In the Kitchen: Skinny Turkey Chili

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This week has been so incredibly cold and what is better on a freezing cold day than a steaming hot bowl of chili?

Ben & Jerry's New Ice Cream is BRILLIANT

How many times have you eagerly dug into a tub of Ben & Jerry's to find that all the cookie dough pieces were at the bottom? Or the peanut butter fudge is just too unevenly spread out? Well, Ben & Jerry's new core ice cream fixes this extremely pressing issue.

Introducing Ben & Jerry's Cores which features a column running down the middle of the pint that is a core center of fudge, caramel or raspberry jam. Now the perfect scoop is within reach

Genmaicha 玄米茶

Available at David's Tea, Teavana or
your local Asian grocery store. 

I've been drinking genmaicha tea nearly every day as of lately. Genmaicha is the Japanese name for a green tea combined with roasted brown rice. Might sound like a strange combination but it has a pleasant taste with a hint of roasted rice and a mild green tea aftertaste.



A good tea rarely comes without a tale and genmaicha is no exception - Legend has it that a servant was preparing tea when he accidentally dropped some rice (that was hidden in his kimono sleeve as a snack for later) into a cup of green tea. The master was enraged and beheaded the servant immediately before even tasting the tea. The delicate flavor of sweet, toasted rice with the sencha green tea leaves.

Genmaicha's addition of the brown rice is argued to enhance the already plentiful health benefits of green tea including weight loss, decrease in risk of cancer, is an antioxidant and has relaxing and calming results



Steep 1.5tsp of genmaicha for 2-3 minutes at ~80 degrees Celsius or experiment to find the green, toasty spot you like best! Genmaicha can be enjoyed hot or chilled, with or without matcha green tea powder added.

Watch out, it's addicting!

In the Kitchen: Oatmeal Lace Cookies

These delicious cookies are thin, light, crisp and chewy and made with surprisingly basic ingredients. Cookies have an unfortunate reputation for being high calories and a heavy indulgence but this recipe is much lighter at only 33 calories per cookie!

Tips from the Kitchen: How to Eat Chicken Wings

Now, if anyone knows me, I will go to extreme lengths to not eat with my hands. So yes, that means I do not use my hands when I eat wings.

Buzzfeed recently released a gif-set on how to (properly) eat chicken wings which I am completely mind-blown about because I have never heard of this way! Unfortunatelly it does require a lot of hand work, so I'll stick with my fork but hey, this is definitely worth sharing!

In the Kitchen: Skinny Vegetable Pasta

Adapted from Skinny Taste

Vegetable Cream Pasta
A light pasta dish loaded with vegetables! Perfect dish for both winter and summer (more so, summer when tomatoes are at their peak!)

I like to add a little Tabasco or Sriracha to add a little kick but if you are not a fan of spicy food, you can omit the red pepper flakes and any spices all together. This recipes takes little to no time to make so it is great for university students!

Moo Kyo Dong Nak Ji

If you love Korean spicy food then you will love Moo Kyo Dong Nak Ji. Similar to Joon's, it features table top cooking. I actually prefer this restaurant to Joon's.. so much more authentic!

Moo Kyo Dong Nak Ji
Where: 7325 Yonge Street, Thornhill, ON
Price: $$

Why We Have Not Eaten McDonald's since our Senior Year of High School

During our last year of high school, when we were about 17, J and I decided to go on a McDonald's strike because we didn't particularly agree with the way McDonald's prepared their food. 5 years later, we still have not eaten any McDonald's (hey, give us some credit. McDonald's is practically a staple when you're in university but we haven't once touched it!). Recently, it has become more of a competition (hey, bet I can outlast you in this!) than our first initial health-conscious reasoning. However, when this video (below) recently went viral, it has completely renewed my mission against McDonald's food - or any fast food for that matter .

Sake Bar Kushi

I bought a Groupon for Sake Bar Kushi, a newly opened izakaya that specializes in kushi (aka. grilled Japanese skewers!). Usually, I don't expect too much from Groupon restaurants but SBK really exceeded my expectations!!

Sake Bar Kushi
Where: 257 Eglinton Ave W (Eglinton Ave/Avenue Road)
Price: $$ (Meal for 5 people: )

Main's Mansion

Main's Mansion
Where: 144 Main Street, Markham
Price: $$

Deer Garden

Deer Garden
Where: 550 Highway 7 East, Unit 108
Price: $ ($8.25 for the make-your-own-noodle combo!)

Pastel Creperie & Dessert House

I've passed by this dessert house many times on my way downtown but never thought twice to stop in!
Finally had the chance to pop in and was I surprised! This place is a hidden gem and is the perfect cafe for desserts and lattes!

Pastel Creperie & Dessert House
Where: 5417 Yonge Street
Price: $
Notes: Free WIFI and...FREE PARKING! Available at 500 Doris Ave if you are visiting Pastel. For more instructions, click HERE.