Happy New Year to all my dearest readers!
I hope you had a wonderful New Year celebration with your friends and family. The New Years (Shogatsu) is one of the most important annual festivals in Japan, probably equivalent to Christmas or Thanksgiving in the US. We follow unique customs including eating special food called Osechi, and decorate the house and entry way to the house with special decorations. One of the decorations we decorate inside the house (see the picture above) is called Kagami Mochi, which literally means “mirror rice cake”. It is considered to bring good luck and prosperity in the near year.
Kagami Mochi is made from two rice cakes of different sizes with the smaller one placed over the larger one. The mochi are placed on a konbu sheet, a symbol of pleasure and joy. The decorative mochi is taken out on January 11 and hammered into pieces for Ozoni or traditional Mochi soup. It is extremely unlucky to cut Kagami Mochi with a knife so people break it into smaller pieces with a hammer.
This year we couldn’t get to celebrate Japanese New Years in the traditional way since my mom is visiting from Japan and we are in San Diego for a short vacation. My children had a blast spending the past few days in all the local attractions like LEGOLAND, San Diego Zoo Safari Park, San Diego Zoo, and Sea World.
I just wanted to take a moment and say a special thank you at the beginning of the new year. I’m thankful for your comments and emails, your encouragement, and finally your support. I started my blog last year without knowing what a “blog” is. I had no audience besides my husband, a couple of friends, and myself back then. My blog evolved throughout the past year, and without you, I wouldn’t be able to celebrate the winning of CBS San Francisco’s Most Valuable Blogger 2011 and 1st Blogiversary today!!
I wish to meet each one of you to thank you, but that’s not possible, so I prepared this giveaway in a token of appreciation. Thank you from bottom of my heart!
*****
YOU could win one of three: one (1) $50 Amazon Gift Card or Cash via PayPal or two (2) $25 Amazon Gift Card or Cash via PaPal.
To enter, please leave a comment on this post with any feedback or suggestion for me to improve my blog.
For Bonus Entries to maximize your chances of winning, please:
1) Subscribe to Just One Cookbook by Email and leave a comment.
2) Tweet this giveaway daily through January 15th (one entry per day) and leave a comment for each entry. For example:
I just entered to win $50/$25/$25 Amazon GC or Cash via PayPal @justonecookbook. #giveaway https://www.justonecookbook.com/happy-1st-blogiversary-giveaway/
The Rules: This giveaway is WORLDWIDE and expires on Sunday, January 15th, 2012 at 11:00 pm PST. Entries that do not meet the entry requirements will not be considered. Winners will be selected by random.org and announced on Monday, January 16th.
Full disclosure: This giveaway is sponsored by yours truly.
Hello, I was hoping you have a recipe for japanese style cabbage tsukemono. I love this side dish. Please share it if you do. I would love to see more of these types of recipes.
https://twitter.com/#!/ElenaIstomina/status/155729325033922560
Nami, happy blog anniversary! It is amazing what you have accomplished in one year and with 2 young children too…you must me super mom! I love hearing about your Japanese customs. That is the amazing thing about blogging we can learn from everyone with different backgrounds and learn more about not just their food, but celebrations and customs. I love it! My daughter wants to live in Japan, but since that probably won’t happen very soon, it’s so nice visiting here.
https://twitter.com/#!/aes529/status/155691840782340096
daily tweet!
https://twitter.com/#!/JenniferCNP/status/155659467831259136
email subscriber
Congratulations Nami! What you accomplished in JUST ONE year is amazing. Your blog is aptly named. Best wishes for continued success.
LL
I just started reading your blog…so no suggestions yet but so far so good!
hgrossman at cableone dot net
https://twitter.com/#!/aes529/status/155416046222839809
Tweeted!
OMG .. you too completed 1 year on the same date!! But honestly looking at your gorgeous site .. no one can say you have done all these in just one year. You are amazing Nami and so talented 🙂
Happy Blog Birthday sweetie and Happy New Year 🙂
https://twitter.com/#!/ElenaIstomina/status/155366200954716161
Happy Anniversary and the suggestion is keep you the good work 🙂 love your blog and recipes.
daily tweet
https://twitter.com/#!/disneyfan40/status/155329833075884033
Congratulations on your 1st Blog Anniversary! You have done an amazing job with the blog. Wishing you many more years ahead!