My Accomplishments

Today, I am very upset about my supervisor.
We three run websites.
My supervisor and my co-worker (both men) got promoted but I didn't.
It is not fair!!!
Is it just because I'm a woman?

Anyway! Just for a change, I will list my accomplishments.

On March 21st, I won an outstanding performance award at metabo-help.com.
They asked for recipes to fight metabolic syndrome. My award winning recipe is "Salty-Sweet Miso Fried Daikon Radish and Almonds". The miso I used is Tenmenjyan, which is sweet miso of China. Daikon Radish and Almonds are high in vitamines and mineral. There are abundance of oleic acid and magnesium in Almonds.
Hope this recipe is good for anti-obesity!

On April 26th, I won a special award at the egg recipe competition again.
This competition was organized by Nosan Corporation, the producer of "Yodoran" Hikari brand of iodine-enriched eggs.
This time, they put out a call for spring bento recipes that use "Yodoran".
I made "Easy Spring Soboro Mazezushi".
It is sushi rice mixed with soboro (Japanese dish, usually made with minced chicken) and vegetables.
I cut the usuyakitamago (crepe style fried egg) into flower shapes using a cookie
cutter and decorated on top.
My boyfriend loved it, because he likes soboro gohan ;)

On April 28th, I won Tomisen award.
Tomisen is a website that deliveres homemade soba (or udon).
Their soba and it's sobajiru (stock sauce for soba or udon) have an authentic flavor.
Therefore, they asked people to use their sobajiru for other recipes.
I created "Sobajiru Marinated Tomatoes".
The recipe is similar to my Dashi Marinated Tomatoes.
I soaked peeled cherry or grape tomatoes in sobajiru.
They were juicy and delicious!!!
The recipe was so easy that I didn't expect to receive an award though.

Then on April 28th, my "Ethnic Style Stir-Fried Beef and Vegetables" was introduced at Vegete's website.
I wrote about vegete before.
This time, Asahi put out a call for recipes to go with the beer, that could be made
within 30 minutes.
I used a lot of vegetables that enhance stamina to enjoy drinking :)

Okay, time to go.
Might see you next week... hopefully tomorrow!

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Kashiwa Sekihan

Hello!
It is nice and clear today but it seems like I caught a cold :(
I don't feel good since I went to Yokohama.
I guess I played too much. Ha-ha.

Today, I am pretty busy, because it is after the holidays, so I will write briefly about my recipe for Children's Day in Japan.

May 5th is Children's Day, called "Kodomo no hi" in Japanese.
It is also Boy's Day, called "Tango no Sekku" in Japanese.
On this day, children display samurai swords, armor, and Kintaro dolls.
Two important symbols of Children's Day are carps (Koinobori) and irises (Shobu).
Traditionally, families fly carp kites with a carp representing each son.
The shobu has long leaves that resemble swords. Boys traditionally take shobu leaf baths on this day.

On this day, we eat "Kashiwamochi".
It is a sweet rice cake wrapped in kashiwa (oak) leave.
Usually, sweet bean paste or sweetened miso paste is used inside the cake.
The reason oak leaves are used relates to the fact that these leaves don't fall until a new sprout appears. For this reason, people eat Kashiwamochi to ensure their family name will last forever.

Also, "Chimaki" is traditionally served on this day.
It is a sweet rice cake wrapped in a bamboo leaf.

Last year, I made "Kashiwa Sekihan" for him.
As I said before, he likes neither sweet stuff nor mochi, so I made it for him instead.
I wrapped Sekihan (sticky rice steamed with azuki beans) in kashiwa (oak) leave.
The slight salty flavor of kashiwa (oak) leave went good with Sekihan!


However this year, I asked my boyfriend to get some Kashiwamochi.
He first didn't say yes... but I forced him :)
Anyway, we had a good time!

Okay, see you tomorrow!
I hope I can write my recent events.
All about recipe contests though.

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Trip to Yokohama

Hello! This morning, I could get up early, so I am writing my diary :)

It was nice and clear during our trip to Yokohama!
We enjoyed a lot!!!

First, we went to "LaLaport YOKOHAMA". It is a big shopping mall newly opened last year. There were over 370 stores!

We had a lunch at "SOY DINING Mamemame". Their menu is all soy-based! I love healthy food, so I couldn't decide what to eat, but finally I chose udon, which was their today's menu!

In the mall, we found Purikura.
It is a photo sticker booth.
The new machine was too complicated to use, but we enjoyed!

In the evening, I had a German Foot Care (removed dead skin cells) at "Ru Tan" !
Now my feet are smooth! This is what I've wanted to do for a long time!


My boyfriend shopped for clothes, but I ran out of time, so we went to the hotel: Pan Pacific Yokohama Bay Hotel Tokyu.
We stayed in the room called "Luxury Ocean Twin".
From the balcony or while relaxing in the large bathroom, you can enjoy the view of the Yokohama port and the illuminations of the Ferris wheel.
It was gorgeous!

At night, we had a dinner at chef Wakiya's "Turandot" restaurant, which I said I won a meal voucher for the restaurant the other day. They offer a new style of Chinese cooking inspired by the traditional food of Shanghai, Szechuan, Canton and Beijing. All dishes comes with fresh vegetables. Very healthy and delicious!
Simmered shark's fin (which costs approx. $73) was extremely delicious.
I have never had this kind of Chinese food in my life. All were super great!

The next day, we woke up at 7AM!
We had a buffet style breakfast at the hotel.
I loved their fruit sauces for yogurt!
They had 6 different kinds and all went good with yogurt and cereals :)
Their famous croissant was great, too!
We had a relaxing time.

After the breakfast, we checked out and went to "Nihonmaru Memorial Park".
I was in a brass band when I was a junior high school student and used to play music here.
My boyfriend has had bought a kite the previous day, so we played with it.
It was fun!

In the afternoon, we enjoyed window shopping at "Landmark Tower" and "Queen's Square".

Early in the evening, we had a dinner near home and went home.
We had planned to go to karaoke, but we were so tired that we couldn't.
Maybe someday soon :)

Anyway, I guess I played too much.
I have a touch of cold :(
Despite this, I cooked 4 new recipes yesterday.
I will write about them when I get a chance!!!

Okay, will come back after the holidays, this time :)
See you again!

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