Chinese Food Fest and New Friends

So When Iwas at the grocery store Saturday night I saw that they had some Chinese dumplings/potstickers on sale. Since we have a handful of sisters from China, Taiwan, Korea and (Japan I think ) I decided to cook them some potstickers as  a surprise tonight. They usually take turns eating in shfits at the lunchroom in the Visitor's center. Often these Sisters don't have a lot of food prep time.

So as I was sitting with my new friend Sister W (who is a volunteer specialist in Chinese Family Search)

I began thinking about the food in my freezer and frig what I needed to use up.

So I ended up  making a hamburge low mein with  angel hair pasta, onions, mushrooms, green peppers, and celery. I made a light sauce with cornstarch using some  beef bullion, garlic salt, kitchen bouquet and some squirts of soy sauce froma packet I got at the Chinese restaurant..

Then I discovered a second rice cooker in my cupboards, (I had brought one with me) So I whipped up some stir fried rice. I only had two soysauce packets (I forgot that I didn't have my usual bottles of soysauce, oyster sauce, soy paste, and soy sauce etc) so I had to make do.
I flavored the rice with chicken bullion, Used up my big bag of mixed vegetables, threw in some fresh green onions , and sauteed celery, onions, garlic, ginger and onion powder.
Then I remembered I had some ham and I scrambled up soem eggs as well and mixed it all together.

I found a chocolate cake mix that I brought and whipped that up. Then realizing I had no way to frost it I pondered for a moment. Ah ha I had some costco mixed berries that I  could thaw and add some sugar to,  and half a tub of vanilla yougurt, I figured they could pour some over the cake if they wanted to. Some chose to just eat the berries which was fine. They all thought they were so  delicious and kept askign me how I made them. they were so surprised it was so simple.

I had some yams/sweet potatoes that I needed to use up so I threw those in the oven with some water and chopped in them into big chucnks so they could bake at the same times as the cake. The sisters from Asia and polynesia were really excited to see those, since they said they ate those at home.

I also cooked the chicken and pork  dumplings in the hot spaghetti water.  Anyway all in all I think it turned out well. The Sisters all loved it, along with some of the older couples that worked there too. One man said it was so good and his wife was very hangry (hungry and angry) and after she ate she was so happy. He thanksed me twice.
The sister sall went nuts over the food, and were hugging me and telling me how nice I was and how much they loved me etc. They all thought it was delicious despite my lack of soy sauce and oyster sauce that I usually use. They must have blest that food because it teasted better than i expected.

However as my Mom or my German teacher used to say "Hunger makes good sauce" something along those  lines.

 Several sisters all helped me packup the remaining food and bring it home.
The two sisters from Korea and Taiwan were so appreciative they offered to wash all my dishes.
I had been soaking my weekly dishes in the sink . I told them not to worry about my regular dishes.
I told her that if they could just wash my pans that would help.
So while I was putting food away the two sister went at it and had all my dishes done, the counter cleaned and pans dried within less than 30 minutes.
Which I appreciated very much. as my knees were stiff and  aching tonight. I think I need to ice my back again. Also  I was falling asleep while sitting in the foyer of the visitor's center.

We had another concert tonight. A couple who had written some original songs about the importance and value of family, performed tonight. They had originally had written these songs after their second youngest child died suddenly a year ago? I think it was.
The Man had just gotten his voice back  from having had laryngitis for ten days and they had a son die on July 1st, so it was a very honest,  genuine and heart felt performance.
We had a pretty good crowd there. Last week we were jammed packed !
We had a David Wheatly, a Canadian Pianist give a concert of various songs which was nice.
Another lady told a story in the middle of the evening.

.

on the way to the baseball game I think

before my haircut

Oh and for any of you following my story about the Angel of Moroni statue here is the latest added scaffolding.