I really do love China. =-) I love the fact that I get to get out of the house every day and have an adventure. I love that just getting supplies for dinner counts as an adventure! I love that almost every store I go into is full of new, exciting, and fun things to look at.
Tonight the family and I had Tacos. Back home that would mean a trip to Bashas or Frys. Here that means so much more! This is what I had to do to make Tacos:
Go to butcher (AKA "Meat Shop" according to my driver).
Pick out piece of beef to have ground. Butcher either grinds chunk of meat once or twice depending on what you ask for.
Wait for butcher to find calculator so that he can show you how much the meat costs since I still do not know my Chinese numbers! I swear I am working on it. =-)
Go to indoor vegetable market (I really need to take my camera so I can show this place off) I also LOVE the outdoor veggie market but I was in a "rush".
Once inside the market pick from the dozen or so vendors to buy from.
Pick out what you want (lettuce and tomato), how much of it you want, and then barter price.
Go to Jin Ma (AKA Stinky Market by all the Expats...If you walked in you would know why!)
Once in Jin Ma Mall (Sp?) go to the basement where the food is sold. Hunt down import booth and find frozen tortillas (This was my first time trying them...they rocked and were only 15 RMB for 12 tortillas).
Go to Sunny's Imports (black olives and refried beans)
Now with all of that plus things I had on hand (Taco seasoning from the USA, Whipping Cream from a store called Metro, and white vinegar from a store called Tesco) I can finally make dinner!
All I had to do when I came home was cook and season the meat, soak the veggies in veggie wash and then cut it up, make sour cream, and warm up the beans and tortillas.
The whipping cream and vinegar are used to make sour cream which is impossible to get here. You take a cup of the cream and a tablespoon of vinegar and magically have sour cream. =-) Next I want to learn how to make ricotta cheese.
I am off to plan dinner for tomorrow now...I wonder how many stores I will have to go to.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Yummi kiwi and the most evil game on the planet!
I feel like I never have a spare minute to write here. =-( Declan is totally in his terrible two's and keeps me busier then I have ever been in my life! I have much to write about but will start at the most recent and attempt to work backwards as I have time.
Last night the family and I just hung out at home. It was nice to just relax at home for a change. I had run out the to store, the bakery, and the butcher earlier in the day in order to get supplies for hanbaobaos (hamburgers) which were totally yummy. While shopping I stopped at an outdoor vendor I had been dying to try and got the kids a yummy treat. Several vendors sell fruit on a stick which has been dipped in a sugar dip which makes the fruit super shiny like glass. They almost look too pretty to eat. I decided to get the kids a Kiwi stick and gave it to them before bathtime since I knew they would get super sticky. The treat was a huge hit with all of us and I look forward to trying other fruits in the future.
After the sugar high wore off and the kids went to sleep Ken and I decided to play the new game I had bought while shopping. I bought Monopoly China Edition and challenged him to a game. I have no idea what possesed me to buy Monopoly since I had not played it in several years and used to leave almost every game in tears (yes Jimmy you know why!). So Ken and I started playing and I was lucky to start off with a great lead! I was broke but owned like two thirds of the properties. Ken offered me a trade that I stupidly gave him which gave him a whole set of properties that he immediately built up into houses and hotels. Next thing I know I am out of money and all my properties were mortgaged. Whoops. Even though we did discover that Monopoly brings out the ugly in people I still want a rematch. =P Wish me luck because I think I will need it!
Last night the family and I just hung out at home. It was nice to just relax at home for a change. I had run out the to store, the bakery, and the butcher earlier in the day in order to get supplies for hanbaobaos (hamburgers) which were totally yummy. While shopping I stopped at an outdoor vendor I had been dying to try and got the kids a yummy treat. Several vendors sell fruit on a stick which has been dipped in a sugar dip which makes the fruit super shiny like glass. They almost look too pretty to eat. I decided to get the kids a Kiwi stick and gave it to them before bathtime since I knew they would get super sticky. The treat was a huge hit with all of us and I look forward to trying other fruits in the future.
After the sugar high wore off and the kids went to sleep Ken and I decided to play the new game I had bought while shopping. I bought Monopoly China Edition and challenged him to a game. I have no idea what possesed me to buy Monopoly since I had not played it in several years and used to leave almost every game in tears (yes Jimmy you know why!). So Ken and I started playing and I was lucky to start off with a great lead! I was broke but owned like two thirds of the properties. Ken offered me a trade that I stupidly gave him which gave him a whole set of properties that he immediately built up into houses and hotels. Next thing I know I am out of money and all my properties were mortgaged. Whoops. Even though we did discover that Monopoly brings out the ugly in people I still want a rematch. =P Wish me luck because I think I will need it! I will pop on soon to try and update what has been going on the last two weeks and add pictures of our recent trip to the Great Wall as well as pictures from Chinese New Year which is STILL being celebrated. =-)
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