Sunday, April 30, 2017

New Thing 118, New Thing Every Day: Make Kimchee

Okay, so I am cheating on this one a little bit because it turns out that making Kimchee is a process that takes a little over a week and, since I had already planned for this to be my New Thing, I am just sticking with it. So, today I have done the grocery shopping -- starting with Schnucks and ending with Lee's, for the Korean salted shrimp -- and the first step of the preparation.

Step one is chopping up the Napa cabbage, coating it with kosher salt, covering it in a bowl with water, and letting it sit at room temperature for 12-24 hours.

The second step is basically mixing in the remaining ingredients:
  • 8 ounces daikon radish, peeled and cut into 2-inch matchsticks
  • 4 medium scallions, ends trimmed, cut into 1-inch pieces (use all parts)
  • 1/3 cup Korean red pepper powder
  • 1/4 cup fish sauce
  • 1/4 cup peeled and minced fresh ginger (from about a 2-ounce piece)
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic cloves (from 6 to 8 medium cloves)
  • 2 teaspoons Korean salted shrimp, minced
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons granulated sugar
I am going to substitute kochujang (Korean chili paste) for the red pepper powder and granulated sugar (since, as you may remember from my first visit to the Asian market, we already have that in the refrigerator).

The third step is to put everything in a mason jar and let it ferment for a week.

I'll let you know how it turns out.

Saturday, April 29, 2017

New Thing 117, New Thing Every Day: Donate a Malaria Net

In 2009, Ashton Kutcher challenged CNN to see who could get to 1 million Twitter followers in the least amount of time; the winner would donate 10,000 bed nets to prevent malaria. Since that time, I have been meaning to donate a net and now I have finally done it (it jut takes $10.00 at NothingButNets.net!). Even better, Tuesday was World Malaria Day, so $10.00 donates three nets, instead of just one. Not a bad way to spend $10 and five minutes!

Friday, April 28, 2017

New Thing 116, New Thing Every Day: Try Honey Walnut Shrimp (Chinese Food)

For over four years, Leigh and I have been eating at ABC Chinese Cuisine -- generally considered the most authentic in Columbia. In all that time, I have almost always eaten one of two dishes -- a spicy lamb or Kung Pao Chicken. I have often thought about trying Honey Walnut Shrimp, but never have, until tonight.

Honey Walnut Shrimp is battered shrimp, with walnuts, in a honey cream sauce. Yes, I said cream sauce! I have never seen Asian food with cream sauce, but here it is (maybe this challenges my previous statement about authenticity?).

In any case, I have now tried it; and I liked it. It will now be something I have from time to time.

Thursday, April 27, 2017

New Thing 115, New Thing Every Day: See Kristin Chenoweth in Concert

Kristin Chenoweth had a concert at Missouri Theatre tonight and Leigh got us tickets. The show was absolutely great. I knew she was a great singer, but she was also very funny, with a totally winning Oklahoma girl personality. And of course, the evening was made so much better by having Leigh there.

Wednesday, April 26, 2017

New Thing 114, New Thing Every Day: Submit an Original Poem to a National Poetry Magazine

Yes, I did it. I sat down and put real thought into writing a poem. It is not a good poem, I am quite sure, but it is a real one, the result of sincere effort. I have submitted it to Poetry magazine, and it may take them up to seven months for them to get back to me. This seems like an awfully long time to wait to be told "no thank you"!

I had planned to include the poem in this post, but Poetry will not accept it if it has ever appeared online or in print. Yes, I will post it in all of its mediocrity when I get the official rejection.  : )

Tuesday, April 25, 2017

New Thing 113, New Thing Every Day: Read Hindu Scripture

I read a variety of Hindu scriptures, all for the very first time in my life, and here s a list I found particularly poetic.

1
Most humbly we bow to You, O Supreme Lord.
At Your command moves the mighty wheel of time.
You are eternal, and beyond eternity.
(Artharva Veda)

2
The one who loves all intensely
begins perceiving in all living beings
a part of himself.
He becomes a lover of all,
a part and parcel of the Universal Joy.
He flows with the stream of happiness,
and is enriched by each soul.
(Yajur Veda)

3
The human body is the temple of God.
One who kindles the light of awareness within
gets true light.
The sacred flame of your inner shrine
is constantly bright.
The experience of unity
is the fulfillment of human endeavors.
The mysteries of life are revealed.
(Rig Veda)

4
Sing the song of celestial love, O singer!
May the divine fountain of eternal grace and joy
enter your soul.
May Brahma, (the Divine One),
Pluck the strings of your inner soul
with His celestial fingers,
And feel His own presence within.
Bless us with a divine voice
That we may tune the harp-strings of our life
To sing songs of Love to you.
(Rig Veda)

5
Of everything he is the inmost Self.
He is the truth; he is the Self supreme.
(Chandogya Upanishad)

6
Meditating on the lotus of your heart,
in the center is the untainted;
the exquisitely pure, clear, and sorrowless;
the inconceivable;
the unmanifest,
of infinite form;
blissful, tranquil, immortal;
the womb of Brahma.
(Kaivalyopanishad)

7
Those in whose hearts OM reverberates
Unceasingly are indeed blessed
And deeply loved as one who is the Self.
The all-knowing Self was never born,
Nor will it die. Beyond cause and effect,
This Self is eternal and immutable.
When the body dies, the Self does not die.
(Katha Upanishad)

8
The whole mantram AUM
Indivisible, interdependent,
Goes on reverberating in the mind.
Established in this cosmic vibration,
The sage goes beyond fear, decay, and death
To enter into infinite peace.
(Prashna Upanishad)

9
O Almighty!
You are the infinite; the universe is also infinite!
From infinite the infinite has come out!
Having taken infinite out of the infinite, the infinite remains!
O Almighty! May there be Peace! Peace! Everywhere!
(Ishawashya Upanishad)

10
O seeker, know the true nature of your soul,
and identify yourself with it completely.
O Lord, (may we attain) the everlasting consciousness
of Supreme Light and Joy.
May we resolve to dedicate our life
to the service of humankind,
and uplift them to Divinity.
(Yajur Veda)

11
O Brahma, lead us from the unreal to the real.
O Brahma, lead us from darkness to light.
O Brahma, lead us from death to immortality.
Shanti, Shanti, Shanti, Om.
(Brhadaranyaka Upanishad)

12
Look to this day,
for it is life, the very breath of life.
In its brief course lie
all the realities of your existence;
the bliss of growth,
the glory of action,
the splendor of beauty.
For yesterday is only a dream,
and tomorrow is but a vision.
But today, well lived,
makes every yesterday a dream of happiness,
and every tomorrow
a vision of hope.
Look well, therefore, to this day.
(Ancient Sanskrit)

13
The highest Self, all endless bliss,
the unconditioned limitless consciousness,
being realized, whether through the great texts,
or through Yoga, in all experience whatever—
let one lose himself in the ecstasy of Realization,
for he has forever lost all touch
with bondage of every description.
(Svarajyasiddhi)

14
A particle of Its bliss
supplies the bliss of the whole universe.
Everything becomes enlightened in Its light.
All else appears worthless after a sight of that essence.
I am indeed of this Supreme Eternal Self.
(Vijnanananka)

15
The knower catches in the ecstasy of his heart
the full light of that Brahman (that Divine Essence)
which is indescribable—all pure bliss, incomparable,
transcending time, ever free, beyond desire.
(Vivekachudamani)

16
Bright but hidden, the Self dwells in the heart.
Everything that moves, breathes, opens, and closes
Lives in the Self. He is the source of love
And may be known through love but not through thought
He is the goal of life. Attain this goal!
(Mundaka Upanishad)

17
All is change in the world of the senses,
But changeless is the supreme Lord of Love.
Meditate on him, be absorbed by him,
Wake up from this dream of separateness.
(Shvetashvatara Upanishad)

18
O mysterious and incomprehensible Spirit!
In the depths of my heart, there is only You—You, for all time.
(source unknown)

Monday, April 24, 2017

New Thing 112, New Thing Every Day: Try Dinner from Nourish, in Columbia

Last month I went to a chamber ribbon cutting at Nourish and had a few samples, which I enjoyed, but I had never had even one full food item, much less a complete dinner. Honestly, it is a good deal healthier than Leigh and I tend to eat (although we probably eat healthier than the average American).

Tonight, Leigh was getting home late, and I was not in the mood to cook, so I ordered delivery from Nourish, using OrderUp.com. It was really great! We won't be eating there every week, but we will totally go back again. We tried a bunch of different things and all were pretty good. Our favorite was definitely the mac and cheese, with quinoa pasta, spinach, and chicken added.

Definitely recommend.