While living in Illinois we did just a few of the Japanese traditions. We cleaned the house. We ate mochi. We made sushi and gave them to all our friends who enjoyed them. We miss doing that together.
Miho made ozoni soup for us.
It was as delicious as it was beautiful. According to Wikipedia, ozoni had its roots in samurai cuisine. I didn't know that.
My sister-in-law, Nancy also brought over deviled eggs and fudge which we loved! The banana cream-macadamia nut pie was pretty darn amazing, too! Wow!
We all dug right in and enjoyed every single delectable bite! What a way to welcome the New Year!Then came the fireworks! Do you know my mom slept through the WHOLE thing. Art and I suspect it was those TWO full glasses of plum wine that she and my brother imbibed quite happily. I had a glass, too but when I happened to misspeak a few words Art took some gulps out of my glass while I was distracted to make sure I stayed sober (I mean...focused). Mom? Didn't faze her a bit!
We woke up this morning to an eerie quiet in the neighborhood. I guess everybody must have slept late.
We had a bowl of traditional kinako mochi for a new year of good luck this morning. And now... hmmm... what was that resolution I made about exercise?
The food looks fabulous. I would love to try that soup. One thing I really regret about leaving Hawaii is all the food I've yet to try!
ReplyDeleteOur neighborhood is still eerily quiet. No people noises, no dogs barking, no cars driving past -- but the explosions here didn't stop until after 2:00 a.m., so perhaps they're all still nursing sulfur hang-overs!
So nice to have and know traditions. Especially edible ones.
ReplyDeleteHope your fireworks are over now.
What's with the giraffes?! Are those chopsticks??
Happy New Year to you, Art, your Mom and the rest of your family Kay!! The food you had last night looked amazing!
ReplyDeleteFood looks delicious. Great video from your window. You had a nice view.
ReplyDeleteFunny that you cook Japanese food while I don't cook Korean food. I never have kimchi in my fridge, for example.
My boss was right. I am too haole-fied.
You've had a tradition rich and family centered New Years, a good way to start 2010.
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely celebration you had!!!
ReplyDeleteQuilly: I really think eerie is the right word. It was even quieter than a Sunday. I'm glad the trade winds came a little early and took away that heavy sulfur. I couldn't take a video after 12:15 AM because the sulfur clouded everything over.
ReplyDeleteDina: Art brought those chopsticks back from Kenya when he visited and traveled with Jon through Africa.
Sherri: Thank you! It truly was scrumptious!
Gigi: We didn't have those traditional Japanese foods while we lived in Illinois so it's fun to have them now.
We almost always have kimchee in our fridge. :-) However, our Korean/American son-in-law says what we have in Hawaii is not truuuuuly Korean.
Linda: It's been rather fun actually since we missed out on the traditional stuff living in
Chicago.
Kay: I hope you had a great celebration, too.
Kay;
ReplyDeleteEverything looked so yummy. I would have loved to try it all!
Was the morning food cereal...?
Nice to have new yet old traditions in your new home!!!!
Happy New Year!
What a wonderful way to celebrate New Year's, and the food is pretty to look at and from the sound of it, truly delicious. You made me laugh about the plum wine. That sounded good too! I am sure I would have slept as soundly as your dear mother. Happy New Year Kay, to you all.
ReplyDeletep.s. Gregg was just browsing through channels and started listening to Sen Daniel Akaka from Hawaii on C-Span. We said hello to him for you :)
That is some Fireworks display Kay, you weren't kidding! All the best for the New Year.
ReplyDeleteI've seen my children oreder ozoni soup when we eat out together. Sorry about your fireworks problem. It's interesting to learn what goes on in places around the world.
ReplyDeletePeggy: Actually, breakfast was the mochi in kinako (soybean powder with sugar). My mom didn't want any because each small mochi paddy is the equivalent of a bowl of rice! Sheesh! I don't even want to know what my glucose level is right this minute.
ReplyDeleteDenise: Hauoli Makahiki Hou to you and Gregg! May it be full of more adventures that I hope you'll share with us. :-)
Christine: I couldn't really get the full scope of the sound level. I should have posted the sulfur cloud, too. What a night! Thank goodness for trade winds.
Linda: Really? Your kids order ozoni? I didn't realize they had it on the menu when it's not New Years. No reason not to since it's quite tasty.
Happy New Year, EVERYBODY!
what fun and colorful foods. sounds like you really celebrated..
ReplyDeleteThe food does indeed look fabulous! I'm so glad you had such a great New Years celebration. Wishing you much love and joy and laughter, good health and prosperity for the new year, Kay! Thank you for visiting my blog and for the lovely comments you leave! Happy, Happy New Year to you and your family!
ReplyDeleteSylvia
Wow you feasted like Kings for New Years!
ReplyDeleteYou gave me a giggle over Art sneakily sipping your wine. Happy New Year to you all.
It all looks so delicious and everybody is smiling and happy. What a way to spend time, with people we love and who love us.
ReplyDeleteI hope 2010 is a prosperous and wonderful year for you and the family,
Happy New Year, Kay!
Lin: We really did! It was great fun.
ReplyDeleteSylvia: Oh thank you, Sylvia. I'd like to wish you a wonderful, happy and healthy new year as well!
Brit Gal Sarah: I need to get myself over to your place. I have been so preoccupied this past week with a million things. I'm hoping to visit again now that the holidays are more or less over.
Dellgirl: Thank you, Leona! I'd like to wish you and your beautiful family a most wonderful, healthy and prosperous new year as well.
What a wonderful way to celebrate New Year. Mind you, although the food looked wonderful, I have no idea what any of it was; apart from sushi, which my younger son loves and sometimes makes at home. I've never really fancied it though. Good for your Mum. My grandmother gave up her daily glass of sherry at the age of 101 because she was afraid she might become an alcoholic! I love your giraffe chopsticks, a work of art in themselves.
ReplyDeleteHi Kay and Happy New Year! Looks like everyone had a wonderful time and ate well. And what a wonderful way to end the night then with fireworks.
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year to you and your family Kay. Lisa
those dishes look delicious!
ReplyDeleteI am glad to see people holding on to traditions. Your New Years feast sounded so good and thanks for the fireworks and for stopping by. Hope the New year holds lots of blessings and good health.
ReplyDeleteWhat gorgeous-looking food! Looks good enough to eat!
ReplyDeleteWow, the food looks sooo good. How nice that your family gathers together to celebrate with family traditions. I envy you! I had to chuckle over your Mom and the plum wine, by the way that sounds very good! The giraffe chopsticks are cute. Hoping you are feeling much better.
ReplyDeleteWhat beautiful food!
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year!
I looked up what deviled eggs are! Well they must be delicious!
ReplyDeleteYou like Aboriginal art. Well I wrote several times about their art!
23 January 2008( Roy McIver) uncle of my daughter's ex-husband.
14 January 2008
18 November 2007
31 October 2007
I also wrote about ancient cave paintings. You might like them.
Have a great 2010 with your family.
Amanda: 101? Wow! My mom says she's not afraid of becoming an alcoholic because she can go without it anytime. And she can. But she sure does hold her liquor and proud she is of that talent also.
ReplyDeleteLisa: Happy New Year to you, too! We sure did eat our way into 2010! That's for sure!
Wenn: They were!
Margaret Cloud: We didn't follow the traditions too much when we were in Illinois but my mom enjoys the familiar traditions and she loves teaching us about it now that we're here.
Tillie: It really was VERY delicious and everybody got to bring home a whole lot of leftovers.
Cheryl: The chopsticks came from Kenya. Art brought them home with him when he went to visit our son in Mali when he was in the Peace Corps. Jon and Art went to Kenya on a safari and climbed up Kilimanjaro together.
Mama Zen: It was as pretty as it was delicious.
Reader Wil: I'll have a look see at those posts. We also bought a beautifully crafted boomerang. We loved Australia and New Zealand.
That soup is beautiful. I would like to try it sometime, as long as it doesn't have fish in it.
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful way to bring in the new year! I love having family together.
ReplyDeleteBella: The soup was fantastic. I'm so glad my niece in law brought it. And.... no fish... LOL
ReplyDeleteSusan: We're having a Cousins Party in a couple of weeks. Now that's going to be a big one.