Green Curry (Thailand)

For Christmas this year, I received a Thai cookbook that has a recipe for my go-to dish, Green Curry. This sweet curry packs a special kind of heat that intensifies with each bite, but doesn't overwhelm the delicate flavors. Typically it is served with green beans, basil and chicken, but I always throw in some shrimp. I've probably made the recipe for Green Curry at least three times since December, diminishing the last of the beans from my garden and making a frozen bag of shrimp a pantry staple. It may be the second favorite thing to have entered my life from Thailand in recent years;) 

This blog started as an exercise in exploring the intersect of culture and food in the life of our family, and in recent entries (sporadic as they may be) I've strayed somewhat from that intended goal. An article that I read this week changed that for me and I find myself drawn back to the computer to sort it all out in the name of my beloved Green (shrimp) Curry!

Just a week ago, the Associated Press shared a year long investigation into the use of Burmese slaves in the Southeast Asian fishing industry that supplies upwards of 20% of the seafood in US markets. The report literally followed the fish from the boats with the slaves to the supplier, Thai Union, and onward to the US companies that contract for their seafood, Kroger, Safeway, Wal-mart, and Sysco to name a few. There are additional reports that Darden Restaurants, which owns Olive Garden and Longhorn Steakhouse among others, had been aware of this link to human trafficking and chose not to change their suppliers.

So what can we do about the scourges of human trafficking from half a world away? It breaks my heart to know that the beautiful homeland of my son is listed along side North Korea, Syria and Iran for its human rights violations. But I cannot wallow in my helplessness with a broken heart. In this case, I need to follow the story, Thai Union has already taken steps to sever ties with suppliers, but I can wait to see what happens in the US as well before I spend my valuable dollars on any sort of seafood. My money makes and difference!

This season of lent we spent time with a small group from church examining our own practices as people of faith. Often what we realized is that small choices and actions can lead to a larger impact. Here is my list of how to start to process and affect change.

Educate yourself on difficult topics. Read the news, analysis, and commentary, even when it is difficult to digest and consumes a lot of time. 

Ask questions. Where does my food come from? In the store, in restaurants, and in my own home, I must be diligent AND prepared to walk away from companies that ignore violations in human rights.

Share your voice. I'm doing that now, but in this day of viral media posts, word travels fast, and many times one voice becomes many, and that pressure makes a difference. Look at what is happening in Indiana. A national outcry by citizens and businesses alike might just change the tide of intolerance and discrimination once again.

Be vigilant and demand justice, especially in your own backyard. Human trafficking isn't just limited to faraway locales. In every state in the US, our young and vulnerable neighbors are being pressed into sexual slavery. As our own city prepares to host the Super Bowl in 2018, an event notorious for high levels of human trafficking, we must demand that our leaders prevent the exploitation of our neighbors.

Sometimes justice is lonely, exhausting work, but it must be done, on the smallest of scales and the largest of stages. What can you do today?

One Per Family

Yesterday, I volunteered during one of the amazing Chinese New Year programs put on annually at my children's school. These programs are put on in a venue that seats over 1,700, and each of them were sold out. The children have worked most of the school year to this point on their singing and dancing, and while the shows are long, they are a joy to watch.

With two performances to attend, we decided to volunteer some time during the performances to contribute to the day, save on ticket costs, and break up a long period of sitting. I ushered while John supervised the kindergarten boys' bathroom. One might assume that the easier of those two jobs would be the one that didn't involve masses of 5 & 6 year old boys attempting to tear a public restroom down to its studs.  One might assume that handing out programs to the incoming audience would be simpler, quieter, and drier. Only one of these assumptions is correct though, so if you guessed that I didn't need any towels to perform my job, you win!

I arrived an hour before the show in my black pants, red top and comfy shoes as instructed. I was given a name tag, a door assignment and a basket of programs with a festive red bow. I was paired with a college student, who worked in the theater and would direct people to their seats.  And then I was sent on to my station with the words, "Just pass them out, one per family."

The programs were beautiful. Over-sized white card stock in tri-fold emblazoned with the red print of a sheep intertwined with Chinese characters amid a backdrop of blossoms and other new year symbols, the lovely work of a very talented student. Information on the inside, in both English and Chinese, about the performance of each grade level, as well as the gracious thank yous on the back.  The school always  does a fine job of showcasing and appreciating the varied talents of its students and staff.

But oh, how those three little words...one per family...brought out the spectrum of humanity at its most privileged over the next hour. Perhaps I was naive, or in denial, to ways in which people would react to hearing those words. Some people were indignant, and insisted they receive more than one. Some people left for their seats in a huff. Some of those people returned a short time later claiming they had not received a program and must have one now. Some people looked shocked or puzzled and wandered off in a daze. Some people looked irritated or disappointed, but accepted the words. Some tried to rationalize their need for more. Some tried to bargain for another. And yet, some were gracious and accepting as they moved to their seats.

No matter how they responded, if someone pressed me for another program, I gave it to them. i wasn't going to fight that battle. But I didn't give it to them without a little judgement.

(okay a lot)

I think there is a name for this phenomenon: First World Problems. Isn't that how the hashtag goes? Having to share, being given a limit, conserving resources that one feels entitled to. That's what the school was doing...managing resources in a responsible way. When a non-profit organization undertakes an event of this magnitude, the details are hard to even imagine. Over three hundred adults and almost 600 students worked to put together this show on grant money and meager ticket prices to cover the basic costs. The programs were designed and printed with a spirit of celebration and well wishes that I don't know if everyone in that audience truly appreciated.

The lessons of this event were about celebrating Chinese culture and wishing each other "magnificent beginnings for an auspicious and prosperous year!" While the children embraced this message with the enthusiasm of their songs and the spirit of their dances, it seems some of the adults in the audience still have some work left to do.

Getting the Words on the Page

I don't spend as much time writing as I used to.

There is a part of me that feels empty when I don't write. A void where the ghosts of projects past float suspended in the middle of a scene, echoing bits of dialogue, beckoning with promising ideas that I deflect to the back of my mind.

There is a part of me that is full though. I wrangle two boys after a full day of teaching and meetings, occasionally land next to my husband for a quick check in before falling into a book, Netflix, or bed. It is a happy sort of busy with karate classes and math workbooks and library visits.

I'm also partly distracted. In between these few words I've shuffled a child out of the shower, let the dog out, listened to a child read 1.5 easy readers, and played two card games.

So I wonder if the authentic me needs those words on a page, the character notes scrawled on scrap paper as I'm falling asleep, the plot twists added to the bottom of a grocery list as I wait at the light. And maybe I'm afraid that the delicate balance of keeping it all going my be tipped if I light up the void, let out my old friends for new adventures.

But maybe I need a little faith that this gnawing in my soul for stories is real and right. That's why my Lenten commitment this year is not to fast, but to feast on my own creativity and see where it all leads.  

Survival Tacos

Tonight I had one of those parenting survival moments. I'd been home from work for exactly one hour, and I found myself in front of the stove in my sweatpants, listening to Adele, surreptitiously stuffing a brownie in my face while browning a pound of hamburger with no idea what we were having for dinner. And the box of wine on my counter was so temptingly close.

It doesn't matter what circumstances brought me to that moment of emotional-eating and panic-cooking (seriously, it is a Monday), I was just keeping on in the best way I knew at the time. It took a moment, about three bites in brownie years, and the sound of my boys filtered in through the cotton of too many essays, too much puppy pee, and too many math problems. My guys were sitting behind me at the counter drawing funny faces, oohing and aahing over their brother's creations. And then I suddenly knew I would make tacos with my hamburger, one of their favorites and easy to serve with our never ending supply of bulk tortillas and shredded cheese from Costco. Kept on hand exactly for these occasions. Survival tacos.

 From the little moments of exhaustion at the end of a busy day to those gut-wrenching moments of terror in the unknown, survival is about feeding your soul, sometimes via your face, with enough energy to carry you through until your breath takes hold and the darkness fades. So wear your sweatpants, eat the brownie, put the puppy in the kennel, turn the music up as loud as you want, whatever you need tonight.

Tic Tac Toe Cookies

A couple weeks ago at the dinner table I noticed a cookie recipe on the back of the ketchup bottle. Peanut butter tic tac toe cookies with a very special ingredient. My curiosity got the best of me and the next day the boys and I made a batch of very orange cookies with a slight ketchup finish. One of the boys loved them, the other was disgusted, and I could only draw the conclusion of...huh. 

Every Thursday of this summer, the boys and I have done a science project (or two:). We started with a few kits and sets that we had saved from Christmas for the nicer weather before moving on to a couple books that have been gifted to the boys over the years. We have grown magic water crystals, 'excavated' dinosaur bones, created chemical reactions, and soaked celery in colored water. When they are curious about something, a concept, an idea or even a recipe, I want them to feel empowered to explore and pursue their inklings. They pick the projects that appeal to them, anticipate them during the week, gather the supplies and theorize about what the outcome might be.

One outcome that I had not expected was the disappointment that follows all good scientists. A couple of our projects have not turned out like we thought, and dealing with the let down together in a healthy way has been good for the boys to experience. When the boys tore into their blocks of clay with chisels to excavate their dinosaurs, one block contained no bones. When it became apparent that one of our kits was a dud, I had to think quick (all the while composing an email on quality control for the manufacturer). We talked about what paleontologists might learn from an empty dig site. We decided that instead of solo fossil hunting, we would work as a team on the bones that were provided as promised. When one of our liters of soda was too flat to react to the Mentos we dropped into it, we talked about the science of chemical reactions, how the conditions have to be right for certain interactions, and how we can always try again.

And we talked about how  things don't always work out the way we want or expect them to. Sometimes life is disappointing. It's okay to feel sad if something doesn't work out. We can try to find some meaning it what happened, but it isn't always there. One thing we can count on is each other. Our family works as a team, and sometimes that means supporting the pursuit of curiosity or supporting each other.   

Salmon with Lemon and Dill

We are just home from our major camping event of the summer, having spent three nights at Crow Wing State Park. In our effort to visit all of the MN State Parks with the boys, we hit #16 with Crow Wing and #17 with Cuyuna Country Recreational Area, both beautiful parks with lots of deer, fish, birds and trails to keep us occupied.

Camping is one of those love it/hate it activities. Some people can't get enough of the campfires and sleeping bags, while others abhor the thought of sleeping in a tent amid the mosquitoes. As much as we love sleeping outside on a clear night, camping is a lot of work. It all takes twice as much stuff to work three times as hard for all the pieces to come together. And then you get home and have to clean it all up while checking for ticks!

It's easy to get distracted by all this effort from the very reason we keep finding new and creative ways to haul our gear to far corners of our great state. We live in a beautiful world, surrounded by clear lakes, diverse wildlife, tall trees, colorful flowers and buzzing insects, and if we aren't mindful of the bounty in our own backyard, we can't truly be good stewards of our earth.

This camping trip we tried a couple new things in an effort to be more mindful of our surroundings. First, I of course tried some new recipes. When the boys were younger, we ate easy heat and serve camping food as the boys needed a lot of supervision to keep them away from the fire and poison ivy. Now that they are older, it was time to try some actual camp food. This included fire roasted chicken skewers with peanut sauce, roasted corn on the  cob and coal cooked salmon with lemon and dill, all of which were delicious! There is something very primal and grounding about cooking over a fire with nothing but some wooden skewers and a little aluminum foil between you and the heat and the smoke. I had to build the fire, tend to the flames and coals, all while cooking our meals.

The second new activity we added to our trip was a series of meditations based on Thich Nhat Hanh's book A Handful of Quiet. Over the course of the first day, each of us looked to find four small rocks that appealed to us in some way. This required us to be aware of our surroundings and to help each other keep an eye out for small treasures. That evening, around the fire, we took some time to consider the space around us, breathing in the fresh air and listening to the wind and creatures in the woods. Each of our four rocks represented an element tied to strengths within each of us that we held in our minds as we breathed.  We did an abbreviated version of this at an outlook before we left as well, where we each picked our favorite stone and element to focus on as we gazed out over the Mississippi River.

Meditation, in addition to bringing us closer to our surroundings through mindfulness, is a tenant of Buddhist practice. Our youngest son was born Buddhist, and this is one practice we can use to remain close to a vital part of his history and culture. We are half a world away from Thailand, but we can find peace and closeness as a family with the spiritual practices of his homeland. That is why we go through all of the effort to go camping, to have new adventures and build lasting memories as a family, each with our own strengths and histories that bring something beautiful to the world.

Summer Detox

Over the years I have found that each summer break develops a theme of sorts. A few summers ago, with our youngest just home, it was cocooning. Then it was reemergence back into the world around us. Last year it was mind and body health, and this summer it has been thus far about detoxification and restoration. I just wanted to let go of the baggage of the last year and feel light and whole again. The process has actually been simpler than I thought with great results.

The last day of school for teachers is a misnomer because most of us work beyond that magic date on the calendar to write curriculum, catch up on technology practices, teach summer school, go to workshops, or all of the above. Last year I worked three extra weeks over the summer, away from my kids, paying for daycare, which is time that is just too valuable for me. This year, I worked one extra day on tech stuff, but then totally disengaged myself from school. I am not working on committees, doing any training, or going to meetings. I'm not even thinking about work to be honest, which feels healthy and good!

One easy place to continue the detox was with my diet. My first week off started with a three day detox diet program of fruits and vegetables. After a year of medications, pain pills and steroids, all linked to my surgery, I wanted to cleanse my system with clean and wholesome foods. The program consisted of smoothies for each meal, which was okay for the first two days, but by the third day, I was starving and my energy was low! I managed my morning smoothie, and then took the warning signs seriously and went back to solid food, though healthy choices.

I also recommitted to baking for the family. Each week I have a 'baking day' in which I put together the bread for the week, a breakfast selection of muffins or bread loaded with whole grains, fruits and veggies, and any dinner options for the week that I can make ahead, like a quiche or tart. Spending the afternoon in the kitchen listening to the soundtrack of my children playing outside the window is good for the spirit. I am assured of the quality and nutrition of the ingredients that we consume and can pour in the love for my family in with each spoon, cup or whisk.

There are many other ways I am trying to bring in the pure and good and purge the yuck. Each day I take the kids outside, whether in the backyard or at the park. We spend all school year in cramped and dusty rooms, and I just want to breathe in the fresh air and feel the sun on my skin. In my continued therapy for my Achilles problems, I have turned to massage and acupuncture, taking no pain meds, even over the counters. I have embraced the use of essential oils (another blog topic for sure!) for healing, relaxation, therapy and more in a natural and balanced approach. Each little bit helps to feel renewed.

One area I need to work on is my digital detox. My phone and Kindle travel most places with me. I do read a lot, but I don't really have any reason to check the celebrity gossip sites or play Candy Crush multiple times a day.  The phone can be a nasty habit, so I am going to work on this one in the coming weeks!

As I write this, I really need to consider, what habits and coping mechanisms do I want to pass on to my children and which ones do I want them to avoid? What can I learn from them, as they chase moths and play Captain America in the backyard, that can help me with my own bad habits? I have the time, a luxury of days off, so I need to use it well.