Field Trip!!

Just another day at the zoo...

Only this time with 40,000 of our closest friends who also wanted to celebrate Chinese Lunar New Year at the SF Zoo!  We went with some friends to spend a beautiful Spring day at the zoo, not realizing that EVERYONE else had the same great idea!!  So I was able to get some pictures of the dancers and the lion dance but they all have the back of somebody's head in them :)  Since it was the Year of the Snake they had a live feeding of the Green Anaconda (not native to China)- wow, that's a BIG snake!  There were different little learning centers scattered throughout the zoo talking about different animals of the Chinese Zodiac but we kinda skipped those.  We did have some delicious Orange Chicken from the cafe- the SF Zoo has pretty good food!  I'm trying to think what animals we saw that can be found in China and I'm coming up kind of blank- there was a Rhino but I'm not sure if it was Asian or African.  I'm sorry, there were just too many people there and we had 5 kids we were trying to keep track of !  So I will just leave you with a few pictures I took and wish you all a Happy and Joyful New Year!!

GUNG HAY FAT CHOY!!!

Chinese Animal Symbols (and art project)

Snakes in the bed.

In China, that would be good luck but don't kill it or your luck will turn bad.  OMG, I'm sorry I'd have to go with the bad luck!! That's just one of the myths and omens about animals in China.  There are many animals that are symbolic in China and countless legends and myths that explain the reason why.  I'm just going to scratch the surface with a few of the most iconic symbols in China.

The Panda-  These gorgeous animals were kept by early Chinese Emperors to ward of evil spirits and natural disasters.  They were also considered symbols of might and bravery.



The Carp- These large fish are the symbols of strength and perseverance.  Their scales and whiskers make them look like a dragon, which is the most powerful animal in Chinese mythology.  The word for "fish" and the word for "abundance" are both "yu".

The Crane- Seen in many Chinese paintings, the crane, the symbol for long life, is the 2nd most important bird symbol in China.  The phoenix is the most important.  It symbolizes the feminine power of the Empress.



The Snake- This year is named for the snake, a symbol of both the bravery of men and the beauty of women.  People born in the Year of the Snake are said to be wise but enigmatic.  They are either philosopher or politician.  In China, it is considered good luck to have a snake in your house and if you kill it you will get bad luck!  They believe that many of the deities present themselves to humans as snakes. 
 So in honor of the 2013- the Year of the Snake we present our art project.................

Slithery Snakes
For the project you will need:

• cardboard tubes (ours are white because they were leftover from the Greek Parthenon)
• brass fasteners (office supply store) or pipe cleaners
• stapler
• scissors
• markers or paint
• hole punch- optional but highly recommended

1.  Get 3 tubes per snake and cut the corners off each end so that they come to a "v".
2.  Staple one end of 1 tube to make the tail.  Make a small tongue out of a scrap of red paper and staple to one end of another tube to make head.

3. Punch holes on top and bottom of both ends of the last tube and in the unused end of the head and tail.
4.  Use brass fasteners or small pieces of pipe cleaner to attach tubes.

5.  Decorate and name your new friend.






Happy Year of the Snake!!  Now that you have a snake in the house you should be much luckier :)

 

Chinese New Year traditions and art project

Happy Year of the Snake!

Sunday (2/10/13) was the start of the Chinese New Year!  Gung Hay Fat Choy to you and yours!  It is the Year of the Snake, as each year is named for one of the 12 animals of the Chinese zodiac, and I hope it's going to be a good one.  I have a snake project planned for tomorrow but today I thought we should learn what actually happens during the 15 day celebration of the New Year.  The Chinese calendar is based on lunar/solar months and the new year begins with the second new moon after the winter solstice, so that is why it typically is the end of January or early February.  Prior to that day people spend time cleaning their homes to sweep away any bad luck or misfortunes that happened during the last year and to make a fresh start for the new year.  The make sure to have fresh haircuts and new clothes to wear.  The houses will be decorated with paper cuttings, lanterns and scrolls with small verses with themes of good fortune and happiness.  Red is a dominant color based on the legend behind Chinese New Year.

According to the legend, on the first day of New Years' past, a beast called the Nian would attack the villages and eat the crops, livestock or even small children.  The villagers would put out offerings to try to win his favor until they noticed that he seemed to be afraid of the color red.  So the next year, the villagers hung red lanterns and scrolls from their homes and lit loud firecrackers to scare away the Nian.  He never again returned.  A lot of the symbols of Chinese New Year make a little more sense now :)

The eve of Chinese New Year is one of the most important days.  On New Year's Eve families have a reunion dinner.  Fish is traditionally served. along with dumplings, both are symbols of prosperity.  Noodles are a symbol of longevity and it is considered bad luck to cut your noodles and good luck to have very long ones!
At midnight fireworks are set off to drive away any evil spirits.  It is considered good luck to be the first person to light the first firecracker in the new year.  The family stays up late and celebrates.

The first day of the New Year is the day to honor your elders and ancestors.  Elders will give red envelopes to the children filled with lucky money or sweets.

The second day is when married women would go to visit their parents.  It is also considered the birthday of all dogs and so they get a special treat. WOOF.

The third day people stay at home because it is supposed to be unlucky to have guests or visit.  They probably just need a break :)

The fifth day (today!) is the birthday of the God of Wealth and so people will shoot off firecrackers to get his attention!  Darn, I don't have any firecrackers!!!  Maybe my screaming kids will get his attention :)

The seventh day is considered the birthday of everyone!!  Happy birthday!  Everyone turns one year older on this day.  Can you imagine how crowded Chuck E. Cheese must be!

The fifteenth day is the last day of celebrations.  It is the day of the lantern festival.  Candles are lit outside to guide any wayward spirits home and families hang lanterns from their homes to scare away evil or bad fortune.  The lanterns are symbols of long life and, also, of the families wealth.  Some wealthy families have lanterns so big that it takes many
people to carry them!  What a sight it must be :)

I mentioned before that we live in an area with many Asian/Chinese people and so Chinese New Year is a big deal.  My son received a red envelope at school and my daughter made a dragon puppet (dragons are important symbols in China) so I thought we should make a red lantern to hang and scare away any evil.  Couldn't hurt right?




Chinese Red Lantern
For the project you will need:

• red construction paper
• scissors
• stapler or tape
• gold glitter glue or stickers if desired

1.  Fold one piece of red construction paper in half lengthwise and cut slits almost all the way through.
2. Open paper back up and make a cylinder. Staple or tape.
3. Cut handle from another piece of paper and attach to top.
4. Decorate or leave simple.

Note that this lantern is NOT fire resistant and candles should not be put inside.  It is just for display, please.

On the Menu: Chinese Food

Are your chopsticks ready?

We've got some yummy recipes for your tastebuds this week! I grew up in an area with many, many Chinese restaurants and I love Chinese food.  The rice, and noodles, bbq pork, egg rolls, and of course, the many different entrees to choose from -YUM!  But, I realize that not every area has good Chinese food.  I went to visit family in Wisconsin and they made "chow mein" with cream of mushroom soup, soy sauce, and those crunchy fried noodles from a can.  They didn't know good Chinese.  So this week I'll try to find some easy dishes with simple ingredients.  I'm still going low carb (lost 6 lbs so far!) so I'll put the original recipe and what changes I made in parentheses for those who might want a wheat-free/gluten free alternative.  Our first recipe is my kids' favorite- Orange Chicken!  Now, let me prefix this by saying that my kids like the Orange Chicken from Panda Express which, in case you are unfamiliar, is battered and fried pieces of chicken in a very sweet and syrupy sauce. Hard to do low carb.  I found this recipe for an authentic orange chicken from  SpicyPursuits.com  and it is much healthier but still sweet and citrusy.

Orange Chicken
For the recipe you will need:

• 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken 
• 1 egg
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• white pepper or black is fine
• 1/2 c plus 1 Tbsp Cornstarch (I used Coconut Flour)
• 1/4 c Flour (I used Chickpea Flour)
• 1 Tbsp fresh ginger- minced
• 1 tsp garlic - minced
• dash crushed red chili flakes
• 1/4 chopped green onion (we didn't have any)

For sauce:

• 1 Tbsp orange zest- grated
• 1/4 c orange juice - fresh is best
• 2 Tbsp chicken broth
• 1 Tbsp soy sauce (look for wheat free)
• 1 Tbsp rice wine (I couldn't find this so I used Sparkling Sake from Trader Joes's - they said it was close)
• 2 tsp rice vinegar
• 5 tsp granulated sugar (I used stevia)
• 1 tsp cornstarch (I used coconut flour)

1. Combine all the sauce ingredients and set aside.
2. Cut chicken into small chunks and place in large bowl.  Stir in egg, salt and pepper and mix well.
3. Mix cornstarch and flour together in another bowl and add a few chicken pieces at a time to coat.
4. Heat oil to 375° in wok, fry pan or deep fryer and cook chicken a few pieces at a time for 4-5 minutes until golden and crisp. ( I didn't read this step and threw it all in at the same time - took longer and was kind of soggy, but that might have been the different flour substitutions also?)  Remove to paper towels and repeat with rest of chicken..
4. Clean wok, or frying pan, and heat 1 Tbsp of oil.  Add ginger and garlic and stir-fry until they are fragrant.  Add the chilies and green onions and cook for a minute then add the cooked chicken and mix everything a few times before adding the orange sauce.  Cook for a minute or so to thicken the sauce. 
5. Serve with rice (I used brown) and a vegetable.

Ok, this got some mixed reviews but only because my kids were expecting the syrupy, sweet orange chicken.  It was actually pretty darn tasty and my brother said it tasted better than he "expected"!  Kind of a back-handed compliment but I'll take it!  He thinks anything "healthy" tastes bad, but he'll eat it or starve unless he wants to make his own dinner :)  I think with real flour and, well, proper reading of the directions, it would be very crispy, but even a little soggy it still tasted good.  I didn't have much sauce because the coconut flour really soaked it up but I thought it added a little extra flavor.  All in all, I'd say give it a shot- it's better than cream of mushroom soup with crunchy noodles :)

For (everyone else's) dessert we had a plate of sweets from the Asian market.  They were assorted cookies, sesame  and  peanut brittle packaged up for Chinese New Year!  It must've been very delicious because I could hear them devouring it and talking about all the different choices from the next room :) 
I was good and had an orange which is a more traditional Chinese dessert anyway. 

Week 30: China

Gung Hay Fat Choy!

Yeah! We're doing China this week, and coincidentally (wink),it just so happens to be the most important time of year for the Chinese culture - Chinese New Year!  So not only will we be doing some crafts and eating some delicious food, but on Saturday there is a Chinese New Year's Festival in the town where we live!!  Field Trip!!!  I'd love to take a little trip to San Francisco Chinatown but I don't know if that'll happen, we'll see :)  First let's learn some facts and fun tidbits about China......

Forbidden City - home to many Emperors

• China's capital is Beijing and is located at the coordinates 39°53N/ 116°23E. The city has also gone by the name Peking and has been the capital for over 700 years.  It is famous for it's opulent palaces, such as the Forbidden City,temples, gardens, gates and art and architecture.  It is also the second most populous city (after Shanghai).
• China is the most populous country in the world with over 1.3 billion people. 1 in every 5 people on the planet is Chinese.
• Depending on how you measure (if you include water areas or not) China is the 2nd largest country(by land area)
• The geography of China is very diverse- it includes deserts in the North and West, subtropical jungles in the south, mountains and coastline.
• People have lived in the area known as China since between 250,000 and 2.24 million years ago and China is considered to be the longest continuous civilization.  Some historians say it is over 6000 years old.
• The Chinese language is also the oldest continuously used written language.

• The Great Wall is one of the wonders of China.  It was built along the historical Northern border of China to keep out various warring nomadic tribes (Remember Attilla the Hun).  Many parts of the wall were built as early as the 7th century BC and were later joined together to make a wall totalling over 13,000 miles!  Over the centuries it has been destroyed, rebuilt, parts of it have crumbled and parts have been restored but it is still a must see!
• There have been many inventions to come out of this amazing place-  toilet paper was invented in the lat 1300's but it was only for use by the Emperor!
• The Chinese are also credited with inventing paper, the compass, gunpowder, and printing- called by some the 4 great inventions.  They also gave the world kites, noodles and silk but these inventions are just the tip of the iceberg. The Chinese were great inventors!!

There is soooo much more to learn about China but I'd better get going if we are going to get anything I've got planned done!  With all that China has to offer, I might need two weeks to do it all!! 

BTW, the Chinese phrase "Gung Hay Fat Choy" that I always thought meant Happy New Year, actually means "May prosperity be with you"!  Man, I love learning new things :)