Trying Something New… October 6, 2008

Finally it has come to the day that I am sitting at a coffee shop, by my self, typing up my blog. (I actually don’t like the smell of Starbucks, but I didn’t know anywhere else to go…)

Dropped off Zu, she didn’t cry and just said “Bye.”
Last week was the first time she didn’t cry at preschool.  We were about to give up on the Preschool thing, but I am so glad that she is finally getting used to it.

I am doing something on my own.  By my self…  Strange…  A little uneasy of the fact that I am not running around doing something for the house, Zu, or us.  I am sitting down, sipping on tea at a coffee shop.
I said I wanted to do this when I find time for myself, but when it actually happens it just doesn’t feel right that I am not “Working” (mom job), you know!?

I even have a lunch date today with my girl friends!  It’s mid-day, and we are hanging out!  We usually have “Ladies Night”, where we all leave our kids with the dads and the Girls get together for a gourme potluck and drinks at one of our houses.  Lot’s of fun.  These are the times we get to let loose.  But this time it’s strange because it’s day time!  Our kids are in school or some of the girls are just coming out durning their lunch break from work.  I’m really excited!  We are going to a really good Japanese restaurant called Sharaku.  And it just so happens to be my cousins place, where I work!  I may like this lunch thing a lot.

So as I am typing this up, I am talking to my husband via iChat.  He says I need some “me time”.  What’s that?  Who’s me?  Me = ME! Ahhhh…  Such a strange concept that I haven’t had a chance to think about since before Zu!  Wow…  I feel a bit more comfortable with this “Me” thing now, than I did a year ago for sure!  I’m happier, more organized, and things are more under control.  Let’s see how this “Me” thing pans out in the next coming months.  I know I am going to start enjoying this.  Can’t get too cofortable though, we may want another little terror of joy.

Here’s a link to the lettus wrap recipe in the photo: my friend made it, I made the samosa’s.

http://cookpad.com/recipe/397456

Need it in English?  Just let me know and I will put up a post.

Fantastic Find! August 3, 2008

Oh, I love IKEA! We just got a shoe cabinet there for our shoes that sit around in front of our back door. Sukkiri shimashita (translation: feels very clean).

Anyway, IKEA has great affordable stuff, but also some great grocery items. They have these awesome thin crunchy cookies that are dipped in semi-sweet chocolate, that comes in a ginormous box of maybe 100 cookies, that I really know I shouldn’t buy… (drool) Or that Lingenberry Juice concentrate and Lingenberry jelly. Well this time, I found something that I’ve actually been wanting. This was not an impulse buy, I actually have seen it in a magazine and really wanted to try it, but I could not find it any where! But now, the fabulous have-it-all IKEA had it.

Kalles

“Kalles: Creamed Smoked Roe” from Switzerland.
Roe is fish eggs, fancy people call it caviar. It’s those tiny little balls that are on top of a California Roll. Japanese people just love roe. It’s a really fancy thing to eat. We put roe on things to make food look festive. Mentaiko is my favorite, walleye pollack roe that has been salted and spiced up with some red pepper. And one of my favorite things to do with this Mentaiko is to make Mentai Spaghetti! It is SO GOOD!!
Back to the Kalles, in a Japanese magazine, this lady who lived in the UK reported about this Kalles, to substitute the Tarako, which is the non spicy version of my favorite Mentaiko. I’m thinking, “I need this magic in a tube! Deliciouse Tarako anytime I want, whenever I want is a beautiful thing!!!” And now I have my magic in a tube, all thanks to the importing of IKEA gourmet grocery’s.

After bringing home my Kalles, I have immediately opened the tube and tried a little. Not exactly what I had in mind… A little more sweet… A bit more smokey… But good! It was one of those, put on your cracker or put on your toast kind of creamy, smokey, and roe-y. I could make my pasta with this!

Here’s my recipe for this Kalles Spaghettini for 2

• 1 tbsp of Kalles, Creamed Smoked Roe
• 80 grams of Spaghettini
• A knob of Butter
• 1/4 tsp Red Chili Pepper Flakes
• 1 knob of garlic minced
• 1 tsp Goma (Toasted Sesame Seeds)
• 1/2 sheet of Nori (Sea Weed) cut into paper shredder thin strips that are about 2 inches long
• 1/2 a pack of Kaiware (Radish Sprouts)
• Salt to taste

Boil the spaghettini in well salted water and drain. This is a very quick cook so the pasta shouldn’t cool.

In a large pan, melt the butter with the red chili pepper flakes and garlic. When you start smelling the garlic, turn off the burner and add the Kalles. Mix swift and well, add the spaghettini and toss with the Goma and sprouts. Salt to taste and serve with the sea weed sprinkled on top. Yummmm.

26 hours, 1 hour of sleep ~ Part 1 April 17, 2008

This could get long so I am splitting this story in several parts.

It’s been 8 years since I’ve been in Japan, and our first trip as a family to Japan.

Flying with my daughter has always been surprisingly fabulous. She sleeps, hangs out in the seat, and just chills. But this time it’s not that 4~5 hour flight to San Diego, it’s a 1 hour flight to Newark, 3 hour wait until the next flight, then a 13 hour flight to Narita (Tokyo, Japan), 2 hour bus ride, then the one and a half hour car ride to Mt. Fuji. A lot longer.

Our day started at 4 am (Eastern Time) and ended at 6 am (Eastern Time) = 26 hours.

10:30pm, we go to bed. An hour later than when we really wanted to, but we had to get all of our bags to weigh less than 40 lb. I’ve been packing and getting ready for this trip for a week! Making sure I had everything I need and not more than what I need. Packing for 2 months is kind of hard. Luckily we are flying to a country that has everything, if we forgot anything.
Packing carry-on for toddlers takes a lot of thinking. Let’s go over my list:

1. Laptop with toddler games (Sesame Street), DVD’s in a small CD case, and head set.
2. Playdough (pack of 3, $1) with plastic knife and fork (disposable, just in case they lose it, it doesn’t matter)
3. Crayons and coloring book. Compliments of the Mazda dealership)
4. Stickers, to stick anywhere. Thank you Whole foods for all the free stickers!
5. Lots of small snacks, salty to the savory. Not too many sweets or they will be so hyper that they won’t stay in their seats.
6. Sweatshirt for the cold flight.
7. An extra set of clothing. Just in case of an accident.
8. Night time diapers, so you don’t have to freqent the bathroom to change them.
9. Ear Planes. For air pressure relief. & a echinacea sucker for strengthening immune system and pressure relief.
10. And a secret life saver. One fun toy that you don’t let your child know that you bought, and bust it out when you ran out of everything and you need something. I got her a few pets from the Pet Shop collection.

That’s all that was in Zu’s bag for this flight.
Our other carry on (since I read the itinerary wrong and thought they ONLY served lunch on this 13 hour flight), we packed grapes, bananas (you can buy fruit at the airport but they tend to be over priced), sandwiches, a couple onigiri, snacks, candy, neck pillows, eye mask, ear plugs, thick socks, poncho (can be used to wear or as a blanket), books, sudoku (get a gel pen, they usually don’t explode on flights), plug adapter for laptop (most of the time you need a EmPower adapter, you can find one at Target for about $40 in the electronics section), camera, and toiletry kit.

Our alarm clock went off at 3:30am. John (my husband) tells me that we have 30 more minutes until we have to wake up. So Not True!! We had to leave in 30 minutes to check in for our flight at 6:40am. He’s lucky I’m one of those people who can’t really fall back asleep after once waken up.
We get ready, Johns friend comes to pick us up. 3:50am get Zu (our daughter) and put her in the car. We packed most of the stuff in the car the night before. Smart way to travel if your leaving on a Red Eye or some thing super early like our flight. We got out of the house with practically no delay.

Now here’s a menu for some carry on food that I packed.
Onigiri (rice ball) for 2+toddler

• 1 and 1/4 cup frozen rice nuked.
• Salt & pepper
• Tuna
• Vinegar (you can use tuna, but I don’t recommend it for long flights)
• Sugar
• Soy Sauce
• Scallions finely chopped
• Sea Weed

In a bowl mix 2 tbsp tuna or salmon, 1/2 tsp vinegar, 1/2 tsp soy sauce, 1/4 tsp sugar, scallions and salt & pepper to taste.
Take 1/2 cup rice, make a little ball wrapping the 1/3 of the tuna mixture. Wrap with sea weed.
Repeat with 1/2 cup rice, and finally with 1/4 cup rice for toddler.
Very yummy and very satisfying for a small snack. Here’s a link to How To Video.

This is all for prepping for that International flight. This is “PreRestless in 26 hours”.

Continues….