Ginger Bread Cookies

With Christmas just around the corner, we decided to make some spicy gingerbread cookies.

Hi Everyone!

Carole's Birthday pictures

Carole at Build a Bear Workshop with her bear (that's what she wanted for her birthday)

The Kids. (Notice they're all doing Japanese famous peace sign for photos)


Carole eating cake

Kiki & Leila decorated the cake with strawberries & marshmallows.--Yummy.

Singing Christmas songs already?

We did a few shows for some shopping malls. It's that time of year when they start putting up Christmas decorations & getting ready for the holiday season. The kids sang during the lighting the tree ceremony.

Show Pics --Singing at the festival

Whispering on stage

Leila's Undokai

Leila & class marching:















Getting ready to run:















Doing some sort of parents/ kids race with fruit hats:















Me cleaning up (we were forced to):















Leila's gold metal (they give them to all the kids):

Lina takes a few steps.

It's blurry, but I tried getting a pic of her standing ready to take a few steps. She can go up to 3 babysteps at time.

Pictures of Lina

It's hard to get pictures of the baby, she's so interested in the camera & can't stay still. In this one I caught her off guard.I have to sit on the couch so she can't come any closer to the camera.
Bounding for the camera.
AAAA!! Too close!

Focaccia --Tx Al for the suggestion

(Pic stolen from Internet, we ate ours too fast to get a pic)

OK so I made this yummy Italian flat bread & this turned out wonderful, please try it. This is a recipe from "BON APETIT" --cookbook by Barbara Fairchild.
Thanks YUMI for this great cookbook you gave me last birthday.

ROSEMARY FOCACCIA (makes one 13inch round bread)
-1 large potato (when mashed it needs to make 2/3 cup)

-2 1/2 c. or more bread flour (voice of experience: "please oh pretty please use bread flour, not all-purpose". )
-3 teaspoons fresh rosemary leaves divided
-1 teaspoon salt
-1 c. warm water (@45 C)
-1/4 tsp. sugar
-1 envelope dry yeast

-4 tbsp. olive oil divided

-For topping: oil cured black olives, pitted, halved or grated Parmesan cheese
-1/2 tsp. coarse sea salt

PIERCE potato in several places with a fork. Microwave on high until tender, turning over once, about 12 min. Cut potato in half scoop out flesh & mash well. Measure 2/3 c. cool

COMBINE flour. 1 1/2 tsp rosemary, & 1 tsp salt in processor; blend until rosemary is chopped, about 1 min. Add potato; using 25 on & off turns. Combine warm water & sugar in a 2 c. measuring glass, sprinkle yeast over. Let sit for 5-10 min until frothy. Stir 3 tbsp olive oil into yeast mix. With processor running, pour yeast mix into flour mix. process until smooth. Scrape dough onto well floured surface & knead until dough feels silky, sprinkling more flour as needed, about 1 min. Place dough into well oiled bowl; turn to coat. Cover with kitchen towel; let it rise until doubled in warm place for @ one hour.

BRUSH a baking sheet with oil. Punch down dough & knead again for 30 secs. Stretch or pat out dough to 12 inch round. Transfer to baking dish, press with finger tips to dimple, brush with remaining oil, top with salt, rosemary & press in olives (or use cheese). Let it rise again for about 20 min until fluffy.

BAKE in preheated oven (450 F/ 220 C) until golden for about 18 mins.

trying on witch hats

strangely i look a little too much like a witch

Oatmeal & Chocolate Chip Cookies

This is one I've been making for years.

1 c. shortening (I use unsalted marg. because it's cheaper)
3/4 c. white sugar
3/4 c. brown sugar
1 egg
2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp hot water
1 1/2 c. flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
I package of choco chips (I actually think it's better with RAISINS instead)
2 c. oats
Optional but yummy, coconut shreads


Directions:
*cream shortening & sugars
*add egg, hot water & vanilla
*sift in dry ingredients
*add chocolate chips (or raisins)
*add oats
*drop onto baking sheet by spoon fulls, (do not eat all the batter.)
*bake in preheated oven at 190 degrees C for about 8-12 min until slightly golden, not too brown (do not over-cook, they will not be chewy if u do.)

In the Spirit of Halloween --Pumpkin pie recipe (yeild: serves 1 greedy mom or makes about 20 cm round pie dish)

Pie Crust (graham or whatever hard biscuit you want to use):
Mix in bowl:
-1 1/2 c. cookie crumbs (blend /or get kids to smash your cookies with a jar after placing them (the cookies) in a zip lock bag)
-2 tbsp sugar
-5 tbsp melted margarine

Put cookie crust mix into baking dish & pat it down with your fingers. Bake for about 8-10 minutes

Pumpkin Filling:
Blend together:
-1 1/2 c. pumpkin puree ( that's cooked smashed pumpkin, or what I did was buy frozen pumpkin, & you just take off the green peel --Japanese leave it on in the frozen packs, that way I don't have to cut it & steam it for like, forever.)
-1 c. heavy cream (just bite the bullet & spend that money on cream, I've made it without & it wasn't the same, but if u have to sub, I used melted vanilla ice cream & came out pretty yummy)
-3/4 to 1 c. light brown sugar
-1/2 c. milk
-2 large eggs (not those teeny eggs, if that's all you have use more eggs, this is your rising/thickening ingredient)
-1 large egg yolk
-1 tbsp. maple syrup (I've used maple honey or honey or molasses)
-2 tsp. vanilla
-1/2 tbsp. pumpkin pie spice (my kids hate cloves or nutmeg so I only use cinnamon)
-1/2 tsp. salt
-(I don't know how to trust eggs so I always add a spoon of flour or cornstarch, LHM, ha, but it's not in the recipe)

So you blend all that stuff together & pour into pre-baked crust

Bake in preheated oven at 425 F (220 C) for 15 min. (seems a little high to me-- I never go that high, but I have a hot fan oven)
Reduce to 350 F (180 C) for up to 45 min (My oven cooks faster than this so please also adjust this to your own oven)

So my little baby sister is 22 today.

I LOVE YOU ANGIE

(Judge not the condition of our faces. You know how it is when you live in Tokyo, snow is such an anomaly that you rush out there first thing in the morning sans make up & brushed hair & try to capture the moment/snow on camera. )