Tag Archives: july

South Korea’s mysterious island- Ulleungdo

How was your 4th of July? Did you get to celebrate with a good ol’ cookout? Take in the local fireworks display? We hope it was possibly your best one yet!

We didn’t do a typical Independence Day celebration this year, but then again are we ever doing the typical over here? Nah… But boy did I miss me some grilled cheeseburgers, bratwurst, and fresh corn on the cob, oh and our families too! Thursday evening right after work we grabbed some snacks and hit the road south to meet up with our friends at a ferry port. We purchased ferry tickets to visit the island of Ulleungdo and Dokdo. These islands are located off the coast of Korea have been on my bucket list since moving abroad. Yippee I get to now cross them off! I love getting to cross things off my list!

Friday morning we woke up early, ate our Korean breakfast consisting of a rice porridge, kimchi, fresh tomatoes, and coffee. Lol…of course we tried it, but as you know there are just something’s you can never shake…mine is an American style breakfast. I opted for yogurt, a banana, and coffee.

We boarded the ferry that took us 3 1/2 hours to reach the island of Ulleungdo. Here is a link to see more about the island. http://wikitravel.org/en/Ulleungdo

Grab the Google map coordinates HERE.

ulleungdo_map1

The island was absolutely beautiful! We loved how preserved and untapped it still is! There is hardly any industry, except for tourist and fishing. However even with the tourist there isn’t a ton of large luxury hotels eating up the land. The water was so clean, so blue, the air was so fresh, and the land was so lush and so green! I really had to keep pinching myself to remind myself that we were still in Korea. It was just that breathtaking.

Just check out the views from our hotel!

^We ate this yogurt every morning during our stay at the hotel. There wasn’t any western style breakfast so this did the trick for about half of an hour. LOL!

We rented a large passenger van and cruised around the one main “highway” stopping off at all the little must see marks on the map from our car rental guy. It’s really easy to travel to all the locations, park, and walk. You honestly could do the island in one day if you rushed it, but we took our time, plus we had the entire weekend.

The guys got in some dives and were really excited about the clarity of the water and just how much sea life there was. Mr. B is already putting together a fun dive trip for the 38th Parallel divers. Something to stay tuned in for.

One morning we took another ferry, another hour and 40 minutes to Dokdo island. Here is the link http://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/SI/SI_EN_3_1_1_1.jsp?cid=264142 . The really awesome history about Dokdo is that Korea is constantly fighting with Japan over it, and still is. Japan has even wrote in history books that they teach their children that the island is theirs.. But Korea unfairly took it….but it’s not the case, and they found historical documents showing otherwise. While it is rather close to Japan, Japan would love to have it for the fishing rights. It’s pretty interesting. Oh and Korea has one resident living on the island. Also Korea is manning the island with stationed Korean police.

The ferry ride seemed much longer because we ended up cruising over two fishing nets that got wrapped up inside of the propellers. Oops. They did a number on the boat because it delayed our trip significantly. In the end they couldn’t cut away all of it and decided they needed to service it once we docked back on Ulleungdo. I felt sorry for the group leaving Ulleungdo that night that was scheduled on that very boat.

I think the a-ha moment was when someone decided to take a smoke break in the restrooms and the smoke detectors went off. I just sat looking up waited for the overhead sprinklers to kick on, luckily they didn’t. I’m not sure where the disconnect was with the passenger and all the signs posted in Korean not to smoke, smoke free vessel, etc. Eh…. I guess sometimes the struggle is that real.

We were nervous because the day we took the ferry to Dokdo island the waves were larger and there was the possibility we wouldn’t be able to dock on the island to get our chance to set foot on it. Thankfully we were able to dock and had some time to snap a few photos. It was really neat!

We met an older Korean gentleman, actually two different ones. Both such characters absolutely worth notating for future memories. The one worked on the ferry and kept a personal log book of guest he’s spoke with, said hello, blessed. He insisted we sign his log book and that we tell him where we were from in the states, after responding he proceeded to give us many thumbs up. We felt loved nonetheless. The other character sought us out while in line awaiting to board the boat back to mainland Korea. He handed us his business card and stayed he wanted us to return back to the island in August for a 5k that we could run or walk, all expenses paid. This man meant business and stood there wanting confirmation with guarantee we were coming. Sweet man. He then pulled us out of line insisting we get a photo with him in front of the boat, again posing with the thumbs up. Lol, I see a pattern here… So we got the photo, he seemed happy, but then later pulled just the two men out for a photo. It was harmless, but the joke was that our faces were now going to be on some Korean noodle restaurant sign that endorses just how delicious the noodles are. Do us a favor and keep your eyes peeled for us if ever in Korea. So that wasn’t the last of him, once on the boat he then purchased us all cold canned coffees and passed them out to our group. Too kind!

Fortunately and unfortunately, MERS the Middle East respiratory syndrome, has really made a dent in the tourism for Korea. Its made for some pretty fantastic advantages for travelers such as less people and discounted prices at some attractions. Almost all the attractions on the island were empty and we almost always had a discounted price.

The entire time we were on the island we ate what the locals ate, mostly seafood. Honghapbap-mussels with steamed rice, haemulcheon- seafood/green onion fried pancakes, sanchae bibimbap, ojing-eo bulgogi -squid grilled at the table with vegetables and hot pepper sauce. We tried the local flower shrimp, chicken shrimp, tiger beef, and frequented and befriended a local coffee shop.

The shrimp was out of this world! We were blown away by the taste and the fact they were only boiled. No old bay seasoning here folks. We would have ate sooooo much more, probably our weight in shrimp, but at 80,000 won a kilo…. Eek…bit pricey.

The tiger beef was outstanding as well! Again pricey coming out at 100,000 won per couple, we had three couples. But where else are you going to get to sink your teeth into a local delicacy like the island tiger beef? Nowhere but Ulleungdo so you just have to do it once.

The coffee shop was fantastic! The owner so nice and had excellent taste with his quality of bean choice. We highly recommend getting a nice treat there after a meal. Try the waffle, trust us it will not disappoint!

All and all the trip was wonderful and getting to pal around on the island with some good friends made the trip that much more! So if you find yourself needing to get away from Korea without getting to far away, check out the mysterious island of Ulleungdo.

Backpackbees

More helpful information about traveling to Ulleungdo Island:

Tourism Information Here

Our Hotel Information:
Ulleung Daea Resort
Phone: +82-54-791-8800
LINK

Summer Saunter

Keeping with the same mantra, determined to squeeze every ounce of summer out of the season, I met up with Kelsey in Seoul early Saturday morning. Of course it was drizzling on again, off again. You know the rain that makes you feeling like someone is constantly misting you? Yep, that was the type. We had umbrellas so we didn’t let it spoil our plans or fun.

We started out by treating ourselves with a pedicure. We both struggled not to fall asleep in the chairs and thought maybe, just maybe, this should have been the final stop of our adventure? LOL! (I know what you are thinking right about now…life is hard,right?)

With our freshly painted tootsies, we headed to an area near Insadong that I wanted to share with Kelsey. I adore the Bukchon Village area, it has lots of sparkle and tons of areas for her to snap photos of the city.

The first stop was at Brick and Wood. This is a ridiculously charming brunch, lunch or dinner spot! I stumbled upon the place the last time that I took a quiet saunter with Mary while in the area. I had only went into the bakery last time and knew just from that I needed to get back to enjoy the restaurant too.

The space is rustic yet has a fun modern flair with its old wooden floors and it’s open, airy, exposed brick and concrete walls. The kitchen is out in the open and made us feel like they were preparing private dishes just for us. I love nothing more than to take a peek on how chefs are preparing dishes and the techniques they are using.

We hit the Bukchon Hanok Village area at a perfect time! The rain kept the large crowds tamed. We strolled casually all over, checking out tiny little boutiques, stopping to smell flowers, making friends with two handsome pups and their British owner, admiring the views, people watching, and of course enjoying green tea potbingsu at the Café Terrace.

(See the couple below?) They were the sweetest couple attempting to take a selfie under the we are young graffiti, so we offered to take the photo for them. They were so pleased with the offer they insisted on taking our photo too! Kelsey and I were swooning over the couples cuteness because we could tell they were just newly dating.

Saved some of the best for last. Yum! Green tea and watermelon who would have thought?

Backpackbees

Addresses:

Brick & Wood Restaurant & Bakery
Locations and website here.

Bukchon Hanok Village (북촌한옥마을)
Check out more here.

Forgiving Fourways

You guys, my Amaryllis belladonna bloomed again over night! Check it out! I’m like a giddy child on Christmas when I wake up rub my sleepy eyes these past mornings and roll out to the living room and see this happy little guy in all it’s glory! I stopped by Cafe Jerry’s to see how hers was doing too…not to shabby, not to shabby. Little thing in life we cherish.

This morning I woke up and knew I wanted to do something special for Kelsey, let’s just say life hasn’t given her forgiving fourways lately. For those of you not in Korea, I know you’re wondering what this silly gal is rambling on about, so I’ll share. In S. Korea while driving if you cut someone off, make a left turn from the right lane of traffic, or do any other really outlandish driving, it’s absolutely okay! Why? Because all you need to do is hit the forgiving fourways (hazards), all is instantly made right again and all parties drive on. Oh Korea.

Anywho, when life gives you lemons make Rachael Ray’s lemon ricotta pancakes! Throw in a side of turkey bacon, fresh berries and a refreshing bubbly raspberry lemonade. Mmmmhmmm! Got your attention? Thought so. This recipe was used recently by a friend for a birthday breakfast celebration with rave reviews. Those reviews were spot on! Happy belated birthday Kara!

Oh, it doesn’t hurt when the coffee barista, Mr. B, comes right to your home and makes you a perfect caramel machattio to sip on while your whipping up your lemony goodness.

Lemon Ricotta Pancakes

Taken directly from Rachael Ray’s Recipe Here

Ingredients:

6 eggs, separated
2/3 cup self-rising flour
4 tablespoons lemon zest
3 cups ricotta
5 tablespoons sugar
4 tablespoons butter

Directions:

In a large bowl, whisk egg yolks, flour, 3 tbsp. zest, 2 cups ricotta and 3 tbsp. sugar. In another large bowl, beat egg whites until stiff; fold into batter. On griddle, cook pancakes in butter over medium until golden, 3 minutes per side. In medium bowl, whisk remaining ricotta and sugar. Top pancakes with ricotta mixture and remaining zest.

Backpackbees

Just One

Can you ever just have one cookie? Does one cookie ever suffice? Nope. Not in my book. You at least need two. It’s got to be a pair, equal, one for each hand. Right? Right!

It’s Tuesday night, I’ve had a lot on my mind these past few days. Korea has a major storm set to blow in over the next few days from China.

What to do?

What to do?

Bake cookies!

I needed something mindless, stress free, and relaxing. Peanut-butter oatmeal cookies were just what was in order. We’re a huge fan of oatmeal cookies and peanut-butter part was just a bonus.

I know when my grandfather reads this blog post he will crave oatmeal cookies and pester my grandmother to bake him some. Oatmeal cookies are his favorite cookies. I guess the apple doesn’t fall to far from the tree. There is nothing quite like a fresh batch of baked cookies and a tall glass of milk to wash it all down.

I remember baking cookies various times throughout my life. The best memories of course were licking the cookie dough from the spoon afterwards. Hopefully there weren’t any raw eggs in those batches…uh oh spaghettio.

Honestly, I wish I would have paid more attention to baking and cooking from my grandparents when I was young. They are such awesome resources and have so much culinary experience. As I’ve grown up I’ve realized that I really enjoy learning to cook and bake new things. I always look forward to cooking and learning something new when im home visiting them. i always leave excited, eager to try what I learned at home with Mr. B. Sometimes I even ponder culinary school to learn real techniques and more kitchen confidence when venturing way outside of the normal weeknight spaghetti or chicken dish. What about you? Have you ever given culinary school a thought? Perhaps someday?

Back to cookie baking. I’ve included the recipe below adapted from various peanut-butter oatmeal recipes just for you.

Enjoy!

Peanut-butter Oatmeal Cookies

Ingredients:

1/3 cup natural, chunky, unsalted peanut-butter
1/3 cup almond milk, soy milk, or regular milk
2/3 cup sugar
1 Tbsp butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup oats
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 Degrees or 190 Celsius.

Mix in a mixing bowl the sugar, milk, peanut-butter, butter, and vanilla extract until everything smooth.

In separate bowl, mix both flours well, oatmeal, baking soda and salt.
Pour both separated mixes together. The wet and the dry, and mix until the ingredients are just mixed enough together.

Next drop cookie dough onto cookie sheet, gently flatten cookie tops with a fork to bake evenly.

Bake for 12 minutes, or until cookies are set.

Now…while the cookies bake, we tackle the dishes….

Backpackbees

Rainy With A Good Chance Of Meatloaf

Meatloaf… It’s one of those foods that you either absolutely love, or absolutely loath. There isn’t much argument in the middle. We just so happen to love the stuff! How about you? What are your feelings on meatloaf?

It’s Sunday, it’s been pouring rain for days. Actually, it’s been every day since we landed back in Korea from our world tour over the 4th.

I don’t know about you, but days and days of rain eventually get to me. I start craving comforting things. I start going into a sluggish, lounge around mood. Sometimes a craving happens and you just gotta roll with it. Sometimes it’s weird, sometimes it ends up being FABULOUS! Like the meatloaf I’m going to share with you all.

A little background on our meatloaf situation. We have only ventured away from Mr. B’s mom’s meatloaf recipe ONE time during our married life. BIG MISTAKE! It was icky, bland, gross. There are many other words I could go on using, but I think you get the point. Please also note this attempt was about three years ago or so. I guess you can say we were scarred. We continued to stick to the family meatloaf recipe ever since. Well, that is until now…thank you Eatliverun!

Kicked Up Turkey Meatloaf
(Taken and slightly adapted from Eatrunlive)

serves 6

Ingredients:

1 lb lean ground turkey

1 cup cooked black or green lentils (Don’t fear the lentils)

1 large carrot, diced

1 large onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 cups mushrooms, chopped

1 1/2 tsp worcestershire sauce

1/4 cup ketchup

1 tsp salt

1/2 T olive oil

1/4th tsp black pepper

3/4 cup panko breadcrumbs

1/3 cup milk

1 egg, slightly beaten

Glaze:

2 T ketchup

2 pads of butter

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the diced onions and saute for about six minutes, until soft and translucent. Add the carrot and garlic and cook for three minutes. Add the chopped mushroom and cook for another five minutes or so, until the mushroom has turned soft and all the veggies are nice and juicy.

Remove from heat and transfer to a large bowl. Add the cooked lentils, salt, pepper, worcestershire sauce and ketchup and mix well.

In a small bowl, combine the milk and panko bread crumbs. Let sit for three minutes so the breadcrumbs can absorb a little of the milk. Add to veggie mixture.

Add ground turkey and beaten egg and mix well. It’s easiest here to use your hands. Transfer to a greased loaf pan and press down to smooth top.

Spread the two pads of butter on the meatloaf top. Make a nice zigzag line of ketchup on top of the meatloaf. Cover with foil. Pop into the oven and Bake for 55 minutes or until a meat thermometer reads 165 degrees. We typically remove the foil off the top and then pop back into the oven for 15 more minutes. Enjoy!

Backpackbees

Around The World In One Week

 

Okay, maybe it wasn’t around the world…but it truly felt like it! It ended up that we went back to the states for a wonderful whirlwind of the fourth of july week. We tackled DC, PA, 3 full days of work, a best friends wedding, family, and a scuba diving certification. I think its safe to say, been there, done that, got the tee-shirt. LOL! We still wouldn’t have traded the time for anything in the world.

How blessed am I? I got to see two of my childhood best friends in one week! Cassie and Josh drove up from North Carolina and toured DC with me for three days. Don’t worry, I’ve got some photos to share of our adventures from the DC duck tour, and yummy sweet treat to ourselves at DC cupcake. Yep, we were the crazies that stood in the rain, but I’m telling you….Mmmm…the carrot cake cupcake was absolutely divine! We then went to Arlington cemetery to visit the tomb of the unknown soldier, so surreal!

After we said so long to my best friend and her husband, we headed North for our hometown in Pennsylvania. My other best friend, who you might remember from her visit here with us in Korea, was getting married. The wedding was perfect! Everything was so simple but elegant. You are going to love this… the reception was at a small local airport, inside of a hanger. It gets better folks, whoopie-pie wedding cake tower! If you are not familiar with a whoopie-pie… first, I’m so sorry you have been deprived this long, second, google the word and drool! The reception also featured stations from Danville, PA (where the reception location was), Seattle (where the groom is from), and Istanbul, Turkey (where the honeymoon destination is). These stations consisted of sliders, salmon, seafood dip, pidgeon and perogies, hummus, chicken kabob, and the list just keeps going on. It was one of the best memories of my life for my best friend and her husband. As we speak, the newlyweds are relaxing in each others company somewhere in Turkey. Gosh, I cannot wait until they get back so I can get the lowdown on the trip!

So how was your fourth of July? Did you travel far? See fireworks? Maybe it was more low-key and all about grilling and chilling? Whatever the case, I hope that it was a great one and I hope to hear about it from you all.

Backpackbees

Scenes From Saturday

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From top to bottom:
1. We giggled at the korenglish sign…all jokes aside, trash is serious business here!
2.*Refreshing* Very berry smoothie from our favorite charming back alley cafe in Songtan
3. What a stud, that man of mine.
4. Hmmm…well, I suppose this is true?
5. The most delightful peach bread pudding topped with vanilla ice-cream!
6. Miss Bean you are so silly! You just make us smile and laugh everyday 🙂