Happy Life, Happy Wife

So you have a day off, and what do you do with it?

Are we talking a serious day off?  Like no work, no kids, no nothing?  In all honesty, I’d probably spend all day sitting on the couch watching re-runs of Judge Judy.  In my pajamas.  All day.  That’s what usually happens during my free time.

If I had my IDEAL day off though -

1. Go to First Watch for breakfast.  I’d order the trifecta, and thoroughly enjoy a fluffy waffle, scrambled eggs and bacon.
2. Go to Jo-Ann’s and pick out a craft for the morning.  It would have to be a craft I could actually get done quickly, so sewing and cross-stitch projects are probably out.
3. Go to a matinée of Mockingjay Pt 2.  Eat a lot of popcorn while I’m there.
4. Go on a fun outing with my family in the early evening.  Maybe even like Chuck E Cheese or something.  It may sound like a parent’s nightmare, but I love watching the kids have fun.
5. Spend a good hour or two online shopping.
6. Plan and book next year’s vacation.
7. Watch a few episodes of my current k-drama:  Jewel in the Palace

I suppose my life isn’t very exciting, but that sounds like one heck of a good day to me!

This is a super easy Korean dish called “Dakjuk” —

Of course I’d heard of porridge before, but I never really thought about or knew what it was.  It’s boiled, crushed cereal made from oats, corn, wheat, or rice as we have here.  My whole family was sick a few weeks ago with really bad colds, so this was the first thing that came to mind when preparing for a meal.  Think of this as a go-to food for when you’re not feeling very well.  Instead of soup, make some porridge!  I hate to call a recipe bland, but this is bland in the good “I’m sick and don’t want to eat tacos” kind of way.

Dak = Chicken     Juk = Porridge

Now you can, of course, make everything from scratch.  Homemade chicken stock.  Baked or roasted chicken.  Mhmm, that would be great……………  Although who really wants to do that when you’re not feeling well.  Instead try this easy, semi-homemade version:

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup short grain rice
• 4 cups packaged chicken stock (plus some extra)
• 1 carrot
• 1 celery
• 1 cup cooked deli chicken

Directions:

1. Soak your rice for about an hour.  Drain.
2. Put the stock in a large pot and add the rice.  Cover and cook over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes or so until it has reduced some, stirring occasionally.  Then simmer, covered, for around 20 minutes more.  Don’t forget to stir it so your rice doesn’t stick to the bottom!  While it’s simmering, chop up your carrot and celery into small pieces.
3. Check the consistency and add more stock or water if needed.
4. Add the vegetable pieces to your porridge, cover and continue simmering for another 10 minutes or so.  You want the veggies to be cooked and soft.
5. Stir in the cooked chicken during the last minute to get it warm.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

It’s a very versatile recipe, so try it with different veggies or a little bit of shredded cheese on top. 

May this dakjuk keep you happy and healthy!

This dish is courtesy of my pen-pal JungHo, who was kind enough to suggest it. 

Bulgogi (불고기 ) is marinated beef that is traditionally grilled, although in my case I cooked it inside in a pan.  It’s usually served with a spicy dipping sauce, hence the meaning of “fire meat” and wrapped in lettuce.

After browsing through the internet for a good recipe, I ended up just getting a general idea of what was in it and then making my own combination.  So this is what worked for me:

Ingredients:

1/2 pound beef tenderloin (filet mignon)
5 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp mirin
2.5 Tbsp light brown sugar
2 Tbsp sesame seeds
2 Tbsp minced garlic
1/4 C green onion, chopped small
1/8 C carrot, sliced or chopped thinly
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
2 Tbsp sesame oil
A little bit of vegetable oil for the pan.

Directions:

1. (Optional)  Place beef in the freezer for about hour or two until it is slightly frozen.  This will make it a lot easier to slice if you are doing it by hand.
2. In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, mirin, sugar, sesame seeds, garlic, onion, carrot, and pepper.  (That’s everything except the beef and sesame oil)  Mix well until the sugar is dissolved.
3. Slice the beef into thin strips.  Set aside.
4. Add the sesame oil to your marinade and stir to combine.  (The taste will be stronger if you add the sesame oil in Step 2)
5. Add the beef to your marinade mixture and mix it well.  You want to make sure the marinade is in between each of the thin slices and has coated all of the beef.  Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
6. You want your pan to be very hot, so get it preheated over high heat.
7. I turned the temperature down to medium high for cooking, but you can get a feel for how it’s going depending on your stove.  Add the beef to the hot pan and cook on both sides.  You want it to be “well done” to the point where it gets a little caramelized and darker around the edges and the liquid is reduced.  (This is where having a very tender cut of steak is helpful.)
8. Serve the cooked meat hot over white rice.  Or, if you want to go the traditional route, take a piece of lettuce, add the rice and bulgogi, wrap it up and enjoy.

This serves two, however I think it would be plenty of marinade for a whole pound of meat if you want to up the servings.

Not that you need a picture to know what beef looks like, but this is about how thin you want it:

Marinating:

I was so excited to finally get a Silhouette Cameo for my birthday!  I’d see so many cute things on Pinterest that I wanted to make.  Of course though, when it comes in the mail I don’t even know where to start!

So I was sitting at my desk last night and knew I wanted to try cutting some vinyl but I didn’t know what I wanted to make or where I was going to put it.  I was trying to be sneaky and quiet too because I didn’t want my husband coming upstairs to see what I was doing.  If it turned out terrible I could just throw it away and no one would know hehehehehehe.  Sneaky.

The only thing I had on my desk was a coaster holder, and I’m not talking an expensive one.  Doesn’t make any sense to practice on expensive things, right?  That being said, I think it looks a lot cuter now:

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