Here's What I Was Eating:

Without further ado, here are the answers from my previous post about odd comments made during mealtimes:

• "So, do I eat the whole foot in one bite, or am I supposed to eat it one toe at a time?" - This was during my first encounter with chicken feet, in a recipe where they are served hot.  I can report that although the texture made me a little squirmy, it was actually quite tasty.  Not much meat, though.  I will add, however, that I was NOT in favor of chicken feet when I had them served to me cold on another occasion.  
• "I don't swallow the toenails, right?" - Also from the chicken feet incident.
• "How on earth do I eat this animal??  He looks like he could fight me to the death before I can even get him in my mouth!" - This was my second time seeing but first time eating an odd little sea creature called a 'pipa xia'.  The best English translation I could find called it a 'slipper lobster'.  He was so delicious that I consumed many of his friends and relatives as well as him.
• "So you suck the brains out?" - Also from the previous creature.
• "Hmmm, I think this one was pregnant when she made it into the pot." - I was eating a shrimp whose egg sacs were still intact.  
• "And you said this was what part of the cow?  . . . . . Oh." - Yes, your first thought was correct.  I did consume a bull's, er . . . yeah, THAT part of the bull.  Ew.
• "Sorry, his body armor got caught on my lip." - Those pipa xia really fight back!
• "Maggie, I'm pretty sure Diana was pulling your leg.  I really don't think you're supposed to serve them frozen." - My dear friend/adopted sister Maggie prepared shrimp . . . and served them frozen.
• "Wow, judging by the leg, this one was the Marilyn Monroe of the species!" - My friend Linda and I had decided upon rabbit legs for our lunch.  Quite possibly my new favorite meat!
• "It's a very handy animal.  All that labor, and delicious, too!" -  I really love donkey meat.
• "Wait, I'm not sure if I understood you correctly.  Sorry, my Chinese isn't always so good.  Did you say this was fish brains or some kind of vegetable?" - It was not, in fact fish brains (although I have eaten those, too).  It was a taro, and the Chinese name for it sounds almost the same as the Chinese for fish brains.
• "You know, I really thought this part of the body would taste bumpier, but actually I really like it!" - First and definitely not the last time eating cow tongue.
• "It's sort of like poetic justice eating him, considering what his relatives have done to me in the past." - My salad included some jellyfish in it.
• "You're sure you're not pulling my leg?  Civilized people actually eat that and enjoy it?  It's not just a fun trick to play on a foreigner?  You're going to eat it, too?" - This was when my friend invited me out for fish brains . . . and yes, I really did eat them.  Odd, but not awful.
• "Once you get used to the sliminess, it's really delicious." - This was a special type of fungus that I had never tried before.
• "I'm pretty sure that corpses smell better than this.  How did anyone ever get the initial desire to find out if it was edible?" - Durian smells absolutely dreadful, but is quite delicious . . . if cooked.  It's horrendously disgusting if not cooked.
• "Yeah, the tentacles really add something to the texture of the dish." - Just your average dish of octopus noodle soup.
• "Do you realize, I have never once eaten ___ cooked?  I've only ever had it raw!" - Salmon!  Someday I'll find out if I like it cooked as much as I like it raw.
• "Well now I've got a tail stuck in my tooth . . . " - There are hazards to eating very small shrimp.
• "So the poison has a lot of health benefits?" - Ah, scorpions.  Yummy!
• "I just wish he wouldn't look at me with quite so much pleading in his eyes as I'm getting ready to start tearing into him with my chopsticks." - This was from the time when I ate fish brains.
• "The fungus just adds so much flavor to the dish." - Black fungus and eggs, one of my new favorite dishes.
• "This smells like dead feet, but it sure tastes good!" - My first time eating aptly named 'stinky tofu'.
• "Oh, you're right — the texture is a lot like mashed brains!" - One of my favorite tofu soups translates into English as 'tofu brains' . . . although there are no actual brains in the soup.

The long, long list of other foods I've eaten, either in China so far or in Korea includes such delicacies as:  Fried silkworm larva, a grasshopper, a cricket (both adult and pupa), sea worm (I thought it was a weird type of noodle), sea snail (I thought it was beef), raw beef, "thousand year old egg," and sea cucumber (the most revolting thing I have ever put in my mouth -- although the fried silkworm larva is a definite contender for that honor).  Sometimes I eat things just to be polite, other times out of a sense of adventure, and still other times because I have no idea what it is.  Life overseas is definitely an experience that broadens your horizons!

Game: What Was Stephanie Eating When She Said This?

The following are actual statements said by me while eating, most within the past four months.  I feel that, better than anything else, these comments vividly illustrate just how much I have changed since I was a child (I was an incredibly picky eater until I moved out on my own).  Many of these comments were originally made in Chinese, but since most people who read my blog speak English, I've translated everything into English.  For fun, try guessing what I was eating when each statement was made (I'll post the answers next week).

1. "So, do I eat the whole foot in one bite, or am I supposed to eat it one toe at a time?"
2. "I don't swallow the toenails, right?"
3. "How on earth do I eat this animal??  He looks like he could fight me to the death before I can even get him in my mouth!"
4. "So you suck the brains out?"
5. "Hmmm, I think this one was pregnant when she made it into the pot."
6. "And you said this was what part of the cow?  . . . . . Oh."
7. "Sorry, his body armor got caught on my lip."
8. "Maggie, I'm pretty sure Diana was pulling your leg.  I really don't think you're supposed to serve them frozen."
9. "Wow, judging by the leg, this one was the Marilyn Monroe of the species!"
10. "It's a very handy animal.  All that labor, and delicious, too!"
11. "Wait, I'm not sure if I understood you correctly.  Sorry, my Chinese isn't always so good.  Did you say this was fish brains or some kind of vegetable?"
12. "You know, I really thought this part of the body would taste bumpier, but actually I really like it!"
13. "It's sort of like poetic justice eating him, considering what his relatives have done to me in the past."
14. "You're sure you're not pulling my leg?  Civilized people actually eat that and enjoy it?  It's not just a fun trick to play on a foreigner?  You're going to eat it, too?"
15. "Once you get used to the sliminess, it's really delicious."
16. "I'm pretty sure that corpses smell better than this.  How did anyone ever get the initial desire to find out if it was edible?"
17. "Yeah, the tentacles really add something to the texture of the dish."
18. "Do you realize, I have never once eaten ___ cooked?  I've only ever had it raw!"
19. "Well now I've got a tail stuck in my tooth . . . "
20. "So the poison has a lot of health benefits?"
21. "I just wish he wouldn't look at me with quite so much pleading in his eyes as I'm getting ready to start tearing into him with my chopsticks."
22. "The fungus just adds so much flavor to the dish."
23. "This smells like dead feet, but it sure tastes good!"
24. "Oh, you're right — the texture is a lot like mashed brains!"

Keeping Christmas in China

This year was my first Christmas in China, and I am happy to say that it was suitably special.  I opted for a four-day-long observance of the holiday, since it is, after all, my favorite holiday (yup, I'm corny that way).

On the 23rd, I kicked off my festivities by inviting some of my closest Chinese friends (and a couple of American friends) over for a traditional Midwestern dinner and my favorite Christmas movie -- It's a Wonderful Life.  I made a really simple chicken casserole, which my Chinese friends loved, to my relief (I always worry that they won't like our buttery western foods, but they always surprise me).  The movie was even more meaningful than usual, likely because I had to explain quite a bit of it to my friends.  I got to see it from their perspective, and I realized that it really is a film of universal truths.

I was invited to quite a few festivities on Christmas Eve, but after a wonderful-but-exhausting semester of school, I really just wanted a lazy day to myself.  So, I spent the entire day in my pajamas, watching movies and playing Age of Empires (I am proud to say that Napoleon, Queen Elizabeth, Ivan the Terrible, and Queen Isabella were all soundly defeated).  I slept in far later than any adult should (I think it was about 11:00 when I finally got up!) and I ate decidedly unhealthy junk food.  It was just the tonic I needed, especially after all the stress from finals -- my students think they have it tough, but they don't realize how painful the grading process can be!

Christmas was really unique.  I mean, really, really unique.  I enjoyed a traditional English Christmas, complete with turkey and crackers (the kind that explode and have goodies inside, not the kind that one eats with cheese).  I celebrated with a few British friends, a sweet Finnish gal, two fellow Americans, and several new Chinese friends.  We had a riotous game of multi-lingual charades after dinner.  One of the highlights was me pretending to be a watermelon.  Another wonderful moment was watching someone else act out a very energetic octopus.

On Boxing Day, my last full day in China before departing for my trip to Korea, I had a wonderful stew dinner with several other foreigners.  It was like an evening spent with family -- the kind of family that one likes belonging to, not the kind that binds and gags.

I hope you all had lovely Christmases, too, readers!

This Past Month . . .

For the sake of relatives whom I have not, perhaps, done well at calling or otherwise communicating with (although, to be fair, that is a two-way street -- you relatives could email me once in a while, you know!) and readers who may have wondered why I didn't blog for nearly a month, here is a summary of what's gone on this past month:

• My VPN stopped working and a multitude of other technological problems/frustrations took place.  Hence, no access to my blog for weeks.
• I tried out multiple types of (PAINFUL) Chinese medicine on my bad ankle, and finally decided to bite the bullet and look into surgery.  So, I'm heading to Korea in ten days, with the main purpose of the trip being to see a doctor.  Perhaps if we fix this ankle, I might be less clumsy!  (Or just find another body part to keep injuring.)
• I got put in charge of designing/planning a game for our entire high school, which we'll do next week.  Needless to say, the game involves spies. ☺
• I was coerced into eating another type of fish.  It wasn't horrible, so long as I kept my mind off of what I was eating.
• I got lost trying to cut through the hospital to get to a bus stop and wound up in a maternity ward.  (To be fair, that hospital is MUCH bigger than it looks at first glance.)
• I was introduced to three more fruits that I have never heard of before (which do not, to my knowledge, have English names).  All three, by the way, were quite tasty.
• I accidentally taught moderately offensive English slang to a group of Chinese friends.
• I got to relive part of my thesis research by teaching my sophomores about the Ottoman Empire.
• I had my first experience with a Chinese tailor:  After doing a spectacular free-fall down the front steps of one of the buildings at school, I tore my only pair of black slacks (and skinned up my knees, naturally).  The tailor not only completely repaired the large hole in one day, but also did it for less than a dollar!  I only wish knees could be repaired so promptly!
• I discovered that, contrary to the beliefs of several friends and students, a stapler CAN in fact be used to successfully repair a severely torn backpack.
• It snowed a few times -- and very graciously all melted within the same days that it fell.

Penglai Pingua Pictures

Thanks to my dear friends Susie (one of the Chinese teachers) and Kathryn (one of the English teachers), here are some apple (pingua in Chinese) photos from Penglai (taken during our trip two weeks ago):

Don't you just want to bite into those wonderfully juicy apples and have the juice drip down your chin?  As you can see, some of the loveliest Fuji apples in the world are grown in China.  They were so delectable-looking that I wound up buying ten kilos of them!  Does anyone have any apple recipes that they would care to share?  ☺

We saw several trucks like this one carting large loads of apples.  There were also the more old-fashioned carts hooked up to bicycles.

I estimate that we saw more than twenty of these roadside stands selling the apples.

An Enchanting Weekend: Penglai and Weifang, Part I

A group of about thirty of us took a trip this weekend to two gorgeous areas of China, Penglai and Weifang (they are about four hours away from where I live).  It was a trip full of history, magical moments, odd gustatory experiences (in other words, I ate something that should NEVER be eaten), beautiful Chinese songs, and of course, plenty of "squattie potties"!

I started out on the foreigner bus, which picked us up at 7:30 am on Saturday.  At a brief stop, however, we were told that anyone who wanted to could feel free to switch to the other bus (which the Chinese staff were on).  I immediately told my friend Kathryn that we should switch, and she agreed.  It's not that I don't enjoy the other foreigners (they're all the salt of the earth, as far as I'm concerned), it's just that my closest friends here, besides Kathryn, are Chinese.  Three of them have become family to me over the past nearly three months that I have been here.  In the midst of the difficult time that this last month has been, what with worrying about my mother constantly, Maggie, Linda, and Susie have gone above and beyond to encourage and love me.  So, I am always excited to spend time with them.

Maggie, Linda, and Susie cheered when we boarded their bus.  And then, after some preliminaries, Maggie promptly starting teaching Kathryn and I how to say "rest area" and "highway" in Chinese, much to the great delight of the other Chinese staff on the bus ("You never stop having lessons," one person laughed).  I then taught Maggie how to say "wind turbine" and "toll booth" (betcha can't guess what kind of scenery we were going past!), and then Maggie and Linda wanted to see if I could still remember the three words that Linda taught me in Weihai ("sand", "sea", and "beach").  I accidentally used the wrong tone when saying "sand", and thus learned how to say "foolish".  Isn't Chinese fun?!  Linda amused herself (and me) by teaching me about four more ways to say foolish, three of which I have, sadly, forgotten.  Everyone on our bus, including Kathryn and I, had brought snacks, so a lot of sharing of food went on (I love that particular Asian custom!).  I got to try yet another new fruit, which I really enjoyed, but I can't tell what it is called because I only heard the name in Chinese just once, over the excited din of conversation, and Linda and Susie had no idea what to call it in English (it probably doesn't have an English name).

Coming into Penglai, we saw on one side of the bus apple orchards, rich with luscious fruit, stretching endlessly into the horizon.  On the other side, we were treated to thriving vineyards backed by the glistening sea.  We stopped to look at the thousands of apples, then boarded the bus again and went to a stunning scenic area where we ate lunch.  I didn't eat anything too odd; the oddest thing was the fanged fish that glared at me with its accusing eye, and I wasn't about to touch that, no matter how much Maggie encouraged me to do so.  After lunch, we had a wonderful walk along the sea, admiring the beauty of various statues honoring the Eight Immortals (heros of old Chinese myth, whom Maggie and Linda told me quite a bit about) and the temples and pagodas.

We next headed to our first main destination:  Lottie Moon's church.  The building was restored and allowed to reopen following the Cultural Revolution, and the Southern Baptist church has since donated the funds to build a second church, which is next door.  We stopped in to hear the choir practicing in Lottie's church (I think she would have loved to have peeked into the future and seen/heard that).  Afterwards, we went into the other church to learn more about Lottie's life.  The talk was bittersweet; we learned that the pastor of the second church, as well of his wife, were killed with an ax by a former church member just last summer.  It was tragic to hear, particularly when we learned what wonderful people the Qins were.

We walked around, admiring the buildings and nearly feeling the history of the place course through our veins, then checked into our hotel.  Dinner was, as it always is in China, an adventure.  Owing to Maggie not telling me what I was eating until I had already swallowed it, I inadvertently ate sea intestines (not sure what manner of sea creature they were once a functioning part of, actually) and, to my horror, a tube worm. Although the flavor of both was just fine, I just couldn't bring myself to take another bite of that particular dish -- I have to draw the line somewhere, and worms definitely cross it.  The corn soup with pink sprinkles in it (as in the kind that one generally finds on cupcakes or ice cream sundaes) was delicious, as was the sweet and sour chicken, the mouthwateringly piquant chicken necks, and the wonderful spicy eggplant.

After dinner, a bunch of us took a long walk in the refreshingly cold evening air.  When we got back, I offered to teach Maggie how to play Quiddler, a fun card game that I brought from the states (the object, in a nutshell, is to make words).  Kathryn and another friend of ours, Ben, were also eager to learn, so we had a great game together.  Maggie loved the chance to improve her English, grabbing my arm every time an unfamiliar word was played and saying "Lao-San, shen-me yi si?"  ("Lao-San, what does it mean?"  In the end, she learned about ten new words.  Maggie loved the game!

As Kathryn and I settled ourselves into our beds that night, chatting amiably, I could still seem to detect the faint flavor of the worm I had eaten earlier that night, despite the best efforts of my toothpaste.  I knew it was just my imagination (the worm had no aftertaste), but it was nevertheless persuasive.  On the whole, however, I fell asleep with happy memories of the day playing about in my mind.

Yay Duck:  The scenery, the history, the time with treasured friends, the extra Chinese lessons, the beautiful singing at the church, and the chance to share one of my favorite games with some of my favorite people.

Yuck Duck: The worm.


More about my weekend adventures in my next post!

Stephanie's Latest Addiction

As those close to me know, I have a habit of going through phases where I crave a certain food above all other things, sometimes to ridiculous extents.  There was, for example, the Great Grapefruit Binge of 2001, in which I went through the equivalent of an orchard in about two weeks' time.  In college I went through my Rice Phase and my Cheese and Crackers Fortnight.  There was the Frozen Mango Madness in Korea, which cropped up for weeks at a time throughout my year there, as well as the Jajang Myeon Period, in which I ate that same dish for lunch and dinner for about three weeks straight (and still wasn't sick of it).  Shortly after I arrived here in China, I experienced the Dragonfruit Bender of 2011, and subsequently learned that overabundance of dragonfruit in the diet has unpleasant side effects for the tummy.

I have recently become enamored with red dates.  I cannot get enough of them!  I was introduced to red date yogurt by my friend Kathryn several weeks ago, and have been eating it almost daily ever since.  I love it because it is not too sweet, and it has just the slightest edge to the flavor.  While in Weihai, Linda and her husband introduced me to the actual fruit, which I immediately took to.

I find that the flavor is best when the dates are in their mostly green phase of life.  They are called red dates because they turn red after being dried.  There are apparently two different types of them, and my kind friends had me sample both.  Those pictured above are the sort that I like best.

Some of the Chinese staff at school were explaining to me recently that red dates (also known as Chinese dates or jujubes) have a ton of health benefits, and when I researched the matter, I found that they were quite right.  Apparently, these have been used in Chinese medicine for over 1,000 years!  They are good for strengthening the blood, helping to cure anemia, and they are supposed to aid the spleen and several other organs.  Additionally (and for me, most importantly), they taste utterly delicious.

The texture is similar to that of an apple when the dates are fresh, and their size is comparable to that of a grape.  They are not too pricy of an indulgence: I bought about a pound of them from Lotus today and paid the equivalent of less than three dollars for them.  You'd pay more than that for chips or a lot of other snacks, and these are way better for you.  I prefer to just munch them as-is, but I have seen a ton of recipes for them, so I may experiment a bit later.

Adventures in Weihai

I just returned from a phenomenal staff retreat in Weihai, the city where I almost lived (I had a job offer there that I came very close to not turning down).  Initially, I felt apprehension mingled in amongst my anticipation -- although excited about the chance to spend time with several dear friends, I wondered exactly how much fun one could have while stuck on crutches with an ankle that swells up like an angry balloon at the slightest provocation.  I need not have worried -- my incredibly sweet Chinese friends made it a wonderful time!

I spent most of my time as the foreign minority among Chinese, and I couldn't have been happier!  I got to know several staff members that I had not previously gotten to spend much time with (their jobs and mine don't really intersect).  I also spent a lot of time being looked after by my "older sisters" Maggie and Linda and my "little sister" Susie.  They took me all over the place, frequently grabbing my crutches to make sure that I didn't slip and fall or get flung through the air (yes, they know me well already).  We also had two fantastic and inspiring seminars.

There were several unique and special moments during the trip:

• I received a nickname from my Chinese friends.  Since there are four Stephanies at school, Maggie decided to rename me "Lao-San" (basically, it means that I am the third age-wise).  It seems to be catching on, so I may have a lengthy future as Lao-San.  Fortunately, I like it.
• I ate jellyfish!  I did not like it!
• I ate "hundred year old egg" -- duck egg that is covered with mud and buried, then dug up and served after it turns black.  (Surprisingly, it tastes good, and obviously, I had no idea what it was before I ate it.  I thought it was just an odd garnish on the tofu.)
• I ate a chicken foot.  It showed up in one of the dishes at dinner, so I figured I might as well eat it.  Not bad, but not awesome.
• I ate pig heart.  This was another instance where I did not actually know what I was eating (it just happened to be in my soup at the Korean soup restaurant that friends and I went to).  It was okay, but I did not care for the texture.  Maggie insisted that it was good for my skin and that I should finish it all, but I had filled up on soup, rice, and kimchi and had no desire to eat more.
• I ate a very odd sweet cold soup which had a texture and appearance exactly like the results of a giant's head cold . . . if the giant had something horribly wrong with his sinuses.  I liked it, although it looked dreadful (that seems to happen a lot here in China).  I was eating dinner with a tableful of teens and preteens, so I opted to set a good example by not telling the kids what I thought the soup resembled until after dinner.
• I got to go sailing with three friends.  We had perfect weather, albeit chilly, and managed not to get wet.  Poor dear Ruth, the Chinese teacher who shares my classroom, was not so lucky.  She and her husband were enjoying a very cute voyage in a kayak, then tipped right as they were coming into shore!
• I taught a whole bunch of American slang to several of the Chinese staff.  I figured it was only fair, since they are always teaching me Chinese words.
• I learned several new words, including beach, sea, sand, Chinese donut (that's really the best translation for it), and "let's go".
• I was forced to dance.  As one of our team-building activities, our small groups had to each do the same song and dance in front of everyone.  My group was a bit unimpressed by the motions that were supposed to go with the song, so we improvised and changed it up in the third stanza, ending with a bow.  We received cheers and applause for our efforts, though we didn't win.
• Maggie made me speak Chinese only (well, as close as I could get) while we were out and about on our first day (not for the whole day, just a large portion of it).  I was really surprised by how much I can understand; unfortunately, my vocabulary is very noun-heavy at the moment, so my limited verbs really cut down on my conversation potential.

So, although the crutches are a "Yuck Duck", the entire time in Weihai was mega "Yay Duck"!

Pichaiyuan on a Sunday

Two Sundays ago, some of the Chinese staff from school took out several of us new foreign staff.  They wanted to show us a really neat area, Pichaiyuan, and introduce us to even more of the local food.  Susie, the one who organized things, divided us foreigners into pairs and small groups and then assigned a Chinese staff person to each group, which was a great idea.  I was happy to have Linda, whom I had only recently met but very much wanted to know better, placed in charge of my group.

My favorite of the foods that we got to try was a soup that Linda explained is called "tofu brains" when you translate it into English.  I am sorry to say, it is not a pretty dish.  In fact, it looks like vomited cottage cheese floating in a bowl of mucus.  If you can overcome the appearance, however, (as I did), it is really delicious.  Honestly!  Another thing I enjoyed was the mutton on a stick.  Susie claimed that it was spicy, but I disagreed.  So, Linda got me another one that had about five times the usual amount of red pepper on it.  I offered to share, but this is not a province accustomed to truly spicy food, so my Chinese friends declined the offer.  One of them remarked "I would die!' when offered a bite.  I guess Korea really did give me tastebuds of steel when it comes to spiciness!

We also got to see some of the fantastic Chinese crafts for sale, such as the adorable pens that they make and little carvings made from vegetables.  We saw a lot of pretty scenery, and even got to check out a neat bookstore on our way home.  It was one of the most fun days I've had here in China, which is saying a lot.

Our happy group, after a few hours of good food and exploring.

In Which Stephanie Addresses Reader Questions

Some friends have emailed, skyped, or used other means to message me with questions in the past few weeks, so I thought I'd go ahead and do an entire blog post of answers, since other readers may have similar or identical questions.

Whatever became of that typhoon?
After getting us all hyped up and ready for mega waves, heavy rain, and insane winds, Muifa slowed down, turned, and beat the tar out of Korea instead.  We did get that one day of enormous waves, followed by a storm that night, but then we heard nothing further from Muifa.  Not even so much as a postcard!

What classes are you teaching?  How many students do you have?  What are the kids like?
I teach just four classes, as we have block scheduling.  Our high school classes are an hour and a half on MTWT, and then just half an hour on Fridays.  On Mondays and Wednesdays, I teach both of our sections of Modern World History (10th graders).  I get planning periods from 8:00 am until 11:30, except for the fifteen minutes of homeroom (we have that MTWT; my homeroom kids are ninth graders).  I then have class from 11:30 until 1:00, which is lunchtime (I eat in the cafeteria with the kids every day), and then again from 1:40 until 3:00, when we dismiss.  For Tuesdays and Thursdays, I get planning period from 8:00 until 9:30, then homeroom and tea break, then classes all the way until lunch, at which point I am done teaching for the day.  On those days, my classes are College Prep and one section of Ancient World History (9th graders).  On Fridays, all of my classes meet.

For my fifteen minute homeroom on MTWT, I've themed each day.  On Compassion Mondays, I discuss either a person or organization who is making a positive difference somewhere in the world.  The kids were very interested in it this week: I talked about an anti-human trafficking organization (Justice ACTs) and how they rescued an Albino African girl from witch doctors who wanted to kill her.  On Tough Question Tuesdays, I'll be focusing on a difficult moral question or situation each week.  On Wacky Wednesdays, I show funny (and clean) YouTube videos.  Today's videos were a huge hit:  I introduced the kids to Julian Smith and Monty Python.  Thursdays are Worldwide Thursdays, in which I'll talk about a recent significant news story somewhere in the world, and we'll have a little discussion about it.

I am amazed and astounded by just how good my students are.  Most of them are Korean; I only have one or two "Western" kids per class.  All of my students are quite attentive, respectful, and engaged in whatever we're doing.  One of my tenth grade classes informed me today that they find my classes very fun and interesting, which I was delighted to hear.  My biggest class is the first section of tenth graders:  there are 20 kids in that class.  My College Prep class is my smallest, which only 7 students.  The other two classes have 14 and 16 kids, respectively.  The kids are quite sweet.  In each class, there are at least a few students eager to become "pets".  They like to linger after class or come early just to talk to me.  I really don't have any "bad" kids, though I do have a couple who will require a little extra encouragement and direction on my part.  I can honestly say that I really like every single kid in each of my classes.

What creative things have you come up with in your classes?
Yes, my friends know me well!  I love to come up with odd/creative/weird teaching techniques.  In the tenth grade, I'm quite proud of what I've set up.  Each month, the kids will play a month-long themed competition game with differing rules.  This month, my Sophomores are pirates.  I have split both classes into two teams, who will all play against each other, and each team has their own ship on my bulletin board, which I have set up to look like an ocean with lots of islands.  Participation, good grades, and winning review games will earn the pirates treasure in their ships.  They trade in treasure in order to move their ships around the board.  They can land on islands, some of which are inhabited (though there is no way to tell until they've landed).  Through excellent classroom participation and such, they can earn the rights to steal treasure from each other, fire at other ships, and also bury treasure on an island in order to keep from losing it (they just email me to let me know, so that it is secret from other pirate teams).  And of course, they can earn the right to dig for treasure, too!  At the end of the month, the pirate team with the most treasure will earn a special "No Homework" coupon that each team member will be able to use to skip one standard daily assignment or bellwork.

I am also doing another fun teaching idea with the Sophomores, as we study the Renaissance, our first unit.  I have split them into small teams, and told them that they are traders in 1400.  Today, they had to look at a map of Europe from that time period, and select where they will put their trade route (they had to explain their decision).  They can make it as long or short as they want, but I explained to them some considerations and practicalities to keep in mind.  Throughout the remainder of our Renaissance unit, they'll do research on the areas their trade routes are going through and will watch how those regions change over time.  They'll also be sharing all this info with the class.  We'll have small assignments to go along with this, like making postcards from some of the cities their routes stop at.  One group wanted to know if they could engage in piracy, since their route involves the Mediterranean Sea; I told them that they can do a little bit at the moment, and more once we get into the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries.

My freshmen are currently being trained as historians.  They learned to evaluate sources the other day, and tomorrow they'll be learning map skills and even practicing a bit of cartography.  We won't get into the really fun and super creative stuff until we actually get into history, but they seem to be enjoying themselves.  I've got fun projects and games up my sleeve for later.

How is China similar or different from Korea?
In some ways, it is super similar; in other ways, it is night and day.  The general appearance of where I live (landscape, buildings, etc.) reminds me a great deal of Korea, which often confuses me.  My brain thinks it is back in Korea and starts assuming it knows how to get somewhere, then gets quite turned around!  The food is similar in that it is spicy usually and involves many similar ingredients; as much as I like the food, however, I have to say that Korean food is even better.  Living-wise, I found Korea less bewildering and generally easier, which I kind of expected would be the case.  Shopping and cooking are both a lot harder here.  The humidity is also much worse.  Overall, it is not unpleasant here -- I really do love it, and Qingdao is a beautiful city -- but I have definitely met with my fair share of "Yuck Duck" moments.  For example, my brand new camera is STILL holed up in customs, with no sign of movement toward me.  I just keep taking a deep breath whenever I get frustrated, and I try to focus on the "Yay Duck" stuff.  The Chinese people that I've met are mostly friendly and hospitable, much like I found in Korea.  I particularly like Lotus, the dear woman that I buy all of my fruits and vegetables from (she runs a little stand right in my apartment complex).  She is very friendly and speaks good English, plus she has discerned my deep love of mangoes and always finds the very best ones for me!

What weird or unusual things have you been eating?
Let's see, here are the ones that spring to mind:

• Green tea ice cream flavored Oreos (and they really are made by Oreo)
• Vanilla ice cream flavored Oreos
• Sea kelp and beef noodle soup with odd floating mini-hotdogs in it
• Stewed tomatoes with eggs
• Banana-flavored microwave popcorn 
• Apple-flavored soda
• Coconut and palm juice
• Aloe vera yogurt
• An exceedingly odd type of ramen noodle soup that thoroughly defies description, which I still can't decide if I actually liked
• A delicious type of Muslim noodles with beef and onions
• Two different types of curries
• Something unidentifiable that I sincerely hope was beef
• Dragonfruit
• Dragonfruit, vegetable, and crabmeat sushi
• Kiwi and lime popcycles
• Pea ice cream (yes, normal green peas)
• Strawberry juice
• Blueberry juice
• Pea juice
• Spicy pork rib ramen noodle soup

Photos that I Stole from Other New Teachers

Since I am still waiting for a means of getting photos off of my camera and onto the computer (long story short: I lost the cord and have ordered a new one), I lifted some photos from the Facebook pages of two of the other new teachers, Ben and Warren.  I'm sure they won't mind (and if they do, I will offer them cookies).

First, here are some pictures of the view from the roof of the school, taken the other day (the day that we got drenched in Qingdao's amusing imitation of a tropical storm):

Some of the views remind me a lot of the Philippines.  The hill behind the school is actually a cemetery, but there are no bodies in it.  China requires that all bodies be cremated.  Unlike in the States, in China, families are responsible for maintaining their own plots -- there is not a caretaker looking after the entire cemetery.

The next few pictures are from our very rainy meal the other day, at the noodle place:

These two shots show the rural village that we walked through to get to the noodle place.  The two people whose backs you see are Carl, the elementary principal, and Stacy, one of the teachers.

This is the small noodle place where we ate (on the left).

Here, our head principal, Dave, orders lunch for everyone.  Our meals were 8 RMB apiece (about $1.24 in US money), which the school paid for.

The stools we sat on were quite small, but surprisingly comfortable.  I think they were less than a foot high.

Those noodles sure were yummy!

Stacy laughs and does her best to avoid the sudden torrential downpour.  'Twas a memorable lunch, indeed.

Stephanie's Delicious Creamy Spinach and Cauliflower Cheese Soup

My new gluten-free, sugar-free, low-carb lifestyle may be difficult at times (like when I have to say no to freshly baked apple pie), but it does come with a few perks.  For one thing, a lot less migraines.  For another, an excuse to invent recipes.  And as anyone who knows me knows, I love to invent recipes.

On Saturday, aside from cleaning up after my poor, sick Jasper (see last post), I also created a wonderful new soup:

Stephanie's Creamy Spinach and Cauliflower Cheese Soup
Ingredients
2 quarts half and half
1/2 stick salted butter
1 bag baby spinach
12 slices turkey bacon
2 sweet onions
2 heads cauliflower
4 cups monterey jack cheese
1/4 cup grated parmesan/romano cheese
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1/8 cup white cooking wine
1 tablespoon parsley
1 tablespoon tarragon
2 tablespoons chives
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper  (don't worry, it will not make the soup spicy)
1 teaspoon paprika
salt and pepper to taste (be sure to use sea salt and freshly ground pepper for best flavor)

Directions
Pour the half and half into a large pot and place over medium heat.  While this is heating, melt the butter and cook the bacon.  Add the butter as soon as it is melted and stir thoroughly.  Pulverize the bacon, spinach, and onions in an electric chopper, then add each to the pot and stir well.  Next, chop up one head of cauliflower into small pieces and add it as soon as the soup has reached a simmer.  Pulverize the other head in your chopper, then combine it into the soup.  Mix in the wine, herbs, and spices, continuing to stir well.  After letting the soup cook for about fifteen minutes, stirring occasionally, add the cheeses, then salt and pepper.  Let the soup cook about fifteen minutes longer, still stirring occasionally.  Final step: serve up a big bowl of it and enjoy!

This soup stores well in the refrigerator.  A little bit of separation occurs, but all you need to do is stir it.  It is a wonderful comfort food that is creamy and filling.

For a delicious and healthy dessert, mash up a bowl of frozen raspberries or blackberries, add some splenda or truvia, and pour in some half and half.  Mix it well until it is nice and creamy, like a rather thick sorbet.

Delicious Naan Pizza

At least I call it that, for lack of a better term.

Naan is a marvelous flatbread that I have recently become enamored with. It has excellent flavor and is versatile as well as healthy. Lately, my new favorite lunch has been what I like to call "naan pizza". It is fast, easy, and almost sensuously delicious.

To make it, I first preheat my oven to 350 degrees. Then I cram spinach, minced garlic, sweet onion, and feta into my electric chopper and pulverize it. I grease a cookie sheet, then place one naan (they come in packs of two - one is about the size of a large flour tortilla) on it. Using a paper towel, I brush on some olive oil to the top of my naan, then slice it into small pieces with a pizza cutter. I leave the pieces touching. Next, I coat the naan with my spinach mixture, then apply some of my favorite herb mixture from its grinder (it's a blend of herbs used in Italian olive oil dipping sauce for bread - you can find it or similar grinders in many stores). Finally, I add just a light dusting of shredded parmesan and romano cheese. I bake it for twelve minutes, during which time it makes my entire apartment smell heavenly (and makes my stomach almost frantic to consume it). The first bite is like a Mediterranean banquet in my mouth.

Eggs "Stepha-dict"

This is one of my favorite breakfasts, which I, in fact, ate today. I love pretty much anything involving eggs, particularly Eggs Benedict. Unfortunately, hollandaise sauce (which is essential for Eggs Benedict) is horribly rife with saturated fat. Even with my new plan of eating larger, fattier breakfasts, I just can't justify senseless overindulgence. At the same time, I hate to have to give up something that is truly delicious. So, a few months ago, I created a variation on Eggs Benedict which is much healthier and is quite easy to make. It is now one of my favorite meals! Here's the recipe:

Eggs "Stepha-dict"
Ingredients
4 eggs
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon lime juice
3/4 cup fat free cheddar cheese
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons fat free milk
Two slices of turkey bacon, each cut in half
1 english muffin, cut into two halves OR two crumpets (Duffy makes good fat-free crumpets; you can find them at Kroger in the refrigerated section)

Instructions
1. Fill a pot about half full with water (you want about 4-5 cups worth of water) and stir in the apple cider vinegar. Heat it on the stove at medium heat (number 6 on the dial works best for me).
2. Crack 2 of the eggs into two separate bowls. When the water reaches a low boil (not hot enough to produce big bubbles), gently pour each egg in, taking care that they remain separate. Set a timer for 6 minutes. If you like your eggs firmer, you can give them longer; if you like your eggs runnier, give them about 4 minutes instead of 6.
3. While the eggs poach, put the turkey bacon on to cook at medium heat.
4. For the sauce, take the yolks from the remaining 2 eggs and mix them over medium heat (number 5 on the dial is best) in a small saucepan with the lime juice, milk, butter, and cayenne pepper. Once the butter melts, add the cheese. Stir thoroughly. When the cheese is fully melted and integrated with the other ingredients, the sauce is ready.
5. When the timer for the poached eggs has about one minute left, put the english muffin halves or the crumpets into the toaster to lightly toast. I have found that crumpets taste the best in this recipe. If you use an english muffin, be sure to get the whole wheat variety with extra fiber.
6. As soon as the english muffin halves or crumpets are done toasting, place them on your plate. Stick two pieces of turkey bacon on top of each one, then place one poached egg on top of each. Spoon the sauce over top of this.
7. Bon appetite!

This recipe makes one large breakfast for one, or you could add a nice side dish like fruit and yogurt and have breakfast for two. It is very filling and makes a great "comfort food" on cold mornings. Eggs are one of the healthiest foods in the world to eat, and high-protein breakfasts like this one have repeatedly been proven to be the best choices for students (or anyone who needs to be able to concentrate during the day). Don't let the cayenne pepper scare you off - it does not make the dish spicy at all. The cayenne just adds a very slight nip to the flavor (the heat from it is absorbed by the cheese and milk). Don't throw out the egg whites from the two eggs that you only use the yolks from - save them and use them for an omelette later.

Dietary Alterations

I have a confession to make: I love to eat. Too much. I am one of those people for whom food is a comfort, something that I take in the place of drugs when I feel overwhelmed, lonely, down, or sometimes even when I'm happy and feel like a reward for doing something well.

It started all the way back in second grade, when the school bullies first seized upon me as the perfect plaything. I got bullied all the way up to high school, and the weight hopped right on board. By tenth grade, I was overweight. There weren't bullies anymore; instead, kids (not all of them; I had a few friends) at my new school mostly preferred to ignore me or maybe snicker a bit behind my back. The result was the same: I kept eating. By now, I had weight depressing me, and that just made me eat more. My new identity was etched in stone: I was the fat girl who never got asked out on dates, and who got through all the hurt with comfort food.

In college, I made some strides to reform. I went for two years where I barely ate anything (another bad choice), and dropped the weight. Then I evened out a bit, then I started going to food for comfort again. By the time I graduated, I wasn't fat, but I certainly still had a very unhealthy relationship with food. Life threw some more curve balls at me, and I eventually wound up in 2010, overweight again. Not obese, but certainly overweight. The difference is, now I eat right.

I am still 100% committed to my Sugar Busters lifestyle, with a few moderations. I have put pretzels, cereal, and occasional popcorn back in life (considering that pretzels are one of my favorite foods, we simply had to be together). I also allow a few other indulgences, such as my favorite pear jam, which has twelve grams of sugar per serving, and the occasional pineapple (they're high on the glycemic index). I have also recently chosen to allow carrots back in, since I am concerned about my eyes. I follow my plan carefully, and only buy foods that are on it. I switched over to coconut oil as my primary cooking oil, after reading reports from numerous sources as to its many health benefits, though I still use olive oil whenever its flavor would better compliment a dish. Despite making all the right choices, however, I still have one major problem: serving sizes. I eat too big of portions. And, thanks to all the coursework from grad school, I just don't have the time or energy to exercise. So, despite all the good I've been doing for three months, the weight is clinging to me like scandals on an actor. I haven't put on any more weight, but I also am not losing.

This brings me to the latest dietary change, which I will be posting about just as I do my other life experiences, in the hope of benefitting anyone else looking to make the same changes. Having read some other recent health studies, I am trying something a little different from most diets. A large breakfast with plenty of fat has been proven to be healthier than a low-fat and/or small breakfast. Not only does it keep you fuller; it also helps you eat less during the rest of the day. Studies have shown that the old adage of "eat like a king a breakfast, a queen at lunch, and a pauper at dinner" is actually the best possible way to go. Now, being hypoglycemic, I need to spread out my food a little better; my doctor has harped on me for years to eat five or six meals per day. I really don't have the time for six meals, so I'm going to go for four for a while.

Here's the new plan (which I just implemented this week):

Breakfast is now a large meal consisting of coffee, fat, protein, fiber, dairy, and occasionally fruit. I bought some turkey bacon, which has wonderful flavor and is not nearly as unhealthy as regular bacon (which I have not eaten for years). Today, for example, breakfast consisted of coffee, two slices of turkey bacon, one egg with some fat-free cheese, and some vanilla yogurt (low sugar) with frozen raspberries and All Bran flakes. Yesterday, I had the same egg and bacon, but had a slice of double-fiber toast with butter and pear jam in place of the yogurt. Since I love breakfast food, getting to indulge like this in the morning is enjoyable and practical - yesterday, I stayed full for almost twice as long as I normally would after breakfast.

Lunch is now a medium-sized meal which consists of pretty much whatever I want, so long as the sugar and fat are both low. I had chicken stir-fry yesterday, for example. Lunch will usually involve a meat, most likely chicken, and will always have at least one vegetable. Dairy products will also occasionally be served. I have decided to make another big change and try to convert myself into a seafood-eater. My entire life, I have despised fish, which actually makes me physically sick to my stomach (the smell of strong fish can even give me a migraine). I do eat and enjoy crab and shrimp, however, so those are going to be more common on my table. I also am trying some other things, like scallops (I found some on sale at the grocery store this week, in fact). And, because fish really is so-o healthy, I am going to try to make myself like some of the milder varieties, like tilapia. I really want to like them, since they are healthy and offer a whole new range of recipe experiments, but I have a lifetime of fish-hatred to overcome first. We'll see how this goes - tilapia will be experimented with either Saturday or Sunday.

Dinner will now consist of two small meals. One will be served around six, the other at eight (at which point, the kitchen will be officially closed for the night). Henceforth, dinners #1 and #2 are now vegetarian meals - absolutely no meat (I get to have that at lunch, if I want it). Last night, I made a variation on traditional green bean casserole: I added a little bit of hot sauce (about one teaspoon) to the mushroom soup, just to pep it up a pinch, stirred in pureed sweet onions with the green beans, and topped the mixture with ground almonds and sliced sweet onions instead of the traditional onion rings. The result was delicious. I had two small helpings, with a space of time in between, and allowed myself a little yogurt for dessert, as I still felt legitimately hungry after my second dinner. Tonight, I will be finishing the leftovers. Two or three nights a week, I will be having a protein shake for my first dinner, with a slice of double-fiber toast or a vegetable for the second one. With both lunch and dinner, I will be implementing far more nuts in the place of red meat (I'll still have it on occasion, just not as often).

I am also going to allow occasional snacks, so long as they are healthy. I found several recipes for healthful, 100-calorie snacks, which I will be preparing in advance and then storing in baggies, divided into the appropriate serving sizes. It sounds like I'm eating a lot, but in actuality, I have cut the portion sizes quite a bit. I am going to be eating more in terms of variety with each meal (before, I had just one dish for each meal, very seldom bothering with side dishes), but the portions will be dramatically smaller. I am hoping that the wider variety of dishes with each meal will help encourage me to keep portion sizes down. Since the weather is now heavenly outside (and beyond heavenly - we keep hitting the nineties already), I am also going to make a conscientious effort to get outside with Jasper more often. I want to be sure to take him to the park at least twice a week, and I plan to start rollerblading again in the evenings or mornings. I also want to start taking better advantage of the swimming pool at my apartment complex. I love to go hiking, so I am going to try to go about every other week, accompanied by Jasper, of course.

I'll keep you posted on how this progresses, dear readers. Let's hope this girl can get back into those cute smaller clothes (which currently hang, neglected, in the back of the closet) by mid-summer.

Stephanie in Uniform

Let it not be said that Stephanie ignores requests. Several people have been bugging me to post pictures of myself in uniform, so here you go. It's too bad you can't see my awesome bun; I finally figured out how to do them properly with my disobedient mass of hair (it's a time-consuming process involving patience, coconut oil, about a hundred bobby pins, and at least two muttered "blast you"s). While my uniform is far from flattering, it is very comfortable, for which I am duly grateful. Normally the cap is not worn inside a building, but I knew people wanted shots of the whole "get-up". My favorite part of the uniform is all the pockets; I would feel rather silly carrying a purse while dressed in this particular uniform, so the pockets are a godsend. The left-hand splint (not pictured), of course, is not a normal feature of the US Army uniform, however, with my luck, it may wind up being a normal feature of the Stephanie US Army uniform.




In case you were wondering why no recipe or photos were posted of yesterday's muffin experiment, the lack thereof is deliberate, not an oversight. The "apple bran biscuits," as I nicknamed the outcome of the experiment, tasted okay but had an unpleasant texture. Part of the problem was the lack of brown sugar, since even the Splenda version involves actual sugar; another problem was the fact that I had to use a dough hook on my mixer to mix the creation, since my appropriate attachment had to be thrown away owing to peeling and old age. The third, and biggest problem, was the difficulty in baking with one hand injured - I found peeling apples, in particular, to be exceptionally painful. I'll have to try that idea again later, when I have the proper equipment and two good hands.

And the Rain, Rain, Rain Came Down, Down, Down . . .

And it cancelled PT again! Thanks to the freezing rain last night, Liberty had a two-hour delay yet again (this makes two days in a row), so PT was cancelled. Considering the shape I'm still in, I was rather relieved to not have to get up at 0445 and work out at LU at 0550. Obviously those in charge are planning to go easy on me for awhile, but even so, I was worried about working out again so soon, and puzzled as to what on earth I would even be able to do! Since I don't want to undo all the good work I was accomplishing from my workouts before my injury, I am going to start doing some low-key stuff on my Wii Fit today, and then start using the pool either tomorrow or Friday (thank you, Liberty, for building that lovely state-of-the-art workout facility).

The hand is looking a little better today. After being iced all day yesterday, some of the swelling has gone down (although it is still a bit swollen) and I have feeling back in my fingers. My thumb still gets periods of numbness, but not as much as yesterday. Obviously, the pain is still pretty bad. Last night I got the second migraine of 2010 (the first came on Sunday), so I had to dope up a bit on migraine meds, which meant that I slept really well for a change - actually, I slept a little too well. I woke up at 1200! I guess my body needed it, but it sure was strange to look at the clock and realize that that much valuable reading time was gone.

I had another terrific find at the store on Monday (the infamous Walmart trip where the woman slammed into my hand), which simply must be shared. As my readers all know, I am diligently sticking to this sugar-free lifestyle, which is not without its share of challenges. On Monday afternoon, I am sorry to say, I made the decision to break free for a moment and indulge in a small bag of peanut M&Ms. As I replied when Dr. Saxon, who knows of my sugar-free ways, questioned this choice: "To heck with health; I've had a horrible day and I want chocolate!" The little indulgence made me feel a little better, so I think it was worth it (just that once). When I went to Walmart that night, I still really wanted something sweet. To be specific, I desperately longed for one of my favorite comfort foods, banana pudding. Now there are two problems with that craving: 1. I cannot have bananas because they are too high on the glycemic index, and 2. The vanilla wafers used in banana pudding contain a great deal of sugar. I knew that I had a box of sugar-free banana pudding mix at home, but without the bananas and vanilla wafers, it just wouldn't seem right. Saddened, I walked through the cookie aisle, pausing to gaze wistfully at the vanilla wafers, sitting there taunting me with their unattainable deliciousness . . . when "what to my wondering eyes should appear" but a box of sugar-free vanilla wafers! Kudos to Murray brand for making life a little sweeter for us sugarless folk! I also discovered, to my surprise, that shredded coconut is not as laden with sugar as I had supposed, so I can have some in moderation. Thus fortified, I went home and made my pudding. It was banana-less, but still very delicious since it still had the other key components.

Today seems the perfect day for another experiment in the kitchen. I have a deep fondness for muffins, which I have been unable to have since there is a paucity of healthy muffin recipes that fit my rigid dietary standards. So, I have resolved to create my own whole-wheat, sugar-free apple bran muffin recipe. We shall see how it goes. If the muffins come out well, I will post pictures and a recipe. If not . . . well, there's always Jasper, my furry garbage disposal. I'm sure he'll gratefully make use of any flops!

The Best Way to Serve Asparagus

According to my dad, the answer to this would be "not at all," but I definitely disagree. Asparagus is one of my favorite vegetables, and I have about a dozen ways that I like to fix it. This is probably my favorite:

First, make sure that you buy the best asparagus. Contrary to what some people may believe, you DO NOT want the fattest stalks. Go for the longest, skinniest stalks that you can find - these will have the best flavor and texture. Farmers' markets and roadside stands at farms are the best places to get good asparagus, of course, but you can still find some palatable stalks in your local grocery store.

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Lightly spread some olive oil on a cookie sheet. After rinsing your asparagus stalks thoroughly and chopping off about one inch of the bottom (this section has little flavor), line up the stalks side by side on the cookie sheet. You'll want to place them as close together as possible without being on top of one another. Next, slice up a large white or yellow onion. Spread the rings so that they cover the asparagus. Sprinkle on some minced garlic (a staple in my kitchen), a generous amount of parsley, some sea salt, and freshly ground black pepper. I like to sprinkle a bit of six pepper blend on next, but some people (such as my mother) may find this too spicy for them. Next, sprinkle on some crumbled feta (another staple for me) and some shredded parmesan (the powdery Kraft stuff is okay, but it will not taste nearly as delicious). Bake this delightful concoction in the oven for 18 minutes. Since I love baked onions, I go nuts over this dish!

I do not recommend serving this if you have plans to kiss anyone immediately after eating, as the garlic and onions will give you horrible breath. If you're worried about your breath, chew a fresh sprig of parsley after eating, then gargle with mouthwash with a teaspoon of baking soda mixed in.

This is what it should look like before going into the oven. I forgot to photograph it again after it came out, as I was too eager to consume it!

Comfort Food for the Snowed-in Student

Today I hit upon two ideas so delicious that I am at a loss to explain how they never before entered my mind. And, of course, both were healthy and nearly sugar-free.

The first was a delightful little mid-morning snack that hit the spot so well, I had to have it again for my lunch. It is such a simple idea, too! I mixed sugar-free tapioca pudding with sugar-free vanilla pudding, and then added sliced-up strawberries. Ambrosia in a bowl! Why did I never before think of this? Another treat that I'll be indulging in tomorrow is the Jello that I fixed. No, not your typical boring Jello. I like to mix one package of the sugar-free cranberry with a package of sugar-free raspberry, and then add real fruit. In this instance, I put in pre-pitted sweet cherries (all berries are low on the glycemic index, thus making them a dietary staple for me).

For dinner, I had teriyaki pork loin that I cooked in my crockpot for about five hours. It was so tender and moist that the meat practically disintegrated on the fork! Teriyaki sauce is usually sugary, but I learned today that it still comes out very well using agave nectar. My usual sweeteners are Sweet 'n Low for coffee and tea, and Splenda for everything else. Agave nectar is better, and has the wonderful attributes of not affecting blood sugar at all, as well as being 100% natural and good for you. Unfortunately, it is also expensive and difficult to find. I try to reserve it for special dishes. Today, as I am once again snowed-in, I felt it was a great day for using agave nectar.

Tomorrow, I'm planning to fix a sugar-free stir-fry for my lunch. The great thing about stir-frying is that you can use up any leftover meats, and nearly all vegetables do well when cooked this way. Now, sadly, I can no longer have carrots or baby corn in my stir-fries, but there are a whole host of other vegetables at my disposal. Carrots and baby corn (or any corn), obviously, are too high on the glycemic index - both are pure starch and not only affect blood sugar, but also entice the body into putting on more weight. Raw carrots are okay in moderation, but they lose all nutritive value when cooked. To play it safe, I just gave them up altogether. The benefits found in raw carrots can also be found in other vegetables which are lower on the glycemic index, as well as being more versatile (i.e. you can cook them without losing nutritive value).

Aside from eating comfort foods and indulging in a DVD, today was also a great day for getting some of my reading done. One of my professors, sadly, has an apparent desire to kill off students by means of the books he has chosen. The past two were so dull that they made me want to stick my head in the oven (which really would have done no good, since I have an electric oven, but I'm sure you catch my meaning). The most recent book, a work on consumer society during Fin-de-Siecle France, seems a bit more promising so far, for which I am duly grateful. My other professors, thankfully, have been far kinder in their reading choices, choosing books which are both informative as well as interesting.

Tomorrow, I will be focusing my reading efforts on some of the books I'm using for my largest paper of the semester. As the paper is over a topic that I find fascinating (the work of Britain's Special Operations Executive during WWII), I am looking forward to delving deep into research. I'll come up for air long enough for meals, but I intend to get 10-12 hours of research under my belt tomorrow, as opposed to my usual 6-8 hours. Yes, I really spend that much time reading each day, AND still find time to cook, clean, do DIY projects, get in shape for the Army, spend time with Jasper, and maintain my blog. What can I say, I'm Superwoman! Or, I don't have cable, have no social life, and have given up on the luxury of 8 hours of sleep per night.

Well, time to indulge in a little me-time. I have a Victorian novel and a hot bath waiting. Fin-de-Siecle France can get by without me for awhile - I'll pick it up again on Sunday.

UPDATE: I just learned that I spent the day reading the wrong book - the one I read won't be used for another week. Great; now I have another book to read: the correct one!

Chili de Estephaniá

Today marked my first attempt at making chili. I've been wanting to try making it for ages, but just never seemed to find the time before. Since there was no class for me today, it was the perfect opportunity. Three factors made this attempt particularly unique:

1. I have never eaten chili before. That's right, not even once in my entire life. It's hard to believe if you know me now, but I was an exceedingly persnickety and picky child who would eat very little in the way of variety, so I refused to ever try chili. As an adult, I've never really had the opportunity. Of course, I could have had cheap chili from a fast food restaurant, but I knew that if I ever tried it, I would certainly want to try good chili, not a nasty cheap imitation.
2. I decided not to use someone else's recipe. You see, I have an aversion to using other people's recipes for anything. I glance at recipes for guidelines or inspiration, then I always deviate in some way. I like all of my recipes to be my own - sort of like the way a (reputable) writer refuses to copy someone else's work. Now I don't feel that there's anything wrong or lazy in using someone else's recipe (for those who do), I just feel like it takes the fun and the creativity out of cooking (for me). So, for my first chili attempt, I glanced over a friend's recipe to get an idea of what usually goes in the stuff, then I wrote out my own recipe with several changes, additions, and substitutions. I have a pretty good grasp of different foods and spices interact and complement one another, so my method of cooking generally has a high success rate. Once in a while an attempt of mine flops, but even then I benefit, since I always learn from my flops. I like the freedom of being able to throw things together by instinct, rather than being shackled to recipe books.
3. This chili is both beanless and beefless. I do not care for the flavor or the effect of beans, so I opted against using any. And beef, while delicious, is quite high in saturated fat, so I usually reserve it for special occasions. Instead of beef, I chose to use ground turkey. It has a little less flavor than ground beef, but is much healthier, and still tastes quite good. It does cost a little more than ground beef, but sometimes healthiness means paying a little more (not overpaying; there is a difference).

I know that the best chili is supposed to be cooked for a long time, but I didn't really have the patience, so I opted to only cook mine for about an hour. While my chili was cooking, it made my entire apartment smell so enticing that my mouth kept watering! I had a very hard time waiting for it to cool a bit before digging in for that first bite! I even noticed Jasper appreciatively sniffing the air. No, he didn't get to try any chili; I was too concerned that the spiciness might hurt him.

And the result of the chili-making experiment was:

Delicious! I think I could have gone a little further in terms of spiciness, but overall, it was tasty enough to justifying having seconds. I'll have to play around with my recipe some more (maybe this weekend?), but it has definite potential, and is certainly already very enjoyable for the taste-buds. If you'd like to try this chili yourself, here is my recipe:

Chili de Estephaniá

Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound ground turkey
1 chopped red bell pepper
1 chopped green bell pepper
1 finely minced medium yellow onion
2 tablespoons minced garlic
freshly ground black pepper
sea salt
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomato with green chilies (drained)
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons chili powder
1/2 tablespoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon crushed sweet basil leaf
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Directions
Pour the olive oil into a wok and add the ground turkey, red and green bell peppers, onion and garlic; cook over medium heat. Salt and pepper (use a pepper grinder) the meat, and stir periodically until the meat is light brown, then drain. Stir in the remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for about an hour, stirring periodically.

I'll be sure to post later if I find satisfactory changes to this recipe.