Friday, December 24, 2010

2010 Handmade Presents

2010 Handmade Presents
Time came to think about the presents. This year around 40” square blankets for covering the knee are made for presents.


These are the blankets. All 6 of them have different stitches. Some are made by knitting and others are crocheted. Chicago is very cold in winter, so hopefully everyone enjoys these blankets.
Hiroko appreciates her mother so much. She had very good hands for craft. She remade her children’s sweater and Japanese Kimono all year around. She asked Hiroko to make socks to match with the sweater which was made by her for a field trip day. Hiroko remembered with happy feeling to wear the almost brand new sweater and matched socks.
Hiroko had to move to Grand-ma’s house in Hokkaido during the war time. There were no socks, gloves and many other things because of the war, so we had to make the thing what we need. Hiroko and her cousins made the gloves and socks with the fabric strips which was made from the old kimono. Those socks and gloves kept our hands and feet warm in Hokkaido.
Hiroko believes God gave her the ability for crafts hands as her spiritual gift. She committed to use the gift next year to teach children making things at Saturday Night events: cushion, origami mobile and aquarium for Father’s day present, pin-cushion for Mother’s day present, the angels, tree ornaments or trees at Christmas. Hopefully children will enjoy making these things. And there will be cooking lessons, too: cookies and pizza.
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Here are another presents:
Hiroko’s hands are very cold; especially the first joint of her index finger there is the arthritis lump.
The lump becomes so much pain, that Hioko made no finger tip gloves.


These gloves kept Hiroko’s fingers and hands very warm. So Hiroko made couple more for the people who are saying their hands are cold in this Chicago’s cold weather.

Sunday, December 19, 2010

Devon Church Leisure Group, Mic and Taro, Recipe – Tofu Noodle

2010 last Devon Church Leisure Group meeting was held on December 14. This group is consists mostly Senior Citizens, but couple of young people have been coming for the end-time Bible study.


Here are the photos of the people who are enjoying the Bible Study.

It is interesting to study for the future events in the Bible. However, before the lesson, Pastor warned us , “Do not study the future events in fun or for increasing the knowledge. Why are we studying the prophecies or revelation in the Bible, then? The answer is that making our daily lives better. Well, how can we make our lives better?”
“Because Jesus would be coming again, we have to prepare ourselves to meet Jesus Christ face to face.”
“What are the important things to do for preparing us?”
“Practice the love of God; love one another. Without knowing how Jesus loved us first we can’t love others. So, at first confirming our faith on Jesus Christ the Lord, and then practice His command “love one another” with His love.”
“Then, let’s start to study the future events, but please meditate how we can make our lives better with this study.”

After the Bible study everybody enjoyed doing the exercise led by one the members.

Chinese foods were ordered for the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ and for the year-end. Last year we ate the same Chinese food for the same occasion. There were Mic and Taro in the party and the foods were picked up Mic and Hiroko’s Dan-san.

This year, Hiroko had to go pick up the Chinese foods with Dan-san.
“Shall we ask Charlie for help to bring those foods?”
“Mic and I brought all those foods last year. We can do it without help.”
“Mic is much younger.”
“Well, let’s try.”
It was heavy 12 dishes plus 6 rice containers.”

Here are the photos of the Chinese takeout place.

Hiroko forgot to take the photo of those delicious Chinese foods because of busy eating.
This is the list of foods ordered for about 16 people:
8 Egg Roll – cut half, so 8 was enough for 16
2 dishes each of Chicken Lo Mein, Sweet and Sour Pork, Bean Curd Home Style, Chicken with Vegetables, Roast Pork with Broccoli, Beef with Snow Pea Pod
Almost all the foods were gone. Mic, do you remember the taste of this Chinese food?
Last year Mic, Taro and Hiroko went to the restaurant to test the foods before ordering the food.

Here is last year’s photo of Taro and the foods in the restaurant.
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Everyone loves the bean curd dishes for their health.
Here is the bean curd noodle recipe:

Bean curd noodle became much spongy in the soup, so this time fried it with 1 Tbsp oil.
Put fried noodle on the plate.

In the same frying pan, sauté any vegetables in the refrigerator cutting couple inches long. Hiroko used bean sprouts, celery, onion, green onion and shrimps. Season the vegetables with salt and pepper. Take the pan off the heat, and season the vegetables again with 1 Tbsp of mixture of the same amount of Oyster sauce, shoyu, sesame oil, and little sugar and vinegar.

Put the vegetables on top of the noodle, and garnish with vinegary ginger and sea-weed (nori)

Saturday, December 18, 2010

Japanese Language Class Party, Self-Serving Sushi Recipe

Hiroko used to teach Japanese language 15 or 16 years ago for 2nd Generation of Japanese American. The class members have been met once or twice a year after the class was closed. What are those who are average 78 or 79 years old talking? Yes, we were also talking and sharing how to keep up good health. Many good tips about health were shared. At the end of this sharing everyone agreed that the exercise is the most important matter to keep up good health. Everyone are doing the good exercise: walking, line-dancing, bicycling, taichi, slow and muscle exercise, etc. It is amazing that no one spend any money for exercise. Some are attending at the Sr. Citizen Center.
 

Here is some photo of those members.
9 members were attending this luncheon party at this busy holiday season. It is sad to remember those five people who had passed away among us. Everyone remembered and talked about those five people for a moment. Some didn’t come because he has lost hearing and he didn’t want to make himself suffer to say wrong things. We were all shocked to hear that and realize our age. But everyone laughed and said that we all can’t hear well, forgetting things, can’t move well, but we like to live our life fully We’ll ask him to come next time..

These class members are all Christian, but belong to different denominations churches; Catholic, Methodist, Congregation, Presbyterian, and Independent, but having such a wonderful time loving each other as Christ commands us.

God Father loves human being and sent His Son, Jesus Christ to die on the cross to save each one of us from sin. Whosoever believes His love and Jesus Christ, will be saved. This is the way Jesus showed us the true love. With this true love if we love one another there will be peace and joy among the gathering.
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We always have self-serving Temaki Sushi lunch for the luncheon party.
Recipe of Self-Serving Temaki Sushi
4 cans Saka Kabayaki
1 can Salmon – Sauté salon with shoyu and sugar until the water is evaporated
5 Eggs – beat the egg with shoyu and sugar, and fry like paper thin one egg at a time, and
cut in long strips.
1 Cucumber – sliced 2” length
5 Avocado - sliced
10 Shiitake mushroom – cooked with sugar and shoyu, and sliced
2 or 3 bags Spinach or green beans – boil 2 or 3 minutes and squeeze water thoroughly
2 or 3 packages crab or lobster meat
2 or 3 packages Sea-weeds – cut in half
3 cups each brown and white rice – cook, and mix with 2 cups vinegar, 1 cup sugar, and salt
 

Everyone is bringing one or two items each, and place those on the table as photo.And then, make self-making Temaki sushi.
Put Nori flat
First put rice on Nori
Then, any of these items or all the items put on the rice and roll it, and eat.

With left over ingredients 10 rolls Futomaki may be made.

Sunday, December 5, 2010

Christmas in Chicago, Light and Dark

Took the several Christmas tree photoes in the downtown Chicago:

Christmas tree at the Walnuts Grove Restaurant in the Macy’s. This tree is very gorgeous with gold, silver and the colorful lights.

The Macy’s sales flower is also decorated with the Christmas colorful lights

On one cornor, there is a post and also letterhead and pens on the table where children can write a letter to Santa Clause.


Christmas tree in the front square of the City Hall. This tree is not gorgeous like Macy’s, but it made Hiroko nostalgic for the good old days Christmas tree. The tree was decorated with millions of colorful bulbs.



There were many interesting German stores in the square because German festival was held on that day. One of the store was selling the warm spicy wine in the cute ceramic boot. It was cold day, so Hiroko bought 1 boot filled with wine. It was very delicious


Christmas tree in the State building.


The wine in the Hiroko’s empty stomach made Hiroko drunken feeling, so she stopped at the biggest McDonald in the town to eat French fries.

After McDonald Hiroko went to her daughter’s home to pick-up turkey bones. She forgot to bring it home on Thanksgiving night.



Michigan Avenue’s illuminations
Chicago’s dead trees come alive with millions and millions of 6tiny lamps


Water Tower, one of the oldest building in Chicago. At this building the history of the old Chicago and Chicago fire.

The park near by the tower. No Christmas Tree but there are couple of beautiful lighted trellises.


Christmas tree in front of John Hencock building which is the third tallest building in Chicago
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Hiroko thoughts while she was taking the photoes in the downtown of Chicago:

There was no main character of Christmas in the Christmas decoration. Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ who has no sin and is the Lord Savior for all human kinds.

The Bible mentions that the Lord Jesus was born in the human form for saving the people. Only the grace and love of the Lord Jesus saves all human kinds.

Hiroko noticed one thing that there are many bright lights on the streets and the buildings in Chicago during the Christmas time. Hiroko is happy to see those bright lights because Christ is light and Satan is Darkness.

Hiroko pray countinuously that many people might be reminded by this light who is Jesus Christ.