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!

winery in Japan

(vineyards)

(prosciutto and cheese sandwich with Shitake mushroom soup)

(chorizo sandwich with Shiitake mushroom soup)

(red wine that I bought on the table at my home)

I love wines, especially, Pino Noir and Chardonnay.
I visited several (or a lot of ?) wineries in Santa Ynez, Santa Maria, Montrey, Napa etc..
when I lived in US.
California is wonderful place for me, I love California!

Wine is one of popular alcohols in Japan, and made in particular areas.

Today, my husband and I visited one winery.
That winery has neat cafe, and it's possible to try all wines of that winery
at just about $5.

I met one awesome red wine taste like Pino Noir.
I liked it!

Of course, I got it, and probably I would keep it about for a year at least.

going home - last day

Last day, we went to one neat cafe to have a breakfast.
I always look forward to trying the coffee when I visit the cafes.

I ordered the regular coffee and cinnamon bagel with cream cheese.
I really liked the coffee of this cafe, bought the beans of this coffee.
I can enjoy it at my home!

trip to NASU - second day

Second day, my husband and I went to "ALPACA FARM".
I couldn't wait to meet ALPACA from the morning, but I got stuck in a jam,
long way to ALPACA...

About a hour later, I finally met a lot of ALPACA.
They had big eyes and very friendly, it was so so cute.
If possible, I wanted to take after at my home, but my husband didn't
agree with me.

And then, we visited Beer Factory of SAPPORO, just I enjoyed to try fresh beer
because he couldn't alcohol.
But we ate really delicious steak in the dinner, so he was very satisfied.

trip to NASU - first day

（SHOZO CAFE）

（Wine Bar MARCELLO）

（TANDEM 2007）

In last weekend, there were holidays from Saturday from to Monday,
so my husband and I went trip to NASU where was the summer resort
near my town.

NASU has a lot of fabulous cafes, bakeries and sweet shops.
We went to one of natural and neat cafes in this area, the
atmosphere of that cafe made me relaxed, I would spend a few hours
while reading books with hot coffee and delicious cake.

In the evening, we found one building looking like a French restaurant,
actually, that building was wine bar.
We made up our minds to enjoy the dinner at that bar.
The owner of that bar prepared many kinds of wines.
As some readers of my blog already know, I love wines, so I enjoyed wines
and my husband was excited Japanese style hamburger steak with local rice.

I met really wonderful white wine from Sonoma, the name was "TANDEM".
If you all find "TANDEM" at supermarkets, I recommend to try that!

Korean BBQ

(Makgoli and kimchi)

(appetizer)

(salad with Korean style dressing)

(various kind of parts of beef for Korean BBQ)

My husband and I went to Tokyo in this weekend to enjoy shopping
in the department stores.
I wanted to get some clothes for fall, but it is still hot in Japan, so
I just enjoyed window shopping.

Our another purpose was to go to the Korean restaurant because
he had the coupon of that restaurant.

We ordered not only the main dish but also the appetizer dish and salad.
And I tried Korean Sake (Makgoli; show in the first picture) first
with fabulous dishes.

green curtain

I went back to my parents' home in August 13th.
My parents, especially, my father likes to grow some plants and vegetables up
in their garden, and I like to look their garden when I always go my parents' home.

The town where my parents live is so so hot area, the temperature is sometimes
90-95F in the summer time (like Death Valley (?) ), so he made green curtain in the garden.

We Japanese call those plants "GOYA" or "NIGA-URI (meaning is bitter like cucumber?
it's hard to explain it. You all should visit Japan!!)".

Those green curtain made cool their house.
It's good idea for the global environment.

Miss SB!

I didn't update my blog about for 2 weeks...
I'm so lazy.

I love coffee and drink every morning, so I can't stop my mind to visit
the coffee shops when I find new one.

Recently, I found new coffee shop in my town, and I was really curious in
that shop, but I didn't have opportunity to visit it.

Last Saturday, I was able to visit that coffee shop finally.

I felt the smell of the coffee when I entered that shop, it made me comfortable.

I bought 2 types of coffee for iced coffee, and I liked the labels, so took
those pictures.

Right side one looks like Santa Barbara beach!

Oh my gosh, I really miss SB!!!