Table tobics

Yesterday I attended a Toast Master meeting. There I was in charge of table topics.

When autumn comes, we hear or see these four expression here and there, autumn reading, autumn for art, autumn for sports and autumn eating. As you guess, I "love " eating, though not so much, and don't like "cooking" very much.
We'll focus on autumn eating.

The first theme is, what food do you thing of immediately when you hear the word of autumn?
The second theme is, do you have any food you tasted first for these five years?
The last theme is , what food would you like to serve when a foreigner guest stays with you, and the foreigner comes to Japan for the first time?

Some members made a speech about the themes.
I'll write my speech.
About the first theme, it's vine of sweet potatoes. Because this year I knew and ate for the first time vine of sweet potatoes.
About the second theme, it's rhubarb, this year I planted some rhubarbs, and got delicious jam.
About the third theme, actually I'm going to have two guests from Mongolia next moth, I'll take them to eat GYOZA (pot stickers) and cook OKONOMIYAKI for them.

I'd like to hear your comments. What do you think of them?

tiny things

I got this toy? gadget? from a friend. Do you know that what it is? It's a toilet. When the lid opens, a small face goes up and start to sing, of course in Japanese. Probably it sings "I did a huge poo, I'm refreshed, It'll be a nice day today." Until now when students open the entrance door, they find it, they open the door and burst into laughter.

I found a mantis on the gate. Now it is getting cold.Unconsciously I talked to my self "Are you OK?"

Not a tiny thing, they are long things. They a vine of sweet potatoes. Did you know that they are editable. I didn't know it. A woman who is into natural life told me. I cooked them into KINPIRA ; I grilled them quickly with soy sauce and SAKE. YUMMY!

Yuzu Kosyou

Once a year I introduce "the" yuzu kosyou, my friend makes.

Also this year the yusukosyou appeared. Thanks of everyone, her yusukosyou is in the market, though only in this area.

This year it costs 500 yen, it has gone up a little, but it can't be helped. I hope all yuzu kosyou will be sold out.

Well, yuzu is kind of citron, and kosyou means pepper.

My friend plants yuzu and red pepper with her friend in their farm.

They make two types, one is green using young red pepper , the other is red using ripe red pepper.

My husband and I love them. They suit to every dishes; grilled fish, grilled meat, something simmered, soup, and of course rice balls.

Today I simmered GANMODOKI (deep fried tofu) with soy sauce and dashi, and I put the yuzu kosyou on it a little.

YUMMY!!!!

Foods in fall

Now we are in fall. It is a good season to enjoy "foods", "art", and sports. (in my dictionary there is no word of sports).





I made Halloween cookies with kids.

I made persimmon jelly for my mother. The day before yesterday she came to stay with us.

I made persimmon jelly with KANTEN (vegetable gelatin) , made rice puddings, and bought ZUNDA (the green one, it made from green peas). And put them into a cup. What do you think of it? Does it looks suitable sweets in fall?


She loves persimmons and ZUNDA.





And finally we got "the " fresh caramel. Probably last year suddenly fresh caramel appeared in the market, and in a short time it is caught a big hit.


My mother-in-law traveled HOKKAIDOU, she couldn't buy it. I went to a department store in this city, but unfortunately I couldn't buy it. Every time they were sold out.





Yesterday by accident we got a chance to get this sweet. (We went to see red and yellow leaves in a mountain, but the road was really congested with traffic, so we gave up to go up mountains. So we got to an outlet earlier than our schedule.

Make meals for myself

The other day I read interesting reports.

The first one is "be impressed by something 10 times a day"

I'm a negative person, I like to quibble, or I like logical thinking ( I know quibbles and logical thinking are completely different.)

Anyway, I agree to it, though it might be difficult to find out 10 impressed things, but try 3 impressed things. And I want to note them, so I went to buy a small notebook at 100 yen shop(1 coin shop)

It's a cute note book, isn't' it? It's 100 yen. ( This is the first thing I was impressed.)

But why can such a cute thing make at 100 yen? --- I don't think about it, I'm not familiar with economy problems.

And another interesting report is that

"Though I was really depressed when my son left home, feeling "no one needs me", I could change the thinking way. Until now I made meals for my family, thinking the health of my family, now I make meals to enjoy my food-life. Do you know that red, yellow, and green foods make you cheer up."

I'm also a simple person. so I made carrot GYOZA. red carrots, and green NIRA.

Beautiful! Healthy! Yummy! (I was impressed 4 times.)

P.S My husband said "they are beautiful, good taste, healthy, but I want to eat usual meat GYOZA at the same time."