Our last-minute akiya renovations before the winter snow in the Japanese countryside

We had our first snow days in the Japanese countryside as we rushed to complete some ceiling renovations in our akiya house! Chapters include: -Taking down a bag-full of wasp nests from the ceiling ? -Introducing our new firewood source ? -Snow playtime with Pancake❄️? -Cooking with nanohana, a late-winter staple here in Japan, using two of our neighbour's suggested recipes ? (full recipe below) ___________________________ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maigomika Blog: https://www.maigomika.com/ Become a regular contributor at Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/MaigoMika Donate one time on Ko-Fi (https://ko-fi.com/maigomika). ___________________________ ⭐FAQ ⭐ Answers to my most commonly asked questions: https://www.maigomika.com/about-me/faq/ ___________________________ ?Add music to your work with my #Artlist referral link (https://artlist.io/referral/6990894/Maigo), and we both receive two free months on your one-year subscription! ?Add music using my #Uppbeat referral link: https://share.uppbeat.io/w4lcb9r82og1 *I earn commission from your referrals with no added cost to you. ___________________________ Nanohana with Mentaiko: 1. Thoroughly wash and sort the young leaves of nanohana. 2. Sautée leaves with oil. 3. Grill mentaiko for about 2 to 3 minutes—just to warm it through. 4. Remove mentaiko from the heat and gently mash. 3. Once the nanohana greens are bright green, toss in mashed mentaiko ___________________________ For the larger nanohana leaves: 1. Larger nanohana leaves can be slightly bitter. Boil them for 1-2 minutes until bright green to reduce bitterness. 2. After boiling, drain the leaves thoroughly and sprinkle salt over them to help draw out the bitterness. Rinse the leaves under cold water to cleanse away excess salt and bitterness. 3. heat a generous amount of cooking oil and sauté the drained leaves over medium heat in a skillet. Add a splash of sake for depth of flavor, a drizzle of mirin for sweetness, and a dash of soy sauce for umami. 4. Sauté until the leaves are well-coated and heated, then transfer to a serving dish. ___________________________ ?Chapters 00:00 Intro 00:31 Past renovation catch up 01:10 Removing hornet's nests 01:51 Soffit repair 03:15 Adding a storage shelf 04:30 The first dusting of snow hits Japan 05:32 Our new firewood source 07:56 First real snow day 11:47 Neighbour recipe with nanohana 13:27 Bloopers ___________________________ #japancountryside #akiya #countrysidecooking