The Saturday Agenda: Eat and Enjoy

Hello March! Wow, the first quarter of 2014 will soon end. How fast seasons go! 

Picking up from last week's Saturday agenda, I decided to have another one this weekend. This time, I wanted to indulge my gastronomic cravings.

In preparation for this, I dropped by the grocery last Friday and picked up these:

• One piece of American eggplant (I've always wanted to try the American version of my favorite comfort veggie :)
• Bottles of grated Parmesan cheese (I LOVE cheese! Any kind of cheese can cheer me up :)
• Bounty Fresh eggs (I read an article from www.oprah.com that said that eating eggs everyday is good for our health as long as it is in moderation. I am biased and I believe it with all my heart. Now, there's no stopping me from consuming my daily dose as long as I keep a balanced diet!)

Please click "read more" if you want to know how my "Saturday Agenda" went.

I always look forward to doing at least two routines on a weekend: blogging and cooking. This Saturday, I turned on my happy thoughts and opened my fridge for another cooking session. Below are the picks for the Saturday agenda:

• French mini baguettes (bought from Rustan's as part of my weekly bread supply)
• Striploin (bought from Cash and Carry c/o my Christmas gift certificate)

10:30 AM - Here's that big American eggplant all sliced and seasoned with salt, black pepper and grated Parmesan cheese.

11:00 AM - While waiting for my brunch to be ready, I had to have a pre-brunch brekky. (Yes, I just made that ritual up - an excuse for a laid-back weekend food trip.)

I sliced and toasted the French mini baguettes (generously sprinkled with cheese and basil) and fried my perfect sunny side up egg. I noticed that the yolk is of a darker orange, even much darker than my usual brown egg's yolk. I think that this is due to the organic selenium, studied for its cancer-prevention capability, which is infused in Bounty Fresh eggs. 

I sat back for a slow 30 minutes to leisurely break my fast on toasted baguettes and good old Swiss Miss chocolate. 

12:15 PM - For my brunch, the spontaneous 'home-cook' in me whispered: "sirloin with eggplant and cheese". I quickly tossed the American eggplant slices over low heat. After boiling the sirloin slices to make them more tender, here they are as I mixed them with the eggplant slices.

I took a few seconds to plate the pieces the home-cooked way. After about ten seconds of appreciating the plated sirloin with eggplant and cheese, it's time to eat and enjoy :D

Special thanks to my spice team below - black pepper, chili pepper, grated Parmesan cheese, sweet basil and real salt.

7:30 PM - At the end of this Saturday, I cap the "Eat and Enjoy" session with a calming tea (Yogi). I love the tea leaf of wisdom that comes with every tea bag. My tea leaf for this Saturday is simply: "Speak the truth."

I love the other tea leaves I've encountered in past quiet tea moments:

• Live with the reverence for yourself and others.
• May your inner self be happy and secure.
• Let your manners speak for you.
• Love, compassion and kindness are the anchors of life.

This is my favorite so far: "The universe is the stage on which you dance, guided by your heart."

My dear friends, I hope you are having a fabulous weekend. I encourage you to cook up the recipes of your heart's desire and take the time in enjoying these moments. Let the universe be your kitchen where you give your heart and senses the freedom to whip up the things that can make you happy. Try doing it this Saturday. And even everyday.

Ciao dears!