A New Leaf

I've been dragging my feet on doing much of anything inspiring lately, but I realize that this is doing nothing to honor Mom's spirit- or my own. Before I begin, I'd like to first thank everyone who left kind and supportive comments for me- I certainly felt your energy, and was uplifted by it!

For Mom's memorial service, I compiled over 100 old photos and created a 5 minute slide show. In doing so, I stumbled upon so many great memories and photos I had never seen before.

Mom hosting one of her dinner parties

Making me a birthday cake

During this whole process of dealing with death, Mark (my housemate) started a new garden in our backyard- which was once thought to be an impossibility due to our digging, chewing, laying-all-over doggies. He overcame this obstacle by building a makeshift "fence," to the doggies' dismay!

Here they are on top of the spa- feeling frustrated about not being able to make the jump.

As I looked upon Mark's creation, full of vibrant green color and tender new leaves, I realized that from death springs forth new life again- a process as old as time, and a defining aspect of life itself.

In just a few short months, our garden has flourished incredibly...

... and has created some wonderful veggies!

Crooked Neck Squash

White Eggplant

Peppers

Recipes to come!

In Memory of Mom

Quietly she slipped away before our eyes to embark on her new journey. "Goodbye Mom," I whispered in my mind. Now she can continue to work on that golf swing she loved and missed so much. I felt pain behind my eyes as I struggled not to cry, but Dad's tears pushed me over the edge. I don't ever remember seeing him cry. We sobbed together for a moment in each other's arms.

I'm sad, but very grateful that her suffering is over.

Mom's Meals to Go, and a Sale

As I mentioned previously, I've been making and delivering dinners for Mom, ever since she became too sick to cook. I was using a variety of different-sized tupperware containers to hold the food, which was a bit hard to pack without it sloshing around, and sometimes having the lids leak.

So, I was thrilled to finally receive my new eco-friendly To-Go Ware! You can find them, and other cool reusable containers at a company called Taraluna, which focuses on organic, fair trade, and green products and gifts.
It's a woman owned/ family business, and their motto is "Changing the world, one purchase at a time." You can learn more about them here.

These stable stainless steel containers stack together and close tightly, without worry of it opening, and hold a good amount of food! They reminded my parents of the old-school tins they used to have, and they gave their immediate seal of approval.

It came with this nifty carrying case, two pretty cloth napkins, and this handy little case for a bamboo fork, spoon, knife, and chopsticks- SO CUTE! They would be great for work, school, and picnics too.


The folks at Taraluna were also nice enough to offer a Promo Code to get 10% Off their products (good until June 6th). They carry not only great To-Go Ware and other Reusable Lunch Systems, but you can also shop from their baby, toys, home and garden, chocolate, jewelry, accessories departments, etc.

Here is the code: VEGSPINZ10
Just enter it in at checkout by June 6th to get 10% off.

perfectly stored meals to go

Taiwanese Brunch- A Mother's Legacy

It's been difficult observing Mom deteriorate due to her advanced cancer, but despite the somber undertones, we managed to make this year's Mother's Day a true celebration. Unlike previous years, filled with fancy bouquets and humorous cards, this time it was a celebration of Mom's life and history as a first generation Taiwanese-American woman, a celebration through food.
She immigrated here when she was 31 in 1970, bringing with her all the traditions and recipes from her homeland. My older brother, Patrick (his American name), was 3 when she brought them both over to the "Promise Land" to meet Dad, who had already been here alone for a year, due to the immigration laws of that time. They settled here in Davis, and never left the area.

Growing up, Mom made some incredible food- dishes from Taiwan, which of course, I didn't fully appreciate at the time. A lot of the dishes were adapted and simplified, due to the scarcity of certain herbs and spices, but they always reflected the simplicity and depth of flavor of Taiwan cuisine.

The flavors of Taiwan are mainly influenced by Chinese cuisine, and some Japanese and Cantonese as well. Some typical ingredients include, sesame oil, ginger, fermented bean paste, and five spice. There are also a lot of seafood dishes, as well as vegetarian foods (influence of the Taiwanese Buddhists). A lot of dishes are soups and stews, and there are many varieties of pickles eaten.

Although neither of my parents are vegan (like me), they have really taken to my vegan cooking this past year, since I've been making them dinners to help out. Also, they feel an urgency to do all they can to extend Mom's life, and the food I make definitely fits in with the doctor's recommendations for a low sodium, high fiber diet. They've also been reading up on nutrition and healing for cancer, and have reduced their meat intake considerably- although Mom has terrible cravings for In & Out Burgers from time to time! Yes, she's been Americanized!

For Mom's Day, my brother and I made some of her favorite dishes (he made the ones with meat).

"Ma Yu Gey" Drunken Chicken- simmered in a ginger, sesame oil, and Chinese wine broth. Is known for being medicinal and often eaten when people are sick.

Here's my version that I made later with similar seasonings... "Drunken Veggies" LOL!

"Lo Neng" Stewed Eggs- Hard boiled eggs are peeled and simmered in a seasoned soy sauce broth until their whites have been darkened and flavored by the broth. I think this could easily be done with tofu, but the broth should not be too salty!

"Yin Tsai" Chinese Spinach- Simply stir fried with garlic and brown beech mushrooms. This vegetable is also called Edible Amaranth, and has hollow stems.

"Goh Tieh" Potstickers- wouldn't be a celebration for Mom without these! Typically made with ground pork, she actually likes my version with tofu and chives from her garden. You can find my recipe from last year here.

I forget the name for pickles, because my parents call them "pickles." Here are three different kinds. Most common are vegetables pickled in soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, and various seasonings. I added caraway seeds to mine.

"Dan Ta" Egg Custard Tarts- I made these vegan with a tofu-coconut filling. The crust is typically made with a puff pastry dough, and originated in Hong Kong. There are now a Portuguese version that's more like a creme brulee, a Chinese version that's more eggy, and these look more like the Taiwanese version with a thinner, less flakey crust. These were really good, and I will post this recipe soon!

I almost forgot the most important thing... RICE (here is my half-eaten bowl). When people in Taiwan say "How are you?" -its literal translation means, "Have you eaten your rice today?"

Mom doesn't cook much anymore, but gives good directions!

"Don't burn the chicken, Pat!" (Just kidding)

Dad's elementary school picture in Taiwan

During the meal, as we have done during many prior meals, we started talking about how things were in the "old country." Both my parents came from large, poor families, living in rural Taiwan during the tail end of World War II. Mom, being the oldest of 7 sisters and 1 brother, often took care of her younger siblings, making sure they had enough to eat and hand-made clothes to wear. Dad remembered going to school without shoes, and trekking across large hills to buy rice and carry it home- stories one would think were exaggerated to keep us kids humble, but were actually true!

Mom was a Dance and P.E. major in college

It's amazing to look at my parents' old photos.

As time seems to grow shorter and shorter, I am feeling more and more indebted to Mom for passing her rich memories and culinary knowledge to me. Little did she know that I would be so involved with food as an adult- a lot to do with her, and her passion for good food. She was never one to discourage little hands helping in the kitchen, and even unrelentingly imparted cooking tips, which of course, my brother and I resisted in our rebellious, ungrateful teenage years. And, as I reflect on the fact that we didn't always get along, I feel the desire to lift that weight and bring all the good times to the foreground... It makes me smile and long for Mom in the kitchen, making some good Taiwanese food.

Food for Healing- More Than Just Nutrition?

For the past month and a half, I've been cooking dinners for Mom. Sometimes, she's chipper and optimistic. But lately, she's been more and more depressed and sad. Today, she returned from a pretty stressful visit to the hospital and looked particularly haggard, but mustered up enough energy to cry and express her sense of hopelessness to me.

I held her and told her there is only hopelessness if you allow it to be, and to remember that death is only in the future. The important thing is to live for now and not stress about what you have so little control over. She cried some more, slowly acknowledging what I said.

I then pulled dinner out of my green shopping bag, as I've been doing for so many evenings. Packed in various sized tupperware, I usually have a combination of whole grains (brown rice, quinoa, millet, etc), a soup with various veggies and legumes (half pureed), sometimes accompanied by steamed yams, sauteed mushrooms, or pickled veggies, and sometimes accompanied by a raw fruit and nut smoothie to save for later.

Today, I new she was going to be particularly down, so I made a special treat for her- some krispy steamed wontons to go with the soup, this time filled with seasoned tofu and scallions. It wasn't entirely on the "macro" anti-cancer menu, but it was something I knew would cheer her up.

And that it did! As soon as she started eating, she felt much better and was in a much better mood. She even asked for more- which she rarely does, because of her lack of appetite. Ah, the power of food. Wontons are definitely a childhood comfort food for me, and ditto for Mom. Luckily, she wasn't raised on donuts and hamburgers LOL!

This got me to thinking about the healing power of food. I have read about the wonders of a healthy whole food diet, and how you will live a much longer and more disease-free life if you stay on it.

But I have also witnessed the power that stress and negativity has on the body, and how much energy we often put into hurting ourselves- most often unconciously through worrying, doubting, hating, etc. Mom was so weak physically, yet she had enough strength to hurt herself even more... as we all do. Imagine how much we could help ourselves, by doing the exact opposite, and doing that conciously!

It would seem such an easy fix- just stop stressing! But everyone knows that is much easier said than done. We are emotional animals- programmed for eons to be cynical, negative creatures- if not outwardly, then inwardly. We are also programmed to ignore ourselves and not to live conciously.

As vegans, we have all taken a step forward by looking more closely at our diets... and being honest with ourselves. But we can also very easily turn our diets (as in anything) into something negative and stressful. Yes, I choose not to eat animals. But do I need to angrily hate on everyone around me who doesn't choose the same, or would it be more effective and healthier to lead through example and inform without judgement?

And what about nutrition? Is it better to rigidly stick to a whole foods diet, constantly worrying about processed foods, added sugar, fat, preservatives, coloring, etc., or allow oneself a little slack, and enjoy a cupcake once in a while? What is the trade-off, if any here? Which one will shorten my life more- the fat and sugar, or the stress of not having any? And, if they are equally damaging, wouldn't you pick the occasional cupcake? Just a thought. I guess the ultimate answer is to not have the fat and sugar AND not to stress on it- haha!! So simple, yet so hard.

Well, the trade-off for Mom was a good one, I think. The little bit of processed flour in the wontons counteracted the psychological pain and bodily stress, which would surely kill her first.
Could she have done this without the wontons? Of course- but I think it would've taken a lot longer.

More Anti-Cancer Food for Mom, and a Night Out with Purple Sushi!

I usually don't go out to eat much, since vegan dining around here is a joke! My husband occasionally likes to go to a local sushi buffet, but I don't usually tag along because I just don't think it's worth the money to sit there and have a bowl of miso soup and a bland cucumber roll, while everyone else is raving about their food! LOL ... But, I consented to go out to meet up with a good friend of my husband's at a Makuni's in Sacramento. I ordered their "Rabbit Roll"- because you know, all vegans eat like rabbits! (another LOL!) It was decent- but what really got me was the purple nori it was wrapped in! I don't usually see nori which isn't the typical black.

Steamed quinoa and brown rice with stewed limas, broccoli, onions, carrots, and tomato

I haven't been doing a lot of exciting cooking lately- just a lot of stewed and boiled veggies, steamed whole grains, and the like for Mom. I like it, but it's not exactly fancy or impressive tasting. The guys are very supportive and eating it, supplementing with other stuff.

Mom is blatantly cheating on her special diet. She makes the excuse that she was hungry, and there wasn't anything else to eat. It's frustrating, but I'm doing what I can to provide her with good food and good information- the rest is up to her!

I just learned that tumors thrive on high fat/ high sodium diets. The type of fat that they like are inflammatory-causing fats from meats, dairy, and hydrogenated oils. Good fats include olive oil, flax oil, hemp oil, etc. The sodium was a surprise to me. Too much apparently changes your natural pH. There's so much information out there, some even conflicting- it's difficult to know what is what!

But these two things, on top of the fact that tumors like sugar too, are what I'm working with right now.

Mom gets cranky when she eats food that doesn't taste "good" ... don't we all! But she particularly hates it when things aren't salty enough. So I looked into some salt substitutes, and bought some AlsoSalt, which is mainly Potassium and L-lysine- nutrients that are good for cancer too! It doesn't taste exactly like salt to me, but is a good sub. They sell it at Safeway in different flavors too. Much more pricier than salt, but if you need to cut down on sodium, this may help.

One more thing that I learned, is that Mom's cancer (colon) has a high heredity risk rate. I have a 50% chance of getting it myself later on! Well, at least my diet is on track- which is one of the most important things you can do for prevention.

I'll be posting more soon, as soon as I get into the rhythm of things that have changed around here! Thanks for all of you who have posted kind comments and words of support! I REALLY appreciated it, and it gave me a lift!!