Interesting books

My friend who lives in America recommended this book. It has the second version.

I've already read the two of books. I don't know why she knows these books. However if there are "many" people who live in other countries and are interested in Japan, it is a wonderful thing, isn't it?

The couple in this book is a real couple who lives in Tokyo. They seem to be in their 20's. So their thinking way is a little bit different from mine (because I'm in my 50's.) And they live in TOKYO, so there are some difference between a big city and a rural area. However, the contents in this books is a real life in TOKYO. It"s so interesting. If you are a foreigner and are interested in Japanese life, please read it.

And, it's really easy to read for Japanese people who are not so good at English. There are some or many difficult English words, but we know our life style very well, so it's easy to guess what she would say using "difficult English words". 

  

Now, March is just around the corner, so I managed to put HINA dolls to celebrate HINA festival. On the day of HINA festival, no girls and women won't come to my house. However it's the first year for my grand daughter to experience the day even though she won't understand it.  What's HINA festival? If you have this question, you should read the book I recommend this time.

Happy Valentines

Tomorrow,　it is Valentine's day. It is also the day when chlorate is sold the best in a year in Japan.
Here in Japan on Valentine's day, women give chocolate to men with love or with duty or with thankfulness. I already gave chocolate to Karaku's master with my thankfulness.

Well, as you know I run a small English school, so according to origin of Valentine's day, my students and I Valentine cookies with love to people surrounded them.

These are high school students' works. Normal!

These are higher grade elementary school students' works.
They are trendy?

These are lower-grade elementary school stduents' works.

They are --- talented.



I think, the older children get, the more usual children get.

My small concert has been done!

Though I cut my thumb, I could play the piano. So I have done my small concert at KARAKU tea room. To be surprised yesterday KARAKU was full of people. Some people came to listen me, and coincidentally some people left after their lunch when they knew that a concert was about to be  soon. It was  a rare thing. After that I had a delicious cake with coffee.

 

Did I tell you? I decided to stop some volunteer activities from April. On the other hand I have played the piano at Karaku for more than 10 years without getting money (though I have this sweet set for free). I got a chance to play the piano. Lucky me. It's not a voluntary work. So probably I'll continue to do it as the master continues to run the tearoom, though he is about 70.

Well, well, today it's Wednesday, in the middle of the week. It is the day to cook JYOUBISAI (pre-cooked dishes for the last three weekdays??).
I made stewed DAIKON and chicken with soy sauce, marinated grilled pumpkin and NEGI radish, and steamed potatoes tasted with MISO.

baked fresh yogurt

Have you baked  fresh yogurt?

I always make yogurt by myself, so always keep fresh yogurt. However unfortunately we sometimes eat them up all. I know an interesting way to cook yogurt.

It is to bake it.

I put some yogurt into  a cocotte, and baked it for 30 minutes at 170 degrees Celsius.

Then I cooled it for the fridge about 2 hours.

It got hard and got cottage cheese.
So this morning I shredded carrots and made salad with it.



However I had a big cut. A bandage did 't work.
The blood hasn't stopped yet, though two hours already has passed.

 

It's really inconvenient. I was going to practice the piano for tomorrow's Karacu concert.

I can't do it, and now I'm updating this blog,but it's really difficult to manage the keyboard without my thumb.

 

Sunny day

Fortunately the snow didn't accumulate. We have spent a usual life.

In the morning, after usual morning chores, I cooked three dishes for my three-day meals. We call them "JYTOUBI-SAI". How do you call them? They are kind of stock homemade dishes. These days my younger daughter who is also an inexperienced mother, started to show interest to these dishes. I'm so surprised at it in good meaning. She used to be a person only to eat something, but now she seemed to changed into a person to make something. ( Of course she has to cook but for her it was not so interesting, but now she has an interest in cooking. What a transformation.)

 

Yesterday it was SETSUBUN in Japan. When we lived here with four members, at the night we did an event of throwing beans shouting "demons out and luck in". Of course Yuki rolled Demon. If I had a lesson last night I would have rolled Demon. Yesterday I had no lesson, no guests. I was alone. So I decided to enjoy SETSUBUN by myself.

 

 

I went to a shrine in downtown, and watched an event of "MAMEMAKI". They threw various and trivial things like groves, tissues, snack, like that. I got tissues and groves. I also got a small round rice cake which is a traditional thing for this event.  

Of course I dropped by a cafe. Once I go out somewhere, I always droop by a cafe. This time I dropped by a Japanese sweet cafe and had "OSHIRUKO" which is a kind of sweet soup made by red beans. It suited to SETSUBUN.