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Mochiko marries Lemon Cake....

I have been experimenting with a box of  Mochiko. 
Last week I made Mochi cupcakes with anko (sweet red bean paste or pat)  inside... This week, I was thinking how it would be to put a box of cake mix and Mochiko together......  I guesstimated the ingredients and baked last night.   This is what came out of this marriage:

Perfect with a cup of coffee or tea!  It looks like a pound cake but this recipe has no butter!  The consistency was like a cake but with a chewy bite...  This was a hit! 

1 boxes Mochiko rice flour  and 1 box of Dr. Oetkers Lemon Cake Mix

• 1 cup of sugar 
• 1 tsp of baking powder
• pinch of salt
• 6 eggs
• 2 cups. milk
• 1. c. vegetable oil
• grease bottom of pans, mix, beat and blend all!

Bake at 375 for 30 min for  muffin tins and 40 min for loaf pans or until toothpick comes out dry! 

Mochi Cupcakes.....

 

Ingredients:

• 2 boxes Mochiko rice flour
• 2.5 cups granulated sugar
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 6 eggs
• 3 cups. milk
• 1.5 c. vegetable oil
• 4 tsp. vanilla extract
• anko

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375ºF.
2. Line a muffin pan with paper liners and set aside.
3. Combine all ingredients except anko in a large bowl, stirring until just combined.
4. Fill each lined muffin pan cup halfway, then add a tbsp. of anko in the center of each. Cover the bean paste with batter, filling the cups to about 3/4 full.

    5.  Bake for 20-25 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake
         comes out clean.

    6.  Cool in pan 5 minutes, then remove to a wire cooling rack.

            (Makes about 3 dozen muffins)
*Consistency is more like Korean rice cake (ddduck).  To me, it's too sweet.  I think I would cut the sugar a bit.  ENK said that I didn't put enough anko inside.  The cupcake with cupcake paper stuck and I could not peel easily.  I made another batch without the cupcake paper and it was better (baking spray).  I also made a batch without anko in a baking dish.  Lindsey likes this with some Nutella spread on the top....  Overall, I will make it again. 

Sriracha Monster...

2 empty bottles of Sriracha Hot chili sauce! 

When looking for something hot, would you grab a  Tabasco or a Sriracha bottle? For me, it's definetly Sriracha!  I love to add some kick in my pasta or my breakfast! But in our house, nobody loves Sriracha more than Lindsey!   We call her the Sriracha Monster!  She puts it in everything! I need to go pick up a bottle or two before she comes home! 

Lindsey's Award Winning Chili Recipe....

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds lean ground beef
• 1 (46 ounce) can tomato juice
• 1 (29 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 (15 ounce) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 1/2 cups chopped onion
• 1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon white sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1/4 cup chili powder

Directions

1. Place ground beef in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium-high heat until evenly brown. Drain, and crumble.
2. In a large pot over high heat combine the ground beef, tomato juice, tomato sauce, kidney beans, pinto beans, onions, bell pepper, cayenne pepper, sugar, oregano, ground black pepper, salt, cumin and chili powder. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Simmer for 1 1/2 hours. (Note: If using a slow cooker, set on low, add ingredients, and cook for 8 to 10 hours.)

I think this recipe is easy enough for me to replicate!  Lindsey's team (Elena, Christian and Kris) made this for our church chili cookooff.   I think the secret zing in this recipe is this concentrated tomato juice.  Also, Lindsey carmelized the onions and added into the pot.   The family loved this chili so I'll make Lindsey's chili tonight.  They better not say her's was better! 
 

Need more Giugni guice....

Anyone?  (hint hint my collegiates in the Napa area!)

As you can see, it's not just for sandwiches!  Used the last drop into this delicious breakfast spuds last Sunday!  Whoever brings me one, I'll pay you for the bottle AND cook up something special for you! Anyone interested?      

National free yogurt day!

Yes, today was THAT day!  All five of us got in right before 7 p.m. for our free yogurt from our favorite Yogurtland today! Randy said, "Why does everything tastes so good when it's free?"

 

Grandpa asked why we were all going out:  I taught the girls to say 공짜"....  (free in Korean)

Perry Boys Smorgasboard.....

Perry Boys Smorgy was the official name of this cafeteria style restaurant. We always went to the one in Pasadena but there were several other locations in Southern California. This was where I had my first taste of "American" food. We frequented this joint in the late 70's, early 80's.... My brothers loved this place too. They got their trays and went straight to the fried chicken, fighting for the drumsticks... and yes, all you can drink soda and soft serve ice cream! Our parents sat with their circle of friends and we sat with our friends. Only if they knew how we played with our food and how we helped ourselves to bottomless soda pop.... I think it was like $5.99? $6.99 for all you can eat for adults so it was pretty cheap! The interior was nothing fancy, with vinyl half circle booths and cafeteria style lighting over the food... We gorged on spaghetti, corn, mash potato and gravy. For dessert, I would help myself to a bowl of red/green mini jello squares and vanilla sheet cake! How did this Perry Boys start and end? What else do you remember?

Cuties.....

We have a bowl of this on our dinning table.  It will last... maybe 2 days? This has been a staple in our house for weeks now... We've had Blue Jay mandarin oranges from H Mart, Cuties from Costco, clementine oranges from Trader Joe's, organic oranges from New Seasons, nameless mandarin oranges from Safeway...  Some were juicier, sweeter than others but we always manage to finish it until the next bowl... We're going to miss you little oranges when you're gone!

small plates....

I liked the idea of small plates or tapas. (I loved the finger foods or smaller plates from the Peruvian dinner out... I learned about tapas from there.  Tapas are snacks, canapés or finger food that originated in Spain. Tapas can be practically anything from a chunk of tuna, cocktail onion and an olive skewered on a long toothpick, to piping hot meat with sauce served in a miniature clay dish - or anything in between.) Who invented tapas first? Koreans with their banchan or the Spaniards with their tapas?    

  Fresh mozarella, basil and tomatoes from the garden....
 Butter lettuce, sliced cucumber and crumbled California vegetarian burger from Costco, and citrus dressing. I also made Ahi tuna in lime juice but no pictures...  But I'm going to have a tapas party with some seafood and kogi too!  You want to come over?

 

Date Night....

We ate at a great Peruvian Restaurant in the Pearl District with Dan/Es, Kev/Son and Lloyd/Soomi.... This was a special evening because us wives joined the men. These four men play golf on a regular basis, consistently together at Langdon. Two old guys and two young guys, always playing for lunch or dinner. When the two finally won two big ones, the winners negotiated to take along the ladies for a night out instead of just four men going out for steak dinner. Of course us ladies agreed! "Why didn't we do this sooner" we asked. We enjoyed our delicious selection of small plates of cured tuna loin with garlic oil and avocado salsa criolla... who knew tuna had loins but it was delicious. Also, Palta rellena de cangrejo y langostinos and chicarron de langostinos were mouth watering! We walked off our dinner..... :) just walked a block away at this classy and elegant restaurant, Blue Hour for some dessert!

Benefits of having boys playing golf. Old vs. Young. Guess who won! Thank you men for thinking about us girls! IT was a memorable evening with ya'all! Let's do it again!