Celebrating Chinese New Year with Kids :: Lots of Great Resources, Plus a Giveaway!

  Gong Xi Fa Cai! or Happy New Year!

Did you know Chinese New Year is tomorrow? Thursday, February 19th, marks the occasion for this festive holiday featuring whimsical games and crafts, delicious dining options, a peek into the Chinese culture, and the opportunity to share the beauty of this festival with children of all ages. My boys have always enjoyed celebrating Chinese New Year not only for the food and festivities, but also for the special red envelopes (hongbao) filled with money given out to children by their elders.

So, what is Chinese New Year all about and how can you share the holiday with your children? The New Year celebration was a way to culturally celebrate ancestors and enjoy a reunion dinner with extended family, as well as a time to begin the year anew with a clean home to usher in good luck. Popular decorations, red in color, would signify good fortune, happiness, wealth, and longevity for the coming year.

Here are some great ways to ring in the Chinese New Year with family and friends:

• Visit a favorite Chinese restaurant! Panda Express is offering a FREE chicken eggroll tomorrow in honor of the holiday. The coupon can be found here.

• Read several books about the Chinese culture and the holiday. I've recently reviewed two wonderful children's books published by the China Institute. In the Forbidden City and This is the Greatest Place. In addition, I am also very fond of Moonbeams, Dumplings, and Dragon Boats, as it is filled with wonderful hands-on craft ideas. Win your very own copy of In the Forbidden City  or This is the Greatest Place  by commenting below about your favorite type of Chinese food or favorite custom of Chinese New Year!

• Use lesson plans to teach your children about Beijing and the Forbidden Palace. The China Institute provides some wonderful lesson plan resources on their website. In addition, they also have downloadable paper crafts for younger children. One of my boys favorite activities was making paper lanterns!

• Make your own dumplings! It really isn't very difficult to make your own Chinese dumplings. Here are two wonderful recipes for dumplings shared by my good friend, Kathy and by the Chinese Institute.

  Kathe's Chinese Dumplings

 Combine the following ingredients and set aside in a small bowl:

 1/2 Cup soy sauce
 1 Tbsp. rice vinegar
 1 Tbsp. finely chopped chives
 1 Tbsp. sesame seeds
 1 Tsp. Siracha
To make the filling:

 1 pound ground meat                              1 egg, beaten
 3 garlic cloves, minced.                          1 Tbsp. minced ginger
 2 Tbsp. finely chopped chives.               2 Tbsp. soy sauce
 1 1/2 Tsp. sesame oil                             50 dumpling wrappers
 carrots and cabbage, shredded

Sauté vegetables in sesame oil until tender. Combine veggies, meat and spices. Fill dumpling wrappers with about one heaping tablespoon of mix. Seal dumplings using a mixture of one part rice vinegar and one part water. Steam dumplings until cooked through. Serve with the sauce made above.

 

Traditional Pork Dumplings by the China Institute

 

Dough:

3 cups all-purpose flour                              1 1/4 cups cold water

1/4 teaspoon salt

Pork & Chive Filling:

1 cup ground pork (can also use beef)             1 Tablespoon soy sauce

1 teaspoon salt
                       1 Tablespoon Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper    3 Tablespoon sesame oil

 1/2 green onion, finely minced                        1 1/2 cups finely shredded Napa cabbage
4 Tablespoons shredded bamboo shoots       2 slices fresh ginger, finely minced

1 clove garlic, peeled and finely minced

Stir the salt into the flour. Slowly stir in the cold water, adding as much as is necessary to create a smooth dough. Don't add more water than is necessary. Knead the dough into a smooth ball. Cover the dough and let it rest for at least 30 minutes. While the dough is resting, prepare the filling ingredients. Add the soy sauce, salt, rice wine, and white pepper to the meat, stirring in one

direction. Add the remaining ingredients, stirring in the same direction, and mix well. Now, prepare the dough for the dumplings. First knead the dough until it forms a smooth ball. Divide the dough into 60 pieces. Roll each piece out into a circle about 3-inches in diameter to create the dumpling wrappers. Place a portion (about 1 Tablespoon) of the filling into the middle of each dumpling wrapper. Wet the edges of the dumpling with water. Fold the dough over the filling into a half moon shape and pinch the edges to seal. Continue with the remainder of the dumpling wrappers.

To cook the dumplings, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add half the dumplings, giving them a gentle stir so they don't stick together. Bring the water to a boil, and add 1/2 cup of cold water. Cover and repeat. When the dumplings come to a boil for a third time, they are ready. Drain and remove. If you want, they can be pan-fried at this point. Repeat this process for the second half of
dumplings.

Happy Chinese New Year!
-Michelle

Reading Through the New Year :: My 2015 Book List

I always enjoy starting out my year with a list of books to read. Sometimes I read through the entire list rather quickly and add to it and other times I barely eek out half. Here is a look at the first twelve books I hope to read this year. In fact, I've already started on The Language of Bees by Laurie R. King and am looking forward to the next in the series.

 

Are there any books that you can't wait to read this year?

 

The Language of Bees by Laurie R. King

From the Library of C.S. Lewis compiled by James Stuart Bell

The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt

The Last Bookaneer by Matthew Pearl

Paris by Edward Rutherfurd (no picture)

The Harvest Gypsies by John Steinbeck

The Painted Girls by Cathy Marie Buchanan

S. (Ship of Theseus) by J. J. Abrams

Winston Churchill and the Islamic World: Orientalism, Empire and Diplomacy in the Middle East by A. Warren Dockter (no picture)

The God of the Hive by Laurie R. King

Long Star Nation: How Texas Will Transform America by Richard Parker

Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel

2015 :: Living Life Out Loud

 

With each New Year’s beginning, I choose a word or phrase to help guide me through the coming year; call it a mantra, if you will. Past verbiage has included: firsts, learning, and simplicity; the latter was my guide through 2014. And, while my life is anything but simple, I did make some great changes to help simplify the way I and my family lived day to day. It took a lot of work on my part to make sure I stayed as close to the track as possible with this particular concept and sometimes I got a bit derailed, but I do know some wonderfully positive changes have come about for simplicity’s sake (and mine).

I tend to buck the system when it comes to New Year’s resolutions. In fact, I don’t believe in them and find them detrimental to the individual who breaks a pact with one’s self. I do, however, believe in setting goals for myself each year and in hoping so, I choose a beacon to guide me on my path. This year, I will live life out loud.

In 2015, I will strive to live in the present, say yes more often to things that bring me joy, get out of my comfort zone, seek out adventures, focus on my strengths, march to the beat of my drum, and stay the course. I plan to rediscover my creative passions that were shelved long ago and inspire my boys to express their own creativity through whatever outlets they pursue. I cannot wait to sally forth into this year full of possibilities.

Wishing you all a year like none before...

 

Simple Living :: Enjoying Autumn One Leaf at a Time

On Wednesday, Jake and I got a moment to just enjoy the beauty of Autumn. Here's what we spied along the way....

Taming Your Home :: How to Organize and Defy Clutter in a Week : Kitchen & Dining Room

 

Today, I worked super hard in the kitchen and dining room to eliminate clutter from my cabinets, pantry and counter space. If your family is anything like mine, this area of the home tends to be the busiest and the fastest to become a mess. We live in our kitchen.

Similar to the living room, the thought of where do I begin first crossed my mind when tackling the kitchen. I just picked the cabinet closest to me and dove in! As I begin, I made sure to remember I only need the items I use on a continual basis, but I also have to make sure not to get rid of items I use on a seasonal basis, too. When going through the kitchen, make sure to take your time and really think about each item’s use before getting rid of it.

In addition to cleaning out drawers and cabinets, I also tacked the pantry. This is a great time of year to take stock of your basic pantry items and refill any of them while on sale. If you have time and a little extra spending money, you can also find some great canisters for sugars, grains, spices and more. As you organize, if you come across food items you haven’t used like you thought you would and they are still in date, consider donating them to your local food pantry.

After our busy fall, I truly needed to reorganize the pantry. It helps me keep baking on track and I have a better sense of what baking items I have on hand or which ones need to be replaced.

By the time I made my way through the kitchen, I had a bag full of small appliances, old kitchen towels, food items and even a casserole dish to place into the donation pile. The kitchen had become functional again!

Our dining room is a fairly simple one. We don’t have much in it to clutter, but my baker’s rack needed some immediate attention as it is one of those clutter catching hot spots. After throwing away some old items, storing away my dried herbs from the garden, and a light dusting, it was good to go.

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving, so I'm going to rest for the day. Friday will entail a light weekly cleaning and delivering items for donation to their drop-off points. Thus, finishing the house is a week's time.

 

This Fall, why not challenge yourself to go through each section of your home with several bags or boxes meant for donations, trash and recyclables? Take your time and if you need guidance refer to my past posts or leave a comment below and I’ll do my best to offer sound advice.

Master Bedroom & Living Room

Bathroom

Master Closet

 

Tips for the kitchen and dining room:

·       Keep seasonal use only items in their own cabinet or drawer. This keeps them from crowding out your daily use items in drawers and gives them a home all on their own.

·       Don’t neglect small appliances. Sometimes we can get into the habit of purchasing these while they are on sale with every intention of using them. Realistically, many of these products go unused or after the first use, the owner realizes they are not easy to clean or simple to operate. Consider getting rid of any such items.

·       Be sure to look through your table linens and remove those with heavy stains, tears, pulls or worn.

·       I’m pretty sure everyone has a junk drawer in the kitchen. Go through it and dump the majority of it in the trash.

 

Graham Girl Recipes :: Chocolate Buttermilk Pie

Recently my oldest son and I made one of our most favorite pies for a Thanksgiving Feast with our friends. As always, the chocolate buttermilk pie was a hit. I've had numerous requests for the recipe and I thought I would go ahead and share it before Thanksgiving, so you could add it to your menu!

The recipe was originally made by my grandmother as a plain buttermilk pie and was my favorite. Then, my mom decided to add a bit of pizzazz to the plain, but delicious pie and made it even yummier. Thus, the chocolate buttermilk pie came to be.

Please note, this is not a beautiful pie like a hand weaved cherry or a lovely orange pumpkin, but it is absolutely, with out a doubt delicious.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup  granulated sugar
   1/4 cup all-purpose flour (I prefer King Arthur)
   1/2 cup buttermilk + 1 tablespoon buttermilk
3       eggs
   1/2 teaspoon salt
   1/2 stick unsalted butter (melted)
1       teaspoon vanilla
   1/4 cup of cocoa

Let's begin:

First, combine all dry ingredients and mix well. Add melted butter, buttermilk and vanilla and combine until smooth. Add eggs and again combine. Pour into a pie shell. You may make your own pie crust or use a frozen one, either option is fine. Bake @ 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until done.

Please note, it is difficult to tell when the pie is fully cooked because of it's color. Be careful not to burn it.

If you make this pie, please let me know how you enjoyed it by commenting on this post. I do love to hear about it!

Taming Your Home :: How to Organize and Defy Clutter in a Week : Master Bedroom & Living Room

 

Over the weekend, I finished decluttering the master bedroom. Luckily, this room was one of the quickest as I had reorganized it back in September. I did find a few items to let go – a couple of knick-knacks and some fashion jewelry. I also found a trove of lost socks our sweet dog had stolen out of the laundry basket over the past six months along with a few other random items that had “disappeared.”

In addition to getting rid of unnecessary things, I decided I could use more storage space in this particular room. With all the furniture in our bedroom, the only real unused space was found under the bed, but I couldn’t really store much under there due to height restrictions. While out running errands, I popped into Bed, Bath & Beyond and purchased a set of bed risers for $8.99. I can’t wait to get those in place and see how I can better use this particular area in our room.

After the master bedroom, the next natural step led me to the living room, which is currently full of items slated for donation, Christmas decorations, school books, garden essentials from my class, and more.  Where to begin?

First, I gathered all the donations into boxes and bags and put them in one centralized space. Then, I moved all the Christmas decorations under the tree to get them out of the way for now. Garden items made their way into the garage, but only temporarily, while school books returned to their allocated shelves. Only then could I actually begin decluttering and reorganizing.

After about an hour, I had a large stack of books ready to either be sold or donated, plus a few smaller items. Later this week, the remaining Christmas décor will find a place or it too will also end up being donated.

The kitchen and dining room will be tackled tomorrow morning followed by the boys’ rooms. Well, let’s put it this way, while I’m working in the kitchen, the boys will be working in their rooms. I’m hoping they have at least one bag of items they can part with this season.

This Fall, why not challenge yourself to go through each section of your home with several bags or boxes meant for donations, trash and recyclables? Take your time and if you need guidance refer to my past posts or leave a comment below and I’ll do my best to offer sound advice.

• Master Bedroom Closet
• Bathroom

Tips for the master bedroom:

·       Keep clutter to a minimum in your bedroom as it can still a sense of peace and calm from you. Start in one corner of your room and work around it searching for items that have no sentimental value or décor value and remove them.

·       Double check under the bed. While you might not find any monsters, there is always something to be found.

·       If you have a TV or entertainment center in your bedroom, go through your movies and remove any you do not LOVE. The same goes with video games. Most places except used DVDs and games for store credit.

·       If you have lots of jewelry, go through your collection and keep only those pieces you love, wear, and enjoy.

·       Look for unused space in your room. Is there an empty wall which would be useful for a bookcase, jewelry case or even a lovely mirror?

Living room clean out tips:

·       Everyone’s living room is different, but make sure to make it functional for you and your family. It doesn’t have to be used in the traditional living room sense.

·       Go through your book shelves and eliminate any books that have been on your shelves for more than a year and that you have never read; any books given as gifts and still crisp because you’ve never opened them; or any that have never held your interest.

·       Simplify the clutter by looking at your walls – Do you have too many photos or pictures? If so, think about creative ways to streamline them to make them look less cluttered. For example, frame them all in similar frames and arrange them in a fashionably or load them onto a flash drive and play them through a digital photo frame.

·       Hide TV or other electronic cables by using special wall covers from your local hardware store.

A Texas Girl Speaks Out :: Ferguson

This morning as I sipped my hot cocoa by the fire, I opened my laptop and headed to my daily news source to be utterly appalled at what I discovered. Regardless of what camp you're a member of in the Ferguson debate, you must all agree that violence, rioting, destruction of private property, threatening acts, gun shots and arson are an intolerable response.

I do not understand why anyone would behave in such a way towards others. I watched a video from last night depicting an older woman begging younger looters to spare her antique shop adjacent to a Little Caesar's Pizza. Both were left in shambles and burnt. Is this how we should treat each other?

Cars set ablaze by those who protested moments earlier chanting ...we'll burn it down. Police cars, brand new cars at a car dealer's lot, cars of those protesting - all destroyed. This type of destruction fuels a stereotype in this country; it ensures for more hatred and more heartbreak.

Businesses looted and left in embers. Firefighters and EMTs scrambling to help with fires and those injured. Neither were successful because those who were rioting would not give them access to those who needed help.

Those who rioted last night, those who destroyed last night, they are the ones who should be held accountable, who should be ashamed of their actions. They should look long and hard at themselves and think about what strife their actions have caused their community and their country.

{I need to interject at this point in my writing as I seem to have offended someone. Let  me be very clear when I say "those who rioted last night, those who destroyed last night, they are the ones who should be accountable..." I am talking about EVERYONE. If you have been watching videos from this location, it is not just African Americans partaking in the looting and rioting, there are people of ALL skin color, including mine. I'm very unsure why if a white woman calls out those who are being destructive in Ferguson, she must be a racist. No, I'm a realist who calls it as I see it. And, those American people should be charged with criminal acts no matter their skin color.}

We are all called on to do good in this world and not to facilitate evil actions. We, as Americans, have a duty to one another and last night many turned their backs on their fellow countrymen and allowed chaos to ensue.

This morning as I write these words, I wonder about the future of racial tensions in our country, about the children who watched these events unfold, and about the safety of our nation's uniformed officers.

- Michelle

The Review is In :: In the Forbidden City and This is the Greatest Place!

Earlier this month, my postman delivered a handful of beautifully crafted children’s books for me to review and share with my readers. In addition to the RoamingReindeer, I also received This is the Greatest Place! written by Brian Tse, and In the Forbidden City by Chiu Kwong-chiu.  

Both This is the Greatest Place! and In the Forbidden City are about Chinese culture and are a part of a new series to explore Ancient China put together by the China Institute in America, the oldest American organization devoted exclusively to China. Through the four book series, children will learn about the Forbidden City and its impact on the people who lived there.

 

In the Forbidden City takes readers (ages 9+) on an adventure throughout the monumental palace’s walls. Accompanied by a mischievous cat, readers will encounter the people who have walked through the Forbidden City’s halls and gardens, including emperors, empresses, and rebel leaders. In addition, they will hear exciting tales about the power struggles within the palace and the intrigues of everyday life.

Similar in style to David Macaulay’s illustrated books (Castle, City, Cathedral), this book is not only fantastically illustrated with highly detailed line drawings of its buildings, gardens and courtyards, it also includes a plastic magnifying glass for inspecting drawing detail and allows for the characters to come to life. The book includes numerous foldout spreads to capture the interest of the reader.

In addition to being a visually grabbing book, it is filled with historical information about the Ming and Qing dynasties. My older son’s favorite section of the book was the timeline of Emperors which included an anecdote about each one.

 

 

In contrast to the black and white line drawings of In the Forbidden City, the colorful and playful illustrations in This is the Greatest Place! (The Forbidden City and the World of Small Animals) will have your younger readers (ages 5-9) falling in love with such a uniquely designed book. Full of vibrant colors, lift flaps, foldouts, and adorable animals, this book grabbed the attention of my younger son who thoroughly enjoyed learning about how nature supplies us with the wonders that enrich our lives.

In addition, this book teaches children about Chinese architecture and how nature’s influence can be seen around us, as well as how people and animals can live together in harmony.

Both books would make excellent companions to a lesson on ancient Chinese culture, the Forbidden City or even architecture. This link provides educators with more resources on teaching about the Forbidden City.  Both of my children enjoyed these stories and I will keep an eye out for the next two books in the We all Live in the Forbidden City series. Along with the books, here is a website to help explore the Forbidden City.

______________________________________

The creator of In the Forbidden City, Chiu Kwong-chiu, is an artist, designer, and professor who explores Chinese traditional visual arts along with adopting groundbreaking ways to interpret and promote Chines art and culture. 

The creators of This is the Greatest Place!, Brian Tse and Alice Mak, are internationally renowned children’s book artists. They are well known for their heart-warming and educational stories for children.  

{Disclaimer: PR by the Book provided me with review copies at no cost.}

Taming your Home :: How to Organize and Defy Clutter in a Week : The Bathroom

After admiring my clean and organized closet throughout the day, I set to work on the master bath yesterday evening. I wasn't expecting to find an entire bagful of items for donation like I did in the closet, but I also wasn't expecting the bag and a half of items destined for the trash.

Our bathroom counter has a pair of Jack and Jill sinks and under each one is a large cabinet which throughout the year accumulates all sorts of items. After removing the dog shampoo and other misplaced things, I set to work decluttering items we no longer used or needed: hair products I didn't necessary find satisfactory, old make-up, expired medicine,  and useless beauty product samples. Most of these items found their way into the trash. However, I was excited to find several new travel toiletries to donate to my boys' Anchor Club project Bags of Hope for the Homeless which they are working on later today.

I also took note of items I need to replace or replenish at the first of the year. Allergy and pain medicines, first aide supplies and new bath towels are all on my list. If you need towels and any other linens, keep in mind retailers have great white sales on those items in January of every year.

Our linen closet was easy. I just needed to retold a few items and straighten. About two years ago, I went through our linens with a great deal of discernment and only kept what I truly felt we needed.

What I really enjoy about organizing and clutter busting is that once I get one small section of our home in tip top shape, I'm ready to move on and conquer the whole house. I just know you will start to feel the same way - it truly is gratifying to let go of items you don't use and don't need.

Tonight, I think the master bedroom is next on the list. It shouldn't take me very long as it usually stays neat and tidy, but I'm sure there are a few items under the bed and hidden in drawers that can find a new home.

This Fall, why not challenge yourself to go through each section of your home with several bags or boxes meant for donations, trash and recyclables? Take your time and if you need guidance refer to my past posts or leave a comment below and I’ll do my best to offer sound advice.

• Master Bathroom

____________________________________________

Bathroom clean-out tips:

·       If old make-up, toiletries and medicines fill your drawers or cabinets and make it tough to find the items you use daily, get rid of them. Please keep in mind unused toiletries or samples can be donated to the homeless and all medicines should be properly disposed (please don't flush them down the toilet).

·       Don't neglect the readables in your bathroom. Keep magazines up to date and remove older issues regularly.

·       Be sure to clean sink pea traps at least once a year. They can get pretty yucky!

·       When it comes to linens, only keep items in good condition. Holey or rarely used linens should be donated, used for other purposes around the home, or thrown out.