I’ve only tried about a dozen versions of kimchi in my lifetime. Obviously, I’m not a connoisseur – however, I do know what I like when I taste it!

When we were in Tokyo, we bought a container of kimchi from the Seven-Eleven. (Seven-Elevens are to Tokyo what Wawas are to the Philadelphia area – one on every corner.) By far, it was my favorite of the kimchis I had tried.

The ginger and garlic were well balanced, perfect for a light snack or a compliment to dinner. Fresh and simple, it tasted homemade.

The recipe below is reminiscent of the one we experienced in Tokyo. The only difference was that the one in Japan was redder in color – perhaps powdered red pepper was used instead of flakes.

Heat-wise, this recipe is just right. It’s spicy enough to make me reach for a beverage, but not so hot that it takes my breath away or ruins the flavor of everything else I eat for the next week!

Kimchi

Recipe from The Accidental Scientist (< -Check out this website! Lots of interesting facts about food are waiting to be discovered here!): [caption id="attachment_7729" align="aligncenter" width="960"] Kimchi made from this recipe, fermenting in my fridge![/caption]

Koreans possess a passionate fondness for kimchi, serving this spicy fermented pickled vegetable dish at most meals. While many other types of pickles (such as store-bought cucumber dill pickles) are fermented in a prepared salty solution, kimchi ferments in the vegetables it their own juices. Although there are scores of varieties, kimchi is usually made primarily from cabbage.

2 1/2 pounds napa cabbage (if smaller, reduce amount of salt slightly)
1/2 cup kosher salt
a walnut-sized knob of ginger, grated
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1 bunch scallions, minced
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons crushed red chili pepper
2 jalapenos, minced fine
fish sauce to taste (my addition to this recipe… I like about 1/4 c. in mine)

a glass or plastic bowl
2 to 3 1-pint sterilized glass canning jars
Plastic wrap and rubber bands OR Loosely sealed lid, so as to allow the fermentation gasses to “burp” — NOTE: you do NOT want a metal lid to touch the kimchi

1. Wash the cabbage, then chop it coarsely. Toss it in a glass bowl with the salt and let it sit overnight.

2. Drain the water off the cabbage and rinse it very well to remove the excess salt.

3. In a large glass or plastic bowl (don’t use metal), mix together the ginger, chili peppers, jalapenos and scallions. Then, add the well-drained cabbage. Toss the ingredients thoroughly to coat the vegetables. Save the juice that accumulates in the bottom of the bowl.

4. Pack the mixture tightly in sterile glass jars and cover with the juice. Add water if necessary to achieve 3/4-inch headroom. Cover the tops of the jars with plastic wrap, secured with a rubber band. Keep the kimchi in the refrigerator for 3 days before eating.

Follow-up:

After this batch of Kimchi sat in our fridge for a few days and turned into fermented goodness, we decided to serve some with lunch this afternoon. Leah, my youngest, kept wanting more. When she came back for thirds, she made sure to blow on it before eating. :D

WASHINGTON — A largely unreported meeting held at the State Department discussed integration of the U.S., Mexico and Canada in concert with a move toward a transatlantic union.

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After failing to sleep during their scheduled nap time, Aiden, Micah and Leah fell asleep in the car, moments before we arrived at the Lionville Natural Pharmacy.

Thomas and Tabitha were reading library books, Parts and More Parts, both by Tedd Arnold, to be exact. They said they’d be “bored” in the pharmacy and asked if they could stay in the car to read.

Not wanting to wake up the other children, I agreed. After all, it was a breezy 49 degrees outside and the tiny parking lot was pretty empty – not many other customers – and I knew I wouldn’t take very long.

“Keep the closed,” I instructed. “I will only be a few minutes.”

(Ah, my famous last words.)

While I stood at the pick-up counter, I asked if the pharmacist could recommend a substitute for one of my supplements that was no longer being carried by my grocery store. I handed him the empty bottle. He flipped it over to evaluate the nutritional information.

The pharmacist opened his mouth to speak, and, at that very instant, a woman’s voice started yelling for help.

It was odd. The sound seemed to be coming from him, yet he was so masculine looking. It took me a confused second, but I realized that the sound was, in fact, coming from a woman, arms flailing, who was running up behind him. We both turned to look at her at the same time.

“HELP!” she yelled again. “There are children outside who are screaming and trying to get out of a green S.U.V.! Who would do such a thing to children?!!”

She had said “SUV” in a most punctuated fashion, as if it’s carbon footprint was making the situation even worse. As if the words “green” and SUV couldn’t possibly be in the same sentence together.

I smiled at the pharmacist.

In the sweetest voice I could muster, I said, “I’m sorry – will you please excuse me for a moment?”

I didn’t wait for him to answer. I bolted. I left him standing there with my grocery store supplement bottle in his hand.

When I opened the door to the pharmacy, their once muffled screams combined with the sound of the honking car alarm blasted into the pharmacy. Thomas was in the front seat, blocking the open drivers side door, arms and legs spread out, crying, screaming “STAY IN THE CAR, AIDEN!”

Meanwhile, Tabitha, Micah and Aiden were clawing at the windows (Aiden at the windshield, of course) desperately trying to get out. They looked like children trapped in a glass cage along with an invisible swarm of bees chasing after them.

Leah, who has a grotesque bloody, fat lip from losing a fight to the pantry door earlier today, and whose lower sad-lip couldn’t possible stick out any more if she wanted it to, was squirming to get out of her car seat. A giant tear was stuck right in the middle of each cheek.

I hit the “UNLOCK” button on my key chain and the extra-loud honking stopped – but the screams did not.

When they realized I was standing there, they all started blaming each other at once.

Calmly I asked for each of the children to tell me their version of what happened.

The shocked and appalled woman came out of the store, put her pointer finger up as if preparing to lecture me. Instead she just yelled “UUUUUUUGGGGGGGH!!!!” and stomped to her car.

Apparently, Aiden woke up from his momentary nap and freaked out. His demands to get out of the car woke up the other kids. When they realized that the child locks were engaged, panic set in. Aiden unbuckled himself and climbed from the way back seat, stepping on and hurting the middle seat kids, and managed to get to the front of the car to open the driver’s side door. He succeeded. Because the car was locked from the outside, even though the front doors are still able to open from the inside, it set off the car alarm.

They all quietly climbed out of the car. I kissed and hugged each one of them. I asked them to forgive me for leaving them in a situation that was too big for them to handle.

“I was so scared!” Tabitha sobbed.

What a horrible parent. Me – the one who could be a very rich insurance saleswoman because of my ability to foresee the worst case scenario in every situation – who, for once, chose to chalk it up to merely paranoia and pessimism that Aiden could possibly wake up from his nap and panic.

Silently, obediently, and still sniffling, they walked in a straight line behind me, all the way through to the back of the store by the pharmacy counter.

“I’m sorry about that,” I said to the pharmacist. “The three younger children had just fallen asleep as we got here, and the older two asked if they could stay in the car with them to finish reading some library books,” I explained, not sure how he would react.

The pharmacist said, in a quite serious tone that was fitting for masculine his face, “When I first started working here, many years ago, I used to bring my kids with me. I had a little play area set up for them over there.”

(Keep in mind, this sort of place isn’t like your average, antiseptic commercialized pharmacy. This is a “health food shop”, complete with herb bottles and apothecary jars behind the counter.)

“When my customers used to tell me how cute they were,” he continued, “do you know what I would say to them?”

My children were staring intently at this white-haired bearded man, hanging on his words as if he had great authority. The shook their little heads, eyes very wide.

“I’d tell them, ‘If you think they’re so cute, then take ’em with you! Bring ’em back when they’re 21 and I’m no longer responsible for them!'”

Tabitha gasped and firmly clenched the back of my bell-bottomed jeans.

The pharmacist chuckled, his eyes twinkling.

After reading today’s devo, seeing a police officer in my rearview (hopefully not too often!) will undoubtedly bring this verse to mind.

Enjoy and be encouraged.

Much love,
SJA

2008/03/07

Perfect Love Drives Out Fear
by Jon Walker

There is no fear in love; instead, perfect love drives out fear, because fear involves punishment. So the one who fears has not reached perfection in love. We love because he first loved us. (1 John 4:18-19 HCSB)

*** *** *** ***
There you are, driving to the grocery store. You’re under the speed limit and following all the traffic laws, but then you notice a police car in your rearview mirror.

The policeman isn’t flashing his lights; he’s not pursuing you; in a sense he’s just like any other driver who might be following behind you down the road.

But he’s not just any driver. He’s a police officer, and so you tense up. You start thinking: Am I going too fast? Am I wearing my seatbelt? Did I signal properly when I changed lanes?

And then there’s the fear you’ll make a mistake right in front of the policeman. Now, the reality is that you’ve done nothing wrong, but the fear is there because no one is a perfect driver. He could pull you over for a variety of minor violations.

When fear enters any situation, we become defensive and less trusting. We focus on fairness and on protecting our rights. Consider what happens when someone brings fear into your environment – perhaps a fellow employee, perhaps a boss, maybe a family member or a friend. Their fear shows up as criticism, defensiveness, or manipulation, and it soon infects nearly everyone, pushing them toward self-protection – toward reactive decisions instead of thoughtful responses.

On the other hand, the environment also can change when someone shows up with an outpouring of God’s love. Love shows up as encouragement, as positive interactions. Because criticism is constructive, it is easier to receive. You know you are loved, so you know your mistakes and imperfections will not lead to your being rejected or labeled a loser. You’re less concerned about fairness because you know this loving person is looking out for your best interests, and as the environment becomes drenched in love, you begin to understand that everyone is looking out for your best interests.

The more you trust, the less you fear, and eventually this pure love – you might say perfect love – drives out your fears. This is the essence of the John’s words: “There is no fear in love ….” (1 John 4:18 HCSB)

We are forgiven. We are loved by God, and we can rest in that truth. We can allow that truth to spread from our hearts to our hands, in service. Knowing that God is always loving us gives us the trust, the confidence, the faith to believe that God is working all things out for the good of those who love him and who are called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28) We can approach God’s throne of grace boldly. (Hebrews 4:16)

Here is what I believe John is teaching: If you walk in fear, you’re trying to control life, rather than trusting in God’s love and letting him control you. Look through your fear and focus on God instead.

The thing is, if you have fear, you may be the person who brings fear into the room. Because you are less trusting, because you fear doing wrong, you may spark the fire of fear. If you fear others will take advantage, you will work to gain your own advantage.

John says, “The one who fears has not reached perfection in love.” But perfection in love doesn’t start with us – we can’t work ourselves up to perfect love. Perfect love starts with God: “We love because he first loved us.” (1 John 4:19 HCSB) As we seek to be spiritually mature, it is God’s love that drives the fear from us. Then it is his love within us – when we trust his love for us – that moves us to love others.

What does this mean?

* Give God your fears – When you fear, tell God about your them. In other words, don’t nurse your fears or use them to justify fear-driven actions. Instead, go to God with your fears. Ask him to show you the root of your fears, and then ask him to work within you to remove the whole fear-tree – roots and all. (”I believe; help my unbelief.”)

* Let God develop perfect love in you – Accept and respond to God’s perfect love for you. How would your life change if you were no longer controlled or motivated by your fears? Ask God to fill you with his love and to love other through you. (”I can’t; God can.”)

* Pray for those who fear – When you see someone showing their fear through defensiveness, control, manipulation, gossip, or other such behaviors, pray for them. Pray they will allow God to drive away their fears, that they will receive and accept the perfect love of God, and, with that love within them, that they will begin to act in faith and not fear.

* Pray for our police officers – Lest anyone misunderstand my illustration about a policeman in the rearview mirror, these men and woman put their lives on the line constantly in order to protect and serve us. They are ministers of God, in that they maintain the peace. Pray for them and their protection, that they will be drenched with the perfect love of God.

There was a considerable about of buzz tonight saying that Ron Paul would make the announcement that he would be dropping out of the race, and even some about a possible third party run.

Yet neither rumor, so far, has proven to be true.

While Paul did say the campaign was winding down, he still encouraged people to vote for him and still hoped to win as many delegates as possible.

In the video, he plugged some grass roots efforts as well as his newest book The Revolution: A Manifesto.

Watch this clip so you know what Paul said, lest you only hear it elsewhere in sound bites and with spin:

Here’s a news story I’m following:
California Court Deems Homeschooling a Criminal Offense

More on the story from the Home Education Foundation:

Home Education Foundation,

“As WND has reported, the Longs had their children enrolled in Sunland Christian School, a private homeschooling program.

But [Justice] Croskey, without hearing arguments from the school, opined that the situation was one of a “ruse of enrolling [children] in a private school and then letting them stay home and be taught by a non-credentialed parent.”

….The school’s website notes it offers a homeschool/independent study program that is accredited. It began in Los Angeles in 1986 with 24 students and now serves more than 3,000 families.”

Continue reading “California Court Deems Homeschooling a Criminal Offense”