Pingu's Birthday

We have fine autumn weather today! Last evening, it rained cats and dogs. The weather forecast was wrong again :( Luckily, I had an umbrella with me, but I saw many people buying umbrellas at convenience stores.

Do you know Pingu? It's one of my favorite cartoon characters! I used to watch this cartoon series when I was in a high school. It was shown on TV every morning before 7AM I believe... I still have video tapes which I recorded all those series, but unfortunately, I don't have VCR to play anymore... Also, I used to collect Pingu goods! My favorite is the Pingu voice alarm clock, but my boyfriend doesn't like it because it's too noisy... Anyway, today is Pingu's birthday! Happy Birthday!!! I never knew his birthday, but it was on my 2008 Pingu calendar :)

Changing my story, I have a pain in my left shoulder :( I must have strained my muscle at gym... What a spaz... One bad thing happens after another.
On Saturday I again had body composition done. Believe it or not, again, in another week, I gained muscle but my fat went right back where I started... Life is not easy!!!

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The Reality of Processed Foods and Restaurants

This morning, I forgot my gym stuff at home, so I ran back to home and ran to the station to catch my usual train... Isn't it my day? According to the astrology, the stars were in my favor... Hope I'm lucky today.

Anyway, starting from China's milk formula products, melamine has been detected in many of the processed foods in Japan... Also, after pesticide has been detected in a package of frozen gyoza dumplings imported from China, I hear the similar news almost everyday.
But this might be nothing new. We should have eaten something unhealthful without realizing. Isn't it scary? Not positive for our economy, but I want to cook and eat at home.

I will list recent news I found:
10/21: Saizeriya to pay back charges for its pizzas after melamine detected in ingredients
10/25: Insecticide found in Japan instant noodles
10/25: Melamine detected in fresh caramel in Saitama

The weather forecast had proved wrong and it was cloudy and rainy this weekend. Finally, the cloud cleared this morning! But the good thing is that the typhoon won't hit Japan this year!
I found a bird at the river near home. I took it with my cell! My boyfriend said it's a cormorant but I am not sure what this is...

Okay, I gotta go now.
Will see you tomorrow ;)

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Shrimp Tempura Udon Mummy

It is cloudy but warm again, the high is 77F (25C)!

Today, I will translate one of my Halloween recipes in response to the request ;)

Hope all ingredients are available in your area.



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Shrimp Tempura Udon Mummy

Difficulty: Easy
Time: 15min
Number of servings: 4

Ingredients:
4 ebi(shrimp) tempura
1 nori sheet (cut into 4 squares)
cream cheese
frozen udon noodles or pre-boiled udon noodles
sliced cheese and nori sheet for eyes
tentsuyu or konbu tsuyu

Directions:
1. Prepare ebi(shrimp) tempura.
The recipe of tempura is HERE.




2. Use frozen udon noodles or pre-boiled udon noodles which looks like the image on the left.



3. Boil udon noodles as directed on package.




4. Spread cream cheese on nori sheet.





5. Wrap ebi(shrimp) tempura with the nori sheet(4.).




6. When Udon gets dry, it's gluten gets strong and sticky. In that instant, wrap udon around the shrimp(5.). Cut out sliced cheese and nori sheet to make their eyes.



7. Pour non-diluted konbu tsuyu over, or dip it in tentsuyu and eat!

Please allow to cool tempura and udon when you wrap. You can eat as cold noodles like zaru udon (chilled udon noodles), or microwave before you eat.

My original recipe in Japanese is here.
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A bad cold (cold in the throat) is going around at work.
I need to be careful :(

Take care you all!!!

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