| health screening |
[Jul. 2nd, 2009|12:55 pm] |
Good news: during the course of the past year, I lowered my overall cholesterol by 52 points to a "desirable" level; my glucose by 24 points (desirable levels both years); and my blood pressure went down.
And yay for free workplace health screenings.
Bad news: My boob never completely healed from my March surgery and the operation didn't fix the infection. So I'm having another one in a few weeks. Boo. |
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| food photo |
[Jun. 29th, 2009|04:18 pm] |
turnips from our CSA
My poor little powerbook went on the fritz on Saturday and is being held hostage at the repair place. I hope they can fix it. Not having a computer at home sucks and I'm going through internet withdrawal every night.
Since I was computer-less, I cooked this weekend. Used half the turnips and turnip greens to make a braised hijiki (seaweed) dish that also included carrots and tofu. Low-cal and tasty. Also made some chicken livers marinated in a soy-sugar-sesame sauce. |
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| SPF IQ |
[Jun. 26th, 2009|09:50 am] |
Last night I went to pH Orem to attend their Summer SPF event. I adore that place so I'll support just about anything they do but what really sold me on the event was the skin scanner. They had one of those machines that shows skin impurities from sun damage, oiliness, and dryness. I've always wanted to do that and it turns out my skin is better than I thought it was.
pH Orem. If you live in Minneapolis/St. Paul, this spa is totally worth checking out. My awesome acupuncturist is there too. The prices are much better than the competition and their staff is totally knowledgeable, approachable, and down-to-earth. I feel like they're my girlfriends. My brows have never looked better, they are generous with Dermalogica samples, they'll give you quarters for the parking meters, and the owner Paige kindly donated a complimentary brow wax to a non-profit silent auction I helped with back in January. So go. I promise you won't be disappointed.
They had a SPF IQ test and I love a blog quiz, so here you go!
What's your SPF IQ?
1. If your natural burn time is 10 minutes, how long does an SPF 15 keep you protected?
a. 60 minutes
b. 180 minutes
c. 150 minutes
2. Zinc oxide is a _____ form of sun protection.
a. chemical
b. physical
3. 1 in ___ Americans will develop skin cancer.
a. 9
b. 3
c. 5
4. __% of these cancers will be the result of exposure to UV radiation from the sun.
a. 85
b. 90
c. 97
5. UV is an acronym for ___.
a. ultra vulnerable
b. ultraviolet
c. uncommonly visible
6. Which ray has a longer wavelength?
a. UVA
b. UVB
7. The sun's rays are strongest between the hours of 10am and __ pm.
a. 12
b. 3
c. 4
8. As much as ___ % of what we consider "inevitable aging" is actually sun damage.
a. 95-100
b. 75-80
c. 90-95
9. Topical antioxidants benefit the skin by _____.
a. oxygenating the skin
b. slowing and preventing the oxidation of other molecules
c. forcing the production of plumping agents in our epidermis.
10. To produce enough vitamin D, we need approximately ___ minutes of unprotected sun exposure daily.
a. 15
b. 5
c. 20
( the answers ) |
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| bento mosaic 29 |
[Jun. 22nd, 2009|05:03 pm] |
I'm alive! I had a really busy week at work so I didn't post or comment much. Am still trying to catch up on a week's worth of blog reads and TV shows.
1. bento 5.29.09, 2. bento 6.2.09, 3. bento 6.3.09, 4. bento 6.4.09, 5. bento 6.5.09, 6. bento 6.8.09, 7. bento 6.10.09 -- vegetarian, 8. vegan bento! 6.12.09, 9. bento 6.16.09, 10. bento 6.17.09, 11. bento 6.18.09, 12. bento 6.19.09 |
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| easy quick pickles |
[Jun. 8th, 2009|12:28 pm] |
A few years back I started reading Japanese books again after discovering the ダーリンは外国人 (literally in English, "My Darling is a Foreigner" but I guess it's known in the English speaking world as "Is He Turning Japanese?"), a series of books about a Japanese woman married to an American. Part of the series includes a couple of cookbooks co-written by the author and her mother.
That's where I first discovered the miso-yogurt pickle recipe. Traditionally, it's made with plain miso but it can be messy since miso is so thick. Last week, I tested out the recipe. I love it. It's so easy. You just submerge the veggies in the mixture overnight and you have pickles the next day! They don't taste like miso but like regular salty pickles and the veggies remain crisp.
In my messy kitchen making napa cabbage pickles
The mixture reminds me of Russian dressing
Last week's and today's lunches with the miso-yogurt pickles
  
miso yogurt pickles
-Mix equal parts yogurt and miso (I used a cup each).
-Put veggies in the mixture overnight.
-Remove, rinse, and eat.
We used celery, carrots, radishes, zucchini, and napa cabbage. It'd work great with cucumbers, jicama, and small turnips too. If you're using it over a few days, add a teaspoon of salt to the mixture after a few days. You can also use it as a fish marinade with a firm white flesh fish or salmon; remove it, rinse, and then broil. Just don't put veggies in the mixture after you've used it for fish.
Also posted to Kia's bento blog. |
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| bento mosaic 28 |
[Jun. 3rd, 2009|05:19 pm] |
1. bento 4.24.09, 2. bento 4.27.09, 3. bento 4.28.09, 4. bento 4.29.09, 5. mini bento 4.30.09, 6. bento 5.1.09, 7. bento 5.4.09, 8. bento 5.5.09, 9. bento 5.6.09, 10. bento 5.7.09, 11. bento 5.27.09, 12. bento 5.22.09, 13. bento 5.8.09, 14. bento 5.27.09, 15. bento 5.22.09, 16. bento 5.26.09 |
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| day at the farm |
[Jun. 1st, 2009|02:00 pm] |
On Saturday, we ventured outside of the cities to visit Dunlooken Farm, this year's CSA farm. Deliveries start next week.
We didn't visit our CSA farm last year so it was fun to see everything. Lots of different kinds of heritage chickens as well as goats, ducks, and ponies. And they had asparagus! I've been wanting to see an asparagus plant since reading Barbara Kingsolver's book. We helped weed some of the beds of goosefoot, an edible plant. I'm planning to make pesto out of the goosefoot and some local radish greens this week.
1. farm, 2. chicken, 3. asparagus, 4. goat, 5. chicken, 6. chicken, 7. horse, 8. guinea hen, 9. ducks, 10. asparagus, 11. chicken, 12. where people die, 13. chick14. Not available15. Not available16. Not available |
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| recipe post |
[May. 31st, 2009|06:54 pm] |
I wanted to share the ma-po recipe from my last post.
veggie mapo tofu
(in the large dish)
serves 2-3.
1 carrot, diced
1 8-inch section of daikon, diced
6 dried shiitake*, reconstituted in water and diced (keep water!)
1/2 block tofu, diced and drained for 30 minutes
1/2 c of shiitake water*
1 tbs miso*
1 tsp tobanjan* (spicy red pepper paste)
1 tbs soy sauce
1 small knob ginger, grated
2 cloves garlic, diced
handful of chives*
sesame oil
*substitutions: can use fresh shiitake instead of dried; use chicken or veggie stock ins tead of shiitake water; miso optional; red pepper flakes or spicy black bean paste instead of tobanjan; green onions instead of chives or omit all together
In a sautee pan, add sesame oil, heat, and then add carrot and sautee 5 minutes.
Add the daikon, sautee a few minutes.
Add shiitake, ginger, and garlic, sautee a few more minutes.
Combine the shiitake water, soy sauce, miso, and tobanjan. Add to the veggies in the pan and bring to a simmer (on medium high). Then add the tofu, simmer until the liquid reduces by at least 50%.
If you like a thicker sauce, make a flour and water slurry and add it.
Add chives at the very end.
easy bean salad
(in the flower container)
serves 2-3
about 1 C leftover beans*, any kind
3 stalks celery, diced
2 tomatoes, diced
handful of feta, crumbled
olive oil
cumin
pepper
garlic powder
salt
*I used French green lentils left over from burritos, but any kind will work. I usually use black beans for this recipe. It can be a small can of beans too.
Sprinkle the beans with cumin, pepper, and garlic powder, mix well. Flavor it on the strong side, since the water from the veggies will thin it out. Add the veggies and olive oil, mix well. Put in fridge at least an hour to let the flavors marry. Add salt before serving, if desired. I sometimes add corn and lime juice to it for a more substantial salad. Serve on its own or with tortilla chips. |
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| きのう何食べた？ |
[May. 28th, 2009|12:30 pm] |
A friend told me about a manga series that she thought I'd like called きのう何食べた? (What did you eat yesterday?) and as usual, she was right. It's about a gay couple in Tokyo, a lawyer and hairdresser. The lawyer guy is really into finding good food prices and eating well on the cheap. The series fascinates me because I don't know much about gay culture in Japan and each little chapter contains recipes AND the recipes are for 2 servings.
Inspired by the book, I made ma-po tofu last night. It's usually made with leeks, ground pork, and tofu. I used Chinese sausage, shiitake, carrot, daikon, and chives from the garden and it turned out really good. The book recommended adding chives and another book of mine recommended using daikon.
We decided to try our hand at gardening this year. I planted some shungiku (edible chrysanthemum) and it sprouted! Sweet. Now if only my shiso would sprout... |
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| Mr. Baseball |
[May. 20th, 2009|11:59 am] |
We're back, tired, and a little sick.
Last Friday we went to a baseball game at Meiji Jingu Stadium. I remember it being so run-down but they had made it a bit nicer. Definitely the nicest hi-definition screen that I've seen at a a stadium.
We saw the Yakult Swallows (Tokyo) vs. Hanshin Tigers (Osaka) game and sat on the Hanshin side. You know what I love about Japanese games? You can bring your own food and drink into the stadium. And even if you do buy eats at the stadium, there isn't a huge mark-up. We got hot dogs for 200 yen ($2), beer for 400, and WHISKEY for 450.
Meiji Jingu Stadium
The nice big screen
The Hanshin Tigers' version of the 7th inning stretch.
I had my favorite Japanese beer, Asahi.
And Arlon had whiskey. For relaxing times, Suntory time.
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| (no subject) |
[May. 15th, 2009|10:37 am] |
Wednesday was a first for both of us. We went to see live sumo for the first time ever. It was so much fun and we really got into it. Lately there are many foreign rikishi (sumo wrestlers) from Mongolia, Russia, and Bulgaria. We went on day 4 of the basho (tournament).
1. east side, 2. nipple touch, 3. aaron, 4. drummer tower and sumo banners, 5. closing arrow ceremony, 6. sumo, 7. Kotooshu wins, 8. pink ref, 9. pretty apron, 10. braid, 11. Asasyoryu Yokozuna ceremony, 12. Kokugikan, 13. sumo banners14. Not available15. Not available16. Not available
More photos on my flickr! |
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| double standard |
[May. 13th, 2009|11:33 pm] |
This morning an official from the Japanese health department called the house asking if I felt sick. They claim to be following up with everyone who has entered the country since a Chinese man with H1C1 was discovered on May 8th at Narita Airport in Tokyo(he and 40passengers that were sitting near him are currently being quarantined). Incidentally, the man came to Japan on a direct flight from Minneapolis, like we did.
Here's the weird part: Aaron and I entered in the exact same contact information on the form we filled out and they didn't even ask about him. We're pretty sure they're only following with Japanese people since no one in Japanese government can speak another language. I totally feel like it's discrimination and my family thinks I should contact the English language press along with NY Times about it and the poor way the officials here are handling the pandemic.
Honestly, the whole ordeal could've been much better executed had they thought it through. After we landed, we were not allowed to deplane until a health official boarded the plane with a heat-sensitive camera to make sure no one on the plane was running a fever. The health official was wearing a mask, goggles, and a light blue hazard suit. We also had to fill out a health questionnaire that had been poorly translated into English. And then the officials kept insisting we needed to provide further information. If you need all that info, PUT IT ON THE FORM to start with and have an English speaker proofread the thing. Japanese bureaucracy at its worst. |
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| local flavor |
[May. 13th, 2009|09:22 am] |
Aaron and I have been eating non-stop since we've gotten to Tokyo. The local eats here are so good. My parents live on the outskirts of Tokyo where the movie My Neighbor Totoro takes place and many of our neighbors have little farm plots. Yesterday we stayed in the 'hood and procured some local eats.
My neighor's onion patch. Those are persimmon trees in the back. We can see this from our dining room and it's about 50 feet away from the house.
Carrots at the farm down the street. The farmer let us go into his patch and look around. He had daikon (below) and turnips too. He was giving away the daikon leaves for free.
My neighbor's plum orchard. Plums as in Japanese plum wine.
A farm stand down the street, where we got sugar snap peas for dinner. It's a honor system, you leave money in the little lock box and take what you want. We went after noon so there wasn't a lot left, they have the most variety around 9am daily.
The local grocery store was selling cukes with flowers still attached! I've never seen that in the US.
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| greens. |
[May. 5th, 2009|03:55 pm] |
1. In São Paulo, Brazil, 2. _unfurl, 3. woven, 4. atarashi take
Green curry made with local carrots, onions, shiitake, and ramps (and non-local tilapia, bok choy, potatoes, and green peppers). Aaron steamed ramp leaves, added water, and blended it to get a deeper green color in the curry.
Busy week between work and trip-preparing -- we leave for Tokyo on Sunday!! |
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| April showers bring May babies. |
[Apr. 26th, 2009|08:29 pm] |
Saturday morning I headed over to Andrea's house for a baby shower. So pretty, sophisticated, and elegant. Andrea is always the gracious hostess with the mostest.
The spread was delish and I didn't stop eating until a minute before leaving.
Look at these gorgeous cake lollipops that Chelsey made!
And the pretty hibiscus flower champagne was yummy too.
Can every Saturday be like this? Pretty please? |
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| bento mosaic 27 |
[Apr. 24th, 2009|01:35 pm] |
1. bento 4.2.09, 2. bento 4.3.09, 3. bento 4.7.09, 4. bento 4.9.09, 5. bento 4.10.09, 6. bento 4.13.09, 7. bento 4.15.09, 8. bento 4.16.09, 9. bento 4.20.09, 10. bento 4.21.09, 11. bento 4.22.09, 12. snack/breakfast bento 4.23.09
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| productive weekend |
[Apr. 20th, 2009|02:01 pm] |
I managed to get a bunch of stuff done this weekend in addition to last night's sewing.
1. Got my bicycle basket fixed for $5 (by a really cute guy).
2. Discovered ranch flavored cheese curds.
3. Made brussel sprout mac and cheese. YUM.
4. Used up my old pancetta and swiss chard (used together).
5. Made a lamb and veggie tomato/harissa sautee.
6. Made a cute bento for today.
(the above is 4, 5, and 6)
7. Finished the rest of Kris's baby shower gifts, including a hat of my very own design! I've never designed knitwear before. It's pretty basic but I am really pleased with myself.
   
8. Made progress on my 101 in 1001 list! I'm up to 95 things, I think. And I crossed several off my list as being done. I should post my list soon.
9. Swapped some of my old clothes for (new-to-me) other old clothes at Buffalo Exchange.
10. Discovered that Mr. Clean Magic Eraser can remove Sharpie from a wooden table as long as the Sharpie mark is still new-ish. |
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mamichan's journal
