Recycling 3 Side Dishes

It is a puzzle how to reuse leftover food so as to save some money and avoid throwing food out. I rose up to the challenge this time. Reduce. Reuse. Recylce.

Yes. I like the idea of recycling and reusing that even food has no escape from me. I hate throwing out food that is still perfectly edible except that it already reached its limits when it comes to how it should taste in the first place. Did I lose you on that? Well, let’s just say that I’ve made some food, it didn’t taste as well as it should be or I’ve made more than we can consume at one go. It should last in the fridge for about three days before everyone except me will refuse to eat it again.

In order not to waste a lot of food, I make sure that what I cook is something that I won’t mind eating for days. If it doesn’t fall under that, let the boys make it themselves. I won’t be responsible if they decide to throw it later. This is how I ended up with three dishes in the fridge this week that needed to be put on priority before someone else finds and throws them out.

First Dish. Beef Bulgogi.

I seldom buy meat for health reasons plus it can be pretty heavy on the budget. I first made it for my son and he ate it at least once with a little hesitation. The second or third time, I might have had to bribe him. So this pretty pricey meat dish stayed in the fridge for a while. I tried to put it in fried rice but it wasn’t that popular either. There was still a bit that needs to be “recycled.” In the end, I added it in the pocket pizza mixed with bell peppers, onion, garlic, and cheese. Not my best pizza but it was my first decent looking pocket pizza even if my son didn't like it that much.

Second Dish. Canned Fish in Can.

I was slightly craving for fish after the bulgogi mishap so I opened this can. I discovered that I actually have 2 cans of this and I don’t remember tasting it yet. This makes me wonder what I must have picked these cans up twice with the intention of trying it out. Well, this fish in can turned out to be spicy for my taste. I was able to eat half of it but had trouble finishing it before it goes bad. It has coconut milk after all that go bad quickly once opened. I needed to google how to neutralize the spiciness.

My solution? Add some water! I do like thin liquid with my fish in coconut. But not only that, to up the chances of it tasting good, I also added a tablespoon or two of spaghetti sauce just enough to lose its white color and spiciness. Just like my accidental mix with the chickpea before, I managed to finish the whole thing even to the point of having to wait for the rice cooker to finish so that I can have more rice with it.

Third Dish. Chicken Teriyaki.

Made this as a freeze and dump for the slow cooker so it was the freezer for a while.

By now, I was already in my air fryer experiment mode so it was my first chicken to land in the air fryer. Such a waste as I skipped the thawing-well part that I almost burned the outer part while it still remained frozen inside. Off it went to the oven to no avail. It was thawed all right but the burned part just got worse. What did I expect? Nothing! I wasn’t thinking and wasn’t keeping a close eye on it while it was in the oven grilling.

Nonetheless, I tossed it with a sauce I hastily made and it was just so salty. Talk about a series of failure in one night. Well, I just cannot throw that out and thought I can make into a soup. It is well marinated and it still tastes okay save for the charred part and the saltiness level.

What did I do with it? Soup didn’t happen. I found that it’s easier to eat it with lettuce and rice. It wasn’t so bad.

With all of those meat and fish out of the fridge, I can now go back to the non-meat options. Oh! I almost forgot that I still have two leftover pocket pizza that I am saving for Sunday at least. I may try to look in the fridge again to find if there are any food that needs to be thrown out --- uh..I mean, recycle.

Science and Why I Like It #midnightmusings

Liking something and being good at it is totally different.  Let's just start at that. Why I took up a degree in sciences that came with not only life science but with Physics and Chemistry bundled in is just sheer ignorance and having no choice in the subjects that we had to get credits for.

I wasn't exactly a big fan of the those two but I've come to "embrace and appreciate" them after having to sit through hours of lectures and a few more for laboratory work. I really didn't care if I managed to solve the word problems in our class but I was more grateful for it is that it gave me answers or at least an idea on how and why things work. How would you measure the height of a flag pole without having the need to climb it up, what affects the speed of a moving vehicle and thus our safety, why I experience motion sickness with sudden lurches (inertia), how the size of a tube will affect the pressure and many more seemingly mundane things that happen around us but we just take them for granted. These things were explained and dissected in the Physics classes.

Chemistry, on the other hand, was a bit more abstract for me since it is not that visible always. It deals on the smaller and finer things which is just like physics but on a smaller picture unless one talks about nuclear bombs. My only favorite chemistry was biochemistry. It totally spoke to me even though our professor at that time wasn't really keen on her job. It validated what I had been taught all these years on the human body and health. It made me understand more of what goes on inside a living organism like our human body.

What I regret was not taking up psychology at least once in those undergraduate years. This I manage to get a bit through educational psychology in graduate school. That didn't satisfy me still and I gravitated towards buying and reading some books related to it later on when I had the chance. I would like to try to be in a class with challenging discussions about how the human mind works. I would like to learn more about it from equally curious people like me.

This curiosity about everything sometimes makes me wonder if my teenage son would also have a similar curious mind enough to push himself to get into a higher level of education. Or would the Korean educational system totally kill whatever tiny interest he had before coming here?

Life After Kids

36. 14. 

As I sit here in front of my trusty laptop, I reflect on these numbers. I am just half-way in the child-rearing journey and as I see my teen approach the bigger number of life, I just can't help but to equally look at my own numbers.

My life in numbers: 14, 20, 21, 22, 36. 5. I have a 14-year-old son, graduated from uni at 19, married at 20, had a kid at 22, and now at 36 years old, I am still at loss at what I want to do. Five. Five years at which my life was put on hold for the citizenship that I had zeroed in to acquire more than 5 years ago.

I had a job, I still do but it's a freelance job that is unstable as far as it can be. No work, no pay but I have the freedom to make my own schedule. I had not been very keen on the super stable job that my parents had groomed me from the beginning since both of them had worked in the government and they are now reaping their loyalty and dedication in their retirement years along with most people in their generation who sucked it up and went to work for an 8-5 job regardless of the pretty limited pay.

My parents are still hoping that I get my act together and join the government job but with extra citizenship, I don't think that is still possible under the law. The only possible field for me is private: freelance, employed and self-employed in a business. The best combination is being employed but at the same time running a business. That is one rule of life that I have seen worked pretty well. But of course, there's still the just do the business but that is riskier. 

So until I get that citizenship card, I will have to figure out what I can do with the remaining more-than-half of my life, one of which is to be able to get my son on a good footing better than how I had been despite my college education. I know I still got time, resources and a lot of ideas that I just have to really zero in. I got 12 days then I'm done and ready for the next life task! I know there is a higher Being who knows the proper timing for me that will yield better numbers.

Blog Overhaul

Here I go again with an idea to try polishing this blog.
It isn't just a place to dumb my brain anymore. It has become an outlet with added purpose. I noticed that I had been baking quite a bit and every adventure and misadventure somehow makes it here that I had to clear up my notes somehow.

Scrolling down to the previous entries under the baking label made me look back on what I've tried to bake and all the editing failures I made. *shameful grin. You see, I hardly edit my post before since it's not meant for other people's eyes usually or I just wanted to dump my words somewhere. (Oops! I'm using that word a bit too often.) I might do a quick once over after I've written it but it's different if you left it for a while and return to it with a fresher eye.

Now, there's some parallelism between writing and baking, especially yeast bread. You have to leave for a while and come back to get better results. Of course, there are specific durations on when you should revisit your written output and rework your dough but the idea is there.

Another one is, of course, they both needs my fingers. Even with the latest voice-to-text technological advancement, I still get more satisfaction in typing or handwriting. It can be more of a personal or psychological thing but I've tried the google text feature and it didn't match my needs just yet. I tried dictation but the text output was not that perfect and it's easy to lose my train of thoughts as speak and check what is being transcribed on the document. No wonder transcriptionist jobs still exist. This also made me realize why I was never a fan of tablet computers. There are no keyboards to feel, touch and find every letter as to let my mind wander on what my next word will be.  This is why I sometimes miss some words when my fingers cannot catch up with the thoughts in my brain. Isn't the brain just an amazing thing?

Which reminds me that I should really get back to studying or starting another batch of bread. But here I am still pecking away on my keyboard.  Another one on my to-do list in the near future is to get on that category list. Adios for now..until the next irresistible urge.

Novice Homebaker Series: Ciabatta

Wet dough. That's what makes this intimidating. I've tried no-knead bread before but nothing with a fancy name that I can possibly buy at a local bakery here except baguette. Even with that, it's been a while since I got some personal satisfaction of being able to make one.

I started with this recipe from Jenny Can Cook but ended up cutting them up into smaller one by watching this video on the tube since that I thought it might easier and faster to bake and eat. I haven't exactly proven that but I only managed to make it into 4 and it was already tricky to make it hold a shape and not spread out on the tray.
It took me at least 4 hours to get it in the oven, being the slow and novice baker that I am. Then, the final result came past midnight after it has been cooled. It took a little bit self-restraint to just tear it up while it was still warm. If I had done so, I might have found it still raw inside, I think.

*
The long wait is over and I was actually munching on my ciabatta sometime between 2-3 am. It was crusty but pillow-soft inside. It's such a contrast with my usual bread choices for baking which are usually pretty solid and filled inside unless I use an egg. I ended up peeling one piece naked for the crust and trying to decide if I should bring out my homemade yogurt cheese or just stick with my latest experiment called no-tahini hummus. That, itself, is another possible post to write about later.

Happiness is when you bite into a bread you just made yourself in the wee hours of the morning. I can't wait for my son to try this possibly add this to our "fave bread list."

Future experiments.  More from reddit.

DDM2

Three entries for this week and I've just realized that it's almost every day.

Do I really need to write something as often before I get my shit done for the day? Is it really that hard to focus on studying?

Anyway, my catalyst for today is the stir fry noodles that I made last night. I used a frozen leftover boiled chicken but it's my first time to actually taste this meat as stringy. Now I understand what other people are saying about chicken meat texture. Note to self: use this kind of chicken in fried rice next time where it will have to be minced just for taste.

I hardly cook meat, much less buy, but it sometimes makes it to my freezer. Currently, I still have a couple of beef cuts that are waiting to be used. There are a few shredded chicken leftover that is bound for fried rice in the future, uncooked frozen chicken breast that is marinaded with I-can't-remember-what and maybe some more chicken bones for stock.

My clay slow cooker has been pretty busy lately as I try different things to cook in it. I baked bread, cooked rice, made some anchovy stock, softened chickpeas, and broiled (2) sweet potato on it since last Monday. It has been used more often than my other bigger Crock Pot. I also learned that coating the insides of the pot insert should be the standard. I didn't do that previously with the crockpot because that one has a smooth finish. I've read that clay pot inserts are hotter than the regular Crock Pot so I thought that I had to do it on my clay pot insert this time.  My bread came out well, along with the rice. The rice had a nicely browned bottom and it was delish! The bread, on the other hand, was left a bit too long on high setting that the bottom was tough to bite into. Regardless of that, it still disappeared. What I thought would be a candidate for bread pudding simply didn't happen.

For future references:

bread (3 C flour) : 3-4 hrs on low (too long) better do at around 2 hours on high or not more than 3 on low.

3 C+3 C h2o : 2 hours on high

5 medium-sized sweet potatoes: (washed, rinsed, no additional water) 4H on low.

2 C chickpeas + 6 C h2o: at least 4 hours, or more depending on softness level, There was a bit of leftover water just enough not to burn the bottom.

What's my next experiment? Not sure yet but I still have the leftover chicken stock which I can use for a soup soon. ^^

Daily Dose of Motivation

What are the advantages of acquiring a Korean nationality?

If you already have a non-Asian (Western) citizenship, there's really not much to benefit from acquiring a Korean one at first glance. This is especially if you are a young male and physically able to serve in the army. I am neither of those.

More than ten years ago, acquiring citizenship was a bit more lax but I wasn't really that keen on changing mine. Korea doesn't allow dual citizenship at that time and I didn't think I was ready to give up mine to have a new one. First, my Korean language was dismal, to say the least. How can even think of acquiring the citizenship of this country when I can hardly speak their language, understand the culture and how their government system works? Just because I married a Korean? That is not logical at all.

I was working even when I was pregnant up until I gave birth with just a month or so break and learning the language or acquiring citizenship was not really my priority. My husband had no regular job so I had to work and raise a kid.

Fast forward to 14 years now, my son is almost grown up (I'm pretty sure he'll like this part^^) and my husband has a regular job at least for the next couple of years, I am now in a better place to learn and really understand what and how it is to be a Korean citizen.

The naturalization process has gotten a bit more complicated but I believe it's all for the good of the nation in the long run. There are more institutionalized programs for people who want to get Korean citizenship specifically for married immigrants like me or even just permanent residency for some. Besides, the government now allows dual citizenship so that is a plus for me. I get to have another nationality and I have a better understanding of the country now and what role I can play besides being a wife to a Korean and a mom to one.

Different folks, different strokes. I did not sign up for this just because of that. I want to understand how this country works. Acquiring Korean citizenship is not just an additional passport. It legitimizes one's existence in a country where one can figure out what role he can play for the common good.

Let's move on from the ideals get down to the practicality of it. Why am I going to acquire that citizenship? What are the advantages and disadvantages of a non-Korean living here?

Let me just count the ways that I have come across the idea that having citizenship would have made things easier.

1. Getting those documents from the automated machine. Only citizens, 19-year-old and above, can use those machines. I'm pretty sure there can be a technical way to allow registered expats for such but it's exclusively for the legit Koreans this time.

2. Additional medical and other documents especially when applying for a teaching job. There is a drug test required with the assumption that foreigners would have more likely been exposed to such. I believe it stemmed from some previous misdemeanors that came to light a few years ago. Aside from that, other documents will need to be sourced from one's home country: criminal and educational records, etc.

3. Signing up to certain websites, financial products (i.e. loans, mutual funds, digital currencies, anyone?), and other services that are non-foreigner friendly. This thing just comes up every now and then in my five years of living here. Not only that there is a language wall to scale, but there are also times when there is another wall to break --- citizenship.

4. Government social programs (education, health care, pensions) -  I am not very big on this since I am married to a Korean national and has access to the national health insurance but I am very sure about the pension system. It's common knowledge that Korea has an aging population and this doesn't spell rosy future for everyone concerned with pensions. That's something that I have to research some more.

5. Unrestricted residency. No need to report to the immigration office that you moved but you can do so at the nearest jumincenter if you are a citizen. Although that is not really such a big deal for me. I generally like the rules but it's just pretty inconvenient for non-citizens like me.

6. Political rights. No one can question if you want to join the candlelight protest or any street protest that fancies you. :D Well, what I'm actually saying is that I can vote for the president. Not that I don't like the current government. On the contrary, I would have liked to have been to able to cast my vote during the last presidential election.

That's about it,for now, to motivate me to hit the books and do well on this upcoming interview.

Three Hours!

More than 3 hours had passed but I still can't focus on studying. I got a lot of distractions. How can I get on like this?

I got my topic list waiting for me but I also got my baking list among other things in my mind. Interests and ideas of things that I should like to write about or do in my other life: 😄 in a life where I don't have to study for that freaking citizenship interview and just show up there to chat and let them just hand me that jumin card.

Let me get to the list of my "other life" for now.

• write my blog about figuring out Korean gov't sites for document retrievals etc.
• find out how to really make my indoor gardening better and not just throw it out and give up
• connect my fb group to some pips
• get some baking done with stuff from my freezer
• research financial investments here and in my home country
• create an info site for expat parents about raising kids here
• volunteer at the nursing home regularly
• get my hands on some real estate

Unfortunately, everything should be on hold now until 16 days later. Not anything more, I pray. 

The Dream

We just moved into a four-bedroom house by the stream and every room has a bed. It has a kitchen and dining room even both are a bit cramped. The windows and curtains are all remote controlled.

There were three doors to get in the house. One is the main door that opens up to a narrow hallway leading to all the parts of the house: two regular rooms on the left, kitchen and dining on the right, and two other bedrooms at the end. The two other bedrooms each had extra doors that open outside. One is a bit smaller and cramped with a queen-sized bed while the other one was more spacious and has more windows. You will find a small garden as you step out from the door of the smaller room. The other door of the bigger room opens right outside on a not-so-busy street along a stream.

The stream is clean. A father and his son are trying to catch fish on the other side of the steam. One thing that seems to ruin this idyllic atmosphere/picture is the train station located a little above the stream on the other side. There people roaming about as the train has just made a short stop at that time. It isn't as busy most of the time.

We were just getting settled and discovering our new home when we got people knocking at the doors. The first two were asking if we have room for rent which we simply replied with a negative. But when the third caller appeared, we were put on the spot and finally considered to take in a renter. My husband was quite surprised as he gave out a price for the bigger room that I felt was better fit for the smaller one.

The possible tenant was a widowed old lady who still has a family but would like to live alone. Her family were the ones who came looking for a place for her. Their idea is that she can live by herself but would still have people nearby for company. She has her own room and her own front door but the food will be shared so as not to bother her much with running a full kitchen. The whole set up seems perfect for her and for us so the family insisted on putting down the advance payments right then and there. This was an opportunity us all.

After they left, I asked my husband, "wait, are we even allowed to sublet this place?"

Fortunately, he answered on the affirmative but this was after I woke up from my afternoon nap. 

Financial Literacy Level

Let's be honest here. I am just like any other girl who is not susceptible to the instant gratification after shopping. It may be a small thing or a big ticket item. I do like being able to buy what I want or need. That is the reality of being human.

At my age, I should already have mastered the financial skills needed to survive in this "buy me" world. My pitfalls: I don't have a regular job. I can't keep an expenses list regularly. I am a bit easy to bend to some temptations. But what I can say is that I got some principles and ideas on finances, even though it's a bit scattered.

Here are things that I learned from my father, a retired skilled government employee, who kept his job for more than 30 years. He hardly took vacations at all, sent 3 people to university for that diploma that evaded him decades ago partly because his parents cannot afford to send him to school, took on parttime jobs and unending loans. People of their generation are made of sterner stuff than millennials of today. He might not have to school, read tons of financial books, and earned a big salary but he has some wisdom when it comes to basic finances.

First, live within your means. If you cannot afford something, try to do without it or make it yourselves like simple toys for kids and stuff like that. People existed without a lot of things before and so can you.

Second, if you're are going to borrow money, make sure that you pay it back on time and it will be used for something that will also create money in the long run and not just to satisfy a fleeting want.

And beware of banks. Getting your money is their business. Unless you are confident that you can outwit them or at least get even, never take out a loan that you might have trouble paying back. Better go with the loan sharks! Kidding!

Third, take advantage of government insurances and other programs backed by the government. These would usually provide a safety net for the employed and even tax breaks.

Fourth, if you're employed, find other legal ways to earn that will not necessarily interfere or cause a conflict of interest to your current job.

Fifth, work, work, work. BUT never forget the sixth ----

Have faith!

State of Mind

What do little kids and elderlies have in common? 

I am not sad. It just feels like I have my heart bare-open with issues and possibilities that can make my life's existence more meaningful. Don't get me wrong as I have my immediate family that includes my parents who are generally good health, brother, husband, and our son.

There are still a lot of things that I want to try and do. Some fleeting, some deeply rooted. I am most happy with working with people in need especially those starting and living almost at the end of their lives. I am usually drawn to these age groups.

On the other hand, I also enjoy writing. I would like to write about children and old people. I am daydreaming of writing books about growing up in a multicultural society, about caring for the elderlies, about bringing different views on the table that people can find the courage to talk about it and at the same time improve the lives of those in vulnerable situations. Some works might be heavy but I would like it to be light but thought-provoking.

I may try to browse big books for the elderlies. How are they different from regular adult books? What topics do these books cover? If I were to put myself in a senior person's shoes, what would I find interesting? What would help me ease the inconveniences of living with old age?

Novice Home Baker Series: No Knead Bread

This is my 3rd attempt at trying this seemingly-easy no-knead bread but I haven't been successful so far. Well, the verdict for the third one is still up as it is still in the oven right now.

I first tried this when I first got a medium-sized ceramic pot but it didn't go well. The pot was too small and the bread didn't rise quite well. I had to forgo this bread for a while.

Late last year, when I was able to score a decent Lodge Dutch oven but it was too big for my old oven. Now that I have a newer and bigger I oven, I determined to give it another try. The thing is, I forgot that the Dutch oven won't fit with the lid on. I have to improvise with the flexible foil and I'm waiting how it will turn out.

My second attempt was yesterday but it didn't rise well I think so I had to "rescue" the dough and turned it into bahn-mi bread instead. I had to add more yeast, flour, and water but it turned out good enough for my son to consume. :D

The Dutch oven is still waiting to be used so I tried another attempt and mixed the dough. I used a recipe from Jenny Can Cook but she mixes the yeast with flour which I did the first time. I wasn't sure if I killed the yeast with the hot water but I had to make sure that the yeast is alive and "kicking" this time. I mixed it with the water first to see. It might not be how it was done from the recipe but there's a way around it. And it did rise beautifully!

I mixed it all up and let it rise for at least three hours. Fortunately, it went up to the rim of my wide yellow aluminum bowl. Then, I put it on a lightly floured surface as per instructions to fold it over a few times before moving it again into the smaller glass bowl for another 35-minute rise. It is a no-knead bread but it still needed to rise twice. Oh, well. That is a yeast bread, indeed.

Now comes the tricky part of putting the parchment bottomed dough in the HOT pot. The pot is big and hot. The lid doesn't fit. Boy! This seemed to be a complicated first time in baking this simple bread.

I've just removed the foil from the top and it looks promising. It rose beautifully but I have yet to see it browned well not to mention if it's totally baked. Chances are it will be baked, yes. I mean, even if I set the temperature at 230 instead of 235 C, there should be enough heat from the oven to the pot to bake it.

Fifteen minutes. I am just waiting for it now to see the final result of this 3rd attempt.

10 minutes later:
                                          

It browned well and a little bit on the bottom since I forgot to remove the paper for the last 15 minutes. I still need to wait a few more minutes for it to cool and hopefully, it is well-baked as well.

6PM

Waiting...( I'm tempted to put it out in the "veranda" to cool it faster in this winter cold of Korea.)

Talking Clocks

Either you hate or love it.

"Talking clocks are the worst ever invention of humanity," says my son.
Haha!

I'm on the opposite side of that! I like talking clocks especially when I am in the middle of doing something that I literally lose track of time. I needed to hear the clock to set my brain to hurry up more or adjust my tasks. For example, it is very useful to hear how many minutes I had been in the shower or how many minutes I should need to get dress.

Looking back to a couple of decades ago, my father got a wall clock that plays a song every hour. We know what time it is whenever we hear a specific tune. But now, it's not just by the hours. No music, yes, but a voice that gives the time on how frequent you want to set it. Some have the option by minute, five, 15, 30 minutes or an hour.

It's pretty cool to use it nowadays, be it online or on the phone. My favorite online one is online-stopwatch.com. It has a lot of different clocks, alarms, timers that I can use but my go-to is the talking clock. I can set the frequency and hear the time as I set it.

Then there's the talking clock app on an android phone. I missed this one when had an iPhone but happy to find it when I went back to an android one. This is pretty basic: gives the time as I set it and can also change the voice into male or female. I usually run the app when I'm in the bathroom or when I am heading out somewhere.

Now that I have a bluetooth speaker, which I got for free from a phone center over the change of year, it will be more fab to have it running in the bathroom while I wash and get ready before heading out. It beats the Alexa speaker that my husband got last December. Now, that might be for another post.

For now, I am happy with the existence of talking clocks online when I'm on my laptop or on my phone when I'm out and about.

Baking Bliss (voice-to-text on Google but total fail)

I like baking. I think I've been using the oven at least twice a week lately.

I usually bake two batches of bread in a week: at least one in the weekend

and another one sometime during the weekdays. Since I usually bake yeast bread,

it spoils faster and can only last for 3 to 4 days. It’s either because of that or it's all been consumed or eaten. My son eats it for breakfast and sometimes snacks as well.   

We rarely buy bread ever since I got the oven coupled with the time to bake.  Sometimes, I would still buy some bread on a whim or when I don't have time to prepare something for breakfast the next day.  But it seldom happens nowadays. It's either homemade bread or cereal for breakfast. And when I buy bread, I would usually go for the Roman wheat bread with nuts and stuff. Or I would pick up some sweet bread when I feel like eating one but don't want to be troubled to use of all of those butter. I do feel guilty when I see how much sugar and butter go into those bread. So in the spirit of “ignorance is bliss,” I just trying to buy a bit of this and that just to satisfy my cravings with lesser guilt.

I usually bake a loaf of bread or Pinoy bread rolls. Most of these, if not all, have yeast, water, oil, bread, and sugar --- just the basic ones for baking. It doesn't even need oil sometimes which is quite surprising. Sometimes, I would also try quick bread that uses baking soda or baking powder instead of yeast. These would usually be a muffin, some rolled bread or a cookie. Quick bread usually needs more sugar and maybe even butter so I tend to baked things like that rarely. Not only that it's not healthy with all the sugar and butter it needs, but it's also expensive because of the butter so I seldom bake sweet quick bread.

I found myself baking and kneading quite often nowadays and I feel like kneading by hand takes so much time for me that I really wish that I have a stand mixer. I mean, I like the kneading part especially if I am watching something interesting that I would hardly notice the time passing while my hands are busy but “people” in the house are complaining how much time I spend baking. Don’t they know….? They clearly have no idea!

Now, I really wish to be able to buy that stand mixer! 180k grand. I need to save up for that first after I’ve paid my husband for my car. Yes, that was the deal. Instead of me being able to send my annual savings to put in some funds and stocks, I will have to shell it out for the car this year.

My big ticket purchases last year, aside from the trip home and the car, were the oven, Lodge cast iron skillet, Dutch oven, and a Pyrex loaf pan. I still have to complete the car thing with some car tire changes and brake pads sometime until the middle of this year, I hope.

Going back to baking. I will get a stand mixer this year. I’ll have to keep an eye on some sale soon. It will fall into place. :)

(composed using Google docs voice typing tool, Gradeproof add-on, and good old manual editing)

Korea's Multiculturalism Policy

"The daily feedback she gets from the women converges into one message: none of these programs actually improve our lives in a meaningful way."

This is from an article in Korea Times about Korea's multiculturalism policy based from a Vietnamese married immigrant translator.

Keeping the marriages intact. Pointless.
"comes naturally as long as your way of thinking aligns with your partner."
I beg to disagree. It won't come naturally because of cultural differences. It will take hard work and education for some to be able to come to terms on that.

"And the situation is worse for older couples in their 20th year of marriage or more — around the time when Korean husbands become too old to work."

This is a sad reality for us as well. All because of following my heart.

I have to stop here or I will spiral into another round of depression.

Bags

I don't like shoulder bags. I prefer backpacks, cross body bags or totes in that order. I remember a couple of backpacks that I used to have back in high school. One was a small almost-notebook size one good enough for my afternoon classes or simply hanging out with friends. This was a green one with my nickname sewed on the flap. There was also another dark green that my mom got from a direct selling company. It was a versatile one as it can be a backpack or a shoulder bag if folded and zipped up. I liked those bags. It just dawned on me now that both were green. Well, we used to wear green skirts as our school uniform so it was just blending it in.

Then there was another backpack l, denim brown one this time that I bought when I was in university. I never really realized that I don't exactly like brown at that time and I thought that the color went well with our flesh-colored school uniform. I really liked it at that time but the big buckles and the general weight and bulkiness started to become an issue for me that I found myself hardly using it. Instead, I would end up using a small tote and even exchange that with a close friend's tote at times just to change things up.

Ah! The good times we had just hanging out together. School days were almost always fun. The stories of bags, shoes, clothes and friend from those periods. I was never really the straight A student but I didn't hate school. I enjoyed learning new things and spending time with people I like. Fun simply meant hanging out with friends anywhere, alcohol and smoke-free.

We spent time hanging out on the top floor of the administration building watching the green and blue scenery as well the clouds and people below. I may not have made the best grades but I was doing okay for most subjects. I had a life even though it wasn't a very active one. In every school level that I had been through, I had met at least a friend or two that would be enough to last me a lifetime. I don't know how I ended up with friends to bags but let me just end this post here. It's getting cold out here.

posted from Bloggeroid in the car.

The Plus and Minus in Our Life

I often wondered why is it that a baby comes into a family and someone passes away. I know, there are coincidences and it doesn't happen that way all the time but I always had this slight feeling at the back of my mind that I wouldn't want to bring about a death in the family because of a baby. Absurd, illogical and crazy. Yes. I am totally consciously abandoning that ridiculous idea.

But on the other hand, I just realized today that birth does equate a passing of a loved one. Not totally of course, but it does make us fill in the vacuum of losing someone.  Somehow, it gives us a way to make our grieving less painful. It helps us cope with losing someone dear.

These past two years had been really heart-breaking for my father's side of the family. My father has 2 older sisters and 1 younger sister. Except for the oldest one, all of them live in our hometown. Their relationships had not been perfect all these years with occasional feuds and mishaps but they still manage to pull through together somehow.  After all, family is family with a good sense of value. He is closest to the second older sister and us kids/cousins had grown up with our aunts and uncles around, especially the ones who live near. But now...it's just so sad to think about it.

Last year, the youngest sister's husband was the first one who passed away due to cancer in the internal organ. A few months later, his wife got hit by a vehicle and died. They have a daughter who was married but separated and childless. I hope she finds happiness again in the future; be it a husband, a child, a profession, a calling, --- a place.

October this year, the second older passed away after battling with her kidney. She had been doing dialysis since last January, about the time that I and my son went back to my hometown for a visit. I knew that I might not see her anytime soon again. She was my favorite aunt and it breaks my heart to see her health go just like that. Still, she was not an easy patient to deal with. That will be one pun.

After she died, her husband passed away silently on his chair one early morning. He did have his own health battles to deal with for years already but he was tough. He smoked, he drank and ate anything but vegetables. He still outlived his wife even if only for a few weeks.

Fortunately, I was able to spend some time with them early this year. It is at this point when they are old, unhealthy and needs caregivers that it's just human nature to show them back that we care. Sadly, that is not the usual case for other developed countries anymore.

I had the chance to be with my aunt at the hospital, visit them at home, assist my uncle put meds on his eyes, massage to my aunt's swollen legs, at least be there even for the short time that we were in town.

My uncle will be buried tomorrow, leaving my cousin behind who had already buried her one and only younger brother years ago, and her mom just a few weeks ago. She must have a very strong heart for God to have given here these cards.

How many times I would find tears flowing freely these following days, weeks and months..I don't know. Fall and winter had left me with a sad note this year. I just pray that I will get through this winter with a stronger heart and a hopeful view for the next spring season.

There is a reason why one of my favorite verse is  Eccl. 3:1-8 and a song that I can loop play is Vivaldi's Four Seasons. 

credits to https://jrbpublications.com for the above photo 

Novice Home Baker Series: Combi Oven Trial -- First Week

Scored an almost-new oven through the Carrot App recently so I'm excited to figure out how it works. It cost a bit more than what I planned to spend on a new oven but this one was way fancier at less than half of the original price if bought brand new online. The catch is it didn't come with a manual at all so I just had to try out if it actually works in the first place like simply setting the oven temperature and time. The lady who sold it only showed me the preset functions and almost clueless on how to use it so that was probably the reason why she decided to sell it at that price. The good thing was that my hubby was game enough to foot the bill and help me bring it home.

My first order of trial food was the grilled fish that I had been hankering to eat - my last frozen boneless bangus or milkfish --- or chanos chanos as we had called it back in my university days. I tried out the function for defrosting and grilling. All guesswork but it turned out well-cooked and edible.
 



Now, since this oven is heavier and bigger than the old one, an idea to try the cast iron pan inside came to me. And it does fit! I can try baking some sweet potatoes later on.



But for snacks, I can't resist giving my 10.5(?) cast iron pan a try for baking a pizza in the oven. It can finally fit in this new one unlike in the smaller one I previously had. It looked delish.



Looks like I got a gem with this one. It is multi-function: oven, grill, defrost, dehydrator, odor-removal, and microwave. The only missing one that I haven't seen here is the steam and roundtable features which I've seen in other current ovens of similar style. I wasn't really sold on the steam features of newer ovens but now that I think about it, it would be nice. The thing is those I've seen usually come with the typical "turntable" of microwaves. I just can't imagine how my pans will fit on a limited space like that. Still, I am happy with my new one...with the versatility and at that price! Happy baking days are on the horizon again.

posted from Bloggeroid

The Feeling of Freedom

This isn't anything patriotic or something of that sort. It's simply being able to more conveniently go where or when I want to. I finally got my own little ride today!

This has been another overdue one but there has been really no big need before so here it is. I could have bought it some two years ago when I got enough saved but I was able to put that one in some long-term investment instead. And even this one, my totally last-minute-everything-hubs helped me to get this one. I know I'll still have to pay him in a couple of months for the whole thing and it is still under his name for the sake of convenience and saving some more.

We were at the dealership when I wondered aloud and asked him...
"My insurance credit will still be zero since I am piggybacking on you, right? (I won't be able to build my own insurance credit.)" He answers, "will there be a need for that?" (Or something to that effect.) I had to laugh out loud with his answer. Yes, there isn't really a need nor big advantage in getting some W savings now but there's this tiny feeling of being able to do things on my own in the future. Maybe once I've changed my citz, and have enough dough. Haha!

I will get to that point! In a year or two! Small steps even a bit late in my game. For now, I have to worry about saving for the side expenses on this latest big one. I'm pretty sure, the 3.1 + .7 price tag is just the beginning. I have already made the list of other things I need to add on this one: the sticker, number panel, key holder, snow cover, scraper, etc. Not to mention the annual tax that I need to pay and the fuel of course even though a bit minimal since it's a small one. The annual tax should make up for the longer parking time, and tollway discounts and such. We'll see how it goes.

Ah..one more thing. The process at the center was pretty cool. Hubs called in, we drove in, hopped on the target one, drove around and uphill, checked some more how it works, asked questions, went back to the office, did the paperwork including the insurance and paid. Oops! last-minute-hubs didn't bring his OTP card and his online fund transfer hit a snag. I was almost afraid we won't be driving one back home. Good thing, the trust issue here is pretty high. Hubs managed to cover the insurance and part of the unit cost. There is quite a bit remaining amount that he had to wire the payment after we got home. It was pretty cool how they manage to get the quote and sign up for an insurance through an app downloaded on the phone. Boy oh boy..the secretary also asked if we had kakaobank...That's one thing to note in the future. Look into it as it may come handy at times. So that's about it for today. I can now go back to my lesson prep and other job. One task off my list.  My ride is ready for next week!

Pictures, Videos and Storage Problems

Why do we have to keep photographs, videos, and all these things?

The need to document our lives? Totally a new addition to Maslow's hierarchy of needs? Why?

I try to reason with myself. I really don't take a lot of photos like most people nowadays but my storage still gets full ALL THE TIME. Things that I take photos of: sceneries, moments, interesting random things, practical infos, short-term reference photos like when snapping a shot is faster than writing it down. It is just endless especially with digital technology nowadays. I almost want to go back to the pre-photography period when someone has to sketch or write things in order keep this in memory. Just for a second.