In April!

So yes I know it's June and I'm so far behind on my blogging. I've just been feeling sick (prego sick) and wanting to curl up and read a book rather than sit in front my computer and type. I have read so many books recently I can't believe my family is still alive even after my neglect while my head is stuck in a book. So now I've decided to back track on blogs until I catch up till today.

So in April we went to visit my parents in AZ. . . sorry to all my friends in AZ that I didn't call to say hi and meet up with you to do something fun. It was a quick trip because I was so home sick. I hadn't seen my family for almost two years. While there we ate such amazing food. We made our little shopping trip to the oriental market called LeeLee's. I love that place. They have the best produce. . . taro mmmm. We got the kids some Japanese candy and some Portuguese sausage. My mom made me some steamed taro. . . I was so craving it. I bought the hugest bottle of kim chee. Ooooh and our second night there my mom made us Hawaiian food. . . Piko felt very spoiled. . . laulau, lomi salmon, kalua pig, poi. . . I'm sad we didn't have any poke but hey beggars can't be choosy. My mom also bought some mochi and Keiko loved it.

The day we were leaving my dad passed out in the bathroom and I'll save you the details but he went into the hospital and we ended up staying 3 days longer. My poor husband stayed home with the kids on his birthday while I was in the hospital with my dad. We thought he had a stroke but it ends up that he had low potassium and too many enzymes in his blood. He is also diabetic so it added to his hospitalization. He's way better now. My sister who lives in Florida got really scared and flew out to AZ just to be with my dad. It was a nice reunion but I wish it was during better circumstances. I wish I'd taken more pics but who can think of pics when at moment you are totally relaxed and the next life gets totally chaotic.

All the pics I took was of Keiko with a rice flour face from the mochi. I don't know if she enjoyed eating the mochi as much as she loved head butting the soft rice flower coated mochi balls.

This is a recipe I found here that you may want to try. It looks easy. I need to try it myself. I love mochi.

Ingredients

• 1 cup mochiko sweet rice flour (glutinous rice flour)
• 1 cup water
• 1/4 cup sugar
• katakuriko, for dusting (potato starch)

Directions

1. Mix mochiko and sugar in a bowl.
2. Add water and mix thoroughly. (will be watery).
3. Put in a microwaveable dish. Cover with plastic wrap.
4. Microwave on high for 4 minutes. Take off plastic wrap. Cool for a few minutes, if you want. Cut. Serve.
5. Opt. Dust with katakuriko or kinako to prevent mochi from sticking everywhere. If you don't have these, you can just put the mochi on cellophane.
6. Variations for Filling: You can add red bean paste, ice cream, chocolate, etc. in the middle if you want BEFORE you dust. add a teaspoon of filling and pinch edges closed.
7. Variations for Dough: Add a few drops of food coloring into batter for color variation. A few drops of flavoring (strawberry, grape, orange, blueberry, etc.) may also be added. >> For chocolate flavor, stir about 1/4 cup melted chocolate chips into mochi batter before cooking.

Mochi picture