Pak choi is one of my all-time favourite vegetables! Growing it in a greenhouse helps protect the leaves from pesky insects. It's crunchy and absolutely delicious.
I used to buy it from the grocery store, but sometimes it had a bleach-like taste and was tough instead of crunchy, so I decided to grow my own.
When you purchase the seeds, there are clear instructions to follow step by step. I use a water spray made from soaked garlic and chili or only a dish soap mixed with water to keep the insects away—no chemical sprays for me!
Growing my own vegetable is so much healthier. Plus, you can let one plant flower and collect the seeds when they’re fully dried to plant it again next year. It truly brings me joy to grow my favourite vegetables and cook with them!
I absolutely love the harvest season! All the vegetables you see were gathered in just five rounds. It might seem like a lot, but we truly enjoy putting them all together in one dish with some fluffy rice; that’s plenty for us, and it fills us with happiness.
I get so excited when harvest time comes around! After picking the pak choi, I rinse it under running water, sprinkle some sea salt, let it soak for a few minutes, and then drain it.
Let me share two difference ways to prepare pak choi. First, heat a pan, add some oil and minced garlic, and stir until it’s fragrant. Then, a pinch of sea salt, pak choi, and some scallops. Cover with a lid, add water, oyster sauce, sugar, and dark soy sauce, and stir until everything is cooked through but not overdone. Sprinkle some fried shallots and serve it with fluffy rice.
For the second method, heat oil in a small saucepan, add minced garlic (saving some for later use), then mix in oyster sauce, light soy sauce, sugar, and water. Stir it well and sit it aside to pour over the pak choi later.
During Autumn, We headed to Tesco and purchased these huge chestnut. Creating delicious and nutritious snacks at home using a rice cooker is incredibly easy! It has turned into one of my go-to chestnut treats at home.
Start by placing a 400g a bag of chestnuts in a rice bowl pan, which I got for £2.50 with my club card price. Rinse them thoroughly under running water and soak them for about 30 minutes. This will help soften the shells, making them easier to cut. I recommend using chestnut clip for this task instead of a knife.
Just set the chestnut on its flat side, give it a little press, and voilΓ ! Your chestnut is perfectly scored and all set for roasting. No need for knives or any risky finger movements.
Start by rinsing the uneven shells well, then fill a pot with water so that it completely covers the chestnuts. Put the pot in the rice cooker and set it to steam for 30 minutes. After that, press the button again for another 30 minutes. Once done, pour out the water, rinse the chestnuts again, and let them drain thoroughly.
(Helpful tips: The rice cooker should steam for a minimum of 45 minutes, while the dry toast with honey needs at least 15 minutes).
Mix in 2 tablespoons of honey or sugar, and then toast them for about 15 minutes to 30 minutes before finishing, stir them occasionally to achieve a caramel flavour and a nice toasted look.
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This video showcases our two-night stayed in the junior suite at Timhotel Tour Eiffel, along with some convenience local spots like cafes, a bakery, a florist, and a fruit shop.
The views of the Eiffel Tower from the balcony are stunning, and the overall atmosphere is pleasant and budget-friendly.
I had the pleasure of staying at the Timhotel Tour Eiffel, where I reserved the junior suite, only the 1 junior suite room available at the hotel, which made securing a booking quite difficult.
I monitored the website weekly in the lead-up to our vacation, and I distinctly remember that on January 1st, following Christmas and New Year, I was able to select the junior suite. However, it was always fully booked there.
The cost for 2 nights €438 which is a great value given the price, the prime location, and the breath-taking views of the Eiffel Tower from the balcony.
When I have tasks to complete, I’m really not a fan of going on vacation. Is there anyone else who feels the same way? However, once everything is in order, it becomes time to unwind.
Since, I don't like going on holiday. Anyone else? I enjoy stayed at home more than going on vacations, and that’s definitely the case!
My main goal was to put in a ton of effort into experimented and created a new recipes nonstop, along with cooking and baking a bunch. I also focused on renovating my house to make it my dream home.
I rid of the old storage, set up a beautiful garden, designed a new kitchen, and built a glasshouse in the backyard. It took a lot of time, energy, and investment. Then. now. everything's settled.
I've got what I needed. I've made the choice to wrap up my emotional and challenging journey so I can prioritize loving myself first. Once I reach the age limit for IVF and start looking into adoption, I'll put together a video to share my story with everyone! :)
My husband has been to Paris nine times, which is three times more than I've been. I've visited Paris six times, and my latest trip was by far the best! I organized everything myself, from the daily itinerary to selecting our hotels, cafes, restaurants, and attractions.
I really enjoy taking the lead on our vacations, and my husband is always on board with my ideas. Every moment of this trip was a gem. I'm super excited for my next adventure in Paris, and it’s coming up soon!
If you have any questions, feel free to reach out—I'm here to help!
We had an awesome 4-day, 3-night stay at the Novotel Paris Centre Tour Eiffel. It’s just a short 3-minute stroll to a large grocery store and shopping mall, plus you can find tons of bakeries and restaurants in under 10 minutes. The location is super convenient! If you're looking for affordable 4-star hotels in Paris with views of the Eiffel Tower, this place is definitely a top pick.
Many of our subscribers have been curious about the costs of flights and hotels from our 7 -day Paris trip, so I figured it would be helpful to show the flight and hotels confirmation receipt on the video.
We're not located in London, flights from the North East UK can get pretty expensive. Our trip from Humberside to Paris cost us £623.60 and we also had to pay a total of £120 in modification fees.
We kicked off our trip with 3 nights at the Novotel Paris Centre Tour Eiffel €523.23 then moved to a Junior Suite at Timhotel Tour Eiffel for 2 nights €438 and wrapped things up with a night at the Pullman Paris Tour Eiffel €550.05. = Total €1511.26, 4 Stars Hotels with Eiffel Tower views) where we had a balcony with an amazing view.
The hotels we picked were perfect for catching views of the Eiffel Tower and were super close to a grocery store, bakery, and restaurant. We really enjoyed using Uber to get to our favourite places to eat for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, plus to check out the must-see spots in Paris.
I'll break down how much we spent on transportation like taxis and Ubers in total £360, as well as on foods and drinks at all the popular cafes and restaurants in total £1200. Check out my next video for 7-day itinerary to see the total costs involved. Stay tuned for the next video!
We had an amazing week in Paris, but it honestly felt like it went by in a flash! I'm planning to go back this year from December 25th to January to celebrate Christmas and welcome in the New Year of 2025.
There’s nothing quite as fulfilling as growing your own vegetables in the garden πππWhen you harvest your homegrown goodies, you’ll see what I mean π± It’s an entirely unique experience πππ₯°π₯°❤️π
The video clips were shot using an iPhone 15 Pro Max and a DJI Osmo Pocket 3, so the lighting varies from yellow to white.
It took us a total of four and a half hours to drive, and now we've arrived in Manchester!
I am thrilled that we discovered Home Chinese Manchester.
The waitress who attended to us was fantastic! The dim sum menu looks new. Home Chinese Manchester that opened in March of last year, according to a quick Google search.
She spoke both Cantonese and Mandarin fluently, had a lovely smile, and was more than happy to take a lot of photos to get us in the mood and to help us stick to the feelings we want to capture. She is definitely a keeper, (keeper is something that is worth keeping) the customer service is important for the restaurant to make it's a warm and spacious atmosphere, filled with customers who appreciate Chinese culture—definitely a good sign!
A gentleman serves us with the steaming hot dim sum and provide the names of all the dishes, making the experience feel so polished and professional.
As a homemaker, a cook, a recipe developer and picky eaters. I must say this is the best dim sum I've ever had in Manchester.
I usually feel quite apprehensive about eating deep-fried food from outside due to the greasy flavour, but this place uses really fresh oil, and there’s no greasy or rancid taste whatsoever. It’s a genuinely chef.
You’ll notice that each serving is quite large, not tiny at all. Usually, we don’t eat a lot, but when we go out, especially for dim sum, we love to try as many as we can.
Only ''Siu Mai'' and ''Savory Meat Croquette'' is not my types. I expected crab inside since it was called crab meat siu mai, but it had some of pork fat which I'm not a fan of. Savory Meat Croquette I prefer dried shrimp and radish sliced included in the fillings, it will make it more flavourful. However, it's still not bad! For the entire dining experience. I rated it an 8 out of 10.
This Deep Fried Cuttlefish Cake is exceptional! It has a delightful soft and chewy texture, with a perfectly balanced flavor that is neither too salty nor too sweet. It truly tastes as if it were freshly prepared at home, evoking a sense of happiness.
The dim sum is outstanding and generous in portion sizes. Everything is freshly prepared to order, and the prices are incredibly reasonable!
Everything has been devoured except for the deep fried king prawn ''skin off'', because eating too many deep-fried foods can leave us feeling stuffed, so let's pass on that; it'll be just right. The Jasmine tea is wonderfully fragrant, and we really enjoy it as well. I'm really looking forward to coming back. highly recommend it!
We have explored various Chinese restaurants in and around China town, but none have left a lasting impression on us. Many seemed like tourist traps, prioritizing speed and quantity over quality. After that, we took a brief stroll to Chinatown to capture some footage featuring its iconic symbols.
Strangers come to me and say I look pretty even and they really love my outfit and my favourite brand bag, indeed, they go together perfectly. Plus, red is a traditional colour for good luck in Chinese culture!
The couple requested that we take their photographs and then they treat us the same way. This has been our signature pose, and it never ceases to be enjoyable, spanning from 2004 to the present day. If time permits, I plan to gather all the photos and videos and compile them. As we age, I hope we can continue this pose for another 20 years.
Wishing everyone a wonderful weekend. Please take care of yourselves :)
Here’s the list of dim sum dishes we ordered.
Deep Fried Cuttlefish Cake £7.00 Deep Fried King Prawn Roll £7.20 Savory Meat Croquette £5.50 Chinese Style Beef ball £5.50 Tripe with Ginger & Spring Onion £5.50 Siu Mai £5.50 Fried Dough Stick Cheung Fun £5.00 Jasmine Tea £2.00 Service charges £4.30
The Italian restaurant nearby, just a quick 6-minute walk from our hotel, has received excellent reviews on Google. Tonight is our first dinner in Paris.
The staff is friendly and accommodating. A bottle of beer costs only 6 euros, which is much cheaper compared to other restaurants and cafes.
We ordered a signature pasta dish and an Italian diavola pizza. The sauce was too much, the base was too wet, the cheese lacked flavor depth, and the salami was too salty.
The pasta had an overpowering taste of olive oil and garlic. Unfortunately, despite being very hungry, we did not enjoy our meals. The first few bites were okay, but then it became too salty and oily.
We have no complaints about the affordable food, even though it looks good. However, it was one of the most disappointing dining experiences we've had in Paris.
Here's the receipt for our order. Please make a note of it. The restaurant has a nice atmosphere, the staff is friendly, and the food is served hot. However, the pizza was too salty and the pasta was greasy, with flavors that didn't quite hit the mark.
When asked about the meal before leaving, I mentioned that it was too salty and greasy. The staff then suggested that we should have informed them earlier so they could replace any unsatisfactory dishes.
This is my honest review of this restaurant; it did not meet our expectations, so I choose not to give it a rating. We decided to go to a local grocery store instead to buy some snacks and fruits because we didn't eat much. Back at the hotel feeling tired. Oh, what a beautiful view of the Eiffel Tower from our room.
Goodnight everyone! Sweet dreams!
