Japchae (Korean Stir-Fried Noodles)

My friend Moses came over today and taught us how to make japchae (chapchae?)! This is a popular Korean noodle dish that can be made with various combinations of vegetables. The following recipe serves 4-5.

What you'll need:
8 oz. dried Korean sweet potato noodles
1 onion
5-7 shiitake mushrooms
1 carrot
1/2 lb. fresh spinach
1/3 lb. flank steak
2 cloves garlic
Cooking oil
1 1/2 tablespoons sesame oil
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1. Soak noodles in cold water.

2. In a large pan or wok, heat up cooking oil over medium heat. Cut onion and mushrooms into thin slices and saute for about 4-5 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon soy sauce and 1/2 tablespoon sesame oil.

3. Set cooked onions and mushrooms aside in a separate bowl. Turn heat to low and add more cooking oil. Cut carrots into thin slices and saute for about 6-7 minutes or until they are soft.

4. Transfer carrots to bowl with onions and mushrooms. Cut beef into thin slices and mince garlic. Mix garlic, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, and 1 teaspoon sugar in a separate bowl. Stir in sliced beef and marinate for 10 minutes at room temperature. Turn wok to high heat and add more oil. Cook beef until evenly brown.

5. Transfer beef to bowl with cooked vegetables. Add 1/2 tablespoon sesame oil to the bowl and stir.

6. Cook the noodles in boiling water for 5 minutes. Immediately drain and rinse with cold water. Toss noodles with 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1/2 tablespoon sesame oil, and 1 teaspoon sugar. Use kitchen shears to cut the noodles into shorter pieces.

7. Boil spinach for 3-5 minutes, drain, and add to noodles. Add salt, pepper, and the rest of the cooked vegetables and beef. Stir over low heat until heated through. Season to taste with more soy sauce if needed.

Jalmukuh! :)

Renovations: High-Low Skirt

This is my first Renovations post!

One of my favorite trends right now is high-low skirts. I love these because you can easily dress them up or down for any occasion.

I made one of these today with an old maxi skirt from Goodwill!

Before:

After:

Yay!

Salvador Dali Style Vinyl Record Clock

I made one of these clocks a few years ago and decided to make another one today for the apartment. Here's an easy way to turn an old or scratched record you aren't using anymore into a keepsake.

What you'll need:
Cheap clock from hardware store (or clock kit)
Old record (you can easily find one at your local thrift store)
Oven
Cookie sheet
Hot glue (or other adhesive)

1. Preheat oven to 200°C. Put record on cookie sheet.

2. Place record in oven for 5 minutes. Remove and place on countertop or somewhere with a flat edge. Bend and flatten the top. The record will not stay soft for long, but you can heat it up again if needed.

4. Take apart the clock. Pull off the clock movement and take the hands off.

5. Stick the clock movement through the hole in the middle of the record. Use hot glue or other adhesive to secure it to the back. Reattach the hands on the front.

You may need to trim the hands if they are too long. Attach to mantle or bookshelf by drilling a hole large enough to fit a nail at the top of the record or by simply using an adhesive.