Kitchen Fearlessness

It’s Wednesday and I might be in the routine enough to know what day it is now.

I think it’s so important to try things in the kitchen. Anything. Any recipe, from any part of the world. I feel like so many have a fear of “what if it’s gross” or “what if I mess it up?”. So what! And believe me I’ve messed things up. There is an Orzo Scallop dish that still haunts me. It was a stupid mistake but the important part is that you tried something new and pushed yourself out of your comfort zone.  

I could live off of sushi so this week I attempted a simple California Roll. Now, I made sushi once years ago and it was great. The only difference this time is that I made the sticky rice from scratch before and it took forever! I’m a little more food savvy now, I realized that you can just buy the sticky rice. Seriously don’t mess with making it.

I was for sure a little leary to make it again and really wanted to do it right. Luckily you only need a few ingredients to make it:

Crab or shrimp (it’s the most simple if you don’t want to mess with raw fish) 

Sticky rice (I used Annie Chun’s one minute sticky rice) 

Cucumber slices, seeded and sliced thin

Cream cheese , I used low fat

Bamboo rolling mat and paddle

Nori, toasted seaweed wraps

*Find the rice, mat and paddle (sold together),

and Nori in the Asian section of your grocery store. 

First, you have to decide if you want you sushi rice side out or Nori side out. It’s called an inside our roll to have your rice on the outside which is what I did.

Then, wrap your mat in plastic wrap so the rice won’t stick. The rice is sooooo sticky! You’ll really need that paddle. Spread the rice.

Next just add your Nori on top of the rice. 

Next, add your crab, cream cheese, and cucumbers.

After that, just use your mat to roll everything. Make sure your roll is nice and tight (might could have been tighter). All you have to do after that is cut your rolls and enjoy!  

Did my rolls come out perfect? Oh hell no. I need A LOT of practice but I’m so glad I made them because I’m determined to get really good at sushi making. One thing is for sure they were delicious!! If you see my Instastory, then you can see I also tried these with Nori side out. Equally as good but I will say much, much easier.

Thank you for stopping by! I hope this Wednesday treats you well! 

Simply Fancy

We had one heck of a holiday season! Ending it with hosting parties for New Years Eve AND New Years Day. To say the least it feels so good to be noshing on a delicious salad! 

Two things I know for sure: I love stack recipes, and I love to simplify “fancy”.

Something I always remember about being in France is if you look around they usually aren’t rushing to eat. I think there is something to be said about making your lunch and getting to sit and enjoy it. When I was talking to this lovely French woman about food she said “It’s about so much more than just eating.” We talked about how good it feels to make a beautiful dish and I always think about that.

Today, I’m talking about my current favorite kitchen tool! With this nifty little stacking aid, you can create all kinds of beautiful dishes that are easy and fancy. This salad that I made would only look hard to do to your dinner guests.

Find it here! https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01E6XRYQE/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s02?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Fast Tip:

If you’re making salad, it’s better to chop all of your ingrediencies on the smaller side and mix in your dressing before pressing so that you have a binding agent.

I felt like this was a good reminder that even though making this dish was very fast, it’s still so good for the soul to slow down and just enjoy.

Happy Stacking!

My Hosting 101

This will be Fast Fashionista’a last post of 2018. I’m going to take a much needed break and return fresh in 2019. Doesn’t that sound crazy? 2019. I feel like I’ve only just gotten used to saying 2018, haha. But here we are creeping closer to another year and the holiday season is upon us.

In honor of Thanksgiving, my favorite holiday, being this week I thought I would share a few of my hosting tips. I throw a good many parties throughout the year and these tips can really help no matter if you’re hosting Thanksgiving, Christmas, a birthday, or even The Fourth of July.

1. Plan. Plan. And then plan some more.

   What I do is write everything out in a sketch book. What the party is, how many I anticipate coming, if I have a theme, and as I make my menu not only do I write everything down, I also write what that particular dish is going in (for example: these three appetizers on risers). Write and plan until nothing is left in your head.

2. You never have enough time. Ever.

   Sometimes I’ll catch myself thinking “Oh I've got plenty of time! The party is in two weeks.” Wrong. Time is no ones friend so in your sketch book on a different page make a schedule of what you’ll do each day leading up to the event. I’m a very organized person but even if you aren’t this will save your butt.

3. Have your whole house clean.

   Even if the party is only in your downstairs, a great practice to get into is having your whole house be clean. Not only does it help your head feel less messy it actually is less messy. Also, when you clean up the party nothing else needs cleaned after that.

4. Food shop as early as you can.

   Don’t torture yourself going the day before your party. If you list can be done 2 days before or even three then do that. You’ll breathe easier.

5. Make as much as you can ahead of time.

   For example, when doing Thanksgiving, I always make my desserts, rolls, and cold appetizers at least one day a head so on the actual day that's one less thing to worry about. Take a good look at your list and see what can be done ahead of time.

6. Prep.

   Along with making the dishes that you can ahead of time, also prep as many dishes as you can. Be it dicing veggies, peeling potatoes, or making the dish before it goes in the oven.

7. Pick an outfit in advance!

   I can’t stress this one enough. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had an idea of an outfit in my head for a party I was hosting but then when I tried it one something didn’t fit right or it just didn’t work for whatever reason. Then you’re left sweaty, making your closet a mess (now your house isn’t clean), and flustered. Pick it out a week before and try it on the day before.

   Follow these tips and by the time your guests arrive you’ll be frazzle free with a glass of vino in hand ready to have a great time.

   Have a great Thanksgiving week everyone!