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Living SBP winter

Posted by a tourist on March 30, 2004 - 12:16am

I have survived the winter. The cold dark months have gone by almost without me noticing it. After living in Canada for 9 years, I have finally found a way of getting myself ready for and coping with winter.

My secrets? Fresh air, exercise, vitamins and moisture.

Last August, a friend taught me a set of vibration qigong which she learned from Master Tai Yeen Wong. I have been practising it every morning to start my day. Between mid-January and mid-March, the snow was too deep and temperature too low to exercise outdoors. However, I would still stick my head out for a breathe of fresh clean morning air. During the day, bedroom windows would be left opened for air exchange, so that in the evening, we could go to bed in a room filled with fresh air.

Taking the nurse practitioner's advice, I had started taking vitamins B complex and D before winter arrived. While the former helps break down fat for our body to absorb and reduces stress, the latter is a substitute for sunlight which we lack of in this part of the globe in winter. A senior neighbour told me that when she was young, her mother had said to her, "take your vitamins in the months with the letter 'r'." That is from September to April. So folklore, isnt' it?

Come to think of it, us Peninsular usually turn our heat on in late October, early November and leave it on until April or May. In the coldest months, we turn it up higher. In our house, plants have to be watered every couple of days in winter. A damp cloth left out overnight is completely dry the following morning. Our bodies lose a lot of water to the dry environment through our respiratory system and our skin. There is a Chinese soup which I make twice a week to help keep our body moist inside and out. The kids do not like drinking it much. However, I told them, "you don't have to like it. You just have to drink it. It's good for you. You won't get sick so easily." Sure enough, the boys did not get a sniffle as often this winter as they had in the past.

Spring is here. It does not mean that I should stop doing all the things which have helped me live through winter, execept for taking vitamins because there is no "r" in May, June, July and August.

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re:

Submitted by bub on March 31, 2004 - 12:50am.

Old canadian secret..Hot and Sour soup once a week helps the winters go by ;)

Hot and Sour Soup

Submitted by a tourist on April 1, 2004 - 12:47pm.

Hi Bub,

Do you have any recipe to share:)

Kee-may-blog|shop|understand me

Here is the recipe, May

Submitted by bub on April 6, 2004 - 4:55pm.

and Sour Soup:
1/2 pound pork shoulder, julienned
1 teaspoon sesame oil, plus 1 teaspoon
1 teaspoon thin soy sauce, plus 2 tablespoons
1 teaspoon cornstarch
Peanut oil, to cook
4 dried chiles, chopped
1 tablespoon minced ginger
1 tin of water chestnuts(slice)
1 clove of garlic
8 cups chicken stock
1 teaspoon sugar
1 cup bamboo shoots, julienne (buy whole shoots and soak in water for 30 minutes, then cut)
1/2 cup dried shitake and julienned (definitely fresh if available)
1 red pepper/julienned
¼ cup snow peas
shredded tofu
2 eggs lightly beaten
2 tablespoons cornstarch, mixed with cold water to form a paste
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1/4 cup chopped green onion
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
Salt and white pepper

Combine the pork with the sesame oil, soy, and cornstarch. Let stand for 30 minutes. In a hot stockpot, add oil and sear the pork, stirring quickly then set aside. Add the chiles and ginger, and stir. Add the stock, sugar, bamboo and red pepper , mushrooms and bring to a boil. Season. While boiling, drizzle in the egg to form ribbons. Add the cornstarch and stir constantly to thicken. Add vinegar, soy, sesame oil, scallions and cilantro including the pork and check for seasoning. I love my soup tart and spicy so more vinegar and white pepper can be added. Add the snow peas near the end of cooking cycle, so as not to overcook.Simmer until done.
Keep a bottle of chili paste on the table for me!

another great warmer...

Submitted by bub on April 6, 2004 - 5:45pm.

Clam Chowder

8 slices of bacon, chopped
1 medium cooking onion, chopped
2 celery stalks, diced
1/2 cup chardonnay or other white wine
1 cup whipping (35%) cream
1 cup milk
2 x 5 oz cans clam meat
2 large bay leaves
1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
1 cup grated baking potato, peeled
1 can (8.5 oz. / 250 ml) unsweetened evaporated milk
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
Coarse salt and freshly cracked black pepper

Directions:

Clam Chowder
Brown the bacon until crisp in a thick-bottomed soup pot.

Pour off half of the fat.

Add the onions and celery with a splash of water and saute for a few minutes until soft.

Add the white wine, the cream, the milk and only the juice from the clams (reserve the meat).

Add the bay leaves, the thyme, and the grated potato and bring the mixture to a slow simmer.

Continue simmering for fifteen minutes until the grated potato softens and the chowder base thickens.

Add the reserved clam meat, the evaporated milk and the parsley.

Bring back to heat.

Taste the chowder and add enough salt and pepper to season it.

Looks deliliscious

Submitted by KeeMay on April 8, 2004 - 9:03pm.

The recipes look good. I bet the soups taste pretty good too. You must be a very good cook? Where can I find more information on Canadian seasonal cooking, other than from your kitchen cupboard:)

I was just reading an article on how to eat according to seasons. Check it out.

By the way will you be up this weekend?

food is yum

Submitted by bub on April 8, 2004 - 10:07pm.

Yes, I do love to cook.It relaxes me..its funny, everyone can tell after working 12 hours if Ive had a bad day at work..I get home and start on something like cabbage rolls or lasagna.Seasonal cooking is great, the root vegetables are so underated.I like to cut up small turnips(the white and purple ones not the large rutabagas)carrots,celery root,onion,yams,normal taters,parsnips,and drizzle olive oil on them in a shalllow pan, bake them at 350 for 1/2 hour(try and cut them into same size chunks)and then season them(whatever you like..I use celery salt and fresh cracked pepper, and then throw some celery and onion on top and bake another 20 minutes or so..its like eating sugar.
Want something healthy the kids would like?Take some yukon gold potato's,(up to you whether to scrub and leave skin on or not) and yams(sweet potato's I used to call them when I was a kid) cut them into country cut style(thick..but try and keep the slices almost the same)put in a bowl, sprinkle olive oil on them toss them with your hands (dont you love hands in food?) then put them on flat baking sheet and put whatever spice your kids might like(and that includes Mr G.;)I like a mild chili spice, then bake at 350 for 30 minutes..check every ten minutes or so and anything looks like it is getting cooked before the rest take it out..its low fat heart healthy and you wont believe how good these baked fries taste
Won't be up this weekend, have some new MINC's(modular integrated network controllers) that have to have the programs compiled and loaded into, busy all weekend..but soon I just bought me a new pump to put in!

cooking with a heart

Submitted by bub on April 8, 2004 - 10:30pm.

That site is really good, there is a health food store near me called Goodness Me that sells totally organic foods(vegan and non vegan)and goes by that directive.We have the means and ways to eat healthy in North America now and should do so.Unlike my ancestors here that had to get used to fresh food for only a few months.(can we say sodium high?)