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Chronic Illness Diaries: Finding Peace in Cooking

Chronic Illness Diaries Episode 4: Finding Peace in Cooking

Hey All!!! I hope this post finds you all doing well. This vlog I am sharing today is episode 4 of my Chronic Illness Diaries. The Vlog finds me a week out of being in the hospital, going back and forth to doctor appointments, physically, and mentally tired, and searching for peace. 

Outside of prayer, meditation, and immediate family, I have very few places that bring me peace. Most of my close friends and family live far from me; I am unable to go and do what I would prefer, however, there is food.

Food brings me joy. Exploring new items at Asian Markets and International stores; planning and preparing good meals for my loved ones and myself. This makes me happy. This brings me joy and peace. So that is exactly what I do in this vlog. I get in the kitchen where I am comfortable and make food for my household.

In this vlog, I make fresh Kimchi

Korean Banchan or a side dish of Stir-Fried Anchovy with almond slices.

Braised Chicken and more.

I was exhausted by the end of cooking, but I had fun; my mind was able to relax as I focused on preparing food; my heart had joy and peace because I was doing what I loved and providing meals for my family.

It is so important to be able to find peace, especially when going through hard times. If that peace comes in the form of a place, the company you keep, or an activity, it is important to figure out what yours is. 

I Pray that you all have Peace in your life, Joy in your heart, and good health. Until next time, remember to Cook, Eat, Enjoy, Travel, Live, and Repeat.

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New Website

Hey everyone, giving you a update. After many hours of chatting and on the phone help, I have moved all my subscribers and followers over to the new site so you have nothing to do but check it out. You will receive the same notification of new post and such as before and the old site is now private. So lock in https://gloriousgalstudio.net

As for what’s new: my store is active with just 3 items for now. Because of COVID, a lot of my products are unavailable right now, but I am hoping in the coming weeks my t-shirt and sweatshirts will be available. All designs are my brain children, so I hope you will support my creative products. Most product revolve around food, travel and self-care themes.

I am also integrating my photography portfolio into this site, but they will come as new post although my initial postings were 2 year ago, that transfer failed, so I will do it manually.

There are a few posts that also did not transfer over and I may or may not repost them again in the future.

Needless to say the transfer has been anything but smooth and I am still working on restoring feature photos on most of my older post, but for the most part everything is coming along and the new website is up and running and now allows me the freedom to shape my website the way I want!!!

So I hope you all continue to stick with me through this journey, I have so much to share with you on food, travel, photography and more!!!

-Gloria

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Christmas Gift Ideas: Top 6 Food And Cookbooks

Being a Personal Chef and a food lover, I enjoy a good cookbook. Of course, being in the age of technology, books can be download on our phones and other devices that we can take with us easily. However, I still love a good ole fashioned book, especially when it comes to cookbooks or food books of any kind. And since we are weeks away from Christmas, I wanted to give you guys some Christmas gift ideas for the food lovers in your life or even for yourself. These books are in no special order. The links below are my affiliate links and I have linked to the hard copy of these books.

1.Thug Kitchen The Offical Cook Book

This cookbook is all about getting people to eat their veggies with no hold bars on the language. The recipes are veggie-focused but do not sacrifice flavor. They also have a few other books in the collections. Additionally, they have a website and a Podcast.
2.Fork Over Knives Cookbook
If you are looking for another cookbook that is centered around whole-foods and a plant-based diet, this one is your winner with over 200 recipes.
3. The Complete Air Fryer CookBook…
If you have an Air Fryer or thinking about getting one, this is the cookbook for you, giving you 600 recipes specifically for the Air Fryer. Everything from fried to Baked meals.
4. The Ultimate Instant Pot Cookbook
If you have an Instant Pot, this is the cookbook for you with 800 recipes.

 

5. Salt Fat Acid Heat

This book is very popular and actually has a series on Netflix. This book explains the whys and fundamentals of good cooking.
6. The Flavor Bible
This last book every cook should have in their library. This book will be sure to inspire those who love to cook and experiment in the kitchen.
I hope this gives you some ideas for Christmas. Until next time, remember to Cook, Eat and Enjoy.

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Hot Pot Crazy | The basics to making Hot Pot at home

Yes, you read the title correctly. I think I have a problem. I have become Hot Pot crazy; obsessed with Hot Pot; eating it 2-3 times a week (sometimes more). It is the middle of summer and yes I am eating Hot Pot. Why you ask, do I love Hot Pot so much? Well… it is a great group meal and the variety of ingredients are endless. And a good broth makes my soul smile.

Hot Pot starts with a hot broth which can be spicy, sweet, sour, etc. There are so many varieties of Hot Pot broth, it is crazy. Most people like it spicy, but I prefer not. Here are the Hot Pot broths that I found at my local Asian market that is my favorite.

And two others I will be trying in the future. The also have a spicy one that I have tried as well.

And then there are the veggies. Take your pick and add them in. My go-to veggies are a variety of mushrooms, yellow squash and or zucchini, bok choy, cilantro and some type of hot pepper. However, one of my recent Hot Pots I used purple broccoli which worked well. I suggest using veggies that you know will stand up to the boiling, however, you can use any veggies, but if you know that a certain veggie cooks extremely fast like spinach, use it, but just add in what you know you are going to eat immediately and then add as you go.

Grey squash and hot peppers

White and Brown Beech Mushrooms

Spicy Hot Pot broth, yellow squash, purple broccoli, and whole tilapia and more

Hot Pot is not all about the veggies and broth, you can also have seafood or paper-thin sliced meat, all to add as you go. I have tried both meat and seafood.

Additionally, another ingredient I love to add to Hot Pot is dumplings (Mandu) of all varieties.

Assorted Mandu (Dumplings) and Cilantro

Varied Dumpling added to the Hot Pot!

Various Dumplings and Mushrooms, bean sprouts and green onion

There are so many different types of dumplings, it is fun just trying different ones and seeing what you like and don’t like.

To make Hot Pot, you are going to need a nice size pot for boiling and I recommend a heavy one that will keep the heat. You can purchase a Hot Pot from your local Asian Market; they usually come with spacers inside so that you can have more than one types of broth and it is equipped with its own heating unit, so no burner required. Here is one from Amazon.

I just purchased a non-stick Caldero pot which is usually used for soups. I purchased one from my Asian market, but here is one similar to the one I used when I cook Hot Pot. Either will work.

The only other thing you need is a single cooking burner that you can put on your table; unless you get the actual Hot Pot as mentioned above. There are butane burners which are very commonly used for Pot Pot,

or you can use an electric one like I have.

I have added a link to both options from off of Amazon, just click on the pictures.

See what I am saying about going Hot Pot crazy. The options are endless and delicious and you can tailor it your taste buds. I hope you give it a try either in a restaurant or make it at home. I had my first experience at a restaurant and afterward, it has been Hot Pot at home!!! I hope you enjoyed this blog and check out the video link (just click on the photo below) if you want to see how I make a Hot Pot at home.

Until Next time, Remember to Cook, Eat and Enjoy!!!

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Stop throwing your Salad leaves away| Repurpose your salad ingredients | Asian inspired Sweet Potato Noodle Salad

Last week I wanted salad, which is a rare thing, but I purchased arugula and tomato and such for said salad! Well a week later (not even a week really) and I noticed my salad leaves were started to go bad; you know how they start to get wet and slimy and such (real gross)!

However today, I thought, why not repurpose my salad ingredients so I can stop throwing away my yummy salad leaves.

This meal is vegan-friendly, so no meat involved. So here we go with my tasty warm Asian inspired noodle salad. Everything is leftover and sitting in my fridge, looking sad.

I boiled and drained my sweet potato noodles, cut them into smaller piece and rinsed in cold water to stop the cooking and set to the side.

1 package of baby bella mushrooms quarter and about 7 baby bell peppers sliced.

3 roma tomatoes. I had a half bag of each of the following: spinach, arugula, and broccoli slaw.

In my big wok pan which I love sooooo much is olive oil, heated. Add mushrooms and peppers and garlic and stir-fry for 4 minutes or so. Then add in the broccoli slaw and cook for another 4 minutes.

Add in the salad leaves

Let them cook just until wilted then add in tomatoes and I had some alfalfa sprouts

Mix and cook for 1 minute; I just let my tomatoes get warm.

Now the last steps are adding in the noodles and sauce. The salad dressing I used was an Asian sesame dressing, but you can use what you want, this is what I had

Mix and serve. You can eat hot, cold or room temp. I will never again throw away my salad leaves or other salad ingredients. After heating all the veggies, I could have added them to rice, or other noodles or even potatoes. Better yet, I could eat them without a carb!!! I just wanted to share with you guys. Until next time remember to Cook, Eat and Enjoy!!!

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My Daughters Made Thanksgiving Dinner

Happy Thanksgiving to my foodies and non-foodies alike. I hope you have had a great day, with great food and great company.

Typically for this holiday, I would have been working away since the wee hours of the morning, making the traditional Turkey-day spread. However, this year, I wanted to do something very different. This year, I gave my two daughters an assignment.

The Assignment…(which they had no choice but to accept it)

I assigned them to cook Thanksgiving day dinner; they each were responsible for finding two recipes online that they wanted to make and they had to work together to ensure that it was cohesive. Easy right…

Once they finally came up with two dishes, and write down the ingredients, I would take them to the store to get said ingredients, however, they had to check to see if we had any of said ingredients already. Easy right…

My daughters are 17 and 11. My oldest daughter Alexis had virtually no problem figuring out what she wanted to make. She picked, Tangy Honey Glazed Ham, Bacon Wrapped Carrots with Maple Glaze and Classic Deviled Eggs. My youngest daughter Amare on the other hand… She went back and forth and then some, finally deciding on Homemade Cornbread and Sweet Potatoes (this happens to be my favorite).

Shopping…(Never get a cavity filling the day before Thanksgiving. One has little patience)

Watching the girls shop for their ingredients, which Alexis took the lead, made me realize that when they do go grocery store with me (which is not very often. It takes far less time when I go alone) that they pay little to no attention to what I am doing, how I look at prices, select meat, look a quality, etc. Now, this may not be so bad for Amare, because she still has some years to learn, but Alexis is a senior in high school and will be going away to college and she needs to learn these things. Especially having a mother who is a Personal Chef and Foodie. So she has some learning to do in the new year. Oh and all this shopping did not happen until the day before Thanksgiving which I rarely ever do, but oh well.

Developing story…

Thanksgiving morning has arrived and I am up so I can film all the mayhem and such, so this story is developing. I am writing this as it happens. Alexis decided to make breakfast; me being the preparer and wanting to make it a little easier for the girls, purchase some just add milk muffin mix. Super easy and very tasty; a great way to start the day and have the house smell like the holiday. So she made me a nice quick breakfast of 3 egg whites and a muffin. Thanks, kid!!!

Preparation and Cooking…

There was not a lot to prepare, but for my daughters who are unaccustomed to making a full holiday meal, it might have felt like there were mountains of prep work. Alexis unpackaged her ham and put it in the oven to back and began on her glaze.

Then she began taking the shells off of her boiled eggs for the deviled eggs, which she had a bit of trouble, but she persevered. Then Amare started peeling her sweet potatoes,

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while Alexis peeled and wrapped her carrots.

Next, it was Amare making the Cornbread

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Followed by Alexis periodically glazing the baked ham and making a filling her eggs.

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After reheating the Mac and Cheese that was made last week, it was time to sit down and eat and evaluate how the girls did.

And not being partial at all… but the did such an amazing job. The ham had great flavor and was very juicy. And the sweet potatoes and carrots we so goooooood! Those 3 were my favorites. 

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Now my kids know that they can prepare and cook a big meal, as I knew they could! I hope you all had an amazing day. If you would like to see the Thanksgiving video, click here.

Until next time, remember to Cook, Eat and Enjoy

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My Top 5 New Kitchen Gadget Wish List

Technology has come a long way and looks to be going leaps and bounds in the future. With that said, technology has made some kitchen gadgets that have caught my eye and that I would love to and just might purchase in the future. So here are my top 5 kitchen gadgets that I want and why. Oh, and I will include the item and my Amazon affiliate link.

  1. At the top of my list is an Air Fryer. They come in so many colors, sizes, and functions. I am trying to live a healthier life and I do like fried foods and crispy french fries that I find only cooking in hot oil brings. So I have heard that an air fryer is a good option. The fryer I have an eye on is a Convection Toaster Oven Air Fryer.

It does multiple things like toast bread, air fry food, bake cookies and more. I am all about gadgets that do multiple things. Also, this particular gadget reminds me of my childhood when we had a toaster oven that we used for everything. So a bit of nostalgia here.

2. I am not a coffee drinker anymore, but I do love a good cup of tea and the occasional hot chocolate. And I have seen the Keurig K-Elite.

This particular coffee maker got my attention because of, again, it’s many functions and it brews several sizes of beverages. I also love that I can use this to make tea, hot chocolate, and even apple cider. This particular machine has water temperature control which is helpful because I don’t like my drinks extremely hot. There are so many options and brands of K-cups, that it would be hard to become bored with exploring the different type of drinks I could make.

3. Every kitchen needs a mixer especially one that has multiple functions. I have my eye one this KitchenAid KSM150PSER Artisan Tilt-Head Stand Mixer with Pouring Shield, 5-Quart

I currently have a hand mixer, which does what it’s supposed to do when I am making cakes. But this lovely red beauty (and they have different colors) does so much. It can mix bread and pasta dough; it has attachments that roll out pasta dough, 

And there are also attachments for slicing/shredding and grinder/sausage stuffer

I really want these. “Soon my precious” (in my creepy voice).

4. I have tons of spices in my cabinet; I even have this carousel for spices, but I have been looking for something better to help me organize and sometimes measure out my spices. So I have found this KitchenArt 25000 Select-A-Spice Auto-Measure Carousel

This particular gadget holds 12 spices, but you can stack up to 4, so that is 48 spices. Yes, I can definitely use this in my kitchen, then I can use the cabinet where my spices currently reside for something else… (Thinking and smiling about the possibilities).

5. This item I think is a must for me. I need some serious help with keeping all of my dry foods neat and easily accessible. This is a Zevro KCH-06134 Compact Dry Food Dispenser, Dual Control

This gem is great because I can get a bunch of them for cereal, beans, pasta and more and leave them on the counter against the wall; and my counter would look organized. Or I can leave them in the pantry and have an easy time locating what I need and my pantry will be organized. Oh, and they come in different shapes or singles. These remind of the old bubble gum machines, so there is that nostalgia coming up again.

These are just my top 5 things that I want now. This could change tomorrow or next year or when the next super techie gadget comes out. But these gadgets, when I see them inspire me to do more in the kitchen. Being a creative person, I am always looking for inspiration, and inspiration comes in many forms

In the comments below, sound off and let me know what your favorite new kitchen gadgets are and if you have any of the ones I mentioned, how do you like them?

Until next, Cook Eat and Enjoy and find your inspiration!!

 

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The Travel Bug- New Attitude

I have lived many places in my life.map of places lived I love traveling and seeing the sight of the world and exploring and learning other cultures and what makes them unique, especially through their food.

I finally got my passport about 2 years ago to go on a cruise with a friend that November. We were going to be going to Montego Bay Jamaica, Grand Cayman Islands, and Cozumel Mexico, leaving from New Orleans.

crusie

I had never been out of the country prior nor had I been to New Orleans Lousiana. I was so stoked to get my passport stamped and to go on the ocean (which was one of my biggest fears; your girl can’t swim).

At the end of a 14-day trip, I had experienced the ocean, New Orleans and two new cultures. Oh, but did you know that one does not get a stamp on their passport unless you are in the country for 24 hours or more? I did not know that. So needless to say, no passport stamps for me (sad face).

Never-the-less, that trip reignited the traveler that lives inside of me. I was ready to get out and see all the beauty, people and food from around the world. I have a list of place I want to travel and explore, the first being the closest to me, Victoria Canada. However, 2 years later, I have yet to go anywhere!!!

Well, I have to tell you, I had become discouraged; the travel bug raging, but not being able to do anything about it. Typical obstacle standing in the way; money, family responsibilities, time.

Finally, I had to re-evaluate my attitude; travel does not have to be far or out of my home country. Travel for me was to go someplace new, someplace I had not seen before. I decided, until I could go and visit all the exotic places around the world, I would travel and explore my backyard. My backyard meaning my city, my state and the states around me.

I have lived in Oregon for over 14 years and it is a beautiful place. I have only explored about 2% of it and I know that there are some beautiful things to see right here, as well as the states surrounding me.

Again, as I said, sometimes travel starts right at home and that was the begin of my plan. So the plan: start seeing the beauties around me; this would save money because I could drive instead of fly. Take my kids with me; this means my family responsibilities were right next to me and they could experience the travel and beauties right along with me. And time: I was always taught that we make time for the things and people that are important to us, so I would find a way to travel, be it on the weekends or short school breaks, etc.  

The plan was set, and I began this Summer 2018. I took a few road trips, here are the list of places:

Cape Kiwanda in Pacific City Oregon;

Tillamook, Oregon to the Tillamook Cheese Factory; (<<< click for the vlog)IMG_4451

Hagg Lake in Gaston, Oregon;IMG_2398

Multnomah Falls;IMG_2611

Walla, Walla Washington; (<<<click for the vlog)

Bridge of the Gods in Cascade Locks, Oregon;IMG_2591

The Columbia River Gorge.IMG_2559IMG_2577

That was 8 trips this summer alone and all were exceptionally beautiful in their own rights. All making me realize that there is beauty everywhere and the best place to start to travel is in my own large backyard.

Now, don’t go think I have given up on traveling far and wide and getting my passport stamped because I have not!!! I have plans to road trip to Victoria Canada in 2019, but for other places, it may take me a little longer than I want to get to there, but in the meantime, there is still plenty to see close to home.

If you have recommendations for travel that you feel are extraordinary, must see in your lifetime places, please leave it in the comments below.

Until next time, travel safe and explore!!!

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Apple Cinnamon and Blueberry Almond Energy Balls

Hey my foodies and non-foodies alike. School is in full swing for my two daughters which means leaving early and coming home pretty late. And all though I like to think of my children as always being so full of energy, I know they need a little boost sometimes. I had been hunting for a snack idea for them that would give them energy and have healthy ingredients minus the chocolate and peanuts since they are allergic. I came across the energy balls or bites. These were perfect because I could tailor them to each of my kids. So I ended up making apple cinnamon balls and blueberry almond balls, each with different type of butters. And better still, there was no bake involved. So here is what I used:

4 cups of rolled oats (2 cups each batch)

2 cups ground flaxseed (1 cup each batch)

2 cups sweetened shredded coconut (1 cup each batch)

1 cup of honey ( half cup each)

1 teaspoon salt (half teaspoon each)

1 cup of almond butter

1 cup of sunflower seed butter

2 teaspoons of vanilla extract (1 teaspoon each batch)

1 tablespoon cinnamon

1 tablespoon ground cloves

1 cup of dried blueberries

1 cup of sliced almonds

1 cup of dried apple rings cut into bite sizes

1 baking sheet lined with wax paper or parchment

2 large mixing bowls

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For all the oatmeal, I warmed in a frying pan to make the oats a bit easier to incorporate. I used my favorite Red Cooper Frying. If you want to go and get it, her is my Amazon Affiliate link. I love this pan so much!!!

https://amzn.to/2CTvSSY

So to each mixing bowl add in 1 cup of ground flaxseed, 2 cups of oats, 1 cup coconut, half cup of honey, teaspoon of vanilla extract and half teaspoon of salt.

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Each cup of butters, you want to melt a bit in the microwave to make it easier to handle.

For the apple cinnamon batch: add in the tablespoon of cinnamon and ground cloves, the almond butter and the pieces of dried apple. Mix well

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For the blueberry Almond batch: add in the dried blueberry and sliced almonds and the melted sunflower seed butter. Mix well.

Now the fun part for those who love to get there hands messy, so it is a great cooking activity for kids. Time to roll out the balls. If when you begin to roll the balls out and you find that they are breaking apart, this is because they are to dry and you need to add a few tablespoons of water to help them roll easier.

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Make the balls as big or small as you like them. I used a healthy tablespoon size and formed a tight ball in my hand, then place them on the bake sheet.

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Once everything is rolled out, place then in the fridge for 20 minutes so they can set, after which you want to store them in a airtight container. They should keep for over a week or so, however if you get the response that I received at my house, they will barely last 4 days or so.

If you would like to see the actually process, head over to my YouTube and checkout the video her at Energy Balls | Apple Cinnamon…

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Until next time, Cook Eat Enjoy!!!!