Maangchi's Homemade Kimchi

Forgive me if I brag a little. This city gal just made kimchi, a spicy pickled cabbage, which is the national dish of Korea. Korean food was new to me when I moved to New York City, but I took to it like a duck to water. The variety of tastes and textures make it one of my favorite cuisines. The food often includes all 5 tastes: sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and umami. Many dishes are fermented. I'm getting hungry just thinking about it! If you find yourself in Manhattan, the Korean restaurants are on the side streets that surround Macy's Department store at Herald Square.

Consider that approximately 7 pounds of bacteria (100 trillion) live in your intestines, helping you to digest your food. According to medical studies, fermented food is super healthy for us, providing our digestive tracts with good bacteria and offsetting bad bacteria, so we should eat fermented food regularly. Kimchi is a delicious way to do it!

I learned how to make kimchi by watching a wonderful teacher, the Korean cook, Maangchi's YouTube videos. Not only is she a good teacher, she is funny! Maangchi shows us how to make kimchi three ways. I recommend watching all three videos to understand the process, then perhaps starting with the fastest way, her emergency kimchi.

Striving for an authentic batch, I ordered Korean red pepper flakes and fish sauce from Amazon. I also let my kimchi ferment for several days at room temperature before storing it in the refrigerator, unlike Maangchi who eats hers right away in the video. I know from watching her easy kimchi and traditional kimchi videos that letting it ferment for days makes sense. And if you wonder, flavoring the cabbage with fish sauce doesn't give it a heavy fishy taste. After fermentation, the dish marinates into a unique kimchi taste.

I'm surprised at how easy kimchi is to make. In a supermarket, a tiny jar costs $6+. When making kimchi at home, you get a huge batch of spicy, pickled deliciousness with one head of cabbage.

Extra tips:

1. On my second try, I made a bigger batch of emergency kimchi, using a huge head of cabbage and adding: Daikon radish, a whole diced onion, and a diced ripe pear (to the original recipe). I think Maangchi would approve.

2. I added 1/2 cup of dried anchovies to one of my jars, which gives the kimchi protein and calcium. It tastes fine, but eating it freaks me out a bit. Staring at the tiny silverfish, who stare back at me! Never again!! (Why do I have a bag of dried anchovies? Well ... on a visit to a Japanese grocery store, I got carried away [as many Japanese were buying them. Monkey see, monkey do. :)]  As it turns out, I don't like them in miso soup either. Some people pop dried anchovies into their mouths as a snack, but unlike a potato chip, they have tiny heads and tails, so honestly I don't know what to do with them. Perhaps this?) But, I digress.

3. When canning, pack the kimchi tightly into the jar:
(a) Press the air out, but leave a tiny space at the top. As it ferments, the kimchi releases gas and liquid, which runs down the jar if you fill it to the very top. 
(b) Also be sure to spoon a little juice on top to help with fermentation. In other words, a jar of packed kimchi should be dry-ish, yet mixed, then topped with the paste. And note, as the kimchi ferments it gets juicier.

4. One big head of cabbage makes three 32 ounce jars, plus one 24 ounce jar (total: 15 cups) of kimchi. As a beginner, you can use a jar to sample: Open and taste it until the kimchi is as sour as you like before refrigerating the jars. You can pack it all into a single large container if you wish. The 32-ounce glass jars are easy for me to store in my refrigerator.

Maangchi likes to eat kimchi with rice. Next, I'll make her easy kimchi, then her kimchi and fried rice. She makes Korean cooking look easy. Bon Appetit! ... 잘 먹겠습니다

🌶Cheat sheet for Emergency Kimchi - Return after watching her video

Ingredients:

Head of cabbage
Daikon radish, Julienne sliced
2 - 3 carrots, Julienne sliced 
onion, chopped, 
4 - 5 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon of hot pepper flakes 
1/4 cup of fish sauce
1 tablespoon of sugar
1 tablespoon of all-purpose flour dissolved in 1/4 cup of white vinegar (I like to add this flour mixture -- it's from another of Maangchi's Kimchi recipes.)

Update: She published a book of her recipes: Maangchi's Real Korean Cooking.

Extra Tip: In a Manhattan apartment I don't let my cabbage soak in its salt bath long enough (12 hours+) to soften, and I don't like it raw, so I speed the process up by cutting my cabbage into pieces and blanching them in a stockpot of saltwater (add a teaspoon of salt) for 5 minutes after it begins to boil. It shouldn't be fully cooked like boiled cabbage. Using a colander, I drain the water. While the blanched cabbage cools in the colander, I shred the carrots and Daikon radish and dice the onion. After it is cooled, chop the blanched cabbage finer if you wish. Now you are ready to mix the vegetables together with the fish sauce, tablespoons of flour, sugar and white vinegar, and Korean red pepper flakes. Pack the kimchi into containers and let it ferment for several days before refrigerating.

My beautiful inside-and-out, Korean-born friend, Jennifer, gifted me a real kimchi container. It fits a huge 8 - 10 pound cabbage worth of kimchi. Start with Mason jars until you can visit a Korean import store. 

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Olive And Piper Glitter

Photo: The Talk

If you follow THE SAVVY SHOPPER, you know I like glitter: Diamonds, crystals and rhinestones, oh my! Yes, yes and yes!! Olive And Piper makes owning a bit of shimmer very affordable. The Lucy Crystal Collar above might be my favorite necklace in the collection.

The Crystal Line Earrings are very glamorous. A budget-friendly splurge that looks rich! I can see a bride selecting either piece to wear with her wedding gown. First of all they are lovely, and if she loses a stone or earring during the festivities, her special day is not spoiled.

Moreover, if you're looking for statement, or trendy jewelry, Olive And Piper designs that too. It's fashion jewelry that includes: necklaces, bracelets, watches, earrings and rings ... from delicate to chunky and everything in-between. Allow me to sum up the style in one word ... pretty!

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Oven, Stove And Dishwasher

A British retailer, named Candy, sells an all-in-one oven, stove and dishwasher. I am drooling over it! How perfect for a London flat, or New York City apartment! Or any small urban kitchen. The dimensions are: 86.3 cm by 59.7 cm by 60.0 cm. 

Customers say it's more expensive than a regular dishwasher or stove, but you're paying for the space saving aspect of it. (Anytime there's only one manufacturer an item often costs more because there are no competitors, nor mass production to lower prices.) 

A buyer also makes some compromises in buying combo appliances. They serve their purpose, but may have some limitations compared to their stand-alone-siblings. Perhaps they are less powerful, but as long as they work reasonable well, a person who lives in a tiny space usually accepts the trade offs.

A final consideration: When you buy combo appliances and one function breaks down, you are left with a dilemma. If the dishwasher can't be repaired, do you keep the unit to use the oven-stove, or do you get rid of the unit because one part is useless? Since it isn't sold in the US, I don't have to decide. 

Nonetheless, if you really want a dishwasher, but don't have the space, this triple combination gadget is available in the UK.

Why not invent a kitchen sink-dishwasher unit? Stack 'em up!

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End Of Season Dress Sales

Nordstrom: Eliza J Illusion Yoke Lace Dress

I wear nothing but dresses all summer long. Dresses are easy and stylish, and they sure beat the heat. Plus, I can avoid those pesky wardrobe changes since a dress goes from work to play, effortlessly.

Unfortunately, this summer I had to retire a few favorite dresses. After years of wear, holes appeared under the arms of a Sarah Jessica Parker designed dress. A red-and-white shift dress had a rip that couldn't be repaired, and a few other dresses were wearing thin. 

So when the July dress sales began, I jumped on the opportunity to search for bargains. Why pay more when dresses are discounted up to 70% off?

Here are a few retailers who offer a wide selection of adorable summer dresses at budget friendly prices. Independently featured in previous posts, each is running deep dress discounts right now:

London Times

1) 6pm.com - This is Zappos' sister company, so expect the same excellent customer service. When merchandise arrives at 6PM, prices are already slashed. You will find famous dressmakers like Ralph Lauren, Vince Camuto and Kate Spade, as well as, a chic new find like London Times. The variety of 6PM's dress stock rivals a big city department store ... but costs much less!

2) Old Navy - You can buy a dress online and in-stores for 20 bucks or less. Look for ongoing promotions and rock bottom sales. I'm a huge Old Navy fan, despite knowing that their dresses are either hit or miss. At times the waist is too high or the length too short; but often the fit is perfect! O.N.'s online site offers free returns, making shopping risk free. When you strike gold at Old Navy, you can score a dress that is cute, comfortable and versatile. 

3) Uniqlo - The innovated Japanese design never ends! Soft, comfortable, machine-wash-and-tumble-dry dresses. A few with UV sun protection! Beautiful lines. Airism fabric keeps you dry when temperatures are boiling. Much of the inventory is under $30, which is a steal!

4) Nordstrom - You won't find cheap dresses here, so savvy shoppers wait for the end of season sales. If you need one or two elegant dresses for the occasional upscale shindig, this is the place to look.

5) Amazon -  Shopping before Amazon ... there is no going back! You have access to 100s of merchants miles away. Amazon is like fashion central, so your search for a stylish dress may start and end there. The website offers free returns on clothes. If you have a Discover card, you can pay for your Amazon purchases with you cash back bonus dollars!

Now is the time to shop for a new dress without breaking the bank.

Donna Moran V-Neck, Eyelet Dress

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Skillet Chili Con Carne

Chili Con Carne is Spanish meaning chili with meat. 

On Sunday, I wondered what to do with two fresh jalapeño peppers and 1 1/2 pounds of ground beef? So I decided to make a quick one-skillet summer meal, with the thought of having leftovers to eat during the week. It was delicious!

Nothing tastes better than fresh, unprocessed, food spiced just right.

The recipe is also very forgiving. Use what you have in your kitchen. You can brown either ground beef, or cubes of lean, solid beef. You can use either a can of whole tomatoes or petite diced tomatoes plus a can of crushed tomatoes [or roasted, puréed, fresh tomatoes; or diced fresh tomatoes] tossed into the skillet to cook after browning your meat, onions and jalapeño peppers. If you have a bell pepper of any color and celery, add them to the skillet. If you don't have either, skip it. 

Here is my recipe:

Skillet Chili Con Carne

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds ground beef (or cubes of lean beef)

1 large onion, diced
2 jalapeño peppers, sliced
1 bell pepper, diced (I used red.)
2 stalks celery, sliced
Seasoning to taste -- I added:
1 tablespoon dried garlic (or fresh garlic)
1 teaspoon basil
1 teaspoon dried cilantro (or fresh cilantro if you have it)
a shake of dried celery
1 teaspoon oregano
a tiny sprinkle of cumin (about 1/2 teaspoon -- I don't like to add a lot. It's a strong spice.)
1 bay leaf
2 large any flavor bouillon cubes -- If you don't have bouillon, add a teaspoon of salt. (Usually, bouillon is salty.)
a dash of Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoons cider vinegar
a sprinkle fresh black pepper

1 28-ounce can of crushed tomatoes
1 28-ounce can of whole tomatoes (or diced tomatoes work)
1 15-ounce can of red or pink kidney beans

Directions:

1. Toss the ground beef (or beef cubes) into a 12'' skillet on a stovetop over medium heat. If using ground beef, break it up into pieces.
2. As the beef is browning, add the diced onions, jalapeño peppers, bell pepper and celery. Grill them a bit. (If using fresh garlic, dice and toss it into the pan late, so it doesn't burn.) Stir occasionally to brown evenly. I used lean ground beef, so after grilling to well done, my meat was dry. No draining was necessary. But pour out the fat, if necessary.
3. Next add the cans of crushed and whole tomatoes, kidney beans, and seasonings to the skillet.
4. Simmer on low medium heat for 30 - 40 minutes.

Serve the chili with a mixed green salad and rice or al dante spaghetti. {Sometimes I make a pan of cornbread. To the basic recipe I chop 2 jalapeño peppers, a small onion, and 3 -4  garlic cloves, plus add a cup of whole corn kernels. Toss the tasty extra ingredients into the cornbread batter.}

Since I had fresh corn-on-the cob that was my starch. Here's a no-fuss way to cook it:

1. Microwave the corn-on-the-cob inside its husk for 4 1/2 minutes. It will turn out tender and perfect!
2) After cooking, wait a beat to let the ear of corn cool slightly, before removing the husk and silk to eat. It slides right off.

A simple and balanced summer dinner. The leftover chili will taste amazing too. Bon appétit!



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DIY Lip Balm: Is It Worth The Cost?

Photo: www.tokopedia.com

We all use lip balm. A chapstick (a/k/a upright lip balmsells for up to $3.00, including the tinted variety (like Maybelline's Baby Lips, which is very moisturizing). A 13 ounce tub of Vaseline Petroleum Jelly (a/k/a pioneer lip balmis even cheaper per ounce, costing about $3.50 a jar. What's more, there is no science behind fears that petroleum jelly is unsafe to slather on lips. I do it all winter.

So is it worth making your own lip balm? Well, the answer is yes and no. If you can't finish a batch in a year's time, it's cheaper and more convenient to just buy lip balm as you need it. 

However if you blaze through chapstick like wild fire, it is cost-effective to make a batch. After buying the necessary ingredients and containers, you can bring the cost down to about $1 a pot or stick. Plus, they make lovely gifts, or you can sell them if you are an entrepreneur.

An easy recipe I like for homemade lip balm uses 3 main (and 2 optional) ingredients:

Beeswax-Coconut Oil Lip Balm

Ingredients:

1 cup grated beeswax
1 cup coconut oil
1 teaspoon vitamin E oil

Optional ingredients:

a few drops of soothing peppermint oil,
food coloring; or a slice of lipstick for a tint. (A slice of a clean crayon works too; so does powder blush. All these options will add a tint.)

Directions: 

1) In a microwave safe dish, grate the beeswax until you get one cup.
2) Add a cup of coconut oil, which will be solid at room temperature. (1 to 1 ratio.)
3) Microwave the mixture for 20 seconds, repeat until it melts. Go slow so it does not boil.
4) Remove and stir them together.
5) Optional: 
 a.  Add a few drops of peppermint essential oil.
 b. If you wish, tint the lip balm with a few drops of food coloring; or a slice of lipstick. (You can microwave the mixture for a few more seconds if needed.) Stir together.
6) Finally, add one teaspoon of vitamin E oil to the mix. It gives the lip balm its shelf life. Stir all the ingredients until uniform.
7) While warm, pour into containers with lids. Some people recycle old, washed lip balm containers. Other folks repurpose their Altoids (mints) mini tins. While still others buy a supply of pot jars or cylinders like these, which can be labeled and gifted. 
8) After pouring into containers, let cool.

Note: Shea butter could probably be substituted if you don't have beeswax, though I haven't tried it.

I won't lie. Although I love the natural, luxe ingredients of this homemade lip balm, I usually just buy a chapstick (or Baby Lips tinted stick) as needed.

I'm more likely to make my own Vaseline Rosy Lip Therapy because you can't buy a full size jar. I've only seen teeny, tiny jars of it -- .25 ounces to be exact. That's a Lilliputian size. Why so small?

What we can do is buy a regular size tub of clear Vaseline, then add a few drops of pink, or red food coloring or Kool-aid ... plus drops of a nourishing essential oil like coconut (or drops of almond oil; or rose oil if you have it). You can also add drops of peppermint oil, if you wish. Set the Vaseline on a stove top and let the pilot light soften it so you can blend it easily without melting. Voila ...  we have a full-size jar of homemade Vaseline Rosy Lip Therapy. However, it's more practical to make small pots at a time, and keep the rest of the Vaseline clear for other uses. The idea is to save money by buying a regular size jar of Vaseline and adding your own tints and oils.

I mixed a chip of cheek blush (arrgh, dropped my blush on the bathroom floor and a piece broke off!) with Vaseline to make a lovely lip gloss. Alternately, you can mix a slice of lipstick with Vaseline for a moisturizing tinted lip balm. It's too easy-peazy, not to do it yourself to get more product for less moola! 

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Uniqlo's Flare Sleeveless Dress ... And More

Uniqlo has styled the perfect summer dress. It's airy and feminine ... visually, a classic! Designing affordable, lightweight, yet substantial clothing is Uniqlo's trademark, and this dress is no exception. The material is a smooth, durable cotton blended with a touch of stretch. The dress is soft, comfortable and cool.

You can wear it to the office, as well as, out to dinner afterwards. The flare cut is ultra flattering. Sleeveless; gorgeous lines; and t-shirt-cozy -- the dress comes in 5 colors. I bought the pink stripped pattern and love the contrast of the overall pink with navy accents. So practical and casual-posh, I think I'll get another color. Cost: $29.90.

Whether traveling, going out at night, or blasted with air conditioning, you sometimes need an article to cover your shoulders. Uniqlo offers nearly weightless summer options. All are easy to tote, or roll up in a suitcase:

Slip on a 100% cotton sweater from the retailer's UV Collection. It blocks out 90% of the sun's harmful rays.

Or throw on one of Uniqlo's many types of hoodies. Some are cotton with stretch UV protection. Others are airism UV cut mash to keep you cool and dry in a warm climate. All the hoodies have innovative fabric and extra bells and whistles. High collars protect your neck, and thumb holes let you cover the backs of your hands.

I often carry one of Uniqlo's linen/cotton stoles to drape on my shoulders in the summer. I have a navy blue one to match several dress colors. It's so thin, I can fold it up to carry in my purse for when I get cold.

In fact I had to rebuy it. The first Uniqlo navy scarf I bought (it had a bit of silk in it) was lost in someone's closet at the end of a house party. Surprisingly, we couldn't find my book bag with its contents of my scarf and a mini umbrella when it was time for me to go home. As I don't suspect the lovely hosts nor anyone at the party would have taken it, to this day the disappearance is a great mystery. Life!

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The Mizon All Over Makeup Stick

Mizon Oh! Shy Volume Up Lovely Stick

This hot all-in-one eyeliner has taken Korea by storm. Korean women use it to create what they call an aegyosal effect -- i.e. contouring the illusion of a bulge under their eyes. Why would they do this, you may ask? Because ... with age we lose fat under the eyes, and the area begins to look hallow. So Korean women use shading to restore the appearance of fat under the eyes in order to produce a fresher more youthful look. According to Peach & Lilly, a retailer who specializes in Asian cosmetics, "creating a plumper eye area under the lower lash line erases years" off your face.

The Mizon Oh! Shy Volume Up Lovely Stick has two ends: (1) a glittery champagne powder/shadow and (2) a taupe pencil/liner.

The (simmering pink) champagne powder can be used to highlight your entire face. Here is a how to video: Dot it about the inner corners of your eyes, brow bone, bridge of nose, Cupid's bow, center of lips and cheekbones, then blend into the skin with your fingers. 

Moreover, that's not all the stick does. The taupe pencil/liner can be used to define your brows, accentuate your cheekbones, or lift your nose (shade the sides of your nose, then blend). You can also use the liner to create a softer daytime smokey eye.

It's always fun to explore another country's idea of attractiveness, as well as, their innovative beauty products. The qwest of hanging on to a youthful appearance floats across boundaries!

Certainly, the Mizon Oh! Shy Volume Up Lovely Stick is a multi-tasker, which makes it ideal for travelers. Cost: $19.

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How Does Kate Middleton Wear Those High Heels?

Photo: Zimbo

Ever wonder how Kate Middleton walks so effortlessly in high heels? She made wearing a 3-inch heel while pushing Princess Charlotte up a concrete-and-grass path to the royal christening look easy. How are her feet not killing her?

According to Vanity Fair magazine, the Duchess wears leather Alice Bow insoles as her "secret weapon."

Without a doubt, our beloved Catherine, The Duchess of Cambridge, has access to the very best products. Alice Bow insoles are carefully made in London from fine Italian leather. They look and feel luxurious underfoot. The superior padding absorbs shock, lets feet breathe and has antibacterial properties.

The insoles fit any shoes to make walking in heels comfortable for hours on end. They are designed to be as thin as possible while providing ultra padding only where you need it -- in the case of high heels, that is under the ball of your foot and not under your toes.

In fact, there are two different designs of Alice Bow insoles: 1) one crafted for heels and 2) another made for flats. Each variety sells for £13.90, which is a bit of an investment. For those of us not living in the UK, we'll also have to pay a hefty shipping charge. So stock up if you find yourself visiting.

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Trying To Find A Natural Deodorant ... And Hair Conditioner

Photo: shopicks.com

I'm not a hippy-dippy nature gal. Still, it's a smart idea to cut the number of chemicals we put on our bodies everyday by grooming with personal care products. Recently I began using organic soaps, shampoos and body lotions. Done!

Nonetheless, I have two mass produced holdouts: Commercial 1) hair conditioners and 2) underarm deodorants are hard to give up! Not only cheaper, they usually work better than their all natural counterparts.

It's hard to beat Pantene Beautiful Lengths, or Aussie 3-Minute Miracle conditioners for shine and taming hair. Although I like the organic hair conditioners I order from Puritan's Pride, I still use the commercial brands on days when looking my very best really matters.

Regarding underarm deodorants, recent medical studies link the aluminum compounds in most of the mass produced ones to cancer and Alzheimer's. I think that's alarming, don't you?

Any yet, I am slow to switch to the organic choices. Evidential (I mean judging by my actions), I am more afraid of odor than cancer! People who have b.o. seem to lose the ability to smell it. In public places everybody knows but the stinky people. I don't want to be one of them while everybody else tries not to breathe!

Other bloggers have ventured into territory I dare not go  ... yet. Kate Stoeffel of The Cut tested 11 Natural deodorants. Two of the deodorants, Soap Walla ($14) and Lavillin ($10) are recommended by several other beauty editors also. (They are two of the cheaper options.)

I guess I need to be brave and try them for myself ... eventually. On that day should my organic deodorant fail, please don't let me be the last to know.

Do you worry about harmful chemicals in your grooming products? And, have you found a better natural alternative that works?

Update: August 29th, 2017 - Here is a helpful link from Reviews.com with their list of the best natural deodorants to use after considering effectiveness, safety and price.

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Amazon Echo Is A Cool Tool

Amazon Echo would be a spurge, since it's more technology than I need right now. And yet, it's a super cool tool at an affordable price. Echo is like having Sari in a room, except Echo is handsfree and responds to the name, Alexa (or Amazon). Ask Alexa all kinds of questions, such as "How many tablespoons are in 3/4 of a cup?" It will answer, "There are 12 tablespoons to 3/4 of a cup."

Echo the gadget is connected to Alexa, a cloud based service, so it can access all sorts of information when you ask; and the cloud is always getting smarter. 

Alexa can pick up your voice from anywhere in a room even with background noise like water running in a kitchen, or a television playing in a living room. Echo fills the room with immersive sound. That means it blurs the line between the physical and digital worlds.

Alexa also responds to commands. It can create shopping lists, provide news, traffic and weather reports, turn on lights, keep your calendar, set timers and reminders, plus reorder items from your Amazon shopping history if you have an Amazon Prime account. (Yikes, spends your money!)

You can play music off the internet from sites like Pandora, iHeartRadio and more; or have Echo read you audiobooks. If you ask, Alexa will even tell you jokes.

It would be easy for a household to get addicted to the convenience of Echo. Like what we saw on the Jetsons, or Star Trek right? Wow, whether you ask questions or give commands, the technology is real and available today. Not very expensive either. Cost: $179.99 with free shipping.

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