Excuse the break....

...I am currently doing this:

Do you know what that means? I am getting open-water scuba certified! I am freakin' excited! Especially when I am currently living on an island that has some of THE BEST scuba diving in the world! Even better than Hawaii (according to our instructor who used to live there). I am uber excited to explore the many wonderful dive sites and meet some new people!

Now I just gotta convince Hubby....he saw Jaws at much to impressionable age...and him + oceans/lakes just don't agree!

So, for now, its just me! Wish me luck!

Oh yeah, I feel the need to share part of tonight's dinner: English muffins toasted w/ butter and cinnamon-sugar = AWESOME! It satisfied a deep inner craving....  :-)

Toodles!

So, the other day...

...I walked into a bookstore. Not just any bookstore, but a Japanese books store. It was sensory overload, very welcome, fun, smile-inducing, and inside-my-head excited comment making sensory overload. It was wonderful. I got this feeling of inspiration...here, right in front of me, is whole new untapped world.

I. Will. Explore.

Some things that I saw that made me smile:
A Japanese version of Eric Carle's The Very Hungry Caterpillar
A Japanese version of Jeff Kinney's A Diary of a Wimpy Kid


And various other children's books and stories.

Another area that I was drawn to was the "Cooking" section. There were books, magazines, and pamphlets  galore. The only problem: I couldn't read a single one. Oh well, thats was language courses are for! But, I was intrigued by the photography and design of these magazines.  With most books being read backwards, from back to front, or from right to left, what I perceive to the "back" of a book is actually the "front". This is not the case with all magazines and books, but it is the norm for a vast majority.

Some magazines that had websites were:
Haru.mi - Cooking and lifestyle magazine
Hanako WEST - Cooking, blog, lifestyle
Kunel - Cooking and design  (<---The little "mascot" is really cute!)

There are more out there, I just have to figure out contact info and translations! lol!

But anywho, I killed some time perusing around these websites and compiled some images.

Cooking magazines - I really like the blue one in the top left. The drawn plate and silverware and then actual food sitting on top, then ya take a pic of it! (I may expand on this artistic idea!!)

Some local magazines - geared more towards men!

 A series of cookbooks

Another series of Cookbooks - I really like the simple drawn-out design of these. 

I cannot wait to try some local recipes and ingredients! I have said that again and again! But, alas, Hubby is gone for a few weeks, and I have no one to cook for...soon!

Note to self: I found a recipe for potato salad that had what I think was cabbage and avocado it it! Must try!!

ENJOY!

Exploring with Food

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

The Hubby and I got a chance to explore some food the other day! We took a drive down to Sunset Beach and then walked around the local shopping area. There is a very large department-grocery store there called Jusco and right next to that is Depot Island and America Town. We went in to just look around. It is stimulation central! There are clothes, food, people, language you don't understand! It was awesome! We decided to just pick out a few treats at the grocery's bakery section. We got 4 different things:

This was a sweetbread with a green tint to it. It might have been green tea, not quite sure. It was only a little sweet, not too powerful in the sweet department. 

This sweet bread was the same as the one above only it was not green. 

This doughnut-like pastry was dense and it had a strawberry yogurt-like frosting on top. Again, it was not overly sweet. Not what we thought it was going to be, but happy we tried it!

 This guy was the best! Happy Halloween! I believe it was a sweetbread with some sort of a sweetened yam spread on the inside and used to glue on the almond eyes. I liked it, Hubby, not so much! Tehehe!

After eating our goodies, we stopped by a beach shack and got an Orion beer.

This morning we went and had brunch at Camp Cortney with Hubby's XO and his wife. It was wonderful and the view was spectacular! (cant upload right now....) I look forward to meeting new people and starting to explore this island some more!

Coming up: We get our house tomorrow and I will get pics up ASAP. I also have some recipes to share from our time home in MN. Yes, I did do a little cooking, and my mother did some baking! 

Keep checking in!

Blogging Break

I have taken a blogging break.

Reasons:

1. Moving from North Carolina to Minnesota
2. Living with my parents for 2 weeks
3. Breakfast/Dinner/Lunch with in-laws & parents
4. Catching up with old-time friends
5. Saying goodbye to extended family
6. Getting ready to PCS (move) to Okinawa Japan

Needless to say...there are/were a lot of reasons as to why I have not been blogging. Don't get me wrong, I still love to blog and I love that people (albeit few) are reading this, but I had to take a back seat for a while. But soon I will be back in that saddle! 

Right now the hubby and I are staying at a hotel on a military base in Okinawa. We are busy, taking care of paperwork, getting a car, getting a house, getting this and getting that....and on top of it all a Typhoon came through and closed down the entire base! So, enlieu of all this hub-bub, bear with me as I slowly get back into the grove of blogging. Oh yeah! Once I get a kitchen...recipes will be a-coming!

THANKS!!

Here are some photos for your viewing pleasures....

More pics coming soon! 

Do I need to be stimulated like this?

So, over the weekend I went and saw the movie "Eat, Pray, Love". It is a movie based off of the book by Elizabeth Gilbert in which a newly divorced woman, Liz, takes a year to travel around the world. For 4 months she goes to Italy to "eat", then another 4 months she spends in India to "pray" at a hindu workshop of sorts, and finally she spends 4 months in Bali to find balance and love once again.

The move was okay, and, as most always is the case, the book is by far much better. While watching the movie and taking in all of her surroundings I was intrigued by two things. The first was the food styling used when Liz goes to Italy, and second was the utter uncomfortable feeling when she travels to India and takes a taxi through the city. I remember thinking to myself, "I need to be stimulated like this!" I need to go and do something out of the ordinary for me. I need to be forced into uncomfortable places and I need to learn to survive, to become comfortable first with myself, then secondly, with said place.

I read an article about the food styling used in the move here. The food here reminded me a little of Julie & Julia but more from the eating and restaurant dining side than the cooking. It was wonderful. I want to go to Italy and eat! Yes please!

Things I want to Eat in Italy
1. Gelato
2. Classic Pizza
3. Spaghetti Bolognese
4. Prosciutto
5. Coffee
6. Fresh, Local Fruit
7. Seafood
8. Classic Bread

I am excited to get out there and TRAVEL! I cannot wait to move to Okinawa, it's just the start of what I am predicting to be a wonderful adventure of traveling, eating, experiencing, photographing, and growing!

ENJOY!

Lets Learn!

Lets learn a little bit more about where my hubby and I will soon be moving: Okinawa Japan!

OKINAWA
"While Japan declared Okinawa a prefecture in 1879, this ancient "Kingdom of the Ryukyus" retains its own unique language, culture and cuisine.

The group of islands in the Ryukyu archipelago that encompasses Okinawa lies southwest of mainland Japan in the East China Sea. Its capital city, Naha, is a two-hour flight from Tokyo, Hong Kong, Seoul, Shanghai, Taipei or Manila. Although people on the main island of Okinawa speak what is known as Okinawan, dialects on the other 43 inhabited islands differ considerably.

Its sub-tropical climate keeps Okinawa balmy even when neighboring countries are in the dead of winter. Okinawa's pristine white beaches, stunning coral and array of brilliantly colored flowers make the islands an ideal resort destination. In fact, Okinawa is in the same latitude zone as other famous beaches including Florida, Hawaii and the Bahamas.

Okinawan cooking is generally spicier than Japanese food, and is more heavily influenced by Chinese cooking styles. Pork is a dominant ingredient in Okinawan cuisine, along with local seafood and native tropical vegetables and fruits."
(Taken from AmeriForce Magazine)

~Okinawan Language Lesson~

Hello................Chuu Wuganabira, Moshi Moshi
Goodbye......................................Guburii Sabira
My Name Is - ........................................ - yaibiin
I Don't Understand.........................Wakayabiran
Please Write It Down.........Kachi Kwimisheebiri
Excuse Me/Sorry........................Guburii Sabitan
Thank You...................................Nifee Deebiiru

ENJOY!!

Reason for the UPDATED site...

Okay, there are going to be some changes around here! First off, I am going to make it a goal to post semi-daily. At least 3-4 times per week. I am going to have a lot of time on my hand over the next few months so this should be doable! I need somebody to be accountable to, and that is going to be my readers. I am going to try and market my blog and increase the number of readers that I have. I hope the design changes help as well.

The other good news is that my Hubby is COMING HOME!! He has been in Afghanistan since December 14th and with return on July 11th. So about 7 months we have been apart. I this is the second deployment in less than a year! He return from Iraq in October 2009 and left for Afghanistan in December 2009...do the math...he was home for a whopping 3 months! Yeah, thats my love, and he wanted to do it. Who am I to say no? Things worked out really nicely for us. Time really did fly by! (Work helped for me!)

And, to update everyone as to what the future holds...it is this: We are moving to Okinawa Japan sometime in October 2010. The plan as of right now is to be there for 3 years. Note: this may be shortened or elongated. It all depends on what the Corps and my Husband decides.

Am I excited, nervous, scares, apprehensive? HECK YES! I cannot wait to go and explore a new place, people, and culture! I cannot wait to actually LIVE WITH my Hubby for more than a few months! I know it will be hard to get used to, but I am willing to make mistakes, and to learn from them. I have been kicking myself for a long time for not studying abroad in college (excuse: hockey) and I see this as my chance to make up for that! I am excited to try the new food, meet new people, go to new places, have new and exciting experiences..etc, etc. I hope and pray that things work out for the best! And I appreciate the support from family and friends!

So, for your viewing and reading pleasure, here are some pictures and facts about where we are headed

OKINAWA JAPAN
Capital: Naha
Population: 1,379,330 (2008)

"Okinawa is one of Japan's southern prefectures, and consists of hundreds of the Ryukyu Islands in a chain over 1,000 km long, which extends southwest from Kyushu (southwestern most of Japan's main islands) to Taiwan. Okinawa's capital, Naha, is located in the southern part of the largest and most populous island, Okinawa Island, which is approximately half-way between Kyushu and Taiwan."
(courtesy of Wikipedia)

The climate averages about 70F annually and in the winter it averages about 60F.




ENJOY!!