Tuesday, January 31, 2017

A Package from My Mother-In-Law - It's from Japan!

       As I mentioned in my previous entry, a few days ago, my husband and I just received a package which my mother-in-law sent from Japan. On that day, I told him, "I thought that she emailed me that she had sent some packages to us, but all items she mentioned are in this package, so I think I misunderstood what she said."  However, yesterday, we received another package! He told me, "You're right. She sent two packages!"  The package was filled with a lot of Japanese foods. She is very kind, and I thought that she really misses my husband (and maybe me).  Anyway, I'm going to share with you 10 Japanese foods she sent from Japan.




1. Myojo Charumera Instant Noodles (明星 チャルメラ)
Myojo Charumera Instant Noodles
     Myojo Charumera instant noodles were first released in 1966 and were the long-selling instant noodles in Japan. This is champon, a noodle dish that is a regional cuisine of Nagasaki. 





2. Marutai Nagasaki Agodashi Soy Sauce Ramen (マルタイ 長崎  あごだし入り醤油ラーメン)
Marutai Nagasaki Agodashi Soy Sauce Ramen
      When we saw this instant ramen in her package, we were really excited! As I mentioned in my previous entry, he purchased Marutai Nagasaki Agodashi Soy Sauce Ramen in Tokyo two months ago, and  this is currently the most our favorite instant ramen! You can check out my previous entry, Review - Marutai Nagasaki Agodashi Soy Sauce Ramen.



3. Acecook Instant Harusame Soup (エースコック  スープはるさめ) 
      This is instant soup with bean thread noodles. Bean thread noodles are called harusame (はるさめ) in Japan. Acecook makes many kinds of instant harusame soup, and I really love their soup. You can find their soup at supermarkets and drugstores in Japan.




4. Instant Wakame and Vegetable Soup 
Instant Wakame and Vegetable Soup
     This contain 10 packs of instant wakame and vegetable soup produced in Shimane prefecture.




5. String Agar for Soup (スープ用  糸寒天)
String Agar for Soup
     This is dried string agar. We had never used it before. Last night, we added a small amount of it into our egg soup, and we loved it. It is rich in fiber and is very low calories.
Egg Soup with String Agar




 6. Dried Sea Lettuce, Aosa (あおさ)
Dried Sea Lettuce, Aosa
      Dried sea lettuce, which is called aosa (あおさ) in Japanese, looks like dried wakame, but they are not same and taste so different. We will add aosa into miso soup.




7. Dried Wakame (乾燥わかめ)
Dried Wakame
     Wakame is an essential ingredient for making miso soup. :)




8. Hagoromo Sardines, Simmered Sardines (はごろも いわし  ごまみそ煮&醤油味)
Hagoromo Sardines, Simmered Sardines
     Hagoromo is the largest Japanese food manufacture company was established in 1931. They make many kinds of retort foods, cans, pasta and etc. These are retort simmered sardines. I've had cans of simmered sardines in Japan but haven't had retort ones before. I think these taste good. :) 

    This is simmered sardines were seasoned with soy sauce.
Hagoromo Sardines Seasoned with Soy Sauce

      This simmered sardines were seasoned with sesame miso pastes.
Hagoromo Sardines Seasoned with Sesame Miso Pastes





9. Shio Konb, Salted Dried Kelp (塩昆布)
Shio Konb, Salted Dried Kelps
        Shio konbu is salted dried kelp. I will make rice balls with steamed white rice and shio konbu.




10. Sweetened Peeled Chestnuts (栗の渋皮煮)
Sweetened Peeled Chestnuts
     This is a retort pouch of sweetened peeled chestnuts. In Japan, it is told that women love sweet potatoes, chestnuts and pumpkins. This is sweetened simmered chestnuts. I'm eating some right now. They're so delicious! :)))



     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.

■Review - Marutai Nagasaki Agodashi Soy Sauce Ramen

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

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

■Japanese Breads Haul - Convenience Stores in Japan

■Tsukiji Fish Market in Tokyo - Japan Haul (Oct 2016)

■Tsukiji Fish Market in Tokyo, Japan - Haul (2014) 

■What He Got at Haneda Airport, Tokyo International Airport - Japan Haul

■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


Monday, January 30, 2017

Lucky Chinese Food - Very Affordable Fast Food Chinese Restaurant

     Yesterday, my husband and I went to Lucky Chinese Food, a fast food Chinese restaurant in Fountain Valley. This restaurant is pretty popular in Orange County area. When we got there at 6 p.m., there were many people waiting in a long line to order their foods. We waited there for 10 minutes or so. We finally ordered three items combo, which was about $9.



      The reason why this restaurant is always popular is that their portion is extremely huge.
3 Item Combo

    We chose half and half, fried rice and chow mein. For three items, we chose String Bean Beef, Orange Chicken, and Fried Squids.
Fried Rice, Chow Mein, String Bean Beef and Orange Chicken
      
Fried Squids
       Because their potion was huge, we couldn't eat them up.  Considering huge portions, their foods are very inexpensive. These were greasy, but I think these taste better than Panda Express. :)


Lucky Chinese Food
18525 Brookhurst St 
Fountain Valley, CA 92708


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




Sunday, January 29, 2017

Ultra Strength Red Panax Ginseng Extractum - Sprouts Haul

     Today, my husband and I went to Sprouts to purchase some vegetables and fruits as we always do on weekends.
Sprouts

      When we were standing in the checkout line at the store, he asked me, "Can I purchase something interesting?" Then, he picked up this small vial, Red Panax Ginseng Extractum.
Ultra Strength Red Panax Ginseng Extractum
      It looked like Chinese medicine to me. I asked him, "What is this?" He told me that he doesn't know about this product well, but he had seen the man purchasing 4 vials of it at Sprouts just the other day, and he became interested in it. The cashier told me that it gives you energy and it lasts a few hours. "It really works but doesn't have any side effect. You can use the small straw to drink it." It seemed that the cashier really knows about this product. :)  Have you ever tried it?

Ultra Strength Red Panax Ginseng Extractum

      This small vial was only 49 cents! If it really works, it's cheaper than Red Bull.   
Ultra Strength Red Panax Ginseng Extractum
     It contains panax ginseng root extract, Even though I really love vegetable and green juice, I don't think I will like it frankly because it looks medicine to me, and I guess that it doesn't taste pleasant. However, surprisingly, it has many reviews on Amazon US, and it's pretty highly rated. After he drinks this interesting supplemental liquid, I'll write about it next time. :)



      This is my entries related to cooking.
http://itisapieceofcake2011.blogspot.com/search/label/cooking    

      This is my entries related to my favorite recipes.
http://itisapieceofcake2011.blogspot.com/search/label/recipes

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


Saturday, January 28, 2017

A Package from My Mother-In-Law - It's from Japan!

      Today, my husband and I finally received a package which my mother-in-law sent from Japan. As I mentioned in my previous entries, she has sent some Japanese foods to us many times since we moved to the U.S. from Japan. Anyway, I'm going to share with you 8 Japanese products she sent for us. :)



1. Katsuobushi, Dried Bonito Flakes (かつお節)
Katsuobushi, Dried Bonito Flakes
      Have you ever had katsuobushi? Katsuobushi is dried bonito flake which is used as topping for takoyaki and okonomiyaki. My late grandmother used to make fish broth from katsuobushi to cook miso soup. Now, I use hondashi, broth powder made from bonito, for miso soup because it's easier.




2. Hijiki, Dried Sea Vegetable (ひじき)
Hijiki, Dried Sea Vegetable
     Hijiki is dried sea vegetable and is rich in fiber, calcium, iron and magnesium. In Japan, hijiki is used many Japanese foods. I cooked okowa, Japanese sticky rice, with using hijiki she sent before. You can check out my previous entry, How to Cook Okowa. We really love okowa, so I'll make okowa again soon.





3. Kaicyu Shiruko, sweetened red bean soup with monaka (懐中しるこ) 
Shiruko, sweetened red bean soup
     Shiruko (しるこ) is Japanese sweetened red bean soup. Because these include monaka, thin cresp wafers made from mochi, these are called kaicyu shiruko (懐中しるこ). The sweetened red beans are sandwiched between monaka. These are instant ones made by Bunmeido (文明堂), which is a famous Japanese confectionery established in Nagasashi prefecture in 1900. I only need to add hot water to them. :) My husband really love Japanese sweets made from sweetened red beans. Indeed, while I was writing this entry, he made this shiruko. :) I was surprised that this shiruko was so delicious! Bunmeido always makes the best ones!
Bunmeido Kaicyu Shiruko
 




4. Ogi Yokan, Japanese Traditional Red Bean Sweets (小城羊羹)
Ogi Yokan, Japanese Traditional Red Bean Sweets Made in Ogi City
     Yokan is a thick, jellied dessert made of red bean paste, sugar and etc. Ogi (小城) is a famous city located in Saga prefecture. Ogi is well known as yokan city. The city has 20 yokan stores. Even though there are many confectioneries sell traditional Japanese sweets called wagashi (和菓子) in Japan, confectioneries sell only yokan are very rare even in Japan.  My husband really loves yokan made in Ogi city. 




5. Okaki, Japanese Rice Crackers (おかき)
Okaki, Japanese Rice Crackers
     These are okaki, Japanese rice crackers. Did you know that Trader Joe's has started selling their okaki recently? You can check out my previous entry, Trader Joe's The Crispy Crunchy Mochi Rice Nuggets. Trader Joe's okaki tastes pretty good, but typical Japanese okaki is fluffier (and crunchy). The most well known Japanese okaki manufacture company is Kameda Seika (亀田製菓). My mother-in-law sent the latest Kameda Seika's okaki for us.


    This is onion okaki. It has 9 packages of okaki in it.
Kameda Seika Onion Okaki
      Onion is called tamanegi (たまねぎ) in Japanese. This cracker was so delicious! I noticed its onion taste! :)
Kameda Seika Onion Okaki




       This is gobo okaki. It also has 9 packages of okaki in it. Gobo is burdock roots, a Japanese vegetable. By the way, I love gobo miso soup so much. You can check out my previous entry, How to Cook Gobo Miso Soup.
Kameda Seika Gobo Okaki
      This okaki was the best I've ever had in years! When I opened the package, I noticed delicious gobo aroma! I wish you could try it!
Kameda Seika Gobo Okaki



6. Yamaiso Ajizuke Nori, Seasoned Nori (味付海苔)
Ajizuke Nori, Seasoned Nori
      Nori (のり/ 海苔) is Japanese dried seaweeds which are known as ingredients of rice balls, sushi rolls and so on. This nori is already seasoned with soy sauce and sugar. I'll make rice balls with this nori.




7. Marutai Bou Ramen (マルタイ  棒ラーメン)
Marutai Ramen
       I often mentioned about Marutai Instant Ramen in my previous entries. I think the best Japanese instant ramen is ones made by Marutai. Marutai Bou Ramen has been our favorite since we were children. Marutai is a Japanese company that makes instant ramen. The company established in Fukuoka in 1947 and started selling Bou Ramen in 1959. Because our hometown is Fukuoka, Marutai instant ramen reminds us of our families live in Fukuoka. :) This Bou Ramen has two servings of instant tonkotsu ramen. I cannot wait to have it. My husband is really good at cooking instant ramen, so he will cook it for our lunch soon. :)))



8. Maruha Crab Meats (カニ缶)
Maruha Crab Meats
    This is crab meat can we actually sent to her last month. We sent a set of six cans of crab meats as a Japanese traditional year-end gift to my parents-in-law. She told me that crab meats we sent were really high-end, and those were too expensive for only her and her husband. That's why she gave each can to each of our relatives such as my parents and my brother-in-law. That's why she ended up sending one crab can to us. We didn't expect that. She is a very very kind woman. We thought can products last for years, so our parents-in-law would sometimes enjoy crab meats for a long time. What should we send to her next?  




     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.

■Review - Marutai Nagasaki Agodashi Soy Sauce Ramen

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

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

■Japanese Breads Haul - Convenience Stores in Japan

■Tsukiji Fish Market in Tokyo - Japan Haul (Oct 2016)

■Tsukiji Fish Market in Tokyo, Japan - Haul (2014) 

■What He Got at Haneda Airport, Tokyo International Airport - Japan Haul

■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







Friday, January 27, 2017

2 Most Popular Kose Sekkisui Products - Popular Beauty Souvenirs from Japan

     If you love Japanese beauty product, you might know Sekkisei (雪肌精), which is one of the most popular skin care brand of Kose. You can check out my previous entries, 5 Best Japanese Facial Lotion (Toner), Kesyou-sui and Top 5 Most Popular Japanese Pore Minimizer.

     Do you know Sekkisui (雪肌粋)? You might think that Sekkisui sounds similar to Sekkisei. Sekkisui is a skin care brand of Kose and 7-Eleven. They created Sekkisui, an affordable skin care products, after Sekkisei. Yes, Sekkisui and Sekkisei are sister brands. :) You can only purchase Sekkisui products from Seven & i Holdings companies such as 7-Eleven convenience stores and Ito-Yokado supermarkets in Japan. 7-Eleven has 18,316 convenience stores in Japan now, so it's very easy to find Sekkisui products there. 
      Sekkisui has gotten more and more popular in Japan. I heard that Sekkisui products are very popular for foreign tourists traveling Japan. It's because it's products of Kose, which is a venerable cosmetic company, and it's very affordable! Moreover, it's made in Japan, so it's perfect Japanese souvenirs for female friends and families. Some Japanese people review that they sometimes saw that foreign tourists bought up so many Sekkisui products at convenience stores.

      Sekkisui has many kinds of products now. Today, I'm going to share two most popular Sekkisui products with you.


1.  Sekkisui White Washing Cream (雪肌粋  ホワイト洗顔クリーム)
80g - 460yen
120g - 600yen

Sekkisui White Washing Cream
     Sekkisui White Washing Cream is facial cleanser. According to Kose, Sekkisui White Washing Cream, sells every 6 seconds in Japan, and 12 millions of it have been sold so far.
Sekkisui White Washing Cream
         You can create plenty of great lather from this facial cleanser, so you can wash your face without rubbing your skin. This is the most gentle way to clean your face. :)  (I recommend you to use a Japanese foaming net to make a great lather. You can check out my previous entry, Top 5 Life-Changing Japanese Beauty Products.) Some people review that this works well to get brighter skin.







2. Sekkisui Cosmetic Mask For Translucency (雪肌粋  透明美肌マスク)
1 facial sheet mask for 300yen
Sekkisui Cosmetic Mask For Translucency
      I don't think this facial sheet mask is very affordable. You can check out my previous entry, The Most Popular Facial Sheet Masks in Japan. However, one sheet mask contains 30ml of beauty serum, so it might be pretty reasonable considering that this sheet has high quality active ingredients. Some Japanese people review that this really moisturizes skin well and they've noticed whitening effect with this facial mask.   I think an individual package of a facial sheet mask is perfect souvenir for every woman because it's easy to give away. :)  By the way, when you use a facial sheet mask, I recommend you to use Daiso Japan Reusable Silicon Mask Cover, which prevents moisture evaporation from the mask. :)





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

     These are also my entries you might like.
 
Top 5 Life-Changing Japanese Beauty Products  

Top 5 Most Popular Japanese Pore Minimizer 

Top 5 Most Popular Japanese Charcoal Soap

Popular Japanese Facial Cleansing Products - What I Want to Buy in Japan

10 Best Affordable Japanese Facial Sheet Masks You Want to Use Every Day

5 Best Japanese Facial Lotion (Toner), Kesyou-sui

The Most Popular Facial Sheet Masks in Japan

Top 7 Japanese Facial Sheet Masks That Rescue Your Dry Skin

4 Reasons Why I Love Kose Softymo Cleansing Oil

10 Best Japanese Beauty Products on Amazon Japan, You Can Also Purchase Them at Drugstores in Japan

12 Best Affordable Japanese Beauty Products

Best Japanese Beauty Products of 2015

Top 5 Japanese Sunscreen Products

Top 3 Most Popular Japanese Eyelash Curlers

The Best Japanese Shampoo & Conditioner

5 Best Japanese Deep Conditioning Hair Masks

Review : Shiseido Tsubaki Damage Care Hair Water - It's the Best Japanese Hair Care Product!

The Best Japanese Hair Dryer, Panasonic Nano Care Hair Dryer

Top 3 Daiso Beauty Products




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

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

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

Thursday, January 26, 2017

Japanese Ramen Bath Powder - Cool and Fun Japanese Products

     Do you like taking a bath? We all know that taking a bath makes you really relax. :)

     In my previous entry, Top 5 Most Popular Japanese Bath Salt / Bath Additive Brands, I wrote about popular Japanese bath salt products. Last month, I found that very unique bath salt was in the news in Japan. Village Vanguard, a Japanese chain store that sells books and commodities, released Dashi Soup Bath Powder (だし汁の湯) last year, and it became the most talked-about bath salt in Japan! Can you imagine that you are soaking yourself in miso soup? It smells so delicious, but you cannot drink it from the bathtub. After taking miso soup bath, your body smells like miso soup. Who wants to take the miso soup bath? Surprisingly, the Dashi Soup Bath Powder was sold out very quickly in Japan!
       Yes, you can enjoy being the ingredient of the soup! 

       Village Vanguard says, "What!? Are you gonna buy it? Are you an idiot?"


      They created many kinds of bath salt which smells like foods.
Curry Bath Powder


     This is yakisoba bath salt. Maybe, your family think you are cooking yakisoba noodles in your bathroom.
Yakisoba Bath Powder

     This is gyudon, Japanese beef bowl, bath salt. The smell of gyudon lingers your body.
Gyudon Bath Powder

      This is ramen soup bath salt. Maybe, your classmates wonder why the smell of ramen comes from you.
Ramen Soup Bath Powder

     This is kimuchi Jjigae bath salt. You might want to wash your body well after soaking in the bathtub.
Kimuchi Jjigae Bath Powder

       This is miso soup bath salt. Because of delicious smell, you probably want to bring a cup of steamed rice to your bath, but be sure not to drink miso soup bath. It's not edible.
Miso Soup Bath Powder

     Are you interested in these cool and fun Japanese products?  Because of high popularity, these are very hard to find in Japan now. If you are very lucky, you can find them at Village Vanguard branches, but are you really want to soak yourself in ramen bath???
 



    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.
■Top 5 Most Popular Japanese Bath Salt / Bath Additive Brands

Top 5 Life-Changing Japanese Beauty Products 

■Tsukiji Fish Market in Tokyo - Japan Haul (Oct 2016)

■Tsukiji Fish Market in Tokyo, Japan - Haul (2014) 

■10 Best Japanese Beauty Products on Amazon Japan, You Can Also Purchase Them at Drugstores in Japan

■Japanese Breads Haul - Convenience Stores in Japan

■What He Got at Haneda Airport, Tokyo International Airport - Japan Haul (Nov 2016)  

■What He Got at Haneda Airport, Tokyo International Airport - Japan Haul (Oct 2016)

■What He Got at Drugstore in Japan - Haul

■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