明けましておめでとうございます!Happy New Year!
Happy New Year! Did you have a nice, relaxing holiday? As for me, I had the best New Year’s ever! To start off the holiday, I made osechi – traditional Japanese New Year’s dishes. Last year, I made way too many dishes, and we couldn’t finish eating everything. This year, I decided to make just enough for us to have a different combination of dishes for lunch and dinner. Even so, I was still very busy on December 31st!
明けましておめでとうございます!皆さん、お正月をゆっくりお過ごしになられましたか?私にとっては、お正月は最高でした!まずは、おせち料理を作ってみました。去年はおせち料理を作りすぎて、食べきれなかったですが、今年は昼ご飯と晩ご飯のために丁度いい量と料理のバラエティーを作るようにしました。それにしても、12月31日はとても忙しかったです!
![](https://i2.wp.com/tomonienglish.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/osechi-one-far-tilt-right.jpg?resize=768%2C708&ssl=1)
This was our “lunchtime osechi“! I made red bean rice; yellowtail marinated in sake, soy sauce, mirin and yuzu; pounded burdock root in sesame seed dressing with black pepper; and sweet potato with candied chestnuts. I also made nanohana (rapeseed blossoms) dressed in spicy Japanese mustard and seasoned soy sauce, which is not a traditional osechi dish, but I wanted to add something green for color.
こちらは「昼食のおせち」でした!赤飯、ぶりの柚庵焼き(柚子風味)、たたきごぼう(黒胡椒風味)と栗きんとんを作りました。おせち料理ではないですが、何か緑のものが必要だと思って、菜の花の辛し和えも作りました。
![](https://i0.wp.com/tomonienglish.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/osechi-two-straight-on.jpg?resize=768%2C671&ssl=1)
For our “dinnertime osechi“, I made chicken simmered with lotus root, burdock root, shiitake mushrooms, carrots and snow peas; deep-fried shrimp coated in sesame seeds; simmered black beans; and carrots and daikon marinated in rice vinegar, sugar and yuzu juice.
「夕食のおせち」は、鶏もも肉の煮しめ、えびの白ごま揚げ、黒豆と紅白なます(柚子風味)でした。
![](https://i1.wp.com/tomonienglish.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/osechi-vegetarian.jpg?resize=768%2C536&ssl=1)
Also, since my son is a vegetarian, I put together a special set of meatless osechi dishes, just for him! (He is a very picky eater, but surprisingly he happily ate everything!)
また、私の息子はベジタリアンなので、彼のために特別な「肉無しのおせち」も作りました!(食べ物の好き嫌いが多い息子でも、驚くことに喜んで食べてくれました!)
![](https://i2.wp.com/tomonienglish.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/hatsumode-top-of-otera.jpg?resize=768%2C576&ssl=1)
After taking it easy at home for a couple of days, my husband and I decided to go for a hike along Gogakusan, a beautiful mountain range located in Zentsuji City. This is the view from Mt. Gahaishi, looking down on Shusshakaji Temple.
数日、家でのんびりとした日を過ごした後で、私と夫は善通寺市にある美しい五岳山に登ろうと決めました。こちらの写真は我拝師山からの景色で、出釈迦寺の奥院も見えます。
![](https://i1.wp.com/tomonienglish.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/hatsumode-view.jpg?resize=768%2C576&ssl=1)
The view from the top of Mt. Gahaishi was breathtaking!
我排師山の頂上からの景色は息を呑むほど美しかったです!
![](https://i1.wp.com/tomonienglish.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/hatsumode-standing.jpg?resize=576%2C768&ssl=1)
This New Year’s holiday was filled with good food, lots of time spent with family, and an unforgettable adventure in the great outdoors. I have a feeling this year is going to be a good one!
お正月は美味しい食べ物を一杯食べたし、家族と一緒に過ごせる時間もたっぷりだったし、美しい自然に囲まれて忘れられない冒険も楽しみましたので、2022年は良い年になりそうな気がします!