Found Wasabi Nori Snacks

"Nori Wasabi Snacks" Cedar Park, 2019
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/2.8, 1/125 sec, ISO5000
“Nori Wasabi Snacks” Cedar Park, 2019

こんばんは。How’s it going?

When I was in college, I had a friend from Japan who brought back some amazing wasabi-flavored nori snacks. She said they were hard to find. Since then, I’ve been keeping my eye out for them and I finally found some! I’ve seen the nori-chips around but not with wasabi, so when I spotted these at the market in California I bought them immediately. I love them! And happily, Mariko and Bay both think they are too salty, and Koa is away for the weekend, so I have the whole bag to myself!

It’s the small things in life that bring the most joy… 😆

I hope you had a nice Saturday!

またね~

Donburi Night at Home

"Garlic Steak Donburi" Cedar Park, 2019
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/2.8, 1/125 sec, ISO5000
“Garlic Steak Donburi” Cedar Park, 2019

こんばんは。How’s it going? Tonight, Mariko made a steak donburi with a sweet sauce and toasted garlic. It tasted as good as it looked. 😄 Over vacation, we ate a lot of food at each meal, so it was nice to enjoy a smaller portion.

And Lani was excited at the possibility of getting some some home-cooked scraps:

"Hungry Dog" Cedar Park, 2019
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/4, 1/125 sec, ISO5000
“Hungry Dog” Cedar Park, 2019

I hope you had a nice day!

またね~

Spending Time at the Ocean

"Sunset Light" Redondo Beach, 2019
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/11, 1/70 sec, ISO3200
“Sunset Light” Redondo Beach, 2019

こんばんは。And Happy New Year!

This afternoon we went to the Redondo Beach Pier to walk around, have some snacks, and enjoy the outdoors. Even though it was chilly out, the kids got ice cream and funnel cakes, and Mariko and I enjoyed some oysters on the half-shell. As the sun went down, we got sat down for a cocktail and then took photos of the sunset. It was a good day! Please enjoy the photos.

またね~

"Sunset Silhouette" Redondo Beach, 2019
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/5.6, 1/100 sec, ISO400
“Sunset Silhouette” Redondo Beach, 2019
"Oysters" Redondo Beach, 2019
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/2.8, 1/100 sec, ISO640
“Oysters” Redondo Beach, 2019
"Seafood Snacks" Redondo Beach, 2019
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/7.1, 1/90 sec, ISO3200
“Seafood Snacks” Redondo Beach, 2019
"All Signs" Redondo Beach, 2019
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/7.1, 1/100 sec, ISO400
“All Signs” Redondo Beach, 2019
"Tony's" Redondo Beach, 2019
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/7.1, 1/100 sec, ISO400
“Tony’s” Redondo Beach, 2019
"The Horseshoe" Redondo Beach, 2019
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/4.5, 1/160 sec, ISO200
“The Horseshoe” Redondo Beach, 2019
"Black and White Pacific" Redondo Beach, 2019
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/16, 1/220 sec, ISO200
“Black and White Pacific” Redondo Beach, 2019
"Bye-bye Sun" Redondo Beach, 2019
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/16, 1/100 sec, ISO1250
“Bye-bye Sun” Redondo Beach, 2019

Yard-work, Subs, and Curry

"Trimming Olive Tree" Torrance, 2018
Photo info: motorola Moto G (5) Plus, 4.28mm, f/1.7, 1/1034 sec, ISO64
“Trimming Olive Tree” Torrance, 2018

こんばんは。How’s it going?

Today was yet another traditional family activity: trimming the olive trees at my parents’ house. 😆 Usually, my brothers and I will climb the ladders and trim the trees, and the kids will clean up the ground and pack the branches and leaves into the garbage bins. This year, Koa wanted to help out on the ladder so he spent some time trimming the front yard tree which is a little smaller than the backyard tree. That’s classic Koa – wanting to give new things a try!

"Tree Work" Torrance, 2018
“Tree Work” Torrance, 2018

For lunch, my mom made submarine sandwiches, which she always makes for us when we visit. It’s one of those meals that is a can’t miss but is a challenge to fit into the meal schedule, which often gets crowded! Mariko says I need to study how my mom prepares her subs, since when I make them at home they don’t taste the same. 😄 So I took lots of photos this time! Of course after 40 years of subs, I know how to make them just like she does, so we’ve come to the conclusion that it’s just the fact that grandma Fuji made them that makes them taste better.

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Another tradition is dining at CoCo curry house, and testing our tolerance for spiciness. This time, just Koa and I tested our limits, with Koa ordering a level-7 curry while I had a level-9 curry. I’ve had level-10 the past couple times, so I figured I would try something new. 😄 It wasn’t too spicy, actually, but the rest of the family’s milder-level curry was reportedly spicier than normal. Regardless of spiciness level, the curry was delicious and it was a fun dinner.

"Level 9 Curry" Torrance, 2018
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/2.8, 1/100 sec, ISO1600
“Level 9 Curry” Torrance, 2018
"Curry with Cream" Torrance, 2018
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/2.8, 1/100 sec, ISO1600
“Curry with Cream” Torrance, 2018

I hope you had a nice day!

またね~

"Sunset" Torrance, 2018
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/2.8, 1/220 sec, ISO200
“Sunset” Torrance, 2018

A Day Trip to Ojai, California

"Lunch at Nest" Ojai, 2018
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/4, 1/45 sec, ISO800
“Lunch at Nest” Ojai, 2018

こんばんは。How’s it going?

Today we took a day-trip up to the town of Ojai, California. It was about a two-hour drive, and when we arrived it was time for lunch so we headed straight for our first destination, The Nest. The food was a delicious mix of vegan and non-vegan foods, and the coffee was also yummy. We shared cauliflower tacos, brisket sandwiches, and sangria.

After lunch, we visited The Ojai Olive Oil Company, where we took a short tour and learned a lot about their olive oil operation, and olive oil in general. Very enlightening and educational! I didn’t know that the time from picking the olives to producing the actual oil happens within the span of only a few hours to retain the most flavor.

"Olive Oil Tour" Ojai, 2018
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/7.1, 1/60 sec, ISO200
“Olive Oil Tour” Ojai, 2018
"Olive Trees" Ojai, 2018
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/16, 1/60 sec, ISO400
“Olive Trees” Ojai, 2018
"Olive Oil Processing" Ojai, 2018
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/5.6, 1/10 sec, ISO800
“Olive Oil Processing” Ojai, 2018
"Heart Cactus" Ojai, 2018
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/5.6, 1/900 sec, ISO200
“Heart Cactus” Ojai, 2018
"Friendly Dog" Ojai, 2018
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/5.6, 1/120 sec, ISO200
“Friendly Dog” Ojai, 2018
"Topa Mountain Winery" Ojai, 2018
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/8, 1/320 sec, ISO200
“Topa Mountain Winery” Ojai, 2018

Next we made a stop at Topa Mountain Winery for a wine tasting, and then it was onto a really cool bookstore, Bart’s Books. What’s special about Bart’s is that it is the largest independently owned outdoor bookstore in the U.S.! There are so many cool books to browse through, and I found myself exploring a lot of the books from the early 1900s. How cool to read from a book that is over 100 years old!

"Bart's Books" Ojai, 2018
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/8, 1/220 sec, ISO200
“Bart’s Books” Ojai, 2018

Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/8, 1/60 sec, ISO500

After a bit more shopping, it was time to head back to my parents’ house, but it was a fun day up in Ojai, California!

またね~