It's Been Awhile

I'm the worst at updating things like this, I'll admit.

We've had a lot going on. O has been super busy with hockey as the games pick up and the season comes closer to a close. A's kept up with dance, which will get busier the closer we get to summer.

We've also been having lots of fun school adventures. They love their forest school Fridays were they get to see their friends, play in the park, explore the woods, and learn about the world around them.

This past week we learned about Chinese New Year. As I taught them about the traditions and meanings, they made paper dragons to celebrate the Year of the Dragon. We also made Almond Cookies, Steamed Pork Buns, and Glutinous Rice Balls. We love trying new foods and trying to make some of the favourites we usually get at the store. (Recipe links will be posted below). I also found these red envelopes at Purdy's that had chocolates inside like coins.

One of the things O and I love to get when we're at the store is Steamed BBQ Pork Buns (Char Siu Bao) to share. He asked that we try making them for Chinese New Year and I thought that was a great idea! First, was making the pork. I have to say, I was pretty impressed with how this turned out. Even if I don't make the buns again, I will be making this pork. It was so good and hard not to just eat on it's own!

I'll be completely honest and tell you that forming the balls was hard! I couldn't quite get the pleating and the first round ended up being like what I called 'pork danishes' lol. While I did try to close them when I formed them, they opened during the steaming process.

In the end, these were the two that turned out the best. We also made the Tang Yuan for dessert, which A and I really liked. It turned out to be a good lesson that sometimes things just don't work, and that's okay! We tried, we had fun, and we tried something new, and that's what matters. Plus, we learned about an amazing culture and how they celebrate their New Year.

Recipes:

Steamed BBQ Pork Buns (Char Sui Bao): https://thewoksoflife.com/steamed-bbq-pork-buns-char-siu-bao/

Chinese BBQ Pork (Char Siu Pork): https://www.recipetineats.com/chinese-barbecue-pork-char-siu/

Tang Yuan (Glutinous Rice Balls): https://redhousespice.com/tang-yuan/