Random Friday...

End of the week, lets wrap this puppy up...

Fish Moilly

Mondays dinner made by talented son. A Fish Stew from the Kerala region of India.
Very simple and super easy dish. Made with firm white fish, red onion (he used shallots) finely sliced fresh green chillies, ginger root, coconut milk and lime juice.

So easy, so simple and so good.

Halloween scary...
View from my kitchen window looking North towards the Catalina mountains
Beautiful summer green grass was cut and thatched, winter grass seed spread with a covering of mulch.

The Square Ones were perplexed.

Your weekend moment of Cloud Zen from Wednesday the 26.
Looking North-East from my studio window.

and

I just learned today an outstanding weather fact....
You can tell the temperature outside by listening to a Cricket !
Count the number of times a Cricket chirps in 15 seconds. Then add 37
How fabulous cool is this !

scary. . . parsnip

music. . . Breathe, Telepopmusic

Wednesday In Japan...

My Wednesday post about my life in Japan.

Omiyage

Small gift from a trip to give to family and friends.

These little gifts are from my favorite rest stop on Awaji Island.
Not the simple gas station with a 7/11 like in America, this one has two fabulous restaurants, fast food, parks, amusement area with Ferris wheel and the most wonderful shopping court.

Packaged Okonomiyaki with very happy octopuses.

Pressed sugar

Soft cookies in the shape of Chestnuts, filled with Amaguri a sweet chestnut paste.

Sweet Potato cookies

Cookies and crackers, some filled with figs or the famous Awaji sweet onion.

More onion crackers

Cookies, many filled with sweet red bean paste

The best custard in a cup. It has a kawaii (cute) cow as a mascot.

Awaji Onions looking at the rolled filled cakes.

Awaji Island is also famous for their Limes.

Cute lime mascot.

Awwwww cute Onion.

This is where you can find me, looking at all the phone charms and key rings.

I have a wall of these " kawaii" charms.

kawaii. . . parsnip
music. . . Kaza No Toor-Michi, Joe Hisaishi

parley view parsnip...

My Monday post about what is going around my home...

Day and Night....

Monday 8 a.m. Tucson, Arizona

Sunday 10 p.m.

This little spider and I have been battling over ownership of my small garden fountain.

Dining, Living Room View from my garden at 10 p.m.

No matter how much I like the early morning, especially in the quiet foothills area that I live in. I think that Twilight and Evening is what I love the most.

Maybe all the late nights I stay up after school and working all day, the quiet evenings enveloping me so I could finish my school work. It followed me through taking care of the family, all the noise of the day would melt away so I could start my art about 10 p.m..
I even love driving at nigh when all around you are dark shadows lighted by the moon and stars and then you come upon traffic light at the intersection glowing a welcome.

Kitchen view with open door to my studio to the right.

As I turned around from taking the fountain photo, this is my home. I love the way my home glows and softly welcomes me to come in.

glowing. . . parsnip
music. . . Night and Day, Ella Fitzgerald

Random Friday....

Just three little photos

Son, who lives n Tucson is a fabulous cook.

He reads the recipe several times, makes sure he has all the correct ingredients and then most importantly follows the recipe. I am at best a lazy cook. I will use what is on hand, toss in a bit of this and that and it is usually rather good but when you follow the recipe this is what happens.... a fabulous dinner.

The recipes are from Madhur Jaffrey's Flavors Of India.

Above photo is Vegetable Rice. He crushed and toasted spices, soaked rice and chopped vegetables.

Country Chicken Curry and the Vegetable Rice.

This weekend he is making a Fish Stew from the Kerala region also. Photos to follow.

One dinner he made a Savory Rice Bread that used Cream Of Rice, flour, yeast and coconut milk and involved fermenting the batter. It was wonderful ! I think he should forget getting a degree in History/Teaching and go to Cooking School.

Your weekend photo of Zen....

hungry. . . parsnip

music. . . Tables And Chairs, Andrew Bird

Wednesday In Japan....

My Wednesday post about my life in Japan...
Except today it is Japan by way of Tucson, Arizona.

A wonderful surprise gift from Japanese family. Stamps with The Square Ones. Now I stamp The Boys on everything that I can, even bills !

They were ordered/made in Japan but I think you could you could order these on line like my son did. Watson's came out better because of the side view, Hamish's photo is looking down at him so it is a bit complicated.

Fabulous !

Lunch at SushiMatsu.
Dragon Roll and Spicy Tuna Roll.

One of Tucson's great interesting restaurants. Yoshimatsu and SushiMatusu are under one roof. The Cancer survivor owner chef offers original healthy recipes that use several kinds of mushrooms, vegetables and no MSG. They also have one of the best Vegetarian/Vegan menu.

Vegetarian lunch for Daughter.
Avocado Roll, Tamago (sweet egg nigiri) and Ginger Tofu Nigiri.

I didn't get a side photo of the Ginger Tofu which was arranged over the rice like a mountain with the best light spicy ginger sauce, almost to pretty to eat, almost !

Lunch ended with a parfait .
No one makes Ice cream parfaits like the Japanese. Layers of ice cream, cake, fruit, whipped cream, cookies and even cornflakes. Using cornflakes in parfait is very common in Japan, and I must say really fun and taste wonderful.

eating. . . parsnip
music. . . Great Balls Of Fire, Chris Isaak

parley view parsnip...

My Monday post about what is going on around my home.

Sunday Morning I was invited by Waldie to a Halloween Party sponsored by a Dachshund Group.
The morning started with a "meet and greet" and a lovely Spring Water was served, Vintage 2011, a very good year. Lovely parting gifts bags were filled with a charming assortment of small tasty treats.
Much wooofing, nerrfing and sniffing was enjoyed followed by a Halloween costume contest.

A few of the costumes, top left, Banana split, Spiderman, Bat, Toblerone, Pumpkin and Ladybug. I was having so much fun that I forgot to snap some photos. Legs and feet courtesy of paparazzi and adoring public.

And the winner was............... Waldie the Toblerone.

Since he is a Chocolate Dachshund, what better costume but a chocolate bar. Daughter made the costume, which I think looked just like the rather tasty chocolate bar. One of the few chocolate candy I happen to like.

At one time Toblerone was on the list of possible new names.

The third placed Shark was circling, maybe disputing the voting ?

Waldie has been living with his new family for a month. Since then he has gone from an abused and neglected dog, fearful of people especially men. He wouldn't eat, go outside and walked with his tail firmly tucked between his legs.

In one month he is now enjoying eating, goes outside and loves riding in the car. His social calendar has been filled with an afternoon spent at October Fest, Sunday Brunch at the patio of a neighborhood restaurant and a First Place at the Halloween Party. What is even better is he now has a new life with two adoring people. I wonder what he is thinking besides...

Life is so much fun !

chocolate. . . parsnip
music. . . Gimme Some Lovin', Spencer Davis Group

Random Friday....

Watson was helping laying brick for a new patio...

A nap after all that hard work...

What happens after breakfast.

Twice a day after eating Hamish gets an Insulin shot, two kinds of eye drop (in preperaton for his eye surgery) allergy pills and a pain pill for my little old man Watson. The Chicken strip treat is for after all the meds.

Turnip
What a beautiful vegetable, I can't believe how white it is.

The baked chips I made from the Turnip.

I love taking random table photos.
I have lots of these random shots and I am thinking these would look great in a little book.

and...
because it is my blog and you all know my love of clouds,
here is the weekend moments of zen.

dancing. . . parsnip
music. . . Siboney, Shigeru Umebayashi