Semi-Homemade: Mentaiko Pasta

Hello lovelies,

Yesterday, I decided to reward myself with a (semi) homemade dish after doing a lot of studying. I had a packet of mentaiko pasta sauce in my pantry, so I decided to make mentaiko pasta! So, what is mentaiko and how do you make a pasta dish using it? Mentaiko is the marinated roe (eggs) of pollock and cod, and it is used commonly in Japanese cooking! It does taste fishy, but I totally recommend it! I love mentaiko, and I love how the Japanese incorporate it into their dishes!

Mentaiko pasta is a Japanese-Italian Fusion dish! I LOVE FUSION DISHES because they give me a chance to eat two cuisines at once; they also are super interesting in flavor and appearance. This dish combines the japanese flavor of mentaiko with an italian base, the linguine! I love how the two work beautifully together. The flavors combined make a hearty dish! Below is my easy recipe for mentaiko pasta! Also, at the end of this entry, I have provided links for some of the harder-to-find ingredients in the recipe!

Mentaiko Pasta (semi-homemade)
Serves 1

1 packet of S&B Mentaiko Sauce
1 medium green onion (green AND white parts)
1/4 cup imitation crab
1 1/2 tablespoons Japanese mayonnaise (I used Kewpie)
2 oz of spaghetti-type pasta (I used Farro Linguine)
nori strips for garnish (comes with S&B sauce)

1. Boil water and cook pasta according to directions.
2. Meanwhile, chop the imitation crab into small pieces and slice the green onion.
3. While the pasta is still cooking, warm the imitation crab and green onions over medium low heat in a small skillet. Take care that they don't get too brown. I suggest doing this in the last minute of your pasta cooking time.
4. When the pasta is done, drain and put in the skillet with the imitation crab and green onions. Add the sauce packet and Japanese mayo to the pan. Stir gently to combine.
5. When combined and the sauce is warm, transfer to your serving dish and top with the nori strips. Enjoy!

I apologize that the photo isn't more close-up! If you want to try this dish, you can buy the sauce here or find it in your asian grocery store. Since I live in Hawaii, I can easily find this sauce, but I can understand that it is difficult to find it elsewhere! Also, if you want to try Japanese mayo, you can find it here. You can use regular mayo if you want to as well; I just find that the Japanese mayo tastes better!

Good luck in the kitchen, and hope you try this out!

Aloha,
Cassie

"I honor the place within you in which the entire universe dwells. I honor the place within you, which is of Love, of Truth, of Light and of Peace. When you are in that place within you and I am in that place within me, WE ARE ONE"

Daily Favorites

Hello lovelies,

I decided that I'm going to try to do a regular daily favorites entry! So, everyday, I'll pick a few things that popped out at me, and I'll share them with you all. Hope you enjoy, and let me know in the comments below the things that inspired you! I hope my favorites inspire you or at least bring a smile to your lovely faces!

Favorite Outfit Inspiration:

Love the C U T and C O L O R! (Source: http://stylescrapbook.com/2014/07/take-a-holiday-in-spain.html)

Favorite Accessories Photo:

That watch is so C O O L! (Source: http://stylescrapbook.com/2014/07/take-a-holiday-in-spain.html)

Favorite Wanderlust Photo:

Barcelona, I can't wait to visit you someday. (Source: http://stylescrapbook.com/2014/07/take-a-holiday-in-spain.html)

Favorite Recipe Find:

Choux Creme (Creme Puffs Recipe) - it looks SO TASTY!

Hope you enjoyed my Thursday Favorites! Goodnight all!

Aloha,

Cassie

"I honor the place within you in which the entire universe dwells. I honor the place within you, which is of Love, of Truth, of Light and of Peace. When you are in that place within you and I am in that place within me, WE ARE ONE"

It's been a long time...

Hey blog universe,

I haven't been on my blog for quite some time. My life has been so hectic, and I felt like I didn't have much to say! Which is crazy, because so much has happened in my life in the past few months. For starters, I am officially a law school graduate. I got my J.D., which means juris doctor (which literally translates into teacher of law)! I now have a professional doctorate degree!!! SAY WHAT?!

I still can't believe I have this degree and have accomplished this in my life. I feel like it was only yesterday that I was bumbling around my college town, searching for answers and trying to figure out my life. Don't get me wrong; four years at Williams were INCREDIBLE and I didn't even care that I was happy, free, confused, and lonely at the same time (hehehe). Years later, at 24 years of age, I have accomplished something for greater than myself. And I feel happy about that.

On a sad note, I am currently studying for the bar exam, the exam I HAVE to pass in order to become a practicing attorney in my state. I am studying everywhere and all the time (mostly). I study in coffee shops, on beds, on chairs, in grass, in the sun, in the rain, etc etc etc. I STUDY ALL THE TIME. It really sucks. I wanted to say that more artfully, but it just...sucks. Still, I know that I am lucky to be taking this exam.  To be given this opportunity to represent the underprivileged and those in need is more than I could ever dream of. If I pass this exam, I intend on being a progressive lawyer that tries her best to mend families and help them move forward in life. I refuse to be a lawyer in search of conflict to profit off of. I would never be able to get up in the morning and look at myself in the mirror; I also would never be a good example for my future children (if I ever have any).

Last but not least, I have started working out at a gym again. AND I am contemplating doing some hip-hop again too! I miss it too much, and doing zumba classes has given me choreography practice again! :) We'll see how that goes!

I plan on blogging more regularly and am planning to do weekly Sunday, Wednesday, and Friday posts! I might blog sometime in between if I find something inspirational to share with you all or if I have some news! Regardless of when I blog, I think this blog will give me a space to share my life! Thank you for reading, if you are! :)

Here are some photos of my week so far:

The sunlight shining through the trees at the Shangri-La (Doris Duke's Estate on Oahu, Hawaii) 7/9/14

The Pasta Special at the Pavilion Cafe (located in the Honolulu Museum of Art in Hawaii)

Do you see Mickey?

Sunshine in Honolulu, Hawaii

Such a cheeky sign, no?

Yummy UBE Ice cream from my favorite cafe in Hawaii! ChadLou's Kailua.

ChadLou's Kailua - Storefront

Basking in the sunlight.

Fire-y Sunset in Honolulu - 7/9/14.

Some adorable candles at a boutique in Kailua. I still have some candles in my apartment. BUT I vow that I will return to come claim you, cute pink candles!

Always,
Cassie

"I honor the place within you in which the entire universe dwells. I honor the place within you, which is of Love, of Truth, of Light and of Peace. When you are in that place within you and I am in that place within me, WE ARE ONE"

Country Livin'

Hey all,

Long time no see! :) I am back from a short blogging hiatus. I was super busy with work, and I put my blogging aside. But, I have decided to pick it up once again and with more frequency!

I am on my last week of summer vacation, and I am trying to soak up the last rays of sunlight before returning to grueling grad shcool. This past weekend, my boyfriend and I decided to go to the New Town and Country Stables on the windward side of Oahu. I love love love horses, and I was very excited to see many beautiful ones. And boy did I see them! This past weekend, there was an all-women's competition taking place there. I don't know what the event was called, but it was similar to cow/cattle herding. It was quite fun to watch, and I got to wear a cowboy hat! It was my own hat, but I usually don't have many chances to wear it so I was thrilled.

I have decided to include pictures of myself wearing the cowboy hat. As I said, I was excited.

LOL.

Cat whiskers included. I'm a dog fan, but I think the cat add-ons are cute.

Anyway, hope you are having a great week! Speak to you all soon! 

Kisses,

Cass xx

Collector's Show- July 2013

Hi all,

I love to go to collector's shows! I don't know if you have them in your area, but they basically are shows were you can go vintage shopping! A lot of people collect amazing things, including postcards, dining sets, hats, jewelry, telephones, etc. In the collector's shows that I have gone to, I have seen things from the 1900s. In fact, in the most recent collector's show I attended, I saw postcards dating back to the early 1900s; I couldn't believe I was holding a real postcard (with WRITING) that was over a century old! Incredible.

I love to buy refurbished vintage items and vintage items as is. Some of them may not be in the best shape, but others clearly have been kept safe from the elements. The items in best shape, of course, cost much more. This time, I bought a couple dishes and a vintage Snoopy figurine for my boyfriend from a toy collector who collected little Snoopys! My boyfriend also got me an original Ewok stuffed animal. SO CUTE.

Here are a couple of pictures that I took :)

The Ewok that my bf got me :) I love it so much!

A collection of Snoopys and other Peanuts characters. This was not the same toy collector I bought my bf's stuff from. I found one perfect for him from another guy.

A gorgeous dining set. I don't have room for this (YET), but I wanted to buy this so badly. Look at those blue flowers *I die*

Going to this show was a blast for me and I only spent around $20 for everything! I wanted to buy so many other things, but I stopped myself (I didn't want to spend too much money). Let me know in the comments below if you have ever been to a collector's show and what vintage things you love to buy!

Kisses,
Cassie xx

Cafe Bliss

Hey all,

So I wanted to share with you a few photos from a cafe that I visited recently. It's called Fresh Cafe, and it is located in Honolulu, Hawaii. The vibe is pretty cool, and there were few people inside. Which means less noise and more relaxing atmosphere.

This cafe was quite artsy. There was a mural in the parking lot and on the building. I enjoyed the vibe of the building's surroundings and was pleasantly entertained even before I entered the cafe. In addition to being a cafe, the place also holds events! There's ZUMBA, yoga, and art & flea (an event that includes music, art, and vintage shopping). Cool cool COOL.

For reviews of the cafe itself, click HERE
For the cafe's website, click HERE

Here are a few photos from my time spent there:

A typical table inside. Minimalist and industrial with a pop of green!

The fabric colored bike stand outside the cafe. Cute <3 p="">

The art on the wall. Cuute. It made me crave breakfast food and sushi. At the same time. LOL.

Hope you all get to visit this cafe soon! It's so worth it!

Love,

Cass xx

INFORMED CITIZEN!

Hi all,

So, I went to my first real rally yesterday down in Waikiki. As a member of Aikea, an organization dedicated to fighting for the rights of working people and bringing greater awareness to social issues, I was proud to march in Waikiki to fight for my community. I don't want this post to be too much about the activism but more about my experience, since this is the first time I am writing about my participation in Aikea. 

It was an incredibly exhilarating experience, and I now know how it feels to LITERALLY stand up for your beliefs. It is one of the most exposing and vulnerable yet empowering things I have ever done. I literally stood on a sidewalk, held a sign almost as tall as me, and chanted for about an hour to fight for something I believe in. That was priceless, and I am addicted. I would gladly do it again...but in probably slightly better footwear (I was wearing slippers aka flip-flops). I would also bring a bottle (or two) of water. Lol.

Well, without further delay, here are snapshots of the day :):

 This was the sign I was holding. Pretty awesome. It was also HUGE.

The group of people in front of me. The crowd extended almost an entire city block in Waikiki. And we were grouped together. If we stood side by side, we would have reached MUCH farther.

Just a FEW members of our contingency at the Ilikai Hotel. We were protesting their plans to transition into condos. They are cutting TONS of jobs, and a lot of the protesters that day were literally fighting for their jobs in the hot sun.

To learn more about AIKEA:

http://www.aikeahawaii.org/

If anything, this rally showed me that I can put my views out there and be heard. We got a LOT of support that day from the drivers passing by! 

PS. "Aikea" is pidgin (Hawaii slang) for "I care."