KimChee 101, courtesy of Teddie

 There is a huge Oriental Market only 2 miles from our apt, so I drove over there before turning in the car at 2 pm today.  Teddie gave me a KimChee Cookbook for Christmas and I found all the ingredients to make my first batch of kimchee.  I love this Korean food!!

 Step 1:  make a glue like substance out of rice flour and water.  Cool in an ice bath.

Step 2:  (not pictured)  Brine the bok choy.

 Step 3:  while bok choy is brining, make a past with crushed red chili peppers, anchovy sauce, fresh ginger, fresh garlic, sugar and a bit of that rice/water gluelike substance to thicken it.  Let it sit a while.

Step 4:  After 45 minutes of brining bok choy in salt water, rinse it 3-4 times and dry well.

 Step 5:  Using a non metal dish, toss bok choy and paste with your hands, coating well.  ( I added carrots and slivered green onions.  According to a Korean friend of mine, you can add anything!)

Step 6:  Let it sit on the counter, covered for 24 hours, then eat or refrigerate.  Kim Chee is a fermented food and has a semi carbonated twang to it, along with a little zip.  It goes with everything and is eaten with every meal in Korea. 

Happy 93rd

 

Not sure who the bearded fellow is, but I think it is Alex.  Thanks to Matt for sending the photos via his phone.

WI Tiny Free Libraries

Periodically I see these mini libraries in front of houses.  Totally free.  Take a book... leave a book.  Totally free... no card... no nothing... just fun!!!

Evening Activity

Snowshoeing at Aunt Mary's

My first significant snowshoeing excursion.  It was beautiful!!  This was an hour and a half walk up a hill then around Mary's restored prairie.  You'll notice the younger folks took some rests.  I was afraid to stop for fear I wouldn't be able to get up!!

 

Pick One

     

 

 

Here is our 14" tree again.  Unpacked from the coat closet, sitting in the living room window with the snow filled trees beyond.  I know which one I like best and I think I can pretty much guess which one some of my readers will like.  Go ahead... vote on your favorite tree  number 1 is the top one, number 2 is second from the top, and you can all figure out which are numbers 3 and 4... then pretend it is on the front of a Christmas Card from us.  (I suspect that my vote will be the minority!!)

Blizzard

 

 

 At first it is just gorgeous

 Then the reality of digging one's car out hits.  (Luckily we have underground parking.)  These poor folks will have quite a job getting this guy out, especially since the plow pushed extra white stuff up against the side. 

 We live on a main street, so it is plowed, but the side streets are not... yet.

 view out our bedroom window

view out the living room window

Blizzard Visitors

 Arriving....  a bit blurry.. or else the lens had snowflakes on it!

 E's old snowshoes fit little brother perfectly.

 Unfortunatly, and to E's dismay, she had outgrown her snowshoes!!

 view out our mini living room window.. with our mini tree

 One of the joys of apartment living is that someone else does the plowing,  O loved this view!

 ordering E's new snowshoes

 heading home after pancakes and hot chocolate

 oops!

A different way to snowshoe home