Office cat

Forever 21 Blouse / J. crew factory pants (simliar) / Zara flats

I opted for a top with a hint of peach to pick up the tan on the pants. Since leopard is the new neutral, I guess this makes a neutral ensemble, ready for work!

Basics

J. crew vintage cotton t-shirt / J. crew belt / Forever21 necklace (old, but similiar style here + here) / Forever21 jeans / Zara flats

Who knew? A t-shirt with a softer thinner material can look casual with a hint of polish at the same time. Pictures do not justify the softness of the material. This tee is so comfy I grabbed one in white. One can never have too many white tees. 

Thank you : 感恩

 J.crew polka-dot shirt / J.crew outlet pants (similar) / J.crew wedges (leather version) / Coach Bag / Madewell Ring

Today I’m thankful for: 1. breakfast tacos / 2. easy traffic / 3. coffee / 4. having dinner prepared when I got home / 5. hot water and AC! Yes, I must admit that I love food!

Life is so much happier when we find the little-est things to be thankful for. What are you thankful for?

*Special thanks to Yong Yi for this amazing wall.

Fancy for Tea

Liberty for London Target dress + Nine West sandals + Kate Spade Purse + Forever21 sunglasses

Grilled Beef Tongue Salad

With heat wave hitting at least the 90s here in Austin, I always crave a simple salad with a nice lean protein to go with it. This time I opted for an exotic one—beef tongue. They are available pre-sliced at Korean supermarket. They taste like beef with a slight chewy texture. In fact, the amazing chef Paul Qui's has made beef tongue popular with East Side King's delicious tongue bun (it's my go-to item on their menu). And here's my take for a quick lunch.

Grilled Beef Tongue Salad
Ingredients, serves 2:
for the meat
1/4 lb beef tongue (or about 16 slices)
1/2 lemon
1 tsp Canola oil
Optional: Shabu Shabu sauce (Japanese hot pot sauce) for dipping

for the greens
1 bowl Pre-washed organic spinach
1 Granny Smith apple
1 Roma tomato

for the dressing
1 lemon
1 Tbp whole grain mustard
1 Tbp honey
2 Tbp extra virgin olive oil
Salt & pepper to taste


Instructions

the salad

1. Dice tomatoes and slice apples.
2. Toss into spinach.
3. In a separate container, mix dressing ingredients and stir until olive oil is well incorporated. Incorporate dressing into salad.

the beef tongue

1. Marinate the beef in lemon juice for at least 15 minutes. This helps soften the protein to make chewing more of a delight than a facial workout. 
2. Drizzle beef tongue with a small amount of canola oil (it has a higher smoke point than olive oil, feel free to substitute oil), coat evenly.
3. On medium high heat, place beef tongue on grill pan.
4. Grill each side for approximately 2 minutes. Beef tongue should be just done to avoid over-chewiness.
5. Season with salt + pepper to taste.
6. Serve on top of salad. Optional: use Shabu Shabu sauce as dipping sauce.