Happy New Year 2016!!! January 1st, 2016 came and went. If you missed it, here’s another chance to celebrate the New Year with gusto and intentions. 
According to the Lunar Calendar, Monday, February 8, 2016, is the New Year for many Asian countries including Vietnam which is called “Tết”. This year is the year of the Fire Monkey. Here is some fun website to check out your horoscopes and other fun facts:
www.chinahighlights.com/travelguide/chinese-zodiac/monkey.htm
www.vietnamonline.com/tet.html
Take charge and create 2016 a fantastic year for yourself. My intentions for 2016 is to be present in the “NOW” and follow my highest joy.
Start your New Year resolution with fresh and healthy food. Join Pho Queen for a 
FREE fun hands-on spring roll/summer roll demonstration on February 7, 2016, at the Maitland Library. Meet new friends, learn Vietnamese, and have a fresh start on healthy food and lifestyle. Check out our website for more information www.tastyphoqueen/demo/.
The fondest memory of my childhood in Vietnam during Tết is eating watermelon seeds. The seeds are usually dyed red. Eating them is not an easy task. The watermelon seeds are smaller than pumpkin seeds so to split a seed open is quite an accomplishment. The idea is to de-shell the seeds. Eat the seed and throw away the hard red shell. 
If you have eaten watermelon seeds, you know it is a challenge to crack open a seed with your teeth. Your fingers would get wet, sweaty, and slippery from your saliva making the opening process even harder. Not to mention your hands and mouth would be totally red from the watermelon red dye.
I made up 3 levels (beginner, intermediate, and advance) of eating the watermelon seeds. The beginner level is where you would use two hands, your teeth, and/or any form of utensils to open the seeds. The intermediate level is where you use only your teeth and both hands. The advanced level is where you use only one hand and your teeth to open, remove the seed and eat it. With many years of practicing the art of eating watermelon seeds, I am proud to announce that I have achieved the advanced level. I enjoy the subtle flavor from the seeds and I enjoy the process of de-shelling. This can keep me busy and mindless for hours. Give it a try…
Even though watermelon seeds are the most common seeds served during Tết, they are not the only seeds eaten during Tết. Here’s a website sharing the five most popular roasted nuts and seeds for Tết:
www.vietnamonline.com/tet/5-most-popular-roasted-nuts-and-seeds-for-tet-holiday.html