We Love, Love, Love Potstickers (and hurt shoulders)

We had quite an eventful weekend. James was actually out of town for the Priest's High Adventure Activity so it was just me and the kids. Jed didn't have school on Fri. since it was the end of the Trimester and his school had a few busses taking students up to Snowbasin for the day skiing. Talk about an excited 13 year old. Jed had numerous friends going, and had packed the perfect lunch for the outing. (His favorite Pilgrim sandwich, hold the tomatoes!) At about 12:30 I get a call from a strange cell phone and this is what I heard on the other end.

Jed: "Hi mom? I think I broke my shoulder. (giggle, giggle, giggle. Numerous girls in the background screaming, "he did an awesome jump!! You should have seen it!")

Me: (really ticked) "So do you want me to come get you?"

Jed: "Ah, no. I'll just ski without my poles the rest of the day"

So I let him stay. When he got home he couldn't lift his arm and it hurt, but nothing was swollen or out of place, and I was not going to the Instacare on a Fri. night. ( horrible mother I know!) Sat. we just waited for James to get home, and as soon as he did he was off to the Instacare with Jed. Now I really felt bad. I must be a slug of a mother to not care enough to get my son checked out. In my guilt, we who were left at home made over 100 potstickers since they are everyones favorite things. James got me hooked on these when I first met him and now the whole family is addicted. They are lovely little bites from his mission in Taiwan and really not that hard to make at home. James calls them Shway Jows. There are some lovely Chinese characters attached to that word but my computer doesn't speak Chinese. Everyone got into making them. I had fillers, and pinchers, and plenty of eaters. Jed and James were thrilled when they got home.

All is well. Jed is fine. Only a sprained shoulder, a $300 Instacare bill, and tons of potstickers to immerse ourselves in. Jed said the whole thing was "Way worth it!" Up skiing, Jed was the center of all the attention. Girls everywhere loving him and wanting to mother him and wondering if he was going to live. He was in pure bliss. I don't feel like that bad of a mother anymore. I'm the best actually, I was told. Something about putting yummy food in your family's tummies and all bad is forgotten. There wasn't one potsticker left after all was said and done. Only lovely little driplets of "shway sauce" and vinegar proved that any potstickers had been in our home. So we're making them again this weekend. If you want to come please do. The more the merrier!! But please no Instacare visits to interupt our eating.

Pot Stickers

1 lb. ground pork

1 16 oz pkg. silken tofu

chopped garlic

chopped green onions

2 T. hoisin sauce

shredded carrot

shredded cabbage

2 T. cornstarch

Mix all the ingredient together. It doesn't have to be precise. If you don't have everything, improvise! You will need about 2 pkg. of wonton wrappers. Place a small spoonful of filling onto each wrapper and pinch edges together. Repeat a million times! When done I place the little pouches on a hot griddle and toast the bottoms. Then place in a pot of boiling water and let simmer for about 4-5 mins. Remove from pan and serve with dipping sauce. Delish!!

Dipping Sauce (Shway sauce as Jake says it)

equal parts soy sauce

vinegar

a titch of Sambal chili sauce if you have it. If not just use the soy and vinegar.