The Cookbook Junkies

General Tso’s Chicken from The Chinese Takeout Cookbook

February 8, 2013 by Jenny Hartin 5 Comments

My name is Jenny and I’m addicted to Asian food.

When I saw Diana Kuan’s cookbook The Chinese Takeout Cookbook I had to order it. Within a day I made the Spicy Black Bean Chicken and it was absolutely amazing and garnered rave reviews from my husband. I have made several recipes from this book and while the instructions are simple and the ingredients common (most you can get in your Asian food aisle) the results are delicious, complex and much tastier and cheaper than any Chinese restaurant.

In celebration of Chinese New Year – Diana is hosting a virtual pot luck on her blog Appetite for China. With a blizzard underway here in New York, I wanted comfort food but not a soup or stew. I made her General Tso’s Chicken. It was fast and easy and incredibly delicious.

I highly recommend Diana’s book and urge you to try making take out at home.

Happy Chinese New Year and stay safe everyone.

Empty

January 23, 2013 by Jenny Hartin 7 Comments

Empty is how I feel.

Drained.

Emotionless.

Tired.

Sad.

Hopeless.

Andrew seems to be spiraling out of control. Angry, he is so angry. Hitting me a great deal. Stemming so badly he cannot respond to us. We’re adding more medicine. The school is adding a behavioral therapist.

I know others may have thoughts of why is she blogging about this – her son is smart, is verbal and can function and I use that word loosely. Our biggest fear is that our smart, verbal son will gravely hurt someone one day. That is why I write or share what is happening with some of my close friends. I’m not complaining – and by no means do I have any less love for my child…even when he punched me in the face this morning with both hands, even yesterday when he pounded me in my back twice and then attacked me on the couch as my sister-in-law watched…I still love him to the moon and back…I just need to release it.

And even though I am empty, drained, emotionless, tired, sad and hopeless — I believe God will help us and him, that one day things will be better for him because that is all I have left. My faith.

What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger….

December 2, 2012 by Jenny Hartin Leave a Comment

It has been a rough couple months.

Hurricane Sandy was the least of my problems – we managed to survive with only having a power outage for six days — substantial damage to the beach house and Jim not being home for a week.

Andrew has been having an impossible time. Anxiety, anger, aggression. He has been on four different medications in the last few months and is struggling horrifically both at home and at school.

Today he cried for twenty minutes wanting to be a cool kid and not be different. He wants to find a cure for autism. This all started today because he had an epic melt down because of a game on the iPad.

The poor child cannot sit still for a minute. The teacher told me Friday she has never seen anything like it at all. We are worried sick.

We are now looking for a pediatric psychiatrist that takes insurance….needle in a haystack.

Happy Holidays.