St. Thomas

Destination Weddings. They pose kind of a love-hate relationship. For example, I love that I get to travel somewhere exotic and new; hate the money aspect of it. But the wedding was for a good friend of mine from boarding school, and it truly was a once in a lifetime experience. I couldn't have been more thrilled to be a part of their big wedding day.

Our hotel - Marriott Frenchman's Reef & Morningstar Resort

View from the hotel

Oceana Seafood & Wine Bar - Wedding and Dinner Venue

The lovely Bride and Groom in front of Oceana

Entering St. John at the Cruz Bay Port

Trunk Bay on St. John - Named of on the Top 10 Most Beautiful Beach in the World (there was a scene from The Curious Case of Benjamin Button that was filmed here). The beach even has its own underwater snorkel trail!

Strolling around Charlotte Amalie looking for Gladys Cafe to chow down on some West Indian food

Ended up at Mountain Top afterwards where we had Banana Daquiris and took in views of the British Virgin islands (Tortola, Jost Van Dyke, and Virgin Gorda) and US Virgin Islands (St. John and St. Croix)

It was a fantastic vacation - full of old friends and plenty of new ones. It was a small intimate wedding, 11 people in total including the bride and groom, and it was perfect. We didn't explore the island for everything it had to offer, but we definitely took in the views. It was breathtaking and mesmerizing, and I can't wait to take another trip in the near future!

Seattle

I've finally made it! I have been slightly (I use the term lightly) absent from the blog for various reasons, but I'm back!

I mentioned moving a few posts ago, and I  finally did it! I moved from Boston to Seattle at the end of August, and I'm fully moved into my new apartment. I can't wait to start cooking again and post about my adventures around the city. Summertime in the NW really is wonderful - no humidity, and so many activities to partake in (read: farmer's markets galore!)!

I'm living with one of my best friends from home, and this is a picture of the sunset of our first roommate outing at a restaurant called Little Water Cantina. Do you see the mountains in the very far distance? I've missed the west coast so much. So, so much.

Boston

Needless to say, this week has been indescribable. But the strength and support this city has shown, goes beyond anything one could even fathom. This is the city I love. #BostonStrong

  

DIY: Growing Green Onions

In my off-time, I peruse Pinterest quite avidly. I came across this pin last week and knew I had to try it out! Not only is it a great way to save money, but I've been wanting to start growing my own herbs and vegetables for a while. The great thing is, even though it is still gloomy and not so sunny in Boston, the green onions continue to grow.

All you have to do is save the bottom bulb portion of the green onions, place them in a jar, and fill the jar with water. And presto! They start growing! I've been changing the water every 2-3 days, and the onions have been growing wonderfully. See below!

Day 2

Day 5

Day 9

 

 

If you look at the shortest green onions, I added them to the bunch this morning! See how quickly they grow?

Honey Soy Sauce Chicken Drumsticks

Today was gorgeous! It was so nice I even got to wear a dress after coming home from work! Major :) But on my way home, I was feeling lethargic, yet again, and I couldn't decide what to do for dinner (aka whether to buy or to cook). I could eat leftover salad (seen here and here), or I could eat something yummy but relatively healthy that would satisfy what I was looking to eat. This is where these drumsticks come into play.

Drumsticks are a very easy way to get juicy and tender meat on the table. You can eat them as is and serve them with a side dish, or cut them up and toss them into a salad. Generally speaking, I usually marinate my chicken with olive oil, fresh rosemary, fresh garlic, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. But I'm always open to trying something new; I liked this recipe because of its flavors with a somewhat Asian flair by using soy sauce and garlic, mixed with the sweetness of honey.

Recipe (makes 2-3 servings):
6 chicken drumsticks
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon garlic, minced (about 1-2 cloves, depending on size)
1/2 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
1/2 tablespoon sesame seeds, optional

Directions:
1. Combine the soy sauce, honey, garlic, and ginger in a Ziploc bag. Place the chicken into the bag, and seal the bag, removing as much excess air as possible. Refrigerate to marinate for at least one hour.

2. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

3. Lay chicken on a parchment-lined (or aluminum foil lined) baking sheet. Bake for 25-35 minutes, or until chicken is cooked thoroughly to 160 degrees. Every 10 minutes that the chicken is baking, take the pan out from the oven and brush more of the sauce on each drumstick, and then place back into the oven.

4. For the final 3-5 minutes that the chicken is baking, change your oven setting so that you broil the drumsticks, leaving the skin crispy. Top with sesame seeds and serve.

Asian Slaw Salad with Ginger-Peanut Dressing

I'm feeling very lethargic today, and it's most likely because I've worked 32 hours in the past two days. I know I'm going to need more energy this week for work, because it's going to be even busier than the last. I saw this recipe on Pinterest and I knew I had to make it because a) it has peanut butter, b) it helps me eat more veggies, and c) it makes so many servings that I can bring it to work for lunch. :)

Recipe (makes 6 servings):
Dressing:
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon peanut butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
1 large clove garlic, minced

Slaw:
2 cups green cabbage, roughly chopped
2 cups purple cabbage, roughly chopped
2 cups carrots, shredded
1 red bell pepper, sliced thinly into bite-sized pieces
1 cup edamame, shelled and cooked
2 scallions, finely sliced
1/2 cup salted peanuts, chopped or use whole
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

 

Directions:

1. To make dressing: combine all of the ingredients in a medium bowl. Stir until peanut butter dissolves. Set aside.

2. Combine all of the slaw ingredients in a large bowl. Add the dressing and toss well. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.

Nectarine Basil Salsa

As I'm typing this, over half of the salsa is gone. Whoops? I like salsa. But salsa can get boring pretty quickly. Most salsa's involve tomatoes, so most are red in color. Did you know that you should technically remove the seeds inside of a tomato before cooking with it because the seeds cause some people to get sick? Interesting....but what I mean by most salsa's involve tomatoes is that even though you may have a black bean salsa or corn salsa, it still a tomato based salsa with added black beans or corn. Boring! This recipe excited me because a) it's a fruit based salsa, and b) no tomatoes are involved! Yummmmm

Recipe (makes 2-4 servings):
1 nectarine, diced
1 1/2 tablespoons red onion, diced
1 1/2 teaspoons jalapeno, minced
1/2 teaspoon lime juice
1/2 teaspoon honey
4 fresh basil leaves
1 teaspoon sugar, optional

Directions:
1. Dice the nectarine. Add sugar is the nectarine is not juicy, and let sit for a few minutes.

2. Add red onion and jalapeno to the nectarine. Stir in honey and lime juice. Add a sprinkle of salt or sugar (or both) depending on how you want the salsa to be flavored.

3. Just before serving, cut basil into ribbons and sprinkle over the top. Serve with your favorite tortilla chips.