Where's spring gone???

Summer, already?
For this last few weeks,  I am feeling strong sunshine on my back. Temperature goes up to 20C.

So, how is Cherry blossom doing? Wow, tulips' buds are getting bigger and bigger.

Oh, I found a lot of eggs of flogs in my pond. I can already see tiny tadpole in those eggs...they are moving!!!

I really cannot get used to the swift change of seasons.

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On the way to hospital yesterday, I saw a cherry tree fully blooming.
The sky was too blue that I could not believe it is still in the middle of March.
It was snowing around today last year. Oh, dear...

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The problem is Sakuramochi. This is presenting cherry blossom. In an-an's calender, Sakuramochi comes on April, but I shall bring it on the March menu this year. 

March sweets and sales

Gust, hailstones and daffodils.

It's very British Spring.
Every five minutes, sky is changing into blue and gray....and dark black. 

Why can't we have a calm beautiful early spring day like Japanese???
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Here is the line-ups of March sweets.

＊Uguisu Mochi ￡1.30/pce

＊Umenoka ￡1.30/pce

＊Sanshoku Dango　￡1.30/stick

＊Daifuku Mochi（Koshi・Tsubu）￡1.00/pce

＊Ohagi（Koshi・Tsubu・Kinako）￡1.30/pce

I will make more variety of sweets for larger events. Please pop in.

Buy the way, I am always asked about Strawberry Mochi and Sakura Mochi. Sakura mochi will be avairable in April, Strawberry Mochi will come when British Strawberries are on supermarkets' shelves. Please be patient.

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Here is the sales schedules.

３/３（Mon）around 11 o'clock~　

　　　Cornerstones Church, Hove

　 ６（Thu）around 11 O'clock~　

　　　Japanese Cafe oo-my　only 10 min on foot fm BR・Portslade

　 8（Sat）around 12 O'clock~

          Croydon Japanese School (Hoshuko)

　　　Pre-order only

　　　        around 15 O'clock~　

　　　Brighton and Hove Japanese Club　

　　　Pre-order only fro non-members

　　13（Thu）around 11 O'clock~　

　　　Japanese Cafe oo-my　only 10 min on foot fm BR・Portslade

　　15（Sat）12:00～16:00

　　　Brighton and Hove Japanese Club Open Day

　　　　　＊Please check the website for more detail.

　　20（Thu）around 11 O'clock~　

　　　Japanese Cafe oo-my　only 10 min on foot fm BR・Portslade

　　27（Thu）around 11 O'clock~　

　　　Japanese Cafe oo-my　only 10 min on foot fm BR・Portslade

　　29（Sat）round 15 O'clock~　

　　　Brighton and Hove Japanese Clubブライトン＆ホーブ日本語クラブ　

　　　Pre-order only fro non-members

From Next month, I deliver to Cornerstones Church on the first Mondays. It is a part of Japanese Toddler Group. If you have any inquiry, please send me a mail.

If you would like to organize a group delivery of an-an sweets every month, please write to info@an-an.co.uk.

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It has been such a nice weather in the past few days...

I need to be more active....not.

I am locked myself in my kitchen and prepare for the up coming BIG event...

See me there, if you can.

Tomorrow is "Girls' Festival!(Hinamatsuri)"

It's already March!
In my garden, yellow daffodils are blooming proudly.

Spring has come!!!

I am so sorry not to write this blog for so long. After I got ill in Japan, my energy level has not come back to normal yet. Whenever I make sweets, I just flatten in my bed without uploading onto here.

I always take some photos to upload here!!!
I will show the photos soon.

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so, March means "Hinamatsuri" for Japanese.
It is a festival for girls to wish a good wedding and married life to come.

Girls doesn't mean young female... A big girls are "Girls", too!

Here is the this year's Ohinasama sweets.

These are made of Nerikiri.

White bean paste coloured and shaped.

The groom has smooth adzuki bean paste inside 

and the green colour come from Japanese Macha Green tea.

Yesterday, I took them to Japanese Schools and passing-by screamed,

「Kawaii----!」

That's made my day.

I will have a delivery tomorrow morning towards Brighton, so if you want to buy the set, please let me know before 8pm tonight.

I should have done this at least weeks ago, but I am not organized at all... and I wasn't confident I could make them...

I did this drawings 2 days ago... it triggered.

Here is a group photo.

It was a have happy ending for all...

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There are so many spring sweets on my list.
The detail comes on the next blog.

I shall go and cook beans... bye for now.

an-an is back to UK!

an-an is now back from Japan!




Aww...There were so many thing happened and I don't know where to start.

On the 1st of January, my mother broke her wrist bone and needing to have a complicated operation to connect her shattered bones.  

On the 3rd of January, I caught a cold.... really bad one. 
It progressed to inner ear infection with high fever.

I managed to flew here with a strong pain killer, but my ears are not functioning normally.

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It's still quite difficult to stand still, as I lost the sense of balance.
It will be difficult to serve sweets, as I have hearing difficulty.

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I will let you know when I can come to sell my sweets at oo-my here.
Till then, I try to upload my eventful Japanese trip.

I can still write this blog! Yes!
So keep watching this space!

Here is the photo I had a lunch at my mum's hospital.

Kaki-Fry lunch set.

(breaded deep-fried oyster lunch set.)

It was yum!

Happy New Year from Japan!

2014 has come to Japan about one houre ago.

This year is Hose year in Chinese/Japanese calender.

I feel time goes as fast as a top class racing hose this year, so I won't waste even one minuts, one second... 

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I shall eat as much wonderful and authentic sweets her in Japan. 

I will steal the skill and bring back to the UK.

Till then, I shall report my food diary as soon as I find something good.

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Big Thanks for your support in 2013.

I wish if an-an can move to another direction in 2014.

Merry Christmas!

It's first in the morning of Christmas Day.

I was woken up by my kids' screaming voice opening presents... at 6am.

Unfortunately, some of the parts in UK are hit by sever weather condition, and suffered from flooding and power cuts... I really hope every one can feel at least one happiness in this difficult situation.

So, my Christmas Dinner fight begins ... now.

This Gingerbread house made by my kids.

And treats for Father Christmas and Reindeer.

Milk? not Red wine???

Our household is non-alcoholic.

Safe for Santa's driving, isn't it?

Happy Birthday!

Today is my little sister's birthday.

"little"? well she is well into adulthood and Japanese call her "ara-four (around 40's)" She is just four years younger than me.

Just 10 days ago, she gave a birth to my little nephew, and have a really busy days and night with her first son, who is 5 years old.

I shall sing "Happy Birthday" here with my son and daughter.  I save a big birthday cake for the day we come to Japan to see her and little one. We celebrate her"belated" birthdays at that time!!!

By then, the baby should be sleeping long enough for her to finish a piece of cake.

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Well, never forget, my son's birthday is coming on 7th December, too.
I never forget, but .... I have a Christmas party to attend in the evening.
Awww...I feel a bit guilty, because it will the 10th birthday of my first son.

Anyway, let's celebrate and have a lot of fun on the Birthday EVE, son!


I just want to say...

Thanks to both of you for being a lovely member of my family.

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My cold is getting better...(well, some of you may think "she caught a cold...AGAIN!"), so I will be at the cafe tomorrow.

The theme will be "Satsuma"!

Satsuma daihuku
Sweet potato Yokan
Baked Sweet Potato

Interesting? In Japanese, Sweetpotato is called Satsuma Potato.
Please meet me at oo-my tomorrow.

oo-my Japanese Cafe
２７Boundary Road, Hove
（Opposite of Kwik Fix）
11:30-14:00