Veggie-Packed Kimchi Grilled Cheese Sandwich

January 30, 2017

A childhood friend of mine passed away last week. She was the eldest daughter of two families that lived next door to me. I am saddened by this and have been thinking a lot about them and that time period in my life. I think about the other people I grew up with on that block as well. The other family that lived next door to me happened to be one my mom's best friends. I too was and still am close to her, as she was the one to notify me of the unfortunate news.

The first time I ever tried a grilled cheese sandwich of any kind came from her, my mom's best friend. It wasn't anything special. Just an open faced grilled cheese with a slice of tomato and green pepper on it. I was playing in their backyard with the kids and she brought it out for lunch. I loved it so much and even to this day, it's one of my favorite ways to eat a grilled cheese sandwich. So I put my own twist on a Korean fusion-inspired one. Because one, I've been missing creating food content and two, it's been more than THREE months since I've last done one!

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Veggie-Packed Kimchi Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Serves 2

Ingredients:

4 slices whole wheat bread 3 Tbsp butter 4 slices Colby Jack cheese 1/2 cup kimchi Few slices green, red & yellow pepper 5-6 cherry tomatoes

Directions:

Melt one third of butter in a large non-stick skillet (or grill pan in my case) over medium heat until foaming subsides. Add 2 slices of bread, then 2 slices of cheese on top, press firmly into pan and cook until golden brown on bottom side (approx 2 min.)
Char kimchi, peppers & cherry tomatoes while the bread is grilling for approx. 4-5minutes.
Chop up kimchi and veggies, then add on top of cheese. Remove sandwich using a flexible metal spatula. Add the remaining butter. Repeat steps 1-3 with second sandwich. Serve & enjoy immediately. :)

Twists include using a cast iron grill pan to give a nicer design on the bread. I always use whole wheat bread unless it's homemade stuffing. That's the only time I'll make an exception for white bread. I charred all the veggies while grilling the cheese and in the same skillet. It gave the cherry tomatoes and peppers a nice tiny roast, which in turn brought more flavor in my opinion. I also grilled the kimchi in the pan for a few minutes to soften the cabbage. And whenever I am making a grilled cheese sandwich I always, nine out of ten times, use Colby Jack cheese. It's a favorite aside from Havarti and Emmental. What's your favorite cheese to grill?

I have some really exciting content coming to the blog soon! This week I'll be shooting more fashion + style content. I'll be heading down to the Financial District on Tuesday for one of them so stay tuned on my Insta Stories for some BTS! There will also be a brand new cocktail recipe posted more toward the end of the week. And lastly, I'll be attending NYFW again in the next couple of weeks but this time I'll be getting to go backstage to some pretty cool designers... I can't wait to share! Did I mention travel content is also coming to MaQ + Suz in the next few months? Clue? It's international... Looks like 2017 is off to a great start! ;)

LOVE & XX'S,

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L'Oréal Extraordinary Clay Haircare

January 9, 2017

EXTRAORDINARY CLAY, SELF-PORTRAIT SERIES, JANUARY 7TH, 2017.

THIS POST IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY L'ORÉAL HAIR & INFLUENSTER.

When you think of washing your hair, clay is probably not the first ingredient that comes to mind. But thanks to L'Oréal #ExtraordinaryClay, a hair care trio that includes a 30% clay hair mask, this treatment has become a popular trend. So I was delighted to try these products, especially on my newly-do mane.

You first begin with the pre-shampoo mask, which is what is in this self-portrait series. Please note this treatment is meant for your entire head of hair, from root to end. But because I felt like thinking outside the box creatively within the self-portraits the mask is only shown on the top of my head, though I did do a full treatment after the photos. I'm thinking of doing a lot more work on self-portraiture this year, what do you guys think? Would you like to see more of these photos? Back to the lecture at hand (lol), what does the clay mask do? It rids of oils from the roots and moisturizes the ends, even purifying the scalp.

After shampoo & conditioner, my hair felt ultra-fresh and lightweight. And what's also amazing about the products is it absorbs enough scalp sebum where you won't even need to be using dry shampoo a couple days later, even with bangs! Even a few days later, my hair was still bouncy as ever. This trio line is the real deal. Find more L'Oréal Extraordinary Clay hair care info here. You can also shop the products down below. Happy Monday! :)

LOVE & XX'S,

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L'Oréal Extraordinary Clay Pre-Shampoo Mask

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How To Get Ready for Your Holiday Parties with Dove

December 19, 2016

Can you believe Christmas is here this Sunday?! What a whirlwind December has been! There's really nothing like the hustle and bustle of New York during the holiday season. With very little time to waste in between work, events and holiday parties, I've been using the new Dove Dry Spray Antiperspirant every morning to help me getting ready quick and easy. Sprays on instantly dry and I'm ready to go.

Not only does this new spray provide 48 hours of odor and wetness protection in addition to caring for your skin, but also offers the brand's signature 1/4 moisturizing technology. Dove knows when it comes to good skin care and it's a brand I've always trusted. And you can kiss those white residue stains goodbye with this new spray. Not to mention the lovely fresh scent in Original Clean. The dry spray antiperspirants also come in different fragrances, varying from clean to citrusy, they also have one for sensitive skin which I know so many of us have a lot more irritability during the colder winter seasons.

Lastly, in light of working with not one but two brands that bring me confidence to my everyday life, I was inspired to take self-portraits for both. Because taking self-portraits also require confidence I definitely wanted to show different forms of this feeling. It's not just one kind of aura, it has many embodiments. Such as many other types of emotions, there is light and there is dark. Curious as to what the other one will be about? Let's just say it's a little racier than me getting ready in a robe! Stay tuned! And if you love feeling confident in a flash just as much as I do, you got to give Dove's Dry Spray Antiperspirant a try, click here for more info.

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of CLEVER and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

LOVE & XX'S,

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Latest Essentials: Pour Moi Beauty & Daniel Wellington

November 28, 2016

LATEST ESSENTIALS: POUR MOI BEAUTY COLLECTION - HYDRATING BALANCER | 
THE SERUM WHITE | THE SERUM BLACK | NIGHT CREAM | CLIMATE DAY CREAMS | 
DANIEL WELLINGTON WATCH | DW SILVER CUFF | ESSIE BLANC NAIL POLISH | 
ROSEGAL SILVER STACKED RINGS | ARAKI GOLD BOOK

SPONSORED POST IN COLLABORATION WITH POUR MOI BEAUTY, DANIEL WELLINGTON & ROSEGAL.

First and foremost, my heart goes out to Ohio State University this morning. Thoughts & prayers to all involved in yet another shooting in America. I don't know when the madness will stop, but we are with you today & always. Ugh, it just makes me sick to my stomach typing this while I overhear the news from the tv in the background. And right after Thanksgiving. Just heart-wrenching.

With the climate now taking serious change, we can kiss those warm, balmy nights goodbye! If only temporarily, especially in New York. The cold, dry air during the winter time wrecks such havoc to my skin! My face is super sensitive so it doesn't react well around this time of year. That's why I've teamed up with Pour Moi Beauty, the first climate based skincare system where your skin consistently stays hydrated through the different seasons and places of the world. PMB is the new top line you'll want to try out, specifically to all my wanderlusts who are addicted to traveling! Let me share with you a little more on some of the products I've been trying recently.

1. HYDRATING BALANCER

This innovative light pink translucent lotion makes the skin feel instantly comfortable and soft. A sophisticated hybrid between a liquid moisturizer and a gentle toner, this lotion serves dual purposes. It clears the skin from any irritators left on the skin, helps minimize pore size, moisturizes, evens out skin tone, and firms & tones the skin.

2. THE SERUMS / WHITE X BLACK

The SERUM white is a silky white lotion with its fresh texture and its lightweight feel, leaves an invisible but protective film on the skin to help balance negative skin responses from climate and environmental aggressors.

The SERUM black is a stunningly beautiful black texture of the Serum melts in transparency on the skin. Highly concentrated in restoring, moisturizing and brightening active ingredients, this high-performing Serum contributes to regenerating and stimulating skin. Specially designed for mature or very dry skin. And a personal fav. :)

3. NIGHT CREAM

The supple and creamy texture of the night cream brings a total skin well-being. Their customized day and night moisturizing creams work synergistically; delivering the perfect balance of nourishment for a smooth and healthy skin whatever your age. And the smell is intoxicating to fall asleep with!

4. CLIMATE DAY CREAMS

The desert day cream is specially formulated for skin in desert climate which is hot and dry air. This light yellow Day Cream instantly seals the skin's surface against dry air while preventing additional water loss inside the skin.

The polar day cream is specially formulated for skin in cold climate which is cold and dry air. This light green Day Cream helps the skin not just to protect itself but also promotes skin healing in that challenging (and freezing) climate.

The temperate day cream is specially formulated for skin in mild climate which is normal and mild air. This light pink Day Cream helps skin to relax and thrive in this idyllic climate protecting skin against other environmental aggressions such as pollution. This one is perfect during fall!

The tropical day cream is specially formulated in humid climate which has hot and humid air. This light blue Day Cream has a very light texture and its advanced ingredients and beauty technology encourages skin to draw moisture from air into skin while other ingredients help the skin to cool down.

5. DANIEL WELLINGTON BLACK LEATHER WRISTBAND WATCH

Made from genuine Italian calf leather this classic 40mm Daniel Wellington watch is sleek with minimal chic style. I've been wearing it nonstop as it's perfect for everyday wear! I think watches are also great holiday gifts so use my code 'SUZANNE_DW' for 15% off your purchase!

6. DANIEL WELLINGTON SILVER CUFF

The silver cuff is the perfect matching accessory to go with the watch. You'll have your wrist blinging out in no time! It's delicateness is beautifully crafted with an engraved 'Daniel Wellington' logo in the center. I love pairing them together because I think they complement each other well.

The last three essentials have been white nail polish, silver stacked rings and naughty Japanese photography by the wonderful Araki. One of the only nail polishes I trust is Essie. It's high-quality and fast drying polish always keeps me coming back for me! My new fave this winter season is definitely the blanc color. I think my favorite Christmas colors are white and silver, then red and green. :)

We've got some fun, casual and funky, holiday looks coming up on the blog! What's your favorite colors to wear around this season? We'd love to hear from you in the comments down below. Have a great week and we'll see you guys soon!

LOVE & XX'S,

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North Polar Bear London Winter Wear

November 26, 2016

WEARING: NORTH POLAR BEAR SWEATSHIRT | NPB PIN |

NIKE REVOLUTION 3 RUNNING SHOES IN BLACK | TASC LEGGINGS | DIOR SUNGLASSES

SPONSORED POST IN COLLABORATION WITH NORTH POLAR BEAR.

I hope (to all it applies to) had a wonderful Thanksgiving! Last year I showcased our dinner with tips & tricks on how to make a good ass turkey. One would know as I've been making our Thanksgiving dinners for the past nine years! Yes, that means a whole turkey and all the trimmings. You can take a look at that post here. I would also love to hear if you missed seeing our spread this year! In all honesty, I've been so busy with work I didn't have it in me to do a post on it. I definitely have a holiday recipe or two coming up on the blog soon though. :)

We also kept it pretty quiet this year, didn't travel and stayed in New York. I love to cook on Thanksgiving and had one of our dear friend's over, but if you know me, we're not too big on the holidays. We do celebrate but we certainly don't go crazy. (If you do do that, please don't ever stop - I love you just the way you are!) I also discovered the cutest new luxe minimal wear from East London that's been keeping me awfully cozy and casually chic at the same time, especially around this time of the year where the colder season is kicking in!

North Polar Bear is a small business clothing & accessories company based across the Pond, but from it's packaging, delivery service, to even the quality of the grey pullover I received is absolutely amazing! The 100% organic cotton sweater is soft to the touch and extremely comfortable to wear. I didn't want to take it off! And I simply adore the minimal but cute geometric designs of NPB logo, straight down to their pins. NPB also carries other high-quality accessories such as mittens (totally obsessed with them), and now Christmas stockings! For other great holiday gift ideas and pieces from their collection, click here.