I'm back... With Jam

Alright, so I'm sorry about not posting in what seemed like forever, but in return, I have something sweet.
Yeah, I know you're laughing...
You think it's just a bunch of strawberries, right?
But prepare to be wrong (I love you guys, but no. Sorry)

Now?Yes? No?

...

Whatever. It's amazing. It's more like strawberry goop (there's no pectin. What is pectin for that matter?), but it's so good that I can't stand it! Just smother it on some toast...

You know you want to...

Adopted from the manga The Kitchen Princess

Ingredients

1 Package of strawberries
1/2 cup plus 1 T. sugar
1 Lemon
1 T Honey (optional)

1) Wash the strawberries and cut them into chunks.
2) Put the strawberries in a bowl (or in the pot if you don't want to clean as much up), and put in all the sugar
3) Cut the lemon in half and squeeze the juice into the bowl/pot, and scoop out the insides if you can. Stir so everything's mixed.
4) I know this is hard, but you need to wait...

Yeah, it sucks, but wait.
For an HOUR

5) Turn on the stove to a medium-high level, and simmer for 20-30 minutes, stirring every 4-5 to avoid burning. Add in the 1 T of honey about halfway through.
6) Once the mix looks jam like, you can turn the burner off, mash up the strawberries (or not if you like it chunky), and pour it all into a jar.
7) Let the jam air out a bit, maybe 10 minutes.
8) Cover and leave it overnight in the fridge.

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THEN WAKE UP AND EAT IT! :)

I'm an Otaku! Ack!

Okay, so I dunno if I mentioned it on this blog (I have 5 blogs -______-. Let's just say there's a lot of free time on mis manos...), but I'm kinda, sorta obsessed with anything Japanese; sushi, manga, anime, onigiri, you name it I know it. I'm not even Asian! Currently I'm obsessed with onigiri, or rice balls (Urban Dictionary, anyone?), and Koko Ni Iru You! *Yes, that's a manga ^_^* Rice balls are so good I can't stand it. You can put basically anything in it (even the "no red-meaters", vegetarians and vegans can enjoy this cultural delight!), and luckily you don't need a rice-maker to make "perfect" rice; or else I'd be out $50+... All you need is some rice, some "fillings", and plastic wrap; and possibly a fridge if you just made the little grains from Heaven.

Make's one om-nomerful serving

You Need:
1 cup cooled short grain rice, divided
4 T. fillings (tuna w/ mayo, some cooked chicken, salmon, rice or beans...)
Some plastic wrap

1) Pull out a 1x1 (in ft.)-ish sheet of plastic wrap and put 1/2 of the rice on it.
2) Smooth it around a bit with a spoon and put your filling of choice in it.
3) Close up the plastic wrap with the corners and shape the rice in the plastic so the filling's in the inside and the rice covers it all. Squish all the air out.
4) Let it chill in the fridge for a little bit, or enjoy on the spot!

:) Tell me how it is,
-Sonia

OMGOMGOMG! PUPPYYYYYYYYY!

I swear, I'm bouncing on the walls, with my new family member Delilah. :) I adopted her and I found her on Petfinder.com. She's a real cutie. My friend Fiona helped me pick out a name. Her original name was... Meh... So we (my brother, my mom and I) changed it ^_^ At the shelter she was barking a storm but since she's stepped out she hasn't barked at all, only a few yelps when I tripped on her paws. When you adopt a dog, well, your first dog (I shouldn't speak of others), it feels like you just wanna scream and shout "I HAVE A DOG!!!". I think I'll make some fudge... When I'm happy, I bake :)

Pugs and Kisses,
Sonia

Go Vegan!

I remember a time when a lot of my friends started going vegetarian and vegan and all those special diet things. At first I thought it would be living hell. I mean, what would they eat?! But now I realized how easy it is with these Vegan Applesauce-Oatmeal cookies. Scratch that, they're not like cookies, nor muffins, nor scones. It's like a combination of all three. Is that even possible?! How should I call these... Vegan Applesauce-Oatmeal "Scooffins"????

Vegan Applesauce-Oatmeal "Scooffins"
(For those who have a hard time deciding what desert to have ;])

Ingredients:
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1 cup applesauce
1 cup flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup oats
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 tsp. cinnamon (or a little more if you like a lot of cinnamon, like myself)
1-2 Tbsp. water (in case the batter isn't mixing well)

1) Preheat the oven to 375F
2) Mix all the ingredients except water, applesauce and raisins.
3) Mix in applesauce. If the batter isn't mixing well add 1-2 Tbsp. water if needed. ;)
4) Fold in raisins
5) Scoop 1/2 Tbsp.-fulls of the batter onto a baking sheet sprayed with non-stick cooking spray, or oiled with butter or however you non-stick you sheets!
6) Bake for 10 minutes each. Let cook for a few minutes before taking the "scooffins" elsewhere (A.K.A. your mouth!!)

This recipe makes somewhere between 20-30 "scooffins", depending on how big you make them

Hope you like 'em!
-Sonia ;)

Update on the 30 (29 for me...) Healthiest Foods

Hey, so I'm just gonna put up my progress. I think I'm doing pretty dang good! I was spell-bound with spinach, sassy with sweet potatoes, and mushy with my mushrooms >.< (Yes, the cheesiness is all good. C'mon! It's S.A.D. *Singles Awareness Day* and Valentines Day!). Here's what I've tried so far, with a few side-notes for you inconvenience ~hahaha~:

-Mushrooms
*Tried it on my friends' mothers homemade pizza. Delish times 10!!

-Whole-grain pasta
*Tastes great with cooked veggies. I had some whole grain macaroni with spinach and red peppers :-)

-Peanut and nut butters
*Almond butter + apple cinnamon rice cakes. 'Nuf said.

-Oatmeal
*Thanks to The Oatmeal Diaries and this list, I am in LOVE with this stuff. When I was younger my brother would always have his with applesauce and raisins. I think this is one of the first things we can agree on; this stuff is daaaaaaaaaang good!

-Quinoa
*I just tried this for dinner today. It had a good texture; it was softer than rice, but not super-mushy.

-Almonds
*When I tried this, it was in one of those microwave-things with green beans. I guess it counts... It was quite a good combination!

-Non-fat Greek yogurt
*Ew, sorry Greek yogurt lovers, but I hated this stuff. Too dry for me. Sorry :P

-Chicken Breasts
*I also had this for dinner tonight ^.^, marinated with teriyaki to have it nice and tender.

-Broccoli
*For the past few days, I've had broccoli very frequently. You can do so much with it!!

-Sweet Potatoes
*I had 1/2 of one, does that count? It was just there in the fridge, all alone... So I put it out of it's misery by microwaving and and demolishing (Oops, I meant to say painlessly eating, I mean putting it out of it's misery) it with cinnamon. }:)

-Edamame
*Boiled plain, ooh oooooh good! And with some sushi to make the meal, SPECTACULAR!

-Oranges
*My new Vitamin C fix ^_^ I've had one at least every other day so far!

-Spinach
*Those steam-in-a-bags; You gotta love 'em!


So so far, I've had 13/29 (Can't have skim milk...) Top Healthiest Foods for you. I might lower it to 28 though because sardines come in those cans and still have their little eyes and... I just can't bring myself to do it :(.

Oh yeah, have a good Valentines Day! I'm off to make a Banana Boat ( Open the inner flap of banana, scoop out 1/2 the insides and eat that, fill with marshmallows and chocolate chips, and microwave for 30 seconds. Don't worry about the rest of the banana peel turning black-ish. It just happens :\)!!

XOXO,
Sonia

30 Healthiest Foods

So, here's the dealio:
1) I'M SOOOOOOO SORRY I haven't posted in what seems like forever! My laptop was really screwed up for the past week but just a day or two ago my dad came over and helped set the internet back in order ^_^
2) When I was on the computer (the family desktop... No comment), I was playing Ravenwood Fair on Facebook. If you haven't tried it; TRY IT.
3) I've been following this blog called "Carrots and Cake", and I love it. One of the posts, which was published awhile ago, was titled "The 30 Healthiest Foods Challenge", and no-foshizzle, I clicked on it. The blogger, Tina , said she was going to try to try all 30 foods in the next month, and I was thinking I should try it. The only things I have against it is the fact I'll never be able to find all those things in 1 month and have it all (And also the fact that my mother won't allow me to have skim milk... -______-). I started it this February, and I plan on finishing it by June, because even different foods, I somehow put it off. Don't judge!! If you're too lazy to click the link, here's the list of top 30 Healthiest Foods:

• Mushrooms
• Walnuts
• Whole-Grain Pasta
• Peanut and Nut Butters
• Oatmeal
• Barley
• Quinoa
• Lentils
• Bulgur
• Almonds
• Eggs
• Nonfat Greek Yogurt
• Chicken Breasts
• Wild Salmon
• Sardines
• Kale
• Kiwi
• Blueberries
• Broccoli
• Avocados
• Black Beans
• Sweet Potatoes
• Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
• Edamame
• Chard
• Kidney Beans
• Oranges
• Spinach
• Pumpkin
• Skim Milk

The foods with the links and such are from Carrots and Cake's posts where she tried it, so I can't get 'em off, but hey, it's fun to surf the internet!

-Sonia ;)

Hey, I can still dream...

'Kay, so I have a list, yes a list, of things I wish I owned. Yes, sad, I know! Just thought I'd share with you my longing desires while we probably have a 2 hour delay tomorrow...

Why does such a cute shoe have to be so tall? And by freaking PLAYBOY?!
Life is unfair...
Givenchy Play For Her; smells SO GOOD, and I have the sample; just not in this beautiful, fun bottle... I need a job...
Mmmmm, I looooooooooooooove this stuff. So good, I hate how it's a seasonal thing :p. Buy it, and love it ;)
*Cry* I'm not allowed to have it anymore. But I still love it...


I have more, but I'm too lazy to state them. Meh :p

-Sonia

Disclaimer: None of the above images in this post I own.

BUNANA!!!

Okay, the title's weird. I KNOW THAT! The reason: I made banana bread. Yes, that ooy, gooy, om-monlicious bread that makes your heart stop. I got the recipe from Food.com and this is the recipe: http://www.food.com/recipe/honey-banana-bread-57602 I picked it because it has honey (the meaning of life besides Mint-Chocolate Silk; which is GONE because it's a seasonal item *cry*) and brown sugar, which is way sweeter then regular sugar. Sadly I still have 3 bananas, but they'll be baked before you know it! I can't wait to try this bread... It looks so YUMMEH!
Okay, I need to stop looking at this nom-tastic looking (and smelling) bread.
BAKE THIS BREAD!!

-Sonia

Banana Bread

Ulh, snow...

Okay clouds, STOP THE TEARS! It snowed, yet again, last night, and for some stupid reason, school was canceled. There was BARELY any snow this time, too. Just like on Tuesday. Seriously, superintendent; SUCKS THAT YOU GET SO MUCH MORE SNOW THAN US! Oh well, at least I have my Yoplait Cinnamon Roll yogurt... It tastes so good! But I was disappointed to see that there's no actual cinnamon in a CINNAMON roll flavored yogurt. I put some in myself :), which made it taste like a legit cinnamon roll. Also the Red Velvet Cake and Boston Creme Pie were pretty good. I totally recommend it people :)

Gonna go shoveling :) Then maybe I'll make some cookies or something...

-Sonia

Top 5 Foods (And drinks) of January

Hey peeps, I have a snow day, or should I say, ICE day. There's barely an inch of snow that fell (there's still snow from all the other times it snowed), and a bleep-load of ice. So yay! No school :). So now I present to you my Top 5 Favorite foods + drinks of January. I'll try to do one every month or something like that. Tell me what you think...

1) Mint Chocolate Silk

It's like, THE STUFF to end all STUFF!! I seriously don't know how I lived every other winter of my life not knowing this stuff existed. Warm it up in the microwave for an om-nom-licious treat ;)

2) Apple Cinnamon Rice-Cakes
I love love LOVE rice cakes! These ones taste really goo with bananas and peanut (or almond, if you like a twist) butter. Great breakfast!
Movie nights favorite; popcorn. But I hate the salty, movie-style popcorn. This stuff is sweet, and you can pig out on it and not have to care about anything else. :)

4) Gala Apples


An apple a day keeps the doctor away! I've heard that way too many times... But anyways I love apples and these apples you can eat straight and they're really sweet.

5) Kix


As you can see, breakfast is my favorite meal of the day. And Kix is my favorite cereal. It's so sweet, yet not so sweet. This sounds like a really gross combination that's surprisingly really good: hot cocoa and Kix. Legit, sometimes I just pour the Kix into my hot cocoa in the morning and eat it from there. Try it. Now. It's really good!!

So now you've seen everything I really love oh so much :) What kind of stuff do you like? I'd love to know!

Stay warm!
-Sonia

(Disclaimer: I do not own any of the above images. I just happen to love the things in them! All taken from Google images)

New Video!! :D

Okay.
1) This is my 3rd post today
2) I baked and filmed
3) I get a day off for MLK day :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iocw2XFs2Cg
Enjoy with a nice cup of Milk Chocolate Silk... I need more. I freaking crave it right now...

Peace Love OM NOM NOM,
Sonia

Muffin Mania!

Ack, I have WAY too many muffins. What is that, 29? :O Yep, I think so. I have a new record! Woohoo! These amazing muffins are low in fat, so all the dieters in the world can get their fill. I think I'll add more cocoa next time... And maybe add marshmallows or chocolate chips... I don't think these muffins will seem very "diet" like at all when I'm finished with these }:) The recipe said to put nuts in them, but I don't like nuts all too much, so SIONARA! Haha... Hope everyone tries some Mint Chocolate Silk. I just tried some earlier... That stuff is the stuff. Legit. Period. End of story. Run out and buy some. Now.I COMMAND YOU TO GET SOME MINT CHOCOLATE SILK!

=],
Sonia

PacMan Pizza

Yup, there's nothing quite like it; PacMan Pizza. Sadly I've had the stomach virus for awhile so that's why I don't get any cheese :( But when I get better, I'm gonna make an even cooler pizza to make up for the non-cheese pizza. Also, this pizza is whole wheat (I did a bit of experimenting), and it tasted delicious. The sauce was home-made by mi padre, so all in all it was a home-made meal through and through. Did that make sense? I don't think so... BAH who cares? My blog, I can screw up the grammar if I want to...

There's so much snow! O.o
-Sonia

One Creative Cookie :-)

These cookies are the yummiest things I've ever eaten... It was like Cookie God!! The flavors; butterscotch, semi-sweet and white chocolate chips, walnuts, a hint of vanilla... If you ever have a spare hour or two in your day, make some amazing cookies. My brother and mom just loved these!! :D I think that this is a definite keeper... Also, cookies + hot chocolate with Fat-free whipped cream = Yummyness
Now I've been having an obsession with Bath & Body Works anti-bacterial hand cleanser things, and the Warm Vanilla Sugar is the best, next to Sweet Pea of course! I put my bottle next to the cookies to show my love of sweet stuff. Stay warm! Drink green tea! It's delish' times 10!!


-Sonia

P.S. If you want to check out my youtube channel, here it is: http://www.youtube.com/user/TheFashioningUp. Hope you enjoy ;)

A Happy Hello

Dear Fellow Bloggers and Readers,
Hello! My name is Sonia, and this is my blog. I have another blog that you can look at, it's http://fashioningup.blogspot.com/. But this blog will be different. Besides my daily life and such, I'll write more about my other passion; cooking and baking. I just love it. And fashion is something I follow like it's my religion. The reason I compare fashion to religion is that it's flexible; you don't need to worship it line-by-line in the Bible, right? And like religion, fashion comes in many different shapes, colors, and forms. So keep out for my new posts, I'll try to post every few days, and maybe every other day. Catch you on the couture club ;)

-Sonia