Wonton Meal!

I had a big craving to make my own wontons. I remember my family making them all the time. And with my family, being a no waste kind of family, I have memories of my dad taking a wonton skin (just when I thought all the filling was gone) wiping down the inside of the bowl with it and having (miraculously) another wonton full of stuffing!


So nothing fancy but it turned out well, plus I had extra wontons to freeze for another few meals. These are approximate measurements, as I usually cook by experiment. Feel free to play around with the quantities to get your best wonton. To get the flavors right I cooked a small batch to taste if it needed anything more.

Wonton Skins (Thin)
1 pound ground pork
1 cup finely chopped dried shiitake mushrooms (rehydrated) - approx. 6-8 one inch caps. Stems removed.
Approx. 20 raw shrimp (61-70) finely chopped - 1 pound?
3 tab finely chopped Chinese Chives (gow choy)
2 stalks fine chopped green onion
dash of soy sauce
Approx 1 1/2 tab fish sauce
1 tsp of ground pepper - freshly ground is best.

Chicken to stock to boil with.
Veg to add to broth: Bok choy is traditional, but I made mine with Swiss chard from the garden.

Ramen, Saimen (almost any noodle you like, but firmer noodles (unlike udon) are best)

Mix all ingredients well. Stuff about a teaspoon into a wonton skin. No fancy nurses hats (a fancy way to fold, for when guests come over). Just a tight seal at the top.

To cook- Boil about 10-12 mins depending on quantity. When it's just about a few minutes from being done I'd throw in the veg to cook. Boil separately (in another pot) some noodles like saimen to go along with it. Use the broth from the wontons as your soup. Enjoy!

To freeze: Freeze on tray individually. Then transfer to a container. I like to add a few with my instant ramen to enjoy.

Next time I might try adding fish, or some more exotic ingredients. (I like to experiment)

Final Show

Here's what my Stargazer lily looked like with most of it's blooms. Final count of stems was 78 blooms! I am still amazed that it's one stem. *I asked a Local celebrity Cisco Morris what he thought and via email he informed me this is called fasciation. It's a rare thing and happens only once.

Grey Bridesmaid dress

So my younger sister is planning a wedding. I was asked to be a bridesmaid (er.. matron, whatever) After much switching she's down to yellow and grey for her colors. Grey dresses. Here's my pick. While I hate my arms I can maybe get away with covering with a shawl. But honestly believe my strength go well as a wedding coordinator than bridesmaid..Now if she can only find a site with her budget in mind. Source: J Crew Wedding.

Mutation!

When we got our first home, we were mobbed by catalogues offering their wares (and trying to lead us to refinancing). One catalogue (I can't remember the name) enticed me with FREE bulbs! They were so sure I'd love their bulbs and the quality that they'd start us off with a free purchase. So I carefully looked through and selected some alliums and stargazer lillies. The alliums were instantly eaten by (Racoons? Rats?) but to this day our lillies have kept producing beautiful blossoms. This year we noticed it was a little crowded and separated a few babies from the "mother bulb" and carefully placed the mother bulb plus a mate in another container. Lilttle did we know what "mama" had in store for us! Out came this crazy flat stem which was about 3 inches wide x maybe 1/4 inch deep. We accepted "mama's" uniqueness. And she gave us 70 potential blossom head! Whoa mama!

New Fascinators

I love the simple beauty of a blossom at the end of a loose chignon or bun. While I got married (ahem) a few years ago and it wasn't even heard of yet. (Am I dating myself?) The fascinator has captured my fascination. So I've tried my hand at creating a few.
I think I best love forming the petals the most. Because they are handformed no two are exactly alike. Plus I've included some very sweet swarovski buttons (to put a little shiny on any event).