An Ordinary Day: Batch Cooking / A Short Walk / A Mini Project

 

Song:  Ordinary World

Group:  Duran Duran

Yesterday...

my wife did some batch cooking of so many of her favorite veggies.

As she was doing this...

I had gathered together and flattened out some of her moving boxes...

and bagged up smaller cardboard items and packing material

to later take them to the trash receptacles at the community center

on the way to the post office to pick up the movie projector and stand

(the next day).

My wife made some Tsukemono (Japanese Pickles)...

using a whole variety of veggies mixed with:

Rice Vinegar

Memmi

Sesame Oil

Crushed Red Pepper

These are some of my favorite pickles...

and are usually served as salad sides...

or as a side dish with larger meals.

It has a delicious combination of the:

Fresh crunch of the various veggies

Sweetness and tartness of the rice vinegar

Slight heat of the crushed Japanese red peppers

This is a staple in Japanese cuisine...

and almost all Japanese women know how to make it

(My mother used to make it as well).

Then my wife made a Natto and Koji combination

to use over rice or mixed in with udon noodles.

What makes this especially healthful is that both...

the Nato, and the Koji, are fermented.

Koji is also used the making of Amazake...

a fermented rice drink...

of which I really love.

At the same time...

my wife made air fried cubes of sweet potatoes...

...and oven baked sweet potatoes.

My wife's completed Tsukemono.

We still have many more sweet potatoes.

I had earlier received a high joules surge protector for the home theater...

and the laser stud finder / level

(I am expecting the projector and stand today...

after which I will hang the screen and hookup the projector).

After my wife had completed her cooking session...

I told her that I had a mad craving for pizza...

and was planning on heading into Woodland Park to eat one.

As my wife wanted to go to Walmart to get some more veggies and kitchen items...

we soon departed together.

Another beautiful day as we headed out to Woodland Park.

(From the Walmart parking lot)

As per her suggestion...

I just dropped my wife off at Walmart so she could take her time shopping...

and I then headed to AJ's to satisfy my pizza craving

(My wife does not like pizza).

(On my way to AJ's...just a short distance up the highway)

I had ordered a large double sausage pizza...

and I was in heaven as I gobbled up the whole thing.

It was particularly delicious...

as I had the craving all day.

-------------

This morning...

I accompanied Bandi and my wife on a morning walk

(I hold Bandi's Leash from now on).

Although it was but a short walk...

it was still nice.

The weather...

as usual...

was just so perfect.

The temperature was in the mid 60s F (about 18 C)...

and as usual...

the constant nice alpine breeze was cooling and refreshing.

We headed up the road from home at a comfortable pace.

Looking back at home from the road was we continued on our walk.

We rested for a minute in the shade...

and turned around to go back home.

I will be accompanying them using my trike in the future...

as Bandi wanted to go at a much faster pace.

On our way back home.

On our normal days...

my wife and I will complete a walk or trike...

 do some sort of mini project afterwards...

and then spend most of the rest of the time enjoying our own personal passions.

-------------

In a short while...

I will load up the car with some of the flattened moving boxes...

and bags of trash...

take them to the community center...

pick up our mail...

and then pick up the packages awaiting us at the post office.

After coming back home...

we will probably eat...

and then after a bit...

I will hang the movie screen...

and set up the projector downstairs.

I am sure...

later tonight...

I will test out the projector.

We had also received a delivery at the house earlier...

and it was more Japanese dressings as well as other food items.

We order as many of our things online as we can.

We will be soon ordering a top of the line treadmill

for the exercise room for my wife to use during freezing or otherwise inclement weather...

and I will be soon getting a good IR Sauna for the exercise room for me to use

on an almost daily basis

(We just ordered a top sauna...

but it is on backorder until January).

Slowly...

we are setting up the house to our liking.

We still have many more furniture items to get...

but...

we wish to pick out the best ones for our needs...

and so...

we still have much shopping to do.

-------------

We are thinking of going to the top of Pikes Peak tomorrow...

and then to the Million Dollar Highway sometime next week.

But...

today is just an ordinary day for us...

starting the day with some exercise...

doing some mini projects...

enjoying some good food...

and then filling the rest of our day with our personal passions.

A day in the life...

even if it is an ordinary day...

should be set up as in life...

always with something enjoyable to which may be looked forward.

And...

as always...

make the necessary fun...

so even ordinary days become fulfilling.

Bandi's Walk - My Wife's Fall / Trader Joe's / Aiki Japanese BBQ

 

Song:  Un Homme Et Une Femme

Group:  Paul Mauriat

My wife had taken this photo of Bandi sleeping on her great room doggie bed 

after an earlier walk they had taken last week.

I have since replaced her doggie bed with a much larger one...

and then put this one in the car.

Bandi just loves her morning walks with my wife

(soon to be with my wife and I).

(Photos of yesterday morning's walk by my wife)

My wife takes Bandi on a morning walk almost every morning

(I will accompany them in the future).

However...

Bandi was a little too exuberant yesterday morning.

Bandi only weighs 20 lbs less than my wife...

and so...

when there was a dog walking by in the distance...

Bandi wanted to play with it and began running towards it.

But...

as Bandi is always on a leash...

and as my wife is very small and light (4' 11" - 95 lbs)...

Bandi pulled my wife down to the ground and dragged her for a few feet

(Bad Bandi...poor wifey :)

But as this incident happened at about the halfway point...

my wife just continued with their walk (almost three miles).

When my wife arrived home...

her hands were partially covered in blood...

as she had the palms of both hands partially skinned.

I had her wash both hands with warm soapy water...

and I then applied antibiotic lotion on the skinned portions...

and then applied extra large antibiotic bandaids on both hands...

and on one of her forearms

(she had also partially skinned her lower legs...

but they weren't so bad).

By the way...

as her white exercise jacket was partially covered in blood...

I just used some Borax and water on the blood with a stiff bristle brush...

and all of the blood stains came out easily.

Borax is very inexpensive...

and excels in removing any biological stains out of clothing quickly and easily.

I often use half a cup or so...

in addition to laundry detergent...

to not only greatly boost effectiveness in the cleaning of clothes...

but it works to naturally deodorize them as well.

It is readily available from Amazon.

It used to be everywhere when I was a child...

but most people now don't know of its value...

as it is no longer advertised.

If misused...

it can be toxic...

but so can anything be.

It is a general cleaner...

and as such...

just as with any general cleaner...

you wouldn't inhale, ingest, or bathe in it.

(just before my wife was pulled to the ground and dragged)

As I also need the exercise...

as well as regular sunlight...

I will be accompanying my wife and Bandi on their future walks...

and I will be the one holding the leash to Bandi from now on...as Bandi cannot budge me

(I weigh a solid 200 lbs. - 90.7 Kilos with no excess fat).

I will either walk or trike...

depending on how I feel on any particular morning.

And...

especially as Autumn approaches...

and as bears will start foraging to fatten up for Winter...

I will be carrying a firearm as well.

------------

The other night...

my wife made another new dish for me.

I first had a sweet potato pancake as an appetizer...

and it was so good.

Then my wife sautéed freshly sliced ginger, onions, garlic, and bell peppers...

and then seared and included shrimp with a new type of spicy sauce...

for a dish she called...

Asian Shrimp and Sautéed Peppers.

It was so delicious.

(Later today...

she is going to make Leek soup with shrimp, eggs, and tofu).

Even the salad was new to me.

She shredded three types of Daikon (white, green, and purple)...

for a Daikon and green salad.

My wife also loves sprouting...

and then greening the sprouts to use in our salads.

---------------

Yesterday...

after my wife rested after her disastrous walk with Bandi...

we then went to Trader Joe's to pick up her favorite foods.

This is the brand and type of Japanese Sweet Potatoes my wife had been looking for...

and she found them at Trader Joes.

She had bought many bags of them...

and she will be baking many tonight...

for us to eat.

And...

I had found myself a little treat in case I get a late night craving for tacos.

------------

As anytime we go into Colorado Springs for shopping...

we always pick out a restaurant to try ahead of time.

This time...

we wanted to try a Japanese all you can eat...

Sushi...

Yakiniku (Japanese BBQ)...

and Ramen restaurant.

Finally...

we had found a favorite place to which we will return...

time and again...

for life.

For Japanese all you can eat Sushi and Yakiniku...

the search is finally over.

What a delicious discovery we had made!

Their sushi was excellent...

as was every other type of dish.

And...

this was the only place I had found where they had used enough rice vinegar 

in the sushi rice.

They had the best sushi of anywhere I have found.

I had ordered a large sampling of various appetizers...

and some Bulgogi and "Wagyu" Beef slices...

as well as some other items to BBQ.

All of their appetizers were also very good.

The meat was so tender and juicy...

and the sauces made everything even better.

I had a total of three bowls of rice with my meal...

and much of the sushi as well.

My wife had eaten the bulk of the sushi...

as well as three types of "Carpaccio"...

(salmon, tuna, yellow tail tuna)...

basically sashimi with sauce on top.

My wife really liked them...

as well as everything else.

I was so surprised...

as the meat was just so good.

Even the Bulgogi was better than at the Korean BBQ restaurants I have been to...

and it was their specialty.

Yes...

we had found our Japanese restaurant to which to return for life.

(Our next ethnic restaurant of excellence we will be in search of will be Indian...

as none of the ones I had been to recently had been any good...

except for one Nepalese restaurant we went to a year and a half ago).

On our way home with three coolers worth of food from Trader Joe's.

We were on our way out of Colorado Springs here.

We were in Woodland Park here.

We were not too far from home here.

As we drove home from Woodland Park...

the sun began to set...

and it was a beautiful sight all the way home.

We were less than five minutes from home here.

-----------

I had stupidly stuffed myself too much at the Japanese restaurant.

I was so full...

that shortly after arriving at home...

I just had to relax in bed as my food digested.

But...

everything was just so tasty...

that I simply could not resist eating my fill.

Yes...

I am like a toddler without any self control when it comes to eating delicious food.

I just eat and eat until I am gorged...

only to suffer from being overstuffed for hours later.

However...

Japanese BBQ is just one of those meals that to not stuff oneself...

 to not fully savor the tender, juicy, and deliciously seared meats to absolute capacity...

is to commit an even greater personal sin  :)