Delicious Summer Recipes

I've recently been searching for some new recipes for the summer.  You know, all the wonderful produce that's in season has had me wanting some good salads.  I've posted a couple on Instagram recently, but I thought I'd share the links to them here.  

This first one is Ravioli with Sautéed Asparagus and Walnuts from Green Valley Kitchen.  I could only find cheese ravioli in my store, which I thought was ridiculous, but it was still delicious.  These are my photos, so you can see how they really turn out.  

The second one is 10-Minute Zucchini Noodles with Garlic, Lemon and Parmesan.  I asked for and received a Spiralizer for Christmas and I finally tried it out.  It worked perfectly on zucchini and this recipe was very good too.  You can find it at Instant Pot Eats.  

I loved all of these recipes or I wouldn't be passing them on to you.  I've just hit the jackpot lately.  This one was my favorite combination.  Pasta, tomato, basil what can be wrong with that? This recipe is from Alexandra Cooks and was a favorite with my husband too.  

And lastly, I decided to make my own hummus. In Japan, we couldn't buy hummus or decent crackers.  I craved hummus and Triscuits. I had friends that would make their own. I even brought cans of chick peas to Japan for them and myself.  I never did it. Yesterday I did and I added "Everything but the Bagel" sesame seasoning to the top with some olive oil. It was amazing with some Triscuits.  I made this Classic Hummus recipe from Gimme Some Oven.  

Do you have some new summery recipes you'd like to share with me? I'm on the hunt! 

Happy eating. 

Karen

"I just wanted to be sure of you"

FRIEND:  A person with whom one has a bond of mutual affection. 

Someone asked me recently why my photos don't include Japanese friends.  Hopefully, someday they will.  I have learned that it is very difficult to build relationships when you can barely communicate.  I cannot speak Japanese yet, short of hello, goodbye, thank you, I'm sorry, etc. Many Japanese, while they learned English in school, are not also not comfortable in a conversation.  They know similar words in English that I know in Japanese.  It doesn't make for very in-depth conversation.  

For now I am relying on my new expat friends.  Relying heavily in some instances.  My husband is already traveling quite a bit.  In fact, he is in Brazil this week and Argentina next week.  Several of the ladies here have really extended the hand of friendship to me.  I've learned that I don't do well as a loner.  I'm an extrovert.  No doubt about it.  I need people, big time.  

I just thought I'd add a funny photo of my first squatty potty experience.  I REALLY didn't want to try this.  But, sometimes you've got to get with the program, so to speak.

We both conquered the use of the "self-serve" line in this grocery store.  

Thankfully it had an "english" button.

My new friends took me to a thrift store.  And they don't even know me well yet!  I might've jumped at the chance. That was probably a clue.  I bought the beautiful china plates below and the game board they are sitting on.  I really want to go back, but really don't have room for much.  

Another friend took me to Costco, which was such a help.  This is both of our stuff combined, by the way.  I don't even have a membership and she let me go with her.  Which was very generous.  Then she drove me home and helped me unload!  Which is not simple, since I live in the city in an apartment on the 12th floor.  

I have had A LOT of dining opportunities.  Above is my first Indian meal. 

And first for sitting on the floor.  

This was Japanese BBQ.  Most of it was delicious. ;-)

Expat's tend to recognize each other immediately in Japan.  Only 1% of the people in Japan are not Japanese.  So, we really stick out.  This beautiful family was from Norway.  Their little girls were Karen, Maria and Julia. 

Elizabeth and I met when we both tried to pass the driving test.  We both failed.  Here are her boys, Aiden and Robin.  Such a sweet family.  Since then she has passed and I have my second test tomorrow.  I'm trying not to stress about it.  I won't try again, if I fail it this time.  All done.

 Blurry but funny.

These last two pictures are of my close friends in Southern California.  They made a "flat Karen" and took me antiquing with them.  I think we did a few other things together too.  I was told that I created quite a scene.  Silly girls.  I love and miss them a lot.  

Piglet sidled up to Pooh from behind.  

"Pooh!" he whispered. 

"Yes, Piglet?"

"Nothing," said Piglet, taking Pooh's paw.  

"I just wanted to be sure of you.

Friends are the best!

New Friends!!

I met two new friends recently who's husbands also work for Toyota. They've been really nice and have included me in a couple of excursions. Last week M needed to do some shopping for her daughter's birthday. The main shopping district (downtown) is close to my apartment. I met them in the subway and we walked around downtown. As you can see there are some very familiar stores in the area. She found just what she needed at American Eagle.  

This store is not an American brand, even though the name seems familiar.  It carries many things, with each floor being different.  There is an interiors floor, electronics, travel, etcetera.  My FAVORITE floor is the stationery supplies, journals, paper, pens, art supplies, and on and on.  

Here are some photos of that floor.

 Many, many rows of pens.

 Stickers and washi tape.

 Clips, like crazy.

 Oh yeah, baby. Lots of Copic markers at only $2.60 a piece. These are $7 at home.

 Even Martha made an appearance.

Journals for days!

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Then we went to a wonderful Japanese restaurant for Shabu Shabu.

Fortunately these tables had spaces beneath them for our legs. 

Getting up and down was interesting, however.  

 Tofu with fish eggs. I tried it.

These sauces are for dipping the meat and vegetables into after they are cooked.  

The left one was not soy sauce, but it was salty.  The right one had a peanut flavor.

This is the thinly sliced beef that you put into the broth.  

On the right are a mixture of vegetables, noodles and tofu.  

This water boils and you put the veggies and meat in to cook. I can't tell you what everything is. The  yellow thing in the front is a mystery to me. But, it tasted okay. There is mushroom, bean sprouts, cabbage, parsley and beef in this photo.

These tables have no spaces for legs!  It was a great day and I'm so grateful for new friends.  If you've seen my "videos" on Instagram and Facebook, these are some of the same photos.  You can just see them better.  By the way, my husband tried the barber in the subway and they did a fabulous job!  This next week is my turn for a haircut! I have an appointment at a salon downtown.  We will see how it goes!

Mac and Cheese and Macarons

I think every crafter needs a desk like this from the Wells Fargo Museum. Small but very interesting free museum. 

Two weeks ago we ventured over to downtown Los Angeles to visit the Japanese consulate. We took all our pre-approved paperwork and handed it over to process our visas. Since it was pre-approved we were able to hang around and pick them up at 3:00. That gave us time to check out the neighborhood. 

In my last post you saw our wonderful tour of the Walt Disney concert hall. I highly recommend the audio self-guided tour of the building. Because of the awesomeness of social media these days, I was able to contact a friend that works downtown and ask about lunch recommendations. She said we were close to Bottega Louie and it was a trendy place to eat. We traipsed a few blocks to 7th and Grand and had lunch there. It also gave me a leg up on my step goal for the day. 

It is definitely a popular place and you are immediately greeted with a beautiful array of desserts, especially the macarons! 

We both ordered salads, mine is the arugula salad pictured and his was a Cobb salad. What I really wanted was the Mac and cheese with bacon. He said he'd help me eat it and boy did he! It was amazing. It was called a "small bite" and wasn't too big. I should've just ordered that and no salad. AND eaten the entire thing by myself. That's what I should've done. Does anyone else out there love Mac and cheese? I have a collection of recipes and have made just a few of them. I don't think any have bacon. I'll have to work on that. We will see if I can buy the necessary ingredients in Japan. It's doubtful. In the end he had a strawberry macaron and mine was lemon. 

We walked back up the hill to the consulate and got our visas. His is a work visa. Mine is a play visa. Yes it is.