Tick Toc

Time is an equal opportunity employer. Each human being has exactly the same number of hours and minutes every day. Right? Rich people can't buy more hours. Scientists can't invent new minutes. And you can't save time to spend it on another day (if only we could discover a way to do so). Even so, time is amazingly fair and forgiving. No matter how much time you've wasted in the past, you still have an entire tomorrow. Don't let your days go to waste, take advantage of every damn moment. If your dream is important to you..go after it and when you make it? Keep working to go further and be better. There is always room for improvement. Be the best YOU possible.

Ps. I'm actually just on a writing rant typing away from my phone. How awesome is technology that I can blog directly from my iPhone? Yeah suckers! Well, not suckers. I mean yeah buddy (rolling like a big shot Chevy tuned up..) Okay, I'll stop rapping away now.

Insomniac out.
-asiobhan

Strength

It takes a strong person to be able to live. It takes a strong person to stand up and just be. Whether you’re living life as yourself or behind a mask, you’re still being and it takes much power and strength to simply just be.

The happy ending isn’t guaranteed, but even if we find some solace of happiness, or even contentedness, for just a little while, it’s worth it.

Find what makes life worth it, and never let go. Find comfort in the novels, the art, the movies, the tv shows, the songs, the music, the dreams, the hopes, the wishes, the beliefs, the faiths, the religions, the comfort, the familiarities, the foundations, the stabilities, and the things that seemingly never die.

Because they make up a part of you. And always remember you are worth it.

Insomniac out.
-asiobhan

Keep Striving

You have to keep your dream in your heart. Winners are made by heart. No one knows what kind of heart you have but yourself. You will have people that tell you "no." People will tell you no. One word, that's it. Do not allow that one word to throw you off your path. In this life no matter how genuine you are people will always try to tear you down. However do not be weak, do not cave in to give them that benefit to see you fall. The human mind is such a powerful tool. Feed your mind with knowledge and program your mind. Let your dreams and goals cross paths. Before anything you have to have a target and make a decision. It's that simple. Make a choice. The decisions you make can and will potentially control your destiny. Work day and night for it. Give up some time and sleep for it. Life will seem useless without it. But you have to decide what you want. Once you decide that you will get it. Believe that. Fight for it. Dream it. Live it. More importantly never lose sight of your passion. And if you do? Take a single moment to reflect. It's your passion for a reason, so keep striving. No matter what. 3:16 am Insomniac out. -asiobhan

Smoked Salmon Cobb Salad

Ingredients: (Serves 4)

3/4 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup dijon mustard
1/4 cup minced shallots (from 2 shallots)
3 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
Freshly ground pepper
1 head Boston or bibb lettuce, leaves torn into 3-inch pieces
3 large hard-cooked eggs, quartered lengthwise and halved crosswise
3 ounces smoked salmon, flaked with a fork into bite-size pieces
1 avocado, pitted, peeled, and cut into 1/2-inch dice

Directions:

Whisk buttermilk, mustard, shallots, dill, lemon juice, and salt in a small bowl until well combined. Season with pepper. Cover, and refrigerate until cold, about 30 minutes.
Arrange lettuce on a platter. Top with eggs, salmon, and avocado. Drizzle with 1/2 of the dressing. Season with pepper, and serve with remaining dressing on the side.

Pleasures of the Caribbean

Imagine biting into a succulent deep-fried shrimp covered in a light tempura-like batter flavored with the taste of sweet crunchy coconut - scrumptious! This Coconut Shrimp recipe is fantastic to serve as an appetizer, tapas plate, or party food. Excellent eaten on its own, or served with sweet chili sauce or my own Piña Colada dipping sauce. ____________________________________________________________________ Coconut Shrimp with Piña Colada Dipping Sauce 1 cup all-purpose flour 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper or freshly ground pepper 1 teaspoon paprika 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme 3/4 cup beer (Red Stripe/Budweiser) 1 egg, lightly beaten 1 1/2 cups unsweetened coconut flakes 16 to 24 large shrimp (about 1 pound), shelled and deveined, tails intact Canola oil for deep-frying ___________________________________________________________________________ 1. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, cayenne or pepper (I used cayenne), paprika, and thyme. Stir in the beer and egg to make a smooth batter, add more beer or flour to reach the consistency of thick pancake batter, if necessary. 2. Put the coconut flakes in a shallow bowl. Holding it by the tail, dip a shrimp into the batter, Dredge in the coconut to cat evenly, pressing to make the flakes adhere. Set aside on a baking sheet lined with waxed paper. Repeat with the remaining shrimp. 3. In a medium saucepan, heat 2 inches oil to 375°F. Carefully add the shrimp in small batches and try until golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to paper towels to drain. Season with salt and serve at once, with the dipping sauce. Makes four servings Piña Colada Dipping Sauce ___________________________________________________________________________ 3/4 cup canned crushed pineapple, drained 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk juice of 1 lime (about 2 Tbs) 1 tablespoon brown sugar 1/4 teaspoon salt Dash of cayenne pepper or Scotch bonnet pepper sauce to taste ____________________________________________________________________________ 1. In a blender or food processor, purée all the ingredients until almost smooth.

I always enjoy cooking and had a great time making this meal (especially because it involved coconut, I am a coconut feign. Anything coconut I will devour). If you wonderful souls decide on making this dish send me photos of the final meal to: AmandaSiobhan24@gmail.com or hashtag #cookingwithasiobhan I will be filming a YouTube cooking tutorial for this dish next week! Stay tuned and please subscribe to my channel at: http://www.youtube.com/user/AmandaSiobhan24 PS. You may not know but...I am a HUGE Bob Marley fan. As I was whipping work in the kitchen I jammed out to Marley's Legend album. Here is a link to his full album: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AfjnyUsg3go PPS. For some odd reason the links won't post and it's 5:13 am so I'm going to take my insomniac arse to bed and will fix mañana. Enjoy! -asiobhan

Random Thoughts

It's ironic that there is meaning behind every circumstance in your life, every blessing, every struggle. Whether you respond to life or act to life determines how far you will go in life. How do you respond? Instead of reacting to the negative situations in life be proactive and envision your dream. Mentally put yourself there, living the dream. Working your dream job. Going to sleep with a smile on your face and waking in the morning with a grander smile eager to start your day. If you want to change the output you must change your output. I'm going to close this post with a few random thoughts and quotes: Remember this, if you know how to do something - you will always have a job. But that is if you know how and why.... Plant a positive raise a positive. Imagi-nation is the strongest nation on earth. One positive can bring incredible results. We go through life and make choices. We choose to be happy or we choose to be sad. With this deposit you will have a tendency to hamper a positive impact on life. If there is faith in the future there is power in the present. Your attitude will make a difference in your success. (Ability x effort) Let those thoughts resonate with you throughout the day. Insomniac out. 3:20 am -asiobhan

Believe and Own

Believe and own your dreams until they become a reality. Take a leap of faith because YOU ARE WORTH IT. The work you have to do is on yourself. Work on yourself every single day. What do you have to offer to the world? What does your mind and heart feel and look like? When people see your vision, your heart, your soul. They will follow. They believe in the movement and the people around you. You have to get clear from within yourself. Get clear on what you want and why you want it. When you give people heart it allows you to give people heart. People connect. When you're happy with that person in the mirror that's when you'll attract the world. Maximize your options and magnetize your drive. 3:04 am -asiobhan