A Week in Asia

We did not travel to Asia by plane, train, or automobile, but rather, by tummy.  We recently enjoyed a week of Asian cuisine (subject to ingredient availability, and my culinary choices).  Honestly, I don't know how the week turned into (almost) every dinner consisting of some type of Asian food dish, but regardless, it did.  If I had to guess, it was probably the idea to make lettuce wraps, and spring rolls, and the theme (with my inner teacher driving) exploded.  We may not have literally traveled to Asia, but our tummies were definitely fooled.

Fire-Pot Soup  (calamari, tofu, and shrimp).  

The Fire-Pot soup was served with shrimp spring rolls.  Ryan and I made the spring rolls together.  Can you guess what rolls he made? :)  I just said he was bringing in a little Mexican cuisine with a spring roll taco.  

Ryan did make two delicious dipping sauces, peanut and sweet chili (I had to make sure I gave credit).  

Sweet and Sour Pulled Pork Lettuce wraps.  Served with sesame vegetables, and Quinoa Mac 'n' Cheese (not Asian, oops).  

Asian Beef with Mandarin Oranges.  My least favorite of the week.    

Wait, this doesn't look Asian?  You're correct.  I had a slight deviation from the theme.  I had some vegetables I wanted to use, so I made an orange, basil turkey.  Served with a couscous salad.  Not too bad for a "clean out the refrigerator veggie drawer before they go bad" dinner.  

Back on track.  Spicy Tofu Hotpot.  Served with soy glazed, grilled carrots.  

And the grand finale.  Pad Thai Pizza (homemade pizza crust).  Served with Asian coleslaw.  Definitely our favorite meal.   

It was a great week of culinary milestones in Russia.  I'm not saying it's easy, but with a bit of determination, food substitutions, patience, and creativity, any meal is possible.  Ryan has recommended I create an expat cookbook, cooking in foreign countries.  Who knows, if we get another expat assignment, I may have a good reason. :)

Rainy Reading Weather

I will read in any weather, hot or cold, rain or shine.  But when we it comes to rainy weather, I feel it is perfect reading (and sleeping) weather.  We have been experiencing numerous Spring showers the past few days.  Today is especially rainy.  I had to leave the bicycle at home this morning, and used the driver for my daily trip to the gym.  It seems today would be appropriate to share a couple books I have read recently.  I do not do this very often, but I know that I always love hearing about an especially good book.  I am constantly searching for new titles on Amazon, or browsing through the book reviews in my People magazines.  So, in honor of the rainy weather, I shall curl up with a cozy blanket, find a comfy chair, maybe brew a cup of tea, and enjoy a good book.

It seems I have been on a nonfiction "kick" lately.  The last two books have not only been nonfiction, but incredibly fascinating and insightful.  My family and Ryan can verify how much I have learned from both books, since I have been constantly sharing recently read facts. Both books are definitely ones that I see myself revisiting in the future, multiple times over.  I know with each future read, I will learn more, and once again be drawn in.

I am not good at writing book reviews.  I have a tendency to get off track, ramble (no surprise there), and lose focus, so I will simply type a paragraph from each book (and maybe a brief review). :)

At Home by Bill Bryson.  This book is like an incredible series from National Geographic, or the Discovery Channel.  It pulls you in, and I found myself not able to put it down. Bryson is an incredible author, he tells the story by walking through each room in his home, and giving a history related to each space.  It felt as if a great-grandfather, or great-uncle was walking me through their home, telling me all their memories.  

"So I thought it might be interesting, for the length of a book, to consider the ordinary things in life, to notice them for once and treat them as if they were important, too.  Looking around my house, I was startled and somewhat appalled to realize how little I knew about the domestic world around me.  Sitting at the kitchen table one afternoon, playing idly with the salt and pepper shakers, it occurred to me that I had absolutely no idea why, out of all the spices in the world, we have such an abiding attachment to those two.  Why not pepper and cardamom, say, or salt and cinnamon?  And why do forks have four tines and not three or five?  There must be reasons for these things.  Dressing, I wondered why all my suit jackets have a row of pointless buttons on every sleeve.  I heard a reference on the radio to someone paying for room and board, and realized that when people talk about room and board, I have no idea what the board is that they are talking about.  Suddenly the house seemed a place of mystery to me."

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot.  I feel like this book would make the ultimate discussion group, or book club reading material.  At times, I found myself pausing during the book, and thinking about my personal beliefs, and what my opinion would be in regards to medicinal research, informed consent, and modern medical advancements.  Skloot does a phenomenal job telling the story of one woman and her family's contribution (unknowingly) to medical research.  

"I've spent years staring at that photo, wondering what kind of life she led, what happened to her children, and what she'd think about cells from her cervix living on forever - bought, sold, packaged, and shipped by the trillions to laboratories around the world.  I've tried to imagine how she'd feel knowing that her cells went up in the first space missions to see what would happen to human cells in zero gravity, or that they helped with some of the most important advances in medicine: the polio vaccine, chemotherapy, cloning, gene mapping, in vitro fertilization.  I'm pretty sure that she - like most of us - would be shocked to hear that there are trillions more of her cells growing in laboratories now than there ever were in her body."

If you are not tired and exhausted after reading this novel of a blog post, than grab a book, find a comfy spot, and get lost in a different world.  Happy reading! :)

Victory Day

Last week, Ryan had Monday, Tuesday, AND Wednesday off.  This holiday break was much needed, since he got back from Moscow on Sunday, and left for his Astrakhan pipeline tour on Wednesday.  His travel before and after the holiday break kept us from traveling anywhere, but in the end, I am thankful we didn't travel; the rest and time together was much need. He is still currently gone, but I have received a couple pictures from his trip, and I hope to get more.  I will post the pictures in a later blog, and hopefully get Ryan to write a little bit about his trip.

The reason for the holiday break was Victory Day, which was celebrated on Wednesday, May 9th.  I "wikipedia-ed" in order to get a nice little summary:

Victory Day^[1] or 9 May marks the capitulation of Nazi Germany to the Soviet Union in the Second World War (also known as the Great Patriotic War in the Soviet Union and mostpost-Soviet states). It was first inaugurated in the fifteen republics of the Soviet Union, following the signing of the surrender document late in the evening on 8 May 1945 (after midnight, thus on 9 May, by Moscow Time). The Soviet government announced the victory early on 9 May after the signing ceremony in Berlin.^[2] Though the official inauguration happened in 1945 (which means it has been celebrated since 1946), the holiday became a non-labour day only in 1965 and only in some of the countries.

Now, regardless of faith, political affiliation or nationality in the former Soviet Union, this festival is celebrated to commemorate the 28 000 000 (according to various estimates) children, parents, spouses and friends killed in Soviet Union during II World War for independence from Nazi Germany.

If you wish, you may go to the link, and read the entire wikipedia entry:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victory_Day_(9_May)

In the morning, Ryan and I walked to the parade that was taking place in Novorossiysk (nothing compared to the large, extravagant parade that takes place in Moscow).  I took my camera to capture some photos.  The parade mainly consisted of military members, and military vehicles.  At times, it was a bit overwhelming with the large crowds, and their lack of personal bubbles (I have never liked people in my personal space, and apparently, my personal space is a large area), but at the same time, it was also nice to see so many people out, and excited for the parade.  The weather was beautiful, which made for a nice, enjoyable walk to the parade, and home, along the promenade.  


I cannot explain what particular military group is in each picture, or the correct name for each military vehicle, but I hope you enjoy a small glimpse at the Victory Day Parade.  

я не нужнa мaшину...

I am without our drivers for the next 7-10 days.  Ryan left for a trip along the pipeline, and our car and drivers went with.  I still have use of a different vehicle, but I thought this situation was the perfect reason to purchase a bicycle.

I have not had a bike for nearly 5 years.  Some unfortunate thief stole my bike off my front porch in Indianapolis.  I say unfortunate thief, because the thief must have realized, very quickly, the bike was old, nearly broken, and not worth stealing.  Unfortunately, for me, the thief did not return the bike, but instead, most likely, tossed it in a dumpster.

Enough background information.  I have been trying to figure out a way to get by without using the car and driver.  People hear me talk about having a driver, but it really isn't very glamorous.  I miss the feeling of independence.  When I go to get my nails or hair done, I walk.  When I visit the office,  I walk.  Since my return in February, I pretty much only shop at the grocery store near our apartment, and you guessed it, I walk.  The only time I really use the driver, is to get to the gym, which is daily.

I have been contemplating the purchase of a bicycle.  With the absence of our car, and the arrival of lovely, spring weather, I decided there was no better time.  Luckily, Ryan knows a thing or two about bikes.  My expertise stops at cute color choices.  I originally thought it would be fun to get a retro, city cruiser style, maybe even with a basket for my trips to the market.  Ryan was smart and talked me out of that choice.  A bike was found that met both our guidelines. Another good decision, I decided to not go too girly, and chose white, but my helmet (which coordinates with the bicycle) has some yellow and gray fanciness.  :)

So, not only am I the crazy American that spends hours a day at the gym, but now, I am the crazy American that would rather ride her bicycle to the gym, instead of being driven.  I wonder what the employees and other gym patrons think of me?  It seems the gym has some of the "wealthier" population as members, so I especially enjoy riding into the parking lot, on a bicycle and weaving my way around the Porsches and Range Rovers.  :)  Also, I find it incredibly amusing that the girls at the front desk raise the gate arm so I can pull into the parking lot, as if I were in a car.  Maybe I will start a trend, leave the car at home, ride your bike.  :)

Off to the gym. 

It takes about 20 minutes to bike to the gym, that is at a decent pace, with occasional traffic stops.  Not to mention, detours to avoid dangerous curbs, or sidewalks that end, turning into a rocky, dirt path.  Our city has some lovely sidewalks, but there are still many areas unfinished, or the finished ones need some fine tuning.  Again, thank you Ryan for steering me away from the cute cruisers, and towards a more practical bike.  The freedom of riding a bike, and independence without the driver is what I needed.

я не нужнa мaшину. у меня есть велосипед.
I don't need the car.  I have a bicycle. 

Guest Chef

I was unsuccessful in my attempt to create an enticing title.  I did not know how to adequately, in a short phrase, set the scene for what took place about a week ago.  My "short phrase" attempt fell short, but hopefully I can redeem myself:

Brave husband enters kitchen, recipe in hand.

It is appropriate that I preface the remaining context of this blog with: Ryan is a good cook, he has culinary creations (you will see in the near future) that sprout from a mind so full of imagination, and love for food.  He respects my love of cooking, and has learned to stay clear of the kitchen during my culinary creations.

I am not able to recall the exact day, but sometime last week, I decided that I did not want to cook dinner, but rather, I would like Ryan to cook.  If I am completely honest, I do not know if my motives were an attempt at relaxation or entertainment.  I have mentioned before, creating interesting meals, and not succumbing to the same two or three meals time and again is a difficult task in Russia.  I put a lot of effort into collecting different ingredients, and always attempting to cook something new, with very few repeat meals.

I decided to select a few recipes, three to be exact, and let Ryan choose what he would like to make.  The chosen recipe: Beef Penne with Blue Cheese.  Of course, we don't like blue cheese, so a substitute of goat cheese was made, and Ryan found some cute, heart shaped pasta, instead of penne.

We went to the market together, and collected the fresh produce.  A trip to the store to collect our beef was also completed, though did provide much entertainment.  Lovely quote upon checkout: "Well, I don't know if we bought meat or some organ, but we'll have to check the iPad when we get home."  Upon looking up the words on the iPad, we learned (thankfully) that we successfully dodged all organs.

Ryan was set with all necessary ingredients, I decided to "enjoy" some reading on the couch (close enough to the kitchen to answer any questions).  I was informed, by Ryan, that the spinach was nonnegotiable.  Spinach here is nothing like cute, prepackaged baby spinach in the States.  Ryan was not going to even attempt to handle Russian market spinach.  With a giggle, I handled the scary spinach. :)

As is always the case, my quick blog has turned into a novel.  Congratulations, if you have made it this far.  You will now be greatly rewarded with a picture:

 
I decided I would provide the evening's dessert.  Frozen strawberry and banana "ice cream."  Very simply frozen strawberries, frozen bananas, and a little bit of yogurt processed in a food processor.  The result, a ice cream/sorbet textured creations.  Satisfies an ice cream craving with much fewer calories.

Lastly, I mentioned earlier that Ryan is very good at creating culinary creations with a mind full of imagination and love of food.  I was able to catch proof of one such incident.

Ryan's favorite things, Oreos and peanut butter.
After many attempts, he was able to locate Birthday Oreos during our last day in Houston.  We were on the way to the airport, so I decided to just put both packages (Ryan bought two) in my carry on.  This decision caused interesting looks during a security screening of my bag.  The TSA man unzips my suitcase, and is faced with two containers of Oreos.  He, and another passenger standing next to me gave me a strange look.  Though, I must admit, I have never had a better smelling suitcase.
*FYI, reduced fat Skippy (what we found in Singapore), not good.  Stick with Natural Skippy.  

No need to provide caption. :)

Houston Trip

Friends, food, shopping, and beautifully warm Texas made for a very enjoyable States trip.  Our trip also marked our first return to Houston since March 2011.  Our schedule was full, the week flew by, but we loved every minute.

Just a quick glimpse of our week:

Thursday (midnight): arrived in Houston
Friday: Ryan worked, went to jeweler to design wedding band (someone has a wedding this summer!!)
Friday night: Joe and Ashlee's rehearsal dinner
Saturday: Joe and Ashlee's beautiful wedding
Sunday: Perry family time! :)
Monday: errands
Tuesday: San Marcos Outlets San Antonio, dinner with Ryan's Uncle Steve
Wednesday: San Antonio
Thursday: Corpus Christi to see the Tim and Kate :)
Friday: back to Houston
Saturday: flight to Moscow

Our week took us to 3 different cities, visiting many friends, shopping until our suitcases were packed, and enjoying delicious food.  

Quick picture before Joe and Ashlee's Wedding.  Modeling our first purchases; my dress, and Ryan is looking very handsome in his new suit.  Another major purchase included my new MacBook Air.  First blog post with the new computer!

Don't get any ideas Monica and Jayn! :)
Diane, Phil, and I were walking along after lunch.  Phil was carrying Harper, but I noticed no one was pushing Hudson.  Oh wait, Ryan was testing his stroller skills.
No need to worry Mothers, the day will come, just not while we are living in Russia. :)

 Ryan is the best!  Holding the beautiful Perry children, Hudson and Harper.  

Dinner at my favorite Houston restaurant, Benjy's.  

The man loves to drive, and we drove a lot.  Quick stop to support our favorite oil company!

What Texas vacation is not complete without a margarita?  

Casa Rio in San Antonio.  The picture doesn't support this fact, but it was my first margarita.

I feel like this has become a travel tradition.  I always seem to have a dinner guest.  Maybe it's because I feed a good portion of my food to the local furry/feathery friends. 

When in San Antonio, one must visit the Alamo.  

Not only was this an old, historical tree, but I also found the squirrel perfectly placed. 

Just enjoying a mid-morning snack.  

Great morning activity, within walking distance from our hotel. 

San Antonio Riverwalk.  

Over a year later, but we finally made it to San Antonio.  Our previous plans were cancelled due to Ryan's business travel, and then our move to Russia.  

Riverwalk Boat Cruise

It was an incredibly fast week, but I am so thankful we were able to visit with so many friends, and explore San Antonio.  

Major love for Texas.