My Ultimate: Turning Japanese

("My Ultimate" will run most Tuesdays and will feature any topic that hops into my head.  The views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of the other New England Mamas. . . although they should).

A couple of weeks ago, I was in a dark place.  I tried to put together a post of things that make me happy, but it made me gag in its forced cheeriness, so I never published it. 

Don't worry, I'm not publishing it now either. 

But, one thing I noticed was that several of the things I like are Made In Japan.  And then, yesterday, I got a link from Fred Flare that told me that I'm not alone.  Hold me down---cute Japanese stuff!

Here are my own contributions to things I love from that little sliver of a country:

*  Sushi:  Yes, a given, I know.  And I'm pretty certain that the Japanese are not eating roll after roll of Idaho Maki or Philadelphia Maki (but, damn, they are good!). 

Like many of my generation, my first exposure to sushi was when I saw the Breakfast Club and saw Claire open her odd little lunch box.  I was in full agreement with Bender when he ask, incredulously, "You won't accept a guy's tongue in your mouth, and you're going to eat that?"

Flash forward a bazillion years, and now my girls will screech like Price is Right winners when we say we are getting sushi for dinner.  I love that they will clamor for Vegetable Maki even though a piece of avocado would normally send them running for the hills. 

I also love the Fairly Odd Father paid for me to take a sushi-making class through RISD's Continuing Education.  One Saturday afternoon, my sister and I had a hands-on, eat-what-you-make class at Haruki Restaurant.  I don't make it at home often, but the last time, I had my then-six-year-old help me in the kitchen and it really is not that difficult to do. 

*  Bizarre television show:  While scrolling through Cute Overload last week, we kept seeing photos of an odd trend in animal antics.  People are covering their pets in treats to see how many they can stack before the critter gives in and starts to eat.  It sounds pretty mean, but it can't be any worse than making cupcakes in front of a toddler and telling him that he needs to wait until after dinner to have one (I suppose for an accurate analogy, I'd have to stack cupcakes all around the toddler, but we all know how that would end). 

Anyway, we had to wipe tears from our eyes watching clips from a Japanese show  where they place treats in front of dogs or a chimp.  So wrong, but so funny.

*  Amigurumi:   This is a type of crocheting that made me pick up the crochet hook (no lie).  Unfortunately, I can still only make a r-e-a-l-l-y long and skinny worm.  But, the good people of etsy keep me hoping that someday, oh someday, I, too, will be able to make a banana with eyes.  Or check out this little fella.  I can't wait until summer when I can make a few of his brethren to eat:

*  Egg Molds:  I should've mentioned these well in advance of Easter, because by now, you are likely sick to death of hard-boiled eggs.   If not, these little plastic molds will take your boring white hard-boiled egg (the insides, of course) and turn it into a bunny, a bear, a car or a fish.

You'd be surprised how many hard boiled eggs a kid will eat when they are shaped like this:

or this:

 

*  Finally, a nod to that ubiquitous Hello Kitty character who is on just about everything.  I also dig her Sanrio counterparts such as Keroppi, Badtz0Maru and Chococat.  But, mostly, I'm listing this because it gives me an excuse to repost this picture:

Sayonara!

Comments

[margaret]

Those egg molds are great. I need to look into getting some of those!

[Paula]

You know, I adore those cupcakes. The egg-molds are genius.

Here is one of my favorite sites for all things Japanese (for adults only...the site has everything from bento boxes and traditional clothing to adult toys and porn): http://www.jlist.com/index.html

Because really, everyone should have a cute bento box like this: http://www.jlist.com/IMAGE/i69u6

or this:
http://www.jlist.com/IMAGE/755sl

Don't you think?

[Beck]

AAAAAAAH! Those CUPCAKES!
I actually ordered tons of cute lunchbox stuff from Japan for my kids - little soy sauce bottles, rice molds, the works - although mostly I just admire them. SO KEWT!

[Deanna]

Wow - thank you for linking to my blog!
My son is in love with the fishy egg mold!
They are so much fun!

[Mrs. Q.]

I've been singing "Turning Japanese" ever since the Sox's season opener yesterday...

[Krystan]

Oh, yes, thank you. Now I found an eBay store with those egg molds and I am just TRYING to resist those cute Bento boxes! (I don't even use a lunch box, but...)

[Kim/hormone-colored days]

I love those eggs molds!

[Kim/hormone-colored days]

I love those egg molds!