Strands of beads and snow

Next school project / homework assignment: Decorate the Christmas tree

Sophie had a lot of fun decorating this tree. I always try and let her do as much as she can on her own. Her favorite part was stringing the beads and coloring. In school, they have been learning a lot about patterns and so she was having a ball creating her own pattern, which was used as garland to trim the tree. Adding the snow to the tree was something we did a couple of years ago to our own tree.

2007 was the year it snowed and snowed and snowed and snowed... And so I decided to carry the theme inside our house with our Christmas tree. Also, while driving through Little Cottonwood Canyon, to Alta, the trees were beautiful, covered with cotton ball looking snow on the branches and limbs. Hence the name "Cottonwood," I suppose. Of course, I had to try and replicate that with our Christmas tree (see below).

So far this year, the snow has been minimal (thank goodness...a nice break); our Christmas tree was decorated with slight snow at the top and beads to match Soph's Christmas tree. You can't see the beads very well, but they are there, little green dangles. Also, this Christmas tree has Sophie's touch at the top. We used her blue fairy star wand as the tree topper.

I can't believe this, but we put our Christmas tree up and decorated the house before December. This is the first time this has happened. Usually, we decorate the tree 2 weeks before Christmas. (I believe having Soph has a lot to do with it.) Also, hubby and I are going to actually buy presents for each other to put under the tree along with Soph's, that way she knows it isn't always about her. (Okay, lets see I want a cellercise, SmartSole, I want it all bracelet ...LOL... that's all :D). Sophie gets a lot of gifts due to the fact her Birthday is the 22nd :o/ And, yes I do wrap her birthday presents in birthday paper so she knows the difference.

BTW, she's still afraid of Santa Claus. So still no picture of her with Santa to date. I might have to wait until she's a teenager. But then again, at that age I don't want her sitting on Santa's lap...how weird (as in hehehe) as I was typing Santa, I accidentally typed Satan....hmmm.

Remembering Mom

Martha (Marty) Ellen Mettel

April 5, 1926 - November 19, 2009

Normally, when I write a piece about a specific topic, whether it be about health, nutrition, recipes, family stuff, etc., I can usually whip something out without a problem. They say as long as you write about the things you know, writing will flow easily. For me, it takes anywhere from a few minutes to an hour or so to compose a quick draft.

Granted it isn't eloquent writing, but I am leaving what some might say "a written legacy." You know, where you write about important family history, memories and stories you want to share before they become fuzzy and eventually lost forever.

However, when it comes to writing about my Mom who passed away last Thursday, it has been very difficult to put pen to paper, or in this case keys to computer. Maybe because I'm struggling with the fact I can't attend her funeral due to many circumstances that didn't permit it. Or maybe because Mom's passing has affected me more than I expected. I've always seen her as a free spirit full of life, loving and living life to the fullest with lots of grit when it came to the strength of her character. And because of these qualities, I naively thought she would remain very independent living well into her 90's.

While attending the funeral would have been a tangible closure after losing a loved one, it certainly isn't the only way to express and honor my mentor, role model and Mom. This is my personal recollection and story I want to share of my sweet Mom... Memorable impressions that put a smile on my face.

Mom: "July 1970 - Nina, MaryAnne, and Mom just came home from church and Daddy took our picture. Taken in front of 907 N. 9th Street, Springfield, Illinois. House where Grandpa Bollman was born and grew up and where your Daddy grew up. We lived there from 1963 - 1972."

To me, Mom looked like Joan Crawford. She had that "star quality" I haven't yet encountered with anybody else. She was beautiful, intelligent and statuesque. Even though she considered herself as an introvert, you'd never know it as she could talk circles around most people having the ability to mix persuasive word with bold actions. She was drawn to innovative ventures and progressive enterprises. People were attracted by her very genial personality and open-minded acceptance of all types of people. Yes, she was very popular and made friends easily.

Her restless nature required a creative outlet as she was a master in painting ceramics, making quilts, actually anything artistic that required intricate creativity.

Her abundant energy and sharp intellect was later put to use when she became a private investigator and learned to use a computer in her 70's. She kept her mind sharp by always learning something new and she loved it. This is something she had instilled in me as I too love learning about everything and anything.

Mom, 19 years

Mom had been sick since March 2009. Because she had been sick for awhile, her death was not a real surprise to family and friends, but that didn't make it any easier to bear. I'm so thankful, hubby, Sophie and I were able to see Mom one month before she quickly deteriorated. She very calmly and matter-of-factly stated she was at peace with the decision she made, refusing chemotherapy and other treatments, at peace with her Creator, and "ready." I knew that was the last time we would see Mom alive. She was 83 years old.

Mom and Me

A little about hubby

This is my favorite picture of hubby. He's standing in front of the sign that says "Except Federal Police." For those that don't know, law enforcement in Belgium is integrated and encompasses both the Federal and Local levels. And because of that, he was required go through military training in order to become a national police officer.

So how did he make the transition into computers? The police department was in the process of getting "computerized" and were looking to recruit a few people with a strong background in math and logic. About 40 some odd freshly minted police officers raised their hand, to include Vince.

In order to weed out the vast majority, a one-on-one interview was conducted. Here the group of 40 dwindled to half. The remaining 20 then had to take a series of tests which were not always obvious. This is when it became apparent who really had a very strong math and logic background. And not just common logic, but reverse logic for example like figuring out days in a backwards week :o/ Vince was in the top 3 and from there was able to pursue the world of informatics that suited his personality and strengths perfectly.

So from programming to mainframes to networking to data storage, it has been a field he enjoys a lot. Currently, he works for a major data storage company as a Sr. Solutions Architect, designing solutions for major corporations that have petabytes of data.

Beef and Broccoli

Tired of the blubbery, chewy beef with overcooked broccoli drenched in gravy-like brown sauce? This is what I consider as the American version of Chinese offerings. If you're like me, I prefer beef that's "tender-crisp" and broccoli cooked perfectly that actually tastes like broccoli. Unfortunately, I can only get it at mid-priced restaurants, where attention and care to the formulations are considered more than the restaurant's concept.

The last time I had great Beef and Broccoli was when I was in high school. That's a very looong time. I knew two Asian mothers (real Asians unlike me :o/) that made mouth watering, super tasty Asian cuisines and spoiled me rotten with all their cooking. They used a "secret" ingredient I actually learned about just only 5 years ago. I always thought Mrs. Pei and Mrs. Pereida were using coca-cola. Now I know. It's Chinese black vinegar (water, vinegar, caramel and spices) that provides a mild and tangy sweetness. Typically it's something I see often in braises, marinades, and sauces (like the one I make for the pot stickers on rare occasions).

I can only find black vinegar at Asian supermarkets. If you don't have an Asian store nearby, you can use a dark balsamic vinegar as a substitute.

This version of Beef and Broccoli is the absolute best, full of flavor, lightly glazed and easy to make incorporating the Chinese black vinegar, cooking the meat so it comes out "tender-crisp," using a smidgeon of cornstarch (in fact, it's only in the steak marinade) that'll thicken naturally when you simmer the sauce, and steaming the broccoli separately.

Overview

Flank steak, thinly sliced. Cutting it thinly is what makes the beef tender.

Steak marinade: soy sauce, oil, cornstarch (not much) and pepper.

I like to use chopsticks to ensure steak strips are coated with the marinade.

Steam broccoli until fork tender. This should take about 3 mins. Drain broccoli and set aside.

Add the steak strips in a single layer, do not crowd. You may have to do this in two steps.

Serve in your favorite bowl with some Jasmine rice. In this case, this is the bowl Sophie made when she was 4 years old at Color Me Mine.

Broccoli and Beef

Serves 4 as part of a multicourse meal.

Ingredients:

1 lb top sirloin or flank steak, thinly sliced into 1/8 inch (3 mm) thick strips

1 1/2 lbs (750 g) broccoli, cut into bite-size florets

1 tablespoon high heat cooking oil

1 tablespoon minced garlic

Beef Marinade

1 1/2 teaspoons soy sauce

1 teaspoon cornstarch

1/2 teaspoon cooking oil

Freshly ground black pepper

Stir Fry Sauce

3 tablespoons oyster sauce

2 teaspoons Chinese rice wine (or dry sherry)

2 teaspoons Chinese black vinegar (or balsamic vinegar)

Instructions:

1. In a bowl, combine the ingredients for the Beef Marinade. Add the beef and let marinate for 10 minutes at room temperature.

2. In a small bowl, mix together the ingredients for the Stir Fry Sauce.

3. In a wok or large sauté pan, add 1 inch (2.5 cm) of water and bring to a boil. Add the broccoli and cover to steam for 3 minutes. The broccoli should be bright green, crisp tender and you should be able to pierce the stem with a fork. Drain.

4. Discard the water in the pan and dry the pan well. Set the pan over high heat and when hot, add the high heat cooking oil and swirl to coat. Add the garlic and fry for 15 to 30 seconds, until fragrant. Add the steak strips, keeping them in one layer and fry 30 seconds. Flip the strips and fry the other side.

5. Pour in the Stir Fry Sauce and stir to combine. Simmer until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 30 seconds. Add the cooked broccoli back into the pan and toss to coat well.

Recipe: Courtesy of thepioneerwoman, who featured this recipe from Jaden Hair's cookbook, "the Steamy Kitchen," a food writer and food blogger.

Soy What?

I'm not a big fan of soy such as soy milk. You hear often as women enter menopause, one should eat lots of soy. I feel it is incumbent on me to demystify the differences in soy products. As I've already touched on in previous posts, there's good and bad in everything.

While completing all my chemistry classes in school, I really did not appreciate it as much as I do today. Food combination is key to getting the most benefit from the foods you eat. I've always been concerned of what I eat, but never how my food goes together. For instance with, coffee, black tea, chocolate, even fruit, etc., in order for your body to soak up the natural antioxidants, they should not have milk in them. It's the milk that actually cancels out the antioxidants from these beverages and foods. That's why dark chocolate is better for you than milk chocolate. I know a lot of people that say, "well, it doesn't do anything for me..." and that's because they're not drinking or eating it in it's most basic, raw and pure form and/or consuming these drinks and food with complementary food to enhance it's flavonoid properties (eg. almonds and cocoa, dark chocolate combines well with protein, so eating dark chocolate with nuts provides a flavonoid-rich morsel).

Ok, where was I going with this? Actually, I wanted to show how becoming more aware of your food, other than satisfying hunger, can have a significant impact on getting the most nutritional bang for your grub.

Back to the topic of this post... The soy products you want to avoid are the genetically modified soybeans that are all high in phytic acid. It's the phytic acid that can block the complete intake of essential minerals like calcium, magnesium, copper, iron and zinc in the intestinal tract. However, fermented soy products, which I like a lot like miso soup (fermented tofu), tempeh, natto (soy beans) and brewed soy sauce, found primarily in the Far East diets, is what you want to look for in relieving the annoying symptoms associated with menopause (i.e. hot flashes, night sweats, irritability, bone loss, dry skin, etc.).

So the next time you visit a health food store, check out these cultured soy foods and give them a try.

Kindergarten picture

Well, hubby and I are not as pleased with Sophie's Kindergarten picture, mostly because of her "Elvis" smile. So, for now I am just going to post it here as I'm sure there won't be very many onlookers and lurkers :o) Of course, it will be printed in the blog blurb for posterity.

When I asked Sophie, if she liked the picture....it was a definitive "yes, yes, yes!" But then again, the goofier the picture, the more she likes it. It's nice to see she doesn't take these things serious....lol.

Chicken Vindaloo

I do not keep track of calories as much as I look at ingredients. Nonetheless, I thought it was worth mentioning you can have a very satisfying, healthy meal for less than 360 calories per serving. And it's a quick one-pot meal.

When hubby and I go to an Indian restaurant, he prefers to get the chicken vindaloo. It was a dish recommended to him by an Indian colleague years ago. Vindaloo (like many other Indian dishes) is an aromatic, spicy curry.

Indian curry is totally different, for example from curry made in Thailand. As most of you know Thai food is our favorite ethnic food. In Thailand, curries are marked by the inclusion of lime, lemongrass, ginger and coconut milk. In India, curry is characterized by rich sauces laden with spices, and made with cream or ghee (clarified butter).

I'm a big fan of curry not only for it's exotic flavor where my taste buds are concerned, and the fact it smells like the holidays when I make it, but it gives your health a big boost with all it's "spicy benefits."

Curry spice blend gets its brilliant orange hue from turmeric, an aromatic spice that was highly regarded in ancient India as a panacea (cure all) against most ills that is not only powerful but very safe. Current research shows that this potent healing spice contains curcumin, a compound that protects against inflammation, cancer and heart disease.

Vindaloo is originally a Portuguese dish made with pork and not as spicy. However, it has become progressively spicier over the years, evolving into something more fiery common today. Intimidating at first with its often-exhaustive list of spices, this version uses chicken instead of pork, for a lighter, healthier touch.

If you're not fond of curries or the turmeric herb, from time -to-time I also like to supplement with Turmericforce, "the world's first and only supercritical full-spectrum turmeric extract" from New Chapter.

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

1 tsp turmeric

1/2 tsp ground cardamom

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground coriander

1/2 tsp ground cloves

1/2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp paprika

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper or to taste

2 Tbs olive oil

2 cups chopped yellow onions

3 medium cloves garlic, minced

1 Tbs grated gingerroot

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces

2 large Yukon gold potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1 14.5-oz can chopped tomatoes, drained

1 1/2 cups chicken broth

2 Tbs wine vinegar

1 Tbs tomato paste

1 bay leaf

Instructions:

1. Heat large saucepan over medium-low; add turmeric, cardamom, cinnamon, coriander, cloves, cumin, paprika, and cayenne, and gently dry-roast 2 minutes, stirring constantly.

2. Add oil, and stir to mix. Add onions, garlic, and ginger, stir to coat, and cook 3 minutes.

3. Stir in chicken, potatoes, tomatoes, broth, vinegar, tomato paste, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, covered, until potatoes are tender, 12 to 14 minutes.

4. Remove cover, and cook 5 minutes more. Season to taste with salt and pepper, add more cayenne if desired.

5. Divide vindaloo among four bowls, and serve with roti (Indian flat bread), if desired.

Recipe, Courtesy Better Nutrition, October 2009