Recently, I have been having a lot of homework and I find it very difficult to be happy when all I do throughout the weekend is stay indoors. Therefore, I ventured out and decided to explore around town. I also tried many new things in my own home. The following are my recent adventures:
1. Inviting a friend over for a healthy meal
That is a picture of a quick salad I made for a new friend who came over on a quiet Sunday to get to know me better. She said she loves fresh, raw vegetables, so I ran to a local grocery store and bought some tasty ingredients that I could use to prepare her a meal. This salad I made consists of vegan cheese, lettuce, cherry tomatoes, an assortment of mini bell peppers, chopped carrots, potatoes, and cauliflowers, plus mango and pineapple salsa.
2. Trying a new recipe
I have never had the opportunity to make French dinner, but this September I stumbled upon a website called Epicurious. It has a lot of recipes for exotic soup, one of them is a Marseille delicacy. Being a port town in France, of course it has a dish of fish stew. After debating with myself whether or not the dish is worth a shot, I dragged my boyfriend to a local food coop in downtown Asheville to get leeks, parsley, onions, garlic, thyme, basil, cayenne powder, orange vinegar, apple cider, and necessary stocks. The main star is the chunks of smoked trout fillet. This is a picture of what I ended up with:
Not bad for an amateur! I added corn meal flour to boost up the savory flavor and, since I wanted it to be moderately creamy, I added white wine (the alcohol content evaporated, but the taste lingered and made the fish stew even more yummy.)
3) Going to a restaurant that is not too upbeat
See the beautifully served burger? It is made from Garbanzo beans! If you are hungry for burgers, Nectar Café in North Asheville puts a tasty twist on the original veggie burger.
Need I convince you more? What about a photo of tempting granola pizza decorated with spicy mayonnaise and garnished with marinara sauce? If you're thirsty, Nectar Café is proud to serve you their finest pressed juices. I recommend their ginger, apple, strawberry, soymilk, and honey concoction.
4. Watching insects and bugs in their natural habitat
This advice only works if you are not afraid of some creepy crawly creatures, obviously. I am someone who finds Ecology interesting because I can study about the way organisms interact with each other and their environment.
If you see a bunch of flowers with butterflies casually hanging around, what do you think about? I immediately ask questions about the roles they play in keeping check of the population growth of other plants and animals. For example, what if the flowers are actually invasive species that threaten the native species? What if the butterfly who lays eggs is responsible for balancing out the population? What if the caterpillars eat the leaves and therefore slow down the wild flowers' growing speed?
5. Learning how to sketch real objects
That is a sample of my hand-drawn field report. My point is, you do not need to be Leonardo da Vinci to make your own Mona Lisa.
So, to sum up, whenever boredom strikes, you can make a list of exciting, fascinating, and engaging stuff to experiment with. Get up from the couch and start pampering your imagination!
