City Envy

I am totally jealous of everyone who lives in Shanghai!  TOTALLY!!!!!!!!!  Yes, I think Monday was one of the more perfect days out there.  And yes, it was quite miserable when we went there over Christmas (rain and cold no fun), but Monday was gorgeous clear blue skies and everything.  But that's not the only reason that I'm jealous.  I stayed with a friend in Shanghai and she had this view:

They have grocery stores that sell things like Vanilla.  When we were trying to decide what to do for dinner, she listed the cuisines; Sushi, Schrwama, Indian, Thai, Brazilian barbecue, Russian.... I'm sure I'm missing something, but I can't think of what it is--compare this to "do you want Hubei or Sichuan?" that you get in Wuhan.  THEN on the way home we dropped by the organic bakery to pick up a loaf of bread made with spelt, and some cheese!  And if you still don't see why I'm jealous, here's a picture of a fresh squeezed juice machine!  That's right, a vending machine that sell fresh squeezed juice!!

Luckily, it's only 5 hours away by train, so we really can escape if we have to.

Walking...but not in Wuhan

Monday I had to go into Shanghai to see a dentist (BOO).  Luckily, things were not as dire as they seemed, so I basically had a free day (YAY) to wander around Shanghai. It was a beautiful day, blue skies, mild weather, lots of quiet streets....

well manicured green spots

Phone booths with WIFI!

The Shanghai Metro map... so convenient

I know it's new, but look how clean!

Quiet tree lined streets

Neighborhood pedestrian areas

skin care boutiques at the mall

people's park

the big pedestrian street

for your protection

the fancy new Shanghai train station

This guy has on roller skates and fans!

Walking in Wuhan

I finally got around to taking some pictures in the grocery store:

Aside from the meat-part bins it looks like a regular grocery store doesn't it?  I bet you were disappointed.  

Meatballs

Sorry to say the air is still looking thick.

 So other than my usual treks to the grocery store, gym, and bus stop to pick up the kid, I have not been outside.
But I did get myself together this week to make meatballs for the freezer (I'm starting to stock up for Chinese New Year when everything will be closed, and the streets deserted).  I can't believe I have not shared the freezer meatballs before this.  If you've got about an hour (every time I make them the time gets shorter and shorter) or an extra pair of hands, these are great to have in the freezer for last minute meals.
I have spared you the shots of the pre-balled meat, it just looks gross.  I usually mix the ingredients together in a huge bowl and then make meatballs using a 1/2 tablespoon measuring spoon (or a tablespoon) I make them tiny because they cook faster but you can make them as large as you want.  Then lay them on a cookie sheet, you can pack them pretty close in, so long as they are not touching. (btw- you will want to make sure that your cookie sheet fits into your freezer).

Then put the meatballs in your freezer for about an hour.  After they are frozen through, you can pop them off the cookie sheet and put them in plastic bags (to give your freezer more space).  I have also baked them before freezing so that you have pre-cooked meatballs frozen and ready to eat, use the same method for freezing.

When you are ready to use them, you can just count out as many as you want and throw them into your sauce.  I have heard you can bake them too, but I have never done that from a frozen meatball.
I also use this same method to freeze cookie dough.  Then you can have fresh baked cookies whenever you want and you don't have to eat 2 dozen.

If you get a chance please say a little prayer for our Honeydog today, she is leaving the safety of my parents' house to travel to China (by herself!!!) to be with us.  This is her first time traveling under the new United rules as cargo without anyone going with her.

Mulling.....

No I'm not thinking extra deep thoughts.  I've been mulling beverages.... wassail and wine baby!

 I LOVE mulled beverages!  LOVE!  When I was growing up my mom used to make us Wassail every winter and I thought it was the most amazing beverage on earth.

However recently, inspired by all the mulled wine they drink in a Song of Ice and Fire (George RR Martin), I mulled some wine for a dinner party as an aperitif. Of course, before I served it I had to try it (to, you know, make sure I wasn't poisoning anyone) and well it's been love ever since.

First of all it's comforting, if Wassail warms you like a hug on a cold winter's day, then Mulled wine is like being wrapped in your favorite warm snuggly blanket.  Secondly, it's an awesome way to use up that horrid my least favorite Chinese wine.  Also, both Wassail and Mulled wine seem to cut through the pollution induced congestion, I think it's the citrus.

Most important of all, it's yummy!  I meant to have a picture of the finished product in a cup, but well... what had happened was....

Not Walking in Wuhan

I have not been out walking.  The pollution has been horrible since Thursday.  I downloaded the China air quality app, and confirmed that the air is unhealthy.  But looking out the window told me that just as easily:

While the view out this window was not so bad:

 The view from here was horrible (hint you are supposed to be able to see trees):

I suppose if we needed further proof, the scratchy throats and headaches would have been another indication that something was up.  But then, that's why this is considered a hardship.

I bought a mask in case I have to go out walking.  I look like an evil villain don't I?

Writer's block and Tofu shreds?

Sorry about the radio silence, I kept opening up the screen to blog, but nothing would happen.  For the past week I've been trying to get something out, but I had to give it up as lost.  Maybe this week will be better.
A little while ago DH got these from one of his co-workers

I think they are tofu shreds, (shredded tofu?) but I can't find a tutorial on how to cook them ANYWHERE!  I've tried boiling them, and they were too crunchy... too crunchy... too crunchy... soggy soppy mess, so this time I tried soaking them in water for 3 hours.

The result was slightly better this time, after I soaked them they were still slightly crunchy, so I braised them in a little sesame oil, soy sauce, and sugar and added some chopped vegetables that I had lightly sauteed.  It wasn't too bad, I still think they felt a little soggy and limp.  I really don't know what to do with them to make them more edible so I think I'm going to give the rest away.  *sigh* sometimes you just have to admit defeat.

Happy New Year!

As usual I'm running late with the New Year's wishes!  I didn't think I would be busy this holiday season, but somehow the days just flew by.  As the old year wrapped up and we started the new year I have been trying to reorganize things in our house--You know the first flurry of unpacking was just to get things on the shelves and out of the boxes, now I'm trying to make sure we have things where we can find them.  I have been reveling in the unusual pleasure of spending my entire day with Babes.  We took a quick trip to Shanghai (I thought to make an entire post out of the trip, but really it was too cold and wet to do any fun site seeing, so we just relaxed, ate Western food, and enjoyed being out of Wuhan, doesn't really make for interesting reading).  And we started planning on the best way to get Honeydog to China with us.
BUT!  We did take time to see off the old year with a mini-Russian feast

and ring in the New Year with an update on the traditional Southern New Year's feast.  My parent's always made greens, black eyed peas, and Ham (for those of you who don't know, the black eyed peas are to bring luck, the greens bring money, and the ham symbolizes moving forward into the new year), but since I can't stand black eyed peas I made Barely hoppin' John, baby bok choi, and baked pork chops and apples (because I don't know where to buy ham in Wuhan).

I didn't make any New Year's resolutions, but I think I'd like to try to learn how to do something New this year, I just don't know what it is yet.
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!!

平安夜 (píng’ān yè) Christmas Eve

I have been warned not to go out tonight.  Apparently, it is common for young people (and possibly older people too) in Wuhan to spend Christmas Eve window shopping, and eating dinner with friends.  So the streets will be crowded with many young Chinese wishing each other a Merry Christmas.  My language teacher told me that if you didn't make your restaurant reservations months ago, then you were already too late.  Unfortunately, I will be taking her advice, although I'm now curious to see this phenomena, how does a country that is not even the slightest bit religious take on a Christian tradition?  DH says that Christmas sells itself, it's shopping and giving presents, there are no strong food traditions, no weird foreign activities, just shopping.  And while I want to disagree with him, he's right.  In the fight to keep Christmas everywhere, what we have done is to take the Christ out of Christmas.  Instead of keeping Christmas at home with our families and in our churches we want to force stores to put up displays, we want schools to have parties, and governments to celebrate too.  But why should an Indian grocery store put up a tree, why does a Chinese restaurant need holiday lights?  Because this is what Americans want.  So we end up with that sanitized Santa version of Christmas which is all about buying and getting.  And you end up with a country of Chinese people who don't even know that Christmas was a Christian holiday. 

But don't get me wrong, I love Christmas, I love Santa, I love nativity scenes and mulled cider, and the Christmas story.  I love all of it.  I'm going to leave you with a quote from Michael Buble who sums up my thoughts on belief and Santa Claus.  (this is from an interview with him on the today show).

Michael Buble

Even as an adult, Buble says he still has faith and is a staunch defender of Old St. Nick. Don’t even TRY to tell him he’s wrong. When asked how old he was when he learned Santa was fictional, Buble responded with mock anger.

“There is a Santa Claus. When you stop believing, then he doesn’t come, and I feel sad for people don’t believe in him anymore.”

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!!!!!! 

Babe's Room

I don't normally post our home details, but I am actually quite proud of the way Babes' room turned out.  Her room is normally the first room I tackle in an effort to help her feel settled in as soon as possible, but with furniture deliveries, and things arriving from here and there and everywhere it was not possible for me to put her room together until just recently.

Anyway, her room is basically pictures and wall stickers, butterflies and flowers - because she's so girly.  I made the quilt on her bed many years ago (and I will probably NEVER make another quilt again) and most of the rest of the stuff is either hand me down pictures, or stuff we picked up at Ikea.  Looking at the pictures, I should probably paint the letters for her name some color other than white, we always have white walls, and you can never really see those letters.

Barley love

I have recently discovered Barley.  This happened by accident, since at the time I discovered it I was trying to find an alternate tea to drink in the evenings because our apartment was so cold and drafty (we have spread out some area rugs and found a way to heat the apartment, so now it's a cozy place to be instead of a frigid ice box).  I know Japanese and Korean people drink Buckwheat and Barley teas and that they are caffeine free.  I bought a little Buckwheat and a little Barley thinking I would mix them with some spices and possibly flowers and become my own tea mix master.  I actually came up with a pretty good spiced tea mix, but that's a tale for another time.
Anyway, in case you don't know raw barley looks like this:

And after cooking them; 1 cup barley to 3 cups water, bring to a boil and simmer for 45 minutes, they look like this:

Then you can mix them into a recipe like Barley Caponata and you get:

And so far everyone likes Barley, Babes, DH, me.  It has a little more flavor and texture than rice, and the barley grains are larger than rice too, so it's almost like a small round pasta on your plate.  I think I made something with Barley in it 2 weeks ago, but I've already used three or four different Barley recipes.  Also as far as I can tell a Barley casserole freezes well (you know how I love my freezer).  I haven't had as much success with the buckwheat.

Walking in Wuhan

Actually, this is not walking in Wuhan, it's more like working out in Wuhan.  I am on a quest for a Yoga studio that does not require me to invest in $1000 worth of Yoga classes upfront to be able to take a few classes.  I wouldn't mind later on investing some money in Yoga classes but.... $1000 is a bit much for China (things close all the time without any warning at all).
I have to say though, the gym selling technique is the same here as it is in the US.  They want me to take some fitness test to determine just how out of shape I am (yes, I know I'm out of shape, I don't need your test) there's the gym tour, there's a discussion with the instructors, and finally there's a discussion of price-- Oh and if you sign up RIGHT NOW there's a discount, but only if you act RIGHT NOW.  They were very put out that I didn't want to take their fitness test.

Anyway, here are a few pics of some of the places I've been.

The Yoga studio was very pretty.  All wood and white wash, I forgot to take pictures of the actual classrooms, but you can picture the, hardwood floors, big windows, yoga mats, etc.  I was fairly certain I did not want to join the studio though, after the class let out.  I don't know that I can do Yoga with 95 pound Chinese women.  My self esteem is not that good.  

This place is just a standard gym, no classes, but all the usual equipment.  Their locker room though looked kind of dingy, like at your high school or college, clean, but not super so.