Live The Most

lifestyle sharings, homemade recipes, societal opinions

[xinran285]

Global Taste_grilled squid

Comparing with tense taste of beef, low protein of chicken, squid has long been adored on table as a good source of natural protein with a small level of fat containing. The soft shell and stretch meat of it expands diverse possible appearances of this natural salty ingredient in kitchen. In other word, it’s hard to find a way that will limit the performance of squid—firing, brewing, steaming, frying, grilling…etc

Personally I prefer to have it grilled, brewing in sauce overnight to evenly have the shell penetrated with flavor I like, meanwhile gained a bit warm color to make it look tasteful. What’s best about this is no matter how spicy or sweet your sauce might be outside, you still can have a soft, natural taste remained inside.

Ingredients:

1 whole washed squid           1 tablespoon olive oil 3 cube sugars                        2 tablespoon oyster sauce 2 oz sesame oil                      1 cup soy sauce

2 rinsed small red peppers(cut into three pieces of each, preferably)

Directions:

1.Mix all ingredients together with washed squid into a sealed food storage bag.

2.Storage it in refrigerator overnight, the longer the better. The purpose of this is to fully brew the sauce into shell meat.

3.Preheat grill for 1-2 minutes.

4.Place brewed squid onto grill while evenly pressing it on top from left to right with kitchen clip to avoid the curve of its bottom.

5.6 minutes on each side until both with a nice golden color.

6.Cut it into slices before placing on plate.

[ninickyckyrr-blog]

Subconsciousness is such a fun subject that earns itself an important position in the science field. Though I don’t consider myself the biggest fan of the science world (really, those words and terms and theories are too genius and I’m not wise enough, not even close), I still enjoy analyzing my...

[xinran285]

Pretty much like a story I read in a book lately. Sometimes the thing we do can not practically change anything, but does make us feel good somehow, and that’s enough. Glad you are here now with such great, independent and unique character, cheer for you^^

[yoursummerdreamz]

[ninickyckyrr-blog]

oh man… this makes me really want an ice cream now, like, now, right now, at this moment! Gotta refill my fridge again!

[xinran285]

Have you already finished your fudge and brownie?... my four are still laying in mine...especially the giant yogurt..

[thealwayssummerblog]

Festival Essentials

Summer is right around the corner, for those of us on the East Coast, this means beaches, bbqs, and music festivals. Whether your headed to Governor’s Ball, Firefly, or if Taste of Country is more your thing these few essentials will get you through your weekend.

Since, I don’t know anyone who likes being gross and smelly (especially in the scorching summer sun) let’s keep these items handy.

First, all natural makeup wipes. They are not only good for removing your makeup but helping to keep your pores clear and fresh faced. There’s always lots of dirt flying around and you don’t want to let it all soak into your skin. If you’re camping these are great since water is typically in high demand.

Next, sunscreen! I’ve said it before but it is so important to keep on you. Grab a spray or application stick. A spray/stick keeps it easy to reapply, and harsh sunburn could make for a long and uncomfortable weekend.

Deodorant. Self-explanatory, but don’t forget to bring into festival.

Finally. A backpack is the best way to keep everything you need on you.

[xinran285]

It’s amazing that there’s a spray can actually reach SPF 70. Never used before, but already can feel my demand from the latest burning sun.

[ninickyckyrr-blog]

Was browsing all the pictures that I’ve been taken since came to the states. Sometimes days feel painfully long, but it has only been almost 6 years. I know, 6 years is not a shot time, but sometimes I feel it should actually be longer than that.

Then I saw a lot of faces of those who are...

[xinran285]

Agree and agree. Friends, relations, families, all the same. They last and stay alive somewhere in your heart, sometimes maybe too deep to be hidden that you almost suspect the existence of them, but you do know they are still there, along with memories and hopes for future. And we, ourself, just fight and struggle on another way waiting for the possible cross point.

[ninickyckyrr-blog]

If you are getting tired of movies, eating out, shopping, road trips, scuba diving is something that never gets old! Each and every moment you experience under the sea, is an once in a life time scene.

I never try to talk someone in to scuba diving, I just present them the facts, whether...

[xinran285]

Diving is something that always lives on my lists but I never have a chance to put it real. I already can picture the fancy underwater world in mind with your words~Pisces belongs to water, definitely I will get it done soon! Besides, so cool to have an unordinary certification about this.

[irenegeorge1]

I am Green Tea ice cream: a blend of heavy cream, milk, rich matcha tea whisked together with sugar and eggs that when combined provides the most refreshing aroma that you can smell right before you take a bite of it and enjoy its yummy, strong flavor. This ice cream represents who I am mainly...

[xinran285]

Similar to the saying that what you eat is who your are. Matcha tea ice cream is among one of my favorites as well. But the thing is I don’t really have a very specific single love on top, instead I like to have a bite of every favor of ice cream. My greedy represents the complication of my personalities.

[xinran285]

SOCIAL MEDIAs

It seems like no matter how fast technology grows, people’s demand is always ahead.

When we are no longer satisfied on talking to people face to face, texting to bestie with latest emoji and celebrities’ funny faces, we have various social medias enable us to follow friends’ moments, join groups, meet new friends and even stalk your ex-boyfriend’s current date mate if in need. The variety of sharing platforms on one side amplifies our choice and social sharing experience, on the other hand stimulates contents cross everywhere.

Pull out your phone, take five minutes break to check what’s going around your friends. Start from Twitter, you see a picture of ramen your friend had last night, with her bright smile behind. Like, comment on her smile and delicious looking ramen. Exit to Facebook, scanning, news, news, flowers, and stop! It’s the ramen, from your friend, and a smile. If you are really interested into ramen, or your friend, you may click on like again. However, when you switch to Instagram, Pinterest and Snapchat, eventually you find out the same ramen picture is everywhere with same content, how would you feel? Will you give a like to them all? Or you just directly pass them without one second stop.

We post things for sharing, comment on others’ posts for communicating, and forward some for supporting. A group of people only use one or two of social medias, some use them all with same contents repeating every place, and also there’re part of users use different platforms for certain purposes based on the functions that they serve.

How you use your tools? What’s cooking?

[xinran285]

Do Date Apps work?

How many time have you seen this in New York? Women sitting in front of a fancy bar with cigaret lifting between two beautiful long fingers, whispering and occasionally pulling away their look on each to men around them. This becomes the second popular way to find a relationship in New York, though with a low percent having it works. The highest odds is through friends’ introductions, but of less proportion would choose this as their first try. Undoubtedly, with the emerging of high technique and New Yorker’s giant ambitious for picking up the perfect one upon enough options, social dating apps still run the top, and will stay on the spot in future for a long time.

In fact, for those who have an initial relationship purpose, however, dating apps just are not one of your ideal searching area.

Type into “dating apps” on Google, over millions results come out, Tinder, Coffee Meets Bagel, How about we, Happen, okCupid, match.com. They specified into geographically matching people for dates, finding someone who have the same interest for a pure hookup, or searching for a same gender date. Diverse enough, but none can guarantee you a over 6.0 feet tall wealthy handsome with a pair of crystal blue eyes who is willing to take time to do dating steps purely for building a relationship with you.

No credit on dating apps.

The hottest is Tinder. I was persuaded by friends to start my romantic searching on it. Download, fill my personal profile, pick pieces of charming photos with one I smile, one I smile with friends, one I laugh, and one I laugh really loud. Oh, also choose the gender you prefer! Male, Female or both. Then all set! Begin your joy of sweeping left for like, right for the next delicious cake. Once the person and I both sweep left, a notice for match comes out. Romance is how it’s started.

Right, this sounds extremely appealing, and you are literally choosing your favorite from countless and updated database. Furthermore, the credibility of the app to allow you only have chance to contact who also has the same interest on you. No embarrassment, more possibilities.

However, one thing we missed there. No matter how many gorgeous waiting in the database, they all have the same purpose to meet someone primarily based on how good looking he/she is. Naturally, seeking for a relationship on bed is more likely happened and existed on the platform than building a real one from heart.

I had dozens matches, for lucky. 

After randomly filter and several messages, I met some of them in real life, which ruthlessly torn fairy tales apart with completely exposure of their real purposes on the using of Tinder, which are for sex, only. How these kind of dating apps generated under the demand of helping those who barely have chances meeting new people to start a relationship, turns into a boody call tool?

Is it the result of the way people choose potential mate on Tinder as picking up vegetables from a supermarket? Is real relationship never able to start from an unreal network chatting? Or, in general, most people in NYC don’t need too much complex emotional connections, even barriers. Have the pace of the city and its crazy metro system changed our capacity of how much time and efforts we are willing to pay for a relationship.

[xinran285]

Train Exploration

Though well-expanded with an underground net and seemly goes into a certain direction, metro system in NYC may suddenly stop for train traffic while your employer is non-stop calling you for modifying a crisis statement generated from an unexpected storm blown online, change its routine for construction while your stomach is protesting you for food supplements. Simply and roughly, there are just several words you can never find in the book of MTA discipline— Regular, Clean, Cheap.

But still, no matter how unsatisfied we are, we can’t live without it in busy New York.

Approximately, the time I spend on train daily is great enough for me to meet a guy with not fancy line-up in a shaking carriage. Couple minutes later, we may already know our mutual friends, similar neighbors, and change our numbers for a possible dinner after work. Well, that’s not always the case, I have to admit. Not because of the unlikely-happen too fast process, or my less make-up that completely ungently shows up what I gained from days of drink. You just hardly can find one as bored as you are on the train with rotating his eyeballs for searching round and round. Everybody has a task on hand.

With the emphasis on the development of personal management, campus starts to open classes on time management in build of students’ and future elites’ capabilities on coping multi-tasks with limited time—24h. Besides daily must-do issues, eating, sleeping, and sometimes laundry, we fragment our time through various ways, like on our way from one place to another, which you will notice actually takes great part of our day once if you pick it up back into whole again. In New York, a never stop city, you always can find people on train either holding a book reading or putting a headphone swaying with uncatchable rhythm. Are you one of them? Trying so hard to race with time and amplify your daily accomplishments.

However, while you are focusing on how to wisely use up time on train, something unexpected, may be positive or mood-killer, is missing from your lower head and Jay-Z music. Talented artists can light up your day with newly produced piece. Celebrity will share the same carriage with you, if you are lucky enough as I am. Or just when you put your head up, your eyes will unconsciously catch someone’s that are also looking back at yours. Magic starts from then.

It’s fair once you choose one side, there’s another will be missed out. The problem is how you balance which one is the better option. Most of us go to work or school at a certain time, with last-night collected energy to get on train, and back home with no much surprise day by day.

Do you ever think about live your life in another way? I’m not talking about quitting your job recklessly, though that’s what now majority Chinese youth adore into, throw what you have behind to start a totally brand new life from bottom to top. Yes, occasionally changing your hairstyle is quite appealing. I’m saying to put a little alteration in your daily regular plan. Don’t have to always tie yourself up into a stressful condition.

Considering your way to work or back home is an exploring trip that your can predict nothing about what will happen or who you will meet on the train. Simply free yourself, and release your mind with a pair of curious eyes and open mind to whatever around you. It may be regarded as a waste of time to those practical principle holding men. But who knows. Sometimes, unhappened may open you a window to take a look at another world.

So pack yourself up, buy a ticket, and if you lucky enough, get a good spot during rush hours, no popcorn served unfortunately. Most of all, be ready for whatever come!

[xinran285]

Workout More, Pay Less

Fast-paced is the tag of New York. Passengers walk pass and by through the corridor to train with daily paper folded into a small piece holding on their hand. Merchants drive trucks to unload cargo from one place to another. Wall street wolves run with minutes, even seconds, fighting the money war without blood. Or you may now are walking late to office as fast with your legs by turns as possible and try to make rush less affects your outfit. Everyone is running something in the city, and no time is available for wasting. Efficiency on time is essential. What about the way we spend our money, are they all wisely and accurately arranged?

With the development of living quality and increase of self health awareness, people are willing to spend time and money on exercise, which is a giant developing field with a diverse branch of community gym, club, commercial fitness, family club and so forth. According to a recent research, we spend averagely 110 dollars a month on fitness. Top recommended fitnesses usually not only provide basic equipments, accompanying with steam house, children area, good quality towel provided as well, which invisibly increase the price of obtaining a membership of those gyms. However, for most of us, whose main purpose to go gym is exercising, we don’t actually need that much extra services. Basic equipments and a clean environment would be enough. You will be surprise to see how much money can be saved from those unneeded accessories.

Blink is one of those less costly and eco-friendly fitness clubs. No overwhelmed decoration, only active color and soft light, no crowd well-dressed as going to a gym fashion show, only exercise focusing nice people. Last but not least, away from 80 dollars each month with an extra annual fee, it only costs you 15 dollars for getting an entrance to Blink every month.

[xinran285]

Food Is More About Food

Food isn’t just a necessity for filling our stomach and providing energy we require each day. It’s a reflection of your life. “You are what you eat,” a phrase from Anthelme Brillat-Savarin after several routes into US, indicates the nutrition part of food. You gain from the food you put into your mouth. Food however is more than that. It’s also about how you cook it, with how much love you dedicate.

This sense has already been exposed in many ways through movies. You can find brotherhood in “Big Night”, family warm and happiness brought from reunion in “Eat Drink Man Woman”, romantic encounter in “When Harry Met Sally”, also people’s diligence and conscientiousness toward food in “Jiro Dreams of Sushi”.

Like a fantastic painting born with inspiration, a memorable dish must be produced with creativity, skills as well as love. After all, it’s something you can personally feel with your eyes, your nose, you mouth, sometimes even your fingers. Great cookers usually won’t be satisfied only with the appreciation from mouth. They want to produce more, even including interaction, more like an art, but eatable. In-depth exploration in cooking is an endless way for combining ingredients and senses.

[xinran285]

The top three dream careers you want to have, excluding all external restricts. For me, No.1 would be pianist, then travel blogger, followed by running my own restaurant. What about yours? #nyc #welcometonewyork #piscesneverstopdreaming #dreamcareer #cometrue #future

[xinran285]

Chinese Taste_sweet spicy fish

Fish is a popular ingredient for cooking. Fish contains adequate nutritions, ideally for any kind of match or cooking style. To get a tender flavor of fish, deal it in the simplest way, steaming, and group with self-made sweet spicy sauce.

Ingredients:

1 freshwater fish or weever                       4 cube sugars 1 sliced ginger                                          2 tablespoons olive oil 1 cup soy sauce                                       1/2 cup vinegar 1 tablespoons thick broad-bean sauce    1 tofu 2 green onions, rinsed, ends trimmed, cut into 5-6mm shorts

Directions:

1.Clean up the fish, scaling, knife double side of its skin without cutting apart.

2.Cut tofu into cubes.

3.Place tofu and fish in a bamboo steamer onto a pot of boiled water. Large fire for 1 minute, turn to medium for 13 minutes.

4.Preheat pot for 30s, pour in olive oil, ginger, soy sauce, thick broad-bean sauce, vinegar, and sugar subsequently. Fry till fragrance out.

5.Serve fish and tofu on a plate, dressed with sauce from step 4 and green onions.

[xinran285]

Chinese Taste_chicken feet stewed with soy sauce

Unlike in most western countries and US, chicken feet have been treasured among foodie and women for its high-protein containing, which is especially suitable for making soup, in China for years. This dish, gently stewing chicken foot in a pot of mixed soy sauce, provides you a spicy blended flavor of easily chewing meat.

ingredients:

1 pounds chicken feet, rinsed                 several star anise       salt, chilli powder to taste                        3-4 hot pepper, cut into shorts          1 clove ginger, sliced                               2 tablespoons olive oil 1~2 cup soy sauce                                  1 cup honey 1/2 cup vinegar                                        5 cup water 1 green onion, rinsed, ends trimmed, cut into shorts

Directions:

1. Put chicken feet in boiled water till they change color, get them out.

2. Preheat pot for 30s, pour olive oil, and sprinkle star anise evenly with hot pepper, ginger, and green onion in pot. Wait them heated till fragrance spreads out.

3.Place chicken feet into pot, get them cover with water. Add salt, chilli powder, soy sauce, honey in sequencing.

4.Large fire for 5 minutes, turn into small for 40 minutes.