What role do you Play? This week it’s been so amazing and inspiring to watch the 2020 Tokyo Olympics! Five years ago, I recall watching a live video when the Olympic committee named Tokyo as the host for the 2020 summer Olympics. The excitement of the Japanese people jumping up and down and waving their …
Recently, I’ve been really liking popcorn. To be honest, I was never a popcorn fan. Why did this change? Well, my husband, the farmer, has been selling his greens at a local food market called Farm Fresh Picks at the Creamery. You order online through their Facebook group and it’s a drive through pick-up on …
Hawaiian Style Popcorn – Hurricane Popcorn Recipe Read More »
In early December, 2013, Japanese Cuisine, known as “washoku” in Japanese, was awarded UNESCO’s intangible cultural assets status. The only other cuisine to receive this honor is French cuisine in 2010. Now, for Japan, a country of foodies, it’s a great honor to receive the UNESCO status…
Now that Christmas has come and gone, in a Japanese household, we have to start thinking of the biggest holiday of the year, New Years or Oshogatsu. January 1st, is called Gan jitsu. In the olden days, it was thought that the new year’s god, Toshigami-sama, brought happiness and good harvest. So, to welcome this …
If feng shui is about “living in harmony with nature” for a building structure, then permaculture is about “living in harmony with the land.“ For those that haven’t heard of permaculture, you aren’t alone. I’ve only learned about it in the last three years through the interest of my husband. Permaculture is a movement which began in …
21 Acres Sustainable Agriculture- Is this the Feng Shui of Farms? Read More »
In Asian cuisine, sesame seeds and sesame oil are very important condiments. In fact, today, Japan and China are the two largest importers of sesame products. The nutty, slightly sweet seed is not only savored for its flavor but is a very good source of minerals that include copper, manganese, magnesium, calcium, iron, phosphorus, vitamin B1, selenium, and …
This is the continuation of my attempt to video blog, or vlogging! In my previous life, or should I say my life before kids, I did a lot of T.V. and video work. So, I’m trying to dig up those skills and the hope is to share a little bit of Asian culture. not only to the …
Many in the West may know the 80/20 Rule, also known as the Pareto Principle. It states that “80 percent of the results are achieved by 20 percent of the group or 20 percent of your effort will generate 80 percent of your results.” According to the Wikipedia ” Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto, observed in 1906 that 80% …
Our family loves the spicy and rich flavors of Korean food. When the kids come home during their school break, their restaurant of choice is the local Korean BBQ. Apparently, in their neighborhoods, there are plenty of Japanese and Chinese eateries but not many Korean. So, off we go and they consume an embarrassing amount of …
I love noodles, any kind of noodles; soup noodles, stir-fried, dry, wet, doesn’t matter. So while living in Singapore, I became slightly addicted to their mee or noodles and the condiment that always comes with it: pickled green chillies. One of my favorite was the light Singapore Noodles that are made with rice noodles with …
Among sushi connoisseurs, the culinary herb, shiso has become well known. In English it’s referred to as the perilla leaf or beefsteak plant. According to my cookbook, the shiso is a member of the mint family, however, from a taste perspective, I think it should belong to the basil family. There are two varieties of …
The earthquake in Japan has made me realize what my feng shui master keeps reiterating: man cannot control nature, instead we must learn to work with nature. Also, it has become evident how we are so reliant on electrical power and oil. Our lifestyles take so much for granted, that it’s really a wake up …
Sometimes we need comfort food. For me, this is so simple yet satisfying to eat over a bowl of rice. Stewed pork in shoyu can be considered either Japanese or Chinese, but who cares if it just tastes good! Right? The ingredients are easy to get anywhere because there is nothing fancy in it. If …
This post is from Honolulu where I am enjoying family, warm temperatures and fresh fruit! Yesterday, for breakfast my Dad cut me a ripe papaya and after dinner my sister and I halved a fresh yellow passion fruit from our neighbor’s yard. What a treat to be able to enjoy the fruit of the land …
Umeboshi is a Japanese pickled plum which is salty and sour, most commonly used in the center of an onigiri, or rice ball. To learn how to make an onigiri, click on the link and watch my video! Traditionally, umeboshi were extremely salty and sour, but as our palettes have changed and we are more …
“What am I going to cook today?” Some days I struggle to think what to make for dinner, especially when I’m short on time. Thinking about what to eat and creating a balanced diet for a family can be stressful. Just to make sure the menu includes proteins, vegetables, carbohydrates, fruits and oils can be …
