LUXOMME

A Macchiato Saturdaze

By Naomi February 14, 2016 canada, food, friends, personal, toronto

2048 | Not all Battles are Worth Winning

By Naomi January 30, 2016 life

I really wish that I could say that I did something useful with my life this week, but honestly, all I did was play 2048. Or at least, that was all that was on my mind.

I found this game through a friend early last week and stayed up till 5am trying to get that elusive '2048' tile, but eventually had to stop because my wrists started tingling.

My wrists started tingling.... I should have stopped then.

Essentially, I was told by multiple friends that I could not win this game, except the more they told me, the more I wanted to win. Basically, a week later, I did. And that was nice.

But the main problem is, I don't even like this game.

I just wanted to win.

It's funny how humans function, the more we can't have something, the more we want it. However, what I've learnt through this game - especially after having conquered it - is that there are many things in life that we can't have. Or maybe things in life that we don't need to have. And that's okay. Sometimes, we don't need to win everything, we don't need to do everything, we don't need to have everything.

When I couldn't win this game, that was all that I could think about. The fact that there was something I couldn't do bothered me - even though this game had no practical relevance or positive contribution to my life. Having won it, I look back now and think of all the hours wasted, not to mention the fact that I practically got carpel tunnel, as Tiffany would say, just to prove that I can.

So now that I've won, what have I achieved?

Nothing really, other than that screenshot. Thankfully, the time wasted on this game is minor in the grand scheme of things. At most, it took away a weeks worth of brain energy and time, but in life, there are many things that I can't have, and things that I don't need to have, yet I still so desperately chase after them. That's not to say that I shouldn't try setting goals and aiming for them, but instead to be conscientious in discerning what it is in my life that is worth chasing after and what is not. To learn to be persistent for things that matter and to let go of ones that do not.

I was reminded of this quote by Jim Elliot today while I was running through my instagram feed. Although it may not necessarily pertain to this whole 2048 fiasco, it was a reminder to me that some things just aren't worth chasing after, because in the process, we may lose something that is worth having.

But long story short, I'm not touching this game anymore and neither should you. I've come to the eureka moment that not all things need to be won, and if I can't have something, that's okay. As long as I've tried my best, there is nothing I need to prove. I may have won this game, but I've lost in reality.

Not all battles are worth winning.

naomi

BB's Kitchen | Crisp Winter Morning Crepes

By Naomi January 08, 2016 culinary, dessert, personal

Welcome to BB's Kitchen!

So this Winter break, my two lovely cousins flew in to Winnipeg to celebrate a very White Christmas with my family and I. They arrived on a beautiful sunny day and ran off the plane excitedly yelling 'snow! snow!'

Yes. There's tons of that here.

Living in different provinces, we don't get to see each other often, so every time we are together we like to do something fun! Two years ago we made cronuts and last year we made macarons.

This year?

Well, this year, BB had a special surprise for us.

Part of his studies at school involves learning how to cook, so taking all the new found knowledge he has gained, he very enthusiastically offered to make us breakfast.

What will be served?

'French crepes with apple cinnamon filling', he beams.

Clearly very committed to this project, he sets his alarm to go off bright and early and is ready to go before anyone else is even up.

Setting off to work, he carefully measures out the flour (a must for crepes, he explains), and gently counts the eggs.

After mixing all the dry ingredients and expertly cracking the eggs, he cautiously pours out the vanilla. 'It has to be the perfect amount!' he exclaims.

Once all the ingredients are in the bowl, he plugs in the electric whisk and blends the mixture until it has the consistency of whipped honey creme.

'Once around the outside and three times in the middle!'

Once the batter came together, I anxiously wait for him to start the pan, but instead, he sticks the bowl in the fridge.

I looked at him, 'What are you doing!'

'The batter needs to sit for 30 minutes! Be patient!'

Making the most efficient use of his time, he's clearly got this process down to a tee.

As I pace around the kitchen, he grabs the apples from the fruit cabinet and begins to prep the filling.

His sister Chloe stumbles into the kitchen at some point having just woken up and agrees to help with the apples. It doesn't take long to see that she is clearly the peeling master here.

As she expertly peels and cores her apple, she gives some serious side eye over to BB.

'you're doing this all wrong!'

Clearly unfazed, he continues along as if nothing was said.

Once all the apples are prepped, he quickly glances at the timer and realizes that time is ticking and the 30 minutes is almost up!

Rapidly placing all the apples in the pot, he scoops a generous amount of butter and puts it in with the apples along with a sprinkle of cinnamon.

As the apple cinnamon filling reduces, he turns around to look at me with a sparkle in his eye.

'Time to make the crepes!'

We decided that him and I would have a crepe making competition to see who could make the prettiest crepes. Knowing what an expert he was at flipping, I decided I needed a leg up, so I stuck him with the bad pan.

Sneaky right.

His crepes still came out nicer.

20 perfectly fluffy crepes later, we were ready to eat!

Following his lead, we all carefully placed the apple filling in the middle of the crepe, topped it off with a drizzle of honey and wrapped the pillow-like soft crepe around it.

Perfect for a crisp winter morning.

BB's Crepe Recipe

1 cup cake flour

2 tbsp brown sugar

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup almond or soy milk

1 tsp vanilla

4 eggs

BB's Apple Filling

5 peeled and cored apples

A GENEROUS sprinkle of cinnamon

1-5 pats of butter

Perception is Everything

By Naomi December 23, 2015 life

Perception is Everything

People often ask me what I mean when I say that Perception is Everything.

There are so many ways of interpreting that statement, which is exactly the point. The way we perceive something not only reveals who we are as a person, but the way we view a certain situation, event, or idea ultimately defines what we do with it and how we allow it to change our lives.

So when people ask me what that means to me, I usually reply by asking them

'what do you think it means?'

What it comes down to is that at the root of it, we as humans are more alike than we realize, but at the same time also vastly unique. Our experiences build us, our relationships build us, and we ourselves determine who we want to become. Everyone starts at the exact same position and as we live we accumulate all these extra things that make us unique. No one in the world will have had the exact same combination of experiences you have had and those experiences shape our perception and in doing so the way we deal with this world.

One thing I've realized is that often times the way I react to someone else's situation or event says more about me than it says about their predicament. Our reaction is one of the most genuine exhibitions of ourselves, the way we think and the way we view the world. We react in the way that is most familiar to us thinking that what is normal to us is normal to others as well.

But ultimately, why do I say that perception is everything?

Because the same situation can be dealt with in two completely different ways depending on the way the person affected perceives it. A very basic example is failure; something we have all experienced whether we care to admit it or not. Some will see failure as a roadblock that prevents us from achieving our goals, choosing to allow it to define ourselves. Others will see failure as a stepping stone to success, and an opportunity to learn. Even though the situation itself is the same, the way one chooses to appreciate it can take two people down completely different paths.

So when I say that Perception is Everything, it is a reminder to myself that everything in life can go multiple ways depending on how I handle and react to it. To be careful in the way I perceive things because that is what defines me.

My past, my present and my future.

naomi

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