Museo de Pesonal Mexico

Day 2

跟Juanita （Emerson的妈妈）一起去了两个博物馆。
第一个是一个富婆的家, 因为有钱有势有收藏，所以把家改成了博物馆！游客60P，当地人10P。我不想里面照相所以没多交钱。里面有一半是中国的国宝级东西！超多象牙雕刻的神仙人物传说等！请看照片： Museo Dolores Olmedo

第二个去了著名艺术家收藏家人类学家Diego Rivera的家，这哥们是个horder，据说从八岁开始收藏，所有财产都买了pre-hispanic 文物！个人收藏多达40000件！后来自己设计建造自己的博物馆。可惜没建完就一命呜呼，后来富婆Dolores 出钱，女儿帮他建造完成！里面展示了2000多件文物，可是也是相当牛逼！没拍里面的照片，看看外景吧！哈哈

太累现在，明天更新day 3 and 4吧！

Vancouver Wandering

走了一整天，慢慢悠悠的朝着Canada Place的方向，走过住宅区，穿过公园，一路花花草草，满街鲜花烂熳，十分惬意！

总结一下对大家拿吻个花的几个印象：
1、城市比北京小很多，散着步就可以去很多地方！游哒起来也舒服！

2、W hasting St. 有几个街区让我紧张很没有安全感！各种奇奇怪怪的流浪人，中毒者，好不舒服！低头硬着头皮赶紧走！不过以后这样的路还是躲着点儿！

3、晚上往回走的时候，再走住宅区有点小紧张！文化差异出来了：这么舒服的天儿，人都他妈的躲家里干嘛呐？不学学咱中国人 散散步 跳个集体舞啥的乐呵乐呵！真没劲！吓得我东瞅西看的！^_^

4、严重说一下，空气太他么好喇！明儿我要去🏃！(☆_☆)

期待Trmw!

Get Vaccinated

实用信息：

北京接种疫苗的单位：北京国际旅行卫生保健中心
地址：马甸金澳大厦23层

我选了3种疫苗：黄热，甲肝和霍乱

花了近500元后，取得证书！整体来说保健中心效率还是蛮快哒！

10-MINUTE SCRAMBLED TOFU

What You’ll Need:

1 teaspoon nutritional yeast
¼ teaspoon turmeric
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon paprika
1 tablespoon water
1 pinch sea salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
Olive oil, in a mister
1 scallion, finely diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 package firm tofu (about 210g), very well drained
1 tablespoon very finely chopped parsley

What to Do:

1. In a small bowl, mix together all ingredients for the seasoning — nutritonal yeast, turmeric, cumin, paprika, water, salt, and pepper — and set aside.
2. Mist a frying pan with olive oil and place it over medium heat to warm up.
3. Once hot, add the chopped scallion and garlic, and sautee until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
4. Crumble the tofu into the pan, breaking it up with your fingers.
5. Pour the seasoning (which should resemble a bright paste) over the tofu and mix it well, trying to color as much tofu as possible.
6. Cook for 2 minutes or until tofu is hot throughout. Toss in the parsley and continue to stir for another 1-2 mins.
7. Once cooked, serve with your favorite sides and toppings: Sliced avocado, whole-grain crackers or toast, sliced tomato, bacon (regular, or meat-free!), salsa, and/or hot sauce are all great options.

Journey Starts in Less Than a Month

地铁里传来一股炸鱼的味道，让我想起厚厚的油渍，不自然的觉得恶心。今天3号了，离29号还有26天，很长也很短。还有很多东西需要准备，可是懒散的拖着，更可恶的是签证还没有下来，还有不到四个星期，紧紧张张的，可是我只能看我的命了，着急也由不得我。

忽然觉得我会想念这上班的路上时光，匆匆忙忙，脑子里一片空白！很多时候是累得慌，更多时间是习惯的驱动，就像时钟的秒针，一圈一圈。

一边是老浦多半认真掺杂玩笑的要求：推迟一周咱们去泰国！一边是我着急追求新鲜开始另一种生活的迫切的愿望夹带舍不得他的心情。在两者中间，我选择无动于衷的等等看！选择了就不要再费周折的改变吧，一切都会好起来！

我要始终相信：Everything will be fine!

Cider-Braised Brussels Sprouts with Chestnuts and Bacon and MORE

Cider-Braised Brussels Sprouts with Chestnuts and Bacon

For 4-6

Ingredients:

• 4 pieces of uncured bacon
• 3 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 1-1/2 pound Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
• ~6-1/2 ounces cooked chestnuts (I used a vacuum-sealed package from Trader Joe’s that measured about 1 cup)
• Sea salt + cracked black pepper
• ~1-1/2 cup hard apple cider (a bit less than 1 bottle)

Method:

In a large cast-iron skillet, cook the bacon over medium heat until it is crispy. Set the bacon aside and drain all but about 2 tablespoons of the drippings from the pan and reserve for another use.

Add the garlic and saute for just a minute, until soft. Add the Brussels sprouts and chestnuts and a big pinch of salt and saute for about 5-7 minutes, until the sprouts begin to brown just a touch. Add the cider and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer and braise the sprouts and chestnuts uncovered for about 20 minutes, or until most of the liquid is absorbed and the sprouts are fork tender. Add more cider as necessary. Crumble the bacon and add it back to the pan, mixing all the ingredients together until the bacon is warm. Serve as a side or as a poached egg-topped entree.

Ingredients:

• 1 onion, finely chopped
• Olive oil
• 16 pieces shrimp, shelled & deveined
• Salt
• Pepper
• 2 carrots, finely chopped
• 1-1/2 cups green peas
• 5 cups steamed white rice
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1/2 lime, juiced
• 1/4 teaspoon sugar
• Fresh parsley, finely chopped

Directions:

1. Over medium heat, in a wok or large saucepan, saute the onions in olive oil.
2. After about 2 minutes, add the shrimp. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for 3 minutes.
3. Add the carrots and green peas. Cook for 5 minutes.
4. Add the rice and mix well.
5. Add the soy sauce, sugar and lime juice. Cook for another 3 minutes.
6. Garnish with the parsley.
7. Serve warm.

 

Prawn and Cashew Vindaloo

Ingredients

500g prawns, shelled and deveined
1/2 cup desiccated coconut
2 cups coconut milk
1/2 cup cashew
1 tbsp turmeric
1/2 tsp mustard seeds, ground
2 tsp chilli powder
6 pcs green chillies, finely chopped
1 tbsp vinegar
1 1/2 tbsp honey
1 red onion, thinly sliced
salt
oil
chopped cilantro, to garnish

Method

1. In a pan add oil and then cook onions until soft.
2. Add the turmeric, mustard seeds and chilli powder, continue to cook until fragrant.
3. Add the coconut milk, desiccated coconut, honey and green chillies, bring it to a boil then simmer for two minutes.
4. Add the prawns and cashew then simmer until prawns are cooked, it will take roughly around 5 minutes.
5. Add vinegar then season with salt. Turn heat off then serve garnished with cilantro.

Mulled Wine

Ingredients

• 1 bottle of Cabernet Savignon (or your favorite red wine)
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 8 whole cloves
• 2 star anise
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 large orange
• 1/4 cup brandy (more or less to your taste)

Instructions

1. Zest the orange skin (by using a vegetable peeler or knife) into thick slices.
2. In a medium sized pot, add the orange zest, cinnamon sticks, cloves, star anise, nutmeg, and sugar together.
3. Pour just enough wine to cover everything (in a medium pot, this was a little less than 1/4 of the bottle for me).
4. Bring the mixture to a rapid boil for about 8-10 mins while stirring occasionally. This will thicken it a little bit and create a flavorful syrup.
5. Bend head over mixture and smell..it smells like winter!
6. Once the syrup is ready, turn the heat down to low. Add the rest of the wine. Squeeze the juice out of the orange you zested earlier into the pot.
7. Let the wine slowly warm up. You must do it at a low temp so that the alcohol doesn’t burn off.
8. Once it’s warm enough, add the brandy and serve immediately.

 

Quick Crockpot Fondue

Ingredients

• 3 cups dry white wine (such as Chardonnay)
• 1.5 lbs processed Swiss cheese, shredded or finely diced
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
• ⅛ tsp. cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp. ground white pepper
• ½ tsp. nutmeg

Instructions

1. Plug in a small slow cooker (such as a Crockette) and set it to the “warm” setting.
2. Place the white wine, crushed garlic cloves, cayenne pepper, white pepper, and nutmeg in a saucepan over medium heat. After five minutes, turn the heat down to low and let it simmer for 10 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, place the processed swiss cheese into the slow cooker and cover with the lid.
4. After the wine has reduced for 10 minutes, pour it directly over the cheese in the crockpot (you may want to remove the crock from the heating element before doing this, so you don’t spill liquid over the electric parts).
5. Use a whisk to combine the cheese with the wine mixture. It will seem like it is not working at first, but it will soon come together. If after a few minutes there are still large chunks, turn the heat up to high and let it cook for 5-10 minutes. Whisk until smooth.
6. Serve with pretzels, sourdough or rye bread, or sausage.

salsa chicken casserole

Ingredients

• 1 cup uncooked rice $0.33
• 1 cup frozen corn kernels (thawed) $0.52
• 1 (15 oz.) can black beans $1.39
• 1 (16 oz.) jar salsa $1.99
• 1 cup chicken broth $0.15
• ½ Tbsp chili powder $0.10
• ½ tsp oregano $0.03
• 2 large (1.5 lbs.) chicken breasts $2.99
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese $0.94
• 2 whole green onions, sliced $0.17

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Drain and briefly rinse the black beans. Add the dry rice, black beans, corn, salsa, chicken broth, chili powder, and oregano to an 8×8 inch casserole dish. Stir until everything is evenly combined.
2. Cut the chicken breasts into three pieces each. Push the chicken pieces down into the rice salsa mixture in the casserole dish. Try to push them down as far into the liquid as they’ll go. Cover the casserole dish tightly with foil. Bake for one hour.
3. Take the casserole dish out of the oven, test the rice with a fork to make sure it is tender. If it is not, recover the dish, return it to the oven, and bake for 10-15 minutes more. When the rice is tender, sprinkle the cheese over top and return the casserole to the oven for a few minutes, or until the cheese has melted. Add the sliced green onions on top after baking and serve hot.

Plan and plans!

1. Write down the problems that you want to solve.

2. Use brainstorming techniques to write down everything — everything — about your problem.

3. Determine what’s different about your current situation from where you want to be.

4. Write down your goals for each part of the task.

5. Put the goals you need to do into groups or ‘chunks’, and put those in the proper order.

6. Set a time limit for your plan by choosing a realistic date for when you want to achieve a given goal. Make sure to think about how ‘big’ your goal is, and the amount of change that will have to happen.

7. Write your plan on one sheet of paper, or print it out that way. Include a time scale on the paper to show when each chunk of work should happen, and when you want to check progress you’ve made.

8. Print or write smaller parts of a larger plan.

TIPS:

• Congratulate yourself on your plans and be excited about your goals. Visualize how your life will be different once you have accomplished these goals.
• Science has proven that more specific goals are easier met.
• When adding to the detail of your plan, try to guess out what could go wrong and develop contingency plans.
• Set aside time to do it. Forget your usual activities including Internet, television, eating and conversation for a while and take time out to solve your problem.
• Think about your plan at a different time over a period of three days. If it seems stupid at any point during those three days, then change it.
• There’s a weird sort of magic that happens when you write up your plan on the computer or on paper. It may feel silly or unnecessary, but try it. For more complicated plans it’s pretty much the only way to go unless you enjoy making lots of adjustments as you go.
• For organizing your thoughts, try the freeware program Freemind. Known as a ‘mind-map’ program, it is flexible, easy to use, and most importantly, useful. A link to the main website (true to it’s GNU, free-use roots, the main website is a wiki) is included below.
• As you complete a goal, check it off your plan so you can see your progress.
• Remember that planning is just the work that turns chaos into error- don’t expect that just because you created a plan that it’s going to work perfectly without further effort. The plan is just the starting point.

Banoffe Cupcakes

Ingredient:

1 cup mashed bananas

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 1/2 cup flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

85g unsalted butter

1 cup of sugar

1 extra large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

3/4 cup of buttermilk (or milk with 1 teaspoon of vinegar)

Instruction:

combine lemon juice and bananas set aside

combine flour, baking soda, and salt – set aside

in a large bowl cream butter and sugar until fluffy and smooth

add the egg and vanilla

alternately add the flour and buttermilk in turns 1/3 of flour mixture — 1/3 of buttermilk repeated 3 times

add bananas

fill cupcake lined tin, each cup filled to the top.

bake for 1 hour at 125C

cool completely

Toffee Topping

cover a closed can of sweetened condensed milk with water — boil the can, always submerged in water for 90-100minutes

Allow to cool completely

the center of the cupcakes will sink a bit as they cool, put a spoonful of topping in the center and spread around

place a slice of banana and shake unsweetened cocoa powder on the top

Julia Child’s Eggplant Pizzas

 

(Makes 3-4 servings or 6-8 appetizer servings, recipe adapted from one found in From Julia Child’s Kitchen.)
Ingredients:
1 globe eggplant, about 8 ounces and 9-10 inches long
about 1 T salt, for drawing water out of eggplant
about 2 T olive oil, for brushing eggplant before roasting
about 2 tsp. dried Italian seasoning, for sprinkling on eggplant before roasting
10 large basil leaves, cut in chiffonade strips (optional)
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1/3 cup finely grated low-fat mozzarella blend
hot red pepper flakes for sprinkling finished pizza (optional)
Sauce Ingredients:
2-3 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil
3 large garlic cloves, very finely chopped
1 can good quality petite diced tomatoes with liquid (or use 3 cups peeled and diced fresh tomatoes)
1/2 tsp. dried Italian seasoning blend
1/4 tsp. dried oregano (use Greek or Turkish oregano)
Instructions:

Cut off both ends of the eggplant; then cut it into 3/4 inch thick slices (trying to make them the same thickness!)  Put the eggplant pieces on a double layer of paper towels and sprinkle both sides generously with salt.  Let the eggplant sit with the salt on it for about 30 minutes to draw out the liquid.  (After the eggplant sits for 15 minutes, turn on the oven to 375F/190C.)

While the eggplant sits, make the sauce.  Heat 2-3 tsp. olive oil (depending on your pan) and saute the finely chopped garlic just until it becomes fragrant.  (Don’t let it brown.)  Add the petite diced tomatoes, dried Italian seasoning, and dried oregano and let the sauce cook at a low simmer until it’s thickened, breaking up the tomatoes with a fork as it cooks.  (Add water as needed, a few tablespoons at a time as the sauce cooks, keeping it hot by simmering at very low heat until it’s needed for the eggplant slices.)

After 30 minutes, wipe the eggplant dry with paper towels (this also removes most of the salt.)  Spray a roasting sheet with olive oil or non-stick spray, lay eggplant slices on, brush the tops of the eggplant with olive oil, and sprinkle with dried Italian seasoning.  Roast the eggplant about 25 minutes (but “not so long that the slices become mushy and lose their shape” as Julia says.)  

While the eggplant roasts, thinly slice the fresh basil leaves (if using) and combined freshly grated Parmesan and low-fat mozzarella blend.  After 25 minutes or when eggplant pieces are done, remove eggplant from the oven and turn oven setting to broil.  Spread a few tablespoons of sauce on the top of each eggplant slice, sprinkle with thin basil slices (if using) and top with a generous amount of cheese.  Put pizzas under the broiler until the cheese is melted and slightly browned.  (This took 6-7 minutes for me, but I was using a toaster oven and in a more powerful broiler it would probably only take a few minutes.)  Serve hot, with red pepper flakes to sprinkle on pizza if desired.

– See more at: http://www.kalynskitchen.com/2012/08/recipe-for-julia-childs-eggplant-pizzas.html#sthash.FBJQVfLm.dpuf