Monday, January 04, 2016

past couple of days

Happy New Year!

Hope the new year is off to a good start for you.

This year's New Year "break" wasn't too long for Satoshi.

On the 29th and 30th of December we went to the Totsukawa area of Nara, I'll post about this soon!

The 31st...we spent making our way back to Osaka then turning in early before the New Year.

January 1st...we had o-zoni (traditional soup) then went to various temples and did hatsumode (prayers for the New Year).

Dinner was o-sechi, which I've written in detail here.

January 2nd...we went to Kyoto to visit MIL.

She is doing fine and we had a nice time chatting, eating and helping her clean some areas that she wasn't able to reach on her own.

After lunch, she let me "raid" her cabinets for dishes...thank you!

It was nice visiting with her.

Yesterday, we hung out at our favorite neighborhood cafe, Hiro, for breakfast.

And because I was craving greens...Dinner was a big grilled Thai beef salad with Kiuchi Brewery's sparkling umeshu.

We still haven't seen a speck of flurries in Osaka.

Hope you have a great week.

10 comments:

Unknown said...

Sparkling Umeshu sounds interesting ! Where did you buy it in Osaka ?

When I visit Osaka , one of my friends always lets me " raid " her kitchen cabinets for dishes ! Her MIL has the best collection of dishes I have ever seen , and I always come home with some beautiful things . The ones you got from your MIL are lovely !!

Less than a week till I am in Osaka ! So exited !!!

Joanna

jalna said...

Me and a few members of my family are on a weight loss challenge until Easter. Your food photos are killing me!!!

KirkK said...

Wow, you've been quite busy.......nice photos Kat!

K and S said...

I ordered it from the makers of Hitachino beer, called Kiuchi Brewery, Joanna. You may be able to find something similar in Osaka, I usually buy Choya's sparkling in a can at the markets.

gah, why you need to diet, Jalna?!

indeed Kirk :)

Take care everyone.
Kat

Alan said...

I was expecting you to post something about eating traditional Japanese New Year's fare. Being also from Honolulu, but having left the islands many years ago, I truly miss the New Year's gotso feasts. I used to love Ozoni on the morn (ours had to have mizuna in it), and then "party hopping" all day to enjoy osechi at everyone house we visited. We then used to "settle in" at my aunt and uncle's home in Kailua to watch the New Year's day football games and eat and drink until we had to be rolled out to our cars to go home. My aunt used to make all the osechi foods -- morimono, tako with sumiso, makisushi's, sashimi, nishime, namasu, kipira gobo, grilled aji, etc. etc. etc. -- you get the picture. At least being in Japan, you can still enjoy those types of foods.

K and S said...

sorry to disappoint Alan. our New Years is almost always low key, even when I lived in Hawaii.

Take care.
Kat

Rowena said...

I know what you mean about craving greens....after all the meat and rich food, I was beginning to feel sluggish--definitely one downside from getting older :(

K and S said...

it's not warm enough for salads but that's what we've been eating Rowena:)

Take care!
Kat

K said...

That Thai beef salad looks great!

K and S said...

Thanks K!

Take care.
Kat