Kimchi Mamas

Happy Father's Day

Happy Father's Day to all the great Dads out there - we love you and are happy to have you in our lives.  You make our lives beautiful and FULL . . . and the not-so-great Dads - you are a part of the goodness and wonder that made us Moms, Mamas, Mommies and Uhmas. 

As a single mother for a very long time, please take the time to reflect on one of today's Postsecrets:

--Angie in Texas wishes the great dads in her life a great day and the not-so great dad in her life better perspective.

Take the Time Today

Whether you're grilling hamburgers and hot dogs or bulgogi and kalbi, let us all take the time to remember the fallen men and women who made it possible for us to sit by the pool, be among friends and have delicious meals on our day off.

It doesn't matter the reasons for the war, whether or not you agree or disagree . . . Let us remember those who have paid the ultimate price and the many more who are without their families, friends and homes because they are out there . . .

Be thankful.

--The Kimchi Mamas

Giving and Receiving

I've set lofty goals of trying to be done with holiday shopping this week.  I've done my duty, and done a decent amount of shopping in the last couple of days.  My favorite gifts for kids, however, are books.  I remember who gave me most of the books I've received as gifts.  The other things don't seem to stick around for as long, especially for kids.  Recently, as we've been going through my childhood book collection, it's always nice to see an inscription and a familiar name.

So, here are some of my favorite and most coveted Asian American books for this holiday season:

Wave, by Suzy Lee

This book is so simple, yet so joyful!  There are no words in this book, but the beautiful artwork creates a wonderful story that made my daughter smile.

Skim, by Mariko Tamaki, illustrated by Jillian Tamaki

I'm really into graphic novels recently, if only because they're about the only novels I can actually finish these days.  I think they're a perfect medium for conveying some of these coming of age type stories.  I hope this book lands under my tree this season.

Talkin' Turkey in Texas

Thanksgiving is almost here!

(I'm using the exclamation point to illustrate my happiness, as in "Yay!  My favorite holiday is here!" and also to express my "Holy-crap Thanksgiving is in a few days!" feelings, too.)

Seriously though, I LOVE Thanksgiving.  I mean what's not to love?   There's food.  It's the beginning of the holiday season.  And it's all about family and friends.  This year it's going to be a "small" affair at my home - we're only calculating 15 people total and several throughout the day for visitors-passing-by to wish good cheer and share a drink . . .

My family has lived in the US for almost 30 years now, so there's turkey (I won't forget to brine the turkey this year, I promise), cornbread stuffing (we're in the South, what can I say?) and homemade cranberry relish (a recipe I learned from my Nath-easteen friends in college - where are the "r"s?).  We're also Korean so there's going to be tons of chapchae, yaki-mandu (my opa would freak if there wasn't) and of course kimchi (lots and lots of kimchi).  And because our family is a hodge-podge of American, Korean AND Mexican, there will also be enchiladas and maybe some fried tacos this year . . .

And like every Thanksgiving, we'll all eat too much, Dad will wrap kimchi around sliced bits of turkey, Mom will wrinkle her nose at my gravy and "tsk, tsk" my country style mashed potatoes with the skin still on (but have 2 helpings) and later there will be lively games of American and Korean style cards (and yes, money will be involved). 

And because there are children/grandchildren running around having a bite of turkey here, a slice of kimchi there and skipping along with yaki-madu in hand, they will get to absorb all of this and for them a plate of turkey and kimchi with a side of enchiladas is and forever will be normal . . . What's not to love?

What's on your Thanksgiving plate?

-Angie in Texas plans to start brining the turkey Wednesday after work . . . and pickling herself later that night.  =)

Choo Seok

Gasp.

No post about Choo Seok yet?

Well, I guess it's very fitting, at least for me, since I FORGOT all about it until I saw the pretty ladies dressed up in han bok (Korean traditional wear) at church on Sunday. 

Did you eat some song pyun (type of rice cake, traditionally eaten on Choo Seok)?

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

A short post to say "Happy New Year" to all our readers!

I grew up celebrating both solar and lunar New Year and simply love everything about both.  When I was a child, solar New Year was when we performed sae-bae for all the adults and received lucky-money in return.  (I just found out, from my sister, that the money pays for the luck you wished the elders... here, I thought you got money for simply being young and cute.)

Anyone planning to have dduk-guk for New Year's Day?

-Mama Nabi

Open Thread Thursday, Thanksgiving Edition

Does kimchi go with turkey? What are you thankful for this year?

Happy Thanksgiving!

--The Kimchi Mamas

Black Friday

I'm still in shock that it's already holiday season at the mall.  And it's not like holiday season just started, it's been going strong for several weeks already.  It made me a little sad that the transition went straight from scary ghosts and pumpkins to holiday present craziness.  What happened to the holiday in the middle where we give thanks for the things we already have?

So, IF you decide that you need to buy things this coming Friday, I figured I'd send out a couple of suggestions to assuage your consumer guilt.  If you're going to buy things, at least figure out how to buy things that support good causes and good people.  Here some suggestions for rocking Asian American gifts this holiday season.

Another Calendar?
Tired of giving that same Dilbert or Anne Geddes calendar?  Try something with a little more bite, like Lela Lee's Angry Little Girls 2008 Calendar. People always crack up when see my 2007 calendar hanging in my office.  (hint hint)

Something Sustainable
I know that I have been trying to evaluate how my actions impact the earth.  Disposable plasticware is such a waste, but I'm never organized enough to bring in my own.  This resusable bamboo utensil set is the perfect solution, eco-friendly and produced by WEAVE, an organization which helps to provide opportunities for leadership and empowerment for women and children from Burma.

Something Sustainable and Angry
And, if you want to be eco-friendly and angry at the same time, this bag, again from Angry Little Girls, just cracks me up.  (hint hint)

Underwear If you feel the need to give underwear, try blacklava's "I Will Not Love You Long Time" briefs (only for girls, unfortuntaely).  I tried, but I couldn't find any Asian American owned sock businesses.

For Kids
Got kids on your shopping list?

• Try a book from Lee and Low books, an independent children's book publisher focusing on multicultural stories, such as "Baseball Saved Us."
• I'm a HUGE fan of Grace Lin's books, like "Dim Sum for Everyone!"
• For a first lesson in community activism, try Lakas and the Makibaka Hotel, another personal favorite.  This book is written in both English and Tagolog!

Gifts that keep on giving
Personally, come March, it's nice to get a gift that keeps on giving.  Like a magazine subscription to Hyphen Magazine, the gift of music, or the gift of time spent with whatever local community organizations you feel connected to.

What about you?  Do you have a favorite local business or artisan that you try to support through the holidays?

~ eliaday
(cross-posted at Boston Progress Radio)

Spicing up the holidays, kimchi-style?

As the holiday season approaches, I feel conflicted for many different reasons...

Thanksgiving never did much for me. I did not grow up in the U.S. so TG did not equal family traditions for me.  I didn't much care for turkey although I've recently found that I do in fact like the dark meat.  In college, friends would gasp at the thought of a lonely international student spending Thanksgiving alone - they would tell me I had to come 'home' with them: No one spends Thanksgiving without family!  They meant well... but I would be looking forward to a quiet holiday without people and try in vain to get out of these pity-invitations.  Inevitably, I would be the 'foreign' student - I would feel awkwardly out of place as they sat around in their comfortable clothes and took walks down the memory lanes.  I was their audience of one.  I was not family.  And no one ever sent me a dress-code memo; without fail, I was either the most overdressed or most underdressed.  It was painful...

Flags for Crocs

Little Nabi just loves her crocs - I'm not too sure how attractive I think they are... they do look cute on children.  Not so much on a man with hairy legs... my personal opinion, so I apologize if any of you are a male who loves his crocs.  More power to you - really, who cares about fashion anyway.  As long as you're comfortable... (ducking punches).

Anyway, I recently bought some accessories to jazz them up in time for the July 4th holiday.  Notice the Stars and Stripes...