Japanese Seasoning

Hiroko and her Dan-san went to Mitsuwa to buy Sukiyaki meat for the family party, and also Mitsuwa has been holding the big thanksgiving to customer celebration event. They offered many prizes, so they entered their name for the prizes. Hopefully, they would like to win the first prize which is $1,000 Mitsuwa’s gift card.

This is Mitsuwa’s entrance

This time Hiroko took the restaurants’ photos in the Mitsuwa’s premises by cell phone camera.
Here are five self-service restaurants and one drink shop.

Japanese hamburger restaurant which was opened about one year ago. Hiroko has never eaten the hamburger yet, but Dan-san ate it, and said, it is small but very delicious hamburger.

Two Japanese restaurants

One chinese and one Korean restaurant
The noodle dishes are very good for all these four restaurants for the price.

The drinks are expensive compared with the foods. One small cup of Japanese sencha is $1.79. Dan-san said, a cup of tea or coffee is only $0.70 for Seniors at McDonald, and regular one is $1.00.


This is dining area. About three or four times more space.

This is what we ate that day.

Mitsuko’s sushi and Dan-san’s Ramen
I forgot to take the photo for the big counter case of sushi and some other Japanese foods.
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Here is the interesting observation about Dashi Shoyu.
The Dashi Shoyu was given to Hiroko by her sister-in-law. It was very good to use for any kinds of food, meats and vegetable. The Hiroko’s observation about this Dashi Shoyu was posed on her blog last month. The comments received from three people.

One said this is very expensive seasoning produced in Japan.

Other said in Hawaii there has been produced similar seasoning called Huli Huli. Here is the Huli Huli from Mitsuwa. Now Mitsuwa carries many Hawaiian products.

The taste of Huli Huli is sweeter than Dashi Shoyu. It may be good for teriyaki chicken to marinate

Third one said why we can invent this Dashi Shoyu and get patent, and then we can make lots of money. Having lots of money is good, but sometime it is not true.

Hiroko’s church named Devon Church used to have lots of money, so members could conduct many projects freely to use as much money. However, the members of Church weren’t united and had much problems among them. In the Christian community it is a sinful sad circumstance.

In other hand, there is not much money at Devon Church right now. Doing good project such as Vacation Bible School, we have to think twice how the money is spent. Even before spending the money we think of the Lord God how He would do in this situation, and humbly ask the Lord God for His provision. God commands us not to do idol worship and idolatry, because He is a jealous God.

At the end of the world those who don’t have the mark of beast, Satin, can’t purchase any daily needs. Christians trust that the Lord God will take care of those. In the Bible there are many examples. Here are couple of them: i) Jesus fed 5,000 men with 5 loaves of bread and a fish and there were left over in the 7 baskets of bread and fishes; ii) in the wildness God fed thousands and thousands of Israelites with Manna and quails every morning and evening for 40 years.

“No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.” Matthew 6:24
How do you interpret this verse?

One week later from the “Monster” Blizzard, Chicago

Hiroko’s Kitchen Window

The beautiful white flowers are blooming in spite of the coldest winter weather these days. The plants were given by Amanda as a Christmas present at our New Year party held on January 1. It takes about one month to bloom these flowers. Hiroko’s family will be enjoying these flowers a long time. Thanks, Amanda!

These flowers remind Hiroko that the spring is coming soon. Hiroko wants to give thanks to the Lord God who has been ordering the seasons.

Here are photos taken one week later from the “monster” blizzard.


On the Olive Street – some cars are still in the snow.


Sidewalk of the Olive Street
Hiroko met one who was walking with her dog in this cold weather. Well, the dogs have to do when they need whatever the weather.

Chair and boxes on the street


For these photos an explanation is not necessary for Chicagoans, but for the Japanese these photo of the chairs and the boxes on the streets are very strange scenes. In Japan the parking on the street is not permitted.

Alleys


Aren’t Chicagoan so happy to have alleys. The garbage trucks have not been coming so often as usual, but those garbage bags weren’t piled up on the front street as New York.

Dan-san had no idea his car would start or not after 10 days set in the garage. Thanks to the young man in the 3rd floor of our apartment for removing the piled up snow in front of the garage. Dan-san’s car was started and driven to the church.

Have a wonderful time of 40F degree (5C degree) temperature for next week.

Dinner Meeting, Christian Life

This dinner meeting was held January 30, but the “monster” blizzard make Hiroko busy untill now.

In the New Year, the both Pastors of Devon Church, at where Hiroko has been attending, invited the leaders who have served the past year and also serving the New Year to the dinner meeting.


The meeting was held between 2 to 4 P.M. at the restaurant called Italian Kitchen, Valentine decoration were on the window to remind us the Valentine Day is coming.




The leaders of Devon Church and their spouses.
Before the dinner Pastors gave “Thank You” words to the leaders. After that Sr. Pastor prayed giving praise and thanks to the Lord for supplying all our church need and for this dinner, and asked God for a wonderful fellowship.
And then, cheered each other with wine and sparking water.
 
All the foods served at this restaurant were very, very delicious.


Appetizers: Gourmet Pizza – it was tasted like quiche. Fried Calamari – it was so good that Hiroko couldn’t stop eating.

Bread with Salad – Bread served at any Italian restaurant has never been failed Hiroko’s expectation.




Hiroko was too busy eating, and forgot to take photos. It was very regretful to take only left over foods. Everyone enjoyed the seafood dishes except Dan-san.



Desserts with coffee or tea – cannoli, apple cake and various fruits

This is the list of ordered dishes:
Gourmet pizza
Italian sausage
Macaroni and cheese
Stuffed peppers
Chicken Vesuvio
Fried calamari
Linguini with oil and garlic
Linguini with mussels, clams, and calamari
Meat lasagna
Spinach lasagna
Vegetable tray
Baked Fish (don't know fish type)
Cannoli, fruit, lemon bars, Apple cake, chocolate rolls
Wine, sparkling water

Give thanks to the Lord for answering Pastor’s prayer for such a wonderful fellowship. Also give thanks to both Pastors and the restaurant cooks.

Gochisosama-deshita!

2011 Blizzard

Around 2:00 P.M. on February 1, 2011, the snow was starting to fall in the strong 70 miles wind and the thunder rumbling, and continued falling all night.

Here is the list of the past Chicago’s 10 biggest Snowstorms
1. 23.0 inches Jan 26-27, 1967
2. 21.6 inches Jan 1-3, 1999
3. 19.2 inches Mar 25-26, 1930
4. 18.8 inches Jan 13-14, 1979
5. 16.2 inches Mar 7-8, 1931
6. 15.0 inches Dec 17-20, 1929
7. 14.9 inches Jan 30, 1939
8. 14.9 inches Jan 6-7, 1918
9. 14.3 inches Mar 25-26, 1970
10. 14.0 inches Jan 18-20, 1886

The 2011 “Monster Blizzard” called by the Medias, brought 20.2 inches snow in Chicago. This is the official number measured at the O’Hare Airport, but it was a different story at some backyard of the northern part, and the field of near the lakefront. There were far more than 20.2 inches. The 110 inches snow falling was reported in the town of Kenosha located at the border of Illinois and Wisconsin.

Here are some interesting photos: left-side photos were taken at 1 P.M. on February 1, and right side ones were 24 hours later.

Hiroko’s back porch garden: There are lots of plant pots, 24 hours later they were covered by drifted snow.

From the porch, two high-rise buildings are able to see, but during the blizzard no buildings could be seen.

Alley - there were snow on the ground before blizzard, but drifted snow piled up very deep.

The snow covered one third of the garage door in where Hiroko’s husband’s car is. When can he take his car out of the garage and drive around?

Clark street – there were no snow on February 1, but 24 hours later, February 2, there were so much snow, especially pedestrian road, so people had to walk on the roadway.

It is such different. One day there were no snow on the pavement and lots of snow next day.

Same for Jewel Food Market parking lots

From these picture you can see how deep snow piled up.

Hiroko’s apartment front door – Hiroko couldn’t get out to take photos because the snow had piled up one third of the door. She had to take all the snow out from the door and the door way.

The little snow were shoveled out to make her go out.

Hiroko noticed there were no snows on the south-side of cars because of the strong wind.


Yet, the most cars were buried in the snow on the Olive Street.

Inside Hiroko’s Apartment: the drifted snow blew through the pantry window opened slightly, and the front porch window.

Both bedroom and kitchen windows were filled with drifted snow.
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It is surely the 2011 “monster” blizzard. There are so many stories about during blizzards.

1979 blizzard, Hiroko’s father-in-law went to work by his car. The snow had fallen all day long, so the Lakeshore Drive was piled of the snow. He drove on the Lakeshore Drive until Wilson Street. He couldn’t drive furthermore, so he abandoned his car at Wilson and walked home. He couldn’t reach his home until 10 P.M.

During the 2011 “monster” blizzard the big problem also occurred at the Lakeshore Drive. The Transportation Chief might be better to close the Drive earlier. He said the car was moving slowly, so thought about the people who wanted to go home. However, three big accidents had occurred between Belmont and Fullerton. After that over 1,000 cars were abandoned.

The story of one couple among them: They had to visit someone at a hospital, but husband figured out he could come home before the blizzard, but that was wrong. They were stuck at the Lakeshore Drive. His wife uses a wheelchair, so they couldn’t go anyplace. They just sat down in the car for around 9 hours, then the gasoline was almost gone, and they were getting cold. At that moment someone tapped of their car window. There! Fireman! They were rescued and taken to the nearby hospital. The husband said he saw the angels in the fire engine and the hospital. He gave million big thanks to them.

In the 1999 blizzard, Chicago Mayor didn’t quickly respond to the storm, so the City of Chicago was paralyzed. He wasn’t elected in the next Chicago Mayoral election.

This is very good lesson for everyone. The human being cannot see one step ahead. How can the human being to see or to make a decision one step ahead? It is foolish to worry about it, well, ignore it, or ……what?