Bean's sky

Happiness

2007-08-12T08:03:00.000-07:00

Mike and I will celebrate our wedding anniversary today.

Happy time always makes us feel that time flies, doesn't it?

Physiologists say that our human beings can live a life of 150 years long. But why do our lives end up at 70 or 80? That is because we suffer from the worries, stresses and strains of modern life, which torture our health day by day, month by month and year by year.

Looking at yourself in a mirror, do you find more gray hair? Have you found you are not smiling and laughing as much anymore? We all know we should live a happy life. Being happy is a very simple thing. And it helps others around you feel the way you do. Your actions and reactions to things are projected on other people.
We all know worrying about a problem won't solve it. If you worry, your husband or wife will worry. If you are HAPPY, your husband or wife will be HAPPY.

Stress and worrying has an impact on your heath and longevity just like physical health problems. If we learn to manage our stresses and be more relaxed, our lives will be much richer and we will live much longer.

So here is to happiness and a stressed "reduced" life.

Flavor

2007-07-22T18:36:00.002-07:00

Tired of hamburgers, hot dogs during the trip, SOMEBODY strongly requested some flavored dishes as dinner over the phone. Well, i made three dishes. 3 flavors. He should have a good appetite.
The tiresome trip made him so exhausted that the desire of hitting the sack took over his stomach. Eliz and i saved some for him for next day. Eliz likes the first dish, chopped carrots and pork with tangy sauce. Even after dinner, she couldn't help opening the fridge and getting some out to eat. So i had to leave a note to her then Mike finally tasted the last spoonful dish. Haha! I promised her i would cook this dish again on the coming weekend. Mushroom and tender toufu soup above is one of SOMBODY's favorite. He is dying for soup all the time. Sometimes i don't want to spend time to make soup. Good soup takes time. That is a simple and quick one. XIXI!

The left-side one is bamboo shoot and pork ( like bacon). A little spicy. Bamboo shoot can get rid of the grease.

SOMEBODY enjoyed the leftover the next day.

Welcome home! Mikie.

Cherries---- Not only good-looking

2007-07-18T13:37:00.000-07:00

I lived in South China, where the cherries are small and sour. It is different from the sweet kind in Europe and America. Now i have included the sweet cherries in the list of my favorite fruit.

Since i was young, my mom told me that every thing has its good side and bad side so when it comes to food, the amount is important. It's not the more, the better.

I am curious about cherries. How good is it to our bodies? Is there any bad effect if i eat too many?

The following is what i find out on the Internet.

1. Cherries are rich in antioxidants, such as anthocyanins, quercetin and ellagic acid. In addition, a cholesterol-lowering compound called beta-sitosterol is also found in cherries. Melatonin, which is also found cherries, especially tart cherries, was found to affect sleep patterns and has been promoted as an anti-aging supplement.

2. Cherries are also good for treating or prevent a variety of diseases, including cancer, heart disease, and arthritis.

Here is an ancient prescription of treating arthiritis.
Steep 0.5 kilo of fresh cherries in 1 kilo of rice wine. In 10 days, take 30-60 g in the morning and evening respectively.

3. Cherries have high levels of anti-inflammatory properties.

How to treat burns? Use the cherry juice to smear on the burns frequently.

4. Cherries are a good source of dietary fiber and vitamins and especially they are rich in iron, which makes cherries top in the fruits.

For the people who have anemia, cherries are a useful supplement for treatment.

I also find out the bad effects of cherries.

The people who have ever had the history of asthma or pyrexia, eat cherries, which will make them have the old disease attack again.

There is an old saying " Tasty food finally leads to disease." That means we should be abstinent in food.

Modern Architecture in China

2007-07-09T09:36:00.000-07:00

I will visit my family in China soon. I am so excited that i have told my old friends and young friends already. :))

A friend here sent me an e-mail attatched some pictures of modern architecture with a title 10 Wonders of New China. I show you those pictures to let us all feel the old but young country.

1. The Commune in Beijing (The Commune is now operated as a boutique hotel by the

Germany

luxury hotel group Kempinski.Even if the Commune didn't sit beside that wonder of the ancient world, the Great Wall of China, it woud still qualify as a wonder, as the author said.)

2. Bejing International Airport(designed by Foster & Partners,to handle 43 million passengers a year initially and 55 million by 2015.)
3. Shanghai World Financial Center (The elegant 101-story skyscraper will be (for a moment, at least) the world's tallest when completed in early 2008. )4. Bejing National Swimming Center (its nickname "Water Cube", greenhouse-like environment, use solar energy)
5. Central Chinese Television (CCTV) (two leaning towers, each bent 90 degrees at the top and bottom to form a continuous loop)
6. Linked Hybrid, Beijing ( It will house 2,500 people in 700 apartments covering 1.6 million square feet. It features one of the world's largest geothermal cooling and heating systems, and also features gray-water recycling)

7. Dongtan Eco City (Like Manhattan, it's situated on an island -- the third-largest in

China

.)
8. Olympic Stadium, Beijing(a bird's nest, provide natural ventilation for the 91,000-seat structure)
9. Donghai Bridge, Shanghai (China's first cross-sea bridge -- 20 miles, six lanes)

10. National Grand Theatre, Beijing (At night, the semi-transparent skin will give passersby a glimpse at the performance inside one of three auditoriums, a feature that highlights the building's public nature.)

I got an award!

2007-07-04T18:00:00.000-07:00

Wow! i am so honored to receive an award by In_spired.

Today is Independence Day. The whole day it is the only thing that makes me have a big big smile. Thanks very much, In_spired! Your award does brighten up my night. Here it is night time. haha

I can hear the firework in the community nearby. In our neighborhood the celebration will be on Saturday night. People can enjoy the live concert and watch firework by the lake.

Is there any special activities in your area?

Who was the desiger?

2007-07-03T17:52:00.001-07:00

Is that amazing to see the earth painting?

Good, good, good!

2007-06-28T09:15:00.000-07:00

Good weather today.
For the people who have to drive long way to work, like Mike, it's so hot outside. Soft wind today can ease some summer heat, i hope.

Good discovery today.

Today i water my veggie garden. I saw peaches. Wow! at least 20 on the trees. I did see some small green ones fell to the garden. I never know it's from the peach tree. Now i know only strong ones can survive and finish the whole process of getting ripe. They don't look so attractive as the ones being sold in the supermarket yet, but the feeling is different looking at the peaches turning red, isn't it??!!

Good mood today.

Chive's flowers are blooming. The blooming flowers just make me feel happy. Life is always full of miracle.

Good news today.
I will be a permanent citizen very soon.

Hope everybody is as happy as i am.

Soup soup soup!

2007-06-25T07:41:00.000-07:00

Some people love soup. Without soup in a dinner, it will be never a dinner in their eyes. Whether their appetite is good or bad is up to SOUP.

For the women who love food, they can't give up the habit of tasting good food then they will choose soup. Drinking a big bowl of soup cooked at least for one hour or even longer hours, enjoying meat or veggies or other stuff, meets the needs of keeping fit and gainning nutritions.

We can cook so many kinds of soup all the year round. In different seasons, we drink different soup. I don't like the sweet soup before dinner. The reason is simple. I want to eat more dishes instead of letting the sweet soup fill up my belly. haha. I surrender before delicious food. haha.

However, i like to drink soup before i feel 70% full.

I cooked pig bones with kelp and white gourd.

White gourd ( a kind of big squash)has a very good function of metabolism. That is to say, it can help eliminate toxin in my body so as to keep fit.

Kelp are large seaweeds. It contains some kinds of minerals our body needs. And it helps to relieve summer-heat.

Here are some pictures of soup from other people's books.And i learn to cook it.

I hope everybody can taste delicious soup at your dinner table.

Chicken soup

pear,apple and pork soup

I SURVIVE without computer for a week!

2007-06-20T13:33:00.000-07:00

Do you think your life is still normal without a computer?

I couldn't stand one day without computer in my life before. Every day i opened the door and put down my handbag and the first thing is to turn on the computer then i would go to wash my hands and face.... I have been spoiled by the high-tech thing.

From last Friday to today no Internet, no phones, no TV worked in this house. I even surprised myself. I didn't complain. I didn't walk back and forth in the house. I was not sulky.

During this week Mike and i feel that we have more time together. He and Eliz can play around. We sit on the couch talking, laughing.

So, it's a good thing to stay away from computer for a few days.

Eyes

2007-06-08T08:25:00.000-07:00

Eyes are the window of our heart. Eyes can lead us to the beautiful natural scenery. The place eyes can reach, we will feel things are real. We will know what they look like, what color they are, where they are and why we like them.

Mike, Eliz and i all wear glasses. It's not convinient in our daily life. For me, i like shopping. Everytime i need to try on clothes, i have to take off my glasses first. If i try on 5 clothes in different stores, that means i have to take off the glasses 5 times. I drove motorcyle for 5 years. I hated rainy days, because the rain drops would blur my glasses and everything became a blur in my eyes. On hot summer days i have no fortune to wear cool sun glasses...I hates my glasses. I have to clean the glasses every day or the dust on them. It is bad for my eyes. I complain too much. Without glasses, i can't go anywhere. It is the cruel fact that i learned to accept many years ago.

Thinking of the blind people, it seems that i shouldn't complain that much. After all, i still can see thing through glasses. For the blind, how eagerly they want to see the real things.

Hmm, proctect our eyes. Value what we have possessed.

I love you! Not the words hiding behind the veil.

2007-06-05T06:35:00.000-07:00

Eliz thinks herself as an Indie kid. Many things she is interested in is of Indie, such as Indie music, Indie movies, clothes of Indie styles, etc.

What is the definition of Indie?

According to Wikipedia, the term indie is short for "independent" and refers to artistic creations outside the commercial mainstream, without the support of a major record label, major movie studio, or other source of a large budget.

I watched some Indie movies recently but to be honest, i had no patience to finish watching them. Their plot interlace. The way of story-telling is unique. The character of the roles is complicated. Sometimes until the last few minutes do i not understand what the story tries to tell us.

However, there is one indie movie Mike and i both like, that is, The Painted Veil, directed by John Curran, starring Edward Norton and Naomi Watts.

The man loves the woman in the first eye. But her heart is not captured by him and for her their marriage is arranged by her family and the benefit from it for her is to escape from the family and gain the freedom she looks forward to. She thinks the affair with another man is her true love. The result proves that she is wrong. The husband and the wife are still living together but the feeling between them is indifferent. In the remote area in China where the cholera is serious, the wife starts to know her husband about his research, his personality. The husband starts to change his attitude towards the wife. They tear apart the veil between them. They taste the sweet love and confront the hardship in their life together. Although the husband devotes his life to his research and is buried in the far east land, their love is everlasting.

UUUUUUUUU! i am so moved and cry.

I like cookout

2007-05-29T16:00:00.000-07:00

On Memorial Day we had a cookout in our backyard. We invited our new friend Susan, who was ABC. The food is enough for 8 people. We had hamberguers, hotdogs, beaf, corn, chips and vegetables.

My favourite part is that Mike, Eliz and i do it together, like a teamwork. Mike announces that he is the chef today. The smoke covers his face, his hands are busy moving up and down, like a general commanding a troop in a smoky war field or like a musician directing in a concert. I, like a chef assitant, am in charge of passing what the chef wants right away and going in and out of the house to take things that the chef needs. Eliz is a vice chef. She makes a very important side dish, macaroni cheese. She knows how to use the oven and how to point the knob to L, M and H.

We worked a lot and of course we ate a lot and what is most important is that we enjoyed the day a lot.

Old things, new feelings

2007-05-27T16:04:00.000-07:00

Many things i love best have been kept until now.Even if i leave home, i still tell my family not to throw any of them away. That is because i love them. Each of them has my memory. They are the ones i love from the very beginning. It's easy to understand, isn't it?

Recently i find that sometimes the things i don't like from the very beginning, gradually i will start to like them and they will bring me a close feeling as if they are a part of my life. I need them. Sounds strange? ha

For instance, Mike bought a red, red comforter. I never liked so red a comforter. It's heavy. I doubted its quality. If a cat lies on it for a while, it looks like a cat's blanket. It's impossible to clean the hair off it. Things changed two weeks ago. I was sick. I hid myself under this heavy comforter and guess what? It did give me the most comfotable feeling ever. It's certain that a sick person needs the warm feeling. However, my thought is that for those i don't like from the beginning, they also have a good,useful, or lovely side i merely pay no attention to before and if i threw it away, i must have regretted to death.

It's never too late to learn something new, huh?!!!

big, big flowers picture spring

2007-05-21T07:50:00.000-07:00

Those big big flowers are from my yard. They are so beautiful as to make me breathless. I use my camera to record their beauty. Although their beauty is short, they ever enjoy the time in full blossom.
Life is always full of pleasant surprises and joy, isn't it? It needs our eyes to discover. It needs our heart to feel. These colors of life make me think that as long as there is sunshine, hope, love in our life, in our heart, though sometimes we will be sad, we will cry, we can still smile at the world around us.

something common ?

2007-05-09T10:57:00.000-07:00

Yesterday i reviewed one of the Korean dramas again. Mike always says I am a drama queen. i think i am. haha.

Here are two questions in the hero and the heroin's dialogues.

1. "What do coffee and human life have in common?"
2. " What do trains and human beings have in common?"

If it is you that answer them, i want to know about your answer.

Different people will have different answers.

egg dumplings, different tastes!

2007-05-08T07:28:00.000-07:00

Egg dumplings' wrappers are eggs.

Dumplings have different fillings. You can choose any ground meat you like. I like to use ground pork with some chopped green onions. Sometimes if i have time, i will mix sweet peas and white corn to enrich its flavor.

The trick is that you have to wrap the meat inside the egg wrapper very quickly or the egg wrapper will go brown.

The way my mom does is better than mine. The ground meat is almost cooked to keep its flesh taste. After making the dumplings, she steams the whole plate of egg dumplings for 5 min. In this way, the meat is completely cooked and has the flavor of egg. Besides, the egg wrapper is very tender.

We all love the dishes which are easy to make. However, many good dishes really take time. OF course, putting your heart into the dishes you make, the dishes will convey your love to their stomach.

Xixi!

Haha!

Taste nature ---- Sticky rice & spare ribs

2007-05-03T07:02:00.000-07:00

In the place i grew up there are many bamboo trees. You may like to eat bamboo shoots. However, have you ever tasted bamboo leaves? People who live in the south of China will eat rice cooked in bamboo mugs, zong zi wrapped in bamboo leaves. They get the totally natural material to prepare their food. It's kind of healthy diet, isn't it?

I like zong zi. My mom never really made them at home before, but she was asked to teach other women to make them in their houses. Mom said we just ate zong zi a little. It was unnecessary to take efforts to make them at home. I think it's because of my dad. He has had stomach disease for many years. Mom never bought or cooked the food that was bad for his stomach, especially those that was hard to digest. While these years dad has started to try many different food including zong zi, nian gao made of sticky rice.

The elder people who can still eat sticky rice must be in very good health condition. A colleague's mother, whose age is over 80, eats sticky rice at least twice a week. Can you imagine a 80-year-old lady has good teeth and go climbing every day even faster than young people?

Sticky rice with spare ribs

1. You had better have a bamboo steamer and some fresh bamboo leaves.
Sticky rice ( 2 cups ) has been soaked in water for a whole night in advance and drain it. Eliz and i love sticky rice. so i steam 3 cups.

2. Season the spare ribs ( 1 pound) for at least 20 min.
Ingredients:
soy sauce --------2 tbs
white sugar ------1 tea spoon
oyster sauce ----- 1 1/2 tbs
cooking wine ----- 1 tbs
salt -------------- a little
monosodium glutamate ( a food additive) ---- a little
ginger ---------- a small piece
garlic powder ---- 1 tea spoon

3. Lay the leaves at the bottom and boil water in a big pot which can hold the whole bamboo steams.
4. Wrap each piece of rib in the sticky rice and lay them into the steamer. If you want more rice with the scent of bamboo leaves. you can put a layer of rice at the bottom of steamer first.

5. Put the whole steamer into the big pot and steam for around 40 to an hour.
6. Take the whole steamer out and pour the cooked sauce of seasoning ribs into the rice. And if you like, sprinkle some chopped green onion.

Wow! sticky, scent of bamboo leaves, scent of ribs. Be quick, or none will be left for you!! hahaha

28,2008 (4)

2007-05-01T07:38:00.000-07:00

Today it's gorgeous. I feel so active. Guess what? i find a little green in my vegetable garden. I get motivation now. haha!
Well, today let me show you the rest of the famous places.

20. Ancient City of Pingyao ( Shanxi Province)

21. Ancient City of Lijiang ( Yunnan Province)

I like to stay in the ancient cities for a week, learning about the culture, the history and the custom, tasting the typical famous snacks or dishes there, imagining that i were back to the life several hundred years ago. Cool!!

Last time i went to Lijiang. Because the tour time was too limited, my friends and i only stayed in the old town for a day?? only 3 hours. What a shame!!! After that, my friend really went there twice, according to what she said, the town has changed a lot. too commercial. Maybe the quiet old town can't be quiet any more!!!

Besides these two ancient cities, i also want to visit Zhou Zhuang，NO.1 Water Town in China. If you go to Venice, in Italy, why not come to visit Zhouzhuang, experience the different beauty.

I want to go to Zhou Zhuang. I want to go to Venice. haha. I bet i will go to Zhou Zhuang first.

22. Suzhou Classical Gardens ( Jiangsu Province)
23. Mount Wuyi (Fujian Province)
24. Dazu Grottoes ( Chongqing)
25 Ming and Qing Imperial Mausoleums ( Hubei and Hebei Provinces)
26. Longmen Grottoes ( Henan Province)

27. Xidi and Hongcun --Ancientd Villages in South Anhui
28. Yungang Grottoes ( Shanxi Province)

Looking at the huge and different types of statues of Buddha, will you think why ancient skillful craftsmen would chisel the hill, rocks into the figures of Buddha. Even in a cave, there are over a hundred statues of Buddha.

I hope more and more people around the world know and visit this old but young country ---China.

28, 2008 (3)

2007-04-28T18:16:00.000-07:00

Every year from March to October is the best tour seasons. Travel light. A map of the destination and your camera are our brothers. ha

15. Chengde Mountain Summer Resort and Eight Outer Temples ( Hebei Province)

Skip this one. Right now i don't want to go to any resort yet. If you like, you can find out why the emperors liked to go there every year.

16. Potala Palace ( Tibet Auyonomous Region)

In my mind, the palace is a holy land. It's not because the whole constructure looks grand but because i am very interested in Buddhism. It's more than a religion. It is exactly philosophy. I bet you never saw any pilgrim as sincere as the ones you would see there. Believe it or not, they will keep doing that all the way to the holy land. They are all iron men?!!!

I ever had dinner with two Tibetan Buddhist monks and other friends. Before that, we rent a boat and set free the captive fish in the river where fishmen rarely reached. Between the two, one was a master, at around 40 and the other is his apprentice, at 18. They have big eyes . Sooooooo clear and pure eyes i had never seen before. Really like newly born babies' eyes. It is just like you can see through them to their soul. Those friends are all businessmen. If they have time, they will go to the Tibatan Buddist temple which is not located in Tibet while in Sichuan and spend one or two months even longer time there learning about Buddhism. Do you think they are stupid to give up comfortable and rich city life and live a very very simple life there? I think their belief is deep in their soul. They are in pursuit of such life rich in spirit.

17. Confucius Temple, Cunfucius Family Mansion and Confucius Woods at Qufu ( Shandong Province)
18. Ancient Buildings on Mount Wudang ( Hubei Province)
19. Mount Lushan( Jiangxi Province)

In China, there must be temples in famous mountains. If you step into those temples and you make wishes before the Buddha, and if those wishes are relized later on, you had better return there to thank the Buddha.

( To be continued)

28, 2008 (2)

2007-04-26T08:32:00.000-07:00

There is a song named " Travel Light". i love it. I love travelling. My dad travelled all over China except Tibet and Taiwan. My love for travel was passed on by him.

9. Mount Huangshan ( Anhui Province)

All you want to see in a mountain will cheer you up there. After you visit it, there is no need to see other mountains. Don't you believe it? Well, have you seen the movie Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon， whose director is Ang Lee, the one who got Oscar by making Brokeback Mountain. Some scenesswere made in Mount Huang. Ang Lee really loves mountains, isn't he?? ha!

10. Jiuzhaigou ( Sichuan Province)

???????????

I try to find out a picture to let you know how amazing the scenery is there but no pictures can show its beauty. Maybe when you are in this natural painting with very high aesthetic value, you will feel it. I did feel regretful that i didn't go with my friends in the summer of 2001. I was thinking whether i would seize the opportunity to go to UK at that time. I needed to save money for the training. Since i decided not to go to UK and i saw the beautiful pictures they took and knew about the delicious and cheap food they ate in Sichuan. I .... Well, i will go there one day!

11. Huanglongsi Scenic Spot ( Sichuan Province)
12. Mount Emei and the Leshan Giant Buddha ( Sichuan Province)
13. Mount Qingcheng and Dujiang Dam ( Sichuan Province)
14. Wulingyuan Scenie Spot ( Hunan Province)

In southern and southwestern China, it's easy to see this kind of landscape of karstic feature. Maybe i have seen it a lot. So i prefer to spend time climbing Mount Taishan.

( To be continued)

28, 2008...

2007-04-24T15:45:00.000-07:00

The past few days i have been too busy working in the first vegetable garden in my life. May Day is around the corner. My friends must be planning where to go!! Well, i wish they would take me anywhere they go...

It's spring time. and spring is a tour season. I think of going out. Of course, i miss home, thinking that there are so many splendid places i want to go. This feeling is nothing less than seeing delicious food! hahahah

Do you know China is a country with a long history of 5000 years?

2008 Olympic Games will be held in Bejing, the captial of China?

You may have travelled to many other countries but China?

Let me tell you where you can visit.

China has 28 UNESCO World Cultural Heritage sites, World Natural Heritage sites and World Cultural and Natural Heritage sites. They are all imbued with historical significance.

1. The Great Wall ( Beijing)
2. The Forbidden City ( Beijing)
3. "Peking Man" Ruins at Zhoukoudian ( Beijing)
4. The Summer Palace ( Beijing )
5. The Temple of Heaven ( Beijing)

They are all in a place. But don't forget Beijing is huge. I only visited the Forbidden City. Maybe the place you think it's easy to go will be the last place you want to go.

6. Mogao Caves at Dunhuang ( Gansu Province)
7. Qin Shi Huang Mausoleum and the Qin Terracotta Warriors and Horses ( Shanxi Province)
Emperor Qin Shihuang (259-210B.C.) is the first emperor in Chinese history, who still wanted to command a mighty force of Terracotta Warriors in his underground world after his death. Right now i am not interested in mausoleum. But i will visit there some day.

8. Mount Taishan ( Shandong Province)
My friends and i ever took a cable car to Yulong Snow Mountain， which is the southernest part of the Himalayas. We stopped at a scenic spot with the height of 4,500m. The place is so close to the sky. You seem to be able to reach it. Looking around, you can't tell the giants are huge rocks or solid glacier. It seems that they are one. Guess what? I didn't use oxygen bag.

Taishan is not so high but great minds think alike. We like to climb to the peak and stay one night in the open air wearing warmer clothes, waiting for the sunrise out of a sea of clouds. At that moment, you had better make a wish. It will come true!!

( To be continue)

The process is long but the result is wonderful! ----- homemade barbeque Pork!

2007-04-17T06:47:00.000-07:00

Sometimes we pay more attention to the result of a matter while we ignore its process. As a result, we often get half the result with twice the effort. It is easy to say " Patience is a virtue". This kind of mind or you say will power needs experiences or you just go through the mill, you will possess it.

Marriage is the major premise of LOVE? Some people get married after they know each other for 28 days. Some people do that after 1 or 2 years or longer. Whatever, their love leads to their marriage. It is what they want, isn't it?

Homemade barbeque pork is a dish i love. It takes time. It wastes electricity. It needs your patience. BUT i prefer to think it's an experience, which makes me feel so satisfied. Mike, ELiz and Nana all love it. ha!

The pork, specially for barbeque, in Cantonese, we call it Cha Xiu pork. You cut the big piece into several strips, like 3-4cm wide, 2cm thick and 6-8 cm long.

The seasoning ingredients: Cha Xiu Sauce, some garlic powder and some cooking wine.

Cover the plastic wrap and store it in the refrigerator for 24 hours.

Preheat oven 300 C.

mix a bowl of sauce: Cha Xiu Sauce, honey, dark soy sauce and a little oil.

Put the strips of pork on a wire rack and under it lay an oven-safe plate covered by froil.

Brush the sauce mixed on the surface of them.

Bake in the oven for 20 min and then turn them over and brush the other side with the sauce.

Another 20 min.

Now, set the temperature to 350C. Brush the pork with the sauce again. Bake 10 or 15 min and turn the pork over and brush again. Wait 10 or 15 min.

Roast it until the color turns the look you desire. I like it to scorch a little.

Done!

When they cool a little, slice them.

Ready to eat!

Jelly beans are NOT Bean’s rice!

2007-04-13T06:10:00.000-07:00

Bean’s rice must be rich in nutrition. Not remembering when and where I was told that the daily dishes we eat should be colorful. Are 7 colors included? Like the rainbow after rain? Haha. The answer is NOT Really. Or we will give a name to our daily food. Rainbow food. Wow!! In fact, 5 colors should be enough. They are red, yellow, green, purple and black.

Red ---- tomato

Yellow---- Dry daylily

Green ---- any green vegetables. Too many!!

Purple ---- eggplant ( Mike and Eliz never like it !)

Black ---- wood ear, black beans. ( oh yes, beans have different colors too , not Jelly beans)

I bet you can find more colorful vegetables. Our life is never lack of color, isn’t it? I am not an artist. I like different colors.

Colorful dishes enrich our life. These thoughts make my day in the kitchen joyful, colorful and cheerful. Especially when Mike and Eliz say “It’s delicious”, i feel like flying to the sky like a balloon. Hahaha…

Ingredients for Bean’ rice:

1 carrot,
1/2 can white corn,
½ c sweet peas,
½ c hams
2 eggs,
1 c white rice
1 tbsp soy source.

Enjoy this simple, colorful and nice fried rice with your family.

Have a great weekend.

( I do find out an article " Rainbow food". Wow. Here is the link:

http://www.ivillage.co.uk/food/cook/health/articles/0,,177268_708334,00.html

your love is sweet? cauliflower & chicken legs

2007-04-11T18:31:00.000-07:00

Today i did some yard work. The result is that my back "broke". Serious! I couldn't sit. I couldn't stand. Lying in bed will save me, i think . Yeh, it does work a bit, just a little bit. Mike's sacrificing his sleeping time helped me a lot. BUT i wish i had a robot servant to do more massage for me. Well, my guilty conscience!! I shouldn't complain! He is sooooo sweet to me!

Cauliflower's flavor is plain. Chicken legs are sweet, a little greasy with the skin. Just like two people's love, sometimes we add some sweet tastes, like honey, brown sugar. Want a little more romantic? then add some red wine. I pour some Rosso red spumante. I like a little sweet wine not dry one.

The chicken sauce :

soy sauce
honey
light brown sugar

red wine
chicken broth powder
white pepper

Boil the chicken (seasoned with Oyster sauce, a little cooking wine and garlic powder) in the sauce above for 15 or 20 min. Add some warm water if you like.

Done!

Cheers!