Recipe: pound cake, chocolate “milk” and more

Last Friday, before Star came back I baked two mini pound cake for him. What a great wife I am! 😀

Ingredients:

• 100g butter (room temperature)
• 100g flour
• 70g sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 50g banana chips + almonds

Beat sugar+butter+eggs until very puffy

Soaked the banana chips with some warm milk, get rid of the milk and blend

Pour the batter to two mini moldes

bake at 350F for 35 min

isn’t it pretty?

I made again the black chicken soup. Something that I want to comment about soup. In chinese culture, soup is not just food, but also a “medicine”. There is actually a word for that, 药膳，medicine food. It usually combines different ingredients that have medicinal values with everyday ingredients. The idea is heal or get healthier with daily food.

For this soup, I added these: 黄芪 (radix astragali) to invigorate Qi, 当归 (Dongui) and red dates to build blood and dry shiitake.

Stir-fry continued to be a staple for me. This one has broccoli, mushrooms, bamboo, green peppers and eggplant.

Bok choy with smoked pork belly

Star was working while I cooked and it was funny to see where he choice to do the conference call. 😉

oh… that’s Charlotte from Sex and the City! Yes, I’m watching it for the 1000000 times!

Another stir-fry: chinese mustard greens, red peppers, chinese yam and bean curd stick

Yam noodles with chinese cabbage, black fungus, shiitake, dry shrimp and a poached egg.

For breakfast I’ve been having these two combos:

#1 oatmeal cooked with chia gel and pumpkin puree

I made some almond butter

#2 pumpkin bread with AB

with homemade chocolate milk.

I love Almond Breeze Chocolate but I don’t buy it anymore. Why? Because although I love how it tastes, it’s not very nutritious. So I make my own bean milk (soy bean, black bean, aduki and mung bean) and add 1-2 tbsp of unsweetened cocoa powder. Voila…. a nutritious bean milk!

Q: What’s your favorite cloth and shoe store/brand?

The Big day!

Today is going to be a date to mark: My Professional Debut!

It’s 4.40AM

and I am revising the presentation 😯 in my hotel bed

Don’t let me start to describe my feeling now…. I don’t want to think/feel about it!

Let’s rewind to 24 hours ago. Yesterday I started my day with a 7.8km run, 38 min, 8.01min/mile. It was GLORIOUS! 😆

sweaty/showed 😉

a nutritious breakkie: puffed egg (1 whole egg beaten + 1 tbsp water)

toasted Bagel thins + LC

sliced pear + almond butter

white fungus

love egg sammie! 😉

oh… look who’s in the news? My co-authored and co-presenter today! 😉

Okay. I’m tired and sleepy now 😦 I’d better lay down for an hour or so before the presentation (9AM)! I need to recharge!!

Wish me luck!!! 😀

Challenge J&J #14-15 & 2 reviews

J&J #14 @Eat Clean Cookbook: fresh berries in vanilla infused avocado oil

I didn’t have avocado oil so here’s my version:

• 1 cup of chopped strawberries
• 1/2 tsp coconut oil
• drops of vanilla
• 2 tbsp coconut bliss ice cream

DIVINE~~~ berries and coconut is definitely a winning combo! 😉

J&J #15 @Eat Clean Cookbook: grilled asparagus with primavera sauce

my version: grilled asparagus with poached eggs.

Review #1: Maranatha Almond Butter

I bought it last weekend in Costco with a good deal and haven’t been having it with oat bran every morning since then

Coco’s review: I have mixed feelings about it. From on hand, I like that it’s smooth and runny, even stored in fridge, no stir required, so it’s easy to eat/melt. From the other hand, its lack of body and creaminess let me unsatisfied, I also find it not salty enough. So, I think I won’t buy it again. Rating: 3/5.

I made a tortilla-free burrito. hehehe…. well, it’s just rice/bean chili that I made the other day topped with a bed of greens.

I just started reading Country Driving: A journey through China from farm to factory

Dinner featured another stir-fry of greens: romaine, broccoli, mushrooms with garlic and sesame oil.

Review #2: Few days ago I received from Sahale Snacks 3 packets of their flavored nuts and they’re all gone!!! 😆

#1 : SOLEDAD: This delectable snacking experience features almonds, apples, and flax seeds, tickled with date, balsamic vinegar and cayenne.

Coco’s review: this is my favorite one. First because I love almonds. And then the combination of flavor is amazing, a bit sour, a bit spicy, perfectly balanced with the sweetness of the dates. Rating: 5/5

#2: Cashews with pomegranate + vanilla: a perfect combination of sublime flavors: Pomegranate, Vanilla, and Cashews. The whole roasted Cashews are teamed with Pomegranate and Apple, and balanced with pure Vanilla bean. Our light glaze adds just the right amount of sweetness.

Coco’s review: this is an interesting combo, it tastes like dessert for me although a little bit too sweet. Rating: 4/5.

#3: Barbeque Almonds with Mild Chipotle + Ranch. Enjoy the harmony of classic tastes with an all-natural twist. The Barbeque Almonds are seasoned with a proprietary “Dry Rub” spice blend and accented with tangy buttermilk ranch. Then, they’re slow roasted to a smoky, spicy-sweet perfection.

Coco’s review: it sounds really good but I didn’t like the flavor. It was like eating a meal when I was actually snacking. I guess it would be a nice topping for salad (I should have saved it for that instead of just finishing the packet without enjoying it). Rating: 2/5.

Overall, I like their products, their creative flavor combos and the handy packet size. I definitely will buy them in the future.

Q: Do you like flavored nuts? If you can make one, what would be?