Thanksgiving 2014

Spent the day with our son Eric and his family.  Got to read and cuddle with our little granddaughter, Natalie.  Our son Reed and other granddaughter, Bella, called us, which made our day complete.

I continue to count my blessings,, which far outnumber any trials.  Most of all I am thankful for my Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer who gives me much more than I deserve.

Natalie is one years old

Our beautiful newest granddaughter turned one yesterday. Wondering how much her sister Abby knows about what's going on with her family. May Natalie grow in love, peace, and joy as she finds the One who gave her life.

New Year's Prayer

I came across this and have printed it off for the coming year.  Thought you might want it too.  Happy New Year! 

1. I will spend quality time with God every day in prayer and the Word.
2. I will walk in purity of heart and integrity of life, in thought, in speech, and in deed.
3. I will not be ashamed of Jesus but will confess him boldly as Lord and Savior.
4. I will commit myself to the Great Commission, looking for opportunities to win the lost, restore the backslidden, and make disciples.
5. I will seek to be a peacemaker and ambassador of reconciliation, forgiving those who have offended me and seeking the forgiveness of those whom I have offended.
6. I will walk in love towards those who despise and reject me, overcoming evil with good and hostility with kindness.
7. I will pursue fellowship with brothers and sisters of like mind and will not separate myself from the Body.
8. I will be involved with a ministry of mercy, through serving or through giving, helping to relieve human suffering in a tangible way.
9. I will stand for righteousness and justice, enlisting myself in a moral cause for the honor of the Lord and the good of society.
10. I will seek the fullness of the Spirit, availing myself of everything God has made available for His people today.

http://www.lineoffireradio.com/2011/12/21/ten-things-you-can-do-to-change-society/

Gan Bian Dou Jiao (Chinese Green Beans)

Chinese Green Beans - Gan Bian Dou Jiao

One pound green beans, ends cut off (steamed approximately 3 minutes)
2 Tbls oil
1 Tbls ginger root, peeled, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled, finely chopped
2 Tbls cooking sherry
1 Tbls soy sauce
1 tsp cornstarch
1/2 tsp brown sugar
1/4 C whole dried chile peppers
2 tsps toasted and partially crushed Chinese prickly ash
1-2 Tbls sesame seeds

In wok, flash fry green beans in oil.  Add sauce made from ginger, cloves, sherry, soy sauce, brown sugar.  Thicken with cornstarch. (I actually eliminate the cornstarch, because I don't want the sauce to be "globby")

Add peppers and prickly ash.  Heat thoroughly and serve topped with sesame seeds.

This is VERY good!  I haven't checked yet, but I think that Chinese prickly ash (that hot and numbing ingredient) has to be available at fine Asian markets.

I had this in China a lot. Scrumptious!

Ma La Tofu

This dish gets its name (má là = numbing and spicy) from two types of pepper, the numbingly hot aroma of sichuan pepper and the fiery hot flavour of chili pepper. This combination is great even if you’re not that fond of super-spicy food. The tongue-numbing effect of sichuan pepper is felt only after consuming bigger quantities of it, and its unique, rich aroma can be enjoyed by using it in moderation as well. This recipe is based on the ma la tofu recipe from Bryanna Clark Grogan’s excellent Authentic Chinese Cuisine for the Contemporary Kitchen.

One teaspoon of chili and sichuan pepper each don’t yet make a fiery dish, but it’s enough to enjoy the combination of their flavours. If you prefer more spiciness in your food, don’t hesitate to add more, but take it easy on the sichuan pepper if you’re not familiar with it – if you add it too much it starts to dominate the dish.
Sauce:

• 1 teaspoon toasted and freshly ground sichuan pepper (or to taste)
• 1 teaspoon dried chili flakes (or to taste)
• ½ dl dry sherry
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon fermented black beans
• 3 cloves of garlic, crushed

Stir-Fry Ingredients:

• 350 g broccoli
• 1 red bell pepper
• a quarter of a leek (or maybe 1 small leek, we didn’t have more!)
• ½ kg tofu
• 1 tablespoon canola oil for frying
• 2 teaspoons starch diluted in 4 tablespoons water

First we drained and pressed the tofu. Then we toasted the sichuan peppers over medium heat on a dry frying pan for a couple of minutes, stirring them every now and then so that they would not burn, after which I ground them in a mortar. Next, I mashed the fermented black beans with a fork, and then mixed all the sauce ingredients together: sichuan pepper, chili, sherry, soy sauce, black beans and garlic.
Then we cut all the veggies and the tofu into small pieces. You could also cut them into thin strips, squares, triangles or whatever shape pleases you!
Now, we put a wok over high heat, added the oil, and when the oil was really hot, we added the leek and paprika first, stir-fried them for a minute or so, then added the broccoli, fried it for maybe two minutes or so, then added the tofu, and stir-fried for maybe a minute more. Next, it was time to pour in the sauce, cook and stir for about one minute or so. Then we added the thickener, and stirred it in. We removed the wok from heat, and served the dish with yasmine rice immediately.

New Year 2013

Well, it's January 3 already and life has changed.  We lost our Abby in August of 2012; I moved to China the day after her funeral to teach for a semester.  It was so good to come home for Christmas, but our hearts ache for our little girl who is not with us.

I am comforted with knowing that she is in Heaven now and that she never did have to experience the sad things of life such as rejection or heartache.  She is probably singing with angels and flying here and there investigating the glories of a different realm.  Most of all she gets to be under the direct care of the Good Shepherd.  Our little lamb Abby and the Good Shepherd - what a wonderful thought.

So what does 2013 hold for us now?  I am going to Quebec with our other granddaughter, Isabella Zander.  She is fluent in French and her French immersion school will be traveling in June to a French speaking North American locale.  I have been to Montreal and Quebec City along with other points of interest in that province and never tire of the quaint and European feel it has to offer.  I am looking forward to being with Isabella as she translates and perhaps teaches me a little French.

Bill and I will head down to our place in Mesa, Arizona in April, an annual tradition.  It is always so refreshing to unwind there with friends and family.  His brother and sister-in-law have purchased a home there too; their son also bought a place, so we are looking forward to checking out their properties.  Most of all, I love to ride bike with Bill, go to the local produce market to buy fresh fruits and vegetables at an affordable cost, and cook and eat simply. 

I'm going to check out various teaching opportunities - subbing for our local school district and perhaps doing adjunct work at the univeristy in our city.  I love teaching English as a second language and like to say that I travel the world every day in my classroom.  My students have been from the Middle East, Africa, Asia, South America, and Europe.  It really doesn't get any better than this for me.

I intend to blog more this year and perhaps post some photos of China, which was quite the cultural experience.

Summer Plans

Well, a new chapter of my life is about to unfold!  I am currently finishing my thesis entitled "Zeroing in on the Phrasal Verb," which is scheduled for defense August 20th.  If I pass, I will have my Masters in Teaching English as a Second Language diploma and degree.  Prior to the defense I will be traveling with and teaching a wonderful group from China - the Nankai University, Binhai College Students.  Immediately after the defense my wonderful husband Bill and I will go on vacation - we are currently planning a short motorcycle trip to Madeline Island on Lake Superior and then to enjoy our lake place until I leave for China August 27th. 

I will be teaching English as a Second Language at Nankai University Binhai College in Tienjin, which is south of Beijing about two hours by train.  I expect to have quite the adventure and will hopefully be good at keeping up this blog for my family, friends, and foes to keep track of me.  I welcome feedback through comments on this blog, also.