Life Lately

September 28, 2014 by Christine Skari

Hi friends! I know I haven’t been too interactive with the blog world lately, but I promise things will return to a more normal schedule soon. Here’s what I’ve been up to lately:

I’ve been photographing people… a lot.

While I love capturing photos of food and cooking that make your mouth water, I’ve come to realize that I have a HUGE passion for portrait photography. I started putting more of an effort into understanding movement and the dynamic nature of people (food is much more stationary, believe it or not…) and think I’m getting a little better with every shoot I do. Progress is exciting! Here are a few shots that I took of Kyle’s little brother, Adam, and his girlfriend, Taylor, a few days ago. Adam is incredibly stubborn when it comes to taking photos, so the fact that Taylor and I were able to convince/bribe/threaten him to go down to the trail behind Kyle’s house and stand still for some shots was a victory in itself. I like to think that if I can handle him, I can handle anyone haha!

If any of my lovely readers live up in the SB or Los Angeles area and need some photos done, feel free to shoot me an email !

I’ve been relaxing at home.

After finishing the summer courses I was taking up at Santa Barbara, I headed back to my hometown to spend some time at my parent’s house and get a change of scenery. This means drinking copious amounts of homemade lattes (mooching off their Italian espresso machine) and vegging my life away in front of the TV with some Netflix. I started watching Bridezilla and actually can’t stop from having it playing it in the background when I’m in the living room. It’s such a mindless watch and beyond entertaining. Those girls are absolutely INSANE and I can’t help but laugh out loud by how ridiculous they are.

I’ve been (reluctantly) getting ready to start college again.

Last year was really rough for me. Not just busy rough, but the sort of rough that drains you and makes you feel uninspired and stressed beyond belief. I didn’t mention how bad it got on the blog since I wanted to keep my little corner of the web a happy place, but I lost weight because food started to make me nauseous, couldn’t sleep at night for more than a few hours at a time, was studying 24/7, and was just very unhappy in general. I even considered going on anti-anxiety medication to help me stop worrying about every little thing. I’m not predisposed to needing medication for anything, but the recommended schedule for bio majors last year (two bio classes, physics, organic chemistry, physics, plus labs for all the classes) left me with not enough time to put in as much time as I’d like for each, making me feel unprepared since I didn’t have as many hours as I would usually like to put into each class. I have a type A personality when it comes to school, so this took a huge toll on me and the stress got pretty unbearable at times. I just don’t feel ready to start again.

Luckily, I’ve gotten through my hell year (and actually got great grades, so at least all that work paid off!) and am excited to actually be able to pick the classes I want, rather than having to follow an exact predetermined schedule. Even though I’ll still be busy, this next quarter should leave me with more free-time and I’ll be taking classes that I actually care about and that won’t ruin my life haha. My current schedule include courses in molecular genetics, neurobiology, psychology, and an American literature class. WHEEE!

I’m heading back Tuesday night with Kyle (classes start Thursday), so hopefully the year will start off on a good note.

I’ve been crafting.

Newest obsession? FLOWER CROWNS.

So there ya have it! A quick look into the gist of what I’ve been up to.

I hope your Monday goes by quickly, my friends!

Guest Post: 10 Tips for Buying Gifts Online

September 26, 2014 by Christine Skari

Hi friends, happy Friday! I’m coming at you with a quick and helpful guest post from my friend Jai on tips for buying gifts online. I do most of my gift buying online, especially when it comes to buying presents for Kyle, so I definitely found this helpful and hope you do too .

10 Top Tips for Buying Gifts Online

Buying a gift online for someone can seem like a bit of a daunting task if you’re not that familiar with the World Wide Web and if you don’t buy things online regularly. However, it’s a great way to get a gift as you can find some really unique things online at competitive prices. We’ve put 10 tips together to help you on your way.

1. Aim to have a rough idea of what you’re looking for before you start

There are zillions of gift websites out there so it can be easy to get a little overwhelmed, and you could end up buying/spending more than you intended. Aim to have a slight rough idea of what you’re after before you begin, or at least how much you’d like to spend.

2. Think outside the box

Shopping online will open you up to a world of different gift options, so don’t be tempted to just look at the web versions of your favourite high street stores. Instead, think outside the box and check out sites like Virgin Experience Days where you can buy your loved one a once in a lifetime experience rather than an actual gift.

3. Opt for something they may not buy themselves

When buying gifts online, the same rules apply as if you weren’t. This includes opting for frivolous options that the recipient is unlikely to indulge in for themselves. In other words, spoil them!

4. Keep your eyes peeled for offers and promotions

The internet is a great place to compare options and prices after a few clicks, which is much easier than traipsing round the stores. When you’ve chosen your gift, click around to see if you can get it cheaper anywhere or at least with better delivery options.

5. Check out new websites for something different

There are new sites all the time offering new and exciting products. New gift sites like www.zippi.co.uk are great as they’re modern and have lots of great fresh ideas.

6. Ensure it’s trustworthy when it comes to looking after your details

Sharing your personal details online can be off-putting, so ensure they are reputable in that they have things in place to look after your details (particularly your financial ones). Paying through PayPal.co.uk is always a good idea where possible, too.

7. Give yourself plenty of time for delivery

There’s nothing worse than a late gift, especially when you think you’ve been organised. Check the website’s delivery times and opt for express delivery options if you’ve left it late to be sure it’ll get there on time.

8. Check out the returns policy

You can’t get things right every time, and if you change something in a store, it can feel much easier than doing it online. However, many sites are making it easier to return things to them, so check out the site’s policy when it comes to refunds.

9. Remember you can get other birthday stuff online too

It’s not all about gifts these days; you can even order things like flowers, balloons and birthday banners online too which is really useful.

10. Don’t forget the extras like cards and wrapping

Shopping online can sometimes mean you’ll forget the little things like cards and wrapping paper, so make sure you make a note not to forget them. Some sites even offer gift wrapping services when you order so that can be a good option.

Shrimp Wonton Soup

September 24, 2014 by Christine Skari

A comforting and delicious recipe for shrimp wonton soup that’s not only easy, but healthy and filling with only 110 calories for a huge serving!

Are you hungry yet?

Specifically, are you hungry for a healthy and comforting soup that’s filled to the brim with flavor and steamy-hot homemade shrimp wontons? Yeah? Me too.

I know I mentioned this in my last post, but I’ve been in a bit of a food blogging funk for the last two weeks or so. A combination of diving into the portrait photography world and a weekend camping trip in Big Bear have sucked up most of my time and interest, and to be honest, cooking in a hot kitchen just doesn’t seem to be too appealing to me. Yup, California is embracing the Fall with 90 degree weather, which is putting a major damper on my plans for #OMGpumpkinspicelattesEVERYDAY and cold-weather food.

Sometimes, though, you get a craving at 7:30 in the morning for a big steamy bowl of shrimp wonton soup and nothing, not even hothothot weather or the fact that you haven’t had your morning coffee yet so you can barely type out a text messages canceling your morning gym session with your boyfriend because you’re taking a “rest day” from all the strenuous chewing you’ve been doing the last few days (don’t want to exert myself too much, you know how it is) can stop you from making it. What am I even saying?

Sorry, it’s hard to concentrate with photos like this staring you in the face. Like, COME TO MAMA.

This is one of those recipes that’s just plain good. It fills you up and makes you feel full, but not overly weighed down since it’s made with a broth base, filled with perfectly cooked fresh veggies, and a lean shrimp filling. One bite into a tender wonton with a small sip of broth and trust me, you will be in lightened-up comfort food heaven! Talk about a perfect combination of health and deliciousness- this is my kind of meal.

I know wontons can seem a bit intimidating to make at first, but they’re easy as pie. You can find pre-made wonton skins in the refrigerated asian section at most grocery stores and they honestly come together in a flash!

One small note with this recipe, it should be served immediately or within 30 minutes of cooking the wontons in the broth or else they will absorb too much of the liquid if left to soak! Eaters beware!

Big Bear Camping Trip Recap

September 23, 2014 by Christine Skari

Hi friends!

Sorry I’ve been MIA lately, I’ve been busy (read: borderline obsessed) working on my portrait photography and camping it up in Big Bear the last few days. Cooking has been on the back-burner for me and I’ve just been too lazy to work on recipes. Anywho, here’s a small recap of my camping trip!

To say the trip was filled with testosterone would be a bit of a understatement, since I was the lone female in a group of 8 guys. We had a combination of friends from college (Ryan, Forrest, Kevin, and one of their friends) and some older friends that Kyle and I have had since our high school days (Max, Kevin #2, and Patrick). Kyle picked all of the high school friends that live in our hometown up in his old truck on Saturday morning and we drove up to the mountains to meet the other guys. The soundtrack in the car included the boys chanting “MORE DUDES, MORE DUDES, MORE DUDES!!!”, which is when I started to doubt agreeing to go on a trip being the only girl (I joke, but seriously, MORE CHICKS).

Once we got to the camping grounds, everyone got to work unloading and setting up tents. We spent the rest of the day relaxing, cooking up some steaks and canned baked beans for dinner, drinking hot chocolate, and sitting around the campfire.

My friend Kevin borrowed my camera and got the most amazing photos of the stars and even tracked them by taking photos every 15 minutes or so and stacking the photos on top of each other.

After a not-so-great sleep on the ground, we got up and made some breakfast before heading over to a bait shop to pick up some nice big worms and fishing licenses for the day. We all split an enormous pontoon to take out on the lake for 4 hours and had an amazing time from the beginning of our time on it to when we had to drive it back to the docks!

This was Max’s first camping trip and I was really hoping he would catch a fish, and luckily, he randomly pulled in a huge… 3 inch catfish that we released back into the lake. You would have thought he had reeled in a huge 250 lb fish by the way we were cheering for him when he brought that fighter up 😉 . Halfway through our pontoon time, I caught a slightly bigger foot long Rainbow Bass, which totally made my day!

After returning the boat, we went back to the campground and immediately gathered up our things and went back down to the lake (a short 5 minute walk from where we were camping). Most of the guys decided to sit around and play a board game, but Max and I tried our hands at fishing from the shore.

Once it started to get chilly, we got a fire started and roasted some sausages and heated up some cold pesto pasta for dinner. Marshmallows followed!

After another restless sleep on the ground (filled with a pack of coyotes singing us a nice bedtime lullaby at 3 in the morning), we woke up early to pack up and get back on the road. The cleanup was pretty easy and we were saying our goodbyes and in the car by a little after 10. All-in-all, it was a great trip and we’re already talking about making it a yearly thing and potentially getting together sometime this winter to all go skiing!

Hope you all had a wonderful weekend as well!

Weekend Recap

September 7, 2014 by Christine Skari

I feel like a slug. This past weekend was one spent mostly lounging around in the hot hot hot weather and I feel like I’ve been living in a sleepy haze. The last few days have escaped me! Anyways, here’s what I’ve been up to.

Saturday was spent waking up slowly with a homemade latte and continuing my weird obsession with the show Once Upon a Time. You guys. I don’t even like it that much anymore (I’m on the 3rd season), but I feel like I can’t escape its clutches until I finish the entire series. I just need to watch the last season and then I can continue on with my life 😯 . On that note, does anyone have any other good series to watch? I’ve already seen all of Game of Thrones, The Walking Dead, The Office, Scandal, and Lost and need some more inspiration.

After a while, Kyle and I worked on a new recipe that’s coming to you guys tomorrow! Any guesses? Here’s a hint: It involves lots of vibrant colors from fresh veggies and has a great crunch to it!

Sunday started similarly with my daily double shot latte before taking a quick shower and getting ready to go to church with Kyle.

After church, we headed over to Starbucks and OH MY GOSH. I’m totally going to sound like your typical Fall-loving white girl, but pumpkin spice lattes have returned and I’m preeetttyyyy darn excited. I like to pretend that I know what seasons are, but I’m going to be honest and admit that I enjoyed my PSL latte in 90 degree weather.

Two of my favorite things: Kyle and Starbucks!

After grabbing our coffee, we headed over to Chipotle to grab some lunch before making a quick trip to Home Depot to get some supplies for a couple projects Kyle wants to do. The man-crafting bug has totally bit him and he is itching to build new things. His latest project? Electrochemical etching and building his own metal phone case from scratch. He is a mechanical engineer through-and-through.

We were also on the hunt for some rustic looking boards for a new back drop for my photography. Unfortunately, the ones we found were little too clean-cut for my liking, since I’m searching for more of a barn-table look. I just did quick search on eBay, though, and found a few gems that I think will work perfectly!

Now I just need to pick which set I like the most and set Kyle to work with putting it together and painting/staining it. I’m lucky to have a handyman who is happiest when he’s busy making things with his hands .

So there you have it! My weekend in a nutshell.

Question of the Day: What is the most eventful thing to happen to you this weekend?