Vegetarian Fish Sauce

We have always mistakenly thought that vegetarian dishes were very frugal, with little or no taste because we could not use a variety of spices and ingredients from animals, especially the fish sauce which is the main ingredient to create many Asian dishes. But in fact, today many chefs who create vegetarian dishes are geniuses, because they make the most out of the flavor of each ingredient. For example, it is possible to make vegetarian fish sauce from salt, pineapple, soybeans, tamarind, mushrooms, cashews, and coconut water. This sounds strange, doesn’t it, because we always think fish sauce is made from fish, so vegetarians can only use soy sauce.  But actually, there is a recipe to make fish sauce with ingredients that are completely suitable for a vegetarian. As for vegetarians, they always use soy sauce in their meals.  However, the vegetarian fish sauce recipe today is very easy to make at home. Also, it can be kept in the fridge for a long time, the following recipe I think is perfect. If fresh coconut water is used, that is best; however, the coconut water that is sold in Costco or other grocery stores will be fine for this recipe. I use a small piece of seaweed that will create a fishy taste of the ocean  that enhances the flavor of this vegetarian fish sauce. This recipe is very simple. I invite everyone to try it.

Ingredients: 

4 cups coconut water

4 cups water

1/2 cup salt

8 oz. rock sugar or granular sugar

1/4 cup light soy sauce for color

1 small piece of seaweed 

Directions:

Place all the ingredients in a medium sauce pan and bring to boil. Simmer for 15 minutes or until the rock sugar dissolves. Remove the seaweed. Turn the heat off. Let cool and pour into a jar with lid.

Small Batch of Chocolate Chip Cookies

I have started to make smaller portions of my recipes. The reason is that nowadays people live in small condos with small kitchens. The younger generation is eating healthier with portion control. They are living alone or share a room with a roommate. The smaller portion meals are very helpful for a small kitchen and are easier to make. The small batch of recipes are easier to whip up, especially for some recipes that people do not want to waste the ingredients if they do not come out right. I like the concept of baking smaller batches of cakes and cookies that are starting to take hold of me. Today, I will introduce the old fashioned chocolate chips cookies. This recipe comes out perfectly fine.

 Ingredients:

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup chocolate chips 

1 egg

1/4 cup softened butter

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 cup white sugar

2 tbs brown sugar

A pinch of salt

1 tsp vanilla

1/4 cup chopped nuts (optional)

 Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a small bowl, beat butter, egg, both sugars, and vanilla.

Add flour, the pinch of salt, and baking soda and beat until thoroughly blended.

Stir in the chocolate chips and nuts, if using nuts.

Use a small ice cream scoop to form the cookies or drop spoonfuls of dough onto the baking sheet.

Bake in the preheated oven for 12 to 15 minutes.

Let cool before serving.

Easy Chinese Almond Cookies

Chinese Almond cookies are types of cookies made with lard or vegetable shortening. They contain almond and flour. They are round shaped as is typical with other cookies. These cookies use powdered sugar and are very crumbly and melt in your mouth. This traditional cookie is very popular in Hong Kong or in big cities in China, but now it is popular around the world. These cookies are very easy to make. Today, I will share here an easy recipe that I cut into smaller portions, so you can make these cookies anytime.

Ingredients:

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup sliced Almond

12 whole almonds

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp water

1/2 cup to 3/4 cup powdered sugar

1/2 cup vegetable shortening

1 egg

1 tsp almond extract or vanilla extract

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°.

Separate the egg yolk from the egg white. 

Soak the whole almonds in hot water and remove skin.

In a mixing bowl, beat vegetable shortening, egg white, and powdered sugar with a handheld beater for 1 minute (you can beat them by hand with a whisk).

In a small bowl, combine baking powder, baking soda, and water and add into the sugar and vegetable shortening. Beat for a few seconds.

Add sliced almonds, almond extract, and flour to mixture to form a dough.

Roll the dough into a long baton-like roll; then divide into 12 balls. Flatten each piece of dough with the palm of your hand.

Line the cookie sheet with parchment paper or grease the baking sheet with a little oil. Place each flattened dough 2 inches apart. Place a whole almond in the center of each piece of dough and press lightly on the almond in the center of the dough. Beat the yolk and brush over the dough to cover the almond.

Bake for 15 minutes. When the cookies are golden; remove and let cool before serving.

Small Cornmeal Pound Cake

Pound cake is soft and sweet. It always makes a sensational dessert with fruit coulis. Pound cake also can be garnished with some powdered sugar on top, and it also looks attractive. I would like to share this easy small pound cake recipe to serve for 2 or maybe 4 people. Serve this little pound cake for dessert when you want just a little sweetness after dinner.

 Ingredients:

2/3 cup self-rising flour

1/4 cup cornmeal

1/4 cup cranberries or raisins

1/3 cup butter at room temperature

1/3 to 1/2 cup sugar

1 egg

1/4 cup milk

1/2 tsp vanilla

Equipment:

1 small loaf pan (4x4 inches)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°.

Use a small amount of butter to grease the loaf pan with flour. Shake the pan well and set aside.

Combine the milk, egg, and vanilla. Whisk to combine.

Place flour, cornmeal, and sugar in a mixing bowl. Whisk to blend well.

Add the butter and milk mixture to the flour, and use a hand-held mixer to beat the ingredients on a low speed until the dry ingredients are moistened. Continue beating the mixture until the batter has lightened and increased in volume.

Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. 

Bake the cake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean (about 25 minutes).

Serve warm. 

Small Cookies Recipes

In this current age of technology, everyone has to save time. Therefore, cooking should also follow the times, especially when young people are studying at a university, or perhaps people who are living alone or with one partner. I think that all dishes even sweets should be made simple and in small portions. Then everyone would practice making them at home. This is also very good to be able to eat less according to the amount you should eat. I often say that cooking is also a way to calm your mind and also a way to psychologically help you feel excited about making a small cake.  I try these methods with a small recipe to be made for two people can be very effective. When you can look into your kitchen cabinets for simple ingredients like sugar, butter, milk, and eggs, you can make yourself a nice little loaf of bread, so you can enjoy it. I hope that when you come to my blog, you will find recipes that I have simplified and practiced to inspire people who have a sweet tooth.

Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe

Ingredients:

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/8 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 cup unsalted butter at room temperature

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 tbs white sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 small egg 

1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Equipment:

1 baking pan 10 inches in diameter

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°.

In a small bowl, place flour, baking soda, and salt. Then whisk to blend.

Use a handheld electric mixer to beat the butter and both types of sugar until blended (about 15 seconds). Add the egg and continue to beat until well combined (another 10 seconds).

Stir in flour with beaten egg and butter; then stir in chocolate chips. Mix well.

Use a soup spoon or small ice cream scoop to measure the batter (about a 2 tablespoon quantity of the batter).

Place each of the cookie dough scoops on a baking sheet, spacing each 2 inches apart.

Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 14 to 15 minutes.

Let cookies cool for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

Enjoy!!

Variations:

Add chunks of peanut butter.

Add Butterfinger candy pieces.

Add things like raisins, pecans, walnuts, cranberries, etc.

 

10 things people cannot buy!!

 Jordi Al Emany is the founder of a private company. Recently, he posted an article on social networks, saying that money is not universal. There are 10 things that even people who have a lot of money cannot buy. The article quickly received acclaim on the online community. Everyone agreed. Let's see what are the things that even the world's billionaires can't buy?

1. Health  

Dalai Lama: People in the world, for the sake of making money, sacrifice health. For the sake of healing, sacrifice money. Then, because of worries about the future, there is no way to enjoy the present. Just like that, there is no way to live at the present. While they are alive, they forget that life is short. When they died, they discovered that they had never lived a good life.

 2. Love 

Tagore, a poet: When we get out of poverty, we will have our money, but to get this money, we have lost much kindness, beauty and much of strength. Yes!

3. Joy

American politician, physicist, electromagnetic scientist, inventor Franklin: Money cannot make people happy forever. There is no such thing called fun. The more money people have, the more they want.

4. Integrity 

British Novelist - Douglas Adams: When truly serving others, the essential thing that money cannot buy or measure is sincerity and integrity.

5. Respect 

American Philosopher - Ayn Rand: Money is a tool to survive, your attitude towards work is also your attitude towards your own life. If work for a living is corrupt, you have destroyed your own meaning of existence. Have you ever held a meaningless coin? Have you ever ridiculed others for a little extra profit? Or lower your moral standards? Because to be able to live through the day you have to do things that should not be done? If that's the case, money won't bring even the slightest bit of joy. What you buy becomes a kind of insult but not respect and is a kind of hatred that is not an achievement. As such, you would think that money is a kind of crime because you can't get any self-respect from it.

6. Inner Peace

Famous American businessman - Richard M. DeVos: Money can't buy inner peace. It can't heal broken relationships, or make life better or meaningless becomes meaningful.

7. Ethics 

American journalist and author - George Lorimer: What can be bought with money is of course good, but it should not be forgotten that what cannot be bought with money is even better.

8. Education 

American reporter and author - Neil de Grasse Tyson: Humans do not use sympathy and sharing to feel the feelings and thoughts of others or other creatures on earth. Perhaps our formal education should add to the education of empathy and sharing. Imagine, if education consisted of reading, writing, math, empathy, and sharing, the world would not be the same.

9. Intelligence

Steve Jobs, Apple founder: I did not return to Apple for the sake of making money. The god of luck is always interested in me. By the age of 25, I had made a fortune of $100 million. It was clear then that I would not be enslaved by money. Because I definitely can't spend all that money, moreover, I don't use money to test my intelligence.

10. Spiritual Enlightenment 

Anonymous: Money can buy a house to live in but can't buy a peaceful roof; it can buy a bed but not a comfortable and pleasant sleep; it can buy a watch but not time; it can buy books but not knowledge; it can buy blood but not health.

So money is not universal.

FORGIVING

 

Please take a moment to take in the following message:

What forgiveness is

"Forgiveness is a form of realism. It doesn't deny, minimize, or justify what others have done to us or the pain that we have suffered. It encourages us to look squarely at those old wounds and see them for what they are. And it allows us to see how much energy we have wasted and how much we have damaged ourselves by not forgiving.

 

Forgiveness is an internal process. It can't be forced, and it doesn't come easy. It brings with it great feelings of wellness and freedom. But we experience this only when we want to heal and when we are willing to work for it.

Forgiveness is a sign of positive self-esteem. We no longer identify ourselves by our past injuries and injustices. We are no longer victims. We claim the right to stop hurting when we say, "I'm tired of the pain, and I want to be healed." At that moment, forgiveness becomes a possibility-although it may take time and much hard work before we finally achieve it.

 

Forgiveness is letting go of the past. It doesn't erase what happened, but it does allow us to lessen and perhaps even eliminate the pain of the past. The pain from our past no longer dictates how we live in the present, and it no longer determines our future.

 

It also means that we no longer need resentment and anger as an excuse for our shortcomings. We don't need them as a weapon to punish others nor as a shield to protect ourselves by keeping others away. And most importantly, we don't need these feelings to identify who we are. We become more than merely victims of our past.

 

Forgiveness is no longer wanting to punish those who hurt us. It is understanding that the anger and hatred that we feel toward them hurts us far more than it hurts them. It is seeing how we hide ourselves in our anger and how those feelings prevent us from healing. It is discovering the inner peace that becomes ours when we let go of the past and forget vengeance.

 

Forgiveness is moving on. It is recognizing all that we have lost because of our refusal to forgive. It is realizing that the energy that we spend hanging on to the past is better spent on improving our present and our future. It is letting go of the past so that we can move on.

Mistake of trying to run away from the past. The problem is that no matter how fast or how far we run, the past always catches up to us-and usually at the most inopportune time. When we forgive, we are dealing with the past in such a way that we no We all have been hurt. And at one time or another most of us have made the longer have to run.

 

For me, learning how to forgive wasn't easy. But I did learn, and my life is better for it - even here on death row."

Michael B. Ross
Death Row
Somers, Connecticut

"To be angry is to let others' mistakes punish yourself.
To forgive others  is to be good to yourself.

Master ChengYen

Buddhism today