The Art of Ramen

Pork Ramen Luv

Shopping List

Pork Broth

Ground Pork

Shitake Mushrooms

Toasted Sesame Oil

Scallions

Dehydrated Red Pepper Strips (optional garnish)

Hoisin

Ginger

Garlic Clove

Dark Soy Sauce

Tobanjan (Japanese Chili Bean Sauce)

Neri Goma (Japanese sesame paste) or Tahini

Rayu (Japanese hot chile oil)

Peanut Butter

Cashew Butter

Ramen Noodles

Ground Pork Recipe

1 lb Ground Pork

6 Finely Chopped Shitake Mushrooms

1/4 cup Chopped Scallions

1 Clove Crushed Garlic

1 (1/2") Piece of Fresh Grated Ginger

1 1/2 Tbsp Tobanjan

2 Tbsp Dark Soy Sauce

1 Tbsp Sesame Oil

Brown Pork with Scallions and Shitake Mushrooms in Skillet on med to high heat. Add remaining ingredients, cook for 2 min and remove from heat. Set Aside to add to each individual bowl later.

Ramen Assembly

Bring Broth to a Simmer.

Each bowl of ramen should be assembled individually.

In a large soup bowl add:

1 Tbsp Toasted Sesame Oil

1 Tbsp Peanut Butter

1 Tbsp Cashew Butter

3 Tbsp Neri Goma or Tahini

Wisk in 2-2.5 cups of Pork Broth.

Add 1 portion of cooked Ramen Noodles.

Top Ramen Noodles with 1/3 cup of Cooked Ground Pork that was set aside.

Top with Scallions and dried red pepper strips.

Garnish with Black sesame seeds and Rayu to spice/heat preference.

Mastery of the Pizza Recipe

Shopping List

Dough

00 Flour or All-Purpose

Sea Salt

Instant Yeast

Sugar

Olive or Canola Oil

Sauce

Canned Tomato Sauce

Olive Oil

Sea Salt

Fresh Garlic

Pepper

Onion Powder

Dried Oregano

Dried Marjoram

Dough Recipe

Dry Ingredients

Combine/Whisk and Set Aside:

380g Flour

10g Sugar

6g Fine Sea Salt

1g Diastatic Malt Powder (Optional)

Wet Ingredients

Combine and Let Yeast Bloom for 3-5min:

255g 100 Degree F Water

5g (1 1/2 tsp) Instant Yeast

Pinch of Suger

2 Tbsp Olive Oil

Combine Wet into Dry in a mixer with a dough hook. 

Add 2 Tbsp of oil.

Need for 5-7 minutes until smooth and gluten is built. You are looking for a relatively wet dough. 

Remove and form into a ball then place it in an oiled airtight container for 2 hours at room temp (ideally 24 hours in the fridge)

Remove and form into a ball again allowing for some deflation. Rest on a well-floured/corn mealed surface for 1 hour.

Form into a Pizza crust shape by hand, DO NOT ROLL with a rolling pin.

Should be baked on a pizza stone for at least 10-15min or until golden @ 500 degrees F.

Optional...Once removed from oven brush with olive oil and fresh garlic mixture.

Makes 1 large 18" pizza.

Sauce Recipe

1 cup Canned Tomato Sauce

2 Tbsp Olive Oil

1 tsp Sea Salt

4 Crushed Fresh Garlic Cloves

Pinch Fresh Ground Pepper

1 Tbsp Onion Powder

1 Tbsp Dried Oregano

3/4 Tbsp Dried Marjoram

Combine and simmer on low for 15 minutes or until the desired consistency is achieved.

Topping ingredients are up to you!!!

Jump for Joy!

Taryn has Hops

Why Joy?

So many of us search for happiness but are disappointed to find out it is short-lived. We have learned that happiness comes from “happenings”. When something isn’t “happening” we can get down in the dumps and turn to anything to get a quick dose of happiness. Living a joy-filled life comes from practicing gratitude and taking your eyes off yourself. When we intentionally look for a positive or a lesson in all things, we can have Joy.


When we serve others, connection and community happen which brings Joy.

Putting Out One End of the Candle...

It's Not You, It's Me

Over the last several years at this time, we often reflect on how blessed and grateful we are for those that have guided us and have been instrumental in the life we now lead. Jono especially often shares on the experience of crafting a resignation letter and how liberating of an experience that was. Not to be misunderstood as the value of meaningful employment cannot be understated. What is truly liberating is to no longer "have" to engage in renting one's time to the highest bidder to maintain, more or less, sustenance. Instead, having the ability to enter into self-governance of one's time and personal freedom in choosing to live every hour, to the best possible measure, in alignment with what one values and wishes to invest in most. This is the stuff we feel true happiness, purpose, and significance can be fostered from. In light of this, if you haven't done so already, give it a shot...write your resignation from the life you planned to the life that's waiting. This is not a recommendation to resign btw, simply an exercise to experience what preparing for that day would be like if or when you ever will consider moving in that direction.


Here's a sample if you're struggling with writers' block.


Dear ######,

I’d like to extend a heart of gratitude for the opportunity to work at ### Construction. Working on numerous projects over the last number of years has been a pleasure. However, due to the nature of ###’ scope of work including remote worksites, continual travel and sending site skilled labourers away from home and family for extended periods I have struggled to enjoy participating as I believe this is one of many reasons the family unit is eroding across Canada.

As you may or may not know or may have heard from ###### or some of my other coworkers and supervisors, my wife Taryn and I have grown a business outside of our careers in our off hours that has replaced and exceeded the income made through our employment. As a result of this over the last few months, I have had to make the decision of whether I should continue to leave my family daily and continue to conflict and compromise upon our families core values being: our family and it’s legacy, our freedom and choice in our time, our health, mentorship, and the relationships we have in our life and our spiritual walk. All of these have had to be conflicted or compromised in some manner in order to build someone else's dream and legacy here at ###. I look forward to gaining the control of time back into my life which I believe affords one choice in how to live out their core values and to continue to build one's legacy. Taryn and I been burning the candle at both ends for a few years now, all of which with the goal of building a life of abundance and choice. But inevitably in order to create this one end will have to be put out. Please consider this letter as my resignation from a life of mediocrity and justification of the status quo. I want our family to live a life of that which is possible not just what is available.

In order to accommodate a smooth transition to whoever will replace my position, I will continue until May 6, 2016, my final day of employment, and handoff and train as needed. Taryn and I had always planned for an early retirement in our mid to late twenties and twenty-seven seems to be, with much deliberation, what we have settled on. Again, I thank ### for the opportunity to make a living and pay my bills over the last few years and am grateful for the experience.




Sincerely,


Jonathan Tycholis


Engineer in Training, Project Coordinator



Husband, Father, Mentor

Winter Picnics

Lake Minnewanka, Banff, Alberta

What to do in Winter?

This. Is. Everything.


Sometimes it is the most simple of things that bring the most joy.

Daddy very last minute packed lunch and told us to all get in the car. We were going to go to the mountains.

The idea of a day trip sounded great in theory but in actuality sounded dreadful to me. Packing up our crew, all of their winter gear, snacks for the day and back up clothes for accidents is definitely not the easiest of tasks.

However with challenges often comes great opportunity. So we planted our flag on that and embraced the possibility that it would all be worth it.

There is absolutely no question that the untouchable view of the beautiful country we live in and the simplicity of eating homemade sandwiches with the ones you love was worth it.


We are very grateful for these tiny humans we were blessed with and the freedoms we have to create family memories that are pure magic.

Daddy’s Girl

Jono Teaching the Girls

Fathers, Love Your Daughters

“Being a daddy’s girl is like having permanent armour for the rest of your life” Marienla Reka

This past month our daughters have been deepening their relationship with their first love; their daddy.

From several daddy-daughter dates for the older two to our youngest reaching for more daddy snuggles each day; it has been delightful, to say the least, to watch their confidence and security grow.

Incredibly grateful for the time we have to sew into these three beautiful blessings while they are in our hands. To guide and equip their character for the road ahead is a task we do not take lightly.
Also, thanks to all the examples of fatherhood in our life; teaching us that a girl’s self-esteem and relationship with her father will have an impact on her relationships later on in life.