Merry Christmas Eve Eve!!! I apologize for disappearing for the past couple of weeks. I got caught up in the storm that is finals. Then, of course, in an ironic twist of fate, my laptop's mouse stopped working and I had to bring it to be repaired. So here I am, computer-less during Winter Break 2015 when I can actually bum around without feeling guilty for avoiding my "responsibilities." Thankfully, I've been keeping busy. My friend from the Philippines visited me for the weekend so we showed her what Dallasites do--shop, eat, and shop more. I have caught up on Modern Family & Downton Abbey and been channeling my inner grandma (again) by getting back into crocheting. I've also been trying to make a dent in my never-ending list of things to bake. This is quite difficult considering I've saved the majority of the recipes on my computer; here is the first of hopefully more to come!


When I came across this recipe a few weeks ago, I linked it to my mother right away because it was basically made for her. Mocha + prunes + nuts = my mom in a loaf. I veganized (yes, it's a word) it by using coconut oil instead of butter and mixing up a flax egg. I also subbed whole wheat flour just because. It's like a giant amped up brownie. Bask in its nutty, chocolatey gloriousness! **insert angels singing here**

Let's be honest, as much as I say I'll have a post up tomorrow, I probably won't be blogging until after Friday. So have a wonderful holiday y'all, or if you don't celebrate Christmas, have a great couple of days!!! I'm off to make almond butter, double check my gift list, and continue crocheting!

The view from Coit Tower

Chinatown SF -- the oldest one in North America

Chai tea & poppy seed pastry for a lovely start to the day

The red one = GOLDEN GATE!!!

Painted Ladies

Land's End *Spongebob voice* at night

I had an excellent, almost too relaxing Thanksgiving break. I hope yours was swell as well! I am totally loving that I am slowly, finally feeling the holiday vibes despite how much I disapprove of the cold weather. My mind still hasn't fully accepted the fact that the end of the semester is only a couple of weeks away. And that Christmas is this month. Luckily I got around 50% of my gift shopping done. (Yay for Black Friday!)

Here are some links that fuelled my procrastination recently:

1. An Open Letter to the Parents of a Busy College Student -- Awfully grateful for my family at this point in my life and most especially around this time of the year. As I've progressed in college, I have realized how much I need and love my family. This summarizes those thoughts.

2. Pomegranate season is the best and if you think otherwise bake these brownies from With Food & Love ASAP. I made some over the weekend and accidentally added too much salt in the batter (whoops) so I omitted the sea salt on top. Nevertheless, they ended up tasting delicious. Use dark cocoa powder for even more chocolatey goodness.

3. In a late celebration of all things Thanksgiving, here's a little food trivia on sweet potatoes.  Though yams are not actually yams, sweet potatoes are still life.

4. Saw this website of the last messages received from exes, former friends and deceased loved ones.  Makes me really wanna text all my contacts and let them know how much I loved them. I ended up scrolling through literally all of them to the beginning of the Tumblr page. On second thought, maybe you shouldn't click that link...

5. Here I am, in a coffee shop, sipping my mocha and crying like a baby because of this German Christmas ad. Just watch and be prepared to feel all the feels.

***BONUS LINK FOR FINALS WEEK (!!!) because who doesn't love puppies?!?? ONE. LAST. PUSH. Hang in there y'all. It's back to paper writing for me. :(