Post cards from Barcelona, Part 2

May 16, 2016 by Patricia Chang in Fashion, Food, Travel

Ciutadela Park, wearing Shopbop — Ciutadela Park, wearing Shopbop

Welcome back for Part 2 of our trip! I mashed together some of my "naturey" photos and ended up with a parks list. I have come to realize I have a soft spot for parks when I travel. When you're running around seeing all the sights, it's especially relaxing to sit and listen to some water trickling while soaking in the surrounding culture. My favorite place was Ciutadela Park, as we went back twice by choice. There's something about this park that brought out a sense of home away from home. It reminded me of a condensed Central Park in NY, except this park has palm trees galore!

We also went back to the beach for a second time. The first time, we stumbled upon it on our way to the cable car that takes you up to Montjuic. We saw people selling blankets and decided to come back for a picnic if we had time. On our last day we happened to walk by the beach again. Before making it to the sand, we got distracted by some people making large bubbles for the crowd. It was then I noticed groups of people buzzing around on electric bikes and scooters of all kinds. Right there in the middle of the board walk we spotted a rental place and had a spontaneous ride! I definitely recommend going along the entire boardwalk this way. It was so fun that had we discovered it sooner I may have convinced my husband to do all day rentals everyday~

El Nacional is a gem! There are multiple restaurants in one large open space with THE most fabulous interior. Our Airbnb was just around the block and I would have missed it had I not just seen it on my friend's instagram (@mjtraynor). I think we tried most of the sections and I can't really recommend one over the other. The tapas section was a unique experience because they come around announcing available plates in their hand (kind of like dim sum carts). Definitely check out this space if you're in the neighborhood!

How to #WatermelonPizza

March 25, 2016 by Patricia Chang in diy, Food

Just when I thought beautifully organized toppings on a smoothie bowl was the epitome of photogenic healthy foods, I stumble upon this. Have you noticed the strange trend on Instagram (and I'm assuming on Pinterest & the like) lately? #WatermelonPizza? Did your face cringe or did it light up? Haha, I remember being intrigued yet a little confused about how I felt about it.

Recently I saw it on @natehunt's beautiful Instagram page, and it was his take with a greek yogurt spread that finally sold me that this could actually be a tasty dish. I do like greek yogurt, but I'm not craaazy about it. That got me thinking about what flavors are successful with watermelon. Ah, yes of course - Watermelon Salad! I googled some recipes and came up with my own take. What a pleasant surprise when it was even more delicious than I anticipated my first time around. Here's how it went:

Timidly, I chose a small watermelon as it would be my first attempt. It's perfectly round and absolutely adorable. Made me happy to pick it. You can pick a large one if you want to make one for a party or have a more prominent "pizza" look.

You can make as many "pies" from one watermelon depending on how thick or thin you slice it. Don't be intimidated by this step. Slicing watermelon is fairly smooth and easy with a large knife.

Feta seems to be the ideal cheese to marry with the flavor of the watermelon. It's the combination of sweet and salty that work so nicely together.

Red onions. Is it just me? I love it when a recipe asks for red onion because it adds color.

Here are my toppings and you can play around with yours. Baby Arugula, Pistachio nuts, Mint, Cherry Tomatoes, Olives, Cucumbers, Artichoke.

I have a confession here: The ingredients in the round bowls are from the self serve salad bar at Whole Foods! It was from a greek salad dish. This was a great idea for me because I personally don't like random leftovers in the fridge. Even for a larger pizza, you won't be needing much of each topping.

Garnish your pizza!

Time to cut the slices! Again, it was surprisingly smooth and easy especially since I made thin pies.

I did make a note however for next time: If you want a super neat presentation, try slicing them right after the feta cheese step, and then garnishing the slices afterward.

Voila~ Watermelon Pizzas will make for a great appetizer this summer. Your guests are guaranteed to make a comment about it as well as enjoy it!

Difficulty level: It's much easier than making a real pizza, and just as easy as making a salad. Harder than ordering pizza delivery. Ha ha..

Finally, I found it flavorful as is, but a drizzle of delicious olive oil and a pinch of pepper never hurt. You won't need to salt because of the feta cheese and olives.

I devoured 2 pies by myself immediately and my family shared the third pie. My toddler, Chase went for all the pistachios (and an innocent bite of the crust which he didn't like). Conclusion? Clean to eat since it doesn't flop like a real pizza. Juicy, fun and delicious! Please share your pies and personal twist on the recipe if you do one with me. I'd love to see it! Happy eating and the camera CAN eat this one first since it's not a hot dish ;)

Saturday Reflections

Madison Square Park

February 28, 2016 by Patricia Chang in Family, Fashion, Food, Vlog

I am wearing: Marc Jacobs Jacket (similar), Topshop Jeans, Adidas Sneakers

Husband, Hank, is wearing: Moncler Jacket, Uniqlo Jeans, Gap Sweater (similar), Adidas Sneakers

Chase is wearing: Totoro Jumper, Adidas Star Wars Sneakers

Hello loves! Come along with us on a typical weekend with my family. Family time is much needed on Saturday mornings after a long week of work! We try to sleep in as long as Chase lets us, which is usually good these days. If we look out the window and the sky is blue, we can pretty much guess what's in store for us. Brunch on weekends is a quintessential activity for New Yorkers and a nice time to catch up with friends. We recently discovered this sunny spot, La Pecora Bianca through our friend, David. Post brunch, Chase was eager to let some energy out and run around. Luckily, for us, Madison Square Park is just across the street from the restaurant, equipped with a playground! We were also fortunate enough to catch the tail end of the mirrors installation, which was the perfect way to stroll through the day.

Photos by s o k o p h o t o s

Watch Behind the Scenes Footage here

1:00 spotted Alexander Wang at brunch

1:45 met a toy poodle named Chase! @littlechasebigworld

Valentine's Date Night at Home: Kitchensurfing

February 07, 2016 by Patricia Chang in Family, Food, Vlog, Fashion

Wearing: Off the shoulder top (similar), Skinny Jeans (similar), Batman Socks (similar), Braided Headband (similar)

Husband, Hank, is wearing: J. C. Rags Cardigan (similar), Uniqlo Tshirt, Uniqlo Jeans, Uniqlo Socks

Chase is wearing: Little Pop Studios Sweater (similar), Ministry of Play Tshirt (similar), Loveum Kids Pants (similar)

Home: Red Floral Plate (similar), Crystal Stool (similar), Kid's bowl (similar), Marble Stand (similar), Sippy Cup (similar), Mason Jar (similar), Taxi Cab Magnet (similar), Thomas the Train Toy (similar)

We are thrilled to review for you, Kitchensurfing!

We were fortunate to have Chef Bala as our chef because he was so professional, and warm at the same time. He was a pleasure to have in the intimacy of our home. The Chef brought everything needed to whip up a delicious taco dinner, which we selected from the selection of meat, fish, pasta, or vegetarian meals. This meant extra quality time with my husband and Chase! With Hank's long work hours, and my growing schedule balancing work and Chase, it was a treat to have a delicious home cooked meal without spending time or energy in the kitchen. The Chef even cleaned up, so it really is a great service! Try it for yourself with the code below, and leave a comment letting us know how your experience went.

FREE DINNER CODE for 2 Adults and 2 children: heymamadinnergift

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