busy-ness and the space between

It's been a few days since I've been able to be in this blogging space and I've missed it. I can hardly believe it is February already (Happy Groundhog Day!). Sometimes during the day or as I drift off to sleep at night I find myself composing posts in my head. Most of them never see the light of day. I don't know why sometimes it can seem so difficult to make the time to write things down. You know how an  entire day can pass and the only thing I've done is breastfeed, change diapers, and make dinner? Busy isn't quite the right word, but speaking of busy...

I recently read a post on my friend's blog about banishing the word "busy" from one's vocabulary. She cites a couple of different eye-opening articles (here and here), which I read and have been thinking about ever since (after all this is my year to be more thoughtful). I was struck by how obnoxious it is to comment to everyone about how busy I am, followed by a listing all the different activities and commitments I have (which aren't even that many, let's be honest. I'm just a poor time manager). Blech. Everyone is busy, just like every one breathes and eats. Everyone always has something that needs to be checked off the list, something that needs tending to, fires that need to be extinguished. So why continuously point it out and compete with each other about it?

Enough of that already.

A few years ago during a koto lesson, my sensei was trying to articulate to me the difference between Japanese and Chinese styles of playing. She pointed out that the Chinese style was very complex and full. By comparison, the Japanese style seemed simpler and... more sparse. She explained that the music wasn't just about the notes, but about the space between. The Japanese call this kongoseki and it is not unlike the artistic principle of negative space. It's that space that brings the note (or the image) into sharper focus, giving it more meaning and value. Like the pause between the inhale and the exhale, it's not rushed or crowded. It is deliberate and confident, strong and supportive. It is the opposite of busy.

Isn't that a refreshing idea? Rather than competing with everyone for the more busy (therefore important?) lifestyle, why not focus on a few things and really take the time to enjoy them? To allow ourselves moments of peace and pleasure in between the responsibilities and tasks, without feeling guilty about it. Yes please... but is it possible? That was one of the reasons for starting this little blog in the first place - to chronicle our attempts at trying to live a Wabi Sabi life - being mindful and present in the space between. Sometimes that means not being able to blog for a few days or weeks or months even... and I suppose that's okay (so forgive us if our posts are somewhat inconsistent).

Just some thoughts. What do you think?

Out Demons, Out!

Onimanju (devil's cake) is a Japanese pastry made with sweet potato, which creates a bumpy texture that makes the cakes resemble devil's horns (at least according to the Japanese)! I've never had it before, so it was a leap of faith to make them myself to celebrate Setsubun today.

The recipe I used (sorry, I don't know the source - it was sent to me ages ago and I'm only now trying it!):

Onimanju (Devil's Cake)
Ingredients
3/4 lb satsumaimo (sweet potato, preferably the Japanese variety), cut into about 1/2 inch cubes
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup flour (I used half whole wheat and half all-purpose)
1 Tbsp shiratamako flour (I used sweet or glutinous rice flour [mochiko])
2 Tbsp milk

Preparation
Soak satsumaimo cubes in water for about 15 minutes and drain (to draw out the starchiness, perhaps?).

Place satsumaimo cubes in a large bowl and sprinkle sugar over them. Set aside for about 30 minutes so that some liquid gather at the bottom of the bowl. Drain the satsumaimo cubes and keep the liquid in another bowl. Add mixture of flour and shiratamako in the liquid and mix. Add milk to the dough. If the dough is too thick to stir, add a little bit of water. Mix in satsumaimo cubes.

Scoop a spoonful of the dough on parchment paper (I used cheese cloth) and place them in a preheated steamer. Steam for about 10 minutes.

*makes 8-10 cakes

The consensus? We all loved them! They weren't especially pretty to look at (but they're supposed to be devilish, right?) but they were mildly sweet and chewy and yummy. And so easy to make. A keeper all around.

Afterwards we went out onto the back deck and threw our beans over the rails yelling, "Demons out, good fortune in!"

I Can't imagine what the neighbors must think...

Tanabata

Tanabata is the star festival that is celebrated in Japan every July 7th. It is the night when the two stars, Veda and Altair meet in the night sky. I wrote about the Japanese version of the mythical story behind this celestial event in this post last year. During our childhood vacations in Japan, Tanabata defined summer: the delicate bamboo branches decked out with hand-written wishes, the street festivals, paper lanterns, people walking around leisurely in their yukata, firecrackers and sparklers, and kusudama decorations. The past couple of years I wish that I could recreate that atmosphere for Mayumi, but it is just different on a small scale. And I just haven't been very resourceful about finding bamboo branches to decorate...

All the same, today we went to the Japan Information and Cultural Center for a kamishibai story time. Maya wore her yukata and loved hearing the story of Orihime. They had crafts and snacks and it was like enjoying a piece of Japan for a few hours.

Hope your summer is turning out to be magical and that on this night, when lover stars meet across the night sky, your wishes come true!

Oishii: Kabocha Cookies

Kabocha is a type of pumpkin very popular in Japan, but now widely available in the States. It has a slightly sweet taste, so it's often used to make desserts--like these kabocha cookies.

These soft cookies make a nice light treat and I can feel good (or at least not feel that bad) about giving my toddler a nibble.

But I have to admit--the cookies didn't look like the picture when I first made them.

No, not at all.

I have this habit of not following recipes exactly...not because I want to get creative, but because I have dyslexia when it comes to reading recipe instructions. Like how I was supposed to use a quarter pound of kabocha in the cookies , but I decided not to measure the kabocha, guessing instead that half a pumpkin was probably about a quarter pound. Wrong. (Note: the recipe below calls for a half-pound of kabocha because the initial yield was only about eight cookies, and that's certainly not enough for my sweet tooth!) I realized my mistake when the recipe called for flattening the cookie dough out and cutting shapes. My dough was so batter-y that there was no way to even attempt to roll it out.

So I doubled the recipe, going back and dumping everything in the already-made batter. Still terrible, but I figured I'd try it out anyway. I dumped rough spoons full onto a cookie tray, thinking the batter would melt into perfect little rounds. Wrong again.

BUT despite all my mistakes and the turd-like appearance of the cookies, the botched batch actually turned out pretty good! Cakey, but really sweet--just the way I like 'em. So I can say that this is probably a fool-proof recipe--the cookies will still taste good even if you completely screw it up like I did!

Kabocha Cookies

Ingredients:
1/2 lb. kabocha
4 Tbsp butter
6 Tbsp sugar
2 egg yolks
1 1/3 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking powder

Instructions:

1. Cut kabocha into large chunks. Steam kabocha in the microwave until softened. Peel kabocha and mash in a bowl.

2. Mix butter and sugar in another bowl. Add mashed kabocha in the bowl. Mix well. Add an egg yolk and stir well.

3. Sift flour and baking powder together. Add the flour in the bowl. Mix the dough. Rest the dough in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

4. Preheat the oven to 340 degrees F. Flatten the cookie dough on floured board and cut into your favorite shapes. Place a cooking sheet in a baking pan and place shaped cookie dough on the sheet. Bake cookies in 340F oven for 15-20 minutes.

*Makes 16 cookies

Turning Japanese

Mr. Q got on my case a few months ago because, though I speak a little (very little!) Japanese and am very embedded in that culture, I have failed to transfer that to my own daughter! Though I have grand visions of homeschooling I realized (through his gentle encouragement) that I needed to start incorporating a second language into our daily learning rituals. So, I scoured the library and Amazon to find some resources, but in the end found that my own home-made cards and games work best.

It has been so fun seeing her absorb this aspect of her heritage and hearing her babble in Japanese (some of it is accurate, some of it is imaginary). Though our plans to visit Japan this year have been postponed indefinitely, when we finally are able to go I hope that she will be able to absorb even more both linguistically and culturally. But for now, it is rewarding for both of us, I think. And it doesn't hurt that I'm getting to brush up on some stuff as well.

And now, for some fun - a little song we made up about the colors in Japanese!

Children's Day or A Day to Celebrate my Warrior Daughter

Children's Day (Kodomo no hi) is celebrated on 5th May in Japan. It is a national holiday on which all children are celebrated and their mothers are honored. Truth is, around here EVERYDAY is Children's Day. I'm sure any of you mamas out there can attest that when you have kids then most of your days are centered around them and filled with lots of playing, laughing and celebrating. But if you want to join in for this special day, come make some origami koi kites (like we did last year) or origami samurai helmets, or snack on some mochi with us, because it's fun to make things a bit special, no?

Children's Day was originally designated as Boys' Day and most of the symbolism and activities associated with Children's Day hearken back to it's original male-focused roots. Most homes with boys display a samurai helmet during this time to honor and encourage the warrior spirit. While I would like to think I'm a pacifist, there is something about the warrior spirit that I want to cultivate in my daughter, so we embraced Bushido (the way of the warrior) by making these origami samurai helmets. And munching on mochi, of course!

Hope you have a wonderful Children's Day today - either with your own kids or by celebrating the child (and warrior!) within you!

3 Things: Japanese Books for Toddlers

It's only fair that I give fair due to the Japanese books that have influenced our bedtime reading rituals. There are so many, it is hard to narrow it down to three, but here are some that we love, broken down into two categories:

In Japanese:
Umi Dai Suki by Yoko Imoto
A sweet and simple story about a family's day at the beach.

Tebukuro o Kaini by Niimi Nankichi, Illustrated by Kuroi Ken (also available in English Translation under the title "Buying Mittens")
A sweet folktale about a fox cub visiting a human town to buy mittens in winter.

Boku wa Ukki by Claudia Bielinsky
A simple tale of a little dog and his adventures during an entire day. Excellent for learning Japanese!

In English, with Japanese themes or storyline:

Suki's Kimono by Chieri Uegaki, Illustrated by Stephane Jorisch

One Leaf Rides the Wind by Celeste Davidson, Illustrated by Kathleen Hartung

Where Are You Going? To See My Friend! by Eric Carle and Kazuo Iwamura

And a few extra, because you know I'm a cheater:

A Place Where Sunflowers Grow by Amy Lee-Tai, Illustrated by Felicia Hoshino

Wabi Sabi by Mark Reibstein, Illustrated by Ed Young

{this moment}

a friday ritual (inspired by soulemama).

a single photo capturing a moment from the week.

a simple, special, extraordinary moment.

a moment to pause, savor and remember.

if you're inspired to do the same, share a link to your 'moment' in the comments!

wishing you a sweet, musical, peaceful weekend!

Spring Has Sprung!

The vernal equinox is today and in Japan it is a national holiday (shunbun no hi)! It was established in 1948 as a day for the admiration of nature and the love of living things. Prior to 1948, the vernal equinox was an imperial ancestor worship festival. Today, graves are still visited during this week and people pay their respects to their ancestors. Obviously, this has taken on a whole new meaning as Japan continues to navigate its way though this heart-wrenching disaster. But the Japanese people are so incredible - I am in awe of their grace, strength, resiliency and refusal to give in to self pity and selfishness. I imagine that this week many Japanese will continue with the tradition of visiting their ancestral graves and honoring those who have passed. I hope that they will draw stength and hope from the promise of renewal and rebirth that spring brings.

For my part, I love everything about the emergence of spring. There are signs of it everywhere! Perhaps this is nature heaving a sigh of relief?

Let Them Eat Pie!

With all the worry and anxiety about Japan over the past few days, it's nice to take a few moments and find some joy in celebration and family tradition. So I woke up this morning and started making an apple pie.

Does anyone ever really need an excuse to eat a good pie? I certainly don't. But if you do, perhaps today will give you reason to celebrate with this tasty dessert, because today is Pi Day!

π = 3.14159265358979323846264338327950288419716939937510...

Pi is the mathematical constant approximately equal to 3.14 in the usual decimal notation. Today's date - March 14th (or 3.14, the calendrical equivalent of pi) is a time to celebrate this glorious numeric principle with none other than PIE! What could be more appropriate?
 
Our go-to is always apple pie. Macintosh is our preferred apple, but so difficult to obtain 'round these parts! I went with a mix of granny smith and pink lady.

On a side note, in Japan today they would normally be celebrating White Day, a day designated for men to give white chocolate (or some other kind of white dessert treat) to all the women who gave them chocolate the precious month (in Japan, it is customary and expected for women to give all the men in their lives (bosses, colleagues, boyfriends, fathers, etc.) chocolate on Valentine's Day). Just another way life and traditions and have become commodified and commercialized, I suppose. But for better or worse, I imagine there won't be much chocolate-giving today in Japan. I wish I could just box up this pie and send it to all the people of Japan today - some mathematical sugar love and happy thoughts.

UPDATE: Auntie and Uncle Okay!

We just got news that Aunt Keiko and Uncle Seishiro are fine. They happened to be in their quake-proof condo in Sendai (as opposed to out in the open). My uncle was only able to speak to my grandfather for a few minutes - his landline and cell phone were inoperable but for whatever reason there was a random pay phone that worked and people were standing in line waiting to use it to call their loved ones. But the important thing is that they are okay!

Thank you so much for all your prayers and concern. There is such relief and gratitude on our end. But our hearts and thoughts are with those who still have loved ones missing over there - may you find some comfort and peace in all of this turmoil.

Helping and Finding Japan...

Information from the Japan-American Society of Washington DC:

(1) First, how you can help. The American Red Cross has already set up an online donation site to provide assistance to the victims of the earthquake and tsunami. You probably also have heard that President Obama has promised all possible assistance to the people of Japan. US military assets, including the USS Ronald Reagan, an aircraft carrier, and other ships are moving to the region, ready to provide aid.


(2) Second, how to find out about your friends and family. As the earthquake hit, JASW's Director of Educational Programs, Risa Kamio, was flying to Tokyo. Her plane was diverted to Yokota Air Force Base and then to Kansai. Risa has shared the following information with us.

"I was on the way from DC to Narita when the earthquake hit and the plane could not land. I am spending the night at Kansai Airport. They are asking people not to try to use the regular phone lines to find out if your family and friends are safe. Use Twitter, Skype, Mixi, etc. and save the phone lines for someone who really needs it in the Tohoku area."

Google has created the site, "Google Person Finder". It currently has the record of 7200 people and you can type in the name of person you are looking for and find out if he/she is safe.
If the person you are looking for has a cell phone in Japan, and you know which company his/her cellphone is, you can check each company's website below and type in the phone number to see if he/she has left a message. The available areas are Aomori, Miyagi, Yamagata and Fukushima prefectures.
For Docomo users:
For KDDI (Ezweb) users:
For Softbank users:
For Wilcom users:
For Emobile users:

(3) To locate US citizens in Japan:
The US Embassy and Consulates in Japan are working to obtaininformation on the status of U.S. citizens and to provide assistance asnecessary. * If you have concerns about a specific U.S. citizen in Japan,please send the State Department an email at JapanEmergencyUSC@state.gov * If you have concerns about a specific U.S. citizen in theTsunami zone outside of Japan, please send the State Department an email at PacificTsunamiUSC@state.gov Although telephone lines are disrupted, you may want to try contacting your loved one by email, text (SMS) message, or other social media.
* Tokyo airports (Narita and Haneda) are currently closed andpossibly damaged. Trains and subways are down in the Tokyo metropolitanregion, and train service may be sporadic throughout the rest of thecountry..
* Aftershocks can be expected and may be severe. U.S. citizensshould take basic earthquake safety precautions. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE INQUIRIES
* U.S. Forces Japan reports that all personnel have beenaccounted for, and there are no reports of injuries.
* The Department of Defense instructs that family members ofDepartment of Defense personnel should call 1-800-342-9647 to inquireabout their loved ones or contact the individual unit command directlyfor more specific information.
JAPANESE AND OTHER CITIZENS
* If you are calling regarding a Japanese citizen, please contact the Japanese Embassy (Washington - 202-238-6700) or Consulate.
* If you are calling regarding a citizen of a third country,please contact that country's Embassy or Consulate. Contact informationfor foreign Embassies and Consulates in the United States is availablein the Country Specific Information links at www.travel.state.gov.

Japan in Our Thoughts and Prayers

Our heart-felt gratitude and thanks to those who've contacted us expressing concern about our family in Japan.

Our parents who are living in Niigata are fine, though severe aftershocks continue to rock the country and we anxiously wait to hear updates from them.

Most of our family is well and accounted for except for a beloved aunt and uncle in Sendai. It has been a heart-wrenching day as we listen to news about the continuing destruction along the coast. Our thoughts and prayers are with all the people of Japan. Now we wait...

MamaQ and Mayumi with Keiko and Sei-chan during our last visit.
Beautiful Sendai city in the background...

I Enjoy Being a Girl

This past Thursday in Japan was Hina Matsuri or the Doll Festival (originally known as Girls' Day). Every home with a little girl displayed the traditional Emperor and Empress doll set and the appropriate food was made for the festivities. How lovely to celebrate being a girl! (And if you are a tomboy and turn your nose up at the old-fashioned notion that dolls and girls always going hand-in-hand, I would recommend a lovely book by Barbara McClintock called Dahlia).

mailed all the way from Japan!

To carry on the tradition in our home, we relished the idea of celebrating our girliness. We don't have the fortune (or the room) to have our own heirloom decorative doll display, so I decided to experiment with making some from this tutorial.

If you'd rather go the good ol' origami route try these:

But perhaps my favorite is this edible couple:

photo courtesy of Hinamatsuri-Kodomonohi.

Along with having our own set of dolls for display, we also celebrated with food! Traditionally, families will eat chirashizushi, a delightful dish that consists of sushi rice topped with an array of colorful toppings, displayed like jewels. But in our family we are die-hard fans of temakizushi and it really is the same thing, just presented a bit differently, we went with that.

In addition I tried making mochi for the first time ever.

My recipe:
Hinamatsuri Mochi
3 cups mochiko flour
1 tsp baking powder
2 1/2 cups sugar
2 cups water
1/2 cup coconut milk
1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Lightly oil 9x13" pan.
In a small bowl mix wet ingredients together. In a separate bowl mix together the dry ingredients and then create a well in the center. Add wet mixture slowly to dry ingredients and stir together. Pour mochi batter into prepared pan and seal with foil.
Bake for 1 hour and 20 minutes. Remove from oven and take foil off and cool overnight. Cut into squares (or preferred shapes) and use a paper towel to absorb any excess oil before dusting with cornstarch (or powdered sugar!).

We had a tea party for Mayumi and a few of her girlfriends yesterday, which was great fun. Everyone seemed to love the idea of celebrating being a girl and I think this will be a tradition we continue through the years!

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Don't forget to enter our giveaway to win some cute kokeshi magnets from Little Pink Plum! Leave a comment here by Monday for a chance to win.

March Giveaway: Little Pink Plum!

Our Wabisabi Giveaway for this month is from our sponsor Little Pink Plum. Janette Pasali, the creative mind behind Little Pink Plum, is a stay-at-home mom of three, living in San Diego, California. She blogs over at Jan's Crafty Nest. Her shop, Little Pink Plum, is stocked with all sorts of lovely magnets and buttons.
In her words:

It seems like I’ve been crafting with paper my whole life. When I was about 5 or 6 years old, my mother (who is Japanese) taught me how to fold a crane from origami paper and I became fascinated with being able to create things from paper - jewelry, cards, etc. Now, using my button press to make fun accessories is the perfect way for me to create and also work with paper. I am inspired by nature, animals, current trends and love using fun images as well as origami and Japanese chiyogami paper.

Some of the goodies you'll find in Janette's store:

This month Janette is offering one lucky reader a set of the adorable kokeshi magnets featured above (you may remember that we featured them earlier this year in this post). These would make lovely gifts, Easter basket stuffers, or look great on your own fridge!

To be entered to win please leave a comment on this post. You can gain additional entries by becoming a fan on facebook (1st timers only - leave a separate comment) or becoming a follower by clicking on the sidebar (1st timers only - leave a separate comment). Comments close one week from today, on March 8th at 8pm EST. A winner will be selected by random number generator and announced here on March 9th.

In addition, Janette is offering a discount  of 15% off the purchase price to all Wabisabi Mama readers, so please visit Little Pink Plum, add one of her sweet creations to your cart and input "WABISABI" at checkout.

Thanks for supporting us and other fabulous mamas! Good luck!

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Comments closed! Thanks for participating and stay tuned for the winner!

Beans, Beans, the Musical Fruit...

Last year MamaD posted about the Japanese holiday setsubun, which is the ushering of spring by throwing beans to drive out the evil spirits.

There is so much about this that I love. Scaring away evil spirits ("Go away bad mojo, GO!"), welcoming spring ("PLEASE come soon and warm me up!) and BEANS! Besides throwing beans and yelling "Get out demons, come in happiness!" I'm planning to celebrate by cooking me up some delicious bean-ey treats. One of my favorite dishes is from Heidi Swanson's Super Natural Cooking. If you have access to it, I highly recommend "Giant Crusty and Creamy White Beans with Greens", but any of her recipes available on her website 101cookbooks.com will do.

So, my questions for you: what are your favorite bean-ey recipes AND what rituals and superstitions do you have to summon good luck (and keep the icky stuff away)?

kokeshi love

I recently finished knitting a little kokeshi doll for Mayumi - a late Christmas present and a project that I've had in the works for almost a year. I purchased it as a kit from Purl Soho during my last trip to NYC.

I have a soft spot for these little limbless dolls. The historical purpose of kokeshi is a bit ambiguous - some believe they were used as massage tools, some say they represented children who died, some say they were good luck charms. I gravitate towards the theory that they embody a wish to give birth to a happy, beautiful baby. I am always looking for some good fertility mojo!

In the spirit of my kokeshi love, here are some lovely little creations I came across on the web:

from A Forest Frolic's shop

from Asial's shop

from Little Pink Plum's shop

from Sarai0989

 from pinceaumagique

from temple7e

from labeba

from 26Seven

from Kokeshi Designs

Let me know if you find any other kokeshi creativity out there!

A Japanese Christmas

Though I spent many summers in Japan while I was growing up, it wasn't until I was married and living in Tokushima with Mr. Q that I experienced Christmas in Japan.

Is it okay for me to admit that it was a bit of a letdown?  All the stores were decorated for the holiday, with popular American Christmas songs being played over the speakers, but there were no Christmas events - no concerts, no parties, no ice-skating in the park... and the 25th is not a national holiday, so we still had to work!  Many people still exchange gifts, but it's considered more of a romantic holiday, sort of like Valentine's Day; you spend Christmas Eve on a date with your honey.  And the food traditions? Brace yourself...

Everyone eats Kentucky Fried Chicken and Christmas cake on Christmas Eve.  Seriously. The 24th and 25th are the busiest days of the year for KFC.  I have no idea how this tradition started, but a friend hypothesized that it may have to do with the fact that Colonel Sanders does look a bit like Santa Claus.

And Christmas cake?  It is a simple white or yellow sponge cake with whipped cream frosting and some kind of decoration, usually involving strawberries.  A bit like a glorified strawberry shortcake, actually.

I love my Japanese roots.  I honestly do.  But I cannot support these shenanigans.  Japanese Christmas is SO not wabisabi.  So in this instance, I side with my New England heritage and will eschew fried chicken and cake in favor of a true Christmas dinner with apple pie, cookies, and egg nog.  But I will leave you with a heartfelt Meri Kurisumasu!