Today's Snack Attack

See those dark green speckles?

This snack is sweet and slightly salty, and it is flavored with wasabi. Some of the pieces in the bag get more of the wasabi coating which makes them almost numbing hot. My nose would suffer in pain. My eyes would get watery. It is that take-your-chances, Russian roulette spirit which makes me come back to this snack. These little buggers look like the actual wasabi horseradishes, too. You'll have a party in your mouth. Be aware!

Wasabi Mura means Wasabi village

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Royal Milk Tea

I just recently discovered that the term 'royal milk tea' is a made-up word in Japan, and that you cannot order it as such in England. If you go to Japan, everyone knows what royal milk tea is, though. It is a kind of concoction that's made with rather strong tea and mixed with lots of milk. I like it with earl gray. When I have to get up really early and be required to focus, I have this tea. One of those mornings that I am repeating to myself, "I don't think I can do this today.... but I've got to... wake up, wake up, wake up!"  This tea is invigorating and comforting at the same time. 

"His Royal Highness" in the background

You can make the tea like you always do and add milk. But today, I dropped a tea bag in a pot of milk and warmed it for a while. Bring it down to the room temp and add crushed ice and stevia syrup and blend it until it is frothy. You can experiment with different kinds of milk. I used almond milk this time. It tastes good cold, too. 

Coincidentally, today is the 1st wedding anniversary for the Royal couple Prince William and Princess Kate! Congrats!

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It's Me or the Ants

A cold snap has come and gone. Or our uncle Carroll might call it blackberry winter. I'm ready to get our garden prepared for the vegetables. My late father-in-law had made us a huge raised vegetable garden a couple years ago. I started weeding the garden yesterday and found a bunch of ants crawling all over it! After some research, I decided to sprinkle cornmeal, club soda, and artificial sweetener with aspartame. I heard they work individually, but I don't know if they work together. But I wanted to give those pesky bugs a triple whammy!  

You can see the white dust of cornmeal and aspartame

I poured 2 big bottles of club soda in the garden yesterday. I didn't see any ants this morning but wanted to make sure they are not lurking around in the soil.

Ants would eat them and EXPLODE with cornmeal

Italian parsley, bay leaf and basil

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Roasted Eggplant Salad

Serve it chilled

Another salad I like. Our neighbor gave me a huge batch of eggplants that she grew in her garden. She roasted them and froze them to keep. All I needed to do was to thaw them and cut them into bite size pieces, and garnish them with grated ginger and chopped scallions with a bit of soba noodle dipping sauce. I like it served chilled. The eggplant becomes nice and sweet from roasting. No calories, but packed with yumminess.


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