Pages

December 31, 2014

Tonkatsu Sauce

コロッケにかけるとんかつソース。自作とんかつソースはケチャップ、ウスターソース、ホットソース(うちではタバスコではなくテキサスピート)で出来ています。辛いよ。
Home made tonkatsu sauce
I don't buy tonkatsu sauce for my croquettes. I don't use it frequent enough to justify buying a bottle.
My pseudo-tonkatsu sauce is made of tomato ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, and a lot of hot sauce.

December 30, 2014

WIP: The Bapron Day 2

涎掛けにつけるバイアステープ作成中。
ちなみに裁ちばさみ新調しました。切れ目バツグン♪
My new serrated knife edge shears
Continuous bias binding
Making a continuous bias binding for my Baprons.
It is a boring task. I listened to most of the StartUp podcast episodes. That's how long it takes...



December 28, 2014

WIP: The Bapron

今週産まれた甥に送る涎掛けを作成中。
またトカゲの布登場。
作るのは非常に簡単なんだけど、バイアステープを作るのにものすごく時間がかかります。
Making some Baprons for my new born nephew.
I was one of the lucky readers of Crafitiness Is Not Optional blog who downloaded the free pattern. I did not know until recently that now you have to pay to get the pattern.

It is super easy to make... if you have plenty of bias binding.

December 27, 2014

Croquettes

コロッケ作成中。
To be breaded and fried tomorrow
今日のご飯はエビなのでコロッケは明日のご飯用です。
何ヶ月ぶりかな、コロッケ。時間があってやる気がある時じゃないと作れません。
形成中に食べ過ぎちゃった。

Making croquettes. These will be breaded and deep fried tomorrow for dinner.
Since it takes time to make, I can only make them when I have plenty of time and plenty of energy.

FO: Origami Dragons, Really

折り紙ドラゴン、ちょっと人数増やしました。
もう指が痛いのでここで打ち止め。
I added some more dragons to the army of origami dragons.
This is it. My fingers hurt.
The only regret is that it is one color short for a rainbow...

December 26, 2014

Christmas Hiking

クリスマスは祝日なのでハイキングに行ってきました。
ハイキングと言っても、近所の山です。
そしてハイキングと言っても、歩く道があるわけではなく、獣道があるわけでもなく、ただの岩山を、道なき道を、サボテンをよけつつ適当に登っていくのです。
ユキはまだまだ行けそうだったけど、高齢化が進むその他二名と一匹はヘトヘトで途中でギブです。

December 25, 2014

FO: Origami Dragons

折り紙ドラゴン、完成!
Origami Dragons ready to be deployed
実はこの折り紙ドラゴンは、義妹に頼まれて作ったもので、祝日があけたら義妹のもとに郵送されます。
1月に産まれるはずだった赤ちゃんの部屋にかざるモビール用に頼まれたんだけど、逆子が直らないから年末に帝王切開になるっていう話になったかと思ったらすっかり月曜日に産まれてしまいました。
元気に産まれてきてくれたから良かったけど、全然間に合わなかったわね、私。

My army of origami dragons are all ready to be shipped to my sister-in-law.
They are supposed to be sent to her so that she can make a mobile before her baby was born but oh well, my procrastination delayed and baby hurried to come out to the world and the baby has already been born. Bad aunt.

I did use my hot glue gun to glue some parts permanently together so that they are not too flappy.
I hope my sister-in-law will have time and energy to actually finish the mobile... (she will have to attach string to each of the dragons and then attach them to a wooden rim.)

December 21, 2014

WIP: Origami Dragon #3

しばらく前に試作していた折り紙のドラゴンプロジェクトに取り掛かりました。
折り紙よりも厚い紙を使っているのでさすがに何個も続けて折ると指先が痛くなる。
Started the origami dragon project that I was kind of practicing before.
I am using scrap book papers which are thicker than regular origami paper so after making a few of these, my fingers hurt.

December 20, 2014

FO: Coasters

コースター、作り終わりました。
ひっくり返して角を出すのに箸大活躍。
(もちろんこの箸は裁縫用にしてあるので、箸として食卓に出ることは無いです、念のため)
Chopstick works well as a point turner.
コースター5個セットで、仕事場の職員8人分できました。サンタの靴下にいれました。 
8 sets of 5 coasters
My stash busting project / stocking stuffer: coasters.
I know, coasters are kind of... lame but I just could not come up with a good stocking stuffer idea that is reasonably easy to make for 8 people for a limited budget and time and I kind of ran out of time to get supplies. So coasters it is.

The two sides have different fabrics and it sandwitches 2 pieces of flannel as a batting. I wanted to quilt the middle part but like I said, I ran out of time, so it is just top stitched around the edges (twice, one from 1/8" and one around 1/4" from the edge).


December 16, 2014

Snow Pea Finally

秋に植えた絹さやはせっかく出てきた芽を端から全部何者かに食べられてしまいました。
チャーハンにねぎを入れようと思ってねぎの刈り取りに花壇に行ったら、もう存在しないものと思っていた絹さやにいつの間にかひとつだけ実がなってた!
それにしてもこのねぎ、切っても切っても生えてくるからもうねぎ買わなくていいの。

The snow peas we planted in the fall had all been eaten by some creatures that lives in our garden and we have sort of written them off the book.
When I went out to the garden to get some green onions for fried rice, I saw one snow pea growing on the one pathetic looking vine that is left in the snow pea corner. It was only one pod but it was a regular size, good looking one and I'm just happy for the plant.

By the way, it's amazing how store-bought green onion left-over roots can produce green onions almost eternally.

December 15, 2014

WIP: Coasters

鍋つかみプロジェクトはしばらく休止で、コースターを作っています。
Taking some time off from my pot holder project and now working on coasters.

December 14, 2014

Tiny Tomatoes

秋に植えたプチトマトの実がやっと赤くなりました。
でももう寒くなってきてるのでこれ以上の収穫は無理か?
We planted some kind of wild cherry tomato seeds in the fall and some of the fruits have finally turned red. They are tiny but supposedly taste good according to the Man of the House. I don't eat fresh tomatoes.
The plants are still growing but the temperature finally has fallen in the 30s at night, I don't know if the fruits will survive.

December 12, 2014

WIP: Pot Holder

鍋つかみの試作品を作成中。

Making a pot holder. Not quite sure if this is the size I want.

December 11, 2014

WIP: Sewaholic Aqua Pendrell Day 9

やっと完成しました。
レーヨン100%なので、外はピカピカ光ってるけどとてもさわり心地がよくて、ただただ布をなでたくなります。
そういえば東レの「レ」はレーヨンのレだって知ってた?豆知識披露。
I have finally finished my Pendrell.
It is amazing how slow I am to make just one sleeveless shirt. Yup, I spent 9 days. And I'm not talking about "lets sew 30 minutes a day." I spent 2 hours for binding and heming today. Sewing is tedious.

December 10, 2014

WIP: Sewaholic Aqua Pendrell Day 8

Still working on my Pendrell.

I was so excited about the french seam for princess seams and totally forgot about shoulder seam (T_T). Not going to undo my french seam just for this small section.

Today, I sew the side seams, then made up bias tapes for neck and arm opening. I did not have enough fabric left for long bias strips so just connected a bunch of short ones.
Understitched and pressed.

By the way, I am totally hooked on the podcast, Serial.

December 9, 2014

WIP: Sewaholic Aqua Pendrell Day 6 & 7

久しぶりに裁縫。
I am back to my Pendrell.
I made a muslin #5 and finally, FINALLY, cutting into the fashion fabric.
Now need to sew the sides and bind the neck/arm holes. Hopefully it fits. I don't think I want to redo the french seams.

December 8, 2014

Clay Pot

先日行ったロサンゼルスのスーパーで、念願の土鍋を買いました。
日本食をあまり作らない我が家で土鍋買っても、もちろん鍋とかすき焼きとかするわけではなく、ご飯を炊く用に欲しかったんだな。
うちには炊飯器とかなくて、ずっと普通の鍋でご飯を炊いているんだけど、サイズの微妙に合わないふたを使ってるから密閉感がないのよね。
そこで土鍋で炊いたご飯はおいしいと聞いて、やってみたかったのです。
味はというと、ふっくら感がいつもと違うな、と思うんだけど、多分いつもはお米を水につけたりしないで、お米研いですぐ火にかけるのを、今回はまじめに朝お米を研いで水につけておいたからだと思う。
あ、おこげ作るの忘れました。
普通の鍋で作るよりやっぱり雰囲気出る!
これを機に、うちでも鍋とかやってみるか?!(でもアジア系スーパーにわざわざ行かないと食材がそろわないので面倒くさい。)

I heard that the clay pot for hot pot makes good rice. Since I don't have a fancy "fuzzy" computerized rice cooker, I had wanted a clay pot for cooking rice.
When I went to Mitsuwa in Los Angeles, I finally bought it. Only $20. Yes, I could get it for half the price in Japan but then I would have to carry it or ship it so I would pay $20 for convenience.
I can use it for regular hot pot as well, not that I ever make hot pot at home, but maybe now that I got a pot, I should... I'm just to lazy to go all the way to an Asian grocery store to buy ingredients.

December 7, 2014

Lemon Galore

庭のレモンを収穫しました。
このレモンの木、元々は何年か前にメキシカンライムの木として植えたんだけど、ライムの実ができるほど育つ前に霜にやられてしまってそこまで育っていた枝は全部枯れてしまったの。
でも根元からまだ枝が生えてくるから、完全に抜くのは忍びなくて放置してたらすっかり実のなるレモンの木になりました。

柑橘系の木は、接木をして繁殖させるので、根元に使っている木と、実がなる木が全く別の木なんだらしい。
だから実が完全に育つまで、一体何が出来るかわからなくてちょっとドキドキしました。
(食べてもおいしくないような柑橘系の木を根元の木として使っている可能性もあるからね)

レモンというよりオレンジみたいな大きさで、球形だけど、味はレモンでした。
ライムの接木に良く使われるというラフレモンというレモンの一種じゃないかと思っております。

3分の1ぐらいはお隣さんにあげて、あとは全部ジュースを絞って(ジューサー大活躍)、レモン汁が1リットル半ぐらいできたかな。
とりあえずレモネードを作り、あとは製氷機に入れて凍らせてレモン汁がいる時に随時使いたいと思います。

Picked our lemons.
Actually, the tree used to be a Mexican lime tree. We planted it several years ago, but before the tree bore any fruit, it was killed by a frost. Anything above ground was all dead, but a twig was growing from the ground so we let it grow.

We did not know what kind of citrus tree it was since citrus trees use different kind of citrus tree as a root stock. So the root part and fruit bearing part are usually different. We suspect what we have is a rough lemon? According to the Man of the House, it is a common root stock for a lime tree.

The fruit looks a lot like an orange, size and the shape. But the skin is rougher, like a teenager's bad skin. And it tastes like lemon; definitely not edible as is, but it tests just like lemon.

We gave about a 1/3 away to a neighbor and juiced the rest. I think we got about 1.5 quarts. I made a pitcher of lemonade (used about 2 cups of lemon juice) and froze the rest in ice cube trays so we can pop them when we need "a table spoon of lemon juice" or whatever.

December 6, 2014

Into the Wild

また見た。映画「イントゥ・ザ・ワイルド」。
何度見ても、がつっとくる。
エディ・ヴェダーのサントラが、また、ものすごくはまる。

Watched Into The Wild.
Oh, how many times have I seen this movie now. 5 times? I have a book, too, but the movie is much better. No matter how many times I have watched it, it still gives me a body blow.
Sean Penn knows how to make a very manly cool movie.

December 5, 2014

The Wind Rises

宮崎映画、「風立ちぬ」見ました。
前回オットと日本に行ったときに公開間近でポスターが張ってあったのを見てから、1年半たってやっと見れました。

期待超えた!
大人な映画だね。「紅の豚」並に。そして「紅の豚」並に、飛行機に対するロマンであふれているね。

とてもよく出来てたと思う。私は好きよ、これ。最近の宮崎映画の中では「もののけ姫」以来に好きと言える映画。私の中で、一番はナウシカで、2番はラピュタで、3番はトトロなんだけど、その横に「紅の豚」とともに並べていいぐらいだと思う。

Watched The Wind Rises.

A movie based on a life of a real-life aircraft engineer, Jiro Horikoshi, who designed the Zero fighter, most famously known as an airplane used by the Kamikaze suicide fighters during the WWII.

It was a very beautiful movie. I usually do not describe a movie as beautiful, but this movie was. Also like one of the actors said in the special feature, it was shamelessly romantic, both the love of flying and the love story of Jiro and Nahoko.

First of all, characters' movements were very carefully drawn, like the way a guy gets a pack of cigarette out of his pocket and the way he lights the cigarette, especially. The background is drawn in detail, and overall, the hand-drawn animation feels very warm and it has depth to it.

Also, of course this being the Miyazaki movie, the flight sequences are so quintessential Miyazaki movie and romantic. And, ah, the dream sequences, too.

To summarize, this move was VERY Miyazaki, every bit Miyazaki. Done very carefully and done in a way that every frame counts and planned for.

If somebody ask me my top 3 of Miyazaki movies, I would say: #1-Valley of the Wind, #2-Castle in the Sky, and #3-My Neighbor Totoro. This list stays. But I don't think The Wind Rises was less than these 3. It's like, well, it is not dramatic like Valley of the Wind or Castle in the Sky and it's just not like Totoro, but it's kind of Porco Rosso. It is a very mature movie. Not for a little kid to fantasize.


Obviously, we watched this movie in Japanese with English subtitles, so I did not hear any of the English voice over and I did not even know who did the voice. But the special feature had some interviews of the voice over actors and well, I guess this movie was pretty much a family movie: Stanley Tucci, Emily Blunt, and her husband, whose name I don't even really know. I might watch it again in English.

December 4, 2014

Yoshinoya

先週、ロサンゼルスのディンタイフォンに行った帰りに、日本のスーパーに連れて行ってもらいました。
ロサンゼルスはやっぱり日本人の人口が多いので、スーパーは本当に、まるっきり日本のスーパーでした。
商品の並び方から、品揃えも、ホットカルピスの試飲も、照明具合も。
唯一違うのは商品の値段がドルだったことぐらい。
ロサンゼルスに住んでたら、多分日本語だけでフツーに日本と変わらない生活が出来るようだよ。

冷凍食コーナーで牛丼の具を見つけたので買ってみました。
(クーラーボックス持参でロサンゼルスまで行ったからね)
今日の夕ご飯に食べてみたよ。
レンジで2分で牛丼!素晴らしい!家にあった紅しょうがのせたらまるで手作りしたかのような牛丼じゃないですか!
(薄切り肉が簡単に手に入らないので、自家製の牛丼は我が家にはほぼ存在しない)
冷凍食品なのに!やっぱり日本食品は完成度高いな。

After we went to Din Tai Fung, we went to a Japanese grocery store, Mitsuwa.
Oh-my. It was truly a Japanese grocery store, from the way items were displayed to the merchandise sold. The only difference was that the price was in dollars.
If you live in Los Angeles, you really can live the same way as it is in Japan. Scary.

December 2, 2014

Learn to Fly

サンディエゴで、オット、セスナを運転する。
Flying over ocean
私は後部座席でサンディエゴ空の旅を満喫。

The Man of the House took a flying training class and flew a Cessna in San Diego.
I just sat in the back seat and enjoyed the air tour of San Diego.

December 1, 2014

Din Tai Fung

サンディエゴに行ったついでに足を伸ばしてロスアンゼルスまで連れて行ってもらいました。
行ったのはディンタイフォン。ショウロンポウで有名なお店です。
新宿店に以前行ったことがあって、今回もヒジョーに楽しみにしておりました。
もう期待以上でショウロンポウやらシューマイやら餃子やら食べまくり、デザートにあんまんも食べて大満足。
お友達の計らいで冷凍ショウロンポウのお持ち帰りもできました。あぁ、しやわせ。

Our friend took us to Din Tai Fung in Los Angeles.
We have been to the one in Shinjuku and we loved there. The one in LA was huge and you can see the dumpling making station through the glass. Fun.
Oh my, it was gooooooood. We had xiaolongbaos, shao mais, steamed dumplings and more. Our friend had ordered frozen xiaolongbaos to-go beforehand as well. It was heavenly good.