This year's sakura season was relatively late.

But the magically beautiful pink no matter how late, make their appearance year after year, regardless of how tough the previous year was.

Arigato, pretty lil sakuras, all over Japan, your bloom always gives us hope for a new start, something to look forward to, a warm feeling to delight in...

I love it, when i look up from under a sakura tree, and see those pretty petals smiling back with the nice blue sky complementing its pink shade.

This picture was taken 2 days after the full bloom; green leaves were already sprouting.
This was at Koganei park, during a mama gathering picnic.

A year has passed since the last sakura season which we all spent in the hospital and recovering from childbirth. Oh how the babies have all grown! From tiny tiny lil ones, to bubbly chubby toddling lil ones. It is always a joy meeting up with them.

This park, less than 50 steps away from our doorstep, never fails to brighten our mornings each time we walk pass. It is like a celebration of the colours of spring!

In the kitchen, spring is singing in the air too~

One of my favourite flower vegetables 菜の花.

Limited edition sakura leaf perfumed grilled fish

I love anything sakura leaf & flower fragranced.

The fragrance of sakura is soothing.

And these leaves & flowers are always salted. So when i have them with my favourite sweet red bean desserts, they just balance out.

A few wagashi (japanese confectionary) we've been enjoying ~
Sakura mochi, with 2 leaves! Whee! usually, there is only one.

Sakura monaka, red bean filled wafer.
Sakura manju

and a very beautiful bean only cake.

the petals are made with a blend of white bean paste.

From a very small but stylish wagashi shop near our place.

I love its quaint lil paper bag, that says, "wagashi made with our hearts".sweet~

A few things i've been experimenting with in the kitchen this spring ^~

Since it's been getting warmer, time for cold noodles lunch at Junnaki Cafe+++++++

Soba carbonara made with tofu.

Gosh this was refreshingly yummy!

Flower vegetables & fresh celeb tomatoes cold pasta.

We ordered a box of really really sweet tomatoes. They call it celeb (celebrity) tomatoes. Never had such a treat before.

Sushi dinner, for the first time with snapper i seasoned on my own!

I never had the confidence to do the konbu wrapped snapper because the konbu seems to be a super strong smelling kelp, that i feared will make the snapper extra fishy.

But i was wrong! It was so well fragranced that i am looking forward to making more of this for the coming snapper season!

Back at the ice cream factory...

Something which i am so into now.

Cranberry yogurt ice cream!

with my favourite peanut M&Ms =.=

Bak kwa rice

Weeks have passed since the earthquake.

We watch on TV features on how the people left homeless are being sheltered, cared for and fed for by aid teams working hard and with compassion, and start to wonder why aren't these documentaries played alongside with radiation news in the rest of the world. "Fly-jin", a new term coined to call the foreigners who have scurried home for fears this will be another Chernobyl, i really hope would spread the message on the urgency for donations in their homeland instead of fascinating over how they escaped whatever imaginary danger they came out from.

My heart is still heavy with worry and sadness though life in Tokyo is really back to normal.

Simple everyday routines have been totally disturbed for people living at public shelters now, and this means a lot of stress for a lot of people. Some elderly, as we see on TV, have literally passed on because they are not used to the new environment. Children, wanting to play outside, run back indoors because the snow and chill discourages.

Well, pieces are being picked up bit by bit, and the Japanese are being very united and supportive, which helps spur the sheltered folks, I can only pray for more help to pour in, and that the people find strength to press on to rebuild their lives.

OK, let's put my sad heart aside for awhile.

I wanted to try making yam rice with bak kwa because the one i made at mum's place was so yummy i wanted the hubby to try!

For 2 cups of rice

1 large yam cut into bite sized pieces

3 pieces shiitake mushrooms sliced

1 slice bak kwa, cut into 0.5cm squares

2 tbs dried prawns

1 tsb japanese stock granules

3 tbs shoyu

1 tbs mirin

1 tbs sake

and just press switch on! on the rice cooker.

I never thought bak kwa would make such good takikomi gohan (mixed rice).

And after a long hiatus,

my ice cream maker is back in business!

Pumpkin and red bean, yogurt based

with colourful chocolate puffs churned in

Ooooh how i missed pumpkin!