Krem Ivanova Portrait: January 2012

January 2012 Gratitude List

It's time for number 4 on my Resolutions 2012 list - Kremena here has to make a gratitude list at the end of every month. You wonder why?!

I have only once tried making a gratitude list. I had to fill up to 80 things. It was somewhere around 50 that I ran out of things to be grateful for. I was stuck and disappointed with myself, thinking I was not really a grateful person if I could not complete the task. So far with my first trial.

Recently I was cleaning up a shelf when I encountered a calendar that has something positive to say about every single day. On some regular Wednesday page, it asked me to fill out a gratitude list again. Luckily, there was no number that would limit or discourage me this time. SO...I gave it a second chance.

This is a great way to focus on the bright side of your own life and in time you start thinking of the nice experiences as of things to fill up your list with. Besides, this could work as a great reality-checker for people like me, who often change moods and for some Lunar reason become sad at least twice a month, just like that.

If you wonder how to start yours, you can start by asking questions to yourself like the ones here or just borrow from other people's list if it applies to you.

As long as it truly makes you happy, list it, and list it often!

In the end of January 2012 I am thankful for...

1. My family is healthy and united, like all time

2. My friends are exactly where they want to be, and they are happy about it

3. Desi's baby boy, who arrived early, but was actually right on time, and with the perfect measures :)

4. Jazz FM - because music matters, and thank you, Stella, for the idea ;)

5. The paper Christmas cards I received, especially the unexpected ones - because they survived the digital era, and still mean that much!

6. The great Christmas gifts I got, even though I was not all good last year

7. My amazing boyfriend - for only he can handle me in times of craziness, and be just cool about it

8. Rixos Premium Belek - the best way for an elegant and relaxed start of my 2012

9.New friends I've recently found, as well as reuniting with old ones :)

I am thankful for all the good things that happened this month, and I am looking forward to the next one.

I hope it was a grateful January for all!

Happy birthday, Stella!

Happy birthday to my dear friend Stella! May you have the most amazing year ahead of you full of laughter, parties, and frequent getaways in places nice and cozy! :)))))) :*

Nikon D700, 50mm.

January's new dish: Kurkuda soup

There is a number 11 on my list of Resolutions 2012, and it is there to make me try and cook something new at least once a month. You know having the same food for long periods of time can only lead to not cooking them in the next 3-5 years, depending on the variety of meals you usually make. We don't want that, because we love that food, don't we? Here's the first new dish I did in January 2012...

Kurkuda soup is a typical Bulgarian soup, and it is exclusively made in the area of my hometown and the surrounding towns and villages, north Bulgaria. Our grandmothers are proud to pass their recipes forward to us so we keep traditions as they should be - eternal.

If you are a fan of sour cabbage and pork this is a must-try, definitely! Before I start with the recipe, I just want to note that this is my grandma's recipe and it may slightly differ form the recipes of other families, but this is the charm of it.

RECIPE for Kurkuda Soup

Products:

500g pork meat

4-5 leaves sour cabbage, pickled home-style

1 onion

1 carrot

salt, pepper, savory

2 s.f. canned tomato juice

1l water /could be mixed with some sour juice from the cabbage if you wish for a more intense sour taste/

Preparation:

1. Fill a pot with water and put it on the hot-plate until it boils. Do not add oil, because the meat is going to extract some by itself later on.

2. While the water is heating up, chop the onion, the cabbage leaves, and the meat in small pieces.

3. When the water boils, add the chopped products altogether and let them cook for a while.

4. Add the spices, and try the soup occasionally in the course, so you know if it needs more salt or sour cabbage juice and add it accordingly.

5. When the meat changes it's color, you can now add 2 spoon-fulls of tomato juice and the carrot. Let it cook.

6. In the end you can thicken the soup by adding a beaten egg, flour etc., but this is not mandatory. I like it clear, so I missed the last step.

Tip: I added just a little bit of some really hot spice I have, and the soup got a chilli taste, but when it's hot and served with bread and black pepper powder it is the best cold-fighter, I promise!

The whole cooking process took me no longer than an hour, I guess, but it is really simple to make and so delicious to eat. I hope you like the recipe, and if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me and I will do my best to help you.

Nikon D60, 18-55mm.

PS: January down, eleven more to go.

The Blog is being UPdated

I have been doing some work on the new outlook of the blog lately. I am torn between so many ideas, but I need to stay on focus...ah decisions, decisions...so hard to make!

At least I have some progress in terms of the header of the blog...what do you think so far?

If you think there is something worth keeping from the current blog, or have any ideas on what would be fun to do for the upcoming version, just drop me a line...I want to do so many things, but would have to put some boundaries, at least in the beginning.

Mmmkay! Enough for today! More updates coming soon... ;)

January 1st, 2012

So far, so good.

January is officially the shortest month on the calendar. Forgive me, February, but it's true.

Somehow it was January 1st, and then suddenly...whoa! Valentine's day ads all around. Sounds familiar?

Happy New Year to all of you I haven't yet met or spoken to since January 1st! I hope 2012 brings you lots of everything you love, and remember to do the same in return!