You Give and Take Away

인생이란 돌고 도는 것이다
가는 것이 있으면 오는 것도 있고
만나면 헤어짐이 있는 것이고
행복이 있으면 슬픔도 있는 것이다
그게 인생인 것이다.

Life is a constant cycle:
When something leaves something also comes,
you meet and you separate,
and where there is happiness there is also sadness.
That is life.

-1박2일 2011년 1월 16일 방송
1Night2Days episode aired on 01-16-11




{eSeul}

Refocus for Relief

I just finished reading some thoughts that a friend shared on Facebook and now I am finding myself disappointed at my negligence. After reading his note, I almost instantly reflected back at the time when I took a month off from "socializing" and spent most of my time to myself. During that time I learned so much and found myself so near to the heart of God. I was so close to feeling a physical embrace and presence from Him. And then I, with all the ease in the world, became accustomed to the distractions in life. I began to read less, pray less, and meditate less.

I've said this before and notice this over and over again, but God is constantly trying to catch my attention. His pursuit for me is unwavering. His efforts to return my focus back onto Him and only Him is tireless. The loudest thing I've heard lately? How much He wants to simplify my life. I've found a lot of peace over the past few months from learning how simple life really is. But...why am I taking my time? Why am I procrastinating?

That's all to say, I feel set free once more from what I considered to be leisure, when my ultimate relaxation rests in His presence.




{eSeul}

Never Again

I just came out of a 20-hour suffering called food poisoning.
I'm pretty sure it was the Mexican Caesar Salad I had for lunch at Rutabegorz on Sunday.
It makes me regret that much more about not getting my favorite Garlic Chicken Salad.
But more than anything, more than appreciating my Garlic Chicken Salad to an elevated level, I am so grateful for my new found perspective on food.

Take it slow, girlfriend. Nobody's gonna steal your food. Your food ain't running away. Just savor every bite and never will you suffer again.

I don't know if it's because my stomach's still pretty sensitive or I just have this idea that I need to be overprotective of my stomach after this incident but I can't imagine myself eating food the same way again. I've always had this notion that eating slowly helps my body in more ways than not, but I'd always find myself doing the opposite. Well, I don't breathe in my food the way some people do, but I certainly don't take my time. Food is just good, okay?! And I'm hungry most of the time, okay?!

Well, I just wanted to say that because it was a nasty 20 hours: throwing up what felt like was my insides, throwing up from just thinking about food, not being able to sleep because of the nausea, becoming bff's with my toilet.... I literally woke up late this morning (I don't know how I fell asleep) feeling...happy but in a more ethereal sense. Oh, and with sore abs and lower back. :)

I usually don't whine about this stuff, physical pain. But I'm just grateful to be alive. Again. And healthy.




{eSeul}

It's Just Me

This morning was a good reminder of what this blog is all about.

He is where I wish to dwell, and until I get there I wish for Him to dwell in me.

Everything that is inscribed in here, is all that is in between. My emotions, my thoughts both deep and completely meaningless, my hobbies, my this and that. And guess what, I just described life. But what's different about my view on life is that I consider it only a journey to a final destination, that destination for me being the place where I wish to be forever. More and more the world is unfolding to be a place that I do not wish to be a part of, but at the same time I also know I was created to be a part of something mind-blasting, so I'm keeping my eyes open and my soul as vulnerable as possible. And as I trek on, my highest pursuit is for the Holy Spirit to dwell in me.

Granted I don't want to commercialize this to the whole world because I made this blog mostly for myself. I guess this post is directed mostly to my current followers and me. But hey, if you're interested in what goes on in all the possible aspects of my life, I won't protest.




{eSeul}

Just Admit It

It's okay to say that you're not okay.
It's okay to tell Him that you're not okay.
It's okay to admit that you're angry and afraid.
Because it's really then that you realize that there has to be more to life.
And that is when you really begin to live.





{eSeul}

I Want to Make Pretty Food

I hate baking with a passion, but this is next on my list!!




You should try it, too! Looks like fun...and easy! Even though it might look intimidating, and even if it doesn't come out right, it's good exercise for the brain! Did you know that cooking and baking stimulates the brain and heightens its activity?? Yay!




{eSeul}

A New Habit

This more of a...habit that I purposely developed. I'm really making it a habit to eat like a lady. Being ladylike in the way I eat leads me to eat more slowly.
This causes me to reach fullness faster.
Thus resulting in consuming lesser portions of food.
It all makes sense, and it's really that easy. I guess that just means that I've always eaten like a pig.




{eSeul}

Mastering Tender Chicken Breastesses!

Friends,

I can't tell you how many times I've cooked chicken breasts that came out.........nightmare-ishly dry.
Whenever I realized that I wouldn't be able to cook my chicken breast on a pan all the way through, I would cut it into pieces and finish cooking it.
After that failure, I started cooking my chicken breasts after butterflying them, because then they're thinner.
But recently, after graduating from college, I found a way to cook chicken breasts without overcooking them and without poking holes all throughout the chicken to check it's doneness.
No, you don't need a bone-in, skin-on chicken breast. Nor do you need a longer cooking time. You don't even need to use the oven.
Albeit, I'm no professional cook or chef. I'm also not a crazy experienced cook who is in the kitchen very hour of the day. This is just something I learned through my mistakes. If a professional were to read this and scoff at my "attempt" to give advice, oh well.

I don't know how often you cook chicken breasts over the stove, but I do it pretty often because I love to make salads with it for a healthy but incredibly filling meal. A moist and flavorful chicken breast on a bed of various fresh vegetables....yummy! I love my white meat! *Ahem* Please leave your dirty thoughts at the door.......actually I really don't mind them ;)

Oh, by the way, one cooking faux pas that many people never seem to realize: WASH YOUR HANDS AFTER HANDLING RAW CHICKEN!!!
And another, never cook frozen chicken!!! Make sure that it's been completely thawed IN THE REFRIGERATOR. It boggles my mind when people try to cook frozen meat in general.... I guess I gotta keep in mind also that not everyone watches the Food Network 24/7.

Okay anyways...so here's how it's done:
1. This step is pretty much common sense, but drizzle some oil (whatever kind you prefer) and melt a tablespoon of butter in the pan. I'm sure you can do without the butter. But I like the flavor.
2. Trim off any fat off the chicken breast. This is only because I cannot stand fat/skin on my chicken...only when it's cooked properly. Like...fried. HaH.
3. Pound the chicken with the back of your knife, just to work it up a teeny bit, not to flatten it.
4. Liberally salt and pepper both sides.
5. Cook one side over medium heat for about four minutes, and here's the trick: place a piece of aluminum foil over the pan while that side is cooking. This basically steams/slightly cooks the other side at the same time. Caution: Just gently place the foil over pan, don't be foolish and try to wrap it around the sides and burn your fingers off. Plus, you want some air traveling through so not too much water forms in the pan.
6. Flip the chicken and cook for another four to five minutes. Make a tiny slice to see if the chicken is cooked thoroughly, meaning very very very very little pink to no pink at all.

With this method, I was able to enjoy juicy chicken breast pieces tossed in my salad. So yummy!

Oh, and I actually ate half of a cabbage today and Googled its nutrients because I was scared that maybe I should calm down on my cabbage consumption. But I found out, that it's low in calories, great for weight-loss plans, and one of the top cancer fighting vegetables! So....eat on!!!

I'm really trying to eat healthy from now on. Granted...I did consume 1/3 of a tub of Mocha Cheesecake ice cream in the past two days -__-...but you know, a girl's gotta compensate for her once-a-month sufferings, if you know what I'm talking about. And! Today, I got more than enough of my vegetable servings so there! Half a cabbage, an entire carrot, 1/8 of an onion, and the protein of a chicken breast. I'm quite satisfied.

Let the healthy food excursions continue!




{eSeul}