Here are a couple of my favorite songs that I simply must listen to during the holidays.
Monday, December 24, 2012
Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
Half Marathon Training Week 3: Personal Best
For the first two weeks it took me 30 minutes to run/walk 3 km, using the 3r/2w (3 minutes running/2 minutes walking) ratio.
On Saturday, I changed my ratio to 4r/1.5w, and I ended up going 6 km in 40 minutes, or 20 minutes to run/walk 3 km. And it didn't kill me!
After week one I was doubting my ability to finish the 21 km half marathon in less than 4 hours. However, in these past 3 weeks, I can actually see my endurance increasing, which gives me hope at this point of finishing in less than 3 hours.
| Week | Date | Weight | Waist | Run |
| 4 years ago | 04/15/2008 (Arrival in Taiwan) | 70 kg (155 lbs) | 84 cm (33") | -- |
| 1 | 12/03/2012 | 75.5 kg (166 lbs) | 94 cm (37") | 30 minutes 3 km |
| 12/05/2012 | 30 minutes 3 km | |||
| 12/08/2012 | -- [heavy rain] | |||
| 2 | 12/10/2012 | 30 minutes 3 km | ||
| 12/12/2012 | 30 minutes 3 km | |||
| 12/15/2012 | 76.5 kg (169 lbs) +1 kg | 91 cm (36") -3 cm | 57 minutes 6.5 km | |
| 3 | 12/17/2012 | 33 minutes 4 km | ||
| 12/19/2012 | 31 minutes 4 km | |||
| 12/22/2012 | 76.3 kg (168 lbs) -0.2 kg | 91 cm (36") | 40 minutes 6 km |
Sunday, December 16, 2012
Half Marathon Training Week 2: Back on Track
I had a little setback at the end of week one: A combination of heavy rain, wind, and cold weather prevented me from my scheduled run on Saturday. No matter; I can make it up on Sunday.
I spent Sunday with friends, which included playing three rounds of Settlers of Catan. It didn't include running. Oh well.
So, although this is technically week two of my training, I followed the week one schedule again. I'm still doing the 3 minutes running/2 minutes walking cycle.
I'm proud of myself because I can see a bit of improvement: At the beginning it took me 60 minutes to go 6 kilometers; last night, however, I completed 6.5 km in 57 minutes. Of course, at this rate it would take me 3+ hours to complete 21 km. By next March I should have that time shaved down considerably.
Strangely, my weight increased by 1 kg, but my waist shrank by 3 cm.
| Week | Date | Weight | Waist | Run |
| 04/15/2008 (Arrival in Taiwan) | 70 kg (155 lbs) | 84 cm (33") | -- | |
| 1 | 12/03/2012 | 75.5 kg (166 lbs) | 94 cm (37") | 30 minutes 3 km |
| 12/05/2012 | 30 minutes 3 km | |||
| 12/08/2012 | -- [heavy rain] | |||
| 2 | 12/10/2012 | 30 minutes 3 km | ||
| 12/12/2012 | 30 minutes 3 km | |||
| 12/15/2012 | 76.5 kg (169 lbs) +1 kg | 91 cm (36") -3 cm | 57 minutes 6.5 km |
Wednesday, December 5, 2012
Half Marathon Training Day 2: Rain
I'm proud of myself. I got up at 8:00am and went running in the rain. It's only the second day of my training and I am not going to give up because of some water falling from the sky.
I felt self-conscious for a while, but I remembered that I was doing this for myself, not for anyone who looked at me from under their umbrella like I was a fool. During my run I crossed paths with just one other runner; seeing him lifted my spirits incredibly and kept me motivated.
Unfortunately, now my shoes are soaked. I hope they dry out before Saturday.
| Date | Weight | Waist | Run |
| 04/15/2008 (Arrival in Taiwan) | 70 kg (155 lbs) | 84cm (33") | -- |
| 12/03/2012 | 75.5 kg (166 lbs) | 94cm (37") | 30 minutes 3 km |
| 12/05/2012 | 30 minutes 3 km |
Monday, December 3, 2012
Half Marathon Training: Day 1
To celebrate my 50th birthday next March, I'd been toying with the idea of getting a tattoo. However, I decided that improving my health and reaching a challenging goal would be a better choice.
So, to commemorate my half century milestone, I decided (with a little help from my friends) to sign up for a half marathon.
I'm going to keep track of my progress here, mostly as an inspiration for myself. I've read that keeping mentally focused on my goal is just as much a battle as the physical training.
Speaking of physical training, at the end of this blog entry is the 12-week training schedule that I'm following. It's meant for an absolute beginner like me. During my training, and during the marathon itself, I will follow a cycle of running for 3 minutes then walking for 2 minutes. I feel this is the most doable plan of action, since my goal is simply to finish the race without keeling over!
[Nerd note: The Chinese for 'keel over' is 弱不禁風 ruòbùjīnfēng, which literally means "too weak to stand against the wind"]
A great benefit of preparing for this goal is improving my health. So, as an added motivation, I will also keep track of my weight and waist size. If I can find a free blood pressure checker then I may add that measurement here as well.
| Date | Weight | Waist | Run |
| 04/15/2008 (Arrival in Taiwan) | 70 kg (155 lbs) | 84cm (33") | -- |
| 12/03/2012 | 75.5 kg (166 lbs) | 94cm (37") | 30 minutes 3.5 km |
| This is embarrassing, but embarrassment can be a great motivational tool. |  |
Below is the 12-week training schedule that I began today, which I got from this site at Shape Magazine. The half marathon is on March 10, 2013—14 weeks away—so that gives me a little wiggle room.
| Week | Sunday | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday |
| 1 | Rest | 30 Minutes | 30-40 Minutes | 30 Minutes | 30-40 Minutes | Rest | 4Mi/6.4Km |
| 2 | Rest | 30 Minutes | 30-40 Minutes | 30 Minutes | 30-40 Minutes | Rest | 5Mi/8Km |
| 3 | Rest | 35 Minutes | 30-40 Minutes | 35 Minutes | 30-40 Minutes | Rest | 6Mi/9.6Km |
| 4 | Rest | 35 Minutes | 30-40 Minutes | 35 Minutes | 30-40 Minutes | Rest | 7Mi/11.2Km |
| 5 | Rest | 35 Minutes | 30-40 Minutes | 35 Minutes | 45 Minutes | Rest | 4Mi/6.4Km |
| 6 | Rest | 35 Minutes | 30-40 Minutes | 35 Minutes | 45 Minutes | Rest | 8Mi/12.8Km |
| 7 | Rest | 45 Minutes | 30-40 Minutes | 45 Minutes | 45 Minutes | Rest | 9Mi/14.5Km |
| 8 | Rest | 30 Minutes | 35-45 Minutes | 45 Minutes | 45 Minutes | Rest | 6Mi/9.6Km |
| 9 | Rest | 45 Minutes | 35-45 Minutes | 45 Minutes | 45 Minutes | Rest | 10Mi/16Km |
| 10 | Rest | 30 Minutes | 35-45 Minutes | 45 Minutes | 45 Minutes | Rest | 7Mi/11.2Km |
| 11 | Rest | 30 Minutes | 35-45 Minutes | 30 Minutes | 45 Minutes | Rest | 6Mi/9.6Km |
| 12 | Rest | 30 Minutes | 30 Minutes | 30 Minutes | Rest | Rest | 13.1Mi/21K |
Monday, October 29, 2012
What's for dinner? Hakka-style braised tofu & greens in oyster sauce 客家燒豆腐、蠔油青菜
I tried cooking a new dish last night and it came out pretty good!
I admit, at the beginning I was a bit nervous trying to cook Taiwanese food. In the U.S. I was a casual cook, which to me means that I can follow a recipe, but I can't really throw things together and come up with my own dishes.
Adding to my apprehension was the fact that my kitchen is so tiny!
But if a Taiwanese ah-ma can prepare an 8-dish meal for her family under these conditions, then so can I!
LET'S COOK!
INGREDIENTS – Braised Tofu
- 2 squares firm tofu
- ½ pound pork belly
- 3 leeks
- 2 red chilies
- 1½ T fermented soybeans
- 1½ T rice wine
- ¼ cup beef broth
- 1 T soy sauce
- 1 T soy sauce paste
- 1 T sesame oil
- 1 T tapioca starch+3 T water
- white pepper to taste
DIRECTIONS – Braised Tofu
Soak the fermented soybeans in the rice wine for 8 minutes, then drain.
Cut the tofu into sections.
Shred one leek; slice the other leeks and red chilies.
Heat 2 T of oil. Cook two sides of the tofu until golden, then remove.
Sauté the pork belly until brown.
Add the fermented soy beans and stir-fry until fragrant.
Add the leeks, red chilies….
…broth, soy sauce, soy bean paste, and white pepper.
Bring to a low boil.
Add the browned tofu, gently stirring the mixture to prevent the tofu from breaking.
Let the mixture simmer for 10 minutes.
Drizzle with sesame oil and scoop into a serving plate.
Top with the shredded leek.
Now for the Greens in Oyster Sauce. The original recipe calls for Chinese Broccoli (芥蘭菜). However, I was too lazy to go to the traditional vegetable market, so I just grabbed a green vegetable from the supermarket.
The one I chose, Chinese Mustard (大芥菜), is probably better suited for soups. Next time I'll get the real deal.
INGREDIENTS – Greens with Oyster Sauce
- 1 pound greens (see above)
- 8~10 mushrooms, sliced
- 2 T oyster sauce
- 4 T beef broth
- 1 T ketchup
- 1 t spicy soybean paste
- 1 t vinegar
- 1 T tapioca starch+3 T water
- ½ T sesame oil
DIRECTIONS – Greens with Oyster Sauce
Separate the leafy and stem sections of the greens. Add to a pot of boiling water.
Cook until softened and deep green in color. Drain.
Put a little oil in a pan and stir-fry the mushrooms briefly until tender.
Add the oyster sauce, broth, ketchup, soybean paste, and vinegar.
Bring to a low boil.
Add the starch and water mixture to thicken the sauce.
Drizzle the sesame oil and mix.
Arrange the greens on a plate and pour the oyster sauce on top.
These recipes are from The Best-loved Everyday Dishes: Mastering the Culinary Art in One Cookbook by Cecilia Hong Baiyang.
這個食譜是從最想學會的家常菜：從小菜到主食一次學透透 作者:洪白陽 (CC老師) 來的.
Sunday, August 26, 2012
What's for dinner? Black Eyed Peas with Cornbread 米豆跟玉米蛋糕
My Georgia friend David knows that I like black eyed peas (the food and the music group), and so presented me with a vacuum-sealed package that he picked up here in Taiwan. They are usually called 米豆 "rice beans" in Taiwan, and they're more popular than I thought.
In fact, there's even a restaurant in Kaohsiung called 米豆便當 "Black Eyed Peas Lunch Box" [Google Maps]
Let's cook!
Ingredients – Black Eyed Peas |
| 1 pound dry black eyed peas 5 cups water 4 cubes chicken bouillon 1/2 pound bacon 1/4 cup butter 1 onion, chopped 1/2 pound cooked ham, cut into bite-size pieces 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes Black pepper to taste |
Let the peas soak for 8 hours/overnight.
Drain the peas and place in slow-cooker pot.
Dissolve the bouillon cubes in 5 cups of water and add to the peas.
Retain the bacon grease in the pan and add the butter.
Stir the onions and cooking fat into the peas.
Crumble the bacon and add to the peas.
This was the only ham available at my local market.
Using this ham, I didn't need to add pepper—nor papper!
Slice the ham and add to the peas.
If desired, add 1/4 teaspoon—more or less to taste—of red pepper flakes or other hot spice.
Since I had recently ordered pizza, I used the Pizza Hut chili flakes that came with my order.
Cook on low for 8~10 hours.
Ingredients – Corn Bread |
| 1 cup corn meal 1 cup flour 1/4 sugar 1 tablespoon baking powder 1 teaspoon salt 1 cup milk 1/3 cup vegetable oil 1 egg |
In one bowl, combine the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, mix the milk, oil, and egg together.Add the milk mixture to the flour mixture; stir just until blended. Pour into a greased pan.
Bake 20~25 minutes at 400°F (200°C), until toothpick (or chopstick in my case!) comes out clean.
Serve the black eyed peas with warm corn bread. Yummy!
Sunday, August 12, 2012
What's for dinner? Stewed Beef with Chinese Cabbage 津白牛肉煲
In my opinion, this is the best tasting dish I've ever made. During the workday I excitedly anticipated coming home and eating the leftovers!
津白牛肉煲 (Jin Bai Niu Rou Bao) Beef and White Cabbage Casserole
Let's cook!
Ingredients
|
|
Slice the beef into bite-size pieces.
Heat the oil in a pot and sear the beef for 1~2 minutes or until browned on the outside.
Remove the beef and set aside, retaining the juices in the pan.
In the same pot, stir-fry the minced garlic, green onion, ginger, and red chili until fragrant.
Lower the heat, add onion, and stir-fry until tender.
Add the spicy soy bean paste…
...and beef broth (save 3 tablespoons for later use).
Bring to a low boil, reduce heat to low, and cook for 2 hours.
Add the cabbage pieces, rice wine, and 3 tablespoons broth. Cook until the cabbage is tender.
Serve over rice and garnish with cilantro if desired.
This recipe provided several meals for me. When the beef and cabbage was gone, I still had a pot of delicious broth, to which I added various leftover vegetables, tofu, and shuijiao (Chinese dumplings).
This recipe is from The Best-loved Everyday Dishes: Mastering the Culinary Art in One Cookbook by Cecilia Hong Baiyang.
這個食譜是從最想學會的家常菜：從小菜到主食一次學透透 作者:洪白陽 (CC老師) 來的.
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