trips, trips, trips
Jan. 29th, 2015 06:26 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
sarea
For one reason or another, I've always found it challenging to use up my vacation during the early part of the year, creating a scramble at the end to use up all the time that would otherwise be forfeited. I always told myself that the next year, I would do a better job of taking vacation earlier, spreading it out, etc. As you've probably guessed, it never happened.
This year might be the first exception ever.
Now I seem to have vacation plans coming out of my ears, with my having to carefully balance it all out, and it's not even February yet! WTF. Why does it always have to be one extreme after another? :/
How it's looking for the first half of 2015:
- January
Dec. 18-Jan 8, LA
- February
18-21, in Vancouver to celebrate Chinese New Year -- my dad's idea
23, just because. Or, to recover from Vancouver w/ the family
- March
24-April 1, Miami
- April
1, just because. Or, to recover from Miami
TBD, short trip with J. I definitely do want to do this, but kept trying to get her to put this off until May or June, but she really wants to go asap, and I kept having other stuff crop up earlier than this, so I didn't feel like I could say no
- May (nothing so far)
- June (nothing so far)
- July
8-14ish, San Diego (If can get tix to Comic Con... if not, then maybe somewhere else. Or will mope around SD.)
15, Seattle, 1D concert (I thought about going to work, but... nah)
Seriously, this is insane for me. Usually I work straight through Jan-Nov, practically. Maybe for the first time ever, I won't be able to carry over any leftover vacation time to the next calendar year!
Meanwhile, I have another Instant Pot recipe that has gone over very well with everyone who's eaten it. Seriously this thing is a miracle machine! :P
Chinese Turnip Cake (like the kind you get at dim sum)
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 pounds turnips (such as daikon or Korean radish), thinly julienned
- 2 Chinese sausages, chopped
- 1/4 cup dried shrimp, soaked (just use enough water to cover), chopped
- 1 stalk green onion, chopped
- 1 tsp ginger, finely minced
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- 1/4 tsp chicken bouillon (I used Better Than Bouillon)
- 1 cup water (use the water you soaked the shrimp in, plus however much extra to make 1 cup)
- 1 1/2 cups rice flour
- 2 tbsp cooking oil
Equipment:
- Instant Pot (or some other way to steam)
- square heat-proof container (Glasslock, Pyrex, or Corningware -- but only if it's the old Corningware that's made of Pyroceram, and not stoneware)
- medium-size pot
Instructions:
1) Heat cooking oil in pot on medium-high heat. Add the aromatics (ginger and green onion) and stir fry for 30 seconds.
2) Add the sausages and shrimp. Stir fry for 1 minute.
3) Add the turnips. Stir fry for 2 minutes.
4) Add the salt, sugar, and chicken bouillon. Stir.
5) Turn the heat down to medium low, cover the pot, and cook for 5 minutes.
6) Mix the water and flour together until homogenous.
7) Turn the heat off of the turnips, and pour in the water-flour mixture. Mix well.
8) Pour the batter into the square container.
9) Set up your steaming system. In the Instant Pot, place the steamer tray in the pot. Pour water up to the 2-cup mark.
10) Steam for 45 minutes. In the Instant Pot, select "Manual," "Steam," "High," and "45 minutes." The vent should be closed.
11) In a traditional steaming system, turn off the heat after 45 minutes and let steam for 15 minutes more. In the Instant Pot, let it stay at "Keep Warm" for an additional 10 minutes, then hit "Cancel" and let the pressure come down naturally.
12) Let cool for a bit or even completely, before running a sharp knife around the edges of the container and prying out the cake.
13) Slice the desired amount into rectangles. (The unused portion keeps well in the fridge.)
14) Heat a little bit of oil in a frying pan on medium-high heat. Pan fry the cakes on both sides, about 3-4 minutes each. Serve.
This year might be the first exception ever.
Now I seem to have vacation plans coming out of my ears, with my having to carefully balance it all out, and it's not even February yet! WTF. Why does it always have to be one extreme after another? :/
How it's looking for the first half of 2015:
- January
Dec. 18-Jan 8, LA
- February
18-21, in Vancouver to celebrate Chinese New Year -- my dad's idea
23, just because. Or, to recover from Vancouver w/ the family
- March
24-April 1, Miami
- April
1, just because. Or, to recover from Miami
TBD, short trip with J. I definitely do want to do this, but kept trying to get her to put this off until May or June, but she really wants to go asap, and I kept having other stuff crop up earlier than this, so I didn't feel like I could say no
- May (nothing so far)
- June (nothing so far)
- July
8-14ish, San Diego (If can get tix to Comic Con... if not, then maybe somewhere else. Or will mope around SD.)
15, Seattle, 1D concert (I thought about going to work, but... nah)
Seriously, this is insane for me. Usually I work straight through Jan-Nov, practically. Maybe for the first time ever, I won't be able to carry over any leftover vacation time to the next calendar year!
Meanwhile, I have another Instant Pot recipe that has gone over very well with everyone who's eaten it. Seriously this thing is a miracle machine! :P
Chinese Turnip Cake (like the kind you get at dim sum)
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 pounds turnips (such as daikon or Korean radish), thinly julienned
- 2 Chinese sausages, chopped
- 1/4 cup dried shrimp, soaked (just use enough water to cover), chopped
- 1 stalk green onion, chopped
- 1 tsp ginger, finely minced
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- 1/4 tsp chicken bouillon (I used Better Than Bouillon)
- 1 cup water (use the water you soaked the shrimp in, plus however much extra to make 1 cup)
- 1 1/2 cups rice flour
- 2 tbsp cooking oil
Equipment:
- Instant Pot (or some other way to steam)
- square heat-proof container (Glasslock, Pyrex, or Corningware -- but only if it's the old Corningware that's made of Pyroceram, and not stoneware)
- medium-size pot
Instructions:
1) Heat cooking oil in pot on medium-high heat. Add the aromatics (ginger and green onion) and stir fry for 30 seconds.
2) Add the sausages and shrimp. Stir fry for 1 minute.
3) Add the turnips. Stir fry for 2 minutes.
4) Add the salt, sugar, and chicken bouillon. Stir.
5) Turn the heat down to medium low, cover the pot, and cook for 5 minutes.
6) Mix the water and flour together until homogenous.
7) Turn the heat off of the turnips, and pour in the water-flour mixture. Mix well.
8) Pour the batter into the square container.
9) Set up your steaming system. In the Instant Pot, place the steamer tray in the pot. Pour water up to the 2-cup mark.
10) Steam for 45 minutes. In the Instant Pot, select "Manual," "Steam," "High," and "45 minutes." The vent should be closed.
11) In a traditional steaming system, turn off the heat after 45 minutes and let steam for 15 minutes more. In the Instant Pot, let it stay at "Keep Warm" for an additional 10 minutes, then hit "Cancel" and let the pressure come down naturally.
12) Let cool for a bit or even completely, before running a sharp knife around the edges of the container and prying out the cake.
13) Slice the desired amount into rectangles. (The unused portion keeps well in the fridge.)
14) Heat a little bit of oil in a frying pan on medium-high heat. Pan fry the cakes on both sides, about 3-4 minutes each. Serve.
