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)

A few weeks ago Hubby mentioned that he wanted a 'really good burger' and then he ate at Burger King.  My poor sweet husband - craving a hamburger so bad he settled for BK.  It was at that moment I knew my next quest was to find my man a good burger in Seoul. It would prove to be a challenge, but a challenge that I was up for.

I ask a few people - looked on line a little and it wasn't until I was in the commissary and saw a lady that I thought I knew but wasn't sure how I knew her but I always smile & nod at her when I see her -  on this day after the smile/nod combo  she walked up to me  and said "Hi, you are Trish, right?"  It wasn't until that moment that I realized we had never met in person.  It turns out she was here in Korea the last time I was AND we have 33 mutual friends on Facebook.  We have been in each others news feeds for over 4 years but never met in person.  Anyway, I'm not sure how it happened (but I'm pretty certain you can thank my 'gift of gab') but she ended up telling me about Brooklyn Burger.  She was raving about the burgers, fries and shakes - something about Nutella & toasted marshmallows....I was IN!  So today, Friday in Korea time, Hubby has a day off so we jumped in the car and headed to Brooklyn Burger to get my man his fix. 

We almost missed it because it is tucked away at the bottom of a street in the corner.  
And it is *tiny*! 
There is only seating for about 23-30
people.
And it was JAM PACKED!

I must admit I wasn't totally excited about eating a BURGER in Korea and I *almost* suggested to Hubby that we go to the Mackerel Lady instead.  I mean I just wasn't feeling it.
Until...
We opened the door and the smell of hamburgers, REAL hamburgers begin fried up on a grill hit my nostrils.
It was at that moment my mouth started watering, my stomach started growing and I was instantly taken back to when I was 10 years old and entering Mr. Frosty's, an awesome little burger joint in my home town.

There wasn't even kimchi on the menu!
At this point I am hoping all my scenses are right and I have found Burger Utopia.
AND THEN...
I saw this....

Dr. Pepper.
IN KOREA.
In a restaurant.
All the stars are lining up.
Keeping my fingers crossed that it is as good as it smells.

Not only do they have Dr. Pepper, but they also have this:

What is that you ask?
Looks  like onions on a plate to you?
Look again.
It is a FULL SIZE napkin.
FULL SIZE.
BETH, are you reading this? 
FULL SIZE NAPKIN!!

I think I've died and gone to burger heaven.
They even have the cool Coca-Cola glasses.
And she brought out 2 straws.
I felt like I stepped into the 50's for a moment.
(Not that I would know what the 50's really feels like.)

Hubby and I ordered the Brooklyn Works burger.  He ordered the 7 oz, I ordered the 5 oz.  Both of us ordered with their 'special sauce' on the side.  We also ordered 1/2 an order of fries, diet coke (they didn't have diet DP - that would be asking WAY too much), and a Nutella with Burnt Marshmallow Shake. 

This shake was perfect. Vanilla ice cream with Nutella mixed in and burnt marshmallows on top.  Not too sweet and not to much chocolate and the straws in Korea, they always give you BIG FAT straws when you order something thick.

The 5 oz Brooklyn Works Burger.
If you live in the states you may think this just looks like another burger.
If you live in Korea, you know it is not.

And the fries....
So hot
so crispy
 so perfect.

And I can't forget to mention their special sauce for the burger.  I don't really care for sauce on my burgers, but their sauce was so good for dipping French fries in!  It was a mayo - horseradishie - goodness.

These weren't ours, but I snapped a picture of them before they went to their table.
My kids would LOVE these.

In summary, if you are living in Korea and you are craving a good burger then RUN, don't walk to the Brooklyn Burger.  (OK, take a cab or drive there - I saw a subway but I can't tell you how to get there from it and it looked like quite the trek.)  You are sure to leave with a happy tummy.

As with all things in Korea it is a little more pricy to eat here than stateside - burgers ran between 9,000 & 13,000 won.  The total price for both of us was 32,500 won.  But TOTALLY worth it.  I have a feeling we will be back very soon.

Driving directions from the commissary gate:
Turn right out of the gate.
Go across the Banpo Bridge.
Keep straight on the Banpo road - when the road splits (up/down) near the Express Bus terminal, stay UP - left hand lanes.
Right before you get to the big library on your right, and I mean RIGHT BEFORE you will see this sign:

Turn RIGHT, right now!!  It doesn't look like you should turn right, but just do it anyway!!
You will be on the left side of the library. 
Go to the end of this very narrow alley and turn LEFT.
Follow this road downhill - very narrow.
Keep your eyes open as you go around a very small curve Brooklyn is on your left. 
If you blink you will miss it.
If you are driving - right after Brooklyn turn right and then an immediate left,  a paid parking garage will be on your left. 
It only cost us 1,500 won to park here.
To leave - Turn left out of the parking garage, go down this VERY NARROW street a few blocks until you come to a bigger street - you will see Paris Croissant - turn right - when you get to the end - a big intersection with a light turn RIGHT.  Get in the left hand lane and turn left when you get to the BIG road with the signs to the Banpo Bridge, then you are home free.

They are open from 11:30Am -21:30
Closed on Mondays
551-32 1F Banpo-Dong Seocho-Gu Seoul
Phone: 02-533-7180

I couldn't leave without taking a picture of this sign:

You guys have heard me talk about her - the Pioneer Woman. 
What I would give to be her next door neighbor.
I got this recipe from her.  She is nothing short of amazing.

7 slices of bacon - diced
8 whole short ribs - salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup of flour
2 -4 TBL olive oil
1 medium onion diced
2 whole shallots diced
1 1/2 cup of diced carrots
2 cups of yummy red wine (If you are a non drinker and don't like to cook with wine you can use beef broth instead, but I don't recommend it.)
2 cups of beef broth
Thyme
Rosemary

It starts with bacon.

Dice it up and cook in a Dutch oven (I have one now & have no idea how I lived without one for so long.)

Scoop the bacon pieces out and set aside.   Leave bacon grease in the pan.
Generously sprinkle short ribs with salt and pepper.

Then dredge in flour.

Briefly cook short ribs one layer at a time in bacon grease, about 45 seconds on each side. 
This is where you want to add your olive oil.

Set aside.  (You might want to use a bigger plate.)

This is what your pan will look like when you are done.  Yummy goodness cooked onto the bottom.  Leave it like this and add the wine.   The browned flakes will scrape right off after cooking for a little bit.

Toss in shallots, onions, carrots.  Cook and reduce for about 15 minutes.  OH, and put the bacon pieces back in.

Add 2 cups of beef broth, and add the short ribs. Toss in some rosemary and thyme.

Cover with lid and bake in the oven at 350 for 2.5 hours.  Mixing twice during cooking time.

After 2.5 hours turn heat off and let sit in the oven for another 30 minutes.
Once they are done, you will want to remove as much of the grease as possible.  Just scoop it out - like so:

Meat should be falling off the bones.

Serve over mashed potatoes or creamy polenta.

OK....nitty gritty - the broth was wonderful. However this dish was a bit of a disappointment.
Short ribs in Korea are crazy expensive - $45 USD for 8 ribs. (How much are they in the states?  I don't remember them being this expensive!)
I expected more. 
Hubby said to me (he knew how much the meat cost) - this was good, but it would be just as good/better with a cheaper piece of meat, like a roast.  
I tend to agree with him....

Traditions. 
Funny thing, I don't even remember how we started this tradition or how long we have been doing it. 

The thing with traditions:
As you all know we are a military family. 
We move on average every two years. 
Things rarely stay the same for us.
New house.
New friends.
New schools.
New jobs.
New playgrounds.
New  pets.
New restaurants.
New grocery stores.
And that just scratches the surface.

This, my friends, is one of reasons behind my madness. 
So many things in our lives change so often that I need and want stability for our kids, my husband and myself.  
Even with all the change in our lives there are so many things that stay the same and there are many areas where I can help create that stability: 
The 'guts' of our house - even when we can't take all of our worldly things with us we take as many things as possible to help create that "we are home" feeling.
Our true friends. We may make new friends everywhere we go, but we also keep in contact with those we have met over the years.  Thank goodness for Skype, Facebook and Kakao!  :o)
And traditions. Traditions are a huge part of that stability.  Even though I may not remember when, where or why we created a tradition, it is something that doesn't change in this crazy life we live.

                                                                             New Year's Eve Fondue!
As we were sitting around the fondue pot this New Years eve the kids mentioned how every year we invite someone to join us for fondue.  We reminisced about Austin....Austin was Boy 1's BFF in elementary school/Junior high and how he spent a couple of years around our fondue pot ringing in the new year with us.  Girl's friend Lauren, who now lives in Spain is now bugging her mom about start this tradition in their own home.  Connor, Boy 1's BFF from the past 2 years in Texas hung out doing fondue with us last year.  This year was Boy 1's girlfriend.  How awesome is that? 
Tradition.

Reminder:  Cheese coming out of the fondue pot is HOT. 
Don't burn your mouth.

One of the cool things about living in Seoul is that on NYE morning you can run to the fish market to pick up fresh shrimp for fondue.  The uncool thing is that I have to remove the heads. 

Fill fondue pot about 1/2 full of peanut oil.  Heat on high until peanut oil reaches a temperature 350 - 375.  To cook food stab with fondue fork and put in oil.  Cooking time depends on what you are cooking.  Shrimp takes the least amount of time depending on the size of the shrimp.  This is where you will need to experiment.  Chicken & pork need to be cooked all the way through - steak can be cooked rare - well done depending on your preference. 

You can dip shrimp and chicken in Tempura if you so choose.
Feel free to marinate your meats or leave them as is before cooking.
I marinate our steak in Soy Sauce and Montreal Steak Seasoning.
I add salt and pepper to the chicken. 

                              This is actually my FAVORITE thing to eat during the entire fondue experience:

Stuffed mushrooms:
What you will need for stuffed mushrooms:
Large mushroom caps
1 brick of cream cheese
1/4 cup of chives
Tempura Batter.

Mix cream cheese and chives together in a bowl.
Fill mushroom cap with mixture.  Stick fondue fork through the cap in the meaty part of the mushroom.
Dip in tempura, covering ALL AREAS.  Make sure everything is covered in tempura batter or your oil will pop!
Put in oil and cook until golden brown.

My mouth is watering just looking at this picture.

Something new we tried this year was stuffed jalapenos wrapped in bacon.  That's right, I said bacon.  Mmmmm.

Stuffed Jalapenos:
Large jalapenos
bacon
cream cheese and chive mixture (use the same as the mushrooms)
shrimp
tempura batter

Cut the top off the jalapeno
Slice one side of the jalapeno, keeping it attached
Deseed
Put some of the cream cheese/chive mixture on once side of the jalapeno
Put a shrimp on the other size
Squeeze the jalapeno back together and wrap with a piece of bacon
Stab with fondue fork & dip in tempura batter, again making sure to cover EVERY AREA!!  Put in fondue pot and cook until a deep golden brown. 

Hello beautiful.

A few important thing you need to know about the meat course.
- Have separate plates for uncooked and cooked meats.
- NEVER let the uncooked meat touch your cooked meat plate.
-Do NOT touch uncooked meat with your hands.
- Do NOT eat off fondue fork.  You are sure to burn yourself.
- Place cooked meat on your 'cooked meat plate' and eat with a fork.


                                                                             Fondue Rule:
The only rule in fondue is that if you lose something in the fondue pan during ANY course you must kiss someone of the opposite sex at the table. 

Dessert Fondue.
The last course.
Can you guess what Boy 1 said before this course?

Melt both types of fondue in fondue pot on low heat stir until smooth.

Things for dipping:
Strawberries
Bananas
Pound Cake
Cheese Cake
Blueberries
Raspberries
Marshmallows
Pretzels
Really anything that taste good dipped in chocolate.

Vote on which flavor you like better.
In this house we are 3 for dark, 4 for white.

Fondue starts in our house anytime after noon on New Years Eve.
In between courses we play games, watch movies and just hang out.
5 minutes before the new year we open the sparkling cider!
This year we had sparkling grape and cherry.
As a reminder to myself: Don't ever buy cherry again.

Ringing in the New Year!
Goodbye 2012, Hello 2013!

Hubby has been working some seriously long hours.
He came home unexpectantly.
He was HUNGRY.
I had prepared NO DINNER.
I ran to the store.

Filet Mignon and Wedge Salad - saving grace.

Filet Mignon.
Soy Sauce.
Grill Mates Montreal Steak Seasoning.
Toss all in a bag - marinate for 10 minutes.
Grill to perfection (very minimal if you ask me).

Wedge Salad.
Ice Burg Lettuce - cut into quarters.
Tomato - diced.
2 sliced cooked bacon - diced.
Ken's Blue Cheese Dressing.
Fresh Italian Gorgonzola Cheese - crumbled.

Look at the picture and do what I did.

Your hubby will think you walk on water because you went to the store & had a fabulous dinner on the table in less than 30 minutes.