It's Mandoo Day
It is a Korea New Year's tradition to eat mandoo (dumpling) soup on New Year's Day. You have to eat this soup to have good luck and gain a year to your age. While everyone gets excited to celebrate New Year's Eve our family always put more emphasis on New Years Day. My sister, Anna, has always called this day "Mandoo Day." When she was little she would get so excited and scream "it's Mandoo Day!" over and over again.
I grew up making hundreds of these dumplings on New Year's Day with my family. It is said that if your mandoo is pretty you will have beautiful children. So of course my family goes around critiquing each other's work and making fun of each other's mandoo. Since moving to Boulder and being away from our family we have not gotten to be a part of this family tradition. This year we are so lucky to be together ringing in the new year and making Mandoo together.
Hot Drinks to Keep You Healthy
5 Hot Drinks That Will Keep You Healthy This Winter
I was very excited to share some great hot winter drink recipes with Clean Eating Magazine online. These drinks will keep you healthy and happy during the cold winter months. Give them a try and enjoy.
Grain-free Kimchi Fried Rice
For two weeks living in New York City, we got to enjoy a lot of incredible food. But the best were the ones my sister cooked for us. She made these incredible Korean dinners that we so enjoyed. She cooks Korean food almost on a daily basis which totally inspires me. So my first night back in Boulder I find myself craving Korean food. Since the rest of my family is still in New York I wanted a quick Korean dish. I also wanted something a bit more clean and light because I have been eating so heavy this month. So this is my Grain-free Kimchi Fried Rice which still give me flavor but still light and easily digestible.
Start with finely chopped cauliflower and chopped mushrooms in a bit of butter and sesame oil. Sauté until cooked and soft.
Scramble in some eggs.
Sauté in some chopped kimchi and kimchi juice. Season with another drizzle of sesame oil, salt and pepper.
Slow Roasted Pork with Veggies
I have been super busy getting ready for Firefly Market in May where I will be selling my mala and other creations. It's my first time selling at an event so there are lots to do. I have been working hard but I still want the kids and hubby to have a good dinner. This is a super easy dish. You just have to place all the ingredients in an oven safe pot and slow roast it in the oven at 275 degrees until the pork is fully cooked. I left in the oven for about 4 hours. I prepared all the ingredients in the afternoon, this took about 10 minutes. Then just simply put it in the oven until it was time to eat.
3-4 lbs Pork Butt
2 sliced onion
4 carrots cut into thick slices
2 apples
Salt and Pepper
Sweet Potato for Breakfast?
I have a love of everything sweet potato. It doesn't matter how you prepare it, I will eat it! Last night I baked some sweet potatoes for dinner in the oven so I decided to roast an extra one for my lunch today. But this morning, as I was making breakfast for my kids and I saw the extra sweet potato, my mouth watered and my culinary creativity perked up. You can call this a porridge or a pudding it doesn't matter as long as you enjoy eating it.
I love a good oatmeal or porridge for breakfast but more and more my body does not react well to grains of all kinds, gluten free or not. I often say "I love grains and dairy, they just don't always love me back." Although cow dairy seems to cause issues for me goat dairy does not so I have been experimenting more and more with goat dairy in my diet. My True Eating approach is to rotate my diet and limit those foods that don't love me back. With True Bliss Living as a goal it's always good to remember to release those things in our lives that do not serve us.
This recipe turns your plain baked sweet potato into a creamy and smooth porridge that you can enjoy at breakfast, as a snack, or a great side dish. It was quick to make minus the baking time. But more importantly it is heaven to eat and enjoy.
Sweet Potato Porridge Recipe
1 large baked sweet potato, peeled
1 tablespoon coconut oil or grass-fed butter
1/2 cup goat milk or non-dairy milk
Top with (optional):
pecans or other nuts you desire
rasins
drizzle of maple syrup
a sprinkle of pumpkin pie spice
Blend the first three ingredients in a blender until smooth. Play around with the goat or non-dairy milk to get the consistency you desire, you may need more or less then what is listed above. Spoon the porridge into a bowl and top with your desired toppings. Most importantly, sit, eat and enjoy!
Kids Lunch 2/4/15
My kids are now 14 (9th grade) and 13 (7th grade) and since they have started school back in Kindergarten I have packed their lunch. The lunches have been complex, to super simple, to just plain old leftovers. I find that a lot of people over complicate the whole lunch packing process. With kids lunches it just has to be easy to eat in a short amount of time. A good tip for the younger kids, think finger foods. Kids don't have much time during their lunch break especially since it is a time for them to socialize with their friends. For years now I have blogged pictures of the lunches I have made but never with any consistency. Here is my attempt.
Today it was left overs for lunch.
Pasta with Bolognese topped with shredded goat cheddar
Cubes of cantaloupe
Gluten free chocolate chip cookies.
