Thank you to all who participated, Japan

"K2T Wisata"

When I woke up early on Thursday last week, this half-baked idea of starting a Japan photo meme came to my mind. See? This is what happens if you're not a morning person and are forced to get up ridiculously early. You think stuff up, because you don't want to face the reality of being awake before 6AM.

Anyway, the Show Me Japan meme went live this past weekend. And damn, 22 people came and participated. 22, because I am not counting myself and my husband. He'll do whatever I tell him, because that's what husbands are for, right?

And this post is just to say "thank you!" to everyone who entered their link. You guys (or "you guyzes" as one of my students is fond of saying) rock.

And you know what? We'll do it again this coming weekend. Yep, Show Me Japan is now officially a weekly meme.

So invite your friends, stick some photos on your blogs and let's have fun.

It doesn't matter whether your blog is in English, Japanese, Swahili or Polish (speaking of, Edyta, somebody suggested that you move your blog to something more user friendly, like Blogger, for example. One of the participants sent me an email asking "how the f**k do I leave a comment on that Polish chick's blog?). As long as you post a Japan related photo during the weekend, you're invited.

Because that's all that's needed - just a photo. If you're too lazy to write an actual blog post, that's OK. I feel your pain - I'm the laziest person I know. So, just a photo is fine - that's what my husband did. Another lazy beast, he is...

And besides, I don't want to compete with the Japan Blog Matsuri - that's where your carefully thought out and diligently proofread posts full of insightful information should go every month.

Show Me Japan is all about images, so even the most English-deficient wannabe otaku from Upper Elbonia can click, look and enjoy.

Be A Tourist In Your Own Town

"K2T Wisata"

Charleston is bursting at the seams with things to see and do, "its where history lives". That's what so appealing about it, the way Charleston has preserved its heritage. Even though fall has settled in on the Holy City and winter will be slipping in from behind, January is an ideal time for residents to get re-aquainted with their local favorites, and at discounted prices. Its time to Be A Tourist In Your Own Town.

Be A Tourist In Your Own Town is free one-time admission to 28 area attractions and discounts at 22 restaurants during the month of January 2011. The program is designed for South Carolina residents of Charleston, Berkeley, and Dorchester counties. You can buy individual passes for $20 or family passes for $50. The family pass is good for four people of any age. The odd thing about the family pass is the four people don't even have to be related to each other, but they do have to be locals. The only other catch is all four must also be present to take advantage of the program. You can purchase your pass at official Charleston, Mt. Pleasant, North Charleston, or Kiawah Island Visitor Centers.

So, take advantage of this yearly opportunity to re-visit your favorites such as Cypress Gardens where January is the peak of the camellia bloom and winter-nesting bald eagles are often sighted overhead. How about taking another walk in the gardens of Magnolia Plantation, stroll the grounds of Middleton Place, and tour Drayton Hall. You would normally associate bisan with the west, but when you visit the natural habitat zoo at Charles Towne Landing you will learn they were indigenous to South Carolina at one time. The Old Exchange and Provost Dungeon, The Powder Magazine, Charleston Tea Plantation, and The Center for Birds of Prey are all on the list including some you may not yet had the opportunity to visit.

How about picking one restuarant a week to dine at such as Blu Restaurant & Bar, Bocci's Italian Restaurant, Tommy Condon's Irish Pub, 82 Queen, or Southend Brewery and Smokehouse to name a few and enjoy the savings. For complete list of restaurants and attractions click here. It's an exceptional value for newer residents who want to get acquainted with Charleston's and it's history. See you around town.

Country Girl

"K2T Wisata"

November 22: Country Girl

Sorry if it seems that this has turned into a boat blog this month, I’m a bit enamored with the lake.

Put Away Your Snowboard

"K2T Wisata"

Climate change ruins all the fun. Higher temperatures have cut the skiing season in half.

Lebanon’s citizens were not dealt an easy life. Their cultural institutions are crumbling, their portion of the Mediterranean is an apocalyptic zone, and every so often their country comes under a barrage of artillery fire because of deadly political disputes. In such an environment, mother nature has historically come last – a big mistake we now know.

While people were looking elsewhere for its answers to the universe, Earth started heating up, glaciers began to wilt, and a cascade of ecological consequences came tumbling down. In Lebanon, that has culminated in the potential loss not only of its national symbol, the ancient Cedar tree, but one of the country’s most celebrated recreational gems: its ski slopes.  … [visit site to read more]

Les Dandys, tailored suit

"K2T Wisata"

On rue Pasquier, the same block as Chajin Tea and the October Door of the Month, I discovered another dandy shop. Les Dandys is a bespoke shop for men's suits, jackets, shirts, pants, and coats. It's one of those shops where I loved everything about it : the impeccable suits, the crisp, cotton shirts in soothing colors, the soft cashmere ties, the spare, stylish decor, and the neat, young owners Sylvan and Antoine. Almost everything is made to measure and you can customize it to the most minute detail, like the size and color of the suit buttons. Also the suits and jackets can be done in English, Italian, or French style tailoring. I love the selection of white collars on dark wood table in the center of the shop- so chic! The prices are not outrageous- shirts start at 109 euros, jackets 490 euros, and suits 690 euros, with over 80 fabrics to choose from. Accessories make the man and he can choose fabric covered cufflinks, seamless cashmere ties made from one piece of fabric, and custom made wallets and credit card cases where he can even choose the color of the stitching and the lining.

To me there is nothing sexier than a man in a well tailored suit or jacket.

Les Dandys
23 rue Pasquier, 8th arr.
Metro: Madeleine
Tel. 01 40 07 05 54
Open Monday to Saturday 10:30AM to 7PM
http://www.lesdandys.com/en/collection.html#

I love this purple jacket & green pants combo

Slow Cooked Balsamic Glazed Carrots, Holland House

"K2T Wisata"

I recently received a box of products from Holland House to review that included several different flavors of their vinegars.

As soon as I saw the bottle of balsamic vinegar I knew I wanted to make a vegetable dish with it. Balsamic vinegar is an easy way to add another layer of flavor to vegetables. It pairs perfectly with things like asparagus, green beans, carrots, and many other vegetables.

My favorite way to cook vegetables is to roast them, but I wanted to try something a little different this time.

I also wanted to come up with something that would work well for the holidays. Oven space is always at a premium during the holidays, so I decided to try  a version of glazed carrots in my slow cooker.

I put together a basic balsamic glaze and mixed it with the carrots and let them cook for a few hours.

These carrots smelled so good while they were cooking. I even broke my rule of not taking the lid off the crockpot in order to sneak a few while they were cooking. They really were that good.

My whole family enjoyed these carrots and these would make a perfect side dish to any holiday meal.

What side dishes will you be serving for Thanksgiving?

Slow Cooked Balsamic Glazed Carrots

• 1 pound baby carrots ( you could also use regular carrots that have been peeled and cut into chunks)
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons Holland House Balsamic Vinegar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper

Combine all ingredients and place in a slow cooker. Turn on low and cook for 3-4 hours. (The cooking time will very depending on how you like your carrots cooked)

For more information and recipes for using Holland House products please visit the Holland House Facebook page and/or sign up for their Splash Club Newsletter.

I was provided with Holland House products to review and was compensated for my time and ingredients to write this post. However my thoughts and opinions are my own.

November 21st – 27th

"K2T Wisata"

This week is a busy one at our house. Not only is Thanksgiving this week, but my daughter’s birthday is also this week.

We let our kids pick whatever they want for breakfast, lunch, and dinner on their birthdays. They love picking the meals and it helps make the day even more special.  I will say though that it does sometimes make from some strange meals, but that is part of what makes it more memorable and fun.

Do you let your kids pick the meals on their birthdays?

Here is our plan for the week.

Dinner

tomato soup,  Brazilian cheese rolls, and cheese cake (this is her birthday dinner)

spaghetti and vegetables

cattle drive chili

pizza

Thanksgiving- My job is to deep fry the turkey using my new deep fryer, and to bring corn pudding and a dessert.

leftovers

homemade panera’s potato soup

For more menu planning ideas see Menu Planning Monday.

Portuguese mosaic

"K2T Wisata"

You would need to be quite absent-minded to walk Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro and not notice the beautiful waves along the sidewalk formed by Portuguese mosaic (photograph above). In spite of its fame, Rio wasn’t the first Brazilian city where the mosaic was used. In 1900 Manaus imported from Lisbon what was at the time a very popular embellishment for open spaces. The small black and white stones served as a model for Copacabana years later.

To find the mosaic in Manaus (photograph above) you need not go further than Praça de São Sebastião, the square right in front of Teatro Amazonas. The patterns of waves depicts the scene seen at the Meeting of the Waters (a natural phenomenon we talked about in the Meeting of the Waters and the Janauary Ecological Park, near Manaus).

If you are lucky to see the mosaic on location, wander around the square staring at the mosaic and let yourselves be engulfed by the fantastic optical illusion of waves coming and going.