For the sleepless night - Valerian - Passion Flower - Oat Seed - Extract

I have trouble sleeping every now and then. Thinking about relationships, money, future, kids, or vague anxiety. I need to sleep because I have to wake up at a certain time for work, fix kids lunch box, prepare breakfast, do this and that tomorrow.

Whenever I feel that I usually use this Valerian extract (ease anxiety and let you sleep well), Passion Flower extract, (to stop endless thought) and Oat Seed extract (for stress)

I used these 3 herb extract mixture to my son who couldn't sleep well because of fear, nightmare, anxiety. I use Passion Flower and Oat seed mixture to him in the morning. Seems like it works for him too.

I drop about 10 drops each to a small amount of water and drink. For my son (10) I gave 5 drops each.

1) Valerian Extract (ease anxiety and let you sleep well)



2) Passion Flower Extract (to stop endless thought)

 
3) Oat Seed extract (to help with stress)

Pain Pain Go Away - Arnica -

What are you gonna do if you have a back pain or neck pain all the sudden?

I am 44 years old so like other people my age, I get back pain or shoulder pain every now and then. I put on Arnica gel and suck on arnica remedy few times a day. It always works for me!

I see these Arnica everywhere now at super market and drug store. I saw Sunday paper coupon too! It works good on me, and can use them with ease since they are not using harsh chemical.




Above is Arnica gel.





You put this under the tongue and melt. taste just like a candy.

This worked for my allergy!

We finally had a good rainy season after 5 years (?) of drought in California. The flowers are blooming and trees are green, its very beautiful right now, but at the same time, its the season of suffering for people with pollen allergy.

I have an asthma and severe allergy with dust / pollen. I always had hard time breathing at this time. I had better year because I saw a homeopath 2 years in a row to help with my asthma. This year though, I had itchy skin instead. 

At first, I thought this eczema looking bumps will disappear soon, but the bumps spread around my abdomen area and around neck more than 2 weeks and getting worse!

I went to Sprouts (natural super market) and tried out this homeopathic remedy spray that I have been curious about. Over night, I felt my bumps got less itchy and by the next day, It seemed not red (I wish I took some picture! I didn't expect that I could improve this fast.) It's been less than 1 month since I got the first one and I gave it to my son and daughter that suffer from allergy like me (mostly with sneezing and itchy eye) I went to Sprouts again but its all gone. (I recommended to my friends)

For pacific coast They have products that covers all U.S.A area. (East coast, south east and so on)

For West Coast

Crunchy and yummy Pork Katsu (Cutlet)

Today is my son's basket ball game. In Japanese, "Katsu" sounds same as "Winning".  So, it's popular to eat cutlet (katsu) before you are going to important tests, games. It is very good and has a nice texture as a food. Everybody would like as a nice lunch/dinner.

You can use tenderloin, (above) or loin, or chicken.

Pepper and salt the meat, and coat with flour on about 1/4 inch thick meat.

beat an egg in a bowl,  coat the meat in the egg, then put in a bowl with bread crumbs (sold as panko)

heat oil. I use just a little more than to cover. after heating up on the pan, put breadcrumbs coated meat, cook each side until golden brown. (about 2 minutes each)

I put Tonkatsu sauce (sold at asian store) on top.

Tender Meat! European Style Beef Stew

I made "European Style Beef Stew" with slow cooker last week.
My friend gave me this"William Sonoma" cook book (this certain book isn't available anymore), and this is the only recipe that I tried in the book. I changed here and there to fit our family size.

I used,

Half onion, finely chopped,
2 stems of celery, finely chopped,
3 or so garlic cloves, finely chopped,
1 lbs beef
2 slices of bacon
2 table spoon of flour
one or two tomatoes
Red Wine, (10 fl oz / 300 ml)
Beef Stock 16 fl oz / 500ml)
1or 2 Bay leaves
Thyme (dried herb)
1potato, 1 or 2 carrots, turnips as you like
salt and pepper
One table spoon of ketchup and Worcestershire sauce

1) Cut veggies,

About 1 lbs and half beef, (this time was sirloin tip roast) salt and peppered.

2 slices of bacon, cut like this and sautéed until oil come out and slightly crunchy.

Add onion and celery, sauté until the onions are soft.

Using a slotted spoon, transfer the onions and bacon to a plate and set aside.

add the beef to a pan until golden brown, (I didn't cut up the beef this time, but I usually cut the beef) add 2 table spoon of flour, coat the meat, return the onions, celery & bacon to the pan, add the garlic.

raise the heat to high, pour in the red wine, (10 fl oz / 300 ml), stirring to scrape up any browned bits from the pot bottom. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the liquid is reduced, (3-5 min) Add some tomato (I used two small, cut up)

You can use the big pot from the beginning, or transfer to the slow cooker, add the beef stock (16 fl oz / 500ml)

Add some potatoes, carrots, turnips, anything goes with the stew, put bay leaves, some herbs like thyme, sage, etc..

cook for 4 hours high with slow cooker, or if you are using stove top, one hour and half or so in low heat.

Season with salt and pepper and one table spoon of ketchup and Worcestershire sauce. (if you like)

The meat will be tender, and very sophisticated taste!

Too bad that I forgot to take a serving photo.

Marie Kondo's closet makeover!

Marie Kondo is a very famous tidy up specialist in Japan. She published a book in Europe and the United States and became popular too.

I read her book in Japanese once.

Her method is, instead of folding up your shirts and piling up,  roll your t-shirts and pants in the drawer and display so that it's easy to see what you have.

Before you do that, you need to take out what you have and re-organize. You might need to throw away worn out stuff.

I tried with my drawer a month ago and it's working good, so I did to my son's and daughter's drawer too.

I hope the inside of the drawer will look this way for a while.. It worth reading her book if you are serious about tiding up your house!

Slow Cooker Season!

Working at night, kid's sports practice at night.. Busy parent's great helper, "Slow Cooker".

When I was little, I read Ramona's series and that appeared every now and then. Slow cooker isn't used very much in Japan, even though almost every household own a rice cooker.  Anyway,  I have been pretty busy because I started doing waitressing at night few nights a week and I have been using slow cooker quite often lately.

I made beef stew,

I forgot to get red wine so I used sake. beef taco meat,

pulled back pork,

baby back pork ribs,

shoulder pork ribs

etc..

One time, somehow the glass lid broke but I carefully removed the lid and no glass was in there (Thank god) since then, I'm using other stainless lid from other pot I have.

Even the cheap hard beef or pork will be tender and delicious!