This is the last post on the Asian inspired ideas, and I want to share a way of thinking that has really captured my interest. One of the things that really inspires me is the Japanese way of showing gratitude and an appreciation of beauty in everything, down to the smallest thing, the tiniest detail. …
Category: Japanese Inspired February
Zhenzhu Qiu – Asian Pearl Balls
Like many cooks, I am always looking for ways to have flavorful and interesting meals while saving money wherever possible. A few months ago, our local grocery put ground chicken on sale for a ridiculously low price, so I bought 5 pounds, not knowing what I could possibly do with it. That made an opportunity …
Sakura Tsuki finishing
The Japanese inspired art quilt was loaded on the longarm for quilting, and I knew before I put it on how I wanted to quilt it. There are some fan shapes in the print, and one of my new pantographs has the same feel. I have a lovely golden brown polyester thread that is very …
Ikebana – The Art of Arranging
Ikebana is the art of arranging natural elements in a display. The art is over 500 years old, beginning around the time of the advent of formal gardens in Japan. Bringing the natural world inside is something we all do, picking flowers from the garden to display in a vase on a table, or bringing …
Asian Inspired Salad
Warmer days are coming, and temperatures here will be in the high 60s all week this week. I know there will be a freeze before the real spring is here, but for now it is great weather for hiking and being outside. For a lighter meal perfect for warmer days, I have a new salad …
Omiyage
Gift giving is something I really enjoy. Seeing someone's face as they receive a little remembrance as a surprise is fun. In the Japanese tradition of Omiyage, in past times, gifts were given to the lords of the lands for protection with many rules on the gift itself down to how it was wrapped and …
Bonsai Society Show and Garden update
Last fall, the NC Arboretum hosted a gathering of fifteen Bonsai Societies in a marvelous exhibition of this ancient art. Entries for judging came primarily from associations in North Carolina, along with Tennessee, Georgia and South Carolina. The bonsai trees ranged from the amazingly tiny to huge. I took almost 100 photographs of these interesting …
Shumai
Now that you have a lovely Asian Inspired Table, you need some food for it. I have been working on Asian inspired recipes and I have three new ones for you. Today, my take on a Chinese shumai, a steamed dumpling open at the top instead of completely encased in the wrapper. I thought this was …
Sakura Tsuki Art Quilt
Japanese and Asian inspired fabrics are more easily found in stores now as well as online, or maybe I am just paying more attention to them more than I used to. Beautiful prints with metallic accents are so appealing to me. I have several pieces that I received from a friend before she passed, and …
Aka Kuroguro Table for Two
This month I am sharing posts that are Oriental inspired, on a variety of subjects. Although I like a full table, and I don't mind a bit of clutter during certain times of the year, this Japanese inspired table for two begins with simplicity. Aka Kuroguro means Red and Black, so it is the name …
From My Carolina Home 