Results matching “Japan” from Jeanette Hada's Wellness and Happiness Blog
I've been thinking how incredibly different life has changed with the baby. I wouldn't have it any other way. It's almost frightening how much I love this tiny human. The funny thing is, before she was born, my dear friend told me that it's important to not neglect the husband when the baby arrived. It's been non-stop taking care of her that there really is no time to pay attention to Naoki or really myself these past several months. Taking a shower uninterrupted is a luxury and I'm thankful when papa is able to take Aislee for a walk while I handle a few household chores. He spends most of his free time caring for the house and garden. What's interesting and a little funny, is that after you have this cute little one with small everything and inquisitive expressions, anything that was remotely cute or appealing in your partner ceases to be...well, cute. Suddenly, the baby has taken control of all that is cute. Not even Lucky, our comedic bird, can compete.
Other observations of life with baby... Buying new clothes, shoes, makeup is no longer a necessity. It has been replaced by buying food, toys (for baby), and diapers. I wear mostly what's comfortable now. Her comfort and well-being is my top priority. So far, I've been blessed with clients who are baby-friendly. She comes with me everywhere -- even to tour properties.
I never thought becoming a mother would incur so many changes. The pressure cooker Naoki purchased is a lifesaver. It makes healthy baby food in minutes! I'll try chubbing Aislee up with avocados, sweet potatos, and bananas. She loves Japanese pumpkin, kabocha, which cooks beautifully in the pressure cooker. I add a little cinnamon sometimes. She seems to enjoy it.
Finding time to eat for myself has been difficult while juggling caring for the baby and working. Making sandwiches enables me to eat and have a free hand while eating. My current addiction is Trader Joe's Garlic Cheddar Sourdough toasted and smothered with avocado on one side and thinly sliced cucumbers and cream cheese. Sometimes I'll slather raspberry jam and a savory speadable cheese on the same bread which is super good as well.
Ok, time for us to move to the Sun Room to sleep. This is where we now have our bedroom. The Star Room is our library/office, the Moon Room is also an office (that's in serious need of cleaning). I work in the Fire Room most of the time and the Sky Room (aka the dining room is used for gatherings. We'll be hosting Aislee's first birthday in July and hope to see some of you here at our gingerbread house.
I've really come to love this house with it's beautifully painted rooms. Naoki finished the Venetian plaster in the sun room and recently the star room. He did a wonderful job and they look wonderful and bring a warmer feeling to the house.
Life has been busy with family and business. We've been blessed in both areas. Naoki's mother and sister came for a brief nine day stay. They really enjoyed all the tasty fruit (navel oranges, pummelos, fuji apples, and oro blancos) that are in season from the farmers market in Campbell. I made a garlicky spinach pasta with fresh Meyer lemons from our yard one night. It came out very well, though I would have liked it to be spicier...recipe to follow.
In business, I feel very fortunate and again blessed to be working with so many incredible people. My listing in San Bruno thankfully sold and the seller is buying a lovely place to call home in Sacramento. Four deals have closed this year so far and with another in escrow, there is much to be appeciative for. Although the news is always painting a bleak outlook, they are usually behind in reporting how things are looking up.
Back to talking about home... We have nearly 50 fruit plants/trees in our yard now. The potatoes are sprouting in the crop circle Naoki made. The blossoms are radiant on Aislee's white peach / white nectarine tree and on the Georgia Peach tree we adopted from a home in Palo Alto. I'm looking forward to making fruit pies if the fat squirrels don't get to them first.
The old avocado tree that came with this house bears California Diablo avocados. They're smoother and creamier than Hass and have a thinner skin. They take two weeks to ripen once picked from the tree. Hopefully we'll have more growing as I love avocado sandwiches on toasted bread with Japanese mayonnaise (Kewpie brand) and slices of cold cucumber! So good!! I could go off on a tangent when it comes to avocados... Actually it looks like I did.
Ok, on to the pasta recipe -
Boil your preferred pasta al dente (slightly undercooked) as you'll be adding it to another pan to mix in with the garlic lemon sauce.
1. In a large sauce pan drizzle a tablespoon of grapeseed oil (olive oil is fine too) and a pat of butter, heat on medium flame.
2. Add crushed garlic, approximately 5 - 7 cloves
3. Sprinkle a teaspoon (or more depending on your heat preference) of red pepper flakes
4. Add a few pinches of salt to meld flavors, more can be added later to adjust
5. Careful not to burn the garlic, give your mixture a few pushes around your pan.
6. Once garlic is crisp, add spinach and pasta.
7. Mix everything well til spinach is cooked, adding a touch more oil or butter as needed.
8. Finally add thinly sliced lemon wedges of one lemon or juice lemon and add it's zest.
I wish all of you a very healthy, happy, and prosperous 2008!
On New Year's Day we celebrated 2008 by visiting our good friend who has prepared the traditional Japanese New Years dishes for us for the past couple years. It was a little challenging as Naoki is vegetarian and I basically eat fish (ok, sometimes I'll have chicken, but it's rare these days).
She made my favorite dessert made from fresh Fuji apples and agar. It makes for a lovely, gelatin-free, refreshing jello. Everything was lovely and neatly sorted in a lacquered box. My favorite is the soup she makes flavored with kelp and filled with savory bits of dark leafy greens, daikon, and mochi (which she first toasted in the oven). The black beans that she prepared were soft and chewy in texture and slightly sweet. The chestnut/sweet potato was hearty and a beautiful golden color. Her anago rolled omelet was absolutely delicious and small rounds of seasoned taro were just a few of the items there. What a wonderful and special treat to experience every year! Pictures to follow at http://jeanette.hada.us
Ok, obviously I'm a little obsessed with food and would love to share a few of my favorite foodie sites. Some of these most people already know, but here they are just in case...
http://www.yelp.com
- This is an excellent site, where people can critique (rant or rave) about their experiences with different places they've visited.
http://www.opensourcefood.com
- By far my favorite recipe site with pictures that will have those late night hunger pangs kick in.
http://www.annamariavolpi.com/foodmovies.html
- Another food lovers list of food-related movies
Stay tuned, I'll be providing unedited (non-Photoshopped) before and after shots. Interested in learning this process? Contact me for more information!
Ever since returning from Japan a few weeks, I'd been craving the simmered pumpkin that Naoki's mother made many times while we were there. Luckily, I found that Nijiya, our local Japanese food market carries organic Kabocha! The first time I purchased one, I selected the smallest (in case I made any mistakes in cooking it).
> It was simple to cut, scoop out the seeds, and slice into 1 1/2 inch or so pieces.
> To finish, place pieces of the pumpkin into a large pot, fill one third of the way with filtered water, soy sauce, and mirin (Japanese cooking wine).
> Sugar is optional, but I usually leave it out, as this vegetable is sweet enough (to me).
> Heat on high until boiling, then reduce to a simmer until the pumpkin is easy to cut through.
> Add a small drizzle of olive oil towards the end (my mother-in-laws suggestion) and serve hot or cold.
* My dear friend, who has the most amazing cooking skills, recommends adding butter. I have to agree that I love that richness it adds, but can do with out the extra fat, salt and calories.
* This lovely little dish makes a welcome addition to a packed lunch. It is rich in beta carotene, with iron, vitamin C, potassium, and smaller traces of calcium, folic acid, and minute amounts of B vitamins. <= last part pinched from Wikipedia.com
I love this website.
I've never seen fireworks as breathtaking as the ones in Japan!! Please be amazed at my remarkable picture taken with my low-res camera phone...
Tuesday and Thursday evenings were spent watching the summer hanabi/fireworks show in two different locations by the river. We had the best seats that gave us an upclose view right near the launch pad. Fiery ash and debris rained downed upon us and those unfortunate enough not to wear glasses got an eye full of soot. Naoki's camera equipment has scorch marks and we both sustained a few burns. There were also a variety of flying/biting creature near the water. Luckily I had a paddle fan to swat and smash with.
Since our business meeting was rescheduled for Saturday, we set out to visit some local shrines in Ise, which is approximately an hour and a half away. All together we went to three different places and walked through lush green gardens that have over a thousand years of history. The crown prince of Japan was set to visit the following day so the shrines were exceptionally clean and in order.
The first place was hidden within the city and appeared to be well kept. Naoki informed me that they move and rebuild the shrines at the particular place every 20 years as the gods tend to get bored of staying in one place. To me, I guess any change after two decades in one place would be good.
The second location we went to next was my favorite. It was so vast and had a river running through it. To enter, a long wide wooden bridge needs to be crossed and lengthy pebbled walkways surrounded by trees and foliage of various hues of green shaded lead you to each god's shrine. When you approach, you make an offering (a coin or paper money will do), bow two times, clap twice, then give your thanks. Oh, I almost forgot. Every entrance to a shrine has a well or fountain with ladles to cleanse your hands (some people also use the water to rinse their mouths) before entering. Aside from the amazing scenery, I loved that this place was next to a shopping area. We had a delicious lunch (see photo) of marinated tuna over rice, a smoky flavored miso, cold noodle w/ half cooked egg (somen), pickled daikon, and a tiny seasoned tofu patty, scallop, and what appeared to be a small purse of tofu stuffed with mushrooms and vegetables. Yes, all of it was super delicious!
Our third place to visit was a shrine for a moon god. I'm not sure what that exactly means, but this was a very hidden location. Due to the overcast weather conditions, it was really dark and difficult to see. Four shrines in a row were set up. After Naoki and my in-laws attended each one, we left for home.
We just arrived in Japan yesterday after a long journey by car, plane, speedboat, and minivan!
Our first place to visit was my in-laws in Mie. My lovely mother-in-law, Misako-san, prepared a wonderful assortment of dishes of different types of sashimi, homegrown edamame (soybeans), lots of fresh vine-ripened veggies from their garden, and mixed rice loaded with yummy bits of shitake mushroom, tofu, and other greens. In addition to their green tea, they also have a huge garden of tomatoes, cucumbers, shiso (a type of basil), grapes, and much more.
For breakfast this morning, we had grilled mochi (rice cakes) wrapped in seaweed, miso (w/tofu, seaweed, and more mushrooms), fishcake stuffed with cucumber, and more melon and white peaches...yum!
For the past few months there have been numerous (but not new) reports on the benefits of drinking tea, especially the green kind! Naoki's family has a beautiful green tea farm in Mie, Japan and they are ready to ship 2007 spring leaves. The cut off date to order will be this Thursday, May 10.
This green tea tastes different and has a sweeter and fresher flavor than what is available in most stores here. It can be cold brewed as well as served hot. Please allow boiled water to cool for a few minutes before adding the delicate tea leaves to prevent burning, which can alter the taste. Hadaseicha's tea is dark green in color, has a bold taste and was carefully harvested by Naoki's parents. Orders are available only once a year and large orders can be stored in the freezer to preserve freshness. My mother likes to order the teabags in bulk and repackage them to give as gifts to her health-conscious clients.
This is "omurice" (Japanese-style omelette rice topped with demiglace sauce) from Clover Bakery in San Jose.
Last night I found two teabags of my favorite organic mulberry tea and enjoyed it alongside my pastries filled with spicy fish roe (mentaiko) this afternoon. The flavors brought back memories of our travels to Taiwan and Japan two years ago. Taipei is where I purchased this wonderful tea. Naoki and I often ate Japanese style pastries/bread while we were running around Japan hosting presentations and promoting our business.
The movies and dramas I enjoy most involve food. I love stories that center around cooking and people coming together to eat. It's even better when they take time to admire the dishes or ingredients.
Just launched in the U.S. at the beginning of this month, this new skincare line developed in Japan, is set to impact the beauty and skinceutical industry. This seven product system is the first of it's kind using patented specialized Tensa water and nutrient technology.
Imagine being one of the first to join a successful company before it became a success? That would be positioning yourself in the perfect place at the perfect time.
We are now able to provide that chance as our company is in it's prelaunch mode to kick off a new technology in the form of a specialized skincare line. It has already proven successful in Japan and has been quickly selling.
We've just launched at the beginning of this month and will soon open in Taiwan and England. This is a well established, publicly traded, debt free company with exclusive rights to this new paraben and preservative free skincare that uses advanced water and nutrient technology.
There are a few ways to get started. Contact me today at healthluxe at gmail.com for more information.
I'm so excited about the opening of Nijiya here in San Jose! It will be the closest market to us that sells locally grown, organic produce, Japanese/Asian food items, delicious cooked lunch box sets, and yummy desserts!! We've been traveling to the Mountain View location to purchase their special organic brown rice and to Mitsuwa off of Saratoga Avenue to find other ingredients. This is so much more convenient.
Hopefully there will be other wonderful retail stores and restaurants that come to San Jose's Japantown!
A blurry pic taken with my cellphone. It was so cold, I couldn't stop shaking long enough to get a clear shot.
One of the best places to visit while in Japan are the 100 yen shops! These stores blow away any of the $1 stores that I've visited in the U.S. They have everything from accessories, kitchenware, specialty gadgets, cute stationary, and so much more. I love the ceramic dishes they sell. They range from simple coffee mugs to beautiful glazed pottery.
Well for the longest time, we've had stores such as Kyun offering merchandise from these 100 yen shops at a small elevated price (to cover the cost of shipping, etc.). The one that we used to visit in Milpitas is no longer there; however, Daiso, a large chain from Japan has opened a huge store in Daly City. Their grand opening was in December 2006 and from what I've heard, it was a big success. They plan on expanding throughout the Bay Area and currently have locations in Seattle and other parts of the U.S.
Our friend, Nobuyo, a skilled interior designer, helped in designing the interior of the Daly City store (which was formerly a Good Guys). She and her company did an amazing job of placing everything, right down to the snack area positioned next to the cash register...dangerous :)
Another friend of ours who owns a successful Japanese restaurant in Monterey selects, purchases and ships most of his tableware and settings from the 100 yen shops while in Japan. The cost is less than what you'd find at IKEA and their prices are phenomenally low!
Most of the items at Daiso are $1.50 unless otherwise marked. Nothing that I've seen goes beyond $5. It's recommended to use one of their tiny shopping carts unless you're on a budget, then I'd suggest a basket. It's just too easy to go crazy in there. I was tempted to buy several of the cute vitamin holders and may go back soon to buy and use them in a promotion.
Please visit this store if you have a chance. It's across from Serramonte shopping center and accessible via 280.
Sophie's beautiful mother recently ordered us a bazooka-load of these delicious organic, sundried dates from Oasis Garden Farms!
When I was younger, my friend's mother used to make the most amazing homemade chicken soup and used these types of dates to give it a touch of sweetness. The dates also flavor tea in the most remarkable way too. What's special about the dates we received is that they're organic, do not contain sulphur, and their huge size. Most of the ones sold in markets are small and have a tiny seed, whereas you can tell that these were allowed to grow to full size before harvesting.
Please contact me via email if you would be interested in ordering any of these dates. You can learn more about these special fruit (sometimes known as "jujube" Chinese, "daechu" Korean, or "natsume" Japanese) on Wikipedia!
This weird, but interesting looking citron is called a "Buddha's Hand" and was purchased at today's farmers market at the Ferry Building in San Francisco. It's scent is similar to a Meyers lemon, but more intense and slightly sweeter. I brought one home to show Naoki, since he has an interest in photographing strange things (you'll probably see it on his blog later)
Along with my buddha's hand lemon, I picked up one "pain epi" wheat bread (it's shaped like a stalk of wheat) at Acme Bread Company, and two organic oranges to make cranberry/orange relish. While walking back to the office, I broke my bread in half to share with someone on the street and stashed the other half in my bag containing the buddha's hand. The aroma of the fresh baked bread and citrus together created a wonderful smell!
The best part of eating that bread this evening was the light lemon taste it took on from the oils in the citron. It was perfect alone, though I did eat it with a small piece of pepper jack.
There's something about the sound of laughter that's contagious, especially when it comes from a baby. Have you ever laughed so hard it hurt? The worst/best is when you can't stop laughing. I don't know how that affects health, but some of my favorite memories are of times like those. A few of my good friends have the best laughs, which are sometimes peppered with snorts as they try to catch their breath.
I love it when people laugh with abandon!
Westfield has really outdone itself and created an amazing shopping center in downtown San Francisco. The interior of the mall is beautiful with all the glass letting in natural light, especially through the glass dome preserved from the original building. It really did take my breath (and a good portion of my savings) away!
My good friend, Michelle, remarked that it reminded her of the malls in asia, specifically Korea (South, of course). After having the chance to visit it myself, I absolutely agree. In Taiwan and Japan, many of the higher end designers have boutique/stores within the center and the casual or less pricey shops are on the street, such as Gap, Benetton, etc.
So far I've checked out Mango (from Spain), Zara (from Italy), Juicy Couture (from England), Aldo, Adidas (they have the Stella McCartney line in stock), Bloomingdales, and a variety of the eateries. I did a little dance (internally) when I found out they would have a Beard Papa cream puff shop set up there. They have the tastiest shu creams filled with fresh custard cream flavored with Madagascar vanilla...yum!
Tomorrow, I may head over there with friends to hit the Dior cosmetic counter. The manager invited us to get makeovers. Everyone at the that particular counter was extremely nice without being pushy. She was most helpful in assisting me with finding the perfect birthday gift for two of my friends. I can't say what it was, as they may be reading this... Anyway, the Dior department is offering a sweet gift bag and makeover with a two item purchase. It's way too easy to go crazy, so I'll need to decide before heading there.
Whenever we plan on going shopping, window or otherwise, we usually try to fit time in to eat first then walk off the meal as we peruse the different shops. Moving after a eating aids in digestion, helps us fight off the grogginess that sometimes accompanies a carb-laden meal, and gets our circulation going. If I'm shopping for clothes on that particular day, I'll also refrain from overeating, as trying to squeeze myself into an outfit is an uncomfortable experience. Taking a two enzyme tablets prior to eating has helped speed up the breakdown of foods which I also find very helpful!
Can you imagine how gorgeous this place will be during the holidays?
* 100% Pure Organic Blackberry Honey from Oregon. - My dear friend introduced us to the best honey that makes everything you put it in tastes dreamy! That's not an exaggeration either. She is also able to get other wonderful natural bee products like propolis and royal jelly from the same beekeeper. Honey is currently on hand, so if you'd like to make a purchase let me know.
* All Natural Gelatin-free Gummy Bear Snacks - These contain a blend of freeze-dried fruits and veggies, along with other added essential nutrients. (No colors, fillers or preservatives) They are so tasty, I find them hard to resist eating by the handful.
* Natural and Super Fresh Tasting Japanese Green Tea - Brewed hot or cold, this is honestly the best green tea I've ever had. Most of the tea we buy at the supermarket has been sitting forever on the shelves or have been overprocessed. This tea is actually green and makes the perfect substitute to coffee in the morning. Does contain caffeine, but does not cause the jitters like coffee.
* Travel size Aloe Gel - Oftentimes most aloe products do not contain the active ingredients that fresh aloe does. This easy to carry gel is soothing to burns, cuts, and irritations. The healing ingredient of aloe has been stabilized in this product. Sunburns, papercuts, scrapes and bug bites are a few of the things we use this get on.
* Preservative/Paraben-Free Skincare - This line will launch in the U.S. in March of 2007; however, we are able to have our family ship it to us from Japan. It isn't anything like what is currently on the market and the results are remarkable! Did I mention I love the eye cream?
Please contact me directly via email at jeanette337 at gmail.com
