At-Home Cooking: Instant Pot Hong Kong Borscht Soup

Hi everyone,

Hope everyone enjoyed the holidays. I’ve always loved to cook (because I love to eat even more!) and over the pandemic I have been cooking a lot with the extra time at home. One of my goals for 2021 is to share some of my favourite recipes on my blog. We love using our Instant Pot appliances to cook up different meals and recipes so why not start with our favourite Instant Pot Hong Kong Borscht Soup. The original recipe is by Pressurecookrecipes.com and I’ve modified it to our liking. I’ve listed the ingredients for this recipe as well as the things I used to prep and cook this meal. Scroll all the way to the bottom if you prefer to watch my YouTube video instead!

Ingredients

1.5 – 2 pounds beef back ribs
2 large onions – sliced
3 – 5 yellow or red potatoes – chunks
4 – 6 tomatoes (2 roma + 2 – 4 avalantino) – diced
2 – 4 medium carrots – chunks
4 celery stalks – chunks
4 – 6 garlic cloves – crushed
3 bay leaves
4 cups unsalted chicken / beef / veggie stock
4 full teaspoons tomato paste
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 – 2 teaspoons paprika
2 teaspoons corn starch
Salt, black pepper and garlic powder to taste

What I used
Listing out the things I used to prep and cook this meal.

6 qt Instant Pot
Knife – use a good quality one to make the chopping easier
Peeler
Meat Tenderizer – or anything that can smash the garlic cloves
Cutting board
Measuring Cup
Measuring Spoons/Teaspoons
Spatula, tongs and ladle for cooking

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My leather jacket search is now over

Hi everyone,

Happy Friday! Hope you’ve been staying safe and healthy.
Did you pick up any goodies during Black Friday or Cyber Monday? I’ve been on a hunt for a classic leather jacket that can earn my loyalty for quite some time now. I wanted a timeless style that’s simple, something that’s not too cropped, with a bit of a relaxed fit but not too baggy and doesn’t have too much hardware.

Finally, the search is over, I found the perfect leather jacket!

When the Black Friday sales started, I checked out AllSaints and to my surprise, I came across the Elva jacket and it looked like it had all of the things that I’ve been looking for. I was excited but didn’t want to get too overjoyed because I wasn’t sure what size I would be and whether I’d be happy with the fit. So I was cautiously optimistic.

When I tried it on for the first time, it feel super luxe and was instantly in love! It’s such a beautiful jacket and the fit was exactly what I’ve been looking for, a bit loose without looking too frumpy/oversized.

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Nail Love: Coral Reef

The pop I needed to brighten up my monochromatic outfits.

Colour: ‘Coral Reef’ – applied 2 coats to get the full opacity.

Brand: Moov Cosmetics – it’s so long-lasting and they’re a vegan, 7-free nail polish. Ever since my skin got super sensitive, I’ve been only using vegan nail polishes.

Where to purchase: I got it at Whole Foods or you can get it online here.

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Have a great weekend!

MyBlancCanvas

Lace Cami & Loose Cardi

The warm weather can’t come soon enough! Even though it’s May, it’s still been so chilly here in Toronto. Seems like I’m always living in layers no matter what season it is because you can never be too sure when it comes to the Canadian weather! I came across Jean Wang’s (from Extrapetite.com) Insta story when she shared these two pieces from Abercrombie & Fitch. I haven’t shopped at A&F since I was a kid and it definitely took me by surprise. I love how versatile they are and you know I’m all about versatility.

The lace cami is such a staple and can be worn on its own or with a cardi whether you want to tuck it in or leave it out. I got this in the small because I wanted it to be a looser fit and liked it so much that I recently got two more in the satin and chiffon finish as well. For the cardigan, it is in such a soft, cozy fabric and the boxy shape makes it easy to layer on with various different outfits. This top is quite cropped so I went for the medium size so it gave a bit more length.

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Lace Cami : Abercrombie  Clipdot (small)  |  Satin (x small)  |  Chiffon (x small)

Loose Cardi: Abercrombie Cozy Button Up Top (medium)

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I bought these two items before my trip to Jamaica and wore the cami with two different outfits. I’ll be sharing some photos from my trip shortly along with the outfits that I brought with me. Stay tuned!

Thanks for stopping by. Have a great weekend!

MyBlancCanvas

KNOTTED SEQUIN SKIRT

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Happy Holidays!

It’s been so nice to take a little break over the holidays to spend time with family, friends and just let myself have some ‘me’ time. I’ve even been detoxing from social media too! How is 2019 right around the corner? Where did 2018 go? This year truly was a busy one and it flew by.

If you’re still looking for a NYE party outfit tomorrow or for the holiday parties that just couldn’t be squeezed into the last weeks of 2018, here’s a skirt that I love from Zara (act surprised!). It’s now on sale for $49.99 so drop by your nearest Zara store to pick one up or order online if you don’t need it until the new year. It is full of tiny sequins and let’s be real,  who doesn’t love a little sparkle! Scroll down below to see how I styled this skirt in 3 different ways.

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Look #1: Party Hopper

This is a great day-to-night look as it’s appropriate for work and then at night, you can throw on a statement necklace to dress it up.

Statement Necklace: J.Crew  |  Crisp Dress Shirt: Frank & Oak (favourite dress shirt)  |  Black Tights: Rachel Tights  |  Chunky Heels: Aldo

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Khaki Green & Swiss Dots

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The holidays are upon us! I’ve got all my Christmas presents done and even my cards are written too so I’ve been getting the house ready for the holiday parties and figuring out my festive outfits.

During Black Friday, I came across this khaki green shirt from Zara that I thought was cute for the holidays. It has swiss dot details all over that makes it fun and I can also wear it throughout the year for work, going out or even between seasons as well. The material is so soft and the roominess makes the holiday feasting more manageable (this shirt hides it all!). I paired it with these stretchy Uniqlo white legging pants (they are so comfortable) which I don’t need to reiterate why I need to wear stretchy pants over the holidays. This white and green holiday-themed outfit is great for the party where you don’t want to go too over the top and they’re pieces you can wear more than just once a year.

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My Obsession Monday: Fluffy Warm Jacket

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I’m back and I know it’s been a while. I’m sorry for being MIA – I’ll fill you in on a separate post about what I’ve been up to. It’s a passion project, just like this blog!

How is it fall already?! I had to quickly switch from light, flowy summer dresses to cozy, thick fall sweaters to adapt to the chilly weather. Fall is one of my favourite seasons so this transition is good but winter, on the other hand, will be a different story.

Just picked up this new fluffy jacket from Uniqlo and I just love mixing new obsessions with old favourites. I’ve been keeping an eye on these fluffy jackets since last year but I’m glad I waited for this one. The fit is great, it’s snug so it keeps you warm and I can wear it on its own or layer it within loose fall jackets. They also come in a range of colours – 12 to be exact! Not surprising though, I went for the black because…well, it’s black! It will be easy to incorporate with other items that I already own and you can never go wrong with a neutral.

It might seem a little early to think about Christmas presents, but this little number would make a great present! It’s honestly so warm and so comfortable.

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Zara Embroidered Shirt

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Hi lovelies!

After sharing with you my current obsession on My Obsession Monday: White Embroidered Shirt post, I thought I’d show you how I would style it in 3 different ways. You can dress it up for a night out with the girls, throw it on top of a bikini for a resort look or even wear it to work.

Look #1: Night Out

Zara White Embroidered Shirt - Look2 - NightOut

Lace Bralette: Aritzia  |  Faux Leather Skirt: Zara   |  Crossbody Bag: Banana Republic |  Strappy Heels: Aldo Shoes – I’ve always wanted a pair of Raye heels from Revolve, these two pairs are super cute and they’re on sale right now – Mia Heel & Sebastian Heel!

Look #2: Resort

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Wide-Leg Pants: Fashion Nova – I found these Ruffle Tier Pants from AE that are to die for, I need these before I go on vacation!  |  Bandeau Bikini: Victoria Secret Pink – really loving Spell & The Gypsy’s Hotel Paradiso Bandeau.  |  Strappy Sandals: I got these Billabong sandals from NEON Toronto. Currently loving these tied-up sandals from Billabong that would be great for kicking around the resort. |  Statement Necklace: These are from Zara but a pair of statement earrings would work well with this look too to give a resort look. Here are a few pairs that I like from J.Crew if you are looking for a bit of tassel, colourful jewels or a pop of colour.

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My Obsession Monday: Embroidered Shirt

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Hi lovelies – Happy Monday!

I love the look of embroidered shirts, skirts and shorts for when the weather starts to get warm. It’s light and easy to throw on with different pieces to style different looks. This cute little number has so many great details on it so when I came across it on the Zara website, I knew I had to get it.

The material isn’t stretchy so the crossover detail makes it easy to wear. I love the billowy sleeves, they’re airy so when the weather is hot in the city or during a vacation, you would stay comfortable while providing some coverup. This shirt just has so many cute details – I know I’ll be wearing it a lot over the next few months. Head over to Zara if you’re looking for more embroidered pieces – they have a lot of cute ones!

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Zara Crossover Top with Cutwork Embroidery ($45.90)

I can already picture myself styling this top in different ways – maybe I’ll put together a “3 Ways to Style” post!

Hope you have a great week – thanks for reading. xx

My Obsession Monday: Velvet Knee High Boots

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Happy #MyObsessionMonday!

Fall is my favourite season – I get to wear boots and layer up while enjoying the cooler weather. I love looking for new boots to rock and this time around, I wanted a pair of statement boots.

What I really like about these blue velvet boots from Zara are that they have a really nice arch and heel shape. Those are usually the two things that I look for first. The blue colour is also very easy to pair with different outfit options so I’m looking forward to wearing it more throughout the season. This long weekend was the perfect weather to start wearing boots so I wore it out to my weekend day trip to the wineries!

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Zara Over the Knee High Heel Boots in Blue Velvet ($99.90 – these boots are now marked as a “special price” item and is priced at $49.99!)

Here are some fall style inspiration pictures from Pinterest – love how these ladies are rocking their knee-high boots!

 

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I went to the Vineland wineries for the first time and it was so stunning there! Angels Gate was my favourite out of the 3 that I went to. I’ve been wanting to expand my red wine appreciation and what better way than to do some wine tastings at all the wineries we have in Ontario. As I try the same type of wine at each of the wineries, I start to figure out which ones I like. At Angels Gate, I really enjoyed the Cabernet Merlot. It’s a great one to enjoy during the holidays!

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All the wineries look stunning, very quaint and smaller in size compared to some of the ones from Niagara on the Lake (although those ones are impressive too!). The views are so beautiful. The second winery I went to was Tawse Winery. I LOVE rieslings and this one was so delicious, I picked up a bottle! The Gamay was also great too since they’re running low on the 2015 bottles, we thought it was great to pick up one of those as well.

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The last stop was to Fieldings Estate Winery – such a beautiful place there. I love that you can sit out and overlook the vineyard while enjoying a cheese platter and some delicious wine. We didn’t have enough time to try the cheese but will definitely try it next time!

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Hope you’re enjoying your Monday – thank you for reading!

xx