Mackerel Stew
about 2 servings

Ingredients:
2 carrots, julienned
1/2 a large onion, thinly sliced
1 – 2 jalapeños (we did 5 serranos)
1 can mackerel
2 green onions, cut about an inch long
1/2 to 1 cup of water
1 tsp garlic minced
1 tsp korean red pepper paste (and extra on the side to add later)
1 – 2 tsp soy sauce (I used 2 tsp)
1 tbsp korean red chili flakes
1 pack of enoki mushrooms
Sprinkle of black pepper
Sesame (perilla) leaves (about 6 – 10 per person depending on leaf size)
Side of brown rice

Directions:
In a small bowl, mix the garlic, chili flakes, soy sauce, chili paste, with a half of cup of water, and set aside the chili mixture.

Heat up 1 tbsp of vegetable oil in a large pan, give the oil a minute to heat up, then add the carrots and gently sauté. Spread carrots out along the bottom of the pan and proceed to place thinly sliced onions on top, then the jalapeños. Add in the canned mackerel (water from can and all), then pour the chili mixture over the fish, sprinkle some black pepper, and add the green onions on top. Cover with the lid and bring to a boil, then proceed to lower the heat to simmer. It only takes approximately 10 mins to cook. During the last two minutes of cooking, add the enoki mushrooms on top, spoon one of that broth on top, and put the lid back on.

Once done, taste the broth, if it’s too salty, add some more water, or if its too bland, season with the soy sauce. Canned fish is a bit higher in sodium so the extra soy sauce is probably best left out. I wanted more spice, so I sprinkled 1 extra tablespoon of Korean chili pepper flakes on top when I added the mushrooms.

To eat, get your sesame leaf (or can use steamed cabbage leaf), place a little bit brown rice on top, add on a piece of fish and some of that delicious carrots, onions, and jalapeños, add a dollop of chili paste, and devour!

Thankfully, we have a Korean market near where our church family gathers, so after Sunday we go grocery shopping with the BFF (and her husband) and we stock up on so many yummy things. The BFF’s mama is an amazing cook, and we’re blessed she taught her daughter, who teaches us. We have a lot of the staple ingredients, so we can make a variety of different dishes from them.

If you’re iffy on the whole canned fish thing, we were a little nervous ourselves, it turned out fine (for us) and not fishy at all. Mackerel is a good fish for you, but it also could be quite expensive, so it was an affordable way to eat it. The meal was easy to make, as well as being delicious and nutritious, so for sure we’d make it again and I’d recommend for you to try it! I’m sure you could even make it with just vegetables, leaving the meat out, if you want to go a vegetarian route with it. It’s the chili mixture and broth that makes this really so tasty. My girls really loved it too! I made two batches, one with loads of spice and one omitting the jalapeños and red peppers. I love that my kids are (usually) willing to try new dishes! We tell them they have to try it first before saying no.

I love Korean dishes, they are so just flavorful! I can’t wait to keep learning more about Korean cooking from the BFF and her mom.

Birch Pillar Candlestick Holder

Supplies:
3″ birch pillar (bought from Michael’s Craft Store)
Drill
3/4″ drill bit (or whatever is the circumference of the candle you choose to use)
Pencil
3 candle sticksDirections:
1. Choose the placement of your 3 candles. Mark its location by drawing around the base of the candle.
2. Drill your 3 marked holes about 3/4″ deep. Again, I just mark everything off and hand it to the husband to do, but if you’re power tool savvy, go for it!
3. Insert your candlesticks into the holes and set up your candlelight somewhere so you can enjoy a beautiful evening.

This is just another way to use the birch pillar. On the bottom of this one, are the 3 small holes for the photo display project. I love that 2 different and relatively easy projects can come from this one item. I like the easy switcharoo and I like having options.

I much prefer using the birch pillar as a candlestick holder, as I was needing something romantic like this for our bedside table. It fit the bill perfectly.  Plus, I also like keeping candles near my  bedside. I like it when my bedroom feels a little bit romantic even though there is usually a mess in some corner, at least one corner is looking nice and pretty.

So which would you get more use out of, using the birch pillar to display photos or as a candle holder? Or just do both projects, since they are both so simple, and switch them out whenever you would like!

Our plans for Joshua Tree this weekend had to change due to the rain. The girls had been wanting to do a treasure hunt in Joshua Tree, but Ben and I made slight tweaks to do it at home instead. Honestly, though they had been asking for weeks, it was a last minute thing and I made a run to a party store on Saturday to pick up some little trinkets, threw in some hair goodies I had from Mane Message, and just wrapped those up with crepe paper. I dumped the contents of an old box out, and used that to put all the “treasures” in.

I originally thought we were going to do it Easter egg hunt style, but Ben was thinking we’d make clues, so then I switched to making clues. That was definitely a better idea! As a kid, my cousin and I loved writing riddles and turning that into a treasure hunt of sorts when we were at our grandparents’ house, so I tapped into those memories to make the riddles for my girls. I came up with 8, and then Ben and I set off to hide those in their designated spots. I wish I had done more planning and made it all cutesy for the kids, but I’m sure there will be more treasure hunts in our future, so I say this was a good start.

We let the girls know we were ready, and handed them their first clue. They opened it up, read it, and said, “Huh?!” We explained that they were riddles and they had to think about it to figure it out. They got the gist after the first two, and they were zooming here and there to the next ones after. Soul didn’t know how to read, so she was just there for the zooming to and fro, but despite her lack of reading skills, she is the one who unearthed the treasure after True and Brave read the last clue out loud.

The girls were excited to have found their “treasure,” and they sat their exploring the contents of the box. They divided up the goods in a peaceful manner (thankfully!) and spent the rest of the afternoon playing together with their new little trinkets. They were most excited about the little crowns and the hair clips. Glow was napping during the treasure hunting, but they made sure to save her some, and she was most excited about the bear. That little girl is obsessed with bears! The prizes were really simple, but I think what they loved the most was the fun of the hunt! So if you’re stuck indoors for a rainy day (or a snow day), I’d say gathering up some little goodies, writing some riddles for the kids, and having a treasure hunt, is a good way to make memories and have fun together!

Spicy Kimchi Soup. I was going to make noodles, but I wasn’t feeling well this day, so I made soup instead. Thankfully, it was just a one day bug and I was back to normal on Tuesday, but then Ben got the one day bug. I used soba noodles instead of udon and it was still yummy, and this time whole wheat. Ben liked it a whole lot more that way.

Spaghetti and Herb Filled Meatballs. I think I may some pretty yummy meatballs and the secret is all the herbs I put in them (see here). I made this for our dinner club on Thursday and I always get nervous because I’m never sure if I make enough. It’s also because I never know who’s going to show up! We definitely had enough, with plenty remaining for leftovers.

Week of 3/3 – 3/7
Monday: Bossam (didn’t get to make it last week)
Tuesday: Crunchy Turkey Kimchi Burgers
Wednesday: Leftovers
Thursday: Rosemary White Bean Soup
Friday: Sushi/pizza night

What are some of your go-to dishes to make for a group of 10-12 people? I’m kind of stuck on ideas. I want something yummy, healthy, but still affordable to feed a big group! Any suggestions are greatly appreciated!

This week’s learned, links, and thankfulness…

This instagram picture of my baby makes her look so big! If you wanna follow me on instagram, my handle is @rubyellenbratcher.

These shrimp tacos look delicious!

Ben and I watched About Time and I think that is officially my favorite movie, and I think it’s Ben’s too.

I’m excited for Rachel’s newest family addition. They are such a sweet family and she’s such a good (and super creative) mom, and I’m excited to keep following her adventures as they become a family of 5.

Thank the Lord I’m done with taxes. I hate procrastinating, so taxes are all set and turned in. #doingahappydance #ihatetaxes

I want to throw a party set up like this. We have bougainvilleas in our yard, so I could totally recreate this!

Life is a balancing act. Sometimes I’m good at it and sometimes I just plain suck.

Just discovered this blog and love how she infuses so much fun in her outfits!

March 1st is an important day to me. Last year, this day was a big milestone for our family, and I will share why with you all soon… I can’t wait! Happy March 1st friends!!!

We had plans to take the girls out to Joshua Tree last weekend, but I had to spend most of my Saturday doing last minute things for the Babiekins Magazine shoot I was doing Sunday, so it just didn’t happen. I didn’t take all day, but a good chunk of the morning and early afternoon, so as soon as I was done, we all went to the park, and after, took the kids out to Pieology for dinner (we love their pizzas!). It wasn’t as exciting as the original plan of a treasure hunt in Joshua Tree (the treasure hunt is all True’s idea), but the fresh air was needed and as long as we’re together, it’s all good.

Glow gets fearless on the playground because she sees her big sisters doing things and thinks that she can do much of the same. She spends much of the time squealing in delight and her little legs are running to and fro from all the play equipment, so much so she got bonked by Soul on the swing. Thankfully, it was just a light bonk.

This weekend’s plans were going to include Joshua Tree again, but there’s a storm rolling in over here, so I think we will have to figure out something creative we can do indoors. Maybe, Ben and I will execute that treasure hunt True’s been wanting inside the house. The kids will definitely love that!