Baked Penne

Just a simple comfort food family meal that I've not transferred to the blog yet. Lisa, an old friend from SHS shared this with me years ago. 


Preheat oven to 350*

1 pound Penne (Ziti  - whatever)
32 ounces Spaghetti Sauce (homemade or purchased)
16 ounces Cottage Cheese
1 Egg
1 can black olives (I throw them in whole as my kids pick them out; says to slice)
1/2 lb Ground Turkey (or beef or sausage or SKIP THE MEAT and make this a meatless meal)
1/4 C shredded Parmesan Cheese
1/2 lb Mozzarella Cheese (I use all kinds)

Mix cooked pasta, cottage cheese and egg together. Pour in greased 9x13 pan. Set aside. Cook meat til done (or leave out), add sauce and olives. Mix with pasta mixture. Sprinkle Parmesan Cheese on top and bake 25 minutes. Add mozzarella and bake 5 min longer (I often just add all the cheese before I bake).

I forgot about taking  a photo for the blog until AFTER the meal - and at that point it didn't look very appetizing. 


Choosing Joy!
©2011 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

Tanesashi and Shirahama

We took advantage of Columbus Day to go exploring in Northern Japan. The kids and I had been to Tanesashi Beach before. I knew Michael would LOVE it as it is so like the Northern California Coastline. We've not made it back since he got home...he loves Shipwreck and we've gone there or Momoishi most often. 


Today we took off. We decided to follow the "highway signs" rather than the ITT directions. Who would have guessed the highway signs (which were translated to English) would switch to only Japanese for the final turn off Route  19. We found a gentleman who escorted us from Hachinohe station back to Route 19.  We made it home just fine. Not sure which directions I would recommend to others. LOL  For US Hwy 338 and Route 19 are right out our back door and we didn't have to pay tolls. 

Yeah, he liked it! 

Right after a wave came up and got me as I perched "safely" over the tidal pool.

Shirohama Beach 

Doesn't this look like a tsunami about to overtake Nolan? About this time a siren went off. ::snort:: 

Directions - how WE did it:


Hwy 338 towards Hachinohe. 


Veer LEFT on to Hwy 19.  Follow this into the outskirts of Hachinohe (if you reach the trains station....)


Turn LEFT at the intersection which has a use car lot on the right hand side...with a BIG sign of a BUXOM American type woman with red hair...bridge goes over water. 


Turn LEFT at the light with a Honda dealer on a corner.

Go pass Pia Doa mall, follow the signs that say Tanesashi and Kabushima

Turn RIGHT where signs indicate and go about 1.2 k

Turn  LEFT at light - go 2.4 K

Follow signs and VEER LEFT at the Y like intersection.

Turn RIGHT at light (follow sign) - go 5.6 K until you reach a grassy beach with ice cream shops nearby.

This does NOT take you up the coastline...coming home we followed the coastline past Shirahama Beach and Kabushima  until we got back to Hwy 19 and knew our way....just keep heading North and you'll find the base.


Choosing Joy!
©2011 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

Chocolate Overload/ Oreo Brownie Bombs

WOW! We are still deciding what our family name for these Oreo Peanut Butter Brownie Cakes will be (BTW for AMAZING photos of this visit the Picky Palate link)...... Jared announced the high school young men had decided as they were responsible to bring desert to the Youth Agape Fest they would all bring a "package of Oreos." In an inspired moment of  divine destiny, Kathy, posted several "Stuffed Oreo" recipes on Facebook.... Here is my attempt at healthy. ::snort:: 

Ingredients: 
24 Oreo Cookies (Newman O)
Peanut Butter (Natural, Organic)
Brownie Mix Assembled - 8x8 size - This brownie recipe minus the peanut butter


Preheat oven to 350*

Spread peanut butter on an Oreo (recipe said a tsp)

Top with a second Oreo, spread with more peanut butter - place in muffin cup

In an emergency you COULD skip the rest and just eat these. 

Make up brownie recipe or mix. Spoon "2 Tbsp" of mix over top of Oreos

Bake 16 - 20 min 

Wa La! 

Of course the moment of truth is to see how they will CUT and how they taste..... We divided one into fourths. I ate 1/4 and that was ALL I needed to be satisfied - don't know that I could eat a whole one. Arielle said these will be a hit at the Youth Agape Feast. 

Unbelievably good...crunchy, cakey, smooth, sweet...chocolaty....Much better than the deep fried Oreos from the Tako Beef and Garlic Festival. 

*The above name is subject to change. The men around here haven't tasted these yet. Arielle and I think the above are fairly descriptive. 


Choosing Joy!
©2011 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

A National Treasure!

Susane give PWOC board members these darling dolls for a gift before she LEFT US.  They are each different and show various people playing or working.  This is the one I got. 

As Susane explained....these are Washi Dolls. There is ONE lady left in Japan who makes this particular kind. She has been classified as a National Treasure.  She lives north of us. She is over 73 years old and has already survived a major health crisis (can't remember if it was heart or cancer or what)....anyway this is my treasure, made by one of Japan's national treasures, given to me by a friend, leader who I treasure.  You can read more about Eiko Ohyama here. 

Guess who Stacia and I met yesterday? 

We bought a signed book of her work...and , of course a doll (or so).

Choosing Joy!

©2011 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

Japanese Calligraphy Master

We bought the older kids their names in Kanji last year. We planned to get our family name done as well - and the rest of us..... Enter this man.... who wanted his photo taken with Stacia.  His name is Wako Hachiyo and he is a Japanese Calligraphy Master. Check out that beard with the pony tail clip in it. Stacia was smitten...evidently the feeling was mutual. You can read more about him here. 

"Ah, Kawai, kawai" - (cute). 


Stacia answered "Doitashimashite" - Your welcome - not exactly a correct response in any language. ::snort:: 


He asked her name and she responded. 

He made her a presento - a meaning paper (which I like as well as the finished products). 

Yep  - Stacia in Kanji. Each character means something - evidently her name says "Congratulations Queen Person"  ::big grin:: 

Our Family Name - "Delightful Peaceful Gorgeous Wide Family"

OK - we're the delightfully peaceful, gorgeous and wide family. I told him we have nine children and he said, "Very wide."  Then he said God Bless You - which is not the response we usually get in Japan. . . or in America come to think of it. ::snort:: 

Turns out he also has a "gift of healing." He transfers "excess energy," which he accumulates through mediation to others through his hands. 

Choosing Joy!
©2011 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

My Own Kaidan Tansu

This is my first year to visit the MOSC Bazaar. They didn't have one our first year here. I was traveling last year (I think the PWOC International conference).  Stacia was my only shopping partner. Michael did come to help select my major purchase, then he went to the office and we shopped and had lunch.

A funny....Stacia came downstairs looking ADORABLE  when she heard we were going shopping. I complimented her flower and butterfly and she told me, "I dressed up so the Japanese will say....ah, she's so cute and take my picture and give you a good deal." Um....I wonder what she will be like in the states without her paparazzi. I told her we were going on base and I didn't think there would be lots of Japanese people to talk to today. She was sad.

I was wrong. There WERE Japanese VENDORS, and KOREAN, THAI and vendors from Hong Kong.  She had a great time. She did get photos taken....and I DID get great deals....she got several "presentos" too.

We had been here less than 2 weeks when I saw a   Kaidan Tansu (Step Tansu). I knew I wanted to buy one before we leave Japan. I wanted something Asian, but not gaudy. We didn't bring a lot of our furniture when we moved here as we were told we'd be in base housing (old story). ::grin::  I began to save and window shop. The small ones I saw were running $1500 - $1800. I wanted a big one.

MANY told me the best place to buy one would be the MOSC Bazaar. This may be our last chance to attend a bazaar....however, if we are here next year, I'm sure to volunteer for this.

Michael was a bit surprised that I wanted a BIG tansu....I explained I was willing to give up the "forest in the corner" of our living room and the love seat to make it fit...but I thought it would fit. We compromised and got a "mid size". I didn't realize they'd bargain  (which isn't typical) but they said, "Chaplain, what do you want to pay for this?" Mike named a price far lower than I would have as I KNEW what the small ones cost....she asked for $100 more. We ended up getting the mid size for the price we'd pay for small one. I'm happy....and I really like the color we decided on too. The two big boxes and frame JUST fit in the van.....

A word about our living room. It's functional.  When we realized we'd have a nice size living room, we wished we'd brought furniture....but I had in mind a step tansu so didn't want to spend a lot of money on furniture....we bought these little wooden shelves.....this is the ONLY space I've had to set out "decorative" items..... We don't have a family room - so the living room is LIVED In and functional....but I wanted functional and pretty......

This one was very full of school stuff...it spilled over to the left....

Our entertainment center

There are two types of doors - this means one side of the tansu is a plain side and one is decorative....the cupboard and drawers open from either side. VERY versatile.  Of course we had to DECIDE which doors would face the room and which would face the wall.... Michael liked flowers, I liked plain.....

I suggested this (use both)....and was voted down. 

Plain side of the main piece

We moved the forest and I put the trees around the living room instead. We moved the "coffee table" to the entry way - which is nice for putting on snow pants and boots anyway.  I was able to bring out some decorative items. We spent hours cleaning, rearranging and fixing it up. The school stuff, Wii, Projector stuff is all still there....functional - but pretty....behind closed doors. I love it.

We put this piece to the left of our couch....the little teapots are antique cast iron pots. The jars hold some of our sea glass and agates found on the local beaches.

Top of the tall piece has my mother's day gift fountain (filled with sea glass), a basket of glass floats, more sea glass.... projector stuff, wii and school stuff is inside. 

We connected the second step piece here....and I was able to display gram's Bible, Uncle Bill's french horn, more sea glass....

I was able to move things off this shelf and bring my Kokechi Doll Collection down......

OH - this was inside the big piece. We removed it and then debated what to do with it...I suggested storing magazines, umbrellas, water bottles....the slipper idea has stuck. I  put it in the entry hall so guests can grab some slippers when they take off their shoes. 

Functional and pretty....I like. 

We also bought Christmas gifts for the girls and both Grandmas. We found a few other treasures. I'll blog about them later. 

Choosing Joy!
©2011 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

It's YOUR Friend

Remember that little "play sign?" The door bell has continued to ring an average of 3x a day. 


TODAY, however it only rang once!


Stacia opened the door said something and shut the door!

"Mom, it's not my friend! It's one of your friends!"

I ran to the door and it was Christie here to pick up Arielle to baby-sit!

Choosing Joy!
©2011 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...