T.G.I. Fridays Steak Sizzling Fajitas

This post brought to you by T.G.I. FRiDAY'S. All opinions are 100% mine.

I’m pretty sure it can be difficult to prepare meals when you have a hectic schedule. After all, it is much easier to stop at a fast food restaurant on your way home from work than it is to come home and cook something. My husband used to do that when he was single. Aside from fast food, he also buy some frozen foods.

I believe that some frozen foods are often not only cheaper than fresh items, but also healthier —especially when it comes to fruits and vegetables. I sometimes use frozen foods. How about you? How often do you buy frozen items?
A week ago, I was given a complimentary coupon to try out the new T.G.I. FRiDAY’S “Entrées for One”. Thanks T.G.I. Fridays! So I went to the store and grabbed a box of sizzling fajitas. Right after I got home, I immediately opened the box and heat the food in the microwave. Oh, boy! I can’t believe how delicious it was. My husband thought I went to T.G.I Fridays restaurant. He didn’t know it came out from a frozen box. Have you ever tried the new line of T.G.I. FRiDAY’S “Entrées for One yet? You should try it for yourself! You might also want to checkout the Fun Freezer contest on Facebook. So what are you waiting for?

2mi + Hike = Accomplished!

My family recently took up hiking as a new hobby. I thought before hiking is a boring hobby but I just realized that hiking is FUN! I get to appreciate the beauty of nature even more, plus it's a great way to burn calories and fat stores....lol! 

Our 5-year old daughter is always on the go. She likes nothing better than to get moving. Hubby and I are thinking of taking her to half dome Yosemite in the next few years. She was 6-month old when we took her there.

This park is the best hiking trail in town! We went to this place last weekend.

The trails here are well marked and vary in difficulty from level one to four. Level one is obviously the easiest and four... the most fun. Of course we took the fun level....lol!

The trail map. We reached our goal! Ayay, a 2 mile hike was challenging.

 Blue Monday, Mellow Yellow Monday,  Green Monday, & Our World Tuesday.

How to Install Bathroom Tile

If your house needs some minor renovations, you must know where you can buy all the materials you need at discounted prices. You must determine which part needs more attention and may entail more labor and budget. You can choose to renovate only a few part since if are limited by your budge. You have to determine which ones you want to do first. If a certain area needs to be renovated immediately because of severe damage, then you can renovate them first. Schedule the other repairs for a later time, when you have the time and the budget for it. You can also save a lot of money if you do the renovations yourself. The money that is intended to be used to pay for a worker may then be used for other purposes such as buying additional materials that you need. You can browse online and see how you can do some minor renovations on your own such as do-it-yourself instructions on how to install bathroom tile. There are even video tutorials on how to do simple tasks.
I’m not sure if this is a good idea, but I’m thinking of doing a minor upgrade on my daughter’s bathroom. I’m planning on replacing the tile. I might need to search some information on how to install bathroom tiles.

Water Damage Houston TX

Several factors contribute to a house’s quick deterioration. A house may be exposed to extreme weather conditions and this may cause major property damage. A house is a major investment which is why it needs to be protected however we can. Property damage can create a huge financial problem and if we do not have enough savings, it can create a bigger problem. It is important that homeowners should be on the lookout for early signs of damage. It can prevent any damage to develop further. A house that gets flooded often is prone to crack in its foundation and damage in the pipes among others. It is important that we know how to deal with such problems. We can also choose to hire a water damage houston tx that specializes in restoration of water damaged properties. They are local and nationwide provider of fire and water damage restoration, mold repair, wind and hail damage repair and complete renovations of both residential and commercial properties. They know how to keep the damage to a minimum. They also know which of your properties can still be restored and which ones need to be replaced. With their expertise, you will be able to deal with your problem the right way.

Korea Brand Expedition Day 2

On the second day each team went on their own mission. For our first content our team decided to go to Makgeolli (막걸리) factory, to learn firsthand how Korean rice wine Makgeolli is made. But before going there I really wanted to take a look at KAIST - the best University of Science and Technology in Korea, so I asked my teammates to stop by KAIST first. As we didn't have much time, we couldn't see that much, however I still managed to take a few shots.

cute sign :)

Our team behind KAIST logo

After that we went to grab a lunch at a popular place called "장어대가", rumored to serve the best eel in Daejon. Our teammate, Jinhee onni brought us here, explaining that she learned about this restaurant from Daejon City hall’s homepage, and that it was famous among Korean netizens.

Location of 장어대가

The signboard

At the time we arrived there our expectations were set very high and we were starving. All the dishes were a bit pricey, so after a short discussion we ordered a double portion of 소금구이장어 (salty roasted eel).  While we were waiting for the main dish, in the meantime we were served side-dishes, and there were so many of them!  Seems as everything I like was present on the table: fried chicken in Chinese sauce, lobster fries, miso soup, fruit salad, and many more. My stomach was really happy that day!

  

Only a small part of all the side-dishes

That day I ate eel for the first time. The taste surpassed all of my expectations! Usually I do not eat fish much, as I dislike the taste and the smell, however I really enjoed that eel. The eel disappeared from our table very quickly, I think it speaks for itself about the wonderful taste. Even now a mere thought about that lunch makes me drool :D

Yummy!

Next time you visit Daejon, I really recommend you to grab a meal at “장어대가”. You definetely won’t regret it!

After gaining energy from the meal, we were ready to go, explore the makgeolli factory. The place we went to, was a small private factory, where various sorts of wine are produced. 

the signboard

When we arrived there, the owner greeted us in a friendly way and offered to be our guide. We had a brilliant opportunity to watch the process of making an authentic Korean rice wine. Every stage of the creation process is done very carefully, considering all the little nuances, like keeping the right temperature.

This is how makgeolli is made

I learnt a few new facts about makgeolli; it turns out to be good for your health! Especially because this place produces special makgeolli with ginseng. After the tour we were treated with makgeolli. The owner explained us that their company is the first one to make different makgeolli for women and men, and really, I enjoyed “female” 삼순이makgeolli’s taste the most. It was so delicious, not too strong, and not too sour.

삼순이, 참막걸리, 홍돌이

It was very refreshing, and the taste reminded me of our Mongolian traditional drink, called airag. The owner and his wife were very generous, giving us a few boxes of their makgeolli. I felt that after this trip I understand so much more about Korean culture.

owner with his wife, they really enjoyed taking photos :)

 Later that day, our expedition moved to 공주 (Gongju). We stayed for the night in a really luxurious place >> 한옥마을 (Korean traditional village). In the evening we played lots of traditional korean games, also we recalled our childhood by playing kids game. 

Korean traditional village

That was Day 2, read more in upcoming posts :)

Sep.27~Sep.30 "New Thinking New Korea" - Korea Brand Expedition Day 1

Earlier in August I decided to apply for the following program, organized and sponsored by Presidential Council on Nation Branding and Hyundai Motors

the poster

The purpose of the program is for foreigners and Koreans to explore a designated region of Korea for 4 days and to blog about the experience, promoting image of Korea. At the time I didn't look much into the future, didn't even expect to be selected.
However to my surprise they did select me, and so my wonderful adventure began. I was teamed with 2 korean onnis and 1 chinese girl. To our disappointment, one Korean suddenly dropped out due to classes, so our team had only 3 members: myself, Jinhee onni, very smart and kind Korean onni, and Yi Xin, a cutest Chinese girl :) We were allocated to Chungcheong region (충청도), and on September 27th us and other teams left for Chungcheong.
Our first destination was Hyundai Motor's Asan plant, which is specialized in making middle and large sedans. We had a rare opportunity of watching the whole process of manufacturing first-class cars step-by-step.

Me and Yi Xin

We have been to press shop, welding shop and assembly shop. Most of the work was done by robots, not humans, so everything seemed so futuristic and unreal. Besides those, we were also told that on the territory of Asan plant, there is paint shop, test track field, engine shop and an environmental facility complex, where water is recycled. After the tour all of us were given souvenirs: a miniature Hyundai car.

if only they gave us real cars ^^;;

After the Asan plant tour we moved to Daejon, city of Science. It was my first time there, but I used to make a presentation on Daejon in class before, so I always wished to go there sometime. That night we stayed in a place called 만인산 푸른학습원, located in a very beautiful place, surrounded by mountains.

picture perfect :)

In the evening we had an ice-breaking time. We also made up team names and us, foreigners, got new Korean names as well. Since then our team became 별빛달빛 (Starlight, Moonlight). Other teams chose such names as Dream Girls, Top Girl, Ez 4, Kobra, 3총4. My new Korean name is 한별 - Korean star :]

That's it for Day 1, you can learn more about my experience in upcoming posts^^

Cell Phone with NO Contract!

This post brought to you by Straight Talk. All opinions are 100% mine.

I believe that the mobile phone is the greatest communication tool ever invented. Don’t you agree? A lot of people have moved from their traditional land line phones to the mobility of lower cost of cell phones. My husband and I are one of those people who have moved from a land line to cell phones. It’s been three years since we stopped using our land line phones. For us, using a cell phone is more convenient. The only downside about using the cell phone is the service contract. Signing a service contract with a cell phone carrier is often necessary to get the cellular service and the cell phone that you want. My husband and I are considering of switching to Straight Talk. We heard a lot of positive feedback about their services. We’re pretty impress about the Android on Straight Talk, plus no contracts, no surprise bills and no credit checks. Where can you find such a great deal like Straight Talk? If we switch to them I’ll be able to Call a friend who lives in the Philippines. At Straight Talk, they have International Long Distance Service that has a flexible prepaid calling service that enables you to make international calls from your home, cell or office phone at low rates. This service provider is not the same with other guys that has a policy like Hook, line and sinker. All the cellphone you need without a contract!