New Year's beach walk

A Happy New Year, everyone. We went to a lovely party thrown by Liz yesterday evening. She is a superb host. Today we have celebrated the day with a bottle of champagne, a box of chocolate and Italian snacks at lunch time, and then Japanese special meal at dinner time.    

In Japan, the New year's day is the day we spend quiet serene time with our family. We have a special meal.  I have tried to cook something similar over the years. But because I can't get hold of rice cake, which is the most important food for the New Year's day, I had only felt slightly disappointed and frustrated. But this year, I have focused on things I can do with what we have got here, rather than what we can't have. I made stock from Kombu (kelp) and shi-i-take (mushroom) to make this special poultry soup. Mike liked it. That matters most to me. 

Crocus are open in the garden

We took our dogs, Topaz and Pearl to the beach at Whitstable today. Oh, it was a lovely bright day.

Pearl sits on my lap for a longer journey.

 Pearl used to be very sensitive to motion, and hated drives. We have trained her with short drives over the years. But when we take her a longer drive, well, 15 minutes, she still sits on my lap so that she could have fresh air, and when she feels sick, I can put a plastic bag over her head.

Favourite alley

 We parked the car and walked to the beach. Today we went through the Favourite alley to get the beach. There are lots of small alleys to the beach in Whitstable. The ship called Favourite used to harvest oysters here, and the remains are still here, as you can see.

A family photo ( keeping their attention with cookies!)

A kite which scared Pearl. 

 Beach was windy and cold, but we braved ourselves. It's New Year's Day. We must set the tone for the year; healthy and active. Pearl found a beautiful male whippet. They exchanged nose kisses.

Pearl (red coat) and her new friend

 The tide was high, and water was murky. We could see Sheppy over the water.

Waves break at the shore.

 After about a half an hour of walk on the beach, they were put back to on leads, and we walked back to the car on the High street where wind was noticeably milder. We have met about a dozen dogs. They, including our girls, behave very well there.

It's time to go back. 

  

   

Lots of goodies from Japan

Yukiko's mother's handmade card

Hello everyone. We have received lots of goodies from Japan last couple of days. Yesterday Hitomi's presents arrived. She gave each of us a bag of goodies. Thanks, Hitomi.   

My bag from Hitomi

Wow, lots of things! She knows I am not very keen on sweeties, so selected something savoury and not-too-sweet sweets! : ) She also enclosed the toiletry that I can't get hold of in UK. Precious!

My bag - inside

In the mean time, Mike has devoured sweets in his bag before I had a chance to take photos. Yes, his bag was full of sweets. All his teeth are sweet kind.

Mike's bag from Hitomi

This morning, we have got three packages. Yeah! What a lovely day! One from my mother; she had sent me a big package earlier the month, but she obviously forgot to enclose some delicacy, so that has arrived.

This lovely  package is from Mr Yatsuzuka who used to be my immediate boss when I used to work in a company at Tokyo. He is architect. He loves to take a part in Japanese festivals. His website on the festivals is here.

Sweets from Mr Yatsuzuka

This is from my friend Yukiko. A long time ago, we met at Brussels while she was a student at the Conservatoire. Her mother gave us a beautiful hand-stitched card every year. We put all in show at this time of the year. They are all different and all beautiful.

From Yukiko

This Disney card is from my aunt, Shoko. It arrived before Christmas. She always sends us a cute music card. But this year's is so special! So I have to share with you. It has 16 different tunes, all Christmas related, of course, with flickering lights on the tree part! Music can be started or stopped with a click at the corner of the card. Mike was so amused, that he showed it to our parrots. They seemed mesmerised and became very quiet. Then they started head bobbing dance!

Aunt Shoko thinks I am still a child!

  

Walk and Mike's first creme caramel

Hello everyone. Yesterday morning was finally sunny. Mike said there would be rain in the afternoon, so we took our dogs for a relatively long walk; they had been fed up with only short walks in the rain recently. The first thing that caught my eye were these early flowering crocus in our front garden. They were battered by rain and wind, still so pretty.

Early flowering crocus

 Topaz loves drives. Her most favourite place is inside the car. Pearl used to be scared of drives due to her motion sickness, but over the years she has finally overcome, and she is finally jumping into the car (only on the way to somewhere).

Let's go!

 Where did we go? This atmospheric place with sliver birch on the hill is on the university campus. We wanted to go somewhere dry and not muddy.

On deserted campus

 Pearl was keen to find something to chase. Look at her ears. She watches with her eyes and these jumbo ears.

How rude!

Mike with our pooches.

 There was this coniferous tree with yellow flowers and seeds. Bright and pretty.

The living wall is still alive! There were Helleborus niger flowering. How timely. Their common names is, of course, Christmas rose.

The living wall in winter

In the evening, Mike made creme caramel, one of my favourite deserts. This is one of the deserts I have made since we got together. But after watching Great Britain bake off, in which Mary Berry made a wonderful creme caramel, he decided to take charge. So here are Mike's very first creme caramels.

First, caramel

Next custard 

After 30 minutes in the oven, smooth beautiful creme caramel are done.  

Very smooth and lovely!

 

Merry Christmas from Pearl and Topaz

Merry Christmas, everyone! I hope you have had a lovely day today. We have had a totally relaxing day. We have stopped inviting family and friends a couple of years ago partly because our parents became too old to travel (mine are in Japan), and partly because we often get flu during the holidays. Once we had a very bad flu (swine kind); it had taken me three weeks to get rid of. That was when we made this decision, and we have never regretted it.

Merry Christmas! (Pearl)

Merry Christmas! (Topaz)

Today we have done more ceramics. Mike has thrown some bowls, and I have done some finishing work on my piece, which I have worked for a week. Then we had Christmas lunch, yes, turkey, but not roast. Mike made delicious turkey breast rolls with cheese and shiso leaves, very fragrant Japanese herb. Ah, they are so delicious. Of course, we had a bit too much. Our desert was Haagen dazs chocolate and vanilla ice cream with strong coffee, followed by whiskey truffles with stronger coffee!

Mike's turkey breast roll with cheese and shiso

The second desert course.

I didn't become hungry until late; so I had some Alaskan smoked salmon and cream cheese on slices of a baguette with a glass of wine, just before watching Downton Abbey. We had Turkish delight and tea whilst watching the program  I love pistachio and rose. By the way, I was stunned by tonight's plot. Are you?

Our favourite Turkish delight

Little helpers, the tree and lots of sweets

Hello everyone. Mike, I and our dogs, Topaz and Pearl went to the post office to send the final post from my Etsy shop before Christmas. It is nice to have Mike and Pearl to walk with; I usually only take Topaz with me. The last post was a beautiful milky white whippet. I hope it will travel safely and get to the nice lady in Devon before the New Years Day.

Midori's little helpers. Pearl, Mike and topaz from left.

Me too! (Pumpkin the chicken) 

 Mike was excited to find his childhood favourite film, Lady and the tramp, is on TV this evening. We sat comfortably on the sofa and watched it. I cried at the end. Then we watched The snowman and the snowdog. It was nicely made, and we both cried a lot at the end. There are lots of good films for children during the holidays. I love children's films. It is my prime TV watching season!

A bumble bee in a Christmas rose

Our tree is lit up, thanks to Mike. We have been tidying up and cleaning the last two days. I have done a couple of hours of ceramics.

Our tree is lit up.

Mike has baked a pear tart before I woke up yesterday. It was so delicious with almond essence in it. We have already finished it! We have lots of sweets given and bought as well. I told my mother in Japan that we are a bit like Hansel and Gretel!  Mike has bought lots of ingredients for more baking.  I am a lucky one!

Mike's rich pear tart

Megumi sent us a box of sweets from Spain. They are 'Bombones' but not like bonbons we knew. They are truffles with raspberry, pistachio, chocolate and vanilla flavours. Delicate and delicious. Thanks Megumi!

Sweets from Spain