Mitzie Mee

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My first dojang (Korean name stamp/name seal)

by Mitzie Mee - Sanne
Dojang - A Korean name stamp (name seal)

In Korea, the name stamp traditionally holds a special place. Known as dojang 도장 in Korean, these personal stamps/seals serve as an extension of your identity, much like a fingerprint or a signature in the Western world.

You can use the dojang for signing legal documents and contracts. In these cases, the stamp effectively replaces the handwritten signature, providing a legally recognized seal of approval or authenticity. Despite the rise of digital technology, the importance of dojang is still going strong, showing how much Korea values its traditions.

One of the unique aspects of the dojang is its deeply personal nature. Every name stamp is unique, with the engraved name and chosen script style reflecting the individual’s identity. This personal aspect of the dojang extends to the very act of receiving one. In many cases, the stamp is gifted by a close friend or family member, highlighting the significance of the relationship.

If you intend to use your dojang as your signature, you will need to register at the local district office. Once the dojang is registered, it is considered validated for official use. Foreigners can also register a dojang, if you are staying in Korea on a long-term visa (more than 6 months). If you are a tourist or a short-term visitor, you can still have a dojang made as a personal memento, but it won’t be recognized for official use.

When I was visiting Jeonju Hanok Village with my friend Ella and her husband, they gave me the beautiful dojang, you can see in the photos and the video of this post. I felt that it was not just a souvenir, but also a symbol of my Korean connection to the Korean culture and a token of our friendship. Thank you so much Ella for such a wonderful gift!

Dojang - A Korean name stamp/seal
Dojang - A Korean name stamp/seal
Dojang - A Korean name stamp (seal)

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Recipe: Trine’s Amazing Mussels with White Wine and Cream

by Mitzie Mee - Sanne
Recipe: Trine's Amazing Mussels with White Wine and Cream

Sister T, Trine, makes the most amazing mussels, and I finally I got her to share her recipe! Trine’s version is so great that I no longer bother ordering moules frites or moules marinières when dining at restaurants, as they usually cannot compare to Trine’s mussels, and I end up disappointed.

The secret ingredient, that sets Trine’s Moules Marinières apart from the rest, is beef broth (!), which she has discovered perfectly complements the flavor of the mussels.

Trine’s broth is richer than the broth in most other Moules Marinières I have tried. While traditional recipes often involves simply steaming the mussels in white wine for a couple of minutes, Trine takes it a step further and allows the wine to simmer and reduce with the other ingredients, ultimately creating a delicious, soup-like, broth that takes the dish to a whole new level.

How to clean the mussels

One of the most critical steps in the preparation process is cleaning the mussels, as they can carry sand and grit, which can really ruin the dining experience. If you are using farmed mussels, they are usually packed clean and with the beard removed, so you can go quicker through the steps mentioned below.

Step 1 – Inspect Your Mussels: Before you begin cleaning, inspect each mussel carefully. Look for any that are cracked or have broken shells, as these should be discarded. Gently tap any open mussels on a hard surface, and if they don’t close within a few minutes, discard them as well. If the mussel doesn’t close, it means that it is no longer alive and thus should not be consumed.

Step 2: Scrub the Shells Using a stiff-bristled brush, scrub the exterior of each mussel to remove any remaining debris, algae, or barnacles. Pay special attention to the crevices around the hinges and the edges of the shells, as these areas tend to accumulate the most grime.

Step 3 Remove the Beard: The “beard” is a fibrous thread-like structure that mussels use to attach themselves to surfaces in their natural habitat. To remove the beard, simply pull it firmly, until it detaches.

Step 4 – Soak and Rinse: Fill a large bowl with cold water and submerge the mussels for about 20 minutes. This soaking process encourages the mussels to expel any sand or grit trapped inside their shells. After soaking, drain the water and rinse the mussels thoroughly under cold running water. You can repeat this step if needed, until the water is clear.

Recipe: Trine's Amazing Mussels with White Wine and Cream
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Recipe: Trine’s Amazing Mussels with White Wine and Cream

Recipe by Sister T – Trine
Course: Dinner
Servings

2

servings

Trine’s broth is more full-bodied than the broth in most other Moules Marinières. While traditional recipes often involves simply steaming the mussels in white wine for a couple of minutes, Trine takes it a step further and allows the wine to simmer and reduce with the other ingredients, ultimately creating a delectable, soup-like, broth that takes the dish to a whole new level.

Cook Mode

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Ingredients

  • 4 lbs 4 mussels

  • 1 small bunch 1 dill

  • 2 cubes 2 beef stock

  • 1 1 fennel

  • 2 2 leeks

  • 1 1 parsnip

  • 1 1 large carrot (or 2 small)

  • 2 2 single clove garlic (or 4-5 regular garlic cloves)

  • 1 bottle 1 white wine

  • 4 cups 4 heavy cream

  • Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

  • Thoroughly clean the mussels and discard any dead ones.
  • Cut the lemon in half. Cut half of the lemon in thick slices. Chop all the vegetables into small cubes and grate or press the garlic.
  • Heat a little butter in a large pot until it sizzles. Sauté the lemon slices, garlic, dill, and fennel tops in the pot for a few minutes to release the flavors.
  • Add the white wine and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and let it simmer for a few minutes.
  • Add the beef stock. Stir to ensure the beef stock cubes dissolve completely.
  • Add the vegetables and cover with a lid. Let the soup simmer for 45-60 minutes.
  • Remove the lemon slices from the soup and bring everything to a boil over medium-high heat.
  • Add the heavy cream and wait for the soup to boil again. Season with salt, pepper, and lemon juice.
  • Add the mussels and cover the pot with a lid to ensure the mussels are properly steamed.
  • The mussels are done when they open. Discard any that remain closed after steaming.
  • Serve the mussels with a piece of nice bread to dip in the soup, and fries with aioli on the side.

Recipe Video

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This could be the best sleep mask ever – Silk contoured sleep mask

by Mitzie Mee - Sanne

This could be the best sleep mask ever – Silk contoured sleep mask

If you travel a lot, or you just need to sleep during daytime, you know that a good sleep mask is priceless. I have tried so many sleep masks through the years, but I have never managed to find one that ticked all the boxes. So I decided to make my own, and together with the women at CWSG we started working on the best sleep mask ever. It took more than three months and 20 prototypes to come up with the final design, but it was all worth it, and I am so happy and proud of what we have created. This is a wonderful, wonderful sleep mask!

This could be the best sleep mask ever – Silk contoured sleep mask

Here is why it is so great:

It has plenty of room for your eyes and your lashes

Flat sleep masks have just never worked for me. The pressure from the mask on my eyes makes it difficult to blink, resulting in dry, irritated eyes. Besides, flat sleep masks are not compatible with eye make-up and lash extensions.

Flat sleep masks have just never worked for me, because the pressure from the mask on my eyes makes it difficult to blink, resulting in dry, irritated eyes. Besides, flat sleep masks are not compatible with eye make-up and lash extensions, which I wear now and then.

I thus knew that I wanted to make a contoured sleep mask, so I reached out to Metric Products which is a US company that holds the patent for the type of contoured core that I wanted inside my mask. They have developed a patented material, Metric 66, which is super lightweight, hypoallergenic and environmentally friendly, just what I was looking for. As we were talking, I found out that Metric Products runs several social projects in Sri Lanka, where their production facilities are located, so I did not hesitate long, before I placed my order.

My sleep mask has 20mm deep eye cups, so you can blink away as much as you like, even with eye lash extensions. The mask also prevents you from accidentally scratching your eyes, which further help prolong the life of your lash extensions, and if you take a nap on board the train or the plane you will not have to worry about waking up looking like a panda. The sleep mask will make sure that your eye make-up does not get smudged all over your face.

It is made with super soft Peace Silk

When it comes to that super soft, luxurious feeling, nothing compares to silk. Though in traditional silk production, the silkworms are gassed or boiled alive, which I thought sounded wasteful. For my sleep masks I therefore decided to use Peace Silk, which is silk made without killing the silkworms. Instead, the worms are allowed to hatch from their cocoons and become beautiful butterflies.  

The outer layer of the sleep mask is 100% Peace Silk satin, which has a shiny, soft surface that feels wonderful against the skin so you will wake up looking just as rejuvenated as you feel. The sleep mask comes with a handwoven pouch so it is easy to bring along when you are on the go.

This could be the best sleep mask ever – Silk contoured sleep mask

It is adjustable

It was important for me that the sleep mask was adjustable so it would be comfortable to wear for any head size. The easy solution, which many other sleep mask makers use, is Velcro, but if you have long hair like me, you know why Velcro is a terrible idea:) Velcro gets entangled in your hair but it also loses some of its stickiness over time, so we quickly started looking for other options.

We tried bra sliders, hooks and buttons, but they were not very comfortable or they were too difficult to adjust, so for a while we were considering not having adjustment at all, but instead just using an elastic band. Though finding the optimal length of the band was difficult. The mask would be too tight for people with big heads and too loose for people with smaller heads. Furthermore, elastic band gets less elastic over time so a good fit now would turn into a too loose fit over time.

So after all the trial and error above, we finally decided on ribbons, as that would allow for the best adjustment of the fit of the mask. At first I was skeptical towards ribbons, as I thought the bow would be uncomfortable to sleep on, but I was surprised to find out that if you tie the ribbon and place the knot at the back of your head where the skull and the neck meet, you do not feel it at all. I sleep on my back, so you can take my word for it.

The ribbons have an elastic part which makes sure the mask fit tightly, and the edge of the mask is lined with Peace Silk fiber to make the fit even better and the mask even more comfortable to wear.

This could be the best sleep mask ever – Silk contoured sleep mask

It is handmade and fair

It is the women at CWSG who make the sleep masks. CWSG is a women artisan group in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, and the group helps disadvantaged and marginalized women get a source of income and social support.

We spent many late evenings making prototypes and discussing the design, and they played a big part in transforming the sleep mask from an idea that seemed impossible into the final product.

The white and pink Lucky Cat is my favorite, and that design just happened by coincidence. I had asked Kanary’s (the founder of CWSG) daughter Katherine to make some suggestions for decorations and she drew the cat because that was something, she would love to wear herself. It was not in the style I had originally imagined for the sleep masks, but when I saw the cat, I immediately fell in love:)

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