by Karen Soo, Newsletter Editor

Here’s a simple cookie recipe that uses only 5 ingredients.

YES, let me repeat… 5 ingredients to make a small batch of banana bread chocolate chip cookies in my little toaster oven.

Whether you eat these for breakfast, dessert or as a snack, they will certainly satisfy your sweet cravings. They don’t contain any dairy, eggs, flour or gluten, and you would never even know because they are that good!

Enjoy.. Julia and I have Birthday Celebrations this month!!

Bon Appetit – Julia Child and Karen Soo share the same birthday.

Total Preparation time: 15 minutes

Servings: 2 large cookies or 6 regular cookies or 13 little bite size cookies. (I prefer this one)

Ingredients

1 ripe banana (mashed)

1/4 cup organic peanut butter (or any nut butter)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

3/4 cup oats

1/4 cup dark chocolate chips (or any chips you prefer)

by Karen Soo, Newsletter Editor

New York City is filled with colorful murals. When a mural is visible, it prevents the graffiti artist from tagging the blank wall. https://newyorksimply.com/nyc-best-murals-new-york-city/

I saw this mural in Chinatown. Can you find the 12 Chinese Zodiac animals?
It took me awhile to find them. https://www.chinatownmuralproject.org/

HINT – The flying Phoenix is not a member of the Chinese Zodiac animals.

July is here and we have officially stepped into the second half of the year. I’m not sure how the British celebrate Independence Day but I’ll bet it’s not with the same gusto and élan as here in the states. So do your part on the 4^th of July by raising Old Glory high above and into the field of blue

NSC Initiatives From Last Season

Last year I presented two initiatives for the upcoming season: Family Memberships and the FWSA Website Award. A proposal for the Family Memberships is being developed, and our website is about 65% of meeting the FWSA requirements. Both initiatives are still a work-in-progress and will take a little bit more time to complete.

Mt. View Obon Festival

The Mt. View Obon Festival is on 20-21 July at the Mt. View Buddhist Temple. Yes, there is a slight conflict because our Annual Membership and Luau Picnic is on the 21^st. In the past NSC members volunteered to work various booths, with the Beer Booth the most coveted prize. If interested in volunteering then go to https://sangha.mvbuddhisttemple.org/obon/ and see where your talents can best be used. Rest assured that there will be a variety of delicious cuisine, carnival-style games, cultural events, lots of people, the famous Beer Booth, and try not to bring home any goldfish in a plastic bag. For more information visit their website at https://obon.mvbuddhisttemple.org

NSC Annual Membership Meeting and Luau Picnic

The NSC Annual Membership Meeting and Luau Picnic is on Sunday, July 21st, so mark your calendars. As usual the club will be providing beverages and a lunch entrée and you can bring a favorite side dish. Details will be on the Picnic Flyer

2025 NSC Ski Week

There has been a date change for the 2025 NSC Ski Week at Sun Peaks, BC and is now 1-8 February. So mark your calendar and start planning on a ski week to Canada’s second largest resort with 4,700 skiable terrain acres. Also, check your passport’s expiration date. Air Canada no longer carries skis when flying to Kelowna, but fortunately we have 25 seats available on Alaska Air, and 7 additional seats if you’re not taking any skis. That’s the gang at Sun Peaks in 2014. Take a look at the flyer in this newsletter, fill it out, and send it in to secure your spot on the trip.

Sports America has posted the Epic/Ikon links for the 2024-2025 season and is offering a 6.5% trip rebate (based on pass price) if you purchase the passes from Sports America and go on the Sun Peaks trip:

Use this for Epic passes: https://www.sportsamerica.com/epic-nisei

Use this for Ikon passes: https://www.sportsamerica.com/ikon-nisei

Password: snow

Questions: contact president@niseiskiclub.org

QotM: Don’t let the fear of striking out hold you back. – Babe Ruth

by Karen Soo, Newsletter Editor

In honor of our country’s 247th Birthday Celebration, Happy 4th of July.

Have a great time with your family and friends. Be safe and watch out for those fireworks.

by Karen Soo, Trip Director

Please join us on Sunday, July 21st at Las Palmas Park in Sunnyvale for our annual Nisei Ski Club Luau Picnic.

Time – 12:00pm – 5:00pm

You will receive your Evite invitation sent out from Armand G.

Please RSVP no later than July 18th, so we can order the right amount of food for the picnic.

NISEI SKI CLUB LUAU PICNIC INFO

Join us and meet your fellow members.

by Karen Soo, Newsletter Editor

Come on out and volunteer your time to help the local community.

Mountain View Buddhist Temple is having their annual Obon Festival.

Dates – Saturday, July 20^th and Sunday, July 21st. Sorry , The NSC Picnic is also Sunday , July 21st.

This year, the Mountain View Buddhist Temple (MVBT) Obon Festival bazaar committee members had developed an online volunteer sign-up page for the various activities and booths leading up to the bazaar and during the two-day bazaar on Saturday, July 20^th and Sunday, July 21^th.

 https://sangha.mvbuddhisttemple.org/obon/

In the past years Nisei Ski Club members had volunteered at the Obon Festival Beer booth. You know how that goes. A little pour, a little taste on the side. BURP..

Here is the link for the BEER BOOTH- Hurry before it gets filled up.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1QckOVYsOJPz8RGsCpTcKptgqLAyikNJCPb4AJ54J3QQ/edit?usp=sharing

Thank you for stepping up to the plate to VOLUNTEER!

Send in your deposit to hold you space.

by Sandy Kiyomura, NSC Member

As part of the “end of summer” celebration gathering, Sandy Kiyomura will give lessons on Cha Cha and the Swing. Sandy has been an instructor at the Mastick Senior Center in Alameda for several years. Come practice, get tips and have fun. 

You’ll have the opportunity to learn about Nisei Ski Club, meet club members, find out about future events as well as next year’s planned week-long Sun Peaks ski trip and a Japan Fall Trip! 

Date – Saturday, August 24th

Time – 12 pm – 3 pm 

Where – Sandy’s house in Harbor Bay, Alameda.

Cost: $5 for Members and Non-members. Bring a potluck dish to serve 6-8.

Beverages will be provided. 

Space is limited to 20 sign-ups. Pls RSVP by

August 19

We can also do a 5-mile walk/bike on a car free path nearby. 

Sandy will give you the address upon receiving your RSVP.

RSVP to Sandy Kiyomura at dance2@niseiskiclub.org 

We hope to see you there!

by Judy Hom, Janet Gee, NSC Members

If you missed the inaugural NSC Mahjong event in 2023, here’s a repeat event on

Saturday, September 7^th., 2024

Do you want to learn how to play mahjong or get more practice playing? Then, sign up for the NSC Mahjong event and potluck! Judy Hom, Janet Gee, and our coaches can teach you the basics if you don’t know how to play or coach you if you already know to but want more practice. We will focus on the Cantonese style where we play with 13 tiles and flowers. We will also explain how to score: HK and Classical Chinese style scoring. If learning more about mahjong is on your bucket list, then sign-up! When you sign up, you will receive a cheat sheet and a list of mahjong resources. We know that all NSC members like to eat so this is also a potluck event. 

Date:            Saturday, September 7, 2024

Time:           11am – 3:pm

Where:         Judy and Winston’s backyard, 18995 Carlton Avenue, Castro Valley

Cost: $5 for members and $10 for non-members. Bring a potluck dish to feed 4 or more.

Beverages will be provided. 

Space is limited to 16 sign-ups. Pls RSVP by August 31st

Please fill out a form for each person that is attending. For more information, please email Judy at mahjong@niseiskiclub.org.

SIGN UP HERE: MAH JONG

Will we see one of these Mah Jong Tables at Judy’s house?

by Jeanne Katsuro, Vice President

27 Nisei Ski Club Members will be experiencing a Boat Cruise to the magnificent and powerful Niagara Falls on the Eastern Canada Trip that will be coming up in October.

Other Fabulous Sites that we will visit.

Toronto City – Continue on to Niagara-on-the-Lake

Ottawa

• Thousand Islands National Park
• Boat Cruise on the St Lawrence River
• Blend of Canadian and French Culture
• Explore the City National Art Gallery, Gothic
• Parliament Buildings and the Rideau Canal

Quebec– Heart of Canada’s French Heritage

• Coach Tour of Old Town & Picturesque
• 17^th Century Buildings, Chateau Frontenac,   
• Parliament and St Louis
• Breakfast at Sugar Shack in Quebec Countryside
• See Maple Syrup Making – Taste Traditional Foods
• Montmorency Falls – a 272ft Wonder!

Montreal – Cathedrals, Rushing Waterways & Lush Gardens

• City tour of Jacques Cartier Square, Mount Royal
• Notre Dame Basilica

Nisei Ski Club will be going to Japan in 2025. Stay tuned…