Cute Things

These are the pictures of some cute things I found around here.

The water clock with 2 cute ninjas peeing on it.
This clock in Tenjin is real, it changes every minute to tell time.

during hot summer season, kids (and even moms) can play in this wading pool.
Sosyal na canal.

Trick or Treat!

Last night was my first trick or treat, not that I went to different houses to ask for candies, it was my first time to be "tricked or treated" because halloween back home is celebrated in a very different way. When Chi-Chi's father told us they are going to our house, I was just as excited to buy our baby some treats. I think I got a little carried away because I arrived home with bags of snacks and chocolates which I thought was too much for the little girl so I ended up eating the half.

Chi-Chi was so cute on her little witch costume, she's the only baby we know so she's our only visitor. She was a bit cranky because she was watching the Cartoon Network when her parents dragged her to go house-hopping, I think her mood matched her witch costume. =) But still she cannot hide her delight whenever she sees her bag getting fuller in every stop.

Hay how I wish we had this when I was a child at least for a day, I get to be on my Wonderwoman costume and get snacks for it. It could have been so much fun.

Another Kikay Entry...

When I was younger, I had this belief that one day my pimple scars will be perfectly gone, I just had to find the miracle drug to make this come true. I went to different dermas and they all suggested surgery, a famous derma in Cebu even told me "ampuan na lang nato na 'day" (remember that Claire? hehehe). I resisted that fact so I tried every cream in the market, name it and I'm sure I have tried it, not even wary if it will make my face worst because what have I got to lose? Minsan patong-patong na yung mga nilalagay ko sa mukha ko. And that's how my kakikayan started.

Then I got tired and lazy to layer all those creams on my face everynight and I already reached the point that I have accepted this "scar-y" imperfection. I rest my case, ampo na lang jud makatangtang ani (only prayers can make this gone). Plus, trying all those creams is so painful in the pocket.

So I was on a search for a good moisturizer to maintain a healthy skin and to prevent future wrinkles, etc.. basta something to put before going to bed. I just wanted a simple regimen. I borrowed my friend's Olay Total Effects for a testrun but it was too oily for me. So I just settled on GNC Vitamin C cream. But one day, Arlene told me about the cream she had been wearing every night and she is happy with the effect.

That is the cream I bought from Taipei Duty Free shop a month and a half ago for $18. I have using it since then and I am just as happy with the effect and now I can even recommend it for you to try Olay Regenerist Perfecting Cream. This is not a paid advertisement okay. =)

What I love most about is its lovely smell and non-greasy formula, perfect for my oily skin and I can even use is as an eye cream. It's also gentle for sensitive skin because it worked for Arlene, who has the most sensitive skin I know. Since I used it, I haven't touched my TCA peel which I used every 2 weeks to make my skin regenerate like a snake.

My scars are still here and I still get pimples every period, but it's not as bad as before. It has kept my skin healthier with less effort, I have now a simplified regimen of wash(Clearasil Pink)-tone(Extract Tea Tree oil)-moisturize(Olay). Pefect for a busy wife like me.. =)

I took my picture with my Nokia N93 last night after I washed my face, it's a bare face without anything on it, I guess the lady in the Duty Free shop cash counter is right when she said it can make your skin pink.

The bad thing about it is, it's not available here in Fukuoka.. I'm not sure in major cities though. It's not even in the Philippines, so maybe Claire and Georgia(my more beautiful friends from US and UK ) will now know what to give me for christmas.. bwehehehe

Maki for Dinner

When I say I want less fattening food, Sushi Maki comes into my mind because it is healthy and few bites can already make you feel full plus it's delicious and easy to make! My Maki has fresh lettuce, cucumber, crabsticks, roast ham and cheese, rolled with Japanese rice poured with a small amount of vinegar.

a war zone of Sushi Maki... that is the bamboo maki roller


yatta! an almost perfect roll!

Rolling a maki is harder than it seem, this is just my second time to make one by myself and I still haven't made a perfect roll where the fillings are tightly settled in the center. So I'm not in the position yet to teach how to roll a maki. But to make the maki intact, just spread japanese vinegar on the nori at the end of the roll and stick them together. Before slicing, put japanese vinegar on the knife so the nori and the rice won't stick to it.

Ittadakimasu!

Purely Vanity

I vowed to slow down on cooking for a while and go on a diet because I am getting fat. If I still want to fit in to my pants, I have to slim down.

But alas! last night after office, my hubby took me on a date because every Wednesday is a "No OT day" in their company. I just wanted to eat Ramen and Ice Cream(yeah diet daw) but he wanted to try the Eat-All-You-Can restaurant Maila was raving about, so there goes my diet...off to thin air. I have to learn some South Beach Diet recipe!

On the way home, we dropped by the drugstore to buy a mouthwash, while I was looking for one, I found my favorite Calbee Pizza junkfood on sale for only Y100! I thought it's seldom that it gets on sale so I made the best decision of my life by grabbing 2 packs! from then on I kissed my diet goodbye.

Since I will take a rest on looking for new recipes, I turned to another interest which is Kakikayan. While my hubby was waiting for me outside the drugstore, I detoured to the medicine aisle to look for a beauty medicine. I already got my first pay so I wanted to try the vitamins Idel recommended. There were a lot of them and I thought I neededed help so I called hubby and asked, "bby tulungan mo ako maghanap ng Vitamin C please" (it was a decoy of course, I wasn't really looking for a vitamin C but I have to make it seem really important, hehehe).

I showed him the Cystina-C and he asked the Pharmacist some questions. When he relayed to me that it was more on skin whitening, I acted surprised "ano? meron palang ganun?" (yeah right dramatic actress kaayo. Actually I had to do it coz if he learns that it was all for vanity, he wouldn't help me.) But I didn't like the idea of taking 6 tablets per day as required by Cystina-C when I really don't need whitening so the pharmacist lead me to another medicine named Cutina whose purpose is to stop pimples, cure scars and smoothen the skin from within (kasabot jud ang pharmacist unsa akong kinahanglan da). Good thing hubby understands the pains of having rice fields all over your face so he supported me in buying the medicine and said if it will work for me, he will buy one to.. hehehe.


And so I bought Cutina that contains Vitamin B2 phosphoric acid ester,Vitamin B6,Vitamin B1 nitric, Nicotinic acid amide, Biotin, Pantothenic acid calcium,Vitamin C and L - Cysteine which promises to clear my skin from within. Only Y1680 for 60 tablets and good for 1 month. I still don't know if it's effective but I'll surely write another entry for this kung mugwapa na ko samot after a month.

I read their site this morning, and I'm thinking of buying their clear gel which clears the skin from the outside with Salicylic acid as its active ingredient. It costs Y2650, it's pretty expensive so I have to ponder hard on this. Hmmm...

Because I also ran out of face powder, I bought myself a SelfIt Shiseido powder foundation. SelfIt is a cheaper variety of Shiseido, I am not sure if they sell it outside Japan though. It only costs Y1200 but it has a good coverage and doesn't melt in my skin. I planned to buy my favorite FaceShop Phytogenic powder but I thought since I'm here in Japan, might as well use a Japanese brand that I can't normally afford back home. As the saying goes, "When in Rome do as the Romans do." or in my case, "When in Japan, do as the Japanese do... except speak Nihongo" (bwehehehe).

Japan is a wonderland for a certified kikay girl like me, they have all the answers for every vanity call. If you just stop converting to peso and be a 'little' lose on your yen, you'll surely have some fun. =)

Well, I hope their kikay stuff are really as amazing as their electronics. Let's see... =)

Loving Miso

I don't like Miso soup or anything with Miso in it. But it changed when my friend introduced to me the Shiroi Miso or white miso and the ways on how to use it on cooking. I learned that Miso and Japanese Ryori Sake (Cooking Wine) could be a delicious combination.

For today's lunch I prepared Friend Chicken marinated in Miso, it's the easiest one I could remember among the recipes my friend taught me. It is easy, just mix the miso paste with the sake, making sure that the sake will not overpower the white miso, you can put a little water to dillute the miso paste. Add pepper and salt to taste. Then marinate the chicken in it overnight. It is best when grilled but fried also tastes good.

Because I woke up early, I was able to make a bear-shaped nori rice, because the chicken really go well with nori, it feels like you're in a Japanese Barbeque party. To make nori rice, I poured a little Japanese vinegar on the rice before I shaped it. I don't actually know why, but that's what Maila taught me.. hehe. For dessert was the can of mixed fruit on sale for Y100. Busog!

For dinner, we have Chili Sea Bass... o di ba.. parang sosyal! Back in Firipin, I always hear Sea Bass on the menu of the classiest restaurants, or in showbiz parties I see on The Buzz so I've always been curious what it is. I thought it was a kind of sea weeds hehe. Until my friend told me that Sea Bass is one of the cheapest fish you can buy here in Japan and it is called Saba here.

So I bought a pack of sliced Saba for Y278 and looked for a recipe which calls for sake and white miso. And so I found the Chili Sea Bass recipe and altered it so I won't have to buy what I don't have in the kitchen. This is fish is really flavorful, no wonder it has become a staple in gourmet dishes. O diba... parang sosyal na sardinas ang ulam namin... ;P

Ingredients:
6 slices of Sea Bass (preferably skinless)
3 cherry tomatoes (small tomatoes) or sliced tomatoes will do

for the spicy rub
3 teaspoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon chili pepper

for the sauce:
1 tablespoons White Miso
1 1/2 tablespoons Tomato paste or 1 tablespoons Tomato Ketchup
1/4 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup Mirin
1/4 cup Japanese Cooking Wine
Chili Pepper (depending on how spicy you want it, i put about a half a teaspoon since hubby doesn't like spicy.)

Steps:
1. Mix the ingredients for spicy rub then set aside.
2. Mix the ingredients for the sauce on a separate bowl then set aside.
3. Heat a small amount of oil in the pan. It should be hot but careful not to burn the oil.
4. Lightly dip the fish on the spicy rub then put in the pan. Fry in low heat so the fish will not lose its juiciness. Don't wait for it to become super brown, just cooked enough, fry around a minute.
5. When all the fish are fried, arrange it in the serving platter. Wash the pan or in a separate pan, heat the sauce until it boils then add the tomatoes.
6. Pour in the platter with the fish, then garnish with parsley.

It's delicious especially if you prefer food with different tastes, spicy, sweet and salty. =) I still hate Miso soup but I now have a newfound love affair with white miso and my cooking.

A Time to Walk

Last Saturday I had to reach Seinen Center by 11 am for the private nihongo class so I left the house 30 minutes before. But the wind was strong at that time and it was so difficult to ride the bike so I decided to leave my bike at Gion(2 stations away from Seinen) and take the subway to get to Tenjin where Seinen Center is. The class was nice coz it's not crowded, there's only 3 of us there, I wanted to attend the advance class but it starts at 10 am, the teacher asked me if I don't want the challenge but I told her the challenge to wake up before 10 am is more difficult hehehe. I wanted to buy the Master Series Book they are using but she wouldn't sell it to me unless I attend the class.. bongga!

Anyways after the class, I wanted to rush home coz it was so cold and I wanted to sink in my bed while eating chocolates and watching Greys Anatomy. Especially that Hubby was in a client meeting then it meant I have all the bed for myself.

I was supposed to take th Y100 yen loop bus (it's a bus that takes you anywhere in Fukuoka's main places for only Y100) but it is so slow because it has many stops, it might make me more sleepy than I already was. Since I have all the time in the world, I decided to walk from Tenjin to Gion (I think it's like Guadalupe-Buendia), with my IPOD and my maong trench jacket to keep me warm (which I bought in Whoops! in a whooping P2000 with Georgia, Mau and Jaja... George, sulit jud sya kay dili baduy diri!) I journeyed on foot and smelled the roses.

Walking in pleasure is indeed a different experience, it gave me better perspective than when I ride the bike, the subway or the bus. I realized how beautiful and clean the place is, thanking God that my life is less stressful now and happier. Then I thought of my friends who are currently also living their dreams, the birth pains of leaving your comfort zone really pays off. Thank God for the courage to outshine the hurdles along the way.

Then when I got home, I received a news about the bombing that happened in Glorietta 2. It is sad but also good thing that it didn't happen when I was there coz I am really a mall rat or at the time Georgia and I were busy shopping for our trips (unsaon na lang, sayang ang among lahi). I heard later that my tita and cousins were there having lunch during the bombing, but they were at a different part of Glorietta so they were gladly safe.

Indeed there's a lot more to be thankful for that day.

Gourmet Friday

I had an early knock off because there has not been a reply from the client about the SIP Server I am going to use. So I dropped by the grocery to buy milk,vanilla and egg separator to make myself a leche flan from Rodel's recipe (Juliet's bf).His leche flan is one of the best I've tasted so I was excited to try making one myself. It turned out good, I think this is the best leche flan I've made, except that my caramel was too saucy/watery coz I put too much water on the sugar. =(

These are the ingredient's of Fukuoka's famous leche flan:
6-8 egg yolks
1 cup fresh milk
1 cup condensed milk
a dash of vanilla

And of course you already know what to do with them. I didn't take a photo of it coz I murdered it as soon as it was done. Meaning I ate half of it already so it was not photogenic anymore.. hehe.

This Leche Flan will be our dessert (or my hubby's only coz I already ate my share) and our main course is the Shrimp Scampi... or rather the Ebi Scampi. Well, I have this frozen shrimps and I didn't know what to do with it so I looked for some recipes from the internet and found this recipe for Shrimp Scampi. I forgot how Scampi really tasted coz it's been so long since I last ate my favorite Shrimp Scampi with Cream and Pasta at Oliver's Sandwiches in Glorietta. So I'm not sure if I got it right, I substituted the white wine with Japanese Cooking Rice Wine. I just got disappointed with the shrimps coz it got smaller and smaller as they were cooked. Well, what can you expect from a frozen good.

Shrimp Scampi is expensive when you order it in the restaurant, it's also the most expensive pasta in Oliver's. So if you're wishing to eat something gourmet, and you have Shrimps just follow the recipe on the link. It's so easy. =)

My Ebi Scampi

Sailing in Fukuoka

One of our friends invited us to go sailing with his Japanese friends and his family. We went to Shinakoshima, a small island in Fukuoka and had barbeque at the port. It was my first time to go sailing and now I understand why rich people splurge on a yacht and why owning yacht is often part of a person's dream. It's definitely great to be in the middle of the sea, away from your usual world with just your luxurious yacht or your family/friends. Hubby found it boring and missed his laptop, especially when they stopped the engine and pulled up the sails and let only the wind to glide the boat but for me it was really fun and relaxing!

When I grow up, I want to be rich and buy myself a yacht!

You're easy breezy and I'm Japanesey

Beef, Asparagus and Carrots Roll

Hubby likes asparagus and we have this pack of asparagus in the fridge that has been waiting for me to get my hands on but aside from saute-ing it with pork or egg, I don't know what else I am going to do with it coz frankly I don't really like it that much. Good thing I found this recipe from Kitchen Cow, oh it's so delicious! I am not good in food presentation so my picture doesn't do justice on how good it tastes. But I highly recommend it for you to try. I used the thin slices of beef instead of the sirloin so I didn't need the toothpick to roll them together making it much easier. If you want some other way to serve yourself some veggies, just follow Kitchen Cow's recipe! It's yummy! Now I have a new friend with Asparagus. =)

And for today's bento or lunchbox, I made Spam Musubi which I also found in the internet. Just follow the recipe on the link. On the way home last night, I dropped by 100yen shop to buy me cookie cutter (for the Spam) and sushi molder(to form the rice). There's a lot of cute bentou stuff that I wanted to buy but i'll just save it for later when I have enough time and creativity for a pretty lunchbox. =)

My Japanese Lunch

*My entry's title is from the song 'easy breezy' by Utada Hikaru, it's a cute song and I'm not sure if I understood it well, but it's a nice song to pep my day. Try downloading a copy from Limewire, I'm sure you'd also enjoy it. hehe =)

Easy Breezy

My new favorite Japanese Song...

Fashion Mornings and Some

I bike from house to the office for 15 minutes everyday and everyday, no matter how sleepy I am, I get shooked up to my senses by the live catwalk on the streets. Japanese fashion is always a feast to the eyes. The coats, boots, layered shirts...they are always put together that it makes me feel like a grandmother with my usual Philippine office attire and my very pink Hello Kitty fleece jacket..eeewww.

I REALLY want to try Japanese fashion and blend with them, and I have a long wishlist for that, like a pair of boots, fancy coat, black leggings, skirts, layered sweater, semi-dress, accessories, smaller thigh so it will look good with a pair of black leggings and smaller butt so the skirts will fit me hehe.

Speaking of Japanese fashion, let me take you to Japanese beauty department. I have friends who are asking me about Gluthatione or some whitening pills here because as they said it all started here so it might be cheaper here. But as I roam around their drugstores, I think Gluthatione is a thing of their past. (This is just my own conclusion). Because they have a lot of beauty pills here with ingredients whose names are so foreign to me, that claims to lessen melanin production (so whitening sya), minimizes blemishes from within and hasten metabolism(so makapayat pa jud). From the pictures on their promotional posters, I assume it also delays ageing. Even their ordinary vitamin C has claims that it whitens your skin. Kumbaga higher level ang whitening nila. I don't know with these women they are so white but they are still obsessed with whitening. You won't see papaya soap or whitening lotion because they prefer to work from within.

Something also caught my attention at the drugstore, it's in a tube bottle as big as the Large Pantene Conditioner with a name Emotion Type Lotion. Well, it's a lubricant! Do they really need help that much or is it for the middle gendered? I mean in the Philippines I only saw lubricants on a sachet but here it's in a bottle! Hmm... now I know what to give Mau on Christmas bwehehehe.

Work no Koto

Since I've become too domesticated with my previous entries, let me tell a story about my work. I've been working on a P2P thru JXTA project for a popular Japanese telecompany. I'm still getting a hang of the JXTA (Juxtapose) protocol when the client demanded to connect the application to a SIP Server (Session Initiated Protocol). So I added Java Telephony on my code and installed this server with a funny cute name, Brekeke where I connected my application, and a Windows Messenger 5.1 which has a SIP communication support. But to my dismay, the two cannot see each other, they cannot communicate with each other. You see I am trying to make a Skype Client like application, where my application connects to the SIP Server and be able to send a message or call another client. I thought it was my application's fault so I tested two Windows Messenger that registers to the SIP Server, but it still gave me the same result. I clearly followed the instruction in the server's tutorial on how to use WM with it, kulang na lang mag tumbling ako. Suspecting that it was the VM Ware's fault, I even tried to ask Claire and Georgia to help me using their WM but their version was old, so they couldn't do anything. I even posted a topic on the forum which proudly displayed my full name! arrgghh! Then I got an account on another SIP Server and connected the WMs but still the same thing happens.

So to keep myself from sulking on frustration, I distracted myself on chatting with Claire, Lizette and Georgia about anything under the sun and moon. It can be really frustrating you know when you can't make a supposed to be simple thing to work. I began to think maybe I am not cut out for this job.. maybe I am really meant to be a geisha... tsk tsk.

Then realization happened... I downloaded another free SIP Client and connected it with the Server. Installed another in my VMWare and voila! it worked! Connected my application and yatta! it also worked. I added a CallListener to my app and yey! my app is ringing! and even accepting calls!

I received a reply on my post this morning and it says it's because of unsupported chorva of Windows Messenger and their SIP Server. Grr, they should have said it in their tutorial Guide.

Oh well, this is such a boring entry... cooking and recipes are far more interesting to tell. I tried but ndi talaga ako bagay mag technical hehehe.

Actually all I wanted to say is Sam Milby and Piolo Pascual are gays and dating based on Lolit Solis account on PEP. Wala jud mabuhat.

Pretty Bento

Claire shared me this link about lunch bentos made creatively by a Filipina who is suprisingly not living in Japan. Her entries are so fun to read and her bentos make me envy of her rich imagination. Check it out too and be inspired. When I have time, I plan to raid the 100 yen shop for bento goodies and try to make myself one.

Marriage on Weekends

Last Sunday hubby and I watched the weekend fountain show at the Canal City while sharing a Y103 ice cream on a cold autumn night. That building infront is the Hyatt Hotel, on the second floor is where Hubby took me for an official date and where he proposed his love for me. Charing! He treated me on a Y10,000 tabehoudai dinner, it has the most delicious looking buffet table I have ever seen, too bad I wasn't able to eat well that night because I was so restless. It was a torture looking at the mouthwatering lobster that I was afraid to eat coz hindi ako marunong kumain nun na hindi nakakamay.. hehehe. But I made Dan promise to take me there again on our first year anniversary.. or maybe this Christmas na lang kaya... hmm...

Chinese Again

I miss my friends in Cebu, I mean my friends from my previous company in Cebu, especially now that everyone of us are in different parts of the world (Georgia will soon be in UK, Claire is in the US, Crys and Arlene in Singapore..etc). Which makes it impossible to imagine that one day we are going to gather together like we used to. One thing that we usually do in Cebu was eat at our favorite chinese restaurant, Harbor City of which their Lahug branch we frequently visit. And where we always order their Steamed Rice that used to cost only P30 per bowl..(pila na kaha ni karon?). That is why I suddenly had the craving for it. It's been years since I last had my fill because it is not available at any chinese restaurant in Manila (even here in Japan), it's uniquely from Cebu so when I miss the food in Cebu, it's not their Lechon that first comes to mind, but instead the Harbor City steamed rice!

So I asked Claire for her mom's steamed rice recipe, bought myself a steamer last week but only got to cook it last Sunday morning because I couldn't stop my craving anymore (dili ko buntis oi). I thought, I already have the recipe, then why settle on reminiscing?

I altered the recipe to make use of what we have at home because we haven't gone to the grocery yet, so I had very limited supplies. The recipe calls for a lot of vetsin(which is expected in a chinese recipe), I tried to stay away from it but I couldn't get the kick and spunk I was craving for so I gave in and put a small dash of Maggi Magic Sarap on the sauce.

And this is my first attempt to make Pork Steamed Rice. It's not as brown as the one from Cebu coz I used Japanese Toyo, which I think has less coloring. But overall it tastes close to it. =) My hubby haven't gone to Harbor City so he couldn't really relate to it but he ate 2 servings. Yatta! Thanks Claire for sending recipe! =)

Haay... I miss the chitchats, laughter and fun that used to go with it back then. =)

Pork Steamed Rice

Ingredients:
Cooked Rice
Pork, peeled Shrimp (or Pork lang kung walang shrimp I used dried ebi for garnish)
Green Peas
Onion, minced
Sesame oil
for Sauce:
3 cups water
1/2 Pork Cube
2 tbsp Cornstarch dissolved in water
3 tbsp Toyo
salt and pepper to taste
for Meat:
1 tbsp cornstarch
2 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp salt
1 tbsp vinegar
garlic
pepper to taste

1. Put the cooked rice on separate bowls that is safe for steaming. Set aside.
2. Mix the ingredients for the meat with the meat and marinate it for 30 minutes.
3. Fry the marinated meat until brown then set aside.
4. To do the sauce, Mix the pork cube with water and Toyo. Saute the onion with butter or sesame oil. Pour in the sauce, simmer. Then add in the dissolved cornstarch while stirring, add in the green peas, and the meat. Simmer again. If it is too malapot, add water and adjust the taste with salt, toyo and pepper. Add a dash of vetsin or Maggi Magic Sarap.
5. Pour it in the bowls of rice. Then Steam for 15 minutes.

Lasagna for the very first Time!

Lasagna ala Juliet, Maila and Ria

One thing I love in this country is that they have a lot of holidays. Yesterday was Grandmother's day or something like that so Juliet, Maila and I had time for a baking fest at their home. We went to the nearest market to buy ingredients for Lasagna and I was assigned to make a list of the ingredients to buy. But bad me got all the recipes we read from the internet all mixed up and ended up buying some stuff that are not in the recipe that we picked. So as not to waste the unneeded ingredients, we opted to make our very own Lasagna recipe.

It was our first time to make a Lasagna because we all grew up without an oven so we just based it according to how we perceive an ideal Lasagna should be. It is like a spaghetti but only it uses a different kind of pasta and arranged in layers. And so we did. Now I know that the distinct smell of Lasagna came from Oregano.

We had lots of fun, we took turns in test-tasting the sauce para walang sisihan. The end result was kind of soggy lasagna which we realized, it was short of flour but it was DELICIOUS! Maila's Japanese boyfriend even said that it tasted like it was cooked in the restaurant and ate half of the pan. Indeed a success. The boys are even clamming for more. Well, iba na talaga when it is made with laughter and love.

After that we baked Banana Cake for dessert which is medyo palpak but I will post the recipe sometime when it has been perfected.

Anyways, here is the recipe of Lasagna ala Juliet, Maila and Ria:

ingredients:

9 pcs 2 inch wide lasagna noodles

3 cups Tomato Sauce

1.5 cups Milk

400 grams ground beef

white onion chopped

Mozarella Cheese

Butter

Oregano

Basil

Garlic Powder

Salt and Pepper

3 tbsp Flour

How to:

Cook the lasagna noodles like spaghetti noodles for 4 minutes. set aside. Mix the tomato sauce and the milk then set aside. saute the ground beef with the onion and set aide. In a separate pan, melt the butter, pour in the mixed tomato sauce w/milk, add in the flour while mixing constantly until it thickens. Add in the ground pork, and oregano, basin, garlic powder and salt and pepper to your taste. I prefer lots of oregano.

Spread thin layer of the sauce on the pan. Then layer it with lasagna noodles, sauce and mozzarella cheese in order. Bake it for 15-20 minutes. Serve hot with a dash of parmesan cheese and love. charing!

Ikot-Ikot

If I am not in the mood to cook for dinner and neither does my hubby, fastfood chains like McDo or Jollibee(ay wala palang joliibee dito), is in the least of our options. Instead, we go to the 4th floor of Yodobashi where our favorite Ikot-Ikot restaurant is located. We call it Ikot-Ikot coz first, we don't know how it is called in Japanese, second the food pass by infront of you through a revolving counter. It's like a walkalator for sushis, maki, french fries, karage(fried chicken), calamares and even desserts, each plate costs Y105 or Y157 for the desserts. Except for beverages which you can get from the vending machine at the entrance. This is the real fastfood. You just grab a seat, chopsticks, wasabe and kikkoman, select from the revolving choices and if your object of desire is not among them or somebody from the other side got to it first, don't fret coz you can just push the intercom infront of you and order from that menu, but you have to know how to read kanji or hiragana or else you just have to make do with what is infront of you. hehe.

So this is our quick fix to our laziness and hunger combined tonight after my hubby's client meeting. And we leave the place never have to be guilty about how much junk of carbo or oil we took in. And because of that I got entitled to eat my favorite ice cream at Lawson for dessert! Yey!

our dinner costs Y945 for two

High School Life

I found these highschool questions from Idel's blog and I thought it's fun reminiscing the good old days...

Who was your best friend?

I have different sets of friends from 1st year to 3rd year. My closest are my barkada since 3rd year which we called TALFAVA. Abbreviations of our last names hehe. One of them, Langga Teves was one of my bridesmaids during my wedding. And Sue used to be my condomate with Georgia.

What kind of car did you drive?

I don't drive and I can't drive until now. But hatid sundo ako sakay ng aming volkswagen even if our house is just 5 minutes away by trisikad.

It’s Friday night. Where were you?

Home kasi strict ang parents and grandparents ko hehe.

Were you considered a flirt?

When I reached 3rd year and started going out(friendly laag lang gud) with the basketball varsity team from the Chinese school, some started labeling our barkada as flirt. Plus I was friends with one of the flirtest girls in school that even my kuya was warning me of not to get influenced by her.

But actually I only flirted with one person for 4 years, and he's not from other school but my seatmate.

Were you in the band, orchestra, or choir?

Ngek no talent on that area.

Were you a nerd?

I wear skinny jeans while ambil or bell bottom was the fad.. but I am not a nerd.

Who was your favorite teacher?

A lot. Mrs. Baldovino my english teacher, I learned a lot from her and I guess she is the reason why even the most stupid student in Ateneo can speak good english. and Mr. Potestas my Math teacher because he is so funny. And Father Reyes in Theology... because he is the most handsome priest I have ever met and until now I couldn't figure out why he calls me "Miss I love you!" maybe he could see the lust in my eyes? hehe

Speaking of teachers, I hate my H.E. teacher Mrs. Misa (may she rest in peace) because she threw a potholder at me when I did not separate the 1st gata from the 2nd for the chicken curry, and I screwed up on the baking class. I threw 1 dozen of eggs in the canal because I did not separate the yellow from the white for the chiffon cake. Heller, I didn't know it was that important to separate the egg! At nilapastangan niya ang unfinished stuffed toy ko kasi mali daw ang paggupit ko.. but after I passed it, I saw my work at the exhibit, it turned out to be one of the best. Ayaw pa kasing maniwala na kaya kong ayusin yun. That is why until now I still keep the stuffed toy, it reminds me not to judge the book until it is finished. hehe!

What was your school mascot?

A blue knight.

Did you go to the Prom?

Of course! We were made to line up and meet our random partner at the stage. While waiting for our turn I had a fight with my barkada Ella and because of that I left her and went to the back of the line. It turned out, she got to be the partner of our crush Angelo Aquino and I had a forgettable partner tsk! It could have been me if I didn't move an inch.

The prom was a blah! but it was fun after because we met up with our boy-friends from the chinese school at The Spam's, the hip disco bar at that time. That was my first time to go out at night with boys!

Did you have a job your senior year?

Nope, i was not allowed to get a job, though I wanted to apply as a summer crew in Jollibee.

Did you go to school with anyone who is now famous?

Juris of MYMP, Jinky of Freestyle who sang the most beautiful Lupang Hinirang during school programs. She should sing it in one of Pacquiao's fight.

Did you go to a senior trip?

Just the senior recollection.

Have you gone to a class reunion?

December last year, we had our first batch reunion. It was fun to see the people you've grown to be with since nursery. Since we are already adults, there were no more social barriers, I even got to talk to the most elusive bachelor in our school for the very first time. And I was able to ask straight to his face the question that I wanted to ask him back then, "kaya ba wala ka pang nagiging girlfriend kasi bakla ka?". Bwehehe ...

Chinese for Dinner

my Chicken Wings with Oyster Sauce

For a balanced meal, I see to it that we have vegetables for dinner because lunch baons are often the quick-to-prepare-meals like fried pork, fried chicken, breaded shrimps..etc. Tonight I had a craving for some chinese meal, some familiar dish that is usually served in our favorite chinese restaurant (saan pa ba?). So I thought of the beef in oyster sauce, but we can't afford beef here in Japan so I settled for what I have in the fridge, chicken wings and brocolli, and found this recipe from my favorite site in the internet which I adjusted to suit my taste. Unlike in Chinese restaurants, this has no added MSG so it's safe and you won't get dizzy after eating. hehe. My hubby and I loved the result of my first oriental main dish, so I am sharing this recipe for you to try. Go! it's as easy as dialing for a Chinese takeout.

Ingredients:

6 Chicken Wings
3 tbsp Soy Sauce
Spring Onions (sa bisaya pa sibuyas dahon)
Ginger (luy-a, the amount depends on how you like ginger on your food)
Brocolli florettes

for the sauce:
3 tbsp Oyster Sauce
1 tbsp Sugar
1/2 tbsp Salt
dash of pepper
1 cup of water

thickener:
dissolve 1 tbsp cornstarch in 2 tbsp of water

Steps:
1. Cut the Chicken in the joints and discard the small parts. (I kept them for the Sotanghon I am planning to make).
2. Wash the Chicken and mix them with the Soy Sauce (for added taste, I sprinked some Lemon Pepper powder). Let it stay for 10-20 minutes.
3. Steam the brocolli for 3-4 minutes then line them on the serving plate. (we don't have a steamer so I just used this metal plate with stand and place inside the caserole with water).
4. Deep fry the chicken then set aside. Since my hubby is so conscious of his oil intake, I drained the oil on the abura paper.
5. On a different pan, (or you can wash the pan where you fried the chicken), heat 2 tbsp of oil, saute the spring onion and the ginger until fragrant.
6. Put in the Chicken and the Oyster sauce mix, cover and simmer for 5 minutes or until the sauce is reduced to about 1/2 cup.
7. Put in the thickener, mix until the sauce thickens, then pour into the serving plate with the brocolli.

I really love to cook! especially now that we have bigger kitchen, affordable kitchen gadgets from the 100 yen shop and of course, someone to cook for. I am hoping that I can post more successful recipes here. Actually, cooking has become my stress reliever, today I couldn't make my JXTA MembershipService code to work, I was breaking my back(literally) for the whole day for nothing. It was such a relief being able to make a successful dish that I was craving for or else, I would have called today officially a bad day.

I am also itching to try my hands on baking, my mouth has been drooling for dessert recipes in the internet that is why I am so excited to use the new oven at Maila's house. I hope to post my first cake or brownie recipe here.

Yo desu, desu yo!

"zenbu okota koto ga, riyuu ga arimasu."

Just one of the nihongo I learned from Maila's boyfriend. It means, "everything happens for a reason.", I asked him to translate the english version for me to tell him he is not only a blessing to Maila but also to a learning student like me. Because ever since they became an item, and he started hanging out with us Filipinos, I get to learn nihongo conversation.

It was from him that I learned the different uses of "ne?", "yo!", and of course the "desu yo?", "desu yo!" with different accents. I get to use a lot of these expressions when we talk, I have long heard of these words but I just didn't have the confidence to use them coz I'm not sure when to make singit it to the conversation and what accent to use. Also, you don't normally get to use it in the office coz it's inappropriate or it may be appropriate sometimes but I'm just really careful in talking with superiors, baka bastos ang dating.

Now, I can have a normal conversation with a real japanese and hopefully learn to converse better. Konti na lang... ne?