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Hiking Gwanaksan Almost 4 Years Later......

5/31/2013

A couple of weeks ago we were reminiscing about our previous time in Korea when we remembered a hike we went on - one that we LOVED. It was drizzling rain when we went; there were tons of boulders to play on, and ropes to help you pull yourself up the mountain. We decided to try it again just to see if it would be as fun as we remembered - and it was - actually it was more fun! :o)

To get there take subway line #4 to Gwacheon Station take exit #7 and walk straight up the path. You are certain to see many, many hikers and at this point you might be thinking that you are totally underdressed.

You will go through this cute little tunnel filled with children's art work....you are sure to stop and take a few cute photos. :o)

Hiking is serious business here in Korea -
Make sure you stretch it out before your hike!
And if you are not sure how to hike just check out the lady in green.
She has great tips.

When you get to the end of the path you can go either left or right.
Both ways will take you to a trail.
We like going right.
Walk maybe 50 steps and you will see this set of stairs across the street on your left side (right across from the church).

I was a tad bit worried after hiking for a few minutes Boy 3 was tired and had to take a break.
Luckily for all of us, this was the only time he got tired.

Wishing it had been a clear day...

Boy 2 was the star of the hike, posing for me anytime I wanted to take a picture.

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE all the natural beauty in Seoul.

He is just cute.

We made it to the top!
(Well, to the top of where we were going anyway.)

This picture was 4 years ago in the same place.
My how they have grown! :o)

As always, if you aren't getting enough exercise on the hike you can always stop at an exercise area to kick it up a notch.

Boy 1 had a GREAT time on the hike.

Boy 2 had the best find of the day!

This boy had NO FEAR.
Which in turn FREAKS ME OUT.

This hike was so beautiful!
And the kids had a ball.
Win-win in my book!

If you look closely you can see flower petals floating through the air.

Great day, great hike.
Great kids.
I love my life.

Click here to see our Gwanaksan hike from 2009.

3 Comments

Fried Plantains

5/28/2013

7 Comments

Seriously easy.
Seriously good.

Coat pan with coconut oil.
Fry sliced plantains for about 2 minutes on each side.
EAT.

GREAT for an after school snack!

**Next time I am going to try sprinkling a little cinnamon on the plantains before frying.

7 Comments

Basil Vinaigrette - OMG!

5/27/2013

2 Comments

Have you ever read the labels on salad dressing?
HOLY NOT GOOD for you.
I cannot believe all the stuff I can't pronounce in almost every bottle of salad dressing in my fridge!
And I thought I was being good!
AND, some sort of sugar is in EVERY.SINGLE.ONE.

The only problem with this dressing is that it cuts into my basil production and not as many BLM's will be brewing. That cannot happen.
(Must buy more basil plants!)

1 large garlic clove
32 basil leaves
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 TSP white balsamic vinegar
a couple of shakes of crushed red pepper
a pinch of salt
a few twist of freshly ground pepper

Put all ingredients in a food processor & process!!

You now have an awesome salad dressing!!

You're welcome.

2 Comments

Not Quite Right #31

5/26/2013

0 Comments

Well...they got part of it right.

0 Comments

Homemade Chicken Wing Spice

5/24/2013

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Who knew that when I started making these amazing chicken wings so many years ago they would come to benefit us on our new food journey?

These are simple and a great substitute for those Plucker's chicken wings I crave so often. Don't get me wrong I am not comparing these to Plucker's, but when you live overseas and a can't get a decent chicken wing these just might get you past that craving!

And I (as well as everyone else in my family) love them!!

Wing spice:
2 1/2 TBL garlic salt
2 1/2 TBL cayenne pepper
2 1/2 TBL ground black pepper
2 TBL oregano

Mix them all together and there you have it:
Wing Spice

These are the cute little spice jars I told you about.

Generously sprinkle wing spice over both sides of wings.
Cook on grill till done and serve with blue cheese and celery sticks.

OR

Bake in the oven at 400 for 17 minutes, flip and cook for another 17 minutes.
Serve with baked sweet potato and salad.

***Normally I break apart the wings into drumettes and little winglets parts but today I was in a hurry so I left them together.

***These are much better cooked on the grill.

0 Comments

Stuffed Bell Peppers - Whole 30 Approved

5/23/2013

10 Comments

You are so beautiful to me....

Stuffed bell peppers.
I've made them before, but I've never made them this good.
This recipe comes mostly from my head - after I researched multiple bell pepper recipes.
We didn't have leftovers so I think I am going to have to make more today for lunch.

What you need:
2 TBL coconut oil (you can always switch this out for your oil of choice)
5 cloves garlic minced
1 whole shallot
3/4 cup chopped carrots
1 cup chopped mushrooms
1 bag of fresh spinach
6 bell peppers - tops cut off, remove membranes and poke small holes in the bottom of peppers - you choose your color (I used green & yellow)

2 pounds ground beef
1 TBL onion powder
1 TBL garlic powder
2 1/2 TBL cumin
2 TBL paprika
1 TBL oregano
2 TBL fresh ground black pepper

1 Jar Marinara sauce (Rao's is my favorite and Whole30 approved.)

Combine ground beef with all seasonings and set aside.

Preheat oven to 400

Heat oil in skillet
Sauté shallots for about 60 seconds then add minced garlic and sauté till fragrant. Add carrot and sauté another 2-3 minutes. Add mushrooms, sauté 2-3 more minutes:

Add spinach - sauté till wilted:

Move veggies to the sides of the pan and add meat mixture - lightly brown.
Line a cookie sheet with foil.
Stuff peppers:

Bake in oven 30-45 minutes or till done.

Heat sauce on stovetop and pour over bell peppers.

Note: Next time I will add the sauce to the meat/veggie mixture and bake in the pepper.

Enjoy! :o)

10 Comments

Homemade Taco Seasoning

5/22/2013

4 Comments

So...since doing this Whole30 life thing I've been reading more labels and now I am making even more things from scratch - including taco seasoning.

I got this recipe here. I adapted it a tiny bit and made a batch large enough to use a few times. I use all Penzeys spices unless specified. I like Penzeys because they are fresh and pure and they happily ship to APO's. (And NO, they are not paying me to say that. :o)

So, what you will need:
4 TBL Chili Powder - Medium Heat
1 TSP Garlic Powder
1 TSP Onion Powder
1 TSP Crushed Red Pepper
1 TSP Oregano
2 TSP Smoked Picante Paprika (not Penzeys)
2 TBL Cumin
1 TBL Salt
1 TBL Pepper

This taco seasoning has a medium spice kick to it. If you don't like it that spicy, cut down on the crushed red pepper and use a regular chili powder.

I use it both on beef and shredded chicken.

I even buy extra Penzeys spice jars with extra blank labels so I can store my homemade spices with my other spices. (I'm a freak like that.)

4 Comments

Not Quite Right #30

5/21/2013

0 Comments

Tuesday's With Trish - Omega 3 Samgyetang

5/20/2013

2 Comments

A few of the girls and I have started a 'lunch bunch' on Tuesdays.
One day a week where we get together with no kids, eat a (hopefully) delicious lunch and share all the things that are going on in our lives (the awesome, the good, the bad and the ugly).
There are a few rules and it seems I am breaking one of them right now....
"What happens in lunch bunch stays in lunch bunch".
I just can't help sharing.
It is who I am.

I had been dying to try Samgyetang even though I didn't really expect to like it.
Samgyetang translates to "'ginseng chicken soup".
Hubby was glad I took the 'Lunch Bunch' because he was afraid I was going to make him tag along. :o)

In Korean culture it is believed that this soup can prevent illness.
Samgyetang is traditionally eaten during the summer months to replace nutrients lost through excessive sweating.

However you can eat it any time of the year as there are restaurants dedicated only to Samgyetang (like the one we went to) and since I really don't want to eat this hot dish during the heat of the summer so we tried it towards the end of winter.

The lady that worked at the restaurant wanted to make sure I got a picture of the ginseng. I was glad she did because sometime workers can be put off by all my picture taking. :o)

Nice restaurant for Korea!

My friend Julie is new to the peninsula, and was pretty impressed by the silverware in the drawer of the table (as we all are the first time we encounter it!). Kris, AKA Vanna showing us the drawer. Love these girls!

And here it is!
The star of the show...
Samgyetang!

What did I think?
Well, it was WAY better than what I expected! The ginseng wasn't too strong and the broth was a bit like chicken and dumplings broth. Kind of simple. I liked it. It is not something I would have weekly or monthly, but give me a cold day in winter and I might just find myself heading back over to Omega 3.

Plus you get a wishbone and that's just cool.

How to get there:
(I only know how to drive there.)
Leave from Visitors Center gate 13 - turn right and get in the right hand lane.
Take the first right (at the light) and go over the railroad tracks. Stay in the left lane.
At the first light make a left.
At the first right make a right.
Go until you see a small 4 way intersection - look across the street to the left and you will see Omega 3 Samgyetang restaurant on the bottom floor.
Park in the lot.
I didn't pay for parking - I don't think you have to as many people were helping me park and unpark. :o)
The outside of Omega 3 looks like this:

Omega 3 Samgyetang
02-790-7555
302-90 Ichon 1 (il)-dong (17 Ichon-ro 54-gil)

2 Comments

Not Quite Right #29

5/16/2013

1 Comment

We all know I'm a pretty adventurous when it comes to eating and while I will eat snake eggs that pop in your mouth and drink coffee that came out of a wild cats ass, but I really don't want to go here.....

1 Comment

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“I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you
did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
― Maya Angelou

Author

Hi, I'm Trish, the writer, creator and photographer of this blog. I started this blog for 2 reasons, 1 - When I found out we were moving to Korea back in 2008 I was a little freaked out and started scouring the internet for information on Korea. At that time there wasn't much out there so I am doing my part in helping families across the world not be so freaked out when it comes time to move to Korea. The 2nd reason I started this blog was to help stay connected to family members back in the states. Today it is so much more that.
I hope you enjoy our journey.

Are you moving to Korea? Do you have questions, concerns? Are you freaking out? Freak out no further - click the button to ask a question. I'll do my best to answer open and honestly.

Moving to Korea?

Hiking Gwanaksan Almost 4 Years Later......

Fried Plantains

Basil Vinaigrette - OMG!

Not Quite Right #31

Homemade Chicken Wing Spice

Stuffed Bell Peppers - Whole 30 Approved

Homemade Taco Seasoning

Not Quite Right #30

Tuesday's With Trish - Omega 3 Samgyetang

Not Quite Right #29

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