Vietnamese Pho

Pho (pronounced 'Fuh') is perfect for Sunday evenings after a long, productive day. I think of Pho as "Vietnamese Ramen": The warm, discreetly salty broth opens up the sinuses, making it a satisfying dish to enjoy anytime of the day, any season. Most places that specialize in Pho offer a variety of options to match each customer's preference. Beef brisket (rare or well done), shrimp, vegetarian, or a mix of everything are options that I recall from the menu.

What I love about Pho is that I can customize it to my taste. Veggies are offered on the side so that I can add bean sprouts, mint, lime, and other greens to my liking. I can dip my meat into sriracha sauce individually or I can add a few squirts into my soup. The experience I get from eating Pho is delightfully amusing, mostly because I can pretend to be the master of my own creation, or I can just admit I am playing with my food. . . in a way that is not completely immature ;)

Importance of Proportions

April of last year! . . .

. . . I went to Olive Garden with my mother and sister for lunch on a nice, sunny, weekend afternoon. Desiring to keep my calorie intake in check, I ordered a lasagna with grilled chicken from the Lighter Italian Fare menu.

My plate of fancy lasagna was smaller than expected, but I enjoyed my last bite with a surprisingly full stomach. From this tiny experience, I absorbed the fact that proportions really do matter. 

In restaurants, calorie intake not only depends on what I order, but also on how much I eat. The bigger the plate, the more I eat. Conversely, The smaller the plate, the less I eat. It's a simple concept, but sometimes we forget and have to refer back to basics. Controlling how much I have on my plate can control my proportions as well as my body. 

I try to keep this helpful principle in mind, especially when eating out in group settings or eating at a buffet. However, I count these social times as exceptions, as long as my food consumption does not become close to gluttony.

As a rule of thumb, just remember the cliché saying: You are what you eat! (This includes amount of food).

Love with Food

Recently, a new trend in the consumer world has blossomed into fashion, makeup, pet supplies, food, etc...

. . . . Subscription boxes.

       What's a subscription box? Well, it works the same way as a subscription to a magazine does. A monthly or yearly (or any time interval, in fact) payment is made, and depending on the subscribed company, a box of goodies are delivered to the subscriber's front door --- usually every month. 

      

     Subscription boxes are acually pretty cool. Finding a box full of surprise items catered to your interests is exciting and even more fun when you unwrap and open the package.

     Some famous subscription boxes include Birchbox, Barkbox, and Ipsy. I have heard these names scattered throughout Youtube (my main source of entertainment), and maybe you have too.

    Now, if you are a person like me who is wary of spending money on items you might not even need, there are a few subscription boxes available that not only give you what you pay for, but also use the money you pay for charity. 

    A subscription like that makes me feel like I am doing something, creating a little change, for the better good.

That is why I have committed my subscription to Love with Food. This company's tagline states "Snack Smart. Do Good."

I pay $10 a box every month for Love with Food to give me healthy snacks as well as to give a meal to a hungry child in America. $10 for myself feels wasteful, but $10 for myself AND a hungry child makes me feel like I am helping somebody in the smallest ways. 

I'm glad to know that I am making a difference through Love with Food.

I hope more charitable subscription companies pop up in the near future!

Here is what my Love with Food subscription box looks like :)

Heavy but Healthy Snack?

It's hot, whether inside or outside of the house. Summer sometimes calls for a snack that won't make one's stomach feel betrayed for being fed salty junk. Maybe even a big snack.... like a meal-size snack.

Once again, strawberries make an appearance. But this time, not alone. Here you can see an unevenly-halved croissant with Fage Total 0% Greek Yogurt and thin yet juicy slices of strawberries (I type this while eating watermelon.... hmmmmm).

What I love about Greek yogurt is that it is RICH in PROTEIN, so I can count on one serving to keep me full for hours! This particular one that I used, Fage (pronounced FA-yae), has 0% or 0 grams of fat. Strawberries naturally sweeten Greek yogurt, and provide a Vitamin C boost to help keep my blood pure and my body protected from infections. 

As for the croissant, I decided to treat myself. :)

I'm Craving . . .

Strawberries.

After a long trip to the sunny, dry, yet spectacular campgrounds of Yellowstone National Park, I crave fruit!
ESPECIALLY strawberries. Succulent, sweet, and mouth-watering, one bite of a juicy strawberry screams summer! I love it as much as I love watermelon :) .. (..almost..)

Strawberries come in varying shapes and sizes, but all seem to resemble a heart ♡. Coincidentally, strawberries are good for the heart! Just a simple something to keep in mind~

{Farm fresh strawberries, the best anyone can get!}

{How beautiful and vibrant!}

I especially love to eat strawberries with anything creamy, whether that be milk, ice cream, frozen yogurt, or cream itself. Strawberries are delightful and compliment homemade cake!

{I want this for dessert again~ ^^}

Kale + Potato

Not much of a Kale person? Maybe never even tried Kale?

This leafy supergreen is full of Vitamin C and is a favorite among health foodies --- including me! When I bite into the earthy, bitter, and slightly peppery bite of raw or cooked kale, I wonder why it has not hit the markets and trendy cafes sooner.

Curious to try it? Next time you make a trip to the grocery store, scan the produce section and grab a bundle or two of kale :) Then play around in the kitchen to discover what you can make!

I decided to pair Kale with Potatoes because. . . who doesn't like potatoes?

I do not have a recipe on hand but if I remember correctly, here's how I created this:

1.) Basically, I cooked the kale in a frying pan with a spoonful of water and a drizzle of soysauce to 

        wilt it down.

2.) Then I added sliced red bell peppers until slightly charred and caramelized.

3.) After turning off the heat, I added sesame oil and toasted sesame seeds for taste.

Did I add chili flakes? Hmmmm....

As for the potatoes. . . . . . . 

I shredded the potatoes by hand. 

Pre-shredded potatoes can save time, but I opted to make an extra effort for real, fresh potatoes :)

1.) Fry the shredded potatoes.

2.) Add salt and pepper to taste.

Yay! Kale + Potato, what a wonderful treat, especially during colder seasons! 

I think I ate this for dinner when I spontaneously made it, and my oh my was it delicious and hearty~

Kale does not have to be limited to salads.

I've made a Cantalope Orange Juice Kale Smoothie, a recipe I discovered on KaleSmoothieRecipes,  before attending my yoga class and it tasted so refreshing and healthy :) 

Very appropriate to starting one's morning!

Seriously, take out that Magic Bullet resting in the cupboard and make a Kale smoothie! Soon you might find yourself with a temporary Kale obsession ;)

Starting over. . .

So, I've always been hesitant about blogging, and to be honest, I was afraid of the inevitable --> procrastination. Obviously, it already happened. . . but I did not neglect! I have a countless number of drafts that I could not finish because of my hesitation and indecisiveness.

Hopefully that will change. KiwiCalifornian is about me -- not others. Although my goal is to motivate others to eat healthy, I do not have to limit myself to only that.

                     The point is. . . 

I LOVE FOOD.
I love it! I love to eat food and to feast my eyes on the beautiful array of colors Mother Nature presents on our plates.

So after a year of inactivity, I decided today that I would continue posting pictures of food.

Maybe I won't always display the most healthy dishes or give tips on healthy eating on every post, but I want to regularly share my thoughts on food and its wonderful appeal. :)

And to start off the new beginning, here's a panini!

Besides. . . what is life without a little food adventure? ;)