Waking up late. Procrastinating. I mean whats new?
It honestly took me awhile to get used to this whole “quarantine” routine. Initially it was hard for me to grasp a sense of purpose, a sense of balance or a sense of routine everyday. I couldn’t handle the fact that I felt lost.
Walking and strolling down the streets of South Provo with my headphones on have been the highlight of my days. I was listening to a podcast on my daily walk the other day about taking responsibility of our own happiness – to stop looking forward and to live/savour the present. Simply put, stop thinking about what is next, stop putting demands on yourself and be ok with whatever you’re doing today. I had been constantly on the go trying to prepare for my move to Texas and plan for a wedding. It was comforting to be reminded once again that it was ok to take a step back and just relax.
The pandemic has revealed that many of us are reliant on external circumstances to be happy – whether that is going to the gym, getting together with friends or grabbing fancy food. The internal state of mind can be happy if we allow it and choose to be happy. We are re-learning to take responsibility of our own happiness. The irony of this truth is that once actually start choosing to be happy, you’re way more productive and you start enjoy quarantining!
I started to notice small beautiful things like how much the environment has changed. A season has come and gone already since we were on lockdown. Trees are decorated with bright leaves that resemble somewhat of a rainforest. Flowers have bloomed, the spring colors have emerged and the beautiful skies are adorned with a shade of baby blue. Its like an adventure whenever I go outside.
Apart from my daily walks, its been absolutely crucial that I make a good meal every night – it makes me feel happy. Lately I have been enjoying an abundance of frozen goods (from all the food storage I had accumulated due to the pandemic) and have been finding creative ways to use it.
I recently found a new way to make my frozen shrimp taste better! If you marinade shrimp in a little pinch of sugar and water it will restore the shrimp to its original plumpness and juiciness. Strange science isn’t it? But it definitely makes up for the fact that I’m not able to be in Hawaii at this time (my original grad vacation) to enjoy the delicious poke there. Zoe and I cooked up this delicious stirfry with carrots and celery and a sprinkle of crunchy cashews. I absolutely love this dish. It’s a childhood favorite. We only enjoy a good cashew stirfry with seafood at banquets. It is delightful to see this beautiful colorful plate that is not only comforting but absolutely delicious. Take out your store cupboard ingredients to try this dish!
- ½ lb (8oz) shrimp
- 1 tsp sugar (or splenda)
- ⅛ tsp baking soda
- 2 large stalks of celery
- 1 medium carrot
- 1 tsp cornstarch
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2 tsp GF oyster sauce
- ½ cup roasted cashews
- Peel and devein shrimp.
- Marinade with sugar, baking soda, with ¼ cup of water. Set aside for 2 hours.
- Preheat oven to 350F. Place raw cashews in a single layer on a baking tray. Bake for 5 mins.
- Toss and bake for another 4-5 mins. Be careful and watch to ensure the cashews don't burn.Set aside to cool.
- When the shrimp is done, drain the liquid. Rinse it under cold water. Marinade in the cornstarch and salt.
- Meanwhile chop celery and carrot (similar sizes to the shrimp). Blanch in boiling water in 30 mins. Drain well.
- In a hot pan, panfry shrimp until no longer pink. Add in the veggies and oyster sauce. Mix well.
- Serve with toasted, cooled cashew nuts!
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