Current Mood


Reading...
Trick Mirror: Reflections on Self-Delusion
This is a compelling collection of essays on cultural criticism.  The author shares her personal take/experiences on timely subjects including feminism, social discourse in the internet era and our preoccupations with external appearance through a lens of self delusion. It's all very sharp and though provoking.

Watching...
Spring Training Baseball
Baseball is back and I'm just thrilled to be able to watch games again. The off season was dominated by news about the Houston Astros sign stealing scandal and as a NY Yankees fan I do feel like my team was cheated out of a chance to go the World Series in 2017. I'm pretty sure we could've beat the Dodgers too. And Aaron Judge was definitely robbed of an MVP title. Even without the post season stats his numbers were better. People are like how can you care about baseball with everything going on and the honest truth is that baseball offers us a much needed escape from reality. I get such fatigue from the 24 hour news cycle.

Rediscovering...
Stardust
We first watched this fantasy adventure romance film based on an illustrated story by Neil Gaiman,  back when it came out in 2007. It features a stellar cast lead by a then unknown Charlie Cox who would later go on to be best known as Daredevil alongside Claire Danes, Michelle Pfeiffer and Robert DeNiro. We loved it then and it still holds up after all these years.

Eating...
Buddha’s Delight (罗汉斋) 
This Buddhist vegetarian dish known as lo han jai in Cantonese is usually eaten during the first day of the Chinese New Year for good luck. My husband and I both enjoy it immensely but I've been a little intimidated to make it at home because the traditional unabridged version can contain as many as 18  ingredients. I decided to tackle it recently with an edited down ingredient list. I'm still perfecting my version but I work off a base of napa cabbage, shitake mushrooms, wood ear mushrooms and gluten. Interchangeable ingredients include broccoli, choy sum, snow peas, carrots, potatoes, lily buds, bamboo shoots, baby corn and bean sprouts. The beauty of this dish is actually in the different ingredients that can be used and it's not as hard to make as I thought it would be. The prep can be a little involved depending on the vegetables used but with strategic meal planning, I end up only having to wash certain items once for several meals. The cooking process is fairly simple since it is basically a stew. I use a mixture of minced garlic, fermented red bean curd, soy sauce and Shaoxing cooking wine for the seasoning. And I always make more because the leftovers  taste even better the next day.

Snacking on...
Roasted Seaweed
If I'm not having fruit, my snacking preference usually veers towards something salty or sour. Lately I've rediscovered a love for roasted seaweed. Snack size packs are just 30 calories and they're a tasty satisfying and low carb treat. It's also a good way to get a dose of micronutrients including iron, vitamin C, iodine and magnesium. A serving contains 65 percent of the recommended daily serving of iodine which is crucial to thyroid function.

Cooling down...
My Showers
I've never really been one for hot showers but recently I've switched to cold ones since reading that they have many benefits like increasing energy, boosting immunity, improving circulation and heart health, speeding up muscle recovery and easing stress.  I've actually been doing this since December and I think it has helped me feel better overall and has also been better for my skin. I take very quick showers, always at night and usually before I go to make dinner. For the record, I've been washing my face and hair with cool/cold water for as long as I can remember.

Going for...
Acupuncture
I deal with chronic pain and acupuncture is one way that helps me to manage it without relying on drugs. I'm really lucky that our insurance does cover it and I have a really good doctor.

Updating....
Our Home Emergency Kit
I've kept some form of a home emergency kit (read about it here) assembled for a number of years and with everything going on right now, I'm reevaluating and adding some items to it as well as making sure all our meds and supplies are up to date. I'm also fortifying our pantry which I usually keep pretty well stocked anyway as well. I want to be well prepared just in case of anything and not be one of those people who goes into full panic mode if there's bad weather or some other emergency situation.

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13 comments

R.ChamberofBeauty said...

Such an interesting post-Rowena, I enjoyed reading your current love. This Buddha Delight looks so yummy, It reminds me of an old dish we used to enjoy in our childhood. I'm feeling bad to hear about your pain but glad that you got a way to get rid of this pain with natural therapy. My husband also suffering such pain but he depends on the medicines which can be harmful to him but the problem is that here in India, I'm not sure such therapies are available but I will search about it.

have a happy Monday girl :)
Love <3
http://www.rakhshanda-chamberofbeauty.com/

Dressed With Soul said...

Oh, Buddha's delight, seems to be a fantastic dish and now I want to try it out as I never have had it so far! And the same is for seaweed :) I see you enjoy outstanding delights!
xx from Bavaria/Germany, Rena
www.dressedwithsoul.com

Doctor Anne said...

Our pantry is always stocked well, and that pays off right now. People are in full blown panic and you barely get potatoes, noodles and flour anymore...

Emmylou said...

Roasted seaweed are the best, aren't they, chingu? And also love Stardust...both the book and the movie. So different but both are amazing on their own rights I think.
Hope you're having a lovely Monday!

Hena Tayeb said...

I've actually never seen Stardust.
Oh I got chills just thinking about your cold shower.. even with all the benefits I just don;t think I could do it..

FASHION TALES said...

Oh, yes cool water always for the skin, my mum taught me that. I only do cold showers a few times a week aside from regular, ever since I played sport on the running team but I have been reading more about them as of late. It's a good way to start the day. I love seaweed and fermented red bean curd as well, this post is making me hungry. Wish you an enjoyable week, lovely! :)

little luxury list said...

I love hot showers so it would be hard to change, but should try.
Oh and it's great you're making Buddha's delight! I've also been intimidated, but it would be good to try a pared down version.

R's Rue said...

The food looks yummy. Cold showers!!! I may try it.

Shireen L. Platt said...

I loveeeee Lo Han Jai but the prep looks like a lot of work. I'm trying to cook more vegetarian food these days so I might just bite the bullet and try cooking it one of these days.

The Dainty Dolls House said...

I love roasted seaweed too, so good!! The shower looks amazing!! Hope you having a great week so far x

Amy Aed said...

Trick Mirror sounds really good! I'm hoping to do a lot more reading this year, and it would be nice to start with something like this which intruigues me a lot.

Hope you're having a good week! :)
Amy x Wandering Everywhere

ALLIE NYC said...

That sounds like and eye opening book. I just finished reading The Buy Side about Insider Trading before the big crash but written in first person Less Then Zero kind of way. It was a great read. I have tried this in the past for pain management but my health problems are complicated so it did not do too much. And yes we really need to be ready. I was just thinking this today with the whole virus outbreak though there is a store here that delivers but still...

Allie of
www.allienyc.com

Jackie Harrison said...

I love roasted seaweed I purchase the organic from Costco. Have a great weekend.