#Magnificent Mondays! #5: Live, Learn, Love, Laugh!



Quote of the Week: "Quae nocent docent" School of Hard Knocks

Ruminations: In these times of cold, dark, snow, and uncertainty, there are still lessons that are to be learned from the vicissitudes of life. We are not always on top, we are not always loved, we are not always employed, or in a relationship or living where we want to...but each and every situation has a series of lessons designed to craft us, to strengthen us, to give us fortitude. Bloom where you're planted. It is not an easy lesson;but it is a valuable one if we are to stretch and grow.

Mantra: I bloom where I am planted

Recipe:
Ingredients
1/2 lb. medium-size shrimp 1 tsp. sea salt dissolved in 1/2 cup water 4-6 Thai chilies, cut into thin rounds 1 1/2 - 2 tsp. roasted chili paste (nahm prik pow) 1-2 Tbs. fish sauce (nahm bplah), to taste 1 1/2 - 2 Tbs. lime juice, to taste 1-2 tsp. granulated sugar, to taste 1 stalk lemon grass Fresh shallot, halved lengthwise and sliced thinly crosswise 1-2 Tbs. coarsely chopped cilantro, sawleaf coriander or parsley 3-4 Tbs. coarsely chopped mint leaves 3 cups boiling water A couple of mint sprigs for garnish Preparation
Shell, de-vein and butterfly the shrimp. Soak them in the salted water for 5 to 10 minutes to freshen (this will give the shrimp a more luscious succulent texture). Then rinse thoroughly with plenty of water to remove the salt and drain. Mix the Thai chilies with the roasted chilli paste, fish sauce, lime juice and sugar. Taste and adjust to the desired hot, sour, sweet and salty combination. The sauce should be intense in all respects. Trim off and discard the woody bottom tip of the lemon grass and 2 to 3 of the loose, fibrous outer layers. Slice stalk from the bottom end into very thin rounds, to yield roughly 3 Tbs. Place in a mixing bowl with the sliced shallots, coarsely chopped cilantro and mint leaves. Blanch the shrimp in boiling water for 20 seconds, or until they turn pink on the outside but are not completely cooked through. Drain. The shrimp will be further cooked by the lime juice in the sauce. Toss the shrimp while still warm with the herbs and the chili-lime sauce. Stir well to coat the shrimp. Transfer to a serving plate and garnish with mint sprigs.

Exercise: Take a walk around the block, to the mailbox, around the corner. Clear your head of the cobwebs. Invigorate your lungs and other vital organs. Oxygenate your mind!

Salutation: Remember, this life is all we have. Let's make the best of it!

Bis vivit qui bene vivit,
Doula Angelita
#MagnificentMondays!
"a digest that is good for the soul!"

-- Doula AngelitaResurgam BirthingWell8899