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Twenty-Something Wisdom

I searched the inter-webs for other inspirational lists, but didn’t connect with a lot out there. I guess no other nerdy teachers with a passion for science, chocolate and over sharing juicy life tidbits while getting body waxes felt the need to give me any sherpa-like guidance through my first quarter century.

No limp sushi-roll issue there. Instead, I’ll share my own limitless wisdom with you.

Here are the things I think all 20-somethings should do before turning 30, because you shouldn’t get to 25 and feel like you’re done with your twenties! Oh contraire, you’ve got so much left to experience, lovely ducky.

From my loudly opinionated mind for your eyes to feast on:

1. Save money.

Don't rack up those bills! Be smart about your splurging and even smarter with your savings! — Don’t rack up those bills! Be smart about your splurging and even smarter with your savings!

As much as you can, for as long as you can. No one really explains just how quickly your awesome day can steamroll over your sexy black dress, break a heel, blow a couple of tires and then get assaulted by a rogue rock on the freeway. All these things cost money to repair or replace, so keep in mind – being an adult with your money will help keep you afloat.

2. Fall in lust, love and even off the bed. [If you’re doing it right, there will be a minor injury here or there.]

Let’s face it, the younger YOLO-loving portion of our generation is known for making less-than-desirable choices, but when it comes to significant others – I tend to side with those who live a bit more freely than most. If you’re lucky enough to find your one, then stop looking for someone better. Be happy with the adventures you share.

3. Taste every foodie thing you find.

Seriously. Take a cue from Andrew Zimmern and eat some calf fries! Try everything. As an allergy-sufferer, I’m constantly worried about eating something that will make me bust out in hives, but who knows what you’d miss if you’re always scared?

4. Learn how to bake and cook for yourself.

Not enough youngins know how to fend for themselves. The beau tends to cook with everything but the kitchen sink. He has a method to his madness though. Everything he makes is yummy. Unfortunately, not all college cooks are so lucky. Many of my friends rely on ramen, frozen pizza or the prepared counter at Central Market. Learn how to make dishes you enjoy, it’ll be healthier for you and better for your wallet.

5. Care for something other than yourself.

We adopted Eevee just about a month ago. I’d been wanting a running buddy for the past few years and finally decided to make the commitment. She needed me as much as I needed her. The beau didn’t even realize what our household was missing until I brought her home. She’s perfect, in all her goofiness and we lurve her oodles!

6. Travel

Do it! Just go to the airport and pick a flight leaving soon. Or, for the Type-A adventurer, plan a trip and then go. Whichever way you choose to travel – make it memorable. Take pictures, find the cute guys giving (credible) Vespa tours, go shark diving, experience Taste of Chicago, taste violet ice cream, eat snails, squidge your toes in white sand. Just GO! [If you can go with your bestie, then DO!]

7. Host a family gathering at your rinky-dink apartment.

It will be stressful, borderline-psychotic and leave you in tears, but there is nothing like prepping, paying for and hosting an adult event to really feel like you’ve gotten a firm grip on your young adult life. Even if it is for one harried Thanksgiving feast.

8. Volunteer

Find a passion in helping others. There are organizations for everyone and so many wonderful causes who need your help. Get out there and share your heart with the world. You’ll spread love and be loved. Nothing is better.

9. Express yourself & live in every moment
So get out there and live!

Spent my 25th with awesome people, loved every moment!

CerebellumChef

Tags 25th, Advice, birthday, goals, life, lists

Reviews

Fusion Yum at Kampong

Kampong, or kampung, is Indonesian and Malaysian for “village.”
This modern spin on quaint, traditional dishes is just the ticket for your taste buds. A definite smiley-faced win for all!

You’ll sit down, get tended to immediately – possibly by the owner herself! She was wonderful, sweet, and had the best recommendations from the menu. She even made me something off menu!

You’ll find Kampong in a mid-sized strip mall area in Richardson, Texas – just a few minutes north of Dallas. Why Richardson? Well, both Mom and the Beau work in Richardson, wonderfully close to this Asian fusion establishment. Spring Break allowed me the opportunity to munch out here.

Kampong Asian Fusion
720 E Campbell Rd
Ste 430
Richardson, TX 75081

There are multiple businesses in the area, including ARGO Data, ID games, and C.H. Robinson. With so many built-in customers, this swanky establishment would surely experience chaos between 12-2pm. Oddly enough, that wasn’t the case when mom and I stopped by for a bit o’ lunch.

We sat and had our tickets in to the kitchen within 4 minutes. Speedy service on a 1 hour lunch limit – LOVE it!

The lunch menu is not ridiculously long, which I can appreciate. Show me too many foodie-loving options and my tummy can’t decide on a dish. Ugh.
Kampong has a great range! Sushi, Curry, Noodles, Rice dishes – yummo!

I was craving Pad See Ew, not a menu item. Instead, she offered a Malaysian version of my favorite noodle dish.

You’ll notice there is only a hint of green in this dish. It was savory, but lacked veggies. I asked for a side of broccoli and was happily met with an entire head of broccoli. So yes…we definitely had leftovers.
The dishes were quite large, especially for lunch portions.

Mom ordered her standard yellow chicken curry, with pineapple chunks.

Everything was delicious!
Mmmm!
We will most assuredly be back!

Grab a bite at Kampong. You’re sure to be impressed!

Much love,
CerebellumChef

Tags asian, curry, fusion, kampong, lunch, richardson

Daily Dose

Velvet Taco Adventures

Sometimes life kicks you in the butt, stomps on your heart, punches your face and leaves you in a crumpled pile – alone and broken, expecting you to pick yourself up and get ready to have it all happen to you again tomorrow.

For those days, I recommend cake. Not too much of it, but a slice here and there never did anyone a darn bit of wrong. In fact, there’s just about nothing that a good ol’ slice of red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting can’t fix. That’s a promise.

Check out Velvet Taco, on Greenville Ave. in Dallas, Texas
A scrumptious place to park your fabulous derriere when life is just too much. Their tacos deliver – every. single. time. [No, they don’t deliver to you…maybe if you paid them the right moolah — ask ’em]

Their cake though….dayum! It’s delicious, moist and sends your taste buds on a damn-near transcendent experience.
Let’s pause for a moment and think – cake. Mmmmm!

I hope your week is wonderful, sweet and everything yummy!

Much love,
CerebellumChef

Tags life, red velvet cake, tough, Velvet taco, yum

Reviews

Jin’s – A Korean Fave…in PLANO!

Post author By cerebellumchef
Post date March 28, 2014
2 Comments on Jin’s – A Korean Fave…in PLANO!

I keep seeing pinspirational messages. Subliminal hints from my subconscious to write more, run more, laugh more, cook more.
It’s almost as if someone is purposefully making me run across these peppy suggestions. Then this came along…

Periodic Table of Korean Foods- This is so cool!

It’s genius, don’t you agree? (not to mention, super cute & nerdy! – Find it at domandhyo.com)

As it so happens, one of the beau’s besties (broskis, if you will) invited us to
Jin’s Korean BBQ
3420 Ave K
Ste 200
Plano, TX75074

– a funky, yet modern twist on traditional Korean dishes.

It’s all you can eat for $30….and this joint is bumpin’!

The acoustics in here are lacking, so it felt like a night club, with all the lights on. Aca-awkward.

Yep, that’s one of the few things I would change.
The food was decent, but the atmosphere was not vibing well with me.
Once you get past the bright lights, big beef feel of the place – you can scour the menu and prepare to eat a veritable smorgasbord of Korean yumminess!

Excuse the plate, but check out the grill!

There are some dishes (like kimchi pancakes) that the kitchen cooks before having them sent to your table. Every table has a grill, with manual heat control, to cook the various meat dishes from the menu.
There are about 29 items to choose from and are paired with several vegetable sides (mostly pickled), which remain on the table and are periodically re-filled.

Every plate comes with its own set of tongs, making you the awesome habachi chef! There’s not much room to flip anything around, lest you get pork juice on a neighbor or fellow restauranteur.

Which is exactly what may have happened here….

I’ve discovered that I am not a great fan of pickled dishes. A shame, according to my TJ (pictured above). He firmly believes everything is better with kimchi – and mybeau agrees. I just don’t get what all the cabbage fuss is about.

My favorite dishes were the savory bulgogi and the spicy hot wings.
Yep, they have hot wings. Sweet, with a subtle fire-alarm hot sauce that sneaks up on your taste buds and kicks them in the face!
Scrumptious!

What I learned –

Korean food, traditionally, does not carry several spices. Instead, the meat is served freshly sliced and ready to grill. It’s a serious departure from the slathering of sauces and overwhelming spices that many other cultures tend to use. So naturally, I found the lack of flavor odd. Not bad but, something was – quite literally – missing.
There was no salt or pepper available, nothing other than the pickled veggies to give my taste buds refuge.

We will likely visit these hot-plate tables again. If not for the food, at least the company. These tables are perfect for groups and entertainment. We had a barrel of laughs and then some more. Muahahaha!

Check them out for yourself!

Much love,
CerebellumChef

Tags bulgogi, kimchi, Korean, pickled

Daily Dose

Thai Thai Restaurant

Thai Thai Restaurant
1731 Greenville Ave.
Dallas, TX 75206
Tel: 214-828-9795

I must admit something to you – the pictures in this post are directly from Thai Thai’s site
This is not because I’m lazy and refused to take pictures of my delivered dishes, but rather my hunger level is always much to high for me to contain upon its yummy arrival!
I tend to already have chopsticks and/or fork and spoon ready for whatever delicious treat I have ordered for the beau and me.
I’ve never had a chance to dine at Thai Thai, so I can’t tell you about the ambiance or parking availability. All that aside, let’s talk about the FOOD!

Noodle Bowl, traditionally known as Vietnamese Bun

Thai Thai consistently makes my tummy happy!
The red curry is sweet, savory and flavorful. Bursting! Add broccoli, it makes the dish even better. At a spicy level 2 (out of 5) you’ll be sitting at just the right amount of “ooh, mama!”
The cashew chicken is splendid…and, for some odd reason, always tastes better when reheated the next day. Weird, but awesome!About their Pad See Ew with chicken, well let’s just say, this chef can ROCK the flat noodles! Man-oh-man this mostly sweet dish is one of my favorite Thai recipes. Try it without the spicy factor added. This dish doesn’t need to be spicy and you get the full flavor of the lightly sauced noodles when you don’t add any extras. Just perfect.

Thai Thai’s food is superb and delectable. We have tried about half the menu and have never been disappointed. My only teensy-weensy complaint is the delivery time – 45 minutes to 1.5 hours. Be sure to order BEFORE you get hungry. Otherwise you’ll quickly grow irritated with the wait time. I can tell you though, your food will always arrive hot and scrumptious!

Let me know what you think!

Much love,
CerebellumChef

Tags dallas, delivery, lower greenville, Thai Thai

Daily Dose Freebies Recipes

My O-Face

C’mon ya’ll – let’s talk about the “O-Face.”

800620 — Tsk. Tsk. I’m ***not*** going to show it to you! I’m a lady!

I’m talking about the little mouth “o” I get when finishing the last few feet on a five-mile run; the crumbles of a decadent three-layer chocolate cake on my lips; biting into cold watermelon slices [dusted with salt] on a hot summer day.
My “O” balances on the “ooh” and “yum.”

Shouldn’t everyone’s?

When I make food, be it sweet or savory – I live for the moment when I get to witness someone’s “O!” If they don’t get there, then I failed.
Being the foodie I am, it’s not just about slapping a few ingredients together, but making a meal and evoking a deep-down, holy balls this is delicious! reaction from the foodie-fan I happen to serve. This is a talent that I’m seeking to harness and have made a personal goal to capture 100 “O” faces this year.
That’s 100 faces, divided by 8 months. Roughly 12.5 faces per month.

RYAN-WHAT — Don’t think I can do it? Watch me.

S**t just got real, folks.
Who’s in?

Send your email address to cerebellumchef[at]gmail.com
I’ll send you a recipe.
Once you’ve devoured the scrumptious dish you’ve rocked out – Send me your “O” face!

ill-have-what-shes-having-when-harry-met-sally — Copyright, When Harry met Sally

We are on our way to being healthier, sexier and fabulously fit.
This in no way means we have to give up butter, chocolate or fancy pink drinks with the teeny umbrella – but we do have to appreciate moderation.

Now let me see that “O!”

Much love,
CerebellumChef

Tags challenge, fit, O-face, recipe, sexy

Daily Dose HealthyFit

Looking Good Nude

I always liked the phrase, “in the buff” but I’ve come to the realization that I rather prefer the beau “buff” instead of myself. I don’t see myself being a buff woman. I do, however, want to be a strong woman. I’ve got the strong mind, strong spirit down – but I really need to work on the strong abs and impressive biceps. [You know, if I ever need to knock someone the hell out.]

My main problem? I look like this when I see chocolate cake:

Imagine my surprise when these biceps decided not to morph into awesome chop blocks overnight. Who’d have thought?

Spring Break is next week and instead of having a beach body, I’m still working on reversing the winter couch potato. Seriously. I’ve gained 3 pounds since December and, quite frankly, I’m not upset about it. I could tell you it’s water weight, or muscle weight or some other stupid thing, but all it would be is just an excuse.

I’ve used Graduate School and teaching as a crutch to avoid the gym. [and asthma too, but that’s a real problem when Texas is experiencing freakish weather]

So you’re thinking, what am I going to do about it?
Cut back on brownies? (as if!)
Replace butter with Chobani? (Ok – maybe, yes, a bit)

Honestly, I’m going to run more and eat whatever the heck I want!
These glutes need to bust loose and I need to stop making excuses.

My goal for this year – Looking Good Nude. Starting now.
Why not?

It’s really fine. Trust me.
Get out there and run, sweetheart. Let’s look good nude! Not necessarily together, but apart – in the awesomest of ways.

Much love,
CerebellumChef

Tags buff, goals, nude, running

Daily Dose Reviews

Dallasites Penguin Walk

DALLAS is gorgeous under snow and ice. But snow is better. The slick death on roads scares the Oreos out of me. Skidding on black ice is terrible. Ugh.
Early this morning, the weather was in the 70s. Then BAM! 22 degrees, feeling like 8.

Freezing temperatures were pushed aside as we bundled up and drifted to brunch. [Thankfully, I’m pretty pro at the penguin walk and did not have to slide around too much on the ice.]
We took the beau’s parents to Meso Maya and boy was it a hit!

mexicantoast — The plating could use some help, but the overall flavor of this dish was definitely above average. We may have to chat about the amount of toppings though…

Great job this time around ladies and gents! Truly. Four out of five stars. The few lacking areas of our meal were missing potatoes in my Huevos Borrachos (need that starch to balance out the chorizo) and the faux pas with the coffee. It leaned toward the bland side and was not consistent. Some brews were a few shades above water. The food was so tasty and piping hot today. Oh! The Mexican toast was quite yummy. Must admit, I was pretty impressed.
The service was great and the atmosphere was welcoming, toasty & just delicious!

Mostly – Bravo, Meso Maya! I love the improvement and look forward to what tweaks you’ll be making next. Bring on the tasting!

Much love,
CerebellumChef

Tags ice, Meso Maya, mexican toast

Reviews

La Ventana

The beau’s parents came to visit!Per usual, we went out to enjoy some amazing food (mostly).

Today, we tried a new pop-stand.

La Ventana
1611 McKinney Ave.
214-484-6555

I got duped into thinking we were heading to Meso Maya, but we landed at the window here – right behind Meso Maya.

Now, I judge a Mexican food establishment on several factors, but my main three are:
1. Chips & Salsa
2. Tacos
3. Authenticity of the flavors

Since this fitchick is trying to shed the unruly pounds that managed to suck themselves back on my sassy self, I decided to munch a salad. The menu stated “mixed greens, choose the meat.” Ok. Awesome.

NO.
Not awesome.

We had to order and pay for chips and a few ounces of salsa. No joke, here. These chips are made in-house at Meso Maya (Delish? Totes!) but…they’re FREE. As all chips & salsa should be at Latin-food restaurants. Seriously, what are they trying to play at here?

Strike one.

Apparently, mixed greens means shredded ice berg lettuce. Certainly not this kitchen cook’s favorite. I chose bistek (steak, according to the window menu) and ended up with a sloppy salad in a dog bowl. The bistek was chewy, mostly fat and kinda burned. The steamed rice added to the bowl pushed it further into life support and the black beans, surely there to stick to the roof of my mouth…were nothing to alert the media over. Definitely not ok.

Strike two.

According to the beau, the tacos were ok. But they’re not great.
For $40, the 8 corn tortillas with slim fillings (plus my pathetic salad) were not worth this moo-lah.
Overpriced Mexican food, we’re pretty used to that in DFW – so I can’t strike them out here. They’re on par with other sub-par locations. I’ve gotta give them that. They know their market. Too bad they can’t reach a wider demographic.

I was quite disappointed with this Meso Maya sibling.
“Total bummer” might begin to describe it.

Hoping for a turn-around at this taco joint,
CerebellumChef

Tags La Ventana, mexica food, review

Daily Dose

DIY Weekend

I hope you didn’t think I only know how to cook!
That’s right, this girl loves some DIY.
Thankfully, there haven’t been as many flops as successes. Plus, I’ve got a bestie who never quits! Even when we screw something up, we manage to fix it.

So last weekend, when I got this wild idea to paint my bedroom [without telling the beau, who was out and about with friends] Mel was happy to trek to The Home Depot and splurge on home goods!
We chose a light gray paint that turned out being hella’ blue once we painted an entire wall.
I give you, our DIY experience. In picture medium, no less.