Wow! It's been a long time - sorry! I suppose I've lot track of time because I've been doing lots of shopping and getting ready for Christmas. It's odd though that I rarely ever think to blog until something exciting happens, food-wise.
With that said, I will share my excitement for the day: I figured out how to making icing sugar, I've tested the Chinese chocolate and it's great for baking, AND I found out where to buy corn syrup! These factors combined mean that I can now MAKE CANDY!!! Yippee!! I've been wanting so badly to try making mint patties, cherry chocolates, gumdrops, caramels, truffles, and so much more...Mmmmm... Too bad I couldn't have made these discoveries before our Christmas party. Which brings me to my next exciting news...
We had a Christmas Party!! It's wasn't a big thing, and we didn't do formal invites (seeing as we weren't sure if we'd be at the hospital) but it was still fantastic! We had all of our decorations up, along with our Christmas tree, I cooked up a storm for two days, and we had a blast!
I'm a little exhausted after getting ready for the party. We put out bowls of candy, nuts, crackers, and all that fun stuff. On top of that, I made two veggie trays (which disappeared in a flash), meatballs, sushi, apple cider, banana bread, cookies, and bacon poppers. The most popular seemed to be the bacon poppers, which were my special dough with garlic and sesame seeds, stuffed with a mixture of bacon, cheese, green onions and tomatoes. Gosh, I love cooking!
We also went to a staff Christmas party last week. Unlike the Thanksgiving fiasco, the food was amazing! We had a spread of turkey, garlic mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, stuffing, and much, much more. We stayed just long enough to socialize, eat a great meal, and dance once. People seemed quite shocked to see the giant pregnant lady up on the dance floor!
Aside from that, we're still waiting patiently for Baby Lily to arrive, which should be any day now, seeing as I am now officially overdue. My preference would be that she either comes today, so we can make it home for Christmas or Boxing Day, so Daniel gets lots of time off. I'm sure she'll come, however, whenever she feels like it!
I've also been slowly checking things off of my list of things to do while in China! This is what I've been up to lately:
26. Learn my alphabet, and 100 words/phrases in ASL - COMPLETE!
We decided that we would like to attempt to teach the baby sign language so late last week I set forth on my sign language journey! So far, I have the alphabet and numbers, as well as approximately 150 words!!
31. Host a Holiday Party - COMPLETE!
Well, as I said earlier, we did indeed do this. It went so well that we are already planning for next year!
33. Host a potluck - COMPLETE!
It's kind of cheat-y, seeing as it's a two-birds-with-one-stone kind of deal, but our holiday party was actually a potluck!
76. Learn to knit...again
I learned somewhere around five years of age and distinctly remember thinking, "It would take me forever to knit a scarf!" Well, I have tried again! I still have roughly the same feeling - it is quite a laborious process - but I actually find it soothing. So, we're starting with a scarf, but my ultimate goal is a knit teddy bear! We'll see...
100. Go to a Chinese Opera
I may have already written about this, but I can't quite recall...Technically, the Chinese opera came to us, and not the other way around. Early this month, the school hosted a performance of the Beijing Opera, so it was as easy as walking across the street to the auditorium. We both enjoyed the performance very much. I was especially fond of the first two acts, where they had LED panels with the Chinese characters of what the performers were saying. It helped me to understand a little bit more, as I could read much more that I could catch coming from the performers!
Overall, the costumes were beautiful, the performers were great, and the music was fantastic. The one thing that I had a slight problem with was the steel-drummy-type instrument that was roughly just below the pitch that only dogs can hear. This wonderful instrument was played NON-STOP throughout the entire performance, resulting in a three hour headache. Other than that though, it was superb.
So, we've been keeping plenty busy while we wait for the arrival of the new addition to our family. Keep watch, we will be sure to keep you posted on any exciting developments!
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Ever Expanding Peas and Useless Doctors
I learned a very important lesson today - dried peas are expandy...VERY expandy. My project for today was pea soup. I bough some bulk mixed peas last week (green, yellow, and black) and set off to work today to make them into a delicious crockpot soup. I poured my peas and such into the crockpot, covered them with water, and away I went. An hour later I returned to the kitchen to check progress only to find the top of the crockpot being pushed off by a pile of ever-expanding peas that seemed to be longing for escape. And now I know. Dried peas require water and lots of it! I solved my dilemma by scooping out half of the mixture into a bowl and cooking the other half while group two waited their turn. Round one of pea soup making was a great success and round two is now in the works.
I had also planned to make seafood chowder today. I really want to get the freezer fully stocked before Lily arrives. There's still hope for my chowder, but I just seem to be in the mood to boycott potato peeling today. We'll see how it goes.
That was certainly not the most exciting part of my week, however! Yesterday, I went for another visit to the Maternity hospital - allegedly the best hospital in which to have a baby - for a check up. Let's just say that by the time I left, I was ready to a) Kick several people and b) Hop a plane back to Canada.
Upon arrival, I decided to pay the extra 2 rmb to see the specialist instead of the "regular doctor". That was, by far, the worst waste of 4o cents I could possibly imagine. The woman was terrible - TERRIBLE! I am about to pop a baby, and she didn't ask me a single question other than, "Why haven't you had more tests?!" (read: Why haven't you given us more money?). Had I been able to communicate with her on my own, without the use of my translator, I would have promptly asked her, "Why don't you tell me...you're the DOCTOR!?" *sigh...* So, she wrote out requisitions for a barrage of tests that would be absolutely useless at this point in my pregnancy, as well as a urine test. Let me tell you a bit about a urine test in China - it may just be the most unsanitary thing I've ever seen. First, you are given a small plastic cup and a small plastic test tube. You are then to pee into the cup and pour it into the test tube. Following that, you bring your test tube to a window where it sits, open to the air, for over and hour (in my case) until they finally decide to get your results going. Ick.
So after wading through a sea of 1000 pregnant ladies do my test and waiting for two hours to get my results, it was off to see the same terrible doctor again. She decided, upon analysis of my results, that I must have a bladder infection (nope, I don't - trust me, I would know). To remedy said imaginary bladder infection, she gave me...a topical cream for my internal " infection. GAH! So, I am now 200 rmb poorer and the proud owner of two boxes of bladder cream that will never get touched.
To top off my wonderful day at the hospital, the staff refused to fill out my pre-authorization forms for the insurance company. REFUSED! Ooooh well. I called the insurance lady, explained the situation, and they will take care of it on their end. Oh, by the way, did I mention that my last visit to this hospital involved one very large unidentified bug scurrying across the floor and many colonies of ominous black mold??
Other than my horrible visit to the way-too-busy maternity hospital, yesterday was actually quite a good and productive day! I managed to get lots of shopping done while I was out, including the purchase of a Christmas tree and a crockpot (which is now cooking my pea soup!). I also picked up the pretty red guitar that Daniel has been drooling over as a surprise - now the guitar lessons can begin! Thanks again, Mom and Dad Stewart, for the early Christmas presents!
Hmmm...what else is new and exciting? Oh! I actually had a baby shower! Some of the girls planned a baby shower and hosted it right next door last week. We got a few of the necessities we were still needing and then went out an shopped for the rest the next day. I think we now officially have everything we need!
Aside from that, the most exciting part of our week here in China was that were were both terribly ill. I was very sick over the weekend, but that ended up being nothing compared with Daniel on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. At one point he had a fever of 104.5 (literally the highest fever I have ever seen) but we managed to get it down with lots of fluids, a little bit of drugs, and me running up and down the stairs for cold compresses every 5 minutes! It was good practice for having children though! Luckily, Daniel is feeling much better now and is at least well enough that he is back to work today.
So, I think that is enough excitement for one day, but I am beginning to enjoy my Random Overviews...so here we go:
For today,Thursday, December 4th
Outside my window...it is very windy and rather chilly! All of the fine folk here from BC seem to think that is is freezing cold outside. Luckily, I'm from NS and I know better! It's not so bad.
I am creating... so many recipes for delicious truffles. Unfortunately, I have the ingredients handy to make...well...none. Pooh.
Around the house...I don't even want to look. It's a little...untidy. I am hoping to remedy that tomorrow. However, the Christmas tree upstairs does make me smile! It's not decorated yet, but I think we will be fixing that tonight!
A picture thought I am sharing with you... Just remember when working with dry ingredients - VERY expandy!!
I had also planned to make seafood chowder today. I really want to get the freezer fully stocked before Lily arrives. There's still hope for my chowder, but I just seem to be in the mood to boycott potato peeling today. We'll see how it goes.
That was certainly not the most exciting part of my week, however! Yesterday, I went for another visit to the Maternity hospital - allegedly the best hospital in which to have a baby - for a check up. Let's just say that by the time I left, I was ready to a) Kick several people and b) Hop a plane back to Canada.
Upon arrival, I decided to pay the extra 2 rmb to see the specialist instead of the "regular doctor". That was, by far, the worst waste of 4o cents I could possibly imagine. The woman was terrible - TERRIBLE! I am about to pop a baby, and she didn't ask me a single question other than, "Why haven't you had more tests?!" (read: Why haven't you given us more money?). Had I been able to communicate with her on my own, without the use of my translator, I would have promptly asked her, "Why don't you tell me...you're the DOCTOR!?" *sigh...* So, she wrote out requisitions for a barrage of tests that would be absolutely useless at this point in my pregnancy, as well as a urine test. Let me tell you a bit about a urine test in China - it may just be the most unsanitary thing I've ever seen. First, you are given a small plastic cup and a small plastic test tube. You are then to pee into the cup and pour it into the test tube. Following that, you bring your test tube to a window where it sits, open to the air, for over and hour (in my case) until they finally decide to get your results going. Ick.
So after wading through a sea of 1000 pregnant ladies do my test and waiting for two hours to get my results, it was off to see the same terrible doctor again. She decided, upon analysis of my results, that I must have a bladder infection (nope, I don't - trust me, I would know). To remedy said imaginary bladder infection, she gave me...a topical cream for my internal " infection. GAH! So, I am now 200 rmb poorer and the proud owner of two boxes of bladder cream that will never get touched.
To top off my wonderful day at the hospital, the staff refused to fill out my pre-authorization forms for the insurance company. REFUSED! Ooooh well. I called the insurance lady, explained the situation, and they will take care of it on their end. Oh, by the way, did I mention that my last visit to this hospital involved one very large unidentified bug scurrying across the floor and many colonies of ominous black mold??
Other than my horrible visit to the way-too-busy maternity hospital, yesterday was actually quite a good and productive day! I managed to get lots of shopping done while I was out, including the purchase of a Christmas tree and a crockpot (which is now cooking my pea soup!). I also picked up the pretty red guitar that Daniel has been drooling over as a surprise - now the guitar lessons can begin! Thanks again, Mom and Dad Stewart, for the early Christmas presents!
Hmmm...what else is new and exciting? Oh! I actually had a baby shower! Some of the girls planned a baby shower and hosted it right next door last week. We got a few of the necessities we were still needing and then went out an shopped for the rest the next day. I think we now officially have everything we need!
Aside from that, the most exciting part of our week here in China was that were were both terribly ill. I was very sick over the weekend, but that ended up being nothing compared with Daniel on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. At one point he had a fever of 104.5 (literally the highest fever I have ever seen) but we managed to get it down with lots of fluids, a little bit of drugs, and me running up and down the stairs for cold compresses every 5 minutes! It was good practice for having children though! Luckily, Daniel is feeling much better now and is at least well enough that he is back to work today.
So, I think that is enough excitement for one day, but I am beginning to enjoy my Random Overviews...so here we go:
For today,Thursday, December 4th
Outside my window...it is very windy and rather chilly! All of the fine folk here from BC seem to think that is is freezing cold outside. Luckily, I'm from NS and I know better! It's not so bad.
I am thankful for...the forethought to cook food ahead of time and put it in the freezer. It has already come in handy more than once when we were too ill to go get groceries, and I am sure that it will come in handy over and over again.
I am also very thankful for good friends. I was blessed enough to have my very kind neighbour come with me on my excursion yesterday so I would be able to go shopping and not worry that I was walking around alone and about to pop a baby. It was also extremely helpful to have someone to carry all of the heavy things!
Really, I am thankful for all of the wonderful people in my life - Today my wonderful husband, in particular, who worries like crazy about me and makes sure I know how much he appreciates everything I do for us.
I am also very thankful for good friends. I was blessed enough to have my very kind neighbour come with me on my excursion yesterday so I would be able to go shopping and not worry that I was walking around alone and about to pop a baby. It was also extremely helpful to have someone to carry all of the heavy things!
Really, I am thankful for all of the wonderful people in my life - Today my wonderful husband, in particular, who worries like crazy about me and makes sure I know how much he appreciates everything I do for us.
From the kitchen... Well, last week's pizza was a success! I managed to make 20 pizzas over the weekend! Now, as we all know, is the pea soup and, if I get really ambitious, seafood chowder. Hopefully tomorrow I will make some bread, maybe tea biscuits, and perhaps some homemade "pop tarts". I would be more ambitious than that, but I literally have NO vegetables in the house. After I get some Saturday, it's time for Chili, quiche, and maybe stew and pot pie. We'll see how far we make it before baby comes!
Also, I am very excited about my purchase of candy cups so I can now make homemade candies! Since I am lacking MANY ingredients, I am limited to peanut butter, cherry, coffee, and perhaps vanilla flavors. We shall see...perhaps I'll find a way to be more creative!
Also, I am very excited about my purchase of candy cups so I can now make homemade candies! Since I am lacking MANY ingredients, I am limited to peanut butter, cherry, coffee, and perhaps vanilla flavors. We shall see...perhaps I'll find a way to be more creative!
I am going... to have baby very soon! Other than that, hopefully next to nowhere, as I am really getting quite tired!
I am reading... Harry Potter aloud with Daniel. It stared only because I was sick and he was searching for a way to make me feel better. It worked!
I am hoping... that baby comes very soon. I am full term now, so it's safe, and we have lots of post delivery paperwork that needs doing!
Around the house...I don't even want to look. It's a little...untidy. I am hoping to remedy that tomorrow. However, the Christmas tree upstairs does make me smile! It's not decorated yet, but I think we will be fixing that tonight!
One of my favorite things... is watching Christmas movies with Daniel. We've done quite a bit of that lately. I'm really looking forward to when we can all sit down and watch them as a family as well.
A few plans for the rest of the week...cooking, more cooking, and...ummm...having a baby?
A few plans for the rest of the week...cooking, more cooking, and...ummm...having a baby?
Saturday, November 22, 2008
I'm a Pioneer!
Wow...who would have thought that living in China (where everything seems to be about 50 years in the past) would convince me that I need to have a farm when I go back home? It turns out that the lack of easy access foods here has made me think outside of the box and I've learned some very exciting things - now I just need a cow...
Last night, I got to thinking, "There must be a way to make your own cheese. People didn't get factory made cheese 100 years ago..."
So, off I went to research and there is, indeed, a way to make your own cheese. Not just the simple cheese either! Can you imagine - making and aging your own block of blue cheese?? Mmmmmm... I now know what I want for Christmas - I cheese making kit! It may seem like buying a kit is not really making your own cheese, but I need the coagulating enzyme to avoid having to butcher a calf, cut up its tummy, and soak out said enzyme. Gross, I know, but that's how it was done. Now, we order it online. OK, so I'm a modern pioneer!
After realizing that a lot of cheese making may be in my near future, I starting wondering what other products I could technically make on my own. Here is some of what I came up with:
I wondered how one might go about making butter and looked it up. There turned out to be a very easy method requiring no expensive equipment which also yielded buttermilk in the end, a product many of the women here have been lamenting over not having access to. What the butter making process did require, however, was cream. Thinking that cream is quite expensive, I wondered how one would go about making cream. As it turns out, that is also quite easy! So, I came to realize that with a cow of my own, I could make any cheese imaginable, cream, sour cream, milk (of course), ice cream, and even butter. Wouldn't that be fantastic?!
Dairy, however, is not the only thing I came up with! I kept looking more and more. I was anxious to know what potential project was around the next corner! I know have the know-how to make ketchup, mustard, pesto, tortilla shells, and much much more! Honestly, I've had my epiphany that every product we buy had to have been produced from scratch somehow. Most of those products probably have a process that is simple enough to follow at home. With all of that said, I will share with you my dreams for our house back in Canada:
- A solar-powered greenhouse so I can grow veggies and herbs all year long.
- A tiny orchard of fruit trees, including apples, plums, pears, and cherries (basically the only ones that will grown in Canada)
- As many berry bushes as I can possibly line our fences with. All berries are welcome!
- Grape vines...Mmmmm...fresh grapes!
- A walnut tree (yes, they will grown within Canada) and any other nut tree that might withstand our weather.
- Two chickens (which is sufficient to provide enough eggs for a single family, I am told)
- A nice cow or two for milking
- Daniel would also like a goat, for goats milk and proper feta cheese
That's all I can come up with for now, but I think it's a wonderful plan! I know many people might say that it is easier, and maybe even cheaper, to go to the store and BUY all of these things, but that isn't quite the point, for me. First, everything tastes better homemade. I don't know why that is the case, but I do know that it is! Aside from that, I enjoy the thought of working our own land and teaching our children how to grown things on their own. Last, but not least, making as much of your food as possible at home ensures that you know exactly what is going into your food, rather than counting on the preservatives and additives of major companies. I think, overall, my plans for being a modern pioneer housewife are quite appealing!
I will admit, it is a bit strange to me to think that between homeschooling, working a mini-farm, and keeping house I will most likely be doing more labour than when I was in the workforce, and getting paid a whole heck of a lot less (see: nothing). It's even more strange to me to realize that the prospect does not bother me in the least. The payoff for my family is worth far more than any job could ever pay me.
Now...all I need is some sheep and a spinning wheel...
Aside from my aspirations to live as if I were 100 years in the past, nothing terribly exciting has been going on, however, I will leave you with this - today's random overview:
For today, Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Outside my window...it is a dark night, but quite pleasant! The weather was so beautiful today that I barely needed a jacket. I almost feel like I should be outside right now, just staring at the sky. You wouldn't believe the beauty of the stars where we live. Because we are outside of town, on a clear night it seems you can see every star in the sky. I have never wanted a telescope more than I do now! I'm also looking forward to the meteor shower in December. Although there will be a 3/4 full moon that night, we still should be able to see lots from where we are!
A picture thought I am sharing with you... life is good. Endeavor to see the positive in every situation and always make the best of what you have. Be thankful for all of the good in your life and count your blessings each day rather than complaining about what is not good. Life is good - you just have to see it that way.
Last night, I got to thinking, "There must be a way to make your own cheese. People didn't get factory made cheese 100 years ago..."
So, off I went to research and there is, indeed, a way to make your own cheese. Not just the simple cheese either! Can you imagine - making and aging your own block of blue cheese?? Mmmmmm... I now know what I want for Christmas - I cheese making kit! It may seem like buying a kit is not really making your own cheese, but I need the coagulating enzyme to avoid having to butcher a calf, cut up its tummy, and soak out said enzyme. Gross, I know, but that's how it was done. Now, we order it online. OK, so I'm a modern pioneer!
After realizing that a lot of cheese making may be in my near future, I starting wondering what other products I could technically make on my own. Here is some of what I came up with:
I wondered how one might go about making butter and looked it up. There turned out to be a very easy method requiring no expensive equipment which also yielded buttermilk in the end, a product many of the women here have been lamenting over not having access to. What the butter making process did require, however, was cream. Thinking that cream is quite expensive, I wondered how one would go about making cream. As it turns out, that is also quite easy! So, I came to realize that with a cow of my own, I could make any cheese imaginable, cream, sour cream, milk (of course), ice cream, and even butter. Wouldn't that be fantastic?!
Dairy, however, is not the only thing I came up with! I kept looking more and more. I was anxious to know what potential project was around the next corner! I know have the know-how to make ketchup, mustard, pesto, tortilla shells, and much much more! Honestly, I've had my epiphany that every product we buy had to have been produced from scratch somehow. Most of those products probably have a process that is simple enough to follow at home. With all of that said, I will share with you my dreams for our house back in Canada:
- A solar-powered greenhouse so I can grow veggies and herbs all year long.
- A tiny orchard of fruit trees, including apples, plums, pears, and cherries (basically the only ones that will grown in Canada)
- As many berry bushes as I can possibly line our fences with. All berries are welcome!
- Grape vines...Mmmmm...fresh grapes!
- A walnut tree (yes, they will grown within Canada) and any other nut tree that might withstand our weather.
- Two chickens (which is sufficient to provide enough eggs for a single family, I am told)
- A nice cow or two for milking
- Daniel would also like a goat, for goats milk and proper feta cheese
That's all I can come up with for now, but I think it's a wonderful plan! I know many people might say that it is easier, and maybe even cheaper, to go to the store and BUY all of these things, but that isn't quite the point, for me. First, everything tastes better homemade. I don't know why that is the case, but I do know that it is! Aside from that, I enjoy the thought of working our own land and teaching our children how to grown things on their own. Last, but not least, making as much of your food as possible at home ensures that you know exactly what is going into your food, rather than counting on the preservatives and additives of major companies. I think, overall, my plans for being a modern pioneer housewife are quite appealing!
I will admit, it is a bit strange to me to think that between homeschooling, working a mini-farm, and keeping house I will most likely be doing more labour than when I was in the workforce, and getting paid a whole heck of a lot less (see: nothing). It's even more strange to me to realize that the prospect does not bother me in the least. The payoff for my family is worth far more than any job could ever pay me.
Now...all I need is some sheep and a spinning wheel...
Aside from my aspirations to live as if I were 100 years in the past, nothing terribly exciting has been going on, however, I will leave you with this - today's random overview:
For today, Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Outside my window...it is a dark night, but quite pleasant! The weather was so beautiful today that I barely needed a jacket. I almost feel like I should be outside right now, just staring at the sky. You wouldn't believe the beauty of the stars where we live. Because we are outside of town, on a clear night it seems you can see every star in the sky. I have never wanted a telescope more than I do now! I'm also looking forward to the meteor shower in December. Although there will be a 3/4 full moon that night, we still should be able to see lots from where we are!
I am thankful for... my life in general. I really do feel very blessed. I have wonderful family and friends, I am healthy, happy, and have very little that I could possible complain about. I am also grateful for my gift of patience. I was accosted by someone today insisting that I must get married before the baby is born - there is no way I could be a good parent otherwise. Rather than get angry or upset with this person, I calmly explained that I didn't feel that was correct, that we are very happy with our life, and that I am more that happy to agree to disagree. I then thanked them for their concern. There was certainly a time in my life where I would not have been able to handle a similar situation with such grace. I am certainly growing as a person.
From the kitchen... pizza! Lots and lots of pizza! Actually, not as many as I would have liked, but after an early morning, a walk to town to get ingredients and a blender, making a batch of pizza sauce, making a batch of dough, forming and baking seven crusts, chopping all of my toppings, and grating my cheese I suddenly got inexplicably exhausted. I will definitely be making more pizzas tomorrow though. Also...I still have not pickled! Tomorrow...really!
I am going... out several times next week, which is rather unusual for me. Monday takes me to Kaifaqu for lasagna noodles, milk, ect. Tuesday I am going to the hospital where I will be giving birth to bribe the doctors. Friday is another ladies tea!
I am reading... lots of information on making cheese and other such things!
I am hoping... for happiness for everyone I love. Also, for the energy to get LOTS of cooking done this week..
I am creating... lots of food? And a really great pizza dough recipe today. Perhaps I will share!
Sarah's Herb and Garlic Pizza Dough
Ingredients:
1 tbsp active dry yeast
1 ½ cups warm water
3 ½ cups all purpose flour
1 ½ tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp garlic powder (or to taste)
3 tbsp various Italian herbs (or to taste)
¼ tbsp salt
Directions
1. Add yeast to warm water to activate. Wait approx. 5 minutes or until yeast begins to foam.
2. Pour flour, herbs, and garlic powder into large bowl and mix. Form a well in centre of mixture.
3. Pour yeast mixture into well. Add olive oil and salt.
4. Draw dry ingredients into liquid using a spatula.
5. Use hands to mix and form dough.
6. Flour work surface and knead dough until it no longer sticks to hands. Form into ball.
7. Line a clean bowl with olive oil. Place dough in bowl. Score top of dough in a cross and fill cross with olive oil.
8. Cover bowl with a cloth and allow dough to rise approx. 1 ½ hr or until doubled in size.
9. Seperate dough in to appropriately sized pieces for your desired size of crust.
10. Stretch dough onto pizza pan (Add all toppings but cheese if not freezing dough) and bake at 210C – 5-8 minutes for thin crust, 8-10 minutes for thick crust, or until slightly golden if freezing, golden brown if eating right away. If not freezing, add cheese approx. half way through baking.
11. Freeze cooked crusts for future use.
Around the house... it's a little flour-y due to the pizza dough making. Mostly clean though, although I need to do the dishes tomorrow before resuming cooking.
Sarah's Herb and Garlic Pizza Dough
Ingredients:
1 tbsp active dry yeast
1 ½ cups warm water
3 ½ cups all purpose flour
1 ½ tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp garlic powder (or to taste)
3 tbsp various Italian herbs (or to taste)
¼ tbsp salt
Directions
1. Add yeast to warm water to activate. Wait approx. 5 minutes or until yeast begins to foam.
2. Pour flour, herbs, and garlic powder into large bowl and mix. Form a well in centre of mixture.
3. Pour yeast mixture into well. Add olive oil and salt.
4. Draw dry ingredients into liquid using a spatula.
5. Use hands to mix and form dough.
6. Flour work surface and knead dough until it no longer sticks to hands. Form into ball.
7. Line a clean bowl with olive oil. Place dough in bowl. Score top of dough in a cross and fill cross with olive oil.
8. Cover bowl with a cloth and allow dough to rise approx. 1 ½ hr or until doubled in size.
9. Seperate dough in to appropriately sized pieces for your desired size of crust.
10. Stretch dough onto pizza pan (Add all toppings but cheese if not freezing dough) and bake at 210C – 5-8 minutes for thin crust, 8-10 minutes for thick crust, or until slightly golden if freezing, golden brown if eating right away. If not freezing, add cheese approx. half way through baking.
11. Freeze cooked crusts for future use.
Around the house... it's a little flour-y due to the pizza dough making. Mostly clean though, although I need to do the dishes tomorrow before resuming cooking.
One of my favorite things... is cooking - I really LOVE cooking. This week, I made Thai curry for the freezer, a big butter tart pie, peanut butter cookies, pizza...
A few plans for the rest of the week... lots more cooking!! Chili, tortilla shells and taco filling, Mexican casserole, corn chowder, seafood chowder, seafood lasagna, and lasagna. I also might try ricotta cheese so I can put it in my lasagnas!
A few plans for the rest of the week... lots more cooking!! Chili, tortilla shells and taco filling, Mexican casserole, corn chowder, seafood chowder, seafood lasagna, and lasagna. I also might try ricotta cheese so I can put it in my lasagnas!
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Cooking in China
You know, it's starting to get a tad bothersome that everything I want to make here in China has to be planned in advance to I can go on a massive ingredient hunt. It's almost like I scavenger hunt, but much more annoying. Don't get me wrong, I'm happy that there it a market within walking distance where I can at least get vegetables and basic staples, but as my belly grows larger, my patience seems to grow proportionally smaller. I wonder if that's a documented scientific phenomenon?
I suppose I'm really just cranky because I can't just hop in my car on a whim, buy necessary ingredients, and get ta cookin'...instead I have to plan out everything I might want to make for the next week, and go shopping/hunting at three or four completely different places just to get what I need (if I can even find it at all).
Sometimes you don't even notice that you're missing the basics until you need them and realize, "Crap! Why don't we own that yet??" For example, today I wanted to make Daniel some ice cream because, of course, if I buy it it will melt long before I ever get it home (that and I feel that homemade everything is almost always better). Because we don't have an ice cream maker (obviously, since we don't even have plates...) I was going to make it using the two bag method. For those of you who don't know what in the world I'm talking about, you can actually make ice cream using two different sized bags - the inner bag filled with ice cream-y ingredients and the outer bag with ice and salt. These supplies combined with the magic of thermodynamics yields ice cream in less than ten minutes. I was very proud of myself. Excited to have a brilliant idea of something nice I could do for my loving husband. And then it hit me...we have no ice. Why? Because we have no ice cube trays. That revelation would not have been nearly so annoying had the option to hop in the car and go buy some been present. But nooooo. I don't even know where I would find an ice cube tray here! More hunting for me, I suppose.
There are, in fact, many things I would like to make but just don't have what I need to do so. I would like to make homemade caramels - no corn syrup. I would like to sew some toys for Lily - no sewing machine. I would like to make my Indian Curry that Daniel loves - missing half of the spices. And the list goes on...
Okay, I suppose that's enough complaining for one day. I think part of the reason I'm cranky is because I had planned to make pickles today and then realized that I didn't have nearly enough vinegar. Again, I lament no having a car so I can quickly drive to the storeandpick some up. Ooooh well...I guess it's almost time for another trip to the market. On the plus side, last night's sushi (spicy shrimp rolls) went over fabulously, once again. I'm always happy when such a simple little thing can make my hubby so very happy. He has such long days in his new job that it's very nice to see him delighted to have yummy food on the table when he comes home.
Tonight is curry night - which is why I'm blogging, actually - more procrastination! I am ahead though, I guess. It's barely after 2:00 and I already have it started...ok...I have the meat thawed - that counts, right? I also took the vegetables out. See? I'm on the ball! Actually, I would have it all in a pot and cooking by now but I'm just too lazy to clean out the pot, which still has leftover lunch in it.
Before I get to pot cleaning, cooking, and tidying the house (yet another thing I am putting off) let's have today's random overview:
For today, Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Outside my window...is a gloomy overcast sky. I assume it's also cold out because the children are wearing jackets and hats, but I'm not really sure, since I haven't left the house since Saturday. Wow...that's really sad, isn't it? I think I would be more inclined to go out and about if I had someone to go with. So far, that is not the case. China can be awful lonely when Daniel is working!
I suppose I'm really just cranky because I can't just hop in my car on a whim, buy necessary ingredients, and get ta cookin'...instead I have to plan out everything I might want to make for the next week, and go shopping/hunting at three or four completely different places just to get what I need (if I can even find it at all).
Sometimes you don't even notice that you're missing the basics until you need them and realize, "Crap! Why don't we own that yet??" For example, today I wanted to make Daniel some ice cream because, of course, if I buy it it will melt long before I ever get it home (that and I feel that homemade everything is almost always better). Because we don't have an ice cream maker (obviously, since we don't even have plates...) I was going to make it using the two bag method. For those of you who don't know what in the world I'm talking about, you can actually make ice cream using two different sized bags - the inner bag filled with ice cream-y ingredients and the outer bag with ice and salt. These supplies combined with the magic of thermodynamics yields ice cream in less than ten minutes. I was very proud of myself. Excited to have a brilliant idea of something nice I could do for my loving husband. And then it hit me...we have no ice. Why? Because we have no ice cube trays. That revelation would not have been nearly so annoying had the option to hop in the car and go buy some been present. But nooooo. I don't even know where I would find an ice cube tray here! More hunting for me, I suppose.
There are, in fact, many things I would like to make but just don't have what I need to do so. I would like to make homemade caramels - no corn syrup. I would like to sew some toys for Lily - no sewing machine. I would like to make my Indian Curry that Daniel loves - missing half of the spices. And the list goes on...
Okay, I suppose that's enough complaining for one day. I think part of the reason I'm cranky is because I had planned to make pickles today and then realized that I didn't have nearly enough vinegar. Again, I lament no having a car so I can quickly drive to the storeandpick some up. Ooooh well...I guess it's almost time for another trip to the market. On the plus side, last night's sushi (spicy shrimp rolls) went over fabulously, once again. I'm always happy when such a simple little thing can make my hubby so very happy. He has such long days in his new job that it's very nice to see him delighted to have yummy food on the table when he comes home.
Tonight is curry night - which is why I'm blogging, actually - more procrastination! I am ahead though, I guess. It's barely after 2:00 and I already have it started...ok...I have the meat thawed - that counts, right? I also took the vegetables out. See? I'm on the ball! Actually, I would have it all in a pot and cooking by now but I'm just too lazy to clean out the pot, which still has leftover lunch in it.
Before I get to pot cleaning, cooking, and tidying the house (yet another thing I am putting off) let's have today's random overview:
For today, Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Outside my window...is a gloomy overcast sky. I assume it's also cold out because the children are wearing jackets and hats, but I'm not really sure, since I haven't left the house since Saturday. Wow...that's really sad, isn't it? I think I would be more inclined to go out and about if I had someone to go with. So far, that is not the case. China can be awful lonely when Daniel is working!
I am thankful for... family to talk to on the phone while I go about my business in the house. Without some virtual company, I'd probably go insane. On that same line of thought, I am also very grateful for my Bluetooth headset, which allows be to actually go about my chores while socializing, rather than being tethered to the computer.
From the kitchen... for lunch was a creamy vegetable rice soup. Another one of my throw together concoctions that actually turned out quite nice. In fact, I am now getting hungry thinking about it. I guess that takes care of my woes about cleaning out the pot from lunchtime!
I am going... out tomorrow, which is quite a relief now that I realize what a hermit I've been! Not that I'm off for a wonderfully exciting trip, or anything...passports and cheese...lol.
I am reading... Lots of recipes of things I might like to make if I can find all of the components and lots of patterns for baby clothes and toys!
I am hoping... that I can find vanilla in my grand hunt tomorrow so that I can make butter tarts...Mmmmmmmm...
I am creating... many plans to make things for baby. Now...just to put those plans into action...
Around the house... I need to start my curry a'boilin' and then get on to sweeping, finishing off the dishes, tidying, and folding the laundry.
One of my favorite things... Sushi! I'm so glad that it was easier to make than I thought! Since it's something that Daniel and I both love, I suspect it will work it's way into our diet quite regularly!
A few plans for the rest of the week... As I said, more cooking, as per usual - I would like to get at least ten new meals in the freezer. Aside from everything else I've already mentioned, I have a language exchange tomorrow and I think Daniel and I might go for massages this weekend.
A few plans for the rest of the week... As I said, more cooking, as per usual - I would like to get at least ten new meals in the freezer. Aside from everything else I've already mentioned, I have a language exchange tomorrow and I think Daniel and I might go for massages this weekend.
A picture thought I am sharing with you... Be thankful if you live near a fully stocked grocery story and/or have a car to drive! If you're in the same boat as me, just go ahead and pout along with me. *POUT!*
So, there we have it for today. I would like to stay here madly typing away and pretend that I have nothing else to do. Unfortunately, that is very much not the case and I have what feels like a million other things I should be doing right now. *Sigh...*
Okay...here it goes...Curry time...I'm off!
So, there we have it for today. I would like to stay here madly typing away and pretend that I have nothing else to do. Unfortunately, that is very much not the case and I have what feels like a million other things I should be doing right now. *Sigh...*
Okay...here it goes...Curry time...I'm off!
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
My Belly is Heavy...
Two posts withing one week? Could it be? Yes. Unfortunately, I have nothing particularly interesting to say. My belly is heavy, my pelvis is hurty, and I need a productive way to procrastinate!
Yesterday was a particularly productive day, actually. I did some cleaning, talked to family, turned a not so great pumpkin custard from the weekend into a delicious pumpkin cake, made spaghetti (with 4 batches of reserved sauce to go in the freezer for later!), and, of course, spent some time with Daniel. I also did some looking around for patterns for baby clothes and toys. Before anyone mentions that it would be cheaper and easier to just buy toys and clothes, please understand that I don't care. I like to make things, so why not make things that will make my baby happy and/or cute?!
Today was not quite as productive...It seems I only have the energy for one truly productive day in a row. I did manage to fit in an online Chinese/English exchange though, so now I can tell time in Chinese like a pro...well, a very slow pro...
I feel like I should be doing something productive right now, but I'm really at a loss as to what. Daniel is not home from work until 8:00 tonight, so I won't start making supper for another 30 minutes or so. In the meantime, I thought I might borrow some inspiration from a wonderful blog called http://mycountrycupboard.blogspot.com/. Here, we have a random overview of today in the life of Sarah:
For today, Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Outside my window...it's dark. I suppose I waited a little too late to write this. Also, there is a very loud dog barking. He never stops. I have to wonder where the barking comes from, as we are on a campus that doesn't allow pets. Just another one of life's great mysteries, I suppose. Unless I'm really paying attention though, it's just background noise now. Kind of like the children who live here who make screaming, banshee, "someone is killing me" noises instead of pleasant, happy child noises. They too have become background noise, thank God! It's also beginning to get quite chilly out. This is to be expected, as it is mid-November. What I wouldn't have expected is the fact that we are still waiting for them to turn our heat on. The pregnant lady is cold...
Anywho, thank you all for indulging me as I procrastinate. Perhaps as I lose the will to move around on a regualar basis, you will hear from me more often!
I leave you with this...note the size of the bladder...well, and every other organ, really...
Now...off to make sushi!
Yesterday was a particularly productive day, actually. I did some cleaning, talked to family, turned a not so great pumpkin custard from the weekend into a delicious pumpkin cake, made spaghetti (with 4 batches of reserved sauce to go in the freezer for later!), and, of course, spent some time with Daniel. I also did some looking around for patterns for baby clothes and toys. Before anyone mentions that it would be cheaper and easier to just buy toys and clothes, please understand that I don't care. I like to make things, so why not make things that will make my baby happy and/or cute?!
Today was not quite as productive...It seems I only have the energy for one truly productive day in a row. I did manage to fit in an online Chinese/English exchange though, so now I can tell time in Chinese like a pro...well, a very slow pro...
I feel like I should be doing something productive right now, but I'm really at a loss as to what. Daniel is not home from work until 8:00 tonight, so I won't start making supper for another 30 minutes or so. In the meantime, I thought I might borrow some inspiration from a wonderful blog called http://mycountrycupboard.blogspot.com/. Here, we have a random overview of today in the life of Sarah:
For today, Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Outside my window...it's dark. I suppose I waited a little too late to write this. Also, there is a very loud dog barking. He never stops. I have to wonder where the barking comes from, as we are on a campus that doesn't allow pets. Just another one of life's great mysteries, I suppose. Unless I'm really paying attention though, it's just background noise now. Kind of like the children who live here who make screaming, banshee, "someone is killing me" noises instead of pleasant, happy child noises. They too have become background noise, thank God! It's also beginning to get quite chilly out. This is to be expected, as it is mid-November. What I wouldn't have expected is the fact that we are still waiting for them to turn our heat on. The pregnant lady is cold...
I am thankful for... So many things (as much as it may seem like I complain lately!). I am thankful that we will get to meet our baby daughter very soon (only six weeks to go!); I am thankful for a wonderful husband who takes care of me, loves me as much as I love him, and is absolutely perfectly suited for me; I am thankful for the ability to throw random things together in a pot or pan an almost always turn out something that is somewhat yummy; I am thankful for family who love and care about us and take every opportunity to show it; I am happy for a productive way to procrastinate (yeah for blogspot!).
From the kitchen... today was a strawberry turnover. Mmmmm...Just an experiment with leftover pie crust, really. Later tonight comes more sushi for supper, pickles tomorrow (along with a big ol' batch of something I can freeze), and then many, many pizzas later this week! Mmmmm...food. Food makes the pregnant lady happy. I decided this week that it's a good thing that we're not in Canada - if we were, we would both be rather fat, I think. There are so many things I want to try to cook and the only thing that holds me back is the inability to quickly and easily acquire the ingredients. Oh well, my waistline and Daniel's will be very thankful, I think.
I am going... nowhere but the kitchen tonight. I am, however, making a nice trip to the Public Securtiy Bureau this Thursday which, time permitting, will be followed by a trip to the Doctor and a trip to market where I will buy cheese (for the first time since being here) and pepperoni for pizza!!
I am reading... What to Expect in the First Year as well as Mandarin Chinese for Dummies. I always though I was not a fan of the "dummies" series, but this one book has changed my mind.
I am hoping... that baby little will stop punching me in the bladder. Naw...it's ok...I've kind of grown to like it! Seriously, I am hoping to get enough food in the freezer so that I don't feel pressured to cook things from scratch when I first come home from the hospital. So far, I'm up to seven meals! I'm also hoping to get some artwork done for Lily's wall. I would like to paint and frame some jungle animals. It should only take a few hours, I just can't seem to get up the drive to do it.
I am creating... an art doll, if my bloody clay ever arrives! I really want to make a hand sculpted doll. I have ordered the materials and everything has arrived....except the clay. So far, she would just be a large clump of hair with wings.
Around the house... I got quite a bit done yesterday and I am proud. There is, however, always more to do! I would like to wash all of the baby clothes that we have already and make sure Lily's room is ready for her arrival. I would like to get some fabric and make curtains for the lovely shelving unit in our common area which holds all of our miscellaneous crap. Unfortunately, that is the ideal place for all of our junk, so I will just put curtains up to hide it from guests!
One of my favorite things... spending time with Daniel on a daily basis. Even if we only have the time and energy to sit and watch an episode of Babylon Five, at least we can cuddle together, feel baby kicking, and bask in eachother's love. Awwwww...
A few plans for the rest of the week... As I said, more cooking, as per usual - I would like to get at least ten new meals in the freezer. Aside from everything else I've already mentioned, I have a language exchange tomorrow and I think Daniel and I might go for massages this weekend.
A few plans for the rest of the week... As I said, more cooking, as per usual - I would like to get at least ten new meals in the freezer. Aside from everything else I've already mentioned, I have a language exchange tomorrow and I think Daniel and I might go for massages this weekend.
A picture thought I am sharing with you... Babies Kick Really Hard. For anyone who hasn't already been pregnant, just take it as a warning. For anyone who has been pregnant, think back (fondly?) on the pummelings you received. For any men who are reading, just imagine your kidney and your liver having a very rigorous wrestling match (using your bladder as a ring, of course) and then both trying to escape from the other through the wall of your abdomen. Yup...something like that...
Anywho, thank you all for indulging me as I procrastinate. Perhaps as I lose the will to move around on a regualar basis, you will hear from me more often!
I leave you with this...note the size of the bladder...well, and every other organ, really...
Now...off to make sushi!
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Tardy Blogger...
Yes, I know, I am a tardy blogger. In my defence, it has been quite busy around here. But, that also means I have lost of news to share. Since I have so much ground to cover, I'll just splash in bits and pieces wherever I see fit!
Thanksgiving Dinner
For many of you who have already read Daniel's journal, this will be a repeat but it really is worth a mention.
This year, for Canadian Thanksgiving, the school here organized a dinner for us at Kingdom of Discovery, the amusement park nearby. It was sold to us (at quite a high price, I might add) as a "...traditional Thanksgiving Dinner with turkey and all of the fixings". Daniel and I spend days drooling while thinking about gravy... stuffing... pumpkin pie!! Upon arrival, however, our salivating quickly ceased. The only thing even remotely North American about this Thanksgiving dinner, aside from the fact that we had forks instead of chopsticks, was that there was, indeed, turkey present (even though it did come with strawberry sauce). The rest of the spread consisted of rice, pizza, chicken nuggets, sushi, and a variety of sub-par Chinese dishes.
Needless to say, the food was disappointing. But it was nothing compared to the rest of what made up our "Traditional Thanksgiving". The venue had decided that it would be a good idea to provide some entertainment for us during our meal. It could not have been less appropriate for Thanksgiving. It ranged from can-can and belly dancers to folks singing in Chinese. The most North American aspect about the entertainment was the German guy singing Eric Clapton's,
"Tears in Heaven" which, for anyone who doesn't know, is actually about the death of his son - not exactly Thanksgiving material! To make matters worse, we later found out that there was another venue in Kaifaqu that also held a Thanksgiving dinner. This one had the gravy, stuffing, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce and even...pumpkin pie... All of this and it was even at a lower price!
Now, we would not have been upset at all with the dinner had the not TOLD us it was a traditional North American Thanksgiving dinner. We would have been perfectly happy to go for a Chinese, or mixed-culture, meal on thanksgiving. We just don't appreciate being lied to.
The positive side to this whole ordeal, however, was that we got to spend Thanksgiving surrounded by friends. Aside from that, I got to eat about 50 olives (Mmmmmm...), and we learned that maybe we should not put so much trust in the school when it comes to food!
Household Woes
As you all know, I have been lamenting since we arrived about the fact that we got stuck in a one bedroom apartment. We have been waiting patiently for someone to move out so we could move into a larger unit - it appeared that was never going to happen. Finally, Daniel sent out a general all-call e-mail asking if anyone would be moving soon or willing to switch and I began pestering the building manager more frequently. Miraculously, a two bedroom apartment suddenly opened up and the two bachelors that were living in the large up-down agreed to give us their apartment and move into the two bedroom! We moved in two weeks ago and are very pleased that things finally worked out (even if there is a huge pile of their stuff still here, waiting to be reclaimed).
Due to being settled in our new place, we were also able to get a few other things happening that we've been putting off. For example, we now have a stroller and crib for Lily! Now our baby won't have to sleep in a dresser drawer! YIPPEE! We also managed to buy and have delivered a freezer and a toaster oven so I can prepare some "freezer meals" for those days just before and just after baby when I would rather chew off my arm than cook a meal from scratch. Everybody is happy this way - Daniel gets fed, and I get to keep my limbs!
Aside from that, I'm still working on getting everything into it's proper place, wherever that might be. My goal is to have the place wonderfully tidy and spotless by the end of next week, which should be feasible since Daniel, as kind and wonderful as he is, has insisted on hiring a maid so I will have someone to mop the floors and clean the bathrooms for me (I can't do those chores involving harsh chemicals).
So, overall, we are pleased as punch that we finally have a place big enough for a family and are working very hard on making this place a home!
Language Learning
I am a little ashamed to report that, for a few weeks, we just stopped learning Chinese entirely. We barely practised, and I didn't even keep up with my reading and writing. We have now remedied that! We are doing a language exchange twice a week with two of the Chinese staff here on campus. That, combined with our "Chinese for Dummies" book, is helping us speed along!
I'm always very excited when I go out shopping and am able to communicate things that I didn't realize I could say. Last weekend, we went shopping for crib, stroller, freezer, etc. and I had the opportunity to use a LOT of Chinese. I was able to ask a vendor what a specific fruit was called, find out if a shop sold spaghetti, tell someone that I couldn't leave because my husband was coming and I had to watch for him...it was a good day. It's very nice to be able to get out and speak and actually have people understand you!
I have also noticed Daniel picking up on things more frequently like when one of the Chinese staff was trying to tell as that someone was sick. She said it in Chinese and Daniel still understood!
Baby Lily
I have been going to the hospital for all of my routine test and an pleased to tell you that all is well! Baby and I are both very healthy and everything is as it should be. I did, however have quite the shock when I went to the hospital last week. It was as if I had stepped into the Twilight Zone...
So, there I was, waiting to be seen by the doctor when, suddenly, she walks out and says in very good English, "Has your glucose test been done?" I stared at her blankly for a moment before answering her question. You see, in Dalian, very few people speak English beyond, "Hello!!!" so it was quite a shock. I went about my appointment with her, all in English, and finally decided that it was not so odd that her English was so good, seeing as she is a doctor and there are a good number of English speakers in the area. I had decided that all was normal afterall, untilll...
I went to get my ultrasound and the tech started speaking English to me, and then her assistant, and then the nurse who had been with me all day speaking Chinese! EVERYONE was speaking English. Very odd...very odd indeed. I did, however, get to almost make them pee their pants when I told them that my father had nine brothers and sisters and that my uncle had seventeen children. They were all VERY shocked. I explained to them that they lived on a very small island (Cape Breton) and there was not much to do there but make babies. They thought that was very funny. As it turns out, I could have shocked them even more - my father tells me that one of my aunts has 21 children - EEEP!
Goals
I have not forgotten about my list of goals! I'm still hard at work and completing them bit by bit. Here's what I've been up to lately:
16. Start a band - COMPLETE
Well, I did start a band at the school, as many students seemed to be interested. Turns out, they actually weren't. I started the band, but nobody came. I still feel that I did my part well enough to say that this goal is complete. I made sign up sheets, I attended the extracurriculars fair, I even held meetings. Oh well...not what I expected, but it is finished.
19. Help someone learn English
As I said earlier, we are now doing a language exchange with two of the Chinese staff here. I make a lesson for each get together and teach them English. YIPPEE!
37. Bargain with someone in Chinese
I have actually had the opportunity to do this more than once now, but I don't get the chance as often as most other people. You see, as I am pregnant, people seem to actually give me fair prices right away!
48. Make sushi
Mmmmm...sushi! I did this just this week and I proud to say that it turned our remarkably well. I think if Daniel hadn't already been in love with me, that would have worked - He's still very happy about our meal two days ago!
For round one of sushi making, I did Spicy Shrimp Rolls & Chicken Teriyaki rolls (both my own recipe) and threw in some vegetable rolls for filler. I think I will make a habit of making sushi quite often!
54. Make lemon chicken
Once I finally found lemon in this bloody place, I was able to comply with Daniel's request of lemon chicken. I didn't do the battered version that you see in most Chinese restaurants, but it will still yummy...and good and lemony!
So, that's the update! I'm sure there is more, as it has been a while since writing, but those are the highlights as I see them today. Thank you to all of my loyal followers who keep asking when the blogging will happen - it makes me feel that I have an actual audience to write to! I will do my best to keep you up to date a little more often!
Overall, things are still going very well here in China. As much as things sometimes aren't what we would expect, we never know what's going to fall apart, or we have to be careful of people adding the "White Tax" to things we are trying to purchase, we are making the best of every moment and still enjoying our time here very much!
Thanksgiving Dinner
For many of you who have already read Daniel's journal, this will be a repeat but it really is worth a mention.
This year, for Canadian Thanksgiving, the school here organized a dinner for us at Kingdom of Discovery, the amusement park nearby. It was sold to us (at quite a high price, I might add) as a "...traditional Thanksgiving Dinner with turkey and all of the fixings". Daniel and I spend days drooling while thinking about gravy... stuffing... pumpkin pie!! Upon arrival, however, our salivating quickly ceased. The only thing even remotely North American about this Thanksgiving dinner, aside from the fact that we had forks instead of chopsticks, was that there was, indeed, turkey present (even though it did come with strawberry sauce). The rest of the spread consisted of rice, pizza, chicken nuggets, sushi, and a variety of sub-par Chinese dishes.
Needless to say, the food was disappointing. But it was nothing compared to the rest of what made up our "Traditional Thanksgiving". The venue had decided that it would be a good idea to provide some entertainment for us during our meal. It could not have been less appropriate for Thanksgiving. It ranged from can-can and belly dancers to folks singing in Chinese. The most North American aspect about the entertainment was the German guy singing Eric Clapton's,
"Tears in Heaven" which, for anyone who doesn't know, is actually about the death of his son - not exactly Thanksgiving material! To make matters worse, we later found out that there was another venue in Kaifaqu that also held a Thanksgiving dinner. This one had the gravy, stuffing, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce and even...pumpkin pie... All of this and it was even at a lower price!
Now, we would not have been upset at all with the dinner had the not TOLD us it was a traditional North American Thanksgiving dinner. We would have been perfectly happy to go for a Chinese, or mixed-culture, meal on thanksgiving. We just don't appreciate being lied to.
The positive side to this whole ordeal, however, was that we got to spend Thanksgiving surrounded by friends. Aside from that, I got to eat about 50 olives (Mmmmmm...), and we learned that maybe we should not put so much trust in the school when it comes to food!
Household Woes
As you all know, I have been lamenting since we arrived about the fact that we got stuck in a one bedroom apartment. We have been waiting patiently for someone to move out so we could move into a larger unit - it appeared that was never going to happen. Finally, Daniel sent out a general all-call e-mail asking if anyone would be moving soon or willing to switch and I began pestering the building manager more frequently. Miraculously, a two bedroom apartment suddenly opened up and the two bachelors that were living in the large up-down agreed to give us their apartment and move into the two bedroom! We moved in two weeks ago and are very pleased that things finally worked out (even if there is a huge pile of their stuff still here, waiting to be reclaimed).
Due to being settled in our new place, we were also able to get a few other things happening that we've been putting off. For example, we now have a stroller and crib for Lily! Now our baby won't have to sleep in a dresser drawer! YIPPEE! We also managed to buy and have delivered a freezer and a toaster oven so I can prepare some "freezer meals" for those days just before and just after baby when I would rather chew off my arm than cook a meal from scratch. Everybody is happy this way - Daniel gets fed, and I get to keep my limbs!
Aside from that, I'm still working on getting everything into it's proper place, wherever that might be. My goal is to have the place wonderfully tidy and spotless by the end of next week, which should be feasible since Daniel, as kind and wonderful as he is, has insisted on hiring a maid so I will have someone to mop the floors and clean the bathrooms for me (I can't do those chores involving harsh chemicals).
So, overall, we are pleased as punch that we finally have a place big enough for a family and are working very hard on making this place a home!
Language Learning
I am a little ashamed to report that, for a few weeks, we just stopped learning Chinese entirely. We barely practised, and I didn't even keep up with my reading and writing. We have now remedied that! We are doing a language exchange twice a week with two of the Chinese staff here on campus. That, combined with our "Chinese for Dummies" book, is helping us speed along!
I'm always very excited when I go out shopping and am able to communicate things that I didn't realize I could say. Last weekend, we went shopping for crib, stroller, freezer, etc. and I had the opportunity to use a LOT of Chinese. I was able to ask a vendor what a specific fruit was called, find out if a shop sold spaghetti, tell someone that I couldn't leave because my husband was coming and I had to watch for him...it was a good day. It's very nice to be able to get out and speak and actually have people understand you!
I have also noticed Daniel picking up on things more frequently like when one of the Chinese staff was trying to tell as that someone was sick. She said it in Chinese and Daniel still understood!
Baby Lily
I have been going to the hospital for all of my routine test and an pleased to tell you that all is well! Baby and I are both very healthy and everything is as it should be. I did, however have quite the shock when I went to the hospital last week. It was as if I had stepped into the Twilight Zone...
So, there I was, waiting to be seen by the doctor when, suddenly, she walks out and says in very good English, "Has your glucose test been done?" I stared at her blankly for a moment before answering her question. You see, in Dalian, very few people speak English beyond, "Hello!!!" so it was quite a shock. I went about my appointment with her, all in English, and finally decided that it was not so odd that her English was so good, seeing as she is a doctor and there are a good number of English speakers in the area. I had decided that all was normal afterall, untilll...
I went to get my ultrasound and the tech started speaking English to me, and then her assistant, and then the nurse who had been with me all day speaking Chinese! EVERYONE was speaking English. Very odd...very odd indeed. I did, however, get to almost make them pee their pants when I told them that my father had nine brothers and sisters and that my uncle had seventeen children. They were all VERY shocked. I explained to them that they lived on a very small island (Cape Breton) and there was not much to do there but make babies. They thought that was very funny. As it turns out, I could have shocked them even more - my father tells me that one of my aunts has 21 children - EEEP!
Goals
I have not forgotten about my list of goals! I'm still hard at work and completing them bit by bit. Here's what I've been up to lately:
16. Start a band - COMPLETE
Well, I did start a band at the school, as many students seemed to be interested. Turns out, they actually weren't. I started the band, but nobody came. I still feel that I did my part well enough to say that this goal is complete. I made sign up sheets, I attended the extracurriculars fair, I even held meetings. Oh well...not what I expected, but it is finished.
19. Help someone learn English
As I said earlier, we are now doing a language exchange with two of the Chinese staff here. I make a lesson for each get together and teach them English. YIPPEE!
37. Bargain with someone in Chinese
I have actually had the opportunity to do this more than once now, but I don't get the chance as often as most other people. You see, as I am pregnant, people seem to actually give me fair prices right away!
48. Make sushi
Mmmmm...sushi! I did this just this week and I proud to say that it turned our remarkably well. I think if Daniel hadn't already been in love with me, that would have worked - He's still very happy about our meal two days ago!
For round one of sushi making, I did Spicy Shrimp Rolls & Chicken Teriyaki rolls (both my own recipe) and threw in some vegetable rolls for filler. I think I will make a habit of making sushi quite often!
54. Make lemon chicken
Once I finally found lemon in this bloody place, I was able to comply with Daniel's request of lemon chicken. I didn't do the battered version that you see in most Chinese restaurants, but it will still yummy...and good and lemony!
So, that's the update! I'm sure there is more, as it has been a while since writing, but those are the highlights as I see them today. Thank you to all of my loyal followers who keep asking when the blogging will happen - it makes me feel that I have an actual audience to write to! I will do my best to keep you up to date a little more often!
Overall, things are still going very well here in China. As much as things sometimes aren't what we would expect, we never know what's going to fall apart, or we have to be careful of people adding the "White Tax" to things we are trying to purchase, we are making the best of every moment and still enjoying our time here very much!
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Shanghai and School Band...
Do you realize that it's only ten weeks until baby Lily is due? We have a lot of things (clothes, etc.), but we have yet to get a crib, stroller, and other large necessities. I guess it's about time to get on that! Another thing we're lacking is our large apartment. It doesn't seem that anyone is in any hurry to move out, therefore we are still stuck here in our little one bedroom. I'm working on bartering cooking for someone to give up their apartment!
As far as Miss Lily goes, she seems to be doing very well. Occasionally, however, it seems as though she is trying to escape by kicking her way out. She is a very feisty little lady!
So...what is new since the last time I wrote? First, it seems my blog has more of a following than I'd expected, so I'm sorry to anyone who has been waiting for a post! Other than that, I would say that the most exciting thing that has happened recently was our trip to Shanghai!
The excitement began just over a week before our trip when we went to book our tickets. All was well until we realized that our visas were about to expire and nobody had done anything to remedy that. Luckily, we got a ten day extension two days before we were due to depart, making our trip (that we'd already paid deposits on) still a possibility. We though we were out of hot water until Daniel got the "Sticky Note of Doom!". You see, we had given the lady in "General Affairs" the money to book out train tickets. In order to avoid confrontation, as the Chinese like to do, Miss General Affairs sent a post-it note with one of the secretaries, 36 hours before we were set to leave, saying that she had not purchased our train tickets, and could not do so. Sigh...
So, Daniel went to see her, as did I, and it turned out that there were no train tickets left to anywhere in China! Daniel, being the problem solver he is, suggested that perhaps we could fly. As if she would never have thought of that herself, Miss General Affairs agreed to check on flights for us. After much running around for planning and gathering money, our tickets were booked by the next day.
The trip to Shanghai itself went very smoothly. Being told ahead of time that many taxi drivers like to try to rip off foreigners, and having experienced this phenomenon ourselves in Dalian, I was sure to spend every taxi trip in the front seat, directing the driver in Chinese, and holding a map in my lap while following along our route with my finger. Apparently, it's pretty hard to rip off a smiley pregnant lady with a map who seems to speak Chinese!
We visited a variety of tourist attractions during our short visit to Shanghai. Some of the highlights were:
The Bund Sightseeing Tunnel
The Bund is a rather large river which cuts through Shanghai. In downtown Shanghai, along this river, there are many tourist attractions. To get from one side to the other, you can go through the Bund Sightseeing Tunnel - the rail-car ride from outer space, hell, or somewhere in between - which passes under the river. The ride itself was very pleasant, and the show surrounding us as we went through can only be described with "trippy". It consisted of many lights, lasers, and images and would certainly not be appropriate for anyone with epileptic tendencies. My best comparison for this ride is the scene in the old Charlie and the Chocolate Factory movie where they travel by boat through a very strange and eerie tunnel. Just like that...
As far as Miss Lily goes, she seems to be doing very well. Occasionally, however, it seems as though she is trying to escape by kicking her way out. She is a very feisty little lady!
So...what is new since the last time I wrote? First, it seems my blog has more of a following than I'd expected, so I'm sorry to anyone who has been waiting for a post! Other than that, I would say that the most exciting thing that has happened recently was our trip to Shanghai!
The excitement began just over a week before our trip when we went to book our tickets. All was well until we realized that our visas were about to expire and nobody had done anything to remedy that. Luckily, we got a ten day extension two days before we were due to depart, making our trip (that we'd already paid deposits on) still a possibility. We though we were out of hot water until Daniel got the "Sticky Note of Doom!". You see, we had given the lady in "General Affairs" the money to book out train tickets. In order to avoid confrontation, as the Chinese like to do, Miss General Affairs sent a post-it note with one of the secretaries, 36 hours before we were set to leave, saying that she had not purchased our train tickets, and could not do so. Sigh...
So, Daniel went to see her, as did I, and it turned out that there were no train tickets left to anywhere in China! Daniel, being the problem solver he is, suggested that perhaps we could fly. As if she would never have thought of that herself, Miss General Affairs agreed to check on flights for us. After much running around for planning and gathering money, our tickets were booked by the next day.
The trip to Shanghai itself went very smoothly. Being told ahead of time that many taxi drivers like to try to rip off foreigners, and having experienced this phenomenon ourselves in Dalian, I was sure to spend every taxi trip in the front seat, directing the driver in Chinese, and holding a map in my lap while following along our route with my finger. Apparently, it's pretty hard to rip off a smiley pregnant lady with a map who seems to speak Chinese!
We visited a variety of tourist attractions during our short visit to Shanghai. Some of the highlights were:
The Bund Sightseeing Tunnel
The Bund is a rather large river which cuts through Shanghai. In downtown Shanghai, along this river, there are many tourist attractions. To get from one side to the other, you can go through the Bund Sightseeing Tunnel - the rail-car ride from outer space, hell, or somewhere in between - which passes under the river. The ride itself was very pleasant, and the show surrounding us as we went through can only be described with "trippy". It consisted of many lights, lasers, and images and would certainly not be appropriate for anyone with epileptic tendencies. My best comparison for this ride is the scene in the old Charlie and the Chocolate Factory movie where they travel by boat through a very strange and eerie tunnel. Just like that...
Shanghai Ocean Aquarium
A very large, beautiful, and well maintained aquarium. This was our first indication that things were done to a much higher standard in Shanghai that in many parts of China. This aquarium housed hundreds of species of fish and other aquatic creatures, and had some very interesting features, such as the escalator that passed through an aquarium and moving walkway that took you through a long tunnel surrounded by sharks, tortoises, and many other watery critters. For me, the most amusing thing here was the fact that people assumed I spoke no Chinese and would say in Chinese, while standing right next to me, "Look! She's Pregnant!" To which I would turn around and say, in Chinese, "Yes, I'm pregnant!" That's one way to stop them in their tracks!
Sex Museum
Yes, I am totally serious. A small museum filled with sexual artifacts. Really, if you want to know more, look it up - I'm not inclined to talk about it! Definitely not something I expected to find in China. No photography was allowed so I had to use the journalism technique of no flash, silent mode, shoot from the hip. So, I've got a lot of slightly tilted pictures of some very strange memorabilia.
Nan Jing Lu
One of the largest shopping areas in Shanghai, Nan Jing Lu is tourist central. A large portion is set up as a pedestrian mall and is, therefore, one of the very few places in China where you don't have to worry about getting run over. It is, however, quite westernized. We saw McDonalds, Starbucks, KFC, HagenDas, and Subway all in the same area. And then, of course, there are the vendors who think that every single white person visiting China wants a watch and a bag. Luckily we were able to tell them ,"No thank you," to which they would often say, "You speak Chinese!" and we could say, "Yes, we live in Dalian!"
We did, however, have our small slices of China while wandering this street. One of our travel companions was terribly curious about the "back alley" shops and thus followed one of the ladies offering "bag? watch?". We followed her to a storefront with a backroom in which we were immediately locked upon entering. Unfortunately, due to a lack of common communication skills, Daniel and I found ourselves witness to a mistaken bargaining war between our travel buddies and the vendors. Eventually we escaped after Daniel pacified them by buying a much to expensive tie printed with very cute pandas.
We also happened to come across a music store while on Nan Jing Lu. Here, I spent time looking at the various Erhus available and getting the shopkeeper to play so I could hear the sound. I ended up leaving with an Erhu (also know as the Chinese violin), some rosin, a learning DVD, and a very nice Erhu case. Thank you Mom and Dad for the belated birthday present!
Shanghai Acrobats
While wandering Shanghai I had wondered, due to the fact that we were in a very touristy city, where all of the white people were. When we arrived at New Shanghai Circus World my question was answered. They were there. All of them, it seemed. Practically the entire theatre was filled with tour groups full of white people. It was the very first time since leaving Canada that the white girl with the very large belly and the even larger camera had any chance of blending in!
The Acrobats, rumored to be the best in China, we absolutely spectacular. One thing to note was that, in order to be an acrobat in China, it seems you must have a very full bag of tricks! We saw a show of dancing, plate spinning, rope acrobatics, contortionists, and much, much more. Many of the performers were involved in several acts and pulled all off without a hitch.
Science and Technology Museum
We could not have seen this entire museum in one day, no matter how hard we tried. With five floors and many, many exhibits we barely even made a dent. There were also several theatres, each with it's own special presentation. In order to see everything this museum has to offer, I believe you would have to stay there for days. Subjects ranged from animal life to robotics, human health to space exploration. The Science and Technology Museum was definitely one of the most well put together museums I have ever seen.
Yuyuan Bizarre and Garden
Another tourist hot-spot, the Yuyuan Bizarre is the place to go if you wish to get ripped of my Chinese vendors. Let me give you an example...Daniel was looking at a small teacup. He was told it was ..."300rmb- very good price!" As soon as we told them we live in China (and therefore know that is much to high of a price) it immediately dropped by 90% (which, by the way, was still too high!).
We did get lucky here, however. We ran into a man who claimed he liked to come to the market to practice his English with Westerners. His language skills were, indeed, superb, after spending ten years in school for English and working for an American Company for 25 years. We all suspected, at first, that he was trying to herd us somewhere to spend money. As it turns out, he actually was just a nice guy looking for people to speak English with. He spent a few hours showing us around to places we never would have seen - the silk museum, which was tucked away in the corner of a basement, the underground market, and a small art gallery. It was, as Daniel put it, like going down the rabbit hole.
We spend the afternoon wandering Yuyuan garden, taking pictures (I swear I'll get pictures up soon. Right now, Daniel has them all!), and taking in the scenery. Unfortunately, none of the flowers were in bloom, but the buildings, landscaping, and waterways were still very beautiful.
Those were the highlights, as I see it. The only other particularly exciting parts of our trip were both on our first day and last day...
On day one, we decided to search around the hotel for food. We chose a street that looked like it should be populated with restaurants, but all we could find were vendors selling street food. The majority of the group wanted to find a sit down restaurant, so we continued to look. We finally found a place with tables, but went in to discover that they spoke no English whatsoever, and had only Chinese menus. We continued in our hunt, only to realize that we had left the only sit down restaurant in the area. We went back and attempted to order. As it turns out, we knew how to say Chicken, so that we did get. However, we did not know how to say any particular vegetable, just "vegetables", in general. So we pointed to some random Chinese characters and hoped for the best. We ended up with taro root, seaweed, and radish. It may not sound so appealing, but it was actually quite delicious!
The last day was not such a fun and exciting adventure. We got up very early to check out of our hotel only to find that the deposit we had paid online had not been credited to our account. The boys stood there trying to get the point across to the non-English-speaking clerk for quite sometime to no avail. Eventually, I realized, and informed them, that if we stayed any longer we would miss our flight just to save about $4 a night. As it turned out, it was lucky that I did that. We arrived at the airport with only a fifteen minute widow left to check in and just made it to the gate for boarding!
Aside from our whirlwind trip to Shanghai, no other new and exciting happenings have taken place. I'm hoping to get our baby stuff next week, I'm counting on securing and oven and freezer this week or next, and Daniel and I are back to practicing our Chinese again. I have also managed to complete more of my China Goals!
7) Visit Shanghai - COMPLETE!
Even though we have no done this, we would like to go back because there is so much more to see!
11) Learn to Play Erhu - COMPLETE!
Hey, I didn't say, "Learn How to Play Erhu Well"! I can, however, play a very nice Chinese love song. It's just a liiiitle bit squeaky, so far.
105) See a Chinese Acrobatic Troupe Perform - COMPLETE!
Totally worth it and so good, in fact, that I might still go see the troupe in Dalian as well!
I am also in the midst of starting a school band, if there is enough interest from students...we'll see.I won't put it on the done list until we have our first rehearsal!
So, thus far, we are still having a great time in China. Still quite disappointed with the poison milk, still waiting for someone to move out, but also still very happy with our life, our home, and our little family!
Monday, September 22, 2008
Pickles and Poison
What an interesting week this has been...
As it turns out, the hot peppers were not the worst thing in my "Hands of Hellfire Soup" (see previous blog post!). I'm sure you have all heard word about the current milk crisis in China. Thousands of infants have been hospitalized, and several deaths have occurred, due to baby formula tainted with the industrial chemical Melamine. Recently, it has been discovered that is is not only the milk powder that is tainted, but all dairy products from many major dairy brands.
In Hong Kong, officials conducted independent tests of milk products in stores and banned one brand in particular after finding traces of melamine in several of their products. It just so happens, that is the brand that we have been drinking for our past month here in China.
Do not fret, however - I have contacted the Poison Control Centre in Canada and there seems to be little to no risk to myself and Miss Lily, at this point (Daniel hadn't really been consuming the milk). Still, it's quite disappointing that I now have no way to get my required calcium intake.
Aside from slowly poisoning myself, things are mostly A-OK! We've booked a trip for our Fall Break to Shanghai and are looking forward to taking in the sights. Unfortunately, there is a slight chance that our trip will have to be cancelled due to visa issues. Our visas should have been processed quite some time ago now, but the lady in charge of that process quit very suddenly and everything came to a halt. We are assured that they are now working hard to get us our visas so we can be on our way to Shanghai come Sunday!
I am also happy to report that I am still completing goals from my list on a regular basis. So far, since my last update:
98) Celebrate Moon Festival - COMPLETE!
Also known as "Mid-Autumn Festival", the Moon Festival is a cultural celebration here in China which and is attached to many legends and stories. To learn more about the Mid Autumn Festival, you can visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mid-Autumn_Festival.
For our celebration, we joined several friends on the beach, ate moon cakes, set off fireworks, and admired the moon. It was beautiful...
82) Enter a Writing Contest - COMPLETE!
One of my more exciting accomplishments this week is that I have joined an online community for freelance writers . Here members write articles, on a plethora of topics, which can then be entered into contests, submitted to publishers, and enjoyed by all via the the Internet.
This week, I have dedicated my writing energies to one of their contests, in which contestants submit articles to a variety of titles on a given topic. The winner in each category receives a cash prize at the end of voting. Thus far, each of the five articles I have written have reached the number one spot out of all of the articles written to that title. Combine, that puts me as the winner for this week's contest, if I can maintain my rating! If you're curious, you can visit my page here.
50) Make dill Pickles - COMPLETE!
The most exciting of all of my accomplishments thus far, I have managed to make myself three beautiful jars of homemade dill pickles! With the help of my neighbour Merilee (who assisted my supplying jars and dill) I spent part of my weekend making wonderful, delicious garlic dills.
I had almost resigned myself to the fact that I would not see another dill pickle until I returned to Canada when I realized that I could make them myself! I scoured the Internet for recipes and, much to my disappointment, found that any recipe required a waiting time of at least a month after canning. that would just not do - I wanted pickles now! So, I created a recipe for "Speedy Dills" which would be ready for eating in under a week. To my delight, it work! I am now rationing two jars of very yummy pickles (the third was given to the nice neighbour who supplied the jars and dill) and looking forward to the next batch!
Aside from that, it has been a relatively uneventful week, aside from a brief bought of fever. Baby Lily is very active and doing well, I go for my first visit to the hospital on Friday, and Daniel is still enjoying his job here in China!
I am happy to report that all is well, and I can only see it getting better and better!
As it turns out, the hot peppers were not the worst thing in my "Hands of Hellfire Soup" (see previous blog post!). I'm sure you have all heard word about the current milk crisis in China. Thousands of infants have been hospitalized, and several deaths have occurred, due to baby formula tainted with the industrial chemical Melamine. Recently, it has been discovered that is is not only the milk powder that is tainted, but all dairy products from many major dairy brands.
In Hong Kong, officials conducted independent tests of milk products in stores and banned one brand in particular after finding traces of melamine in several of their products. It just so happens, that is the brand that we have been drinking for our past month here in China.
Do not fret, however - I have contacted the Poison Control Centre in Canada and there seems to be little to no risk to myself and Miss Lily, at this point (Daniel hadn't really been consuming the milk). Still, it's quite disappointing that I now have no way to get my required calcium intake.
Aside from slowly poisoning myself, things are mostly A-OK! We've booked a trip for our Fall Break to Shanghai and are looking forward to taking in the sights. Unfortunately, there is a slight chance that our trip will have to be cancelled due to visa issues. Our visas should have been processed quite some time ago now, but the lady in charge of that process quit very suddenly and everything came to a halt. We are assured that they are now working hard to get us our visas so we can be on our way to Shanghai come Sunday!
I am also happy to report that I am still completing goals from my list on a regular basis. So far, since my last update:
98) Celebrate Moon Festival - COMPLETE!
Also known as "Mid-Autumn Festival", the Moon Festival is a cultural celebration here in China which and is attached to many legends and stories. To learn more about the Mid Autumn Festival, you can visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mid-Autumn_Festival.
For our celebration, we joined several friends on the beach, ate moon cakes, set off fireworks, and admired the moon. It was beautiful...
82) Enter a Writing Contest - COMPLETE!
One of my more exciting accomplishments this week is that I have joined an online community for freelance writers . Here members write articles, on a plethora of topics, which can then be entered into contests, submitted to publishers, and enjoyed by all via the the Internet.
This week, I have dedicated my writing energies to one of their contests, in which contestants submit articles to a variety of titles on a given topic. The winner in each category receives a cash prize at the end of voting. Thus far, each of the five articles I have written have reached the number one spot out of all of the articles written to that title. Combine, that puts me as the winner for this week's contest, if I can maintain my rating! If you're curious, you can visit my page here.
50) Make dill Pickles - COMPLETE!
The most exciting of all of my accomplishments thus far, I have managed to make myself three beautiful jars of homemade dill pickles! With the help of my neighbour Merilee (who assisted my supplying jars and dill) I spent part of my weekend making wonderful, delicious garlic dills.
I had almost resigned myself to the fact that I would not see another dill pickle until I returned to Canada when I realized that I could make them myself! I scoured the Internet for recipes and, much to my disappointment, found that any recipe required a waiting time of at least a month after canning. that would just not do - I wanted pickles now! So, I created a recipe for "Speedy Dills" which would be ready for eating in under a week. To my delight, it work! I am now rationing two jars of very yummy pickles (the third was given to the nice neighbour who supplied the jars and dill) and looking forward to the next batch!
Aside from that, it has been a relatively uneventful week, aside from a brief bought of fever. Baby Lily is very active and doing well, I go for my first visit to the hospital on Friday, and Daniel is still enjoying his job here in China!
I am happy to report that all is well, and I can only see it getting better and better!
Monday, September 15, 2008
Thank God we Brought a Med Kit!
Have you ever had a Capsicum burn? For your sake, I surely hope not. Let me tell you the tale of my day from hell...
Today, for lunch, I decided that I would make a Cream of Vegetable and Rice Soup. I proceeded to put my rice on and chop my cabbage, green pepper, tomato, and onion and put them all on to boil. About ten minutes later, after putting the finishing touches on my soup, I began to feel a strange sensation - one I had only felt one other time in my life. My hands began to burn like hellfire...much like they did the first time I ever cut up hot peppers and didn't know that I should wear gloves. Although I had touched no hot peppers or chili oil of any kind, this was a very recognizable pain. I proceeded to run my hands under water, wash thoroughly, submerged in ice water, submerge in milk, and dab with freezer-chilled wet clothes... All of which provided little to no relief.
Daniel came home as I was sitting on the bed, with my hands out in front of the fan, meditating away the pain. I told him my terrible story of woe while trying to deduce where the pain was coming from. First, I thought that perhaps one of the vegetables I had used in my soup had traveled with some hot peppers and gotten oiled. But I quickly remember that it was the inside of the pepper that was the problem. And then it came to me. Perhaps my green peppers weren't green peppers at all. My current terrible cold would keep me from telling by smell while cutting them up...
Daniel then went to eat his lunch and confirmed that there were, indeed, chili peppers in the soup. So, mystery solved; problem not-so-solved. My hands still felt like I was holding them over a Bunson burner. I browsed the internet for ways to treat a hot pepper burn (cause by the oil Capsicum) and came across a suggestion of using rubbing alcohol to soothe the pain. At that moment, I was ready to try anything. I went to our med kit containing about 100 alcohol wipes (which I swore when I packed them that I would likely never use) and got to rubbing. And "VOILA!" it did cut some of the pain. Lucky for me, the burning mostly subsided within a couple of hours. It seems a burn of this nature can often last up to 24 hours.
So, I went about my business, booked our holiday trip (more about this is my next post), and came home to get some more soup. While carrying my soup, my gimpy and still somewhat burny hands failed on me and my soup made it all over the kitchen floor. Although I did wear gloves while cleaning it, it still managed to seep through and my hands began to burn once more. This time, a soap and water scrub and alcohol swabbing did the trick quickly.
Later, it was time to make supper. I chopped and put potatoes on to boil and, while reaching for the cover of the pot, lost my grip resulting the glass cover flying across the room and landing in tiny pieces on the floor (and in my potatoes). This would not have caused me too much strife until I suddenly noticed that familiar sensation. My hands were, once again, on fire.
I though to myself, "What the hell?! I was only chopping potatoes!" and then I realized that in my haste to ease the pain of lunchtime, I had not washed the cutting board. As a result, my potatoes picked up the leftover oil and transferred it to my hands. This time, the alcohol trick did not work. Nor did a good washing. So, here I sit, typing with hands of fire.
The one good thing that came from this experience, was a wonderful soup! For anyone who would like to try it, here is the recipe:
Hands of Hellfire Soup (Clever, eh?)
Ingredients:
2 tomatoes
1 cup cabbage
1 medium onion
1 medium sized green chili pepper
2 cloves garlic
1 250ml bag of milk (could be substituted for canned milk if you're not in China!)
1/2 tbsp thyme
1/2 tbsp pepper (or to taste)
1 1/2 cups cooked white rice
Chop all vegetables and garlic. Combine chopped mixture and just enough water to cover in pot. Bring to boil on high heat. Add milk, thyme, pepper, and rice. Turn to low heat. Simmer for 10 minutes. Serve.
Contrary to what my story may portray, the soup is actually rather mild and very tasty. So, for all of you soup lovers - Make and enjoy. Just remember...wear gloves!
Today, for lunch, I decided that I would make a Cream of Vegetable and Rice Soup. I proceeded to put my rice on and chop my cabbage, green pepper, tomato, and onion and put them all on to boil. About ten minutes later, after putting the finishing touches on my soup, I began to feel a strange sensation - one I had only felt one other time in my life. My hands began to burn like hellfire...much like they did the first time I ever cut up hot peppers and didn't know that I should wear gloves. Although I had touched no hot peppers or chili oil of any kind, this was a very recognizable pain. I proceeded to run my hands under water, wash thoroughly, submerged in ice water, submerge in milk, and dab with freezer-chilled wet clothes... All of which provided little to no relief.
Daniel came home as I was sitting on the bed, with my hands out in front of the fan, meditating away the pain. I told him my terrible story of woe while trying to deduce where the pain was coming from. First, I thought that perhaps one of the vegetables I had used in my soup had traveled with some hot peppers and gotten oiled. But I quickly remember that it was the inside of the pepper that was the problem. And then it came to me. Perhaps my green peppers weren't green peppers at all. My current terrible cold would keep me from telling by smell while cutting them up...
Daniel then went to eat his lunch and confirmed that there were, indeed, chili peppers in the soup. So, mystery solved; problem not-so-solved. My hands still felt like I was holding them over a Bunson burner. I browsed the internet for ways to treat a hot pepper burn (cause by the oil Capsicum) and came across a suggestion of using rubbing alcohol to soothe the pain. At that moment, I was ready to try anything. I went to our med kit containing about 100 alcohol wipes (which I swore when I packed them that I would likely never use) and got to rubbing. And "VOILA!" it did cut some of the pain. Lucky for me, the burning mostly subsided within a couple of hours. It seems a burn of this nature can often last up to 24 hours.
So, I went about my business, booked our holiday trip (more about this is my next post), and came home to get some more soup. While carrying my soup, my gimpy and still somewhat burny hands failed on me and my soup made it all over the kitchen floor. Although I did wear gloves while cleaning it, it still managed to seep through and my hands began to burn once more. This time, a soap and water scrub and alcohol swabbing did the trick quickly.
Later, it was time to make supper. I chopped and put potatoes on to boil and, while reaching for the cover of the pot, lost my grip resulting the glass cover flying across the room and landing in tiny pieces on the floor (and in my potatoes). This would not have caused me too much strife until I suddenly noticed that familiar sensation. My hands were, once again, on fire.
I though to myself, "What the hell?! I was only chopping potatoes!" and then I realized that in my haste to ease the pain of lunchtime, I had not washed the cutting board. As a result, my potatoes picked up the leftover oil and transferred it to my hands. This time, the alcohol trick did not work. Nor did a good washing. So, here I sit, typing with hands of fire.
The one good thing that came from this experience, was a wonderful soup! For anyone who would like to try it, here is the recipe:
Hands of Hellfire Soup (Clever, eh?)
Ingredients:
2 tomatoes
1 cup cabbage
1 medium onion
1 medium sized green chili pepper
2 cloves garlic
1 250ml bag of milk (could be substituted for canned milk if you're not in China!)
1/2 tbsp thyme
1/2 tbsp pepper (or to taste)
1 1/2 cups cooked white rice
Chop all vegetables and garlic. Combine chopped mixture and just enough water to cover in pot. Bring to boil on high heat. Add milk, thyme, pepper, and rice. Turn to low heat. Simmer for 10 minutes. Serve.
Contrary to what my story may portray, the soup is actually rather mild and very tasty. So, for all of you soup lovers - Make and enjoy. Just remember...wear gloves!
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Completing Goals!
Well, this week has been somewhat uneventful. We've been quite lethargic when it comes to "going out on the town" due to both of us having some soft of nasty clod virus. Daniel has mostly recovered from said virus and I certainly feel better than I did two days ago when I had o actually lay down on a bench in the mall because I COULDN'T continue to sit upright.
The one productive thing that has come out of our lazing around the house is that I'm well on my way to completing that big list of goals from my last post! So far...
21) Make a list of the top 100 books I would like to read. COMPLETE!
This, like many of my lists, actually became larger than intended. My list is now the list of the top 115 books I would like to read. For a anyone who is interested in see what my choices were, here they are:
Notes From A Small Island - Bill Bryson
The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath
Germinal - Emile Zola
Possession - AS Byatt
Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell
The Color Purple - Alice Walker
Madame Bovary - Gustave Flaubert
A Fine Balance - Rohinton Mistry
Charlotte's Web - EB White
The Five People You Meet In Heaven - Mitch Alborn
Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad
The Little Prince - Antoine De Saint-Exupery
The Wasp Factory - Iain Banks
A Confederacy of Dunces - John Kennedy Toole
A Town Like Alice - Nevil Shute
The Secret life of bees – Sue Monk Kidd
Big Fish – Daniel Wallace
If Nobody Speaks of Remarkable Things – Jon McGregor
A Cup of Christmas Tea - Tom hegg
Life of Pi – Yann Martel
Silk – Alessandro Baricco
American Psycho – Bret Easton Ellis
Love in the Time of Cholera – Gabriel García Márquez
The Cider House Rules – John Irving
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy – Douglas Adams
Life: A User’s Manual – Georges Perec
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas – Hunter S. Thompson
2001: A Space Odyssey – Arthur C. Clarke
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest – Ken Kesey
A Clockwork Orange – Anthony Burgess
Breakfast at Tiffany’s – Truman Capote
Lord of the Flies – William Golding
Casino Royale – Ian Fleming
Animal Farm – George Orwell
Dracula – Bram Stoker
The Picture of Dorian Gray – Oscar Wilde
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn – Mark Twain
Treasure Island – Robert Louis Stevenson
Ben-Hur – Lew Wallace
Anna Karenina – Leo Tolstoy
War and Peace – Leo Tolstoy
Little Women – Louisa May Alcott
Journey to the Centre of the Earth – Jules Verne
Crime and Punishment – Fyodor Dostoevsky
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland – Lewis Carroll
A Tale of Two Cities – Charles Dickens
Uncle Tom’s Cabin; or, Life Among the Lonely – Harriet Beecher Stowe
The Scarlet Letter – Nathaniel Hawthorne
Wuthering Heights – Emily Brontë
Jane Eyre – Charlotte Brontë
Vanity Fair – William Makepeace Thackeray
The Count of Monte-Cristo – Alexandre Dumas
The Three Musketeers – Alexandre Dumas
A Christmas Carol – Charles Dickens
The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby – Charles Dickens
Oliver Twist – Charles Dickens
The Hunchback of Notre Dame – Victor Hugo
Last of the Mohicans – James Fenimore Cooper
Frankenstein – Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley
Pride and Prejudice – Jane Austen
Sense and Sensibility – Jane Austen
Dangerous Liaisons – Pierre Choderlos de Laclos
Gulliver’s Travels – Jonathan Swift
Aesop’s Fables – Aesopus
Note: After having to insert my entire book list here instead of having a nice tidy link that opens and closes that text, I have decided to add another goal to my list - LEARN BASIC HTML! Many years ago, I knew how to insert this "drop-down" style text and I feel if I am to be blogging regularly , it would be nice to know that and other HTML basics!
52) Make Singapore Noodles. COMPLETE!
I did decide to alter the preparation method, as Singapore noodles tend to be quite greasy. My concoction, while tasting fairly similar to the restaurant version, certainly did not have the same appearance or texture. I think next time I will actually follow proper preparation methods and see what happens. This goal will be revisited and re-accomplished at a later date!
I am also in the midst of designing our dream home. So far, I have completed the floor plans, but have not yet finished the interior fixtures, flooring, paint, etc. I have a wonderful program that will allowing me to have a 3D rendering of the entire program once the design is complete!
Of course, since it is perhaps the most time consuming goal on my list, I have begun the process of going through my reading list. I have started with The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. So far, a great little read!
Anywho, while it has been a sick and lazy week, I have managed to make a considerable dent in my list of China goals! Wish me well - I'm off to complete some more!
The one productive thing that has come out of our lazing around the house is that I'm well on my way to completing that big list of goals from my last post! So far...
21) Make a list of the top 100 books I would like to read. COMPLETE!
This, like many of my lists, actually became larger than intended. My list is now the list of the top 115 books I would like to read. For a anyone who is interested in see what my choices were, here they are:
Notes From A Small Island - Bill Bryson
The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath
Germinal - Emile Zola
Possession - AS Byatt
Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell
The Color Purple - Alice Walker
Madame Bovary - Gustave Flaubert
A Fine Balance - Rohinton Mistry
Charlotte's Web - EB White
The Five People You Meet In Heaven - Mitch Alborn
Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad
The Little Prince - Antoine De Saint-Exupery
The Wasp Factory - Iain Banks
A Confederacy of Dunces - John Kennedy Toole
A Town Like Alice - Nevil Shute
The Secret life of bees – Sue Monk Kidd
Big Fish – Daniel Wallace
If Nobody Speaks of Remarkable Things – Jon McGregor
A Cup of Christmas Tea - Tom hegg
Life of Pi – Yann Martel
Silk – Alessandro Baricco
American Psycho – Bret Easton Ellis
Love in the Time of Cholera – Gabriel García Márquez
The Cider House Rules – John Irving
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy – Douglas Adams
Life: A User’s Manual – Georges Perec
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas – Hunter S. Thompson
2001: A Space Odyssey – Arthur C. Clarke
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest – Ken Kesey
A Clockwork Orange – Anthony Burgess
Breakfast at Tiffany’s – Truman Capote
Lord of the Flies – William Golding
Casino Royale – Ian Fleming
Animal Farm – George Orwell
Dracula – Bram Stoker
The Picture of Dorian Gray – Oscar Wilde
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn – Mark Twain
Treasure Island – Robert Louis Stevenson
Ben-Hur – Lew Wallace
Anna Karenina – Leo Tolstoy
War and Peace – Leo Tolstoy
Little Women – Louisa May Alcott
Journey to the Centre of the Earth – Jules Verne
Crime and Punishment – Fyodor Dostoevsky
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland – Lewis Carroll
A Tale of Two Cities – Charles Dickens
Uncle Tom’s Cabin; or, Life Among the Lonely – Harriet Beecher Stowe
The Scarlet Letter – Nathaniel Hawthorne
Wuthering Heights – Emily Brontë
Jane Eyre – Charlotte Brontë
Vanity Fair – William Makepeace Thackeray
The Count of Monte-Cristo – Alexandre Dumas
The Three Musketeers – Alexandre Dumas
A Christmas Carol – Charles Dickens
The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby – Charles Dickens
Oliver Twist – Charles Dickens
The Hunchback of Notre Dame – Victor Hugo
Last of the Mohicans – James Fenimore Cooper
Frankenstein – Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley
Pride and Prejudice – Jane Austen
Sense and Sensibility – Jane Austen
Dangerous Liaisons – Pierre Choderlos de Laclos
Gulliver’s Travels – Jonathan Swift
Aesop’s Fables – Aesopus
Note: After having to insert my entire book list here instead of having a nice tidy link that opens and closes that text, I have decided to add another goal to my list - LEARN BASIC HTML! Many years ago, I knew how to insert this "drop-down" style text and I feel if I am to be blogging regularly , it would be nice to know that and other HTML basics!
52) Make Singapore Noodles. COMPLETE!
I did decide to alter the preparation method, as Singapore noodles tend to be quite greasy. My concoction, while tasting fairly similar to the restaurant version, certainly did not have the same appearance or texture. I think next time I will actually follow proper preparation methods and see what happens. This goal will be revisited and re-accomplished at a later date!
111) Make Spaghetti Sauce from Scratch. COMPLETE!
Now, when I say from scratch, I do not mean "One can of diced tomatoes..." and so on. I mean from market-fresh tomatoes to sauce on your pasta! If you're observant, you will notice that there is no #111 on my original list of goals. This is because it is a rogue goal that somehow got away in the process of being transferred from my word processor to my blog. It does exist, and now it is complete. Well...almost. It's cooking right now, smells fantastic, and will hopefully be tonight's supper!
I also have several of my goals currently in progress:
I am also in the midst of designing our dream home. So far, I have completed the floor plans, but have not yet finished the interior fixtures, flooring, paint, etc. I have a wonderful program that will allowing me to have a 3D rendering of the entire program once the design is complete!
Of course, since it is perhaps the most time consuming goal on my list, I have begun the process of going through my reading list. I have started with The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. So far, a great little read!
Anywho, while it has been a sick and lazy week, I have managed to make a considerable dent in my list of China goals! Wish me well - I'm off to complete some more!
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