Happy Chinese New Year!

Tomorrow is Chinese New Year, Year of the Ox. In my family we celebrate Tet, which is Vietnamese New Year. Usually, my mom gets a half roasted pig (with head and tail still intact) and invites her whole family over to chow down of dozens of Vietnamese traditional foods.

I remember as a kid we would taunt the pig head. My brother usually started the mischief. We'd poke at it when no one was looking, except Buddha and of course the deceased ancestors, they were always watching. My mom always served them first and we would have to wait for what seemed like an eternity before we could dig into the food, which was usually cold by the time we were allowed to eat.

I loved New Year growing up. Not only did usually I get a generous amount of money in my Ang Pao, but I love the lantern festival, fiesty lion dance and especially all the yummy foods and desserts. New Year in Singapore was especially festive, and it is one thing that I'd love for my kids to experience one day.

Now that I have a family of my own and since we don't live near my mom, we usually celebrate the New Year with a simple meal in Chinatown. But it was way too cold today to venture out (the temps started in the -7 today, with the wind chill). Plus, Matt and I have had the stomach flu for a few days and I wasn't up for greasy dim sum.

I started to feel a little better late morning and decided to make some shrimp wonton soup, a mini celebration of Chinese cuisine. I have never made wontons before (yeah, you can take away my Asian Girl Card) so it was a fun learning experience.

I used a recipe from an old cookbook I "borrowed" from my mom's house many years ago when I first moved away from home. I was excited to find that the cookbook is now considered a collector's item. Shh, don't tell my mom. She definitely isn't getting the book back now.

The stock for the soup is very basic, even still, I was not able to find some of the ingredients. When I asked the butcher at my grocery store for beef bones and pork spareribs he looked at me like I was from another planet. "Try the Mexican grocery store" he told me. I ended up making a quasi chicken soup stock, throwing some bacon in there for some pork flavoring.

The start of a basic stock.

The shrimp filling, on store bought wonton wrappers. My mom made her wrappers from scratch. She would spend all day rolling out the dough and her sister would help her fill and fold the wontons.

A plate of wontons ready to be cooked. I hope they don't fall apart!

When you first put them in they sink to the bottom.

Once they float to the top, they are ready to be fished out.

Look mom, they didn't fall apart!

A bowl of shrimp wonton soup with egg noodles, bok choy and mushrooms. The only thing it needed was a touch of Chinese vinegar and possibly some fresh Serrano peppers.

I also pan fried a few wontons.

And served them with some sweet chili sauce.

Happy New Year everyone, I hope it is a healthy and prosperous one for you with lots of yummy eats!

Bonus photos: Yours truly in my traditional Ao Dai dress.

Wicked Cold

It was a brutal week weather-wise in Chicago/NWI. We had double digit sub-zero temps all week making the commute to work for me exhausting and bitter. One morning it was -50F with the windchill. Wind chill is a big thing to consider in Chicago. You dress for the windchill not the 'real feel' temp.

I am posting these photos for my Texas family and friends. A girlfriend from Dallas once came to visit us during winter and was so excited to help shovel snow. She was giddy about snow. I forgot how that feels to see so much snow and be happy about it.

Joe spent 2 hours one night last week shoveling the snow out of our driveway and sidewalks. I don't think giddy is a word I'd use to discribe his feelings about the experience!

Check it..Crazy long icicles around our house. Some were at least 5 feet long. Downside of owning an 80 year old home - poor heat retention.

Piles and piles of snow in the parking lot of Target. There were dozens of piles, bigger than our SUV. You don't see snow like this in Dallas/Ft. Worth!

I am so ready for Spring.

Heck, I'll settle for temps in the 20's! Which is what the weather man is promising for us next week. Lucky us.

Sledding!

I went sledding today for the first time ever! I can't believe it has taken me 40 years to finally try it. Actually, I can believe it mainly because I am allergic to the cold and hate to be in cold weather. Not to mention that I grew up in Southeast Asia and Australia, where the climate is pretty dang tropical. Indiana is the coldest and snowiest place I have ever lived.

It was also Matthew's first time sledding, so I thought it would be appropriate for us to go down the hill together.

I laughed the whole way down!

See Dylan in the background? 

Brothers sledding together.

The newest love of my life..

I have a new love in my life. ...my new Shun knife. AKA, the Rolls Royce of knives. For realz, yo.


OMG, isn't she gorgeous?? Nicole, my dearest friend from college gave it to me for my 40th birthday. What a great friend you are Nic!! You know me so well! Thank you so much. I am going to slowly build a collection of Shun knives, I am so smitten!

Here she is "in action." Cutting up the beef for the Pho soup we had for lunch. She's even pretty all dirtied up. (I know I am silly!)

Nothing like a hearty bowl of beef noodle soup (Pho) on a cold snowy day.

What else can I make that needs a lot of chopping prep work...hmmm.

Dylan: Master Juicer

Dylan loves to help make carrot juice. Better still, he likes to drink it!

How do you like Matthew's carrot juice moustache?

Dylan is a mama's boy and Matthew is definitely a daddy's boy. 

We're both back to work tomorrow after having the last 2 weeks off. It is going to be a rough time getting back to the regular (grueling) schedule!

40!

This is one of the first videos Joe took with the Flip video recorder I got for my birthday. I love Matthew's face, it is the same face he has when he is concentrating on doing #2. Dylan saying "cheese" at the end is priceless.

Joe also took this video at Jenny & Stephanie's holiday party (after I had left).


Thanks for all the birthday wishes everyone. Turning 40 much easier when you have great friends and family in your life! Especially, a great husband who knows the value of an electronic gift. Thanks babe, I love you.