sleepy-head

One minute I was reading an epic novel like war of the worlds (ok, it was actually Dr Seuess) with K, the next, the house was pitch black and I woke up with a start searching for my husband! lol. He was beside me (yay) and it turns out that I passed out somewhere between "one fish, two fish, red fish and blue fish". That means I got a good 10hour sleep!!! I know, it is crazy! Not sure if I feel refreshed for it or not though.....This year the 夏バテ, "total disability to cope with summer" is really hitting me hard. I tend not to put the aircon on during the day as it just makes me get head-colds. The breeze has been good the last week or so, keeping the house bearable (if I dont move from the couch, lol) but when J gets home, I put the aircon on full ball for him...I think the hot-to-cold business is draining me.

We are off to visit a friend this morning, so I guess I should take R for her walk, then do a quick sweep and swipe before I make myself human to head out and see people. May beven throw K in the shower with me, sure she wouldn't mind in this heat (is 29deg in the house at the moment, not even 9am!!)

curry in a hurry

I asked J what he wanted for dinner tonight, and he said curry. yippee - too easy! Easy is good on Tuesdays, when we dont get home until close to 4pm most times, as if we go to plyagroup by car, K usually falls asleep on the way home, so I let her sleep even when we get home (a few mins shut eye for me too, sitting in the car waiting for her to wake up hehe). Playgroup was stressful but fun today. Strseeful. because K went all wierdo on me and wouldnt come into the room, was crying and chucking a tanty a few times during songs, I think because we sang her current favourite song "Baa Baa Black Sheep"...she gets upset when we all sing HER song. Go figure. but it was fun because one of the members brought her darling 2 month old daughter along. She is sooooo tiny and cute as a button. My how they grow up fast.....

The carrot muffins that we baked yesterday turned out lovely, and I just got around to icing them now (just ONE before dinner!!)

J has drinks after work tomorrow and Thursday so K and I will be having simple meals for the next few days - I think there is still a can of tinned baked beans there with our name on it.

something fishy

For dinner, that is. I thought I would branch out and try to cook a fish other than salmon for a change. Walking to the supermarket, I decided that I would like to eat fish ムニエル(google report = "meunier", basically fish coated in flour and fried in butter)

Since I know nothing about fish, I thought I would just look for the cuts that had "cook meunier style" written on them, but there was none on the shelf, so I asked the lady stacking the fish shelf which fish I should use. She pointed out the salmon fillets, the shark fillets, the scallops, and something else. So tonight, shark fillets it is!! (although she did say that the shark doesnt have much fat on it, so it would be nice(r) done karaage style...oh well.) But I often eat flake for fish and chips at home, so figured we couldnt go too wrong. Also just found a nice looking recipe for flake with a vege sauce, but tonight I am sticking with my ムニエル style.

Was going to serve it with just a salad, but thought that might mean the break out of an international war (or at least the serving of divorce papers) so tonight's menu will be:

* Flake fillets meunier style
* side salad
* brown rice (may still see divorce papers, yet, hehe!!)
* wakame soup, K's favourite at the moment
* egg roll
* 冷奴
* ummmm, feel like there should be something else here. Will have to raid fridge/freezer and see what I can come up with.

I think it sounds a summery-enough-menu for the end of what promises to be a hot hot hot day all day.

And since carrots were on special at the shop, I think I am going to make a carrot cake now to satisfy my afternoon sweet cravings.

.....basically follwed this recipe, and the carrot muffins came out just delish! the way we are going, there will be none left for afternoon tea, K and I are chomping into them now!! I cut the sugar heaps tho, so now I am going to go buy some cream cheese to make a frosting for them.

double yuck - summer continues

I am trying to de-sweat at the moment in front of aircon after doing the vacuuming with the oven AND stovetop on. One thing I did find out - the coolest place in the house seems to be around the skirting boards - great breeze coming through there (lol, gotta love old crappy apartments)

Tonight's menu - broccolli, bacon and onion crustless quiche (I guess that makes it a fritata?) with mashed potato and asparagus. Using up fridge leftovers. I do actually have a pie crust still in freezer, but decided to only make a small quiche (like 1/2 size) so thought we could forgo the crust this time. Just waiting for the potatoes to boil now. Friday comfort food, slightly frugal too, I guess. Hopefully there will be no leftovers tonight.

We are going to the PIL's for the weekend - better go pack our bag while I have a few minutes too. Right, I feel semi-human again so off to pack.

yuck

even walking at half pace to the train sta I am a big sweating mess! Especially in my elbow creases ;)

after lunch break

taking a reprieve after lunch (which consisted of peanut butter s/w, and yoghurt ((for K - I am not a big yoghurt fan)), followed by ice-cream!)

It was lovely and breezy this morning, but now the rain is coming in at the wrong angle so have to close windows. am itching and red from sweat all around my neck, and the insides of my elbows - what is that part of your body called??*

Also glad that we took R out for a walk earlier - all these rainy days means she is getting only limited outings, poor thing.

Tonight we are having chinese again - I always used to shy away from Chinese, because I usually like to have the whole works - fried rice, spring rolls., J likes to have gyoza dumplings etc etc, so usually prefer to go out to a restaurant for it, but recently I have been following a good recipe book with (more than likely Japanese versions of)Chinese dishes, it is actually J's book. Once you have the main sauce ingredients, it is easy to make anything, and it all comes out PRETTY good if I do say so myself. Anyway, tonight is going to be

エビチリ

チンジャオロース　(which I always used to think was ginger rose, and even after googling it now, still dont know what it is in English, but apparently it is a Japanese take on the chinese food "green capsicum and pork stir fried in seasame oil". hmm, you learn something new everyday)

豚の角煮

egg-drop soup

I think I have all the ingredients, so wont need to make a mad dash out after K wakes up from her nap to buy more.

Right, time to clean up all the stuff K has thrown over the floor in the 5 mins I have been on the computer and get ready for a nap (hers).

* it is called an anicubital although "elbow crease", "elbow pit" and "the crook of my elbow" also came up in my search!! lol.

** it has taken me like 4 times to get this post right, after a few html misshaps. oops. must be the heat.

a funny from K

K has had a bit of a cough and sniffles the last few days, which I think is related to having the fan on at night. Anyway I had to laugh at something she just said, when her nose was sore, probably from me trying to wipe it all the time with tissues.

She said "hana itai (hana is sore)"
then without missing a beat, she said "taichi itai(taichi is sore)"

hana means nose in Japanese....

but hana and taichi are also the names of a friend's kids!!!

Seems K is already on her way to a long career in 親父ギャグ (corny jokes)

tree-time

Was just looking at a tanabata decoration, thinking it looks mightily similar to a Christmas tree!! hehe.

So maybe we CAN have a summer Xmas here in Japan too?!?

hot pasta salad and steak

K has been asking for pasta for a few days now, so last night I bought some steak on the way home from playgroup (Aussie sirloin!) and made a big BIG BBBIIIIIGGGG pot of mum's famous hot pasta salad. It worked out perfectly as I could throw in all the half bits of veges (zucchini, spinich, mushrooms) left in the fridge and it is such a comfort food for me. So I was a happy chappy!

I think K and I will be having the leftovers of it tonight (did I mention it was a BIG pot of it I made!!) coz J will be home late.

Am supposed to be going to a friend's 4th of July bbq tomorrow, but K has the sniffles and runny nose all day. Am worried to take her as friend has a 3 month old baby and I don't want K's possible cold to spread. Will see how K is in the morning.

K and I have just had an apple for our afternoon snack (hardly did the trick for me - am still dreaming of chips or chocolates *sigh*) and about to hit the streets for a walk with R before the afternoon clean up (how does K's stuff end up scattered all over 3 rooms?? )

last minute ingredients

just wasting a few minutes while Miitsuketa! is on and K is happy watching. Once it is finished I am going to drag her out to the shop 3mins up the road to grab some atsu-age for our Zucchini Champuru tonight. I am soooooo bad, always forgetting half the ingredients, so we are lucky that within 5 mins walk, there are 3 supermarkets that I can go to (ranging in size). I usually end up going to the closest one which is like a small conbini type. Pretty soon they will know me by name. The other day I had to use up all 3 supermarkets as I forgot stuff 2 times, and another time went back to get ice blocks after dinner!!

I took K out on a lunch date today, just the 2 of us!! We had to take the car down for a service in the morning, and it wasn't finished until 11:30am, so I thought it would be much easier just to swing past ye ol' family restaurant for lunch than go home and bother making anything. K was really good, we sat at opposite sides of the table - usually I sit beside her, so I think she felt really grown up (she made me sit on the other side of the table btw! lol)It has been ages since I have been to Saizeria, and I have to say this time may be the last for a while.. very average (although super cheap) but too greasy - I felt a bit blaaa afterwards.

Tonight's dinner is going to be "wa":
salmon
rice
wakame miso soup (K's favourite)
niku-jaga and
zucchini champuru.

Last night J had drinks after work, so K and I had a quiet easy dinner (mine was baked beans on toast! hers was vege soup with potatos) and monday night was left over quiche from when lunch (had friend over) so this is the first meal I am cooking all week, lol!

Right, tv is about to finish (sings at top of voice...."Ai no tamago!") so gotta get K in some pants (she is nappy only) and go for our mini walk.