First Christmas: cookie delights

DELICIOUSNESS. I just had an amazing turkey sandwich for lunch! Can we all agree that Christmas dinner and dessert leftovers are the best?!

Keeping with the theme of our first Christmas as husband and wife, I decided I should start doing my own baking for the holidays. My mom and sister did all of their usual Christmas baking, and I'm so glad they sent me home with leftovers. The new recipes I tried out could not possibly compare to our favourite family recipes. These cookies, however, still look and taste fantastic, and I really enjoyed trying something new yet traditional!

I found this recipe online at Canadian Living for Brown Sugar Cookies. They were simple to make, and it was fun to use my Christmas cookie cutters! I like how they held their shape, and they would be fun to decorate with icing and sprinkles. I just ran out of time, shhh.

I also made Snowball Cookies, a recipe I found again on Canadian Living's website. They are basically Sugar Cookies with chocolate chips mixed in, then packed into balls & rolled in icing sugar. I think raisins (among other ingredients) as a substitute for the chocolate chips would have tasted great too.

Earlier in the month, I wanted to make a special little dessert for a quick family visit at our place. I made heart pastries filled with cinnamon flavoured apples, and they were super yummy! I found the idea for Pie Inspired Pop-Tarts at A Beautiful Mess.

To end on a cheerful baking note, these festive mitts make me happy. They were a bridal shower gift :)

First Christmas: felt crafts & adornment

Merry (belated) Christmas, everyone! I hope your holidays have been filled with joyful celebrations with family and friends, splendid relaxation with a good book or mug of coffee, and praise in your hearts for God who sent His Son to the world to save us! "For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him" (John 3:17).

It's been a special Christmas for me for a couple reasons. Last year, I was in Japan for the Christmas break between my school semesters. It was wonderful to travel around Japan with my fiancé, meet & spend time with my fiancé's relatives, and see the sights of Japan... but it was different from my "typical" Christmas spent with my family and taking part in the usual Canadian festivities. Apart from being back home for Christmas this year, it's been a special time because it's our first Christmas together as husband and wife! It's the precious beginning of several new traditions for our little family unit.

This year, I tried my hand at some new Christmas baking recipes and Christmas crafts. These felt Christmas trees are so simple to make. Easy, cute and homemade! Find out how to make felt trees on Wise Craft's blog. I was debating on whether to sew little beads onto the trees to look like ornaments, but I didn't want to ruin the simplicity of the trees. Maybe next year!

Here's another Christmas craft made out of felt! My sister made this felt advent calendar as a housewarming/Christmas present for us this year (what a great sister I have!). My mom made the same advent calendar many years ago, and we (my brother, sister and I) always enjoyed "hanging" the ornaments on the tree every year. To make this craft, you will need felt, sequins, velcro (each ornament has a velcro backing, which can be stuck to any of the 24 velcro spots on the tree), a wooden or plastic rod to feed through the top of the calendar, string, some basic sewing skills, and lots of love!

The husband and I also bought our first tree together (yes, we got a real one!). It was sooo much fun choosing and purchasing ornaments. The tree is a Fraser Fir. We got it at the very beginning of December, and it has kept most of its needles... I'd recommend it! Take note that the tree skirt (it was my grandma's) is yet another craft made out of felt!

It would also be fun to make felt ornaments for our tree next year. I'm inspired by these tree ornaments and letter ornaments from West Elm!

That's enough about the felt extravaganza going on in my home. More to come on Christmas baking!

Favourite thing: Lavender Liliko'i Jelly

My husband and I came home from our honeymoon exactly three months ago, and today I am reminiscing about beautiful breathtaking Hawaii. One of the consumable goods I brought home with me was lavender liliko'i jelly from the lavender gardens of AKL (Ali`i Kula Lavender), located in upcountry Maui.

Liliko'i is the Hawaiian word for passion fruit (and, by the way, passion fruit is one of my favourite bubble tea flavours). The jelly was deliciously sweet and tangy. And it always reminded me of the beautiful day I spent with my husband walking through lavender gardens, eating lavender scones, and sipping lavender tea & coffee.

I've completely finished off the jelly, but I still have AKL lavender tea to enjoy. I also bought a jar of guava jelly from a general store in Hawaii, and I'm looking forward to it. Sigh, I miss vacationing in Hawaii!

The first time I baked in our new home...

... the peanut butter cookies burned. Cue sad face :(

But it wasn't my fault! We later figured out that the oven is about 175 degrees (F) hotter than the temperature the dial is set at!

Moving into a new home has certainly been... interesting. It can be so easy to let myself get frustrated with all the things that "go wrong." The boxes left to unpack, the lack of furniture to fill the rooms, the lights that flicker for no reason, the many chores, the daunting job search, the cooking/baking mishaps... Should I continue? Should I be complaining?

I have so much to be thankful for, like a loving husband who provides for me, lots of food to keep us full, a beautiful house we call our own, a wonderful father-in-law who spends hours fixing up our new home, a family who visits me and invites me over for dinner, an awesome church family, and much more. Even if I didn't have all these blessings, God loves me, and sent His own Son to die for my sins. I sin each day, and He still shows me forgiveness and grace.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. - Galations 5:22-25

I don't want to let the little annoyances in life ruin my day or determine my attitude, especially when I have so much to be thankful for. I should be living by the Spirit, learning how to practice my patience & self-control, while finding joy in all situations. It's hard and it's not my natural response, but it's possible by God's grace!

Enough food for thought! Have a wonderful October day, everyone :)

So they are no longer two, but one!

WE’RE MARRIED!!!

“So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate.” Matthew 19:6

Hooray! I can hardly believe that we are actually married! And it’s even harder to believe that two months have already passed since the big (BIG) day. We enjoyed every moment of our wedding day, we had an amazing two-week honeymoon in Hawaii, and we are so happy to be married and become “one.”

I give thanks to God for all of these blessings. I am so thankful that He, in His good and perfect timing, brought us together to become husband and wife. Love comes from God, and He showed the world ultimate love in sending his Son to die on the cross for our sins (1 John 4). I hope and pray that I can always be thankful for God’s gift of marriage, and that I will always cherish it and nurture it. Even more, I hope that it will be God’s love and grace that nourishes our relationship, fills our hearts and guides our minds.

I know that marriage won’t always be easy. Life isn’t easy, but it is full of God’s goodness and love, when we choose to recognize it.

So many thanks go to my family and friends too. It was amazing to see how much time, care and love everyone put into our wedding day and into helping us prepare for our next stage of life. I will stop here before I tear up… :)

It's time for dinner with my hubby! There will be more life stories to come...

Happy Canada Day!

They're here! They're in Canada on their "honeymoon" tour!

Yes, I did watch William & Kate's plane land in Ottawa from my TV at home yesterday. In my defense, I've been sick this week, so it gave me something else to watch on TV while I rested on my couch. In sickness and in health, I am so excited they're here! I am a fan of their fairytale story, Kate's beauty and outfits, William's friendly personality, and how down-to-earth they appear to be.

Here are photos from their first day in Canada together (photos taken from here).



And see what Kate is wearing today! Red pumps, clean white dress, and a maple leaf fascinator. I love it. It totally matches the festive atmosphere in Ottawa today! Photo taken from here.

"Welcome back" cupcakes

What is it about cupcakes!


These golden cupcakes, baked from scratch, were waiting for my brother on the kitchen table when he arrived home from Seattle last week. They spelled "welcome back" to commemorate this particular trip home, but also to celebrate the news that he will be moving back to Toronto (for good) in just a few weeks!

New bucket list item: Learn how to make better designs with the cake/cupcake tools my aunt gave me last Christmas.

Main Ingredients: Lots of eggs, lots of butter, lots of sugar, and lots of love.

Also... happy first day of summer!

Tangled (and my love for all things Disney)

Tangled is my new favourite movie! I have always loved Disney movies, and this one is as fantastic as the rest.

Let’s address the preconceptions about Disney first. Yes, Disney movies are often too idealistic and usually place too much importance on finding a Prince Charming. On the other hand, they are fun, hopeful, and carry strong moral themes. I like that Disney movies are optimistic and magical. Can’t we dream a little sometimes?

The movie is based on the German fairy tale “Rapunzel,” with a new take on the storyline and characters. Rapunzel decides to escape the tower and she experiences the good and the bad of the real world, alongside her handsome companion Flynn Rider.

On a deeper level, I can relate. I too will be leaving home soon, and I will be facing the real world with the man in my life. Rapunzel is unsure of whether she should leave home, but she realizes that it is time to move on. We can never be fully ready or prepared to enter into a new stage of life, but that is part of growing up. Why not try to accept change and face adventures, rather than fearing what is ahead! This year is full of change for me, and I need to keep reminding myself to have this perspective. And the title of the movie is so fitting. Life is tangled and complicated sometimes.

The scenery is enchanting, such as the image of Rapunzel and her “prince” releasing lanterns on the water by the palace.

The characters are funny and endearing, and her so-called mother, the villain, is just the right amount of creepy. Rapunzel’s chameleon, Pascal, and the palace guard horse, Maximus, have no speaking lines but they are thoroughly entertaining.

I should also mention that the soundtrack is great too. Oh Disney, I love thee.

(Images are from Rotten Tomatoes)

Cookies! The "Canadian Living" type.

I love baking and eating cookies. It's a fact. The Canadian Living Baking Book has some great recipes that are simple and reliable. I made two of their cookie recipes this week!


My absolute favourite recipe of all time is Crisscross Peanut Butter Cookies. Crumbly, peanut butter-y, and delicious. I just realized that I didn't complete the "cross" part of the "crisscross" this time around, but the taste was still amazing ;)


I also like the Oatmeal Cookies recipe, yum. I added chocolate chips to the batter, but you can add whatever you like! Chocolate, raisins, cranberries... they're all delightful.


Have a delicious long weekend!

Thank you

A big thank you to Arlene for "branding" me with a new header! Soft, pretty and delicate... I absolutely love it!! She knows me so well.

Thanks Arlene for surprising me with the design and an even bigger thank you for your friendship! You are such an encouragement to me. God bless!

Valentine's Day Cake (marble)

Made with love, by Lisa (my sister) and Stephanie, for our dad and my fiancé, on Valentine's Day.

(Sorry, the pictures aren't the best quality)


This would be excellent for a cow-themed cake!

MORE cupcakes, and jello too!

Purple cupcakes, purple nachos, purple candies, purple decorations, and more! Why so much purple? It was for Arlene and Adrian's purple themed Stag and Doe!! Special friends deserve a special day... and tastey treats too!

Here are just a few pictures of the snacks and decor that were created at my house (a lot of other people put even more time & effort into the party!!).


Credit goes to my sister Lisa for perfecting the shade of purple in the icing.


Mmm, jello jigglers!

It truly was a day of celebration! The tissue paper was cut up into little pieces and pasted on large cut-outs drawn by hand of "celebrate" letters. We got the idea from elementary school projects, so it clearly wasn't too hard to make. Again, thanks to Lisa for the help!

Beautiful long weekend in Seattle, Washington!

I spent four days visiting my brother in Seattle, Washington! I had never been before... and I haven't been to the West Coast in over ten years (when I visited family in San Francisco), so it was great to be there! The best thing was seeing my brother, and spending time with him and Chika. The other best things about the trip were being on a vacation and exploring a new place!


Seattle is known for high consumption of delicious coffee (Starbucks, Tully's, and Seattle's Best all began here), cutting-edge musicians (just to name a few: Jimi Hendrix, Nirvana, and Pearl Jam), the 605 feet high Space Needle, the setting of television shows and movies (Sleepless in Seattle, Frasier, and Grey's Anatomy), the Pike Place Market (a continually operated farmers' market), and of course, Seattle is known for Bill Gates' Microsoft empire. I've included some scenic shots from my trip... I had no idea that Seattle was this beautiful!

The paintball scene from "Ten Things I Hate About You" was shot here! I like the composition of this photo. Is composition the right word? Do I mean contrast?

Boat home... I wonder what life would be like there...

Some scenes from Grey's Anatomy are shot here.

We saw this driving down the street on our first day in Seattle and wondered what on earth this vehicle was about! And then we saw it again on our second day at a Sunday market festival! All our questions were answered: it's a pig-like vehicle that opens up on the side to serve BBQ. Ouch.

Pom poms! Near the market.

Cool architecture for a Cold Stone ice cream shop. Near the market again.

Chika figured he should eat lots of seafood on our trip because we were on the West Coast. This is the meal he ate at the Space Needle.

Really great kitchen store! They had everything that you could ever think you would need in a kitchen... even spatulas with cute designs on them! It was fun and I didn't even buy anything.

The amazing Snoqualmie Falls. Breathtaking. God's masterpiece.

Birthday cupcakes

These are the cupcakes that my friends and I enjoyed eating at my birthday party. My sister Lisa and my fiancé Chika did most of the work in making these! Thanks guys! I especially like the hearts that Lisa made out of fondant.

My pretty ring

Another mushy post!

My pretty Birks ring from my best friend. We have been engaged for over three months... I still can't believe it sometimes! Love love love him. Thanks be to God.

I love him dearly!

My fiancé is "the beeeest" - Nacho Libre

I love these pictures! This is during the cocktail hour at my cousin's wedding in Montreal (before we were engaged) at the gorgeous Chateau Vaudreuil. The chateau borders on the Lac des Deux-Montagnes... so pretty and lush! Anyways, my sister Lisa was taking pictures of us and she took a few candid ones. I hope the compilation doesn't make you gag... because I think it's C U T E!

PINK!

A random collection of pink things... I really like pink. Happy Valentine's Day!