I started my journey toward parenthood three years ago in January 2006, which included a laparoscopy, 2 D&C’s, a major surgery to remove both fallopian tubes, and months of in vitro fertilization treatments. On January 4, 2008, four frozen embryos were transferred and on January 14 and 16, it was confirmed by HCG blood tests that I was pregnant. My due date was set at September 24, 2008, but baby did not make her appearance until October 4, 2008 when labor was induced. Krislyn Yuki was born a healthy 6 lbs. 5.6 oz. and was 20″ long.
I resigned from my job at the Postal Service to become a stay-at-home mom (SAHM) on February 27, 2009, having gone on maternity leave and never looked back.
Interests include: Shotokan karate, Okinawan & Japanese culture and performing arts (currently an Okinawan dancer on hiatus), photography, writing, videography and video editing, discovering new restaurants and reviewing them on champuru.net.
“Champuru” is an Okinawan stir fry dish, literally meaning a “mixture.” In a figurative sense, it’s similar to what locals would call “chop suey.” A whole bunch of stuff, tossed in, mixed up to create a unique flavor. I selected this pseudonym years ago, mainly to relate to my Okinawan heritage, but also felt that it was an appropriate way to describe my appreciation of many different cultures and interests.
Goya Champuru Recipe
Ingredients:
1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1 large goya
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 onion, minced
1 block of tofu
1 can of tuna (you can also use chicken or rafute shoyu pork)
3 eggs, beaten
dash of soy sauce
dash of mirin
dash of black pepper
1 tbsp salt
To prepare goya, slice lengthways and remove seeds; gently scraping the inside with a spoon to remove all of the core. Chop thinly and place goya into a bowl. Add salt to the chopped goya and gently massage until thoroughly coated (this will temper the bitterness). Add cold water and let sit for 15-30 minutes. After soaking, rinse off salt completely and set goya aside.
Using high heat, saute oil, garlic, and onions. Cook until onions become semi-translucent, then add goya and tuna. After goya is tender, crumble tofu into the mix and infuse with soy sauce, mirin, and pepper until it reaches the desired flavor. Add eggs and toss mixture until thoroughly coated – taking care not to overcook.
