What should you do when the weather is nasty?

Heat up the kitchen!! 

I have not yet shown you the pictures from buying apples and squash......don't rush me:)

But I will show you what we did today while it was windy and nasty outside.

 Mike helping with another batch of applesauce.

 I have no idea what these are called.  My friend bought some and cooked one up and made pumpkin muffins using it.  They disappeared in mere moments.
We were looking for a 'pumpkin' source  because a  can of Libby's pumpkin here is 22.50 rmb, almost 4 dollars.  At the rate we both use canned pumpkin for bread, pies and muffins that was a bit much to pay.  For 21 kuai (rmb) I got enough of these squash to make a million muffins.  So far I have cooked up three and have more than 7 cans worth in the freezer.  These four have yet to be cooked.  She had also gotten some different types of pumpkins for decorations and possible cooking.  The problem with pumpkins and squash is you never know how they will cook down.  The one she tried worked so we went back to the place together and bought a bunch.

For a size perspective, Sparkles was playing squash!

That is what you do when the weather is nasty!

Or at least I do:)

Love, fondly, sincerely,

zaijian,

Ramona                                                                            

The weather in China

They say it doesn't snow in Beijing.
So what then it this white stuff we woke up to today?  And what is the stuff that was flying around in the air about 3:00 this afternoon?  We call it snow where I grew up!

 Out our front gate at 6:30 AM.

 Off the back side of the house, second floor balcony.

Out the front balcony window, the light fixture on our wall.  We call that snow:)

From the third floor window into the back yard.  That thing on the right is our barbecue.

This is about three inches of water on the second floor balcony.  It is sitting there because the willow leaves have blocked the drain pipe.  It is cold water, very cold water...see the snow around the edge of the railing base?   Also blobs of snow kept falling off the roof into this water.  These houses leak where ever they can so I was a bit worried that if the water sat there too long it would start to seep in.....I had to go out there with the broom and use the handle to clear out the drain pipe........That is how I know it is cold, cold, cold water, I do not own rubber boots.

And these beautiful roses are what I picked from my yard three days ago.





Love, fondly, sincerely,
zaijian,
Ramona

Applesauce in China

My family likes homemade applesauce, 
I do not.  However, because I love them I make it for them every fall.  I wasn't sure that would happen here.  I didn't know if I could get a type of apple that would cook down and get it in quantity.  I have met the right people and they know where to get the right apples, yahoo!  There will be another post about that excursion.  Here we have the applesauce process.  Mike actually taught me how to make it, I never made it before we married because, as I said, I don't eat it.

 Washing the apples, I actually used a bit of soap as they seemed much dirtier than what we get back home.  These apples are pretty tiny.  Not looking forward to peeling them for an apple pie.

 All cut up and into the pot they go.  They turned brown faster than any apple I ever used before.  And don't ask what kind they are because I can't translate the name, neither could my friend.

 Getting mushy, a good thing for applesauce.  Smmokin' hot!!

 Into the food mill, a very useful item I might add.
I only made a small pot because they are connoisseurs of applesauce and I didn't want a whole lot of stuff that no one would eat.

 These apples are rather dry, once they were put through the mill I only had to heat them to cook in the sugar and cinnamon, no cooking down needed.

The sauce passed muster.  They both enjoyed eating it.  Not the normal pink they are used to........hey, I found apples!!!






Love, fondly, sincerely,
zaijian,
Ramona

Swimming

First swim meet this week.
There are many international schools here in Beijing and all around Asia.  Western Academy of Beijing being one of them.  There are many organizations to which these schools belong which allows them to compete all over the place.  Olivia was supposed to go to Hanoi for a competition but there were issues so the team didn't go....:(  However there are more local meets and she should be going to Phuket in the spring.   These are just a few shots of the meet.
We didn't remember the good camera so the shots aren't so hot.....documentation of the event is the name of the game!

Mounting the starting block.

Practice before the meet.

 COLD!

Love, fondly, sincerely,

zaijian,

Ramona

An Interesting Feature

Our Wally's World.

One thing about most of the large stores here is they are multi-level.  This is a huge city with 20 million people so real estate is at a premium.  They cannot sprawl like they do in the states.  Consequently there has to be a way for shoppers like me to get from one level to the next.  Enter the Travolater.  The first time I saw one, I came around a corner with a cart, saw an escalator and thought......how do I get down that/where is the elevator?  Then I realized it was a ramp!  Voila!  Just push your cart on and  these funky wheels somehow catch and hold the cart in place.  You don't even have to hold on to it, you also cannot push it if you wish to go faster.

 I decided to look at the map before I went in.  These store are so huge I wanted to know where I was going.  This is when I noticed the name of  "Travolater".  I had never heard it called anything, we always called it the flat escalator!

 And what a map they have.  I don't know how many Walmart's there are in Beijing but the ones we have been to are all this big!

Look Ma, no hands!!

















Love, fondly, sincerely,
zaijian,
Ramona

Lunch, always an adventure!

Just to keep you updated on the options in Beijing.  Keep this  in mind for when you visit, we will be happy to take you there.  May not join you for the meal, happy to get you there just the same.

We will actually eat a few doors down at this establishment.  We can vouch for the food here, delicious beef brisket with onions, barbecue sauce and pickles with a side of fries.  Yummy, very full. 

Love, fondly, sincerely,

zaijian,

Ramona

All in a Day!

Just an observation of what can happen in one day.  Probably should have done more shots.....hourly or some such.....Hind sight is twenty twenty!!

 These first three pictures were taken at 6:00 Saturday morning China time.  The railing is so beautifully highlighted because the flash went off....I am not nor do I claim to be a photographer:)  Air quality index 310.

These three photos were taken at 5:00 pm on Saturday, China time.  What a difference a day makes!!  Air quality index 62!

Love, fondly, sincerely,
zaijian,
Ramona