Wednesday, April 21, 2010

"breakfast"

During the week, Satoshi usually comes home from work really late.

Like 23:00 or 24:00 (sometimes even later and it isn't because he is out drinking with clients or friends, like most "salarymen" (business men) are).

To feed him a "regular sized" meal at that late hour would be asking for trouble.

Most nights I feed him veggies or soup. Or if it is really late, like after midnight, just a glass of milk.

Kinda sad, since I know he is starving, but unless he comes home earlier, I don't want to risk him getting indigestion or other illnesses from eating so late.

Plus, feeding him a regular meal at that late hour, he wouldn't be hungry the next morning.

So most mornings, I feed him "dinner".

This could be loco moco with a side of chili.

Loco moco is one of Satoshi's favorites from Hawaii.

I cheat with package gravy but he is still happy with it.

Now that spring onions are in season, sauteed, they go nicely with the loco moco.

One morning was taco rice. A favorite of ours from Okinawa.

I think he likes the combination of chips and salsa, but I like it because it tastes "mexican".

Sometimes I serve him mentaiko (spicy pollack roe) or fish. Paired with rice and some tsukemono (pickled veggies).

Sometimes natto (fermented soy beans).

I try to feed him rice rather than bread because that is what he grew up on.

I also try to give him fresh fruit and some yogurt. I know it doesn't match with Japanese foods, but it is probably the only meal for him to get some fruit and calcium in.

Keeping late hours during the week, I try to squeeze in as many zzs as I can and usually wake up a half hour before Satoshi's alarm goes off.

This usually means I only have half an hour to prepare breakfast, though it usually takes him longer to pull himself out of bed. (He is definitely not a morning person! And who could blame him with his inconsistent sleeping habits.)

Because of the limited time in the morning, I usually cook what I will serve him the day before, then heat it up for his breakfast, especially if it is something complicated or takes some time to prepare.

In the morning, I also make a musubi for him to take with him to work which he usually eats at about 19:00 or 20:00 to tide him over until he comes home for "dinner".

Before we met, Satoshi's breakfast was a cup of coffee. Now that we are married, and he eats "breakfast", he says he can't live without it.

By the way, my breakfast is usually oatmeal, toast or granola, fruit & yogurt and my dinner is usually what Satoshi had for "breakfast".

I think I've asked you before, but what do you eat in the morning?

22 comments:

scargosun said...

I have been loving steel cut oats with a little brown sugar and strawberries (frozen from last years crop). I can make 4-6 servings at a time, divide it up and put it in the fridge for all week. If I am in a hurry, ff yogurt, fruit and honey.

K said...

Yum, I love Taco Rice! That's so nice of you to really put thought into what your hubs eats (and when he eats it). My breakfasts usually consist of yogurt, fruit, and sometimes cereal or a Thomas' Bagel Thin toasted at work.

Tamara Marnell said...

So, does Satoshi work like 16-hour days? That's insane! We were thinking about spending a few years in Japan, but if it's usual for companies to demand that much of their employees, we may chicken out.

Anonymous said...

You are an especially loving and caring wife. Satoshi must be lucky and I know he appreciates what you do for him.

KittyBonkers said...

I usually just eat weetabix and rice milk for breakfast with fruit juice and that tides me by for four hours!

Avo said...

Huh,I had never heard of Loco Moco ebfore. Looked it up, sounds like breakfast!
That all sounds tasty! I love mentaiko.
Surprised not to see misoshiru listed with the breakfast dishes.

If I have time, I usually have a lamen bowl of rice, with two raw eggs and diced saucisson mixed in, seasoned with good shoyu... If I have some, I put furikake over the top.

K and S said...

does steel oats take longer to cook scargosun? I saw some at the market the other day and wondered about it :)

thanks K, taco rice is one of my only chances to get some "mexican" :)

he starts closer to 10 Tamara, so his total working hours are about 12 or 13, this is without overtime pay too. most companies and stores do not start early like the States. He is management which is why no OT. I am not sure what type of job you will have in Japan but I don't think it will be as crazy! :)

Aw thanks Anon!

I've never tried weetabix Goldenwolf, if I see it at the store I may have to give it a try :)

Take care everyone!
Kat

Anonymous said...

It sounds like a sweet little routine you have going there. Those breakfasts sound delicious, but yes, I think I would rather them for dinner.
My husband makes me breaky. In summer weetbix with fruit cut up on top (seasonal), honey and milk. In winter, porridge, with fruit cut up on top (seasonal), honey and milk. He adds yoghurt to his, but that is too sweet for me.
He's such a sweetheart. He also makes me my lunch.
I love to make him a nice dinner if it's not too late when we get home.

K and S said...

If I make miso soup the night before, then I serve it for his breakfast Alesa, but most times I don't, he has to watch his salt intake.

You are the second person to talk about weetabix Momiji, I'm gonna see if my market has some :)

Take care you two.
Kat

Dennis K. said...

Hi K&S. Wow loco moco for breakfast, now we're talking! Back in the 90's my friends took me to the shop in Kin village that supposedly invented the taco rice. It was simple but good. I remember the shop owner mentioning that he flavored the beef with taco seasoning a little stronger than usual so it goes better with all that rice.. Anyway that's really cute you have a Satoshi tag! ;)

K and S said...

I use the package taco seasoning but will soon switch to homemade taco seasoning as it has no added preservatives, Dennis :)

Take care.
Kat

Jenster said...

A lot of nutritionist recommend that people eat their biggest meal for breakfast and their lightest meal for dinner, so you're ahead of the curve!

Like Satoshi, I'm not a morning person, either. My family knows not to talk to me until I have my coffee. On weekends we'll have something bigger like pancakes/scrambled eggs/fruit salad, but on weekdays it's mostly oatmeal, cereal, toast, fruit and skim milk. My son, who's 13, gets up first and makes his own breakfast and heads off to school. Then my husband wakes up my daughter (who's 9) and makes them something similar to eat. I'm the last to get out of bed, but then, I'm the last to go to bed at night!

K and S said...

That is interesting Jenster :) I like how your husband takes care of your daughter's breakfast :)

Take care.
Kat

Rowena said...

All I can say is that Satoshi keeps some mean, mean work hours. Early to rise but late to bed??? Agh! He (and you!) deserve triple vacation time. Maybe one day it will be Paris? Milan? ^-^

Admin said...

All I can say is - Satoshi is lucky to have you, Kat!

K and S said...

Who knows Rowena, maybe one day we will visit you in the chestnut forest :)

Thanks Mikuru :)

Take care you two.
Kat

Anonymous said...

Hey Kat,
Weetabix in the UK are a little bit different from Weetbix in Australia. Obviously, I imagine the Australian ones to be far superior! They are probably hard to come by in Japan.

K and S said...

I will definitely check the market Momiji :)

Take care.
Kat

Deb in Hawaii said...

Wow! Those are some yummy breakfasts. They put my green smoothies to shame! ;-)

K and S said...

green smoothies sounds so good Debinhawaii, I hope to add smoothies to our breakfasts when I get my immersion blender (I'm still looking)!

Take care.
Kat

Peony said...

your hubby is lucky to have you prepare meals for him at all odd hours.

my hubby has his brekkies in the office canteen most days. When we do eat at home, he buys noodle or coconut rice from outside. The simple reason, he wakes up before me!

in a hardworking mood, for breakfast, I cook rice porridge with meatballs or fry a dish of vegetarian noodle.

K and S said...

Thanks Peony. Porridge with meatballs sounds delicious!

Take care.
Kat