Fugu Chiri Nabe

Yesterday, I had "Fugu Chiri Nabe" (puffer fish hot pot dish) with my co-worker for lunch. Fugu (puffer fish) is an expensive type of fish. Usually served as a fine dining but this was only for $10!!! I always watch TV while running at the gym, and every Thursday, there is a show that features lunch menus at great prices! (The restaurants can cut prices because they use the portions that can't be served for dinner but still are high-grade!) Mostly, those featured restaurants aren't close to my workplace, but last week the one nearby was featured! I think I should better keep an eye on that program ;)

Changing my story, the peacock store near my house (I wrote about it before) is going to close down tomorrow. Everything was 30-50% off yesterday evening, and I found nothing left when I stopped by at night!!! How fast... and everyone knows the value.

You know what!? Sad thing here again. Yesterday I found that the boxing class (at the gym) I loved will end this month. The class was held on Sunday evenings and now I don't have a class to look forward... Inconveniently, all other interesting classes are held during the day. Is the gym for homemakers?

It is raining here today... but good weather to prevent flu outbreak!

Damn me... I just cooked once this week. Maybe next week, I will cook more!

Okay, I gotta go now.
See you next month ;)

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Masseur Wellness

What do you think of this massage machine?



This week, there is a campaign at the gym, selling this product at $750! It's original price is $1470.

I am not being taken for a ride by the salesperson. I wanted some kind of massage machine for a long time and feel like this might be the one!? By the way, not the massage chair, because it occupies a space. This one is really small, 15 inches x 15 inches (38cm x 38cm)!

What I liked about this machine is "spiral vibration" which will improve the blood circulation in your body. Those bumpy stuff around have Shiatsu (finger pressure) effect. Moreover, two things sticking out will rotate or(and) vibrate and massage you at the same time! Plus, it emits negative ion.

You can use this machine for all parts of your body! Shoulders, back, waist, stomach, calves, neck, thighs, arms, hands, legs, etc... Surprisingly, stomach feels great!



I tried the machine for 15 minutes a day for few days and it really did relieve muscle tension.

Furthermore...
1. You can relax by using remote control at hand.
2. 15-minutes-timer avoids to turn off.
3. It has a stand that can change the height.
4. There is a portable handle.

Am I crazy?! I translated all the features in English. Ha-ha.
Okay, I will ask my boyfriend. He knows the answer!
But let me know what you think ;)

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Decorated Chocolate Bar

Hello! It is nice and sunny today again, but we have flu warning nationwide! How scary...

Here is another chocolate recipe! I posted the image before so someone might remember it ;)

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Decorated Chocolate Bar

Difficulty: Really Easy
Time: depend on you
Number of servings: 1

Ingredients:
1 chocolate bar of your choice
sprinkles of your choice
chocolate pen or chocolate to attach sprinkles

Directions:
1. Attach the sprinkles on to the chocolate bar using melted chocolate pen or chocolate.

My original recipe in Japanese is here.
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Tomorrow, I am going to have nabe for lunch with my co-worker. Kind of looking forward to it from now ;)

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Reversed Chocolate

Today is sunny again, but we need to be careful not to catch the flu when the air is dry! I wear a mask on the train, gargle and wash my hands for protection!

Anyway, here in Japan, women give chocolate to men on Valentine's Day. Then funny, but on 3/14, men give gifts (used to be candies) to women in return for the chocolate they were given. So some women give chocolate with expectation, out of courtesy!
However, this year, Valentine's Day is on Saturday, so many chocolate manufacturers expect the downturn in sales: no work or schools, so women are expected to buy only the chocolate for someone special! Thus, some of the chocolate manufacturers promote "reversed chocolate" to target men to give chocolate to women. This morning, I saw on TV that Godiva has a Valentine's Day chocolate that costs $15 a piece in a jewel-box-like box!!! Also, there are some funny ones which packages are printed in reverse. The image above is one of them.

How about in your country?
I should tell my boyfriend about "reversed chocolate" and ask him to take me out for dinner! Ha-ha ;)

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Chocolate Muffins

Hi! It snowed a little on Saturday. Probably the first snow of the season. The high was 50F(10C) and it was cold!!! Oops, jo might laugh at me. Her place was at 15F(-9C)...

This is the same chocolate muffins as last time in a different style ;)



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Chocolate Muffins

Difficulty: Very Easy
Time: 40min (15min preparation, 25min cooking)
Number of servings: 6 medium (2.4inches/6cm) aluminum cups

Ingredients:
A
* 100g (3.5oz.) all-purpose flour
* 20g (0.7oz.) cocoa powder
* 1 tsp. baking powder
* a pinch of salt
60g (2.1oz.) butter (softened)
60g (2.1oz.) sugar
1 egg
70cc milk
few drops of vanilla extract
25g (0.8oz.) chopped walnut
40g (1.4oz.) chopped chocolate bar

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350F (180C). In a large bowl, whisk A together and set aside.




2. In another bowl, beat butter and sugar until creamy, add egg, milk and vanilla extract in sequence, mixing well after each addition.


3. Add the dry ingredients (1.) in the liquid ingredients (2.) a small amount at a time, and with a rubber spatula, gently stir to blend. (Do not overmix!) Then stir in the chopped walnut and chocolate bar.

4. Spoon the mixture into aluminum cups. Bake for 20-25 minutes.




My original recipe in Japanese is here.
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Stay warm!!!

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LOVE Message Chocolate Chunk Muffins

The sun finally came out from the rainy sky. This weekend is going to be sunny, good :)

Here is another Valentine's Day recipe!
I posted about these muffins last year (if you could find), but without recipe, so I will translate it now.



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LOVE Message Chocolate Chunk Muffins

Difficulty: Easy
Time: 1hr (15min preparation, 25min cooking, 20min decoration)
Number of servings: 4 medium (2.4inches/6cm) muffin cups

Ingredients:
A
* 100g (3.5oz.) all-purpose flour
* 20g (0.7oz.) cocoa powder
* 1 tsp. baking powder
* a pinch of salt
60g (2.1oz.) butter (softened)
60g (2.1oz.) sugar
1 egg
70cc milk
few drops of vanilla extract
25g (0.8oz.) chopped walnut
40g (1.4oz.) chopped chocolate bar

Decoration
chocolate bars
mini heart chocolates or heart candies
chocolate pen
ganache or chocolate to attach the message bars

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350F (180C). In a large bowl, whisk A together and set aside.




2. In another bowl, beat butter and sugar until creamy, add egg, milk and vanilla extract in sequence, mixing well after each addition.


3. Add the dry ingredients (1.) in the liquid ingredients (2.) a small amount at a time, and with a rubber spatula, gently stir to blend. (Do not overmix!) Then stir in the chopped walnut and chocolate bar.

4. Spoon the mixture into muffin cups. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Cool the muffins.




5. Prepare the LOVE message chocolate bars.




6. Attach the message chocolate bars on to the muffins.




My original recipe in Japanese is here.
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Have a good weekend!

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"S"

Hi! It is raining & cold again. It reminds me of writing the same thing in this season last year on my posts! Ha-ha!!!

Anyway, jose passed me a fun game!

Here's the deal:
If you want to play, leave a comment on this post letting me know, and I’ll assign you a letter. You write about ten things you love that begin with your assigned letter, and post it at your place. When people comment on your list, you give them a letter, and the chain continues on and on.

I got the letter "S"!



1) Sparkle
I love bling-bling stuff ;)

2) Sports Club
I go to the gym almost every day since last August to stay healthy! Now it is becoming part of my life!?

3) Sushi Rolls
I think I make sushi rolls once in a short while!

4) Shopping
I love shopping clothes, especially at Shibuya 109! I love there because they have cheap but good clothes! Also, I love to shop at a supermarket :) I shop every day and get only food that I use on the day.

5) Sausage
I love to cook food using sausage because it's my boyfriend's favorite food. It makes him happy!

6) Sweet Stuff
On the contrary, this is something that my boyfriend hates... but I love sweet stuff! I wish I could eat more without getting fat!!! Mostly, I hold back :(

7) Sisters
I have 2 younger sisters. I don't say I love them (we are not buddy-buddy) but I think I do by tacit agreement ;)

8) Singing Songs at Karaoke
I love Karaoke! I think I can stay there for more than 3 hours!!! But again, my boyfriend doesn't like it, so I just go there once in a loooooong while :(

9) Something Special, Being Special
I love something special! Maybe this is why I love to receive a prize at a cookoff. And I am a jealous girlfriend who wants to be special for my boyfriend! Ha-ha.

10) Single-Lens Reflex Camera
As for #10, I first wrote "Smiles" but I will change it because I also have an unpleasant memory of it. (You know, if you have read...) Anyway, I love my camera, Olympus E-500. I use it almost every day! I just took some pics of my dinner and remembered!

I wrote them down off the top of my head, so I feel like missing something important. Hmm.

Okey-dokey, see you again!

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Action Painting Cookies

Do you know Jackson Pollock?
He is an American abstract expressionist painter.

Last weekend, I baked some cookies and used his "drip" technique to decorate them! Don't you think this is easy and COOL!?



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Action Painting Cookies

Difficulty: Easy
Time: 2.5hrs (15min preparation, 15min cooking, 2hrs ready in)
Number of servings: 20 cookies

Ingredients:
60g (2.1oz.) butter (softened)
30g (1oz.) sugar
1 egg yolk
A
* 95g (3.3oz.) all-purpose flour
* 2 tbsp. cocoa powder
* a pinch of baking powder
chocolate pens or colored icing of your choice

Directions:
1. Beat butter and sugar until creamy, add egg yolk and mix well.




2. Sift A in 1. and mix well.





3. Press and shape dough into a log (1.5 inches in diameter) and wrap in plastic wrap or waxed paper. Refrigerate dough for at least 2 hours until very firm.


4. Preheat oven to 350F (180C). Cut in 0.25-inch slices and place on a greased cookie sheet about an inch apart.



5. Bake at 350F (180C) for 12-15 minutes. Cool the cookies on the sheet and action-paint them with chocolate pens or colored icing of your choice.


6. These are the chocolate pens I used.





My original recipe in Japanese is here.
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It is going to rain this afternoon (after a long time) and temperatures are predicted to turn much colder in the weekend!
Let us keep warm!!!

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