Valentine's Day 2015

Last Saturday was the fifth Valentine's Day Ricky and I have spent together. Oddly enough, this was the first time where we had actually gone out to celebrate it. The two of us don't take this "holiday" too seriously, but this year, Ricky thought it would be nice to take me to Tuscan Hills! It is located in Forest Hills along Queens Boulevard. I have never noticed it before, but there are a lot of Italian restaurants down that road.I wasn't sure how he even picked this one out of the rest of them, but I figured it must have been from reviews online. It has a 4 star rating on Yelp, so it seemed like a solid choice.

Tuscan Hills has many positive reviews on Yelp, and while I was looking for their menu, I discovered a cute background story. While the restaurant was under construction, workers discovered a beautiful brick wall, which apparently was a very painstaking job to uncover. With their persistence, the wall became exposed, and even though some of the bricks were damaged in the process, their method of covering their mistakes sure is interesting. Throughout the nicely decorated interior, you can find many knickknacks that pay homage to traditional Italian decor. You can read about it on their website!

The two of us arrived at 7pm, and it was a very short drive from my house. It was very busy inside, and everyone seemed too busy to come to us. This of course, was because it was Valentine's Day. We were seated after 10-15 minutes after we arrived.

Calamari Fritti

We decided to start off our dinner with the calamari fritti. It is a filling plate of fried calamari, which also comes with a generous dish of chili pepper dipping sauce. 

Ricky got fettuccine gamberi e zucchine- a classic, and one of the more popular dishes. It is a fettuccine dish with shrimp and zucchini tossed in a saffron sauce. The both of us thought this dish was really good!

My main dish was the fusilli alla boscaiola. This is a dish with fusilli pasta, spicy sausage, cherry tomatoes, and mushrooms in a light tomato sauce. I read many positive reviews on the sausage here, and I must agree with them. Everything was seasoned so well. 

Fettuccine Gamberi e Zucchine and Fusilli Alla Boscaiola

We only ordered three dishes, but all of the food was so filling! I had only gone through half of my pasta before I felt full. I was very tempted to try their fish stew, which is widely raved about. The single portion looked HUGE, so I knew it would have to wait until next time. I would definitely consider coming back. The prices are reasonable, and the food is delicious and filling.

Thank you for reading!

   

{Review} Trader Joe's 100% Pure Coconut Water - Single Origin

My latest trip to my local Trader Joe's brought me back with their 100% Pure Coconut Water. I absolutely love the taste of plain coconut water without any added flavors- it is really refreshing! I often use coconut water as a replacement for energy drinks. I always feel more awake and energized after a glass of coconut water. It's a healthy and delicious alternative that doesn't make you crash.

Trader Joe's sells two other brands of coconut water- Zico and the other Trader Joe's brand. There are pros and cons to both of those drinks. They both taste good, but the water seems to be processed to the point where the taste becomes slightly tart, instead of milky. 

This small bottle was much more expensive; it cost $3.99. I figured that this had to be delicious!

 

• Packaging: This comes in a 12FL oz. plastic bottle. It is rectangular with rounded edges. The design is very clean and simple. It's refreshing to see that they didn't try to overwhelm the bottle with unecessary colors and designs.
• Color: While my bottle had the familiar translucent and milky white color, there is a message on the back that informs you of the possible rosy colors it can become. The reddish color may concern some people at first, but it in facts occurs naturally, so it is completely normal and okay to drink.
• Scent: The scent was very light and it smelled of coconut (of course!). It smelled just like a freshly cracked coconut!
• Taste: This is everything that I hoped for! It was nothing like the Zico's slightly sour coconut water; Instead, it tasted very much like the Harmless Harvest's 100% Raw Coconut Water. The taste was milky and slightly floral. Simply delicious.

I tried my best to drink it in moderation in order to savor it... but that didn't work out. I drank it all within 20 minutes. 

Will I purchase this again? Yes, yes, yes!

Disclaimer: I bought all of these products myself.

My statements on the products are my true opinions.

You are welcome to share my pictures, as long as the watermark is not removed.

Sunday Spins - NY NOW & Tabata Ramen

Yesterday, my dad took the family out to the Javits Center for NY NOW, formally known as the New York International Gift Fair. We all sported Exhibitor passes, because my dad works for Nippon Kodo Inc. I love visiting the show, because there are always so many new ideas and designs on display. It's really a great way for a company to kick start their merchandise.

 

I also met up with my friend and her dad, and we just browsed whichever aisles that we could... there were just too many! I saw a variety of products- from silicone pot lids and wallets to ambient lighting adorned with paper cutouts. The items on display are not for sale, because the exhibit there is for distributors looking to purchase the items in wholesale. However, it does give me great ideas for birthday and Christmas presents!

Sprinkles NYC - Cupcake ATM

Last week, my friend Sai and I found out that we were the second place winners of our school's brick competition! We were both very excited, and upon hearing the news, we knew we had to celebrate with cupcakes. And what better place than the first cupcake store in New York City?

Right after class, we hopped onto the F train and headed to Lexington Avenue.

As we approached the store, we saw something different... there was a CUPCAKE ATM! At first, I was shocked; I thought the store was undergoing major renovation and could only serve their customers from the machine. Good thing I was wrong, because the real store was right next door.

The Cupcake ATM worked like a vending machine. You select a cupcake of your choice, and right after you pay, a robotic arm with a video camera attached to it grabs your cupcake and serves it to you. The cupcake is individually boxed and looks good enough to give as a gift. However, convenience comes with a price- $4.25, for that matter. It costs only 50 cents more than the cupcake you would buy in the store, and you also get to witness this amazing experience!

The most delicious ATM you will ever use

Sai and I decided to go into the store instead. It smells amazing inside. Everything in the store is adorable, from the chairs to the wallpaper. The service is always the best, and you will always leave with a smile on your face. :)

I bought a red velvet cupcake, and Sai bought a red velvet and a milk chocolate cupcake.

  

     

IMPORTANT NOTE: 

If you are planning on bringing your cupcake home, it's best to buy at least two, so you will get a nice box to carry them in. I only got one, and that was wrapped with a waxed paper bag. It ended up being squished by the time I got home. But it was still delicious!

      

Sai's cupcakes had better luck than mine.