A red and blue swirled Midnights album smoothie bowl – perfect for celebrating February and Taylor Swift’s Grammy nominations! The Grammy’s and Midnights The Grammy’s are now just a few days away, so you can bet I’ve got Midnights on my mind. Will you be watching? It’s …
Sourdough bagels but make it 1989 (Taylor’s Version) – these ‘Welcome To New York’ bagels are a fun and delicious way to use up sourdough discard! There are two Taylor Swift songs I have long associated with New Year’s. One is New Year’s Day – for obvious …
Taylor Swift’s Chai Sugar Cookies recipe – including both Taylor’s (handwritten) version, and my veganized version for any plant-based Swifties!
If there’s something you should probably know about Taylor Swift, it’s that she’s an amazing baker. I mean, I don’t know from personal experience (I wish 😅), but people who have tried her baked goodies seem to rave about it. And she’s been an active baker for years.
Back in 2014, for a 1989 ‘Secret Session’, Taylor Swift baked these Chai Sugar Cookies – and then shared the recipe on her Tumblr. Every year, especially around this time of year, I’ve been meaning to try out her recipe – and this year I finally did! Coming off of the 1989 TV Era, it just feels right to make these cookies. Plus they’re full of all those seasonal spices, perfect for this time of year!
Here’s her original recipe – handwritten and shared on her Timblr.
I’m plant-based, so I also veganized the recipe – it’s super simple to do! I just swapped the butter for vegan butter (I used Miyoko’s unsalted butter) and made a vegan egg using Bob Red Mill’s Egg Replacer (you could also make a flax egg using 1tbsp ground flax + 3 tbsp water). I also didn’t have vegetable oil on hand so I used coconut oil instead.
The cookies came out of the oven quite soft, but they firmed up quickly, and let me tell you – the texture was divine 😍
Preheat the oven to 350F and grease a cookie sheet
Beat the butter with the sugar, and then add the melted oil.
Add the sugar, egg, vanilla, then stir in the flour, baking soda, salt and tea bag (just open the tea bag and pour the contents into the mix – or sub in spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, etc)
Chill the dough for 1 hour (or stick in the freezer for 15mins if you’re in a rush)
Line a cookie sheet with 12 tbsp of dough drops
Press evenly into cookie shapes
Bake for 15-20mins
Allow to cool and top with icing (I used store-bought icing and then sprinkled nutmeg on top)
Have you tried making these cookies? Will you?! If you do, I’d love to see it! Tag me @bitesbybekah on Instagram.
Links to every single Taylor Swift playlist I’ve curated and shared on social media – happy listening! I *love* making Taylor Swift-themed playlists – I post at least one every month (often more), curating playlists for every month, season and more. Let me know if …
My Swiftie Gift Guide – organized by Taylor Swift Era, with a wide range of prices and items to fit different budgets and interests! ‘Tis the season! The holidays are here, and whether you’re looking for a gift for the Swiftie in your life, or …
How to make Dong Geu-ra-mi’s Gimbap, as seen in the show Extraordinary Attorney Woo: a meal that’s just as fun to make as it is to eat!
Extraordinary Attorney Woo
On August 28th, 2022, ma and I watching the season 1 finale of the show ‘Extraordinary Attorney Woo’. A year later, I still think it’s probably the best show I’ve ever seen in my life.
If you haven’t seen it, I could not recommend it more highly. If you haven’t heard of it, here’s a quick synopsis of this k-drama:
Woo Young Woo is the first autistic lawyer to be hired in Korea. The show follows as she tackles different cases after starting work for one of the leading law firms in Seoul. Her autism can cause her to come across as awkward and blunt in her interactions. But she’s incredibly intelligent, has insane photographic memory, and approaches cases in a unique and creative way that often prove the difference between winning and losing. There’s a lot of humor (I’ve never laughed so hard as when I was watching the pilot episode). The cases throughout the season address very topical and often ethical issues, and there’s a beautiful mix of heart-warming scenes alongside intrigue as you learn more about Woo Young Woo and her background.
Extraordinary Attorney Woo Gimbap
There’s a lot of amazing looking Korean food in this show. One of the recipes that has gotten the most notoriety has got to be Dong Geu-ra-mi’s Gimbap. Dong Geu-ra-mi is Woo Young Woo’s best friend, and I love their friendship so much. In one episode, Dong Geu-ra-mi makes breakfast after Woo Young Woo slept over. Woo Young Woo is notorious for basically exclusively eating gimbap (Korean sushi). It helps that her father owns a gimbap shop. So Gong Geu-ra-mi prepares her own version of gimbap.
Dong Geu-ra-mi’s gimbap is actually quite simple to make, is super fun to fold up, and delicious to eat! Here’s my plant-based version of how to do it!
Dong Get-Ra-Mi’s Gimbap Ingredients
All you need to make Dong Geu-ra-mi’s gimbap are a few simple ingredients:
Nori/seaweed:
You can find this in any asian market/store. There’s a lot of different kinds, but for gimbap/sushi making I prefer using dry sheets that don’t have any holes or crinkles. You can buy sushi nori that’s specially for sushi making.
Sushi rice:
I just cook up a pot of white rice in the rice cooker, and then portion out a few cups into a bowl. Then I add about a tablespoon of rice vinegar and a teaspoon of salt. This is really up to your own personal taste, so I recommended tasting as you go! if you feel you’re gone overboard on the vinegar/salt, you can add in more rice (if you have any left) to help dilute the flavor a bit.
Kimchi (I used Nagoya’s vegan kimchi):
I love Nagoya’s vegan kimchi (*I was sent some in order to create this recipe)! The ingredients are fantastic, and for me the taste is perfectly matured. Just fry this up for a few minutes in sesame oil to help it soften for the gimbap. You can find it in stores near you using this Kimchi store locator.
Egg (I used Just Egg’s vegan egg):
I picked up a box of Just Egg’s Plant-Based Folded Egg, which is already perfectly shaped for this gimbap! To prepare from frozen you can stick it in the toaster or oven, but I like to fry it for 4 minutes in a bit of sesame oil.
And that’s how to make Dong Geu-ra-mi’s gimbap! If you want to see it in action, here are a couple videos to help visualize how it’s done.
1bowlsushi ricecook white rice, add rice vinegar and salt to taste
2eggs, friedI used Just Egg's Plant-Based Folded Egg
1/2cupkimchiI used Nagoya's Vegan Kimchi
Instructions
Fry up your eggs and kimchi, using a bit of sesame oil
Take a sheet of nori/seaweed, and fold it in half, and then in half again the other way so that there are four equal sections. Then, using a sharp knife, cut between the bottom half of squares so that there's two flaps.
The sushi has four squares, ready for filling. In the bottom two squares spread the sushi rice. Then add your egg and kimchi to the top two squares (egg on the left, kimchi on the right).
Then it's time to fold. First fold the left bottom rice square over the egg square. Then fold that to the right, over the kimchi square. Finally, fold the last right rice square top and over the already folded portion. You should now have a completely folded pocket of gimbap!
Repeat with your second sheet of nori and the rest of your fillings. Then chop both your gimbap rolls in half, serve them up and enjoy!
Easy vegan key lime pies requiring just 9 simple ingredients – perfect for creating ‘The Last Great American Dynasty’ vibes (iykyk) The Last Great American Dynasty I can so clearly remember listening to Folklore for the very first time. Do you remember that surprise drop?! …
A blue-tiful overnight oats ‘The Summer I Turned Pretty’ breakfast bowl, with all the fruit toppings to take you to Cousins Beach. The Summer I Turned Pretty This summer I finally started watching The Summer I Turned Pretty. And I have to say, I’m kinda …
My top tips for picking the perfect ripe watermelon, every single time!
Are you a watermelon lover? For me, summer time is all about digging into a perfectly sweet and refreshing ripe watermelon.
But do you feel like you can never quite pick the ripest watermelon? When you get to the store and are looking out at a sea of slightly different shades of green, are you lost? Do you find yourself slapping a watermelon because you’ve seen others doing it, but don’t really know what you’re looking for even as you do it?
If any of those describe you, don’t worry! I’ve got you covered. In this guide, I’ll spill all the juicy secrets on how to choose a ripe watermelon that will satisfy you summer sweet tooth.
My family is pretty much obsessed with watermelon. So I’ve had *a lot* of practice picking out watermelons. Last summer I also had a post with my watermelon tips actually go viral (my first ever viral post!), and so was able to get additional feedback and advice from some more experienced watermelon pickers and produce workers.
Hopefully these tips can change your ripe watermelon picking game too!
When is Watermelon Season?
Summertime is watermelon time! Watermelons are in season from May through September, with July being the peak picking and eating time.
What Kinds of Watermelon Are There?
There are actually more than 1,200 varieties of watermelon, but just a few that you see out and about in regular grocery stores. In the US you’ll probably most commonly find seeded, seedless and mini.
How to Pick a Ripe Watermelon
Here are the tips you’ve all been waiting for!
1. Weight and Density: Pick One Heavy for its Size
This tip has been the number one game changer for me. I pretty much get an arm workout every time I go watermelon shopping because I spend a good amount of time picking up and testing the weight of so many watermelons. But! It’s so worth it. The heavier the watermelon, the better. If I’m picking between two watermelons that look about the same in appearance, I always go for the heavier one. Of, if I have two that look good, but one is smaller and heavier, I’ll go with that one. There’s something about a denser watermelon that ends up being so much sweeter and crisper.
2. Appearance: Look for a Big Spot
With watermelons, appearance really does matter. Look for a watermelon that’s uniformly shaped and free from bruises or blemishes. And the real secret is to check out that yellow spot.
Don’t be afraid to get up close and personal with the watermelon! Flip it over and inspect the bottom, also known as the field spot. A ripe watermelon will have a creamy, dull, yellowish field spot. This means it’s had plenty of time to ripen on the vine and is ready to be devoured. Watermelons that have a larger field spot and a webbing pattern stemming from it are your best bet! These signs indicate that the sugar is seeping through the skin, promising a sweet and flavorful pick. I learned that from a produce worker who commented on my post last year, and so far his advice has worked for me!
3. Sound: Tap Away and Listen for a Hollow Sound
Do you ever wonder why you see people slapping or knocking on watermelons? Well, it really can help you pick out a good one! Give a watermelon a tap or a knock on its belly, and listen for a deep, resonant, and hollow sound. That almost always guarantees a juicy and ripe interior.
4. Stem and Tail: Check Them Out
Who knew the stem and tail could tell you so much about a watermelon? If you spot a dried-up stem, it’s a good sign that the watermelon has fully ripened. On the other hand, if the stem is green and fresh-looking, it might indicate that the watermelon was picked prematurely. Not all watermelons will have the stem left on for you to inspect, but if it is there than take advantage of the extra check to see if you’re picking a good one.
5. Size: Pick Out the Biggest Watermelon Possible
This doesn’t have so much to do with picking a ripe watermelon as it does with just getting the most bang for your buck! Here in the US there’s usually a flat price for one watermelon, so whether it’s small or big you’ll pay the same amount (as versus paying by weight). If that’s the case for you, then you might as well try to get the biggest watermelon you can! But, I always prioritize Tip No. 1, and go for a watermelon that’s heavy for its size. So if I’m deciding between a larger watermelon that feels lighter, and a smaller one that’s heavier, chances are the smaller heavier one will be denser and juicier so I’ll go for that one.
Those are my top tips for picking the perfect ripe watermelon! I hope they help and that you’ll enjoy many juicy and delicious watermelons this summer. Let me know if you have any to add, and stay tuned to see some fun themed meals using watermelon coming to the blog. Happy picking!
Two ways to make easy vegan teriyaki tofu, a perfect meal prep option for dinner any night. Raise your hand if you’re a fan of stir-fry 🙋🏻♀️ Stir-fry is one of my favorite go-to dinner options, especially on busy week days. It’s a great meal …
It wasn’t this blog, this blog just launched today! But it was a blog and I had high hopes for it. At the time I was embarking on one of the greatest adventures of my life – I had taken my first international flight moving to another country where I would finally get to explore the wider world (and hopefully pick up a British accent) whilst living in London, UK. It was all incredibly exciting and I wanted to document everything – mostly for myself, but also for family and friends back home. I actually just had a cheeky look back at that blog and it was so fun to walk down memory lane, so I suppose it served its purpose a little bit.
As I’m sure you’ve gathered, that blog never really got off the ground. It had a few sputtering starts and restarts. I put up posts every now and then. And (to my credit) I uploaded loads of photos somewhat regularly because I’m a bit of a photographing fiend – have you seen my Instagram stories? However, exciting things just kept happening too fast (don’t you just hate it when that happens?), and a blog became too much for me to keep up with. I wonder if any of you can relate, and have your own lost blogs that live somewhere forgotten on the Internet, or in the files on your laptop?
Why did my first blog (essentially) die?
I’ve thought quite a bit about why this happened, especially as I’ve been working on this new blog – and how long it’s taken to get off the ground. Mainly I think I got swamped with the amount of stuff I felt I had to do – the hundreds, which quickly became thousands of photos to sort through and edit (my photographing strategy has always been to take loads of photos and hope that some turn out halfway decent – usually it works, but it requires so much time to wade through). And then there was all of the writing, proofreading, formatting, and as experiences piled up it began to feel like too much to keep up with.
All of this, combined with my indecision and perfectionism, resulted in a false start. I felt like I couldn’t craft blog posts that I deemed worthy of publishing. I don’t know why I felt so much pressure given that my readers were family and a few close friends who I knew wouldn’t have judged my posts (too harshly at least). But I’ve always felt a strong degree of (self-imposed) pressure to produce things to a certain standard, and in my head I couldn’t meet the bar.
That same perfectionism and pressure has played a big part in keeping me from starting this blog.
You may (or may not) be surprised to hear that I’d been thinking about starting a food blog for over a year now, with the original intention to launch at the beginning of the new year – yes this year, 2018. I know, I know, it’s August…so you can see how that went!
Side note for my Instagram peeps who have followed along with the whole slight saga – thanks for sticking with me! Can you believe it’s finally happening?? I hardly can, it’s really been a long time coming.
What were some of the hurdles to overcome to reach this launching point?
I think the main thing was that I had thought the content I was sharing, and even myself as a person, needed to be at a certain point before I could start – that I had to be super healthy and fit, a whiz in the kitchen, and an organised writer who had something polished to share with the world. Over time, as I’ve struggled with balancing studies and life and Instagram, dealt with some health issues, and felt further and further from that ‘ready version’ I thought I needed to be, I kept pushing blogging further and further away. It’s been a slow and gradual process, but I’ve come to realise that I’ll never reach that polished level of expertise I’m aiming for. And now I genuinely think a lot of the value of this community and sharing a blog is to bring you along for the ride and show you the journey along the way.
This blog might (definitely) be messy.
It will likely not be as organised or as professional as I want – especially when I look at how many incredible and beautiful blogs there are out there. I have to face the realities that I am at a different stage in my health journey, my blogging journey (hello beginnings!), and in my life as a full-time doctoral student also trying to live in an expensive city abroad.
But I’ve also recognised that I don’t have to be the end product right now.
And I hope that by bringing you into my life at this moment, as I’m still working on balance and health and life, that you can find some value, inspiration, encouragement or comfort from any of it.
I suppose that’s the aim of this ‘Blogging’ category of Bites by Bekah.
I want to share the process of launching and growing this little corner of the Internet. And I guess this is a space for me to muse about what that process is like. I hope it might be interesting. I hope even more so that it might be helpful. I’m not entirely sure what this series will look like, but at the moment I envision it being a place to share helpful tips and tricks that I learn and implement along my blogging journey.
So, this is the beginning of my blogging journey. Where are you on yours? Have you started a blog? Or ever wanted to? I’d love to hear any stories you might want to share (and how long it took/is taking you to launch yours? =P)