more chocolate.

a box of cupcakes arrived from grandma on valentine weekend.

mommy claimed they were too pretty to eat

(before she chomped one down).

valentine's day.

life is like a box of chocolates.

mommy let me have a piece of chocolate today.

alsace wine.

i've been sick this week and haven't been up to much.

grandma shipped over a carton of Alsace white wine.

daddy and mommy are all smiles 

when they pop open this bottle at the end of the day.

more japanese cookies.

our favorite tin of cookies comes from my great aunt.

Kaishindo cookies, since 1874.

borscht.

the perfect hearty soup for cold cold winter nights.

borscht with beef shank, onions, beets, potatoes, and carrots.

we devoured it with a spoonful of sour cream and a thick piece of bread.

what's your favorite soup?

surrender demon.

today was Setsubun in Japan.

that means spring is around the corner!

table manners.

hokkaido sea urchin with consomme jelly and white turnip mousse.

a starter dish for my first full course meal.