Happy Snowy Day

 

I walked out to this last night... embracing another snowy day today! ❄️ 

Recycle your batteries!

 

We've FINALLY found a battery recycle bin! (We used this and threw out dead batteries from YEARS ago!)

If you didn't know already, your used batteries do not belong in your trash!

Happy Lunar New Year!!!

🌕🌔🌓🌒🌑🌘🌗🌖🌕

Happy Lunar New Year!! 🧧

 🌙 🌙 🌙 🌙 🌙  

*I tried to make this artistic and aesthetically pleasing but failed 😅.

Super spicy beef noodles

 

They weren't joking when they said "Fiery Spicy Beef". I always felt that the original Shin Ramyun Beef noodles lacked spiciness, so I attempted this "Fiery" version... IT. IS. HOT!!! 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 

I highly recommend for those who love super hot and spicy noodles! :D 🥵 

hearty bowl of congee

 The cold makes my body crave comfort food, so congee it is! :D... I went out for some nice savoury congee <3

Eggo waffles

 

I either have mine drizzled with some maple syrup or slattered with some butter... either way, they are good :D

Creamy Dill Pickle salad

 

This was surprisingly really good :P (if you don't like pickles, don't worry, they don't have actual pickles and the salad isn't sour... it has a very nice dill taste :D)

My dad is not a fan of dill but he enjoyed this salad :)

Salmon Poke Bites

 

These were so good!! (I found them at Costco)... They were extremely easy to make, just thaw the package and scoop the marinaded salmon poke bites into the crispy shells!

new nails

 

They don't look good in pictures :(... my phone wasn't able to capture the different layers:

1. sheer polish
2. sheer pink cat eye (which my phone fails to pick up)
3. aurora nail powder

It looks so much nicer in real life!! 

White Sauce casserole

 

The cold weather calls for hearty, comforting food, and this is what I made! FROM SCRATCH!! (Yeah, me!!)

This is a white sauce, spaghetti casserole with a TON of cheese! (Parmesan, cheddar and mozzarella!) It is so good! :D

Let me know if you need the recipe :)

CNY is coming!

 Lunar/Chinese New Year is coming soon!!! I was at Walmart and saw these snake stuff animals <3... they are so cute!! <3

it is still festive!!!

 

yes, our Christmas lights are still up!! This year our neighbours (as well as us) decided to keep our Christmas lights up slightly longer than usual! I blame the snow for making us feel festive :) ❄️ 

Chocolate Banana Pocky

 

I knew that the Japanese loved Chocolate bananas, but I didn't think they loved them to the point that they made a Chocolate banana flavour for pocky!

(unfortunately I didn't buy this... I'm not a huge fan of Chocolate banana and I thought it might taste weird... )

Hand warmers

I found this international version of Japanese カイロ (kairo) at my local Walmart!! I'm so glad they are available in Toronto!! It was like finding an old friend... in another form... :) hello to warm pockets!! :D

They are made in the US but the manufacturer/brand is Kobayashi :) So they are American-made Japanese Kairo's! :D 

Kirkland's Ground Beef Quesadillas

I found a gem while shopping at Costco! :D

These are huge Quesadillas and they are soo good!... for 1.3KG of food, this was only $25.37!

I hope this isn't a seasonal item and I'll be able to buy more next time I'm there! :D

Today I Learned... Toasters

 

Today, I "learned" that the dial on a toaster represents the number of minutes your toaster toasts your bread!

I quickly realized that you shouldn’t believe everything you read on the internet—or rather, not all toasters are created equal. 😉

After reading that the numbers on a toaster supposedly represent the minutes, not the toast intensity, I decided to put mine to the test. Lo and behold! When I set my toaster to 3.5, it only ran for 2 minutes and 21 seconds. So much for precision! 😅

This proves we shouldn't blindly trust everything we read on the internet—clearly, not all toasters follow the "minute rule," so take it with a grain of salt and use it as a guideline rather than a hard fact!

After Eight straws

 

I've always had the slices and not these straw/stick versions of After Eight's and to my surprise, they are super sweet :O (but sugar content is lower than the slices).

These are quite good! I'll be buying more next year :)

Cheesy facts, facts about cheese

Of all of facts about cheese listed above, here are the facts that surprised me the most about cheese:

• Cheese is one of the oldest foods in the world!
• The ancient Greeks believed that cheese was a gift from the gods! :O
• Cheese can help prevent tooth decay by increasing saliva production!

I already knew that some types of cheese were made with mold.

Cheeses all come in different forms and types... choose your cheese based on your needs :)

oddly shaped tomato

 

I found an oddly shaped grape tomato, it looks kinda cute :)... I used my steak knife for scale.

Quiche

 

Yum! In Canadian History 101, I was taught that quiche was invented in Quebec by French Canadians, but when I tell this fact to non-Canadians, they tell me it is from France. 

Whichever it may be. I'm thankful to the French for inventing and creating this dish :)

Which do you prefer? the modernized Cheddar and Broccoli, or the traditional Spinach with an Artichoke twist? :)

metric vs imperial

 

Canada has shifted from the imperial (ºF) to the metric system (ºC) for over 50 years. It has been so long that I almost forgot that Canada used the imperial system at some point. (Canada made the switch in 1975, literally 50 years!)

Whenever I visit older buildings and see thermostats like this, I am reminded that Canada used the Imperial system at one point. It’s fascinating how these details not only reveal the building's age but also highlight how far we’ve come.

The building I visited was constructed in the 1960s, and seeing this little piece of history was such a treat! It’s always fun to stumble upon reminders of the past. 😊

COSRX Snail 96 and 92

 

I managed to grab one of the very few left at Costco!! My skin is going to be so happy <3

Beignets

 

It didn't occur to me that "Beignets" is doughnuts in French. Thanks to bilingual Canada, I learned something new today. Now I feel dumb for not knowing this when I was in New Orleans last year... but... but... New Orleans Beignets are not doughnuts. 

rant: born and what???

I recently came across something that completely baffled me: people changing the phrase "born and raised" to "born and bred."

For example:
"Born and raised in Toronto"
This makes perfect sense! It’s clear, logical, and widely understood.

But then you have:
"Born and bred in Toronto"
Excuse me—WTH?!? Who decided this was a good idea? Why would anyone change a perfectly reasonable, universally understood phrase into something that sounds so bizarre and, frankly, a little unsettling?

Let’s break this down:

• Raised: This refers to the process of caring for and teaching a child as they grow up—from infancy to adulthood.
• Bred/Breed: This refers to controlling the reproduction of animals to produce offspring.

So, by definition, "born and bred" essentially making it sound like you’re a farm animal produced for a purpose. WHY would you say you were "bred" in a certain area/location? I mean, are you claiming someone carefully orchestrated your existence for optimal genetic traits or something? It’s absurd!

To me, "born and raised" reflects a human upbringing—a phrase that acknowledges care, love, and personal growth. Meanwhile, "born and bred" strips that away and replaces it with something that sounds more... clinical and dehumanizing.

I know language evolves over time, but in this case, I feel like we’ve downgraded. "Born and bred" just doesn’t sit right, and I honestly don’t understand how it’s catching on. Can we all agree to stick with "born and raised"—a phrase that actually makes sense?

Thank you for coming to my TED Talk.

time stamping

 

Modern-day time stamping :) but in a manual way...

measuring cup and spoon set

 

You know you are getting old when you get excited over a set of measuring cups and spoons... hahaha

pink sky

 

what a gorgeous pink sky! <3

veggie tray

 

it is all about the balance and colours <3 The rare few times I like veggies <3 Greek Yogurt dip is such a blessing <3

more meat

 

We got boneless rib steak for dinner :) it is so good <3 <3 <3

pinecones

 

do you consider pinecones an autumn or winter decoration? according to Google, they are autumn/fall... but for me, it has always been Christmas/Winter... thoughts?

Happy New Year!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

I'm thankful for the New Year! 2024 was a challenge, it was filled with emotions, self-growth and spiritual growth. I learned to focus on the positives and learn to appreciate the small things. There is so much to be thankful for, and so much to reflect on, but I'm thankful it is gone 👋 , 2024, you will not be missed! I'm really looking forward to what 2025 has to offer, and excited about the good things that will happen :)

snow

I learned to appreciate snow, without snow, it doesn't feel festive... I'm looking out my window appreciating it in the comfort of my jammies and a hot cup of coffee ☕️ 

I'm proud of my "active energy" stats. I'm thankful I could go above what I achieved in 2023. 2023 was a slack year, I got infected with COVID-19 in 2022, which caused me to be less active in 2023... however, 2024 was the year I decided to pick myself back up and get in as many steps as possible! I even bought a fitness watch for myself!

I'm not sure whether I can surpass what I accomplished in 2024, but I hope I can at least maintain these exercise goals!

With all the natural and unnatural disasters (e.g. plane disasters, hurricanes, tornados, floods, wars, etc) I am glad we are FINALLY moving into a new year. 2025, I am looking forward to you <3