Fried Coated Mushrooms

Hi, guys! This month there will be a theme going around on the blog. December is cooking month! So from now on, every week, I'm going to introduce a recipe to all of you. As you know, I'm not much of a cook so this is something totally new to me. Some of the recipes might be quite traditional and some of them are just cooking-hacks as opposed to recipes. Either way, I hope you enjoy them!

I love mushrooms! It's one of those essentials I absolutely must have in the kitchen - along with cheese and chilli. There's this memory from my adolescent years when my parents used to take me and my siblings to Outback Steakhouse. Their Bushman'shrooms are the absolute best! This is my and my stepmom's rendition of the recipe. Personally, I prefer this to fried chicken because it's definitely way less in cholesterol and fat. It's actually sort of balanced because mushrooms lessens the blood pressure whereas the oil is a huge source of fat. This recipe goes so well with rice and mashed potatoes, if you'd have it for lunch.

Ingredients

• 16 champignon mushrooms
• 1 tbsp. flour
• 2 tbsp. seasoned flour

(I used the one from Kobe; ingredients: tapioca flour, salt, herbs and spices)

• 1 egg
• a bit of water
• cooking oil (as needed)

1. Wash all the mushrooms and - if you want - peel off the dirty skin and cut the stem
2. Crack the egg in a bowl, add a bit of water and beat it until it's all yellow
3. In a different bowl mix the flour and the seasoned flour together
4. Cover the mushrooms with the flour mixture then dip them into the beaten egg
5. Use a fork to move the mushroom around in the egg and make sure it's covered all over
6. Use the same fork to transport it to the flour mixture and pour flour all over the mushroom before rolling it around and covering it completely with flour
7. Heat the oil in a pan or a wok
8. Fry the mushrooms in the oil once it's hot
9. Remove the mushroom when it's reached a certain golden colour and starts spewing out water
10. Serve it on a plate and enjoy!

Tips: While covering the mushrooms with flour and egg, make sure your hands are dry at all times. Do not let the mushrooms get too brown, lest it should be soggy when you take it out. Be careful when biting, because it could be hotter on the inside and the water from the mushroom might squirt out. This dish is perfect for snacks or to be had with rice or mashed potatoes. Lass euch schmecken!

Some Changes Are Meant to Last Forever

♪ Everything Changes - Sheila Brody ♫

Did you ever have that experience when you went from grade school to middle school and you had to say goodbye to some of your friends because you were changing schools? I remember feeling at the time, "Oh, we'll meet again in high school!" But we didn't. We all grew apart in middle school and - guess what - that's okay! Sometimes changes feel like that. You leave a place and you think, "One day, I'll be back." But it turns out you never are. Then, say, five years later you realise you never went back and you don't regret it. Changes are hard, it's a given. Not anticipated or even welcome changes, for the most part. Changes that come as blessings in disguise are often difficult to ease into. And, because it is, you need to feel like the changes are temporary, that you will somehow go back to 'the way things were,' which is pointless wistful thinking because nothing ever stays the same and you know it. Sometimes the best thing to do is embrace the change. Before you know it, time would have passed and you'd realise that that change becomes a permanent part of your life, which did not invite regrets.

Thrifted/secondhand top + shorts + sandals // Urban Outfitters hat // necklace from a convention

If you're going through a life-changing - but not welcome - experience right now, let me just tell you that I understand what you're going through. Sometimes we feel like our life is going down one path when it's actually going to be u-turned to another path. Sometimes we feel like, as we get older, life will become clearer to us, that we would finally know for sure what we're supposed to do. But what do we know? When I was 14, I never thought my life would turn into what it is now. Eight years later, I still don't know what tomorrow will look like. That always humbles you, makes you realise how little you are and there's a far greater force in the universe. And this force knows all, while you waste your whole life trying to figure it out. That being said, your life isn't a waste. Because, as is with most things, the destination matters not, unlike the journey.

Call for Guest Bloggers!

Last year, because I was going away for a while, I started a guest-blogging session for the last half of December. I assembled some of the bloggers that I know and love and asked them if they would like to post something on my blog. It really brought people together and I adore having other people on the blog. This year, although I don't see any immediate plans in the future, I would so love to have other people over and blog about things they love and you guys might enjoy. This month I'm looking for five bloggers to take over. The topic is pretty open: starting from outfits, DIY ideas, recipes, travel tips, to adventures. You know, just the kind of things you often see on this blog here. It doesn't have to be Christmasy either - since I don't celebrate Christmas anyway - but snow is very much welcome.

I will accept submissions until Friday, December 12th. You don't need to know what you're going to post about first, it's fine. Just give me the idea and let me know that you're interested. Afterwards, we will talk about the process and proof-read your posts - if it needs proof-reading at all. I accept posts in English, German and Indonesian - although English is very much preferred. Please include link to your blog! You can email me your ideas/submission and other inquiries to alivegurl_3ple_as@yahoo.com. Looking forward to your submissions and I hope we can all become friends from this! ;)

Like Father, Like Daughter

♫ Anna Sun - Walk the Moon ♪

Guess what? Another special guest makes an appearance (well, actually two, if you see the photo below) and I've been talking about him a lot on this blog for a while but he was never here in person. Although I'm pretty sure he doesn't even know I'm posting this on my blog. Oops! Well, I'm sure he won't mind. In case it hasn't dawned on you, it's my dad! We have this shirt that we bought together and I just can't resist the need to take photos with him while we're both wearing it. Yep, I know I'm pretty cheesy. It's one of my favourite past times to have the same shirts as my dad. It started out purely coincidental, you know. My dad's old company used to host tons of family fun days and they give out matching shirts for the whole family. But, in the end, the only ones keeping with the tradition of wearing matchy-matchy shirts are Dad and I. My overweight body helped, because it was difficult to find things that fit me and a t-shirt is always the safest bet. Now, although no longer quite overweight, I still brighten up to the idea of wearing matching shirts with my dad.

Taman Safari Indonesia t-shirt // Vibrantcache skirt (Sis's) // C&A kitty hat // thrifted sandals // Jane Shilton bag // photos by Akita + Maftukhah

Let me talk about my dad for a bit. Growing up, we've always had a unique relationship. First, my sister and I banned him from entering our rooms, still with the adorable mindset of "boys are gross" and "they're the enemy." Later on, he was the figure who forced me to learn math everyday because I seriously sucked at it. He saw to it that I mastered everything that I had to learn. One day, I became the only student in class who could answer a difficult math problem - although, even back then, I didn't think it was a head-scratcher. He's the father who banned me from reading Indonesian comic books so that I would excel in English. Otherwise, you guys wouldn't be able to read this blog without Google Translate. He's the one who's always believed in me and never stopped teaching me. You better believe me when I say: I love him with all my heart.

P.S: If you guys are interested in my dad's outfit details, let me know

"Catch a Falling Star" Jelly

Hi, guys! This month there will be a theme going around on the blog. December is cooking month! So from now on, every week, I'm going to introduce a recipe to all of you. As you know, I'm not much of a cook so this is something totally new to me. Some of the recipes might be quite traditional and some of them are just cooking-hacks as opposed to recipes. Either way, I hope you enjoy them!

One of the things I was super thankful for when I returned home is the variety of food. There are tons of food we have here in the tropics, especially the fruits. I love tropical fruits, as you can imagine, and was so excited to make something with them. I feel like baking is out of the question since tropical fruits are the best when they're raw, not cooked or anything. And I'm not so good with other aspects of cooking. However, when I think of tropical fruits, I think of some refreshing jelly to go with it. So here it is.

Ingredients

• 1 packet of jelly
• 1/2 of a Starfruit
• 1 tbsp. basil seeds
• a cup of water
• 900 ml water
• sugar to taste (ca. 120 gr)

1. Prepare a cup of water and pour the basil seeds into the cup (or you can have the basil seeds in a cup and fill it with water, I did this)
2. Leave it for a bit until the seeds all float about the water or look like little eyes
3. Now peel the edges of the starfruit then cut the fruit in thick slices
4. Follow the instructions on the jelly packet and cook the jelly
5. When it's done, pour the jelly into a container (a bowl would also do)
6. Strain the basil seeds from the water and scatter them into the jelly along with the starfruit pieces
7. Let them cool off a bit then stick them in the fridge
8. Leave them in there for a few hours (possibly overnight)
9. Take them out after they've hardened and cooled
10. You can flip them onto a plate or eat them directly from the container
11. Enjoy!

Tips: Although I said "jelly," I actually used "agar" packets, which is made out of algae. It has a firmer structure. But I think your run-of-the-mill jelly works just as well. Make sure you taste the jelly concoction before pouring it out so you can adjust the sweetness. Don't forget to get the seeds out of the starfruit before adding it to the jelly. Lass euch schmecken!