Merry Christmas Photography!🎄🎄🎄

Hi all! Merry Christmas! I know that this post is a little bit late in the day, but I hope that everyone has had a wonderful day with their loved ones. I would like to share with you all a few of the photos I received from my first ever Christmas cosplay, so I hope you can enjoy that as a present from me. Eat, drink, and be merry as we end our Christmas night in the United States.  Also, just one more week left until 2018, so try your best to make 2017 end on a positive note. End this chapter of your life full of greatness! Without further ado, here are my Christmas Morrigan photos from various photographers during the Inland Empire Cosplay Gathering. I'll also post a couple of the photos I took at the gathering as well since I am a cosplaying photographer as well. 😊

Photography courtesy of Shameless Self Photography

Photography courtesy of Matthew Keiser

Photography courtesy of John Matter

Photography courtesy of Shameless Self Photography

Cosplayer - "Casual Goku" MVious Cosplay

Cosplayer - "Gijinka Ninetales" Kira Masquerade

Cosplayer - "Kuzan" Snazzy Jazzie

That's all for now you guys! I hope the photos were to your liking. If you guys ever need a photographer, I'm free for cosplay gatherings, photo meets, and conventions due to personal preference, but all private shoots start at 25$/hour, cheaper than most because I am just starting out. Anyway, I hope your Christmas is amazing and if I don't post before the new year have a happy start to your 2018!!💖💖 Let me know in the comments below how you intend to ring in the new year.

Till Next Time!

-Hachi

My, oh My! Mini Apple Pies!

Hi All! I am getting ready for my trek up north for the holiday today. That should be an adventure. Before all of that, I am doing some winter cleaning, and finishing up some baking. Here's a post of my mini apple pies recipe :)

Mini Apple Pies

While I made my own dough (which I will add in a later recipe), store bought dough will work just as well. :)
Here is a conversion chart from U.S. to metric units too.

Mini Apple Pies

Ingredients

• 1 package of store bought pie crusts - should have two dough rolls in it (room temperature)
• 1.5 - 2 apples (chopped/sliced/diced -whatever suits you)
• 1 teaspoon of cinnamon (add a few dashes more if disregarding the nutmeg) (or 1 teaspoon of cinnamon / 1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg)
• 1/2 cup of sugar (or less depending on your tastes)
• 1 tablespoon of cornstarch
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon of sugar for sprinkling on the pie tops

Directions:

1. Preheat oven at 375 degrees (F)
2. Grease a baking sheet with either butter, or baking spray (lightly)
3. Roll out your dough to 1/8 inch thick and using a 2.5-3 inch diameter cup (or cookie cutter) cut out 24+ circles.
4. Refrigerate the circles for 15 minutes
5. Mix together the cinnamon (or cinnamon/nutmeg), sugar, and cornstarch in a separate bowl.
6. Mix the dry ingredients with the apples. (You might have extra filling left over if you choose to make more pies later.)
7. Beat the egg and set aside
8. Add 2 teaspoons of filling to each bottom circle and lightly dab the egg wash to the edges of each bottom circle.
9. Cover with the top circle and pinch to seal.
10. Poke or slice four holes or slits in the top circle
11. Lightly cover the tops with egg wash.
12. Sprinkle the tops with sugar.
13. Bake 20 minutes

I hope my recipe made sense to you. If you made some, post a picture of your creations in the comments below :)

Merry Christmas (eve)!

Till Next Time!

-Hachi

Quick Updates! Happy Holidays :)

Christmas tree at Fashion Island

Hi All!

So sorry for another random hiatus! School and life have just been crazy these past two and a half months. I hope everyone has been well.  I am on winter break right now for the next 5 and a half weeks so that should be fun. I hope that gives me more time to blog. I miss it! This will be a quick update and the next post will be about my holiday baking adventures. :)

• Just finished my first complete year of grad school! YAY!
• I'll be attending Anime Los Angeles, next month and cosplaying as a Fairy Tail character. So expect a cosplay post as well, next month. :) 
• I'm starting to get back into gym life again, and would like some tips on proper lifting form, if anyone has it.
• Just finished another tutoring job at a different community college; that was an adventure.
• I've found a new passion for driving through the canyons of Southern CA (mostly Orange County). 
• I did my longest drive in my car yet (North OC to San Diego). 
• Still applying for research conferences: 
• I also went to a research conference in Chicago, IL during the week of November 17th. 
• That was great. I saw some of my old research labmates from undergrad and my former mentor. 
• I also saw some of my paternal family that I haven't seen in over 12 years for some and over 20 years for others.
• I've experienced the loss of one of my college friends during the San Bernardino attacks, and had a great support system to get me through that. 
• I also just celebrated my 26th birthday, last week.

That's about it for my update, I had some very good things occur and some very bad things occur in life these past two months.  Anyway, thank you for reading and I hope everyone has a great holiday season. :) Also, comment below and let me know how life has been for you recently. I hope well!

I tried out some pin curls, and failed haha

Snow in Chicago, IL 11/2015

Till Next Time!

-Hachi

Last Post of 2014~

Hi All~ It's been a while! I have been up north visiting family and friends. I am back in Southern CA now with my crazy cats lol. They really missed me; you never know how attached a pet is to a person until you leave them for a while. Anyway, it's time to reflect on 2014. The year itself was like any other year for the most part: school, work, making some new friends, losing some old, going to anime and comic book cons, playing new games. The main difference was having some family health scares, which put life into perspective for most. Especially when it's someone other than me for once. I am glad they are getting better and I hope 2015 is a better year for them. I am looking forward to the new year. New life changes, such as new school, making more new friends (I hope), finding love (I hope), getting a car, moving to a new city. Seeing old friends and family, who have stuck by me and continue to do so no matter where life takes us. I bravely anticipate whatever comes to me in 2015. I believe everything happens for a reason, so I will take it all with clarity and good reasoning. I wish that all of my friends, family, and readers have a happy and safe 2015 year, as well. Please keep each other close, hold each other tight, and keep the squabbles to a minimum. Life's too short to be lazy, remain sad, or be angry. Take each day one step at a time and think of at least one thing that makes you happy for that day. Instead of just 100 days of happiness, make it 364/5 days. Happiness is shown in many forms, just like many other emotions, use them all if you must. Just please be happy, please be kind, and please be healthy. I hope to interact with everyone more in 2015!

Till 2015 ;)

-Hachi

Merry Christmas :)

Hi all! Sorry for a slight delay of posts. I've been a bit busy with my research and winter house cleaning.  Right now, I am back in Northern California visiting family for a few days and then it's back to Southern California to await the start of graduate school.  So to keep this post short, I'll wish you all a nice and safe Christmas day and a happy holiday season :)

 Till Next Time!

 - Hachi

Stuffed Bell Peppers!

Hi All! So sorry that it's been a couple of weeks since I have blogged. Life gets in the way, as always. :/ I have a few upcoming blogs over the next week since I finally have free time, so stay tuned. :) Today's blog is a recipe I did last week of stuffed bell peppers with rice. As a kid, I was never that huge of a bell pepper fan, but now I like them. So I decided to make stuffed bell peppers, which was something I have not eaten in over 13 years. I was a bit apprehensive to how they might taste, but I must say they tasted ahmayzing (amazing)! So without further ado, here is my recipe. Partial credit goes to Betty Crocker as that is where I found the measurement amounts from. All of my adjustments are in purple font. :)

Stuffed Bell Peppers:

4       large bell peppers (any color)

1

lb lean ground beef (I use 93% lean ground beef for everything)

2

tablespoons chopped onion (brown onion)

1

cup cooked rice

1

teaspoon salt (or you can substitute for 1.5 teaspoons of taco seasoning)

1

clove garlic, finely chopped (or minced garlic)

1

can (15 oz) tomato sauce (any brand)

3/4

cup shredded mozzarella cheese (I used Cheddar Jack cheese and lots of it)

Step 1:
Wash and cut a thin slice from stem end of each bell pepper to remove top of pepper. Remove seeds and membranes; rinse peppers. If necessary, cut thin slice from bottom of each pepper so they stand up straight. Place them in a oven safe glass dish.

Step 2:
In 10-inch skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until beef is brown; drain. Stir in rice, salt (taco seasoning), garlic and 1 cup of the tomato sauce; cook until hot.

 Step 3:
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Stuff peppers with beef mixture. Stand peppers upright in ungreased 8-inch square glass baking dish. Pour remaining tomato sauce over peppers.

 

 

Step 4:
Cover tightly with foil. Bake 10 minutes. Uncover and bake about 15 minutes longer or until peppers are tender. Sprinkle with cheese.

  Step 5:
Remove from oven, and let cool a little bit before eating. Enjoy!



I hope you guys liked my recipe post. What is your favorite savory recipe? Let me know in the comments below!


Till Next Time!

-Hachi