It has grown on me!

Tuesday, February 28, 2017

Marutai Miyazaki Torishio Ramen, Japanese Chicken Salt Ramen - Review

Last night, my husband cooked this Marutai Miyazaki Torishio Ramen (マルタイ宮崎鶏塩ラーメン). Tori (鶏) means chicken, and shio means salt in Japanese. When we traveled in Hokkaido, Japan, we had Hokkaido shio ramen, but this was our first time to try Miyazaki shio ramen. :)

Marutai Miyazaki Torishio Ramen

Miyazaki (宮崎) is a prefecture located on the eastern coast of the island of Kyushu (九州). Miyazaki is famous for Miyazaki jidori (宮崎地鶏), local chicken in Miyazaki.

Marutai Miyazaki Torishio Ramen

He topped the ramen with chopped green onions, a boiled egg, nori and boiled cabbages. I really loved the soup, which was clear and had chicken umami tastes. Because of chicken, Miyazaki torishio ramen tasted very different from Hokkaido shio ramen. Unlike tonkotsu ramen, this ramen was not greasy at all, so it tasted like healthy noodles. :)

Marutai Miyazaki Torishio Ramen

Over all, I really enjoyed Marutai Miyazaki Torishio Ramen. :) However, my most favorite Marutai ramen so far is Nagasaki Agodashi Ramen.

Marutai Miyazaki Torishio Ramen

When my husband was on his business trip in Japan, he purchased 8 kinds of Marutai Kyusyu Ramen. I'll review on these 8 kinds of Marutai Kyusyu Instant Ramen through my blog!

Marutai Kyusyu Ramen

These are my entries related to Marutai Kyusyu Instant Ramen.

■All About Marutai Kyushu Local Ramen! Must-Try Japanese Instant Ramen

■Top 3 My Favorite Ramen From Marutai Kyushu Ramen Series

■Kumamoto Tonkotsu Ramen

■Hakata Nagahama Tonkotsu Ramen

■Kurume Tonkotsu Ramen

■Kagoshima Kurobuta Tonkotsu Ramen

■Saga Gyu Shio Ramen

■Miyazaki Tori Shio Ramen

■Nagasaki Agodashi Soy Sauce Ramen

■Oita Torigara Soy Sauce Ramen

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

My entries related to Japanese noodles can be seen here.

Monday, February 27, 2017

How to Cook Chicken and Tomato Pasta

Last week, I cooked my favorite chicken and tomato pasta. There are two reasons why I love this pasta. First of all, this pasta is very delicious! It has plenty of Parmesan cheese and my favorite tomatoes which increase my appetite. Second, it can be cooked pretty quickly. It takes me only 20 minutes for this recipe. While cooking pasta, you can cook its sauce with chicken and tomato. When the pasta is cooked, the sauce is ready to mix. :) Anyway, I'm going to share how to cook chicken and tomato pasta with you.

Ingredients (4 Servings)
12 oz of linguine pasta
1 teaspoon of salt
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 clove of garlic (chopped)
1 lb of chicken breast (cut into small pieces)
4 tomatoes (chopped)
1 red bell pepper (chopped)
1/2 cup of white wine
1/2 cup of chicken stock
1/2 cup of grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons of milk
1 teaspoon of lemon juice
2 Tablespoons of chopped Italian parsley

1. Bring water with salt to the boil. Add the pasta and simmer for about 9 minutes until tender.

2. Heat the oil in a pan and saute the garlic and chicken for a few minutes until golden on both sides.

3.Add the tomatoes and bell pepper, and continue to saute until well blended. Add the wine and simmer for 2 minutes. Add the chicken stock and simmer for a minute.

4. Add half of the Parmesan cheese into the pan, and stir them.

5. Drain the pasta and toss to the chicken, and stir them.

6. Mix milk and lemon juice. Add mixture and the remaining Parmesan cheese to the pasta.

7. Serve on a plate and topped with Italian parsley.

8. Enjoy!

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

My entries related to Japanese noodles can be seen here.

Sunday, February 26, 2017

Shower Tile and Bathtub Paints

My husband and I have been working on our bathroom renovation this year. This is the picture I took in our guest bathroom yesterday. :)

Now

This is the picture I took in the same bathroom on the day we purchased our home last summer. As you can see, it was very outdated.

Then

We didn't like the old oak vanity, the noisy ventilation fan, the dated lighting fixture and so on (everything), so we painted the vanity cabinet white and installed stainless steel t-bar pulls. He has replaced the ventilation fan, the lighting fixture and the toilet paper holder to new ones so far. We also didn't like the old pink beige tiles in shower room. In addition, the glass shower doors didn't look very clean. :(

That's why he finally removed the shower doors this Tuesday! :)

We hired professional painters to have the tiles painted and have old bathtubs refinished. I was not sure painting tiles was a good idea because paints won't last forever. Replacing shower tiles and bathtubs sounds extremely difficult for DIY beginners like us, and if we want to have them professionally done, it cost very expensive. Because we've been trying to renovate our dated home on a tight budget, we didn't want to spend a lot of money for the bathroom renovation. Besides, we are not planning on reselling our home for now. When we decide to resell our home, the tiles and bathtubs should be replaced. That's why we ended up getting our shower tiles painted rather than replacing them to new ones. Painting could be done by ourselves, but if we had painted our shower tiles, I think the paint would have lasted only for a year or so. That's why we finally hired professional painters for our bathrooms. It cost $1,800 for two bathrooms.

After four days, our shower rooms turned out white and clean! I am satisfied with the result. I hope the paints last for five years (at least). Last night, I installed the adjustable tension shower curtain rod.

Then, hung the shower curtain, Echelon Home Three Line Hotel Collection, and liner, Carnation Home Fashions Vinyl Shower Curtain Liner White. I think our bathroom looks much better now. :) He installed shower heads and handles. Next our project for our bathrooms is removing other pink beige tiles. We will install new tiles on vanities and floors in our bathrooms. :)

Now

     These are my entries related to our bathroom renovation.

■ Before & After Painting All Cabinets (August 2016)

■ Shower Tile and Bathtub Paints (February 2017)

■Before and After Master Bathroom - New Shower Handles, Tub Spout And Shower Heads (March 2017)

■Before and After - Guest Bathroom (September 2017)

■Replacing the Tile Vanity Top on A Budget - Bathroom Renovation (September 2017)

■Installing Bathroom Floor Tiles - Our Bathroom Renovation (September 2017)

■New Bathroom Sink, Faucet, Toilet, Towel Bar and Paint - Bathroom Renovation

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

    These are my entries you might like.

■ Before and After Door Hardware - From Door Knob to Door Lever

■ Before & After Painting All Cabinets

■ How to Install New Outlet Cover Plate - Hubbell Taymac Revive Decorator Wall Plate Review

■ How to Install A Spring Door Stop

■ Before and After Kitchen Flooring - Easy and Affordable Peel-And-Stick Vinyl Flooring!

■ Built-in Trash Cans - Before and After

Saturday, February 25, 2017

Abercrombie & Fitch Haul

About two weeks ago, I ordered some items from Abercrombie & Fitch. They were offering extra 25% off entire purchase. In addition, I got a 15% off coupon code from my Discover. That's why it turned out to be a super great deal. :) Today, I finally received my items! I'm going to share what I purchased with you. :)

Mixed Rib Coatigan Oatmeal

Zip Crew Sweater Dark Grey

Logo Full-Zip Hoodie Navy

Mixed Plaid Button-Up Shirt Pink

Relaxed Crepe Tee

Long-Sleeve Graphic Tee

     My husband also purchased some clothing from Abercrombie & Fitch. :) This month, we've purchased a lot of articles of clothing. I was planning on going to Premium Outlets next month, but I think I don't need anymore clothing for a while. :)

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

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

      My entries related to Premium Outlets Hauls can be seen here.
http://itisapieceofcake2011.blogspot.com/search/label/Premium%20Outlets%20Hauls

Friday, February 24, 2017

Milmake - My Favorite Japanese School Lunch

Did you know that Japan has the best school lunch program? Japanese public elementary schools and middle schools provide healthy school lunch every day, so all children eat same school lunch in their class room. When I was a child, I really liked lunch time because school lunch was so delicious! (I think most children in Japan love their school lunch too.) One day, my mother told me that she didn't have to think too much about cooking the most nutritious and balanced diet because schools always provide healthy foods to children. The school lunch program is kind of helpful for busy mom. :) In addition, school lunch is very affordable.

Even though I loved school lunch so much, I didn't really like milk when I was a child. Japanese school lunch menu always has a glass of milk as one of healthy drinks, and I drunk it every day anyway. When they provided Milmake (ミルメーク), I thought it was magical powder!

Milmake

Milmake is a pack of supplemental powder which contains calcium, vitamin A, B1, B2 and etc, and can add delicious flavor to milk such as coffee, cocoa and strawberry flavors. The school provided Milmake only once in a while, but I really loved it. Just add it to milk and stir with a long straw.

Milmake

In 1967, Oshima Syokuhin Kogyo (大島食品工業) released Milmake and hoped children who disliked milk would enjoy drinking milk in schools, and it really worked! It's been 50 years since they released it. Many Japanese people have had Milmake when they were children, and they loved it just like I did. :)

When I visit Japan next time, I definitely get some Milmake! I'm not sure if I still like my childhood favorite foods, but I want to have it in the first time in ages. :) You can purchase Milmake at some supermarkets and 100 yen shops in Japan. I'll buy one on Amazon Japan though. :) You can check out my previous entry, Is It Good or Bad? - Amazon Japan Convenience Store Pickup. By the way, Milmake has eight kinds flavors, coffee, cocoa, strawberry, banana, melon, matcha kinako, caramel and black tea. My favorite ones were coffee and cocoa ones. :)

Milmake

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

My entries related to Japanese noodles can be seen here.

Thursday, February 23, 2017

Beautiful Palm Trees Around John Wayne Airport

Today, I gave my husband a ride to John Wayne Airport because he would fly to Chicago for his business trip.

I like the view around this airport. There are many beautiful large and tall palm trees along the roads. :)

When he arrived in Chicago, he called me that he was glad to have brought a winter jacket which I told him to take this morning. As we live in sunny Southern California, we sometimes forget how cold a real winter is. :)

Wednesday, February 22, 2017

5 Popular Japanese Travel Skincare Sets You Can Purchase at Convenience Stores in Japan

When you travel in Japan, you really should check out Japanese convenience stores. In Japan, convenience stores are literally everywhere especially in a big city like Tokyo. One of the reasons why Japanese convenience stores amaze you is that they have high quality foods such as rice balls, bento boxes, desserts and so on. If you are a girl, their beauty products also catch your eye. Japanese convenience stores have popular Japanese beauty products which are often seen on Japanese beauty magazines.

Fancl Skincare Products at Lawson Convenience Store

Lawson has Fancl skincare products.
Family Mart has Muji and Kanebo Media products.
Seven Eleven has Fancl Botanical Force, Kose Sekkisui and ParaDo products.

Actually, some of them can be purchased only at convenience stores. :)

Japanese convenience stores also have small travel sizes of skincare products which are perfect for an overnight travel. Because most Japanese convenience stores open 24/7, you can purchase them whenever you need even at midnight. When you travel in Japan, you actually don't have to bring your skincare products because you can purchase small sizes of Japanese skincare products at affordable prices there.

Today, I'm going to share with you five Japanese travel skincare sets you can purchase at convenience stores in Japan. If you are planning on visiting Japan, you should check them out there. You can purchase some of them at convenience stores and try them during your travel in Japan. If you like it, you can purchase a whole bottle of it at drugstores before leaving from Japan. :)

1. DHC - One-Night Stay Travel Set (DHC 1泊分おとまりセット)
250 yen

DHC

2 Packs of Oil Makeup Remover
3 Packs of Facial Cleansing Powder
3 Packs of Kesyousui (Japanese Moisturizing Water)
3 Pads of Facial Cotton
2 Packs of DHC Olive Virgin Oil

DHC is one of the most famous Japanese skincare brands in Japan. DHC Deep Cleansing Oil is highly rated on Amazon US as well. When I went on an overnight travel in Japan, I sometimes purchased DHC travel skincare sets because they are always very affordable (250yen) and are gentle to your skin.

2. Fancl BOTANICAL FORCE - Skincare Trial Set (ファンケルスキンケアトライアルセット)
350 yen

Fancl BOTANICAL FORCE

1 Pack of Oil Makeup Remover
2 Packs of Facial Cleanser
2 Packs of Kesyousui (Japanese Moisturizing Water)
2 Packs of Nyueki (Japanese Moisturizing Creamy Lotion)

Fancl has been making preservative-free skincare products for women who have sensitive skins. Fancl created a new skincare line, Fancl Botanical Force, which can be purchased only at Seven Eleven in Japan.

3. Sekkisui - One-Night Stay Travel Skincare Set (雪肌粋１泊用スキンケアセット)
350 yen

Sekkisui

1 Pack of Oil Makeup Remover
2 Packs of Facial Cleanser
2 Packs of All-In-One Beauty Gel (Kesyousui + Nyuseki + Beauty Serum + Cream + Mask)

As I mentioned in my previous entry, 2 Most Popular Kose Sekkisui Products - Popular Beauty Souvenirs from Japan, Sekkisui (雪肌粋) is a skincare brand of Kose and Seven Eleven. They created Sekkisui, an affordable skincare products, after Sekkisei (雪肌精). You can only purchase Sekkisui products from Seven & i Holdings companies such as 7-Eleven convenience stores and Ito-Yokado supermarkets in Japan.

4. Hada Labo Gokujyun - One-Night Stay Travel Skincare Set (肌研ハダラボ１泊用お泊りスキンケアセット)
350 yen

Hada Labo Gokujyun

1 Pack of Makeup Remover
2 Packs of Facial Cleanser
2 Packs of Kesyousui (Japanese Moisturizing Water)
2 Packs of Nyueki (Japanese Moisturizing Creamy Lotion)

Hada Labo Gokujyun are very affordable skincare products and popular in Japan. You can check out my previous entry, 5 Best Japanese Facial Lotion (Toner), Kesyou-sui. This travel Set can be purchased at many convenience stores in Japan.

5. Kose Softymo - Two-Night Stay Travel Skincare Set (コーセーソフティモ２泊３日お泊りセット)
249 yen

Kose Softymo

4 Wipes of Makeup Remover
2 Wipes of Eye Makeup Remover
4 Packs of Kesyousui (Japanese Moisturizing Water)
4 Packs of Nyueki (Japanese Moisturizing Creamy Lotion)

       Kose Softymo Travel Skincare Set can be purchased at many convenience stores and drugstores in Japan. You can choose from one-night stay and two-night stay ones. The makeup remover are cotton wipes which don't require any water to rinse off, so you can also use them during flights. :)You can also check out my previous entry, 7 Most Popular Japanese Facial Cleansing Wipes for Removing Makeup.

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

     These are also my entries you might like.

♥7 Best Japanese Beauty Products 2016 Hall of Fame

♥The Most Popular Facial Sheet Masks in Japan

♥Top 7 Japanese Facial Sheet Masks That Rescue Your Dry Skin

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

♥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

♥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

Tuesday, February 21, 2017

Marutai Kurume Noukou Tonkotsu Ramen

When my husband was on his business trip in Japan, he purchased 8 kinds of Marutai Kyusyu Ramen. Marutai is a Japanese company that makes instant ramen. The company was established in Fukuoka in 1947 and started selling Bou Ramen in 1959. Bou (棒) means stick in Japanese. While most instant ramen is wavy noodle block, the noodles of Marutai Bo Ramen are as straight as sticks. That's why this ramen is called Bou Ramen (棒ラーメン). Each Bou Ramen has two servings of instant noodles. These years, they've started selling Kyusyu region series in Japan, and the series has been very popular there. We've tried Kurume, Kagoshima and Nagasaki so far.

Marutai Kyushu Ramen

Last week, my husband cooked this Marutai Kurume Noukou Tonkotsu Ramen (マルタイ久留米濃厚とんこつラーメン). Kurume (久留米) is a city located in Southern Fukuoka. Kurume is famous for tonkotsu ramen in Japan. Actually, our home town is pretty close to Kurume, and we've gone to ramen restaurants located in Kurume so many times since we were children. There are numerous tonkotsu ramen restaurants in Kurume, and famous restaurants are Taihou Ramen (大砲ラーメン), Maruboshi Ramen (丸星ラーメン) and Taihou Ramen (大峰ラーメン). When you walk close to tonkotsu ramen restaurants in Kurume, you will definitely notice smell of pork-bone broth. Indeed, Kurume tonkotsu ramen tastes richer than Hakata and Kumamoto tonkotsu ramen. (You might think it's too greasy.) By the way, noukou (濃厚) means rich in Japanese.

Marutai Kurume Tonkotsu Ramen

He topped the ramen with egg, nori, green onion and shredded ginger pickles.

Marutai Kurume Tonkotsu Ramen

It was just as excellent as I expected. :) Marutai always makes the best authentic tonkotsu ramen! By the way, I think that the worst Japanese tonkotsu ramen is Nissin Raoh Umami Tonkotsu selling in the U.S.

Marutai Kurume Tonkotsu Ramen

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

My entries related to Japanese noodles can be seen here.

Monday, February 20, 2017

Top 7 Japanese Facial Sheet Masks That Rescue Your Dry Skin

Last week, I read an article in Japanese beauty magazine, Maquia. In the article, Mariko Nagai, a Japanese total beauty advisor, shares seven best Japanese facial sheet masks that rescue your dry skin. She says these excellent masks revive your skin right away. Today, I'm going to share with you seven best Japanese facial sheet masks she recommends in order of lowest to highest prices. :)

1. Quality 1st All In One Sheet Mask
1900 yen - 50 sheets

Quality 1st All In One Sheet Mask

I mentioned about Quality 1st All In One Sheet Mask in my previous entries many times because this has been very popular in Japan. Indeed, it was selected the best facial sheet mask awards by @cosme, a huge cosmetic review site in Japan, in 2015. Even though this facial sheet mask is very affordable, it contains 35 kinds of beauty serum such as baby collagen, hyaluronic acid and lecithin. It moisturizes your skin very well. I currently use this one almost every night, and I enjoy checking my skin condition next morning because my skin is still well hydrated on the following morning. :) This is an all-in-one facial sheet mask (kesyousui + serum + nyueki), so after using this sheet, you don't need to apply any moisturizer on your face. :)

・Apply on dry skin after cleansing.
・Leave on for 10 to 15 minutes.
・Use daily.
・You can purchase it at most drugstores in Japan.

2. Utena PREMIUM PUReSA Facial Sheet Mask
700 yen - 3 sheets

Utena Premium PUReSA Facial Sheet Mask

This often ranks the best selling product on Amazon Japan. One sheet mask contains 33g (10 oz) of the golden gel serum which moisturizes your skin well. You can get soft smooth skin with it. After applying it on your face for 20 to 30 minutes, you can apply the leftover golden gel entire body.

・Apply on dry skin after cleansing.
・Leave on for 20 to 30 minutes.
・Use 1 to 2 times a week.
・You can purchase it at most drugstores in Japan.

3. Minon Amino Moist Purupuru Moist Skin Mask
1200 yen - 4 sheets

Minon Amino Moist Purupuru Moist Skin Mask

Minon is a well known brand which makes skin care products for people who have very sensitive skin. Many Japanese beauty products are usually gentle to the skin as compared to US products. Yet, I believe that Minon is the most gentle skin care product in Japan. If you have very sensitive skin and look for allergy safe skin care products, I recommend you to try Minon. This sheet mask contains 9 kinds of moisturizing amino acid. This sheet mask was selected the best facial sheet mask awards by @cosme in 2014.

・Apply on dry skin after cleansing.
・Leave on for 10 to 15 minutes.
・Use 1 to 2 times a week.
・You can purchase it at most drugstores in Japan.

4. Shiseido HAKU Melanoshield Mask
1500 yen - 1 sheet

Shiseido HAKU Melanoshield Mask

Haku is one of high-end skincare brands from Shiseido. Haku is very famous brightening skin care products in Japan. Haku products help to reduce melanin production in your skin. If you want to get rid of dark spots and want to get brighter skin, Haku Melanoshield Mask is perfect for you. This facial sheet mask contains two kinds of brightening agents for your skin. This sheet mask was selected the best facial sheet mask awards by @cosme in 2016.

・Apply on your face after kesyousui (Japanese moisturizing water).
・Leave on for 10 minutes. After that, apply nyueki (Japanese moisturizing creamy lotion).
・Use once a week.
・You can purchase it at many department stores and drugstores in Japan.

5. SK-II Facial Treatment Mask
10,000 yen - 6 Sheets

SK-II Facial Treatment Mask

SK-II is a high-end skin care brand. Even though SK-II sheet mask is very expensive, it has so many positive reviews in Japan because it improves your skin immediately. Instead of going to luxury beauty salon, you can use it at home. I recommend you to use it on your special day such as on your wedding day or on the day before date night. You can also use it when you want to spoil yourself. :) This sheet mask was selected the best facial sheet mask awards by @cosme in 2016.

・Apply on dry skin.
・Leave on for 5 to 15 minutes. Then, rinse it off.
・You can purchase it at some department stores and drugstores in Japan.

6. HACCI Sheet Mask
11,000 yen - 6 sheets
2,000 yen - 1 sheet

HACCI Sheet Mask

HACCI was established in 2004 and has been introducing high-end skin care products made from high quality honey. Honey, royal jelly extract and hydrolysis collagen in the sheet mask moisturize your skin very well, and scutellaria baicalensis root extract and oligopeptide-6 keep your skin firm. Peony root extract and plantago major seeds brighten your skin. HACCI products can be purchase only at their branches. Now, they have 15 branches including two branches in Narita and Haneda airport in Japan.

・Apply on your face after kesyousui (Japanese moisturizing water).
・Leave on for 10 minutes.
・You can purchase it only at HACCI branches in Japan.

7. Shiseido Cle de Peau Beaute Illuminating Concentrate
12,000 yen - 6 sheets

Shiseido Cle de Peau Beaute Illuminating Concentrate

Cle de Peau Beaute is the most luxury brand of Shiseido. This facial sheet mask is also used at some beauty salons in Japan. Many Japanese people review that it keeps their skin firm for several days after using it.