for the love of paper

while visiting portland, (my old stomping grounds), i had to visit my old work, oblation papers & press.  i didn't realize until after leaving how unique this place is.  i fall in love every time i walk through the doors.  since i didn't have a lot of room in my suitcase and couldn't buy everything there, i picked up a few essentials.

most of these cards are letterpressed which makes them wonderful, and they are created by local artists which makes them even more wonderful.  if you are ever in portland, oregon check out this store.

winter reads

being back in korea means more time for reading.  because i don't have a car, my main means of transportation is the amazing subway system in korea.  i actually like the feeling of not worry about a car; filling up gas, checking oil, wondering what "that sound" is.  i also love it because it means i get to catch up on my reading.  

it's such a relaxing feeling to be able sit down on a heated seat, (if i get lucky enough to snag an open spot before an old man pushes me down to try to beat me to it), set my purse on the ground, open up my book and let my mind wonder into another world.

i am currently reading the book thief.  so far i think it is wonderful.  it's one of those books that has amazing sentences ever-so-often that cause me to stop, go back and read that sentence three more times until it has fully resonated because it is so beautiful.  

"he remained shrouded in his uniform as the graying light arm-wrestled the sky."  the book thief

"... she would watch the sky... usually it was like spillage- cold and heavy, slippery and gray- but once in a while some stars had the nerve to rise and float, if only for a few minutes.  on those nights, she would stay a little longer and wait."  the book thief

happy year of the dragon

yesterday was the lunar new year, and this year is the year of the dragon.  we ventured to a traditional korean concert for the afternoon to watch dance-offs, instrument performances and tight rope walking.  all this performed by men dressed in traditional korean folk attire including small hats strapped to their heads and large fans that they waved around during their performances.

this tight rope walker was pretty amazing.  he performed dances across the rope, bounced on one leg for the entire length, walked across with one knee down and sliding his front foot forward, jumped high in the air and with straight legs touched his knees to his nose and landed back on the rope, and finally, (guys, bare with me here because he must have been wearing some sort of special cup down there), but he jumped in the air, straddled the rope and landed on it, then bounced back up turned in the air and did it again on the other side.

meanwhile we are standing in the crowd of koreans and chinese alike freezing our toes off because the high for the day was 28F.  we didn't last very long and ended up getting drinks and playing quiddler for the rest of the afternoon.

below is a picture of how ryan dresses up before he goes outside in the winter time in korea.

we came back home and had a nice meal of spinach and feta stuffed zucchini with a garlic squash drizzle.

what better way to start of the new year with a healthy meal.  since we have been on the specific carbohydrate diet we have been more excited about eating healthy and more cautious about what we feed our bodies.

the goods:
-two hand-fulls of spinach, washed and torn apart into smaller pieces.
-two zucchinis cut lengthwise
-1 kabocha squash
-1 can chicken broth
-3-4 cloves of garlic
-1/2 onion
-2-3 T of cumbled feta
-1 chicken breast, (optional.  we used it cause we had it already cooked from the day before.)
-1 t olive oil



method:
-place squash in a pot of boiling water until slightly tender.  this could take about 30 minutes.  once tender, cut in half and scoop out insides and discard.  in batches, break squash into pieces and place in blender or food processor with portioned chicken broth.  blend with garlic cloves and onion.  place in pot on stove to heat.

-after you cut the zucchini, scoop out the insides and place them in a pan on high heat along with the spinach and olive oil for about 10 minutes.

-after 10 minutes add feta to the spinach mix for 5 minutes.

-scoop mixture into zucchini boats and bake for 10 minutes at 350F.

-pull from oven and drizzle garlic squash on top.

-enjoy

*this recipe make a lot of garlic squash sauce to be used in other recipes.  i am using the rest of ours tonight as a base for a soup.

wine and cheese party for two

we just got back from our 3 week vacation in the lovely U.S.A.  after unpacking and cleaning and checking on our hamsters, we wanted nothing to do with making a big meal.  we opted for a wine and cheese party and some reruns of saturday night live.  

it was amazing to visit home and go to stores we knew the names of, find food we can eat, and use an actual oven.  but most importantly our time with our loved ones was beyond appreciated and needed.  nothing warms my heart more than lounging around in sweat pants, warm socks and a hoodie while a fire is crackling near by and the chatter of family fills the background noise.

i hope everyone had a blessed holiday.