Hanamidango

Thanks to K & S, Kat, who kindly translated this recipe for me, and whom I'm so grateful to, I can make my own Hanamidango. =] Here's the recipe. Have fun!!!

Hanami-Dango

Ingredients:
160g jyoushinko (rice flour)
40g shiratamako (glutinous rice flour)
50 sugar
2 tablespoon water
200ml hot water
10g boiled yomogi (mugwort)
red food coloring
sugar water

Directions:

1. In a bowl, mix shiratamako with water. Add jyoshinko and sugar. Add hot water a little at a time, mixing and kneading. The mixture should be a soft as your earlobe.

2. Wet a dish rag and put it at the bottom of a steamer. Break up the mixture you made in step 1 and wrap in the dish rag, steam for 25 minutes.

3. Take the steamed yomogi and put it into a mortar and grind until pasty.

4. After the 25 minutes, take the mochi out and split into thirds.

5. Mix a third with the yomogi, and another third with red food coloring (just use a drop or to to get the pink color), leaving one third white.

6. Break each color into 8 pieces, put some sugar water onto your hands, and roll into balls. Using a bamboo skewer, put one yomogi, one white, and one pink mochi onto it.
   

7. Idakamasu!!!

Chi Chi Dango

1 1/2 hours 10 min prep

4 cups mochiko sweet rice flour
2 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 (12 oz) can frozen coconut milk, thawed
2 cups water
red food coloring
cornstarch or potato starch

1. Combine all ingredients, beat with mixer (low speed) or wire whip until smooth and all lumps dissolve
2. Add red food coloring to desired tint. (personally, I think sakura *cherry-blossom* pink is the best)
3. Generously grease a 9 x 13" pan.
4. Pour into pan and bake one hour at 325 degrees.
5. Turn oven off but let sit another 15 minutes.
6. Cool.
7. Cut into strips, roll in potato starch or cornstarch.
8. Cut into small rectangular pieces with a saran wrap covered knife for easier cutting.

~Notes~
Be sure to keep the pan tightly covered with aluminum foil so the texture remains soft and chewy.

Kushi-Dango (skewered sweet dumplings)

This is a Japanese recipe for sweet rice dumplings on skewers. These are widely enjoyed in Japan and by...ME, lolz. If u watch anime shows, especially Naruto, u can see them sometimes eating these. =] Idakamasu!

55 min 45 min prep 4 servings

~For Dumplings~
1 cup glutinous-rice flour
3/4 cup warm water

~For Sauce~
3/4-1 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons potato starch or cornstarch
1 1/2 tablespoons water
bamboo sticks

1. Put rice flour in a bowl and add warm water.
2. Knead the dough well.
3. Make small round dumplings.
4. Place the dumplings in a steamer* and steam then on high heat for 10 minutes.
5. Cool the dumplings and skewer them on bamboo sticks. (3-4 dumplings each stick)
6. Mix water, sugar, and soy sauce in a pan and put it on medium heat.
7. Mix the water and potato starch in a pan and set is aside.
8. When the sauce boils, quickly add the starch mixture and mix quickly.
9. (optional) Slightly grill the skewered dumplings and brush the sauce over them.
Idakamasu!!!! ^_^

~Notes~
*if you don't have a steamer, you can just fill a large pot with water, let it boil, place the dumplings in a metal bowl, and place it into the pot, careful not to overturn it into the water.

Hero's Come Back

Here are the lyrics for one of my favorite anime songs from Naruto. =]

Hero's Come Back

Tooku de kikoeru koe wo hinto ni
Hitori mata hitori tachiagaru doushi
Kurikaesu dake no fudan doori
Kutsugaesu junbi ii ze ARE YOU READY?

Karadajuu furuwasa shindou ni
Hageshiku uchinarase yo STOMPING
Taezu tsukiugokasu CALL ME
Kawaru yuruganu tsukamu STORY

COME ON! EVERYBODY STAND UP!
Agero kyou ichiban no jikan da
Me ni mo tomoranu SPEED HUNTER
Daremo ga mina toriko kanban YEAH!

COME ON! EVERYBODY HANDS UP!
Matashita no HEROE'S COMEBACK!
Zujou kazoe yubioru COUNTDOWN
Iku ze, 3-2-1 MAKE SOME NOISE!

HEY YO mou tasho no risuku wa kakugo desho
Nankai korondatte tatsu GET IT ON
Nareai janaize kamihitoe no sesshon
Irikunda kanjou kizukuageta kesshou

Wakiagaru kansei wa yuuki to naru
Tachiagareba ima ijou kurushimi tomonau
Sore demo saigo wa kitto waru
Subete sarau shouri no kansei

EVERYBODY STAND UP!
Agero kyou ichiban no jikan da
Me ni mo tomoran no SPEED HUNTER
Daremo ga mina toriko kanba YEAH!

COME ON! EVERYBODY HANDS UP!
Matashita no HEROE'S COMEBACK
Zujou kazoe yubioru COUNTDOWN
Iku ze, 3-2-1 MAKE SOME NOISE!

English

A faraway voice clues me in
One after another, comrades prepare for battle
No more doing th same stuff over and over,
We're gonna turn that shit inside-out, ARE YOU READY?

My body shivers straight to the core
The energy rings out like violent STOMPING
It CALLS ME unrelentingly
This is an unstoppable comeback STORY

COME ON EVERYBODY STAND UP!
Today's your best shot
You're a SPEED HUNTER, you can't be stopped!
You're a hit, everyone's watching you! YEAH!

COME ONE EVERYBODY HANDS UP!
It's the hero's comeback you've been waiting for
Throw up your hands and COUNT DOWN!
Let's go, 3-2-1 MAKE SOME NOISE!

HEY YO, there's gonna be risks, can you handle 'em all?
Get back up and GET IT ON no matter how much you fall!
It's not some connection, just a paper-thin connection
Now those pent-up feelings are a crystal of emotions

The rising tide of cheers will give you courage
Getting back up ill be harder than ever
But I know you'll end up smiling!
The thrill of victory will push it all away!

EVERYBODY STAND UP!
Today's your best shot
You're a SPEED HUNTER, you can't be stopped!
You're a hit, everyone's watching you! YEAH!

COME ON, EVERYBODY HANDS UP!
It's the hero's comeback you've been waiting for!
Throw up your hands and COUNT DOWN!
Let's go, 3-2-1 MAKE SOME NOISE!

Nandai

Kanete naki
mi koso yasukere
yuki no michi

Since time began
the dead alone know peace.
Life is, but melting snow