Xin nian yu kuai (Mandarin) or Sun nienfai lok (Cantonese)! Happy Belated Chinese New Year to everyone. As I have said in many posts before, we adopted my sister Gracie from the country of China. I have added a new section in the Adoptive Siblings called “Plugging Into Siblings Culture.” In this section I will write about ways siblings can interact with their brothers or sisters by doing activities that involve the country they were adopted from. I would really love members of Adoption Blogs and our readers to tell me some holidays or customs their child or sibling’s country celebrate. I would love to write about them and share activities that the whole family can enjoy together.

I was able to plug into Gracie’s culture by celebrating the Chinese New Year with her. I invited my little cousins Jack and Meleah to spend the night Sunday night and we had a Chinese New Year sleep over. We put on Chinese music and danced, did crafts together and then we watched Sagwa the Chinese Siamese Cat on the Goodnight Show that the Spout channel broadcasts.

Some other ideas for future Chinese New Years might be to dress up in red because red symbolizes good fortune. You could make Chinese dumplings (Jiao Zi) together. Their name, shape and color allude to money so serving them is said to bring prosperity and wealth. You will fine the recipe at the bottom. Wal-Mart also carries these and they are quite good. My family enjoys these with soy sauce. You can generally find them in the frozen food section. You can enjoy your steamed dumplings with a tea party and fix green tea for everyone to drink. You can end the evening by having a Chinese Parade for your parents and dress up as dragons and lions and beat pots and pans together. You and your parents might want to explain a little of the history that in the Chinese culture the dragons and lions are said to ward off evil and they believe the loud noises banish evil spirits away. You will want to be sensitive about this as this may scare your younger siblings.

These are some ideas that would also be great to do for anniversary celebrations of “gotcha day.” Enjoy the Chinese New Year and Gung hey fat choy! (Wishing you Prosperity)

Steamed Dumplins – Jiao Zi

Makes 4 dozen dumplings

Ingredients:
4 leaves Chinese cabbage
2 scallions
2 Chinese black mushrooms
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 teaspoons cooking sherry
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 pound lean ground pork
1 pound dumpling wrappers (available in Asian food stores)
or 1 pound wonton wrappers

Directions:
1. Begin by finely chopping the cabbage, scallions, black mushrooms and place vegetables to a mixing bowl.
2. Add soy sauce, cooking sherry, salt, cornstarch and pork. Mix these until it is smooth and well blended.
3. Place the wrapper on a clean and sanitized surface. Add filling by heaping teaspoons into the center of the wrapper.
4. Fold the wrappers and pinch into crescents. With a little water moisten the inside edges and press them together forming pleats to seal. They must be well sealed or they will lose their filling as they cook.
5. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and carefully drop in the dumplings. Do not let water come to a full boil or dumplings will explode.
6. When water resumes boiling, add one cup of cold water to cool the water down. When the water resumes boiling again, add another cup of cold water to cool. Repeat this process one more time. When the water comes to a boil for the third time, the dumplings will be done.
7. Serve immediately with your favorite dipping sauces.
8. Enjoy!