Every culture has it’s own version of a meat-and-potatoes meal, and the Japanese are no different. (Photo credit: Hideki Ueha) In Japanese cuisine, a meat-and-potatoes meal just might present itself in the form of a beautiful round croquette filled with a mixture of mashed potatoes, ground beef, and onions. This, ladies and gentlemen, is the most basic of Japanese-style croquette that you will find in most Japanese homes, and ours...

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Of all the foods my Mom makes, the more I think about it, the more I’m certain that gyoza, or potstickers, are hands down my favorite dish. Sometimes my Mom would set aside a few gyoza for lunch the next day which she would simply boil in a hot pot of water. It only takes a few minutes for the sui-gyoza to cook, which are quickly drained and then served with a simple sauce of ponzu (citrus – soy dressing) and spiced with Japanese...

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BOO! Every year around this time, I profess my love for the Halloween holiday and this year is no different. Until I had the little one, Halloween was fun, but now that she’s getting older and Halloween is filled with crafts, decorations, costumes, and of course, candy and treats, it’s even MORE fun. For starters, there’s the costume (hers I mean). This whole year has been all about The Little Mermaid, so not surprisingly, she...

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Once again, despite all my early preparations, Christmas seems to have just crept up behind us as I take care of last minute details, and it’s now less than a day away. The excitement in our household is high, yet Bebe E is sad that her Elf will return to the North Pole on Christmas Eve, and she will not return until next year’s holiday season. It was magical having our little Elf stay with us during this special season. I admit, it...

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  Just when the rain started to fall, the weather turned cooler and I felt as though it might finally be time to get the flannel sheets out, we are suddenly facing hot Fall weather in the upper 80’s this week. I love Southern California! (Photo Credit: Hideki Ueha) Fortunately, grilling is practically a year-round activity in my neck of the woods because I love this Korean style marinade that I learned over a decade ago from my...

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It’s day three of the 2012 London Olympics and I’m slightly at a loss for words. Perhaps it’s exhaustion from our busy weekend (which I will happily share in a separate post), or because our DVR wasn’t working Sunday night when I couldn’t stay up to watch swimming, or perhaps I’m feeling a bit off because my left knee is having unusual joint issues. Instead of my weekly gym date with my BFF Monday night, I...

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Our summer is heating up with activities very quickly. This weekend Bebe E starts a soccer for tots class and Bebe E just finished up basketball for tots. We also started obon odori practice, which is a Japanese dance for the summer obon festivals. (Click here for my post on obon and okinawa dango, a Japanese sweet donut). Bebe E loved her first dance practice and especially the popsicle that was offered during break! This week, Bebe E is...

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  We’ve been experiencing bipolar weather in Southern California. One day it’s warm and sunny, with hints of summer just around the corner. The next day it’s cloudy and cold with Spring showers and hail. A mere 40-mile drive also makes a big difference in our weather. When I left Orange County this past weekend, it was warm and sunny, but when I arrived in Santa Monica, it was overcast, I needed a sweater and the next morning...

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