I guess with October's happy hurdles out of the way, like a birthday and Halloween and November's hurdle out of the way, You know Thanksgiving and all. And everyone feeling happy and everything pretty much going off without a hitch basically. All that is left is Christmas and being that we just finished Thanksgiving, I didn't do much of anything this weekend just wanted a weekend not to have to give deep thoughts about a holiday just yet, just basically relaxing and feeling happy the holidays went so smoothly!We all snoozed in this morning. Woke up and didn't do much. I sat in my PJ's quite late actually having coffee and watching some Fox channel stuff. Finally I got myself dressed and all bundled up and headed to the grocery store by myself. Since Noboru was off work today, I felt I could shop better alone and also it was a good deal for him because he never had to change out of sweatpants today, lucky guy! Ha ha ha! He sat and watched Discovery channel with the boys, they like watching animal shows together. I guess a guy bonding thing? Who knows! Ha ha : )So, there I was at the discount super (grocery store) in the super small city nearest my house. And I went row after row after row. Didn't get anything very interesting at all. I wanted some steaks but they didn't have any....sometimes if they have specials or deals they will sell out right away especially in a small country city like this one. I bought my stuff and headed home.In the pic above is my Ikea bag that's loaded with groceries. This store is sometimes quite stingy with their plastic bags. Like I'd need like 5 extra bags ha ha ha. So today I brought my Ikea bag and one of my big gray plastic Costco bags and rolled the cart outside and bagged it near my car! I didn't mind at all because, the store was so packed, it was good to get out of there and bag my stuff in peace outside.Just apples and mikans, I also bought bananas but they were in a different bag (I buy mikans every single week in the winter in Japan...btw what is a mikan in English, anybody know...seriously is it a tangerine? I'm at a loss with this, I wondered if it was a different breed/type of tangerine or what, I don't know)
My favorite things about spending time in the winter in Japan!!! Roasted sweet potatoes, and I love to buy them along the road stands or when sweet potatoes trucks drive by everyone's house as well, yummm 1 very cool thing about being in Japan in winter time), also yuzu-cha, oh this is fantastic and warm and delicious, it almost tastes like warm lemonade, so good for warming your throat, on a cold winter's day in Japan! And finally last but not least my #3 fav thing about spending winter in Japan has got to be mochi! Nothing weird or funky in the plain mochi just rice and man it's so good in my toaster oven for a late night snack with a bit of sugar, ha ha ha! Anyway, just wanted to say there are some really fantastic things about being in Japan during the winter time! : )
Bought a whole big bag full of veggies. Again nothing special or exciting.
Clearly you can tell by this picture that I must be feeling a little turkey'd out! I went on a beef buying rampage at the store. Pork too (in my other bag full of meats, just anything *not* turkey, ha ha ha! I also bought 2 kg's of chicken, but that's because Noboru wanted some chicken otherwise I woulda personally passed on the chicken this week, ha ha ha.
Noboru wanted karaage this week, so I got the powder for that. And I am going to make some easy instant type pasta dish this week sometime as well, not feeling like making anything homemade with regards to pasta dishes this week, I like both of these pasta sauces, I just bought both packs and we will have some of both of them. And 5 egg drop soups, Noah and Branden love these like crazy! They are so fast and totally instant and I also mix it with a little white rice and it's a whole quick lunch or anytime snack for the boys, that 1 little soup packet makes so much that it actually feeds both kids a big bowl each of soup. As long as I buy enough things to last us for 5 to 6 breakfasts, lunches and dinners, then I can relax. I think I tend to stock up a bit, because growing up in Denver Colorado, we really would get hit with lot's of blizzards and snow storms, like the snow could reach your waist/be waist high. Roads and highways would be literally closed. Streets would be on accident alert. And schools would be closed. That strange silence after a snow storm, just everything so peaceful and quiet. Grandma's and aunties in the way olden days would can their own fruits and veggies, make wine, just make enough stuff to last a whole winter! Ha ha ha! And even when I was growing up, that mentality of stocking up, especially in winter time was like a must! My mom would always buy the 24 rolls at least of toilet paper, or whatnot, you all know what I mean. So, for me, winter means stocking up. Hey...growing up in the Rocky Mountains, I'd make one heck of a good squirrel! Ha ha ha! So long story short...I got Rocky Mountain, Colorado stocking up for winter type mentality, yet I live in Japan! Ha ha ha! Now if I lived in a snowy part of Japan, I'd probably fit right in! But since I live in Chiba and the chance of us ever getting hit by a blizzard is pretty much never gonna happen/slim to nil. Heck outta 5 years of me living here, I've only seen it snow once! Ha ha ha! Yet I am still a girl who can't shake that stock up mentality. So, every week I shop like we are about to be hit by the big one! Ha ha ha! Lucky for me, since Noboru lived in Denver since age 16, he's used to it, so he doesn't mind.
The oolong teas and 30% apple juice and 30% orange juice are 155 yen, so the price is great. And the sodas and my favorite Kirin straight tea is 178 yen. Pardon my step stool, ha ha ha, all the food stuff hides in the pantry.
I made the beef and cabbage stir fry tonight. Showered and I sat and watched Sex and the City after the boys fell asleep, 2 back to back epsiodes. And then I went to bed and got ready to start a whole other week! : )
PS, I came home with 1 Ikea bag full of groceries and 2 Costco bags full of groceries and you know those bags are huge. Plus 3 white normal plastic bags full of veggies and meats and stuff. Phew! Yup, I am such a total dork! : )
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