Dejah

This was my second joongzi making session. I was flying solo this year as one of my partners had moved to London, Ont, and another was away to China. In total, I made 82. The first batch of 36 were frozen and flown to my sister and family with my niece who was out visiting. Yesterday, I made up 46. Half will fly back to Nfld with my son who flew into his Wpg office for meetings then to our house next week. My 11 year old granddaughter loves joong. We taste-tested a couple for supper last night, along with a simple bok choy soup. It was a great way to end the month of September! And THAT was a WRAP for 2024! The last 22 cooling after being boiled for 2.5 hours. They have been bagged and in the fridge before going into the freezer. Supper was easy after the wrapping session!

Had a lot of shredded zucchini left after lots of baking. Didn't want to bake anything else so I made Cheesy Zucchini patties. Sauteed shrimp with Vadouvan Curry spices and stir-fried Bok Choy = supper. I became friends with a gardener on facebook a couple of years ago. She lives in Winnipeg, about 2.5 hours from me. She has sent me special lily bulbs for my flower garden, and this time, she asked to bring them out and plant them for me. In exchange, she was some guidance in doing a versatile veg stir-fry. So along with gardening chatter, we cooked up 4 dishes. She enjoyed some for supper, then packaged it all up for her to take home, to analyze and to eat for a couple of days. LOL! We put together Yaki-Udon Noodles, Cantonese Noodles and Mixed Veg, Black Bean Garlic Beef with Bell peppers, and Mushroom Fried Rice that she can ramp up. We also made Wonton Soup for lunch. After my friend left at 9 PM, hubby and I had A & W burger, fries and onion rings for supper! With leftover vegetables and a chicken breast that we didn't use, I made Chicken and Veg Stir-fry for our supper tonight. Leftover rice became friend rice with diced salted egg yolks.

Thai Coconut Grilled Pork Tenderloin. Tenderloin was in marinade (coconut milk, spices, fish sauce, and peanut butter) overnight then grilled in cast iron pan on stove. It was pouring rain when it was time to grill! House smelled wonderful. Roast chicken with West Africa Citrus Spice. Golden Boy tomatoes were delicious! Along with the gift of the golden tomatoes, I also received 3 huge zucchinis! Used up half of one last night and made Lemon Zucchini Almond loaves. Had a lovely warm slice for dessert with tea.

Thai Basil Stir-fried Chicken with Bell Peppers. I have a "Tower Thai Basil" plant with loads of leaves. I had made Hot 'n' Sour Soup for friends, and had bamboo shoots, Shitaki and Wood Ear mushrooms left. Chicken again then for supper! Busy day today! Put together all the ingredients and made 3 doz Joong (Sticky rice in bamboo leaves). We had 2 for supper, then froze the rest to send out to my sister in Burnaby, B.C. My niece is visiting and will take them back with her. It's Mid-Autumn Festival, so we had moon cakes for dessert. There are 2 varieties on the plate, but we prefer the 5-nut and seeds one. It's not as sweet. The tea is Japanese Toasted Rice green tea.

My 8 year old granddaughter loves these noodles, so it was time to learn how to cook them! She and her older sister (12) also love egg rolls and wontons. They made and Gramma deep fried. These girls are 1/4 Chinese, one blond, one red-headed!

Ground beef, tofu, and zucchini stir-fry with Toban sauce. LOTS of rice involved. Tried a new recipe last night with pork ribs. It's from Woks of Life, called 1-2-3-4-5 Ribs, cooked in the wok. They were great, sticky, a little sweet, sour, but so good with the caramelized sugar with black vinegar. Stir-fried veg odd and ends and rice to go with them. I was scraping up the last scraps of sticky sauce from the ribs!

Years ago, when I was still teaching, I had a group of 7 Science Without Borders students from Brazil. They were here for 6 months and were missing home, especially since it was in the middle of a prairie winter. I asked what they missed most food-wise, and they said " Feijaoda"! Decided to surprise them, and MAN! It was a surprise to ME on what an effort it was to make it! But the students were thrilled, and I still hear from them. Have never made it again. LOL! But it was delicious, with beans and rice.

Kept out some of the 3-meat mixture for meatballs, and did up some patties. Sauteed mushrooms, 3-peppercorn gravy, rice, and veg. Lamb chops, one lonely meatballs that escaped the vacuum-sealed bag, Basmati rice with cardamom, cumin and mustard seed, plus various leftover veg from other meals.

Seems to be a bumper crop here on the prairies. Apricots from my brother's tree: Had a few that were ripe for snacking: No peaches from B.C this year, but the ones from Ontario were good and reasonably priced. So I was able to make my yearly Peach Apricot Pineapple Conserve My neighbor has one apple tree in his backyard. He's given me 2 x20 lb bags of these beauties! Thank goodness for the apple peeler. I have made tones of apple pie filling, and for apple crisps. A lot of work, so so rewarding for fall and winter!

Pan seared steak, corn, tater, watermelon and feta cheese salad Watercress and fresh lily bulb soup an hour before supper Steamed bone-on chicken, shitaki mushrooms, lap cheung (Chinese sausage) and Jasmine rice. Sauteed green beans as my cousins and friends have been bringing a lot over! LOL! Fresh chicken on sale at our local Co-Op. They come in 2 / bag, 1.99/lb, so under $10.00 for 2. They are smaller, and perfect for a couple of meals for two seniors. I have some seasoning packs from a friend who sells Epicure, so tried the Portuguese one. The packet described the flavour as "When you want all the flavour of takeout chicken without all the sodium, reach for this medium-spicy rub, packed with citrus, garlic, chili, and punchy herbs. Just add water and a splash of oil to the seasoning blend and cook a whole chicken in the microwave in 20 minutes—or pop it in the oven." We enjoyed it and will make again when I need quick prep. It was very smoky out today with smoke being blown from our western provinces. Had been wanting to make this ground beef, pork and veal meatball recipe from my Weight Watchers cookbook. I made triple the recipe as I wanted to use up all the meat, plus have some for the freezer. There is Parmesan cheese, egg, and panko in the mix. Then a small piece of mozza cheese is tucked inside the meatball.The recipe said to boil these in the marinara sauce, but I baked them. They were very good, moist and flavourful. We had them with air-fryer perogies, green beans, and corn on the cob.

Love this easy meal: Spicy Shrimp and Cheesy grits. Grits are expensive and hard to find here, so I have friends bring it up when they go across the border.

Found some leftover Chinese BBQ duck bones and bits in the freezer. Made the most flavourful congee with slices of ginger. Didn't need any add-ons, but couldn't resist a century egg. Hubby also had Chinese crueller.

Shrimp Wonton Soup for supper: Chicken breasts have been on sale quite often. I am stocked up, using my Foodsaver. Parmesan-Panko crusted chicken breast cooked in Ninja toaster oven, along with Cavendish tater wedges. Buttered carrots, Mango Chili dipping sauce and spicy ketshup along for the ride.

Congratulations on your 51 years anniversary, @Ann_T. Beautiful steak! We celebrated our 58th on the 29th. Just the 2 of us for supper. Picked up bone-in strip loins on sale at our local Co-Op and some beautiful corn and new taters my niece dropped off. Tossed on a couple of shrimp, and it was our Surf and Turf. One of our Chinese elders gave me a beautiful bittermelon from her garden.Stuffed that and a couple of bell peppers with ground chicken, pan fried then quick braised in black bean garlic sauce. Eaten with Jasmine rice. Beginning of fall work out in the flower beds. Was happy to have had this small pork butt roast in the freezer. Thawed, rubbed with whole grain Dijon mustard and fresh roasemary. Roasted while I cleaned-up more garden stuff. Thawed a bag of frozen mixed veg and sauteed them in the roast pan juice. A new potato and the usual container of apple sauce!

Some meals while peeling and slicing mountains of apples from a neighbor's sole tree! Thank goodness for the apple peel and slice unit! Over the course of 2 days, I made 9 of these 5 x 9 foil pans. All gone to friends and family except for 2 small bowls for ourselves. Canadian Cheddar Cheese Apple Crisp. Recipe was from a label on E.D Smith apple pie filling many years ago. Chicken legs on sale - easy meal with Shake'n'Bake BBQ seasoning, fresh corn and a salad with watermelon and feta and a few stray blueberries Sampling of the apple crisp with ice cream Beef, Tomato & Egg stir-fry Creamed salmon and Mac'n'Cheese One of my hubby's favourite dishes, the first traditional Chinese dish I cooked for him 58 years ago! Steamed ground beef & Sechuan preserved veg Another of hubby's favourite desserts: Durian pancakes We have a small restaurant in the city that makes the best prime rib. We are friends with the Greek owner and chef, who is 79 years old and still going strong. We went out with family visiting from Burnaby, B.C, and they always want to go to Albert's for prime rib. We all ordered the "princess cut" 12 0z, but we always seem to get the "Queen Cut" 16 oz! Half came home for our supper tonight! NO dessert was needed!

I picked up 8 little lamb chops on our latest app for Safeway/ Sobeys: Foodhero, where items posted are 50% off. So far, it's been main fish, but I got lucky yesterday. The chops were about 1/2 " thick, so would have made a good size meal for 2. However, we had the granddaughters for the day, and our son came at 7 to pick them up. Girls had Wendy's Kids Meal, so I just had to change my lamb chops to stir-fry to feed the 3 of us. I can't believe I paid more for that extra order of fries ($4.99) than for a Kids Meal ($2.99)! Cumin lamb stir-fry with bell peppers, onions, and fresh mint. Eaten with Basmati rice. Did the job!

I use these: https://www.amazon.ca/FoodSaver-Expandable-Heat-Seal-Rolls/dp/B00851QSDO/ref=sr_1_27

Enjoying a bounty of Romano Beans! Cooked some up last night with Fuyu (fermented tofu) - a family favourite. Topped it with stir-fried ginger and chicken breast. Lots of rice needed!

I love it when the Chinese elders in our community give me fresh vegetables. A big kolhrabi made wonderful soup with a couple of slices of carrot and pork neck bones. Enjoyed that one evening, then augmented with a package of fresh lily bulbs for another meal: \ Picked up a single rib roast and supper was ready with new potatoes, corn on the cob, and green beans from another Chinese elder's garden. | Breaded scallops, air fryer carrots, leftover chips and more green beans for supper tonight.

Supper tonight was Fish 'n'Chips made with pickerel. Love curry gravy for the chips and malt vinegar for the fish. Dessert was vanilla ice cream with some conserve! This batch is still fairly chunky. Will need to bring to boil and cook for another 15 minutes tomorrow morning before putting into hot sterilized jars.

Our daughter went into labour today at noon. Tomorrow was her due date! She delivered an 8 lb 4 oz baby boy dragon (2024 Year of the Dragon) at 5:35 pm! ❤️ I was over the moon and couldn't settle down to cook supper OR make more conserve. So it was Domino's pizza delivery, our old stand-by: Meatz Feast and Veggie Feast!

@Shelby: Our restaurant was the only one who made chicken balls this way as we had a big enough staff to devote time. The chicken, both breasts and thigh meat, were cut into bite-sizes pieces, put into seasoned egg wash (salt, MSG), then coated with cracker meal (soda crackers blitzed in food grinder) mixed with 1/4 amount flour. Each piece is well coated and shaped into balls by squeezing in the palm of the hand. The balls are deep fried then put into hot sweet and sour sauce. We used to make a special sauce base by saving the broth from simmering deep fried spareribs (prepared the same way as the chicken balls). Then add some ketsup, sugar, and vinegar. But it was never like the bright red sticky sauce that some restaurants served. Recently, I found a bottled Sweet & Sour sauce that was good enough substitute! It's VH Sweet & Sour Dipping Sauce. I picked it up by mistake when I wanted Mango Chili, which we love.

Temps cooler during the day (22C instead of the 33C ) and at night feels like fall, 8C! My brother has an apricot tree, quite unusual on the prairies. I've been over to pick the fruit while they are away. No freestone peaches or apricots to be had from B.C this summer, but peaches from Ontario are lovely. SO, I've been busy making Peach, Apricot, Pineapple conserve, my grandma in-law's recipe. We've been enjoying some with ice cream for dessert! Our reliable appliance repairman is one of my husband's former high school student. He never sends us a bill as he loves to visit and reminisce. He was also a regular customer of ours at the restaurant. His favourite dishes were Chicken Balls and Chicken Fried Rice, so that's how I pay him! The chicken balls are time consuming to make, so we also had some for our supper. Had our granddaughters up for a day, and they love steak and fresh vegetable. A friend made and shared some rhubarb chutney. It went well with the steak. Had lots of chicken breasts on hand for the chicken balls, so made quick Butter Chicken with a jar of KFI sauce. More fresh peas and Paratha to sop up the sauce. And still more chicken to use up! Was given a fresh kolhrabi from a friend's garden. Made soup, then stir-fried some with chicken and other veg with Toban sauce. And still a bit more chicken to use up along with a kolhrabi

A couple more meals: We have an outlet for meat, etc from Sysco, the company who supplies the restaurants in our area. I picked up a case of 24 Bacon Wrapped 8 oz AAA beef tenderloin steaks. They were very good. Had a crown pork roast in the freezer. Knew it would be some time before we have the family all together, so I cut it apart. Had a meal with pork cutlets, then the rest of the piece, I opened it flat, rubbed it with Trader Joes BBQ Rub and Seasoning with Coffee and Garlic, and roasted it in the oven. Made a couple meals. A single rib, corn on the cob and new potatoes make a lovely meal Shrimp sauteed with West African Citrus Spice (from Silk Road Spic Merchants), fresh peas, new potatoes - quick and easy meal. I tossed in some Panko crumbs and they added a nice little crunch! Temperatures finally down below +30C, and with the A/C on, I made a big pan of Moussaka. Shared 2 portions with a friend and a neighbor, and still have 2 portions in the freezer. We love Moussaka, memories of our midnight meals after performing in Workingmen clubs in Yorkshire area in the '70s! Eaten with chips, fresh peas and beets

August already! So much going on, gardening, visitors, grandkids, and awaiting arrival of new grandbaby in the next few days! On top of all the above, was dealing with tummy issues. Couldn't figure it out until I realized it was the +32C temperatures for a week! Altho' drinking a lot of water, it was not keeping up with the sweating! However, I did manage to do some cooking, and finally some eating. Fresh Lily Bulb soup: good for upset tummy Pork meat balls, char siu and fun see Love stir-fried mung bean sprout - simple with sauteed shrimp Saskatoon / Service berries time! A lot of folks with their own berry patches, whether sask. or raspberry, have had a lot of issues with larvae in the berries. I found a farm close by who spray for the flies that lay the eggs, so I grabbed 4 baskets. Made a lot of pies, shared with family and friends. Our soon-to-be mommy daughter wanted cherry pie, so she got one! Made 6 mini saskatoon pies and some PB roll-ups, a childhood fav.