#I voted gyoza

[chthonicathenean]

I don't know what Kenke, Manti, and Knödel are but I do know I want to try them!

I have interpreted dumpling extremely liberally and I have no doubt missed many. Please feel free to make us all hungry!

[angelicgirlmj]

an angels guide: healthy eating at school

hi angels! you voted and this came first so here it is, an angels guide to eating healthily and focusing on your body and health goals at school. healthy eating at school can be tricky. you use up so much enegry and time in class and studying that meals can seem a little less important. you might end up skipping a meal or eating a meal that ends up not fitting your health goals all because you ran out of time. i have created three categories of lunches to help you find meal inspo: cold lunches, hot lunches and make the night before lunches. also a bonus snack section and some general tips! enjoy angels and feel free to comment your go to lunches/snacks.

˚₊‧꒰ა ꣑ৎ ໒꒱ ‧₊˚

tips

bring a bottle of cold water with you to school, drinking water regularly helps you look and feel your best.

eat breakfast! even if you don’t get very hungry eating in the morning helps your brain and body function it’s best. try having some fruit or a smoothie if you really struggle to eat in the mornings.

try vitamins/probiotics to help you get all your nutrients and vitamins in.

buy a cute lunch box/food containers to make sure your lunches are adorable.

make a pinterest board of cute healthy lunches to be inspired by!

figure out your health goals and create meal ideas from there. for example: i want to build muscle! that means you need more protein in your diet so plan meals and snacks with lots of protein sources to fit your goal.

˚₊‧꒰ა ꣑ৎ ໒꒱ ‧₊˚

a week of cold lunches:

chicken salad: mix chicken, avocado, tomato, cucumber, carrot, corn, salad leaves (lettuce, rocket etc). add mustard and lemon dressing, season well with salt and pepper and fresh dill. dessert: raspberries and blueberries served with peanut butter and greek yogurt.

tuna and avocado pita: mashed avocado and tuna, seasoned with salt and pepper, fill in pita along with rocket and pickle slices. dessert: pineapple and pomegranate fruit salad.

cold rice bowl: mix cooked salmon, rice, cucumbers, cooked broccoli and sliced carrot. sprinkle with sesame seeds and pepper and salt. garnish with a garlic mayo or homemade yogurt garlic sauce. dessert: chopped strawberries dipped in yogurt and coated in dark chocolate and coconut oil left to harden.

feta and turkey wrap: place lettuce, turkey, tomato in a wrap and sprinkle with feta, pepper and salt. dessert: sliced apple (squeeze lemon over to stop apple going brown) with peanut butter, greek yogurt and cinnamon dip.

cold pesto pasta salad: mix cooked penne pasta, homemade pesto, tomato, rocket, avocado, grated parmesan and season with salt and pepper. dessert: tangerine pieces and kiwi.

cold noodles: mix cooked noodles, shredded red cabbage and carrots, green onions, handful of crushed peanuts, chopped cucumber and cover with sesame peanut sauce. dessert: homemade blueberry banana oat muffin.

salmon bagel: add salmon, cream cheese (or cottage cheese), cucumber, rocket, lemon and pepper to a bagel. dessert: blackberries and mango.

˚₊‧꒰ა ꣑ৎ ໒꒱ ‧₊˚

a week of hot lunches:

pizza toast: spread homemade tomato sauce on a piece of sourdough bread, cover with mozzarella, add your favourite toppings such as ham, mushroom, olive, pepper etc and bake until cheese melted, serve with rocket. dessert: banana bread and greek yogurt.

stuffed aubergine (or eggplant): sauté aubergine, onion, garlic, pepper, zucchini and olive, add in tomato paste and season. put in aubergine and sprinkle with cheese. bake until cheese melted. dessert: sautéed apples served warm with yogurt and granola.

chicken meatballs: homemade chicken meatballs cooked with a soy based sauce and red peppers. serve with cooked rice. dessert: strawberry oat crumble.

gyozas: heat or make some gyozas and serve with a cucumber and carrot salad with soy sauce to dip. dessert: hot matcha tea with strawberries.

soup: make your favourite soup and serve with some warm sourdough toast. dessert: watermelon slices.

quesadilla style wrap: fill a whole wheat wrap with cheese, turkey, tomatoes and avocado. cook until cheese melted and warm. dessert: green grapes, blueberries and raspberries.

grilled chicken burrito bowl: mix grilled chicken, rice, avocado, black beans, corn, tomatoes, red onions, cilantro and sour cream with cooked rice and squeeze over lime and season as preferred. dessert: rice cakes with greek yogurt strawberries and melted dark chocolate.

˚₊‧꒰ა ꣑ৎ ໒꒱ ‧₊˚

snack ideas:

veggie sticks and hummus.

fruit salad.

frozen banana, peanut butter and chocolate slices.

pretzel thins and sliced cheese.

frozen grapes and lime.

salty popcorn.

yogurt parfait.

cucumber and cream cheese rice cakes.

cookie dough protein bites.

banana peanut butter rice cakes.

homemade oatmeal cookies.

smoothie.

chia pudding.

˚₊‧꒰ა ꣑ৎ ໒꒱ ‧₊˚

thank you for reading! happy back to school season. remember to nourish and take care of your body - you deserve it! love, m.

[putschki1969]

2023/11/22 Blog post by Wakana 楽曲投票の途中経過をお知らせします。〜焼き芋と誕生日〜

❗This is Fan Club EXCLUSIVE content❗ ❗PERSONAL USE ONLY❗ Do ❗NOT SHARE❗ on other sites ❗Join her FAN CLUB! Check out my detailed TUTORIAL ❗

News of my Song Survey. ~Roasted Sweet Potato and Birthday~

Lately, I’ve been craving something sweet…😳♡ So I bought some sweet potatoes! 🍠🍠 After searching for a delicious way to eat them, I finally found a recipe that required me to prepare them in a rice cooker! ! It was surprisingly easy... I made a lovely warm sweet potato. I wanted it to be more like a baked sweet potato so I heated it up in the oven a little. It wasn't very crispy, but it was moist, warm and delicious! !

Hello, this is Wakana (0￣▽￣0)/

(It's been a while since I last wrote this greeting) Sweet potatoes are delicious, aren't they? Actually, I wanted to eat stone-roasted sweet potatoes but for some reason, I only saw them offered in menus when it was still way too hot. Now that it is finally cooler, I am not seeing them anymore... Why? 😭It's the perfect time to eat them but why can't I find them? 😭 I also like the roasted sweet potatoes that are available at the supermarket 🍠

Well, as I announced on the podcast the other day, I will be holding an online event next month titled "Wakana Winter Shark Festival Vol.3 ~Birthday Crosstalk Event~". Once again, I will be joined by a special guest. Yuuka Nanri!! ☆*:.｡.＼\\٩( 'ω' )و //／／.｡.:*☆ YAY! (Here I am with Yuuka during last winter's shark festival and again during this year's spring shark festival. The panel in the background is full of gyoza and sharks. And hippos. And leaves. It's all over the place)

I am truly grateful to Yuu-chan for joining me every year...✨😿✨ Thank you so much✨😿✨ The event will be held on December 10th, which also happens to be my birthday💡 Since it's my birthday, I thought I'd ask the staff if it's okay if I am a little selfish this year! ! I am currently sending them all my selfish ideas! I wonder what will happen 😳💗 I’m looking forward to it 💗 Stay tuned! Everyone, be sure to join us ･:*+.\(( °ω° ))/.:+ Click here for details on "Wakana Winter Shark Festival Vol.3 ~Birthday Crosstalk Event~"☆ https://wakana-fc.jp/contents/688420

By the way, as I mentioned in the previous podcast, you can currently vote for the song I will be singing at the Botanical Land exclusive after-event of "Wakana Classics 2023 ~Winter Party~" on December 15th... I went to my agency's office yesterday and they showed me some of the survey data! You know, the results are really interesting *laughs* I can't really reveal anything but it's certainly fascinating! ! *laughs* However, it seems like only about half of the fan club members have submitted their vote already...😭 Everyone! ! Please be sure to vote for the song you want me to sing! 🤗I am looking forward to your votes! (((o(*ﾟ▽ﾟ*)o))) Click here for the survey☆ https://wakana-fc.jp/contents/688413

Well then, I'll leave it at that for today! See you soon ☆( *'▽’*)/

＊＊＊Wakana＊＊＊

[codegeassfacts]

Red Tracks, A Collection of Kallen Kozuki novels // Not Canon

As usual I'm warning between canon and not canon material; Novels are more like interpretations from novelists as they don't come from the writing staff, and often contradict canon facts, but they can be always nice for headcanon.

Red Tracks Chapter 1: Shinjuku (Part 1)

Let me tell you an obvious truth.

You’re greatly mistaken if you think children can’t do anything.

You’re greatly mistaken if you think children can’t [hold] a knife in their hands.

You’re greatly mistaken if you think children can’t shoot blindly.

You’re greatly mistaken if you think children… can’t kill enemies.

I’ll shoot.

I’ll definitely kill my enemies.

I’ll never forgive the ones that killed my big brother.

And, someday.

I’ll be cleansed in the blood that flows through half of my body.

And die—.

Clovis is a real Royal Dandy. He actually wears make-up.

Near the beginning of the novel, Kallen runs into Rivalz and Lelouch on her way back home from school. She has some vague recollection of Rivalz (but has no clear idea who he is), but apparently does not remember / know Lelouch at all. Lelouch does not seem to know her either -- as Rivalz vocally expresses his disbelief over this, Kallen catches Lelouch's name, and wonders where she's heard it before…

Stage 1 ~ 2 takes up about a third of this novel; how Ougi & co. managed to steal the "gas capsule" is described in great detail. Apparently they could only steal one (the others are shown in the show in Stages 3 and 11) before Tamaki screwed up (also mentioned in Stage 1).

Nagata's backstory is explained in considerable detail in this novel; he is actually 1/4th Britannian, and became a potter solely to woo his wife. His wife and daughter died 7 years ago in the Britannian invasion. Nagata's final monologue is very, very sad.

Inoue remains a mystery throughout -- nobody knows her real age, and not even Ougi knows whether "Inoue" is actually her real name. Ougi suspects it isn't.

Ougi agreed to let Kallen join the resistance, but only as a part-timer: their agreement required her to go to school whenever she isn't needed. Kallen does not like going to school, however, but not because she hates Britannians; she doesn't want to go because she likes them -- is afraid of liking them -- and whenever she's there she feels like a "wolf among sheep".

Naoto is described as being as charismatic and possibly as intelligent as Lelouch. After his disappearance, Naoto's group was slowly falling apart; Inoue tells Ougi, frankly, that he does not have what it takes to hold them together. Ougi does not take offense because he knows it himself.

Kallen's reasons for deciding to show up at school sometimes include: "Wait… which class am I in, again?"

Kallen is voted by the Ashford male student body as the No.1 "Lady (*Ojou-sama) I Want To Protect".

Kallen is misled into participating in an All-the-Gyoza-You-Can-Eat outing with the female Student Council members; Kallen joined in believing it was an All-You-Can-Eat Pizza Fest -- Lelouch got the "All-You-Can-Eat" coupon as a gift from Pizza Hut. Nunnally likes Gyoza; Lelouch, according to her, doesn't. Shirley and Milly are supposedly big eaters.

Kallen had to move from town to town when she was little, unable to fit in with either the Britannians or the Japanese. Kallen was able to hold her own against the teasing and light bullying from other children, but her mother was discriminated against for the most part. Kallen's complicated feelings for her mother appears to have started from the day when Kallen asked "Am I a burden to you?"; Kallen-mama only gave her a squeezing hug in reply. Kallen wanted her mother to deny it, and the fact that she didn't made Kallen wonder whether there was actually some truth in it.

The insulting graffiti on Kallen-mama's room is revealed to be the handiwork of the other maids, all of whom are pure Britannians. The stepladder accident in Stage 9 is also revealed to have been a dirty trick, though who the culprit is (Kallen's stepmom or one of the other maids) isn't made clear. Kallen, for all her outward hatred and disgust with her mother, tries to secretly help her sometimes -- once, during winter, she slipped a shabby (so as not to attract too much attention) coat into her mother's room. However, her mother never wore it, and Kallen, frustrated, confronts her about it, only to be told in her mother's infuriatingly silly, vacant way: "There was a hole in it." In truth, the coat had been cut to pieces (probably by one of the maids).

Naoto made Kallen promise to protect her mother; Kallen, who had wanted to fight alongside her brother, did not think it was fair and was fairly bitter about it. Her inner conflicts were later resolved when she remembers in the Refrain chapter that the reason she wanted to destroy Britannia in the first place, the real trigger, was because it turned her "family" into a farce.

The Fateful peach meeting Novel

A big peach rolled close to her feet. She stopped it with her bag jammed with the things she had packed for our moving away. Kozuki Kallen tilted her head, looking at it. A faintly sweet smell drifted to her nose, that it made the ten year old girl want to seize the plump and ripe peach with one hand. Kallen picked up the fruit with both hands.

The sooner she did, an "Ah!" was heard. Turning her head, she saw a young boy of the same age. He had jet black hair. But the color of his eyes were different. He was not Japanese. Though, she was one to talk.

Holding the peach in her hand, she gazed at the boy who had a serious look in his and wondered why he looked somewhat angry. Could it be that he was the owner of the peach? Thinking so, Kallen quietly hands over the peach. The boy stares back and quietly accepts the peach.

The silence ensues until, "Hey!"

"Ouch!"

All of a sudden, another boy strikes the black-haired boy on the back of his head. He appeared to be the same age as the latter. He had curly chestnut-brown hair.

"Why are standing there like a retard? She picked it up for you, so you should properly thank her!"

"Hmph. It's not like I asked her to."

"If you're serious about that, I'll hit you once more!"

"Before you preach to somebody else, you should first reconsider your habit of being violent to others!"

"Alright, I've decided. I'll hit you three times…Ah! The bus is here!

Let's run!"

The boy who was hitting the other on the head started running. The ravenhaired boy, who was carrying a basket with goods, was about to follow but he stopped abruptly. He twisted his head to look at Kallen who was watching them while keeping quiet. At that moment, the boy walked back to Kallen and pushed towards her the same peach that she returned to him.

"Eh?"

"………."

Just like before, the young boy said nothing to her. He was only insistently pushing the peach towards her chest. Without thinking, Kallen took the peach. From the other side of the road, a voice called out.

"What are you doing, Lelouch! Hurry up!"

"I know!"

He answered in a loud voice, running. Kallen did not even have the time to give back the peach as the two boys had already gotten on the bus. The bus left. The two of them should be inside, but Kallen could not make out their figures. She stood there, absentminded.

"Kallen, it's time. What happened? That peach…"

Kallen only then noticed that her brother was standing at her side. He was eyeing the peach suspiciously. Wondering how best to answer him, Kallen said,

"It was given to me."

"By whom?"

"A boy I don't know."

Naoto could not rebuke her and only replied, "Is that so?", while nodding.

"Well, then. It's almost time for the train to come. Let's go. Mom's waiting."

"That's right."

Hugging her bag close to her, Kallen started walking while holding her brother's hand. She looked back once more.

The bus that had already gone was just a small grain of rice in the distance.

It was a day during which the cicadas were crying loudly.

Translated By Galvea and Blottyparchment

My own Analysis : Those are quite some nice headcanons, especially anything that goes deeper into the Black knights/Résistance, be it the members or how Kallen dealt with them and school and her struggles about it; While they were Lelouch's army, most were never really develloped in the anime.

Kallen's final novel has a very "fate meeting" feeling to it, with her meeting Lelouch as a child, and him being a Tsundere, forcing his peach on her; While it's not canon, we still have the basis of who they were as kids, Lelouch being a kind of brat and Kallen being quite the nice girl. It's a nice read and I hope Kallen's fans will enjoy those.

[generative-adversarial-nitwit]

@stxalq dumpings

[cryingcow]

Character Story - Minami [RGGO]

Technically I still have 1 more week of being tumblr AWOL, but since I’m still high off of getting to watch the miracle of life happen live twice yesterday in a bunny suit, I decided to finish tackling this despite the frustrating Kansai speak XD Like Kamulop’s, this story also falls under the “mostly canon” category, aka “canon up until Y6, a Y7 AU where Ichiban meets Minami”. There might be super mild Y7 spoilers (I say “might” because I don’t know enough about the plots of Y:LAD-Y7 and RGGO-Y7 to know where the two plots are similar and where they are different. I do know that RGGO Ichiban is a slightly different person from Y7 Ichiban tho). Thank you to @majimemegoro​ for voting Minami!

Story: Ichiban meets a certain disagreeable drunk in a ramen shop and somewhat unwillingly goes to karaoke with him.

Notes:

1) Not only does Minami use Kansai dialect, he also uses a lot of phrases and suffixes commonly used in Manzai, aka the “Boke and Tsukkomi Routine”, aka the “Straight Man and Wise Guy Routine” done in certain substories in Y2 and Y5. It doesn’t come across all that well in this translation because its all about tone, so i just made the Kansai more obvious. Just imagine his grandiose/exaggerated/comedic way of talking in Y4 :D

2) 餃子 - gyoza in Japanese, jiaozi in Chinese, potstickers/dumplings in English

3) I left in the Romaji lyrics besides the English translation to make it a bit more clear just how out of tune Minami is lol

.

CHAPTER 1

.

Kasuga: “Niichan, gyoza and beer for now!”

Store Clerk: “Yes sir.”

???: “Oi, Niichan! This beer here. Replace it immediately!”

Kasuga: “Hm? Who’s that guy?”

???: “Ah damn it~! What the hell, what the hell!”

Kasuga: “Tch, is he drunk . . .”

Store Clerk: “Yes! The beer will be a moment!  . . . Sorry. That customer is in that condition all the time.”

Kasuga: “I see. You have your work cut out for you.”

???: “Damn it, I can’t be satisfied unless I sing a song. Oi, store clerk! Don’tcha have karaoke?”

Store Clerk: “Customer, don’t make a ruckus. This is a ramen shop, remember?”

???: “Shut up! In that case, let me sing without permission. Yeah? Huh?! ♪ Let’s! Get! To the Toooop!! ♪”

Kasuga: “Shut up, idiot.”

???: “Hmm? What, Niichan? Ya wanna sing along?”

Kasuga: “You’re being noisy. Idiot.”

???: “Huuh? Are ya stupid? Haw . . . you have guts. Ya lookin’ for a fight with me, Minami Daisaku?! Let’s take this outside!”

{Ichiban and Minami take it outside and have a manly brawl.}

Minami: “Wh-What . . . you’re hella strong.”

Kasuga: “Take this as a lesson to eat your meals silently.”

Minami: “. . . I can’t go without singing when drinking alcohol. With the Tojo Clan driven out by the Omi, this city has changed a lot . . .”

Kasuga: “What did you . . . are you yakuza? Of the Tojo Clan?”

Minami: “Are ya the same? . . . Then, ya understand why I can’t get by without drinking alcohol?”

Kasuga: “. . . Tch. If you want to forget your woes that much, go to karaoke by yourself.”

Minami: “Fool! I can’t go alone!”

Kasuga: “Why . . .”

Minami: “You see, if ya seclude yourself in a private room with no one to insert interjections, you’ll become miserable! Someone should go with me . . . hm?”

Kasuga: “What are you staring at me for?”

Minami: “He’s right . . . here!”

Kasuga: “Oi, oi . . . Why do I have to go out with you?!”

Minami: “Are we not friends after our fight? Huh? Sorry to bother ya.”

Kasuga: “You’ve bothered me enough already!”

{Ichiban gets slowly dragged away by Minami.}

Minami: “Just for a while, let’s go!”

Kasuga: “Oi, don’t pull at my clothes! Oi, damn it!”

.

-END-

.

CHAPTER 2

.

Minami: “♪ Me no mae ni wa kagayaku SHINING GAAAAATE!! Yume no GOAL e hashi~ ri~ da~ sou~ ♪” [♪ A shining gate sparkling in front of you!! Run to your dream goal~♪]

Kasuga: (Tone deaf . . .)

Minami: “♪ Kino yori! Takai! Bashoheee GET TO THE TOP! ♪ [♪ From yesterday! A higher! Location! GET TO THE TOP! ♪] Oi, make some noise! If ya don’t make interjections, it won’t be exciting!”

Minami: “Huh?! The sound disappeared . . . did the karaoke machine break down?”

Kasuga: “I disconnected it.”

Minami: “Huuh? What’s that?”

Kasuga: “Forgive me. I couldn’t bear to listen to it anymore.”

Minami: “Whaddya say? . . . Then you can sing too.”

Kasuga: “I’ll pass . . .”

Minami: “What? Is it because ya aren’t confident?”

Kasuga: “Stupid guy, don’t you know I have a beautiful voice?”

Minami: “Then play against me! A karaoke match!”

Kasuga: “. . . Fine.”

----

Minami: “♪ Let’s! Get! To the Toooop!! ♪ . . . Alright, I completed the song! I can easily beat your 83 points! The score is . . . koi! Koi!”

Minami: “. . . 68 points?”

Kasuga: “Hehehe, what a shame. I won.”

Minami: “Damn . . . you’re pretty good, ain’tcha?”

Kasuga: “Well, I should probably head back.”

----

Minami: “This humiliation . . . I won’t forget it for the rest of my life!”

Kasuga: “I’ve already forgotten it.”

Minami: “What’s that? Ya wanna fight? Ya Frizzy Hair!”

Kasuga: “It’s noisy, this fake Kansai dialect.”

Minami: “. . . Fake Kansai dialect?”

Kasuga: “?”

Minami: “You touched on something ya shouldn’t have touched . . .”

Kasuga: “Fake Kansai dialect? What about it?”

Minami: “Shut up! I won’t forgive ya this time. I’m gonna kill ya! Prepare yourself!!”

{Ichiban and Minami fight once again.}

Kasuga: “You . . . why did you go berserk when I said it was a fake Kansai dialect?”

Minami: “Haa, haa . . . shut up! This is to show respect and imitate my patriarch.”

Kasuga: “Patriarch?”

Minami: “Yup, Majima-no-oyaji.”

Kasuga: “Majima . . . ?”

Minami: “That person, the head of the Tojo Clan direct line’s Majima Family, Majima Goro!”

Kasuga: (Is this guy really a Tojo Clan member . . .)

Minami: “I’m doing a Kansai dialect to follow my Boss’s example. To ridicule it is the same as ridiculing him. Haa . . . be that as it may, I’m really a no-good person. Losing in fights, losing at karaoke . . . If I’m like this, it’s impossible to protect this city . . . Haa . . . I can’t do it . . .”

{Minami leaves.}

Kasuga: “Oi, Minami! Tch, he left . . . Does he miss his patriarch? . . . Did I go a bit overboard?”

.

-END-

.

CHAPTER 3

.

Kasuga: (The other day, I was forcibly taken to karaoke by a guy named Minami, it was terrible . . .)

Omi Yakuza A: “Oi! He’s over there!”

Kasuga: “What . . . ?”

Omi Yakuza B: “There he is!”

Minami: “Rather struggle and go down flashily than be at your mercy.”

Omi Yakuza A: “Hmm, ain’t ya the only one qualified on the frontline?”

Kasuga: (That’s Minami . . . !)

Minami: “There may be people in this city like me. Chasing their dreams. In a place like this.”

Kasuga: “. . . This guy.”

Minami: “Because of that, everyone likes this city. The current Kamurocho, thoroughly! By the time Boss returns . . . I will have taken back Kamurocho!!”

Omi Yakuza A: “Kyahaha! You’re energetic. What d’ya intend to do in this situation?”

Kasuga: “. . . Jeez. You’re the only one who’d try declaring such spirited stuff.”

Minami: “You’re . . . ! What’re ya doing here!”

Kasuga: “Well, we have a common interest. It can’t be helped.”

Minami: “Haa? That’s vague, idiot.”

Kasuga: “You said your frontline was thin. Kamurocho . . . let’s take it back.”

Minami: “! You too . . . have the same purpose . . . ?”

Omi Yakuza A: “Must ya talk so much?”

Omi Yakuza B: “Everyone who opposes the Omi will die!!!!”

{Ichiban and Minami defeat all the Omi Alliance members.}

Kasuga: “Good grief. Acting so recklessly.”

Minami: “Hmph, that is my Boss’s teaching. Even if it kills me, my conviction will not bend.”

Kasuga: “. . .”

Kasuga: “Sorry. For saying shit about your Boss the other day.”

Minami: “. . . Hahaha! Ain’t ya being oddly straightforward?”

Kasuga: “Shut up!”

Minami: “Good enough. My heart is as wide and deep as the Pacific Ocean so~ you are forgiven! But, are ya also overthrowing the Omi’s companions? Then let’s go to karaoke and deepen our friendship!”

Kasuga: “Haa? Karaoke again?”

Minami: “What’re ya doing! Dawdle and I’ll leave ya behind!”

Kasuga: “To get involved with such a noisy guy . . .”

.

-END-

.

This is one of SSR Minami’s skills btw lmao

Masterlist

[nwbeerguide]

The next in their Stone Fan Favorites series, Stone Brewing Company re-releases Baird / Ishii / Stone Japanese Green Tea IPA.

image courtesy Stone Brewing Company

Press Release

ESCONDIDO, CA (March 7, 2022) – Stone Brewing announces the release of the second beer in its series of Stone Fan Favorites, Baird / Ishii / Stone Japanese Green Tea IPA. For discerning beer drinkers, this is their cup of tea! In the whole wide world of things-that-go-together, tea and beer haven’t often been among them. In fact, Stone Brewing was one of the first US craft breweries to try such a feat. Blending the assertive flavors of hops and the delicate characteristics of tea takes profound expertise. On the nose, Baird / Ishii / Stone Japanese Green Tea IPA imparts green tea aroma alongside peach, apricot and mango from the hops. Tropical fruit flavors – mainly mango and pineapple are followed by hints of mineral and tea. The tea flavor lingers, contributing a dryness to the finish. However elegant the artistry, this is no delicate cup of tea. The beer itself, in classic old school Stone style, is big and bold at 10.1% ABV. The Stone Fan Favorites Series is a lineup of limited release throwback beers voted on by loyal fans of the brewery’s prolific 25-year history. Baird / Ishii / Stone Japanese Green Tea IPA was first brewed in 2011 to support relief efforts from the tsunami in Japan. Good friends Bryan Baird and Toshi Ishii invited Stone to collaborate on this Japanese-inspired IPA that’s been requested by fans ever since. Bryan Baird founded Baird’s Brewing in Japan and Toshi Ishii, who got his start at Stone (1998-2001) founded Ishii Brewing in Guam, soon to open in Japan. Stone’s Senior Manager of Brewing, Jeremy Moynier, shared, “Brewing with tea is a great challenge. It’s important to get the right tea and have it integrated and balanced with the other ingredients. This beer definitely strikes that balance, even at 10.1% ABV! This is a special beer, and I fondly remember that day, over 10 years ago brewing with Toshi and Bryan. This is an internal favorite and we are stoked our fans agreed and voted for us to brew it again.” Baird / Ishii / Stone Japanese Green Tea IPA is now available nationwide in 12oz six-pack cans, 22oz bottles and draft. Visit Shop.StoneBrewing.com for shipping direct to addresses in CA, OH and Washington D.C. or locate the beer by zip code at Find.StoneBrewing.com.

…

TASTING NOTES  

Appearance: Pours a deep gold with a cream-colored head.  

Aroma: A complex blend of herbal tea and hops: elements from both ingredients are there. The up-front aroma is mostly green tea, and there are also strong elements of peach, apricot and mango from the hops. 

Taste: There is a massive hop presence in both the flavor and bitterness. The hops start off as tropical fruits like mango and pineapple, and then are followed by hints of mineral from the Sorachi Ace. The tea flavors assert themselves mid-palate and linger nicely with a dry character. 

Palate: Medium-body, dry and bitter finish.  

FOOD PAIRINGS  

Appetizers: Pork Shanghai Lumpia*, Coconut Shrimp, Chicken Satay, Fried Gyoza, Wasabi Deviled Eggs 

Soups & Salads: Fruity Goat Salad (w/ berries & fillo-wrapped goat cheese)*/**, Socal Superfood Salad*/**, Katsu Chicken Salad*/**, Green Papaya Salad

Entrees: Lemon-Oregano Charred Chicken*, Cedar Plank Salmon, Japanese Beef Curry with Rice, Chicken Pot Pie 

Desserts: Pistachio Ice Cream, Lemon Macarons, Macadamia White Chocolate Cookie 

…

ABOUT STONE BREWING

The San Diego-based Stone Brewing is the 9th largest craft brewer in the United States and an industry leader in environmental sustainability. Stone operates breweries in Escondido, CA and Richmond, VA, plus seven tap room and bistro locations and one of the nation’s largest craft-centric beverage distributors, Stone Distributing Co. The company’s long list of environmental efforts includes a LEED Silver Certification, world-class water reclamation, solar panels, creative uses of spent grain, and even live goats for ecological vegetation management. Stone has been called the “All-time Top Brewery on Planet Earth” by BeerAdvocate magazine twice. To find Stone beers, visit find.stonebrewing.com. For more information on Stone Brewing visit stonebrewing.com, Facebook, Instagram or Twitter. 

from Northwest Beer Guide - News - The Northwest Beer Guide https://bit.ly/3tGe2L0

[pbandjesse]

Another really good day but man was it damp. Being damp at camp is another type of damp. Because you just have to accept it. So like you dont worry to much but also then you get more wet then you normally would because you arent trying to prevent it as much. But now I am cozy at home. So its all okay. 

Today was fun though, despite the rain. I slept okay, though it was still really hard to sleep. I got some icy hot stuff to put on my back and hopefully that helps tonight. But I did sleep eventually and I woke up in an alright mood. 

Mostly I was just cold. I wore layers and for the beginning of the day that was fine but once the rain started after lunch I was shivering pretty bad. My raincoat helped but I was still a little uncomfy. 

It was fun still. We started the day with a camp fire and smores. A little early in the day for them but it was still really fun. I told the kids a story about a con man and then a story about a girl who grew up in a Native American tribe. It was a lot of fun to tell the stories but also they were just really interested and that felt good. They kept asking for more stories and that was only hard because I could only think of very gruesome ones. So I had to do my best to find ones that were a little less nightmarish. 

But it was still a lot of fun. And they continued to be a really chill group. After they finished building their campfire and put it out safely we went to go build shelters for an hour. And that was honestly a blast. But they didnt need me or Erin so we just placed ourselves sort of in the middle of the few small pairs and groups that were building and I read my book and took pictures of them working. It was just really cute to see. They worked together with the little kids to break bigger branches in half and carry things. It was just really nice to watch them work so hard. 

We had lunch and I worked on setting up the art for the day. We had two projects. The paper marbling and the paper animal project. The marbling went really well but now everything sort of smells like a man. But the work itself came out really cool and I think the kds liked it so that was cool. It was the first time I really lead that project (we did it sort of once at access art but it failed when the boys dumped the shaving cream everywhere) and it went really good! I will for sure do this one again. 

It started raining during our lunch and chill time. So I pulled out the fact or myth game and we would all vote if something was true or false. Lots of yelling when there were gross ones. But it was all lots of fun. The kids also set themselves up to play jeopardy and one of the girls wrote all the questions. We used my phone to look for fun facts about history she could use. It is just really nice working with kids that have bought in so much to the whole idea of camp and can come up with things to do like that. It was really great. 

After lunch I was mostly just in charge of the art project. And that went really well. The big kids didnt love it as much as the littles did. The big ones mostly did their own thing and then played with the materials in other ways and honestly that was cool with me. And when the littles did come they all were fascinated by the brads and having their paper animals have moving legs. It was great. 

I would clean up as we went but there was still a lot of cleaning paper and packing things up for the night. I just put everything in our cabin so it could be used for projects when Im not there tomorrow and possibly friday. But I wanted to go be with my group if I wouldnt see them until the summer so I finished up quick before I headed down to watch them play ball in the dining hall and have snack with them. 

I would go over to the library with two of the girls (a small room off the dining hall) and they have cleaned it so well since last year. So that was really cool. The girls read some history stuff to me before we ran through the rain to get back to the main room with everyone else. I ran around with Alexi' youngest, Kenny, and it was just a nice way to end the day. 

Once my kids were all picked up I left but I didnt go home right away. I headed over to Hunt Valley to get some dinner and to do a little bit of a squish hunt. I walked around the shopping center. Eating my snack piece of pizza from the grocery store, looking for plushes. This shopping center has all the stores taht carry the squish but I only found one. A My Melody from the Hello Kitty Collection. I grabbed her because I thought I would regret it, but I may use her for a trade or something. I really just want the Pompompurin or the penguin from that drop. Still a fun find. I also got a tshirt and some face serium. Overall a good walk around. My last stop was a clares and they didnt have any squishes left but they did have free coloring sheets? So I got one of those too. Very cute. 

I rode home in the scary rain. But it was alright. I got back and was really happy to see James. They were making pasta and heated up my gyoza I picked up at the grocery store. 

Soon after that though it was time for DND. Tonight was fun but it still makes me exhausted and I have a lot of trouble focusing. But I got some solid jokes in there and cast a spell. I also bought some spell stuff and Im excited to see where we might go next. The group may want to make my character queen of this world and thats just really neat. I never would have thought of that, I was to focused on trying to romance an NPC. 

Now I am very sleepy. Im going to shower and try very hard to turn my brain off. I have to wake up really early tomorrow. Because Im getting my second vaccine! Im excited and nervous. But I have to be there at 8am. Which. Is rough but I will make it work and maybe just take a nap when I get home. Well see. 

I hope you all have a good night tonight. Take care of eachother. Goodnight! 

[hotarutranslations]

Smash Bros!!

Evening

Its Ishida Ayumi

  I drew Gaokki Ayumin

 Again before this,

 Since this became a hand drawn picture for the live photos,

I kinda put in some text saying sample! Lol

  This year as well,

 Sanrio Character Grand Prize

 It’s started!

Gaokki!

Do your best---!

 Thank you everyone for your support as well for sure ❤

 With a habit of voting daily ❤  lol

  I’m also voting for Gaokki now!

 They’re our collaboration characters,

So of course there is a reason for it but,

 They’re a bit pointy,

But they’re cute,

I can’t stop liking this balance!

 Ah,

 I noticed now when writing this,

I forgot to draw the earring,

  I’m sorry…Gaokki……

 Forgive me because I voted today ok……

 Today at 10:30PM~

 On NHK BS Premium,

“RAGAZZE! ~We’re Girls!~”

 The enlarged version is broadcasting!

 Watching the broadcast previously in real time,

Idols are really fun, wonderful

 That’s what I ended up thinking

 Therefore for tonight’s broadcast is for,

Those who missed the previous broadcast in particular!

 If you could experience it with feeling…… ❤

  Definitely! Please wait just a bit and look forward to it!

   Today I had some fun this afternoon!

 Morito Chisaki Road To Haro Pro #1 on Smash Brothers Special!

 It was uploaded on to YouTube!

 Chii was,

Earnestly,

 Playing Smash in the video!

 The best!!!

 I love her but she’s weak……

 That is Chii-chan, through special training,

She’s playing against Haro Pro members!

 In this video as her opponents,

 Yokoyama Reina-chan and,

Me, Ishida Ayumi made an appearance

 Nah, it was fun

 I said this in the video,

In the era where I played the GameCube a ton,

 There are so many characters than there were back then!

 That’s amazing!

 I previously played lot,

 Link

Donkey Kong

Peach Bowser Kirby Pikachu Captain Falcon

 I played those in that order!!! Lol

 (Why did I choose Fox←)

 I have respect for those that can play Ness well! With him…its really hard to float up on your own…

  From now on I wonder how much Chii-chan will grow!

 Look forward to it!

   Today on Sendai Broadcasts “Ara Ara Kashiko” they aired “Ishida Ayumi Goes! ~Sendai Aoba Gyoza~” again

 This broadcast, it was from about this time last year huh~

 I tried making them in the shop,

I put chicken thigh and cartilage in the Aoba gyoza but,

They really have a delicious menu

 I think that some people went to the shop and ate it but,

 You can also but the Aoba gyoze wrappers at the supermarket!

 (You can definitely buy them in Miyagi but, I wonder if you’d be able to find them in Kyushu~)

 Definitely the best way to make gyoza is, along with ordinary ingredients please put in cartilage, miso and shiso leaf! Since its really delicious!!!

 Also, next week on AraKashi,

 They’ll be broadcasting something I learned about in the past

Wa-i, I’m getting an encore

 Watch it again next week ok

  I kneaded the green skins of the yukina

 tiny tiny

 Please also check this out ok

  See you ayumin ❤

 https://ameblo.jp/morningmusume-10ki/entry-12588900504.html

[mysticalibra1994]

My BNHA fanfic / OC's story (part 1)

Okay, so I know that I'm late for the hype train on this (according to the manga readers) and I also know that certain politics should stay away from entertainment media, but I've figured that this must be said, due to how I feel.

This takes place in the same universe/timeline of BNHA, only the difference is who's telling the story.

My OC's name is Kubo Etsuko. Her mother's name is Kubo Chou. Her father's name is Blake Colemann. Blake was a cop born and raised in the States, but due to how reckless he is on duty, the entire population (or the majority of the population) has voted to boot him out and ship him to a location where they have STRICT gun laws. Let's just say that the culture clash has nearly ripped him a new one!

For starters, he nearly attacked one of the members of the Purple Yokai (a rival Yakuza of the Shie Hassaikai due to standards) and his interpreter interrupted the arrest while apologizing to the member.

"I'm truly and sincerely sorry about this embarrassment. Please, forgive the new guy, he's the gaijin from the States." "It's alright. Due to my looks and personality, I get it from my old hometown."

After about four years living in Japan, he has earned his Japanese name "Koreman Bureeku" and he still hasn't learned anything from his current training; would rather use his gun instead of hand-to-hand combat. So, his boss has decided to replace his gun with a water gun (how long do you think he had until he emptied it?) Eventually, he came across a "social butterfly" in his life as he tries to enjoy his drink at a local izakaya. Her name was Kubo Chou. The best way to describe her is an open-minded rebellion with a heart of gold.

When they first met, they didn't really get along; according to him, she was too rebellious and she should be in school. According to her, he needs to realize that he's in Japan so he should respect their customs.

"Plus, I've already graduated from high school. But, I don't see myself going to college. Instead, I'd rather be a hostess." "Now, you see? That's the problem with people like you!" "Wow... Already showing your true colors, huh?"

As they parted their ways, Chou ended up in a district of Ginza and she fell in love with the atmosphere. While she looks around for any hostess clubs, she couldn't help but notice a small group of people wearing Tyrian purple trench coats with golden trim. Due to them standing near a building with a banner that shares the same color as the trench coats, Chou assumed that that's the dress code and rented a long cocktail dress from a nearby boutique that also shares the same colors as the banner and the trench coats.

The same group pretty much treated her like she was a lost puppy and took/invited her in. The young, yet mature-looking woman with tired eyes offered her some non-alcoholic drinks and some complimentary snacks.

"Okay, here's your ginger ale and some vegetarian gyoza. Don't worry about the payment, the first ones are on the house and the drinks are complimentary for women." "Really? Aw, how nice!" "'Nice'? Heh, wow. Aside from the Purple Yokai, nobody's ever called us 'nice' before... Hey, you should meet our leader. He goes by the name 'Papa' because he's like a father figure for anyone who needs one."

As Chou and the same woman from before waited for Papa's arrival, they slowly got to know each other; the woman who offered her ginger ale and some gyoza is Kiken Hana, and her Quirk is "Flower Danger"; she can detect the poisonous and toxic plants to extract the poison and/or toxin so it could resemble a vegetarian of fugu. She was born and raised in the small town of Saga, so the population labeled her as a villain instead of giving her a second chance to understand why.

A few minutes go by and the hostess club is informed of Papa's arrival. Chou, at first, was a little intimidated by his height and "club bouncer stature". But, after getting to know him, it turns out that Kiken was right; he is like a father figure.

"So, what brings you here, princess?" "Well, most of it is curiosity and some of it is a job offer," "You want to be a hostess?" "Well, I was voted to be a class rep due to my 'social butterfly' nature."

Papa was reluctant at first; Chou seems a bit too nice like she still has hope in her eyes. But, he didn't refuse her offer. Instead, he asked Kiken to show her the ropes. While that was happening, Papa was given a glass of his favorite drink. As he enjoys it, something was off... Suddenly, Papa begins coughing violently as he grips his throat and stomach. The members of the Purple Yokai didn't know what to do since this has never happened before. Who would want to poison Papa?

Chou sprung into action as she requests Kiken for a glass of milk. Of course, she didn't hesitate as Chou stays by Papa's side. Kiken hands a glass of milk to her and she holds it to Papa's lips. As he took his time drinking it, he slowly feels a little better. The rest of the Purple Yokai stood in awe.

"H-how did you know?" "What did you do?" "Are you gonna be alright, Papa?"

Chou has decided to come clean. Despite being Quirkless, it never stopped her from having a keen eye for detail. In fact, it's one of the reasons why she was nominated to be the class rep from her high school.

Suddenly, as he recovers, Papa remembers the first time he was told that he was Quirkless. Back in his days, you were only a "somebody" when you have a Quirk. His parents didn't even hesitate when they abandoned him. Ever since then, he made a decision to never be like his parents.

"Hey, princess? How would you like to work as a hostess for the Purple Yokai?" "Uh... Does that mean I can only serve to the Purple Yokai?" "No, it means that you're one of us. You're a part of Papa's family. So, any questions, comments, or concerns?" "Just one; would I be fired for getting a tattoo?" "As long as you wear something that can easily cover it, I don't mind." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Well, that's only the first part of the backstory of Etsuko's parents. In the next one, you'll get to know more about Chou's home life and how she views the society of "Heroes vs Villains". Maybe her daughter (at some point) would feel the same way. Maybe she'll gain her dad's personality. Please, stand by until further notice.

[gootie]

I was 20 and working as a dishwasher in a Japanese restaurant. It was a popular place and celebrities often dined there. I didn't really get excited about it until the day Winona was sitting at the sushi bar.

I was obscured by the curtain in the doorway from kitchen to the sushi bar and saw her from the corner of my eye. I stood there dumbstruck. I couldn't believe she was there. I couldn't believe she was as lovely in person as she was in the movies.

I was a fan. I think I first noticed her in Beetlejuice. I fell in love with her in Dracula. We were close in age. For some reason I had this delusion that if I ever met her, I had a shot.

Now she was in my restaurant and there I was in a greasy apron over grungy jeans and stained t-shirt, green rubber gloves up to my elbows. I was mortified. Even if I had the audacity to approach her I was damp and filthy and so far beneath her notice. It was so unfair that fate put her mere feet away from me while I was scraping the remains of bentos and donburi's into the garage disposal.

Winona came into the restaurant a few times during the period I worked there. It was a double edged sword. I loved that she was there, I loved that she used plates and cups I had cleaned and it made me feel like I did a little service for her. It also made me realize how absurd it was to be infatuated with her. It made me grow up a bit.

I moved up from washing dishes to food prep and eventually I began cooking. I made the soup stock for the ramen and udon. Gyoza, tempura, katsu, tonkatsu, donburi's... I learned to make everything on the menu that wasn't sushi. I started working at that restaurant only knowing how to boil water and I ended up a cook for the sushi bar voted best in San Francisco two years in a row.

I eventually quit working at the restaurant. I think I could have made a career of cooking. It was hard work, probably the hardest work I have ever done, but that isn't why I didn't pursue it. The experience showed me that I could learn to do anything, that I could be anything I wanted. I wanted to see just what I could do. It was time to move on.

We're close in age, Winona and I. We've had some ups and downs, personal problems that set us back a bit but we overcame. We're older and wiser now. I'd like to think we're both better now than we were then.

I'd definitely approach her now.

[thehungrykat1]

Mazesoba and Japanese Comfort Food at Menya Kokoro

I have always been a big fan of ramen and anything Japanese. Nothing warms my heart more than a big bowl of hot and delicious ramen from my favorite Japanese restaurants. But last year, I heard a lot of good things about this new modern-style soupless ramen restaurant that opened in Bonifacio Global City. It took a global pandemic and more than a year before I was finally to try it for myself, but it was definitely worth the wait.

Menya Kokoro is a new restaurant that specializes in Tokyo Mazesoba. This is a new style of ramen which literally translates as “mixing noodle.” Japanese Chef Takuma Ishikawa created Kokoro Mazesoba in Tokyo Japan in 2013 and it was brought to the Philippines last year by restaurateur Malvin Ang who also owns and runs Brotzeit Philippines. You can find Menya Kokoro at the third floor al fresco area of Uptown Mall in Bonifacio Global City.

The restaurant follows all the recommended health procedures set by the government, including temperature checks before you can go inside the restaurant with masks and face shields as requirements. They also offer take-out and deliveries through foodpanda and Grabfood with their D-I-Y Tokyo Mazesoba Kits.

I do believe dining in is still the way to get the best masezoba experience. Menya Kokoro gives diners a secure environment as they use UV light disinfectant, germicidal and sterilizer for the safety of their guests and staff. They also use Aeris Active which provides hospital-grade disinfection on hard surfaces, kills COVID-19, and provides antibacterial protection for up to 7 days or 200 touches.

But if you want to be even safer, grab a chair outside and sit down at their al fresco dining area. This is where my friends and I gathered last week for a lively but socially-distanced lunch at Menya Kokoro.

It was the last Friday afternoon before Christmas and everyone felt the weekend vibes. Aside from mazesoba, Menya Kokoro is a place that offers great Japanese comfort food so we started with a few orders of Japanese beer and cocktails. The Kirin Ichiban (P150) goes well with their yakitori selections and other appetizers.

What really impressed us was their lineup of Japanese Cocktails in cans like the Peach Suntory (P220) and the Strong Beer (P220) which really packs quite a punch at 9% alcohol content! These are available in other flavors like grape, plum, apple, pineapple, grape fruit, and more.

Pair your drinks with these yakitori sticks that really make a great opening combination. You can try four kinds of yakitori including Chicken, Pork, and Prawn Yakitori (P60/stick).

My favorite was the Wagyu Beef Yakitori (P150/stick) with its very flavorful wagyu cubes doused with a sweet teriyaki sauce. This is the perfect beer match!

They also have Gyoza (P190) for those like to pair these with their ramen. Another option for an appetizer or side dish would be the Karaage (P200). These very crunchy bite-sized fried chicken are also good to eat along with the beers and cocktails.

We were all enjoying the drinks and appetizers with the cool outdoor breeze so much that we almost forgot about the main event, the mazesoba!

Chef Takuma Ishikawa created a modern twist on the traditional ramen. The Mazesoba is a dry noodle dish topped with all sorts of tasty ingredients that you mix together to create a myriad of flavors. It uses soba for its noodles which is softer but thicker than ramen. The mazesoba became extremely popular in Tokyo and Japan with Chef Ishikawa winning the 2014 Best Mazesoba Award. This is Menya Kokoro’s signature item, the Tokyo Mazesoba (P350). It has a base of chicken paitan broth, oil flavored with sakura ebi, soy sauce, sesame seeds, and saba fish powder. These are topped with spring onions, chives, chopped nori, special minced-pork sauce, fish powder, minced garlic, and a soft-boiled egg at the center.

So how do you eat your Mazesoba? There’s a bit of a ritual as you first have to mix all the ingredients properly. Break the onsen tamago at the center and blend everything together with the soba noodles.

It smells so good! You can add their special Kombu Vinegar or seaweed vinegar plus some chili oil if you prefer. Once you have it all mixed up, it’s time to slurp away at your mazesoba!

If you want something more special, go order the Zenbu Mazesoba (P470) which is an upgraded version of the Tokyo Mazesoba. In addition to all those ingredients mentioned above, the Zenbu Mazesoba comes with lovely chashu or braised pork belly, bamboo shoots, and ajitama ramen egg. You can have it in spicy or non-spicy version.

This is what I actually ordered and I really love it! Just look at that gorgeous onsen tamago and those tender pieces of chashu. All the ingredients blended perfectly to create this rich and flavorful bowl of noodles. It reminded me of our own Filipino pancit canton but multiplied by so much more. That was my first time to try mazesoba and I am now hooked!

Each order of mazesoba also comes with a side bowl of mushroom shoyu soup. But that’s not all, because it also comes with a small bowl of steamed rice. So what is that rice for? When you finish your mazesoba, there will usually be a lot of leftover ingredients on the bowl. You can mix your rice together with these tiny bits to extend your mazesoba experience even further. That means double the fun and double the satisfaction!

One of the new items on the menu at Menya Kokoro is the Unagi Mazesoba (P580). My husband loves unagi so this is what he ordered. It comes with a generous portion of fatty Japanese eel which gives the entire bowl a different flavor component. This also gets our vote of approval.

For those who still prefer the traditional soupy ramen, don’t worry because Menya Kokoro also offers a few of these. The Tantan Ramen (P430) is a slightly spicy ramen using ground pork and peanut as its base. They also have chasu ramen, miso ramen, and other variants.

There are a few rice bowls to choose from as well. The Sukiyakidon (P320) comes with strips of marinated pork and other vegetables on a bowl of hot rice. Beef Currydon and Mazedon are also available.

But if you’re stuck at home or work and dreaming about a warm bowl of ramen or mazesoba, don’t worry because Menya Kokoro also has a very efficient online delivery website where you can choose your favorite dishes and have them delivered straight to your location.

Just head over to www.menyakokoroph.com and view their collection of Japanese comfort dishes. Everything on their menu can be ordered for delivery including gift cards that you can send to your friends and family. You can book a third party delivery rider to pick-up your order or you can ask them to book it for you.

I was craving for some ramen the other night, so I went to their website and ordered a box of their D-I-Y Black Garlic Ramen Kit for delivery to my home. This kit is good for two servings and is very easy to assemble and cook.

Everything you need is in the box including soba noodles, pork chashu, nori, and the broth itself. The items are frozen so you can even keep them in the freezer for up to a few weeks if you like having them ready and available any time.

It took just around ten minutes to prepare my warm and hearty bowl of Black Garlic Ramen from Menya Kokoro. My husband ordered the Beef Mazesoba which comes with meaty beef strips together with the flavorful mazesoba ingredients.

It was a fun and relaxing Friday afternoon filled with cold beers and cocktails paired with warm bowls of mazesoba and ramen. Menya Kokoro is a great venue to have a safe and socially distant gathering with friends and family. Visit them at Uptown Mall and try the mazesoba experience yourself, or just have these delicacies delivered straight to you. Happy slurping!

Menya Kokoro

3/F Uptown Mall, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig

(0919) 001-9392 / 77586493

http://www.menyakokoroph.com/

www.facebook.com/menyakokoroph

[cactus-titty]

18-25th October

It feels like an eternity since my last post but its really only been about a week. I can’t really remember all the things I did so I’ll look back over my photos and talk about each one based around it.  A lot of the time I’ve been at home doing work so sometimes there hasn’t been much to talk about. The 22nd was planned to be Tsubasa’s wedding which Kaito and I were going to go together. I found out a little while before that also another guy that went to City College, Jordan, was going to come and would be arriving in Japan on the 21st. He was mainly Kaito’s friend but Kaito said he was busy that day until later so he asked if I could hang out with Jordan until then.

I met him at the train station around 1pm on the 21st so I could show him around. We had Gyoza and then found a bar with cheap drinks on Doutonbori. We were there until quite late and then once Kaito finished work we went to his house to meet him. I had to stop off at my house on the way to grab my suit and everything I needed since I would stay at Kaito’s house and then go early the next day to Himeji city. All three of us had some drinks and I was able to see Kaito’s mum for the first time since I was here last. Shes really nice.

The next day I strangely felt hungover. I also realised while I had brought my suit and tie and dress shoes, I forgot my dress shirt. I felt like an idiot but since I was kind of hungover I was just giggling about it. I wore my tie with the shirt anyway hoping no one would notice so much. Also just taking the tie off and wearing t-shirt only didn’t look that bad.

We took the train to Himeji and it took quite a while, maybe an hour and 20 mins. Once there we made our way to where the wedding was being held. Immediately I saw some people from City College who I hadn’t seen since then. We had the wedding ceremony, then after that wen’t for the feast. Overall the wedding felt very epic. The ceremony itself was nice and the area where we all ate had a big like view camera set up almost as if it was a stage to see the performer better and there was lots of pre-prepared videos and even videos that were immediately prepared from the ceremony played throughout the feast. There was about 6 courses, they were small but they were gourmet. Also it was all you could drink alcohol. I held off on the alcohol most of the day up until after we started eating but I started drinking about 2 or 3pm. At my table was Jordan, and two other guys had been to New Zealand. Once went to city college and one was living in Wellington. Other than those two there was about 5 other people that had been living in Wanganui. Most had gone to City College but one went to Wanganui High School. Even though I didn’t know them well or at all in the past I felt I immediately made friends with all of them. I felt kind of pissed that there was a ‘foreigner table’ which is where all the non native Japanese speakers were placed. It was a good thing for one of the guys at the table because he was Korean I think and couldn’t speak any Japanese but also I would have been very happy to suit with all the Japanese guys who went to city college. We took a picture of everyone from the ‘wanganui crew’ with Tsubasa the groom who obviously himself went to City College.

Looking at this photo I’m wishing I was able to cut my hair in time. I tried to order clippers but they didn’t come fast enough then it was too late for me to find a place to cut my hair. I’ve cut it now though. The guy to the right of me is the one that was doing an exchange to Wanganui High School. Hes from Tokyo and I made friends with him and he said we should hang out when I’m there so he’s kind of my third friend from that area. The guy to the left of me I knew at City College kind of, but him and I were both shy back then so we didn’t become friends. Now he said we should hang out some time if I’m ever in Hiroshima, which I plan to do.

 The feast, or dinner, or whatever it’s called went till quite late. About 4. Then we had the after party that started at 5. There was again, more drinks and more food to be had. This place seemed really cool because when the event started they showed a video about the rules of the place, except they actually made it a joke and it was really funny. It said something like “We ask everyone stay in your… NO SIT WHEREVER YOU WANT!” and just a whole lof of things like that. They also started like a gameshow where you used an app on your phone to participate in quizzes, the questions were based around the bride and groom, and also one question was who can chug a bottle of cola the fastest, and they got me to be one of the participants. So I had to go up in front of everyone and then say a little something and then after people voted for who they thought could chug the fasted, all four of us started. Even though I got voted for the most (I guess coz I’m a big foreigner they would assume I’m a fatty who loves cola) I couldn’t even finish it, but besides that, another guy finished it within 4 seconds I was shocked. Also impressed with myself having no problem getting up in front of everyone and also speaking Japanese even thought it was only a little.

I didn’t get many photos of the place, but here are two. It was dark outside by this point. After this, our group discussed what we were going to do from now and we told them that us three (Kaito Jordan and I) were going to take the train back. The others decided to stay until the next day. They had thought about coming to Osaka with us (the two in the photo to the left and right of me in the large group photo and also the second guy from the left) but decided against it. Once we got to station ready to leave it turned out all trains were stopped due to the incoming typhoon with no indication of whether or not they would start again.  The wind was pretty crazy. I couldn’t help but think it wasn’t really that bad compared to Wellington but I guess it was still worse than that.  Yusuke’s umbrella broke and it was crack up. In fact, everyone’s umbrella broke except mine because I know how best to hold them in the wind so they don’t turn inside out.

We contacted our friends again and we all ended up hanging out at an Izakaya drink and eating even MORE in the hopes that later the trains would start again. I pretty much drank all day but somehow was fine. 

After the after after party, we went back to the station. The trains were still stopped. Just some were going, one of the guys got to go home. The other two had a hotel in Himeji so they left. Us three sat down at the station and waited for about an hour. There was still scheduled trains even till 12:30 am so we wanted to see if it might be going. But nothing. We ended up just going to sleep on a train that was sitting at the station. It was a terrible sleep but it was free. At 6am we woke up since thats when the first train of the day should start. But still nothing. The first train didn’t come till 9am and since there had been no service for nearly 12 hours it was absolutely packed. People had to squish in and it made the trip which should have taken just over 1 hour take 2 hours. I was stuck standing the whole time and squished to the point where my chest was noticeably compressed. I just relaxed and closed my eyes. Good thing I genuinely don’t mind being in that situation normally. I was so tired though and just wanted to go home so it was kind of hell. 

Because of all this Jordan actually missed his flight back to Tokyo. It was pretty stressful coz there was just nothing anyone could do. If he wasn’t able to get back to Tokyo by that night he would have also missed his flight back to New Zealand. I showed him to the station to buy a Shinkansen ticket to Tokyo. He ended up making back to Toko. I just wanted to sleep. I think i got back to my house 1pm. I just slept. 

The next days were a blur I didn’t really do anything. But on the 24th my friend Carling and her boyfriend arrived to Osaka to spend a couple days leaving on the 26th. We had a plan since long ago that she would stay and I would show her around. First place I took them to was Sushi train since they were hungry for lunch. Then we did some shopping for snacks. Later we went to Dotonbori and I took them to an Izakaya with drinks for only 300 yen each. Carling is a vegetarian and they had a few nice things for her like butter corn, cabbage dipped in miso paste, and edamame. Me and Jordon (her boyfriend, same name as the Jordan from the other day) got some meat skewers. They were both so into Calpis chuuhai (calpis soda mixed with alcohol) and were mad they didn’t know about it earlier since before Osaka they were in Tokyo and went to some other places. 

They also had never been to karaoke yet so I took them to a good one. We got a few more drinks there too. 

They loved karaoke. They paid for my food and stuff throughout the day which was really nice. 

The next day we had planned to go to Universal Studios Japan together, but I realised I felt too tired and also needed to do some work. For the morning they went to Kobe without me and I did some work. Around 4pm they came back and we went out for dinner with Sae to a really cool place that had lots of local vegetables from all over Japan and also pizza. We told them Carling was a vegetarian and they were very understanding and checked which items were ok since some things had chicken stock in it and the dipping sauce had anchovy based flavouring. Not what you’d normally expect in Japan since usually they will assume somethings vegetarian but completely forget about everything in it that’s actually not. They gave her special stuff.

I didn’t take any photos of this place sadly but after that we spent a bit more time at a cafe that also has alcohol. I had a cocktail and a jin and orange juice. Carling and Sae has a sangria. It was fun bringing Sae because she can speak good English.

They had their flight to Korea the next day and were getting tired so we said goodnight to them and me and Sae hung out for a bit longer and had 2 more drinks and McDonalds. I brought my speaker to a park and we had a little party.

[scandalmania]

JRock247: SCANDAL - Interview by Todd Nelson

Q: The current tour has been your largest yet, 53 shows covering all 47 prefectures in Japan. It has been fun following your tour experiences that you have shared on social media. For each of you, what has been your favorite activity out of all the places you have been to so far on the tour, whether it be a type of food or something you have done or attended?

Rina: I enjoy people coming to our shows in the local areas. In our free time in between shows, we like to enjoy whatever is happening in the area. In Kyoto, we tried Nagashi Somen (flowing noodles), and I dressed up as a maiko. We’re Japanese and we like to enjoy Japanese things in the local cultures.

Haruna: In Iwate prefecture, I had wanko soba (small cup of buckwheat noodles). You order them one cup at a time, and I ate 100 of them!

Tomomi: From all of our tours before, there were 4 prefectures we had never performed in. When we finally played at these prefectures on this tour and I saw our fans there, it made me very happy. I especially liked Kochi prefecture, the scenery is very nice. I had Yasube gyoza there which is very good. We also played golf in Kyoto.

Mami: I’ve done a lot of sight seeing. In Kyoto there are many power spots with a lot of energy. I visited them, the power there resets your heart. The feeling at the power spot is like seeing very beautiful scenery, refreshing and resetting your heart.

Q: One other activity I wanted to ask about, Rina-san in particular — it seemed like you really enjoyed the dinosaur museum. Do you have a favorite dinosaur?

Rina: Mmmm! When I was little, I watched Jurassic Park and thought the dinosaurs were really cool. My favorite is the T-Rex. The dinosaur museum is in Fukui prefecture, it’s the kind of place that would appear in Jurassic Park, it’s really big, a historic place, and something to be proud of. Even foreigners would really enjoy it, it’s so big and nice. There are many fossils in Fukui and foreigners would enjoy seeing those as well.

Q: On this tour you’re playing on average 3 lives a week over the course of a few months. This must require a lot of stamina and energy. How do you accomplish this?

Rina: We do a lot of training at the gym, and jogging to stay in good shape.

Q: Ah yes, I know you have participated in some ekiden events in Hawaii in the past.

SCANDAL: Ekiden! Hawaii, yes!

Rina: Every set list we change, so we feel that every show is different and very fresh to give us energy, so that we’re not repeating the same thing again and again.

Q: Your most recent release, BEST ALBUM [SCANDAL], is comprised primarily of songs that were voted by your fans as their favorites. Were there any songs among the favorites that surprised you?

Rina: The fans picked many, many songs from the past 11 years, from the very beginning, even when we were indies playing in the streets of Osaka until now. I can tell from the energy coming back from the songs when we play them live which ones are the favorites, so we weren’t surprised by any choices. We were very happy with all of them. This is a CD that many people who have never heard SCANDAL before will buy, and it will have songs from our early days, so that’s very cool. The selections for the CD really represent our music.

Q: Did your fan’s selections line up with your own favorites? Were any of the band’s personal favorites left out?

Mami: No, no songs that we hoped would make it to the final album were left out.

Haruna: We realized that the songs that we really like are also the songs that the fans really like, so everything was good.

Q: One of the new songs on the BEST ALBUM [SCANDAL], “Freedom Fighters”, really rocks! The lyrics speak of taking a stand for what one believes in. Was there anything that inspired this song and its message?

Rina: Of course rock-n-roll is protest, and we wanted to make a rock-n-roll type of song. That was one reason. This year Trump was elected. We played at the same concert hall in Paris where the terrorist attack happened, just a few months before, we were very surprised by that. The one year anniversary just came up. So a lot of things happened this year and many things are going to happen in the future. I wanted to tell the fans “Do what you want to do, follow your future, follow your dreams, make your own future, pick what you want to do and go that way.” That’s the message.

Q: On your most recent studio album, Yellow, the collection of songs is diverse in musical styles – pop, reggae, grunge, eastern influences – yet the songs flow together quite well. Was it a conscious decision when you were making this album to explore different styles?

Mami: We went on a world tour before we made this album and touched many cultures, places like Mexico where we had never been to before. So when we returned to Japan, we were influenced by all those experiences of touring around the world and that influenced the album.

Q: Are there any styles of music that you would like to experiment with in the future that you haven’t yet?

Rina: We’re pretty satisfied with the number of different musical styles that we touched upon in Yellow. For the next album we want to make a super rocking album, the kind of album that makes people want to come to the show!

Q: Every album is like that.

SCANDAL: (Laughing) Thank you.

Q: In August you have your 11th anniversary special coming up and it looks like this special event is going to be quite different than last year’s outdoor event. There is even a dress code for attendees. Are you able to share more details about this event yet?

Rina: The event will be comprised of two live shows back to back the same day, limited to 200 hundred attendees each. Alcohol and food will be served as well.

Haruna: We are collaborating with MTV for this event, which will be part of their Storytellers series. We will be the first Japanese band featured in the series.

Tomomi: This will be our most adult show. We wanted to try something new.

Q: I live in Austin, TX and attend Japan Nite at SXSW regularly so I wanted to ask you this question. SXSW 2018 will mark the 10 year anniversary of when you first played in America. In recent years artists such as Yoshiki and Perfume have played at large venues at SXSW. Is there any chance that SCANDAL may return to SXSW?

Mami: Ten years ago we were still minors and had not even toured Japan yet, and we were allowed to play as an indie band at SXSW. We don’t know if we will come back to SXSW, but we do want to come back to America and tour.

Q: Maybe you could go on a 50 states tour. (joking)

SCANDAL: (Laughing) 50 states!

Rina: It’s become more difficult economically doing one man shows in America now. We’re thinking maybe with local bands we can tour together in the future. We certainly want to come back.

Q: I know over the years SCANDAL has participated in a variety of collaborations with artists like Keiko Terada of SHOW-YA. Are there any artists that you’d like to collaborate with in the future?

Rina: We aren’t really thinking of any collaborations, the most important thing for us since the four of us are on stage at the same time is to continue to develop this group as a group that works together well, to cherish the relationship between the four of us, and to develop our songwriting together. That is more important than any song collaboration in the future. We’ve had collaboration experiences in the past on TV, but now our main focus is working together and making good songs together.

Q: What musicians or artists are you currently listening to?

Mami: I like the Foo Fighters. We saw them at Fuji Rock in 2015 when Dave Grohl was recovering from a broken leg and he performed from a throne made of guitars.

Haruna: Katy Perry. We also enjoy Coldplay.

Tomomi: We saw Coldplay at the Tokyo Dome. We also like Sting.

Q: Since Rina released a photo book within the past year, is that something that any of the other members would be interested in doing?

Haruna, Mami, Tomomi: No. We have no plans to make such a book.

Rina: We have been approached by a Japanese fashion magazine – S Kawaii. We have a corner in the magazine where we introduce our own tips on makeup and hairstyles, and things like that. It’s something I never thought about doing until we were invited, but we want to make a band that is not just musical, but really cool with the hair and the fashion as well.

Q: What are SCANDAL’s plans after the 47 prefecture tour and anniversary event?

Mami: We’ve done a lot of one man live shows, but in the future we’re thinking of doing shows with other bands as well. Doing small tours with other bands.

Rina: We’ve been writing songs during our 47 prefecture tour and we’ll continue to write material for our new album as we tour.

[hotarutranslations]

Zero The Enforcer's Starting!

Evening Its Ishida Ayumi!

  Ishida x Hirai pair

 What did you think of the ballroom dance…!

 #haropurodanceacademy will,

Be rerun again for those who missed it yesterday, even if you’re late definitely watch it---

  Birthday Event DVD

 I celebrated it on January 7th, My 22nd birthday event

 Just wearing the cat costume, my fortune rose in the quiz corner, I sang the songs I had wanted to sing in the live corner,

 Becoming myself, myself,

The fans had fun, I was really happy… ❤

 Like,

 I felt it that day at the event! Wonderful!

 In particular with this years live corner, I realized everyone got really into it, I don’t know how far the voices go in the DVD but, my voice is really pulling you in on the DVD lol

 I felt like I was watching a concert video

 Watching the DVD,

Its not that I thought the cheers were amazing, of course I knew that it would be exciting,

 The voices that are picked up in the video are,

Even moreee amazing! Lol

 My story ended up veering off but,

 My birthday event DVD,

I’m waiting for your applications

 The deadline is tonight at 11:59PM----

  Speaking of tonight---

 Friday Road Show, Movie Version “Detective Conan: Zero the Enforcer”

 Its finally broadcasting ❤ ❤

 Today towards all of the members,

 “Everyone! Lets watch tonights Friday Road Show! Lets watch Conan--!” is what I ended up saying!

 Everyone can also like it--!

 Now, I’m blogging before the broadcast, I think my thoughts are getting away from me←

 Really,

 I’m good at writing while watching,

 Like “Its startteedddd---!!!”

 But, I’m not someone who is recklessly able to update in real time, that would be funny but, today I’ll be quiet and seriously watch it

 Also, I’m ready for tomorrows concert,

After its over I’ll reallyyyy sleep!

 And so I hope to have good dreams… ❤ ❤ haha

 Everyone reserve a Birthday DVD and go to sleep! ←

 I’m sort of floating around,

 Everyone here is an announcement!

 The other day I softly talked about

“Sendai Aoba Gyoza”!

 For a limited time between April 27th (Sat) to the end of May,

 “Crispy Cartilage Sendai Aoba Gyoza” will be included on the menu

 Before I went to “Tachibana”-san and with the “Sendaizuke Bowl” its not like its in the form of a collaboration menu!

 Normally, really, coincidentally,

My idea of “putting cartilage in gyoza”,

It hit the shop,

 Definitely a lot of people wanted to eat it! And,

 With the help of the coverage, Sendai Gyoza Bar-san, and associated shops, Ichiban Goro-san (gyoza and ramen shops)

 It seems they’re going to be sold there

 This opportunity,

You can get the taste of “Sendai Aoba Gyoza” ❤

   Today with Haga Akane-chan, we wore matching Gaokki socks ❤ ❤

 Everyone should definitely get them too!

 Also,

 Sanrio Character Ranking Thank you for voting for Gaokki!

 See you ayumin ❤

 https://ameblo.jp/morningmusume-10ki/entry-12457055683.html