Soy Sauce Eggs

Or Shoyu Tamago as they're known here in Japan. Tamago is the Japanese word for egg, and once we moved to Hawaii in January of 2004, I learned that soy sauce is more commonly known as shoyu.

Last night after hard boiling the eggs for the molds, I had an extra egg that was too big for the heart or star mold. Instead of eating it plain I decided to try something Julie had told me about months ago.

They're so easy to make, and if you like soy sauce then take 10 or 15 minutes and give this a try. Hard boil and peel your eggs the way you normally would. Pour the water out of the pot, rinse it, and put it back on the stove. Add about two tablespoons of soy sauce per egg and heat it up on medium. I put my eggs in as soon as the shoyu started to get hot. Roll the eggs around in the shoyu to get them evenly coated. I like mine with a lot of flavor so I left them in longer to get darker. Eventually the shoyu will dry up, and that's how I know they're ready. Keanna wanted hers done too, so that's why the fish-shaped egg is in there. You won't need any extra salt since the shoyu is already salty and they can be served warm or cold.

Japanese Egg Molds

We love hard boiled eggs, and since Japan is home to the Bento, finding fun things to do with food is easy here. I found these six Japanese egg molds at a couple of different ¥100 stores near our house. I've only tried the heart and star before, but tonight wanted to try out the others. They come two in a pack for ¥100, so about $1 USD. I'm not a fan of the bento boxes, but when I saw these I couldn't pass them up!

All three packages I bought had an "L" on the label, so I assumed that meant for a large egg. I used large eggs in the four I did, but they were still a little too big, so next time I'm going to use medium eggs. Actually, I had two large eggs from Japan and two large eggs from the U.S. (bought at the commissary on base). The Japanese eggs were fine, the American eggs were too big.

Hard boil the eggs the way you normally would. I put them on the stove and when the water starts to boil I pull them off the heat and let them sit for 11 minutes. After that I put them in a bowl of cold water to help the peeling process. As you can see below it didn't do much good! I need more practice, but at least with the fish the scale design did a decent job of covering up my mistakes.

The directions were on the back of the package and entirely in Japanese. A friend of mine translated it for me. I didn't write it down but tried to remember what she said. The eggs have to go into the egg mold while warm, and then into cold water once in the mold. So I peeled the eggs, put them in warm water, into the mold, into a bowl of ice water, and about 20 minutes later I pulled them out and hoped for the best. It's easy to clean up the edges; I used a paring knife after they came out of the molds.

These could be used for more than just eggs; chocolate or Jell-o are the first two that come to mind. They wouldn't have the design on both sides, but a flat bottom would be nice for laying them on a dish or platter. Maybe add a little alcohol to the Jell-o making them fancier Jell-o shots?!

Come Fly With Me

Errr, "Come Fry with Me???" I spotted this little boy in Zushi Ginza and ever since have had "Come Fly with Me" in my head. Julie was with me and she explained to his mom (her Japanese is very good!) what his hat actually said. We all got a laugh out of it though, even the little boy's sister, then we bowed, thanked them and went on our way hunting for Kit Kats.

Pass The Chopsticks is One!

Wow the past year has flown by! I've heard it called "Blogversary" too, but Pass the Chopsticks is one year old. It was on May 15, 2008 that Pass the Chopsticks was created. I've tried to keep it funny, lighthearted and educational...and so far, so good...at least to me! I look forward to eventually having this made into a book, so it will become my journal/diary/memoirs of our time here.

I can't believe how much we've accomplished, seen, visited and learned about during the last year, and feel lucky that you've been able to share it with us as it happens. From awesome Japanese toilets and bathrooms, vending machines that sell beer, bouncy clouds at Showa Kinen Park, getting into a car accident out in town to keeping up with my growing Kit Kat collection...it's been a fun year!

So thank you to the loyal readers, 95 public Followers, 157 subscribers...whether you're subscribed via email, Google Feedfetcher, Bloglines or something else. I truly appreciate your comments and feedback and always look forward to them.

Daigaku Imo Kit Kats- Japanese Sweet Potatoes

Believe it or not, they've taken candied sweet potatoes and made them into Kit Kats! I bought the Kit Kats months ago and finally found the actual potatoes in a grocery store. Wow, they are oishi (delicious)! And no, I haven't tried the Kit Kats yet. Everything's explained in the video below if you're interested in hearing more. I say "Daigaku Imu" in the video, but it's "Imo!" If you get my blog in your email you'll need to click here to view the video.

Apple Vinegar & Lemon Vinegar Kit Kats

You read that correctly! I explain it all in the video below, but this post is all about vinegar Kit Kats and vinegar drinks. Watch the 5 minute video below to learn all about them. If you subscribe to my blog via email you'll need to click here to see the video.

Introducing for the First Time in Public

LCDR Bob!

He was promoted to LCDR (Lieutenant Commander) today (Friday)! The girls and I were able to go and put his new collar devices (pins) on. The last time I did this was on May 26, 1999 when he was commissioned at the U.S. Naval Academy. My mother-in-law put one Ensign board on and I did the other. When he made LTJG and LT he was out to sea, so the CO did the pinnings.

My friend, Julie, took some pictures for me, and here are some highlights...

The Admiral's on the far right and the guy next to Bob was also getting promoted; the Admiral was administering the Officer Oath...Keanna and Sydney joined in.

Bob took off his LT bars and Keanna and I took turns replacing them with the oak leaves.

Afterward he signed the FIRST ENDORSEMENT (at least that was the subject on the paper), accepting the appointment.

The Admiral got a little chatty asking the girls where they'd like to move to next. Keanna said something about a new house and a swing set at our old house. He was very personable and was nice to take time to talk to us. He even gave me a command coin! After Bob was done (took about 10 mins from start to finish), we had to stay for the awards and speeches. The girls were quiet and behaved very well...Sydney was especially quiet towards the end...

Edwin McCain Gives a Concert at Yokosuka

And we got a free concert thanks to MWR (Morale, Welfare & Recreation) here at CFAY (Commander Fleet Activities Yokosuka). "I'll Be" was our wedding song, and to hear it live, standing a few feet from Edwin McCain was incredible! I didn't record that song because I wanted to enjoy it and kind of take it all in, you know?! I was resting my elbows on the stage right in front of guitarist Larry Chaney. I would guess a crowd of about 150 was there, and most of the conversation I could hear was from tweens and teens asking who this guy is! I've been a huge fan since my freshman year of college (1997-1998) and felt like a groupie standing right up at the stage!

I was kicking myself for only bringing my smaller camera with video. Don't get me wrong, I was thrilled to be able to take video, but my other camera takes much better photos, but since it's an SLR, no video. I'll add a few of the better pictures here and will also include a video of him singing "I Could Not Ask for More." I've got a few more videos, but they're too long/too large of a file size to post. So if you subscribe to my blog via email you'll need to click here to view it.

Mr. McCain and his band gave us a great show, and is very supportive of the military. This was the first time I've ever been to a concert like this - a USO or MWR sponsored event. It does wonders for morale of the active duty members and for families too!