Twinkle Chocolate

Recently I bought a classic sweet: "Twinkle Chocolate"!
It is sold at 100yen ($1) and still available since when I was small.
Inside the egg shaped chocolates, you can find small & colorful sugar candies and chocolates. Also it comes with a sheet of glittering stickers.
They are really cute :)


I found a commercial of that time. It brings back memories!!!


Is there any sweet that has long been available in your country?!
I wish they won't discontinue the production.

Anyway, yesterday I had a dinner for free. One of my dishes (starter) was forgotten, so they didn't charge me! What a service!!!

Please click below and vote for me.

Metallic Pink BMW (645CiCabriolet)

I'm not a car enthusiast, but I see many interesting news about cars these days.

Despite the prolonged slump in auto sales, Toyota and Honda's eco-friendly hybrid cars (a vehicle that uses two or more distinct power sources to move the vehicle) are selling well. They are relatively cheap: a new car is about $20000.00 (2,000,000yen)! I thought of getting it (just for a second)!

Also, like the Crystal Bentz, I see many fancy cars on the market. This metallic pink custom car (BMW) is designed by a fashion magazine model. What a car!!! The price is $300000.00 (30,000,000yen)! Gee! I don't know who's gonna buy and drive it, but it takes my mind off from the auto business downturn.
Oh, maybe for the celebrity's Valentine's Day gift?!

Anyway, thanks for you all who left me some comments to cheer me up. I thought I shouldn't complain while you all support me. I think I am okay now... I don't know why, but sometimes I feel really depressed when things don't go as planned...

Tomorrow is a holiday, the National Foundation Day. Yay!!!

Have a good day :)

Please click below and vote for me.

My Rice Cooker was NOT Broken!

Yesterday, I made a mess cooking rice. I thought I can cook "milky rice" with water + soy milk, but the rice didn't absorb the soy milk, so the rice was half raw. It was not edible, unfortunately...

I cooked white rice right after and made sure that my rice cooker was not broken.

I sometimes make a big mistake with confidence. I guess I'd better not expect too much!

Oh, speaking of expecting something too much, my chocolate recipe which I submitted to the chocolate recipe contest didn't get a place!!! I know I can't always win, but sometimes I am sure that my idea is pretty good :( You know what I mean?!?!

Well... I will do my best!
Hope something good can come out of something bad!!!

Please click below and vote for me.

Love Decoration Cookie

It is warm again during the day but freezing at night with a cold wind. Brrrrr...

This is another Valentine's day recipe ;)
I decorated a heart shaped cookie with a 3D LOVE message.





---------------------------------
Love Decoration Cookie

Difficulty: Easy
Time: 1hr+35min (15min preparation, 20min cooking, 1hr ready in)
Number of servings: 3-4 10 cm (4 inches) heart shaped cookies

Ingredients:
60g (2.1oz.) butter (softened)
30g (1oz.) sugar
1 egg yolk
A
* 95g (3.3oz.) all-purpose flour
* 2 tbsp. cocoa powder
pink chocolate pen or pink colored icing
sprinkles 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 one and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate the dough for at least 1 hour to chill.



4. Preheat oven to 350F (180C). On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to 0.5 cm (0.2 inch) thickness. Cut with a 4-inch heart-shaped cookie cutter dipped in flour. Also cut out alphabets (LOVE) freehand or with alphabet cookie cutters. Place on a greased cookie sheet about an inch apart.

5. Bake at 350F (180C) for 15-20 minutes. Cool the cookies on the sheet and attach sprinkles with chocolate pen or colored icing.


My original recipe in Japanese is here.
---------------------------------

I had sake with my friend tonight. I drank it after a long time, so I was dizzy for few hours... but I am okay now! Wow it is 2AM already!!! I think I should go to bed.

Please click below and vote for me.

CRYSTAL BENZ

You really must see this! I was just searching for bling-bling stuff and found this car. I love bling-blings but isn't this too much?! But amazing!!! It seems like a company called GARSON has made this. I don't know who's gonna own and ride this car, but if I were to own this, I would cover the car at each stop. It should be tiresome! Ha-ha!!!

By the way, this reminds me of SWAROVSKI GINZA! It has opened last March and I forgot to visit there! Their interior is filled with bling-bling sofas, stairs, etc...

Anyway, it is warm today. The high today is 50F (10C), but we don't feel chilled at all! Hope this weather lasts and spring comes soon...

Please click below and vote for me.

My Accomplishments

Damn my memory! I am sooooo stupid that we faced 45degrees wrong direction (east-southeast) yesterday when we had the Eho-Maki! I hope nothing bad happens... I didn't actually measure the direction, so we might have faced the right direction, yes!

After so long, I will post my accomplishments up to now.

On 1/18, my blog was selected at The Foodie BlogRoll's "Today 5 Random Blogs". Thank you for those who visited my blog through the widget ;)

On 2/2, I won 18 SOYJOY bars (nutrition bars made with whole soy and real fruit) at kurasse's (daily life information magazine publisher's) party appetizer recipe contest. I submitted my Bean and Spinach Stuffed Tomato Cream Ravioli recipe made from wonton wrappers. Oh, by the way, I didn't know that the SOYJOY is sold overseas until I search it today on the Net! Have you ever seen it at stores?

On 2/2, my money saving recipe "Colorful Okonomi Stir-Fried Cabbage" won a silver prize and was published in a magazine called "Ohayo Okusan". You guys know what "Ohayo" means, right? "Okusan" means madam. Anyway, it is not a morning magazine. I don't know why the magazine is called like that.

Last but not least, I sometimes submit my posts (recipes) to win product samples and won some stuff including funny stuff recently! On 1/21, I won a clay shampoo which stimulates hair growth. On 2/3, I won a jar of high-grade marmalade. On 2/3, I won a laxative pills that cleanses stomach and intestines. On 2/4, I won 2 cups of white rice.

Okay, all for today.
Have a good one!

Please click below and vote for me.

Golden Eho-Maki

Writing the same thing as last year, February 3rd is Setsubun. It is the day before the beginning of Risshun (spring season). On Setsubun, we cleanse away all the evil of the former year and drive away disease-bringing evil spirits for the year to come. This special ritual is called Mamemaki (bean scattering). On this day, it is customary now to eat uncut maki-zushi called Eho-Maki ("lucky direction roll") while facing the yearly lucky compass direction, determined by the zodiac symbol of that year.

The lucky direction of the year 2009 is east-northeast. If you eat Eho-Maki facing in that direction it will bring you luck. But just remember you have to eat all without speaking! Say "delicious" after you complete it ;)

The image here is Eho-Maki that I made last year. It's sushi rice is colored gold with curry powder. Don't you feel lucky?! Also, I used seven lucky ingredients including lucky colors such as red and yellow: anago (conger eel), boiled shrimp, cucumber, red bell pepper, kinshitamago (sliced egg crepe), sakura denbu (seasoned shredded codfish), and black olive.

Hmm... What kind shall I make this year...

Will see! I will post it next year on this day again if I still keep my diary ;)

Please click below and vote for me.

Pollen Season

Do you have hay fever?

Me? Not yet... so I need to be careful not to develop it! This morning I saw on the news that the hay fever season has arrived earlier this year because of the warmer weather. The pollen count is expected to be 3 times higher than last year! I can't part with mask until summer, I guess.

Different story. My dad temporarily came back from China during CNY, so my family + my boyfriend had dinner at yakiniku restaurant last night. My family has been to Karuizawa (a popular tourist spot) on that day so my mom gave me some souvenirs. Then this morning, I saw on the news that there was Asamayama (active volcano in Karuizawa) eruption early this morning. How scary... The eruption was small but an alert level was raised. Whew! I'm glad that my family came home safe!!!

Anyway, we have small but frequent earthquakes almost daily... The Meteorological Agency isn't giving a warning but I need to be prepared for something bad to happen :(

PEACE!

Oh, by the way, I downloaded a cute wallpaper for my cell the other day. CALGOT & MAIMAI, I found them on the Net last year and I love them since then ;)



Please click below and vote for me.

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 ;)

Please click below and vote for me.

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 ;)

Please click below and vote for me.

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 ;)

---------------------------------
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.
---------------------------------

Tomorrow, I am going to have nabe for lunch with my co-worker. Kind of looking forward to it from now ;)

Please click below and vote for me.