Wednesday, May 31, 2017

Walking Around Newport Beach Pier


       I read local newspaper on a daily basis. This month, it read many juvenile grate white sharks has been spotted around many beaches in Orange county. They were juvenile, but the largest was estimated at 10 feet-in-length. Last Monday, two beaches in Dana Point were closed because a 10-feet shark has been seen. Last weekend, my husband and I went to Newport Beach Pier and hoped to see great white sharks.

        Needless to say, we didn't see any sharks from the pier that day. ;) If you go to Dana Point for whale watching tour, you can perhaps find great white sharks during the tour. 


     Many people were fishing and caught mackerels at the pier.








     We also went to our favorite donuts store, Seaside Bakery, which is located near Newport Beach Pier.

     We got a lot of fresh donuts holes. They were only $1.50! :) 

Seaside Bakery
2108 W Oceanfront 
Newport Beach, CA 92663



       My previous entries related to Newport Beach can be seen here.
http://itisapieceofcake2011.blogspot.com/search/label/Newport%20Beach




Tuesday, May 30, 2017

BBQ Sandwich - What My Husband Cooked

     Yesterday, my husband made BBQ sandwiches with using Kirkland Signature Einstein Bros Bagels, sliced onions and pork. I don't know how he made BBQ sauce but these sandwiches were so good! I've eaten foods he cooked since we were teenagers, and his cooking skill has been improving year after year. I think he cooks better than I do especially sandwiches and Japanese noodles. You can check out my previous entries related to what my husband cooked. :)



    My entries related to foods my husband cooked can be seen here.

    My entries related to cooking can be seen here.

    My entries related to my favorite recipes can be seen here.

    My entries related to Japanese instant ramen can be seen here.

    My entries related to Japanese noodles can be seen here.

    My entries related to Japan Haul can be seen here.
 

    My entries related to Best Japanese Beauty Products can be seen here.

    My entries related to Japan can be seen here.



      These are my entries you might like.

■Top 10 Products You Should Buy at Japanese Supermarkets (for Beginners!)

■Top 10 Most Popular Japanese Foods

■My Top 15 Must Eat Foods in Japan - My Favorite Japanese Foods

■8 Interesting Japanese Kitchen Gadgets!


■My Top 10 Favorite Japanese Sweets

■How to Make Japanese Deep Fried Chicken, Kara-Age

■How to Cook Japanese Curry

■How to Cook Miso Soup

■Top 10 Products You Should Buy at Daiso



Monday, May 29, 2017

My Sunday Breakfast - Traditional Japanese Breakfast

      Many years ago, my Taiwanese friend asked me if I eat fish and miso soup every morning because she watched Japanese TV shows and Japanese serial drama which showed Japanese people eat those for breakfast. Yes, some traditional Japanese hotels, which called ryokan (旅館) in Japanese, serve traditional Japanese style breakfast including miso soup and broiled fish. However, in real life, Japanese people don't eat fish as often as she thought. Although some people in Japan eat miso soup every morning. When I was a child, my family had miso soup almost everyday, but we only ate fish several times a month. Actually, now I usually eat bread for breakfast, but sometimes I feel like eating something traditional Japanese style breakfast once in a while. That's why I had fresh white rice with these for breakfast yesterday (but no fish and miso soup this time). I'm going to share what I had for breakfast yesterday with you.

        The soup was instant matsutake soup, which my mother-in-law sent to me from Japan. By the way, matsutake is Japanese mushrooms which grow under trees of Japanese pine.
Instant Matsutake Soup

    I just added hot water into it.

     It was so delicious and had excellent matsutake aroma! :) It had sliced matsutake and mitsuba leaves.  
Matsutake Soup


      I also had simmered zenmai which I cooked last Saturday. Zenmai is a Japanese flowering fern, which is edible wild vegetable and eaten in some Asian countries including Japan. You can check out my previous entry, How to Cook Simmered Zenmai, Japanese Flowering Fern.
Simmered Zenmai


     My mother-in-law sent takanazuke, Japanese mustard leaf pickles, to me. Yesterday, I cooked takanazuke. I really love takanazuke because it was perfect with fresh steamed white rice. :) You can check out my yesterday's entry, How to Prepare Takanazuke, Japanese Mustard Leaf Pickles.
Takanazuke

     The tea was genmaicha, Japanese green tea with roasted brown rice. It was nice and savory. :) You can check out my previous entry, Genmaicha, Japanese Green Tea with Roasted Brown Rice.

      It was light breakfast. It was one serving of white rice with just one cup of soup, a side dish, a small amount of pickles and green tea. It's just perfect enough for breakfast.


     My entries related to Japan Haul can be seen here.
 

    My entries related to Best Japanese Beauty Products can be seen here.

    My entries related to Japan can be seen here.


    My entries related to cooking can be seen here.

    My entries related to my favorite recipes can be seen here.

    My entries related to foods my husband cooked can be seen here.


       These are also my entries you might like.

■Japanese Breakfast - What My Husband Cooked

■Tokyo Tsukiji Fish Market Style Breakfast - What My Husband Cooked

■Today's Breakfast - French Toast with Fresh Strawberries

■Don Quijote (Donki) Haul - What He Got in Japan

■Japanese Drugstore Shopping List - 6 Best Japanese Products You Can Purchase at Drugstore in Japan!

■Top 10 Products You Should Buy at Japanese Supermarkets (for Beginners!)

■My Top 15 Must Eat Foods in Japan - My Favorite Japanese Foods

■Top 10 Most Popular Japanese Foods

■How to Make Japanese Deep Fried Chicken, Kara-Age

■How to Cook Japanese Curry

■How to Cook Miso Soup

■8 Interesting Japanese Kitchen Gadgets!

■My Top 10 Favorite Japanese Snacks

■My Top 10 Favorite Japanese Sweets




Sunday, May 28, 2017

How to Prepare Takanazuke, Japanese Mustard Leaf Pickles

       As I mentioned in my previous entry, Packages From My Mother-In-Law - They Are From Japan!, my mother-in-law sent takanazuke (たかな漬, 高菜漬) to my husband and me from Japan. Takanazuke is Japanese mustard leaf pickles and is perfect with steamed white rice. In Fukuoka, where is my hometown, takanazuke is famous local pickles and also popular tonkotsu ramen topping. When I was a child, my grandmother used to make takanazuke from scratch. Even though I don't know how to pickle takana leaves, I can purchase takanazuke at supermarkets. I didn't learn how to prepare takanazuke from her, but I saw how she was doing it while I was a child. :) Today, I'm going to share how to prepare takanazuke with you. 

Takanazuke
Ingredients
1 Pack of Takanazuke
2 Tablespoons of Sesame Oil
2 Dried Red Pepper
4 Tablespoons of White Sesame Seeds
 


1. First, open the package and rinse the leaves under running water.

2. Cut them finely. (Now, you can eat them, but I prefer to eat cooked takanazuke because they are savory and taste better.) 


2. Cut one dried red pepper finely. Heat sesame oil and red papper in a pan over high heat.


3. Add takanazuke. Stir-fry them for 5 minutes or so.
 



5. Add sesame seeds and stir them thoroughly.



6. Enjoy! It's perfect with freshly steamed rice. :) You can store them in a small container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.


     My entries related to Japan Haul can be seen here.
 

    My entries related to Best Japanese Beauty Products can be seen here.

    My entries related to Japan can be seen here.


    My entries related to cooking can be seen here.

    My entries related to my favorite recipes can be seen here.

    My entries related to foods my husband cooked can be seen here.



       These are also my entries you might like.

■Marutai Kurume Tonkotsu Ramen - What My Husband Cooked This Weekend

■Don Quijote (Donki) Haul - What He Got in Japan

■What He Got at Drugstore in Japan - Haul

■Japanese Drugstore Shopping List - 6 Best Japanese Products You Can Purchase at Drugstore in Japan!

■Myojo Chukazanmai, The Best Japanese Instant Noodles!

■Japanese Instant Noodle Haul

■Japanese Cup Noodle Haul

■Hiyashi Chuka, Japanese Summer Cold Noodles 

■Top 10 Products You Should Buy at Japanese Supermarkets (for Beginners!)

■My Top 15 Must Eat Foods in Japan - My Favorite Japanese Foods

■Top 10 Most Popular Japanese Foods

■How to Make Japanese Deep Fried Chicken, Kara-Age

■How to Cook Japanese Curry

■How to Cook Miso Soup

■8 Interesting Japanese Kitchen Gadgets!

■My Top 10 Favorite Japanese Snacks

■My Top 10 Favorite Japanese Sweets





Saturday, May 27, 2017

How to Cook Simmered Zenmai, Japanese Flowering Fern

     Tonight, I cooked chikuzenni and simmered zenmai (ゼンマイの煮物), which is one of my favorite Japanese side dishes. Zenmai is Japanese flowering fern, which is edible wild vegetable and eaten in some Asian countries including Japan. You can find boiled zenmai at Japanese and Korean supermarkets. By the way, I bought it for about $3 at Korean supermarket. Anyway, today, I'm going to share how to cook simmered zenmai with you.  

Ingredients
1 lb of boiled zenmai (cut them into 1 to 2 inches length)
1/2 cups of carrot (cut them into strips)
1 pack of konnyaku noodles (cut them into 1 to 2 inches length)
2 tablespoons of sugar
2 tablespoons of sake
6 tablespoons of soy sauce
1 dried red pepper (cut them finely)
1 tablespoon of oil



Boiled Zenmai (Cut them into 1 to 2 inches length.)

Konnyaku Noodles (Cut them into 1 to 2 inches length.)

Carrots (Cut them into strips.)

Dried Red Pepper (Cut them finely.)



 1. Heat the oil and dried red pepper in a pan over high heat.


2. Add zennmai, konnyaku noodles and carrots. Stir-fry them for 5 minutes.


3. Add sugar and stir thoroughly.


4. Add sake and soy sauce. Simmer it until until water evaporates.


5. Enjoy!



    My entries related to cooking can be seen here.

    My entries related to my favorite recipes can be seen here.

    My entries related to foods my husband cooked can be seen here.

    My entries related to Japanese instant ramen can be seen here.

    My entries related to Japanese noodles can be seen here.

    My entries related to Japan Haul can be seen here.

    My entries related to Best Japanese Beauty Products can be seen here.

    My entries related to Japan can be seen here.




       These are also my entries you might like.

■How to Make Nikujaga, A Traditional Japanese Stew

■What I Bought at Japanese Supermarkets

■Top 10 Products You Should Buy at Japanese Supermarkets (for Beginners!)

■Don Quijote (Donki) Haul - What He Got in Japan

■8 Interesting Japanese Kitchen Gadgets!

■My Top 10 Favorite Japanese Snacks

■My Top 10 Favorite Japanese Sweets

■Top 10 Most Popular Japanese Foods 

■My Top 15 Must Eat Foods in Japan - My Favorite Japanese Foods

■How to Make Japanese Deep Fried Chicken, Kara-Age

■How to Cook Japanese Curry

■How to Cook Miso Soup

■How to Cook Japanese White Cream Stew

■How to Cook Soboro Don, Japanese Scrambled Meat And Egg Bowl

■How to Cook Easy Teriyaki Chicken




Friday, May 26, 2017

Starbucks You Are Here Collection Mug - Twin Cities

      My husband and I have been collecting Starbucks You Are Here Collection Mugs which are only released locally. When he was on his business trip last week, he purchased this Starbucks You Are Here Collection Twin Cities Mug at Minneapolis - Saint Paul International Airport in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It was his first time to visit Minnesota, and I've never visited there. According to Wikipedia, Minneapolis–Saint Paul is a major metropolitan area built around the Mississippi, Minnesota and St. Croix rivers in east central Minnesota. The area is commonly known as the Twin Cities after its two largest cities, Minneapolis, the city with the largest population in the state, and Saint Paul, the state capital.  Anyway, I'm going to share this Starbucks Twin Cities mug with you.
Starbucks You Are Here Collection Mug - Twin Cities

     The tall brown building is Wells Fargo Center, which is the third-tallest building in Minneapolis.
Starbucks You Are Here Collection Mug - Twin Cities

     In Minneapolis, there are the some tallest buildings including Capella Tower, Wells Fargo Center, 33 South Sixth and IDS Center.
Starbucks You Are Here Collection Mug - Twin Cities

    The Romanesque building is probably Minneapolis City Hall.
Starbucks You Are Here Collection Mug - Twin Cities

     I think the bridge is 10th Avenue Bridge or Mendota Bridge.
Starbucks You Are Here Collection Mug - Twin Cities
      You can enjoy ice fishing there in winter.
Starbucks You Are Here Collection Mug - Twin Cities

Starbucks You Are Here Collection Mug - Twin Cities





    It's our 23th You Are Here Collection mug!
Starbucks You Are Here Collection Mugs


These are my entries related to You Are Here Collection Mugs.

Hawaii

Waikiki

Las Vegas

Los Angeles

California

Orange County

San Diego

Chicago

Dallas

San Francisco

Utah

Vancouver

Arizona

Phoenix

Lake Tahoe

Houston

Ohio

Pike Place Market

Seattle

Illinois

Texas

New Mexico

Twin Cities

Washington, D.C.

Virginia

Maryland


      This is my entries related to our Starbucks collections.
 http://itisapieceofcake2011.blogspot.com/search/label/Starbucks%20mugs

      My entries related to Starbucks Japan can be seen here.
http://itisapieceofcake2011.blogspot.com/search/label/Starbucks%20Japan

      My entries related to Starbucks can be seen here.
http://itisapieceofcake2011.blogspot.com/search/label/Starbucks 


Thursday, May 25, 2017

Free Photo Scanner - Google PhotoScan

       As I mentioned in my previous entry, Packages From My Mother-In-Law - They Are From Japan!, my mother-in-law sent some beautiful flower photos to me from Japan. Three years ago, she took me to roadside station Koibotaru, which is located in Fukuoka, where is my hometown. I was amazed at how beautiful flowers there are. She told me, "I didn't know how much you love flowers!" I always enjoy seeing beautiful flowers, wild plants and animals. Because she knows I really love flowers, she took these photos for me and added them to the package. She uses her smart phone and digital camera, but she has never used a PC. I think that she didn't know how to send these pictures, which were taken with her digital Camera, to me through email. In old days, I also didn't know how to do this. I traveled a lot and took numerous photos in Japan. I had photos developed at stores and kept them in photo album cases. Indeed, my husband and I have a ton of photos in a closet in my parents-in-law's house in Japan. Next time, we visit their house, we will bring those photos to the U.S., and I want to share those photos through my blog. That's why I was looking for information on how to turn old photos into digital ones. I finally found that Google created an excellent App, Google PhotoScan! When my mother-in-law sent these photos I immediately thought that I should download the App! I was finally able to get her flower photos digital! It was quick and very easy! If you are looking for a photo scanner, you should try this App!  
          These purple flowers are Japanese wisteria, which is called ofuji (大藤) in Japanese. Three years ago, I was also able to see beautiful Japanese wisteria with my parents at Kurogi Ofuji Festival.

      This is a flower bed in my parents-in-law's house. These flowers are petunia (ペチュニア). 

     She also planted sea lavenders there.


      Finally, it's me. I also get my old photo digital with this App. :) I was a really small girl!
Me


     By the way, this is my YouTube video, which I recorded at Kurogi Ofuji Festival. :)





    My entries related to Best Japanese Beauty Products can be seen here.

    My entries related to Japan can be seen here.



These are also my entries.

■Packages From My Mother-In-Law - They Are From Japan!

■Roadside Station Koibotaru - Funagoya Fukuoka, Japan

■Kurogi Ofuji Festival in Yame Fukuoka, Japan - Beautiful Japanese Wisteria of Kurogi

■Wedding Party in Japan

■Restaurant Hanajizou - Chikugo City Fukuoka, Japan