I Love Daddy Chocolate Cake

It was sunny and cool this weekend. The temperature was about high 25C (77F) and we had a tender wind :) Also, today, we had a nice weather! It was cool at night and was great to have a walk! I like this kind of weather. I hope it lasts long... (The weatherman announced that it is going to rain from Thursday)

Anyway, another big earthquake (magnitude of 7.2) hit in Iwate prefecture on Saturday morning. It shook Tokyo a little, but I didn't think that it was this big!
Last time, I said I've received a high-grade bousaizukin but I kept forgetting it at home. However, today I finally brought it with me to my workplace!

Talking about Saturday, Tokyo metro's new train line called "Fukutoshin Line" opened!
Wow! It was already on Wikipedia! As it describes, Fukutoshin Line connects three of Tokyo's secondary city centers: Ikebukuro, Shinjuku and Shibuya. I hardly ever go to Ikebukuro and I live close to both Shinjuku and Shibuya, so I didn't even know about it until I see it on TV this morning. There should have been many people taking the new line on the weekend. I hate the crowd, so I'm glad that I stayed local!

Writing about my cooking, I baked a chocolate cake for my dad. On Friday, I called my mom and she said he is back in Tokyo on the Father's Day! I thought he is still in China (he resides there for his work) so I didn't have a surprise for him. My mom told me that he might want to eat a cake, so I made it. Actually, I don't know about the taste but I heard he was happy :)

I have a lot to write but have to stop now. Today, I had a haircut and kind of tired. Time to go to bed!!!
Hope I can come back tomorrow, but I have a meeting to survive, and pretty sure that I am going to be exhausted...
Okay, see you later ;)


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Pepsi Blue Hawaii

Yesterday, I couldn't wake up on time. Maybe due to the rainy weather... But today, we have clear and sunny skies, so I could! Ha-ha :)
I think my sleepiness is affected by the weather! As you see, I couldn't post my diary last night...

Day before yesterday, I tried a beverage called "Pepsi Blue Hawaii". It just went on sale on June 10th for a limited time. It comes in blue soda, reflecting the image of tropical ocean. It's pineapple & lemon flavor leaves a refreshing aftertaste!
One of my coworkers likes to try out such a weird product. Why I say weird is because Suntory (Pepsi's distributor in Japan) has sold many other funny Pepsi drinks: "Pepsi Ice Cucumber (2007/6/12)", "Pepsi Carnival (2006/7/25), "Pepsi Gold (2006/11/7)", "Pepsi Red (2006/6/6)", etc...
They say they want people to enjoy drinking Pepsi and become users. Just as they wished, we buzzed-about it!

Yes! I love hot stuff!!!
Last weekend, I went to Shibuya (popular shopping and eating district) to get summer clothes!
My favorite shopping mall is SHIBUYA 109. I used to shop there often, but these days I don't (because I spend more time at home cooking), so it took about 3 hours in the shopping mall to update myself!
Because I pondered over, the pierced earrings I liked were all sold out when I went back to get them :( Thus, I ordered all the way from Nagoya! Sounds crazy, but I really wanted them. And on Wednesday, I got them! Yay!!!

Don't you think this cool? I made a magazine cover with my picture :) Someday, for real, I want to produce a recipe book!

Anyway, I found many blog widgets that I want to add in my blog! I hope I can add them nicely!

Okay, see you next week!


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My Accomplishments

It was sunny yesterday and cloudy today!
We have very hot (high 80's) and humid weather these few days.
Better than rain though.

Today, I will list my recent accomplishments!
Actually, I was writing these yesterday, but couldn't finish up because this humid weather made me extremely tired and drowsy! (Am I always drowsy?! Ha-ha!)

On 5/30, my recipe using kamaboko (steamed pureed fish loaves) won the bronze prize! I made chili-style stir-fried kamaboko, sausage, and vegetables. The contest was organized by a kamaboko shop in Fukuoka called Sekiya. They have been in business since 1882 of the Meiji Era. As a prize, I received assortment of their kamaboko products! The package arrived day before yesterday!
I am looking forward to trying them out :)

On 6/10, I won the crispy salad award at Kraft's Parmesan cheese contest organized by cookpad. I sprinkled the cheese on top of the aburaage (deep fried tofu) and toasted until golden and crisp! Also, I toasted bacon strips until crisp. Then crushed them and placed on top of a spinach salad. Kind of Italian, but tastes good with Japanese-style dressing :)

Then on the same day, 6/10, I won the idea recipe award at Asahi Kasei's Cookper contest by cookpad. Asahi Kasei Corporation provides innovative solutions based in chemistry and materials science to a diverse range of markets including fibers, chemicals, consumer products, housing, construction, electronics, and health care. They have a product called Cookper (cooking + paper = Cookper), which is kind of parchment paper but less glossy. You wrap seasoned ingredients of your choice in the Cookper and microwave until done, just like you use Ziploc's microwaveable containers! If you open from the center, you can use the Cookper as a dish to serve :) I think parchment paper can be a substitute!
I translated the procedures (image on the right). Anyway, Asahi Kasei asked for easy microwave recipes using Cookper and my Chinese-style steamed beef and mushrooms won the prize!

Conversely, I won't write them in detail but I lost a few other big contests...
I will do my best the next!

This is not about a contest, but on Monday, I saw Harrison Ford on a popular TV variety show called SMAPXSMAP! He was invited as a guest of Bistro SMAP! (SMAP is a very popular Japanese idol group and they cook dishes for the guest by request at Bistro SMAP.) Harrison Ford loved steamed sea-bream rice ;)
One of the members asked him the key to his success, and he said "to do things in your way". He is so cool!
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is coming out on June 21st in Japan!!!
I like Indiana Jones series, so I can't miss this!

This is totally different story but I just knew that Kousuke Kitajima (breaststroke swimmer) lives above our office!!!
We are in the same building! Wow!!!

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