Sunday 15 December 2013

My Sunday Chicken Salad.........Quest for Longevity?


How many of you read the obituaries? When you flip the papers do you skip that page or hover for awhile? Ah, I see a few hands. When I was much younger, the obituaries held no interest for me. I knew my mum read them and she still does. My brother once asked me, why do people read the obituaries? Here's my two cents worth :

1. Because it is there.
2. You might see someone you know and have the opportunity to send condolences.
3. When you see a dearly departed born the same year as you, it wakes you up to the reality that life is unpredictable and God can summon you at any time.
4.  In some instances, it gives you hope that you can live to 98, and in the process go on to have 2 or 3 wives and as a result have 10 children and scores of grand and great grandchildren.



At some point in my life (after 30 I think), I started to take an interest in the obituaries. It did not have much of an effect on me except on three occasions when I found an ex-classmate, an old childhood friend and an ex-colleague who went before their time. And now as I am approaching the big five-oh it sort of reminds me of my mortality. I don't mean to sound morbid but death is a certainty in life just like income taxes (I know of some individuals who would rather die than pay tax).



So let's cherish life and make our time on this earth meaningful. Appreciate and count our blessings and whenever possible spend as much time as we can with our family and tell them that we love them. I love you Ma! And in order to improve my chances of living longer, I have to eat healthy ergo this refreshing chicken salad on Sunday.



I used the pre-washed salad mix which has 12 types of leaves. It costs quite a bit at RM7.99 per pack but I find it worth the money spent as it saves time and you don't have to buy a few varieties of salad greens. So convenient! I only had to add some cucumbers, cherry tomatoes and alfalfa sprouts. I also added a few slices of orange for variety (which didn't work too well). And of course steamed chicken as my protein. Since I had a few lemons in the fridge, I made a dressing with lemon juice. The dressing has a vibrant taste and the Braggs Liquid Aminos does give it a certain something. You can use light soya sauce in place of the liquid aminos.




Lemon Vinaigarette
Recipe source : Phong Hong

Ingredients :
- Juice from 1/2 lemon
- 1 clove garlic, finely minced
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1 tsp honey
- 1 tbsp Braggs Liquid Aminos (or light soya sauce)
- Black pepper to taste
- 1 tbsp olive oil

Method :
1. In a bowl, mix lemon juice, red wine vinegar, garlic, honey, salt and pepper.
2. Whisk in olive oil.
3. Taste and adjust seasoning.


42 comments:

  1. You do love your salads don't you? I see a few salad posts in your blog whereas you can only find one or two in mind lol! You are healthier than me!

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    1. Jeannie, yes I do love salads! But it does not necessarily mean that I am healthier than you :)

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  2. a good reason to eat healthy!

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  3. Hi PH, I always drool over your salads as I like salads too. Usually those that don't require any heating. Me too does and think like you when I flip through the papers. Sometimes, I thank GOD, when I saw those younger appearing in the Obituary section that I'm still around. Agree we should appreciate our life, don't waste ours and others time especially when we are healthy.

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    1. Hi Kimmy, thanks for drooling over my salads hah! hah! These days I am very concious about these things but we should not worry about things in the future. Live each day fruitfully and have more appreciation for the things we have and the people we love. All is in God's hands!

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  4. Hi Phong Hong
    I do browse/read obituaries ad and at one time Or twice I saw my ex-colleague and ex-boss and I was like "OMG" I couldnt believe it. Now lets talk about salad, in fact I love vinagrette which has some sourish in taste as it just makes it more appetizing. I bet this lemon vinagrette sounds wonderful.

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    1. Hi Mel! Yes, it is a shock to see people that we know especially those who are still young. I felt shocked too and it made me very quite the whole day. Lemon vinaigrette is always very refreshing and appetizing.

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  5. I'm one of those ppl who never read the obituaries.. somehow I find it scary... as though the dead would be looking back at me! Your salad looks colorful and refreshing :)

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    1. Hah! Hah! You are funny Yen! Somehow I never thought of it that way!

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  6. I Totally agree with your philosophy of life.
    I always tell my family I love them .
    you have such a good humour and knowledgeable lady .

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    1. Hi Aunty Young! That's the spirit, live life the best that we can and appreciate our family!

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  7. Love your salad! So many types of veggies!
    How true that obituaries are read mostly by older folks! For me the big seven-O is not faraway and I treasure time with loved ones and friends!

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    1. Hi Busygran! Thank you for your compliments! You are doing the right thing, as long as God allows us time in this life, we should cherish our time with family and friends.

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  8. This salad looks fantastic! I haven't made a salad in FOREVER!

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    1. Cathleen, thank you! You are such a chirpy young thing and I bet you don't read the obits :)

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  9. Buonissima insalata. Buona vita e Buon natale

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  10. Your salad looks delicious did you made it for yesterday's lunch eating this daily will surely make me slim down and make me live a good long life miss your yesterday's lunch.-sob-sob-sb

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    1. EE, actually it was the previous Sunday salad. Basi already hee..hee...

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  11. salam my dearest sister..salam rindu, salam kasih di angin lalu...
    pagi ni akak taknak lepaskan peluang masuk sini..

    sis, you mungkin tak caya, dulu2 akak memang suka baca page obituary wlp akak Muslim. Ya, memang menginsafkan bila tengok orang yg lebih muda dari kita pergi dulu, atau bila org tu ada banyak umur sometimes sampai 98 yrs old, akak terfikir tentang diri sendiri, kalau aku dpt hidup selama itu, apa yg aku akan isi dalam hidup ini...dan ruangan itu boleh menambahkan rasa sayang kita terhadap kedua ibubapa kita, kalau boleh giliran utk keluarga kita masuk dalam page tu tak perlu ada, nak hidup lama2...hehehe

    nice entry dear...

    and the salad tu sungguh meyakinkan utk dicuba..tp jgn ketawa akak tak pernah makan alfalfa... nak sebut pun boleh tergigit lidah haha...

    you tk care sayang....jaga diri jaga body hihihi..

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    1. Hi Kak Q! Terima kasih sebab Kak Q sudi jenguk dapur PH walaupun tersangat sibuk. Ya lah, bila umur dah meningkat ni, mula lah terfikir time "expired". Risau jugak sebab perjuangan hidup ni masih belum selesai lagi. Tapi benda-benda macam ni usah dirisaukan sebab semuanya dalam tangan Tuhan. PH selalu ingatkan diri supaya insaf dan jangan sekali-kali mempersiakan masa di bumi ini. Cuba luangkan masa dengan orang yang disayangi terutama ibu-bapa dan jangan sakiti hati mereka. Kalau tidak, menyesal nanti.

      PH dah masuk blog Kak Q dua kali tapi fikiran buntu so belum lagi komen. Takut nanti tersalah cakap hee..hee...Take care ya, Kak Q! Jumpa lagi!

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  12. I terbalik with you.. I read obituaries when I was young. But now, I don't glance thru them anymore.
    Maybe becoz I seldom read newspaper also la.. Everything online now.. Including reading the news online..

    I am not a fan of salads.. But I still eat them.. But that also has to depend on the dressing.. If there is thousand island, then yes, hehe, I will eat the salad.. Better still, if there's Japanese sesame dressing, lagi I will finish the salad.. I love Japanese sesame dressing, the one in brown.. Ooh, and I love my salad with some hard boiled eggs..

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    1. Louiz, eh I also like Thousand Island dressing a lot! It goes very well with hard boiled eggs. Japanese sesame dressing is also very appetizing. One of my favourites!

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  13. Lovely looking salad. Quality over quantity. It's now how long a person lives but what kind of t=life he or she has had.

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    1. Arthur, I totally agree! I try not to think too far ahead. After all it is in God's hands and it has been predetermined already :)

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  14. i'll take a quick glance at obituaries..if she or he is good looking,i might stare a little longer....hahaha!..kidding....mostly read online now but if i do get a copy of newspaper, i will not miss the obituary section.

    like jeannie , i hardly have salad posts in my blog..haiyah....i must eat more salad!

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    1. Hah! Hah! Lena, you very funny! Some of the photos are of those people when they are young. Yeah, eat more salads as raw veggies are good for you!

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  15. Hi Phong Hong,

    I used to "laugh" at my friends who read obituaries... but I'm feeling bad doing that now because I should be doing the same too... Unfortunately, I still didn't read the obituaries and feeling guilty too for not doing that... I actually felt bad when my mum's friends appeared at her funeral because they saw her passing at the obituaries and appreciate the purpose of obituaries now...

    Whether reading obituaries or not... Whether living long or not... living well, eating well and being happy is important. Eating lots of nice salad like yours is good :D

    Zoe

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    1. Hi Zoe! Nowadays when I read obituaries, I focus on the person's age and it kind of make me feel like "that time is kinda near"! But it is silly, really. I mean our life is in God's hands and it is not our job to worry about our expiry date. Our purpose is to live our lives well and to do good and be kind to others especially our loved ones. And yes, eating salads is one way to live life healthy and well!

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  16. What better way to cherish life than enjoying all simple pleasures,ups and downs it gives...for the time being we feel having a bowl of this fresh and lemony salad is the best way,thanks so much for the inspiration :-)

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    1. Hi Kumars Kitchen! One of the joys I have in life is eating the foods I love. And I try to make that the healthy ones :)

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  17. Hi Phong Hong,
    Very nice salad, this is perfect for a one-dish meal!
    Yes, I do read the obituaries, though not always. I used to read it all the time, but now, only sometimes.
    You are right, we should be thankful that we are still here, and should take one day at a time, with an open mind, and count our blessings.

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    1. Hi Joyce! Glad you like the salad. You are right, take one day at a time and don't think too far ahead!

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  18. What a refreshing and healthy salad! Just treat our body well and our body will thanks us for it!

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  19. Hi Phong Hong, for a moment, I thought I was on Ivy's blog, LOL (BTW...my security is blocking to comment on hers, which is so sad. I have to copy and paste the comment on her facebook page)
    will try commenting again, to see if it works.

    I love salads, but don't eat them often enough...with the chicken, or tuna added to the salad; yes, of course it is so good and satisfying. Love the lemon vinaigrette you made; will have to try your version with the soy sauce addition!

    As for the obituaries in the newspaper: we get large photos with the 'write-up'...can't help but noticing some of the young attractive people...only to find out they were actually 90yrs or older with old...old..photos of them, which is great! Also, I've been reading some of the ones that really have passed on so young/recent photos, and leaving an entire family behind! All I know is...I would not want my photo, or 'write-up' about me and my life...if, and when I pass on...just my thoughts about this! Have a wonderful week ahead! xo

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    1. Hi Elisabeth! Ivy's blog? Hee..hee...Hope you try the vinaigrette because I loved it a lot. Mr grandma once quipped that obits should use photos from younger days as it is more presentable rather than the current one with grey hair and wrinkles! I'll come over in a bit to check out your Lemon Bread. I can smell it from here!

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  20. I agree about eating well to live well and longer... this salad is exactly my kind of food.

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