How to make great coffee - my way! :)

I admit shamelessly that I'm a coffee lover. I looove having a good cup of coffee in the morning. In fact, sometimes I go to bed at night just so that I can have my coffee the next morning! ;)

I usually have only one cup a day, though, but it has to be made VERY good and strong! :)

It seems that the dark roast is very popular nowadays - maybe since Starbucks became popular, I don't know. I like the light or the medium roast being made super strong using the French press.

So today, I wanted to share how to make good coffee, and believe me, I make GOOD coffee! :) Ready?

1. Grind some coffee beans. The amount depends on how strong you want your coffee to be. I use 4-5 scoops, but as I said, I like mine to be super strong. It may be way too strong for some "beginners," so start smaller amount and "work it up." ;)
2. Put the coffee in the French press container.
3. Boil hot water. Make sure to make more hot water than what you are going to drink. You'll know why soon at the step #6.
4. When the water is boiled (like REALLY boiled with it actually bubbling), pour it into the French press container (you only pour the amount you drink) and gently stir it.
5. Put the presser on top. You leave the "lid" at the level where the hot water is (See the photo below. Just like that). In other words, you don't press down the lid to the bottom, yet.
6. Pour the rest of the hot water into your coffee cup to warm it up. This is so that your coffee doesn't get cold by pouring it into a cold cup. This is a VERY important step, to me anyway, as I like my coffee to be served extra hot! :)
7. Wait for 4 minutes.
8. Press down the stuff (I don't know what it's called, really, but you know what I mean).
9. Pour out the hot water from your coffee cup and empty it (don't forget!), and pour your coffee.

And it is ready! :)

I like mine to be black. Once in a while, I put cinnamon. But you can put anything you would like and enjoy your coffee!

Actually, my online store has some great organic coffee beans. Check it out:

http://www.kenkobifactory.com/foods/

Have a GREAT morning! :)

How to make jelly - the plant-based way!

I'm not a vegan or vegetarian. I do eat meat and fish, and I love them. I think everyone's body's different and while some people do great with plant-based foods/protein only, my body doesn't do well, if I eliminate animal protein completely. I feel lethargic, lack of energy and experience water retention.

However, I'm trying to have as much plant-based products as possible, since I feel they are cleaner foods (whether it is correct or not. I just FEEL that way).

Today, I wanted to show you this product called "kanten" - a hardening agent (In English, it is called "agar" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agar). I use this when I make jelly. It is very commonly used in Japan (and I believe in the rest of the Asian countries, too).

OK, here are the photos:

 

I always use kanten instead of gelatin, simply because I just can't handle the idea of gelatin - derived from the collagen inside animal's skin and bones! Ugh....

There are several brands, but make sure to get a powdered one. It's a lot easier to use than solid ones. You can get it at any Japanese Supermarket, such as Mitsuwa or Nijiya here in the US, or at any Asian market, I believe. You can also get it here:

http://www.marukaiestore.com/p-5521-yamashin-rakuraku-kanten-4gx2p-028oz.aspx

(Just to let you know, my online store, http://www.KenkobiFactory.com, is not related to this store at all. This is an online Japanese supermarket which I personally found very convenient)

Let me know how you like it. I would love to get your feedback! :)

Gluten-free veggie pizza recipe

Oh wow - I got so many positive feedback on my last post - mashed cauliflower recipe! Thank you! :)

You know, I used to never cook. I was eating out over 95% of the time. I was always busy, but more than anything else, my cooking skill was SO bad that even I couldn't eat the stuff I made myself - true story!! So I just went out and ate. It was a lot faster and easier, and the foods were better... I THOUGHT. I've learned how restaurant foods are not so good sometimes - we never know what's in there!

So I started learning how to cook. I make everything from the scratch nowadays. It's been just this couple of years that I really cook stuff myself, but I'm getting better. :) And all my recipes are VERY easy to do. :) :)

So I thought I'd share another recipe. This one is "Veggie pancake." It's like Japanese okonomi-yaki, if you know what it is (If you don't know what it is, you can see here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Okonomiyaki). It's gluten-free, though, for those of you who are on gluten-free diet. :)

OK, here it is:

1. Get a bag of "broccoli slaw." You can get this at most of the stores in the US
2. Stir fry it with salt and pepper
3. Beat eggs
4. Pour eggs onto the stir fried broccoli
5. Fry it both sides, just like you make your pancakes

That's it. Easy, right?

I like to add coconut oil on the top. Or you can also put salsa (here in this photo below, you see I put salsa on the side). But these are optional.

Let me know how you like it. :)

Mashed cauliflower recipe - delicious! :)

See the photo below (sorry - this is not the greatest photo)? Do you know what this "mashed-potato-looking thing" is? It's mashed cauliflower!!

Here is how to make it:

1. Cut up cauliflower and boil it in hot water for about 4 minutes (I like it to be not too soft. If you like it very soft or very creamy, you can boil it longer).
2. Drain the cauliflower.
3. Put it in a blender.
4. Take it out from the blender and put it in a bowl or a plate
5. Taste it however you like it - salt, pepper, butter, garlic, etc.

It is super easy and delicious!!! Try it! :)

Your body is strong

This may sound a bit strange, as my online store, Kenkobi Factory, carries vitamins and supplements (as well as other things), but I don't take vitamins everyday myself. I'm not the type of the person who takes religiously.

I'm not a big fan of protein powder, either. I occasionally have it, when I don't have the time to cook, but I'd much prefer eating real foods over protein shake made out of protein powder.

I take vitamins and supplements only when I feel my body needs it. For example, sometimes I do feel I need to take primrose oil or Vitamin B or magnesium or whatever it is. When that happens, I take them. But I don't just take things mechanically. I don't think it is necessary. To prove that, all the results of my health exams - cholesterol, blood pressure and everything else are all very excellent!

Your body is made strong. It heals itself, if you take care of it properly. You don't have to "baby" them.

Eat well and stay healthy. And use vitamins and supplements as necessary. Let's not depend on them. But when you need them, please visit my online store:

http://www.KenkobiFactory.com

I'd be very glad to help you with what you need. :)

Let's be healthy

Ever since I was little, it has been my theme to overcome being "fat," "chubby," "big" or the concepts described by other synonyms. I guess I'm not considered to be "fat" in this country (I live in the US), but growing up in Japan, I was always and definitely considered to be heavy side, although I weighed much less then compare to now. You see how slim, small and fragile the typical Asian girls are? I was never and still am not like that.

My sister always had a super slim body (and she still does after two kids!). Actually, she has this thing called "gastroptosis" and has an opposite problem - she can't gain weight no matter how much or what she eats. I was very envious as a kid, but for her, that was a problem.

Having such a sister, it was always a nightmare to see the relatives! They all go, "Oh, your sister is so tiny and cute! And Tomoko, you are... umm... you look so... healthy!" Ugh. I started thinking all these supposedly positive words, such as "healthy," "pleasantly plump(!!)" = bad, bad, B-A-D!!!

It was always a HUGE problem for me. I was very much introverted and didn't want to be seen by people. When I had difficulties in life, especially when someone didn't like me (like boys!!), I thought it was because I was fat. Later, I realized that the problem actually lay within myself, not in my body. Plus, if someone doesn't like me because of the way I look, I shouldn't be associated with such people anyway. People should like me because of who I am, not because of the way I look!

But until I realized it, I confess - I have tried crazy diets several times in my life. It was horrible. By not eating properly, I got cranky, lacked energy and was not being healthy, and no one likes that - including myself! I mean, would you?

So I changed my focus to be healthy. :)

But I know many girls go through similar things and I TOTALLY understand what it's like, because I've been there myself. It is sort of promoted that way in this society, too.

That's why I created my online store, Kenkobi Factory (www.KenkobiFactory.com) with the purpose of helping people stay healthy and achieve their own natural beauty.

I believe that you'll look better, and more importantly, feel a lot better when you are healthy, even if you are a bit over-weight. Your focus should be being healthy and staying healthy. And if your friends don't agree with that, then you are probably with the wrong kind of friends. Be with people who love you for who you are and the way you are, and want you to be healthy, feel great and sparkly, because there are many like that out there - and here is one. :)

To your health and natural beauty! :)

  

Natural sleep remedy

Magnesium is a GREAT supplement. It relaxes your muscle and helps your sleep. It works well for constipation, too.

These 3 items in the photo below make my favorite magnesium drink. It's very easy and quick! Just put a teaspoonful of magnesium in a mag cup (and stevia, if you want to sweeten it. Stevia is a natural herb which can be used as a sugar substitute), pour some hot water and steep a tea bag. That's it! It's super easy!!

I use Nutrina's Super Mag (7oz. And it is $12.95). You can, of course, get it at my online store, Kenkobi Factory. :)

http://www.KenkobiFactory.com

Good night! Sleep well :) Zzzz....