Summer Fun

I haven't been posting a lot lately. I just haven't had the time. Even though I don't work during the summer, I find that I have way more to do at home. And as each day passes, I feel a little more guilty about not blogging. I have many reasons for not posting, but here are the top five in no particular order.
Reason #5-Busy, busy, busy with swim class and other activities with the kids.
Reason #4-Too hot to sit in the stuffy office.
Reason #3-My laptop is broken along with all my saved stuff. This is probably the biggest reason why I haven't been as committed.
Reason #2-Not waking up early. Normally I like to do my postings early in the morning while everyone is still asleep, but I have been overdosing on the sleep this summer. That's alright because I need it.
Reason #1-Being lazzzzzy.

This summer, we have been...

 painting nails.

 dancing in recitals.

picking

strawberries

at the farm.

collecting

 searching for

 and digging for bugs.

going to swim class.

 

Korean Kitchen: Soon Dubu Recipe

Here we go again, another Korean dish. Lately, I've been in the mood for anything Korean. And lately I've been in the mood for anything spicy and Korean. I knew I would love this stuff but I didn't count on Rain loving it as well. I thought the flavors and the spiciness would be too strong. I shouldn't be surprised since she is a very adventurous eater and not too picky. Just don't put a plate of zucchini in front of her. Raw oysters are okay though. Go figure.

The Trilogy: dried anchovies, Shiitake mushrooms, and kelp

Boil the trilogy in water

Broth made from the trilogy

Saute the beef, onion, and garlic

Add chile powder

Keep sauteeing

Add the broth

 Bring to a boil

Make sure the tofu is Extra Soft

 Scoop the tofu into the soup pot

 Add the seafood and vegetables

 Enjoy!

Korean Tofu Soup (Soon Dubu) Recipe

• 1/4 c. dried anchovies, remove the insides
• 2-3 pieces of dried kelp
• 3 dried Shiitake mushrooms
• 1 T. coconut oil
• 4 oz. beef flank or any similar beef, chopped into 1/4 inch pieces
• 1 T garlic, minced
• half a small onion, diced
• 2 T Korean red pepper flakes
• 1 c. frozen mixed seafood
• 1/3 c. zucchini, sliced
• 1/4 c. potatoes. diced
• 2 scallions, chopped
• 1 Korean chile pepper, sliced
• 1 tube of extra soft tofu
• 1 egg, optional

Boil 4 cups of water. Add the anchovies, kelp, and mushrooms. Bring to a boil and cook over medium heat for about 20 minutes. Strain the broth through a sieve and set aside. Toss the anchovies and kelp, but dice the mushrooms to put into the soup later.

In a medium-size pot add the oil and saute the beef for one minute, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and onion and saute for another minute, stirring occasionally. Add the pepper flakes and saute for a minute more and keep stirring occasionally. 

Add the broth that was set aside and bring to a boil. 

Add the seafood, vegetables, mushrooms, and scooped out tofu and bring to a boil. Keep boiling over medium heat for about 10 minutes. 

At this point, you can crack an egg on top of the whole thing and let it slightly cook.  

Happy Spring

Springtime is here. The air is warmer and the clothes are lighter. The vegetable garden is germinating and more importantly, the days are longer.

One crucial thing we had to do once the weather warmed up was let the butterflies go. We raised them since they were larvae and now it was time to free them and let them find their own way in this world. 

From their point of view

Out in the backyard

Come on out little ones.

They didn't seem to want to come out at first.

Maybe these flowers will help.

It's natural they would be attracted to colorful flowers.

               

Goodbye. We will miss you. Happy Spring!

Korean Kitchen: Spinach Banchan Recipe

Spinach banchan (Sigeumchi Namul) makes a great side dish to any meal. It's healthy, savory, and slightly salty. My kids will eat this along with their bop bop (rice), kimchee, and duboo (tofu).  Banchan, to those of you not in the know, is a series of side dishes served with every Korean meal. They are little dishes of tasty flavors that add a little something something to an already (hopefully) yummy meal.

 Fresh, green spinach

 Cut the roots from the spinach

 Soak to make sure the dirt and grit is removed

 Strain and remove excees water from the cooked spinach

 Ready to serve and eat

Spinach (Sigeumchi Namul) Banchan

• 1 bunch of spinach
• 6 c. water
• 1 tsp. sesame oil
• Salt, to taste
• 1 tsp.sesame seeds

Take apart the spinach and submerge in water to get rid of the dirt and grit. Rinse the spinach several times under running water.

Add a pinch of salt into a pot of water. Bring to a boil. Cook the spinach for about a minute.

Pour the spinach into a strainer and run it under cold water. Squeeze the spinach until all the excess water is removed.

Cut the spinach into bite-size pieces.

In a bowl toss in the spinach, sesame oil, and salt. Mix together. Sprinkle the sesame seed over the mixture.

Spring Garden

Welcome Spring!
It's been raining and cold here on the first day of spring but nothing can diminish my excitement for the kitchen garden we're planning this year. We've already germinated some seeds to be planted in the backyard later on. We started with green bean and cucumber seeds. Perhaps some radish, carrots, squash, and  lettuce later on.

The girls helped me plant the seeds in little plastic baggies and we hung them from wires that were already in their art center in the kitchen We just temporarily removed their artwork from the wires.

Green beans starting to sprout

One of the clothespin people they made

Rain's special "personal" plant. I think we'll retire that Eskimo soon.

Cucumbers just starting to come along

Menu for the Week

Another week is upon us. Another week of work, preschool, and Kindergarten. Another week of the gym, lunch making, and dinner concocting. My goal this week is to make dinners easier and quicker. Yes, that's always my goal, but I want to really streamline things. Some of the prep work was done on Sunday. That's really helpful. Especially on my after work going to the gym days.

Here's what's for dinner at our house this week.
Sunday
Turkey Tenderloin with Mustard Glaze
Green Beans with Bacon and Tomato
Steamed Rice
Monday
Korean Galbi
An assortment of Banchan
Soon Dubu Soup
Steamed Rice
Tuesday
Slow Cooked Beef Stew
Green Salad
Wednesday
John Dory with Lemon Butter Sauce
Steamed Asparagus
Quinoa
Thursday
Corned Beef and Cabbage
Happy Friday!
We go out.
Saturday and Sunday
Never planned. We always play it by ear.

Trip to the Garden Center

I love to stroll through the local garden center. Even though it's freezing cold here in Southern California, it hasn't stopped me from planning and purchasing items for our backyard garden. There was a profusion of purples and blues at the garden store. How can one not be inspired by such vibrant colors.

Strolling through the garden

Beauty next to beauty

A stare-down with a vase

Showered in sunlight

Sisters