods through customs across the border from US to Canada and vice versa. 

Check out the Lean Green Bean website for more information on how to join.

I can not wait until next month for another foodie pen pal reveal 🙂

 

May 2013 Foodie Penpal Reveal

This is my second month joining the program and I’m enjoying it so far!

Got this box from Joanna who resides in New York and she sent me her favorite snacks for me to try (all from Trader Joe’s) :

I was excited to see the box on my doorstep and I opened the box right away to try the goodies 🙂

Love the taste of this snack. Just the right sweetness and the combination of apple/cinnamon. yum!

But this is my favorite…

Can’t stop munching on these coconut chips! Reminds me of macaroons. Coconut chips from Thailand.

Now, on to Jeju Mandarin orange slices :

They’re okay. I like the crunchiness of the oranges but some pieces tasted bitter.

I also prefer tea over coffee and it’s good that she sent a decaf one. this will be perfect after a meal. The smell of peppermint  is heaven!

Also got some candies :

I love peanut butter and jelly. Haven’t tried the fruit wraps yet 😛

Organic raspberry fruit spread that’s not so sweet.

Thanks Joanna for sending me this box. I enjoyed each one of them!

And now it’s time for some details about Foodie Penpals.  In case you’re a new reader, here’s a reminder of what the program is all about:

-On the 5th of every month, you will receive your penpal pairing via email. It will be your responsibility to contact your penpal and get their mailing address and any other information you might need like allergies or dietary restrictions.
-You will have until the 15th of the month to put your box of goodies in the mail. On the last day of the month, you will post about the goodies you received from your penpal!
-The boxes are to be filled with fun foodie things, local food items or even homemade treats! The spending limit is $15. The box must also include something written. This can be anything from a note explaining what’s in the box, to a fun recipe…use your imagination!
-You are responsible for figuring out the best way to ship your items depending on their size and how fragile they are. (Don’t forget about flat rate boxes!)
-Foodie Penpals is open to blog readers as well as bloggers. If you’re a reader and you get paired with a blogger, you are to write a short guest post for your penpal to post on their blog about what you received. If two readers are paired together, neither needs to worry about writing a post for that month.
-Foodie Penpals is open to US, Canadian & European residents.  Please note, Canadian Residents will be paired with other Canadians only. Same with Europeans. We’ve determined things might get too slow and backed up if we’re trying to send foods through customs across the border from US to Canada and vice versa. 

Check out the Lean Green Bean website for more information on how to join.

I can not wait until next month for another foodie pen pal reveal 🙂

April 2013 Foodie Penpals

I joined foodie pen pals recently because I love food and it’s fun to interact with fellow foodie/bloggers from around the country.  Was so excited since this is my very first foodie pen pal experience.

I was paired up with Ashley who sent me a box loaded with fun items from Trader Joe’s, one of my favorite stores. She also sent me a homemade treat!

Here are the goodies she sent :

My favorite is the powerberries snack which is very addicting (she warned me in her letter) 😀  I love berries and chocolate so it was a perfect combination

Loved the protein bar too! there was a time when I went to the gym and attended 3 classes but I didn’t have time for a decent breakfast so I had that. Gave me energy for 3 hours!

She made me a homemade peanut butter granola with flax seeds and sunflower seeds. So yummy!

I was hesitant to try this at first because it looked so spicy! Tried it anyway. I got hooked! love the spicy/sweet combination to it.

The edamame crackers is also good for a light snack 😀

Haven’t tried the farro yet. Any recipes you can suggest?

Thanks again Ashley for sending me a nice box.

This month I sent a box to Lauren of Hall Nesting, go check out the goodies she got too! She said that I’m the best Foodie Pen Pal to date 🙂 not bad for my first box sent!

And now it’s time for some details about Foodie Penpals.  In case you’re a new reader, here’s a reminder of what the program is all about:

-On the 5th of every month, you will receive your penpal pairing via email. It will be your responsibility to contact your penpal and get their mailing address and any other information you might need like allergies or dietary restrictions.
-You will have until the 15th of the month to put your box of goodies in the mail. On the last day of the month, you will post about the goodies you received from your penpal!
-The boxes are to be filled with fun foodie things, local food items or even homemade treats! The spending limit is $15. The box must also include something written. This can be anything from a note explaining what’s in the box, to a fun recipe…use your imagination!
-You are responsible for figuring out the best way to ship your items depending on their size and how fragile they are. (Don’t forget about flat rate boxes!)
-Foodie Penpals is open to blog readers as well as bloggers. If you’re a reader and you get paired with a blogger, you are to write a short guest post for your penpal to post on their blog about what you received. If two readers are paired together, neither needs to worry about writing a post for that month.
-Foodie Penpals is open to US, Canadian & European residents.  Please note, Canadian Residents will be paired with other Canadians only. Same with Europeans. We’ve determined things might get too slow and backed up if we’re trying to send foods through customs across the border from US to Canada and vice versa. 

Check out the Lean Green Bean website for more information on how to join.

I can not wait until next month for another foodie pen pal reveal 🙂

Fatburger

February 17, 2013 ~ tried hubby’s favorite burger 😀

Hubby ordered the XXXL! I’m already full when I eat the medium!

They say that this is one of the best burgers around. Would you agree?

toppings?

Love their amusing signs too 😀

 Hubby was part of this board

Hubby’s order is being prepared!  3 patties

Haha can’t help but ask them to pose for me 😀

found my hubby’s certificate at home 😛

Hmm..I like in and out better 😀 but this is also a good burger

Bistek Tagalog (Beefsteak Filipino style)

March 9, 2013~

After we got home from our Zion trip, we were so hungry! Good thing I had sirloin defrosted   in the chiller. I decided to make Bistek (beefsteak) marinated in soy sauce and calamansi so it’s salty and sour. Really good! Reminds me of home. My hubby loved it! He’s an American who loves Filipino food 😀

Here are the ingredients :

First, I marinated the beef in soy sauce, calamansi (or lemon) and black pepper. Since we don’t have calamansi here, I just used the packaged one 🙂

Stir fry onion rings until soft then set aside

Fry the marinated beef until color turns brown. Set aside

Saute the garlic

Pour marinade and bring to a boil

Put in the cooked beef

Add the onions

Serve hot !

Babystacks Cafe

February 28, 2013 ~ Craved for some pancakes one morning then we remembered our friend mentioning this place that serves the best red velvet pancakes! So we decided to try this place out :

Upon entering, my husband said : “This reminds me of home”. The place was small and cozy with Hawaiian music playing in the background.

Some of the pages from the menu. Click to enlarge :

I ordered the adobo fried rice and red velvet pancakes :

The adobo omelette was huge. Ate only half because I was saving space for pancakes 😛  I was good but I liked the Aloha kitchen’s version better 🙂

Now, the red velvet pancake is to die for!! Not too sweet, just the right thickness and the cream cheese syrup is perfect with it! Plus the whipped cream and chocolate crumble! oh, so yummy! Needed to do extra cardio for this!

My husband ordered the Zippy’s chili omelette + banana cream pancakes :

  He loved it!

Banana pancakes topped with fresh whipped cream, sliced bananas and drizzled in banana cream sauce. Sprinkled lightly with pie crust and almonds

I loved this! Got food from his plate too 🙂 Both pancakes are good. Looking forward to try the lemon ricotta pancake. Read good reviews about it. As long as there’s cream cheese, I’m down!

Wait time wasn’t so bad since we went on a weekday. I heard that it’s full during weekends

What other flavors have you tried? Which one is your favorite?

My Freemont Street Experience

December 3, 2012 ~ Finally enjoyed my 1st Freemont Street Experience! Vegas with a vintage feel 😀

This is where it all started more than 100 years ago…the heart of Downtown Vegas.

One of this tourist mecca’s most famous and historic streets, Fremont Street has been the site of numerous “firsts” in Las Vegas:

First paved street (1925).
First Nevada gaming license – issued to the Northern Club at 15 E. Fremont St.
First traffic light and first elevator (the Apache Hotel in 1932).
The Horseshoe was the first casino to install carpeting, while the Golden Nugget was the first structure designed from the ground up to be a casino.                                        (source : http://www.vegasexperience.com)

You will also see the Viva Vision, a state-of-the-art 1,500-foot long LED screen – and a 550,000 watt concert quality sound system,the world’s largest LED screen . Viva Vision shows appear nightly on the hour beginning at dusk and are free and open to the public.

Ten legendary casinos line Fremont Street Experience

It is also lined with unique retail shopping kiosks :

Came across this kiosk selling shirts. Hmm…perfect for my niece haha 🙂

Mom got this for her :

There are also two permanent performance stages where there are live performers every hour :

Roaming street performers :

Mom and dad came here for my wedding in late December and we had a picture with Elvis and the Grinch (oh well, he joined the picture)

So I had a solo picture with Elvis too 🙂

Went inside the Golden Nugget to see the world’s biggest golden nugget :

Thought this girl is a statue and we were startled when she moved 😀

Time for drinks! jack and coke please 😀

Don’t miss this if you’re going to Vegas. It’s a whole new experience. You will enjoy it! 😀

Zion National Park

March 9, 2013 ~ went to Zion National Park….

Been here in Vegas since September 2012 and didn’t have the opportunity to get out of the state until early March of this year! So I got excited when my husband and I planned to go to Zion National Park one day where we took short hikes and had picnic 🙂

Spring was fast approaching that time so this was our last hurrah for winter. Good thing we came at the right time.

The mountains were covered in snow. That’s where we’re going! Brr! It doesn’t really snow in Vegas so I’m not used to the coooolllddd!

We had a quick stop at Paiute, an Indian reservation. I remember when we went there last December to buy and light some fireworks 🙂 It was pitch black and you can just see this convenience store and gas station in the middle of nowhere.

We passed by Mesquite after less than an hour..

Then there’s the sign! Passed by Arizona first before Southern Utah from here.

Now this is my favorite part of the ride. Driving thru the mountains!

  

Arrived Utah!

We’re getting closer 🙂

Ahhh…the snowy mountains!

I find this barn interesting so I took a picture 🙂

Arrived at our destination…finally!

The view of the mountains was very picturesque

Now, off to hiking 🙂 We were given a map and list of trails with description. It tells you the distance, what to expect on each trail, level of difficulty… since we wanted to go easy that day and just enjoy the view, we chose the easy to moderate ones.

We started with the Weeping Rock Trailhead :

This was just a short but steep trail. A little cardio won’t hurt 🙂 nice view.

Now off to the 2nd trail that we went to : love the falls!

Found a spot to rest for a while…

  

Got hungry from all that eating! We looked for a picnic table and brought out our food 🙂 It’s eating time!

I cooked the baked spaghetti and my husband made the spam musubi (love it!)  😀

Have you gone to other trails in Zion? I heard about Angel’s Landing and Narrows but they’re challenging trails and not for the weak hearted or people afraid of heights. We’ll need to stay at least a night there so we won’t be tired from driving 3+ hours one way. Looking forward to that 🙂