Klausimai padeje atnesti permainas

Ko gero daugumai pazistamas jausmas, kai buni namie ir nenori nieko veikt: nei but feisbuke, nei ziuret ka nors, nei valgyt, o apie produktyvia veikla net kalbos nera. Todel griebiesi telefono ir rasai kazkam pasiulyt susitikt ka nors paveikt.

Is kur tas demesio trukumas ir vidine tustuma? Gyvenu su drauge jau keleta metu ir buna dienu, kai vienas is mudvieju juodai tingim ir lendam prie kito tarsi noredami itraukt ji i ta tinginiavimo liuna. Po keleto tokiu atveju paaiskejo, kad taip abu elgiames kai turim daug neatliktu darbu ir neigivendintu tikslu ir ne trupinelio valios. Taip tarsi pasitenkinam surije kito zmogaus laika ir nusmukdom juos i savo tinginio lygmeni.

Bet cia nieko tokio, jei siek tiek patinginiauji? Gi ne gyvenima atiduodi?

Tik atvykes i Anglija turejau vieninteli tiksla - pabaigt mokslus. 3 metai, no problem. Kadangi nieko toliau neplanavau, tie mokslai uztruko labai ilgai ir net nesuvokiau, kad jau praejo 6 metai. Dabar turiu planu, laikas tapo daug brangesnis ir dziugu isgyventi tai, ka susvajoju, suplanuoju ir igvyvendinu.

Mes skiriam per daug energijos darant tai, ko nenorim, todel nebelieka jegu igyvendint grazioms ateities vizijoms!


Samoningai pradejau keist savo gyvenima, kai pradejau sau uzdavinet siuos klausimus:

1) Ka as veikiu visa diena? Savaiteje 168 valandos: atemus miego laika idomu suzinot, kaip praleidziam likusias ¬100 h?

Ant lapo nusipiesiau du laikrodukus: viena nuo 6 ryto iki 6 vakaro, o kita nuo 6 vakaro iki 6 ryto. Paskaiciavau kiek laiko miegu, kada keliuos, ka veikiu pries darba, per pietu pertrauka ir tt.

Kadangi nemegdavau savo darbovietes, atrodydavo, kad visa diena prakirmydavau ofise, o po darbo jau telikdavo kapeikos to laiko. Nuo tada pradejau keltis vis anksciau ir nuveikdavau kazka produktyvaus pries darba, todel dienos nebeatrodydavo praleistos veltui. Dabar turiu megiama darba, bet vis tiek atsikeliu anksti, todel galiu atlikti dvigubai daugiau gero.

2) Kokia man is to nauda?

Ka man gero atnes tas maisto gabalas, kuri dedu i burna? Zinoma, kartais pasilepinti yra gerai, bet reiktu atidziai pagalvot is kur tas maistas ateina ir ka jis duoda.

Kokia nauda as gaunu is bendravimo su tuo zmogum/zmonemis? Ka gauna jie? Ka man duoda sie uzsiemimai? Pakeitus poziuri i savo veikla, pasikeite ir mane supantys zmones. Tikiuos, kad ir jum su manim smagu!

3) Ka as trokstu nuveikti, kad senatveje nesigaileciau?

Neaiskioje spaudoje skelbiami neaiskus tyrimai, kad labiau gailimes to, ko nepadarem, negu to, ka padarem.


Nepamirskim, kad rasau subjektyviai, o jus skaitot taip paciai, todel kritika priimama siltai, jei taip pat isreiskiama :) Mane auksciau pateikti klausimai privercia pamastyt kitu kampu, o kai taip nutinka, vyksta daugiau pokyciu. Todel linkiu kritinio mastymo ir pozityviu permainu, ir pridedu keista nuotrauka.

This is what makes our Christmas magical. [photos only; part 2]

Watch your plate this Christmas

Every year this happens... You meet your friends/family and spend half a day in the kitchen - and then stuff yourself in just under half an hour like a homeless man... after intense exercise... after a month of fasting... [add your own].

Usually we`re just living our daily lives, eating simple foods and BAM! - it`s Christmas - a shock to the system - a time when we let ourselves go, pretending we deserved it and we can spoil ourselves. Whereas in fact... did we?

As soon as we overindulge, and I mean 7 course-dinner, our bodies go:
- What the hell man?! I thought you were trying to stay fit? You even went to the gym a few times, that`s why I tried so hard digesting all the s%*t you`ve been eating. And now you`re giving me more food?? Alright then, bring on the pies!

It`s okay to have some cheat meals over the holidays, but don`t forget your goals, that is, if you have any. If you`re happy, please spread the joy to whoever needs it most, if you`re not - I wish you to find peace within you.

Have a happy Christmas and a conscious New Year,
Vidmantas.

Nosy about Rosy: mixed roasted nuts with rosemary

I have to admit - I am nuts about nuts! I can go through a jar of peanut butter in two days if I'm in the mood, if not, I can do it in four.

Wherever you store them, the crunchy rosemary salt left at the bottom is the best bit. Moist your finger to scoop out the salt and have a few roast nuts - gorgeous!


Ingredients:

2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoon fresh chopped rosemary
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon chilli
2 cups mixed nuts (pecans, cashews and hazelnuts)


Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 180 C (350 degrees F).
2) Melt butter with rosemary, salt, and cayenne. Pour this mixture over 3 cups mixed nuts, tossing to coat them.
3) Bake the nuts on a cookie sheet for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Yakiguri Gohan and our mid-December barbecue

Where I come from, people don’t usually cook chestnuts, let alone eat them - you just throw them at each other when you’re a kid. That’s all. The other day, however, I bought some chestnuts and luckily stumbled upon an interesting recipe from a cool blogger Kyoto foodie (recipe at the end).

 

It was the 14 of December and the weather was perfect for a barbecue. NOT! As it was a bit chilly, we packed our picnic basket with tea and biscuits.

Even though we were wearing scarves and gloves, the barbecue was a definite success. The chestnuts came out very charred and full of smoky flavour.

Theoretically it is easier to peel the chestnuts while they’re hot, so I peeled them straight off the barbecue to find out for myself.

Yes, it is easier. And yes, it does hurt.

I have well over roasted the chestnuts but it didn’t over complicate the dish. And it was a nice way to enjoy a chilly afternoon with ‘chestnuts roasting on an open fire..’ song in my head.

With a few alterations, here was the end result. I have slightly altered the recipe to suit the basic “westerner’s” cupboard items, however the original ingredients are included.

Before you cook, you’re most likely to need a jargon buster:

DASHI KOMBU IS DRIED KELP

KELP IS A TYPE OF SEAWEED

DONABE IS A RICE COOKER/DISH/PAN

SAKE IS JAPANESE HIGH ALCOHOL WINE

MIRIN IS SWEET RICE WINE

YAKIGURI IS ROASTED CHESTNUTS

GOHAN IS RICE

Ingredients:

 

•20 medium size chestnuts

•1 cup short grain white rice

•1 cup of water

•2 tablespoons sake*

•1 tablespoon mirin**

•1 teaspoon salt

•dashi kombu*** 

 

*Sake is a high alcohol Japanese white wine (something over 14% would have a similar effect). I have used 13% dry white wine which was a bit bitter.

**Mirin is a sweet rice wine used in Japanese cooking. Instead of mirin you can just use dry sherry or sweet marsala. I have dissolved a small amount of sugar in a little dry white wine (1/4 teaspoon of sugar to 1/4 cup white wine).

***Dashi Kombu: Dashi kombu is dried kelp (seaweed). It has a very distinct taste and I am not sure of a substitute ingredient. I bought a bag (photo below) for £1.90 from a local Asian store and there are like 7 of them in the bag!

Directions:

 

1)      Roast the chestnuts in an oven (180 C) for 10-20 minutes, or on an open fire until charred. Optionally, you can cut crosses in chestnuts so they are exposed to flame and get a smoky flavour.

2)      Add the water and rice to a pot (donabe). Then add sake, mirin and salt. Mix in the chestnuts and place sheet of dried dashi kombu on top.

3)      Heat until near boil and cover the pot. Reduce heat and cook for 10 minutes.

4)      After 10 minutes, remove from heat and leave for 10 minutes.

5)      Uncover and mix gently to break chestnuts into pieces.

6)      Generally the kombu is discarded, but I really enjoyed the chewy little sponge with the meal.

Apparently in certain places in Japan it is considered poor presentation if you leave the chestnuts whole. The reason is if you don’t have a chestnut in every bite, you can’t taste its full flavours. Everything has to be inside the bowl, no rice sticking out. Also, the Japanese are well known for their distinct personalities, attention to detail and aesthetics. So let’s have a nice meal with respect for our food and the ones enjoying it.

 

And Iiiii’m offering the simple phrase… for kids from 1... till 92... Merry Christmas…. tooooooo youuuuu! Tan tan tan, tan tan tan, tan tan tan.. tan tan!