明けましておめでとう！ Akemashite Omedetou! Translation: Happy New Year! A few years ago, I vowed to learn how to make osechi ryori, or traditional Japanese New Year’s food. For as long as I can remember, every year, my Mom would make several different types of osechi ryori for our family to eat on New Year’s Day. Today, this is still true, to a certain extent, but recently I’ve been trying to help her by making...

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  Happy New Year! Thank you all for your friendship, love, kind words, encouragement, delicious food and good company! May you all enjoy a healthy, prosperous and happy 2012! * * * * * * * * Soooooo….. Despite my comments regarding beef in my last post for 2011, I ended up cooking a rather LARGE piece of red meat for my family’s Christmas lunch…. ….And then, Christmas came and went in a flash. The days that immediately...

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The holiday season is in full swing! Earlier last week I was feeling a bit overwhelmed with all that I needed to do, yet all-in-all it’s been great. Most all of our Christmas shopping is now done, presents are wrapped and under our decorated tree. Christmas cards have been sent. Bebe E “wrote” her letter to Santa and even visited him and his elves (twice) at South Coast Plaza. She told Santa she wants a bicycle (a.k.a....

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The other day, Bebe E and I took a walk with a good friend of ours and the leaves on the maple trees were gorgeous shades of red, gold, orange and yellow. It was beautiful, and in my friend’s words, peaceful. Fall is one of my favorite times of the year. Bebe E and I have been picking leaves whenever we have the chance. I’ve found recently picked leaves in the house, on the floor of our car, and the other day I found a little...

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  Cream corn is a family favorite that I only make for Thanksgiving and again for Christmas. Occasionally, it may also make a surprise appearance at Easter. This home made cream corn is simple to make and not as time-consuming as some of our other holiday favorites. It’s a great side dish when you’re also responsible for cooking six or more dishes. It’s one of those side dishes that you can make ahead of time, reheat, and...

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  I originally planned to post this on Friday, March 11th, but it turned out to be the morning after the 9.0 earthquake that hit Sendai, Japan on March 10, 2011. It seemed inappropriate to immediately post a celebratory chirashi sushi dish that I made for a festive Japanese holiday, Girl’s Day. Featured Above: Photo Credit Hideki Ueha (chirashi that I made in 2012). Our thoughts, prayers and condolences are with all of those who...

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Does anyone know how long the terrible-two’s last? Is it one year? Is it two years? Two and a half years? Over the weekend, Bebe E found a black ballpoint pen and drew a nice long dark squiggly line down the entire length of one cushion of our sofa. Nice, huh? And technically, she’s not even two yet. Scary. Of course, we have “coloring time” where Bebe E opens her little box filled with washable crayons and magical...

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  It seems wrong to start this post with, “Happy New Year!” as I originally intended, rather than, “Happy (belated) Valentine’s Day!” yet here we are two- going on three- weeks after we celebrated Chinese New Year, wishing all of you a Happy New Rabbit Year. And yes, some of you might be thinking exactly what Bebe Dada voiced. Last night, he bluntly announced that this post is “a little too late, isn’t...

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