Gill's Mountain

It's beginning to look a lot like...

Well, really it's not. The Christmas season is a ways off, but I have found some great deals on beads and have enjoyed creating some "festive" holiday jewelry. I will stock them at Men of Measure around mid-November, but have put a few pair online at my 'etsy' shop: http://www.crossfield.etsy.com/.

Or, if you're interested in purchasing a pair 'direct', you know how to find me!

Busy Beading

Just a few of my recent summertime creations.

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Check out a few other items at http://www.crossfield.etsy.com/

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Kimbab

One of our summertime favorites that we never actually made in Korea because it was so cheap to go buy it. About $1 a roll made it the perfect food to pick up and take on a picnic or a road trip.

Preparation for this can be a doozie, and you only want to make it if you're planning on making a lot. Also, it doesn't keep very well... although I discovered a trick for leftovers that I will tell you at the end of the post.

Okay... first is preparation of ingredients:

Fry eggs into a thin omelette. This square pan is perfect!

Cut carrots into long strips and saute with a bit of olive oil and salt. Put them aside.

Also cut cucumbers into long strips. (No need to cook these.)
Here we actually used turkey sausage, cut into long strips and browned. Koreans use imitation crab, ham, or sweet marinated ground beef. The ground beef is really our favorite, but takes a lot of prep time.

The key to any kimbab is the pickled radish. These should glow when you turn off the lights, and you can buy them pre-sliced or do it yourself. If they are pre-sliced, it's good to rinse them before you put them in the kimbab.

And, of course, you need the kim (seaweed) and the bab (rice)! A friend taught me to season the rice with a bit of salt, sugar, vinegar and sesame oil. I think she is a genious! Once you've got everything prepared, put it all out on the table and get down to it!

Spread a thin layer of rice onto a sheet of seaweed. Add all the fixin's.

I don't know what this tool is called, but you'll need it to help you roll the kimbab.

Once it's rolled tightly, it's ready to be sliced to eat immediately or wrapped (not refrigerated!) to be cut later.
We like them thinly sliced and Choonghwan thinks the ends, although ugly, are the best part!

Okay, like I said, do not refrigerate these guys. The rice will harden and then it's over. You can cover them with saran wrap or aluminum foil. It is best to slice the rolls right before you serve them. You have to make these the day you plan on serving them.

If there are leftovers after everyone is full, you can refrigerate them overnight. (better than just tossing them out!) Then, the next day, dip them in egg on both sides and lightly fry each side and serve hot. If you don't finish those, say "adios!" and don't make as much next time!

Dduk-bok-gi

A popular Korean "street food" that is one of our winter-time favorites!

The sauce contains red pepper paste, red pepper powder, garlic, soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar, green onions, sesame seeds and beef broth.
The sauce should be heated on medium heat until it begins to bubble.
Then toss in chopped veggies (we like carrots and onions) and stir for a bit.
Then add meat. Koreans usually use "odaeng tempura" (fish patty?) but we opt for ham at home. Also add the dduk (Korean rice cakes) and stir until soft. We also boil ramyen and toss it in at the end.

Mix it all up, pull it from the stove to the table, and eat it hot!

Warning: strange slurping sounds and spicy sighs may disturb the neighbors!

Beach Baby!

I ♥ Garden City!

I can't really sum up why it's my favorite place on earth... there's something about the smell, the ocean breeze, the sun... I just love it! This year my childhood dream came true when my family packed up to head home, but Choonghwan and I got to stay on for another week! (Thanks Byron and Karisa!) Actually, I think having the second week made the first week with family very enjoyable as I felt like we had plenty of time... the week crept by. After the fam left, Choonghwan and I moved down the beach to stay at the home of some very generous friends and got quite comfortable with "beach-living." We even pondered the possibility of purchasing beach property in the future. Anyway, I think I went into beach withdrawl after having to return home, but now I can look back with fondness instead of wincing and wishing we were still there!

As always, here are a few pics- both from our time with family and our time on our own.

Let's go on a Piknik!

My cousin introduced me to piknik.com, an on-line photo editing program, and I have to say that I am almost addicted. If I had a faster internet connection, I would probably be on there all the time, but I think that the slow connection is a blessing at this point. However, it is really fun to see old pictures take on new life with a few clicks and drags. I've posted a few of my favorites with various features applied:

The color just "pops" in this one!

the softened look is somehow more romantic

maybe Picasso would include us in his "Blue Period"

"Say Cheese!"
*click*

Jungle Haze

"Beauty and the Beast," "American Beauty," or "Pleasantville"?
(only one of those worth watching!)

This would be my resume picture if I were looking for a new job!

Roses are Red...

That's not always true!

We made it to Knoxville for Mother's Day and one of the neighbors was having an open garden. The roses were gorgeous, and the overcast skies made for perfect picture-taking weather. I usually prefer to take pictures of people, not of things, but how can one resist raindrops on roses?! Plus, these offer another testimony to God's majesty and His care for creation.