Kimchi Fried Rice.

If I'm craving something slightly salty and spicy this is what I like to make. 

I myself am not Korean, but my roommate Connie and my friend Eujean are. Every time they've made Kimchi Fried Rice, also known as Kimchi bokkeumbap in Korean, I've loved it, so I asked them to teach me how. 

If you are unfamiliar with kimchi, think of it as a spicy Korean pickle that is eaten as a side dish. There are many types of kimchi made with various vegetables like cucumber, radish, green onions, and napa cabbage. In this recipe I used the most common type of kimchi, the kind made with napa cabbage, which can actually be found at your local grocery store in the refrigerated produce section. It adds nice, crunch, tartness, and spiciness to the fried rice. 

This recipe makes around 3-4 portions depending on how hungry you and your friends are.

Ingredients for Kimchi Fried Rice: 

1. Spam  

(I like using the Low Sodium version. It's healthier, and regular spam might be too salty with the kimchi)

2. Kimchi 

3. Cooked White Rice (I cooked 2 cups of short grain, cal rose rice)

4. Sesame Oil 

5. Eggs 

Step 1: 

Cube 1/3 of a can of spam into small pieces 

 

Step 2: 

Use scissors and cut a cup of kimchi into small pieces. 

You can use a knife and cutting board if you like, but make sure you wash it right after or the red color from the pepper in the kimchi might stain your board. 

Step 3: 

Saute the cubed spam in a large skilled until the grease has rendered out and they're golden brown. There's no need to add oil to the pan, because spam has a lot of fat in it already!  

 

Step 4: 

Add the kimchi to the pan and continue to cook till the kimchi is warmed through.

 

Step 5: 

In another pan multitask and fry some eggs. I like mine over easy. 

 

Step 6:

Transfer your cooked rice to the pan with the kimchi and spam and add a small drizzle of sesame oil. Mix it all together till everything is well incorporated. Also if your rice is not red/orange enough, you can add some of the liquid from the kimchi. Don't add too much, or else your rice will get soggy! 

 

Step 7:

Serve your fried egg alongside your kimchi fried rice and enjoy! 

One of the other things I love about this recipe is how fast and simple it is! Let me know how it goes if you try it out :) 

Superlove & Yummy-ness, 

Emily

P.S. Thank you Connie & Eujean for teaching my how to make this!

There's a party on my nails.

 Man, where did this week go? 

Tomorrow I fly back and begin a new quarter the following Monday. I guess it's true when they say time flies when you're having fun :) During Spring break I've been spending all of my time with family and friends. Together we've been doing a lot of talking, laughing, shopping and eating. Last Wednesday after eating a delicious lunch, my girlfriends and I went to Target to just browse and explore (as well as walk off the enormous amounts of seafood soaked in butter and Cajun sauce we just ate...). While looking in the beauty isle, I was immediately attracted to this nail polish by Sally Hansen called Pink Rockstar. I don't own any glittery nail polishes and it was around $2 so I caved in and bought it :)

Here are some pictures: 

It is definitely a really fun nail polish. The polish consists of a mixture of red, purple, pink, blue, and gold glitter. It only took two coats to make it that opaque! I also love how quickly it dries. The only thing I'm not looking forward to is taking it off! I heard glitter nail polishes are a pain to remove.... 

I hope everyone is having a great week! 

Superlove & Lots of Pretty Glitter, 

Emily

Up, up here we go.

I love traveling. 

Whether it's going home or off to another country, I find flying to be really exciting. Unfortunately, there is one thing that I dislike about it...packing! Somehow I seem to either over pack, under pack, or forget something important (like my cellphone)! However, I think I got the make up packing down for the most part. As some of you may know from previous posts, I flew home for spring break. 

So here is what I packed: 

I got the red/purple checkered cosmetic bag from Urban Outfitters and surprisingly it holds a lot of stuff! 

The products on the right are the items that are considered liquids or gels that I put into a quart size zip lock bag. Mascara a liquid?! That's what I thought, but the TSA requires you to put any liquid, gel, or cream based products into the plastic bag for screening. I only brought lip balm, eye shadow primer, mascara, and a pink lip gloss that goes with everything.

 

Here's what I keep inside my cosmetic bag. 

The colors I choose for blush and eyeshadow are neutrals that match pretty much any outfit. I also brought a separate black eyeshadow to turn a day look to a night look.

I only brought two brushes to help save space. Other than that, I just use my fingers to apply on eyeshadow. Here's a little tip when it comes to packing your fragrances. Next time you go to Sephora, ask for a sample vial of your favorite perfume, even if you already own it! That way you don't have to lug the entire perfume bottle with you. This is also good if you want to bring multiple scents with you. It's not only great for travel, but for your purse as well!

 The palette I brought along with me is the infamous Wet N' Wild Color Icon palette in "Vanity". And yes, I think it does live up to all the hype :) After many youtube gurus and beauty bloggers reviewed this palette, I had to go check it out myself.  The shadows are really pigmented, and I love how they include three matte shades along with the three shimmery shades. I love this for travel, not only because it's a great neutrals palette, but also because if I lose/break it my wallet and I won't feel too bad. It was only around $5.00, and it's not limited edition so if I really wanted to I could buy another one!

Here's a really quick eye of the day, using this pallete: 

I used the creamy beige shade as a brown bone highlight, the shimmery gold shade all over the lid, the matte light brown color through the crease, and I lined my upper and lower lash line with the darkest plummy brown color. 

Superlove & Happy Traveling, 

Emily  
 

P.S. Can anyone guess what song the title is from? :) I love Clara C's version on youtube!

Tag you're it!

I was tagged by the lovely blogger Yana, to do "The Writings on the Wall Tag".

Even though I'm a new blogger in town, she decided to include me in her tag! Yana, thank you so much for the encouragement and the warm welcome into the blogging community :) If you haven't taken a peek at her blog, please do stop by! She features awesome face of the days and make up transformations.

I've always loved the concepts of tags! Not only is it a great way to connect people, but you have a chance to get to know the person a little better outside of the beauty and fashion hemisphere. 

The Writings on the Wall: 

Get a piece of paper and write the answers to the following questions:

1. What's your name/your blogger name?

2. What's your blog's name/URL?

3. Write "The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog."

4. Favorite quote?

5. Your Favorite song?

6. Your favorite band/singers?

7. Anything else you want to say?

8. Tag three to five other people 

Click on the picture to enlarge.

In no particular order I tag:
Daydream Amy  

Cocoabee 
Beauty Product Hussy 
Late Nite Addiction 
Les Ouefs Brouilles
Connie Chen Photography 

I know you're only supposed to tag 5 other people, but I couldn't help myself so I tagged 6. If I didn't tag you, and you still want to participate, leave your responses in a comment below! I would love to read all of your answers :)


Superlove & Happy Spring Break, 
Emily

P.S. Sorry for the lack of posting this week! Now that I'm settled at home for spring break I'm hoping to be able to blog more :)

Studying My Eyeballs Out

Yup it is finals week for me.

One week of intense studying (and perhaps some sleep deprived nights...) and then I get to go back home and enjoy spring break! Unfortunately for high schoolers and up finals week is inevitable... However I think there are a few ways to make it just a little less stressful than it already is :) Here are some tips and tricks that I have gained from past experience on how to survive finals week and also how to work more efficiently in general. Sadly, I can't guarantee that my advice will get you an A+ in your class (I really wish I could though!) but it might help you use your studying time more productively :)

1.) Invest in some type of planner/organizer and most importantly use it.

Whether it be a calender in your cellphone or a pocket planner, have something where you can visually see and write down important upcoming events.

I personally like planners that have a weekly set up as well as a monthly set up. That way I can make to do lists for that week as well as use the calender to see spatially when important events are coming up. It helps me keep track of what I need to do and how far in advance I should prepare for a certain event, for instance exams.

 

 

2.) Try listening to music while you study/work. 

I have a specific study playlist and it's filled with only instrumental pieces ( music with lyrics distracts me because then I start singing along!). Listening to this playlist every time I study has become a habit, so it helps me focus and gets me in the mood that it's time to get work done. 

If you're interested in what's on my playlist, try these: 

Aruarian Dance - Nujabes 

One Summer's Day - Joe Hisaishi 

3.) If you don't need a computer for your work, try to study in an area away from it. 

Unfortunately, I'm the type who gets really distracted when I have a computer screen with a web browser open. I could be looking at one of my professors lectures on his/her website and what do you know I'm some how on youtube or facebook! So unless you have really good self control (if you do I'm jealous!) try studying in the kitchen or in a study room at the library with out a computer. 

4.) Don't forget to take breaks, but make sure your breaks aren't longer than your studying periods! 

Try using your breaks productively by tidying up your room or outlining your schedule for tomorrow. I'm taking a break right now by writing this blog :) If you're really tired, take a power nap for 15-30 minutes. Studies show that power naps help increase alertness, productivity and memory. However don't go longer than that or you'll wake up feeling more tired than before!  

5.) When you take notes or create a study guide, try and use multiple colored pens/pencils. 

I usually write the bulk of my notes in black ink, and when there is something I need to remember like a vocabulary word or concept, I'll write it another color. I find that this really helps when reviewing old material, because I'm able to quickly acknowledge what is important.  It also really helps when you have to draw things out. 

 

6.) If you need to memorize something try making up an acronym or a story. 

By doing so it makes it a lot easier to memorize random terms that you don't use in everyday life. For instance in organic chemistry there is certain nomenclature used to represent the number of carbons in a chain. For carbon chains ranging from 1-4 carbons long, the prefixes methyl, ethyl, propyl, and butyl. To remember I use the sentence "Mom Eats Peanut Butter" to help me remember the order. I know it sounds silly, but hey do whatever works for you! :) 

7.) A week before finals stock up on easily prepared meals/snacks and try cooking in advance. This way you don't have to waste time cooking in the kitchen or driving to the grocery store or fast food restaurant. I usually have a frozen pizza and a couple of TV dinners in my freezer. I also like to make some type of pasta sauce, like spaghetti sauce with ground beef. Then all I have to do for dinner is boil some pasta, warm up my sauce, and I'm good to go :) For snacks, I always have a box of granola bars (Nature Valley Honey and Oats is my favorite!), cookies, and trail mix (I've currently been munching on Trader Joe's Simply Almonds, Caschews, and Chocolate Trek Mix).  

8.) Lastly, if you don't do as well as you want on your exam, at work, or whatever you've been allocating all your time to understand that you tried your best and there is always next time to improve :) 

Unfortunately, we all have bad days every now and then, but don't let that get you down from achieving success when the next opportunity arises!  

I hope that my advice is helpful! If you have any other tips and tricks, please leave them in a comment below! 

 

Superlove & Optimism, 

Emily 

P.S. I accidentally deleted almost all of my comments! :( I thought that the comment section was an inbox, so I pressed "delete" thinking it would clear the messages I already read and answered. I am so sorry if you left one! They were all really specially to me :(

P.P.S. The mirrors on your closet work great as dry erase boards! 

BBQ chicken & Sriracha Salad.

Cooking and baking have always been hobbies of mine ever since I was a child. Every Saturday morning I would wake up early, not to watch the cartoons, but instead to watch Julia Child and Jacques Pepin cook up a storm in their kitchens. When I got a little older, my mom allowed me to be her "Sous Chef" and from then on I learned the basic techniques of cooking. Now that I'm a busy college student I no longer have the luxury to take my sweet time preparing my meals :( So most of the recipes I have in my mental recipe book are fast, easy, healthy, yet still delicious. 

Here is my mom's recipe for BBQ chicken and baked beans without having to use an actual barbecue grill. I always try and eat some sort of vegetable with my meals, so I included my own recipe for Sriracha salad! Think of it as coleslaw with an Asian twist :)  

Ingredients for the BBQ Chicken and Baked Beans: 

1.) Raw Chicken 

 I prefer the taste and moistness of dark meat, so I just used drumsticks and thighs. 

2.) Vegetable Oil

3.) Seasonings - Salt, Pepper, Garlic Powder 

4.) Barbecue Sauce  

5.) Van Camp's Pork and Beans 

I don't know why they have "pork" in the title, because it's just beans in a tomato sauce 

(You can omit this if you'd like, but the beans taste great with the bbq sauce!)    

Step 1: 

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Heat up some oil in a pan on medium high heat. Season your raw chicken with Salt, Pepper, and Garlic powder. Once your pan is hot place the chicken in the pan. Cook each side for about 2-3 minutes, or till each side is golden brown. The technique of browning meat is important,  because it helps intensify the flavor and retains the texture of your meat. 

 

Step 2: 

Once your chicken is golden brown on all sides transfer it to a foiled lined pan that is large enough to hold all your chicken. To finish the cooking process we are going to bake the chicken.  

 

Step 3: 

Take your favorite barbecue sauce and spread over all sides of the chicken. Ideally you should use a brush, but all I had was a spoon, so I just used the back side of it. Make sure to be generous with your sauce. 

 

Step 4: 

Place a large foil tent on top and make sure to use a knife to poke some holes for ventilation. The foil tent helps keep the chicken moist.  Bake your chicken for around 25 minutes or until its cooked. You can tell if your chicken is cooked if the juices are clear and not red/bloody (it's okay if it's brown because of the BBQ sauce!) and also by using a knife and making a small incision to visually check (no one will know because it'll be covered in barbecue goodness!) 

 

Step 5: 

I forgot to take a picture of this step :( but basically just reuse the same pan that you browned the chicken in (it has a lot of flavor!) and heat up your canned beans on low heat. I also like to nestle the cooked BBQ chicken in there for 5-10 min so the flavors come together. 

Ingredients for the Sriracha Salad: 

1.) Cabbage 

I was only making this meal for me and my roomie, so I only used half 

2.) Cucumber

3.) Canned Corn 

I chose the kind with 50% salt. Not only does the corn taste sweeter,

 but it's healthier since there is less sodium :)   

4.) Thousand Island Dressing 

5.) Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce 

This is a common hot sauce used in South East Asian cuisine. You can actually find it in the ethnic section of a regular grocery store. 

Step 1: 

Remove the core of the cabbage and cut it into thin strips and wash. 

I like to cut first and then wash, because it makes the process a little easier. 

 

Step 2: 

Wash a cucumber, cut in half length wise, and then cut half moons. 

 

Step 3:  

Place all your ingredients in a large bowl, along with half a can of corn (you can add more corn if you like!) 

Add around 2 tablespoons of thousand island dressing and a squeeze of sriracha sauce (Remember start with only a little bit and taste. Then add more if you need too. You don't want your salad too spicy!). Toss your salad till all of your vegetables are lightly coated in the dressing.

Assemble your meal together and enjoy! I also ate my chicken with a slice of toast. I love comfort food :)

   

If you try this recipe, please let me know how it goes! 

Superlove & Bon Appetit,

Emily 

P.S. Regarding the earthquake that hit Japan and affected the other nearby countries, I hope everyone and their loved ones are safe. 

Spiffy Tuesday

Hope everyone's week is starting off well! Mine has just been filled with studying, studying, and well...more studying! Finals are next week, but that doesn't mean I can't dress up :) The weather was so nice today, so I decided to incorporate a blushing pink color into my outfit (a popular color for spring 2011!). After class, Connie and I went grocery shopping to stock up on lots of snacks, like yogurt for more parfaits, lots of fruits, and Naked Juice (Mighty Mango is my favorite flavor)! For some reason, when I'm in super concentration mode, I tend to get the munchies like crazy! Maybe it's because I'm using lots of ATP...Oh gosh...I'm such a bio nerd, but at least I'm applying what I'm learning to the real world :)  Anyways, here are some pictures of my roommate Connie and me: 

 

 

  

Here's a little face of the day:

 

Outfit Details:  

Connie: 

Blazer: Nordstroms 

Striped V-Neck: Urban Outfitters 

Acid Wash Jeggings: Fashion District in Downtown LA 

Sandals: Steve Madden 

Brown Purse: Lucky  

Emily:

Gray Cardigan: Nordstroms (borrowed from Connie! Thank you!) 

Pink Tunic: Forever 21 

Beige Thigh High Socks: Cottonon 

Brown Leather Boots: Star Ling  

Cream and Brown Striped Scarf: Forever 21 

Zipper Purse: Target (it was only $15!)

Superlove & Sunny Weather, 

Emily

P.S. I just realized that my purse is really similar to Rebecca Minkoff's 3 Zip Rocker purse! No wonder I was so attracted to it at Target! 

How to trim your own side swept bangs/fringe!

I've had bangs for about 95% of my life. Yes, that means I even had them as a toddler! Name the style of bangs and I've probably had them. Short, long, straight across, side swept, etc. Honestly, I'll probably have bangs for as long as I still have hair, because I love the way it frames my face. However, there is one thing I dislike about them. They grow so fast! Well at least mine do, so knowing how trim them is a necessity. 

Knowing how to do this surprisingly easy task comes in handy, especially if you're growing out your hair but still want to keep your fringe. Some salons charge up to $10 to trim your bangs, so you'll be saving up money! You can also trim your bangs whenever you want, instead of having to schedule an appointment. And the best part, once you get the hang of it you can trim your bangs to your liking every time :)  

Disclaimer: I am not a trained/professional hairstylist nor do I claim to be one. This is the method that I found worked for me. Please be careful when trimming your bangs and do so at your own risk! Remember if your bangs don't come out the way you want them to, hair grows! :)

Now you can see both of my eyebrows!

Materials:

 

1.) Hair Shears 

2.) Some sort of long object to use as a guide (I used a lip liner)   

3.) Comb 

4.) Clip/Hair tie

Notes: Please do not use any regular household scissor! It is not sharp enough, so you'll ruin your hair! If you plan on trimming your own bangs regularly, I suggest investing in a pair of hair shears. 

Step 1: 

 

Using your comb, separate your bangs from the rest of your hair and secure everything with a clip/hair tie

Step 2:

 

Comb your bangs straight down and use your long object as a guide, to visually see exactly where you'll be cutting. For me I want the shortest part of my bangs to start a 1/2 inch underneath the arch of my right eyebrow and the slope downwards to the top of my left cheek bone. I usually like leaving the left side of my bangs slightly longer so they blend in with my hair.

 Step 3:

 

Figure out where you'll be cutting your hair. I like cutting mine over the sink because it is easiest to clean up and a mirror is right in front of me.  

To clean up, I take a slightly damp paper towel, pick up as much hair as I can, and throw it all away in the trashcan. Whatever little bits of hair I can't pick up I wash down the sink. 

(Don't be lazy and wash all your hair down, or else your sink will get clogged)

Step 4:

    

Starting from the shortest part of your bangs, hold a 1/2 an inch thick section between the sides of your index finger and your middle finger. I like the shortest part of my bangs to be a 1/2 inch below my right eyebrow arch. Hold your scissors vertically and cut. 

By holding your scissors vertically you get a more natural cut than a blunt horizontal cut. It may take 2 or 3 actual vertical cuts to trim the 1/2 inch section of hair. 

Don't cut too much right away! Remember you can always cut more, but once you cut it off you can't put your hair back.

 Step 5:

 

Hold the section of what you previously cut along with a new 1/2 inch section (moving towards the longer end of your bangs) between your fingers. By grabbing a small section of what you just previously cut, you can use the length to gage how much to cut off your next section. With side swept bangs you want the length of your bangs to gradually get longer as you trim across your face (remember the guide?), so you won't be cutting this section to the exact same length as the previous section. Instead you'll be cutting them so they're slightly longer (around 1/4 of an inch longer).  

In the picture the I am holding both 1/2 inch sections of hair between my fingers (towards your left was what I previously cut toward the right is what I am going to cut). 

 Step 6:

  

After every two cuts comb your bangs straight down to make sure you are cutting your bangs at the correct angle. Continue to cut and move across your face gradually making the lengths longer and longer till your finally at your cheekbone and end of your bangs. Remember to hold the two 1/2 inch sections of hair (what you previously cut and what you are going to cut) while you are cutting.

 

Here is a picture of me with the guide starting from 1/2 inch underneath my eyebrow to the top of my cheek bone just like before. Now you can see how much I trimmed.

 Step 7:

 Style your bangs how you usually do! I just comb mine to the side.

And that's it! I really hopes this helps and that my explanations were clear enough. 

If you have any questions leave me a comment below :)

Superlove & Yay for Newly Trimmed Fringes, 

Emily

Time to hit the books.

Man it is already March! I can't believe how fast this year is going and also how fast this quarter is going by! In just one and a half more weeks I'll be taking finals. Time to start super studying! 

While I study, I want to try and be as comfortable as possible but still look presentable. That's why I love my leggings :) Pair them with a boyfriend cardigan or an oversized sweatshirt, boots, and you're golden. Easiest outfit ever. It was also pretty chilly today so I wore a large scarf. I love how when you need a power nap it can double up as a pillow :)

As for my hair I like tying it up when I study. For some reason I just feel more productive when my hair is up and out of my face. To do this simple side bun just twist your hair to one side, coil tucking in the end, wrap your hair tie around it twice, and use bobby pins to secure. 

 

Outfit Details: 

Sweatshirt: MCIA 

Black leggings: Forever 21 

Brown Boots: Star Ling from Nordstroms

Black Scarf: H&M 

Black Bag: Urban Outfitters  

If you're wondering about my sweatshirt, it's actually not made by a brand! I'm on an exhibition hip hop dance team at my college,  and every year someone on the team submits their design for our annual sweatshirts. As a team we vote on which design we like best. This sweatshirt is really cool because we have the year 2010-2011 on one sleeve, and on the other sleeve it has the Greek alphabet starting with Alpha through Theta. We use the Greek alphabet to help differentiate each year, so this year is Theta year. Not only is this sweatshirt really comfy, but it holds a special place in my heart since this is my first year on the team and thus my first sweatshirt :) 

Superlove & Good Luck Studying, 
Emily