TIBOS: Orange Toast

Hi all! Today's the first day I am doing a "Taking It Back Old School" recipe post. I was supposed to have two posts, this week, but my computer seems to hate me and keeps blue screening. While that is annoying, I wanted to get at least one of the posts up. The first recipe I decided to recreate is considered to be an appetizer rather than a breakfast item. It's called Orange Toast, and as the pictures below will show, it's really orange-y.

These are the basic ingredients needed for Orange toast:
Sugar
Orange Juice
Orange Extract (I just took it from a real orange)
Orange Zest
Bread
Butter

 

 First, I toasted my bread. I used French Toast bread by Kroger (which, if there are any vegans viewers reading, is also vegan friendly). I am somewhat low tech and cheap, so I do not have all of the fancy kitchen appliances as of yet. As a result, I toasted my bread in the oven at 350 degrees for 8 mins.

  

I let my butter soften, and added 1/2 teaspoon of orange juice. *There are no exact measurements in this recipe, so feel free to mess around with amounts - I also added more butter later.*

 

I squeezed a few drops of fresh orange juice (not the concentrated one on the top) into my butter.

 

Afterwards, I mixed it all together or as they called it in the book - "I creamed my butter and orange juices together"

 

I originally forgot that I had sugar packets, so I used about half a packet of sugar on my toast after removing the edges as stated in the recipe. This is also where the orange zest gets applied as well, after buttering your toast.

 

I then cut the pieces into ribbon-esque strips and they are best served hot.

 

I gave everything a taste to see how it is. I will do this at the end of every food post because it's not authentic otherwise. ;) 

 That's it for today's post! Overall, I would rate this a 6/10. I think the orange taste was a bit overpowering, and the sugar seemed a bit unnecessary to me. However, you guys might like it, so give it a try and let me know what you think of it!

Till Next Time!

-Hachi

Taking it Back Old School (Great Depression Era Cooking)

Hi all! I am sorry that this will be a quick post, but I did want to put something up for the week. I was out of town for the first half of the week and have been a bit busy for the past few days. I also had to deep clean for apartment inspections & entertain a guest, today.

However, I do have a quick update! I came across a Great Depression era cookbook that belonged to my late great-grandmother. It's called "Meals for Small Families" by Jean Mowat. What I would like to do is periodically post recreated recipes from this book. I will call it "Taking it Back Old School", or TIBOS for short. One normal blog post and one cooking post of me replicating the recipes in the book and giving you a review on how each tastes. Some of the recipes are very interesting. I'll insert a picture of the author's recipe for coffee. There is a big difference between a one person serving and a whole cup of coffee. I believe that the egg and egg shell are being used as a thickening agent in this recipe to make the coffee go further. Perhaps during the Great Depression, eggs were affordable, or maybe more people did homesteading and had easy access to hens. I love history from WW1 to the end of WW2, so this little new blog segment will be fun for me, and I hope it is for you as well! I will do a history factoid too, because why not. I hope you guys are looking forward to this new blog segment, and enjoy!

This book is copyright 1929 and has been in the family for a long time. That's why it's so worn out looking.

It will be interesting to incorporate the egg in this one. I hope I don't get sick!

Let me know in the comments below if you would also like me to do WW2 era recipes after I get through the end of this book.


Till Next Time!

-Hachi

When Fish Fly! - Newport Pier Restaurant Review

Hi all! Today's post is a review of an eating establishment I recently went to. While I did provide a Yelp review for this particular establishment, I'd like to extend my review on my blog with pictures included. The establishment that I went to is called "Fly 'N' Fish Oyster Bar & Grill" in Newport Beach, California.

Photo taken from the Fly 'N' Fish website

The location is in McFadden Square by Newport Pier. Parking is $1.90/hour, and if you have a handicap placard or license plate, you do not need to pay at most parking locations. However, there are some exceptions. Newport Beach is known for frozen bananas and Balboa bars as well. Unfortunately, I forgot to grab one before leaving. Expect to circle around for long periods of time to find parking both here and Balboa Island. However, once you do find parking, check out the local hangouts around both of these areas. You can even grab touristy items in both locations.

Photo from Newport Beach Magazine - Balboa Bars

 My original Yelp review:
The atmosphere is nice and lively. It can be a tad bit loud so expect to speak loudly when you're with others. We (my mother and I) got the fish and chips, today. The fish has a great texture, not over seasoned, and not overcooked.  You get four pieces. You also get a side of fries, which I believe could be truffle fries, and coleslaw. As an avid coleslaw hater, I can say I ate it all up like Goldilocks eating baby bear's porridge. It has golden raisins in it as well, which adds a nice sweetness to it. The cocktail sauce was great with the fish as well. I've had a lot of fish and chips and this one is up there with the best. Also, the executive chef/general manager came and talked with us many times. He was funny and courteous. Also, he had really cool glasses This might have been my first time, but it certainly wasn't the last.

Started off with a glass of Blue Moon on draft with an orange slice on the side.

The inside of the restaurant - The man in white is the executive chef.

Fish & Chips with truffle fries, and coleslaw. That cocktail sauce was also amazing! I normally hate cocktail sauce.

At the restaurant- headband by & Other Stories

Sunglasses by Fendi, Crop Top by Forever 21, Overalls by Cherokee & thrifted from Savers, Over the Shoulder Bag by Mz Wallace, & Sandals by Mephisto

My view from Newport Pier - It was around 84 degrees that day - May 20th.

Anyone that personally knows me knows that I very rarely do Yelp reviews. I have to either really like or really dislike a place to review it. Luckily, Fly ' N' Fish made it on the 5 star review from me. I hope that you liked my review and photos.

Let me know in the comments below what Orange County restaurants you recommend me trying. I'm very open-minded when it comes to food choices.

Till Next Time!

-Hachi

There's no Sand in this Hourglass!

Hi all! Happy Cinco de Mayo! I hope you all are relaxed and well! Today's post will be brief because I am out of town. However, I did not want to disappoint and not post anything. Today's post will be a product review, so I hope that you enjoy it!

During Black Friday, I had purchased a cotton underbust waspie corset from Orchard Corset for my cosplay. The specific name is CS-201 in Grey. They were going for $39.99, original price $59. This particular style is meant for women with shorter/average torsos. It is also great for beginners in corsetry. I cannot stress this enough, but for beginners, please know that steel boned corsets are best for long term usage. Plastic boned ones are costume corsets and should not be worn for long periods of time or risk damage. Seasoning corsets to conform to your body will also help maintain the lifespan of your corset and reduce risk of injury. Also, never wear a corset so tight that you feel pain or shortness of breath.

The sizes do go up to plus sized, however, mine is a 32, which is a "regular" size. That means that when it clinches, my waist should be at 32", which is about 6 inches less than my normal natural waist. Also, a thing to note is that the type of fabric does determine how it might look on you. For people that want to conceal their corsets, I recommend getting a mesh style as those are closer to the skin. I would get a mesh corset next, personally. The laces are very long too, but it's nothing that can't be hidden with some strategic tucking.

Unfortunately, my torso might be a little bit too long for this style, but in most outfits, the little bit of pooch is not noticeable. Also, for what I am using it for, it works. Sometimes, if I have an uncomfortable amount of bloat, it gets rid of the discomfort. That's a huge plus for me. However, next time, I would probably go for the CS-426 Longline in mesh.

Overall rating: 7.5/10, for it having some extra pooch spilling over & for the closure hooks coming out of the fabric after around half a year of usage.

Now, without further ado, let me show you pictures of my corset both in cosplay and under my regular clothing.

Character: Ember McClain from the cartoon Danny Phantom. Photography courtesy of Novice Snapshots.

Rouge the Bat from Sonic the Hedgehog. Photography courtesy of Novice Snapshots

Non-clinched CS-201 under the outfit to conceal bad bloating.

Do any of you wear corsets? What is your favorite brand? Please feel free to let me know in the comments below.


Till Next Time!

-Hachi

Spring Favorites - 2017

I decided to do the Spring Favorites tag to mark the end of the first full month of my second favorite season! :)

Favorite Spring Lip Color: Mangoes Wild (Juicy Shaker) - Lancome
It took me a long time to make this purchase because I am one of those people that likes to try out a color multiple times to determine if I really want to buy it. It is a little bit on the pricey side at $22 (U.S. prices). However, you can get a lot of usage out of it. Less is definitely more. Using bi-phase technology, the Juice Shaker series mixes various oils with colored pigment. Occasionally, depending on the color, there might be more subtlety in display. For instance, many reviewers have stated that Mint To Be does not show up as blue on the lips despite the pigment being blue. My color, Mangoes Wild shows up quite noticeably on my skin tone and displays a decent amount of shine that is not overwhelming.

Favorite Spring Drink: Strawberry Acai - Starbucks
I LOVE this drink a little too much. I even call it liquid gold. As someone, who has a big interest in healthy living, this drink is great. It's lower on both the carb level and calorie level for those who want to enjoy Starbucks, but don't enjoy the high calorie intake of the fraps or the "basicness" of iced coffee. It isn't too sweet, but not bitter like unsweetened tea. It has a good balance for those who aren't into sweet drinks, like me, but also for those with a slight sweet tooth. I recommend getting it without the dried strawberries because they can leave a bit of an odd aftertaste. Others also get it as "the pink drink" with coconut milk, or straight concentrate without water.

Favorite Spring Clothing: Superdry
I am obsessed with Superdry. It's a really nice brand from the U.K. and influenced by Japanese culture. I love the designs on the clothing and the usage of Japanese and English. I use almost all my super dry shirts as workout shirts. If you do #mysuperdry on Instagram, sometimes the company will like your posts and maybe even repost them.

Favorite Spring TV Show: Bomb Girls
I haven't got into any new TV shows lately, so I'll just mention one of my favorite shows that I watch over and over again. Anyone, who knows me well, knows that I am a huge WW2 history buff. I have seen most of the WW2 era TV shows and will always recommend shows to people. The one I am currently obsessed with is Bomb Girls. Bomb Girls takes place pre-bombing of Pearl Harbor. The show is set in Ontario, Canada, and revolves around the lives of women working in a munitions factory called Victory Munitions, which supplies bombs to the troops fighting against the Axis forces. This show has romance, topics about gender relations, sexuality, race relations, etc. It's an interest show to say the least. It's currently on Netflix and is two seasons and one tv movie (it unfortunately got cancelled, but the TV movie does it justice).

Favorite Spring Nail Color: Baby Blue
The last time I got my nails done was last spring. I don't typically get my nails professionally done, but sometimes I just have the desire to glam up. I got my nails done at Diamond Nails in Fullerton, CA. Cassidy is great when it comes to design work, so I recommend her.  On my Instagram, I have a photo of my nails from last year.  I am hoping to do a similar design again; it's so vintage and cute.

Favorite Spring Food: Grilled Shrimp Vermicelli Salad
I am really into light meals that fill you up, and vermicelli salad will definitely do that for you. Vemicelli salad usually includes: lettuce, cucumbers, bean sprouts, vermicelli noodles (not the standard Italian kind), peanuts, sweet and sour dressing, and whatever you would like to include in it ( shrimp, Vietnamese egg rolls, grilled chicken, beef, pork, etc). I really like the Pho Ha chain of restaurants in Southern California, but you could go to most Vietnamese restaurants and get it.

Me wearing the Mangoes Wild Juicy Shaker by Lancôme

I think that's all for my spring favorites list, but I'd like to do favorites for every season, and if any favorites change, I'll let you know.  What are your spring favorites of 2017? Let me know in the comments below. :)

Till Next Time!

-Hachi

Red Hair with Country Flare

Hi All! I hope everyone's been well! It's almost spring break! One more school day for me (Thursday). Then, I'm off until the end of the first week of next month. :) I have a few things I intend to do while on break, one thing being WonderCon. Otherwise, my family is coming to visit for a few days, so who knows where that will take me to. I've already started spring cleaning too. It feels nice to remove some clutter from my life both literally and figuratively. This blog is like a combination of a place review and a life update.

 Last Friday, I went horse riding for the first time with my Equestrian team as a beginner and had a fun time. I am slightly afraid of heights, but felt at ease on Freckles, the horse I was on. I also learned horse care and maintenance and it was nice. It actually reminded me of home being in a barn with various farm animals. The smell doesn't bother me at all like it does various people, but I think that's a product of growing up in the Central Valley.  The barn we went to is called BM Equine in Norco which gives English/Hunt riding lessons, Mercedes is our coach/trainer and she is very nice. I hope to find a Western riding school as well.

Also, last Wednesday, I went and got my hair colored at Tashi's Hair Salon in Diamond Bar, not too far from Brea Canyon. I got a dark reddish color to fix the bad hair color job that JCPenney in Brea had done. It turned out really well and the stylists were very positive and friendly, telling me about each process every step of the way. I recommend this place for people with natural hair styles. They also do other things like two strand twists, braids, and weaves. They can also help people with hair or scalp ailments. So check them out. Side note, they are pretty pricy, but I feel like for the area, it's almost expected.

Here's some pictures :)

Freckles and I before I washed him down :)

Shine on! 🌞

Anyway, that's all for today's blog. My next blog with be a product review rather than a place review for various natural hair products.  I'm trying to get back into the habit of writing more, but writer's block loves to strike when I least expect it. What type of hobbies are you guys into? Have you ever ridden a horse? Or have you ever colored your hair a wild color? Let me know in the comments below!

Till Next Time!

-Hachi

Spring Cons and Gatherings, galore!

Hi all! This is a bunch of photos from all of the cons/gatherings I attended in the spring. I went to the Riverside Cosplay Gathering, Long Beach Comic Expo, WonderCon, and FanimeCon in the spring. As you can see, I've been pretty busy, and summer will be just as busy. Especially if I do end up going to Anime Expo. I will for sure be at San Diego Comic Con though as I am a volunteer there. One thing I love about anime/comic cons and gatherings is that I always either make new friends/acquaintances or run into my old friends from elementary school, high school, and college. Especially at FanimeCon, that's darn well a school reunion if I have ever seen one! Anyhoo! Without further ado, here are my cosplay photos! *warning, there will be a lot lol* :D

The best photo ever, and knuckles went turbo

Dawn and Misty!

Have a ball!

Cosplay Photoshoot - Dawn

Cosplay Photoshoot - Dawn

Obligatory low quality mirror shot of the full Yoruichi cosplay

Kaname Chidori - Full Metal Panic

Looking silly with my elementary school friend cosplaying as Kakuzu from Naruto

Peaceee

Future Cosplay!!! Nel from Bleach

Well I hope you enjoyed my cosplay spam! Enjoy your day! If you're a cosplayer, tell me what your favorite cosplay you have ever done was. Or! If you're not a cosplayer, but are interested in it, who would you dress up as?


Till Next Time!

-Hachi