What's for Dinner: Hot Pot and Korean Barbeque

This past weekend Jimmy visited and that always calls for extra effort put into dinner. We narrowed it down to either hot pot ot Korean barbeque, couldn't decide on one, so we did BOTH! We did cheat a little bit on Korean barbeque because we broiled the meats in the oven (it was a really hot day that particualr day, so I think there's an exception to the "grill at the table" rule). Everything was very delicious and very filling...and overall, a lot cheaper than if we went to eat out. We did have to put in a little prep work, but time in the kitchen is gossip time, so that was time well spent.

I am not the greatest fan of Korean arbeque at restuarants. I believe I am a little cheated when I have to pay to cook my own food, that's kind of the reason why I'm going out to eat at all. Anyway, those Koreans are smart I have to say, they just cut and marinade the meats, no need to worry about customers complaining about how the meat is cooked. Don't love Korean barbeque when I go out, but I do like eating freshly grilled meats, so when we eat in, Korean barbeque seems like a good idea. Then there is the grilling indoors and the risk of dying from smoke suffocation, so we've made Karoean barbeque a "special" dinner only affair.

We had both beef and pork, but we cheated on the pork and bought marinated pork from out local Korean store. I have to say though, both were equally good, which means we must have some Korean in us.

Korean Barbeque Beef

1 pound beef, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon finely chopped giner
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 teaspoon sesame seeds
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon oyster-flavored sauced

1. Mix all the ingredients together, add beef.
2. Let marinade for at least 30 minutes.
3. Grill until desired doneness (we grilled ours for about 3 minutes)

I actually haven't had hot pot at a restuarant, so I don't really know what ingredients are traditionally in hot pot, but we had a Chinese native (almost through and through) with us, and if he didn't complain, we take it that we did good.

I honestly believe that with every noodle soup dish, the basis for it turning out great is making sure the broth is wonderful. Because out interpretation of hot pot is very similar to pho (a very familiar dish), we started with our very own recipe for pho broth.

Left: frying spices                     Middle: strained spiced oil                     Right: broth, ready to go

Pho Broth

8 cups of water
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup of vegetable oil
2 pieces ofdried galanga
2 star anise
4 dried bay leaves
1 teaspoon of fennel seeds
1 teaspoon of steak seasoning (pepper corns, coarse sea salt, fennel seeds, coriander seeds, chilie flakes, paprika)
1/4 cup of soy sauce

1. In a sauce pan (or the large pot you're going to make your broth in), heat oil until hot.
2. Add galanga and star anise and stir. Cokky for 1 minute.
3. Add fennel seeds and bay leaves. Add steak seasoning. Cook for another minute or two until fennel seeds are fragrant.
4. Remove oil from heat. Strain oil into a heat proof bowl or cup. Discard spices.
5. Put oil back into pot and heat until hot.
6. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds (do not let garlic brown). Add onions and cook until tender.
7. Add soy sauce. Cook for another minute.
8. Add meat, if using, and cook until meat releases some juice. Add water and let boil for at least 30 minutes.
9. Taste broth and adjust salt level to your liking. If too salty, add water.

There are a bunch of things we put in our hot pot, so much so that I actually did not get all of them photographed. So if you're new to hot pot, here's how you would eat it. First, make your broth (you will need a portable burner to set your pot of broth atop, so make sure you have this before you even make the broth). Second, make sure you have all your meats, vegetables, and noodles ready. That means you need to thinnly slice your beef, cut up all your vegetables, and have your vermicelli noodles soaked.

To eat, and this is set up family style, have all the meats, noodles, and vegetables on a table.  Start by putting a bit of everything into the pot (which is kept simmering at the table), individuals will dish out what they want as they eat. Make sure the meats are thoroughly cooked before you start digging in. Keep adding ingredients in as you eat to make sure they're always food cooking. A rule to follow is to have extra broth simmering on the stove to replenish the pot at the dining table. Have fun with hot pot, and be careful, the pot really is hot!

Noodles: vermicelli angel hair and thick flat rice noodles.

Vegetables: napa cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, shiitake mushrooms, basil, and cilantro.
Not pictured: bean sprouts and mint.

Proteins: fish balls, tofu, shrimp, and beef.

Price breakdown:

Korean Barbeque
Beef: $10.00 (split)
Marinade for beef: free (we already had these ingredients on hand)
Pork: $13.00

Hot Pot
Broth: free (we already had these ingredients on hand)
Noodles: $3.00
Napa cabbage: $2.00
Broccoli: $2.00
Cauliflower: $1.00
Basil and cilantro: free (from mom's garden)
Shrimp: $10.00
Beef: free (same beef was used from Korean Barbeque)
Fish balls: $2.00
Tofu: $2.00

Total: $45.00

We fed 5 people and we ate this for three meals (because we had so much left over), that means for this meal cost us $1.75 per person per meal. Beat that!

Makeup for Cheap

Recently I've tried couponing. Very unlike my older sister, I am horrible at it. However, this week, I have been pretty lucky, especially because there's a sale going on now for 69 cents nail polish, lipsticks, lip liners, and eye liners. I went out and bought a whole bunch of nail polish and a few eye liner pencils and I didn't even feel a slight bit guilty afterwards. Oh, and a great find was the foundation I bought, which was 75% off. I actually didn't use any coupons, but that's ok, I still got makeup for a lot cheaper than I usually do.

That means that if you are going to your local CVS drugstore, keep an eye out for Wet 'n Wild nail polish, lip sticks, lip liners, and eye liners, because they are going for CHEAP!

Price breakdown:

Everything (10 items): $ 0.69 each

Savings: $4 extrabucks from CVS

Total: $2.90

Easy, Healthy Salad Dressing

One of the things I love more than cupcakes, are vegetables. I'm not sure why certain people hate vegetables, but I love them (not as much as vegetarians, because I happen to love meats just as much). One of my go-to vegetable dish is a simple salad, but I make mine awesome with my dressing. The important thing to remember when making this dressing (as well as any of the recipes on this blog) is that you can always adjust it to your taste. Add a little bit more of this, a little less of this, or add something new altogether. 

Salad Dressing Recipe

1/2 lime or small lemon, zested and juiced
1/2 teaspoon of fish sauce (or dash of salt)
1 tablespoon sugar (this time I used 1 tablespoon of my homemade ginger syrup)
A few shakes of black pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
2.5 cups of salad greens (baby spinach, mixed greens, etc.)

1. Combine all the ingredients together and mix until incorporated (emulsified).
2. Dress salad (do not overdress!)

Salad Basics (for me)

There's a few things I always add to my salad, one of them being onions and the other being fruit. The onions, mixed with a bit of the dressing and microwaved for 1 minute on high to tenderize them, becomes a really sweet addition to any salad. I really enjoy the extra freshness and flavor fruit adds to a salad. Whatever fruit I have available, whether that be apples, oranges, strawberries, or peaches, basically anything that is quite firm and can keep its shape and texture after being tossed. For today's salad, I also added some almonds and candied ginger as well as peaches because I happen to have all those ingredients on hand. When you make your salad, add whatever ingredients you like. Oh, and if you haven't, try sliced cooked potatoes, your salad now has become filling.

Forever Cheap

This weekend, we went on a shopping spree! And for the first time in a long time, we did not go to the thrift store. There's this small shop the next town over that sell super cheap clothes. And the great thing is that their clothes are actually things from stores like Forever 21, Charlotte Russe, and other pricier stores. We bought 3 items, a dress, a skirt, and a top and all for under 10 bucks!

 The dress I bought I very cute, starting with it's very simply but very unique print--elephants! I love the feel of this fabric, it's not very breathable, but boy...I forget that because it feels to silky smooth. The color, a orange-copper blend, is utterly beautiful, which only adds to the cut of the dress. On the hanger at the store, I was hesitant to pick this dress because it looked pretty shapeless, and I need something that will shape me. But I tried it on (because of the fabric color, print, and feel <3 ) and it looked good. I like the length, which is not too short, just short enough. I always love sleeve because my arms are not the most toned, and these sleeves with a scrunched cuff is always on my list of things to love. If the sheer beauty of the dress was not enough, the price will definitely win you over, as it did me.

Price breakdown:

Forever 21 dress: $3.99

Pearls and Gems statement necklace: $5.00

Nude heels: $22.00

Total: $30.99

Target Free Goodie Bag

If you're anything like me, free stuff always wonderful. Recently we received a wonderful surprise in the mail and that surprise was a free Target goodie bag. We actually signed up for this free goodie bag a few weeks (months) back, that we forgot what it was. But what's great is that it came. This free bag is packed full of sample-sized products, products that we can really use and that's an extra bonus.

So what's in our goodie bag?

The bag itself, which is a zippered pouch with has a very pretty print and made of very sturdy fabric.
Neutrogena Ultra-Sheer Sunblock
Tresemme Split Remedy Shampoo and Coditioner
Aveeno Daily Detoxifying Scrub
Garnier Fructis Color Shield Shampoo and Conditioner
Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter
Target beauty product coupon book

We use sunblock on a daily basis and this Neutrogena sunblock is perfect, especially for the face. This sunblock is very light and does not leave an oily feel at all and that's always great. I have yet to use the other products, but when I do I will make sure to update this post and let y'all know how they are.

July Fourth Barbecue

Happy Fourth of July (again)!!!

This is a much fitting post for the big 7/4 because it actually showcases what we cooked and ate today. I am posting this a few days late, so use your very creative imagination and take yourself back in time for a little bit.

So, today, we were in really good company (minus one mister who I thought travelled a long ways to join us, but BAILED). We started the day off slow but eventually ended up in the pool by the middle of the afternoon. The greatest part of the swim was little Landon,  who has never been in a pool before and found it quite odd that we were all "showering" together. As I was stepping into the pool, he looked at me, looked at his mommy, and said, "Auntie shower too?" It was just too much for me.

We finally got out of the pool and started our barbecue grill. As mandated by this national holiday, we had a backyard barbecue, and as it always seems to happen when we grill anything, our meats came out a bit more charred and a bit more done than we wanted.

Fourth of July Barbecue Menu
Rice
Pork/beef sausage
Chicken wings

Chicken drumsticks
Steak
Corn on the cob
Pepper sauce with lots of cilantro
Wine cocktails

rice, because we have a lady who just cannot eat without rice (even during her low carb diet)

Protein: chicken, beef, and pork
next year: fish

Vegetables: corn, pepper sauce, wine cocktail
(grape is more of a fruit, but it's just as healthy as a vegetable, especially in its liquid, fermented form)

After stuffing ourselves, we walked outside and watched the firework show. It's always a good thing that we live so close to where the fireworks are fired off, we were able to sit across the street from the apartment and enjoy a light show. Some of the better pictures that I was able to capture when I was not moving from the all the excitement.

The shooting stars, which was very fitting tonight because of the giant moon.

The light show that made the night AWESOME!

The GRAND FINALE
We like to end with a big BANG and that happens most successfully when you shoot multiple fireworks at once.

This year may not have been the greatest year from some of us, but tonight definitely made me forget some of the $4!+ that the wonderful year of the dragon has brought. So, may the rest of the year be like tonight's firework show, starting with the malfunctioning test runs that don't make it to the sky and fall back to the ground, followed by beautiful explosions of colorful lights that remind us to celebrate the blessings around us and ending with so such grandeur, it's more than was anticipated at the beginning.

Happy Independence Day!

Ginger Surprise

From the last time I made ginger cupcakes, I had some a few sweet ginger concoctions left over that I wanted to make use of. First, always reserve your ginger syrup from the candying process and make a well deserved cocktail for yourself. That's what I did with my ginger syrup and now I want to go get some more ginger just to make the syrup for the cocktails. It's also a great idea to share drinks with friends, so good thing a friend visited today. Thanks for giving us a reason to drink today!

I also had some candied ginger left, so I made some ginger walnut cookies. A special lady I know loves ginger, so I made some the other day and shared it with her. I do believe she likes them, she did finish one while I was visiting, then again, she always does and I later find out she hates something I've made, so who knows.



So very refreshing and not strong at all. The combination of different citrus fruits is just right.

All the ingredients (minus the orange): lime, lemon, ginger syrup,
lime and lemon juice, mint syrup, vodka, and mint.

Left: muddled mint and lime wedges                   Right: everything mixed together, ready to drink

Ginger Mint Cocktail

40 mint leaves

1/2 cup orange juice

1 large lemon, juiced

1 lime, juiced
1 lime, cut into wedges

4 tablespoons ginger syrup
4 tablespoons mint syrup**

1/4 cup vodka

1. Place mint and lime wedges into a pitcher and muddle with a wooden spoon.
2. Add juices, syrup, and vodka. Mix until incorporated.
3. Strain into glasses filled with ice.

**Mint Syrup: equal parts sugar and water (1/2 cup water, 1/2 cup sugar) and a few mint leaves (I used 10 for 1/2 cup of water and sugar)

Ginger Walnut Cookies

1 cup flour

1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup butter

1/6 cup candied ginger
1/2 tablespoon grated ginger
1/8 cup chopped walnuts or almonds

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Mix flour and salt, set aside.
3. Cream sugar and butter.
4. Add grated ginger, candied ginger, and walnuts to butter. Mix until incorporated
5. Add flour, mix until incorporated.
6. Shape into balls and place evenly on baking tray.
7. Gently press down on each cookie so make a 1/3 inch disc.

8. Bake cookies for about 20 minutes, the tops of the cookies should be slightly golden.

Price breakdown
Ginger*: $1.00 (bought them for super cheap at the Asian market, 79 cents per pound)

Ginger Mint Mojito
Mint: free
Syrup: free
Limes: $1.00 (10 for $1.00)
Lemon: $0.96 (6 for 96 cents)
Orange juice: $1.49

Ginger Short Bread Cookies
Almonds: free (I bought a bag at CVS for $4.99 and used my $5.00 extrabucks, so it was free!)
Everything else I already had in the refrigerator or pantry.

Total: $3.45

*I candied all the ginger and made about 1.5 cups of candied ginger and 2 cups of syrup. I'm excited for the future!

Life and it's Many Stepping Stones: The Hmong Wedding

Life is constantly changing and sometimes I simply don't accept it until I'm a part of it. I'm always amazed by people who can make life-changing decisions, because I've always been a bit afraid of change. But over this past week, I was part of a beautiful change, one that I've been anticipating for a very long time now. But I have to admit, looking back now, I'm still adjusting to this change.

Two weeks ago, two of my closest childhood friends got married, to each other. There was our gang of five year olds who grew up playing in dirt together, and as the years passed, each one of them has gone on with their own lives and now most of them are either married or married with children. And now that these two are married, there's only a few of us left to bear the pressure and worrisome questions of our future as forever single individuals.

The drive north, stopping for lunch. What's on the menu: boiled chicken, rice, and cucumbers
(this is what's one the menu for the entire wedding).

Nonetheless, this weekend was a reminder to me that no matter where life takes you, you will end up where you're suppose to with who you're suppose to be with if it's meant to be.

I wanted to take this space and explain a little bit about the proceedings of a traditional Hmong wedding, but as I got 1/10 of the way into it, I realized I was leaving out too much details and I started to feel like I was writing a book, because that's what a discussion on such a topic requires. I deleted the five page essay I wrote and decided to do something simpler, something more informal, and this is what we have, a brief blog post.

Wedding and dowry negotiations the night before the wedding.
If a dollar amount is not agreed on, they will be no wedding.
This process can take a few hours or a few days. We were up only until 2 am.

Left: butchering a whole pig for the wedding
Middle and left: the mej koob offers each male member of the family 2 shots and a piece of chicken, not too sure what this process entails (let me know if you do)

Top 2 pictures: drinking, no hands
Bottom left: parties from both the bride and groom sides dissect the beck of the chicken to foretell the marriage of the couple, whoever gets a negative reading must drink (saib yaig)
Bottom right: wedding song

Left: the send off chicken, wishes the bride luck in life as well as any other lady who shares the chicken
Middle: as we leave the parents of bride's house, the mej koob divides a whole chicken between mother and daughter
Right: before we leave, anyone from the bride's family can give the green lady (equivalent to a maid of honor) a drink as a token of her acceptance of a new family member

This particular wedding took place in Oregon and thus there was a 12 hour trip involved, but it was well worth it, both ways. There were 12 of there crammed into a 12 passenger van, and all they way there and back we all slept, so major thanks to our driver who safely delivered us to Oregon and home again.

Granola Bars

Happy Fourth of July!!!

Today, very bright and early, the man-friend (because we're too old to call them boys, and they're too old to be called boys, though they act like boys most of the time) decided he will escape any prep work for our fourth of July celebrations, and go biking. Being the wonderful person that I am, I decided to make him some granola bars  for him to make sure he does not keel over during his 50 mile ride.

Oatmeal Raisin Granola Bars

1 cup oats
1 tbsp flour
2 tbsp honey (I used the ginger syrup I had left from my candied ginger)
4 tbsp corn syrup
1 egg white
1/2 cup raisins
3 tbsp chopped almonds
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1. Preheat your oven to 325 degrees. 
2. Mix wet ingredients together in one bowl. Mix dry ingredients together in another bowl.
3. Mix all ingredients together in a large mixing bowl until evenly distributed. The granola should stick together but no liquid should pool at the bottom (if there is excess liquid, add another tablespoon of oats and stir again).
4. Pour the granola out into a small baking pan lined with parchment paper and mold it into the shape you want
5. Bake for about 35 minutes, or until granola is lightly browned on top and no longer feels wet.
6. Allow to cool, and cut into bars.

Price breakdown:
Free!

I actually had all these ingredients in my pantry. And if you're reading the rest of my recipe posts and find that most of the prices are free, it's because I modify recipes to fit whatever ingredients I have on hand. I also just try to make things with what I have already. I wouldn't have made granola bars if I did not have oats or raisins. I would've substituted more ginger syrup in place of corn syrup, but for some reason I had corn syrup (oh, I made sneakers once).