Sushi Master Mama

Ok not so much the master part but I am learning! Ryan and Dylan got me the most fantastic Mother's Day gift, sushi class at Sur La Table and sushi making supplies. I LOVED IT! The class was amazing. Sur La Table has a very nice teaching kitchen and a VERY well educated head chef, not to mention this class is full service! There were 8 students and they served you tea, coffee, latte's, whatever you wanted while we waited for class to start. The teacher, Chef Kyle, talked about how to make perfect rice (it's truly an art), select fish, sushi history, etc. for about 30 minutes before we started hands-on. We spent an hour or so trying different tools, techniques and ingredient combo's. When we finished we had a quick break and came back to a full meal! They had edamame, homemade miso soup and all of our spectacular sushi... it was a feast! I got more practice Sunday when my family came out...more on that later. Here are a couple of pictures, thanks again Ryan I had so much fun!

Random Ramblings...

It has been a while since I really blogged, I can't say posting a collage of my adorable little boy really counts! So today I write...

I was buying some teething rings for Dylan and when I got home and opened them noticed they were made in China. I realize that a lot of our products come from China but given the recent recalls on baby products I started thinking that I don't really want to buy toys from there, especially if they are meant to go in his mouth! I started searching for any that were not made in China but none of the stores I went to had anything so I have moved my search online. I found a fellow blogger with a list of toy brands not made in China http://www.chinafreechristmas.info/. I'm not here to make any political statements, it's just something to consider!

Speaking of not making political statements it's almost time to vote! I am sure like much of America we will be crowded around the television in suspense next Tuesday night as votes are tallied and states select their candidate. It's such an exciting and important, albeit frustrating, time! I have found it's really hard to get accurate, unbiased information out there, I guess reading the voter pamphlet and individual candidate websites is probably the best way to get accurate details. I also found this site Select Smart which allows you to select candidates for comparison. Granted this is information someone else has compiled so it's still important you research the background on issues that are most important to you. I don't know about the rest of you but for me this is an especially difficult election!

On a lighter note...

Our wonderful friend Ping gave us the most adorable things for Dylan and it seems like everything she bought has become a favorite! The towel is awesome because it's more like a blanket with towel on one side so he is extra warm when getting out of the tub. And now my favorite pajamas and his favorite cuddle toy... These PJ's are awesome and I can't find anymore at Baby Style (where they were purchased), or on the manufacturers website Petite Bateau, so if anyone knows what the style is called please tell me! They have four snaps going down the upper back then the butt flap comes around and snaps just twice. The great thing is that all of the snaps are in the back and there are only two you have to deal with during diaper changes. I love them! Finally his banana... I know it may seem like a funny toy to many of you but it's perfect for his little hands! It's a great cuddle toy because it is soft, organic, small enough around for him to hold and it doesn't pose the harm of many stuffed animals you can't allow babies to sleep with. The brand is Under the Nile and they have many adorable little toys like this! He also has a tomato and mushroom to look forward too :) Thanks Ping!!

This last summer some colleagues of mine were staying in SLC for a few months to work on a project. They (and their spouses) are from India and kindly treated us to a meal at The Bombay House. It was incredibly delicious and now that we have learned what to order we have visited there and the Kasbah in Layton many times. A few weeks ago Ryan decided that our new found desire for Chicken Tikka Masala could be fulfilled at home, and he was right! He found a recipe to fit his particular tastes perfectly and has now mastered the meal, or our version of it anyway! Additionally I found a recipe for Naan and while it's not as good as it would be with the appropriate tandoor oven, I am pretty proud of it! We now have this meal a couple of times a week and honestly I just can't get enough, it's really addicting. Here are the recipes we use (although we bake the chicken instead of grill it). Thanks Bharat and Aju for introducing us to your delicious cuisine!



Chicken Tikka Masala
Naan