In Other News

When it is cold out, I get crafty and I cook a lot. I have decided quilting in the winter-time is excellent because it keeps you warm. We have also found that since we do not have a heater in our apartment, on really cold nights the easiest way to warm up quickly was to bake something. Cooking something works well too since you stay warm by the stove, the but oven being on long enough to bake means that you have the benefit of both the kitchen and the lounge warming up.

One of my friends is expecting and her baby shower is this afternoon. This means that I have been able to satisfy my recent itch to make something by putting together a baby blanket for her. My sewing machine did not fit in my suitcase when I moved over, so I thought it would be best to opt for a small project that could be done by hand in case I could not find a sewing machine to borrow (the last quilt I made was queen size....lot of work to do by hand!). The biggest problem I had with this project was choosing the fabric, as I could have easily bought out half the store :)

Last week I was having cravings for Japanese food, so I decided I would make okonomiyaki, which roughly translates to "things you like fried together." It is delicious, easy to make, and one of those things where you can really add what you want. So Friday night I got my Japanese fix :)

I'm not a food blogger, so at least in this case you don't get the step by step photos and instructions. But if you want to try making them on your own, it's quite easy.
Mix together:
1 cup flour
1/2 cup water
1 egg
1 Tbsp sugar (optional)
about two cups of chopped cabbage (more or less depending on how much you like cabbage)

You can use shrimp, bacon, ham, or pork (or probably whatever else sounds good) as meat to go in it. Easiest way I have found (although it is not technically traditional, but I'm making do) is to chop and pre-cook the meat.

Heat a fry pan w/ a bit of olive oil in it, put a couple scoops of your cabbegey batter in the pan and make a "pancake" out of it. Put the meat on top while the bottom side is cooking and press it in a bit so it sticks together. Flip when the bottom side is just turning golden brown (you'll need two spatulas to flip if it's very big). Let it cook until both sides are done, I tend to flip it over a couple times so both sides cook twice. Top it with Okonomiyaki sauce (available at your local Asian market) and Kewpie mayo (also found at the market, and the best mayonnaise EVER). Other optional toppings include shredded dried seaweed and fish flakes :)