Long Island Iced Tea

Do you know Long Island Iced Tea?

Long Island Iced Tea is a highball made with, among other ingredients, vodka, gin, tequila, and rum. A popular version mixes equal parts vodka, gin, tequila, rum and triple sec with 1 1/2 parts sour mix and a splash of cola. Without using tea, it tastes like tea!

When we've been to Odaiba, the weather outside was so nice that we drank cocktail and beer during the daytime, out on a deck. What I had was Long Island Iced Tea. Actually, it was for the first time in my life to try this out. I think it tastes like Snapple Iced Tea ;)

Changing my story, yesterday, I found that my hula teacher was a singer and she belonged to an idol group almost 10 years ago!!! (Her husband is a musician.) That is why she has her aura! She is really pretty and enthusiastic. I am lucky enough to take her class at the gym! She gives me a power, too!!! I hope I can learn her magnetic personality as well. Ha-ha :)

It is still cloudy and rainy outside. But tomorrow, after the long rain, sunny day is expected throughout the day!!!

Happy weekend :)

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Yokohama Cheesecake

How often does your honey get you sweets?!

My boyfriend doesn't like sweet stuff, so he seldom gets one. But last week, he had a cake box in his hand! Wow!!! There were two pieces of cheesecake in it. One was plain and one was citrus tamurana hort (kind of orange). They weren't sugary at all but rich and creamy. They were his taste ;) You can easily eat them after meal. Yummy!

The name of the store is Gateau Yokohama!
If you scroll down the page, you will see their publication history. They should be popular!

Anyway, sorry everyone. I am doing okay with my boyfriend. We (I!?) just have ups and downs. You know...

It is raining since Tuesday. The rain will continue until Friday. I hope the rain washes away the flu germs!

I have hula class again tonight! I can't wait to attend it!!! It is funny that 45 min class was long when I was a student, but now it is like a second. Ha-ha!

Aloha!

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Odaiba

From 5/1 to 5/2, my boyfriend and I've been to Odaiba.Odaiba is a large artificial island in Tokyo Bay, Japan, across the Rainbow Bridge from central Tokyo.

After work, we had an early dinner and enjoyed the SPA at SPAZEN TOKYO. What is good about this SPA is both men and women can enjoy the SPA. There is an outdoor jacuzzi with a lovely night view of Odaiba. Of course, swim suit is mandatory ;) Luckily there wasn't any people there, so we had the space all to ourselves! After the jacuzzi, I had thalassotherapy and my boyfriend had head spa for about an hour! What a spendthrift! He-he!!!

We stayed a night at Hotel Nikko Tokyo where the SPA is located.
The next day, we had a breakfast buffet at the hotel. The weather was clear and sunny again, so we had a walk outside. The image on the right is a replica of the Statue of Liberty ;) Then we went shopping. There was Little Hong Kong in the shopping mall. Wow!

The weather was really nice, so we stayed in Odaiba until dinner time. There was an Italian restaurant called Trattoria Marumo in the Seaside Mall where you can eat out on the deck. The night view was fantastic! Their bouillabaisse was great, too! They make you a risotto after the bouillabaisse and that was really delicious ;) There was a young couples aged about 18... How advanced for their age!

It was a quick trip, but we had a good time!
Now I am back to the reality from yesterday... Fight!!!

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Yuba and Tofu Restaurant

Hello! The high today is 73F (23C)! The forecast predicts 6 more clear days in a row! Wow!!! Golden Week holidays should be great to have an outing! I don't have that many plans, though...
This morning, the train was packed to the gills as usual. I thought people will take days off from today but they didn't. Maybe because of the recession?!

Anyway, yesterday was a holiday (Showa Day), so my boyfriend and I had a dinner in Ginza. We used to go to the same restaurant nearby, but now we try to go to a new restaurant to keep our romance :)

We went to a Yuba and Tofu restaurant called Umenohana this time! Yuba is tofu skin. It is a Chinese and Japanese food product made from soybeans. During the boiling of soy milk, in an open shallow pan, a film or skin composed primarily of a soy protein-lipid complex forms on the liquid surface. I love Yuba and Tofu since they are nutritious and healthy, especially for women ;) They have many Yuba and Tofu dishes, all comes in small portions, so we ordered 8 dishes and shared: yuba shumai, tofu shumai, deep fried yuba, bean curd refuse croquette, tofu salad, yuba gratin, mochifu (mochi-like tofu), and soy milk shabu-shabu! They also have sake, served in a small glass teapot. Isn't it nice?!
I will recommend this restaurant for those who love Yuba and Tofu!

Speaking of the eyelash extensions I had yesterday, I should have done 40 each... I limited to 30 and bought a mascara that you can wear over the extensions, but it lacks volume... hmm... maybe next time I will do 40 each!

Tonight, I am going to take a Hula class at the gym. Have you ever danced the Hula before?! I haven't... but it's for free at the gym, so why don't I try it for a change?!

Tomorrow, after work, my boyfriend and I are going to stay a night at a hotel in Odaiba! I booked a SPA for two, too!!! I also reserved a two-day and one-night tour to Yamagata on 5/15, which was really cheap: $80 per person using mileage. The tour includes round trip flight to Yamagata, hotel, and 2 meals (all-you-can-eat sukiyaki and breakfast). Am I spending too much money for my recreation?!... I hope I am not doing the wrong thing...

I will take my camera with me and will post some pics when I returned.
Have a good one!!!

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My Accomplishments

This morning, before the sun rises high, I ran outside instead of going to the gym! It is nice to run outside once in a while.

Time flies. April is almost over... Before I forget, I will list the rest of my accomplishments.

On 4/1, my Tomato Salt Cake won the silver prize at Yukishio salt (snow powder salt) contest. The salt is made in Okinawa, Miyakojima and won the prize of gold medal of Monde-Selection for third straight year since 2006. The salt contains a world record of mineral element varieties and it has been registered in the Guinness Book of Records. As its naming suggests, it is fine powder, and is the best match for eating tempura with and preparing the cooking with. It can enhance the flavor of the ingredients from the cooking. Furthermore, these days it attains much attention as applied for massage salt and bath salt.

On 4/6, my Chinese Style Pork And Shimeji Steamed Rice won the grand prize at the Lee Kum Kee's oyster sauce recipe contest held by Cookpad. Lee Kum Kee is the world renowned leader of oyster flavored sauce which is the basic ingredient for countless Chinese dishes. They asked for recipes that brings out the rich flavor of oyster sauce. My recipe will be used for their flyers, too.

On 4/12, my Curry Simmered Whole Onion won the gold award at Inoue spice contest. They sell curry products and spices over the Internet so they asked for recipes using those.



On 4/13, my Soymilk Stir Fried Juicy Freeze-Dried Bean Curd won the outstanding performance award at soymilk contest.







On 4/15, I again won the Outstanding Performance Award at Asahi Food & Healthcare's diet recipe contest. I submitted my "Avocado Milk Yogurt Drink". Instead of using sugar, I used Calpis (lactic acid beverage) for health.





On 4/23, my Bonito and Edamame Rice Bowl was featured as "today's choice" at recipe-blog (the recipe site I'm registered). I had a lot of visitors to my Japanese recipe blog on that day!






On 4/25, I won a prize at Yodoran (iodine-enriched egg)'s contest. The theme was Tamagokakegohan (rice bowl with raw egg). I submitted Salmon Avocado Italian Egg Rice Bowl. Actually, I don't like to eat raw eggs, but it is a popular way of eating eggs. Most people just pour soy sauce over the rice and egg, and mix. What do you think of it?! I found a video of it... wow...

Then as usual, I won some sample products, again. Smart cheese, healthy salt, bling-bling pen, flavored seaweed, hand towels, soft drink, cereal rice, and deodorant mist.

Golden Week holidays are from 5/2-6 according to the calendar. But some people are off from today since today is a holiday. I had to work on the 30th and the 1st. Boo!!!

Anyway, my boyfriend and I have a plan to stay a night at a hotel in Odaiba (Tokyo). We aren't going that far since everything is expensive during the holidays. It is wise to stay local ;) Maybe I will go to work during the holidays and take days off later. That might be a good idea ;)

Now I am leaving to have some coffee at a cafe, repair eyelash extensions, and have a dinner date with my boyfriend. I hope everything is fine with me...

Oh, be careful of the swine flu! WHO raised pandemic alert to phase 4... How scary... We don't know what will happen the next...

Let's take care!

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Ginza 300 Bar

I have a lot to write about these few days. One thing I want to write before I forget is about the bar I went on Friday.

How do you sustain your enthusiasm?

As you may know, my enthusiasm for cooking has burned out since I had too much problem with my boyfriend. Whatever I cooked within recent days were unsatisfactory... I thought of going to karaoke, or go shopping to cheer myself up, but somehow I knew it won't work out for this time. Then what I thought was to see someone who is really passionate about being creative. This is how I sometimes sustain my enthusiasm!!!

So, I saw my old friend who is always passionate. I heard now he is into DJ stuff playing at the bar in Ginza (Ginza 300 Bar), so I decided to see him there. Actually, it was for the first time in a decade to see him! Wow!!! Though I don't like a place like a bar where people smoke, it was worth to go there. He did stimulate me beyond what I am doing now! I think he tries hard for everything, which inspire motivation in others.

My weekend project was successful ;)
I hope I can keep this tension for a while.

Let's keep up!

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Addictive Ganache

After the hard rain yesteday, again we have sunshine today!

Yesterday, my orthodontist gave me a box of Fugetsudo's ganache. It was a late return for the Valentine's day chocolate. Oh my god, this is so addictive that I can't stop... Why this simple mixture of chocolate and cream so addictive! I know it is bad for my health to eat too much... I wish I could eat them all at once!!! If I were young, maybe I could...

Anyway, I just finished cooking for today. Whew...
Now I am thinking weather to run outside or at the gym.

Will see...

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I didn't want to get a suntan, so I went to the gym ;)

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Rules for Success

I just came across with Bob Parsons' article...
Wow! I totally agree with him!

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Bob Parsons 16 Rules for Success in Business & Life in General

1. Get and stay out of your comfort zone.
I believe that not much happens of any significance when we're in our comfort zone. I hear people say, "But I'm concerned about security." My response to that is simple: "Security is for cadavers."

2. Never give up.
Almost nothing works the first time it's attempted. Just because what you're doing does not seem to be working, doesn't mean it won't work. It just means that it might not work the way you're doing it. If it was easy, everyone would be doing it, and you wouldn't have an opportunity.

3. When you’re ready to quit, you’re closer than you think.
There's an old Chinese saying that I just love, and I believe it is so true. It goes like this: "The temptation to quit will be greatest just before you are about to succeed."

4. With regard to whatever worries you, not only accept the worst thing that could happen, but make it a point to quantify what the worst thing could be.
Very seldom will the worst consequence be anywhere near as bad as a cloud of "undefined consequences." My father would tell me early on, when I was struggling and losing my shirt trying to get Parsons Technology going, "Well, Robert, if it doesn't work, they can't eat you."

5. Focus on what you want to have happen.
Remember that old saying, "As you think, so shall you be."

6. Take things a day at a time.
No matter how difficult your situation is, you can get through it if you don't look too far into the future, and focus on the present moment. You can get through anything one day at a time.

7. Always be moving forward.
Never stop investing. Never stop improving. Never stop doing something new. The moment you stop improving your organization, it starts to die. Make it your goal to be better each and every day, in some small way. Remember the Japanese concept of Kaizen. Small daily improvements eventually result in huge advantages.

8. Be quick to decide.
Remember what General George S. Patton said: "A good plan violently executed today is far and away better than a perfect plan tomorrow."

9. Measure everything of significance.
I swear this is true. Anything that is measured and watched, improves.

10. Anything that is not managed will deteriorate.
If you want to uncover problems you don't know about, take a few moments and look closely at the areas you haven't examined for a while. I guarantee you problems will be there.

11. Pay attention to your competitors, but pay more attention to what you’re doing.
When you look at your competitors, remember that everything looks perfect at a distance. Even the planet Earth, if you get far enough into space, looks like a peaceful place.

12. Never let anybody push you around.
In our society, with our laws and even playing field, you have just as much right to what you're doing as anyone else, provided that what you're doing is legal.

13. Never expect life to be fair.
Life isn't fair. You make your own breaks. You'll be doing good if the only meaning fair has to you, is something that you pay when you get on a bus (i.e., fare).

14. Solve your own problems.
You'll find that by coming up with your own solutions, you'll develop a competitive edge. Masura Ibuka, the co-founder of SONY, said it best: "You never succeed in technology, business, or anything by following the others." There's also an old Asian saying that I remind myself of frequently. It goes like this: "A wise man keeps his own counsel."

15. Don’t take yourself too seriously.
Lighten up. Often, at least half of what we accomplish is due to luck. None of us are in control as much as we like to think we are.

16. There’s always a reason to smile.
Find it. After all, you're really lucky just to be alive. Life is short. More and more, I agree with my little brother. He always reminds me: “We’re not here for a long time, we’re here for a good time!”

Copyright © 2005-2009 Bob Parsons. All rights reserved.
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#15 makes sense! I always think 50% of my success depends on my luck...

But sometimes I want to believe "There is only one success, that is to be able to spend your life in your own way. (by Christopher Morley)"

What do you think?!

Oh gosh, I haven't been cooking for a few days since I couldn't concentrate on it. I need to cheer myself up!

It's sunny today!
I'm gonna have lunch outside with my co-worker again!
At the same cafe, merce-san ;)

Have a great one!!!

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Soba Boro

Hi! After the hard rain yesterday, we have sunshine today. Wow! The high today is 77F (25C)!!! Though it will be cloudy and cold on the weekend...

Do you know "Soba Boro"?
It is a crispy cookie made of soba flour, sugar and egg, famous snack in Kyoto. It has unique shape (either a shape of cherry blossom or a bud). Soba Boro is Nanban-style sweets (Nanban-gashi) imported from Portugal in 1570. It's simple taste and the flavor of Kyoto appears very attractive! It's a great snack to go with Japanese tea :) Whenever I visited my deceased grandpa, he gave me this snack.

Kawamichiya is long-established wagashi (Japanese-style confection) store. Their Soba Boro is very famous and my grandpa loved it. Please try whenever you have a chance to visit Kyoto!!!

Changing my story, this morning, Marunouchi line stopped again after a long time... Last time it stopped during my commuting time was in 2007. At that time, I took a taxi and that was a bad decision! So this time I waited until it recovers, and that was right!
Whew... I had a tiring morning!

Good luck to me and you all!!!

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How Do You Keep Your Romance Alive?

The weather is getting warmer! It is nicer to run outside than at the GYM.

Every Saturday, my boyfriend and I go out to eat dinner. I cook almost everyday, so this is my treat. This weekend we've been to a restaurant with a beautiful night view! The restaurant is on the 49th floor of a high-rise building in Shinjuku. Our budget for the dinner was the same as usual, but we just changed the place we go and dressed up! Also we didn't leave home together, but we arranged to meet together in Shinjuku. It was much more romantic ;)

I am a stay-at-home person (always prefer to eat at a neighborhood restaurant, wearing jeans), but now I somewhat realized I need to be creative in entertaining ourselves to keep our romance. In the beginning of May, we have Golden Week holidays, so we reserved a hotel in Odaiba. There is a beautiful night view, too.

How do you keep your romance alive?

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Surprise

Don't you think being in LOVE makes you want to wear a dress rather than jeans?

Yesterday, I went to shop a dress in Shibuya after work because I realized I didn't have a dress to wear to go on a date with my boyfriend. I bought 2 cute spring dresses at a discounted price :)

After shopping, I met my boyfriend and had a dinner at my favorite open-air cafe in Shibuya! The weather was so nice that we had a really good time. We had avocado shrimp salad, tandoori chicken, and taco rice. All dishes came with a lot of vegetables and were delicious!!!

Then surprisingly, he gave me some cute flowers! There was nothing special on this day, so I was really amazed, but on the other hand I was really happy :)

After 6 years, we are still like lovers and I thought I want to be in love with him forever!!!

I was going to die when I thought he was cheating, but it's good to be alive!

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