Bali New Year.

Bali is just one of those places you always read about. I feel like it's one of those places Beyonce goes to get away from her hectic life of being a celebrity and escape to a glamorous life of staying at some 5-star resort, getting a massage on her balcony, wining and dining on lush and lavish food and drink. I'd never actually dreamt of going to Bali, but I can recall moments in my life growing up hearing my friends talk about wanting to go to Bali, or reading in magazines and books about how gorgeous and exotic Bali is. Since moving to Beijing, I have had close friends travel to Bali and other areas of Indonesia and rave about how amazing it was. Time for me to go and see what the fuss was all about! 

My goals for this 2-week vacation included (in no particular order): relax on a beach (and by the pool), eat ALL OF THE YUMMY food, explore, hang out with a monkey, and try not to get a sunburn. I accomplished all my goals...minus the sunburn. And before I go any further, let me tell you about sunburn in Indonesia! I never got burnt at anytime extremely bad. I got burnt once on my forehead and once on my shoulders. After a couple of days, when the burn started to peel, it left my skin really discoloured. It happened to some of my friends as well. I don't know if it has to do with the fact that the equator goes directly through Indonesia or not, so the type of sun we were exposed to, our bodies are not used to. Nevertheless, it was gross and it hurt and I hate getting sunburnt! Despite the amount of sunscreen I put on and the shade I sit under, my poor fair-skin just can't handle it. 

We spent the first 3 days in Sanur, located on the eastern side of Bali. Sanur is a quiet area in Bali. The hotel we stayed at, Hotel Segara Agung, had an amazing pool only 15 steps away from out hotel room. It was also a 2-3 minute walk from the beach. And the side streets in Sanur were filled with cute little shops and restaurants. We ate breakfast every morning pool side, which I loved! What better way to wake up then to breakfast, coffee, a pool, blue skies, and warmth! We spent our days by the pool or at the beach relaxing, swimming, and reading. Evenings were spent at restaurants eating and drinking. It was a very peaceful first 3 days of vacation!

What's better than a cold beer on the beach?

The walkway from the street to our hotel was beautiful! The grounds of the hotel were equally as serene. 

We found a gelato shop down the street from the hotel (which was also recommended to us by Amanda!). 2 scoops on a cone for $2. Can't get any better than that! I was a fan of mixing flavours; this one was Nutella and Toffee Almond, I think.

It rained almost every day we were in Bali. I guess that's what you get for traveling there during rainy season. Most times it never rained for more than 15 minutes. One afternoon in Sanur, we got caught in a right out downpour. So, we found a perch at a covered-patio on the beach, ordered some delicious Indonesian food, and drank sangria. No complaints! 

After Sanur we traveled to Ubud, which is in central Bali. No beaches; instead we were immersed in lots of sight-seeing and touring. During our time in Ubud, I felt like I really learned a lot about the Indonesian and Balinese culture. We saw a traditional Balinese dance performance, drank luwak coffee in the jungle, watched the creation of traditional wood carving and oil painting, the Teglalang rice terraces, watched a bathing ritual at the Tirta Empul Temple, and had lunch at Mount Batur, an active volcano in Bali (even if it was a teeny tiny bit foggy and it blocked some of our view). This was probably my favourite touristy day! It poured rain the whole time we visited these locations, but I was extremely gracious and humbled to witness a few pieces of the Balinese culture and it really made me appreciate the place I was visiting.

We also visited the Monkey Forest in Ubud. The hotel we stayed at, Champlung Sari Hotel, was across the street from the entrance to the Monkey Forest. I could have spent all day here! Despite being bitten by one little monkey, it was so much fun watching the monkeys interact with each other and with other visitors of the forest.

This was NOT the little guy who bit me. I just love the way the gentleman beside me is holding on to my leg all protective and such!

We spent about 3-4 hours at the forest. It all came to an end when Alexis was mauled by a monkey. He took a big chomp at her side and hung on by his teeth. There were screams, points, and maybe a little bit of laughter. She's alright, and luckily the monkey didn't break her skin. At that point, we'd had enough and quickly left the forest. Despite the bites, I'd highly recommend anyone to go to the forest. Don't look the monkey's in the eyes, and don't bring any loose items with you. They WILL take them...like my sunglasses.

He eventually did let them go once he was distracted by something else he could grab. But he had chewed them and dragged them everywhere, and they quickly went in to the garbage can. Luckily, they were cheap things I bought on the side of the road, and easily replaceable.

After Ubud, we spent a week in Gili. Gili is three small islands off the east coast of Bali. We stayed at Gili Trawangan. We originally weren't going to go Gili, but after talking to other friends who visited Bali & Indonesia in the past, we were convinced that it was worth the trek over to the islands.

Alexis and I rented bikes one day and biked around the island. It's small! 3km all the way around I think. We stopped a few times for pictures and were back at our hotel in an hour. It was a fun way to see the whole island! (Even if my butt was in A LOT of pain afterwards...that bike seat was hard!)

I tried two nights to see the sunset. The first night it was too cloudy, and the second night I saw most of it. But eventually the clouds covered the actual setting of the sun. It was gorgeous either way.

Gili T is beautiful! The island runs on solar energy, and there are no gas powered vehicles on the islands. You get around by walking, biking, or by horse and buggy. When I read about the horse and buggy system online, I almost didn't believe it. But it's true, folks! You get used to the horse smell after a few minutes of being on the island.

The water was crystal clear. Alexis and I also went snorkelling one day on a mission to find some sea turtles. We saw two BIG turtles on our adventure. We followed them around for a while, until I had to get out of the water because my poor, fair skin can't stay in the direct sunlight for that long. I managed to be a beach bum for a week in Gili and come out of it sunburn free!

I also took a cooking class in Gili! We made 7 different Indonesian dishes. Mie Goreng (noodles and vegetables), Gado Gado (vegetables and peanut sauce), and Tofu Satay (fried tofu and peanut dipping sauce). The chefs at Sweet and Spicy Cooking School we're the most fun! They played music, sang, danced, and told hilarious jokes. They had as flambeing, singing, drinking, and laughing! Even if you don't like cooking, I recommend doing this.

Our final day in Indonesia we headed back to Bali and drove to Uluwatu. This was a last minute visit decision when deciding what to do with our last day. Do we go back to Sanur and relax? Or go somewhere new and see one last piece of Bali? We decided for the second option.

We watched the sunset over Uluwatu Temple while watching a traditional fire dance ceremony. I had read and heard from friends about the beauty of the sunset in Uluwatu. I mean, I am a SUCKER for a sunset! Sunsets all day, every day please! I can't explain it, but I just feel at ease, peaceful, and thankful all at once when I watch the sunset. That I get to be on this planet, seeing the things I'm seeing. I get all reflective and sentimental thinking to myself during a sunset. There are no words.

And with the final sunset in Uluwatu, my Indonesian adventure came to an end. I boarded a plane the next day headed back to Beijing. This trip was amazing! I love Southeast Asia, and I love Bali!

Maybe you'd also like to check out my past adventures to Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand (2014 & 2015), and Philippines.

One Dumpling, Two Dumpling, Three Dumpling, Four.

I am on my way to becoming a dumpling master. On May 24th, Christina, Brittany, and I joined a class at Hutong Cuisine to try our hand at dumpling making. 

I love cooking. LOVE. For some people I know it's a stressful, anxiety-inducing activity. For me, it's calming, fun, and is when I am most creative and free. I knew that before coming home this summer, I wanted to learn how to make something very traditional Chinese. Dumplings seemed like the perfect choice. Who doesn't like dumplings?!

I learned a lot about Chinese flavours and gained some useful cooking tips during this class. Before we began cooking, we took a tour of a local market and learned how to pick out the best wines, soy sauces, vinegars, produce, and spices. It was great getting these tips as much of the ingredients we want to buy on a day to day basis at a Chinese supermarket are all written in Chinese. Our guide gave us tips for what symbols to look for, numbers, and colours of labels for the "good brands" of all the ingredients we needed for dumplings and other Chinese cuisine.

Then came the cooking. We kneeded, mixed, chopped, diced, and stirred all morning preparing several different types of dumplings (beef, pork, and vegetable). We learned how to properly make dumpling dough, which was the part I was most nervous for. I'm not a baker (unless it comes out of a box). Measuring and having to be precise isn't my forte when it comes to cooking. I was worried the dough would be easily messed up. Contrary to my belief, it was really quite simple.

We learned how to steam, boil, and fry the dumplings. I think I preferred the steamed ones the most. The dough got chewy while the insides stayed moist and juicy. I've also learned that I prefer dipping my dumplings in a mixture of Chinese vinegar and soy sauce, rather than just the soy sauce like I had been brought up eating.

A couple of days after the class, Britt and I tried our hand at making the dumplings with only the recipes we were provided and the knowledge that we gained from the class. I think we were successful - minus the mess I made of the flour all over my clothes, the table, and the floor. Mom will be happy to know that my cleanliness during cooking remains as it was before leaving Canada.

So now I have dumplings to add to my recipe book along with all the other food I've learned to make this year, including delicious Southeast Asian cuisine I make on a regular basis now. Be prepared, family and friends to be my guinea pigs this summer!

PS - 34 days! 

Chicken Pot Pie Soup

Sorry that I haven't posted in a while. It's been a busy month, as December usually is. With Christmas parties, work, and recently coming down with an awful cold and sinus problem, I honestly just haven't been all that motivated to write. And I'm always so stumped as to what to write about. I have been meaning to write an update on my new lifestyle change/diet, and I wanted to share another recipe with my readers. I'm in this routine now where on Sunday's, after getting back from swimming, I make a pot of soup to have for my lunches for the week. I find that it motivates me to eat better, and it keeps me from eating out as frequently as I used to (saves money too!) A couple of Sunday's ago, I made "Chicken Pot Pie" soup, a recipe I found on the blog Skinnytaste.com. For those of you who are interested, here is the recipe:

Chicken Pot Pie Soup*

Ingredients: 

1/4 cup flour 

2 cups water 

4 cups fat free milk (skim milk) 

1 large celery stalk, chopped 

1/2 medium onion, chopped 

8 oz baby portabello mushrooms, sliced 

2 chicken bouillons 

fresh ground pepper 

pinch of thyme 

10 oz frozen classic mixed vegetables (peas, carrots, green beans, corn) 

2 potatoes, peeled and cubed small 

16 oz cooked chicken breast, diced small (about 3) 

salt 

1.  Create a slurry by combining 1/2 cup of cold water with flour in a medium bowl and whisk until blended well. Set this aside. 

2. Pour remaining amount of water and milk in a large pot and slowly bring to a boil. Add celery, onion, mushrooms, chicken boullion, thyme, fresh pepper, frozen vegetables, and return to a boil. Partially cover and swimmer on low until vegetables are soft, about 20 minutes. 

 

3. Remove lid and add potatoes. Cook until soft, about 5-10 minutes. 

4. Add chicken and slowly whisk in slurry, stirring well as you add to prevent clumping. Cook another 2-3 minutes, until soup thickens. Adjust salt and pepper to taste then serve!

This soup makes about 6 servings (1.5 cups each). It's a hearty soup, and I find it difficult to finish the full 1.5 cups. It's 6 points a serving and packed with vegetables. 

*A few tips: 

• I poached my chicken breasts with garlic and thyme, then shredded them when they were cooled. This added a little bit more flavour to the chicken, and made it super moist and tender.

• When washing fresh mushrooms, use a damp cloth to whip away any dirt. If you rinse them under running water they get rubbery as they act like a sponge and absorb any excess water left on them. 

I am nearing the end of my 4th week on Weight Watchers, and up to this point I have lost 11lbs. My goal was to lose 10lbs before flying home for Christmas, and I reached that goal a week early! I know that the holidays will be tough with home cooking and holiday treat temptations, but I have to remember to watch my portion control and also not to be too hard on myself, because honestly, Christmas comes once I hear and I think I can splurge here and there.

If you try the recipe, let me know what you think! I love reading all of your comments :)

*Recipe originally posted by Gina Homolka on her website skinnytaste.com