I openly and happily admit I am a real homebody. There is almost nothing better than spending a day at home for me: I sleep in, then get up and make tea and fresh almond milk, check my emails, and engage in some piano playing, without having the need to dress for the day immediately. On a home day, I do all these things in my PJ’s. I then usually start doing some work, still in my PJ’s, which is so much nicer – it almost feels voluntary then, and I am so comfortable when working at home.
~ also, home-cooked food is the best ~
At home, I have my piano in the next room, so I can have a playing refreshment whenever I want to – not to forget the kitchen which provides me with tea and a nice meal as soon as I get thirsty or hungry. Okay, I have to admit I may be more distracted by all these pleasant thing as I am in the office, but I am not less productive overall, at least not since I created a little working space in my apartment where I go to do stuff. And knowing that I have everything at hand I need to be comfortable eases my mind a lot. I also love the solitude and the possibility to freely determine how to ration my time. This fuels me up before I throw myself into the world out there again. My home really is my little treasure island.
Now that I know I can stay in my apartment, I felt motivated to make this place more cozy. Today, I finished unpacking and then re-organized both my linen cupboard and my food-spices-and-tea shelf.
I made name tags for my herb and spice jars to have a better overview on what I have, and to find things more easily.
During the course of this endeavor, it happened that I stumbled across a jar containing some herbs of which I did (and do) not have the slightest idea of what they are. They smell aromatic with a somewhat dark, earthy flavor, but not similar to anything else I have. This is a little annoying and shameful, since I thought I was rather experienced with herbs and spices meanwhile, but for now, they have to be filed under “unidentified herbs”.
~ hm … ~
Apart from that, I am currently working on re-editing the first parts of my thesis. Two very good friends of mine have proofread the theory part, and now I am working in their corrections and suggestions. This is quite satisfying work.
Dinner today was a mix of roasted chicken, winter squash, and green beans, nicely flavored, and it tasted so good that I want to share the recipe with you.
HAPPY FLAVORS CHICKEN, PUMPKIN, AND GREEN BEANS
1 serving
Ingredients
butter or oil
1 onion, peeled and chopped
1/2 tsp fresh ginger root, peeled and finely chopped
150 g (5 oz) winter squash, seeds removed and cut into pieces
2 handfuls of green beans, blanched or frozen
150 g (5 oz) chicken breast fillet, cut into pieces
1/4 tsp dried chili flakes
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1 pinch of ground allspice
1 pinch of ground cardamom
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp soy sauce
Directions
Heat some fat in a pan. Roast onion and ginger until fragrant. Add the squash and the beans together with a little water and cook covered for about 5 minutes. Add the chicken and cook for another 5 minutes, then season with chili, cinnamon, allspice, cardamom, and basil. Cook openly while stirring constantly, until the liquid has vanished. Serve drizzled with soy sauce and enjoy.
Are you a homebody, or does being at home give you the cabin fever feeling?
