Glance Of Sakura

We're so blessed to have all the beauty of sakura near our apartment but I didn't even recognized it coz I was very down spirited because of what's happening in Fukushima ( most of you probably know ) until a friend reminded me of spring and hope. We went out for a quiet walk like we always did every spring time but I don't know why, this year's hanami ( flower viewing ) was different. The bright blue skies and cherry blossoms seems like a sign of hope for me and it feels like that everything is more colourful and more alive! Although sakuras are short-lived, I found happiness of those blooms of hope. 気持ちが落ち着く!

Brought some homemade lunchbox and had our lunch under the gorgeous sakura trees


" One day your life will flash before your eyes. Make sure it's worth watching "

~ Anonymous ~
Sakura burst into full bloom!

Us, enjoying every moment of spring in Japan!

Haruka chan gladly posed for me ^_^

Wakaba and Haruka played at the park~ it was good to see them running around and that day was especially fun because they were playing mostly indoors during the past weeks.
Wakaba chan
I pray that those who suffer and grieve will find strength and courage to carry on and that they may have hope.

Food Trip Friday--New Year Festives

We celebrated our New Year at my PIL's home and made all the necessary preparations just like the other year, it's a tradition here in Japan to clean the house ( year-end cleaning for new beginnings) , decorating bamboo ornaments, osechi ryori ( this time we prepared of what's available inside the fridge ), setting up an altar with kagamimochi ( round rice cakes), sake and some other specialties and since it's holiday in Japan, all of our New Year festives were bought so we don't have to cook and to have less hassles in the kitchen. I only prepared the Japanese style Caprese ( coz my husband ain't a fan of sushi's and seafoods ) and the osechi ryori was prepared by my 2 SIL--we had so much fun in the kitchen while our husband were tending to our kids^_^
Sashimi
Japanese style Caprese
Hors d'oeuvres
Temaki Sushi ( hand rolled sushi )
Nigiri Sushi
Table setting
Temaki Salad
An entry for Food Trip Friday. Chibugan na!!\(^0^)/

Nostalgia--Rice Cake Pounding

This was Haruka's first ' omochi tsuki ' ( rice cake pounding ) when she was still joining her prepschool as a celebration to wish good health and prosperity of the New Year here in Japan. Some Yochien ( kindergarten ) in Japan do their omochi tsuki during December but theirs is done some time in January. I was also a part of preparing the mochi ( rice cake ) with some other volunteer mums/PTA at school. When the sticky rice is cooked, it is placed in the wooden mochibowl and the kids circle around the mochibowl while the school director helped the kids one by one smashing their mallets into the rice dough. And when they're all done in participating of mochi pounding, it is our job in rolling small mochi balls which were eaten with different kinds of toppings by the kids at school. It was a new experience for me and it was also Wakaba's last omochi tsuki as kindergartner. Volunteer Mums & PTA members--sticky rice is steamed Preparing the bowls for the mochi soup Haruka gets a little help with mochi pounding Mochi with different kinds of flavor--Isobe mochi ( dipped with soysauce and wrapped with dried nori ), anko mochi ( dipped with redbean paste), and kinako mochi ( topped with kinako powder). Ozoni--Japanese Mochi Soup Haruka loves mochi

Isn't it so much fun to go back and just yank them all out and just sit there and reminisce? ^_^
*Nostalgia is a weekly Thursday meme hosted by Ate Rose--please play with us by clicking the linky badge.*

Food Trip Friday--Packing My Kids Bento

I love making bento for Wakaba and Haruka even before they started going to school--it all started from onigiri ( rice ball ) eaten as their snack. They're really a picky eater but when I started making bento for them during lunch( instead of the usual plates at home ) they tend to double their appetite. I don't make artistic bento for them but I see to it that what they're eating is what they like, healthy and easy to prepare. I usually pack lunches to my husband everyday and Haruka ( she's a kindergartener ) twice a week. Their school doesn't allow sweets for dessert ( except for fruits ), nuts and other drinks--only water or mugicha ( roasted barley tea ). I could only make bento for Wakaba ( she's in gradeschool ) for sometimes because lunches there is served at school. There's really no rule in making bento but there are some bento gadgets and tools that can make your bento more appealing. And even if they' re not the ' traditional japanese style bento ' I highly recommend packing healthy bentos---it is practical and is reasonable to the budget. It's ok to include all types of food in your lunch boxes with variety that your kids and your husband will enjoy^_^

---Tulip Garden bento---
---Rice Medley ( takikomi gohan )---
---Nori maki with potato salad and meatball bento------Hello Kitty bento------Favorite of all time, Nori maki---
An entry for Food Trip Friday. Chibugan na!!\(^0^)/

PBW--Tanabata Matsuri

One of the highlights of our summer activities is attending events like Tanabata Matsuri which my family loves to enjoy every summer. Tanabata Matsuri is an exciting event for Wakaba and Haruka coz it is a time where they can spend a ' lil bit of their allowance ' freely. We let them save their money that they received from relatives during the Oshogatsu so when the event comes and they need something, they can always bring along their wallet to spent for fun. They love scooping super balls everytime we attend summer festivals!
We watched parades and shows for kids and enjoyed somes frappes to beat the summer heat and went home to change for our summer yukata to get ready for the evening fun and this time with their Dad. We enjoyed our eyes with all the beautiful and colorful streamers and watched the evening parade and went to our favorite Izakaya for our dinner ( tanabata matsuri feasts will be served on Food Trip Friday ) It was a day of lot of walking, fun and of course flooding with people.
---Day time dancing parade with Japanese people on Kimono---
---Kiddie cheerleaders, cutie!---

---Wakaba and Haruka scooping super balls!---
---Holding hands to their Dad---
---Wakaba------Mom should have at least one photo ( again )------Evening parade with the Hula Girls------Drinking session at Izakaya---
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Have a nice week ahead to everybody!!^_^