Mum's do a lot for us and they deserve to be celebrated and a single day in the year does not sum up how much they mean to us. Given the current state of the world and the restrictions in place in my own hometown - Vancouver, we need to celebrate our amazing mothers from a distance. I am lucky enough to live at home with my mum, so I will be spending Sunday, May 10th, annoying my mum with all my love hahaha. Most gifts are completely off the table because boutiques, malls and shops, for the most part, are closed. I tried to look for Vancouver-based local gifts for mother's day. This is also a great way to support local businesses and makers. The best places to look for a gift for your mum would be at local grocer-cafes, florists and patisseries.
Problematic skin seems like the bane of all our lives, but it is what it is. I had my fair share of acne. I recall waking up to a new angry pimple nearly every morning in high school. The worst part was how big, red and painful my acne was. Despite acne wreaking havoc on my skin throughout my adolescent years, I know only get the occasional angry pimple. For the most part, I get a few little bumps here and there and some redness.
I have tried a whole slew of acne-targeted products. The over-the-counter topicals and creams to the fancy facial washes and serums. Heck fun fact, I even took a year of antibiotics, Minocycline, but decided to go off of them because I wanted to reduce the amount of medication I was putting into my body.
Four Seasons Resort Whistler - one of many cute details
Living in Vancouver has its perks. We have access to the most stunning temporal rainforest-covered mountains, some of the best weather year-round and Canada's largest ski resort, Whistler, is just two hours away by a car making it perfect for a quick getaway. I was in desperate need of a mini-vacation to decompress and re-energize, so I hopped online and booked myself a 3-day stay at the luxurious Four Seasons Resort Whistler.
There is so much I want to share with you all about my stay at the Four Seasons as it was beyond amazing - simply magical! The customer service at the Four Seasons is top notch and you would be hardpressed to find better and the building itself is grand, furnished with warm walnut wood, plenty of crackling fires and perhaps the largest covered valet entrance I will ever see in my life. Since the hotel is nestled amongst the mountains secluded in the Upper Village, you get the most unbelievable views.
Bear's Blooms: Delivering BC-grown flowers to the door's of Vancouverites
There are a lot of amazing floral shops in Vancouver; however, the majority of flowers used by the florists are flown in from around the globe. This came as a shock to me considering the numerous flower farmers in BC. Bear's Blooms recognized this and is helping Vancouverites connect with local growers.
Bear's Blooms is challenging both consumers and florists to think local. By using flowers that are grown within the province - many of them come from within the Lower Mainland! - Bear's Blooms' carbon footprint is significantly smaller than the traditional florist as none of their flowers or greens are flown in from across the world.
Bear's Blooms is a bit of a different business model as they offer a weekly subscription floral delivery service. The subscription model allows Bear's Blooms to be more accurate in the number of flowers they need for the week, so they can significantly minimize their weekly flower waste. Florists, on the other hand, can only estimate the number of flowers they will need for the week. On average, a florist typically discards 40% of their floral inventory.
2018 was one hell of a year. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle had their big royal wedding, the Obama portraits were unveiled at the National Portrait Gallery and my favourite Disney star and singer Miley Cyrus married her hunk of a beau Liam Hemsworth. Another huge pop-culture moment that defined 2018 was the theatrical release of Crazy Rich Asians!
I had not read the book, so I wanted to read it prior to seeing the movie because I refuse to let the movie ruin a good book for me. Truth be told, it is rare for a movie to capture the spirit and charm of the book that is based upon. In this case, the movie did not do the book justice, but that is alright because it helped achieve other amazing milestones. The Crazy Rich Asians movie boasted an all-Asian cast, bringing much-needed diversity to Hollywood. Not to mention, this rom-com was an absolute international sensation!
The holidays and Harry Potter go hand in hand. With the exception of three movies,Harry Potter movies have made their debut in theatres mid November. Not to mention when I was a kid, the CBC and CTV would run Harry Potter marathons during winter break. Harry Potter is practically a newholiday tradition!
This year was no exception as Potterheads were given their second glimpse into the latest Harry Potter trilogy, Fantastic Beasts. I made certain to carve out some time in my absurdly busy work schedule to catch a showing. After all, it would be a crime in itself to not watch Harry Potter in theatres. As I rarely go to the movies, I like to spoil myself by getting tickets to Cineplex’s VIP Theatres. The seats are massive and are upholstered in a plush faux leather and an extraordinary amount of legroom. You can also order food and drinks (alcohol too!) from the comfort of your seat. If you are worried about spilling things on yourself, you will be happy to know that every seat comes with their own retractable tables.
SPOILERS AHEAD
Speaking of crimes, the second instalment of Fantastic Beasts explores the atrocities committed by the infamous wizard Grindelwald. The beasts definitely take a backseat in this movie; however, we are still introduced to fabulous new magical creatures.My favourite happens to remain the Niffler, this time though we meet three adorable little baby Nifflers who continue to snatch everything glittery and shiny in sight. On the not so cute end are the Matagots, black eerie cats with massive glowing eyes. The Matagots are protectors of the Ministry of Magic in France. The most captivating creature was the elephant-sized giant Zouwu. At first it looks like a ferocious wild cat, but then you notice its massive tail that moves with the fluidity of a ribbon and reminiscent of a Chinese dragon.
The CGI work on the beasts was top notch and blended seamlessly with the actors. A far cry from when the first few Harry Potter movies were released. CGI was in its infancy. It is hard to forget the blue flying car in the second movie and how it stood out atrociously against the background.
As mentioned earlier, the beasts were not the primary focus of this movie. Grindelwald spends the movie rallying purebloods together with the goal of taking over the no magics. He was specifically interested in recruiting one wizard, Credence. Oh yah, turns out, Credence did not perish in the last movie with the obscurial engulfing him into a menacing black ball of smoke.
Now I do not want to give too much away, but you also get to learn the origins of several key characters in the original Harry Potter series. My favourite happens to do with the darkening of the Lestrange lineage. Yes, the very family from which my favourite dealer hails from, Bellatrix Lestrage.
My primary critique of this movie is that it felt drawn out. By the end of the movie, it becomes apparent that the writers were focused on setting up the story for the third and final movie of the Fantastic Beasts trilogy. Perhaps Crimes of Grindelwald simply fell victim to the second movie curse. I think what made the original Harry Potter movies such a success was that each movie had its own clear storyline and focus. There always was the overarching storyline of Voldemort, but it did not detract from the core story in each instalment. Needless to say, I tend to not gravitate towards trilogies.
To sum up Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, it is a movie that dives into the past and lineage of some of our favourite Harry Potter characters and how they came to be. Would I re-watch it, probably so I can soak up more details. Is it going to become as revered as the original 8 Harry Potter movies? I doubt it.
Curious to know what your thoughts are on the movie in the comments below!
After years of dreaming and begging my friends to go with me, I finally made it to Disneyland! As I mentioned in my previous post on California Adventure, I spent two of my three days at the original Disneyland park. Despite getting to the park the moment it opened and not leaving until it closed at night, I still was not able to explore every corner of it and was unable to enjoy all of the rides. Coupled with the fact that Pixar Pier was closed off during my visit only means it is a must that I re-visit Disneyland California.
Disneyland has 8 distinct regions, and their 9th and biggest one yet aka Star Wars is currently being built. Starting with my favourites:
Main Street, U.S.A. ; Adventureland; New Orleans Square; Tomorrowland; Fantasyland; Frontierland; Critter Country; Mickey's Toontown
I adore Main Street as Walt Disney himself walked down that very path and they have worked hard to maintain the same charm and wonder from its opening day. The shop facades are beautiful and they line the path leading to the iconic Statue of Walt and Mickey waving to guests in front of Sleeping Beauty's Castle. This street is iconic and also happens to feature another favourite: Starbucks. There are no rides per se in this region, but instead you can take short little tour around the street on a horse-drawn carriage, a vintage car or even a super rad old double decker bus. This also happens to be the hub for your Disney related shopping. But if you are a dork like me, you are going to die for the little museum dedicated to Walt Disney's legacy. There you can look at some of his sketches, the actual bench he was sitting on when he thought of building Disneyland and lots of old pictures of him.
Intricate wrought iron banisters and the aroma of bayou cooking will lure you into New Orleans Square. It took some expert craftsmen to bring the mystic-filled alleys of New Orleans to life. There are a few places to eat here, but I settled on the more affordable restaurant, New Orleans Cafe. There I got my first taste of Ratatouille and Gumbo and it was so delicious that I came back on my second day for lunch. My friend and I were just randomly chatting about how I hope to someday return for my birthday and unbeknownst to us, our server overheard part of our conversation and surprised me with a birthday Mickey-shaped beignet complete with rainbow coloured Mickey sprinkles and a lit candle. Best service ever! I later also grabbed a whole bag of those classic powdered sugar beignets and sipped on refreshing virgin Mint Juleps over the two days. The only bummer was that the ride that spurred one of Disney's biggest movie franchises, Pirates of the Caribbean, was closed for maintenance.
Tucked behind New Orleans Square was the busiest part of Disneyland, Adventureland. For such a small space, Disney managed to pack it with some of the coolest rides and attractions. Indiana Jones Adventure is a MUST! Like the majority of the bigger rides at Disney, this ride is hidden from view and even as the line winds through the corridors of the tomb, you still do not get a single glimpse of this epic ride.
You will also find Pineapple Dole Whip in Adventureland, a frozen treat that is practically synonymous with Disneyland. I do not know how to describe it, but imagine a creamy soft serve that is pineapple flavoured. It is located to the entrance of another hallmark Disneyland attraction, the Tiki Room!!! Truth be told, I had no clue what the Tiki Room even was and honestly stumbled across it completely by chance as I was eating my Dole Whip. Dancing plant dolls mysteriously descended from the tree as an unmarked door swings open beckoning patrons to enter. I am so glad that I followed the crowd inside. You are treated to a marvellous show of singing birds, statues and flower animatronics. I do not want to give away too much because this is a show that absolutely captures that Disney Magic and I think what made it better for me was that I was an unsuspecting audience.
Tomorrowland is a pretty significant portion of Disneyland and is home to several large attractions including Autopia, Star Tours, Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage, Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters and Space Mountain. I find Tomorrowland to be quite fascinating. It is one of the five original lands that opened in 1955 and is not the typical fantasy you would associate with Disney, but instead Tomorrowland is what they imagined the future and outer space could possibly be. Space Mountain is beloved by guests and after riding it myself, I too joined the Space Mountain fan club. During the entire ride you are in pitch darkness while a super dorky alien sci-fi music plays in your ears. By not having you sense of sight, every twist and turn in the ride is a surprise and overall experience is more immersive.
Walt Disney set out to create an amusement park that could be enjoyed equally by children, adults and elderly and I truly believe he met his goals. Part of that has to do with how the rides are designed to tell a STORY and you as the rider get to experience that story firsthand.
So there are no massive gut wrenching drops or crazy loops because Disney rides are not about cheap quick 20 second thrills. But what really blew me away and makes Disney truly stand apart from other amusement parks is the fact that every ride that I went on was designed to be accessible for those in a wheelchair. I commend Disney for taking the extra step to ensure everyone can enjoy their attractions. On Space Mountain a section of the track shifts over with an empty cart. This allows the the individual that needs extra assistance to get into the cart without feeling that they are holding up the ride. Once they are ready to go, that cart slides back onto the main track. I do not consider Space Mountain to be a "kiddy" ride as it features fast accelerations, sharp turns and takes place in complete darkness. I really doubt other non-Disney parks designed their big coasters to be as accessible.
"I felt that there should be something built, some kind of amusement enterprise, where the parents and the children could have fun together. So that's how Disneyland started" - Walt Disney
I kept trying to save Sleeping Beauty's Castle for my last day, but when I finally felt ready to explore every corner of Fantasy land and the Castle, I learned they were closing that area of the park in order to prepare for the fireworks show. I was beyond choked as it was my last night at Disneyland and I did not get to see the castle. Still bitter and upset about that, so if you go, make sure you visit the castle earlier in the day.
Each night, Disneyland finishes with fireworks spectacle. The staff will ever so slightly start ushering guests from the outer edges of the park towards Main Street, U.S.A. This is because the end of the fireworks signals the closing of the park. I talk about the methodical crowd control planning that has gone into Disney Parks in my California Adventure post too. The fireworks lit up the sky above the castle, but what I was not expecting were the video projections on the castle and on ALL of the storefronts along Main Street. I think my favourite part was when thousands of colourful balloons were projected on the stores with the music from Up filling the air. The fireworks show ends with that classic "When you wish up on a star" that we hear at the beginning of all Disney movies. I live for it! I will be writing a few more shorter posts on my Disney trip. One of them will be on Club 33 and the other will be all about my souvenirs including pressed pennies. BYES
I have amassed quite the collection of empties under my bathroom vanity, so it was about time that I got around to doing an empties review. I will be talking about my Lush empties in a completely different post because if I included them, this post would be far too long. Hopefully I get around to doing that review soon as I want to trade in my black pots for free fresh face masks as they are my all time favourite face masks!
A couple months back Farmacy Beauty had sent me a package and within the package was this face moisturizer. Like most of their products, it contains their own special antioxidant, GreenEnvy, that is found in the honey that Farmacy's own bees make. I talk about Farmacy in detail in that POST or check out their Website.
I really loved this moisturizer as it was lightweight, but still very hydrating. It was fairly unscented and the cupuaçu butter beads would blend in instantly. I am quite particular about my skincare routine; however, my mum is even harder to please and she loved this moisturizer. In fact she would often steal it from my bathroom, so if it can impress my mum, the Honey Drop is definitely worth checking out. Not to mention the packaging is gorgeous and I really loved the metal spatula that magnetically attached to the lid.
This is my second Camellia Nut moisturizer from Aesop and I still love it. The consistency is thick, yet still you only need a small amount and it absorbs instantly into your skin. I love the pale yellow colour and my skin always feels nourished and hydrated. Since I have gone through two pots of the Camellia Nut, I want to try a different formula from Aesop, specifically the Mandarin Facial Hydrating Cream because I am all about oranges.
If you follow me on Instagram, you already know this was an impulse purchase from Sephora. Honestly, whoever designed Sephora's cash register lineup area deserves a raise because it is genius. The sole fact that it contained "BumBum" in the name was why I bought it. It is a very thick consistency that took some time to work into your skin. There is a strong tropical scent that I personally found overwhelming. Though the notion that the caffeine in the cream helps make your skin firmer aka give you a perky butt, I just could not get past the artificial tropical scent, so I will not be repurchasing the cream.
I should really start doing empties reviews sooner because I do not have one, but two DryBar shampoo bottle empties. The Sake Bomb is formulated to nourish your locks while the Happy Hour preps your hair for the perfect blowout. Of the two, I prefer the Sake Bomb as it left my hair hydrated, shiny and smooth. The Happy Hour is formulated to remove any product buildup and get your hair super clean which is essential for a good Blow Out. I just would not use it as a regular use shampoo as it really does strip your of all the oils; therefore, leaving it dry and frizzy. This was my 3rd bottle of Sake Bomb and yes, I will most likely be repurchasing it in the future. The Happy Hour, not so likely as it is a bit too intense for regular use.
When I had purchased my beloved Buttercup hairdryer from DryBar, it came with a few sample size products, one of which was this adorable Sake Bomb Conditioner. As I never really used conditioner when my hair was short, it just sat in bathroom vanity cupboard, but now that my hair is long, I find my hair needs extra hydration, so I finally got around to using this small bottle. I liked the conditioner and only ever needed to use a small amount for my ends. If I was leaving my hair long, I would repurchase it, but since I will be chopping off my locks in a months time, I might just opt for a much cheaper drugstore brand for my remaining long-haired weeks!
SHAMPOO | Fekkai Full Blown Volume & the Reparative
I was introduced to Fekkai via the beauty subscription box, Luxe Box. Its often found in drugstores, but a step up from the stereotypical drugstore brand. I mostly just get it when I need to save a little money aka not purchasing a shampoo 3x the price. The Reparative was far too stripping for my hair, but the Full Blown Volume is decent. Fekkai Shampoos do contain sulphates and parabens.
Korea is renowned for its skincare products, so much so, that women stock up on K-Beauty products when they are in Korea. About a year ago, Nordstrom had a K-Beauty Pop-in where I picked up this and many other products - I think I spent $250 that day! Egg Mellow Body Butter by Too Cool for School is a formulated with both egg yolk and egg white extracts, shea butter and 7 different oils. It is a thick fluffy body butter that is pale yellow with not much of a scent. Even after taking the time to work it into my skin, I could feel a layer still on top and in fact when I would shower the next day, I could feel the body butter still on my legs and arms. The description on Sephora states that it "forms a protective barrier on skin for lasting moisture retention," so it may just have been designed to do this. I just prefer a body moisturizer that soaks into my skin and not just sit on the surface and then wash off in the shower. I will not be repurchasing the Egg Mellow.
BODY WASH | Whipping by A'pieu
I had picked up the Whipping Body Wash as part of my crazy splurge at the K-Beauty Pop-In. I really love cows and find them adorable hence why this ended up in my basket. Body wash is basically suppose to just get your skin clean, so it should be pretty hard to mess up. This Whipping one was more like a cheap hand soap, just too harsh and drying. It is no longer available at Nordstrom, but more weirdly it does not show on A'pieu's webpage. Perhaps a sign of a failed product.
Let me know in the comments below if you have tried any of these and what your thoughts are. BYES
I never thought the day would come that I would fall in love with lipstick. I own several tubes from Mac Cosmetics and between me and Mum, we have 3/4 of the Nars' Lipstick Pencils. However, only on rare occasions, you will catch me with painted lips because I cannot stand the feeling of lipstick on my mouth. Not to mention, it always makes my lips extremely chapped and my lips rarely get chapped. None the less, Charlotte Tilbury has completely changed my opinion on wearing lipstick, so much so that I have been wearing the colours regularly.
The two colours are Penelope Pink and Secret Salma. These are my first ever Charlotte Tilbury products and I am very impressed by the quality. I have wanted to try Charlotte Tilbury since the day I walked past the massive makeup counter in Nordstrom. The mahogany red display accented with rose gold never fails to draw me in, but I could never bring myself to get a lipstick because I barely wear the ones I already own. My makeup knowledge is not the best and basically consists of Mac and Sephora, but after trying the luxury makeup line, I have been spoiled and can no longer go back to Mac!
Penelope Pink is a nude pink that has a nourishing velvety formula. It goes on smooth with a bit of shine and the creaminess makes it comfortable to wear. I would say if you have Penelope Pink, you do not need any other nude lipsticks because it is a signature nude that you will find yourself reaching for. All the shades in the K.I.S.S.I.N.G range supposedly work with any skin tone. I actually did not pick out Penelope Pink because it and the other shade were both sent to me to try. Frankly, I thought the media team just spent a lot of time going through pictures of me to figure out what colours would be flattering. So I genuinely think Penelope Pink and Secret Salma would work for just about anyone and both are amazing basics to have in your collection!
Of the two, Secret Salma is my favourite as it gives you a little bit of colour; yet it still works well as an everyday look. I can definitely see myself wearing it to work, but also out with my friends to dinner. It is part of the Hot Lips collection in which all of the shades are inspired by an iconic female and yes, ms Kim Kardashian West made the cut and it goes without saying the KimKW is her signature pale nude lip. Secret Salma took inspiration from Salma Hayek.
Secret Salma is a deep-rose plum colour that apparently is ideal for bringing out brown eyes. I have big dark brown eyes and it really does make my eyes stand out. The lipstick finish is slightly matte and goes on a bit more pink than what it looks in the tube.
I am a huge packaging fanatic and definitely have been suckered into buying items for the looks. Needless to say, I am living for Charlotte Tilbury's rose gold packaging! The grooves going up the length of the bullet makes it look like something you would find in an old Hollywood movie. Not to mention when the light hits the tube, it reflects it into a halo of rays. All my other lipsticks cannot compare because they are just plain black bullets that blend in with the sea of other black makeup packaging.
It is definitely worth going down to your local Charlotte Tilbury counter and trying out their lipsticks. After a day of wear, your lips will still be soft and smooth. As I mentioned earlier, from the two, I would pick Secret Salma because I like a bit of colour. Recently I have been wanting to try something more dramatic like a deep plum colour, so if you have any suggestions let me know in the comments below!
BYES
PR samples for review consideration; all opinions are my own. Affiliate links used.
It is not often that I make my way out to Burnaby Heights, but when I do, I make sure to pop into Chez Christophe for some delectable desserts and chocolate truffles. It seems they like me as much I love their sweets because I was allowed a sneak peek at their Valentine's creations and a personal tour of their chocolate room!
Head chocolatier Laure took some time out of her busy schedule to share with me her newest chocolate sculptures for Valentine's. There is the Playing Koi, Love Locked and my personal favourite, the Puckering Prince! The sculptures were designed to evoke imagery of love. Two of them were quite obvious, but I was stumped on the Playing Koi.
The Playing Koi is a play on words. The two fish are swimming together, but simultaneously being coy, a little shy, so the koi fish are Playing Koi.
Every single one of the koi fish are hand sculpted from modelling chocolate and then painted with a brush using coloured chocolate. The chocolate locket is made with 60% dark chocolate from Switzerland that is poured into a mould and same goes for the Puckering Prince.
Garden of Love | Chez Christophe
The charming little frog prince had me enamoured with its adorable red pout and shiny gold crown. If you look really closely, you can spot a heart on his belly. I was curious about the fuzzy green finish of the sculpture and Laure explained that it is achieved by chilling the sculpture first. The green coloured coco butter and chocolate is then sprayed onto the cold chocolate which causes it to solidify instantly. So do not worry if you thought the puckering prince was a plushie at first, as I did. I think the chocolate sculptures are a great little gift and very reasonably priced - plus it tastes amazing too!
A visit to Chez Christophe would not be complete without dessert and I was in luck because head pastry chef Sunny had made their two Valentine's desserts just for me! The Garden of Love was a rich milk chocolate bavaroise glazed as a bright red heart sitting atop of a passion fruit curd in a dark chocolate shell and some chocolate crumble for texture. It was really difficult to break into that beautiful dessert, so I took 100 pictures to preserve its beauty haha.
The Velour Dessert | Chez Christophe
The second dessert was the Velour, a thick piece of red velvet sponge encased in pistachio ganache and a pistachio beet chocolate crunch. Above it was a bright white layer of lemon yogurt yuzu mousse and raspberry jam. I really loved the refreshing tang that Sunny highlighted from the yogurt and really helped balance the sweetness of the dessert. The Velour was my favourite of the two and I will most definitely be returning for another.
Chez Christophe's Valentine's collection is available from February 9th till the 14th and pre-orders are strongly recommended. Thank you for showing me so much love Chez Christophe and letting me indulge in all your sweet creations.
BYES
60% Switzerland Chocolate
Puckering Prince Chocolate Sculpture
Laure with her Valentine's 2018 creation
"At the Movie" hot chocolate still available until Valentine's Day at Chez Christophe
When I think of Pad Thai, I think of Bob Like's Thai Food because that is where I go to get this classic Thai dish. Never did I imagine making it from scratch at home. The Beef Pad Thai with Tamarind Sauce with Toasted Peanuts is my favourite recipe to date from FreshPrep.
The original recipe used beef; however, I am not much of a red meat eater so I decided to modify this recipe. In place of the beef I was sent, I used extra firm tofu which then made this recipe vegetarian-friendly. It was a risky thing to do especially since I have never even made Pad Thai, but it turned out amazing and tasted phenomenal!
Since I am trying to include more vegetables into my diet, I added broccoli, mushrooms and extra red pepper. I started by blanching the broccoli and setting it aside. In a big saucepan, I cooked down the sliced mushrooms and red peppers until they softened. At that point, I tossed in the broccoli, shredded carrot, garlic, green onion and extra firm tofu that I broke apart with my fingers. I like using extra firm tofu because it holds its shape and has a texture similar to Indian paneer, so basically you can substitute extra firm tofu for Indian cheese. I added in the sauce and cooked it all together for a little longer to allow the veggies and tofu to absorb the flavour and then added in the rice noodles. VOILA! Best Pad Thai that I have ever had in my life!
There are two things I want you to be aware of when tackling this recipe or a different pad thai recipe. Firstly, Bird's Eye Chilli is no joke and do not disregard Fresh Prep's warning. This has to be the spiciest chilli that I have ever handled and it literally made my finger tips burn for three days! You really want to be cautious when handling the chilli and want to wash your hands immediately with soup and water so you do not get the oils of the chilli elsewhere. Despite me washing my hands and continuing to wash them for a few days, the oils just really had soaked into my skin and so every time that I accidentally rubbed my eyes, they burned! On the plus side, the Bird's Eye brought a fantastic kick to the dish and made it really flavourful. The second tip and something that I learned from my friend's Mum was to cook the noodles very last. The rice noodles cook very fast, so you want to just strain them and put them immediately into your sauce. If you keep your rice noodle sitting aside like I had, the noodles stick together. If it were not my friend's Mum stepping in and fixing my glob of stuck together rice noodles, this Pad Thai could have been an epic fail. She also said that not only do you want to use them immediately, but if you are going to have them sitting out for a few minutes, toss them in a little bit of cooking oil. The light coating of oil just prevents the noodles from drying out and sticking. It also makes it much easier to mix the noodles in with the sauce and vegetables. This was a really great recipe and I most definitely will be keeping my eye out for this particular Pad Thai on FreshPrep. I also just loved how easy it was to substitute the beef for extra firm tofu. Also, if you are thinking I just got rid of the beef, I did not, but gave it to a friend so beef lovers, do not be triggered!
My only suggestion to Fresh Prep for this recipe would be to change the order of the steps, so cooking the noodles is last. Aside from that, the recipe was brilliant. Use the code PTLFRESH18 to receive three free servings!!! If you use the code, it also supports me so I can keep bringing you awesome content. BYES Received complimentary for review consideration; all opinions are my own. Affiliate codes used.
