#14 Tet in Vietnam | Make Pickled Pig's Ears, Visit Mom's Vibrant Vegetables Garden | Mimi Daisy

Hi there! It's Mimi Daisy 🌿
Thank you so much for stopping by and spending time in my little corner of the world-
a cozy place where an ordinary person enjoys doing ordinary things ☺️.
Out of so many amazing videos out there,
I’m so grateful you chose to watch mine.
I hope you always find joy in the tiny, simple things around you 🥰.
Early this morning, let me take you along to visit my mom’s vegetable garden.
It’s looking so vibrant today, with so many types of greens and fruits.
Mom was so excited to show me her cauliflower plants-
they’ve started to sprout and will be ready to eat for Lunar New Year.
She loves bitter melon and planted a small patch of it,
even though I’m not a big fan of its bitterness.
She told me it’s really good for your health,
and honestly, the fruit looks beautiful,
so I’ll eat it anyway, haha.
I also picked a few stalks of asparagus for her to stir-fry with beef later.
And look at these round, plump kohlrabies!
They’re ready for harvest too.
Now, I’m gathering some fresh chili peppers-
both red and green-for today’s dish: pickled pig’s ears, a classic for Tet.
Tet (Vietnamese Lunar New Year) has always been the most special holiday to me-
and to so many other Vietnamese people as well.
The days leading up to Tet are my favorite-
there’s an air of excitement as everyone prepares for the celebration.
Today, I’m making pickled pig’s ears.
For me, Tet wouldn’t be complete without traditional dishes like this one, hehe.
First, I blanched the pig’s ears in boiling water,
then cleaned them with salt and lime before boiling again
with shallots and ginger to add a nice fragrance.
While the pig’s ears were cooking,
I sterilized two glass jars with boiling water and let them dry.
Then, I prepped the pickling ingredients: shallots, green and red chili peppers,
fresh green peppercorns, ginger, and garlic.
After peeling and cleaning everything, I laid them out to dry in the sun.
In the meantime, my dad checked on the pig’s ears for me to see if they were done.
Once cooked, I placed them in an ice bath to make them extra crispy.
Back in the kitchen, my husband was helping me peel garlic and shallots-
a small moment that made me smile.
These little moments with my family are why I love making vlogs.
Once the ingredients were dry,
I prepared the pickling solution: vinegar, sugarcane sugar, and water.
I boiled the mixture until the sugar dissolved, then let it cool completely.
Under the golden sunlight, I sat in the garden carving flowers from carrots and daikon radishes,
adding a little extra charm to the dish.
Thinly slicing the pig’s ears, I marveled at how peaceful this moment felt.
Cooking together and caring for the house with my husband always brings me so much calm.
These little snippets of life are truly precious.
In recent years, Tet has felt lighter and happier for me.
I’ve learned to let go of the high expectations I once placed on myself and my loved ones.
I’ve stopped chasing societal definitions of success-
stopped running the endless race for material things.
Instead, I’ve gained something far more luxurious:
a good night’s sleep, the health to work every day,
hobbies and dreams that I’m nurturing,
time to spend with the people I love,
moments to admire nature,
and peace within my soul.
Letting go of those expectations has brought me more than I could’ve imagined.
I feel so lucky for everything life has given me.
For a long time, I used to feel insecure about being from a small rural town-
feeling less “polished” than my city friends who had better opportunities.
But now, I see it as a blessing.
My childhood was beautiful, nurtured by the countryside.
Every time I return, I feel embraced by its warmth and fresh air.
I’m grateful to have grown up in a farming family,
with memories of catching crabs in the fields for my grandmother to cook,
or making clay buffalo figurines with my grandfather.
Because life has given me so much,
I want to live kindly and try to be a better person each day.
By now, all the ingredients were ready.
I mixed everything together, packed them into the glass jars,
added a sprinkle of ginger on top,
and poured in the cooled vinegar solution.
I sealed the jars and placed them in the fridge.
In about 3-4 days, the pickled pig’s ears will be ready-
crunchy, tangy, and the perfect addition to any meal, especially during Tet.
Thank you so much for watching my vlog till the end.
If you enjoyed it, please like and subscribe for more cozy videos 🥰

[@Countryflavorvl3]

👋👋👋👋

[@MimiDaisy97]

@@Countryflavorvl3 Hiii 🥰🥰🥰