Natalie's School Homework

OK, I take a risk on publishing this blog entry and offending all of my family and friends who are even a bit religious, but it was just too funny to pass up. So BIG apologies up front!!!Natalie brought home some work she had completed in class the other day that stated the following:

Jesus Helps at a Wedding (John 2:1-11)

One day Jesus, His disciples, and his mother attended a wedding. All of them had fun until the wine ran out. Jesus' mother knew He could help and He did. After Jesus told the servants to fill the water jugs with water, a miracle happened. The water became wine! The wedding guests were very happy.

We can always take our problems to Jesus. He will help us, just as He helped the wedding guests.

So, what do you think the five-year old said to me, the wine drinker? She said "See mommy, Jesus can make you happy!" So I decided that it was interesting choice to use on a kindergarten color by number page.

Out of the mouth's of babes...

Harry Connick Jr. Concert

My husband is awesome. Most of the time. Ha ha. Seriously, he got us front tickets for a recent Shanghai visit of Harry Connick Jr., one of my favorite artists. Maybe you know him from the music in When Harry Met Sally, as Grace Adler's boyfriend (and later husband) Leo Markus on the NBC Sitcom Will & Grace, or from the Broadway revival of Pajama Game. Not only did he get us tickets, but we got FRONT ROW tickets that were right in front of the his piano. No better seats in the house, unless you count the view from the saxophonist's chair. The concert was in a smallish stadium, the Shanghai Gymnastics stadium. Maybe there were 2500 people there. So it was rather intimate. The concert itself was only about an hour and a half. Pretty short. But I loved it. And Tom liked it too even though some of the jazz standards were a bit slow for him.

Sorry, the pictures are a bit unfocused. Tom had to sneak it out the best he could. Check out the YouTube videos that I added. Pretty cool!

Oh, and before we arrived, we went to dinner on the 57th floor of the JinMao building. Does my husband love me or what? It was a pricey evening out, but I think I must be worth it because Tom did not ask for his money back the next day! I will let you think about that for a while...

Recipe: Oven Roasted Cauliflower

This recipe is very simple and low in calories. It is a quick way to prepare a side vegetable for your lunch or dinner. Also, it tastes good room temperature or even chilled. You can add the leftovers to your salad the next day! The parmesan and chives or spring onions are essential to achieving wonderful taste in this recipe. And be sure to keep your oven hot to get the nice golden brown color!


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Oven Roasted Cauliflower

Ingredients:
5 to 6 cups cauliflower florets, about 1 1/2 inches in diameter (from 1 medium cauliflower)
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon sliced garlic
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
Chopped chives or Spring Onions, 2-3 tablespoons

Preparation:
Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.

Place the cauliflower florets in a roasting pan or a glass baking dish. Whisk the olive oil with the garlic, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Drizzle over cauliflower and mix well. Place the pan in the oven and cook for 15-20 minutes until fork tender, stirring occasionally to ensure even roasting. Don’t over cook! You want the cauliflower to be a bit firm. Remove from the oven pour onto a serving platter. Sprinkle with the Parmesan and garnish with chopped chives and serve immediately while still warm.

New Career: Cooking Classes???

A week ago, Friday, February 22, I held my first "mock" Cooking Class here at the house. What a hoot! I am seriously considering hosting a few friends here occasionally for a class or two. I had four of my friends, in the picture Deb, Sherie, (me), Angie, and Kathy, come over as guinea pigs to see if I could actually do it! By the way, thanks to Kathy for the beautiful hats! It actually turned out pretty good, though I definitely need to prep each item a bit better. And if the Ayi had not been here to help wash dishes between, it would have been quite a mess. I think that just takes some practice. Plus, I am not a clean cook anyway and need to improve that anyway!

So the menu was:

• Soy-Lime Chicken
  Chicken Breast - marinated asian-style, served with the marinade sauce on top
• Sautéed Brussels Sprouts - Simple sauté of brussels sprouts with honeyed walnuts
• Asian Slaw - Cabbage, radishes, and snow peas combine for a great side dish
• Zucchini Bread - American classic! Moist and tasty, especially when served warm

I am not a very good dessert maker, and the oven I have to work with is not very helpful! The Zucchini bread sunk a bit in the middle, but it still tasted OK.



So, now that I have tried it, I am going to try to hold my first class in March. I have organized my recipes as a result so even if I don't hold a single class or make a single RMB, it was worth if for that! I will post the recipes and progress out here as well!