Obscure Journey

Being productive.... as a freelancer

Publié le 4 Décembre 2014 par Charly Cross

Catégories : #life experience, #tips, #tricks, #job

So earlier today I was thinking about posting a blog entry, however I was out of ideas. And I started wondering why was that... Is like when I have work to do, my head gets filled with 10000036487234 other things I want, need, or have to do. I also get many more ideas of what to write about in my blog. When I actually have the time to do whatever .... guess what? all my inspiration is gone, all my motivation is gone too... everything.

Is it only me? I don't think so. In fact, I noticed many people in a similar situation. How do we work around this, in our favor?

My friend came up with the best, most perfect solution. That is to create a schedule and a rewarding system. Say I work for some 30 minutes straight, or an hour, with NO distractions. Then, I take a short break, no more than 15 minutes, when I do whatever else I want to do. Sounds, awesome, doesn't it? So WHY don't I do that?

To be honest... I have no idea why. Some might call it being lazy, not enough motivated, lack of a strong will... and who knows what else.

Well, maybe I should try harder to break this nasty habit... Wish me luck?

You can now buy "productive freelancer" merch from here. By default you can see a spiraled notebook, but many other types of items are also available.

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Midnight crepes - a blog entry

Publié le 11 Octobre 2014 par Charly C.

Catégories : #Cooking, #dessert, #food, #sweets, #story

Hello everyone.

Right now it's 1am over here. I just came from the kitchen where i prepared some crepes. I started them at something past midnight. This is the 3rd night I do this, granted, not in a row. I think I'm in the process of developing a new habit.

The midnight crepes are not all that special, they're regular, sweet crepes that you fill with anything you want that is sweet. In my case, these crepes seem to be better than the ones I make in the day-time. hmmm maybe my cravings determine me to cook better, or maybe i just like the food more.

In any case, the batter turned out exceptionally well, but of course i measured nothing. Water - 500 ml, 1 egg, 5 spoons sugar, pinch of salt, and several spoons of all purpose flour - 5 or maybe 6?

OOps, I should have cleaned the stove's top. Tonight the crepes are less burned, but I took no photos.

Well, this is all for now, bye~~

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Summertime and icecream

Publié le 18 Août 2014 par Charly Cross

Catégories : #advice, #Cooking, #life experience, #life lesson, #tips, #Uncategorized

Hello world~~~

Now my summer is almost over. But, summertime is everyone's favorite season to enjoy some ice cream. Or more ice cream than usual. The main reason is its cooling effect, or so they say. I personally don't need an excuse to eat it, and neither should you.

Strawberry mousse “ice cream” from my cookingmyexperience.wordpress.com blog

But, tell me: for how long does the cooling effect last? For me it lasts only as long as I eat it. Some 5 minutes later I start feeling very very hot. This is especially true if I have while I'm outside, with no air con. If you don't believe me, go ahead and have a small ice cream and tell me how you feel. Stop your air con, go outside, stay 5 or 10 minutes in the scorching sun (don't forget to protect your skin against sunburn), come back in a warmer room, and have an ice cream. Go on, go, do it! OK, so you finished it. Do you feel refreshed, chilled, hotter, or do you feel nothing much compared to before?

Delicious!

When I'm done eating an ice-cream I rapidly start feeling more hot and energetic, than before. The explanation is simple: the ice cream contains a lot of sugar. Sugar is what gives more energy. Part of this energy turns into heat that keeps us warm. Additionally, the low temperature of the ice-cream [at least 0 degrees Celsius] tricks the body into thinking that it is warmer outside than it actually is. We can record summer temperatures as high as 32 degrees Celsius, so eating something frozen will definitely makes us think it's actually so much hotter than it really is.

salty caramel icecream [my picture - that's the former name of the blog]

Japanese people noticed these effects of the ice cream and this is why they eat it in winter too. I must admit, I did eat ice cream in winter, while being out and about. What did I feel? I felt warmer. I was also walking, and the energy boost was needed. In case you were wondering, I didn't catch a cold because of eating an ice cream in winter outdoors - that's just a myth. I didn't have the flu shot either, but I'm considering having it this year.

[my picture - that's the former name of the blog]

Ok, guys, enjoy the last days of summer, and pay attention to how much ice cream you eat ;)

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Refilled bell peppers

Publié le 6 Août 2014 par Charly C.

Catégories : #Cooking, #recipe, #main dish, #tips, #food, #advice

Hello world~~~

Today's dinner will be "refilled bell peppers" with pork, carrots, and rice. People here love this dish, and so do I. This recipe calls for cooking both on medium heat and in the oven. It can be done all in the oven too, if you prefer. ;) This is a main dish, and I actually forgot what you can eat it with. Maybe a tomato salad, some yogurt or sour cream. You might want bread too, if you're a fan. The dish can be served warm or cold, depending on when you serve it. Sometimes these peppers taste better cold, or the next day if the person cooking them is really talented. If you ask me, this dish doesn't really need other side dishes.

Most main dishes use onions and (or) garlic, but I am allergic to them, so I used shredded carrots instead of onions. I hope the dish still tastes good. I had 10 bell peppers in total, but I only managed to use 7. That's how many fit in my pot, and not all of them had the same size. I broke 1 pepper and I didn't use it anymore for this dish, but I will use it for a sandwich, or some other dish. I will give you the quantities I used, and I want to mention before hand that I have some left overs I placed in the freezer for a future batch. You need a tall enough pot in so the peppers would stand on their tips. I used pork meat, but you can use a mixture of pork and beef, or just beef. I think beef will cook for longer, though, I'm not sure.

serving idea

INGREDIENTS

500 g pork meat. [1 pound?]
500 g uncooked rice [1 pound?]
2 long carrots
condiments: black pepper, salt, paprika,
thick tomato sauce
2 eggs
200 g sour cream [tastes better than yogurt]
3 table spoons of cooking oil [I used sunflower oil, the most commonly found and used here]
bell peppers [7 or more]

METHOD

First, wash the rice, and leave it in some water until you're ready to mix it. Peel and shred the carrots. Now, remove the core with seeds from the peppers, and wash the peppers. Make sure you don't break them. It is time to mix the meat, condiments, eggs, shredded carrots, 2 spoons of tomato sauce, and rice.

soaking rice, counted peppers, and the filling before mixing everything

With a spoon fill each of the peppers, but leave some empty space at the top as the rice will swell up. Place the filled peppers in the pot, with the opening up. Fill with water to cover them, and place on medium heat for an hour. I think you need medium heat, as I used low heat and things were going nowhere.

While the peppers boil, mix the sour cream with some 4 tablespoons of tomato sauce, some salt, some black pepper, the oil, and some water.

When boiling time is up, your pot is supposed to be half full with water. I had a lid over my pot and the water level never went down. This turned out to be a good things though, as I used some of the water in the sour cream and tomato sauce mixture. ;) The mixture has to be rather liquid, like tomato juice.

i edited this entry in july 2017, when i re-cooked this

When putting the sauce mixture over the peppers, make sure you cover them as well. Place the pot in the oven for 20 minutes. I stopped the fire in the oven after 25 minutes, and then I left the pot in there as it wasn't yet dinner time.

my leftovers before freezing time. can you tell I forgot to put tomato sauce in the mixture? hahaha.

Some notes:

This recipe can be altered for those who do not eat meat, by replacing all the meat with rice or soy. It is best to use some sort of lid for the peppers after filling them, so there will be no leak. You can use slices of tomatoes, potatoes, or pieces of peppers, like I did.

You might have figured out by now, that broken peppers may leak or break further, and you don't want that. Depending on the size of the peppers and number of people at the table, the serving size is 1 or 2 peppers per person. Use at least 2 table spoons of sour cream or yogurt on each pepper after you place them on the plates.

The same filling can be used for refilled zucchini or refilled tomatoes.

Please leave your questions in the comments below.Bon Apetit~~~

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Washing my hair with plain water

Publié le 6 Juillet 2014 par Charly Cross

Catégories : #advice, #beauty, #grooming, #review, #tips, #tricks

I may not be the cleanest person out there, nor the most organized, but I make sure I don't stink or look dirty when going out. I like showering right before going out. I wish everyone had this much courtesy.

Some of you like to use eco-friendly cleaning and grooming products, or products that are natural as they can be. This is perfectly fine, and I kinda envy you for going the extra mile. What I know for sure is that many people out there also try to find budget-friendly solutions for cleaning and grooming.

I also know that some tips and tricks work and some don't. This is because I tried some of them out. The most recent one is the trick, or was it a piece of advice?, said that we can clean our hair just fine with plain running water. Crazy? Yes, I know.

It's been at least a month since I read this trick, but I was too intrigued by it to let it go. So yesterday I tried it out. Not because I ran out of shampoo, but because I thought any day is just as good. I have greasy hair, but lately it doesn't become as oily as it used to. I also had to wash it one day sooner, but I was busy doing other stuff.

Went in the shower and did my routine, without shampoo. I was nervous, weirded out, and dieing of curiosity to see if it works. I also haven't used hair conditioner, to have a better glimpse of the result. Having to go out for a bit, I let the outside air dry my hair.

look at me being cousin It ... or the ghost from The Ring XDD

METHOD

I used hot water, as much as I could stand, with high pressure. I let the water run on my hair while scrubbing the roots. I tried to do this for as long as it takes me to use shampoo, rinse, use conditioner, and rinse again. I probably should have done it for longer for better results.

In case you were wondering, I did use shower gel to wash my body. Plain water does little for me especially in summer.

CONCLUSION AND IMPRESSIONS

It worked. It wasn't perfect, especially at the roots, but I may have had to stay in there for longer. I don't know. My hair felt heavier yesterday, but today it felt and looked better. My friend didn't tell me I have to wash my hair, so I am pretty happy with the result.

I must warn you though, that the results depend on each person's type of hair, and water. I don't think I will do it again, unless I don't have any shampoo left anymore. I wouldn't recommend it as lifetime solution, this is up to whoever tries it.

Take care until next time.

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Living with animals, defending cats, defending animals

Publié le 2 Juillet 2014 par Charly Cross

Catégories : #animals, #cats, #dogs, #life experience, #life lesson, #love

Hi there~~~

There are 5 typpes of people out there: cat people, dog people, bird people, people who love all animals equally, and people who do not. Honestly I will never understand those who don't love animals or not have pets. (Unless they have allergies, that's different.)

The orange cat is Whiskey, the gray cat is Mickey. The tuxedo one is the foster cat we had, Milky.

The orange cat is Whiskey, the gray cat is Mickey. The tuxedo one is the foster cat we had, Milky.

I am a cat person. Just look at the above fluffiness, how can you not like cats?

People say that cats are evil, unloving, unfaithful, and many other bad things. They say dogs are man's best friend, faithful, loving, and so on. But is it true?

It many be true to some degree, however if you're not a cat person, you can't really understand why does the cat act the way he does.

The first thing we need to understand about cats is that they are choosing a favorite human. It is usually the one who cares about them the most, but of course many exceptions do exist.

The cats purr, dogs can't. Enough said.

somebody's dog.

Have you ever been in the situation where you had to re-home your pet? Or do you know somebody who took in an abandoned animal? Have you noticed that a dog adapts quickly to his new family, whereas the cat not so much? Sure, the cats are more sensitive to changes than dogs are, but there is more than this to it. The cat would not eat nor use the litter for a couple of days in a new home with people he doesn't know. The dog, on the other hand, might cry endlessly at night.

A cat is better at hiding his or her illness than a dog is. On the other hand, the dog can help us spot an illness, and especially cancer in our bodies, early on. Animals can alert us if there is some gas leak, if someone is at the door, they show us what being needed is like. Many of us complain about how our partners don't make us feel special, loved, or needed. We are important in our pets' life because they depend on us for food and a clean potty place. [gosh, I hate the word 'potty']

It's good to raise a pet, especially a dog if you have an active lifestyle. If you're more laid back, a kitty is a better match for you. If you can't have pets at home, maybe you can volunteer at an animal shelter.

I'm also a bird person.. or crow person.

You have no idea how better life is with an animal. Seeing its silly reactions to various stuff they find weird, or simply screaming at you for food, it's priceless. I would never exchange my current life for anything. For the next 10 years I am bound to these animals that fulfill my life. I can't see myself without them.

until next time.

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Is this really true love?

Publié le 29 Juin 2014 par Charly Cross

Catégories : #advice, #life experience, #life lesson, #love, #Uncategorized

There are forums which promote self discovery through Love. Being in love can build you up and make you feel like you belong, like you are special, like you are chosen by God and by a certain person.

And if someone is in love and discovers such a place it may give them a feeling of certainty, making them think << I wasn't wrong.. It is true!>> but is it really?

It's a bit similar to fashion so its like we have the avant-garde designers who sometimes take things too far and it becomes "avant-merde." People take things too far to often. It's the case with love, too. Sure love can be a spiritual experience but the Soul-Mate concept only holds truth if shared by the other person. You can get signs from God that tell you he or she is the one And then the truth doesn't match your expectations. And you become very disappointed Because the forums tell you: "You can have it all" Its yours For $0.99 or if you do enough work on yourself.

So you chase the (most often completely unaware) ''partner'' and the more they don't give you what you want, the more you hold on. And you send them 100 messages in 3 days telling them how things are from your POV (aka ''your truth'') ... when you haven't even studied anything spiritual before.. hmmm

People who have issues fall for unavailable people - be it emotionally or physically, but what is a love without the chaos? It's the chaos and the intensity of it all that makes the whole experience worthwhile ... and so 99% of the people have it wrong. Then they wonder why the other person doesn't feel the same

But it's because they never really felt anything or not to that intensity you did, especially if you have borderline personality disorder or bipolar. Or if you're married and you're not happy, it's always easier to live in a fantasy. But when the people close to you, tell you: "You are going to far," do listen to them.

(S)he won't complete you (s)he doesn't love you. Your "love" is delusional and borderline obsession and hating the people in the person's life only shows your own insecurities and denies your ''truth'' of being a Loving Being. Isn't it?

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a cooking lesson

Publié le 9 Mai 2014 par Charly C.

You cook for others, unless you don't.
- quote by me ;) -

This is the first thing you need to learn before you learn how to prepare food. This is especially true when you cook for your family. I know this sounds redundant, but think about it. As a kid you weren't very happy to eat your vegetables, were you? You always wanted to have a piece of cake or a cookie before your meal, or instead of the meal. Or, if you had siblings, on their birthday you were upset because your mom would prepare something THEY liked, not something you liked.

If you cook for others you most likely want then to show appreciation for your effort, and skills. I know I do. But have you ever considered that they can't be genuinely happy eating if they don't like the food? You must consider that while broccoli is healthy, it is definitely not everyone's favorite. However, if you manage to cook that broccoli in an interesting way, making it look funny, or nice, be sure the effort will be noticed, and they might be more eager to eat it.

I now struggle with this "cooking for others" deal. Me and the person I share the food with, have almost opposite tastes in food. While I'm not bothered by slightly uncooked food, they like it well cooked. The "well cooked" food turns burned, for me. Right now, I blame it on the stove and on me forgetting about everything. I dislike burned food. They don't. How do I fix this? I practice. However, this doesn't always work out. Clearly, if I were the only one eating, I wouldn't care much, but I have to pay attention to cooking time.

Additionally, you know how some aromatic plants, like basil, dill, parsley, are commonly used for certain dishes? Well, make sure everyone like those plants and condiments. We don't eat dill, parsley, onions, and garlic. We are allergic to the last 2, and the first 2 are related to the last 2. We love chilli, black pepper, basil, and I forgot what else. You now know what stuff to definitely avoid if you want to cook for us. ;)

Every lesson must have a homework.

What type of food does everyone around you like?
Does anyone eating your food have allergies, even mild ones?
What foods are simply not liked by anyone around you?
Can you think of ways to improve the taste/appearance of those foods?

Fell free to ask or tell me stuff below.

See you next time~~~

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My Linzer torte recipe

Publié le 24 Février 2014 par Charly C.

Catégories : #Cooking, #baking, #dessert, #food, #recipe, #sweets, #tips

Hello world~~~

I haven't updated in ages. Well, it is time for a brand new recipe, but first a little bit of a back-story. I received this round, flower shaped baking tray, so I had to try it out right away. And, in case you were wondering, yes, it has been used.

The recipe I used is one I posted already, but I twisted it up a little. The recipe is the one for vanilla biscuits. OK, truth be told, I haven't even measured the ingredients, I just freely poured. If you're a beginner, I highly recommend you measure them. The recipe for the vanilla biscuits uses almonds. I had no nuts around the house.

My gifted baking round/flower tray (on my bed) and compared to my hand.

Remember what I called this recipe? Linzer torte? This cake has a crust with some jam on top. If you research the recipe, you'll that the one I used comes really close to it. I used a cherry jam. I also gave up the lattice design the Linzer torte because of not having enough dough.

INGREDIENTS

200 grams butter
250 grams flour
70 grams sugar
some salt
some baking powder
30 ml vanilla essence
jam of choice

OPTIONAL

100 grams almonds or other nuts
some cinnamon
vanilla sugar
confectioner's sugar

METHOD

Leave the jam to a side. Preheat the oven and prepare a baking tray of choice, using your favorite method

Mix all the ingredients in a large enough bowl. You will need to use your hands for this. Get your hands wet so the dough won't stick to them. Mix really well.

Take all the dough and place in the baking tray. Take a lass with a regular shape to help you spread the dough evenly in the tray. It is best to make a little edge to prevent the jam from leaking over. Pour the jam on top, and spread it evenly. Feel free to add more nuts on top.

Place the tray in the oven, in the middle, with a medium-low heat. Baking last about half an hour. Using a toothpick to check if it's done is not very effective due to the jam on top. It is easy to burn this cake, so be careful.

Once it's done, remove it from the oven and let it cool. Once cooled, you can sprinkle confectioner's sugar on top.

Please leave your questions in the comments.

Bon Apetit

Originally posted on Feb 24, 2014 Edited in November 2018.

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[blog entry.1] Cooking Pomme Anna

Publié le 25 Novembre 2013 par Charly Cross

Catégories : #advice, #Cooking, #life experience, #life lesson

So today I wanted to cook Potatoes Anna, or as French called it, Pomme Anna. The recipe is here, and as you can see, not on my blog. BUT, it will be, once I adjust it. And we reached the point where I explain why I felt the need to write a blog entry in my "cooking book."

Sometimes when I follow recipes they don't turn out as I expected. I usually blame it on my stove, not using the same sized pans/pots/so on. But, what if the recipe hasn't been written exactly the first time it has been recorded?

For instance, the recipe for Potatoes Anna above says to use 1/2 cup of melted butter. Another recipe said I can use melted margarine. And this is what I did use, as I didn't have butter on hand, nor time to run to the store to buy it, even if it's literally around the corner.

Pommes Anna by @jwagnerdrums on instagram. mine didn't look this nice.

BUT, you should head over to Wikipedia to read about the dish/recipe, and you'll find out this is a 19th century dish that uses "a very large amount of melted butter." The last time I checked 1/2 cup is nowhere near "a large amount," let alone "a very large amount."

If you want to try this dish, you must do some heavy research on what it's supposed to look like. HINT: it has to look like a round cake. To get this look, you have to turn the pot you cooked it in, upside-down, on a large enough plate. "A very large amount of melted butter" allows this process to be performed easily. During the cooking in the oven, the water in the butter/margarine evaporates, and your 'potato cake' will stick to the pot and burn, which is what happened to me. Thankfully, it was only the bottom that got burned, and the rest was edible. Needless to say, that if the potatoes stick to the pot you'll have a hard time removing the "cake."

So these are my thoughts on cooking Potatoes Anna. I will definitely try this recipe again, and that is when I will post the (I hope) 'right' recipe for you guys. With pictures too.

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