2017-09

#882 Miso-making challenge

I made 2kg of miso paste from scratch in a miso cooking lesson.

① I mixed the yeast plants and salt together by hands thoroughly.

↓② Grind the boiled soy beans in a suribachi bowl.

↓③ Mix 1 and 2 together.

↓④ Make some miso balls by hands

↓⑤ Smash the miso balls in a plastic bag

↓⑥ remove the air and seal the miso in the bag.

It needs more than 3 months to ferment.

The teacher said I would have to wait for about 6 months in total before I can eat it. The color of the miso is going to turn brown slowly.
I’m looking forward to the day when I can eat the miso paste. I am going to keep watching it ferment everyday and from time to time, release the air from the plastic bag.

Making miso is sort of like taking care of pets

I made some miso paste 3 years ago, so this is actually my second time. Last time was a huge success and we ate them all. It made really wonderful miso soup.
Making miso reminds me of taking care of pets. It takes some effort and attention to care for it, but the whole experience is also very rewarding.
It is going to take a long time before I can taste this second batch of miso paste. I hope this will be just as good as the first time.

Small joy!!(2017.9.19)

2017-09-28 | Posted in English2 Comments » 

 

#883 Enjoying a 100 yen product ~ I made some tiny block dolls ~

At a 100-yen store

I found some interesting goods at a 100-yen store. It is called “PETIT BLOCK” which is a pack of tiny blocks and you can assemble something with them.
I bought 3 sets which are a groom, a bride, and a wedding cake. They were 100 yen each.

I was intensely focused

When I got home, I started to make the groom and the bride. It was very interesting to make and I was so intensely focused that I couldn’t hear anything. It took about 2 hours to finish them. They were so cute.
After a few days, I also finished making the wedding cake block. It was the most difficult one out of the three.

Since they were so well-made, I’m going to give them to my brother who is having his wedding party next month. I’d like my brother to display the dolls at the reception desk or somewhere.


↑It is about 7 centimeters tall.

I am sure you will love making those blocks

I want to buy more sets of blocks at 100-yen store if they have other kinds of blocks. I really recommend those goods in 100-yen stores. Because I am sure you will love making those blocks, even though they only cost 100 yen!
It is an awesome 100 yen product that worth way more than its price.

Small joy!!(2017.9.10)

2017-09-20 | Posted in English4 Comments » 

 

#884 I just want to play fireworks, even though summer is over


A set of fireworks

I bought a set of fireworks at Machiyamachi that is a wholesale district in Osaka. Even though it was only 180 yen, the staff at the fire works shop was kind to me.
I have not played with fireworks for a long time. It may be because I don’t have a child. I don’t know why I just wanted to play with fireworks when I passed by the shop.

Do you play with fireworks alone?

When I got home, I gave the set of fireworks to my husband.
I said “Let’s play fireworks tonight!”
He answered “No! You do it yourself.”

“What kind of people play with fireworks alone!?” I thought.
It’s weird if I do it alone.

He said he would be embarrassed when other people saw us.
I was so disappointed with his answer.

Even though summer is over

I displayed the fireworks on a cabinet because there was nothing I could do.
After a few days, he reluctantly said “It’s alright to play with fireworks someday at the weekend.”
I was happy to hear that. But I am not sure because he changes his mood all the time.
I hope he will keep his promise.

Small joy!(2017.9.8)

2017-09-14 | Posted in English2 Comments » 

 

#885 Finding joy from the bottom of a panda ~ a perfect omikuji for this blog ~

From the bottom of a panda

My friend M gave me a dish towel as a souvenir from her Tokyo trip.
Many kinds of animals were printed on the dish towel and it also came with a tiny ceramic panda doll. Inside the panda, there was a fortune slip. I took out the paper from the bottom of the panda.

This fortune slip is perfect!

There were writings that said “Small fortune (小吉). You will run into a few good things. The person who got this slip will receive some small fortunes this year.”
For a moment, I was disappointed with it because it wasn’t a big fortune (大吉). But after reading it again, I realized that this matches exactly the theme of my blog. I am always finding small joys in my daily life. This fortune slip is a perfect gift for me! I feel blessed from this fortune telling paper.

Find and collect small joys

Another friend Y is writing 5 short memos on her notebook everyday about small happiness. She said it was a good habit for her. I agree with her too.

It’s a very fantastic thing to find small joys in our ordinary lives. To find and collect them make us happier.

Thanks M, you gave me motivation to write my blog.

Small joy!!!(2017.8)

2017-09-07 | Posted in English4 Comments »