Vietnamese Spring Rolls

These spring rolls were made a while ago, but I just can't help but post this because they were the best spring rolls I have ever had in my entire life. That's right. MY ENTIRE LIFE. They were made by hand and in the company of some of my favorite people, which makes a difference in how good the food tastes, I think..:) Enjoy the intense process below (yes, it was tedious) but it's a great date night or group activity where everyone can chip in and contribute. Ingredients are flexible, so experiment and have fun trying new flavors! Here is a list of everything we used:

1. Egg roll wrappers (cut in half)
2. Shrimp (w/ shells)
3. Green onions (cut into 3-inch slices)
4. Egg whites (for sealing egg roll wraps)
5. Oil (for deep frying)
6. Round rice paper (for wrapping)
7. Ground pork (patties cut into slices)
8. Cucumbers (slices)
9. Granny Smith apple slices (slices)
10. Romain lettuce
11. Vermicelli rice noodles
12. Cilantro
13. Mint
14. Basil
15. Shrimp sauce
16. Peanut sauce (from Out the Door)
17. Vegetarian sauce (from Out the Door)
18. Sriracha chili garlic sauce

How to Make Amazing Vietnamese Spring Rolls

We started by making yummy egg rolls to go inside the actual spring roll. (Yes, these are doubled up with deliciousness. The crunchy egg roll inside the fresh spring roll is an amazing combination.)

Cut the egg roll wrappers in half into triangles

You need 1 shrimp for each egg roll (unless you're going vegetarian)

You'll need 2-3 green onion slices for each egg roll

After rolling about 100 of these egg rolls, we deep fried them in oil. Remember, you can leave the shrimp out and just do green onions to stay vegetarian if you need to. We had a few people allergic to seafood, so we did about 30 or so without shrimp. When I do these again, I will probably add carrot to the vegetarian egg rolls.

When they're all wrapped, deep fry all the rolls for a few minutes until golden and crispy. Don't forget to keep the vegetarian ones separated from the others!

Meanwhile, the master chef (Sybil) was preparing everything else. She made an amazing shrimp sauce, cooked rice noodles, prepared loads of fresh vegetable ingredients and cooked the meat patties that were later cut into slices (see below).

Don't forget to add a delicious drink to your meal!

Add your favorite sauces for dipping!

The green plastic trays above are great for separating the rice paper rounds and can be found at a local Asian grocery store. When everything is prepared, dip your rice paper in water until flexible, pile on the ingredients, wrap it all together, dip into your favorite sauce and experience true happiness. Ok, maybe not true happiness, but pretty darn close..:) Enjoy!

All About Airbnb

It's a well known fact that I LOVE Airbnb. I can't stop telling people about it because it's pretty much the best idea since sliced cheese. If you haven't checked it out yet, go here and browse for just 10 minutes. You will find yourself creating a travel wish list that consists of staying in a tree house in Italy, a seashell in Mexico and maybe even a gypsy car in France. The possibilities seem endless and are all very affordable when you consider what you're getting in return. (Ok, maybe not the castles.)

I think it's safe to say I will never stay at a hotel ever again. Why would I do that when I can get a unique, local experience and an entire home to myself for cheaper?!  Also, if you need to make some extra cash, just take some pictures, list your place and you're on your way to making money when you leave out of town. It doesn't get any better than leaving on vacation knowing that you will come home cash positive.

Alex and I recently stayed in this architect cabin in Cazadero, CA for our anniversary. It was the PERFECT getaway from the city. The hospitality was fabulous, our host had everything immaculately prepared for us and we were free to help ourselves to the fridge and pantry full of all sorts of goodies and snacks. It was probably the best getaway we've had all year. We were thrilled to have no cell phone service and completely disconnect. Twenty-four hours was all we could spare from work, but we had the best 24 hours anyone has ever had! We cooked, ate, watercolored, read and explored. It was lovely. I even got to build a fire in the stove! (I promise I'm not a pyro, but this just made me so happy..:)  

The next time you are booking a hotel for your trip, save yourself a boring experience and take a peek at Airbnb. You won't regret it!

*Note: I was not paid to write this blog post. I wish!..:)

More Photos

Just one year ago...

Looking at this picture makes me laugh. It's so fitting for the adventure we were about to embark on!

...Alex and I were sealed for time and all eternity in the Oakland LDS Temple on March 17, 2012. What an adventurous journey it has been so far! So adventurous that it's almost been a little too much for me, haha. (And that's saying something, since I like myself a good adventure...:) All I can say is I'm so grateful for the eternal perspective I have of this journey we're on together. Alex and I look at each of our adventures over the last year as refining our eternal character and relationship together. To me, the three most important ones have been: 

1. Starting our company
2. Our church involvement
3. My father's cancer

Starting our company

The startup world is hard to describe to those who haven't been in the thick of it, but if I could pick one word I would choose INTENSE! It's intensely grueling, intensely rewarding, intensely limiting and intensely liberating. Yes, it's all just one big paradox, but I feel like I've learned more in these last eight months than I ever did in my four years of undergraduate studies. (Someone will have to really persuade me to find the same value in continuing my formal education after this experience.)

We've managed to teach ourselves to code, build a prototype web application, get incorporated and conduct customer development testing. All miracles in my book! Right now we're in the middle of iterating our original idea, which means lots of work and changes, but we're thrilled with the new direction we're taking. We're transitioning from a mere story publishing platform to more of a step-by-step process that breaks down writing your personal and family narratives into quick and easy projects. Basically we're making the process faster, more fun and compelling to share with others. It will probably be a few months until the overhaul is complete, but feel free to check out our landing page in the meantime.

Not only has starting our company benefited my career development and skills, it's refined my marriage skills - communication, patience, faith and trust, understanding, decision making, etc. It's kind of like a refiner's fire when I think about it. Starting your own family parallels starting your own company in so many ways, but that's another blog post for a future date...:)

Our church involvement

Not long after our wedding, Alex and I were called to be missionaries together in our San Francisco church congregation - the Bay Ward. I can't say enough about our ward. It has such a special place in my heart! It is definitely not your typical Mormon ward and that's why I love it so much. Every Sunday is entertaining, spiritually uplifting, and provides us many opportunities to serve, teach, demonstrate true charity and build lasting friendships. Right now we teach a Sunday school class on missionary work, help the full-time missionaries teach lessons during the week, visit and teach individuals and families in their homes, sing in the ward choir and volunteer once a month as ordinance workers in the Oakland Temple. It's so much fun! We are definitely busy, busy, busy, but it keeps us focused on what's most important and allows us to get outside ourselves and our own daily troubles.

Someone recently asked me, "What do you Mormons do that keep you so busy all the time?" I prefer to call it "anxiously engaged in a good cause" (D&C 58:27), but I've thought about that a lot lately. Alex and I are also extremely busy with our startup venture and sometimes I wonder how we have time for it all. For one thing, our church keeps us serving all the time. I've never felt so needed in all my life and I love it. There are people in our congregation whose needs are far greater than mine and that keeps me humble and full of gratitude. And yet serving them and working with others in our church has taught me so much. The elderly lady I visit frequently has taught me about the importance of patience, relationships and to be excited over the smallest of triumphs (for her just getting down the stairs, across the parking lot and into the car is a miracle). She was also the one who inspired our startup idea to make family and personal history more collaborative and social. I continually see how God has directed and blessed our life through our service to others.

I was also recently asked to put together the Sunday Easter program and that allowed me the opportunity to dive deeper into the scriptures and truly reflect on Christ's life, Atonement, death and resurrection in a whole new way. We don't get paid to do these things in our church, but I willingly do them because I know they bless my life and the lives of so many others. Basically, serving in our church makes my life more meaningful. It's not a once a week ordeal, it's a 24/7 all day everyday of the week involvement and it's so worth it. I also love that it's yet another thing Alex and I get to do together. Our church service over the last year has brought so many miracles and I know it will continue to bring many more.

My father's cancer

Me and my Dadio...:)

Also about one year ago, my father was diagnosed with a rare form of liver cancer, stage four. It was several weeks before my wedding and I remember thinking, "Really God? Is this necessary right now of all times?" Looking back, I realize that it was. It was so absolutely necessary. It reminded me just how important my family is to me and what an incredible blessing it is to have an eternal family. If anything happens, I know we will all be together again. Having all of us together on my wedding day was priceless and strengthened all of our resolves to push forward with courage into the future.

Over the last year, I've watched my parents overcome daily trials with faith and hope. I've seen their friends rally behind them and watch over them. I've watched him endure chemo and painful side effects with a sense of humor and a smile on his face. I've seen our family draw closer together than ever before through prayer and fasting, constant communication and sacrifice to travel and see each other as much as possible. Although an unwelcome adventure, my father's cancer has brought the most blessings over the last year. I find myself more full of faith, more committed to family, more vigilant in my work and more focused on relationships than ever before. This adventure may be a long one and require more than we want to give, but what's so comforting to me is that my family and I will do it together.  

Chinese Parties & Traditions

Chinese New Year Party

The Hancocks always hold a festive Chinese New Year dinner party at their home and I look forward to it every year. Everyone brings a tasty dish and the feast is superb. Afterwards, we play games and participate in Chinese traditions and activities. My favorite is the white elephant gift exchange, which is not really Chinese, but so much fun! This year we dabbled in Chinese calligraphy while learning to write Chinese new year greetings. As always, good times with good company.

Alex and I contributed Bear's Paw Tofu to the meal: Tofu, Chinese baby leeks, Shanghainese chili bean paste, canola oil, light soy sauce, garlic, and ginger

2013 is the year of the snake (baby dragon...:)

Grandma Gong - always smiling and always festively dressed.

Waiting in anticipation during our traditional white elephant gift exchange. Not necessarily Chinese, but so much fun!

Our delightful host, Marguerite.

My former roommate, Kelly.

The prized painting/stereo speaker that you couldn't turn off.

The mango coconut jelly got stolen several times in the course of the evening. 

All of us with our gifts. Quite the range if I do say so myself.

Red Egg & Ginger Party

When a new child is born into a Chinese family, they usually hold a party for them about 100 days after they're born. This comes from a tradition that goes way back. Basically, many children in China died before they reached 100 days old, so it wasn't until then that they named the baby and welcomed it to the family. By that time they knew the baby had a good chance of living. The ginger is for the mother, as it serves for healing and energy after giving birth.

Alex's birth father's family in Sacramento invited us to come to his cousin's red egg party, so we decided to make a weekend out of it. We had a fabulous time going to Tahoe, staying with Uncle Mel and Aunt Florence and visiting with family at the party. Alex and his siblings moved away from Sacramento when they were very young, so it was great to reconnect and learn more about their first dad, Allan. He died of cancer when Alex was only one year old, so this side of the family has always been sort of a mystery. There's nothing like a good party to bring people together and we really appreciated the hospitality and love we felt from the Nunn family during our visit.

Each guest can take home a red egg, which symbolizes a life change, as well as happiness and harmony.

Ginger

Jeremiah loved getting to play with family members his age. He was in heaven.

Mango pudding in the shape of a fish. Yum!

Uncle Melvin and Auntie Florence were our hosts in Sacramento and took such good care of us!

Escape to Tahoe

Alex's extended family invited us to Sacramento for a Red Egg party, so we decided to make a weekend out of it and take a little detour to Tahoe for some snowboarding. That's right, NOT skiing, snowboarding...:) Although I do have to say I'm more open minded about learning to ski these days, haha. Needless to say, it was a much needed retreat into the mountains. It was a beautifully sunny day with good snow and good company. All I can say is I sure hope there's snow in heaven!

A Sunny Day at Half Moon Bay

A sunny Saturday in the Bay Area is never to be wasted and this last Saturday was no exception. So we ventured down south to the Fitzgerald Marine Reserve and Half Moon Bay for exploring and a picnic with Alex's brother Jon and his wife Beth. The reserve was refreshingly pristine and well taken care of compared to other beaches. Not to mention all the tide pools made for exciting discoveries of hermit crabs, fish and anemones. Off in the distance were a dozen or so seals looking as though they enjoyed basking in the sun even more than we did. I couldn't help but remember that my sister in Connecticut had just woken up to three feet of snow that morning and I was ever so grateful to live in California.

Half Moon Bay

Point Bonita Lighthouse at Full Moon

I cannot recall the last time I had so much fun while freezing to death at the same time. When Alex and I ventured to the Marin Headlands in November, we both got sunburned. This time around was a little different with crazy strong winds off the ocean and unexpected low temperatures. But we had just as much fun, if not more!

Thanks to our friend Ian, who planned the whole excursion, Alex and I were introduced to an amazing phenomenon that takes place every so often from Point Bonita. At just the right time of year during just the right time of month, a full moon rises over the Golden Gate Bridge and creates a magnificent sight to behold. The national park only opens the entrance to the Point Bonita Lighthouse very rarely and Ian had to reserve tickets for us to be allowed in. We were all blown away when we turned around and saw the moon, round and larger than life, sailing up into the sky. The sun was still setting behind us and we were encircled in a 360 degree panorama view of natural splendor. 

Ian, Charity and me all wishing we had dressed with more layers!

Entering the cave to get through to the point.

Soaking in the sunset.

The sunset to the west.

Our first view of the full moon. A picture will never do it justice.

These pictures capture beautifully how we were all feeling - windblown & frozen, but so incredibly enraptured by the beauty of the scenery around us. If you live in the San Francisco area, learn more here so you can experience it too!

Learning lighthouse history from the National Parks ranger. 

Ian and Charity were so fun! Definitely an adventurous pair.

The cliffs to the north of the point.

The bridge to the lighthouse was only recently built this last year. Before then, there was a pulley system to get to the lighthouse.

Smiling despite the numbness in all my limbs, nose and ears.

Lighthouse bridge in the fading sunset.

The east side of the bridge wasn't so bad, but once I started crossing, the wind was so strong I thought I'd get blown over the edge!

The lovely lighthouse. We escaped inside for a respite from the gusts of wind.

The light from the moon (which actually just reflects light from the sun) was almost as bright as the lighthouse!

My favorite photo of the evening. So adorable.

My Design Resource List

Several people have been asking me about resources I've used to teach myself design and front-end web development. I have most of these resources listed in my Index under Design, but thought I'd do a post about it as well.

Below is a list of resources I recommend or have heard great things about. I've also included lists of fabulously helpful websites that I wish I had known about from the start. My husband, Alex, also wrote a post on this topic with a list of resources more programming centered that you can find here.

I love collaborating with aspiring entrepreneurs/designers, so let me know if you have any questions or resources to add to this list. Enjoy!

For Learning:

Inspiredology

1. www.codeacademy.com: Free! I used this when I first started learning HTML and CSS. Free and fabulous. Very user friendly and a good place to start, but once you've got the hang of it, move on and make something of your own! That's the best way to learn.

2. www.teamtreehouse.com: This costs money, but it's great as a step-by-step help. Very thorough and great if you're looking for a more course-like approach to learning over time. Not so great if you need to learn something specific very quickly.

3. www.udemy.com: This costs money, but delves into topics more in depth like an actual course. 

4. www.udacity.com: Free interactive college classes. I haven't personally used this, but I've heard great things!

For Getting Inspired:

Starry Night by Vincent Van Gogh

1. www.startupsthisishowdesignworks.com: Great introduction to startups making design a priority.

2. www.dribbble.com: A place to browse and get ideas. It's invite only, but a fabulous community of designers if you can get one of the precious spots.

3. www.behance.net: Another place to browse that's open to anyone.

4. www.theheadsofstate.com: I just really love these guys! Their designs make me think differently.

5. www.jessicahische.is/awesome: Can't say much more, she's awesome.

6. www.imjustcreative.com: Another inspiration of mine. Best logos ever!

7. www.yaronschoen.com: So simple and yet so amazing. Helps me keep things clean.

For Help:

Stack Overflow

1. www.stackoverflow.com: This place is the bomb. It has the answers to all of your questions.

2. www.w3schools.com: I use this as a CSS reference a lot.

3. www.colorschemedesigner.com: Fabulous for when you're stuck and need some good color combos.

4. www.css-tricks.com: This is a button maker, but lots of other good tricks too!

For Following:

Code Academy

1. www.smashingmagazine.com

2. www.37signals.com/svn

3. www.viget.com/inspire

4. www.fastcodesign.com

5. www.inspiredology.com

6. www.webdesignledger.com

7. www.thedesignplaybook.com

For Typography:

I Love Typography

1. www.fontsinuse.com: A site showing fonts being used on the web and other places. Great for context and ideas.

2. www.ilovetypography.com: FOLLOW THIS TOO!

3. www.dailydropcap.com: A letter project. So creative and good for ideas outside the box.

4. www.fontshop.com: Great fonts, but you have to pay for them.

For Downloading:

The Noun Project

1. www.subtlepatterns.com: Great backgrounds for blogs or websites. 

2. www.thenounproject.com: Fabulous icons and more.

3. www.creativemarket.com: If you want to be unique and pay for it, this is a great place to browse.

Christmas Memories: Carol of the Birds

Christmas time means music time at the Bird home. There is never a shortage of caroling, concerts and impromptu performances during the holidays. Since all of us are together, we try to learn as many duets, trios and ensembles as possible. This year featured a full on Bird family musical fireside on Christmas day. It was magical.

Favorites included: Were You There?  by Natalie, Michelle and me; a whistling of Silent Night in harmony; a Gollum version of Jingle Bells by Mike and Matt; a beautiful ensemble performance of Still, Still, Still and a very valiant effort at four-part harmony for the rousing Halleluja Chorus finale number. 

Christmas Memories: O Holy Night

Thanks to my younger brother Matt's recent return from the Middle East, we had some very authentic costumes for our traditional Christmas Eve nativity program. We also had special guest performances for the baby Jesus and angel. It was truly a beautiful sight.

The true Christmas story never gets old. We perform it every year and every year I feel the love of our Heavenly Father through the gift of his son. Almost a month later, I can still remember the peace I felt that night as I reflect back on this simple yet priceless tradition.

Christmas Memories: Project Stockings

I do not own a sewing machine. And considering how little storage we have and how little time I have these days, I don't think I'll be owning one for quite some time. That being said, I took full advantage of being at home with my mother's sewing skills and supplies. I wanted to try and do at least one special thing for mine and Alex's first Christmas together. So I made stockings. Or I should probably say, my mom showed me how to make stockings and I learned a lot...:) Haha. I don't think sewing is high up on my talent list, but maybe one day I will be as amazing as Mama Bird.

Christmas Memories: Cook, Bake, Decorate!

Alex and I were in charge of food over the holidays. Thanks to all the helping hands, it wasn't too stressful. We used some of our tried and true recipes, ventured out on a limb with some new ones and went crazy with the gingerbread making. Overall, it was quite the success! Check out our creations and recipes below!

Cook: Some delicious favorites

Pea and Mint Soup 

Probably my favorite soup ever. Thank you Jamie Oliver. This is one of our go to favorites when we need a good vegetarian soup option. It's thick and creamy and super healthy. Also a quick make if you don't have a lot of time.

Ingredients

• 2 carrots
• 2 celery stalks
• 2 medium onions
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 3/4 quarts chicken or vegetable broth
• Olive oil
• 5 1/2 cups of frozen peas
• Fresh mint
• Feta cheese
• Sea salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

Directions

• Peel and roughly slice carrots
• Slice the celery
• Peel and roughly chop the onions
• Peel and slice garlic
• Heat broth in a saucepan until boiling
• Put 2 tbsp of olive in oil in a separate large saucepan on medium heat
• Add all chopped and sliced ingredients and mix together with olive oil
• Cook for 10 minutes with the lid askew until the carrots are soft and the onion is slightly golden
• Add the boiling broth to the vegetables
• Add the peas
• Give the soup a good stir and bring to a boil
• Simmer 10 minutes
• Remove from heat and season with sea salt and pepper
• Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth
• Top with feta cheese and mint leaves

Gourmet Mac & Cheese

Obviously, this is not the most healthy recipe, but I am such a sucker for cheese. Alex made this for me on Valentine's day two years ago and I died and went to heaven. We made it again for everyone over the holidays and it was definitely a winner when it comes to feeding 15 people. Gourmet and delicious, but fairly simple and still yummy in large quantities.

Ingredients

• Kosher salt
• Vegetable oil
• 1 lb elbow macaroni or cavatappi
• 1 quart milk
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, divided
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 12 ounces Gruyere, grated (4 cups)
• 8 ounces extra-sharp Cheddar, grated (2 cups)
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 3/4 pound fresh tomatoes (4 small)
• 1 1/2 cups fresh white bread crumbs (5 slices, crusts removed)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Drizzle oil into a large pot of boiling salted water. Add the macaroni and cook according to the directions on the package, 6 to 8 minutes. Drain well.

Meanwhile, heat the milk in a small saucepan, but don't boil it. Melt 6 tablespoons of butter in a large (4-quart) pot and add the flour. Cook over low heat for 2 minutes, stirring with a whisk. While whisking, add the hot milk and cook for a minute or two more, until thickened and smooth. Off the heat, add the Gruyere, Cheddar, 1 tablespoon salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Add the cooked macaroni and stir well. Pour into a 3-quart baking dish.

Slice the tomatoes and arrange on top. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, combine them with the fresh bread crumbs, and sprinkle on the top. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbly and the macaroni is browned on the top.

Stuffed Acorn Squash

This recipe comes from my mom. Don't worry, it's as delicious as it is aesthetic. We love squash at our house, so this one is definitely a keeper. Especially for small dinner parties or get-togethers. You can mix in different kinds of veggies with this recipe, depending on what's in your fridge. We made ours more of a southwest mix with corn, beans and paprika, so the picture doesn't look exactly like the recipe. It's a great use of leftovers though, so feel free to experiment and get creative!

Ingredients

• 2 medium acorn squash
• 3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 cup onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 cup celery, chopped
• 1/2 cup carrot, chopped
• 2 tablespoons dried cranberries
• 1/2 teaspoon sage
• 1/2 teaspoon thyme
• 3/4 cup long grain brown rice, cooked without salt
• 3/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350°F
• Cut each squash in half crosswise.
• Scoop out and discard seeds and strings.
• If necessary, trim bottom for squash to set level, and place on a rimmed baking sheet with cut side up.
• Sprinkle with 1/4 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp nutmeg.
• Cover with foil and bake squash just until moist and tender about 45- 50 minutes.
• Cook brown rice without salt
• Meanwhile, in a large skillet sprayed with nonstick cooking spray over medium-high heat, add olive oil.
• When heated, add onion and garlic, if using, and celery.
• Cook 2 minutes and add carrots.
• Cover and cook 3 minutes.
• Add cranberries, sage, thyme, chopped pecans, and 1/2 tsp salt.
• Add cooked brown rice and mix well.
• Remove from heat and fill center of each acorn squash half.
• Return foil over top and return to oven for 15 minutes.
• Top with chopped fresh parsley and grated parmesan, to serve.

British Beef & Onion Pot Pie

"B" is actually for Bird, but I guess in this case it could also be for British beef pie...:) This was a new recipe for us (also by Jamie Oliver). My dad LOVES pot pies, so it was worth all the effort in the end. Seriously, so tasty. We didn't have the marmite or mustard and it still tasted amazing. It did take a while to thicken, so we used some of the broth and flour to create a thickening mixture to speed up the process. Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 3 medium onions
• 2 carrots
• 2 stalks of celery
• 2 sprigs of fresh rosemary
• Olive oil
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 lb good quality ground beef
• 1 tsp English mustard
• 1 tsp marmite
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tsp all-purpose flour
• 1 quart beef broth
• 2 nine inch pie crusts
• 1 large egg

Directions

Beef filling:

• Peel and roughly chop your onion, carrots, and celery
• Remove rosemary leaves from the woody stalks and chop finely
• Place a large casserole-type pan on high heat
• Add 2 lugs of olive oil, all the vegetables, rosemary and bay leaves
• Stir every minute for 10 minutes or until veggies have softened
• Stir in the ground beef
• Add mustard, marmite, worcestershire sauce and 2 tsp of flour
• Add beef broth and bring to a boil
• Turn the heat down and simmer with the lid slightly askew for about an hour, stirring every now and again

Pie

• Fill a large baking dish with the beef filling and allow it to cool down
• Remove the pastry from the refrigerator 10 minutes before you need to roll it out
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
• Dust a clean work surface and your rolling pin with flour
• Lay the pie crusts one on top of the other, then fold in half and roll out the pastry to 1/4 inch think
• When large enough to cover your serving dish, wind the pastry around the rolling pin and unroll it over the baking dish
• Run a knife around the edge of the dish to trim off any excess pastry
• Using a fork, press down around the edge of the pastry to "crimp" it
• Make a hole in the middle of the pastry using the top of a knife
• Brush the top of the pastry with beaten egg
• Bake on bottom shelf of the preheated over for 40 minutes or until pastry is golden and crisp

Bake: Flaky Fortune Rolls

I found this awesome recipe at one of my new favorite food blogs. Check it out here. I then rolled up slips of paper with scripture verses on them inside the rolls before baking. They're great for an added dinner surprise or any special occasion. I had my family give me their favorite scriptures about Christ and we read them during our Christmas Eve dinner. Priceless. Start early on the baking though, as it takes a few hours.

Ingredients

• 1 (1/4th oz) package dry yeast
• 1/4 cup warm water (about 100 degrees) + 1/2 tsp sugar
• 3/4 cup milk, scalded and cooled slightly (should be about 100 degrees too---not too hot, not too cold. To scald milk, heat on medium high heat until bubbles form around the edges of pot. Be careful--milk can easily burn!)
• 1 egg, beaten with a fork
  
• 1 tbsp shortening
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 1/2 cups flour
• for laminating: 6 tbsp butter, softened
• for baking: 1 egg yolk + 1 tbsp warm water for egg wash

Directions

Combine the yeast and the warm water/sugar in a glass measuring cup or small bowl. Mix with your finger until combined (no yeast clumps) and let sit for about five minutes until foamy and creamy.

Meanwhile, combine the beaten egg, the milk, the shortening, the sugar and the salt in a large bowl. Add the flour and the yeast and mix for about six minutes until dough is smooth and elastic. If using a Kitchen Aid, use your paddle or dough hook attachment and mix on medium high speed until the dough clears the sides of the bowl. It will seem sticky at first, but keep mixing (or kneading by hand) and it will become smooth.

Place dough ball in a greased bowl, cover with a dishcloth or plastic wrap and let rest in the fridge for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, remove dough from fridge and roll out on a lightly floured surface to a large rectangle that's about 1/4th inch thick. Spread your softened butter all over dough, leaving an inch around the sides of the rectangle, being careful not to break through dough with butter.

Fold one half of the rectangle towards the center and fold the other half over as well on top of the first layer so you have three dough layers (see above photo). Fold in half one more time, cover with plastic wrap and place in fridge for 30 minutes.

Roll out dough again to a long rectangle (being careful of the butter---roll gently) and fold dough again into thirds like a book. Place back in fridge for 30 more minutes. Repeat this process two more times.

At this point, you can either proceed with the directions or you can wrap your dough tightly with plastic wrap and place in the fridge overnight.

To proceed, roll dough out to 1/8th inch thick. Slice into triangles like above photo. Roll each triangle up, starting with wide end and tuck the "tail" underneath the roll. Place rolls on a lined baking sheet, cover with a dishcloth or more plastic wrap and let rise 1-1.5 hours until double in size.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Combine egg yolk and warm water and brush on each roll. Bake rolls for 12 minutes until golden brown.

Time: about 3 hours

Decorate: Crazy Gingerbread Creations

Every Christmas we make something ridiculous out of gingerbread. So ridiculous in fact, that it rarely looks like it was made of gingerbread at all. I'm not quite sure why this is always the case, but some of our favorites so far include: an exact replica of my parent's home and property, Bilbo Baggins' home of Bag End, the Dome of the Rock and now this year, Smaug the Dragon (also from The Hobbit). There have been other creations, but it's certainly getting harder to top them each year.  The key is to start with a good idea. We usually draw from current events or interests, hence the LOTR/Hobbit theme. Here's how it went down this year. (Click to enlarge photos.)

Christmas Memories: Project Apple Cider

Wenatchee is world famous for its apples. At one point it was dubbed "Apple Capital of the World," although I'm not sure it still is at this point...:) Many of the orchards closer to town have been torn down for development projects, but my parent's home (on the cusp of town and country) still borders with an apple orchard. My siblings and I grew up in that orchard and the fields surrounding our home. Our neighbors were kind enough to let us romp through the rows in the summer and make use of the pruned branches in the winter for all sorts of make-believe, games and forts.

Sign made by my mom and dad that we used to sell apples with in Seattle. It now hangs in my dad's workshop.

Back in the day, we owned two rows of the orchard and every fall we went to Seattle to sell our famous apples. (My parents used the money to pay for our family's Christmas gifts and activities.) Over the years, we learned to use apples for almost anything, but our specialty was applesauce. Every few years we'd spend an entire weekend in an assembly-line of picking, washing, peeling, cutting, boiling, mashing, pureeing and canning apples for our food storage. My parents had discovered that feeding eight children was expensive, but eight children can also come in handy if you want to make 200 quarts of applesauce. The stock pile usually lasted us several years. Almost every meal had apple sauce as a side dish and I remember complaining about eating it so often. If I only knew then how much I would miss it later. 

Our two rows of orchard have since been torn down and all of us children who helped do the selling and the applesauce making have left home. But my Dad, with applesauce still in his veins, decided he wasn't finished yet. Our neighbor usually has several bins of unsellable apples each year and my dad decided to put them to use - this time making apple cider. So he built a cider press and set up another assembly-like system in his "man cave" for the project. Now whenever he gets enough children to come home for Christmas, out comes the cider press and out we pump about 30-40 gallons of freshly squeezed apple-goodness. There's just nothing like it. The only sad part is we can't take it home on the airplane, so we try to enjoy it as best we can during the holidays. I think they use it as incentive to get us to come home more often, and to be quite honest, it works for me.

Christmas Memories: Snow, snow, snow, snow!

This one's for all the White Christmas fans out there. (Did you get my reference?) Our going to Washington for Christmas this past year was perfectly planned and perfectly timed. Let's just say I had been praying for a white Christmas for about two months. Mostly because Alex had NEVER had a white Christmas, NEVER gone sledding and NEVER made a snowman. Yes, quite tragic. I had to do something about it. He definitely saw snow in New York, but always left for Christmas and never had time to play in it since he was always studying for finals or something nerdy like that. But no worries, it was all taken care of and more in Washington over the holidays. Check, check and check!

How to Build a Snowman

How to Have a Good Time in the Snow

Christmas Memories: Nativities & Trees

***Christmas 2012 was spent in the company of my dear family in Washington. With six of my eight siblings, all their spouses and children merrily running around, the last thing I wanted to do was sit on my computer blogging. So even though Christmas is over, I refuse to let those delightful weeks at home go undocumented. Especially when writing about each memory helps me to reflect more on what I need to focus on in the coming year - family. This will be the first post of my Christmas Memories series. Think of it as a little after Christmas shopping at Target for those great deals on stuff for next year...:) Enjoy!

Christmas nativity made by my Grandma Bird and given to mom many years ago.

For the first time in a long time, the Bird family children had the privilege of helping out with much of the Christmas festivities and decorations. With my dad’s health and harsher than normal chemo side effects, my mom needed us to help do much of the set up when we arrived. We were more than willing and eager to help. 

The nativity Michael brought back from his church mission in Chile.

Usually everything is ready to go when we come for the holidays, but I had forgotten how much fun it is to set up each nativity with my mom, search for that perfect Christmas tree and stand back as the lights are turned on for the first time. It brought back so many lovely memories of all of us growing up together and helping to bring the Christmas spirit into our home with each meaningful symbol of the season. What made it even more memorable was that Alex was spending his first Christmas in Washington with my family, and experiencing all the traditions (and snow) for the first time. 

The nativity Mitchell brought back from his church mission in Honduras.

Hunt for the Perfect Christmas Tree!

(Click on the pics for a larger view with captions)

The Records of Cheung 2012

Let the record keeping begin! Let's just say I now understand why it was so hard for my mom to get the newsletter done each year with our family of TEN. Alex and I are just a family of TWO and at one point I thought of not doing one altogether. Hats off to you, Mom.

Of course, I had good intentions in the beginning of December. It was one of the first things on the Christmas TO DO list. Then I had to find a good picture. Then I had to figure out what to actually write about without being too dull. And as always happens during the holidays, I chose to spend more time with family than with my computer (which I obviously don't regret). But there it was, still looming on my desktop after Christmas. The picture title changed from "Merry Christmas" to "Happy Holidays" and then to "Happy New Year." If I had procrastinated any longer it would probably read, "Happy Martin Luther King Day." But thankfully Alex intervened to help with the address list and we hashed it out. 

I do have to say that if done in the right spirit, there is something very special about reflecting on all the blessings, challenges, events and relationships that have altered your life in the past year. And 2012 was a BIG year for us. I'm really quite grateful for the opportunity to do it, even though it may not be during the most convenient time of year. We have family friends who send out their newsletter on Groundhog's Day and another family who does their's on Valentine's Day. These holidays sound much more stress free and I may try a more untraditional approach in the future. But no matter when I choose to write our newsletter, I think the most important thing for me to remember is that I do it. And that in itself is a great accomplishment. Maybe even newsletter worthy.

A traditional holiday mix

I successfully did not spend a penny on Black Friday or Cyber Monday this year and hope I never will. Mostly because it's just too stressful and I think I would end up spending more than I ever needed. But also because I wanted to keep the spirit of Thanksgiving alive as long as possible before it got pummeled to death by the commercial Christmas fist. If there was only a way to skip all that and push the two holidays together, I think we would find ourselves enjoying the season so much more.

I'm so grateful Thanksgiving comes right before Christmas. It's perfect preparation for building up a spirit of gratitude, love, service and generosity, essentially, the spirit of Christmas.

The idea of mixing the Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday spirit this year has helped me to feel much more peace and much less anxiety as I plunge into the hectic craziness of the season. I also realized that I want to establish more gratitude-centered Christmas traditions for our new family. Here's what I came up with:

Holiday Fortune Rolls

This new tradition that I'm carrying over from the Thanksgiving holiday to Christmas this year is also a mix of sorts. I'm always looking for fun ways to blend Alex's Chinese and my American background together. So I found these delicious rolls on one of my favorite new food blogs and decided I would make them into fortune rolls. The week before Thanksgiving, I called and asked all the family members attending our Thanksgiving feast to send me two things they were thankful for. I printed them out, cut them into strips and rolled them up in the dough before baking the rolls. Seriously, so simple.

As people ate, they discovered the rolled up paper in their rolls just like a fortune cookie. We went around the room, read aloud what our gratitude fortune said and then took turns guessing who wrote each one. I did not expect it to be so much fun and to be such a great conversation starter, but it was! We learned new things about each other and had the most poignant spirit of gratitude in the room than I have ever felt during a Thanksgiving meal. 

Alex and I will be spending Christmas with my side of the family. So, I'm bringing this gem of a tradition with me and doing the same thing for our Christmas Eve dinner. This time around, I will have everyone attending send me their favorite scripture verse about Christ and into the rolls they'll go! I can't wait to hear what people choose and the great spirit we will feel as we center Christmas Eve around the One who matters most. 

Happy holiday mixing!

Gratitude Attitude

A very distinct memory comes to mind each year during the Thanksgiving season. It's not about food or family or friends, but a song from an old tape I use to listen to. Did any of you ever listen to tapes with books that followed along? Remember the *ding* for turning the page? Well, I sure did.

My favorite was the "Standin' Tall" collection. Each book had a theme, story and songs to sing along with. The song that always comes back to memory is the "Gratitude Attitude" song. Probably because my mom always reminded us of this song when we were not being very grateful for all the things we had...:) I've been thinking about many of the people out there who go without, but still manage to have a gratitude attitude. A few that come to mind are:

1. A man in our church who has been living on the streets for years and finally qualified to stay in a VERY small room with just a bed for $25 a month. He was so thrilled just to have a bed. Wow. My bed is lookin' pretty good right now.

2. Another man in our church who is blind. We occasionally give him rides to church on Sunday and I love listening to his upbeat, positive attitude about everything. I learn so much from him, like how to feel someone's presence and appreciate them for who they are and not what they look like.

3. Those who have lost everything in Hurricane Sandy. I've read a few stories and watched some very touching films about the work going on there. These people are just grateful to have each other, even though they've lost all their physical possessions. Wow again. 

I'm so grateful for these inspiring influences in my life. Their gratitude attitude is contagious and I can't help but be grateful for the smallest of things. Starting a company and trying to launch a web app is extremely grueling and sometimes stressful, but it is also incredibly rewarding and fun! Thanks to everyone out there keeping me grateful and positive this holiday season. I need it!

Golden Gate Glory

There's always fun to be had when my Uncle Bob is in town. He's lived in SF twice, which deems him an absolute expert on all things San Francisco. This is helped by the fact that he practically has a photographic memory and knows how to get around better than I do...:)

Needless to say, we learned so much while visiting some of his favorite spots. Every picture we took seemed to highlight the Golden Gate Bridge in all it's glory. It's presence dominated most of our meanderings and upon reviewing our photos, I realized that I knew very little about this amazing landmark. Since this year marks its 75th anniversary, I thought I'd share some interesting tidbits about the bridge that symbolizes our great city of San Francisco:

• It took 4 years (1933-1937) and $35 million to build
• It spans the Golden Gate Straight, for which it was named after
• 11 men died during its construction
• 19 men were saved by the safety net that spanned beneath the construction. These men are part of what they call the halfway-to-hell club.
• The bridge spans 4, 200 ft (largest suspension bridge when it was built)
• It can sway up to 28ft. and lower 10 ft. to compensate for weight, wind and earthquakes
• 120,000 cars cross it each day
• 220 ft. above sea level
• It's painted international orange for enhanced visibility in the fog that more often than not surrounds the bridge

*Click on the pictures below for a larger view.

Hitchcock Hall of Fame

For Halloween this year, Alex and I decided we'd watch some suspenseful classics. It reminded me of just how great these old films are and how I like them more than most of the movies being made today. I have fond memories of watching many a Hitchcock film up at my neighbor's house while growing up. The scariest part was always the walk back home in the dark after the movie was over.

Depending on your suspense comfort level, Hitchcock may or may not be your cup of tea, but I find him to be just the right amount for me. And he's just plain brilliant as a filmmaker. Of course we all know him for his famous ones - "Psycho", "The Birds" and "Vertigo." But he made over 60 films! In light of the new movie coming out starring Anthony Hopkins as Hitchcock, I thought I'd encourage everyone to dabble in some of his less known films and share your reviews with me. Which is your favorite? I've already been pleasantly surprised. Happy Hitchcock watching!

Blackmail (1929)

Murder! (1930)

Number 17 (1932)

The Man Who Knew Too Much (1934)

The 39 Steps (1935)

Secret Agent (1936)

Sabotage (1936)

The Lady Vanishes (1938)

Rebecca (1940)

Foreign Correspondent (1940)

Mr. & Mrs. Smith (1941)

Suspicion (1941)

Saboteur (1942)

Shadow of a Doubt (1943)

Lifeboat (1944)

Spellbound (1945)

Notorious (1946)

Rope (1948)

Strangers on a Train (1951)

I Confess (1953)

Dial M for Murder (1954)

Rear Window (1954)

To Catch a Thief (1955)

The Trouble with Harry (1955)

The Wrong Man (1956)

The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956)

Vertigo (1958)

North by Northwest (1959)

Psycho  (1960)

The Birds (1963)

Marnie (1964)

Torn Curtain (1966)

Topaz (1969)

Frenzy (1972)

Family Plot (1976)