Time absolutely flies. I am home now almost 3 months. It’s really hard to believe. Korea seems a bit elusive, and I simultaneously feel like it was a million years ago and that I am going back tomorrow. It’s hard to know if I am missing it yet – I miss my friends and having the chat but I don’t think I have fully realised I am not going back yet. However, the positive about being home is being able to appreciate the weather a lot more than I did in Korea. Autumn in Korea can be gorgeous but where I live in Ireland I am surrounded by beautiful parks and most of the streets around me have trees lining them that produce some of the most gorgeous colours, so I am able to appreciate it a lot more! I love autumn even with the coolness and dampness. The crunch of leaves, tasty soups and everything Hallowe’en more than make up for the negatives! The below picture was taken at the National Botanical Gardens which is about a 5 minute walk from my house!
However, enough rhapsodising about autumn and on to this month’s installment of In My Kitchen, a fabulous blogging event by Celia at Fig Jam and Lime Cordial:
In my kitchen is this very beautiful eco-friendly Three Blue Birds dishcloth my mom brought back from her trip to America to see my Grandma. It is reusable for over 200 times which is great and can be used as an alternative to paper towel. This was my mam’s gift to herself but it’s a bright addition to our kitchen!
In my kitchen is a Lego Star Wars Interceptor. My good friend, Ashley, gave me this for my birthday last year and I finally made it with my nephew. As you can see Darth Vader was replaced by someone else already! Although his correct place is in the toy box in the sitting room, he manages to roam his way into the kitchen whenever the little ones are visiting!
In my kitchen, are some Hallowe’en Balloons. Boo!
In my kitchen are, some Dr Oetker baking supplies. I am thinking of incorporating these into an a spooky ice-cream cake or cupcake. I haven’t decided anything about the dessert otherwise but we shall see!
In my kitchen, is this lovely Peruvian tea from my friend, Erika. She gave this to me when I went to visit her in July. This is such a delicious tea and very comforting especially on cold mornings. It may never replace my beloved Barry’s Tea (an Irish tea) but I do recommend it. Like my friend, I drink it with milk and sugar, so I didn’t find it particularly bitter. However, a warning for those who are subjected to random workplace drug testing, a cup of this tea can seemingly lead to a positive result as the tea comes from the same plant as cocaine (source: Wikipedia). Oh, the things you learn! The tin we are keeping this tea in was leftover from some cinnamon tea my aunts brought with them from America when they came for the funeral. They are not so fond of Barry’s Tea as we Irish are so this was their contribution! That tea is all gone now but the box was too pretty to get rid of.
In my kitchen is some leftover soup. While my mom was away I was in charge of making dinner. We had take-away Indian one night and one disastrous split-pea soup (took longer in the crockpot than it should have and it still had a very “sticky” texture). One meal that was very successful was a vegetable and sausage soup, I had made using left over roasted vegetables from Sunday’s dinner. The sausages were cooked separately in order to accommodate my vegetarian brother. In my family, we don’t always blend our soups instead we tend to like them “chunky”, so while not pretty looking it was quite tasty!
About once a week, my sister has offered me the use of her kitchen to make something – last week’s endeavour was based on a meal I had made my last month in Korea when I ended up not having all the ingredients I needed to make Healthy Recipe Ecstasy’s Crock Pot Chicken and Lentil Curry. I had run out of tinned tomatoes and I was at the point of not buying anything anymore in an effort to use up everything I had on hand. Instead, I made it into a yogurt curry but I wasn’t completely happy with how long I marinated it. This last week was my second attempt and I’m still not 100% satisfied! I can’t quite remember my vegetable combination either so I need to figure that out, too. My sister is kindly letting me make it again this week. Fingers crossed!
Last but not least here are some foodie photos from my trip to Edinburgh and London at the beginning of September. One of the highlights was visiting Harry Potter Studios where we tried Butterbeer.
And that’s my kitchen! Thanks once again to Celia for this lovely opportunity and I hope to see you all with a new recipe shortly!
Spoon in a Saucepan 
Any kitchen with lego in it is a great one! And I love your reusable dishcloth – so cute! Hope you’ve had a great month, sorry for the late comment, it’s been hectic here! Enjoy the beautiful colours of Autumn!
I agree re the lego! I did have a great month – sorry for missing last month – it’s been a bit hectic as I was travelling a bit during that time.
oh yes we love chunky soups and stews too. feels so good in your mouth. that wash cloth is such a great idea. i haven’t seen any around but i will keep an eye out for them. we are in the middle of Spring here so the flowers are blooming and it is hard to think of autumn. not that we have much of one in sub tropical brisbane. it just gets a bit cooler!
Exactly! I do love a good smooth soup at times but I really, really like the textures of chunky soups. Spring seems such a long way away. It’s such a lovely time of renewal. Judging by your flower photos you are having a glorious spring.
Oh yes, I’ve seen those dish cloths. What a great idea. I think I might treat myself to one. Your plans for Halloween baking remind me of the amazing decorations I saw in the US last year when we visited in October. They really know how to decorate and celebrate! Hope your crock pot chicken turned out OK.
Thanks, Fiona, it did – just published the recipe! I think that getting one of those dish cloths is a great treat! It would also make a nice present for environmentally conscious friends! I need to decide something for Halloween baking soon! It’s creeping up fast!
Your curry and soup look so delicious and comforting. I can imagine your kitchen smelled amazing while they were bubbling away. I love pretty tins and boxes and food packaging too. I always find other uses for them once their original contents are used up.
Aren’t pretty tins and boxes just great? Especially when you can put them to some other use! Thank you – it did smell amazing 🙂
Maggie, “chunky soup” sounds like the perfect way to enjoy Autumn and I thought yours looked wonderful! (Having a beautiful botanical garden nearby, too… ahhhhh.) I drove home this evening and noticed the “fall aroma” in the air (cooler temps, too) and was thinking soup for dinner tomorrow… remind me to throw in the kitchen sink! (The more flavors, the merrier.) Nothing acclimates you to “home” — or seasonal transitions — faster than spending time in your kitchen! Thanks for sharing yours, xo.
Yes, that botanical garden is just amazing! It’s well kept and just beautiful all year around even in winter! Haha! Now, a kitchen sink soup sounds lovely! Have a great week!
What did you think of the butter Beer? Ever since I read the books I have been trying to imagine what it tastes like. Love your clay baker, seems to be a trend. I will have to pull mine down from the top shelf now the weather has turned cooler. And your stew looks delicious even though the recipe is not perfect yet.
It tasted like butterscotch pop/soda/fizzy drink. It had butterscotch cream on to as well. I always thought it would be a hot drink – like apple cider or mulled wine. I need to re-read that description! My cousin and I are going to try and find a recipe and attempt to make it for Hallowe’en! Hopefully it’s nice.
Thanks – I think I just perfected the curry last night! Much happier with it. And as my sister kept saying “it’s cohesive now”.
Looks like you had a great month! I am also all about autumn, soups are fantastic. We have had soup many times recently. Can’t wait what fun baked goods you make with the Dr. Oethker goodies.
Oh, good! Isn’t Autumn just wonderful! Fingers crossed for some cute desserts with the Dr Oetker!
Also, I bought a reusable paper towel similar to that one and loved it! They are magical.
Really? I will let my mam know. It’s such a great idea!
It’s good to hear about your time at home! Glad you’re enjoying it.
Korea has it’s good parts, but I definitely miss the fresh air and trees back in my home!!
I agree! Fresh air could be so hard to find especially during yellow dust season! Ugh! Do not miss that at all!