01.01.2003 | 11:00 pm

Can you say �Sway Jow, (rhymes with cow)? I think it is probably spelled more like Swei Jou because it is Chinese for the most delicious little pockets of pork and vegetables some Chinese chef ever concocted. Many years ago, when my brother, the Podiatrist returned from his 2-year mission in Taiwan, he brought this recipe in his head. He was so intent on eating these tasty little morsels that he had encountered on every street corner of Taiwan, that he had one of the vendors show him how to mix the ingredients for the filling, and he got the 411 in how to make the thin, rolled, dough skins, in which to cook the filling. Now, of course, you can just run to your neighborhood grocery and buy Won Ton Skins. Back in the early 70�s, it was a labor- intensive operation. Chop finely: cabbage, spinach, mushrooms, green onions, bean sprouts, green bell pepper, tomato, carrot. Grate in: fresh ginger root and garlic. Mix together with: 1 lb. Pork sausage, toasted sesame oil, soy sauce, salt slightly. Mix all together as you would a meat loaf. Spoon 1tsp. filling into Won Ton skin. Wet edges of the skin and fold like an envelope. Deep fry or steam the filled Won Ton. Serve with plum sauce, hot pepper sauce, soy sauce, or just gobble them up!! When we got the recipe perfected we never stopped making them for parties and holidays. Guess what I have been making this Happy New Year�s afternoon�.Swei Jou�.YUM! The aroma has permeated every corner of the dwelling. There is nothing quite like it!

This morning we were making blueberry muffins for breakfast. (We were out of bread) As we sat down to eat, Meredith asked, �What�s this mommy?� �Those are muffins, Meredith.� �Muffits�� �No Muffins���Kermit the Frog is a muffit��(pause as we all giggle)��It�s not easy being green, mommy.� (stifled laughs) �Hey guys, don�t laugh at me!� �We aren�t laughing, Meredith, we are loving every word.� Meredith is two, you know.

It rained all day today here in Pennsylvania. This is a welcome change from constant sunshine, dry desert, and arid conditions. Hubby has been puttering all day in the dining room that Matt and Marie are trying to paint and fix up. It is a bigger project than they thought, now that everything is torn to pieces. Tomorrow they will prime the walls and paint. Then on Saturday, they hope to put the final coat of paint on the walls and put the trim around the windows. I think they have BIGGER ideas than time will permit to complete.

We shall see if all the plans can be finished. We all want to go see Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, go to the Crayola Factory, do some sewing, and finish the dining room. Hmmm�.what do you think??

This is my 100th entry, I just discovered. I have really come to enjoy writing my daily digs here in Diaryland. Thank you to many new friends for making writing a journal so much fun.

catsnapples~ at life on New Year�s Day

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