Chocolate Making in the Raw with Jennifer McClelland

Spicy Raw Chocolate Truffles (Photo by Jennifer McClelland)

The Hutong is bringing back raw foods chef and expert, Jennifer McClelland to host one of her most popular classes – “Chocolate Making in the Raw” for the next two Saturdays (August 18 & August 25).

Participants will be learning how to make raw chocolates with different flavors using recipes that are vegetarian friendly, lactose and gluten free.

For all you chocolate addicts out there, Jennifer is your new best friend and explains just how chocolate can be considered healthy.

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Re-Learn How to Eat, Sleep & Breathe with Alex Tan

TCM Guru Alex Tan leads ‘Eat Sleep Breathe’ Workshop 

“The Ordinary Doctor treats disease, but the Superior Doctor helps the people to discover The Right Way of Living.”

When I first signed up for Alex Tan’s 5 week “Eat Sleep Breathe” workshop at The Hutong in March 2012, I did not expect the magnificent and powerful impact it has had on both my life and the way I now think about healthy choices and living habits.

My original intentions for signing myself up half a year ago was inspired by a general effort to be more active (with a completed goal of running two half marathons) and a focus more on my personal overall state of health and well-being.

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Hook-Up from Time Out: The Hutong’s Cookies

The Hutong‘s Alice Retson is a cookie baking queen and she’s generously giving away sets of her freshly baked cookies every day for this whole upcoming week: from Monday, July 23-Friday, July 27.

To win some of Alice’s freshly baked cookies, go to Time Out Beijing‘s page here between the hours of 10:30AM and 6:00PM from the contest dates Monday, July 23 – Friday, July 27, and leave a comment answering Time Out’s “daily chewy questions” for your chance to win.

Each day’s winners will be notified and sent the freshly baked goodies over the following weekend after the contest is complete. Any one can compete as long as they are residents of Beijing.

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Celebrate Americanism with Red, White, Blue & BBQ’s

It’s the Fourth of July which marks America’s Independence Day, a day to commemorate the day we declared independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain. I love that Americans celebrate the history, government and traditions of the United States with outdoor BBQ’s, picnics, fireworks and water guns.  

Bloody brilliant.

I suppose any excuse to surround yourself with good friends and good BBQ is a good enough excuse for the entire American population. Makes perfect sense!

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Ride of a Lifetime: The Hutong’s Yunnan Bike Journey

Join The Hutong on “the ride of a lifetime” biking through Yunnan

After a very active, long weekend in the Genghis Khan MTB Adventure & Grassland Marathon in Inner Mongolia where I ran the half marathon fundraising for Team Operation Smile and embarked on mountain biking adventures through the grasslands, I have been inspired to continue on this path of spending more time outdoors and exploring other picturesque regions of China that reminds me that there is so much more beyond this little bubble of Beijing.

Only three days away was all I needed to feel rejuvenated (must have been the overload of fresh, clean air).

In case you don’t follow me already on Instagram @lumdimsum, here are a few snapshot highlights of my weekend in Inner Mongolia:

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Learn “The Basics” of Chinese Cooking at The Hutong

The Basics: Chinese Cooking Class at The Hutong

I’ve always been pretty useless in the kitchen, but even more so in China. I can barely even go grocery shopping without my head hurting. Because it’s difficult for me to read a lot of Chinese characters, I have no idea what anything is and I end up wandering the aisles feeling overwhelmed and leaving lost, frustrated and worst of all, empty-handed.

Because of my love for good food, I’ve always been curious about cooking and I always thought that if I had the time, I would like very much to learn a few tricks, or at least enough to make a decent meal for myself once in awhile.

A culture exchange center that’s a wonderful platform to “share culture and knowledge”, The Hutong is always hosting interesting community events, organic food fairs, and I’m a huge advocate of their educational health classes with TCM guru Alex Tan. But in all the years I’ve been a friend and supporter of The Hutong in all respects, I had never been to one of their cooking classes.

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Health Rave by The Hutong & Heyrobics

Heyrobics Makes Running & Fitness Fun Again

The Hutong and Heyrobics are teaming up to bring great food, drinks, music and exercise together for one event called The Health Rave on Sunday, April 29 from 11AM to 3PM.

The rave begins at Ditan Park with a warm-up session and Heyrobics aerobics followed by a 4 km run through the park and back streets of Beijing with the final destination being The Hutong, where participants will be rewarded with a BBQ, drinks and music on the terrace.

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Learn Qi Gong & Healthier Living Habits with Alex Tan

Alex Tan leading Qi Gong in ‘Eat Sleep Breathe’ Workshop 

When I first signed up for Alex Tan’s 5 week “Eat Sleep Breathe” workshop at The Hutong, I did not expect the impact it has had on my life.

My original intentions for signing myself up a month and a half ago was inspired by a general effort to be more active this year and take on healthier living habits. So when Mark from the Hutong first told me that Alex’s workshop would “change my life”, I have to admit, I was skeptical.  But over the course of the past five weeks, I have totally changed my daily habits around for the better and it’s all thanks to Alex Tan.

In bed by 11PM, up at 6:30 every morning and enough time to practice the Eight Golden Treasures Qi Gong exercises and make a hot breakfast every morning before heading off to work, I am so impressed that I’ve been able to stick with this new regime. I’ve never been a morning person, I used to save most of my work for post-midnight when I found myself most productive, but going to bed earlier and doing what I need to get done first thing in the morning is just as productive and I feel more rested with this schedule than if I slept the same amount of hours pushed back.

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