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Kimchi Success!

After three failed attempts, I finally made a yummy batch of kimchi. There are so many recipes on the web, and such variety of ingredients and method. Finally, though, with these instructions that my friend gave me, I got it right.

http://www.traditionaltx.us/Heidi's%20kimchi%20recipe.pdf

What I liked about this recipe is that there are pictures. And the author encourages a lot of flexibility in the spices that you add. For example, I cut out the hot spices and garlic and focused more on the ginger. I also switched out the Napa cabbage for basic cabbage, because in my previous batches, the Napa went too limp. It was probably my fault, but even so, I had much better luck with the regular cabbage, and plus it's cheaper!

Kimchi is addictive, in case you've never had any.  Being fermented, it smells a little weird. However, onnce you've had even just a little bit, you just want more! You feel good after you eat it. Happy tummy!

 

My favorite purchase in 2011

 

My favorite purchase in 2011, by far, was the black-out curtains that we got for our bedroom. Wow. These curtains have made an amazing difference in my quality of sleep. The total pitch blackness of them induces sleep rapidly and deeply. Who knew how much difference any light shining in the room impacts your sleep?

The picture to the left is what our bedroom looks like in the daytime with the curtains drawn and all the doors shut. You can imagine what it's like at night.

I gasped a little at how expensive the blackouts were, at the time, but now, I regret not getting them years ago.

 

My Favorite Kitchen Gadget

Without a doubt, my favorite kitchen gadget is a tofu press. It is such a mess-free and effective way of draining water from tofu. The tofu comes out so dense and easy to slice and marinate. Before then, I'd used paper towels (lots of them!) to soak up the water. It was almost not worth the time and trouble. When I saw the tofu press price tag ($40!), it was a little shocking for something that has only one single purpose, but I went ahead and took the plunge.

In the photo at left, I've been pressing the liquid out for about an hour. Notice all the liquid! 

I got it on Amazon. Just search on TofuXpress.

As far as my favorite ways of making tofu: by far, it's plain-old fried tofu. It gives it the best texture. But, I'm always looking for good recipes to shake things up a bit.

Before I Forget...

I read some memorable books last year and wanted to list them before I forget!

The best three books that I read were Sarum, London and New York by Edward Rutherford. Sarum is set in southern England near Salisbury, and the other two, of course, set in the respective cities and surrouding areas. Well-written historical fiction as these are is such an easy way to learn a little more about the history! And, talk about history: Sarum and London start thousands of years ago when man first happened upon these parts. In each book, Rutherford takes a hand full of families down through the generations all the way up to the late 20th century. New York begins when it was still in Dutch hands in the 1600's and was called New Amsterdam and ends with 9-11. Believe it or not character development is quite good, as families pass along traits from one generation to the next, and conveniently there is a lot of relationships and marriages amongst the families. Rutherford has a silky way of starting chapters off with a little history and then before you know it, the story is happening. I loved all three and recommend all three. In fact, I just checked out another of his books, The Forest, and can't wait to get started on it.

I also read some Ken Follett last year, including Eye of the Needle and The Key to Rebecca. Both were set during World War II and both kept my attention to the very last page. I'm currently reading The Man from St Petersburg, set during World War I.

My sister-in-law had given me The Hunger Games for Christmas in 2010, and I read it last year and could not put it down. It was much more compassionate that I expected.

My cousins recommended Charles Martin to me and I read When Crickets Cry and The Dead Don't Dance. Quite good, but as far as Christian fiction, no one compares to Jamie Langston Turner. 

Finally, I read Finding Salvation at the Dairy Queen, set in Ringold Georgia about a girl coming of age who has to come to Atlanta before she figures out that everything she wants and needs and loves is back home in Ringold. It wasn't bad; mostly predictable. There was, however, a plot twist at the end that was so unreal it left a strange taste in my  mouth.

 

 

 

A Virtual Stock Exchange game

My family is playing a fun year-long game called Virtual Stock Exchange. If your friends or family like an exciting game that doesn't cost a dime, go to vse.marketwatch.com and sign up to start one.

My family's game started at Thanksgiving and will last a year until next Thanksgiving. We each started with $100,000 virtual dollars and can invest it in any stock or fund we like. At the end of the year, who ever has the most money wins. We can even borrow up to $100K virtual dollars, so that give us $200,000 to invest.

I invested in some pretty bold stocks and haven't done too well yet. My husband invested $200,000 in the same stock! My lucky nephew bought some Netflix and watched it go up like crazy about a week ago. Everyone is far behind him! You can always see what your ranking is (see image to the left); and you can drill down to learn everyone else is buying.

You can learn a lot about stocks from playing as there are always some interesting articles on your homepage.

Pillars of the Earth

Am I the last person on earth to have read Pillars of the Earth? I remember picking it up several years ago, but the first scene of someone being hanged to death turned me off. The Showtime series this past summer revived Pillars' popularity, so I gave it another whirl. This time, however, I could not put the book down.

The book revolves around the decades-long effort to build a cathedral in England in the 12th century. This was an unsettling time, as King Henry had died and there was not a cut-and-dry successor. Many lives were lost in the ensuing battles and civil war. Lawlessness ruled. Earls, and even bishops, would betray or kill for more power or land. In fact, even as far as half-way through the 900+ page book I began to wonder if that cathedral would ever get built. Fortunately, there are some truly good characters as well that you root for with all your might. It's definitely a page turner.

I really liked Pillars of the Earth and learned a lot about history, especially the kings (and queen) during that time: Henry I, Steven, Maud and Henry 2. I must admit, that the violent acts of Earl William "Evil" Hamleigh toward his people, especially the women, just about did me in.  Disgusting. If anyone thinks that terrorism is something that has cropped up in the last century, then think again.

One enduring lesson: God prevails! Although men are evil and sin abounds, God ultimately turns bad into good.

Tastes like grape juice

Cycles Gladiator Syrah is an absolutely delicious wine. So smooth, and it doesn't have that initial shock to your system that some stronger wines have when you take the first few sips. Cycles Gladiator is fairly cheap too, at about $7.00 a bottle. This wonderful discovery came to me thanks to Susan, the wine lady at Kroger, who recommended it when I asked her where the Shiraz was. She explained to me that the grape in Syrah is the same grape as in Shiraz (which is my favorite type of red wine). THe difference is that Shiraz denotes the grape is from Australia wherease Syrah means it's from any where else. In this case, California. So, basically if you like Shiraz, you'll also like Syrah. And, Cycles Gladiator is one Syrah that you need to try.

I can't explain the weird brand name of "Cycles Gladiator." What's up with that?

Well, anyway, Cycles Gladiator Syrah goes deliciously with a nice broth-based soup and a toasty roll. In fact, that's what we're having for supper tonight.

The Greatest Composers

The NY Times had an article last weekend about the Greatest Classical Composers:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/09/arts/music/09composers.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=Classical%20music%20top%20ten&st=cse

The article didn’t really list the Greatest Composers as much as it encouraged you to create your own “top ten.” The writer realizes that there is not a definitive list, and everyone would have his own picks.

Huh? You mean Bach isn't everyone’s number one pick?

Well, anyway, here’s my list:

1)      Bach – There are too many of his compositions to name. The Brandenburg Concerti, “Sleepers Wake”, “Jesu Joy of Man’s Desiring”, any of his Minuets, “A Mighty Fortress is our God”, any of his Fugues for Organ. I think my favorite work of Bach’s is his “Orchestral Suite No. 3 in D major”. That will bring tears to your eyes, it’s so beautiful. Bach’s Toccatas are my least favorite of his works.

2)      Handel – The first cd I ever bought (back in the late 80’s) was Handel’s Water Music. That cd had his Fireworks Music too, which is just as good as the Water Music. I love his Concerti Grosso and you may have heard of his Suites for Keyboard which are lovely. When things get hectic at work, I pull out the Suites for Keyboard. Works every time.

3)      William Boyce – He’s English Baroque. Oh, my goodness: I love his Eight Symphonies. Get thee to iTunes and download thee “Trevor Pinnock’s 8 Symphonies – The English Concert.” It will soon become your favorite! Funny story: When I used to listen to cd's at work, my cd player "disappeared" twice... and both times the 8 Symphonies cd was in it. I've had to replace that cd not once, but twice!

4)      Mozart – Who doesn’t like Mozart? He’s so perky! His Prague Symphony and Jupiter Symphony are so upbeat. On the other hand, his Piano Concerto that most know as “Elvira Madigan” is so soothing. I like Mozart operas too. They are so light hearted! Finally, his Horn Concerti are good. (I love brass!)

5)      Albinoni – Once when I bought Vivaldi’s cd of the Four Seasons, it came with Albinoni’s “Adagio for Strings and Organ in G Minor” Oh my goodness. Literally, it is music to my ears.

6)      Corelli – It would not be Christmas without Corelli’s “Christmas Concerto.”

7) Strauss – I used to love playing Strauss Waltzes on the piano. “The Blue Danube”, “Roses from the South”, “Tales from the Vienna Woods!” I’m sure my family was thinking, “Enough is enough!” We saw Strauss' statue in Vienna. It was the only gold statue in the park, which is a sign of how revered Strauss is in Austria.

8)      Chopin – I love piano music.

Well, I can’t think of any more right now, but as the writer mentioned: the exercise is a good one and gets you thinking.

What happens along the way

I read a novel this weekend that has made me rethink the role of strangers in our lives. The name of the book is Flies on the Butter by Denise Hildreth. The theme of the book is how hard it is to go home after you’ve grown up and left it in the dust, as Rose, the main character has done. As a child in a small town in South Carolina, “Rosey” was raised by her mother and father and loved by her Mamaw and Grandaddy. She played day in and day out with her brother, cousins and best friend Jenny. There are probably people who would pay for a childhood as idyllic as Rosey’s. Contrast Rose’s life a generation later when she’s a high-powered stressed-out lobbyist in Washington, D.C. As you can imagine, she looks good on the surface but underneath is a mess. A family event calls her home. You can tell where the book is probably heading, can't you? And you're right.

Rose is dreading the event as it means she’ll have to interact with her mother. Something happened to estrange them later in Rose’s childhood. You don’t know what until the end. You do know that Rose is becoming more and more tense as she sets out toward home in her fancy car wearing her fancy clothes and clutching her overworked Blackberry. On the way she faces physical obstacles: rain and traffic and the quest for a “healthy” restaurant. And there's something about driving by herself back to her roots that dredge up the full laundry list of all her bad choices and the mess they've gotten her in.

What intrigued me about the story, as I alluded to earlier, is how the strangers that Rose encounters along the way sense that her life is a mess. In one case, Rose lends a hand to a lady named Lilly and her baby who are stranded along the side of the road. After Rose drops them safely home, Lilly kneels in prayer for both her own struggles as well as for Rose’s. In another case, a waitress serves Rose a good ol’ Southern lunch, much to her protest but ends up quite satiated. After Rose pays and leaves, the waitress and her co-worker slip to the back room and say a prayer for Rose.  There are numerous other occasions during the trip home, where strangers pray for Rose. The one involving Abigail is so powerful that it will reduce you to tears.

It’s making me more aware of strangers and how God places them in our lives. How many times have I missed the opportunity to pray for a stranger because I was too caught up in my own routine? Conversely, how many times has a stranger prayed for me when I was having a bad day? How many times did that prayer make a difference, and I wasn’t even aware? I vow to be more aware of strangers and pray for them, especially ones that are looking sad. I’m also going to ask God to show me and give me signs as to who to pray for.

Denise Hildreth, the author, has a clever writing style. Rose has alternating flashbacks during the drive home of happy childhood memories and unhappy adulthood events. You’re wondering what could possibly have happened to such a well-loved little girl. In that respect, the book is suspenseful. The author uses clever phrasing throughout. For example, during one flashback of 10-year old Rosey and her cousin smoking their first (and only) cigarette, the author describes the children’s hands “encrusted with dirt from their earlier project of mud pies.” I thought that was cute. Later in the book, the conversation that Mamaw and Grandaddy have that explains “flies on the butter” (the title of the book) is priceless. The love that these two old people have for each other is so apparent in their words to each other.

The ending is somewhat predictable but very satisfying.

I’m so glad my sister-in-law lent me this book! I’ll probably pick up more books by Denise.

You Tube sample

I went to Little Rock last weekend and got cultured! You Tube culture that is. My family there is very up on popular You Tube videos and taught us about these three. They really are funny. It got me thinking about how You Tube has changed lives. It has launched careers. Do you remember when it first came out in 2005? I remember thinking home videos: it's America's Funniest Videos online! Did anyone you know predict its impact?

Well, here are three for you to learn about, in case you're as out of the loop on culture as I am. Enjoy!

1) Family Feud "Naked Grandma" answer

2a) The Bed Intruder - interview

2b) The Bed Intruder - song

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hMtZfW2z9dw

3) Pants on the Ground - American Idol interview and song