From Japan, with Love

September 14th 2 notes | Reblog

Got this recipe from another Tumbler, gastrogirl. It’s a spicy peanut salad; I swapped out the chicken and used tofu instead. Did I ever mention how much I love tofu? Well….

I LOVE TOFU! It’s sooo versatile and easily takes on the flavor of whatever ingredients you’re using. I used firm tofu this go round and marinated it in soy sauce, peanut butter, mirin, rice vinegar, honey, thai bird chilies, fresh ginger and garlic for about three hours. I then baked it until it was firm to my liking. I took to my crisper and pulled out every fresh vegetable I had on hand…broccoli, zucchini, corn, carrots, green onions and red and yellow bell peppers; whipped up a fresh batch of the marinade and tossed the veggies along with the tofu and linguine. OH MY GAWD! I never, EVER eat leftovers (personal preference) but I made another batch of this to last two days. So good!! Will definitely repeat again without changing a thing.

September 14th 4 notes | Reblog

Homemade veggie burgers!! They were such a hit that my husband requested I make a batch for lunch this week.
I started out with black beans, added in broccoli, fresh cut corn, green onions and every other vegetable in my refrigerator. Added in chili powder and cumin for a Mexican flavor. Topped that with cheddar, avocado, grainy mustard and….nom nom

August 30th 4 notes | Reblog

Corn Pancakes. This dish can go either way, sweet or savory. I had some leftover homemade wine tomato sauce so I added in some fresh mozzarella; whipped up a quick guacamole and ta da! Of course we can never use canned anything soooooo fresh corn is a must…. scrumptious…

August 29th Reblog

Beer battered fish with homemade chips and sweet potato fries. The coleslaw was prepared with sour cream as was the homemade tartar sauce #ILoatheMayo

August 29th 15 notes | Reblog

BBQ Shrimp Pizza. The shrimp were prepared scampi style with butter, garlic and thai chilies. Instead of using tomato sauce, I went with a sweet barbecue sauce along with colby & Jack cheeses….

August 29th Reblog

I’ve not had a cheese steak sub since moving to Japan, over two years ago now. B and I were both having major cravings soooo it was only right I throw one together…and as everyone knows, you can’t have a good sandwich without homemade chips.

August 24th 3 notes | Reblog

Cake in a Jar!!! This was so much fun to create!! I wanted to send something personal and sweet back home to our Moms and Grandmas — something made with love; from the heart. After baking the cakes (Nutella & Sour Cream Coffee Cake) I adorned the jars with labels, ribbons and spoons. Cuuuuuute!

August 20th 1 note | Reblog

This one’s a classic; Shrimp in a tomato and white wine sauce over thin spaghetti. This homemade sauce is sooooo good. It’s filled with onion, LOADS of fresh garlic, oregano, fresh parsley and basil, wine and pureed tomatoes. I promise you’ll never eat pasta sauce from a jar again.

August 20th Reblog

My husband loooooves Ramen….so I decided to make some for his lunch last week. I used homemade beef stock as a base, added in fresh zucchini, bean sprouts, thinly sliced beef, birds eye peppers and the rest is self explanatory…

August 19th Reblog

Caramel Apple Pork Chops. So good! You get the savory from the pork chops and the sweet from the caramel sauce and apples….the perfect balance.

August 19th 2 notes | Reblog

It’s been ages since I’ve made french toast and the hubby has really been craving it so I gave in — Apple pie french toast! I’m not a breakfast person but this was just beyond delicious. I sauteed the apples in a homemade caramel sauce and toasted the pecans. Delectable!

August 19th 1 note | Reblog

Today was a good day. In part because a few things that were ultimately out of my control worked out and because I remembered to just “Let it Be”.
(More than a few) years ago when I was young(er) and (more) unpredictable :) I felt the urge to get a new tattoo. I already did a “cutesy” tat so I wanted something with some substance. I needed it to mean something. I spent days pouring over Shakespearean quotes and bible scriptures trying to find the perfect words that I was willing to have etched into my body for the rest of my life— I wanted needed something to remind me to put me first; to let what others say and think roll off me like water off a duck’s back; to allow GOD to work out the people and things beyond my control. Weeks later, it came to me while listening to an old Beatle’s record entitled, “Let it Be”. The rest is history written on my wrist :)
It took y-e-a-r-s for me to take my tat and apply its meaning to my life. Yeah it was cute, and the placement is sexy, demure even, but I didn’t really know how to put those words into practice. How do you let things go? When friends talk behind your back, when folks try to use you, issues at work? How do you just let it go and not give nary a care? I don’t have an answer to that but I’ve managed to do it. Go Me!

August 18th Reblog

"Fashions fade, Style is eternal"

-Yves Saint Laurent

August 18th 11 notes | Reblog

Cheesecake stuffed carrot cake! This was really fun to make and had lots of secret ingredients. The cake has fresh carrot puree, coconut, walnuts and pineapple while the cheesecake layer is infused with white chocolate and its all tied together with a marshmallow/cream cheese frosting…

August 18th Reblog

Shrimp and Pineapple Teriyaki. So easy. This dish literally took me about 10 minutes to throw together. I used fresh pineapple (and its juice), ginger, brown sugar, soy sauce and a few bird’s eye chilies…