When I was still a little girl, I always imagined I would build a house with lots of beautiful plants that I can be surrounded by. I can sit and drink a cup of coffee while enjoying the atmosphere there. I think, many girls have probably had a similar dream. (Smile~)
Plants, they can warm and balance the cold concrete home, and decrease the loneness effectively.
Recently, I bought a lovely green IVY home.
I think: If Sesame and Pepper, my cute kitties, are here, they must be excited by it. Of course, they are definitely excited by the IVY as food. Maybe, they will hide in a corner, plan how to chew the newly arrived Ivy-salad at mid-night.
31 Jan 2010, I'll start learning how to seek happiness and the way to enjoy it!!
Everyone I've known tells me that I live a wonderful life that many girls wish to have, and I have many things that many people want.........
Why? Can I be satisfied with that?
I am wondering if the life I have is valuable, and if I have the correct balance of happiness. I've become a person with a poker face .......I think there must be something wrong.........
I was totally frightened by the angry and shameful world that I live in, the fear inside me almost drove me to disconnect with the world (OF COURSE, IT'S IMPOSSIBLE)!!
Thanks so much to my friend, Z. L., because her attitude and the enthusiasm she put on her life, it has woken me up.
She lives in the present, and enjoys the present! She enthusiastically records a variety of the details in her routine life using her camera which be brought along with her, and put them in a photo album it's called "Live In a Good Life". It is a project I gave to myself to observe life, shesaid.
These beautiful photos are about life, without beautiful girls or boys who stand with smart poses. They are like a basket of candy wrappings, a comfortable pillow she uses, the nice beach she usually goes to after work and a pot of Chinese soup she made!!
I strongly feel the passion she puts into her life, how optimistic!! How to stay in "now"!! She reminds me to use other ways to look for life and happiness. Thank you so much.
Now I'll learn to believe their must be some beautiful parts under the shadow but I haven't found out yet.
Herb butter + Bread is a fantastic combination. A bite of toasted bread with a layer of flavored butter brings you an outstanding flavor that the plain bread can’t normally bring you. Meanwhile, the bread can reduce the greasiness of the butter.
For the herbs, there is no doubt you must use fresh herbs, but if there isn’t any fresh herbs available for you, it can be substituted for dried herbs that usually can be found at store.
1. Gently heat the butter in a microwave until melted.
2. Mix all ingredients together; Leave the butter at room temperature until set; Stir it gently with a small fork to make sure no garlic pieces sink to the bottom.
This process makes the flavor and the texture of the butter more even.
*This butter can last for a month or two in the fridge.
Our cats can't join us in HK at the moment, for many reasons that upset G.Bear and I. Luckily, G.Bear's cousin, V, promised to take good care or them. Good!!
Thank you so much, V ^3^ !!
A few days ago, we saw some pics of the cats on facebook. They look bigger and stronger.......while looking at their happy faces on the photo, I really want to hold them in my arms.
When will I be able to do that? I miss them very much!!
During the lonely period in Canada, these two little cats were always with me and that helped to cure much of the loneliness. They would sit on my chest and clean my tears (how amazing itthat? They knew I was crying!!)
Looking at their relaxed faces it can make you forget the troubles in the world.
About two weeks ago, my mother-in-law and cousin brought one of the cats, Pepper, to a groomer to get a hair cut, because his hair had many knots which couldn't be brushed out. He got a cooler hair style~
It's been a while since I made butter cookies that makes me miss my hand-made flavor so much. Last weekend, I invited a friend to come up to my place to help me make them again, haha~
I haven't coped those pics yet though, so I used the other cookie recipe instead this time, but I'll post that as soon as possible, see ya!!
1. Pre heat the oven to 360F / 180C. Melt the butter in a microwave about 30 seconds; Add sugar, whisk the mixture until it becomes sticky.
2. Stir in the eggs and the flour, mix with a wooden spoon until it truns into a smooth dough. Divide the dough into two protions: 2/3 of dough mix with the milk powder, another 1/3 of dough mix with the coffee powder.
3. Wrap each piece of dough with plastic wrap and put in the fridge for 30 minutes, until they are firm.
4. Take out the dough. Roll the yellow dough into a cylinder; Reserve a little brown dough, then roll it into a rectangular piece. Lay the brown piece onto the yellow dough and give it a slight press to make sure they are stuck together. ( It looks like a piece of delicious roasted beef lying on a sushi roll, cute!)
5. Wrap the dough again, place them in the freezer this time for about 15 minutes. Take them out, cut into pieces with a sharp knife; Place them onto a buttered baking tray, and put into the oven for about 15~20 minutes.
6. This cookie's texture is quite crumbly, when you're taking them out of the oven, please leave them to cool on the baking tray without moving them, to prevent from crumbling. This cookie tastes a little bitter as you drink a coffee, with some light milk fragrance, it is a cheerful and refreshing snack!
After we moved twice this year, our savings are almost gone, so we've tried to live inexpensivley recently, like:
1. Just buy necessaries, no clothing or snacks.
2. Bring lunch box.
3. If it's possible to reach a destination by foot, just do it!! It can save the transportation cost and environment. (However, I found this is the most difficult one, ar >o<).
My Mom always does those things above and makes it seem quite easy, but the fact is....Absolutely Not Ture!!! I can say it is a big challenge of restraint, especially when I see a nice package of chocolate at the supermarket or when I see a perfectly designed dress on sale. From the 1st week of the game, I almost assumed that I haven't the talent of living with frugality and I don't think it can bring me happiness and cheer.
I was so upset with myself; Nevertheless, the last Sunday brings me a different experience of frugality.
We slept until noon on Sunday. After enjoying a nice western breakfast, we walked to the market for grocery while holding hands. There was an unbelievable crowd, we were barely able to walk close to one or two stores to buy some food, but our feeling was so happy.
In the evening, G.Bear and I were wrapping wontons as our dinner for the rest of the week. Late that night, I made a nice western dinner for him. We chatted, we ate, we danced.........it was an amazing night like a fantastic dream.
Because everything was made at home, it didn't cost us much money to get the romance, and the less money we spent, the happier we were. Amazing!!
We've been waiting for six months, finally, we both have satisfying jobs. Recently, we got our new place which we can call home.
We are very excitied and thankful!
Our new home isn't big but it's bright enough, it brings you a happy and peacful mood when you step inside. Also, there are two wide window sills which can give me some room to put my plants and herbs, I think I don't have to worry my plants won't be able to get enough sun; In the living room, there is a waterfall outside the window, it comes from the top of the green mountain. It is a very nice and fantistic view. G.Bear and I think that we are so lucky to have such an excellent place.
The only thing that bothers me is the tiny kitchen. Can you imagine a kitchen that can just allow two people to stand but not even turn? But I can take it easy, because I'm the only person who is suposed to cook at home, while my husband is responsable to sit at the computer waiting for his dinner, haha~
We now understand that it isn't an easy thing to get resident status, a work permit, a job, a home, a person who you love or a person who loves you. Those need many miracles. I always thought those things will happen automatically when it is time as many other adults seem to have, so I've known how to value, but not be thankful. Now, I feel strongly I should also be thankful for everything I have.
I know there is no miricles comes necessary or must. I truly understand when I think it deeply.
# You can substitute brown sugar if you don't have Japanese Black Sugar on hand. Choosing Japanese Black Sugar is best because it is more natural than white sugar and more nutritious.
Ingredients Of Filling:
160 g......................Japanese Black Sugar 3 tbsps....................Black Sesame 4 tbsps....................White Sesame
Processing:
1. To make the filling: Pour the black and white sesame in a frying pan over low heat, roast until they are fragrant; Put the sesame in a plastic bag, then use a rolling pin to crush the sesame into a paste. This process can promote the taste of sesame from the extracted sesame oil.
2. Mix well with the black sugar and the sesame. Set aside.
3. To make the pancake batter: Whisk the eggs with olive oil until smooth, add all dry ingredients, then mix into a batter and make sure no flour clumps are left.
4. Heat a frying pan over low heat and brush a little oil on it. Place a big spoonful of batter on the pan, cook until the first bubble comes out on the surface, then top with a layer of sesame mixture immediately and close the lid, cook until the sugar is mostly melted.
5. Open the lid. Fold up the pancake and press down a bit, to make sure both sides are sticking with each other. When it's set, transfer it onto a serving plate.
6. In a winter morning with wet and cold. Eating this pancake with a bowl of hot pork congee, will give you energy for the day.
Want to make a soaked chicken? It isn't difficult, but the big concern is that you have to "wait" for that, at least eight hours, while you're holding yourself back from stealing the tender chicken to eat before it's done. This dish uses lots of Chinese Shaoxing wine, so it has a strong wine frangrance. Another interesting thing is that it's served cold and with dried sour plums. I usually steal at least three pieces to eat uncontrollably.
1........................Fresh Chicken, (I recomment using a fresh chicken here, you can't achieve the same result with a frozen chicken, trust me!!) 2........................Gralic Cloves, sliced 6-8 pcs................Ginger slices
1. Wash the chicken and chop it into pieces; Boil a pot of water, add garlic and ginger slices. The water should just cover the chicken. 2. Put the chicken pieces into the pot, cook for about 10~15 minutes with a lid. 3. Remove the chicken from the water and put them right away in a bowl of iced water. It helps to promote the texture of the skin; Skim the fat off the soup and put aside the cooked garlic and ginger.
4. In a mixing bowl, put in the dried sour plums, rock sugar and salt, then pour in the hot chicken soup and stir it until the sugar is dissloved; Add the cooked ginger and garlic, finally stir in the shaoxing wine, soak the chicken pieces for at least 10 hours.
5. This cold dish is full of wine and fresh meat flavor. The fragrance remains in your mouth after swallowing the chicken. For me, it is a traditional and unforgettable Chinese dish, so I'm going to share my recipe here to everyone, hope everyone can give it a good try.
I really don't like the feeling of becoming sick, the feeling between sick and "not yet": Headache, no appetite, dried throat, muscal pain, many necessary symptoms have come out but these aren't enough to burst out my sickness........it's hard to explain that weird feeling.
Should I take some pills first? There is no reason to do so before "real sick", right?
Mom suggests make a bowl of Chinese medicine for me, which can make me feel boiling hot and sweaty after drinking but quite natural........it sounds attractive to me, but I freshly remember the horribly bitter taste, Errr.........
I remember a friend of mine taught me how to make a hot drink to prevent cold, its called "Lemon n Coke". I like it, it's easy to make, and just needs simple natural ingredients that are usually in your hand, so I made it right away.
What kind of pain? It feels like an evil vine climbs throughout my skin and body. I feel breathless and drained of strength, my stomach is going to burst any minute.........I bury myself into the couch, listening to the "mu, mu" sound in my head, it's like a reminder, bringing out many many old memory pieces in my head. Surprisingly, I still remember many small things so clear, but memories are memories, time won't come back.........except the pain.
Why is the pain so strange? It isn't like a sharp knife stabbing into your heart.......it is much more than that, at least, the pain makes me unable to speak out! I look downwards along my heart, there is a bloody hand trying hard to drill or stab at my heart with a blunt dagger!! I'm so scared. I lift up my head slowly, I want to see who it is...........it's you?!
This horrible dream has often appeared recently. I've heard some people say dreams can be a reflex of subconscious or the opposite result of reality. I'm not sure what the theories are, but it absolutely is a terrifyingly dream, makes me very uncomfortable. I hope it will be dismissed as soon as possible and never come back!
I found, it is quite difficult to buy good quality herbs in H.K. whether it is dried or flesh.
I knew a big chain supermarket sells some dried herbs, so I tried to find luck there, hoping that I might find some good surprises. I saw many different brands of herbs I'd never seen sitting on the rack. Through the package, I coundn't smell anything, but if you saw their colors andshapes, you could easily tell that they were sick, without even taking a further step to compare with some other countries' herbs.Their prices weren't cheap, almost double or triple the prices compared with what we had in Canada. (That's why it called "Greedy Store"). For my curiosity and my herbs addiction, I bought and cooked some of those, however, their flavorless taste didn't surprise me much as I was told by the outlook. What bad quality!!
Then, I was told there is some stories selling plant herbs in Mongkok, so I decided to buy some right away. I want to be a person who is able to offer various herbs oneself!! Just as I was about to go, my Mom said, "Do you think that is easy to grow, ha? It needs lots of sun and it easily attracts flies. I won't allow you to buy it, xoxoxox......(skiped 1000 words)",..........my Mom killed my plan successfully.
Two weeks later, like a miracle, Mom bought me a plant of mint. She changed the pot and set the lovely plant at the window sill. (Mom is one of the lovely person who I love~)
I read some herbal books, knowing that mints mostly like damp soil or growing in water; they are the easiest herb to grow, no need great carefulness, so there is no reason they should die. I've checked the mint everyday twice carefully, make sure no brown spots appear on any leaves. I also cut some of herbs and grow them in water, hope I'll get a better result.
A week passed, the mint which has been grown in the soil was trunning yellow for some unknown reason, I can see the wilt to the leaves from the root. I suddenly remembered the other mints I'd grown in water that all are very healthy, so I decided to make it happen one more time, transferred the wilted mint to water. Now, the mint is still under observation, so I can't tell the result yet, please allow me to share it later.
Our marrage anniversary has just passed. That day was also G.Bear's birthday, so we had decided give it a good celebration. It means eat, play, eat, play, eat again and play again. We gained an unbelievable "Good" weight in 3 days.
Time is flying, I don't even realise a year is over. Now G.Bear and I look back, it seems so crazy like we're living in the middle of typhoon: Amazing meeting, back and forth between Canada and H.K. in happiness, some days living apart in loneliness, moving to Canada, planning a wedding in 2 months, moving and moving again.......we luckily took a brake, then we moved to H.K., but now we're still looking for a job and a place for living, we still haven't settled down yet. Everything goes too fast and changes too quickly, we feel it's unrealistic! That's why we have a little strange and funny feeling when we realised the big day was coming!
G.Bear and I have experienced so many things, although we aren't quite sure how we get through it, but the important thing is, we know we're getting through it together, holding hands, with passion and braveness, and disappointment and patience. Touching~
My Mom said, "You're like a strange wind that loves to bring lots of surprises to us. Being your Mom, I should exercise my heart often to make sure it's healthy and tough enough to suffer from your surprises." That is my Mom's comment, but I know she loves to have G.Bear.
1. Cut both edges of the cucumber, then use the discarded parts to rub the cucumber until some white foam slightly comes out, that works to release its bitter taste. Can you see some drops on the cucumber? There it is!
2. Cut the cucumber halves lengthwise, deseed. Cut it into chunks. I prefer to have bigger chunks, it brings you more good chunky chunky texture. 3. Using a knife to pat the cucumber chunks slighty, let them take the sauce easier. Please do not over do it to get the reverse result. 4. Put salt in and mix well with the cucumbers, then put in the fridge for about 2 hours. It helps to discharge the excess water. 5. Take the cucumbers out from the fridge. Wash out the salt with water, then using both hands to squeeze out the excess water. Set aside.
6.To make the dressing: Mix together with all remaining ingredients until the sugar is completely dissolved.
7. Stir in the dressing with the cucumbers, then refrigerate it for at least 4 hours before serving. During that time, it would better if you give it a shake one or two times.
Change our thinking when the situation can't change
Why is there anger everywhere?
Not long ago, while I was browsing in a shopping mall, I saw two fights happen in different places with different people. It is strange. They're all adults, they dressed well and seemed educated, but for some reason they allow themselves to tear their self-respect off and throw their sense away, fighting with ugly faces and lousy mouths with each other for a small thing. What an embarrassing situation!!
I believe that there is a measurement in everyone's heart, we use that to measure the world, set many rules and further create many expectations for ourselves and others, such as: "You should offer me better service." "You should give way and let me go first!" "You should appreciate all my effort" "You should share my workload!" "You should give me better pay!".....etc.
Until some day in the future, you realise that these things haven't happened, then you get angry, get more angry, and very angry.......then you may complain why those expectations didn't come true. You think you are a victim, so you end up being frustrated and desperate, you drive yourself crazy!!
Why do you drag yourself into such a deep well? You don't have to live as an axis and expect everything to circle around you constantly, there is no sense to allow the facts to keep disappointing you.
Those expectations may sound reasonable for most people, because we believe an ethic is "requirement causes improvement!". It is true, but how often do the expectations happen as you thought? The expectations go wrong, so we get angry, doesn't it make sense here? The better way is, when setting the expectations, also giving yourself some forgiveness for something unexpected. Let yourself make a good habit to practice flexibility, take your own responsibility to handle personal emotions.
Over a billion people are living on the same planet. You have your desires, other people have theirs, but they aren't you, they are do not necessarily understand or do anything the way you want, so you shouldn't punish or even get angry with other people! When you think about your rights, please remember to give some room for other people to have theirs.
I've heard a song by Andy Lau, one of the lyrics is---Change our thinking when the situation can't change. What a good reminder!!
When something comes up unexpectedly, please tell yourself: "I would prefer "A", but now I got "B". It's okay too!"
Always carry a forgiving heart and a flexible mind, you'll find that the world has a big difference. It is simpler and happier!
This style of toast's method is similar to pancake, the difference bewteen them are toast using bread instead of flour in pancake. Here I specially made the maple syrup of blue berries, that showed Hong Kong summer style flavor.
Processing:
1. Wash the berries. Keep about 10 berries for garnish and puree anothers, then mix together the honey and berry puree. Set aside.
2. Whisk eggs, milk, cinammon powder, vanilla extract and salt together until it becomes smoothly.
3. Dip each sides of a bread into the egg mixture slightly.Please remember "just" dip it slightly and don't over do it, that advoid the toast to be nice outside but waterly inside.
4. Melt a cube of butter onto a pan over a low heat, then place the dipped bread on it. 5. Cook it until it truns to golden brown on each sides.
6. Put the toasts on the top of each other on a serving dish. 7. At last, pour the berry sauce onto the toast and granish with fresh blue berries. Serve immediately.
I'm so exhausted recently. Everyday I just want to jump into bed right away after I get home, but I can't.......because I still have to finish my homework~
My status changed to a student from a worker since last week, I can go back to school for further education. It's exciting news for me ^0^
Many thanks for the acceptance of G.Bear and my family that they understand me and allow me to find my dream and do what I've wanted, as it seems a bit late to go back to school, based on my age anyways. I feel happy to see that there was a chance to replace the loss of education in my childhood.
By the way, I also want to say thanks to anyone who are watching this blog. What a surprise that I just found out that many people who have watched this blog live quite far, such as: Malaysia, U.S., Australia or Europe. Thank you for supporting the blog and being interested in my small living things, I wish we can sharing constantly.
500g..............Noodles(using colourful noodles can promote the presentation of the dish) 20.................Shrimps, shelled and vein removed 60g...............Watercress 2....................Tomatoes, diced and reserve the juice 1....................Red Bell Pepper, deseed and diced 25g...............Sunflower Seeds(You can use pine seed here, it depends on what ingredient you may get)
1. To prepare the dressing: Peel the lemon skin with a peeler, then use a knife to remove the white part to prevent a bitter taste. Slice them into thin slices. Set aside.
2. In a bowl, squeeze the lemons for juice, remove the seeds. 3. Stir in all dressing ingredients and preserved tomato juice and lemon zest. Set aside.
4. Put he sunflower seeds in a dry frying pan over a low heat, until golden brown or fragrant. Remove from the heat.
5. Meanwhile, boil a pot of water, add the watercress and cook for 10 seconds, then drain them. 6. Add the shrimps, cook until they turn red colour or curl. Drain. 7. Pour the noodles into the boiling water, cook until tender.
8. In a big serving bowl, mix all these four ingredients together. Then Stir in the dressing in parts. Serve.
