daily slice-of-life photo blog of a Gen-X dad
The temperatures in Texas are dropping fast, so a hot and spicy bowl of Thai curry feels extra satisfying right now. It is the perfect way to warm up from the inside out. Spicy, comforting, and exactly what the day called for.
I went into the office today. Thursdays are our in-office day, and I also picked up my new work laptop while I was there. I am upgrading from my trusty Dell, which I actually really liked, to a new Microsoft Surface. It is slick, fast, and feels very modern. So far, so good. Re-logging into every single website is a bit of a chore, but that is just part of the new-computer initiation ritual, I guess.
I also brought in a water bottle. Mariko was about to donate her King Arthur water bottle to Goodwill, but I rescued it and decided it will live at work instead. It is a great bottle, and I am happy it has a second life.
Thursdays also mean free lunch at work. Today was a “power bowl” day, where you build your own salad. I went heavy on the salmon, and it was pretty good. Not mind-blowing, but certainly nothing to complain about. Plus, I will always appreciate having a healthy option waiting for me.
Tonight’s dinner was simple, but it felt special. Korean BBQ at home always does that. We grilled some marinated spicy pork from H-Mart and paired it with kimchi, spinach, lettuce, onion, jalapeño, cheese, and rice. Easy, interactive, and so satisfying.
We also added pickled daikon, which Mariko first tried at a restaurant over the holidays. It was a great addition and super refreshing alongside the spicy pork.
I really love doing KBBQ or yakiniku at home. One important tip though: close your closet doors and open the windows. Things get smoky fast, but it’s absolutely worth it.
The before and after. This beautiful eggplant turned into a seriously delicious donburi. Mariko is a wizard in the kitchen! 🍆✨
We wanted to grill some fish for dinner, but didn’t want the house smelling like it afterward, so I broke out the portable burner and grilled out back instead. The evening was surprisingly warm, which made it a really pleasant way to cook and unwind. The saba turned out great, though I should have taken the photo after flipping it so you could see that beautifully grilled skin. Oh well, it looks better in the photo below anyway.
Do you ever take the cooking outside just to enjoy the weather, or to save your kitchen from lingering smells? It kind of feels like camping. So fun!
