Macaroon Chocolate

3/14 was White Day. It's the day men give gifts (used to be candies) to women in return for the chocolate they were given on Valentine's Day. I always think my darling will forget about this day (he forgets Christmas, you know...) but he gave me Grand Four's cute macaroon shaped ganache! (I once purchased macaroon rusk at this store and was really delicious.)

From left to right, passion fruit, vanilla, strawberry, bitter chocolate, and pistachio. They are really cute like jewelry with argent!

Thanks for the small size, I don't have to worry about gaining weight! Actually, I gained 5 pounds since the New Year... I think I lost weight temporarily under the psychical stress of my darling's... you know! Anyway, now I am doing super better than before, so I am steadily gaining weight! To stop getting fat I gotta enjoy them one piece a day ;)

Busy Monday! See ya!

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Ikanago no Kugini 2010

On Sunday, my mom gave me a box of Ikanago no Kugini which my grandma made. As I wrote before, Ikanago no Kugini is my favorite tsukudani (food boiled in soy sauce). I can't stop myself eating it with white rice! Yummy :P

Do you have any favorite food that has been passed down in your family for generations?!

Anyway, it is cold and busy Monday! I can hardly wait till next Saturday. Saturday is the only day I can rest, you know. Going to my favorite cafe and chat with my darling is my happiest moment :D

Tomorrow, I'm gonna attend the cook-off! Time to wear my new Sweethearts Apron. He-he-he :D

Good luck to me!!!

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PEPSI NEX Promotion: Dean & Deluca Magnet Collection

I found an attractive promotion at my friend's post this afternoon.

Now 1.5 litter PEPSI NEX comes with a free Dean & Deluca Magnet! Aren't they adorable!?

PEPSI NEX is a leader product of PEPSI Cola Japan (which Suntory plays a full part). The product was originally made in Japan in 2006. Adapted to the Japanese palate, it's 100% calorie-free with a refreshing lemon flavor.

Now they target women by offering these goodies...

Of course I want the pink ice cream. Yep! Another obsessiveness here! I'm obsessed with fuchsia pink!!! But why PEPSI... why 1.5 litter... I need to ask my co-worker (a guy) to get one! He-he :P

It's raining here in Tokyo and we expect this dizzy weather till next week...

Anyway, hula tonight!!! have a good one :D

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Marusei Butter Sandwich

Yesterday my co-worker gave me a souvenir from Hokkaido. It was in a silver package and looked really antique, so I didn't expect anything...

B-U-T

It was really amazingly delicious :D The rum raisin cream filling was really tasty! I searched about this cookie on the Net and found it was a famous sweet made by a store called Rokkatei in Hokkaido. The cream part is white chocolate with 100% raw milk Hokkaido butter! The cookie is named after the first butter made in Tokachi, subprefecture of Hokkaido.

Actually, I am gaining weight since the New Year! I think I gained 4 pounds for sure!!! Last time I said I lost 4 pounds but was a dream... Ha-ha-ha!!!

To lose 4 pounds, I heard I need to burn approx 7000kcal!
How can I?!?!

BTW this cookie was 167kcal per serving...
OMG I need to cook more than 3 Valentine's day recipe this weekend... Long way to go :(

I hope I can fit the dress tomorrow...
Seriously, Japanese dresses are too tight!!!

See you on Friday!

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Magic Pot Pudding

Wow! I'm running out of time today... but wanna post this before I leave.

Yesterday, my darling went to Kobe for a business trip and bought me an interesting pudding called 魔法の壷プリン(Magic Pot Pudding)! It was introduced on TV and other media.

The caramel was bitter and it was really delicious with creamy pudding and fluffy fresh cream! Not sweet at all!!! Yummy :P I will translate the section image into English!


We have one more left in the fridge :)

Enjoy your weekend!

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Kushikatsu "Snack" Bowl

On Sunday, I made a funny dish for my darling. It's a rice bowl with cutlet snack! Have you ever tried this kind of cutlet snack?!


Kushikatsu (Japanese-style deep-fried kabob) is a local food in Osaka. My co-worker bought it for souvenior. Of course it is made with fake meat!

I cooked it like Katsudon: a popular Japanese food, a bowl of rice topped with a deep-fried pork cutlet, egg, and condiments. LOL ;P

It snowed about an inch last night, so the road was covered with slippy sherbet X( I left home early to walk slow... but damn Marunouchi line, it stopped right before my destination due to car trouble, not the snow!!!

I brought the pocket warmer (which I won the other day) with me but our office is heated well today...

How unlucky me...

Good luck!!!

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Kobe Pudding Flavored Kit Kat

Do you remember me writing about Kobe Pudding?
I believe you don't. He-he!

Yesterday, my co-worker gave me a Kit Kat with Kobe Pudding flavor!!! It is a limited edition made in commemoration of the 15th anniversary of Kobe Pudding. It tasted like pudding but you won't realize it until you are told what the flavor is :P

BTW, I once found wasabi (Japanese horseradish) flavored Kit Kat at Tokyo station. Yuck, but wanna try that someday!!!

I am really busy these days. I wish I have more time... but I am writing my post! And I'm gonna attend the hula class tonight!!! They are something different, you know! jose understands me ;)

See ya :D

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Soy Milk

How often do you drink soy milk?

I used to drink it only once in a while when I felt like drinking. But half a year ago, I won soy milk for a half year and received a box full of soy milk cartons every month, so I started to drink it almost everyday! I first didn't think of drinking and gave all cartons to my mom before they expire, but I knew soy milk is good for our health, so I started to make a soy milk smoothie every morning!!!

Soy milk is a beverage made from soybeans. It contains about the same amount of protein as cow's milk, far less saturated fat than cow's milk, and isoflavones which is good for rejuvenation (I think jose likes this!). In addition to these benefits, I knew it also lowers blood cholesterol levels. Like I wrote before, my blood cholesterol levels were rising year by year and I was kind of worried... but since I started to drink soy milk, they reduced!!! At the same time I went to the GYM, so maybe that was effective, too! Anyway, all attractive nutrients are contained in soy milk, so I'm loving it now. He-he!

My smoothie recipe is really easy. You mix 1 frozen banana + 1 small cup (100g) of flavored yogurt + 200ml of soy milk in a blender! It serves two, so I gave half to my darling ;) I sometimes add a spoonful of collagen powder to mine :D

Changing my story, I have laser hair removal appointment tonight and a hair cut appointment tomorrow... Then I need to create more than 10 new recipes this weekend! Whew... I don't know why I made such a hard schedule like this... Damn!!!

I hope I am okay...

Have a relaxing weekend ;)

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bombón de higo - rabitos royale

Last week, my darling bought a box of fig bonbons called "Rabitos Royale"!

In a thin layer of chocolate, there is a big fig stuffed with soft cognac (brandy) ganache! Mmm! Happy yummy taste :D

Don't you think it is healthier to eat a chocolate with dried fruit?!

Anyway, I gained 2 pounds after the new year's holiday!!! I think we for sure gain weight afterwards... like after a week or so!

The low today is 28.4°F (-2°C). Brrrrr.

Gonna go out for lunch with my co-worker now :D
Maybe first time in 6 months with her!!!

See ya!!!

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Happy New Year 2010

I'm writing my post finally! I hope everyone is doing fine.

My darling and I came back from Kyoto on 12/31. We had a lot of yummy foods there!!! I hope I can post them later.

Anyway, new year's holidays are passing very fast! We have only 2 days left until the first day of work...

As usual, I cooked new year's food (osechi ryori). This year, I used ingredients which my mom bought at Nishiki Ichiba: famous shopping streets in Kyoto.

I cooked white miso zoni (a Japanese new year's soup containing mochi rice cakes) along with it. Believe it or not, mochi rice cake in this zoni tastes nice if you dip it into kinako (soybean flour with sugar). I saw this on TV and tried it and was great!

I wish you a full of health and lots of smile throughout the year 2010 :D

Talk to you later!

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Mele Kalikimaka!!!

Aloha!

We had an exciting hula class last night! We all dressed for Christmas. I wore reindeer horns. Crazy! He-he :D It was the last class of the year, so some classmates brought cameras! Damn! I forgot it!!! But a girl sent me a copy last night. Thanks!!!

After the class, it was already late at night. My darling was working late, so we shared some small cakes to celebrate Christmas. Actually, my darling didn't have a plan to get a cake, so I asked him to get one!!! Since I already had many cakes this month, it wasn't my intention. I just wanted him to get something to celebrate our Christmas! You know what I mean?!

Of course, I danced hula for him again :D
I will post a video when I get a chance to make one in a nice location!

Anyway, I'm not sure how many times I can come back here this year, since we are leaving for Kyoto on Monday. Our parents are going to meet together for the first time! Makes us little nervous!

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year :D

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Scary Yummy Iseebi!!!

This is something about 11/29. I received a box of Iseebi (Panulirus japonicus / Japanese spiny lobster) as the prize of the contest. When I received the box, I heard the sound, so I cautiously put my ear on the box, and again, I heard the same sound!!! I knew it was a perishable food, but NOT ALIVE! My darling looked up the picture book and what we saw was something like the left image!!! (This image is from The World Biodiversity Database)

We gave up to open the box and I called my mom. She gratefully took it home. Whew... Later, she texted me with some photos and said there were 5 Iseebi in the box!!! When she opened the box, they were full of energy and jumped out form the box! I'm glad I gave them to her...




In the evening, she brought 2 of them after she boiled. They were really delicious! She said she couldn't make them into sashimi because they were really strong... Can you imagine cooking them on your own?!


It's raining cold today. I have a long meeting plus reception tonight. Booooo! I wanna go home!!!

Happy Friday!

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DECO CHOCO

Hi there!

On Sunday, my sister gave me a box of chocolates.
Don't you think it cool?!
Our picture is printed on each piece! After you ate them, you can re-use the chocolate wrappers for your original cell-phone charms or magnets!

TIROL-CHOCO is a manufacturer of cute and cheap square chocolates. Their collection is here. Mostly, you can find them at the cash register. This printed version is called DECO CHOCO (it stands for Chocolate Decoration). What a smart idea! I'm gonna order more for my return gifts or something :D

On Saturday evening, after 3 weeks, we finally went on a restaurant wedding tour in Daikanyama. The shopping mall near the restaurant was illuminated romantically! I will write about the restaurant tomorrow if I get a chance!

It's getting cold, so my boyfriend was sneezing all day long yesterday. I hope he didn't catch a cold.

Take care!!!
Wash your hands and gargle frequently!!!

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