Play date

This rainy season is for the birds.  Ugh.  I'm so over it already.  The varying temperatures and humidity leaves me feeling gross and irritable.  Yesterday we were playing at the park all afternoon.  The sun was out and the kids enjoyed running in the grass and spraying each other with water from the pond.  Today was pouring rain and very, very humid. 

So, when a friend invited my son and me over for lunch and a playdate, we happily accepted.  My friend made a lovely lunch of kawara soba.  I had never heard of kawara soba, so it was fun to try something new.

Kawara soba is matcha soba noodles (green tea buckwheat noodles) that are boiled and then heated on a tile (or in a skillet, like my friend did) until they are slightly crunchy.  The noodles are then topped with dried seaweed, thin strips of egg, marinated beef, and green onions.  There are slices of lemon laid on top.  Each person was given a small bowl of broth that we put a slice of lemon into.  After mashing the lemon with our chopsticks to release the juices, we dipped the noodles and toppings into the broth before eating them. 

The kawara soba was so yummy.  I really enjoyed the new version of soba that I've never had before.  After lunch the boys played and played and played.  We played with the boys for a while, but we were also able to talk a lot.  It is so rare that I'm able to just chat for an extended period of time.  Even at the park, there is lots of quiet time since there is a language barrier and communication can be difficult.  It felt so good to shoot the breeze for such a long afternoon.

It was such a nice afternoon, even though outside was so miserable.  A bit of sunshine on a rainy day.