5 Beautiful Ways to Celebrate Spring, #InMyKitchen

Spring winds birth sakura cherry blossoms. In Japan, sakura petals carpet parks. Lanterns sway gently from the branches of cherry blossom trees. Picnickers clink sake glasses as the sun sets on this pink fairyland.

Even with the California water shortage, gardens burst with color and fragrance. The smiling flowers fill me with gratitude. Sometimes it’s the simple things. Like sunshine on the face after bursts of cold is sublime. Or a whiff of jasmine as I scurry to an appointment. My spirits lift in springtime. A whisper of hope touches my shoulder.

Yes, each season brims with beauty. Since spring is present, I’ll celebrate the gift…#InMyKitchen! In any month, I lift my glass to Maureen of OrgasmicChef.com.  She’s a queen of cuisine; the hostess of #InMyKitchen; and a woman whose wisdom and strength are #inspirational!

Ready to celebrate spring?

1. Raise your glass with the stars…Or to the stars. My husband’s colleague on FOX TV’s Bones, kindly gave us wine from the vineyards of Francis Coppola. That was 4 months ago…I think it’s time to get out the wine goblets. And celebrate spring! Which wine do you think pairs best with stargazing?

2. Pucker up! Lemon (or Japanese Yuzu) adds notes of brightness to a humble tea bag or to a haute cuisine brûlée. I saw this lemon cake recipe at the home of That Skinny Chick Can Bake. I'm so glad I made this luscious lemon cake. It was delivered to the husband’s workplace…And sent back with not a crumb left on the plate. P.s. I substituted vanilla Greek yogurt for plain and added a tad more lemon zest. Stick with the original or use mine – either way – this lemon cake is a winner!

3. Mucho Matcha Madness…Matcha, the queen of green teas, the pride of Japanese farmers, graces confectionery whether Western or Eastern style. Happy to deliver the matcha cupcake recipe to your inbox. (Leave your info in the comment section or via the contact box.)

4. Cherry Blossom Bliss…Of course, this Ninja Baker would be remiss if I didn’t pay tribute to the pretty pink buds bursting out all over Japan (Washington DC and California.) My cherry blossom cookies are a happy marriage of snips of spice swirled with sweet. Watch a Japanese newscast; you’ll get reports about crimes, politics, stocks…and a forecast of when and where cherry blossoms bloom. 

5. Flowers, Fleurs, 花(Hana)…There’s a Japanese children’s song which every kindergartner sings as spring rolls in to town. The song touts the beauty of tulips:

“Red, white, yellow…
Every color is beautiful.”