Coffee time with Setsuko

Holiday in Japan

2012-02-01T01:25:00.000+11:00

I was in Japan for last two weeks. I visited many places, watched a kabuki play etc. and enjoyed as holiday. Also I ate many yummy food. This is one of them at the shop on the street in front of Isejinguu: Green tea with Japanese sweets - warabi-mochi and akafuku-mochi.

Kasutera - Japanese style sponge cake

2012-01-02T23:17:00.000+11:00

It is a sponge cake, but it is moist and more taste than normal sponge cake. It was evolved in Japan.
I tried to make one today. It came out well.

Beautiful sky here

2011-12-26T09:17:00.001+11:00

The sky at Newcastle beach was so beautiful through the arches yesterday. Also the sky at Hunter Valley with our roof now. How lucky we are!

TV screen

2011-11-26T22:37:00.001+11:00

New TV screen was set in my office yesterday. I watched TV inside my computer for last 5 years or so. My new iMac requires new vision software to watch, so I decided to get normal TV instead. There days TV is so thin, light and so cheep. It is on the my wall.

Second house, Second life, Retirement

2011-11-22T23:16:00.001+11:00

Maybe because my age, I hear often the words around us. But almost all years of my life in Australia is a second life like a retirement in a second house ( without first house or first life). It is extremely busy and I only can keep going.

Images of my coffee

2011-10-23T19:24:00.001+11:00

Dream becomes Real.

2011-10-11T18:03:00.000+11:00

When you TALK about it..its a DREAM...When you ENVISION it..Its POSSIBLE.. But when you SCHEDULE it..ITS BECOMES REAL!!! -@tonyrobbins

I really like this, so put in my blog to read again and again.

The craft weekend image created

2011-09-25T00:13:00.001+10:00

I try to work with my new iMac computer. I am still not familiar to a lot of things. Now I just created an image for my next newsletter. 4 images in 1. It has been done so far so good.

My first e-newsletter trial

2011-09-18T22:44:00.000+10:00

I have sent my first email newsletter trial version to small number of people. I found my English mistake as soon as I sent. I will send shortly one without mistakes to many people.

Lunch with friends

2011-09-14T00:13:00.000+10:00

I has a lovely lunch time with friends. Today's menu was "Chicken and Basil Risotto" with green salad, "Setsuko's Haney-comb Ice cream". Also they tested my espresso coffee. They are very fussy coffee drinker but they gave me a tick mark for mine. Now I have a confidence with my coffee.

From my iPhone

2011-09-07T22:27:00.001+10:00

I am testing to make a blog text from iPhone. It was a slow day today. I have to get up early tomorrow and start adjusting myself for summer season.

A footpath

2011-09-01T21:05:00.000+10:00

I past a footpath of Lorn where is a little village / suburb. This is first time I stoped this little place and discovered a few things - beautiful footpath, good coffee and boutique for nice cloths.

Bright pattern on chocolate

2011-08-24T22:05:00.003+10:00

These patterns on chocolate are popular these day. I can play with them for many other way.

New ogishi website design

2011-08-14T15:07:00.004+10:00

I changed my website looks last night. The content is about same as before at moment. I will change ogishi glasswork images and other text as I go.

iphone + bike riding = Curves?

2011-08-13T12:50:00.006+10:00

I have been a member of Curves ( exercise place ) for many years. I enjoy watching people and listen all gossip around me over there even I did not lose my weight. Now I do not have to go the town so often as before. I have decided to quit Curves at the end of this month.

I bought an iphone and started using my pushbike. It costs me about same per month. Do you think it is a good deal? I hope it works.

Good chocolate with wine

2011-08-08T23:17:00.004+10:00

This is Roasted Almond and Fruit on Dark chocolate disk. It is good for dark chocolate lover and having with a glass of wine.

Setsuko's first ice cream creation

2011-07-16T18:13:00.004+10:00

This is my first ice cream creation. A scoop of Setsuko's honeycomb ice cream in individually made dark chocolate cup.

A back view of Setsuko's glassworks

2011-07-05T23:05:00.004+10:00

I put a new window between my chocolate kitchen and the gallery. I saw a back view of my glassworks in the dark. It is interesting and attractive to me.

Now Even More Reason To Indulge In Chocolate And Wine

2011-06-27T20:31:00.000+10:00

Now Even More Reason To Indulge In Chocolate And Wine - WWL - AM870 | FM105.3 | News | Talk | Sports

I just found this article - New research shows you're doing your body even more good by adding a glass of red wine to dinner and finishing it off with some dark chocolate.

Presentation of the cake

2011-06-26T22:09:00.004+10:00

First I tried a chocolate topping to draw on the plate but the taste did not work with this cake. So I used icing sugar and apricot jam on the plate. It may be good with vanilla ice cream.

Butter Cake with Apple

2011-06-25T21:28:00.005+10:00

Looks good and taste good. This butter cake is mixed with fresh vanilla bean seeds and lemon rind and sandwiched apple in the middle. Apricot jam and sugar are on top.

Fruit cake with Rum raisin and Orange peel

2011-06-20T22:50:00.002+10:00

Since I started making my chocolate in my chocolate kitchen at the gallery/cafe. I did not do much any other cooking. I was so busy with glass and chocolate. I feel a bit guilty about it. So I made biscotti and fruit cake today. This fruit cake is moist and tasty.

Australian Rocky Road

2011-06-13T15:04:00.001+10:00

A plate of chocolate for an art exhibition

2011-06-10T21:47:00.002+10:00

Dark Chocolate Ganache with White Sandwiches

2011-05-16T14:13:00.003+10:00

How about this? I have just started to make with my friends name on as my gift to them.

A cold day

2011-05-11T22:29:00.004+10:00

Normally a cold day ( feel a winter ) comes the end evening of Lovedale Lunch weekend, the second weekend of May . But this year it came about 4 days earlier. We had a cold day today.

This image is my new kitchen's entry door. I made a stencil and splayed it.

My camellia

2011-05-08T21:03:00.005+10:00

My camellia is having beautifull flowers at moment. Today's weather was perfect with blue sky and crispy air.

Exciting - first sales of my chocolate

2011-05-01T22:41:00.007+10:00

People gave me very good comments to my free sample chocolate last week. But I know it is very different story for selling and free. I still give free samples but I put a few box of chocolate with price tag on the same table this morning. And they went very quickly. They were only 4 small boxes. But I felt very good. People paid. That is a best praise. It is a most exciting moment.

Chocolte Truffles

2011-04-30T22:38:00.002+10:00

Between glassblowing, I made more chocolate. I am quite happy with the result.

Happy Easter - Free chocolate

2011-04-22T20:58:00.006+10:00

I offered my chocolate to our gallery visitors today. It was free but we found it helped our glass sales.

It is very good to get into conversation with customers. It is better then about weather. They left good comments about the chocolate as well as glass works. Someone said we should have a chocolate bar here. Another lady said this chocolate is beautiful as our glass. People like my shiny chocolate.

My first chocolate wrapped with personalised ribbon

2011-04-18T20:24:00.004+10:00

This is my first chocolate production and wrapped with the personalised ribbon.

Classic caramel in dark chocolate.

Bits and pieces of my new kithcen

2011-04-06T20:45:00.005+10:00

Hanging fly pans from a Exhaust Canopy,Coffee Machine,Knifes on Magnet

Marble bench top and Spices

One of my dream was having a commercial kitchen which means it is very practical. Almost it finished and my dream is becoming a real. I have a lot more dreams working in this kitchen. Sometime I feel I am very slow learner and slow achiever. But if a life is a journey, I definitely enjoy my journey.

Cocoa Cake

2011-03-21T21:45:00.003+11:00

My mother gave me the recipe for this cocoa cake. It is easy to make and tastes good. The shape and icing sugar pattern is my original. I think It looks cute.

Biscotti and Cafe Latte

2011-03-20T11:54:00.003+11:00

I made Biscotti after long time. I heard People have Cafe-late with Biscotti as breakfast in Italy, So I wanted to try this way.

Vacuume sealer

2011-03-19T08:58:00.005+11:00

I bought a vacuum sealer. I used for coffee beans the other day. Last night I tried to seal dim-sin I made. The dim- sin was frozen for a few hours and vacuum sealed and put them freezer again. Without pre-freezing it becomes squashed.

One computer desk to go

2011-03-13T13:43:00.005+11:00

My new office does not have enough space for all desks I have actually four in my current office. This pictured one was for my desk computer and used a lot. It is time to go and would like to use different desk from now on.

Old exercise bike

2011-03-09T21:53:00.002+11:00

I have decided to throw my exercise bike away. I have enough exercise machines even without this one.

Current project - Clearing my clutter

2011-03-08T22:25:00.006+11:00

I am facing to clear my clutter. We are moving to smaller space to live and try to reduce stuff. This is a good opportunity to throw away a lot of things we do not need anymore. It is very difficult to decide to put into the rubbish bin or even giving away box. I would like to record my journey of this clearing in this blog for a while. This image is items I decided to take to an e-waste place. There are my first digital camera, old mobile phone, a set of old cordless phone, my husband's shaver.

I do not know what to say.

2010-12-12T21:32:00.004+11:00

I have not posted this blog since September. I am trying to change something in my life but it is not happening much. I made a few more cupcakes and we finished tiling for our commercial kitchen. I attended online business workshop last few months so I got a few idea to improve my website and e-commerce for my next step. I am going to shut down our furnace after 19th December, so I can clean my head as well as my house.

My little cupcakes with chocolate top

2010-09-15T23:45:00.004+10:00

I have been working on cupcakes and chocolate for last few weeks. I think these are OK with taste and looks both.

Espresso coffee class

2010-07-09T20:46:00.004+10:00

We, my family and friends together attended a private class for espresso coffee making. It was very enjoyable and now we know how to make good coffee. Also we know now some shops do not care much to make coffee, so their coffee are bad taste.

Herbal Medichin

2010-06-23T15:08:00.005+10:00

My daughter has been suffering from Eczema - itchy skin for many years. Specially in winter when it is dry. Western doctor's prescription cream is not enough to keep her skin clean. So we get Herbal medicine from a Chinese Herbalist. It really works. It may take about 2 hours to get 800ml ( 4 cups ) for 2 days medicine to drink. One session is 10 days this time. Our house gets smelly and the medicine is horribly yukky to drink. But this is the way.

Colour of Sky

2010-05-17T19:26:00.002+10:00

I feel good when I see the amazing colours.

5Books

2010-05-17T18:47:00.004+10:00

Since I had a seminar of the photo reading, I have read more books regularly. I read faster than before but still I am not able to read very fast like some people who read 30 or more books a month.

5 books I read recently.

1) Do not put your money in the bank. By Kazuyo Katsuma.

2) The McKinsey Way. By Ethon M Rasiel.

3) How to cook 'Ario Orio" By Mamoru Kataoka

4) Warm Journey. By Hisae Sawachi.

5) Life by intuition. By Mayumi Mori.

Now I would like use in my real life some ideas I got from my reading.

7 Books

2010-04-26T16:26:00.007+10:00

Book 1,"Put all information into one note book" After I read this book, I made one note book for my almost everything and I've been using a week. I think this is working well to keep all information. Next step is making "index" in my computer for this notebook information for my future use.

Book 2,"Break the wall of the social gap." - I like this book. We can not use the gap as an excuse not to go ahead a life you/I want.

Book 3, "Simple household book" - I can use a few good ideas but not so many.
Book 4, " Economic Talk of Katsuma and Komia" - I like Katuma and most of her books but this was a waste of money for me.

Book 5, "Life of Sadako Ogata" - She is a most respectable person in recent japan. I am glad I read this book to know her life.

Book 6, "Source" - Life source is from what you really like and enjoy. I think this is good book. I got some good technique from this book to make my happy life.

Book 7, "Searching for a light" - My mother gave me this book. I was planing to read this book next. But as soon as I opened and read very briefly, I almost understood what this book was talking about. A 17 years old girl jumped into a train and tried to kill herself. But she did not die but lost both legs and one arm and a few fingers of other arm. Some pictures show she lived her life well after that with a good spirit. Without reading all, I've got enough message from this book. I do not feel like to continue to read at moment.

I was very slow reader before, but it seems I am reading quite well. Maybe the "Photo Reading" method is working for me.

CIRQUE DU SOLEIL in Tokyo

2010-04-25T21:41:00.004+10:00

I wanted to go the circus for a long time since I watched a video of CIRQUE DU SOLEIL early performance. Now their permanent building is in Tokyo Disney resort. My family and I went to see this time. It was fantastic. I recommend it to everybody who never seen.

Matsuoka Museum of Art at Japan trip.

2010-04-25T09:03:00.004+10:00

We visited Matsuoka Museum of Art in Japan. It is a Private gallery and all collection was purchased by Mr. Shojiro Matsuoka (1894 - 1989), enterpriser. The gallery is located in Shirogane-dai where is a wealthiest suburb of Tokyo. It was a nice spring day with my family.

富士山と山中湖、Mt.Fuji & Lake Kamanaka in Japan

2010-04-23T20:42:00.005+10:00

BBQ with friends at Yamanaka-ko
Shops at the spring water spot.
The spring water from Mt Fuji at Yamanaka- ko
Mt. Fuji over Yamanaka-Ko

It was one of high lights in this trip to Japan looking Mt.Fuji so close over the lake Yamanaka.

桜、自由が丘、デザート。Cherry blossom & Sweets in Jiyugaoka Japan

2010-04-21T13:51:00.005+10:00

This is Jiyugaoka in Japan on 1 April 2010. My daughter and I visited my friend. Jiyugaoka is one of very trendy place in Tokyo and famous for Sweets. We were lucky to see such a beautiful cherry blossom as eating. It is a heaven.

Trip to Japan - from Sydney

2010-04-21T13:38:00.003+10:00

I used "Jetstar" from Sydney to Tokyo Narita Japan this time. I realised we have to change a freight at Gold Coast, from domestic to international freight. Waiting time at Gold Coast was about 4 hours. We live 2 hours drive north of Sydney. So this trip to Japan was very long.

Now I know we can departure from Newcastle Airport to Gold Coast and then to Tokyo.

Book - Happiness power

2010-04-18T10:46:00.002+10:00

I read yesterday. This book said "Smile, be nice to the people and work as volunteer spirit not as job." I got the message from this book. Our world economy will never go back to the same as before. We have to use our resources carefully and share. The key for successful business is making other people happy.

Books I read since 1st of April 2010

2010-04-18T09:59:00.003+10:00

During the freight from Japan to Australia on 14th and 15th - "Simple habits of First Class Passengers" , ”Information Sort out method without spending time" and "Don't sell goods. Sell experiences". All I needed to know.

These two books I read at the seminar on 10th and 11tth. "Everything is by baton of Universe" and " They are very tiny, but they proud their companies as No.1 in the world"
I bought 3 books on 1st of April and Read before the seminar of 'PhotoReading".

"Handmade Country Cafe", " Small Cafe started" and " Small Shop started".

PhotoReading

2010-04-18T09:48:00.004+10:00

I had a 2days seminar of "PhotoReading" while my last visit in Japan. I have just came back home in Australia. It is hard to explain what it is and How to do. But I would like to show what I read and what I think about the book etc. in this blog.

Now I have 30 plus books in front of me and they are waiting me to read by me. They are all Japanese. After then I will try books in English.

Cabbage dish -　キャベツとねぎだけのお好み焼き

2010-03-18T08:59:00.005+11:00

A way to eat a lot of cabbage, Japanese pancake like dish called "Okinomi-yaki" is an ideal. But I did not have many ingredients, so made very simple one - cabbage and shallot with flour, egg and water. I ate with mayonnaise a bit of soy sauce.

Cafe Harmony

2010-03-15T22:04:00.004+11:00

A friend of us opened a cafe named "Harmony" in Sydney suburb at the end of last year. This is first time we visited and ate today. I had lightly grilled salmon with avocado and green salad. It was excellent. My husband had a cold noodle. We were very impressed with the feel of the space and the food.

Simple and Clean

2010-03-14T21:59:00.004+11:00

I attract the words - Simplicity, Simple life, Cleaning. I got more books with the title including the words.

My actual current life is not simple or clean. My wardrobe, my kitchen cupboard and my desk are all messy. My front garden is untidy. But I wish my life to be simple and clean. I am learning and working on.

Soy bean dish

2010-03-11T00:45:00.002+11:00

This is one of school lunch favourite in Japan currently. I cannot remember this dish in may school days when is long time ago, but it is very yummy. I put sesame seeds extra this time.

Tofu Bread

2010-03-09T21:58:00.004+11:00

I found quite many people make Tofu ( Bean Curd) bread. We had this as desert with cream and Jam this evening. It is not bad.

Google Analytics on my website

2010-03-08T18:55:00.005+11:00

Google Analytics on my website has began since 7 March 2010 which is yesterday.

It already gave me some interesting information and will give so much to improve my site in future. How many visitors, Which page they went, Average time on site, % of New Visits etc.

Easy bread

2010-03-06T17:52:00.005+11:00

The outside is crispy. The inside is soft. It is a little bit sweet yogurt bread. Plain flour, baking powder, plain yogurt, sugar and vegetable oil. Mix and bake in NON preheated oven and set 180 degree for 25 minutes. Beautiful 6 rolls came out. It is almost magic.

Every answer for life is already in my self.

2010-03-05T22:33:00.005+11:00

All answer for my computer problem is in my computer. Just like every answer for life is already in myself.

I wanted to make a simple shopping cart in my website. I need to insert HTML in there like I can do in this blog site. I tried many ways to find out including reading a book -Creating web pages for Dummies. All did not work in my apple computer. I almost gave up on myself and ask a web designer to do for me. But finally I found the answer in front of me in my computer this morning. It was so simple and easy.

This is just an example as below. You can buy my glassblowing lesson gift voucher from my website.

Carrot and Tofu hamburg

2010-03-01T22:26:00.004+11:00

Carrot and Tofu hamburg, Choy sum with Oyster sauce and Brown rice. I think this is good vegetarian menu.

My new dream

2010-02-28T23:31:00.007+11:00

I have started a training as an artist since 14 years old. I had two choices when I finished the art high school. 1st choice was going to an art collage and become an artist. 2nd choice was going to a professional cooking school near by my house and become a cooking professional. I passed the collage examination and I went to the art collage, but after them I did not become an artist. I worked in a cosmetic company as a planner of make up products. But since I came to Australia, I became a glass artist.

I did not mind to take cooking more seriously. I can see me in future teaching people in a cooking class. I am not good cook at all yet. I have to be a student first. I am not interested in serving food in an restaurant. I am just interested in having a class in my current gallery building. I have discovered an enjoyment in glassblowing class teaching recently. Having a small class of glass blowing or cooking class are fun. Is it too ambitious for an old woman?

I just put this dream in my to-do list before I die.

Today's cooking - A whole lettuce cooked in boiling water with salt and sesame oil was very good. The spring roll was disaster. It blew up and also it was too oily for me.

Lots of mushroom fried rice

2010-02-27T20:58:00.002+11:00

I tried to make an vegetarian fried rice. The mushrooms give a feel and colour like meat. My husband and I like this but our daughter prefers normal one with ham.

Potato and Snow pea

2010-02-26T22:10:00.004+11:00

This is like 2 side dishes without main dish. It is easier to think a meal plan for non vegetarian than vegetarian. Just add chicken dish or even an egg will work for non vegetarian. I have to lean more about Vegetarian meals not just individual dishes.

Good lunch and dinner without shopping trip

2010-02-24T21:14:00.004+11:00

Lunch - Yesterday's soup with Nun bread which I made today.

Dinner - Chicken piccata, Potato salad, Eggplant with ginger & soy sauce, Pumpkin with wholegrain mustard & honey salad and a bowl of rice.

I try to make a week menu plan in advance. But still I make my mind each day and do small shopping everyday. But today I cooked with ingredients what we have in our fridge and pantry. I am quite happy with the lunch and dinner.

Summer vegitable soy milk curry soup

2010-02-23T21:06:00.006+11:00

This is a very successful dish. It has a twist of Thai flavor.

New watch - eco drive

2010-02-23T20:38:00.006+11:00

I was very exhausted mentally and physically since the day before yesterday but I had to spend hours in shopping centre while our car was serviced yesterday. This is a bad combination and I had a retail therapy. It definitely cheered me up. One of things I bought was a watch which was called "Eco-drive". It runs by light and it never needs a buttery change. One of my watchs recently run out buttery. So it is good time to buy one. I was thinking to throw away some old watches this time. But I can not decide which one to go.

Tomato soup and Vermicelli & vegitable stir-fly

2010-02-22T21:36:00.004+11:00

I was so tired and I did not feel like to cook dinner tonight. But the menu selected for tonight was very simple and all ingredients were here. I managed to cook tonight too.

卵どんぶり - Japanese dish

2010-02-21T21:42:00.003+11:00

I cooked - Italian dishes - Pizza, Spaghetti, Lasagna ... for a while and I am getting good at now. But we are a bit tired with cheese, olive oil, pasta etc. So tonight I cooked a Japanese dish - Egg and vegetable on rice bowl with miso soup.

Yeaterday's Tomato spaghetti.

Spinach pie for lunch

2010-02-21T21:18:00.005+11:00

I used to have lovely Spinach Triangles. It did not work like that. But we eat a lot of silver beet for next few days.

Potato Hotcake

2010-02-19T21:08:00.004+11:00

Hotcake mix + Potato + Cheese + Mayonnaise = Lunch Cake.

Baked for 18 min. in 21o degrees oven. It is better to eat hot. I will try with sweet potato next time.

Tonight dinner - Silver beet and Chicken on rice

2010-02-18T23:20:00.004+11:00

I cooked Silver beet and chicken on rice as main dish. Also Celery & Apple salad and another Celery cooked in chicken stock. My daughter hates celery but she ate some. My daughter would not mind to eat celery in the Lasagna at all. My husband loved them all. It is hard to become Vegetarian. I just want to learn some vegetable dish and eat more vegitable. If we get almost full by eating all vegitable, so we become less eating animal protein in the end. I hope.

Newcastle night

2010-02-18T23:05:00.004+11:00

My husband and I were wondering around Newcastle last night while our daughter's school party. We went to see a movie but it was awfully violent and we could not keep watching. So we had a lot more time. After all It was good night.

I bought another cookbook.

2010-02-18T00:16:00.005+11:00

I said "No more cookbook" the other day. But I bought another cookbook " Yates Garden Fresh Cookbook". A couple days ago, I was looking for" Spinach" for my cooking to follow the recipe. I could not find in two major local supermarkets. In the end I bought "Silver beet" instead. I searched Internet to make sure it does similar job for my cooking. It worked quite well in the end.

When I checked this book at the shop before buying, I realised Spinach is winter vegetable and Silver beet is summer vegetable from this book. This indicates this book may give me more information I need to know. So I put one in my shopping trolley. I found How to make"No-dig vegetable garden bed" in the book at home. Sooner or later we have to make our own vegetable garden. It is a big challenge for me. I am really a bad Gardener. Outside or inside any plant at my place dies often. Weeds are uncontrollable for me. I would like to see beautiful vegetable in my garden one day. It is one of my dream.

Nootbook cooler

2010-02-18T00:06:00.003+11:00

I often use my notebook computer in bed and the bottom of the computer becomes very warm.

I found this notebook cooler at Big W today. A quiet fun runs in side and it works well so far. Also it makes the computer better position on the soft place.

Sesame seeds and Silverbeet pasta and Pumpkin soup.

2010-02-16T21:34:00.005+11:00

Sesame seeds and silverbeet pasta was well accepted and enjoyed by my husband than my daughter. The taste is more like Japanese than Italian. I think this is sensational.

Also the pumpkin soup was served in a bun. This way made this soup a bit more attractive.

Celery and apple salad

2010-02-14T23:21:00.003+11:00

I bought a half bunch of celery for other dish the other day and I have still most. So I looked for some recipes for celery. I thought this may be a good one. It is very quick and easy. Slice celery & apple and mix with mayonnaise, plan yogurt and a little bit of sugar. That is all. The taste is good too.

Also we had potato, beans and sausages mixed with wholegrain mustard because all ingredients were here. We try to reduce eating animal protein, so I am not going to buy sausages again.

cheese and pepper cookies

2010-02-12T00:47:00.004+11:00

These are not so sweet cookies. Just nice. Used hotcake mix, cheese, olive oil, milk and pepper. Baked at 180 degrees for 13 min.

Eggplant and mince meat carry

2010-02-11T13:53:00.002+11:00

I found this carry recipe from a blog of an Indian carry restaurant in Japan. This recipe is a carry for their staff eating there. So it is easy, fast, economical and good taste.

Whole-grain mustard

2010-02-09T22:52:00.003+11:00

I have just discovered a use of whole-grain mustard to make food tastier very easily.

This is beans and potato salad with whole-grain muster dressing. The dressing is only "Sushi vinegar" and " Whole-grain mustard.

Pumpkin Pizza - Best pizza ever had

2010-02-07T20:22:00.004+11:00

Used Tortilla for pizza base to make thin and crunchy. This combination of thin pumpkin, bacon, cheese and crunchy base are really good. Cook in Preheated 220 degree oven for 8 minutes. It is easiest and best taste pizza I ever had.

Roast beef

2010-02-06T22:25:00.004+11:00

My family is not vegetarian but we do not eat steaks much. Because we never cook right steaks at home, unless someone expert does at our BBQ party. But this roast beef is perfect for me to eat small piece of steak delicious. It is cooked on flying pan for 10 minutes ( 4 minutes for making brown colour and 6 minutes for cooking with sauce ) and leave in the sauce ( Say sauce and Rice wine) for 3 hours or more. It came out well even it is first time for me.

No more cook book

2010-02-02T20:20:00.005+11:00

lately my blog is almost about food. I found very useful site "Springpad" to organise my weekly meal plan and shopping. I use most recipes I found on Internet such as taste.com.au or blog. Now on I would not buy cookbooks anymore. I will do more cooking practice for next few month with Springpad.

I baked Banana cake this morning, but it was not so good. But " Potato and sausages with wholegrain mustard " for dinner was excellent.

marukoさん、わたしの誕生日を覚えていてくれてありがとう。

2010-02-01T16:07:00.006+11:00

私は昨日ひとつ歳をとりました。
人に私の誕生日を言いふらすほど若くないので、誕生日を無視してこのまま歳をとらないほうがいいぐらいですが，それでも覚えていてくれて嬉しいです．これからも毎日を大事に元気に生きていきたいです．夫が今私の後ろを通りこの画面を見て，私の誕生日にやっと気付きました．”何が欲しい？”なんていいましたが、”今更何も欲しくないけど，来年は覚えていて何か用意してくれればいい”と答えました．来年が楽しみです．

今朝作ったパンにトマトサルサをのせてみました．

My first bread made

2010-02-01T09:31:00.003+11:00

I made my first bread this morning. It looks fantastic. It was unbelievably easy. Now I have to find out best way to eat with.

Buy one new item and throw away something else.

2010-01-29T14:06:00.006+11:00

I bought a cast iron casserole pot yesterday and thrown away some old flying pans, takeaway containers, empty glass jars, old plates today.

I would like to move to a smaller living space about 2years time.

Every time I get a new item, I try to find items to throw away.

Breakfast and Afternoon tea

2010-01-29T03:06:00.005+11:00

It was nice breakfast Granola I made. We had a nice afternoon tea at a cake shop "Sweet Passion". The cake was huge to eat by one person, so 3 of us shared. The tea - Green tea with rose was also very nice. I am happy with my yesterday's eating.

We had a problem with our furnace and stayed awake till now 3: 22 am. It will start another new day in 3 hours with another breakfast.

Granola

2010-01-27T21:27:00.007+11:00

I normally eat ready-made muesli with extra nuts and milk for breakfast. Many years ago I thought it looks like bird feed and not so attractive. But now I like it. I found a recipe for Granola, so I made tonight for tomorrow's breakfast. Put roll oats, nuts, seeds, coconut, ground cinnamon, maple syrup and olive oil on a baking try and place in the oven preheated 180 for 1/2 hour and add dry fruit. Let cool down and eat with milk or yogurt. That's it.

It was a horrible hot day and overnight yesterday - Australia day. I did not feel to cook, so we went to eat Chinese at a local club. It was OK, but I decided I would not go again for long time, hopefully never.

I hope this granola is a simple good food with a satisfaction. I can find out tomorrow morning.

Before I die ...

2010-01-25T23:20:00.006+11:00

What I want to get done before I die - I have been thinking this question for a while. ( I do not have any health problem. )

Cook and eat delicious food. I know I have very limited numbers I can eat in my life time. So when I eat something not so good, I feel I waste my life. But often I do not cook well or I don't feel to cook. And we eat fast food or something easy.
Explore my ability in glass. Even after 27 years of glass making, I still have not reached my best yet. I cannot work long hours or cannot make large things any more, but I have so many ideas I want to try before I die.

Yummy homemade dimsin おいしい手作りシュウマイ

2010-01-11T22:55:00.006+11:00

I made yummy home made dimsin ( a kind of Chinese meat dumpling )today. I remember a very yummy dimsin I had in Japan when I was student. I told my husband many times it was so much better than ordinary Chinese take away or ready made frozen dimsin. Today I decided to make by myself. First I looked some recipes on Internet and made from them. It was very very good. My husband said this is a problem. Now we cannot eat any other dimsin.

Writing 書くという事

2010-01-10T23:33:00.007+11:00

"Business is powered by writing ability"ビジネスは書く力できまるwritten by Tetsushi Fukushima. He strongly recommended readers to write notes, diary, anything in writing. It makes more ideas into actions. The sentence of "Value of Books"( my yesterday's blog ) is from this book. The book was published in 1993, so Internet was just started but was not so good yet. It did not talk about email and blog.

But I understand what he says and I believe that writing this blog is good for me even it is funny English.

I have started writing 3 manuals - My glass studio Manual, The gallery operation manual and My housework manual plus Accommodation project map. I think my mind is becoming more clear.

本の価値とは　Value of books

2010-01-09T21:26:00.006+11:00

値打ちがあると思う人の話や本は、その時の自分に価値が生じるものだ．こちらがどのくらいインスピレーションをもってそこから発想が出来るかによって、本の価値が決まる．本は１０分から１５分で１つひらめきを得ていくようなペースでの読み方をすべきである．頭が刺激されなければ、どんどんページを飛ばしていくべき．本というものは、書かれた内容を自分の人生の活かして初めて価値がある．人生は短いし、人は本のみで生きるのではないから．

I will translate above to English later. I picked up this sentence from a book I read today. This gave me an idea about How to read books. I have some pile of books which I could not finish. Somehow I lost interest on them. Now I do not have to feel so guilty anymore.

This blog is my multi task diary.

2010-01-09T11:06:00.006+11:00

This blog is becoming a very important part of my everyday life. I open this site many times or at least once a day even without new posting. It gives me a chance to think many things and look other peoples blogs from my favourite sites and their links.

As thinking of coming days of 2010, I am in panic. Because it seems not enough time to do all I want to achieve in a year. I pat myself to calm down and tell "Just do one thing at a time."

One step of an accommodation project

2010-01-07T22:28:00.005+11:00

I went to a local council to get some information to develop a Bed & Breakfast and a Tourist Accommodation. At 2 years time my daughter will leave home. We would like to change our residence to an accommodation after that. 2 years sound long but we need quite many things to do - tidying up the house and garden, setting up our new residence. It is exciting to imagine a picture of accommodation and a new life.

Well dying means Well living

2010-01-06T16:15:00.007+11:00

(This is mirror image. )
The book that I have just read is "よく死ぬことは，よく生きることだ”-Well dying means Well living" written by Akiko Chiba who died in 1987 after 6 years of battle with her breast cancer. The book published 3 month before she died.

She made a priority to-do list everyday and spent each day best as possible. She died without regrets. Life is preparation for death anyway, even I am not cancer.

I should ask myself everyday "Am I living well today?"

Reading

2010-01-04T15:55:00.007+11:00

I will put a New label, Reading as my blog subject. I just have finished 2 books in new year.

One is about Business thinking written by Kazuyo Katsuma. I picked a few ideas from this book. I read a few other her books. This is best book of her so far.

I put near my desk a A4 paper written - 三毒追放，妬まない，怒らない、愚痴らない。−　Rid of 3 poisons, Don't be jealous. Don't get angry. Don't complain.
I got a simple body excises for my Brain - it is called Brain Gym.View in YouTube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TKBhEOdJ7Uo
I will make a plan to take a photo-reading course which is a type of speed reading in Japan in April.

Another book is "The Laws of Simplicity" written by John Maeda. He is trying to make Design and Life simpler, but also He says we need both Simplicity and Complicity.

I realised that my glass work is a complicity of beauty and is standing out in a surrounding of simplicity.

Last blog 2009

2009-12-31T23:40:00.004+11:00

I like this beautiful sunset sky just above me. How lucky I am.

Xmas 09 with friends

2009-12-30T20:09:00.003+11:00

We spent this Xmas with our friends at our home. Two boys cooked the dinner.

Bucket list

2009-12-10T22:03:00.005+11:00

Recently people around me got cancer. They are smilier age, older or younger than me. That made me realise my life does not go forever and never know around the corner. Often I am thinking to prepare my life for next 50 years. But also I should make my new bucket list what I want to do before I die.

Actually, I have done most of my list I had in my mind since long time ago. Maybe my dreams were very small. 5~6 years ago, I felt I did not mind to die at that point.