Latest Blog Posts

Latest Blog Posts

3 Back-to-School Bentos, #Glutino

Glutino gifted me with free gluten-free products for this post. All opinions are my own.   Autumn is on the horizon. Let the best school lunch box games begin! Are you ready? Glutino kindly sent me kid-friendly gluten-free lunch box items. Inspired, I set out to create 3 Back-to-School Bentos packed with Glutino gluten-free goodness.   Here’s why the Glutino products in the Ninja Baker’s bentos are great... Read More

Japanese Moon Gazing Potatoes, #FoodieExtravaganza

Pausing between clouds the moon rests in the eyes of its beholders ~17th Century Haiku Master, Matsuo Basho (Translated by Michael R. Burch) Moon gazing is a Japanese tradition, which predates rice cultivation. Traditionally, the full moon is admired on the 15th night of the 8th month. (Lunar calendar time. Translation: September 27, 2015.)  Noshing on snacks to accompany moon gazing is also a tradition. Popular Japanese Moon... Read More

Japanese Cherry Blossom Brownies and 10 Tips on How-To Get Drunk with Happiness, #IsabelsBirthdayBash

What makes life happy? Cherry blossoms, chocolate, friends and family. Okay, not all family 100% of the time! Still, family systems can provide tremendous love and support. Isabel Laessig is the CEO of the expanding Sunday Supper empire. Isabel’s #SundaySupper Twitter chat is designed to entice families to gather around the dinner table. Everyone is encouraged to share family recipes and stories. Isabel’s blog, Family Foodie,... Read More

3 Pocky Chocolate Truffles and Bananas Foster Ice Cream, #Pocky

Glico kindly provided product for this post. All opinions are my own. Chocolate Banana Pocky! Perfect crunch inside ice cream and outside chocolate truffles. The Big Easy is the birthplace of beignet donuts, bluesy jazz and Bananas Foster. New Orleans’ oldest neighborhood, the French Quarter, is home to Brennan’s Restaurant; the spot where the first rum-soaked banana sizzled and smoked in the 1950s.  After a tumble in... Read More

Lemon and Japanese Yuzu Custard Cakes, #TheCakeSliceBakers

Playing peek-a-boo with my memory today…Japanese plum blossoms splash purple-pink color onto a stark parking structure; a pitter-patter of rain sings on traditional roofs in Tokyo (courtesy of the Periscope app.) And thanks to a formidable group of online gal pals aka The Cake Slice Bakers, a pucker of Japanese yuzu citrus scintillates my palate.  The puffs of whipped cream atop the Lemon and Japanese Yuzu Custard Cakes... Read More

Land of Milk and Honey Muffins, #TwelveLoaves

Even if you were born with a silver spoon in your mouth, doesn’t the Land of Milk and Honey sound luscious? According to Bible and Talmud experts, The Land of Milk and Honey is a metaphor for Israel, the Promised Land and fertile fields.  Got Milk? The holy books of mainstream religions tend to be pretty thick, right? But the idea of a Land of Milk and Honey has survived and seared into our consciousness. Maybe the idea has... Read More

No-Churn Reese's Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream, #FoodieExtravaganza

Do you believe in angels? Many Americans according to a 2011 CBS poll do believe in angels.  (Let me know if you find anything more current.) Clouds, feathers and birdsongs remind me of angels. Nature lifts me to an ethereal element. It’s like a heavenly intervention for my busy mind  - an endless worry world revolving around SEOs and social media ratings. How does peace whisper to you? I’m always open to picking up... Read More

Japanese American 4th of July Cupcakes, #Glutino #Giveaway

Glutino kindly provided gluten-free products and coupons for this giveaway. All opinions are my own. Celebrating the freedom to enjoy Japanese plum wine infused 4th of July cupcakes! One of my first jobs in LA upon arrival from Tokyo was a seating hostess at a prestigious Japanese restaurant. I stood at the front with the cashier. My nimble with coins and credit cards colleague was a native Californian. Her parents were born and... Read More

Pink Lemonade Cake Minis, #TheCakeSliceBakers

The Cake Slice Bakers are a group of bakers from around the world. Every month a new challenge arrives...Currently, we are presented with the opportunity to bake one of four selections from Southern Living’s The Southern Cake Book. Pink Lemonade Cake Minis were the Ninja Baker's June pick! June brought anxiety about exam scores (from elementary to high school) at the American School in Japan.  The last month of school also... Read More

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