I hope you enjoyed my blog as much as I enjoyed writing it. It's been one fun ride through pining for good food, stumbling upon sweet nothings, writing to ward off sadness, sharing my excitement, and learning something extraordinary every step of the way over the past 3 years.
Now on to the next adventure! I hope you can join me :)
http://saltysweetsunshine.tumblr.com/
Saturday, July 9, 2011
The Truth
“And you know what’s so good about the truth? Everyone knows what it is however long they’ve lived without it. No one forgets the truth, Frank, they just get better at lying.”
| — | April, Revolutionary Road |
Friday, July 8, 2011
Ramen :D
Can't wait to try out some of these recipes!
On A Budget? 5 Ways to Eat Ramen for Dinner
Times are tight, budgets are pinched. We had two dollars left in our food budget on Tuesday of last week, so I buzzed to the store and bought the only thing I could think of. Ramen. At 17 cents a package, ramen has to be the best food deal out there. And, it’s a fun deal, too. Because a packet of ramen isn’t just soup waiting to be made. It’s actually a blank canvas ready to be turned into art. Here are 10 super-simple ways to pimp out your ramen and make it into a simple, satisfying dinner.
1. Veggie Ramen (pictured above) . Toss a tablespoon of butter into a skillet. Add 2 tablespoons each of thinly-sliced carrots, frozen green beans, frozen white corn, and edamame. Cook just until softened. Add a packet of Pork Ramen, 2 cups of water, and cook until the noodles are cooked through, about 6 minutes. Add seasoning packet. Serve and enjoy.
2. Egg Foo Ramen. In a small bowl, whisk an egg with 1 tablespoon of water until well beaten. Bring 2 cups of water to a boil in a small saucepan. Pour egg into the water, then add the noodles. Cook just until tender. Season with seasoning packet. Garnish with sliced green onions.
3. Chinese Chicken Salad. Shred 1/4 a head of cabbage, 1 breast of chicken, and 1/4 white onion. Add 1 package of crushed Chicken-flavored Ramen. In a small bowl, whisk together the seasoning packet, 2 tablespoons of oil, 2 tablespoons of white vinegar, and 2 tablespoons of sugar. Toss dressing into salad, serve and enjoy.
4. Ham Fried Ramen. A simple take on Fried Rice, cook a packet of Pork Ramen until the noodles are tender. Drain completely. In a skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of sesame oil and 1 tablespoon olive oil until sizzling. Add 1/4 cup diced ham and 1/4 cup of frozen peas & carrots to the oil. Immediately toss in the noodles. Crack an egg into the mixture and stir until well cooked and distributed around the noodle mixture. Season with soy sauce, garnish with a handful of diced green onions.
5. Parmesan Ramen. Cook a packet of ramen noodles. Save the flavoring packet for another day. Once the noodles are cooked, drain the water from them completely. Top with a pat of butter, a bit of freshly-shredded parmesan, and some chopped parsley.
For 5 more great Ramen recipes, visit Babble.
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
23
It's been a while, yes?
I'm happy to report that I have been doing something new everyday, though I've opted not to post everything here and instead just enjoy the moments as they come. It's been one crazy, crazy summer. The highs and lows have got my head spinning in all directions, and I'm just appreciating this down time and using it to take it all in.
I'm 23 now. Twenty-three years. I'm a daughter, sister, friend, fiancee, employee, wingman, cousin, granddaughter, niece, acquaintance, colleague. I have to admit I'm not always good at being some, and sometimes even all of the above, all at once. Growing up is a flurry of joy and pain and confusion, and I think I can say I'm doing my best. We're all doing our best.
--
Things I've learned this year:
1. Happiness is a choice, and also, a sort of lucky thing. Choose it; don't take it for granted.
2. Friends support each other and enjoy each other's company. That's all there is to it.
3. If you don't enjoy conversations with your partner the most, leave. Now.
4. People change. It doesn't mean they love you any less.
5. People leave, and yes, that does mean that they've found something they love a little more than you. It's just the way it is. Someday someone will leave something else for you. You probably will, too.
6. Bad luck is universal. Don't take it personally.
7. Airports are both the saddest and happiest places. Appreciate everyone who goes through them - they come out stronger.
8. When people love you, it doesn't give you the right to test them.
9. Breathe deep, then let it go. Sometimes it's all you can do.
--
Last year, I said that the happiest times in my life are moments I spend with good company. That still holds true, but now I realize that one's happiness shouldn't depend on other people. I can be my own good company, too.
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
A career in housekeeping?
Last night, I rearranged my room and threw out things I don't want or need anymore. I stopped short at moving one of the two beds inside into another room, though I'm still contemplating it at this point. I am proud to report that I threw out buckets of paper and even old, empty ballpens I couldn't part with when I was my younger, packrat-er self! And, I made a tiny holder for my earrings out of that piece of glass. I. Am. Genius.
What I'm really liking about this Something New Project is that I've become more open to trying out new things - it makes me lean towards saying "yes" to stuff I would normally say "no" to in a heartbeat (Like me saying yes to going to church with my little brother over an extra hour of sleep; I haven't gone to church in months!), and it also makes me actively seek out opportunities to do something for the first time. Mind you, it takes some creativity!
Since creativity isn't really one of my best assets, suffice to say I am running out of ideas! Today, for instance, I have yet to do anything new of significance and it is already 6 PM. Should I go clean another portion of the house? Maybe the den? HELP!!!
Monday, March 28, 2011
A letter of resignation
Before you think that I'm taking my Something New Project a little too far, let me just say that it's been some time coming. And now it's here. And it feels scarier than I thought it would.
I'm firing myself from a job I actually liked. I have two main jobs - Finance Manager and Director of Sales and Marketing. I'm giving up the latter, because of many reasons, including the fact that juggling both jobs has left me exhausted, stressed and pressured beyond capacity.
It's taken me a while to admit that. It's taken me a while to admit that, though I work hard and have the best interests at heart, sometimes I'm just not the right person for the job, in this case, due to lack of experience and lack of time.
How I wish I could just give up my Finance Manager post, instead. How I wish with all my heart that that was the one I had to let go of. But circumstances dictate that I hold on to that one just a little bit longer.
I don't know what to expect now that I'm not the boss of these 6 people outside my office anymore. I don't know how to deal with not having an office of my own. I love this space, with its quiet and more than enough space to think, and its beautiful view of Manila Bay just outside my window, and I feel sad that I have to give it up. I'm afraid that I'm going to be insanely jealous of the person I hired to take my place, because she will now have this office. She will now have the time and the privilege to do what I was supposed to. She'll have my job.
My Finance office is chaotic. Imagine dot matrix printers churning out papers and phones ringing every single minute. And I'm supposed to be balancing numbers and making finance reports in the midst of all that? Where do I go to think now? Where do I get my own space and peace?
I still have a job, but somehow I feel almost jobless. Like I'm not sure where to go from here.
But of course, being the oddly organized yet still messy person that I am, I do know where to go from here. I know that I will finish packing up my things, move out of this office, pack my bags tonight, go back to my Finance office, clean up the back log I have to come home to, clean up my room at home, schedule my flights, turn over my work to the new Director of Sales and Marketing, check up on her, check up on myself, check the hotel, and do what I was supposed to be doing in the first place, what I have to do to make sure everything is working properly - fix up the finance, inventory and audit reports.
I almost feel like I won't even do any of that, but that's gonna defeat the purpose of executing my own resignation. The reason why I have to give up my job is to make way for other more important things. This will change me, I know it, but I don't know how exactly yet, or whether it will be for the good. I do feel though that it's the right, albeit difficult, step.
I love being able to come to Manila, my freedom, learning new things, being my own boss, making my own schedule, calling my own shots. But more than that, I love my family, and I care about the future of this business.
Closing my eyes and taking a leap of faith today. I can do this.
Yesterday, my siblings and I went to church just the three of us for the first time, without being told! Are we really adults now? It was good to be sitting there with them, listening to the Reverend talk about how the opposite of love is not hate, instead, it's indifference. A very nice thought: once we are secure with ourselves and when we trust that we are in good hands, it will be easy for us to love unselfishly. It was a perfect way to end the fantastic weekend.
The service ended with this film. It made me cry.
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