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Courtyard Landscaping

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Spring is underway, and so are landscaping activities in the central courtyard. The citrus plants (Meyer Lemon and Calamondin) are outside and re-containered, and the 4-yr old juniper bonsai is out of its winter hibernation and now comfortably in its new ceramic pot. I also put together a new succulent centerpiece for the outside dining table. Continuing: a season-long battle with weeds!

Overall, everything’s looking good, so here’s to a great growing season!

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Homemade Steamed Pork Buns

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Made these Filipino-style steamed pork buns (“siopao bola-bola”) yesterday based on a recipe from this YouTube video and they turned out very well. The perfect savory snack, ingredients include pork meat balls, Chinese sausage, and salted duck eggs.

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Citrus Update

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Meyer lemons are coming along well, but the calamondin (Philippine lime, “calamansi”) is really having a bumper crop. I counted at least 4 dozen new fruit. With the weather warming up, I should be able to take these babies outside very soon!

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Birthday Celebrations

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[14 and 20 April, 2023]

Kasey’s and my birthdays are only a few days apart so it’s been a foodie flurry of lunches and dinners the past couple of weekends. Here’s to celebrating completing another revolution around our closest star!

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Easter Weekend

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[ 8 April, 2023]

Easter weekend celebrations at home.

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Homemade Madeleines

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[29 March, 2023]

Madeleines are one of those French pastries that have simple ingredients yet can take a very long time to perfect. The crispy, darker side with the notable ridges, the distinctive “bump” on the lighter, softer side, the subtle hint of vanilla flavor, and the rich, soft lemony moist cake interior — all need to come together nicely in a scrumptious little bite-size cookie. They also have a very short life, best consumed fresh and warm from the oven. This is my first attempt; not too bad if I may say so.

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Send-Off for Mike and Ron

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[23 March, 2023]

Mike and Ron are former co-workers who recently retired on March 1st. This party was at Benny’s in Marysville. It was a good time to see them off to retirement, and of course, see other co-workers whom I haven’t seen in a while.

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Pi Day

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[14 March, 2023]

An old tradition long observed with previous Honda co-workers is to share pie on Pi Day (3.14159 …. you know the drill). I hosted the annual get-together this year, so it was coffee and pie at my house this morning. Today is also Jiro’s 9th birthday, so there’s an extra reason to celebrate! (You can see his behind in the photo below.)

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Recent Eats

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A sampling of most recent notable eats.

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Lazy Dog Day Afternoon

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What to do on a cold Friday afternoon?

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A New Thermostat

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The thermostat for the floor heater in my primary bathroom died recently (after almost 10 years!) so it got replaced this past weekend.

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Like Herding Cats

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[10 February, 2023]

A bunch of 10-12 year olds playing basketball is like herding cats. It’s fun to watch, though!

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Chicken Teriyaki: Step-by-Step

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[5 February, 2023]

Step-by-step deconstruction of my homemade chicken teriyaki dinner this past Sunday. Teriyaki sauce and miso soup were made from scratch as well.

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K BBQ (and a Chocolate Bundt Cake) for K's Birthday

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[ 3 February, 2023]

So, this was the birthday party (for Kevin) that the chocolate bundt cake was for. But before dessert, the family enjoyed some homemade Korean BBQ. It was indoors, so the smoke alarms got busy!

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Not 'Nothing Bundt Cake'

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[ 3 February, 2023]

I made a chocolate bundt cake with cream cheese frosting, in the style of Nothing Bundt Cakes for a family member’s birthday. I think it was a success, considering it was my first attempt.