Update on our New Home!

I haven't been writing about our new home for a long while, but it is going fine. We signed the mortgage settlement in the end of the year and going to receive the ownership next week. Then on 1/17, our renovation starts!

Our floor plan is now fixed. We will remove the Japanese room (the room with tatami) and expand the living room and the bathroom. It took us about half a year to decide on this since we didn't want to make it complicated but easy place to be.

As I wrote before, my kitchen is going to have a storage for home electric appliances.



Of course we decided on all the floor materials and the fittings to be used. But one thing I haven't decided yet is whether or not to have an accent wall. It is to use color or texture to treat one wall differently from the others in a room to spice up the mood. It's a popular style nowadays applied to living rooms and bedrooms. I can decide on this at the very end, so will see...



Till next time ;)

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Souvenirs from 広州

During the holiday, my mom and sisters went to see my dad in 広州 (Guangzhou), China. My darling and I had to work and also had to sign mortgage settlement, so we couldn't join, so my mom brought us back some interesting souvenirs :)

High class 鉄観音茶 (Tieh Kwan Yin Tea) from the local store called 华祥苑 (EMPEREUR).



The red box is also the popular 鉄観音茶 (Tieh Kwan Yin Tea). The square can is 茉莉花茶 (Jasmine Tea).



Those teas not only have the comforting fragrance and taste, but also have outstanding health care functions! They lower blood pressure and cholesterol level, regulate aging, reduce stress, prevent certain cancers and strengthen the immune system among other positive impacts.

Also, my mom gave me some dried foods including 大棗 (Chinese dates)!!! It is also good for our health: anemia prophylaxis, tranquilizing property, and anti-stress!



I think I saw 大棗 on jose's post before! I will try to cook it with rice as a starter :D

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Kaitenzushi

When we have no idea what to eat, we always go to kaitenzushi (conveyor belt sushi restaurant). Crab is in season, so I had 4 pieces of them :P Also my favorite anago (conger eel). Yummy!!!


During the holiday, I cleaned up my stuff which I haven't used for approx 6 years, which made 10 garbage bags (5 of them are clothes)! But then I have done it... I thought the first garbage collection day is Friday but was today (this morning)! So we have to keep those garbage bags in our room for 3 more days!!!

This holiday was fast. I have to work from tomorrow. I couldn't go shopping during the holiday, so I hope I can this weekend! I'm sure I won't buy too much since I just organized my stuff. haha

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Pua Lililehua @ You Tube

In the end of the year, I again took a video of my hula. The video was taken near home at 仙川 (senkawa). The high was 9C (48F), so it was freezing cold outside X(

Pua Lililehua means "flower of salvia". It's a stately Hawaiian love song.

As usual, I posted it on my YouTube account.

I will only show this video to my blog buddies who keep in touch with me on a regular basis or Tipness club members who took this "hula hula" class. Please send me a request from my YouTube account. I will add you as my friend to share the video.

※Tipness（ティップネス）のHULA HULAで習ったPua Lililehua（プア・リリレフア）の振り付けをビデオに記録♪シンガーでクムフラ（古典フラの継承者）Sandii（サンディー）さんのアロハセラピーな楽曲です。見たい方はリクエストメッセージを下さい☆

Mahalo :)

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Happy New Year 2011

I wrote many New Year's cards this year! In Japan, we have a custom to send New Year's cards to arrive on January 1st. Of course, I used our wedding photo :D



I prepared our New Year's food the day before. I added a rabbit fish cake since it's the year of the Rabbit!



In the afternoon, my darling and I visited the shrine to pray for happiness and a healthy year. 2011 is my grand climacteric year, so I attended a ceremony to drive away evil spirits.



How did you spend your New Year's day?



Wish everyone good luck for 2011!

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Easy Nishime

Osechi-Ryori is traditional Japanese New Year's food eaten during the first three days of the New Year. Each dishes that make up Osechi-Ryori has a special meaning celebrating the New Year (such as good health, fertility, good harvest, happiness, long life, etc...) and those dishes can last for a couple of days in the refrigerator or at cool room temperature in winter. Usually, they are served in jyubako (three-tiered bento boxes). In the first tier, we serve colorful festive dishes such as shrimp, black beans, sweet chestnuts, etc... In the second tier we serve sunomono (pickled dishes) and yakimono (grilled dishes). And in the third tier, we serve nimono (simmered dish) called nishime (simmered Japanese vegetables).

Traditionally, we spend few days to prepare Osechi but I always spend few hours to complete mine. I use ready-made dishes for sweet dishes since my darling doesn't eat a lot and cook the non-sweet ones at home.

So, below is my darling's favorite Nishime recipe for the third tier :) I use frozen Japanese vegetables to save time and money. It's in a package like the image on the right.

For the seasoning, I use Yamasa's Konbu Tsuyu (3 times concentrated Konbu kelp seaweed soup stock) which is tasty and convenient. I'm sure they are available overseas at Asian grocery stores.

In my recipe you'll see slices of matsutake mushrooms but you may use decorative cut shitake mushrooms. With just a little extra effort, it comes out gorgeous, so try to use fancy cut vegetables ;)



---------------------------------
Easy Nishime

Difficulty: Easy
Time: 1hour
Number of servings: 6-8

Necessary Equipment:
1 large deep pot
1 medium pot
1 small pot
1 otoshi buta (drop-lid - you can use aluminum foil)

Ingredients:
1 large chicken thigh
250g (8.8oz.) konjac
800g (1.8lb.) 2bags of Japanese frozen vegetables (includes: aroid, lotus root, carrot, shitake, green beans, bamboo shoot, burdock root)
3 matsutake mushrooms OR 8 decorative cut shitake mushrooms
1 yurine (lily bulb)
8 decorative cut carrots
A
* 3 tbsp. soy sauce
* 1 tbsp. mirin (sweet sake)
* 1 tbsp. sake
* 1 tbsp. sugar
B
* 2 tbsp. soy sauce
* 1 tbsp. mirin (sweet sake)
* 1 tbsp. sake
* 1 tsp. sugar
C
* 20cc 3 times concentrated Yamasa's Konbu Tsuyu
* 80cc water
D
* 60cc 3 times concentrated Yamasa's Konbu Tsuyu
* 240cc water

Directions:
1. Thinly slice or decorative cut konjac and boil 2-3 minutes in order to skim the scum.




2. Cut chicken thigh into bite-sized pieces, parboil (to remove the scum and fat), drain, and set aside.



3. Separate frozen vegetables and keep frozen until just before you use. NOTE: not going to use carrot and shitake if you prepare decorative cut ones.


4. In a large deep pot, put konjac, chicken and mushrooms, cover with water above the layer of ingredients, bring to boil, add A, cover with otoshi buta (drop-lid - you can use aluminum foil) and cook over low heat for 20 minutes.

5. Add lotus root, bamboo shoot, burdock root, and B, and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes.



6. Wash yurine and separate into pieces. In a small pot, bring water to boil, cook yurine pieces for a minute, quickly rinse with cold water, and drain. Bring C to boil, cook yurine pieces for 3 minutes.

7. In a medium pot, bring D to boil, add aroid and cook for 5 minutes. Add decorative cut carrots and cook for 5 minutes. Add green beans and cook for 2 minutes.

8. In the third tier, nicely arrange 5, 6, and 7 (drain excess liquid).





My original recipe in Japanese is HERE.
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HERE is my three-tiered Osechi from this year. Hope I can arrange nicer for the next year :D

My holidays start from 12/30 till 1/4. Pretty short...

Best wishes for a happy new year and see you in 2011!!!

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My Accomplishments

Hi! I am quickly updating my accomplishments in December before the year ends.

On 12/1, I received the 10th cooking report for my Montblanc-Like Egg Salad recipe. It was broadcast on CookTV last month. HERE, you can view the reports! Thank you!!!



On 12/10, my award winning Scallop Roses from Quick Scallop Recipe Contest appeared on a magazine book called Lettuce Club (12/25 issue P.80). I bought it since my recipe was printed large :D

On 12/13, my Keema Curry And Soba Rice won the grand prize at the 爽健美茶 (sokenbicha) - Japanese tea recipe contest. They asked for recipes that goes good with the tea. My curry and rice is made of yakisoba noodle and seasonings. It is really easy and tasty! I received a comment from a famous entertainer キム兄 (kimni)! Yay!!!

On 12/20, my Baked Kimcheese Potato won a prize at QBB cheese recipe contest. As I named, I baked Kimchi and potato with cheese on top. Simple and delicious :D


On 12/24, I received the Jif award at Jif (cream kitchen cleanser) recipe contest. They asked for recipes which celebrates their 30th anniversary. I served hashed beef (5 servings) in a large hot plate with rice decorations ;)

On 12/27, I received the good idea award for my Rolled Omelette Rice Castle. I thought my Hikarin Rice would won the award... but anyway, I know that things never work out as I expect...

Snap out of it! I'll do my best again in 2011!!!

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ROBOT FLASH DRIVE

On Christmas, my darling gave me a cute pink robot flash drive.

My darling uses yellow one and I was telling him that I want one (the same one) but what he bought me was a pink one. Yeah... I love the color but I don't feel comfortable with it's expression... because it looks like me!!! If I put mine next to my darling's you will know... X(



Anyway, they are really cute. They come with a 2GB storage capacity and their LED eyes light up when you plug the USB Flash Drive into a computer :)

Everybody asks me what I cook for Christmas, but I didn't cook at home. We celebrated our Christmas at family restaurant called Royal Host. The restaurant is little away from the train station, so it wasn't packed and we had a nice and quiet Christmas. Their wagyu beef hamburger steak was fabulicious! In addition, I had a grilled scallop and shrimp, and my darling had a wagyu beef steak. We used free coupon for those. hehe ;)

How was your Christmas?!

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EVOLG

I don't usually ask my darling what he wants for Christmas because he always doesn't have any definite idea, but this year, I asked him and he said he wants gloves which enable touch panel operation.

What?! Can that be possible?!

I searched google and found the gloves called EVOLG (made in Japan), which enable such!!



As seen in picture, you can use smart phones (iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Xperia, Samsung, HTC, BlackBerry, KDDI IS, etc...) while wearing EVOLG. EVOLG is made of special fiber, acrylic, and wool. They come in many colors. Cool!!!

Yesterday was a holiday, so my darling and I spent a whole day printing out our New Year's cards! To save time, we ordered our favorite home-delivered Kamameshi from Kamatora (only 10 bucks each!) for brunch. That's why I am wearing pajamas :P

When we finished our cards, it was already 8PM, so we decided to eat out. How perverse of me, I had oden (which is a Japanese winter dish consisting of several ingredients in a light soy-flavoured dashi broth) at Katsukura (tonkatsu restaurant). hahaha. Anyway, I wanted to eat oden :) BTW, I found newly opened Afternoon Tea near home. They have many cute kitchen stuff. Yay!

Happy Christmas ;D

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