Cost Plus World Market Explorer Rewards $10 Birthday Freebies

I finally got to use my Cost Plus World Market Explorer Rewards Birthday money, a $10 gift certificate off a $10 purchase...so that means if you find something at Cost Plus for $10, it's FREE! I love Cost Plus World Market! How generous of Cost Plus World Market to give me a mini shopping spree for my birthday! There's only one problem: there are SO many great things at Cost Plus to choose from!!!!

I eventually found a reusable water bottle, shaped like a flat flask for $7.99, on sale 50% off for $3.99. Then I found a Wrap-N-Mat reusable sandwich and snack wrapper for $5.99. That seems rather expensive for ONE sandwich wrapper, but it's reusable, so it will cut down on plastic baggies, which is a huge plus! Who knew my birthday freebies were going to be so environmentally friendly? Cool! 

The only stipulation on the Cost Plus $10 gift certificate, which was emailed to me, is that the items must equal $10 before tax. So, I had to look for something small to put my total over $10.  On my way out, I spotted a Cafe Du Monde Beignet Mix for $3.49, which isn't too bad considering it is a cool treat to try out! It immediately reminded me of when I went to New Orleans to visit my dear friend and her family a few years ago. We sat at Cafe Du Monde and had coffee and the best beignets in the world! Each order comes with 3 lovely pillows of heaven sprinkled generously with powdered sugar. I just remember getting so much powdered sugar on me that I had to stand up and shake it off! It was so worth it, though, for fresh beignets! So, when I saw the Cafe Du Monde beignet box mix, I had to try it! Who doesn't love French doughnuts???

Anyway, THANK YOU Cost Plus World Market for these lovely birthday treats! I am a loyal Cost Plus World Market fan!

I even asked a sales associate about their return policy and she said you can always return something, even if you've opened it. She said you don't even need a receipt! I asked her if I could return the water bottle if it imparted a bad taste to water and she said yes! Now that is risk free shopping! Love it! I can't wait to try the Cafe Du Monde Beignet Mix! 

Sign up FREE for Cost Plus World Market Explorer Rewards Program

Apple iPod Nano Gen 6 with Tunewear Watch Case vs. Switcheasy Ticker Wrist Strap

While I was running errands today, someone complimented me on my orange watch and asked what kind of watch it was. I told her it was actually an Apple iPod Nano in a watch case! She was shocked! She was so excited and said her world just might have to change because she wanted one.

My hubby got me this cute Apple iPod Nano for my birthday this year, so I've been wearing it as a watch so my music is always with me. I love the battery life on this Nano--it lasts all day! I decided to do a review comparing two iPod Nano Gen 6 watch cases: Tunewear watch case vs. Switcheasy Ticker Wrist Strap. The orange watch case that I was wearing today was made by Tunewear. It's made out of somewhat flimsy, soft silicon and comes in a variety of colors: pink, blue, black, clear, orange, yellow, purple, red and green. I also have a pink watch case for the iPod Nano and it is made by Switcheasy. It's called the Switcheasy Ticker Wrist Strap and it is made out of a highly durable Elastomer material with stainless steel strap pin and polycarbonate push buttons (I couldn't remember the name in my video review, so please forgive my mistake!). The Switcheasy Ticker Wrist Strap comes in a lot of colors too: pink, black, white, red, blue, gray and orange. I don't mind bright colors, so I chose pink and orange (my top favorite colors). But, if you want your iPod Nano watch to blend in and look more like a regular watch, you could buy the black or white cases.

So far, I like the pink Switcheasy Ticker Wrist Strap better since it is waterproof and keeps the iPod away from my skin. The only negative thing I have to say about the Switcheasy Ticker Wrist Strap is that it is a bit of a pain to constantly take the iPod in and out to charge it every day. That's why I bought the Tunewear orange watch case: it had a cut-out for the 30 pin charger, so you don't have to take the iPod in and out to charge it. The Tunewear watch case is more flimsy and doesn't seem like it's as sturdy as the Switcheasy Ticker Wrist Strap, though. But if you don't mind the iPod touching your skin, then the Tunewear Watch Case might be more convenient, since you can keep the iPod in there while you charge it. Overall, I like the Switcheasy Ticker Wrist Strap better since it houses the entire body of the iPod snuggly and the stainless steel strap pin seems sturdier than the silicon notches on the Tunewear watch case. As you can see from the picture above, you cannot lay the Switcheasy Ticker Wrist Strap flat on a table if you want your iPod Nano to sit flush with a surface like you can with the Tunewear watch strap (if it's important to you to be able to lay the nano watch down flat, then the Switcheasy Ticker Watch Strap might not work for you).

Here's my video review of the iPod Nano Gen 6 with Tunewear Watch Case vs. Switcheasy Ticker Wrist strap. (Please forgive my mistakes. I didn't have time for a second take, so this video is "as is.")

FREE Birthday Meal at Rubio's Fresh Mexican Grill

Rubio's is so generous!  Every year, I receive a coupon for a free meal coupon up to $7 for my birthday and I just love it! I got free fish tacos today and I was in heaven! My meal was 100% free, no purchase necessary!  How cool is that? All I had to do was sign up for Rubio's beach club E-mail and this free birthday meal coupon is just one of the perks included.
I have to admit that I haven't been to Rubio's in a long time and while I was there I was pleasantly surprised to see that Rubio's has great recycling and composting bins set up to correspond with their recyclable plates and utensils.  Way to go Rubio's for being so environmentally friendly and responsible! 

Onigiri (Rice Ball)

My friend gave me yet another fun thing to try: roasted seaweed wrappers for making rice balls or Onigiri. Gosh, I am SO LUCKY to have such a nice friend! I wouldn't know where to find half of this stuff without her help! Of course, now I'm hooked and I'll be buying these seaweed wraps all the time now. The package she gave me had 10 individual sheets of seaweed inside. I found them on Amazon for $20.90 for a 4 pack, which seems like a really good deal to me (4x10=40 for $20.90, so about $0.52 each). I can eat two rice balls easily for lunch...but if you put more in front of me, I'm sure I can eat those, too!

I was so excited to try this out, but as you can see from the video, I had a few technical difficulties. (But that's ok. It always happens when you're recording something, right?) 

I had some leftover seasoned sushi rice (I added some diced pickled radish to the rice), so I decided to make some Onigiri, rice balls. These seaweed wrappers are so cool because they have plastic on them so you can make them ahead of time and the seaweed won't get soggy! The wrapper is so cute, it has the directions for how to unwrap the rice ball (or triangle, really) by pulling down on "tab 1" and then slipping off "tab 2" and then "tab 3." It's magic! You get some nice salty, crispy seaweed for your rice when you're on the go! While I just filled my rice with chopped pickled radish, you can certainly put anything from salmon, tuna, cucumber, grilled spam, or even kimchi inside and you can have a nice picnic somewhere! If your kids like sushi, then try making this for their lunches!

Trader Joe's 1% Lowfat Milk in Tetrapaks

I am so glad Trader Joe's brought back their lowfat milk in individual tetrapaks! For $2.99/4 pack(or about $0.75/each), Trader Joe's offers the convenience of having non perishable milk on hand for lunch boxes or other last minute outings! I love that they have this back--it's been a long time since Trader Joe's offered non-perishable milk and I'm so glad it's there now!

Anthropologie 15% off Birthday coupon!

It has arrived! I got my birthday gift from Anthropologie, my once a year 15% off Anthropologie coupon! Anthropologie even customized the adorable cloth envelope that housed the coupon! It says, "What's in the stars for you, Aries?"

How cute is that???? I can't wait to find my Anthro gems this month!

This is yet another reason to sign up for a free anthro card at the store--you get fabulous benefits like this precious coupon (no other coupons exist for this store!). The anthro card is not a credit card, it just tracks your purchases so you don't have to worry about keeping your receipts for returns.

Children's Training Chopsticks

My friend showed me these super cute training chopsticks for kids, which can be purchased at a Korean market. These chopsticks have easy-to-use finger holes that place the fingers in the correct position for usage. My son loves to eat his noodles and rice with these chopsticks. They are so easy to use and they are even dishwasher safe (top rack).
Since my fingers are small, I squeezed them into the holes to show my son which finger goes where when I showed him how to use them. These chopsticks are a great learning tool and kids have fun with them right out of the package!

ad hoc restaurant: Now Serving Breakfast on Sundays!

Here's some fabulous news for all the foodies out there: Thomas Keller's ad hoc restaurant is now serving breakfast on Sundays from 10 am until 1 pm! How cool is that? They lowered the price to $24 for a flurry of gourmet breakfast treats! When you sit down, you will be greeted with a basket of Bouchon breakfast pastries and yogurt parfait with fruits. Then, you will have a choice between different homestyle breakfasts.

I can't wait to try it out (maybe for my birthday weekend)! The sourdough waffle is calling my name and the bacon is just begging to be eaten!!! YUM!!!

Here is a sample of their breakfast menu, but keep in mind they will also have some seasonal breakfast specials each week:

Bouchon Breakfast Pastries blood orange vanilla jam, blueberry marmalade honey butter

  

Pineapple Yogurt Parfait

With Spring Fruit Salad

  

Classic American

two eggs any style, scallion potato cakes

fatted calf breakfast sausage & slab bacon

or

Sourdough Waffles

maple syrup, apple compote, whipped cream

fatted calf breakfast sausage & slab bacon

or

Anson Mills Stone Cut Oatmeal

brown sugar, marshall’s farm honey

spiced apricots and raisins

or

Corned Beef Hash

Snake river farms corned beef brisket,

yukon gold potatoes, poached hen eggs

 $24

6476 Washington Street

Yountville, CA 94599 

707-944-2487 

Katsuo Udon with Tempura

My friend gave me some Katsuo Udon with Tempura to try at home and now I am addicted! It's such a satisfying lunch and everything a lunch should be: quick, easy and yummy! 

You can find this at a Korean Market in the cold section. Katsuo Udon with Tempura comes in a package with two separate servings. Inside, you get two packages of udon, two wet seasoning packets, two dry seasoning packets and two packages of shrimp tempura. 

The instructions are super simple: 

1. Boil 1.5 cups of water with the wet seasoning packet

2. Add the udon noodles and simmer for 2 minutes

3. Pour noodles and broth into a big noodle bowl. Add the dry seasoning packet and the shrimp tempura packet. Stir and enjoy!

This is perfect for a rainy day or when you feel too lazy to cook anything! It's fast food at home that almost tastes like you're eating at a restaurant. Sometimes, I add some shredded carrots, cabbage or bean sprouts if I have them in the fridge.

Katsuo Udon with Tempura is not your average, run-of-the-mill, packaged udon--it's way better! At $3.99/package, it's worth keeping on hand for emergency, lazy, last minute meals!

Kylie Kwong's Simple Chinese Cooking

I just got back from the library and found this delightful cookbook by Kylie Kwong, Simple Chinese Cooking. So far, the photos are exquisite and the background information is very thoughtful and thorough without being boring! I love reading cookbooks because it's a way for me to escape into the world of food and learn more about different styles and techniques of cooking.  I love being inspired by new flavors and ingredients, and cookbooks are my "cheatsheet" for teaching myself how improve my cooking. The library is the best resource for me to try out cookbooks before deciding if they are worth buying later on.

While I adore cookbooks, I have to admit that I am also addicted to YouTube, now, because I can find out how to make virtually anything and watch someone show me how to do it without taking a cooking class. I love how all kinds of information and recipe instructions are out there on YouTube, ready to serve my curiosity at the touch of a button!

Jja Jang Myun (noodles with black bean sauce)

I had a terrific day today, despite the horrible, stormy weather. Instead of staying cooped up inside doing chores, I decided to run some errands with my friend. We ended up at this great Korean restaurant for lunch and she ordered for me. She said I had to try the Jja Jang Myun, noodles with black bean sauce.

Holly cow, those noodles looked good and they were piping hot!!! The sauce smelled so inviting, a little smokey from being craddled in the hot, seasoned wok. I couldn't wait to dive in! My friend disconnected her wooden chopsticks and started to toss her noodles, showing me how to mix the sauce all the way through. The taste was almost indescribable, but I'll do my best. The noodles were soft but still nice and chewy, not like any other noodle I've had. The sauce had a nice smokey, earthy taste to it--perfectly salty, too. It felt round to me, like it was coating my mouth with its semisweet comfort. It was not spicy, but subtlely sweet and pleasant to eat. (This black bean sauce is not to be conflated or confused with Chinese black bean sauce, which has totally different flavor components, smell and texture.) When I saw the bowl of noodles, I didn't think I would get full after eating them...boy, was I wrong! These were so hearty in their simplicity--the only other ingredients occupying the bowl were some chopped, cooked onions, small pieces of zucchini and a few pork bits. But the noodles and black bean sauce were the stars of this dish. The waitress served some chopped white onion and yellow pickled radish on the side. I ate two pieces of the raw onion and had pungent breath the rest of the day--so this might not be the best date-friendly dish to order if you want to enjoy the side of onions!

I am so glad today turned out the way it did because I got to try yet another new Korean dish and learn more about Korea. My friend told me this dish is very popular and common in Korea. She said people usually have it delievered when they move. I equated it to how we order pizza when we move because it's easy,quick and good. Most people like pizza here, just as most Koreans like Jja Jang Myun...and now I do, too!

Gochujang

I finally bought my first container of Gochujang (hot pepper paste) at the Korean Market today. I looked for spicy level 3, medium hot. I figured since this was my first go at using this in recipes, I better start low and work my up on the spicy factor! This was the smallest container I could find: 500g. This will last me forever I'm sure! A little goes a long way with this stuff! Bring on the Korean recipes--it's ON!!!

First Panel Curtain

I finally sewed my first panel curtain. It was more out of necessity than anything else. The next door neighbor is having the roof redone, so there have been workmen up there all day. I realized that they could see right into our bathroom--and I realized this at the worst time when I was showering! That was all the motivation I needed to get sewing!

I bought this fabric at IKEA weeks ago and have been meaning to make a panel curtain, but this project has been on the back burners until yesterday. While it is not perfect, it does it's job and will block the window so people can't see into our bathroom.

My First Batch of Korean Jap Chae

I finally made my first batch of Korean jap chae! I had all the ingredients in the house at one time, so I pulled the trigger and ventured onto my first attempt at making jap chae. I substituted tofu for the beef, used red bell pepper instead of green, and I omitted the tree ears. It turned out okay, except one food critic said it needed more soy sauce. I followed the recipe and measured out all the ingredients--I even weighed out 3 oz of noodles per the recipe (I never get that anal about recipes but since this was the first time I've tried to make this dish, I wanted to follow the recipe as closely as possible). I took some help from the store and used pre-shredded carrots, which was a major time-saver! This recipe serves two (or one hungry person, like me!).


Jap Chae
Vegetable, Noodle, and Steak Stir-Fry

3 oz Korean vermicelli
3 Tbs corn oil
1 large onion, coarsely chopped (1 cup)
1 carrot, cut in 3-inch julienne strips (about 3/4 cup)
1/2 lb flank or sirloin steak, sliced into strips 3 inches long and 1 inch wide
1 small green pepper, seeded, cut into 3-inch julienne strips (1 cup)
1/2 lb Chinese chives, well rinsed, cut into 3-inch lengths or 1/2 lb fresh spinach, well rinsed, stems trimmed
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp sugar
1 Tbs soy sauce
1 tsp Korean sesame oil
1/4 cup tree ears, soaked in warm water for 1/2 hour, drained and rinsed well

1. Bring 4 cups of water to a boil in a large pan. Add the vermicelli and boil over moderate heat for 3 minutes. Do not overcook. Drain and rinse in cold water and set aside. The noodles are translucent when cooked, but still firm.

2. Heat the oil in a wok, add the onion, and stir-fry over moderate heat for 2 minutes.  Add the beef and continue to fry for 1 minute. Now add the carrot, green pepper, chives or spinach as you stir-fry for 2 more minutes.

3. Add the salt, sugar, soy sauce, sesame oil, and tree ears. Stir-fry and toss the mixture for a minute. Fold in the vermicelli and mix well.

Serve warm.

How to Turn Trader Joe's Vanilla Cake Mix into a Dark Chocolate Cake

I made a chocolate birthday cake this weekend and I didn't have a chocolate cake mix on hand...and I didn't feel up to measuring everything out for a chocolate cake. (Chocolate cake is not my strength to begin with!) Anyway,  I decided to try an experiment and use Trader Joe's Vanilla Cake Mix and turn it into a chocolate cake. It has all the flavorings in it already, so I figured if I added some dark chocolate cocoa powder, it should do the trick, right? Well, I made the cake per the instructions on the side (added two eggs, a stick of melted butter, a cup milk) and then I added 3/4 cup of Hershey's dark chocolate cocoa powder to the dry mix. I mixed it all together and it looked like a nice, gooey chocolatey cake batter! There was no way anyone would be able to tell that this wasn't 100% homemade! I love Trader Joe's Vanilla Cake Mix--it is so versatile and convenient! Who would have thought this cake mix could be transformed into a chocolate cake?! It totally worked!!!

Because I hate frosting (unless it's a cream cheese-based one or just plain whipped cream), I decided to make a chocolate sauce to pour on top of the chocolate cake instead. It worked great!

Ingredients for Chocolate sauce:

1 cup Nestle Semisweet Chocolate chips
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

In a double boiler (I just put a metal bowl on top of a small pan of simmering water), add the chocolate and cream and stir until chocolate chips are melted. Stir in the vanilla at the end.

Pour generously over each individual slice and enjoy! You can also use this chocolate sauce over ice cream, fruit or cookies!

Policy for Refusing Amazon Packages

I was curious about Amazon return processes, including what do to if you can't cancel an order online and need to refuse delivery on a package. So, I wrote to customer service and within 2 hours, they responded to me! (It was more like 1.5 hours for a response! Talk about quick!) Anyway, this is good to know for future reference in case you need to refuse delivery. Rest assured that you won't be charged return shipping. I was looking online for discussion forums about refusing delivery, but I wanted to hear the policy directly from an Amazon representative to confirm that return shipping is not charged to the customer. 


Here is the official response from the Amazon representative: 


"If the package can't be delivered, it will be returned to us by the carrier. When we receive the returned package, we'll issue you a full refund. Also, if you can't cancel an order, You can refuse this shipment when it arrives. Refusing the shipment allows you to return it without having to pay for return shipping. When the package arrives, please tell the delivery driver you're refusing the package. If the order is delivered while you aren't home, you can contact the carrier for instructions on refusing a package."


I hope this helps. It sure helped me. Amazon's customer service is pretty superb. They make sure they get back you to pronto! 


NOTE: I'm not necessarily promoting this method, but if you happen to order something off Amazon and it goes down drastically in price the next day and you can't cancel your order online, then you can refuse delivery when the package arrives and place an order for the same item at the lower price, since Amazon does not issue price adjustments. This is the only loop hole to get a "price adjustment" at Amazon. Since I get Amazon Prime shipping, my items get shipped quickly (usually within hours of placing an order), so canceling an order online is almost impossible, unless I do it immediately. Thus, if an order is mistakenly generated, then refusing delivery is essentially the only way to cancel an order for Prime shipping. 

Kitten Food is Not Just for Kittens Anymore

I went to Pet Food Express this weekend to buy some more Premium Edge senior cat food for my old, ailing cat. The sales clerk was very nice to me and asked me how old my cat was when he saw the senior cat food label, and I said, "Very old. She's so old that this senior cat food for 7+ year old cats isn't anywhere near her age. She's like 16 years old, but I couldn't find any cat food for cats that old." He then told me that Premium Edge Senior cat food was all they had for senior cats, which is okay for them as long as they aren't losing weight. I then chimed in and told him that she was indeed losing weight and looked emaciated! So, he suggested Premium Edge kitten food instead of senior cat food because kitten food has more protein in it and it helps cats gain weight (makes sense, but I never thought of it before!). PERFECT! I took his advice and bought the kitten food instead of the senior cat food in hopes that my cat might gain some weight in her final years of life. I have been spoiling her with wet cat food, too, because I heard that wet food helps cats gain weight, since they are more eager to eat it. Usually, my cat only gets dry food, so wet food is a real treat for her.

Anyway, I am really grateful that the sales clerk at Pet Food Express was so helpful and nice. Sometimes, it actually does help to be friendly and talkative with the sales associates because they might have a tidbit of information that relates to your situation. Had I been more closed off and shy about talking to him, I might not have found out that useful piece of information about kitten food! I never would have thought to switch to kitten food to help my cat gain some weight back.

Thank you Pet Food Express for your help! I hope my cat will gain some weight now that she's eating Premium Edge kitten fry food mixed along with wet cat food.

European Wax Center: FREE WAX for 1st Time Customers

I was walking around South Shore Shopping Center in Alameda the other day, and I noticed a sign for European Wax Center: The Ultimate Wax Experience. On the sign, there was a special promotion stating that first time guests are entitled to a complimentary waxing! You can choose from a free eyebrow, underarm or bikini wax. Now, that is what I call a deal! A free wax? Are you serious? I was intrigued. So, I walked in and asked them about the promotion and sure enough, there were no strings attached, no purchase necessary! They said I could get a walk-in appointment, so they basically took me right away. (Well, I had to wait one minute to give them my address and phone number, so they could enter it into their computer. Fair enough, since they were offering me a free service, I suppose.)

Anyway, I have never tried European wax, so I opted for an eyebrow session.

The wax specialist came out and took me into a room and she told me to lay down on the cushioned table, similar to a doctor's table. She mixed up the big vat of black wax and explained the process to me. Basically, the difference between this European waxing technique is that they do not use strips. The wax only adheres to the hairs and not the skin, which can happen, apparently with strips. So, in that sense, it is supposed to be gentler and not hurt as much.

The woman got to work and within 10 minutes was done. She did a pretty good job, though I noticed a few straggler peach-fuzz hairs left. But I wasn't going to trouble her with plucking those. (By the way, it did sting briefly every time she pulled the wax off. I don't know how people do this regularly!)

Since I've never been to a waxing salon, I really don't know the proper etiquette regarding tipping. Do they expect tips? I figured she must be expecting one, so I rummaged through my wallet in search of some one dollar bills. I pulled out three because I figured that would be a 20% tip on the full price eyebrow waxing service, if I were a paying customer. I handed the money to the lady and she took it briskly from my hands and walked me out. Now, is that customary? She did not say, "Thank you." I said "thank you" to her when I handed her the tip, but she didn't even flinch or smile. She didn't seem appreciative or even happy that I tipped her. I suppose I could have stiffed her and walked out of there without tipping her, but I didn't think that would be right, either. I just don't get people these days. They just expect a tip and they are no longer grateful when they are tipped. And that's just what a tip is, it's EXTRA, it's something that is given to someone who provides exceptional service. It's not something they should take for granted. It just left me with a strange feeling. The whole waxing salon thing was so new to me that I really didn't know what I was supposed to do. Was that normal? This particular wax specialist had only been doing it for about a year, so I wouldn't think she would be so jaded as to just take a tip nonchalantly without saying, "thank you." I know that any time I've been tipped in the past, I showed my appreciation and thanked the person, because it is not something that everyone does or that everyone has to do. I never expected a tip and I was always surprised and happy to get one. But people these days just expect things too much. I guess the only time she would notice a tip would be if she didn't get one.

Anyway, I can't say either way if I recommend this place or not. That ending left me with a strange feeling about the European Wax Center. However, they do have some good promotions with their pre-paid wax pass. Basically, if you pre-pay for 9 of the same service, you get 2 free (or 3 free if you sign up during your first visit).  There are nationwide European Wax Center locations and the pre-paid wax pass does not expire. The European Wax Center keeps your information in their computer, so you don't have to keep track of a card or anything like that (which was a relief to hear because I know I'd lose that pass right away!).

I don't think I will be going back there any time soon. It's way too expensive and if the wax specialists expect a 20% tip, I certainly cannot afford to be a regular customer there, anyway. But, it was a nice break and free treat for me. $3 for a wax seems reasonable enough, especially for a mini spa-like escape.


To find out more information about European Wax Center, visit: www.waxcenter.com

Bed Bath & Beyond is Beyond Amazing!

I went to Bed Bath & Beyond to exchange some coffee I bought a few weeks ago, because I changed my mind about the flavor. I have been putting this off for weeks because it was another errand that just got pushed to the end of my list of things to do. I lost the receipt for this purchase, so that made going back to the store even less of a priority. I called Bed Bath & Beyond first, before driving over there, and asked the associate if I could make an exchange without the receipt. The associate was very nice and asked me if I paid with a credit or debit card and I said I paid with a credit card. She said it's no problem to exchange something without a receipt if I still have the same credit card that I used to pay for it. I was so relieved! Apparently, Bed Bath & Beyond keeps track of your purchases in their computers (which may or may not be a good thing, depending on how you feel about that sort of thing, but in my case, it worked in my favor), so the associate just swiped my credit card and found the item immediately! I was able to make the exchange without a receipt! A hassle-free exchange is always welcome in my book!

This is yet another reason why Bed Bath & Beyond is just beyond amazing! I love their customer service and I'm always learning new things about their policies.

I must add, however, that Bed Bath and Beyond's policies have changed a bit regarding coupon usage. If you have a $5 off $15 purchase, the $5 gets equally subtracted from each item, instead of being subtracted off the grand total at the end, like it did before. Why does this matter? Well, before you could use a 20% off coupon for one item and then a $5 off coupon if your purchase was over $15, whereas now, you cannot do that. Now, if I want to use multiple coupons, I have to get in line again and make a separate transaction with the other coupon. It's not a big deal, except it takes up a little more time. So, if it's crowded, I don't even bother with it. I'll come back another time.

But, I still save all my coupons because they NEVER expire, even though there is an expiration date on it.

My First Korean Friend

2010 has left me with so many new experiences, but the newest one has been meeting my first Korean friend. I have only met one other Korean adoptee in my life, but now I have met a Korean woman who did not reject me immediately because I couldn't speak fluent Korean with her. She explained that Koreans get frustrated or stressed speaking English and some of them refuse to move out of their comfort zone. Keeping that in mind, I have a new understanding of why Koreans never speak to me the second they find out I can't respond in Korean. For me, that has always been a barrier to meeting Korean people, let alone befriending any of them. Every now and then, when she speaks Korean, I catch a word or phrase that I know, but other than that, I get totally lost!

As January 2011 keeps rolling along, I keep thinking of how lucky I am to have met her and how many new things I have learned just by being around her. It seems like such a strange thing to say that I don't have any Korean friends, but that was a true statement up until 2010. So, 2010 will mark a very important and meaningful change in my life: I can finally say that I have a Korean friend! I couldn't tell you why exactly that is so important to me, but it is.

When I hear her talk about Korean food and Korean customs, I just feel like those were all the things that were missing from my life, things that I never had a chance to fully partake in and learn about. Sure, I had Korean food for the first couple years of my life and I spoke Korean when I was a toddler, but I can't remember it all now. I feel like I need to make up for lost time. There haven't been a lot of people in my life who have spoken to me about Korea, so this is a very welcome change. She told me that in Korea, the emergency number is 1-1-9, the opposite of the American emergency number, 9-1-1. I found that intriguing. She also told me that the bathrooms in Korea have drains in the floors, so you can just rinse the floors easily with water and clean them quickly, whereas here, you have to carefully mop or hand-scrub the floors. Those little details about Korea are so interesting and I might not necessarily be able to read about that kind of stuff in a book about Korea.

The first time she invited me to her house, she made me some delicious jap chae (Korean noodles).  She respectfully omitted the beef since she knew I didn't eat beef--bless her heart! I've had jap chae before, but never homemade, so that was a real treat!  She also made me some Korean pancakes, which were so comforting and yummy! I'm hooked! More recently, she made me some kimchi fried rice, which I have also never really had before. It was so good! I've seen it made before, but never attempted to make it myself. She introduced to me to Korean "junk food," (as she called it) "Shin Ramyun Gourmet Spicy Noodle Soup." Eating Shin Ramyun is the equivalent to going to McDonald's she said, because it's junk food, quick and easy, but comforting on a rainy day. The noodles are a little thicker than the typical Top Ramen Noodles and they had a nice al dente bite to them. She added some egg to make the soup a heartier snack. The broth was very flavorful and spicy (it hit me in the back of my throat, but in a good way!). She was surprised that I could take the heat! (Note: She also said that the packaged noodles are better than the noodles that come in the bowl, so skip the styrofoam bowl version. I found Shin Ramyun Noodle Soup at Walmart, of all places, for $1.00.) She said she would try to make me other Korean dishes now that she knows I can handle the heat. I can't wait! I may not have been raised by Korean parents, but I certainly have an insatiable Korean appetite--she appreciated my hearty appetite and enthusiasm for food. Even though I grew up in California, my Korean tummy has remained with me my whole life, that's for sure!

Yesterday, I checked out this great cookbook again at the library, The Korean Kitchen: Classic Recipes from the Land of the Morning Calm by Copeland Marks. I found a recipe for Jap Chae, which I want to make later. I plan on omitting the beef and substituting chicken or tofu instead.

Jap Chae
Vegetable, Noodle, and Steak Stir-Fry

3 oz Korean vermicelli
3 Tbs corn oil
1 large onion, coarsely chopped (1 cup)
1 carrot, cut in 3-inch julienne strips (about 3/4 cup)
1/2 lb flank or sirloin steak, sliced into strips 3 inches long and 1 inch wide
1 small green pepper, seeded, cut into 3-inch julienne strips (1 cup)
1/2 lb Chinese chives, well rinsed, cut into 3-inch lengths or 1/2 lb fresh spinach, well rinsed, stems trimmed
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp sugar
1 Tbs soy sauce
1 tsp Korean sesame oil
1/4 cup tree ears, soaked in warm water for 1/2 hour, drained and rinsed well

1. Bring 4 cups of water to a boil in a large pan. Add the vermicelli and boil over moderate heat for 3 minutes. Do not overcook. Drain and rinse in cold water and set aside. The noodles are translucent when cooked, but still firm.

2. Heat the oil in a wok, add the onion, and stir-fry over moderate heat for 2 minutes.  Add the beef and continue to fry for 1 minute. Now add the carrot, green pepper, chives or spinach as you stir-fry for 2 more minutes.

3. Add the salt, sugar, soy sauce, sesame oil, and tree ears. Stir-fry and toss the mixture for a minute. Fold in the vermicelli and mix well.

Serve warm.

Serves 4 with salads and kimchi.