Bibimbap

For all my adventures in traveling, sports, and life in general, I have to say that I've never been very adventurous where food is concerned. My food prejudices were random, and rather severe. ("I would rather die than eat a tomato sandwich!") This could partially be why I never learned to cook much.

A couple of years ago, Mike got me to go to a Korean restaurant with him. I got what appeared to be the safest thing on the menu to me - Bibimbap in a stone bowl. Basically it's a rice mixture with veggies, beef, and fried egg on top in a hot stone bowl. Then you mix this spicy paste in, but let's be honest...I went really light on that. :) I thought it was really good, and on every subsequent visit to that restaurant, it's what I got.

Well, several weeks ago, Jesse and I went with Mike to the Korean restaurant again, and Jesse became excited about Korean food. But then, he likes all kinds of food, and has no lack of adventure where his taste buds are concerned. So last night, seeing as Jesse and I are trying to do more cooking at home (me so I can learn more, and Jesse so that we don't eat out so much), Mike came down to our house and we made our own version of bibimbap - just without the stone bowl. It turned out so pretty! And extremely tasty, too...even if mine was mysteriously lacking in the spicy paste...

Just because of the sheer prettiness of the meal, I'd have to say that it's one of my (admittedly few) culinary accomplishments. And it involved no disaster in the kitchen...which usually characterizes a success for me anyhow. ;)

Home

Just a little thought today. I was thinking about my sense of "home." I'm staying at my parents' house for a few days while my husband is out of town - just so I won't be lonely. I used to live there off and on until I got married. So it was home, then. Now my home is with my husband. But being back at my parents', it still has that familiar, comfortable, homey feeling. Then I thought about how I thought our old house on Countrywood was my real "home." But then we moved, and the new house felt like home.

And then I thought about how on my mission, some of those towns became like home to me, too. They were full of people I learned to love, and places I grew to know so well.

So I then decided that home is really where there are people that you love, and that love you. So in that sense, my family will always be a sense of home to me. Places in France will always be a sort of home to me. And my husband is home to me - wherever he is, or we wherever we are together.

Just a random thought.

Totally Board!

It’s that time of year. Well, actually it’s early, but with the early descent of the snow, Jesse and I headed out for our first day of snowboarding this season. (Note – although this photo is of no one I know, it’s a nice illustration. Eventually Jesse and I will remember to take the camera up the mountain.)

Surprisingly, I didn’t do too badly. That means I didn’t dramatically injure myself. To give you my history with snowboarding, it all started with a couple of elders from the mission who were snowboarding maniacs, and somehow convinced me that I should try it when I got home. Thus, about three years ago a good friend and I went out to take a lesson.

And it was one of the most painful days of my life.

I only went a couple of times that season, each time more painful than the last. Nevertheless, the next season I persisted, and even went so far as to buy my own gear. Armed with my own board, boots, and everything else, I tackled my second season. I struggled all year, but still enjoyed it. However, I couldn’t figure out why it was still so painful every time.

The next season, I was determined to give it another go. I went snowboarding with a guy who had formerly been a sponsored rider, and currently does crazy free-ride mountain biking. Insanity…that’s a quality I think most great snowboarders share. Anyhow, he took me down the mountain one time, and very promptly shook his head and listed all the things I was doing wrong. With a little bit of direction, suddenly the light went on. And it was incredible!

Now, I’m no pro. I’m not even that good, yet. And being married to an avid snowboarder, whose favorite thing to do is take off through the trees in deep powder, I have quite a ways to go still.

So we started off the season a bit early on Friday, but it was promising – because I had a blast. The only funny thing that happened was on our first run, knowing that I’m always a little rusty the first time on the board (especially after seven months off), Jesse took us down an “easy” trail, which, ironically enough, started off on a black diamond.

Oh, well…I lived, and am stoked for the season!