When I was first researching adoption I was a little confused by the term “culture camp.” Now that I’ve learned more about them, I’m very interested in going as a family when Ella is old enough to appreciate it. Culture or Heritage camps exist in all parts of the country and are geared towards helping adopted kids connect with their heritage and culture of their birth country. Aside from Viet Nam specific camps, there are plenty of multicultural ones that welcome adoptees from different backgrounds.

Here are the Viet Nam / Southeast... more

Here is a picture of the sweets table at our Tet party. Some things we will definitely be buying next year and some we will definitely NOT be getting again :)) Everyone there tried just about everything so it was interesting to see the different reactions to different foods.

We started off with what was supposed to by a green papaya salad, but I thought the papaya I had bought was bad, so I threw it out. Then my sister in law said that it actually does smell that bad and it was probably fine. Oh well...we served the salad... more

I am so happy to tell you that our Tet party was a success!!! I still can't believe how well it went and how good it felt to celebrate Tet with Ella and her/our entire family. My husband and I were so touched that every single family member of ours attended. 1 great grandma, 4 grandparents, 5 uncles, 2 aunts, 1 cousin and 2 friends. Our entire immediate family was here for us and for Ella and that was wonderful. It's nice to have a holiday that is centered on spending time with family.

Everyone was happy to try the new and different... more

Chuc Mung Nam Moi!

Welcome the year of the pig!

Wishing you all a happy Tet! Have a wonderful new year :)

I found this sweet "Recipe" for Tet eve at the Viet World Kitchen website. Here are the Vietnamese and English translations. Enjoy :)

Cong thuc nau mon dem 30 tet:

1. Lay 12 thang trong nam dem rua sach mui cay dang, ghen ti, thu oan .... roi de rao nuoc.

2. Tuan tu cat moi thang ra 28, 30 hay 31 phan.

3. Tron deu voi:

Mot chut tinh yeu Mot chut kien nhan Mot chut can dam Mot chut co gang Mot chut hy vong Mot chut chung thuy

4. Uop them gia vi: lac quan, tu tin, va hai huoc.

5. Dem ngam mot lat trong dung dich "Nhung dieu tam niem... more

from VRG.org

Green Papaya Salad (Serves 6)

1/4 cup lime juice 2 Tablespoons water 3 Tablespoons soy sauce 1 Tablespoon minced garlic 3 cups peeled, seeded, and shredded green papaya 1/2 cup shredded carrot 1/2 cup julienned red pepper 1/4 cup coarsely chopped mint 1/4 cup coarsely chopped cilantro 3 Tablespoons coarsely chopped scallions 1/2 cup coarsley chopped peeled and seeded tomatoes 2 Tablespoons sesame seeds (optional) 2 Tablespoons chopped, unsalted peanuts (optional)

Combine... more

Vietnamese Restaurant-Style Salad Rolls From Rhonda Parkinson (about.com)

This vegetarian appetizer is served cold with a spicy hoisin sauce.

INGREDIENTS: 2 ounces vermicelli noodles 8 large round rice paper wrappers 1 cup mung bean sprouts 1/2 cup cucumber, cut into thin strips to make 1/2 cup 1 medium carrot, shredded 8 2-3inch strips of head lettuce Sauce: 1/4 cup hoisin sauce 3 TB peanut butter 3 TB water

PREPARATION: Make vermicelli according to package instructions, set aside. Soften 1 rice... more

Vietnamese Tofu From: Frank Durante (ivu.org)

Here is a modified version of a Vietnamese recipe I found which calls for the addition of nouc mam (fish sauce). Adjust ingredients to your taste.

1 cake of firm or extra firm tofu Fresh ginger juice - 3 tablespoons 5 large cloves sliced garlic 3-4 large shallots sliced hot chili pepper paste (sambal olek) to taste fresh ground black pepper finely chopped scallions fresh squeezed lime juice - from one lime 1 stalk of lemongrass chopped very fine Slice tofu lengthwise in... more

My husband, Ella and I just got home from the local Asian supermarket and it was a wonderful trip! I just love it there. It reminds me of shopping in Hanoi, only it's much larger here. We found wonderful treats and goodies for our Tet party and lots of the ingredients I needed to make some Tet recipes. The next few posts are going to be the recipes I'm going to try on Sunday. I'll let you know how it all goes :) And I'll post pics of all the goodies we found at the supermarket~who knew that candied water chestnuts were a treat?!? But we got them, so we'll see!

Vietnamese Style Vegetarian Curry Soup from... more

SKETCHES OF TET CUSTOMS The way to greet the spring is very old, perhaps originated thousands of years ago in the soft drizzle in Northern Vietnam. Back then, the Vietnamese people began calling the first days of spring Tet (mispronounced from the word "tiet", meaning "season" or in an elaborated sense, "festival season"). However old they are, the customs of Tet still reflect special characteristics of the Vietnamese culture generation after generation. Tet is the time to reunite one's family, both the living and the dead members; Tet is also the time to renew and strengthen one's friendship bondage; and, finally, Tet is the time to revive past experiences in preparing oneself... more