Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Wednesday In Japan...

FOOD !
Fabulous food !
Died and gone to heaven food !
Japanese Food !
Hey this is my Wednesday in Japan post !
Yum !
Miso Ramen add the slow cooked pork, vegetables to fresh, thin, chewy ramen noodles in a rich broth.

of course I add everything, you don't have too

quick lunch of Tempura veggies and shrimp, rice, pickled veggies and miso soup

Special Tomato Cheese Ramen with pork and bok choy

fabulous salads with deep fried lotus root chips

cooking thin slices of steak and pork over a grill at the table

rice stuffed with a variety of fillings wrapped in crunchy seaweed

pounded chicken or pork cutlet deep fried with curry sauce, cabbage, rice and soup

Bee Bim Bop, chashu (pork), rice, vegetables with a super fresh egg you break over the food and stir. The rice is so hot it will cook the egg (the eggs in Japan are very fresh and good) that is a super hot iron dish set in the wood block. Glass noodles with sauce and veggies.

Takoyaki, (le sigh) little balls of dough that usually come with a tiny pieces of octopus but you can also chose cheese, meat and/or pickled ginger


Karaage, twice fried chicken, dipped in a tomato or a soy based sauce.

Steak grilled and sliced over a bed of fried rice with a mustard sauce or not your choice.

fried potatoes with ketchup, deep fried tofu, sweet soy based dipping sauce

Okonomiyaki, your choice of fillings, meat, veggies and or cheese mixed in a batter and fried at your grill table like a big pancake. You share, slice it and eat it with little spatulas.

My kind of dinner, sushi, slices of beef, fish, veggies, soup and rice.

a lunch of sushi, wrapped tofu, different veggies and rice

Wonderful breakfast,
fresh caught fish cooked overnight, all sorts of veggies, tofu, soup and rice.
I understand not everyone will like this kind of food and of course that is fine
but if you don't give yourself the chance how will you know ?

I haven't even mentioned, Dim Sum, Char Siu Bao, Potato Korokke stuffed with
different fillings, eating Takoyaki under the Osaka Tower, drinking the best iced coffee on hot days. Sharing tiny dishes of food and a beer with friends at the local Izakaya. Sashimi or Cold Soba buckwheat noodles with a dipping sauce on a hot summer day.

Life is an adventure.
Enjoy !

takoyaki. . . parsnip
music. . . I Feel Good, James Brown

p.s..... Daughter (mostly) and I (directing) are cleaning the garage today
and not sure what an adventure that will be but I hope we don't run into too many critters that are sleeping the winter away !
wahahahahahahahha

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14 February 1912

Everyone thinks today is Valentines Day but
if you live in Arizona it is our States Birthday.
Arizona is 100 years old today !
Yea Haw !
When I was growing up in Tucson, Arizona I thought that was so special
and still do.
Our State flag is divided into a top and bottom half with a Copper Star in the middle, we are the copper state.
Rays of red and yellow representing the 13 original colonies and the western setting sun are on the top half.
The lower half of the flag is a field of Liberty Blue found in the United States Flag.
I think the above sunset must have been like the one that back in 1912 inspired the designers of the flag.
Thank You Colonel Harris, great job !

cake. . . parsnip
music. . . what else but Happy Birthday !
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Sunday, February 12, 2012

parley view parsnip...

My Monday post about what is going around my home.
Last Monday's photo of the Bok Choy.
It was so small and pretty I just put it in a glass of water like a green bouquet.

Wednesday

Thursday

Saturday

Sunday

Very pretty green bouquet that is going to bloom.

12 pm Sunday
Sunday clouds and some mountain rain blew in from the west.

3 pm from studio

4 pm from studio window


cloud photo from the backyard

the sun was starting to set so the sky and color where changing
by the mintue


sunset.

green . . . parsnip
music. . . Runaway Baby, Bruno Mars
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Friday, February 10, 2012

square dog friday, part 2

UPDATE !
blogger is deleting some of these photos too !
I give up !

here are the photos for the 1st square dog friday post....
when I posted this morning and checked they were there....
I guess blogger and lovely %$#%@*(&#$$$$$ comcast had a fight and I lost...
if you feel like it the post below does mention that today is National Umbrella Day and some other stuff... Just my very clever writing...
ball!

Oh dear

I would much rather play tug.
It is the thinking dogs game of enjoyment.
The timing, the strategy of waiting to feel the weakness in the opponent.
The release and pull, so a quick tug and the sock goes to me.
Then a quick shake and the victory is mine.
Mine.

ballllll!

drop gudball
lurveballballballball...ball!

yert !

Early morning sunshine on Palo Verde.
As you can see the Tangelo and Sweet Orange in front have not recovered from the deadly freeze that
blasted down from Canada last year.
They both should be covered in leaves so dense, you can't see through.
With branches so full of fruit that thay touched the ground.
The tree surgeons come this month to see if there is any improvement and some hope of saving them.
I have already lost three other trees and have already cut down one.
My little citrus grove is getting smaller by the day.
I am very sad.

Now your pretty for the weekend.
8 am looking east towards the Rincon Mountains.
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square dog friday....

Another Friday filled with Square Dogs
and Umbrellas.
Today is also
National Umbrella Day.
Yea !
So to all you out there in blog land who are anywhere but in Tucson (76/43 today sunny blue skies) I have seen the weather reports so get those umbrellas out and celebrate the day.
Now on to the important stuff,
The Square Dogs....
ball!

Oh dear....

I would much rather play tug.
It is the thinking dogs game of enjoyment.
The timing, the strategy of waiting to feel the weakness in the opponent.
The release and pull, so a quick tug and the sock goes to me.
Then a quick shake and the victory is mine.
Mine !

balllllll !

drop gudball
lurveballballballball...ball!

yert !

Early morning sunshine on the Palo Verde.
As you can see the Tangelo and Sweet Orange in front have not recovered from the deadly freeze that blasted down from Canada last year.
They both should be covered in leaves so dense you can't see through.
With branches so full of fruit that they touch the ground.
The tree surgeons come this month to see if there is any improvement and some hope of saving them.
I have already lost three other trees and have already cut down one.
My little citrus grove is getting smaller by the day.
I am very sad.

Now your pretty for the weekend.
8 am looking east towards the Rincon Mountains.
sunrise . . . parsnip
music . . . Wake Up, One Republic

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Wednesday In Japan...

Kurasushi
Conveyor Belt Sushi !
Food, entertainment and so much fun !
There are many conveyor belt sushi restaurants but this chain is my favorite

Happy, happy, very happy mascots in front of Kurasushi,
greeting a very happy, happy, happy Me walking into restaurant.
I adore these guys.
Did I mention how happy I was ?

First have a cup of Matcha, powered green tea,
there is a hot water faucet at the table next to the condiments.

Then the happiness starts !
Small plates of sushi are placed on the conveyor belt that winds around the restaurant and moves past your booth. You pick what you want the selection from the steady stream of tasty small dishes that pass by. Only rule you touch the dish you must take it. And unlike in America this rule is followed, no exceptions.
There is a chip on the bottom of these dishes and after a certain amount of time the dish are thrown away.
whahahaha, like that really can happen especially if I am there.

The cost of your sushi is determined by the size and number of the dishes.
At this resturant you place empty dishes in a slot and a total is taken as you eat.
because....

... after so many dishes you can play a game and win a "capsule prize"

We won several prizes that day.

I was very good at Sumo.
You place your special orders from a menu on the screen.
The sign below shows after you place a special order, it will be placed on the belt on a red dish that will alert your screen as it get near.
How cool is this !
I am in LOVE ! what could be better, great sushi, dishes that beep and prizes.
Heaven !

Yea, Hanshin Tigers favorite baseball team ... many of the capsules had team phone straps and charms in them.

I so miss Osaka.

sushi. . . parsnip
music. . . Walk On The Ocean, Toad The Wet Sprocket

Photos by daughter, mollybot, I was too busy choosing and eating and winning at Sumo wrestling.
Thank You, sweetie darling !
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