April 13, 2013 · 6:53 pm

The post where I say, “Goodbye”

In case you couldn’t tell by my month-long hiatus from blogging, life has been pretty crazy lately but in a great way. Kevin is doing amazing things at his new job, I’m gaining confidence at being back in school, and we’re just trying to keep up with balancing our hectic lives while still enjoying being newlyweds. I decided that I’m going to suspend blogging for a little while to try to be present in the moments I’m living more. Blogging was a great escape and outlet for writing, but lately I had been treating it like another obligation, and once I took the pressure off finding content for new blog posts and obsessively photographing everything, I felt more present at meals and  like I was actually living my life. Somehow blogging went from being a hobby to being a chore, so it’s time I step away.

These past two years of blogging have been amazing, and I’ve felt honored to be welcomed into the blogging community. I’ll still be an avid blog reader (although I need to find my Google Reader replacement), and I’ll still be taking many pictures of my food. You’ll just have to follow me on Twitter or Instagram to see those gems.

Thank you for every page visit, comment and encouragement through this process. It was a big step for my introvert-ness to put myself out there, and I’ve really appreciated the journey.

I hope you will all stay in touch via other social networking channels.

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March 17, 2013 · 1:46 pm

Seito Sushi

Kevin and I have had a really good week. He kicked off his first week at his new job and really loves it. I’m so excited for him and know he will do great things in this new role. I was also promoted this past week with my current company. I’m really grateful for the opportunity, and I hope to make everyone proud.

I’ve been trying to balance school and life better by taking more study breaks to spend quality time with friends and family. We did just that last week when we grabbed a quick dinner with our neighbors at Seito in Baldwin Park. Our neighbors also recently got a new camera, so we had some fun playing with that.

 Kevin

Me

We started out with some edamame and beef negimaki, which is thin slices of beef wrapped around green onions, carrots and asparagus in teriyaki sauce.

Seito-Edamame

Seito-Beef Negimaki

The beef was very tender and easy to bite through. It was really good.

Kevin ordered chicken yakisoba for his main entree, which came with miso soup.

Seito-Miso Soup

Seito-Yakisoba

His noodles were very flavorful, and I was stealing bites off his plate.

I ordered two rolls. The Ichiban roll featured spicy salmon, and the Alaskan Crunch roll had crab salad, tempura batter and smoked salmon.

Seito-Ichiban and Alaskan Crunch Rolls

Everything tasted so fresh, and the textures and flavors all melted together: the sign of good sushi.

Also ordered at our table were a spicy tuna roll and Sweetheart roll.

Seito-Spicy Tuna and Sweetheart Rolls

We had a great time eating great food with great people. I really cherish these moments when I can break away from school work and enjoy life.

What is your favorite way to cut loose?

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Filed under Baldwin Park, Sushi

March 12, 2013 · 8:27 pm

Wedding Recap: Outfits

Kevin started his new job yesterday, and I’ve been swamped with school work so things have been quite hectic lately, but in a good way. I thought I’d finally get to another wedding recap on one of the most  important details: our outfits.

First up: me! You can read my quick retelling of wedding dress shopping here. Basically, I fell in love with Maggie Sottero gowns. I really wanted a typical princess ball gown because (1) I hate my hips and (2) I’m cheesy like that. I tried on many silhouettes to humor everyone, but I kept coming back to what I always knew I loved.  I also wanted something not overly embellished or overwhelming. I think I found my perfect match. I got my dress at Casa di Bella in Celebration, which was a wonderful experience. The store owner Sue has been in the business for a long time, and she shuts down the whole shop so it’s just you and your friends and family getting her 100% attention. I had the most wonderful day shopping for my dress surrounded by such  great support group.

It only took me one day and two stores to find my perfect dress. The hardest part was getting myself into it. Wedding dresses are heavy!

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I was surprised that I liked the layers or organza at the bottom, but once I tried it on, the dress was so flowy but still poofy. I also loved the corset back and long train.

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The dress originally comes with a belt with big flowers, but that was a little much for my short torso, so we replaced it with just a little bling.

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To finish off the look was a simple fingertip-length veil. When my dress was bustled, the layers of organza just flowed together, and the dress kept its perfect shape.

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Not only did I feel beautiful on my wedding day, but I was also surrounded by a cast of great looking people. Bridesmaid dress shopping was just as painless as buying my dress because I have really easy-going friends. We all agreed on the same dress: a floor-length chiffon dress from Alfred Angelo.

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We also all wore red shoes.

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Kevin and the boys wore black Hugo Boss suits and purple-and-red-accented Burberry ties that we bought them. Kevin actually picked out their suits by himself. I really didn’t have too strong of an opinion, and Kevin’s a better dresser than I am.

Kevin stood out slightly by wearing a classic gray and black Burberry tie that I bought him when he graduated from his MBA program. Kevin really didn’t want to wear a tux, and I think the suits were the perfect level of formality for our wedding day.

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I’m so happy with how easy it was for all of us to get our outfits. There was really no drama at all, and I think we looked pretty spiffy.

What is your dream wedding dress?

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March 7, 2013 · 10:03 pm

Greek Flame Taverna

I’ve been so tired all week. I’m still exhausted from my class weekend last week, and I’m quickly losing all motivation to do anything. School is stressing me out, and I feel like I have no free time. This has been leading me to very sporadic gym schedules. In summary, I blame grad school for making me fat. [end complaining]

So, as a way to motivate myself out of bed and out of the textbooks that are consuming my life, I signed up for  Orlando’s Corporate 5k today.

IOA Corporate 5K

I’ve never run a race before, and it’s  been quite some time since I’ve run three miles. I hear there’s a lot of walkers, so hopefully that will take some pressure off. However, nothing motivates me more than the threat of looking like a chump in front of coworkers. The race is in a month….I’m really hoping to motivate myself to put on running shoes within that time period. There’s no time like now when I’m at my lowest physical capabilities and at rock bottom in terms of athleticism to sign up for a race.

In contributing-to-my-expanding-waistline news, Kevin and I tried a new restaurant with some friends a couple weeks ago: Greek Flame Taverna on Restaurant Row in the Dr. Phillips area. They were recently voted a top Greek restaurant in Orlando, and they lived up the hype. We went for dinner, so the menu was fancier, but they do offer sandwiches and more casual Greek fare as well.

We started with an order of mussels cooked in tomato and wine sauce topped with feta cheese.

Greek Flame Taverna-Mussels Special

The mussels were delicious and very flavorful. I loved the broth they were swimming in. For my main entree, I ordered baked shrimp and calamari, which came in a spicy broth.

Greek Flame Taverna-Shrimp and Calamari

The spicy kick warmed the back of my throat, and I loved the freshness from big chunks of garlic. This was not a dish for a weak palette. The flavors were very strong, and I really enjoyed them. It came with a side of Greek rice, which helped to mellow out the flavors.

Greek Flame Taverna-Greek Rice

Kevin ordered the rack of lamb with a side of Greek fries. The lamb was cooked perfectly and was incredibly succulent.

Greek Flame Taverna-Rack of Lamb

Greek Flame Taverna-French Fries

The wait staff was extremely friendly, and the atmosphere was a lot more elegant than a lot of Greek restaurants. I really enjoyed our evening there.

Any tips for a first-time racer? How do you motivate yourself?

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Filed under Fitness, Greek, Health, Restaurant Row

February 28, 2013 · 9:04 pm

310 Park South

Tomorrow is Kevin’s last day at his current job. He got a really great opportunity with a different company, and I’m so excited for and proud of him. He works really hard, and I’m so glad it’s paying off. Last week we went out to celebrate his new job offer and ended up at 310 Park South. We actually hosted our rehearsal dinner at its sister restaurant 310 Lakeside. Their menus are the same, which worked out well for me because I was craving the same exact meal I had from our rehearsal dinner.

I ordered the smoked salmon pappardelle, which came with a huge filet of their house smoked salmon and a creamy sauce that had a pretty spicy kick from red pepper flakes. The salmon was really moist on the inside and had a lot of smoky flavor. The spicy kick warmed my whole throat. It was hearty and filling.

310 Park South-Smoked Salmon Pappardelle

Kevin ordered the filet mignon, which came with mashed potatoes and a coarse mustard sauce.

310 Park South-Filet Mignon

It was really nice to sit outside and have an evening to ourselves to celebrate.

This weekend kicks off spring break for the University of Florida…however, I’ll be one of the few venturing toward the town for class. Since I’m in a part-time program, we don’t follow the typical academic calendar so no spring break for me.

Tonight I’m packing so I can hit the road after work tomorrow. Hope your weekend is more relaxing than mine!

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Filed under American, Winter Park