Tiana's Kitchen~NiYa Toast

I would like to start this post off by telling everybody that I am terrible at editing videos. Seriously. It took me 3 days to edit less than 15 minutes of footage! But I felt that this recipe would be more fun with a video!!

Remember the Mini Garden Meetup I blogged about after Mother's Day? And remember I said, "We were joking about how it was too sweet and decided we are going to invent our own version, but savory instead of sweet"

I actually did it :D I named it after NiYa, who joked about needing to drink soy sauce. NiYa Toast sounds a bit like Honey Toast (MiTang Toast). The subtitles are actually in Chinese, but I wanted to share my hard work! I am planning on getting an English version up too, but the video itself should actually be pretty self explanatory ;D


This is Seafood Flavored NiYa Toast! I plan on trying Curry next :D


Ingredients:
Uncut Toast
Basil
Garlic
Butter
Parmesan Cheese (or any white cheese)
Tri-color veggie mix
Seafood mix
Broccoli, Asparagus, etc. for decoration

Directions:
1) Chop garlic finely and mix with melted butter
2) Cut loaf of bread in half
3) Cut four sides of a square in the center of your half-loaf. Leave about 1cm border and base (don't cut through the bottom!)
4) Cut the bottom free from the side
5) Pull out the center and cut into long rectangles
6) Cover with garlic butter and toast lightly
7) Stir fry veggies and seafood mix in a pan. Season and thicken with cornstarch.
8) Chop basil, garlic, and cheese together to make handmade pesto
9) Place bread rectangles back into the hollow toast center
10) Top with seafood mix and a scoop of handmade pesto (to replace ice cream on Honey Toast)
11) Add small broccoli florets in place of whip and use asparagus in place of wafers
12) Transfer to a pretty plate and decorate the plate
13) You are done!

I think the video should explain everything OK, but if you have questions please feel free to ask in the comments below!

Glass Slippers Are So Last Century

As summer approaches, Lolitas everywhere are starting to shed their cardigans and boleros in favor of chiffon blouses under thinner cotton jumperskirts, or no blouse at all! It's time to break out the parasols, straw hats, and sandals~

While some Lolitas may still insist it is improper to go blouse-less or sockless, I personally feel that avoiding heatstroke is the most important thing, especially if you live in a particularly hot or humid place.

Knee-socks are something I almost never go without, simply because my legs don't get too hot easily, and I don't have any Lolita sandals ;) Short ankle socks are a cute alternative to knee-highs if you prefer, but what I want to talk about is the new trend this summer: Glass Socks


Image from Romantic Sweet

OK, they're not REALLY glass, but that is the direct translation of "玻璃襪" which is what they are called in Chinese. The point of these socks is that they are virtually clear with some sort of pattern on top. The look and feel very summery and cool (temperature-wise). I've seen them everywhere for sale, from market stalls to department stores. The average price seems to be NT$99/pair, but they are cheaper on Taobao.com!

The point of glass socks is their versatility. They look nice with sandals (socks with sandals? Oh my!) because they are sheer, and can be layered without looking too thick. Being that they're see-through, you can wear a solid-colored pair of thin socks underneath for a different look, or over colored tights. Even BABY, THE STARS SHINE BRIGHT has jumped on the glass socks trend.


Glass socks come in many different styles, with the most popular being polka-dotted ankle socks. I have also seen roses, faux lace-up (ballerina style), lace, and stripes.


This example by BABY is an ankle-length with small dots and lace topper.

Available in many colors!

What I love the most, however, is knee-high glass socks! They are much harder to find, but I think they would be a lovely addition to any Lolita's wardrobe! A cooler version of knee-high socks perfect for summer.


These are by BABY!

If you are interested in purchasing some, you can try to get a group order for TaoBao socks :)
Here are some links that may be of interest:
Polka Dot Glass Socks 8.2-8.5RMB
Lace Stripe Glass Socks
Floral Glass Socks
Glass Socks with only design around the ankle
Classical Lolita Floral Glass Socks in more muted shades
Ribbon Lace Up Glass Socks

I hope to see more Lolita brands jump on the glass socks trend! I want to see more knee-high versions!!

Pose! Full Body Photos~False Step

I almost forgot about the posing series I was doing! I decided to break up the numerical order by sticking some full body poses in between :) Since you are going to be wanting to show your whole outfit, having something to do with your legs in important too! Combine with any hand poses to add variety to your photos~


The first pose I'm going to introduce is what I call the False Step. It looks sort of like you're walking, except not :P


Click to make the photo larger

This one is very simple. Just take a step forward from your normal standing position and freeze!


Here is a side-angle photo, which also looks great!

Some tips to keep in mind:
*Don't let your legs be too far apart! Try to keep your knees together so you are stepping straight forward. Having a gap between your legs will look a bit awkward
*Keep your step small! Remember, you're just posing, not trying to catch the last train ;D


This pose works in virtually any style, but does give a slight feeling of coy. It might look a bit out of place in a very regal and elegant outfit like Aristocratic style. For most other styles though, it is cute and a bit "street snap" feeling, which I really like!

Niconico Japan Cool

Hello, all!
This is just a quick mini-post to share a video series I found about Japanese fashion/lifestyle. It covers Gothic, Lolita, Visual, and more...



The videos load too slowly for my computer/Internet connection to comprehend (or perhaps I am impatient?) but here's the link so you can browse for yourself!
Watch Here!
Misako Aoki is a regular on the show with a live broadcast every Thursday. See if you can catch her show today! She is on from 21:00-22:00 Japan-time.

Let me know if the videos work for you :) Maybe it's just technical problems on me end (read: operator error. Problem Exists Between Chair and Keyboard)

Tiana's Kitchen~Swan Lake

A part of the lure of Lolita fashion is the attention to detail and bringing magic to everyday things. I especially like edible food art because it makes an everyday "blah" event into something more special!

Fancy events always seem to have beautifully presented food displays that look good, smell good, and taste good. I am no expert at food art, but something quick and simple that I CAN do, is make apple swans :) It's not too difficult! I just practiced a couple times and can make one fairly quickly now.



Ingredients:
An apple
Lemon Juice (optional)

Click photos to expand

Directions:
1) Wash your apple. If you will not be eating or displaying it right away, prepare some lemon juice to prevent it from browning after being cut.


2) Cut a thick slice of apple to the side of the core.
POINT! The thicker the slice is, the easier it will be to make the following slices


3) Make a shallow, angled cut in the apple. Turn the apple around and repeat to make a small V-shaped incision shape.


The piece should be removable now


POINT! The shallower you make the cut, the more layers you will be able to make.

4) Repeat this procedure, making deeper and deeper cuts but don't cut through to the bottom.


When you've made all your layers, you should be able to slide them into layers like so:


5) For the wings, first make a cut parallel to the cutting board, then another cut parallel to the last V-shaped cut you made like this:




6) Repeat on the other side


7) One apple can make two swans, so cut another slice of apple and save the core piece. This will make your swan's head and neck!


8) It is difficult to explain how to do the cuts, so I will let the picture show you. the black dot represents the eye of the swan :)

Make sure you pull out the stem!

9) The head should be able to balance itself on the body. Adjust the angle of the base of the neck so your swan isn't leaning its head too far forward. That may make it fall over!


POINT! If needed, you can cut an angle at the base of the neck to help it sit in the V of the body