Afternoon Snack - Crepes!

Another thing that Machida is known for is their various crepe vendors - yummy!

Here is a display case that showed amazingly life-like representations of their most popular crepes. Luckily, most looked delicious although they had a few savory versions with tuna salad or potato salad, yuck!

I went with the strawberries, vanilla ice cream, chocolate syrup and whipped cream, Rich went with vanilla ice cream, chocolate syrup and whipped cream, and Amy went with strawberries, whipped cream and chocolate syrup.

Here is the girl making our orders - she was amazingly skilled (and I'm not being facetious). She assembled all three of our orders simultaneously, including making the crepes on a pan and scooping the ice cream, and had each crepe wrapped perfectly.

Here's a close up look at my crepe - I didn't realize it when ordering, but the ice cream crepes also had some corn flakes added for a nice crunch.

I swear it's just the angle of the photos that make these crepes look gigantic, because all it took was one minute and a few bites for them to disappear.

And yes, all three of us headed to gym with my Dad later in the afternoon to make up for this calorie intake!

Afternoon Snack, Two Favorites

In case you hadn't already figured out, a big part of being home in Japan is what I get to eat!

My snack today was mini chocolate croissants (thanks Mom for remembering I like these)

These taste mostly like bread but have the faintest ribbon of chocolate going through them.

And one of my all-time favorites, Japanese yogurt:

Japanese yogurt has a different (more watery) consistency and taste than American yogurt and it's so good - plus it has chunks (and lots of them) of fruit that are firm and tasty. This particular flavor was a mixed fruit with apple, pineapple and peach. I also picked up an apple yogurt for breakfast tomorrow.

Afternoon Snack, Japanese Bakery

Today's snack wasn't quite as healthy as yesterday's!

My mom had a dentist appointment today, which took us offbase near Sagamihara (one of the three Army bases that make up the Camp Zama area).

On our way back, an Odakyu OX bakery caught my eye. Oddly enough, this chain of bakeries - while being attached to train stations - has amazing baked goods.

Japanese baked goods range from savory to sweet, from delicious to just plain bizarre.

For example, they sell hot dogs baked into rolls and covered with mustard (from the left, first item on top shelf). In a bakery. There were also two pizzas that could be purchased by the slice.



But in typical Japanese fashion, they also had some adorable Christmas-themed desserts.



This was my choice, which I enjoyed after lunch.



It consisted of a light, cranberry-dotted bread, a milky frosting (which didn't have any sweetness, just tasted like milk), a chocolate mousse center, topped with some chunks of chocolate and a piece of fake holly. It was great even though the combination of ingredients may not sound too appealing. A perfect example of a Japanese baked good where it isn't too sweet, has a great tasting light bread rather than cake, and is a pleasure to behold.

Supposedly Brookline has a bakery named Japonaise on Beacon Street that is supposed to offer Japanese-style pastries. I may be motivated to check them out after this visit home!

Afternoon Snack, Asian Style

Another sign that I'm back in Japan and under the care of a loving Korean mother is what I'm eating - one prime example was my afternoon snack today.





It consisted of boiled (not roasted like the song) chestnuts, a tangerine (with the thin, easy-to-peel skin and delicious taste that Asian tangerines have that I have yet to find in the states), and a few slices of boiled sweet potato.

And if you get a chance, ask Camie about her family's Japanese sweet potato story - it makes me laugh every time I hear it!