Seattle Livin'

Goodbye 2011, Hello 2012

2011-12-28T00:37:00.000-07:00

Well, hello friend and reader! It's been uh...six months...since I wrote here. I hope most of you have known to read my food writing blog, Peas On Moss. If not, you should check it out too.

Anyway, 2011 was quite a year.

In January, Josh and I traveled to Hong Kong and volunteered at Mother's Choice. We had a chance to discover my roots and to learn something about the Cantonese culture. It was great fun.

I resumed classes at the end of March and completed the second quarter of the culinary arts program. I also picked up a full time job cooking at Stopsky's Delicatessen, a Jewish restaurant on Mercer Island. Josh resumed working at REI, and he also started working for my dad's business, World Touch Media, in shipping and client management.

I also took an expenses-paid trip to visit the Green Giant Valley in Minnesota and got to connect with family while I was there. Here's a pro shot of my trip and then here's my family.

When the fall started, I cut my hours back at the restaurant, and I entered 3rd quarter. This is where students are actually responsible for feeding the public (yah, yikes!). We ran a bistro and served traditional dishes, like trout meuniere and steak frites. That quarter ended the second week of December.

Because I was dedicating myself to school, I had cut back my hours at Stopsky's, and I gave up my shifts there. My chef was very understanding about my availability but needed someone who could cover more hours. At the same time of becoming unemployed, an alumna of the culinary program helped me get into Tom Douglas Restaurants for their holiday catering. I was able to pick up a few shifts at the beginning of December.

I have recently been hired as a culinary research assistant at a lab doing recipe research in Bellevue, WA. I am actually going to be taking time off of school to work, because it's a temporary job working on a (top secret) specific project. It's pretty fun, but it has a steep learning curve. I haven't had to be so precise in my knife skills or scaling (using a scale to measure rather than volume measures) in a long time (since nutrition and chemistry labs). I plan to resume classes once the contract ends.

Josh transferred within REI from the clothing department to Ski and Kayak. Obviously, since it's December, the department is focusing on skiing and snow boarding. He's got his eyes set on a specific set of ski boots and hopes to get some ski trips in this year. We also celebrated Josh's thirtieth birthday this year. In anticipation of turning 30, Josh and close friends conquered Mt. Rainier. Not too shabby!

Josh has continued taking on more responsibilities with World Touch Media. The business has been busy this year, and I'm excited that he gets to work with my dad and brother. It's funny to hear their voices over skype talking about work though! I hope Josh gets to travel with the company someday, but for now, it's a great organization and has a lot going on.

We welcomed our first nephew into the Schaub family this year, and he's adorable. No, we won't be adding to the collection in 2012, but Everest has certainly been a wonderful blessing to all the family.

We spent Christmas in Seattle this year, and we were so happy to have cousins from California come up. We had a great time with family this year. Here's a shot of our little cousin/niece. I am going to turn her into a chef yet!

I hope you have also had a great year and joyful holiday season. Here's to a strong end to the year and a great start to next year!

Hehe

Gluten-free Mountaineering up Mt. Rainier

2011-06-21T10:17:00.000-07:00

Josh and several friends are climbing Mt. Rainier this summer. Mountaineering is about training your body for the physical demands you'll put on it and for providing it with the nutrients it needs to meet those demands. Because of my nutrition background and burgeoning culinary expertise, it was an interesting challenge for me to determine how many calories he needs, but it became more interesting because we had to design a mountaineering diet that was both light weight and gluten-free.

Most of the recommendations we've found for setting up a menu for backpacking include packing foods like oatmeal, bagels, or dehydrated meals like "beef stroganoff" or "chicken alfredo." Some sites also recommended consuming sports bars, energy bites, oatmeal, or crackers. These all make sense, because they're light weight and high in calories. On the other hand, they're off the menu for those with food allergies, particularly to those with gluten allergies. So, for us, we had to start from scratch. The other challenge is that since I've been working and taking classes full time, I haven't had time to dehydrate meals like I've done before. So, we had to plan his menu around the items that could all be purchased.

The first step in determining the menu for his gluten-free backpacking trip was to determine how many calories he would need. We estimated that he would need about 3000 calories per day, and over a four-day period, he would need about 12,000 calories total. This is based on the calorie needs calculator that can be found on the USDA website, ChooseMyPlate.gov. We input his weight, height, and activity level, and it gives an estimate of the number of calories he would use up. Once we figured that out, then we started looking at dehydrated food options that were available at REI, because Josh works there.

After determining his caloric needs, we decided on a menu plan for Josh. He doesn't like to have a full stomach when he exercises or hikes, so we determined that he would eat just two full meals per day - at breakfast and at dinner. For lunch, he would eat a high energy bar and plan on snacking through the day. Because he needs about 3000 calories, I wanted to get him to eat as close to 1000 calories per meal and then to consume about 1000 calories in snacks. To do so, he has to eat two servings per meal, or the whole package of each dehydrated meal packet.

Breakfast - 600-900 calories
Lunch - 400 -600 calories
Dinner - 600-900 calories
Snacks - 900-1000 calories

Breakfast was challenging, because Josh can't eat oatmeal. You may think, well, there's always cream of rice. That's true. There are gluten-free hot cereals, but Josh doesn't particularly care for them. So, we opted for a gluten-free granola that we purchased from Whole Foods. We were remarkably impressed by the selection of gluten-free granola cereals at Whole Foods, which included Udis, Bakery on Main, Glutenfreeda, and Enjoy Life. There were also great flavors, such as peanut butter, cranberry orange, and chocolate. Josh selected Flax4Life's Hawaiian Pineapple, Coconut, and Mango. In addition to eating granola, Josh is also going to drink hot chocolate. This is to make up for the warming effects that enjoying a bowl of oatmeal would have.

1 cup granola - 420 calories
1/2 cup milk (rehydrated powdered milk) - 40 calories
hot chocolate - 130 calories

For lunch and snacks, Josh is going to eat several servings of
trail mix (700 calories per cup)
Clif Shot Bloks (200 calories per package)
Clif Shot Roks (270 calories)
Luna protein bars (190 alories)
Accel-gel (100 calories)
ready-to-eat salmon in pouches (234 calories)

I also regularly make protein cookies for Josh (containing vanilla whey protein, approximately 100 calories each), and he is taking a few of those, too.

We had to carefully read the labels, because there are hidden sources of gluten. Since there are varying levels of sensitivity to gluten and wheat, you should carefully investigate what foods are safe. One really good source for information about celiac disease is the University of Chicago website.

Dinner was also going to be interesting, because the hikers are relying on dehydrated meals. Well, fortunately, following a gluten-free diet isn't as foreign as it used to be, and there are now more foods available on the market. We were glad to see that there are even dehydrated meals made without wheat, though most of them are not certified gluten-free, unless you order them online. At REI, there were a few meals available, most of which were Natural High brand. Backpacker's Pantry had a few items too. The particular challenge was that even if the food itself wasn't a wheat food, such as a pasta, soy sauce and vegetable protein were often included in the ingredients. As a result, we couldn't choose them. We did find a few items: Himalyan lentils and rice, honey lime chicken, BBQ chicken and rice, and Louisiana beans and rice. These items are relatively low in calories - about 600 for the entire package - but they would be enough and probably be pretty filling, given the fiber. One challenge in using packaged dehydrated meals is that the sodium content is extremely high. It was pretty difficult to compensate for that, so we did our best to choose flavors that didn't have as much sodium but were still wheat and gluten-free.

Josh and his team should be pretty well set up for meals. It will be interesting to see how they do. The food weighed just over 5 lbs, and Josh divided them into resealable bags according to how he would use them. He plans on unpacking most of the food at the base camp, in favor of simply carrying the snacks when the team attempts the summit.

Hobnobs

2011-04-20T19:44:00.000-07:00

Kim and Josh went to World Market the other day.

Kim, noticing a package of Hobnobs on the shelf: "Oh great! They sell Hobnobs here! Now I can eat them as much as I want, and I won't have to ration them!" Kim thought that she could only buy those delectable bites in the UK, and her mother-in-law even picked some up for her when she was in Canada.

Josh, looking at Kim's profile, one eyebrow raised: "Nope, you should still ration them."

from World Market

Homeward Journey

2011-03-22T16:15:00.000-07:00

With very little adventure, Josh and I have returned home and are easing back into the lives we'd put on hold for a few weeks. Although there were public statements explaining that Tokyo's airport was flying mostly on time on Sunday and Monday, we didn't want to add to the stress and struggle that the airport staff was undoubtedly feeling. Delta Airlines and several others were allowing passengers that were flying to or through Tokyo and other Japanese airports to change their flights without any additional fees, so we took advantage of that and departed for Seoul instead. We were so grateful to the individuals who helped us contact Delta and other agencies and get those changed.

Getting through Hong Kong's ticket counters wasn't difficult at all, and we had plenty of time to spare in the airport. I strongly considered getting one more dim sum for the road, but I had enjoyed such a delicious dim sum lunch on Sunday that I didn't want to spoil the memory. The dim sum at the airports was still served in the little bamboo baskets, and it looked really good. However, if you're flying into Hong Kong and planning on staying a while, just wait to get dim sum at a quality restaurant rather than the cafes. If you're flying through Hong Kong and need a dim sum fix, then it might be all right. The shops also offered wonton noodles (mien), milk tea, bubble teas, mango pudding, and cha siu pork buns. They appeared to accept both HKD and USD, but I would probably try exchange some money rather than bank on that.

Hong Kong's terminal felt more like a glamorous mall, filled with high end stores, like Prada and another Louis Vuitton. The LV Flagship store resides at the Landmark shopping centre in Central District. The only thing that felt out of place in my luxury mall experience were that the signs pointed to gates and departure notices. The gleaming floors reflected the brightly adorned window showcases that showed off the expertly designed and assembled designer purses and clothes. Occasionally, a recorded announcement explaining that you should keep an eye on your belongings and that you should give extra time in the security queues would play in two or three languages, one of them English.

The airport was really easy to navigate, because there were signs pointing out the directions you needed to go in order to reach certain gates. Are there any poorly designed, confusing airports? I'm sure there are, but Hong Kong's made perfect sense. I had never been to this airport, because we still flew into Kai Tak Airport when I was younger. The reclaimed portion of Lantau Island upon which this gleaming, new airport stands was just a collection of islands then. Now it's a bustling region with high rise apartments, businesses, another mall over the MTR, and a sophisticated-looking bus and taxi terminus. It's really nice to fly into Lantau, because it's picturesque and spacious. It's a little less excited than feeling like you're flying in between the high rise flats, but it's probably easier for the pilots. If you haven't seen those flying adventures, you can check out Lawrence Lai's photos. He captured some good shots before the airport was closed, and framed reprints of his pictures were available in several galleries and bookstores throughout HK.

Seoul's airport was equally impressive. Where we happened to disembark the airplane, after passing through security, we found the Korean Cultural Center at the Airport. It featured some history, some art, and some re-enactment actors (is that what they're called?) who were wearing some traditional Korean clothes, including jeogoris, chimas, and paji. I think the actors were depicting royalty, because they marched around the terminal in a special procession, and then they posed for pictures outside the Center. That was nice, except for all the people trying to get past the crowd that had assembled. We found ourselves quickly caught in the flow of annoyed passengers trying to reach their gates through the gauntlet of a gathering seeking to take pictures, read maps, and gawk. When we finally emerged on the other side of the bottleneck surrounding the Center, we were relieved to find that we were close to our gate.

Something that I find amusing about exchanging money is how rich you feel the minute the teller exchanges your US cash for the local currency. Immediately after thinking, "Wow, I have 4,000 won," you realize that one 8-oz latte will cost you 8,000 won. Dang it. Back to being poor again, just with different currency. We had chosen to exchange our HKD for USD, but we had to go through Korean Won to get there. So, the teller returned a crisp 5 USD and a 1,000 won bill to me. I was confused, but then I realized she'd given me about ninety cents in Korean cash. Grg. So, armed with a bill worth less than 1 USD, I tried to find something to spend it on. After walking in and out of three cafe-shops, I settled on a bottle of water for 800 won and donated my remaining 200 won to the UNICEF box on the counter. It will probably cost the staff more to retrieve the bills from that case.

Besides our short layover in Korea, we spent our flight enjoying the rather gracious and attentive service of Korean Air, a partner of Delta. I'm so glad Korean Air was flying us. The airplane we were on was new, the in-seat tellies were new, the cup holders on the back of the tray-tables were whole, and the windows lacked the usual scratches and smudges of older airlines. The headphone jacks were also normal input holes rather than those over-large plastic dual-holes. The attendants handed out little disposable wet cloths with which we could remove airport grime. Haagen-Dazs ice cream was served in between our Korean-style dinner of Bibimbap and breakfast. Water, tea, coffee, and wine were also offered periodically throughout the flight.

We attempted to sleep, but apparently sitting in an airplane seat has the opposite effect of lulling me to sleep. I am instantly wide awake, filled with enough energy to embark on "the next great book." Instead, I satisfied myself by watching some recent hits, including "Black Swan" and "King's Speech." Not a bad trade-off. One minus to the especially attentive staff of Korean Air is that every time the airline experienced turbulence, which was minor and not really noticeable initially, the pilot would implement the fasten-seat belt-sign and the attendants would announce the change - in Korean, in Chinese, and in English.

We arrived in Seattle just after lunch. Our bodies thought it was 4:00am. We attempted some conversation with Joshua's mom, who had left work early to pick us up. We even attempted to wash our clothing. While we waited for it to wash, we laid down next to the Schaub's basement fireplace to rest a little. About an hour later, we managed to drag ourselves to the washer and dryer and start to pack our clothes into our bag again so we could head back to Seattle. We were going pretty slowly, but our nap had revitalized us a bit. At least it wasn't a long drive.

These past few days have involved getting used to Seattle again. Josh commented yesterday that he had never thought of Seattle as a small city - until he saw what a big city could be like. Hong Kong has redefined what busy, packed, rush-hour, and other adjectives for densely populated regions. Two million people pales in comparison to nearly 7 million in roughly the same amount of space.

Hong Kong was enchanting, and now it feels like it was 100 years ago. I almost feel like I never went, because our friends and family welcomed us back so completely that we didn't really feel like we'd left.

I guess maybe one friend's hair has grown out, and our nephew-to-come is getting more and more ready to arrive in May, but other than that, everything is the same. Top Pot still bakes its intoxicating donuts, which we can smell as we walk home. The rain still drizzles down, covering the streets in a glowing, reflective sheen. Buses still glide back and forth on Third. Ambulances and fire-trucks still blare their sirens as the zoom by beneath our window.

I walked to catch the bus this morning to go to Capitol Hill at 8 am, about the top commuting time. I probably walked with about twenty people. Nobody jostled me or squeezed in front of me at the intersection as we awaited the green light. No hand trucks or trolleys were barreling down the street, fighting for space between the red taxis that appear determined to squeeze between pedestrians. Nope. Just orderly, jegging-clad, Ipod-wearing commuters walking swiftly to their offices. All the same. All predictable. Comforting, familiar, and usual.

But I know that Josh and I are different, touched and changed, even just a little. I already find myself yearning for the bustle and startle of walking through such a packed city that serves as home for so many different people. Seattle almost feels homogeneous compared to Hong Kong, and yet Hong Kong was definitely overwhelmingly Chinese. Maybe being surrounded by a "minority" made it feel diverse. We have already gone to the International District to see if we could find some of the treats we had enjoyed in HK. We found some, but not all. We recognized a few idiosyncrasies that were unique to the Chinese culture that we had missed in our past days of walking through the ID. But it certainly wasn't the same. We miss HK already, but we know our place is in Seattle...for now.

Last Day in Hong Kong

2011-03-12T19:02:00.000-07:00

It's 9:00 am on Sunday for us, so it's about 5pm for Seattle. I am reflecting on our last day in Hong Kong, and I can't help but have some mixed feelings. Joshua and I came to HK knowing that the experience would change our perspectives and perhaps the future in the sense of career choices and home selections. Even knowing that, it has been interesting to realize that I have developed a sense of identity that I hadn't fully realized was missing.

When we first arrived in Hong Kong, I was struck by the rather immediate realization that I look exactly like everyone else. It's not like I don't have similarities to the Chinese and other Asians in Seattle, but when I came here, I looked like a native. Oh wait, I am technically a native. When I would walk through Wan Chai, Central, or Admiralty districts, without Josh, nobody gave me a second glance. Unless I pulled out a map or opened my mouth to say anything. It was so odd to be completely and totally invisible. But when I reflected on it, it totally made sense that I became part of the crowd so easily. But sometimes, even today, I have to really think about it. I used to try to make "you're one of us" eye-contact with other white people, but for some reason, they would only give those glances to Josh. Oh yeah. I am a native, a local, a daughter of this land. Weird. And cool.

I also found out that I am not petite or small in Hong Kong. Nay my shopping friends. Kimberly is an average sized woman. Medium. Don't even look at the small sizes, girlie. I was at G2000, a trendy yet inexpensive store akin to H&M, and I was trying on a poofy mini skirt to wear with nylons. I picked out the 34 - which I don't think indicates my waist size, though I'm not sure after all the dim sum, Chiu Chow, and Pekingese food I've been gobbling. I was modeling it for Josh, who was eying it skeptically. The changing room attendant turns to me while I'm twirling in front of the mirror and say, "I will get you a larger size." And she stalks away on her twiggy legs.

Vanity aside, I have experienced ethnic pride for the first time in my life. While I think the world is indebted to China for the invention of paper (okay, papyrus probably had a leg up, but you can fold this stuff) or fireworks, but I never really felt part of it. It's similar to how German Americans might feel about the invention of the printing press. Okay, you acknowledge an ethnic connection, but it doesn't feel like your own. When I walked around Hong Kong, marveling at the city, its people, its colorful and political history, and its resilience, I am struck by how I am technically part of this history and culture. I am more part of this city's history than that of Colorado Springs, which I have considered home, or that of Seattle, though I want to be part of that future.

Because I was born in Hong Kong and am ethnically Hong Kong Chinese, I qualify for a Hong Kong Identification Card. I just have to bring my birth certificate. Hong Kongers then can receive certain benefits, such as medical care and employability without visas. I can also travel more easily within Asia. Once a friend told us that, I realized that it was a privilege to have been born the way I have. In some ways, I have the best of both worlds. I am proudly an American citizen, enjoying the benefits and recognizing the responsibilities thereto, and I am also ethnically Chinese, benefiting from the apparent additional rights for those individuals. I haven't applied for the card, but I probably will when we come back to Hong Kong in the future.

I have been surrounded by dear old friends who have loved and supported my childhood and now adulthood. They loved and balanced my parents, and they have now shown a similar love and support for us. We weren't able to connect with all of them or as much or long with each of them as we would have liked, but the memories, the laughter, and the new connections flowed easily. It was such a joy to have them meet Joshua and to show them into what type of person I have become. I hope they liked (most) of what they saw.

I am sad to leave Hong Kong. The bustle and hustle of the city during its normal routine is amazing and intoxicating. It could also be toxic to some. We realized that while I love the deep city and the crowds that pack into every nook and crannie, we also love the silence and presence of nature. Uncle Leo took us on a hike from Kowloon Peak into Sai Kung, a smaller town to the east and north of Kowloon, and we were surrounded by nature. It was really nice. I loved that we were less than thirty minutes from a HUGE city, and I think Josh was happy to be away from it. The accessibility of nature, a metropolis, and international culture are just amazing and unrivaled by other cities in which I have lived.

We are also eager to leave and get back into the Seattle activities that we've set up for ourselves. Joshua's family lives in Seattle, and we are close to them. His brother and wife are expecting their first baby, and all of us are happily preparing for our nephew's arrival. (I am now much better at nappie changing, so I hope I can babysit occasionally!) We have some very close friends from Pepperdine living in Issaquah, less than thirty minutes from Seattle. I am taking on the Pepperdine Alumni Association Seattle Chapter when we return, so I am excited to return and start contributing again. I am in the middle of culinary school, and I love it. I try to soak up as much as I can while I'm there. Josh works a great job with REI and enjoys the type of work, the co-workers, and the mission of the company. We are supported and cared for by a church that has encouraged us. My parents also have good friends in Seattle, and we cannot wait to see them again. There are many reasons to be excited to return.

Our visit to Hong Kong and our volunteer work at Mother's Choice has been life defining. I wish it hadn't taken so long to visit Hong Kong and explore my roots - both ethnically and adoptive. At the same time, I may not have had the maturity or wisdom to do this before. Taking this trip with Joshua has been so meaningful. I am sure we'll have lots of time to reflect and share with each other. We are now curious about working overseas, particularly in Asia, and we are thrilled that this was such a positive and pleasurable trip. Thank you to our friends who supported us and kept it real while we were here. See you in Seattle!

*We changed our flight to pass through Seoul rather than Tokyo in order to avoid the tragedy and chaos that Japan is struggling through. We still return on the 14th, just a little later in the day.

Summary of Working for Wee Care

2011-03-05T20:01:00.000-07:00

Gretchen Ryan with us

We have been working 4 and 5 day shifts at Wee Care for these past few weeks. While working 5 days is hardly impressive, it seems to be particularly exhausting, because we're just getting the hang of the schedule. For the most part, we wait until the shift leaders tell us what to do. We're slightly more useful than the "off the street" volunteers, because we can change nappies, bathe, and medicate the kids, as needed.

You can see some pictures of the facility of Wee Care here

http://jkschaub.blogspot.com/2011/02/mothers-choice-wee-care.html

Childcare is so interesting. Honestly, neither of us have had to do much caring for children, other than cuddling the dear babies in our lives. We had to be "evaluated" in each step of childcare before the caretakers would let us do the tasks on our own. It's especially intimidating to have someone lecturing you while you're bathing a child. Some of the kids have particular needs, such as hypoallergenic soaps or specialized techniques in bathing, so it's important that we received the appropriate training.

We have both gotten better at changing nappies, but I have not escaped without mishap. Fortunately, there haven't been any projectile presents, but a few kids have "poured us a cup of tea" when we've removed the old nappie and have moved to replace it with the new one. Sometimes, I have to replace the latter with another, since it is now also used. I have also marveled at how completely and deeply "BO" can become stuck into every crevasse. I have also been horrified to find out how difficult it is to clean -- from the body, from clothing, and from changing pads. We spray our pads with a sanitizing alcohol solution after each child, and sometimes, I soak that thing!

I have had a time learning to dress a moving subject. Their arms and legs - and torsos and heads - move rather quickly, and I usually end up with a bunched up article of clothing and a child rapidly scooting to the other side of the changing mat. I have found that the kids love looking at themselves in the mirror, and if you can distract them, then you can quickly pop the shirt over their heads. I haven't mastered the pant legs part, and the kids usually have the legs of the pants twisted around their ankles a few times before I can coax it up their legs.

Feeding the kids is a marathon in patience. Several of the children have different abilities in swallowing, and their meals are softened and pureed according to their abilities to eat the items. Sometimes the foods appear amazingly unappetizing. The foods the kids eat are mostly Chinese-style with lots of rice, rice porridge (called Congee), fish, mushrooms, and some chicken. The foods are prepared with much less soy sauce and marinades than you would find in a corresponding adult meal, so they fit within the general nutrition guidelines for children. I've had the opportunity over the last couple of days to look at the menus, but honestly, the menu is so different than the ones I've consulted and created that it's challenging to make suggestions.

We've really started attaching to some of the kids. Natalie, who has now been at MC about 7 weeks, has made some amazing improvements. She seeks out walking, and she leans against the wall and claps her hands. I wear the same maroon fleece every day, and she actually looks at me and away from her caretaker-du-jour to see what I'm doing.

The full time OT has started introducing oral feeding, and she hopes that Natalie will be able to eat soft food soon. I sat in on one session with Natalie, and it's amazing to see how far she's come. Now, she won't always cringe away from you, and if you talk to her loudly in soothing tones, she tends to respond to you. She loves the pat-a-cake rhyme and will grasp my hands to clap them together if I stop chanting the rhyme. Yesterday, when I did pat-a-cake for the last time, she put her hands to the ground during the "pat it" part, and placed her hands next to each other when I said "put it in the oven." Then, when I said "for baby and meeeeee," I caught a quick but very broad grin from her. Sometimes, when I started the rhyme, she would quirk one corner of her lip into a small smile. I hope she thrives while she is at MC, and I hope a family is matched to her soon.

Joel is still a very active - arguably hyperactive - boy with lots of strength and energy. The weather had improved a little over the last few weeks, so we were able to take the kids outdoors. It's great to see him running around. He likes to carry books around, so even though we were at the park, he was still clutching a book to his chest. Yesterday, he poured his water on his book, which resulted in my rather swift reaction of returning him to his stroller, since we were on an outing, to which he responded by thrashing. I got really close to him and said he could either sit properly at the table or sit in the stroller for lunch. He calmed down and went back to his chair. He does all right when he is given choices, but what we've learned - and Josh is much better than I about this - is that he needs consistent and calm, yet firm, response to his actions. Sometimes, I have to just sit down and let someone else take over. I would like to scold him, but I know he can't really understand me, understand the issue, or really change. Despite my frustrations with him, I have learned so much about caring for a child even when his behavioral challenges seem insurmountable at times. He can be so tender and loving, and I know that he just needs affection. It will be good for him if he can move to a program that engages him a bit more -- something designed for older children with special needs. He is almost five, is much larger than some of the kids, and does really well when you've exercised him or personally continually engaged him.

Tanya still falls asleep when you feed her. She's really cute. She smiles so widely that her eyes squish into crescents, and you can almost count her baby teeth. She loves her reflection and does a gleeful, giggly bouncing when she sits in front of the mirror. She does this funny sucking thing, which from the speech therapy perspective is not good, that looks like she's rolled her tongue and is sticking it out and sucking on it. Because her tongue gets in the way of eating, it takes a long time for her to move food to the back of her throat to swallow. Her food is usually pureed to the texture of mashed bananas, and sometimes it looks extremely unappetizing.

Ryan is another boy with soft foods. He really likes to feed himself, but he's not really coordinated enough. He mostly stabs the spoon into his bowl, causing the contents to slosh over my hand, if the food is liquid. After feeding him, I usually have to go to the washroom and pick out pieces of food from my hair, eyebrows, and cheek. My pants, given to me by MC, have permanent food crusts on the knee and upper quads area, because we sort of straddle the high chairs, which are set low to the ground. I fed him one day while others were moving about, so he kept looking all around. I had just put a spoon to his lip, when he suddenly turned his head. The food went across his face, and a good amount of it went into his ear. Yeeech! Apparently, I was planning on bathing him after lunch.

We gained a new boy, too. Kevin came from one of the hospitals, and he is really a sweet baby. He had a cleft lip, but the surgeons did a fantastic job with him. He eats about 6 or 8 oz of food at each meal and does great. He also has really large eyes... not quite like an anime cartoon, but along those lines. He really loves being held, so when you lay him down to nap, he'll scream pretty thoroughly. We had a hard time getting him to sleep on Wednesday -- one volunteer spent a whole hour with him, and by the time he fell asleep, it was snack time, and a staff member roused him. He recommenced his screaming for about 15 minutes. It was a little bit frustrating that they didn't let him sleep, but the volunteer (also a "foreigner") and I agreed that it was probably because they had to keep the kids on the schedule. When he's awake and happy, he does this little squeaky "eh-heh!" sound often. It's really adorable. He's fun to carry, but he gets heavy, as does anything about 20lbs when it's held for 15 min or more.

Josh gave his presentation on Thursday. He presented on "Family Relationships" a very vague term. He chose to talk about the purpose of the family, the functions, properties of dysfunctional families, a comparison between Chinese and American family culture, and some positive ways to improve family relationships. He did a good job. A few of the pregnant girls from the hostel came to the presentation, too. I think it was good for them to hear, even if they did not all want to be there. We also had an interesting discussion with the group about the difference between punishing your child so he does better (on exams in the future) or encouraging her to do better. A few of the Chinese participants explained that their parents would punish them - yell, discipline, force them to study rather than do other activities, or even spank - when they did not produce the results expected. That's pretty different than America... but is it wrong?

We have gotten to where we recognize the kids' cries and laughs, and I can actually tell if the kids are just making a scene or are hurting. I can actually tell if Yonah (Jonas) is crying by listening to the monitoring system in the main room when he is in the other room. He can sometimes be a bit of a cry-baby, because he knows that volunteers will pick up a crying child and cuddle him. Sometimes, I wonder if we should let them cry for a minute longer just so they don't think we'll pick them up within 5 seconds of the first wail. It's hard to respond appropriately, because the volunteer staff and full time staff are numerous and change daily, so the kids receive a different response every time they do something. For Joel, he can find himself scolded thoroughly or coddled for doing the same behavior. The inconsistency isn't the greatest for the kids, but we're so pleased to see that there are so many volunteers who want to help these kids and love them for the times they're here.

We've had the wonderful opportunity to meet some of the people my parents have worked with over the years. It has been so special to see the positive impact my parents have had on the community and the churches here. It was also fun to share with them about the things my family has done since leaving HK. And it was such a joy to introduce Josh to them and to share our adult lives with them. Gretchen, a social worker who has worked with MC for years, pointed out that my mom was one of the founding women of the Adopted Families of Hong Kong (called the Adoption Support Group then). The organization now is run by three women, including Gretchen, and exists to support other adoptive families in their trials and triumphs. We attended a guest speaker event about ADHD and Attachment Disorder in kids. The speaker was trying to share the differences between ADHD and symptoms of attachment issues in adopted kids. It was educational and interesting to think that some of the diagnoses for disorders may actually be symptoms of other seemingly unrelated conditions.

Our last day of work was yesterday, Saturday, and it was surprisingly difficult and easy to leave. I think the difficulty comes from having a genuine care for what happens to the children. We visited the Adoption Services office in Tsim Sha Tsui (think t-soy) and had a chance to speak with one of the social workers who works on the adoptions. She showed us pictures of families that have adopted kids from MC. The organization really prefers that the western families adopt special needs children, and most of the pictures we saw were of families from America. There were a few from Washington state, but really, the families came from all over. Some of them had grown or older children, some of them already had a child with special needs, and for some, the babies they adopted were their first. A few notable families returned to adopt a second or third child from MC.

While we can fool ourselves into thinking that the babies and young children who are adopted are overwhelmed with gratitude and are sure to be well behaved, we know that any adopted child and family has to go through the experience of adjusting to new lives and lifestyles. Some of the kids have an easier time than others. Even knowing the potential challenges that the forever families will face, it is such a joy to see the children moving to homes where they will be given forever identities. I have been following a blog of a mom who recently adopted a three-year-old, and her stories about the pleasures and some of the pains of older adoption are poignant but joyful at the same time. You're struck by her deep love for her daughter and the determination to help her along in her adjustment period. The pain in her writing is underscored by the knowledge that the situation will get better and that the little girl will become close to them. I am moved by the families that choose to adopt... and I am struck by a new sense of wonder and love for my family. I don't know how my adjustment period was -- my parents think I glommed pretty quickly and that my "countenance changed" from sad to happy, I assume, "within a week."

We have just one week left in Hong Kong. We're not working for that week, so we hope to return to a few places we enjoyed touring. I'm also giving a presentation at the Union Church about nutrition. I have also agreed to be on a "panel" for teens who have questions about adoption. So... during our week off, Kimberly has already volunteered to do all sorts of stuff! Does that surprise anyone?

Central District and reclaimed land, Hong Kong

We are looking forward to our return to Seattle. Josh mentioned yesterday that it would be weird to be back in Seattle. We have gotten so adjusted here. I will miss the bustle and crowds. The tall buildings and tiny spaces are somewhat familiar to me, and I will miss that. I agree with a few of our family-friends here: Hong Kong is my birthplace and I am a Hongkonger. At the same time, we have dear family and friends in Seattle whom we're anticipating spending time with and from whom we will receive lots of gifts (just checking to see who's reading). I also want to finish my culinary arts program, because it is extremely interesting and so much fun (and hard work). I have been itching to get a job at a restaurant and maybe get involved in some other things, too. Josh wants to get back to REI and start training for his climb of Mt. Ranier.

Seattle

Thanks for following our journey into Hong Kong. I will continue writing a few things about HK when we get back, mostly about the food. Read those posts on Peas On Moss. Thanks also for your emotional and financial support while we work at MC and connect with a little piece of my past. See you in the Emerald City soon!

Mother's Choice Wee Care

2011-02-27T03:11:00.000-07:00

While the kids were napping, we took some pictures of the facility and the staff. I'm not sure why Disney is the theme, but it might have something to do with donations. It's a cute little place. Welcome to our virtual tour. (that's me in the pink, you know, Chinese girl, about 5'4" not too slim, not too wide..., narrow eyes, black hair with caramel highlights)

This is our view of the Mid-levels above Central District.

Automatic hand sanitizers are all over the facility, and we use them often.

These are some of the staff at Wee Care. They've served as shift leaders for the other full time volunteers (us) and are the trainers for the new staff and volunteers. Left to right: Lee, Pui (think Poy), and Carman (with an a). These women work with the kids the most often and display incredible amounts of grace and patience with the kids.

They think it's hilarious that we're trying to learn some Cantonese phrases. The other day, I told Josh, "Sik Fan!" "Eat Lunch!" and Pui thought it was so funny that she told another co-worker later that day.

Carman is trying to teach me Cantonese. She is also the small group leader when we sing songs, read stories, and glue papers onto other papers (I'm sure there's some cool Kindergarten teacher term for this). She taught us the Gong Xi song for new years, because she had a little red packet that she had the kids pass around.

We have our own laundry facility to wash the kids' clothes, bedding, outer garments, towels, wash cloths, and everything else.

The "catering" comes from this kitchen. Thomas is a talented cook who has produced some tasty stir fries. He has two burners, onto which only one wok fits, an extra large rice cooker (about twice the size as the one we use in school), and about the same amount of work-top space as I have in my galley-style kitchen. He cooks for about 25 staff each time. Lunch and dinner.

This is the announcement board for volunteers. Sylvia is looking at a recent email from some "forever families" with their kids, who had been at Wee Care. It is great that some of the families have written and shown the staff where the kids are and how they're doing. It is somewhat bittersweet, because the staff miss the children, but of course, they're in a much better situation now.

We have several refrigerators all over for the various foods that the staff prepare for the kids and for the staff food. The foods are kept separate for food safety reasons.

Prepared baby food is stored in this reach-in. The foods are prepared the same day as they are consumed, and leftovers are discarded. Foods are heated either in a immersion heater or in the microwave until boiling or nearly boiling -- a bit more than necessary but definitely safe!

Kids have customized medicine and therapy packets. They do some oromotor therapy before they eat. Some of them have little rubber tubes they chew on, some have whistles or flutes they blow into, and some have little spongy brushes that are used to stimulate the tongue and teach them to swallow or move the tongue around the mouth.

Signs for proper preparation, sanitation, or storage are posted all over. These signs are in the baby food preparation kitchenette.

The baby food preparation kitchenette. Only certain staff prepare the food, so portion control and preparation are carefully monitored.

Our refrigerators.

The volunteer check-in station. You pick up an apron and sign. There is a sign discussing health -- if the volunteer does not feel well or has a sick family member, the staff asks that he/she goes home.

Pui with a cleaning staff lady. These ladies are indispensible. They empty the laundry, the trash, the nappy bin. They also mop, wipe, sweep, and fix things after our kids have gone through. And not a word of complaint!

Each volunteer has a velcro tag that he or she wears to identify her/himself.

Our nappy changing station is thoroughly equipped.

We separate our rubbish into nappies and general rubbish. Nappies with BO in them are placed in mini plastic bags and then disposed. The large bin is for dirty clothing and towels. The bin on the right is for soiled clothing, etc.

Our nappy selection. S-XL. We also have trainers.

Shower accoutrements

The kids' clothes are hung on their name-tags, which are attached to this bar.

Certain kids are placed into these high chairs so we can feed them. The older ones sit at a short table with short chairs. We feed the younger ones in the high chairs and then the older ones at the table.

The play room

We try to teach the kids sign language (ASL)

IEP materials (below)

IEP boxes are assigned to the children. We have a checklist which we go through for each kid.

Read in Hong Kong

2011-02-21T18:54:00.001-07:00

Hong Kong has lots of signs to help you know where to go and how to get there.

Just know how to read them!

No car jumping?

This was on the bamboo scaffolding that arched around a staircase leading to the Mid-Levels.

The area is cancelled! You can smoke on the 18th Floor instead.

Answering the call of Nature

2011-02-19T18:53:00.000-07:00

The public toilets are often an adventure. Fortunately, there are enough malls and public spaces to merit public toilets, so I'm never forced to venture "into the woods." At the same time, it's sometimes an adventure. Make sure your stall has toilet paper or that you have tissues or have restocked at the community toilet paper dispenser! I've developed some really strong thigh muscles recently. One lady we met at Taste, a western grocer, said that you know you've been in Asia long enough when it's your own footprints you find on the seat of a western toilet!

Japanese toilets are much nicer. This toilet was the one at the airport. A Canadian friend who spent some time in Japan explained that the music wasn't for your enjoyment but it was for the sake of the others near you. Just press the musical note button upon sitting down. You can also select from the type of cleansing services you'd like. I had to study the buttons a little bit before I made my selection to flush in order to avoid getting doused before my next flight.

Only in Hong Kong

2011-02-11T22:41:00.000-07:00

Cats are everywhere for some reason.

Shopping on a Thursday night at the Ladies Market.

An outdoor kitchen

Preserved Egg and Salt Egg - which one is which?

The Salisbury Hotel where we used to stay when I was a kid.

Ngong Ping

The lady is wearing a safety air mask and taking a long drag from her cigarette.

Dragon boat racing from the Beijing Olympics

Octopus drying in the sun (with flies)

On the way to Lantau Island

Ferry to Mui Wo from the #6 Terminal. It took a little less than an hour to get there -- and we skipped Discovery Bay, for those who remember the ferry ride. I thought it would be over an hour, but it was quick.

Wee Care

2011-02-04T08:19:00.000-07:00

Joshua and I are working in the Wee Care section of Mother's Choice, and we're doing childcare and staff education.

There are 13 children in the Wee Care division of the Baby Care portion of Mother's Choice, dedicated to the care of babies and children with special needs. Most of the children have a varying degree of Down's Syndrome, but some of them appear to have other special needs as well. The younger ones, about 1 year old, are somewhat easier to care for, because they're more like very young infants. The older ones, up to 6 years old, are sometimes challenging because you find yourself expecting them to do more. It seems that even those who are close to 6 act more like 3 year olds.

Childcare has been exactly like it sounds. During the day shifts, we arrive at 7:30 in time to start waking up the children. We change them and then feed them. Then there is an hour of random play -- the length depends somewhat on how long it takes to wake up the other children. Then there is some group singing and story telling. Then lunch. Then more play. Some of the play involves completing "homework boxes" that are assigned to each child. The occupational therapist and speech therapist assign specific skills training to the children, and the caretakers work through the tasks and mark them off. In the States, this type of play is akin to completing an IEP or individualized education plan. Josh really gets into the IEP play. It's interesting to see how certain activities, like threading a shoelace through a thick dot-to-dot picture or completing a puzzle, fulfill specific skills training.

The staff have very high expectations for the children, particularly in behavior, and it's impressive to watch them interact with the children. One child, Joel, tends to tantrum and potentially harm himself or those closest to him, and specific staff have been assigned to him to help manage him. He's a sweet boy who likes to sing, but when he gets frustrated, he gets really loud. He will try to hit himself to get the staff to pay attention to him. Joel really likes Josh and will call him "gou gou" or big brother. When we were taking a lunch break, Joel actually dragged the other staff member around looking for gou gou. He's a very friendly and very precocious child.

Some of the children were born into the local hospital by mothers participating in the Mother's Choice programme, but most of the babies are born in hospital and are transferred to MC later on. One little girl, Natalie, a three-year-old, has spent her first years in life in the hospital and was only recently transferred to MC. She has not had as much interaction - some of the staff believe she had been confined or strapped to a hospital bed most of her short life - so she has lots of development catching up to do. When she first arrived, staff members told us, she didn't smile. Now she can scootch herself to a corner, stand, sort of, leaning against the wall, and will clap her hands and smile. She has a great personality, but because she doesn't really know what to do with human touch, she usually leans away from it. If you say her name, talking soothingly to her, she will usually let you hold her hands and will walk about 5 steps before leaning back and sitting down hard. It took some time to get used to her rhythm, but I really enjoy working with her.

One thing that struck me right away was how homey the facility is. There are four main rooms that we work in, and other than the fact that there are 13 babies around and at least that many staff, plus a cook and a cleaner, it sort of feels like a giant preschool or day care. The babies mostly have one on one contact with a caretaker, and we are with the children constantly. There are also physical therapists, speech therapists, and occupational therapists around. They take children individually for special training. I think those babies get more one-on-one than many "normal" babies at home. I know that I would probably set my kids up in a play room and run around the house cleaning or something at times. Then again, I don't really know, because I don't have kids. Moms out there, do you constantly play with your kids?

After the IEP play and Random Play times, we usually feed the kids lunch. This often takes the longest, because some of the kids eat slowly. I fed Tanya the other day, a little one-year-old with mild Down's Syndrome. She is learning to eat with a spoon, but she usually requires elbow support. If you support her hand too much, she drops the spoon and waits for you to feed her. Clever lazy girl.

Cyrus, another boy with DS, has a harder time with lateral movement of his tongue. It takes a much longer time to feed him, because you place the food in his mouth (whenever he's looking straight on and not distracted by sounds) and have to wait til he can work all of the food to the back of his mouth. He has a healthy appetite and can usually eat about 6 oz of food. It's usually a pureed meal of some sort.

After feeding, we usually change the kids, play a little, and then suddenly it's milk time. This time you feed them 4 to 6 oz of milk or formula and sometimes water. After this, which is a very wet experience for all involved, we usually bathe the kids. And by bathe I mean shower them while they sit on little stools. I have gotten fairly wet, despite wearing huge galoshes and a rubber apron. Heh. We also sing "This is the Way You Wash Your Hair" to the tune of "The Wheels on the Bus." I've already gotten tired of that song. Do you think we could sing some other songs?

After baths, which take some time, we start putting the kids down for naps. Sometime in there a few people get to eat lunch in shifts. I'm usually so hungry by that point that I'm a little slow when the babies try throwing toys. I have no idea how moms do it.

We finish our day around 4 in the afternoon. Sometimes it's a little later, depending on what we were doing at that moment. We usually stagger back to our flat- about 10 mins away - and collapse on the couches for a few minutes. I've taken to quick naps out of pure exhaustion. HAH.

Our night shifts are different, but that's for a different story.

We don't have pictures, because we can't take pictures of the kids. We'll try get some shots of the building and the play yard.

Xing Nian Kuai Le!

2011-02-04T00:59:00.000-07:00

Happy New Year! That phrase was in Mandarin, but I'm not sure what the Cantonese version is.

Last Wednesday, Chinese New Year's Eve, we did a Lai See or Hong Bau exchange at Wee Care. These red envelopes or packets are often filled with money or candy and are given to children or singles by their elders and by married folks. I remember getting red packets as a kid and being really excited. I think Chris and I made 200HK one year with all the red packets. Pretty exciting. For the Wee Care kids, the packets had little candies or chocolates, and we passed around the packets like Hot Potato. We (the staff, really) sang a New Year's song, Gong Xi Gong Xi (pronounced Gung She), and Josh found a version of it online. So for Chinese New Year, get some red packets, fill them with candy, and then pass them around while you sing this New Year's Song.

The original post of this song was found on mumsgather.blogspot.com and the PinYin had been posted on Tok3Tok4.blogspot.com.

Gong Xi Gong Xi

mei tiao da jie siao siang
mei geh ren di zhui lee
jien mien di yi ju hua
jiu si gong xi gong xi
gong xi gong xi gong xi ni ah
gong xi gong xi gong xi ni

dung tian yi dao jing tou
zhen shi hao di siao xi
wen nuan di chuen feng
jiu yao chui sing da di
gong xi gong xi gong xi ni ah
gong xi gong xi gong xi ni

hao hao bing xue rong jie
yan kan mei hua tu rei
man man chang yeh guo chu
ting dao yi shen ji ti
gong xi gong xi gong xi ni ah
gong xi gong xi gong xi ni

jing guo duo sao kuen nan
li jing duo sao muo lian
duo sao xin er pan wang
pan wang chuen de xiao xi
gong xi gong xi gong xi ni ah
gong xi gong xi gong xi ni

Navigating Hong Kong

2011-02-03T02:33:00.000-07:00

When we prepared for our trip to Hong Kong. my mom mailed me some older maps that she had used and collected. We actually skyped (if that can be a verb) about the different places we can go and things to see. It was helpful, but when we arrived, I realized that it wasn't quite as convenient to get around as we'd thought. This is due to the fact that we are staying in the Mid-levels, homes, flats, and buildings that are placed along the hillside of the Peak of Hong Kong.

As a result, streets zigzag down towards Central and Admiralty, two adjacent districts in the city. If you head down one stair case, which sits just west of where we are staying (down a cemented slope and through a few parking areas and through the Hong Kong Park), you end up in the south part of Central, just west of the Bank of China. If you head down a more easterly staircase, you end up walking down Kennedy Rd. We haven't figured out which staircase takes us to Admiralty, so we always end up in Wan Chai when we walk east. Wan Chai is further east than Admiralty. It takes about 15 minutes to get down, and it probably takes longer to get up. We haven't really timed it.

One other thing that should have been obvious to me is that people here would assume I speak Cantonese. I don't look like some random Chinese ethnicity out for a visit, because, doy, I was born here. Sadly, I don't remember much cantonese -- I can count to ten, mumble my address, and ask where the toilet is -- and I don't know enough "questions" to ask purveyors to explain their menus. I do just a hair better in Mandarin (Potonghua) but it's less commonly spoken in the market streets to which I am addicted but can't really communicate. My recommendation: Get a Lonely Planet phrase book and muddle through some of the phrases. I've been looking for one since I found it at the HK Central Library in Causeway Bay (10 stories of books, mostly in Chinese). It will be very helpful.

The best advice we have been given is to purchase an Octopus Card. These cards are accepted at the MTR (the subway), the buses, the ding ding trams, some taxis, and some grocers. You can purchase the cards at the customer service or information desks in the MTR stations (just look for the signs). Then you can refill them at the 7-elevens and automated machines that are spaced all over the MTRs and the 7-elevens all over the city. All you have to do is beep them on the reader panels, which look like Octopus cards glued to the people gates and machines. The cards even work through the wallets and purses, so you don't have to dig out your card every time you need it.

Finally, study the map of Hong Kong and develop a plan of where you'd like to go. Don't be shame (thanks Hawaiian friends for that idiom) about carrying a map around, and go into hotels and ask for directions. If you go to a hotel that clearly caters to foreigners, you'll have an easy time navigating. If you're braver, just ask someone you hope speaks English. :) We have found some cool coffee shops, restaurants, and stores as a result of asking questions.

Oh, and don't be afraid of wandering and getting lost. Hong Kong isn't that big. You run up to the hillside and the South China Sea pretty quickly, and you'll see that many streets and signs are written in both Chinese and English. I don't like getting a map out on the street, so I go inside to a cafe and sit down to stare at my map. You can also go down to the MTRs and look at their maps and compare them to your map. It really is easy to navigate, you just have to have a goal and then understand that the map makes things look far apart, but as long as you're comfortable walking ten or more blocks, then HK is easy. If not, you can always hop in a taxi - several of the drivers we've had speak some English - or jump on the MTR.

Travel costs, approximate, in HKD:

Taxi - $18 for the first mile or so; about $25 to go from Central to the Mid-Levels
Bus - Minibus - $5 to $10, depending on the route
MTR - $5-10 depending on how far you travel
Ferries - $2 and up
Walking - $0 but you have to explore where you're going :)

With the exchange rate of about 7HKD to $1, transportation is very affordable and easy to use.

Travel tips: Remember that traffic is opposite to that in the States, so remember to look the Right then Left, for the most part. Several of the more heavily-trafficked areas have signs on the ground that tell you which direction to look. Don't try to run any "don't walk" signs, which tick slowly for the visually impaired, and wait for the "walk" signs, which are signaled by rapid ticking. Or you can wait for a mob of people to cross, even on a red, and hope that the taxis slow down (they usually do and will honk like crazy).
Take your time to walk from place to place. There is so much to see!

First Day in Hong Kong

2011-02-03T01:18:00.001-07:00

On the first morning, Josh and I woke up around 8 and got ready for the day. Our water heater was broken, so we took sponge baths. Later, Stuart returned and gave us access to another flat to access that washroom while the staff works to fix ours. Always an adventure, right?

We walked down the hills towards Admiralty in the most circuitous manner I could imagine. Rather than taking the staircases that turned out to be directly below us, we walked about a mile west and then headed north to the Admiralty area. We saw one Maserati and one Lotus while we walked, and we also saw several BMWs, Mercedes, and Hondas zoom by us. All through our walk, we were surrounded by tall apartment buildings that rose from the hillside. These apartments usually had 15 or more levels, and they were not all new. Some of them looked like they'd been around for thirty or forty years.

We eventually found Admiralty, after we found the Tram's track and wandered down some step-hill climbs that zig zagged between the apartment buildings. We also found the Pacific Place mall. It's similar to a western mall - trendy stores, glitzy advertising, security guards, shoppers - but there was a distinctively Chinese feel to it. The canned music being piped over the PA system sounded like traditional Chinese instrumental music, and some of the advertising was definitely directed towards Asian fashion and styling. The mall was very sleek and looked nothing like I remembered it. I actually don't really remember it.

We also found Starbucks and McDonalds. I really don't want to eat there, but I am also curious about the slight differences between the menus. Starbucks here is apparently run by a third party as a franchise, rather than the American corporate-run businesses. McDonalds is already franchised, and the menu is updated to incorporate more Asian cuisine. The double Fish Filet comes with a side of wasabi, and the McRib is covered in teriyaki sauce. We haven't examined Starbucks' menu yet.

We went to the main offices at lunchtime and met the CEO, David Youtz. He's friendly and animated. He has lived in Hong Kong for the past four years and has a long history with China and Hong Kong, because he and his wife have adopted four children from Mother's Love, in Nanning, China, and he had taught in China years ago.

Wenda, our main contact here at Mother's Choice, walked us to Wan Chai, which is a local's shopping district composed mostly of small shops and open air stalls. We had to purchase white shoes for the Wee Care facility, and we wanted to buy some groceries for our flat. I'll detail Wan Chai and downtown walking soon. Eventually, we hauled our bags back to the Hopewell Tower and then caught a taxi to take us the rest of the way to Mother's Choice.

We have had a full first day in Hong Kong, and it has been great to see Hong Kong from a different perspective. It is so different and so much the same, and certain memories awaken in my mind wherever I look. I remember vaguely the walking we did around the downtown (or Central) area, and I remember sensations and friendships when I wander around the Mid-Levels area.

We have the next two days free to continue acclimating to Hong Kong. We'll soon be getting local mobile phone sim cards so that we'll have local phone numbers, and we'll start getting familiar with street names.

Glimpses of Hong Kong

2011-01-29T17:51:00.000-07:00

I totally want that for christmas

Our Guest Flat

2011-01-28T20:49:00.000-07:00

Some of our friends think we're roughing it in Hong Kong. We're not. We are staying in a three bedroom flat with a full bathroom (shower not tub), washer-dryer set up, two lofted rooms with kids' beds, a full kitchen with dining corner, and a bedroom. It's pretty amazing. It's chilly here but we have two radiator heaters which take the edge off. We're not really sure what to do with all the space. I requisitioned a lamp and child-height table for us, but otherwise, we leave the upstairs lofted rooms alone.

This flat was actually the Snow's apartment, I think, before they moved to Lantau Island, where we lived. I think the Stephens also lived here at one point. It was used for the Wee Care facility for a little while before they moved down Borrett road to their current location. The flat was vaguely familiar, but mostly not. A friend from YWAM happened to be visiting the area, and she said that the hospitality office used to be in this building as well.

Our bedroom

The bed is very firm, so if you lay on your side, your arm and hip may fall asleep.

The office. The password for the wifi is actually the name of one of the YWAM base directors who worked there when my parents did.

An induction range top with push buttons. You have to first turn on the power switch and then choose your setting. It doesn't turn red, nor does it require special pans, but it heats really hot and works very well.

Our beverage set-up. Wenda, our coordinator and host, left tea, sugar, and milk for us, so we had tea the first night we arrived. The air pot bring water to a boil (100C) and keeps it there until you disconnect the power cord.

My kitchen, taken from the dining room side, looking at the "office"

We have an actual dining room!

The laundry room. The "thing" in the middle holding up the wash basin is a washer. The washer beneath the dryer doesn't actually work. I found that out this morning once I'd loaded it with towels and closed the door. The door handle is broken off and it took us some time to get it open and to transfer the towels to the other machine. More on the machines later.

Wide screen tv adds 25 pounds to the skinny television hostesses. We watched Korean Pop (K-Pop) on it last night, and we also watched an episode of Psych, which had Chinese subtitles! Ah... American television. If we start missing the US, we can also watch Two and a Half Men, CSI: NY, and Crash and Burn. I'm so glad that these American television shows exist so the rest of the world can see what America is really like!

We have our own bathroom with a shower that was made *just* to fit someone exactly my size. I've banged into each side of the shower stall so far. Fortunately, after some work, the water heater works and pumps out really hot water. The first night it was broken, so we ended up taking modified sponge baths. The maintenance man came and reset the water heater, which is in the ceiling above the bathroom mirror. When we returned to our flat yesterday, it was soooo nice to take a hot shower on demand. Funny how those basic niceties are so luxurious when you realize you can't get them as easily. (As a side note, the water heater usually works fine and isn't a problem, so having hot water isn't such the luxury in the thoroughly modern and Westernized Hong Kong)

There's also a child-sized toilet on the side. Haven't assembled it to see how it works.

Hong Kong Pictures

2011-01-27T06:11:00.000-07:00

Fifteen Hours to Hong Kong - Our Trip

2011-01-26T05:48:00.000-07:00

Well, Josh and I have officially survived a 10 hour flight followed by a 4 hour flight. We left Seattle at 1:00 in the afternoon and arrived in Tokyo around 16:00 local time. We walked around Tokyo's airport for about an hour and half and then headed to a different plane. We wanted to be sure to get some sushi in Tokyo, so we found a little cafe that sold some. After wandering around the airport some more, we found several stores - including Salvatore Ferragamo - and a display about preventing the transport of contraband imitations of items like Coach bags and Prada wallets.

Our flight to Tokyo was long, but totally bearable. We were on a A330 airline, which is a large airplane but not as large as the Boeing 747 double deckers. It had personal tvs with some complimentary viewing, so it was very nice. Between the two of us, Josh and I watched four movies a piece for a total of 5 different movies. I'm all caught up.

It was surprisingly hard to read or write on the plane, because the laptop was larger than the tray-table upon which it rested. When I was working on my nutrition presentation, I had to swing my elbows out wide so I would have enough room to type and use the mouse. For our flight back, I think I'll just listen to music!

Since I'm interested in food and meal development, I was interested to see what type of food we'd have. We were served a shrimp cocktail (cocktail sauce was Heinz brand in a little packet), salad, and either an oriental style beef with rice dish or a dijon mustard chicken and orzo dish.

Tokyo was rather flat -- I guess we're not close the mountains. The coastline was very clear, and the setting sun was purple-red. Lovely. Josh quipped that he thought this was the land of the setting sun...uhm...no.

Sushi in Tokyo was probably better than lots of the sushi I have had in the past, but it's hard to know with the pre-plated trays that were served at the one cafe we selected. I am going to the other cafe next time, because they also had a ramen noodle house. I love ramen noodles, so I want to see how their ramen is cooked and flavored. The cafe we dined at conveniently took US cash, so it was easy to get around the airport. It's nice to not have to exchange cash for our layover, and it was nice to walk around on solid ground for a little while.

When we transferred flights, we exited one airplane and had to walk immediately to the international transfers area. This meant that we had to go through airline security again. The Japanese version of TSA is very efficient, and one agent stands next to the conveyor belt assisting confused passengers in getting their laptops and toiletries placed into the baskets. They were remarkably patient, especially since many of the individuals going through Tokyo weren't staying and probably spoke little Japanese. I was surprised that we had to through security again, since we had *just* gone through security in Seattle - and everyone else's original departure cities - but we didn't really lose any time getting through.

Flying into Hong Kong isn't the same as it used to be when I was young. We used to fly into Kai Tak Airport, to which you would approach by flying closely over apartments and offices on Kowloon. It was always a marvel to me to see how closely and safely we flew. The new airport is on Lantau Island, which doesn't have as densely packed apartment buildings and business complexes as Hong Kong and Kowloon have.

When we arrived in Hong Kong just after 11:00 pm, we followed the crowd of passengers to the immigration and customs desks and finally to the baggage claim. Er... baggage reclaim, that is. It's an odd feeling to be part of one mass of well over 100 people all flooding to the same few desks. Several passengers attempted to jog and squeeze past other passengers, and I was struck by how little the personal space bubbles are around many of the Asian travelers.

For example, when Josh was attempting to hoist our carry-on rolling bag to the overhead compartments, the passenger immediately across from us decided to remove her backpack after squeezing past/next to Josh in the aisle. The result was that the backpack had shoved into his back, and he had given a little jolt of surprise and borderline violation. It was hilarious to me, but I wasn't also being pressed into the sides of airline chairs while attempting to support a suitcase above my head. When she finally sat down, Josh finished loading the upper compartment, and he also sat down.

A similar experience occurred when we were unloading the plane. Oftentimes, when a plane is unloaded, all of the passengers (or most) in the front of the airline will exit before the back passengers. Not this time. This time, you had to physically and assertively insert your person into the aisle and speed-walk through the aisle to the exit, otherwise, you would be run over, or at least pressed hard from the back. The eye-contact-pause-merge method employed on our flight to Colorado over Christmas and often used at our church on the way to Communion was totally missing. We also learned that if you jump into the aisle to grab your overhead bag, the passenger behind will determine that the centimeters between your backside and the chair across from you is sufficient space for him through which to squeeze his bag and himself. Josh and I are made of strong, if compact, stuff, so we survived the stampede towards the exit and headed towards the immigration desks.

I haven't gone through immigration in years. Seattle to Denver and Denver to LA trips never required it, though sometimes I felt like I was going to a different country. The flight attendants handed out familiar white tourist visa applications, which I dutifully completed. I remember filling these in as a kid. My mom remembers that I would ask to be given my passport and immigration form and be met on the other side of immigration. Seriously. I was an independent kid. And no, my mom never let me go through immigration on my own. Can you imagine how easily I could have gotten lost?

Turns out we didn't need them, because we had working visas, since we're volunteering at Mother's Choice for the trip. The agent was very very patient and spoke excellent English. He calmly explained that we should have affixed our visas to our passports, and he actually did it himself. Then four quick stamps, a date, and a signature, and we were officially in Hong Kong.

Stuart, one of the employees at Mother's Choice, picked us up at the airport. I'm so glad, because by the time we saw his friendly face, we were pretty tired. I can't imagine trying to tackle a taxi or the MTR (underground) at 11:45 pm following a 15 hour trip. I think we did that as a family when we returned from the States, but I was somewhere between 2 and 9 during those trips. As we sped along the express ways - on the opposite side of the road - Stuart pointed out the one part of Lantau Island that had been the original island and then explained that much of what else we saw was reclaimed land.

We finally arrived at Mother's Choice's offices and guest flats, and we shuffled inside. I caught my second wind as memories - mostly in snapshot form - started forming in my mind. I looked up a sloped road and realized that I had attempted and failed to skateboard on that very hill. I glanced around the building, looking at the shadowed trees that looked black against the downtown lights. I thought about climbing those.

When we walked to the guest flat, I was struck by how familiar the floor plan was. It was the Snow's flat when we lived in Hong Kong. Craig, Becky, and their kids, of whom Laura is a dear dear friend and fellow blogger, had shared the two- or three-bedroom flat before they moved to Lantau. The image of seeing my friends' flat so changed and so unchanged was startling. I could almost feel the anticipation of seeing Laura climb down the loft steps to come and play.

Soon after a brief tour and a handing over of keys, Josh and I got ready for bed and crashed. Unfortunately, my body thought that it was 10 am, and I only got six hours of sleep. Actually, that's not bad for being jet-lagged.

So, a trip to Hong Kong isn't so bad. It's long and you get a bit tired of sitting. I definitely recommend taking a flight to Tokyo and then transferring to Hong Kong rather than trying to push out a 14-hour flight straight through. It's a much-needed break after ten hours to walk about an airport and eat food that hasn't been sterile-packed and microwaved. Besides that, going to the bathroom in a stall in which you can actually turn around is nice.

If all our flights were this straight-forward -- perhaps with a little less shoving -- and if they were affordable, I would definitely keep traveling. I think the traveling bug may have bit us both.

Why Adoption?

2011-01-25T21:50:00.000-07:00

My mom chose to adopt because she had a medical condition called endometriosis. This condition prevented her from becoming pregnant.

I asked my OB physician's assistant to give me some information about endometriosis. Here's what she said.

"Stats show about 15% of the population has infertility, hence about 85% of couples conceive within one year of trying.
Causes of infertility range but the main subgroups are male factor (30-40%), ovulation disorders ( up to 30%), anatomical issues like fibroid tumors, blocked tubes, misshapen uterus, etc (up to 20%), endometriosis (up to 20%), and a small group of "unexplained" infertility.

Endometriosis is a condition where the cells that line the inside cavity of the uterus are found outside the uterus, often in the pelvis surrounding the ovaries, fallopian tubes & uterus. Endometriosis can lead to bands of adhesions, implants of endometriosis, it can distort the open end of the fallopian tube near the ovary. Endometriosis is confirmed via surgery (usually laparoscopy). There are stages I-IV relating to the severity.

Most women with endometriosis have very debilitating menses, painful intercourse, blood-filled cysts on their ovaries (endometriomas).    Sometimes they have irregular bleeding or heavy flow, but most often pain. It can be challenging to diagnose short of exploratory surgery. It can run in families, if the mother has it, there is about a 10-20% chance the daughter will have it.

There are theories about the cause of endometriosis, anything from cells that were "misplaced" during in-utero development to retrograde menses to inflammatory or autoimmune kind of things. No consensus to date."

I am grateful to be adopted. I am so blessed to have the parents I have and to have lived the life I've been given. Our lives and our family have been greatly impacted by the blessings of adoption, and I cannot imagine life another way. I'm glad that when my parents found that they could not have biological children that they decided to include other children in their families.

My parents described my adoption as intended by God. That I was always supposed to be in their family - always supposed to be a King - but that God wanted it done in a different way. When I was a child, I thought that meant that I could easily have been born to them, but now I know that I was never destined to have brown hair or blue eyes. I realize now how miraculous it was that they chose to adopt, and that my birth mother chose to carry me to full term.

Adoption is a wonderful way to build a family if you are not able to have your own or if you'd like to give a child a chance at a new life. I am a big advocate for it!

Medical links:
Medline Plus
Adoption

Getting Ready to Leave

2011-01-20T16:26:00.000-07:00

Josh and I are just days from heading to Hong Kong, and we have been a) enjoying time with dear friends and family b) staring blankly at our empty suitcases c) wrapping up details for leaving Seattle for a few weeks d) getting reacquainted with friends in Hong Kong e) looking with excitement and some nervousness about what is to come and ... f) can't wait for departure day!

I have been so excited about this trip, and it's so quickly approaching. I have recently made contact with the social worker (now barrister) that was in charge of the YWAM families adoptions. Essentially, she inspected my parents backgrounds, approved them, and brought me to them. My adoption was one of the earlier ones, and I am the first adoptee to contact her after these years. I cannot wait to meet her (again) and to ask her some questions.

I have been reflecting a bit about what it means to be adopted, born into certain circumstances, adopted by an American Caucasian family, and raised as their child. As we watch our friends welcome the births of their first children, I am struck by how immediate the family tie is formed. I become curious, then, about how an adoption bond is formed. My parents, my brother, and I share a closeness that is as close as blood, and I wonder about the incredible power and grace that has touched my brother's and my lives. I am so touched by the willingness of other volunteers and by the mothers to work and sacrifice to allow more children to experience the gift of adoption when the birth families are not able to be the children's families. I am also struck by the legacy of what it means to be "given up" and then "chosen." These mixed feelings of gratefulness and abandonment, self identification, reinvention, and self esteem are blended in me, and I don't yet know how to express them. As I sit here, I'm not entirely sure now what it means really to be adopted.

Josh and I have been asked to do some staff training classes in addition to the "physical care" work. We will be teaching about family work-life balance and child nutrition. We'll be working primarily in the Wee Care department, which is the special needs home. I don't have any experience working with special needs children, but the advice I have been given is that they need love, attention, and patience --like any other kids. We're really looking forward to it. Josh and I are expecting to be scheduled on the same shifts, so we're really getting excited. I know I'll probably fall in love with the kids there, and someday, maybe we'll get to adopt from there. But, first things, first. :)

If you'd like me to send you a postcard from Hong Kong, please email me your mailing address. I'm not nearly organized enough to have kept track of the addresses. But if I have them emailed to me, I can't lose them as easily. I will try to send them so that they get to you before we get back!

Food Adventures

2010-12-30T21:41:00.000-07:00

Schaubs Do Christmas

2010-12-29T21:27:00.000-07:00

Wow, I can't believe that Christmas came and went.

We kicked off the holiday season with Thanksgiving at Carol's sister's house. They live in a beautiful home and opened it up for all of the family. I had the pleasure of cooking a few of the menu items with the other family cooks, and a great time was had by all.

Then we went to the Christmas tree lighting at the Westlake Center. It is sure a fun event, and this time, it didn't rain. We secured/commandeered a spot where we could see both the hosts and all the areas that were lit up. It was a great start to the Christmas season.

Over the next few weeks we got ready for Christmas by cooking and baking lots of different sweet treats. I really enjoy it, and this time I experimented a little bit more with gluten-free recipes. For the most they worked out, and Pamela's Products remains my favorite brand. There are a few other brands emerging, but so far, every time I use PP, I get a successful product.

We went to the Kleyns and enjoyed decorating Gingerbread people and graham cracker homes. Michele's was definitely the best, but we all had fun showing off our (lack of) cake decorating talent. It was also a night of enjoying Hot Chocolates with Peppermint Schnapps and Hot Buttered Rum. In honor of the commercialized Holiday Season, we also watched "Elf."

We also went to the Swedish Cultural Center for the St. Lucia's Day celebration. St. Lucy was martyred for her faith, and she is honored in December. Afterwards, Josh and I drove around Seattle looking at Christmas lights (Candy Cane Lane in Ravenna is nice, but small) and at the lighting of the city (I can never tire of the Space Needle).

For the first time ever, we went to a national forest (with a permit) and picked out a Christmas tree. It was fun, and it was cold. There was a pleasant layer of snow on the roads and on the trees, and it put me in a very Christmasy mood. The trees were a bit sparse - of course, they were natural trees, not bred for their bushiness. So our tree turned out to be a little Charlie Brown-ish as well. I liked it, but our attempts to bulk it up mostly looked humorous rather than effective. I think we'll go snowshoeing next year and get a tree from a tree farm, but it definitely made a great memory.

We went to Colorado to celebrate with the Kings thanks to the generosity of our sister in law who gave us some standby passes on Alaska. We were only there for three nights, which were spent mostly catching up with my parents and preparing Christmas dinner. We had a great time. My mom and I even figured out how to make some gluten-free knedliky.

I also took advantage of the time and baked some gluten-free cookies for Josh. King Arthur Flour makes a basic cookie mix into which up to 3 cups of mix-ins can be added, so Josh ended up with a wide variety of cookies and treats.

We joined my parents for the Christmas Eve service at New Life Church and were greatly amused by the lights, music, and message. The talented performers played a rocking version of Carol of the Bells, a funny, radio drama-style version of "Twas the Night Before Christmas," and even had ice skaters performing on the center stage.

We didn't really get any snow, but it was fun spending some quality time with my parents.

It was very nice and very fun to be in Colorado for Christmas.

We flew home on Christmas day, which turned out well. The flights weren't as full as we'd feared, and we were able to get the first flight from Denver to Seattle. We made it home for Christmas in Seattle, too!

We hope your year has been wonderful and that next year brings even more love and laughter.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

We're going to Hong Kong for sure!

2010-10-21T23:06:00.000-07:00

We just bought our tickets!
We leave Jan 24 and return March 14. Woohoo!

We're so grateful for the outpouring of support we've received. We're getting really excited to see our friends and to meet new friends.
Last night, Josh and I presented our trip to the Global Presence ministry at Quest Church, our home church. Here's the presentation. (Note that the header was a combination of Chinese and English, and when it's presented as a screen capture, it scrambles the image a little. Sorry about that!)

Hong Kong

Pregnancy Crises

Mother's Choice

Mother's Choice's Mission

Services

About Joshua and Kimberly

Our Tasks as Volunteer Staff

Our Expected Schedule

Financial Report

Specific Concerns and Prayer Requests

Thank you to each of you who have supported us financially, spiritually, and emotionally. We would not have the courage or even the call on our lives had it not been for our relationships with each of you.

We are so excited for this upcoming trip, and we're looking forward to sharing each step with you.

Send us to Hong Kong

2010-08-27T16:00:00.000-07:00

We are so very excited to share with you an amazing opportunity that God has opened up for us—the chance to go on a mission trip to serve the Mother’s Choice crisis care center in Hong Kong. This trip will allow both of us to use our education and skills in order to have a tremendous impact on those in need. For Kimberly, this return to her roots will let her give back to many children coming from the same circumstances into which she was born.

Mother’s Choice was founded in 1987 to serve the desperate needs of unwed teen mothers who found themselves in the difficult situation of an unexpected pregnancy. At that time, teen mothers had been traveling to China from Hong Kong to get illegal and dangerous abortions. Today, Mother’s Choice provides temporary homes for those teen moms while they finish their pregnancies and for babies who await adoption. It provides foster families that help to care for up to 300 babies and has locations both in Hong Kong and main land China.

Kimberly’s parents, Mike and Paulette, credit the advocacy of the founding individuals of Mother’s Choice in supporting their efforts to adopt. As they were working as missionaries with Youth with a Mission (YWAM) locally, doors were opened with the government to begin the process of allowing international families to adopt “unwanted” babies. Kimberly was among the first babies to be adopted, and her life has been blessed and enriched by the love and grace she has experienced.

We have committed to volunteer at Mother’s Choice for 6 weeks starting January 2011. As we are both health care professionals, our responsibilities will include caring for physical and emotional needs, assisting with outings, and teaching classes. The staff has asked each of us to teach staff training classes in mental health and nutrition. We will be working primarily with young infants and children who are awaiting adoption. Because of Josh’s work experience, we will also be assisting special-needs kids.

Although this is a brief letter, we trust that you know our hearts and can hear our desires to be a part of something larger than ourselves. We would like to ask you to partner with us in serving Mother’s Choice in two specific ways: first, we ask for your prayers and any advice you could send our way. We value community and know that we cannot do this alone. Second, we ask for financial assistance as we take this step. Our combined need totals about $5,500. This will help us cover our travel and lodging costs. If you would like to join us in this mission project, please send us a check, made to Kimberly or Joshua Schaub. We hope to purchase tickets by September20^th, and we hope to be fully funded by October 24^th.

Kimberly will continually update their blog, http://www.jkschaub.blogspot.com, throughout the adventure. Thank you so much for your love, financial support, and prayers for our mission.

*Please contact Kimberly directly to get our mailing address*

Climbing Up the Rock

2010-06-29T14:52:00.001-07:00

Joshua and I have been together for almost 8 years now, and it sounds so weird to say. I have spent more time with him than I have in post-high school education. Anyway, enough reminiscing.

One of the things we vowed to each other when we wed 5 years ago was to keep our brains and our bodies in shape for each other. That might sound really shallow, but essentially, it was a vow to keep learning and doing things that we love doing together.

As a foodie, it's easy to become enthralled in activities that draw me into different circles, leaving Josh behind. At the same time, as an outdoor enthusiast, Josh could meet friends who enjoy hiking a little more than I do. It's easy for us to say, "Okay, see you back home." We work hard not to let that happen, so I try to accompany him on as many outdoor things as he does for me at restaurants and markets. I am working off quite a deficit, you see.

Well, a few weekends ago Joshua had the opportunity to do the Marmot Rock Out hosted to woo REI employees. He kindly took me with him to 8 Mile Campground, Leavenworth, WA. I was a little bit skeptical, because I'm not a "gear junkie" who has a different sleeping bag for different weather conditions (who wants to camp in snow anyway?) or bicycles for asphalt conditions. But, I went along, because he loves being outdoors, and I love seeing him happy. Lucky for me, karma was on my side, and I had a great time.

We joined the bouldering group from the camp out and headed out to some "problems" less than a mile from our campsite. I haven't bouldered before, so I was pretty nervous. Bouldering is skillfully clambering up rocks without ropes to catch you if you fall, so you're not climbing very high. Several experienced climbers schlepped "crash pads" to cushion a climber's crash, and I eyed the puffy pads with some skepticism. What if I bounced off?

I decided to climb up a side of one of the rock problems everyone else was trying. This rock was wedged into the side of a hill, so it had a flat-ish face and a lumpy side. I crawled around on the lumpy side. Josh decided he could go up the flat face. What he hung onto, I'll never know. I stared at the face for a few minutes and then resumed my scramble up the side. After successfully climbing the extremely rocky staircase, I decided to try an actual problem.

Josh directed me to a side problem, and he helped me get my first step. I got about halfway up the problem -- it was probably 15 feet tall - I got seriously stuck. I was all spread-eagled on the wall with no idea of how to shift my weight. Then I heard it: people had stopped climbing their problems and had begun staring at me. "Move your right hand to that hold there." "Shift your left foot up here." And so forth. It's both incredibly intimidating and inspiring to finish a climb when a dozen REI staff members are staring and your -ahem - feet and legs and suggesting different ways to accomplish the climb. I tried to listen for Josh's voice, and gradually, he and a few others guided me up the rest of the rock. Several tense minutes that were each an hour long, I summitted my first bouldering rock and experienced a rush of adrenaline that I think you would feel if you won a race or accomplished something you were pretty sure you were going to fail.

Well, that accomplishment achieved something Josh had really been hoping for: I loved climbing. It was extremely challenging, and I'm going along slowly to avoid injuring my shoulder, but I really look forward to each climbing trip. Okay, we've only been on one other with Ingrid and JoJo.

The other is that I have found the climbing community to be extremely giving and close-knit. When we were at the Marmot Rock Out, a celebrity climber, Beth Rodden, joined the camp to help promote the product and unify the campers. She shared her incredible story with us, and I was struck by how the community of climbers gathered around her when she had to become re-motivated to climb. I also found her to be a humble woman who loved climbing but also enjoyed hearing from us. We had the rare opportunity to take her to Seattle after the camp trip and explore some of the dairy free and gluten free bakeries around the city, because that was an interest she and I shared. We were also blessed by the generosity of one pair of climbers/REI employees working in Santa Fe, Amanda and Derek, who gave me a gift certificate for climbing shoes. They encouraged me to continue going up and enjoying myself. What a community.

Last weekend, we went on our second climbing adventure. This time, we drove south to Tacoma and met up with Ingrid, a dear friend of Josh from high school. She and her boyfriend JoJo are climbers who have adventured all over the place. JoJo is also a climbing instructor at the local climbing gym. Ingrid is an occupational therapist whose knowledge of body mechanics makes her a talented climber. JoJo and Ingrid took the afternoon to help me learn the basics of climbing - like tying your harness and belaying - while Josh encouraged me to stretch myself in a weird craggy climb. He kindly took some candid pictures of me as well.

It's so fun to have an activity that we both enjoy fully. Although I'm not a marriage expert, I think that has been the key to our marriage so far. Keep doing things we both enjoy, and do those activities that the other loves just as much as you enjoy your hobbies. Seek out new activities that you can share. Support each others dreams. Date.

Seattle's Early Summer Teaser and The Schaub's Plans

2010-06-05T10:17:00.000-07:00

Summer seemed to arrive in May, and the farmers markets started to fill up. Tiny's Organic is a regular attendee of the Pike Place Market farmers market, and Josh kindly modeled the great customer service one can receive from them. They sell fruit from all over Washington as well as fruit smoothies and fruit preserves.

May is a significant month for the Schaub family, and we are developing some new traditions. First, we kicked off the month by celebrating Matt's birthday with 20 of his closest friends. We went to our first Sounders game, and I think the fan bug has bitten. We might try become committed fans!

We enjoyed dinner at the Elysian Brewery on Capitol Hill and then went to some dive bar for drinks. It was a fun day!

In May, we also remembered Nathan, Josh and Matt's eldest brother. Bill and Carol brought a beautifully framed collage of pictures and some significant items of his. It was a nice family day to remember loved ones and to reflect on the fragility and value of life.

May also brought about the Cheese Festival, which is any cheese-lovers dream. Cheese companies including Organic Valley and Cypress Grove were represented, and the best part was the sheer volume of cheese samples! We had to stand in some pretty long lines to taste the cheese, and we only lasted for two-and-a-half cheese booths. I also had a chance to see Chef Daisley Gordon prepare Pommes Aligot, a cheese and potato dish that defies the simplicity of the title. Exquisite.

School is almost over; the final exam is June 15th. I am teaching a summer session at PCC, but Seattle Community College is almost done. It hasn't really felt like summer, since the weather has gone back and forth between party sunny days and rain.

In addition to working at REI, Joshua has started volunteering with Outdoors for All. This seems to be a great way to pair his problem-solving skills and therapy knowledge with his love for the outdoors and recreation. The organization works to help disabled individuals get out and enjoy outdoor recreation within their means.

I am writing like a maniac for Demand Studios. I am also working on my blog, Peas on Moss, and have been recently approved for writing as an Examiner. More details are available on Peas. I still hope to attend culinary school this fall and get the official knowledge needed for some career and business ideas I have.

Day by Day Gourmet has shuttered its doors for the time being, though Graham has shared that he believes an idea of replacing quick dinners with wholesome, easily prepared meals is still one that will sell. He has encouraged me to look towards some other projects for the time being, and the experience and learning I've gained from the project has helped develop my interest in R&D in nutritional products.

We have also begun looking towards a mission trip in Hong Kong, so details might be coming for that, soon. Before we "settle" down and start our own family, we thought it would be wonderful to give back to the organization and vision that helped make it possible for children to be adopted or for pregnant mothers to develop the abilities to raise healthy, loved children.

Cupping Coffee

2010-05-19T21:44:00.005-07:00

Seattle Coffee Works hosts coffee tastings or "cuppings" every Monday and Thursday at 3:00, and I've become an unabashed fan! Check out these pictures and join me when you're in Seattle!

How to taste coffee

1) Grab a clean cup and soup spoon

2) Stand in front of a steaming bowl of coffee

3) Bend over, hovering your nose close to the bowl, open your mouth slightly and inhale, sniffing the coffee

4) Dip your spoon into the coffee, being careful not to agitate the grounds, which should have sunk to the bottom of the bowl, and withdraw a small amount of coffee onto your spoon

5) Making the most obnoxious slurping sound you can, slurp the coffee into your mouth, essentially spraying the coffee over your tongue

6) Smack your lips and taste the coffee

See if you can recall flavors that come to mind: some of them include caramel, chocolate, bright citrus, and berries. Discuss these tastes with fellow coffee tasters, and enjoy yourself!

On Mondays, Katie Shaw hosts a coffee origin tasting, and we explore different origins. On Thursdays, Ryan Miller hosts a vertical coffee cupping in which we explore different brewing methods, like vacuum pots and Tribeca! Check out their blog for explanations.

Cook Gluten Free and Win!

2010-04-26T09:05:00.002-07:00

I'm hosting a cooking contest on my cooking blog Peas On Moss. Check it out! You could win some great samples from Pamela's Products.

Coming of Age

2010-03-21T13:06:00.012-07:00

Last fall, when I was interviewing for a job, I found myself rounding up my age to 27. Sounds ridiculous, I know, but I have found that when looking at a potential manager, people tend to evaluate my age even before my abilities come under question. So, I would find myself rounding my age to some respectable but youthful age. Now, I don't have to do that, because I've hit that supposed respectable number. So, in my 27 years, what have I learned?

Well, I learned to gut a fish (tastes great with a balsamic reduction)

I learned that I love speed boats and sunny days

That I love to try good food

That my husband is the best partner with whom I could have picked to ride this crazy journey.

New friends, new ideas are great.

That matching outfits is hilarious and flattering. My rule of thumb is "would Brittany wear this?"

I hope this is the best year yet!

Laura Hunter's Prize Winning Lasagna

2010-02-17T18:16:00.004-07:00

Kimberly's Comments: I've known Laura since we were both shrieking 7-year-olds scrambling around the YWAM base on Lantau Island, Hong Kong. I think I've written to her more than I've spent time in the same time zone with Laura, but there is something unique about friends that you've known as long as your memory will stretch. We saw each other during one blazing hot summer in 1997, touring around with the Mercy Ships and singing and dancing. Our parents did a better job at keeping in touch, and I would learn about her life's adventures through them. Facebook has rekindled that friendship, and she happened to follow my blog when I had a drawing for a free baking dish from Cookware.com. Since she's such a champion, she actually blogged twice about the event. Oh, and she graciously agreed to submit this blog entry as a followup for the prize. Thanks, Laura! The recipe and photo of the recipe are Laura's. Check her blog for more creative recipes and excellent photos!

Laura Hunter

Ever since the first Tupperware party to the first infomercial for the perfect knife set people have been on the continuous hunt for the perfect new addition to their kitchen. We want the latest and the greatest, but I find it hard to constantly sift through the ads and the reviews to find what I actually need. We all have different needs in the kitchen and what might be an amazing find to one person is dull and useless to the other. Over Christmas I won the Paula Deen 9" x 13" Stoneware Baker from Kimberly King Schaub’s blog, Cooking with the Schaubs. And I must say that without even knowing that I needed it I found something that is perfect for my kitchen. The greatest part of this pan is how evenly it seems to cook my food and how easy it was to clean up. The other day I made lasagna, and after the second day with leftovers in the fridge I thought I would have to soak it for a while before I could clean it. I was happy to discover that with a little bit of soapy water the dish cleaned right away, what a refreshing change. It is fun when little surprises come your way that you didn’t even know you wanted.

Lasagna
1lb of ground beef
1 cup chopped onion
5 oz can diced black olives
2 garlic cloves minced
1 14 1/2 oz can of diced tomatoes, drained
1 8oz can tomato sauce
1 tbsp dried Italian seasoning
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 package of whole wheat lasagna noodles
1 beaten egg
1 15 oz container of ricotta cheese
1/4 c. Parmesan cheese
6 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese

For sauce: In a large sauce pan cook beef, onion and garlic until meat is brown. Drain.

Stir in canned tomatoes, sauce, Italian seasoning, black olives and pepper into meat mixture and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile cook noodles according to package instructions being careful to cook until tender but still firm. This is key to not over cook the noodles so that your lasagna has body to it. Drain noodles and set aside.

For filling combine, egg, ricotta and the 1/4 c. of Parmesan and set aside.

Spread about 1/2 cup of sauce at the bottom of your pan and then layer with your cooked noodles, trimming or overlapping as needed. Spread 1/3 of sauce and then 1/3 of filling over noodles, top with 1/3 mozzarella cheese. Repeat layers.

Bake at 375 in oven for 30-35 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

* Special note from Kimberly *
Some stoneware pans, the unglazed pans, don't always require soap to clean them. Pampered Chef stones will actually be damaged, so be sure to check your manufacturer's labels.

Seared Salmon Glazed with Balsamic Vinegar and Honey with Smoked Paprika Roasted Red Potatoes and Caprese Salad

2010-02-15T22:15:00.007-07:00

Fresh salmon is naturally sweet and creamy, and it doesn't need to be drowned out with super sauces and zippy spices. Since Joshua is on a gluten-free diet, I choose side dishes that are naturally gluten free, like red potatoes. Since the dish itself is rich, I wanted the vegetables to be simple and delicious on their own. You can choose a different side dish for your special dinner. This dish serves 2.

1 pound salmon filet, cleaned of bones, rinsed, and patted dry
1/4 cup Balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons clover honey
1 tablespoon, divided Kosher Salt
1 tablespoon Black Pepper, freshly ground
6 small red potatoes, scrubbed
1 tablespoon smoked sweet paprika
8 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 medium beefsteak tomato
4 fresh basil leaves
2 ounces mozzarella, sliced thinly

1. Clean the salmon filet thoroughly. Rub your fingers along the fish and check for fine bones. Even though the fish has been prepared, check to make sure the side bones are removed. Use clean tweezers and remove the bones you find. Rinse the filet and pat dry. Season with salt and pepper (approx 1/2 teaspoon each)

2. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a small nonstick saucepan, pour the balsamic vinegar. Place the saucepan over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 10 minutes, but be careful not to let it boil or splatter all over. The balsamic vinegar with start to evaporate and thicken just slightly.

3. Meanwhile, slice the potatoes into large chunks. Place in a bowl, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with the Kosher salt, smoked paprika, and ground pepper. Pour potatoes into a stoneware baking sheet or sheet pan. Place the pan in the oven. Bake for 20 minutes. At the halfway point, stir the potatoes, and turn them, so the other sides can also get browned.

4. While the potatoes are roasting, preheat a large nonstick skillet over high heat. When the pan is extremely hot, pour in 3-4 tablespoons of olive oil. Carefully slide the seasoned salmon into the pan - skin side up, being careful not to splash hot oil on yourself. Cover immediately with a splatter guard. Let fry for 3-5 minutes without touching it. You are creating a crispy crust for the salmon.

5. While the salmon is searing, add the honey to the balsamic vinegar and stir. Return to the heat and let simmer for about 3 more minutes.

6. Once the salmon has seared on the top side, carefully flip the salmon over and place the splatter guard back on top. Sear this side for another 5 minutes, or until the salmon is cooked through to 135-145 degrees.

7. Slice the beefsteak tomato. Then lay out on a serving plate and sprinkle lightly with salt. Top with the slices of cheese. Stack the basil leaves on each other and then roll up. Slice the basil leaves into the thin threads. Sprinkle overtop the tomato and cheese slices. Refrigerate until ready to use.

8. Remove the potatoes from the oven. Remove the salmon from the pan and place on a separate plate to cool briefly.

9. Divide onto plates and enjoy.

Teaching and Serving

2010-02-15T19:45:00.011-07:00

I started teaching at North Seattle Community College on January 4th, and my life has taken off! I am teaching a basic health course to 35 college students! Yah, somebody thinks I know something about basic health and thinks I can give advice to college kids. It's a great opportunity, and it takes lots of my time!

I ride the bus from downtown Seattle to NSCC each day, and I really have been enjoying the ride. I don't have to worry about merging traffic, accidents or crazy pedestrians. I just jump on the bus and get off 45 minutes later. Now, do note that it does take 30-45 minutes, depending on the passengers and number of stops, so it takes planning. The same drive, which is only 6 miles, takes about 15 minutes if I were to drive. However, since we live downtown, we park our car in a lot that's not very close to our house -- about 8 minutes away. Then, parking takes another 5 minutes, if you're lucky. I won't pay for a quarter-long parking permit, so I try to park further from campus. It takes about 5 minutes to walk from one of the parking spots on the street across from the campus. So, all said, it takes about 24 minutes to drive myself to campus. It's worth riding a bus and getting a front-row drop off. I've thought a few times how funny (and so inconvenient) it would be if I were to drive to NSCC and then get on the bus later, leaving my car at campus.

Because the position opened up at NSCC, at least for the quarter, I do not work at Seastar Restaurant and Bar, the seafood restaurant I was at. I had been learning quite a bit from them, but one thing I learned for sure is that I don't care for losing out on all my weekend nights. I also have learned how essential each position is in the restaurant, regardless of how glamours or lowly. Truly. the serving assistants, the ladies and guys who clear tables, drop off plates, and deliver bread and butter, are the busiest people in the house. Okay, if you're a server, you'll probably disagree with me. But can you imagine trying to do all of this alone?

I have learned some good lessons from working in a restaurant. Here they are. Of course, if you're in the industry, then you'll probably have some suggestions. Feel free to comment.

1. Tip well, especially if the serving staff deserved it. They are often paid minimum wage and expect to make up the difference in tips. If the server is really biffing on the job, talk to a manager privately. He or she could make it right.
2. Make a reservation. It really doesn't matter if you think it will be busy tonight -- make one anyway.
3. Give your hostess information, like if you're celebrating something special, so she can take care of your table (sometimes a dessert can be given to you -wink wink)
4. Make eye contact with staff, the serving staff, the bar staff, the assistance, and the bussers - it's basic human respect. Even though they're members of the service industry, they're not servants.
5. Don't close the restaurant -- don't be the last table that hangs out one to two hours past the last seating. The servers, while they're glad you decided to dine there, do not want to stay for an extra two hours while you and your friends enjoy themselves. They still have to clean up the restaurant and all.
6. Be sure the restaurant is appropriate for the guests - if you want to dine at a nice restaurant, then leave the kids with the grandparents. Or, if you have kids, then go to a restaurant where the other guests won't be disturbed by kids. Restaurants want all diners to have a good experience, and sometimes other guests can ruin the experience for them. Don't be that guest.
7. If you do bring kid, bring food for them, because they'll probably get incredibly hungry before the food comes out. And clean up the food that falls on the floor (if it's food you brought with for the kids). There's nothing worse than cleaning up crushed Cheerios, and it's even worse when it's at your restaurant after the patrons have left.
8. If you have food allergies, let the chef know. He or she can probably whip up a great dish for you with some advance notice. When you make the reservation, see if you can plan that in.
9. Tip well, even if the servers don't deserve it. Okay, not 25%, but at least 10%. Many restaurants split the tips with the rest of the staff, so the whole team feels the effects.

The thing about being busy is that I don't have time to cook and prepare meals the same way that I have in the past. When we were in Pueblo, we had joined Country Roots Farm, a CSA, and I did a lot of cooking and preparation from scratch. But now, I usually get home in the late afternoon, and sometimes Josh is at work. The inspiration to make dinner is almost absent when he's absent. I have been eating a lot cereal lately.

Fortunately, Day by Day Gourmet makes simple meals that come together quite quickly. So, when we are home together, and I am not in the mood to go all out for dinner (or I lack the groceries), I can thaw one of those meals or cook one from frozen. Specific items were created that can be prepared from frozen if you didn't think of thawing a meal 24 hours in advance. I made Milano Risotto last night. It was easy to make, thank goodness! The great thing about the meals - and I'm biased here - is that the meals are nutritionally balanced. They are created to be around 500 calories, have 2-3 servings of vegetables, restrict sodium, and control fat. So, at least I can give my husband a decent meal that is good for him and that tastes good.

Now that I don't have the restaurant, our schedules line up a little better. There are still nights that he works, and I resort to eating cereal again. But...I am cooking a little more. We wandered down to the Market and picked up some salmon the other day. I had been thinking of a roasted salmon filet with a balsamic vinegar reduction. So, Josh loyally trekked to the Pike Market with me and helped me pick up a salmon filet at Jack's Fish Spot.

I found a good recipe online, and I made some modifications. Check the next post for the recipe.

Congratulations!

2010-01-01T20:26:00.003-07:00

Congratulations to Laura Hunter who won the drawing for the Paula Deen Cookware! Laura, your baking pan is on its way!

Merry Christmas!

Pear Bars in Paula Deen Cookware

2009-12-21T10:55:00.002-07:00

If you are a little tired of pumpkin pies, and it's not even Christmas, then consider this nice little treat. It is still nice and wintry, but it won't make you resent the pumpkin! I've also heard that pumpkin is in short supply, so relieve the shippers and switch to another in-season product. Its unique moisture and flavor will make it a hit!

Bake the bars in a 9" square stoneware baker (which you can win! see below) or double the recipe and put it into a 9x13" baking pan.

Pear Bars

¼ cup Butter, melted (1/2 stick)

½ c Sugar

1 Egg, beaten

½ t Vanilla extract

½ c Pear Puree baby food

1/2 cup Milk, 1% or almond milk

2 cups Pamela’s Gluten-Free Baking Mix (has baking soda) (or use 2 cups favorite gluten-free flour mix and 1 1/2 tsp baking powder)

scant ¼ tsp Salt

1 cup Butterscotch pieces

1 Bartlett Pear

1/2 cup Lemon-lime soda pop

1 bottle Caramel sauce, warmed slightly (one with a squeeze top is convenient)

Using a stand mixer and flat beater attachement, beat the sugar and butter together until creamy. Stir in the pear puree, milk, egg, vanilla. Beat until smooth. Stir in the flour and salt thoroughly. Dough will be stiff. Fold in the butterscotch pieces. Pour into a 9" greased stoneware baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for 35 minutes or until knife comes out clean. Cool before cutting.

Thinly slice the pear, and dip slices into soda pop to prevent from browning.

Place one bar on a dessert plate. Lay three slices of pear next to it. Drizzle caramel sauce over the top for a sweet garnish.

Merry Christmas, my friends!

~~~

Stoneware is one of the easiest items to bake in, and a 9" stoneware baking pan is a versatile item that easily fits into even well-stocked kitchens. The Paula Deen Cookware collection is both functional and beautiful, and the stoneware is especially handy. The benefit of cooking with stoneware is that the browning of the crust is more even, because heat is distributed throughout the surface of the pan.

Reader, you have the unique opportunity to win this stoneware pan for Christmas! You can also check out other great Paula Deen Cookware items by clicking on the picture below.

Cookware.com has allowed me to offer the stoneware pan to one of my readers! The winner will be chosen at random, based on those who comment on this post. Let me know what your favorite baked Christmas dessert is, and I will select a random reader from the response.

Happy Holidays!

Food has Moved!

2009-12-18T14:42:00.002-07:00

New Blog site! I am starting a new food blog, so we can have our family food experience and my professional food experience in two places. Check it out! Click on the title.

www.peasonmoss.blogspot.com

What's with Peas on Moss? You'll have to read my other blog page!!

Thanksgiving in the Northwest

2009-11-28T19:07:00.014-07:00

Thanksgiving has come and gone, and I am just getting to write my recipes down. I had posted in the beginning of the month, but the post landed below the post about the state fair (technology...)

This year, we gathered at Joshua's parents' home with his brother, Matt, and wife, Brittany; Brittany's brother and kids; Aunt Marilyn, and Grandpa Owen. We all contributed different dishes, but I forgot to photograph those, so you just have to look at mine.

I discovered a well-stocked grocery store in Mill Creek called Central Market. There are only a few locations for this store, and Kassi, my coworker, got me hooked on this one. They have a multi-aisle Asian Food section, including a sushi bar, a wine and sparkling drinks section, a large bulk bin section, and a large self-serve deli that even has Indian items. They even sell Paneer cheese, which is an Indian cheese that is cooked into a spinach dish. They also have a demonstration kitchen in the center of the market, near the fish and meat counters, and they were featuring holiday recipes, including gluten-free pies, gluten-free gravy, and gluten-free wild rice stuffing. Naturally, I picked up all of those recipes.

So this year, I used the Central Market recipes to inspire my creations. I have been getting adjusted to my mini-stove (really, I think it's 4 inches skinnier than "normal" stoves), and I bought a smaller sized Pampered Chef Stoneware Bar Pan (Thanks Diana!) that fits perfectly in the oven.

I volunteered to make the dressing/stuffing because Joshua is gluten-free, and it gives me the opportunity to experiment with different recipes. When we lived in Texas, I was introduced to cornbread dressing by the Longhorn Dining Facility's kitchen staff, and I haven't looked back. But I have changed it every year. It's quite easy to make a gluten-free cornbread using Pamela's Baking Mix (sold in bulk at Manna Mills, a natural food store off N. 220th). The recipe can be found on Pamela's website (www.pamelasproducts.com). I essentially make a sweet cornbread two days in advance and cut it into 1/2 inch squares and pile it on a baking sheet and leave it in my oven to dry out. Then I put the dressing together in the morning on Thursday. It came together quickly, because I had done my shopping and chopping (hey that rhymes!) earlier and spaced it out over several days for less than an hour per day, usually alongside something I was cutting for dinner anyway. You'll notice that there is chicken sausage in the dressing to give it a meatier flavor, but it can be omitted.

Cornbread Dressing

2 tablespoons butter

4 stalks of celery (1 cup), chopped finely

1 medium yellow onion (1 1/2 cup), diced

2 carrots, peeled and diced

1 pound chicken sausage, browned and diced

1/2 cup sauteed mushroom pieces

1 tablespoon dried sage, rubbed or ground

8 cups day-old cornbread cubes

2 eggs, lightly beaten

2 cups chicken stock

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp black pepper, freshly ground

1/2 cup finely chopped pecans

1 granny smith apple, diced finely

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease 2 9x13 inch baking pans (or use 1 oven-safe slow-cooker pot and one baking pan). Saute the celery, onion, carrots, sausage, and mushrooms in the butter over medium high heat in an extra large pot. Stir and continue sauteeing until onions are translucent and slightly sweet. Stir in the cornbread cubes. Combine the eggs, salt, pepper, and chicken stock. Pour over dressing. Stir in pecans and apple. Divide evenly into the prepared pans. Bake for 40 minutes or until cooked through (internal temperature of 165 degrees). Moisten with additional chicken stock, if needed.

On Black Friday, I had the chance to go downtown (which is 5 blocks from us) and watch the Downtown Parade. I also wandered into Nordstrom and a few other stores; there were only a few people scooping up the great deals (see pictures of streaming people). Sadly, Joshua had to work and missed the shopping. After his work, we went to the Westlake Center and watched the tree lighting, Macy's star lighting and fireworks. The Men's Chorale, Women's Chorale, and Girl's Chorale performed some pieces, and two other groups - Straight No Chasers and the cast from White Christmas - performed some signature songs as well. Then we had Jacalyn and Brandon over for dinner. Such fun. And, to answer your question, we had Spaghetti Bolognese, not turkey.

One thing that I find to be an especially Northwestern habit is the consumption of coffee. I definitely enjoy my coffee as often as I can, and I find there's a constant thought repeating in my head, whispering, "You feel like a Pumpkin Spice Latte." The cravings are almost daily.

Whenever I'm walking around downtown I count the paper coffee cups around. I would bet that every 5th person I walk past is carrying a latter, and it's almost always Starbucks. I also read with interest the articles written about finding the best coffee in town. There are dozens and dozens of "good" coffee shops, not including the ones whose coffee didn't get rated. We're not even scratching the surface of the numbers of different, independent coffee shops around.

The parade was no different; coffee business did well that day. I noticed this family man bringing much-needed necessities to his family at the parade. After the parade finished, I noticed that the trash bins also had a dose of coffee (cups) to keep them warm on the cold but sunny and dry winter day. I promise you, this picture is exactly how the trash bin looked.

Happy Thanksgiving friends! Looking forward to a great Christmas holiday season!

Puyallup State Fair

2009-10-16T13:48:00.004-07:00

We went to the state fair this year, and this is my second state fair ever, I think. The World Cafe (www.worldcafes.net), for whom I have been doing menu development and nutrition analyses, hosted a cooking demo at the fair, so I had a chance to test my ability to cook and speak at the same time. I drew on my years of experience watching television chefs, and I think we did fairly well.

I taught guests how to prepare Greek Chicken, a meal based on recipes written by Graham Kerr (The Galloping Gourmet - www.grahamkerr.com) and created by Day by Day Gourmet (www.daybydaygourmet.com). It's an easy meal, because it's prepared in various steps and placed in storage bags. All I had to do is thaw it, follow the directions, and plate it beautifully. Kassi was my beautiful assistant, Brad did the big selling, and Felicia did a lot of the sampling work. We were a great team! The photos were taken by our graphics girl, Jess Lundie.

In addition to the cooking demos, Steve, Michelle, and Josh joined me for touring around the Fair. We went to the 3-D show of Al's Brain. Hence the hot glasses.

Finally, the Fair Scone is famous. People apparently buy dozens of them to take home, and the mixes are sold in packages. All you do is add water. I bought two. One with jelly and one plain. Not bad... but not the scone I was expecting. Although it's more like a triangular biscuit, it lacked the creaminess and the underlying sweetness that I'd gotten used to in a scone. It tasted like a less-bitter Bisquick biscuit. Eh... I probably wouldn't rush out to get them again. But for $1.25 it's one of the cheapest eats at the fair.

Hiking in the Northwest with Joshua

2009-10-16T13:18:00.007-07:00

Joshua's goal for this summer was to GET OUTDOORS, and he has taken me along on some good hikes. We found a website that essentially talked about making sure you prioritize those activities that will help to refresh your soul, and for Josh, it includes being outdoors.

So, here's the summary of the hikes we've done:

Little Si

Tiger Mountain

Mt. Si

A glacier on Mt. Rainier

A few other random trails

Something that I find a little strange is that you can hear the interstate no matter how far into the trail you've hiked. Josh theorized that electric cars might cut down on the sound, but the noise of moving parts can't really be eliminated. I think that's just part of hiking near the city. The great thing is that most of the hikes were only 1 hour away. Very accessible.

I have really enjoyed the fact that Josh works for REI now, because he knows all sorts of random information about proper clothing to wear when we go hiking. Maybe next summer we'll get new shirts or something so you can tell that we went on several hikes and wore different "outfits" rather than simply looking like we did all of this in one day.

Josh has had the opportunity to go on a few more trainings for REI hosted by different clothing companies, so he comes back each day with a new "favorite" brand. I think we've settled on what we'll purchase, so we'll be debuting our clothes soon!

Seattle Farmer's Markets

2009-10-16T13:01:00.005-07:00

This summer has been a time to really absorb all the great sights and sounds of the agricultural community of Seattle. Entrepreneurs in Washington are like those in Colorado - passionate, knowledgeable, and resolute. The support of the farmers is equally passionate. I couldn't help but be thrilled by the things I saw. Here is a summary of them.

The best way to take advantage of the market is to get to know the marketeer from whom you are buying your food. They will definitely know a way or two to prepare the items you're buying. An easy way to enjoy the items are you are sampling is to simply eat it raw (where appropriate) or roasted with a little olive oil, salt and pepper. It gives you a chance to sample the items most cleanly.

Food Bank at Pike Market

2009-10-16T12:33:00.003-07:00

Giving in Tougher Times

Published in Pike Place Market News, Oct 2009

It's a bright and early-ish Tuesday morning, and a line has already formed. About 325 people walk through the doors of the Pike Market Senior Center's Downtown Food Bank each Tuesday and Thursday, and within hours each of those visitors leaves with a bag of groceries with three-days worth of food and miscellaneous supplies. Between twelve and twenty volunteers work these days alongside Matt Brouwer, the full-time Food Bank manager, and part-time workers, Lynne and Rudy, to ensure that donated goods are sorted, labeled, and distributed to clients of the program. 5,000 to 10,000 pounds of food are received and distributed each week, and donations come from organizations and businesses from all over the city, including the merchants at the Pike Market. Some 400-700 households benefit from the services of this Food Bank, and volunteers and clients are able to give and receive encouragement and food supplies.

Mr. Brouwer is the new director of the Downtown Food bank, and he has designed it to resemble a grocery warehouse to provide clients the ability to make choices about the items they select to take home and to create a more welcoming environment. He emphasizes the ability for the clients to choose, and he wants to develop the Food Bank into being the best in the area by offering the best selection of food. “There can be a shame factor in standing in a Food Bank line,” he comments, “and we want to remove that barrier and others” to encourage clients to feel more comfortable and continue coming back as needed. Clients come from a variety of backgrounds, including socio-economic, racial, and occupational. No questions are asked, and no one is turned away from the Food Bank.

The close connectedness to the farmer stands and businesses in the Food Bank is obvious in the items that have been provided. Greek-style yogurt, frozen fish, vegetables, and other food staples are stacked in boxes. Since this is the peak of the harvest right now, a section of the miniature grocery store is dedicated to fresh produce, most of which is donated from the farmer stands that occupy booths just a few hundred feet away from the Food Bank. Not only are food items given out, but personal items and special dietary items can also be provided upon request. Most of the items donated are turned around and given out as quickly as possible. Although a good variety of items are consistently given out, more items and more variety would always be welcome and gladly received.

The financial support and food donations are what allow the Food Bank to continue giving food to neighbors in need. Organizations such as the Market Foundation, Food Lifeline, and the Northwest Harvest keep the Food Bank stocked with supplies. City funding on several levels has also helped to keep the Food Bank thriving and available for clients. In addition to donations, men and women donate their time to serve their community and their neighbors. Some of the volunteers, like a fellow named “T” and another named John, are both volunteers and clients themselves. “T” collects several packages of food and delivers it to some of his neighbors who aren't able to make it to the Food Bank during distribution days. John had been strictly a client of the Food Bank and had recently found himself with some extra time on his hands, so he began donating his time. Now these men and several other volunteers come to sort food and assist clients with their food selections. That so few men and women can impact so many households is a testament to the support provided by the Food Bank and the secondary support provided by the city and the Market businesses.

These more challenging economic times have signaled changes for many people, and for some, that has meant transitioning from donating time and money to the Food Bank to standing in the lines as clients. Although the Food Banks nationwide have seen an increase of clients over the past few years, Mr. Brouwer hesitates to give a recessed economy too much credit. “Cost of living has increased, but wages and work have not been enough for some people to support themselves,” he explains. The economic boom we all enjoyed in the past decade has “not made a dent on hunger in twenty-five years,” and he doesn't expect that Food Banks will ever find themselves empty of clients.

If you would like to donate money, products, or service to the Food Bank, contact Matt Brower by email at matthew.brouwer@pmsc-dtfb.org or by calling 206-626-6462. You can also visit the website at www.figgypuddingpmsc.org. Donations in good condition and meeting specific standards are accepted continually. Please contact a representative at the Pike Market Senior Center and Downtown Food Bank for details.

Last Days of Summer

2009-09-18T21:16:00.009-07:00

Seattle has been mindboggling for me, and I have tried to thoroughly take advantage of the great summer that we've had here. The Pike Place Market has long held a dear place in my heart, and the different merchants and artisans have not failed to disappoint. Selected images of my daily wonder are offered here to tantalize your imaginations. If you haven't yet visited the Market, you really must plan a trip next summer. The variety of food, the talented musicians, and the wonderful people you meet are sure to dazzle. I thought that working in/around Seattle would diminish its fabled glory for me, but it has only increased my fascination and amusement. More to come...

Elaine and Jesse invited us to go to Herron Island with them, and I had my first taste of digging for clams and mussels (pictured above) and swinging on a tire swing! The swing extended out over the receded tide and threatened to throw you to the sea, but I survived! I know, I'm so brave. The mussels were extremely delicious, and we enjoyed a pasta dish suited for kings! Or average Washington transplants who spent the early morning diging up the clams...

Matthew and Brittany were wed on Aug 29th, and Carol and I ventured to the Des Moines Farmer's Market to check out flowers to decorate the chapel. The flowers in Seattle are just stunning. Here's a snapshot of a typical bouquet sold at any market for just $10-15 depending on the vendor. Colorado, sorry to say, cannot rival the bouquets here. The wedding, in case you were curious, was absolutely beautiful. Brittany's bridesmaids were adorned in darkish pink gowns, and Brittany's mermaid-inspired dress was one of the most classy designs I've seen. Matthew dressed his groomsmen in fancy tuxedos, and the wedding was a lovely ceremony at the Seattle University St. Ignatius Chapel. The reception at the Mayflower Hotel, in downtown Seattle, was enjoyable, and the dancing went almost to midnight. I would know, because I nursed blistered feet for days afterwards! But it was so worth it! Congratulations M&B!

We've been enjoying the summer with good friends and spiffy festivals. This giant Salmon graced the Ballard Seafood Fest. Steve and Michele graced us with our presence and patiently accompanied me to the adjacent farmer's market. What fun! I can't wait to see what other festivals have yet to happen and to return to the ones I missed!

Pictured below, I've been assisting with the culinary development of the World Cafe in Puyallup (http://www.worldcafes.net/). This is the cafe side of Day by Day Gourmet, a company based on the idea that convenient food can be mostly prepared at home and meet the nutritional restrictions to have a healthy impact on your life. The affordable dinners are packaged in sets of 12 and can be portioned from 1-6 servings. Go to www.daybydaygourmet.com to get more information about those. The World Cafe provides tasty and non-indulgent breakfasts and lunches, and I've had my fingers in most of the second draft of these recipes.

We're going to be at the Puyallup Fair three times doing cooking demonstrations, featuring the Day by Day Gourmet dinners and providing copies of our World Cafe menu. If you're in the area, please stop by. We'll be there 9/19 @ 6:00, 9/23 @ 3:30, and 9/26 @ 10:30. We can be found at the Pavilian/Home Arts building on the second floor. We'll have food to sample as well!

In my work to continue the development of Day by Day Gourmet dinners, I frequently test the recipes and the cooking instructions on different people. Bill, my father-in-law, is an excellent tester for the work, because he is detailed and doesn't attempt to assume what the instructions meant to say. Here he prepares the Gold Medal Apple BBQ Chicken. Brittany is advising him.

Summer Cooking

2009-09-01T18:15:00.005-07:00

I made the following recipes for a family reunion (Grandma's birthday) and the post-wedding breakfast (Congrats to Matthew and Brittany), and I was asked to post them. The recipes are really similar, but I didn't serve them at the same time!

Here you are!

Easy Salsa

2 medium cloves garlic, minced or pressed

1/2 medium red onion, minced

4 medium tomatoes (roma, beefsteak, any variety), diced into 1/2 inch cubes

1 tablespoon diced jalapeno, seeds removed, minced (or pressed through garlic press)

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (1 juicy lime pressed with Pampered Chef citrus juicer)

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

1 avocado, peeled, pitted, and roughly chopped (optional)

1 14-0z can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup white sweet corn kernels (frozen or fresh)

pinch of salt and pepper, if desired (I don't use them)

1) Be sure to mince the onion and garlic really small or use a food processor to chop finely.

2) Stir together the ingredients in a medium-size bowl with a lid.

3) Allow to rest over night for the best mixing of flavors.

Serve with chips or eggs for a smashing and lower-calorie (skipping the avocado) snack!

Southwestern Quinoa

1 cup well-rinsed quinoa*

2 cups chicken stock (or water with a sprinkle of salt)

1/4 medium red onion, minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

1 14.5-oz can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 14.5-oz can stewed chopped tomatoes

1 teaspoon (or more to taste) ground cumin

1 tablespoon lime juice

1-2 teaspoons chopped jalapeno pepper, or to taste

*Most quinoa needs to be rinsed in a fine sieve or colander before cooking. Measure out the quinoa, pour into the sieve and rinse under running water for at least a minute. Place your hand under the colander to feel the water flowing off the quinoa. Once it feels "normal" and no longer soapy or soft, the quinoa is rinsed enough. Forgetting to rinse the quinoa results in a bitter, miserable flavor.

1) Bring the water or chicken stock to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add the rinsed quinoa, reduce heat, and cover. Cook for 20 minutes or until the liquid is absorbed and the quinoa is softened. Remove from heat, uncover, and allow to cool (stir on occasion to separate the grains).

2) Mix in the remaining ingredients, adjusting for the desired spicy levels.

3) Refrigerate in a wide bowl, uncovered for 1 hour, or until the quinoa is cold. Transfer to a storage container, cover and enjoy!

Pesto - Enjoying Nature's Bounty Creatively

2009-07-27T22:05:00.003-07:00

What a great time of year the summer is! Farmer's markets allow the consumer – that's you and me – to meet the farmers and ranchers who work so hard to raise delicious, healthy food for us. The Pike Place Market is a central location for producers and buyers to sell and find amazing products from all over the state. Artists, Farmers, Businesspeople, and Performers gather each day to share in the abundance of our region, and you will have the pleasure of finding plenty of tasty and novel fruits and vegetables to bring home. If you're like me, you might like to explore a new food but might be unsure of how to prepare the item. Well, don't let that prevent you from purchasing the item. It's easy to find ways to use those ingredients. The best way to get to know a new food is to ask the farmer who is selling it. How does he or she prepare it at home? What are some tricks the farmer has learned? Another way is to check a website for recipes using those ingredients, such as http://www.allrecipes.com/ or other community-based recipe sharing websites. But, to save you some time, here is a sure-fire way to use ingredients.

Pesto Sauce can help you use basil, tomatoes, cheese, zucchini, yellow squash, eggplant, corn, and homemade pasta. The only foods that would taste odd with pesto sauce would be fruit like peaches. Adjust the ratios of the ingredients to emphasize a flavor, as you desire. Spinach can be used in place of some of the basil, and walnuts can be used to replace the pine nuts, if desired. The oil amount is optional, because it's meant to make the sauce spreadable. Chicken stock can be substituted for half of the oil to control the fat content, but omit the salt if you use it.

Simple Pesto (based on recipe from Pampered Chef)

1 cup lightly packed fresh basil

1/4 cup toasted pine nuts

1 oz grated fresh Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup olive oil

2 garlic cloves, peeled

1/8 tsp sea salt, optional

Place the garlic and pine nuts in the bottom of the food processor. Loosely tear half of the basil and add to the garlic and pine nuts.
Pulse the food processor until the garlic has been minced. Add the remaining basil, loosely torn, and the Parmesan cheese. Pulse until all ingredients are chopped.
Using the small feed tube in the top of the food processor, slowly drizzle in the olive oil, pulsing while you blend. Pour in just enough oil to make a paste. The pesto sauce should be thick but definitely spreadable. Taste it for flavor and adjust ingredient ratios, if needed. It should taste bright, zippy, and fresh. Add a dash of salt, if you desire.
If you're not using all of the pesto sauce right away, it can be stored in a tightly-sealed container for 3 days in the refrigerator. For longer storage, you can divide it up into small zipper bags and freeze it.

Jack's Fish Spot

2009-07-26T23:04:00.003-07:00

Sorry, readers, that it has been so long since I've published! Things have moved along quickly, and it's been great! I'm working with World Cafe (http://www.worldcafes.net/) in Puyallup and Lynnwood to help with the menu development (products and designs) and with Day by Day Gourmet, World Cafe's parent company, (http://www.daybydaygourmet.com/) with their Home Valet meals! It's been so much fun! I've also started writing articles for the Pike Place Market News, a merchant association-run newspaper at the Pike Place Market (http://www.pikeplacemarketnews.com/).

I'm planning on taking Biochemistry at North Seattle Community College this fall, and then I'll be applying to different graduate degree options for next fall! Exciting stuff!

Joshua is looking for jobs, too, and he's been looking into potential openings at REI. Wouldn't that be cool?! I hope he gets good discounts!

Now...onto the writing...

Bounty of the Sea Breathes Life into the Market

Tourists and travelers flock to Seattle every year by the thousands to see one major event: fish flying over head into the waiting arms of a plastic-coated apron-wearing fishmonger. Impressed nods and flashes of cameras follow the spectacle, and locals know that quick passage through the winding path of the Market is nearly impossible. Fishmongers, an archaic name for those who sell fish, are an integral part of the modern development and popularity of the Market. Tourism thrives in the Pike Market, and the fish marketing extravaganza is definitely worth stopping by. This popular fish market is one of several others, including local-favorite Jack's Fish Spot, to which many regulars flock to collect their fish and seafood. Across Pike Place Street sits this final fish market to join the Public Market, and Jack's Fish Spot has occupied the location for over twenty years. Flanked by produce stands and merchants, this fish market is impossible to miss, and getting to know these fishmongers will give you a view on what a community the Pike Market is.

Jack Mathers, the founder of his namesake's Fish Spot, opened this shop out of necessity. A rock musician at heart, and an entrepreneur in practice, Jack has expanded his spot to include a fresh Seafood Bar, live shellfish tanks, and a variety that puts any grocery store's fish stand to shame. You can also pick up his latest CD. Jack brings his experiences of working on fish boats and fish processing plants to his market, and you are as likely to see him expertly preparing your order as you are to see any of the other employees. Locals followed him here from his original location in Madison Park, and one family I spoke with has eaten at the Seafood Bar for nearly as long as Jack has been in business. The tasty cioppino rivals any fine Italian restaurant, and the rich clam chowder challenges any of the better-known restaurants' offerings. Crispy fried “hali-booty,” salmon, and shellfish are served on a bed of freshly sliced potato fries, steaming hot from the fryer. No, it's not a diet food, but a few laps around the Market should set you right.

The Northwest provides a breathtaking variety of fish and seafood, and Jack's Fish Spot offers a generous selection, including Dungeness Crabs, clams, Sockeye and King salmon, Quilcene oysters, and so much more. One amateur chef commented that he buys all of his fish at Jack's because, in addition to being the freshest, the prices are the most reasonable here. Joe Phillips, the manager in Jack's absence, explained that much of the fish comes from local and west coast vendors, and they receive orders several times per week. The fish you find buried in their ice displays and floating in the tanks are as fresh as you can get them, without fishing them yourself.

A good sense of humor, firm determination, and a willingness to get messy are essential qualities of the team mates at Jack's. No task is exclusive to a position, and each team mate is equal to the other. Joe has worked for Jack seasonally in the past while in college and now full-time, and he can be seen interacting with customers, preparing and serving food, setting up displays, and measuring/weighing orders. The Fish Spot and the Seafood Bar share a bar counter-top, and the employees know both sides of the business well. Whenever needed, they can be found zipping back and forth between fresh seafood and seafood meal preparation.

As I observed the Fish Spot team, I was reminded of how closely related to the Market these fishmongers are. Jerry Antush and Jeff Schmidt have worked for Jack off and on for years, and their dedication is reflected in the regularity of the customers who can be seen warming the metal stools that surround the Seafood Bar. To that end, several of Jerry's extended family members and close friends own or have worked in other shops around the Market. Regulars walked by and shouted greetings to the employees from whom they purchase goods, and a clear community has developed.

The Pike Place Market is a must-see for all visitors to Seattle, and the historical and popular role that each fish market has played in the continued strength of the Market is evident. Special summer events and tours help to keep the bustling activity, and local customer loyalty enables the market vendors and purveyors in business during the rainy winter days. Stop by Jack's Fish Spot, sample the zippy cioppino, and go home with handselected, alder smoked salmon. You'll definitely be back for more.

Coconut Granola

2009-06-13T21:47:00.015-07:00

This recipe is inspired by Wireworks Coffee House, Pueblo, CO. They're located on the Riverwalk. I liked going there for meetings and get their fruit and granola parfait for breakfast. Everything on the menu is absolutely delicious. And in Wireworks' style, eat this granola with a generous spoon of plain yogurt and fresh berries. If you're eating a strictly gluten-free diet, make sure you select "certified gluten free oats." Bob's Red Mill has a version, but there are several brands to choose from.

4 cups whole oats, old fashioned rolled

1/2 cup brown sugar, loosely packed

2 cups almonds, whole, raw (untoasted)

2 cups coconut flakes, sweetened

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

1 stick butter, melted

1/2 cup honey*

1 cup raisins, optional

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, optional

1) Gather together your ingredients and have them pre-measured. Set out your tools, as well. You'll want to use a spatula, spoons, bowls, and sheet pans. This way, when the granola is ready to assemble, you won't be wasting time hunting for ingredients or tools, Use parchment paper to line the pans, and clean up will be a snap!

Preheat the oven to 275 degrees. Arrange the racks so that two pans can be placed in the oven at a time. Make sure you have your recipe available, too!

2) *For measuring the honey, first spray the measuring cup with a little bit of cooking spray -- I use an oil spritzer. Then pour in your honey. It will pour back out of the pitcher very easily!

Measure the honey into the butter, and then microwave it on a low-power setting for 3-5 minutes, until the butter is melted. Stir in the vanilla. These are your wet ingredients.

3) Combine the oats, brown sugar, almonds, coconut flakes, and cinnamon into a large bowl.

4) Combine the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients. Stir thoroughly, making sure that everything is well-coated, that brown sugar clumps are broken up, and the ingredients are evenly distributed.

5) Spread the granola onto the sheet pans. Spread the layer of granola as thin and even as possible. Place in the oven, one pan on each rack. Bake for 20 minutes.

6) Remove the pan from the oven. Stir the granola thoroughly, being sure to draw in the more-baked edges into the center and spreading the less-baked portions outwards. Return to the oven and bake for 20 more minutes. Be sure to put the pan that had been on the top shelf on the bottom shelf, rotating the pan as well, so that the baking is even. Repeat for the remaining pan. The skilled hands in the picture below belong to my husband. I'm holding the camera, obviously.

7) As the baking goes along, the granola will darken slowly, turning a caramel brown. When you're stirring the granola, notice the color. Once it is evenly caramel colored, remove the granola from the oven. Depending on the heat of your oven it make take an additional cycle of baking, but be sure to remove the granola and stir it regularly to prevent burning. To be safe, reduce the baking time to 10 minutes and watch it carefully. The granola will become crispy as it cools, so don't wait for that. You'll bake for approximately 45 minutes to an hour. Below, you'll see the distinctive color differences, photographed at the same spot, after 2 cycles of baking. I was also using my mother-in-law's oven, which is a gas Jenn-Air. The coconut will brown, so be careful that it doesn't burn.

8) Remove the granola from the oven and allow it to cool. Stir after approximately 10 minutes to ensure that the granola doesn't stick to the pan in a long sheet. It is very difficult to pack into the container this way. Sprinkle with raisins, if desired, while the granola is hot.

9) Once the granola has cooled completely, it can be placed into an air-tight container and enjoyed at any time!

Simpler Creamy Risotto

2009-05-11T21:23:00.002-07:00

Creamy Risotto

Serves 4

Cook time: about 41 minutes (make this recipe while preparing another dish to feel that time is spent well)

½ medium onion, minced finely

2 tbsp butter

1 cup Sweet Rice (Thai)*

4 cups water

3-4 chicken bouillon cubes, to taste**

¼ tsp garlic powder (or 1 garlic clove minced)

¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper

½ tsp lemon juice

½ cup chopped green onion, greens and whites

½ cup mozzarella cheese, shredded

1 tsp parsley leaves, chopped

Find a kitchen timer, you’ll need it for this recipe.

In large saucepan or nonstick wok, melt butter and gently sauté (sweat) the onions over medium-low heat for 5 minutes or until onions are translucent.

Add sweet rice, turn up the heat to medium, and sauté for 5-7 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring frequently.

While the rice is browning, bring the water and chicken bouillon cubes to a simmer in a separate saucepan**.

Add 1-½ cups of the hot broth to the browned rice and stir it in. Reduce heat to medium-low.

Set the timer for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, stir the rice, which will be thick.

Stir in 1 more cup of the broth. Set the timer for 2 minutes. The liquid will soak in each time.

Then pour 1 more cup of broth in. Allow the rice to soak up the broth for approximately 2 minutes.

After this point, you'll probably have to stay in the kitchen and stir it every minute. Set the timer for 12 minutes to help gauge the passage of time, but don’t leave the saucepan to simmer alone.

Stirring constantly, add the remaining broth. When the timer ends, turn off the heat, but leave the wok on the burner. Stir in the garlic, pepper, lemon, green onion, mozzarella, and parsley. Serve hot.

*Thai Sweet Rice isn't sweet, really. It's a short grain rice that releases quite a bit of starch, making the liquid portion thick and creamy. It's often cooked with coconut, sweetened, and served with coconut.

** You can substitute the 4 cups of water with 4 cups of low sodium chicken stock.

Frittata ala Pueblo

2009-04-15T11:30:00.003-07:00

Who doesn’t love some ease and flexibility for home-cooked meals? Frittatas offer both, making this recipe unique each time you bake it. Frittatas are my lazy weekend morning meals, when I don't feel like babysitting an omelet pan but still crave an egg teaming with vegetables. This satisfying, easily prepared meal offers great health benefits too.
Locally grown eggs are available all year, so you can shop and eat local organic even before all the vegetables make it to the farmers markets in July. Organic eggs are available from several local farms, including Larga Vista Ranch and Country Roots Farm, and the benefits of selecting organically grown eggs have now been supported with scientific data. Eggs may improve the health of your eyes, providing antioxidants lutein and zeaxanthin (Egg Industry Insider 2006), and the winning combination of protein and fat help to keep your stomach satisfied for hours. Better yet, pasture-raised chicken eggs contain less cholesterol and saturated fat and more vitamin A, vitamin E, beta carotene and omega-3 fatty acids than their conventionally-grown counterparts (Mother Earth News 2007).
The Organic Processing Magazine (2008) reviewed studies that revealed that both organic dairy and meat have higher levels of conjugated linoleic acids (CLAs) when compared to conventionally raised animals. These levels were due to the differences in the animals' diets. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition reports that CLAs help to reduce the body fat mass in healthy overweight individuals (June 2004). According to the International Journal of Obesity and Related Metabolic Disorders, CLAs also help reduce the risk for cardiovascular disease (August 2004).
Eggs are often accused of raising cholesterol, which can be the case for those with higher cholesterol. The recommended daily cholesterol limit is 200-250 mg, which is roughly one egg yolk. The egg yolk provides roughly 75% of the calories and all of the cholesterol, so if you want to limit your intake, use more egg whites than whole eggs. Be sure to include some of the egg yolk on occasion, because the bright yellow-orange color provides the riboflavin and the helpful CLAs. *
I usually make these meals at the end of the week to use up the vegetables I have prepared during the previous days for different meals. Having the vegetables already chopped makes this meal a snap to prepare. You will want to use an oven-safe skillet, preferably nonstick (but watch out for flaking Teflon, which is not good for you). You can also substitute other vegetables or meat (or not) for the vegetables and ham, as you desire, based on what’s available and looks good. Check with the local farmers to see which vegetables are freshest the day you go to the market. If you can find fresh goat cheese, it’s a great substitute for the Parmesan cheese. For some bright flavor, add 1-2 tablespoons minced fresh herbs (try basil, thyme or tarragon) when you add the cheese.
When you serve this with a side of fruit, and toasted whole-grain bread, you have one hearty, delicious breakfast.
Frittata (baked omelet)
Serves 6
1 bunch fresh asparagus, ends snapped off and trimmed to 2” pieces
½ jar (8oz) roasted bell peppers, drained, cut into 1½-inch squares
1 slice (3oz) thick-cut ham, diced (or 6 slices Canadian bacon, diced)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 Medium onion, diced
6 mushrooms, sliced thinly
1 green chili, seeded, cleaned and diced
2 tablespoons butter or olive oil
6 large eggs
3 tablespoons softened cream cheese
¼ cup milk
½ to 1 cup shredded cheese (Parmesan is nutty and sharp, and Cheddar melts nicely)
During the week before, slice vegetables, and place in zipper bag. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine softened cream cheese and milk. Scramble eggs in a medium bowl and add salt and pepper (a good dash each). Whip together the eggs with the milk/cream cheese mixture. On the stovetop, preheat a 10” oven-safe skillet over medium heat. Melt the butter. Sauté the onion and garlic. Add the rest of the vegetables and the ham. Sauté about 3 minutes. Pour eggs over vegetables. Place skillet in oven and bake about 15 minutes, until eggs are just about set and slightly shiny. Remove skillet from oven—be careful, because the handle will be hot. Sprinkle shredded cheese over eggs and return pan to oven. Bake until cheese melts and bubbles, about 5 more minutes. Serve by sliding frittata onto larger plate and slicing like pie.

Local Farms around Pueblo (2009)
Larga Vista Ranch 719-947-0982
Country Roots Farm 719-948-2206

* The debate about egg yolk cholesterol is on-going. Generally, an egg or two per day won't hurt you, and if you enjoy this breakfast on a few weekends in a month, you probably won't have to worry. This is especially the case for those with normal blood cholesterol and those who do not consume foods that naturally contain cholesterol - any animal product. Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon suggests that dietary cholesterol does not have as direct an impact on blood cholesterol. These opinions still need to be backed by more studies. One of my friends removes one tablespoon of egg yolk per egg by dipping soup spoon into the yolk prior to scrambling them. I believe that a little bit of yolk is still beneficial to provide the CLAs, riboflavin, etc.

Breakfast in the Hand

2009-04-07T11:37:00.004-07:00

I had breakfast with Summer A. a little while back, and she shared with me this delicious breakfast sandwich. I have begun missing English muffins, and I'll go through occasional cravings for them. I enjoy them most with hazelnut-chocolate spread or orange marmalade, but this sandwich, modified slightly*, is fantastic! Josh and I had been breakfasting on burritos when we drive to Monarch for our ski days, but we will definitely be adding this to our breakfast repertoire. Thanks, Summer! The eggs can be substituted or egg whites can be used. A low-fat, low sodium Canadian bacon or ham can be used as well. Just make sure you use real cheddar cheese, because the melting is important. Spelt is not a gluten free bread, but it can sometimes be tolerated well by people with wheat allergies. But check with your doctor before you try it out. It's a fine bread for people without allergies. Gluten free muffins are also sold.

2 Spelt English muffins, split

2 slices cheddar cheese

4 slices Canadian bacon or turkey ham, thick sliced

1 tbsp butter or oil, divided

2 tsp brown sugar

2 eggs, beaten

salt and pepper

Preheat a nonstick omelet or 8" saute pan over medium heat. Place split muffins in toaster oven and set on medium-dark setting. Begin toasting. Melt 1 tsp butter in the saute pan. Add the bacon slices and begin to fry the bacon. Allow to brown slightly. Sprinkle with brown sugar and stir to allow to melt and coat the meat. Remove from pan. Wipe pan with wet cloth. Melt 1 tsp butter in same nonstick pan. Pour eggs into pan. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Allow eggs to cook for about one minute. Lift edges of the eggs to allow the uncooked portions to flow under the cooked egg until they're cooked. While the eggs are beginning to set, add the cheddar cheese slices to the tops of the English muffins. Return the muffins to the toaster oven and toast on light setting. Fold the eggs over to form an omelette. Remove pan from heat. Split the egg mixture in half, making two egg portions. Lay the egg on the bottom half of the English muffin. Layer on the Canadian bacon. Top with muffin top.

This can be served immediately or wrapped in foil and reheated later.

*Summer's lower-fat version involved removing some of the egg yolk and using oil or kitchen spray instead of butter. If cholesterol control is your focus, these may be good ideas.

Community Activities Awarded Grant from USDA Program

2009-04-04T10:21:00.002-07:00

Kimberly Schaub and Tisha Casida, with the help of Dr. Dennis Lamm at Colorado State University, were recently awarded a grant from the USDA’s Sustainable Agriculture and Research Education (SARE) program.
Their grant funds, totaling $48,988 will go towards the salaries of the participants and the materials that will be used in the classroom. The line-up for the preparation of the curriculum includes three local farmers (Larga Vista Ranch, Javernick Farms, Mike Bartolo) and Susan Fries, executive director of the Pueblo Performing Arts Guild, who has been a driving force in implementing the Farmer’s Market Festival on the Riverwalk.
“The goal of the grant will be to create, implement, and evaluate a sustainable agriculture curriculum for students in elementary and middle school,” says Tisha Casida, Publisher of That’s Natural! a local magazine dedicated to sustainability. Schaub and Casida have been able to organize three venues to implement their first curriculum: Pueblo School for Arts and Sciences, Heaton Middle School, and the Sangre de Cristo Arts Center.
"Pueblo County has a unique relationship with its agricultural community, and we are thrilled at the opportunity to introduce children to the wonderful assortment of foods that are grown just miles from their homes. Childhood obesity is due in part to food choices, and when the children become familiar with fresh, local food, they are empowered to make healthier selections next time they eat. They have a powerful influence on their families' purchasing decisions, and encouraging them to begin buying local food benefits their health as well as the economies of local businesses,” says Schaub, Certified Nutritionist.
Their next presentation to students will be at the Sangre de Cristo Arts Center’s YOUNG AT ART Afterschool program, on Friday, April 17th at 2:00 PM. Seventy-five students from District 60 schools will get to visit with local producers and learn about Sustainable Agriculture.
Schaub and Casida have had great response from the community, and are very excited to keep the public updated as to their progress via: http://blog.thatsnatural.info (see the Category “Colorado Farm‐to‐Fork).
“We would love to have more people know what wonderful local and sustainable agriculture there is in southern Colorado, and look forward to having our youth and future consumers, be a part of this sustainable way of looking at our food supply.”

Schaub and Casida can be reached via the That’s Natural! phone: 719-210-8273 or email, Thats.Natural.Info@gmail.com.

Spring in Colorado

2009-03-31T14:46:00.005-07:00

We went skiing two weeks ago as our last day, which was warm and sunny. The snow was slushy and heavy, and it had melted off many of the side runs. But we did get some good pictures.

And then the following week, we had a great snow -- for one day! I had returned our skis on Monday, and it snowed like crazy on Friday! But it mostly melted away by Friday afternoon. On Sunday, we had a 60 degree day and lazed on the side of the boardwalk at the Nature Center. On Monday morning, we had more snow. This is a picture of our Friday snow... before my hubby got home. He was able to get home by 5:00 but Brian (our neighbor, whose wife's car is the blue CRV) was stuck in Florence, just west of Pueblo because Hwy 50 had been closed.

March was also my 26th birthday -- which I guess means that now I am old enough to get respect in business, right? :) Thanks to Tisha, I had gotten to celebrate a birthday party with her friends and coworkers. Kris, Shelley, Tiffany, Tisha and me. We were short of photographers, so you have two similar pictures with our photographer for each picture featured in the other.

I also had a chance to visit and babysit Cora Lindsey, a beautiful first family member of Ryan and Terra's brood. Her little brother is on his way in July, and we cannot wait! Well, I'm sure Terra can't wait either :)

Consumers Win at Vitamin Cottage!

2009-03-23T06:16:00.002-07:00

Rod, the manager of Pueblo's Vitamin Cottage, rallied for our cause and was able to get the corporate deciders to decide in favor of That's Natural! Read here:http://blog.thatsnatural.info/today-consumer-wins-vitamin-cottage/

That's Natural Loses Significant Distributer due to Corporate Decision

2009-03-18T06:30:00.012-07:00

This week, the loss of one of our primary distribution sites for the That's Natural! publication was confirmed by the corporate management of Vitamin Cottage. In spite of a valiant effort by the manager of the Pueblo branch, the store's parent company, Vitamin Cottage Natural Food Markets Inc. has chosen to include That's Natural! in their new policy to remove all publications from their stores. The reason for this change, as relayed to our supportive branch manager, is that the company wishes to avoid distribution requests from companies unrelated to Vitamin Cottage's products and services.

READ more at That's Natural's website: http://blog.thatsnatural.info/vitamin-cottage-removes-community-publications-stores/

Tell Vitamin Cottage to support local publications whose services and advertisements are in line with the company's mission!

Here is what I wrote:

I was extremely disappointed to find out that Vitamin Cottage will no longer allow local publications to be distributed at their stores. Although I understand that sifting through the various publications in order to decide which publications to allow for distribution, I thought that you would recognize publications whose missions are shared with the goal of providing health education. I am speaking, of course, of That's Natural Publication, which is distributed in Pueblo County. Many of us readers look for the publication at the only health food store in Pueblo while we shop. We often also read the publications provided within the store. We will now be forced to find other sources to pick up our copies of the magazine. Additionally, I will do my best not to support Vitamin Cottage as long as it clearly does not want to support local businesses. I agree that you may be inundated with requests to host stands for other newspapers, but rather than creating a sweeping decision, you would do better to allow for local managers to make decisions regarding their stores and the customers they serve.

Karina's Kitchen- Recipes from a Gluten-Free Goddess: Purple Cabbage & Sweet Potato Soup

2009-03-06T16:01:00.002-07:00

A taste of Thai without leaving my kitchen!

Karina's Kitchen- Recipes from a Gluten-Free Goddess: Purple Cabbage & Sweet Potato Soup

I wasn't entirely sure about this soup last night, but I have been wanting to try a purple cabbage dish for a while. Silly me, I didn't read the entire recipe, and my lovely neighbor Katie graciously lent me a can of pinto beans. The peanut butter and coconut were concerning at first, but the lime brightened the flavor and tied everything together. It was incredibly beautiful and delicious! We had Katie, the Siscos, and us for dinner - and we had enough food for leftovers! I encourage you to try this recipe - you will never even miss the gluten! It had somewhat of a Thai flavor, but the yellow curry gave it a southern Indian flare.

I used Walker's brand Curry Powder, which is really flavorful. I also added cumin, which was an optional ingredient. I had the minced Anaheim peppers as a garnish for those who preferred a spicy dish, and I added another cup of chicken stock after adding the peanut butter, omitting the "1/2 cup boiling water." I eliminated any of the spices used to make the soup spicy, because these could be added as garnish.

It was quite delicious!

Back to School!

2009-02-11T11:30:00.006-07:00

I'm back in school -- I have been teaching at Pueblo Community College for a semester-and-a-half now, and I'm taking some classes through their employment benefits program. I'm taking Anatomy and Physiology I and ServSafe/Food Sanitation 101. These are great - and greatly time consuming! Between teaching and studying, I have 11 credits. I'm ALMOST full time :) I'm also still working with That's Natural and with the Colorado Farm to Fork Grant project.

I spend most of my days studying - mostly at Solar Roast Coffee, The Loft, and Wireworks. On occasion, I'll bend and go to the green national coffee chain, but I try to support the local businesses on a poor teacher/poorer student's income. And I think it would be more accurate to call it an out-go than an in-come. My cashflow is provided by Dr. Donna Hinders who has me come and file for her on occasion. She has also tutored me through my first Axial skeleton quiz (skull and vertebrae).

Today it was actually cold, so the fireplace is burning, and I'm sipping a lovely cup of Solaris coffee. I'm obviously taking a break from studying...

There is something inspiring about smelling ground coffee and brewing smells in a coffee shop. I think it opens up my blood vessels or something. :)

The other nice thing about studying at coffee shops is that you meet great friends here. I've struck up friendships with several of the staff and owners of the shops, which brings me to the random statement about having relationships with businesses. These relationships are WHY living is worth it! So thanks to my coffee shop friends who feed my addiction!

Junior League Kids Korner at Pueblo Health Expo

2009-01-25T18:42:00.007-07:00

The Expo was great!

We had great attendance, and I think lots of it was due to the fact that That's Natural created special postcard invitations for the women of the Junior League to hand out to kids to augment the marketing that the Expo itself was doing. There was so much participation for the Zumba and jump roping activities! I think the extra marketing may have brought more families this time!

Arwen Christian, Tisha Casida, and a few other bleary-eyed chics joined me at 6:30 a.m. to set up for the Expo. We didn't turn out to have much to do at the get-go, but that relaxation disappeared when the kids started to arrive!

Arwen and I hosted the Nutrition Jeopardy game for the kids, and we handed out great prizes, including donations from Pamela' Products, a gluten free company, and others. Arwen, Liz Marco, and I had stayed up on Tuesday working on the board and writing questions for it. It was fun! There are some great resources online, including the NAFWA, that provide nutrition material free of charge.

I also helped out a Sodexho chef who was having microphone difficulties - anything to be on stage, right? :)

Other significant women: Anne Weirbach, Laura McGowan, Cara Housman, Lindsey Pacheco, and Janna Nolt. They all dedicated chunks of time to help out at the Expo.

Joshua took this goofy shot of me dressed like a carrot, compliments of That's Natural. But my bravery was beat out by Susie Cauley, our Junior League chicken.

I also took at stab at the Tree Pose, taught by Hilary Pacheco-Hall from the YMCA.

Here's Arwen helping with the jump roping... I shied away and was hanging out with the chef at the other cooking demo! :)

We also donated some of our booth space to the Sangre de Cristo Art Center, and Stuffy and Joey helped children learn about the internal organs of the body. He pulled out not-to-lifesize organs to educate the kids! How fun!

Skiing

2009-01-24T18:24:00.004-07:00

We went skiing last weekend with my dad as part of a Christmas gift package we gave him. We paid for most of the trip! He drove though, because between three sets of skis, boots, poles, bags, food, me :) we would barely have fit! We had a great day - sunny, warm -35 degrees, no wind! But I skied like a dweeb and fell several times! Oh well. I even took out a mogul-hill with my shoulder -- those are those hideous bumps that you either turn between them or on top of them....something like that. Not totally clear on what I'm supposed to do, but I do know this. NOT THE WAY I WENT.

Back to School

2009-01-16T17:37:00.003-07:00

Well, after several months of discussing - and lots and lots of thoughts and prayer - I've decided to go back to school. Joshua has gotten closer and closer to finishing his hours to get fully licensed as a practitioner in Colorado, and as he ticked hours off, I began to look forward to what we would be doing next. I still hadn't gotten my RD, and that's been on my mind lately, so in August, Josh and I decided that I should apply for some dietetic internship programs and see if I got into any.

I've been working on applications to several programs in a few states, and we'll find out in the end of April - April 20th - whether or not I am accepted into any of the programs. I'm nervous for a few reasons: I spent a majority of my Pepperdine time volunteering with different groups, working on Coffee House and for the Nutrition Science division, and attending ROTC classes, and I didn't spend much time working to get A's. So... I feel quite a bit less competitive than other applicants. I'm hoping that my last two years of extremely involved activities, paired with my military experiences and college experiences, will give me an edge over the 4.0's.

To refresh my education and my memory, I'm taking some classes at Pueblo Community College - where I'm teaching. I'm taking ServSafe, the National Restaurant Association course with exam, and Anatomy and Physiology I. I haven't had any biology or anatomy classes in a while - okay 4 years - so I'm feeling the fear that most students probably experience when they go back to school!

Joshua received his full license in December! Now he can practice under his own license without a supervisor. I'm really happy he persevered and got his hours in! I think in the end it results in more paperwork and "independence," but now it's official. He's a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist! Congrats to Joshua! :)

Pamela's Gluten Free Scones

2008-12-30T20:09:00.008-07:00

The original recipe is from Pamela's Products, who have single-handedly supported my gluten-free transition. Marion, the rep I'm in contact with, has researched recipes, sent samples (many many samples), and supported the beginnings of a gluten-free group in Pueblo. Many thanks, Marion! Get your own recipe at www.pamelasproducts.com.

As usual, I can't leave a recipe alone, so I make a lavender white chocolate chip (inspired by Hopscotch Bakery) by substituting the chocolate chips for the cranberries and adding 1 tsp lavender buds.

This time, I also added lemon zest, but I think the scone may taste sweeter for that reason. I reduced the sugar by 1 tablespoon. The scones spread out quite a bit, even though I had reduced the milk (I used rice milk) by 2-3 tablespoons. The dough is quite thick - probably almost thick enough to pat into a disk and slice rather than drop onto a baking sheet.

Cranberry Orange Scones

2-1/3 cups Pamela's Baking & Pancake Mix

1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 cup cranberries

4 tablespoons butter

1 egg, beaten

2/3 cup milk

1 tablespoon orange zest

Yield: 10 to 12 scones

Mix the dry ingredients together. Cut in the butter using two knives. Add the milk and beaten eggs. Mix together with a fork. Dough will be thick. Drop large, tall dollops of dough (scones will spread when baking) onto lightly greased baking sheet. Bake in a preheated 375° oven for 15-17 minutes.

Variation:

Currant Scones: Replace cranberries with 1/2 cup currants, orange zest is optional for this recipe.