Return of Good Food

"Poke Donburi" Cedar Park, 2017
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/2.8, 1/100 sec, ISO1600
“Poke Donburi” Cedar Park, 2017

こんばんは。Did you have a good Friday?

With the return of Mariko and Bay, Koa and I will end our “Bachelor summer”, which means we also are ending our Bachelor diets, which are not healthy at all… We’ve been craving the good food that Mariko provides for us, and tonight we enjoyed a simple but delicious poke donburi (rice bowl). 🐟🍚 It was such a treat!

I’m looking forward to miso soup too, especially because Mariko said she brought back some really good miso. I can’t wait. And karaage, and tofu, and vegetables, etc. etc. etc.

And even the ice cream got a nice upgrade when they came back from Japan. Cookie toppings in the shape of pandas! 🐼🍪🍨

"Ice Cream Treat" Cedar Park, 2017
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/2.8, 1/100 sec, ISO1000
“Ice Cream Treat” Cedar Park, 2017

Have a great weekend!

またね~

Gyoza, Clouds, and the Search for Grey

"Gyoza Dinner" Cedar Park, 2017
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/3.6, 1/100 sec, ISO2000
“Gyoza Dinner” Cedar Park, 2017

こんばんは。How’s it going?

Tonight’s post will be a bit scattered, but whatever. I’m not writing to win any awards. 😁

For dinner, Koa and I had gyoza, which I am getting pretty good at preparing. We usually buy pre-made, frozen gyoza and so I just have to heat them up… not really cooking, just preparing. Anyway, the method I use it so arrange them into a circle in the skillet, with the flat side down. Next, add some vegetable oil and sesame oil to the bottom and fry over medium-high heat. After a few minutes, I add in about 1/3 cup of water, then cover the pan with a lid and steam for another 4 or 5 minutes over medium heat. Then, remove the cover and cook until the liquid disappears.

Finally, I take a large plate (that is wider than the gyoza circle), place it over the gyoza, then flip the pan, plate, and gyoza over. That way, the crispy golden part is facing up for serving.

Serve with a dipping sauce of ponzu and rayu, and bowls of white rice and you have a nice meal!  I only wish we had miso soup to go with it…

"Today's Clouds" Cedar Park, 2017
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/8, 1/3000 sec, ISO200
“Today’s Clouds” Cedar Park, 2017

Lately there have been some pretty cool cloud formations in the sky, so of course, I had to take photos of them. I think the clouds in Texas can get pretty huge and impressive and I am always amazed at the natural beauty. I still don’t fully understand how clouds form, and frankly, I’d rather not know and keep the mystery alive. 🙂☁️

"Looking for Grey" Cedar Park, 2017
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/3.6, 1/100 sec, ISO2500
“Looking for Grey” Cedar Park, 2017

Lastly, I did a little bit of research on how to create a nice grey color using the paints I currently have in my watercolor palette and I think I found a good combination. It’s basically pthalo blue mixed with a bit of orange, and a touch of red. It’s easy to make it warmer or cooler just by varying the ratio. I also produced a nice grey using the prima blue that came with the watercolor set I bought.

Next, I want to try to make some dark colors for shadows. I am not sure I can produce that with the colors I have now, but I read that pthalo green is needed to make the color I want. We’ll see!

I hope you had a nice day.

またね~

Ramen and Wrong Shipment

"Tamago Transfer" Austin, 2017
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/4, 1/30 sec, ISO3200
“Tamago Transfer” Austin, 2017

Hi there! So today, Koa and I treated ourselves to a Japanese lunch of sushi and ramen! It was so good… we haven’t had Japanese food in a while since Mariko and Bay left for Japan. In the photo above, you can see the “tamago transfer” where Koa gives me his hard-boiled egg. He doesn’t like them in his ramen, so I get double. 😁

In other news, I was eagerly expecting a new fountain pen to use with some blue ink I ordered. When I opened the package, the ink was there, but there was another strange-looking box. I knew I was buying a cheap Chinese pen from a suspicious Amazon.com seller, but I didn’t expect them to package it in box that says “MissKiss Eyelash”.

"Strange Box" Cedar Park, 2017
Photo info: Motorola Moto G (4), 3.64mm, f/2, 1/30 sec, ISO250
“Strange Box” Cedar Park, 2017

And when I opened the box, sure enough, it was a pair of fake eyelashes… 😠

"Fake Lashes" Cedar Park, 2017
Photo info: Motorola Moto G (4), 3.64mm, f/2, 1/30 sec, ISO320
“Fake Lashes” Cedar Park, 2017

So I left a poor rating for the seller on Amazon.com and returned the eyelashes. That Chinese pen non-transaction left a bad taste in my mouth… consequently, I’ll not be trying to reorder it, but instead go with another more reputable brand, from a less-suspicious seller.

I hope you had a good day!

Pinball and Dinner

"Pinball Action" Austin, 2017
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/2.5, 1/60 sec, ISO3200
“Pinball Action” Austin, 2017

こんばんは。How’s it going?

Today I dropped off my wife and 15-year-old son at the airport for their month-long trip to Japan. Then, I worked the day at the office before meeting my visiting brother and 13-year-old son at Pinballz for some fun arcade games. It was great playing pinball and some old consoles like Tempest! Had a great time and enjoyed a nice beer as well.

After that, it was time for dinner and my brother wanted some southern food, so we went to Mouton’s Southern Bistro. I’ve wanted to try this restaurant for several years now, so this was a good chance. The food was delicious and the portions were generous as you can see below! So stuffed… ☺

"Chicken Fried Steak" Leander, 2017
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/2, 1/150 sec, ISO200
“Chicken Fried Steak” Leander, 2017
"Jambalaya & Etouffee" Leander, 2017
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/2, 1/100 sec, ISO200
“Jambalaya & Etouffee” Leander, 2017
"Po-Boy" Leander, 2017
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/2.2, 1/140 sec, ISO200
“Po-Boy” Leander, 2017

I hope you had a great day!

またね~

BBQ with my Brother

"Family Dinner" Austin, 2017
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/2, 1/80 sec, ISO3200
“Family Dinner” Austin, 2017

こんばんは。

Today we took it easy and slept in. We were pretty tired from yesterday’s travels, and my brother is still on West Coast time, so it worked out nicely. We pretty much just hung out at the house all day, watched the Dodger game, and then went out for a yummy dinner.

My brother wanted to sample some Austin Barbecue, so we headed to Freedmen’s for some brisket, ribs, pork belly, slaw, and potato salad. We also got salmon and pit-chili, and it was all so good! Austin has so many great BBQ places, but Freedmen’s flies a bit under the radar. However, it’s some of the best BBQ in town!

"BBQ Poses" Austin, 2017
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/5.6, 1/550 sec, ISO200
“BBQ Poses” Austin, 2017
"Big Rib and Brisket" Austin, 2017
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/2, 1/60 sec, ISO3200
“Big Rib and Brisket” Austin, 2017

I hope you had a nice day!

おやすみ