Contrex

Which do you like?
Hard water or soft water?

Yesterday I found Contrex was sold with a scrunchy (a free gift) of PJ(PEACH JOHN: Japanese lingerie shop like Victoria's Secret in the US)! I was at the store thinking of getting a bottle, but after minutes of consideration, I ended up not getting it because I don't prefer the taste of hard water.

Hard water is said to have a high mineral content, mainly calcium and magnesium. I always drink soft water which is low in mineral content, so Contrex is pretty heavy for me. evian is okay I think. By the way, Contrex costs about 2 bucks in Japan. Pretty expensive for water, right?!

Anyway, I just talked with my co-worker (a guy) and he said he loves to drink hard water and he bought dozens of Contrex recently! Just in case, I asked him about this free scrunchy and he said he bought a few of them with it!!! There are 6 different kinds, so I hope he've got each of them! I asked him to bring them all tomorrow ;) Sometimes good thing happens!

Yesterday, I was so tired that I didn't go to the GYM. Instead, I used Aesop's Parsley Seed Anti-Oxidant Serum, which I bought in NY, after a long bath. I think anti-oxidant ingredients worked on me! My dull skin brightened a little bit ;) Oops... I was going to open it after I finished my L'OCCITANE's Very Precious Regenerating Concentrate, but I couldn't wait!!! In addition, I have unopened Very Precious Brightening Concentrate. How greedy! How many faces do I have! He-he-he!!!

Let's try to remain young ;)


7/31/2009
My co-worker remembered to bring the scrunchies. I've got 4 different kinds! He-he-he! Sooooo cute ;D




Please click below and vote for me.

Raspberry Puree Body Lotion

I was really busy today, I mean yesterday!

I just realized that "Raspberry Puree Body Lotion" that I bought in NY was really nice! I should have bought two or more. To tell the truth, I believed that The Body Shop does not have a lightweight body lotion even if it says lightweight! I think I need to try things once again after a while to make sure before I get any wrong ideas!

Anyway, it was on sale at $8.00! Worth to try ;)

Oops! It is alredy 0:40! I need to go to bed!!!

Please click below and vote for me.

Peking Duck @ Koumibou

Hi there! As I said on Friday, my bf and I went out to eat Peking Duck with my family on Saturday. I think it's been almost half a year since we all gathered together! My family live very close, only a 30 minute walk away from my house, but we just didn't have a chance to see them. Funny, right?!

Anyway, we've been to Koumibou (creative Chinese restaurant). I wrote about this restaurant before. Last time, we couldn't have the Peking Duck because the portion was too big for two people. However, this time we could! But still, a whole duck was too big for six people, so we ordered half a duck. Ramen that uses the broth of the duck was really delicious!!!

Other dishes we had were great, too! Especially "the salad with fried rice cake pieces" and "marinated bonito" were fabulous. We had a great time!

This weekend was sunny, so I didn't have a chance to take a picture wearing my new rain boots. Sorry jose! But I wore a dress that I bought at forever 21 in NY on this day ;) I also got this cardigan at forever 21, almost 7 years ago! I think they used to have much nicer clothes than now at that time... what do you think?!

It is getting cloudy now. We expect rain from this afternoon X(

Okay, I gotta go now.
I have too many deadlines due 31st...
See ya!!!

Please click below and vote for me.

Healthy Kit Kat Rare Cheesecake

This is my award winning recipe at Kit Kat recipe contest. It's a cheesecake using Kit Kat, yogurt and cottage cheese. Only 165 Kcal per serving, plus it contains a lot of calcium! Just mix and refrigerate! Really easy and healthy sweet treat ;)

Actually, I used lemon vinegar flavored Kit Kat (limited flavor in Japan) for this recipe but regular chocolate flavored one + lemon juice can be substituted for it.

---------------------------------
Healthy Kit Kat Rare Cheesecake

Difficulty: Easy
Time: 10min + 60min refrigeration time
Number of servings: 4

Necessary Equipment:
blender / mixer

Ingredients:
A
* 5g (0.18oz.) unflavored granular gelatin
* 50cc water
B
* 50g (1.8oz.) Kit Kat
* 200g (7oz.) pureed cottage cheese
* 250g (8.8oz.) low-fat plain yogurt (unsweetened)
* 1 tbsp. lemon juice
* 2 tbsp. honey
mint leaves if desired

Directions:
1. Put A in a small bowl, let sit 5 minutes until gelatin is softened.




2. Mix B in blender until smooth. Microwave 1. uncovered, on Medium 500 W (50-60%) for about 40 seconds until dissolved, add in the blender, mix again until smooth.

3. In jello cups, pour 2., cover, and refrigerate for about an hour.




4. To serve, remove from cups and garnish with mint leaves if desired.





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

This morning, I walked in heavy rain. At the time I reached to the station, my clothes were all wet even I used umbrella. But somehow it stopped by the time I reached to work... too bad.

Tomorrow, my bf and I are going to have dinner with my family at a Chinese restaurant! We are going to have Peking duck there ;)

See you next week!

Please click below and vote for me.

Don't Drink More Than You Can Handle!!!

You know I'm a cheap date. But actually, I don't know how much my boyfriend can drink. Whenever we go out drinking, he is temperate in drinking. He never gets drunk. However, if he gets a drink after work with his co-workers he gets tanked up and misses the last train too often!!! And what is worse, he did it again yesterday and came home at dawn! What the heck is he doing?!?!

I couldn't sleep well at night for worry since his phone was out the service area, so I woke up late! In addition, I forgot my iPod at home... At work, there was a call from a customer who needs a help for about half an hour! Damn! It's not my day!!!

We have a lot of alcohol at home. I received some wines, liqueurs, shochus, and sakes! Also those beers have arrived. He can drink at home, you know!!! I understand drinking out is something different, though...

Anyway, I won't forgive him yet!

Tonight I have hula class.
I hope my mood gets better by this evening X(

Good luck!!!

Please click below and vote for me.

Chocolate?

Hi there!
What do you think the image is?! I bought it because it was on sale at 70% off!!!

The image file name is the answer ;)


It has been raining since yesterday. The rain will last till Friday. We have lower tempreture, which is good! Also, I can wear my new rain boots that I purchased in NY. Yay! Actually, I bought another pair at COACH without hesitation since I liked the design ;) I regret that I bought the other pair before I found them...

Take it easy!!!

Please click below and vote for me.

Midori-zushi

After so long, we've been to Midori-zushi yesterday!
Actually, we didn't have a chance to eat unagi (eel) on "Doyou no Ushi no Hi" (7/19), so we decided to have sushi for dinner! I don't like unagi, so my target was anago (conger eel). He-he ;)

As I wrote before, Midori-zushi is very famous for delicious low price sushi and there is always a huge line in front! (They have menu in English down on this page!) We've been to Midori-zushi located in Shibuya for many times, but first time in Futako Tamagawa! Every time when we get there, there are more than 50 individuals or groups waiting so we ended up eating at other restaurants. However, good thing about this location is that they give you a numbered ticket, so you can go shopping and come back later. Many people take advantage of it, so you have to wait for more than 1
hour though X( This time, we went there to get the ticket at around 17:00, so we could be seated after 18:00!

Seasonal fish (bonito) salad was great! Also, I liked roasted saury and roasted tuna sushi. Their "sushi neta" (fish) is huge and delicious. Laver paste sushi was surprisingly yummy! Of course I had anago ;)

We also had a couple of drinks but our total was only 5000yen ($50). What a great value! I wish I could go there again soon!

Please click below and vote for me.

Stir-Fried Pumpkin and Pork with Tenkasu

Do you know Tenkasu?
Tenkasu is crunchy bits of deep fried flour-dough (deep-fried tempura batter) used in Japanese cuisine: takoyaki, okonomiyaki, soba, udon, etc... Tenkasu is also called agedama.

I used Tenkasu for this stir-fried recipe. It gives rich and crunchy taste. Yummy idea!!!

---------------------------------
Stir-Fried Pumpkin and Pork with Tenkasu

Difficulty: Easy
Time: 10min
Number of servings: 2

Ingredients:
200g (0.44lb.) Japanese pumpkin
100g (3.5oz.) thinly sliced pork
50g (1.8oz.) carrot
25g (0.9oz.) green pepper
A
* 1 tsp. sake
* a pinch of salt
B
* 2 tsp. sake
* 2 tsp. sugar
* 1 tbsp. soy sauce
* salt
1 tsp. starch
20g (0.7oz.) tenkasu
cooking oil

Directions:
1. Microwave pumpkin for about 3 minutes until soft enough to cut. Cut the pumpkin, green pepper and carrot into short and thin strips. Also, cut the pork into strips, season pork with salt and pepper, and coat with starch.
2. Heat cooking oil in a frying pan, and fry pork. When the pork starts to change color, add carrot, pumpkin, green pepper strips in order written, and stir-fry until heated through. Add B in the pan and stir-fry until the seasonings blend.
3. Add tenkasu and toss lightly and serve before tenkasu gets too soft.





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

I was going to post this yesterday, but I fell asleep X(

This morning, it was cloudy (not too hot), so I ran outside instead of going to gym. Now I need to prepare for tomorrow's cooking and go shopping to Shibuya! Yay!!! I received a discount coupon for cosmetics (KOSE) ;) If I go Shibuya, I also go to 109, you know! I'm a shopaholic. He-he-he!!!

Monday is a holiday (Marine day), so I can attend the Monday hula class ;) I will see you on Tuesday!!!

Have a great weekend!

Please click below and vote for me.

Gorgeous Ikura and Kani Sushi Roll

Is it already summer break here?! Our work today is so slow that I don't even want to use my brain for today's dinner menu...

Anyway, last Saturday, we ate out at Izakaya (a type of Japanese drinking establishment) called Hananomai. We sometimes go to Izakaya not to drink but to eat because they have many small dishes at low prices! We were actually heading for kaiten-zushi (conveyor belt sushi restaurant) but we changed our mind after seeing this attractive ad of seafood from Hokkaido!!!


Don't you think the sushi roll on the left bottom image attractive?! Ikura (salmon roe) and kani (crabmeat) are sprinkled over a pile of sushi rolls.


It came like the image above! Pretty good but somehow they brought this at the very end... which was too bad because we waited for a long time. We should have said to the waiter that we want it first!

This is all for today!

Maybe tomorrow, I will start translating my recipes.

I can't wait to attend the hula class tonight!!!

Bye for now ;)

Please click below and vote for me.

Yogurt Parfait

Yogurt with granola is something I really love!
Why we don't have it in Japan?!
I found it everywhere in NYC, even at Starbucks (they also had nice and healthy meal packs which I never saw before. I'm gonna try those next year if they are still available)!!!

The image is at dishes (Juice/Smoothie bar) at Grand Central. I just took pic of yogurt parfaits. We had yogurt shake there.

I had one small (9 oz.) yogurt parfait at Europa Cafe (during the trip to NY). I can eat larger size (16 oz.) by myself if I don't have to save calories! Yummy!!!

The rainy season has ended in Tokyo! Yay!!! But too bad I didn't have that many chances to wear my rain boots... I bought another pair in NYC at COACH. Maybe next year...

Please click below and vote for me.