Mei Makes

  *Disclaimer*: This is a work of fiction. Some events may be based on real life, but some events are made up.  “Earth to Isabella!” Clara said an hour later. I startled. “Who said that?” I wrote.  “Me, Clara, your cousin, you remember!? I said that about a thousand times! What has gotten into you!?” I shrugged and wrote, “I was just thinking.” “About what?”  “I was thinking about lots of things like going to Japan, YeYe always apologizing, my dad and your dad passing away, and well, I’ve been thinking… if I should talk again. Ever.” I wrote the last part quickly, because it was kind of sad to think about. Clara was silent for a while. I would probably be, if I were her. It was hard to imagine not saying a single word in my life (after my dad died) except a few to my mom. But what if I told somebody something and they died, just like when I told my dad to get paint for me? I sighed and told myself to think about something happier. I turned to Clara and drew a picture...

Check out the different 2 years can make! Here are some comparisons of drawings from Mei Makes from ages 6 and 8: Bunny: Hedgehog: Contour Line Drawing of Kangaroo: Contour line drawing is a special kind of drawing where you put all your attention into looking -- really looking! -- at the edges of your subject, trying your best to avoid looking down at your hand and at the lines your hand is putting down.  This teaches observation skills.  It trains your eye to really see  the nuances of your subject. It can be kinda scary to do at first.  Because you're not looking at your paper, you have to trust your eye and the results that come from it.  But the results can be surprisingly good.  You can learn more about contour line drawing from Drawing from the Right Side of Your Brain. Both drawings below were done by Mei Makes at Age 8.  Nice!

Ever go to Dim sum to eat that steamed radish cake that is freshly pan-fried, with delicious thick soy sauce? Turns out the same tasty treat made at fancy dim sum restaurants can be easily made at home! And since the local grocery stores do not have daikon radish available for curbside pickup, an easy, delicious and economical substitution is zucchini!  ... especially if your zucchini plants look anything like ours. 😁 First start with fresh, tender zucchini. You need about 4 pounds.  Next, grate it. You can use a hand grater, a food processor, or be like me and zap for a minute or so in the dry Vitamix container (on variable speed 2).  Here are all 4 pounds!  Then stir-fry with a tablespoon of oil, adding 1/4 cup of water until nearly translucent. Below is what it should look like AFTER cooked (check out my well-seasoned wok in the back -- oh yeah!).      While the zucchini is cooking, mix 1 pound of rice flour with 3 cups of water. This is the rice f...

Thank you for inviting me to guest blog!  I'd like to share an easy and healthy recipe that makes a complete meal in one pot, specifically, in one Instant Pot! I make this recipe all the time, and you'll soon see why! I make this recipe in a 3 quart Instant Pot, and it's for 2 servings. This recipe can be doubled or tripled, and made in in a 6 quart Instant Pot. The cook time is the same in a 6 quart Instant Pot or if recipe is doubled/tripled. One (Instant) Pot Meal - Chicken Vegetable Rice 2 servings Equipment needed: 3 quart Instant Pot 1 cup measuring cup microplane grater (optional) Ingredients: 1 cup Calrose short grain rice 1 cup water Salt Turmeric Powder (optional) 1-2 inch knob of ginger (optional) 1 chicken breast, cubed and seasoned with salt 2-3 leaves of collard greens (or green cabbage, or carrots) Soy sauce to taste   1) Rinse 1 cup of Calrose short grain rice in Instant Pot inner pot twice. Add 1 cup of water to the rice. (TIP: Other types of rice may requi...

This is Ba Ba, Mei Make's special guest blogger for today.  I'm here to share with you a side of Mei Makes you might not normally see.   Mei Makes has been interested in drawing since she was a little girl.  When Mei was just 6-years-old, she and Ba Ba went on a special Daddy-Daughter Drawing Getaway.  They brought Mei's favorite stuffed animals and house sat Ye Ye and Nai Nai's house for 3 days.   Here are some of the fruits of their getaway weekend...   Bunny: Seal: Giraffe: Hedge Hog Owl: