Acupuncture: One Prick at a Time

The busy holiday season is coming and along with it a new group of seasonal employees have started like I had a year ago at Sur La Table. While I am still surprised to have continued my part time job nI can’t complain since after all it did pay for my vacation to Hawaii. This new group so far seems very nice and one in particular peaked my curiosity.  She is a treat to work with and while chatting I learned she is a licensed acupuncturist and recently moved to Massachusetts to opened her own shop Second Spring Acupuncture.

While working on her client list she is supplementing her income by working part time with us. I told her about my 101 things in 1001 days and how I have always been curious about acupuncture and she suggested I make an appointment for her $20 for 20 minute intro to acupuncture promotion. Acupuncture is the insertion of very fine, sterile and single-use needles placed in specific acupuncture points to assist in re-balancing organs and bio- mechanical disharmony.

I regularly suffer from stress headaches and I do my best to resist popping an aspirin I am not always successful. While I am not 100 percent sold on traditional Chinese medicine as the answer it certainly is something I have heard a lot about and I figured I’d give it a try and see what it can do for me. We are all over medicated and or dependent on pharmaceuticals like hand sanitizer and aspirin as part of our daily lives that we do not give our bodies the opportunity to work as they should to heal themselves. Perhaps this session will kick start a healthier me.

When I arrived she was just setting up the room for me and asked me to fill out the routine questionnaire and liability forms. Shortly thereafter she had me roll the legs of my jeans up to my knees and laying back on her table.

She was very easy to talk to and definitely put me at ease. She explained what she planned to do and how it should feel and what it will do for me.  She asked me if I was ready one final time before beginning.

The first needle she put in was called Vertigo. It is centered and just above the nose. It’s called the Third Eye and is designed to help with clear thinking.

Next she moved to my hands where she placed on in HeGu. Hegu is one of the most commonly used of all Acupuncture points and has a wide range of uses. It is especially useful for all kinds of pain in the face, including eyes, ears, and nose. Next she put a few on my wrist and one on my arm. The first of the on the wrist was called Shenmen and the second was Lingdao. That left me with a total of three on each hand.   She also added one to my arm but I have no idea what it is called.

Then she moved down to my feet where she put one on the top of each foot which she said would help ease any thoracic back pain I might be experiencing and another just behind the ankle. I believe she referred to the spot on top of my foot as Xiangu. The next spot was just behind the ankle called Kunlun.

She also added on to my calf but I couldn’t tell you the name of that one. She also added one to my stomach just below my chest. Sadly I missed the name of that one too.

When all said and done I had 16 needles in my body before she turned out the lights and put on peaceful music for me to relax and let the needles do their work.

As I laid there I could feel what I would describe as bloodflow in my arms and feet that I didn’t ever feel before. It didn’t hurt nor was it uncomfortable. It was just a warming sensation. My face felt much more relaxed and my feet and ankles I didn’t notice the needles were even there.

She returned about 10 minutes later and slowly began removing each needle. As when she put them in I felt nothing when she took them out but from the vertigo position. That one I felt almost like it was slightly stuck with a tad of pressure. It didn’t hurt and didn’t bother me.

Before I left she put two “ear seeds” in each ear. Ear acupuncture points may be stimulated for a longer period of time by using ear seeds or ear tacks.  One went on “point zero” and another went on what she referred to as an allergy point. She told me I could remove them the next day if they bothered me or I could leave them in as long as I liked. They were seeds from the vaccaria plant.

I hadn’t noticed it until I was in the car on the way home that my headache was no gone and I felt far more relaxed then I had all day.  It was a great experience and next time I think I might try a hybrid of cupping and acupuncture.

Task 42 - Take a Cooking Class (Modern Sauces)

This class was originally scheduled for earlier in the month when I was in Hawaii but I asked Clarissa the executive chef if she would run another session. She said yes I couldn’t have been more pleased to have had the opportunity to take this class. Sauces are one of those things that can really transform a dish from the mundane into the extraordinary.

The class roster was all store employees and as such it qualified as a private event and we were able to bring a bottle of wine to compliment out meals.Once we were all in class and hands washed we wasted no time getting right to it.

We started with the smoked-salmon Benedict bites with hollandaise. Hollandaise was our first sauce and it was a classic but lemony hollandaise. She had already clarified the butter for us and put us to work mixing the egg yolks, lemon juice, water, and salt. She taught us how to get it whipped to the perfect thickness. Next we added the clarified butter slowly without it breaking.  She taught us how we might rescue a broken sauce by either adding another yoke or by emulsifying the mixture with a vitamix. Once all the butter was mixed in we added the lemon zest.

Once the sauce was done we added our smoked salmon, cheese and chives and seasoned with salt and pepper. We then put a healthy serving on baguette slices and lightly broiled until the mixture was bubbling.

Once change to the menu was the addition of a Mac and Cheese. We put our pasta in the water to boil while we made our sharp cheddar cheese Mornay sauce.  We made a roué or butter and flour over medium heat which we then added milk too. Once wisked smooth we added the sharp cheese and parmigiano-reggiano cheese to the mix until everything was melted. We salted and peppered to taste. Once donw we combined with our cooked pasta and poured it into a casserole dish. We sprinkled it with more parmigiano-reggiano and baked.

Next we worked on our vinaigrette. We took our vinegar, oil, whole kernel and regular Dijon mustard and mixed it together. The key is 1 part acid to 3 parts oil. We also finely sliced apples and fennel and mixed with our dressing before mixing again with our spinach. The result was a light and refreshing fall salad.

Before moving on to the main course of Pork Tenderloin we prepped our desert.  Our dessert to cap off a great meal is a warm chocolate cake with a vanilla bean anglaise. We started by combining the cocoa and flour. This we used to coat our buttered ramekins. It is very important to make sure that when done you cannot see the white of the ramekin.

Next we worked on the anglaise. We took our milk and heated it almost but not to a boil. We added to this warm mild out vanilla seeds. Once added we removed from the heat and let steep for a while. Once done reheated the now vanilla-infused milk on medium heat until it began simmering.

In a separate bowl we mixed our eggs, sugar, and salt. The key was to mix well without it becoming frothy. Next we took a ladle of our vanilla milk and combined it with out egg and sugar mixture. Once acclimated we then poured the egg and sugar and ladle of milk mixture in the simmering milk. We continued to stir until the it thickened.  We then used a chinoise to strain the mixture to remove any egg that might have cooked.

In a stand mixer we added eggs and sugar and beat on high until it was thick and yellow. We added out Liquor and then using a spatula fodled in out chocolate until well combined. We then folded in the flour. Once done we spooned the mixture into our ramekins leaving about ¾ of an inch empty.

We set all that aside and began our final sauce a orange-rosemary balsamic butter sauce we would later add to our port tenderloin.

In a saucier we reduced our vinegar and orange juice and rosemary by half. Once boiled down we removed it from heat and took our stick of butter and began stirring it into our balsamic reduction until gone.

Next we seasoned our pork and seared it in a pan creating a nice golden crust before putting it in the oven to finish cooking. If there is a lot of fat in the pan pour it off but do not rinse. Drop a good amount of rinsed but not dried spinach into the pan and toss it around to encourage it to wilt. It will incorporate the flavors from the pan and a little water on the spinach from rinsing it.

Next we plated the spinach and put sliced pork on top and drizzle with the butter sauce.  As we ate our salad, mac and cheese and pork while our ramekins of chocolate cake were now in the oven backing. The salad was light and refreshing and the pre-made candied walnuts added a little something extra. The mac and cheese was creamy and golden on the top and is definitely one of those comfort foods I’ll be sure to make this winter.

The pork was tender and the balsamic reduction sauce complimented the pork perfectly.  The only mistake I made was eating too much and nearly forgot about the chocolate cakes baking in the oven.

When the cakes came out I knew I was going to have to have one. We placed the cakes in the center of our plates and drizzeled our anglaise sauce around it and accented with powdered sugar and raspberries.

It was a great experience and Clarissa treated as she treats all her students. She kept us focused on the tasks at hand while ensuring that we all had a good time in the kitchen. We all left stuffed to the gills and I think we all learned a few things. I know I did. As a added bonus we each took home an autographed copy of Martha Holmberg's Modern Sauces cookbook.

 

Safari Papier Mâché

I don't usually pick up tchotchke's except when traveling to far away places I couldn't help but buy these two papier mâché busts of a zebra and a elephant I discovered while in Home Goods. Having traveled to Africa I have many things I brought back with me that I love and as a result I have a slight African theme to my place.

These particular treasures were not made in Africa however but they instead they were made in Haiti . having also visited Haiti as a youth with my grandmother I figured they too would blend well with my very eclectic decor.

I discovered after buying them that they are called Savannah Busts and can be purchased from Anthropologie for $68 bucks each. Picking them up for less then $50 for the pair then wasn't a bad deal. Sadly I did discover they also sell a Giraffe that I might just have to purchase and add to the collection.

** Update: November 3, 2013. While out and about I came across a black rhino made of papier mâché that I just couldn't resist adding to my collection. I had orignally planned to pick up the Giraffe but I think I am pleased with the three I now have and don't plan on adding anymore.

Hawaiian Quilt

The last company I worked for one of the people who I worked closely with was a Hawaiian born and raised. She had moved here shortly after getting married and as such still had many Hawaiian habits and her office was decorated in Hawaiian motif. One thing that she had that really caught my eye was a Hawaiian quilt she had handmade.  She had told me that it was a labor of love and that it had taken her nearly 3 months to complete it.

After commenting on it and admiring it many times she asked if I would be interested in learning how it’s done and making my own. I said I was interested and the next day she had brought in a variety of patterns for me to choose from.  I selected one and she gave me a book on Hawaiian quilting and helped me get everything lined up, cut out and even started.

It wasn’t an easy process and it really put in perspective how much work it really took to create one of these. I spent many hours on it and worked hard to sow the top piece of fabric with the body layer. It honestly took too much time and has ever since been sitting in a container waiting to be finished.

While in Hawaii I was again struck by the beauty of the quilts and decided rather than finishing mine I would buy one made by someone who knew what they were doing. The colors I had also selected at the time no longer work with my décor and the variety that was available gave me more options.

They were not inexpensive and at roughly $55 for a pillow cover I had decided I would bite the bullet and find one I like and buy it. I had looked around a few shops and nothing really hit me exactly but while at the Dole Plantation I score a major find and located one that was almost a perfect color and include the traditional Honu or green sea turtle in its motif.

While paying I discovered an added bonus because it was on clearance since they were expecting a whole new shipment soon and needed to clear out some older inventory.  When I got home I went to Home Goods and bought an ugly piece of art whose frame I liked and which would fit the pillow cover perfectly. After a quick DIY project it was framed and hung on the wall.

Hawaii - Day 7 & 8 (Fly Home)

After a great vacation so far we all woke up sad that this was our last morning in Hawaii. With a scheduled pickup by Speedie Shuttle at 1:30pm for our 4:05pm flight we decided to head out for breakfast and some last minute shopping on Kalakaua Ave.

We started at the International Market Place at the koa wood dealer where I had already picked up a few really nice items earlier in the trip. While I didn't add any additional purchases to my large pile of things I had already packed it was nice to get one final look at everything she had.

We continued walking to our goal destination being this $5 breakfast place Dan had been wanting to try all week. After waiting in the long line for only a few minutes we got lucky and scored a table with out too much effort. In no time at all our food had arrived and we were enjoying our eggs, sausage, and hash browns.

After finishing breakfast we talked about the many things we did and each picked a favorite. Everyone came to the same conclusion that the Fly-Away to the Volcano's and Ha: Breath of Life were the top two attractions.

We again talked about our disappointment in having missed the opportunity to see Pearl Harbor because of the government shutdown but agreed that the trip as a whole was a blast.

As we walked back to the hotel we stopped by one of the many Honolulu Cookie Company stores and picked up several boxes of cookies to bring home as gifts. I know my dad will enjoy them so I got him a nice box set of their coconut collection.

Chris wanted to swing by the lucky store I had hit a few days ago but on our way we found the sidewalk closed for filming. Nothing exciting and certainly not Hawaii Five-O but instead some retail commercial.

When we finally got the go ahead to continue on we found that Lucky was closed. We still aren't sure if they just hadn't opened yet or if it was closed because of the filming.

We returned to the hotel having finished everything we wanted to do and decided to relax for a couple hours. At about 11:00 I suggested we grab a pizza before checking out. Little did I know we were supposed to have checked out by 11:00. We asked for an extension to 12 Noon and ate and showered quickly.

Not wanting to hang out in the hotel lobby for 1.5 hours I called Speedi Shuttle and managed to get an earlier pickup.

By 1:00 we were sitting in the airport lounge ready to fly home. Boarding was a breeze and our long flight with a stop over in Atlanta had begun. It wasn't until the next day at 12:00 Noon had we touched down in Hartford.

Hawaii - Day 6 (Pearl Harbor, Dole Plantation, Polynesian Cultural Center, & Ha: Breath ot Life Luau)

Thanks to the government shutdown this day was a complete fiasco. We were supposed to be picked up by the tour company at 6:00am. If it wasn't for my persistent calls the night before I would have had no idea that we were actually not going to be picked up until 8:30. When we finally did get picked up it was 8:45. But here is the kicker the buss was just transporting us to another hotel where we would get picked up by the tour bus we would actually be taking.

That tour bus didn't actually arrive until 9:20. The tour guide almost immediately apologized knowing that he was late. I think he could tell from the look on the faces of the nearly dozen people that we were all less then happy.

After we were all on board he introduced himself as Kona like coffee and told us we had just a few more stops before we would be underway. Moments later we were out of Waikiki and heading towards Pearl Harbor. Even though the shutdown closed the attraction we learned that the tour company had failed to advise a group who were flying over from a different island that their tour was cancelled and we would have to pick them up at Pearl Harbor.

We arrived at Pearl Harbor at 9:50. This is where we all really got annoyed since we found ourselves sitting in the parking lot of the attraction we were supposed to be visiting waiting endlessly for another group they failed to call. After sitting restlessly and Kona telling us they were just around the corner for the last 20 minutes I told him I was going to walk down the street to try and get a picture of the memorial. Another tour guest joined me and we managed to find a decent view over a chain link fence of the Arizona Memorial and snapped a few pictures.  As I turned around Kona was driving down the road towards and it was about 10:45.

We continued on to what should have been our second stop at the Dole Plantation. We arrived at  11:15 and were only allows to spend 20 minutes since we were running behind from all the delays. I managed just enough time to buy a Dole whip, some pineapple flavored gummie bears and a Hawaiian Quilt pillow before being hustled back to the buss.

We stopped quickly at subset beach where we should have had 30 minutes for a quick photo op. Having been there already from the Circle Island tour this was a redundant stop for us and we just put our feet in the sand and waited to get back on the bus.

Still running behind we arrived at our final stop at 12:15. We were supposed to be there for a 12:00 buffet. Sadly by the time we all got our tickets it was 12:30 giving us  only 30 minutes to scar down lunch at the Island Buffet before our first presentation by the Aotearoa tribe. We arrived late and missed the first half of their presentation. Next up was tonga then the 4d movie about the Polynesian culture.

If was after the movie that I learned Kona would be leaving us behind and that he was actually running 2 different tours of his bus and that we would be picked up later after Ha: Breath of Life by a different bus. I asked if he minded if we stayed with him until they left rather then wander around. I learned that after the Canoe Parade that they were leaving but he did give us a an idea of what we should do.

The Canoe Parade was impressive and it gave each represented group an opportunity to demonstrate to the crowds their culture through traditional dance. After the canoe parade we moved on to the next village to watch a demonstration by a Samoan teaching us how to cook and survive on coconut. We also got a show and demonstration on how to climb a palm tree. It was an excellent show.

Next up was Fiji where we learned how to greet and perform a traditional song using bamboo shoots as instruments. It was interesting but very warm in the hut that provided us shelter from the sun.

Our final village was Hawaii where we played traditional village games and tour traditional structures. After a good 30 minutes playing the various bowling like games we grabbed a ride on the canoe to take us back to the main pavilion where we would be having our Ali-Luoa dinner buffet. It was a little early to eat since we ate late because of the delay but we enjoyed the presentation and the pulled pork dinner before leaving the venue.

We still had an hour before the show started and enjoyed the International Marketplace Bazaar where we explored the different handmade and mass produced products. None of us bought anything but I almost bought a hand carved tiki man.

Finally people started to queue up for the show and we joined them at 7:00 promptly they opened the gates and we found our seats.  They were excellent 3rd row side center seats that gave us a great view of all the action. The show told a story of a village and that of a man and woman who would marry and continue the traditions. At the end we were treated with an amazing fire show. It was really an impressive sight and we cold feel the heat from the torches as they spun them with precision.

When it was all over we found the mega bus that would take us back to our hotel. The ride was a good hour with all the stops to drop everyone off and we got home about 10:30. It was a poor start but the show finished our day leaving us all with a smile on our face.