Homemade Tonkatsu

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In our exploration of new recipes, we recently learned how to make our own Tonkatsu! We found a Korean grocery store nearby that actually sells the meet already tenderized so that the spices can fit into the crevices.

The recipe we use is a super simple baked one. We learned that it’s best to cook panko bread crumbs until they are a golden brown. We then flavour the pork with simple salt and pepper. You can experiment with other spices if you want to go beyond the traditional style. The pork is then dipped in flour, egg and the golden panko and put in the oven at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 minutes.

It comes out super crunchy, juicy and delicious!

Overnight Oats

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Since I was young, I never had a habit of eating breakfast. I hated eating when I first woke up. Heavy things would make me feel awful in the morning. However, I discovered after a year of working in an office that I would be so hungry and lack energy by noon.
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Then I discovered overnight oats. You basically mix oats with liquid (milk, yogurt, almond milk etc) and fruit or other goodies. I’ve tried things like nutella, nuts and berries. It’s a deliciously light way to eat breakfast that is full of nutrients. There are so many cool combinations. Now I feel much more energized and awake!

Why You Shouldn’t Buy A Kobo

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As you know from a preview post I got a Kobo for Christmas and I loved it. However, after less than a month it already broke. I excitedly took it out of my bag after work to read on the train and was heartbroken when I saw the screen had vertical lines across it. I don’t remember putting impact on it and there isn’t much in my bag besides my wallet. Weren’t these things supposed to be portable?

I promptly submitted a ticket to Kobo and gave them a call. They pointlessly led me through “factory reset” which I already knew would do nothing because I tried it. After that they claimed it was physically damaged (maybe it is?) and that there was no other solution. They don’t do repairs nor can they recommend you a place to send it to do repairs. There are literally no solutions to a broken screen besides buy a new one. I can’t even PAY to get it fixed. But now with such terrible service, why would I want to do that?

Snacks @ Kanpai

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Before a concert at The Phoenix, my friends and I hit up Kanpai snack bar. The menu is full of music and pop culture puns. For example these deliciously crunchy chicken skins were named Player Hater.

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Deep Fried Goldmember was calamari with a sweet house sauce.

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To drink I had an Ooh Long Island Iced Tea containing a well-balanced mixture of absolut vodka, havana anejo blanco rum, tromba blanco tequila, beefeater, house-steeped oolong tea, fresh lemon juice, basil syrup.

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I also had the Silky Johnson which was a peach-filled concoction of wyborowa wodka, muddled fruit, peche de vin, peach jelly sake, lemon juice, honey.

We came mostly for desserts and ordered all of them.

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The Round the Way Girl was a delicious molten cake with a nori seaweed dust that provided an interesting saltiness.

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The Wao Bao was a deep fried donut thing served with spicy nutella and a pop-rock sauce.

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These Ping Pong Beignets were made of sweet potato and sprinkled with sesame seed.

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The Let Your Backbone Slide were sesame mochi with fruit compote and peanuts. It was delicious.

If you want a place to have snacks before a concert this is the perfect place to go, but I recommend scheduling it in advance as the food takes a bit of time if the restaurant is full.

Kanpai Snack Bar Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Drop The Needle

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Lately, one of my favourite ways to relax on my free time is to spin a record. To curate a record at a time has a romantic aspect to it. It’s like picking a storybook from a shelf, only you can listen to someone else tell it.

 

I’m In A Gallery Again!

For the next month a few of my photos are up at the Wavelength #ICYMI gallery at Markham House in Mirvish Village. Go check it out! It’s free. There are also a ton of other things going on in the space check out Wavelength’s website for more information.

I Developed Some Film Finally!

Two and a half years ago I bought The Konstruktor, a DIY plastic camera. It was super weird to shoot with as the viewfinder was on the top and there was no indicator that you were using too much or too little light. A lot of it was trial and error. I finally developed some of those photos and here are a few of my favourites:

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What I learned was that film is a lot harder than it looks without all the digital meters to tell you things like lighting. This is fun though. I found taking photos with film were far more thoughtful, as I couldn’t take 200 photos of the same thing without going broke. There’s something beautiful and romantic about these analog shots.

It’s Finally Snowing

This week we finally saw some snow! My favourite thing about it is Teddy’s little paws prints. The colder weather makes it so hard to wake up but my HappyLight has been helping me through seasonal mood swings. I’m ready to take on the winter and perhaps get out there and make a snow man.

Lego Simpsons Kwik-E-Mart

DSCF3728Recently, I finished building the Lego Simpsons Kwik-E-Mart.
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This set was more detailed and fun to build than the Lego Simpsons House. There were so many tiny parts and fun features including a frozen Jasper in the fridge. Here are some photos as I was building it:

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Pokemon Shirts at Society 6

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Over the holidays I ordered a few T-shirts from Society 6 by an artist named PaperBeatScissors. This one has all the Pokemon from the old games!

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And I got Nash a shirt full of Smash Bros characters.

Aren’t they both adorable? I love buying original printed shirts online (but can’t this month because it is part of my 30 Day Challenge).