Tag Archives: 2022

Ending the year on a flavourful note

Holidays are a pretty busy time of year for everyone. It is easy to get lost in the shuffle and neglect things. One thing one should never neglect is one’s diet and nutrition. Last month I gave you a nice dessert so let’s balance that out with a nice simple savory dish: bell peppers and beef. While this was anime inspired from one of my favorite animes (cowboy bebop) I assure you that it the style will be a little different.

For this recipe we will require the following: 1 bell pepper of each color ( for this I only used red/green peppers to start), 1/2 of a small onion, 1 lb of beef chuck (you can substitute for 1 lb of mushroom and tofu for a vegetarian option), assorted spices and seasonings of your choice (Mrs. Dash, old bay, paprika, garlic powder, and pepper were used here) and honey sesame sauce (homemade or store bought)

First, clean your peppers and peel your onions. Once complete, mince your onions and place to side in a bowl. Proceed to slice your bell beppers into strips and add to the bowl with the onions. Lightly season your veggies with your seasoning mix and set aside.

Ready for the fire

Nexr, chop up your beef into bite-sized chunks and remove any gristle or fat as you go. Be sure to season your beef (or mushroom/tofu substitute) and place to the side.

I found the beef

Next, lightly oil your skillet and apply your seasoned beef, and cook thoroughly. Once cooked, set aside in a bowl.

Ok maybe I went a little toooo light on that oil.

Next you will place your veggies into the skillet and cook until tender. Once complete set aside in your bowl with the beef

Cook until the veggies comply

Lastly you can either caramelize the honey sesame sauce in the skillet or add the sauce after depending on your preferences. Once complete, you’re ready to go! Serve with your favorite beverage, and you’re ready to eat.

The whiskey is optional

And there you have it. A simple and quick meal you can enjoy any day of the week. This makes about four servings with my list of ingredients, and it is very filling for the small serving size. Going into the new year, I wish you nothing but the best and success in all your endeavors. Excelsior!

Who did it better?

Personal Accountability

Today’s times allow for a lot of things to be given to us quickly and efficiently. The food we order is fast, the internet used for work or home is high speed, and text or email messages can be received in seconds. There is one thing that isn’t quick to be taken up in recent years: personal accountability.

Today there is constant finger pointing and blaming for various issues. While there are many catalysts for different events, there is still the ability to ensure that your own contributions to the world around you are positive. Being accountable for ones actions and words helps make the lives of everyone involved in your life better.

How often do we leave a matter unattended for the next person to attend to? How much do we defer trivial matters to others and complain when things are not done to our specifications? How often do shift the blame to others and not realize that when one finger points to a target that there three pointing back at ourselves.

I attended a class known as QBQ (the question behind the question) several years ago and this class helped me identify where I as an individual could help in improving my own situation. It helped shift my thinking from “what are you doing to help this situation?” To “how can I help better this situation?” The most important aspect that I took away from this class was a more heightened sense of personal accountability in my work and my professional life.

Today’s times have shown that we can’t always wait for a change to happen in our lives. Waiting for proper windows of opportunity is an important thing but true change also begins with you. Be the change in the world you wish to see. Find ways to make a situation better for yourself by asking questions such as “how can I take ownership of this issue and solve it?” “How can I improve my situation?” Oftentimes we tend to let our circumstances dictate our outlook but we must be able to shape our outlook to better our circumstances. Once we take ownership of the situation and make ourselves accountable and put forth our best efforts in whatever the situation might be, there will be more positive results and an expanded way of thinking for future problems.

Taking personal accountability and ownership in life is key to success in business, in life and it helps shape your mindset in terms of how to deal with issues that arise in life. When we put off or pass the buck of responsibility we merely defer a situation until it gets worse. From putting off a budget, neglecting a project that your group had been working for several months and no one is getting ahead, changing careers because of minor interpersonal drama. Personal accountability and ownership will help shape your mind to ask the deeper questions and get to a solution rather than letting it sit. Until the next time dear readers. Excelsior!