Essential Gardening Tips for Beginners

(Updated Version)

Congrats on taking the first step toward gardening (GARDENING TIPS FOR BEGINNERS). Whether you're working with a small patch or a larger plot, it’s always exciting to start your own garden. After cleaning up your plot, it’s time to dive into some essential gardening tips for beginners. Let’s get started.

 

Define Your Garden's Concept

It’s helpful to have a rough idea of the concept or theme for your garden. If you’re still deciding, don’t worry. A clear concept will give you direction as you begin. For instance, my garden’s theme is Zen, which led me to incorporate bamboo plants, stones, and pebbles. You could also choose a modern, traditional, or minimalistic theme. Without a clear concept, you may be planting without direction, so it’s worth spending some time thinking about what resonates with you.

Making the Right Choice: Smart Strategies in Buying a Car on a Budget

Cars have definitely changed our lives forever. After all, it allows us to travel anytime and anywhere we want! However, you also can't deny that buying your own car can significantly affect your budget. After all, it's expensive!

Image Credit: ThomasScott | Unslplash.com

But did you know that you can still have your own car even if you're on a budget?

 

How? It's simple - make smart choices!

The Charcoal Grill: An Entrepreneurial Triumph

Embarking on a remarkable entrepreneurial journey that began as a humble stall in a Kota Kemuning coffee shop in 2017, The Charcoal Grill has undergone a remarkable transformation, now standing as a full-fledged restaurant located at 28-1, Jln Anggerik Vanilla BE 31/BE, Kota Kemuning, 40460 Shah Alam, Selangor. As one of their patrons from the early stall days, I have always appreciated their grilled platters, particularly the succulent lamb chops. Recently, together with my other half-half, we dined in to experience their expanded offerings and revamped ambiance.

Nasi Ulam/Malaysian Herbed Rice Recipes - Vegetarian

Nasi Ulam is our beloved Malay rice dish, also known as herbed rice. While simple and easy to make, it’s all about gathering the right herbs. As a vegetarian and vegan-friendly dish, you can adapt by using whatever herbs are available - sometimes omitting certain ones is perfectly fine. After all, there are various types of herbed rice, depending on the combination of herbs used. However, the key difference lies in the herbs themselves.

 

At Nava’s Zen, where we grow all the herbs, the experience of handpicking fresh herbs adds a special touch - perfect for those passionate about urban gardening. There are three unique herbed rice recipes to choose from, or you can try each one to see which suits your taste best.

 

With its crunchy texture from the herbs and fragrant, flavorful rice, Nasi Ulam is truly yummlicious.

6 Key Components to Enhance Your Home Office Space

Creating an effective and comfortable home office requires careful consideration of several key components. With the rise of remote working, your home office has become more than just a temporary workspace; it's a place where productivity, comfort, and technology intersect. Here are six essential elements to consider for enhancing your home office space. 

Photoby Tima Miroshnichenko

Ergonomic Furniture

The cornerstone of any efficient home office is ergonomic furniture. This includes a chair that supports your back and promotes good posture, and a desk that is the right height to prevent strain. An ergonomic setup reduces the risk of work-related injuries and increases comfort, which can significantly boost productivity. For those long hours at the desk, consider a chair with adjustable lumbar support and a desk that allows for both sitting and standing positions. Remember, comfort in your workspace directly affects your work performance and overall health.

Summerset Cafe: Love-Bonding with the Influence of Digital Marketing

Occasionally, if not every weekend, "Nava's Cooking" is set aside for our love-marriage food bonding escapades (K2 Kopitiam, Teluk Panglima Garang). In this culinary journey, I proudly wear the badge of the passionate foodie, leading to explore eateries through the dynamic realm of social media platforms, where the power of digital marketing unfolds its possibilities. Otherwise, my other half-half tends to steer us towards Indian cuisine (The Grand Mapillai, Sec 23, Shah Alam), relying on recommendations from his "Teh-Tarik Gang." Interestingly, my other half-half, not very immersed in social media, leans towards the simplicity of a WhatsApp family group. I see this preference as a generational choice for sharing information from social media and digital newsprints, fostering a belief of being a step ahead or part of an exclusive class in news sharing - even if, at times, the news happens to be outdated or fake.

The Grand Mapillai Restaurant Culinary Adventure

My other half-half has joined me in the exciting pursuit of discovering new eateries, a refreshing departure from his usual routine of sticking to familiar places and dishes. The news of his enthusiasm for suggesting novel dining spots was particularly thrilling, considering his previous tendency to opt for the same old eateries and stick to familiar dishes, playing it safe rather than venturing into culinary exploration. I've noticed that people's dining preferences are often influenced by those they choose to share meals with. Some tend to shy away from trying new eateries or exploring unfamiliar dishes unless compelled to by more adventurous companions (Ding Xiang Bak Kut Teh). I've made it a point to avoid dining with those who limit themselves to predictable and mundane food choices.

Easy Pumpkin Curry with Coconut Milk Recipe

(Updated Version)

Who wants to spend hours in the kitchen cooking? Not me! I prefer keeping cooking easy and straightforward. As I’ve mentioned before, it starts with the ingredients you have in your pantry and fridge, creating a delicious meal in no time.

 

Enter Easy Pumpkin Curry with Coconut Milk. Mildly spicy, creamy from the coconut milk, tangy with the taste of tomatoes, and featuring soft, tender pumpkin pieces. Sounds amazing, right? Of course! This is an oilless, vegetarian, and vegan version with a healthy impact.

Easy Potato Sambal Recipe: Vegetarian

(Updated Version) 

A dish I've made countless times, potato sambal is fuss-free and comes together in just about 30 minutes. With its minimal ingredients, it’s a perfect choice for vegetarian meals (HYDERABADI VEGETABLE BIRYANI), usually paired with rice and a couple of side dishes. This classic dish, also known as spicy potato, is forever loved - don’t believe me? Try it yourself, and I bet you’ll agree. Soft, tender potatoes (MORINGA POTATO CURRY) are coated in a thick, spicy sambal with a hint of zing - a quintessential Malaysian Malay gravy or sauce. Simple, satisfying, and absolutely delicious.

Pork Chops Recipe - Chinese Style

(Updated Version)

I love pork to its core. I’m an ardent fan, though I don’t cook it regularly at home since my husband follows a pork-free diet. But when he’s not dining at home, I simply can’t resist the temptation of cooking pork (PORK BELLY WITH SALTED FISH).

 

One of the joys of making pork chops is the convenience. You can marinate the chops in advance, store them in the fridge, and have them ready to cook when needed. You can even freeze them, turning pork chops into an effortless meal option anytime.

Coconut Chicken Curry Recipe - Indian Style

(Updated Version)

Is Indian food Kerala food? Is Kerala cuisine also Indian cuisine? While you ponder, let’s get to the recipe. It’s a Kerala Indian coconut chicken curry (AUTHENTIC INDIAN CHICKEN CURRIES). How can a Kerala chicken curry be complete without coconut milk and a blend of spices for that punchy, spicy, and creamy thick curry with tender chicken pieces? Get your place of rice and a raw salad (BEST INDIAN NO COOK SALADS) and picture pouring Coconut Chicken Curry and enjoying it with your fingers and hands. Oh-Wow! 

The Habits of Unhappy People

(Updated Version)

Whether surprising or not, the percentage of unhappy people has spiraled further over the years. It is becoming increasingly difficult to find individuals who can truly connect - those who share simple moments of joy, laughter, and meaningful conversations. 

Socializing or even being around people these days requires a great deal of caution, as people are hyper-sensitive and crave constant validation about themselves. From our coaching and counseling sessions, we have gathered insights into the habits of unhappy people.

Murungai (Moringa) Potato Curry: Vegetarian Recipe

Our moringa tree outside Nava's Zen is a gold mine. It provides not only moringa sticks or drumsticks but also leaves, which are a true treasure for health. The flowers, too, hold vital health benefits for cooking. When you combine murungai (moringa) and potato in a thick curry: easy-to-cook dish, you get a mouthwatering recipe. A dish you shouldn’t hesitate to try. 

How To Design A Vegetarian Dinner Party Menu

Throwing a dinner party is the kind of thing you definitely want to get right, and it’s really something of an art because there’s so much planning and hard work to put into making sure everything goes off smoothly. However, when you get it right, and everyone has a good time, you’ll feel great and proud of what you’ve done, and your guests will have a positive and memorable experience. 

If you have a vegetarian guest, it isn’t always easy to make one dish just for them, and what could be an easier option is to design an entirely vegetarian menu. Not only does this make things easier for you, but it’s probably not something your veggie guest has ever experienced before, so they’ll love it. Plus, if you choose the right food and cook it well, your other guests will enjoy it too, and it might even show them what can be done when meat’s off the menu. With that in mind, here are some tips to help you design a vegetarian menu for your dinner party. 

        Photo by Rene Asmussen  

Quick Ways to Destress

(Updated Version)

Stress is unavoidable, but there are quick ways to tackle it and regain your rhythm without resorting to venting or complaining. Let’s explore how to manage stress effectively before it takes a toll on your breath, body, mind, and soul.

Identify Stress

The first step is awareness. Take a moment to sit with a pen and paper, and write down what’s troubling you. Be honest and genuine - this isn’t about blaming others but about taking ownership of your stressors.