go driving

Yesterday my husband and I went out to drive almost all the day.

We left home at 8:40, and at first we went to the dentist.

(We go to the dentist once a month to keep our tooth healthy.)

And -- start our driving for--

looking for seasonal food, and searching golf park (recently my husband started playing golf, and this area seems to be one of them that have most numbers of golf parks in Japan.)

We went northward, we found a small local vegetable stall, and I bouhgt FUKINOTOU (butterbur scapes.) At night I made TEMPURA and this FUKI-paste. TEMPURA was of course yummy, and eating hog rice topping with FUKI-paste, was also yummy.

We went southward to dropp by his favorite golf shop. While he was browsing in the shop, I was in a rice-craker shop. They served coffee free, so I was waiting for him drinking coffee & eating a rice crakker. There I bouhgt this WASABI-crackers. At night these crackers got a good snack.

Next we went eastward to my favorite big local vegetable shop. There I bouhgt fresh SHITAKI mashroom. At night we grilled them on the "heater". (Yesterday and also today, it is cold and windy) And I found the strange brown things. Can you guess what it is.

They are kind of grasshopeers. In Japan this thing which is roasted and seasoned with soy sauce and suger is said to be a delicacy. So we bought it, though it is mainly sold from fall to winter.

Looks bad, but the taste was not so bad. "much" is a suitable word when we eat them.

He searched 3 golf parks, and we bouhgt lots of intereseting ingredients.

make, cook, and eat

Last Saturday and Sunday, I really enjoyed "my " time.

Do you remember I made marquetry of SAKURA last month? Last month I knew one craft small school, and I'm a little bit into marquetry. So this month I went to make another thing again. This time I made hand mirror of turlip. Do you see a wood turlip in the photo? There is small mirror on the back. And I also made a small turip charm.

Well, as I told you, strawberries are now in the season. And this area it is famous for planintg strawberris. Probably the output is the higest in Japan. I often make strawberry jam. And yesterday I put some jam into the dough of bread directly and I baked. Looks is a little bit pink. and the taste is a little bit sour, sweet and great. I gave half of them to my friend who visited me yesterday.

And when I went to a library, I found an intreseting book. In the book about 70 strange foods (most are Japanese food) are introduced. To be surrprised I knew of most of them. My father didn't drink, but he loved food. So I have seen them. (BUT I don't remember the taste, probably most of them were expensive, so he didn't give me, or if I have had it, it must have been bad for the young MIEKO.) I showed the book to my husband. He really showed interest. And we decided to taste all of them in this year for our common plaesure.

What we tried first was "smoked and oiled oyster with flakes of SAKURA tree". He was really saitsfied. Me? It was strange.

But we enjoyed with SAKE. What shall we try next?

My new recipe

Do you know GOBOU? It is burdock. Now burdock is in season.
The other day a friend sent a bag of spcie as a suvenior of her trip to Indonesia. So I tried to use them. Today I used whole clove. Usualy I use clove powder for pork dishes, but it is the first time to use whole clove. I quick sauted them with olive oil and simmered chiken and burdock pouring red wine.. Adding balsamico vinegar made them really soft. And I seasoned them with whole clove, salt &pepper and more olive oil. I wanted to add some garic, but the smell seems to cause trouble for others to eat them for breakfast, so I didn't add it. To make the color clear I added some leek.
Tastes "great".

Today's menus is that;
black:simmered sea weed with vegetables seasoned by say souce.
brown;quick sauted and simmered chicken and burdock seasoned with clove
orange; marinated lettcue and carrots.

I'm looking forward to using other spice.

Spring meals

These days there are lots of spring meals around me. I'm really happy.

My friend sent homemade Japanese apricot jam. So I baked cookies with it. It tastes a little bit sour, I love the taste and smell.

And yesterday I went to the cafe "KARAKU" to play the piano. They served horsetail quiche, and I took it. It is the brown round thing in the middle photo. Do you know or remember what horsetails are. They are sort of field grass. They come out in this season. The master and his wife picked them up and baked them. They really bring "spring" on the table.

And now I'm making oragne peels using Chinese oragnes (in Japanese we called them NATSU MIKAN--summer orange), which were sent from another my friend.

I'm really happy surrounding such spring meals, and having good friends.

What spring foods are you enjoying now?

Rhubarb

This is the Rhubarb.

Did you remember? Last year when I visited my friend, I was into Rhubarb. And she gave me some seedlings.

Now they came out.

Can I get some good stalks of them?

I heard, to get good stalks we should wait for 2 years.

Anwway, though I'm a lazy person I'm beging into gardening little by little.

Today it is raining badly, but not so cold.

This afternoon I'l go to a usual cafe to play the piano. Today I'm a pianist.

cherry blossoms

Now we are in spring, we enjoy cherry blossoms, here and there this weekend cherry blossom festivals are held.

Last night I went to a park near here with my young friend. We enjoyed seeing illuminated cherry blossomes. Can you see somthing pink? It's a tower. There is a small tower in the park. The power is also illuminated by light, and I heard the color changes everyday. Last night it was pink.

This morning my husand and I went to another park. Before opeing stand stalls there were not many people. We enjoyed cherry blossomes having coffee ( I bought a thermos with coffee.)

We used to go there every spring since our daughters were born. Today many kids were playing with equipments my daughters loved. When my younger daughter was little, she was too scared of them to play with them, and cried. --- We talked about our kids' memory. --- We are really a senior couple.

Anyway we couled enjoy short-lived cherry blossoms. Probably next week they will get into green leaves.

I'll introduce a Japanese typcil song about cherry blossoms (SAKURA), though it is a part of it.

Sakura, Sakura

have you seen the old cherry tree blossoming so breathtakingly?

It's a very glorious thing

fragrant flowers seem to sing

Come and see, come and see

see what joy they bring

Itarian pickles???

The other day I was taught specail "Japanese" pickle sauce, using soy sauce MIRIN, vineger and Japanese sugar. As soon as I wanted try, but some seasonings lacked. though there is a fresh big Japanese radish (Daikoy) in front of me.

So I used balsamco-vineger instead of usual Japanese rice vineger,

I used wine instead of MIRIN.

I made Itarian Japanese pickles.

Tastes? not bad.

cherry blossoms cookies

Yesterday I baked these cherry blossoms cookies. It is easy, just I put cherry blossoms preserved with wine for a while, and ressons as topping.

Today I have a lesson with some adults. It is the first lesson of this term. The theme of this year is "enjoying and eating English", though I just decided it.

So at first we'll listen to SAKURA (it is a really typical Japanese song) and tranlate them into English, and eat them.

If you know some "easy" English picture book or song or just book related with some sweets , please tell me with the recipe.

April first

Today , yes , it is April first. It is April Fool's Day. Unfortunately I don't have any kids I enjoy the day with. Well, I may delights in teasing my students who come today.

BUT, suddenly a few minutes ago I got a bouquet of flower. From where? From my husband's company.

He has worked at the company for "25" years in this term. (In Japan April is also the first term for office workers.) So they sent it to me with a message "Thank you for your helping for 25 years. Thanks of you Mr.**** (my husband) is able to work with us."

Is it a Japanese thinking way? I don't know single people who has also worked for 25 years got this present. Anyway 25 years passed.

This year is a turnining point for me and my husband.

Well, can you guess what it is.

This morning I sent a photo of today's breakfast to my daughters, and my younger daughter sent back this photo to me. Today she made this breakfast. The menu ( I didn't know the menu from the photo, so I called her) is pancake and boiled spinich seasoned with sesame. They have only a few spring vacaion days, but they seem to relax "together".

My new term has started!

Today it is the last day in March, but it is MONDAY, so my new term has started.

But unfortunately, this term I don't have any new students. on the other hand every student in the last term keeps my lesson this year. So It's OK.

As a last lesson in March, I invited a famous English-drama teacher, and my students and she made an English drama for 2 hours in a hall, after the lesson their parents came to see the drama. Everybody (students and parents) look excited. I believe they really enjoyed using live English there. I love seeing their exciting and delightful faces. This year I'll enjoy "English" with them, though sometimes I must scold or encourage them.

This term, I decieded to hold my concert with my friends in summer. The title is "Collaboration with JAZZ and English picture book". Piano and English&Japanese story teller is me, song and other story tellers are my friends. AND of course bass is my husband.

The master of the tea room (I play the piano once a month there) assist us.

It is one of events for my "second" life.

Yes my second life has also started.

Today my husband I had breakfast without kids. So I sent the photo to them using my"cell phone" . Actaully I bought my own cell phone, because from April the telephone fares with family is "free".

woodworking "cherry blossoms"

What's this? It's a set of wooden cherry blossoms chopstic holder. Each petal of a cherry blossom is a holder.

Who made it? I made it.

I cut lots of wooden plate with jigsaw. I needed to practice using a jigsaw, so before makig it I made some wooden plates; a carrot, a maple, a cat.

When I practiced, I cut zelkova tree plates. After that I cut 5 kinds of tree plates. (I'm afraid I forgot the names). So the five colors are natural colors in the trees themselves. I applyed natrual pure oil to bring out their color clealier.

If the oil begins to peel away, applying olive oil make them recovered.

Now I'm in my spring vacation. I'm realy enjoying my vacation.

I did the work at a studio. It took about 1 hour from here by car. My friend drove me there.

We had a good time there from 10 to 3 including homemade lunch.

Usually I feel that I'm always run after by time. But today I realy spent calm day.

convenient kitchen tools

These days I bought two kitchen tools. They are really convenient.

Now there are two members in this house, I'm still a house wife. And even if I were single, I would be a house wife. Though some (Japanese ) men enjoy cooking, most women enjoy cooking. On the other hand most (except my husband) enjoy do-it-yourself, probably. (I hear "what an old-fashion thinking!")

Anyway these tools are really convenient.

This one I bought at a 100-yen shop (kind of 1$ shop, or one coin shop).

We can cut leek really thinly like a hair. In Japanese the way of cut "SHIRAGA-NEGI" (SHIRAGA means white hair).

Now it is the season of UDO, I cut it thinly.

Another one is a glass bowl to make pickles for one meal. It's not so expencive.

Last night I put some cabbage and carrots, and this morning "here you are".

Did you find some intereseting or convenient kitchen tools these days?

Did you update it?

What is "it"? Here! This is a present from my daughter's father to my daughter.

The day before yesterday, it was "White day".

Do you know "White day"? On the day in Japan men "have to " presentg something to ladies who presented Valentine chocolate to the men.

Do you have such a custom in your country?

Anyway my husband did. And he asked me whether I updated it in my blog. He says "it's not fair, if you updated only her Valentine chocolate.

So I did it.

BUT where is the present for me?

Nothing. It can't be helped.

Actually he had forgot the day until I told him.

On the day my dauhther mumbled "though I know it, anyway it was white day, and I gave Valentine cholate to him, it was not leftover"

So I told to him. And yesterday he asked me where the good sweet shop was.

So we (my husband and I) dropped by at "my" favorite sweets shop.

He bought it by himself, and I bought sweets for my family.

Actaully the chocolate I boungt on the Valentine's day, was shared with these three members.

So the sweets I bought was also shared with us.

all lessons in this term are finished.

Yesterday it was the last lesson in this term. From today my spring vacation has begun.

In the last adult's lesson, we enjoyed having a light snack: sour daugh bread, homemade jam and margarine through this book written by that Eric Cale.

In this book he introduced an origin of pretzel.

Until I read this book, I didn't know that pretzel was bread.

Lately pretzel crackers seem to be common in Japan. It was the first time for me to know pretzel cracters when we went to America about 10 years ago. We (my daughters and I) ate them in the plane for the first time. At that time for us they were strange taste. But during our staying in America, here and there we "met" pretzel crackers. So We brought them to Japan as one of souvenirs.

And now I knew, pretzel bread was made without milk.

So I baked sour daught bread again, because it is also baked without milk.

These days I'm really into picture books especaily about "food".

From next term, I'm going to held a small workshop "enjoy English picture books through reading and eating by aunt Mieko's way" with some charge (not volunteer work).

As soon as I finished all lessons in this term, I started to think about next step not to be caught by empty syndrome. (Unfortunately I've been caught with by a pollen allergy.)

Came back from Canbodia

Who? not me, my daughters and my mother-in-law. And now my younger daughter came home and is still in bed.Yesterday I talked with her.
It seemed for her to have had many or some troubles with her grand mother and have had lots of valuable, interesting, and enjoyable things.I was able to expect some troubles would happen with my mother-in-law.So I also talked to my mother-in-law on the phone yesterday.
But anyway generally the trip seemed to be good for everyone.Actually all of them came back JAPAN without troubles.
I'll tell you each complaints later. Most of them were caused by the difference of their generation.
Well, the most surprised thing for me was that;she (my younger daughter ) said "I reconsidered you (me), your (volunteer) work is actually needed. I'm proud of you."
What ? What ? What happened to her?I was really surprised.
As you know, my family is registered as a host family. We had lots of guests from various countries. Some guests came from Asian developing countries. Because some of my friends are really eager to do some volunteer work for them (for example to collect and send unused stationery). The friends are really attractive. Against my surface I'm not so eager to do volunteer work, but more I know them, more I want to do something with the friends. I always think that I might be a hypocrite, so I hesitate to do something for people or refugee directly, but I want to help or do something with my friends.When my daughters were small, they did together without thinking. But older they got, more they hesitated to do such volunteer work. Because they also think themselves to be hypocrites.
And this time they went there by themselves. Probably places they visited were not so poor area. But for them it seemed to be enough. Doing what we can do is necessary. Pretending to be sleeping is insincere.So my younger daughter seemed to reconsider me.
AND my daughter seemed to talk a lot with some Japanese girls who are doing volunteer work there. And --- I don't know, what will happen.
But anyway this trip gave a concrete opportunity to look at another world.

UDO

Yesterday I got fresh eggs and fresh HIJIKI from my friend.

She has some hens, and lives near the sea. So last weekend her husband (he is a vet) went to the sea and pick HIJIKI.

We (Japanese ) usually use dry HIJIKI picked this season. So only this season we can eat fresh HIJIKI.

There is no sea around this city, so the fresh HIKIKI is a great present.

On the other hand there are mountains arount the city. I get(not pick) fresh SANSAI (edible wild plants) easily and inexpensively. I got UDO.

This time I inew, UDO is a JAPANESE vegetable, so the English name is "UDO".

Have you hard of it?

Today's breakfast was a sunny-side-up egg, and HIJIKI and UDO salad.

sour dough Itaran bread

These days I try to cook something after reading picture books or books in which some meals or sweets are introduced.

And I try to bake Itarian bread using sour dough.

What is Itarian bread? Is it right that it is bread using olive oil istead of butter and including Itarian sezoning?

Anyway I tried to bake it with that home bakery. ( Did you remeber I bought that appliance last year?)
I heard some sour dough is hard to use home bakery, but some sour dough is "easy" .
So I bot SHIRAGAMI ferment, and I tried.

Well done!

On the other hand I got some BUNTAN (looks like grape fruit, but sweeter), and make peel.

Well done!

So next week I'll bake ORANGE bread with the home bakery.

Cooking is fun -- until now. (Probably after a while, I will be tired of cooking.)

FUKUJYUSOU

This morning I found some buds of FUKUJYUSOU in the garden.
Yes, "real" spring is just around the corner.
Though I turn on the heater early morning, in the afternoon my stduents ask me to turn off the heater. I know it is getting warm though I put hot compass on my back.

Well, untill now I don't any news from my daughters, it means they are in safe travel.
Today, it is the last day of this week, after adult's lesson, I'm going to go out for luch with my adult students to celebrate late HINAMATSURI.
(It is said we have to put away HINA dolls right after HINA MATSURI, if we don't do that it is said ladies can not marry. BUT all of us are married women, so we don't mind celebrateing HINAMATSURI later.)

HINA MATSURI

Today it is HINA MATSURI;a girl's festival.

This morning we had special sweets that was sent from my friend living in NAGASAKI.

This sweets is one of specialty in NAGASAKI.

HINA MATSRU has another name. It is MOMO no SEKKU. MOMO means peaches, and SEKKU means a celebration. And in NAGASAKI Kasutera (kind of pancake) is really famous. So, it seems to be natural to bake KASUTERA decorated MOMO there in this season.

Did I tell you?

My job of making lunch box finished. Instead of it, I bought a new box, and keep making three dishes .

Light green; pickled vegetables

Orange; marinated carrots

White; simmered yello tail with leek

AND this specail sweets

My husband and I had it this morning.

And probably my daughters and my mother also had eat the same sweets last night.

Yes, now there are two members in this house.

Anyway this week has started.

This week my students and I are going to craft easter eggs again.

graduation ceremony

My younger daughter graduated from high school. It was a good ceremony.

This time I really thought that it was like my "ceremony".

It might be the last time sing traditinoal songs for a graduation ceremony, and to sing the national anthem, and to wear my blue suit.

I really thought my mother's job has finished.

She went to this private school for 6 years, through the junior high school and the high school.

When she entered the high school, her feet was so small that she bought specail shoes instead of regular shoes. So se didn't need to worry about the pain because of new hard leather shoes; she had worn kids' shoes for a few years. Her friends would envy her.

She and I had lots of troubles about friends, fashion, and grade though those troubles were usual things for the awkward age.

I really thought the ceremony was not only for her but also me. I really realized I also graduated from mother's job.

Today my husband and I ate this sweet. On the surface there are the emblem of her high school and the director's name of the school.

Well, the last father's job for him is carrying her stuff to TOKYO by car.