For the love of food #yegheritagefest

This year has looked different for many reasons, from quarantine, social distancing and all kind of events getting canceled. While I missed a few I haven't really noticed, untitled now, that an event wont happen. Heritage days are my favorite.  Its three days of culture, food, entertainment and shopping from around the world.  I think is about people, about experiencing culture though food and their passion of what they put forward. So I went on a search of my favorite foods that you can get at pavilions... by no means is this a complete list representing every pavilion and every menu items (there is 508 of them) and for some countries there is a lot to choose from. I choose places I have been to over the years.

Arabic - Sunbake Pita Bakery and La Shish Shawarma

Bosnia and Herzegovina/Croatia/Serbia - Kafana and  European Sweetness 

Chile - La Boca Loca - Latin Inspired Grill

China - The Lingnan and  Pearl River Restaurant

France - Normand's and Cafe Bicyclette offer some of the best in French cuisine.

Italy - Vaticano Cucina  and Battista's Calzone 

Mexico - Mexico Lindo Tacos & Grill and El Cortez

England - Sherlock Holmes and London Local

Japan - Izakaya Tomo

India - Guru Restaurant and Punjab Platter

Turkey - Sofra Authentic Turkish Cuisine

Jamica - A Yah Mi Deh Jamaican Restaurant and Safron's Caribbean Delight

Menu items that are a hit that you can make at home:

Churros are a huge hit and this recipe worked well for me. 

Croatian pavilion is best known for their elephant ear - and this is the best recipe (and the closest) I got to those. 

This empanadas are perfect little pockets of cheesy beef. The dough bakes into a golden flaky crust that shatters beautifully.

These delicious pupusas. A pupusa is a thick griddle cake or flatbread from El Salvador and Honduras, made with cornmeal or rice flour.

Perfectly delicious, easy and customize crapes. 

I have waited an hour  at Guatemala pavilion for a  Mango Loco aka mango on a stick. This recipe is perfect and no line.

Rwandan mandazi are little African donuts that are truly addicting. Basically fried dough, one of my favorite things.

Fried Plantains – sweet ripe plantains, sliced and fried to perfection. 

One of the best soups I tried was a Chicken Pepper Soup at the Nigerian pavilion. This recipe is so good.

Egypt always has the best Falafel Wraps and this recipe is close to what they make (theirs might be better TBH).

Can you really go wrong with a yummy deep-fried potato on a stick? These are always a hit at the Korean pavilion.

I spent months last years in a search for a e authentic recipe for Ukrainian Borshch and finally stumbled upon this one. Its absolutely delicious. 

OOTD - Simply Buttoned Up

Ever met a form-fitting, skin-tone dress that goes from day to night? Well this is it. This is a perfect dress for the office but can take it into the night for drinks, date night or girls night. The simplicity of this dress is exactly what first inspired me to want it. I love the buttons and a high neck and the tie.  The satin finish, modest slit, and perfect length make it a must have dress. 

dress c/o Twiin Co.

shoes: Aldo

purse: LV

Must Have Blogging Tools and Gadgets

Being a blogger is kind of like running a business. You need tools and gadgets to make the blog run - other than the obvious like laptop, camera, smart phone and SEO comparable blog there are few tools that make being a blogger easier and more effective.

A Ring Light.

If you are shooting any kind of videos or photos indoors and close up, a ring light is absolutely necessary. A ring light is a simple lighting tool that is commonly used for beauty shots, portraits, and macro photography. My ring light changes colors to adjust for best light, came with a tripod and is compatible with my phone.

Grammarly.

If you are taking time to write things - you should get someone to check your work, and grammarly is the easiest way to do that. The free version contains most of the features of Grammarly Premium apart from an advanced grammar checker, a plagiarism detector and some vocabulary enhancement suggestions. In other words, the free version of Grammarly is ideal for writers and bloggers with a minimal budget for writing tool.

Canva.

If you are adding graphics to anything you need Canva. Its super easy to use and they have a template for all social media platforms. 

Gorillapod or Tripod and Camera timer/clicker.

I live alone, and while I usually have a photographer during quarantine that without a tripod I would have ZERO photos for #OOTD.  A tripod is used to stabilize and elevate a camera but also make a great photographer in conjunction with a timer and a clicker.

Tailwind.

You heard me rave about this before but honestly it's been a game changer for me - Tailwind save time scheduling to Pinterest and Instagram, and because its setting is to post at the best times for engagement I noticed increase in engagement an traffic in the first month.

Photo editing tools. 

This kind of goes hand in hand with Canva but there is nothing worse than poorly edited or blurry photos on blogs and social media. Why would you spend time capturing anything when you gonna post it a in wrong format b blurry unedited or compromised. Get good at editing - there are ton of free apps and some that cost almost nothing. 

FTC: Some of the links are affiliate links. If you buy something through some our links, we may earn an affiliate commission, at no cost to you. We recommend only products we genuinely like. Thank you so much.

Parmesan Mashed Potato Cake

I love potatoes,all of them. Cooked potatoes. Baked potatoes. Mashed potatoes . Fries. Vodka... and now potato cakes. These are super easy to make, and can be elevated very easily.  I made this couple time and I prefer to use boiled potatoes rather than leftover mashed potatoes but either would work. 

What you will need:

2 large potatoes about 1 lb.

1 egg

1 cup grated Parmesan + extra 1/2 cup for dredging

1/4 cup chopped parsley

1/4 cup chopped chives

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp. salt or to taste

1/2 tsp. pepper or to taste

1/2 tsp. vegeta

3 tbsp. butter for frying

How to make it:
Cook the potatoes in gently boiling water until tender, about 20-25 minutes, depending on the size. Let them cool down completely. Peel.
Place the potatoes in a medium mixing bowl and mash well using a potato masher
To the same bowl, add the egg, Parmesan, parsley, chives, flour, salt, vegeta and pepper. Mix everything well.
Scoop up about a 1/2 cup of the potato mixture and form it into a patty
Place about a 1/2 cup of Parmesan into a shallow dish. Roll the patties in the parmesan to coat.
Heat up some butter in a large, non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add the potato patties, and fry for about 3-4 minutes on each side, until they turn golden brown.

Recipe inspired by: https://cooktoria.com/mashed-potato-cakes/

Reality TV Worth Watching

Reality TV (or what pases for reality TV) is a guilty pleasure for many of us. While I have never seen an episode of Jersey Shore or KUWTK or any of the housewives I watch other trash TV and love it. I rounded up few of my favourites - don't judge me - there are in no particular order:

Love Island UK.

I haven't seen the US version but the UK version is a hot mess, and I couldn't stop watching. Thanks to prime I went back and watch all available season on there.  The show is pretty much what you think, a dating show with a prize at the end, lots of drama, tears, sex and hella hot people. "A group of men and women participate in a series of tasks with a partner that they keep swapping until they meet the love of their life."

The Bachelor/The Bachelorette.  Okey ALL OF THE Franchise .

While I couldn't be bothered to watch MANY seasons of the bachelor franchise - the seasons I did watch, along with all BIP are stupid addictive. The last season with-what-his-face was MEGA bad but anything with Hannah B, Tayler or Ben was def worth a watch. I think new season might hold some promise as well "To find his/her true love and life partner, a bachelor/bachelorette dates a group of women/men, over several weeks, who compete in a series of challenges that are meant to prove their compatibility with him/her."

Queer Eye.

I laughed, I cried, I was amazed, I cried some more. The fab five are AMAZING. I have only seen this version with this fab five and I love them. They all seem so genuine, wonderful and warm people. I kinda love them "reboots the "Queer Eye" franchise with a new Fab Five and a new setting, trading in the concrete jungle of New York City for communities in and around Atlanta. The style experts forge relationships with men and women who often have different beliefs from them, leading to moments of social commentary interspersed with style advice. Advising people in need of lifestyle makeovers are food and wine specialist Antoni Porowski, interior designer Bobby Berk, grooming consultant Jonathan Van Ness, fashion designer Tan France and culture expert Karamo Brown, who reality TV fans may recognize as one of the housemates on "The Real World: Philadelphia." David Collins, who created the original show, is on board as an executive producer."

Project Runway.

I loved Project Runway from day one, with Heidi and Tim and still love it with Karlie and Christian. The talent never fails to amaze, the challenge are great and Nina is getting more fiery every season which I love. "Talented fashion designers showcase their skills as they compete in a series of challenges to win the coveted title and an opportunity to create a collection for the New York Fashion Week."

The Circle.

First: How do I get on here? Second: What a great experiment. My hope is that there is more season to come, but the Brazil version is cool too. " "Big Brother" meets "Catfish" on this reality series on which not everything is as it seems. Comic Michelle Buteau hosts the show that features its contestants moving into the same apartment building. The twist is that the players never meet face-to-face during the competition, as each one lives in his or her own apartment. The contestants communicate exclusively through profiles created on a specially designed social media app. This anonymity allows them to hide their true identities and portray themselves however they choose. Throughout the competition, the players rate one another, with the lowest-rated players put at risk of being eliminated, or blocked, from the game. The contestant who survives the contest and emerges the winner takes home the $100,000 grand prize."

What's your favourite reality TV?

Chocolate Cookies

These cookies are so easy to make and so soft and delicious. I love them with fruit and tea.

what you will need:

2 1/4 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup becel original margarine

1/4 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup of white chocolate chips

1/2 semi sweet chocolate, melted for drizzling

How to make it:

preheat oven to 375.

combine flour, baking soda and salt in  medium bowl.

Combine becel and sugar and beat until smooth.

Beat in eggs and vanilla until combined well.

Add flour fixture, and beat until blended.

Stir in white chocolate chips. 

Using a table spoon, spoon out mixture on an ungreased baking sheet.

Bake for 7 minutes.

Once cool, drizzle (or dip) cookies with melted chocolate.

Enjoy.

Our Favorite Nude Lipsticks

A nude lip can be just as sexy and striking, but good nude lipstick is hard to find - I see something I love online, only to order and be uber disappointed it doesn't look perfectly nude on me. I was looking something with a perfect amount of polish for day or night, barely-there hue that best flatters my complexion and feels the most secure on my lips... is that too much to ask for?

Huda Beauty - Liquid Matte - Wifey

Stila - Stay All Day Liquid Lipstick - Patina

Loreal - Matte Lipstick Rouge Signature - Choose

Maybelline New York - Color Sensational Creamy Matte Lipstick - Daringly Nude

What are your go to nude lipsticks?

Dating and Social Distancing

I think this goes without saying but 2020 has been a challenging year, for many reason, and having immediate family considered being high risk has made things all that more challenging. If you’re single and dating, you’re no doubt facing a special kind of challenges during this horrid pandemic. Dating in general is hard, especially after age 30 and personally, my social life and dating both suffered but at times like this we should get creative, right? 

Once quarantine and social distancing became a thing I took a break from dating because I didn’t even know where to start, like how do you even date at a time like this? I identify with the all the single people out there and our struggles so much more than I did before social distancing, quarantine and many things still closed, as this now adds a whole new dimension of dating challenges. The playing field is narrower (like me, you probably should download back those apps that you deleted), plus we are also likely to have fewer nights out, events and places to meet people. So how does one date in time when we need to social distance?

So with social distancing, awkward dinner and coffee dates are out and video chats are in. Wether that means Skype calls, face time or zoom hang outs we made it work. There is something about not having to leave comfort of my home to go on a date that totally worked for me. I didn’t spend hours agonizing over a perfect outfit or changing like fourteen times, or picking a place both safe and comfortable were replaced a glass of wine and hang out from your couch. This also meant small talk was out, that awkward first oh hey and we don’t have to fret about who picks up the check at the end of the thing. And possibly the biggest plus: You’re forced to take things slow because you now have time actually get to know people.

There is ton of places online to meet people - from Tinder to Hinge to this Belfast dating site - you have ton of options. You wanna pick a platform that works for you - for example Tinder is not for me bu Hinge works well, especially since the women have to make the first move.  Once you connected with someone use your favourite virtual date site (zoom, face time etc) , grab a glass of wine or tea and chat. I have used things like house party or had a virtual dinner and each has been a blast. You can even go as far as virtual speed dates - I had the opportunity to do a short video and the go a virtual speed dating. Way it worked was 20 women and 20 men create a video, you get a link to guys side and anyone you like you give thumbs up, if they did the same thing you get each others contact info. That was fun too - great for extroverts and creative people. 

So regardless if Tinder is your jam, Belfest dating or virtual speed dating its easy to socializing responsibly. At times like this making connections is important - so how are you dating while social distancing?

Best Chicken Lettuce Wraps

I am attempting to eat better and such a sucker for lettuce wraps. They are so low in carbs, absolutely delicious, it's easy to make, and can be made in 20 minutes or less .I also love that can be made with things that most of us have in the fridge. I know most people make it with ground chicken but I preferred it with regula chicken breast, diced.

What you need:

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 pound diced chicken

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 onion, diced

2 tablespoon worchestire sauce

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup vegetable stock

1 tablespoon Sriracha

handful mushrooms

salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1 head butter lettuce

How to make it:

Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium high heat. Add diced chicken and cook until browned, about 3-5 minutes, making sure to crumble the chicken as it cooks; drain excess fat.

Stir in garlic, onion, Worchester sauce, soy sauce, vegetable stock, ginger and Sriracha until onions have become translucent, about 1-2 minutes. Stir in mushrooms, season with salt and pepper, to taste and let simmer for about 7-10 minutes on low heat.

To serve, spoon several tablespoons of the chicken mixture into the center of a lettuce leaf, taco-style

Faux Barn Windows

When I got my condo it was same as all others, and came with standard window coverings and was kind of boring. So in order to give it some oomph I did a faux barn window.

What you need:

Two sheet curtains

Hooks

How to do it:

I took off the plastic panel that was on my window.

Place adhesive hooks or nail hooks about 10cm apart.

Place curtains on top. 

#bookofthemonth : The One by John Marrs

I picked this book up because Sarah (a co-worker) read it early in the year... okay it was SO good. The story line is immensely seductive, clever and unpredictable, modern and just the sort of book to get completely lost in.. especially when it could totally happen!

"How far would you go to find The One?

A simple DNA test is all it takes. Just a quick mouth swab and soon you’ll be matched with your perfect partner—the one you’re genetically made for.

That’s the promise made by Match Your DNA. A decade ago, the company announced that they had found the gene that pairs each of us with our soul mate. Since then, millions of people around the world have been matched. But the discovery has its downsides: test results have led to the breakup of countless relationships and upended the traditional ideas of dating, romance and love.

Now five very different people have received the notification that they’ve been “Matched.” They’re each about to meet their one true love. But “happily ever after” isn’t guaranteed for everyone. Because even soul mates have secrets. And some are more shocking than others…

A word-of-mouth hit in the United Kingdom, The One is a fascinating novel that shows how even the simplest discoveries can have complicated consequences."

Have you read it? 

A Perfect Pair

This gorgeous two-piece set is perfect for your summer vacation or staycation, because you know COVID! WI love the color and the A-line detail skirt.

The bodice features a cropped style (which can be scary for me) but it’s a perfect match with the flowy skirt making it is so flirty and fun! Best part about it that you mix and match these pieces with other tops, shorts, jeans and tanks.

This gorgeous set it from Twiin and co, a local YEG company stated by (you figured) two twin sisters. They focus on curating quality sustainable pieces for women on the go, with fashion forward styles. 

set c/o Twiin Co.

shoes: Christian Louboutin

purse: Marshals 

OOTD - Over-sized Blazer

Over-sized blazers have been everywhere lately - everyone from Eva Chen to Chrissy Teigen is wearing them. There are so many ways to wear an over-sized blazer - from layering them over a dress, to biker shorts or on its own. I combined my go to kit striped dress and pop of yellow for drinks with a friend. 

Remember, you can always accessorise with this kind of outfit. Whether that’s with a chunky bracelet, glasses from https://www.eyeglasses.com/ or anything else unique! 

boots: Call it Spring

blazer: Simons

dress: Zara