Challenge Accepted

I just decided to up the ante. I was challenged to shake my world a little. And I thought it would be exciting to do that. I might just finally make use of last summer's Nihongo lessons. Although, honestly, I cannot remember a signal alphabet from that lesson. Must remember to include Anime in my favorite things from this point forward.

So anyways, just to mark this memorable day. I ACCEPTED THE CHALLENGE. I hope I make you proud - Tibs and Maia! Please bear with me in the next few months. It's going to entail a little sacrifice but I hope all of it pays off in the end.

BECAUSE I BELIEVE THAT I SHOULD:

photo from Pinterest

My-Take/Recipe: Thai Basil Chicken

When I was still working in the city, there's this on the go Thai resto that we used to frequent. We worked mid-shifts then and would get food delivered from this place. Very filling. And comforting at the same time. That Thai resto unfortunately already closed down some years back.

Just this weekend, in preparation for our we made an inventory of the frozen meats that are still in our freezer and we discovered about half a kilo of uncooked chicken fillet. I initially planned to cook this recipe again for dinner - Joey's (of 80Breakfasts) Mongolian Chicken Recipe. But after watering the plants in our garden and discovering that my basil plant is abundantly growing again, I remembered TIB's Thai Basil Chicken and thought maybe I can try making my own.

I searched the web for an easy recipe and came across this recipe. I had to tweak it a bit since I don't have all of the listed ingredients on hand.

Turned out to be another attempt that is worthy of sharing so I'm posting it here. Enjoy!


Thai Basil Chicken 
Prep time: 15 mins
Cooking time: 10-15mins

What You Will Need:

1 lb skinless chicken thighs, cut into half inch strips
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/4 tsp fish sauce (locally called patis)
1 tbsp fine muscovado sugar
1/4 cup vegetable broth or chicken broth (or water if broth is not available)
1/2 tsp light soy sauce
1 big bunch of Thai basil leaves or any local basil, remove stems
1 piece green finger chilies, cut into thin strips
ground white pepper (about one or two pinches)
2 tsps vegetable oil
2 tsps lime juice or calamansi juice

How I did it:

1. Heat oil in a wok or skillet over high heat till nearly smoking hot. Add chopped garlic and immediately stir  till golden (you really do not want it smoking because you will burn your garlic).
2. Add chicken strips. Stir constantly until chicken changes color (probably will take you about 3-5 minutes).
3. Add chilies, broth, seasonings (fish sauce, muscovado sugar, soy sauce). Adjust according to taste. Continue stir frying until all the meat is coated.
4. Drop the basil and stir fry again just until leaves are wilted but still retaining its color.
5. Stir in calamansi or lime juice and season with pepper.
6. Serve on top of a steaming cup of brown rice.

This can feed 3 hungry stomachs. (or 5 if NOT that hungry hehe)

Breathe...Because It's Already Friday!

Friday! And we're just a week away from our most awaited time off from work. (most awaited because it's the longest)

So. If only to get an excuse to shout - BREATHE! - sharing this video of one of my favorite songs. Yes, I will forever remain one of her biggest fans (I'm not showy but yes, I'm a fan). Anyways, enough enough. Let's just get on with this video.

Enjoy your weekend hardworking guys and girls!

So You Finished A Marathon, Now What?

After finishing our first full marathon last February, we would often get asked this question: "So, what's next  in store for you?"

taken from Pinterest

Honestly, I didn't make plans after that marathon. I thought work is probably going to eat up most of my 2013 as I am expecting a lot of changes happening for me in that department. But guess what, the minute that question was popped I was just so quick to answer - Make THE STANDARD CHARTERED MARATHON in SINGAPORE my second FULL Marathon!

2013 ULTIMATE GOAL

And I gave that answer to who else but my husband's adrenaline junkie friends. So now, I've given my word. And that's where we're headed at the end of this year. Hopefully. 

I say hopefully because I know the minute the registration for that race is opened, they sell out faster than a speeding bullet train (hahaha, here i go again with my weird made-up metaphors). But we'll be watching out for that really tight. I hope we do manage to get a slot. For now, we all focus on our individual training goals.

So now this leaves us with plotting out a game plan. And despite my resignation to lie low on running this year, my body is retorting violently so I just couldn't give that up like that. And those weekend long runs are really hard to pass up. Right now, I'm really missing them so bad. (and the belly is filling up with dreaded fats again, I just couldn't let that happen).

So what's our training plan then? Well for the hubs and me, we plan to do the Milo Marathon again in July. We hope to finish strong this time. No cramps and with a good time (like a sub 2 and a half, especially for me). Then maybe come October we'll do a 32km race. Hopefully too (because that race has a rather steep registration fee in our books so I will have to save up for it). 

I also plan to take strength training more seriously this time. Any suggestions on how I can start with that? 

I guess there's really no turning back for us now. Unless something major like hmmm getting pregnant happens along the way, it's probably safe for me to make it a goal to run at least one marathon every year. Who knows, before I turn 40 maybe I can qualify to run in one of the world marathon majors (told ya I am a big dreamer!).

TAKEN FROM PINTEREST

Word: Five C's Of Marriage

I came across this in Pinterest this morning. Thought I should bookmark it here (for future reference mainly, hehe) as I think it will serve as a good reminder for me and the hubs during tough (!#$) times (hehe).

Making Lists

No, I'm not too eager for Christmas. (although, it's definitely one of my most awaited time of the year now)

I didn't list down any resolution/s for this year. Well, I never ever made lists in the past either. I once believed that I had the sharpest memory and I can easily recall the things that I would want to change or improve on during the year. But yes, my sharp memory would almost always fail me before the first quarter of the year ends and I will end of up forgetting whatever it was that I resolved to improve in the beginning of the year. 

Last year, through the help of this blog, I was partly able to document my improvements. I didn't make a list but I kept track of how my BETTER ME project was doing for like two quarters. On the second half of the year, I started training for my first marathon and that BETTER ME project just fell through the cracks. I would like to think though that somehow I did end 2012 with a BETTER version of my 2011 self. 

This year, my primary goal is to declutter and find my focus. And I thought that best way to do that was to finally start a list. I started my list yesterday on the first day of March. I was two months behind but I'm just glad I picked up a pen and finally made my first list. 

My week as a working mom is only broken in two - the workweek and the weekend. During the workweek (transalated into: MONDAYS TO FRIDAYS), most of my time is spent on my job. I put on the career woman hat. And during the weekends, that's when I shift into being the domestic diva that I once dreamed I would be. It's just two days but I always want to make the most of it. So my list for this year is going to zero in on that. I am breaking down that list into:

• Saturdays with Maia (list down one or two activities/projects for the weekend)
• House Project (list down one home project that I'd like to accomplish every weekend)
• Recipe - list a new recipe as I plan to cook something new every weekend for the family
• Sundays Catch up with Family and Friends (list down a place to visit - be it a restaurant, a shop, a family spot like a picnic ground or a playground or a zoo)
• Blog night - list down one or two topics that I would want to write about (even those sitting in my drafts so I can finally bring that down to a minimum of 10. Currently I have more than 50 posts in my drafts folder waiting to be completed)

My biggest weakness is always Ningas-kugon (sorry I don't know the English term for this). I'm fervently hoping I can finally break that habit and keep this list going the whole year round. Wish me luck okay?