Mexirean; Kimchi with Refried Beans

Good things happen to those who wait.

I was beginning to grow sick and tired of that saying. In the past two weeks, I’ve seen about a dozen houses and, adding that to the time way before, the number must have breeched 20. I was growing sick and tired of looking at homes that I know I can’t afford or, even if I could buy the house, there was no way that Phillip and I could afford the payments per month. The city taxes are excruciatingly high in comparison to county taxes; the difference per year is about $400. Yes, $400. We really didn’t want to result to renting because it’s wasting money. You pay for something that you aren’t going to own, so, what are you doing with the money but throwing it away when, in opposition, you could actually put less or near that amount towards a mortgage. My grandmother left me with enough to pay 20% down on a house, with much left over. She really is my guardian angel, I’m telling you. The problem was that we needed to be loan approved, even on our part time jobs. I’m roughly making about 300 every two weeks while Phillip is making about the same at the moment. He got offered a more full time position, so, that’ll double thankfully. I am, honestly, thankful, but I just have a twinge of envy that it isn’t me working more. Then again, maybe it is for the better since I want to start my own business. And, hopefully, once Culina dives into the holiday season, I’ll be swamped as they say.

Astonishingly, we were pre-qualified for a loan because of our credit scores and our schooling remaining in the same genre throughout (him computers/electronics, me cooking/nutrition). Hey, it works. So, after dragging our realtor around looking at homes, we found one we immensely liked that happened to be a foreclosure. It was a bit over our limit, but, we could manage. I still wasn’t happy, however, since I knew it would be tight. We were looking near $1000 a month for total bill payments. Yeah, not really easy. It irked me and I was in that state of not really depression, yet, depressed, worry. If you’re a home owner, you know how it feels. So my mother-in-law and I drove around for a while when the my father-in-law and finacee went out to eat, just talking and window shopping. I got a pretty bowl at Goodwill to cheer me up a little. So, as we road home, we took a shortcut to see the development that had a house I didn’t like. Why? The washer and dryer was in the flippin kitchen. It wasn’t even concealable; it was right there. Would you seriously have that smack dab in your kitchen?! No!

We also had noticed a house being refurbished from before and, this time, we actually saw the people working on it. So, my mother-in-law being a mother-in-law, pulled up and became nosey. Some days, I hate her nosiness, but, this happened to be not one of them. We spoke with the guy, asking questions and whatnot. Essentially they were redoing the entire house, installing new fixtures, flooring, cabinets, etc, etc. In short, I basically bought a brand new customizable house within my budget on county taxes. We’re going to speak to the guy later on next week to discuss planning and arrangements since I want to have a commercial size stove. Unfortunately, the washer dryer is still in the kitchen due to the size of the house (1000 sq ft, 3 bed, 1 ½ bath), I’m hoping I can tuck that away into a corner with a stackable set. I really want to have a gas stove and, apparently in Virginia, that isn’t a possibility without a propane tank. I was considering the propane, but, I’m also in debate over the costs. I fell in love with one Premier gas stove…but I think I really need to be practical. The only thing I don’t want at all is induction - I HATE induction. I’ve been working on it and I loathe induction. It is the worst thing possible. Period. End. Done. Also, we’re trying to get a credit on our payment so we can purchase our own appliances in total. Hopefully, it’ll work. I’m a hard negotiator and I always get what I want - within reason.

So, with my home issue settled, I sat down that night to a simple, unique, yet, fantastic supper - Mexirean Kimchi with Refried Beans. The flavors, ironically, blended very, very well. I think this is the beginning to future Mexican and Korean foods. Mhm, mhm. Mmm~

Kimchi with Refried Black Beans
½ jar kimchi (homemade or store bought +)
½ cup cooked black beans (or pinto, kidney, etc.)
½ small onion, minced
½ tbsp nondairy margarine

Garnishes:
Chopped cilantro
Shredded cheese
Chopped salted olives

Heat a nonstick frying pan to medium high heat and add the onions. Cook until the onions are soft then add the black beans and butter. As the butter melts and beans soften, smash them down with the back of the spatula. Keep it on medium so it won’t burn and keep mashing until you achieve a golden brown hue on the mashed beans. When that occurs, add the kimchi and stir until everything mixes and you smell the vinegar.
Transfer to a bowl, top with faux shredded cheese, some cilantro, crushed salted olives and a side of rice.

Simple, no?

+ Normally, I have homemade kimchi on hand; however, in this recipe I used Sunja’s Kimchi, which I purchased from Whole Foods. They have a white-mild one as well, which is very good for those who can’t tolerate a little kick. Sunja’s is, again not bad; however, no comparison to the local Korean market here. They make kickass kimchi.