Something to go with the Mulled Wine...

Well, today was a day off. Good timing really because although yesterday was a good, productive day I was really shattered when work finally finished.

After a 9:00am sleep in...

*Intentions - clean out the cupboards in the back room. God knows what is in there.

*Reality - I spent the afternoon in the kitchen.

*Result - A fridge bursting with christmas fruit mince ready to be made into little sweet pies in a couple of weeks.

*Into the pot went
- a 2kg bag of mixed dried fruit that I snuck through customs Jack Bauer style
- two apples chopped finely
- four pineapple rings chopped finely
- big shakes of cinnamon, allspice and nutmeg
- two big tablespoons of chunky Hagi mikan marmalade
- juice of one lemon
- even bigger shakes of my precious dark brown muscovado sugar (Jack Bauer)
- splashes of contraband vanilla essence
- fresh ginger root, finely chopped
- cubes of butter
- and then I basically looked out the window for 10 seconds as I upturned a bottle of brandy into the mix

I simmered it all up until a very gooey syrup had formed and the fruit was drunk.

Will I ever buy supermarket fruit mince ever again? Hell no!

Potato and Conger Eel Mille-Feuille (thousand layers pastry)

What do you reckon? We've just had a meeting with the restaurant doing the AJET Christmas Party. I'm glad to (cautiously - no jinxes!) report that it seems to be going really well so far. But I think I'll be removing this French-Japanese "fusion cooking" item from the menu. JETs want carbs to soak up their bevvies! More pizza I hear you cry.

We are having it in Hagi this year at San Marco. What can I say - great food, homemade ice-cream and lots of people to share around the overflow of guests. I am really looking forward to it.

November/December is so busy. There are Thanksgiving dinners, Xmas parties and Dan and I are off for our dream trip to New York. I am feeling like a very lucky girl these days. I am trying to live in the moment and enjoy everything to it's fullest. Seems so simple but it's a challenge.

I genuinely love autumn - there is something so cosy about the red and orange leaves and sunny afternoons. I hope I get time to ride my bike around Hagi while it's still looking so nice.

I miss everyone. I hope you are having a good day wherever you are.

A special mention to Miss Demi who turned terrible two last Sunday. I sang Happy Birthday four times to her on the phone. She is talking a lot and I can't wait to catch up with her soon for a bit of a yarn.

Rosie xox

I'm Alive!

mumbled apologies about abandoning my blogging duties of late...

I think my lack of blogging is sub-conscious upset about everyone leaving over summer. It's just not the same anymore(!), I thought.

But enough of the histrionics. I have taken on lots more work recently and I'm busy every night after work except Mondays. I really like it and I'm learning heaps. A new perspective can do you a world of good. It was with that thought in mind I went off to Hiroshima on my own yesterday. I got all the housework done on Saturday and thought I would have a "me" day on Sunday. My first year in Japan I didn't like travelling alone - much easier to translate in a team! So it was a treat to be anonymous and sip my Starbucks in quiet contemplation. I shopped til I dropped, including...






this sexy black 30GB iPod. My old one that I'd only had a year or so stopped working. I moaned and groaned about how stupid I would be to go and drop another load of money on yet another iPod. But I did it anyway. The prospect of flying to New York and back without music/podcasts/video did it to me finally. I love it but I'm still bitter!

Last night the spell of warm, sunny weather broke and it rained. I've been in a really weird mood today and I think that was it. It's only November and already I've got Seasonal Affective Disorder!

But anyway, what I really wanted to say was this: There is a fork in the road. And I've chosen which fork I'm going to take.