It's lucky day!

I'm lucky! 

It's lucky day!.......... so on. 

Keep saying "Lucky!" all the time. More you say more the  lucky happen will come back to you. Everyday I go to Hitori's words web site(there are an English and just click rectangle box on the page, the will take you today's word) , the word and meaning  of inspiration that will challenge and encourage me.  Thank you Hitori-san.

I love Japanese calligraphy:) It's just like one of art work.

Don't worry,I'm going to explain the picture. In the red circle says "Hitori" that is a his name who writing a inspiring word. Black writing  says "Lucky".

Have a lucky day everyone!!   

Easy Japanese curry for tonight?

Have you order Japanese curry at Japanese restaurant? Once  you eat the curry,you may want to come back for more. Oh, don't forget to try "curry udon" noodle too, it's so yum:)  

Here is a recipe for curry you can easily make at your home. It is very delicious and kids will love it! Well there are three level of hot, mild,medium and hot. I love hot curry but kids prefer mild. 

 

Ingredient : serves 4~5

＊1 Curry sauce mix small box( 100g) 

　 most of asian food shop has it at Japanese food section.

＊Beef or chicken 450~580 g

＊ Water 2 and 1/2 cups

＊1 carrot

＊1 potato 

＊1 onion

＊few  bay leafs

Easy step

1.  Heat 2 tbsp of the oil in medium saucepan medium heat.

2.  Add onion and stir few minute and add meet cook until golden.

3.  Add vegetables and stir for about 3 minutes.

4.  Add water and bring to a boil. 

5.  Reduce heat, cover and simmer about 10 min.

6.  Break curry block into pieces and add, stir until completely melt.

     (my mum always put 1 tsp of instant coffee and bit of balsamic vinegar)

7.   Simmer 5 min,stirring constantly.

8.  Serve with rice or noodle, bread.

At camping we make this curry and rice. so easy and yummy meal:) 

Sweet gift and "Green" Tenugui

Homemade gifts are the best! not only that, they are good for environment too.

Today I put homemade biscuit into pretty jar which found at second hand shop,

Recycle!  and wrapped in a Japanese Tenugui towel,also I use a cookie cutter to tie together.

How did I wrapped?

1. Place a jar near the edge.      2. Roll over.     3. Bring up the one side of  tenugui toward to the top of jar.      4. Tie together with a cookie cutter. 

done!  That was very easy.

Sweet gifts for  Recycle = Reuse = eco friendly = smiley :)

 

Transform things with a furoshiki

What is a furoshiki?

A furoshiki is a Japanese  square cloth. Back to the early part of the Edo period,around the 17th  C furoshiki was frequently used to carry change of clothes to a public bath house and carrying various items, also wrapping articles as a special present.

Today I use the furoshiki for transform a tissue box into beautiful looks.

    

 

                                                                  How to make it.

 

1,Put the furoshiki with the back as the top and bring both corner to the center (adjust it by the size of the box)then put tissue box in the middle.

2,Bring both side to the top of tissue box and hold with clothe peg.

3,Bring both side (which haven't hold) of the furoshiki  toward to the side of tissue box and tie together. 

Origami : Crane

Origami means "folding(ori) paper(gami)" using square paper to make the form such as the

animals and plants or the life tool such as cup and hat and more.This is like a beautiful art!

The most well known origami form is the crene.

It has symbol of longevity and purity.　When I was primary school, my teacher was in hospital so all students in my class made thousand of Origami cranes and put through the thread one by one with our whole heart and wish get well and sent it to him. Yes, he got out of hospital soon after:)

Today the origami is medically being recognized of prevention and rehabilitation of dementia.

Here is a very useful origami web site ORIGMI CLUB and just follow the animation and you can easily make beautiful crane and other things and also you can print out favorite origami pattern

too! Hope you enjoy making origami paper magic.

Applecross : Heath Court

Catch up with friends after school at Heath Court, Applecross. This place has panorama Swan river view and great playground.   Applecroos is riverside suburb of Perth Western Australia. Easy to spoil myself at the end of the day looking at gorgeous view,  looking at children who are play happily,put feet up and reading books. 

Japanese bento vol2

I packed lunch in Jyubako(Japanese large lunch box) and off we went  to the river.

Menu were Teriyaki chicken sushi, Inari and Vitenamese roll. 

Inari  sushi is one of popular picnic dish, particularly with children who like its slightly sweet flavor and good delicious vegetarian food. Inari  is made from sweet fried bean curd (tofu)  and put some sushi rice within Inari. Wasabi is not used for this Inari sushi. 

Anyway kids enjoyed and healthy light food attracted adult too.

I'm going to put some easy Japanese cooking recipe soon:) 

Here is web site EAT-JAPAN for more on Japanese food ,drink, sake and other interest info. 

Make a difference

Each single person can make a difference.
It's about small things that make a big difference for our precious planet
which bring us the miracle.
This morning we wark to school. We made a small difference:)

If they gather, wonderful miracle can be happened.

This legend speech was made by Severn Suzuki at the conference of Environment in Brazil,Rio in 1992. She was only 12 years-old and gave a powerful speech.

Fremantle:Monument Hill

I had a meeting at Fremantle, on the way home I had a little bit of time so drove to 

Monument Hill at Fremantle.  Feel refreshed by beautiful view and fresh air from the Indian Ocean:)

Fremantle is a port city in Western Australia,19 kilometers southwest Perth.

There are extensive and well preserved heritages. Such a beautiful place. 

 

Tenugui Art

Tenugui is a traditional Japanese towel which was used for a long time in Japan.

Tenugui is dyed by Japanese traditional way.

It's too cute  for dry hand or dishes,  I rather frame this Japanese towel:) 

How do you use it? 

*History of Tenugui  Vol-1

Cultivation of the cotton becomes popular in Edo era(1603~1867).

The Yukata which is an informal cotton kimono for the summer season, and the Tenugui spread for the life of  the commoner.

From the middle of Edo era, the Tenugui which Kabuki actor put a family crest and an original pattern on become longing for people and prevalent very much.

Kabuki is the highly stylised classical Japanese dance-drama art it  has been a favorite among the Japanese people since Edo era.

Hot chocolate and Japanese

I'm having little tea break now*)

Recently I found out Coffee (caffein) makes my skin itch.

So now I'm drinking lots of hot Chocolate, bit worry my teeth:(

I drink my hot choco with my favorite Japanese tea cup and use wooden tray for saucer and "Tenugui" for table cloth.

Well that looks pretty and I having a nice hot chocolate time.

Happy Mother's Day 2009!

Happy Morther's Day to me!
Boys gave me beautiful hand made gifs:)Love that!

Older son made a card and the writing was Japanese, that's makes me smile.

Other son who is 6years old , he made hanging beads and I hang it front of
my work desk where alwas get sun.
He thread string through a baeads useing his small hand and fingers,
each beads is such a special for me.

Thank you boys and hope every mums had a wonderful mother's day.

Origami : kabuto

Children's Day

After the Edo period(1603~1867), 5th May is the boys festival for expressing the hope that each

boy in the family will grow up healthy, strong and find happiness, it is also for expressing thanks to mothers. This day is national holidays in Japan and all the kids having fun.

Kabuto:warrior figures are set up in the house during this festival and huge fish called Koi-nobori  like a streamers  are fastened to poles, just like a fish swimming in the sky.

I have to pass on the Japanese tradition to my boys who never seen real  Koi-nobori and  haven't been to festival. I hope one day we can visit Japan in May.

I