wonderful gift

One of my favorite foods is "Chestnuts".
The season of chestnuts is the fall, so now there are many kinds of
chestnuts candies in the cake shops, supermarkets and department stores.
It is wonderful season for me.

My friend gave me the fancy gift, it looks like the cool jewelry box.
The content of the neat wrapping is "Marron Glace".
Marron glace is a confection consisting of a chestnut candied
in sugar syrup and glazed.
And the variety of chestnut of the gift from my friend isn't usual,
it's not easy to get and taste it because of a new variety.

The taste is very good sweetness and delicate flavor, I really love that!
First, I enjoyed it with coffee, and next tried it with the white wine.
Both 2 drinks were good for the marron glace.

I say thank you to my friend giving me the wonderful gift!!

Hawaiian food and cocktail

I enjoyed many kinds of foods and drinks in Hawaii, hamburgers
(totally bigger than Japanese style), New York style steak, orange chicken,
Peets Coffee (It was big surprise, I didn't expect there was Peets Coffee
in Hawaii), candies, cocktails ...

Almost Hawaiian cocktails were put on the small and colorful umbrella
as you could understand from first picture.

I tried Hawaiian style doughnut, the name was "Marasada"
at "Leonard's Bakery".
Local people told me that bakery was well known for Marasada.

The texture of Marasada was a little chewy and crispy, and the taste
was good sweetness, I liked it!

vacation in Hawaii

I went on a trip to Hawaii for summer vacation.

I've been to Hawaii one time with ex co-workers 7years ago, but
I couldn't visit some places because I didn't have much free time
and I was little afraid to speak English, so I didn't remember
my ex trip to Hawaii.

In this trip, I got a rental car to drive the coast line in Oahu Island, or
to go supermarket and shopping malls.

The coast line in Oahu was really incredible scene!
The color of ocean was totally green and blue, it was very very beautiful!!
I could understand why a lot people visited Hawaii to feel relax, there was
kind of the paradise.

Also, I really enjoyed the shopping!
Boots, outfitters, and 6 bottles of California wine, especially almost wines
were from Santa Barbara or Santa Maria.

For me, this trip was almost perfect!

I don't know when I can go on a trip to another country next time because
my living situation might change, but I think of coming back to California,
mainly Santa Barbara in my next trip, and staying 1 or 2 weeks!

to feel Santa Barbara

Recently I received e-mail from my English teacher in Santa Barbara,
for me she is kind like my mother of US.
During my staying in US, she gave me lots of hugs when I missed
my friends and family in Japan.
She didn't only give me hugs but also teaching me the enjoyment of
talking in English.
She is very fabulous teacher and mother in US for me.

Back to her e-mail, she told me this season of Santa Barbara,
fruits and vegetables.
It's not difficult to imagine it, and I remembered to visit
the farmers market in State Street very much to get seasonal flowers,
vegetables and fruits.

Her e-mail stimulated me to feel Santa Babara, so I made my decision
to open the SB wine and enjoy it.
It's not easy to get the wines of SB, but I brought some wines of
Black Jack (Solvang) back to Japan for souvenir or for myself.

Although I worried if I could enjoy the same flavor as I used to taste it
during my staying in SB because of the difference of climate
between California and Japan, it was totally same!

I would hesitate to open the last SB wine the reason why there is
just a bottle in my fridge.
However I can visit SB in my vacation when I want to feel it!!

Souvenir

I received the souvenir of Kyoto from my friend.
That is traditional Japanese sweets, and it's called "Kuzu-Yu".
Kuzu is the plant name and Yu means hot water.
Kuzu-Yu is made from root of Kuzu and sugar, and we usually eat it
kind ofsweet soup.
It's so simple candy, but it's so great especially when we have a cold
for making our body warm.

Today was a little chilly and I really needed hot and sweet drinking.
Kuzu-Yu made me warm, and the subtle sweet taste of it gave me energy!

Portugal candies

I love to enjoy coffee with some candies, mostly cookies or chocolates.

I found the tasty cookie imported from Portugal when I went to
the coffee beans shop nearby my apartment, and I got 3 packs.
It's like "Oreo", but not sweet than Oreo, so I can eat 2 or 3 pieces
with strong coffee.

Japanese pattern work

These are small towels, and the design of them are Japanese pattern work.

These towels are free gifts of one of green teas in the plastic bottles, and
there are 6 different kinds of design.

My friend found it at the convenience store first and showed me.

Right now, it's totally summer season in Japan, so it's easy to get many kinds of
sodas or teas at supermarkets or convenience stores.
But my friend and I have curious in getting all kinds of these towels, so
we'll enjoy drinking that tea until collecting all!

a month later ...

I showed to make the plum juice in my blog about a month ago, but
it's ready to drink it!

It's like a plum syrup, so I mixed it with the soda.

It tastes a little bit sour and right sweetness.

I tried making the plum juice fast, but it went well!

Thank you my friend!!

ring

I don't put the rings on my fingers while working (doing an experiment)
and doing housework, so usually take it off.
I might not be much interested in the jewels compared with other women,
but I like to put the simple design rings on when go shopping in holidays.

This is my favorite ring.
I got it 3 years ago when visiting KYOTO.
I found one small jewel shop by chance when strolling the small street in KYOTO-City.
The clerk of that shop told me a few young designers who just graduated
the college made all items.
I really loved it immediately, and got it.

Since then, I don't buy some rings because I can't find the next neat one.

I think of visiting that shop again in the near future to get the next one!

first harvest

(water melon - my father is growing in the garden)

(first harvest in my "balcony garden")

My father is growing some kinds of vegetables in the garden,
cone, cucumber, tomato, etc...
I got one picture from him.
Water melon he is growing it become big, I feel it's possible to harvest it
just looking the picture.
He said one of his fun was the growing of the peanuts.

I'm also growing a few vegetables in my balcony as I already said before,
and yesterday I harvested first, two cucumbers and one tomato.
I've grown tomato before, but it's first time to grow cucumber, so
I couldn't imagine to harvest the cucumber fruit.

I'm excited to eat them!

plums!

These are plums.
Now in Japan, we can get them almost every supermarket for making
pickled plums, plum juice, plum jam and so on...

On this Friday, my friend gave me a lot of plums!
I thought about making plum juice in this summer, so these were
wonderful gifts for me!!
I really really appreciate him☆

Japanese summer is very very hot and humid, so it's easy to get tired.
It's said plums help our body to recover.
I believe my plum juice would keep my strength in this summer (if it goes well)!

Friday!

It's Friday night !

For me, Friday night is a little special.
I can enjoy beer or wine because I don't have to get up early next day.

Tonight, I poured beer into one of my favorite glasses and enjoyed beer
while writing this diary!

cute cheese box for ...

My important friend gave me washed rind cheese.
This cheese is blushed with Chablis repeatedly.
It tastes creamy and mild, so great, and goes with many kinds of wines.
I really like it!

I love not only the taste but also the box, so I washed the box and dried
in the sun to use for something after enjoying the cheese.

I'm thinking how to use it right now, so let me know if you all have good ideas!

the tiny garden in my kitchen

In Japan, the rainy season has begun.
It's almost cloudy or rainy days while this season, and this Saturday
and Sunday were rainy days.

I usually go somewhere on every Saturday or Sunday, but it was unusual
to stay at home or just go to the nearby shopping center on this weekend.

I told you all to seed the baby leafs in the last diary, but the seeds were left.
So I made the tiny garden in my kitchen with small bowls.

I can use for the salad immediately if baby leafs are growing.

It's so excited!

gifts from my parents

My mother is the best cooking teacher for me.
She used to say "You don't have to study very much, but you should
learn the cooking.", so I helped her when she prepared the lunch or dinner
in childhood.
I really like to cook and try new recipes thanks to my mother.

Today, the wonderful gifts was delivered me from my parents.
Mixed rice (Japanese style), fried shrimps and chicken, and beef bowl
without rice (Japanese taste), my mother made all dishes for me.
And, my father made a loaf of bread.
He can also cook some menus.

These dishes help me to cook the lunch boxes or dinner!

Thanks mom and dad!!

my favorite glasses

As some of readers of my blog already know, I love wines.
In the cold season, I want to enjoy the red wines, in warm and hot season,
the sparkling or white wines are best for me.

This 2 pairs of Champagne glasses are special for me, so I don't usually
use them.
I want to use them when opening the fabulous wines or
it's something particular.

I'm keeping it carefully in my room until the next chance that I can enjoy
the wonderful wine using them.

getting ready for summer

Recently, the temperature increases and the sunshine are stronger
than April like the beginning of summer.
I want to get ready various things as summer season approaches.

First, I planted 2 types of tomatoes and seeded baby leafs, and
set the plant pots in my balcony.

I didn't have interested in growing plants , but I knew the pleasure
to grow plants when working at the National Institute of fruit tree.
I learned how it was not easy and fun to grow and harvest the fruits
from the researchers who work there.
I could get new view from this experience.

I will prepare more things for summer from now!

Springtime in Japan - 2011

I didn't update my blog long long time...
Certainly, I'm a little busy after starting the job, but it's just the excuse.
I make a decision to restart writing the blog in every weekend (maybe).

The first topic in 2011 is springtime in Japan!
I couldn't enjoy looking various wonderful flowers in Japanese Spring
for 2 years while living in US.
But my important friend gave me many pictures of spring flowers
in Japan for 2 years, so I could feel the atmosphere of springtime in Japan.

And, this year, he sent me the fabulous picture of the cherry blossoms
and the field mustard in full bloom.
It's so gorgeous and the great collaboration of 2 types of colors, isn't it?

I keep this picture in my cell phone, and always look it when I want to relax.
It makes me happy and gives me the energy!