Tuesday, June 8, 2010

Hiyashi Chuka


お久しぶりですね!!! Long Time No See ! ! !  I apologise for my absence BUT the past few months have been crazy crazy busy!!!!!  I have been swamped with online University classes from the U of C.  As well, the Canadian Invasion was awesome but Jam Packed with adventures, my Sister and her Boyfriend (now fiance) came to visit for a few weeks and 2 days after they left my Sickly Parents arrived in Okinawa after their Asian Adventure and stayed for 3 weeks.  The visits were really great and after everyone left I was quite lonely, missing my family and expecting more of them to walk in the door at any minute.  I recovered by burying myself in my studies and preparing for our move to Canada.  Which I won't talk about right now....... I would rather talk about food.  Yes, yumm, food.  It's been getting hot again, so all I want to eat is salad and ice cream.  So I made this delicious cold noodle salad called "Hiyashi Chuka"  Beneath all the delicious veggies are cold Ramen Noodles.  Add whatever veggies float your boat but the most common are: cucumber, tomato, sprouts. I splurged and added goya and mizuna.  For protein this dish has lean chicken breast, sliced ham, and a cold half boiled egg.  To top it off you can add your favourite dressing, oil & vinegar, lemon soy, or my favourite, sesame vinegar (ごまたれ).  It was as delicious as it looks.  Give it a try this summer on a hot day (for lunch or dinner) and you won't regret it!  



Hopefully I won't be absent for too long...... I will try my best to give a blog shout out once in a while!  xo J Kat

Friday, March 12, 2010

School Lunch - 学校給食 - Dessert



What in Canada we might see as fish food, in Japan it is a delicious snack rich in Calcium.

Chocolate Booze


The most recent craze in J-pan Land right now is this new product produced by Sapporo Breweries and Royce Chocolate Manufactory. The product is "Chocolate Brewery Bitter". I bought it because it seems like such a bizarre combination. Beer and Chocolate......hmmm. My initial reaction was "Not so bad!" rich, chocolatey but not sweet, and then the after taste hit "Oh noooo". It was all bad. I was not able to even finish the beer. The Chocolate Brewery met its demise in my kitchen sink.

Friday, March 5, 2010

What the World Eats

BUSY BUSY BUSY!! :) I don't have time to write a proper post but I saw this online and felt like sharing it.

If you have some free time, check out this website for a Photo Essay entitled "What the World Eats" Really interesting!

Cheers,
Julie

Family in Japan - One weeks worth of food.

Family in the U.S - One weeks worth of food.



Saturday, February 27, 2010

7.0 Earthquake in Okinawa this Morning

Stayed with A's folks and A last night. Had fun watching the Olympics and playing Wii! At about 5:30 am I woke up because the house was starting to shake. A did not wake up. Then the house REALLY started shaking and I had to grab onto A's head and get both of us up and under a doorway. It went on shaking and throwing things from the walls/shelves onto the ground. Thankfully it stopped with little damage. A's folks live in a part of Okinawa with a higher elevation so I was not too worried about the tsunami warning and went back to bed. Glad the tsunami never hit and the earthquake had little to no damage!

Turns out it was about a 7.0.
Heres some more info on CNN

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Random Photos

I am enrolled in lot's and lot's of online University classes, which started the beginning of February and will continue on until July. WOWZERS! So I do not have time to write a super quality post. Thought I would share these random and potentially interesting pics....

First of all, we have this Christmas Cat. I took the pic on Kokusai Dori. This cats owner has a whole set-up for this cat to travel and busk the streets for money. The cat really seemed to be enjoying itself...purring and "smiling" the whole time. This cat sits on a chair with its paws resting on the back of the chair, while wearing a variety of seasonal outfits. Apparently all proceeds go to take care of this cat. I hope they really do...but highly doubt it.

[ Christmas Kitty ]

Went to A's folks house for a Cousin's Birthday dinner. A was cooking.. It was DELICIOUS...except for this tasty treat, which I did not indulge in....

[ Pig Face ]

I am always on the look out for seasonal beer cans OR different beer because usually there are only the standard lagers. Orion, Orion, and Asahi. This Sapporo beer can looked all retro-vintage, so I bought it and took a pic with my Mac.

[ Retro-Sapporo ]



Sunday, February 7, 2010

Seasonal Sakura Treats

Japan thrives on the glory of seasonal delights. Foods eaten, dishes created are all based on fresh seasonal ingredients. The same goes for seasonal snacks and drinks. It is now Cherry Blossom Time in Okinawa. Spring has Sprung. We can find special Cherry Blossom treats in the stores.

[ Cherry Blossom Flavoured Potato Chips - Maybe....I can't read the entire label so]

[ Cherry Blossom Orion - Beer with a Seasonal Label ]