Blog Archives

Shrimp & Avocado Goodness

6/30/2013

This tasty little treat is the perfect little salad to pop in your ice cold cooler and take to the pool!
The longer it marinades the more flavorful it is!

I found this awesome little recipe over at The Paleo Mom.
I'm diggin' her site.

2.5 pounds cooked shrimp
3 avocados cut up into bite size pieces
4 TBL fresh lime juice
3 TBL olive oil
1/2 a bunch of cilantro
fresh crushed black pepper

Put all ingredients in a gallon size ziplock bag & shake it up!

Green leaf or Romaine lettuce - (whole leaves)
Wrap shrimp salad in leaves...and munch away!
You will be the envy of all at the pool. :o)
(Especially if you have a bottle of Pinot Grigio to go along with it - sorry, that part is not paleo or Whole 30.)

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Umyeonsan Mountain & Daeseongsa Temple

6/27/2013

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This summer the kids and I have put together a 'summer camp at home' sort of thing. It's not too crazy to where they will get burn out, but just enough to keep them on some sort of schedule for the summer. I have found that my kids do MUCH better when they are scheduled (less fighting, less complaining and they don't complain about not playing video games!).

The kids have a list of things they must get done each morning and then in the afternoon we have theme days:
Make it Monday
Tuesdays with Trish - kids free day, Mom goes to lunch with Friends
Wondering Wednesday
Take a Trip Thursday
Family Friday

So far so good. This was our first Take a Trip Thursday group:

I let Girl and Boy's 2 & 3 pick what they wanted to do for their first Take A Trip Thursday outing.
I could not believe my ears when they said they wanted to take a hike!
So like any good mom would do I did a little research and we ended up hiking Umyeonsan Mountain which is located right behind the Seoul Art's Center.

I feel bad that I can't give you specific directions to the trailhead, BUT the directions I took off the internet were not that good and it took us a while AND we went a convoluted way. I can tell you a few things....
Line 3 - Nambu Terminal Subway is the closest subway station to Seoul Arts Center.
Click the link above for a map of the area.
Go to the front of the SAC and look for the big overpass.
Go through the big circle - this is the trailhead.
When I go back I will update directions for you.

We only hike the safest of mountains!

At the summit!

This is a super easy hike. Only 239 meters to the top.
With a spectacular view at the top!

And if your hike wasn't enough of a work out there is always more to do at the top!

I was so happy to finally figure out what the tires are used for!

How cute is this group?!

From the top we hiked over to Daeseongsa Temple.
I haven't been able to find much information on this temple, so just enjoy the pictures.

This hike is GREAT for beginners.

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7 Layer Magic Bars

6/27/2013

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These are REALLY BAD FOR YOU.
If you don't want to be tempted, STOP READING NOW.
You have been warned.

Trust me; I know how wrong it is to post Paleo Pancakes one day and 7 layer Magic Bars the next day.
Fire me.
I'm human.
And these are crazy GOOD!
I know you want to lick the screen, don't you?

Do you want to know how to make them?
They are SUPER EASY.
So easy you might have to go out and buy all the ingredients tonight.
AND you might not even want to let them cool before you STUFF.YOUR.FACE.

Preheat your oven to 350.
Crush 1 package graham crackers (I do this in a food processor...so much easier if you have one).
1 stick of butter. Yes, I said BUTTER. Melt that yummy goodness.

Combine butter and graham crackers and smash into the bottom of a 9x13 pan.

Next layer with 1/2 a bag of each:
milk chocolate chips
semi-sweet chocolate chips
white chocolate chips
butterscotch chips
If you like nuts toss a cup or two on now.
Sprinkle the top with coconut - between 1 -2 cups.
NEXT....open a can of Sweetened condensed milk and pour the ENTIRE can over the top of the coconut, covering every inch.

Pop in the oven at 350 for about 20-30 minutes or until the coconut starts to turn a little golden (like in the picture).
Try to let them cool before eating.
Share with neighbors because you really don't want to eat the entire pan - plus random acts of kindness are too few and far between. :o)

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Pancakes - Whole 30/Paleo Style!

6/25/2013

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It wasn't until Day 29 of the Whole 30 when I finally made a pancake worth eating. And I happened upon them by mistake on Day 27 when I made them as 'tortillas' for a dish called 'Pork Avocado Cream Enchiladas' created by Julie over at PaleOMG. So, I take absolutely no credit for these, OK, well maybe for changing them from a tortilla to a pancake...BUT I didn't change the ingredients or create them, so take it for what it is - a tortilla pancake Paleo sort of thing. If you are looking for a 'TRUE' pancake recipe, don't make these. If you are looking to heal your gut, lengthen your life, feel better all around (no, I'm not a doctor and I have no proof these will lengthen your life - don't sue me) then make these and eat them every.single.day. :o)

Even my kids like these.

6 egg whites
3 TBL coconut flour
6 TBL coconut milk
1/4 tsp baking soda
Put everything in a bowl and mix away all the lumps!
I used an immersion blender....

Toss a little coconut oil on your hot griddle and cook till bubbly, like this:

Make sure they are nice and bubbly before you turn them or you will get a clumpy mess.

Bam, a plate full of piping hot Paleo Pancakes, just like Momma used to make....or not. :o)
Eat them just like this with some pure maple syrup, or if you are doing the Whole 30 check out the next picture...

OH yeah.....make a breakfast sandwich out of them!!
Spinach
Lettuce
Tomato
Fried Eggs
Panchetta (or the sugarfree bacon if you can find it!)

I like them WAY better like this!

Proof that healthy eating doesn't have to be boring!

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Tuesday's With Trish - Yum Thai - Sinsa Area

6/24/2013

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If you have been following me for a while you know how much I LOVED Yum Thai when we ate here a few months ago. In fact, I have dubbed it as my FAVORITE Thai restaurant in Korea and that is why I felt I really needed to share this hidden gem with the gals in the lunch bunch! After lunch today I am sticking by my decision - Yum Thai is my favorite Thai restaurant in Seoul. I might even go as far as to say that the Sinsa area is my new favorite area in Seoul.
If you know of a better Thai restaurant in Seoul, please feel free to leave a message in the comments section and tell me all about it - and include directions!

For newbies to Korea it might seem a little odd that they (almost all restaurants in Korea/Asia) deliver food when it is done...servers don't wait till everyone's order is ready. They bring it out piping hot and ready to eat. I kind of like it like this. It was a hard transition though as I have always waited till everyone has their food to eat...however, I try to embrace the culture I am living in....like eating when the food comes out, no tipping your food servers or anyone else for that matter and moving people out of my way when in a congested area. I really like that one. Put hands on hips an scoot them over - and NO ONE GETS MAD! How awesome is that?!

I tried to snap as many pictures as I could before everyone started diving into their food. Some I tried, come I didn't.

Fresh Spring Rolls - if you like spring rolls, you will love these!

Yummy Thai Chicken Wings they always come out piping hot so you have to wait a little while to eat them or you burn the top of your mouth. I know this from experience.

Pad Thai - I'm not a fan of Pad Thai in general so I did not try this, but it looks good! :o)

Spicy Beef Salad is my all-time FAVORITE Thai dish. I could eat it every day. At Yum Thai I order it American Spicy and it has just the right amount of heat for me. Follow it down with a nice cold Singha and pretend you have sand between your toes and you almost feel like you are in Thailand....

Green Curry with Chicken. A little bit of Thai heaven.

Cashew Chicken. WOW. This could rival the Spicy Beef Salad. My friend ordered this, I had a bite and then I ordered one to go! My mouth is watering just thinking about it.

Both times I have eaten here I have LOVED it. I wish it were closer OR that they would hurry up and open the new subway line so that Sinsa is only 1 stop from my house with NO line changes. Does anyone know when they are opening the new line?

Anyway....while having dinner I ask the manager/owner maybe (?) if I could have the Singha sign behind their beer tap. He said yes, but I just thought it was one of those Korean type yes'...you know when they tell you yes because they don't like to say no. (And I thought maybe he just wanted to shut me up...) But when I got ready to leave he went and got the sign and gave it to me!! I'm so excited! Hubby loves his new sign (Singha is our favorite beer)! Yum Thai, this just sealed the deal. You have a customer for as long as I live here and I will continue to spread the word!

To get there by subway:
Line 3 Sinsa Station - Exit 1
Walk straight for 4 blocks (I'm counting all cross streets as blocks!)
After the 4th street look to your right and you will see Yum Thai on your right.
(A big tower name J-Tower is on the left side of the street directly across from Yum Thai.)

02-594-7988
They accept reservations & they speak English

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Portabella Breakfast on the Grill.....

6/23/2013

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Yesterday morning as I was paroosing through Facebook a friend posted about a savory breakfast pie that was filled with all things I love. I had all the ingredients, but didn't want to wait as long as it would take to make, so I improvised, and I am so glad I did. I'm also glad I made extra as I am about to eat one for breakfast this morning too. :o)

This was super easy and came together rather quickly.

Portobello mushrooms, cleaned and stems removed and rub the bottom with olive oil (this to prevent sticking on the grill - I also sit them on a sheet of foil on the grill.)
Fill with a layer of spinach
Add a layer of sliced tomatoes - good, fresh, in season red juicy plump tomatoes!
Toss some crumbled (& cooked) breakfast sausage on next (I used homemade - so much better for you and I promise to post the recipe soon...I'm so bad sometimes. I know I've been promising for a long time. THIS WEEK I tell you, THIS WEEK!)
Grill for about 10-15 minutes

Next up scramble up some eggs.
**Toss in some Feta. I like the tomato/basil feta - it is my favorite!

Next...I tried to pour it directly on top of the mushrooms, but I realized very quickly that would not work and I would have a GIANT mess in my grill SO I cooked the eggs just a little on the stove top - just enough to where they hold a little form and would not slip off the mushroom. This worked beautifully.

I filled those mushrooms and continued the cooking process on the grill for another 10 minutes or so until the egg was thoroughly cooked.

HEAVEN.
I loved it.
Hubby enjoyed it.
The kids turned their noses up.
They don't know what they are missing.
It doesn't matter -
MORE FOR ME!

**To make this recipe Whole 30 compliant leave out the feta.
You could also make this in the oven if you don't have a grill.
Cooking at a temperature of 400.

PS....Great, now that same friend just posted a picture of homemade chocolate cake with homemade chocolate frosting......

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Not Quite Right #33

6/22/2013

3 Comments

Tuesdays With Trish ~ Pancake Story

6/18/2013

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This past week we went to A Pancake Story, a cute little pancake story.
I love the atmosphere.

I love sitting outside with the ladies.

And I love watching the hussle and bustle of this cute little kitchen & the staff of 3.

Plus, they know me so well:

A Pancake Story is a tiny little cafe Hannam-dong that can hold maybe 20 customers when the patio is open! In April of 2010 10 Magazine ranked them as the #1 place in Seoul for brunch so I was excited to head out and try them. However I need to learn to lower my expectations. This place was good, but not someplace I would RAVE about or even go back to when there are so many other places in the city that are way better....like Bim Bom, which is only 2 or 3 doors down.

YUMMY cinnamon apples & bananas on top of plain pancakes:

Crispy nut pancakes with chocolate chips. Jennifer ordered this and her review on Facebook was: (taken with her permission)

"Gave a Pancake Story a try today in Hannam-dong . Cute place, great company, but the food did not make my taste buds do back flips. The pancakes needed vanilla and the nuts (stuffed) needed to either be slightly candied or the peanuts swapped for pecans. Thank goodness they allowed some chocolate chips to be added. :) I also had two over medium eggs, they were just eggs nothing fancy. The peach iced tea was tasty."

As for me, I ordered cream cheese and mozzarella pancakes (for 7,300 won), a side salad (I don't' know how much it was) and 2 eggs (2,000 won) over medium. Personally I was highly disappointed. The salad was lettuce a cherry tomato and a few sprouts - I ordered the dressing on the side - look at the picture. The eggs were cooked over HARD not over medium and the pancakes were a total disappointment. If you want cream cheese and mozzarella pancakes, which I think everyone should try at least once I recommend going to Butterfinger Pancake and have theirs!

I'm glad I tried A Pancake Story & it wasn't bad, but it's not in my top 10 either.

To drive here from post:
Exit Commissary gate - turn left
Stay right - Turn right onto Itaewon Street
Turn left on Daesagwan-ro - this street has a light.
(You will be going through a street with many lights and lots of people
walking - near Hannam Village)
Come to the end of the street and turn
left onto Dokeseodang-ro (you will go under a highway of sorts-
Hannam-daero and straight across)
Right after you go under Hannam-daero A Pancake Story will be on your left side on the corner.
We parked across the street under the big office building.
(Where Dr. Sung's office is located.)

02-794-0508
9AM-10PM M-F
Holidays & Saturdays 9AM-4Pm
They are Closed on Sunday!

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Tuesdays With Trish - Trevia!

6/16/2013

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A few weeks ago the girls and I went to Trevia in Itaewon-dong.
Not the main street in Itaewon, but closer to the Noksapyung Subway station.
OR out the Kimchi Pot Gate.

I have a couple of friends that just LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this place.

It is a quaint little place...they have coffee, beer, wine and all kinds of pizza!
And their presentation is very nice!

This sweet potato pizza was very unique.

Below:
Pizza slice at top: 4 cheese pizza - 4 different types of cheese, but in the four corners (scratching head on that one!) Middle: pretty good, mushroom pizza and bottom: margarita pizza - seems to be missing a few things.

I'm glad I tried Trevia, but for a good slice of traditional pizza I would much rather go to my favorite pizza place - Pizza Peel!

To get there:
From the Kimchi Pot Gate:
Exit and take a right.
Go down and cross the street.
Come out on the right exit and walk just a few feet and you will see Trevia on your left.

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Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms

6/15/2013

1 Comment

Hello beauties....

Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms are one of my favorites!
These are simple, filling and you can totally make them Whole 30 compliant.
The ones pictured are not.
To make them compliant just leave out the feta!

Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms:
Portobello mushrooms, cleaned and stems removed and rub the bottom with olive oil (to prevent sticking on the grill)
fill with a layer of spinach
chopped tomato
chopped roasted red peppers
fresh cut basil
crumbled feta cheese
drizzle with extra virgin olive oil

Place a piece of foil on grill - drizzle with a little EVOO - add mushrooms & grill for about 20-30 minutes.

These bad boys are heavenly.

Feel free to be creative...you really can top them with anything you like.
This recipe just happens to be my favorite way to make them.

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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?

Shrimp & Avocado Goodness

Umyeonsan Mountain & Daeseongsa Temple

7 Layer Magic Bars

Pancakes - Whole 30/Paleo Style!

Tuesday's With Trish - Yum Thai - Sinsa Area

Portabella Breakfast on the Grill.....

Not Quite Right #33

Tuesdays With Trish ~ Pancake Story

Tuesdays With Trish - Trevia!

Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms

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