Monthly Archives: October 2007

climb every castle

Posted on October 31, 2007 by mariko

We’re in Osaka now, and yesterday (Halloween!) we went to a nearby castle town called Hikone. The mascot of the town appears to be some cartoon cat wearing what seems to be one of those horned viking hats. Posters and … Continue reading →

Posted in General | 15 Comments

happy halloween from japan

Posted on October 30, 2007 by mariko

It’s Halloween here in Japan, which does not really mean anything except perhaps there will be fewer pumpkin-flavored treats. Would it surprise you to learn that Baskin Robbins here has tasty ice cream with really interesting flavors? And they are … Continue reading →

Posted in General | 8 Comments

boo

Posted on October 22, 2007 by mariko

Halloween is my favorite holiday, but I’m going to miss it this year, because I’m going to Japan! I leave on Wednesday and will be gone for 2 weeks. I might be able to blog a bit during the trip … Continue reading →

Posted in General | 10 Comments

apple festa

Posted on October 21, 2007 by mariko

We finally made it down to the annual apple tasting festival at Portland Nursery this year. It is a very popular event, and we had to wait in line to get to the tasting tables. It was so worth the … Continue reading →

Posted in baking | 7 Comments

pink cookies

Posted on October 17, 2007 by mariko

I’ve been trying to get my baking mojo going after the long summer hiatus, and I haven’t been very successful. I tried baking a chocolate cake a couple weeks ago, and it completely fell apart. The other day I tried … Continue reading →

Posted in baking | 6 Comments

essential essence

Posted on October 15, 2007 by mariko

Amy is my partner in sugar, and we are all about the sugar capers. She heard about a mysterious “bakery” that offers specialty cakes as well as 68 cent cupcakes, by order only, so of course we had to investigate. … Continue reading →

Posted in baking | 22 Comments

caffeinated

Posted on October 11, 2007 by mariko

My mother works a couple days a week at a local Asian grocery. I saw this bento box there and had been coveting it for a couple months. I just like to stare at those cute little deer. Bonus points … Continue reading →

Posted in General | 10 Comments

chock full o’ something

Posted on October 9, 2007 by mariko

My buddy Megan just got back from a vacation to London, Italy, and Croatia (which looks really gorgeous), and she was kind enough to bring me this: Orla Kiely Chocolates! They are made by Irish chocolatier Butlers Chocolates. Oh, there … Continue reading →

Posted in candy/chocolate | 9 Comments

running on empty

Posted on October 8, 2007 by mariko

Sunday I saw two people throw up, both before 11am. The first, witnessed just after 6am, looked to be a gal who had been up all night. The second, observed around 10:40am, sadly was about a block away from the … Continue reading →

Posted in General | 30 Comments