Dumpling soup to warm your body & heart!

We woke up to 80 degrees last week and today to temperatures in the 30’s in sunny Florida. Who says we don’t get cold weather? Here in Jacksonville Fl we do!

So I warm us up with food! Soup and dumplings are my Southern husbands favorite.

Dumpling soup requires making dumplings first. Afterwards you place in the soup broth. But I like to also  CHEAT and make it easier by cooking the broth and ingredients below and using frozen dumplings for the soup already made and found at the Asian grocery store. Obviously, serving dumplings alone with a cup of green jasmine tea is a perfect meal in itself!

Here is what you will need:

1 package of wonton wrappers

1 bunch of scallions sliced

8 oz. of ground pork (or shrimp)

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1/2tsp. of sugar

1 tsp of soy sauce

*For Dumpling soup I also like to add baby corn pieces (available by the can)

And cut up a few snow peas or baby bok choy.

The meaning of eating dumplings at Chinese new year means MONEY! They are shaped like a golden piece. Hence that’s why we eat them.

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Put  8 to 10 cups of chicken broth, a piece of fresh ginger (peeled) 1 tablespoon of dark soy sauce,  sprinkle of sesame oil, S & P to taste in a soup pot and bring to a boil. Then simmer the broth.

For soup I also like to add baby corn pieces (available by the can)

Or a few pieces of baby Bok Choy for some healthy greens.

Garnish with sliced scallions on top of soup after you have added the dumplings.

Ready to serve.

For another recipe I also like to Steam Dumplings (and get a quick steam facial from the bamboo steamer when I pull them out). Next, I like to add them to a saute pan with a dash of oil and  little water and cook their little bottoms until crispy and a bit brown edged. So delish!

A healthy cup of hot Asian tea ends a meal or snack beautifully. And although I NEVER saw a fortune cookie in Hong Kong I still love those crunchy vanilla delights with the secret message inside.

Happy Chinese New Year...Gong Hei Fat Choy! 

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I left my heart in Hong Kong!

I’ve been traveling throughout China and fell in LOVE with the one and only Hong Kong. I am back in the US but still on a travel high!  However, jet lag is REAL! I had forgotten how long those international flights feel and how hard it is to get back to reality.

I fly lots. But especially on international flights! It has taken me a week and half already and am now just starting to feel like myself again.

Long flights but so worth every minute and penny!

While I didn’t know what to expect really I was pleasantly surprised. with what I found. Rich in history and so many fascinating places to visit! Hong Kong has so much to explore!

Do you know what HONG Kong means?

Fragrant Harbour or Port. Wherever you go in the city there are different scents. Food being the BEST!

I so loved the people…so friendly,kind and peaceful. The lights,exotic signs,sights,the sounds of the different Chinese dialects being spoken and the scent in the air of the different foods.

I also enjoyed my view of  Kowloon from my Renaissance Hotel  with an amazing harbour view. It was so relaxing to view and to wake up every morning too.This hotel is a MUST if you ever want to or need to go to the city. The hotel is amazing! The staff  speaks English and Chinese and are an extraordinary team of professionals from the bellmen to housekeeping. The hotel has a great quick cafe with American and Chinese delights. The restaurants in the hotel serve Asian and American meals.

I traveled with my usual skin care and my jade and rose quartz roller. Just in case my stomach acts up or complexion isn’t perfection I bring Probiotics with me. My fave is Belle+Bella. I also travel with sheets masks and eye gel pads. And I made sure to drink PLENTY of bottled water. And hot green Asian tea!

I highly recommend and enjoyed the Star Ferry which took us from the Hong Kong side across the harbour to the other side to Kowloon. Only .50 cents in Hong Kong money for a lovely 8 minute ride.

I also adored riding on and the sound of the rail cars they use and the city affectionately calls the DING DING! So cute.

Shopping in Hong Kong is off the chain fabulous!

FOODIES

The Bakeries were so DELICIOUS and the different sweet breads too.

Chinese egg tarts are a must!

Cool yourself off  with a glass of sugar cane juice.

TEA of all kinds and tea shops are evrywhere. My fave’ is Jasmine tea but also Hong Kong style tea made with milk and sweetened to perfection.

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Warm cashew soup anyone?

The most delightful light and creamy soup I have ever had!!! If you love NUTS especially cashews this is a MUST to find and discover the taste on your palette.

 

I loved this soup so much I had two bowls!

 

There is also something else you smell in the air. Incense. Sandalwood scented to be exact. They burn it outside thier business doors,homes temples and more. Praising  thier Gods. I do it in the states too but it was so nice to smell it in the air and enjoy it too.

Well I hope you enjoyed the first few days of my trip and all to unfold before me!

Come back I have so much more to share! Have you ever traveled to HK or China? 

Cold & Flu Season Beauty🤧

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I woke up the other day and felt awful…like a Mack truck ran over me. I was clammy,runny nose,sore throat and had laryngitis.

I was forced by my body to stay in bed several days. I hadn’t felt like this in a year. What I know for sure is when you’re sick at home and stuck in bed… you need to really rest and take care of yourself! And do something nice for yourself.

And if you don’t have energy to even take a quick shower or bath 🛀 just do a few things to make yourself FEEL better.

Here are a few tips…

Don’t get dehydrated. Drink plenty of liquids.

*Fresh squeezed juice is a nice bonus. If you can’t juice 🥤 your own. Try and keep a store bought one in your freezer or refrigerator.

Refresh your skin with a cozy hot towel soaked with a dash of Vick’s vapor rub. Place over your nose and on your chest. Help those nasal passages & chest congestion.

Light a flameless 🕯 candle. Or better yet purify the air by lighting a Himalayan salt stone lamp. They light 💡 up the room with such a pretty, peaceful, ambience. And nowadays are cheap but bring so much joy!

Place your feet 🦶 in white cotton socks with your fave hand 🖐 & body lotion. Or another tip is to slather on a coat of Vick’s Vapo rub. Then place those tired feet in fresh white socks. Feels 😊 so good! Really helps with softening the feet and they say helps your cold leave faster. It also makes your feet feel good and skin softer too.

Turn on a white noise machine or listen to music in your chair or bed.

Open the curtains and let the SUN 🌞Shine in! Let the sunlight warm you up. The light will lift your spirits too.

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Put on a 💄 lipstick, gloss or lip conditioner and you’ll be feeling better before you know it.

Guys you need a lip balm too! When you have a cold or the flu your lips will get dry. Very dry. Maybe even peel and flake.

Keep the skin on your face moist with a beauty oil or moisturizer. Sneezing, wiping, or blowing your nose can make your nose,face and cheeks red and raw. And dry! Keep that skin soft!

This might be a good time to put on a sunless tanner…while you’re stranded at home.It might even make you feel better. It def will make you look better.

Spray your pillow cases and sheets with a mix of 95 distilled or tap water and a few drops of lavender or Tea Tree oil.

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A hydrating KBeauty sheet mask is another good thing you could do to make yourself feel better.

If you have a fever… straighten the bed. Fluff up the pillows and sprinkle your fave body powder on the sheets.

Brush your hair with a dry 🧴 shampoo. Keep it handy at your bedside.

Place your journal,prayer book,a good book,magazines or adult coloring book 📚 near you. Place a mini notepad 📝 and pen by you too . You may think of things you need to buy or to do once you’re up to it.

Keep things close so you don’t have to get up and down from the 🛌 bed.

Chicken soup or Chinese hot and sour soup work wonders.

Feel hot and clammy? Got a fever? I love to make DIY Gatorade Ice cubes. Make ice cubes and suck on them! Cooling soothing electrolytes and they keep you from dehydrating too.

Ice cream 🍨 or an ice cream float is cool and soothing on sore throat! This is no time to diet. Indulge!

You know even if you get the flu shot it does not prevent you from getting a severe cold and more.

I’m just glad it’s over for me and I’m starting to feel like myself again. Something is going around. Get ready! Take care of yourself. I hope my blog post helps.

COOL Summertime Strawberry Soup & more!

My Polish side of the family has some delightful recipes this soup is one of them. It is so refreshing in the summertime and while strawberries are in season especially.

What makes it special are these ingredients: (and the Polish FAMILY memories)

1 lb fresh strawberries
1 cup orange juice
1/2 tsp of good quality vanilla extract
2 cups of vanilla Greek yogurt
*whipped cream
*fresh mint leaves

Clean and hull strawberries and place in a blender,combine the rest of the ingredients except whipped cream and mint.Blend until smooth.
CHILL for a few hours or overnight.Serve in pretty bowls and top with dollop of whip cream and garnish with a few mint leaves.

Yummy,creamy and dreamy taste of a recipe from Poland.My mom would be proud I still keep close in my heart and continue these traditions.

Do you have a YUMMY or unique recipe you’d like to share with me?
I’d LOVE to hear from you!

*Yummy photo from the website Cool Photo Projects.

While strawberries are still in season,you might also want to enjoy my recipe for a Refreshing Strawberry Face MASK for your skin.

Here’s what you’ll need:

8 fresh strawberries
2 tablespoons of local honey

Mash the strawberries with a spoon and add in the honey. This will make a fruity honey filled face mask. The strawberries contain Vitamin C and alpha-hydroxy acids that exfoliate the skin gently in a natural way.
If your skin is looking dull,tired,sun damaged or prone to a blemish you will LOVE what this mask does for your skin.

Leave on your face for at least fifteen minutes and rinse with luke warm water and a wash cloth.Follow with your moisturizer and eye gel.
They say that Hollywood Celebrities like Catherine Zeta Jones use strawberries in their beauty rituals.
This fresh mask will last up to a week in an airtight container. I prefer to store in glass NOT plastic container.

*As I have mentioned before always do a spot test on the side of your cheek or neck to see if you are allergic to any of these ingredients. If you know you are do not use this recipe.

Get cooking and enjoy these two delicious delights one for your body and one for your face. YUM!