Old moon

This post will be short and bitter. Just checked the cinema listings in Kobe and Himeji for New Moon and couldn't find one bloody cinema that is showing the second movie in the Twilight saga. Is this some cruel joke? Why is the rest of the world nuts about Twilight except Japan? Thought it might be a stretch for Himeji to be showing only one of the most hotly anticipated premieres of the year, but Kobe? Kobe can't pull its finger out and get into the spirit of things? Needless to say, am deflated and defeated. Didn't help that my mum and sister sent me a text earlier in the night letting me know they'd already had the pleasure. Someone call me a waa waambulance!

My name is Erin and I buy magazines for the gifts.

Just got back from ユニクロ. It took pretty much all I had not to buy out the store. I don't know what comes over me when I go there. But today found everything super cute. I held back on some of the unnecessary but walked away with everyone's winter must-haves- HEATTECH tights and tops. Have discovered ユニクロ sizes have also expanded since I last lived here. There's now XL in womens wear which if I remember correctly didn't use to exist. Which is a bad thing really because it was the limited sizes that was keeping me motivated to exercise! What's also a bad thing, on the shopping front, is these bloody bonus gifts in magazines. Since around September, I think, all matter of magazines have been offering 'free' gifts with their mag. I now own a ユニクロ bag (mag was all in English so very happy with that one), a BAPE army print watch (quite nice really), a HELLO KITTY tote (who wouldn't want one anyway?) and a 3 pack purse set of some brand I've never heard of called 'Hamburggirl'. Settled on 'Hamburggirl' after realising it was bloody stupid to buy the 'See by Chloe' magazine just for the pencil case and pen when the magazine cost almost 2000yen. It was also after that purchase that I had to have a word to myself and say NO to any more magazine purchases. I have fooled myself, however, into believing the purchase is two-fold in that I can study Japanese at the same time. But really, who am I kidding? I have a 'free'-gift-with-magazine problem and I acknowledge it!

100yen heaven came up a treat after I ransacked ユニクロ though. I got myself a little mat to pop under the computer so it doesn't slide (not that it ever did really) and a very cute little wicker bowl to pop bits and pieces in. Both items I didn't know I needed. Again. From 100yen.

Stay tuned...

Domestic Goddess

Well don't I feel like the perfect house guest. Woke up this morning to a chilly and rainy day. Am feeling very spoilt in the castle what with heated flooring AND heated toilet seats!

Fluffed around until midday watching telly. Caught the beginning of いいとも where Quentin Tarrantino made a very awkward appearance in a poncho. Most of the time his head was stretched to the side desperately listening to his translator. Methinks the translator was shite because Mr Kill Bill did lots of odd things while the host looked very unimpressed. Consequently one of the coolest directors in the world just looked like a donkey amongst all the "ehhs", and "soo desu ne's". If I was a super famous foreigner in Japan I'd definitely get myself a decent translator. Reminds me of the time Madonna was on BISTRO SMAP and introduced herself as "Madonna san". Surely Madge could have booked herself a top notch translator who would have told her you don't refer to yourself as san.

Anway, clipped on my uber fashionable 100yen heaven hooded rain coat and cycled down to the local supermarket. Got lost and ended up at another supermarket but was very grateful to the staff who helped me read the kanji on the minced meat packet and didn't make the mistake of buying pork mince when really wanted beef. Turns out purely beef mince is as rare here as whale meat in Australia and had to settle for a mix of both pork and beef.

Was a bit miffed by that because today is my day off and also the day I promised to cook the family lasagne and cheesecake. Wanted everything to be right, so called mum in a panic who told me it was no biggie, just needed to add lots of garlic. So four hours later have whipped up a cheesecake and lasagne, both recipes from my mama. Will list the recipe here not to show off my culinary chops but rather to document the process for future domestic goddess days off:



CHEESECAKE

2 250g blocks of PHILADELPHIA cream cheese
2 lemons
1 can of condensed milk
1 pack of plain milk biscuits
1/2 block of butter

Base:

Must crush biscuits into a fine crumb-like state. Best done with food processer but being without the pleb method is to use a spoon and grind them in a metal sieve. Good for arm muscles.
Melt butter and then pour into crumbs. Mix around with fingers then pour into cake tin gently manipulating the crumbs into the contours of the cake tin. Let set in freezer for 30 minutes or thereabouts.

Mixture:

Make sure the cream cheese is really soft. Stir until smooth and then add condensed milk and lemon juice. Make sure all ingredients has become well acquainted before pouring onto the lovely base. Then back in the freezer for 30 minutes. Could garnish with kiwi fruit for aesthetic points or leave naked! Yummo.

LASAGNE

500g BEEF mince
1 tin chopped tomatoes
1 jar of tomato sauce
2-3 cloves of garlic (how I like)
1 onion
1 spoonful of basil/oregano/thymme/salt/pepper
1 bay leaf
1 box of pasta sheets (very hard to find here)
1 tub of cottage cheese
2 eggs
1 big bag of grated mozzarella cheese
1 big bag of regular grated cheese

Meat sauce:

Dice up the onions and garlic and swish around in olive oil until nice and soft. Add mince and mix until brown. Add tinned tomoatoes and herbs. Mix a bit, then add tomoto sauce. Cook for thirty minutes and then let simmer and gather flavour.

After 2 hours of meat sauce plumping itself with flavour put pasta sheets in boiling water for 4 minutes. While that's happening mix two eggs into the cottage cheese. Now you are ready to stack the masterpiece.

Line tray with pasta sheets. Add a layer of meat sauce, then cheese sauce, then add another layer of pasta sheets and so on until all mixture is gone. Ideally 3 layers looks best. Then sprinkle with mozzarella and regular cheese.

Put in oven for 40 minutes on 180degrees. Try not to watch lasagne bubbling away in oven like I do. Tis far better to return to a lovely layer of bubbling toasty brown cheese.
Enjoy!

p.s
thanks to 100yen heaven for making day easier what with hooded raincoat and cute cake tins.

Stay tuned...