Thursday's Thoughts & Things...

It's that day of the week again, where I share random thoughts and things from my life.  Do you like these types of posts?  Should I keep doing this?  Leave a comment and let me know!

Father's Day

With Sunday being Father's Day, I can't help but think about my own Papa.  We normally don't do anything crazy for our father's (my dad and my father in law) -- since they don't like the attention.  Well, at least they don't claim to like the attention.  Usually we'll do a card or a small gift.  If we're in town or nearby we'll do a meal either at home or at the restaurant of their choice.

I'm considering starting a new tradition... text blasts.

My parents are new to texting, but have really taken a liking to it for the past two years.  Really, since my mom got an iphone and discovered the pure joy of emoji's... and the ease of switching from an English to a Korean keyboard.  These things are much easier on an iphone than on the other phones they used.

My plan is to get out as many old photos as possible and just start texting them to him one after another starting as God-Awful-Early as I can.  There's a really good one where we both had awesome bedhead.  It's my #1.

Random Father Story

The story that best summarizes the relationship my dad had with my toddler self is how I woke him up from one particular nap.  

He was working nights at the time, so he was always asleep when we were awake and gone while we were asleep.  I wasn't more than 3 or 4 and must've been missing my daddy terribly at the time.

Usually, he would get home, shower, eat, and then head to bed.  He would always make sure the bedroom door was closed and the rule was no going in unless the door is opened.  Once he'd slept enough, he'd swing the door open and come on out to play with us and hang out.

My mother must've gone into the bedroom for something and forgotten to close the door after her.  The way my dad tells it, she did this on purpose when she decided he had slept enough.  Either way, the open door was the cue that it was officially, "daddy's awake" time.

As the ninja I have always been and definitely was, I stealthily launched into a full sprint from the end of the hallway to the foot of the bed where I proceeded to do a full tuck jump and land knees first into his back.

You see, my pop sleeps on his tummy (or did on this day), so he took both knees into his back as a gentle nudge to consciousness.

 It was awesome!!

If you ask him, it was debilitatingly painful.  So let's not ask him.... Awesome it is.

When Eminem is your hype man

I played this song on repeat -- Till I Collapse -- The first minute... motivates me!

Do you have any fond memories of your father(s)?  

What do you normally do to celebrate?  

Who's your hype man/woman?  

Is there a certain song that just gets you going?

Let me know in the comments below ^_^

Thoughts & Things for your Thursday

I have a few thoughts and things to share today -- most of which are centered around one gnawing fact:  I keep waking up at 3am and can't get back to sleep!

My issue of waking up at the Devil's Hour hasn't happened every night -- but it has happened often enough that it's becoming a problem.  It seems to only happen on days when I haven't had a run or a workout -- and it only seems to happen during the summer months. 

This struck me as odd, because I'm usually super stressed out during semesters and much more calm and peaceful during breaks (summer & winter breaks).

Some research

Of course I turned to Google -- I searched and searched and stumbled upon a few different theories:

• Something in chinese medicine associates this time period (2-3am) with the liver?
• Catholics associate this time (around 3am) with the Devil's hour and some have reported seeing doors close or dark figures lurking as they awake in a panic
• Adrenal gland issues?
• Low blood sugar -- due to spiking sugar throughout the day.

Which is it?

I'm not going to rule anything out -- but the Low Blood sugar option seems like the easiest place to start.  If it's something more sinister I'll need a medical professional or an exorcism!

What am I going to?

My main concern is that my body is somehow out of whack.  For me, falling asleep and staying asleep is the ultimate prize at the end of each day.  The more restful sleep I get, the more I'm motivated to do good works the next day.  The more tossing and turning I do, the more worthless I am the next day.

So my plan is three fold:

1. Workout or run each day - hopefully this will exhaust me enough to sleep all night
2. Watch my blood sugar - by watching what I'm consuming and limiting the bad stuff (ie. refined or simple sugars or simple carbs without protein during meals, too much snacking, lots of processed junk) I'm hoping to balance this blood sugar thing out.  I'm also going to try to have a small snack before bed of an apple and almond butter or carrots and peanut butter.
3. Track my nights of no sleep -- hopefully by collecting more and more data, I'll begin to see larger trends.

Do you ever wake up in the middle of the night?  

What do you do to fall back to sleep?  

Do you watch your blood sugar? Any tips and tricks would be great!

Share your experiences & let me know in the comments below ^_^

  

Tuesday Treat Day #5

This week's Treat

Games with Friends!  Euchre, chess, board games, video games, etc...

Here are the most recent games I've enjoyed with friends and family:

• Euchre
• Parchese
• Hi-Ho Cherri-o
• Ants in the Pants
• Star Wars Battlefront
• Titan Fall
• Fall Out 4

This next list contains all the games I'd like to play before New Year:

• Double Solitaire
• Greed
• Chess - 4
• Triple Layer Chess
• Rummy
• Poker (Texas Hold 'Em)
• Cribbage
• Phase 10
• UNO

Why?

 I love playing games (and I'm obviously a bit competitive -- hello, Korean!).  It's even more special when it's with friends and family, as I feel it brings everyone together.

For board games and card games, it's a great feeling to unplug and have some chatter around the table as the game is played.  For video games, it's fun to link up the different generations and help the older folks relate to the youngsters!  

It may turn out that Grandpa kicks-butt on Star Wars Battlefront and with the new movie coming out soon, it's going to be a popular thing I think...

Random Childhood Story

It was a sort of tradition every Friday night -- my family would pack up and head to my grandma's house.  We'd either eat there or pick up food on the way.  Sometimes it would just be my parents and grandparents, other times aunts and uncles would join.

When there were a lot of people over, my grandpa would have to add an extra "leaf" into the table (it was the type that expands when you pull on either side, going from circle to long oval if needed).  His table would go from comfortably seating 4 to comfortably seating 12.

This was especially helpful on Friday nights because once dinner was over, it was always game night!  The kids would scatter and watch tv or play in another room while the adults would get out the cards, pull out the board, or even get out a puzzle.

It seemed the adults would go through phases -- they'd play War (it's like double solitaire but with lots more couples) for long stretches, but then switch to cribbage or another game before deciding to try a board game or puzzle... 

As a kid, I ALWAYS wanted to play too!!  I got really good at cards (as good as a kid could be) and would make sure to keep the adult's glasses of soda or lemonade full -- every bathroom break for them was an opportunity for me to play!

I loved this tradition!  So for a family friend's Christmas gift, we put together a game night basket -- candies, snacks, and games!  I hope to carry on the tradition with my own family as something to look forward to every week and a fun way to bond as a family!

Do you have a favorite game?

Does your family have a game night?

What traditions do your families have that pull you all together?

Just for Fun Friday #3

Making Mandu!

This week, hubby and I made homemade Mandu!  This is the recipe we used.... Thank you Maangchi!

This is something new we tried for the very first time -- and we think it'll become one of our family traditions!

What's Mandu?

 Little Pockets of heaven!  They are dumplings made with a seasoned meat and vegetable stuffing that are then steamed, added to soups, or in my case pan fried.  (It's basically a Korean Pierogi with a thinner skin or the Korean version of a Potsticker...SOO GOOD!)

To make them I used two kinds of store bought "skins" -- Big round ones (like below) and plain old Wanton Wrappers.

We mixed up the meat mixture -- I used all Beef instead of some beef, some pork... added seasoning, onion, green onion, garlic, cooked and chopped sweet potato noodles (like the kind you used for JapChae), and crumbled tofu.

You take a thin little wrapper, add some filling and fold up your little balls of deliciousness.  Pictured here you see three Mandu made by hubby (on the left) and two made by me (on the right) -- you can tell because my ends point out and his are crumpled in.

Once we had a nice stockpile build up, I pan fried a few in some vegetable oil -- SOO GOOD and CRISPY!

Random Childhood story

I've always been a fan of any kind of dumpling.  Korean Mandu, Chinese Pork Buns, Polish Pierogis -- if it's a cute little dough packet with a delicious filling, then it qualifies as one of my favorite foods.

Growing up, my grandparents lived very close to a Catholic church that had very Polish roots.  My paternal grandmother was part Polish -- so she loved this!  Every year, the church would coordinate efforts with the heavily Polish local population to put on a full blown "Polish Festival" to raise money for their church and Catholic School.

This this was the Sh**!!  There were Super sketchy Carnival rides, Polish bands to play Polka non-stop for the whole 3-day festival, a grown-ups only Beer Tent and all your typical carnival foods -- including Caramel Apples, Elephant ears, and funnel cakes.

There was a huge tent with nothing but games -- ring toss, balloon dart pop, bingo, etc... even Texas Hold 'em!  All games cost a quarter or $0.50 and would go towards fundraisers for the school or charity.  If you won a game, you'd get a prize -- Once I even won a GORGEOUS doll!

At the very back of the festival's lot, there was a CANDY TENT!  The entire tent was just display after display of candy -- some pieces were 5 for a penny, others were a quarter each, and the full bars or packs were a dollar or more.  I would save up my money (or beg for allowance) and stock up on candy.  The festival was in August and at times I would still be eating my candy horde well into Halloween season...

The Polish festival was something we looked forward to every year.

The best part was the fact that they had any kind of Polish food you'd like -- Kielbasa, cabbage, and of course PIEROGIS!   That's right -- addition to all the other food stands, you could also get the most delicious, fluffy, crunchy, chewy, cheesy, potatoe-y Pierogi ever!  They always had three kinds -- Potato, Cheese, or Potato & cheese.  You could get individuals or combos and they let you have as much sour cream as you needed.  My favorite were the potato & cheese (why choose right?).

I remember ordering some that were so fresh and hot that I couldn't wait to take a bite!  I burned the crap out of my mouth, but it was worth it.

For this Just for Fun Friday -- I challenge you to either:

(1) Try some MANDU!!  Any local Korean restaurant (worth their weight) will serve these either steamed or pan fried -- try them both and let me know which you prefered!

(2) Make some dumplings!  Any kind of dumplings!  I have found that one common thread through most cultures is their embrace of the dumpling...

What will you do Just for Fun today?  

What's your favorite kind of dumpling?  

Do you have any fun things you like to do with family every year?

Just for Fun Friday #2

Here's a "Just for Fun Friday" fact for you--not all Kim (seaweed dried into sheets) is the same.  

I've tried several types, some Korean and some not and I have to say Korean seaweed is the best!  (Not at all bias...)

Korean Kim just seems flakier and crispier and it's seasoned so it has a burst of flavor and texture in your mouth while you chew it. Other seaweed sheets are tough and flavorless. (I'm looking at you Japanese nori...)

This brand, aptly named A+ Kim, is the bees knees -- and makes these cute individual packs. 

  

Random Childhood story

When I was little, my mom would sometimes make us Kimbap -- Rice rolled up in seaweed sheets with eggs and veggies, and then sliced into little disks of heaven.  Sometime she would make a dipping sauce with soy sauce and hot pepper flakes --  It was the BOMB! 

Sometimes, when I was feeling ravenous and impatient -- my mom wouldn't even go through the added trouble of cutting the Kimbap -- so she'd make a roll up for each one of us kids and we'd walk around outside chewing on our snack.

There used to be a Korean Market right near our house, a long time ago -- when I was maybe 4 or 5.  My mom was friends with the owner/operator so we'd get to go in the back -- where there was a break room/living quarters complete with a fridge, cabinets, and a stove/oven.  On the other side of this massive supply/break room there were huge pallets of bagged rice.  

We'd climb all over them and while we were playing, my mom and her friend would fry up some eggs to make us Kimbap.  Once they fixed this snack, they'd bring us over our plates and we could eat them right there on top of Mt Rice Bag...  It was beyond cool.

Sometimes when I see Kimbap at the market registers, I think of climbing those bags of rice and the crazy fun we'd have imaging we were scaling a tower to take over a castle, or that we'd be the first Point-Five-Koreans to reach the peak of a huge mountain.  Such fun!

For this Just for Fun Friday -- I challenge you to either:

(1) Try some Korean Kim!  You can find it on amazon or go for the A+ KIM from a local Asian Market near you

(2) Recall a favorite game you used to play as a kid -- the more you used your imagination, the better!  Share with a comment/reply.  

What will you do Just for Fun today?  

Do you ever get random flashbacks triggered by something you see, eat, or smell?

Thirsty Thursday #2

Hydrate!  It's Important

For today's Thirsty Thursday, I've researched why proper hydration is so darn important.  Turns out, there are medical reasons, not just sports performance reasons!  SHOCK!  Here's the article that I found and will be referencing throughout.

Your body is made up mostly of water.  On a microscopic level, water is the medium through which cells move, remove waste, process bodily functions, and lubricate joints and themselves.  If you're dehydrated you'll feel it!  Symptoms include little to no urine, dry mouth, headache, confusion, dizziness, and sometimes (like with me) nausea.

If you are already sick with fever or are throwing up, it's extra important to remember to hydrate -- because you're at higher risk for dehydration.  Same for those exercising, pregnant, or trying to lose weight -- so basically everyone ever.

Ok, it's important -- now what?

Drink!!  The article recommends 6 to 8 eight ounce glasses of water a day or what is reasonable for your situation.  If you're a fan of the 21 day fix, you'll remember that the program recommends half your weight in ounces (so 80 ounces for a 160lb person -- that's 10 eight ounce glasses).  

The good news is, you can spice up your water by adding things like fruit, mint, or even a mix of both.  Strawberry slices with mint leaves is banging!

You can also change up what you're drinking entirely and opt for a fruit and vegetable juices, milk, tea, or coffee.  Even some caffeinated drinks can contribute to your overall hydration -- but be aware since these come with a caloric price tag.

Eating soups, veggies, and fruits will keep you moist and is a great "cheat" for those of us that can't fathom drinking constantly throughout the day.

Random Childhood story 

When I was young -- maybe 4 or 5 -- I was really sick.  Throwing up, dizzy, super sleepy, and crazy nauseous.  I couldn't keep anything down and my head was burning up with fever.  Turns out, I was super dehydrated.  My parents had to take me to the ER, in the middle of the night, where they strapped my arms down to a board and put in an IV of fluids.  

Once I was in the ER, I don't really remember much besides waking up and seeing my arms strapped down and calling out for my dad and him not being there.  I panicked and called louder and louder until he came running, red eyes strained with worry and fatigue.  He had literally just stepped out to grab some coffee and use the restroom but had been basically by my side all day.  He felt so bad that I woke when he wasn't there, that even though I fell back asleep he wouldn't leave again.

My mom had to stay home with my sister and little baby brother (who wasn't even walking yet) -- but I could only imagine how scary it was for her.  Before my dad took me to the ER, I remember my mom was super mad.  They were 20 somethings with three kids and to think of an ER bill on top of what I'm sure were stretched resources... *shudder*  poor thing.  

My biggest take away, growing up Point Five Korean, was to drink drink drink after that.  I was terrified that (1) I would get strapped into a bed with a HUGE needle in my arm again and (2) my Korean Mom would be ULTRA PISSED if I was responsible for another ER bill...

Another random fact from this memory -- I got to wear my pink fuzzy slippers to the ER and hold a plastic shopping bag in case of car-vomit.  Even though I'm sure it looked super bad -- I felt basically like a rockstar.  BOOM Pink fuzzy slippers... what you got?  lol!   ^_^

How do you stay hydrated?  

What's your favorite drink?  

Do you have any childhood dehydration/hydration stories??? Please tell me I'm not alone :-/

Kimchi Sweats

I ran this morning… even though it’s so hot out! 

It didn’t feel bad at first, but then about ten minutes into the run it started — the KIMCHI SWEATS! 

What are Kimchi sweats you say?

Well it’s a special kind of perspiration that starts out as a red face, transitions into a glistening layer of moisture on your nose, and finally climaxes in every single pore spilling gallons of the salty stuff in unrelenting currents!! 

They are called Kimchi sweats because my mom likes spicy foods but usually needs a sports towel to mop her face and neck as she eats… (There's also a special way to breathe, apparently, similar to "the food's too hot" or lamaze... but that's another phenomenon entirely) I inherited both the love of spicy foods and the kimchi sweats. 

Seriously, this is a real thing! If you don’t believe me, go to a Korean restaurant… a REAL Korean restaurant… and watch the natives eat! It needs to be a real Korean restaurant to spot the Kimchi Sweats. Not some hipster, L.A.-esque, “Korean barbecue”… I’m talking the kind of place where you’re not sure if English is understood and once you order there’s yelling in Korean in the kitchen. You’ll find the Kimchi Sweats there… just wait, you’ll see! 

As a self proclaimed and unafraid Kimchi Sweater — I often sweat like a hog. This didn’t used to be such a bad thing. I grew up in the midwest where summers weren’t too hot or too long, so the Kimchi Sweat season was super short. Sadly, I’ve spent the better part of the last decade in the south *gulp* where its rarely cold *sniff sniff*. 

It’s a shame really. Living in the south means I had to get used to phrases like, “fixin to”, “ya’ll hush”, “I might could”, and “sweet tea”. I also had to get used to suffering through Kimchi Sweats just for stepping outside the AC — for about ten months out of the year.

Take today for instance, it’s partly sunny, 79 degrees with 80% humidity, at 6 am — and it’ll easy get to 100 today, if not higher. Since it’s clear that I sweat like a running wildebeest even in the coolest coldest weather — hydration is going to be a focus for today.   

Do you suffer from the Kimchi Sweats? No Shame here -- be proud of your hard earned perspiration!!! 

Have you seen native Korean Mom's in their natural habitat? Wiping away their Kimchi Sweat between bites of Kimchi Jigae?

Leave a comment/reply below and let me know!!  ^_^

Safety Schmafety

Hello All! 

Remember back in the day when the “big” kids in school were considered responsible enough to help their peers cross the street? 

I saw a photo of a Neon Green Safety Sash and memories came FLOODING back!! 

 My sister was one of these select few – she was an elementary school safety. I remember she used to carry her cornet and safety sash on our walk from home to school. Back then, we were able to walk all by ourselves the quarter mile back and forth– something that wouldn’t fly today. We didn’t have cell phones, ipods, ipads, or other electronics. On the way to and from school we used to talk or look around or just think quietly to ourselves. We were in elementary school. Sixth graders got to be safeties. Could you imagine elementary school kids, first through sixth grade, walking home by themselves with no other supervision besides the chosen few elected mature enough to don the neon safety sash? 

 Still, I don’t remember anything eventful ever happening on our walks home. There were several kids that would all walk the same way, but no one was bullied, jumped, picked, or robbed – at least not anyone I knew of. Would this still fly today? The school safeties would be stationed on corners and would watch out for traffic. Once every other student had successfully crossed the street, the safety would then cross and finish their own walk home. Their bright neon yellow/green sashes would reflect headlights in early morning darkness and provide a blinding glare during sunny spring days. Alas, the honor of being chosen a safety was never to be mine. Not because I wasn’t mature enough. Not because I couldn’t handle the responsibilities. Not being a safety had nothing to do with me. It was simply because of rezoning and regrading of schools. You see, up until my sister’s year as a safety, all elementary schools in our district were K-6 schools. Then 7^th and 8^th grade would be at a single junior high to be followed by high school. My class was to have the distinct honor of being the first group of 6^th graders to join the 7^th and 8^th graders at the junior high – changing it forever to more of a middle school. This drove my sister MAD… As the little sister, I was nipping at the bit – trying to keep up with my sister who was a whole year older and wiser. She hadn’t had a single moment of peace past that first year she inhabited the earth. Instead, she had me – always around – always watching – always wanted to be a part of whatever, it didn’t matter. 

 So to her, the thought of leaving me in 6^th grade in the elementary school while she moved on up to the junior high sounded like a blessing of freedom. Freedom to be who she wanted without me calling her down from the clouds. Freedom to only worry about herself – instead of having to “watch out for” her ‘lil sis. Freedom to forge a new identity as a more mature adolescent without my naivety crowding her style. Instead she got a little shafted. She didn’t feel her freedom for another few years when she went on to high school and I went on to 8^th grade. To be fair, I got shafted too! Robbed of being the big kids for once. Robbed of ever being able to wear the school safety sash with pride! Robbed of all the normal 6^th grade rites of passage.


 I never ASKED to be moved up to the junior high earlier than ever before. I never WANTED to give up being the oldest kids in school just to be guinea pigs. I never THOUGHT I would be forced into a few more years in the purgatory of “younger than”. There’s nothing fun about being the smallest and youngest. Nothing. Being the youngest grade in a school means the older kids find you annoying. They don’t think you know what you're doing. They assume you’re immature, inexperienced, and have nothing to offer their established norms. This clear separation was felt by others too, so we little kids stuck together in our own little pods. That's a sure fire way to make some awesome friends though!! 

Any school safeties out there? 

Where any of you "robbed" of being the Big kid? 

 The small kid? Did you like it/hate it? WHY?

Leave a comment/reply and let me know ^_^

Why PointFiveKorean??

Anyone thinking, "why Point.Five.Korean"?

I know right!
Okay maybe more like "WTF?" or "WTH?"

It's an inside joke that captures a little bit about me in a way that's just my style.  Is it grammatically correct?  NOPE -- and neither am I!  Is it profound, uber-intellectual, and mysterious?  NOPE -- not that either. What it is, is what I am -- straight to the point with a little humor.

I'm half Korean -- my daddy met my super cute mommy in a little town in South Korean.  They met, fell in love, and BOOM!! Since I'm a numbers fan and math nerd, I see "half Korean" and think 1/2 = 50% = 0.5 Korean... and there you have it, Point.Five.Korean it is.

So where's the inside joke?  Well anytime I'm feeling particularly awesome, I will scream "Point.Five.Korean!!" as if it were a sports broadcaster announcing a winning goal of a Stanley Cup finals hockey game.

Yup -- I've done this more often than I'd like to admit.  Yep. Deal with it ^_^ Thanks for dropping by!


Any of you have crazy inside jokes that won't ever die, no matter what??

Any other Point.Five's out there? 

Leave a comment/reply and let me know  ^_^

Scrubbies!

Oh man.... the Scrubbies!

My mother LIVES by these rough little beasts! For those of you that didn't grow up Point.Five.Korean, or didn't have a Korean Mom at your daily disposal, let me explain.  Korean moms use these to exfoliate their skin in the bath/shower.  Their mitten design (it's like a tiny hand sized pillow case) and rough texture (sandpaper, asphalt, gravel...) allow them to scrub off the top 3 or 4 layers of skin.  The goal is to get as much "dead" skin off as possible to reveal "new" skin that is smooth and soft and red from irritation.

My earliest memories of these so called "Italy cloths" was when I was young enough to share a bath with my older sister -- so YOUNG.  Bath time was at LEAST daily -- as Korean mom's love clean things -- and was a terrifying time.  I dreaded it.  Not that I like to be dirty -- anyone who knows me will know that I love clean, obsessively so -- I dreaded it because it HURT! *cringes at memory* Imagine being plopped down into water that was just a few degrees shy of LAVA HOT.  The water is so unbelievably hot that you can't breath!  You pant like a doggie trying to cool off and don't sit down in the bath -- instead you do a sort of stand/squat combo to find cool relief! 

As if being boiled alive wasn't enough, you were then (even as a small child) asked to offer up a limb at a time to the scrubbie.  You stick out your arm and your Korean Mom latches onto it and started scrubbing and sanding and buffing until your entire arm is red and slightly swollen.  The entire time you're wincing and cringing and huffing and puffing from the combination of scorching water and scrubbie pain! 

Only when the Korean mom is fully satisfied that all layers of skin possible were completely scraped off would she relinquish your arm... only to start the process all over again with another limb -- leg, arm, face... you name it, it's getting SCRUBBED! The sickest part is that now that I'm an adult, I'm a self-inflicting scrubber!!!  

I actually take SCALDING hot showers and SCRUB SCRUB SCRUB until I feel that baby soft skin beneath the first several layers.  I do prefer the long ones though, instead of the mitten ones... I have a yellow one and a blue one like this.

Same sandy texture, only LARGER so you can scrub MORE!

I can't explain it!  My Korean mom's good... real good.   Not only did she pass on her love for scrubbing and all things clean, she did it super ninja sneakily so that I wouldn't even know it was happening until it was too late! Hi I'm half Korean and I'm addicted to scrubbies...  Admitting you have a problem is the first step, right?

Any other scrubbie addicts or clean freaks out there?  Leave a comment/reply and let me know I'm not alone

Has anyone else suffered through these Korean mom bath time routines?  

Surely, I can't be alone in this...

Leave a comment/reply and let me know  ^_^

Salmon Patties

Made these beauties for dinner tonight. 

 
I always ate these simple Salmon Patties at my grandma's house and she always served them with tomato soup. This meal hit the spot!!

Ingredients

• One large can salmon - if you can, get boneless skinless.  If your store is like mine and didn't have that option, just drain and remove skin and either remove bones or crush them with your fingers or a fork. 
• Two eggs
• 1 cup finely Chopped onion
• Half a sleeve of crackers, crushed & pulverized. 
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Olive oil - for the pan while cooking
• Tomato soup on the side for dipping. 

Directions:  Heat pan, add oil to lightly coat bottom of pan.  Then mix the salmon, eggs, onion, salt, pepper, and crushed crackers and form patties. Cook until brown and crispy on both sides and cooked through. 
Try it!! It's so good!!! ^_^

What are your favorite recipes for salmon?  

Did your grandma/grandpa/aunt/uncle/etc... have a special signature dish??  

Leave a reply and let me know!