I’ll Wait For The Next Available Table Please

I didn’t think I had this problem, but obviously, I didn’t realize how much of a germaphobe I was. I didn’t pay a lot of attention to this fear in the past when asking the hostess not to be seated at a table that was located near the public restrooms. Even when the restaurant was super crowded and I was super hungry and had been waiting for a super long time to be seated, I opted to wait for the next available table that was as far away from the restrooms as possible.

Now, I am not a snob, but I guess I have an extremely vivid imagination when it comes down to those imaginary monsters I envision rising from toilets, sinks, and vents like from a scene in Ghostbusters. As I delved into my condition a little more, I found out that public restroom phobias really exist. So for me, sitting near or in view of the public restrooms at a restaurant is a definite appetite killer. How persnickety can you be when you are on a long awaited date night with a famished husband? Geez!

The Cards We’re Dealt

Image Credit: Peter Griffin

Life is like a card game. The dealer distributes cards that you have no idea what they hold until you flip them over. From that point, depending on which game you’re playing, you will have to devise a strategy to play with the cards you are dealt, in an effort to win the game.

Should you hold them or fold them? Do you play or run away? If only life decisions were that easy, we wouldn’t have a thing to worry about. Sometimes life deals us a great hand, with a win-win situation. It’s like you have the Midas touch no matter what!

Some days you may feel like you’re playing a game of Solitaire, finding yourself alone, trying to figure out the next move and having to start all over again until you get the sequence right. Other days it seems like you’re playing a game of Blackjack where there is a strong adversary whom you feel you have to defeat quickly and defiantly. Many times you feel like you’re playing a long game of Poker, where you are competing against some hard core opponents for a long, hard fight just to get ahead.

While card games typically have guidelines to go by, life has no foolproof instructions that can guarantee you will avoid pain, heartache, and disappointment. Yep, life is a gamble. If you play your cards with divine instruction, you will develop divine wisdom in order to be in step with the life-changing, life-enhancing moves you make and reap the rewards from the life lessons you learn.

Poetry of the Day: Oh Troubles Sail Away

Image Credit: Kai Stachowiak

It seems like trials and tribulations can weigh us down and bury us deep. With divine intervention, we can surrender those troubles, as if we are tying them to a balloon and watching them float away.

Oh Troubles Sail Away

Like a helium balloon
ever climbing and reaching upward
I tie my hardships to its flagging string
releasing it from my constricted grasp

I watched it sail into the lucid air
drifting in the arms of a gentle breeze
I surrender the weight of unsolicited burdens
wherever it goes I do not care

no longer does it hoard my inner sanctity
like dumping bricks from a wheel barrel
the higher it goes the smaller it gets
sail away oh mighty troubles, sail away.

© Kym Gordon Moore

Millennials Are Like Poetry

Last week I wrote a short commentary on another blog about a few disturbing op-ed articles I read expressing how the demise of many established industries are being blamed on Millennials. Huh? Really?

For the most part, there always seems to be a generation gap of how things operate during our current time versus that of times past. Now, as a Baby Boomer, I grew up during an era when change and progress seemed to be occurring at warp speed compared to that of my parents’ generation. We always see evidence of this with the changing of generational guards.

With the increase in technological advancements, we are noticing that certain processes are done much faster, while information is absorbed and retained much differently than it was during my wonder years. In other words, even though this generation is more tech savvy than we were, their appetite for the spice of life is just as unique and adventurous as ours was…like a poetic bouquet of freshly picked flowers.

Poetry tells a story but in a condensed bite-sized version. Just as the voice of literature has changed throughout centuries, today that voice resonates with a different flavor and engagement. Humanity is like literature and our diversity is akin to the various genres falling under this prose. Veteran generations are much like novels, and Millennials are like poetry. The novel is still told, just at a faster pace and with a more modernized version.

People’s tastes and lifestyles have changed, some more drastically than others. In some respect, we aren’t changing with the times as fast as we think. Because Millennials dine differently, entertain differently, earn and spend money differently, learn uniquely and communicate quite differently, marketing to them has to be modified to appeal to their appetites as consumers.

Not to compromise the integrity of quality and business ethics, traditional ways of engagement will have to change. Innovation has to take place and processes must be adjusted. Old ways may be mundane, long and drawn out, but investing in a little organizational tweaking could be an effective solution. So before we go playing the blame game on Millennials because their spending and investing habits are clearly different from previous generations, we need to examine the real nitty gritty behind how existing industries are appealing to their lifestyles. Change is not always easy, but it is definitely a learning experience. That’s just my 2¢.

 

Celebrating Buwan Ng Wika with Chicken Adobo

Image Credit: http://panlasangpinoy.com

In the Philippines, throughout the month of August, Buwan Ng Wika is celebrated to promote their national language. One of the most recognized and authentic Filipino foods is Chicken Adobo. Braised in vinegar and soy sauce with lots of garlic this stewed chicken dish is marinated overnight and slow cooked.

Check out this easy Chicken Adobo Recipe from the kitchen of Panlasang Pinoy.

 

Prep time

60 mins

Cook time

45 mins

Total time

1 hour 45 mins

 

This is a basic Filipino Chicken Adobo Recipe. It makes use of simple adobo ingredients such as soy sauce, vinegar, dried bay leaves and whole peppercorn.

Author: Vanjo Merano

Recipe type: Main Dish

Cuisine: Filipino

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs. chicken, cut into serving pieces
• 3 pieces dried bay leaves
• 4 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp vinegar
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 to 2 cups water
• ¼ cup cooking oil
• ½ tablespoon white sugar
• Salt and whole peppercorn

Instructions:

1. In a large container, combine the soy sauce and garlic then marinade the chicken for at least 1 to 3 hours
2. Place the cooking oil in a pan and apply heat
3. When the oil is hot enough, put-in the marinated chicken. Cook all the sides for about 5 minutes.
4. Pour-in the remaining marinade and add water. Bring to a boil
5. Add the dried bay leaves and whole peppercorn. Simmer for 30 minutes or until the chicken is tender
6. Add vinegar. Stir and cook for 10 minutes.
7. Put-in the sugar, and salt. Stir and turn the heat off.
8. Serve hot. Share and Enjoy!

Nutrition Information

Serving size: 4 Calories: 450

#HappyFoodPornFriday #HappyBuwanNgWika #BonAppetit

Badge of Courage

Image source: Pinterest

Courage…some days you are feeling it and some days you don’t. On those days when your confidence level is down and courage seems elusive, that’s when you cannot fear, nor be dismayed, nor give up.

One of my favorite movies is The Wizard of Oz, which debuted in theaters across the U.S. on August 25, 1939. If you are a fan of this cast of characters, Dorothy, Toto, Tin Man, Scarecrow, Cowardly Lion, the Great Wizard of Oz, Glinda the Good Witch, and the Wicked Witch of the West, then you are swept away by the storyline about matters of the heart.

Just as the Cowardly Lion tried to put on a front and act ferocious, he was, for whatever reasons, lacked confidence. I loved the advice Dorothy gave the lion that encouraged his confidence and helped him regain his courage: “The true courage is in facing danger when you are afraid.” Sometimes, challenges can beat the courage out of you, but even in those moments of discouragement, we rise when we face these challenges head-on, and take back our confidence with a boldness that surpasses our understanding.

What’s The Matter? Cat Got Your Tongue?

Image credit: George Hodan

I saw a funny drawing the other day that reminded me of an idiom we used to use quite often when I was growing up. The saying ‘Cat got your tongue?’ is shorted from the question ‘Has the cat got your tongue?’ The meaning behind the saying is directed at anyone who seems to be at a loss for words and is suspiciously unobtrusive when they are expected to speak.

Image credit: deviantart.com

Yet, I’ve often wondered why a cat? Why not a dog, or squirrel or bird? There are no historical derivations that involve an actual cat. So where does this cliche come from? Who knows? Probably from the same place ‘Straight from the horse’s mouth’, ‘A little bird told me’, ‘When pigs fly’ or ‘Like a bat out of hell’ came from!

Sometimes, we often hear individuals who ‘run their mouths’ way too much and can say some off-colored language that makes you want to tell them to ‘Bite your tongue’ in no uncertain terms. Perhaps you could send a cat after them?

An Act of Kindness on National Be An Angel Day

Image Credit: Sabine Sauermaul

Although today we recognize National Be An Angel Day, why not show a random act of kindness to someone frequently? It costs you absolutely nothing to do a good deed or simply to be kind to someone. The beautiful part about being an angel is that you don’t expect anything in return. Oh my gosh, how amazing you feel after you’ve done something kind for someone who never expected it. Go ahead…make someone’s day!

#NationalBeAnAngelDay

Poetry of a Total Solar Eclipse

Image Credit: Piotr Siedlecki

What a historic moment in time and timing. Today, August 21, 2017, Americans will be able to see the first total solar eclipse across the country since 1918. Experiencing a total solar eclipse where you live happens about once in 375 years, according to NASA.

Don’t forget to protect your eyes with special solar eclipse glasses, before viewing this spectacular sight.

Circles of Perfection in an Ecliptic Dance

Suddenly the daytime sky darkens
as the Moon passes between the Sun and Earth
the fiery day star completely obscured
by a silhouette of the lunar celestial body
perfect circles aligned in orbit
a slow dance in the shadows of day
corona brilliantly radiating an angular glow
within moments this three-dimensional dance is over.

©Kym Gordon Moore

Food Porn Friday: Twice-Baked Goat Cheese-Truffle Potatoes

Image credit: mygourmetconnection.com

August is National Goat Cheese Month. Today on Food Porn Friday, we are featuring this deliciously rich, easy to make, Twice Baked Goat Cheese Truffle Potatoes from the kitchen of My Gourmet Connection.

Twice-Baked Goat Cheese-Truffle Potatoes

Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 15 minutes Yield: 4 to 6 servings

• Ingredients:
• 4 large Yukon Gold potatoes, scrubbed
• 4 ounces crumbled goat cheese
• 2-1/2 tablespoons white truffle oil (see notes)
• 2 to 3 tablespoons cream or half-and-half
• 2 tablespoons fresh chives, chopped
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preparation:
Preheat the oven to 400°F and arrange the scrubbed potatoes on a baking sheet. Bake for about 1 hour, until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a knife. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 15 minutes.

Slice each potato in half lengthwise and using a large spoon, gently scrape the cooked potato into a large bowl, leaving about 1/8-inch of flesh in the skin. Place the empty skins back on the baking sheet.

Heat the truffle oil and cream in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, just until warm, 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the goat cheese and chives. Add the mixture to the potatoes and mash until creamy and well combined. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Mound the potato-cheese mixture into the skins and smooth with the back of a spoon. Return to the oven to warm through and brown lightly on the top, 10 to 12 minutes.

About white truffle oil:
Look for white truffle oil that’s made by infusing top quality extra virgin olive oil with actual pieces of white truffle. Our favorite brand is I Peccati di Ciacco Alba White Truffle Oil, which we buy from Gourmets-Delight.com. This ingredient doesn’t come cheap, so we always reserve it for special occasions.