Mah Jongg Ah, What????

Here is a copy of an email message that I recently received.

Subject: 11DD 111DDD 1111 (Any like Nos. Matching Dragons)
Dear Member:
Re: 11DD 111DDD 1111 (Any like Nos. Matching Dragons)

This hand is to be played 3 Suits as 2 Pair - 2 Pungs and 1 Kong.
In no way can a single exposure contain numbers and dragons together,.

NATIONAL MAH JONGG LEAGUE, INC.
Thank you for playing Mah Jongg!!
Please do not reply to this email. This email is from an automated system and you will not receive a response.=

Clear as mud. And as stated in the email, I am not allowed to ask questions or send a response! This makes as much sense to me as it does to you! Gibberish!!

But I did not let this deter me from hosting a successful evening of Mah Jong at my house last night. Hosting anything is a powerful motivator in getting me to deep clean my house. Even the baseboards got a once over in prep for this. We had a fun evening and I served a pitcher of this delightful beverage called Crantini’s. These are a lot like a Cosmo and easy to prepare in advance. They are not too strong nor too sweet and everyone seemed to like them.

It’s funny, because I was warned to make sure I had enough wine on hand because these girls like to drink their wine. The Chardonnay was chilled and I opened a bottle of one of my favorite Reds, Coastline Cabernet Sauvingon and there it sat all night. Not a drop of wine was drank! The pitcher of Crantini’s however, disappeared. Here is the recipe if you would like to try something new at your next gathering.

Crantini’s

1 Cup Orange Flavored Vodka

3 Cups Cranberry Juice Cocktail

4 Cups Sprite or 7-Up

Mix the vodka and Cranberry Juice in a pitcher. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Right before serving, add the 4 cups of Sprite or 7-Up. Pour into individual martini glasses and garnish with a thin slice of lime.

These are as pretty as they taste.

I also served Orzo Salad with Chicken and Feta. I made a double batch so that we would have lots of leftovers. I posted this recipe last summer. I highly recommend it. Another thing I served was a Brie en Croute. I have seen these before and it has been awhile since I have had this. I need to make it more often. It was very good.

Brie en Croute

Take a wheel of Ile de France Brie and pile a handful of pecans or walnuts on top along with a handful of brown sugar, some dried fruit like cherries or cranberries, and a few dots of butter. Then take a tube of Pillsbury Crescent Rolls and unroll them into a rectangle and pinch all the seams together. Place the dough over top the Brie and tuck the ends underneath. (You could also do the opposite and set the Brie on top of the dough and then gather it up to look like a pouch. Some people get real creative and cut out shapes out of the extra dough like leaves and stars and “decorate” the their wrapped Brie. Bake at 350 degrees for 12 to 16 minutes. I served this with slices of French bread, crackers and sliced pears and apples. That’s all there is to it.

I got my first Mah Jong last night. I guess I must be catching on. Not bad for my 20th game attempt. And the best part is I don’t have to host again for at least 6 more months!

Mah Jong

So last night was my fourth time playing Maj Jong and I can still say with a high degree of certainty that I still don’t know what I am doing!    But everyone has been very nice to me.  I am beginning to think that new recruits are not easy to come by and so they are being extra nice so that they don’t scare me off.  They are all oozing with patience.    Right now the group plays every other week.  That is a big commitment but so far,  come the 2nd week when it’s time to play, I am usually ready to try again.  The food is always good.  And of course wine is always served.  And the stakes are low in that we are only playing for quarters…and of course bragging rights. 

The Maj Jong women are slowing sucking me in to their circle.  They are plying me with their wine and kindness.  I’ve been talked into ordering a new playing card for the 2010 Maj Jong season.  I’ll bet you didn’t even know that Maj Jong  had a “season”.  Everyone plays from the same card which is a sheet that lists all the possible tile combinations you need for a winning hand.  New cards are issued to start on the first of April and then everyone in the country starts playing the hands off of the the new card.  Kind of like a Bingo card only with Chinese characters. Yeah, and really easy to read and comprehend. Not!  I have been asked to host the group at my home on May 10th.  Now hold your horses…I mean your bamboo.  I haven’t even decided yet if I am going to officially join!  They all just smile at me when I say that.  It’s like they know something I don’t.   (I think I might be joining a cult…If I disappear…send in a de-programmer.)  Thanks. ;)

And don’t forget!  I am having a Giveaway this week.  Be sure to enter by Friday, February 26, 2010.  Click on the icon on my side bar near the top of my page for more details!!  Good Luck!